Celebrating Sustainability!

Beaumont honored for being energy efficient!

Beaumont was recently honored by the Institute for Local Government and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative for our participation in a statewide sustainability and climate change recognition program, the Beacon Award: Local leadership toward Solving Climate Change.

Beaumont was recognized for its leadership in making its city buildings more energy efficient, saving money and promoting sustainability, including reducing electricity use by 10 percent in agency buildings and operations, saving more than $125,000 since 2009.

Examples of recent activities for which Beaumont was honored include:

·         Completing a comprehensive lighting retrofit to the newly renovated Police Administration Building, saving 119,000 kWh and saving $37,000 this year.

·         Adopting Municipal Green Building Policy that requires all new municipal building to meet high level green building standards.

·         Retrofitting the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Beaumont Civic Center to be more energy efficient, saving 31,699 kWh and providing over $13,000 in savings.

“Beaumont is being very aggressive in its efforts to be a green community, control its energy costs and pursuing the latest technologies in sustainability,” stated Mayor Pro Tem David Castaldo. “Because of the prudent decisions of our city staff, and their timeless hours of research in energy efficiency and through some very wise investments in our own city's buildings, we have saved our residents precious tax dollars now, and in the years to come.”

Additional information about Beaumont’s accomplishments is available at www.ca-ilg.org/BeaconAward/Beaumont.

Minute Video

Beaumont adds `Minute Video’ to its website
 

For nearly 100 years, Beaumont has worked hard at creating a bond with its citizens.

In the early days, people chatted at town hall meetings and in the general store. We still cherish those tried and true forms of staying in touch, yet with today’s Internet, we’re also connected through cyberspace.

Because we spend more of our time online, Beaumont has created a special, new feature called, “Minute Video.” These short, captivating videos will help you discover what’s happening in town as we approach our city’s 100^th anniversary on Nov. 18.

Please check out our first Minute Video, The Plunge.

With the click of a mouse, you can watch these productions on the city’s website, www.BeaumontCares.com They’re posted on the YouTube link.

“This new feature will give residents, businesses and visitors important news about our hometown,” said Mayor Roger Berg.

Community Policing at its Best

Unique teams for the Beaumont Police Department are enhancing our lives and creating a better community.

The Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) Team and the Quality of Life Team are keeping neighborhoods safe and livable, working with our youngsters and rounding up our pets. These dedicated officers work closely with patrol officers, many city departments and the community. They strive to live up to the Department’s motto, “Exceeding Expectations.”

“We reach out to city departments and take a global look to increase our effectiveness,” said Sgt. Josh Ellsworth, who runs the COPPS program.

Teamwork

About two years ago, Beaumont created two units, COPPS and the Quality of Life team. (The Quality of Life team includes police, and code enforcement and animal care officers.) Because the police teams aren’t on regular street patrols, they are able to devote extra time and attention to issues. They work hand-in-hand with their fellow police officers and city employees, who often refer community issues to them.

The issues could involve anything from a dispute between neighbors or a business looking for security and crime prevention tips to cars speeding through a neighborhood. Other duties for Beaumont’s police teams include planning for law enforcement at special events, reading to youngsters during Story Time Café at Starbucks, being role models for youngsters as part of the Adopt-a-Cop program, supervising the Police Explorers program, and meeting with homeowners at Neighborhood Watch-style meetings under the Beaumont Cares program.

High praise

Meanwhile, the residents of Beaumont are giving kudos to their local police department. They recognize close cooperation between patrol officers and enforcement teams makes for a better, safer community.

Here are a few examples of praise for our officers and city employees:

• Good neighbors: Two neighbors involved in a running dispute became friends when police listened and had them talk it over. “Because of the officer’s outstanding level of common sense, my neighbor and I became friends,” wrote a resident.
• Safety First: A child’s ball rolled into the street, and a city employee passing by stopped his truck, halted traffic, and handed the ball back to the youngster.
• “Houdini” Hound: A clever dog stood up on its hind legs, flipped the lock, and opened the front door while his master was away. Police saw the open door, called the homeowner and locked up the residence. “I kept reflecting on how great it was to have the police come and make sure everything was okay at my house,” wrote a resident.
• Sad passing: A 17-year-old family cat passed away, and a distraught owner called police. A police officer and an animal care officer arrived to comfort and assist the pet owner.
• House Call: An animal care officer made a “house call” to check on a dog’s implanted microchip.
• Staying Connected: A police officer took time to return a recovered cell phone to its owner.
• Good Samaritan: A family from San Jacinto missed the last bus after spending the night shopping in our hometown. A police van took the grateful family back home.

So the next time you’re out and about in Beaumont, please take a moment to wave and say thanks to all our brave public servants. They’re outstanding city employees working every day to keep us safe and serve our community.

Beaumont's Citizen Volunteer Patrol

Police Department volunteers protect our community

They serve as the “eyes and ears” for Beaumont—and they’re worth a million dollars.

Each year, the Citizen Volunteer Patrol program donates more than 10,000 hours of community service to our hometown. You’ve probably spotted them directing traffic, checking abandoned homes, and cruising through neighborhoods in their specially-marked cars. As volunteers for the Beaumont Police Department, they receive extensive training about being good observers. When they spot something amiss, they notify police dispatchers. Some also work inside the Police Department entering data into the computer, taking fingerprints and photographs and doing clerical work. 

“Beaumont is very fortunate and honored to have so many dedicated citizen patrol volunteers,” said Police Chief Frank Coe. “They are part of our law enforcement family, and we all work together to protect the public.”

Tradition of service

The volunteer program began in 1994 when only a handful of officers patrolled Beaumont. The city needed a helping hand, and the Citizen Volunteer Patrol was born. Today, the program has 25 volunteers, including some who donate a hundred hours or more a month to their community.

You’ll see them on duty this summer at Stewart Park helping the public and police officers during the concert series. You might have spotted them last March fanned out across the city directing traffic at intersections during the Beaumont Road Race, which is part of the Redlands Bicycle Classic. The Citizen Volunteer Program allows more police officers to work their regular patrols and keep us all safe.  

Volunteers take part in a 10-week training course at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Academy. They learn about law enforcement procedures, take a driving course, and study everything from gangs to CPR. They fill out a city application and undergo a background check. Because Code Compliance and Animal Care are part of the Beaumont Police Department, citizen volunteers may also work in those areas.

Citizen Volunteer Patrol Commander George Diggs has been volunteering since 2008. The retired plant maintenance supervisor puts in up to 130 hours a month.

“I believe in keeping busy and serving the community and its residents,” Diggs said. “

Close ties

The volunteers and Beaumont police officers share a deep bond and a close working relationship nurtured over many years. They often ride together, work closely at crime scenes, and honor each other’s service. At an annual volunteer dinner, the cops cook up and serve a meal for the volunteers and their spouses.

“Officers will often say, `We really appreciate what you do—you’re part of the family,’” Diggs said. “That means a lot.”

Volunteers come from all backgrounds. Some volunteers in their twenties are checking out a career in law enforcement. Others are retired police officers who still want to be involved in public safety. 

”I’m impressed with the professionalism of the officers that I’ve met with this Department,” said Dennis Gray, who retired from law enforcement after a 34-year career and has been a volunteer for about a year. “I’m also impressed with the volunteers, their array of experience, their dedication, and how much they give back to the community.”

 Gray spent 27 years with the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department, and also worked as a police officer in Banning and Perris.

So the next time you see one of our Citizen Volunteer Patrol members on duty, say hello, thank them for their service, and consider becoming a volunteer yourself. Applications are available at the Beaumont Police Department, the Beaumont Civic Center, and the Albert A. Chatigny Sr. Community Recreation Center and also online at www.BeaumontCares.com

VIBE program

Rewards for hometown volunteers

You can feel the “good vibes” in Beaumont, where a new volunteer rewards program is taking public service to a new level.

As a city volunteer, you can give back to your hometown, learn about local government, and even receive credit for your civic involvement. The program is called Volunteering in Beaumont is Excellent (VIBE).

Based on a $10-an-hour pay scale, volunteers will receive 2 percent back on their time. So if you volunteer for 100 hours, that would be worth $20. While there will be no cash payments, money will be deducted from your sewer or trash bill, or you can receive a gift card at a local business.

Volunteerism

The importance of giving back to your community has long been recognized. Some call volunteerism the “ultimate exercise in democracy where you vote everyday about the kind of community you want to live in.”

Recently, several residents stopped by the Beaumont Civic Center to learn about this unique public service opportunity. Getting started is as simple as filling out an application, sitting in an interview with city staff to find out about your interests, and passing a basic background check.

The opportunities are endless. You could help out seniors at Albert A. Chatigny Sr. Community Recreation Center. You could ride city buses as a volunteer and tell passengers about Beaumont Transit’s many services; or maybe you would enjoy mentoring children in one of Beaumont’s many youth programs. Or, maybe becoming the eyes and ears of your hometown police department intrigues you. If so, you might want to consider the Citizen Volunteer Program, Police Explorers or even the police chaplain program.

The Police Department is overseeing the volunteer rewards program, which won City Council approval in February. Applications are now available at the police station, City Hall and the Chatigny Center. Application forms will soon be available online on the city’s website: www.BeaumontCares.com For further information, please call 951-769-8520.