Antioch Council to finalize name changes to newest city dep’t, staff positions, add two temp positions
Plus, approve ADU plan designs for program that ends this month, software purchase for SeeClickFix app
Nothing about sale of El Campanil Theatre
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, the Antioch City Council has a light agenda with just a few items of significance. They will discuss finalizing the name change of the Public Safety & Community Resources Department to the Community Services Department, as well as the titles for the staff positions, consider approving using two state grant funded temporary positions in that department and consider adopting pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit plans developed through the ADU Accelerator program which ends on Sept. 30. Finally, the Council will vote on purchasing software for the City’s SeeClickFix app.
But there is nothing on the agenda regarding the pending sale of the El Campanil Theatre to the dismay of residents who want and hope the City can take action to stop the sale. Some residents have organized a protest march from the theater to City Hall before the council meeting begins. (See related articles here, here and here)
Name, Title Changes for Newest City Department, Positions
Under item 5 on the agenda, the Council will conduct a public hearing and introduce an ordinance to rename the Public Safety and Community Resources Department as the Community Services Department. In addition, the council will vote on approving the classification title changes from Public Safety and Community Resources Director to Community Services Director and Public Safety Manager to Community Engagement Manager, subject to completion of applicable labor-relations requirements.
As previously reported, at the urging of Mayor Pro Tem and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, during their meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, (under agenda item 10) the Antioch City Council agreed to correct and clear up confusion of including the words “Public Safety” in the name of the newest department which is not part of police or fire services. Instead of its current name which was the brainchild of District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker who has an expanded definition of the term, it will be renamed simply, the Community Services Department. The councilmembers also voted to change the titles of the department’s staff. (See 6:39:50 mark of meeting video)
The council approved the new department in February 2022 on a 4-1 vote. At that time, Torres-Walker tried to redefine and expand the meaning of public safety. But the department’s name has caused confusion because the majority of people don’t define the term the same as she does.
According to the staff report for next Tuesday’s meeting, “As the department’s responsibilities continued to expand, the City Council also began discussing whether the department’s name accurately reflected its mission and public facing role. During several public and administrative discussions, Council considered various naming alternatives intended to better describe the department’s functions and distinguish its community-based services from the law enforcement responsibilities of the Antioch Police Department.”
Name Already Changed on City Website
The department’s page on the City’s website already has the new name in the header, but not in the text below, still including the word resources. That reads, “The City of Antioch’s Department of Community Services Resources is committed to building a safer, healthier, and more resilient community. We work to address the root causes of violence, strengthen opportunities for youth and families, and ensure housing stability for all residents. The Community Services Resources (CSRD) Department works to strengthen community well-being through prevention, intervention, and support services. CSRD houses the City’s Youth Services Network, Housing and Unhoused Services, and Violence Intervention & Prevention Division, providing programs and resources that promote safety, stability, and opportunity for all residents.”
Two Temporary State Grant-Funded Positions for the Renamed Department
Then under item 6, the Council will consider approving the establishment of two limited-term, grant-funded hourly positions to support the City’s direct implementation of community violence intervention, violence prevention, community outreach, case coordination, resource navigation, and community engagement activities. The proposed positions’ titles also retains the word resources: Community Resources Specialist.
The proposed hourly salary range for each of the positions is $39.54 – $48.07.
According to the staff report, the City has been awarded $2,034,800 through the Board of State and Community Corrections’ California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant Program with an authorized grant period through Sept. 30, 2029. The approved grant provides funding for two positions to support implementation of the City’s community violence intervention and prevention activities.
ADU Plans for Accelerator Program That Ends Sept. 30
Under item 4.I. on the Consent Calendar agenda, the Council will consider adopting pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plans developed through the ADU Accelerator program. According to the ADU Accelerator Rebate Program information on the City’s website, ADUs are attached or detached residential dwelling units that provide complete independent living facilities for one or more persons on a lot with an existing (or proposed) primary residence.
The State Senate District 7 ADU Accelerator Program, piloted by former State Senator Steve Glazer, is composed of 15 cities in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, including Antioch.
The program provides individual rebates of up to $7,500 to property owners for new ADU units and up to $30,000 for new ADU units that are deed restricted to low-income households (minimum of 20 years.) As the purpose of the program is to encourage the construction of smaller ADU units, there will be no rebates for units over 1,000 square feet.
The City is matching the low-income rebate amounts with Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funding to double the rebates for low-income ADUs to encourage low-income ADU production in Antioch. Antioch homeowners will be able to access up to $30,000 for the construction of a low-income ADU less than 500 square feet.
However, according to the staff report for the agenda item, the rebate program provides individual rebates up to only $15,000 for ADUs that are deed restricted to low-income households (minimum of 20 years.) An email was sent to City staff over the holiday weekend asking which is the correct amount. A response is not expected until sometime on Tuesday before the meeting.
The City of Antioch was granted $216,228.77 for rebates, which was based upon a per capita calculation, and $50,000 to create free permit-ready or pre-approved plans for public use.
The second component of the ADU Accelerator program is the development and adoption of free pre-approved ADU plans which will be free for residents to use.
While the rebate program has been available to homeowners in Antioch since October 1, 2024, it will close September 30, 2026. Staff were also asked if the termination date is correct and if so, why is the council just now being asked to adopt the pre-approved plans.
SeeClickFix Application Programming Interface Software Purchase
Under item 4.H. on the Consent Calendar, the council will vote on approving an increase to the current Agreement with Tyler Technologies Enterprise Permitting & Licensing (EP&L) for recurring Software as a Service (SaaS) fees and additional support services for a total agreement amount not-to exceed $235,000 per year. The council is also being asked to memorializing the recurring SaaS services which automatically renew each year throughout the term of the contract, which is consistent with the Agreement but inaccurately described in the original resolution.
The software serves the City’s SeeClickFix Application Programming Interface (API).
According to the staff report, the Initial approval by City Council in January of 2021 authorized an amount not to exceed $800,000, for a term ending June 30, 2025. The addition of the SeeClickFix Application Programming Interface (API) allows increased functionality for Code Enforcement complaints that are submitted via the SeeClickFix system, improving Code Case creation and response times, and streamlined updates to the public on complaint status via SeeClickFix. We are in the testing phases currently, and plan to fully implement the API by or before the end of this calendar year.
Meeting Details
The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 200 H Street, in historic, downtown Rivertown and can be viewed via livestream on the City’s website, on Comcast cable TV channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99 or on the City’s YouTube channel.
See the complete agenda packet with staff reports here.
Please check back later for any responses to questions or any other updates to this report.
the attachments to this post:
Tyler Technologies & SeeClickFix logos
ADU Plan renderings
Community Services Department
Antioch_Logo & ADU rendering
