Hello Vallejo,

School is officially back in session across the Vallejo Unified School District! As students return to classrooms, please stay alert for increased traffic and watch for children walking or biking to school. Thanks for helping keep our streets safe during this busy transition.

Tonight marks the third evening of August Summer Nights, and we invite you to come out, enjoy the festivities, and celebrate community before the series wraps up at the end of the month. It’s a great way to savor the last stretch of summer.

A heads-up for weekend travelers: Caltrans will close the westbound I‑80 Carquinez Bridge (Alfred Zampa) starting Friday, August 21 at approximately 10 PM. The bridge is expected to reopen early Monday morning, August 24, at about 3 AM. Westbound drivers should plan to use the Martinez Bridge as a detour. To support travel during the closure, the San Francisco Bay Ferry will offer additional ferry service throughout the weekend. Please anticipate delays and build extra time into your travel plans.

This Saturday, August 22, the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum invites you to its annual fundraiser, “A Night at the Museum After Dark,” kicking off at 6 PM. Step inside, explore, and celebrate the vibrant and storied history of Vallejo…after hours! Come out and join the fun.

As a reminder, the Vallejo City Council is on a brief summer recess and will return after Labor Day, on Tuesday, September 8. During this break, I’ve provided an update to the Council summarizing our progress during my first 90 days and outlining our vision for the next 90 days as we advance initiatives to better align City operations with Council policies and community needs, which you can read in the Weekly.

Enjoy your weekend, Vallejo! And if you’re heading out of town, remember to plan ahead and allow for a little extra travel time.

With Appreciation
Harry Black
Vallejo’s City Manager

Costco Project Update

Construction on the new Costco is moving full speed ahead and remains right on schedule. Current projections show the store opening well before Christmas, giving shoppers plenty of time to enjoy it during the holiday season. The on‑site gas station is expected to open a few weeks earlier, offering convenient fuel access ahead of the main grand opening. More updates will be shared as the project continues to progress—stay tuned!

View of the front doors	Sample of parking lot landscpaing	Sample 2 of parkling lot landscaping
Parking lot curbs being poured	New gas station	Gas station fuel tanks
View of crews preparing the roof	View 2 of crews preparing the roof	View 3 of crews preparing the roof

Hello Vallejo,

As we reach the midpoint of August, summer is already beginning to fade, and a new school year is just around the corner. On Monday, August 17, students across the Vallejo City Unified School District will return for the 2026–2027 school year. With classes resuming, morning traffic will increase and more young people will be walking to and from school. Please stay alert, drive carefully, and help keep our community safe.

Even as students gear up to head back to class, there are still plenty of vibrant community events to enjoy. Tonight, Thursday, August 13, the Vallejo Main Street August Summer Nights series continues with its second event of the month, featuring music, food, and more. The fun continues every Thursday in August. Tomorrow, Friday, August 14, the Second Friday Art Walk returns to downtown, offering an evening of art, culture, and local talent. We encourage everyone to come out, enjoy our downtown, and celebrate the last weeks of summer before fall arrives.

Beyond these larger events, Vallejo is buzzing with smaller happenings. Stage plays, live music, poetry nights, and more are taking place throughout the city. You can find details in the latest issue of the Vallejo Weekly or by visiting the Visit Vallejo website.

The City Council is currently on a short summer recess and did not meet this week. Their next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8. In the meantime, City staff continues to work diligently on numerous projects. Many of you have likely noticed the Public Works street repaving efforts underway. Crews are currently repairing curbs and gutters, an essential step before paving begins in mid‑September.

Caltrans is also making progress on roadway improvements along Sonoma Boulevard/State Route 29, with paving expected to begin in mid‑September. In addition, Caltrans will conduct a major repaving project on the westbound span of the Carquinez Bridge, requiring a temporary closure from Friday, August 21 at approximately 10 PM through Monday, August 24 at 3 AM. More details on this project can be found in this week’s Vallejo Weekly.

Have a wonderful weekend, Vallejo.

With Appreciation
Harry Black
Vallejo’s City Manager

Securing Vallejo's Digital Future: City Receives $250,000 Federal Cybersecurity Grant

The City of Vallejo has secured a $250,000 grant through the federal State & Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), administered by Cal OES and CISA, to strengthen municipal digital infrastructure and shield city services from cyber risks.

Led by the Information Technology division, this competitive award funds round-the-clock 24/7 network monitoring, automated threat detection, and advanced security workflows across 100% of the City’s critical digital assets. Key elements of the project include:

• Critical Infrastructure Safeguards: Continuous 24/7 monitoring and centralized log management for core municipal networks, including 911 Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), law enforcement mobile workstations, water utility management systems, and public financial operations.
• Automated Threat Detection & Response: Integration of Security Information & Event Management (SIEM) technology to perform internal vulnerability scanning and automate incident correlation, enabling IT personnel to isolate and address security events in real time.
• Workforce Development & Training: Specialized Darktrace and SOC incident response certification training for City IT staff, building sustainable in-house technical expertise to manage system configurations and protect against emerging cyber threats without relying solely on external vendors.

By combining top-tier technology with advanced technical training for City staff, Vallejo is establishing a proactive cybersecurity framework that protects sensitive public data and ensures essential city services remain safe and reliable for all residents.

In honor of National Professional Engineers Day yesterday, August 5, we are highlighting our Water Engineering Manager, Flint Olsen.

1. What made you interested in working with the City of Vallejo?

More than anything else, engineers are driven by a desire to solve problems and make things better. That is what drew me to the City of Vallejo.

During my interview, I had a candid conversation with my future manager about the Water Engineering Division. She described a dedicated team that had learned to keep projects moving despite limited staff and resources. They had become very good at responding to immediate needs, but they had not yet had the opportunity to optimize the systems, standards and processes that help an engineering organization operate at its best.

I saw an opportunity to bring my experience in to help build something better. The Division was still growing, which meant there was room to improve how work was organized and to build a stronger foundation for the future. I was equally impressed by the Department's leadership. They were honest about the Department’s challenges, welcomed new ideas and invested in making meaningful improvements.

That combination of opportunity, supportive leadership and the ability to make a lasting impact convinced me that Vallejo was the right place for me. I wanted to help build a Water Engineering Division that is organized, efficient and well prepared to serve the Vallejo community for years to come.

2. As Water Engineering Manager, you're leading a growing team of engineers. What's your vision for the Engineering Division, and what kinds of projects are you most excited to tackle?

My vision for the Water Engineering Division is to build a team that is organized, technically capable and focused on delivering results. The first step is completing the Division's reorganization into specialized groups for capital projects, development and data infrastructure, allowing each to develop expertise while working closely together and with the rest of the Water Department. From there, as we recover from being only 50% staffed, I want to continue rebuilding our in-house engineering capabilities through training, mentoring and strong technical standards so that we can perform more capital project planning and design ourselves. Consultants and their technical expertise will always play an important role, but I want them to be a strategic resource rather than a necessity for routine engineering work.

The projects that excite me most are those that strengthen Vallejo's water system for the long term. Whether it is replacing aging pipelines, rehabilitating water treatment facilities, improving water storage and pumping infrastructure, or using better data to guide future investments, I enjoy projects that leave the system more reliable, resilient and sustainable than we found it. If I had to choose one project that stands out, it would be the Skyview Reservoir Tank Replacement. It was the first major project I took on after joining the City, and I see it as the beginning of the legacy I hope to build, one that delivers lasting improvements for both the Water Department and the community we serve.

3. Aug. 5 is Professional Engineers Day. You've earned your Professional Engineer (P.E.) license, a credential that requires years of education, experience and rigorous examinations. Why is earning a P.E. license important in your field, and what does it mean for Vallejo?

Earning a Professional Engineer (P.E.) license is one of the most important milestones in an engineer's career. It marks the point where you have demonstrated the education, experience, technical knowledge and professional judgment to take responsibility for engineering decisions that affect public health, safety and welfare. A P.E. stamp of the Engineer reviewing and then approving a set of design plans is more than a credential on a plan set. It is a personal commitment to stand behind your work and be accountable for its quality and safety.

For Vallejo, having licensed engineers on staff means the City has professionals who can independently evaluate problems, design solutions and take responsibility for improving our infrastructure. As we work to modernize an aging water system, that expertise is essential. Every pipeline, treatment facility, storage tank and Water Department project depends on sound engineering judgment. Professional Engineers help ensure those investments are safe, reliable and built to serve the community for decades to come.

4. Looking back on your career, what projects or accomplishments are you most proud of, and what made them especially meaningful?

The projects I am most proud of are not necessarily the largest or the most expensive. They are the ones where I faced the greatest resistance because I identified an engineering concern that others viewed as a minor issue, but that I knew carried significant technical or regulatory consequences. In many cases, the disagreement stemmed from people with different areas of expertise and priorities creating conflict and resistance. Those were the moments when I had to rely on my professional ethics and engineering judgment and my ability to build common ground among people of differing perspectives. It is easy to move a project forward when everyone agrees. The real challenge comes when there is pressure to prioritize schedule, cost, or convenience over sound engineering. The real success comes when we can achieve the right balance of all those factors.

Those are the moments that matter most to me. As engineers, we have a responsibility to protect public health, safety and welfare, even when that means having difficult conversations or making unpopular recommendations. Looking back, I am proudest of the times I stayed true to that responsibility. A completed project eventually becomes just another piece of infrastructure, but knowing you made the right decision and protected both the public and the integrity of your profession is something that stays with you throughout your career.

5. What’s your favorite thing about working for Vallejo?

My favorite thing about working for Vallejo is that I rarely feel like I am just maintaining the status quo. Every day, I have an opportunity to build something new for the Water Engineering Division, advocate for the people on my team and the public we serve, solve a problem and move a project forward.

I enjoy being able to look back at the end of the day and know that something is better because of the work we did. Sometimes that means completing a major step on a project, and sometimes it is as simple as improving a process or giving someone on my team the support they need to succeed. What matters to me is knowing that I am helping build a stronger Division and laying groundwork that will continue to benefit Vallejo after the immediate work is done.

6. When you're not leading engineering projects, how do you like to spend your free time?

When I'm away from work, I enjoy many of the same things that drew me to engineering in the first place: solving problems, designing systems and building things. One of my biggest hobbies is writing stories and designing games. I enjoy creating detailed worlds, telling stories within them, and developing games that challenge players to think strategically and work together. It's a creative outlet that uses many of the same skills I rely on as an engineer: planning, organization, problem-solving and bringing many moving parts together into a cohesive whole.

Outside of that, I enjoy spending time with my family. My wife and I enjoy rock climbing and dancing together, and I love rollerblading with my kids and traveling to new places as a family. I also take great pride in telling puntacular jokes, usually followed by an enthusiastic chorus of groans from my kids. Whether we're exploring somewhere new or simply enjoying time together, those are the moments I value most.

Hello Vallejo,

August is off to a hot start in our city. This week has been full of important conversations, community engagement and new opportunities to get involved.

On Monday, the Vallejo Police Department held a community meeting to discuss a recent incident and share updates. At the City Council meeting, the department also spoke about ongoing efforts related to reform changes within the organization. Community members and the council offered various comments, and the City plans to hold another meeting with the City Council so they can have a deeper discussion and keep the public informed as things move forward.

Council also appointed several new members to our various commissions. I want to extend my gratitude to those residents who have stepped forward to serve; these advisory roles are vital to our city’s progress. I encourage everyone to learn more about these commissions and explore how they can contribute.

Another significant development this week: the introduction of an ordinance that exempts Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This change will make it easier for homeowners to build ADUs, creating more flexible living options across Vallejo.

This was the last Council meeting for August, as the Council will now take a short summer recess. Their next meeting will be held on September 8.

Tonight, Thursday, August 6, the Police Oversight and Accountability Commission (POAC) meets at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. And in the downtown district, Vallejo Main Street is kicking off the August Summer Nights Street Festival—come enjoy music, food and festivities while connecting with your fellow community members.

Friday, August 7, is packed with activity as well. The final Late Night Basketball session of the season will take place, GVRD will host its last Bands & Brews event at Blue Rock Springs, Mare Island Co. will launch its first Dockside Dazzle — free and featuring art, music and food — and the popular Art Walk will bring even more energy to downtown. There’s something for everyone — get out and enjoy the evening!

Looking ahead, Caltrans will give a presentation at the Norma C. King South Vallejo Community Center on Monday, August 10, regarding upcoming work on the Alfred Zampa span of the Carquinez Bridge. The westbound span will close Friday evening, August 21, through early Monday morning, August 24. Please attend if you can, and if not, be sure to read more about it in the latest issue of the Weekly.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, Vallejo; school will be starting soon.

With Appreciation,

Harry Black
Vallejo’s City Manager

Hello Vallejo,

On Tuesday, July 28, the City Council voted to appoint me as Vallejo’s permanent City Manager. I want to express my sincere gratitude to both the Council and our community for their trust and confidence. I am committed to helping guide Vallejo forward and supporting our city in reaching its full potential as one of the true jewels of the Bay Area. My team and I will continue working diligently to implement the Council’s policies and goals, while attracting and retaining the talent needed to achieve them.

The Council also adopted a resolution extending the development agreement for Mare Island. At the same time, the City and the Nimitz Group, LLC are collaborating on a new development agreement that will help shape the Island’s future. The Nimitz Group provided an update on their ongoing redevelopment efforts and pledged to share updates with the community more frequently. Additionally, the Council approved an extension with Island Energy to ensure continued utility service for Mare Island residents and businesses.

Beginning on Sunday, August 2, SolTrans will introduce significant changes to its bus routes as part of a systemwide update. We encourage riders to visit SolTrans.org for detailed information and to see how these updates may affect their travel.

Next week, the Vallejo Police Department will host a Town Hall on Monday, August 3, at Griffin Academy from 6–8 PM to address the recent officer‑involved shooting. I encourage residents to attend, hear directly from the department, and share their feedback.

Council will reconvene for a special meeting on Tuesday, August 4, which will replace the regularly scheduled meeting. The Vallejo Police Department will provide an update on its reform initiatives, and the Council will make several appointments to various boards and commissions. Following this meeting, Council will take its summer recess and return on Tuesday, September 8.

Vallejo Late Night Basketball is down to its final two sessions, Friday, July 31, and Friday, August 7. Teens and young adults are invited to join in on the fun. Downtown’s August Summer Nights festival begins Thursday, August 6, and will run every Thursday throughout August, featuring great music, food, and entertainment. More details on both events can be found in the Vallejo Weekly.

Enjoy the rest of July!

With Appreciation
Harry Black
Vallejo’s City Manager

Hello Vallejo,

I would like to acknowledge that it’s been a challenging week for our community with the recent uptick in crime. I met with Police Chief Ta, and I want to assure you that he and the entire department are taking swift, focused action. Their strategy includes both immediate responses and long-term measures designed to restore safety and protect our neighborhoods.

This Saturday, July 25, the City Council will host a Goal Setting Session at the Vallejo Masonic Event Center beginning at 9 a.m. You can find more details in the current issue of the Vallejo Weekly. Also on Saturday, City staff will be out at the Farmer’s Market, connecting with residents and sharing updates on several City initiatives. If you're in the area, please stop by, we’d love to see you.

We also have some exciting news to share: Vallejo native Lance David has been appointed as the City’s new Information Technology Director. Lance has been part of the City team for over 11 years and has served as Interim Director since last August. Please join me in congratulating him on this well‑deserved achievement and thanking him for his continued service to our community.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of celebrating the graduates of the 2026 Citizen’s Academy, now in its third year. This 11‑week program offers residents an inside look at each City department and the vital work they do. It also gives participants the chance to engage directly with our staff, ask questions, and build stronger connections with the operations that keep Vallejo moving.

Finally, we’re pleased to share that the Vallejo Graffiti Removal Program has officially expanded to include free graffiti removal for commercial properties. This enhancement supports our ongoing efforts to keep Vallejo clean, vibrant, and welcoming for residents and businesses alike. You can learn more about this expanded service in this week’s Vallejo Weekly.

With Appreciation
Harry Black
Vallejo’s Interim City Manager

The future home of Vallejo’s new Costco is buzzing with progress. Crews are moving full steam ahead, working diligently to ensure the store is ready to welcome shoppers before the end of the year. Check out the latest photos and see how the project is taking shape.

Tip: Right‑click the image to open it in a new tab and explore the details up close.

A view of the interior	The south side of the building	The bakery area and the receiving dock
Looking at where the gas station will be	Finishing the newly poured floor	The bakery area with the floor now poured
The fuel tanks will be installed here	The southern wall of the building	Storm drains being installed in the parking lot

Hello Vallejo,

What a fantastic 707 Week our community enjoyed! I hope you were able to take part in the celebrations and experience everything that makes Vallejo and Solano County so special.

You may have noticed that the Weekly looks a little different. We’re transitioning from the flipbook magazine style to a more streamlined, email‑friendly single‑column layout. This new format makes it easier to read on any device and gives us far more flexibility with story length, visuals, and multimedia. Our goal is to create a more engaging experience and reach a broader audience. We hope you enjoy the refreshed look, and we welcome your feedback.

This week’s City Council meeting featured several important presentations and updates. Our new Fire Chief recognized three Vallejo Firefighters for their heroic lifesaving actions. Caltrans provided an overview of upcoming work on the Carquinez Bridge, including the scheduled westbound span closure from August 21–24.

The Vallejo Police Department shared an encouraging update: crime statistics and staffing levels continue to trend positively, great news for both the department and the community. The Council also approved the new fee schedule for the fiscal year, completing the City’s budget process. In addition, staff received approval to pursue the California Pro‑Housing designation, which could offer Vallejo priority consideration in a variety of state funding programs.

I also want to remind the community that the City Council will hold a goal‑setting session on Saturday, July 25, at 9 a.m. at the Vallejo Masonic Event Center, 101 Temple Way. Please join Council and City staff as we work together to chart our priorities for the year ahead.

With Appreciation
Harry Black
Vallejo’s Interim City Manager