Report. Volunteer Services

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1 City of Highland Weekly Report April 20, 2017 Volunteer Services ARBOR DAY Join us as we celebrate Arbor Day with a tree planting ceremony! The City of Highland has earned and has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 26 years. Highland achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting program requirements. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Trees are assets to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among the many other benefits. The tree planting will take place at Highland s Cunningham Park on Friday, April 28, 2017 at 9:00AM. Cunningham Park is located on the 7400 block of Cunningham (between Base Line and 9 th Street) in Highland. For additional information, please contact, Denise Moreno, Volunteer Services Coordinator at ext More information about National Arbor Day or Tree City USA can be found on the National Arbor Day Foundation website, arborday.org City of Highland ~ Base Line Highland, CA ~ ~

2 P a g e 2 Volunteer Services BICYCLE SAFETY COURSE The City of Highland will host a Bicycle Safety Course during the Highland YMCA Healthy Kids Day event on Saturday, April 29, The course will be open from 10:30am to 12:30pm along with a helmet and bike check station as well as a helmet giveaway. Come early to receive your free helmet as there is a limited number available. Children are asked to bring their own bike, trike or scooter to ride the course. The Highland YMCA is located at 7793 Central Avenue, Highland. For more information about the bicycle safety course contact Volunteer Services at extension 203. SUCCESSFUL DAY OF SERVICE The Community Day of Service project was once again a success! Although, this year our project was on a much smaller scale than years past, we still managed to make a difference in Highland! Thank you to the volunteers that dedicated their Saturday morning to tackle the litter problem at Community Park and surrounding area. Litter is a never ending battle but I am sure the abatement that was completed last Saturday made a positive impact in the neighborhood as well as with all our regular park patrons. This is a busy park which hosts many athletic games, including baseball and soccer, just to name a few. Please contact Volunteer Services for more information about volunteer groups and projects at extension 203.

3 Green Your Garden: 10 Water-Conscious Design Tips How green does your garden grow? If your yard requires an abundance of water to maintain that brightly colored curb appeal, it might score high in hue but low in landscape sustainability. It s true the earth is made up mostly of water, but only 1 percent of the world s water is actually usable. While California has made a turn for the wetter, according to the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor, about 14.1 percent of the contiguous U.S. is still classified as experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, as of the end of February. Even if you don t reside in a drought state, incorporating something called xeriscaping into your landscape design is essential for the well-being of our planet by protecting our precious resources. Xeriscaping a landscape and garden design approach that uses water conservation techniques reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation systems. It works by incorporating drought-tolerant plants as well as those native to the region. While it doesn t matter if you have a lawn, a patio or want to start your first mini garden it s time to get your hands dirty! 10 Tips for Water-Conscious Garden Design 1. Catch Rainwater April showers certainly bring May flowers, but they can also be used to water your yard and garden, and even wash your car. According to RainBarrelGuide.com, for every inch of rain that falls on a catchment area of 1,000 square feet, approximately 600 gallons of rainwater can be collected. That s a lot of water that would otherwise be wasted, which equates to serious savings for homeowners. If the thought of ugly, oversize gray barrels in your yards makes your inner designer cringe, fear not. Catchment options range from stylish storage tanks to pretty planters that double as rainwater catchers. Rainwater sliding off a polymer, metal, ceramic or real slate sloping roof into collection barrels is safe for secondary uses like garden irrigation. Roofs like these do not tend to leach chemicals or pollution into the water. In fact, their 100 percent recyclable, USA-made, synthetic roofing tiles contain inorganic pigments permanently bound into the polymer tiles that meet California Proposition 65 protocols and certify that the products do not release or discharge toxins into water. Savings, safety and style? 2. Sprinkle Sparingly If you re like me, you ve over-watered everything on more than one occasion. While we all have good hydration intentions, the average American family is devoting a whopping 30 percent of the household water usage to lawn and garden watering. You probably know to turn off the sprinklers when it rains, but you should also water in the early hours of the morning to reduce evaporation.

4 10 Tips for Water-Conscious Garden Design Continued More Gravel, Less Grass Gravel doesn t require the water that grass does. By removing portions of your grass and installing gravel or decomposed granite instead, you can save water while also cooling your home by surrounding the space with canopy trees for extra shade. According to the Arbor Environmental Alliance, one large tree strategically placed in a yard can replace 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours per day. Create a gravel sitting area with a farmhouse table and chairs. Add pops of color with upcycled benches, recycled pillows and comfy throws. Gardens shouldn t just be viewed from the kitchen window but experienced year-round. Excellent landscape design incorporates seasonless gardens, with plants peaking all year. 4. Use Drought-Tolerant Plants Contrary to popular belief, succulents aren t the only plants that are drought-tolerant. Beautiful herbs like rosemary and lavender are not only fragrant and great for cooking or freshening your indoor air, it turns out they re extremely water-conscious. For fantastic border plants, try Little Ollie shrubs; they re a clean, compact-growing shrub that requires very little attention or water. 5. Add Rain Gutter Catch Basins to Your Rain Gutters Catch your rainwater with a basin at the bottom of your drain. While that may be a tongue twister, redirecting rainwater to a drought-tolerant herb garden or storage tank is, well, savvy. Aesthetics-driven readers, take a breath: There are very discreet underwater storage tanks that hold quite a bit of water without being an eyesore. And, slim fit isn t just for men s shirts. Nowadays, you can even find slim, wall-mounted tanks that can run alongside walls and fences, like this one. Just attach a hose and water your yard. Your neighbors will be green with envy. 6. Collect Gray Water from Your Sinks It s surprising how much gray water we produce every day without realizing it. By merely saving water that would otherwise go down the drain (i.e., waiting for the faucet to warm up) or used to rinse fruit and vegetables, you can repurpose this to water your potted plants. Even water left over in drinking glasses and water bottles can be collected in a pitcher. Don t forget to fix all leaks from hoses or pipes. This is not only vital to prevent mold, but if you have a leak, you re wasting water. A great way to spot leaks is to check your water meter at the beginning of a two-hour window of no water use. Then, check again at the end of the two hours. If the number has risen, you have a leak. 7. Add Mulch to Trees and Plants Did you know mulch discourages weed growth, minimizes water runoff and retains moisture? By adding a few inches of compost or mulch around trees and plants, this will slow the evaporation of moisture, allowing your garden plenty of time to take a long sip of water. Mix mulch with all your soil to encourage moisture retention in the entire yard.

5 10 Tips for Water-Conscious Garden Design Continued Install a Drip Irrigation System Sprinklers are out; drip irrigation systems are in. If you aren t familiar, you ll be thrilled to know that drip irrigation systems save 50 percent more water than sprinklers, with little to no water loss from runoff or evaporation. They can be installed anywhere, from large yards to individual planters. A drip irrigation system allows total control over the amount of water supplied to each designated area. They work wonderfully with mulched areas, thoroughly soaking the moisture-retaining mulch sans the runoff. 9. Think about the Needs of Bees Bees need a place to land. Your garden could be one of them. Bees pollinate one-third of all food, but we re seeing fewer of them due to climate change and habitat loss. Bees pollinate a plethora fruits and vegetables, including broccoli, apples and squash (and even almonds!). They require flowering plants and herbs to thrive, and with the popularity of suburban lawns and the destruction of native landscapes, bees are rapidly disappearing. Good news! You can encourage bee production by planting flowering trees and clover in your yard or in planters on patios. Also, avoid chemically treating plants and flowers since chemicals can negatively affect a bee s system, human health and the entire ecosystem. Bees like volume in their flowers, so plant plenty of the same type of bloom together. A few good examples are lilacs, lavender, sage, wisteria and verbena they re not just practical, but bee-autiful! 10. Plant a Tree or Three! According to NASA, upward of 20 percent of Earth s carbon dioxide (CO2) could remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years and rising concentrations are already causing the planet to heat up. By just planting a single tree, you can help, given that plants neutralize excess CO2. A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 pounds per year, while releasing oxygen back into the air. Planting a tree creates beauty, fights global warming and is good for our health, too. (Want to know more? Read The 3 Plants Every Home Should Have for Clean Air. ) Trees can also help keep cities cooler by releasing water vapor into the air and breaking up urban hot spots. Shade from trees slows water evaporation, and surprisingly, most new trees only need 15 gallons of water per week. Surround your home with trees and enjoy the numerous benefits while also doing your part to help our beautiful planet. Mother Earth will surely thank you. I hope this inspires you this Earth Day to take even just one of the above action steps. Article courtesy of Earth911.com. For more information please call the Public Services Division at ext. 271.

6 Public Services April 29, 2017 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day O n April 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Highland Police Station and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 12th opportunity in six years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Highland Police Station located at Base Line Highland, CA The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Americans turned in more unused prescription drugs at the most recent DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day than on any of the previous 11 events since it began in 2010, demonstrating their understanding of the value of this service. Earlier this year the DEA and over 4,200 of its state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners collected 893,498 pounds of unwanted medicines about 447 tons at almost 5,400 sites spread through all 50 states, beating its previous high of 390 tons in the spring of 2014 by 57 tons, or more than 114,000 pounds. The top five states with the largest collections, in order, were Texas (almost 40 tons); California (32 tons); Wisconsin (31 tons); Illinois (24 tons); and Massachusetts (24 tons). The majority of prescription drug abusers report in surveys that they get their drugs from friends and family. Americans understand that cleaning out old prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and bedside tables reduces accidents, thefts, and the misuse and abuse of these medicines, including the opioid painkillers that accounted for 20,808 drug overdoses 78 a day in 2014 (the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Eight out of 10 new heroin users began by abusing prescription painkillers and moved to heroin when they could no longer obtain or afford those painkillers. These results show that more Americans than ever are taking the important step of cleaning out their medicine cabinets and making homes safe from potential prescription drug abuse or theft, said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg. Unwanted, expired or unused prescription medications are often an unintended catalyst for addiction. Take-Back events like these raise awareness of the opioid epidemic and offer the public a safe and anonymous way to help prevent substance abuse. Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash both pose potential safety and health hazards. For information on how to properly dispose of medications and other materials that could potentially harm the environment, such as cleaning products, paints, fertilizers/pesticides, automotive products like used motor oil and filters, please contact the City of Highland Public Services Division at ext. 271

7 P a g e 7 During the period of April 10, 2017 through April 14, 2017, graffiti was made known to Public Works staff by the following means and removed: Routine observation by Public Works: 14 th St. & Victoria Ave., 8023 Del Rosa Dr., Sterling Ave. & Fisher St., 6 th St. S/O Elmwood Rd., Del Rosa Dr. & 5 th St., Union St., Fleming St. & Merito Ave., Fleming St., 7706 Golondrina Dr., 9 th St. & Golondrina Dr., Base Line E/O McKinley, Mira Vista & Base Line, 5 th St. W/O SR210, 7272 Sterling Ave., Base Line E/O Sterling Ave., Base Line E/O Del Rosa Ave., Del Rosa Dr. & 9 th St., 5 th St. W/O Central Ave., Base Line, Highland Community Park, Hotline: Pacific St. W/O Palm Ave., Atlantic Ave. W/O Boulder Ave., Boulder Ave. S/O Webster, 7855 Elmwood Rd., 7833 Elmwood Rd., 7 th St. & Elmwood Rd. Community Development At the April 18, 2017 regular meeting, the Planning Commission dis- Planning Commission: cussed the following items: 1. A Sign Review Application (ASR ) to Allow for a Building Mounted Wall Sign and Two, Two-Sided Monument Signs on an Existing Church Facility The Planning Commission: 1. Approved Sign Application (ASR ) to allow for a building mounted wall sign and two, two-sided monument signs, subject to the Conditions of Approval; and 2. Adopted the Findings of Fact. Finance Commercial Business License Applications There were no new Commercial Business Licenses for the Week Of 4/17/17 to 4/21/17

8 P a g e 8 West Highland Bikeways Infrastructure and Pavement Improvements on Base Line Rehabilitation of the existing pavement is 70% complete along 3.3 miles of three segments of Base Line: City of Highland Base Line (Del Rosa Drive to Cole Avenue) Base Line (Boulder Avenue to Walgreens) Base Line (500 west of Yarnell Street to Church Street) Approximately 12,600 tons of rubber asphalt concrete will be constructed this week within these segments of Base Line. The major construction work items are done. The remaining improvements include raising manholes, vaults and valves to grade; traffic signal loops installation; and re-striping the roadway to include a continuous bike lane on both sides of Base Line from one end of the City to the other. This project is on schedule to be completed by the end of May of The City thanks Highland residents, businesses and commuters affected by the construction of this ongoing project for their patience. 5 th Street/Greenspot Road Bikeway Improvements This project includes installation of bike racks at 5 public facilities (City Hall, Fire Stations No. 2 and 3, and Highland Grove Elementary School ball field/park), and construction of bikeway improvements along 3 segments of 5th Street/Greenspot Road: Greenspot Road (Santa Paula Street to the new bridge over the Santa Ana River) 0.6 mile of roadway widening and new bike lanes on both sides of Greenspot Road. Old Greenspot Road 0.5 miles of pavement pulverization/rehabilitation and new bike path along the old Greenspot Road on both sides of the old historic bridge over the Santa Ana River; a major trail node kiosk and interpretive signage at the old bridge. 5th Street/Greenspot Road (Tippecanoe Avenue to 1,000' south of the Sana Ana River) bikeway signage along 10 miles of 5th Street/Greenspot Road. Construction will begin Monday, April 24, 2017 and take 6 months to complete. During construction 5 rd Street and Greenspot Road will be open to traffic.

9 P a g e Administration Emergency Preparedness - Water In a disaster, water supplies may be cut off or contaminated. Store enough water for everyone in your family to last for at least 3 days. Store one gallon of water per person, per day. Three gallons per person per day will give you enough to drink and for limited cooking and personal hygiene. Remember to plan for pets. If you store tap water: Tap water from a municipal water system can be safely stored without additional treatment. Store water in food grade plastic containers, such as clean 2-liter soft drink bottles. Heavy duty, reusable plastic water containers are also available at sporting goods stores. Empty milk bottles are not recommended because their lids do not seal well and bottles may develop leaks. Label and store in a cool, dark place. Replace water at least once every six months. If you buy commercially bottled spring or drinking water: Keep water in its original container, and don t re-store a bottle once it s been opened. Store in a cool, dark place. If bottles are not marked with the manufacturer s expiration date, label with the date and replace bottles at least once per year. Treating Water after Disaster: If you run out of stored drinking water, strain and treat water from your water heater or the toilet reservoir tank (except if you use toilet tank cleaners). Swimming pool or spa water should not be consumed but you can use it for flushing toilets or washing. Treatment Process: Strain any large particles of dirt by pouring the water through layers of paper towels or clean cloth. Next, purify the water one of two ways: Boil bring to a rolling boil and maintain for 3-5 minutes. After the water cools, pour it back and forth between two clean containers to add oxygen back; this will improve its taste. Disinfect If the water is clear, add 8 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per gallon of water. If it is cloudy, add 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) per gallon. Make sure you are using regular bleach 5.25% percent sodium hypochlorite rather than the ultra or color safe bleaches. Shake or stir, then let stand 30 minutes. A slight chlorine taste and smell is normal. For more information on disaster preparedness, please visit or

10 C alendar of Events April 25, :30am Public Safety Subcommittee Meeting, Upright Conference Room 5pm Finance Subcommittee Meeting, Upright Conference Room 6pm City Council Meeting, Donahue Council Chambers April 28, am Arbor Day Tree Planting, Cunningham Park, 7400 block of Cunningham located between Base Line and 9th Street April 29, :30am to 12:30pm Bicycle Safety Course, Highland YMCA, 7793 Central Avenue May 2, pm Planning Commission Meeting Donahue Council Chambers May 8, pm to 5pm Blood Drive Committee Meeting, *New Members Welcome*, Highland City Hall, Base Line May 9, am COPS Meeting, Arroyo Verde Elementary 6pm City Council Meeting,, Donahue Council Chambers May 11, pm Community Trails Committee, Donahue Council Chambers May 16, pm Planning Commission, Donahue Council Chambers May 23, pm City Council Meeting, Donahue Council Chambers THE CITY OF HIGHLAND FACEBOOK PAGE The City of Highland has a new and improved Facebook page that we would like for you all to follow us on. This is where you will find important information regarding road closures and construction projects that may affect your travel time, scheduled power outages, emergencies, events such as: Community Blood Drives, Highland Improvement Team projects, Compost Give-A-Way, Used Oil Filter Exchange & Recycling Events and much more. Please "Like" City of Highland - City Hall ( cityofhighland.cityhall) as the official page. Created by: Elena Rodrigues