City of Newark, CA Government

08/31/2026

🎓 Attention Newark high school students!

Applications are open for the Newark Youth Leadership Academy, a six-week program where students in grades 9–12 can go behind the scenes of local government and discover how decisions are made in their community.

Throughout the Academy, participants will:

🏛️ Meet City leaders and staff
💡 Explore real issues impacting Newark’s youth
🤝 Work with other students to develop solutions
🎤 Build leadership and public speaking skills
⚖️ Present their ideas during a final Mock City Council meeting

The Academy meets Wednesdays, September 30–November 4 and is open to high school students who live in Newark or attend a high school in Newark.

📅 Applications close Friday, September 18.

Ready to make your voice heard? Apply today at www.newarkca.gov/youthleadershipacademy (link in bio).

08/31/2026

Check out this awesome first-time event!

🛼✨ FREE ROLLER SKATING FUN IS COMING TO ASH STREET PARK! ✨🛼

Join us for an afternoon of family-friendly roller skating at Ash Street Park Basketball Courts! 🎉 Bring your friends and family and enjoy some skating fun — all skating equipment will be provided! 🛼💙

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
⏰ 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Ash Street Park Basketball Courts

🚨 PARK NOTICE: The basketball courts will be closed from 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM for this event. We appreciate your understanding and hope you’ll come out and skate with us! 🙌

08/31/2026

Reminder! The City of Newark is developing a Homeless Action Plan to establish a coordinated approach to addressing homelessness in our community.

The draft plan was developed using local and regional data and conversations with service providers, community partners, and other stakeholders who work with or are impacted by homelessness.

Community members are invited to attend an upcoming Homeless Action Plan Community Meeting to learn more about the draft plan, including its priorities, proposed strategies, and next steps.

Date: September 1, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Newark Resource Center, 37365 Ash Street.

The meeting will provide an overview of what the City learned through the planning process and how those findings are reflected in the draft Homeless Action Plan.

08/26/2026

The City of Newark is beginning work on the Four Corners Specific Plan, a long-range planning effort for the area surrounding Newark Boulevard and Jarvis Avenue, between the Lake-Rosemont and Mirabeau neighborhoods.

The Specific Plan will create a vision for how the area could grow and change over time, building on the goals identified in the City's 2023–2031 Housing Element. Planning will explore opportunities for new housing, businesses and mixed-use development, neighborhood improvements, better connections for walking and biking, and access to public transportation.

The planning process will also consider future regional transportation improvements near the area, including the future Ardenwood Capitol Corridor station as part of the South Bay Connect Project and the future State Route 84 Intermodal Bus Facility.

Work on the Specific Plan is expected to kick off in late August 2026, and community input will be an important part of the process. Residents, businesses and other community members will have multiple opportunities to share their ideas and help shape the future of the Four Corners area.

Get Involved
Visit the Four Corners website (www.newarkca.gov/fourcorners) to learn more, follow the project's progress, and find upcoming opportunities to participate.

08/25/2026

Another busy aquatics season is coming to a close, and most importantly, it was another season where everyone went home safe. Behind that success is a team of Newark lifeguards and aquatics staff committed to training, preparation, and keeping our community safe.

Safety Starts With Training
Before taking responsibility for patron safety, Newark lifeguards complete more than 27 hours of training in lifeguarding, water rescue, CPR, First Aid, and AED use. Staff also receive specialized waterpark training, and the City strives to have every lifeguard complete the 25+ hour Title 22 First Aid for Public Safety Personnel certification within their first year.

Training continues throughout the season with regular in-service sessions, emergency drills, skill evaluations, and professional development designed to keep lifesaving skills sharp and staff prepared for the unexpected.

Building a Stronger Team
More than 90% of Newark’s aquatics management team are certified Lifeguarding Instructors, completing additional instructor-level training that allows them to teach and certify others in lifeguarding, CPR, First Aid, and other lifesaving skills.

Having these instructors on our team strengthens the training we provide our own staff and creates opportunities to expand safety and certification courses for the Newark community.

A Season Worth Celebrating
Our aquatics team’s work extends beyond responding to emergencies. Lifeguards work every day to prevent incidents before they happen, while swim instructors help children and adults build confidence and develop lifelong water-safety skills.

We’re proud of our lifeguards, instructors, and aquatics staff for another successful season and for the preparation and professionalism they bring to Newark’s aquatic facilities every day. Their work may often happen behind the scenes, but it helps make every visit to the pool safer for our community.

08/25/2026

Exciting changes are coming to several Newark parks! Following community outreach to help shape the future of our playgrounds, the City is moving forward with the next phase of improvements at Birch Grove Park, Mirabeau Park, and Jerry Raber Ash Street Park.

Construction is expected to begin in late September or early October, with playground closures occurring in phases to minimize impacts across the parks. Birch Grove Park playgrounds will close first, followed by Jerry Raber Ash Street Park and Mirabeau Park in mid- to late October, with some overlap between closures. During construction, the playground areas will be closed to the public while crews remove the existing equipment, prepare the sites, and install new play equipment, safety surfacing, and other improvements.

At Birch Grove Park, new playground equipment is scheduled for installation beginning in October, with work also including new tennis benches and other site improvements.

At Mirabeau Park, improvements will include new play equipment for ages 2–5 and 5–12, new rubber surfacing, a climbing boulder, and additional site work.

At Jerry Raber Ash Street Park, improvements include new playground equipment and rubber surfacing, new bike racks, ADA parking improvements, and volleyball court and softball field upgrades.

And there’s more to come! Newark Community Park is scheduled for improvements as part of the second phase of the Parks Playground Improvements Project. The park will become home to Newark’s first all-abilities playground, designed to create a more inclusive play experience for community members of all abilities.

Construction at Birch Grove, Mirabeau, and Jerry Raber Ash Street parks will continue throughout the fall, with the current phase scheduled for completion in December. We appreciate the community’s patience while these improvements are underway and look forward to welcoming families back to refreshed playgrounds designed for years of play!

For updates, visit our Capital Projects webpage: www.newarkca.gov/capitalprojects.

08/24/2026

The Newark Resource Center is officially open and connecting Newark residents with services and support available right here in our community. Located at 37365 Ash Street, the Resource Center serves as a one-stop hub where residents can access a variety of social services from trusted community partners, as well as assistance from City staff.

Current service providers include:
California Migrant Education Program
ECHO Housing
Alameda County Healthy Schools & Communities
Compassion Network
Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center – WIC Program
Abode Services
Second Chance

These organizations offer a range of services, including housing assistance, health and wellness resources, educational support, family services, substance use treatment, and homelessness prevention.

Each provider offers services during designated days and times at the Resource Center. Residents are encouraged to review the August–October Provider Schedule on our website www.newarkca.gov/humanservices) and schedule an appointment directly with the provider they wish to visit to ensure staff are available to assist them.

In addition to nonprofit services, City staff are available Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., to assist with Youth Scholarship applications and help connect individuals and families with City programs, services, and community resources.

For more information, contact [email protected].

08/24/2026

When disaster strikes, having a plan in place can help keep every member of your family safe, including your pets!

Join the Newark Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for its September community training focused on pet preparedness. Staff from the East Bay SPCA will share practical tips for preparing your pets before an emergency and steps you can take to protect them when disaster strikes.

The training will be offered in person at the Newark Senior Center, 7401 Enterprise Drive, from 7:30–9:00 p.m.

Whether you have a dog, cat, or other companion animal, this training is a great opportunity to learn how to include your pets in your household emergency plans. Register today at www.qrco.de/bdotCv (link in bio)!

08/24/2026

Attention all local artists! The City of Newark is excited to announce that we are launching our Utility Box Art Program, and we need your help!

We're now accepting artist proposals for Phase 1 of the Utility Box Art Program, which will transform utility boxes throughout Newark into vibrant works of public art.

The theme is Diverse Cultural Fabric of Newark, and the proposal deadline is August 31.

For more information, see the post below!

08/24/2026

The City of Newark welcomes Alicia Day as our new Recreation and Community Services Director. Alicia brings more than 20 years of experience in recreation, youth development, community services, and municipal leadership.

Prior to joining Newark, Alicia spent the past 12 years working in Massachusetts, including serving in recreation director roles for two communities. Throughout her career, she has led recreation departments, youth development programs, capital projects, digital operations, and cross-functional teams, with a focus on creating welcoming and accessible programs and services.

Alicia is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional and a graduate of the National Recreation and Park Association Director School. She holds a Master of Science in Sports Management as well as bachelor's degrees in Adventure Education and Telecommunications.

For Alicia, recreation and community services are about more than programs and facilities—they are about creating opportunities for people to connect and feel part of their community.

“We are excited to welcome Alicia to the Newark team. Her extensive experience in recreation and community services, collaborative leadership style, and passion for building strong communities make her a great fit for Newark,” said City Manager David Benoun. “I look forward to seeing her work alongside our talented team to continue providing high-quality programs, facilities, and services for our community.”

As Director, Alicia will lead the City’s Recreation and Community Services Department, overseeing the programs, facilities, and services that provide opportunities for recreation, enrichment, and connection throughout Newark.

Please join us in welcoming Alicia to Newark!