Santa Clarita Non-Profits Invited to Apply for 2024-25 Funding Cycle

The City of Santa Clarita (City) is pleased to announce the release of the 2024-25 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and has scheduled informational meetings for organizations interested in applying for 2024-25 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. The City invites non-profit organizations that serve low and moderate-income residents to attend an informational meeting to learn more about the program and to receive a funding application for the 2024-25 program year.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the City with CDBG funding, which is primarily intended to benefit low- and moderate-income residents. The City awards a portion of this allocation through grants to eligible non-profit organizations to provide services and resources for some of the City’s most vulnerable residents. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply.

The City requires interested applicants to attend one of two scheduled Zoom informational meetings to learn more about applying for and how to receive funding. Following the meeting, the City will provide interested applicants with a funding application. Meetings are scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday, November 29, 2023, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
• Thursday, November 30, 2023, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

For more information, including the Zoom meeting link, passcode and where to RSVP, please visit the City’s website at SantaClarita.gov/Housing.

Every five years, the City develops a CDBG strategic planning document called the Consolidated Plan (Con Plan). The Con Plan sets priorities for how CDBG funds will be used. In addition, each year the City conducts a community needs assessment and develops a CDBG Annual Action Plan (AAP). The AAP outlines how the annual allocation of CDBG funds are spent and establishes goals for the number of individuals served.

This NOFA allows community-based organizations the opportunity to apply for funds to serve low and moderate-income residents as part of the AAP during the Program Year of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. All proposals must address a Con Plan Priority and meet a variety of other cross-cutting federal regulations, including compliance with reporting and record-keeping requirements. Only residents of the City of Santa Clarita may be served by any CDBG funding awarded.

For more information about the City of Santa Clarita’s CDBG program or the funding application process, please contact Project Technician Donya Plazo by email at  dplazo@santa-clarita.com or by phone at (661) 255-4368.

Construction Update Community Meeting: Save the Date   
Join Metro’s I-5 North County Enhancements Project for the next community meeting to receive updates on the construction activities along the I-5 freeway. 
 
Project staff will outline upcoming construction timelines and provide an update on activities in the Santa Clarita Valley and North LA County communities, including a recap of the demolition of the Weldon Canyon Rd bridge, and activities planned for Stage 2 of the project. We look forward to hearing your questions, comments, and to keeping you informed for the duration of construction. | More Information
 
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 6PM to 7:30PM 
Zoom Link: us02web.zoom.us/j/99714777647 
Webinar ID: 997 1477 7647 
Call-in: (213) 338-8477 
 
Special accommodations are available to the public for Metro-sponsored meetings. All requests for reasonable accommodations and translation must be made at least three working days (72 hours) in advance of the scheduled meeting date.

NOTE: I-5 restriping between SR-14 to Calgrove Bl taking place Monday, 11/20 and Tuesday, 11/21. Prepare for lane reductions in both northbound and southbound directions. Freeway closures are paused from Wednesday, 11/22 to Monday, 11/27 due to Thanksgiving.

Prepare for weeknight intermittent lane reductions in both directions between SR-14 and Parker Rd from 8pm to 6am to support all the below activities on I-5. Crews begin mobilizing at 6am and work hours are 7am to 4pm and 7pm to 6am on weekdays, and Saturdays as needed. 

SR-14 to Magic Mountain Pkwy

Gavin Canyon Undercrossing bridge construction. Prepare for intermittent full lane closures of The Old Rd between Weldon Canyon Rd and Calgrove Bl, Monday through Friday from 9pm to 5am. View full notice for detour routes. | Full Notice  

Calgrove Bl Undercrossing bridge falsework installation.  Prepare for intermittent full lane closures of Calgrove Bl between The Old Rd and Wiley Canyon Rd, Monday through Friday from 9pm to 6am. View full notice for detour routes. | Full Notice

Southbound outside shoulder retaining wall excavation and drainage system work between Weldon Canyon Rd and Calgrove Bl. View full notice for schedule and detour routes. | Full Notice

Center median retaining wall construction and drainage system work between SR-14 and Magic Mountain Pkwy. | Full Notice

SR-14 to Magic Mountain Pkwy

Santa Clara Overhead bridge forming, rebar installation, concrete placement and fine grading activity between Magic Mountain Pkwy and Rye Canyon Rd. | Full Notice

Castaic Creek bridge forming, rebar installation, and concrete placement between Biscailuz Dr and Hasley Canyon Rd. | Full Notice

Center median concrete placement and pipe replacement between Magic Mountain Pkwy Rd and Parker Rd. | Full Notice

Essential Details

• Work hours: Monday through Friday and Saturday, as needed from 7am to 4pm and 7pm to 6am. Crews will begin to mobilize at 6am.
• No two consecutive ramps in the same direction will be closed at the same time. Detours to the next on-ramp will be posted for each closure.
• Traffic will be maintained in each direction.
• All lanes will reopen by 6am each morning.
• No lane closures will be implemented during morning or evening peak traffic hours.
• The speed limit in construction work zones is reduced to 55 miles per hour.

Noteworthy

Access to emergency responders will be maintained. Construction is a dynamic process, it is subject to weather conditions, and information is subject to change, visit the project website for the most up to date information and a weekly listing.  
 

Between December 2023 and March 2024, customers who sign up will receive a text message when there is a 20% or more increase in the monthly natural gas commodity cost, which impacts a portion of their bills

LOS ANGELES – November 14, 2023 – Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today introduced an optional customer text message called the Natural Gas Price Notice. Customers who sign up will receive a text message from SoCalGas when there is a 20 percent or more increase in the monthly natural gas commodity cost – which impacts a portion of their bills. The 20 percent or more increase is based on the average of the last three winter (November to March) seasons' monthly natural gas commodity prices. Starting Nov. 14, customers can complete the sign-up form to receive the Natural Gas Price Notices from December 2023 through March 2024, as applicable.

“We’re excited to be rolling out this new resource for our customers to help them make informed decisions about their energy usage this winter,” said Gillian Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. “While the U.S. Energy Information Administration is predicting a milder winter ahead of us, we continue to encourage customers to take advantage of the tools and options provided by SoCalGas to manage energy consumption and make energy-efficient home improvements to help lower bills.”

Customers can learn more and sign up for the Natural Gas Price Notice at socalgas.com/NotifyMe or through My Account and will receive a confirmation text message once their sign-up form is submitted.

SoCalGas does not set the price for natural gas. Rather, natural gas prices fluctuate based on national and regional markets. SoCalGas purchases natural gas in those markets on behalf of residential and small business customers, and the cost of buying that gas is billed to those customers with no markup, meaning SoCalGas does not earn additional profits from the sale of natural gas or higher supply prices.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a combination of out-of-state natural gas supply constraints, combined with early and persistent cold weather conditions across the West and low storage inventories in the western region, drove up commodity prices last winter. This October, the EIA reported that temperatures were expected to be warmer than last winter, which was unusually cold.

In addition to approving SoCalGas’ new text message notification, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted in August to increase the maximum storage level allowed at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility from 41.16 billion cubic feet (bcf) to 68.6 bcf, “to enhance energy resiliency and protect ratepayers in Southern California from potential volatile wholesale natural gas prices this upcoming winter.” It also voted to lift limits on when Aliso Canyon could be used to meet customer demand.

The CPUC also continues to consider a request from SoCalGas to give customers earlier access to state climate credits to assist with winter bills, by accelerating delivery of those credits from April to February.

SoCalGas has a suite of programs and services that can help customers manage their natural gas usage to help save energy and money.

Eligible customers may sign up for a Level Pay Plan (LPP), for example, which averages their annual natural gas use and costs over 12 months. There are also assistance programs for eligible customers who are experiencing hardships.

SoCalGas's Ways to Save tool may also help customers with energy savings options through a personalized savings plan that offers a household energy analysis, customized energy-efficiency recommendations, bill comparisons, and energy usage comparisons that could help save on natural gas bills. Customers can also sign up for weekly Bill Tracker Alerts to monitor natural gas consumption, take steps to reduce usage, avoid bill surprises, and more.

For more information about SoCalGas’ new Natural Gas Price Notice, visit socalgas.com/NotifyMe.
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NOTE: Freeway closures are paused from Thursday, November 9 to Monday, November 13 for Veteran's Day. 

Prepare for weeknight intermittent lane reductions in both directions between SR-14 and Parker Rd from 8pm to 6am to support all the below activities on I-5. Crews begin mobilizing at 6am and work hours are 7am to 4pm and 7pm to 6am on weekdays, and Saturdays as needed. 

SR-14 to Magic Mountain Pkwy

Gavin Canyon Undercrossing bridge falsework installation and grading. Prepare for intermittent full lane closures of The Old Rd between Weldon Canyon Rd and Calgrove Bl, Monday through Friday from 9pm to 5am. View full notice for detour routes. | Full Notice  

Calgrove Bl Undercrossing bridge forming of abutments, rebar installation and concrete placement.  Prepare for intermittent full lane closures of Calgrove Bl between The Old Rd and Wiley Canyon Rd, Monday through Friday from 9pm to 6am. View full notice for detour routes. | Full Notice

Southbound outside shoulder excavation, shoring, and retaining wall work between Weldon Canyon Rd and Calgrove Bl. View full notice for schedule and detour routes. | Full Notice

Butte Canyon bridge dry finish work and concrete placement in the center median between Pico Canyon Rd/Lyons Av and McBean Pkwy, adjacent to Vista Valencia Golf Course. | Full Notice

Center median retaining wall construction and drainage system work between SR-14 and Magic Mountain Pkwy. | Full Notice

SR-14 to Magic Mountain Pkwy

Full or partial lane closures of Rye Canyon Rd for backfilling and infilling between The Old Rd and Avenue Stanford for backfilling and infilling. View full notice for schedule and detour routes. | Full Notice

Santa Clara Overhead bridge fine grading activity between Magic Mountain Pkwy and Rye Canyon Rd. | Full Notice

Castaic Creek bridge forming, rebar installation, and concrete placement between Biscailuz Dr and Hasley Canyon Rd. | Full Notice

Center median concrete placement and pipe replacement between Magic Mountain Pkwy Rd and Parker Rd. | Full Notice

Important Note

Due to pile driving activity, smoke will be visible from the I-5 freeway and The Old Rd at the Santa Clara Overhead Bridge work zone, located between Magic Mountain Pkwy and Rye Canyon Rd. Pile driving at this location is anticipated to continue through Winter 2023. If you have any questions regarding the active construction smoke, please call or email the I-5 NCEP hotline. 

Essential Details

• Work hours: Monday through Friday and Saturday, as needed from 7am to 4pm and 7pm to 6am. Crews will begin to mobilize at 6am.
• No two consecutive ramps in the same direction will be closed at the same time. Detours to the next on-ramp will be posted for each closure.
• Traffic will be maintained in each direction.
• All lanes will reopen by 6am each morning.
• No lane closures will be implemented during morning or evening peak traffic hours.
• The speed limit in construction work zones is reduced to 55 miles per hour.

Noteworthy

Access to emergency responders will be maintained. Construction is a dynamic process, it is subject to weather conditions, and information is subject to change, visit the project website for the most up to date information and a weekly listing.  
 

DrinkPAK, a leading contract manufacturer of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, currently headquartered in the Santa Clarita Valley, is expanding and investing more than $450 million in the construction of two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. These strategically located facilities on Eagle Parkway and at Carter Park East will occupy a combined space of approximately 2.8 million sq. ft., significantly enhancing DrinkPAK’s capacity and capabilities to support global and high-growth beverage brands.

The 1.5 million sq. ft. low-acid facility on Eagle Parkway, DP2, is expected to open in November 2024 and will manufacture energy drinks, teas, sodas, waters, hard seltzers, beer, wine and spirits in most can sizes and packing formats. The filling and packaging equipment from Krones AG will produce up to 2,600 cans per minute and feature dual filler production lines. The facility will also include an automated variety packaging line for multi-flavor cartons and trays.

The 1.4 million sq. ft. high-acid facility at Carter Park East, DP3, is expected to open in January 2025. This facility will be one of the largest, most technologically advanced low-acid canned beverage plant in the world, catering to products such as coffees, protein drinks, milk and alt-milk products, including oat milk, almond milk and soy. DP3 will utilize innovative technologies, including retort processing, to ensure safety and quality.

“We are thrilled to expand our advanced manufacturing organization with two new state-of-the-art facilities that will enable us to manufacture more high-quality drinks for the best brands in the world”, said Nate Patena, CEO of DrinkPAK. “This expansion positions DrinkPAK at the forefront of innovation in the beverage industry, offering unique opportunities for the creation of canned low-acid products.”

DrinkPAK was represented by Patrick DuRoss of Newmark in the transaction. The project is set to generate 1,000 full-time job opportunities in the DFW region by 2026, marking a significant contribution to the local economy. DrinkPAK is committed to hiring talent for various roles, including production, batching, quality control, maintenance, engineering, warehousing and more. DrinkPAK is dedicated to offering competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits and formalized training to its employees. Learn more about job opportunities at www.drinkpak.com/texascareers.

DrinkPAK operates one of the most technologically advanced canned beverage facilities in North America, boasting a 24/7 production capacity of 2.1 billion annual cans. With a dedicated workforce of approximately 550 employees, the company has earned a reputation for manufacturing high-quality beverages.

DrinkPAK’s addition of DP2 and DP3 in the DFW area represents a transformative opportunity for economic growth, job creation, and technological advancement in the beverage manufacturing industry, offering immense potential for beverage brands looking to partner with a forward-thinking and innovative contract manufacturer.