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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.2 Helen Putnam Award or 19 82 STAFF REPORT CITY CLERK ` CITY COUNCIL File #150-20 DATE: October 7, 2014 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Christopher L. Foss, City Manager " SUBJECT: Presentation of the League of California Cities Helen Putnam Award of Excellence to the City of Dublin Prepared by Roger Bradley, Assistant to the City Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Representatives from the League of California Cities will present the League's Helen Putnam Award for Excellence to the City of Dublin for its work on the Emerald Vista housing development. The Helen Putnam Award is designed to recognize and promote the outstanding efforts and innovative solutions made by city governments each year. This is the second time that the City of Dublin has received a Helen Putnam Award. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council receive the award. o, Submitted By-" Reviewed By Assistant to the City Manager Assistant City Manager DESCRIPTION: Background The Helen Putnam Award for Excellence was established by the League of California Cities in 1982. It is awarded on an annual basis, and was established to recognize outstanding cities based on demonstrated delivery of the "highest quality and level of service in the most effective manner possible." Competition for the award is open to all of California's 482 cities each year, and awards are only presented in 11 different categories. Examples of the categories include: enhancing public trust, ethics and community, public safety, internal administration, health and wellness programs, among others. Page 1 of 3 ITEM NO. 3.2 Historically, Helen Putnam was the President of the League of California Cities from 1976-77. Helen Putnam was a mother, school teacher, principal, mayor and county supervisor. But most of all, Helen Putnam was a person who viewed meeting one's potential as the measure of success. Excellence, to Helen Putnam, was someone who did his or her very best. She was as supportive and loving of people who did their best as she was of people who did the best. To the League of California Cities, Helen Putnam defined excellence, and as a result, the Award for Excellence is given each year in her memory. The Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program recognizes only a handful of California's cities each year for their outstanding achievements. Such cities have made unique contributions to their community's residents and businesses, contributions which may have resulted in lower costs or more effective delivery of services. The purpose of the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program is to recognize and promote the outstanding efforts and innovative solutions by city governments to: • Improve the quality of life in local communities • Implement efficiencies in service delivery and operations • Provide services responsive to the local community Helen Putnam Award- Emerald Vista The City of Dublin is proud to have won its second Helen Putnam Award for its work on the Emerald Vista development along Dougherty Road, formerly known as Arroyo Vista. Arroyo Vista was a federal public housing project located within the Dublin community. Throughout the United States, thousands of aging public housing units have fallen into disrepair, and limited funding has made it extremely challenging — if not impossible — for communities to upgrade this important source of affordable housing. In many cases the inability of communities to revitalize such housing has resulted in units being demolished without replacement. At the same time, costs of developing infill parcels have increased and have impacted the production of affordable housing even further. Rather than ignore these challenges and pressures, the City of Dublin showed leadership and vision in its approach to revitalizing and re-imagining Arroyo Vista. Built in the early 1980's, Arroyo Vista was comprised of 150 garden apartments that served low-income households. Like other such housing projects, the development had fallen into significant disrepair. The residents and the City Council wanted to improve the property, but had virtually no funding options in the public housing system to upgrade the units and improve the quality of life for the residents. Scarce available federal resources were targeting big city projects. Yet, City leaders were resolute and clear: Figure out a way to preserve the affordable housing; create a more vibrant mixed-income community; and provide amenities for the whole neighborhood — all with an eye towards creating a greener, more sustainable community. To do so, Dublin established a partnership with both a non-profit (Eden Housing) and market rate builder (KB Homes) with the goal of creating a vibrant new neighborhood with open space, links to resources, and on-site community amenities. Construction started at Emerald Vista in 2012 and continued through 2013. One-hundred and Fifty (150) units of dilapidated public housing were replaced with 180 affordable apartments -- a net gain in critically needed affordable housing for the region. Fifty (50) of these units serve seniors and 130 units serve families. All of these homes are targeted to households with incomes between 30 – 50% of the Area Median Income. In addition to these affordable Page 2 of 3 apartments, 198 for-sale single family and townhomes offer a range of housing choices to Dublin families and residents. Fourteen (14) of the for-sale units were reserved for moderate income households. The neighborhood components and amenities are described below: • Carlow Court: 50 affordable apartments for seniors that are operated and maintained by Eden Housing. Programs offered to the residents include those designed to help seniors "age in place" and live independently for as long as possible. • Wexford Way: 130 affordable apartments for families that are operated and maintained by Eden Housing. The apartments have been developed using the latest green building techniques and materials -- including solar hot water and solar photovoltaics scoring over 100 points on Build it Green's GreenPoint Rating system. • For sale housing: 184 market rate and 14 below-market-rate for-sale single family homes and townhomes that were built by KB Home. All of the new homes are both ENERGY STAR® qualified and GreenPoint Rated, designed and built to help reduce energy bills. • Emerald Vista Community Center. Through Eden Housing's free services, residents of Emerald Vista can benefit from technology training, financial literacy, community involvement, and classes on health, wellness, and safety. Additionally, the Dublin Unified School District and the YMCA of the East Bay have formed a partnership to serve youth residing at Eden's Wexford Way apartments with comprehensive on-site after-school activities. A full array of YMCA programming is available, including homework tutorials, recreational programs and technology support in the computer lab. • Kidango Childcare Center. Kidango's Emerald Vista Center serves pre-school aged children from both within the neighborhood and throughout the area. Both the single-family and townhome market-rate units sold at a very brisk pace throughout 2012 and 2013. The City of Dublin and its development partners — including the Housing Authority of the County of Alameda, Eden Housing, and KB Home — are extremely proud of Emerald Vista. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: None. ATTACHMENTS: None. Page 3 of 3