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.
The Antioch City Council approved public financing for both the Joyfield at Lakeview Center and Buchanan Crossings apartments projects Tuesday night, April 14, 2026. Graphics source: City of Antioch
Opposes one, approves two others
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the Antioch City Council on split votes opposed public financing for one affordable apartment complex but approved it for two others. The three projects are part of the 10 Commercial Infill Housing (CIH) Overlay District parcels the council rezoned in 2022 that will allow extremely-low, very-low and low-income apartment complexes throughout the city. (See related articles here and here)
After an impassioned effort by Mayor Pro Tem and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, public financing for the Hillcrest Summit Apartments received a 2-2-1 vote with Mayor Ron Bernal and District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha voting yes, Freitas and District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson voting no, and District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker voting to abstain. That’s in spite of the fact the latter two voted for the CIH Overlay District rezoning and Bernal complained about how the four-story apartment buildings would look.
The proposed and City staff-approved Hillcrest Summit Apartments Location Map shows the buildings planned to be built immediately adjacent to the gas station and convenience store with a 24-7 car wash. Source: City of Antioch
At one point, things became contentious as Freitas responded to the project proponent, who was speaking via call-in and defending the project saying they didn’t create the zoning and were only following it, saying, “Shame on you” for designing the layout of the apartments the way they did.
The District 1 Councilwoman later explained her vote saying she abstained because she didn’t like the fact that, as Freitas pointed out, the 165 apartments are planned to be built immediately adjacent to the 76 gas station and 7-Eleven that has a 24-7 carwash on the corner of Hillcrest Avenue and E. Tregallas Road. Freitas wants the project to be redesigned with the apartments located on the other side of the 4.9-acre parcel. But due to the rezoning vote in 2022, the City Council has no say and all of the CIH projects only require staff-level, administrative approval without any public input.
The other two affordable apartment complexes also received split votes but were approved 3-2 with Freitas and Wilson voting against the public financing for both. That’s in spite of Bernal raising concerns about traffic at the Lone Tree Way, Golf Course Road and Bluerock Drive intersection. In response to City staff’s argument that the traffic levels would be the same as when the parcel was previously zoned commercial, the mayor pointed out that traffic from residential development occurs at different times than traffic from commercial development.
The 195-unit Buchanan Crossings CIH project, a multifamily rental housing project on 5.4 acres located at 3210 Buchanan Road next to the Grocery Outlet is being built by the same developer as the 233-unit Lakeview Center CIH, multifamily rental housing project. That will be located on 5.3 acres next to the CVS store on the southwest side of the aforementioned intersection. Wilson said she had received significant opposition to the project from residents.
The financing would not have been from City funds, and the Hillcrest Summit Apartments project developer can still obtain them through another local agency, like the County, according to City Attorney Lori Asuncion. But the developer’s rep for the other two projects the council approved said, if they voted against the financing it would have killed both projects. That’s due to timing on the financing and because the dirt from the Lakeview Center Apartments project will be used as fill for the Buchanan Crossings Apartments project. Yet, a majority of council members approved the public financing for both.
By Antioch Police Department & Antioch Animal Services
This week marks National Animal Care & Control Appreciation Week also known as Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week and it’s the perfect time to pause and recognize the incredible people behind the work.
Antioch Animal Services is so much more than what you see at the front counter or on social media. It’s early mornings, late nights, tough calls, compassionate decisions, and showing up every single day for both the people and animals in our community.
Our Animal Control Officers are out in the field responding to calls, ensuring public safety, helping animals in need, and stepping into situations that require not only skill but patience, empathy, and heart.
Behind the scenes, our shelter staff are doing equally important work: caring for animals, supporting adopters, reuniting lost pets with their families, and keeping operations moving forward no matter the challenges.
If you see one of our team members this week whether in the field, at the shelter, or out in the community, take a moment to say thank you. It truly means more than you know.
According to the National Animal Care & Control Association’s website, the week is “our annual effort to celebrate and promote professionalism within the Animal Care and Control field on the national stage. As with other events designed to promote specific groups, professions, and other important causes, NACA is pleased to provide all the necessary encouragement for all localities who would like to show their appreciation to all their Animal Care and Control personnel. We encourage all Animal Care and Control agencies to have a special week of their own to show off their pride and receive recognition for the important services they provide to their communities.
“This week of appreciation is designed to give recognition to the hard-working men and women of Animal Care and Control who risk their lives and devote huge amounts of personal time and resources, while they serve the public like other public safety and law enforcement agencies empowered with the same duties.
“This is the week that these hard working and dedicated Animal Care and Control employees should be honored by having the whole community say, “Thank You”, for helping when no one else could, or would even know how to.
“The final day of the week culminates with a ‘cake and punch’ appreciation party held at a large reception area for all of the Animal Care and Control agency personnel, with special emphasis placed on all the officers and their individual special talents performed throughout the previous year.”
Antioch Animal Services is located at 300 L Street next to the Antioch Police Station on the corner of W. 2nd and L Streets in historic, downtown Rivertown. For more information or to volunteer visit Animal Services | Antioch, CA.
“Hardworking Californians face a severe shortage of affordable housing options, and minimum wage workers must work an average of 88 hours per week to afford a modest one-bedroom rental at fair market rates. The HOME Act will help change that,” said Representative Garamendi.
“The Senate’s affordable housing legislation includes my HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which, for the first time since 1994, will bring this crucial program into the 21st century,” Garamendi continued. “It will provide states and local governments with the funding needed to construct and rehabilitate affordable rental housing, as well as expand homeownership opportunities for working families. I’d also like to thank Senator Masto for introducing this bill in the Senate and Representative Beatty for co-leading in the House.”
On February 9th, Garamendi voted in favor of the Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644), which passed the House with strong bipartisan support. Then, on March 12, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The bipartisan bill combines elements of both the House and Senate-passed legislation. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes 18 sections drawn from both the House and Senate bills, including Garamendi’s HOME Act.
This comprehensive housing package will take important steps to boost the nation’s housing supply, improve affordability, and increase oversight and efficiency of federal regulators and housing programs.
HOME Background
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is the largest federal affordable housing block grant and is HUD’s flagship affordable housing production program.
Since 1990, HOME has helped state and local housing agencies support a wide variety of housing needs, from financing new construction and home repairs to funding down payment and rental assistance. It also provides additional funding to housing developments financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, helping the program serve more extremely low-income people, including seniors, veterans, those experiencing homelessness, and people with disabilities.
Since 1992, the HOME program in California has:
Invested $5.27 billion into housing across the state;
Built or preserved 121,727 homes;
Given rental assistance to 43,840 families;
Supported 277,318 jobs; and
Generated $19.2 billion in local income.
The program was last re-authorized in 1994 and needs critical updates to better address today’s housing crisis. Garamendi’s HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act would reauthorize the HOME program and make several much-needed improvements. Specifically, it would:
Authorize $5 billion in HOME funding for fiscal year 2024 and boost the funding for the program by five percent annually through 2028. Garamendi’s legislation would address chronic underfunding of the affordable housing investment program, which received only $1.5 billion in 2023;
Improve HOME’s ability to provide downpayment assistance to homebuyers and home repair assistance to homeowners;
Enable HOME funds to support Community Land Trusts and other shared equity homeownership programs; and
Increase access to HOME funds for nonprofits and provide state and local governments loan guarantee options that would allow them to leverage their future HOME funds for investments today.
Representative Garamendi has spent his entire career advocating for affordable housing, robust homeowner protections, and rental assistance programs. As California’s first-ever elected Insurance Commissioner, Garamendi successfully implemented Proposition 103, which reformed the homeowner insurance industry and lowered homeownership insurance rates.
In 2023, Garamendi and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) led members of California’s congressional delegation in sending a letter to California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara urging him to use his power under state law to protect homeowners in the face of an insurance crisis. During his congressional tenure, Garamendi worked with Habitat for Humanity to establish a financing mechanism that utilized existing funding to build new veteran housing units.
The Office of Congressman John Garamendi has also worked with local partners to increase access and support the development of affordable housing projects throughout California’s 8th Congressional District including: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, East Bay Housing Organizations, Tiny Village Spirit, Eden Housing, Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition (MFAC), Hope Solutions, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa, Crankstart Foundation, and the California Association of Housing Authorities.
The bill is endorsed by: Hercules Vice Mayor Alexander Walker-Griffin, Hercules Council Member Dilli Bhattarai, Richmond City Council Member Cesar Zapeda, National Council of State Housing Agencies, Institute of Real Estate Management, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, National Association of Realtors, Enterprise Community Partners, National Apartment Association, National Multifamily Housing Council, National NeighborWorks Association, National Community Development Association, National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations, National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies, Council of State Community Development Agencies, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Grounded Solutions Network, and Habitat for Humanity.
Garamendi represents California’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives which includes the northern and western portions of Contra Costa County and a majority of Solano County.
Will discuss oversight of Special Education funding
“…we need to ensure everyone, including presenters, can attend.” – Trustee Dee Brown
By Allen D. Payton
Facing a $32 million deficit, the Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a Budget Study Session during a special afternoon meeting on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
According to the agenda, “The purpose of the Budget Study Session is to strengthen Board–District oversight of Special Education funding by examining spending practices, ensuring alignment and compliance, discussing reductions, and identifying opportunities for improved monitoring, transparency, and accountability.”
However, there are no attachments to the agenda, including no staff presentation for the board members to study or discuss. They do have presentations from their Feb. 11th and March 11th meetings.
Questions for Board
Board President Jag Lathan and the other four members were asked why they are holding the Budget Study Session this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. when most residents they represent can’t attend and provide input especially when the District is facing a $32 million deficit and so many budget cuts are proposed.
They were also asked why not have it after the Closed Session at 5:30 p.m. and why have it on a Thursday instead of on a Wednesday night like when their regular meetings are held.
Lathan, who is also running for County Superintendent of Education, has an auto response from her official District email which reads, “Thank you for your message. Your experience and input are invaluable in helping us reach our goals. Due to the high volume of emails, I may not be able to respond to each one. However, I make every effort to read all messages and respond when possible.”
But neither she nor three of the other school board members responded on the record.
4/9/26 UPDATE: However, in a post on her official Facebook page and a message to the Herald, only Trustee Dee Brown responded. She wrote, “Hello AUSD community. There have been several messages asking why today’s meeting was scheduled for 4:00 pm.
When planning a meeting, we need to ensure everyone, including presenters, can attend. This day and time is best for everyone who will be a part of the meeting.
Understanding the time is not ideal, which is why those who would like to go back and watch the replay to take notes will have the opportunity to do so and can forward any questions over to us. I know this is probably not the best response for our community, but it is an honest response.”
A Budget Collaborative, consisting of principals, teachers, classified employees, parents and district staff leadership, will be meeting again on April 13th and 22nd.
At 5:30 p.m., the Board will adjourn to Closed Session for labor negotiations with four employee organizations. They include the Antioch Education Association made up of the District’s teachers, California School Employees Association, Chapter 85, also known as Classified staff; Antioch Management Association and Senior Management.
The Agency Negotiator will be Associate Superintendent Dr. Camille Johnson for the first two employee organizations, Superintendent Dr. Darnise Williams for the third, and Williams and Legal Counsel Scott Holbrook for the fourth negotiation.
The meeting will be held in the District Office Board Room at 510 G Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. It can also be viewed live on the District’s YouTube channel.
BART is accepting applications for four volunteer position(s) on the BART Police Civilian Review Board (BPCRB) from Thursday, March 12, 2026 through Friday, June 12, 2026.
The BPCRB is comprised of 11 members and residents of the following counties: Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo or San Francisco. The Appointments will be made by President Melissa Hernandez, District 5; and Director Janice Li, District 8. The full BART Board of Directors will appoint the vacant Public-at-Large seat.
Members of the BPCRB work to increase the public’s confidence in BART’s Policing services by:
Reviewing, recommending and monitoring the implementation of changes to police policies, procedures, and practices
Receiving citizen allegations of on-duty police misconduct
Advising Board of Directors, General Manager, Independent Police Auditor, and Police Chief
Participating in recommending appropriate disciplinary action
Meeting periodically with representatives of the BART Police associations
Participating in community outreach
Duties and Responsibilities:
Receive citizen allegations of on-duty police misconduct
Participate in recommending appropriate disciplinary action.
Advise Board of Directors, Independent Police Auditor and Police Chief
Review, recommend and monitor implementation of changes to police policies, procedures & practices.
Meet periodically with representatives of the BART Police associations
Participate in community outreach
BPCRB Member Qualifications:
Must reside within Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco or San Mateo counties
Fair minded and objective
Demonstrated commitment to community service
Not currently employed in a law enforcement capacity, either sworn or non-sworn
Not a relative of current or former BART Police Department personnel
No felony convictions
Final Filing Date – Application deadline is Thursday, June 12, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. (PST)
Please download the printable application and return the application form and relevant attachments to the BART Office of the District Secretary at:
2150 Webster Street, 10th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612
You may also submit your application using DocuSign by clicking on the following link: E-Application Please feel free to call the Office of the District Secretary at (510) 464-6083 with any questions. Learn more about the BPCRB by visiting the webpage or BPCRB Recruitment Flyer
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Fire Chief Lewis Broschard as back on an interim basis after retiring last month. Photo: Con Fire
But just temporarily
By Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media
(Martinez, CA) – The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) has reinstated Fire Chief Lewis Broschard to serve as Fire Chief on an interim basis until a permanent appointment is made.
Chief Broschard retired in March after more than 18 years of distinguished service, marked by strong leadership and a deep commitment to public safety and the residents of Contra Costa County.
During his tenure, the District achieved significant advancements, including the annexation of the East Contra Costa and Rodeo-Hercules fire districts and a service contract with the City of Pinole. He also led the expansion of firefighting resources, staffing, facilities, and emergency services, while strengthening wildfire mitigation efforts and supporting the creation of more than 40 Firewise communities.
“Chief Broschard’s return ensures experienced leadership and continuity while the District conducts a search for its next permanent Fire Chief,” said Board Chair Diane Burgis, District 3 Supervisor.
