Has confusing name, director’s compensation will be $275,069 to $327,382 per year; no word on if other department heads will get cut in pay with fewer responsibilities; Torres-Walker redefines term “public safety”; will cost $1.5 million to refurbish Rivertown Resource Center and displace 16 non-profit organizations located there

By Allen D. Payton

The new Antioch city department, with the temporary and confusing name of Public Safety and Community Resources Department, which has nothing to do with police services, moved forward Tuesday night, Feb. 22, 2022, when the city council voted 4-1 to form an ad hoc committee to assist in the formation and determine the scope of activities. Only District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock voted against formation of the ad hoc committee. The council also approved the new class specification and salary and compensation for its director at $275,069 to $327,382 per year.

The council then approved forming the ad hoc committee and appointing Districts 1 and 4 Councilwomen Tamisha Torres-Walker and Monica Wilson to it during their March 8 meeting on a 5-0 vote.

New Department Responsibilities, Torres-Walker Redefines Term Public Safety

The department will include, but not be limited to, the existing services of Animal Control, currently part of the Police Department; Youth Services Network Manager, currently part of the Recreation Department; Code Enforcement, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program that are currently part of the Community Development Department, and the Unhoused Resident Coordinator, currently part of the city manager’s office.

The only new services of the department will be mental health crisis response, and violence intervention and prevention, both of which could be handled by the police department.

In choosing a name for the ad hoc committee, Ogorchock said using the words public safety means police to most people and the name is misleading, and former police lieutenant and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica said when he hears public safety, he thinks police and fire. But District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, who’s been pushing for the formation of the new department said “I think framing public safety as just policing is misleading. I’ve been having these conversations for over 13 years in my career as an organizer. So, a lot of us have decided that public safety is a lot more than policing. It’s about quality of life, environmental justice, youth services, housing. Public safety is about economic dignity, access to jobs, clean water, clean air. All of those things, not just policing. Policing is a part of public safety and we have forgot about that as a community. And I think being able to have this department be called the Department of Public Safety and Community Resources will also help reorient our community to understand that public safety doesn’t just mean policing. It also means access to quality, well organized resources in the city.”

Mayor Lamar Thorpe said he’s fine with including public safety in the name of the ad hoc committee and that “Public Works are part of public safety because they keep streets repaired”. Councilwoman Monica Wilson went along with the use of public safety in the ad hoc committee’s name.

Questions Go Unanswered by Mayor, Three Council Members and City Staff

The following questions were sent to the five council members and city staff on March 8:

“Since the new Public Safety and Community Resources Department will include, but not be limited to, the existing services of Animal Control, currently part of the Police Department; Youth Services Network Manager, currently part of the Recreation Department; Code Enforcement, the Unhoused Resident Coordinator, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program that are currently part of the Community Development Department, and the only new services of the department will be mental health crisis response, and violence intervention and prevention, is a new department really needed?

Can’t both of the new services be handled by the police department and leave the current services where they are?

Finally, since you will be paying the director of the new department at a cost of $275,069 to $327,382 per year, will the police chief and directors of the other departments who currently oversee the five existing services be given a pay cut since they will have less responsibility and to offset the cost for the director of the new department?

If you must use the name of the new department, couldn’t you, instead simply hire a Public Safety and Community Resources Coordinator, at a much lower cost than a department head, who can work with each of those services and each of the department heads that currently and would oversee the seven services and either answer to the city manager or assistant city manager?

Or do some of you already have someone picked out for the position of director for the new department and some commitment has already been made for it?”

Ogorchock Calls it a “Mini City Hall”, Will Displace 16 Non-Profits from Rivertown Resource Center

Ogorchock was responded by writing, “I have voted against this new dept., since the onset.  These depts., are currently under different directors already.  You are forgetting the cost of the refurbishment of the old PD to the tune of 1.5+ million of taxpayer dollars. You’ve also left off Environmental Services. When and if the old PD is used, all of the nonprofits will be kicked out, left to find another spot to do the work for our residents!” She’s referring to the use of the Antioch Rivertown Resources Center on W. 10th Street to house the new department.

Regarding cutting the salaries for those department heads currently handling the existing services she wrote, “I doubt that will happen, if it does I can just about guarantee they too will be leaving the city, and go where they are appreciated.”

In response to merely hiring a coordinator instead Ogorchock replied, “It is my understanding that this dept., will be too big, it will be a mini city hall! Look at the number of employees that will fill it, code enforcement alone will be 14 officers, manager, and 2 technicians, (I think).  I could be off by 1.”

In response to the question if someone has already been picked out as the department head she wrote, “I believe they do, I am not privy to that information.”

Other Questions for Council & City Staff

Additional questions were asked of the council and staff including, “On a side note, I saw a job opening for the Unhoused Resident Coordinator. Is that old? Or is it new and Jazmin Ridley is no longer in that position? If so, did she take another position on city staff or leave city staff? On another side note, why does the city need another interim chief of police? Isn’t our current Interim Chief of Police Tony Morefield doing the job that’s needed to be done?”

Ogorchock responded to the first question writing, “Jazmin was not a full-time employee, her position is now going to be a full time job.  We authorized the budget on our last budget cycle.  This is a very important position, we need to continue the work on a full time basis.”

To the second she replied, “You’re asking another question I’ve asked.  I did so when I was interviewed by KRON 4. You may want to watch that interview as I asked several questions, including that this individual needs to go thru what all other officers that are hired from the outside.  Then listen to Lamar’s interview indicating Steve was/is the new Interim Chief of Police.”

No other answers were received as of Tuesday, April 12 at 5:00 p.m.

Barbanica, Ogorchock vote against saying it prevents flying flags of other groups

By Allen D. Payton

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe read his resolution “In Honor of LGBTQI+ Solidarity” (see below) during Tuesday night’s council meeting and then signed it. But the city council did not take a vote on it.

The council did take a vote on displaying the “Progress Pride” flag at City Hall from Tuesday night through the end of the year.

During public comments, one resident spoke against flying the flag and one spoke in favor.

“I am a worship leader,” said Robrielle Beverly. “I do not agree with having the flag. We have the United States of America, the California flag, the City of Antioch flag. Why do we need any other flag? Everyone is represented by those flags.”

She then read from Genesis 9 saying, “And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. That’s the Word of God. Thank you.’”

Resident Lucas Stuart-Chilcote spoke next saying, “I just want to thank the council.” He held up a Progress Pride flag and said it hangs at his house.

“It is a really great sign of solidarity,” he continued. “Flags represent compassion, representation, love for a group that does not feel accepted. I hope you hold that in your heart when we step outside.” He was referring to the brief ceremony following the council’s vote to raise that flag on the pole at City Hall.

District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson made the motion to approve flying the Progress Pride flag and approving the display of the flag at City Hall through the end of the year. District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker seconded the motion.

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica said, “I’ve given a lot of thought over the past two weeks…and I’ve talked to a lot of people. I went to one of my friends who is affected by this and asked them to explain this to you. If your house is on fire, and you live next door, but yours isn’t on fire…it really kind of enlightened me.”

“I talked to my priest, and he said, ‘you would not be outside the thought of our church if you side with this,’” he continued. “The problem I do have is that we’re doing this for an entire year. I spoke to a veteran, and he asked, ‘what about us?’ I spoke to a firefighter and he said, ‘what about us?’ I wish we would have done this for ‘Pride Month’. I would have made the motion. But my problem is this is for an entire year.”

“I totally agree with Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica,” District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock said. “If we fly this, we cannot fly any other flag throughout the year.”

“Our flag policy exists,” Thorpe said. “What I can say is our youth out there need to see solidarity, especially our transgender youth. When you’re a self-proclaimed community leader, calling people delusional is just wrong. I’m perfectly comfortable voting for this.”

The motion passed 3-2 with Barbanica and Ogorchock voting no.

“The Rainbow Coalition provided a flag, and I just want to thank them,” City Clerk Ellie Householder added. The council then took a 10-minute recess to walk outside and raise the multi-colored flag on the City Hall flagpole. Ogorchock did not participate.

City of Antioch

California

Resolution

IN HONOR OF

LGBTQI+ SOLIDARITY

LGBTQI+ Solidarity resolution ACC041222

WHEREAS, the City of Antioch embraces diversity and stands firmly against any form of discrimination and hate based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression;

WHEREAS, the City of Antioch values the uniqueness of our residents and stands with the youth, and their families, who deserve to be who they are, treated with dignity, and to receive equal treatment and protection;

WHEREAS, discrimination against the transgender community is not based in science and is intended to sow division and instill animosity toward our fellow Americans; and

WHEREAS, the City condemns any attack on the transgender community and reaffirms our commitment to being an inclusive environment;

WHEREAS, the Progress Pride flag was designed by Daniel Quasar who adapted the original Pride flag of the rainbow and represents a concerted move towards a more tolerant and intersectional LGBTQI+ community; and

WHEREAS, the black and brown lines of the Progress Pride flag represent marginalized people of color within the queer community, while the pink, blue and white arrow shape represents the transgender community.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, LAMAR A. THORPE, Mayor of the City of Antioch, hereby condemn violence against the transgender and nonbinary community in all forms and commit to advocating for the well-being and safety of the transgender and nonbinary community.

APRIL 12, 2022

Says APD down 13 officers from 115 budgeted; proposes financial incentives to hire lateral officers from other agencies, academy graduates; admits to private meeting with DA, interim city manager

Police leader says officers are leaving and don’t want to hire on to APD due to mayor, council majority, policies and attitudes; attrition wasn’t happening under former Chief Brooks; claims five officers under investigation and on paid leave

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica says APD down to 78 sworn active officers on the force, police officers telling him the council majority is to blame for attrition

Thorpe confirms currently only 78 active sworn officers

By Allen D. Payton

Following a local podcast last Friday in which the president of the Antioch Police Officers Association, Corporal Steve Aiello said the lack of active sworn officers on the force is directly due to the mayor and council majority, their policies and attitudes toward police, and a YouTube video by Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica posted on his official Facebook page, Sunday night sharing 24 officers are “off work” for a “variety of reasons”, Mayor Lamar Thorpe held a press conference Monday morning claiming the attrition in the department is due to national trends.

The announced, new interim police chief Dr. Steve Ford also participated in the press conference and later said his own hiring process should be completed either this week or early next week.

During the podcast, Aiello spoke about exit interviews with officers which provided him with the reasons they are leaving the department and partly why the force was down to just 83 active sworn officers two weeks ago. That was prior to the investigation by the FBI and DA’s office of five officers who have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Aiello. (See related article)

Thorpe wouldn’t confirm that number when asked during the press conference. Aiello said three of those officers have told him they were surprised and don’t know why they’re being investigated.

Barbanica said there are currently 78 active sworn officers, which Thorpe did confirm during the press conference. Barbanica also provided a breakdown of police staffing in his Facebook post writing, “an update on current staffing levels at the APD. Keep in mind, this is a 24/7 operation. Patrol 52 (Including Supervisors/Managers), Community Engagement Team 2, Traffic 4 (Including 1 Supervisor), Investigations 12 (Including Supervisors/Managers), Admin 8, Off Work 24 (variety of reasons).”

Current Staffing Confirmed at 102 Sworn on Staff, 78 Active, Claims APD Part of National Trend in Police Staffing Losses

Thorpe and Ford said the current Antioch Police Department staffing level is at 102 sworn police officers, leaving 13 sworn positions currently open from the 115 approved in the city budget. There are three officers currently in the police academy who will graduate in July, which will reduce the vacancies to 10. Thorpe confirmed there are currently only 78 active sworn officers on the force.

The mayor spoke of national trends with vacancies in government employment, which he said is, “the economic phenomenon called ‘The Great Resignation’ where many employees across the U.S. have resigned from their jobs, most notably during the global, COVID pandemic…resulting in lower productivity and a decline in morale.”

“Only hospitality and government are witnessing actual decline in the workforce, meaning workers aren’t being replaced or replaced fast enough, otherwise known as attrition,” Thorpe continued. “‘20-‘21 marked the highest rate of state and local government job openings in the past 20 years, which means local governments are understaffed. Law enforcement is the largest group driving workforce losses through local government.”

A ‘20-‘21 report by the Police Executive Research Forum rightly notes that nationally, there has been a 45% increase in retirements and a 20% increase in resignations compared to previous years” he stated. “Antioch’s law enforcement agency is no exception to this staffing crisis.”

However, Thorpe did not offer any reasons for the attrition either nationally or locally. Aiello stated during Friday’s podcast, the losses in the Antioch Police Department staffing weren’t happening during former Chief Tammany Brooks’ tenure in the position, who resigned at the beginning of last October.

Proposes Increasing Incentives for Lateral, Academy Hires, Increase in Over Hire Sworn Staffing by Four Officers

Also, during the press conference, Thorpe and Ford announced proposed financial incentives to attract the hiring of lateral officers from other departments and police academy graduates. They include increasing from $10,000 to a “$40,000 structured signing bonus”, with $20,000 paid upon hiring, $10,000 at the end of the officer’s first year with the department, and another $10,000 paid at the end of their third year. They are also proposing the same incentives for academy recruits.

The other proposed incentive is for up to $60,000 for down payment assistance per academy graduate for the purchase of a home in Antioch, for which they would have to remain on the Antioch police force for at least five years.

In addition, Thorpe proposed increasing the over hire of sworn police officer staffing in the department from the current 121 to 125.

However, “these positions will have to be directly tied to any anticipated retirements or resignations, or any long-term administrative leave,” Thorpe explained.

The city council will have to approve any of the proposed incentives and increase in over hire for the department.

Asked if the money for the home down payments will be from the city’s General Fund or the police budget, Thorpe replied, “Obviously, we have significant salary savings at this point. So, we can look at that pot of money. We could look at the General Fund but we could also look at ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funding. So, again, this is for a 12-month period and if after 12 months we may find we’ll need to do it, again.”

Thorpe wouldn’t answer the question if he would offer any incentives to keep the current officers on the Antioch police force. But as he walked out of the council chambers, he continued answering questions of one reporter about hiring lateral officers who are under investigation in their current departments. Thorpe’s answer could not be understood.

Thorpe Admits to Private Meeting with DA, Interim City Manager, Says They Were Asked to Cooperate with Investigation of APD, Won’t Say How He’s Helping

During the press conference, Thorpe confirmed what had been previously reported, of a private meeting he and Interim City Manager Con Johnson had with Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton on Tuesday, March 22, the day before the investigation occurred.

The meeting was held just three days following Thorpe’s arrest for DUI and while he was under investigation by her department. (See related article)

Thorpe said the meeting was held by Becton to request his and Johnson’s cooperation in the investigation and they were to “keep confidentiality as this was an ongoing investigation”. Asked if the information he had received as one of the five council members was shared with all of the other four, Thorpe replied, “no, because the district attorney said to keep this confidential between myself and the city manager, because they were soliciting our help in the investigation.”

Asked how he as a civilian was helping the investigation, Thorpe replied, “I’m not going to get into that.” He later said, “Let me just clarify something. I was asked to be down there as the mayor of Antioch. So, beyond that I’m not going to answer how or what.”

Thorpe Won’t Confirm How Many Officers Under Investigation, Cause of Attrition

About how many officers were on paid leave and what Aiello had said Thorpe was asked, “you’re claiming, now, that those officers, 28 or so, are on paid leave because of national trends and they’re leaving, but they’re sick and injured…and he (Aiello) said that many are not coming back. Is that correct?”

“That’s not what I said. That’s everything you inferred,” Thorpe replied. “What I can tell you is that currently, we have 24 people who are on either injury or administrative leave. It’s a combination of both and we’re not going to get specific as to who, because we have to protect people’s personnel files and their privacy and their confidentiality. So, I’m not going to play this game with you trying to take information from people’s personnel files and exploit it for the media. I’m not going to do that.”

Asked again, “so, we were down to 83 officers before the five were placed on paid administrative leave, correct?” Thorpe responded, “currently we are down 24 unavailable.”

Barbanica Says Officers Tell Him Thorpe, Council Majority Are to Blame for Attrition

When reached for comment, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica said, “I speak with law enforcement, daily including Antioch officers and other local agencies and they’re telling me it’s the council majority that’s to blame for the attrition.”

“At one point, Antioch was viewed as the agency to go to,” he added.

See YouTube videos of the press conference by the Antioch Herald here, here, and here and on Thorpe’s official Facebook page.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

On eve of March 31st deadline for state’s rental assistance program and as Antioch City Council considers stronger tenant protections; new ordinances would require more city employees to enforce

As the California Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is set to expire today, Thursday, March 31 and housing organizations warn of pending evictions, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action-Contra Costa in cooperation with the East County Regional Group (ECRG) hosted a “Tour of Shame” at the Twin Creek Apartments on James Donlon Blvd. in Antioch on Wednesday. The effort highlighted calls for rent stabilization, tenant anti-harassment and just-cause for eviction ordinances in the city, along with the extension to ERAP.

A rally attended by about 30 people, held in the dirt lot across the street from the apartment complex, and tour follows the Antioch City Council vote on January 25, 2022 directing City staff to begin drafting ordinances, which will be brought back for votes at a future meeting.

The event began with a brief presentation from ECRG of the preliminary findings from a recent housing needs assessment of over 1,000 renters in Antioch, bringing attention to rising rents, evictions, and claims of harassment in the city. Several people spoke including District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson and Leah Simon-Weisberg, Legal Counsel for ACCE. (See video)

The event offered preliminary findings from ECRG’s housing assessment, entitled “Antioch CHANGE – Community Housing Assessment of Needs, Gaps, and Equity”, on rising rents, evictions, and harassment concerns in the city. The report collected the housing needs and concerns of over 1,000 Antioch renters between April and June 2021. Although the survey did not ask about harassment, surveyors report hearing many stories of tenant harassment. http://www.first5coco.org/antioch-housing

Among other results, the report finds that the biggest concern of Antioch renters is housing affordability, where approximately 50% of those surveyed are concerned about the possibility of being evicted from their homes. The report also highlights that low-income Black, indigenous and other people of color families, especially single-mothers with young children, continue to face higher levels of housing insecurity and harassment.

To drive home ECRG’s report and their findings, ACCE-Contra Costa led the tour to highlight the conditions that some Antioch renters are facing such as at Twin Creek Apartments. During the rally those in attendance held signs and chanted “Fists up don’t give up”.

“FPI Management is not doing repairs,” said David Sharples, Director of ACCE-Contra Costa. “We’re doing a walk of shame to bring attention to the bad conditions.”

After gathering for a group photo, they marched with their signs across James Donlon Blvd. to the Twin Creeks Apartments where they tried to enter the rental office, but the door was locked.

Tenant Complaints, Compliment

Before the event, tenants of the Twin Creek Apartments shared about their experiences with their building manager FPI Management, who has a history of harassment and negligence, and gave a tour of their apartments.

ACCE-member Lisa Omorowa is one of the many tenants who claim they’re facing negligence and harassment under FPI Management for the past three years. She has lived in complex with her husband and five children since 2019, and shares that most appliances and fixtures in their apartment are either outdated or are no longer working.

Many issues that Omorowa and her family face, such as both shower faucet handles in her bathrooms being so rusted that she has to turn the water on and off for her children, are considered by FPI to not be an “emergency” and are left unresolved. Their maintenance requests are met with the same level of inaction from FPI Management – issues like their oven needing replacement due to rust and nonfunctional burners, the cabinets and other fixtures falling apart, and the living room light not working since July 2021.

“This is my third year here and they have increased my rent over five times, even though everything here is old and broken down” said Omorowa, who pays $2,540 a month. “There needs to be a change of management because they make it difficult for us Black people to live here. This new management is not human, they don’t have empathy.”

Lanae Jackson is another ACCE member and a current college student living in the Twin Creek Apartments. She, like many others in the building, has experienced harassment, in which her landlord has refused to address urgent safety and habitability issues – including cockroaches, mold, and faulty electrical wiring. For example, several weeks ago a wall socket in Jackson’s apartment needed replacing and a handyman came to repair it. But instead of fixing the mistake, the handyman nailed a board over the socket to cover the hole.

Jackson is also severely rent burdened, earning $600 a month as a student advisor but paying approximately $990 for a two-bedroom apartment.

“It’s awful to not feel safe being in your own home” Jackson said about her apartment’s conditions. She hopes the city council passes stronger tenant protections for renters like her. “Passing ordinances in Antioch would finally bring peace of mind.”

A man who lives with his family in one of the Twin Creeks apartments, but who chose to not be identified, shared his experience, which is improving.

“When we first moved in, it got pushed back two weeks so they could get the placed fixed up and ready. But then we moved in and all it was, was the new carpet,” said the resident. “The mirror in the master bathroom is falling off the wall because the counter is broken and sagging. The dishwasher wasn’t fixed for six months.”

“The demo they showed us, my fiancé was star struck and fell in love instantly,” he stated. “But the apartment we moved into smelled and had calcium build up in the shower. Had they actually cleaned it, they would have seen it.”

For their two-bedroom, two-bath unit with one single assigned parking slot he said he pays $2,160 per month on a 14-month lease.

He did point out something positive currently occurring at Twin Creeks.

“The new maintenance guy they have is good. But he’s getting overworked. He’s at my apartment but has to leave for an emergency to another apartment,” the tenant stated.

FPI owns other complexes, he shared, including the one where his daughter lives, in Davis and is experiencing the same challenges.

As the group stood near the front of the rental office, they were led in chanting, “FPI, you’re no good. Make repairs like you should,” and “FPI, you can’t hide. We can see your greedy side,” and “What do we want? Repairs, now!”

“FPI is known for buying properties, pushing tenants out and jacking up the rent,” said Simon-Weisberg.

Asked who should tenants turn to for help, she said, “There’s no enforcement in Contra Costa County. That’s why it has to happen at the city level.”

Asked who would enforce the proposed ordinances in the city, police or Code Enforcement, Simon-Weisberg explained, “it will have to be city employees, part of an enforcement team.”

“Fight, fight, fight. Housing is a human right,” the group was also led in chanting.

“Aqui estamos. Y no nos vamos,” they chanted in Spanish, meaning we are her and we aren’t leaving.

Sharples placed a demand letter through the mail slot in the door to the office. Addressed to FPI Management, the list of demands included, hire professional maintenance staff, fix the plumbing, eradicate the mold, repair the lighting fixtures, fix all non-emergency work orders right away and give adequate notice before water shut-offs.

He then led the group of protesters on a walk through the complex.

FPI Management Does Not Respond

The Folsom-based FPI Management’s slogan on their company website of “Culture Grounded in H.E.A.R.T.”, refers to Humility, Excellence, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork. Several efforts to reach someone at the company for comment about the rally and tour, and a response to the complaints from their tenants at Twin Creeks were unsuccessful. In addition, a message was left on the voicemail for Twin Creeks Apartments on Thursday, but no response was received as of publication time at 4:25 p.m.

Antioch Has High Eviction Rate

The city of Antioch has been the ground for the largest number of evictions within the Bay Area according to a March 2021 KQED investigative report which found Antioch’s eviction rate to be 207.2 per 100,000 renter households. That’s nearly double that of Richmond and approximately 50 times the rate of Oakland. Moreover, 60 percent of Antioch renters, who make up 40% of all Antioch residents, report paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent in 2021.

More video of the day’s action can be viewed on ACCE’s Facebook page.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

While DA’s office investigating incident; city attorney or interim city manager may have been present; topic of discussion not revealed

By Allen D. Payton

Three days after Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe was arrested for DUI and while the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office was investigating the incident, on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, he held a private meeting with D.A. Diana Becton in her office in Martinez, according to reports of what was seen on her visitor sign-in log. Neither Becton, her staff nor Thorpe will say what the meeting was about or if anyone else, such as the city attorney or interim city manager, was in the room with them. Becton is running for re-election in the June Primary and Thorpe is facing possible recall. (See related article)

A Public Records Act request for a copy of the visitor sign-in log for Becton’s office for that day was emailed on Friday, March 25 at 3:55 p.m. to Assistant D.A. Simon O’Connell and Becton’s Executive Assistant Bobbi Mauler.

Questions for Becton About Meeting Go Unanswered

In addition, questions for Becton about the meeting were included in that email asking, “What was the purpose of that meeting? What was discussed? Did it have anything to do with Thorpe’s arrest for DUI by the CHP last Saturday morning? Was anyone else in the meeting with you two?”

It was then shared with Becton and her staff, “according to the CHP PIO you will not allow that department to release Thorpe’s complete arrest report showing the reason the officer pulled him over or what his blood alcohol content was when he was tested at the CHP office in Martinez.”

She was then asked, “was it appropriate for you to have such a meeting – even if his arrest was not a topic of conversation – when his arrest is under investigation by your department?”

At 4:09 p.m., that day O’Connell issued a press release about the investigation of the Antioch and Pittsburg Police Departments for possible “crimes of moral turpitude”. (See related article)

Questions for Thorpe Go Unanswered

In an email on Friday, March 25, Thorpe was asked, “What was the purpose of that meeting? When did you first schedule the meeting with the DA? What was discussed?  Did it have anything to do with your arrest for DUI by the CHP last Saturday morning? Was anyone else in the meeting with you two?”

He was then told, “according to the CHP PIO the DA’s office will not allow the CHP to release your complete arrest report showing the reason the officer pulled you over or what your blood alcohol content was when you were tested at the CHP office in Martinez.”

Thorpe was also asked, “was it appropriate for you to have such a meeting – even if your arrest was not a topic of conversation – while your arrest is under investigation by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office? Were you seeking favorable treatment from the DA in dealing with your arrest? Might it give the appearance that you were seeking a favor from the DA who is up for election, this year and while you are facing possible recall?”

He was then asked if instead, was the meeting in regard to the press release issued by the DA’s office received, that day and if he had filed a complaint about that the allegations against the Antioch Police officers with the DA’s office during that meeting.

Thorpe did not respond as of Wednesday, March 30 at 5:00 p.m.

DA Refuses to Confirm Meeting, Claims Privilege in Not Releasing Visitor Log, Won’t Reveal Topic of Discussion or If Anyone else Present

In response to the PRA request to the D.A.’s office for a copy of the visitor log, Assistant D.A. Simon O’Connell wrote in a letter on Tuesday, March 29, “Records that contain information protected by the deliberative process privilege and the official information privilege, are exempt from disclosure. (Gov. Code, section 6254(a), (k); Evid Code, section 1040; Rogers v. Superior Court (1993) 19 Cal.App.4th 469.) In accordance case precedent, the release of visitor logs would inihibit the free and candid exchange of ideas necessary to the decision-making process. (Times Mirror Co (1988) 53 Cal.3. 1325.) There is a compelling public interest in enabling public agencies to evaluate and candidly communicate in confidence. Public disclosure of such information interferes with the District Attorney’s Office ability to meaningfully deliberate and perform core functions. For these reasons, the public interest in nondisclosure of this information clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.”

In response, additional questions were sent Tuesday afternoon to both O’Connell and Mauler, including, “Confirming that a meeting was held by the DA in her office with an elected official who is currently under investigation for a DUI arrest just three days prior is not of public interest? Is the visitor log a public document? If not, what’s the purpose of having one? Can you please at least confirm if a meeting was held by DA Becton in her office with Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe and if anyone else was in the meeting with them, and if so, who that was?”

No response was received as of Wednesday, March 30 at 5:00 p.m.

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica Says He Should Have Been in Meeting Instead of Thorpe

When reached for comment about the meeting, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica said, “I don’t know anything about the meeting. But if there was one and if it was regarding the investigation of the Antioch Police Department and the mayor had asked for me to go in his place, I would have and I should have been there instead. I did not receive any calls about it.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

DA won’t allow CHP to release arrest report showing Blood Alcohol Concentration level, probable cause for stop; Thorpe refuses to answer questions about incident, prior activity on Friday

By Allen D. Payton

A Public Records Act (PRA) request to the CHP was submitted Monday afternoon March 21, for the report of Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s arrest for DUI, early Saturday morning, March 19, showing his Blood Alcohol Concentration level at the time, and for the probable cause the officer had for pulling him over. CHP Golden Gate Division Public Information Officer Andrew Barclay was also asked if Thorpe was swerving, driving too fast or too slow. In response Barclay wrote, “I believe he was stopped for weaving.” In addition, copies of the officer’s car dash and body cam videos were requested. (See related article)

However, Barclay said the Contra Costa District Attorney won’t allow the CHP to release any additional information on Thorpe’s arrest because the incident was under investigation by the DA’s office.

In a formal response letter to the PRA request on Tuesday, March 29, CHP Golden Gate Division Chief C.C. Costigan wrote, “these records are being withheld pursuant to Government Code section 6254(f).” That section does not require the disclosure of records of investigations conducted by state or local law enforcement agencies. In addition, regarding release of audio and video recordings of an incident Section 6254(f)(4)(A)(ii) reads, “up to one year from that date, the agency may continue to delay disclosure of a recording if the agency demonstrates that disclosure would substantially interfere with the investigation.”  CHP PRA Response Letter 032922

Barclay suggested the Herald “resubmit a subsequent PRA for both the report and dash cam footage once the DA’s office has concluded their investigation.”

Questions for Thorpe Go Unanswered

Because people are questioning his claim in the video apology in which he said “the drink” meaning he had only one alcoholic beverage that night, he was asked the following additional questions Monday, March 21: “Did you have more than one drink that night? With whom did you have dinner and a drink Friday night/Saturday morning? Is that friend willing to corroborate your claim of you only having one alcoholic beverage?

Where did you eat dinner and have a drink? Will the server or bartender corroborate your story?

How long were you at the establishment? Did you go to more than one restaurant or bar that night? Did you or the person you had dinner with pay with cash or by credit/debit card? Did either one of you keep the receipt(s) from your dinner and drink?

Are you willing to provide copies of the receipt(s) for the public to see to support your claim of only having one drink? At what time do you remember having the drink and finishing it?”

Additional questions were sent to Thorpe Tuesday morning, March 29 asking, “Did you consume any alcoholic beverages at those or any restaurants or bars, either in Antioch or anywhere else on Friday, prior to leaving Antioch and East County and arriving at the location where you claim you had dinner with a friend and ‘the drink’?

What was your Blood Alcohol Content that the CHP measured in your chemical test they administered? Who drove you home from the CHP office in Martinez? Were you still inebriated at that time? Have you ever been stopped before for driving under the influence? Have you ever claimed to be inebriated at the time you were accused of another crime? Have you ever sought drug or alcohol abuse counseling?”

Thorpe did not respond as of Tuesday, March 29 at 4:30 PM.

Please check back later for his answers and any other updates to this report.

Contracts with Meeting Minutes Clerk, council not approving them, special meetings

“My office cannot produce what we do not have in our possession” – Householder

Annotated minutes and video are posted within 24-48 hours after meeting

Former City Clerk Simonsen wanted full-time position, quicker type of minutes; says “no legal time limit for approving minutes of a meeting.”

By Allen D. Payton

Complaints have been made to Antioch City Clerk Ellie Householder, who is facing possible recall, for not posting the city council meeting minutes on the city’s website in a timely manner. She and former City Clerk Arne Simonsen say they are typed up by the city’s contracted Meeting Minutes Clerk, which has been the process for at least 20 years. The delay is due to too many special council meetings and the council not approving past meeting minutes.

Householder did point out that the Annotated Minutes of the council meetings are posted on the city’s website within 24-48 hours. But they only show the votes by the council members on each agenda item and aren’t posted on the City Council Agendas and Minutes page of the city’s website. Instead, they’re posted below the video of that meeting on a different page, which she pointed out also posted within 24-48 hours, as well. But that requires clicking on the video link for that council meeting on the City Council Agendas and Minutes page and watching the meeting in order to know what the council members said and did. Or clicking on the date of that meeting on the City Council Meetings page of the website where the agendas and minutes aren’t posted.

The following email message and questions were sent to Householder and Deputy City Clerk Christina Garcia on Friday, March 18: “As of today, the minutes for the Antioch City Council meetings from 1/25 through 3/11/22 are not yet posted on the city’s website. The minutes for the meetings of Jan. 25, Feb. 4, 8, and 22 were all on the March 8 meeting agenda. Why weren’t they approved then and are again on next Tuesday’s meeting agenda along with the March 8 and 11 meeting minutes?”

In addition, they were asked, “what is the process for the minutes once they’ve been approved by the council to be uploaded to the website? Can’t you upload the Annotated Minutes until they’re approved? And then replace those with the approved minutes once they have been?”

Householder responded, “Our office contracts with a Meeting Minutes Clerk to provide summary minutes for each Council Meeting. When she completes her task and provides our office with the ‘draft’ Meeting Minutes, they are then placed onto the Council Meeting Agenda for Council to approve.  Once approved by Council, the Meeting Minutes are then uploaded onto our City’s Website.

“My office cannot produce what we do not have in our possession,” she continued. “And as you know, Meeting Minutes are approved by Council.”

“The reason for the one-page staff report is merely requesting Council to ‘Continue’ the Meeting Minutes to a future Council Meeting.  This means we have not received the ‘draft’ Meeting Minutes from our Minutes Clerk,” Householder added. “The Council Meeting video is posted onto our City’s Website within 24 hours of each Council Meeting though.”

Garcia pointed out the special meetings the council has been holding as one reason for the delay in receiving the minutes back from the Meeting Minutes Clerk.

Additional Questions for Householder Go Unanswered

Additional questions were then sent Monday afternoon March 21 to Householder, copying Garcia, asking, “how long has the city clerk’s office been contracting out the minutes? Why can’t you or the Deputy Clerk handle that responsibility? If it’s taking the outside contractor too long to provide the minutes in a timely manner, have you considered bringing that responsibility back in house or contracting with someone else to get them done in time for the next council meeting? Is there a legal time limit within which the clerk’s office is supposed to have the draft minutes prepared for the city council to adopt?”

But no response was received as of Wednesday, March 23.

Former City Clerk Simonsen Wanted Quicker Type of Minutes and Full-Time City Clerk

Similar questions were also sent to former City Clerk Arne Simonsen, as well.

He responded, “The City Clerk’s Office has contracted a Minutes Clerk for over the past 20+ years. Not just for the City Council meetings, but also the Planning Commission, Police Commission and the Sales Tax Citizens Oversight Committee. Most cities contract for a Minutes Clerk, unless the Council has approved what are known as ‘Action Minutes’. I tried to get Antioch to use ‘Action Minutes’ which are simple to produce and look similar to the ‘Annotated Minutes’ that I used to produce and post the next day to the City Website.”

“The logic of using Action Minutes is that the DVD of a meeting would be preserved and considered the actual full minutes of a meeting,” Simonsen explained. “Summary Minutes, which Antioch uses take much longer to produce and contain names and comments made not only by council members, but also by the public. And we all know how some in the public like to see their names in those minutes.”

“There is no legal time limit for approving minutes of a meeting. When you have a Council meeting every two weeks, plus throw in any Special Meetings in between, it does take some time,” he pointed out. “Kitty Eiden does a great job with the minutes, and I have absolutely no complaints.  If a Council only met once a month, getting the minutes of the previous meeting on the next agenda would be easy. But every two weeks (and sometimes three a month, plus Special meeting) it does take longer.”

“Would you trust Householder doing the minutes?” Simonsen asked. “The full time Deputy City Clerk has her hands full running all the many other functions of the Clerk’s Office. I tried to get the City Clerk to be full time, as it was from 1872 up until 2010, but my staff reports were turned down every time and never made the agenda.”

“When Kitty was on vacation and the Planning Commission needed a Clerk for the meeting and to produce the minutes, I stepped in to do it and did not receive any extra compensation for doing it,” he added. “Since I had been a Russian linguist for 24 years in the Navy, I routinely transcribed intercepted communications, so taking minutes for me was easy.”

Asked if he remembered ever being five meetings behind when he was city clerk, Simonsen responded, “Only when we had a meeting every week for five weeks in a row.”

Ogorchock doesn’t believe he only had one drink, says apology insincere; claims two women from previous job filed sexual harassment complaints against him; if Thorpe won’t resign, she will work to support his recall

Publisher’s Note: The views contained in this opinion are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Herald, it’s staff or publisher.

Dear Editor:

Due to this weekend’s lack of control and poor decision making on the part of Mayor Lamar Thorpe, I feel duty bound to share my thoughts, not only concerning Lamar’s driving while intoxicated but the lack of respect he shows to the residents of Antioch.

First, our mayor has taken to using ad-hominem, bigoted and misogynistic terms to attack his constituents rather than provide a rebuttal of his position. His title for his campaign is, “Stop, the #Karen Recall of Mayor Lamar Thorpe.”

Dictionary.com defines “Karen” as “a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people’s behaviors. In 2020 Karen spread as a label used to call out white women who were captured in viral videos engaging in what are widely seen as racist attacks. The mayor has chosen on two different occasions to refer to me as a “Karen”.

To call a woman today a “Karen” is to evoke an image of white privilege that in no way represents the life struggles millions of women endured to achieve equality, respect, and representation.

Second, Mayor Thorpe chose to drink and get behind the wheel of his vehicle, while intoxicated.  He not only endangered himself but others.  He stated he is sorry for his actions, well how sorry is he truly?  He wants us to believe he had only “a drink” with dinner.  We all know this is a fallacy.  So, to me his apology is far from being sincere.

Third, it has been brought to my attention that two women have filed a sexual harassment complaint against Mayor Thorpe. The complaint has been filed with the former Los Medanos Community Healthcare District, City of Antioch, and State of California. And yes, I personally verified the facts prior to sharing this repulsive information.

We need to make a change in our leadership, and we need to do it quickly.  Mr. Thorpe needs to step down as the mayor of our beautiful city.  If he so chooses not to, I will put all my energy into the success of the campaign to recall him as mayor.  Antioch citizens deserve better, do the right thing Mayor Thorpe and step down immediately!

Lori Ogorchock

Antioch City Councilwoman, District 3