First development in Sand Creek Area project west of Deer Valley Road; will include trails, new fire station, small commercial area

Torres-Walker votes against, she and Wilson want low-income/“inclusionary” housing included in the area long planned for upscale homes

By Allen D. Payton

During Tuesday night’s regular meeting the Antioch City Council voted 4-1 with Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker voting against, to approve two Vesting Tentative Maps for the 440 homes in The Ranch project’s Phase I in the Sand Creek Focus Area. It’s the first development west of Deer Valley Road in the City’s long-planned and embattled upscale housing area.  In addition, the council approved an amendment to the Master Development Plan reserving more space for conservation. (See Item 3 of meeting agenda for staff report and presentation and meeting video beginning at the 3-hour, 12-minute mark)

According to the City staff report, the Small Lot Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map would divide the Phase I area into 440 residential lots, a mixed-use component, a fire station, 6.6 acres of parkland, stormwater detention areas and an internal roadway network. That includes an extension to Sand Creek Road next to the Kaiser Medical Center across Deer Valley Road that will eventually connect to Dallas Ranch Road. The Master Development Plan Amendment modifies the proposed trail systems in order to reserve more space for conservation. The trails will more closely border the development and will include different amenities such as picnic tables and signage.

The 440 homes will be built on including 230 medium density lots with a minimum size of 4,000 square feet and an average of 4,845 s.f. and 210 low density lots with a minimum size of 5,000 s.f. and an average size of 8,140 s.f. Lots that abut the northern boundary next to existing homes will be a minimum of 8,000 s.f.

For the overall project homes will be built on 253.50 acres of the 551.50-acre site and will include a 5-acre Village Center consisting of commercial, office, and retail space, 3 acres of public services facilities, including a new fire station site and a trail staging area, approximately 22.5 acres of public parks and landscaped areas, 229.5 acres of open space including trails and 38 acres of roadway improvements.

History of Sand Creek Area and The Ranch

Planning for housing in that part of the city first began in the 1980’s. Then following the first of four votes in favor of placing the Urban Limit Line on the south side of the city limits, the planning in the 1990’s included a total of over 8,900 homes plus the previously proposed 640 homes at the former Roddy Ranch project. Now, at build out, the Sand Creek Focus Area will include just 4,000 homes. The regional and city infrastructure planned and built included 12,000 homes in the southernmost part of Antioch.

An initiative that had gathered enough signatures to be placed on the ballot which included a development agreement for the 1,177 homes of The Ranch project was approved by the Antioch City Council in 2018. But it was tossed out by a judge the following year. (See related articles here and here)

Following the presentation of the project by Contract Planner Cindy Gnoss of Raney Planning & Management  and Kyle Masters, Land Entitlement Director for the developer, Richland Communities, Allan Moore, an attorney representing neighboring development The Zeka Ranch argued in favor of a connection road through The Ranch property to his client’s property.

“The General Plan shows the road to Zeka Ranch goes through,” he stated. “The Subdivision Map Act requires it.” But Moore pointed out the plan for The Ranch before the council did not include it.

Council Discussion & Approval

Following public comments that included opposition and support for the project, during the council members’ discussion of the project, District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock asked staff about the connector road to The Zeka Ranch.

Gnoss responded that the connector road can be dealt with during The Ranch’s Phase 3 approval process.

Torres-Walker said she wanted low-income housing included in the Sand Creek area and was disappointed it wasn’t. District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson, in whose district the project will be built, said she wanted inclusionary housing. “I think when you’re not thoughtful this is what you get,” she stated.

But Mayor Lamar Thorpe reminded the public and his fellow council members that “Kaiser hospital is not fully built out. It’s to be built as a regional…I’m not saying this is right or wrong but part of build out is development.” He also pointed out that “Sand Creek Road is a regional road. It’s supposed to serve Brentwood residents, Oakley residents so they can get to Kaiser hospital. We don’t build roads in Antioch. Development builds roads.”

Regarding traffic circulation in response to a complaint by a resident as a reason she opposed the project and a comment by this reporter that plans for the infrastructure in East County and within the city included 12,000 homes in the Sand Creek area, Thorpe said, “Lone Tree Way, how it was thought out, how it’s operating…is literally how it was intended. Out of the blue we didn’t add an extra lane in there. As growth has happened triggers happened. It was all intentional. Luckily, it’s not 8,000 homes that we’re talking about. It’s much, much scaled back.”

In response to Torres-Walker’s concerns that the new homes won’t be affordable, the mayor said, “When you look at the demographics in the 94531 ZIP Code there’s a lot of people there who have advanced degrees. So, it’s living up to the area it was intended to be including…African Americans in that ZIP Code. It’s the largest concentration of Black people in the Bay Area with advanced degrees.”

The council then approved the new homes on 4-1 votes with Torres-Walker voting no.

Following the meeting Masters of Richland Communities shared that construction at the site should begin in about a year. The Ranch includes two more phases which will be brought to the council for adoption in the future.

Background – City Required to Approve New Homes

As previously reported, the City of Antioch, and all cities and counties in the Bay Area, must approve more homes between 2023 and 2031 based on the Regional Housing Needs Allocation. Antioch’s share is 3,016 new housing units for various income levels. On 4-1 votes in January 2023, the city council adopted the resolutions and ordinances related to the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update with Barbanica voting against all. The update allocates 792 Very Low-Income Units, 456 Low-Income Units, 493 Moderate-Income Units and 1,275 Above Moderate-Income Units that the council must approve. But more than those amounts are proposed or in the planning process.

Income levels are based on the following: Very Low is <50% of Area Median Income; Low is 50-80% of Area Median Income; Moderate is 80-120% of Area Median Income; and Above Moderate is >120% of Area Median Income. Area Median Income according to Fannie Mae is currently $158,200 per year.

By Allen D. Payton

On Friday afternoon, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe issued a statement of support for new Acting City Manager Kwame Reed, the City’s Economic Development Director, who was appointed to the temporary position that morning. In addition, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce also issued a statement of support for Reed. He was appointed on a 4-0 vote of the city council during a special, closed session meeting. (See related article)

In the post on his official Facebook page Thorpe wrote, “Earlier today, the City Council appointed Kwame Reed as the city’s acting city manager until further notice.

Mr. Reed has been with the city of Antioch for close to 5 years in the role of Economic Development Director. He has a public sector career that spans more than 28 years. For most of his career, he has worked for cities in Eastern Contra Costa County. He has a degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo.

I want to personally thank outgoing acting city manager, Forrest Ebbs for stepping up to hold the ship steady while the city navigated some unexpected changes.

Congratulations on Mr. Ebbs’ recent appointment as Deputy City Manager for the City of Modesto.

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.

I have personally been briefed by all of our department heads and they continue to assure me that they are committed to this mission and that they will continue moving forward with clarity, and a focus on delivering key services.”

On the Chamber’s Facebook page was posted the “Antioch Chamber of Commerce Official Statement regarding appointment of Kwame Reed as city’s acting city manager:

Earlier today, the City Council appointed Kwame Reed as the city’s acting city manager.

‘On behalf of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce Organization, I’d like to congratulate the City of Antioch on the outstanding appointment of Kwame Reed as the Cities Acting- City Manager. There is no doubt in my mind that Kwame’s tireless work on behalf of Antioch’s Enterprise & Commerce Community is unmatched and that he is ready to take on this important Leadership role during such a critical transition period for the City of Antioch,’ said Daniel Sohn, President/ CEO for the Antioch Chamber of Commerce.

Last year, the Antioch Chamber presented Mr. Reed with an award for his results-oriented work on behalf of Antioch businesses in his capacity as Antioch’s Director of Economic Development.” (See related article)

Reed began is additional duties on Friday afternoon, as Ebbs returned to his position as the City’s Community Development Director and was heading out for a two week vacation before ending his time with Antioch on July 14.

Will discuss 18 other agenda items during special meeting next Tuesday

“There are some big shoes to fill.” – Reed said of the departing Forrest Ebbs

By Allen D. Payton

During Friday morning’s special Antioch City Council closed session meeting on a 4-0 vote Economic Development Director Kwame Reed was appointed acting city manager to replace Community Development Director Forrest Ebbs. He has held the position since March but announced last week he’s taking a new position as a Deputy City Manager with Modesto.

During the open session portion of the meeting, Assistant City Attorney Rachel Hundley reported out of closed session about the vote for Reed’s appointment. He fills the position held by City Manager Con Johnson who was placed on paid administrative leave March 17. Following the council’s closed session during their June 13th meeting, City Attorney Thomas L. Smith merely reported out regarding the item entitled entitled “Public Employee Performance Evaluation and Potential Action – City Manager”, that they had given him direction. That is expected to be an offer to Johnson to resign or face termination.

At Friday morning’s meeting during open session, Mayor Lamar Thorpe then requested a motion to adjourn the 18 items to a special meeting at 6:00 p.m. next Tuesday, June 27 before the regular meeting that begins at 7:00 p.m. The motion passed 3-0 with Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock absent. Torres-Walker attended the closed session but as previously reported could not attend the open session due to previous commitments and Ogorchock is out of town at a League of Cities conference.

Reed has been in his current position with the City of Antioch since July 2, 2018 after working for both the City of Brentwood for almost 14 years as an Economic Development Senior Analyst and two years as an Associate Planner for the City of Oakley. Prior to that position, he worked for two years as a planner for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission which operates the ACE Train. Reed has a bachelor’s degree in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

He has been married for 26 years and is the father of two boys and a daughter.

When reached for comment Reed said, “I’m very excited for the opportunity. I’ve been around for a while. I’ve seen how things work. It’s a wonderful opportunity. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be tough. There are some issues that will be handled. I look forward to working with the entire council and getting community support, again, and the entire staff. I have good relationships with everyone and look forward to strengthening those and supporting them, as well.”

“Forrest has done a great job. I’m really going to miss him,” he shared about outgoing. “There are some big shoes to fill. We all wish him well. But when he announced he’s moving on, it was ‘wow’. We’re going to lose a good bit of knowledge when he departs.”

Immediately prior to the open session, District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica and Thorpe had a brief conversation in the back room behind the dais, with Hundley, which people in attendance at the meeting saw.

Asked about it Barbanica said, “Lamar was going to discuss an item about rent control but what I was telling him was there were only three of us there and that I had a conflict of interest, as I couldn’t vote on it, before as it could have a direct effect on my business.” The councilman is a real estate broker and property manager in Antioch.

“Any item that has come up regarding tenants, rent, etc. I’ve brought up with the city attorney about any potential conflict of interest,” he explained. “Because this meeting was going to be postponed, I didn’t have time to consult the city attorney and I couldn’t do that 30 seconds before the meeting. I told them I was going to recuse myself and Rachel agreed, and we’ll vet this out further before Tuesday night.”

The special Friday morning meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.  

In addition to an acting city manager, as reported by Thorpe at last week’s council meeting, the City currently has 87 vacancies, including the assistant city manager, 17 unfilled positions in the police department plus 35 officers on paid administrative leave pending the two investigations, an acting public works director, and soon an acting community development director on July 15 following Ebbs’ departure.

By Allen D. Payton

During their Tuesday, June 13, 2023, meeting, the Antioch City Council re-approved the revised tobacco product sales ordinance on a 3-2 vote and a rental registry with a future tax on landlords to pay for it on a 4-1 vote. With 12 items on the agenda and 19 items on the Consent Calendar, the meeting lasted until almost midnight violating the direction the council majority said they wanted to go at last Tuesday’s special meeting during discussion of the agenda items.

Re-Approve Revised Tobacco Products Sales Ordinance

On an expected 3-2 vote, with Mayor Lamar Thorpe and District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson voting against, the council majority re-approved the revision to the tobacco products sales ordinance which contains the following:

1. The terminology and definitions of flavored tobacco were amended to better align with State terms and definitions.

2. The prohibition on package size and price was eliminated. The prior language restricted the sale of small cigars (cigarillos) to minimum packs of 20, large cigars to minimum packs of 10, and required a minimum sales price for cigarettes of $10.

During the second reading of the ordinance, Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker and Thorpe were absent. Instead of postponing the item, the remaining three council members voted 2-1 with Wilson voting no, as she had done during the vote on the first reading, requiring the item be brought back for a first vote, again. Although it was approved, the item must be brought back for a vote on the second reading at the next council meeting.

Approves Rental Registry with Future Tax on Landlords

The council also approved on another split vote the creation of a Rental Registry with a future Rent Program fee, or tax on landlords to pay for it.

According to the city staff report, the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) currently requires the establishment of a registry of regulated units. This ordinance will have a marginal fiscal impact in expanding application of the registry program, which would be funded through a Rent Program fee if adopted at a future date.

Staff determined that it would be prudent to require registration of all residential rental units in the City rather than only apartment complexes. If the City Council adopts additional tenant protections, such as just cause eviction, those protections would likely apply to a wider scope of rental units. Registration of such additional units would aid in the administration of the additional protection policies. A Citywide program would also allow the registration component to be a requirement for a complete application rather than an opt-in system.

The Proposed Ordinance would authorize a consolidated Citywide registration program to clarify and establish the authority of the Finance Department to administer the Rental Unit Registry and collect tenant program fees. It would also authorize the Rent Program and Finance Department to utilize an alternative means of registering rental units on properties containing five or more units.”

One of the speakers said she wants the system to also track evictions.

District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock moved approval and Torres-Walker seconded the motion.

Barbanica asked, “what information on this registry do you plan to include and

“The business license fee registers the owner at the property,” said Assistant City Attorney Rachel Hundley. “You get to know the units but you don’t get to know the details….more specific information such as the deeds…inspection violations.”

“So, you’re looking to really pry into those property owners’ personal business?” he asked.

“No,” she responded.

The motion then passed 4-1 with Barbanica, who is a real estate broker and property manager, voting against.

Later approves flying “Progress Pride” flag for remainder of the year on split vote

Direction given to city attorney on City Manager Con Johnson but no details provided

Thorpe explains process for placing council member requested items on meeting agendas

By Allen D. Payton

During their meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, the Antioch City Council approved flying the “Progress Pride” flag at City Hall for the remainder of the year as they did last year for eight months and re-approve the revised tobacco products sales ordinance.

At the beginning of the regular City Attorney Thomas L. Smith reported out of closed session regarding City Manager Con Johnson that direction was given to the city attorney. No other details were provided. Johnson has been on paid administrative leave since March 17.

The council on a 4-0 vote, with Mayor Lamar Thorpe absent at roll call, approved a proclamation commemorating Juneteenth, June 19 as Freedom Day and the nation’s second Independence Day and recognizing June as “Pride” Month in the City of Antioch for the “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community”. The resolution was received by a self-described trans woman named Brittany, who said he has lived in Antioch his entire life, called for a gay parade in Antioch and asked the city council to also fly the transgender flag.

The resolution included the flying of the “Pride” rainbow flag at City Hall during the remainder of the month. Last year the council on a 3-2 vote with Councilmembers Mike Barbanica and Lori Ogorchock voting no, approved flying the “Intersex, Progress Pride” flag at City Hall for eight months.

Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker chaired Tuesday night’s meeting until Thorpe’s arrival and displayed small “Pride” and “Transgender Pride” flags on the dais between her and Barbanica. (A report on today.com describes 17 different “Pride” flags but it does not include the “Intersex Progress Pride” flag which adds a circle inside the triangle on the left side of the “Progress Pride” flag.)

The council took a break at 7:15 p.m. to raise the “Pride” rainbow flag on the pole outside the Council Chambers. But that occurred three hours before the council discussed and voted on Item P on the Consent Calendar “to fly the Rainbow Pride Flag at City Hall throughout the month of June 2023 in recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Community Pride Month in the City of Antioch” at about 10:15 p.m.

Torres-Walker made a motion to fly the “Progress Pride” flag instead and for the remainder of the year, again.

“We did this last year,” Thorpe said in support. “Given what’s happening in our country including some cities in our state…I think we need to keep leading on this issue.”

“I tolerate dogs,” he said in response to a public comment by a resident. “What we’re talking about here are human beings. We need to be accepting of our fellow human beings, not tolerant.”

The motion passed 4-1 with Ogorchock voting against.

Thorpe Reviews, Explains Placing Council Member Requested Items on Meeting Agendas

Thorpe was absent at the beginning of the meeting because he said he’s taking a certificate in government course on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. He arrived at about 7:45 p.m. During the Mayor’s Comments, in response to last week’s special meeting discussion and direction by his fellow council members, he explained and reviewed the six-month list of agenda items requested by other council members saying he doesn’t determine when they’re brought back and that it’s a staff decision. (See related article)

“A public hearing requires a two-week notification,” he said. “So, if we had brought it back at the last meeting, we would have been breaking the law.”

“I don’t manage the city. The city manager manages the city. The city attorney manages some of these projects, here. I don’t manage that. They come up with the timeframes,” Thorpe added.

He mentioned 87 city staff vacancies and said, “I’ve been considered of staff needs.”

“There’s about 20 items, here and we’re working on a lot of these,” Thorpe continued. “At the next special council meeting we’ll discuss them in a round robin format.”

“This is what I inherited. If people want to change the process, I’m open,” he added.

The council then received a presentation on a Budget, Staffing and Timeline for the City’s rent program and additional tenant protection policies.

35 officers currently on administrative leave

By Allen D. Payton

In a statement posted on his campaign website and shared on his official social media pages on Monday, June 12, 2023, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe commented on the fatal shooting on Sunday morning that took the life of an 18-year-old female and wounded six others who were attending a birthday party. (See related article)

In it, he called for “the officers involved in the racist text-messaging scandal” to be fired immediately but Thorpe wouldn’t say how many officers that entails. Following is the post of his statement:

Statement by Mayor Lamar Thorpe Re. Mass Shooting

Antioch, CA- On June 6, 2023, Mayor Thorpe issued the following statement regarding the mass shooting in Antioch:

“Birthdays are one of the most intimate and sacred celebrations in everyone’s life. They represent growth, reflection, and appreciation for life’s gifts. Over the weekend one such celebration was cut short as a result of gun violence.

An 18-year-old young lady lost her life and 6 others were injured. My heart is with the victims and families of this horrific incident.

Across the US, there have been at least 290 mass shootings so far this year. I’m saddened to report that Antioch joins the growing list of cities that have experienced mass shootings in 2023.

Earlier this morning, I was briefed by Chief Steve Ford about this weekend’s incident. During my briefing, I reiterated to the Chief that the officers involved in the racist text-messaging scandal (who are currently on administrative leave) need to be fired immediately so we can free up those positions and hire new police officers directly from the academy.

Each day these officers are on leave is another day we are prevented from having a stronger police presence on our streets to deter and/or respond to gun violence.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the date of his post is still incorrect as are the spelling of “Antioch” and “Bay Area” in the tags at the end.

Thorpe was asked via email Monday afternoon which of the officers in the text scandal does he want Chief Ford to immediately terminate. “All 45 of them Including those who received but did not respond to the offensive texts from some of the officers? Or just the officers who sent the texts?” He was also asked how many officers are currently on administrative leave during the investigation of the scandal. Thorpe did not respond.

When asked how many officers are on paid leave due to the text scandal, Antioch Police spokesman Corporal Price Kendall shared there are 115 authorized sworn officers, with 98 currently on staff. Of those 35 are on administrative leave total, but he would not specify what type, leaving 49 officers on full duty with 31 on patrol.

Regarding Thorpe’s call for the terminations Kendall added, “The Antioch Police Department is not handling the investigation. We have been recused from the investigation by the City Attorney. The City Attorney is handling the investigation. Chief Ford cannot make any decisions regarding those involved until the City Attorney completes his investigation. The mayor knows this.”

Elections attorney says if it’s possible it would require a citizens’ initiative but no case law; one resident calls switching to rotated mayor is “coup d’état”, part of “right extreme agenda”; Torres-Walker refutes

By Allen D. Payton

During the special Antioch City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, with Mayor Lamar Thorpe absent while on a trip to Mexico, the council moved forward on several changes to how their meeting agendas would be set. They also heard from an elections attorney that changing to an annually rotated mayor among council members instead of directly elected may not be possible mid-decade. If it’s possible, the council couldn’t place the matter on the ballot but would require a citizens’ initiative.

During public comments on the first item regarding the agenda setting process several residents spoke on both sides of the matter. Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker who ran the meeting reduced the public speaking time from three to two minutes.

The first resident to speak, Erica Ralston said she wants police reform and rent control on the agenda.

“I do not want this to sidestep the biggest issue in Antioch at this time,” said resident Leslie May. “This is a game changer…a historic move with the police changes. I don’t want anything that happens tonight from the focus on the Antioch Police Department…to rid our police department of undesirables.”

Dr. Geoffrey Klingler said, “I salute you. This is an important topic. You have people in your districts whose concerns you’re supposed to represent. The process needs to be fair and equitable for all in this city. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for council members to take the personal biases out of running this city. Good luck.”

Resident Julia Aymachoque spoke in favor of a four-year term for the mayor saying, “We need unified leadership. This right extreme agenda calling for the mayor to serve only a one-year term must be stopped. We don’t welcome this covert coup d’état. If possible, we should only have one election district. We need…five representatives working together.”

Resident Andrew Becker said, “This is a long time coming to our community. What the council majority has asked for is a fair process for getting things on the agenda. It’s been difficult as a community member to watch those items get to the agenda from council members, I’ve requested them of. It’s not fair. It’s time we have a new process. I support the power of two…with one council member to get another council member to support bringing something forward to the council agenda.”

Frank Sterling spoke next saying, “I do wish we could have started off with your discussion so we could hear what you all are thinking. If you can’t do it, then it’s really tough to see our items get on the agenda.  However, it turns out, I’m kind of glad it’s happening. So, good luck.”

Devin Williams said, “This puts us all in an awkward position. The fact that we have a special meeting on bringing items on the agenda before the mayor…we have a system that is working. We have a process, and we have to wait whether it’s six months, nine months or a year. I don’t think you’re being misrepresented if you have to wait. If you want something to come up and the only person to bring it is the mayor, then organize. So be it. Come to these meetings. Go knock on doors. Come talk to your people. Mayor Thorpe is not going to work in bad faith against it.”

Resident Francisco Torres then said, “We can’t forget the accountability of the police. It’s going to be quite a while. Probably two years. Thank you for bringing this to the community. The way I view it is Government 101. Sometimes there comes a time when you need to look at things. In the end it’s what’s best for the community. I think it’s important the community knows what’s going on. People are starting to get involved more and more and that’s a good thing.”

Ralph Hernandez said, “Tonight’s meeting is another perfect example that you’re not listening to the public. You reduced it down to two minutes for tonight. Do you not have time for the public? When I was on the council public comments were five minutes. We worked until after midnight. Sometimes you reduce the public that shows up here…you cut it down to one minute. By the time they get their words together…times up. What more important things are there than listening to the public to come to you?”

“Yes, you shouldn’t have items that take six months to a year to come before you,” he added.

Resident Nichole Gardner said, “I just have to say on this agenda item, one, I think, I wish it didn’t even have to come to this. The voters that voted for the mayor knowing the authority he had. I don’t think it’s fair for you to take away his authority. Ya’ll staff is low. Staff is quitting left and right. That’s one of the reason Rosanna left. It’s just too much pressure on the staff. I think you all need to take that into consideration. Outside of the council he only has one vote. It undermines the voters. This is really, to me, this meeting is nonsense. I’m really surprised by the folks that wanted this to happen.”

Another resident, Tanita Travis said, “This just shows…more of a division instead of working on the things that should really come to the forefront like what is happening with the police. Number one is not that important to do in the middle of a term. It shows Antioch government is not a community of a whole as a council. It shouldn’t be. It’s not a good look. If you can’t get an item on an agenda…if there is a whole group of you. It doesn’t seem fathomable. There are other things that we could be meeting about. There are so many other issues we have. I just don’t understand it.”

Lucas Stewart-Chilcote then said, “I want to echo pretty much what the previous person said. It was puzzling to see when the agenda was posted. It is very odd to see the items on a special meeting. For agendas is it a lack of staffing? Can we have the agendas publicized a minimum of two weeks before? Can we bring back the virtual participation for public comments?”

Ronald Muhammad spoke next saying, “I moved to this city because I saw the opportunity, the potential.  I did not know the city is so…divisive. I would have never bought into this corporation called Antioch because I’m a shareholder. You guys are representatives of the people. But far too often you seem to be inputting your own things. You represent a base, a constituency base. People are waking up and they’re seeing the divisiveness. It shouldn’t be three-two votes every time. Can’t you agree on anything?”

Former Mayor Don Freitas said, “I’ve had the honor of being both council member and mayor. This item, and it has disturbed me for the past two years to see items not getting on the agenda. When I was mayor…I never, ever denied a council member from placing an item on the agenda. I would suggest anybody on the council, when you ask for something on the agenda, you have an action calendar…and you publish it as part of your agenda so people can see how long it’s taking. I have been greatly disturbed when you, all of you, have requested an item on the agenda and they don’t come for a month, several months.”

Resident Dorothy Ellis said, “I was disturbed, too by a special, called meeting. Is it distraction politics? Because what we should be focusing on is the police and healing. That is something that should be rectified among you. If we lose the police department because we can’t rectify this my property value takes a hit. I want to see us heal. I want to see us come together and not be divided by color. I want to see the community empowered by the people. If ya’ll can’t do that don’t run.”

Council Discussion on Setting Future Meeting Agendas

During council discussion of the item District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica said, “I want to give you a bit of history of how this came about, tonight. It surprises some people when this comes about. Mayor Pro Tem Torres-Walker and I have kept in regular contact. We don’t always agree. We talk after council meetings sometimes, on the weekends. She asked me to call her. We talked for several hours about our frustrations over the past two years.”

“This has nothing to do with one person. This has to do with the governance of this community,” he continued. “Can all of us get items on the agenda? This is for future councils to come so council members don’t feel they can’t get things on the agenda. We both agreed, good luck getting this on a future agenda to talk about.”

“Once two of us speak, we’re done, we can’t talk with anyone else on the council about a specific item,” Barbanica explained. “So, we agreed that yes, we will call for a special meeting and if there’s support amongst the council we will proceed with a special meeting We brainstormed about problems we’ve had over the past two years.”

“You’re right. We have a staffing problem,” he continued. “But what we’re seeing is extensive, extensive agendas for the meetings. We talked about that very thing, what is this doing to staff…and how this is bogging down the system. Good luck getting your item on the agenda. So, we talked about the amount of items and the time we spent here, with the public. We bounced ideas back and forth…with the number of agenda items, the number of hours…in a meeting. Council can vote during that meeting to extend those hours. We also spoke about the possibility of 90 days…instead of six months to come back. In addition to that, we talked about limiting the number of agenda items from council members.”

“We’re not looking to take the entire thing away from the mayor’s office. We’re looking for a way to make sure that everyone’s item gets on an agenda,” Barbanica shared. “If we run out of time, instead of saying it will be on some future agenda, that item will be number one on the next agenda. These are some of the things we talked about. Reserving the spaces for council members’ items to come back.”

“Public hearings and presentations take on a large portion of the meeting. So, we’re talking about discussing limiting the number of public hearings on an agenda. Hopefully, we can come to a consensus tonight. Nobody’s looking to take total authority away from the mayor’s office…on the agenda and in a timely fashion,” the District 2 Councilman concluded.

District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock spoke next saying, “I didn’t know these were the list of items. When I got on council in 2014, Councilwoman Wilson was already on the council and we couldn’t get items on the agenda. So, we set up a six-month timeframe. These are things that come up…these are people calling us, emailing us. I’ve recently found out we really don’t have a policy for the mayor setting an agenda. It used to be the mayor and the city manager would set the agenda. But that’s not happening, either.”

“It’s been very frustrating as a District 3 representative,” she continued. “If I can’t get anything on the agenda for the constituents in that area, it’s not fair. It’s not to take something away from anybody. It’s to be fair across the board.”

District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson said, “I’m sorry for all the confusion of this non-emergency emergency meeting. I definitely agree this process needs to be transparent. I, too, see that the staff is overworked. Yes, I do agree that there needs to be a process. I do wish this was a meeting we were all here for. I’m not a fan of an agenda item that doesn’t have a report attached to it. Whoever calls it needs to explain it. I think there should be a little more time. Again, I apologize for this very vague…meeting.”

Torres-Walker then offered her reasons for the special meeting and agenda item saying, “Myself and Councilmember Barbanica have been talking about how the agenda is set. I asked (former city manager) Ron Bernal…why do we have a list of like 20, 30 things that haven’t been brought back. And then it could take up to six months before they’re even brought back and when they’re brought back it’s simply as a discussion and then we decide to move foward. That is a clear absence of voice and diversity when the person you elected to council can literally in their term not get anything done because it could take up to six months or more for items to come back to the agenda. I know, there were definitely things when I came on this council were more than a year old and the council members who asked for them were no longer on council by the they came back.”

“When we’re talking about a right-wing or left wing agenda I’m not a bird. So, I don’t know what a left wing or right wing is. Since the diversity in this community…the system isn’t working. This isn’t about…who eventually ends up in the mayor’s position. This is simply about good governance. We operate in bad faith in democracy when people don’t see themselves in public policy. I also want to say this council majority absolutely has the authority to do this. But for two-and-a-half years we have tried to say, ‘OK, let’s wait’. But it hasn’t been working. This is within our authority. I didn’t run for office to sell all my values to get something on the agenda. When you say ‘oh, the council is divided’… that didn’t just start. Day one there has been division. Not necessarily in personal relationships because some residents are surprised Councilman Barbanica have figured out to have an open dialogue and relationship. This is about how things can come back in a timely manner.”

“Fortunately, for me, I’m not looking to climb a political ladder so, I’m not afraid,” she continued. “I do think it’s reasonable to have a time to have things come back to the agenda. I do think it’s absolutely reasonable to look at the agenda and make sure that it’s not so packed.”

“When you have 10, 20 things on an agenda and we have to get through all of them in one night, you are going to get one minute to speak,” Torres-Walker stated. “This is probably the most diverse discussion this council has ever had. Why hasn’t this discussion never happened a long time ago. I’ve been able to move things through the agenda. I had to step back, my peers up here on the council should also be able to move some things on the agenda whether they have the votes or not.”

She then asked City Attorney Thomas L. Smith his thoughts “on how we can move forward in making some changes.”

“There is a municipal code that states these processes can be codified in a resolution,” he responded. “You seem to have several items…on those things you can reach consensus…that resolution could come back at a subsequent meeting.”

Ogorchock then said, “There have been several times and several meetings when things come up for discussion and there hasn’t been a staff report. We do this on a regular basis.”

“I have also seen some items come to this agenda with no background…for discussion,” Torres-Walker said. “Everything is urgent except better government. We are not dismissing that we have 18 incidents of firearms in our community. This isn’t overshadowing policing…housing and tenants’ rights. None of that. This is happening so we can have items come back on the agenda.”

Members of the audience yelled out from their seats attempting to disrupt the meeting.

“Calm down, calm down. This is just a discussion. We’re about to have a round robin to see what’s coming back. This isn’t going away,” Torres-Walker said trying to control the meeting but didn’t use the gavel. “This city has been understaffed and staff has been underpaid since 2017. Look if you want to fight for the mayor that’s another discussion.”

“We have not violated the Brown Act,” the mayor pro tem said in response to an accusation by a member of the public.

Barbanica then began reading through the seven points he and Torres-Walker developed.

He and Ogorchock agreed on 11 p.m. to be the meeting limit.

“That’s already in place,” Wilson said. “I didn’t say yes or no.”

People continued to yell out from the audience.

“I agree, as long as we start adhering to it,” Barbanica said.

“Anything not handled at a council meeting, those items will be on the next agenda and those items will be the first ones on the next agenda,” he added.

“I agree with that,” Ogorchock said.

Gardner continued to yell out from the audience.

“Placing a maximum of seven items on the agenda, three reserved for council members,” Barbanica said.

“I don’t know about this one, yet,” Ogorchock said. “I don’t know if I want to do a number of items. I just want to go back to the timeframe.”

“So, I say we stick to the timeframe,” Torres-Walker said.

“I’m fine with that,” Barbanica stated.

“Three items reserved for council members,” he than offered.

“The mayor and the city manager already set the agenda,” Torres-Walker said. “There be at least three of those that come back.”

Those in the audience continued to yell out.

“Wait. Just a second. So, I’m wondering. My thing is like, we done already heard the voices of people who agree and don’t agree,” Torres-Walker said, again trying to control those yelling out. “You can keep disrupting the meeting but it’s not going to disrupt the vote. This is just direction. I’m not going to say what I’m thinking because it won’t look good for your mayor.”

People continued to yell out.

Ogorchock then said, “If there were some really important things that need to come forward, like the budget…I’d like to have one or two things on there.”

“I’m OK with two,” Barbanica said.

Wilson said, “I prefer three. But, yeah. Whatever. I can deal with three.”

“The six-month list will be changed from a six-month to a 90-day list,” Barbanica then offered.

Wilson said she was concerned about emergency items that might come up.

“The six-month process is just not working,” Barbanica said.

“We would spend one council meeting just talking about all the items that are a year out,” Torres-Walker stated.

“It’s longer than that,” Ogorchock added who also said she was fine with the 90 days.

“I’m fine with the ninety days,” Wilson said.

Acting City Manager Forrest Ebbs said, “Speaking for staff, it always seemed strange to bring things back without a staff report…to give you some context for a discussion.”

“I know when Ron Bernal was here he said

“There are a lot of practices that have been handed down. But I think this is the right time to change things,” Ebbs said.

“Definitely within the next two meetings,” Attorney Smith said about bringing back the resolution on changing how agendas are set. “I’m very confident that it could be in the next two and if it’s possible, the next meeting. No later than June 27th and if possible, the next meeting June 13th.”

The other council members agreed to the timeline for the resolution to be brought back to the council for a vote.

Item 2 – Consider the process to transition to five council districts and switch from a directly-elected

“This came up because I was at an electoral event,” Torres-Walker said. “The next time I saw them they were the mayor. I asked them how does that work? We should discuss that in Antioch if other cities are doing it. Is it fair? Does it add diversity to the role? If it gets to rotate you get more diversity in the government. None of the other folks from Pinole and other councils seem to have a problem with it.”

“This was something that was voted on 10 years ago in Antioch and failed, miserably,” she added. “This isn’t the same community it was 10 years ago. I thought it would make sense to bring it back and discuss it, now.”

“We both know this would go to the voters. We would not make a decision up here.

It would be extremely unlikely this would affect the current mayor. This is about the future. This is not to remove a current mayor. That was never the discussion. Would it make to go to a fifth district as other councils.

Attorney Smith said he had an elections attorney available to answer questions during the meeting as a panelist on Zoom.

“It was voted down in 1994,” Ogorchock stated.

Also in 2012, someone added.

During Public Comments on the item resident Ramesh Shuman said, “This has been tried in so many cities and it has been very successful. I think this would be a good time to try it…to give each person a chance to bring new ideas that we have not heard in the past. But this would not be for this term.”

“This is a dictatorship in content. I do not want any of you mayor, ever,” said Julia Aymachoque. “But you are forcing yourself to that position, no matter what. Reducing the term of the mayor to one year…is a terrorist threat to all of us. An attack on Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe is an attack on all Antiochians, democracy and U.S. Constitution. The right extreme agenda, a systemically racist move and we want you to stop this monstrosity. Let the mayor be the mayor for four years. Defund the police, pay for the lawsuits, create instead social safety net.” (Nichole Gardner could be seen standing, clapping and saying, “yes” in response).

Andrew Beckers spoke passionately saying, “Council worked very hard to say this is not an attack on Mayor Thorpe. I think this item would come forward on next year’s ballot which we would all vote as a community. The good majority of cities in this state follow this practice. This city does not have a strong mayor. But our mayor has acted strongly for a long time. This mayor is a city council member who chairs a board. This same mayor that everybody is supporting is not here. Everybody deserves to have a voice, all of our elected officials and I applaud this.”

Frank Sterling said, “I understand we get to vote on it. I look forward to hearing…about how it works.”

Former councilman Ralph Hernandez said, “This is a item that I think really needs to be thought out. I’m not opposed to it. That depends. All of you represent a part of the community under this district voting, I call it B.S. I think we should eliminate district voting and go back to electing all council people. I don’t think we can really address this particular item, yet…until hearing from the public. When you have elected officials we want them to represent all of us.”

Resident Lucas Stewart-Chilcote said, “The previous agenda item I felt some equity. This is different. What are the advantages to this? Should we do the United States of America president as a one-year rotation? What other advantages is there to be the mayor to keep it fair? Are there other roles…what would you all get out of it?”

Francisco Torres said, “I also noticed most cities are going for five rotated mayors. I think that’s a good idea. That way each one of you gets the chance to be the mayor and run the agenda and run the meetings. Every district has a voice, and those voices need to be heard. We’ve only been doing it for 200 years. I do believe in district council people because you have to answer to 25,000 constituents. They have someone to go to. Good luck and see where it lands.”

Ronald Muhammad spoke next saying, “This is not about a person we’re talking about processes. That’s why I keep talking about the Brown Act. The people are being taken out of the process. ‘The people shall not give up their sovereignty’,” he quoted. “What constituency base brought this to you or did you bring this up? Whose stuff are you bringing forward or is it your stuff? That’s why I keep yelling Brown Act, Brown Act. It seems like other things are going on. If you want to beat Thorpe run against him. Beat him at the polls. Brown Act violation.”

Dorothy Ellis then said, “I totally disagree having four to five districts…it should not be a shared responsibility. If he’s not doing his job then it should be us voting him out. You haven’t provided us anything. You want us to take you at your word. We don’t want you to circumvent the process. This is called a special meeting and it’s only a discussion. You done took my time and you’re not voting on anything.”

Susannah Williams said, “I’m in support of districts. Mayor Pro Tem Torres-Walker’s district has a voice for the first time, ever. We voted to elect a mayor. I don’t think a rotated mayor works as good with districts. I see this as a little premature and distracting. If you have to go through that redistricting process it could be nowhere as fair as the districts are, today.”

Kimberly Kidd-Bailey spoke next saying said, “I’ve been an Antioch resident for 23 years and I just started coming to the council meetings. What’s going to happen with all the police stuff…with all the other items I heard? What all are you doing for the public? About the mayor thing…you guys are bickering amongst each other calling each other names. Why would I want you to be mayor for one year?

“I heard someone all you racist or white privileged last time,” she said looking at Ogorchock. “I don’t want you representing me if you’re like that.”

Resident Devin Williams said, “I believe in the democratic process. I believe we deserve to elect somebody and let them lead. Not everybody who is going to rotate into this chair will represent everyone. We need to have consensus when we go to the voting booths when we’re voting for the mayor. It was voted against I 2012. There are other issues we need to be worried about than this foolishness, tonight. I respect those wanting to do this but we shouldn’t have the discussion without the mayor here.”

Don Freitas spoke next saying, “The issue before us is not about Lamar Thorpe. The issue is do you want five districts or an elected mayor. The reason cities go to an elected mayor is when they get large and the issues are complex. Frankly, I would just strongly suggest you to not have a rotating mayor. You want someone who represents the entire community and is answerable to all the people. I’ve seen the squabbles with rotating mayors. There are just some people on council who should not be mayor. It’s a whole new level. It’s more complex. I really hope you don’t put this on the agenda next year.”

Allison Norris was the last from the public to speak saying, “I was the person that messaged you, Tamisha, and you got back to me. I’m in District 3, but first and foremost I’m an Antioch citizen. One of the reasons we’re divided, we’re divided on race. Just because I’m white doesn’t mean I don’t care about Tamisha’s districts. And comments like what was said about Lori, last week is not right.”

Council Discussion on Rotating Mayor

Elections attorney Mel Richardson co-chair of Walnut Creek-based law firm Best Best and Krieger’s election law practices group, joined the meeting via Zoom.

In response to questions from Barbanica he said, “these issues are governed by California Elections statute in the FAIR MAPS Act,” he said. “Of four plus one or five districts. There’s actually a threshold issue that needs to be addressed…whether or not it can even go forward.”

According to the bill, AB 849 which became law in 2019, FAIR MAPS stands for Fair And Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities And Political Subdivisions.

“The FAIR MAPS Act was significantly revised before the last redistricting process,” Richardson continued. “After redistricting…a council shall not adopt new council district elections until after the next decennial census except in three instances: settlement of a lawsuit, or if the city boundaries change. This applies here because when you change from four districts to five districts you rejigger through redistricting. This statute is not perfectly clear because it says the council is prohibited from creating new council districts. It doesn’t address the initiative process. An initiative cannot accomplish what a council cannot accomplish. So, it’s possible that it couldn’t be accomplished by initiative. But that’s not been tested.”

When the council transitioned to districts in 2018, the FAIR MAPS Act became applicable,” he added.

“This would have to be brought to a ballot. This is not our decision. Then the people would have to decide. That is the pathway, correct?” Barbanica asked.

“Yes,” the elections attorney replied. “But we’d have to do a deeper dive. There is no case law. An initiative would have to be used. But it’s even possible that may not be allowed.”

“Government Code 34886 is exactly where you want to go for these different kinds of districts,” he said in response to a question from Torres-Walker. “But that section punts over to the MAPS Act and that is governed by the timing in the Elections Code.”

“We always understood this is not a council action,” Barbanica said. “We’ve received lots of feedback from members of the public over the last week.”

“Having discussions like these to understand what’s possible…I don’t change,” Torres-Walker said. “Even if we have a discussion about this, I’m not afraid to bring things up. I’m also not intimidated by this. Because the public has a right to know. Thank you, city attorney…because now we know the parameters.”

“I think the fear is very concerning to me,” she continued. “When you say we aren’t dealing with Black issues up here…I don’t remember police reform…tenant protections being brought up before.”

“Sometimes open communication is what actually opens relationships not closed minds,” Torres-Walker added.

She then moved to adjourn the meeting and the motion passed 4-0-1 at 9:01 p.m.

Posts message on his official Instagram account with vulgar translation; claims it was mistranslated, later adds his intended meaning of “Don’t mess around”; but Hispanic college board president says phrase is “almost…intimidation”; 6/1/23 UPDATE: Thorpe says he informed Torres-Walker he would be out of town for Tuesday night’s meeting

By Allen D. Payton

While facing the limiting of his powers by three of his fellow councilmembers, on Sunday, while in Ensenada, Mexico, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe posted a photo of himself with a vulgar message on his official Instagram account. It reads, “antioch_mayor No chingen” which translated into English means “antioch_mayor Don’t give a f—“. The post comes three days after the agenda was made public for Tuesday night’s special council meeting, called by District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica at the end of last week’s meeting, and supported by Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock. The two items would both weaken one of the two powers of the mayor, to set meeting agendas, and completely change the position from being directly elected for four years to an annually rotated position among all five council members. (See related articles here and here)

Above the photo in which Thorpe appears serious and pensive, it reads “Valle de Guadalupe, Ruta del Vino, Ensenada” which is in Mexico.

He was sent questions via email late Monday night asking what he was referring to in his Instagram post on Sunday and specifically, “Why don’t you ‘give a f – – -‘?”

The mayor was asked if he is upset about what the three council members are attempting to do to weaken one of the powers of the mayor regarding setting meeting agendas and switching to an annually rotated instead of a directly elected mayor.

Thorpe was also asked, “as an elected representative, do you think it’s appropriate to use that kind of language in Spanish or English, especially on one of your official social media accounts?”

He was also asked about the trip and it’s timing: “Why are you in Mexico? How long have you had this trip planned? When did you book your flight? Or did you drive there and if so, when did you leave Antioch? If it was planned before last Tuesday night, why didn’t you mention that during the council meeting when Councilman Barbanica called for the special meeting for this Tuesday night, May 30 and it received the support from two other council members? Or will you be back from Mexico in time to attend the meeting?”

Finally, he was asked if he has anything else to share about the Instagram post or the two items on the special council meeting agenda.

Barbanica Didn’t Know Thorpe Would Miss Meeting

When asked about Thorpe being in Mexico, Barbanica said, “Had I known at the time when I called for the meeting that he was going to be out of town I would have moved it to another time. I would have loved to have everybody there. But at the time I didn’t know he was going to be out of town.”

Thorpe Claims Mistranslation by Instagram But Won’t See What He Meant

In response to the questions, Thorpe wrote the following via email Tuesday morning:

“So that I’m clear, if I had a public statement to make I’d make it. Right now, I have no statement regarding an issue that’s a non starter. I don’t send subliminal messages. You’re suggesting I’m on vacation not because it’s Memorial Day weekend (one of the busiest travel weekends in the nation) but instead because of a special meeting…after 6 years in elected office, I’ve never sent a ‘subliminal message’ as you’re suggesting.”

Thorpe then made the same claim of mistranslation about another post on his official Instagram page showing him standing in front of a painting of multi-colored wings.

“In case you wanted more examples of Meta broken translator: ‘Pintate de colores y buela como superman’ is also translated incorrectly,” he wrote.

That translated on his Instagram account to “Paint colors and grumble like Superman”.

He later provided his own translation of “Get outta here”.

More Questions Go Unanswered

Thorpe was pressed further asking him to explain what he meant since he claims it’s not intended to be a subliminal message and it’s been mistranslated. He was also asked, “if, as you claim, the Meta translator is broken and it’s an incorrect translation, what is the correct translation of ‘no chingen’?”

He was informed that the word in Spanish appears to be misspelled as the word found on SpeakLatino.com is “chinguen” which is conjugated from the word chingar meaning either: 1. to importune, disturb; 2. to have sex (offensive); or 3. to frequently have wine or drinks (colloquial)

Thorpe was then asked, if “no chinguen” is what he meant to write and if so, which of those meanings did he intend by his post. “Did you mean you don’t want to be disturbed? Or that you’re not drinking? Since that’s supposedly colloquial, and if the latter meaning is what you intended, wouldn’t a better word to use be ‘no beben’?”

He was also asked, “If ‘don’t give a f—-‘ is not what you intended to write, but is translated that way, why haven’t you yet corrected or deleted the comment or post?”

The mayor was asked what “Pintate de colores y buela como superman” translates to in English. Google Translator shows the meaning to be, “Paint yourself colors and ox like superman”.

Thorpe was asked again, if he will return in time for tonight’s council meeting and if not, when did he plan his trip and if planned before last Tuesday night’s meeting, why didn’t he mention it when Councilman Barbanica called for the special meeting to be scheduled for tonight.

Because of a concern that Thorpe intentionally misses certain meetings and the Public Comments portion of meetings he was reminded of being an hour late to the May 9th council meeting for which he missed the Public Comments period. Thorpe was asked if it was true that he was in the mayor’s office upstairs inside City Hall taking his online DUI class at the time.

Thorpe Continues to Refuse to Say What He Meant

The mayor replied, “Again, the issue is a none starter [sic]. So, I can’t ‘send’ a message, directly or indirectly, about something that does not impact the role of the elected mayor.”

One Last Attempt to Get Answers

Thorpe was then sent additional and some of the same questions once more asking, “since what you wrote in Spanish is clearly not understood by most of your constituents and you claim it was mistranslated how can they know it has nothing to do with your role as the elected mayor? What did you intend to write in Spanish that you claim was mistranslated into English? Did you check the translation before finalizing your post?”

He was informed that the SpanishDictionary.com shows the phrase he posted means “don’t f—” with a related phrase of “No chinguen conmigo o se van a arrepentir. – Don’t f— with me, or you’ll regret it.”

Thorpe was also informed that someone whose family is from Mexico and spends a lot of time there said it could mean, “I don’t care” or it’s a warning meaning “don’t mess with me”, “don’t say anything on this” or “you better let this go”.

He was then asked if one of those were the meaning he intended to send.

Thorpe was also asked to support his claim of mistranslation to provide the correct translation of his other post of him standing in front of a painting of angel wings and mentioning Superman. He was also asked now that he’s aware of the vulgar “mistranslation”, as he claims, why he hadn’t deleted the comment.

Again, the mayor was asked, “when did you plan your trip to Mexico? Did you just go for the weekend? Will you be back in town in time for tonight’s meeting? If not, is the trip to avoid attending tonight’s council meeting? Finally, again, if you planned the trip before last Tuesday night, why didn’t you mention it during the council meeting?”

He was also asked again about his hour-long absence at the beginning of the May 9th meeting, where he was, what he was doing and why.

Translation of Thorpe’s Post Changed, Finally Provides His Intended Meaning

At about 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, the translation to English of Thorpe’s post was changed to read simply, “Don’t f—.”

Thorpe was asked if he had changed the translation or if the system had done that.

He responded, “I changed ‘chingen’ to ‘chinguen’. You said I misspelled it so I changed it. How it translates I don’t control.” Then Thorpe wrote, “Let me see if I can manually fix it.”

He was then asked once more what he meant by his post.

As of about 4:45 p.m. his post had been edited but still read, “No chingen” and translated to “Don’t give a f—-”.

Thorpe then wrote, “Looks like there’s a translate area in settings but can’t figure out how to turn off. I already told you the meaning in a previous email— don’t mess around.” 

“Can’t fix but added my translation at the bottom on both posts,” he added.

The final version of his post now includes the words, “Don’t mess around.”

Thorpe was asked again when he had planned his trip, if he is back in town and if he will be attending the meeting. The mayor did not respond.

Hispanic College Board President Says Phrase is “Almost…Intimidation”

Asked the meaning of the phrase Thorpe posted, Contra Costa Community College Board President Fernando Sandoval, who represents Antioch, said the meaning of the phrase is “don’t f— with me”.

“It’s almost a level of intimidation, especially being posted on there,” he added.

Thorpe Said He Informed Torres-Walker He Would be Out of Town During Special Meeting

6/1/23 UPDATE: After returning from Mexico, Thorpe said he had informed Torres-Walker after the meeting on Tuesday, May 23 that he would be out of town, this week and would not be attending this past Tuesday night’s meeting, and asked her to inform Barbanica.

The special council meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers and can be viewed livestream on the City’s website.