Preliminary Research    

Global Urban Development Program  

Stockton, California    

 

Table  of  Contents  Introduction (Stockton City Report)  Political & Legal Analysis  

Goals  Goals of City Government  Reinvent South Stockton Goals  

RSSC’s relationship with the community  Government Structure  

San Joaquin County  Recent Measures & News  

Measure A + Marshall Plan  Bankruptcy  2014 Elections  

Economic Analysis  Citywide Revenues FY 2014-15  Citywide Adopted Budget  Budget Overview  

Bankruptcy  Measures A and B  General Fund  Revenues  Expenditures  Other City Funds  

Police  Public Works  Community Services  Community Development  Economic Development  Municipal Utilities Department  Bankruptcy Fund  Capital Improvement Programs  Internal Service Funds  

Income  Median value of housing  Pension Fund  CPI Inflation rates per year  

Environmental Analysis  Climate  Geography  Air Quality  Hazards  

Earthquake and Tornado  Flood  Fire Hazard  Freeze  Storm Events Database  

 

Precipitation and Drought  Local Biodiversity  Water Management (distribution and waste)  Waste Management  Green in Practice  Soil Quality  Energy Resources  

Energy Production by Technology in California  Renewable Energy Technical Potential in California  

Technological Analysis  Energy usage  Access to Internet  Innovation potential  Irrigation infrastructure  Digital citizen/Smart city  Smart parking  

Social & Cultural Analysis  Household Income  

Trends in Income - City point of view  Poverty  Unemployment  Race  Religion  Homeownership  

Median Home Value  Foreclosures  Conclusion  

Crime  History of crime in Stockton  Crime categorization  Gangs in Stockton  Law enforcement and crime prevention  District 6  

Community Voices  Survey Highlights  Areas for Growth  

Urban Analysis  History  Mapping  Transportation  

Roads  Bicycles  Public Transit  Land Use  

SWOT Analysis  Strengths  

 

Weaknesses  Opportunities  Threats  

Case Studies  Revitalizing Over the Rhine, Cincinnati  

Background  Strategy/Activities  Impact  

Revitalizing East Lake Atlanta  Background  Strategy/Activities  Impact  

Revitalizing Rancho Cordova  Background  Strategy/Activities  Impact  

Revitalizing Medellin, Colombia  Background  Strategy/Activity  Impact  

Questions to the City  

     

 

 

Introduction (Stockton City Report)    US Team Members   Hometown  

Marveliz Santos   Santiago, Dominican Republic  Fotios Spartinos   Agrinio,Greece  Bushra Bataineh   Amman, Jordan  Christina Zhou   Port Washington, NY  Hang Li   Hubei, China  Mark Soendjojo   Temple City, CA  Geena Chen   Bedford, MA  Natalie Gonzalez   Bailey, CO  Jazlyn Patricio-Archer   Las Vegas, NV  Hailey Lang   Stockton, CA    Slovenian Team Members   Hometown  

Rok Perme   Ljubljana, Slovenia  Martin Valinger Sluga   Ljubljana, Slovenia  Matija Kuzman   Ljubljana, Slovenia  Črt Jaklič   Mirna Peč, Slovenia  Matjaž Dolenc   Nova Gorica, Slovenia  Andrej Slemenjak   Velenje, Slovenia  Lovro Kajapi   Rijeka, Croatia  Samantha Konec   Tolmin, Slovenia  Teodor Hribovšek   Kamnik, Slovenia  Mila Zečević   Novi Sad, Serbia  Žiga Hudournik   Velenje, Slovenia            

 

     

The city of Stockton is located in central California, with a population of about 300,000 people. When Stockton declared bankruptcy in 2012, it was the largest US city to do so at the time. Stockton also suffered after the housing bubble collapsed with a significant number of foreclosures and drop in home prices1. This project is intended to help the city find opportunities in areas dealing with problems like drugs, crime, and poverty. Working with the city and other stakeholders, we are focusing on the empty lots along Airport Way between 8th and 10th Streets.  

Stockton started as a small Native American village called Pasasimas, which was inhabited by the Yokuts people. The city became a prominent supply center after the discovery of gold in northern California in 1848. A German immigrant named Captain Charles Weber bought the land that would encompass the city from the Spanish in 1849, and named the city after Commodore Robert F. Stockton. It was the first city in California to have an English name.  

Due to the gold rush, the population of the city hailed from all different parts of the world. In the late 1870s, there were a significant number of Asians living in the city, who came as laborers for projects like the Transcontinental Railroad. Prior to agriculture becoming the main driver of the Stockton economy, shipbuilding was the main industry up to World War II. To this day, the port of Stockton is an essential part of the city, serving as a major shipping point for many of Northern California’s agricultural and manufactured products. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Stockton went on a building binge, with additions to its downtown like the San Joaquin RTD Downtown Transit Center, the Stockton Arena, and the refurbished Bob Hope theater.  

In terms of the population, the city is a majority-minority city, in that no particular race is the majority. According to the 2010 Census, Latinos make up around 40% of the population, Caucasians make up 37%, African-Americans make up 12%, and Asians make up around 22% of the population2. Similarly, there are many ethnic festivals that take place in the city, reflecting it’s cultural diversity. Stockton’s history and culture will be explored in-depth later in the report.  

Our research goal for this deliverable is to use the information gained from the extensive research done by everyone to help us pick our sites for development and shape our solutions. The background knowledge gained from researching all the different aspects of the city, from the economics to the politics of the city, will help us make informed decisions that are grounded in the reality of Stockton, and not just theoretical ideas. Our drill-down on South Stockton in particular will help us see why the issues that affect the area persist and how they can be solved at the root, instead of just focusing on the symptoms.        

                                                                                                               1  http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/14/real_estate/California_cities_lead_foreclosure/index.htm  2  http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0675000.html  

 

 Political & Legal Analysis  

Goals  

Goals of City Government  

The City council met in April this year to discuss their strategic plan.3  

● Strategic Targets  ● Public Safety  ● Fiscal Sustainability  ● Organizational Development  ● Economic Development  ● Youth  ● Infrastructure  ● Public Relations/Image  

Priority Goals  1. Improve police response times, customer service and follow-ups; hire additional officers

and increase diversity.  2. Implement the Marshall Plan and institutionalize it.  3. Retool public nuisance code enforcement issues.  4. Institutionalize modeling for financial forecasting.  5. Dedicate monetary resources for improved technology.  6. Develop and implement economic development plan to attract and retain businesses and

target areas of underserved populations.  7. Focus on downtown market rate housing project (ULI Study

4).  

8. Revise General Plan.  9. Develop an aggressive marketing and communication plan.  

Reinvent South Stockton Goals   1. Crime   2. Education   3. Economic Development   4. Housing   5. Health care     These goals are used in the Promise Zone application that the coalition is putting together in tandem with the city. Relevant metrics, such as number of workshops and number of youth mentors will be collected to measure program success. The sub initiatives within each goal will be funded by a variety of sources, including Measure A funds, grants, and private donations.                                                                                                                    3  http://www.stocktongov.com/government/council/goals.html  4  http://www.stocktongov.com/government/council/goalsDwnRevit.html  

 

RSSC’s relationship with the community    

Insights from Jessica Praphath:    At her Community Medical Centers job, she sits on a bimonthly public health task force that brings together representatives from nonprofits, foundations, and government organizations to discuss plans for public health initiatives. Praphath believes in the mission of the taskforce and sees a strong desire to enforce change, but she notes that a fundamental piece is missing: a community representative. The same was true for the initial planning meetings of Reinvent Stockton. When she looked around the table during those first meetings, all she saw were dedicated people who went to good universities and, like her, returned to Stockton to help improve it.  

Praphath has since played a vital part in the Reinvent Stockton coalition’s expansion to south Stockton community members. They helped write two assessment surveys, which mapped Stockton’s “community strength index,” focusing on issues such as education, public safety, housing, economic development, and health. And in July 2014, the coalition launched its first community assessment survey, from which community members and volunteers collected more than 800 surveys.  

Praphath said when she first returned to Stockton with her UC Berkeley degree, some people expected her to have all the answers. She made it clear that she was there to learn. “When I meet community members, I let them do a lot of the talking,” she said. “This way, I am seen not as someone who is trying to push knowledge or test out my education, but as someone with a genuine interest in what they have to say.”  

A year later, she has come to believe that community members are the ones with the answers. They are the experts—the “think tanks” as she puts it.  

 

Government Structure    City Council  ● 4 year terms ● 1 mayor ● 6 councilmembers (must live in the district they represent) ● Responsibilities: establish city policies, ordinances, contracts, and agreements; approve

the City’s annual budget; appoint four positions: City Manager, City Attorney, City Auditor, City Clerk

● Public meetings on Tuesday evenings at City Hall ● Special meetings and committee meetings open to the public ● Agenda of meetings are available online

 County Government (Stockton holds the county seat of San Joaquin County)  

 

San Joaquin County    San Joaquin County is a general law county, it was incorporated on February 18, 1850 and covers an area of 1,426 sq miles. As of the 2010 census, the population was 685,306. The county encompasses seven cities, of which Stockton is the county seat.      County Powers:  ● The collection of taxes ● A public airport ● Voting services ● Work and training programs ● Food programs ● Shelter and housing services ● Public safety ● Legal services and jails ● Roads and road maintenance ● Regional and neighborhood parks ● Health services ● Business and economic development ● Agricultural education and monitoring ● Library services ● A zoo ● A historical museum to keep track of county history

 Some of these powers are not applicable to Stockton. Within city boundaries, cities have responsibility for such services as police and fire, animal control, parks, public works, water, wastewater, solid waste, and library. Since Stockton is a charter city and thus enjoys wider autonomy, it is not bound by California state law on how to conduct city elections, the form of government, public contracts. Zoning ordinances are also not required to be consistent with the county’s general plan unless the city has adopted a consistency requirement by charter or ordinance.5    The county’s governing body is the Board of Supervisors, composed of 5 supervisors, representing five districts. District 1 covers North Stockton, district 2 South Stockton, while some western outskirts of Stockton fall under District 3, which also encompasses the cities of Lathrop and Manteca.6    The supervisors are elected and serve a three-year term. The term of District 2 supervisor will end on December 2014, whereas representatives of District 1 and 3 will end their terms on December 2016.7  

                                                                                                               5  http://www.cacities.org/Resources-Documents/Resources-Section/Charter-Cities/Chart_General_Law_v-_Charter_Cities-07-26-11  6  District map:http://www.sjgov.org/uploadedFiles/SJC/Departments/board/AlldistrictNew100dpi.pdf  7  http://www.sjgov.org/  

 

 

 

Boards and Commissions    ● Volunteer-based, application-based, encouraged for greater civic participation and for

citizens to learn how local government works. ● On Board Vacancies site, some boards with most vacancies are:

○ Building and Housing Board of Appeals (7) → currently has no members ● San Joaquin County Commission on Aging (10) ● San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District (7) ● Arts Commission (10) and Parks and Recreation (8) but only because term is ending soon

in January. ● NO VACANCIES:

○ Central Parking District Advisory Board ○ Civil Service Commission ○ Climate Action Plan Advisory Committee ○ Cultural Heritage Board ○ Equal Employment Commission ○ Handicapped Access Board of Appeals ○ Port Commission ○ San Joaquin Regional Transit District Board ○ Successor Agency Oversight Board

 Public Private Partnerships  

 Public private partnerships are much less common in the United States compared to Europe or Canada, where they are used to fund many different projects, from expressways to hospitals and community centers. In the United States they are mostly restricted to transportation.    There are several major factors that determine whether public private partnerships will be used. Several constraints prevent wider use in the United States, such as institutional inertia, financial and tax policy issues and financial restrictions. The best candidate projects for financing by public private partnerships tend to be those that have high demand, few substitutes and broad support. This includes the general public, stakeholders and decision-makers in the public sector, as well as in the private sector. Informed public officials are also crucial to the success of these types of partnerships; in California in general, awareness tends to be low. Risks need to be allocated appropriately between public and private and good oversight is critical for a project to succeed. Finally, public private partnerships are not a panacea and should be applied only where they make sense.    One successful example of a public private partnership in Stockton is the Port of Stockton railway expansion. The port is owned partially by the city and San Joaquin County. The project was worth 1.2 million dollars and included construction of 5825 ft of rail. It was built in partnership with Union Pacific Railroad and finished in 2012. Given the partial ownership by the

 

city, a transfer of relevant skills and experience could be considered.    

Recent Measures & News  

Measure A + Marshall Plan    

Measure B: gather public support for a spending ratio of 65% on crime reduction and 35% on bankruptcy exit with the Measure A tax funds.      Timeline:  

7/5/2013: Approved  4/1/2014: Sales tax in effect – raised to 9%  6/30/2015: Target of 405 officers  6/30/2017: Target of 487 officers  

 A private security company is to be hired for the downtown area. Their goals seem in line with what people want but how will these companies be held accountable? Is their hiring complementary or conflicting with the expansion of the city’s police force?     “Whether the security officers are paid or are volunteers is irrelevant, as each will serve the community equally. Those paid will receive compensation through grants, Measure A funds, the Downtown Stockton Alliance and private/public property owners.”8  

 Relevant Public Hearing: February 2014 (search Measure A)  -Note: some tension with earlier comments by people about excessive police brutality    “An additional 120 Sworn and 43 Civilian staff positions are hereby  authorized to be phased in over four fiscal years including 40 Police Officer positions in the Police Department, 1 Senior Human Resources Analyst in Human Resources,1 Program Manager II (Conf.), 1 Supervising Accountant, 1 Senior Accountant, and 1 Finance Assistant in Administrative Services Department to begin recruitment in Fiscal Year 2013-14.” - Feb 25 2014 Resolution9    See footnotes for a presentation on the implementation of Measure A and the Marshall Plan10  

 

Bankruptcy  On October 30th, Judge Klein approved Stockton’s bankruptcy plan1112. City employee pensions

                                                                                                               8  http://www.recordnet.com/article/20141024/NEWS/141029731/0/SEARCH  9  http://stockton.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=48&clip_id=4768  10  http://stockton.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=48&clip_id=4768&meta_id=393646  11  http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pensions-stockton-bankrupt-20141031-story.html  12  http://www.recordnet.com/article/20141030/NEWS/141039967  

 

were to be left untouched but retiree health care would be cut. This was at the expense of lender Franklin Templeton, who would be paid about $4 million of the $37 million the city owes the firm. More recently, on November 14th, Franklin Pendleton appealed the ruling, claiming that the city was capable of paying far more than that value, and that pensions should not be left untouched.13 We will follow this as it continues to unfold.    

2014 Elections  City Council  Districts in which races took place: 1,3,5  

1: Holman (incumbent)  3: Susan Lofthus (new)  5: Christina Fugazi (new)  

 

Measure C: City Charter Review[12]14    ● In the past, city council members were elected in a district wide primary and then a city-

wide general election.  ● “Twelve years ago, for instance, a group of south Stockton clergymen sought to change

the system, arguing that it funnels political attention and dollars away from their community. But the effort died in the City Council. Former City Councilman Ralph Lee White, who serves on the charter review commission, has been seeking to change the system almost from the moment it was adopted.” Also limited evidence that this is true  

● Opposition blank - this passed easily  

Potential Next Steps  ● School board elections and their significance ● Climate Action Plan research ● Permitting process, what does it take to implement projects? ● What codes and regulations are relevant or specifically apply to District 6 / Airport Way? ● More fully understand impact of bankruptcy ruling on other city programs

     

                                                                                                               13  http://online.wsj.com/articles/franklin-templeton-appeals-over-stocktons-exit-from-bankruptcy-1415993550  14http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/11/05/election-brings-in-new-round-of-city-leaders-to-revive-stockton-after-bankruptcy/ http://www.recordnet.com/article/20141015/NEWS/141019738/0/SEARCH On Measure C http://www.recordnet.com/article/20141105/NEWS/141109812/0/SEARCH Election results http://fox40.com/2014/11/05/2014-election-results-san-joaquin-county/ County wide results  

 

 Economic Analysis  

Citywide Revenues FY 2014-15  These are Stockton citywide revenues for the fiscal year 2014-15.    

        Taxes ($)   Program

revenues ($)  Enterprise revenues ($)  

Total ($)   Pct (%)  

Program Appropriat.  

         

Police     14,754,573     14,754,573   3  

Fire     10,303,936     10,303,936   2  

Public Works     31,042,016     31,042,016   5  

Community services  

  12,906,846   1,781,211   14,688,057   3  

Community Developm.  

  5,776,911     5,776,911   1  

Economic Developm.  

  12,796,186   4,079,501   16,875,687   3  

 

Utilities     334,731   118,491,719   118,826,450   21  

Administr.     14,139,352     14,139,352   2  

Insurance and Benefits- Internal  

  95,290,779     95,290,779   17  

Non-Dept Funds  

      0    

Non Dept   172,241,507   9,762,555     182,004,062   32  

Dept Service Funds  

  25,509,545     25,509,545   4  

Capital Project Funds  

  46,933,574     46,933,574   8  

TOTAL   172,241,507   279,550,977   124,352,431   576,144,915   100    

Citywide Adopted Budget  This is the Stockton citywide adopted budget for the fiscal year 2014-15.  

       Citywide Adopted Budget FY 2014-15    

 Operating budget ($)  

Debt Service Budget ($)  

Capital Budget ($)  

Total ($)   Pct (%)  

 

Program Appropriations  

         

Police   105,046,041       105,046,041   17  

Fire   45,396,301       45,396,301   7  

Public Works   40,603,403   301,756   2,199,864   43,105,023   7  

Community services  

25,838,763       25,838,763   4  

Community Development  

9,696,715       9,696,715   1  

Economic Development  

19,509,316   2,159,098     21,668,414   3  

Utilities   81,768,929   18,979,400   27,611,200   128,359,529   22  

Administration   22,443,651   325,000   10,794,768   33,563,419   5  

Insurance and Benefits-Internal  

83,571,386   8,431,177     92,002,563   15  

Non-Department Funds  

      0    

Non department   40,025,508     60,000   40,085,508   6  

Dept Service Funds  

  28,120,489     28,120,489   4  

Capital Project Funds  

    51,682,136   51,682,136   8  

TOTAL   471,899,986     92,347,968   632,564,874   100  

     

 

   

Budget Overview  

Bankruptcy  

Since 2008, the City of Stockton has undergone an unprecedented fiscal emergency in the General Fund resulting in major reductions in services to citizens and compensation of employees, in addition to benefit reductions to employees and retirees. Cuts include $90 million worth of annual General Fund expenses, and reducing the police, fire, and non-safety workforce by 25%, 30%, and 43% respectively. However, the City still faced a $26 million shortfall and was forced to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protections on June 28, 2012 in order to present a balanced budget for FY 2012-13. The City continues to operate under that protection pending the confirmation of a final Plan of Adjustment.  

Priority has been given in the adoption of this budget to three particular areas: Economic Development, Public Safety and Fiscal Sustainability. There are seven target areas that need to be developed following the three above-mentioned priorities: Public Safety, Fiscal Sustainability, Organizational Development, Economic Development, Youth, Infrastructure and Public Relations/Image. Work continues on previous strategic initiatives related to these goals. Specific objectives have been developed within the post- bankruptcy targeted areas, such as “implement the Marshall Plan and institutionalize it”.  

Measures A and B  

There have been two measures adopted as a plan of action from the City Council of Stockton.  

Measure A, a general sales tax measure approved on November 5, 2013 for an additional 3/4 cent effective April 1, 2014, has provided the City with an opportunity to address a high priority target area, which is Public Safety. Projected revenues from Measure A for FY 2014-15 are $27.9 million. In accordance with Measure B this increase to the General Fund in the upcoming fiscal year will be used to implement major elements of the Marshall Plan on Crime (Marshall Plan), to emerge from bankruptcy and to sustain other City services.  

Measure B was approved after Measure A but prior to any related revenue collection and was expedited by the City Council to improving public safety. In summary however, the funding is proposed in FY 2014-15 to be allocated consistent with the Long-Range Financial Plan and is as follows: $7.6 million for additional staffing and equipment for the Police Department, $793,000 for staffing and equipment for the establishment of a new Office of Violence Prevention; $709,000 for other City services support, $8.0 million for a variety of mission critical projects, and, $10.8 million for the General Fund balance to be kept uncommitted. The $8.0 million in mission critical projects are in support of the City Council’s revised targets and goals as follows:  

1. Implementation of Strategic Priorities $200,000 2. Public Safety - radios $1,000,000 3. Fiscal Sustainability - purchasing and lighting $1,364,000 4. Organizational Development – technology $5,236,000

 

5. Economic Development – ULI and marketing plan $200,000 It is notable that this budget continues to balance the General Fund by making $24.5 million in reductions to creditors and retirees and by assuming that all pendency plan reductions either will continue throughout the fiscal year or be made permanent with court confirmation of the city’s Plan of Adjustment.  

 

 

The roots of the City’s bankruptcy were sown in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They came from a combination of unsustainable levels of employee compensation and benefits, retiree medical benefits well above the market for such post-employment benefits, ill-considered debt issuances keyed to an assumption of increasing revenues, and a variety of other agreements with sports teams and others all of which turned out to be beyond the City’s means. The Great Recession, which began in December 2007, crushed City revenues and began an inexorable process in which it became progressively clearer that these obligations could not be settled on existing terms. First, the City went through several years of struggling to maintain solvency by exhausting reserves, slashing service levels, laying off staff and generally cutting anything that could be cut. These avenues were exhausted in early 2012 by which point the City was profoundly insolvent from a service and budget perspective and teetering on the verge of cash insolvency. At this point the City entered the State mandated AB 506 process in an attempt to mediate a resolution to the fiscal crisis. While this approach did result in a number of agreements with City employees to reduce compensation and benefits, it did not resolve the debt and retiree medical problems. When time for mediation under AB 506 was exhausted and the City could not adopt a balanced budget for 2012-13, the City declared bankruptcy on June 28, 2012.  

During the second half of 2012 and early 2013 the City was forced to fight a lengthy and expensive battle with the Capital Market Creditors (CMC), a group of bond insurers and other financial firms who collectively represented approximately $300 million in debt obligations impacted by the City’s inability to pay and the bankruptcy. On April 1, 2013, the City won a

 

strong decision by the bankruptcy court affirming the City’s eligibility for bankruptcy protection. The Court concluded that the City had negotiated in good faith in trying to reach agreements consistent with its ability to pay obligations while maintaining operations, and that it was, in fact, insolvent and would be unable to continue operations absent bankruptcy protection.  

Once deemed eligible for bankruptcy, the City began to work in earnest with a Court appointed mediator to negotiate voluntary resolutions to outstanding issues and to develop a bankruptcy “plan of adjustment”, which can include involuntary reductions to creditors. By fall of 2013, the City had reached tentative agreements with several large creditors and developed a plan of adjustment for exiting bankruptcy, which included a general sales tax increase, mainly to rebuild police services, but also to assist in the exit from bankruptcy without further service cuts. The initial plan of adjustment was approved by the City Council in early October 2013 and voters approved the sales tax increase in November 2013. The plan of adjustment has been challenged by one remaining major creditor with whom a tentative agreement has not been reached (Franklin Funds “Franklin”). Since early 2014, the City has fought the legal challenge from Franklin while finalizing agreements with other creditors.  

After having spent nearly $14 million as of April 2014 on legal fees and other outside consultant costs, and literally thousands of hours of City staff time, the City is reaching the home stretch on the bankruptcy process. As large as this cost has been, it is well to keep in mind that the savings at stake in the Chapter 9 process is projected to be over $1.1 billion dollars through FY 2040-41, in terms of future savings and past claims, of which approximately 72% or $820 million will benefit the General Fund. This bankruptcy expense is a necessary investment in the City’s future fiscal solvency. The City has approved several of the creditor agreements representing very significant portions of the total obligations at issue in the City’s bankruptcy case. The City submitted its plan of adjustment in November 2013 and at the time of this printing, has completed 80% of the trial intended to resolve the final creditor dispute and consider confirmation of the City’s Plan of Adjustment. Once the trial is complete and the court’s decision is known, a separate budget amendment will be brought before the City Council for consideration and approval that will implement the settlement agreement terms reached with all of the city’s creditors.  

General Fund  

As the table below illustrates, General Fund total revenues are projected at $193.8 million and expenditures are projected at $182.9 million. The net result of $10.9 million is being held as an Uncommitted Fund Balance and consists almost entirely of uncommitted Measure A revenues of $10.8 million which are the result of the ramp-up time required to meet the staffing component of Measure A. The resulting General Fund balance is still substantially below the GFOA recommended fund balance, which is 16.67% for the City. However, consistent with the Long-Range Financial Plan, this prudent fund balance begins to expand the General Fund to achieve this recommendation and the Council policy expectations over time. The change in expenditures, as shown in the table below, between FY 2013-14 Current Budget and FY 2014-15 Proposed Budget is an increase of $20.4 million, primarily from increased spending of $17.1 million for the first full year of Marshall Plan and other city service uses of the Measure A revenues. The General Fund changes are described below.  

 

 

 

 

Revenues  

General Fund revenues proposed in FY 2014-15 budget are $193.8 million, which is an increase from the prior year by $26.2 million or 16% due to the following estimations:  

· Measure A Sales Tax revenue is projected to come in at $27.9 million, which is a significant increase over the current year projected collections of $6.8 million. This reflects the fact that the Measure A proceeds will only have been collected for four months in the current year, and the 2014-15 projections are based on a full 12 months of tax proceeds.  

· Property Tax revenues continue to show slow recovery in alignment with the general economic improvements, specifically as median home prices trend upward slightly. Median home prices in Stockton have returned to 2008 levels but are still 57% below the peak in 2006. Proposition 13 will hold down property tax growth as the annual assessed value adjustments are limited to the lesser of the change in California consumer price index or 2%, unless sold. In 2014-15 a 0.454% increase will be applied to all real property not reduced by Proposition 8 appeals. Proposition 8 allows a temporary reduction in assessed value when current market value of real property is less than assessed value resulting in lower property taxes. A large number of the properties in the City have been subject to Proposition 8 appeals in the past five years. The value of these properties is reviewed annually and may be increased by more than 2% based on market value. The City collects information relative to property taxes from the County Assessor’s Office, an external consultant and economic trends to determine the best approach for budgeting Property Taxes. From this evaluation, FY 2014-15 Proposed Budget reflects a Property Tax revenue increase of 3.8% or approximately $1 million. The projected increase will represent two consecutive years of property tax increases, which were the first increases experienced since the onset of the “Great Recession” in 2008.  

· Improvement in sales tax revenues, excluding the new Measure A revenues, of almost

 

$1.3 million or 3.1% from the 2013-14 budget level is reflected in this budget. State-wide trends indicate high growth for autos/transportation, building/construction, and restaurants/hotels. The largest area of growth is anticipated in the state and county pools, the mechanism used to allocate tax that cannot be identified to a specific place of sale, due to receipts of use tax from Amazon and other out-of-state vendors that began collecting the tax in September 2012. Future receipts are uncertain as new in-state distribution facilities may qualify for point of sale status and reduce overall pool allocations.  

· Utility Users Taxes (UUT) are expected to increase only slightly by $97,000 reflecting increases to the Water, Electric & Gas and Cable accounts, offset by a significant reduction to the Telecommunications account. Most of the growth in the three growth categories cited is due to rate increases, not additional consumption. Our outside consultant has projected Telecommunications revenue to be down 5% due to industry trends. Pre-paid phone plans become ever more popular (they are not taxed), and as bundled data and phone plans result in more phone costs crossing as untaxed data costs. These trends, unless met by legislation that allows broadening the UUT taxing authority, are expected to continue to result in downward trend in Telecommunications UUT proceeds.  

· Franchise taxes for PG&E and Cable/Video are basically flat, with some growth projected in the Waste Hauler franchise tax account. Overall, the Franchise Tax category is projected to be up by $341,000 or 3%.  

· Business License Tax proceeds are projected to be up by $241,000 or 2.7% from prior year levels, again reflecting the slow economic recovery and some positive results from the City’s revenue audit contract.  

· Hotel/Motel taxes are projected to increase by approximately 9% in 2014-15, reflecting increased activity in the local hospitality industry and positive results from the firm hired by the City to audit this tax revenue.  

· Program Revenues are projected to be up significantly, $1.4 million or 13% in 2014-15. A significant portion of this increase is the inclusion of a projection for revenue from the sale of surplus real property valued at $550,000. Code Enforcement revenues include an additional $475,000 expected as a result of additional staff funded through Measure A for the Neighborhood Blitz program. The remainder represents projected increases in the Charges for Services, Fines and Forfeitures and Revenues from other Agencies accounts.  

Expenditures  

General Fund expenditures proposed in FY 2014-15 budget are $182.9 million which is an increase from the prior year of $20.4 million due to the following budget changes.  

1. Additional budgeted expenditure items totaling $17.1 million are funded with additional Sales

 

Tax proceeds resulting from the passage of Measure A. Included are increases for the first full year of the Marshall Plan, specifically in the Police and the new Office of Violence Prevention of approximately $8.4 million, other City services of $709,000 for support services, and $8.0 million in mission critical projects. Funding for the mission critical projects in this first full year has been made available due to a three year planned phase in to hire 120 officers. The recruitment, training and logistics necessary for hiring public safety officers require this phased plan. The mission critical projects are listed in the table below:  

 

 

2. Employee Services General Fund costs have increased by $9.4 million or 8.8%. Several factors attribute to the changes.  

· The portion of General Fund salaries and benefits increases that were funded by Measure A sources totaled $6.1 million and were due to the addition of 74 full-time positions.  

· New positions have been added to support City Council, City Clerk and Police Department Animal Services functions that were approved by the City Manager increasing salary and benefits by $207,000, net of reduced hourly costs. This includes an administrative aide position being added to the City Council budget to support the office of the Mayor. This position is authorized by the City Charter but has not been funded for several years.  

· Salary costs in the Police Department have increased due to elimination of furlough provisions in the bargaining unit agreement covering sworn police employees that expires on June 30, 2014. The increase to the General Fund is approximately $1 million.  

· A total of $300,000 in salary and benefit costs for providing street tree services was moved from the Gas Tax fund to the General Fund due to a reduction in available gas tax revenues.  

· Included in all General Fund department budgets is an appropriation for vacation sell back in accordance with existing bargaining unit agreement terms ending the

 

suspension of vacation cash outs if and when the City emerges from its fiscal emergency status. As estimated in the Long- Range Financial Plan, $600,000 has been budgeted in the General Fund.  

· Pension costs have increased by $3.7 million or 21% due to a change in CalPERS rate from 17.939% to 20.090% (Misc.) and from 34.605% to 41.385% (Safety). As identified by the City’s actuary and budgeted in the Long-Range Financial Plan, continued increases are expected in the retirement costs in the next several years, as CalPERS implements some significant new measures and actuarial assumptions intended to improve their fiscal position. These short-term increases will be followed by a leveling off of rates followed by a decline as recent reforms are realized and the unfunded actuarial CalPERS liability decreases.  

· Worker’s Compensation costs will increase by $1.0 million due to fluctuations of 6% in claims and administration costs. These increases are for current costs and do not begin to reflect the large deficit balance in the fund of more than $37 million.  

· Budgeted vacancy savings was increased from 1% of total salary and benefits to 3% reducing the employee services category by $2.4 million compared to the FY 2013-14 budget.  

3. Other services are primarily made up of costs for services provided to the City and internal service fund charges to departments. This includes our gas and electricity expenses, advertising, audit services, and construction costs to name a few types of items included in this category. The increase of $2.2 million is due to a combination of line items including administration fees charged by the Board of Equalization for both sales tax and Measure A revenue increased $300,000, contributions to the Information Technology internal service fund increased $820,000 to augment existing funding for the Citywide Strategic Technology Plan and equipment replacements, mission critical purchasing improvements contract for $164,000, implementation of initiatives within Economic Development Department to begin implementation of recommendations from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) study for downtown revitalization budgeted at $100,000 and $50,000 to conduct a feasibility studies for business improvement districts, water utility usage and rates for City parks increased $100,000, utility charges increased $50,000 for new Public Safety vehicle cellular technology, Human Resources recruitment costs increased by $60,000, and additional auditor services budget increase of $64,000 for new accounting requirements and special reports. Due to funding limitations in the Gas Tax fund, $500,000 worth of landscape maintenance contract costs had to be moved to the General Fund.  

4. Capital Outlay has been increased by $760,000 to budget for the purchase of patrol and field services vehicles and radios for employees hired with Measure A funds.  

5. Transfers out to other City funds have been increased by $8.2 million based on the mission critical spending plan, updated information from third party service providers, and operational needs of services that are partially funded by General Fund resources. Budgets have been revised as appropriate and are listed below.  

 

· A $5.2 million transfer to the Information Technology ISF and a $1 million transfer to the Radio ISF are included in the mission critical funding discussed above.  

· Library general fund subsidy has increased by $250,000 to fund ongoing operations including replacement of equipment used by library patrons and improvements to broadband connections at various library branches.  

· Recreation general fund subsidy has increased by $105,000 due to offering additional community events, expanding the Pixie Woods season, swimming pool contract changes and repairs needed at various facilities.  

· Entertainment Venues General Fund subsidy has increased by $447,000 primarily due to much needed facility capital improvements budgeted at $230,000 and lower revenue projections particularly at the Arena and Bob Hope Theater due to changes in the national entertainment industry.  

· The Successor Agency anticipates $250,000 in tax increment revenues will be available to fund administrative costs plus reduced legal expenses which combined will result in a $300,000 reduction in subsidy from the General Fund.  

The General Fund contribution for capital projects proposed for FY 2014-15 is $2,775,000; an increase of $1,485,000 over FY 2013-14. The increase is primarily to fund a citywide project to upgrade street lights to LED reducing future electricity costs by as much as $367,000 per year. The detailed allocation of these funds can be found in the 2014-15 Proposed Capital Improvement Program document.  

Other City Funds  

In addition to the City’s General Fund, Other City Funds track internal service funds, special purpose funds, restricted funds, and enterprise activities. As described above, included in the Proposed Budget are balanced pro forma schedules for all Other City Funds. In the body of the document, grouped by the departments that retain responsibilities for each fund, you will find a pro forma schedule for each special fund that includes actual expenditures and revenues for the two prior fiscal years, a year-end projection for the current fiscal year, and a proposed FY 2014-15 budget. Also included is a brief bulleted summary of the history, current year events, and comments about significant elements of the FY 2014-15 budget being proposed. Highlights for each department fund group are described below:  

Police  

The Police Department is responsible for five funds: Police Measure W, Asset Seizure, COPS State Block Grant, Special Revenue Grants, and Police Special Revenue. Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 proposed budgets for these funds include the following:  

The Police Measure W fund will pay for the salaries, benefits, equipment and supplies for 25 Police Officer positions in FY 2014-15. This is an increase of 2 officers from the current year in order to utilize the amount of revenue available. Measure W sales tax proceeds are projected to

 

grow by approximately 3% from current projected revenue.  

· In the Asset Seizure Fund revenues continue to decline due to a decrease in seized property and delay between seizure and court approved disposition.  

· Due to uncertainty in State funding, in the Police State COPS Fund, five of the seven Community Services Officers previously paid from this fund will be moved to the General Fund. Two Community Services Officers will continue to be paid for from this fund.  

· In the Special Revenue Grant Fund, the Federal COPs Hiring Grant for 17 new entry-level Police Officers which began in the current year continues. Police Supplemental Service Contracts for event specific overtime assistance continue to be accounted for in the fund.  

· In the Police Special Revenue Fund, the Geraldine Schmidt Trust funds will continue to be held until a long-term plan is developed for the Animal Shelter Replacement project. In addition, a significant increase to the Pet Overpopulation Fund is budgeted in anticipation of new shelter improvements and additional Spay and Neuter Clinics under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding with the San Francisco SPCA. Fire The Fire Department is partially responsible for three funds: Fire Development Services, Fire Measure W, and Fire Special Revenue. Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 proposed budgets for these funds include the following:  

· In the Fire Prevention section of the Development Services Fund, revenue projections for 2014-15 are based on the current fee structure. That fee structure is still undergoing evaluation to determine whether they correctly align with program costs. Similarly, a Services and Efficiency Study to assess overall workflow, staffing and processes at the Permit Center, which include Fire Prevention program staff, is also under review and may result in changes in the coming year.  

· The Fire Measure W Fund continues to pay the salaries, benefits, equipment and supplies for 25 firefighter positions, which should allow the implementation in 2014-15 of the Alternative Response Program approved in the current year budget. Measure W sales tax proceeds are projected to grow by approximately 3% from current projected revenue.  

· The sum of the total revenue and approximately one-third of the estimated beginning balance in the Fire Special Revenue Fund is being proposed for appropriation to ensure a gradual draw down of funds which accumulated in this fund. Funds will be utilized for materials, supplies and training expenses.  

Public  Works  

The Public Works Department is responsible for seven funds: Street Maintenance Gas Tax, Boat Launching Facilities, Solid Waste and Recycling, Lighting Maintenance District, Assessment District Maintenance, and Measure K Maintenance. Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 Proposed Budgets for these funds include the following:  

· In the Street Maintenance Gas Tax fund, funding is included to continue re- striping arterial and collector streets, to continue to address sign up-grading and the pavement repair program. The costs for right of way landscape maintenance and tree maintenance activities that have been

 

funded for several years in the Gas Tax Fund are being moved back to the General Fund where they were traditionally funded. As part of the $8.0 million in mission critical funding being provided from Measure A Sales Tax proceeds, a total of $1.2 million is being transferred from the General Fund to the Gas Tax fund to invest in the conversion of existing arterial roadway street lights to LED luminaires. This will help meet Greenhouse gas strategy goals and when completed will result in significant long-term energy cost savings to the City.  

· In the Solid Waste and Recycling Fund projected revenues reflect a 0.78% annual CPI adjustment for residential and commercial service. Overall revenues remain flat in line with the solid waste industry.  

· Lighting Maintenance District Assessments for FY 2014-15 will be at the same rate as the current fiscal year.  

· In the Assessment District Maintenance Fund assessments for the FY 2014-15 will be the same rate as the current fiscal year. The accounts for the storm drain maintenance assessment districts will be assigned to a new fund, under the oversight of Municipal Utilities Department to improve internal controls.  

· In the Measure K Maintenance Fund, revenues are projected to increase by approximately 5%. Of the funding projected, $2.2 million is budgeted for several capital projects including the required matches for a number of City projects, Neighborhood Traffic Calming loan payback for the Sperry Road Extension and the expansion of the Traffic Signal Control System. The expenditures are expected to decrease by 16% compared to the current year due to the completion of debt service payments to SJCOG for a prior year project.  

· In the Boat Launching Facilities Fund fees will not be changed from the current rates. The materials budget has been increased slightly for need repairs.  

Community  Services  

The Community Services Department is responsible for four fund groups: Library, Recreation, Golf and the Entertainment Venues. Responsibility for the Entertainment Venues Fund is being moved from the City Manager’s Office to the Community Services Department as part of this Proposed Budget. Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 proposed budgets for these funds include the following:  

· The proposed FY 2014-15 budget for the Library Fund requires a General Fund subsidy of $4.25 million. This is an increase of approximately $250,000 from the current year level. This pays for the City portion of the County-wide Library system operated by Stockton. The additional subsidy level represents costs for replacement of computer software, additional bandwidth and the replacement of the machines that accept bills and coins for personal printing and copying at libraries.  

· The proposed 2014-15 budget for the Recreation Fund requires a subsidy of $2.95 million, up only slightly from the current year. The Proposed Budget includes a simplified fee schedule to make facility and field rental pricing more attractive

 

and consistent with the local market. The Department intends to expand the Pixie Wood season by 9 additional weekends, and for special holiday events. They also plan to produce 5 new events at Weber Point, free to the public.  

· The Entertainment Venue Fund has received a subsidy from the General Fund for a number of years. The subsidy had gone down since SMG took over management of the facilities. Entertainment Venues General Fund subsidy has increased by $447,000 primarily due to much needed facility capital improvements budgeted at $230,000 and lower revenue projections particularly at the Arena and Bob Hope Theater due to changes in the national entertainment industry. The General Fund subsidy for FY 2014-15 Entertainment Venues budget is $3.1 million.    

Community  Development  

The Community Development Department is primarily responsible for the Community Development Services Fund. Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 proposed budget for the fund includes the following:  

Community Development has received a General Fund subsidy of $1.0 million each year since FY 2012-13 which continues in the Proposed FY 2014-15 Annual Budget. . In the Management Partners report brought to Council in June 2012, it was determined that there were a number of services and initiatives in this department that are more appropriately charged to the General Fund rather than recovered through development fees. The $1.0 million was identified to cover the general government costs each year until a study can be completed to more accurately determine an appropriate subsidy or reorganization of operations in this area. Only minimal spending of the subsidy has occurred over the past two fiscal years, leaving an anticipated carryover of $1.4 million into FY 2014-15. Plans are underway to carryover the balance and use this resource for several one-time costs such as phases II and III of the Fee Study, a major update of the General Plan, website improvements, and the Flood Plain Management initiative. In addition, a Senior Plan Check position has been added to address mandated changes to the General Plan regarding flood plain management, carbon footprint reduction, climate action plan and green building ordinance. This position is expected to generate revenue from plan check fees to offset the majority of the position costs.  

Economic  Development    The Economic Development Department is responsible for the various Housing funds, as well as the City Administration Building, Central Parking District, and Downtown Marina Complex funds. The department formerly oversaw the Redevelopment Agency funds prior to the dissolution of the Agency. The General Fund will continue to be required to fund administrative and overhead costs for the Successor Agency, due to the fall-off in tax increment proceeds. The Successor Agency anticipates $250,000 in tax increment revenues will be available to fund administrative costs plus reduced legal expenses which combined will result in a $300,000 reduction in subsidy from the General Fund.    Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 Proposed Budget for this department’s funds include the

 

following:    

· The City will receive a small 1.2% increase in the CDBG annual entitlement grant that will allow continued funding of programs at current levels. The Neighborhood Stabilization programs 1 and 3 are projected to increase in 2014- 15 by $2.0 million. There will be no additional grants expected for this program after this year. The City will also receive an increase of 5.5% in the HOME entitlement grant in 2014-15.    

· The Central Parking District Fund proposed budget reflects revenue and costs for the City garages remaining after Trustee Wells Fargo was awarded possession of the Market Street, Coy and Arena garages two years ago after the City defaulted on its debt payments. No increases to monthly or hourly fees are planned for next fiscal year. The FY 2014-15 budget does include funds for the replacement of asphalt in several lots.    

· The proposed FY 2014-15 budget for the Downtown Marina Complex will again require a subsidy from the General Fund in the amount of $215,000, up from $160,000 for the current year. The amount of revenues has remained flat while expenses have increased.  

Municipal  Utilities  Department    The Municipal Utilities Department is responsible for three fund groups: Water Enterprise, Wastewater Enterprise, and Stormwater Enterprise. All of the Municipal Utilities Funds are supported by user fees and not from General Fund sources. Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 Proposed Budgets for these funds include the following:    

· The Water fund is expected to experience relatively flat revenue growth in rates and connection fees in FY 2014-15. To ensure adequate bond coverage, the rate stabilization fund will be utilized and some select capital improvements such as the Automated Meter Reading project will be delayed by two years. The majority of the cost increase of $8.2 million in FY 2014-15 Proposed Budget compared to last year’s Adopted Budget is due to the following: (a) The Delta Water Supply Project will see an increase in borrowing cost pursuant to the remarketing of the 2010 variable rate debt that was completed in late 2013. While the cost of borrowed money went up, the risk of a call on the bonds has been eliminated and (b) Funding critical capital project costs to construct the Ammonia Facilities Project; construct the Feather River Drive at 14 Mile Slough Project to improve water reliability; complete the extension of a 24" water line from Newcastle Road to Airport Road; and convert gas engines to electric motors at two water well sites to improve air quality.    

· In the Wastewater Fund, the fifth and final rate increase, 9%, of the approved 5- year tiered rate increase, will go into effect in 2014-15 year. The tiered rate structure was designed to ensure adequate coverage required by the bond covenants and to fund the Capital Improvement and Energy Management Plan. The majority of the cost increase of $13.5 million in FY 2014-15 Proposed Budget compared to last year’s Adopted Budget is due primarily to funding critical Capital Project costs: (a) to finalize design of the Headworks Project as the first of the CIEMP Phase 2 projects and bid the project for construction; (b) prepare and solicit bids for the third package of CIEMP Phase 2 projects, the design and rehabilitation of the Secondary Bio-towers and the Nitrifying Bio- towers; (3) begin design of Tertiary Plant project; (4) construction of the

 

Arch Road Sanitary Sewer Trunk Mainline, which is a 30" sewer line to serve the industrial area in southeast Stockton; and (5) construction of Tuxedo Avenue Sewer Rehabilitation Project which will repair 6,300 ft. of a 90 year-old 36" redwood sewer pipe behind private properties through single family loan/grants.    

· As rates have been capped for years in the Stormwater Fund, required NPDES program elements have been reduced to stay within projected revenue levels. A limited number of infrastructure repair projects have been included in the Capital Improvement Program this year, and are the main cause of the increase compared to last year’s Adopted Budget for this fund of $1.7 million. The limited funding available was restricted to urgent and emergency repairs only. The new Stormwater permit, which is anticipated to be released by June 2015, may include additional requirements with costs that will further strain the Stormwater budget and operations. Plans to attempt another Proposition 218 ballot to increase revenue are under review to ensure alignment of resources required to meet the needs of the citizens in the near future.    

· Included in the 2014-15 Proposed Budget is funding for nine new positions in the Municipal Utilities Department. (MUD) which are supported completely by MUD funding sources. The positions include 1 Technician position in the Administration Division and 1 in the Financial Services Division; 2 Plant Maintenance Mechanics and 1 Plant Maintenance Worker for the Delta Water Supply Project; 2 Collection Systems Operator positions in the Maintenance and Collection System Division; and a 1 Sr. Plant Maintenance Mechanic and 1 Office Technician position in the Wastewater Division. Each division under this department evaluated operational conditions resulting in various requests for critical positions that will address compliance requirements and support including Delta Water Supply and Wastewater plant maintenance mechanics and worker to maintain 24 hour operations, Wastewater collection area staff who will improve overflow conditions to comply with Federal Clean Water Act provisions per court consent decree, and support staff for administrative functions within the Regional Wastewater Control Facility, Capital Improvement and Energy Management Plan, the Delta Water Supply Project and department financial services.  

 

Bankruptcy  Fund    This Proposed Budget again separates the resources and costs of bankruptcy activities from other funds so that tracking of bankruptcy expenditures is more transparent. The Bankruptcy Fund was initially funded with $5.6 million from the available general fund balance at June 30, 2012 that the Council committed towards bankruptcy costs. The June 30, 2013 projected general fund balance (unaudited) of $13.7 million was also committed to bankruptcy costs for a combined total of approximately $19.5 million available to spend on bankruptcy legal fees, project management, and settlements at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2013-14. These funds were generally created by year-end General Fund budget savings generated by a variety of budget to actual variances, most notably vacancies greater than anticipated. The resources in this Bankruptcy Fund are dedicated to the continuing effort to confirm a Plan of Adjustment to exit Chapter 9 bankruptcy.    

 

The Plan of Adjustment is intended to bring the City’s debts in line with our resources, both now and over time. Specifically, the Bankruptcy Fund will continue to be used to cover costs for Chapter 9 project management, litigation and negotiations with our creditors, with remaining money available to pay our creditors as settlements for claims. The outstanding claims or potential “call” on this money continues to far exceed available monies. Once a Plan of Adjustment is approved, a staff report will be presented to the City Council with required budget amendments to this annual budget plan.  

Capital  Improvement  Programs    The increase of $36.7 million in FY 2014-15 Proposed Capital Improvement Program Budget compared to last year’s Adopted Budget are due primarily to obtaining funding from Measure K renewal and General Fund to cover the following projects: Thornton Road widening, Phase B of Hammer Lane widening, Lower Sacramento Road and Bear Creek bridge replacement, French Camp Road and I-5 interchange landscaping and Citywide arterial roadway Light Emitting Diode (LED) street lights conversion. Converting the existing arterial roadway street light luminaires from 200-watt high pressure sodium (HPS) to LED will provide long term energy cost savings and reduce maintenance. The LED street light project of $1.2 million has been identified as a mission critical project and funded through Measure A proceeds. This citywide project to convert existing street lights to LED. This investment in energy saving equipment will reduce the City’s electric bill in the future by as much as $367,000 annually.  

Internal  Service  Funds    There are 12 Internal Service Funds: Four of the funds are overseen by the Administrative Services Department (Computer Equipment, Radio Equipment, Telephone Equipment, and Office Equipment). Seven Internal Services Funds are overseen by the Human Resources Department (General Liability, Workers Compensation, Health Insurance, Unemployment, Long-Term Disability/Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits and Compensated Absences). One (Fleet) is managed by the Public Works Department. These Internal Service Funds can be categorized as Equipment or Benefits. During the course of developing each fund’s allocation rates, an evaluation was done and modifications have been made to the methodology used to determine and distribute rates, in addition to evaluation of the costs associated with each fund. Over the last three years, the methodologies for Equipment type of Internal Service Funds were improved to follow consistent and logical calculations while eliminating duplications. For FY 2014-15 further refinements to special equipment categories have been made such as grouping vehicles with significantly higher maintenance requirements (fire engines, etc.) and aligning rates with these groupings. This process created some fluctuations in costs between departments, such as a fleet decrease to the Police Department and an increase to the Fire Department; however these improvements did not significantly impact the overall costs being allocated.    At a high level, the equipment related Internal Service Funds of the FY 2014-15 Proposed Budget reflects increases forecast in the Plan of Adjustment which includes public safety expansion and part of the mission critical funding made possible through Measure A revenues. The benefit related Internal Service Funds also reflect comparable increases to the forecast presented earlier this year. Details of significant changes from last year are discussed below.  

 

 

Notable elements of the FY 2014-15 Proposed Budget for Internal Service Funds include the following:    

· The proposed Fleet Budget includes an increase of $758.000 for fleet operations, maintenance, fuel and replacement vehicles, including two new fire engines.    

· The Computer Equipment budget includes an operational increase of $2 million primarily to cover increases in salaries, benefits and much needed technology equipment replacements. Most significantly impacting the increase is the addition of a Director of Technology and an Executive Assistant designed to address the City Council target of Organizational Development and Financial Stability. The City has very critical functions in the Administrative Services Department (ASD) which currently oversees the Information Technology and Finance divisions. Through the evaluation of ASD functions and processes, serious issues have been identified and work plans developed to address the issues in both the Finance and IT divisions of the department. Making an impactful investment to address these issues is critically important and necessary to moving forward with greater financial stability, improved internal controls and significantly enhanced efficiencies. Continuing to rely upon a single department head to move the work plans for both of these areas forward will continue to dilute the level of effort spent on these areas. This budget recommends going back to the organizational structure prior to the City’s fiscal crisis when Information Technology functions were a separate department. The recommended Information Technology Department in this Proposed Budget includes a new department head and new support position. The operational improvements recommended in this budget will also improve service to the other technology related ISF areas such as the Radio ISF which is instrumental to public safety equipment enhancements funded by Measure A.    

· In addition, this budget includes $7.4 million in funding for FY 2014-15 Citywide Technology Strategic Plan (CTSP) projects including mission critical funds of $5.2 million for the financial system and point of sale upgrade, along with unexpended prior year balance from this fund which has again been redirected to the Citywide Technology Strategic Plan to fund priority projects. The City Council approved the initial five-year Citywide Technology Strategic Plan in January 2012 making improvements in technology a priority. Since then, the Plan has been continuously evaluated and revisions made to reflect current needs and relevant projects. One of those technology projects identified as a priority in the CTSP is replacement of the financial system. Subsequently through the assessment of our finances, the bankruptcy, audits and payroll errors it is abundantly clear that the City needs to invest in a new financial system. The City has been limping along with a system installed in 1991. The CTSP identified this as a high priority but indicated that the funding for the system and implementation would need to be identified. The Long Range Financial Plan includes $8 million of mission critical funding from Measure A proceeds and made available due to the timing of hiring of the Marshall Plan Police Officers. Of this mission critical funding, $5 million has been budgeted for the financial system. This financial system addresses the Council goals of fiscal sustainability as well as organizational development. Another mission critical project similar to many other CTSP projects in long term need and urgency is the Point of Sales (POS) system at the Arena. Mission critical funds of

 

$236,000 have been budgeted for the POS system upgrade to ensure compliance with current system security. These CTSP project changes have been reflected in FY 2014-15 budget and will be reported to Council through a separate Citywide Technology Strategic Plan update report.  

·  

· The Radio Equipment Fund has remained stable from an operational perspective. However, due to seriously low reserves for replacement of aging equipment, an additional $1 million has been transferred from the mission critical funding from the General Fund. The City's radios suffer from the same lack of investment that the City's IT systems. Many radios are well beyond their useful life and frequently break. Parts for the radios are becoming harder to find. Staff is preparing a comprehensive inventory of radios that will determine the need, however it is estimated that the City needs $3 to $5 million to improve the radios and ensure public safety personnel have proper communications equipment. Staff is also performing an analysis to determine the type of support infrastructure necessary for the system with a goal toward a regional radio solution. This mission critical funding of $1 million from the Measure A proceeds addresses the City Council’s target of public safety and will begin replacements of critical equipment for those providing public safety to the citizens of Stockton.    

· The Telephone and Office Equipment Funds remain stable with only slight operational increases.    

· Proposed Budgets in the General Insurance (Risk Services) and Workers’ Compensation Funds both carry deficit fund balances because past administrations did not budget adequate contributions of the General Fund and other Funds to finance accrued long-term liabilities. However, both of these funds show improvements in unfunded liabilities and minor operating expenditure increases for FY 2014-15.    

· Workers’ Compensation rates have been refined by employee categories to more accurately reflect program claims experience.    

· In the Health Benefits Fund, the proposed rates assume no change in the City contribution and assume the same rates for all units. This fund has recovered over the past three years so that it is able to cover the full claims liability (IBNR) in addition to operational costs. In addition, the proposed FY 2014-15 ending fund balance is sufficient to fund the actuarial recommendation for Claims Fluctuations of $3.5 million plus 68% of the recommended economic reserve of $7.2 million. Although not completely whole, this fund is showing important improvements. Human Resources staff continues to work to ensure compliance with the upcoming provisions of the Affordable Care Act.    

· The Unemployment and Compensated Absences rates charged to departments have been reduced in the proposed FY 2014-15 Budget due to stabilization of unemployment claims and modifications to the employment contract provisions regarding sick leave and separation pay.  

· The Retirement Fund reflects increases in CalPERS rates from prior year for safety from 34.605% to 41.385% and miscellaneous classification from 17.939% to 20.090%. The resulting increase in payments is budgeted at $9.6 million.  

Income  

 

Below in a table and graph form we can see the median household income in the period of 9 years. We can see the decrease in income in all three presented categories (USA, State of California and the city of Stockton), but the most drastic was in Stockton itself, driving incomes down for over 17%.  

Year   US   California   Stockton  

2005   66621   73356   68938  

2006   67618   74593   67828  

2007   68727   75817   66102  

2008   68556   75765   67487  

2009   66336   72805   65065  

2010   64754   69959   58947  

2011   63650   67815   57993  

2012   63435   67177   57475  

2013   64030   68222   57111  

 

 

 

From the graph above we can see more clearly that before the crisis, Stockton was above the country average concerning median household incomes. Today, the income is lower than the country average for more than 11%.  

 

Income per capita in 2012 varied widely between the Stockton’s districts. The city is divided into six council districts with each district electing one representative to the city council. The districts are arranged in a north-south direction, beginning with District 1 in the northernmost part of Stockton and ending with District 6 in the south. Per capita income was highest in District 1 at 25,530.41 dollars, followed closely by District 4 at 23,972.98 dollars and by District 3 at 21,667.38 dollars. As can be seen in the map below, per capita income was highest in census tracts in the northwest part of Stockton, which also represent large parts of Districts 1, 3 and 4. Per capita income in District 2 was somewhat lower at 18,895.12 dollars. On the other hand, Districts 5 and 6 had much lower per capita incomes at 13,785.73 and 14,657.69 dollars, respectively. This is also noticeable in the map below, which clearly shows a large area of low-income census tracts in the south-central part of Stockton around Dr Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard, an area that is part of Districts 5 and 6.    

   District 1 census tracts  

District 2 census tracts  

District 3 census tracts  

District 4 census tracts  

District 5 census tracts  

District 6 census tracts  

25,530.41   18,895.12   21,667.38   23,972.98   13,785.73   14,657.69  Per capita income, 2012, weighted average, census tracts grouped by district, in US dollars.   Source: US Census Bureau  

 

   

Median value of housing    As shown in the graph below, in 2005, the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit in Stockton was 341,800 dollars. Housing values then peaked in 2006, reaching 384,000 dollars. The next year, prices fell 5.02% as the financial crisis was starting to take shape. In 2008, with the recession in full swing, values started falling more rapidly and by 2009, the median value had already halved compared to its pre-crisis peak. In the following three years, the contraction in values diminished, finally bottoming out in 2012 at a median value of 156,600 dollars, a 59% drop from the peak in 2006. This decrease is considerably larger than the fall of housing values in California as a whole, which stood at 35% and much larger still than the United States median housing value, which fell 13% from its 2008 peak. Coming into 2013, housing values in Stockton rose only slightly, reaching 162,000 dollars. These figures indicate that Stockton has been hit disproportionately hard by the global financial crisis, severely affecting assets of residents and local government income from property taxes. If the median value of housing units in Stockton stood at more than twice the amount of the national figure in 2006, by 2009 it had dipped just below and had not recovered by 2013. In fact, the situation had worsened still: in 2013, house values in Stockton stood at 93% of the national median.    

 

   

Year   Stockton   California  United States  

2005   341,800   477,700   167,500  

2006   384,000   535,700   185,200  

2007   364,700   532,300   194,300  

2008   267,000   467,000   197,600  

2009   182,700   384,200   185,200  

2010   171,500   370,900   179,900  

2011   157,000   355,600   173,600  

2012   156,600   349,400   171,900  

2013   162,000   373,100   173,900  Median value, owner occupied housing units, 1-year estimate, in US dollars  Source: US Census Bureau    

Pension Fund  In early October 2014, a judge in Stockton's bankruptcy case ruled that the city's payments into the California Public Employees' Retirement System could be cut as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. This sparked fears that if the city were forced to leave the retirement system, it would immediately owe the pension fund $1.6 billion, more than twice the city's planned expenditures for fiscal year 2014-15. However, on October 30, 2014, the judge approved the city's bankruptcy recovery plan, allowing the city to continue with its planned payments, protecting public workers' pensions.  

 

 

CPI Inflation rates per year  We present below in table form and histogram the CPI inflation rates per year for an 8-year interval. As is evident from the adjacent graph, inflation peaked in 2007 in large part due to the Federal Reserve liquidity provision programs. 2008 brought a decline in CPI inflation, heavily influenced by the sharp decline in crude oil that same year. 2009 saw the sharp increase of CPI inflation when core inflation in the US turned negative. This prompted the Federal Reserve to launch a quantitative easing program, which would later become known as QE1. CPI inflation levelled off in 2010 after the conclusion of QE1 and rose again in 2011 in the period of the second quantitative easing, QE2, corresponding with the rise of core inflation rates due to the increase in money supply.    CPI Inflation Rates per year (percent)  

   

     

2006   2.54    

2007   4.08    

2008   0.09    

2009   2.72    

2010   1.5    

2011   2.96    

2012   1.74    

2013   1.5      

 

 

     

 

 Environmental Analysis  

Climate  Looking at the topographic map below you can see that Stockton is located in the Central Valley at an elevation of 26 feet (according to the Local Climate Data). This is a large flat valley that covers the central portion of California. It is approximately 400 miles long and runs nearly north-south. North of Stockton is Sacramento Valley which can receive as much as 20 inches of rain per year and to the south is San Joaquin Valley which is dry and often desert-like. Stockton is located where these two valleys meet, the Shared Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The area is known for its hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The average annual rainfall is 14 inches of which most occurs from November to April, which is considered the rainy season. Ninety percent of all precipitation falls during these months (according to the Local Climate Data).    

     Monthly Average Temperature

 

   The hottest month in Stockton is July, the hottest average temperature is 93,4 F, 34,1 C) and the coldest is December with the lowest temperature 37,2F, 2.9 C.    Precipitation  

 Summer months are very dry, amount of rain that falls in inches is almost zero. There is more precipitation during autumn, in winter months the average is almost 4 inches.   Average number of days with 0.1 inch or more precipitation in a year

 

   Snow    

   Heating & Cooling Cost Index  

 The Heating Cost Index and the Cooling Cost Index are indicators of the relative heating and cooling cost of an area. They were calculated based on the average temperature and duration of

 

the hot and cold days for the area. The actual heating cost and cooling cost are also dependent on other factors specific to individual residences such as the size of the house, the insulation condition, and the equipment efficiency, etc.    

What we can see in the diagrams is, that in Stockton they spent two times more money for cooling than is average in US, and 2 thirds less money for heating than is average in US.

 The annual wind rose for Stockton, California.  

 Notice the predominant wind direction is westerly due to a sea breeze that is common as air passes through a gap in the mountains. Looking beyond the sea breeze the winds come from the northwest and southeast due to the orientation of the valley in which Stockton is located. Image courtesy of NOAA.    To the east and northeast are the Sierra Nevada mountains, which can under certain conditions bring unseasonably dry weather to the area. This would occur if there were north or northeast winds allowing the air to move downslope into Stockton. But to the west is the Coast Range, which has a larger effect on Stockton's weather. This mountain range primarily acts to block the maritime air from Stockton. But there are gaps in the mountains that let air come in from San Francisco Bay, as a sea breeze. This sea-breeze is much more dominant in the warm season. This is shown by looking at the annual wind rose for Stockton, shown below. The predominant wind direction is from the west which is where the air would come in through the waterways into Stockton. These sea breezes would allow Stockton to be slightly cooler in the summer than areas north and south. The next prominent wind direction is northwest and southeast which would occur due to the orientation of the valley. These valley winds are common when sea breezes are not, such as during our forecast period. This northwest- southeast orientation channels the winds through the valley and into Stockton best when there is a weak pressure gradient.      

Geography  History of City’s Formation: Stockton was founded as Tuleburg in 1847. Miwok Yokut Indians

 

lived in the area hundreds of years before the establishment of Spanish California. They were soon replaced by the Europeans. In 1848 Captain Charles Maria Weber, a German immigrant decided to try his hand at gold mining, he soon discovered that serving the needs of gold-seekers was a more profitable venture. A year later, at the close of the Mexican War, Weber founded Stockton when he purchased over 49,000 acres of land through a Spanish land grant. The people that were located on the grant gave Weber some hopes of a permanent settlement and he had the land surveyed and sectionalized. The discovery of gold on the American River, on January 24 1848, caused Stockton to transform from a small settlement to a thriving commercial center, supplying miners heading up to the Sierra foothills. Captain Weber soon organized the Stockton Mining company.  

With the discovery of gold the next year, it became a supply center for miners. The city was renamed in 1849 and was incorporated in 1850. As the gold diminished, Stockton turned to agriculture, becoming a thriving trade center on the Central Pacific Railway. The Stockton area was one of the first in which mechanized farming equipment, such as combines, was used. The city grew steadily during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A period of rapid development followed completion of the port in the 1930's.  

Population: 243,771.  

 Central location: Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County.  

It lies on the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley, about 60 miles (97 km) east of San Francisco.South of Sacramento, the state’s capital, north of Modesto, the Central Valley region, and east of San Francisco.  

 Stockton is the processing and shipping center for a rich farming area that produces

tomatoes and other vegetables, fruits, walnuts, and livestock products. Industries include food

 

processing and the manufacturing of lumber products and electronic items.Its proximity to the agriculture of the valley region will become more important as research and development combine agriculture with alternative fuels.    

   

Stockton is along Interstate 5, which forms a north-south route through California, and Route 99, which runs parallel and stretches almost the entire way of the central valley, roughly paralleling the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Given its location, its proximity to the state and interstate freeway system, and relatively inexpensive land costs, several companies base their regional operations in Stockton. These include Duraflame, Pac-West Telecommunication, and Golden State Lumber Company        

 

   

Within and around Stockton, there are thousands of miles of waterways which comprise the California Delta. An inverted delta formed by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, the California Delta has lent itself to one of the most agriculturally rich areas in the U.S.    

Port of Stockton: Handles mainly bulk cargo. One of California’s two inland sea ports. Connected to San Francisco via San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, and the San Joaquin River’s 78-mile channel.  

 In March, 2014 the Google Barge sailed from Treasure Island, where it no longer held the

permits to stay, to the Port of Stockton. Google will be paying $12,000 a month to dock the barge at the Port of Stockton. Their lease is for six months, but the barge can leave earlier or stay later. Construction of the barge has not ended, providing job opportunity for the area.  Port of Stockton Director Richard Aschieris notes that the port is quite secure due to it falling under the Department of Homeland Security rules. It is about a seven and a half hour trip from the bay area.15    

Because of its proximity to such great bodies of water and its low average elevation of 15 ft, Stockton’s most threatening natural hazard is flooding. Stockton currently has levees and other control facilities for flood protection, but in the future, a higher level of long term protection will be required to safekeep its urban areas from potentially severe high-water events.  

Air Quality  

                                                                                                               15  http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/03/06/google-barge-slips-away-under-cover-of-night/  

 

 

   

Hazards  

Earthquake  and  Tornado16    The chance of earthquake damage in Stockton is much lower than California average and is much higher than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Stockton is about the same as California average and is much lower than the national average. Thus, the main risk of disaster comes from earthquake.  

Historical Earthquake Events  A total of 90 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Stockton, CA.          Distance (miles)   Date   Magnitude   Depth (km)   Latitude   Longitude  

                                                                                                               16  http://www.usa.com/stockton-ca-natural-disasters-extremes.htm  

 

27.9   1980-01-24   5.8   8   37.83   -121.79  

49.0   1955-09-05   5.8   N/A   37.37   -121.78  

47.9   1943-10-26   5.5   N/A   37.4   -121.8  

26.7   1980-01-27   5.4   10   37.75   -121.71  

40.1   1955-10-24   5.4   N/A   37.97   -122.05  

27.2   1980-01-24   5.1   3   37.8   -121.76  

28.1   1980-01-24   4.8   1   37.84   -121.8  

32.0   1965-09-10   4.8   N/A   38   -121.9  

46.8   1981-01-15   4.8   9   37.38   -121.72  

45.4   1984-03-27   4.7   7   37.76   -122.1  

28.4   1977-06-21   4.6   10   37.65   -121.63  

28.7   1977-06-21   4.6   10   37.65   -121.64  

49.8   1952-10-13   4.5   N/A   37.75   -122.18  

49.8   1937-03-08   4.5   N/A   37.8   -122.2  

44.7   1981-03-03   4.4   10   37.56   -121.94  

49.5   1984-09-26   4.4   6   37.34   -121.73  

35.7   1970-06-12   4.3   9   37.8   -121.93  

27.4   1980-01-25   4.2   6   37.83   -121.78  

27.6   1980-01-25   4.2   3   37.84   -121.79  

27.9   1980-01-25   4.2   5   37.85   -121.8  

36.0   1970-06-12   4.2   9   37.81   -121.94  

41.2   1963-05-20   4.2   N/A   37.6   -121.9  

42.3   1958-10-31   4.2   N/A   37.5   -121.8  

Distance (miles)   Date   Magnitude   Depth (km)   Latitude   Longitude  

25.9   1962-03-17   4.1   N/A   37.87   -121.77  

26.0   1984-03-18   4.1   10   37.78   -121.72  

 

28.1   1980-01-27   4.1   8   37.84   -121.8  

31.9   1943-04-26   4.1   N/A   37.63   -121.7  

37.3   1943-04-29   4.1   N/A   37.56   -121.75  

38.1   1958-05-31   4.1   N/A   37.87   -122  

48.0   1978-08-29   4.1   8   37.36   -121.72  

25.3   1980-01-24   4   2   37.83   -121.74  

26.5   1963-06-07   4   N/A   38   -121.8  

33.8   1980-08-24   4   5   37.57   -121.66  

38.0   1976-08-20   4   7   37.79   -121.97  

47.5   1977-01-08   4   10   37.9   -122.18  

28.4   1960-12-15   3.9   N/A   38.03   -121.83  

35.8   1976-08-20   3.9   2   37.76   -121.91  

37.5   1961-08-18   3.9   N/A   37.93   -122  

45.1   1982-08-24   3.9   6   37.46   -121.82  

22.3   1948-01-14   3.8   N/A   37.87   -121.7  

25.8   1982-08-28   3.8   12   37.85   -121.76  

25.9   1969-12-29   3.8   N/A   37.77   -121.71  

29.4   1969-03-13   3.8   N/A   38.03   -121.85  

36.8   1970-05-26   3.8   4   37.8   -121.95  

38.9   1977-06-04   3.8   26   38.2   -121.97  

39.0   1961-11-17   3.8   N/A   37.97   -122.03  

Distance (miles)   Date   Magnitude   Depth (km)   Latitude   Longitude  

46.9   1983-06-04   3.8   6   37.72   -122.11  

48.5   1978-05-11   3.8   3   37.37   -121.76  

48.6   1977-01-08   3.8   9   37.9   -122.2  

48.6   1978-08-29   3.8   7   37.35   -121.72  

 

49.9   1984-12-28   3.8   6   37.33   -121.72  

25.6   1966-02-10   3.7   N/A   37.89   -121.77  

29.6   1980-02-21   3.7   6   37.66   -121.68  

31.3   1976-07-13   3.7   10   38.09   -121.87  

37.2   1979-07-10   3.7   17   37.86   -121.98  

38.2   1977-10-13   3.7   10   37.47   -121.03  

39.5   1965-06-28   3.7   N/A   37.52   -121.75  

40.4   1979-06-17   3.7   16   38.1   -122.04  

45.7   1948-07-20   3.7   N/A   37.45   -121.82  

46.3   1977-09-05   3.7   8   38.19   -122.12  

47.6   1978-05-11   3.7   4   37.38   -121.75  

48.3   1959-06-11   3.7   N/A   37.33   -121.65  

27.1   1980-01-29   3.6   9   37.79   -121.75  

30.8   1942-08-14   3.6   N/A   37.98   -121.88  

34.7   1948-01-31   3.6   N/A   37.97   -121.95  

35.1   1970-08-31   3.6   8   38.1   -121.94  

46.0   1943-11-16   3.6   N/A   37.78   -122.12  

47.0   1979-01-11   3.6   1   37.39   -121.75  

47.9   1973-12-29   3.6   7   37.4   -121.8  

Distance (miles)   Date   Magnitude   Depth (km)   Latitude   Longitude  

49.1   1983-10-23   3.6   7   37.33   -121.69  

49.6   1984-10-31   3.6   8   37.31   -121.65  

26.8   1976-09-05   3.5   9   37.6   -121.43  

26.9   1979-02-21   3.5   12   37.83   -121.77  

28.1   1966-07-19   3.5   N/A   37.65   -121.62  

28.6   1980-01-24   3.5   9   37.84   -121.81  

 

30.4   1983-06-05   3.5   13   38.01   -121.87  

36.0   1970-05-26   3.5   4   37.81   -121.94  

36.3   1970-05-29   3.5   7   37.8   -121.94  

36.3   1977-06-17   3.5   22   38.18   -121.93  

37.2   1977-07-19   3.5   2   38.05   -121.99  

39.4   1985-09-24   3.5   8   37.49   -121.69  

40.0   1943-09-26   3.5   N/A   37.5   -121.73  

44.7   1976-07-07   3.5   10   37.44   -121.77  

45.8   1961-10-19   3.5   N/A   37.42   -121.77  

46.1   1954-02-08   3.5   N/A   37.8   -122.13  

47.3   1979-08-13   3.5   9   37.86   -122.17  

47.4   1962-04-07   3.5   N/A   37.37   -121.72  

47.9   1984-07-31   3.5   6   37.38   -121.76  

47.9   1980-12-31   3.5   10   37.7   -122.12  

49.4   1977-12-12   3.5   7   37.33   -121.7  

     

 

 

Historical Tornado Events  A total of 1 historical tornado event that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Stockton, CA.        Distance (miles)  

Date   Magnitude  

Start Lat/Log  

End Lat/Log  

Length  

Width  

Fatalities  

Injuries  

Property Damage  

Crop Damage  

Affected County  

28.3   1953-04-27  

2   37°39'N / 121°00'W  

      0   0   3K   0   Stanislaus  

   

Flood  2.1 http://www.sjmap.org/floodzoneviewer/Viewer.asp    

   

 

2.2 https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/prelimdownload/ but no data for San Joaquin County?  2.3 Flood information provided by the Government    Water Damage vs. Flood Damage in North Stockton, CA17    The dictionary defines “flood” as a rising and overflowing of a body of water onto normally dry land. For insurance purposes, the word “rising” is the key to distinguishing water damage from flood damage in North Stockton, CA.  Flood damage in North Stockton, CA can be caused by:  

Overflowing lakes or rivers Rapid accumulation of rainfall Outdated or clogged drainage systems

 The Potential Flooding Problem of Sprawl18     Obviously, sprawl on its own does not create excessive amounts of rain or cause levees to collapse. However, sprawl does exacerbate these events. By replacing soil with asphalt and concrete, rainwater that would otherwise be absorbed by the ground is instead funneled into the Delta through storm drains, creating more work for overtaxed levees during extended periods of rainfall. When deciding on the region’s growth, we need to understand that the way we build our communities can either alleviate the effects of flooding or amplify them.     Here’s how it happens; if rain falls on farmland or in a park, storm water is absorbed by soil and vegetation, eventually replenishing the water table, where it waits to be used by farmers and/or city residents. In contrast, water falling on your typical suburban street/rooftop or strip mall cannot be absorbed by solid surfaces and is instead diverted to a storm drain and rushed into the nearest waterway. Rain falling in Oak Park stays in the ground while rain at a shopping center is sent to the Delta. On a large scale, all of these rain drops falling on impervious surfaces add up to higher water levels.    

Fire Hazard19    From the map, South Stockton has little chance of severe fire hazard, but the fire in other areas may cause air pollution to South Stockton ----need the wind blowing direction data.    

Freeze    The San Joaquin Valley is the largest citrus producing region in the United States, and the production of these fruits was adversely affected by this weather system. Cold-sensitive plants that grow in this area such as oranges, lemons, avocados, and flowers were greatly damaged due to the cold because they cannot tolerate a hard freeze. Temperatures in Los Banos, California,                                                                                                                17  http://advantaclean.com/north-stockton-ca/flood-damage/  18   http://stocktoncitylimits.com/2013/04/30/how-sprawl-makes-flooding-worse/  19  http://www.sjmap.org/nhd/  

 

dipped to 21°F (-6°C) on both January 14 and January 15. An estimated 75% of the nation's citrus crop has been destroyed by the cold weather, with damages to some other crops such as strawberries and avocados and even fresh-cut flowers. The total damage in the area was estimated at around $1 billion. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger requested federal disaster aid.20    

Storm Events Database21    167 events were reported between 07/01/1950 and 07/31/2014    Summary Info:  Number of County/Zone areas affected:   5  Number of Days with Event:   132  Number of Days with Event and Death:   7  Number of Days with Event and Death or Injury:   12  Number of Days with Event and Property Damage:   29  Number of Days with Event and Crop Damage:   5  

Number of Event Types reported:   19    

 

Precipitation and Drought  

Yearly inches of precipitation in California, 1950-2014    

                                                                                                               20  http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=edn&newstype=ednewsrel&type=detail&item=ed_20110310_rel_0033.html  21  http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=ALL&beginDate_mm=07&beginDate_dd=01&beginDate_yyyy=1950&endDate_mm=07&endDate_dd=31&endDate_yyyy=2014&county=SAN%2BJOAQUIN&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=6%2CCALIFORNIA  

 

 

Local Biodiversity  Chinook Salmon (Part of Stockton’s historic biodiversity)  Chinook salmon are easily the largest of any salmon, with adults often exceeding 40 pounds (18 kg); individuals over 120 pounds (54 kg) have been reported. Chinook mature at about 36 inches and 30 pounds.    Salmon were an important part of the cultures of many indigenous tribes living in the Central Valley; tribes in this region attained some of the highest pre-European-settlement population densities in North America (Yoshiyama 1999). In the mid-1800s, particularly during the California Gold Rush, salmon gained the attention of early European settlers, and commercial harvest of salmon in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers soon became one of California’s major industries.    By the 1920s, dam-reduced autumn flows in the mainstem San Joaquin River nearly eliminated the fall-run, although a small run did persist.    In April of this year, for the first time in over 60 years, spring run Chinook salmon returned to the San Joaquin River when the San Joaquin River Restoration Program released 54,000 juvenile into California’s second largest river. The salmon release is part of a long-term effort to revive the River’s historic salmon fishery and create a healthier waterway for the communities of the San Joaquin River Valley while improving water management in one of the most productive agricultural regions in the nation. The San Joaquin River Restoration Program is the result of the 2006 landmark restoration settlement agreement between NRDC representing fishing and conservation groups, the federal government and the Friant Water Authority representing over 15,000 farmers (Natural Resources Defense Council)      Wetlands at the Stockton Wastewater Treatment Tertiary Facility    Wetlands Process  The Stockton Regional Wastewater Control Facility includes wetlands areas totaling 135 acres. The wetlands area is part of the treatment process that allows the wastewater to be routed through vegetative material that will effectively remove additional material without the use of chemicals.    There are three ponds with varying water levels that aid in settling materials and removing turbidity, some metals, and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) through aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic reactions. Each year there is a cycle of vegetation decay and regrowth that renews the process.    Because of the vegetative and sometimes marshy nature of the wetlands, it has also become a distinctive sanctuary for migrating birds. Throughout the year, a variety of migratory birds can be seen nesting, feeding, and resting at the wetlands.    

 

 A recent baseline bird count by the Audubon Society recorded over 7,300 birds representing 55 species.      

Water Management (distribution and waste)  Stockton Water System    The Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) provides water service to the residents and businesses in the North and South Stockton areas. California Water Service (CalWater), a private company, provides for most of central Stockton. Please visit the About Your Address web page to find your water service provider.    Water Supplies    Approximately 25% of the City’s water supply originates from groundwater wells with the remaining water supply from treated surface water supplied by the Stockton East Water District (SEWD).    The Delta Water Supply Project has been completed. MUD will reduce the amount of water received from SEWD and reduce the amount of groundwater pumped each year. This reduction

 

improves the City’s water supply reliability and protects its groundwater resources. The new facility can supply up to 30 million gallons per day (MGD) of drinking water to Stockton residents. Delta Water Treatment Plant    The City recently completed construction of its new 30MGD drinking water treatment plant, and intake and pump station facility. The Delta Water Supply Treatment Plant provides a new supplemental, high quality water supply for the Stockton Metro area. The finished project replaces declining surface water sources, protects groundwater supplies, and provides for current and future water needs.    Water Resources Planning    Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs) are prepared by California’s urban water suppliers to support their long-term resource planning and ensure adequate water supplies are available for existing and future water demands. Every urban water supplier that provides over 3,000 acre-feet of water annually or serves more than 3,000 or more connections – is required to assess the reliability of its water sources.    This assessment is over a 20-year planning horizon considering normal, dry, and multiple dry years. The Urban Water Management Planning Act requires the City to prepare this plan every 5 years and submit to the Department of Water Resources.  

 

     Sewer  The Regional Wastewater Control Facility is a 55 Million Gallon per day (MGD) tertiary treatment facility. The facility serves the City of Stockton and outlying County areas and currently processes an average of 33 MGD.    After treatment, under the restrictions and requirements of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, the water is discharged into the San Joaquin River.    

 

Treatment operations at the facility are closely regulated under our Wastewater NPDES permit. Part of that permit requires the preparation of a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) that describes the procedures and activities necessary to operate and maintain the treatment facility in order to reduce Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) and the procedures for reporting should an SSO occur.    The SSMP was developed in compliance with the requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board General Waste Discharge Requirement (GWDR). The GWDR provides a consistent approach for reducing the Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) and applies to all publicly owned collection system agencies consisting of more than one mile of pipe or sewer line and which convey untreated wastewater to a publicly owned treatment facility.  

 

 

Regional Wastewater Control Facility  There are over 116,000 sewer connections throughout the City. Every time you run water down the drain or flush the toilet, that wastewater routes through 900 miles of sanitary sewer lines to end up at the Regional Wastewater Control Facility (RWCF).    The RWCF is at work 24-hours, a day, 7-days a week, making sure everything flows. Once the wastewater at our plant, it is treated to ensure that any water that is emptied into the Delta meets the highest of water quality standards to protect our environment.    Every day, approximately 32 million gallons of sewage is processed at Municipal Utilities Department (MUD). The RWCF is a tertiary treatment plant that ensures only the cleanest water is discharged into the Delta.    Part of MUD’s efforts to protect the environment is to create energy to power the plant from the waste that comes into the plant each day. At a minimum, over 40,000,000 pounds of sludge is processed each day through environmentally safe procedures. MUD’s cogeneration facility generates 17,600 Kilowatts/year and the decomposition process for biosolids provides some of the energy for the engine generators. This on-site energy production supplies most of the plant’s power needs.    Treatment Process  The Stockton Regional Wastewater Control Facility is located in the southwest area of the city of Stockton, California. the facility includes primary, secondary, and advanced tertiary treatment of wastewater. A flow diagram shows the full treatment process from entrance into the treatment plant to discharge into the San Joaquin River.    

 

 

Waste Management    Service Providers  The city of Stockton and San Joaquin County do not provide collection services. These services are franchised to private hauling companies utilizing a competitive bidding process. The Stockton area is divided between two waste collection companies. The lid colors on the carts are the same for both companies. However, the color of the cart body - or sides - tells you which company provides service in your neighborhood. Customers with BROWN-bodied carts are serviced by Allied Waste, those with GREEN-bodied carts are services by Waste Management. The carts have an attached colored lid. These colored lids tell you what type of material to put in each cart.      

         Recycling Cart  

 

 Items such as plastic or glass bottles, newspapers and cardboard can be placed in this cart. The 60-gallon wheeled cart is serviced weekly when placed at curbside on designated service day.    Green/Food Waste Cart    Green waste is another name for yard waste. It includes leaves, tree or shrub trimmings, grass clippings, and some indoor items such as unpotted plants. Food waste is also placed in the green-lidded cart. The list of food waste examples is extensive and includes bread, solid dairy products, meat (including the bones), and greasy pizza boxes just to name a few.    Trash Cart    Trash is all material that cannot be placed in either the Trash or Green/Food Waste cart. There are not too many items that are considered trash these days but there are a few things. They include ashes, pet waste and litter, and Styrofoam.    From June 2014 Waste Management is inspecting its residential customers’ recycling cart for the presence of trash. If a customer’s cart contains only recyclable materials, the customer will be entered into a weekly drawing for a $50 reward card. During subsequent audits, if trash is found in the recycling cart, the customer will be charged an extra trash pickup fee of $8.22 and could be required to increase the trash cart size.    Foothill Sanitary Landfill    Foothill Sanitary Landfill, located along the eastern border of San Joaquin County, is the largest landfill site in the County. This landfill is around 800 acres in size. Foothill Landfill was acquired by the County in 1993. Based on the current permit, Foothill Landfill is projected to be in operation until 2055. It is operated  by Foothill, Inc., under contract with the County. Foothill is the destination of wastes generated at both The Tracy Delta Materials Recovery Facility, The Lovelace Transfer Station, local solid waste collectors and residents of the surrounding areas.    Average daily volume is 620 tons; 218,190 tons were delivered to Foothill in 2011. Foothill diverted 3,392 tons of material from disposal in 2011.    Acceptable Materials:  • Commercial and household waste  • Construction/demolition waste  • Agricultural waste  • White goods such as refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning units  • Tires (mounted or unmounted)  • San Joaquin County Landfill Brochure  • Camper Shells  • Cabover campers (remove all thermostats and appliances)  • Camper trailers less than 25 feet in length (remove thermostats and appliances, dismantle the

 

camper trailer into small sections, and bring a Junk Slip from DMV).    San Joaquin County Hazardous Waste Disposal    • Leftover paints  • Automotive fluids  • Batteries  • Florescent bulbs  • Pool chemicals  • Garden products    Also for small businesses that generate less than 27 gallons of waste per month      Lovelace Materials Recovery Facility & Transfer Station    Lovelace materials Recovery Facility and Transfer Station is owned and operated by San Joaquin County. The facility was purchased on July 1, 1977 and remodeled during 1994 and 1995. Lovelace encompasses 15 acres. This site receives an average of 499 tons of waste daily, which is transported to Foothill Sanitary Landfill, on County-owned transfer trucks carrying loads of up to 22 tons per truck. During the year 2011, Lovelace received 123,406 tons of waste.    Acceptable Materials:  • Commercial and household waste  • Construction/demolition waste  • Agricultural waste  • White goods such as refrigerators, freezers,  • and air conditioning units  • Tires (mounted or unmounted)  • Camper Shells  • Cabover campers (remove all thermostats and appliances) • Camper trailers less than 25 feet in length (remove thermostats and appliances, dismantle the camper trailer  • into small sections, and bring a Junk Slip from DMV).    North County Recycling Center & Sanitary Landfill    North County Recycling Center and Sanitary Landfill is owned and operated by San Joaquin County, and opened for business on November 1, 1991. Encompassing 320 acres, this site receives an average of 441 tons of waste daily with a permitted quantity of 1,200 tons. During the year 2011, North County received 146,011 tons of waste.    Acceptable Materials:  • Commercial and household waste  • Construction/demolition waste  • Agricultural waste  • White goods such as refrigerators, freezers, • and air conditioning units  

 

• Tires (mounted or unmounted)  • Pressure treated/creosote wood  • Camper Shells  • Cabover campers  • Camper trailers    

Green in Practice  San Joaquin County Landfill Gas to Energy Program    After a public bidding process San Joaquin County Public Works Solid Waste Division and Ameresco Inc. have entered into negotiations to construct a landfill gas (LFG) to energy facility at the Foothill Sanitary Landfill. Based on the amount of methane available at this site to generate electricity, two generators with a combined capacity of 4.3 MW are being proposed. In this public-private partnership, San Joaquin County will share in the revenues created through the sale of the electricity produced. Prior to this project, the methane produced at this site was being burned off through the use of a flare. Methane has been targeted as a greenhouse gas that has more of an impact on the environment than carbon dioxide.    Sheep & Goat Grazing Program    San Joaquin Count Solid Waste Facilities have replaced our two- legged landscapers with the four-legged variety. Currently sheep and goat herds are being used to “mow” open areas around the recycling facilities and covered landfill areas. These animals harvest the plants just above ground level. This keeps the plants alive, strengthens the root system, reduces fire hazards and eliminates the need for fertilizers or pesticides. By utilizing these animals the way nature intended and not using gas powered equipment and blowers, resources are conserved, waste to the landfill is reduced and air quality is improved.    Asphalt Road Patch Pilot    In a partnership between San Joaquin County Solid Waste Division, the Road Maintenance Division and Valley Asphalt, a local business, a pilot program was initiated to see if ground up asphalt shingles, left over from roofing projects, could be used by the County as a viable asphalt road patch material. Valley Asphalt’s business model involved collecting asphalt shingles from businesses and the public and grinding this material up to make road base and asphalt patch. The County tested this material at several locations with different road repair needs. For some repairs, the product worked perfectly, for others the blend needed to be slightly modified for optimal results. Unfortunately Valley Asphalt closed its doors due to unforeseen circumstances. San Joaquin County is still exploring new ideas to reuse and recycle asphalt shingle material.    San Joaquin County ReBicycle Project    Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Recovery Supervisors Manuel Chaves and Roy Constantino saw that many discarded bicycles headed for the recycler could still be used. They recognized the benefit to the community and the environment of refurbishing them for underprivileged youth and adults.  

 

 Recycling Market Development Zone    The Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ), a program of CalRecycle, provides low interest loans and marketing assistance to businesses that process recyclable materials or use them in their products. The County of San Joaquin, including its seven cities, comprises one zone. RMDZ offers information on sustainability for all San Joaquin County businesses through programs such as Green Team San Joaquin, the Green Sustainable Business Certification, green.edu, and Buy Local, Buy Green.    San Joaquin County is one of 40 designated recycling market development zones within California. The RMDZ program, developed by CalRecycle, works with local jurisdiction to help them meet their 50 percent landfill diversion goals.The mission is to divert significant quantities of recovered resources from San Joaquin County’s landfills by stimulating usage of recycled materials by manufacturers by helping create local markets for recyclables and products made from recyclable materials.    RMDZ is a three-way partnership between a local business, local government, and CalRecycle. A nexus of local landfill diversion and economic development efforts. A program that gives a competitive edge.    ● Low interest loan program up to $2 million. ● Active business development. ● Increased demand for collected materials, not just diversion. ● Local, continuous and increasing demand for materials diverted from landfills. ● Industrial jobs and tax revenues. ● Net reduction in transportation costs to get materials to market.

 Recycling isn’t just putting out a few bins at the workplace--it’s what happens to that material after it is collected that the real money is made. Recycling employs over 85,000 tax paying Californians. Recycling generates almost $4 billion in taxable income, almost $5 billion in taxable sales and more than $10 billion in new products and services.    Delta Landscape Management Outreach Partnership (LMOP)    The purpose of the Landscape Management Outreach Partnership (LMOP) is to diminish green waste generation and disposal in local waste sheds, assist local jurisdictions’ efforts to comply with mandated diversion requirements, and promote the use of recycled organic products in urban landscapes.    Created in 1999, San Joaquin County Department of Public Works partnered with the Cities of Escalon, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon, Stockton, and Tracy to form the Delta Landscape Management Outreach Partnership (DLMOP).    The DLMOP aims to:  ● Diminish the generation of green waste in landscaping

 

● Reduce disposal of green waste in local landfills and watersheds ● Assist local jurisdictions in establishing green waste management programs ● Promote the use of recycled organic products in urban landscapes

 Largely through offering workshops and hands-on demonstrations to public and private sector partners to reduce, reuse, or recycle urban-derived organic materials (green waste). Some ways to achieve the reduction of green waste include waste-efficient Landscape Management Practices such as:  ● Controlled irrigation ● Precise fertilization ● Grasscycling ● Selective pruning ● On-site composting and mulching ● Proper organic materials application ● Environmentally beneficial designs ● Delta LMOP Goals

 Establish sustainable landscapes through the use of best management practices throughout San Joaquin County  Diminish yard waste generation  Reduce toxic run-off to the storm drain  Promote the use of recycled products in urban landscapes  Choose less-toxic products    

Soil Quality  Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties and anticipates having 100 percent in the near future. The site is updated and maintained online as the single authoritative source of soil survey information.  

 

 - image: potential for seedling mortality -

   Potential for Seedling Mortality  The ratings in this interpretation indicate the likelihood of death of naturally or artificially propagated tree seedlings, as influenced by soil characteristics, physiographic features, and climatic conditions. Considered in the ratings are flooding, ponding, depth to a water table, content of lime, reaction, available water capacity, soil moisture regime, soil temperature regime, aspect, and slope. The soils are described as having a "low," "moderate," or "high" potential for seedling mortality. "Low" indicates that seedling mortality is unlikely. Good performance can be expected, and little or no maintenance is needed.                  

 

 - image: risk of corrorsion of steel -  

 Corrosion of Steel  "Risk of corrosion" pertains to potential soil-induced electrochemical or chemical action that corrodes or weakens uncoated steel. The rate of corrosion of uncoated steel is related to such factors as soil moisture, particle-size distribution, acidity, and electrical conductivity of the soil. Special site examination and design may be needed if the combination of factors results in a severe hazard of corrosion. The steel in installations that intersect soil boundaries or soil layers is more susceptible to corrosion than the steel in installations that are entirely within one kind of soil or within one soil layer.    The risk of corrosion is expressed as "low," "moderate," or "high."      

 

         

 - image: risk of corrorsion of concrete -

Corrosion of Concrete  "Risk of corrosion" pertains to potential soil-induced electrochemical or chemical action that corrodes or weakens concrete. The rate of corrosion of concrete is based mainly on the sulfate and sodium content, texture, moisture content, and acidity of the soil. Special site examination and design may be needed if the combination of factors results in a severe hazard of corrosion. The concrete in installations that intersect soil boundaries or soil layers is more susceptible to corrosion than the concrete in installations that are entirely within one kind of soil or within one soil layer.      

 

 Dwellings with Basements22    

 - ratings for dwellings with basement -

 Dwellings are single-family houses of three stories or less. For dwellings with basements, the foundation is assumed to consist of spread footings of reinforced concrete built on undisturbed soil at a depth of about 7 feet.    The ratings for dwellings are based on the soil properties that affect the capacity of the soil to support a load without movement and on the properties that affect excavation and construction costs. The properties that affect the load-supporting capacity include depth to a water table, ponding, flooding, subsidence, linear extensibility (shrink-swell potential), and compressibility. Compressibility is inferred from the Unified classification of the soil. The properties that affect the ease and amount of excavation include depth to a water table, ponding, flooding, slope, depth to bedrock or a cemented pan, hardness of bedrock or a cemented pan, and the amount and size of rock fragments.    Rating class terms indicate the extent to which the soils are limited by all of the soil features that affect the specified use. "Not limited" indicates that the soil has features that are very favorable for the specified use. Good performance and very low maintenance can be expected. "Somewhat limited" indicates that the soil has features that are moderately favorable for the specified use. The limitations can be overcome or minimized by special planning, design, or installation. Fair performance and moderate maintenance can be expected. "Very limited" indicates that the soil has one or more features that are unfavorable for the specified use. The limitations generally cannot be overcome without major soil reclamation, special design, or expensive installation procedures. Poor performance and high maintenance can be expected.  

                                                                                                               22  http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx  

 

 CONCLUSION    If we look at the diagram of risk of seedling mortality we can see that good performance can be expected, and little or no maintenance is needed. On southeast side of Stockton we can see, that there are potential risks for seedling mortality. Corrosion of concrete is not expected, but there is high risk of corrosion of steel. Building dwellings with basement is very limited, that indicates that the soil has one or more features that are unfavorable for the specified use  

 

Energy Resources  

Energy  Production  by  Technology  in  California23    Fuel Source   Value   Units  Solar Power   611,763   MWh  Wind Power   5,764,637   MWh  Geothermal Power   13,022,836   MWh  Biomass Power   6,062,630   MWh  Total Energy Production from Non-Hydro Renewables  

25,461,867   MWh  

Hydro Power   27,707,085   MWh  HPS Power   144,453   MWh  Total Energy Production from Renewables  

53,168,952   MWh  

Coal Power   1,948,279   MWh  Gas Power   115,749,546   MWh  Petroleum Power   1,638,019   MWh  Nuclear Power   31,734,676   MWh  Other   440,323   MWh  Total Energy Production   204,824,249   MWh  Percent of Total Power from Non-Hydro Renewables  

12.43   %  

Percent of Total Power from Renewables  

25.96   %    

                                                                                                                 23  http://en.openei.org/wiki/California  

 

   

Renewable Energy Technical Potential in California    Technology   Generation Estimate   Nameplate Capacity   Area, Mass or Count  Urban Utility-scale PV   246,008 GWh   111 GW   2,320 km2  Rural Utility-scale PV   8,855,917 GWh   4,010 GW   83,549 km2  Rooftop PV   106,411 GWh   75 GW   N/A  CSP   8,490,916 GWh   2,725 GW   82,859 km2  Onshore Wind   89,862 GWh   34 GW   6,822 km2  Offshore Wind   2,662,579 GWh   654 GW   130,966 km2  Biopower-Solid   12,408 GWh   1 GW   11,280,245 BDT  Biopower-Gaseous   15,510 GWh   1 GW   3,300,211 Tonnes  Geothermal Hydrothermal  

130,921 GWh   16 GW   N/A  

EGS Geothermal   1,344,179 GWh   170 GW   N/A  Hydropower   30,023 GWh   6 GW   9,692 Sites    Electricity rate:  EIA Average Rates:  ● Residential: 15.6 cents/kWh ● Commercial: 15 cents/kWh ● Industrial: 10.9 cents/kWh

Gas price average in stockton: 3.151                                    

 

                       Technological Analysis    Technological Analysis gives insight of technologies Stockton could be using and takes into consideration whether there are some technologies on the horizon that could radically affect functioning of the city. We believe that studying technological availability helps us understand which solutions are possible to implement. Stockton is situated in California near Silicon valley, a home to many of the world's largest technology corporations, as well as thousands of tech startup companies, so it represents a tough rival to compare with, especially in tech terms.    The future of urban areas lies in smart cities, which represent a concept we want to pursue and compare with in our research. Unfortunately, Stockton is under process of bankruptcy, meaning large capital investments by the city are not likely to be be done.    A comprehensive research about Stockton's technological capabilities has been conducted, which included descriptions of individual relevant parameters as well as opportunities and threats resulting from them.      

Factor   Description   Figure(s) for Stockton  

Average figure(s)/sit

uation   Opportunity   Threat   Comment  

Energy usage  

Carbon emissions

from transportation and residental

energy use [kg

per capita]  

2 016  

2 235 (100

largest

metropolita

n areas

in US)  

Stockton can become one of

the leading cities in the

region, promoting smart city

philosophy. With low

carbon emissions, there is not

much needed to do to receive this status.  

The number

may increase if

heavy industry or

other pollutants are being brought to the city.  

Areas with small per capita footprints tend

to have higher density, concentration of

development, and rail transportation. New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have the smallest transportation and

residential footprints.  

 

 

Annual wasted fuel per person  

5 000  

10 000 (US

average)  

(additional information

needed, status: obtaining)  

(additional information needed,

status: obtaining)  

Wasted fuel is the difference between the fuel consumed under

estimated existing conditions and the fuel consumed under free-

flow conditions.  

  HERO Program   -   -  

Opportunity for all stakeholders

in the city: homeowners may reduce

their electricity bill,

municipality can benefit by revitalizing the

community, contractors can

create jobs.  

City might not be able to take full advantage

of this program due to other

limitations.  

HERO Program provides Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

funding for homeowners to

finance the purchase and installation of renewable energy, energy and water

efficiency improvements, and

electric-vehicle-charging infrastructure improvements to their property with no up-front costs .Look at

the link for more info. Will come into affect

in Fall 2014.  

Access to Internet  

Public Libraries-Electronic services  

285  

503 (cities in CA with

> 400k population)  

As seen from data below,

nearly 1/3 of Stockton's

citizens don't have access to internet. Public

libraries can help to reduce

this percentage. They can also be used as safe

point or to report a crime to the police.  

Public libraries

are mainly located in

the downtown Stockton, where is relatively

good internet

coverage. Due to

high crime rate zones, no library

is interested in moving

May not be useful indicator due to the presence of large

number of big cities (San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles,

San Diego, San Bernandino)  

 

to area of District 6.  

  Internet Speeds  

     

 

As seen from the chart on the right, Stockton is significantly

behind in maximum download speed via

landline as well as via wireless

technology.  

Implementing new

technologies, which

can increase internet

speeds can be

expensive, might

compromise city

budget.  

City is featuring decent average

download speeds, which are above the

national average. National maximum speeds (especially

using wireless technology) are

significantly higher than Stockton's. Investing in high

speed wireless can be costly, mainly since

there's no existing free public wireless infrastructure.  

 Internet

Connectivity  

     

 

Opportunity to increase the

percentage of population

connected to internet. Some examples can

be found in this data sheet.  

Installing internet

connectivity for

greater amount of people can

be expensive, infrastruct

ure barriers,

possibility of abuse  

An estimated 198,361 Stockton residents are

connected to the Internet in some

capacity - either at home, work,

elsewhere or at multiple locations. An

estimated 93,346 Stockton residents are not connected to the

Internet. These residents are not

connected at home, work, or elsewhere. It

is estimated that 223,448 Stockton residents live in a household where

Internet is available.  

 

Implementation of

mobile cellular network  

LTE network coverage (Sprint, Verizon, AT&T since

Excellent LTE coverage in

the area

Excellent connectivity

conditions are paving the road

to smart city concept.  

Implementation of the latest

technologies, like

LTE, can be capital

City offers great LTE coverage by all

American leading telecommunications

providers.  

 

2012)   of California state (lots of

tech companies)  

intensive, it might result in

more costly mobile

subscription plans.  

 

Access to free WiFi

in the city/on

the buses  

No WiFi connectivity on

the buses  

Some bus

stops in San Francisco are

offering

solar-power

ed WiFi.  

Free public WiFi on buses

and other public areas

helps to introduce other

solutions associated with

internet connectivity.  

Abuse of the

system; vulnerable to hackers who want to access private

(and credit card)

information via

public networks.  

Commercial/retail areas have

surveillance cameras. The quality of those cameras varies. The

city, and even county, are completely broke,

I don't think any council members

would any support large-scale

surveillance. At the same time, since high-

crime zones may be low-income zones.

Businesses might not have enough money to

buy them. - H.L.  

Innovation potential  

Number of patent applicatio

ns in given years  

203 (2008-2014)  

2 171 012 (US

patents,

2008-2012)  

Relatively in the near of

Silicon valley, Stockton has potential to become new innovation

centre.  

City doesn't feature enough R&D

centres, thread to

be completely swallowed by Silicon

valley.  

Top patent applicants: Ryan Guest (9),

Edward A. Wolf (9), Joe Bradley Lasiter

(9), Jean-Pierre Dueri (8), Roger Curtis (6),

etc.  

 

Investing in

renewable sources of energy  

Due to bankruptcy and

according to city expenditures plan

California's RPS Plan: 20% of

electri

Greater energy independence, lowering the

price of energy, employing people in

energy sector -

Expensive production costs may damage

city's budget - need for

California produces only 71% of needed

energy by itself.  

 

for FY 2014-15

no investme

nts in renewabl

es are being

planned  

city from renewables

by 2017. State

is invest

ing heavil

y.  

less unemployed.  

state subsidies

or financing from other

sources (HERO

program, etc.)  

 

R&D, percentage of city budget

reserved for

research and

development

activity  

3% of city

budget ($12.8 mio)  

7,8% of CA GDP ($77 billion in

2007)  

To take advantage of nearness of

Silicon valley and attract

some capital.  

Probably insignificant, since Stockton

has no real potential

to become tech

center, because to brain drain to Silicon

valley.  

Companies in California alone

accounted for 24% of the nation's business

R&D.  

 

Tech Incubator

s (number)  

At least one

(obtaing more info)  

California has

probably the

highest

density of tech

incubators in the world

.  

Excellent connectivity,

entrepreneurial spirit, low

property value, can attract more tech incubators  

Tech incubator located in downtown Stockton.

Peripheries (like D6)

not included in

tech developme

nt programs.  

May not be most useful indicator,

biased because of Silicon valley. More info about the tech

incubator available on the link.  

Irrigation infrastruct

ure  

Capacity of

existing irrigation infrastruc

No special

problems with

water,

Central

Valley

Proje

Urban farming, relatively

cheap healthy food, better connected

Costly installation

of irrigation infrastruct

Outlying areas of Stockton and San

Joaquin gets most of its water from the

Delta a huge

 

ture, scalabilit

y possibiliti

es  

reservoirs,

waterway

systems available

, outlying

areas farmland  

ct (San Joaqu

in River has

great importance)  

community, employing

local workforce.  

ure if not already set

up. Questiona

ble soil quality. Great

possibility of

droughts.  

waterway system that travels in SF bay. South California wants to build a

massive tunnel system to feed water to its

farming areas.  

Digital citizen/Sm

art city  

Open-data

initiatives, apps to improve

cities  

Stockton Police

app (ios/andr

oid)  

-  

Reduce crime rate, due to the

reporting feature of the

app.  

Abuse of the system.

Local police can be led into

ambush with

gangsters. Use of

surveillance cameras

is recommen

ded.  

Reporting crime, taking pictures,

recording videos, submitting tips about

criminal activities. App intelligently uses your current location.  

   

Clean Up

Stockton app

(ios/android)  

-  

Excellent way to make city

more tidy and clean.

Neighbourhoods are more

attractive for tourism and

potential homebuyers.  

Application is more

focused on downtown Stockton,

which keeps

other areas like

District 6 in untidy condition.  

"Perception is reality". Employs local clean-up groups, connects community, people have active role in keeping their city clean by reporting graffiti. More than

1,200 people downloaded app by

Oct 2013.  

   

Stockton Travel Guide app

(windows mobile)  

-  

A lot of room for

improvements, to make app

more attractive, add new features,

interactive view using camera, add

App as-it-is is no help to

promote city as

interesting and worth

seeing.  

Stockton travel app is a right step, but it

would have to be done with intention to

deliberately promote the city and places

worth seeing.  

 

other platforms (ios/android)  

   

Check Online

app (mobile/t

ablet)  

-  

Extend volume of services you

can pay for. Completely digitalized payments,

reduced use of cash and

chance for being robbed  

Potential hacker attacks,

similar to what eBay experience

d.  

Check Online is app used for online

payments for utility bills. Accepts wide variety of payment

methods, including all major credit cards.  

 Surveilla

nce cameras  

Commercial/retail areas do

have cameras, question

able quality  

Many cities feature 24/7 surveillance

, police uses real-time data to

monitor and preve

nt crime.  

Reduce crime rate at certain areas, better

traffic control, traffic info.  

Privacy strongly

compromised.  

Questionable support of city council

members as the city is completely broke. Businesses in low-

income zones might not have enough money to afford

surveillance.  

 

(Touch)screens

with real-time

information  

No touch-screens  

Interactive informatio

n kiosks are becoming more and

more popular in bigge

r

Quick information flow, easy to

read the news, check weather, find your way

to wanted destination (if

you're a tourist).  

Expensive to set up,

not vandalism resistant.  

For more info, look at Urbanflow in

Helsinki, Finland. http://helsinki.urbanfl

ow.io/  

 

cities  

Smart parking  

Parking apps  

Lots of parking

apps available for most mobile

platforms  

Lots of

parking

apps availa

ble for

most mobil

e platforms  

Reduced traffic in the city,

emissions and fuel

consumption. Better

navigation to desired

location.  

Parking spaces

should be equipped

with technology

, which locates

free spaces. If

it's not already

installed, it can

represent additional

cost.  

Parking apps save commuters time, gas, emissions and money

and are also easing flow of traffic.  

 Parking payment system  

No parking payment systems  

(no know

n smart parki

ng systems in the

area, still

obtaining

informatio

n)  

Less infrastructure, park-o-meters

cannot be robbed because

they are non existent, you don't have to

deal with cash due to

electronic payments.  

Electronic payment systems

are vulnerable to hacker attacks, which could

come to your

personal credit card informatio

n.  

Think of EZ-pass for parking or an app,

which will show you free parking spaces

and you will be able to pay for parking using

the app.  

 

Charging stations

for electric vehicles  

6 charging stations (north

Stockton, near Lodi)  

Sacramento

69, San

Francisco 105, San Jose 169  

Make city friendly to

electric cars, promote as

green. It may actually help to

reduce emissions.  

Expensive to set up,

would probably

need external

financing, public private

partnerships (Tesla

   

 

motors), state

subsidies.  

     

 

 

Social & Cultural Analysis    

Household Income  In order to get deeper understanding of the District 6, we decided to search for data specifically related to that area of the city. Zip codes in the table below are related to the neighborhoods that are part of South Stockton ( some of them are shared with towns nearby).  

Zip codes with low numbers (95202, 95203, 95205) are the core of the District 6 that we as such are examining. If we first take a look at the data that are related to the median household income in the certain Zip code area, we are obtaining the following results (data presented are from 2011):  

Table2. Median household income in South Stockton in 2011  

2011      Zip code  

City’s MHI  

Median household income  

95215   57993   44830  95202   57993   14452  95206   57993   46465  95231   57993   42128  95205   57993   31747  95203   57993   38600    

In order to have more clarity and better visual perception of the ongoing situation, the data is put into graph.  

Graph2. Median household incomes in certain zip code areas in 2011  

 

 

While blue columns stand for Median household incomes in 2011 at the level of the city of Stockton as a whole, significantly lower red columns present the data related to the median household income in the Zip code areas that are part of District 6. As we can clearly see from the data, income in the South part of Stockton is significantly lower than the ones that are average for this city. In the most critical points it is more that 3 times lower that that average (in the area 95202 for example).  

 

Trends in Income - City point of view  First, we expose data related to the median household income in the period of 9 years. The decrease over that time was present in all three presented categories (USA, State of California and the city of Stockton), but the most drastic one was felt in Stockton itself, driving the incomes down for over 17%.  

Table1. Median household income changes in the period 2005-201324  

Year   US   California  

Stockton  

2005   66621   73356   68938  2006   67618   74593   67828  2007   68727   75817   66102  2008   68556   75765   67487  2009   66336   72805   65065  2010   64754   69959   58947  2011   63650   67815   57993  2012   63435   67177   57475  2013   64030   68222   57111  

                                                                                                               24  Source:  http://www.deptofnumbers.com/income/california/stockton/  

 

 

Graph1. Household incomes trend in the period 2005-2013  

 

From the graph we can see more clearly that before the crisis, Stockton was above the country average concerning median household incomes. Today, the income is lower than the country average for more that 11%.  

 

Poverty  Poverty is, along with high crime rates, one of the main issues that Stockton is facing. After recession and unfavorable economic movements, poverty became huge problem. Many people were laid off, with mortgages that they could no longer afford to pay.  

Table3. Percentage of people below poverty line in 2011  

2011      Zip code  

Below poverty line  

State BPL average  

95215   18,4   16,6  95202   45,9   16,6  95206   23,1   16,6  95231   25,1   16,6  95205   34,9   16,6  95203   30,6   16,6    

Graph3. Poverty levels in specific zip code areas in 2011  

 

 

Poverty in those areas is a great issue. As we can observe from the presented data, neighborhoods in South Stockton have significantly higher percentage of people living below the poverty line than it is the case with the state of California. Most critical is, again, the 95202 zip code area, with over 45% of population living below poverty line.  

Zip code area 95202 is the area that in 2011 had, according to the estimation 5591 inhabitants. Its position in the core of the city could contribute to its development and taking an important role in the city life. However, after the crisis this scenario did not happen. The reality is quite the opposite, as this area is today one of the poorest it Stockton, and bad life conditions force people to move away, trying to secure better life conditions. To support that claim, not more than the information about the number of inhabitants in 2000 (which is 7070 -21% of inhabitants moved out in 11 years) and 45.9% of people living below poverty line is needed to conclude that this is no longer area where people enjoy living.  

Picture1. 95202 Zip code area location 25  

                                                                                                               25  Source:  http://www.city-­‐data.com/zips/95202.html  

 

 

Unemployment  

Table4. Unemployment level, selected zip codes, 2011  

2011      Zip code  

Unemployment  

State average unemployment  

95215   22,3   11,7  95202   30,2   11,7  95206   20,1   11,7  95231   22,4   11,7  95205   18,7   11,7  95203   17,2   11,7    

From the data obtained while examining the unemployment we can confirm that mostly problematic area in terms of low incomes, unemployment and percentage of the population living below the poverty line is present in the 95202 zip code area. Other neighborhoods cope with unemployment problem as well, reaching levels that are often double of the state average.  

 

 

 

 

Graph4. Unemployment level, selected zip codes, 2011  

 

 

 

Race    Race/Zip code   95202   95231   95215   95206   95205   95203  

White   1501   1327   8066   4996   5201   4175  

Black   1200   421   427   9087   2820   1460  

American Indian   61   27   143   184   251   146  

Asian   543   197   808   11813   2446   1114  

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander  

9   13   59   336   85   51  

Other   16   28   34   86   41   26  

Two or more races   234   104   449   1771   812   530  

Hispanic or Latino   2957   2257   13238   36731   26407   8194  

Total   6521   4374   23224   65004   38063   15696    

 

From the data, we can clearly conclude that these Zip code areas in the city of Stockton are rich with cultural and race variety.The majority of inhabitants are of Latino/Hispanic origin, followed by the White, African American and Asian.  

 

Religion  Percentage religious  

44,11  

Catholic   27  

LDS   2,31  

Baptist   2,71  

Episcopalian   0,1  

Pentecostal   1,74  

Lutheran   0,71  

Methodist   0,87  

Presbyterain   0,93  

Other Christian   5,18  

Jewish   0,11  

Eastern   0,99  

Islam   1,46  

 

On average, inhabitants of Stockton are less religious than the US citizens in general (US average 48,78%). Out of all religious people in Stockon, over 61% are Catholics, which again represents the difference with the US average, where Catholics are present in less than 45%. This may indicate that we are dealing with more conservative environment.  

 

 

 

Homeownership    From 2010 Census data, about 59.2% of the Stockton population are comprised of homeowners, in more detail, homeownership rates are noted by ethnicities. African Americans are the ethnic group with the lowest number of homeownership rates at 41.9% in 2010, the ethnic group also predominantly concentrated within District 6.    Homeownership Rate   2000   2010  

Metro Area   60.4%   59.2%  

 Homeownership Rates by Ethnicity  

2000   2010  

African American   43.9%   41.9%  

 

American Indian   46.3%   46.9%  

Asian/Pacific Islander  

55.5%   62.6%  

Hispanic   48.3%   47.8%  

White   68.2%   68.7%  

 High interest rate loans in 2010 as a share of home purchase loans categorized by ethnic group are shown, African Americans are the group with the highest amount of high interest rate loans at 3.4% compared to other ethnic groups.    Housing Opportunities: High Interest Rate Loans (2010) as Share of Home Purchase Loans by Race/Ethnicity (2010)  

Metro Area  

Hispanic   2.0%  

White   1.6%  

African American   3.4%  

American Indian   0.0%  

Asian/Pacific Islander   0.4%  

   

 For Stockton as a whole from 200 Census data, 46.1% of the population is paying more than 30% of their income towards their rent. African Americans, yet again, are the ethnic group contributing the most towards their rent. American Indians record at 51.4% and Asian/Pacific Islanders are at 50.9%    Share of Renters Paying More than 30% of income for Rent   2000  

Metro Area   46.1%  

 

 Share of Renters Paying More than 30% of Income for Rent by Ethnicity (2000)  

Metro Area  

African American   52.7%  

American Indian   51.4%  

Hispanic   46.1%  

Asian/Pacific Islander   50.9%  

White   43.5  

   Divided by 3 economic groups (low-income, middle-income, and upper-income) of 2010 Census data, the lower-income population had a higher percentage of high interest rate loans, more specifically, the African American population was targeted at 4.7% compared to other ethnic groups.    Housing Opportunities: High Interest Rate Loans (2010) as Share of Home Purchase Loans by Race/Ethnicity and Income (2010)  

Low-Income   Middle-Income   Upper-Income  

Hispanic   2.2%   2.0%   1.4%  

White   2.7%   1.1%   1.0%  

African American   4.7%   4.0%   1.1%  

American Indian   -   -   -  

Asian/Pacific Islander   0.7%   0.3%   0.0%  

 

 

 High interest rates are shown to be more prevalent in minority neighborhoods recording at 3.8% with 2010 census data.    Housing Opportunities: High Interest Rate Loans (2010) as a Share of Home Purchase Loans by Neighborhood Racial/Ethnic Composition (2010)  

Metro Area  

Predominately Non-Hispanic White Neighborhood   -  

Mixed Neighborhood   1.3%  

Minority Neighborhood   3.8%  

 

Median Home Value    This graph visualizes home sales in all of Stockton up until 2014, homes are all below the median price range.    

   Home Sales in Stockton, CA  

● Estimated median house or condo value in 2012: $156,600 (it was $117,500 in 2000) o Stockton: $156,600  o CA: $349,400  

● Mean prices in 2011: All housing units: $266,978;

 

● Detached houses: $274,221 ● Townhouses or other attached units: $213,539 ● In 2-unit structures: $190,94 ● In 3-to-4-unit structures: $117,350 ● In 5-or-more-unit structures: $165,355 ● Mobile homes: $77,245 ● Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $252,734

 Zip code of 95203, located within District 6, is currently below median price range.        

 

 Home Sales in Zip Code 95203  

 Median value of housing units with mortgages in 2011:  

This zip code:$210,538  California: $363,600  

Median value of housing units with no mortgage in 2011:  This zip code:$230,595  California: $325,900  

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2011:  This zip code:$15,473,182  California: $360,300  

Mean price in 2011:  Detached houses: $177,014 (36% of state mean) Mobile homes: $41,615 (46% of state mean) Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $1,696 (1% of state mean) Estimated number of vacant for-rent houses and condos in 2011: 71 Estimated number of vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2011: 28  

 Zip code 95205, located within District 6, are all below median price ranges in the U.S.        

 

 Homes sales in Zip Code 95205  

   Median value of housing units with mortgages in 2011:  

This zip code: $188,939  California: $363,600  

Median value of housing units with no mortgage in 2011:  This zip code: $139,496  California: $325,900  

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2011:  This zip code:$276,551  California: $360,300  

Mean price in 2011:  Detached houses: $141,564 (29% of state mean) Townhouses or other attached units: $171,471 (42% of state mean) Mobile homes: $40,182 (44% of state mean) Estimated number of vacant for-rent houses and condos in 2011: 52 Estimated number of vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2011: 26  

 Zip code of 95206, located within District 6, are also well below median price ranges within the country.      

 

   Homes Sales in Zip Code 95206  

   Median value of housing units with mortgages in 2011:  

This zip code: $305,823  California: $363,600  

Median value of housing units with no mortgage in 2011:  This zip code:$286,200  California: $325,900  

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2011:  This zip code:$672,724  California: $360,300  

Mean price in 2011:  Detached houses: $189,368 (39% of state mean) Mobile homes: $42,038 (46% of state mean) Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $1,696 (1% of state mean) Estimated number of vacant for-rent houses and condos in 2011: 44 Estimated number of vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2011: 34  

 

Foreclosures  In conjunction with homeowner data, foreclosures within Stockton in 2005 (during the housing boom) are shown. Foreclosures are concentrated within Weston Ranch and the north periphery of the city. Weston Ranch served as a low to middle-income community predominantly with minority groups, located in District 6. Foreclosures in 2010, also signifying the housing market collapse, overlay much of the city. Foreclosures within Weston Ranch are denser, with housing in Airport showing a higher concentration on foreclosures. Spanos Park East and other suburban neighborhoods of the north also experienced a dramatic density of foreclosures, areas that

 

experienced housing growth during the housing boom. Foreclosures shown presently for 2013 seem to be stabilizing compared to 2010, but a high amount of foreclosures are still occurring in Weston Ranch.        

   

 

 

   

Conclusion   Homeownership rates are low among minority groups, especially the ethnic group of African Americans. From demographic data and analysis, minorities (i.e. African Americans) are concentrated more in lower-income areas like District 6 of Stockton. Lower and middle-income groups were also targeted for unreasonable and unsafe high interest rate loans, leaving many unable to make their home mortgages, resulting in foreclosure. Due to this faulty lending practice, a foreclosure crisis erupted within Stockton, specifically in areas that were newer (suburban neighborhoods built during the housing boom) compared to older homes in affluent neighborhoods. Weston Ranch, located in District 6, experienced a harsh rate of foreclosures, which can be attributed to the targeted minority groups that had high interest loans, most of

 

which were not financially stable to make high interest loan payments.    

Crime    With a population of just above 300.000 people, the city of Stockton, the largest city in San Joaquin County in northern California and its county seat, has had a notorious reputation for its high crime rates in the past decades and became widely known as a drug capital of the state. The problem which reached its peak after the economic crisis in 2007 is tearing the city apart, creating a dangerous environment for common citizens and racial tensions between different communities.  

 The problem of crime has been suffocating Stockton for a long time, and the local government has failed to provide a systematic solution to decrease the city crime rates so far. City has been regularly among nation's highest crime rate cities, highest violent crime rate cities and highest murder rate cities. Business magazine Forbes, has listed Stockton in the lists of "America's Most Dangerous Cities" and " of "America's Most Miserable Cities" in the last six years, claiming the infamous title of "America's Most Miserable City" in 2009 and 2011. One of the major reasons to city being listed in those lists, was crime.    City's crime rates are comparable with metropolitan areas of Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles and are much higher compared to cities of its size, density and the nearby cities in the county. Although the crime is spread out the whole town, there are some parts of city which are contributing to the higher crime rates more. Suburban neighborhoods like those in South and Southwest Stockton (District 6) which are historically poor and remain in dire need of economic development and better infrastructure, are having problems with high gang activity, low income rates and uneducated youth.    To understand the present state of crime in the city, we have to look at the city's geographical location, history of growth, its demographic structure, economic conditions, educational statistics etc. and try to connect the topics between themselves to get a clearer picture of what is happening in Stockton.    The main questions this research tries to answer regarding city's crime are:  

● Why does crime happen in this kind of amount? ● What differs Stockton from other cities? What's unique? ● What are the main factors which contributed to present state?

 

History of crime in Stockton    The rise of crime rates in Stockton began in 1980s, when downtown was abandoned in favor of newer neighborhoods and shopping centers in the suburban areas of town. By the end of that decade, crack cocaine had arrived on the streets. Newly formed gangs battled for drug-selling territory. Afro-american youth was starting to follow the gang trends of bigger cities in California, Latino street gangs, which emerged quickly after the members of Hispanic ethnicity settled in the city, warred with one another, and Southeast Asian gangs robbed refugee families

 

in their homes. Stockton's Police Department was highly ineffective in that time, having fight the crime with brutal force instead of trying to prevent it, causing a large distrust of police.      In the mid-90s, city residents started to connect among themselves, organizing an initiative which succeed in a fight against graffiti, which symbolized Stockton's capitulation to gang culture. At the start of the 21st crime rates continued to drop, city grew fast, property values soared and that brought more sales-tax revenue.      When the city's expanding era ended in 2007 and The Great Recession was starting to influence the city's economy, Stockton was having problems with high unemployment and foreclosure rates. City has cut tens of millions of dollars from their budget, was no longer capable to pay its bills and was forced to lay off workers, which has left people without their jobs or homes. Individuals who never would have thought of committing a crime previously were desperate with not being able to meet the most basic necessities for life like food, shelter and health care and were ready to snap because they had nothing left to lose.      The layoff was targeting law enforcement too, which made criminals even more courageous and aggressive than ever before as police personnel were relieved of duty. The result was a high number of robberies, burglaries and thefts and a record-breaking year in murders and assaults. In 2012 Stockton was second on the FBI's list of most violent cities in California, behind Oakland.  The residents of Stockton were terrified by the statistics year 2012 provided and urged the local government and police department to find a systematic solution. The year 2013 gave the city a new hope. Police force's persistent focus on violent crime with programs and operations such as "Operation Ceasefire" which was the most significant, finally produced results. Police said that increased willingness of citizens to report crimes has also helped police to be more effective.  

 

Crime categorization    Crime as a whole is divided into two major categories:    

● violent crime - a crime in which an offender uses or threatens force upon a victim (murders, aggravated assaults, robberies, forcible rapes)

● property crime - a crime involving property or money dispossession, without force (burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft arson...)

 

While violent crimes dominate most people's considerations of crime and safety, an individual’s chance of being victimized is actually small as long as he or she avoids certain places and activities - for example, those related to street gangs and illegal drugs. Although the direct psychological impact of violent crimes and violence in any form are much higher, the fact is that property crimes are the more common type of criminal offense and the probability for them to affect our lives is much higher.  

 

   The same thing is happening in Stockton. Even though the crime rates are pretty much evenly spread out across the city, the number of violent crimes are significantly higher in some parts than in other, as property crime rates are much more comparable through the city parts and far more common (more in District 6 section).  But before we take a deeper look in the city's crime rates and crime rates in South Stockton, we should concentrate ourselves on the comparison of Stockton across San Joaquin County, state of California and U.S. in general. The comparison to other cities is crucial when trying to understand the high crime rates that city was faced with in the past few decades.        Crime rates in Stockton compared to other cities    According to "City-data.com" which takes their data from the nation’s most commonly cited source regarding crime - the Uniform Crime Reports - published annually by the FBI and from The US Census Bureau, when comparing Stockton to the nearby cities in San Joaquin County like Lodi, Manteca, Tracy, we can see that they all have lower crime rates than Stockton. The research is based on a "City-data.com crime rate" which indicates serious crimes and violent crime more heavily and adjusts the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities.    

 Photo 1: city-data.com//crime-Stockton-California  

 

Stockton is the largest city in San Joaquin County and has the highest crime rates in the county. Although the cities like Manteca and Lodi have had their own problems with fighting crime in the past, the crime rates are incomparable to those in Stockton. City's higher crime rates in the county scale can be explained by the fact that Stockton is a city with a much bigger population

 

therefore the causes might be higher benefit levels, lower probability of arrest and higher activity of street gangs. The median household income and the overall economic state of city is a huge factor as well and has to be considered, while comparing cities crime condition.      

2012   Population  

(2012)  

Estimated median household income

($)  

Violent crime rate  

Property crime rate  

City-data.com  crime rate  

Stockton   297,984   43,321   782.8   638.5   739.4  Tracy   84,669   69,514   102.6   222.9   191.4  

Manteca   71,067   55,328   212.3   369.9   313.9  Lodi   61,301   46,147   244.8   454.7   354  

CA average   /   62,408   332.6   388.9   406.7  U.S.

average  /   58,328   223.2   276.4   301.1  

Table 1: www.city-data.com  

 There are some who believe that high crime rates in Stockton have been the consequence of centralization of criminals because of the San Joaquin county jail which is located in the southwest part of the town. There are predictions that the street gangs are being led by certain criminals who are still pulling the strings of criminal acts throughout the town, from their prison cells.      Compared to cities with the similar number of people (+/- 100,000) in the nearby area of North California, which are not a part of a larger metropolitan area, the differences between crime rates become less obvious but are still noticeable.      

2012   Population  

(2012)  

Estimated median household income

($)  

Violent crime rate  

Property crime rate  

City-data.com  crime rate  

Stockton, CA  

297,984   43,321   782.8   638.5   739.4  

Modesto, CA  

203,547   45,267   434.8   574.7   526.4  

Fremont, CA  

221,986   100,574   212.3   369.9   313.9  

CA average    

/   62,408   332.6   388.9   406.7  

U.S. average  

/   58,328   223.2   276.4   301.1  

Table 2: www.city-data.com  

 

 

Low rates in Fremont are probably the consequence of very high income rates, better financial condition and overall quality of life. Compared to Stockton, which had an ineffective economy leading to lower median household income and city's bankruptcy in 2012, the results are obvious. When comparing Stockton to Modesto, a city 31.5 miles southeast from it, which had similar problems regarding crime, the rates are a bit more even. Even though Modesto had an above average crime rates in 2012, the majority of criminal acts in Modesto are of property nature. In the opposite what stands out the most is the difference between cities violent crime rates, which indicates the problem of Stockton's street gang activity and overall aggression of criminals in the history.      Studies of crime in the U.S. have been hypothesizing positive correlations between density and crime, indicating that causes like over crowding, anti-social behavior, poverty and increased opportunity are major factors for higher crime rates in high - density areas. The issue in Stockton has been the unexplainable connection of city's high crime rates and low-density of population.  Comparing it to cities of similar size and density in a decade from 2002 to 2012, the crime rates are much higher. Crime rates in Riverside and Chula Vista, which have very similar population-density ratio, have been steadily dropping for the last few years, which was a consequence of successful anti-crime operations, controlled migrations and the willingness of community which strived for a culturally and demographically diverse society living together in harmony.    

2002 - 2012  (average)  

Population (aprox.)  

Density*  (people/sq

mile)  

Violent crime rate  

Property crime rate  

City-data.com  crime rate  

Stockton CA   300,000   4,505   782.8   638.5   739.4  Riverside, CA   300,000   4,050   333.4   394.1   389.6  Chula Vista,

CA  260,000   4,682   215.8   320.5   296.4  

CA average   /   /   332.6   388.9   406.7  US average*   /   5,369**   223.2   276.4   301.1  

Table 3: www.city-data.com, www.usa.com, * - rates for 2010, ** - US average for population-weighted density  

 Stockton's crime rates in the past decades were much more comparable and sometimes even higher (in 2012 for instance) than in metropolitan suburban areas with high - density of population such as those in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities. According to www.city-data.com, when comparing Stockton with Compton and Oakland (notorious high density areas, known for its high crime rate in the past) in a decade from 2002 to 2012, violent crime rate was higher in Compton, although this rate dropped for almost 40% in a decade there, while in Stockton, Violent crime rate in 2010s is very similar to that in the beginning of the 21st century.      All three cities have been one of the most dangerous cities in California and U.S. for quite a long time, Oakland being at the very top. Their crime rates are high above U.S. average crime rates, but the major difference is Stockton's density of population which is compared to Oakland 45.4

 

% and compared to Compton an unbelievable 71.6 % lower.      

2002 - 2012  (average)  

Density*  (people/sq

mile)  

Violent crime rate  

Property crime rate  

City-data.com  crime rate  

Stockton, CA  

4,505   782.8   638.5   739.4  

Oakland, CA  

7,149   930.4   666.7   857.3  

Compton, CA  

9,534   900.4   359.5   654.1  

CA average   /   332.6   388.9   406.7  US average   5,369**   223.2   276.4   301.1  

Table 4: www.city-data.com, www.usa.com, * - rates for 2012, ** - U.S. average for population-weighted density  

 

 Although Table 3 showed that Stockton is a unique case of a medium size city with low - density and high crime rates combination in California, that isn't a case when comparing city with the medium size cities with similar density (+/- 1,000) in the national wide scale. Buffalo NY, Cincinnati OH, Cleveland OH and St. Louis MO all had crime rates comparable to those in Stockton, in the past decade. Despite their low - density of population compared to other areas of high crime rates, these cities represent an unusual pattern of a high crime rate city of medium size. Apart from their size and density, there are some mutual factors which contribute to the present state, such as low household income, racial diversity and single - family suburban areas. Stockton, Cleveland and St. Louis have been considered as one of the most dangerous cities to live in U.S., in the past few years.    

2002 - 2012  (average)  

Population (aprox)  

Density*  (people/sq

mile)  

Violent crime rate  

Property crime rate  

City-data.com  crime rate  

Stockton   300,000   4,505   782.8   638.5   739.4  Buffalo, NY   260,000   5,074   730.7   572,5   688.2  

Cincinnati, OH   295,000   3,804   605.1   643,2   687,7  St. Louis, MO   320,000   4,835   1,045.2   832.1   1,047.7  Cleveland, OH   390,000   4,811   747.1   703.7   713.7  

CA average   /   /   332.6   388.9   406.7  US average   /   5,369**   223.2   276.4   301.1  

Table 5: www.city-data.com, www.usa.com, *rates for 2012, ** - US average for population-weighted density  

   

 

Violent crime rates in Stockton    Violent crime rate in Stockton have been very high since the 1980s, affecting many people's lives. According to NeighborhoodScout's analysis of FBI reported crime data, one's chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Stockton is one in 64. (www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/stockton/crime/)      The first thing that comes on our mind when discussing violent crimes are murders, which have been one of the biggest problems of Stockton in its history of crime. The murder rates have been one of the highest in the state of California and in the U.S. throughout the past few decades, putting the city in a company of Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles and other dangerous metropolitan areas. One of the major factors for this has been a continuous gang activity in the city suburban areas which still produces one third of all Stockton's killings. With the emergence of illegal firearms on the streets in the mid 1980s, the problems between gang members were becoming solved with guns rather than fights as they were mostly in the old days. According to gang members today, guns are simply easier, faster and more reliable. (more on gangs in Gangs section)    Besides gang murders, other reasons for crime in Stockton are: personal conflicts, relationship problems, mental-health problems and the latest reason - consequences of the financial crisis. People with bad economic status were becoming more desperate than ever, many of them resorting themselves to crime, in some cases even murder. The latter was one of the reasons for number of murders rising from 2009 on, reaching its peak in 2012 and spoiling the city's murder downward trend which occurred in 2007 and 2008. After the 2012 record breaking year, the police force have made a series of programs and operations in collaboration with citizens of Stockton, which provided an unexpected turn of events, dropping murders for almost 55%.      

  2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013*  Murders   37   40   41   37   29   24   33   49   58   71   32  Table 6: www.city-data-com/crime/crime-Stockton-California, www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime, *- as of December 2013  

 

 Graph 1: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California  

 

 

Forcible rapes, aggravated assaults and robberies which also belong in the violent crime category, have also been some of the city’s major problems regarding high crime rates.  According to City-data.com, as for November 2014, there are 766 registered sex offenders living in Stockton. The ratio number of residents to the number of sex offenders is 389 to 1. Although the number of rapes in the city wasn't significantly declining in the last decade, when comparing the number of rapes per 100,000 people in Stockton to the U.S. average in the last decade, we can see the obvious decline from 2004. The trend can be partially explained with the establishment of Megan's Law which has allowed law enforcement agencies in California to notify residents of predatory sexual offenders who live in their communities. Since then all sex offenders are required to register with the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over their place of residence.        

  2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013*  Rapes   155   108   109   102   105   112   82   107   90   90   91  Table 7: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California, www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime, * - as of December 2013  

 

 Graph 2: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California  

 

 Aggravated assaults have been Stockton's most common violent crime. The number of assaults has been high throughout the past decade too, swinging from year to year and has been increasing from 2009 on again, but there was a 17% decline from 2012 to 2013. The decline was probably the consequence of police force's higher focus on violent crime offenders, which brought the positive results in the murder rates as well.      

  2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013*  

 

Assaults   2,225   2,365   2,695   2,630   2,467   2,628   2,329   2,464   2,684   2,913  

2,144  

Table 8: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California, www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime, * - as of December 2013  

 Graph 3: ww.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California  

 

 Robberies are the last section regarding city's violent crime rates in this analysis. Although most victims aren't hurt in the act of robbery, it is considered a violent crime because of the use of threat of force.  Because of the economic crisis, the rates in Stockton have gone up again in the last few years, but there was an almost 30% decline of robberies in 2013, which concluded city's effort of violence crime rate prevention. The number was the lowest in the past few decades.      

  2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013*  Robberies   1,208   1,187   1,357   1,519   1,615   1,558   1,259   1,413   1,323   1,556   1,088  Tabela 9: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California, www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime, * - as of December 2013  

 

 Graph 4: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California  

 

 

   Property crime rates in Stockton    As mentioned earlier, property crimes are the more common type of criminal offense and the probability for them to affect our lives is much higher comparing to violent crime. Causes of property crime in Stockton are very similar to those regarding violent crime, with the economic indicators such as unemployment rate and low income influencing the rates even more intensively. Although Stockton has been known for it's high violent crime rates, property crime has been a major problem as well, mainly because of its extent through the city, making it even harder to prevent. In Stockton, your chance of becoming a victim of a property crime is one in 19. (http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/stockton/crime/)      California leads the U.S. in burglary rates and Stockton is one of many cities contributing to this state. The number of burglaries in the city has been increasing in the last decade as the gap between rich and poor has grown tremendously. Another unfortunate fact regarding burglaries in Stockton is that they became a low-priority crime for the police department, with its limited ability caused by the economic crisis, and its bare capability to respond to increased violent crime and other more "severe" property crime issues.      

  2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013*  Burglaries   3,12

5  3,06

7  3,43

4  3,836   4,054   4,353   3,980   4,482   4,133   4,416   4,189  

Table 10: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California, www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime, * - as of December 2013  

 

 Graph 5: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California  

 

 

 

The usual consequence of a burglary is theft. Thefts have also been major problem in Stockton's crime area, but has seen its decline in the last decade. There are multiple reasons for that, for instance the help of technology (video surveillance) and more severe sanctions for the offenders.         2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013*  

Thefts   11,791   11,023   11,487  

12,202  

11,783  

11,102  

9,274   9,654   9,651   8,339   8,748  

Table 11 : www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California, www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime, * - as of December 2013  

 

 Graph 6: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California  

 

The drop of motor vehicle thefts, not just in Stockton, but nation wide is also explainable with technological advance. Anti-theft technology such as engine immobilizer system that makes it essentially impossible to start a car without the ignition key which contains a microchip uniquely programmed by dealer to match the car. Another cause of motor vehicle thefts number dropping are better laws that made it harder for thieves to falsify documents and launder cars.  Despite the obvious decline, the numbers are still above average. In 2012 the NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) ranked Stockton 7th in Auto Theft Rate per capita in the U.S., which indicates that the technological solutions have made too small of an impact.         2003   2004     2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013*  

Auto -

thefts  

3,863   4,135     3,940   3,681   2,840   2,500   2,173   2,041   1,679   2,503   2,143  

Table 12: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California, www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime, * - as of December 2013  

 

 

 Graph 7: www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Stockton-California  

 

Gangs  

As noticeable in this research, street gangs have been the biggest provider of crime in the city of Stockton. In the past few decades gang activity was constantly increasing, which can be explained by the poor social and economic status of the minorities in the suburban parts of the city. As the young folks were growing up, they were striving to find a solution that would save them from the state they were in. Seeing gang members hustling on the street, dealing drugs, making easy money and "ruling" the streets while the local government was incapable of making any significant changes in the suburban environment, they took things in their own hands and choose to join them. Once they were in, there was no way out.  

Stockton's present-time gang members are usually in their late teens or in early 20s, with no education, relying only on themselves and their fellow gang members. Although the comradeship between old friends is still present, the model of constructed crime organization is slowly falling to pieces. The gang members aren't worrying about their rivals color of skin or religion but are simply trying to make money and survive at the same time. The only way they can do that is by preventing others from succeeding. The trend of all vs. all mentality has been a huge difference when comparing gangs in Stockton to those in bigger metropolitan areas and is making an unfriendly environment even more dangerous.  

Another thing that is making the suburban areas more dangerous than in the past, is a common belief that every dispute gang members have among themselves should be solved with fire-arm. The guns which are either stolen or purchased from drug addicts in exchange for drugs, are hidden in the hideouts throughout the city, ensuring that they have a weapon to defend themselves only a few feet away.  

Gangs in Stockton  The number of gang members in Stockton has been estimated between 10,000 and 11,000.  The estimated Gang Risk Index, which uses multivariate regression to estimate the number of gangs per 10,000 people that is typical for regions with similar demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics, is 24.5, while U.S. average is 7.      

 

Street gangs in Stockton have been divided into three major branches: African - American, Asian and Hispanic. African - American are the oldest but are finding themselves in minority as more and more Hispanic and Asian immigrants are settling in Stockton. They consist of Crips and Bloods, two nationwide rival gangs. Asian street gangs consist mostly of Cambodian, Vietnamese and Laotian minorities, concentrated in the western parts of the city. Hispanic gangs are the most numerous but also spread out throughout the city the most.    Many gangs now include their street name, name of the part of the city or telephone area code as part of their name to be more recognizable.        

African - American gangs   Mexican gangs   Asian gangs  

118 East Coast Crips   South Side Stocktone 14   Loc Town Crips  

52 Hoover Gangsta Crips   6th Street Gangsters 14   Asian Boyz  

Northside Gangsta Crips   4th Street Gangsters 14   Asian Crips  

Southside Mob Crips   Barrio Conway 14   Crazy Brothers Clan  

Conway Crips   Pilgrim Street 14   Tiny Raskal Gang  

Westside Bloods   East Side Stocktone 14   Moon Light Strangers  

  Varrio Latino Locos 14   Original Crip Gangsters  

  Norteno Gangsters Rul 14   Down Ass Juveniles  

  Triple Six Gangsters 14   G-Block  

  West Side Nortenos 14   Hickcock Kill Squad  

  Central Stocktone Locos 14   Insane Bloods  

  Clay Street gang 14   Original Blood Gangsters  

  East Side Gangsters 14   Men of Destruction  

  La Gran Familia   Hmong Nation Society  

  South Side PlayBoys 13   Asian Street Walker  

  Playboy Surenos   Asian Gangsta Crips  

  Vickystown Surenos   Moonlight Strangers  

  Conway Nortenos   Corn Bread Chicken  

 

  Southeast Stockton   Cambodian Junior Gang  

     Drugs    Another problem of Stockton regarding crime are illegal drugs. Hard drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine and heroine are being sold mainly by the drug dealing gangs in the streets of suburban areas. The drug trade has led to different gangs competing for turfs, which has fueled violence and is the main reason for gang related killings. The illegal drug sale has also been seen by the youth as one of the biggest, fastest and easiest sources of profit, dissuading them away from fair but poorly paid jobs. Stockton suffers from its location on one of the nation’s many drug transit routes – Interstate 5, which runs right through the town, serving as a pipeline for the transportation of various drugs from Mexico all the way up the Pacific coast.    Drugs can be a choice, but addiction never is. Dealers fund their high lifestyles on money earned from their customers, who become sick, whose children suffer, and whose hopes and dreams are snuffed out.    Methamphetamine  Methamphetamine has become, without question, the most significant drug threat in Northern California. Reports claim that counties east of the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Joaquin have become a major hub for the production and distribution of methamphetamine, supplying much of the methamphetamine used in the U.S.    Methamphetamine is cheap ($16 per gram) and very accessible in the suburban areas and Stockton is no exception. Since the law enforcement agencies regulations reduced the availability of precursor chemicals in the last decade, the majority of methamphetamine that is available in Stockton is coming from meth laboratories in Mexico and is sold by Mexican gangs in the southern part of Stockton, which are affiliated with the Mexican criminal organizations.    Methamphetamine is also a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system and can induce violent behavior. The police department in Stockton reports that the drug is responsible for an alarming number of domestic abuse crimes in Stockton, as well as crimes towards society in general. Murders and assaults have been commonly connected to methamphetamine abusers as well.    Cocaine  Cocaine, especially in crack form is still a serious problem in the San Joaquin county and Stockton as its biggest city. Although the quantities and usage of crack cocaine in the city were declining, large, wholesale shipments of cocaine are still arriving on a monthly basis from Colombia, through Mexico and South California and are being transported by the same interstate

 

system which transports heroin and methamphetamine.    In Stockton local gangs, especially African-American, which are responsible for converting cocaine to crack and are controlling the street-level distribution of crack, have ties to and receive wholesale quantities of cocaine from street gangs in Southern California. Countless individuals sell crack at the retail level, usually in suburban areas. Once arrested, they are replaced almost immediately. Asian organized crime groups, mainly Vietnamese, have also become more involved in cocaine trafficking in the Central Valley area, from where they reportedly transport cocaine and other drugs to neighbor states.    Crack retails for $20-$40 for a 1/4 gram rock. Although they are present in virtually every ethnic community and economic group, most crack users live in low-income, urban, African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods.    Heroin  Heroin is the third most serious drug threat in Northern California. With few exceptions, the same Mexican groups that control the transportation and distribution of methamphetamine are guilty of distribution of heroin as well. Although Mexican cartels remain the key wholesale distributors of heroin in Northern California and Stockton as well, Asian criminal groups have attempted to strengthen their position as major wholesale distributors in California and other west coast states. Criminal groups from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam mainly use express mail services to transport heroin produced in Southeast Asia into Central Valley region of California and the cities like Stockton and Modesto. Californian Asian gangs have been suspected to sell heroin from those areas.    In Stockton heroin is sold in houses, from cars, or on the street corners. Heroin is selling for approximately $20 for 1/5 gram mostly from independent operators affiliated Mexican and Asian criminal organization. There have been only few reports about violence or gang violence associated with heroin use, in contrast to methamphetamine use.    Other drugs  Other drugs as marijuana, LSD, MDMA and GHB have been also sold on the Stockton streets, but the effect that those drugs have on the crime condition in the city compared to hard drugs is much smaller. African - American and Hispanic street gangs are responsible for distribution of marijuana on the streets but its sale doesn't promote violence , while "designer" drugs such as MDMA and GHB are being mostly sold by independent dealers on bigger events.      

Law enforcement and crime prevention    The success of law enforcement in the Stockton has been one of the major indicators to city's increasing and declining trends of crime rates in the past. Since the rise of crime in 1980s,

 

Stockton's Police Department has been fighting with high gang activity, illegal drug sale, firearm sale, violent and property crime. Low density of population, lack of distinctive high crime degree areas and the fact that crime is spread out around the city without any recognizable pattern, have been the main causes for police force's ineffectiveness when trying to prevent criminal acts. To break the cycle of chronic, generational crime and improve public safety in Stockton, law enforcements have been trying to interrupt and prevent violence and homicides by targeting high-risk persons, places and situations.  Several operations have been launched between 1980 and 2010, and most of them were concentrating on involving city residents.    "Crime stoppers" and anti-graffiti initiatives  Operation "Crime Stoppers" which was launched in 1980s is trying to convince people to report crimes without fear of being singled out or being forced to give up their identity. People who call with information concerning criminal activity, are given code number rather than being asked to identify themselves. According to city's official website, tips received through Crime Stoppers have directly resulted in clearing of more than 4,500 cases and more than 2,700 arrests.  As the trend of involving people was continuing in 1990s, citizens initiatives such as anti-graffiti initiative caused the downward trend of crime rates. The police force's drug busts were also launched in that decade, causing the drop of crack cocaine sell on the city streets.    Operation "Peacekeeper" and the "broken window" effect  By the end of 1990s, the city tried to find a broader solutions for improving its crime condition. Apart from further monitoring of gang and drug activity, indicators like youth violence and property maintenance were being taken into account as well.    In 1998 "Operation Peacekeeper" focused itself on an ongoing effort to control youth violence. The mission of operation was to use outreach workers in collaboration with governmental, community-based organization to reduce gang-related violence. Their main goal was reaching out to gang-related youth ages 10 to 18 and to provide them the resources necessary for them to abstain from gang lifestyle. The results were encouraging, as violence among youth was steadily dropping and gang members were restrained from further recruiting of young people.  In 2006, Stockton used a "broken windows" strategy which was linking cleanup of "minor blight" to reduced crime rates, as modeled in Los Angeles and Richmond. The strategy was based upon the theory that urban environment may affect crime rates through social norms and conformity, the presence or lack of routine monitoring, and social signaling of crime areas. Under the broken windows theory, an ordered and clean environment – one which is maintained – sends the signal that the area is monitored and that criminal behavior will not be tolerated. Conversely, a disordered environment – one which is not maintained (broken windows, graffiti, excessive litter) – sends the signal that the area is not monitored and that one can engage in criminal behavior with little risk of detection.    Financial crisis and increasing crime rates  Shortly after the start of the city's economic collapse in 2008, the Stockton police force lost more than 100 experienced officers due to the layoffs. City council cut the overall funding of police by

 

a huge margin, so the police department had to cut special task forces such as the anti-gang task force. Department also laid-off 25% of its patrol and investigative officers, which resulted in higher response times average for the majority of 911 calls. The obvious consequence of cuts and layoffs was a very large increase of violent crime rates in the years that followed, reaching its peak in 2012, after city failed to respond in time.    Marshall Plan and "Operation Ceasefire"  In the same year, city finally addressed the problem with a systematical solution of reducing crime and increasing public safety, voting back a program called the "Marshall Plan on Crime" which was already in use in the past. The Marshall Plan is addressing crime as a system-wide problem, involving Stockton's police department, criminal justice agencies, non-profitable organizations and city's residents. The communication and collaboration between these parties is crucial when trying to reduce crime trends.    The result of this program were operations like "Operation Ceasefire" a gun violence intervention strategy which is cooperating with federal gun and narcotics operations and is concentrating on the small number of gang members responsible for a large number of violent crimes in Stockton. The police department reported that the 54% drop of murders in 2013 was the direct effect of Operation Ceasefire, giving it a much needed momentum fighting crime in the future. Another cause for lower crime rates compared to years from 2008 to 2012, was an additional recruitment of 120 police officers. The Stockton Police Department had 346 officers in 2013, the largest number of sworn officers since 2008 and are estimated to get another 50 in the next two years.  

District 6    After understanding city's indicators, causes and consequences of high crime rates in Stockton, we can really focus ourselves on our subject of discussion - District 6. District 6 is located in the southern part of the city and consists of four bigger neighborhoods (Weston Ranch, Taft Mosswood, Kennedy and Park) and a few smaller. It has a total population of approximately 50,000 people, which is roughly 1/6 of Stockton's population. District 6 mainly consists of single family suburban houses, which are spread from Dr. M. L. King Jr. Boulevard/Charter Way in the north to the Stockton Metropolitan Airport in the south and from San Joaquin river in west to the Golden State Highway in the east. It is known for its demographic diversity, mainly consisting of Hispanic ethnicity and Black and Asian races, low incomes, high unemployment rates and badly educated citizens, factors which were and still remain main contributors to the district's high crime rates.      The streets of District 6 are swarming with street gangs, dealing drugs and battling for their drug turfs, promoting violence and endangering city's property and property of common residents. Violent crime rates in some of the bigger neighborhoods in South Stockton have been highest in the city, indicating a concentration of violence south of Dr. M. L. K Jr. Blvd/Charter Way. Those with higher numbers should be of higher priority later in the project. Property crime, although more evenly spread out around the city, has been a huge problem as well, compared to averages

 

of Stockton and U.S.      

Per 100,000 population  

Violent crime number  

Property crime number  

Total crime index*  

Park   2,364   7,792   10,156  Weston ranch   2,022   6,664   8,686  

Kennedy   358   3,355   3,714  Taft Mosswood   264   2,472   2,736  

Stockton average   1,548   5,101   3,182  U.S. average   387   2,859   3,246  

Table 13: http://www.areavibes.com/stockton-ca/crime, * - according to Areavibe.com  

 District 6 also has a higher concentration of public housing, which is commonly related to high instances of crime. Since public housing mostly centralizes people with low income, we can connect that to a higher concentration of crimes as well. The problem which has also occurred in the last decade is its bad property and infrastructural maintenance, sending a signal of disordered community and low surveillance of the area (broken window effect). This has produced a centralization of gangs, which do not necessarily live in District 6, but use the district as their ground of "business". Those which do can be located by the territory they operate in. District 6 also has a higher concentration of public housing, which is commonly related to high instances of crime. Since public housing mostly centralizes people with low income, we can connect that to a higher concentration of crimes as well (Conway Public housing).      

 Photo 2:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?msa=0&mid=zN85NJfsbSnM.k7DeR3PbATPw  

 

 

Other gangs, operating in the District 6 are:  ● Southside Mob Crips ● Loc Town Crips ● Asian Crips ● Crazy Brothers Clan ● The Flyboys ● Conway Nortenos ● Southeast Stockton

 

Community Voices    The Reinvent South Stockton Survey was a primary source for us to gauge some of the potential areas for growth. Self-generated ideas from the community are often very powerful and the community survey data collected showed a community that has thought deeply about their needs and what they want out of their community.    

   

Survey Highlights  

 

 This word cloud was generated with the responses to the question, “What do you like about your neighborhood?” Overwhelmingly, the quiet, intimate, and well-connected community were cited as parts of District 6 that respondents liked. They mentioned their neighbors and a strong sense of interdependence within the neighborhood.  

Areas for Growth    In addition to the rating, respondents were also given the option to leave additional comments. On their access to healthcare, many residents noted that there was not a facility for urgent care nearby and that the area had a lack of specialists. They also expressed a resounding interest in bolstering the extracurricular activities for youth in the area.    

 

 This word cloud was generated in response to the question, “What would you change about the community?” The biggest trends in responses were concerns about safety. Many talked about the violence in the community and issues with the police force. They wanted more effective police presence; many people said that the police did not respond when called. Considering that the Stockton budget is almost 50% expenditures on the Police force, it is concerning that there is a perception of a lack of police presence. How can we utilize that budget in a more effective manner to better support the communities that need it most?    Urban Analysis  

History  Stockton’s rich history is closely tied with industry, economic endeavors, and transportation. It started out as a Yokuts village called Pasasimas that occupied the space between modern Edison

 

and Harrison Streets. It really exploded as a settlement when gold was discovered on the American River on January 24, 1848. in 1849, Captain Charles M. Weber realized he could profit more by serving gold seekers rather than seeking gold himself, so he purchased 49,000 acres through a Mexican land grant (as a German immigrant he couldn’t secure a land grant directly) and founded the town of Stockton in honor of Commodore Stockton. At the time it was the first community in Stockton to have an English name, but it largely developed as a city of immigrants looking for work that is reflected in its street names, ethnic festivals, architecture and heritage of its citizens.    Because of its prime location on the San Joaquin River, Stockton became a major shipbuilding hub and port for steamboats navigating up from San Francisco. Shipbuilding thrived as one of the most important industries along the waterfront from 1850 all the way through the 1980s. By 1860 hundreds of steamboats carrying cargo and people dotted the river, but passenger carriers dropped away as rail became a more viable mode of transit. Due to the natural inland seaport and prominent rail systems, the Port of Stockton became the transportation hub of Northern California, especially for agricultural products. In 1933 the city modernized the port and completed the Stockton Deepwater Channel, which fueled the city’s commercial growth in the 20th Century.    Intertwined with its commercial history, Stockton once housed the third biggest Chinatown in California, largely due to immigrants from the Guangdong province coming over for the Gold Rush. The original community on Channel Street between Hunter and El Dorado was destroyed by fire and Stockton’s Chinatown moved to East Washington Street between Center and Hunter. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Stockton’s Chinese community swelled and it boasted the largest Chinatown in the state. Unfortunately the Crosstown Freeway (I-4) redevelopment destroyed most of it, and only a few remnants such as the Lee Center remain on Chung Wah Lane.    Over the years downtown Stockton also changed, but it still remains centered around the channel and Weber Point. When it was first developed citizens altered waterways to alleviate flooding and coordinated the waterways with local transit systems. Charles Weber himself donated land for Hunter’s Square, which was always meant to be the heart of the city and center of city government. Though it still contains the County Courthouse, part of Hunter’s Square turned into a parking lot during the West End Renewal Project and has somewhat disappeared into the sprawl of the city. In 1851 Main Street became the heart of the city when floods and fires moved business away from the waterfront closer to Courthouse Plaza. As Stockton became an industrial city at the turn of the century, Main Street boasted the first skyscrapers and leading shops and businesses as well as a pedestrian boardwalk. In the 1960s Main Street turned into a one-way street to improve downtown traffic flow and the west end closed to build a new fountain for Hunter’s Square. Meanwhile the commercial and residential growth north of Calaveras Road and growing popularity of the automobile drew people away from Main Street and contributed to the decline of downtown.    Stockton’s Miracle Mile served as a major secondary hot spot in the 1900s, peaking during the 1950s and 60s. Originally on the outskirts of town on the lower end South Sacramento Road, the Miracle Mile was annexed for shopping in the early 1920s by Joseph Plecarpo. The road

 

changed to Pacific Avenue when the University of the Pacific was built in 1924, complimenting the Miracle Mile’s commercial growth with residential and university developments. Named after the original shopping district in Los Angeles, Stockton’s Miracle Mile pioneered the walking shopping strip as the city grew north and still maintains its walkable nature, but died down in popularity after the 1960s.    Like many western cities surrounded by open land, Stockton continued to grow out rather than up as the automobile grew in popularity. As many cities in the Central Valley are finding now, though, urban sprawl may no longer be a viable option. It tends to leave abandoned lots unused, makes it difficult to forge centers of community, and spreads resources over larger areas that often leads to waste. Though Stockton may be doing better than many similar metropolitan areas, the city should still focus on reclaiming unused land to offer more areas for social interaction and activity both to effectively utilize land and increase human capital.  

Mapping  The analysis of various civic areas and places important for community (post office, police department, banks, libraries, education programmes, hospitals, pharmacies, community centers, shopping malls, restaurants) has indicated the difference in the availability of above mentioned services between District 6 -- more precisely- area separated from the city with Martin Luther King Boulevard and Railway -- and other parts of the city, . With some exceptions (education programmes, community centers) this area lacks basic services needed for community to function.  

 

 Fig 1. Restaurants  

 

 Fig 2. Education  

 

 Fig 3. Community Centers  

 

 Fig 4. Banks/Police/Post Offices  

 

 Fig 5. Hospitals/Pharmacies  

 

 Fig 6. Libraries  

 

 Fig 7. Shopping Centers  

 

 Fig 8. Grocery Stores in District 6 GROCERY STORES IN DISTRICT 6  

 

 Along the Airport way, there are a lot of unoccupied lots, which could be an opportunity to add

services that are missing in the area.    

Transportation  

Roads  Li

ke many other cities in California, Stockton is built around the car. Given the urban sprawl of the city, and the low population density, walking and biking are not feasible for many residents to get from point A to point B[1]. As such, the roads are designed with cars in mind, and making sure they

 

can move quickly through the city. Indeed, many of the streets in Stockton for a while did not have crosswalks, due to the mistaken notion that the crosswalks would provide a “misguided sense of security[2]”. Similarly, a few streets are solely one-way streets to expedite the flow of traffic. According to a recent survey done by the Reinvent South Stockton Coalition, around 50 residents suggested adding more speed bumps in the streets to force cars to slow down[3]. Speed bumps are just one tool the traffic calming program uses to alleviate speeding. It is not uncommon to see these features in local streets, as can be seen in the city’s traffic calming map[4].   In terms of traffic volume in the city, a majority of the traffic can be found on the I-5 freeway to the west of the city and Highway 99 to the east, as shown in the 2007 traffic volume flow map[5]. Similarly, Highway 4 cuts through downtown Stockton and has around 100,000 vehicles per day. Our focus, Airport Way, carries around 15-20,000 vehicles per day.   With this amount of traffic, congestion is an issue for Stockton. A study done by Texas A&M University in 2011 tabulates various metrics on congestion for various US cities, including Stockton[6]. It found that Stocktonians lose about 12 hours a year to congestion, which is quite low, compared to other cities like the Los Angeles area, where commuters lose about 67 hours to congestion. This congestion costs about $293 per commuter, which is also low. All told, Stockton losses about 1,415,000 gallons of gasoline due to traffic. Compared to other cities, the effect of congestion on Stockton is not as severe.    

Bicycles  After the bankruptcy, Stockton began to put more emphasis on investing in bicycling and

public transit as compared to general roadways. The Regional Transportation Plan / Sustainable Community Strategy, which is made by the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG), lays out the foundation for transportation funding up to 2040[7]. For example, it provides $3.52 billion for investment in public transit systems like buses. Similarly, the plan calls for $282 million to be invested in active transportation and community enhancements. Most surprisingly, the plan reduces investment in roadway expansion by $3.27 billion, reflecting the city’s new focus on infill development as compared to urban sprawl.   Although biking does not play a significant role in commuting in Stockton, the city has laid out a master plan for expanding bike routes, as shown in the Bike Master Plan[8]. In 2012, Stockton had 32 miles of Class 1 bike lanes, 36 miles of Class 2 bike lanes, and 30 miles of Class 3 bike lanes[9]. Class 1 is defined as having a two-way separate right-of-way for bikes, pedestrians, and other forms of non-motorized transportation. Class III bike lanes are shared with motor vehicles and are signed for bicyclists, and are usually located near the shoulders of streets. In the future, Airport Way will get a future Class II bike lane, as shown in Figure 1, meaning it will be marked and signed. In all, the priority bikeway projects for Stockton will add 18 miles of bikeway, which will cost around $5.9 million.  

 

A 5- year survey (2005-9) done by the American Community estimates that around 77% of Stocktonians commute by car to work, while around .7% bike to work, and 1.8% of them walk to work[10]. This reflects the emphasis and dependence on the car, as mentioned earlier. Nonetheless, Stockton is taking the needed steps to promoting alternative modes of transportation.  

Public Transit  Public transit is prevalent in Stockton, and recently, it has been expanding, especially the

buses. Based off the same survey done by the American Community, around 1.3% of Stocktonians use public transit. Stockton is served primarily by the San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD). The RTD offers 37 routes that serve the Stockton Metropolitan Area (SMA), 8 Stockton Area deviated fixed routes, one intercity fixed route, four countywide deviated fixed routes, and 8 interregional commuter fixed routes[10]. RTD has about 1,100 bus stops around the county, and in 2013, the buses were on-time around 78% of the time[11]. Most public agencies aim for around 80% on-time service, so the RTD has room to improve.  

Of importance are the three Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, which are so named due to their shorter time intervals and fewer stops. They use other tools to speed up service, such as buying tickets before boarding, and giving the buses priority at intersections, such as delaying a green light to allow a bus to pass through. Due to their focus on speed, they are the most popular service the RTD offers, with 1,878,940 passenger trips in 2013. To put that into perspective, in 2013, RTD had around 4.3 million passenger trips, meaning that the three BRT lines accounted for about 43.6% of the total passenger trips[12]. In particular, there is a BRT line called the Metro Express 44, which runs along Airport Way from the Downtown Transit Center to the airport. It operates on weekdays from 6 AM to 7:30 PM with 20 minutes between buses for peak hours, and 30 minute intervals for other times. A study found that 13-15 minute intervals are the difference between commuters having to plan out their schedule with the bus to showing up randomly to the station without knowing the schedule[13]. This spontaneity is important for attracting riders, as it renders the service much more convenient to use, and thus can attract more people.   Another service offered by the RTD is the intracity Metro Hopper Service, which serve a role similar to Dial-A-Ride in that they can deviate from their normal route up to a mile away for

 

Americans with Disability Act (ADA) certified passengers. With this service, the RTD can cover around 75% of the SMA. However, one glaring omission is that some of south Stockton (in particular, District 6) is not covered by the Hopper Service. Looking at the service map, a majority of northern Stockton is covered by the service, whereas southeast Stockton lacks coverage[14]. To be fair, the Hopper service requires a subsidy of $13.76 per passenger, so ensuring the demand is present is important for deciding where the service should cover[15].   The RTD considers feedback from the community to influence where they should focus their efforts on. Every year, an analysis is done on unmet transit needs, in which they consider feedback from the community and see if it is possible to meet their requests. For example, for the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year, there is an unmet need for greater weekend and nightly service in the SMA, but that request is unreasonable to meet, as all the funds for transit have already been allocated[16].   Lastly, a study done by the Brookings Institute analyzed employer access to labor in multiple US cities, including Stockton, found that transit coverage in Stockton covered around 75% of the entire metropolitan area, giving it a rank of 30 among the US cities sampled[17]. This metric refers to the share of jobs in the area that are in neighborhoods with public transit service. The labor access rate in Stockton, which refers to the share of the metropolitan population that can reach the typical job in 90 minutes using public transit, is around 30%. This statistic is more useful, as it shows that though jobs are located in neighborhoods with public transit, the workers themselves might not necessarily live in an area with good public transit coverage, like in the suburbs.   Overall, the public transit sector in Stockton can still grow, but is already becoming established in the community. There are plans for more BRT lines in the future, concentrating on central Stockton[18]. Together with the increase in investment for active transportation, Stockton is staking its transportation future on a combination of transit and active transportation, and making sure the car will no longer be the only option to get around in the city.    

Land Use  There is a huge difference between western and eastern part of District 6 and railroad

presents the gap. There is a lot of industry in the eastern part, but almost no commercial activities. Residential areas have mainly low density which is especially a problem next to Downtown. Green areas are small and rare, there is also no connection with agricultural areas outside of city limits. District 6 is characterized by many edges.  

A huge problem urbanistically speaking is zoning, which means no mixed use. This enforces a lot of daily connections that are hard to do with public transport. The railroad in the middle of District 6 presents a large edge and is splitting the District 6 into two separate areas. Especially problematic is a lack of commercial areas in the eastern part of District 6. This part of town is strong with industry, but this is also an edge for the residential area. Because of low density the distances are much larger, but residents say they like this setup because of familiarity. This area also has no connection with nature and San Joaquin river, which is an essential part of the city.      

 

 SWOT Analysis  

Strengths  Political/Legal  Rebuilding/reinventing the city is a top priority for the government. The Reinvent South Stockton Coalition is a great example of this, as it serves as a bridge between the non-profit leaders in the community and the formal governmental structures of the city. Additionally, the Marshall Plan has a strong focus on community partnerships, in addition to increasing police presence. The newly formed Office of Violence prevention is an example of this commitment to long term community-oriented solutions.    Environmental  Stockton’s natural features bring a number of strengths to the community. The land is ripe for agricultural development. Both the weather and soil lend themselves well to agricultural development. The temperate climate allows for lowered heating and cooling costs. Additionally, the amount of sunlight the area gets makes it a good site to expand upon solar energy capabilities and lower CO2 emissions.    Social & Cultural  District 6 has a distinct culture from the rest of Stockton and as such, has distinct strengths. In District 6, people feel a strong connection with their neighbors and have high rates of community involvement. There are a number of non-profit institutions that are active in the community and whose involvement is being facilitated by the Reinvent South Stockton Coalition. While District 6 and Stockton as a whole have a history of high rates of crime, the crime rates have been dropping in recent years after the city leadership and police force have had a persistent focus on decreasing violent crime.    Urban  Stockton has a strong public transit system. There is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that runs throughout the city and connects the various neighborhoods together. There are also beautiful downtown spaces already in existence, such as Weber Point and the Stockton Arena.    

Weaknesses  Political & Legal  There seems to be a disconnect between the views and needs of community members and the higher levels of the Stockton city government.    Economic  The income of Stockton residents is low on average, and in some places, it can be up to three times lower than the state average. Low property value and payments stemming the the bankruptcy combine to create an inhospitable environment for investment in the area. There also seems to be some disconnect between how much of the budget is allocated for the police force and the effectiveness of their service.    Environmental  

 

Due to the suburban nature of Stockton, it necessitates a large amount of driving. Despite the strength of the area as a potential area for agricultural development, Stockton is also facing a serious drought along with the rest of California. The access to water has been a point of contention as there has been difficulty facilitating public/private partnership on public works.    Cultural & Social  In District 6, there is a sense of abandonment by the city. High rates of crime are made even worse because of an inattentive police force. Many times, police are called and there is no response and this has created distrust in authority and animosity towards the city. There are high rates of both violent and property crime not just in District 6, but throughout the Stockton community. This is most likely due to the large amount of income disparity in a relatively small distance. People perceive there to be a lack of opportunities, guidance, and mentorship for youth in the community, which could be connected to the high rates of crime and gang membership.    Urban  The proliferation of urban sprawl has put a damper on the smart urbanization of the city. There are no commercial areas along Airport Way and the majority of the commercial development is in the Western region of Stockton. District 6 has a lack of green area; despite the proximity to the river, there is no connection from the residential area to the green space. Additionally, the railroad that divides the East and West of District 6 serves as a detrimental barrier to connecting the community together. In terms of transportation, the urban sprawl has resulted in over-dependence on the car, leaving those without access to a one stranded. While there are bike lanes established throughout the city, many of them are unprotected and are shared with motorists.  

Opportunities    Community Centers & Youth Opportunities  Community Centers are connected with a number of main concerns for the area: crime, youth involvement, and high levels of poverty. Community centers serve all of these needs and would be well-received by the community. District 6 has a heavy reliance on the Kennedy Center to provide groceries, minimal youth activities, and organizing support. More institutions like this would be supported by the Marshall Plan to reduce crime in the area and help support the low-income and at-risk youth population.    Law Enforcement & Community Engagement  Police presence is a paradox in Stockton, particularly in District 6. Stockton has a huge budget for the police force, partly due to the initiatives proposed by the Marshall Plan. This budget is supposed to help slow the occurrence of violent crime in the area, but the people of District 6 still feel like the police force is unresponsive to their needs. There is an opportunity for police and community cooperation, possibly through bolstering the informal policing done by the community watch networks. Additionally, speeding through the neighborhood by car is strong disruptive force and many residents think that the implementation of speed bumps could help to slow down the streets and make them a safer place for the youth.    Walkability & Urbanization  As it is now, there are a number of empty lots available for development, which can serve to build on needs of the community. The aforementioned proliferation of urban sprawl has created a

 

relatively disconnected community without many resources. The empty lots are a blank canvas upon which developers could begin to implement principles of smart design. The lots along Airport Way could be envisioned as a small and walkable downtown area that could house a commercial district. The appeal of a commercial district would be that it would generate new employment opportunities close to homes, create a safe area that youth could gather and draw entertainment from, and decrease the importance of the automobile for the area.  

 

Threats  Monetary Resources  The foreclosure crisis and subsequent bankruptcy has left Stockton in a place with very little resources. The state and county have control over key taxation regulations that could bring in revenue to the city, and there is little opportunity for funding from outside sources because of the current perception of the undesirability of the area. Many moves forward depend on securing funding, so the largest threat and biggest opportunity for growth is the economy.    Informal Institutions  Out of neglect from the city, many informal institutions have sprung up in District 6 to organize the community, for the positive and negative. Gangs are a large informal institution of power and their activity is hard to understand, track, or predict. On the opposite side of the spectrum, it is also hard to understand the good work that is being done informally by neighborhood watches and church groups. The struggle will be to effectively leverage the informal organization to support more systemic change in the community.    Smart Planning vs. Needs of the Community  The standard principles of good urban planning go against some of the most salient perceptions of strengths in the community. Community members valued the quiet of their neighborhood and seem to enjoy the intimate, closely knit fabric that currently exists in their community. A dense, mixed-use development may not fit into this vision of the community. Especially because of the perceived disconnect between the needs of the community versus the vision of the city, it will be important to get community buy-in for whatever development is proposed on the site. What is most missing is a sense of control and ownership over their fates, and the empty sites are a great opportunity to implement palpable change that is sensitive to the needs identified by residents.    Case Studies  

Revitalizing Over the Rhine, Cincinnati  

Background  Over the Rhine (OTR), a neighborhood in the heart of Cincinnati, Ohio, used to be home

to crime and blight. In only three years, community organizations and the Cincinnati Police Department worked together to radically reduce crime and wildly improve the quality of life in the area.  

Established in the 1800s as a largely German neighborhood, Over the Rhine’s population steadily declined during the Great Depression. By 1970, it had diminished by 50 percent, and today it’s Cincinnati’s poorest neighborhood with 75 percent of the population living below the

 

poverty line. About 76 percent of the population is black and a mixture of Hispanic, Asian, Native American and Appalachian descent make up the rest. The neighborhood was one of America’s most endangered national historic districts, containing 19th century Italian structures. The rampant crime throughout the neighborhood drove away businesses as well as patrons from the Music Hall, Ensemble Theater and Pendleton Arts Center.  

Strategy/Activities  To solve such a widespread problem, the city aimed for a joint effort between police,

residents and business owners as a top priority to reduce crime and fear. The OTR Revitalization Corporation and Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) divided the neighborhood into five Safety Sectors each with its own characteristics and needs. All the Safety Sectors hold regular meetings in which residents and business owners speak with representatives from the OTR Chamber of Commerce and law enforcement to find cooperative solutions between the community and the authorities. After crafting action plans and designing projects to address specific concerns at these meetings, sectors were awarded at least one city grant to fund the finalized projects. To empower residents even more, the CPD trained volunteers in OTR to conduct patrols and report suspicious activity. The city also offered seminars on topics pertaining to community, set up the Hot Spots Hotline for anonymous tips, and created the Drug Elimination Task Force to deploy off-duty retired police officers to conduct undercover operations based on tips from residents and business owners.  

The program also focused on making vacant spaces safe spaces and targeting problematic properties. Using principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), the city modified physical spaces into safe spaces by minimizing opportunity for crime and creating more open green spaces used and watched by the community. Such efforts were coupled with increased police patrols in newly revitalized areas and adopting a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior.  

Impact  Over time, the neighborhood saw huge improvements. By 2006, Part I crimes - such as

murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault - declined by 22 percent and Part II crimes - including non-aggravated assault, vandalism, sexual offenses, and drug related crimes) declined by 15 percent. In 2006 alone the CPD made 1200 arrests and confiscated over $379,000 worth of drugs and cash. Not to mention the community efforts established a trust-based bond between residents and the police, abandoned lots transformed into positive redevelopments, and overall quality of life increased.    

Revitalizing East Lake Atlanta  

Background  Once one of Atlanta’s wealthiest neighborhoods, in 1995 East Lake deteriorated into

what was called “Little Vietnam” due to the levels of violence 18 times the national average. East Lake Meadows, the neighborhood’s public housing, was economically and educationally depressed, with 59 percent of its residents on welfare and only 5 percent of its fifth graders achieving state standards in mathematics.  

Strategy/Activities  To create new opportunities for its residents, a prominent real estate developer Tom

 

Cousins started the East Lake Foundation in 1995. Over the next to years the Foundation worked with Atlanta Housing Authority and East Lake Meadows housing project residents' association to evaluate the neighbourhood's need and to develop strategies to replace the dilapidated public housing project with mixed income apartments. The Foundation held three main goals: cradle-to-college education, safe and affordable housing, and community wellness.  

A series of private and public partnerships have helped to achieve these goals. A non profit called Sheltering Arms provides early childhood education; EdisonLearning manages a new K-8 charter school; JMG Realty developed a new safe affordable housing complex; the local YMCA provides physical education classes to students at Drew Charter School; and the Charlie Yates Golf Course offers classes and employment for residents of East Lake.  

Impact   As of today, East Lake has seen fabulous improvements. Violent crime dropped by 95 percent, and individuals supported by welfare fell from 59 percent in East Lake Meadows alone to only 5 percent in the entire neighborhood. The level of education in the area has risen dramatically as well. Unfortunately, all of these improvements partially result from an influx of higher-income residents and the exclusion of former residents with the worst crime records.    

Revitalizing Rancho Cordova  

Background  Located in Northern California, the City of Rancho Cordova is just east of Sacramento.

With roots in the California gold rush, early railroading, and vineyard agriculture, the city is rich in community pride and has a diverse population of more than 66,000 residents.  

Strategy/Activities  Cordova’s basic strategies were based on the ‘broken window theory’ which suggests that

a disorderly environment sends a message that no one is in charge, thus increasing fear, weakening community controls, and inviting criminal behavior. It further maintains that stopping minor offenses and restoring greater order can prevent serious crime. Essentially, neglecting the little problems opens the door for a neighborhood to quickly decline. It starts with with a busted window, and before long you'll have graffiti on the walls, trash in the streets, and apathetic residents turning to petty crime, theft, and domestic violence.  

The Growing Strong Neighborhoods initiative is a cooperative effort among various departments and agencies that aims to avoid the broken window theory by improving the appearance of properties, residents’ overall safety, and the quality of life in Rancho Cordova. The city focuses efforts to establish pride and investment at the local community level with the goals of:  ● connecting residents as part of a common cause, ● ensuring residents feel safe in their environment, ● creating a thriving business climate ● increasing communication opportunities between the community and the city.

 To achieve these goals, the city focused specific services on hot spots within the

community and took action to encourage an increasing number of people in the community to take an active role in the future of their respective neighborhoods. Efforts were coordinated among the city's Code Enforcement, Building and Safety, Police Department, Sacramento Metro

 

Fire, and County Probation to target the areas with the highest concentration of issues.  

Impact  The program has changed the face of the city and continues to expand to encompass new

areas of focus. The city increased its focus to include a panhandling task force and more beautification efforts, such as graffiti abatement, landscaping, and street cleaning. The beautification efforts span city properties and encourage businesses and residents to take an active role in enhancing the appearance of their properties.    

Revitalizing Medellin, Colombia  

Background  The mountain city of Medellin, Colombia, rests in a rich valley that permits anything to

grow, but makes transportation difficult. At the beginning of the 20th Century the city held 50,000, but in the last 20 years the population grew to over two million due to the economic growth rate, high birth rates, and decreasing infant mortality. Such rapid demographic growth and lack of decentralization or national policies towards social housing has led to primarily informal developments and urban sprawl. Plus its strategic location makes it a prime spot for drug trafficking. In 1993 Medellin experienced 381 homicides for every 100,000 residents, which is seven times the current figure.  

Strategy/Activity   Capable, visionary and dedicated mayors are required to translate new tools into poor-oriented reforms. Medellin saw the education system as a central axis to fight against social inequality as well as more public space such as libraries. The driving force behind Medellin’s transformation was Sergio Fajardo, a mathematician-turned-mayor who reclaimed city streets by investing in urban projects in the city’s worst areas. From 2004 to 2014, Medellin built 120 schools and nine “library parks.” Fajardo is now a state governor, but the current mayor, Anibal Gaviria, continues to carry out his vision. “Ten years ago, the reputation of Medellin was in tatters,” Gaviria told me. “Now we are seen as a modern city with enormous potential and great human capital.”  

The idea, as Fajardo put it at the time, was to place “the most beautiful buildings in the poorest neighborhoods” to cultivate a sense of engagement and optimism in impoverished, long-ignored districts. Prominent Medellin architect Alejandro Echeverri, who was Fajardo’s director of urban projects and a mastermind behind the city’s transformation, says that although such structures have indeed helped reduce crime, they’re only the most visible elements in a complex and ongoing effort. Alejandro Echeverri: “As an architect, I probably shouldn’t say this, but a building on its own won’t change much,” he says. “These projects are part of a larger program of inclusion and education, a fostering of trust and a sense of community in a very segregated city.” Last year, Empresas Publicas de Medellin ESP, the publicly owned hydroelectric utility that’s required by law to fork over 30 percent of its earnings to the city,contributed $400 million to Medellin’s coffers.  

Impact   Since Fajardo’s plan started, Medellin has developed a remarkable transportation system aimed specifically to help poor and at risk areas. The system includes Escaleras electricas, a $5-million series of outdoor escalators that carry people 384 meters up a steep hillside to Comuna

 

13, once the city’s most dangerous slum. Metrocable, a network of aerial gondolas called completed in 2010, ferries people from shantytowns on steep hillsides to the city core below. One of the districts the Metrocable stops at is Santo Domingo, once the hilltop stronghold of drug lord Escobar. Today, it is a village transformed. Finally Ruta N, a metal and glass complex built to promote high-tech start-ups in the city’s north end, has brought 19 international companies (including Hewlett-Packard) to Medellin in the last four years. It’s financed by the government and by the publicly owned utilities giant EPM, which is required by law to direct 30 percent of its earnings to social projects annually.    Questions to the City  

1. How is the education system funded? Is this funding source separate or included within the Community Services portion of the budget?

2. Does the city have a register of active businesses we could access (Economic Development Department)?

3. Exactly what factors weighing in to making the area more friendly to potential investors and businesses (tax breaks etc.) are under the control of the local government as opposed to county and state?

4. Would the city be willing to provide the land it owns as an incentive for new businesses (manufacturing etc.) in combination with minimizing the tax burden for said businesses?

5. How is the water supply around Stockton? We know California is not doing too well, but Stockton is supposedly better off especially if the delta is utilized? Talk of SoCal building pipeline from Stockton?

6. Does the local government have any experience with public private partnerships? 7. What is the role of county and state governments in the decision-making process

regarding the potential realisation of our project, if any? 8. How would the city characterize your relationship with the county and state

governments? 9. What is the city’s view on the water privatization project? What lessons has the

government learned from it and has it affected your willingness to partner with the private sector in the future?

10. Are crime rates continuing to drop in 2014?