On Wednesday, April 24, the Elk Grove City Council held their eighth regular meeting of 2024. The meeting lasted slightly over three hours.  During the meeting the city honored former Elk Grove Planning Commissioner George Murphey who recently resigned. Mr. Murphey served for over 17 years as the rural Sheldon neighborhood commissioner.  Other meeting highlights included the annual report for the trails committee, introduction of the city's new employees, a change in the fines for illegal fireworks, a new agreement for the city's long delayed Project Elevate and a report on the a ..read more

(Culinary.net) Running short on time from a busy schedule shouldn’t mean skipping out on your favorite desserts. In fact, it should be all the more reason to enjoy a sweet treat as a reward for all that hard work. When you’re due for a bite into dark chocolate goodness, all it takes is a few minutes out of your day to make 5-Minute Dark Chocolate Cereal Bars. This quick and simple dessert makes it easy to celebrate the day’s accomplishments without added stress. As a fun way for little ones to help in the kitchen, you can cook together the butter, marshmallows, peanut butter and cereal then ..read more

Following a multitude of complaints over the last several Fourth of July holiday celebrations, tonight, the Elk Grove City Council will amend and strengthen the city's fireworks ordinance. Tonight, the city council will approve the increase of the minimum fines to $1,000 per violation for illegal fireworks with escalations. Additonally, there will be a mechanism for host responsibility citations for illegal fireworks.  According to the staff report: Under the proposed Schedule of Administrative Fines, a violation of Chapter 17.06 involving even a single dangerous firework would resul ..read more

Yesterday, a significant legal development unfolded in Sacramento as a Superior Court judge upheld the language on a proposed ballot measure. The measure, initially titled the "Protect Kids of California Act," was deemed misleading and subsequently modified by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. After Bonta changed the title to "Restrict Rights of Transgender Youth," the measure supporters cried foul, saying the new title was prejudicial, and sought a judicial ruling restoring the ballot to its original title. Judge Stephen Acquisto ruled on the request.  Yesterday, Acquisto delive ..read more

During last week's Elk Grove Zoo financing Zoom meeting, the city's finance manager, Matt Paulin, made a statement that bears examination. That statement, which he also hedged, was about future interest rates (see video below). "I can't tell you what the future holds when it comes to interest rates, but I think they are going to be lower than they are today," he said. "How much lower it's tough to tell." So, who's right about the future of interest rates? Wall Street or Main Street? In defense of Mr. Paulin, how many times have Wall Street, with its hucksters and scammers, misled or just go ..read more

Even though Elk Grove city attorney Jonathan Hobbs (left) hired another staff attorney, Emilio Camacho, the city's use of outside counsel continues unabated. |  This year, Elk Grove's city attorney's office added another staff member. City attorney Jonathan Hobbs announced the new staff attorney on the city's payroll during the January 24 city council meeting (see video below). Emilio Camacho was hired as a senior deputy attorney. Before joining Elk Grove in October 2023, Mr. Camacho was on the Sacramento city attorney's staff. With the inclusion of Camacho, the city attorney's ..read more

Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho issued a warning statement today to the public about a person released on parole who he characterizes as a threat to the community.  The parolee, Kyle Douglas Frank, was paroled by the California Department of Corrections on April 10. Frank served 14 of a 90-year sentence following his March 2011 jury trial, where he was found guilty of eight counts of attempted murder. Additonally, the jury found Frank guilty of enhancements for personal use and discharge of a firearm to be true.  District Attorney Ho has classified Frank's convictions ..read more

04/23 Tech Career Event (4 p.m.) 04/24 City Council Meeting (5 p.m.) 04/25 Arts Commission Meeting (6:30 p.m.) 04/27 Elk Grove Festival of the Arts (10 a.m.) 04/27 Elk Grove Brewfest (2 p.m.) 04/28 Water Fitness Demo Day (1 p.m.) 05/01 Food Truck Mania (5 p.m.) 05/02 Planning Commission Meeting (6 p.m.) 05/03 Fridays in the Grove: Country in the Plaza (5 p.m.) 05/04 Elk Grove Western Festival (10 a.m.) 05/04 First Saturday Art Reception (4 p.m.) 05/05 Elk Grove Western Festiva ..read more

One of the 13 properties in Elk Segundo, Calif.-based CenterCal Acquisitions portfolio is this strip center in Seattle. |   On Wednesday, the Elk Grove City Council will approve the sale of the taxpayer-owned parcel that will house the long-planned mixed-use development known as Project Elevate.  El Segundo, Calif.-based CenterCal Acquisitions, LLC will purchase 20.5 acre parcel for $4 million, subject to an appraisal. Their website shows that they have developed 17 shopping centers in California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.   Previously, the city ha ..read more

By Dan Bacher |  As salmon, steelhead and other fish species move closer to extinction and the Delta smelt is now functionally extinct in the wild, a coalition of environmental groups and the Central Delta Water Agency are demanding that the State Water Board take action on outdated DWR water rights before the approval of the Delta Tunnel is even considered. After waiting 14 years, water rights protestants to a 2009 proceeding have filed a complaint against the State Water Resources Control Board alleging it has given preferential treatment to the Department of Water ..read more