Lower bond, seek legislation to draw trash haulers to anti-litter program

By Daniel Borsuk

Now that Contra Costa County voters have passed Measure R, the commercial cannabis taxation measure by a 72 percent approval rate in the Nov. 6 election, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors requested the county’s Conservation and Development Department (CDD) to present at the Board’s Dec. 4 meeting a refined process to select applicants for types of commercial cannabis businesses.

While supervisors heard favorable comments from speakers about CDD proposed regulations, there are concerns, particularly among cultivators, that the permit review process could take up to two years before a cultivator could even plant a crop.

In developing County Cannabis Zoning Regulations, county planners have reviewed cannabis zoning regulations that are implemented in Alameda County and in the cities of Alameda, Benecia, Emeryville and Hayward.

Anti-Litter Program Changes

Since launching in March, a program aimed at legalizing non-commercial trash haulers via a program where private haulers would become licensed, performance bonded operators through the Contra Costa County Health Department, the county agency entrusted to oversee the program has not received one applicant, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors revealed Tuesday.

Going on a recommendation from the supervisors’ Internal Operations Committee, supervisors learned from Dr. Marilyn Underwood, the county Environmental Health Director, about the status of the Solid Waste Collection & Transportation Ordinance.

“While extensive outreach has been conducted, no permit applications have been received. More than 40 phone inquiries were received, but mostly to confirm exemption from the permit program,” Underwood reported to supervisors.

Dr. Underwood reasoned that the current administrative penalties may not provide enough inducement for compliance, noting that the cost for a $50,000 performance bond of approximately $500 far exceeds the penalty for the first and second violation of the ordinance and is equivalent to the penalty for a third violation in a year.  As a result, the Internal Operations Committee recommended that the performance bond be lowered from $50,000 to $20,000 to see if haulers will apply for performance bonds and qualify for permits.

Even with the Internal Operations Committee recommendation from supervisors Candance Andersen of Danville and Diane Burgis of Brentwood, not all the supervisors were onboard.  Board Chair Karen Mitchoff resisted lowering the bond stating, “We need to put teeth into this ordinance.  The bond should still be at least $50,000.”

District 1 John Gioia of Richmond voted to maintain the performance bond at $50,000 instead of lowering it to $20,000.

Supervisors also voted to seek a state anti-litter bill that would enact statewide penalties on anyone illegally dumping litter in California.

“We want to get the state involved in this problem,” Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg said. “If Sacramento does not want to establish anti-litter penalties on a statewide basis, then perhaps it can be addressed on a Contra Costa County basis,” he said.

Keller Canyon EIR Contract Extended

Supervisors voted 5-0 to extend a Keller Canyon Land Fill contract with Environmental Science Associates Inc. from Dec. 31, 2018, to Dec. 31. 2020 at no additional change in contract cost of $402,588.

The landfill operator, Republic Services, plans to increase daily maximum tonnage at the landfill located on the southwest side of Pittsburg, off Baily Road, from 3,500 tons per day to 4,900 tons per day.  An environmental impact report will be required for that daily tonnage increase.

However, those plans have been temporarily shelved because of an investigation into allegations that shipments of radioactive material from the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco may have been deposited at the landfill.

In the meantime, Supervisor Glover told the Contra Costa Herald the Contra Costa Health Department will soon name an environmental consultant that will conduct an independent study of the landfill. The soils investigations will be paid through the Keller Canyon mitigation fund, a fund that annually distributes funds to Bay Point and Pittsburg non-profit organizations.

Veteran Affairs Administrator Jill Martinez Recognized for 39 Years of Service

After 39 years of service in Contra Costa County Veterans Affairs Office as an office administrator, Jill Martinez was recognized for her years of service to thousands of veterans during Veterans Day ceremonies Tuesday.

Well-respected among veterans because of her caring manner, Martinez told supervisors, veterans and the public attending the ceremony in the Board of Supervisors chambers in Martinez “I was fortunate that I had found my passion. We get calls from all over the county. The veteran community has grown so much that I’d work most weekends to keep up with the demands of the job.”

Martinez has no immediate plans of quitting.

Dear Editor:

I am a strong supporter of all public schools. The proposed East Bay Tech Academies approved by the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) Board earlier this year are free, public, charter schools. All of us who worked on bringing this choice to Antioch also support improvement at our current AUSD schools. Even so, we need high performing schools now so that our current students have the chance for success that they deserve.

As a longtime resident, it has saddened me to see many great families with school-aged children move out of town, primarily to get their children into higher performing school districts. I agree with the comment posted by Ken Turnage (on a previous letter to the editor) that it is possible to get a great education in Antioch. My children had some outstanding teachers. However, at the same time, the great majority of children attending the AUSD perform below grade level and are not meeting State Standards in either math or English. This can’t all be a result of bad parenting. After all, where high quality charter schools are established in a community, most of the same children who were failing begin to excel.

The nationally recognized model that the East Bay Tech Academies is offering Antioch families has taken a school in a neighboring community from a poor performing school to one of the best in the state. Fifty-two percent (52%) of their students were proficient in Math in 2016 versus only 15% at Antioch High School and 32% at Deer Valley High School. Which school would you choose to send your children to if you had a choice? The opponents of these schools never argue on the performance numbers because these facts are indisputable.

In fact, almost all of the opposition to charter schools comes from the teacher’s unions. Ironically, I know of many teachers and politicians who send their own children to charter and private schools, while fighting to prevent school choice for others. Parents at the local middle schools signed the East Bay Tech Academies petitions at an astonishing rate. Eight out of ten parents that I spoke with signed immediately when presented with the petition. Parents clearly support choice.

The unfounded fear is that these charter schools will hurt the district by attracting children from the district schools. The reality is that parents and students have already left the district in droves because they want options. The AUSD student population has declined by over 5,000 students from twelve years ago when my children were in the AUSD schools. At the same time, the population of Antioch has risen by over 20%. The student population should have increased significantly over this same period. Performance numbers, not charter schools, are the threat to the AUSD.

I want to thank the AUSD Board of Education for challenging the status quo in order to give the parents and students of Antioch more options.

The American Dream is a set of ideals which includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility. Education remains the best tool for achieving this dream. As a community we should support multiple venues for our children to succeed, including charter schools.

Tom McNell

Antioch

El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation presents “HAPPY 90th, El Campanil!” Celebrating 90 Years of Entertainment in the Heart of Antioch, California, ​this Saturday November 17, 2018 7:00 p.m. in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

A Live Retrospective of Shows & Stars* including highlights from The World of Webber, The Broadway Divas, You’ve Got A Friend: The Carole King Songbook, This One’s For You: The Songs of Barry Manilow, From Motown With Love, JOEL: The Band, and more…!

Featuring Performances By

Bay Area Critics Award Winner Tielle Baker American Idol Semi-Finalist Nicholas Crossen Top Shelf Classics’ Wanda Diamond Delta Blues Festival’s Frankie G. Theatre Bay Area Award Winner Andrea J. Love  Broadway’s “Movin’ Out” Star Kyle Martin Bay Area Favorites The Rhythm Method 4 2-Time Grammy Award Winner Mads Tolling Shellie Award winning Theatre Company Vagabond Players And Special Appearance by Star of “The Music of John Denver” Jim Curry

With  Pianist, Kenji Higashihama and Master of Ceremonies Antioch Classical Theatre Company’s Sean J. O’Neil
*FINAL PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Tickets: Reserved Seating

Gold Circle (1st 3 rows): All Ages – $50 (includes one commemorative wine glass per ticket)
Adults: $35  Seniors: (62 & Over): $30  Youth (Under 18): $25

We do not charge convenience fees ~ Save time – Buy Online www.elcampaniltheatre.com/anniversary.html

Box Office (next door to theatre) 925-757-9500 Tues – Fri 10am – 2pm and one hour before events at 602 W. 2nd Street (corner of 2nd & G Streets near the waterfront).

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6th General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website, as of Friday, Nov. 9th at 5:00 p.m. You can view the Update 1 here. The Contra Costa Elections Division has processed over 1.7 million ballot cards to this point.

Please note that the updated results are still unofficial.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 82,000 Vote-By-Mail envelopes remaining to be counted, as well as 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled update is at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 16th.

The Elections Department has 28 days to certify the election results. So, close races may not be decided until the beginning of December.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Sergeant Matthew Harger #3305, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

On Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 at about 7:30 pm, Antioch Police units were dispatched to the 2500 block of D Street regarding a shooting. When Officer’s arrived on scene a 20-year-old male victim was found on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Evidence at the location suggested numerous gunshots were fired into an occupied residence by someone in a passing vehicle. The victim was struck by the gunfire while he was inside of the home. The victim was transported to a local hospital suffering from multiple non-life-threatening gunshot wounds which were a result of this shooting. There is not any suspect information at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441 or 925-779-6884. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra will present “The Trumpet Shall Sound” on Saturday, November 10 at 2:00 pm in the extraordinary El Campanil Theatre in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

Joe Brown, 2nd trumpet in the SF Ballet Orchestra, will perform Alan Hovhaness’ lush, dream-like Prayer of Saint Gregory and Johann Hummel’s shimmering and virtuosic Concerto for Trumpet in Eb.

Also on the program are California-based composer Nick Benavides’s mesmerizing Magnetismus, and the heart-rending Adagio from Leos Janacek’s Idyll. The program will close with Haydn’s Symphony No. 82, nicknamed “The Bear” because the last movement has a section reminiscent of bagpipe music used to accompany dancing bears for several centuries in Europe.

The orchestra’s magnetic new conductor, Chad Goodman, was featured on the cover of the October issue of Diablo Magazine. Throughout the program he will engage the audience by sharing fascinating background information on the composers and their work.

Tickets – Adults $20, Seniors (62 & over) $15, Youth (17 & under) $7. Call El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. 2nd Street at 925-757-9500 or visit www.elcampaniltheatre.com.

For more information: www.ContraCostaChamberOrchestra.org