Holiday Hours, A Sobering Reminder and Stormy Weather

It’s Christmas Week and as office hours wind down and holiday celebrations commence, this episode reminds residents to drive sober and urges extra caution as stormy weather hits the region. Rounding out the update are reminders about holiday service schedules, a scholarship opportunity for local high school seniors, Elk Grove eGift Cards for last-minute holiday shopping, the return of Elk Grove Restaurant Week in January, and how to report storm-related issues.

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Transcript

Kristyn Nelson: Thanks for tuning into the Elk Grove CityCast, the podcast about Elk Grove, California. I'm Kristyn Nelson, Elk Grove’s Public Affairs and Communications Manager. And with the help of artificial intelligence, we're rolling out new episodes that dive into the relevant topics, events, and happenings within our city.

We're using technology to provide you with new resources that will help you to stay informed and connect with the community at the time and with the tools that you prefer. So whether you have a passion for podcasts or print material, subscribe to social media or dig into digital. We want to be a source for local information that's valuable to you.

Now, without further ado, let me turn it over to our AI friends for a deeper dive into this week's topics. 

AI-den: So if you're tuning in right now, you are probably, uh, deep in that holiday swirl. But if you're here in Elk Grove. You've got that classic combo of the celebrations and you know that persistent wet weather, that classic Northern California winter mist. 

AI-leen: Exactly. 

AI-den: So we've gathered all these local announcements and updates you sent us. We're talking city bulletins, community campaigns, the works, 

AI-leen: And we're gonna try and synthesize all of it. The goal here is for you to walk away with a really clear picture of the city's immediate priorities. You know what you need to know for the next couple of weeks, but also the why behind some of these bigger community pushes.We're connecting the dots. 

AI-den: Okay, let's do it. We're starting with holiday logistics that have a very serious safety message, future leaders, and then wrapping up with the local economy. It's quite a mix. 

AI-leen: It is. 

AI-den: Let's jump right in with the holiday calendar, the immediate stuff. So first things first. If you need to use any city services, you really have to pay attention to the calendar. Our sources are really clear. Temporary closures, we're talking City Hall, the animal shelter, and the Special Waste Collection Center. 

AI-leen: And that last one is key. Everyone's got extra stuff to get rid of after the holidays, broken lights, all that wrapping paper.

AI-den: Exactly. And all of them are gonna be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

AI-leen: And that closure leads right into what is, I think, the biggest logistical headache for most people. 

AI-den: Oh, trash day 

AI-leen: Waste collection. It throws everyone's rhythm off. It does. So, because Christmas Day and New Year's Day are both on a Wednesday this year, there will be absolutely no collection on those days.

AI-den: Okay. So what does that actually mean for people? What's the new schedule? 

AI-leen: It means there's a rolling delay for both holiday weeks. So Christmas week and New Year's Week. Your regular collection day gets pushed to the next day, 

AI-den: The day after, 

AI-leen: The day after. So if you're a Thursday pickup, now you're a Friday. If you're a Friday or Saturday, you just have to plan for that one day lag for two weeks straight. 

AI-den: Good to know. And speaking of planning. The weather is not taking a holiday break. 

AI-leen: No, it is not. 

AI-den: Our sources say the city's storm response teams are ready and monitoring things right through the holiday.

AI-leen: And the most important thing here is knowing who to call. They really want residents to use the right number for the right problem. 

AI-den: Okay, so let's break that down. 

AI-leen: There are two main numbers. If you see something like, uh, localized flooding, a clogged storm drain, maybe a downed tree branch that's blocking a street, but not, you know, an immediate danger.

AI-den: An inconvenience, but not an emergency.

AI-leen: Exactly. That's an non-urgent issue. For that you call the Public Works hotline. That number is 916-687-3005. 

AI-den: And where's that line between inconvenience and a real emergency? 

AI-leen: The sources are pretty specific. If it's a life-threatening risk, they use the example of a downed power line. You have to call 911.

AI-den: Right? 

AI-leen: Public Works is a response service 9 1 1 is for immediate life-saving intervention. Calling the wrong one slows everything down for everyone. 

AI-den: That's a super helpful distinction. Okay. Let's make a pivot here. We're moving from the immediate logistics to something deeper, a long-term community commitment around safety.

AI-leen: A very important one. January is a really resonant month in Elk Grove when it comes to this topic. 

AI-den: Yeah. The city's updates immediately point to the four-year anniversary of the death of Elk Grove Police Officer Ty Lenahan. 

AI-leen: And it's important to give this, the gravity it deserves. Officer Lanahan, badge number 281, was killed four years ago. He was hit by a wrong way driver on Highway 99, who was impaired. 

AI-den: A completely preventable tragedy. 

AI-leen: Completely. And the city is making it very clear that this anniversary isn't just a memory, it's a a deliberate moment to reinforce a vital public message. 

AI-den: So they're using this specific, very painful local story to hammer home the message about not driving impaired. 

AI-leen: Yes, and the sources emphasize that this loss is still felt very deeply by the police department, by his family, by the whole community. It's not ancient history. 

AI-den: When a city does that, when they anchor a campaign to a specific person like this, is that more effective than just a generic PSA?

AI-leen: Profoundly more effective. I mean, a generic don't drink and drive message can feel abstract. Sure. But when they specifically talk about Officer Lenihan's legacy, they're saying, this happened here. This was one of our own. It transforms the message from a statistic into a shared community responsibility.

AI-den: I see that. So making the right choice, calling a ride share, for example, becomes an act of honoring that sacrifice. 

AI-leen: Exactly. It's about respecting his memory and protecting the community he served. 

AI-den: The city is very direct with their suggestions too. 

AI-leen: They are. It's not just be safe, it's a checklist. 

AI-den: Plan ahead. 

AI-leen: Use a rideshare.

AI-den: Call a friend. 

AI-leen: Or just stay put. They're giving you concrete alternatives. The strategy is to empower you to make that choice by offering solutions, not just warnings. 

AI-den: It's about making sure that number #281 remains a touchstone for responsibility all year long. 

AI-leen: Exactly. 

AI-den: Okay. That that really does make the message hit differently.

Yeah. Let's shift again, moving from public safety to, well future civic health. The sources point to a really interesting investment in the next generation of local leaders. 

AI-leen: Yes. The City of Elk Grove, working with the Elk Grove Regional Scholarship Foundation is offering a scholarship. It's for a thousand dollars, 

AI-den: And it's aimed very specifically at students who want a career in public service.

AI-leen: Right. The eligibility criteria, they tell you a lot about what the city is looking for. 

AI-den: Let's get into those. 

AI-leen: Okay? So you have to be a high school senior. You have to live within the city limits, and you have to be planning to attend a four-year university or a community college full-time. 

AI-den: And there's a GPA requirement, right? A 2.0 minimum. 

AI-leen: A 2.0 and that's a really interesting detail. 

AI-den: It is low. For a scholarship you'd usually expect what, a 3.5 or higher? 

AI-leen: Exactly. And what's also crucial is that financial need is explicitly not a requirement. 

AI-den: So they're not looking for the top academic student and they're not looking for the student with the most financial need. What are they looking for? 

AI-leen: They're looking for civic enthusiasts. The low GPA bar and the lack of a need requirement tells you they're prioritizing a different skillset entirely. This isn't charity. It's a strategic investment in someone who has already shown a passion for local government, 

AI-den: And that passion gets tested in the application itself. There's a two page essay. 

AI-leen: Which is the real heart of this whole thing. The pumped is everything. 

AI-den: So they're not asking, what are your career goals? 

AI-leen: No. They're asking students to describe their role in local government and to explain why strong local government matters to the community. 

AI-den: Wow. That is a heavy question for a high school senior.

AI-leen: It is. It requires them to have already thought about their place in the civic structure. 

AI-den: This is where the city strategy is just crystal clear. 

AI-leen: Absolutely. They are filtering for applicants who can already articulate the value of what City Hall does. They're basically asking, show us you're already paying attention.

AI-den: It feels like they're building their own talent pipeline for future city administrators or even elected officials. 

AI-leen: I think that's exactly what it is. It sets this scholarship completely apart from a standard academic grant. They want to invest in students who already get the unique challenges of a city like Elk Grove. It's an investment in local knowledge 

AI-den: That is a fascinating long-term play. Okay, so from investing in future talent, let's pivot one last time to supporting the talent and businesses that are here right now, 

AI-leen: The local economy, 

AI-den: Right. With the holidays right on top of us, the city is pushing a great last minute gift idea.The Elk Grove Local E-gift card, 

AI-leen: and this is not a small program. Our sources say it's accepted at over 110 local businesses. 

AI-den: Wow. 110. 

AI-leen: Which is huge, and you have to see this as an economic tool. When you buy this card, you can get it at SupportLocalEG.org. You are locking that money into the local economy.

AI-den: That's a great point. Unlike a big national chain gift card where the money just leaves. 

AI-leen: Exactly. This money is guaranteed to circulate right here among those 110 plus local business owners. It's a strategy that's all about velocity. Getting cash into the hands of local shops quickly. 

AI-den: Okay, so that covers the gift giving, but once that's over, the focus shifts to dining out.

AI-leen: Yes. Elk Grove Restaurant Week is coming back. It runs from January 9th to the 18th, 

AI-den: And it sounds like they're using some new tech to drive it this year. 

AI-leen: They are. They're really promoting this free Elk Grove Restaurant Week Mobile pass. 

AI-den: A mobile pass. How does that work? Is it better than just showing up and getting a fixed price menu?

AI-leen: Well, it serves a couple of purposes. For you, the user, it's a way to engage. You can check in at restaurants, redeem special offers, get rewards. It sort of gamifies the experience. 

AI-den: Okay, I can see that. 

AI-leen: But for the city and the restaurants, the real value is the data. Yeah. By having people sign up and check in, they get all this information on which restaurants are popular, what offers work best, maybe where people are coming from. It helps them plan for the future. You can find all details at Elk grove restaurant week.com. 

AI-den: So whether it's the gift card or the restaurant pass, it's all about supporting the local economy while also encouraging you to try something new.  

AI-leen: A very complete circle of local investment. 

AI-den: We have covered so much ground today. I mean, we started with the really immediate stuff, holiday closures, knowing the difference between the Public Works hotline and 9 1 1, 

AI-leen: Right.

AI-den: Then we moved into that really deep emotional commitment to safety around Officer Lenihan's memory. 

AI-leen: A powerful reminder. 

AI-den: Then seeing the city's strategy to invest in future leaders with that scholarship essay. Before wrapping up with these great ways to support local businesses, 

AI-leen: it's a fantastic snapshot of how a city has to balance today's needs with tomorrow's goals. And for anyone listening who wants to get this info directly, you can sign up for the city's weekly email updates. They come out every Monday. Just go to elkgrove.gov. 

AI-den: So to leave you with one final thought to chew on. We saw how focused the city is with that scholarship, right? Oh, they want high schoolers who can already talk intelligently about local government. So the question is, what comes next for those kids? What non-monetary programs could the city create to keep that talent engaged? Are there youth councils or mentorships with city staff that could naturally follow that scholarship and keep those smart engaged kids in the local pipeline before they even get to college. 

AI-leen: That is a great question for the future. 

AI-den: Something to think about 

AI-leen: For now, from both of us here, we just want to wish everyone in Elk Grove a very safe, a very dry, and a very happy holiday season. Be well.

Kristyn Nelson: Thank you for listening to the Elk Grove CityCast. Tune in again soon for another deep dive into the news events and happenings around the City of Elk Grove. Like what we're doing? Please rate, review, and subscribe to the show to help spread the word to other audiophiles. Want more news before the next episode? Follow the City of Elk Grove on social media. You can find us on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Nextdoor. Or get our news delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for the city's weekly email update at elkgrove.gov. Thanks again for listening For the City of Elk Grove, I'm Kristyn Nelson.