State of the City review from Pleasant Hill General Plan to district elections
PLEASANT HILL, CA (Mar. 20, 2023) — On Feb. 28, I delivered the State of the City address to the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce, residents, community leaders and partners. The address showcased the fine state of our city.
Here are some of the highlights.
First and foremost, our city finances are strong. We maintain healthy reserves and have made prudent investment in our infrastructure. The combination of Measure K tax revenue and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allowed the city to complete a major overhaul of its storm drain system and implement an aggressive repaving schedule of residential streets in multiple neighborhoods.
Pleasant Hill offers a superior quality of life, as evidenced in our community engagement and the many community events the city sponsors.
On March 4, I led the Opening Day Parade for the Pleasant Hill Baseball Association. Nearly 1,800 kids from Pleasant Hill and surrounding communities marched along Boyd Road and Patterson Boulevard to the Pleasant Oaks ball fields for Opening Day ceremonies. Hundreds of parents and baseball fans cheered us on.
The Pleasant Hill City Council will hold a study session at 7 p.m. March 20 at City Hall to review the Draft 2040 General Plan. At this important meeting, the council will provide feedback to be incorporated into the draft document. Your input is important, too. Please take the time to educate yourself about the General Plan by attending this meeting or go to pleasanthill2040.com for more information.
Off the Grid returns April 5. Come and enjoy great food and family fun as the street is lined with food trucks featuring a variety of cuisines. The gathering of food trucks can be found on Trelany Road 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays. This event is a particular favorite of mine.
Voting
Finally, and perhaps most significantly, I reported that on Jan. 19 the city received a letter from Shenkman & Hughes, a law firm in Southern California known for bringing litigation under the California Voting Rights Act. The letter alleged that the city was in violation of the act and should change to by-district elections for councilmembers.
The City Council considered this matter at the March 6 meeting. After receiving public comment both against and in favor of district elections, the council decided to proceed with district elections. We set in motion the process whereby the districting will be accomplished within 90 days of March 6.
The city will schedule four public hearings at which public input will be taken on districting. District elections would begin in the November 2024 general election.
Pleasant Hill is a welcoming, tolerant and inclusive city committed to diversity. The City Council is unwavering in its commitment to serve and protect all our residents, and district elections are expected to advance that goal.
Watch the State of the City address at www.pleasanthillca.org/stateofthecity.
Email questions and comments for Mayor Flaherty to tflaherty@pleasanthillca.org