Supervisors reject anti-sanctuary state petition, distribute $500,000 in Keller Canyon funds
By Daniel Borsuk
With a lack of adequate funding from civil lawsuit filing fees, the Pittsburg Superior Court Law Library has been shuttered since September, and now there is the possibility the Richmond Superior Court Law Library could follow suit, Law Library Director Carey Rowan told the Contra Costa Herald.
In her annual report to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, Rowan informed supervisors the law library at the Pittsburg Superior Court was closed in September due to a lack of funding.
“For several years I have been warning supervisors and state legislators that the law libraries need new funding legislation or they will face closure. No one stepped forward and that day arrived last September when the Pittsburg library was closed,” Rowan said.
Rowan’s 2016-2017 report was approved without comment by supervisors as a consent item on Tuesday.
Ninety-three percent of the law library’s revenue comes from civil case filing fees, but since 2007, passage of Senate Bill 1407 has slapped a moratorium on increasing civil filing fees. With the moratorium on increasing civil filing fees still in place, law library administrators have been unable to raise enough funds to acquire new legal materials that have risen in cost on average 10 to 15 percent per year, said Rowan.
While acknowledging there will be a hardship, especially for the disabled and senior citizens in East County to travel farther to the main law library in Martinez, Rowan said the Pittsburg courthouse library was chosen for closure based on the fewer number of gate count visits during the 2016-2017 fiscal year than the gate count visits at the Richmond court house library. During that period, the Pittsburg library drew 2,136 visits, the Richmond library attracted 3,713 visits, and the main library in Martinez had 32,790 visits.
“Without any support from the supervisors or state legislators, the future of law libraries is bleak. I’d have to say the Richmond library might be the next library we might have to close,” Rowan said.
Supervisors Reject Alamo Couple’s Anti-Sanctuary State Petition
Even though Contra Costa supervisors rejected on Tuesday an appeal from Ray and Tamara Bryant to sign their petition opposing the Sanctuary State bill, Senate Bill 54, and advocate for its repeal, the Alamo couple plan to press on with their petition drive in the county.
As of Wednesday, 26 persons had signed their petition. The Bryant’s petition is similar to other anti-SB 54 petition drives that have been successfully passed by county supervisors in San Diego and Orange Counties.
In criticizing SB 54, that was passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Edmund G. Brown last year, the petition to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors states:
“We, THE UNDERSIGNED, HEREBY PETITION the Contra Costa County to the growing number of California Counties and cities who oppose Senate Bill 54 (the “Sanctuary State “) and who advocate its repeal.
1) That U.S. citizens residing in Contra Costa County need protection against the flood of undocumented felons overwhelming the borders of our state and county.
2) That the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, by the authority granted to them must guard our state and federal resources allocated for law enforcement, fire services, educational, medical and social services for U.S. citizens resident in Contra Costa County. Currently, the foreign nationals and illegal aliens are being pushed to the head of the line for priority, for example, in receiving acceptance into the courses offered by our county’s three Community Colleges, with the result that our children as citizens are turned away.
3) That our police departments and incarceration facilities are being overwhelmed by the large number of illegal immigrants. They line the streets of cities and counties shooting up in plain sight on the sidewalks and in public and private bathrooms, threatening our youth, and making it very difficult to keep a small restaurant business, for example, profitable. Many restaurant owners and workers are afraid to deny access to non-customers for fear of being cited, fined or shut down for ‘racial discrimination.’
That our Law Enforcement agencies hands are tied with regard to prosecuting the law against the many thousands of illegal immigrants. These individuals, consequently, have great disdain for our government and no respect for our legal system. This in turn encourages both newly arrived immigrants as well as our own citizens to illegal acts because they see their own government afraid to do its job and make arrests.
That the Contra Costa County Law Enforcement agencies should operate in compliance with federal immigration laws to hold criminals until they can be turned over to Federal Immigration authorities to be deported. We further petition our county agencies to publicize the names of all undocumented immigrants a minimum of 3 days before their release so that ICE can pick them up and process them for deportation.
That the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors should join the Federal lawsuits against the unconstitutional Senate Bill 54.
Supervisors mostly withheld comment except for board chair Karen Mitchoff who informed the petition authors that the Sheriff-Coroner Office posts on its website on a daily basis the names of persons who have been released from county jails. This warns ICE officers who they can arrest when persons are released from county jails.
Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond ripped the petition calling it as part of “a lot of scare tactics.”
Supervisors Accept 2017 Kindergarten Readiness Report
Despite criticism from District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover over a finding in the 2017 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, supervisors accepted the report 5-0.
The Supervisor from Pittsburg took exception from the report’s finding that 40 percent of pre-school children in the Pittsburg Unified School District are not school ready as compared to a high wealth community like San Ramon where 8 percent of 5-year-old children are not school ready.
Supervisor Glover told assessment author First 5 Executive Director Sean Casey “What are we doing to close the gap? This information is no good. It is not acceptable. It is not a good report.”
Casey informed supervisors First 5 acquired a building on Leland Avenue in Pittsburg last month where it will replace its Bay Point site and will offer an expanded array of pre-kindergarten educational services to children in the Pittsburg and Bay Point communities.
Casey said First 5 has also trained more than 200 providers to expand its Help Me Grow campaign throughout the county.
$578,934 Keller Canyon Mitigation Trust Fund Grants Approved
Supervisors approved five Keller Canyon Mitigation Trust Fund grants worth $578,934 to be spent by the Sheriff-Coroner in the Bay Point community for the upcoming 2018-2019 fiscal year. Grants approved include:
*$278,217 to fund one Deputy Sheriff position for the Bay Point Resident Deputy program with a focus on crime prevention enforcement, participation in the National Crime Free Housing Program, acts as a liaison to local businesses and works with the school resource officer to implement and participate in youth crime prevention programs.
*$276,217 to fund the Bay Point School Resource Officer Program and to assist resident deputies in organizing and planning the yearly Christmas and Holiday Heroes programs and annual Bike Rodeo and bicycle giveaway.
*$9,000 to host a free community Christmas party and toy giveaway for the residents of Bay Point.
*$8,000 for a gang intervention program involving movie nights at the local schools, an after-school sports program, fishing trips in the Delta and trips to Oakland A’s baseball games and other activities during the year.
*$5,000 for the removal of litter dumps and removal of graffiti in the Bay Point area.
*$4,500 for the Bay Points Bicycle Safety Rodeo in partnership with the Street Smarts Program to provide bicycle helmets, bicycle repairs, an instructional class on safety and bicycle raffles.
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Candidates for the Contra Costa County District Attorney will speak from 6:00-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29 at Los Medanos College. The Candidates Forum, sponsored by the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley, will be held in the college’s Recital Hall, 2700 East Leland Road in Pittsburg.
Candidates Diana Becton, Paul Graves and Lawrence Strauss will give a brief opening statement followed by prepared questions from the Chamber and screened questions from the audience. Questions will focus on current issues, such as the management of the District Attorney’s Office, public safety, and concerns of the business community. Gail Murray, longtime League member and former Walnut Creek mayor and BART Board member, will be the moderator.
The meeting is open to the public, but reservations are requested at mypittsburgchamber.org.
The League of Women Voters and the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce are jointly sponsoring the event to inform and educate voters. Neither the nonpartisan League nor the Pittsburg Chamber is endorsing any candidate.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa Elections Division reminds all residents that the deadline to register or re-register to vote in the June 5th Statewide Direct Primary Election is this Monday, May 21st.
To be eligible to register, a person must be a United States citizen, be at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.
You must re-register if you have moved or changed your name (married, divorced, etc.).
To register, go online to http://registertovote.ca.gov, or pick up a paper card at any City Hall, post office, library or the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office located at 555 Escobar Street in Martinez.
You can check your voter registration status online at www.cocovote.us by clicking on the “My Voting Information” button.
Read MoreAssemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) announced that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) has approved $34 million in funding for improvements of the Interstate 680 / State Route 4 highway interchange in Concord, one of the most congested freeway interchanges in the Bay Area.
“Anyone who has driven in the East Bay knows this interchange is notorious for gridlock, which is why I have been working for more than a year with the CTC, Department of Transportation, and Contra Costa Transportation Authority to secure the funding needed to get this project started,” Grayson said. “As a critical artery for the region, it is incumbent on us to ensure the conditions of this interchange are improved so commuters are able to navigate this interchange without the additional stress caused by standstill traffic and bottlenecks. I applaud the CTC for funding this project so that the people of my district, and the East Bay Area, will be able to spend less time sitting in traffic and more time at home with their families.”
The I-680/SR4 Interchange connects a major north-south thoroughfare for Solano, Contra Costa, and Alameda Counties with the main east-west artery for Contra Costa County. In its review, the Commission concluded the existing I-680/SR 4 interchange has deficiencies that contribute to heavy traffic congestion and inefficient traffic operations. This project, one of several phases of improvements planned by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority for Highway 4, will construct almost 10 miles of new traffic lanes to ease congestion and will retrofit bridges to meet seismic standards as well as extend on-ramps to improve traffic safety. CCTA was awarded the funding through the CTC’s competitive Local Partnership Program.
Grayson represents the 14th Assembly District that includes the communities of Benicia, Concord, Clayton, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Vallejo, Pittsburg and Walnut Creek. For more information please visit the Assemblymember’s website, www.assembly.ca.gov/a14.
Read MoreFeaturing T.I., Ludacris, and many more
ANTIOCH, Calif., May 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ – XO Music Festival kicks off July 13-15, 2018 making its debut as the Bay Area’s premier music, art, food and fun festival at the Contra Costa Event Park in in Antioch.
With festivals across the country putting fresh names, faces, and genres on their lineups, XO Music Festival is looking to draw a plethora of music fans and create a unique experience through amazing art installations that encompass a variety of eye catching colors, design, and styles that have taken over social media, having been essential parts of festivals like Coachella, and Tomorrowland.
A lineup including mainstream and pop names does not fail to include rock, indie, and classic throwback names in the day to night festival, opening doors to a variety of fans that are a unique and cultured group in the music scene. It will invite them into an unforgettable world with XO’s ultra-luxury VIP rooms and elevated experiences, which includes bottle service, food service, and table dining. Then transitioning to a classy and timeless event with visuals and colored installations including graffiti, murals, interactive activities – just a few elements of the experience.
Artists confirmed to perform at this year’s XO Music Festival in Antioch, California are T.I., Ludacris, Rev Run of RUN DMC, The Diplomats – Jim Jones, Cam’Ron, Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey, and Fabolous, Sugar Hill Gang and more. Also included are Survivor and the Canadian group MAGIC! Their hit song “Rude” has reached over 2 billion views just on YouTube.
Currently, the East Bay Area, boasts a short list of yearly music festivals that encompass such a variety of talent or any sort of elusive experience.
In addition to live music, the XO Festival will have comedy, culinary offerings and artwork. Keep your eye out for top rated chef’s and food celebrity hosts to be a part of the culinary experience at XO Music Festival. Some of the up-and-coming comedians who are confirmed for the festival include Drennon Davis, Jordan Cerminara, Irene Tu, Nina G, Emily Catalano, Matt Lieb, Stroy Moyd, Shanti Charan, Chey Bell, Mean Dave and Chad Opitz.
XO Music Festival has a great opportunity to make this the staple event for location, timeliness, classiness, and experience including celebrity hosted stages.
As far as food and beverage, expect the best in top tier beer and wine options and more. Fans should be sure to take advantage of dining and table service options available as part of the XO experience.
XO Festival’s arrival comes at an appealing time in music as producers and artists are collaborating across genres forcing festival and entertainment producers to be more creative, carving out the most extravagant fairy tale like experiences with visuals, fireworks, and large art installations being must haves.
With Bay Area fans always showing up to support hometown artists, expect no surprise or shortage of local talent, especially with the recent project success of artists like E-40, G-Eazy and Too $hort.
Over 150+ Performances will grace the seven stages at XO Music Festival. For full lineup and tickets visit: http://xomusicfestival.com/
Expect XO Music Festival to be a festival that is able to fit into the mold of the current music trends, while also establishing an identity for experience, location and attracting music fans of all ages and genres.
The Contra Costa Event Park is located at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch.
Read MoreThis Saturday is Clean Slate Day in Antioch that allows individuals to apply for and receive a reduction or dismissal of a prior conviction. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office and Antioch Police Department are co-hosting Saturday’s event.
The event is open to the public. Residents can register for Saturday through Code for America at www.clearmyrecord.org
“Clean Slate Day will help remove barriers for members of our community trying to get a fresh start. With this partnership, we are able to assist hundreds seeking legal assistance,” stated Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton. “Prior convictions can leave a lasting mark on an individual’s record and life. We must continue to seek opportunities to bring law enforcement and the legal community together with the community to ease tensions and clear old convictions.” Becton initially organized a Clean Slate Day in Richmond, California when she served as a Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge in 2016.
The Clean Slate Program operates throughout the entire year and is managed by the Public Defender’s Office. Individuals can contact the program at 925-335-8150 for questions about seeking Proposition 47 relief, record sealing, legal advice and dismissals of convictions. Residents can also register on an ongoing basis for the Clean Slate Program through Code for America at www.clearmyrecord.org.
“Far too many people face barriers in accessing employment, housing, and education because of a prior criminal record. Having one’s record expunged can have a transformative effect by making it easier for individuals to reintegrate back into their communities,” said Robin Lipetzky, Chief Public Defender. “Our Clean Slate team specializes in assisting people with clearing their records and giving them a second chance at life.”
This is the first event co-hosted with a law enforcement agency. Clean Slate Day starts at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 2:00 p.m. at Antioch Middle School.
“This event helps our community heal and thrive,” conveyed Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks. “We must work to reduce recidivism and assist individuals in navigating the criminal justice system.”
Other community partners offering services on Saturday will include the following organizations: Bay Area Legal Aid, Rubicon Programs, Contra Costa Reentry Network, and the Safe Return Project.
Read MoreANTIOCH – Open Day May 17th, Is Dollar Day at the 2018 Contra Costa County Fair. Gates Open at 12 noon, and everyone can enjoy the Fair for just $1 until 5PM. Also you can enjoy $1 Carnival Rides until 5PM. The Contra Costa County Fair has partnered with the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano to bring $1 Day to the Fair. Pay $1 to get into the Fair, and donate $1 to the Food Bank, $1 can provide 2 Health Meals to a needy family in Contra Costa or Solano County.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2018 Contra Costa County Fair. For the complete program, click here: CCCFair Program – Antioch Herald
For additional information about the 2018 Contra Costa County Fair visit our website at www.contracostafair.com, or like us on Facebook. The fairgrounds are located at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch.
Read MoreContra Costa County is one of 30 California counties that have filed litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors for creating an opioid epidemic in this state. These 30 counties represent approximately 10.5 million residents. All 30 counties are filing suit in federal court and expect their cases to be transferred to the Multi-District Litigation in Ohio, where more than 500 public entities have filed similar suits.
The lawsuit seeks reimbursement of taxpayer funds that already have been spent responding to the opioid epidemic in Contra Costa County; for ongoing costs of continuing the fight, including emergency response, prevention, monitoring and treatment; and for prospective relief to help the County undo some of the widespread damage that these drug manufacturers and distributors have caused.
“This litigation is an important tool to help us recover the taxpayer funds currently being used and desperately needed to intervene and try to counteract the opioid epidemic,” noted Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Karen Mitchoff.
According to the County’s complaint on file with the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Case No. 3:18-cv-02705, many of the nation’s largest drug manufacturers misinformed doctors about the addictiveness and efficacy of opioids. The manufacturer defendants include Purdue Pharma; Teva Ltd.; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson); Endo Health Solutions, Inc.; Allergan PLC; and Mallinckrodt. Drugs manufactured by these companies include, but are not limited to: OxyContin, Actiq, Fentora, Duragesic, Nucynta, Nucynta ER, Opana/Opana ER, Percodan, Percocet, Zydone, Kadian and Norco. In addition to the wrongdoing by drug manufacturers, the lawsuit asserts that the nation’s largest drug distributors – including Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, and McKesson Corp. – failed to monitor, identify and report “suspicious” opioid shipments to pharmacies, in violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act.
The County Counsel’s Office and following six law firms comprise the County’s legal team: Baron & Budd; Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor; Powell & Majestro; Greene, Ketchum, Farrell, Bailey & Tweel; Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler; and McHugh Fuller Law Group. These firms currently represent over 300 cities and counties throughout the United States.
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$400 million increase over current year’s budget
By Dan Borsuk
Contra Costa voters could see a cannabis industry tax measure on the November 6 ballot after supervisors on Tuesday thrashed through statistics and ideas on what route to take in complying with the 2016 passage of state Proposition 64.
Determined to assemble a cannabis tax ordinance by an August 10 deadline in order to file a tax measure ballot for the November election, supervisors, under the guidance of Julie Enea of the County Administrator’s Office, presented a cannabis business tax levy proposal assembled by HdL, the Crescent City-based consulting firm hired by the county to assist the county in developing an ordinance in the aftermath of the passage of Proposition 64, the 2016 state initiative that legalized the sale of recreational marijuana.
The proposed cannabis business tax levy sets initial and maximum rates for eight license types. Those proposed rates are:
- Cultivator: Indoor, artificial lighting: 7/ft. initial rate, $10/ft. maximum rate.
- Cultivator: Greenhouse, mixed lighting: $4/ft initial rate, $7/ft. maximum rate.
- Cultivator: Outdoor, natural light: $2 ft. initial rate, $4 ft. maximum rate.
- Cultivator Nursery: $1/ft. initial rate: $2/ft. maximum rates.
- Manufacturer/Non-retail microbusiness: 2.5 % of gross receipts initial rate, 4% of gross receipts maximum rate.
- Testing: Not Available; initial rate: 2.5% percent of gross receipts maximum rate.
- Distribution: 2% of gross receipts initial rate; percent maximum rate.
- Retailer/Retail microbusiness: 4% of gross receipts initial rate and 6% of gross receipts maximum rate.
The supervisors’ cannabis tax ordinance proposal still requires a public hearing slated for July 10 when supervisors are expected to take official action on the tax ordinance proposal as well as the cannabis health ordinance. The cannabis health ordinance will not appear on the November ballot.
During the supervisor’s proceedings on Tuesday, citizens and supervisors alike were concerned the amount of money the county would raise from a cannabis tax might fall short of the mark in adequately enforcing the law, especially the health ordinance.
Since enactment of Proposition 64 beginning this year, the state has collected only $34 million in tax revenue of the anticipated $175 million. The state is considering shelving a plan to cut the excise tax from 15 percent to 11 percent even though cannabis sales are not as brisk as anticipated.
Board chair Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill said the board should model the tax ordinance measure so that it requires a two-thirds majority voter approval, have an oversight committee and be reviewed yearly for adjustments based on the consumer price index.
“We’re going to impose this tax to cover our costs,” said District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville, who represents a district where a number of citizens have aired widespread opposition to Proposition 64’s implementation.
Shawn Casey of First 5, a pro children’s organization, proposed that the county create with cannabis revenues a fund to aid children harmed by the effects of cannabis.
“I’m in favor of reasonable regulation,” said Vickie Norris of Friends of Proposition 64. “I’m in favor of a tax.” Norris noted Contra Costa’s tax proposal that HdL prepared won’t price out businesses like what occurred in Berkeley which had to scale back its retail sales tax which was 35%.
“The legal market is taking a piece out of the black market,” said HdL’s Mark Lovelace. “Thirty percent of the marijuana remains in the black market.”
Supervisors OK 2018-2019 Budget Proposal
In speedy action, supervisors voted 5-0 in approving a $3.5 billion 2018-2019 recommended budget without public fanfare. Supervisors will officially adopt the budget in September. The spending plan is an increase from $3.1 billion for the current 2017-2018 fiscal year.
482,055 Square Foot North Richmond Warehouse Approved
Without hearing any opposition, supervisors unanimously approved a 482,055 square foot warehouse-distribution project that could create up to 800 jobs in the North Richmond. Construction of the proposed Panattoni Warehouse project at 500 Pittsburg Ave. could get underway in the first quarter of 2019.
District 1 Supervisor John Gioia, who represents the North Richmond development site owned by Redus EL LLC, said the Panattoni Warehouse project is the first of at least two other similar warehouse distribution projects that are in the pipeline that will come before the supervisors in the near future.
Gioia refused to provide details about the other two warehouse-distribution projects.
“This is just not a warehouse,” the supervisor said. Upon commenting how the North Richmond area is in a stage of transition from residential to warehouse, the supervisor said, “North Richmond has become ground zero for the fulltime warehouse area that is patterned after AMAZON, the type of company the gets products out sooner.”
In approving the project at Pittsburg Avenue and Richmond Parkway, supervisors approved a number of “traffic calming measures” in order to minimize the environmental impacts from more than 100 truck trips during peak period AM and PM periods. Those traffic calming measures include “chokers and bulbouts.”
The developer will install solar power and plant 200 trees to replace 21 old trees that need to removed from the project site. A 1.3-acre area site has been designated for a gas station with a mini-mart that will be constructed sometime after the warehouse-distribution building is constructed.
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