Features
Tune into Your City | Stay
Informed, Participate Via TV, Internet
Ongoing Effort to Retain Military |
Parks Afford Unique, Quality Play Area
Take the Trolley
Tune in to Your City, Now on
Weekends 
It’s reality TV … your government
working for you.
Now on weekends on cable Ch. 25, tune in for Monterey City Council meetings
and other TV shows about local City programs and
activities.
City TV Weekly Schedules
SEE NEW SCHEDULE
as of April, 2006
- City Council meetings air live the
first and third Tuesday of each month at
4 and 7 p.m. Rebroadcasts air between meetings on Tuesday and Thursday
at 4 and 7 p.m.; and on Saturday at 10
a.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., without break.
- City Council Study Sessions, when
held, air live the fourth Wednesday of each
month at 4 p.m. Rebroadcasts air the following
Monday at 7 p.m.
Other City TV shows such as Eye on Monterey
feature in-depth interviews with community members and City staff about
programs and projects. Our news show Monterey up to date highlights topics
coming before the City Council and also offers regular shows on
history and books.
- Eye on Monterey airs Tuesday and
Thursday at 6 p.m.; and Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m.;
and again on Sunday at 1 p.m.
- Monterey up to date airs on the
half hour, right after Eye on Monterey.
Watch it on the Web
City Council meetings are also streamed live online and are accessible from
the City’s Web site. Plans are in the works to archive past meetings as well
as City TV shows on the Web for on-demand viewing. Visit
http://www.monterey.org/tv/video_on_demand.html for content details.
More Communications Advancements
Technology changes in the telecommunications industry and enhancements to
City capabilities have expanded outreach and accessibility opportunities
community wide.
For example, residents now have the ability to air
TV shows on local public access station Ch. 24. And community forums and
lectures can be cablecast live from many community locations.
More details about these and other communications
initiatives at the City are described in
the next article below.
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Stay Informed, Participate
Via TV, Internet Avenues
One of the fastest ways to
communicate today is via mass media – TV
and the Web. Using our own City TV programs, Web site and fiber optic
network, we can deliver updates quickly and
furnish info efficiently. We save money and don’t depend solely on outside
media resources.
How does communications technology benefit
the community?
- Monterey City Council
meetings cablecast live on local cable Ch. 25.
Rebroadcasts now air on weekends as well as weekdays. Meetings are also
shown live on the Web. (See cover story for TV program schedule
and Web site info.)
- City TV shows such as Eye on Monterey
and Monterey up to date.
City programs showcase services and programs that support the quality of
life in our community.
We talk with City leaders and community members about current topics and
let you know how you can participate in the decision-making process.
- Video on demand services.
Soon we plan to provide archived City TV programming at the click of a
button, on the Web. Visit
http://www.monterey.org/tv/video_on_demand.html for archived content
to date. Featured shows will include
City Council meetings and other ongoing TV programs discussing Monterey’s
history, budget, health and safety and housing and traffic.
- Institutional Network (I-Net) connects
City facilities and other partner agencies.
The City’s fiber optic communications network provides two-way data
streaming capabilities throughout the community.
The I-Net boasts Internet access, inter-agency network connections,
videoconferencing and the potential for
telephone service. Using the I-Net, we can cablecast
events live from City buildings, as well as many educational facilities
and school district sites. That means we can deliver public forums,
special events and lectures right to your home.
The I-Net also provides the ability to deliver individualized training
courses or other specialty programs to specific departments or agencies.
All of this comes at a cost that is less than what we paid previously for
network services.
- Public access TV
programs and video training opportunities.
Community members can create and air their own TV shows at Access Monterey
Peninsula (AMP), a local nonprofit media center.
The City contracts with AMP to manage our public access TV station, cable
Ch. 24. AMP trains community members and nonprofits in TV and video
production and
provides video equipment for check out.
For more info on
communications technologies, including the Web site and cable TV programs,
see the cover article or call the City Manager’s Office at 646.3760
(cohn@ci.monterey.ca.us ).
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Challenges Exist for Ongoing
Efforts to Retain Military
Background
We have worked closely with our military communities and the federal
government over the years to maintain the military presence on the
Peninsula, preserving existing resources and economic stimulus. However, we
have experienced our share of difficulties.
In 1991, Fort Ord was closed as part of the Military Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) rounds. Two years later, in 1993, the Defense Language
Institute Foreign Language Center was considered for relocation. Fortunately
during the 1995 base closure round, none of the region’s military assets
were seriously considered for closure or transfer.
At the federal level, the process is already underway to identify the
military bases that will close in fall 2005, as part of the current
Military Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round.
One quarter of the nation’s military installations will close, according to
current Department of Defense (DoD) projections. That figure equals the
total number of bases that were affected in all
four previous BRAC rounds.
Needless to say, all of the “easier” BRAC decisions were made earlier, and
our region’s installations, along with those elsewhere, will again be
reviewed very closely for their military value and cost-effectiveness.
The military communities in Monterey are vital economic components –
combined they provide nearly 10,000 jobs and some $1 billion each year in
direct spending.
In addition, many are major anchors in the higher education and research leg
of our regional economy. These anchors include, but are not limited to, the
Naval Postgraduate School, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language
Center & Presidio of Monterey and Fleet Numerical
Meteorology and Oceanography Center.
Even though there have been “breaks” in the
military’s base closure process through the years, the City’s efforts
to retain our military communities never cease. We work with the
local military to help them reduce operating
costs; and we also partner with local organizations and institutions on
projects that add value to the military operations in and around Monterey.
These efforts will continue as the next BRAC round
heats up, and beyond.
To learn more about Monterey’s military affairs program, please contact
the City Manager’s Office at 646.3760
(cohn@ci.monterey.ca.us).
Parks Afford
Unique, Quality Play Areas
Our 36 parks come in all shapes
and sizes... from our largest 52-acre Veteran’s Memorial Park and the
3-mile Monterey Bay Coastal/Recreation Trail to
very small spaces like Frances Elkins Park (next to the Monterey Art
Museum), Jacobsen Park (across from Safeway on Munras) and the Spray
Avenue Tot Lot (in Del Monte Beach).
Take a look around your neighborhood and see what’s near.
We boast some 22 play areas, including the popular Dennis the Menace
playground.
Most of the play equipment, like that of
Casanova Oak Knoll Park (pictured),
has been replaced at least once in the last 15
years to keep up with general wear
and tear and meet State safety requirements.
We’ve transitioned from industrial strength galvanized pipe to the timber
equipment of the 1980s and onto the colorful metal and recycled plastic
equipment that is popular today.
What’s changed on the playground?
Today’s playgrounds have more space; all
equipment is farther apart. Swings and slides are generally lower and
merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters have disappeared.
We even have equipment geared for specific age groups. Instead of sand, we
see wood fiber and poured-in-place rubber.
How do we pay for needed upgrades?
Routine maintenance is covered with general
operating funds. Major upgrades such as walkway, lighting, fencing and
play equipment replacements are usually funded by grants and the
Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP). The average replacement cost for
play equipment is about $40,000 per park.
For park locations, visit
www.monterey.org/parks.
Take the
Trolley 
Catch the WAVE – the new trolley wave. This summer Monterey-Salinas
Transit (MST) trolleys have joined the Waterfront Area Visitor Express
(WAVE) fleet, transporting residents and visitors alike to popular
destinations in downtown and along the waterfront.
WAVE shuttles and MST trolleys are free and operate from Memorial Day
weekend thru Labor Day. The new trolleys were purchased through a
partnership with MST.
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