Last month the Moraga Town Council and staff met to set the town's goals for the year. This is a traditional opportunity for a new mayor to outline goals he or she wants to achieve during the one-year tenure.
Town Manager Jill Keimach presented the staff's continuing goals for the year. In 2015 the town aims to become paperless and finalize the 331 Rheem Blvd. renovation, establish a storm drain system master plan and implement body-worn cameras for the police force. Another objective is the possible annexation within the town limits of a portion of the Carr Ranch. That property located along Camino Pablo between Sanders Ranch and Rancho Laguna Park is not part of the town of Moraga, simply within its sphere of influence. An application for a residential project is in the making for a 24-acre portion of the ranch along Camino Pablo. Staff is encouraging the applicant to seek the incorporation of that property within the town.
Mayor Roger Wykle then introduced his goals, presented as a group effort that included staff and other councilmember input. Besides the obvious objectives of fiscal stability and the pavement improvement project, Wykle wants to continue democratic transparency by broadcasting meetings over the Internet, streamline the planning process, implement the Moraga Center Specific Plan (MCSP), minimizing the impact of new developments on existing neighborhoods, improve the viability of the Rheem Theatre, explore the possibility to create a 'park bank' - where portions of funds collected from developers of the MCSP would be used by the town to purchase new park land - and work with the community to amend the ridgeline and hillside development code.
Wykle hopes to get more community input about how to prioritize the use of future funds. Should the millions that the town will get from Palos Colorados developers be spent on previously delayed maintenance, on new sports facilities, or on acquiring open space? The mayor would like what he calls a "statistically valid survey" to be conducted.
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