District 6 Highlights

This past year was a turning point for our City. With the passage of Measure U and the slight upswing of the
economy, we were able to begin restoring core city services and hiring staff after six years of extensive cuts.
The City approved a balanced budget with a conservative fiscal reserve, new housing, and commercial
development projects which are picking up and moving along quickly. Read on for further highlights from this
past year. Here’s to a great 2014!
District 6 Highlights
Sacramento BioDigester - Waste-to-Energy
In January, the largest anaerobic digestion system of its kind in
North America, located in District 6, began working to convert
25 tons of food waste per day into various forms of renewable
energy including heat, electricity, and natural gas. The facility
will produce 700,000 diesel gallons of renewable Compressed
Natural Gas (CNG) and prevent the release of 18,000 tons of
CO2 into the atmosphere, while generating one million
kilowatts of electricity to be used to power the facility and the
adjacent fueling stations. The fueling station produces the only
commercially available fuel that has negative carbon intensity
in the U.S., meaning it destroys more carbon that it creates. In November, CleanWorld, the company that owns
and runs the BioDigester received the highly sought “International Bioenergy Project of the Year” Award.
CleanWorld edged out bioenergy projects from four continents. The project is expected to create 16 permanent
jobs and generate more than $1.1 million in annual combined tax revenue for the city, county and state.
New Traffic Signal at Fruitridge Road & 58th Street
In September, Superintendent Jonathan Raymond and I announced a joint effort to fully fund
a traffic signal at the 58th Street and Fruitridge Road intersection. The Sacramento City
Unified School District and the City of Sacramento have agreed to split the $400,000 cost of
installing a traffic signal, with the goal of it being built by spring 2014. In January of 2012,
traffic at that intersection claimed the life of a young student from West Campus High
School.
Elmhurst-Med Center Garden
In October, we celebrated the completion of the Elmhurst-Med
Center Community Garden with a ribbon cutting ceremony and
harvest festival. The garden was made possible with a combination
of funds from my office, UCD Health System and Supervisor Phil
Serna. Located at 49th and V Streets, behind the City’s Water
Treatment Facility, the garden includes 25 plots, an herb garden and
fruit trees. There is currently a waiting list for plot space, but if
you’re interested in getting on the waiting list, please call my office.
D6 Food Truck Events
In June, we started a monthly food truck event at Tahoe Park with the help of
County Supervisor Phil Serna, the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, and
Sacramento Mobile Food (SactoMoFo). The events were a huge success with
neighbors and community members across District 6 sampling a variety of eats
from 8 – 10 different food trucks each month. Each event was filled with the
gourmet food trucks, live music, and lots of kid friendly entertainment. We’re
looking forward to hosting more in 2014.
Glenbrook River Access Butterfly Garden
The 5th grade class of Hubert Bancroft Elementary, my office, and the
College Glen Neighborhood Association celebrated a ribbon cutting
ceremony for the City’s 1st River-Friendly Butterfly Garden. The
students learned about water resistant native plants and released two
dozen butterflies. The garden includes a walking path, two benches,
garden irrigation, and river-friendly butterfly attractant plants and
flowers. The garden is located at the Glenbrook River Access area
off of La Riviera Drive.
Sacramento Center for Innovation Specific Plan
In December, the Council approved the Sacramento Center for Innovation
(SCI) Specific Plan charting a course for redevelopment near the Power Inn
area of the City. Envisioned to capitalize on its central location, the geographic
focal point of the SCI is the 65th Street area south of Sacramento State
University, just seven miles east of downtown. The SCI vision is to establish
this older industrial area as a future hub for clean, green energy and medical
technology. The 240-acre area has the right mix of attributes to make this vision
a reality. The area’s location – near a major university, a regional electric utility, a large healthcare and
research facility, California’s Smart Grid Center, and a clean-technology incubator – gives the clean-energy
sector direct access to business and scientific innovation, an educated workforce, and proven collaboration.
Update on Power Inn Area Improvement Projects
 Ramona Avenue Extension – From Old Brighten Road to Folsom Boulevard, this $9 million project will
include a two-lane road with curbs, sidewalks and bike lanes. The extension will link Sac State to the
Sacramento Center for Innovation property, and provide convenient access for students and employees.
Estimated completion is December 2016.
 14th Avenue Extension – From 82nd Street to Florin-Perkins Road, this $11 million four lane extension will
include curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the road with bike lanes, landscaping and lighting. City staff is
working to complete the environmental studies and right-of-way acquisition. Estimated completion is fall
2016.
 Folsom Boulevard Improvements – These improvements are part of a curb, gutter, and bike lane
beautification project. The estimated cost is approximately $1.8 million and will provide new safety features
as well as dress up the area from 65th Street to the railroad underpass. Estimated completion is winter 2015.
Guy West Bridge Restoration Project
In December, the Council approved the Guy West Bridge Restoration
Project which will include new paint, restoration of suspension cables
and rope connections, bridge deck and railing maintenance, and
structural frame repairs. The bridge is a direct access route between the
Campus Commons neighborhood and Sacramento State University. The
restoration is expected to be complete by the end of 2014.
Greenfair/Fairgrounds Property
This past year, the litigation with the Greenfair neighborhood property owners was settled, and the property
returned to the ownership of the Sacramento Redevelopment and Housing Assoc. Since then, the property was
put on the market through a housing bid process, and sold to a developer. We are excited to see this
underutilized area developed and hopefully integrated with the UCD Med Center.
UC Davis Health System
 Farmer’s Market – The UCD Health System launched a
farmer’s market every Thursday evening from May through
November at the intersection of 45th and Y Streets. The Farmer’s
Market offered farm-fresh produce, artisan cheese, grass-fed beef,
eggs, fresh fruits, vegetables and other specialty items.
 New Dean at the UCD School of Medicine – Dr. Julie
Freischlang, former Department Director and Surgeon-in-Chief at
John Hopkins was named as the UC Davis Vice Chancellor for
Human Health Sciences and Dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Freischlang holds a Bachelor’s
Degree from the University of Illinois and an MD from Rush University in Chicago.
St. John’s Shelter for Women and Children

Groundbreaking for the New Shelter – St. John’s Shelter for
Women and Children unveiled their new 28,000 square foot facility at
8401 Jackson Road. With nearly twice the amount of space as their
current facility, they will be able to expand nearly every program they
offer. Sadly, they turn away over 200 women and children every night
because they are operating at maximum capacity.

Plates2Go Opens in Midtown – In August, St. John’s opened
their St. John’s Plates2Go restaurant. This new venture is a proud
partner of the Farm to Fork movement and helps get women ready for
the workforce with this new expansion on 1725 L Street. Plates2Go is
the third employment training facility of St. Johns Shelter Program for
Women and Children.
You can check out their menu at
http://plates2go.org.
Kindergarten-to-College Program Expansion
This past year, we continued our Kindergarten-to-College program expanding to four elementary schools in
District 6. This program provides financial incentives to kindergarten students whose parents attend financial
confidence courses in “Budget Basics” and “Understanding Credit” provided by our partner, SAFE Credit
Union. These two financial confidence courses provide specific information to help parents prepare for college
and make smarter financial decisions along the way. Research demonstrates that students with a college
savings account in their name are seven times more likely to attend college compared to students without such
an account.
D6 Hot Spot Expands
The D6 Hot Spot continued strong throughout 2013. Every Friday evening at the George Sim Community
Center from 6:00 pm -11:30 pm, we host a place for teens 13-19 years of age to play basketball, volleyball,
board games, video games, or just hang out. We served over 3,000 kids in 2013, and were pleased to help
expand the program to other community centers citywide.
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony & Toy Drive
For the first time since I’ve been in office, we held a Holiday Tree
Lighting and Toy Drive event at the Coloma Community Center. We
had a great turnout with two large bins of toys being delivered to
families at St. John’s Women’s Shelter. Supervisor Phil Serna,
Assemblymember Roger Dickinson and the Tiny Tots Preschool were
there to help light the tree, and we also received a special visit from
Santa and Mrs. Claus.
City Highlights
2013-14 City Budget & Measure U Restorations
In June, the Council approved the 2013-14 City budget at $819
million. This included $372 million for General Fund operations,
$406 million for Enterprise and other fund operations, and $41
million for capital improvement projects. The budget did not
include use of the City’s General Fund reserve monies. The current
reserve is approximately 6.6% of estimated 2013/14 General Fund
revenues toward the City Council’s goal of achieving a 10% reserve.
In addition, we began restoring many of the citywide core services
that had been cut extensively over the last six years, including Police
and Fire services, swimming pools, park maintenance, community center hours, senior and youth programs, and
library hours and services. This additional $27 million in tax revenues were from the passage of Measure U in
2012. The Measure included the establishment of a reserve and a framework for the transition of services to the
General Fund when Measure U expires. Audits and an oversight committee have also been put in place.
City’s Solid Waste Changes
In July, the City implemented service changes in response to the passage of
Measure T. The changes included the shift to every-other-week recycling
collection, containerized yard waste for all customers, leaf season collection
of yard waste piles from November to January, and the return of the
appointment-based neighborhood cleanup program. The business plan is
anticipated to save the City $1.2 million a year in operational costs and
avert any rate increases through 2015. This is good news, but I still have
concerns that the city’s overall recycling rate will drop significantly – this is
an issue I will be monitoring closely.
Clean Energy Sacramento’s Key Milestones
With the help of the Ygrene Energy Fund, Sacramento reached
several key milestones as part of the launch of the Clean Energy
Sacramento Program.
Most notably, the Energy Savings
Opportunity Program assessed two million square feet of commercial
property, assessed more than $40 million in multi-family properties
representing nearly 600 multi-family residential units, created 330
local jobs, generated $55 million in local economic activity, and
registered and trained more than 140 local contactors (representing
more than 60 companies) to begin work on energy upgrades. The
program also spread awareness about the tremendous benefits of clean energy financing and retrofits across the
region.
Rail Depot & Railyards Projects
Major improvements to the Rail Depot were made this past year
with a complete retrofit of the building’s structural system. The
City received a TIGER grant of $15 million for historic restoration
of the building and completed 60% design on that phase of the
project. In addition, we started the construction of 6th Street to
connect the Railyards to Downtown.
Rental Housing Inspection Policy Changes
In 2008, I led the charge for an ordinance that would provide City inspections of rental housing units in an
effort to deal with absentee landlords and unsafe rental housing. This past year, we amended the Rental Housing
Inspection Program and streamlined the process to allow for self-certification of rental properties helping to
decrease the cost of the program. To date, over 17,000 neglected rental properties have been cleaned up.
Federal Funds for New Police Officers
In September, thanks to Congresswoman Doris Matsui, we received $1.25 million in federal grant funds for the
Sacramento Police Department. The grant enabled the hiring of ten police officers to protect and serve the City
providing salaries and benefits for the officers for three years. The federal grants were made available through
the U.S Department of Justice, Office of Community Policing Services (COPS) Hiring program.
Sacramento Police Department and Nextdoor.com
In June, Sac PD partnered with Nextdoor.com in an effort to help facilitate a virtual neighborhood watch
program in Sacramento and foster neighbor-to-neighbor communications. Nextdoor is free and provides a
secure social network for neighbors to collaborate with each other. By partnering with Nextdoor, Sac PD will
have the ability to deliver public safety information, crime prevention tips, and community activities to specific
Nextdoor sites, or to larger areas within Sacramento. To join Nextdoor, visit www.nextdoor.com to join your
existing neighborhood website. If your neighborhood has not yet
established a website, you can start one. For questions about this
partnership contact the SPD Public Information Office at 916-808-0808
or https://help.nextdoor.com.
Sacramento’s New Police Chief
In February, the City Council appointed former Deputy Chief Sam
Somers Jr. from the Sacramento Police Department as the agency’s 44th
Chief of Police. Somers is a 28-year veteran of the department and a
second generation Sacramento policeman. He has led every major division, making him an experienced choice.
Improved Whistleblower Policy
In 2012, I pushed for the approval of a City Whistleblower Policy. This past year, the
Council made improvements to the policy with a new hotline that protects the
anonymity of those leaving tips. Through the new service all phone and electronic tips
will be received by an anonymous third party staff. Anyone can report information to
the hotline which is available 24/7 at https://www.reportlineweb.com/cityofsacramento
or call the toll-free number at 888-245-8859.
City’s Planning & Development Code Changes
In April, the Council approved changes to the Planning and Development Code to improve the ease of doing
business with the City. The changes include: reorganization of zoning codes to individual zones for ease of use;
a consistent Citywide site plan and design review process; flexibility in development standards to facilitate
development of smaller urban infill lots; and updated development standards to recognize urban and traditional
development patterns identified in the General Plan.
Economic Development Strategy
In June, the City Council approved a citywide Economic
Development Strategy that is jobs focused. Key components
included improving the region’s strongest industries – education,
healthcare, agriculture, and clean and green technology – and
growing the city through infill development project while
streamlining the development process. The plan also focuses on
ensuring small and medium-sized enterprises continue to thrive and grow.
Flood Protection Improvements
Nearly half of the repairs along the levee in Natomas have been completed. The City is still waiting to hear
from Congress to see if authorization has been granted to complete the second half of the work that the Army
Corps of Engineers has been working on. If the bill passes through the Senate and the House of Representatives
and is signed, then the completion of the Natomas Levee Improvement Project will begin moving forward.
Cosumnes River Boulevard Extension & I-5 Interchange
Groundbreaking
In April, construction for the new extension of the Cosumnes River
Boulevard and Interchange at I-5 began. This long anticipated
extension will reduce traffic delays, improve safety, and support
economic development and revitalization within the community along
the corridor. The project is being funded through a public-private
partnership with use of Measure A funding, as well as funds from the
adjacent private land developer M&H for the Delta Shores project
development. The extension is estimated to be completed by 2015.
Regional Transit Blue Line to Cosumnes River College
The Blue Line to Cosumnes River College light rail extension project is
one of the highest priority transit projects in the region and, once
completed, will extend the light rail 4.3 miles from the existing terminus
at Meadowview Road. The Blue Line to Cosumnes River College will
add four new light rail stations (Morrison Creek, Franklin, Center
Parkway, and Cosumnes River College). Anticipated project completion
date is September 2015.
City Green Projects
 Sacramento Named #1 Government Green Fleet – This past year Sacramento was named #1 at the Green
Fleet Conference in Phoenix, AZ. The annual award is judged on seven categories: fleet composition, fuel
and emissions, policy and planning, fleet utilization, education, executive and employee involvement, and
supporting programs. The City has also started using renewable compressed natural gas made from
restaurant waste.
 100 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations – Early in 2013, Sacramento reached a significant milestone with
more than 100 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations installed in and around the City.
 Sacramento First City in California with Hybrid Collection Truck – The City of Sacramento is the first City
in California to put a hydraulic-diesel garbage truck into service. The trucks are propelled by a special
hydraulic system that recharges as the trucks are idling when they pick-up collection bins. The trucks have
fewer emissions, consume 30 to 40 percent less fuel, are quieter, and need less brake maintenance.
Parklets, Bike Corrals, and a Bike Share Program
In October, the City Council unanimously voted to launch a
network of bike corrals and begin a pilot program for miniparks to be built in parking spaces near businesses. City
officials expect parklets to be built and maintained with
funding from private-sector sponsorships. Bike corrals fitting
up to 12 bicycles could replace parking spaces on city streets,
and would be funded through a grant from the Sacramento
Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. The lots were
recommended to address a growing demand by bicycle users
to have more secure places to leave bikes. The Council also
expressed encouragement for a regional bike-sharking program that has been touted by air quality officials. The
system would service Sacramento, West Sac and Davis. The startup will have 560 bikes available at 80
stations.
Farms, Parks, and Urban Gardening
 Farm to Fork Movement – This past year, the City was named as the Farm-toFork Capital of America by regional elected officials and the State of
California. This decision was made based on the region’s abundance of local
farmland, vibrant culinary scene, and food production.
 Sacramento Ranked 3rd in Nation for City Park System – In May, the City’s
parks system was ranked third best in the country by the Trust for Public
Land among the top 40 cities.
 Sacramento Ranked 5th in Nation for Urban Gardening – Ranking number
five on the list, Sacramento was named one of the top ten Best Cities for
Urban Gardening in the United States. Sacramento has about 5.7 community
garden plots per every 10,000 residents.
City’s New Website & Envision Sacramento – The City of Sacramento
has launched a newly redesigned website. The website has a fresh new
look and feel with improved navigation and a functional mobile design.
You can find the City’s website at www.cityofsacramento.org. The City
has also been very interactive with its other website, Envision Sacramento.
Envision Sacramento is a public engagement tool where residents can
share ideas, support other’s ideas, and give feedback about the city and community issues all in one place. Go
to http://www.envisionsacramento.com/.
District 6 Projects Completed in 2013











Diving Board & Volleyball Nets at the George Sim Community Center – In the spring, we added two new
fun amenities at the Sim Center. A diving board for the pool and two outdoor volleyball nets next to the
baseball fields. Both are popular and well used.
T Street Parkway Improvements – In the summer, the grass in the T Street Parkways was re-seeded and
fertilized to control weeds and grow a healthier lawn.
Tahoe Park South Street Light Replacement Project – The Tahoe Park South Street Light Replacement
Project replaced existing streetlight poles and associated infrastructure in the Tahoe Park south
neighborhood with new City Standard ornamental street light poles between 14th Avenue and 21st Avenue
from 60th to 62nd Streets.
Sacramento Values Project – In September, the Value’s Project worked with residents and community
members to memorialize “valued” words they chose by painting them on parking spaces at the George Sim
Community Center.
California Endowment – We continued our partnership this year with the California Endowment. Their
Building Healthy Communities initiative funded various programs throughout south Sacramento including
WALKSacramento, Asian Resources and Ubuntu Green as they work to strengthen and organize
community residents in south Sacramento.
Operation College 2.0 – We continued our partnership with Hiram Johnson High School to provide free
essential college going and financial aid information to students and parents.
Sacramento Hotel Association Day of Service – Hosted at the Sim Center this past year, over 250 volunteers
participated from area hotels and industry vendors to work at City parks, community gardens, libraries,
elementary schools, St. John’s Shelter, Boys and Girls Club, Sac Habitat for Humanity, and Mercy
Housing/Kennedy Estates.
9th Season of Junior Giants Youth Baseball – We finished our 9th season this summer with 200 kids playing
baseball at the Matt Cain Baseball Fields in south Sacramento.
8th Annual Neighborhood Appreciation Reception – In April, we held our 8th Annual Neighborhood
Appreciation Reception at Plates Café. Please see the list of award recipients on the last page.
5th Annual Mother/Baby Clothes Drive – Our most successful drive yet with 30 bins of clothes, equipment,
and food for the mothers and children of the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ Parent Project.
Neighborhood Council Meeting – We held a D6 Neighborhood Council meeting this past year with
neighborhood leaders and special guest Superintendent Jonathan Raymond.


Sidewalk Hours – I held a sidewalk hour this past year at the Coloma Community Center giving me an
opportunity to talk with neighbors.
District 6 ENews Newsletters – We continued to email our ENews newsletters on District 6 and Citywide
issues and events. If you’d like to sign up, please visit my webpage at
http://www.cityofsacramento.org/council/district6.
District 6 Projects Planned for 2014














D6 Food Truck Events – Every 4th Friday of the month from March through October at Tahoe Park. Hope
to see you there!
65th Street Bike & Pedestrian Improvements – Bike/Pedestrian traffic signal at Folsom Blvd and 69th Street,
bike path along Mae Fong Park, and an improved bike lane on 65th Street between 4th Avenue and Folsom
Blvd.
Elmhurst Food to Fuel Pilot Project – In the spring will begin a food waste pilot project in the Elmhurst
neighborhood. The food will be processed at the City’s new biodigester in south Sacramento.
University Avenue Dog Park – We are working with neighbors in the Campus Commons/ Sierra Oaks
neighborhoods to build a small and large dog park off of University Avenue.
Mae Fong Park Improvements – We will be building a picnic shade structure at Mae Fong Park which is
scheduled to be complete by May.
University Avenue Crosswalk – Transportation staff have recommended the installation of a triple-4
crosswalk with new signage on University Avenue with cut-outs and ramps identified for ADA
accessibility. The project has been designed and is scheduled to be complete by the spring of 2014.
Art Guerrero Park – Fruitridge Manor Park will be named after Artivio Guerrero, a loving husband, father
and community activist who lived in the Fruitridge Manor neighborhood for more than half a century. The
official naming ceremony will be held along with the groundbreaking ceremony for the park in the spring.
Highway 50/Watt Avenue Interchange Improvements – The project will improve traffic flow along the Hwy
50 corridor by modifying the Watt Avenue interchange, as well as provide 800 construction jobs over two
years. Scheduled completion is August 2014.
Community Gardens – We will continue working to build two more joint-use school/community gardens
this year at Earl Warren and Will C. Wood.
Granite Park – We will continue working to develop the second phase of Granite Regional Park.
10th Season of Junior Giants Youth Baseball – We are planning our 10th season this summer providing a free
youth baseball program at the Matt Cain Baseball Fields in south Sacramento.
9th Annual Neighborhood Appreciation Reception – We are planning our 9th Annual Neighborhood
Appreciation Reception at Plates Café honoring our dedicated District 6 community leaders.
6th Annual Mother/Baby Clothes Drive – We will attempt to surpass the amount of donations received last
year for our annual drive collecting clothes, equipment, and food for the mothers and children of the
Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ Parent Project.
Summer Movie Nights – We will be holding our annual movie night this summer. Please keep in touch, and
we’ll let you know when and where.

Congratulations to Our 2013 Outstanding Community and Business Leaders!
Outstanding New Community Leader
Stephanie Francis – Fruitridge Manor Neighborhood Association Leader
Outstanding Service to Students
Shelia Sidqe – Operation College Program Leader
Outstanding Program of the Year
Clean Energy Sacramento – Energy Efficiency Program
Outstanding Community Service Leader
Gordon Olson – Kindergarten-to-College Program Volunteer
Outstanding Environmentally-Friendly Business
The Sacramento BioDigester – Waste-to-Energy Digester Facility
Outstanding Public Servant
Kathy Kingsburg – Principle, Camilla Basic Elementary
Good Samaritan Award
Eric Dodd – College Glen Neighborhood Resident

I appreciate your interest in District 6 and the City. It’s an honor representing you and I look forward to our
continued work together. Please do not hesitate to contact my office on these or any other issues.
Councilmember Kevin McCarty
th
915 I Street, 5 Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
916-808-7006 phone; 916-808-8541 fax
[email protected]