Publication2

Some say being a good business neighbor is ensuring that businesses are maintained free from weeds, freshly painted, with store frontages that are environ-mentally clean. Although true, there is much more to being a good neighbor. Businesses need to be in com-pliance with city regulations, such as: signage, sidewalk sales permits, and proper city permits. Successful businesses always ensure that they are compliant with all city regulations and guidelines.

Here are some helpful tips for creating a successful business in the downtown:

Discuss any project with the Community Development Department (zoning, build-

ing occupancy, and existing conditions).

Obtain permits prior to any alterations at the site.

Discuss signage regulations with the Community Development Department, as

there may be restrictions for historical buildings, such as signage or painting of a building. Always obtain a sign permit before installation.

Acquire a Certificate of Occupancy and a Business License prior to opening the

business.

Sidewalk sales require a permit, except on Fridays and Saturdays; however, subject to conditions, as specified in Hanford’s Zoning Ordinance Section 17.28.090 12 (a-e). Following these tips will keep businesses aligned and compliant with the city’s estab-lished policy on all regulations and guidelines. If each business does its part to be properly compliant, Hanford’s Downtown will be safer, cleaner, and a much more wholesome community.

By: Melody N. Haigh –Community Development Manager

Volume 1, Issue II PLANNING TOMORROWS NEWSLETTER

Community Development

Department

City o f Hanford

Building

CDBG/Housing

Code Enforcement

Economic

Planning

CDBG

“Fire Engines”

1

Fair Housing 2

Property Mgt. 2

Code

Enforcement

3

Planning

3,4

Building 3,4,5

Environmental

Justice

6

Inside this issue:

Being a Good Neighbor

April 2013

SPRING IS HERE

Community

Development

Divisions

Community Development Block Grant funds

(CDBG) assisted with $496,000 to purchase one

of the two fire engines. The new fire engine re-

places a 22-year-old 1190 Westates Class “A”

pumper at Station 2. Station 2 is located 10553

Houston Avenue. This fire engine will primarily

serve the needs of residents living within the CDBG-targeted areas of Hanford. The

new engine/pumper and trained personnel will be available 24 hours a day, seven

days a week. The fact that all needed personnel, along with equipment and gear, will

fit comfortably on the truck will significantly improve response time and the ability to

suppress or extinguish fire, which should result in more lives and properties saved.

By: Sandra Lerma-Martinez—Housing Specialist

Two New

Fire Engines!

In a joint effort, Community Development, City Clerk, and Information Technology Departments are working to de-

velop a comprehensive Property Management Policy & Procedure program. The initial steps have been to collect

and identify a list of all real property currently owned and leased by the City. Concurrently, a data base and query

system is being developed to store and make available all information related to each parcel. When complete, the

system will allow anyone within the City (and eventually the general public) to access the data base, look up par-

cels, and view the related documents. Additionally, the data base will include information such as General Plan,

Zoning information, leases/lease terms, and availability, future City use, lease or sale. Comments, questions and

recommendations are encouraged and can be sent to Bob Nance, Senior Planner and/or Lori Saldaña, Housing

Specialist. They can be reached at [email protected] and/or [email protected].

By: Bob Nance-Project Manager

The Right to Fair Housing!

PAGE 2 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT VOLUME 1, I SSUE I I

Property Management

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and disability.

If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint. There are several ways to file a complaint:

You can complete a form online on the HUD website, www.hud.gov

You can print a form on online, complete it and mail it to: San Francisco Regional Office of FHEO U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 600 Harrison Street, 3rd Floor San Francisco, California 94107-1387

You can write a letter and make sure to include the following: Your name and address The name and address of the person your complaints is about The address of the house or apartment you were trying to rent or buy The date when the incident occurred Include a brief description of what happened

Mail your letter to the following address: San Francisco Regional Office of FHEO U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 600 Harrison Street, 3rd Floor San Francisco, California 94107-1387

The City’s Housing Division provides free booklets (“California Tenants”) and brochures (Fair Housing) to Hanford residents and is exploring other ways of providing this information to the public. For more information, contact the City’s housing staff at (559) 585-2587 or (559) 585-4766 or stop by our offices at 317 North Douty Street, Hanford, CA 93230. For HUD’s regula-tions and more detailed information on fair housing, go to HUD’s website at www.hud.gov.

By: Lori Saldaña—Housing Specialist

Community Development Department's

Three

Goals

Transparency

Solutions

Cutting the

Red Tape

What’s all the Fuss? It’s Just a Basketball Hoop!

PAGE 3 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT VOLUME 1, I SSUE I I

Well, not exactly. Although basketball hoops provide hours of fun for basketball en-thusiasts, they also can be safety hazards when not used or placed in an appropriate location. When a basketball hoop is placed on the sidewalk, it not only limits the use of the sidewalk for pedestrians, but limits the accessibility for wheelchair users, as well. The placement of the structure on the street may also hinder City utility vehicles from street maintenance and impede the flow of traffic. Basketball hoops expose safety hazards for streets and sidewalks. Items such as trash receptacles, power cords, skate ramps, and vehicles parked across the sidewalk are some other hazards that are dealt with on a daily basis. City of Hanford Municipal Code 17.68.050 prohibits the outdoor storage of personal property of any type on or in

the street or other public right-of-way that may endanger human life or are hazards to the public health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the City. Being conscientious and taking initiative will result in avoiding accidents. Remember, we can make a difference in our community by working together!

By: Gavino Barrera—Code Compliance Officer

Did you know that Code Enforcement Officers must be certified? A Code En-forcement Officer is a sworn or non-sworn inspector, officer, or investigator

employed by a city or county. These officers’ primary duty is the enforcement of violations of laws regulating public nuisance, public health, safety, and welfare, public works, business activities and consumer protection, building stan-dards, land-use, or municipal affairs. Their specialized training encompasses prevention, detection, investigation, and enforcement. Code Enforcement Officers not only need to be certified, they are also required to get continuing education, with a minimum of 48 hours every three years regarding laws and codes. In addition, there is another requirement, PC 832 arrest-and-firearm training is a module through the police academy. Many Code Enforcement Officers have been hired having law enforcement and/or construction backgrounds. The Code Compliance Program enhances neighborhoods and works to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of City residents through effi-cient and effective code compliance. All actions are conducted in a responsive and fair manner-focusing on cus-tomer service and public awareness, while respecting the property rights of our citizens.

By: Ruth Belmonte—Code Compliance Officer

Enforcement Certification

Coming soon to the City of Hanford Build-ing Division will be the ability to pay your permit fees with your credit card. The process will also include the ability to ob-tain basic building permits online instead

of having to come into the office. It is hoped that this new and exciting customer friendly service will be available in the near future.

By: Kris McRae—Permit Specialist

On-line Payments Downtown East

Precise Plan

A Focused EIR has been completed for the Downtown East Precise Plan (DEPP) and is in the final stages of adoption. This plan is scheduled for Planning Commission in April 2013 following City Council approval in May 2013. All DEPP progress can be viewed on the website.

By: Melody N. Haigh

Community Development Manager

We all know that the Fire Depart-ment puts out fires, and the Police Department investigates crime; but did you know that the Building Divi-sion is proactive in stopping fires and preventing crime before they start? Yes, it is true! We are the front line in fire and crime preven-tion. The codes we enforce are writ-ten to ensure health and life safety as a first concern. Our codes help to build buildings resistant to fire. If one does start, our codes help to prevent its spread and enable peo-ple to get out of the building safely.

With our Code Enforcement pro-gram, we use the ”Broken window “ policy which states that maintaining and monitoring urban environments in a well-ordered condition may

stop further vandal-ism and escalation into more serious crime. Consider a building with a few

broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for van-dals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside. Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or even break into cars. We strive to keep the neighborhoods clean and inviting to families, not to criminals. We try to stop the small violations so they don’t escalate into crime scenes.

The Building Division and the Code Enforcement Division are great com-munity advocates and are a great and friendly help to the citizens of

Hanford.

By: Tom Webb-Building Official

A Friendly Division

PAGE 4 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT VOLUME 1, I SSUE I I

Bob Nance comes with over 21 years of experience in Economic Develop-ment. In addition, he brings experi-ence in Community Development Block Grant, HOME, CALHOME and other similar grant and loan programs focused on blight elimination, eco-nomic development, and affordable housing efforts. Bob is currently working with staff on establishing poli-cies and procedures for property man-agement, marketing, and economic strategies. His knowledge will help assist in finding solutions for the City. By: Melody N. Haigh—CDM

Another New Face

If you’re starting a new business or just refreshing the look of your lo-cation, you may be considering signage. It’s an important marketing tool! Before you commit to a sign order, however, be sure you or your

contractor submits a Sign Permit Application to the Community Development Department for approval. For locations in the Historic District, submit a Historic Review Permit Application. Both applications are available on the City’s web-site (www.ci.hanford.ca.us) or by contacting our office at (559) 585-2580. The cost of the permit is $242.00 (plus the cost of a building permit, if required).

Hiring a sign contractor can be a good investment, as they are familiar with the per-mitting process and are frequently able to make helpful suggestions for effective and attractive signage.

For complete information, consult the City’s Sign Ordinance on the website (Hanford Municipal Code 17.36 and

17.44) or contact our office. We’re here to help!

By: Diana Black—Administrative Support Technician

What’s Your Sign?

City Council has given their blessings in moving for-

ward with the General Plan Update. April 1, 2013 is

the deadline for consultants to revise their previous

submittals. Staff anticipates a formal interview by the

end of April and final recommendation to Council in

May. The General Plan Update should be up and run-

ning by June 2013.

By: Ed Haworth—Project Manager

Planning Commission has held several workshops in the past couple of months, covering: General Plan Elements, Main Street Hanford, and Public Hearings. April’s meet-ings will include the Downtown East Precise Plan, Plan-ning Commission Handbook (which was last updated in 1992), and CEQA Guidelines. Future projects coming through will keep Planning Commissioners busy.

By: Melody N. Haigh

Community Development Manager

General Plan Update Planning Commission

Sign, Sign

every-

where there’s

signs!

This article is a very brief explanatory with information from the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) Title III (private entities) technical assistance manual and several other reliable reference sources. There is a great deal of confusion as to what ADA regulations are re-quired for existing buildings that do not have permits for alterations or additions. First, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has authority over existing facilities that are subject to the requirement for removal of barriers under Title III of the ADA. The state has the authority to enforce the DOJ standards through civil actions granted by the Unruh Civil Rights Act, which makes “A violation of the right of any individual under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336) shall also constitute a viola-tion of the California Civil code section 51 paragraph f” (For more information see Senate Bill No.1608).

Public accommodations (which have different obligations from commercial buildings) are not addressed in this arti-cle. Architectural barriers and communication barriers that are structural in nature in existing facilities must be removed, when it is readily achievable to do so.

First, what falls under the category of public accommoda-tion? A public accommodation is a facility whose opera-tions affect commerce; and fall within at least one of the following 12 categories:

1. Places of lodging (e.g., inns, hotels, motels) (except

for owner-occupied establishments renting fewer than six rooms);

2. Establishments serving food or drink (e.g., restau-

rants and bars);

3. Places of exhibition or entertainment (e.g., motion

picture houses, theaters, concert halls, stadiums);

4. Places of public gathering (e.g., auditoriums, conven-

tion centers, lecture halls);

5. Sales or rental establishments (e.g., bakeries, gro-

cery stores, hardware stores, shopping centers);

6. Service establishments (e.g., Laundromats, dry-

cleaners, banks, barber shops, beauty shops, travel ser-vices, shoe repair services, funeral parlors, gas stations, offices of accountants or lawyers, pharmacies, insurance offices, professional offices of health care providers, hos-pitals);

Title III Requirements

for Existing

Public Accommodations

PAGE 5 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT VOLUME 1, I SSUE I I

7. Public transportations terminals, depots, or stations (not including facilities relating to air transportation);

8. Places of public display or collection (e.g., muse-ums, libraries, galleries);

9. Places of recreation (e.g., parks, zoos, amusement parks);

10. Places of education (e.g., nursery schools, elemen-tary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate pri-vate schools);

11. Social service center establishments (e.g., day care centers, senior citizen centers, homeless shelters, food banks, adoption agencies); and

12. Places of exercise or recreation (e.g., gymnasiums, health spas, bowling alleys, golf courses).

What is meant by readily achievable? Physical barriers to entering and using existing facilities must be re-moved when “readily achievable.” Readily achievable means “easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense.”

What is readily achievable will be determined on a case-by-case basis in light of the resources available. The regulation does not require the rearrangement of tem-porary or movable structures, such as furniture, equip-ment, and display racks to the extent that it would result in a significant loss of selling or serving space. Nor does it require the removal of structural members that would make a structure unsafe. How does a public accommodation determine when barrier removal is readily achievable? Factors to consider include:

1. The nature and cost of the action;

2. The overall financial resources of the site or sites involved: the number of persons employed at the site; the effect on expenses and resources; legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation, including crime-prevention measures; or any other impact of the action on the operation of the site;

3. The geographic separateness and the administra-tive or fiscal relationship of the site or sites in question to any parent corporation or entity;

4. If applicable, the overall financial resources of any parent corporation or entity; the overall size of the par-ent corporation or entity with respect to the number of its employees; the number, type, and location of its fa-cilities; and

5. If applicable, the type of operation or operations of any parent corporation or entity, including the composi-tion structure, and functions of the workforce of the par-ent corporation or entity.

Depending on whose statistics you

believe, carbon monoxide poisoning

causes between 200 and 700 deaths

per year in the U.S. For every per-

son killed, there are another 5 or 50

that will require some form of hos-

pital visit. No matter which num-

bers you use, this makes carbon

monoxide the leading cause of poi-

soning death in the U.S.

The new California Carbon Monox-

What barriers will it be “readily achiev-able” to remove? There is no defini-tive answer to this question because determinations as to which barriers can be removed without much diffi-culty or expense must be made on a case-by-case basis. Legitimate safety requirements may be considered in determining what is readily achiev-able, so long as they are based on actual risks and are necessary for safe operation.

Examples of barrier removal meas-ures include:

1. Installing ramps

2. Making curb cuts at sidewalks and entrances.

3. Repositioning shelves;

4. Rearranging tables, chairs, vend-ing machines, display racks, and other furniture.

5. Repositioning telephones;

6. Adding raised markings on eleva-tors control buttons;

7. Installing flashing alarm lights;

8. Widening doorways.

9. Installing offset hinges to widen doorways;

10. Eliminating a turnstile or providing an alternative accessible path;

11. Installing accessible door hard-ware;

12. Installing grab bars in toilet stalls.

13. Rearranging toilet partitions to in-crease maneuvering space;

14. Insulating lavatory pipes under sinks to prevent burns;

15. Installing a raised toilet seat;

16. Installing a full-length bathroom mirror;

17. Repositioning the paper towel dis-penser in a bathroom;

18. Creating designated accessible parking spaces;

19. Installing an accessible paper cup dispenser at an existing inaccessi-ble water fountain;

20. Removing high pile, low density carpeting;

First priority should be given to meas-ures that will enable individuals with disabilities to “get in the front door,” followed by measures to provide ac-cess to areas providing goods and ser-vices. Barrier removal measures must comply, when readily achievable, with the alterations requirements of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines. If compliance with the Guidelines is not readily achievable, other safe, readily achiev-able measures must be taken.

By: Frank Rocha

Building Inspector

In the 1990’s a movement known as the “environmental justice move-ment” addressed the issues of ineq-uity of individuals and their communi-ties (DOT, 2009). However, environ-mental laws, regulations, and poli-cies have since been put into place for the participation and compliance of cities, counties, states, and federal

ADA (Cont. from pg. 5)

PAGE 6 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT VOLUME 1, I SSUE I I

Carbon Monoxide Alarms.

Friend or Foe? ide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 is

a step in the right direction. This law

requires C O alarms in all single-

family homes, and since the first of the

year, in all apartments. Whenever a

building permit with a valuation ex-

ceeding $1,000.00 is required, the

building division checks for their in-

stallation. Although the extra expense

for alarms may seem an inconvenience

at the time of a building project, they

are cheap insurance. Let us help you

keep yourself and family heathy and

alive in the new year and the years

to come. Install your carbon monox-

ide alarms as per manufacture is

installation instructions, and check

them regularly.

By: Robert Sutton

Building Inspector

agencies. Environ-mental justice is known for its equal treat-ment of “race, color, national origin”, and/or financial means and for protecting the public against the exposure of possible harmful development around neighborhoods (DOT, 2009). Existing and proposed de-

Environmental

Justice

velopments have caused many detrimental effects to the people and their environment. Indentifying and addressing different socioeco-nomic groups demographically on topics that coincide with environ-mental justice principles such as

population of race, educa-tional attainment, house-hold income, age by gen-der, means of transporta-tion to work, disabilities, and senior citizens will provide a more diverse interaction of public partici-pation in future develop-

ments within the city.

By: Melody N. Haigh– CDM

No person in the United States

shall, on the ground of race,

color, or national origin be

excluded from participation in,

be denied the benefits of, or be

subjected to discrimination under

any program or activity receiving

Federal financial assistance."

Community Development Manager

Melody N. Haigh

559-585-2583 [email protected]

Project Manager– Planner

Edward Haworth 559-585-2582

[email protected]

Project Manager– Economic/Property Management

Bob Nance

559-585-2587

[email protected]

Building Official

Tom Webb 559-585-2584

[email protected]

Building Inspectors Robert Sutton Frank Rocha

559-585-4795 559-585-2585

[email protected] [email protected]

Code Compliance Officers

Ruth Belmonte Gavino Barrera

559-585-7167 559-585-2032 [email protected] [email protected]

Housing Specialists

Lori Saldaña Sandra Lerma

559-585-2587 559-585-4766

[email protected] [email protected]

Permit Specialist

Kris McRae 559-585-2581

[email protected]

Administrative Support Technician

Diana Black

559-585-2580 [email protected]

CITY OF HANFORD

317 N. Douty Street

Hanford , CA 93230

Phone: 559-585-2580

Fax: 559-582-1633

Website: www.ci.hanford.ca.us

SPRING RIDDLE

If April showers

bring May flowers

Then what do May

flowers bring? Hint:

The Community Development Department is committed to providing excellent service to the public, businesses, departments, and agencies within the community in a friendly and helpful manner.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT

EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER

Congratulations to Sandra Lerma!

Sandra has been with the City of Han-

ford for seven years as a Housing Spe-

cialist. She has proven to be an asset to

this department as her primary focus

includes monitoring funds for CDBG.

Additionally, her duties include Commu-

nity Development Block Grant (CDBG),

Home Loan Program, and Loan Monitor-

ing. Ms. Lerma has definitely demon-

strated teamwork and dedication.

Thank you, Sandra, for all your hard

work.