Seven since she was elected include reports of gunshots, dirt bike riding, loud music, fireworks

Antioch District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker. Source: 2022 campaign

By Allen D. Payton

Due to reports that there have been multiple calls for service by Antioch police at the home of District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha-Torres Walker over the past few years, a Public Records Act request was made to the Antioch Police Department. The response shows there have been 11 reports of incidents at her home between June 2020 and last month.

Two of the calls were about the same loud music on the same day on August 21, 2021, and four calls were on Oct. 2 and 3, 2021, which ended in her being charged with interfering with a police officer who responded to the scene of five or six gunshots. The charges against her were later dropped by the District Attorney. (See related articles here and here)

That totals eight separate incidents resulting in calls for service by Antioch police at Torres-Walker’s home in Antioch, of which seven occurred since she was elected in November 2020.

Following is the information about the complaints provided by APD’s Police Records Supervisor Amanda Nelson (her specific address has been removed by the Herald): Calls for service at Torres-Walker’s home – APD 092022

• 10/5/21 5:30 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports of someone riding a dirt bike up and down the street.
• 10/3/21 1:35 am at — Gary Ave. Reports the vehicle that fired shots earlier had returned and several people got out of the vehicle with flashlights.
• 10/3/21 12:27 am at — Gary Ave. Reports of a loud party in the area and 5-6 shots heard.
• 10/2/21 6:46 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports a group of people drinking alcohol in front of this location, and driving dirt bikes up and down the street.
• 10/2/21 5:38 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports people riding dirt bikes on the street and popping wheelies. 8/29/21 4:21 pm at 508 Gary Ave. Reports disturbance amongst guests and one refusing to leave.  Related to loud music calls and also a dog being let out.
• 8/23/21 8:04 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports a group of juveniles riding quads and dirt bikes and then gathering at this location.
• 8/21/21 2:00 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports loud music came back on after officers drove by.
• 8/21/21 1:34 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports loud music coming from a parked vehicle.
• 3/20/21 7:31 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports subjects from this residence riding a quad on the sidewalk.
• 6/10/20 8:37 pm at — Gary Ave. Reports of fireworks coming from the backyard of this location.

Questions for Torres-Walker Go Unanswered

About the incidents and what she’s done in response Torres-Walker was asked, “Were you at home during each of the calls for service? Did you speak with officers each time? If not, were any of your children at home at the time and responsible for the incidents? If so, have you spoken to them about the behavior that resulted in reports to the police department resulting in calls for service at your home and if so, what did you tell them? Have you apologized to your neighbors for the incidents and the impact on their quality of life?”

In addition, she was asked, “for full transparency by you, will you ask the Antioch Police Department to release the police body camera video footage of the incident on Oct. 3 in which you were accused of and charged for interfering with a police officer and do so before the election?”

She did not respond prior to publication time.

First elected in 2020, Torres-Walker is running for re-election to her District 1 seat this year.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

New hearing set for Dec. 13

By Allen D. Payton

According to an Antioch resident who was at the courthouse in Martinez, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, Mayor Lamar Thorpe did not show up for his DUI trial before Judge Joni T. Hiramoto, and that his lawyer stated Thorpe wants to change his plea from not guilty. The resident also shared that a new hearing for Thorpe is set for Dec. 13, 2022, in Dept 20. at 8:30 am. The information was later confirmed by Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer, Ted Asregadoo.

Thorpe was arrested in March for DUI at 1:15 a.m. in Concord. In a Facebook video later that morning he apologized for having “the drink with dinner”. He wouldn’t say with whom or where he had dinner nor what alcohol he had consumed that night. Thorpe was charged by the DA and later pled not guilty. (See related articles here, here, here and here)

However, reports from the staff of an Antioch restaurant are that Thorpe had consumed three shots of alcohol earlier that evening before heading out of town.

An email was sent to Asregadoo Wednesday morning asking, if he could confirm the information provided by the resident was true and if not, to please provide the correct information. In addition, he was asked who from the DA’s office is prosecuting the case.

“You are correct,” he replied. “The next court date is on 12/13/22 at 8:30 am in Department 20.  They set the date today for a change of plea. I don’t know which DDA has been assigned to this case, but the supervisor of the misdemeanor trail team is Jay Melaas.”

Attempts to reach Thorpe were unsuccessful asking if what the resident shared is true and if not to please provide the correct information. He was also asked, “Why weren’t you there? Were you still in Seattle for the APTA conference or traveling home at the time? What will you be changing your plea to? No contest or guilty? Will you attend the new hearing on Dec. 13?”

Thorpe might have been traveling home from the conference, today and unable to respond to questions. An effort to reach staff of Tri Delta Transit asking who from the agency attended the conference and if Thorpe, who is the agency’s board vice chair, was among them were unsuccessful prior to publication time. District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson who is also a board member for the agency representing Antioch did not attend the conference, as was previously expected.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica led the city council meeting on Oct. 11, 2022, as Mayor Lamar Thorpe was out of town. Photo by Allen D. Payton

After she checked her calendar and selected the date

By Allen D. Payton

At the end of the regular Antioch City Council meeting Tuesday night, Oct. 11, 2022, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica who was leading the meeting in Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s absence, called for a special meeting. He wanted only one item on the agenda, a vote to censure Thorpe. Both Councilwomen Lori Ogorchock and Monica Wilson agreed.

Barbanica wanted to hold the meeting on Thursday, Oct. 13 or Friday, Oct. 14. But Wilson said she would be unavailable. She checked her calendar and selected next Tuesday night, Oct. 18th. Barbanica and Ogorchock agreed but Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker said she would be unavailable that night.

Then, Thursday morning at 9:50 a.m., Barbanica informed the Herald that “the special meeting has been cancelled. I received a call from the city attorney, and he informed me Monica had changed her mind.”

Asked if he would contact Wilson and Torres-Walker to learn if they were available another night to hold the special meeting Barbanica said he would call City Attorney Thomas L. Smith to poll the councilmembers to determine if there’s a third vote for a special meeting.

“I believe the mayor should be my third vote to hold a special meeting if he truly believes in transparency as he has claimed since taking office,” Barbanica added.

Efforts to reach Wilson were unsuccessful Wednesday morning asking her, “Why did you change your mind? Did you discover this morning a conflict in your schedule that night? Do you still support holding a special meeting to vote on censuring the mayor? If so, what nights next week are you available and have you informed the city attorney of those options?”

Efforts to reach Torres-Walker were unsuccessful asking if she supports holding a special meeting to vote on censuring the mayor and if so, what nights next week she’s available and has she informed the city attorney of those options.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Thorpe prepares to leave the Sept. 27, 2022, council meeting two hours and 16 minutes early to catch a flight to Los Angeles turning the remainder meeting over to the leadership of Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica. Video screenshot.

Expected to participate via Zoom; “assistant” reveals Thorpe traveled to Los Angeles for one day

By Allen D. Payton

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe left the Sept. 27, 2022, council meeting early after getting his council colleagues to move up some agenda items and public comments moved toward the end. It was the first council meeting held since the Board of Supervisors voted for the $350,000 settlement in the sexual harassment lawsuit against him on Tuesday, Sept. 13th. While Thorpe refuses to give the reason for the quick trip or where he went, it was later revealed by his “assistant” on his official Facebook page, that he had flown to Los Angeles and returned Wednesday but didn’t say why, either.

Thorpe will be in Seattle for a four-day transportation conference, Tuesday night, Oct. 11th during the council meeting, but is expected to participate via Zoom. Antioch District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson is also expected to be on the same trip and participating in the meeting via Zoom. They both serve on the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors representing Antioch and for which he currently serves as vice chair.

Antioch Chamber of Commerce Executive Daniel Sohn (left) with Interim City Manager Con Johnson and Thorpe at the Starbucks in the Bluerock Center on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. Source: Facebook

In a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday morning, Thorpe shared a photo of himself with Daniel Sohn, executive director of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce and Interim City Manager Con Johnson inside the Bluerock Starbucks celebrating “National Coffee Day” and inviting one resident to “get down here, gurl! there’s plenty to go around.”

Thorpe was asked about his Tuesday night flight and being out of town for the next council meeting on Oct. 11th. Following a voicemail message to which he did not respond, Thorpe was asked again via email Friday morning, Sept. 30, “To where did you catch a flight Tuesday night and for what reason that caused you to leave the council meeting early? When did you return that allowed you to be back in Antioch at the Bluerock Starbucks yesterday (Thursday) morning to take and post the photo on ‘National Coffee Day’?”

Since Thorpe said he would be gone for the next council meeting, as well, it was assumed he was traveling out of town for two weeks. He was also asked, “since you have your DUI trial scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 6, did you not actually travel out of town? Where will you be on Tuesday night, Oct. 11 that will cause you to miss that night’s council meeting?”

He was also asked, “is this merely an effort, along with moving up the items before public comment on last Tuesday’s council meeting agenda, to avoid hearing public criticism and negative comments from people regarding the recent settlement of the sexual harassment suit against you?”

Thorpe did not respond.

Thorpe’s Facebook post about the A Street homeless encampment cleanup on Thursday, Sept. 29. Source: Facebook

However, in another post on also his official Facebook page, the same day, about the cleanup of the homeless camps on A Street along the railroad right-of-way, someone asked in a comment, “How can you be out of town but be at Starbucks on lone tree? #transparentantioch”

The response from someone read, “Mayor Thorpe was in Los Angeles Wednesday not Thursday.”

This reporter then asked, “why? Was it an official, government trip or personal?” Neither the person nor Thorpe responded. Those comments have since been illegally removed.

On Monday, Oct. 3 he was, again asked about his trip to L.A., “Why were you there? Was it an official, government trip, personal or for other business? If for a government trip, what did you do on behalf of the City of Antioch in Los Angeles, that day? If not, could it have been scheduled for some other time, so you didn’t have to miss part of Tuesday night’s meeting and rearrange the agenda? How long before Tuesday night did you know about your flight out that night? Was it prior to you developing the agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting? Also, why will you be unable to attend the next council meeting on Oct. 11, either in person or via Zoom?”

Thorpe was also asked, why he has an “assistant” responding to members of the public on his official Facebook page, who she is and if she is being paid by the city in some capacity or from his campaign funds. Finally, he was asked, “Do you really not have the time to interact with your own constituents?”

He did not respond.

Another attempt was made to obtain Thorpe’s reasons for missing part of the last council meeting and the next one. He was asked Tuesday night, Oct. 4th, “Why did you have to fly out of town last Tuesday night causing you to miss part of the council meeting?” and “Why will you be unable to participate in the next council meeting either in person or via Zoom on Tuesday, Oct. 11th? Where will you be and why?”

On Saturday morning, Oct. 8 Thorpe was asked via email, “Is it true you will be participating in next Tuesday’s council meeting via Zoom because you will be in Seattle, Washington for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) conference as a member of the Tri Delta Transit board? If so, why do you need to go? Do all the board members attend each APTA conference each year? Will any staff or other board members from the agency be traveling there with you, other than Monica Wilson? How much is your trip costing the agency, thus the taxpayers? Also, again, why did you fly to L.A. on Tuesday night Sept. 27 causing you to miss part of the council meeting that night?”

Thorpe did not respond by publication time.

Screenshot of Thorpe’s Oct. 6, 2022, Facebook post of Quinto family comments.

Quinto was not in police custody when he died in the hospital three days later from “excited delirium and prescription drugs”

Antioch Police Officers Association, Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica respond; Thorpe does not

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Oct. 6, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe repeated the false claims by the family of Angelo Quinto that he “was killed by Antioch Police” and that his was an “in custody death”. Both claims have been debunked by both the Contra Costa County Coroner and Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, as well as former Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks.

Thorpe posted the glowing comments about himself by Quinto’s mother and stepfather, that include the false claims which read, “‘Mayor Lamar Thorpe has been a courageous leader, helping the city of Antioch overcome a history that has often failed many members of its highly diverse community.

Our son, Angelo Quinto, was killed by Antioch Police in December 2020, soon after Mayor Thorpe was elected. A second in custody death followed closely thereafter. Mayor Thorpe was instrumental in seeking and achieving meaningful reforms, including body cams and non-police mental health response teams, that led to better policing for the Antioch community in an expeditious manner.

As a result of Mayor Thorpe’s fearless leadership, the city of Antioch has reformed or is in the midst of reforming many critical areas. His fearlessness has often made him the target of attacks by members of the community who don’t understand the need or are afraid of the reforms that have been undertaken. He is a forward looking leader who will not be silenced, and is helping Antioch overcome a legacy of exclusion and division, and transform it into a city that lives by its motto, opportunity lives here.’

Cassandra Quinto-Collins and Robert Collins”

The other death they referred to, was of a man that occurred in February 2021 while he was in custody at a local hospital. He was under the influence of drugs, running into traffic on major city streets and attempted to break into a car with the driver inside and had to be tazed by police to subdue him. He was administered NARCAN and later died while still in-custody at a local hospital. (See related article)

March 2021 – Antioch Police Chief: No Knee to Neck, Quinto Died While Not in Police Custody

Yet, during the press conference held about the case, in March 2021, then-Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks said Quinto died in the hospital three days after the incident while not in police custody. (See related article)

At that press conference which Thorpe both attended and spoke during, Brooks said there was no knee on Quinto’s neck by officers and he was not in custody at time of his Dec. 26 death. In addition, Brooks released the 9-11 calls from Quinto’s family to Antioch Police demonstrating the need for the officers’ response to protect the family from Quinto who was harming them. Officers arrived on the scene to find Quinto being actively restrained by his mother on a bedroom floor of the home, Brooks further shared.

In addition, he shared he had “been in contact with the Coroner’s Office and the following four points have been jointly approved by multiple pathologists related to their findings thus far:

1. Although the decedent had injuries consistent with a struggle with his family and law enforcement, none of the injuries appeared to be fatal.
2. There were no fractures of the skull, torso, or extremities.
3. A full examination of the neck revealed there was no evidence of strangulation or crushed airway.
4. They are currently expanding toxicology testing because they were aware of reported past drug use.”

August 2021 – County Coroner’s Inquest Jury: Quinto’s Death Was Accident Caused by “Excited Delirium and Prescription Drugs”

Then in August 2021, a Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Inquest Jury, after hearing the testimony of witnesses, found that Quinto’s death was an accident. He “succumbed to excited delirium and prescription drugs during the physical altercation with officers, the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office ruled”.  (See related article)

September 2022 – Contra Costa DA Report: Officers Acted In Lawful, Objectively Reasonable Manner

Finally, early last month, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office issued a 39-page, “Report of the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident In-Custody Death of Angelo Voithugo Quinto on December 24, 2020” in which they wrote, “…Antioch Police officers engaged with Quinto in a manner that was lawful and objectively reasonable under the circumstances…an internal examination showed no bone fractures or damage to Quinto’s larynx and trachea…” The report concluded that, “In applying the applicable law and the California District Attorney’s Uniform Crime Charging Standards to the present case, there is no evidence of a criminal offense committed by Officer Becerra, Officer Perkinson, Officer Hopwood, or Officer Shipilov. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.” (See related article)

Thorpe Refuses to Answer Questions, Now Limiting Comments on Official Facebook Page

Questions were sent to Thorpe Saturday morning, Oct. 8 asking, “do you not believe the findings from the office of your political ally, D.A. Diana Becton? Do you not recognize the negative impacts of what you’ve shared on the morale of Antioch Police Department personnel?

Are you not aware that officers who are leaving the department are claiming in their exit interviews that it’s partially and directly related to your attitude and that of your two council colleagues, Monica Wilson and Tamisha Torres-Walker, against them, other APD officers and the department as a whole?”

In addition, posts on his Facebook page show Thorpe only allows select individuals to post comments. Below each post the following sentence can be read: “Mayor Lamar A. Thorpe limited who can comment on this post.”

He was then asked, “Why have you limited comments on this and other posts on your official Facebook page? Are you afraid of reading comments by ang engaging with your constituents who you were elected to represent and serve? Do you not want to know what your constituents are thinking? Isn’t that being cowardly? Who are you allowing and not allowing to comment on the posts on that page? What is the criteria you are using for your selectivity?”

Screenshot of Sept. 2, 2022, Facebook post of APOA statement regarding the CCDA’s Quinto case report.

Antioch Police Officers Association Responds

Asked if he had a response to Thorpe’s post Sergeant Rick Hoffman, president of the Antioch Police Officers Association provided the statement they issued to the Associated Press in September and posted on their Facebook page on Sept. 2nd:

“The death of Angelo Quinto was an unfortunate circumstance and the men and women of the Antioch Police Department continue to pray for the Quinto family. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office has cleared the Antioch Police Officers involved in this incident of any wrongdoing and we believe this is the correct decision.”

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica Also Responds

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica also responded to Thorpe’s posting of the Quinto family’s comments, sharing the Sept. 2nd post on his own official Facebook page following the announcement by the DA’s office. He wrote, “I want to be very clear that the loss of any human life is tragic. This is not in any way meant to minimize that. This article speaks for itself and I believe that we should wait for investigations to be completed before making assumptions.

Screenshot of Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica’s Sept. 2, 2022, Facebook post regarding the CCDA’s Quinto case report

During this time, so many statements were made by members of the public and elected officials which led many people to believe there was wrongdoing before any formal investigation was complete. I want to point out, that I always understand the emotion and the sense of loss from family members, so this is in no way referring to their response or minimizing their grief. This is about people within our community and elected officials that should know better, that we should wait to find out the facts before jumping to conclusions.

Last year there were even statements published after being made by Assemblyman Gipson of So. CA. that there was an officer that did kneel on Mr. Quinto’s neck for five minutes, giving the appearance that this contributed to this death. This statement was made before any findings were made public.

On 9/3/21, I personally called and spoke with the Assemblyman about this, telling him that I disagreed with his public statement, especially before any findings had been published and that there was no evidence of this. I also brought to his attention at that time, the recent Coroner’s Inquest findings. During that conversation, he told me that he was going to personally call Chief Brooks and apologize for the premature statement and apologize to the APD. With Chief Brooks permission, I supplied the Assemblyman with the chief’s personal cell phone number.

On 9/13/21 I again reached out to him as that call had not yet happened, but he told me that he would be making the call. To my knowledge, that has yet to happen.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

No public process, no executive search; directs city attorney to draw up contract for Oct. 25th vote

Two council candidates decry decision

“The best practice here in terms of transparency is to advertise the vacancy with details about the position…” – Martha Perego, Director of Member Services and Ethics for the International City/County Management Association

Cornelius “Con” Johnson.

By Allen D. Payton

During the closed session meeting prior to the Antioch City Council’s regular meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, on a 3-2 split vote, they selected Interim City Manager Cornelius “Con” Johnson to be the permanent city manager, just six weeks before the November election. Mayor Lamar Thorpe and District 4 and 1 Councilwomen Monica Wilson and Tamisha Torres-Walker voted in favor while Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock dissented. A final vote to hire Johnson and approve his contract is scheduled for their October 25th meeting, just two weeks prior to the election.

The council held no nationwide search using an executive search firm nor did they open it to other city staff members including Assistant City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore, to find the best candidate for the position. Although it was rumored to be Johnson, no official notice was provided to the public who the council was considering, so no input could be given prior to the decision being made. All that was written in the council meeting agenda for the fourth time was “PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT: CITY MANAGER. This closed session is authorized pursuant to Government Code section 54957.” (See agenda)

At the beginning of the council’s regular meeting, City Attorney Thomas Smith reported out from closed session that, “on a motion by Councilmember Wilson and a second by Councilmember Walker the city council made a motion directing the city attorney to prepare a contract for the appointment of Cornelius Johnson as the city’s permanent city manager,” and that the vote passed 3-2.

Four council challengers were asked if they had a comment about the selection of Johnson, in closed session and without the public knowing who it was the council was considering.

District 4 candidate Shawn Pickett responded, “I’ll keep it brief. City council talks transparency but actions say otherwise.”

District 1 candidate Joy Motts also responded writing, “For a Council that claims they want to be inclusive, transparent and making community driven decisions, I personally want to know why they made this decision behind closed doors and without a public process and public input? Antioch deserves the best and the brightest. Mr. Johnson may have ultimately ended up being the best person for the job, but we will never know. These are the exact type of decisions and actions that are causing many of their constituents and community leaders to lose respect and confidence in their ability to govern.”

The other District 1 challenger, Diane Gibson-Gray responded, “Hiring a city manager before the November election is a disservice to the new city manager and the community.  Currently, the mayor has the majority vote, however, with the November 8th election that may change. After the election if there is a new council majority, I am confident there will be a candidate selection process that includes posting the position internally and externally, including hiring a search firm. Antioch is a city of 115,000 and we need a strong, experienced city manager. If on November 9th the council majority remains the same, that is a story for another day.”

Sandra White did not offer a comment but had previously said the council should wait until after the election to hire a permanent city manager. (See related article)

Attorney Smith was asked via email Wednesday morning if the vote should have occurred in public, and the candidate’s name be provided so the public could offer their comments prior to the vote. He was also asked if it is proper procedure to make the decision before the contract was provided for the council members and the public to review prior to the vote rather than prepare the agreement after the fact.

His Executive Legal Assistant Rakia Grant-Smith responded Thursday morning, “The appointment of the City Manager has not yet occurred. It will be an agenda item for City Council consideration at an upcoming regular City Council meeting.  The contract template will be included in the agenda packet for that meeting.  The City Council will determine compensation for the position at a regular meeting after hearing public comment.  We anticipate this item will be placed on the October 25, 2022 agenda.”

Smith was asked again, Thursday morning, shouldn’t Johnson’s name have been included in the agenda item so the public would know who they were considering in order to provide input to the council before their closed session vote. No response was received prior to publication time.

Questions were also sent Wednesday morning to Martha Perego, Director of Member Services and Ethics for the International City/County Management Association asking, shouldn’t the vote have occurred in public, and the candidate’s name be provided so the public could offer their comments prior to the vote. In addition, they were asked if it is proper procedure to vote to select someone as city manager without a contract being made available for review, first.

Perego responded, “The law varies from state to state about the topics a governing body is permitted to discuss in executive session. It is my understanding that under California law, the governing body can discuss the potential appointment and terms of an agreement in closed session.  But both the appointment and employment agreement must be approved in open session of city council and on the public record.

The best practice here in terms of transparency is to advertise the vacancy with details about the position including that they are seeking an individual to serve. Then they would interview candidates and announce their selection publicly with an explanation as to why they chose this individual to serve.  That of course assumes that the person is not from within the organization.

If it is an internal candidate, such as a current deputy or assistant manager, then it is fairly common for the governing body to make that appointment without any external advertising.”

“I’m not judging the competency of the interim candidate or the governing body’s judgment here.  But I observe that the fact that they never did a competitive search is raising this question ‘how do we know that this is the best candidate’,” Perego continued. “If someone is an internal candidate who got their position via a competitive process, has a track record with the organization and gets selected to be interim and then manager, you have the confidence that the person has demonstrated their capabilities. Even without a competitive search.

In this scenario, absent a competitive search for the interim, the governing body is now making a decision to award this person the permanent job based on one year’s experience.  That raises the question about how do we know that this is the best candidate. They could have resolved this issue by just going through a competitive process either with the selection of an interim (would have been a smaller field since it was a temporary position) or doing a competitive process now to select a permanent candidate.”

“I don’t think they are required to list who they are discussing when in executive session,” she added. (Emphasis added)

Johnson’s Record as Interim City Manager

Johnson was hired as the interim city manager last year, with a one-year contract, even though he had lied on his resume claiming to be a retired police captain from the San Francisco Police Department when he’s a retired lieutenant and was only an acting captain at the time he retired. In addition, prior to their vote the council members were all provided with information from an independent background check done by an Antioch resident that shows Johnson had filed for bankruptcy, twice and had three foreclosures. (See related articles here, here and here)

At the beginning of this year, Johnson worked to evict Congressman Jerry McNerney from his office space at the Community Center at Prewett Family Park, even though McNerney had a lease that didn’t expire until next January. (See related article)

Then Johnson made major mistakes in handling the hiring of a new interim police chief, when he fired the previous one, current Captain Tony Morefield, via email which included all the council members, other city staff members and even Steve Ford, who had just been announced as the new interim police chief the day before. He didn’t fill the position until nine weeks, later. (See related article)

Finally, Johnson was part of the group, along with Thorpe and Torres-Walker, who had the permit revoked for the annual Antioch Juneteenth event organized by Claryssa Wilson, and instead hired an Oakland-based motorcycle club to organize it. (See related article)

If the council hires him and includes a severance package in Johnson’s contract, should a new council majority be elected in November and seated at the first council meeting in December, they can terminate him from the position at a following special meeting, before the end of the year. But that will result in Johnson being paid for however long the severance lasts while at the same time paying an acting city manager until a new, permanent city manager is hired.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Tuesday night: cannabis retail store proposed for Somersville Road, “nursery” for W. 10th St.; temporary office space for displaced non-profit organizations; $60K for “Faces of Opportunity” marketing campaign

By Allen D. Payton

During their regular meeting Tuesday night, Sept. 27, 2022, the Antioch City Council will discuss Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s proposed traffic calming devices on major city streets in response to the tragic accident that injured three school children, recently. They will also consider approving temporary office space agreements with four non-profit organizations displaced from the Rivertown Resource Center, two more cannabis businesses and funds for the “Faces of Opportunity” marketing campaign. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.

During a closed session meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m., the council will once again consider hiring a permanent city manager, less than two months before the election, which is opposed by both Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, as well as the four other challengers in this year’s city council races.  (See complete meeting agenda packet, here).

Temporary Office Space for Displaced Non-Profit Org’s

During the Consent Calendar portion of the meeting agenda, the council will consider approving short-term lease agreements for temporary office space, inside the Nick Rodriguez Center,  with four of the 16 non-profit organizations that were displaced from the Rivertown Resource Center, when the city’s new Department of Community Services and Public Safety took it over, recently. The organizations include Rivertown Jamboree, Todos Unidos, Prison From the Inside Out and Mission Possible. (See related article)

Faces of Opportunity Citywide Marketing Campaign

In addition, with item K on the Consent Calendar, the council will consider spending $60,000 for a city-wide marketing campaign with Seattle-based Northwest Partners, entitled “Faces of Opportunity”. According to the staff report, On December 14, 2021, the City Council approved the marketing campaign which “focuses on real people that make Antioch a city of opportunity. The marketing team has selected a number of individuals who have compelling and inspirational stories to share.

The City Council previously authorized staff to execute media purchases not exceeding $185,000. However, the process of conducting the interviews, scheduling of the photography shoots, and creating the creative content extended beyond June 30, 2022.

Consequently, the funds authorized for media purchases were not expended. City purchasing policies require City Council authorization for payment of funds to any single vendor that exceeds $50,000. Northwest Media Partners was selected by the City’s media purchasing vendor, Orange22.”

Proposed First Cannabis Business on Somersville Road

The council will also consider approving another retail cannabis business, the first one in the Somersville and Delta Fair area at 2615 Somersville Road in the building between Wells Fargo Bank and Double Dragon Chinese restaurant.

Cannabis Nursery on W. 10th Street

The council will also consider approving the Delta View Nursery at 2101 W. 10th Street, next door to and in the same building as the Delta Dispensary.

Traffic Calming Needs Discussion

The last item on the council meeting agenda is a discussion of traffic calming devices. Following the accident caused by a driver passing in the oncoming traffic lane that resulted in serious injury of three school children walking home Friday afternoon, September 16, 2022, Thorpe and Area 1 Antioch School Board Trustee Antonio Hernandez posted a video on Facebook in which Thorpe proposed adding traffic calming devices, such as speed humps, to several city streets including Sycamore Drive, 10th Street, Davison Drive, James Donlon Blvd. and even Hillcrest Avenue.

The proposal comes after the council recently approved increasing the speed limit on several major thoroughfares in the city, including James Donlon Blvd., from 40 to 45 MPH. No action will be taken but direction to staff is requested.

Public Comments

The public has the opportunity to address the City Council on each agenda item. No one may speak more than once on an agenda item or during “Public Comments”. Members of the public wishing to provide public comments, may do so in one of the following ways (#2 pertains to the Zoom Webinar Platform):

1. IN PERSON – Fill out a Speaker Request Form, available near the entrance doors, and place in the Speaker Card Tray near the City Clerk before the City Council Meeting begins.
2. VIRTUAL – To provide oral public comments during the meeting, please click the following link to register in advance to access the meeting via Zoom Webinar: https://www.antiochca.gov/speakers

▪ You will be asked to enter an email address and a name. Your email address will not be disclosed to the public. After registering, you will receive an email with instructions on how to connect to the meeting.

▪ When the Mayor announces public comments, click the “raise hand” feature in Zoom. For instructions on using the “raise hand” feature in Zoom, visit: https://www.antiochca.gov/raise_hand.

When calling into the meeting using the Zoom Webinar telephone number, press *9 on your telephone keypad to “raise your hand”. Please ensure your Zoom client is updated so staff can enable your microphone when it is your turn to speak.

Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. When you are called to speak, please limit your comments to the time allotted (350 words, up to 3 minutes, at the discretion of the Mayor). The City cannot guarantee that its network and/or the site will be uninterrupted.

3. WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT – If you wish to provide a written public comment, you may do so in one of the following ways by 3:00 p.m. the day of the City Council Meeting:

(1) Fill out an online speaker card, located at https://www.antiochca.gov/speaker_card, or

(2) Email the City Clerk’s Department at cityclerk@ci.antioch.ca.us.

Please note: 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.

Viewing Meeting

Antioch City Council meetings are held inside the Council Chambers at City Hall at 200 H Street. They are televised live on Comcast channel 24, AT&T U-verse channel 99, or via live stream at www.antiochca.gov/government/city-council-meetings/live/.

Revised promo for Antioch Police Community Forum scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, showing it has been postponed.

She won’t say why; tentatively rescheduled for 4:30 p.m. on same date as District 1 candidates forum

By Allen D. Payton

A revised flier posted on the Antioch Police Department’s Facebook page Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 21, 2022, promoting the Community Forum scheduled for tonight at the Dairy Queen on E. 18th Street in District 1 has been postponed. In addition, the post reads, “We regret to inform our community members that tonight’s Community Forum has been postponed until October 5th. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing you then.”

Original promo for Antioch Police Community Forum scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022.