[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6324133,"mediaKeyId","2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c","parentId",2339645,"title","Cal Water briefs council on hydrant inspections, infrastructure upgrades and wildfire resilience work","audioSeconds",383,"startMs",4757000,"endMs",5140000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c&start=4757&end=5140","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c/thumbnail_4757000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324133/Livermore/Alameda-County/California/Cal-Water-briefs-council-on-hydrant-inspections-infrastructure-upgrades-and-wildfire-resilience-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324133-b103891b93055697646e2739e24d6682/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167807&Signature=bkfI66ZZkPmpeA8FaBWeg9ebV22bEBr6zP89fA3ueSbbqroBVlSf~fP5h-lT39wOsgkaYr2Qoy9aiEe55apliAbnhoCCIhToXQxHO-h0CgtBp9CdcaRzbxCJTrWuvddF76rLWTGSOBVWgMlrvhACQsduZl2fbeQnvkfq-kU7NF2Zp-1qJsUcK2qhj982IKrsjeP8SNPhOk6tHA5wcOqeH9zqwRGa1HeG1v-9-FxiY~nCyIl-G8LNRaY7a3eR9ELG60efRQAvwJmU~wdU53YWRrN8VVBFlklkFDdyF6SNBLjA0iPc8u4y-0RXwB25iMyys8j~1Bf1IxmH7nDnqziBGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Livermore","date","2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives from California Water Service (Cal Water) briefed the council on infrastructure upgrades, wildfire resilience projects and their annual fire hydrant inspection and maintenance program.

John Freeman, district manager, introduced Rob Shealy (regional government affairs) and Philip Brown (district superintendent). Brown said Cal Water has pursued an aggressive infrastructure program over recent years that replaced aging mains, upgraded pump stations and reservoirs and improved treatment facilities. As part of wildfire preparedness, Brown said the utility installed interconnection projects (identified in the presentation as the Hansen and Concannon projects) to add critical connections between pressure zones and improve system resiliency during emergencies.

On hydrant work, Cal Water described a yearly inspection program to verify paint condition, accessibility, bolt condition, orientation, visibility at night, bollards where needed and overall operability. Maintenance tasks include marker installation, bolt replacement, greasing and component repairs. Brown emphasized that hydrant inspections and improvements are routine and that historic fire‑response failures during regional wildfires were often due to storage depletion, not hydrant malfunction.

Representatives made themselves available for further technical questions and thanked the council for the opportunity to update the public record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-01-27 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","California Water Service representatives updated the council on an infrastructure improvement plan, wildfire resilience projects (Hansen and Concannon connections) and an ongoing annual fire hydrant inspection and maintenance program.","taxTitle","Livermore , Alameda County, California","taxId",2909,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324138,"Council creates ad hoc subcommittee to prepare planning commissioner interview questions; full council to interview candidates March 3",180,3760000,3940000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c&start=3760&end=3940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c/thumbnail_3760000.jpg","/articles/6324138/Livermore/Alameda-County/California/Council-creates-ad-hoc-subcommittee-to-prepare-planning-commissioner-interview-questions-full-council-to-interview-candidates-March-3","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324138-33d250d0353312ea5fda8c380c445d73/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167807&Signature=mqfLB9HORbAXGc9Owhn0oci~iIFmFIOIebv60ScDmmWV3LWt2KkF8SKoJavFJbMAnYbtfvV4b6xT2Fz~wC23YEbeVl9gLWz9aVFb91K0xehMh~lJsOXGg~UJcCeg-LFOviER8aZUj0uPBlUO4Tnn~e-UhvAR62GoLsycEwhzCZvC1ygOrKPQ067xWfytgpBTVO-SGjkNAp~wlVZG8oYph-3VYbXYTLH6BriY~vArITkV5P0CO4tB0Xk2CmJPNjf8U3alO8nf9Mg08RYEEa~m7kUWLsf8bul3y89h14xuARJA8jLiR1Xl~uXjf6~x6eqzxwNPtHfqu6wOH1IDhUTUcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council authorized an ad hoc subcommittee to prepare interview questions for upcoming planning commission vacancies and directed staff to interview all applicants before the full council.

City Clerk Debbie Elam briefed the council on recruitment: staff ran an application period that closed January 27 and received seven applications to fill two planning commission seats that will be vacant March 1, 2025. Interviews were scheduled for March 3 at 5 p.m. Elam said staff had widely circulated the recruitment through social media, the independent newspaper, the school district’s Peachjar distribution and flyers.

Council members with recent planning commission experience volunteered to form the ad hoc subcommittee. The council voted unanimously to appoint Vice Mayor Branning and Council Member Dunbar to draft interview questions and related materials; the full council will conduct the March 3 interviews.

City staff recommended preferences for at least two commissioners to have demonstrated ability in design, architecture, landscape architecture or related fields, consistent with standard planning body qualifications.","The council appointed an ad hoc subcommittee (Vice Mayor Branning and Council Member Dunbar) to draft interview questions for planning commission candidates; staff received seven applications and all candidates will be interviewed by the full council on March 3.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324142,"Council approves consent calendar, hears Flagpole Plaza redesign and cites Measure BB funding",130,780000,910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c&start=780&end=910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c/thumbnail_780000.jpg","/articles/6324142/Livermore/Alameda-County/California/Council-approves-consent-calendar-hears-Flagpole-Plaza-redesign-and-cites-Measure-BB-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324142-720ef0cb7aa772d00c96bd3d734ce810/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167807&Signature=EJkOoo1Cbuti11p67IOLQ06l27LQmMNl6pQbWrhP483wASOJf3FidEaHr2ZhOdwEN56TAZroz9p40Fx88-0xHJmEjrRUFQch3Z~Z22OpuvHMNwa6MkZcdr4tPXWlK910ffiOaLAJmlgdut9LRHBhcdmWREbnTuXwfIiCRRz-NqnRTQxbVZD2vH6mok1VQz-7iPu7mPIrTsSk9cOUyEaKGQ2Gpp2i-moq7nfPoO6yl0SuzloZL8NaWR9ug1zbN5~EDRaOk7yssi0FAfi6yeauwS8BYoRd0JWzMz4iqqWqC-c86DepUdLOalBbBwIGVBWmOI-a4O8zp0pVyXVUWaRebQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council handled the consent calendar, heard a brief presentation on the Flagpole Plaza redesign, and approved minutes from recent meetings.

Vice Mayor Branning asked that staff briefly display the Flagpole Plaza design for the public; staff said the design could be shown or is included in the supplemental packet. Council and staff noted the project is scheduled to break ground within weeks and that some funding for the work comes from Measure BB dollars. The city manager and staff said they coordinated with Livermore Downtown Inc. and local businesses to minimize construction disruption.

On consent motions, council moved and approved items 5.2 through 5.6 (as amended to include January 13 minutes in the packet) by unanimous vote. The December 9, 2024 minutes required a separate motion; the council approved the Dec. 9 minutes with votes in the affirmative by Mayor Marchand, Vice Mayor Branning and Council Member Barrientos (three affirmative votes), as recorded on the meeting floor.

Councilors directed staff to post project updates on the city website for public tracking and reiterated that Measure BB funds were part of the project financing.","Council approved the consent calendar (including minutes and routine items), reviewed Flagpole Plaza construction visuals and noted Measure BB as a partial funding source; minutes for Dec. 9 were approved by three members as recorded.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324146,"Library Board presents 2024 annual report highlighting record summer participation and rising visits",447,99000,546000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c&start=99&end=546","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c/thumbnail_99000.jpg","/articles/6324146/Livermore/Alameda-County/California/Library-Board-presents-2024-annual-report-highlighting-record-summer-participation-and-rising-visits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324146-7ab5ace942d43bcb8b01fd99bdf74d42/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167807&Signature=Lj5SR5zzCyUwH7enMk1BbDFof2i6HNbf8BcJeNekRKBMUioBcS2IKbdPjumIPgkzTUApHO8KEZIdtdN2MnXKVua4sXD0qf1V5-EWPSLnsr-awDitKRxPjO9lbvc9fqbe-wjplwzlSJgbZemurJIb~bNQoXCfr1gF4JlhtCvc7dsuHNO6hSy3TKSx7WHh8PcP6m2LWZrArX4IjyQyXcCoo2fmD43bsUgfViRIiguQGq0dT9KbcPWmvwY1fH3B4cyIZMXFm8QUdj2QX8gOtrRFnv1gKzCOkbk5S~mMIRJJmR-2de1kdtLdPUug~pQBHNRzSutuDTbtdsEJWeSbJTu4Bw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rich Hunt, 2024 chair of the Livermore Library Board of Trustees, presented the board’s annual report to the City Council, summarizing the board’s role, 2024 accomplishments and priorities for 2025.

Hunt told the council the board is an advisory body that recommends policy, supports strategic planning and advocates for the library. He listed board members, described partnerships (noting Friends of the Library and collaboration with the school district during Maryland Avenue School construction) and highlighted expanded programming such as Spanish‑language story time, American Sign Language story time and a sensory story time. Hunt said Sycamore Grove Park now features a story walk.

On outcomes and usage, Hunt reported nearly one million total checkouts across library branches in 2024, more than 330,000 physical visitors (about a 10% increase over 2023) and roughly 11,000 volunteer hours (about 10% above 2023). He said overall program attendance is about 18% higher than 2019 levels and that 5,635 people participated in the summer learning program, a record. Hunt said the library has seen a steady increase in partnerships and community events, and that the board reviewed two policies last year (the display and exhibit policy and the meeting room policy and permit).

The board’s 2025 goals, Hunt said, include increased community outreach, advocacy for library funding, additional policy review, a continued focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, and improved knowledge of state and local laws affecting library operations. Several council members praised the board and library staff for their outreach; Council Member Wong specifically thanked Library Director Dr. Anwan Baker for leadership.

Hunt closed by referring the council to the board’s work plan for more detail on the objectives.","Rich Hunt, chair of the Library Board of Trustees, presented the board’s 2024 annual report citing nearly one million checkouts, a record 5,635 summer program participants, more than 330,000 visitors and 11,000 volunteer hours; board goals for 2025 emphasize outreach, advocacy and equity.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324149,"Council approves Cornerstone housing project in Isabelle plan area with 43% affordable units",2644,1121000,3765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c&start=1121&end=3765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2339645-bf8af785765652530083aae05320a44c/thumbnail_1121000.jpg","/articles/6324149/Livermore/Alameda-County/California/Council-approves-Cornerstone-housing-project-in-Isabelle-plan-area-with-43-affordable-units","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324149-f458c4d9e20e17a4b2d0319370a2a808/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167807&Signature=c03RQYsuRfm2-3VOQC-U3U8MapFaOEU6Bp20A4fyNk2KsOJ1HiGHVul36pwIg3IoyQzwchKOSj95mxlMsDpmOEhnnPdwxJTakO6eMuM3NVKYYWtp~Q~uM5Y-41IyvI4o80-fi~a8bHp9H4lC6yR6~LpXycaUMjTmZYlQAaMny8tLK3gGm42hKdfXrwr5lYT-sYc2Wp6t34TG6ue1QuEOvcDStR~ckBUgs-a9FW-UBqz6~P3y0O2FSnntloHcWG~7c-4~RivQqMVpWei~HnZdmov512xWIf0vtG8TMzWnDbdFRMrj-cR-vp2-mWbm6wmZtLxp5UHblzxzeWzcdBj3Og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Livermore City Council on Tuesday approved the Cornerstone project, a residential development within the Isabelle Neighborhood Specific Plan area that includes townhomes, a five‑story apartment building, public open space and a high share of affordable units.

City planning staff said the project site is just over 13 acres in Specific Plan subarea 2D and would be developed with 21 townhome buildings and a T‑shaped apartment building, public parks, and a pedestrian‑and‑bike path along Collier Canyon Creek. Emily Ladue, assistant planner, described the proposal and its required entitlements, including a vesting tentative map, site plan/design review and a conditional use permit.

The project will provide a 2.5‑acre public park, a 0.4‑acre pocket park, trail connections to Gateway Avenue and North Canyons Parkway, and double rows of street trees along Collier Canyon Road. Staff said the design uses three townhome architectural styles and a traditional style for the apartment building; typical townhomes will be three stories with maximum heights about 40 feet. The apartment building’s roofline and a stair tower reach higher: staff said the apartment building roofline would be up to about 61 feet with a stairwell up to 70 feet at a portion of the building.

Staff and the applicant said the project will provide deep affordability. Ladue reported that the development “provides 114 affordable units, 108 of which are for rent and 6 of which are for sale,” and that overall the project is about 43% affordable. Of the rental affordable units, staff said 20% of rental units will be reserved for low income households, 60% for lower income, 10% for very low income and 10% for extremely low income; the for‑sale affordable units would be reserved for moderate‑income buyers. The applicant also carved space in the apartment building for on‑site wraparound services for residents, the presentation said.

Because the project relies on the state density bonus framework, the applicant asked for concessions and waivers. Ladue identified four waivers related to building design and scenic‑corridor height, and seven waivers related to comparability of affordable units to market units; staff recommended granting the requested waivers and concessions under state density bonus law and found no public‑safety or historic‑resource conflicts. The planning commission had earlier recommended adoption of findings and approval of the entitlements and directed staff to file a CEQA notice of exemption.

Cornerstone Fellowship’s lead pastor and chairman, Chris Stockhouse, said the church chose to maximize affordable housing on land it owned and to partner with housing developers and service providers to serve extremely low and very low income residents. Michael Keeney of Trumark Homes said the developer team would answer technical questions from council.

Council members asked about height, unit placement, parking and services. Staff said the affordable rental units are largely concentrated in the apartment building and that state law allowed the developer to request density bonus waivers that reduced the city’s usual dispersal requirement for affordable units. Planning manager Steve Riley explained the city’s scenic‑corridor height policies along I‑580 and how they interact with zoning height limits.

Public comment included a labor representative urging use of local apprentices and a resident urging the council to spread affordable units throughout developments rather than concentrate them. Council discussion centered on tradeoffs: several members emphasized the need for deeper affordability and for wraparound services, and others raised clustering concerns that the state density bonus framework limits the city’s ability to require spreading the affordable units.

Council Member Dunbar moved to approve staff’s recommendation; Vice Mayor Branning seconded. The motion passed with four votes in favor and one opposed.

The council’s approvals allow the project to proceed to building permit and subdivision implementation steps subject to the conditions of approval and the city’s follow‑up requirements.","The Livermore City Council approved a Cornerstone development in the Isabelle Neighborhood that includes townhomes, a five‑story apartment building, on‑site services and about 43% affordable units; approval included state density bonus waivers and concessions and passed 4–1.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cal Water briefs council on hydrant inspections, infrastructure upgrades and wildfire resilience work

Council creates ad hoc subcommittee to prepare planning commissioner interview questions; full council to interview candidates March 3

Council approves consent calendar, hears Flagpole Plaza redesign and cites Measure BB funding

Library Board presents 2024 annual report highlighting record summer participation and rising visits

Council approves Cornerstone housing project in Isabelle plan area with 43% affordable units