The Almost Daily Briefing
Published news articles from local, regional, and national media on topics of interest to the #LoveLafayette Community separately
LOCAL NEWS
California fire season has been quiet. A heat wave could change that fast – National Weather Service offices across the state are warning of soaring temperatures starting later this week. (Danville San Ramon)
OTHER NEWS
10-year deadline for cleaner wastewater extended by water board for certain projects - Two years ago, the Bay Area’s 40 publicly owned wastewater treatment agencies got some hard news. They had 10 years to upgrade their facilities to reduce pollutants entering the bay by 40%, at an estimated cost of $11 billion. At a Thursday meeting of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, a pathway was initiated for certain projects to get a deadline extension, if they qualify and are moving as quickly as possible. (Local News Matters)
Bay Area Transit Tax Fight Intensifies Before November Vote - Supporters warn service cuts loom without funding as opponents argue taxpayers should not shoulder another increase. (Patch)
California is in a population slump. These 7 cities are booming anyway - We sent reporters to the seven cities that matched the criteria: Chico, Clovis, Dublin, Irvine, Menifee, Manteca and Roseville. What they found was a common tale of families searching for affordability and community. But each location also offers its own lesson about how to attract new residents during an era of stasis. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Congress Budgeted Billions for Big Transit Projects. Trump Isn’t Spending It. (New York Times)
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Hello Lafayette – Welcoming event for new residents at the library this evening (July 30)
Election Nomination Period – closes August 7
The Weekly Roundup
Lafayette Planning Applications Received
Major Development Projects Map
Lafayette Community Information & Emergency Radio AM 1670
Contact the City
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND CITY PLANNING
This Bay Area city could become a blueprint for turning empty offices into housing: San Ramon is tearing down its office parks and starting over. Currently, 1,501 housing units are either under construction or have been approved on land where office buildings are coming down. (S.F. Chronicle)
Not all Bay Area housing markets benefit from AI boom - New MLS data compiled by Compass shows that San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties have benefited the most […] But gains around the region were not evenly distributed. Price increases were nominal in Alameda and Sonoma counties at just 2% year over year, and median home sales prices in Contra Costa and Santa Cruz counties remained flat […] Prices also increased across all three of the Lamorinda communities, with both Lafayette and Orinda remaining at more than $2 million. (San Francisco Business Times)
A ban on gas water heaters could raise costs of selling a home in one Bay Area city - Berkeley is going its own way, though. The city more than a decade ago adopted the framework for the Building Emissions Saving Ordinance, or BESO, a local law requiring property owners to complete and disclose energy assessments, energy benchmarking and efficiency or resilience upgrades to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. In 2024, Berkeley added a major overhaul to the measure with time-of-sale upgrade amendments. (San Francisco Business Times)
San Francisco mayor backs national robotaxi rules after Waymo meltdowns - The City by the Bay is taking its robotaxi worries to Washington after a series of Waymo meltdowns disrupted traffic and prompted some in the tech-industry town to start to sour on the self-driving cars they once embraced. (Politico)
Need for speed? Driving above the speed limit costs you — and doesn’t actually save much time (Associated Press)
MIXTAPE
Concord Could Place Business License Tax Simplification Measure on the Nov Ballot
Libraries are here to stay: How the Campbell renovation is keeping the library relevant
Dublin council nixes potential hotel tax increase ballot measure
Santa Cruz County saddled with unaffordable housing crown for fourth straight year
Tahoe expands free transit with ask to stop driving
Four myths about insurance in California
Retailers, developers adjust to changing consumer preferences
Mass transit, bike lanes, EV infrastructure face substantial cuts in DOT proposal
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER LAFAYETTE
The City of Lafayette has launched phase two of its lead service line replacement program, an effort to improve drinking water safety and meet EPA requirements.
AND FINALLY…
Two meteor showers will peak tonight - The Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids are both forecast to peak on Thursday, July 30.
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The Almost Daily Briefing (ADB) is an aggregation of links to news articles from local and regional newspapers, magazines, websites, and other news sources. Its purpose is to alert readers to current issues and affairs that may impact Lafayette. The ADB does not promote, favor, disfavor, support, reject, or endorse any position, candidate, campaign, or proposition, and nothing about the ADB, including the selection, presentation, arrangement, or content of the links presented should be construed as an advocacy position.
At times, the ADB features articles from sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. The Contra Costa Library offers access to multiple newspapers online for all cardholders, including the Los Angeles Times (via the ProQuest E-Library digital resource) and the New York Times Digital. Visit the library’s website to learn how to get a library card or access digital services.
If you have questions about the ADB, please contact the City of Lafayette's Communications Analyst, Suzanne Iarla, at siarla@ci.lafayette.ca.us. You can subscribe to the ADB and learn more about Lafayette’s publications and social media sites here.
