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YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS | SERVING EAST COUNTY
Vol. 22, No. 28
Schools determine start plans
Council approves rezoning
Does anybody really know ...
by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
by Aly Brown
In turn, city officials cautiously formed the 2020/2021 to 2021/2022 operating budget, crafting it not to rely excessively on one-time revenues or large subsidies from the city’s budget stabilization fund, comprising past general-fund savings, Andrews said. City estimates project the city’s revenues and expenditures nearly in balance during the next four years, with annual operating deficits of between $500,000 and $800,000, before dipping into the budget-stabilization fund. That fund is expected to have a $10.4 million balance at the end of the 2023/2024 fiscal year. In the near term, the city’s gen-
OAKLEY A swath of land near Orchard Park School that was marked for light industrial development will now feature homes. Oakley leaders recently approved the 22-home project on 4.6 acres at 2480 Oakley Road, believing it was a better fit for the residential area. “Before we were a city, this whole area was zoned light-industrial,” Oakley Mayor Kevin Romick said. “The county, when they went ahead and approved that first development on the north side of Oakley Road, brought the homes in there with the school. It only makes sense to not make this light industrial.” The proposed 22 homes, likely situated 250 feet east of Live Oak Avenue, will join an area that already features single-family properties west and south of the site and the elementary school to the north. The housing project approval required the council to formally rezone the property and approve a general plan amendment, tentative project map and design review, but all were OK’d easily. City staff previously suggested a land-use designation amendment in 2018. “Staff’s opinion was that amending this property to a residential land-use designation would result in an increase in compatibility with surrounding uses,” said Kenneth Strelo, principal planner. The now-scrapped light industrial designation would have cleared the way for processing, packaging, machinery, repair, fabrication, dis-
see Budget page 19A
see Rezoning page 19A
Staff Writer
REGIONAL School districts in East County made decisions on how to reopen schools this week. Decided upon in meetings held Monday, July 6, the boards from the Brentwood Union School District (BUSD) and the Oakley Union Elementary School District (OUESD) unanimously determined all students will begin the next academic school year with continued distance learning. This will mean 100% virtual classes until it is deemed safe to enter school in a hybrid format. The first day of school for BUSD is July 28 and OUESD will begin July 29. As of press time, the school district boards in Knightsen and Byron were set to vote on their return schedules on Wednesday and see Plans page 19A
Photo by Tony Kukulich
M
ayor Bob Taylor poses in front of the recently installed City Park clock in downtown Brentwood. The timepiece was Taylor’s trifecta accomplishment for the park, which boasts a big red chair, gazebo and now the 12-foot clock.
City adopts budget amid COVID-19 “ As we move forward into the new
by Kyle Szymanski Staff writer
BRENTWOOD COVID-19-related financial impacts have collided with the city’s budget. But existing city service levels are expected to be substantially maintained — at least for now, city officials said prior to the council’s recent approval of the 2020/2021 to 2021/2022 operating budget, which establishes funding for all city-provided services. “The budget allows the city to substantially maintain existing service levels while operating with a sustainable spending plan for the next several years, even in the face of a difficult recession,” said Chris-
fiscal year, updates will be provided to the city council every six months — or more frequently, as needed …
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Brentwood City Manager Tim Ogden tine Andrews, assistant director of finance and information systems. Andrews called the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated shelter-in-place orders the greatest financial challenge to the city’s general fund budget since the Great Recession. City officials say the largest
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immediate COVID-19-related financial impact thus far has been a drop of up to $2.7 million revenue in the 2019/2020 fiscal year budget, with a decrease in combined sales, hotel, gas and business-license taxes, in addition to parks and recreation program fees and development services income playing a role.
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