New HAWK traffic signals in city; includes funds for Byron Highway, Vasco Road

Caltran announced Thursday, March 9, 2023, that it is awarding more than $225.6 million for local projects with $19 million in Contra Costa County designed to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads. Funding is provided through the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11. In HSIP Cycle 11 Call-for-Projects, 434 applications from 206 local public agencies, requesting $521.1 million of HSIP funds, were received.  A total of 282 projects from 155 local agencies will receive HSIP funds including Contra Costa County and six of its cities.

Safety enhancements will include pedestrian crossings, bike safety improvements and new traffic signals, roundabouts, turn lanes, rumble strips and guardrails. Caltrans awards these grants every other year to cities, counties and tribal governments.

Antioch had requested $3,72,600 and was granted $3,328,000 in transportation improvement funds. They will be used to provide signal system upgrades at multiple locations and to install High Intensity Activated crossWalK (HAWK) signals at trail crossing to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety in the city. The signals do not include a green light and drivers don’t have to wait until the red light goes out. (See video of how they work).

“Safety is always Caltrans’ top priority,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “These projects will enhance systemwide safety features, including enhancing safety for people who walk and bike, and move us closer to our vision of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries on roadways throughout the state by 2050.”

Caltrans is using the Safe System approach – which emphasizes multiple layers of protection, including safer road designs – to achieve its goal of reducing to zero the number of fatalities and serious injuries on state roadways by 2050. Caltrans’ adoption of the Safe System approach builds on its ongoing work to embed safety in the state’s transportation system, and for that reason all transportation projects the department funds or oversees now must include “complete street” features that provide safe and accessible options for people walking, biking and taking transit.

“True equity on our roads means creating safe spaces for all, where pedestrians and cyclists are valued and protected with the same care and attention as motorists, said Caltrans District 4 Director Dina El-Tawansy. “This critical funding for safety will bring us closer to achieving a sustainable and equitable transportation system for all Californians.”

District 4 includes Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties.

Projects approved in Contra Costa County include:

• $2.5M in the city of Antioch for signal system upgrades at multiple locations.
• $828,000 to install Hawk signals at trail crossings to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety in the city of Antioch.
• $1.3M for Byron Highway safety improvements.
• $715,050 for Vasco Road safety improvements in the county.
• $249,415 for the county for Walnut Boulevard bike safety improvements (near Brentwood).
• $7.4M in street lighting and safety improvements in the city of Concord. The project includes installing new lighting, upgrading existing street and intersection lighting, installing pedestrian countdown signal heads, modifying phasing to provide a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) and installing three new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) and four HAWK signals.
• $249,984 to upgrade existing uncontrolled crossing locations to enhance pedestrian safety with flashing beacon systems in the city of Concord.
• $249,480 to install bike lane buffer delineators to provide physical separation between bicycles and vehicles and install bike boxes at intersection approaches in city of Concord.
• $531,360 for traffic signal and intersection safety improvements in the city of Danville.
• $107,910 for Hartz Avenue corridor intersection safety improvements in the city of Danville.
• $445,860 for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements in the city of Moraga.
• $220,500 for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements in the city of Moraga.
• $239,040 for safety improvements on arterial roadways in the city of Pinole.
• $1.4M for Barrett Avenue Road improvements in the city of Richmond.
• $224,640 for MacDonald Avenue pedestrian crossing safety upgrades in the city of Richmond.
• $999,990 to replace guardrails in various locations throughout the county.
• $249,840 to install Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), bulb-outs and a median refuge island in the county.
• $1.1M in the county to install bike lanes by widening and restriping the roadway and installing a centerline rumble strip.

More information on the program is available at Caltrans’ HSIP page, including a full list of approved projects.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

By Antioch Police PIO Ashley Crandell, Community Engagement Unit

On March 17, 2023, at approximately 10:18 pm, the Antioch Police Department’s Communications Center received a call from Onstar regarding a traffic collision at the intersection of Lone Tree Way and State Route 4 (Hwy 4). Onstar was unable to contact anyone in the vehicle involved and called our communications center to report the collision. Lone Tree Way intersects with Hwy 4 in two locations in Antioch and this collision occurred on the portion of Lone Tree Way right before it turns into ‘A’ Street.

Antioch Police Officers immediately responded to the scene. They located a traffic accident involving two vehicles in the intersection of the east bound Hwy 4 off and on ramps and Lone Tree Way. When Officers arrived, they located a deceased male in one of the vehicles. There were two passengers in that same vehicle, and they were both transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Our Traffic Enforcement Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Preliminary information revealed a vehicle was traveling south (towards E. Tregallas Road) on Lone Tree Way and collided with another vehicle that was exiting eastbound Hwy 4 and turning north (towards ‘A’ Street) on Lone Tree Way. The occupants of the other vehicle remained on the scene and were uninjured. The investigation is on-going, and our Traffic Enforcement Unit is still on scene investigating.

The identities of the occupants will remain confidential until proper notification has been made to their family.

Anyone with information regarding this traffic accident is asked to contact Officer Egan at (925)204-1587 or jegan@antiochca.gov. You may also text an anonymous tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH.

APOA responds in support of Community Development Director Forrest Ebbs’ appintment

“…this city has one mayor and one council that determines where we go as a city.”

“I want to assure Antioch residents, our city employees and partners that the City’s leadership remains focused and united on our top priority of increasing our overall quality of life and ensuring public safety.”

“…the status quo in this city is so entrenched in the idea that Antioch is a place for a few and not a place for everyone to enjoy.”

“Police reform shall continue to be our top priority…I inherited a (police) department that operated under the idea that they reported to no one.” – Mayor Thorpe

By Allen D. Payton

Following the special Antioch City Council closed session meeting, Friday morning, March 17 2023, in which they unanimously voted to place City Manager Con Johnson on administrative leave, Mayor Lamar Thorpe held a press conference to introduce Community Development Director Forrest Ebbs as the acting city manager. The mayor wanted to also assure the public that the City would continue to work on the council’s priorities and was joined by all the City’s department heads and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, whom he thanked. He also took swipes at members of the public and the Antioch Police Department.

Thorpe livestreamed the press conference on his official Facebook page and provided the Herald with a copy of his following prepared remarks:

“The City Council has appointed Forrest Ebbs as the city’s acting city manager until further notice.

I want to personally thank Forrest Ebbs for stepping up to hold the ship steady as we navigate our way through some unexpected changes. I also want to thank our city department heads for remaining steadfast in our resolve to continue moving this city forward regardless of the situation.”

Thorpe the mentioned Ebbs’ education and professional background. (See Ebbs’ LinkedIn profile for details)

The mayor continued with his statement saying, “On Wednesday, I met with all of our department heads minus one to look them in the eye and remind them that they are all valuable members of our administration and that they have my full support and the support of this council.

I want to assure Antioch residents, our city employees and partners that the City’s leadership remains focused and united on our top priority of increasing our overall quality of life and ensuring public safety.

Antioch’s government continues to be open for business and working for the people.

Yes, it’s normal to have policy disagreements, yes, it’s normal to have ideological differences and yes, it’s normal to be on opposite ends of political disagreements.

These items, however, do not change that this city has one mayor and one council that determines where we go as a city. We’ve set priorities and we’ve determined our goals and we’re committed to them until the voters decide it’s time to change course.

I recognize that we can’t realize our vision without a united team of administrators, which is why I’m proud to be standing here with our department heads. They have my back and I have their back.

Every day, I’m bombarded with some of the vilest and most disgusting racially motivated attacks. All you have to do is head back to Tuesday’s council meeting to see it. (Thorpe was referring to comments by former Antioch Councilman Ralph Hernandez about equity and the racial makeup of the city council)

Why? Because the status quo in this city is so entrenched in the idea that Antioch is a place for a few and not a place for everyone to enjoy.

This is why it’s so important to find like-minded partners as part of our administration. We do not have to always agree, but we absolutely have to be on the same page on the idea that Antioch’s government will work to represent every single resident.

Gone are the days when the few spoke for the all.

The department heads have assured me that they are committed to this mission and that they will continue moving forward with clarity, and a focus on delivering key services.

This month is a particularly heavy month as we prepare for the budget process under the leadership of Finance Director Dawn Merchant. I anticipate this process will be short and smooth and that it will be a reaffirmation of the long-term goals and priorities we set two years ago.

Within that budget process, we will be able to share with you that, while other cities are worried about their budgets, Antioch continues to be healthy, strong, and balanced.

Later this month, under the leadership of Director Tasha Johnson, we’ll launch the city’s first 24/7 crisis response team, the first city to do so in Contra Costa County and take control of Executive Inn so that we can launch the City’s first transitional housing program for our unhoused brothers and sisters.

Police reform shall continue to be our top priority especially given the unfortunate circumstance of ten percent of our police force being under FBI investigation.” (Actually, only 7 current officers out of the 99 sworn on the force are under investigation)

“United we have worked terribly hard to curb violent crime and we refuse to turn back the clock. In my first two years as mayor and with a progressive majority on the council, overall violent crime was lower than at any time between 2013 and 2020. In my second year as mayor, in 2022, the murder rate went down by 25% from the previous year.

If you recall, when I became mayor, I inherited a department that operated under the idea that they reported to no one.

A big reason why there have been so many changes within our city, including today’s change, is that every single city department, including the police, must report to the city manager under the umbrella of one city.

We are not the wild west, and we will ensure that every single department is accountable to the residents of our city. As you can see, the very nature of our work makes it so that disagreements are very public. That’s a democracy, and I embrace it.

However, the public nature of those disagreements does not, in any way, change our course. The work continues. The services will be delivered. The streets will be cleaned. And our streets will be safe. That is our continued commitment to you, the residents of the city of Antioch.

Thank you.”

Thorpe then repeated his statement in Spanish.

He then took questions, the first being “why did you vote to remove Mr. Johnson?”

Thorpe responded, “As you know…I’m not going to comment on personnel matters.”

He was then asked, “Are you going to support a national search for a replacement?”

“We are going to go through this process. If and when we get to a process like that, of course, I would,” the mayor responded. “It’s too early to speculate as we get through this process, first.”

Questions for Thorpe Go Unanswered

Since the Herald was not informed of the press conference beforehand, questions were emailed to the mayor after, asking since he had prepared his remarks before today’s closed session meeting, if he already have his mind made up how he was going to vote on the matter of placing Johnson on paid leave. Thorpe was also asked for clarification that Johnson is on paid administrative leave since the announcement didn’t include the word paid. Finally, he was pressed further asking what are the next steps in the process, if the council has to wait until any possible lawsuit or investigation of Johnson is completed before terminating him and then beginning the hiring process for a new city manager.

Thorpe did not respond before publication time. Please check back later for any responses from him or any other updates to this report.

3:17 pm UPDATE: The Antioch Police Officers Association issued a statement Friday afternoon in support of Ebbs’ appointment as acting city manager. On their Facebook page they wrote, “The APOA has learned of the appointment of Forrest Ebbs as acting City Manager. We look forward to having a good working relationship with him moving forward as we all seek to work together towards a safer community. We hope that together we can support the vision and mission that Chief Ford is continuing to implement at APD.”

 

 

 

 

Appoints Community Development Director Forrest Ebbs as acting CM

Con Johnson attends meeting; Thorpe holds press conference to issue statement, doesn’t invite local media, again

By Allen D. Payton

The Antioch City Council held a special closed session meeting Friday morning to discuss City Manager Con Johnson’s fate. There were no public comments prior to them adjourning from open session. But before leaving the Council Chambers, Mayor Lamar Thorpe asked the department heads to be on stand-by on the 3rd Floor to be available should they be called into the meeting in the Manager’s Conference Room.

The council discussed two items on the agenda including a public employee performance evaluation of the city manager and possible action. The second item was discussion and possible vote to appoint an acting city manager. The meeting was held to correct the council’s action on Tuesday night, March 14, when they placed Johnson on administrative leave, immediately, because the matter was not agendized properly. The item for that closed session meeting only mentioned potential litigation.

Friday’s meeting began at 10:00 a.m. and the council members returned to public session at 11:00 a.m. with Johnson in attendance. City Attorney Thomas L. Smith reported out that the city council on motion by Councilmember Barbanica and seconded by Councilmember Ogorchock the council voted to place the city manager on administrative leave. It passed 5-0.

The council action follows two recent actions by Johnson in which he fired former City Engineer and Public Works Director John Samuelson in December, which is believed to have been a wrongful termination in violation of the City’s MOU with management staff, and what might have caused the City to face “anticipated litigation, significant exposure to litigation”, as described for Tuesday’s closed session agenda item. Johnson also fired the City’s former public information officer, Rolando Bonilla, following a firestorm with Police Chief Steve Ford and the Antioch Police Officers Association, over a press release including comments about his officers that Ford said he never made. Yet, Bonilla claims Johnson authorized that press release.

During his report out of the Friday closed session, Smith then said, “on the second item on motion by Barbanica and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Torres-Walker the motion was to appoint Forrest Ebbs acting city manager.” It passed on a 5-0 vote.

Ebbs is currently the director of the City’s Community Development Department.

Following roll call and a vote to adjourn, Thorpe ended the meeting at 11:03 a.m.

The mayor then spoke to the media during a press conference following the meeting to issue a statement in front of a podium that was already set up in the foyer between the council chambers and city hall prior to the closed session. Unfortunately, the Herald was not informed ahead of time that was going to occur and was not in attendance.

Barbanica said he was also not aware of the planned press conference being held after the closed session meeting until he saw the podium when he arrived for the meeting and asked city staff about it. The District 2 Councilman said they told him it was for after the meeting. Barbanica did not stay for the press conference and could not provide details of what Thorpe shared.

Asked if Johnson attended the closed session, after consulting with the city attorney, Barbanica responded, “as with most city council closed sessions the city manager and city attorney would be present. Also, it would not be uncommon for an employee being evaluated by the council to be present during the evaluation. However, if the council was considering any personnel action the employee would not be present for that deliberation or vote.”

Thorpe livestreamed the press conference on his official Facebook page and introduced Ebbs and his background. The mayor, joined by all the City’s department heads and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, who was the only other council member in attendance. Please see the follow up article for details on the press conference.

Calling ALL Youth 12-18yrs old!! Join US For a Night of Clean Safe FUN!! Showcase Your Talent and Compete for CASH Prizes. Can you Sing, Dance, Rap or Flow in Spoken Word? Register today and share your gifts on stage to win CASH Prizes. No profanity or violence allowed. Come out for a FREE night of Food, Fun and Music prepared with Youth in mind!

Register today and receive information on submitting a sample of your talent to be included. Share this with friends & invite them to DROP The Mic!!! See you there!

Free for the public to attend. Located at Genesis Church 1800 Woodland Drive in Antioch.

To register or reserve your spot visit Drop The MIC Youth Showcase Tickets, Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite

One of seven Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s 459 semifinalists from Contra Costa County for highly competitive undergraduate transfer scholarship

Other college scholarship programs offered for middle, high school students

By Julia Florence

Lansdowne, Virginia – On March 9, 2023, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced 459 semifinalists for the highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Brentwood resident Ryan Mattson, in his last semester at Sacramento City College and was selected as the only representative of the Los Rios Community College District to be named a semifinalist.

The native who grew up in Pittsburg, CA and is a 2006 graduate of Antioch High School is one of seven semifinalists in Contra Costa County. The six other community college students named semifinalists are Eliette Bustos Barocio and Hosna Ramzi from Los Medanos College and Ivan Hernandez, Jessica Kim, Karla Morales De Leon and Mayari Lanz Amezcua from Diablo Valley College.

The Foundation awards community college students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership, service and a determination to complete their bachelor’s degrees at top four-year institutions.

“I was accepted into Columbia University in New York City and await confirmation or denial from Stanford, Yale and UC Berkeley,” Mattson shared.

He plans to study political science and history but has not finalized his major at Columbia.

Mattson has worked in the trades, specifically automotive repair and maintenance at Winter Chevrolet in Pittsburg and has a 15-year-old son who attends Liberty High in Brentwood.

“I believe the reason for my singularity comes from students not being informed of this scholarship opportunity,” he said. “If the community knew age did not matter and scholarships were available to the determined, I believe our community would garner not only the nation’s best minds but also the most driven individuals.”

This year’s semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,700 applicants and attend 215 community colleges in 38 states. Some of the latest research from the American Talent Initiative estimates that roughly 50,000 high-achieving students from low income backgrounds could transfer to four-year colleges each year but don’t, often due to cost. The Cooke Transfer Scholarship is designed to create a clear pathway to a four-year degree by offering up to $55,000 per year along with academic advising and access to a network of peers.

“By lifting the financial burden of pursuing a four-year degree off their shoulders, our goal is to help students take full advantage of a four-year college experience without taking on student debt,” said Seppy Basili, Executive Director of the Cooke Foundation. “This year’s selected semifinalists reflect the deep bench of talent across our community colleges today, and we’re looking forward to getting to know them better in our final application review process.”

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship offers unparalleled support to community college students. In addition to the generous financial support, selected Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive educational advising from the Foundation’s Deans of Scholar Support to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their future endeavors. They will also have access to opportunities for internships, study abroad, graduate school funding, and the incomparable connection to a robust network of more than 3,000 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

According to the foundation’s website, scholarship recipients earned a 3.92 average community college GPA, 70% participated in an honors program or pursued honors coursework and 67% held a leadership role in a club or activity. They will be announced in April.

A list of this year’s Cooke Transfer Scholar semifinalists, their respective community colleges and hometowns can be viewed here. To learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, visit the website here.

Named for and Funded by Canadian-American Businessman

According to Wikipedia, “Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian-American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and newspapers in Canada. Cooke moved to the United States and built a business empire in broadcasting and professional sports franchises. Cooke was the owner of the Washington Redskins (NFL), the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), the Los Angeles Wolves (United Soccer) and Toronto Maple Leafs (IL minor league baseball team). He also developed The Forum in Inglewood, California, and FedExField (named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium when it opened, months after his death) near Landover, Maryland.”

According to the foundation’s website, Cooke was born in Canada in 1912. “As a young man, he was an athlete and musician, with a love for ice hockey, the saxophone, and the clarinet. He dreamed of pursuing a formal education, but that dream was cut short when he left high school during the Great Depression to work full time to help support his family. Nonetheless, Mr. Cooke believed education was a life-long pursuit. He was a passionate student his entire life and was knowledgeable in fields as diverse as literature, music, sports, and architecture. When he died in 1997, Mr. Cooke left the bulk of his fortune to establish the Cooke Foundation and provide remarkable students with the chance to soar.”

More Scholarship Programs for Middle, High School Students

The foundation also offers three other scholarship opportunities. The Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program is the largest undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities. The high school seniors will receive up to $55,000 per year for up to four years to complete a bachelor’s degree. They will also be eligible to apply for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship after graduating with their bachelor’s degree, which is worth up to $150,000.

The Cooke College Scholarship Program is available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities.

This year’s 45 recipients entered the Cooke Young Scholars Program as 8th graders in 2019. As a cohort, they have attended two residential summer programs together. During the summer before 8th grade, Young Scholars spent three weeks at the University of Pennsylvania exploring social and political issues through project-based service-learning and academic study. This past summer, Scholars took part in an inquiry‐based enrichment experience at the University of Connecticut, participating in experiential research projects.

The Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for high-performing 7th grade students with financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report. 

Largest amount spent to defend city against lawsuit by natural gas pipeline companies

By Allen D. Payton

In an attempt to determine the reason the Antioch City Council voted to place City Manager Con Johnson on paid administrative leave during their meeting Tuesday night, March 14, 2023, which was finalized in a revote on March 17, a review of the past three months of Council Warrants, which are the City’s expenses per department the council votes on was conducted. Between Dec. 1, 2022 and March 2, 2023, almost $321,000 was spent on outside legal counsel and over $5,000 on a personnel investigation. Antioch City Attorney Warrants 12-01 thru 12-29-22     Antioch City Attorney Warrants 12-30 thru 01-12-23    Antioch City Attorney Warrants 1-13 thru 2-2-23    Antioch City Attorney & Human Resources Warrants 2-2 thru 3-2-23

On Tuesday’s meeting agenda it shows in the Council Warrants report Feb. 2-March 2, 2023 under the City Attorney category, $96,252.37 was paid for Legal Services Rendered to 11 law firms, and under the Human Resources category $5,166.25 for Investigative Fees paid to Barry Aninag Investigations. Mr. Aninag’s LinkedIn profile shows his company “offers independent, impartial, and thorough investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, harassment, and hostile work environments.”

The Council Warrants on the Feb. 14, 2023 agenda for Jan. 13-Feb. 2, 2023 show $41,118.43 for legal services; the Jan. 24th council meeting agenda shows $41,930.76 in legal services for Dec. 30, 2022-Jan. 12, 2023 and the Jan. 10th council meeting agenda shows $141,472.97 paid for legal services incurred Dec. 1-29, 2022.

That’s a total of $320,774.53 in legal services plus the cost of the personnel investigation in the past three months for a grand total of $325,940.78.

Questions for City Attorney, Acting City Manager

That information and questions were sent Wednesday to City Attorney Smith and Acting City Manager Cortez, and copied to the council members, City Finance Director Dawn Merchant and City Treasurer Lauren Posada asking for what cases are the expenses and if any of them or the investigation is related to Johnson. Smith and Cortez were also asked if it is normal for the City to spend over $100,000 per month on average for outside legal counsel.

Councilman Barbanica, who said he spoke with City Attorney Smith who said, “the bulk of this ($108,248.82) is to Meyers Nave to defend the City against the litigation on the CRC natural gas pipeline from the 3-2 council vote to deny the renewal of the franchise agreement.”

“Which I voted against, by the way,” the councilman added.

“The payments to Hanson Bridgett are for ongoing labor and employment investigations and the Telecom Law Firm is for dealing with leases related to cell towers and other telecommunications in the city,” Barbanica continued.

The total over the past three months paid to Hanson Bridgett LLP was $74,132.59 and $9,101.50 to Telecom Law Firm PC. In addition, $64,362.70 was paid to Liebert Cassidy Whitmore. According to their website the firm “provides unparalleled education, training, litigation and advisory services to California’s public agencies, educational institutions and nonprofits.”

Smith was asked which of those services they are providing to the City of Antioch.

“A city our size has an understaffed attorney’s office with two attorneys and one assistant. So, a lot of this has to be farmed out because of that. If you look at Vallejo and Richmond, they have more than double the number of attorneys and assistants than we do,” he added. “It’s a lot of money.”

Smith did not respond by publication time. Please check back for any updates to this report.

With correct description for agenda item

By Allen D. Payton

As previously reported, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe has called a special closed session council meeting for tomorrow, Friday morning, March 17, 2023 to discuss and possibly vote on two items regarding embattled City Manager Con Johnson who was placed on administrative leave Tuesday night.

The council, with Thorpe and Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker absent during Tuesday’s closed session, on a 3-0 vote placed Johnson on administrative leave, immediately. But the notice for that meeting only described it as “CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION – Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to California Government Code section 54956.9(b): One case” not mentioning anything about a public employee or the city manager, specifically.

Although the mayor sets the agenda for each meeting, Thorpe posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday about the council action, “legally they were procedurally wrong”.

The agenda for Friday’s meeting, posted today, Thursday, March 16 on the City Clerk’s webpage shows, first the council will discuss PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION – This closed session is authorized pursuant to Government Code section 54957(b). Title: City Manager.  ACC agenda 031723

Second, the council will discuss a PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT – This closed session is authorized pursuant to Government Code section 54957(b). Title: Acting City Manager.

The meeting will first begin inside the Council Chambers at 200 H Street, and although it’s a special meeting, Public Comments on the two items will be allowed before the council adjourns into closed session. Following that, the city attorney will report out any action the council has taken.

The open session portion of the meeting can be viewed livestream on the City’s website.