Contra Costa Herald

Renter lied about reason for renting Airbnb home.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The Orinda Police Department and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff continue to investigate a shooting that occurred on the 100 block of Lucille Way in Orinda on Thursday, October 31, 2019, at about 10:50 PM.

Orinda Police Officers, along with law enforcement officers from throughout the county, arrived on scene and found a house party with over 100 attendees. The party-goers apparently came from throughout the Bay Area for the Halloween event, which was advertised on social media. The party took place in a home that was found on a short-term rental website.

According to the Associated Press, the home was rented by a woman who “lied to her Airbnb host, saying she only needed a place to keep her family members away from wildfire smoke”.

Arriving Officers found a highly chaotic scene that included gunshot victims, injured party-goers, and numerous people fleeing the scene. Officers triaged the victims, cleared the location for safety and safeguarded the crime scene. Law enforcement officers found three gunshot victims who were later pronounced deceased at the scene. Another died at the hospital.

The victims are identified as 22-year-old Tiyon Farley of Antioch, 24-year-old Omar Taylor of Pittsburg, 23-year-old Ramon Hill Jr. of San Francisco/Oakland and 29-year-old Javin County of Sausalito/Richmond. An additional victim has been pronounced deceased at a local hospital. She is identified as 19-year-old Oshiana Tompkins of Vallejo/Hercules. There are now a total of five fatalities in this shooting.

Several other victims were transported to local hospitals by ambulance, while some victims transported themselves to the hospital. The injured suffered from gunshot wounds and injuries sustained while fleeing the scene.

A number of law enforcement agencies from the Bay Area assisted during the initial response as well as during the ongoing investigation. These include the Contra Costa D.A.’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Division Crime Lab responded to the home to process the scene. Two firearms were located in the house. The Crime Lab is analyzing the weapons to determine if they were used in the shooting or any other crimes. Numerous shell casings found at the scene are being processed and analyzed by the Crime Lab.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing with numerous interviews of witnesses and the analysis of evidence. The suspect is still outstanding.

Orinda Police Officers were yesterday called to the house at 9:19 PM and 10:25 PM regarding a noise complaint. At 10:48 PM, an officer was headed to the home to investigate the calls. The initial reports of shooting came in around 10:50 PM.

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Orinda Police Department or Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441. The Investigation Division can be reached at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced that due to overwhelming interest in this week’s “Women in Leadership, Politics, and Society” town hall in Danville, the location has been moved to a larger venue in order to accommodate all attendees. The town hall will now be held at Charlotte Wood Middle School on Saturday, November 2nd at 1:00 p.m.

At the town hall, Congressman DeSaulnier will be joined by a panel of local leaders who will explore the most pressing issues facing women today, like achieving gender and economic equity in the workplace and society, overcoming barriers to women’s health care, and increasing the representation of women in government.

“Women in Leadership, Politics, and Society” Town Hall
Saturday, November 2nd, 2019
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
New Location: Charlotte Wood Middle School
600 El Capitan Dr., Danville,

Doors open at 12:30 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.

By Susan Shiu, Director, Contra Costa County Office of Communications and Media

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution at a special Board meeting today, November 1, 2019, ratifying the County Administrator’s October 27, 2019 proclamation of existence of a local emergency when the Board of Supervisors was not in session and could not immediately be called into session.

Contra Costa County issued a proclamation of local emergency due to severe weather conditions on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 4:37 pm when County Administrator David J. Twa, as the Administrator of Emergency Services, signed the proclamation.

The proclamation states that “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the County, caused by a severe weather event commencing at 8 p.m. on October 26, 2019. The velocity and duration of wind, coupled with low humidity, is driving wildfires in multiple locations, causing power disruptions, tree falls and infrastructure damage, and necessitating evacuations; and that these conditions are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of the County.”

Board Chair, Supervisor John Gioia, said, “The weather conditions were such that there were a series of fires one after another that led to evacuation orders in multiple parts of the County on that day alone. Throughout the local emergency, Con Fire and other fire district firefighters, Sheriff’s Office, County departments’ employees and other partners, including the National Weather Service, worked diligently to coordinate in the County’s Emergency Operation Center.”

The Supervisors all echoed this sentiment of pride in how the County worked together with multiple agencies and jurisdictions to keep residents safe and informed during an unprecedented local emergency affecting tens of thousands of Contra Costa residents.

“The County prepares for emergencies. Our teams did the work they were trained to do. We are grateful that there was no loss of human life,” says County Administrator David Twa. “We will continue to support residents and encourage you to stay prepared.”

To learn about and register for Contra Costa County’s Community Warning System, go to cwsalerts.com. Sign up to receive alerts, such as evacuation alerts, via voice, text and email. Follow @CoCoCWS, @CCCounty and other official sources on Twitter.

For safety and preparedness resources, go to https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5435/Public-Safety-Emergency-Info.

Ruben Edward Calle. Photo by Concord Police Department

OAKLAND –Ruben Eric Calle has been charged with possession of child pornography announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.

Calle, 54, of Concord, was charged in a criminal complaint filed October 29, 2019, and unsealed today.  According to the affidavit of a task force officer and member of the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force filed in connection with the criminal complaint, Calle possessed more than 600 sexually explicit images of child pornography.  Law enforcement agents found the child pornography when they executed a search warrant at Calle’s residence on July 11, 2018.  The images found in Calle’s possession are alleged to include depictions of an adult engaging in sexually explicit conduct with prepubescent children, including an infant or toddler.  Allegedly, the images also include depictions of sadistic and/or masochistic conduct.

The investigation into Calle’s conduct began in 2018 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received two CyberTips.  Based on the information provided, investigators traced the uploading of child pornography on a peer-to-peer service to Calle’s residence.

Calle was arrested today in Concord and made his initial appearance in federal court in Oakland before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.  Calle’s next appearance is set for November 5 at 10:30 a.m. for a status and detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.

A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years (20 years if the images depict prepubescent children), and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan U. Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessica Gonzalez Rodriguez and Kathleen Turner.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Concord Police Department, and United States Department of Homeland Security.

Sheriff’s Detectives investigate

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Thursday night, October 31, 2019, at about 10:50, Orinda Police Officers were dispatched to reports of a shooting at a residence on the 100 block of Lucille Way in Orinda.

Orinda officers, assisted by law enforcement officers from the area, arrived on scene and found a large house party with over 100 attendees.

There were three apparent gunshot victims who were pronounced deceased at the scene. Another died later at the hospital.

Other victims were taken to local hospitals by ambulance. The exact number is unknown as some victims transported themselves to the hospital.

A KTVU Fox2 News report gave the number of deceased victims at four, with a fourth having died at the hospital.

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Forensic Services Division Crime lab and Detectives from the Homicide Unit responded to the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Orinda Police Department or Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441. The Investigation Division can be reached at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Screenshot of ABC7 News report 10-28-19.

Residents of cities in western and central parts of Contra Costa County – especially those with respiratory sensitivities like asthma – are urged to stay inside with windows and doors closed and limit outdoor activity due to poor air quality in the area.

Air quality in these areas have been measured at unhealthy levels this morning as a result of smoke from large fires burning in the region. (See ABC7 News report for video and list of fires). A health advisory issued last night for eastern parts of Contra Costa County has been lifted. Other areas in the county may be impacted by the smoke as wind conditions change.

People in the affected areas should avoid contact with the smoke and minimize any time spent outdoors, especially older adults, pregnant women, people who have asthma, lung or heart disease. People in the area should avoid going in and out of their homes in order to prevent bad air from getting indoors. For those without power, consider going to a location with a powered ventilation system.

Using a mask is not an effective substitute for staying indoors in a space with filtered air.
Common symptoms of smoke exposure include coughing, scratchy throat, headaches and irritated eyes, nose and throat. Contact your healthcare provider if you are concerned about these symptoms.

People with asthma should continue to follow their asthma plan, and those with chronic lung or heart disease should continue to take their medications regularly. Symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain or chest tightness may require immediate medical attention. Call 911 if you experience these symptoms.

For the most up-to-date air quality maps, visit airnow.gov. More health information about wildfire smoke is available at cchealth.org/wildfire-smoke.

PG&E Potential PSPS Map as of 12:25PM 10-26-19

Customers Encouraged to Use Online Address Look-up Tool to Confirm If They Will Be Impacted

Historic Wind Event Forecast to Cause Dangerous Conditions Until Midday Monday

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Due to weather forecasts indicating potential for a historic wind event this weekend, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) confirmed it will implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) affecting approximately 940,000 customers—an increase of about 90,000 from previous estimates—in portions of 36 counties. Widespread dry, hot and windy weather is expected to begin impacting the service area today between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and through midday Monday.

As this weather system sweeps from north to south over a period of two to three days, PG&E customers across Northern and Central California will feel the effects of hot, dry winds at different times, which means outage times will vary as well.

Customers are encouraged to visit www.pge.com/eventmaps and use the address look up tool to confirm if they will be impacted by this PSPS event.

Power Will Be Turned Off in Phases

The PSPS will occur in six phases, times may change (earlier or later) dependent on weather. The first phase will begin about 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 26. Customer impacts will include these counties: Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, Sierra, Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama and Yuba.

The second phase will occur around 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, impacting customers in the following counties: Lake, Marin, Mendocino (south), Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo.

Phase three will begin about 5 p.m. Saturday, October 26, impacting customers in these counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Stanislaus.

Phase four will begin about 5 p.m. Saturday, October 26, impacting customers in these counties: Alpine, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne.

Phase five begin about 5 p.m. Saturday, October 26, impacting customers in these counties: Humboldt, Mendocino (north) and Trinity.

The sixth and final phase is scheduled to begin 10 a.m., Sunday, October 27, impacting customers in Kern County.

The power will be turned off to communities in stages, depending on local timing of the severe wind conditions.

OCTOBER 26 PSPS EVENT

The times below are estimates and may change (earlier or later) dependent on weather.

“This wind event is forecast to be the most serious weather situation that Northern and Central California has experienced in recent memory. We understand the widespread impacts this Public Safety Power Shutoff will have across Northern and Central California. We would only take this decision for one reason – to help reduce catastrophic wildfire risk to our customers and communities. There is no compromising the safety of our customers, which is our most important responsibility,” said Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of Electric Operations

Customer Notifications and Impact

In most cases, the company has notified potentially impacted customers at 48 hours, 24 hours and just before the de-energization. However, customers not impacted by the PSPS, including those not within high fire-risk areas, may experience power outages due to PG&E equipment damaged during this major wind event. Those customers will not be notified in advance.

It is very possible customers may be affected by a power shutoff even though they are not experiencing extreme weather conditions in their specific location. This is because the electric system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions.

The impacted counties, cities and communities are listed below. Customers can go to pge.com/pspsupdates to look up individual addresses to see if they are impacted by this event.

Estimated Time of Restoration

Predictive data models indicate the weather event could be the most powerful to hit California in decades, with widespread dry northeast winds between 45-60 mph and peak gusts of 60-70 mph in the higher elevations.

Winds of this magnitude pose a higher risk of damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread. The fire risk is even higher because vegetation on the ground has been dried out by recent wind events.

Before restoring power, PG&E must inspect its equipment for damage and make any necessary repairs. That process cannot begin until the severe weather event has subsided.

Given the prolonged period during which the wind event will unfold, and the large number of power line miles that will need to be inspected before restoration, customers are being asked to prepare for an extended outage of at least two days once the severe weather has passed.

PG&E will work with state and local agencies to provide updated restoration timelines following the conclusion of the severe weather event.

Customer Resources

PG&E is opening 56 Community Resource Centers in areas where power will be shut off, and we are looking to add more. These centers will remain open in impacted areas throughout the PSPS to provide water, phone charging stations, air-conditioned seating for up to 100 people and restrooms. To view the current list, click here.

During the PSPS, customers in impacted areas will not be billed. PG&E has paused disconnection and collection activities in these areas.

Customers can visit pge.com/pspsupdates for more information.

How Customers Can Prepare

In addition, PG&E is asking customers to:

• Update your contact information by calling 1-866-743-6589. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, before and during a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
• Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
• Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
• Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
• Keep in mind family members who are elderly, younger children and pets.
• Learn more about wildfire risk and what to do before, during and after an emergency to keep your family safe at PG&E’s Safety Action Center.

While customers in high fire-threat areas are more likely to be affected by a Public Safety Power Shutoff event, any of PG&E’s more than five million electric customers could have their power shut off for safety because the energy system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions.

Forecasts Indicate Potential for Historic Wind Event This Weekend

May Need to Proactively Turn Off Power for Safety in Portions of 36 Counties. Mutual Aid Request for 1,000 Personnel for Restoration Phase

10/25/19 7:34 PM UPDATE – According to Kristi Jourdan of PG&E’s Marketing and Communications, “The decision to proactively turn off power for safety has not yet been made – that is expected by 8 a.m. Saturday morning. We understand the impact turning off power for safety has on our customers, and we don’t take this action lightly.

If the decision is made to initiate a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), outages will begin approximately 7 p.m., Saturday in the Bay Area/Cost/S. Sierra Foothills regions. This includes Contra Costa County. We do our best to provide approximate timeframes to indicate when shutoffs are expected, but some areas may experience power outages before or after the expected shutoff times.

It’s important to note that as this weather system sweeps from north to south over a period of two days, PG&E customers across Northern and Central California will feel the effects of hot, dry winds at different times, which means outage times will vary as well. As this intense weather event approaches the service area in the next 24 hours, PG&E’s forecasts will offer sharper detail, noting that the scope may continue to change on the number of customers who will be affected.

Conditions can change quickly, so we ask that customers please stay prepared with their emergency plan. We will continue to monitor conditions and update customers by phone, text and email. You can also follow us on social media. The latest information and maps are at pge.com/pspsupdates.”

SAN FRANCISCO (Friday, October 25, 2019) – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today said it continues to monitor a potentially powerful and widespread dry, hot and windy weather event expected to begin impacting the service area Saturday between 6 and 10 p.m. and lasting until midday Monday.

PG&E will need to turn off power for safety several hours before the potentially damaging winds arrive. It’s important to note that as this weather system sweeps from north to south over a period of two days, PG&E customers across Northern and Central California will feel the effects of hot, dry winds at different times, which means outage times will vary, as well.

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) is expected to affect approximately 850,000 customers and may impact portions of 36 counties across portions of Humboldt, the Sierra foothills, Western Sacramento Valley, North Bay, and across the greater Bay area, Monterey Bay and northern Central Coast on Saturday, Oct. 26. Customers in the southern-most portion of PG&E’s service area in Kern County could have power shut off for safety on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Predictive data models indicate the weather event could be the most powerful in California in decades, with widespread dry Northeast winds between 45-60 miles per hour (mph) and peak gusts of 60-70 mph in the higher elevations.

Winds of this magnitude pose a higher risk of damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread. The fire risk is even higher because vegetation on the ground has been dried out by recent wind events.

Given the forecast and conditions, PG&E is advising its customers of the potential for a widespread PSPS lasting several days, intended to prevent a catastrophic wildfire. As this intense weather event approaches the service area in the next 24 hours, PG&E’s forecasts will offer sharper detail, noting that the scope may continue to change on the number of customers who will be affected.

Counties Potentially Impacted

 Shutoffs Could be Widespread and Extended

As experienced earlier in October, portions of most counties in PG&E’s 70,000-square-mile service area could be temporarily de-energized, potentially including all Tier 2 and Tier 3 fire risk regions. Customers can view the fire threat maps on the California Public Utilities Commission website to know whether they live in one of these high fire-risk regions.

Customers should prepare for a shutoff lasting 48 hours or longer, given the long duration of the wind event. Power cannot be restored until the dangerous weather has passed, safety inspections of de-energized lines are complete, and damage to the system has been repaired.

“We understand that a longer shutoff would be very difficult for our customers. We are already working to minimize the length, including amassing a force of field personnel from PG&E, plus contractors and other utility companies, to be ready to tackle the inspection, repair and restoration process as soon as the weather passes,” said PG&E Corporation CEO and President Bill Johnson.

Customer Notifications

The company provides direct notifications to affected customers who have given their contact information to PG&E 48 hours in advance of the potential shutoff, and again at 24 hours and four hours before shutoff.

PG&E has not determined whether to move forward with a shutoff, but will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide more definitive information on the potential timing and scale of shutoffs as weather models are updated.

Forecasts and Criteria for Shutoff

“The upcoming wind event has the potential to be one of the strongest in the last several years. It’s also likely to be longer than recent wind events, which have lasted about 12 hours or less,” said Scott Strenfel, Principal Meteorologist with PG&E.

PG&E’s meteorology team is part of a group of fire weather experts and data scientists at the company who work closely with the National Weather Service and the National Interagency Fire Center’s (NIFC) Geographic Area Coordination Center.

The company carefully reviews a combination of many criteria before taking steps to shut off power for safety, including but not limited to:

• Low humidity levels, generally 20 percent and below.
• Forecasted sustained winds generally above 25 mph and wind gusts in excess of approximately 45 mph, depending on location and site-specific conditions such as temperature, terrain, vegetation and local climate.
• Moisture content: Condition of dry fuel on the ground and live vegetation (dead and live fuel moistures).
• On-the-ground, real-time observations from PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center and field crews.
• A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service.
• Information from the NIFC and National Weather Service, including high risk days and locations considered “critical burn environments.”

Working to Minimize the Shutoffs

To help speed inspections and repairs, the company has requested mutual aid of 1,000 workers from other energy companies, including ATCO Energy in Alberta, Xcel Energy in Minnesota and Florida Power & Light. These crews are expected to be staged and briefed on the restoration plan by Sunday evening. If weather progresses as expected, restoration could begin in some portions of the affected area as early as Monday afternoon.

The company and its mutual aid partners will prioritize areas that can be safety restored to bring the maximum number of customers back online as quickly as possible.

PG&E is also working to minimize customer impact wherever possible through a combination of sectionalizing the grid and providing emergency backup power generation resources that will be able to quickly re-energize customers in portions of some cities.

How Customers Can Prepare

As part of PSPS preparedness efforts, PG&E is asking customers to:

• Update their contact information by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
• Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
• Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
• Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
• Keep in mind family members who are elderly, younger children and pets.
• Learn more about wildfire risk and what to do before, during and after an emergency to keep your family safe at PG&E’s Safety Action Center.

To support customers in the affected areas, PG&E will open Community Resource Centers which provide restrooms, bottled water, electronic device charging and air-conditioned seating. Mobile resource stations (vans), when available, will provide bottled water, phone-charging and latest information for customers. PG&E is working with counties and cities on locations and will provide the list including operating hours prior to initiating the PSPS.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com and www.pge.com/news.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Susan Shiu, Director, Contra Costa County Office of Communications and Media

Contra Costa County is preparing to respond to the impacts of a confirmed PG&E power shutoff event affecting parts of the County. PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) is expected to start 10:00 pm on Saturday, October 26th, through Monday, October 28th afternoon. According to PG&E, complete power restoration may take several days. The County’s Emergency Operations Center plans a Level 2 Partial Activation starting at 6 pm on Saturday, October 26th.

PG&E estimates that 48,000 customers in Contra Costa County could lose power. We expect the shutoff to impact over 120,000 residents in the County. The PG&E power shutoff event will affect large areas of the County, including Alamo, Antioch, Brentwood, Byron, Canyon, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, Diablo, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, Knightsen, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Port Costa, Richmond, Rodeo, San Pablo, San Ramon and Walnut Creek. PG&E expects to start restoring power on Monday, October 28th, in the afternoon with complete restoration possibly taking several days.

“We urge residents to prepare for this event. Our staff is diligently planning a response to the effects of this event,” said Board Chair, Supervisor, John Gioia. “We remind residents the decision to shut off and restore power has been planned and managed solely by PG&E.”

Contra Costa County is working to ensure that the public is aware of this PG&E power shutoff event. The County has also been working to ensure that we are ready with our operations and response to this PG&E power shutoff.

Go to Contra Costa County’s website at www.contracosta.ca.gov for updates, a PG&E map of impacted areas, and ways to prepare before, during and after a power outage. Check www.pge.com to register for wildfire alerts and for customer updates.

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors conducted a hearing on Tuesday to learn from county fire and hazardous materials officials what may have caused the Oct. 15 fire that caused the destruction of 250,000 gallons of ethanol, a chemical mixed with gasoline At the meeting were from left County Administrator David Twa, Contra Costa County Assistant Counsel Mary Ann Mason, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Deputy Fire Chief Aaron McAllister, CCCFPD Fire Chief Lewis Broschard, and Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Program Director Randy Sawyer. Photos by Daniel Borsuk.

Form committee to consider half-cent sales tax measure for Nov. 2020 ballot

By Daniel Borsuk

Contra Costa County Supervisors on Tuesday demanded that county officials confirm that operators of the fire damaged NuStar Energy plant in Crockett not resume operations until its fire and hazardous materials safety measures have been completely reviewed and upgraded by state and federal authorities.

“I want updated progress reports on your investigations,” demanded Board Chair John Gioia, whose District 1 covers the Crockett refinery location where the fire erupted from a tank filled with ethanol at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15. The fire spread, catching a nearby tank also containing ethanol. Some 250,000 gallons of ethanol were destroyed in the fire.

The blaze forced county authorities to call a Shelter in Place in the Crockett area. Interstate 80 was closed for six hours. The incident was officially over at 8:10 p.m. when I-80 was reopened to traffic by the Highway Patrol, said Contra Costa County Director of Hazardous Materials Randy Sawyer.

“At the end of the day, the incident was contained, “said Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief Lewis Broschard. “No other tanks were destroyed. No other materials were discharged.”

Broschard told supervisors it was through the fire fighting resources of NuStar Energy and several other refineries that were able to promptly respond to the fire site to assist CCCFPD in extinguishing fire. Those refineries – Shell, Chevon, Phillips 66, Tessoro, and Marathon – supplied foam that the county fire district did not have to adequately extinguish the blaze, said Chief Broschard.

Chief Broschard said at this time there is no known cause for the fire including whether arson may have been a factor.

Gioia made it clear to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief Broschard and Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Program Director Randy Sawyer that he wants a thorough investigation completed before “there is a reopening” of the NuStar plant.

Supervisors heard from eight speakers, all critical of NuStar and its safety track record.

NuStar spokesperson Mary Rose Brown told the Contra Costa Herald via an emailed message:

“We absolutely agree, and we are working closely and cooperatively with CalOSHA and other regulatory agencies on detailed plans to ensure that the facility is safe to operate before it is reopened. We also are continuing to work in very close cooperation with all applicable local and state regulatory agencies to investigate the root cause of the incident so that we can take whatever measures are required to ensure the continued safety of our employees, contractors, neighbors and the community. We worked over the weekend to pump liquids out of the incident area and CalOSHA and local fire investigators accessed the area today (Tuesday).”

County resident Carl Davidson suggested that the NuStar plant incident may have been triggered by a seismic event since the facility is located on the Pinole fault and the fire erupted after seismic events were reported in the Pleasant Hill area the previous day.

Twenty-five-year Crockett area resident Isabella Izzi said the board of supervisors and regulators should clamp down on NuStar for this environmental violation and future violations by requiring the refiner to provide hazmat masks to all residents of Crockett. “The Board of Supervisors should make it clear that it will deny any new expansion at that refinery,” she said.

Dan Torres, a representative of an industrial fire sprinkler installation union, questioned the quality and reliability of the fire sprinkler system installed at NuStar.

At the end, Chair Gioia asked that updates on the NuStar fire will be reported at the Public Safety Committee that he chairs.

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors recognized the community service of CERT C-8 on Tuesday. Currently consisting of 70 members, supervisors recognized the organization that is known to dispatch volunteers to train senior care staff, serve as Amateur Radio Operators, Red Cross Shelter workers, traffic control and join the Contra Costa CART. C-8 has helped to get Spanish Cert out to many areas of the county. The program is called Listos.

Sales Tax Ad Hoc Committee Formed

Supervisors voted 4-0 to create an ad hoc committee to explore the feasibility of placing on the ballot a sales tax measure. The committee will consist mainly of union leaders, county agency heads and nonprofit organizations leaders.

On the vote, District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover was absent.

At the recommendation of District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, who serves on the Finance Committee, proposed the establishment of a citizen-based ad hoc committee to study a proposal that could wind up on a ballot for county voters to decide on perhaps by the November 2020 general election.

In California, the maximum sales, use, and transactions tax rate is 9.25 percent. That includes a statewide base sale and use tax of 7.25 percent and up to 2 percent for local district transaction and use taxes.

Current projections for annual revenues for a countywide transaction and use tax are one half cent $93 million and quarter cent $46.5 million. Current projections for annual revenues for an unincorporated area transaction and use tax are one half cent: $8.32 million and one.

So far, the ad hoc committee will study several potential tax scenarios. Current projections for annual revenues for a countywide transaction and use tax area:

. 0.50 percent (1/2 cent): $93 million

. 0.25 percent (1/4 cent): $46.5 million

Projections for annual revenues for an unincorporated area transaction and use tax are:

. 0.50 percent (1/2 cent): $8.32 million

. 0.25 percent (1/4 cent): $4.16 million

Mitchoff said she is promoting the sales tax ad hoc committee because she frequently hears from constituents why Contra Costa County does not have a sales tax while other counties like Alameda, San San Mateo, Santa Clara and others do draw additional revenues for county services from a sales tax.

The ad hoc committee will be led by stake holders, not supervisors, Mitchoff said. “We want all comers at the table,” she said. “This will be a difficult lift.”

“This is a huge opportunity,” said Sean Casey, executive director of the nonprofit organization First 5. “16,000 families could benefit from this in Contra Costa County.”

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors designated November 6 as ”Shelter-in-Place-Education Day” in all public and private schools and children centers in the county. The Contra Costa Community Awareness Emergency Response Group – CAER – is sponsoring the 18th Annual Shelter-in-Place Drill and assisting schools and childcare centers with their emergency preparedness. At the resolution presentation during the board’s Tuesday meeting were from left REACHProject Executive Director Mickie Marchetti, District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, Board Chair John Gioia, Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Program Director Randy Sawyer, District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis, and Vice Chair Candace Andersen.

In other business, the supervisors:

-Approved a $240,000 contract to Concord Yellow Cab, Inc. to provide non-emergency taxicab transportation services for Contra Costa Regional Medical center and Contra Costa Health Center patients for the period July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. The county pays taxicab service for patients unable to transport themselves to medical appointments due to medical conditions, including physical disabilities, patients who have verifiable seizure disorder or patients who have received medications which has or could impair their mobility.

-Approved a $1.97 million Public Works Department contract with Debri-Tech, Inc. to provide on-call assistance with trash and abandoned waste cleanup and removal for the Contra Costa County Watershed Program for the program October 15, 2019 through September 30, 2022.

-Approved the issuance of $85 million in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bond by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority for the Fairfield Hilltop LP, a California limited partnership, to provide for the financing of the acquisition and rehabilitation of a 322-unit multi-family housing development known as Hilltop Commons Apartments located at 15690l Crestwood Drive.

Some of the county’s major figures in the arts were honored by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Supervisors presented Awards for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts. Supervisors recognized the Lafayette Town Hall Theater for reaching a milestone celebrating its 75th anniversary and 300th theatre production. The theater’s theater and dance education programs serve 600 families each year. The Blue Devil Performing Arts, founded by Tony and Ann Odello in 1957, was recognized for serving more than 6,000 young persons during a long celebrated history. The Blue Devil Performing Arts, founded as a Drum Corps with a separate marching team, but later added glockenspiels (bells), Color Guard and horns to their productions was undefeated State Champion drum and Bell Corps from 1957 to 1970. The majorettes earned six National Championships and 12 National Team titles. Supervisors also honored Michelle Seville, who is retiring after 12 years as manager of Richmond’s Arts & Culture Center. Seveille was one of the original park rangers at the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park when it was first established in 2000.