To open March 29 from Balancing Rock to Riggs Canyon on Mount Diablo
By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo
On March 29, Save Mount Diablo will officially open the Knobcone Point to Riggs Canyon trail connection. This section of trail winds through the upper 560 acres of Mount Diablo’s Curry Canyon Ranch, through one of Mount Diablo’s wildest areas. It travels from Balancing Rock and Knobcone Point, to Cave Point, to Windy Point and Riggs Canyon.
Although the trail was once available to the public ranging all over the mountain before proliferation of cattle fencing, it’s been nearly a hundred years since it was legal.
The 1.25-mile-long trail will considerably expand the amount of open space available to explore on Mount Diablo’s southern hills. It will effectively fully connect Rock City and Mount Diablo to Riggs Canyon, Morgan Territory, and Los Vaqueros via publicly accessible trails.
Curry Canyon is the final missing major canyon entrance to Mount Diablo. Curry Canyon Ranch has over nine miles of fire roads, most of which will continue to be closed for now, while Save Mount Diablo works with California State Parks to transfer much of the property to the park.
Currently Mount Diablo State Park visitors must climb in and out of four canyons from Rock City to Riggs Canyon—going forward, they can follow a ridgeline with spectacular views.
Right now, state park staff must leave the state park to reach Riggs Canyon. Opening the ridgeline fire road on Save Mount Diablo’s property will solve this access and management issue.
In preparation for the grand opening, Save Mount Diablo’s staff and volunteers have been installing infrastructure, including access gates and informational signage.
They have also been removing dead material to minimize fire risk in the area. The removal of dead and scorched plants in this area will encourage new growth of native and endemic wildflowers and chaparral plants this spring.
This project has been a decade in the making, in the works since Save Mount Diablo acquired the 1,080-acre Curry Canyon Ranch property in 2013.
“Thanks to our terrific supporters, staff, partners, and volunteers, like our Trail Dogs, Save Mount Diablo has created and opened a number of public trails the last two years. Last year, we created and opened over four miles of trails at our new Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve. This year, we will finish and open an important 1.25 +/- mile trail on Save Mount Diablo’s Curry Canyon Ranch that will allow the public to hike from Knobcone Point at Mount Diablo State Park, through the upper portions of our spectacular Curry Canyon Ranch, to Riggs Canyon at the state park. All these trails we have built are portals that allow the public to enter nature and be transformed for the better,” said Ted Clement, Save Mount Diablo Executive Director.
As part of its goal of getting more people into nature, Save Mount Diablo has been opening more land to the public and creating new trails over the years. In 2022, Save Mount Diablo opened several miles of trails at its Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve in Concord for people to enjoy.
Now the highly anticipated Knobcone Point trail connection will further open up opportunities to enjoy Mount Diablo’s majestic views and wilderness—recreationalists will experience a rarely seen part of the mountain.
“This trail is the major recreational puzzle piece in the Mount Diablo area, allowing park users to connect the mountain to Morgan Territory and beyond to Los Vaqueros, furthering their adventure into this extraordinary place,” said Sean Burke, Save Mount Diablo Land Programs Director.
Traveling along this newly opened trail, visitors will be immersed in the knobcone pine forests after which the area is named and stunning sandstone rock formations. They may see golden eagles and songbirds fly overhead.
This trail will open up a rarely traveled area; it will give hikers an opportunity to explore and experience the solitude of one of the extraordinary parts of Mount Diablo.
A trail opening ceremony will take place on the property at the Knobcone Point gate near Balancing Rock at 11:00 AM on March 29, weather permitting. We invite the public to hike in and join us. If you’d like to come, meet at Curry Point in Mount Diablo State Park on South Gate Road at 9:30 AM. There is a park entrance fee of $10, and parking at Curry Point is limited. The hike from Curry Point to the ceremony is a little over two miles.
After the ceremony, staff will lead a hike to the Riggs Canyon gate. The hike from the Knobcone Point gate to the Riggs Canyon gate is 1.25 miles.
In the event of heavy rain, the trail will still be opened to the public on March 29, but we will cancel the trail opening ceremony.
It is with great pride and excitement that Save Mount Diablo will open this trail connection and share the beauty of Knobcone Point, Cave Point, and Riggs Canyon with all who visit.
About Save Mount Diablo
Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.
Read MoreBy Leeann Loroño, Manager of Customer Service and Marketing, Tri Delta Transit
Transit Driver Appreciation Day is Saturday, March 18 and Tri Delta Transit, County Connection, and WestCAT are celebrating in a special way– by going FARE FREE for the day. No payment will be required on all three agencies buses for fixed route and paratransit. Additionally, Tri Delta Transit’s ride-hailing service, Tri MyRide, will not require any payment for the day either.
Transit Driver Appreciation Day started in 2009 in Seattle as a blog about appreciating bus drivers. By 2014 the name was changed to cover the diverse transportation available throughout the United States. The day is set aside to thank and appreciate transit drivers for the great contributions they make to the community.
“The contribution drivers make has never been realized more than over the past three years of the pandemic. Transit operators performed a critical and essential service during this time by continuing to provide public transportation,” said Tri Delta Transit CEO, Rashidi Barnes. “Through these unprecedented times, our drivers showed continued courage, patience and perseverance.”
Transit Driver Appreciation Day, also known as Transit Operator Appreciation Day, continues to be a notable day for those who value public transportation. Through COVID-19 and risking possible exposure to the virus, transit operators continue to show up, adapting to ever changing regulations and working with unpredictable changes in ridership numbers as well as adapting to new schedules. Plus, national driver shortages add new responsibilities to cover shifts, perform extra cleaning and sanitizing of vehicle, all to ensure our transit system can keep running.
“There’s been a lot of unknowns in the past few years in public transit operations,” acknowledged Bill Churchill, General Manager of County Connection. “There can be a lot of multifaceted work a transit driver has to perform, including, thoroughly checking their vehicle before every route starts to ensure the safety of the riders, navigating traffic and accidents, learning new technology, and remembering customer service duties,” Churchill added, “We’re so proud that, despite any setbacks, we’ve maintained a high on-time performance rate—a testament to the dedication and hard work of our drivers.”
Rob Thompson, General Manager of WestCAT shared a similar sentiment of transit drivers, stating, “Our drivers truly are the front line for our agencies, their commitment and hard work are invaluable in providing public transit to our communities.”
Drivers are dedicated and hardworking because they drive as a service to the community. “We hope by going fare free, riders can focus on the driver and their rider experience, and visa-versa, instead of focusing on fares,” says Tri Delta Transit Board Chair Anissa Williams. “For Transit Driver Appreciation Day, agencies hope everyone takes a moment to thank their transit driver when riding the bus and posts positive messages on the social media pages of the system you ride so that the drivers can see them.” The transit agencies were also happy to offer free fares, as a day of fare free riding is also nice for passengers and helps to bring attention to this annual day of recognition.
To learn more about these transit agencies, visit TriDeltaTransit.com, CountyConnection.com and Westcat.org.
Read MoreIn the midst of contract negotiations
“a physician vacancy does not mean that there is a clinical vacancy, nor that care is compromised.” – Kim McCarl, CCHS
“A bigger medical and dental staff would help alleviate some of the load that our current employed members are carrying.” – Dr. David MacDonald, President, PDOCC
By Allen D. Payton
Last month the Physicians’ and Dentists Organization of Contra Costa (PDOCC) released data showing a high number of doctor vacancies in Contra Costa County Health Services.
According to a Feb. 16, 2023, PDOCC press release, based on county data, there are currently 83 out of 285 employed positions listed as vacant in Contra Costa Health Services, a 29 percent vacancy rate in the system. That includes 27 vacant positions in family medicine and primary care adult medicine, 5 vacant dentist positions and 5 vacant OB/GYN positions. With 19 vacant psychiatrist positions, only 27 percent of employed psychiatry positions are currently filled. 11 vacant employed positions in the emergency department – half of the department’s employed positions – means the county is unable to safely staff the emergency room.
Since November, 5 emergency department doctors have left county employment. The county interviewed and offered positions to 21 new emergency department applicants, but the offer was declined by every applicant.
The problem is expected to get a lot worse in 2024 when Contra Costa County will need an additional 40 primary care providers to care for 30,000 new Medi-Cal patients being added to the county’s health services due to an agreement between the county and California’s Department of Health Services.
The problem continues to worsen. Contra Costa County Health Services added 12,200 patients in the last two months, while only adding 1 new primary care physician. The result is that the average primary care physician employed by the county now has almost 200 more patients on their panel than at the end of 2022. There are no new primary care physicians anticipated to join county employment before July 2023.
On average, the county has only been able to fill three primary care doctor vacancies annually over the last three years.
In response, CCHS Communications Officer Kim McCarl, said doctor shortages are a nationwide challenge, are not compromising care, and confirmed that negotiations between the union and county “are underway”.
She wrote, “We value the medical staff who work across our department.
Health systems across the country are struggling to recruit and retain medical staff at all levels. Contra Costa Health is no different.
It’s important to note that a physician vacancy does not mean that there is a clinical vacancy, nor that care is compromised. We are confident that the right provider is caring for the right patient in the right way at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers every day.
We provide flexibility in work schedule, an emphasis on proactive care, and mission-oriented work that helps us recruit and retain physicians who want to practice in an integrated environment. It’s not uncommon for our physicians to be expert in many areas of clinical medicine which our system values.
We value physicians who embrace our mission and choose to work for Contra Costa Health on a full-time, permanent basis but we also welcome doctors who take a less traditional approach to their careers by working part time or in partnership with other health care entities. These approaches help to alleviate the burnout that has been so costly to hospitals and healthcare systems since the height of the pandemic.
We are proud to be home to one of the most highly rated family medicine training programs in the country. We recruit well-trained physicians who are familiar with our system from each graduating class.
Recruitment and retention of physicians is a top priority at Contra Costa Health. We will continue to explore ways to fill every vacancy across our healthcare system.”
Doctors, Dentists Disagree
That opinion, however, is not shared by the county’s doctors and dentists or by best practice standards for patient care.
The severe shortages most certainly impact patient care, including the time a physician can devote to each patient along with the availability of appointments, according to county doctors.
Contra Costa County’s own policies recommend no more than 1,500 patients to a primary care physician’s panel (the number of patients assigned to a physician). Currently the average panel size for Contra Costa’s employed primary care physicians is 1,879.
“County leaders may be willing to turn a blind eye to severe staffing shortages, but doctors care too much about our patients to let the problem go unaddressed any longer,” said Dr. David MacDonald, PDOCC President. “We hear from patients all the time about how difficult it is for them to schedule appointments in our system. When they finally get an appointment, it is rarely for the amount of time they need because doctors are overstretched and taking on more patients because of all the vacancies. The patients who rely on Contra Costa County Health Services for care should not have to settle for less time and attention than patients in other systems or ones with private healthcare.”
In addition to the primary care vacancies, there are 5 vacant dentist positions and 5 vacant OB/GYN positions. With 19 vacant psychiatrist positions, only 27 percent of employed psychiatry positions are currently filled. 11 vacant employed positions in the emergency department – half of the department’s employed positions – means the county is unable to safely staff the emergency room.
The problem is expected to get exponentially worse in 2024 when Contra Costa County will need an additional 40 primary care providers to care for 30,000 new Medi-Cal patients being added to the county’s health services due to an agreement between the county and California’s Department of Health Services.
PDOCC is calling on county leaders to be proactive by filling the position vacancies which will improve patient care and support county revenues. “It’s hard to believe that Contra Costa County is not working more closely with our union to help it become more attractive and competitive in retaining and recruiting medical and dental talent. I believe the county is moving in the wrong direction and I’m concerned that patients are being put at risk,” MacDonald said.
PDOCC members are currently in negotiations with county management towards a new contract. Issues raised in negotiations by PDOCC members include high patient caseloads, insufficient time for administrative tasks, long waits for primary care appointments and specialty referrals, chronic short staffing and high turnover – all of which combine to negatively impact patient care and health impacts. PDOCC members also state that burnout is at an all-time high.
County Health, PDOCC Respond to Questions
Questions were sent to both McCarl and the union’s spokesman asking if the PDOCC is in the midst of contract negotiations with the county and if so, is this an effort to obtain an increase in compensation for its members.
While McCarl responded, “Yes, negotiations are underway” she did not respond to the additional question about their criticism.
The questions were also sent Tuesday afternoon to Dr. David MacDonald with the PDOCC.
He responded, “PDOCC is engaged with Contra Costa County in negotiations at the level of state mediation. We have one more session to go.
We are focused on improving patient care and making the workplace in Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) more sustainable.
We have to be able to hire new medical and dental talent, so compensation has to be more market competitive. This would also help with retention. A bigger medical and dental staff would help alleviate some of the load that our current employed members are carrying. The situation at this time is untenable. And, per an agreement between CCHS and the state’s Department of Health Services, CCHS will become the single system to provide care for MediCal patients in the county (aside from small fraction of MediCal patients covered by Kaiser). This will mean for an additional 30,000 new patients into our system as of January 1, 2024. We’re not ready for that. We will need an additional 40 new primary care providers to handle the influx of new patients. The County is nowhere close to hiring that many (I believe the County has 3 new providers scheduled to start after July of this year).
In addition, half of our emergency department employed positions are vacant. This means that the County partially fills the gap with very expensive temp doctors. We think it would be smarter for the County to take the funds doled out to temps and invest that money in committed, dedicated and County career minded docs who will be here for the long term.
Another issue is that our primary care providers need more protected time to manage their patient panels. The in-basket work – lab follow up, med refills, answering patient calls & emails, etc., has been escalating. Our physicians take this work home with them and it takes away time from their families and individual restorative activities.
All of this after the three-year pandemic onslaught has left our physicians and dentists suffering more from burnout than ever before. The County must step up, be proactive, and work with our union on how to achieve meaningful improvements that will enhance patient care and move our system in the right direction.”
Read MoreJoined by Common Cause, Consumer Watchdog for media briefing on “what’s at stake if big money wins lawsuit to terminate anti-corruption law”
On Monday, March 6, 2023, a coalition of policy experts, including representatives from Common Cause and Consumer Watchdog, joined State Senator Steve Glazer (SD7, D-Contra Costa) held a briefing on the special interest lawsuit to terminate SB 1439, what they refer to as “a common sense anti-corruption law that would help end the cycle of scandals caused by special interests’ massive campaign contributions to the local officials they have business before.”
Authored by Contra Costa State Senator Steve Glazer and signed into last year, SB1439 prohibits a local elected official from voting on a matter if they have received a contribution from the party to the matter or their agent of more than $250 during the 12 months prior to the date a final decision is made on the matter. It also prohibits local officials from receiving a contribution of more than $250 in the 12 months after the proceeding from party to the matter or the party’s agent. But the bill also allows an official to return a contribution to avoid violating the new law and still vote on the matter.
According to Common Cause which proposed the bill, California law prohibited anyone seeking a contract, permit, or license from the government from making a campaign contribution of more than $250 to the officials responsible for decisions about that contract, permit, or license. The limitation applied while the contract, permit, or license was pending and for three months after. But local elected officials were exempted from the law. The bill extended the prohibitions from three to 12 months and included local elected officials.
The panel of policy and democracy experts warned the public of the high-stakes consequences of the special interest lawsuit, by eight trade associations and two Sacramento area local elected officials, to terminate SB 1439 at a virtual press conference. The legislation, signed into law last year, is a common-sense, anti-corruption law that would help end the cycle of scandals caused by special interests’ massive campaign contributions to local officials they have business before.
The panel discussed the urgent need to uphold the lawful, long-overdue legislation that holds local leaders accountable to the people they serve, not to special interests. Local stakeholders illustrated how special interests meddling in local politics hinders democracy and harms our communities.
“We have become numb to the legal corruption that has enveloped our democracy. Pay-to-play is antithetical to an honest and ethical government, and it should be rooted out and killed like a cancer that has affected the body politic,” said Glazer.
Regarding the importance of expanding our anti-corruption laws:
“California’s local governments have been plagued by scandals in which special interest entities pump campaign cash to the local government officials who determine their fate on licenses, permits, and contracts. The examples are endless – SB 1439 is a common sense, narrowly tailored solution to an acute and documented problem to protect our communities,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, Executive Director of California Common Cause. “It has been tried in other states and in a long list of California cities, and it has never been knocked down because of legal challenges. We trust SB 1439 will succeed in the courts.”
Regarding how SB 1439 expands the Political Reform Act:
“SB 1439 is one of the most significant pieces of legislation in the last 10 years. It gets right to the heart of the corruption problem – people think that elected officials are acting in the best interest of their contributors, not in the public interest. This law expands the purposes of the Political Reform Act and is a major effort to correct this problem and public perception, thus the law should be upheld by the courts,” said Bob Stern, policy expert and principal co-author of the Political Reform Act of 1974.
Regarding how big money in our local politics hurts our communities:
“Supporting SB 1439 as a bill was an easy choice for us – we see and feel regularly the impact of corporate money in the Inland Empire. Increasingly, it’s felt that regardless of how loudly residents and voters push back against certain kinds of local projects, developer money will always drown out our voice,” said Sky Allen, Executive Director of Inland Empire United. “Over the past 20 years, the Inland Empire has become the largest logistics hub in the world – so instead of green space and local businesses, we’re surrounded by massive warehouses and, as a result, we breathe some of the worst air and are offered fewer quality jobs. Laws like AB 1439 give us hope that moving forward, the scales will be more balanced.”
Regarding how big money in our local politics hurts consumers:
“Local politicians have tremendous influence and direct impact on the policies that impact consumers the most, like zoning laws, environmental regulations, and business licensing. When corporations and wealthy individuals use their financial resources to influence local elections and create favor with local elected officials, they successfully steer public policy in ways that are sympathetic to their own interests at the expense of consumers as a whole,” said Ben Powell, Staff Attorney for Consumer Watchdog. “Laws like SB 1439 address this by ensuring that local politicians are working in favor of the public interest, not bids for re-election or trading favors with wealthy donors.”
“It’s imperative that we ensure local elections stay equitable for everyone. When big money comes into play, socioeconomic barriers are strengthened and the community is ultimately the one who loses,” said Emmanuel Estrada, Mayor of Baldwin Park. “In Baldwin Park, we enacted a local ordinance barring city contractors from directly donating to candidates and adding stricter contribution limits. When we sent it to the voters to reinforce the ordinance, over 80 percent were in favor, illustrating the massive desire to remove the influence of big money from our local politics.”
California Fair Political Practices Commission Chair, Richard C. Miadich, who was unable to attend the briefing said, “We’re disappointed to learn a lawsuit has been filed regarding SB 1439 after the Commission voted unanimously to support it and months after it unanimously passed the legislature and was signed by the Governor.”
“It also comes months after we’ve begun issuing guidance, gathering public input and crafting regulations to implement the law. We’ll continue doing just that and will continue to enforce the law unless and until a court ruling says otherwise,” he added.
To watch the full briefing, click here.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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The East Bay Regional Park District is looking to hire over 50 new lifeguards for the 2023 swim season at its 12 East Bay swim facilities, which include lakes, lagoons, and swimming pools. All new lifeguard positions are seasonal, full-time positions from May through September. Anyone ages 16 and over before April 22, 2023, are encouraged to apply. Starting pay is $20.78 per hour. Applications will be accepted through March 27, 2023.
There are six lifeguard testing dates scheduled in March. Participants will be asked to swim 550 yards in under 10 minutes, carry a rescue board 50 feet, retrieve three dive rings under four to seven feet of water, tread water for two minutes using only their legs, and retrieve a 10-pound brick from underwater. There will also be a short informal interview after successful completion of the swim test on the same day.
Testing Schedule:
• Saturday, March 11, at Buchanan Pool, Pittsburg
• Sunday, March 12, at Granada High School Pool, Livermore
• Saturday, March 18, at San Leandro High School Pool, San Leandro
• Sunday, March 19, at Granada High School Pool, Livermore
• Saturday, March 25, at Buchanan Pool, Pittsburg
• Sunday, March 26, at Castro Valley High School Pool, Castro Valley
Participants who pass the tests will be invited to the Park District’s Lifeguard Academy beginning Saturday April 22, 2023, where they will receive paid training and certification in open water lifeguarding. The Lifeguard Academy takes place over five consecutive weekends in April and May, with the swim season beginning in late May for most facilities.
“Working as a lifeguard is one of the few ways a young adult can give back to their community and learn about public service,” said East Bay Regional Park District Aquatics Manager Pete DeQuincy. “Promoting water safety and educating park visitors on how to safely recreate in, on, and around water is paramount in what a lifeguard does.”
Lifeguards can work at any of the Park District’s swim facilities in various cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, such as Antioch, Concord, Livermore, Hayward, Castro Valley, Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley.
For information and how to apply, visit www.ebparks.org/public-safety/lifeguard/jobs.
The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Read MoreAdvises residents how to stay safe, offers list of free sandbag locations
By Kelly Kalfsbeek, Community & Media Relations Coordinator, CCC Public Works
Contra Costa County Public Works maintenance crews have been clearing storm drains, catch basins, roadside ditches, monitoring and maintaining flood control channels and stocking sandbag stations in preparation of the coming storms. We encourage our customers to take steps to protect themselves and their property as well.
Please clear drains/gutters, watch for fallen/falling trees/limbs and other debris and look for trouble spots. If you are concerned about flooding visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/sandbags to find your nearest sandbag station. Sand and sandbags are free, please bring a shovel.
During stormy weather, we encourage the driving public to avoid traveling on the roadways unless necessary due to localized flooding, downed trees, and hazardous situations. Do not attempt to cross flooded roads and if the power is out, treat all traffic signals like stop signs. We also advise residents to stay out of the creeks and flood control channels.
For road closure updates & other important information follow us on Twitter @cccpublicworks: https://twitter.com/cccpublicworks
For winter storm preparedness tips & resources-including flood forecasting tools visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/stormprep
To report a service issue such as a clogged catch basin or drainage inlet, in unincorporated Contra Costa County, please call the Public Works Maintenance Division at 925-313-7000 during work hours and after hours call Sheriff’s Dispatch at 925-646-2441. To learn how you can report service issues to us from your mobile device using our free Mobile Citizen App visit:
www.contracosta.ca.gov/MobileCitizen
About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:
Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) maintains over 660 miles of roads, 150 miles of streams, channels, and other drainage and over 150 County buildings throughout Contra Costa County. CCCPWD provides services such as Parks and Recreation, Sandbag Distribution and Flood Control throughout unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org
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To evaluate reforms, in coordination with state Department of Justice
The BART Police Department and the California Department of Justice (Cal DOJ) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to work with BART PD to independently evaluate the reforms put in place by BART PD and the BART Board of Directors, with the goal of improving BART PD policies where applicable and providing documented reports of BART PD’s progress to the community.
BART riders and community stakeholders are invited to register for and participate in a Zoom session this Thursday, March 9 at 6:30 pm where members of the evaluation team will hear the perspectives of community members on their relationships with BART PD. The listening session will include a virtual community meeting with breakout sessions.
Visit here to register for the event.
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The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) operates the Amtrak San Joaquins passenger rail line and through bus service which serves Antioch, Martinez and Richmond in Contra Costa County. Each year, SJJPA must develop and approve an updated Business Plan as required by SJJPA’s Interagency Transfer Agreement (ITA) with the State. The annual Business Plan is required to be submitted to the Secretary of CalSTA in draft form by April 1 of each year, and in final form by June 15 of each year to allow Amtrak time to finalize operating cost estimates.
As specified in AB 1779, the Business Plan shall include a report on the historical performance of the San Joaquins Service, an operating plan including proposed service enhancements to increase ridership, short-term and long-term capital improvement programs, funding requirements for the upcoming fiscal year, and an action plan with specific performance goals and objectives. The Business Plan shall document service improvements (rail and thruway/connecting bus) to provide the planned level of service, inclusion of operating plans to serve peak period work trips, and consideration of other service expansions and enhancements.
2023 SJJPA Business Plan
The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority has released its 2023 Draft SJJPA Business Plan Update. Public comments must be submitted to Dan Leavitt at dan@sjjpa.com no later than Wednesday, March 15, 2023. DRAFT-2023-SJJPA-Business-Plan-Update_Public-Review-Draft.pdf
DRAFT-2023-SJJPA-Business-Plan-Update_Track-Change-Version_Public-Review-Draft.pdf
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Due to impact of winter storms; includes quarterly tax payments
The Internal Revenue Service announced on Feb. 24, 2023, that California storm victims, including Contra Costa County residents and businesses, now have until October 16, 2023, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. The deadline was previously extended to May 15 on January 10 and didn’t include Contra Costa. But that changed the following day. Then on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced state tax returns will also not be due until Oct. 16, as well.
The IRS is offering relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This means that individuals and households that reside or have a business in Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa County qualify for tax relief. The current list of eligible localities is always available on the Tax Relief in Disaster Situations page on IRS.gov.
The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on January 8, 2023. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Oct. 16, 2023, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.
This includes 2022 individual income tax returns due on April 18, as well as various 2022 business returns normally due on March 15 and April 18. Among other things, this means that eligible taxpayers will have until Oct. 16 to make 2022 contributions to their IRAs and health savings accounts.
The Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses page has details on other returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time.
The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.
In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at 866-562-5227. This also includes workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization.
Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this instance, the 2023 return normally filed next year), or the return for the prior year (2022, normally filed this tax season). Be sure to write the FEMA declaration number – 3591-EM − on any return claiming a loss. See Publication 547 for details.
The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the damage caused by these storms and is based on local damage assessments by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit disasterassistance.gov.
California Extension Matches IRS
In addition, California is extending the tax filing deadline for Californians impacted by December and January winter storms to October 16, 2023 – aligning with the IRS
In addition to tax relief measures that Governor Gavin Newsom announced in January, California is also extending the state tax filing and payment due dates to October 16, 2023 for Californians impacted by the winter storms in December and January. This aligns California with the Biden Administration, which announced that the IRS extended various due dates until October 16, as well.
“As communities across the state continue recovering from the damage caused by the winter storms, California is working swiftly to help recovering Californians get back on their feet,” said Governor Newsom. “The state is aligning with the Biden Administration and extending the tax filing deadline in addition to the tax relief announced earlier this year.”
Last month, Governor Newsom announced tax relief for those impacted by winter storms, giving people the ability to claim a deduction for disaster loss and extending certain filing deadlines.
The following counties are eligible for this extended tax relief, per the IRS announcements here and here:
Residents and businesses in Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba counties who have been affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides are eligible for tax relief.
TAX EXTENSION
To help alleviate some of the hardship many have endured during this trying period, the FTB has extended the filing and payment deadlines for individuals and businesses in California until October 16, 2023.
This relief applies to deadlines falling on or after January 8, 2023, and before October 16, 2023, including the 2022 individual income tax returns due on April 18 and the quarterly estimated tax payments, typically due on January 17, 2023 and April 18, 2023. Those payments were previously extended to May 15, 2023 for those impacted by winter storms.
The IRS announced tax relief for Californians affected by these winter storms. Taxpayers affected by these storms qualify for an extension to October 16, 2023 to file individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments. This includes:
- Individuals whose tax returns and payments are due on April 18, 2023.
- Quarterly estimated tax payments due January 17, 2023, April 18, 2023, June 15, 2023, and September 15, 2023.
- Business entities whose tax returns are normally due on March 15 and April 18.
- PTE Elective Tax payments due on June 15, 2023.
CLAIMING DISASTER LOSSES
Taxpayers affected by a presidentially declared disaster may claim a deduction for a disaster loss. Taxpayers may claim a disaster loss when filing either an original or amended tax year 2022 tax return.
When filing their return, taxpayers should write the name of the disaster in blue or black ink at the top of their tax return to alert FTB. If filing electronically, taxpayers should follow the software instructions to enter disaster information. If a taxpayer receives a late filing or payment penalty notice related to the postponement period, they should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.
Additional information and instructions are available in FTB Publication 1034, 2022 Disaster Loss: How to Claim a State Tax Deduction.
Disaster victims can receive free copies of their state returns to replace those lost or damaged. To do so, they should use form FTB 3516 and write the name of the disaster in blue or black ink at the top of the request.
For a complete list of all disasters declared in California, see the chart on FTB’s disaster loss webpage.
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During School Day STEAM Fest 2023!
Velma Wilson of Antioch will sing the National Anthem before the Santa Cruz Warriors game at Chase Center Saturday night, March 4. Wilson was the Contra Costa County 2021 Humanitarian of the Year.
Gather your family and friends and join us for School Day STEAM Fest 2023 as your Santa Cruz Warriors (NBA G-League Affiliate) take on the Cleveland Charge! Join us on West Concourse Terrace for our STEAM Fest where a variety of vendors will be showcasing educational and interactive activations for your and more!
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