Pocket – Greenhaven Community Association

The PGCA January general meeting was a success. Here is a link to the minutes. If you have any questions email us at info@pocketgreenhaven.org

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cw9CmGVqcLwHRhpPokWAoYw17fVV5uW7Vd3rX5ypjbQ/edit?usp=sharing

There is another round of cluster mailbox break-ins occurring in the Pocket Greenhaven Neighborhood. As you may recall the PGCA was instrumental in leading the fight last year against these break-ins.  We held a community meeting in July and with the help of federal officials had locks and older cluster mailboxes replaced.   Unfortunately, last month mail carriers were held up at gunpoint and their master keys were stolen.  Since then we have seen an increase in break-ins, with at least 5 occurring in the last few days in our neighborhood.  Your PGCA, as in the past, is working with Congresswoman Matsui’s office and the USPS to end this new round of break ins.  Please email info@pocketgreenhaven.org if you know of a cluster mailbox break-in.  Please include: the time and date, address, was forced used to open the mailbox, any security footage or photos, and any other witness information. 

Your PGCA will have a short presentation at our January 19^th community meeting about our efforts to stop these break ins.  In the meantime, we recommend that you collect your mail from cluster mailboxes daily.

Sacramento Arts & Culture Matching Grant Program Are you an artist or community member dreaming up a public art project? A non-arts organization looking to use arts in your programs? A dancer who needs money for a performance in a park? An arts educator reaching new audiences? An individual with an idea or a program in your neighborhood? The City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with community crowdfunding nonprofit ioby, is asking City of Sacramento community members to apply for up to $15,000 in matching funds for arts and culture projects. Learn more at www.ioby.org/Sacramento.

St. Anthony Community Youth Basketball Registration Open After a 2 Year hiatus due to the COVID Pandemic, St. Anthony’s is proud to be bringing back the popular SACYB Basketball League.  SACYB is an 8-week program serving 1st – 7th Grade Boys & Girls of the greater Pocket/Greenhaven & Land Park Communities. Visit www.stasac.org/st-anthony-community-youth-basketball for more information.

2023 Pocket Little League Registration Open Registration is open for the upcoming 2023 spring season of Pocket Little League.  Visit www.pocketlittleleague.com for more information.

2023 Pocket Girls Softball Registration Open Pocket Girls Softball is back for its 54th season! Discounted Early Spring registration is now available! Players of all experience levels are welcome to join us at the 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U divisions. Don’t wait; Roster spots fill up quickly! Early registration runs until Nov 30th. 6U: $75 8U-14U: $200 Regular registration will run from Dec 1st – Jan 15th 6U: $100 8U-14U: $250 Details and to Register: www.pocketgirlssoftball.org

Do you want to become more involved in government decisions that directly affect your neighborhood?  Do you ever wonder how tax money was spent or how city projects were started?  Now is your chance to stop wondering, and start doing.

The City of Sacramento has many boards and committees that directly affect you and your neighborhood.  As a resident of the City of Sacramento and the Pocket/Greenhaven Neighborhood you can apply to serve on these boards and committees and have a direct impact on how these local government programs are run.  These boards cover everything from spending and oversight, to historic preservation.

Here is a link to the City Boards and Committee Website

https://boards.cityofsacramento.org/

Three committees that have vacancies and a direct impact on the Pocket/Greenhaven Neighborhood are:

1. Sacramento Community Police Review Commission

https://boards.cityofsacramento.org/apply/board/2945

2. Measure U Community Advisory Committee 

https://boards.cityofsacramento.org/apply/board/2936

3. Active Transportation Commission

https://boards.cityofsacramento.org/apply/board/2924

The City has over 30 boards and committees to fill by December 31, 2022.  You can fill them as a District 7 resident, or as a resident with unique qualifications specific to that board.

You can always participate in these boards and committees without being appointed to them.  All of the meeting times and locations are listed on the website above,  You can join and comment on these meetings as a Sacramento Resident.

Now is your chance to get involved and make a difference.

COUNCIL BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE The Council’s Budget and Audit Committee will meet at 11:00 am on Tuesday, December 6.  You can find the link to the meeting here. I am a member of this committee, which oversees the City’s Budget and the activities of the City Auditor. For those of you that do not know, the City of Sacramento has a City Auditor that is tasked with overseeing our Whistle Blower Hotline and providing oversight performance audits of the various City departments and activities. For more information on what the City Auditor does and the services that they provide please visit the Auditor’s web site. One item that might be of interest is the City Auditor’s report on the City’s Cannabis Code Enforcement activities. This is an important oversight function that the city performs on all cannabis businesses that operate in the City of Sacramento. The City Auditor has some recommendations and findings that would improve the code enforcement oversight of cannabis businesses. You can read the link to the staff report on this item. CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS The City Council will hold meetings at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm today. The agenda and link to the 2:00pm meeting can be found here, and the agenda and link to the 5:00 pm meeting can be found here. During the 2:00 pm meeting the Council will be discussing, and hopefully approving, the legally binding agreement between the City of Sacramento and the County of Sacramento regarding homelessness. Adoption of an agreement between the City and County was a condition of the recently-passed Measure O. There are multiple aspects to this agreement, and I wanted to highlight a couple of important points. The first is that the agreement is legally binding and has a five-year term with the ability to extend the agreement for an additional five years. It also requires that the City and County present a joint report on progress to the City Council and County Board of Supervisors every six months. It clearly outlines roles and responsibilities, including the provision of additional shelter beds for those experiencing mental health issues. I believe that this agreement is a substantial step forward and am committed to its implementation and continuing to increase the services we provide. The link to the staff report which contains the entire agreement and an analysis can be found here. The 5:00 pm City Council meeting will have one public hearing on the expansion of the Sacramento Services Community Facilities District in relationship to the development of the “Panhandle” area of Natomas. You can find that staff report here. The rest of the 5:00 pm meeting will be centered on saying goodbye to outgoing Councilmembers Angelique Ashby, Jeff Harris, and Jay Schenirer, who have served Sacramento with distinction for many years. As always, it is my immense privilege to be your District 7 Councilmember. If you have any concerns or need assistance from my office, please send an email to rjennings@cityofsacramento.org or leave a voicemail at (916) 808-7007. Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you around the neighborhood!

2022 Pocket Canal Lights Since 2018, PGCA co-founder and parks commissioner, Devin Lavelle, has led the effort to light the Pocket canal for the holidays along with City Council member Rick Jennings.  Since then, the lights have become a holiday favorite and have grown to span more and more of the canal. Donate Each year, the goal is to further expand the lights, but your help is needed. You can donate to light even more of the canal at giftstoshareinc.ejoinme.org/donate. Volunteer Each year, the community comes together to string the lights along the canal. If you would like to volunteer to help string lights, visit bit.ly/3GgWHA9.  When: December 3, 2022, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Where:Portuguese Community Park, 7350 Durfee Way Sacramento, CA 95831 Canal Lighting Ceremony This year’s lighting ceremony will feature a visit from Santa!  When: December 4, 2022, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (weather permitting) Where:Portuguese Community Park, 7350 Durfee Way Sacramento, CA 95831