City Connection

PEG Channel

Canyon Lake has access to public, educational and government (PEG) stations on Time Warner Channel 29 and Verizon Channel 39. A recording of the latest City Council meeting can be viewed daily at 3 p.m. A Canyon Lake recycling video can be viewed daily at 9 a.m. Recordings of the City of Canyon Lake committee meetings are scheduled to be shown on Thursdays and Fridays at 6 p.m.

Coming up at City Hall

• Administration and Finance Committee Meeting – Tuesday, February 2, 8 a.m., City Council Chamber
• Water Committee Meeting – Thursday, January 28, 9 a.m., City Council Chamber
• Public Safety Committee Meeting – Tuesday, February 2, 9:30 a.m., City Council Chamber
• Canyon Lake City Council – Wednesday, February 3, 6:30 p.m., City Council Chamber
• Emergency Preparedness Committee Meeting – Thursday, December 3, 6:30 p.m., City Council Chamber

Lake Contamination

This week, cityofcanyonlake.org lists the current lake condition as “Contaminated:” Due to recent rain events, bacteria levels may be higher than is recommended for bodily contact; 72 hours after the rain has stopped the water will be tested. Please limit body contact with lake water until further notice.

El Niño Preparedness

The City website, cityofcanyonlake.org, has a link devoted to El Niño Preparedness. Currently, it can be located under “Services” at the top of the homepage. It states, “The City of Canyon Lake is dedicated to preparing its residents for the upcoming El Niño season. These pages were designed to provide information so that residents can prepare themselves and their families. In the event that the City experiences road closures or emergency situations due to El Niño events, please check the ‘Emergency Updates’ and ‘Road Closures’ pages periodically for the most up-to-date information.

This link offers additional links for the following topics:

• Alternative Route Maps
• Before, During and After a Flood
• Evacuation
• Preparedness
• Q&A About El Niño
• Relocation
• Sandbags
• Shelters
• Special Needs Populations

Sandbags

Sand, sandbags and a shovel are located behind the fire station on Vacation Dr. It’s open daily from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If sandbags are needed when the gate is locked, contact Community Patrol at 244-6841, ext. 410, and an officer will arrive to unlock the gate.

Sign Up for Code Red

The City of Canyon Lake has an emergency notification system called CodeRED, which will alert each resident by phone or e-mail in the event of an emergency. The ultra high-speed telephone communication service allows the City to telephone all or targeted areas in case of an emergency.

Sign up for the service at www.cityofcanyonlake.org. Once on the website, go to Disaster Preparedness, then to the Code Red link. The short online form asks for information about alternate phone numbers, e-mail addresses, pagers and cell phone numbers. Those who previously have signed up and haven’t made changes to their contact information don’t need to sign up again.

Power Outages

Southern California Edison encourages residents to call the SCE 24-hour emergency hotline at 800-611-1911 to report an unscheduled outage. It is the primary way for SCE to know there is a problem so crews can be deployed. Residents who experience outages can check the “Outage Center” at www.sce.com to learn what time they can expect power to be restored.

Only rain in the drain

Disposing of pollutants into the street, gutters, storm drains or Lake is prohibited by law and can result in stiff penalties. Storm drains are not connected to sanitary sewer systems and treatment plants. The primary purpose of storm drains is to carry rainwater away from developed areas to prevent flooding.

Pollutants discharged to the storm drains are transported directly into the Lake. Capture and dispose of wastewater and chemicals properly. Remember, storm drains are for receiving rainwater runoff only.

For more information or to report illegal discharges, call Canyon Lake Code Enforcement at 746-7978.

Discharge of Firearms

Canyon Lake Municipal Code Section 11.01 prohibits the discharge of firearms within all areas of the City limits and the Bureau of Land Management. This type of activity is a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail. This includes the use of setting up a target range and hunting of wildlife. If anyone has questions or wants to report this type of activity, we encourage them to contact City Hall at 951-244-2955.

City Finances

The City provides a complete listing of financial claims and demands each month in the City Council agenda. There also are links to the Annual Financial Report and the Operating and Capital Improvement Budget. To see the City Council agenda and find other valuable information, visit cityofcanyonlake.org.

Call vector control

The Northwest Mosquito & Vector Control District provides vector control services (mosquitoes, flies, rats, Africanized honeybees, black flies and midges) in Canyon Lake. Residents experiencing vector control problems in the community should contact the District at 951-340-9792 or visit www.northwestmosquitovector.org.

Landscape water efficiency

City Hall encourages water efficiency. Anyone planning to rehabilitate landscaping or irrigation, and the project cumulatively exceeds 1,500 square feet in size, needs to submit plans to City Hall. A list of drought tolerant plants can be found by visiting www.cityofcanyonlake.org.

Party Permits

The City of Canyon Lake would like to remind residents that any time they plan a large party or event at either their home or one of the community’s parks and 50 people or more are expected, a Special Event Permit must be filed with the City. This is a separate requirement from any the POA may impose for the same event. Special Event Permits are $25 and must be filed no later than 30 days prior to the planned event or party. Please contact City Hall at 244-2955 for more information or to find out if your party or event qualifies for Special Event Permit filing.

Passport services

The nearest facility for passport services is Sun City Main Post Office, 26822 Cherry Hills Blvd. in Menifee. The phone number is 301-3657.

Housing-related fraud

The Friday Flyer regularly publishes market updates from Gene Wunderlich, director of government affairs for the Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors. Mr. Wunderlich is part of a Fraud and Risk Management task force and recently provided the following reminder and e-mail address if people see something fishy or have concerns about a housing-related issue. Contact fraud@srcar.org.