Vallejo Weekly | Vol 12 | Issue 4

Vol 12 | Issue 4 | Jan 25, 2024

VA LLEJO W EEK LY

VAL L E J O

WEEK LY

message from mike Hello, Vallejo!

I am excited to announce that we are launching Vallejo’s first Citizens Academy!

As described in the program flyer in this Weekly, the goal of Citizens Academy is to help Vallejo residents understand more about City government and specifically how the City of Vallejo operates.

We hope that by going through Citizens Academy, individuals feel more empowered to participate in Vallejo through their day-to-day work, in the political arena or by spreading information to their neighbors. Citizens Academy will cover all City Departments and their daily operations.

Hope you will join us for Citizens Academy! Check out the application process in the Weekly flyer.

Respectfully,

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Mike Malone Vallejo City Manager

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The Vallejo Citizens Academy aims to empower Vallejo residents by offering insights into City government and its operations. You'll be able to explore City Departments and make a meaningful difference in our community.

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WHAT IS CITIZENS ACADEMY? The Vallejo Citizens Academy is an 11-week* interactive educational course aimed at helping Vallejo residents understand more about City government and, specifically, how the City of Vallejo operates. We hope that with this information, individuals feel more empowered to participate in Vallejo through their day-to-day work, in the political landscape, or by spreading information to their neighbors. The Citizens Academy will give residents a deeper dive into all City Departments and provide information that residents may not have realized is part of the City’s operations.

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City departments that will be included are: • City Manager’s Office and City Clerk’s Office • City Attorney’s Office • Vallejo Fire Department • Vallejo Police Department

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Public Works Department Water Department Planning and Development Services & Economic Development Department Housing and Community Development Department Human Resources Department, Risk Management and Information Technology Department Finance Department

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Vallejo Citizens Academy is an 11-week* interactive educational course beginning on March 6, 2024. Classes will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Vallejo Room, located below the JFK Library. Class size will be limited to 25 participants, and a small fee of $25 will cover the cost of materials and light dinners that will be provided over the 11 weeks.

For more information and to submit your application, MyVallejo.com/CitizensAcademy * The class meets twice a month from March August 2024

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Annual Maintenance of Vallejo’s Water Treatment Plant

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All water that comes out of Vallejo faucets must first get treated at Vallejo’s Fleming Hill Water Treatment Plant. Treating the source water that comes from the Delta and Lake Berryessa involves disinfecting and removing silt, vegetation, and other contaminants. The Fleming Hill Plant is the largest of Vallejo’s three water treatment facilities. It is divided into an east side and a west side; each side performs identical operations in cleaning and decontaminating drinking water. The east and west sides were created so that one side of the plant can be shut

down for maintenance while the other side can continue operating to keep water flowing to customers.

At its maximum capacity in the summer, the Fleming Hill Water Treatment Plant can treat and store 42 million gallons of water per day (mgd).

However, the winter demand on water is about one quarter of that: 12 mgd. That means this time of year is ideal for teams to perform annual maintenance of the Plant.

The Vallejo Water Department’s Facilities team has begun work on annual maintenance of the Fleming Hill Plant. This involves shutting down one half of the plant; cleaning, repairing, and maintaining every basin and piece of equipment;

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shutting down the other side and performing the same work; then ultimately washing out the residue in the ozone chambers. (Fun fact: the Plant uses ozone to disinfect source water and to help create the outstanding taste of Vallejo water!)

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Six people in the Facilities Division work tirelessly and thoroughly to drain sediment basins and contact chambers, disinfect water treatment gear, change oil on gear boxes, and open up ozone chambers. “Everything gets locked out and tagged out for safety,” notes Terry Duncan, Facilities Superintendent; “lock out tag out” is the technical term for staff’s system for making sure no one accidentally tries to put a device

back into operation before the maintenance work is 100% complete.

Maintenance will begin in late January and typically lasts two-three weeks. Planning, however, is a detailed effort that takes months before maintenance even begins.

“The global supply chain is still affecting us, especially for the lead time on the parts we need for annual maintenance,” Duncan explains. To help alleviate the pressure, the Facilities Division builds the supply chain problem into the plan by keeping a good stockpile of parts.

In addition to continued clean drinking water

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for Vallejoans, the annual plant maintenance is a time for the Water Department to invest in its employees. For example, four Vallejo Water Maintenance Workers help in the annual maintenance and other projects while learning about the Plant’s water treatment process and gaining understanding of the highly complex and technical aspects of water system maintenance.

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“Staff’s knowledge about the water system and how to maintain it ensures the reliable functioning of the system,” said Beth Schoenberger, Vallejo Water Utility Director. “The knowledge supports staff’s ability to pursue

career goals and seek promotions. Stable staffing is critical to well-run water utilities.”

“Training staff in maintenance and watching them grow professionally is a huge winwin,” explains Robert Ljuba, Water Facilities Maintenance Supervisor. “Workers can develop themselves professionally and grow into new positions, and we can continue to benefit from the knowledge and skills they’ve gained along the way.”

The Maintenance Worker II class Water Distribution Technician assignments. prepares incumbents to promote to Water

CLOSES 2/12/24 - 5:00 PM

Distribution Technician.

SALARY: $59,970.56 - $72,894.64

The ideal Water Distribution Technician will be skilled in installation and be able to perform maintenance services of water distribution systems; and to perform a variety of technical tasks relative to assigned areas or responsibility.

The ability to work well as part of a team, and to collaborate and coordinate and support other team members’ success is highly desirable.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION / IDEAL CANDIDATE

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Water Distribution Technician is the full journey level class within the Water Distribution Technician series. Work within this class is distin­ guished from the Senior Water Distribution Technician in that the Senior is a lead worker class that provides indirect supervision to lowerlevel positions as an on-going assignment.

Employees at the Water Distribution Technician level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit. The Water Distribution Technician is distinguished from the Maintenance Worker II by the assignment of mostly skilled water distribution system installation and maintenance work whereas the Maintenance Worker II class performs mostly semi-skilled

To read the full job description, review benefits and apply, CLICK HERE.

CITY OF VALLEJO FY 2024-25 SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM APPLICATION PERIOD NOW OPEN APPLICATIONS CLOSE 2/19/24 - 12:00 PM Timeline: All applications for FY24-25 will be reviewed by an independent panel of residents (March/April 2024) Budget recommendation (May/June 2024) Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget approved (June/July 20240 Grant recommendations to the council for approval (July 2024) Award Letters issued (est. August 2024) Grant Agreement processing (est. Sept 2024) Val l ej o W ee kl y

Funds dispersed ( est. Oct 2024)

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Scan the QR code or CLICK HERE to complete an application

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Translation Assistance from Solano-Napa SBDC

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Businesses and Nonprofits can now access Translation Assistance at no cost. The services include assistance with client meetings, employer to employee conversations, and document translation.

To request assistance visit www.solanonapasbdc. org/business-translation-services Or call 707-646-1071 This service was made possible by Solano County ARPA funding.

G E T C O N N E C T E D VA L L E J O

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JFK Library Upcoming Events LIBRARY HOURS MONDAY - THURSDAY 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM FRIDAY - SATURDAY 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM SUNDAY 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM THURSDAY, JAN 25 • Makery: Make it Thurs.! Plastic Canva Coasters 3:00-7:00 PM • Homework Help - 3:30-5:30 PM • Evening Book Club @ Alibi Bookstore 6:00 PM

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FRIDAY, JAN 26 • Makery: Open Use - 2:00-4:45 PM

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MONDAY, JAN 29 • Teen Financial Literacy - 4:00-4:30 PM

TUESDAY, JAN 30 • Baby Bounce - 9:30 PM • Family Storytime - 10:00 AM • Homework Help - 3:30-5:30 PM • Makery: Open Use - 3:00-7:00 PM WEDNESDAY, JAN 31 • Tech Help - 12:00-2:00 PM For more information about the JFK Library, Click Here!

It's Restaurant Week in Vallejo!

Restaurant week in Vallejo is a time to explore the amazing eateries our city has to offer. This week, my choice was Loaded Chickn, a food truck regularly parked at 1701 Springs Road.

Even though the area has ample private parking, I decided not to take my chances with mother nature and get caught in rain and placed an order on DoorDash. With a 4.7 rating on Google and a huge social media following I felt optimistic about my lunch. As the sky grew darker and rain began to fall, my doorbell rang.

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Buy One, Get One Double Sandwich Combo and So Much More!

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Loaded Chickn’s restaurant week special offers a buy one, get one, double sandwich combo with a lot of freebies (details below) but I opted for the two most popular items on the DoorDash menu: the chicken tenders and Loaded Fries.

I invited a chicken tender connoisseur to help

with this one – my fifteen-year-old grandson, Julian. With a healthy dose of teenage skepticism, he tried the tenders. I'll be honest, Julian wasn't thrilled that his order consisted of just three tenders until he lifted the top on the box and eyed the massive perfectly cooked strips that lay before him.

These crispy, crunchy strips had just enough spice to keep things exciting, yet mellow enough for those who want less zest. The chicken came with a side of crinkle fries sprinkled with Cajun seasoning. Julian isn’t really a fry guy but said they were pretty decent. Which I will assume is Gen Z for really tasty. As for the chicken, he had this to say: “They're really juicy and crispy,” Julian said. “I like that.” He finished his second tender and compared the flavor and texture of the strips to those he had tried at a fancy Walnut Creek restaurant but after polishing off the last strip, he declared, “These are better.” When I asked if he would order these again, he gave a thumbs up. Loaded Chickn's chicken tenders are Julian approved.

Now it was my turn. I was intimidated by the massive amount of chicken piled on top of a bed of shredded lettuce, but I knew somewhere beneath all of that meaty goodness were fries.

This wasn't just lunch, it was an adventure. Every bite led to a new flavor combination of spicy chicken, lettuce, potato, and sauce. I can't forget to mention the sauce. The chipotle aïoli is the perfect blend of creamy and smokey. It brought all of the flavors together in perfect harmony.

As someone who has enjoyed many fries, I can say these were pretty decent or as someone of my generation would say, “These fries are totally awesome!”

Long gone are the food trucks offering premade sandwiches and coffee. In today's world, food trucks are 5-star restaurants on wheels. So much so, that they have a fanbase that will literally track them down! Loaded Chickn is no exception. With over 20,000 followers on Instagram, I can see why they are a town favorite.

Don't miss their amazing restaurant week deal: Buy one, get one Double Sandwich Combo that includes: • • • •

Free single sandwich Free onion rings Free cheese sticks Free fries

Available January 21-31st.

Loaded Chickn is in high demand. If you can't find them at their usual spot, you can always order on DoorDash.

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Be sure to follow them on Instagram for updates on their location and specials @loadedchickn

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This article was brought to you by Commissioner Loufas of the Vallejo Economic Vitality Commission (EVC). For more information on the EVC, visit www.myvallejo.com/evc

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Solano County Library January Workshop for Teens: Financial Literacy The Solano County Library has partnered with The Vallejo Project to offer a series of workshops for teens that address the important aspects of being successful adults.

WHEN: Monday, January 29 - 4:00 pm – 5:00pm • Financial Literacy WHERE: JFK Library 505 Santa Clara Street Vallejo, CA 94590

CONTACT 555 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo, CA 94590 Facebook.com/cityofvallejo Instagram.com/cityofvallejo cityofvallejo.net For maintenance emergencies, please call: (707) 648-5235