Mid-Year 2025 Update

Staffing

By September, Clayton’s City Hall will be fully staffed with an unrivaled team of experienced employees that are committed to the community, to each other and to being results oriented.

Thank you to our City Manger, Kris Lofthus, who has been hard at work building this outstanding team, by rightsizing the staff’s roles and responsibilities, vetting through hundreds of applicants and finding the best employees to support our City.  We now have a new Police Chief, Jeremy Crone, a new Administrative Services Director, Dennis Bozanich, a new City Clerk/Assistant to the City Manager, Leticia Miguel, a new Administrative Clerk, Sklyer Aitken, a new Community Development Technician, Jason McKinely and a Community Services Leader, Janessa Torres and a new Senior Planner, Kraig Chalem.  This fall we will be welcoming our first Public Works Director/City Engineer and all of these exceptional employees are ready to serve the needs of the residents of Clayton.

Finances

Over the last two years, many of us on City Council, along with City staff, have done the hard work of scrubbing the financial data, scrutinizing expense and revenue data, engaging the services of UBS to manage our investment account, implementing an accurate and updated Master Fee Schedule, making quality appointments to the Financial Sustainability Committee, attending monthly (sometimes bi-weekly) Budget & Audit committee meetings, tasked with reviewing budget projections, contract analysis, updating the City’s investment policy and bringing those recommendations back to the Council at large.

In August, we held Part One of a multi-part series on revenue generating ideas and will be taking a deeper dive to determine the City’s needs and estimate what level of services we as a community can afford and supports, as it relates to major things like roads and paving, sidewalk repair and ADA improvements, special district funding, landscaping and maintenance and future staffing needs.

In September and October we will continue the process, with a financial needs assessment, making sure our revenue options align with the City’s needs, along with a discussion about the Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) fund, which is scheduled to sunset in June 2027.  Visit the City’s website for future agenda items, meeting dates and times.

City Projects

At the end of this year, the City is embarking on Phase I, of a three-part, library refresh project with Contra Costa County Library and the Clayton Community Library Foundation.  Phase I will include all new paint and carpeting, for both the library and Hoyer Hall, as well as some new furniture.  We know this is the most cherished building in the community and our collective goal is to make even more inviting to the public.

As one project begins, another is coming to a close this month and that project is in partnership with Climatec.  The Climatec project was launched in 2023 and once completed will include all new irrigation controls, new HVAC systems, new interior and exterior LED lighting, a solar array panel that will provide energy to City Hall and the library, as well a new two-vehicle EV charging station in the library parking lot.  We hope to announce a “flip the switch” date and ribbon cutting soon.

Housing Element

After many years and even more meetings with our consultant and the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD), I am excited to share that both the Planning Commission and the City Council have approved the final version of the City’s Sixth Housing Element and we are awaiting final certification from HCD in the next 60 days. Thank you again to our City Manager for all of his work in getting us over the finish line.

On the horizon

We will shortly be launching the 311 app, which will provide the community an easy method for reporting issues they see needing attention throughout the City including but not limited to sidewalk repair, potholes, irrigation problems, graffiti and more.

We are also reviewing new rental facility software for our city-owned buildings and parks, in order to make reservations and payments easy and seamless for the community.

Community Events:

• The City hosted its 18th Annual Concerts in the Grove series, which ran from May 17th to August 23rd. The series was filled with great music, beautiful weather and an incredible sense of community spirit.  Looking forward to the 2026 season already!
• Our City’s 4th of July Parade, was also a great success, with a wonderful mix of parade participants and a variety of local organizations and community leaders and honorees coming together to celebrate the Nation’s birthday. Thank you to Parade Chair, Sarah Brinkman, for volunteering to take this on and make it even better.  We are all looking forward to next year’s parade as we celebrate the Nation’s 250th Birthday!
• The Classic Car Show was held every other Wednesday night in June and July and the turnout, particularly the last night, was incredible. Another great event that brings the community together.   A special thank you Councilmember Jim Diaz for producing another great season of classic car shows!
• Hispanic Heritage Day event will be held on Saturday, September 20th from 1 to 3 pm, at The Grove. The event will include music by Mariachi Mexicanismo, Ballet Folkloria dancing, Ranchero Catering food truck and lots of classic cars.
• The Clayton Community & Business Association (CBCA) hosts Oktoberfest, in downtown Clayton, Saturday, October 4th and Sunday, October 5th.  Visit their site for more details at www.claytoncbca.org/oktoberfest.
• Clayton Theatre Company celebrates its 14th season with “Tootsie” the musical, running Oct. 17-19, 23-26 at Endeavor Hall 6008 Center St. in Clayton. For tickets, call 925-334-0880 or go to www.claytontheatrecompany.com.
• The City is working closely with CBCA to host this year’s Holidays in the Grove, on Saturday, December 6th at 5:00 pm at The Grove Park, downtown. The event will include entertainment, the lighting of the holiday tree and Santa’s arrival.  Stay tuned for more details.

State of the City Town Hall

Will be held on Wednesday, November 5 at 6:00 pm in Hoyer Hall, with updates from myself, our City Manager, and each of our department heads.  It will also provide you, the community, with an opportunity to ask us questions, field your concerns so we can better understand about what’s important to you now and for our City’s future.

If you would like to reach me, you may contact me at kimt@claytonca.gov or at 925.673.7324.  Remember, we are stronger together!