By Diana Oyler, Senior Deputy County Administrator
(Martinez, CA) – The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking an individual who is interested in serving on the County’s Planning Commission. The Commission is responsible for hearing and deciding applications for proposed projects that generate more than 100 peak hour trips, and all appeals from decisions of the zoning administrator. The Commission also may initiate preparation of general plans, specific plans, regulations, programs, and legislation to implement the land use planning power of the county; is generally responsible for advising the Board of Supervisors of matters relating to planning; is the designated advisory agency for the purpose of passing on subdivisions; and hears and makes recommendations regarding proposed development agreements.
Meetings of the Planning Commission are generally held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Martinez. Members of the Planning Commission receive $50 per meeting up to a monthly maximum of $300, plus mileage expense. The appointment will be for a full four-year term beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2030.
Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000 or by visiting the County webpage at www.contracosta.ca.gov. Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, CA 94553 no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews to be held virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
For more information about the County Planning Commission, contact Hiliana Li, Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, at (925) 655-2860 or hiliana.li@dcd.cccounty.us.
Newly apppointed Contra Costa County Superior Court Judges Hann Fakhoury and Amanda Karl. Photos: Office of the California Governor
By Office of the California Governor
Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday, March 27 2026, his appointment of two more Superior Court Judges in Contra Costa County, Hanni Fakhoury and Amanda Karl.
Hanni Fakhoury, of Contra Costa County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Contra Costa County Superior Court. Fakhoury has worked as a Partner of Moeel Lah Fakhoury since 2021, where he works in white collar and federal criminal defense as a trial attorney and mediator. He served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender at the Federal Public Defender for Northern District of California from 2015 to 2021. Fakhoury worked as a Staff Attorney and Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation from 2011 to 2015. He worked as a Trial Attorney at the Federal Defenders of San Diego from 2007 to 2011.
According to his Linkedin profile, “Fakhoury is an accomplished litigator who represents individuals and companies in criminal prosecutions and government and regulatory investigations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Northern California Super Lawyer. In addition to litigation, Hanni serves as a mediator in the Northern District of California’s ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) program and is a co-lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Law.
According to his bio on his law firm’s website, Fakhoury is a “Bay Area native” and “proudly serves the Northern District of California as a member of its Criminal Justice Act (CJA) trial panel, representing indigent criminal defendants. He was also selected by the Northern District bench to serve on the court’s Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility, Criminal Rules and Practice Committee, and CJA Administration Committee.”
“A sought-after teacher, Hanni…co-teaches a seminar on white collar crime. He has presented and lectured at over 100 legal conferences to wide audiences, including judges, attorneys and the public at large.”
Fakhoury received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles S. Treat. Fakhoury is a Democrat.
Amanda Karl, of Alameda County, has also been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Contra Costa County Superior Court. Karl has worked as a Partner at Gibbs Mura since 2022, where she also worked as an Associate from 2016 to 2021. She served as a Law Clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 2015 to 2016 and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2014 to 2015.
According to her profile on the Gibbs Mura website, Karl “represents consumers, employees and others who have been harmed by corporations. She has prosecuted a wide range of complex cases, including product defect, failure-to-warn, wage and hour, data breach, sexual assault, and securities cases, within a variety of industries. In 2024 she was honored as a Rising Star by Law360, a highly selective award that recognizes top attorneys under the age of 40.
Karl received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law as a member of the Order of the Coif, a national honorary scholastic society, which extends invitations to the top 10% of Berkeley Law’s graduating J.D. students by grade point average. . She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles B. Burch. Karl is a Democrat.
The annual compensation for each of these positions is $244,727.
By Matt J. Malone, PIO, Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
New Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Carole Bosch.Photo source: Office of the California Governor
The Contra Costa Superior Court is pleased to announce that Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Carole Bosch as the Court’s newest judge. She took her oath on March 20, 2026, and began presiding in Department 3 on March 23, 2026.
Since 2021, Judge Bosch, of Alameda County, has served as an administrative law judge with the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board since 2021, an independent administrative judicial agency charged with resolving disputed unemployment, disability, and employment tax determinations from the Employment Development Department. She was Vice President and Training Committee Co-Chair for the Administrative Law Judge Association. Simultaneously, she taught as an adjunct professor of legal writing and research at Golden Gate University.
Before serving as administrative law judge, Judge Bosch worked as a civil trial lawyer, including as a managing attorney at Hildebrand, McLeod and Nelson from 2017 to 2021, a partner at Paul & Hanley from 2007 to 2011, and an attorney at Kazan McClain Satterley & Greenwood from 2013 to 2016, in cases involving complex product liability litigation and catastrophic injury. Bosch also worked as a Partner at Minnard Bosch from 2016 to 2017 and at Farrise Law Firm from 2012 to 2013. Early in her legal career, she was an annual attorney with the California Supreme Court in 2007and worked as a Clerk at Hersh & Hersh from 2005 to 2007.
Judge Bosch is graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of Birmingham in Great Britain. Judge Bosch fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Patricia Scanlon. Bosch is a Democrat.
The annual compensation for her position is $244,727.
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California – Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton and other District Attorneys in the State of California reached a settlement with Walgreen Co. for $6,000,000 for violations related to expired baby food, drugs, and overcharging customers.
The civil case and settlement centered on the company violating state law by charging their customers more than the lowest price posted or advertised price. The allegations that the company was in violation of these laws were based on inspections of scanners. Moreover, the civil lawsuit led to a resolution that Walgreens failed to comply with laws that prohibit the selling or offering to sell over-the-counter drugs, infant formula, and baby food products beyond the expiration date.
The court ordered Walgreen Co. to pay $5.4 million in civil penalties and $600,000 to reimburse state district attorney offices for the cost of investigations, attorneys’ fees, and other costs associated with enforcement. Contra Costa County will receive $612,000 of the civil settlement and $10,000 to cover the costs.
Walgreen Co. will also implement a three-year program to promote pricing accuracy and the removal of expired products from its store shelves. This program requires store managers to conduct monthly checks of all aisles and shelves of medication, baby food, and formula, and remove any expired items. Managers must also conduct weekly store walks and remove signage displaying inaccurate sales tag information and post signs informing customers of Walgreens’ Price Promise Guarantee. The Price Promise Guarantee means that if a customer notices a scanned price is higher than the advertised price, the customer will be charged the lower price.
District Attorney Diana Becton said, “Customers should have confidence that companies that sell food and formula to infants and children are doing so by being scrupulous about the safety of the products in their stores. The same goes for medications that are sold beyond their expiration dates. The work of my office and those of other district attorney offices in the state shows that when we work together to enforce laws, we not only ensure compliance – we’re also restoring trust and safety in our communities.”
Case No. 1-13-CV-239110 | The People of the State of California v. Walgreen Co., an Illinois Corporation
Proposed Plan for housing, transportation, the economy and environment in the nine counties will go to committee for review on Friday, March 13
Offers strategies, investments and outcomes for Contra Costa County
By John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications & Leslie Lara-Enríquez Assistant Director, Public Engagement, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Plan Bay Area 2050+ is the latest long-range plan to guide growth and investment across the region’s nine counties and 101 cities. The plan seeks to advance an integrated vision for a Bay Area that is affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant for all by 2050. It focuses on the four areas of housing, transportation, the economy and environment.
The Contra Costa Centre Transit Village. Photo credit: Karl Nielsen
The plan and its related reports will be presented for review and consideration at a joint meeting of the MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee on Friday, March 13, before the documents are referred to their respective approving bodies. The ABAG Executive Board will consider certification of the Final EIR and adoption of the final plan at its March 19 meeting. At its March 25 meeting, MTC will consider certifying the Final EIR and adopting the final plan, as well as adopting the accompanying Air Quality Conformity Analysis and an amendment to the 2025 Transportation Improvement Program.
The release of the proposed final Plan Bay Area 2050+ follows a 59-day public comment period for the Draft Plan and the Draft EIR that closed on December 18, 2025. The proposed final plan and Final EIR have been updated to reflect feedback received during the public comment period.
The map above shows Contra Costa County’s Growth Geographies, which are areas identified in Plan Bay Area 2050+ to help guide future housing and job growth. These areas are designated by local jurisdictions or based on their proximity to transit and access to opportunity. Source: MTG/ABAG
The Plan includes Partner Resources: Regional Tools for Local Action that local jurisdictions and partner agencies can use to develop plans, seek funding and take action to make a better Bay Area. It offers a fact sheet for each county, including Contra Costa, which spotlights strategies, investments and outcomes.
Plan Bay Area 2050+ is the latest long-range regional plan for the nine-county Bay Area. The plan lays out a series of funding and policy strategies that can create a more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant future for all Bay Area residents in 2050. Unique to this plan cycle is the parallel Transit 2050+ planning effort, which culminated in the first-of-its-kind plan to re-envision the future of Bay Area public transit, in partnership with transit agencies across the region.
Include Assessor, Auditor-Controller and County Superintendent of Schools
By Allen D. Payton
Because the incumbent didn’t file to run for re-election in the June 2nd primary by Friday, March 6, the filing period has been extended five business days in three county-wide offices.
According to the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s Office Elections Division the deadline for filing nomination documents has been extended (to non-incumbents only) to March 11, 2026, for the following County offices: Assessor, Auditor-Controller and County Superintendent of Schools.
Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer in 2022. Source: Contra Costa County
Announces retirement after 40 years in public office effective Dec. 2026 at end of current term
Supports Assistant County Assessor Vince Robb as his replacement
ByRobin Cantu, Assessor’s Customer Services Coordinator, Contra Costa County Assessor’s Office
On Friday, March 6, 2026, Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer announced he would not run for re-election to a ninth term. He first served in public office as the Martinez City Clerk when he was elected in 1986.
The announcement reads, he “will retire from his position as County Assessor in December 2026, concluding more than three decades of dedicated public service to the residents of Contra Costa County
“First elected in 1994, Kramer has been entrusted by the voters of Contra Costa County for eight consecutive terms over the past 32 years. During that time, he has overseen significant modernization and improvements within the Assessor’s Office, working to ensure that property assessments are conducted with fairness, transparency, and efficiency.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Contra Costa County,” said Kramer. “I am deeply grateful to the voters who placed their trust in me eight times over the past three decades. Their confidence and support have meant a great deal to me throughout my career.”
Kramer also emphasized the contributions of several key members of his leadership team who have played an essential role in strengthening the office’s service to the public. He expressed special appreciation to Vince Robb, Assistant County Assessor; Peter Yu, Assistant County Assessor; and Robin Cantu, Assessor’s Customer Services Coordinator, for their outstanding dedication and leadership.
“Vince Robb and Peter Yu have been exceptional partners in managing the complex responsibilities of the Assessor’s Office, bringing professionalism, expertise, and a strong commitment to public service every day,” Kramer said. “Robin Cantu has also been instrumental in ensuring that our office maintains a high level of responsiveness and service for the public.”
Kramer noted that their leadership—along with the dedication of the entire Assessor’s Office staff—has helped bring the efficiency, professionalism, and public service of the office to an all-time high level.
“I want to thank every member of the Assessor’s Office, past and present, who has worked so hard to serve the residents of Contra Costa County,” Kramer added. “Together we have worked to make the business of property value assessment as simple, transparent, and accessible as possible for the public.”
As he prepares for retirement, Kramer said he is proud of what the office has accomplished and grateful for the opportunity to serve the community.
“Public service has been a privilege, and I will always be thankful for the trust placed in me by the people of Contra Costa County,” Kramer said.
Supports Assistant County Assessor Vince Robb
Asked on Friday if he had groomed someone to take his place, Kramer said, “The Assistant County Assessor, Vince Robb, in my office is a good choice. The other two have never appraised a single property. Nobody has experience or credentials like Vince. He has 20 years’ experience in the Assessor’s Office.”
He was referring to Nick Spinner, whose ballot designation is Senior Systems Engineer in the Contra Costa Elections Division list of candidates for the June 2nd primary election, and Kismat Kathrani, whose designation is Software Technology Entrepreneur.
About Kramer
In the bio on his campaign website which is still up as of Saturday, March 7th, Kramer wrote, “I was born in Contra Costa and raised in East County. My high school was Pacifica High in West Pittsburg (Go Spartans!) and I graduated in 1968. Back then the area was called West Pittsburg, but now it is called Bay Point. It was a small high school but we played hard in local sports and competed well against larger central county schools. It closed in 1976 and is now Riverview Middle School on Pacifica Ave. Having a high school of our own, rather than sending kids to Concord or Pittsburg, was a real anchor for the community.
“After high school I attended DVC for a year, then went to mortuary school in San Francisco. Working in mortuary and funeral services is a very specific calling. It is not for everyone, but for those that answer the call it can be fulfilling. It taught me a deep respect for life, caring for the living, and humbleness in the face of the awesome hereafter. Working as an embalmer introduced me to the CC Coroner’s office, and I worked there for several years. It might be how I keep my sense of humor when things are gloomy. I continued my education at USF studying public administration at night, while I worked for the county. This began my career in public service.
“I settled and raised my family in Martinez, the County Seat of Contra Costa. the adopted home town of environmentalist John Muir and the birthplace of baseball hero Joe DiMaggio. I still live there today.
“Bitten is a strong word for it, so maybe I was nipped by the political bug in the mid-80s in Martinez. I wanted to be involved in my community, give back, and continue to serve. I ran for City Clerk and won. As clerk I was not voting on issues like the city council, but I was part of the process and aware of the machinations of local government. As city clerk I donated my monthly salary to provide scholarships to local students. Education helped my rise up and build a foundation, and I wanted to give back to the community rather than take from it.”
Official County Bio
According to his official 2022 bio on the Contra Costa County website, “Gus grew up in Bay Point, California, and is a graduate of the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science and the University of San Francisco.
His public career in Contra Costa County began in 1974. Kramer embarked on his tenure with the County at the Contra Costa County Sheriff Coroner’s Office, later moving to the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and finally to the Contra Costa County Public Works Department until 1994 when he was elected to the position of County Assessor. In addition to his service to Contra Costa County and its residents, Kramer was also elected to the position of Martinez City Clerk in 1986.
“As County Assessor, Kramer has overseen remarkable improvements to streamline the operations of his office, eliminate backlogs, and achieve higher levels of public service, all while operating substantially under budget.
“The State Board of Equalization acknowledged his office as one of the best managed assessor’s operations in California. Gus Kramer is a member of the California Assessors’ Association and the International Right of Way Association and has more than 43 years as a licensed real estate salesperson.”
He now has 47 years as a licensed real estate agent, Kramer said.
During his work for the County Public Works Department real estate division he shared, “I valued commercial and residential real estate to be purchased for public works projects.”
Future Plans
Asked what his plans are for the future, Kramer exclaimed with a laugh, “I gotta find something to do!”
Seriously, he said he will find something where he can apply his skills, knowledge and experience, probably in real estate.
A handwritten sign in the window shows the Hidden Dragon Chinese restaurant on Lone Tree Way in Antioch is “no longer open for business.” Photos by Allen D. Payton
By Allen D. Payton
According to the Contra Costa Health Department’s Environmental Health Division, Hidden Dragon Chinese restaurant in Antioch was shut down last April for violations including insects, rodents referred to as rats and mice, birds or animals present. It was shut down again on Dec. 9th for some of the same problems. Both times the owners were instructed to, “Cease and Desist all food activities.”
Located at 4106 Lone Tree Way in the same shopping center at Dallas Ranch Road as the former Rite Aid and now closed Sherwin-Williams Paint Store, the restaurant reopened Dec. 12th following a re-inspection. Then, the owners voluntarily and permanently closed the restaurant in January. An Environmental Health inspector did not learn of that until attempting a re-inspection, yesterday, Monday, March 2, 2026.
The Food Facility Routine Inspection Report dated April 23, 2025, showed a Minor Violation for not having “6. Adequate hand-washing facilities: supplied and accessible. Minor Observations: A) Soap dispenser in employee restroom observed inoperative. B) No paper towels in wall-mounted dispenser in employee restroom. – Ensure all handwashing stations are accessible and stocked with soap and paper towels in mounted dispensers at all times. Corrective Action: Adequate facilities shall be provided for hand washing with soap & towels or drying device provided in dispensers; dispensers shall be maintained in good repair (113953, 113953.1, 113953.2).”
The Major Violation was listed as “22. No insects, rodents, birds or animals present.”
Source: Contra Costa Health Department Environmental Health Division
13. Food in good condition, safe and unadulterated Corrected On Site
Observations: Observed 1 bag of adulterated walnuts (rodent chew marks on bag) on shelf in dry-storage room.
– Discard all adulterated food products.
– Inspect facility for adulterated food (e.g. with rodent chew marks) and immediately discard.
– Protect food from contamination.
*Corrected on site: Operator discarded adulterated bag of walnuts.
Corrective Action: Any food is adulterated if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it impure or injurious to health (113967, 113976, 113980, 113988, 113990, 114035, 114254.3).
22. No insects, rodents, birds or animals present
In addition, the report included details of the violations, including:
“A) Observed 1 dead rat on glue board on floor underneath shelving in dry storage area.
B) Observed 1 dead rat on glue board on floor underneath wooden cabinet behind front counter.
C) Observed 5 german cockroaches, and rodent fir on glue board placed on bottom shelf of prep table at cook line.
D) Observed 2 baited (and set off) wooden rat snap traps on drain board near high-temperature dish machine.
E) Observed rodent fur on wire shelving in dry-storage room.
F) Observed rat droppings”
The restaurant was again instructed to, “Cease and Desist all food activities.
– Remove dead rodents, dead cockroaches, and all rodent droppings from facility.
– Thoroughly clean and sanitize all affected areas (including but not limited to floors, shelves, dishes).
– Remove glue boards and snap traps from shelving and from dish-machine drain board. Do NOT place snap traps and glue boards on shelving or on drainboard for dishes.
– Obtain professional pest-control service. Email pest-control report to Daniel.Chavez@cchealth.org. Maintain copies of pest-control reports on site, available for review during inspections.”
County Health Staff Provide Details
When asked about the closure, Karl Fischer, Communications Coordinator for Contra Costa Health asked if there was a red placard in the window. When informed there was just a handwritten sign he said, “It sounds like they might have closed themselves. When we shut down a restaurant, we usually require them to post a red placard in the window.”
“Restaurants are required to close down if they don’t have water or if they have insects,” Fischer continued. “They might be shutting down because they know they have a problem and shouldn’t be serving food, right now.”
Contra Costa County uses a color-coded Placard Program for Permanent and Mobile Retail Food Facilities to publicly report the results of food safety inspections, which includes green, yellow and red placards. Colors are determined based upon inspection findings with green meaning Pass, yellow meaning Conditional Pass and Red meaning Closed. A white placard stands for Placard Pending.
“As soon as they take care of it, they’re back in business. After a day or two, they’ll call us for a reinspection,” he added.
When informed of the report in April 2025 Fischer said, “The restaurant also got shut down on Dec. 9th for rodents.”
According to Kristian Lucas, the County’s Director of Environmental Health, “We regularly encourage all food facilities to self-close when there are any major issues that may affect public health and their food service as a result. Therefore, it may very well be that this facility chose to close on their own volition if Env Health did not officially close the facility.”
In an email, Tim Kraus, Supervising Environmental Health Specialist for Contra Costa Health then shared, “We did not close them permanently. It appears Inspector Daniel Chavez attempted an inspection yesterday and found the same sign mentioned below. His report indicates he communicated with the former owner via text message, who indicated they closed permanently in January of their own volition. I’ve attached a copy of the report from yesterday since it doesn’t appear to have worked its way through to the website yet. I’ve also attached the 12/9 routine inspection that resulted in a closure and the 12/12 reinspection where they were re-opened.”
“The last activity prior to yesterday’s inspection attempt that I see in our system was the re-opening inspection on 12/12/25,” he added.
The restaurant was incorporated as Sweet Rice Union, LLC. But the owners’ names are not listed on the Bizapedia page.
