Despite the community’s best efforts to help, the Davis Joint Unified School District is still looking for money to avoid losing teachers and programs.

The district’s board of trustees voted Wednesday to put a parcel tax measure on the November ballot. If approved, the ballot measure would allow the school district to levy a tax of $120 per home and $50 per apartment unit annually for up to three years.

The decision to put another parcel tax on the ballot comes less than a year after a similar parcel tax measure was passed by voters in November 2007. That measure created a $200 per year tax for homeowners and $100 per year for apartment units.

It also comes on the heels of a fundraising effort this spring by the Davis Schools Foundation, which raised over $1.7 million to retain science teachers, music teachers and librarians.

A parcel tax can only be enacted with the approval of at least 66 percent of those voting on Election Day. Last November’s measure garnered 73 percent of the vote, but surveys conducted by the district have shown that support for another parcel tax will not be as widespread.

In addition to potential fatigue from the fundraising efforts of the last year, advocates of the parcel tax will have to contend with a bloated ballot this November. California voters will see 11 statewide propositions on the ballot, in addition to the presidential election, congressional elections and state legislature elections.

DJUSD trustee Gina Daleiden said the fatigue will be much greater if the measure is not passed.

“Without this measure’s structural solution to our structural funding issues, relying solely on unsustainable year-to-year fundraising efforts for critical programs, we would see much greater fatigue,” Daleiden said in an e-mail interview.

If the new parcel tax is passed, it will include accountability measures such as a citizen oversight committee. Daleiden said the tax will not necessarily be levied for all three years.

“The board reviews the district financial situation each year to determine if the tax is necessary to fund the very specific programs in the measure,” she said.

Daleiden said she expects the community to recognize the value of a measure that funds education. The parcel tax will provide funding for roughly 15 full-time science teachers, music teachers and librarians at the elementary level. It will also provide funding for roughly 11 full-time teachers at the secondary level.

“If this measure doesn’t pass, we face certain and deep cuts to the core program we offer our students, and that in turn will result in losing teachers and instruction for our students,” she said. “Both the kids and our community will lose.”

The parcel tax is opposed by some apartment managers in Davis, who say the tax is weighted too heavily on renters. An unsigned flyer distributed to residents at the Almondwood Apartments and Fountain Circle Townhomes outlined an argument against the parcel tax.

“The school board will have to hope the uninformed UCD students will vote for a tax that is unfairly weighted on them, especially at a time when UCD students are facing an 11 to 13 [percent] increase in enrollment fees,” the flyer said, according to excerpts posted on The People’s Vanguard of Davis online.

Almondwood and Fountain Circle are both managed by Davisville Management Company. Chief operating officer Janna Buccieri said she did not know who distributed the flyers, but agreed that the parcel tax was a bad idea for renters.

“The homeowners who do have the children should have a much bigger burden,” she said. “The [students] at our complexes don’t have any benefit from it. We’re trying to keep costs down for our residents.”

Buccieri said her company has absorbed every parcel tax increase so far without increasing rent, but that at some point the increased taxes would have to be passed on to students.

“I’m a homeowner and as a homeowner I’m absolutely for it, but I don’t think it’s fair as an employer,” she said.

The Yolo County Taxpayers Association has not yet taken a position on the parcel tax, but its members have demanded that the district explain how the amount of the tax was determined and how that is related to the district’s needs.

“I think if voters become aware of the reasons [the board] has to ask for this, they’ll be less sympathetic,” said association president John Munn.

Munn, a former DJUSD trustee, said part of the reason the district has to raise this money is because the board approved salary increases for teachers last year for which they did not have the money.

“I think that the board has been less intelligent in trying to balance their budget over the past few years and they have a hole to dig out of it,” he said.

The board, however, says that the primary reason for the parcel tax is under-funding on the state’s part. The resolution that was passed Wednesday cited “ongoing and inadequate state funding.”

The election will take place Nov. 4.

JEREMY OGUL can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.

Davis residents seeking refuge from the heat have another option this summer: Manor Pool.

A grand reopening ceremony was held Sunday for the city-owned aquatic complex in East Davis. The facility, which opened for swimming July 4, had been closed for over a year for renovations and new construction.

Sunday’s ceremonies included comments by Mayor Ruth Asmundson, games and free snow cones for those in attendance.

The renovated complex includes three pools: a dive pool, a competition pool and a large zero-entry activity pool. A single-loop water slide, new diving platforms and a concession booth are among the amenities that were added during the renovations.

Several technical upgrades are also expected to improve the experience at Manor Pool, including an ultraviolet sanitation system, new lighting for nighttime activities and upgraded restroom and changing facilities.

The cost to renovate the complex was $4.5 million.

The original complex was built over 33 years ago and was closed due to aging equipment, corroded electrical systems and deteriorating structures. Parts of the facility did not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and other parts were in violation of state drainage regulations.

Manor Pool is located in Slide Hill Park, at the corner of Tulip Lane and Temple Drive. Admission is $3.25 for adults and $2.75 for children ages 5 to 17. The pool is open for public swimming every afternoon this summer. Specific information on operating hours is available online at cityofdavis.org/pcs/rec/aquatics/poolhours.cfm or by calling 757-5626

-Story by Jeremy Ogul

The city of Davis responded last week to the Yolo County Grand Jury’s investigation of the Davis Fire Department by announcing its intention to hire an independent investigator to evaluate the jury’s report of inconsistent promotion practices stemming from a close alliance with the union.

The city released a list of concerns regarding the jury’s investigation, including a lack of what city staff considers to be sufficient detail to allow them to investigate the claims. The report relied on interviews with unnamed sources.

“I’ve seen these [reports] over the years and I think it is pretty broad in terms of scope and the things they looked at,” said city manager Bill Emlen. “There are issues in there we wish we had more information on, but we understand why it can’t be there due to the need for confidentiality.”

There are several findings in the report for which there are legitimate explanations, but confidentiality prohibits the city from providing them, Emlen said.

“If we can legally provide more detail, that might enlighten the public and provide a different perspective,” he said.

The DFD declined to comment on the report or the pending investigation, referring all questions to the city manager’s office.

The independent investigator will do an in-depth analysis of each of the jury’s findings regarding the fire department and report back to the city manager and Davis City Council. The city council, city manager and Fire Chief Rose Conway are required by law to respond to the grand jury’s recommendations within 90 days.

“The grand jury report contains several very serious allegations about practices within the Davis Fire Department,” said city Councilmember Don Saylor. “I support the city manager’s independent review of these allegations to determine the accuracy of the charges and guide any necessary corrections or other actions.”

The grand jury’s final report, released last week, investigated the DFD in response to citizen complaints of an overly interconnected relationship between the fire chief and the union, Davis Professional Firefighters Local 3494, resulting in a hostile work environment and inconsistent promotion practices.

After interviewing past and present DFD employees, including Conway, the jury concluded that an inappropriate relationship does exist between Conway and the union’s leadership. This created a hostile work environment for non-unionized firefighters and led to the perception within the department that promotion depends on being active in union leadership.

“A number of DFD firefighters are fearful of retaliation if they speak out against the fire chief or the union,” the report said. “DFD firefighters, both past and present, indicated that those who questioned or challenged the union in any way would be openly shunned by union members.”

The report goes on to list several instances of ostracism and union favoritism including the case of a 33-year DFD veteran and non-union member who was denied a retirement party or any recognition of service.

While union membership is not mandatory, all DFD firefighters currently are union members – something the grand jury believes might be the result of seeing how non-members are treated.

“One DFD firefighter was so fearful of retaliation that upon being summoned to testify before the grand jury, this individual parked blocks away and walked to the grand jury’s office so that no one would identify the car in the grand jury parking lot and report it to DFD or union management,” the report states.

The grand jury also alleges the misuse of DFD facilities by off-duty personnel.

“It appears that the off-duty DFD firefighters, after drinking in downtown Davis, sometime ‘sleep it off’ at the firehouse rather than drive home, a practice actively supported by the fire chief,” the report states.

The city hopes to announce the name of the investigator in the next week. The first-choice candidate is police ombudsman Bob Aaronson, because as the independent investigator of Davis Police Department matters, he is already familiar with city government policies and procedures, Emlen said.

“The allegations about activities by some in the Davis Fire Department need to be investigated by an independent source like the ombudsman to substantiate or exonerate those individuals,” said Councilmember Stephen Souza. “I am very pleased that the city manager has initiated the hiring of an independent investigator and a report to the council will follow.”

ALYSOUN BONDE can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.

Davis prides itself on being a college town, but in the summer when school is not in regular session, the city gets quieter as many students return home or travel. Residents get a taste of life in an even smaller town.

With 30,685 students enrolled at UC Davis and many leaving for the summer, Davis businesses get quieter too. Some small business owners in Davis feel a drastic change, while others operate as they would in any other season.

Shifts in the population have advantages and disadvantages, said Jeff Adamski, the treasurer of the Davis Downtown Business Association.

“Most food places are slower,” Adamski said. “Retail businesses are fairly stable, since they rely more on the core population. The housing goods stores see a bump when the students start to move back into town and need things to fix up their places.”

The ever present problem of parking in the downtown area is reduced as well, said Adamski, who works at First Northern Bank on Second Street.

“You know the students are gone because parking is much easier,” he said.

At Kaya Yoga, a small yoga studio on Fifth Street, the decrease in the student population hasn’t forced change in the studio’s operations yet, despite the fact that its clientele is mostly UC Davis affiliates.

Owner Kia Meaux opened the studio in November of 2006, and while her first summer was slow, her second is going well so far, she said.

“Our class sizes are very dependent on the UC Davis calendar,” Meaux said. “My student body is about 25 percent locals and 75 percent students, researchers and faculty.”

Meaux has 15 classes per week on the calendar, and averages around 20 students per class.

During Meaux’s first summer, she cut back the class schedule in order to deal with dwindling attendance numbers. So far this summer, she hasn’t seen a need to make cuts, and is hoping to keep it that way.

“Last year we went into a reduced schedule in August,” Meaux said. “I’m hoping to stay open all of August this year.”

The difficulty in staying open is not only based on the decrease in students, but also in teaching staff.

“I have three other teachers, and they may want to take vacations,” Meaux said. “Finding substitutes who are available when students want to take classes is hard.”

Other businesses that depend almost entirely on student business continue to operate throughout the summer.

The UC Davis Bookstore is a “12-month operation,” said general manager Chuck Kratochvil.

The store has, on average, 65 to 70 career staff and around 200 student staff on the payroll, he said, noting that there isn’t a very significant decrease in staffing during the summer months.

While the number of enrolled students drops, the campus stays active during the summer. There are two summer sessions, new student orientations and a steady steam of conferences that keep the bookstore busy.

“We’re always moving inventory behind the scenes,” Kratochvil said, “During the summer we’re busier. If we don’t have our holiday orders in by this point, we’re late.”

The Downtown Davis Business Association does not offer advice or tips to businesses for how to manage during the summer months, Adamski said. Instead, each establishment finds its own way of handling the three months – if they cause a change in business at all.

The quieting of the town is notable, however, and for many, a relief.

“The city uses it as a breather to recover,” he said.

ALI EDNEY can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.

Despite massive support from both state and national agencies, fires continue to burn across Northern California. While the majority of the fires that began in June have been extinguished, smoke from remaining fires still pollutes the air.

At a press conference in Humboldt County last weekend, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would not allow the budget problems currently facing the state to inhibit the efforts of fire personnel currently in the field.

“When it comes to public safety we don’t even want to look at the budget, because public safety is our number one priority,” he said. “So we will do everything that we can. All of the resources that we have will be poured into those fires.”

Of the 1,781 fires that began on or after June 20, only 323 remain. All information below is provided by Cal Fire, the state fire department. More information can be found online at fire.ca.gov.

Butte lightning complex fire

This fire is 40 percent contained. It has burned 49,000 acres and at least 40 residences since it began June 21 after lightning hit the area. Immediate threat evacuation advisories are in effect for the communities of Paradise, Butte Meadows, Jonesville, Jarbo Gap, Yankee Hill and Big Bend. To date, the fire has caused $35.4 million in damages.

Mendocino lightning complex fire

This fire, which is 60 percent contained, has burned 51,200 acres and two residences since lightning hit the area June 20. Currently, no immediate threat evacuation advisories are in effect, although evacuation warnings remain in effect for several communities in Mendocino County. To date, the fire has caused $25.1 million in damages.

Shasta-Trinity lightning complex fire

This fire is 45 percent contained. It has burned 56,177 acres and three residences since it began June 21 after lightning hit the area. Mandatory evacuations are in place for the communities of Ono and Keswick and communities on Iron Mountain Road and Benton Road. To date, the fire has caused $24.3 million in damages.

Humboldt complex fire

This fire is 85 percent contained. It has burned 1,310 acres since it began in June. More information on this fire was not available at press time.

Piute fire

This fire in Kern County is 28 percent contained. It has burned 33,152 acres and five residences since it on June 28. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. To date, it has caused $13.1 million in damages.

JEREMY OGUL can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.