To much cheer and applause, Councilmembers Warren Allen and Steve Hansen were sworn in for District 2 and 4, respectively, on Dec. 11, 2012. A large crowd gathered inside City Hall for an opening reception prior to the council meeting at 7 p.m., with seats packed after in the chambers themselves. Mayor Kevin Johnson announced the new Councilmembers, who joined Kevin McCarty and Bonnie Pannell as incumbent reelects. Johnson himself, who was reelected for his second term, celebrated by making a lap around the chambers. For more photos of the event, head to the City's Facebook page.

Envision Sacramento. What is it? Coming in January is a public engagement tool designed to gather your ideas and opinions to further the effort of creating Sacramento as aa involved community. You, as part of the community, will have the opportunity to share your ideas from the comfort of your own home. What’s on your mind Sacramento? You can tell us starting January 10. Create a profile today at www.envisionsacramento.com. Check out a quick teaser video below: http://youtu.be/qPxCIomodS8

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, the Sacramento Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday, and remind residents to be mindful when cooking. “Thanksgiving Day is a time where people are cooking and spending a lot of time in the kitchen,” said Chief Ray Jones. ”Safety in the kitchen is very important, especially with so many in the home and so many items being cooked at the same time. People should take their time.” Please consider these tips as you enjoy your holiday to ensure that it is a safe holiday for everyone.   Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button. Stay in the home when cooking your turke

A scavenger hunt is being organized to get you acquainted with Sacramento's sustainable side! Get your walking shoes and "green" thinking caps on as well as have your smart phones ready, and join the City of Sacramento, Greenwise Joint Venture, and 350 Sacramento at the free "Cut Your Cubes" scavenger hunt on November 10 beginning at 1 p.m. Teams of two to four will vie for gift baskets valued at $500, and will include gift cards to local businesses and more. "As part of the scavenger hunt, we want people to discover what sustainable features are downtown, in Old Sacramento, and in midtown," said Maurice Chaney, media and communications specialist with the City of Sacramento. "We have a

A national panel of experts brought to Sacramento by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) made a third visit to Sacramento, last week, to provide insight on how to connect the Depot District in the Downtown Railyards—one of the largest infill sites in the nation—to the riverfront, Old Sacramento, Downtown and West Sacramento. The Depot District is home to the planned intermodal transportation hub for the region as well as additional land for future development, but current access to the site is constrained. Since 2011, the City has been working with national experts from the ULI’s Daniel Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use to provide insight and assistance on planning efforts to rede