SB644 allows 24-hour hotel booking cancellations with full refund
By Steven Harmon, Office of State Senator Steve Glazer
SACRAMENTO – Consumers will be able to make cancellations with a full refund, at no charge, up to 24 hours after they make a booking with hotels, short-term rentals and third-party booking services if they book at least 72 hours before their stay under a bill signed Tuesday by Governor Gavin Newsom.
“This first-in-the-nation law will end the confusing maze of misleading cancellation policies for lodging on the Internet,” said Senator Glazer (D-Orinda, CA7), author of the bill, SB 644. “Now, consumers will have a chance to correct mistakes and cancel bookings they hadn’t intended to make and get a full refund.”
According to the California Legislative Information website, the new law reads as follows:
“SEC. 3. CHAPTER 2. Hotel and Private Residence Rental Reservation Refunds
A hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental shall allow a reservation for a hotel accommodation or a short-term rental located in California to be canceled without penalty for at least 24 hours after the reservation is confirmed if the reservation is made 72 hours or more before the time of check-in.
1748.82.
(a) If a consumer cancels a reservation pursuant to Section 1748.81, the hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental shall issue a refund to a consumer of all amounts paid to the hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental to the original form of payment within 30 days of the cancellation of the reservation.
(b) The refund required by this section shall include a refund of all fees charged to the consumer for optional services.”
Glazer represents most of Contra Costa County.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Martinez Regional Shoreline Park by LisaVorderbrueggen. Source: CC County
Supes Gioia, Burgis lead Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Ad Hoc Committee
Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom
By Ryan Hernandez, Principal Planner, Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development
With warmer temperatures and more extreme weather, sea level rise modeling indicates Contra Costa County’s shoreline, which includes a variety of residential, business, industrial, infrastructure, and natural sites, can expect to be subject to more severe and frequent flooding.
To address sea level rise, the Board established the Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Ad Hoc Committee at the May 16, 2023, Board of Supervisors meeting. Supervisor John Gioia, whose district borders the San Francisco Bay, was appointed as Chair, and Supervisor Diane Burgis, whose district borders the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, was appointed as Vice-Chair of the Committee.
Funded through Measure X, the Committee will develop recommendations to the Board on work the County can do to plan for sea level rise and improve shoreline resiliency, which could potentially include a sea level rise resilience and adaptation plan. This would build on the County’s past work on collaborative regional efforts to characterize sea level rise risks with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the Delta Stewardship Council.
The Plan could include recommendations for built and natural infrastructure improvements and potential land use planning changes, implementation strategies, and participatory engagement opportunities for stakeholders. With the creation of this Committee, the County will be better prepared to adapt to rising sea levels with strategies specific to the current and future needs of Contra Costa communities.
The Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Ad Hoc Committee’s first meeting will occur on Thursday, October 12, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom with in-person meeting locations listed in the published agenda packet. To sign up for email updates, visit the Contra Costa Legistar website.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road
Single-lane closures Wed.-Sat. nights, Oct. 11-14
By City of Brentwood
The construction of the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing span over State Route 4 (“SR4”) in Brentwood requires a temporary nighttime freeway closure in both directions for two consecutive nights. Additionally, there will be single lane closures for several subsequent nights.
The highway will be closed in both directions, between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road on the following dates/times:
Monday, October 9, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.
Detours will be in place as follows:
Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound State Route 4 on-ramp.
Westbound traffic will exit on Sand Creek Road and go eastbound on Sand Creek Road to Shady Willow Lane, then northbound on Shady Willow Lane to Lone Tree Way, and proceed westbound on Lone Tree Way to the westbound State Route 4 on-ramp.
There will be single-lane closures in the eastbound and westbound directions on the following dates/times:
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.
Thursday, October 12, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., the following morning.
Friday, October 13, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., the following morning.
Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m., the following morning.
Visit the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing web site for more information on the project.
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By Kelly Kalfsbeek, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works
October 9, 2023, Contra Costa Centre, CA– Contra Costa County Public Works will be repairing pavement base failures, as needed on various roadways in the Contra Costa Centre area. Work will begin on Tuesday October 10, 2023, through Friday November 10, 2023, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will take place between 7:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, weather permitting. Nighttime work is anticipated along Treat Boulevard and Buskirk Avenue to limit disruptions. Restrictions will be in place to minimize impacts to drivers during commuting hours.
Funding for this project is provided by Gas Tax (SB1 Road Repair and Accountability Act). For more information regarding this work, including a list of the streets impacted, visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/2023CountywidePavementDigouts
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. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @cccpublicworks.
CONTACT: Pavement Dig outs: Eric Sanders, 925.595.5992
Read MoreBy Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
A Lafayette man faces a 12-count felony complaint related to an armed home invasion incident wherein the victims were held hostage for hours.
31-year-old Kenneth David Mcisaac was arraigned today at 1:30 pm in Martinez for kidnapping, false imprisonment by violence, second-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal threats, and child abuse. He entered a plea of not guilty in front of Judge Rebecca Hardie.
The charges stem from when Mcisaac pulled a gun on a mother and her daughter on September 24th around three o’clock in the afternoon. The victims were walking back to their apartment complex in Lafayette when Mcisaac forced them into their residence at gunpoint and proceeded to hold the entire family of four hostages for over five hours.
At one point during the ordeal, an adult victim was able to break free and physically overpower Mcisaac. Police and emergency crews arrived after a 911 call was placed, and Mcisaac was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries. Three days later on September 27th, he was booked into the West County Detention Facility where he remains in custody. His next court date is November 30, 2022, at 8:30 am with Judge Mary Ann O’Malley.
According to localcrimenews.com, Mcissac was also arrested in October 2020 by Oakland Police for battery with serious bodily injury and elder or dependent adult abuse.
01-22-01678 | The People of the State of California vs. McIsaac, Kenneth David
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker speaks on teleconferencing as District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica listens during the city council meeting on Sept. 26, 2023. Video screenshot.
Joins other cities in ending the practice
Torres-Walker only Antioch council member to want it
East County Rabbi responds to hate speech during Brentwood Council meeting
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, the Antioch City Council by a vote of 3-1-1 decided to not return to allowing call-in public comments via Zoom the same night the Brentwood City Council received a call filled with anti-semitic hate speech. Antioch joins other cities throughout the state ending the remote public comments due to the abuse of the medium which increased in use during the response to COVID. But Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker who voted against the motion wasn’t happy about it and accused her fellow council members of voting based on politics, with District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson, who voted to abstain, running for State Assembly, District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica running for County Supervisor and Mayor Lamar Thorpe facing re-election next year. (District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock’s seat is up for election next year, as well but she can’t run for it, as she was moved into District 4 due to gerrymandering during last year’s council redistricting process).
Following public comments on the item, Torres-Walker was the only council member to speak on the matter arguing in favor of allowing public comments via teleconferencing. (See 3:09:30 mark of meeting video)
“I keep asking for it to come back. If the council has to be here, the council has to be here. We ran to show up and there’s a large public that want to be here. There are rules that have been made up as we go. There’s a large part of the public that can’t be here in person”
“If we can’t take time to listen to the people whose business we’re doing then none of us should be up here. So, I think at least the public should be able to participate and teleconference in,” Torres-Walker said.
“I sat here for almost three years with people calling in over Zoom calling me everything but a child of God, grossly misinformed all the time, and I was told to get a thick skin. Nobody wanted to vote to take teleconferencing away until they started experiencing that same backlash. Now, it’s like if someone wants to talk crap to me they gotta show up in person. They should be able to use teleconferencing to do it and we all need to get a thick skin…and we should bring teleconferencing back for the public.”
“We are not making up rules as they go along. They’ve been written in the agenda for some time,” Thorpe responded. “Not making two comments at the meeting was pointed out by the City Clerk’s Office. We just didn’t enforce the rule and I was pointed out that we needed to enforce the rule by the City Clerk’s Office.”
Barbanica then moved approval, seconded by Ogorchock to continue holding city council, board and commission meetings in person without teleconferencing. Without any further discussion, the motion was adopted.
But it was at the end of the meeting, during the Council Communications and Future Agena Items portion, that Torres-Walker took a swipe at her fellow council members for their decision saying, “I’ve always been against ending teleconferencing. Because no matter whether I like to hear what the public has to say or not, I listen. Tonight, I think what we just saw was like, replay this because you just got to see people say they don’t want to hear you. And so, because we are coming up on an election year, they’re going to want to hear from you when they’re knocking on your doors, canvassing your neighborhood and they’re going to want to have your vote when you go to the ballot. So, I’m going to keep asking for this to keep coming back whether we vote for it or not.” She asked for it to return to an agenda for further discussion.” (See 3:36:04 mark of meeting video)
Her accusation didn’t sit well with Barbanica, who said later, “That was a ridiculous comment by her. Absolutely ridiculous. Let’s not allow people to abuse the system and target people.”
“So, if Tamisha doesn’t get her way, she’s going to weaponize others of us running for office?” he asked. “We never did that to her. I could not believe she made that statement.”
“As she was making that statement, the Brentwood Council fell victim to exactly the reason we made the decision to not to return to public comments by Zoom. It was abused,” the District 3 Councilman continued. “We had people appearing to be intoxicated, singing, using profanity. There are other cities that are having religious groups, etcetera being singled out. I was told by city administration that other cities have experienced people going on Zoom making pro-Nazi, anti-semitic comments, faking their names, using names of famous Nazis. That was the exact thing we were concerned with.”
“It was done during COVID when people couldn’t attend meetings in person,” he explained. “This has nothing to do with elections. We are still making sure people are heard. To sit at home and hide behind your keyboard and use Zoom as a weapon to spread hate speech and your own personal hate was never the intent.”
“Lamar and I had it happen to us during subcommittee meetings,” Barbanica shared. “They tried to put photographs up on the screen. We killed it. But it showed me right there how people have abused the system. When I was at Cal Cities, they had a talk about it, that people were weaponizing it for their own hate speech.”
Racist Comments on Zoom Call-In During Brentwood Council Meeting
An Oct. 1st tweet on X by the Brentwood Press confirmed Barbanica’s comment. It reads, “at our City Council meeting (Tuesday) night, a man called in to talk about kosher soap developed in Germany. He was cut off as this comment did not seem to be on topic, and he yelled, ‘Heil Hitler! White Power!’ before hanging up.” A resident submitted a letter to the editor decrying the hate speech.
According to an Oct. 4 ContraCosta.News report, Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant apologized to the public for hearing the comment and Brentwood City Manager Tim Ogden issued a statement condemning the hate speech.
Brentwood Rabbi Responds
In response to the comments made during the Brentwood City Council meeting, Rabbi Peretz Goldshmid, Director of Chabad of the Delta said, “When it’s dark outside you don’t need to be told you need a flashlight. This is the time to call for everyone to stand up and say something positive in response.”
“When one idiot talks, we need a thousand people to stand up and respond. Instead of the story being hate speech it should be about the thousand people offering good speech,” he continued. “The only way to stop the damage is with positivity in general and specifically about this incident.”
Peretz issued the following statement on Oct. 4:
“Positivity is the best weapon against antisemitism. Such awful sentiments must be responded to! Every individual, and especially those with a platform, should make a clear statement that we do not accept such behavior and that, on the contrary, we stand with the Jewish community and all that stands for good.
When we do, the attempted attacker will learn that negativity will always be met with an outpouring of positivity. So, I invite you to be part of the positive response!
It is also important to remember that antisemitism is not just a problem for the Jewish community. It is a problem for all of us. When we stand up against antisemitism, we stand up for justice and equality for all people.”
Walnut Creek City Council Also Ends Remote Public Comments
Remote public comments during Walnut Creek City Council meetings were also discontinued City Manager Dan Buckshi announced during his report on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. He said council meeting public comments have been hijacked throughout the state.
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Source: BART
By BART
Friday, Oct. 6 – This promises to be a busy weekend in the skies over the Bay Area as Fleet Week is back in San Francisco. BART is ready to help you get to the prime viewing locations for the air show.
BART is welcoming Fleet Week by offering longer and more frequent trains at night and on weekends throughout the festivities. This is the first Fleet Week that will benefit from BART’s reimagined schedule that was launched last month. Now riders will wait no more than 20 minutes on a station platform for a scheduled train. We are using only Fleet of the Future trains to fulfill our basic service plan so riders will enjoy a cleaner and safer BART experience. Many lines that have been served by 6-car trains will instead feature 8-car trains as we expand our capacity for riders going to Fleet Week.
Saturday, Oct. 7: California Golden Bears vs Oregon State University Beavers at Memorial Stadium
There’s a great matchup at Memorial Stadium Saturday as Cal hosts the 15th ranked Oregon State University Beavers. It’s the Bears’ Homecoming game so a big crowd is expected. Kickoff is at 7pm. The Bears need only three more wins to become bowl eligible. BART is the best way to get to the game. In addition to our increased weekend service and the longer trains we’re running for Fleet Week, we’ll stage an event train to expand our capacity for fans.
See the U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform during Fleet Week. Source: BART
Happy Riding this Weekend!
We hope you enjoy your weekend adventures aboard our trains. For an in-depth listing of local events, visit the BARTable website. You can also keep up with BARTable on Facebook and Instagram.
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Healthcare workers participate in the strike at Kaiser Permanente’s Antioch Medical Center on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history spans hundreds of hospitals and facilities across the nation
Includes Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek hospitals
Outsourcing and under-staffing emerge as key sticking points
Bargaining scheduled to continue Oct. 12
On Friday morning, October, 6, 2023, SEIU-United Health Workers union issued the following announcement:
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in multiple states are continuing their historic three-day strike to protest unfair labor practices and Kaiser executives’ failure to bargain in good faith over unsafe staffing levels and outsourcing protections at hundreds of Kaiser hospitals and facilities across the United States.
In Contra Costa County, the strike includes workers at Kaiser facilities in Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek. During the strike at Antioch Kaiser, today – part of a nationwide action – Antioch resident Angela Glasper, who has been a Kaiser employee for 35 years working as an optical services clerk, said, “We’re not backing down.”
The strike at Kaiser facilities expanded from coast to coast this week, following months of bad faith bargaining activity by Kaiser executives and repeated appeals by frontline workers for Kaiser executives to make the kinds of investments in staffing that could help stem employee turnover and reduce growing patient wait times.
The strike began in DC and VA at 6AM ET on Wednesday morning at 6AM EST, expanded to CO at 6AM MT, then culminated with tens of thousands of workers striking in CA, OR, and WA at 6AM PT. It is already the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history. The current strike is expected to conclude on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 6:00 A.M. It is possible that the coalition will issue a 10-day strike notice after Saturday, which could lead to further striking by Kaiser employees after those ten days if Kaiser executives continue to commit unfair labor practices and bargain in bad faith.
Additional bargaining sessions were scheduled by the parties this morning for the dates of Thursday, October 12 and Friday, October 13, 2023.
Kaiser Permanente confirmed that in the following statement issued Friday morning, Oct. 6: “The next bargaining session has been scheduled to begin on October 12. We look forward to reaching a new agreement that continues to provide our employees with market-leading wages and benefits, and ensures our high-quality care is affordable and available to meet our members’ needs.”
Outsourcing of critical healthcare duties has become a key sticking point in negotiations in recent days, as Kaiser executives have refused to put limitations on subcontracting and outsourcing, which keep experienced healthcare workers in jobs and provide strong continuity of care for patients.
“Now more than ever Kaiser Permanente needs to retain and attract qualified healthcare professionals. Outsourcing and subcontracting would have the opposite effect,” said Kathleen Coleman, Medical Assistant Message Management, Arapahoe Primary Care in Colorado.
“Frontline healthcare workers continue to await meaningful action by Kaiser executives to address our key priorities, including safe staffing, outsourcing protections for incumbent healthcare workers, and fair wages to reduce turnover,” said Gwendolyn Holloway, a Contact Lens Technician at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center.
Signs carried by healthcare workers on strike at the Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center.
Workers on strike include those employed as licensed vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, ultrasound sonographers, teleservice representatives, respiratory therapists, x-ray technicians, optometrists, certified nursing assistants, dietary services, behavioral health workers, surgical technicians, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, transporters, home health aides, phlebotomists, medical assistants, dental assistants, call center representatives, and housekeepers, among hundreds of other positions.
WHAT: 75,000 healthcare workers are on strike at Kaiser Permanente hospitals across the U.S.
WHEN: Today, Friday, October 6th, 2023 @ 6AM – Afternoon times TBD
WHERE: Hundreds of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and facilities in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
ANTIOCH: Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, 4501 Sand Creek Rd, Antioch, CA 94531
RICHMOND: Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center, 901 Nevin Ave., Richmond, CA 94801
WALNUT CREEK: Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center, 1425 S Main St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
BACKGROUND
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents 85,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia. In April, the Coalition began its national bargaining process ahead of the September 30th contract expiration. On Sept. 22, Coalition unions representing 75,000 Kaiser healthcare workers gave Kaiser executives 10-day notices for an unfair labor practice strike beginning Oct. 4. The Coalition and Kaiser Permanente last negotiated a contract in 2019, before healthcare workers found themselves on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic that has worsened working conditions and exacerbated a healthcare staffing crisis.
At issue, healthcare workers say, are a series of unfair labor practices related to bargaining in bad faith, along with simmering staff concerns related to unsafe staffing levels that can lead to dangerously long wait times, mistaken diagnosis, and neglect. After years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, Kaiser healthcare workers are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.
Workers say that Kaiser is committing unfair labor practices and also that understaffing is boosting Kaiser’s profits but hurting patients. In a recent survey of 33,000 employees, 2/3 of workers said they’d seen care delayed or denied due to short staffing. After three years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.
Kaiser has reported $3 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year. Despite being a non-profit organization – which means it pays no income taxes on its earnings and extremely limited property taxes – Kaiser has reported more than $24 billion in profit over the last five years. Kaiser’s CEO was compensated more than $16 million in 2021, and forty-nine executives at Kaiser are compensated more than $1 million annually. Kaiser Permanente has investments of $113 billion in the US and abroad, including in fossil fuels, casinos, for-profit prisons, alcohol companies, military weapons and more.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions unites more than 85,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreBy Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a Rodeo couple with murder, child abuse resulting in death, and torture in the death of a toddler — and the abuse of an infant.
22-year-old Destiny Deboe and 21-year-old Tyshawn Haywood are currently in custody in the Martinez Detention Facility awaiting their arraignment. (See related article)
On Monday, October 2nd at approximately 8:50 PM, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched after receiving a report of a 2-year-old child who had drowned in a bathtub. When emergency personnel arrived at the residence, they began life-saving measures on the child. The victim was then transported to a local hospital — but was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.
In the course of the investigation by Contra Costa County Sheriff’s detectives, it was determined that the child did not die from drowning but rather from injuries sustained as a result of prolonged abuse. It was also discovered that a second child in the care and custody of the defendants suffered life threatening injuries sustained as a result of abuse. The seriousness of these allegations has led to both individuals being held in lieu of $1,070,000 bail. The District Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence from police authorities and filed charges with Superior Court this afternoon.
District Attorney Diana Becton said: “The loss of a young life deeply impacts us all. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of the victim during this incredibly difficult time. We are committed to seeking justice and holding those responsible accountable for their actions.”
The People of the State of California vs Deboe, Destiny
The People of the State of California vs Haywood, Tyshawn Leontray
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SB644 allows 24-hour hotel booking cancellations with full refund
By Steven Harmon, Office of State Senator Steve Glazer
SACRAMENTO – Consumers will be able to make cancellations with a full refund, at no charge, up to 24 hours after they make a booking with hotels, short-term rentals and third-party booking services if they book at least 72 hours before their stay under a bill signed Tuesday by Governor Gavin Newsom.
“This first-in-the-nation law will end the confusing maze of misleading cancellation policies for lodging on the Internet,” said Senator Glazer (D-Orinda, CA7), author of the bill, SB 644. “Now, consumers will have a chance to correct mistakes and cancel bookings they hadn’t intended to make and get a full refund.”
According to the California Legislative Information website, the new law reads as follows:
“SEC. 3. CHAPTER 2. Hotel and Private Residence Rental Reservation Refunds
A hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental shall allow a reservation for a hotel accommodation or a short-term rental located in California to be canceled without penalty for at least 24 hours after the reservation is confirmed if the reservation is made 72 hours or more before the time of check-in.
1748.82.
(a) If a consumer cancels a reservation pursuant to Section 1748.81, the hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental shall issue a refund to a consumer of all amounts paid to the hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental to the original form of payment within 30 days of the cancellation of the reservation.
(b) The refund required by this section shall include a refund of all fees charged to the consumer for optional services.”
Glazer represents most of Contra Costa County.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreMartinez Regional Shoreline Park by LisaVorderbrueggen. Source: CC County
Supes Gioia, Burgis lead Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Ad Hoc Committee
Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom
By Ryan Hernandez, Principal Planner, Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development
With warmer temperatures and more extreme weather, sea level rise modeling indicates Contra Costa County’s shoreline, which includes a variety of residential, business, industrial, infrastructure, and natural sites, can expect to be subject to more severe and frequent flooding.
To address sea level rise, the Board established the Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Ad Hoc Committee at the May 16, 2023, Board of Supervisors meeting. Supervisor John Gioia, whose district borders the San Francisco Bay, was appointed as Chair, and Supervisor Diane Burgis, whose district borders the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, was appointed as Vice-Chair of the Committee.
Funded through Measure X, the Committee will develop recommendations to the Board on work the County can do to plan for sea level rise and improve shoreline resiliency, which could potentially include a sea level rise resilience and adaptation plan. This would build on the County’s past work on collaborative regional efforts to characterize sea level rise risks with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the Delta Stewardship Council.
The Plan could include recommendations for built and natural infrastructure improvements and potential land use planning changes, implementation strategies, and participatory engagement opportunities for stakeholders. With the creation of this Committee, the County will be better prepared to adapt to rising sea levels with strategies specific to the current and future needs of Contra Costa communities.
The Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Ad Hoc Committee’s first meeting will occur on Thursday, October 12, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom with in-person meeting locations listed in the published agenda packet. To sign up for email updates, visit the Contra Costa Legistar website.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road
Single-lane closures Wed.-Sat. nights, Oct. 11-14
By City of Brentwood
The construction of the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing span over State Route 4 (“SR4”) in Brentwood requires a temporary nighttime freeway closure in both directions for two consecutive nights. Additionally, there will be single lane closures for several subsequent nights.
The highway will be closed in both directions, between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road on the following dates/times:
Monday, October 9, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.
Detours will be in place as follows:
Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound State Route 4 on-ramp.
Westbound traffic will exit on Sand Creek Road and go eastbound on Sand Creek Road to Shady Willow Lane, then northbound on Shady Willow Lane to Lone Tree Way, and proceed westbound on Lone Tree Way to the westbound State Route 4 on-ramp.
There will be single-lane closures in the eastbound and westbound directions on the following dates/times:
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.
Thursday, October 12, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., the following morning.
Friday, October 13, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., the following morning.
Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m., the following morning.
Visit the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing web site for more information on the project.
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By Kelly Kalfsbeek, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works
October 9, 2023, Contra Costa Centre, CA– Contra Costa County Public Works will be repairing pavement base failures, as needed on various roadways in the Contra Costa Centre area. Work will begin on Tuesday October 10, 2023, through Friday November 10, 2023, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will take place between 7:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, weather permitting. Nighttime work is anticipated along Treat Boulevard and Buskirk Avenue to limit disruptions. Restrictions will be in place to minimize impacts to drivers during commuting hours.
Funding for this project is provided by Gas Tax (SB1 Road Repair and Accountability Act). For more information regarding this work, including a list of the streets impacted, visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/2023CountywidePavementDigouts
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. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @cccpublicworks.
CONTACT: Pavement Dig outs: Eric Sanders, 925.595.5992
Read MoreBy Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
A Lafayette man faces a 12-count felony complaint related to an armed home invasion incident wherein the victims were held hostage for hours.
31-year-old Kenneth David Mcisaac was arraigned today at 1:30 pm in Martinez for kidnapping, false imprisonment by violence, second-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal threats, and child abuse. He entered a plea of not guilty in front of Judge Rebecca Hardie.
The charges stem from when Mcisaac pulled a gun on a mother and her daughter on September 24th around three o’clock in the afternoon. The victims were walking back to their apartment complex in Lafayette when Mcisaac forced them into their residence at gunpoint and proceeded to hold the entire family of four hostages for over five hours.
At one point during the ordeal, an adult victim was able to break free and physically overpower Mcisaac. Police and emergency crews arrived after a 911 call was placed, and Mcisaac was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries. Three days later on September 27th, he was booked into the West County Detention Facility where he remains in custody. His next court date is November 30, 2022, at 8:30 am with Judge Mary Ann O’Malley.
According to localcrimenews.com, Mcissac was also arrested in October 2020 by Oakland Police for battery with serious bodily injury and elder or dependent adult abuse.
01-22-01678 | The People of the State of California vs. McIsaac, Kenneth David
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreAntioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker speaks on teleconferencing as District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica listens during the city council meeting on Sept. 26, 2023. Video screenshot.
Joins other cities in ending the practice
Torres-Walker only Antioch council member to want it
East County Rabbi responds to hate speech during Brentwood Council meeting
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, the Antioch City Council by a vote of 3-1-1 decided to not return to allowing call-in public comments via Zoom the same night the Brentwood City Council received a call filled with anti-semitic hate speech. Antioch joins other cities throughout the state ending the remote public comments due to the abuse of the medium which increased in use during the response to COVID. But Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker who voted against the motion wasn’t happy about it and accused her fellow council members of voting based on politics, with District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson, who voted to abstain, running for State Assembly, District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica running for County Supervisor and Mayor Lamar Thorpe facing re-election next year. (District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock’s seat is up for election next year, as well but she can’t run for it, as she was moved into District 4 due to gerrymandering during last year’s council redistricting process).
Following public comments on the item, Torres-Walker was the only council member to speak on the matter arguing in favor of allowing public comments via teleconferencing. (See 3:09:30 mark of meeting video)
“I keep asking for it to come back. If the council has to be here, the council has to be here. We ran to show up and there’s a large public that want to be here. There are rules that have been made up as we go. There’s a large part of the public that can’t be here in person”
“If we can’t take time to listen to the people whose business we’re doing then none of us should be up here. So, I think at least the public should be able to participate and teleconference in,” Torres-Walker said.
“I sat here for almost three years with people calling in over Zoom calling me everything but a child of God, grossly misinformed all the time, and I was told to get a thick skin. Nobody wanted to vote to take teleconferencing away until they started experiencing that same backlash. Now, it’s like if someone wants to talk crap to me they gotta show up in person. They should be able to use teleconferencing to do it and we all need to get a thick skin…and we should bring teleconferencing back for the public.”
“We are not making up rules as they go along. They’ve been written in the agenda for some time,” Thorpe responded. “Not making two comments at the meeting was pointed out by the City Clerk’s Office. We just didn’t enforce the rule and I was pointed out that we needed to enforce the rule by the City Clerk’s Office.”
Barbanica then moved approval, seconded by Ogorchock to continue holding city council, board and commission meetings in person without teleconferencing. Without any further discussion, the motion was adopted.
But it was at the end of the meeting, during the Council Communications and Future Agena Items portion, that Torres-Walker took a swipe at her fellow council members for their decision saying, “I’ve always been against ending teleconferencing. Because no matter whether I like to hear what the public has to say or not, I listen. Tonight, I think what we just saw was like, replay this because you just got to see people say they don’t want to hear you. And so, because we are coming up on an election year, they’re going to want to hear from you when they’re knocking on your doors, canvassing your neighborhood and they’re going to want to have your vote when you go to the ballot. So, I’m going to keep asking for this to keep coming back whether we vote for it or not.” She asked for it to return to an agenda for further discussion.” (See 3:36:04 mark of meeting video)
Her accusation didn’t sit well with Barbanica, who said later, “That was a ridiculous comment by her. Absolutely ridiculous. Let’s not allow people to abuse the system and target people.”
“So, if Tamisha doesn’t get her way, she’s going to weaponize others of us running for office?” he asked. “We never did that to her. I could not believe she made that statement.”
“As she was making that statement, the Brentwood Council fell victim to exactly the reason we made the decision to not to return to public comments by Zoom. It was abused,” the District 3 Councilman continued. “We had people appearing to be intoxicated, singing, using profanity. There are other cities that are having religious groups, etcetera being singled out. I was told by city administration that other cities have experienced people going on Zoom making pro-Nazi, anti-semitic comments, faking their names, using names of famous Nazis. That was the exact thing we were concerned with.”
“It was done during COVID when people couldn’t attend meetings in person,” he explained. “This has nothing to do with elections. We are still making sure people are heard. To sit at home and hide behind your keyboard and use Zoom as a weapon to spread hate speech and your own personal hate was never the intent.”
“Lamar and I had it happen to us during subcommittee meetings,” Barbanica shared. “They tried to put photographs up on the screen. We killed it. But it showed me right there how people have abused the system. When I was at Cal Cities, they had a talk about it, that people were weaponizing it for their own hate speech.”
Racist Comments on Zoom Call-In During Brentwood Council Meeting
An Oct. 1st tweet on X by the Brentwood Press confirmed Barbanica’s comment. It reads, “at our City Council meeting (Tuesday) night, a man called in to talk about kosher soap developed in Germany. He was cut off as this comment did not seem to be on topic, and he yelled, ‘Heil Hitler! White Power!’ before hanging up.” A resident submitted a letter to the editor decrying the hate speech.
According to an Oct. 4 ContraCosta.News report, Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant apologized to the public for hearing the comment and Brentwood City Manager Tim Ogden issued a statement condemning the hate speech.
Brentwood Rabbi Responds
In response to the comments made during the Brentwood City Council meeting, Rabbi Peretz Goldshmid, Director of Chabad of the Delta said, “When it’s dark outside you don’t need to be told you need a flashlight. This is the time to call for everyone to stand up and say something positive in response.”
“When one idiot talks, we need a thousand people to stand up and respond. Instead of the story being hate speech it should be about the thousand people offering good speech,” he continued. “The only way to stop the damage is with positivity in general and specifically about this incident.”
Peretz issued the following statement on Oct. 4:
“Positivity is the best weapon against antisemitism. Such awful sentiments must be responded to! Every individual, and especially those with a platform, should make a clear statement that we do not accept such behavior and that, on the contrary, we stand with the Jewish community and all that stands for good.
When we do, the attempted attacker will learn that negativity will always be met with an outpouring of positivity. So, I invite you to be part of the positive response!
It is also important to remember that antisemitism is not just a problem for the Jewish community. It is a problem for all of us. When we stand up against antisemitism, we stand up for justice and equality for all people.”
Walnut Creek City Council Also Ends Remote Public Comments
Remote public comments during Walnut Creek City Council meetings were also discontinued City Manager Dan Buckshi announced during his report on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. He said council meeting public comments have been hijacked throughout the state.
Read More
Source: BART
By BART
Friday, Oct. 6 – This promises to be a busy weekend in the skies over the Bay Area as Fleet Week is back in San Francisco. BART is ready to help you get to the prime viewing locations for the air show.
BART is welcoming Fleet Week by offering longer and more frequent trains at night and on weekends throughout the festivities. This is the first Fleet Week that will benefit from BART’s reimagined schedule that was launched last month. Now riders will wait no more than 20 minutes on a station platform for a scheduled train. We are using only Fleet of the Future trains to fulfill our basic service plan so riders will enjoy a cleaner and safer BART experience. Many lines that have been served by 6-car trains will instead feature 8-car trains as we expand our capacity for riders going to Fleet Week.
Saturday, Oct. 7: California Golden Bears vs Oregon State University Beavers at Memorial Stadium
There’s a great matchup at Memorial Stadium Saturday as Cal hosts the 15th ranked Oregon State University Beavers. It’s the Bears’ Homecoming game so a big crowd is expected. Kickoff is at 7pm. The Bears need only three more wins to become bowl eligible. BART is the best way to get to the game. In addition to our increased weekend service and the longer trains we’re running for Fleet Week, we’ll stage an event train to expand our capacity for fans.
See the U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform during Fleet Week. Source: BART
Happy Riding this Weekend!
We hope you enjoy your weekend adventures aboard our trains. For an in-depth listing of local events, visit the BARTable website. You can also keep up with BARTable on Facebook and Instagram.
Read MoreHealthcare workers participate in the strike at Kaiser Permanente’s Antioch Medical Center on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history spans hundreds of hospitals and facilities across the nation
Includes Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek hospitals
Outsourcing and under-staffing emerge as key sticking points
Bargaining scheduled to continue Oct. 12
On Friday morning, October, 6, 2023, SEIU-United Health Workers union issued the following announcement:
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in multiple states are continuing their historic three-day strike to protest unfair labor practices and Kaiser executives’ failure to bargain in good faith over unsafe staffing levels and outsourcing protections at hundreds of Kaiser hospitals and facilities across the United States.
In Contra Costa County, the strike includes workers at Kaiser facilities in Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek. During the strike at Antioch Kaiser, today – part of a nationwide action – Antioch resident Angela Glasper, who has been a Kaiser employee for 35 years working as an optical services clerk, said, “We’re not backing down.”
The strike at Kaiser facilities expanded from coast to coast this week, following months of bad faith bargaining activity by Kaiser executives and repeated appeals by frontline workers for Kaiser executives to make the kinds of investments in staffing that could help stem employee turnover and reduce growing patient wait times.
The strike began in DC and VA at 6AM ET on Wednesday morning at 6AM EST, expanded to CO at 6AM MT, then culminated with tens of thousands of workers striking in CA, OR, and WA at 6AM PT. It is already the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history. The current strike is expected to conclude on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 6:00 A.M. It is possible that the coalition will issue a 10-day strike notice after Saturday, which could lead to further striking by Kaiser employees after those ten days if Kaiser executives continue to commit unfair labor practices and bargain in bad faith.
Additional bargaining sessions were scheduled by the parties this morning for the dates of Thursday, October 12 and Friday, October 13, 2023.
Kaiser Permanente confirmed that in the following statement issued Friday morning, Oct. 6: “The next bargaining session has been scheduled to begin on October 12. We look forward to reaching a new agreement that continues to provide our employees with market-leading wages and benefits, and ensures our high-quality care is affordable and available to meet our members’ needs.”
Outsourcing of critical healthcare duties has become a key sticking point in negotiations in recent days, as Kaiser executives have refused to put limitations on subcontracting and outsourcing, which keep experienced healthcare workers in jobs and provide strong continuity of care for patients.
“Now more than ever Kaiser Permanente needs to retain and attract qualified healthcare professionals. Outsourcing and subcontracting would have the opposite effect,” said Kathleen Coleman, Medical Assistant Message Management, Arapahoe Primary Care in Colorado.
“Frontline healthcare workers continue to await meaningful action by Kaiser executives to address our key priorities, including safe staffing, outsourcing protections for incumbent healthcare workers, and fair wages to reduce turnover,” said Gwendolyn Holloway, a Contact Lens Technician at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center.
Signs carried by healthcare workers on strike at the Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center.
Workers on strike include those employed as licensed vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, ultrasound sonographers, teleservice representatives, respiratory therapists, x-ray technicians, optometrists, certified nursing assistants, dietary services, behavioral health workers, surgical technicians, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, transporters, home health aides, phlebotomists, medical assistants, dental assistants, call center representatives, and housekeepers, among hundreds of other positions.
WHAT: 75,000 healthcare workers are on strike at Kaiser Permanente hospitals across the U.S.
WHEN: Today, Friday, October 6th, 2023 @ 6AM – Afternoon times TBD
WHERE: Hundreds of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and facilities in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
ANTIOCH: Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, 4501 Sand Creek Rd, Antioch, CA 94531
RICHMOND: Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center, 901 Nevin Ave., Richmond, CA 94801
WALNUT CREEK: Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center, 1425 S Main St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
BACKGROUND
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents 85,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia. In April, the Coalition began its national bargaining process ahead of the September 30th contract expiration. On Sept. 22, Coalition unions representing 75,000 Kaiser healthcare workers gave Kaiser executives 10-day notices for an unfair labor practice strike beginning Oct. 4. The Coalition and Kaiser Permanente last negotiated a contract in 2019, before healthcare workers found themselves on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic that has worsened working conditions and exacerbated a healthcare staffing crisis.
At issue, healthcare workers say, are a series of unfair labor practices related to bargaining in bad faith, along with simmering staff concerns related to unsafe staffing levels that can lead to dangerously long wait times, mistaken diagnosis, and neglect. After years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, Kaiser healthcare workers are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.
Workers say that Kaiser is committing unfair labor practices and also that understaffing is boosting Kaiser’s profits but hurting patients. In a recent survey of 33,000 employees, 2/3 of workers said they’d seen care delayed or denied due to short staffing. After three years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.
Kaiser has reported $3 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year. Despite being a non-profit organization – which means it pays no income taxes on its earnings and extremely limited property taxes – Kaiser has reported more than $24 billion in profit over the last five years. Kaiser’s CEO was compensated more than $16 million in 2021, and forty-nine executives at Kaiser are compensated more than $1 million annually. Kaiser Permanente has investments of $113 billion in the US and abroad, including in fossil fuels, casinos, for-profit prisons, alcohol companies, military weapons and more.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions unites more than 85,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreBy Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a Rodeo couple with murder, child abuse resulting in death, and torture in the death of a toddler — and the abuse of an infant.
22-year-old Destiny Deboe and 21-year-old Tyshawn Haywood are currently in custody in the Martinez Detention Facility awaiting their arraignment. (See related article)
On Monday, October 2nd at approximately 8:50 PM, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched after receiving a report of a 2-year-old child who had drowned in a bathtub. When emergency personnel arrived at the residence, they began life-saving measures on the child. The victim was then transported to a local hospital — but was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.
In the course of the investigation by Contra Costa County Sheriff’s detectives, it was determined that the child did not die from drowning but rather from injuries sustained as a result of prolonged abuse. It was also discovered that a second child in the care and custody of the defendants suffered life threatening injuries sustained as a result of abuse. The seriousness of these allegations has led to both individuals being held in lieu of $1,070,000 bail. The District Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence from police authorities and filed charges with Superior Court this afternoon.
District Attorney Diana Becton said: “The loss of a young life deeply impacts us all. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of the victim during this incredibly difficult time. We are committed to seeking justice and holding those responsible accountable for their actions.”
The People of the State of California vs Deboe, Destiny
The People of the State of California vs Haywood, Tyshawn Leontray
Read More