Daylight Savings Starts This Weekend

Don't forget to "spring forward" this Sunday! Daylight Savings Time starts at 2 AM on Sunday, March 12. Be sure to set your clocks one hour forward before bed!

Get out and enjoy the extra light in the evening by taking a walk at Alston Park, watch the late sunset at Skyline Wilderness Park or take a bike ride along the River Trail in Downtown Napa.

Storm Watch

Oxbow Bypass Flood Gates Closed

Park Closure Around Napa

Oxbow Bypass Flood Gate Closure

The Napa County Flood District and City of Napa have closed the flood gates located on McKinstry Street, with plans to reopen tomorrow, Saturday, March 11. McKinstry Street will be open to traffic at that time, but Oxbow Commons Park will remain closed to the public until the middle of next week.

Staff will continue to monitor the forecasts.

The Oxbow Bypass was designed as part of the Napa Flood Control Project to convey heavy storm flows for the Napa River and reduce the flooding risk for the community. The flood gates crossing McKinstry Street are closed when the river is projected to overflow into the Oxbow Bypass area.

Park Closures Around Town

Due to storm predictions and forecasted flood warnings throughout the City of Napa, the Parks and Recreation Services Department has needed to temporarily close a number of its parks and public spaces to the public. Below is a list of parks that are affected by the recent storms and have been closed due to flooding. These closures will likely continue through the weekend and possible into next week, however parks staff will be monitoring conditions daily and re-opening or closed facilities as conditions change.

Main Street Boat Dock is closed due to Flooding.
Trancas Crossing Park is closed due to Localized Flooding.
Oxbow Commons Park will be closed at Today 3/9 due to the risk of Flooding.

In addition to the locations that are closed the department will monitor other sites and will close those areas if they are affected by flooding. Areas that are generally affected by flooding and have been closed in the past are:

Kennedy Park
Veterans Park and Promenade
Summer Brook Circle walking path
Garfield Lane walking path
River Trail
Stanly Lane Trail

Be advised that conditions can change rapidly and the Parks and Recreation Services Department may close parks and public spaces on short notice. The Department will be updating the public with any changes to these closures.

City Council Community Update!

Check out the following updates from the March 7 City Council meeting.

Proclamations:

The Napa City Council declared March 2023 as American Red Cross month! This month we honor the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross: to help during disasters, ensure access to lifesaving blood, provide training to save lives and support military communities.

Council Discussion:

The Napa City Council was incredibly excited to terminate the Proclamation of Local Emergency to Respond to the Coronavirus. The proclamation has been in place for the past three years, and, while residents are still encouraged to stay vigilant in high risk situations, we are thrilled to close the COVID-19 chapter and focus on recovering from the pandemic and activities that bring our community together.

The City Council also extended the Napa emergency dispatch services contract with Napa County. For the next two years, the City of Napa will continue to provide emergency dispatch services to all residents of Napa County, not just our City. We are incredibly grateful to have a highly responsive team of first responders that keep our community safe!

Presentations:

The City Council received a presentation about the City's history of climate action and sustainability and climate change mitigation opportunities the City will pursue in the future. Residents can learn more at the new County Climate Action webpage.

Consent Calendar:

On February 21, the Napa City Council awarded $1.125 million of Community Recovery Bank funds to 20 organizations in Napa. These grants were designated from the City's American Rescue Plan Act funding for local organizations that benefit the community. All members of the City Council were present allowing them to approve the final recommended organization: the Napa County Historical Society.

Watch the City Council meeting at: http://napacity.granicus.com/player/clip/2829?view_id=2&redirect=true&h=53a1d48c2b537e62c766c5b88b0ae40b

Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NCTP) Community Workshops

The City of Napa is conducting a comprehensive update of its Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP), and we want to hear from you! Please join us at one of the virtual community workshops being held from 5:30pm – 7:00pm on March 15 and 16, or the in-person community workshop being held from 5:30pm – 7:00pm on March 22 in the City Hall Council Chambers.

We have launched a new webpage about the project, where you can learn more about the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program, and join the virtual community workshops.

Visit http://www.cityofnapa.org/1180/Neighborhood-Traffic-Calming-Program to learn more!

Parking Program Community Workshop

Don't miss the next Community Meeting about the City's parking program! Take this opportunity to share your feedback about the parking program that the City of Napa is developing for Downtown and the Oxbow District.

Wednesday, March 22, from 4 PM to 6 PM at the Napa Senior Center, Manzanita Room

Topics to be discussed:

o Educational presentation to explain the “Why” behind paid parking.

o How paid parking can help address the current parking challenges in the City.

o Overview of paid parking.

o Open discussion.

What the attendees can expect from the workshop

o Learn more about the reasoning behind paid parking.

o Provide input and feedback.

Learn more about the City’s Downtown Parking Management plan at https://bit.ly/3IUIaLY, and keep an eye on our social media pages for future workshop dates!

Community Recovery Bank Spotlight: Mentis

The City of Napa awarded Community Recovery Bank funds to organizations in Napa that benefit our community. One of those amazing organizations is Mentis!

Mentis is one of Napa’s oldest nonprofits. They provide bilingual, affordable and accessible mental health services to people of every age throughout Napa County. They offer a wide range of programs including prevention services, outpatient mental health services, specialized services for older adults, and housing services for adults with serious mental illnesses. Their programs are an essential safety net for Napa residents, helping people cope with severe psychosocial stressors that disrupt lives and cause significant emotional distress.

Currently, Mentis is working with the City of Napa to create a new housing program for adults who have experienced homelessness and have a mental illness. The housing program will include creating or rehabilitating residential units that will be used to support homeless and mentally ill clients. They plan to use their grant funds to deliver mental health supportive living services to clients who will reside in these new units.

Addressing homelessness was one of the top priorities identified by Napa residents and we are excited to see how these funds will help Mentis aid the homeless population in our community. Learn more about Mentis at: https://mentisnapa.org/

Summer Camp registration is open!

Napa Parks and Rec has a summer of fun planned for your kiddos! Make sure your child stays active and engaged on summer break by signing them up for the camps listed below.

Camp Napa (age 5-9) at Las Flores Community Center

Our superstar staff will make sure your campers have the best time at Camp Napa! Activities include theme days, fun games, songs about healthy habits, arts and craft projects, games focusing on our natural resources, water play on hot days and so much more. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3Y64SVe

Great Outdoors Camp (age 7-12) at Kennedy Park

While exploring the beautiful Kennedy Park, campers will spend time learning about nature as they hike with new friends, build forts, learn archery, play games and enjoy arts and crafts activities. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3IX4d47

Make sure your child doesn't miss out on the fun this summer!

Request for Qualifications Now Open for Soscol Avenue Median Art

The City of Napa seeks to identify and select a qualified public artist to create and install a site-specific artwork in the Soscol Avenue medians. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is open to professional artists or teams with experience in the design, fabrication, and installation of public art.

More information found at www.cityofnapa.org/publicart

Climate Action in Napa

In 2022, the Napa City Council established Climate Action as one of its Council Priorities for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. At their meeting on March 7, the Council received a presentation regarding the work they have completed to address climate change so far, as well as future opportunities for climate change mitigation in Napa.

In the past 10 years, the City of Napa has created a sustainability plan, a County Climate Action Committee, and a Climate Emergency Resolution. The City also incorporated sustainability and climate action elements into their General Plan. This year, the City hired a Management Analyst who will help us implement our ambitious plans to mitigate climate change.

Next, the City plans to:

Assess opportunities for EV charging at City of Napa public facilities and the Corporation Yard
Promote incentives and educational opportunities for energy efficiency and electrification
Transition City of Napa equipment to electric where feasible
Apply grant funds for Anaerobic Digester for organic waste recycling
Update policies to comply with state organics disposal legislation
Continue to collaboration with the County Climate Action Committee and local jurisdictions to identify opportunities for climate action

We are dedicated to doing our part to address climate change in Napa to build a brighter future for our City!

Learn more about City and County efforts at: www.cityofnapa.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=534

8th annual Napa County Water Conservation Video Contest

The 8th annual Napa County Water Conservation Video Contest is now open to all 9th-12th grade students. 30-second videos capturing this year's theme Planning for those not-so-rainy days are due by Friday, May 19, 2023. Winners will be announced via social media and local agency web sites.

Top prize is $1,500 and the winning video will be shown before films at Century Napa Valley Theatre for one week this summer. The 2nd and 3rd place videos will garner $1,000 and $500 cash prizes. View the contest web page for full details.

Stay in-the-know about all things Napa!

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