Extension of nuisance ordinance also approved
 
PUBLISHED: May 7, 2019 at 9:40 pm | UPDATED: May 7, 2019 at 9:40 pmOROVILLE — The Oroville City Council approved everything put before it Tuesday, including extending the nuisance ordinance and creating a business improvement district.
Councilors were unanimous in all votes taken at the meeting.
Improving businessAfter the council voted to approve an ordinance to create the Downtown Oroville Business Improvement District, developer Bud Tracy told the council, “Thank you for ending 30 years of waiting for it.”
Tracy is maybe best known as the owner who renovated the Oroville Inn, turning the downtown building into dormitories for the Northwest Lineman College.
He has also been working for a long time — about 30 years — to create a business improvement district that would collect fees from downtown businesses to fund marketing and special events and beautify the downtown area. Proposed fees for business owners in the district range from $100 to $500 per year, depending on the location and the type of business.
Before the vote, Tracy told the council that about 120 businesses that would be affected were in favor of the district and just two were opposed. Those against it had spoken to the council previously.
Ordinance 1839 will add a chapter to the municipal code that creates the business district.
Nuisance law extendedWhen the council approved an urgency nuisance code April 16, it went into effect immediately, but was only good for 45 days.
City attorney Scott Huber said the urgency code had been working in the few weeks since implemented and recommended making it permanent.
Staff has already abated several properties, Huber told the council.
He also reiterated that the nuisance ordinance was not for issues where a fence falls down or minor repairs are needed, but for “sub-standard, blighted properties that are not suitable for human habitation.”
The urgency code was amended to allow the fire chief or fire marshal to declare nuisances as well.
“This is something that needed to be done,” Huber said.
The ordinance approved Tuesday will amend the nuisance code chapter of the municipal code, making the changes permanent after final approval.
New tractorAt 27 years old, the city’s Caterpillar 916 Wheel Loader tractor needs to be replaced, assistant city administrator Bill LaGrone told the council.
Alternatively, the council could invest about $12,000 to get it up to California emissions standards, but the loader tractor trade-in value is $14,000.
Plus, the city has to reach a spending threshold of $300,000 to get Senate Bill 1 funds, and LaGrone said because the tractor is used mostly for roadwork in the city, $90,000 could go toward a new piece of equipment.
The rest of the roughly $174,000 tractor’s funds would come from the sewer department plus the Thermalito and Oroville storm water departments, which all used the tractor.
The sewer department would put in $50,000 from its budget because it uses the tractor second-most, about 30 percent of the time, and the storm water departments will contribute $17,000 each, LaGrone said.
The council approved the replacement of the old tractor.
New plannerOroville will also contract with Bureau Veritas North America for city planning.
The company will assess the city’s needs and charge up to $54,000 with a planner who works in Oroville three days a week. That cost is by the hour, though, and LaGrone said he didn’t expect to need the planner in Oroville three days a week every week.
New videoAlthough it will cost nearly $95,000, the Council Chambers on Montgomery Street will have new audio and video equipment installed.
There was some hesitation to approve speakers, microphones and cameras at $94,619.85, but the council approved it after hearing that the work done to replace the old gear would be extensive.
It also seemed to help that the money to upgrade the equipment comes from a fee required by law and collected by cable companies to provide public, educational and government (PEG) access channels. The money must be used to increase public access and transparency.
Additional itemsThe council recognized the Feather Fiesta Days centennial celebration that began Friday, May 3, and ends Saturday, May 11, with festivities including a downtown parade and car show.
Oroville also proclaimed Salvation Army week to be May 13-20.
By DAN REIDEL | dreidel@chicoer.com |
From our member, the OrovilleMR Link

Feather Fiesta Days, our hometown continues this week with the Big Day happening this Saturday! Today, we will be talking about what events will be taking place from May 7 through May 11. If you want all the details, head to FeatherFiestaDays.org.
May 7Trivia Night
The Exchange, 1975 Montgomery St.
Starting at 8:00 pm
May 8Pioneer Museum Open House
Pioneer Museum, 2332 Montgomery St.
12:00 to 4:00 pm
Potluck, Wine Live Music
Purple Line Urban Winery, 760 Safford St.
6:00 to 9:00 pm
May 10Feather Falls Casino Show n' Shine
Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Dr.
2:00 to 8:00 pm
72nd Kiwanis "Kiddies" Parade
Historic Downtown Oroville
Starts at 4:30 pm
Silence At The Disco
The Spirit Venue, 2360 Oro Quincy Hwy.
Starts at 8:00 pm
May 11Eagles "All You Can Eat" Pancake Breakfast
Eagles Hall, corner of Montgomery & Myers Sts.
6:00 to 10:00 am
Cost: $5.00
Native Sons of  the Golden West Bloody Mary Bar & Beer Garden
At Huntoon St. & Miner's Alley
11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Feather River Senior Citizen's Association Feather Fiesta Days Celebration
Feather River Senior Center, 1335 Myers St.
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Gold Rush Street Fair
Historic Downtown Oroville
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Oroville Docents Craft Faire
Sank Park, 1067 Montgomery St.
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Exchange Club Grand Parade
Historic Downtown Oroville
Starts at 10:00 am
Gold Rush Car Show
Historic Downtown Oroville
7:00 am to 3:00 pm
12th Annual Gold Rush Car Show Get Together
Lowla's Hotrods & Heels Boutique, 1360 Myers St.
11:00 am to 5:00 pm
An Evening of Chocolate, Wine & Brew Gala Benefit Dinner
Gold Country Casino Resort, 4020 Olive Hwy.
6:00 to 10:00 pm
Tickets: $85.00 per person

​*We are sharing this press release from our Member, the Oroville Hospital*
OROVILLE HOSPITAL TAKES ACTION TO IMPROVE PARKING AT THE MAIN CAMPUS
OROVILLE, Calif. (05/06/2019) – At Oroville Hospital our patient’s ability to access quality health care with ease is one of our top priorities. We understand that the lack of parking at the main campus has put a hindrance on our patients, and our executive team has been intently working on how we can correct this issue.
Starting in January, Oroville Hospital initiated a shuttle system that allowed Oroville Hospital employees to park at Dove’s Landing and take one of our buses to the main campus, thus reducing the amount of parking spaces being used by staff. Due to our employee’s eagerness to help alleviate this issue, the shuttle service resulted in a great success. 
We are excited to announce that we will be expanding the use of our employee shuttles, and plan to take about 100 additional vehicles off of the main campus parking lot. This will result in an immense increase in the amount of parking that will become available to our patients and visitors. It is with the assistance of the Calvary Baptist Church and the offering of their parking lot, that we are able to expand this service. We would like to thank them for their generosity, and allowing us the opportunity to alleviate the limited parking places at the hospital.
All of this will be taking place while our expansion project enters the next phase of construction. Those who visit our campus will soon be able to see fences go up as our construction crews begin to clear space for our new tower, as well as additional parking. With the continual use of our shuttle service, we do not anticipate any further impediment to the parking arrangements. 
Oroville Hospital is looking forward to bringing these profound advancements to Oroville, and would like the community to be involved with the progress of the expansion project. For those that are interested in following along, a live feed overlooking the construction site is now available at the Oroville Hospital website. www.OrovilleHospital.com/Expansion

 

The weather is perfect to take the family to a variety of camping spots Oroville has to offer. The breathtaking scenery around Oroville offers plenty of nature to explore on the land and in the water.
The Lake Oroville State Recreation Area offers a variety of camping amenities at the Bidwell Canyon Campground, Lime Saddle Campground, and Loafer Creek Campground. These include picnicking, horseback riding, hiking, sail and power boating, water-skiing, fishing, swimming, boat-in camping, floating campsites and horse camping. A special note should be made that currently in the Spring of 2019 Bidwell Canyon Campground has several FEMA sites to help house families that were affected by the 2018 Camp Fire that has affected camping availability.
To reserve a campsite at the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, head to Reserve California, or reach out to the individual campgrounds:
Bidwell Canyon Campground
(530) 538-2218
Lime Saddle Campground
(530) 876-8516
Loafer Creek Campground
(530) 538-2217
For those who enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of their RVs there are several places in Oroville that offer fantastic views and amazing customer service.
River Reflections offers a beautiful view of the Feather River. Call (530) 533-1995 or Visit the Website.
Riffles RV Park & Campground also offers amazing views of the Feather River and fishing. Call (530) 534-9956 or Visit the Website.
Lake Oroville Gold Country RV Community sits near Lake Oroville and has a pool, showers, and laundry machines. Call (530) 534-1133 or Visit the Website.
Feather Falls Casino gives you the complete KOA experience nestled in the foothills of Oroville. Call (530) 533-9020 or Visit the Website.
River One RV Park has boating and water sports near its location on the Feather River. Call (530) 533-8679 or Visit the Website.
Berry Creek Rancheria RV Park gives you easy access to the entertainment Gold Country Casino Resort Provides. Call (866) 991-5061 or Visit the Website.


If you want more information, always feel free to contact the Oroville Chamber at (530) 538-2542 or email at info@orovillechamber.com.

May 2, 2019Oroville Operations and Main Spillway UpdateLake Level
The current Oroville reservoir elevation is 884 feet. Total releases into the Feather River continue at 10,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). DWR is safely managing Oroville reservoir inflows from melting snowpack and plans to keep lake levels high through spring and summer. DWR is operating the reservoir in accordance with normal state and federal regulations. A full lake is a welcome sight after years of drought and low levels to accommodate reconstruction. Good news as we head into the summer months for all those who love to recreate on the lake!
Thermalito Diversion Pool and Brad Freeman Trail Reopening
The Thermalito Diversion Pool and Brad Freeman Trail will reopen to the public on Friday, May 3. Kayakers, mountain bikers and hikers can access both areas seven days a week from 8 a.m. to sunset. Kayaks, non-motorized boats (electric motors allowed) and non-trailered boats can access the day use area located along Burma Road and bikers and hikers can take advantage of the two-mile section of the Brad Freeman Trail along the northern shore of the Diversion Pool.
Main Spillway
Releases from the Hyatt Powerplant are adequate to meet operational requirements of the reservoir and there is no need to use the main spillway at this time. However, DWR may need to use the main spillway again this spring to manage inflows from snowmelt and will notify the public and media if this is necessary.
The Oroville main spillway is fully reconstructed and performed as designed when it was used in early April. DWR and expert consultants continue to monitor the main spillway, so workers may be visible on the spillway structure. When it is not in use, water on the spillway is from normal seepage through the spillway gates, which were not designed to be watertight.
Road Construction
Repaving operations continue on Oroville Dam Crest Road, the Spillway Boat Launch facility, and other nearby roads. Paving construction vehicles will continue to use Hyatt Access Road through May 29. Motorists and residents should anticipate additional construction traffic on Canyon Drive and on Oro Dam Blvd. East to the Hyatt Access Road Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. DWR apologizes for any inconvenience and will notify the public when there are any changes to this information. Thank you for your continued patience.
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For more information please contact oroville@water.ca.gov or visit:https://water.ca.gov/Programs/State-Water-Project/SWP-Facilities/Oroville/Oroville-Spillways

April 26, 2019Oroville Operations and Main Spillway UpdateCORRECTION: In our earlier notification, we stated that repaving operations on area roadways will be underway Monday to Friday through May 29. Paving will also take place this Sunday April 29 and on Saturdays through the end of May.
Oroville’s current reservoir elevation is 877 feet, an increase of 10 feet from last week. Total releases to the Feather River have also increased slightly to 10,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). Oroville’s operations plan is designed to safely accommodate inflows from the above average snowpack, and DWR is aiming to keep lake levels high through spring and summer. Currently, releases from the Hyatt Powerplant are adequate to meet operational requirements of the reservoir and there is no need to use the main spillway at this time. However, we may need to use the main spillway again this year to manage inflows from increased snow melt. DWR will notify the public and media of any planned use of the main spillway.
The main spillway performed as designed when it was used April 2 through April 10, with releases topping out at 25,000 cfs. DWR engineers will continue to perform a thorough inspection of the main spillway to further evaluate its performance and will continue to be visible on the spillway structure. Water currently seen on the spillway results from normal seepage through the spillway radial gates, which are not designed to be watertight. Sandbags are used to direct the flow of water to one side of the spillway or the other to allow for safe access by DWR engineers.
DWR contractors have begun repaving operations on the Oroville Dam Crest Road, the Spillway Boat Launch facility and other area roadways. Paving construction vehicles will continue to use Hyatt Access Road through May 29. Motorists and residents should anticipate additional construction traffic on Canyon Drive and on Oro Dam Blvd. East to the Hyatt Access Road Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience and will notify you if there are any changes. Thank you for your continued patience.
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