Latest News

Friday, April 10, 2026| What’s Doing in Lafayette?

News From the City Manager’s Corner

This week’s updates from City Manager, Niroop Srivatsa highlight:

• Congressman DeSaulnier Advances Over $46.7 Million for Local Projects to Benefit Contra Costa and Alameda Counties
• Now Recruiting: Planning Commission Seeks New Members
• City Council Meeting Monday Night
• Road Re-striping Project Starts Downtown on Monday
• Library April Preview

If you have feedback for us about these topics, send an email to lafayettelistens@lovelafayette.org.

Congressman DeSaulnier Advances Over $46.7 Million for Local Projects to Benefit Contra Costa and Alameda Counties

Last week, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier announced that he advanced over $46.7 million for 20 projects to benefit Contra Costa and Alameda Counties for consideration by the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 federal budget process. These projects would help to improve quality of life for the people of California’s 10^th Congressional District by upgrading infrastructure and transportation accessibility and increasing public and environmental safety. 

We are especially grateful the Congressman included these local projects:

• Downtown Lafayette Aqueduct Pathway Project: $2.8M for the City to construct the Brown Avenue to Pleasant Hill Road segment of the Aqueduct Pathway, a fully accessible Class I separated bicycle and pedestrian facility located within the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) aqueduct corridor in downtown Lafayette.
• Sunflower Hill Supportive Housing Project: $2.0M to construct a 48-unit development of supportive and affordable housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Lamorinda Public Safety Radio Replacement Project: $936,930 to replace and upgrade existing police radios, a combined total of 65 handheld portable radios and 44 vehicle mounted mobile radios, used by the Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda police departments.
• Mobile First Responder Project: $1.8M for Contra Costa County to build two mobile communications sites to enhance the resiliency of first responder radio communications in the event of a natural disaster or other widespread threat.

Read about the full suite of projects advanced for consideration on Congressman DeSaulnier’s website.

Now Recruiting: Planning Commission Seeks New Members

Are you interested in the built environment and land-use zoning? We currently have vacancies on the Planning Commission, which reviews development applications as well as help to prepare long-range community planning documents such as the General Plan and the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Commission meets on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 7pm.

• Application Instructions 
• Application form PDF
• Playlist of prior Planning Commission Meetings (opens our YouTube Channel)

What’s Happening at the Library – April Preview

Here’s a preview from the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation about some of the events and programs at the library this month. Want to learn more about library happenings? Visit www.LLLCF.org and stay updated on programs and events. Click on the graphic to open it in a web browser.

Night at the Library: A Curious Event on April 24

Join us for a night of curiosity, community, and good eats! Explore art by Briana Loewhinson, brews from St. George Spirits, sustainable food from Slow Food East Bay, and history from the popular host of East Bay Yesterday.  Learn more at LLLCF.org/NATL2026

At the library: 

 Sweet Thursday - Gloves Off on April 16  Lowell Cohn will take us into the rarified world of sports that you can’t see from the confines of your newspaper in his tell-all book, Gloves Off. Doors will open at 6:30 for coffee and sweets; books will be available for purchase. This program is presented by Friends of the Lafayette Library. Register to attend.

Onstage Sword Combat (Ages 10+) on April 18  Join the Shakespeare & Performing Arts Regional Company (SPARC) for a fun introduction to onstage combat! Participants will learn basic sword combinations, safe performance skills, and briefly dive into the history of stage combat.

Other News: 

 Library Closure on Wednesday, April 18  All Contra Costa County Libraries will be closed on Wednesday, April 18, 2026 for All Staff Training Day.

Meetings & Events 

City Council Meeting Monday Night

The City Council Meeting on Monday (April 13) starts at 6pm with a closed session. The open session starts at 7pm and includes:

• Presentation on the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center (part of the Lafayette Civic Values: Lifelong Learning and the Arts series)
• Presentation Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Lamorinda Spirit Van
• Update on Lafayette Library Activities and Request for a proclamation recognizing April 19-15 as National Library Week
• Legislative Update from California Department of Insurance
• Legislation Committee Bills of Local Importance

Read the full agenda for the staff reports as well as information about how to participate in or watch the meeting.

Other Top Meetings This Week

• Design Review Commission - Monday, April 13 at 7pm
• Creeks Committee - Wednesday, April 15 at 7pm
• Capital Projects Assessment Committee - Thursday, April 16 at 7pm
• Banner Advisory Committee - Friday, April 17 at 3pm

Have Coffee With The Cops on Thursday Morning

Join us this Thursday (April 16) from 8 to 9am and enjoy a casual conversation with members of the Lafayette Police Department. Meet your local officers, ask questions, share concerns, and learn more about what’s happening in our community—all over a cup of coffee. We look forward to connecting with you at Papillon (67 Lafayette Circle). Stop by, say hello, and start your morning with us.

Save the Date to Celebrate National Poetry Month: Poetry for the Ages on Tuesday April 21

The Public Art Committee presents local poets Jennifer Granat, Harnoor Grewal, Ophelia Guerdad, Norma Humphrey, Harleen Serai and Richard Stanton reading their original work followed by brief Q&A to celebrate National Poetry Month. Plus, attendees can enter a drawing for a $25 gift certificate from Lafayette's Reasonable Books.

Event runs noon to 1:30 p.m. at Town Hall Theatre Lobby (3525 School St.). Tea, coffee and cookies are served while guests meet and mingle with the poets and fellow poetry-lovers. Limited seating; register at jrosen@lovelafayette.org to reserve your spot.

City-led Capital Improvement Projects

Road Restriping Project Starts Downtown on Monday

Weather-permitting, starting on Monday, April 13, the City’s contractor, Central Striping Service, will start restriping roadway markings downtown on Mt. Diablo Blvd and continue to Moraga Road afterwards.

Over the next month, we will be restriping on:

• Mt. Diablo Blvd between Mt. View Drive to First St
• Moraga Rd between Mt. Diablo Blvd to St. Mary’s Rd
• Stanley Blvd between Camino Diablo to Barott Rd
• Quandt Rd between Stanley Blvd and Plymouth Rd

And repainting multiples curbs on:

• First St between Deer Hill Rd to Mt Diablo Blvd
• First St between Moraga Blvd to School St
• Deer Hill Rd between Happy Valley Rd to Laurel Dr
• Happy Valley Rd between Cosso Ct to East of Panorama Drive

This roadwork will require some closure of travel lanes with traffic control during certain phases of construction and blocking of parking spaces.  Traffic control will generally be in effect between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm. No parking signs should be placed in the area 48-hours in advance of work.

Please keep in mind that restriping work goes fast and often occurs in phases, and once work has begun, it does not necessarily proceed continuously. You will see periods of inactivity between the start and end of the project. Completion of the project is estimated to be in mid-May (weather permitting).

For more information, see the Engineer’s Friday Update. Questions regarding the work may be directed to Senior Engineer Ana Bernardes,  925-299-3209.

BART Bike Station/Pathway Project

This project is underway. Read the Engineer’s Weekly Update on the project webpage.

Community News & Events

Daughters of the American Revolution Hosts Wreath-laying Ceremony on Saturday

You are invited to a patriotic wreath-laying ceremony honoring the Marquis de Lafayette on Saturday, April 11, hosted by the Acalanes Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The program begins at 11:15 a.m. outside the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (meet at the amphitheater), where the Young American Patriots Fife & Drum Corps will perform until 11:30 a.m., and guests may meet a Revolutionary War soldier or two. At approximately 11:30 a.m., walk over to Lafayette Plaza to hear the La Marseillaise and the Star-Spangled Banner, brief remarks and watch the laying of the wreath at the statue of the Marquis. Program will conclude around noon. All are welcome. Here’s sneak peek at the city’s proclamation in honor of the event.

"Lead the Way" A Multi-Generational Celebration of Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion on Saturday

The Lafayette Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee is partnering with students from Acalanes High School and several other local organizations to host a family-friendly celebration featuring free food, festivities and fun. The gathering will take place on Saturday, April 11 from noon to 3 pm at the Acalanes High School courtyard. 

Community members of all ages who support the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are invited to join the fun. Come help celebrate the work being done to keep these important values alive in the community and:

• build connections across generations
• recognize student and community leaders, and
• inspire joy in all those who support these shared values

For more information, email LafayetteDEIB@gmail.com

Lafayette Friends Corner Book Shop Sale

The Lafayette Friends Corner Book Shop is having a half-price sale! On Saturday April 11, every book in the shop will be 50% off.

Moraga Rotary Club eWaste and Shredding Events

Moraga Rotary Club is hosting an eWaste and Shredding event this Saturday April 11, from 10am to 3:30pm at the Moraga Shopping Center (McCaulou’s Parking Lot)

Acalanes High School Musical: Chicago

Performances April 15 through 18 at 7 pm, April 18 and 19 at 2 pm in the Acalanes Performing Arts Center.. Purchase tickets at http://tickets.ahsparts.org

Sustainable Lafayette’s Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 26

Get ready for the 19th annual Earth Day Festival hosted by Sustainable Lafayette. Every year this event gets better — fun-filled hours for all ages to celebrate our one and only Mother Earth. Featuring kids activities, a petting zoo, vintage clothing shop, free bike repairs, arts & craft activities, face painting and a full slate of educational and interactive exhibits from 11am to 2pm at Lafayette Plaza. Booths that will be collecting hard-to-recycle items are: 

• used shoes (Troop 200)
• e-waste (Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club)
• contacts and their packaging including the blister packs, razors and blades, trigger sprayer bottles (think all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, etc), corks, batteries and all Toms of Maine empty containers (Kristin Crotty and Jessica Haro)

Register Now for Contra Costa Fire’s Girls Empowerment Camp 

Girls Empowerment Camp (GEC) is a free 2-day camp on May 2 and 3 for teens ages 14 to 18. GEC introduces them to the fire service and provides campers with a realistic, hands-on overview of firefighting and exposure to all aspects of public safety career opportunities in the fire service. Additionally, the program empowers campers with life skills and professional guidance that encourages them to pursue a career in public safety. The camp is held at the Contra Costa Fire Training Center in Concord. Register for GEC. For additional information, contact ContraCostaGEC@cccfpd.org  

Save the Date: Central San to Celebrate 80th Anniversary with Community Open House on June 13

To celebrate their 80th anniversary this year, Central San will be hosting a free, all-ages, community-wide Open House on Saturday, June 13. This once-a-decade event will feature tours of the treatment plant, free food and ice cream, big trucks, hands-on games and activities, educational exhibits, and much more. 

Central San (aka Central Contra Costa Sanitary District) provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal services; recycled water production and distribution; and household hazardous waste collection. Central San serves nearly half a million residents and more than 15,000 businesses within a 146-square-mile service area that includes Lamorinda. Reach out to Central San for more information about the sewer system, pollution prevention and household hazardous waste.

Looking for more upcoming happenings around town?

Visit the Chamber’s Community Events Calendar online.

Miscellaneous

Slow Down When Driving in the Rain: Wet weather is forecast to continue through the weekend, with the most rain currently forecast for Saturday afternoon, including possible thunderstorms. Please remember to slow down when driving and give some extra space between cars.

Now Hiring: The City is on the lookout for our next Public Works Inspector.  Learn more about the Public Works Inspector position.

Know Your Rights Regarding ICE: Access resources compiled by the County’s Employment & Human Services Department and Stand Together Contra Costa. Stand Together Contra Costa’s Rapid Response hotline is 925-900-5151.

Reduced ADU Development Impact Fees: The City has temporarily reduced the development impact fees charged for new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by 50% through 2026. And, if you finish construction by September 30, 2026, you may be eligible for a rebate through the ADU Accelerator Program. Learn more about all the current incentives.

Curious about Development Around Town? Information on major planning projects can be found on the Major Development Projects webpage.  You can navigate the map or scroll through the list of projects in the sidebar. Projects are only listed here after submission of a complete application and the project is heading into the review process. If you are interested in large and small project applications submitted to the Planning Department, visit the Planning Applications Received webpage, which is updated monthly.

Sign up to receive City notifications: Sign up for meeting agendas and Lafayette’s publications at bit.ly/LafayetteNotifications. Also, find out how to follow us on social media at https://www.lovelafayette.org/connect

Contact Us: To contact a City Department or Staff member, refer to our online Staff Directory. For information on contacting an individual City Council member, see the City Council webpage. You may also email the entire City Council at cityhall@lovelafayette.org. Comments regarding a City Council agenda item should be sent to cityhall@lovelafayette.org  by noon on the day of the public meeting.  Comments received by noon on the day of the meeting will be included as part of the agenda packet, while those received after the deadline will be distributed to the Council on the following business day.

Cultural Observations and Celebrations

Celebrate our diversity by learning more about these cultural observations and celebrations! The City Council has proclaimed April as Muslim American Heritage Month and Autism Awareness Month. April is also Autism Acceptance Month | Month of the Military Child | National Volunteer Month

12           Orthodox Easter (Orthodox Christian)

13-14     Yom HaShoah (Jewish)

13-15     South and Southeast Asian Solar New Year

14           Vaisakhi (Sikh)

22           Earth Day

Photo for the Week

On Thursday, the Lafayette Chamber hosted a ribbon cutting for Western Flyer Brewing. We are excited to welcome this new brewery to town!

Quote for the Week

Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.

 - Stephen Hawking

__________________

The Weekly Roundup is prepared for the Lafayette Community, City Council and Staff. If you have thoughts about this week’s Roundup, a contribution for a future edition or a photo to be considered for the “Photo of the Week”, please email the City of Lafayette's Communications Analyst/Public Information Officer, Suzanne Iarla.

Learn more about Lafayette’s other digital publications and social media sites here.