This ad is being run to correct the date in the ad that ran in our April/May print edition.

April is Community Banking Month

By Josef Britschgi, BAC Community Bank

April is Community Banking Month, a time to recognize the important role that community banks play in supporting local economies while helping individuals and small businesses achieve their financial goals. As part of this celebration, community banks across the country are highlighting their commitment to local economies.

Community banks play a vital role in supporting local economies. Small banks are often key lenders to small businesses, providing the capital they need to start, grow, and succeed. Often referred to as America’s favorite lenders, community banks provide roughly 60% of all small business loans. By investing in local businesses, community banks help create jobs, drive economic growth, and build strong communities. “As a small business ourselves, we take our role in the local economy very seriously,” says Eddie Lira, Chief Commercial Banking Officer at BAC Community Bank.

Another way community banks support their local economies is by providing financial education. Community banks understand that financial education is essential to making informed decisions about money management, investing, and credit. BAC Community Bank is a local example of a community bank that provides online educational videos and tools to customers. BAC recently expanded its community outreach by providing the Banzai financial literacy program to Antioch High School, Bidwell Continuation High School, and Deer Valley High School. By promoting financial literacy, community banks are empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their finances and build a strong financial future.

Community banks prioritize building personal relationships with their customers. This means taking the time to understand each customer’s unique financial needs and goals, and then providing customized financial solutions. Relationship banking is a hallmark of community banking. Such personalized service builds customer confidence and trust.

Community banks are also keeping pace with advances in technology – sometimes even setting the pace. For example, BAC Community Bank recently launched their Smart ALAC service to provide customers anywhere face-to-face interaction with a dedicated personal banker without the need to travel to a branch. Such innovations, along with other advanced digital banking services, are provided by BAC while continuing to be recognized as one of the strongest financial institutions in the nation.

Community Banking Month highlights the value that community banks bring to their customers and communities. Through their focus on community investment, financial literacy, and relationship banking, community banks are helping individuals and small businesses achieve their financial goals and driving economic growth in their local communities.

Ogorchock switches position, joins Barbanica, Torres-Walker

Thorpe, Wilson continue support of ban

Mayor shares personal information about his name and father

By Allen D. Payton

At the beginning of the regular Antioch City Council meeting Tuesday night, March 28, 2023, Mayor Lamar Thorpe spoke about a personal matter, saying his father has cancer and began hospice, today and that he might be missing meetings in the near future. He will begin the legal process tomorrow to add his father’s last name of Hernandez to Thorpe. The mayor shared that last October when he missed a council meeting, he was in L.A. visiting his father when he was first diagnosed.

Thorpe also shared he was baptized as Martín Hernandez, but his parents could not adopt him as his birth mother would not relinquish her parental rights. That’s why all his siblings have the last name Hernandez and he’s the only one with the last name Thorpe.

Council Majority Supports Reversing Tobacco Business Bans

After hearing from Antioch business owners who sell tobacco products complaining about the ordinance previously passed by the council on a 3-2 vote banning the sale of certain products and preventing them from selling or passing their business on to a family member, District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock changed course and agreed to a reversal. She was joined by District2 Councilman Mike Barbanica and Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker who cast the two votes against the ordinance. (See related article)

Ogorchock wanted to reverse the ban on the sale of little cigars, or cigarillos, and requiring them to be sold in packs of at least twenty, which includes products sold under the Swisher Sweet brand name that are commonly sold in two packs; the requirement that large cigars must be sold in packs of at least six, including conventional cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand; as well as the ban on the sale of any package of cigarettes, little cigars, or cigars may sold for less than $10, including applicable fees.

Barbanica spoke next saying, “this is ridiculous. We need to start over. If we want to ban new tobacco businesses from coming into town, fine. But this goes too far. We need to follow state law and make it a level playing field.”

“I agree with everything Councilman Barbanica just said,” Torres-Walker said.

Mayor Lamar Thorpe and District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson opposed the changes and continued to support the bans.

On the matter of selling or transferring their business to a family member Barbanica said, “My position is they should be able to sell their business if they want to.”

“If they want to sell it I shouldn’t be the one telling them who they can sell to,” Ogorchock chimed in.

“Selling it and passing it down to a family member,” Torres-Walker agreed when polled by Thorpe.

Both Thorpe and Wilson opposed the change. The mayor said he would work with staff to return with the changes by the council majority for a future vote, to applause from the business owners and their supporters in the audience.

“In the meantime, the ban remains. Please comply,” he said to them.

The Antioch Chamber of Commerce will honor the 2022 Citizens of the Year at the annual Gala Friday night, March 24, 2023 as well as the Businesses, Non-Profit and Youth of the Year. Martha Goralka was named the Citizen of the Year for Most Impact and Mary and Bob Franchetto, were named the Citizens of the Year for Lifetime Achievement.

Rivertown Treasure Chest will be honored as the Small Business of the Year and TreVista Senior Living is the Large Corporate Business of the Year. Mateo Castro, a senior at Antioch High School was named the Youth of the Year and the Delta Learning Center was selected as Non-Profit of the Year.

2022 Veterans of the Year who were honored on Veterans Day last November are Pat Jeremy for Most Impact and Autrey James received the Lifetime Veteran of the Year award. They will also be honored Friday evening.

The Chamber will also install the new president and board of directors and announce the organization’s Ambassador of the Year.

Photos of and details about each of the winners will be published following the event to be held at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center.

Will also consider forming Human Rights and Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee, appeal of Planning Commission’s denial of tree removal, $110K for July 4th celebration

By Allen D. Payton

During their regular meeting Tuesday night, March 14, 2023, the Antioch City Council will consider the appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of a new liquor store on Somersville Road and the appeal of the commission’s denial of a tree removal on W. 5th Street. The council will also consider forming a new engineering department and reorganizing the public works and community development departments.

In other council business, they will consider spending $110,000 to organize and pay for the annual Independence Day Celebration, including fireworks on the river, and forming Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker’s proposed Human Rights and Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee, with the task to form a commission of the same name.

Somersville Liquor Store Appeal

According to the staff report, on October 12, 2022, Gurmej Singh applied for a Use Permit to operate a new liquor store at 2651 Somersville Road in City Council District 2. The application was reviewed by City staff, including the Antioch Police Department, and outside agencies, and was forwarded to the Planning Commission for consideration. On February 15, 2023, the Planning Commission voted 4-3 to approve the Use Permit for the liquor store.

Then, on Feb. 21st, District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson held a press conference and called for the appeal of the commission’s decision and a 45-day urgency ordinance to halt approval of new liquor stores to give staff time to develop a permanent ban on all future liquor stores in the city. However, at the special council meeting on Thursday, Feb. 23rd with Torres-Walker absent, the proposed urgency ordinance died on a 2-2 vote.

That same day, an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision was filed with the City Clerk by Kathryn Wade who lives about two miles away from the proposed site. In the reasons for her appeal she wrote, “we do not need another liquor store in the Somserville area. We already have three (3) liquors less than a mile between them and we need better services and businesses in that area. The liquor doesn’t bring any value to the community.”

Also, according to the staff report, The site is located within Census Tract 3072.05, which currently has three other offsale Type 21 licenses and a population of 8,483. The current ratio is one outlet for each 2,828 persons. This fourth outlet would create a ratio of one outlet for each 2,121 persons. The average for Contra Costa County is one outlet for each 1,773 persons. As such, the location is not considered unduly concentrated based on outlets per resident and a finding of public convenience and necessity is not required. the other outlets in Census Tract 3072.05 are as follows:

• 7-Eleven at 2301 Buchanan Road
• ampm at 2610 Contra Loma Boulevard
• Wine & Liquor at 2958 Delta Fair Boulevard

The council can either vote to grant the appeal which will deny the use permit or deny the appeal and approve it.

Funds for Independence Day Celebration

At their last regular meeting, with Wilson and Torres-Walker both absent, the council voted 3-0 to table spending $110,000 of City funds to pay for the costs of the annual Independence Day Celebration on July 4th. The council will consider the matter, again. But a vote to remove the item from the table should be required before the council can actually vote on the proposed expenditure.

Human Rights and Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee

The final agenda item of the meeting will be a vote to form a new Human Rights and Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee. According to the city staff report, the committee of two council members would “work with the city manager and the city attorney to propose an ordinance forming the…commission” of the same name, “which would work to promote mutual, respect, understanding and tolerance among all persons within the City.

The Commission would proactively engage in research, action planning, education, and community outreach to advance the rights of all persons to have an equal opportunity to live, work, and prosper within the City.

The Commission would work to build a community where relationships among diverse people are valued by all, the voices of underrepresented groups are heard, discrimination is not tolerated, and residents can work together to resolve issues concerning discrimination and alienation.

The Human Rights and Racial Equity Commission could also plan, promote, and develop community-oriented education programs and events to foster positive human relations, equal opportunity, and greater understanding and appreciation of the City’s cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity. The proposed educational programs and events developed by the Human Rights and Racial Equity Commission would be submitted to the City Council prior to the adoption of the budget for the fiscal year in which the proposed educational programs and events are planned to be held.

Access to remedies and resolutions under existing state and federal laws addressing unlawful discrimination may also be enhanced by providing a local forum to hear and work towards the advancement of human rights and racial equity goals.”

Public Comments

Members of the public wishing to speak on an item must do so in person.  If you wish to provide a written public comment, you may email the City Clerk’s Department at cityclerk@antiochca.gov, by 3:00 p.m. the day of the City Council meeting. Written public comments received by 3:00 p.m. the day of the City Council Meeting will be shared with the City Council before the meeting; entered into the public record; retained on file by the City Clerk’s Office; and available to the public upon request. Written public comments will not be read during the City Council meeting.

The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street, in historic, downtown Rivertown. It can also be viewed via livestream on the City’s website or either on Comcast local cable access channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99.

 

 

Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown is located between W. 10th Street and the river and from A Street to Auto Center Drive.