Waters (Robbie) Sacramento City Council District 7 records, ca. 1990-2010

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Summary

Creators:
Robbie Waters
Abstract:
The collection documents the legal and civic activities of councilman Robbie Waters, who served as a representative of District 7 on the Sacramento City Council. Waters remained councilmen for sixteen years, from 1994 through 2010, and backed numerous revitalization projects and community programs during his tenure. The collection is solely comprised of documents pertaining to Waters' function as City Councilmember and not his earlier career with law enforcement.
Extent:
11.25 Linear Feet (9 boxes)
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Collected and preserved by the District 7 Office of the City of Sacramento, the Robbie Waters Papers focus mainly on Water's duties as Councilmember, including civic engagement, administrative operations, and legal issues. The collection primarily documents the councilman's activities between the years 1994 and 2010, with some folders incorporating files from earlier years. In an attempt to preserve the original order, most of the folders bear their original names. Also, the complaints and correspondence series maintain their chronological and alphabetical arrangement. Other series were artificially created and organized by their related content so as to be more accessible to researchers.

Contained within the collection are printed records such as correspondence, financial records, legal documents, newspaper clippings, and publications and reports. Several development projects include blueprints, plans, maps, and charts. Additional media formats are sparse, but include some photographs and two compact discs. The inclusive dates for the full collection range from 1990 through 2010, with most items pertaining to 2001 through 2010. Topics and subjects comprising the collection are district programs, civic committees, special events, the Pocket Greenhaven library, legal documents, financial records in relation to his office and affiliates, correspondence with district constituents, and some city records.

Biographical / historical:

Robbie Waters, a native of Sacramento, was born in 1936. He died in Sacramento of COVID-19 in July 2020 at age 84.

After graduating from Sacramento High School in 1954, Waters enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He completed his tour of service in 1957. A year later, in 1958, he joined the Sacramento Police Department, embarking on a nearly 30-year career in law enforcement. Waters and his wife Judie were married in 1960 and had three children, Darren, Deanna, and Dan.

Amid his years of public service, Waters obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology from California State University, Sacramento. He authored a text book, Introduction to Law Enforcement, released in 1972. In 1976, he began work on a Master of Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Waters was also a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Advanced Criminology.

Waters navigated an extremely successful career with the Sacramento Police Department. After working Burglary Detail in the Detective Bureau, he was promoted to Sergeant of Detectives in 1965. He then rose to Lieutenant in 1966 and served as Homicide Lieutenant from 1972 to 1976, Juvenile Commander from 1976 to 1977, and worked in Internal Affairs from 1978 to 1979. Waters was a Lieutenant in the Personnel Training division for the next three years before being elected Sheriff of Sacramento County in 1982. He served as Sheriff until 1987. In 1974, Waters received the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award, and was also recognized as Lawman of the Year by the Elks Lodge and the American Legion. He received the Sacramento Police Department Silver Medal of Valor in 1975.

Following his retirement from law enforcement in 1987, Waters and his son, Darren, established a construction company building custom homes in Sacramento's Pocket neighborhood. Along with his wife, Judie, Waters also owned Pocket Custom Framing. Waters has been part of numerous organizations, having served on the local boards of the Boy Scouts of America, the Red Cross, and Make A Wish Foundation, among others. He was also a past president of such local groups as the Pocket Little League and Kennedy American Legion Baseball.

Waters resumed a lifelong devotion to public service when he won a seat on the Sacramento City Council in 1994 as the representative of District 7. Located in the southwestern portion of the city, District 7 incorporated the Pocket, Greenhaven, and Valley Hi neighborhoods, as well as the southern half of Meadowview. Waters was re-elected in 1998, 2002, and 2006, serving a total of 16 years. Darrell Fong defeated Waters in the 2010 election.

Waters backed numerous development projects in his district over the course of his City Council run. He secured funding to renovate all thirteen parks in District 7 and encouraged the development of the Bill Conlin Youth Sports Complex, the Didion Joint Use Project, the Valley Hi-North Laguna Library, and the Asian Community Center. Waters supported the opening of Merryhill Middle School, Bergamo School, and Phoenix School. His residential and commercial ventures within District 7 included Coleman Ranch, Delta Shores, and the Islands at Riverlake. But of all his support for new construction and redevelopment in District 7, the Pocket-Greenhaven Library is perhaps the most meaningful. As a project he first pushed for in 1994, the library finally opened in 2010 and now bears his name.

On a citywide scale, Waters served on the 911 Center Committee with the goal of improving public safety. He helped bring helicopters to the Sacramento Police Department, pushed for eight new motor officers, and backed the addition of fifteen new fire trucks. Waters helped pass a Dangerous Vehicle Ordinance as well as a Car Stereo Ordinance.

Community engagement was a constant feature for Waters during his time as councilman. He wrote a column for the local newspaper, Pocket News, detailing district updates. Waters actively backed Neighborhood Watch groups as an effort to deter crime, and he encouraged Pocket Area Neighborhood Associations with maintaining quality of life within the district. He helped establish several community events, including the annual July 4th Parade & Fireworks, an annual levee cleanup, and Seymour Park Summer Concerts.

Finally, Waters pushed a number of infrastructure improvements for District 7. A 100-year certification of the levees and the installation of new drains have significantly reduced the flood risk for the majority of South Sacramento. Traffic improvements have included new speed bumps and stop signs, a new traffic signal, and the district's first round-about. Waters also coordinated with the city on the Light Rail South Line expansion project and the Cosumnes River Boulevard Extension & Interchange projects.

Acquisition information:
Transferred from the City of Sacramento Council District 7 Office of Robbie Waters in 2011 (accession 2011/024).
Processing information:

Processing and finding aid by Sabrina Abbott, Christina Cannon, Andrew Case, and Chris Kent, 2013.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 6 series:

Series 1, District 7, includes records related to the district's development and zoning, programs and committees, the Pocket-Greenhaven Library, and special events. These subjects are broken down into subseries.

Subseries 1.1, Development and Zoning, includes such records as project outlines, photos, and plans, site evaluations and studies, and correspondences and complaints. Most records are related to residential and commercial development projects, as well as infrastructure projects within District 7. This subseries is arranged alphabetically. For the most part, folders are labeled with either the title of the project or the name of the affected site.

Subseries 1.2, Special Events, includes records related to fundraisers, funds, reimbursements, scholarships, and donations for various projects and events within the district. This subseries is arranged by year, covering the years 2001-2009.

Subseries 1.3, Programs and Committees, contains correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes related to committees, commissions, organizations, and programs within the district.

Subseries 1.4, Pocket-Greenhaven Library, comprises records related to the planning and establishment of the library. Design plans, education statistics, meeting minutes, and funding sources are among the types of documents. In an effort to maintain original order, the subseries is arranged by year from 2006-2010.

Series 2, City of Sacramento, covers records and information primarily related to the city rather than District 7. Records in this series include information on resolutions, budgets, city planning, and a 1990 report on levee failures. This series is arranged alphabetically, spanning the years 1990-2008.

Series 3, Constituent Correspondence, includes emails and letters written by Robbie Waters and his office staff to district constituents. Most appear to be responses to complaints or issues raised by Waters' constituents. The series is arranged alphabetically by the last name of the constituent and covers the years 2001-2010.

Series 4, Complaints contains emails and letters sent to Robbie Waters' office from District 7 constituents. The majority of complaints deal with residential issues affecting the home or neighborhood of the constituent. The series is arranged by month and year, beginning in January 2000 and ending in September 2010.

Series 5, Legal is a small series comprised of codes and ordinances, small claims and court papers, and information about particular crimes. The series is arranged by subject, with information spanning the years 1998-2008.

Series 6, Office Files includes information related to the financial records and personnel records of Robbie Waters' office. These topics are broken down into two subseries.

Subseries 6.1, Financial, contains information about funds, mail statements, grants, and budgets. The subseries covers 1995-2009.

Subseries 6.2, Personnel, includes Robbie Waters' accomplishments and administrative information concerning office interns. The subseries covers 1999-2010.

Subseries B: Special Events includes records related to fundraisers, funds, reimbursements, scholarships, and donations for various projects and events within the district. This subseries is arranged by year, covering the years 2001-2009.

Subseries C: Programs and Committees contains correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes related to committees, commissions, organizations, and programs within the district.

Subseries D: Pocket-Greenhaven Library comprises records related to the planning and establishment of the library. Design plans, education statistics, meeting minutes, and funding sources are among the types of documents. In an effort to maintain original order, the subseries is arranged by year from 2006-2010.

Series 2 – City of Sacramento covers records and information primarily related to the city rather than District 7. Records in this series include information on resolutions, budgets, city planning, and a 1990 report on levee failures. This series is arranged alphabetically, spanning the years 1990-2008.

Series 3 – Constituent Correspondence includes emails and letters written by Robbie Waters and his office staff to district constituents. Most appear to be responses to complaints or issues raised by Waters' constituents. The series is arranged alphabetically by the last name of the constituent and covers the years 2001-2010.

Series 4 – Complaints contains emails and letters sent to Robbie Waters' office from District 7 constituents. The majority of complaints deal with residential issues affecting the home or neighborhood of the constituent. The series is arranged by month and year, beginning in January 2000 and ending in September 2010.

Series 5 – Legal is a small series comprised of codes and ordinances, small claims and court papers, and information about particular crimes. The series is arranged by subject, with information spanning the years 1998-2008.

Series 6 – Office Files includes information related to the financial records and personnel records of Robbie Waters' office. These topics are broken down into two subseries.

Subseries A: Financial contains information about funds, mail statements, grants, and budgets. The subseries covers 1995-2009.

Subseries B: Personnel includes Robbie Waters' accomplishments and administrative information concerning office interns. The subseries covers 1999-2010.

Accruals:

The Center holds additional transfers from Waters' office that will be integrated into this collection. They include accessions 2002/111 and 2005/088.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.

The collection is open for research use.

Location of this collection:
551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95811, US
Contact:
(916) 808-7072
csh@cityofsacramento.org
Website