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Politics & Government

Much Higher Turnout at Thursday's Town Hall Forum

City staffers briefed residents on the state of redevelopment agencies, the city budget and construction projects around town.

Word must have got out because turnout at Thursday's Town Hall meeting was more than double that of the last meeting in July when only a dozen people showed.

The city kicked off a series of meetings this summer to give residents a forum to talk to civic leaders about anything and everything San Ramon-related. This week's was the second of three meetings and more than 30 people attended.

The city manager and other department heads brought attendees up to speed on things like the city budget, police services, parks and recreation, public works and construction projects.

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Some highlights from the conversation ...

Redevelopment: The state Supreme Court agreed to halt the state's attempt to dismantle redevelopment agencies across the state, City Manager Greg Rodgers said.

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The stay was granted until the courts resolve a lawsuit filed against the state by the League of California Cities and the California Redevelopment Agency Association. (Read more about that .)

Rogers said the city's prepared for either outcome, but if the redevelopment agency is dissolved, San Ramon will lose out on a lot of money.

"The city won't sink, but it will lose a great funding structure down the road," Rogers said.

City Center: The $700 million project is alive and well, according to Phil Wong, the city's head planner.

All the preliminary work is done, Wong said. All the city needs is for the economy to pick up and for developers to greenlight construction.

Mayor Abram Wilson said the city has very high hopes for the project, calling it a cross between Rodeo Drive and Santana Row.

"We want to do it right and we want to do it right the first time," he said.

The project is a unique public-private partnership, according to the mayor. The city owns nearly half of the 40-acre lot slated for the center, while Sunset Development is responsible for the construction. This gives the city a pretty big financial stake and more control.

Road conditions: Folks got a rundown of various street repaving projects around town, including some on the city's busiest roadways.

Some residents from Sunny Glen, a neighborhood in south San Ramon, chimed in and said the streets are horrendous.

"The streets are literally disintegrating," said one resident from the neighborhood. "I feel like if we didn't take care of our own community, nothing would get done."

City staffers said they will look into that and make repairs there a priority. The city prioritizes street repairs based on what's called a Pavement Management Index, which ranks the quality of a roadway on a numerical index. The worst roadways are fixed first when funding is available.

But Wilson said it's still important for people to speak up.

"You citizens have to let us know because there's a difference between looking at a street number and driving through a street and hitting a pothole," Wilson said.

A resident suggested creating an online resource on which people can look up what streets are slated for repairs and when. Wilson and city staffers called it a great idea and they're sure they can offer that.

At a glance

WHAT: "City Council Comes to You"

WHEN: 7 p.m. Aug. 22

WHERE: , Terrace Room, 12501 Alcosta Blvd.

To reach reporter Jennifer Wadsworth, email jenniferw@patch.com or call 925-238-5742. Reach reporter James T. Ott at jamesott84@yahoo.com or call him at 925-238-5741. Follow @SanRamonPatch on Twitter and Facebook.

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