Pride, July 4th events part of what makes Clayton great
CLAYTON, CA (July 14, 2022) — There has been a whirlwind of activity both behind the scenes and in our downtown the past several weeks.
The Clayton Pride Parade Committee hosted its inaugural event on June 25 and was elated to see the support from residents, businesses and non-profit organizations, as well as neighboring cities and dignitaries. As word spread around the Bay Area, the all-volunteer team was able to raise more than $20,000 in donations to fully fund all parade expenses – including street closures and extra security.
Although not everyone in Clayton embraces the idea of our town hosting Pride, many felt differently.
“Over a week and a day later, we are still riding high on the love and positivity from the Clayton Pride parade. It was such a success,” said one resident.
Another shared that “the exhilaration, the love and the intention of the whole organization really superseded anything I’ve ever experienced in the town of Clayton.”
Kudos to everyone involved, and it was an honor to work alongside all of you.
Independence Day
The following week, we celebrated July 4th with the return of our annual parade. After missing the full parade for two straight years, it was clear that spectators were looking forward to the event.
It was nice to see many businesses open early to serve breakfast or cater to patrons. I witnessed several groups around the perimeter of town hoping to catch a glimpse of the festivities. As one business owner mentioned, we should consider extending the parade route around the Town Center so all businesses and residents can enjoy the parade without having to sit on top of one another.
Thank you to the staff and volunteers who put in all the work to bring this together.
I would also like to give a shoutout to our amazing city staff, made up of a small but mighty crew. As Mayor Peter Cloven has mentioned in previous articles, the staff is tasked with ensuring we have a balanced budget for the 2022-’23 fiscal year and a compliant Housing Element in January 2023, along with dispensing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds per federal guidelines.
In addition to their daily tasks of code enforcement, permit processing, City Council and Planning Commission meeting preparation and overseeing paving projects throughout town, staff is also completing an IT assessment to help us ensure we have proper safety mechanisms in place. They also now have our budget and live checkbook available online, making us a more transparent city. Please visit https://cleargov.com/california/contra-costa/city/clayton if you are interested in learning more about our city’s finances.
Staffing
Stay tuned for an update on the organizational assessment in the works that will look deeper into staffing, workload and efficiencies.
Although not everyone in town agrees with decisions this current council makes, we are committed to ensuring staff has all the technology and resources they need to make them more efficient, which will also afford them the time to streamline processes. I am committed to pushing back on any narrative that paints our staff as anything but hardworking.
As processes are finalized, we will share them with the community so everyone is on the same page regarding timeliness for maintenance requests and the priority of such requests. If you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at hollyt@claytonca.gov or 925-302-6261.
Enjoy the last few weeks before school starts again.