Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) will host a town hall meeting at the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville on Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 p.m.
This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 86th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress four years ago. During the town hall, he will provide an update on conditions at the southern border, the work the House has been doing on behalf of the American people, and Congress’s oversight of the Trump Administration.
Danville Town Hall
Thursday, August 8, 2019
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Building
115 E. Prospect Ave, Danville, CA 94526
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
To confirm your attendance, please RSVP online at https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call (925) 933-2660. To request ADA accommodations or for more information, contact one of Congressman DeSaulnier’s offices in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.
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By Concord Police Department
On May 12th, 2019, Concord Police Officers responded to Round 1 (185 Sun Valley Mall) for an armed robbery in progress. Two masked men forced two employees into a locked cash room at gunpoint where the employees’ hands were zip tied behind their backs and cash was stolen. One of the employees was able to free herself and called for help. Numerous officers responded, cleared the business and found the suspects had fled. It was determined the suspects gained access through a normally secured employee entrance.
Detectives from the Concord Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit began a two month investigation into this robbery. They uncovered a conspiracy involving Round 1 security guard Gary Dillahunty, who was working the night of and facilitated the robbery. Detectives also identified 37-year-old Vincent Timmons as one of the suspects who committed the robbery. Last week a search warrant was served at Timmons’ home in San Francisco. Evidence linking Timmons to the Round 1 robbery as well as an illegal assault weapon, a handgun, and a large quantity of cocaine was found. Timmons, who is on parole for kidnapping, was located at the home and arrested for robbery.
Yesterday, with the assistance of the United States Marshals, 43-year-old Dillahunty, who is on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, was located at a home in Vacaville. He was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant for the Round 1 robbery as well as a warrant for violating his parole.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged both men with multiple felonies including robbery, conspiracy, and kidnapping. They both remain in custody at the Contra Costa County Jail.
The investigation into others involved with this robbery, including the second masked suspect continues. The Concord Police Department would like to thank our partners with the San Francisco Police Department and the US Marshal’s for their assistance in bringing both of these suspects safely into custody.
The security guards working at Round 1 at the time of this robbery were employed by an outside security contractor. This information is being shared with the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, a regulator of the private security industry.
Anyone with information about this case may call the Concord Police Department Tip-line at (925) 603-5836.
Read MoreBy Concord Police Department
Earlier this month, Concord Police Officers responded to Motel 6 on Clayton Road for a possible shooting. When they arrived, they found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. Information was quickly gathered, and the suspects were identified as Adam Renfroe and Robert Brown. Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit immediately obtained arrests warrants for Renfroe and Brown. (See related article.)
Yesterday morning, July 24, 2019, Adam Renfroe was arrested by US Marshals in Pierre, South Dakota on the murder warrant. Concord Detectives are in South Dakota to continue this investigation and arrange extradition to California. The second suspect, Robert Brown remains wanted in connection to this homicide. His whereabouts are unknown. No further information is available for release at this time.
Anyone with information about this case can contact Detective Giacoletto at (925) 671-3040 or the Anonymous Tip-line at (925) 603-5836.
Read MoreFelony attempted murder charges filed against him
By Concord Police Department
A nearly week-long investigation into a shooting at the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor shooting has ended in an arrest. (See related article)
On July 13th just before 5p.m., a man was shot in the parking lot of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. Officers responded to the parking lot where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower body. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
With the help of victim interviews and surveillance videos, Concord Police Detectives identified 28-year-old Donald Sims of Oakland as the shooter. Sims already had a warrant issued for his arrest out of the Oakland Police Department for an assault that happened several weeks before the shooting in Concord. On Thursday July 18th, Sims was captured by U.S. Marshals in Sacramento and was transferred to Santa Rita Jail on the Oakland PD warrant.
Our investigation revealed Sims and the victim were involved in a minor dispute in the parking lot of the water park. The victim was sitting in his car when Sims unexpectedly pulled a handgun from his car and fired at the victim.
On Monday July 22nd, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed felony attempted murder charges against Sims along with weapon enhancements for the shooting at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. Additionally, Sims was charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office with an unrelated assault with a firearm case out of Oakland. Sims remains in custody.
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In 2018, voters passed Regional Measure 3 (RM3) which increased bridge tolls in the Bay Area and also established an Independent Oversight Committee. Each of 9 Bay Area counties appoint two members to the Committee. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking two members of the public to serve.
The RM3 Independent Oversight Committee (oversight committee) will be established by the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) pursuant to Senate Bill 595 (which placed RM 3 on the ballot). The purpose of the Oversight Committee is to ensure that any toll revenues generated pursuant to the RM3 toll increase are expended consistent with the applicable requirements of the RM3 expenditure plan set forth in Streets and Highways Code Section 30914.7. The Oversight Committee shall annually review the expenditure of funds by BATA for the projects and programs specified in Section 30914.7 and prepare and submit a report to the transportation committee of each house of the Legislature summarizing its findings.
An individual interested in serving on the Committee must be a resident of Contra Costa County and meet the Streets and Highways Code Section 30923 (h) (3) restrictions below:
- A representative appointed to the oversight committee shall not be a member, former member, staff, or former staff of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) or BATA.
- A representative appointed to the oversight committee shall not be employed by any organization or person that has received or is receiving funding from MTC or BATA.
- A representative appointed to the oversight committee shall not be a former employee or a person who has contracted with any organization or person that has received or is receiving funding from MTC or BATA within one year of having worked for or contracted with that organization or person.
The RM3 Oversight Committee is subject to open public meetings (The Brown Act). Meeting dates, frequency, and length of meetings will be established by the members of the committee. The location of meetings will be in San Francisco at the Bay Area Metro Center. BATA anticipates a stipend to members for meeting attendance. The term length for representatives is four years, and each representative is limited to two terms.
Applications are available online at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418 or by contacting the Clerk of the Board’s Office at (925) 335-1900 or clerkoftheboard@cob.cccounty.us. Completed applications are due by 5 PM on August 9, 2019, and may be completed and submitted online, emailed to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, mailed or submitted to 651 Pine Street, Room 106, Martinez, CA 94553.
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In order to conduct business, including the approval of higher fire district development fees, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday had to take the rare step of selecting a chair pro tempore because neither chairperson John Gioia of Richmond nor vice chair Candace Andersen of Danville were in attendance.
Supervisor Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill was elected chair pro tempore by fellow supervisors Diane Burgis of Brentwood and Federal Glover of Pittsburg who were present.
Board chair Gioia was out of the area attending a meeting of the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance at Lake Tahoe. He said he was scheduled to attend that conference because he also serves on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board.
Vice chair Andersen was absent because her mother had passed away in Hawaii, a representative for the supervisor said.
“I am in charge,” declared Mitchoff upon getting the 3-0 vote to serve as chair pro tempore. In the 8.5 years that Mitchoff has served on the board, the supervisor said she has never seen where the board had to resort to selecting a chair pro tempore. Mitchoff served as board chair person last year.
Meanwhile, with fire season already here, supervisors voted 3-0 to have increased Contra Costa County Fire Protection District development impact fees go into effect in November.
In reporting findings from a Willdan Financial Services study, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief Lewis T. Broschard III informed supervisors the fire district service population is projected to increase by 162,100 to 892,200 by 2040 in the cities of Antioch, Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, San Pablo Walnut Creek and the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County.
The last time the fire district increased development fees was in 2006.
The fire district, as of August 1, 2019, will have 26 staffed stations to accommodate the current service population of about 730,000. “This situation makes for a ratio of one fire station per 28,000 persons in the service population. To maintain the existing station-to-population ratio, the projected growth would require the construction of more than five stations by the year 2040.” the Willdan Study states.
The estimated cost for a new fire station is $7,923,750 based on a $720 per square foot construction rate. Adding the cost of new fire apparatus can add $750,000 to $1.5 million per station or the cost of the station parcel which can be $500,000 to $1 million per site.
Based on cost factors, the Willdan study proposed total Fire Protection Facilities fees, including administration fees, will be $970 per dwelling unit for Residential single family, $460 per dwelling unit for Residential multi-family, $662 per 1,000 square feet Commercial, $579 per 1,000 square feet Office, and $387 per 1,000 square feet for Industrial.
Supervisors did not hear either public opposition or support for the proposed fire protection district facilities fees increases.
Three Fire Station Design Extensions Approved
In a related consent action, supervisors extended architectural services with Loving Campos Associates Architects, Inc. by increasing the payment limit by $75,000 to a new payment limit of $595,000 and to extend the term from June 14, 2019 to June 14, 2020 to provide architectural services for Fire Station 16 located at 4007 Los Arabis Road in Lafayette, a fire station constructed in the late 1950’s that was abandoned shortly after the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Subsequent to the station’s closure, a double-wide mobile home was used as the crew living quarters.
Supervisors also approved as a consent item an additional $300,000 payment to the architectural firm of Kimley-Horn Associates, Inc. to provide design services for new Fire Station No. 9 in Pacheco and a new Fire Station No. 86 in Bay Point. This increase raises the contract with Kimley-Horn to $1,240,000 and extends the term limit from Dec. 12, 2020 to Dec. 12, 2021.
The two new stations in Pacheco and Bay Point will include modern seismic standards, meet current ADA requirements, and have the ability to support modern equipment and apparatus. The stations will be built to provide protection for the community or the next 50 years.
Catholic Charities Wins $905,414 Contract
Supervisors approved as a consent item, Public Defender Robin Lipetzky’s $905,414 contract request with the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Oakland DBA Catholic Charities of the East Bay to provide civil legal deportation defense and community services for Stand Together Contra Costa. The contract will be in effect from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Oakland has provided civil legal deportation defense services for the county supported Stand Together Contra Costa since July 24, 2018.
Approve $1.4 Million Inmate Communications System
Supervisors also permitted Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston’s $1.4 million request to sign a contract with Global Tel Link (GTL) Corporation to install and operate Inmate communication services including a jail management system, inmate telephones, video visitation, and inmate tablets in the adult facilities for the period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024. There are no net county costs associated with this contract. Under the contract GTL will pay the county $200,000 at contract start to defer the Office of the Sheriff’s expenses related to facility technology and program expenses and will pay the county $20,000 a month for county cost reimbursement which will be place in the Inmate Welfare Fund.
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Will reopen at 1:00 p.m.
Sacramento – The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will close its offices statewide for a half day on July 24, 2019, to better prepare employees to process REAL ID transactions and reinforce training on providing excellent customer service.
Operation Excellence: DMV Training will result in more consistent customer experiences statewide and equip employees with the tools they need to handle an unprecedented volume of REAL ID applications, which are more complex and take more time to process.
The training will take place at 183 DMV field offices, Commercial Drive Test Centers and Industry Business Centers throughout the state. More than 5,000 employees will receive the training at their home offices, which will open for business at 1 p.m.
“Our employees are at the heart of every transaction we perform,” said Kathleen Webb, DMV acting director. “With this commitment to training, we can ensure they have the proper tools, knowledge, and experience to provide excellent customer service to the people of California.”
DMV Call Centers (1-800-777-0133) will remain open during the half-day office closure. Customers also will be able to:
- Conduct transactions online, at ca.gov, including renewing a vehicle registration, changing an address, requesting a copy of their driving record or making an appointment.
- Conduct transactions at DMV Now self-service kiosks located at grocery stores and select libraries, such as renewing a vehicle registration, filing for planned nonoperation (PNO) status, submitting an affidavit of non-use, submitting proof of insurance, and paying a $14 insurance reinstatement fee. A map of kiosks can be found online: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/about/sst_map.
- AAA members may visit AAA offices to conduct some transactions, including vehicle registration renewal.
- Registration services also are available at California DMV Business Partners for a fee. Customers can search for partners with this online map: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/bp_locator/reg_svc.
Operation Excellence is an initiative of the DMV Reinvention Strike Team, which Governor Gavin Newsom created in January to lead a comprehensive modernization and reinvention of the DMV with an emphasis on transparency, worker performance, speed of service and overall consumer satisfaction. The Strike Team was created in response to long wait times in DMV field offices, which were exacerbated by the federal government’s REAL ID requirements.
Beginning October 1, 2020, the federal government will require passengers flying within the United States to present a REAL ID-compliant driver license or identification card – or a passport or passport card – before boarding a plane. REAL ID-compliant cards or another federally approved document will also be required to enter secure federal facilities such as military bases.
“The unprecedented complexity of the REAL ID requirements is what led to the idea that we needed to take the extraordinary step of closing DMV offices for a short time to make sure all employees have consistent information in order to complete the transactions successfully,” said Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer, who is leading the DMV Strike Team. “It is a complicated transaction and we want customers to be well prepared in order to receive their REAL ID efficiently.”
The DMV already is experiencing unprecedented demand for its services because of a greater volume of REAL ID applications, which must be done in person in the field office and cannot be processed online or via the phone. In addition, field offices are experiencing their normal summer surge of new drivers seeking licenses.
Field offices need to be prepared for at least a doubling of customer volume as the enforcement date approaches. On July 1, 2019, the DMV opened an additional 53 field offices early to handle the summer surge, bringing to 69 the total number of offices that open at 7 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to accommodate the increase in customers. The DMV also now offers Saturday service at 62 offices.
Curriculum for Operation Excellence addresses the specific challenges DMV employees have identified in processing REAL ID transactions. Frontline staff will receive detailed training and a toolkit they can utilize immediately for processing REAL ID driver licenses and identification cards in the field. They also will be trained on best practices on delivering excellent customer service.
This half-day effort is the start of ongoing training around REAL ID and builds on DMV’s renewed commitment to providing sufficient training on all significant policy and procedure changes.
Operation Excellence addresses findings in a March 2019 report by the Department of Finance’s Office of State Audits and Evaluations, which determined training to be lacking at DMV. Report recommendations include more timely and comprehensive training for new hires and expanded training opportunities, particularly surrounding significant changes to policies and procedures including REAL ID.
Read MoreOn Sunday, July 21, 2019, at approximately 12:24 A.M., Concord PD Officers were dispatched to a motorcycle vs. automobile collision that occurred near the intersection of Concord Blvd. and Lodato Way. A motorcyclist was traveling east on Concord Blvd. when he attempted to pass a Toyota Prius also traveling east on Concord Blvd. ahead of him. The motorcycle collided with the rear end of the Prius and the solo rider was ejected, landing in the westbound lane of Concord Blvd. A dark-colored pickup truck, traveling west on Concord Blvd., ran over the motorcyclist while he was laying in the roadway. The driver of the truck continued west on Concord Blvd. and was not located. The driver of the Prius remained on scene and was cooperative with the investigation.
Due to injuries he sustained, the motorcyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene by Emergency Medical Personnel. His identity is not being released pending notification of next of kin.
The collision is still under investigation. Officers are attempting to identify and locate the driver of the pickup truck that left the scene.
Concord Blvd., between Ayers Road and Kirker Pass Road, was closed for approximately three hours for the investigation. No further details are being released at this time.
Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who has any information on this case is asked to contact Traffic Officer Derrick King at the Concord Police Department, 925-671-5880.
Read MoreBy Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
On Thursday, July 18, 2019, at about 9:09 PM, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a suspicious circumstance in the area of Riverside Drive and Mariners Cove in Bay Point. The caller stated that there was a man who appeared to be beaten in the street.
Deputies arrived and found an unresponsive man in front of a home on the 200 block of Riverside Drive. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. He is identified as 38-year-old Johnny Burns of Bay Point.
At about 9:21 PM, Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon on the 2700 block of Willow Pass Road in Bay Point. The victim was later treated and released from a local hospital.
The suspect vehicle and suspect descriptions were broadcast to law enforcement agencies in the area. The Concord Police Department later located the vehicle. Deputies responded to that location and took custody of 20-year-old Abel Garcia of Antioch. An arrest warrant was issued for the second suspect, Erick Ruiz. The 24-year-old Bay Point resident was arrested Friday, July 19, 2019.
Garcia was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) on the following charges: assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery, conspiracy and participating in acriminal street gang. Garcia is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail. Ruiz was also booked into the MDF for assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery and conspiracy. He is being held in lieu of $160,000 bail.
Detectives are still investigating both incidents to determine if they are linked.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441 or Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.
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By Richmond Police Department
On 07-18-2019, 33-year-old Nicole Marie Hernandez was convicted of pimping two women and sentenced to three years in State Prison. The victims were originally intercepted by the Richmond Police while loitering for prostitution in the 23rd Street Corridor on March 21. Hernandez had rented them a room at the nearby Civic Center Motel. Forensic analysis of the victims’ cell phones revealed that the two were working as prostitutes for Hernandez. One of the victims even referred to Hernandez as “boss lady” in evidence recovered from her cell phone.
Human Trafficking Unit Supervisor Dana Filkowski prosecuted the case for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. She emphasized that “just as pimping and pandering crimes don’t respect jurisdictional boundaries, they also don’t respect gender boundaries. Women can be pimps just like men and they will be prosecuted and held accountable just like men.”
If you or someone you know is being pressured or encouraged to engage in prostitution to benefit or help support another person, help is only a phone call away. Contact Community Violence Solutions at 800-670-7273to speak to a confidential counselor. Or visit the Contra Costa Family Justice Centers in Richmond, Concord or Antioch to talk to a Navigator about a variety of services and support available right here in Contra Costa County. The Family Justice Centers are a family-friendly one-stop center serving victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and other types of interpersonal violence. No appointment is needed and the centers are located at 256 24th Street in Richmond, 2151 Salvio St., Ste. 201 in Concord or 3501 Lone Tree Way in Antioch.
To learn more about human trafficking in Contra Costa County, visit the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition’s webpage at www.contracostacoalition.org.
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