![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Jeanne-Kreig-receiving-CTA-Award-1024x744.jpg)
Jeanne Krieg shares a laugh with Rachel Ede, Chair of the CTA Small Operations Committee, while receiving the award on Nov. 3, 2021. Source: Tri Delta Transit
Jeanne Krieg honored by the California Transit Association
By Leeann Loroño, Manager of Customer Service and Marketing, Tri Delta Transit
ANTIOCH, CA, Tri Delta Transit’s CEO, Jeanne Krieg, was honored to receive California Transit Association’s (CTA) distinguished award Small Operators Committee Transit Professional of the Year 2021. She was honored on Nov. 3 during an awards breakfast at the CTA’s 56th Annual Fall Conference & Expo in Sacramento.
The CTA has 52 Small Operator members throughout the state which each operate fewer than 100 buses. The organization gives the award to an outstanding individual who has provided strong leadership and vision to a California transit agency or made a notable contribution that benefits public transit in general.
Krieg has done both of those. She has served as CEO of the agency for 26 of its 44-year history. Krieg has met every challenge the agency has faced, while continuing to grow the organization through innovation that focuses on meeting the transportation needs of Eastern Contra Costa County. Under her leadership, Tri Delta Transit is often first adaptors for programs such as “green business” certifications, Mobility on Demand, real time route applications, mobile ticketing apps, free Wi-Fi, Tri Delta Watch hazard reporting, electric buses, and (soon) hydrogen fueling stations and buses.
“What makes our CEO such a strong leader is not only her passion for the industry and vision for innovation, but also her focus on providing ultimate customer service for our riders,” says Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority Board of Directors Chair Ken Grey. “In addition, she takes as much care of the staff as she does the riders, with an open-door policy, benefits and morale programs, as well as providing training support and personal touches that result in very low turnover.”
Krieg encourages sharing of resources and information, which she does herself by serving on the CTA Executive Committee, for which she served as Chair from 2002 to 2004, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) executive committee, and the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Oversight and Project Selection Committee, not to mention being active on many sub-committees. Her many contributions to the transit industry over her 30-year career have benefitted many other agencies and the industry as a whole.
“I was surprised and honored to receive this award,” Krieg said. “The award really belongs to the board of directors and staff for making Tri Delta Transit such a great organization.”
The Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, doing business as Tri Delta Transit, is a joint powers agency of the governments of Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, and Contra Costa County that provides over 2,500,000 trips each year to a population of over 315,000 residents in the 225 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County. They currently operate 15 local bus routes Monday through Friday, four local bus routes on weekends, on-demand ride share service Tri MyRide, and door-to-door bus service for senior citizens and people with disabilities.
For additional information about Tri Delta Transit, please visit www.trideltatransit.com.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa County Probation Department is the recipient of a one-year, $389,700 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to monitor high-risk, repeat DUI Probation clients. Currently, the Probation Department is supervising 202 DUI probation clients.
Grant funding will be used to make sure DUI probation clients are following the court ordered terms of their probation, including home, work and office visits, alcohol testing and warrant service operations.
In addition, funding will be used to develop the Habitual Offender Tally, also known as “HOT Sheets,” that identify repeat DUI probation clients to local law enforcement agencies. The funds will also be utilized to assist Probation in working with Court officials to establish probation orders for the DUI clients being placed on probation.
This grant is aimed at reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol-related collisions as well as lower DUI recidivism rates.
“Prevention and treatment are valuable tools in reducing DUI recidivism rates,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Monitoring programs are intended to steer probationers in the right direction.”
The ongoing partnership between the Contra Costa County Probation Department and the Office of Traffic Safety has spanned more than 15 years.
“The support and assistance provided by OTS, coupled with strong working relationships with state and local law enforcement agencies, have allowed the Probation Department to closely monitor and rehabilitate our clients,” said Chief Probation Officer, Esa Ehmen-Krause. “Reducing the traumatic impact that impaired driving causes across our community contributes to improving public safety.”
The grant will fund Probation Department personnel to monitor drivers on Probation for felony DUI or multiple misdemeanor DUI convictions, including conducting unannounced fourth amendment waiver home searches, random alcohol and drug testing and ensuring those on probation are attending court-ordered DUI education and treatment programs. It will also fund the continued training of the Probation Department personnel in an effort to keep up with current trends and equipment use.
While alcohol remains the worst offender for DUI crashes, Contra Costa County Probation supports OTS in its statement, “DUI just doesn’t mean booze.” Prescription medications and marijuana can be impairing by themselves, but also in combination with alcohol, and can result in a DUI arrest.
The grant program runs through September 2022.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Joe-Shami-from-MDCyclists.org_.jpg)
Joe Shami with his bicycle at the Mt. Diablo summit. Source: MountDiabloCyclists.org
Victim was known as the “Legend of Mount Diablo” for his 600 rides to the top of the peak
By Bobbi Mauler, Executive Assistant to the District Attorney, Contra Costa County
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged Lori Everett with a misdemeanor Vehicular Manslaughter in violation of Penal Code section 192(c)(2), for striking cyclist Joseph Shami with her vehicle in Lafayette on April 13, 2021, shortly before 7:00 AM.
Shami was an incredibly experienced cyclist who lawfully entered the roundabout at the interchange of Olympic Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road. Despite Shami’s bright helmet and colorful clothing, the motorist failed to yield, and struck the victim cyclist who was in an established lane of travel.
According to Lafayette Police news release reported previously, “a nurse and a doctor from John Muir Medical Center and a firefighter from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, who happened to pass by, immediately began to render aid to the bicyclist. Officers arrived on scene along with the fire department which took over medical care for the victim. The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and died overnight.” (See related article)
Shami, a retired AT&T engineer, was known as the “Legend of Mount Diablo” for riding to the top of the East Bay’s tallest peak for 600 straight weeks, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He completed his 11-year, 28-week streak in 2019 at the age of 85. Shami was a member of the Mount Diablo Cyclists.
Tragic roadway deaths like this are avoidable. To ensure the safety of our community, the Office of the District Attorney implores motorists to be active, attentive drivers and to be mindful of pedestrians and cyclists when sharing the roadways.
Case information: DKT# 01-197626-5
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![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Jewelry-store-robbery-111521-Concord-PD-1024x540.jpg)
Nine suspects steal jewelry from Sun Valley mall store in Concord on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Source: Concord PD video screenshot
By Concord Police Department
On November 15, at approximately 7:30 pm, a group of nine people entered the Iceberg Diamonds jewelry store inside the Sun Valley Mall in Concord, armed with hammers. They began smashing the glass display cases and stealing jewels. Employees tried to intervene and were kept back by the hammer wielding criminals. The suspects got away before police arrived. (See surveillance video)
Some customers inside the mall called reporting what they thought were gunshots heard, but in actuality, they heard the sounds of the hammers breaking glass. No shots were fired.
The case is under investigation by Concord PD Detectives. Anyone with information regarding this case may contact Detective Christine Corey with CPD’s Financial Crimes Unit at 925-603-5828. CPD Case #21-11268
Read More![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/A-large-blow-up-rat-on-display-at-the-Antioch-Kaiser-strike-on-Thursday-afternoon-Nov.-18-2021.-1024x607.jpg)
A large inflatable rat was on display at the Antioch Kaiser strike on Deer Valley Road Thursday afternoon, Nov. 18, 2021. Photos by Allen Payton
Including Antioch, Walnut Creek Kaiser workers; to continue Friday with different unions
Engineers on strike for 62 days, so far
By Renée Saldaña, Press Secretary, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West
Thousands of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) members have been joined by OPEIU Local 29, IFPTE Local 20 in a sympathy strike to demand that Kaiser stop its economic bullying and agree to a fair contract with the Local 39 Operating Engineers. Workers walked off the job and onto the strike line at 7 a.m., today, Thursday, November 18 until 7:00 a.m. Friday, Nov. 19 at Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in Antioch, Walnut Creek and at various facilities across Northern California.
More than 40,000 workers from SEIU-UHW, OPEIU Local 29, and IFPTE Local 20 were prepared to walk out in support of the Local 39 engineers, making it the largest sympathy strike in the country.
“They’ve been out here all this time without a fair contract” said lifelong Antioch resident Kim Weiss, AMC Rep Chair or SEIU at Kaiser Antioch about the engineers. She works with cardiac and diabetes patients at the medical center. “We’re sympathy striking in solidarity. A total of 620 SEIU workers have been on strike at Antioch Kaiser, today.”
Healthcare workers wearing their uniforms planned to walk out onto the strike line, march, give speeches, distribute leaflets to passersby, hold signs and blow whistles in support of Kaiser engineers from Local 39.
“We are sympathy striking because Kaiser has lost its way and is putting its drive for profits over people, hurting our patients and union co-workers. The Local 39 engineers play a critical role in maintaining our facilities and the equipment we use to take care of patients,” said Ethan Ruskin, a health educator at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Jose. “Kaiser needs to put patients first and deliver a fair contract to the engineers.”
Earlier this week, healthcare workers representing SEIU-UHW’s 36,000 Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California voted by a 97% margin to authorize a one-day sympathy strike in solidarity with Kaiser engineers from Local 39 who have been on strike for two months.
Jobs affected by the sympathy strike vote include optometrists, clinical laboratory scientists, respiratory and x-ray technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, surgical technicians, pharmacy technicians, phlebotomists, medical assistants, and housekeepers, among other positions.
Engineers on Strike for 62 Days So Far
According to those on strike in Antioch, 800 engineers in Northern California including 13 stationary engineers and six or seven clinical engineers at the Antioch Kaiser have been on strike for 62 days, as of Thursday.
They fix all the piping and all the medical equipment, from the life support systems to anything else mechanical.
Asked about the large, inflatable rat on display at the Antioch Kaiser strike, one of the union members said it referred to the Kaiser management and the “scab” workers doing their jobs while they’re on strike.
“They’ve brought in guys from out of state who have no training and paying them three times what they pay us,” the striker said.
“Think of the risk at which they’re placing the patients with the equipment that’s not being maintained for over two months,” said Mark Morucci, Chief Engineer at Kaiser Antioch.
Sympathy strikes are taking place at the following locations starting at 7 a.m. on November 18:
- ANTIOCH: Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, 4501 Sand Creek Rd, Antioch CA 94531
- WALNUT CREEK: Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center, 1425 S Main St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
- FREMONT: Kaiser Permanente Fremont Medical Center, 39400 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont, CA 94538
- FRESNO: Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center, 7300 N Fresno St, Fresno, CA 93720
- MANTECA: Kaiser Permanente Manteca Medical Center, 1777 W. Yosemite Avenue, Manteca, 95337
- MODESTO: Kaiser Permanente Modesto Medical Center, 4601 Dale Road, Modesto, CA 95356
- OAKLAND: Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, 3600 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611
- REDWOOD CITY: Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center, 1150 Veterans Blvd, Redwood City, CA 94063
- RICHMOND: Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center, 901 Nevin Ave., Richmond, CA 94801
- ROSEVILLE: Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center, 1600 Eureka Rd, Roseville, CA 95661
- SACRAMENTO: Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center, 2025 Morse Ave, Sacramento, 95825
- SOUTH SACRAMENTO: Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, 6600 Bruceville Road, Sacramento, CA 95823
- SAN FRANCISCO: Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, 2425 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA
- SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO: Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center, 1200 El Camino Real, S. San Francisco, CA 94080
- SAN JOSE: Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, 250 Hospital Parkway, San Jose, CA 95119
- SAN LEANDRO: Kaiser Permanente San Leandro Medical Center, 2500 Merced St, San Leandro, CA 94577
- SANTA CLARA: Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center, 710 Lawrence Expressway, Santa Clara CA 95051
- SANTA ROSA: Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa, 95403
- STOCKTON: Kaiser Permanente Stockton Medical Center, 7373 West Lane, Stockton CA 95210
- VACAVILLE: Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center, 1 Quality Dr, Vacaville, CA 95688
- VALLEJO: Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, 975 Sereno Drive, Vallejo, CA 94589
Another sympathy strike will take place on Friday by the NUHW and the California Nurses Association.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff has been searching for a missing woman in Bay Point since Wednesday morning, Nov. 17:
Adela “Dela” Peña
87-years-old, 5’1″, 90-100 pounds, with brown colored eyes and brown/gray hair. She was last seen wearing a light blue robe with snowmen on it, black or velvet colored sweat pants, and white sandals.
She is considered at-risk and family members said she is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
She was last seen yesterday at her home on the 600 block of Victoria Court in Bay Point at about 8:40 PM.
Family members searched for Pena but could not find her. They later notified the Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Sheriffs and the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team are continuing the search for her.
Anyone who has seen Pena or has any information is asked to contact Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441.
Read More![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Planned-Terraces-of-Lafayette.jpg)
The planned Terraces of Lafayette apartment project that will overlook Highway 24. Source: O’Brien Land Company
By Suzanne Iarla, Communications Analyst, City of Lafayette
On Friday, November 12, 2021, the Contra Costa Superior Court upheld the City of Lafayette’s approval of the Terraces of Lafayette project of the O’Brien Land Company. The project would build 315 apartments, including 63 affordable housing units, on a 22-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Deer Hill Road and Pleasant Hill Road. In its ruling, the Court rejected claims by Save Lafayette, a citizens group, and found that the City’s environmental review complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and that the Terraces project was consistent with the City’s General Plan.
The Terraces project has been in process for over ten years — the developer’s application dates back to March 2011. Since then, the City has worked to address community and regional concerns, including by considering a proposed alternative 44 single-family home project with a community park. The City approved the alternative project in 2015. Save Lafayette initiated the referendum process to overturn that approval in 2018.
After the alternative project was rejected by the voters, the City resumed processing the original Terraces project application. In compliance with the strict requirements of State law, including the Housing Accountability Act, the City approved the Terraces project in August 2020.
Save Lafayette sued in September 2020 to overturn the approval, in an effort to stop the Terraces project on environmental and General Plan consistency issues. After over a year of litigation, the Superior Court rejected Save Lafayette’s claims and affirmed that the City’s CEQA review and approval of the Project complied with the law. The Court’s ruling will become final unless Save Lafayette appeals within 60 days following the notice of entry of judgment.
Developer Calls Court Decision “Major Victory”
The developer issued their own press release announcing last Friday court’s decision:
In a major victory for housing rights, the Contra Costa Superior Court on Friday, Nov. 12 issued a ruling rejecting in full Save Lafayette’s lawsuit challenging the Terraces of Lafayette, a 315-unit apartment community by O’Brien Land Company. After nearly 10 years of processing and 120 public hearings, the Lafayette City Council approved the project by a 4-1 vote in August 2020.
“We have had many local people reach out to us to ask when they can rent an apartment at the Terraces,” said Dennis O’Brien of O’Brien Land Company. “The need for this type of housing is apparent, and we look forward to no further delays so we can provide homes for those individuals and families.”
The project site is adjacent to Highway 24 and located one mile from the Lafayette BART station. The Terraces is considered an affordable housing project under state housing law and will set aside 20%, or 63, of its dwelling units for lower income households. This will substantially assist Lafayette in meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the lower income categories assigned to it by long-standing state law.
Despite the project’s robust legal protections under controlling state law, Save Lafayette has been opposing the project for years. The anti-development group also opposed a 44 single-family home compromise project by filing litigation and a ballot referendum that overturned the smaller project. Once the voters rejected the smaller project, O’Brien and the City of Lafayette resumed processing the apartments.
Although the affordable housing development included a full Environmental Impact Report, Save Lafayette’s lawsuit claimed the City’s approval of the project violated the California Environmental Quality Act, a law frequently employed by anti-development groups to challenge new housing. The lawsuit also claimed the project was not entitled to the protection of the Housing Accountability Act, which shields housing developments from changes in local land use laws after an application is deemed complete. The Superior Court rejected Save Lafayette’s arguments and agreed that the City complied with the law.
“When people ask why we have a housing crisis in California, they should look no further than this project for answers,” Bay Area Council Senior Vice President Matt Regan emphasized. “Over 10 years of foot dragging, goalpost moving, ballot measures and lawsuits, finally the construction of these much- needed homes can now begin. This saga highlights the need for more reforms to state law so that good housing projects no longer have to run this sort of gauntlet and can be approved swiftly and fairly.”
For more information on the project, visit www.lovelafayette.org/Terraces.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
Chief Mission Officer at the Walnut Creek-based Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area
By Alexandra Rubin, Director of Communications, Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area
AstraZeneca, in partnership with Scientific American Custom Media, announced the winners of the third annual Cancer Community Awards (or C2 Awards). A part of the AstraZeneca YOUR Cancer program, the C2 Awards celebrate diverse individuals and organizations creating meaningful change in the lives of people with cancer and their loved ones.
Margaret Stauffer, LMFT, Chief Mission Officer at the Walnut Creek-based Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area was awarded The President’s Award at a virtual ceremony. This top honor is selected by AstraZeneca and honors those who make a tangible and inspiring difference for patients and their loved ones.
“As we commemorate 50 years since the National Cancer Act was signed and reflect upon the extraordinary progress made in treating this disease, we are inspired by this year’s winners and finalists,” said Chatrick Paul, Head of US Oncology, AstraZeneca.
“Though we still have more to do toward one day eliminating cancer mortality, especially amid a pandemic that has laid bare the disparities disproportionately faced by disadvantaged communities, these unsung heroes, through their selfless dedication, demonstrate what we can accomplish as one oncology community determined to create meaningful change for people with cancer.”
“I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by AstraZeneca for this award. There is so much great work being done in the world of cancer care and I’m proud to make a difference in the lives of people facing cancer every day,” said Ms. Stauffer.
Rob Tufel, MSW, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Support Community said, “It is such an honor to see Margaret recognized on the national level for her expertise and experience. Her work at Cancer Support Community has impacted thousands of cancer patients and their families and made a real difference in their quality of life.”
Watch the C2 Your Cancer award video, here.
About Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area
Cancer Support Community provides comprehensive, integrative care — including counseling, support groups, nutrition training, exercise classes, emergency financial assistance, and patient education programs — for people with cancer, their caregivers, and their families. Our evidence-based services enable cancer patients to partner with their medical teams to manage their treatment and recovery most effectively, increase their chances for survival, reduce their chances of recurrence, and provide for the highest possible quality of life. All CSC services are always provided free of charge and are being offered virtually during the pandemic. With services provided at our Walnut Creek center, in local medical centers throughout the Bay Area, and now in Antioch, we
serve more than 2,200 people annually. Visit www.cancersupport.net for more information.
About YOUR Cancer
The C2 Awards are part of the YOUR Cancer Program, a broader initiative launched by AstraZeneca to spotlight those at the forefront of cancer research and patient support who are contributing toward eliminating cancer as a cause of death. YOUR Cancer aims to convene, engage, and highlight the full breadth of the oncology community, utilizing four pillars: a digital partnership hub profiling community resources and perspectives, an awards program recognizing the unsung heroes of oncology, state-level roundtables with local policymakers and advocates, and media and speaking engagements profiling community oncology leaders.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants who are interested in serving on its 20-member Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC). The JJCC currently has the following five (5) vacancies:
- At-Large Representative (3)
- Community Based Organization Representative (2)
The Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council is a multiagency advisory body that informs the development and implementation of a countywide juvenile justice plan composed of several critical parts, including, but not limited to an assessment of existing law enforcement, probation, education, mental health, health, social services, drug and alcohol and youth services resources, which specifically target both at-promise as well as system-involved youth, and their families.
The JJCC will also coordinate on a countywide basis the work of those governmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in activities designed to reduce the incidence of juvenile crime and delinquency in the greater community, develop information and intelligence-sharing systems to ensure that county actions are fully coordinated, and provide data and appropriate outcome measures.
The Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council is composed of the following 20 members:
Ten (10) Ex‐Officio Members:
- Chief Probation Officer, as Chair
- District Attorney’s Office representative
- Public Defender’s Office representative
- Sheriff’s Office representative
- Board of Supervisors’ representative
- Employment and Human Services Department representative
- Behavioral Health Services representative
- Alcohol and Other Drugs Division representative
- Public Health representative
- Juvenile Justice Commission Chair
Ten (10) Additional Members, appointed by the Board of Supervisors, as follows:
- City Police Department representative
- County Office of Education or a School District representative
- Four (4) At-Large members, residing or working within County of Contra Costa
- Two (2) Community-Based Organization representatives
- Two (2) At-Large youth, fourteen to twenty-five years old and residing or working within County of Contra Costa
Appointments to the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council will be for a term of two years. The JJCC meets monthly October through April, and bi-monthly the remainder of the year. Members have the option to serve on two (2) subcommittees that each currently meet on a monthly basis.
Applications will be due by 5 p.m. on December 3, 2021, and all timely applicants will be invited to the public interview process conducted by the Board of Supervisors’ Public Protection Committee: Supervisors Candace Andersen, District II, and Federal Glover, District V. This committee will then recommend a selection of applicants for Board of Supervisors to appoint to the Racial Justice Oversight Body.
Below is a complete timeline of this recruitment process to fill the five (5) vacant JJCC seats:
- December 3: Final Day of the Application Period, due by 5:00 p.m.
- December 16: Public Protection Committee Meeting: Interviews
- January 11: Board of Supervisors Appointments
Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000 or by visiting the County webpage at www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418/. Completed applications should be emailed to ClerkoftheBoard@cob.cccounty.us. Applications can also be mailed to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Office at 1025 Escobar Street, 1st Floor, Martinez, CA 94553.
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Requires super majority to approve; Gioia, Glover vote no
Do approve body worn cameras for sheriff deputies.
By Daniel Borsuk
Going against the spirit of the 2020 voter-approved the early education-medical services-social needs message of the Measure X sales tax measure, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday narrowly rejected a proposal to spend a chunk of the initial $212. 5 million in one-time Measure X funds for Sheriff David Livingston’s department to hire additional deputies to beef up patrols especially in under-patrolled areas of the county.
Supervisors also learned the county would draw approximately $128.4 million in ongoing Measure X tax revenue a year for at least 2027.
On a 3 to 2 vote, with District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen, and board chair District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis casting votes calling for the expenditure of $6.4 million of Measure X funds for the hiring of patrol deputies designated for the under patrolled Bay Point, Saranap, and Rodeo areas, supervisors rejected a proposal to strengthen up patrols in those under-served areas of the county.
If approved, the proposal could have decreased response time by nearly 14 minutes and 21 seconds per call.
“Police and mental health services are my top priorities,” said District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville. “Body cameras and patrols are needed.”
However, due to supervisors’ rules, locally generated tax funds require a super majority vote of four or more supervisors. As a result, Andersen’s motion to increase patrols with Measure X funds failed.
Funds for the Sheriff’s Department are allowed in the measure that passed by over 58% of the vote last November. The ballot language read, “To keep Contra Costa’s regional hospital open and staffed; fund community health centers; provide timely fire and emergency response; support crucial safety-net services; invest in early childhood services; protect vulnerable populations; and for other essential county services, shall the Contra Costa County measure levying a ½ cent sales tax, exempting food sales, providing an estimated $81,000,000 annually for 20 years that the State cannot take, requiring fiscal accountability, with funds benefiting County residents, be adopted?” CCC_2021MeasureX_FullText
District 1 Supervisor John Gioia and District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover voted against the proposal to increase patrols. The 3-2 was insufficient for supervisors to designate Measure X for the hiring of additional deputies based on board of supervisors’ rules.
“I want funding for the sheriff to be part of the general fund budget discussion, not part of Measure X,” explained Supervisor Glover of Pittsburg. Gioia gave no clear reason why he voted against increasing deputy patrols, but earlier he had talked about bringing the item before the finance committee that he and District 4 Supervisor
“I support giving more money to the sheriff,” said board chair Diane Burgis of Brentwood. “We are under-funding protective services in the Eastern area of the county.”
Supervisors did approve on a 4 to 1 vote the expenditure of $2.5 million of Measure X revenues for body worn cameras for sheriff deputies. District 1 Supervisor Gioia cast the sole opposition vote, siding with more than 60 speakers opposed to the proposed allocation of any Measure X funds to the sheriff.
“Let’s keep the spirit of Measure X,” said Pittsburg resident Francisco Flores. “Please don’t treat this money as pork for the use of the sheriff.”
Supervisors also voted 5-0 to transfer $6 million in Measure X funds designated for Contra Costa County Health Center capital improvement projects like a parking garage to county services that are financially neglected like the county library system and childcare.
All of the 60 speakers opposed spending any Measure X tax revenue for the sheriff.
Speakers said spending Measure X money for law enforcement purposes violated the spirit of the November 2020 voter approved tax revenue measure designed to ramp up revenue for underfunded public health and social service programs and services.
“Let’s keep the spirit of Measure X alive,” said Pittsburg resident Francisco Flores, a member of the community action group ACCE.
“You must follow the funding requests of the advisory board,” pleaded Measure X Advisory Board Chair Mariana Moore.
Proposed Expenditures
Some of the county programs or capital projects proposed for Measure X funds include:
$40 million parking garage for the Contra Costa Regional Medical and Health Center in Martinez.
$17.2 million for East Contra Costa County Fire District fire station construction projects.
$5 million to modernize the psychiatric ward at the Contra Costa Regional Medical and Health Center in Martinez.
$1.2 million for the Racial Equity and Social Justice office.
$250,000 for arts and culture programs.
$740,000 for the San Ramon Fire Emergency Medical Service.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
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