Antioch Council to discuss 14 items, 10 on youth development recreation, school safety during special meeting Tuesday night
Includes apology for racism against Chinese residents in the past including burning down the city’s Chinatown in 1876, but no mention of the council majority’s support and residents’ vote attempting to devalue current Chinese American landowners’ property in Antioch without compensation, last year; also school safety proposals including “Potential Increase of Campus Safety Personnel on High School Campuses”
By Allen Payton
Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe has called a special council meeting for Tuesday night, May 18, for the discussion of 14 agenda items, including 10 on youth development. The items were moved up a week from the council’s regular meeting on May 25 in response to the shooting death of a 12-year-old girl, last week. (See related article)
The items include #1, a previously proposed apology to Chinese residents, described in the city staff report as a “Resolution Apologizing to Early Chinese Immigrants and Their Descendants for Acts of Fundamental Injustice, Seeking Forgiveness and Committing to Rectification of Past Misdeeds.” However, the resolution includes no apology for what the current council majority and a majority of Antioch voters attempted to do, last year to current Chinese American landowners in the city, when they voted to devalue their property by over 97% without compensation. (See related article here and editorial, here) Antioch Council Resolution Apologizing to Early Chinese & Descendants 051821
Each of the other 13 items including 10 labeled “youth development” are preliminary and only offer a recommendation from staff “that the City Council discuss and provide direction to City staff” but without any details. Should a majority of council members support pursuing any of them, those that do will be brought back later for a formal vote.
A related agenda item to the apology resolution is #2, designation of a Chinese Historic District in the city’s downtown, where the Chinese residents owned their property, most of which is now owned by the city, specifically Waldie Plaza and the two adjacent parking lots on West 2nd and I (eye) Streets. The other related agenda item is #3, a discussion on Funding for Planning and Design of Potential Asian Museum Exhibits, Murals and Related Matters.
Item #4, requested by District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock is a discussion on a Social Media Policy for the council and perhaps for city staff and departments, as well.
Youth Development Recreation and Safety Proposals
Some are recreation oriented while others are more focused on anti-violence and youth safety. They include agenda item #5 – Potential Establishment of a Midnight Basketball Initiative Targeting Middle and High School Students, #6 – Securing Location to Legally and Safely Use Off Road Vehicles, #7 – Potential Establishment of Community Violence Solutions Task Force, #8 – Potential Establishment of a Safe Storage Ordinance for Firearms and Ammunition.#9 – Bus Pass Program, #10 – Review of Citywide K-12 Campuses to Determine the Need for Traffic Calming Measures, Including Crossing Guards, #11 – Potential Authorization of Additional Antioch Police Department Overtime For Afterschool Antioch Unified School District Special Events, #12 – Potential Launch of School Watch and Care Program in Partnership with City of Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission, #13 – Potential Increase of Campus Safety Personnel on High School Campuses, and #14 – Addition of Youth Members to Boards and Commissions.
According to District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, the high school campus safety personnel would not be police, but trained site safety staff. She, along with Thorpe and Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson, in one of their first acts as a new council, last December 15, voted to rescind the $750,000 federal grant for placing six sworn Antioch police School Resource Officers at AUSD middle and high school campuses. (See related article)
The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. and can be viewed via livestream on the city’s website at https://www.antiochca.gov/live_stream, on Comcast Channel 24, or AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. See complete agenda, here: Antioch City Council meeting agenda 051821
Public Comments
Members of the public wishing to provide public comment may do so by 5:00 p.m. the day of the Council Meeting in the following ways (#2 pertains to the Zoom Webinar):
- Fill out an online speaker card located at: https://www.antiochca.gov/speaker_card.
- Provide oral public comments during the meeting by clicking the following link to register by 5:00 p.m. the day of the Council Meeting, to access the meeting via Zoom Webinar: https://www.antiochca.gov/speakers – You will be asked to enter an email address and a name. Your email address will not be disclosed to the public. After registering, you will receive an email with instructions on how to connect to the meeting. – When the Mayor announces public comments, click the “raise hand” feature in Zoom. For instructions on using the “raise hand” feature in Zoom, visit: https://www.antiochca.gov/raise_hand. Please ensure your Zoom client is updated so staff can enable your microphone when it is your turn to speak.
- Email comments to cityclerk@ci.antioch.ca.us by 5:00 p.m. the day of the Council Meeting. The comment will be read into the record at the meeting (350 words maximum, up to 3 minutes, at the discretion of the Mayor). IMPORTANT: Identify the agenda item in the subject line of your email if the comment is for Announcement of Community Events, General Comment, or a specific Agenda Item number. All emails received by 5:00 p.m. the day of the Council Meeting will be entered into the record for the meeting.
the attachments to this post:
Antioch City Council meeting agenda 051821
Antioch City Council meeting agenda 051821
Antioch Council Resolution Apologizing to Early Chinese & Descendants 051821
Antioch Council Resolution Apologizing to Early Chinese & Descendants 051821
Youth development rec & safety
