Courageous & Emerging Leadership Academy (CELA) is hosting its first ever “CELA Honors Everyday Heroes” buffet dinner and auction fundraiser at La Piñata Restaurant in Pittsburg on Thursday, July 18, 2019, at 5:30 pm. This event is an awards ceremony held in appreciation of leaders, mentors, and advocates making a difference in the community through their work with at-risk and vulnerable youth.
There will be raffles and silent auction prizes, including an all-inclusive 7-9 nights resort and spa vacation for two to Antigua! Event tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased on Eventbrite at https://cela.eventbrite.com. All proceeds benefit CELA, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the education and mentoring of Bay Area youth ages 8-20. CELA has been serving the region since 2017 and currently partners with the Richmond Police Activities League (RPAL) to provide services that present local youth with opportunities to succeed.
Your donations and ticket purchases will help foster CELA’s mission of building minds and saving lives through violence prevention, tutoring, and community development. In addition, you will help CELA expand their mentoring programs, which include:
• Boxing with Insight (BWI) – a pilot project that has been established to implement the combination of mentoring, counseling, education, and therapeutic case management support through boxing and martial arts training.
• Financial Literacy Program “Biz Kids”- a program provided by Travis Credit Union for high school students to engage in building tools for their future.
If you would like to make a donation to CELA, please contact Ms. Jacqueline King-Walton, Executive Director at (707) 301-1162 or Mrs. Phyllis Ritter, Board President at (925) 628-1641. More information about CELA’s unique programming can be found on their website at www.celacademy.org.
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Ken Behring. Photo courtesy of BlackhawkMuseum.org
Also founder of the Wheelchair Foundation and Blackhawk Museum
By Allen Payton
Ken Behring, best known locally as the billionaire developer of Blackhawk and founder of the Blackhawk Museum in Contra Costa County, the former owner of the Seattle Seahawks, and the founder of the Wheelchair Foundation, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday night.
In a message posted on Facebook on Wednesday evening, June 26, 2019, his son, David Behring, wrote, “My father passed away peacefully last night at the age of 91. He was both a Lion and a Dragon and could not have lived a fuller life. He loved business, sports, travel, automobiles, family, adventure, life and helping others. His family and friends will deeply miss him and pledge to carry on his legacy. Our family is so appreciative of the hundreds of phone, text and email messages that have poured in today. I will write more reflections of him this weekend.”
Kenneth Eugene Behring was born in Freeport, Illinois on June 13, 1928. He grew up poor during the Depression era in Wisconsin and began working odd jobs at age seven. Yet, he ended up making the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans several times, and owning a jet plane, plus the NFL team.
A high-school football player, he received a partial football scholarship to the University of Wisconsin–Madison but, dropped out of college due to an injury that ended his football career, and making him ineligible for his scholarship.
Behring then worked as a salesman at a Chevrolet and Chrysler dealership and at 21, he started a used car business called Behring Motors in Monroe, Wisconsin. The young businessman was earning $50,000 a year and by age 27 had $1 million in assets.
His career as a real estate developer spanned four decades. Behring planned and developed communities in Florida, California, and Seattle. His company conceived and developed the entire city of Tamarac, Florida in the 1950’s which now has a population of over 60,000.
In 1972 he moved to California, where he is best known for planning and developing the renowned Blackhawk community near Danville, as well as the Canyon Lakes Development in San Ramon. In East County, his company Blackhawk Development built the Apple Hill Estates and Summerset communities in Brentwood.
In Seattle his company created Blakely Ridge, a planned community of 2,200-homes and Grande Ridge, a 2,500-acre commercial and residential development.
Behring was the author of two books, his autobiography in 2004, “The Road to Purpose” and in 2013, “The Road to Leadership”, in which he shares his own life experiences and the need for purpose in an individual’s life.
“I am a simple man who has lived a simple life and, in the process, learned a simple lesson,” he wrote in The Road to Leadership. “I was born poor. But I will die rich – with more money, in fact, than I ever imagined existed when I was a boy. By the world’s standards, I climbed aboard the American dream and rode it to the top, becoming a leader in business.”
“Yet as I look back on all my success, I realize that doing well financially is easy compared with achieving true success: finding a purpose in life beyond just making money. Purpose is something you achieve by giving your heart, time, love and money to providing a better life for mankind.”
And give back, he did.
After purchasing the Seattle Seahawks football team in 1988, Behring established the Seattle Seahawks Charitable Foundation in 1995, which benefited numerous children’s charities. The foundation was the most substantial donor to the Western Washington Muscular Dystrophy Association for many years.
On his birthday in 2000, Behring established the Wheelchair Foundation at a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. To date, the organization has raised funds to pay for and distribute over one million wheelchairs to those with physical disabilities throughout the world.
Behring served on the boards of U.C. Berkeley, St. Mary’s College of California and Holy Names College. He also served as the president of the American Academy of Achievement. He has been honored as Man of the Year by Boys’ Town of Italy and the Mt. Diablo Foundation.
Behring actively contributed to the cultural community in California and the nation. He gained recognition through one of the largest and finest classic automobile collections in the world, housed in the Blackhawk Museum, in which some of the wings bear his name.
His contributions to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. resulted in improvements to two of the museums. According to MuseumNetwork.com, in 1997 Behring donated $20 million for the National Museum of Natural History to update the mammal wing, which bears his name and which opened in the fall of 2003. Then, in 2000 Behring donated another $80 million which was purportedly the largest cash donation ever given to a U.S. museum by a living person. The gift enabled what is now known as the National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center to restore and update its permanent and temporary exhibits.
Also, in 2000, Behring donated $7.5 million to U.C. Berkeley, to expand the Principal Leadership Institute. The newly established Kenneth E. Behring Center for Educational Improvement focused on training programs for public-school principals, providing scholarships for fifty aspiring principals every year.
He established the Behring Global Education Foundation, which encompasses and coordinates all of his philanthropic efforts, including the Wheelchair Foundation, Operation Global Vision and the Safe Drinking Water Project and museum donations.
Behring is survived by his wife, Pat, whom he married at age 21, five sons, and as of 2018, ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
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By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney
Investigators with the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force recently participated in Operation Broken Heart, a nationwide effort to investigate technology facilitated crimes against children, including those who receive and distribute child pornography. Throughout April and May, the team conducted investigations of subjects who distributed child pornography over the internet and focused on individuals traveling to Contra Costa County to meet minors to engage in sexual activity.
In addition to the proactive investigations the ICAC team participated in, a significant school outreach program was also undertaken to teach parents and student about the risks associated with smartphones and social media. During the last year, investigators and prosecutors delivered presentations at multiple schools and community organizations, reaching thousands of parents, students and educators.
Some notable arrests and investigations conducted during Operation Broken Heart include:
-On April 11, 2019, Investigators arrested Gerald Jue of Danville, California. During the investigation, investigators learned Jue was accessing the internet and searching for child pornography. Jue is a third and fourth grade teacher in the Fremont School District. When a search warrant was served at Jue’s residence, a computer was seized that contained evidence of Jue’s internet searches as well as web pages containing child pornography. Jue was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Oakland, Ca on June 6, 2019 and arrested on June 7, 2019. He was subsequently released on bond and is awaiting trial. This case was investigated by the ICAC Task Force and the United States Secret Service.
-On May 2, 2019, investigators arrested Sonny Mitchell, a registered sex offender from Antioch, California. During the course of the two-month investigation, it was discovered that Mitchell was distributing child pornography via the Facebook Messenger platform. When a search warrant was executed at Mitchell’s residence, investigators seized a device that contained additional images of child pornography. Mitchell was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Oakland, California on May 9, 2019 and remains in custody. This case was investigated by the ICAC Task Force and the United States Secret Service.
-On May 3, 2019, investigators arrested William Cashell of Walnut Creek, California. In April 2019, Yahoo sent tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children when child pornography was found in Cashell’s e-mail account. During a warrant at Cashell’s apartment, investigators located an iPhone which was later determined to contain images of child pornography. Cashell’s is charged with one count of possession of child pornography by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. This case was investigated by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and the ICAC Task Force.
-On May 16, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant in the 2400 block of L Street in Antioch related to a child pornography possession investigation. ICAC Investigators found evidence the suspect, Henry Cordon, a 34-year-old resident of Antioch, California and formally of Orange Park, Florida, kept images of child pornography stored in his various e-mail accounts. Additionally, during the search warrant Cordon confessed to sexually assaulting a child under the age of ten in 2009 while living in Orange Park, Florida. Cordon produced at least one image of the sexual assault of that child. Cordon was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Oakland, California on May 30, 2019 for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography. Cordon remains in custody and is currently under investigation in both California and Florida for other offenses related to crimes against children. This case was investigated by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
The Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Contra Costa County Probation Department and Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force along with Special Agents from the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service.
Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org for further information. If you believe your school or community organization would benefit from a smartphone and social media awareness presentation, please contact Senior Inspector Darryl Holcombe at dholcombe@contracostada.org.
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By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney
On June 20, 2019, Timothy Townsel of Modesto, California was sentenced to 16 years 8 months in state prison for two felonies related to human trafficking of an adult and minor while a gang member. He was sentenced today by the Honorable Judge David Goldstein in Department 6. Townsel is a member of a gang based in Modesto – Family Over Everything (F.O.E.). Townsel will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his adult life.
The case was investigated by the Concord Police Department with major participation from the Modesto Police Department, the Alameda Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. During the investigation at least four victims were identified as being exploited for sex trafficking by the defendant. One of the Jane Doe victims was under the age of 16.
“This case highlights the multi-agency anti-human trafficking initiative that our justice partners are employing to fight these heinous crimes in our County. Detective Gilfry’s tenacity in investigating what would have once been viewed as a routine prostitution bust is the reason this multi-jurisdictional human trafficker will no longer harm his victims,” stated Deputy District Attorney Jay Melaas. DDA Melaas is assigned to our Office’s Sexual Assault Unit and prosecuted the case on behalf of the People.
Townsel trafficked his victims in Las Vegas, Utah, Arizona and other parts of California. He took these victims to these areas to commit sex trafficking. Townsel was recruiting these victims from local high schools and middle schools in the Modesto area. A major break in the case came during a routine security check at the Best Western Motel in Concord, California when Concord Police Officers detained the trafficking victims for suspected prostitution activity.
Eventually Townsel was arrested in Santa Cruz, California last year after a five-month investigation led by Detective Joshua Gilfry of the Concord Police Department that established Townsel was profiting off his victims through manipulation, threats, and physical abuse. Our Office charged him with six felonies in September 2018. Once Townsel was arrested our Office’s Victim Witness Assistance Program provided victim services for those Jane Does involved.
If you or someone you know is being pressured to engage in prostitution to benefit or help support another person, help is only a phone call away. Contact Community Violence Solutions at 800-670-7273 to speak to a confidential counselor. Or visit the Contra Costa Family Justice Centers in Richmond or Concord 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 or 2151 Salvio St., Suite 201 in Concord.
To learn more about human trafficking in Contra Costa County, visit the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition’s webpage at www.contracostacoalition.org
Case information: People v. Timothy Allen Townsel, Docket 01-187211-8
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By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston announces that a Coroner’s Jury has reached a finding in the September 15, 2018 death of 61-year-old Dwight Dwayne Dunn of Concord while in custody at the county’s Martinez Detention Facility. The finding of the jury is that the death was the result of natural causes.
The Coroner’s Jury reached the verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by the hearing officer Matthew Guichard.
A transient, Dunn was found unresponsive by a sheriff’s deputy conducting a room check at the jail. Fire crews and an ambulance responded, but he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy and toxicology tests were conducted. Dunn had been booked into jail on September 5 for a parole violation.
A Coroner’s Inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing, during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding:
accident, suicide, natural causes, or at the hands of another person, other than by accident.
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The Contra Costa County Northern Waterfront Initiative area and participating agencies.
Concerns, complaints about animal services
By Daniel Borsuk
The $500,000 planning study to ignite an economic renaissance designed to create 18,000 low-tech manufacturing jobs by 2035 along the county’s northern waterfront gained momentum Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors joined the city councils of Hercules and Pittsburg in approving a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the major waterfront planning project. (See the Northern Waterfront Report)
Officials expect the city councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Martinez, and Oakley to soon adopt similar MOUs that have been prepared to permit jurisdictions to participate or not participate in joint projects that will generate jobs in the industries of food processing, clean tech, bio-tech/bio-medical, and advanced transportation fuels.
The county’s MOU also authorizes Department of Conservation and Development Director John Kopchik to file and obtain trademarks for “Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative” and “Capital of the Northern California Mega-Region” or similar phrases on behalf of the county.
District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff cautioned colleagues over the planning project’s rising costs. The county awarded a $500,000 grant a year ago, but that amount has now dwindled to $94,500.
“I’d like to know how those funds are to be spent in the future,” she said.
Mitchoff forecast there will be competition from the Association of Bay Area Governments to pay for future regional planning studies that could potentially jeopardize funding for the waterfront project. “ABAG will give some push back,” warned Mitchoff, who represents the county on the ABAG board.
“There is going to be shared funding,” District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg forecast about any potential planning funding tug-of-war with ABAG. Glover, who has been instrumental in launching the NWEP continued “I’m excited about what is happening.”
Glover mentioned Bombardier Transportation’s announcement last week to use an empty Pittsburg manufacturing site on Loveridge Road to assemble 775 new BART cars that will initially create 50 jobs.
“Right now, the economy is good so we need to invest in the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative and create jobs,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis.
“This is something so critical to prepare a workforce that is ready to go,” said Vice Chair Candace Andersen of Danville.
Complaints Over Animal Services Staffing
When supervisors unanimously flashed the green light for Animal Services Director Beth Ward to award a $200,000 contract to Unconditional Dog to provide animal enrichment services at the county’s two shelters, supervisors got an earful of complaints from speakers about how the shelters are inadequately staffed by fulltime employees and volunteers.
Although the speakers did not specifically criticize the Unconditional Dog contract, they talked about the inadequate staffing levels at the Richmond and Pacheco shelters that can jeopardize the training and prospects of placing dogs in permanent and appropriate new homes.
“I’m not objecting about the contract,” said Wendy Wolf of Moraga. “The shelters have primarily a volunteer staff but, are now at a very low fulltime staffing level. This raises concerns about having a wellness training program for dogs.”
Supervisor Mitchoff said she recently met Animal Services Director Ward and criticized the department’s handling of the animal enrichment services contract transaction. “I believe this is a good contract,” she said.
Mitchoff said that the Finance Committee in September will review funding to increase staffing at the shelters. “I look forward to the Finance Committee meeting in September,” responded Animal Services Director Ward.
Finance Committee to Review City Contract for Animal Services
Under consent items, supervisors also referred to the Finance Committee a review of city contract fees for Animal Services that, over the past 14 years, the cities contract fees have increased by $3.92 per capita from $2.46 in fiscal year 2005-2006 to $6.38 for fiscal year 2019/2020. The actual cost to provide animal services should be $12.02 per capita for fiscal year 2019/2020. The only city it doesn’t affect is Antioch, which provides its own animal services.
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Sheriff David O. Livingston
7.5% for Sheriff and 5% for top brass, then 5% annually for three more years
By Daniel Borsuk
Without asking one question, supervisors unanimously approved a salary boost for Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston and his top brass during their meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. The proposed labor contract for rank and file deputies also received the supervisors’ approval
Except for a 7.5 percent wage increase for Sheriff-Coroner Livingston set to go into effect July, 1, 2019, he and his top commanders, including assistant sheriff-exempt, chief police-contract agency exempt, commander exempt and undersheriff exempt will receive 5 percent wage increases every July 1 in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, a memo from County Administrator David Twa states.
Twa said the salary increases will cost the county $177,000 in fiscal year 2019/2020, including $81,000 in benefit costs. The fiscal year 2020/2021 cost is $173,000, including $79,000 in benefit expenses. The fiscal year 2021/2022 cost is $181,000, including $85,000 in benefit costs, and the fiscal year 2022/2023 costs are $191,000, including $88,000 in benefit costs.
In a related matter, supervisors approved memorandums of understanding for new labor contracts between the Contra Costa County and Deputy Sheriffs Association Management Unit and Deputy Sheriffs Association Rank and File Unit. Collectively the two contracts will cost the county $6.57 million including $1.68 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2019/2020, $13.14 million including $3.37 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2020/2021; $19.71 million including $5.05 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2021/2022; and $26.28 million including $6.64 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2022/2023.
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By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division continue to investigate a murder-suicide that occurred on June 13, 2019. (See related article)
At about 9:33 AM, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to the area of Nortonville Road and Kirker Pass Road in unincorporated Pittsburg for a citizen reporting having seen two people who appeared to have been shot in a parked vehicle.
It was later confirmed that both of the occupants of the vehicle, a man and woman, suffered from apparent gunshot wounds. They were pronounced deceased at the scene.
The two are identified as 58-year-old Dong Liu of Antioch and 56-year-old Meizhen Zhu of Santa Rosa. Detectives say the two had a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Liu apparently shot Zhu before taking his own life. The cause of death for each was gunshot wound. The exact motive is unclear at this time.
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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Will hire 19 more police officers, four fare inspectors
The BART Board of Directors has approved a $2.3 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) which begins July 1, 2019. The budget focuses on expanding and investing in Quality of Life issues, including the addition of 19 police officers and four unarmed fare inspectors.
“This budget is designed to make BART safer,” said BART Board President Bevan Dufty. “Adding officers and establishing a community ambassador program shows our riders that we’ve heard their concerns and we’ve taken action.”
Quality of Life
Including funds added in FY20, since FY14 BART has spent $59 million on new budget initiatives addressing Quality of Life challenges in the areas of safety, fare evasion prevention, cleanliness and homelessness. The FY20 budget supplements and continues Quality of Life initiatives added in prior years. Among the highlights:
- $2.1 million towards 19 additional police officers.
- $500,000 to fund four additional fare inspectors.
- $2 million to continue funding efforts to address the impacts of regional homelessness in the BART system, including outreach programs, elevator attendants and Pit Stop restrooms.
- BART station hardening efforts are incorporated into many projects and programs throughout the District, using operating and capital funds. In FY20, $2.4 million of new and ongoing funds ($400,000 of new FY20 operating funds augments $600,000 of prior year parking revenue held in reserves and $1.3 million of capital staffing) will support station hardening projects, including raising railings and securing swing gates. Additionally, BART directs grant funds to station hardening, including federal formula funds for the fare gate modification program and often redirects existing engineering and maintenance staff to projects such as the fare gate cinch modification program as well as the camera upgrade program. BART’s Station Modernization Program also incorporates elements of station hardening in design, guided by the BART Facilities Standards. Six stations in the Station Modernization Program are spending or will spend a combined $16 million on station hardening elements. In addition, the $61 million Market Street Escalator Canopies project includes installing roll-up grilles at the street level, security cameras and handrail lighting. In summary, station hardening is a substantial, multi-year systemwide effort, leveraging new and existing operating and capital funds from a variety of sources into a wide range of projects.
System reinvestment
The new budget dedicates $1.4 billion for capital programs, a 5% increase from FY19 with the largest portion (46%) coming from Measure RR funds. The use of Measure RR funding for FY20 is increasing as projects anticipate moving from design and pre-engineering to construction. Most of the capital budget (69%) is directed to reinvestment in the system. The use of previously awarded and current federal funds has increased as BART ramps up on train control modernization, state of good repair projects and continues the delivery of new rail cars. FY20 projects include:
- $101 million for station modernization and elevator/escalator improvements across the system, including replacement of escalators at downtown San Francisco stations, and station modernization efforts at El Cerrito Del Norte, 19th Street, Downtown Berkeley, Concord, Powell, and Pittsburg/Bay Point stations. The station modernization program also includes many elements of station hardening.
- $303 million is budgeted for expenses related to the procurement of 775 new rail cars
- $151 million towards the continuation of a multi-year program of traction power infrastructure replacement, including replacement of traction power cables in San Francisco and in Alameda County.
- $71 million towards the Hayward Maintenance Complex, a modern facility to maintain the new rail cars.
- $86 million for planning and engineering for the Train Control Modernization Program and for renewing components of the existing train control system, including transformers, switch machines and speed encoding equipment at stations.
- Fare changes
- A 5.4% inflation-based fare increase will take effect on January 1, 2020 as part of a program first approved by the BART Board in 2003 and renewed for a second series in 2013. This is the last of four biennial fare increases called for under the 2013 series. The BART Board also approved a third series of inflation-based fare increases that will go into effect in 2022, 2024 and 2026. This latest series will follow the same inflation-based formula as the previous increases.
- BART will participate in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Regional Means-Based Fare Discount Pilot Program. The program will offer a 20% discount per trip to adult riders earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level. The FY20 budget assumes one-half year of the pilot with an estimated revenue loss of $2 million after the MTC’s estimated offsetting annual contribution to BART of approximately $2 million.
Revenue and ridership challenges
The FY20 budget is balanced and includes $17 million in budget cuts made by all departments in the district.
Fare revenue is BART’s largest source of revenue, with $479 million of rail fare revenue forecast in FY20, a decrease of $5.6 million from FY19, reflecting a lower ridership forecast. Other operating revenue is forecast to be $10 million lower due to one-time revenues in FY19 not budgeted in FY20. These decreases are offset by increases in financial assistance, particularly sales taxes. Sales taxes are BART’s largest form of financial assistance budgeted at $277 million for FY20 a 3.2% growth over FY19
We take a conservative approach to projecting ridership for our FY20 budget. We are concerned about the length of this current economic expansion and the potential for a downturn in the future, which could impact ridership.
Service improvements
The budget includes funding for service enhancements that will ease crowding. Most notably, by February of 2020 we expect to have 160 Fleet of the Future train cars which will allow us to run all 10-car trains on the four Transbay routes. As we increase the number of Fleet of the Future cars, we will begin retiring legacy cars, which should increase reliability and reduce maintenance costs.
Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension fares
Along with approving the FY20 budget, the BART Board of Directors voted unanimously to establish a fare structure for the Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension. BART’s existing distance-based fare structure will be used to calculate trip fares on the 10-mile extension from the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station to Berryessa Road in San Jose. This is in accordance with the comprehensive agreement between BART and the Valley Transportation Authority. The extension includes stops in Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose.
Ambassador program
Though not part of the FY20 budget, $500,000 in additional anticipated revenue from the FY19 budget will be set aside to fund an ambassador pilot program. BART is in talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to seek matching funds for the program.
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By CHP – Oakland
At around 7:50 pm, Sunday, June 16, a vehicle was traveling westbound Highway 24 within Bore #4 of the Caldecott Tunnel when a freeway shooting took place. The driver was struck in the head. The driver’s passenger was also injured. This appears to be an isolated incident. Preliminary reports indicate the suspect vehicle may be white in color.
Both victims were transported to the hospital for non-lethal injuries.
While evidence was obtained CHP – Oakland personnel secured the scene and closed down the fourth bore, which was later reopened.
CHP – Golden Gate Division Investigative Services Unit will lead the investigation. If you have any information that can assist with this investigation please call CHP’s help line, 707-917-4491.
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Courageous & Emerging Leadership Academy (CELA) is hosting its first ever “CELA Honors Everyday Heroes” buffet dinner and auction fundraiser at La Piñata Restaurant in Pittsburg on Thursday, July 18, 2019, at 5:30 pm. This event is an awards ceremony held in appreciation of leaders, mentors, and advocates making a difference in the community through their work with at-risk and vulnerable youth.
There will be raffles and silent auction prizes, including an all-inclusive 7-9 nights resort and spa vacation for two to Antigua! Event tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased on Eventbrite at https://cela.eventbrite.com. All proceeds benefit CELA, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the education and mentoring of Bay Area youth ages 8-20. CELA has been serving the region since 2017 and currently partners with the Richmond Police Activities League (RPAL) to provide services that present local youth with opportunities to succeed.
Your donations and ticket purchases will help foster CELA’s mission of building minds and saving lives through violence prevention, tutoring, and community development. In addition, you will help CELA expand their mentoring programs, which include:
• Boxing with Insight (BWI) – a pilot project that has been established to implement the combination of mentoring, counseling, education, and therapeutic case management support through boxing and martial arts training.
• Financial Literacy Program “Biz Kids”- a program provided by Travis Credit Union for high school students to engage in building tools for their future.
If you would like to make a donation to CELA, please contact Ms. Jacqueline King-Walton, Executive Director at (707) 301-1162 or Mrs. Phyllis Ritter, Board President at (925) 628-1641. More information about CELA’s unique programming can be found on their website at www.celacademy.org.
Read MoreKen Behring. Photo courtesy of BlackhawkMuseum.org
Also founder of the Wheelchair Foundation and Blackhawk Museum
By Allen Payton
Ken Behring, best known locally as the billionaire developer of Blackhawk and founder of the Blackhawk Museum in Contra Costa County, the former owner of the Seattle Seahawks, and the founder of the Wheelchair Foundation, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday night.
In a message posted on Facebook on Wednesday evening, June 26, 2019, his son, David Behring, wrote, “My father passed away peacefully last night at the age of 91. He was both a Lion and a Dragon and could not have lived a fuller life. He loved business, sports, travel, automobiles, family, adventure, life and helping others. His family and friends will deeply miss him and pledge to carry on his legacy. Our family is so appreciative of the hundreds of phone, text and email messages that have poured in today. I will write more reflections of him this weekend.”
Kenneth Eugene Behring was born in Freeport, Illinois on June 13, 1928. He grew up poor during the Depression era in Wisconsin and began working odd jobs at age seven. Yet, he ended up making the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans several times, and owning a jet plane, plus the NFL team.
A high-school football player, he received a partial football scholarship to the University of Wisconsin–Madison but, dropped out of college due to an injury that ended his football career, and making him ineligible for his scholarship.
Behring then worked as a salesman at a Chevrolet and Chrysler dealership and at 21, he started a used car business called Behring Motors in Monroe, Wisconsin. The young businessman was earning $50,000 a year and by age 27 had $1 million in assets.
His career as a real estate developer spanned four decades. Behring planned and developed communities in Florida, California, and Seattle. His company conceived and developed the entire city of Tamarac, Florida in the 1950’s which now has a population of over 60,000.
In 1972 he moved to California, where he is best known for planning and developing the renowned Blackhawk community near Danville, as well as the Canyon Lakes Development in San Ramon. In East County, his company Blackhawk Development built the Apple Hill Estates and Summerset communities in Brentwood.
In Seattle his company created Blakely Ridge, a planned community of 2,200-homes and Grande Ridge, a 2,500-acre commercial and residential development.
Behring was the author of two books, his autobiography in 2004, “The Road to Purpose” and in 2013, “The Road to Leadership”, in which he shares his own life experiences and the need for purpose in an individual’s life.
“I am a simple man who has lived a simple life and, in the process, learned a simple lesson,” he wrote in The Road to Leadership. “I was born poor. But I will die rich – with more money, in fact, than I ever imagined existed when I was a boy. By the world’s standards, I climbed aboard the American dream and rode it to the top, becoming a leader in business.”
“Yet as I look back on all my success, I realize that doing well financially is easy compared with achieving true success: finding a purpose in life beyond just making money. Purpose is something you achieve by giving your heart, time, love and money to providing a better life for mankind.”
And give back, he did.
After purchasing the Seattle Seahawks football team in 1988, Behring established the Seattle Seahawks Charitable Foundation in 1995, which benefited numerous children’s charities. The foundation was the most substantial donor to the Western Washington Muscular Dystrophy Association for many years.
On his birthday in 2000, Behring established the Wheelchair Foundation at a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. To date, the organization has raised funds to pay for and distribute over one million wheelchairs to those with physical disabilities throughout the world.
Behring served on the boards of U.C. Berkeley, St. Mary’s College of California and Holy Names College. He also served as the president of the American Academy of Achievement. He has been honored as Man of the Year by Boys’ Town of Italy and the Mt. Diablo Foundation.
Behring actively contributed to the cultural community in California and the nation. He gained recognition through one of the largest and finest classic automobile collections in the world, housed in the Blackhawk Museum, in which some of the wings bear his name.
His contributions to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. resulted in improvements to two of the museums. According to MuseumNetwork.com, in 1997 Behring donated $20 million for the National Museum of Natural History to update the mammal wing, which bears his name and which opened in the fall of 2003. Then, in 2000 Behring donated another $80 million which was purportedly the largest cash donation ever given to a U.S. museum by a living person. The gift enabled what is now known as the National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center to restore and update its permanent and temporary exhibits.
Also, in 2000, Behring donated $7.5 million to U.C. Berkeley, to expand the Principal Leadership Institute. The newly established Kenneth E. Behring Center for Educational Improvement focused on training programs for public-school principals, providing scholarships for fifty aspiring principals every year.
He established the Behring Global Education Foundation, which encompasses and coordinates all of his philanthropic efforts, including the Wheelchair Foundation, Operation Global Vision and the Safe Drinking Water Project and museum donations.
Behring is survived by his wife, Pat, whom he married at age 21, five sons, and as of 2018, ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Read MoreBy Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney
Investigators with the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force recently participated in Operation Broken Heart, a nationwide effort to investigate technology facilitated crimes against children, including those who receive and distribute child pornography. Throughout April and May, the team conducted investigations of subjects who distributed child pornography over the internet and focused on individuals traveling to Contra Costa County to meet minors to engage in sexual activity.
In addition to the proactive investigations the ICAC team participated in, a significant school outreach program was also undertaken to teach parents and student about the risks associated with smartphones and social media. During the last year, investigators and prosecutors delivered presentations at multiple schools and community organizations, reaching thousands of parents, students and educators.
Some notable arrests and investigations conducted during Operation Broken Heart include:
-On April 11, 2019, Investigators arrested Gerald Jue of Danville, California. During the investigation, investigators learned Jue was accessing the internet and searching for child pornography. Jue is a third and fourth grade teacher in the Fremont School District. When a search warrant was served at Jue’s residence, a computer was seized that contained evidence of Jue’s internet searches as well as web pages containing child pornography. Jue was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Oakland, Ca on June 6, 2019 and arrested on June 7, 2019. He was subsequently released on bond and is awaiting trial. This case was investigated by the ICAC Task Force and the United States Secret Service.
-On May 2, 2019, investigators arrested Sonny Mitchell, a registered sex offender from Antioch, California. During the course of the two-month investigation, it was discovered that Mitchell was distributing child pornography via the Facebook Messenger platform. When a search warrant was executed at Mitchell’s residence, investigators seized a device that contained additional images of child pornography. Mitchell was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Oakland, California on May 9, 2019 and remains in custody. This case was investigated by the ICAC Task Force and the United States Secret Service.
-On May 3, 2019, investigators arrested William Cashell of Walnut Creek, California. In April 2019, Yahoo sent tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children when child pornography was found in Cashell’s e-mail account. During a warrant at Cashell’s apartment, investigators located an iPhone which was later determined to contain images of child pornography. Cashell’s is charged with one count of possession of child pornography by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. This case was investigated by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and the ICAC Task Force.
-On May 16, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant in the 2400 block of L Street in Antioch related to a child pornography possession investigation. ICAC Investigators found evidence the suspect, Henry Cordon, a 34-year-old resident of Antioch, California and formally of Orange Park, Florida, kept images of child pornography stored in his various e-mail accounts. Additionally, during the search warrant Cordon confessed to sexually assaulting a child under the age of ten in 2009 while living in Orange Park, Florida. Cordon produced at least one image of the sexual assault of that child. Cordon was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Oakland, California on May 30, 2019 for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography. Cordon remains in custody and is currently under investigation in both California and Florida for other offenses related to crimes against children. This case was investigated by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
The Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Contra Costa County Probation Department and Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force along with Special Agents from the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service.
Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org for further information. If you believe your school or community organization would benefit from a smartphone and social media awareness presentation, please contact Senior Inspector Darryl Holcombe at dholcombe@contracostada.org.
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By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney
On June 20, 2019, Timothy Townsel of Modesto, California was sentenced to 16 years 8 months in state prison for two felonies related to human trafficking of an adult and minor while a gang member. He was sentenced today by the Honorable Judge David Goldstein in Department 6. Townsel is a member of a gang based in Modesto – Family Over Everything (F.O.E.). Townsel will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his adult life.
The case was investigated by the Concord Police Department with major participation from the Modesto Police Department, the Alameda Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. During the investigation at least four victims were identified as being exploited for sex trafficking by the defendant. One of the Jane Doe victims was under the age of 16.
“This case highlights the multi-agency anti-human trafficking initiative that our justice partners are employing to fight these heinous crimes in our County. Detective Gilfry’s tenacity in investigating what would have once been viewed as a routine prostitution bust is the reason this multi-jurisdictional human trafficker will no longer harm his victims,” stated Deputy District Attorney Jay Melaas. DDA Melaas is assigned to our Office’s Sexual Assault Unit and prosecuted the case on behalf of the People.
Townsel trafficked his victims in Las Vegas, Utah, Arizona and other parts of California. He took these victims to these areas to commit sex trafficking. Townsel was recruiting these victims from local high schools and middle schools in the Modesto area. A major break in the case came during a routine security check at the Best Western Motel in Concord, California when Concord Police Officers detained the trafficking victims for suspected prostitution activity.
Eventually Townsel was arrested in Santa Cruz, California last year after a five-month investigation led by Detective Joshua Gilfry of the Concord Police Department that established Townsel was profiting off his victims through manipulation, threats, and physical abuse. Our Office charged him with six felonies in September 2018. Once Townsel was arrested our Office’s Victim Witness Assistance Program provided victim services for those Jane Does involved.
If you or someone you know is being pressured to engage in prostitution to benefit or help support another person, help is only a phone call away. Contact Community Violence Solutions at 800-670-7273 to speak to a confidential counselor. Or visit the Contra Costa Family Justice Centers in Richmond or Concord 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 or 2151 Salvio St., Suite 201 in Concord.
To learn more about human trafficking in Contra Costa County, visit the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition’s webpage at www.contracostacoalition.org
Case information: People v. Timothy Allen Townsel, Docket 01-187211-8
Read MoreBy Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston announces that a Coroner’s Jury has reached a finding in the September 15, 2018 death of 61-year-old Dwight Dwayne Dunn of Concord while in custody at the county’s Martinez Detention Facility. The finding of the jury is that the death was the result of natural causes.
The Coroner’s Jury reached the verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by the hearing officer Matthew Guichard.
A transient, Dunn was found unresponsive by a sheriff’s deputy conducting a room check at the jail. Fire crews and an ambulance responded, but he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy and toxicology tests were conducted. Dunn had been booked into jail on September 5 for a parole violation.
A Coroner’s Inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing, during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding:
accident, suicide, natural causes, or at the hands of another person, other than by accident.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa County Northern Waterfront Initiative area and participating agencies.
Concerns, complaints about animal services
By Daniel Borsuk
The $500,000 planning study to ignite an economic renaissance designed to create 18,000 low-tech manufacturing jobs by 2035 along the county’s northern waterfront gained momentum Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors joined the city councils of Hercules and Pittsburg in approving a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the major waterfront planning project. (See the Northern Waterfront Report)
Officials expect the city councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Martinez, and Oakley to soon adopt similar MOUs that have been prepared to permit jurisdictions to participate or not participate in joint projects that will generate jobs in the industries of food processing, clean tech, bio-tech/bio-medical, and advanced transportation fuels.
The county’s MOU also authorizes Department of Conservation and Development Director John Kopchik to file and obtain trademarks for “Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative” and “Capital of the Northern California Mega-Region” or similar phrases on behalf of the county.
District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff cautioned colleagues over the planning project’s rising costs. The county awarded a $500,000 grant a year ago, but that amount has now dwindled to $94,500.
“I’d like to know how those funds are to be spent in the future,” she said.
Mitchoff forecast there will be competition from the Association of Bay Area Governments to pay for future regional planning studies that could potentially jeopardize funding for the waterfront project. “ABAG will give some push back,” warned Mitchoff, who represents the county on the ABAG board.
“There is going to be shared funding,” District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg forecast about any potential planning funding tug-of-war with ABAG. Glover, who has been instrumental in launching the NWEP continued “I’m excited about what is happening.”
Glover mentioned Bombardier Transportation’s announcement last week to use an empty Pittsburg manufacturing site on Loveridge Road to assemble 775 new BART cars that will initially create 50 jobs.
“Right now, the economy is good so we need to invest in the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative and create jobs,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis.
“This is something so critical to prepare a workforce that is ready to go,” said Vice Chair Candace Andersen of Danville.
Complaints Over Animal Services Staffing
When supervisors unanimously flashed the green light for Animal Services Director Beth Ward to award a $200,000 contract to Unconditional Dog to provide animal enrichment services at the county’s two shelters, supervisors got an earful of complaints from speakers about how the shelters are inadequately staffed by fulltime employees and volunteers.
Although the speakers did not specifically criticize the Unconditional Dog contract, they talked about the inadequate staffing levels at the Richmond and Pacheco shelters that can jeopardize the training and prospects of placing dogs in permanent and appropriate new homes.
“I’m not objecting about the contract,” said Wendy Wolf of Moraga. “The shelters have primarily a volunteer staff but, are now at a very low fulltime staffing level. This raises concerns about having a wellness training program for dogs.”
Supervisor Mitchoff said she recently met Animal Services Director Ward and criticized the department’s handling of the animal enrichment services contract transaction. “I believe this is a good contract,” she said.
Mitchoff said that the Finance Committee in September will review funding to increase staffing at the shelters. “I look forward to the Finance Committee meeting in September,” responded Animal Services Director Ward.
Finance Committee to Review City Contract for Animal Services
Under consent items, supervisors also referred to the Finance Committee a review of city contract fees for Animal Services that, over the past 14 years, the cities contract fees have increased by $3.92 per capita from $2.46 in fiscal year 2005-2006 to $6.38 for fiscal year 2019/2020. The actual cost to provide animal services should be $12.02 per capita for fiscal year 2019/2020. The only city it doesn’t affect is Antioch, which provides its own animal services.
Read MoreSheriff David O. Livingston
7.5% for Sheriff and 5% for top brass, then 5% annually for three more years
By Daniel Borsuk
Without asking one question, supervisors unanimously approved a salary boost for Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston and his top brass during their meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. The proposed labor contract for rank and file deputies also received the supervisors’ approval
Except for a 7.5 percent wage increase for Sheriff-Coroner Livingston set to go into effect July, 1, 2019, he and his top commanders, including assistant sheriff-exempt, chief police-contract agency exempt, commander exempt and undersheriff exempt will receive 5 percent wage increases every July 1 in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, a memo from County Administrator David Twa states.
Twa said the salary increases will cost the county $177,000 in fiscal year 2019/2020, including $81,000 in benefit costs. The fiscal year 2020/2021 cost is $173,000, including $79,000 in benefit expenses. The fiscal year 2021/2022 cost is $181,000, including $85,000 in benefit costs, and the fiscal year 2022/2023 costs are $191,000, including $88,000 in benefit costs.
In a related matter, supervisors approved memorandums of understanding for new labor contracts between the Contra Costa County and Deputy Sheriffs Association Management Unit and Deputy Sheriffs Association Rank and File Unit. Collectively the two contracts will cost the county $6.57 million including $1.68 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2019/2020, $13.14 million including $3.37 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2020/2021; $19.71 million including $5.05 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2021/2022; and $26.28 million including $6.64 million in benefit costs for fiscal year 2022/2023.
Read MoreBy Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division continue to investigate a murder-suicide that occurred on June 13, 2019. (See related article)
At about 9:33 AM, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to the area of Nortonville Road and Kirker Pass Road in unincorporated Pittsburg for a citizen reporting having seen two people who appeared to have been shot in a parked vehicle.
It was later confirmed that both of the occupants of the vehicle, a man and woman, suffered from apparent gunshot wounds. They were pronounced deceased at the scene.
The two are identified as 58-year-old Dong Liu of Antioch and 56-year-old Meizhen Zhu of Santa Rosa. Detectives say the two had a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Liu apparently shot Zhu before taking his own life. The cause of death for each was gunshot wound. The exact motive is unclear at this time.
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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Will hire 19 more police officers, four fare inspectors
The BART Board of Directors has approved a $2.3 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) which begins July 1, 2019. The budget focuses on expanding and investing in Quality of Life issues, including the addition of 19 police officers and four unarmed fare inspectors.
“This budget is designed to make BART safer,” said BART Board President Bevan Dufty. “Adding officers and establishing a community ambassador program shows our riders that we’ve heard their concerns and we’ve taken action.”
Quality of Life
Including funds added in FY20, since FY14 BART has spent $59 million on new budget initiatives addressing Quality of Life challenges in the areas of safety, fare evasion prevention, cleanliness and homelessness. The FY20 budget supplements and continues Quality of Life initiatives added in prior years. Among the highlights:
- $2.1 million towards 19 additional police officers.
- $500,000 to fund four additional fare inspectors.
- $2 million to continue funding efforts to address the impacts of regional homelessness in the BART system, including outreach programs, elevator attendants and Pit Stop restrooms.
- BART station hardening efforts are incorporated into many projects and programs throughout the District, using operating and capital funds. In FY20, $2.4 million of new and ongoing funds ($400,000 of new FY20 operating funds augments $600,000 of prior year parking revenue held in reserves and $1.3 million of capital staffing) will support station hardening projects, including raising railings and securing swing gates. Additionally, BART directs grant funds to station hardening, including federal formula funds for the fare gate modification program and often redirects existing engineering and maintenance staff to projects such as the fare gate cinch modification program as well as the camera upgrade program. BART’s Station Modernization Program also incorporates elements of station hardening in design, guided by the BART Facilities Standards. Six stations in the Station Modernization Program are spending or will spend a combined $16 million on station hardening elements. In addition, the $61 million Market Street Escalator Canopies project includes installing roll-up grilles at the street level, security cameras and handrail lighting. In summary, station hardening is a substantial, multi-year systemwide effort, leveraging new and existing operating and capital funds from a variety of sources into a wide range of projects.
System reinvestment
The new budget dedicates $1.4 billion for capital programs, a 5% increase from FY19 with the largest portion (46%) coming from Measure RR funds. The use of Measure RR funding for FY20 is increasing as projects anticipate moving from design and pre-engineering to construction. Most of the capital budget (69%) is directed to reinvestment in the system. The use of previously awarded and current federal funds has increased as BART ramps up on train control modernization, state of good repair projects and continues the delivery of new rail cars. FY20 projects include:
- $101 million for station modernization and elevator/escalator improvements across the system, including replacement of escalators at downtown San Francisco stations, and station modernization efforts at El Cerrito Del Norte, 19th Street, Downtown Berkeley, Concord, Powell, and Pittsburg/Bay Point stations. The station modernization program also includes many elements of station hardening.
- $303 million is budgeted for expenses related to the procurement of 775 new rail cars
- $151 million towards the continuation of a multi-year program of traction power infrastructure replacement, including replacement of traction power cables in San Francisco and in Alameda County.
- $71 million towards the Hayward Maintenance Complex, a modern facility to maintain the new rail cars.
- $86 million for planning and engineering for the Train Control Modernization Program and for renewing components of the existing train control system, including transformers, switch machines and speed encoding equipment at stations.
- Fare changes
- A 5.4% inflation-based fare increase will take effect on January 1, 2020 as part of a program first approved by the BART Board in 2003 and renewed for a second series in 2013. This is the last of four biennial fare increases called for under the 2013 series. The BART Board also approved a third series of inflation-based fare increases that will go into effect in 2022, 2024 and 2026. This latest series will follow the same inflation-based formula as the previous increases.
- BART will participate in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Regional Means-Based Fare Discount Pilot Program. The program will offer a 20% discount per trip to adult riders earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level. The FY20 budget assumes one-half year of the pilot with an estimated revenue loss of $2 million after the MTC’s estimated offsetting annual contribution to BART of approximately $2 million.
Revenue and ridership challenges
The FY20 budget is balanced and includes $17 million in budget cuts made by all departments in the district.
Fare revenue is BART’s largest source of revenue, with $479 million of rail fare revenue forecast in FY20, a decrease of $5.6 million from FY19, reflecting a lower ridership forecast. Other operating revenue is forecast to be $10 million lower due to one-time revenues in FY19 not budgeted in FY20. These decreases are offset by increases in financial assistance, particularly sales taxes. Sales taxes are BART’s largest form of financial assistance budgeted at $277 million for FY20 a 3.2% growth over FY19
We take a conservative approach to projecting ridership for our FY20 budget. We are concerned about the length of this current economic expansion and the potential for a downturn in the future, which could impact ridership.
Service improvements
The budget includes funding for service enhancements that will ease crowding. Most notably, by February of 2020 we expect to have 160 Fleet of the Future train cars which will allow us to run all 10-car trains on the four Transbay routes. As we increase the number of Fleet of the Future cars, we will begin retiring legacy cars, which should increase reliability and reduce maintenance costs.
Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension fares
Along with approving the FY20 budget, the BART Board of Directors voted unanimously to establish a fare structure for the Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension. BART’s existing distance-based fare structure will be used to calculate trip fares on the 10-mile extension from the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station to Berryessa Road in San Jose. This is in accordance with the comprehensive agreement between BART and the Valley Transportation Authority. The extension includes stops in Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose.
Ambassador program
Though not part of the FY20 budget, $500,000 in additional anticipated revenue from the FY19 budget will be set aside to fund an ambassador pilot program. BART is in talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to seek matching funds for the program.
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By CHP – Oakland
At around 7:50 pm, Sunday, June 16, a vehicle was traveling westbound Highway 24 within Bore #4 of the Caldecott Tunnel when a freeway shooting took place. The driver was struck in the head. The driver’s passenger was also injured. This appears to be an isolated incident. Preliminary reports indicate the suspect vehicle may be white in color.
Both victims were transported to the hospital for non-lethal injuries.
While evidence was obtained CHP – Oakland personnel secured the scene and closed down the fourth bore, which was later reopened.
CHP – Golden Gate Division Investigative Services Unit will lead the investigation. If you have any information that can assist with this investigation please call CHP’s help line, 707-917-4491.
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