AB 417 Will Significantly Improve Bicycle Transportation in Cities and Counties

Sacramento, CA – Today Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 417 authored by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D – Oakley) that streamlines the CEQA process for bicycle transportation plans. “AB 417 is a common sense approach to a much needed change,” said Frazier.

AB 417 will provide a narrow exemption for bicycle transportation plans in urbanized areas and will ensure public participation and address traffic and safety impacts.

“This bill corrects the unanticipated consequences of CEQA,” said Dave Snyder from the California Bicycle Coalition, “and will allow cities to calm their traffic, install bicycle lanes, and improve bike parking and signage without enduring millions of dollars in expense and incurring years of delay.”

Biking has become a common mode of transportation for the daily commuter and is a proactive way for the public to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emission and improve personal health. These streamlined plans will significantly improve biking conditions and expand transportation networks in cities and counties.

“Transportation is my number one priority,” said Frazier. “AB 417 is just a start to what I hope to accomplish for transportation projects in California because a quality transportation network is essential to economic growth.”

By Barbara Zivica

Last year the Antioch City Council decided against placing a parcel tax for additional Police Dept. funding on the November ballot. One wonders if the council would have made the same decision if there weren’t three open seats up for election, including the mayor’s seat. This year it’s a different story. The City (council) is spending more than $200,000 to get voters to approve the deceptive sales tax increase ballot Measure C.

Although it’s being heavily promoted by the council and the police chief as the solution to an understaffed police department, scrutiny of the measure reveals that any funds received from increasing the tax on all our purchases for the next 7 years, will go into the city’s General Fund and can be used for any legal governmental purpose. The measure was purposely written in this manner to enable an easier passage, requiring only 50% plus one yes votes to be approved. A specific tax measure requiring all additional sales tax revenues be directed to police services and public safety would require 2/3 voter approval whichm apparently the council doesn’t think would pass.

Measure C is similar to Measure P, Antioch’s 2010 sales tax measure which, council should note, failed. Failure was attributed to opponents being worried about the impact on local businesses and wary of the fact that the money was not guaranteed to go to the police department:

A few facts for you to consider before you vote:

Prop 30 (Governor Jerry Brown) passed in November, 2012, raising the sales tax from 7.25% to 7.5% and increasing upper income brackets, increases which applied retroactively to all income earned or received since the first of January, 2012. Another voter approved state law which also passed amended specific pension formulas for public employees (2.7% at age 55 for police officers and 2% at age 62 for other employee categories, effective January 1, 2013.

On December 27, 2012, in order to avoid the new law which would freeze the benefit level for lateral (experienced) officers, the newly sworn in Mayor and council members, urged on by the Police Chief, adopted an “urgency ordinance” amending recent negotiations which extended the existing contract with police until 2016 and specified that police hired after September 1 would have to wait until age 55 to collect the 3% retirement benefit, saving the city up to $2.5 million.

The council ignored a recent comparison showing that Antioch pension benefit levels matched or exceeded 10 of 15 nearby cities and restored the 3% retirement benefit at age 50 for newly hired lateral officers, stating the move was necessary to attract more experienced officers.

Being that the police department continues to be understaffed, it’s clear to me that, in order to assure the public’s safety, we need to adopt more proactive policing policies like those under Chief James Hyde, rather than continue the reactive policing policies practiced now, practices similar to former Chief Dave Lewis.

NOTE: Property tax values are moving upward again. In July, County Assessor Gus Kramer told the Board of Supervisors “The increase to the local tax base for 2013-14 is over $4.87 billion. This represents a 3.45% increase in assessed value and brings the total local assessment roll to over $146 billion, just 6.92% away from the county’s record assessed value, which was set in 2008. Cities with the largest increases in assessed value are: Antioch, (7.38%), Brentwood, Clayton, Oakley and Walnut Creek.

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) is seeking nominations from the community to recognize Unsung Heroes for their little-known, unique and/or aspiring contributions that he/she has made for students.  Awards will be given out in eight categories: Faculty, Classified Staff, Manager, Student, Alumni, Retiree, Volunteer and Community Partner, at the District’s 65th anniversary showcase event on Saturday, December 7, 2013.

“The public can nominate someone from any of these categories they feel has contributed to the District and has made a difference in the lives of students,” says Unsung Heroes coordinator Michele Jackson.  “Our success depends on the contribution of many people, organizations, and community partners, and this recognition gives us the opportunity to thank them for their support.”

To nominate an Unsung Hero, complete the application by visiting the District’s 65^th Anniversary website at www.4cd.edu and click on “Unsung Hero Nomination Form”.  A selection committee will review the applications, select the awardees, and make the presentations at the District’s 65^th anniversary showcase event scheduled at the Universal Sports Academy, 330, Ferry Street, Martinez, beginning at Noon.  Deadline for nominations is Thursday, October 31, 2013.

The showcase event will feature programs and services offered by the District through its colleges – Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College and the San Ramon Campus, and Los Medanos College and the Brentwood Center.  Live entertainment and family fun will be provided, and attendees can learn more about the educational resources and community partnerships the District enjoys.

The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The CCCCD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The District is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. For more information visit www.4cd.edu.

Armoun Page

By Sergeant Morefield, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Saturday, September 28, 2013 at approximately 10:01 PM, Antioch Police officers responded to a report of a shooting at a residence in the 2200 block of Banyan Way. The officers arrived to find a 24-year-old male Oakley resident and a 20-year-old male Suisun City resident suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victims were taken to a local area hospital for treatment. The 24-year-old victim was later pronounced deceased. As of Saturday, the 20-year-old male was in surgery.

Following an extensive investigation by Antioch PD detectives, 19-year-old San Francisco resident Armoun Page, was identified as the lone suspect in this case. He was arrested in San Francisco on Monday, September 30, 2013 at approximately 6:00 PM by San Francisco Police on the Antioch homicide warrant. He is currently being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on $2,000,000 bail. The case is currently being prepared for filing with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective Stenger with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6894. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

As part of the Highway 4 construction work, the contractor will be erecting temporary supports for the new Highway 4 bridges over Lone Tree Way/A Street. In order to ensure crew and public safety during this work, the contractor will close all lanes of Lone Tree Way/A Street in the northbound and southbound directions between the westbound Highway 4 onramp and the eastbound Highway 4 on-ramp on Monday through Thursday evenings, September 30 to October 3, from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.

The detours for this work will be as follows:

o Southbound motorists will be directed left on Bryan Avenue, right on Sunset Drive, right on Cavallo Road, right on Tregallas Road to Lone Tree Way. For detour map, please see attachment.

o Northbound motorists will be directed right on Tregallas Road, left on Cavallo Road, left on Sunset Drive, left on Bryan Avenue to A Steet. For detour map, please see attachment.

All on and off ramps at the Lone Tree Way/A Street interchange will remain open with the following exceptions: The westbound on-ramp from Lone Tree Way/A Street will be closed on Tuesday through Thursday evenings from 11:59 pm to 3:00 am, Friday morning.

The Highway 4 projects include improvements to the entire project corridor that will help revitalize eastern Contra Costa County. The projects expand Highway 4 from four to eight lanes between Loveridge Road and SR-160, and add a BART extension from Pittsburg to Antioch (eBART). The projects will also expand the highway from two to four lanes from Lone Tree Way to Sand Creek Road.

This will greatly improve transit accessibility for the region and help reduce traffic congestion and enhance the quality of life for the more than 250,000 residents of eastern Contra Costa County. The projects have been carefully staged to keep 130,000 vehicles per day moving as major construction and demolition work continue, and include over $1.3 billion in State, Federal, Regional Bridge Toll, and Contra Costa Measures C & J sales tax funds.

Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways. For the most current

information on all Highway 4 corridor closures please visit our website at: http://4eastcounty.org.

Lihua Hu

The Antioch Police announced, today, that last Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 2:00 PM, police conducted an undercover operation at the Oasis Healing Spa massage parlor in the 5100 block of Lone Tree Way. During the operation, an undercover officer paid for a massage and was solicited by Lihua Hu, a 53-year-old San Gabriel resident, during the massage to pay for sexual acts.

The undercover operation was conducted after receiving complaints regarding the suspicious activity at the business as well as advertisements from the business on local internet escorts sites.

The investigation is ongoing, anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective Mortimer with the Antioch Police Department at (925)779-6941. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.