The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

News Briefs

Utility rates set to increase by $1.74 a month

Residents in Sunnyvale will pay an average $1.74 more per month for utilities beginning in July.

Rates for water, garbage and sewer services were increased by the Sunnyvale City Council at its May 11 meeting.

The increase, according to a city report, is to cover the operating costs of the three independent enterprises. Water rates have increased 4.5. percent, sewer rates 3 percent and garbage 4 percent.

Mary Bradley, the director of finance, told councilmembers, "The combined utility bill for an average single-family home in Sunnyvale still will be more than 35 percent lower than the average bill in surrounding communities."

City schedules forum to discuss redevelopment

The city of Sunnyvale is holding its first meeting for the public to discuss the redevelopment of the downtown area May 28 in the historic Del Monte Building at 7:00 p.m.

City officials said the meeting is designed to educate the public on the city's long-term plans for the area and to receive public feedback regarding redevelopment issues.

Currently, plans include the proposed development of three five - to six-story office buildings with commercial and retail space located at what is now a parking lot adjacent to Mathilda and Evelyn avenues.

Additional public forums will be scheduled later in the year.

Original estimate on storm damage increases to nearly $500,000

The tornado that swept through Sunnyvale May 4 is costing the city more than officials once thought.

The total estimated damage is now set at $500,000, up from $200,000.

"We're getting a closer look at what kind of damage was really done," community relations officer David Vossbrink said.

Vossbrink said 118 hours of overtime were logged by city employees, not including the 150 hours worked by tree-cutters.

Of the 160 tons of debris that were removed from the neighborhood, 56 were able to be recycled.

Our deadlines: Early is better than late

We hate missing good stories because we learned about them too late. In the newspaper business, we live and die by the deadline.

The general rule is that early is better than late. Calendar items must be received no later than noon Monday (nine days prior to publication).

Most other news items are due by noon Tuesday (eight days prior to publication).

To assign a photograph, we usually need a week's notice.

Please send letters to the editor, press releases and story ideas to The Sun at our email address: sun@sjmetro.com.

You can also reach us by mail at 160-B S. Murphy Ave. Sunnyvale, 94086, or by fax at 481-0175.

[ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 20, 1998.
©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.