Mayor’s Corner: Coming in 2017

In my initial Mayor’s Column, I wish to thank you for your past support and look forward to 2017 as a promising year for Clayton.

The City Council – Vice Mayor Keith Haydon, Julie Pierce, David Shuey and new member Tuija Catalano – sees a bright future for the Clayton community.

Economic development efforts continue downtown, with the proposal for a mixed-use retail, commercial and senior living facility with Pacific Union Land Investors of San Ramon. Our commercial broker, Trans­western, reports several new inquiries about Main Street property as well as the permit-entitled mixed-use project slated for Oak Street properties.

The city remains sound financially with the leadership of city manager Gary Napper and the Finance Department under Kevin Mizuno. After closing fiscal year 2016, city management reported that all departments operated under budget last year. The General Fund experienced excess revenues over budget of $204,902 (3.6 percent), which aids in stabilizing the city’s budget and its reserves.

Sustaining our mission to have the best conditioned streets in the Bay Area, the City Council awarded a $556,204 competitively bid contract on Dec. 6 to resurface arterial roadways of Clayton Road, Oakhurst Boulevard and Marsh Creek Road to the east side of Diablo Parkway. Bids were so favorable that budgeted money remains to shortly resurface Clayton’s portion of Pine Hollow Road by yet another bid project. Expect that work to commence in spring 2017. It will include resurfacing the portion of the private Oak Street paid for by adjacent property owners through special assessments.

After completing a total redo of the landscape entryway to the Peacock Creek subdivision, the Maintenance Department will focus on renovating the raised planter boxes downtown and installing new irrigation systems and trees. Meanwhile, a segment of Keller Ridge Drive will receive new street trees to replace those that were lost or diseased.

Our Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Chris Wenzel, continues to make Clayton one of the safest communities in the Bay Area. The department has specifically increased its enforcement presence and crime deterrence in the Clayton Station Shopping Center. Because of the cooperation and support of the center’s management and business owners, patrons will notice an improved environment for both residents and businesses.

Send comments to the mayor at jdiaz@ci.clayton.ca.us.