City Council Meeting Wrap-Up

At the City Council meeting Tuesday night, members cast votes in support of community nonprofits and the Dublin Unified School District. 

The council voted 5-0 to allocate $120,000 of the city's general fund for the 2011-12 fiscal year to the nonprofits.  

"These groups do tremendous work," Mayor Tim Sbranti said.

Council member Kevin Hart questioned how the city could anticipate that the money will be available during these tough times.

"I'm just taking a conservative approach," he said.

City Manager Joni Pattillo suggested that the city caution nonprofits and community-based organizations that there's no guarantee the full amount will be available if the city's economy worsens. The money is not guaranteed until the 2011-12 budget is finalized in June, Pattillo said.

Council members also voted unanimously to contribute $70,000 to help fix a 600-foot stretch of sidewalks and for other improvements along Brighton Avenue next to Dublin High School. The Dublin Unified School District is paying the remaining $35,000 for the work at a time millions of dollars are being spent to improve the school.

The city's funds for the work will come from Measure B money, a ½ cent countywide sales tax for funding pedestrian and bicycle projects. The city receives $80,000 to $90,000 in Measure B money per year, City Engineer Mark Lander said.

The sidewalk in question dates back to the 1960s, Lander told the council. "It's in visually poor shape."

In other actions, the council:

• Recognized Claudette Rodrigues, a nurse, for helping an injured man on Bent Tree Drive on Oct. 23, 2009.

"It was not a pretty sight. I literally had to put a head back together with towels," she said.

• Approved funding to develop a system that will allow first responders in Alameda and Contra Costa counties to use similar radio and other communications systems in an effort to improve their abilities to work together. The city's share for the program is less than $2,000.