Kathleen Haley comment-52279 2011-06-16T18:51:42Z 2011-06-16T18:51:42Z Thanks, Hossana! Kathleen Haley 2011-06-16T18:51:42Z Kathleen Haley comment-52254 2011-06-15T19:57:31Z 2011-06-15T19:57:31Z Hi Cogmeyer, I responded to your question on the Fire Department article. Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-06-15T19:57:31Z Kathleen Haley comment-52253 2011-06-15T19:56:09Z 2011-06-15T19:56:09Z Hi Cogmeyer, Michael Stover, administrative officer for the Sacramento Fire Department, said he didn't have information on how much in dollars the city paid for retirements contributions for sworn members of the fire department. He referred me to the city's payroll and benefits staff for that question. Finance Director Leyne Milstein provided the following statistic: She said the city paid $25.3 million for all public safety retirement contributions (including police) for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-15T19:56:09Z Kathleen Haley comment-52183 2011-06-15T06:03:30Z 2011-06-15T06:03:30Z Thanks, Nha! Keep in touch! Kathleen Haley 2011-06-15T06:03:30Z Kathleen Haley comment-52164 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z UPDATE: When talking about the proposed cuts at a May press conference, Jaymes Butler of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 said firefighters would be “laid off.” However, when pressed by reporters if there would be “out-the-door” layoffs, Butler said that 49 positions slated for cuts were not filled and no current workers would actually be laid off. http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/51130/Council_sets_new_hearing_on_parks_police_and_fire Kathleen Haley 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z Kathleen Haley comment-52161 2011-06-14T22:54:59Z 2011-06-14T22:54:59Z Thank you, George! Thank you for educating me about neighborhood issues in Sacramento. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-14T22:54:59Z Kathleen Haley comment-52160 2011-06-14T22:54:18Z 2011-06-14T22:54:18Z Thank you for the kind words, Rhonda. Thank you for reading and commenting on my stories--I always read your comments, reflected on them and appreciated your feedback. Best wishes to you, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-06-14T22:54:18Z Kathleen Haley comment-52076 2011-06-13T23:30:02Z 2011-06-13T23:30:02Z Thanks for pointing that out. I will look for that piece of information and respond as soon as I can. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-13T23:30:02Z Kathleen Haley comment-51783 2011-06-06T23:36:50Z 2011-06-06T23:36:50Z Thank you, Isaac. Best, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-06-06T23:36:50Z Kathleen Haley comment-51635 2011-06-03T19:21:38Z 2011-06-03T19:21:38Z I checked in with Norm Leong today. I asked him for the "out-the-door" layoffs – the numbers of actual people (not positions) who would leave the Police Department if the proposal goes forward. He said the number was 147. That figure includes the 80 layoffs of sworn cops. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-03T19:21:38Z Kathleen Haley comment-51636 2011-06-03T19:18:42Z 2011-06-03T19:18:42Z I checked in with police spokesman Norm Leong today. I asked him for the "out-the-door" layoffs – the numbers of actual people (not positions) who would leave the Police Department if the proposal goes forward. He said the number was 147. That figure includes the 80 layoffs of sworn cops. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-03T19:18:42Z Kathleen Haley comment-51524 2011-06-02T19:56:16Z 2011-06-02T19:56:16Z Here is some information about salaries of workers in the new union. Most of the positions in the group of 103 workers are administrative analysts and program analysts, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams. The city provides salary range information for city jobs on its website: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/saccity/default.cfm?action=agencyspecs An administrative analyst earns a minimum monthly salary of $4,599.00. The maximum monthly salary for this job is $6,898.00. So, per year, the minimum salary would be $55,188. The maximum annual salary would be $82, 776. The program analyst salary range is exactly the same as the administrative analyst's range, according to the city's website. Kathleen Haley 2011-06-02T19:56:16Z Kathleen Haley comment-50818 2011-05-19T17:37:27Z 2011-05-19T17:37:27Z Hi Advocate, It was really unclear what the council plans to do to scale back the $12 million in cuts. The only thing council members decided Tuesday was that they would not approve the current proposal of $12 million in cuts to the police department. Kathleen Haley 2011-05-19T17:37:27Z Kathleen Haley comment-50763 2011-05-18T05:30:03Z 2011-05-18T05:30:03Z I just talked to Sacramento police spokesman Norm Leong about the total numbers of layoffs proposed in the police department. The total number of layoffs in the department, including sworn cops and civilian staffers, would be 149. Here's the breakdown: Sworn cops: 80; Community Service Officers: 38; CSI: 14; Supervising Dispatchers: 6; Records Supervisor: 1; Administrative and Clerical: 10. Kathleen Haley 2011-05-18T05:30:03Z Kathleen Haley comment-50556 2011-05-13T18:36:54Z 2011-05-13T18:36:54Z Thanks, Sonia! That's so nice of you to say that. I enjoyed working with you! Keep in touch. Kathleen Haley 2011-05-13T18:36:54Z Kathleen Haley comment-50548 2011-05-13T05:47:21Z 2011-05-13T05:47:21Z Thanks, Lindol! I'm still looking for jobs. Kathleen Haley 2011-05-13T05:47:21Z Kathleen Haley comment-50541 2011-05-13T00:20:12Z 2011-05-13T00:20:12Z Bill, You are such a kind-hearted person! I am touched by your comment. I enjoy reading your stories and I'll keep reading them after I move to San Francisco. Kathleen Haley 2011-05-13T00:20:12Z Kathleen Haley comment-50515 2011-05-12T19:41:20Z 2011-05-12T19:41:20Z Thank you, Monica! Kathleen Haley 2011-05-12T19:41:20Z Kathleen Haley comment-50506 2011-05-12T17:04:33Z 2011-05-12T17:04:33Z Hi Everyone, My fiance lives in San Francisco and I'm relocating to that city to be with him. I have truly enjoyed covering local politics for The Sacramento Press and I will be sad to leave the wonderful community in this city. My personal e-mail address is kathleenhaley1@yahoo.com Kathleen Haley 2011-05-12T17:04:33Z Kathleen Haley comment-50505 2011-05-12T16:30:16Z 2011-05-12T16:30:16Z Thank you, cogmeyer! Best wishes to you. Kathleen Haley 2011-05-12T16:30:16Z Kathleen Haley comment-50504 2011-05-12T16:29:30Z 2011-05-12T16:29:30Z Thank you, Deb! And nice use of the word "clued" in a sentence! Kathleen Haley 2011-05-12T16:29:30Z Kathleen Haley comment-50475 2011-05-12T05:22:47Z 2011-05-12T05:22:47Z Thank you, Craig! I really appreciate your kind words. Best wishes, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-05-12T05:22:47Z Kathleen Haley comment-50472 2011-05-12T02:56:16Z 2011-05-12T02:56:16Z Awww, thank you, Sherrie! I will be around for another few weeks. I've enjoyed reading your comments! Kathleen Haley 2011-05-12T02:56:16Z Kathleen Haley comment-50285 2011-05-06T23:33:24Z 2011-05-06T23:33:24Z I put in a call today to Stationary Engineers Local 39, a city union. I haven't heard back yet, but I'll check again on Monday. Kathleen Haley 2011-05-06T23:33:24Z Kathleen Haley comment-50252 2011-05-05T23:36:36Z 2011-05-05T23:36:36Z Hi Cogmeyer, I'll look into this and get back to you tomorrow. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-05-05T23:36:36Z Kathleen Haley comment-50236 2011-05-05T18:04:30Z 2011-05-05T18:04:30Z You're welcome. Have a good day. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-05-05T18:04:30Z Kathleen Haley comment-50079 2011-05-03T06:32:06Z 2011-05-03T06:32:06Z Hi Ben, Barbara Bonebrake, director of the city's convention, culture and leisure department, said this is the first time California Musical Theatre has asked the city to provide assistance for theatre operations. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-05-03T06:32:06Z Kathleen Haley comment-49949 2011-04-29T19:19:56Z 2011-04-29T19:19:56Z I just talked to Norm Leong at the Police Department. He said 18 of the 98 positions slotted for cuts in the Police Department are vacant right now. So, that means 98 positions are slated for cuts, and 80 actual sworn officers would be laid off. Kathleen Haley 2011-04-29T19:19:56Z Kathleen Haley comment-49918 2011-04-28T21:17:48Z 2011-04-28T21:17:48Z Hi Evan, You can read detailed information about the theatre's finances and cash flow at the following link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/54162709/Cal-Musical-Theatre Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-04-28T21:17:48Z Kathleen Haley comment-49914 2011-04-28T19:37:04Z 2011-04-28T19:37:04Z But Loaves and Fishes Executive Director Sister Libby Fernandez had a different view. She said she thinks the number of homeless people in the county was under-counted in the figures reported by Sacramento Steps Forward. In an April 27 voicemail message, she made the following comments: “I do believe it’s undercounted for chronically homeless and homeless people who are not in shelters ... Overall, though, (Sacramento Steps Forward) tried their best, and it was undercounted in my perspective. "But we have added a lot of good housing options for chronically homeless and homeless families, and I think we need to keep doing what we’re doing and not give up the good battle of ending homelessness.” Kathleen Haley 2011-04-28T19:37:04Z Kathleen Haley comment-49912 2011-04-28T19:14:41Z 2011-04-28T19:14:41Z I'm working to find the answer to your question. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-04-28T19:14:41Z Kathleen Haley comment-49866 2011-04-28T00:13:33Z 2011-04-28T00:13:33Z Hi Mindy, I asked Loaves and Fishes Advocacy Director Joan Burke for her comments on the 2011 Homeless Count today. She said Loaves and Fishes saw a roughly 4 percent increase in people coming to to its site to eat last year. However, she did not dispute the Homeless Count numbers. "I think it's encouraging that the numbers of homeless people are down in Sacramento County," Burke said. Echoing the comments of Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento County, Burke attributed the decrease in homelessness to the federal Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program and to new housing for the homeless. Kathleen Haley 2011-04-28T00:13:33Z Kathleen Haley comment-49563 2011-04-22T04:22:07Z 2011-04-22T04:22:07Z Hi Joe, Thanks for the kind words. Yes, the plan is for two-way traffic. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-04-22T04:22:07Z Kathleen Haley comment-49024 2011-04-12T07:24:15Z 2011-04-12T07:24:15Z Thank you! Kathleen Haley 2011-04-12T07:24:15Z Kathleen Haley comment-48885 2011-04-08T01:28:38Z 2011-04-08T01:28:38Z Here's the link to the list of downtown locations where Zipcars will be available: http://bit.ly/g5SPXK Kathleen Haley 2011-04-08T01:28:38Z Kathleen Haley comment-48785 2011-04-06T19:31:19Z 2011-04-06T19:31:19Z The city of Sacramento has now published links to all the Kings documents, including recent letters regarding the Kings' possible move: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/kings/ Kathleen Haley 2011-04-06T19:31:19Z Kathleen Haley comment-48779 2011-04-06T17:23:01Z 2011-04-06T17:23:01Z Hi Everyone, Please read the latest information about this issue here: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/48753/City_Council_discuss_Sacramento_community_gardens Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-04-06T17:23:01Z Kathleen Haley comment-48172 2011-03-28T19:07:39Z 2011-03-28T19:07:39Z Hi Bill, Here's the latest update on the development department: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/46761/Checkup_on_citys_development_department But it’s still unclear when or if the city can obtain $2.3 million in developer fees that the department did not collect. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-03-28T19:07:39Z Kathleen Haley comment-47268 2011-03-10T19:49:12Z 2011-03-10T19:49:12Z Hello, I understand your point that Councilwoman Ashby is new to the council. However, she's the current representative for District 1, and the redistricting process will affect her constituents. In addition, I think it would be confusing to readers if I mention district numbers (District 1, District 2, etc.) without including the names of the council members who represent the districts. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-03-10T19:49:12Z Kathleen Haley comment-47163 2011-03-08T23:57:37Z 2011-03-08T23:57:37Z Hello, The "nearly 75 percent" figure means that 9 of the 11 people holding top jobs in the department will be eligible for retirement within the next three years, police spokeswoman Laura Peck said Tuesday. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-03-08T23:57:37Z Kathleen Haley comment-46716 2011-03-02T06:48:49Z 2011-03-02T06:48:49Z Thanks very much, Deb. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-03-02T06:48:49Z Kathleen Haley comment-46658 2011-03-01T21:50:37Z 2011-03-01T21:50:37Z Hi Dale, Thanks much. The city's comprehensive map of District 1 shows a slice of District 1 all the way out to 16th and N. Cohn's district begins at that line, heading east. I checked the city's maps several times before I made my own because District 1 is so large. http://www.cityofsacramento.org/gis/documents/Council_Dist3_A_2010.pdf http://www.cityofsacramento.org/gis/documents/Council_Dist1_A_2010.pdf Kathleen Haley 2011-03-01T21:50:37Z Kathleen Haley comment-46327 2011-02-23T22:35:04Z 2011-02-23T22:35:04Z Thank you, Brooks. I appreciate your ideas. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-02-23T22:35:04Z Kathleen Haley comment-45715 2011-02-15T22:27:50Z 2011-02-15T22:27:50Z More information about the Northeast Line Implementation Plan can be found here: http://scr.bi/hwuSZB Kathleen Haley 2011-02-15T22:27:50Z Kathleen Haley comment-45384 2011-02-09T22:09:11Z 2011-02-09T22:09:11Z Hi Joshua, Council members voted 5-4 against promoting Vina to the permanent city manager position on Jan. 25. Council members Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted to conduct a national search for a new city manager. With that vote, they did not promote Vina. You can read more information here: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/44363/Council_does_not_promote_Vina Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-02-09T22:09:11Z Kathleen Haley comment-45380 2011-02-09T19:10:36Z 2011-02-09T19:10:36Z Thanks, Deb! Kathleen Haley 2011-02-09T19:10:36Z Kathleen Haley comment-45311 2011-02-08T23:07:49Z 2011-02-08T23:07:49Z Thanks, Bill! Kathleen Haley 2011-02-08T23:07:49Z Kathleen Haley comment-45226 2011-02-07T20:02:27Z 2011-02-07T20:02:27Z Thank you, Bill and Bill. It's good to know that Bill Burg can point me to some cool streetcar photos for my next story on this issue. Kathleen Haley 2011-02-07T20:02:27Z Kathleen Haley comment-45123 2011-02-04T19:30:40Z 2011-02-04T19:30:40Z You can learn more details about the budget at the following link. The link will take you to the city of Sacramento's website. Scroll down and click on "Update of the Development of the FY 2011/12 Proposed Budget." http://bit.ly/gvhLY7 Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-02-04T19:30:40Z Kathleen Haley comment-44472 2011-01-27T22:28:37Z 2011-01-27T22:28:37Z I contrasted the number of audits released by the offices. The staff numbers for both offices changed over time. A Sept. 9, 2008, staff report notes that Kolkin's office had two people -- Kolkin and a staff auditor. A June 27, 2006, staff report said that Kolkin was working solely with one part-time audit intern at that time. Kolkin's office was smaller than Oseguera's office. However, Oseguera's staff numbers have been in flux because of two recent resignations. You can read the background reports that contain these statistics here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/47688851/2006-0627-Internal-Audit-Staffing-Augmentation-FY06-07 http://www.scribd.com/doc/47689248/2008-0909-Request-for-2-00-Additional-Staff-FTE-for-Auditor Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-01-27T22:28:37Z Kathleen Haley comment-44387 2011-01-26T03:54:33Z 2011-01-26T03:54:33Z Ashby's information is based on estimates from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. Read the SHRA summary of the estimates here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/47575136/SHRA-Benefits-of-RD-Sacto-FINAL SHRA summarizes information about Sacramento area redevelopment projects here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/47575301/Key-Projects-Redevelopment Kathleen Haley 2011-01-26T03:54:33Z Kathleen Haley comment-44240 2011-01-22T19:16:09Z 2011-01-22T19:16:09Z I am working to get the link to the information. As soon as I get the information, I will share it. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-01-22T19:16:09Z Kathleen Haley comment-43986 2011-01-19T19:41:59Z 2011-01-19T19:41:59Z Hi PW, Sheedy and Ashby said that if the city set up a citizens' advisory committee, it would discourage the public's ability to talk to council members face-to-face in meetings. They said that it would be a more direct form of communication for constituents to talk to council members in meetings on the redistricting process. In other words, they view a citizens' advisory committee as a "middle man" between citizens and council members. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2011-01-19T19:41:59Z Kathleen Haley comment-43165 2011-01-06T01:06:05Z 2011-01-06T01:06:05Z The title of vice mayor does not come with an increase in pay, according to Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Mizuno. Pannell will not receive any additional payment for serving as vice mayor. Kathleen Haley 2011-01-06T01:06:05Z Kathleen Haley comment-43007 2011-01-03T20:10:31Z 2011-01-03T20:10:31Z This is so terrible, Steve. My sympathies for you and your family. Kathleen Haley 2011-01-03T20:10:31Z Kathleen Haley comment-42908 2010-12-31T01:37:59Z 2010-12-31T01:37:59Z Photo by Brandon Darnell. Kathleen Haley 2010-12-31T01:37:59Z Kathleen Haley comment-42844 2010-12-29T18:39:37Z 2010-12-29T18:39:37Z Very sad. RIP, Greg. He was so nice when I called him for help with a story. Kathleen Haley 2010-12-29T18:39:37Z Kathleen Haley comment-42252 2010-12-14T20:39:53Z 2010-12-14T20:39:53Z Hi Dale, I asked Jim Combs, the city's parks and recreation director, to answer your question. He told me that the parks department charges user fees for many of the parks programs and classes. The money the city collects from the user fees is not nearly enough to pay for the costs of maintaining the parks, he said. However, the city does not charge people to visit the parks. About 5 million people visit the city parks each year, he said. Combs said it would be difficult for the city to set up a system to collect fees from the millions of people. He also said that the city parks are intended to be public places that people can visit without paying fees. "These are public parks," he said. "They’re open to the public for general use.” Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-12-14T20:39:53Z Kathleen Haley comment-42236 2010-12-14T17:22:15Z 2010-12-14T17:22:15Z Hi Keith, I will cover this proposed fee early next year when it comes back to council. I will include the North Natomas issue in my reporting. Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-12-14T17:22:15Z Kathleen Haley comment-40351 2010-11-10T23:06:20Z 2010-11-10T23:06:20Z Photo by Brandon Darnell. Kathleen Haley 2010-11-10T23:06:20Z Kathleen Haley comment-40345 2010-11-10T17:56:59Z 2010-11-10T17:56:59Z Hi Dogwood, The information in my story about volunteers came from the summary of modified Option 3. But I'll send your question to city staff. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-11-10T17:56:59Z Kathleen Haley comment-40302 2010-11-09T22:49:02Z 2010-11-09T22:49:02Z Hi Casey, Good questions! It's unknown at this point how the insurance industry will respond to Sacramento's ordinance, if the City Council approves it. The City Council will consider whether to charge a range of fees to at-fault drivers in collisions requiring emergency response. City staff wrote the following information about the proposed fees: Level 1 —Scene stabilization and hazardous materials assessment Proposed Amount: $435.00 Level 2 — Scene stabilization, hazardous materials assessment, clean up and material used (sorbents) for hazardous fluid clean up and disposal Proposed Amount: $495.00 Level 3 (Vehicle Fire) — Scene safety, fire suppression, breathing air, rescue tools, hand tools, hose, tip use, foam, structure protection, and clean up gasoline or other automotive fluid Proposed Amount: $680 Level 4 — Scene stabilization, hazardous materials assessment, clean up and material used (sorbents) for hazardous fluid clean up and disposal, and extrication (heavy rescue tools, ropes, airbags, cribbing, etc.) Proposed Amount: $1,875.00 Level 5 — Scene stabilization, hazardous materials assessment, clean up and material used (sorbents) for hazardous fluid clean up and disposal, and extrication (heavy rescue tools, ropes, airbags, cribbing etc.) and Air Care (multi-engine company response, mutual aid, helicopter) Proposed Amount: $2,275.00 Miscellaneous Fees: Engine Company per hour rate Proposed Amount: $400.00 Truck Company per hour rate Proposed Amount: $500.00 Miscellaneous Equipment per item Proposed Amount: $300.00 Command and Control unit per hour rate Proposed Amount: $75.00 Kathleen Haley 2010-11-09T22:49:02Z Kathleen Haley comment-39379 2010-10-23T01:14:01Z 2010-10-23T01:14:01Z Photo by Brandon Darnell. Kathleen Haley 2010-10-23T01:14:01Z Kathleen Haley comment-38909 2010-10-14T21:30:04Z 2010-10-14T21:30:04Z Johnson, Tretheway and Sheedy voted against two rate hikes in June 2009. This article has more information: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/9788/Residents_to_see_9_percent_hike_in_utilities_rates Kathleen Haley 2010-10-14T21:30:04Z Kathleen Haley comment-38566 2010-10-08T23:33:10Z 2010-10-08T23:33:10Z Sheedy voted in favor of moving the program to the code division of CDD. The City Council approved the move in response to Teichert's advice. Kathleen Haley 2010-10-08T23:33:10Z Kathleen Haley comment-37139 2010-09-16T01:17:31Z 2010-09-16T01:17:31Z Hi Rhonda, The group Californians Aware addresses the issue of local governments charging for public information. Check out item 8 in the following link: https://www.calaware.org/downloads/Top10_CPRARequestPoints.pdf http://www.calaware.org/home.php Also, the First Amendment Coalition has a free hotline: http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/legal-hotline/ However, it looks like the First Amendment Coalition asks people to join the organization when they call the hotline. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-09-16T01:17:31Z Kathleen Haley comment-37013 2010-09-15T04:29:15Z 2010-09-15T04:29:15Z Hi Rhonda, The four speakers made their comments about Second Saturday before council members discussed homelessness. The names of the speakers are: Vivian Gerlach, Clare Bailey, Susan Rabinovitz and Tim Boyd. You can listen to their full comments on the city's website: http://bit.ly/dBImFh Click on the "Watch Now" button and you'll see a menu that says "jump to." You can then click to their names to hear their comments. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-09-15T04:29:15Z Kathleen Haley comment-36014 2010-09-02T00:41:09Z 2010-09-02T00:41:09Z Update: City spokeswoman Amy Williams said Sept. 1 that the city has laid off 12 workers represented by Local 447. Kathleen Haley 2010-09-02T00:41:09Z Kathleen Haley comment-35865 2010-08-30T19:24:43Z 2010-08-30T19:24:43Z Hi Colin, You can find more information about a sustainability effort involving the city and other partner agencies at the following link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/36531876/Sustainable-Communities-Initiative Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-08-30T19:24:43Z Kathleen Haley comment-35252 2010-08-20T21:34:51Z 2010-08-20T21:34:51Z I just want to add a bit of information because I covered this issue. The change is no longer proposed; it is final. The council adopted the change when they voted on the issue: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/34979/City_Council_to_hear_public_comment_later_at_night Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-08-20T21:34:51Z Kathleen Haley comment-35104 2010-08-19T01:20:54Z 2010-08-19T01:20:54Z Hi truthbtold, Among the supporters of the later time, Hammond gave the most straightforward reason. Fong indicated that it would make the council meetings more businesslike. He said council meetings are public business meetings. You can watch the council's full discussion at the following link: http://sacramento.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=22 Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-08-19T01:20:54Z Kathleen Haley comment-35076 2010-08-18T19:07:44Z 2010-08-18T19:07:44Z Council members Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Bonnie Pannell, Robbie Waters and Lauren Hammond voted in favor of moving the open public comment section to the end of council meetings. Kathleen Haley 2010-08-18T19:07:44Z Kathleen Haley comment-33571 2010-07-26T23:46:25Z 2010-07-26T23:46:25Z City spokeswoman Amy Williams wrote in a Monday afternoon e-mail to The Sacramento Press that Interim City Manager Gus Vina did not know about the city of San Jose's decision to fire Silva in 2007. "The Auditor Office is autonomous from City Operations," Williams said. "The City Auditor made this selection. The Interim City Manager was not aware of Mr. Silva’s reasons for leaving his former employment." Kathleen Haley 2010-07-26T23:46:25Z Kathleen Haley comment-32943 2010-07-15T17:24:37Z 2010-07-15T17:24:37Z Thanks for your help with my story on brown-outs, Jim. Best wishes to you! Kathleen Haley 2010-07-15T17:24:37Z Kathleen Haley comment-32329 2010-07-08T00:06:38Z 2010-07-08T00:06:38Z Hello, City Auditor Jorge Oseguera provided me with statistics on salaries at his department. The following statistics account for pay cuts from a once-per-month furlough. Oseguera's salary: $132,584 There are three other auditors in the department. Three auditors, including Oseguera, are currently working at the department. A fourth auditor will start next week, Oseguera said. Here are the salaries for the three auditor positions: about $86,000, about $62,000, about $58,600. These salary figures do not include benefits, Oseguera said. Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-07-08T00:06:38Z Kathleen Haley comment-31985 2010-07-01T21:07:47Z 2010-07-01T21:07:47Z Hi All, Yes, I was referring to the issue of winning the District 1 seat outright. If you look at Ashby's percentages, she narrowly won the election outright. Have a good day. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-07-01T21:07:47Z Kathleen Haley comment-31518 2010-06-25T22:51:09Z 2010-06-25T22:51:09Z Hi Ronald, Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek said in a June 1 article in The Sacramento Press that there was an old draft of the proposal dated from three of four months ago. Read the story here: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/28658/Johnson_releases_more_info_on_Strong_Mayor I asked for a copy of the old draft of the proposal in a June 2 e-mailed request to McPeek. I followed up on the request. To date, McPeek has not sent me the draft. He said he needs more time to respond to my request. Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-06-25T22:51:09Z Kathleen Haley comment-31053 2010-06-23T19:32:54Z 2010-06-23T19:32:54Z A tangent about the "lipstick on a pig" comment: Sheedy said the "lipstick on a pig" quote was made famous by Sarah Palin. However, it was Barack Obama's use of the saying that sparked debate in 2008, according to news outlets. And the Christian Science Monitor reported that John McCain had previously used the saying. Here's a story from the Monitor about the 2008 debate over the phrase: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2008/0909/obama-mccain-spar-over-pigs-and-lipstick Kathleen Haley 2010-06-23T19:32:54Z Kathleen Haley comment-30956 2010-06-23T06:59:17Z 2010-06-23T06:59:17Z In a 7-2 vote just before midnight, the City Council decided that the city attorney should not draft language for Mayor Kevin Johnson's new strong mayor proposal. No votes: Council members Steve Cohn, Sandy Sheedy, Ray Tretheway, Rob Fong, Bonnie Pannell, Lauren Hammond, Kevin McCarty. Yes votes: Robbie Waters and Mayor Kevin Johnson. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-23T06:59:17Z Kathleen Haley comment-30927 2010-06-22T21:17:10Z 2010-06-22T21:17:10Z Clarification: While the City Council is not voting Tuesday to put the strong mayor plan on the November ballot, the council will vote tonight on whether to ask the city attorney to draft the language for Mayor Kevin Johnson's new strong mayor plan. Read the report on the issue from Johnson’s office here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/33393341/Accountability-Plan-of-2010 Kathleen Haley 2010-06-22T21:17:10Z Kathleen Haley comment-30156 2010-06-12T22:57:40Z 2010-06-12T22:57:40Z The county's election website updated the percentage points on Friday. Ashby's new 1095 votes bring her to 51.49 percent. Tretheway is at 41.29 percent, with 4,335 votes. I linked to the county's election totals in my story. Here's the link again: http://sacresults.e-cers.com/ So far, the county's new election website is still working! As we all know, it had a lot of problems on election night... Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-06-12T22:57:40Z Kathleen Haley comment-30127 2010-06-12T04:55:50Z 2010-06-12T04:55:50Z Thanks for the info, Brandy! Kathleen Haley 2010-06-12T04:55:50Z Kathleen Haley comment-30123 2010-06-12T04:42:26Z 2010-06-12T04:42:26Z I'll call the Sacramento County elections office on Monday and see what I can find out. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-06-12T04:42:26Z Kathleen Haley comment-30124 2010-06-12T04:41:56Z 2010-06-12T04:41:56Z Here is the link to the county's draft budget: http://www.budget.saccounty.net/annualbudgets/SAC_Budget_DF_1011RecommBudget Kathleen Haley 2010-06-12T04:41:56Z Kathleen Haley comment-29862 2010-06-10T04:44:47Z 2010-06-10T04:44:47Z You're welcome. I'm happy to help. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-10T04:44:47Z Kathleen Haley comment-29860 2010-06-10T04:42:37Z 2010-06-10T04:42:37Z Please see my above comment on the latest information from the Sacramento County elections office. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-06-10T04:42:37Z Kathleen Haley comment-29830 2010-06-10T02:40:35Z 2010-06-10T02:40:35Z Jill LaVine, Sacramento County’s top election official, said in news release Wednesday afternoon that more than 86,000 remaining ballots still need to be counted. That total is comprised of unprocessed ballots that came to the elections office before Tuesday night, vote-by-mail ballots delivered to polls, and ballots that need to be studied further, according to a news release from the elections office. It's unclear how many of those votes will affect Sacramento City Council races. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-10T02:40:35Z Kathleen Haley comment-29829 2010-06-10T02:39:40Z 2010-06-10T02:39:40Z Jill LaVine, Sacramento County’s top election official, said in news release Wednesday afternoon that more than 86,000 remaining ballots still need to be counted. That total is comprised of unprocessed ballots that came to the elections office before Tuesday night, vote-by-mail ballots delivered to polls, and ballots that need to be studied further, according to a news release from the elections office. It's unclear how many of those votes will affect Sacramento City Council races. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-10T02:39:40Z Kathleen Haley comment-29828 2010-06-10T02:39:13Z 2010-06-10T02:39:13Z Jill LaVine, Sacramento County’s top election official, said in news release Wednesday afternoon that more than 86,000 remaining ballots still need to be counted. That total is comprised of unprocessed ballots that came to the elections office before Tuesday night, vote-by-mail ballots delivered to polls, and ballots that need to be studied further, according to a news release from the elections office. It's unclear how many of those votes will affect Sacramento City Council races. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-10T02:39:13Z Kathleen Haley comment-29826 2010-06-10T02:38:04Z 2010-06-10T02:38:04Z Jill LaVine, Sacramento County’s top election official, said in news release Wednesday afternoon that more than 86,000 remaining ballots still need to be counted. That total is comprised of unprocessed ballots that came to the elections office before Tuesday night, vote-by-mail ballots delivered to polls, and ballots that need to be studied further, according to a news release from the elections office. It's unclear how many of the 86,000 votes will affect Sacramento City Council races. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-10T02:38:04Z Kathleen Haley comment-29533 2010-06-08T05:01:35Z 2010-06-08T05:01:35Z About 100 layoffs are included in the city's planned budget cuts, Interim City Manager Gus Vina said at a June 3 press conference. The City Council will make final decisions on the budget. Read about proposed budget cuts at the following link: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/cityman/pdfs/June10BudgetReport2010.pdf Kathleen Haley 2010-06-08T05:01:35Z Kathleen Haley comment-29532 2010-06-08T04:56:01Z 2010-06-08T04:56:01Z Update The final list of candidates for the June 8 City Council election follows: District 1: Ray Tretheway, Angelique Ashby, Efren Guttierrez. District 3: Chris Little, Jeff Rainforth, Shawn Eldredge, Steve Cohn. District 5: Henry Harry, Jay Schenirer, Leticia Hilbert, Patrick Kennedy, Terrence Johnson. District 7: Darrell Fong, Diedre Hobart, Ryan Chin, Robbie Waters. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-08T04:56:01Z Kathleen Haley comment-29530 2010-06-08T04:48:01Z 2010-06-08T04:48:01Z Leticia Hilbert is also running in the District 5 race. She raised about $2,000 in the period from February to May, according to a campaign statement. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-08T04:48:01Z Kathleen Haley comment-29526 2010-06-08T04:13:24Z 2010-06-08T04:13:24Z The total number of candidates competing in Tuesday's election is 16. District 1: Ray Tretheway, Angelique Ashby, Efren Guttierrez. District 3: Chris Little, Jeff Rainforth, Shawn Eldredge, Steve Cohn. District 5: Henry Harry, Jay Schenirer, Leticia Hilbert, Patrick Kennedy, Terrence Johnson. District 7: Darrell Fong, Diedre Hobart, Ryan Chin, Robbie Waters. Kathleen Haley 2010-06-08T04:13:24Z Kathleen Haley comment-29523 2010-06-08T04:04:59Z 2010-06-08T04:04:59Z Jeff Rainforth is also competing in the District 3 race: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/24051/Former_Political_Activist_runs_for_City_Council_seat Kathleen Haley 2010-06-08T04:04:59Z Kathleen Haley comment-28517 2010-05-28T16:43:27Z 2010-05-28T16:43:27Z Councilman Tretheway said the comment about "amber alert" with a humorous tone. Kathleen Haley 2010-05-28T16:43:27Z Kathleen Haley comment-27267 2010-05-19T02:11:06Z 2010-05-19T02:11:06Z Thanks for the information, M D. Cheers, Kathleen Kathleen Haley 2010-05-19T02:11:06Z Kathleen Haley comment-26724 2010-05-11T23:52:30Z 2010-05-11T23:52:30Z The city of Seattle announced May 5 that the total number of candidates is now 9 — two candidates have dropped out of the running. Kathleen Haley 2010-05-11T23:52:30Z Kathleen Haley comment-26166 2010-05-04T00:10:30Z 2010-05-04T00:10:30Z Yes, it is a file photo. Thanks for the feedback. Kathleen Haley 2010-05-04T00:10:30Z Kathleen Haley comment-25511 2010-04-23T19:01:33Z 2010-04-23T19:01:33Z Thanks so much for the kind words, Stella. I really appreciate the feedback. Kathleen Haley 2010-04-23T19:01:33Z