Dear Editor:

Last week I observed on TV a march, in Oakland, of the Grocery Clerks union. At the end of the news spot a business agent, a.k.a. economic illiterate, announced to his followers that the only thing that keep the major chains from looking like Walmart was a strong local union. It was then as an old, old, old member of the Grocery Clerks union that I realized that the only thing Walmart has going for it IS a strong local grocery clerks union.

When the investors of Raileys, Safeway, Save Mart, etc., realize they can make more money running a cat house we will all be going to Walmart.

Bob Oliver

Antich

Cost will be closer to $25,000 and avoid $90,000 in future expenditures. Council to decide Tuesday.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Following much discussion among commissioners, the Antioch Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend to the City Council the renaming of L Street to Marina Parkway, at their May 16, 2012 meeting.

Commissioners stated that this will help promote the marina and downtown to anyone driving down the freeway. Commissioner Mark Langford pointed out that although it’s not a parkway, yet, that’s something the city should pursue in the future.

Only three members of the public gave input, including two residents of L Street who spoke against the change. I spoke, as well, providing additional historical background on the issue and in favor of the change.

The renaming idea originated with Antioch’s 1996 Economic Development Plan, that was developed with the help of 100 community leaders, and adopted by the City Council, later that year. It also included changing the name of A Street to Rivertown Drive.

The idea was brought up again, when Don Freitas was Mayor. He stated he liked the idea but thought it best to wait until the improvements to L Street between 4^th and 10^th Streets were complete, and Highway 4 was widened.

While driving down the freeway a few months ago, I realized the state was in the process of putting up the new off ramp signs. I then sent an email to the Mayor, Councilmembers and City Manager reminding them of the idea of changing the names of L and A Streets and suggested it be done, now before the new signs went up.

Mayor Pro Tem Wade Harper asked staff to pursue the change to just L Street, for now.

City staff explained to the commissioners that this will be the most cost-effective time to make the change and informed them that the cost to change Somersville Road to Auto Center Drive was $90,000 and only included the state’s portion. If the change was made later, the city would have to pay those extra costs, as well as the projected city costs. Director of Public Works Ron Bernal stated that the cost will be closer to $25,000 than the original $40,000 estimate.

While one proposed source of funds to pay for the change is the city’s gas tax funds, there are other potential sources, such as the remaining funds in the Residential Development Allocation program. The council in the past spent $200,000 of those funds to pay for the bluish-grey and silver “City of Antioch” signs seen throughout town.

One attempt by the Council to change the name of A Street to Rivertown Drive, failed on a 2-3 vote, in 1997, since there were three businesses on A Street with “A Street” in their name. Those businesses are now gone or have changed owners and names. Now that A Street is connected to 2nd Street, the suggestion is to rename both to Rivertown Drive. The City Council could decide that at a later meeting, since the freeway widening hasn’t yet reached A Street, giving businesses and residents more time to adapt to the renaming.

The City Council will make their decision on the name change of L Street at their meeting on Tuesday, May 22.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) are widening State Route 4 (SR-4) through Pittsburg and Antioch. As part of this construction work, the contractor will be closing all lanes in the eastbound direction of SR-4 from Loveridge Road to Somersville Road on the evenings of Tuesday, May 22 through Thursday, May 24 between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am.

Beginning Friday, May 25 at 6:00 am, eastbound traffic on SR-4 between Loveridge Road and Somersville Road will be shifted to the south over a portion of the Century Boulevard Bridge to allow the contractor to prepare for demolition of the old Century Boulevard Bridge.

Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways. For the most current information on lane closures please visit our web site at: http://widensr4.org.

By Sergeant Quintero, Antioch Police Traffic Bureau

On Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 12:45 p.m., a 29 year old male Oakley resident was traveling eastbound on a Honda motorcycle from Golf Course Road onto Bluerock Drive with a green signal light for his direction. At that same time, a 34 year old female Oakley resident driving a Toyota Highlander was traveling northbound on Lone Tree Way and failed to stop for a red signal light for her direction. The Toyota struck the Honda motorcycle broadside ejecting the motorcyclist into the street and sending the motorcycle to the curb.

The motorcyclist sustained severe lower leg injuries to both legs and was flown to John Muir Medical Center by helicopter for emergency treatment. Although severe, his injuries do not appear to be life threatening at this time. There were no injuries reported by the occupants of the Toyota.

There are no indications that alcohol or drugs were related to this collision.

Plan Bay Area Links Local Aspirations With Goals for a Strong Economy, Healthy Environment and Social Equity

At a packed joint meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), officials voted last night to approve a draft long-range guide to the Bay Area’s transportation, jobs and housing.

The “Preferred Land Use and Transportation Investment Strategy” is a key milestone in developing the final Plan Bay Area, which is due for adoption in April 2013. MTC also voted to approve the “One Bay Area Grants” (OBAG) program, and ABAG approved a draft housing allocation methodology for Bay Area cities.

“We’ve heard over and over that the public’s top priorities are preserving the Bay Area’s high quality of life and each community’s unique characteristics,” said Ken Kirkey, ABAG planning director. “Plan Bay Area will achieve these goals by strengthening the connection between housing, jobs and transportation, by growing jobs and the economy, and by ensuring stewardship of our region’s spectacular scenic and natural resources.”

ABAG President and Napa County Supervisor Mark Luce added that “these actions signify the strides we are making toward adopting a long range plan that links local aspirations with goals for a strong economy, healthy environment, and social equity.”

The Preferred Land Use and Transportation Investment Strategy approved last night by MTC and ABAG steers Plan Bay Area to promote compact, mixed-use development that combines both residential and commercial uses and is located close to public transit, jobs, schools, shopping, parks, recreation and other amenities.

The approved One Bay Area Grants initiative is an incentive-based program designed to stimulate the production of housing in areas well-served by transportation, particularly public transit. It uses federal transportation dollars to reward jurisdictions that accept housing allocations through the state’s Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) process and that actually produce housing.

When completed, Plan Bay Area will be the region’s 25-year blueprint for transportation, housing and land use policies and investments. California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375, Steinberg) requires that each of the state’s 18 Metropolitan Planning Organizations – and in the Bay Area specifically MTC and ABAG – develop a long-range plan to reduce per-capita greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. The Bay Area is required to reduce emissions by 7 percent by 2020 and by 15 percent by 2035. SB 375 also requires Plan Bay Area to include a strategy to house by 2035 all of the Bay Area’s projected 25-year population growth, without displacing current low-income residents.

The Preferred Land Use and Transportation Investment Strategy will comprise the Plan Bay Area project alternative to be evaluated as part of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In December 2012, the agencies expect to release the draft Plan Bay Area and EIR, which will be followed by public hearings throughout the region. MTC and ABAG are due to adopt the final Plan Bay Area and certify the final EIR in April 2013.

In a separate action, ABAG voted last night to approve a draft Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) methodology. The methodology will be used to meet state requirements to include sufficient affordable housing for the Bay Area’s projected population growth, so that people won’t have to commute to their jobs from homes outside the Bay Area.

ABAG will take final action on the RHNA methodology at its July meeting.

MTC is the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area’s transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency. ABAG is the council of governments and regional planning agency for the nine counties and 101 cities and towns of the San Francisco Bay region.

For more information on the One Bay Area Plan, visit www.OneBayArea.org.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Below is the email sent out detailing the results of the recent election for the Clean Water Initiative, in which property owners could cast their vote and mail-in their ballots.

The entire process cost approximately $1.43 million, the largest portion of which was $444,092.40 spent on campaigning, labeled as “educational outreach” by county staff, as well as $346,800 on printing and mailing the ballots. Almost $435,000 was spent on analysis, research, the Engineer’s Report and action plan prior to the election.

The result is each city, the county and the County Flood Control District will have to determine how to pay for the requirements for complying with the new clean water regulations.

From: Don Freitas

To:

Contra County County Board of Supervisors

City/Town Mayors

City/Town Councilmembers

City/Town Managers

Contra Costa Clean Water Program Management Committee Members & Alternates

Cities/County Attorneys’ Association Ad Hoc Committee

Cities/County Engineering Advisory Committee

SCI Consulting Group, Inc. and sub-consultants

Media

Dear Interested Parties:

The purpose of this email is to inform you of the final election results for the “2012 Community Clean Water Initiative”. Contrary to recent press articles, Monday, May 7^th has always been designated as the deadline to receive this information. Passage of the Initiative required fifty percent (50%) plus one of those casting a vote which included all property owners in Contra Costa County. The results are as follows:

Mailed Ballots                –  339,586

Received Valid Ballots  –  100,768

“Yes” Ballots   –     40,924

“No”  Ballots    –    59,844

Invalid Ballots                 –       1,355

Based on the aforementioned results, the Initiative failed by approximately a 60% to a 40% margin. As was stated many times during this process,  the defeat of the Initiative does NOT negate the need for all twenty-one affected jurisdictions in Contra Costa County from the regulatory mandates of the Federal Clean Water Act and California’s Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act. Each entity needs to immediately determine how the necessary funding will now be generated in order to implement the regulatory mandates or be found to be in noncompliance and subject to fines which could run into the thousands or millions of dollars.

The election results can and will be interpreted in many ways, but suffice it to say, the methodology outlined in the voter approved 1996 Proposition 218 ( California Constitution XIII ) had great challenges even though the Program followed its provisions religiously. Courts in California have said the legal nexus between urban runoff and property is valid, but the requirements of Proposition 218 became suspect in the voter’s mind and the press. It’s very easy for the press to condemn actions of local government; but rarely if ever, do they suggest valid alternatives. The election result has worsened local government’s ability to finance Federal and/or State mandates when it is done with no local financing. If the general fund becomes the only alternative to finance the regulatory mandates than the public debate will be simplified between “clean water vs. hiring police officers and other vital community services.”

Donald P. Freitas

Project Manager

Contra Costa Clean Water Program

BART customers will be able to get to the world famous Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco on Sunday, May 20, 2012, because the transit agency will open early and run additional long trains. The race is celebrating its 101th anniversary this year. All BART stations will open early with service starting at approximately 5 am Sunday so racers can get to the race well before Bay to Breakers begins at the new, early start time of 7 am. Trains running before 8 am will run at 20-minute intervals.
Download the special schedule (.pdf) for Bay to Breakers service.
Embarcadero & Montgomery Street Both Convenient
Because the Bay to Breakers race attracts thousands of runners and spectators, BART encourages riders originating from Peninsula and San Francisco stations to get off at Montgomery Street Station. Riders coming from the East Bay should use the Embarcadero Station. Both stations are just a short distance from Howard and Spear Streets, the starting point of the race.

More Tips for Runners
Runners can save themselves time and trouble by getting a Clipper card in advance of race day to pay their  fare. Those who do are reminded to be sure to load enough cash on the card to pay for a round trip fare. Clipper cards are available at transit ticket offices, through ticket vending machines in SFMTA stations and at most Walgreens and other retail locations. BART Ticket Vending Machines will allow you to add cash value to your Clipper card, but do not vend the cards.

Wet or damaged BART tickets will not work in fare gates, so runners who keep a round-trip ticket in their pockets while running seven miles may be disappointed when they try to get home. BART suggests that runners who don’t have a Clipper card should buy two one-way tickets: one ticket before heading to the race and the other before catching the train home instead of buying a single round-trip ticket.

BART reminds runners that shoes and proper attire are required on BART despite the “anything goes” attitude of the famous race. A reminder that there is no eating or drinking in the stations or on the trains so BART officials ask that runners do their pre-race carbo-loading before arriving at the stations. BART will not permit bicycles on the early Bay to Breakers trains that run prior to 8 am.