Will also consider spending $225K more for Amtrak Station Upgrades, purchasing 2 armored rescue police vehicles, support for County’s African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub to locate in Antioch

Will first hold Budget Study Session on Public Works, Parks & Rec Departments

By Allen D. Payton

During their meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the Antioch City Council will finalize the design of the Bicycle Garden at Prewett Family Park, discuss spending $225,000 more for the Amtrak Station Upgrades and purchasing two armored rescue police vehicles at a cost of up to $531,800. They will also consider supporting the County’s proposed African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub to be located in Antioch.

Before their regular meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m., the council will hold a Closed Session at 4:00 p.m. for another discussion on the Public Employee Performance Evaluation of City Manager Bessie Scott. That will be followed by a Budget Study Session on the Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments at 5:00 p.m.

The Budget Session and regular meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 200 H Street, in historic, downtown Rivertown. It can be viewed via livestream on the City’s website or on Comcast local access cable Channel 24 of AT&T U-verse Channel 99.

See the complete meeting agenda packet.

Majority of parcel that’s remained vacant for 20 years finally being developed, just not as originally envisioned

By Allen D. Payton

Starting their regular session an unusual 55 minutes late, the Antioch City Council met on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, and approved the new Lone Tree Retail Project on an unusual 3-2 split vote with Councilmembers Don Freitas and Monica Wilson joining in opposition.

The meeting began with a closed-door meeting at 6:00 p.m. before the regular session began at 7:55 p.m.

“We had a closed session before this. So, here we are ready to go,” Mayor Ron Bernal explained for the delay.

Acting City Attorney Derek Cole reported out from Closed Session saying, the Council met to discuss three items. The first was an employee evaluation. No reportable action. Second was conference with real property negotiators on the Sycamore Square police substation. The council gave direction to its negotiators. No reportable action. Third, was a “Qui Tam” including several agencies. No reportable action was taken, he stated.

Lone Tree Retail Project Approved on Split Vote
The Lone Tree Retail project on three parcels totaling 3.22 acres next to the In-Shape Fitness health club at 4099 Lone Tree Way, is part of an 18-acre Master Planned Development, named Antioch Town Center, that had previously been approved in 2004, when Freitas was Mayor, for fitness, grocery and hard and soft retail uses. The health club was built in 2007, but the rest of the site has remained undeveloped.

Following council discussion with both Freitas and Wilson expressing their concerns that the project didn’t fit with what they had envisioned for the site, the Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday night to approve the project.

According to the City staff report, the new project consists of three buildings: a car wash, fast casual restaurant (aka Quick Service Restaurant or QSR), and combination, fast casual restaurant and retail building, along with associated site improvements Tenants with signed leases include Mister Car Wash, Habit Burger & Grill, Chipotle and to be determined retail. It will also include an adjacent multi-family residential project on the nine acres behind the project.

A representative of the project applicant, Architecture Plus, Inc. of Modesto, Paul Rothbard, former CEO and owner of In-Shape Health Clubs, said the larger restaurants suggested by members of the public won’t work at that location as those types of restaurants want freeway visibility.

At the March 11th meeting, he said they also had spoken with multiple grocery stores, but none were interested.

“The rear nine acres are in contract with a developer, a local, Central Valley, to build a residential complex,” Rothbard said. “They’re ready to go…in Q3 of this year.” His father and partner on the project, Morton, was also in attendance at the meeting.

The son said they’re hoping to be under construction with the retail project by this August and have it completed by next July.

Rothbard also mentioned that the Chipotle will have a drive-through for picking up orders made on the app.

The Council then heard opposition from three members of the community during their March 11th meeting, with the main concerns being the fast food uses, no grocery store and no affordable housing included in the adjacent multi-family residential development.

Brian Heron of Fresno-based Commercial Retail Associates, who has been working on the property with the Rothbards since 2005, responded to those concerns, saying, “Under the previous PD..7,000 square-foot, sit down, in-house restaurants were suggested. Back then, we had agreed to get those 7,000 square-foot restaurants. Since COVID, it’s a whole new world. By and large those are obsolete concepts and…not willing to come to this location. And we have tried…many and many a time.”

The brands are “in demand in your community,” he added.

“We have tried getting all the grocers,” Heron continued. “We’ve spoken to Sprouts…to Nugget…from big to small. We went from Food 4 Less, down. We’ve tried Amazon. There isn’t a grocer for this site. We went into the next phase of that development, anchor…in 2008, 2009. The market shifted. Once again, change.”

During Council discussion, Freitas spoke first saying he was “very surprised”, “disappointed” and “very, very saddened.”

“We had a very, very grandiose view of this particular development…and I embraced it,” he continued. “I’m conflicted…because the world has changed, and we all are aware of that.”
Mayor Pro Tem and District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha asked, “Are we really in a position that we can turn away business and revenue?”

District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker then said, “What the opponents are saying is ‘we don’t want this, bring us something else.’ But this is not our property. We’re talking to the actual owners who are trying to develop it because they lost money on it for 20 years for not being able to get a project completed.”

But then she switched things up and said, “My recommendation was to sell it to someone who wanted to develop more housing.”

Mayor Ron Bernal spoke next saying, “I was also surprised, not at the uses, but the way they’re oriented.” He asked if staff if there was an attempt to place the drive-through on the back side of the building. When you’re looking at 30 cars sitting up there with marginal landscaping, that’s a whole different looking project to me.

City of Antioch Associate Planner Nathan Tinclair responded saying, “One of the things we have to look at on this parcel is it’s already partially developed. There’s already this main entrance drive with the main, kind of circle with the access points to the adjacent parcels.”

He then shared his concerns with the project being presented to council “with a couple days’ notice to look at it on really tiny sets of plans” as well as landscaping, since “Lone Tree is lower and the pads, higher.”

At Freitas’ urging, the council voted 5-0 to continue the item until their meeting last night, March 25th.

A noise study was completed to confirm that noise generated by the new project does not create a significant impact, in excess of the noise levels permitted in the City of Antioch General Plan.

According to Tinclair, the Planning Commission at their February 19, 2025 meeting, with two members (Robert Martin and Christian Hills) absent and one vacancy, voted 4-0 to approve the Addendum to the Adopted Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration. All four members, Chair Kevin Riley, Vice-Chair Seth Webber, and Commissioners Jennifer Perez and Cortney Jones, voted in favor.

The IS/MND was approved by the City Council in 2005. But the motion to adopt the Final Development Plan, Use Permit and Design Review failed on a 3-1 vote, with Webber voting no, as motions require four “yes” votes to pass.

Nevertheless, on Tuesday, the Council majority of Bernal, Rocha and Torres-Walker approved all four requirements for development of the project, while Freitas and Wilson voted “No”.

$6.7 million more than last June’s projections, total could be $51 to $58 million; will reduce the City’s reserves to less than 3%

Freitas questions use of ARPA funds, Crisis Response Team stats, deficits

By Allen D. Payton

According to the staff report for the Antioch Council’s study sessions on the budget for Fiscal Years 2025-27, provided over the past three weeks, the City’s near-future finances appear bleak. The report reads, “The total deficit over the next two years is $32,883,691, and if the deficit reduction measures City staff has proposed are added back to the draft budget, the cumulative deficit would increase to $51,158,875.” It will reduce the City’s reserves from 36.52% to just 2.94%.

The projected budget deficit for the current fiscal year, 2024-25, which ends on June 30th will be $5,358,842; $15,666,448 for 2025-26 and $17,583,418 for FY 2026-27. Those are increases from last June’s budget update to the city council. At that time, according to the General Fund Projections for 2023-2028 presented to the city council on June 11, 2024, the General Fund was projected to run the following deficits: $12,995,259 in FY 2025-26 and $13,561,074 in FY 2026-27. That’s an increase in the two-year deficit of $6,693,533. Last year’s budget projections also showed a $14,855,649 deficit in FY 2027-28. (See related article)

However, Finance Director Dawn Merchant explained that the projected deficit for this fiscal year is only $405,014, as the majority of the $5.358 million was rolled over from the previous fiscal year. (See below)

Freitas Wants Details on Success of Homeless Hotel, Crisis Response Team

District 3 Councilman Don Freitas questioned staff about the report on homeless services including the Opportunity Village motel on E. 18th Street, as well as the Crisis Response Team statistics and what feedback staff is looking for from the council.

During the Oct. 11th budget study session he asked, “What specifically are you looking for feedback from the council on these items?”

“Because, frankly, I’m still waiting for the data, you know, to come forward,” he continued. “So, I’m not quite sure what it is that you’re asking council.”

“I’m not asking the council anything,” City Manager Bessie Scott responded. “I think you all wanted these budget study sessions as we get ready to prepare our next biennial budget. I want to first start off by saying thank you to our (Finance) Director (Dawn Merchant) and her team. They’re able to do a lot for our community with very little.”

“I want to make sure that the data elements that you would like us to bring forward outside of these presentations are here,” she continued. “So, any specific data or presentations that you have, please feel free to ask us. I think that as we go forward the questions are actually for you to set budget and policy.”

Freitas then directed his questions to Public Safety and Community Resources Department Director Tasha Johnson.

“Earlier you said data shows that you’ve been successful. This as regards to ARPA funding. How is it measured as successful? What were the criteria? Particularly, the Opportunity Village. They’re not the only one. Cal VIPS, the Rubicon Program.”

“When I looked at the Angelo Quinto (Crisis Response Team) and I saw the 8,363 dispatches were made, it seems like an extraordinary number,” the councilman continued. “So, for me the question is out of that, how do you count a dispatch? Are there repeats? Are they all new? I have no idea what that number really, truly means. As well as the 3,149 welfare checks. Again, are these repeats? Are they singular? We need to be able to break down and try to measure,”

“I’m assuming with any program that the City has funded in the past, it was articulated what the goals, objectives and what success was,” Freitas stated. “I’d like to see when the program was discussed and approved by the past city council, what were those and did we meet them? If we were deficient then why were we deficient and are we addressing them moving forward?”

General Fund Budget Deficits Could Total $55-$58 million

Freitas then asked about the General Fund and projected budget deficits saying, “The other issue that I would have. All of these programs are deserving. But we have a terrible challenge in front of us and before I say what I think the number is, Ms. Merchant, I want to be clear in my mind. Now, this is in regards to…some of the funding and I noticed that in the report for General Fund expenditure reductions, this is for…Fiscal Year ‘26 and ‘27 that you have already talked to a lot of these departments and you’ve already cut the number in Fiscal Year ‘26 to $8.6 million and FY ‘27 to $9.4 million. I rounded up.”

“Mmm, hmm,” Merchant responded.

“But you also indicate that we have a deficit at the end of this year of $5.4 million,” the councilman continued. “And it’s anticipated next year to be $15.7 million, and we have a deficit in Fiscal Year ‘27 of $17.6 million. So, if I add the 8.6, the 9.4, the 5.4, the 15.7, the 17.6 we come up with a deficit, basically of $58 million. Is that right, wrong?”

Merchant responded, “I just would like to clarify as I did mention before for Fiscal Year 2024-25, that $5.358, that really isn’t a true deficit spending because encumbrances and purchase orders were rolled over, were not spent in Fiscal Year ’24. So, it was re-budgeted although the money was received in the prior fiscal year. It was re-budgeted into Fiscal Year ’25, essentially inflating the expenditure number. That’s why you’ll see the Budget Stabilization transfer is only $405,014 which you account for the money being rolled over from the prior year. The deficit remaining is only the $405,000 versus the $5.3.”

“But otherwise, yes,” she continued. “If you cumulatively add up the 15.6, the 17.8 and you account for what we’ve already backed out of the 8.6 and the 9.3, yeah.”

“So, roughly, still that leaves about 55 or 58 million?” Freitas asked.

“Yeah,” Merchant responded.

“As we move into years ’26 and ’27, those are true deficits,” the councilman stated. “So, they have no encumbrances, correct?”

“That is correct,” the Finance Director said.

Mayor Ron Bernal thanked the staff for “Building into the presentations, answers to my questions. So, 99% of my questions were answered.”

He then asked about the Crisis Response Team, that it “had been scaled up from what it had originally started as to where it is, today. I would like to know what it was before it was scaled up and what that cost is, and what the coverage of that program was, so we can see the two of them.”

The Council then closed the study session.

See meeting agenda packet, here – – https://www.antiochca.gov/fc/government/agendas/CityCouncil/2025/agendas/031825/031825.pdf

Watch video of March 11, 2024, council meeting.

Depending on tier and zone
Lone Tree Retail Project next to In-Shape
Also, creating Sycamore police substation; will study budget

By Allen D. Payton

It will cost you more to take a shower, brush your teeth, do the dishes and laundry, water your yard and flush the toilet if the Antioch City Council approves significant water rate increases during their meeting tonight, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The mayor and council members will consider raising rates for the first time since 2019, by 45 to 93 percent for different tiers and zones over the next three years. But before the vote the council will hear from members of the public.

They will also consider leasing space in the Sycamore Square shopping center for a Police Substation during a 5:00 p.m. Closed Session and discuss the 2025-27 budget at 6:00 p.m. During the regular session beginning at 7:00 p.m., the Council will also discuss the creation of a Homeless/Unhoused Ad Hoc Committee from the Councilmembers’ 90-Day Request List. Finally, the Council will consider approving the Lone Tree Retail Project next to the In-Shape Fitness health club.

Proposed Water Rate Increases
Under Item 5 on their regular meeting agenda, the Council will hold a public hearing to consider annual water rate increases through July 1, 2028, keeping the current tiered structure. If approved, Non-Single Family Zone 1 rates would be raised from $4.44 to $6.42 per hundred cubic feet (HCU), a 44.6% increase and Zone IV would increase 82.5% from $4.86 to $8.87.

All eight tiers and zones for Single-Family residential rates would also be affected with Tier 2 Zone I given the lowest increase of 45.6%, from $6.22 to $9.06 per HCU. If approved, Tier 1 Zone IV would experience the greatest rate increase of 93%, from $4.20 to $8.11 per HCU over the three years.

Monthly Meter Service for single-family residential customers would also rise from $24.40 to $35.40, a 45% increase.

It will be the first water rate increase in the city since 2019. The first rate increases will begin May 1, 2025.

Lone Tree Retail Project Development
Under Item 6, the Council will consider approving the Final Development Plan, Use Permit and Design Review for development of the Lone Tree Retail project. The location is next to the In-Shape Fitness health club at 4099 Lone Tree Way, and will consist of a Mister Car Wash, Habit Burger & Grill and Chipotle or to be determined retail on 3.22 acres.

Meeting & Public Comments Details
Those in attendance at the meeting can speak during general Public Comments on items not on the agenda at the beginning of the meeting until 7:30 p.m. and again at the end of the meeting. They can also speak on any agendized item for up to three minutes except for public hearings, during which they can speak for up to five minutes.

The meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 200 H Street, in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown or can be viewed via livestream on the City’s website or on Comcast local access cable Channel 24 of AT&T U-verse Channel 99.

See the complete Council Meeting Agenda packet.

Posts video and written thoughts on Facebook

Says, “We are entering…some unprecedented cruel times” participates in class warfare, complains about “the ruling class” of which she’s a part, but wants everyone to “unify, lock arms, and work together” before blasting council colleague at commission meeting the following Monday.

By Allen D. Payton

During the City Council Committee Reports and Communications portion toward the beginning of the meeting on Feb. 28, 2025, Antioch District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker offered another of her diatribes from the dais, this time lecturing the public with more accusations based in class warfare on the supposed evils of “the ruling class”, of which, ironically, she’s a part. (See 2:59:20 mark of meeting video)

The councilwoman also posted the video of her speech and wrote most of her spoken comments on her official Facebook page on Wednesday, Feb. 5th saying, they “and those who aspire to join them don’t care about everyday people.” Torres-Walker complains about “the filthy rich, colonialism, and capitalistic state and people of color adjacent to this state with too much time on their hands who rise to positions of power most often to close doors and seal them behind them.”

The councilwoman does, however, offer one solution and ends with it in a confusing180-degree turn from her comments demonizing the wealthy and powerful in our society. She said, “We in Antioch have an opportunity to unify, lock arms, and work together despite our differences.”

Following is the written statement from the councilwoman’s latest lecture:

“We are entering into some unprecedented cruel times, and if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.

“Most often, the problem with the government is that it’s full of people who could do something about poverty, homelessness, community, and state-sanctioned violence, but they won’t.

“Why?

“Because the ruling class and those who aspire to join them don’t care about everyday people, you will hear these kinds of people proclaim that Government efficiency is their priority which translates to profit over people under the guise of balancing the budget while systematically dismantling critical resources that serve our most vulnerable communities.

“It is most often the filthy rich, colonialism, and capitalistic state and people of color adjacent to this state with too much time on their hands who rise to positions of power most often to close doors and seal them behind them. This is not a right-left thing. It’s a forgotten thing; poor people and working-class people have been forgotten.

“Octavia Buttler wrote an essay for Essence magazine in 2000. Which states that, ‘There is no single answer that will solve all of our future problems. There is no magic bullet. Instead, there are thousands of answers at least, and you can be one of them if you choose to be.’

“There is no, one major thing to fix everything, or leader that is going to solve all our problems, and no solution to cure everything because it doesn’t exist. She says that, “we need to look to, all the small answers that accumulate to the fix, to the healing, and to the liberation we all want to see.”

“Community is the answer to the problem and only together will we build a healthy community for us all.

“I understand the value of peace, and I’m also prepared to show up for conflict. When I ran for this council, I agreed to face conflict head-on, no matter how small. Because showing up for conflict is how we create peace and overcome fear.

“As we all watch in real time the fall of our democracy, the potential of a very real oligarchy leading this country with policy mandates that are meant to harm the working class, the poor, and our undocumented “and documented neighbors.

“We in Antioch have an opportunity to unify, lock arms, and work together despite our differences of opinion or politics.”

Yet, as previously reported, during the Police Oversight Commission meeting on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, that both Torres-Walker and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas attended, she berated her colleague. That was done during public comments on the emergency item about the racist comments made by then-Commissioner Leslie May at the council meeting on Jan. 28, 2025, for which Freitas had asked May to publicly apologize and then, for her resignation. But she did neither.

He then requested an item be placed on the agenda for the Feb. 11th council meeting for a vote to remove her from the commission. But May resigned on Monday, Feb. 10th.

The councilwoman was also upset about Freitas’ call for the resignation of the former city attorney, who later did. (See related articles here and here)

Under threat of being removed for racist comments during council meeting, Leslie May steps down
Fellow commissioners take her to task, two defend her
Torres-Walker defends her, takes swipes at Freitas who requested item placed on Tuesday’s agenda
“The City of Antioch will not tolerate racist behavior or language from any city employee or representative of our city.” – City Manager Scott’s official statement
“We really need to heal and focus on the important issues and not be distracted by this nonsense.” – Councilman Don Freitas

By Allen D. Payton

Under threat of being removed by the Antioch City Council during their meeting tomorrow night, Feb. 11, 2025, for racist comments made at a previous council meeting, Antioch Police Oversight Commission (APOC) member Leslie May resigned from her position effective immediately according to an announcement issued by City Manager Bessie M. Scott. During the APOC meeting on Feb. 3, 2025, at which her comments were discussed, May did not apologize for them, three commissioners took her to task while two defended her saying they “were taken out of context”. In addition, District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker also defended May’s comments that included using “the N-word” twice, and took a swipe at District 3 Councilman Don Freitas for his successful efforts to remove the former city attorney and requesting May resign from the commission during the Jan. 28, 2025, council meeting. He later asked for tomorrow’s agenda item for the council to vote to remove her, which is now no longer necessary.

The statement, issued Monday afternoon, Feb. 10, 2025, reads: “Antioch Police Oversight Commission member Leslie May has submitted her resignation from her role as the commissioner of the committee, effective immediately. May’s announcement to step down follows several contentious interactions with city leaders, including during a special council meeting on January 17th. During the special council meeting, May used several racist epithets to describe the Antioch City Manager and former City Attorney.

“District 3 Councilman Donald Freitas had called for the council to consider her removal as commissioner during its next regular meeting on February 11. The City of Antioch will not tolerate racist behavior or language from any city employee or representative of our city. We are committed to creating a culture of inclusivity, professionalism, respect, and accountability.”

As previously reported, during public comments at the Jan. 17, 2025, council meeting, May, who is Black, referred to City Manager Scott, who is also Black, as the “house ni**er” and then-City Attorney Thomas L. Smith, who is also Black, as the “field ni**er”.

Commission Chairperson, Fellow Members Take May to Task, Two Defend Her Claiming Her Comments “Were Taken Out of Context”
During the commission’s raucous meeting on Feb. 3, 2025, which both Torres-Walker and Freitas attended, Commission Chairperson Porshe Taylor asked to add an emergency item to the agenda to discuss May’s comments. (See 22:00 mark of meeting video)

“The item is regarding racial slurs that were spoken by a commissioner on Jan. 17th,” she said without mentioning May or what they were. The motion was approved unanimously, including May, by the five current commissioners. There are two vacancies for the council to fill.

Taylor then read from prepared remarks calling May’s comments, “a deeply concerning matter that not only impacts our commission but the trust of several community members that we serve. It is with great disappointment that I learned about words that were said. The behavior is not what I expected. On behalf of this full commission, I apologize to the community. Our role as commissioners is to serve with integrity and impartiality, and unwavering commitment to justice.”

“The ordinance that governs this commission is clear,” the chairperson continued. “We are here to ensure accountability, transparency and fairness in matters of policing. A responsibility that requires each of us to hold the highest ethical standards and to conduct ourselves without bias or prejudice. Any deviation from this standard not only discredits the hard work that we put in as commissioners but also threatens the progress that we are striving to achieve.”

“As chair, I recognize the importance of addressing situations like this with both urgency and accountability,” Taylor stated. “Moving forward, I will be implementing an agreement of etiquette for all members of this commission to ensure our conduct aligns with the mission and values outlined in our ordinance. The commission’s work is far too important for it to be overshadowed by simple bad decisions, and I will not allow it to deter us from the mission at hand.”

“Additionally, I do want to provide my fellow commissioner an opportunity to speak because you deserve that,” she said while looking at Mays who sits to the chairperson’s left. “We had a council member who, and we are all sitting up here at will of the council, and we had a council member who publicly recommended for you to resign. That is your choice. I cannot hold you to that. Right?” to which Mays nodded. “But I do want you to take your own stance because as chair I have to take a stance as well.”

Commissioner Alicia Lacey-Oha said, “I am in agreement with Chair lady Commissioner Porshe Taylor. I don’t really curse…but when I watched the special council meeting let me tell you, words started coming out of my mouth. What happened on that night is unacceptable…There’s a level of respect that we have to show when we come into these meetings. That was the wrong platform to use to start…using examples. Our former mayor said, we as commissioners have to remain neutral. Regardless of how we feel on the inside about our police department, about our city council, we have to stay neutral and I’m standing by that, today.”

“We as commissioners, we are held to a higher standard,” she continued. “I do know this has had an impact on residents in the city of Antioch. And I’m not talking about…what I hear but what I see. I’m tired of it. When I come to these city council meetings, I’m tired of the same old rhetoric. It’s time for us to come together. We have to come together. We have to stop this division.”

“And I believe in freedom of speech,” Lacey-Oha stated. “But there is a time and a place to use the rhetoric that was used on January 17th. That was not the platform, the appropriate platform. And I stand by that and I’m gonna always stand by that.”

Taylor spoke again saying while looking at May who sat to her left on the dais, “I will also say that I did watch the video and I do believe that what you said was misconstrued, right? Because I know. However, it was misconstrued. It shouldn’t have been said.”

Vice Chairperson Devin Taylor spoke next attempting to walk a fine line, first, defending May’s comments and apologizing to the public for not understanding what she meant by them, and then gently chastising his colleague and spoke of the need for commissioner to have “decorum” and “standards”.

He said, “Being in a position of leadership in the community has always been tough. I don’t believe that certain things…what do they say? Words have power. And again, I do understand as Commissioner May that evening, because I was in the room that evening. What she meant, I know that it was not taken into context that it was meant. And I…as Chair Taylor, I apologize on behalf of the commission that it was taken out of that context for the community that does not understand. But I will not apologize for people who need to educate themselves on history. And that is not our job to do that.”

“Our job is to sit up here and lead,” he continued. “Our job is to collaborate with our police department and our city council on shaping, reshaping policies that better enhance our community. It may seem like there are those who have agendas, who have been asked to act on those agendas. May it be the blogs or the public at large that they communicate with. But our duty here is to not partake in that. Our duty is to live in the scope of our ordinance and work in the scope of our ordinance.”

“I hate that this has to be…a huge debate,” Williams stated. “But I just wanted to take some time to remind us why we are here and that is to discuss our roles and…why we’re here and wear these titles. It’s to perform in a setting with conduct and decorum.”

“I also have to say that it being Black History Month it is a little ironic that we are arguing with each other,” he said referring to some of the members of the audience who yelled out at the commissioners, especially Lacey-Oha when she was speaking, at which Taylor pounded her gavel to restore order to the meeting. “And I understand that I get a little upset, too. But we have to remain calm, and we can’t let them see us fight. So, with that said, I trust that this commission can come up with a standard of how we present ourselves and I know that we can do that. And it’s good and healthy that we are having this conversation tonight.”

“I believe that Commissioner May has heard all that she needs to hear. I believe that her decision on what she does next is up to her and we will support you in any way we see fit,” Williams said as he concluded his thoughts. “And I will go by leadership. As Chair Taylor’s co-chair, here I want to make sure that we move forward on our work, and we work within the scope of our ordinance. I think that’s all I need to say.”

The final commissioner to speak was Treva Hadden who also defended May’s comments. She said, “I was not at the meeting, nor did I watch the meeting. But I work with each and everyone up here. And I’ve never…actually, we worked together at Santa Rita,” Hadden said while looking at May who sat to her right. “I’ve been knowing her a long time, and I’ve never, there’s never been a disciplinary action against her for anything of the sort.”

“I’m not sure what the people against her…are thinking should happen,” the commissioner continued. “However, we’re here because we have a police department that has gone rogue and done whatever they want to do. And they’ve been out there doing what they want to do as long as they want to do it. And all of them have not had any consequences for what they’re doing.”

“So, I am not sure what people are expecting to happen to Commissioner May regarding her speech, her freedom of speech,” Hadden reiterated. “But I’m on board with etiquette, training. I know that as an ethics investigator, for something of this sort, what we normally say is, ‘provide training for everyone to reinforce what we are supposed to be doing, how we’re supposed to be conducting ourselves in the public and otherwise.’”

“So, I have nothing to say in terms of any kind of disciplinary action for her speaking her words and what she felt and in the context she said what she said,” the commissioner added.

Williams then spoke again saying, “I did also want to say for my own self that I follow my own standards, and I don’t need to listen to anyone else who doesn’t look like me to make decisions. I feel that we all have a duty here to think for ourselves and come up with smart decisions…and execute smart decisions.”

“I want to say, ‘thank you’ to Commissioner Hadden for stepping up and to say that,” he continued. “We do need training. We do need to stand by decorum in the work history we’ve had with Commissioner May. We can vouch for her that she is an upstanding citizen in your history of working with her. Even though the public may not see that all the time. We do need to recognize that she does have experience and history. But also, at the same time, we have to recognize that even though our elders, our people do make mistakes, we do have to have those conversations to let you know that this probably wasn’t the best decision that you’ve made. But I understand where it came from. And I…think what needs to happen here is just a conversation about moving forward and how we conduct ourselves in public spaces. Not limiting your free speech but just be mindful of how we execute and conduct ourselves.”

“I think that’s the best way to say that,” the vice chairperson stated. “And I love when the community comes out to support one another. I just think we need to be mindful of how we conduct ourselves and executing our freedom of speech rights.”

Chairperson Taylor then spoke again while looking at Mays saying, “Before I give you the mic, do you want to speak? Do you want to?”

“Yes,” Mays responded.

“Before I give you the mic to speak, I just wanted to remind you of something that co-chair said earlier. He mentioned the word arguing. And we are not arguing, Commissioners,” Taylor stated. “This is our duty. Right? We are discussing an issue and figuring out how to fix it and listening to community’s choices about what we’re discussing. And so, we never want to use words like arguing because that’s not what we’re doing. We are professionals and we are executing our duties.”

However, members of the public in attendance were arguing with commissioners while speaking out of turn.

An unapologetic Mays spoke last defending her comments saying, “All I’m going to say is this. That evening, I was very passionate because I had community members coming to me and talking. Plus, I was reading and hearing the attacks against the city manager, Bessie Scott, before she even set her foot in this city and the attacks against our city attorney and also the attacks against the APOC commission which no one wanted to see. Well, some people. But a lot of people here did not want to see this happen. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”

“The second thing I’m going to say is they did not state in the blogs that when I started to speak, I opened up with a scripture that mysteriously disappeared,” the embattled commissioner continued. “So, finally, as a commissioner, I know the ordinance. I know I raised my hand and swore to take an oath as a commissioner. My business…of this commission is outlined in this ordinance that everybody should have,” while holding a copy of a document. That’s what I’m doing. That’s what I shall continue to do.”

“And in terms of moving forward, I think that’s all,” Mays concluded while looking at Taylor.

The chairperson then tried to conclude the discussion by saying, “OK. For me I still stand at as we move forwards towards our agenda items for a future agenda, that we will talk about etiquette training and making sure we have some kind of decorum document.”

“Everybody, we’re good with that?” she asked. Mays then asked about the other items on that night’s meeting agenda.
Taylor then asked, “Is there anything else you want to mention in the finishing of this agenda item?”

“Yes,” Lacey-Oha said. “I will ask that we get started on this as soon as possible” referring to the code of conduct proposed by Taylor. “I stated earlier, hopefully we can come up with something in the month of March. No later than April.”

The commission then went on to other items on the agenda.

Torres-Walker Defends May’s Racist Comments Calls Them “Speaking Plainly”
During public comments on the item, Torres-Walker defended May’s comments, partially reading from prepared remarks, and chastised her colleague. The councilwoman said, “The job of this commission is not to push the political rhetoric of individuals in this city who didn’t want you to be here, anyway. The job of this commission is not to find comfort in the blanket of respectability politics. Our job as a community is that it’s our right to speak and we all should be speaking plainly.”

“And when we jump to political rhetoric and we think our community is going to understand what that is it doesn’t translate,” Torres-Walker stated and then referring to Freitas. “And rather than push an agenda of a councilmember that wants to seem benevolent on behalf of staff when his first day on the city council he publicly threatened to fire the city attorney and then had a Freudian slip and said he also wanted to fire the city manager.”

“But this is the man we’re taking his call to action, today on behalf of protecting the same staff that he threatened to fire, publicly and publicly humiliated a city attorney that retired and is no longer here because it would have been an arduous working conditions,” the District 1 Councilwoman continued.

However, she was incorrect. As previously reported, during the council meeting on Dec. 10, 2024, Freitas called for the resignation of Thomas L. Smith as city attorney but inadvertently said, “city manager” twice. Then Torres-Walker who sits next to him on the dais asked if he meant the city attorney and Freitas corrected himself. Smith was later forced out during a special, Closed Session meeting on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.

“Commissioner May, I know what it feels like to speak plainly,” said Torres-Walker. “And I know what it feels like to be attacked for that because we want to find comfort in the white gaze. We want to find comfort in respectability politics, and we want to demonize those who speak plain, plainly based on their experience and the history that they know, which is American history.”

“The history of the house slave and the history of the field slave is American history,” she continued. “And as we sit here in Black History Month, we should acknowledge that the history of slavery is not Black history it’s American history and we should interrogate that. We should never forget that. In the times that we in, right now when everything that exists, historically is under attack and under threat.”

Torres-Walker then shook her head as her time to speak ran out and walked away from the podium, while some of those seated in the council chambers applauded.

Torres-Walker Doubles Down
In a post of the announcement on her official Facebook page Monday evening, Feb. 10, 2025, while mentioning completely unrelated matters, Torres-Walker wrote, “This media advisory is rich coming from a City that allowed its police force to racially profile and intimidate residents of color for more than two decades.

While the Antioch city council is fighting over who can say the N-word, Opportunity Village is set to end in April, displacing unhoused residents in need of services back on the streets.

The crisis response team focused on meeting the needs of those suffering from mental illness and substance dependence will end in December with no plan to secure additional funding.

The police department is still understaffed after more than half the department was involved in racial discrimination, aggressive use of force, taking bribes, falsifying police reports and more.

I guess the immediate threat to public safety is the N-word.” She ended it with a raised shoulder emoji.

Freitas Responds
After receiving the news, when reached for comment, Freitas said, “I think Ms. May made the right decision to resign, and I look forward to implementing a code of conduct for the council and all boards and commissions, so this doesn’t happen again.”

He was sked about his colleague’s comments about him at the APOC meeting last Monday night, Feb. 3, 2025.

“I don’t think Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walkers comments deserve a response,” Freitas stated. “They’re unfortunate and divisive, and it undermines our ability to work together for the benefit of the community.”

“We really need to heal and focus on the important issues and not be distracted by this nonsense,” he added.

The commission is left with four members, the bare minimum to have a quorum and hold a meeting.

Flag will fly through Juneteenth

By Allen D. Payton

During their regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, the Antioch City Council voted unanimously to approve a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month in the City of Antioch and fly the Pan-African Flag in February and until Juneteenth.

Under Consent Calendar agenda Item 1.01, the council on a 5-0 vote approved the Black History Month Proclamation. (To read the proclamation see below or click here).

Then, to further recognize Black History Month, under the Consent Calendar Item 4.A., the council approved on a 5-0 vote flying the Pan African Flag at City Hall during February and until Juneteenth on June 19 to honor the nation’s newest holiday. That’s the day in 1865, two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, when Union Army troops entered Texas and General Gordon Granger announced that the slaves in that state were also free.

According to the Flag Database, “The Pan-African flag, also known as the Afro-American flag, Black Liberation flag, and various other names, consists of three equal horizontal bands of red, black, and green. The red band is positioned at the top, followed by the black in the middle, and green at the bottom. This flag is a powerful symbol of African and African Diaspora unity, pride, and freedom. The red color represents the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry, and that was shed for their liberation. The black band symbolizes black people whose existence as a nation, though not a nation-state, is affirmed by the existence of the flag. The green represents the abundant natural wealth of Africa.

“The Pan-African flag was first adopted on August 13, 1920, during the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League’s (UNIA-ACL) convention in Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was introduced by Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican political leader, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator, who founded the UNIA-ACL in 1914. Garvey proposed the flag in response to the 1900 coon song ‘Every Race Has a Flag but the Coon,’ which highlighted the fact that African Americans at the time did not have a flag symbolizing their own race. The creation of the Pan-African flag was a response to the derogatory song, aiming to provide Black people around the world with a symbol of their own pride and sovereignty. Since its adoption, the flag has been used in various African diaspora contexts, particularly within civil rights movements in the United States. It has also been embraced by many African countries and movements seeking to assert their independence and unity. Over the years, the flag has grown to become a global emblem of African solidarity, liberation, and pride.”

According to Wikipedia, “The flag was created as a response to racism against African Americans…with the help of Marcus Garvey,” who was “a Jamaican political activist” and “founder and first President-General” of the “Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL)” which “formally adopted it on August 13, 1920, in Article 39 of the Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World, during its month-long convention.”

IN HONOR OF
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
FEBRUARY 2025

WHEREAS, the origins of Black History Month can be traced back to 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States;

WHEREAS, in 1976, Black History Month was formally adopted to honor and affirm the importance of Black History throughout our American experience and is full of individuals who took a stance against prejudice advanced the cause of civil rights, strengthened families, communities, and our nation;

WHEREAS, the Black History Month 2025 theme, “African Americans and Labor,” focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary. That work ranges from the past agricultural labor of enslaved Africans to today’s Black professionals providing leadership as corporate executives and entrepreneurs;

WHEREAS, because of their determination, hard work, and perseverance, African Americans have made valuable and lasting contributions to our community and our state, achieving exceptional success in all aspects of society including business, education, politics, science, and the arts;

WHEREAS, the City of Antioch continues to work toward becoming an inclusive community in which all residents – past, present, and future – are respected and recognized for their contributions and potential contributions to our community, the state, the country, and the world; and

WHEREAS, the City of Antioch is proud to honor the history and contributions of African Americans in our community, throughout our state, and our nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RON BERNAL, Mayor of the City of Antioch, hereby proclaim February 2025 to be “Black History Month.” I encourage all citizens to celebrate our diverse heritage and culture and to continue our efforts to create a world that is more just, peaceful, and prosperous for all.

JANUARY 28, 2025

RON BERNAL, Mayor

Leslie May, who is Black, used “the N-word” twice to describe city manager, then-city attorney both of whom are also Black

On next Tuesday’s council meeting agenda

“What was most troubling to me…the city manager was in tears. That’s not acceptable.” District 3 Councilman Don Freitas

By Allen D. Payton

Speaking during Council Committee Reports and Communication at the Antioch City Council meeting on Jan. 28, 2025, District 3 Councilman Don Freitas was very critical of racially charged comments by Police Oversight Commission Member Leslie May during public comments at the special council meeting on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. As previously reported, the commissioner, who is Black, referred to City Manager Bessie Scott, who is also Black, as the “house ni**er” and then-City Attorney Thomas L. Smith, who is also Black, as the “field ni**er”. Freitas initially asked for May to publicly apologize and recommended she resign from the commission. He is now asking the council to consider her removal, and the matter has been placed on the agenda for a decision during their next regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

“Something I found very troubling, because words matter and when you have a particular individual stand up and using derogatory terms to the city manager and the then-city attorney, it was very troubling to me,” Freitas stated. “What was most troubling to me is when we adjourned and got into the elevator to go to the Third Floor to conduct our Closed Session, the city manager was in tears. That’s not acceptable.”

“I would recommend…when you, Mr. Mayor talked about a code of conduct, not only for ourselves, but for board members, commission members, because they are representing us, the City of Antioch,” he said while pounding his finger on the dais.

“Some of the most racist statements were made, and it concerns me that this particular individual is on the Oversight committee who is supposed to be monitoring behavior in the department, one issue is racism,” Freitas continued. “It is absolutely unacceptable in any forum to use the term, the “the N-word” not once, not twice but directed to the city manager and the then-city attorney.”

“I personally believe this individual owes an apology to the city manager, to this council and to this community,” he added.

“I would strongly recommend that she resigns from the Police Oversight committee, and we get the code of conduct so that we know what is expected of us as individuals as elected members and appointed members,” Freitas concluded. (See 3:05:05 mark of meeting video)

Under Item 7 on the Council meeting agenda for Feb. 11, the staff report reads, “It is recommended that the City Council consider removing Commissioner Leslie May from the Antioch Police Oversight Commission effective immediately. Antioch Municipal Code (AMC) § 2-5.202 states that members of boards and commissions serve at the pleasure of the City Council and may be removed by majority vote of the City Council if properly noticed on the public portion of a City Council Agenda. AMC § 4-3.104 states that members of the Police Commission shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council and may be removed from office by a majority vote of the Council.”

May’s comments on Jan.17th weren’t the first to raise eyebrows. She has made several other racially-charged comments during previous council meetings and on the Antioch Herald Facebook page, for which she was challenged by this reporter, including calling some residents, “colonizers”.

According to a column by Damon Young, on The Root website entitled, “Is ‘Colonizer’ the Best Word for Problematic White People Ever?” the term colonizer is “the perfect slur for white people.” He wrote that it’s “one that smashes historical reverence and contemporary snark and pith together into a tasty slur sangria.” The columnist also wrote about the term, “Slurs are meant to shame and induce claustrophobia—a sense of perpetual unwelcome. But how unwelcoming can a word be if your status exists as a boundless welcome mat? Colonizer, however, recognizes that dynamic and inverts it by laughing at it instead of lauding it. It’s a Jedi slur trick.”

Transit-Oriented Communities Policy Presentation
The council then received a presentation from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission on the City’s required Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Policy. TOCs feature housing and business development that is near to transportation, putting public transit in reach for more people and improving the quality of life in the Bay Area. (See details in related article)

Approves Contract with Interim City Attorney’s Law Firm
Under agenda Item 7, the City Council voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution approving the agreement with Cole and Huber LLP to provide Interim City Attorney Services for an amount up to $400,000. Partner Derek Cole is serving in the role.

Rescinds Resolution Requiring City Attorney Hire All Outside Attorneys
That was followed by Item 8, City Council adopted a resolution rescinding Resolution No. 2021/26, which implemented a policy for the City Attorney’s office to select all outside attorneys providing legal services and managing related agreements and invoices for City departments.

During discussion of the matter, Freitas asked City Manager Scott if a department, “director signs off on it, does it also need the signature of the city manager?” She responded, “Yes, it will come through me.”

“So, ultimately they all cross your desk, as well?” he pressed further.

“Yes,” she said. “None of the directors, as much as I love them, will be willy nilly signing off on anything. I will hopefully work with the city attorney to, hopefully, set a litigation ceiling in this budget cycle as much as possible. So, it will actually be managed better.”

“We are rescinding this resolution which means that it’s going back to the way it’s always been done,” District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker explained. “So, this was the change in response to the massive litigation the city was facing after the incidents with the police department…with the understanding the city manager will have full oversight.”

“Yes,” Scott reiterated. “I will say I have worked with many city attorneys…and this is really unusual. So, yes, it will go back to…and I would discourage anyone coming in putting it back to this, unless there is another area with a gap in leadership. There was a turn in city managers, and it made sense.” Then referring to former City Attorney Thomas L. Smith she continued, “He had to compensate somehow and fill that vacuum. But this is not normal.”

“I think with us now having the stipulated agreement and…not necessarily in the police department everything starting to level out, I definitely support rescinding this resolution,” Torres-Walker added.

She then made the motion, seconded by District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha. The council then passed the motion on a vote of 5-0.

After dealing with two other items which have been or will be described in separate news reports, including appointing Standby Council Members, and the Development Agreement with APS West Coast, Inc. for the AMPORTS automotive logistics and processing facility for vehicles prior to their distribution to dealerships, to be located on Wilbur Avenue along the waterfront in the northeast part of the city, the council meeting adjourned at midnight.

See the entire Annotated Meeting Agenda.