Leaf pickup begins

The falling leaves are a colorful sight this time of year. But when leaves accumulate in the street that means storm drain may become clogged during the next rain, and street flooding can result. That’s why each fall the city of Napa conducts a concentrated street sweeping effort to pick up leaves.

This year, sweeping began on Oct. 19 and is expected to continue through January. Sweeping routes are focused on areas with the greatest number of mature deciduous trees and the routes are arranged to avoid conflict with recycling and garbage routes. During leaf season, regular street sweeping is suspended, so if you don’t see the sweeper on your street that means it’s at work in an area that needs leaf pickup.

Many residents believe that leaves should be piled up in the street awaiting sweeping by the city, but in fact, this action is illegal according to Napa Municipal Code sections 12.16.020 and 8.36.050. Leaves from your yard should be collected and placed in the brown yardwaste cart for collection by Napa Recycling & Waste Services. If you need more yardwaste capacity, keep in mind that NRWS customers are eligible for up to two yardwaste carts at no charge and additional carts are available for a small fee. Customers can also take advantage of extra yardwaste pickup — up to two times per year — in NRWS-provided compostable bags, which can be picked up at either NRWS office: 592 Lincoln Ave. or 820 Levitin Way. Call NRWS at 255-5200 for more info.

Housing plan 2010-2015

A series of workshops is under way as the city develops the 2010-2015 consolidated plan. The first workshop was held Nov. 2, and three more will be held this month. The plan is a comprehensive planning document that identifies Napa’s needs for affordable and supportive housing and community development, and outlines a five-year strategy to address those needs. The strategies involved should benefit low- and moderate-income persons, prevent or eliminate slums or blight, and address community development needs that affect the health or welfare of the community.

The public workshops will provide information on the consolidated plan and solicit participation and comments from the public and interested parties.

The workshop topics and dates are as follows:

• Nov. 9: Non-Homeless Special Needs and Social Services

• Nov. 16: Housing

• Nov. 23: Community Development

Each workshop will be held in the City Hall Committee Room at 955 School St. at 7 p.m. For more info, contact Jan Maurer Watkins, Housing Manager, at 257-9547 or jwatkins@cityofnapa.org.

Sandbag distribution

The City of Napa’s distribution of sandbags for winter weather preparedness will begin Saturday, Nov. 7 at the city’s Corporation Yard at 770 Jackson St., one block west of Soscol. Sand and sandbags are provided at no charge to those who wish to keep them on hand this winter in case of flooding. This is a self-service program with sand and sandbags provided by the city. Residents should bring a shovel and gloves and be prepared to fill their own bags. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Future sandbag distribution days are scheduled for the first Saturday of each month through March: Dec. 5, Jan. 2, Feb. 6 and March 6.

During the rainy season, the city will make sandbags available free of charge any time a Flood Watch or Flash Flood Watch is posted by the National Weather Service for the Napa River and/or its tributary creeks. When an emergency is declared, sandbag operations are initiated at Memorial Stadium on Menlo Avenue west of Jefferson Street.

For more info on sandbag distribution, contact the City of Napa Division of Streets at 257-9520. For more info on preparing for floods, using sand bags effectively, monitoring the weather and areas vulnerable to flooding, visit www.cityofnapa.org and go to the “Emergency Information” section on the “For Residents” page.

Board and commission openings    

The City Clerk’s office has announced that applications are being accepted for openings on two City of Napa Committees and Commissions. The deadline for submission of an application is 5 p.m. Friday Nov. 13. The openings exist on these bodies:

• Community Development Block Grant Committee: One opening to fill an unexpired term ending 9/30/10

• Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission: One opening to fill an unexpired term ending 9/30/10

The application for these positions is available at the City Clerk office at City Hall, 955 School St., or online at www.cityofnapa.org.

For more info on items in the Napa City Update or other city issues and projects, contact Barry Martin, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 258-7843 or bmartin@cityofnapa.org.