The Latest News from TPA

City of San Leandro

TPA is excited to announce a new partnership with the City of San Leandro. Located between Silicon Valley and the San Francisco/Oakland area, San Leandro is home to many commercial and retail businesses including Coca Cola, Kraft/General Foods, Ghiradelli Chocolate Co., and Otis Spunkmeyer. The City of San Leandro seeks to improve the already high quality of life for its residents and the many businesses located within the City.

TPA will work with the City to advocate for the City’s legislative interests at the State on issues including, but not limited to: transportation, infrastructure, public safety, broadband technology, as well as furthering partnerships with educational institutions. TPA is very excited to partner with the City of San Leandro.

Visit their website, https://www.sanleandro.org

City of Brea Receives $1 Million Grant for Trail Project

Townsend Public Affairs helped the longtime client, the City of Brea, secure another exciting funding win recently. The City has been awarded $1 Million in grant funds through the Bicycle Corridor Improvement Program. They were ranked first out of all the applications!

The City will use these funds for the “Tracks at Brea” trail project. The tracks at Brea are an essential component of the transportation system in the community. The trail route will eventually include over four miles of trails running through the City and connect many activity centers including Downtown Brea, schools, parks, businesses and neighborhoods.

The Bicycle Corridor Improvement Program is funded using federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds and is currently authorized under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP – 21). The CMAQ program provides funding through annual appropriations to Orange County to be used for transportation-related projects that reduce congestion and improve air quality. OCTA is responsible for selecting regionally significant projects for Orange County and working with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in administering selected projects.

The City of Brea has been a client with Townsend Public Affairs for over seven years. We have established a great working relationship with City Manager, Tim O’Donnell and current Mayor Brett Murdock. We are excited to assist the City with winning these well-deserve funds that will greatly benefit the community.

Congratulations, City of Brea

Discovery Cube Orange County Breaks Ground for Major Expansion

The Discovery Science Center (DSC), one of TPA’s longest clients, broke ground on January 24, 2014 to expand their Santa Ana facility. DSC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating young people, assisting teachers and increasing public understanding of science, math and technology through interactive exhibits and programs. DSC is the most attended science center per square foot in the nation. The $22.5 Million expansion is anticipated to double the number of visitors to 1 Million annually and expand the field trip capacity of the museum to 210,000 students each year.

The expansion will be phased and Phase 1 includes a new 40,000 square foot Discovery Pavilion, a California Natural Resources Pavilion and Education Wing, and an expansion of the Grand Hall of Science by 4,000 square feet. The new two-story Discovery Pavilion will include a world-class Showcase Theatre to host blockbuster and world premiere traveling exhibits. Construction on the project began with the groundbreaking ceremony that featured a pyrotechnic filled “explosive” groundbreaking. Featured speakers included Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, and DSC Board Leadership President Joe Adams, Vice President Rick Baily, and Board Chairman Dan Bolar. Townsend Public Affairs has secured more than $39 Million in state and federal funding for DSC and is proud to be a part of the future of the Discovery Science Center.

City of Tulare Receives $7 Million Grant for Highway Interchange Project

Townsend Public Affairs worked with the City of Tulare to receive $7 million from Proposition 1B for improvements to the Cartmill Avenue Interchange on State Route 99. The proposed project would modify the existing interchange to provide the necessary capacity for future traffic volumes, address safety and design concerns with the current interchange and would facilitate the future development of the entire Cartmill Avenue regional corridor. The project will dramatically improve the safety and capacity of this interchange, which serves a major agricultural and industrial hub in the Central Valley. This allocation provides the final piece of funding for the project, allowing for construction to begin almost immediately.

While Townsend Public Affairs and City staff pursued various State and competitive federal grants for the project, ultimately funding was realized through savings in the Proposition 1B program from the California Transportation Commission.

City of Hayward Wins $396,000 Highway Safety Grant

The City of Hayward, a long time client was recently awarded $396,000 from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to address safety concerns for pedestrians and motorists at city two intersections. Townsend Public Affairs, City staff and a consortium of city residents collaborated to identify ways to address the safety concerns and design cost-effective solutions that could be implemented through the grant funds. The end result were strategically placed traffic signals and pedestrian signals that draw motorists attention to the intersections.

Townsend Public Affairs provided technical review and expertise on the grant application ensuring the safety needs were well documented and the solutions identified would address the problems. In addition, TPA worked with the City’s legislative delegation to gain their support and advocacy for the grant application.

The City of Hayward did a fantastic job involving residents in viable solutions to improve motorist and pedestrian safety in the neighborhoods. Congratulations to the City of Hayward!

Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County Wins $262,000 Landscaping Grant

Townsend Public Affairs is proud to announce our client, The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, recent funding achievement from the California Natural Resources Agency in the amount of $262,155 from the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Grant Program. These much needed funds will help purchase native trees and landscaping at the Octagon Barn Center that will mitigate significant air quality, noise, and traffic congestion from the major transportation improvements nearby.

Townsend Public Affairs is greatly appreciate of the outstanding work by the staff of the Conservancy, as well as the leadership and support from Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian and Senator Bill Monning. TPA assisted in writing the grant application, working with the Natural Resources Agency staff, and advocating with legislative leadership in support of the project.

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County works cooperatively with both landowners and government agencies to restore wildlife habitat, protect cultural resources, and promote outdoor recreation. Since 1984, they have permanently conserved over 14,700 acres of land in San Luis Obispo County.

Congratulations Land Conservancy!