Working to Improve Communication to Residents: Communications is a top priority for the City Council. Prior to developing a communication plan, which included revamping the city website and creating the Belvedere Breeze e-newsletter, we conducted a survey of residents in fall 2023. This year, to evaluate the impact of our various efforts to improvecommunication, we asked residents, once again, to give us feedback on what’s working and how communication from the city could be improved. In his report about the survey results, councilmember Kevin Burke thanked the 72 residents who completed the survey and highlighted several key findings.
Most respondents said they got news about Belvedere and city events by reading Belvedere Breeze and/or The Ark. Overall, respondents said that communications from the city were relevant, useful, timely and transparent. This represents significant progress compared to the baseline survey a year ago, but we still have room for improvement. For example, most said that they felt uninformed about City Council goals and actions. Respondents also said they were interested in learning more about emergency preparedness and safety; capital improvement projects; housing and development; and traffic and parking. Stay tuned!
Managing the Mallard Pointe Project: City Manager Zadnik reported that, while the developer submitted various applications in December 2024, review of these applications has been paused until the cost recovery agreement is finalized. At that point, the Planning Department will work with outside firms to review various technical components of these and future submittals, including bulkhead replacement. In addition, the city will be hiring a project manager to provide day-to-day oversight of demolition, construction, and compliance. For details go to the Mallard Pointe Project page on the city website.
Improving Belvedere’s Financial Stability: ClearSource Financial Consulting presented the results of Belvedere’s first comprehensive user fee study. The study found that the city’s current fees for services provided by the Planning & Building Department and Public Works generate revenue that is far below the actual cost of delivering those services. The Council supported the study and gave staff direction to further refine the draft fee schedule. At the April 14 City Council meeting, the revised proposed fee schedule will be