July/August 2026

City of Elk Grove Newsletter

5:00pm Vendors/Activities Open

7:00pm Opening Ceremonies

7:30pm Pop Fiction Concert

9:30pm Fireworks and Drone Show

Drones Return to City’s Salute to the Red, White & Blue

Free Admission

Elk Grove is marking America’s 250th birthday with a bang and a touch of tech. The annual Independence Day show at Elk Grove Park will include a performance featuring 200 drones in advance of the fireworks display to commemorate America’s Semiquincentennial (try saying that three times fast!).

The drone show and the fireworks are free to attend. A concert by Pop Fiction kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and the skies will light up at 9:30 p.m. Parking inside Elk Grove Park is $15 per vehicle, but SacRT will offer free shuttle service to the park beginning at 4:30 p.m. The 2026 Salute to the Red, White & Blue is presented by the City of Elk Grove, Cosumnes CSD, Sky River Casino and local business partners. Visit elkgrove.gov/4thofjuly for more information.

Marking Another Milestone Birthday

Elk Grove turned 26 on July 1 and we enjoy sharing this annual milestone with our community. Elk Grove’s Key to the City program began in 2014 as a way to honor some of our most remarkable residents and visitors. Many of the keys issued are to residents reaching their own incredible milestone of 100 years of age or older, but recipients may also include residents with significant accomplishments in military service, a person who performed an act of heroism while in the City limits, or a dignitary or celebrity visiting the City.

As we take a moment to honor another year of incorporation, we want to recognize this year ’s Key to the City recipients. Honorees this year have included 12 centenarians and one country music celebrity:

• Helen Caselli Scott (100)

• Leah (Zimbelman) Wynhoff (102)

• Bernice Lloyd (100)

• Anna Brandes (104)

• Florence Verdugo (102)

• Eleanor Amar (100)

• Elle Marie Craig (101)

• Irmgard Barnes (100)

• Jean Conquest (101)

• Miriam Moore (100)

• William Maxwell (101)

• Irene Margaret Heinrich (100)

• Luke Bryan –Celebrity Recipient

Visit elkgrove.gov/key to learn more about these honored recipients or to review how to submit a Key to the City request for consideration.

Your Summer Budget

Get caught using illegal fireworks in Elk Grove and it will cost you. As much as $1,000 per firework. City units will be patrolling on the ground and in the air during the Independence Day holiday enforcement period.

In 2025, the City issued 42 citations and collected roughly $330,000 in fines from property owners and tenants responsible for launching illegal fireworks.

Keep the holiday fun, not financially devastating. Illegal fireworks can damage lives and property. Report illegal fireworks through the EGPD’s non-emergency number at (916) 714-5115 For life-threatening emergencies, dial 9-1-1

Don’t Blow

Left: Luke Bryan – Celebrity Recipient Top Right: Anna Brandes (104) Bottom Right: Florence Verdugo (104)

Harvest Water Construction Milestone Reached

Good news for drivers: roadway work associated with the Sacramento Area Sewer District’s (SacSewer) Harvest Water project is now complete, and all impacted roads in Elk Grove and southern Sacramento County have reopened following restoration work.

Over the past two years, crews installed more than 43 miles of recycled water pipeline, including a major segment along Franklin Boulevard in Elk Grove. SacSewer thanks residents, businesses, and commuters for their patience during construction.

When completed in 2027, Harvest Water will become California’s largest agricultural water recycling project, delivering up to 16 billion gallons of recycled water each year for agricultural and habitat use. The project will help reduce reliance on groundwater, strengthen regional water reliability, support local agriculture, and improve environmental sustainability throughout the Sacramento region.

While roadway and pipeline construction is complete, work continues on remaining project facilities needed to begin delivering recycled water to participating growers.

For more information, visit sacharvestwater.org

What’s Happening Along Laguna Boulevard?

If Laguna Boulevard is part of your daily commute, you may have noticed the construction activity underway between Bruceville Road and Laguna Springs Drive. A major roadway rehabilitation and median improvement project is in the works along one of the community’s busiest corridors.

Work will continue through the summer as crews complete pavement repairs, median reconstruction, landscaping improvements, and roadway upgrades designed to deliver long-term benefits for Elk Grove drivers.

The project was initiated when it was determined that root growth from the trees in the center medians were causing sections of pavement to lift and crack. This damage presented ongoing maintenance challenges for city crews and growing impacts to drivers. Following a review by a certified master arborist and consideration of a number of alternatives, the City determined that removing and replacing the trees was the most effective longterm solution to protect the roadway infrastructure and reduce future repair needs.

This work is funded through Measure E and much of it is occurring overnight to minimize impacts to daytime traffic. Drivers traveling through the area may continue to encounter temporary lane adjustments, reduced speeds, and rough roadway surfaces while the work progresses.

A major component of the rehabilitation effort will be the use of cold-in-place recycling (CIR), an innovative roadway repair process that reuses existing asphalt materials to rebuild the road base before applying a new driving surface. By recycling pavement materials on site, the process is reducing the need for new raw materials and hauling operations while extending the lifespan of the roadway.

Work scheduled through the summer includes reconstruction of the center medians, irrigation system upgrades, grading improvements, and installation of new drought-tolerant landscaping and replacement trees better suited for the corridor.

Once completed, the Laguna Boulevard corridor will feature a smoother roadway surface, upgraded landscaping, improved roadway reliability, and infrastructure designed to better serve Elk Grove drivers well into the future.

Elk Grove Services

Ask Elk Grove (916) 691-CITY (2489)

Email: askelkgrove@elkgrove.gov or call the City Information Line: TTY/TDD (888) 435-6092

TTY/TDD (California Relay) 711

Popular Services

Affordable Housing Services (916) 478-2254

Animal Services (916) 687-3042

(Pet Licensing & Microchipping)

Building Permits (916) 478-2235

City Maintenance (916) 687-3005

e-tran / e-van (bus & paratransit) (916) 683-8726

Renters Helpline/Fair Housing (916) 389-7877

Report a Code Enforcement Violation (916) 687-3023

Special Waste Collection Center (916) 478-2228

Emergency Services

Fire-Medical-Police Emergency 911

Police Non-Emergency (916) 714-5115

Fire Department (Non-Emergency) (916) 405-7100

24-Hour Emergency Maintenance (916) 687-3005

(Street Hazards, Flooding, Traffic Signals, Streetlights)

Poison Control (800) 222-1222

elkgrove.gov/residents

Utilities

Elk Grove Water District (916) 685-3556

Electricity (SMUD) (888) 742-7683

Gas (PG&E) (800) 743-5000

Recycling and Waste (Republic Services) (916) 635-2500

Sacramento County Water Agency (916) 875-7014

Sacramento Area Sewer District (916) 875-6730

Things to Do

City of Elk Grove Produced Events elkgrove.gov/allevents

Cosumnes Community Services District (916) 405-5600

Parks and Recreation

Elk Grove Aquatics Center (916) 883-2782

Explore Elk Grove exploreelkgrove.com

Senior Center of Elk Grove (916) 685-3160

Teen Center USA (916) 686-6942

Wackford Community & Aquatics Complex (916) 405-5600

Education

California Northstate University

cnsu.edu

Cosumnes River College crc.losrios.edu

Elk Grove Unified School District egusd.net

Sacramento Public Library (916) 264-2700

Mobile App for Reporting Citywide Issues

• Potholes

Download SeeClickFix • Streetlight outages • Storm drain issues • Code violations and more!

Graffiti

Litter

For the desktop version, visit elkgrove.gov/seeclickfix

Photo courtesy of Cosumnes CSD

City Launches New Programs to Support Business Safety and Accessibility

The Elk Grove City Council recently approved two new programs designed to help local businesses improve safety, accessibility, and overall customer experience while strengthening community partnerships with law enforcement.

The new initiatives — the Business Reimbursement for Integrated Camera Systems (BRICS) program and the Accessibility Compliance to Create Equitable Small Business Spaces (ACCESS) program — provide financial assistance to eligible businesses making important property improvements.

Expanding Safety Through BRICS

The BRICS program helps businesses invest in modern security camera systems that can support both crime prevention and investigations. Eligible businesses can receive reimbursement for up to 50 percent of qualifying camera system purchases and installation costs, capped at $5,000. The program is open to businesses of all sizes, including retail, office, industrial, and multifamily housing properties.

In addition to expanding exterior surveillance coverage throughout the community, participating systems will also connect with the City’s Real-Time Information Center (RTIC), helping law enforcement respond more effectively to incidents and improving access to critical investigative information when needed.

Helping Small Businesses Improve Accessibility

The ACCESS program is aimed at helping small businesses create more welcoming and accessible spaces for customers and employees. Through the program, eligible businesses can receive reimbursement for up to 50 percent of ADA-related improvement costs, with a maximum reimbursement of $10,000 per business. Eligible improvements include projects that remove accessibility barriers or implement recommendations from a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) inspection in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California Building Code.

To qualify, businesses must operate a public-facing commercial space in Elk Grove and meet certain size requirements, including having fewer than 20 full-time employees, fewer than three locations, and less than $3 million in projected annual revenue.

Together, the BRICS and ACCESS programs represent the City’s continued investment in supporting local businesses, enhancing public safety, and creating more inclusive spaces for residents and visitors alike.

Learn more about these and other programs serving the Elk Grove business community at investelkgrove.org

You can get an insider look into City Hall through Elk Grove 101. This free, nine-session course is designed to engage and empower residents. Open to anyone 18 or older who lives or works in Elk Grove, the program offers direct access to City leaders, departments, and decision-making processes. Held twice a year, Elk Grove 101 requires registration and a weekly commitment, meals and materials are provided.

Event details can change. For these and other event listings visit elkgrove.gov/events

July 17 District 56 4-8pm

For event details visit: elkgrove.gov/fridaysinthegrove

Strauss Festival: Vienna Once More July 23 - 26

Elk Grove Park

National Night Out August 4

Locations Citywide

Concert in the Park August 7

Laguna Town Hall

BBQ in the Beat August 15

Derr-Okamoto Park

Raise the Barn Fundraising Dinner August 21

District 56 Creative Space Japanese Fair August 22 Old Town Plaza

City of Elk Grove

8401 Laguna Palms Way

Elk Grove, CA 95758

PRESORT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID

ELK GROVE, CA PERMIT # 173

8401 Laguna Palms Way Elk Grove, CA 95758 (916) 478-2206 elkgrove.gov

Kristyn Nelson Public Affairs Manager knelson@elkgrove.gov

Lupe Murrietta Graphics & Multimedia Program Manager lmurrietta@elkgrove.gov

SCAN ME with your smart phone for up-to-date information about the City of Elk Grove.

The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services, or activities. Questions, concerns, or complaints may be forwarded to the City’s ADA Coordinator.

city holidays

City facilities will be closed in observance of: Independence Day (observed) Friday, July 3

city meetings

The Elk Grove City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month unless noted otherwise.

Visit elkgrove.gov/councilmeeting or scan code to watch live or archived meetings and view agendas. Recordings of City Council meetings are also available on Metro Cable Channel 14.

All commission and committee meeting dates are available if you scan code or visit elkgrove.gov/citymeetings

city council

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen bsinghallen@elkgrove.gov

Vice Mayor Darren Suen | District 1 dsuen@elkgrove.gov

Councilmember Rod Brewer | District 2 rbrewer@elkgrove.gov

Councilmember Kevin Spease | District 3 kspease@elkgrove.gov

Councilmember Sergio Robles | District 4 srobles@elkgrove.gov

General Council Inquiries/Questions: citycouncil@elkgrove.gov.

Beyond Books: Help Reimagine a Historic Elk Grove Space

Located at the gateway to Historic Main Street, the existing library building has served as an important gathering place for nearly 20 years. Now, residents are being invited to help shape what that building will be used for next through a new community-driven effort called “Beyond Books.”

The Elk Grove Library will relocate to its new facility at 9260 Elk Grove Boulevard later this year and the City is beginning an exciting community conversation about the future of the current site at 8900 Elk Grove Boulevard. The goal is to create a vision for the site that honors the building’s history while meeting the evolving needs of the community. The project is focusing on identifying creative, inclusive, and economically feasible ideas that enhance the quality of life and provide broad public benefits.

Community engagement is already underway. The City hosted youth co-design sessions with students and teens this spring including participants from Joseph Kerr Middle School, Elk Grove High School, the Elk Grove Library, and the Teen Center. Opportunities for other residents to participate will continue through Fall 2026 including an online survey and a series of public workshops. Feedback gathered throughout the process will help inform recommendations scheduled to be presented to the City Council later this year.

Scan the code to participate in the survey or visit the City’s project webpage at elkgrove.gov/8900 for details. And watch for “Beyond Books” outreach events around Elk Grove this summer.

Catch a Dive-In Movie at the Elk Grove Aquatics Center

The Elk Grove Aquatics Center is the ultimate place to watch a movie in the summer. Relax in the water or unwind poolside while enjoying a popular film. It’s a perfect way to spend a summer evening with friends and family.

Get in and get comfy. The pool opens at 4 pm and the movie will start at sunset. Grover’s Grotto will be open to purchase your favorite movie snacks.

Sorry, no floaties allowed, only Coast Guard approved life jackets.

Cost: Ages 5+: $8, Ages 2-4: $5, Under 2: Free Swim passes accepted

Photo courtesy of Dave Soto.