Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

New Board of Supervisors Chair Mitchoff spotlights four key issues for 2018

By 1 Comment

Glover highlights accomplishments this past year as Board Chair for possibly, the final time

By Daniel Borsuk

Water, air quality, transportation and the new Pleasant Hill public library will be top 2018 hot button issues of newly elected Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chair Karen Mitchoff. District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond was elected Vice Chair for 2018, in the annual rotation of the board’s leadership.

Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Jill Gannin gives the oath of office to county new Board of Supervisors Vice Chair John Gioia and to Chair Karen Mitchoff on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2018. Photo by Daniel Borsuk

A supervisor from Pleasant Hill and representing District 4 on the board, Mitchoff said after being sworn into office by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Jill Fannin on Tuesday, “The new year ushers in a rush of ideas of reflection and projection” as she aims to apply the four key issues during her administration in 2018.

“While I doubt the $3 bridge toll increase will pass, I believe the measure should be placed on the ballot so that the people have the opportunity to vote on it,” she said, who replaces District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg as chairperson.

Concerning water quality issues, Mitchoff said Gov. Jerry Brown’s $16 billion Twin Tunnels project is “going nowhere.”  The supervisor added, “This project does not have the funding.”

The supervisor said state and local governments need to come up with more sensible, less costly and more environmentally compatible water projects similar to the proposed Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project near Brentwood.

“I’m happy to say it’s been a great year,” said outgoing board chairman Federal Glover of Pittsburg.  “We did everything from A to Z.”

One of the county’s major accomplishments has been the continual financial stability, Glover said.  “We’ve been financially stable the last seven years,” he said.  The county has maintained a Standard & Poors AAA rating an Aa3 rating from Moody’s Investor Services.

Glover was also proud of the work done on the Northern Waterfront Planning Area.  “The Northern Waterfront initiative is becoming a reality with new business opportunities,” the supervisor from Pittsburg said.

“It is predicted by the year 2030 some 18,000 new jobs will be created along the waterfront,” Glover continued.

The Northern Waterfront is already being planned to be used for a self-driving car testing site and as a potential public university campus site.

In 2018, the county will break ground to construct a $60 million county administration building to be constructed nearby the existing administration building in downtown Martinez, the county seat since 1850.  An additional $40 million will be allocated to build a modern Emergency Operations Center at Glacier Drive in Martinez.  The county closed on $100.3 million in lease revenue bonds to construct the new administration building and Emergency Operations Center.  The bonds were sold for a 15-year term at an interest rate of 2.387 percent.

During 2017, the board of supervisors were responsible for 35 major achievements, said Glover.  Some of those achievements were:

  • The appointment of interim District Attorney Diana Becton, who replaced former District Attorney Mark Peterson who was found guilty for misuse of campaign funds.
  • Creation of the Stand Together CoCo, a rapid response and community education project to support safety and justice for immigrant families in Contra Costa.
  • Ended the year at 83 percent Live Release Rate for all animals at county run Animal Services facilities. The live release rate for dogs and cats was 87 percent, up from 67.17 percent in 2014.
  • Contra Costa County Fire Protection District ambulance service performance is now required to arrive 90 percent of the time within 11 minutes and 45 seconds in all zones except Richmond, where they are required to arrive within 10 minutes and 90 percent of the time. District performance has consistently been in the 95 percent range and at time as high 98 percent. This means ambulance response times are much quicker.
  • Approved the mixed use Saranap Village Project near Walnut Creek. The project will provide 198 housing units and a significant amount of commercial space.

During her initial year in office, District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood listed a number of accomplishments in 2017 including seeing the opening of a Veterans services office in Brentwood and the start of Tri Delta bus service to the Martinez Veterans Medical Center.

Burgis said she looks forward to a number of accomplishments in 2018 that will benefit East County constituents including completion of work on the Morgan Territory, Byron Highway and Balfour Highway projects and the startup of EBART train service.

2018 calendar released for Discover Diablo, Save Mount Diablo’s free public hikes series

By Leave a Comment

Discover Diablo is Save Mount Diablo’s free public hike series program, offering an annual schedule of guided interpretive family walks, hikes and property tours open to any and all trail blazers looking to get out in nature. Generously sponsored by the Shell Martinez Refinery for a second year, the 2018 Discover Diablo Free Public Hike Series will begin in mid-January.

Hosted by Save Mount Diablo, the Discover Diablo program, now in its second year, continues to build awareness of local land conservation efforts and to convey the importance of protecting open space for habitat and recreation. Through this initiative, Save Mount Diablo intends to reach new audiences, build our membership base of adventurers, explorers and outdoor enthusiasts, spark a passion for the Diablo Range, and engender community conservation by deepening connections to the land and nature.

“We are pleased to sponsor this opportunity for people to explore and discover the beauty of Mount Diablo, a wonderful natural resource in our own backyard, with experienced guides,” said Ann Notarangelo, External Relations Manager for the Shell Martinez Refinery. “We hope that people will enjoy learning more about the diverse habitats and the striking vistas while spending time outside with their families and friends.”

We invite you to join us in exploring the Bay Area’s beautiful wild lands and open spaces. Discover Diablo offers two events per month for the entire year – either taking place on a Save Mount Diablo property or hosted on a collaborating agency’s land. Save Mount Diablo’s Family Walks are for hikers of all skill levels and will take place on other portions of open space on and around the mountain. Save Mount Diablo’s Property Tours will illustrate the importance of preserving wildlife habitat, building corridors between existing parks, and of course, all the beauty that the Diablo Range has to offer. We hope that with two events per month in various locations, there will be something for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

To honor Save Mount Diablo’s mission, we aim to display both our current property holdings as well as those we have helped protect over the years. Hosting monthly hikes is an effective way to engage and grow communities invested in the sustainability of local open space. SMD properties aren’t usually open to the public, so these are rare opportunities.

To complete the land conservation picture in the Diablo Range and pay homage to collaborating agencies, we also host monthly outings on Mount Diablo State Park, East Bay Regional Park District, and Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation lands. Discover Diablo ties these outings together by offering an annual schedule of free public hikes to explore these diverse lands – with the added bonus of being guided by knowledgeable staff and experienced volunteer hike leaders.

According to Ted Clement, Executive Director of Save Mount Diablo, “It is the goal of the Discover Diablo program to build connections between people, Save Mount Diablo, and the land, helping communities develop a strong sense of place and a deepened appreciation for our collective backyard. Most importantly, we want to cultivate a love of the land in participants – so as to grow the land ethic and stewardship for our precious Mount Diablo area.”

We intend to reach audiences from all over the Bay Area to improve awareness of and advocacy efforts for the Diablo Range. There is something for us all to discover in the nooks and crannies surrounding Mount Diablo. Please join us on the trails to find your own individual inspiration!

RSVP required. See our full schedule of upcoming hikes: http://bit.ly/Discover-Diablo-Hikes-Calendar

Congressman DeSaulnier to host Tax Town Hall in El Cerrito Saturday

By Leave a Comment

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) will host a tax-focused town hall meeting in El Cerrito on Saturday, January 13th at 2:00 p.m. This town hall was originally scheduled in December, but was postponed when Republican Leadership changed the voting schedule to rush the tax bill through Congress.

Since taking office in 2015, the Congressman has hosted 53 town halls and mobile district office hours throughout Contra Costa County. In his first town hall of 2018, DeSaulnier invites residents to participate in a discussion of the new Republican tax law, which was passed by Congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump last month. The law increases taxes on more than 5.5 million California families. Bay Area residents who own or are interested in purchasing a home, in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, are particularly impacted by the law. New home purchasers are subject to limits on the mortgage interest deduction and current homeowners have lost the ability to fully deduct state and local taxes (SALT). It is DeSaulnier’s opinion that “the bill was jammed through Congress with little debate and no Democratic amendments in an effort to deliver a massive tax cut to corporations and the wealthiest 1%.”

During the town hall constituents will be provided with an overview of the legislation and its potential impact on Bay Area residents, and will have an opportunity to ask questions or share comments about the new law.

El Cerrito Town Hall
Saturday, January 13, 2018
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
El Cerrito Community Center
7007 Moeser Lane
El Cerrito, CA 94530

Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling (925) 933-2660. For more information or to request ADA accommodations, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.

Martinez breaks ground on final phase of downtown intermodal transportation facility

By Leave a Comment

The location maps for the Martinez Intermodal Facility in downtown. Courtesy of City of Martinez

The City of Martinez held a final ground-breaking ceremony for the initiation of the third and final phase of the multi-million-dollar Intermodal Facility project in downtown on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. The project has spanned over 20 years.

A photo of the previous groundbreaking of Phase 3 of the Intermodal Station in May, 2016 with Martinez City Council members. (Left to right) Mark Ross, Mayor Rob Schroder, Debbie McKillop and Lara DeLaney. Courtesy of City of Martinez

In 1994, the City of Martinez moved forward with the property acquisition of the old railroad yard south of the tracks. Three years later in 1997, the parking lot was constructed along with enhancements to Alhambra Creek, replacement of the railroad bridge, and the addition of two northerly tracks. Later in 2002, the Amtrak Station building, and platforms were completed and opened to the public. The City then acquired the Zocchi property in 2008, which is the parking lot north of where the tracks now exist, for the implementation of Phase 3.

This last phase of the Intermodal Facility, Phase 3, is funded by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) Measure J sales tax revenues. The project is located north of the Amtrak Station and includes a 110-foot long prefabricated steel bridge to be installed over the UPRR tracks, a paved trail along the west south, and east perimeters of the site along with a 30-foot long prefabricated pedestrian bridge near Ferry Street and the UPRR tracks. The project also includes and a new entrance road at the Ferry Street/Joe DiMaggio Drive intersection which connects to the easterly side of the recently constructed parking lot. Other features include an elevator, wetland mitigation, landscaping, and street and parking lot lighting. This work is scheduled to begin this month and be substantially complete by December 2018. Once the structural supports are constructed, the placement of the 110-foot long prefabricated pedestrian bridge crossing the railroad tracks will occur between midnight and 5:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning (date still to be determined). The City awarded the construction contract to Gordon N. Ball, Inc., (Alamo) with a total bid amount of $6,150,676.00.

CCTA staff members involved in the project included Randell Iwasaki, Hisham Noeimi, and Jack Hall; the design was provided by NV5, Inc., supported by LCC Engineering and Surveying, Inc., BSK Associates, LSA, and Cynthia Easton Architects. Agencies involved in the project include EBRPD, UPRR, Amtrak, CPUC, PG&E, Shell Oil, AT&T, CDF&W, USCOE, and RWQCB.

Please visit these links to view the location map and the pedestrian bridge architectural plan.

Contra Costa to begin enforcing new laws preventing tobacco sales to youth in unincorporated parts of county

By Leave a Comment

Contra Costa County Tobacco Retailers within 1,000 feet of schools, 2016. From Contra Costa County Tobacco Prevention Project

New laws to protect youth from tobacco influences went into effect this month and local health officials are enforcing the new regulations, which include prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, such as menthol cigarettes and flavored e-liquids, within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds, and libraries in unincorporated parts of the county.  The sale of cigars in pack sizes under 10 is also prohibited in unincorporated areas of the county, with cigars selling for $5 each excluded from the regulations.

The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors passed new rules last summer (see related article), and retailers were given a period of time to prepare. The County’s Tobacco Prevention Project has been doing education and outreach to all tobacco retailers in recent months to help ensure compliance with the new youth protections.

A 2016 survey showed that more than 80% of stores licensed to sell tobacco that are located near schools in Contra Costa County carried flavored products, such as “watermelon” or “tropical blast” cigarillos or little cigars. Many small cigars and cigarillos are sold for less than $1, making them attractive and affordable for youth.

“These tobacco products are clearly aimed at youth and they serve as a gateway to a lifetime of addiction to tobacco,” said Denice Dennis, manager of the Tobacco Prevention Program. “These new tobacco-sales rules will help prevent our youth from tobacco influences in the community.”

The new regulations prohibit the sale of flavored “e-liquids” for use with electronic smoking devices, which also come in candy and fruit flavors that appeal to new, young smokers. A recent UC San Francisco study showed that many teens who vape would not have started smoking if only traditional tobacco products were available. Other research shows that teens who vape are four times more likely to begin smoking cigarettes a year later than those who do not.

Under the new regulations, no new tobacco retailer licenses will be granted to businesses located within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds or libraries, or within 500 feet of another business that sells tobacco.

Another provision adopted by the Board of Supervisors that bans sales of tobacco products in pharmacies won’t take effect until July 2018 after their tobacco retailer licenses expire.

The ordinance also requires retailers to examine the identification of a person who reasonably appears to be under the age of 27 before the tobacco retailer sells tobacco products or paraphernalia to that person.

Retailers not complying with the new rules can be fined up to $500 for each day they are in violation and may face suspension or revocation of their tobacco retailer license.

The National Association of Tobacco Outlets opposed the ordinance because the retailers didn’t believe six months was enough time to sell off their inventory.

Contra Costa joins many other Bay Area cities and counties to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products including Santa Clara and Yolo Counties, and the cities of El Cerrito, Novato, Los Gatos, San Francisco, and Oakland.

For more information about the County’s new tobacco regulations, please visit cchealth.org/tobacco. Information for retailers can be read at http://cchealth.org/tobacco/retailers.php.

School bus collides with three cars causing numerous injuries in El Sobrante Tuesday morning

By Leave a Comment

CHP vehicles block San Pablo Dam Road near Lois Lane in El Sobrante following a collision involving a school bus and three other vehicles, Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, 2017. Photo by CHP-Contra Costa

Today, Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at about 8:11 am, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a four-vehicle traffic collision in El Sobrante on San Pablo Dam Road at Lois Lane involving a School Bus with children on board. Upon CHP and emergency personnel arrival, it was determined that a school bus, a white Chevrolet Silverado, a black Volkswagen Bug, and a white Ford F-150 were involved in the collision. In total, 13 people were transported for a variety of injuries. The entire roadway was shut down for numerous hours for the investigation and clean up but has since been reopened.

In the initial investigation, it appears the Volkswagen was northbound on San Pablo Dam road in the #1 lane and the Chevrolet truck was directly behind it traveling the same direction and approaching the intersection of Lois Lane. At the same location but on the southbound side, the School bus was traveling in the #1 lane and the Ford truck was next to it in the #2 lane. For unknown reasons the driver of the Volkswagen suddenly slowed nearly to a stop and the approaching Chevrolet truck was unable to slow and avoid the Volkswagen. The Chevrolet collided with the rear of the Volkswagen pushing it to the left and into the southbound lanes, directly in front of the oncoming Ford truck. The Ford impacted the Volkswagen in a “T-bone” manner pushing it out of the roadway and subsequently causing the driver of the Ford to lose control and spin into the southbound #1 lane facing wrong way, directly in front of the School bus. Then the school bus collided head on with the wrong way facing Ford truck.

Here are the number of injured parties transported to local hospitals from each vehicle;

-Solo driver of Volkswagen transported for major injuries

-Solo driver of Chevrolet transported for minor injuries

-3 occupants of the Ford transported. 2 with minor injuries and one classified as major injuries.

-7 children from the School bus all transported for minor/precautionary reasons

-School bus driver, who is 34 weeks pregnant, transported for precautionary reasons only due to the pregnancy

Alcohol or drugs do not seem to be a factor in this collission but it is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed it or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez, and contact Officer Mendoza. (925) 646-4980. Thank you.

And please be aware of the wet roadway conditions from all this rain and give yourself enough space to safely stop, SLOW DOWN, and give yourself ample time to get to your destination. Drive safe.

Antioch’s Najee Harris to play for NCAA football championship tonight

By Leave a Comment

Alabama running back Najee Harris in one of his carries against the Florida State in the Crimson Tide’s 24-7 victory over the Seminoles on Sept. 2, 2017. Courtesy of rolltide.com.

By Luke Johnson

Najee Harris will become the first Antioch High School alum to play in a national championship game in college football.

Najee Harris. Courtesy of rolltide.com

The true freshman running back and No. 4 Alabama upset No. 1 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, 24-6. The Crimson Tide now faces No. 3 Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta tonight at 5:17 p.m. (Pacific)

“If [Alabama] wins, it will be big, but I also think it will push him even more to get it again next year,” Harris’ personal trainer and close friend Marcus Malu said. “I think Antioch, as a city and a school, that we need to build on that, [and] make sure that we don’t have a one-hit wonder, and turnout some more kids.”

Harris has rushed for 306 yards, 5.6 yards per carry and three touchdowns this season, on top of six receptions for 45 yards. His longest reception came last week for 22 yards — a game in which he had no carries.

Alabama’s ground game has been led by juniors Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough — who are potential prospects for this year’s NFL Draft. Damien Harris is projected to be picked in the second or third round while Scarbrough is expected to be selected between the third and fifth rounds, according to Senior Draft Analyst Charlie Campbell of Walter Football.

Najee Harris has been Alabama’s third option at running back with only 55 carries this season. However, Malu feels his limited action may be a good thing. Harris holds every rushing record at Antioch High School — including carries with 838. He played the majority of his senior year (291 carries) with a knee injury that he hid from the public, for which he underwent surgery last January.

Harris’ profile on rolltide.com.

Malu believes this was a productive year for Harris to allow his banged-up body to recover while getting acclimated to the highest level of competition in college football. Although Malu still hopes Harris is utilized and has an excellent performance during tonight’s contest.

“He understands that it’s a process,” Malu said. “If he gets in I’m sure they’ll give him a few touches. If he doesn’t, he understands that this is the business.”

With a lot of local anticipation for this upcoming game between two teams in the Southeastern Conference, Malu said that people come up to him at least three to four times per day to ask about Harris.

“They say, ‘Hey, is the kid gon’ play? Is the kid gon’ get some touches?’ And I’m like, ‘Man, you know, you should be emailing [coach] Nick Saban,’” Malu said while chuckling.

The game will air on ESPN. For more information about the NCAA National Championship football game click here.

See new fares from Pittsburg Center and Antioch Stations

By Leave a Comment

Screenshot of the Pittsburg Center BART Station animation. From BART.gov

New fare information available now

 

By Allen Payton

According to the BART website’s East County Extension page, parking permits for the new Antioch Station which is planned to open in May along with the Pittsburg Center Station, will be available for purchase beginning January 16. According to BART Director Joel Keller there will be 1,000 parking spaces and about 124 reserved spaces available. However, he said the reserved permits don’t get you a specific spot, just one of the reserved parking spots in the lot.

New Fares

The BART Board adopted the parking fees and fares at the December 7, 2017 board meeting.

BART is applying its existing distance-based fare structure to calculate fares for the new service.  For the 9.1-mile trip between Pittsburg Bay/Bay Point and Antioch Station, the Clipper fare will be $2.00 (starting Jan 1, 2018 there will be a $.50 surcharge on all paper ticket trips).  All BART discount programs will be applied to these fares.

The table below shows 2018 BART to Antioch sample fares using the adult Clipper card, a fare paid for with a paper ticket will be an additional 50 cents.

1/5/18 UPDATE: On Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 11 AM, BART will open up the waitlist for passengers that would like to sign up to reserve a monthly permit, which guarantees a parking space until 10am each weekday. There will be a limited number of these permits available and they will be available on a first-come/first-served basis. The cost for the monthly permit will be $105 per month. You will only be charged for the permit if you are offered one and not until the extension officially opens. You may sign up to join when the waitlist at www.Select-a-Spot.com any time after January 16, 2018 at 11am. This website is also available through a link on the www.BART.gov/Parking webpage.

Monthly reserved permits will only be available at the Antioch Station. The Pittsburg Center Station will not offer any reserved parking permits, due to a limited number of parking spaces at the station.

There will be other parking options available as well:

Daily Fee Parking

Both stations will offer daily unreserved parking for a fee of $3. This parking is first-come/first-served in any marked “Fee” lot. Look at signs to the entrance to each section of the lot to determine if it is a “Fee” or “Permit” area. After 10am, any unused Permit spaces are open to all parkers for the Daily Fee.

Permit Parking

The Antioch Station will offer “Permit” parking. Customers with permits will be allowed to park in the designated areas of the parking lot. Permit spaces are available until 10am each weekday morning. After 10am all unused Permit spaces are available to anyone for the Daily Fee. All permits will be available on the www.Select-a-Spot.com website. There also will be a link to that website on www.BART.gov/Parking

Types of Permits:

  • Single Day reserved permits will cost $6 a day.
  • Airport/Long-Term Permits will cost $7 a day.
  • Monthly reserved parking permits will cost $105

 

To view the animation of the Pittsburg Center BART Station, click here. To view the animation of the Antioch BART Station, click here.