Antioch’s new Councilwoman, Tamisha Torres-Walker and her supporters, including those from outside of our city, have been pushing to include the term “equity” in the City’s vision and goals, and want the council to establish a Human Rights and Racial Equity Commission, as well.

During last Saturday’s Vision and Strategic Planning session held by the council and city staff, Torres-Walker was asked to explain the difference between equity and equality. She basically said equality is the government giving each person the same thing while equity is giving more to one person who doesn’t have as much as another. The challenge is where does government get what it gives out? Taxpayers. So, what Torres-Walker is advocating is more redistribution of wealth. That’s pretty much the definition of socialism or even communism.

She used the example of a short boy standing next to a tall boy behind a fence, who are both trying to watch a game. Torres-Walker  said equality is the government giving each boy a box to stand on, which gives the tall boy a better view while the short boy still can’t see over the fence. Equity, she said, is giving the short boy two or three boxes to stand on to see over the fence.

Torres-Walker also mentioned later in the meeting that she wants the city “to make sure that the development of the waterfront that some of that equity or you know whatever revenue generation is spent to also revitalize some other parts of District 1” further defining the term as redistribution of city revenues. (See related article)

However, what our government in the U.S. is designed to do is offer equality of opportunity, that we all start off equal with regards to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, or in other words ownership of property. But what Torres-Walker is advocating for is equality of result. That’s unrealistic and simply unattainable. There is simply no way that government can or should ensure we all end off equal.

I would love to have that happen to me, too. Using equity, I can claim that it’s not fair Bill Gates has so much more money than me. Therefore, I need the government to take half of his money and give it to me. Then I could have a nicer car, bigger home and invest in all the various causes like he and his wife have done. I would also like some equity in the area of pro sports. I can claim it’s not fair that I didn’t and don’t get to play for the Oakland A’s, the San Francisco 49ers or Golden State Warriors and earn all the money the players on those teams do. I need the government to offer some special dispensation for older, out of shape guys like me, without as much talent as the other players, so I too, can enjoy playing and earn a nice living.

See how ridiculous that is? Where does it end?

Why shouldn’t I have half of Bill Gates’ money? It would mean we would be equal and achieved equity. But would that be fair? Of course not, because I haven’t earned it. Why shouldn’t I have been allowed to play professional sports when I was younger or get to play, now? Because I didn’t make the effort or have the talent to do so, and because I’m certainly no longer in shape. (Maybe I could be a designated hitter, as long as I wouldn’t have to run around the bases! LOL) Seriously, why then, should the government step in and attempt to balance the scales that I chose to leave unbalanced by my own life choices?

Why should the government give the short boy more boxes to stand on? Why don’t his family and friends do that for him? Or some nice “box for viewing sports” charity? We need to stop looking to government to solve all our problems and let it focus on what it’s designed to do.

I have and always will support the efforts of churches and charities to help, as Jesus said, “the least of these” and as the Disciple James wrote, “to look after widows and orphans in their distress”. But that’s through voluntarily helping others, not through coercion by a larger and more powerful government.

Of course, government must treat all of us equally in the provision of justice and services, and the City of Antioch needs to ensure all residents are treated equally and fairly, as well. When and where that doesn’t occur, it must be addressed. But that’s equality, which our government can guarantee, not equity which it can’t, in general.

However, if it’s the government that has caused the inequity, then it is government’s job to address it in very limited circumstances. I believe the only way equity should be addressed in our country is at the national level through the federal government, specifically in the area of reparations for descendants of slaves – who for generations were denied, due to laws and other actions by the government, their God-given, constitutionally-guaranteed rights to liberty, property and in many cases life, itself, as well as an education and to earn from their labors. The descendants of slaves need to be compensated with land – as ordered by President Lincoln’s Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman but was later overturned by Lincoln’s predecessor, President Andrew Johnson, following the assassination – an asset that can be owned, used, earned from and passed on to future generations, which is a current, major challenge among African-Americans. That’s due to the fact their ancestors were denied the right to own property for 250 years because they were property! But that’s a discussion for another time.

While I recognize we already have implemented forms of socialism at the state and national levels through health and welfare programs (some of which have had questionable results), the issue for the council members to determine is how much would such an effort cost the City of Antioch? The city budget has already experienced a $3 million reduction due to the COVID-19 orders, this past year and that in spite of Measure W’s one-cent sale tax that we the people voted for. This at a time we’re trying to increase the number of police on our force to continue to reduce crime in our city. Stepping back, the council actually would first need to show that inequity exists in the dispensing of city services. That burden frankly rests on the shoulders of Torres-Walker and her supporters who are advocating for the use of the term and the commission’s formation.

The mayor and council members need to be very careful with the terms they include in the City’s vision, mission statement, goals or any and all other documents, and be sure what they mean and that the public understands them. Because equity is such a loaded word, with a broad definition, that it could end up either costing us taxpayers a lot more money or take away funds from the more basic services the city needs to be providing that serve all of us, specifically police – the number one reason our city government was formed in the first place, because the number one reason government is instituted in America is to protect your rights from me and my rights from you – Code Enforcement, streets, water, sewer, landscaping, parks and keeping things clean. Plus, recreation.

I’d like to see the city improve and be great in those areas, first before taking on more programs and efforts with unknown price tags.

If the council members want to ensure children and other residents from low-income households get to participate in city recreation programs that are too expensive for them, then the council members can work with local charities or their own Antioch Community Foundation to provide subsidies or scholarships.

As for forming a commission, Torres-Walker doesn’t seem to realize we already have officials in place to address any human rights or racial equity issues – that she has yet to provide examples of – and she’s one of them. The City Council as a whole and any individual member can take complaints that any resident or business owner might have and address them on a case-by-case basis, just like a commission could do. If the complaints begin to be too many, then that can be brought before the council. If the complaints are mainly police related, then perhaps increase the role of the existing Police Crime Prevention Commission as has been suggested during the Bridging the Gap sessions. Or the council might just need to ensure whomever on city staff is causing the problems is replaced.

But unless and until there is clear evidence that such a commission is needed, it shouldn’t be formed as the Board of Supervisors recently did. Let’s see what their county-wide commission does and how they deal with such matters that come before them, first.

The council should not include the term equity in their vision, goals or any other guiding document for the City of Antioch nor form the proposed commission. If they do, the council members will be opening a Pandora’s Box of all kinds of potential increase to the size and scope of our city government and will most likely lead to a decrease in the basic services the city already is and should be providing which benefit all of us.

 

Black cancer patients of Antioch satellite center opened last year will benefit

By Alexandra Rubin, Director of Communications

Walnut Creek-based Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area (CSC) is honored to be awarded a Community Partnership Seed Grant from the Stanford Cancer Institute.

CSC staff, along with CSC board member and Stanford physician, Anjali Sibley, MD, MPH, will conduct a qualitative needs assessment identifying the psychosocial needs of Black cancer patients and their families and barriers to accessing services.

“We are so grateful to the Stanford Cancer Institute for their generosity in making this important work possible,” says Dr. Sibley.

Rob Tufel, MSW, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Support Community said, “This project is just part of CSC’s efforts to better meet the needs of cancer patients in underserved communities. Racial health disparities have long been known, but it’s time for everyone working in the cancer community to redouble our efforts to reduce cancer inequities for people of color facing cancer.”

CSC also opened a satellite center in Antioch, last year, at 3505 Lone Tree Way, Suite 3, as part of their ongoing efforts to provide support directly to cancer patients and their families in underserved communities.

The ultimate goal of this project is to use the results to develop programs that better meet the needs of Black cancer patients and their families. This information will also be shared with the community and the CSC network of 39 affiliates across the United States as part of CSC’s efforts to address racial inequities in supportive cancer care.

About Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area

Cancer Support Community provides comprehensive, integrative care – including counseling, support groups, nutrition training, exercise classes, emergency financial assistance, and patient education programs – for people with cancer, their caregivers, and their families. Our evidence-based services enable cancer patients to partner with their medical teams to manage their treatment and recovery most effectively, increase their chances for survival, reduce their chances of recurrence, and provide for the highest possible quality of life. All CSC services are always provided free of charge and are being offered virtually during the pandemic. With services provided at our Walnut Creek center, in local medical centers throughout the Bay Area, and now in Antioch, we serve more than 2,200 people annually. Visit www.cancersupport.net for more information.

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) will host a virtual Conversation on Race town hall to discuss racial justice in America on Friday, February 19th at 4:00 p.m. with Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D, CA-13) and special guest Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D, MO-05). Internationally recognized expert on civil rights and author, John Powell will also participate in the event. The town hall will be held live on Zoom and will also be viewable through Congressman DeSaulnier’s Facebook page.

The event is the latest in the Conversation on Race series created by DeSaulnier and Lee in order to facilitate more understanding, healing, and progress to help us move forward as a nation. Congressman Cleaver is the former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African American Mayor of Kansas City.

This will be DeSaulnier’s 124th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress. Contra Costa residents will have an opportunity to submit questions before the event and live during the town hall.

Conversation on Race Zoom Town Hall

Friday, February 19, 2021
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT

To RSVP, submit a question, or request special accommodations, visit https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call (925) 933-2660.

This event is open to the public and press.

 

Also upgrades LRBs’ to Aa2 and POBs to Aa3; assigned Aa2 to 2021 LRBs; outlook is stable

By Susan Shiu, Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media

On Tuesday, February 16, 2021, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the Issuer Rating, an indicator of general creditworthiness, of Contra Costa County from “Aa2” to “Aa1”. In its press release, Moody’s cites the County’s “…strong and sustained financial position supported by robust reserves and liquidity.” On Moody’s credit scale, “Aa1” is just one notch below the coveted “Aaa” credit rating.

The rating upgrade is especially complementary of the County’s efforts since Moody’s has placed the U.S. Local Government sector, as a whole, on negative outlook due to the coronavirus pandemic. The upgrade comes in advance of the County’s planned issuance of lease revenue bonds for the construction of an aviation terminal, fire stations, and a new office complex. In addition, the County will be refunding existing bonds for an estimated net present value savings of $7.8 million, or 16.2%.

Board of Supervisors Chair Diane Burgis (District 3) commented that “The upgrade from Moody’s is a testament to the strong financial management practices that have become a tradition in Contra Costa County.”

County Administrator Monica Nino stated that “Contra Costa County has been a leader throughout the State in prudent financial and budget management, and we plan to continue that into the future.”

Complete Press Release

New York, February 16, 2021 — Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Contra Costa County’s (CA) issuer rating to Aa1 from Aa2, lease revenue bond rating to Aa2 from Aa3 and pension obligation bond rating to Aa3 from A1. The amount of debt affected is $232.4 million and $85.7 million, respectively. We also assigned a Aa2 rating to the Contra Costa County Public Financing Authority’s $62.4 million Lease Revenue Bonds (Capital Projects and Refunding) 2021 Series A (Capital Projects) and $37.2 million 2021 Series B (Refunding). The outlook is stable.

RATINGS RATIONALE

The upgrade to Aa1 incorporates the county’s strong and sustained financial position supported by robust reserves and liquidity. The Aa1 rating incorporates the county’s large and diverse tax base poised for ongoing solid growth, residents’ favorable income levels and moderate long-term liabilities. The rating also factors the recent increased general fund subsidy for the county’s hospital enterprise because of higher operating costs unrelated to the pandemic. The subsidy will remain manageable when compared to the county’s operating revenue. In addition, the county will benefit from a recently approved sales tax measure that expires in March 2041. These funds can be used to support general operations, providing additional financial flexibility. The county’s strong governance, as demonstrated by management’s prudent fiscal practices and adopted policies, is also factored into the rating.

The Aa2 ratings on the county’s lease revenue bonds are one notch lower than the county’s Aa1 issuer rating, reflecting both the absence of California GO (General Obligation) bond security features, which provide uplift to the GO rating, and the weaker legal structure of standard abatement leases, despite the “more essential” nature of the pledged asset, which is the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center.

The legal provisions for the Lease Revenue Bonds, 2021 Series A and 2021 Series B include that the city will provide rental interruption insurance for 24 months, title insurance, and will not require a debt service reserve fund, which is a negative credit factor. This negative credit factor is mitigated by the county having earthquake insurance that covers the pledged asset, a protective feature that is rare for California abatement leases. The county is not legally obligated to have earthquake insurance, however management expects to renew its policy when it expires next month.

The Aa3 rating on the county’s pension obligations bonds is two notches lower than the county’s issuer rating, reflecting the lack of strong legal features of California GO Bonds. The notching also reflects the relatively poor performance of POBs in Chapter 9 bankruptcies compared to other types of municipal obligations. The POBs are unsecured debt paid by general operating revenues.

RATING OUTLOOK

The stable outlook reflects our expectation that the county will maintain a strong financial position supported by management’s prudent fiscal practices. In addition, we expect that the county will continue to navigate through the economic, operational and financial challenges caused by the coronavirus without materially impacting its long-term credit quality.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OF THE RATINGS

– Improved income and wealth levels

– Material reduction in long-term liabilities and fixed costs

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

– Sizeable reduction in reserves and liquidity

– Material increase in long-term liabilities and fixed costs

LEGAL SECURITY

The issuer rating is equivalent to what would be the county’s general obligation bond rating. In California, GO bonds are secured by the levy of ad valorem taxes, unlimited as to rate or amount, upon all taxable property within the county.

The lease revenue bonds are secured by lease payments made by the county for use and occupancy of various leased assets which we view “more essential”. Lease rental payments are payable from any source of legally available funds of the county.

The county’s obligation to make all POB payments of interest and principal are imposed by law and are absolute and unconditional. The POBs are payable from any source of legally available funds of the county, including the county’s general fund.

USE OF PROCEEDS 2021

Series A bonds will finance improvements at the county’s Buchanan Field Airport, the construction of two fire stations and a new county office building. 2021 Series B will refund outstanding lease revenue bonds for savings and there is no extension in maturity.

PROFILE

Contra Costa County is located in the eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, just east of Berkeley and Oakland in northern California. The county seat of Martinez is approximately 24 miles northeast of downtown San Francisco. The county has a population of 1.1 million and the largest industry sectors that drive the local economy are health services, retail trade, and professional/scientific/technical services.

METHODOLOGY

The principal methodology used in the issuer rating was US Local Government General Obligation Debt published in January 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx? docid=PBM_1260094. The principal methodology used in the lease and pension obligation bond ratings was Lease, Appropriation, Moral Obligation and Comparable Debt of US State and Local Governments published in January 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx? docid=PBM_1260202. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

For further specification of Moody’s key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody’s Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx? docid=PBC_79004.

For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody’s rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider’s credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody’s general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1243406.

Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody’s legal entity that has issued the rating.

Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

By Allen Payton

During their Vision and Strategy Planning sessions Friday night and Saturday morning, Feb. 12 and 13, the Antioch City Council members proposed spending more on current programs, creating new ones and spoke of including “equity” in their plans. Mayor Lamar Thorpe wants youth programs, not just youth recreation, funded; Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson wants a youth representative on each city commission; District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker pushed to include equity in the City’s goals and wants the city to pay for cleaning up trash and ensure food security in her district; District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica wants to double the size of Code Enforcement; and Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock proposed more senior housing projects.

They also heard from several members of the public, including residents of other cities, the word “equity” multiple times and that it isn’t but should be included in the City’s vision statement. One speaker used Oakland as the example of a city with the word equity in their vision statement. (See the City’s adopted 2019 Strategic-Plan-for-Antioch)

Friday Night Session (View here)

Much of Friday night’s session was devoted to the hired facilitator, Patrick Ibarra, laying the ground for their work on Saturday. But it also included the opportunity for council members to define their roles and those of the city manager and department directors. All the members but Torres-Walker offered their comments on those matters. However, she was much more vocal during Saturday’s session.

City Manager Ron Bernal also gave an overview of the city council’s accomplishments and actions over the past three years.

The session concluded with public comments. In addition to racial, social and gender equity, comments either submitted in writing or called in were about racial and housing justice, as well as downtown revitalization and taking advantage of the city’s waterfront.

Saturday Session (View here)

At the beginning of Saturday morning’s session, the consultant asked the council members for input on the vision and mission of the city.

“Local government isn’t to just sit there and move public policy but to give services,” said Torres-Walker “What services do we have the authority to do and advocate for? So, I’ve been appreciative of that type of my thinking because I’m new here. Being able to challenge those things we can’t do or don’t have the political will to do.”

“There’s been some shifts in who we say we are,” she continued. “People are demanding more dialogues around race and equity. It’s been a great demand. I think people are demanding a more robust conversation about those things especially here, in Antioch.”

“I also want to bring up another thing and that is we are volunteering,” Torres-Walker said, although council members now each receive $1,600 per month stipend plus medical benefits. “Most of work full time. It’s a thankless job, sometime. We are volunteering, trust me. People who are serving…are volunteering. Staff are being paid, and paid well in this city, to serve residents. And it’s our job as a council to work with Ron to make sure morale is up. Not everybody is here volunteering. Some people are here being paid and paid well to serve our community. I just wanted to make sure that was clear.”

“I want to make clear that most of us have been open to change,” Thorpe said. “Most of us don’t get caught up in the social media, stuff. We’ve gone directly to the public on certain issues. We’ve had opinion polls. That’s how we found out homelessness was a top issue with the public.”

“One of the things I use social media for is to get public input,” Barbanica said. “I ended up getting pages from people. It was at that point a tool to get input from people.”

“I saw that. Some of us do that, as well. I hope you don’t take that comment. The social media nonsense. He blogs and the newspaper articles and comments on there,” Thorpe said.

“I want to point out…Facebook. Not every resident can be engaged on Facebook,” Torres-Walker then said. “That doesn’t capture the entire need. It doesn’t capture the story of the entire community. Older people don’t use social media. And young people don’t use Facebook. Sometimes it just looks like getting out there in the streets and talking to people.”

“Like my teenage niece tells me, Facebook is for old people,” Wilson. “And social media is a double edged sword. Sometimes you have people attacking you and they’re from a city 50 miles away. You have to make sure you’re communicating with the community. Social media, yes, I agree, it’s important, but we have to learn how to use it. People use it more times than not to attack you. But you have to be careful with it because it’s a double-edged sword.”

“Cities are revisiting the content and the delivery system,” said the consultant. “Both in print. People still read that. How people are gathering their information and on all the different platforms. We’re way past websites. Some are conventional.”

“All those points are great points. What’s interesting is people want to hear from their elected officials. And it’s amazing when the city has a meeting about a particular issue, we had

“When council members had ad hoc meetings, I was blown away by the participation. Because council members were promoting their meetings,” Thorpe said.

“One thing I want to bring up is technology and service delivery. Since COVID, now we’re more proactive. More services are available online,” Ogorchock said.

Current Role of the Council

Ibarra then asked about “the current role of this council as a community builder. Is it just the continuation of the past? Are residents’ expectations rising or falling?”

“They’re rising. In the past it’s always been reactionary,” Barbanica said. “When you have businesses come into the community I thought never would. But cannabis businesses…had a tax base there that got us through this time. What is the forward-looking vision of this city with the participation of the community?”

“There are great roles for the council, at this time. There’s a great demand for advocacy…for resources. From that silent majority, from those who feel like they’re not heard,” Torres-Walker said. “It’s become more of a demand in Antioch over the past two to three years.”

“Local government is by nature a demand-based business,” said Ibarra. “Sometimes it was functional, water, sewer, roads. But…you also have an infrastructure…which is outside the traditional local government role.”

“Looking at the things we’ve been doing, I think we’ve been on a continual change. I’ve not been an advocate for cannabis. Is that on a money thing? No.  I don’t think we sit on our laurels,” Ogorchock said. “We’ve had influencers from outside our city. We need to find a way to get more involvement from our community. Council meetings people don’t attend… is it because us council members are pushing them more on social media? Advocacy. I think we’re starting that. It’s an exciting time. I think it’s a difficult time.” Ogorchock

“We definitely need to keep the out of the box thinking…finding comfort in discomfort,” Wilson said. Then referring to cannabis businesses she said. “at a time we received a bunch of push back. But pushing things people aren’t thinking about. Have we thought about hydro energy. We are at a time we have to push the envelope and thing outside the box. I would like to keep going in the direction…take the chance of moving our community in a positive direction.”

“Now everyone is jumping on the cannabis bandwagon,” she said.

“Too late for them,” Thorpe interjected.

“Why don’t we try to be a leader in the next industry?” Wilson asked.

“It’s not a bottomless checkbook. So, we have to prioritize those things with what’s going to benefit the community,” Barbanica said. “The pie is only so big.”

“I like that point…because it isn’t a bottomless checkbook,” Thorpe said. “But I feel our role changed post-Measure W. We took a mind shift that we’re not just going to fund one department. It allowed council members to start looking at…homeless services and youth programs. Not just parks and recreation. The community was already there. It just took time for government to catch up.” (But what has the city actually done for either the homeless or youth programs?)

Vision Statement

The City’s current Vision Statement reads, “Antioch is a desired destination in the Bay Area: Building on our historic legacy, creating bright opportunities for families to grow, offering places to play, enabling businesses to thrive and cultivating a unique downtown experience.”

Speaking about it, Barbanica said that, while the downtown area is important. “We have a broader city”.

“I don’t see anything in there about building healthy communities,” said Torres-Walker. “It felt like a hotel commercial. It is kind of dry. But I know everyone did the best that they could.”

“I remember when we were doing this…someone told me a camel is a horse built by a committee,” Wilson said. “I don’t know our vision by heart. We were using the Chamber’s vision. It can be more inviting.” But she wanted more public input, first.

“I kinda just went back to the first page of the Strategic Plan…opportunity lives here, enhance, transform, revitalize,” Torres-Walker said. “I’m wondering if that’s what drove the words going into the mission. The whole opportunity lives here means something and I’m hoping to hear from council members who’ve been here, longer and could the vision expand on what that means. We can’t wordsmith, today but

“Opportunity actually came from the community, from focus groups,” Thorpe said. “Some people had more of an opinion about our vision than others.”

“There’s an actual intro to the actual mission and vision…and it actually has words…thriving community…bright future…high quality of life,” Torres-Walker pointed out. “I think, yeah…some of those words…a community where you want to be could trickle down to be the words of a new vision statement.”

“Maybe use this as a baseline, or starting from scratch,” said the consultant. “There are a lot of ways communities create visions…rather than checking boxes.”

“If you look at the efforts under our branding…it required people to look introspectively,” Thorpe said. “So, it’s something around this word opportunity…things that already exist that we could work with.”

“Your brand is your reputation and what you’re trying to aspire to,” the consultant said. “Maybe we could have more opportunity to do outreach.”

Mission

The City’s current Mission Statement is, “To deliver quality services with integrity, excellence and innovation.”

“The vision is where you’re going the mission is how you get there,” said the consultant.

“A suggestion…would be to have some kind of competition,” Ogorchock said. “Wouldn’t it be fun to adopt it from some kind of competition? It’s not about us five but the community.”

“Isn’t a mission statement longer than a vision statement?” she asked.

“Less is more…it should be compelling. If people can’t remember it then it’s less effective,” the consultant.

“I personally don’t see a problem…I think it’s clear,” Torres-Walker said. “What I want to get into is the values.”

Values

The council then discussed the City’s values. Currently they are listed as, Integrity, Honesty, Respect, Diversity, Transparency, Innovation, Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability.

“We draw strength from these in our personal lives…they are the thread that binds us, together,” Ibarra said.

“A lot came up around the county’s commission on Racial Equity,” said Torres-Walker. “So, I was just looking at these values and think racial values or at least equity should be in there. Stuff like belonging came up, justice came up. Just a couple words. Equity is not in the strategic plan. I don’t think it’s in there, once.”

“I would say that values like integrity, honesty and respect all mean the same,” Thorpe said. “I don’t recall why we called them out like that. And transparency. You can’t be transparent without integrity. I think we need to call out things like the environment, as well…environmental sustainability.”

Equity Defined

“When we’re looking at this and saying racial equity, how does that change from equality for everybody,” Barbanica asked Torres-Walker.

“Equality doesn’t always mean equity,” she responded. “A difference between inclusion…for those who have not had access whether to service or rooms…like BIPOC, Black, indigenous, people of color community. And I want to point out poor people, as well. Poor people need to know they have equity. If you’ve ever done educational organizing…there are two children both trying to see a game…behind this fence. The taller child has a better view. What does society do? We give a crate to each. But the short child still can’t see over the fence. Then we have equity, and we give the shorter child two or three crates so the shorter child can have the same view. So, that’s the difference between equality and equity.”

“On the equity, it’s kind of open, so wouldn’t it be more fair to say racial and social equity?” Ogorchock asked. “Equity is very open. Two words I’ve also written down are diverse and inclusionary.”

“I would say that diversity and inclusion are included in equity,” Thorpe said. “But when you stop short at diversity…you miss the mark on equity and who has access to what. Who has access to community parks? Who has access to participate in the astronomical costs of our parks and recreation programs? So, diversity can almost be dangerous as it hides what is systemically wrong in some of our institutions.”

Hot Topics

“These are issues brought up to me by the mayor and council in our pre-session phone calls…to ask your perspective. You’re not voting on these,” said Ibarra. “Some of these were mentioned by several of you.”

Youth Programs and Services

“Being very inclusionary…when youth are voicing their opinions…making sure their voices are heard,” Wilson said. “I’ve said we should have youth voices on all of our commissions.”

“Youth programming, we shouldn’t cconfuse it with some sort of parks and recreation. What we wanted is a city that’s meeting the needs of all of our youth at all levels,” Thorpe said. “This has to do when police interact with our youth. When we do summer hiring of youth.”

“Youth development is totally different than providing a program that youth can go to…it’s about next generation leadership in the city,” said Torres-Walker. “And when young people own the community they live in, they protect it and aspire to lead it, someday. So, it’s about who we invite in the community. We have high population of foster youth in the community. We have a lot of youth who have experienced trauma. We have homeless youth. You may not see them but they’re there. We have a lot of youth in Antioch affected by the justice system. So, I think that it’s a bigger discussion than just programs. And I’m hoping we can get more youth voice involved in the process.”

“I agree, we need to do something in our community, if you look back years ago, we always had something for the youth to do,” Barbanica said. He spoke about the Youth Center in Concord, funded by developer Ken Hoffman that included activities and tutoring. “We have CVS on Somersville that’s been empty forever. A lot of these kids didn’t have funds for these programs. But there was enough money for them. Why can’t we have things like that?”

“You have capacity issues, time, staff and money,” Ibarra said. “You have partners. Some of these are your role. Is it about expanding the role going forward?”

“So that there’s context, the city has been working on this issue and we’ve been putting the pedal to the metal as hard as we can,” Thorpe shared. “We’ve hired a youth services network manager…we passed Measure W. So, the city is dedicated to youth programs. It was a clear mandate by the citizens of Antioch. This is a citywide effort that we’re committed to youth development in coordination with the school district.”

“I just want to caution us to be careful…when we create programs and services, we sit down with youth and ask them what they want,” Wilson added.

“We want to make sure…the services are so important for our youth, to make sure they have WiFi,” Ogorchock added. “We have good number of group homes. How can we be of help to the youth in those group homes? We need to make sure they continue after COVID.”

Downtown

“People have called the downtown the living room of the community,” Ibarra said.

The council then discussed what they defined as downtown.

“I think it as the waterfront,” Barbanica said.

“For me there’s the downtown and then there’s the waterfront,” Wilson said. “The waterfront runs from Oakley to Bay Point.”

“When I think of downtown, I think of Rivertown,” she added.

“Me being an old timer, here, it’s 10th Street north to the water from L Street to A,” Ogorchock said.

“The Downtown Strategic Plan, it’s what Lori said,” Community Development Director Forrest Ebbs said. “From 10th Street north, and Auto Center Drive to A Street.”

“We’ve heard things in the past like ‘a destination’, ‘an experience’,” Thorpe said. “I’m not always clear that we’re clear about the policies that need to be enacted.”

“I would love to see more use of the river,” Barbanica said. “We have this huge resource. We could have a river walk down there. A beach has been proposed. My thought is we drive shops and businesses down there. But we have a night life…where people can walk and there’s dining and entertainment.”

The city’s current riverwalk, known as the promenade and approved by the city council in the 1980’s, runs from the circle at the end of G Street to the circle next to the Veterans Memorial at the end of L Street, and includes the zig zag into the circle at Waldie Plaza. It also runs from E Street toward A Street where the white metal barrier runs next to the sidewalk.

“The river is a gem. The downtown is a gem,” Ogorchock said. “We need to do infill projects down there. Things are happening down there. You can see the change. You can feel the change. I enjoy being down there and walking around. It’s just a huge asset and one we need to monopolize on.”

“There was some confusion,” Wilson said. “Maybe even four or five years ago, there was a push of being the antique destination. Some are still there but most have moved on. The dining district that’s being created…we’re starting to see some livelihood down there. That seems to be the target industry. We also need to hear from people who live there, from District 1, what you want to see. We don’t want to put a dining district down there and not have people come, they can’t afford. We want it to be somewhere everyone can go. Some of our brokers are working, some are just sitting on the property. We also need…the properties owned by outside folks, we need to light a fire underneath them.”

“I just would like to acknowledge everything 10th Street north is downtown…is set for revitalization,” Tamisha-Walker said. “We have a document here that seems to be hyper-focused on housing development, recreation centers, walkability, WIFI accessibility, where people can go, have coffee and hang out. I’d like a place like that so I can stop having to go to Walnut Creek. Safety…it’s not a consensus that it’s safe down there.”

“There’s areas with trash, blight and folks not feeling safe. It’s not the revitalization of the entire downtown,” she continued. “It’s good to have that geographic context. What is the trickle-down effect? In order to get to the waterfront, you have to drive through Cavallo, East 18th Street, you have to pass by the Sycamore corridor. You have to feel safe doing it.”

“I see Sycamore in there, but nothing about E. 18th, Cavallo,” Torres-Walker continued.

“There needs to be more intentionality, because these are commercial zones,” Thorpe said. “I think in the past we’ve just waited for the private sector to come along and fix some of these issues. I think it would be nice…that we dig up some of those old reports and maybe go through them as a community, as a council, what are opportunities…that we can invest in, that we can prioritize? There are policies like form-based zoning that will cut through the red tape. We have to be intentional about them. We can’t just keep saying them.”

“Under the Goal 6…there is a line where it says the waterfront offers an opportunity for growth,” Torres-Walker said. “For the entire city?”

“When we say growth, I think we mean economic growth,” Thorpe responded.

Homeless

“There were funds a couple years ago that were dedicated to help folks get off the street. Those funds are just now starting to be used,” Barbanica said on the issue of homeless. “Do we have programs where we provide vouchers…or bridge housing?”

“When I’m looking at the current, strategic plan, homelessness is mentioned once, in the downtown revitalization” Torres-Walker said. “It should be under public safety. It’s a safety issue. It’s a public health issue. When we only put it in downtown it seems like it’s not an issue throughout the city.”

“For a long time, we believed homelessness was an issue the county needed to deal with,” Thorpe responded. “There was a lot of concern that unhoused residents impeded on economic growth. It was the wrong approach. We were naïve in our thinking. Demands from the public around homelessness…we are in a different place, today.

“When you take the entranceways to our downtown, you literally have to drive over homeless encampments,” he added.

“If we’re going to update this…it will help staff if things are placed where they need to be,” Torres-Walker said.

“We need to be clear about public safety. Some folks think it’s only about police, and some are asking ‘why are we criminalizing homeless,’” Thorpe said.

“I agree we do need to expand the definition of public safety,” Torres-Walker said. “We have mismanaged the police department and have criminalized homeless and used enforcement tactics.”

“There’s a lot of compounding issues going on with homeless residents,” Wilson said. “We need to make sure the right resources and individuals are going out.”

“I’d like to see the city continue involvement with the county mental health evaluation team…to help people get into programs that they need,” Barbanica said.

“That goes back to having the 2-11 program, so people don’t have to wait,” Ogorchock said.

Senior Housing

“Currently, in the city we don’t have a lot of senior or affordable housing,” she then said. “We have two housing projects within the city that are based upon their aggregate income. Housing for seniors are going up like our mobile home parks. The rent is going up and astronomical. They have to think about other things other than paying for their housing. They’re the number one residents becoming homeless, right now.”

“Investment in some sustainable, anti-displacement policies might benefit this city,” Torres-Walker said. “Seniors are becoming a large part of the homeless population and affordability is an issue. Anti-displacement policies help keep people in their homes, for fixed and low-income residents.”

“Housing overall is an issue,” Thorpe said.

Beautification

“The next issue is beautification. Several of you brought that up. It was brought up, last night…the condition of parts of town,” said consultant Ibarra.

“A lot of that is being worked on…they’re doing a phenomenal job,” Ogorchock said. “We’re doing the murals. We’ve done the art on the utility boxes.”

“Hopefully we can get all the parks up to where they need to be,” Barbanica said.

“The way your community looks and feels has a lot to do with if you feel safe,” Torres-Walker said. “You can  hit the corner and there’s trash and abandoned cars that have been there for weeks. Then on another corner it’s cleaned. Do we have street sweeping in this city? Do we have garbage cans on the corner somewhere? We have illegal dumping. There needs to be policy on that. We also need to have parking enforcement, in real time to get some of the abandoned vehicles.”

“But, I think beautification can be a source of community pride, particularly in my district,” she continued.

“When you exit some of our freeways it looks terrible. I think we’ve done minimal. I would never give anyone a high-five, yet,” Thorpe said. “I appreciate it. But we can do a lot more. The issue of the cars is very frustrating.”

“In fairness to staff, we have a Code Enforcement team that is reactive,” he continued. “We are complaint-driven. We need to have a serious conversation on prioritization. I hate when people come here for the first time and people see trash on A Street…and on the way to Lone Tree Golf Course they see broke down cars on Lone Tree.”

“We do have street cleaners. But we don’t have notices that says don’t park here on particular days,” Thorpe said.

“There has to be ways to hold property owners accountable,” Torres-Walker said. “There’s just some nuisance properties. I’ve actually had questions around, who in the city meets with property owners. Properties where there’s always trash. You have absentee owners…and then you have property owners who don’t mind paying a fine.”

Code Enforcement

“On those things we’ve just raised, you have to have community buy in or it’s not going to change,” Ogorchock said. “Those street sweepers are not out there to pick up people’s garbage. If council wants to bring back during budget time to have more parking enforcement, I’m the first to say, ‘hell yeah’.”

“You’re going to have people who do dumping,” she continued. “I’ve had to call Republic Services. We need

“We are the second-largest city in the county, and we have seven people who are out for 114,000 residents…in Code Enforcement,” Barbanica said. “I believe over the next 14 months double the size of Code Enforcement…to be proactive.”

“Give the Code Enforcement officers a tablet so they can stay out in the field and do their reports instead of having to come back to the office,” he continued. “We are undersized and understaffed.”

“We need to take another look at ‘See, Click, Fix,’” Wilson said. “I think we’re having trouble with the real-time with that. Maybe we have to look at another program…take a second look at that technology.”

“There was a church or small organization going around and cleaning up the trash,” Torres-Walker said. “There are other communities with these streets teams…which the city pays. It provides a handful of jobs, job training…cleaning up the community. They could also just show some folks that we are being…proactive and not just reactive.”

“We used to have under Code Enforcement a housing officer…I think it was a HUD officer,” Ogorchock said.

“We used to use HUD funding for Code Enforcement,” said Ebbs. “We now have funding from Measure C.”

“If we had just a couple housing officers dedicated, just doing housing issues,” Ogorchock said.

“Parking enforcement is a contract, but they don’t have tablets in the cars,” she continued.

“Paying people to pick up the trash, it’s still not teaching the homeowners or the tenants to be responsible for their trash,” Ogorchock stated. “If you pay someone to do it, people are going to continue to throw trash. The church groups go out on Saturday. By Sunday the place is a mess. They go out,  out of the kindness of their heart. If you don’t change the mindset you won’t change the mindset.

“I don’t think it’s an either or, I think it’s a both and,” Torres-Walker responded. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you all participate in the clean ups each year. These are just some ideas. But continuing to volunteer to pick up after people…there is a benefit. You have to create that environment to understand Republic Services. Some people don’t know what pickup services they have available to them. There’s a disparity, if I’m a renter and want to get rid of a large couch. These multi-family residents don’t have the same access to services.”

“If graffiti is called in through See, Click, Fix, I want it cleaned up within 24 hours,” Barbanica said. “If you leave graffiti up there, more is coming.”

“We’re already paying people to pick up trash. We have an Abatement Team,” Thorpe said. “We have four people on our Abatement Team.”

He then suggested looking at the contract with Republic Services about service for multi-family residents.

Zoning

“In looking for more mixed-use development…in looking for ways to grow up not grow up,” Thorpe said, as the only council member

“I think economic growth is tied into downtown revitalization, and into beautification and the zoning I was talking about,” Thorpe said.

“We have it on the south side of town,” Ogorchock mentioned.

“We have a lot of property in southeast…that’s zoned incorrectly, and mainly zoned commercial,” Thorpe added.

Somersville Corridor

“We’re going to have to repurpose a lot of this land,” Barbanic said. “That area draws in more of a dumping ground. We need to rethink what are we going to do with these shopping centers. We have a great location…for senior housing.”

“I don’t think we’re going to see a rush to bring back a mall,” he continued. “I’m not talking about high-density housing. There would be less of a footprint in there. We just let this land sit, and sit, and sit and it’s attracted a lot of dumping. That area needs to be repurposed.”

“Since we don’t own those properties, it’s kind of hard to put into play, but we can go back to the owners and encourage them to do it,” Ogorchock said. “There was a housing project…on the Chiu property. That was voted down. We need to go back to the table and meet with these owners and see what we can do to spur growth in that area.”

“I know we don’t own the land. So, if we have a developer who could look at that…and see if they are interested in working with the city to develop that,” Barbanica said.

“Kaiser has that medical facility over there and how do we work with that?” Wilson asked. “How do we take advantage of that in talking with potential brokers. Maybe we look at some dual benefit…working with the senior community.”

“We control the zoning, the five of us,” Thorpe pointed out. “For a developer to have to go through a process to get final approval, that’s a risky proposition. So, if we want to look at things…we have to look at form-based zoning…to eliminate the red tape. There are housing bonuses that we can look at to incentivize developers.”

“We are about to embark on a General Plan update that will encompass everything that’s been brought up,” Ebbs said. “We anticipate this to be a two- to three-year process. It will be about infill and reinvestment. This is number one on the Planning Divisions workplan, right now.”

Before taking a lunch break Ogorchock asked that public safety be added to the list of issues to discuss.

“Also, access to healthy and affordable food options…in my district,” Torres-Walker said as another issue to be added to the list.

Partnership With Schools

“I would say expand it and I think we have new, strong leaders at the school district, and we’ll be able to work more on that,” Thorpe said.

“To date I don’t think they have anyone assigned to that committee,” Ogorchock said. “I’m just waiting for the school board to appoint two trustees.”

Torres-Walker asked about the purpose and role of the City-Schools Committee.

“I felt like the city had no authority to addressing school policy, that’s the authority of the school board,” she said. “We are two separate powers, and we can work together…what are safe schools. But as far as policy and budget those are two separate things.”

“Some of us don’t know what you mean by school policy,” Thorpe said.

“In most recently, it was with the SRO’s. I don’t think it was the city’s role to vote. It should be the school board to go after funding. Not necessarily us taking the lead on that as a council,” Torres-Walker responded.

“I’m not necessarily sure how you’re describing events…as what happened,” Thorpe said. “In the past we’ve had a majority of council members who supported SRO’s…and that was the sentiment among a majority of school board members. So, we didn’t just go out and do it.”

“I do think the timing…that’s how I mean about administrative decisions having political impact and that was horrible,” Thorpe said.

“It started out as an ad hoc committee, then became a standing committee,” Ogorchock said. “We want to work with the district. Now we have Tasha Johnson working on youth programs. So, we need to work with the district on that.”

“We have nothing to do with their policy and they have nothing to do with our policy,” she added.

“When I was first on the council I was appointed to that committee and really it’s just about how the two entities can work together,” Wilson said. “Because there was a lot of miscommunication and misfires.”

“I was supportive of creating this committee…but I had some hesitations because I wasn’t sure what the outcomes and the goals were,” Thorpe added. “So, I’m hoping there will be a greater focus on that.”

Public Safety

“Community cameras, tasers, cameras on the cars,” Ogorchock mentioned.

“I could email my comments if that’s helpful.

“I want to go back up to police reform is not the same as public safety. We so far have talked about the training side of things. Public safety is more about keeping the community safe. There are more that makes a community safe. Like food safety. Like green space.

I want to push back on public safety, it doesn’t just mean policing,” she added.

Food Security

“When I first moved here we had two grocery stores within a 10 to 15 minute walking distance,” Torres-Walker said. “Food should be a priority for the city, not just in my district. What is the commitment? I can go to three or four liquor stores. But only Dollar General for food.”

She asked about a farmer’s market and what the city can do about the issue.

“We need to look at this in a totality in how we create a healthy environment,” Wilson said, also mentioning health.

Environment

“We should have added the environment. Shame on us,” Thorpe said. “We should always be talking about the environment. Every decision we make should take into account the environment. And equity, frankly. Just to get everyone thinking about these things…and our General Plan update the environment has to be central to that.”

Seven Goals & Specific Objectives

“Who else is addressing these issues besides the city? You have capacity issues,” Ibarra said. “Who else might be positioned? We have talked about what more we want the city to do and haven’t talked about what less we want the city to do.”

“That will be brought back to you at a future council meeting. The seven goals you have…are pretty solid,” he continued. “The master list of potential objectives. What do you think needs to be added or given more emphasis?”

“On financial stability I would like to hear from our City Treasurer Lauren Posada,” Wilson said.

“I think the main thing that’s been discussed is the partnerships” in getting others to help pay for services, Posada offered.

“I would like a Youth Center, Somersville/Buchanan senior housing,” Barbanica said. Regarding a youth center he said, “we’d have to fund that, the majority, from the outside. I’d love to see that in the Somersville area.”

“I don’t believe the best days of that part of town are in our rearview mirror,” he continued. “I think there are things we can do in that area.”

“The growth of Code Enforcement over the next 12 to 18 months. I’d like to see we double that,” Barbanica stated.

“More youth involvement on our boards and commissions, between the ages of 16 and 24,” Wilson said.

“I’d like to invest in a mental health team…to go out and know how to work with someone who is working with trauma and mental illness, but that person would still have a line of communication with our police department,” she continued.

“This seems like it’s all over the place,” Thorpe interjected. “Are you asking for us to fit things into the seven goals or additional goals?”

“Potential objectives underneath those goals,” Ibarra responded. “Instead of trying to shoehorn it in, right now, I would work on it and (City Manager) Ron (Bernal) would work on it, then polish it up and bring it back to you.”

“Some of these are policy areas,” he continued. “What we’re trying to do is put it up on the list…to have a broader discussion, later. Talking about it, now doesn’t mean something is going to be done about it.”

“I want to go over the goals, first and make sure there’s consensus for these things,” Thorpe then said.

On the goal of Ensuring Financial Stability Thorpe said, “I think we still need this.”

“I’m good with this document,” Ogorchock said.

“I’m fine with it. I read through all of it,” Barbanica said.

Goal #2 – Public Safety – Law Enforcement, Water System

“I’m fine with it,” Barbanica said.

“I’m good with it,” Ogorchock added.

“I think I made it clear, previously that public safety encompasses a lot more than just law enforcement,” Torres-Walker said. “We talked about housing. We talked about access to food. We talked about environment and racial equity. All of those things contribute to making people feel safe. When I look at this document it centers around police. Just maybe expanding what public safety means, expanding on this.”

Goal #3 – Support Sustainable Economic Development

“I’ll just add that one of the things missing in economic development is the word invest,” Thorpe said. “If these things are going to happen, we have to invest. This assumes the private sector is magically going to get here and it just hasn’t. It can be a host of things, bond measures…we have to look at all these things. Unless we’re going to invest in them, they’re not going to happen.”

Goal #4 – Promote Community Pride

“When I looked through this, it sounded more like PR,” Torres-Walker said. “I saw one bullet point on community engagement. Events was in there. I like the idea of murals and what they can mean for culture and around community pride. They can also allow for cultural content.”

“Maybe bullet point four can be encompassing of arts and culture to help build community pride,” Thorpe said.

Goal #5 – Strive to Be a Healthy Community

“Can I offer a healthy community framework?” Torres-Walker said. “It’s a lot different than recreation.”

“It encompasses safe and healthy homes, adequate employment, transportation, physical activity and nutrition,” she continued. “In this strategic plan it seems to be more inclusive of…like recreation programs, parks and trails and those things. There seems to be things that are missing. Maybe we could expand on this goal, as well.”

Goal #6 – Support Historic Downtown Revitalization

Wilson reiterated Torres-Walker’s call to improve the entrances to the waterfront. “Some of the areas we drive through to get to downtown and the inclusivity with that,” she said.

“Yeah, just some intention to make sure that the development of the waterfront that some of that equity or you know whatever revenue generation is spent to also revitalize some other parts of District 1, which I guess is old Antioch. Especially the Cavallo and Wilbur, East 18th and A Streets, the Sycamore corridor,” Torres-Walker responded. “There’s just a lot that we need to consider investing in the whole downtown rather than just near the water.”

Goal #7 – Promote Sustainable Development

None of the council members commented on this goal.

More Ideas

The council members then revisited the issues they previously discussed to add to them.

Barbanica spoke about job training and developing a program that incentives business to employ unhoused residents. “Maybe with business licenses,” he said.

“What I would like to see is clear community benefits agreements with developers and partner. Clear local hire guidelines and commitments in all city contracts,” Torres-Walker said. “I would like to see us explicitly and clearly take on race and racial equity in this city and I already proposed us look into the establishment of a human rights and racial equity commission…hopefully we can discuss where it might fit in our new-found goal to address racial and social equity as city leaders.”

However, her proposed goals, as with the goals and vision, have yet to be adopted by the council.

“I would like to see us work with our partners, labor unions,” Torres-Walker said. “How do we work with labor partners and our potentially our neighbor, Pittsburg and their free apprenticeship program, and how our residents and the next generation of labor can still access those jobs that are still good jobs? And some anti-displacement policies around keeping in their homes, their apartments and community.”

During a break the online video feed had cut out. When it started again Torres-Walker could be heard halfway through some remarks saying, “Antioch does not have its own fire department. So, I’m interested in exploring that conversation.”

“We dropped off of Comcast,” Bernal then said. At City Attorney Smith’s urging, the council decided to wait until it was back on before beginning again, so the public could watch.

The council and staff then resumed their meeting about 15 minutes later at 2:00 p.m. and spent another hour discussing matters and hearing more public comments.

Please check back later for more information from the final hour of the session.

City’s first homicide of the year

By Lieutenant John Fortner, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021 at approximately 10:38 PM, Antioch police officers were called to the 2900 block of Enea Way on the report of several gunshots heard in the area.

Numerous officers responded to the scene and located a 47-year-old male shooting victim seated in a vehicle parked in the street. This victim was found to be suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Officers immediately began providing first aid and called for emergency paramedics. Ultimately, the victim, who was an Antioch resident, succumbed to his injuries and passed at the scene.

A second shooting victim, also an Antioch resident, was located at the scene and he was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The 37-year-old male was transported to a local area hospital where he was taken into surgery and is expected to survive.

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.

According to Antioch Police Chief T Brooks, this is the city’s first homicide of the year.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441, or Detective Bledsoe at (925) 779-6884. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By CHP – Golden Gate

A recent retail theft at a Lululemon store in Reno led to the recovery of more than $150,000 in suspected stolen merchandise, $7,000 in cash, one handgun, and the arrest of three suspects in the Bay Area, through the cooperation of several law enforcement agencies that are part of an Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF).

On February 5, 2021, nearly $50,000 of clothing was stolen from the Lululemon clothing store in Reno, Nevada, by five suspects in an organized retail theft. Some of the suspects were repeat offenders, known by Lululemon loss prevention investigators to have ties to the Bay Area.

The Lululemon investigators reached out to the ORCTF, a multi-agency effort of the Golden Gate Division of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The task force includes members from the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

With the help of information from the Lululemon loss prevention investigators, the ORCTF executed two search warrants in San Francisco and Antioch on February 11. The search warrants led to three arrests and the stolen merchandise, cash and handgun. The recovered merchandise included clothing, cosmetics, purses and sunglasses from multiple retailers including Lululemon, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Victoria’s Secret, JCPenney’s Sunglass Hut, Solstice Sunglasses, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Burberry, Sax Off 5th, Louis Vuitton, Hermés, Gucci, Channel, and others.

Arrested were: Mario Omar Cisneros-Cruz, DOB 5/27/1979, of San Francisco; Owen Omar Cisneros/Rodriguez, DOB 9/23/2001, of San Francisco; and Saul Garcia Hernandez, DOB 3/11/1992, of Antioch, on suspicion of organized retail crime (490.4 PC), possession of stolen property (496 (a) PC), grand theft (487 (a) PC), theft of lost property (485 PC). Hernandez was also charged with carrying a loaded firearm (25850 (a) PC).

“It is our Task Force’s mission to detect, deter and dismantle organized retail crime,” said CHP Lieutenant Kevin Domby of the ORCTF. “If you have any information that may lead the detection of organized retail crime, please call our Tip Line at (510) 957-8247.”

 

By J.R. Wilson, President, Delta Veterans Group

If you are a veteran and have always wanted to be in a TV commercial here is your chance

RJH CASTING IS LOOKING FOR VETERANS FOR A TV COMMERCIAL!

Seeking:

Male & Female Veterans from all branches, Ages 55-75

Male & Female Veterans from all branches, Ages 22-40, Physically fit

Some roles will require filming in veteran’s personal living space.

Active duty military are not eligible to participate.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please send the below information ASAP to: usaacasting2021@gmail.com

Name/Age/Military branch/Rank/Date separated from military

Contact Info (phone, email, city/state)

Family members in your household (list names, relation and ages)

Other family & friends in your immediate Covid safety bubble (list names, relation and ages)

Briefly describe your living space (house, apartment, condo)

Attach recent photos of yourself, spouse, family/friends in your household and Covid safety bubble.

Project Details (if you’re selected):

PAID Union Commercial for USAA (USAA membership is a plus but not required)

Shoot Date: Week of March 15th with a tech rehearsal week of March 8th. 

*This commercial will be filmed in and/or around actual homes of the veterans selected.

Hope to see you on TV… Good luck.