Council to review homeless shelter state requirements

The state-mandated effort to designate an area of Turlock where homeless shelters can be constructed without special approval is back on the Turlock City Council's agenda in a special, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting.

Mapping the future of Turlock

After being forced into a reactionary mode for years, with declining tax revenues and state cuts causing tough budgetary decisions, the Turlock City Council will attempt to become proactive with a new effort to establish a two to four year roadmap for the City of Turlock.

Council approves Public Safety Facility bids

By a 4-1 vote, the Turlock City Council awarded construction bids for a new, 57,570 square foot home for Turlock's Police and Fire Departments on Tuesday, despite citizen concerns about funding the project's approximately $33.6 million price tag.

Governor’s budget proposal cuts funding for library programs

The newly presented budget from Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing some deep cuts to several state departments, including libraries, which could close the books on programs like adult literacy.

Town hall meeting brings elected officials under one roof

Representatives from state and local government, the federal legislature and Turlock school boards alike will gather in Turlock's War Memorial for a first-of-its-kind town hall meeting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 24.

City finds buyer for RDA bond

The City of Turlock's Redevelopment Agency bonds found a willing buyer at a better than expected interest rate, Turlock Senior Accountant Marie Lorenzi said Friday.

Higher RDA bond interest rate approved by council

Turlock City Council members on Tuesday approved a higher interest rate for the redevelopment bond issuance intended to fund the Public Safety Facility, possibly reducing the city's available funding for the project by $2.5 million.

Mayor lobbies legislators for Turlock projects

On Friday, Turlock Mayor John Lazar got up close and personal with a Portuguese Water Dog by the name of Bo.

Audit finds Hughson in bad shape

An expected, $64,789 General Fund budget surplus for the City of Hughson is now projected as a $70,923 – or more – deficit, members of the Hughson Finance Committee learned Tuesday.

City’s mid-year budget review appears positive

The Turlock City Council will receive a mid-year budget update on Tuesday, noting that expenditures appear to be on-track with projections, though revenues remain uncertain.

Tough times ahead for county

New Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dick Monteith delivered a grim yet positive State of the County address Tuesday night, calling for greater community and regional involvement to survive impending, drastic cuts.

Public Safety Facility, future projects in jeopardy

As the City of Turlock's redevelopment agency prepares a bond issuance to fund the proposed new Public Safety Facility, redevelopment agencies statewide have been thrown into disarray by Gov. Jerry Brown's 2011 budget proposal.

City woos new business with incentives program

The City of Turlock, like all cities in this down economy, is going to extraordinary lengths to attract new businesses, fill vacant storefronts, and increase sales tax dollars.

Council agrees to shoulder increase cost of Carnegie construction, intersection improvement

Turlock Vice Mayor Amy Bublak split with council members Tuesday as the lone voice opposing two contract change orders, totaling nearly $60,000.

Commission considers making dog parks part of General Plan Update

The Turlock Parks, Recreation and Community Program Commission is actively reviewing possible locations for a second dog park in Turlock. Although there are no funds currently available for the construction of a new dog park, the commission is researching the possibility of including dog parks in the Parks Master Plan and General Plan update for all future parks in Turlock. <font face="Calibri" ...

Turlockers question General Plan premises

Nearly three years into the planning process, some Turlockers are still questioning the premise Turlock's General Plan Update &ndash; a document which will guide the city's growth for 20 years &ndash; is based on. Their concerns were aired at a public meeting to review the draft General Plan on Thursday evening, intended as an opportunity for the public to familiarize themselves with the near-final plan. The General Plan Update envisions Turlock growing ...

Council to consider strategic plan, adopt RDA ordinance

A special meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall to adopt Turlock's 2011-2013 Strategic Plan. The plan, a conceptual long-term planning document which will guide Turlock policy through 2013, has been in the works since March. Before that effort, the document had lain dormant since 2007 and expired in 2009. The delay and a cancelled April follow-up meeting intended to continue work on the plan ...

More affordable housing needed, finds report

While housing prices have dropped, California still needs more affordable housing, according to a new state Department of Housing and Community Development report. "Prior to the foreclosure crisis and current economic downturn (also known as the Great Recession), California had experienced decades of undersupply, contributing to significant price escalation and the affordability crisis," the report reads. "... While the recession of the early 1990s was most devastating with regard to poverty and unemployment, ...

Failing water meters to get upgrade

City expects no changes for skate park when police offices move

The future of Turlock's popular skate park, located adjacent to the current Turlock Police Department, is in question given the construction of the new Public Safety Facility several blocks away. Turlock Parks, Recreation, and Community commissioners posed the question a month ago: without the close police presence, would the park &ndash; home to some acts of crime throughout the years &ndash; continue? But commissioners learned Tuesday that the skate park will remain ...

Voters to decide library tax on June ballot

A voter supported one-eighth cent sales tax has been the lifeblood of the Stanislaus County Library since its 1995 inception. But the fate of that sales tax, due to expire in 2013, will be up to voters once again in the June 5, 2012 Primary Election, following the Board of Supervisors' Tuesday action to place the issue on the ballot for renewal. The county's dedicated library sales tax was the first such ...

Council looks at replacing failing water meters

The Turlock City Council will consider a $495,225 upgrade to the city's failing automated water meter reading system at their next meeting on Tuesday.

Planning passes on regional ag map

A countywide initiative intended to preserve agricultural land, driven by local mayors, was shot down by the Turlock Planning Commission on Thursday for sidestepping existing planning efforts and failing to truly protect farmland. The initiative, known as the Agricultural Preservation Plan Map 2050, asks cities to clearly define their borders as of the year 2050. By doing so, the areas outside of the 2050 boundaries would be preserved for agriculture. The plan ...

City balks at proposed storm drain regulations

Washing your own car or having sprinklers that splash onto the sidewalk could soon be illegal, due to a proposed new state storm water permit. The new permit, drafted by the State Water Resources Control Board, is based on a concept of "only rain down the drain." Planners say they're attempting to meet federal regulations, but local officials say they've gone far beyond the realm of reason. "The requirements are so prescriptive, ...

What should come first, money or a plan?

Should Turlock be practical, given budgetary constraints, or should it aim for the stars? The question was front and center at a special meeting of the Turlock City Council on Tuesday, where council members went to work updating the city's strategic plan. The plan, a conceptual long-term planning document which will guide Turlock policy through 2013, has been in the works since March. Before that effort, the document had lain dormant since ...

Stanislaus County receives federal grant for preventative health programs

A federal grant aimed at getting to the root causes of chronic diseases was recently awarded to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. The Capacity Building Grant of $293,899 was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a block of Community Transformation grants. The Capacity Building Grant money is to be used for laying the foundation for sustainable community prevention programs and practices that tackle smoking, ...

Ag secretary lauds Obama’s jobs plan in California

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the state this week, lauding the positive impacts President Barack Obama's proposed American Jobs Act would have on Californians. "The American Jobs Act provides common-sense steps we can take right now to put more people back to work and put more money in the pockets of working Americans, without adding a dime to the deficit," Vilsack said to attendees at a business roundtable in Sacramento. The ...

Council votes to keep RDA options open

With the fate of redevelopment agencies statewide still hazy at best, a split Turlock City Council decided to keep its options open Tuesday, approving a resolution which will allow Turlock to decide whether or not to retain its agency at a later date. The move effectively informed the state that Turlock may eventually decide to issue a large "ransom" payment to the state in exchange for the right to keep its agency active, ...

Council to plan the future of Turlock

It's time for some long term planning, says Turlock City Hall.

City reports successful summer for rec programs

Turlock Parks and Recreation wrapped up a successful year of summer programming earlier this month. They saw high participation numbers across the board, and they received grant funding to offer summer programming to ACES after school program participants. "Our numbers were high from youth to adults. Summer went very well," said Erik Schulze, recreation senior supervisor. Turlock Recreation ran a special summer clinic for students who participated in the ACES after-school program ...