The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 24th installment of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program. This is a collaborative community effort which involves active participation from United Citizens for Better Neighborhoods (UCBN), community volunteers, and the Antioch Police Department Crime Prevention Commission; Neighborhood Watch Program, and the Public Works Department.

Collectively, “We,” everyone who works and lives in the City of Antioch, can make a difference and improve the quality of life. It’s our community and it’s our chance to make a difference.

The City of Antioch Neighborhood Cleanup program is not just for residential neighborhoods. It is a program that will change venues on a monthly basis and it will include business and commercial areas as well. Neighborhoods that are free of trash and refuse are inviting, and a clean community instills a sense of community pride.

The 24th Neighborhood Cleanup event will occur on Saturday, June 4th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers should report to the Mira Vista Park located at the corner of Hacienda Way and S. Francisco Way. Curb parking is available. Volunteers will receive instructions and the equipment necessary to accomplish the goal. The targeted area is within walking distance.

Excluding inclement weather, future Neighborhood Cleanup events are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month and the locations will be announced in advance. Remember, cleaning up your neighborhood can make life better for your family, your neighbors and your community!

The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld a federal court decision that mandated the release of up to 40,000 inmates from the California prison system.

“Fortunately, we’ve been working on this issue for almost two years,” said County Supervisor Federal Glover. “We have a strategic plan for the county and are actively seeking grants to fund its implementation. Having a strategic plan puts us — as a county – ahead of the eight ball.”

In a 5-4 decision, the high court agreed that having about 160,000 inmates in California’s prisons created overcrowded and unhealthy conditions for a system designed to accommodate 80,000 inmates.

Earlier this year, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to transfer about 40,000 state prisoners to county jails. This has not been implemented due to a lack of funds. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger moved about 10,000 to out-of-state for-profit prisons to relieve the overcrowded conditions.

In 2009 after a lower court ordered the state to release thousands of prisoners, the supervisors’ Public Protection Committee chaired by Glover and with Supervisor John Gioia, asked the county to partner with a host of community-based organizations to create a plan to reduce inmate recidivism. Released inmates have a 75 percent recidivism rate, which creates a burden on law enforcement agencies and the courts as well raises a concern for public safety.

Two months ago, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors approved the strategic plan written up by Oakland-based consultant Urban Strategies.

To see the Contra Costa Reentry Strategic Plan, click on http://www.cocoreentry.org/?p=381.

On May 22 at approximately 7:47 p.m., Antioch Police received calls of a shooting victim in the 2300 block of D Street. Officers located the victim, a 19-year-old Antioch resident, on the sidewalk. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The motive for the shooting is unknown at this time, but leads are being followed up by the Antioch Police investigations unit. Additional information will be released pending the ongoing investigation.

San Pablo home - site of news conference

UPDATE:
The health and safety of communities will be at risk if Contra Costa County lays off up to one-third of its building and grading inspectors by the end of the months, said officials representing the public workers Monday at a news conference Monday.

This information was disclosed in front of a blighted house with boarded-up windows, graffiti and tall weeds – an example of what is happening
in neighborhoods without inspectors, according to Rollie Katz, of the Public Employees Union Local 1.

Katz said his workers will speak to the Board of Supervisors Tueday, at 9:30 a.m. at the Contra Costa County Administration Building, 651 Pine St.,
Martinez. Katz will hold a news briefing at 9 a.m. at the Supervisors meeting.

See the blighted property at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63133121@N03/?saved=1. It’s one of many examples properties that pose a real health and safety risk to the community when Contra Costa County lays off one-third of the county’s building and grading inspectors May 31 – even though money is in the budget for them, said Katz.

—————-
A major news conference Monday morning in San Pablo will disclose evidence the public’s health and safety is being put at risk – beginning May 31 – in Contra Costa County when 16 Contra Costa County Building and Grading Inspectors will be laid off. The news conference property is blighted, and an example of what is to come.

It’s one of many examples properties that pose a real health and safety risk to the community when Contra Costa County lays off one-third of the county’s building and grading inspectors May 31 – even though money is in the budget for them, according to Rollie Katz, of the Public Employees Union Local 1.

The County has already reduced the number of inspectors by about 25 percent over the last three months through attrition and retirements.

“We are concerned about the public’s safety. Blighted, illegally modified and out of compliance properties will go months without being inspected,” Katz said, noting that the daily case load for building inspections will nearly double the national average, and increase to 70 (from 30) for code enforcement inspections.

Katz, who will provide additional details Monday, added that County has the money budgeted to employ the needed inspectors. The County has budgeted $500,000 for new furniture for the department that employs the inspectors even though it admits it does not need the furniture. The County has refused to apply those funds to preserve these critical jobs.

On Tuesday, May 24th, the Antioch City council will authorize sending their response to a recent Grand Jury Report addressing salary and benefits provided to members of the Antioch City Council and maintenance of city vehicles and usage by city employees.

The Grand Jury report, which was sent to the City Manager, stated, that eight of the 19 cities spent more than the county-wide average of $39,377 for salary and meeting fees: The cities are: Antioch, Concord, Danville, Hercules, Martinez, Richmond, San Pablo and San Ramon. It was recommended that these cities consider whether it would be appropriate to implement reductions of salary and meeting fee expenditures to bring them in line with other cities.

It was also recommended by the Grand Jury that the policy of paying health care insurance costs for Council members should be reviewed to determine whether this practice is appropriate. Cities that pay health insurance benefits to council members are: Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, Hercules, Martinez, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo and San Ramon.

Additionally, it was pointed out that pension benefits, with potential long term financial implements for the agency, are provided to Council members in 12 cities: Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, San Pablo, San Ramon and Walnut Creek.

Council is mandated to respond to the Grand Jury report by stating one of the following actions in respect to each finding: Respondent agrees with finding, disagrees with finding or partially agrees with finding.

The motion before council in regard to salary and meeting fees states that the city partially agrees with the finding but questions the value of a simple mathematical average for cities with varying populations e.g. cities with less than 35,000 in population compared to cities of 75,000 to 150,000, pointing out increases in compensation are limited to 5% each calendar year and must be approved by council pursuant to an ordinance in open session.

To increase transparency, the City will combine these policies into a single document that addresses all Council compensation and benefits and include that document in its annual budget review.

In regard to health care benefits provided to council, council agrees that it does provide benefits and understands the long term financial implications which is why the city includes these benefits as part of the City’s overall pension liability reported annually in the City’s financial statements. In the future, Council will review its policy of pension or deferred compensation for Council members.

In regard to maintenance and usage of city vehicles, the city’s response is that it City utilizes a fleet maintenance management software system and has implemented a practice of permitting city vehicles to be taken home for the purpose of standby call outs and emergency operational needs. Present, no take home vehicles are being driven more than 15 miles from the location where the employee would report to work.

I am of the belief that, although council members deserve some compensation for their service, the City should not pay members health care insurance costs, pension or deferred benefits. What say you?

On May 20 just after 4:30 p.m. the Antioch Police Department Dispatch center received a call regarding suspicious people removing items from a residence in the 3400 block of Gentrytown Drive. Witnesses provided a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were loading the property into.

Responding officers stopped the vehicle as it was leaving the scene, and found property in the truck that was later identified by the victim as being taken from his home while he was at work. Officers detained the occupants of the vehicle, Kenneth Hubbs, 33, of Antioch, and Rachael Byrnes, 25, of Pleasant Hill, until they were positively identified by witnesses as being involved in the burglary.

A further search of the vehicle yielded credit cards, checks, and identifications that were stolen in burglaries in Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg and Antioch. Both Hubbs and Byrnes were booked at the police station and transported to the Main Detention Facility in Martinez.

East Contra Costa County’s future recycled water and Delta drought relief efforts have received a boost thanks to a $150,000 grant for Delta Diablo Sanitation District’s Recycled Water Master Plan from the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation.

Delta Diablo Sanitation District (the District) currently operates a recycled water facility generating nearly six million gallons of recycled water each day. The Master Plan will help staff identify potential capital improvement projects which can provide a cost-effective, reliable recycled water supply to users in the District’s service area of Antioch, Bay Point and Pittsburg. It will also help reduce demand on freshwater Delta supplies.

Since 2002 the District’s Recycled Water Facility has produced over 21 Billion gallons of recycled water. The District’s Master Plan project will provide guidance to optimize and expand recycled water use for existing and new customers. It will also allow a comprehensive analysis of the District’s recycled water system to ascertain project alternatives such as new and modified pipelines, pump stations, and storage.

The $150,000 grant is the maximum awarded by this WaterSMART Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse funding opportunity. Feasibility studies under the Title XVI Program balance technical, institutional and economical potential for stretching water supplies using both time-tested methodologies and piloting new concepts to reclaim and reuse wastewater. The studies also focus on water and energy efficiencies with the goal of well-planned water projects that are sustainable and use less energy.

The District’s Master Plan is considered another “success story” for the Bay Area Recycled Water Coalition. The Coalition, a partnership of fourteen San Francisco Bay Area regional water recycling agencies, works collaboratively to proactively pursue highly leveraged, locally-managed projects that will help ensure the security of water supplies in the Bay-Delta for years to come.

To date, projects undertaken by Coalition members have resulted in over 22,000 acre feet of recycled water being supplied to Bay Area communities and businesses. This is equal to the annual water use by 66,000 single family homes. All projects have received support from Bay Area elected delegates.

“California’s limited water resources are best extended through a smart water recycling and conservation strategy like that implemented by the Delta Diablo Sanitation District,” said Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA), a Member of the House Natural Resources Committee. “I congratulate Delta Diablo on earning this important grant which will help our region responsibly manage our precious water supply.”

“I congratulate Delta Diablo Sanitation District on this grant, which represents a critical next step in an ongoing campaign to move regional water recycling projects forward and add more alternative water supplies to our water infrastructure. Delta Diablo is continuing to show why it is considered a leader in the effort to stretch our state’s water supplies.” said Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez, CA), a leader in California water issues and an advocate for water recycling projects in Congress.

Recycled water has been used for over 50 years in California. Recycling water is a safe way to preserve our natural water resource from the Delta by allowing reuse of tertiary-treated wastewater. The recycled water produced by the District meets the most stringent standards established by Title 22 California Code of Regulations. Extensive monitoring and testing is performed to ensure that this water supply meets the highest quality standards.