City of Clayton will look at budget impacts of coronavirus
The Clayton City Council will be reviewing the budget in June.
We know some of our revenues will be down significantly, particularly those dedicated to streets and roads, due to decreased sales and gas taxes. We likely will not have a full budget picture until later in the summer.
We are holding our council meetings virtually on Zoom until further notice, and our “attendance” by residents has been enthusiastic. Check the city website at ci.clayton.ca.us for the link to the meetings.
Our landscape crews are working hard to make up for the six weeks of shelter at home restrictions on maintenance. The weeds got a real head start, but staff has now sprayed nearly all the medians with a non-glyphosate herbicide. They are pulling weeds by hand where spraying could damage nearby landscaping.
Due to budget concerns, we are not using temporary maintenance workers like in previous years. It may take a while longer to get to everything, so please be patient.
Meanwhile, although traffic is lighter than usual, we have had more excessive speeding. For everyone’s safety, please observe posted speed limits. The Police Department is at full strength and keeping our community safe as always.
Update on Pride and local events
At the May 5 meeting, the City Council approved recognizing June as Pride month. We will add the Pride flag to our flagpoles at City Hall, the library and the Grove Park.
Other event updates:
The VFW has canceled our Memorial Day ceremony.
The Clayton Historical Society has postponed the annual Gardens Tour until June 19-20. It will all be held outdoors.
The July 4 Parade and Rotary Pancake Breakfast are canceled.
The Clayton Business & Community Association has canceled the BBQ and Oktoberfest for this year.
All scheduled Concerts in the Grove 2020 are canceled. We are planning to bring these bands back next season. You can tune in to the Clayton Concerts Facebook page on concert Saturdays to catch a few of each band’s video performances in your own backyard.
Changes to county orders
The county health officers of the Bay Area have extended the mandatory shelter at home orders through May 31. Some non-contact outdoor activities such as golf and tennis can resume, with modifications. Outdoor landscape maintenance services may operate.
On May 11, we obtained clarification that pet grooming services may operate by appointment in pet stores that also sell pet food, with safety protocols in place for social distancing.
Contra Costa County will now offer testing to any resident regardless of insurance, ability to pay or whether they have symptoms. Residents can make an appointment to visit one of eight sites throughout the county. The county is operating five drive-through testing sites, while the state provides walk-up testing at three additional locations.
Testing is available by appointment only. Call 1-844-421-0804 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily for an appointment at any Contra Costa site.
Please keep up with our latest city news and county COVID-19 announcements on the city website and the Clayton pages on Facebook and Nextdoor.
City Hall is closed to the public. Members of city staff are working remotely, with only essential workers in City Hall who continue to answer telephone calls during regular office hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 925-673-7300. Staff is monitoring messages. Construction plans and projects may be submitted electronically.
Stay safe everyone. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at julie.p@ci.clayton.ca.us.