Contra Costa Fire and East Contra Costa Fire Protection Districts to move forward with applications to Local Agency Formation Commission

By Steve Hill, PIO, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District & Steve Aubert, Fire Marshal/PIO, East Contra Costa Fire Protection District

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) and East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) announced Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, their boards of directors have each approved resolutions for the annexation of ECCFPD into the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The agencies are now expected to make applications to the Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) for formal approval of the annexation.

“Annexation into Con Fire is a huge victory for the businesses and residents of East Contra Costa,” said ECCFPD Board of Directors President Brian Oftedal. “We explored every option to fix this historically underfunded district and provide a better service delivery model. Annexation will improve response times, open fire stations and provide a paramedic level of service for our communities.”

ECCFPD was formed in November of 2002 by combining the Bethel Island Fire District, the East Diablo Fire District, and the Oakley Fire District.  It serves Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Knightsen, Byron and the unincorporated area to the Clayton city limits.

“I am so excited and proud of the teamwork that has brought us to this point,” said District 3 Supervisor and Board Chair Diane Burgis, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “With the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors acting as the Con Fire fire board unanimously approving the request to formally apply for annexation of ECCFPD, and the ECCFPD board voting unanimously to move forward, we are a giant step closer to providing improved fire and rescue services in East Contra Costa County.”

“I look forward to continuing to work to push this across the finish line,” she added.

Once approved by LAFCo, Con Fire will absorb the firefighting staff, support staff, facilities and equipment of today’s ECCFPD and the newly merged organization will provide improved fire and emergency services to the more than 128,000 residents of eastern Contra Costa County. The annexation approval process is expected to take four-to-six months followed by operational and administrative consolidation of the two entities.

“I am pleased by the decisions of the two agencies’ boards, approving our requests to formally apply for annexation of East Contra Costa Fire into Con Fire,” said Chief Lewis Broschard of Con Fire. “I look forward to now beginning in earnest the implementation of this long-studied initiative that will provide more effective, efficient and safer fire and emergency services across our county.”

Benefits of annexation for residents are expected to include more coordinated, cohesive and streamlined fire and emergency services. While both fire districts already work very closely on mutual aid assignments across current borders, each maintains separate operations, training and administrative functions, creating potential for economies of scale by bringing the separate operational entities under one administrative structure.

Another important benefit will be better alignment of firefighting models across districts that could net both increased fire services and improved firefighter safety. Annexation is also expected to reduce current burdens on the agencies’ busiest stations by increasing resources within Battalion 5 in East County.

“ECCFPD’s citizens and businesses are one step closer to receiving adequate fire and rescue service levels,” said ECCFPD Fire Chief Brian Helmick. “My staff and I will continue to diligently work to ensure the remaining consolidation processes go through seamlessly and in a timely manner.”

When reached for comment, he added, “it still needs both LAFCo and state Board of Equalization approval. It is anticipated both those processes will go smoothly and we expect to be one agency by March 2022. It’s just a process issue. At this time, we have heard of no opposition to either board’s identical resolutions.”

Asked about what his new position will be, Helmick responded, “that’s still being worked out. We’ll probably know what that looks like in the next couple months. They’re working on finalizing positions for many people in the organization.”

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, acting as the Con Fire Board, unanimously approved a resolution for Con Fire to annex East Contra Costa Fire in its regular monthly meeting on September 14, 2021.

The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Board of Directors voted unanimously to move forward with consolidation with Contra Costa County Fire Protection District at a special Fire Board meeting on September 16, 2021. (See related article)

About Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) — A recognized fire service leader – – Con Fire provides fire and emergency medical services to more than a million people across its 304 square-mile District area, and through mutual aid, in and around the 20 cities and unincorporated communities of Contra Costa County, California. With few exceptions, county emergency ambulance transport services are provided by Con Fire through its unique sub-contractor Alliance model across the District and beyond to include some 520 square miles of the county. In 2020, the District responded to some 75,000 fire and EMS emergencies and dispatched some 95,000 ambulances, providing expert medical care on more than 74,000 ambulance transports. The District, with 26 fire stations and more than 400 employees, is dedicated to preserving life, property, and the environment.

About East Contra Costa Fire Protection District — The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) is a rural-funded fire district that currently operates three fire stations and has a three-station deficit. The district protects a population of more than 128,000 across its 249 square-mile service area. ECCFPD provides firefighting personnel, emergency medical services (basic life support) and fire prevention to the residents and businesses of the cities of Brentwood and Oakley, and unincorporated communities of Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Knightsen, Byron, Marsh Creek, and Morgan Territory. Learn more at www.eccfpd.org or social media via Facebook (East Contra Costa Fire Protection District), Instagram(@east_contra_costa_fire), Twitter (@ECCFPD ) or our YouTube channel (East Contra Costa Fire Protection District).

 

One day before she faces another vote to remove her as board president; issues public statement on reasons; Board VP Lewis unable to attend

By Allen Payton

Antioch School Board president Ellie Householder has called for another special board meeting, her second one, this month. It will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. This time it’s to discuss in closed session, Public Employee: Discipline/Dismissal/Release. (See agenda) It was scheduled, today, after Wednesday’s board meeting agenda was issued which includes another vote for Householder’s removal as board president. (See related article)

Householder posted an announcement of the special meeting on her official Facebook page and wrote, “I am calling a special closed session meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. to take action that will impact the future direction of the Antioch Unified School District,” with a link to the statement about her reasons for calling the meeting on her blog.

Householder and the other board members were asked who the employee is and if it’s Superintendent Stephanie Anello via email, Monday morning. However, the school board only has one employee and cannot discipline any other district employee.

In response, Householder provided the following statement: Householder Statement on 9-21-21 Special Board Mtg

“ANTIOCH SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT ELLIE HOUSEHOLDER STATEMENT  REGARDING THE SPECIAL EDUCATION MEETING ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

On Monday, September 20, 2021, after consulting with Vice President Dr. Clyde Lewis, I am calling a special closed session meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. to take action that will impact the future direction of the Antioch Unified School District.

From the moment that I took my oath of office, I have made it my singular focus to create an environment that provides ALL of our students with a nurturing and supportive environment to ensure that they have the foundational skills to have long-term success.

However, the sad reality is that the students of the Antioch Unified School District are performing well below average, as compared to the rest of the state, especially Black and Latino students. Under the current superintendent, student performance has worsened.

As a board, we have the fiduciary responsibility to serve our students. In our opinion, the current set of facts at the district have made it so that a change must occur now as far as the leadership of the Antioch Unified School District.

To those who attack me for taking this position, you make my point, as anyone with an objective mindset could easily see that the scores continue moving in a downward trajectory. Regardless of the attacks, I will continue to fight for our students.

If we truly love Antioch, we must do everything in our power to protect our students, as our city’s future hinges on their success. This is no longer about old Antioch vs new Antioch. This fight is about whether Antioch will even exist as our school district’s track record continues to crush the hopes and dreams of our students, and in the process, our city.

Antioch Unified School District Fact Sheet  (CAASP 2018-2019)

Reading and Writing

• 45% of white students do not meet state standards for reading and writing
• 67% of Black students do not meet state standards for reading and writing
• 60% of Latino/Hispanic students do not meet state standards for reading and writing

Math

• 46% of white students do not meet state standards for mathematics
• 79% of Black students do not meet state standards for mathematics
• 71% of Latino/Hispanic students do not meet state standards for mathematics

Suspensions (at least once…)

• 9% of white students
• 2% of Black students
• 2% of Latino/Hispanic students”

———

Householder was also asked if the special meeting was called in response to Anello’s comments on the KPIX CBS5 TV news report about the board’s Sept. 8th meeting in which the board president unilaterally removed the agenda item for a vote to remove her as board president. Householder posted the video of the report on her official Facebook page. In that report, Anello was quoted as saying, “In all my years of public service, I have never witnessed such a blatant misuse of power. It is a huge disservice to the citizens of Antioch.”

In that same report, Householder said about Anello, “That’s all just noise. That’s all just a distraction. She’s playing petty politics.”

Householder was also asked, “aren’t you by issuing that statement before the closed session meeting, publicly discussing your reasons for disciplining, dismissing or removing the superintendent?”

She did not respond before publication time.

Lewis Confirms Meeting is about Anello, But Can’t Attend

Lewis was asked to confirm what Householder wrote about him in her statement and for any additional comments on the matter.

“The conversation Ellie and I had was, she thinks it’s time to move forward with removing the superintendent. But no date was determined for a special board meeting,” Lewis said. “Tuesday, I’m not available. I have to work. I can’t make that meeting. I have a work meeting at that time.”

Asked further about the superintendent and if the possible action is in response to her comment reported by KPIX CBS5, Lewis responded. “I’m a process-oriented person. I wasn’t elected to get involved in personal disputes. I was elected to govern.”

Asked what the board is doing to improve the education of the district’s students, he said, “We need to have more conversations around how we’re going to improve the education of our kiddos.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Meeting Information

According to the staff report on the one-item agenda, “Location: This meeting is being held pursuant to Executive orders N-29-20 (https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/3.17.20-N-29-20-EO.pdf) and N-08-21 (https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6.11.21-EO-N-08-21-signed.pdf) issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Any or all Board members may attend the meeting by videoconference.

Closed Session: 5:30 p.m.

The meeting will be livestreamed and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/TY04POBHgYA. Persons wishing to make a public comment on items on the agenda can submit their comments until 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

Comments can be submitted via an online form at https://tinyurl.com/CommentSpecialMeeting or by email to kelliecavallaro@antiochschools.net. Comments received by 4:00 p.m. will be read to the public during the meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: This link – https://tinyurl.com/CommentSpecialMeeting, is for the Special meeting only. If you wish to submit a comment for the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, September 22nd, please go to https://tinyurl.com/ausd-public-comment-card.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disability Act, persons with a disability who require a disability-related modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting, including auxiliary aides or services, may request such modification or accommodation from the Superintendent’s Office at 925-779-7500 ext. 51000 or FAX 925-779-7509. A notification of 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the district staff to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to the meeting.

By Allen Payton

Embattled Antioch School Board president, Ellie Householder faces both another vote to remove her from her appointed position during Wednesday night’s regular board meeting, as well as a vote of no-confidence by the district’s faculty, classified staff and management employees. Ballots were sent out over the weekend, the Herald learned on Monday. (See  agenda)

The board vote to remove her as president was first requested by Trustee Mary Rocha and appeared on the Sept. 8 meeting agenda. But during that meeting, Householder said the item was placed on the agenda without her knowledge, and unilaterally removed it, which she didn’t have the authority to do.

In spite of Householder’s action, Rocha still made the motion to remove her as board president and it failed on a 2-3 vote, with just Rocha and Trustee Gary Hack voting in favor.

It was later reported that Householder was provided a draft meeting agenda, which she, Board Vice President Dr. Clyde Lewis, Superintendent Stephanie Anello and other district staff reviewed before publicly issuing the final version. The final agenda also included three items Householder added to the same section as the item for the vote to remove her. (See related article)

This time, the vote to remove Householder as board president was requested by both Rocha and  Hack.

Wednesday’s meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.

Meeting Information

Closed Session: 6:15 p.m.

Open Session: 7:00 p.m.

The meeting will be livestreamed and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/RuWzzzZB_lA. Persons wishing to make a public comment can submit their comments until 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Comments can be submitted via an online form at https://tinyurl.com/ausd-public-comment-card or by email to kelliecavallaro@antiochschools.net. Comments received by 4:00 p.m. will be read to the public during the meeting.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disability Act, persons with a disability who require a disability-related modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting, including auxiliary aides or services, may request such modification or accommodation from the Superintendent’s Office at 925-779-7500 ext. 51000 or FAX 925-779-7509. A notification of 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the district staff to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to the meeting.

 

Deadline for discount tickets Sept. 26

By Wayne Steffen

Enjoy an entertaining and delicious evening on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at the Holy Rosary Church Dominican Hall at 1313 A St., Antioch, CA.  An Old West themed, murder mystery show will be presented by Caught in the Act Theater.  Dinner includes main dishes of BBQ chicken and pulled pork with appetizers, sides, and dessert.  Prizes will be awarded for the best detectives and best costumes.

Prices are $65 through September 26, 2021 and $75 beginning September 27, 2021.  Reservations are available on-line at:  https://knights-of-columbus-108281.square.site  or by calling Bill Fraser 925.822.5594

Council #3265 in Antioch, CA is one of 17,000 Knights of Columbus councils that make up the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882 to assist working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, today the approximately two million members of the Knights put their faith into action through a broad range of charitable causes locally, nationally and internationally with financial contributions and hands-on service.

By Eddie Willis, Planner, East Bay Regional Park District

Greetings, park supporters:

I am excited to announce that East Bay Regional Park District and East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy will be hosting a free, on-site OPEN HOUSE EVENT at the former Roddy Ranch Golf Course in Antioch the morning of Saturday, September 25. This is an opportunity to see the site in-person, walk along a section of former golf cart paths, and learn about park planning efforts, design ideas, and habitat restoration for the future Regional Park. Capacity is limited, so registration is required. Face coverings and/or social distancing may also be required per local health orders.

When: Saturday, September 25*, 2021 from 9:30am – 11:30am

*If September 25 is canceled due to wildfire smoke or other issue, an alternate date of Saturday, October 9 will be offered.

Where: Former Roddy Ranch Golf Course at 1 Tour Way, Antioch (entrance off Deer Valley Road)

Registration required: visit [t.ly/4Axy]t.ly/4Axy or call 1-888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757) and reference program #41871

Please pass this invitation along to any community members, civic leaders, family, or friends you think may be interested in learning about the new park. For general questions, I can be contacted at ewillis@ebparks.org. 

Thank you for supporting your Regional Parks!

NCQA rated Kaiser Permanente Northern California among highest for consumer experience, prevention, and treatment

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

OAKLAND, CA – For the sixth year, Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Medicare health plan is rated 5 out of 5 stars, making it the highest rated plan in the region – and among the highest rated in the country.

In the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Plan Ratings 2021, published today, Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plan in Northern California received 5 stars and its commercial health plan received 4.5 stars. Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California region received the same ratings – making the two plans among the highest rated in California and the nation.

“Kaiser Permanente continues to be recognized nationally for what matters most to our members and patients: high quality care and exceptional service,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “We are proud to be a leader in health care delivery and these ratings, which are so consistent over time, demonstrate our commitment to putting our patients and their health at the center of all we do.”

“This recognition is a tribute to the dedication and expertise of our highly-skilled physicians, nurses, and staff,” said Richard S. Isaacs, MD, FACS, CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “Through our innovative, personalized, and technologically advanced approach to health care, we continue to transform care delivery while having a positive and often life-changing impact on the health and well-being of our members and patients.”

NCQA analyzed over 1,000 health plans in the nation – private, Medicare, Medicaid – for quality and service. Only 17 health plans in the country, or about 1.6 percent, were rated 5 out of 5 stars. In all, Kaiser Permanente has six of those highest rated plans.

NCQA is a national, private not-for-profit organization that surveys health plans for performance in a wide range of clinical service measures including consumer experience, prevention and treatment. All Kaiser Permanente health plans were rated 4 stars or higher. For the sixth year in a row, all Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plans were rated highest (or tied for the highest) in the areas they serve. Kaiser Permanente serves more than 12.5 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia.

The NCQA’s Health Insurance Plan Ratings are based on combined scores for health plans in Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set®, commonly called HEDIS; the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems®, or CAHPS; and NCQA Accreditation standards scores.

The ratings and methodology are posted on the NCQA’s website at www.ncqa.org.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve almost 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. http://about.kaiserpermanente.org

Senator Glazer calls it “flawed” “broken” in spite of only two recalls of governor in state history; joins Assembly member Berman, Assembly Election Committee Chair to hold hearings to examine needed changes in wake of recently concluded recall election

By Scott Harmon, Policy Analyst/Communications, Office of Sen. Steve Glazer

Sacramento – Following Tuesday night’s recall election of the governor, only the second one to qualify for the ballot in state history, the California Legislature’s two leading members on election issues on Wednesday announced a coordinated effort to examine reforms to California’s recall election system.

Senator Steve Glazer (D – Contra Costa) and Assemblymember Marc Berman (D – Menlo Park) and said they are determined to fix a broken system in the wake of the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, which raised questions about whether a system designed in the early 20th century has enough checks and balances to ensure democratic and fair elections.

Berman, Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Elections, and Glazer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments, will hold a series of bipartisan joint hearings in the coming months to begin a statewide discussion regarding potential improvements to California’s recall laws. The intent is to produce a proposal that will be taken up in the Legislature during the 2022 legislative session.

“Now that the recall is over, I believe it is time to re-evaluate and update California’s recall process,” said Senator Glazer.  “The voters want to see a more democratic process put in place that keeps elected officials accountable but, prevents political gamesmanship of the rules.  We hope to work with policy experts and stakeholders of different political perspectives on a viable solution that ultimately makes sense for a modern-day California.”

The recall process is one of four ways the state’s voters can have direct impact on the legislative and governing process, which also include electing representatives, as well as the referendum and initiative. (See CA Constitution Article II) Under the leadership of then Gov. Hiram Johnson came into office proposing the three major populist changes, bringing direct democracy to California. According to Ballotpedia, “Johnson and the new Progressive majority in the legislature made the most sweeping governmental changes ever seen in the history of California. Among these were the introduction of initiative, referendum, and recall at both the state and local levels. Voters ratified these amendments in a special election on October 10, 1911.”

At that time, Johnson said, “they do give to the electorate the power of action when desired, and they do place in the hands of the people the means by which they may protect themselves.”

According to the Secretary of State’s website, “Since 1913, there have been 179 recall attempts of state elected officials in California. Eleven recall efforts collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot and of those, the elected official was recalled in six instances.” Of those 179, 55 were attempted recalls of the governor, two qualified for the ballot, Grey Davis and Newsom, and only Davis was successfully recalled.

The committees will evaluate recall laws in other states, and will invite experts to examine California’s recall process, including issues such as grounds for removal; signature gathering requirements; process of succession if a governor is recalled; and other issues. The process will be open to the public in an effort to maintain the utmost transparency, and the committees also hope to include the expertise of elections officials, political scientists, legal experts, and others.

“While the recall is an important tool for voters to address misconduct or corruption by elected officials, yesterday’s election highlighted the fundamentally undemocratic nature of California’s existing recall process,” said Assemblymember Berman. “California law should not allow someone else to be recalled and replaced by a candidate who receives far fewer votes. I look forward to hearing from a bipartisan group of experts about how California’s recall process should be reformed.”

Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins said that she supports examining recall reform.

“A thorough review of California’s recall law is timely and worthy of debate, and I would like to thank Senator Glazer and Assemblymember Berman for spearheading the efforts to start this important conversation,” Atkins said.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said, “It is totally appropriate to begin discussion of reforming the recall process. We came far too close to having a governor elected by a tiny fraction of eligible voters. While that is no way to pick the leader of the most populous state in the nation, it would be equally wrong to make any changes without a thorough study of alternatives. I look forward to hearing the discussion.”

The recall process was adopted in California almost 110 years ago but, has been used sparingly for most of the state’s history. More than 70% of the attempts to recall elected state officials that have qualified for the ballot, including the only two statewide recall elections in California history, have occurred in the last 27 years. Each of California’s last nine Governors has faced multiple recall attempts, though only two of those attempts have qualified for the ballot.

Two recent polls, conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California and by the Institute of Government Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, have found that a majority of voters favor keeping but reforming the recall process.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.