California CASA announced today, Friday, March 12, 2021, that it has published its 2019/2020 Impact Report, which reinforces the organization’s mission as it relates to helping serve the over 83,000 youth in California’s foster care system, local CASA programs, and Court Appointed Special Advocates. This year’s report also focuses on the unique actions the organization took in the wake of unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During this exceptional year, the 44 CASA programs in our state experienced first-hand how difficult it was, at times, for children in foster care to get their basic needs met. California CASA also witnessed the dedication and resiliency of CASA staff, boards, and volunteers in their outstanding support of youth who have experienced abuse and neglect,” said CA CASA CEO Sharon M. Lawrence, Esq. “The 2019/2020 Impact Report showcases the strength of our network and the potential to serve even more children by recruiting, training, and overseeing a growing and more diverse group of volunteer advocates in each county.”

The title of this year’s report — Stronger Together— underscores the cooperative relationship of California CASA and the variety of community members that come together to care for children across the state. In the midst of these tumultuous times, California CASA’s flexibility enabled the organization to operate exceptionally in an environment where county and state guidelines shifted in unpredictable ways. This purposeful approach was enhanced by dedicated CASA staff and volunteers at individual CASA programs adapting to ever changing dependency court and public health requirements that impacted advocates and the youth they are connected to.

The report looks at the how California CASA managed a wide range of initiatives to strengthen the service, quality, and impact of Court Appointed Special Advocates around the state.

Summary of 2019/2020 Impact in California:

• 14,150 children in California foster had the support of a CASA volunteer.
• 8,798 Court Appointed Special Advocates worked on behalf of children.
• $17.6M+ worth of volunteer service hours were provided by CASA volunteers to foster youth.
• 6,628 hours of technical assistance were provided by California CASA to local CASA programs.
• $8.5M+ in funding was facilitated by California CASA for local CASA programs.
• 2500 local CASA staff and volunteers attended California CASA webinar training sessions.

California CASA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization ensuring that children and youth in California’s foster care system have both a voice and the services they need for a stable future. California CASA connects the 44 county CASA programs in the state in order to raise awareness of the need for Court Appointed Special Advocates and provides support, advice, resources, and oversight to maintain high-quality programs that serve children’s best interests. California CASA is a member of the National CASA/GAL Association for Children.

 More information about California Court Appointed Special Advocates Association can be found here: CaliforniaCASA.org.  

 

By CHP – South Sacramento

On Thursday, March 11, 2021 at approximately 10 am, a 2008 GMC Acadia was traveling westbound on Twin Cities Road approaching River Road. As the GMC approached the T-intersection, the driver, a 67-year-old male out of Oakland, had a medical emergency and accelerated the GMC to 50 MPH. The GMC continued through the intersection and left the roadway and flew into the Sacramento River. As the GMC began to sink below the surface of the river, the driver climbed to the top of his vehicle and yelled at witnesses on shore that he did not know how to swim.

Chris Arias, a 39-year-old male out of Antioch, had witnessed the incident and was standing on the bank of the river when he heard the driver state that he could not swim. Mr. Arias immediately jumped into the river and swam to the GMC. Mr. Arias told the driver to hold onto his back and swam back to shore with the driver holding on to him, saving the drivers life.

The driver of the GMC did not sustain injuries as a result of the collision but was transported to a local hospital as a precaution. When investigating officers spoke to the driver, he stated that he would have died if it wasn’t for Mr. Arias.

The South Sacramento CHP Area would like to commend Mr. Arias on his heroic actions. Without his brave actions, the driver of the GMC would surely have perished.

Antioch Police posted on their Facebook page Thursday afternoon, “Great work by a member of our Antioch community, Chris Arias! We are proud of you and thankful you were there to help.”

 

Supervisors ink negotiating agreement with Pacific West Communities for Bay Point Orbisonia Heights mixed use development; Extend temporary industrial hemp cultivation moratorium to Sept. 30

By Daniel Borsuk

By next Wednesday, Contra Costa County residents can expect the county to graduate from the Purple Tier to the less restrictive Red Tier, Contra Costa County Public Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano announced Tuesday as the daily cases per 100,000 continues to decline to 7.9 per day.

The red tier designation means businesses and gyms can reopen at 25 percent capacity and retail businesses can reopen at 50 percent capacity. Schools are also reopening with COVID-19 health precautions in place for students and on-site staff.

When Contra Costa County does graduate to the red tier next week, it along with Sonoma County will be the final two Bay Area counties to move into the less restrictive tier.

Dr. Farnitano delivered the upbeat report at the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.

Progress is also materializing as more Contra Costa County residents from all economic and racial groups roll up their sleeves to be inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines. About 370,000 county residents have been vaccinated with either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, said Contra Costa County Health Director Anna Roth.

As for last week’s development where the state designated health giant Blue Cross to manage the state’s COVID-19 vaccination appointment system, Dr. Farnitano said. “We are still working with Blue Shield during the transition.”

Approve Bay Point Property Exclusive Negotiating Agreement

After years of neglect and bumps in the economy, the county might be taking another stab at trying to nail down an exclusive negotiating development agreement to finally get a 7.7-acre of county-owned property on Bailey Road to the west, State Highway 4 to the north and West Leland Road to the south, developed.

Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the exclusive negotiating agreement that was a consent agenda item at Tuesday’s supervisors’ meeting.

The vacant property is near the Bay Point-Pittsburg BART Station, the Oak Hills Shopping Center on Bailey Road and Ambrose Park to the East.  The proposed development is commonly known as the Orbisonia Heights project in Bay Point.

In 2009 the county failed to develop the property when the real estate market collapsed, said Maureen Toms, deputy director of policy planning division of the Contra Costa Conservation and Development Department (CCCDD).

Supervisors designated the CCCDD Director John Kopchick. or his representative. to negotiate and execute an exclusive negotiating agreement with well-known multi-family housing developer Pacific West Communities of Eagle, ID for the potential development of a at least 325 multiple family residences and 40,000 square feet of commercial space.

At least 15 percent of the residential units would be affordable housing, Maureen Toms, CCCDD deputy director of policy, told the Contra Costa Herald in an email.

“There were delays due to the poor economy and the elimination of redevelopment. We have been working with Pacific West Communities to develop the property,” Toms wrote in the email.

Planners have visions of developing four-story structures over parking with 15 percent of the residential units designated as affordable housing.

“It has been a long time coming,” said District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg, who is reservedly excited about the potential of getting the Orbisonia Heights development finally up and running. “We’re at that point to get the development underway because it is near BART, shopping, and Ambrose Park.”

Glover envisions the possibility that other services could be included in Orbisonia Heights project such as a library and retail.

A representative for Pacific West Communities was unavailable for comment.

Supervisors Extend Temporary Industrial Hemp Cultivation Moratorium to September 30

Even though District 3 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill initially pushed for a June deadline on extending an urgency ordinance extending a moratorium on Industrial Hemp cultivation in East Contra Costa County, Mitchoff eventually relented and agreed with colleagues and CCCDD Director Kopchik to set a deadline of September 30.

The supervisors’ action marks the third urgency interim ordinance that the supervisors have set in order to accommodate county officials in developing new regulations that accurately balances the sensitive commercial and agricultural activities of hemp interests versus homeowners land value and safety interests.

Supervisors have heard complaints from East County homeowners about criminal and traffic impacts stemming from hemp growing operators while hemp growers have defended their thriving businesses as being safe and economically solid sources of income for local residents.

At one point, District 3 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill wanted to curtail the timeline for CCCDD staff and Agriculture Commissioner Weights & Measures Director Matt Slattengren to draft a new county hemp ordinance by setting a July 30 deadline.  But CCCD Director Kopchik was able to convince Mitchoff and other supervisors that due to work assignments, a September 30 deadline would be more realistic.

Making it difficult for county officials to draft new regulations on hemp cultivation is the fact there is little if anything on the books that regulates the rising hemp industry in California.  The urgency ordinance makes this obviously clear stating: “Under state law, industrial hemp is not subject to the same regulatory provisions as cannabis. Health and Safety Code section 11018.5(b) exempts industrial hemp from regulation under Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. As a result, the county’s cannabis regulation ordinance, Chapter 88-28 of the County Code, does not regulate the cultivation of industrial hemp within the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County.”

At least this observer thinks, it appears county officials are left hanging in limbo on this hemp issue. It will be interesting to see what Kopchick and Slattengren are able to concoct in ensuing months.

Dentist-Engineer Dr. Jack Rosenfeld Recognized for 30 years of Service

Supervisors recognized Dr. Jack Rosenfeld, who retired after 30 years of service with Contra Costa Health Services as a dentist. “Dr. Rosenfeld has worked at various clinics throughout West, Central and East Contra Costa County, providing a wide array of dental services to the community,” the board of supervisors’ resolution stated about the dentist.

His specialty was practicing dentistry in underserved populations at several community clinics and Native American reservations throughout California.

Before studying dentistry at UCSF School of Dentistry, Dr. Rosenfeld was an electrical engineer. Dr. Rosenfeld used his electrical engineering training to develop a dental safety device that is still in production.

Supervisors Recognize American Red Cross Month 

With March being American Red Cross Month, supervisors acknowledged the organization’s 140- year mission of preventing and alleviating suffering by noting that in 2020 in Contra Costa County, 115 families affected by home fires relied on the American Red Cross volunteers for aid.

Contra Costa County residents donated 17,350 units of blood, the resolution stated. The resolution also noted that the American Red Cross hosted 142 blood drives, 3,459 local community members took classes to learn skills that save lives, and 719 military members and their families received support and services.

“Nearly 200 years since the birth of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton, we dedicate this month of March to all those who continue to advance her noble legacy, and we ask others to join in their commitment to care for people in need,” the resolution stated.

Due to habitat concerns and other considerations, the planned Deer Valley Regional Park will remain in “landbank” status and closed to the public, for the foreseeable future.

The East Bay Regional Park District is developing a new Regional Park at the former Roddy Ranch Golf Course in Antioch. The plan being developed will restore native grassland habitat and include paths and facilities for walking, jogging, and picnicking. The former golf course property will be a part of the larger 3,500-acre future Deer Valley Regional Park.

Date: Thursday, March 11, 2021
Time: 6:30-7:30 P.M.
Meeting Zoom link: https://ebparks.zoom.us/j/93304942688
Meeting ID: 933 0494 2688

Join us via Zoom for the first public meeting and learn about:
• Habitat restoration, recreation, and public access planning
• A summary of existing conditions, constraints, and opportunities
• Project timeline and other opportunities to be involved

See Existing Conditions Report and Attachments.

The park district, in partnership with the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, began purchasing land in 2009 that would become the future Deer Valley Regional Park. Jack Roddy sold his ranch to the park district, including the now-closed golf course, in various transactions from 2014 – 2018. Due to habitat concerns and other considerations, Deer Valley Regional Park will remain in “landbank” status and closed to the public, for the foreseeable future. The 230-acre former golf course is anticipated to be the first part of the future Deer Valley Regional Park to open for public access. (See related article)

Learn more about the project history on Roddy Ranch – Restoring Habitat and Public Access on a Former Golf Course.

 

Torres-Walker opposes new integrated software; her efforts to not use General Fund to pay for additional costs thwarted for first year.

By Allen Payton

During their meeting on Tuesday night, March 9, the Antioch Council unanimously approved the purchase of police body and car cameras, hiring two new police department staff to support the camera program on 5-0 votes, and new department-wide integrated software, on a 4-1 vote with Councilwoman Torres-Walker voting no without explanation. They also heard a presentation on the county’s new Behavioral Health Crisis Response efforts.

As part of the police reform proposals, and at the urging of Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson, the council heard a presentation from Contra Costa County Health Services entitled Behavioral Health Community Crisis Response and directed to city staff to work with the county’s new program, as proposed by District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica.

That is instead of having the city form their own mental health crisis response team and is expected to reduce the need for dispatching police officers to what are known as 5150 calls. Antioch Police officers support the effort.

“The goal is to increasingly be able to respond without law enforcement,” said the presenter. “We appreciate the partnership. But we understand how busy they are and don’t want to occupy their time.”

The county’s efforts launched last November. (See related article) While the program operates seven days a week, it’s not 24 hours a day, as they don’t currently have enough staff.

“We try very hard to stabilize the situation in the community,” the presenter added.

The program has three parts: Mental Health Evaluation Team which is designed to reduce law enforcement repeat calls for service and violent encounters, reduce visits to Psychiatric Emergency Services; the Mobile Crisis Team to de-escalate crisis, provide stabilization, and prevent psychiatric hospitalization; and the Mobile Response Team which is intended for youth and their families and has been operating for about 14 years.

The plan is to launch a phased implementation, this summer.

The council did not make any decision on the program but will either consider other programs and make a decision on the direction the city will go on the matter, during a future council meeting.

Police Body and Car Cameras

Following a presentation by representatives of Axon Enterprises Inc. on their police body worn and in-car cameras, the city council voted unanimously to approve the purchase of both the hardware and operating system software.

“This doesn’t end tonight, there’s going to be policy that needs to be developed,” Mayor Lamar Thorpe said.

Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock asked about the cost of tasers.

If the tasers were included in the package as a bundle, there would be a 50% cost savings.

“There are no tasers in this package, just to clarify,” Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker said. “We already The mayor confirmed that tasers were not part of the agenda item

Barbanica then made the motion to approve the entire contract for the body and car cameras for the Antioch Police Department. Ogorchock seconded the motion.

“Is that amendments to the existing police budget or the General Fund budget?” Torres-Walker asked.

Thorpe said the council would decide later how to pay for them.

“We’re authorizing the city manager to make the necessary budget amendments to the 20-21 budget,” Ogorchock clarified.

“I was thinking incorrectly,” Thorpe said. “What we’re doing is leaving it in his discretion.”

City Attorney Thomas Smith attempted to ask a question of City Manager Ron Bernal

“Staff, let me remind you, please don’t do that. We’ll ask the questions,” Thorpe said to Smith.

“The budget amendment would be to add funds to the existing police budget to pay for the costs of the first year of these body cams and dash cams,” Bernal responded.

“They would probably come out of some savings…in the department,” Thorpe said.

“At this point it would come out of General Fund reserves,” Bernal responded.

“In subsequent years, the decision would come to us to decided,” Thorpe explained.

The council then approved the motion on a 5-0 vote.

“Ten years overdue but we got it done,” Thorpe added following the vote.

“I’d like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Police Chief T Brooks said. “I’m looking forward to implementing the cameras.”

Staffing to Support the Camera Program

Following a brief presentation by Chief Brooks public comments about the hiring two staff for the police department to support the new camera program, Torres-Walker once again asked about how they would be paid for.

Thorpe responded that the first year they will be paid for out of the General Fund.

“It’s going to come out of the budget reserves, then we will do our jobs as councilmembers to determine how to pay for them in subsequent years,” he said. “We are not taking money from any other program.”

Barbanica then made the motion and it passed on a unanimous, 5-0 vote.

“Another historic first for Antioch,” Thorpe then said.

New APD Software

A presentation was provided by Antioch Police Lt. John Fortner and a representative of Peregrine Technologies on new, department wide software for agency-wide data integration into one platform for real-time decisions including from body and dash cams, as well as GPS mapping.

The software complies with state laws on data security and allows APD personnel to send documents to the District Attorney’s office electronically. The software also supports the requirement in the Racial Identity and Profiling Act to collect 16 points of data on every police stop, Fortner explained.

“We’ll be able to communicate with DOJ electronically…and share with other jurisdictions,” he stated. “Allowing us to reduce violent crime in the city, especially gun violence.”

“How many agencies in the county use this?” Barbanica asked.

“Four,” Fortner stated. “Pittsburg, San Pablo, Hercules and

“How many systems will it allow you to combine into this system?” the councilman asked.

“It will be 10 systems, approximately, that will be integrated into the system, initially,” said Nick Noone, CEO of Peregrine Technology.

“So, does this software allow you to communicate out of the state?” Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson asked.

“Yes…it will allow us to communicate with other agencies,” Fortner responded.

“What value does this technology bring to Antioch?” Ogorchock asked.

“Some of the largest values for us…it forms a one-stop shop…and vets that information in real time,” Fortner shared, and mentioned time savings. “Increased transparency and response. It integrates with…cameras. There’s faster resolution of criminal investigations. It builds trust with the community…by getting that information to the chief of police…and the city council…that could be shared with the community.”

“Why now?” Ogorchock asked.

“In the 20 years I’ve worked in Antioch, we have never had a platform to share all of our information on one platform,” Fortner said. “In Contra Costa County we’ve been looking for how to share information…and to support operations in the field. And all of that is happening, now.”

“If we have an unfortunate situation of an in-custody death…how do we get all of that body camera footage, dash cam footage to the district attorney’s office?” Thorpe asked.

“When the district attorney’s office contracted with Peregrine…that allowed the sending of video electronically,” Fortner said. “To store that on thumb drives you’d need terabyte drives.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear you say that Peregrine is the solution…to seamlessly send information to the district attorney’s office,” Thorpe said.

“That is correct,” Fortner said.

Barbanica then made a motion to approve a three-year contract for the new software. Ogorchock seconded the motion. With no further discussion, it passed on a 4-1 vote with Torres-Walker voting no.

One victim in critical but stable condition, the other in critical condition; the city’s sixth shooting in less than a month; unknown suspect(s) sought by police; mayor makes comments about today’s, recent shootings during Tuesday night council meeting

By Lieutenant John Fortner, Antioch Police Department

On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at approximately 11:14 AM, Antioch police officers were called to the 2100 block of Aspen Way on the report of a subject that was shot in the street.

Numerous officers responded to the scene and located a sedan stopped in the street with several bullet holes in it.  The vehicle was unoccupied.  Officers quickly learned that the vehicle was occupied by two male victims who were wounded and fled to a nearby residence.  The suspect(s) responsible for the shooting fled the scene in a vehicle and were not located.

The victims, 21- and 22-years-old, were found to have both been shot.  Officers immediately began providing first-aid and called for emergency paramedics.  Ultimately, both victims were transported to local area hospitals.  One was transported by ambulance, and the other was transported by helicopter.

The victims in this case appear to have been targeted by the suspect(s). Currently, the 21-year-old victim is listed in critical but stable condition, and the 22-year-old victim is listed in critical condition.

Antioch Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigators and Detectives with the Violent Crimes and Special Operations Units responded to the scene and took over the investigation.

Currently, detectives are working to identify any suspects or persons-of-interest. The investigation is still active, and evidence is being collected and evaluated.

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

During Tuesday night’s council meeting, Mayor Lamar Thorpe spoke about today’s shooting and the others in Antioch, recently.

“They continue to be unfortunate. Our police department, our police chief and this council are committed to keeping our city safe,” he said. “If we have to, look at overtime or more funding for crime tips, whatever that may be.”

“There are going to be individuals…there will be people who will try to politicize these issues, as some tried to politicize police reform,” Thorpe continued. “We are above the rhetoric. We are here to do a job. Some of the misconceptions out there being promoted…is that we are trying to defund the police department. The city council has had no policy around trying to defund the police department.”

Regarding the politicization of the issues he concluded, “It’s not right and we aren’t participating.”

Earlier in the day, Thorpe posted the following comment on his mayoral Facebook page:

“Just briefed by our Chief of Police about another tragic shooting in our community. While this uptick in gun violence is being seen in many places throughout our Nation, it is still unacceptable and we shouldn’t settle for it.

In my conversation with the Chief, I informed him that if deemed necessary by the Antioch Police Department, I would seek immediate crime suppression budgetary support from the Antioch City Council.

As mayor, I have identified the following three areas where financial support may have an immediate impact on crime suppression. The areas are as follows:

• Police officer overtime;
• Gun buybacks; and
• Reward Dollars for Crime/Crime Prevention Tip Hotline

As mayor, I have made it clear that Antioch will always prioritize the safety of our community, as we will never waiver from our goal of making our city one of the safest in the state. Having only served as mayor for three months, it is moments such as the current situation in Antioch that further strengthen my resolve to reform the Antioch Police Department.

Certain reforms will build an atmosphere of trust among certain communities in order to help police prevent crime and others will refocus officers’ attention on more serious crimes vs. some mental health and homelessness 911 calls.

In the coming days, I’ll be meeting with experts from Moms Demand Action and other similar organizations to learn more about community violence prevention models for Antioch.”

In coordination with An Elderly Wish Foundation

Please join in this free drive-through mobile shredding event at TreVista in Antioch at 3950 Lone Tree Way or TreVista in Concord at 1081 Mohr Lane on Saturday, March 27, 2021 – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm!

Freewill tax-deductible donations will be accepted for An Elderly Wish Foundation a non-profit granting wishes to seniors in Contra Costa County. Our website is www.elderlywish.org.

Thanks to Tamsen and Anne of TreVista for their support!!

 

By Patrick McCarran, Real Estate Broker

Leaving California or is it time to reinvest in a different property or state? Due to the recent upswing in homes values we have realized a significant growth in equity.  Many owners think that they may be stuck in their current investment property. Whether you bought it as an investment, or it was an owner occupied that went past your three-year deferment period you have options. Maybe you would prefer an investment in a different city, region or even another state. Possibly you would like to combine many properties into few or few into many. The answer is a 1031 Tax Exchanges otherwise known as a Starker Exchange. This process allows real estate owners to defer taxes on capital gains resulting from the sale of investment real estate, often a sizable sum since combined Federal and State taxes can run as high as 38 percent.

In general terms to roll their profit into another property and defer the tax and preserve equity and cash flow.

To accomplish this, sellers need to engage a Qualified 1031 Intermediary to document the sale as an exchange and to receive the funds from the sale. I cannot stress the importance of a THIRD party for the exchange. This does NOT mean a title or escrow company. By definition you cannot have any direct control over the funds, which is not just in your pocket but anywhere within your reach.

Central to a 1031 Exchange is the interpretation of like-kind property. While the common assumption is that like-kind implies land for land or a condominium for a condominium swap, the definition of like kind has become far less literal.  Today it defines like kind as meaning that both the replacement and the original property must be used as an investment. So, land, condominiums, single-family homes and motels can all be exchanged for one another as long as they are used in the exchanger’s business or held as an investment.

1031 Exchanges do have specific IRS requirements and a set timeframe for performing. This is why it is very important that you contact an experience agent such as myself and engage the Intermediary BEFORE  you close and ideally before you place the property for sale.

There Are other options for example you can opt for a Reverse Exchange where you buy the replacement property first then sell the current property.  An Improvement Exchange, allows you to build investment properties from the ground up or improve existing properties.

If you want more information on 1031 Exchange or have any questions feel free to contact myself or a real estate professional you know. Make sure that he or she is familiar not only with the process but also with the specific documentation and time frame mandated by the IRS.

This article is intended to inform readers, but does not constitute any financial or legal advice.

Patrick McCarran is a local Realtor and Broker DRE# 01325072. He can be contacted by phone or text at (925) 899-5536, pmccarran@yahoo.com or www.CallPatrick.com. An independently owned and operated office.  In association with Realty One Group Elite DRE# 0193160. Equal Housing Opportunity.