Rep. DeSaulnier announces reinstatement of Deferred Action possibly benefits Concord resident
Policy reversal signals that Isabel Bueso and other families will likely remain in the United States
Washington, DC – On Thursday, Sept. 19, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) issued the following statement after learning that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will reinstate deferred action. The announcement signals that his constituent, Concord resident Isabel Bueso, and other families impacted by the initial decision to end the program will likely be allowed remain in the United States. (See related article)
“In a major victory, the Trump Administration will apparently reverse course and resume the deferred action program, allowing hundreds of deserving immigrants like Isabel Bueso to stay in the United States to receive life-saving medical care. We will continue to press the Administration for answers and assurances that this program is safe from future targeting and pursue our private bill to keep Isabel and her family in the United States permanently, but in the meantime, we breathe a sigh of relief. While I am dismayed that my colleagues and I had to step in to get the Administration to do what is right, I am grateful for the leadership of Chairman Jamie Raskin, Chairman Elijah Cummings, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and the countless others who fought alongside me.”
Since Isabel Bueso and her family were denied deferred action, Congressman DeSaulnier has been actively working to save Isabel and her family from deportation. DeSaulnier has been actively working to save Isabel by:
- Introducing a private bill (H.R. 4225) that would allow Isabel and her family to remain in the United States to continue to receive treatment for her rare, life-threatening disease.
- Calling for an Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the policy change. The hearing was held on Wednesday, September 11th, at which Isabel Bueso testified.
- Sending a letter with Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) petitioning the Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan, to re-review the cases of the Bueso family.
- Co-leading an effort with Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Lou Correa (D-CA), and Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and over 100 other lawmakers to DHS, ICE, and USCIS in demanding answers on USCIS’s decision to end consideration of non-military deferred action requests, including medical deferred action.
PG&E to begin construction on Bay Point utility undergrounding project Sept. 3
Expected completion in December 2020
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) will begin construction on the Bay Point Utility Undergrounding Project. The work consists of undergrounding utility lines along Bailey Road from State Route 4 north to Willow Pass Road then east along Willow Pass Road to the Pittsburg City Limit just east of Crivello Avenue. This project will provide residents of Bay Point with a more aesthetic travel corridor, remove several obstructions along the sidewalk, and provide a more dependable utility infrastructure than the existing overhead lines. Contra Costa County is also installing six additional streetlights to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.
Construction will begin on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, with completion in December 2020, barring unforeseen circumstances. Drivers can expect delays during construction. Work may take place between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm with restrictions to minimize impacts during commute hours. There may be night and weekend work scheduled during electrical system cut-overs to minimize disruption to local residents and businesses.
Funding for Contra Costa County’s portion of this project is provided by gas tax revenues and Navy Mitigation funds, and the remainder is funded by PG&E Rule 20A funds, Comcast, and AT&T.
Reps. DeSaulnier and McNerney to hold joint Town Hall in Antioch Thursday night
Congressmen Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Jerry McNerney (CA-09) will host a joint town hall at on Thursday, August 29th at 6:30 p.m. in Antioch. The City of Antioch is split between the two representatives.
During the town hall, DeSaulnier and McNerney will provide an update on news of the day and will take questions.
Antioch Town Hall with Congressmen DeSaulnier & McNerney
Thursday, August 29
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Antioch Community Center
Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.
This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling 925-933-2660. To request ADA accommodations, translation services, or for more information contact Representative DeSaulnier’s office in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.
Rep. DeSaulnier to host Town Hall on climate change and the environment in Moraga Monday
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) will host a town hall to discuss climate change and the environment on Monday, August 26th at 6:30 p.m.
Congressman DeSaulnier will discuss the critical role the government plays in protecting our environment and the Trump Administration’s rollback of major environmental regulations that protect our air, water, wildlife, and open spaces.
This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 91st town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress four years ago.
Climate Change & the Environment Town Hall
Monday, August 26, 2019
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Campolindo High School Multipurpose Room
300 Moraga Road, Moraga
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
To confirm your attendance, please RSVP online at https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call 925-933-2660. To request ADA accommodations or for more information contact one of Congressman DeSaulnier’s offices in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.
Rep. DeSaulnier to host Immigration Town Hall in Concord Thurs., Aug. 22
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced that he will host an Immigration Town Hall on August 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at Meadow Homes Elementary School in Concord.
This is the second in a series of town halls Congressman DeSaulnier is hosting on immigration. During the town hall, Mark will provide a firsthand account of what he witnessed at detention facilities on his two visits to the southern border and discuss the work he is doing in Congress to protect immigrant rights and ensure detainees are treated with the dignity they deserve. He will also discuss the Administration’s attacks on immigrant communities including its changes to asylum law, fight to put a citizenship question in the Census, and recently launched raids.
A variety of organizations will be on hand to provide legal resources, services, and information about protecting your rights—regardless of immigration status. Translation services will be available during the event.
This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 89th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress four years ago.
Immigration Town Hall
Thursday, August 22nd
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Meadow Homes Elementary School
1371 Detroit Avenue, Concord
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
To confirm your attendance, please RSVP online at https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call 925-933-2660. To request ADA accommodations or for more information contact one of Congressman DeSaulnier’s offices in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.
Supervisors raise salaries for Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder, Treasurer-Tax Collector, exclude Assessor
Burgis gets Blackhawk Country Club to donate $40,000 per year for 10 years for police services
By Daniel Borsuk
Supervisors unanimously approved cost of living increases to three major elected office holders but withheld a salary boost for county assessor Gus Kramer citing “a salary adjustment for the Assessor will be considered at a later date once other issues in the Department have been resolved.”
That citation is in reference to an ongoing sex harassment case lodged against Kramer by county employees. Kramer would have been in line to have received a 1.96 percent cost of living adjustment increase that would have increased his pay to $208,013.
In compliance with a Dec. 11, 2018 Board Resolution, County Administrator David Twa said his office conducted a salary comparison of analysis of elected office officials in Alameda, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Solano counties and discovered in order to bring the salaries up to Bay Area average, the salary of Auditor-Controller Robert Campbell will rise 8.45 percent to an annual salary of $225,594. The annual salary of Clerk-Recorder Joseph Canciamilla will increase 5.48 percent to a yearly salary of $210,686. The yearly salary of Treasurer-Tax Collector Russell V. Watts will rise 4.77 percent to a yearly salary of $235,611.
There was no discussion from either the supervisors or public on the topic.
Blackhawk Country Club Donates $40,000 Per Year for 10 Years for Police Services
Notching a political victory in the tony enclave of Blackhawk, District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood played a role for steering the Blackhawk Country Club to donate $40,000 a year over a 10-year span to help cover police services provided by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department.
A dispute had erupted recently when the Blackhawk Homeowners Association, led by association president Ron Banducci, who had called on county supervisors to intervene in urging the Blackhawk Country Club to contribute funds towards the community’s police force that consists of three deputy sheriffs and one lieutenant. Up until now, the country club had not provided funds for police services since formation of County Service Area P-2A in 1985.
Since the creation of P-2A, homeowners have shouldered the financial costs for police protection, but the county club has never provided any financial assistance for P-2A coverage. Last May, Banducci, who also serves as chairman of the Blackhawk Police Advisory Committee, warned supervisors of “any backroom deal” like the one Burgis and the country club were then discussing, the 10-year, $40,000 a year donation.
Banducci did not return a Contra Costa Herald phone call to respond to the $40,000 a year donation consent agenda item at Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting. There was no comment from either the public or supervisors on the item.
“I appreciate the Blackhawk Country Club’s donation to the county to support supplemental law enforcement services in the Blackhawk community,” Burgis said in a statement to the Herald. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Blackhawk Police Advisory, the Sheriff’s Office and other community shareholders to support the level of police service that the community wants.”
In a July 26 letter, sent to Burgis, that lays out details about the donation, Country Club President Scott Batiste states that this is a donation, not a tax.
“Residents of P2-A have authorized a special tax for police protection services in this area,” he wrote. “The BHCC does not pay this tax. The BHCC Board of Directors has authorized making a donation to the County of Contra Costa of $40,000 per year to support the Sheriff’s law enforcement services in P-2A each year for a ten-year period.”
Over the next 10 years, the county will receive a donation totaling $400,000 from the country club.
Supervisor Glover Postpones Youth Summit Over Mass Shooting Concerns
Citing the series of weekend deadly shootings triggered by ultra-right shooters in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg announced that the Youth Summit, a one-day event that he co-sponsors at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg has been postponed.
Originally slated to be held this Saturday, August 10 to draw thousands of youth in Contra Costa County, Glover announced at the supervisors meeting, “I will convene a meeting of the stakeholders, including law enforcement, to make sure we are ready to deal with active shooter scenarios and other public safety emergencies that may arise. The Youth Summit brings together a number of youth and I need to be confident as well as be able, to assure their parents that we have taken all reasonable measures to ensure their children’s safety at such a large public event.”
“As we review our protocols and formulate our plans, we will notify members of the public of our plans for a future youth summit,” Glover said in a press statement.
Approve $19.2 Million Multifamily Housing Revenue Rehab Bonds for Bay Point Apartment Building
Keeping in mind the county’s affordable housing shortage, supervisors approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of $19.2 million in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds to finance the costs for the acquisition and rehabilitation of 88 units of rental housing known as Hidden Cove Apartments at 2900, 2911, and 2921-2931 Mary Ann Lane in Bay Point. The apartments will be initially owned at the time of the financing by Hidden Cove Apartments, LP, a California Limited Partnership.
OK Contract With Canine Companions for Independence
In another consent act, supervisors approved an agreement with Canine Companions for Independence to provide a dog to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. The dog offers comfort and assistance to victims of crimes during interviews, in-court testimony, and other traumatic situations. The cost of expenses for the care and feeding of the facility dog is estimated to be about $5,000 a year and will be covered from the District Attorney’s general fund budget.
Rep. DeSaulnier moves Aug. 8 Danville Town Hall Meeting to larger venue
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced that due to overwhelming interest in this week’s town hall meeting in Danville, the location has been moved to a larger venue in order to accommodate all attendees. The town hall will meeting now be held at Charlotte Wood Middle School on Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 p.m.
During the meeting, DeSaulnier will provide an update on what is happening in Washington and other news of the day, including this week’s mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso. This will be the Congressman’s 86th town hall meting and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress four years ago.
Danville Town Hall
Thursday, August 8, 2019
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
New Location: Charlotte Wood Middle School
600 El Capitan Dr., Danville, CA 94526
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
To confirm your attendance, please RSVP online at https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call (925) 933-2660. To request ADA accommodations or for more information, contact one of Congressman DeSaulnier’s offices in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.
Summer Block Party in Richmond to offer one stop for your county services needs Aug 15
By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department
Forget having to make multiple stops to government offices to take care of that “to do” list. We’ve got you covered with a Summer Block Party.
Contra Costa County, the County’s Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) and the City of Richmond are collaborating to provide a fun, festive event that offers a wide variety of on-the-spot government services at one single location.
The County’s 3rd Annual “Summer Block Party” will be held on Thursday, August 15, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm at Civic Center Plaza, 440 Civic Center Drive, Richmond.
“This is an opportunity for any Contra Costa County resident to come learn about services and to take care of business you might have,” said Board Chair, Supervisor John Gioia. “Staff will be ready to help you.”
“It’s exciting to bring all of our different services together to benefit the community, at a time and place more convenient to their busy schedules,” Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department Director Kathy Gallagher said. “Our goal is to make it not only convenient, but fun.”
Richmond Mayor Tom Butt added, “So many of our local service needs are provided through the County in partnership with City government, and this event will give Richmond residents a great chance to discover those resources and programs that they can use. I hope the community will take advantage of this opportunity to get connected with their public services.”
This is the third consecutive year that Contra Costa County has hosted the increasingly popular event. The “Summer Block Party” rotates locations each year to provide opportunities to engage with us in each geographic area of the County.
Available services at the Summer Block Party event will include, but are not limited to:
Animal licensing
Vouchers for pet vaccinations
Marriage licenses
Copies of vital records
Library card signups
Job training opportunities and information
Signups for free benefits, such as CalFresh and Medi-Cal
Foster parent applications
Signups for Veterans’ benefits
Voter Registration
Child ID kits
Information about Contra Costa County’s Clean Slate program
Energy efficiency rebates
Contra Costa Television (CCTV) — and many more County programs.
For more information, please call the County’s Employment and Human Services Department at 925-608-4808 or visit www.contracosta.ca.gov/7625. Free parking will be available around the Civic Center Plaza in Richmond.
Rep. DeSaulnier to host Town Hall Meeting in Danville Aug. 8
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) will host a town hall meeting at the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville on Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 p.m.
This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 86th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress four years ago. During the town hall, he will provide an update on conditions at the southern border, the work the House has been doing on behalf of the American people, and Congress’s oversight of the Trump Administration.
Danville Town Hall
Thursday, August 8, 2019
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Building
115 E. Prospect Ave, Danville, CA 94526
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
To confirm your attendance, please RSVP online at https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call (925) 933-2660. To request ADA accommodations or for more information, contact one of Congressman DeSaulnier’s offices in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.
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