The city’s second and third murders of the year; police seek the boy’s father as suspect

By Strategic Communications Officer Darryl Saffold, Antioch Police Department

On Saturday, January 29, 2022, at approximately 8:18 PM, Antioch Police Department Dispatch received a request for a welfare check on the 2100 block of Lemontree Way. A concerned citizen had not seen or heard from their neighbor in several days and was worried about them.

At approximately 8:21 PM, Antioch Officers arrived in the area and looked through a window to the apartment, when there was no answer at the front door. Upon looking through the window, Officers could see a Black 15-year-old juvenile unresponsive on the floor.

Due to the concern for life, Officers forced entry into the apartment and found the juvenile was deceased. Worried for any other occupants inside the apartment, Officers searched for other people and located a 30-year-old Black female deceased in an upstairs room. Both victims suffered from obvious trauma and this incident was determined to be a homicide.

Antioch Investigators and Crime Scene Investigations Unit responded to the scene and were able to develop suspect information, which was broadcast to other police agencies throughout the Bay Area. An alert Redwood City officer located the suspect at a train station in Redwood City and took him into custody.

It was determined through this investigation that the 34-year-old Black male suspect was in a relationship with the 30-year-old female and the 15-year-old male was the suspect’s biological son.

No other information is being released at this time including the names of the victims or suspect.

Heartbreaking incidents like this can have a profound effect on our community. The Antioch Police Department would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of this unspeakable tragedy.

Additional inquiries or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Whitaker at (925) 779-6890 or by emailing wwhitaker@antiochca.gov. Anonymous tips or information about this – or any other incident – can be sent via text to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword ANTIOCH.

150 years since Antioch became Contra Costa’s first city in 1872

First of yearlong calendar of events

Read about the City of Antioch incorporation history 

By Allen D. Payton

On February 6, 1872, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors were petitioned by the town of Antioch for incorporation. Antioch was granted incorporation “for police purposes, and other purposes” and became the first city in the county. Next Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, will be the 150th anniversary or sesquicentennial of that event. To celebrate, City leaders and the Celebrate Antioch Foundation will hold a ceremony to acknowledge Antioch’s incorporation date, Contra Costa County’s original city and one of the oldest cities in California, at the Birthplace of Antioch monument at the foot of F Street. A proclamation will be read, and a rededication held, followed by light snacks and drinks at the Antioch Senior Center.

Antioch’s Incorporation Day event will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and is the first of many events, this year to celebrate the City of Antioch Sesquicentennial.

City of Antioch Incorporation History

According to the book entitled, Antioch To The Twenties by Elise S. Benyo and published by the Antioch Unified School District, “the petition for the incorporation of the town of Antioch” submitted to the Board of Supervisors included the names of 101 electors. The document and the names read as follows:

“We, the undersigned (being a majority of the Town of Antioch, and qualified electors and residents thereof for more than thirty days last past, the said town containing more than two hundred inhabitants,) do now most respectfully petition Your Honorable Body to incorporate the said town, under the name of Antioch, the same being about one mile in width by about three miles in length (but not exceeding the same), and situated on the San Joaquin River, adjoining the New York grant in this county, as per plate or map hereto attached; said town to be incorporated for police purposes, and other purposes. Pursuant to the statutes of this State. And your petitioners will ever pray, etc.

Donlon, S. Franklin Pitts, Henry N. Baker, Joseph Galloway, J. T. Cossan, Charles Peers, M. A. Morrisey, Van W. Phillips, Ferdinand Stain, Cyrus Cheney, Joseph Ott, W. A. Brunkhorst, William Jones, Robert West, George P. Rockford, Oliver Wolcott, F. Wilkening, George Thyarks, H. Gardner, James Martin, James Conroy, M. S. Levy, G. B. Robbins, George Gruenwald, W. Rountree, William C Johnson, Albert Brinck, J. C. McMaster, James Ewing, G. W. Kimball, Charles Kohn, Frederick Vollmer, T. N. Willis, J. J. McNulty, I. Lobree, D. Mayon, H. W. Fassett, Charles Wein, H. H. Dearien, George Miller, D. McCartney, D. N. Cleaves, G. S. Carman, Joseph Scheirwelup, J. E. Bollinger, R. B. Hard, J. R. Howard, R. J. Wally, Stephen Jessup, H. Rietoro , R. G. Houston, Francis Williams, Oscar M. Jessup, James T. Cushing, Abraham Low, H. L. Farland, John W. Strickler, Stephen Abbott, P. Griffin, George Perry, Job E. Warren, J. H. Lewis, S. S. Pitts, T. O. Carter, A. Brown, J. Nicholson, Jay Tuttle, S. T. Page, M. H. Jacobs, George McCoy, H. W. Brewer, T. Aug. Heinoch, J. A. Chittenden, Joseph L. Smith, John B. Turner, George W. Brown, R. R. Fuller, Thomas Martin, A. M. Marble,  Peter Donlon, R. Taylor, H. B. Reed, Christian Humble, S. B. Joslin, J. P. Abbott, Frank McFarlane, Warren Abbott, Joseph Baules, H. A. Foster, M. Homburg, James Gard, P. McDermott, J. Strickfield, John Tappeinen, H. Williamson, G. E. Wright H. Seers, Joseph P. Barron.”

Official Notice of Incorporation, Town Limits

The official notice of incorporation was published in The Antioch Ledger on Saturday, February 10, 1872, and described the city limits.

“It is therefore ordered that said town be, and the same is hereby declared Incorporated, and to be known by the name of Antioch, the corporate limits of said town to be as follows: Commencing at a point on the bank of the San Joaquin river, at the intersection of the line dividing Sections 14 and 15, Township 2 north, Range 1 east, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, running thence from said point south on the said dividing line between Section 14 and 15, 22 and 23, one and one half miles to the South west corner of the North west quarter of Section 23, thence running East thee miles, to the South east corner of the North east quarter of Section 19, Township 2 north, Range 2 east, thence north, to the San Joaquin river, thence along the line of the ordinary high tides on the South bank of the San Joaquin river in a westerly direction to the point of beginning, and containing three square miles.” (Antioch is now almost 30 square miles).

First Board of Trustees (City Council) and Meeting Place

An election was held on February 24, 1872, held at the National Hall, on Main Street (now, I Street), according to a notice published in The Antioch Ledger, to elect the five members of the first Board of Trustees, Treasurer, Assessor and Marshal. Roswell Butler Hard, T. N. Willis, James Ewing, J. C. McMaster and George Gruenwald were elected as trustees. M.S. Levy was elected the city’s first clerk.

Hard’s home on Front (now First) Street, which is still standing, today, served as the meeting place of the first board of trustees of the newly incorporated City of Antioch on March 2, 1872. At the meeting, Hard was elected president (mayor).

According to the book entitled, Images of America – Antioch by the Antioch Historical Society, the mayor was “an influential businessman in Antioch. Hard owned six lots and built his large, two-story brick house on Front (First) Street” on one of the lots. “It was considered one of the handsomest and most costly houses in the county.” In addition, “the Hard House was the first building in the city to be recorded on the National Registry of Historic Places.”

Hard had held public office, previously as the elected County Supervisor in 1866 and 1868 and County Sheriff in 1867 and 1869. He held both jobs concurrently.

First Ordinance Prevented Livestock to “Run at Large”

On March 14, of the same year the By-laws were passed. Ordinance No. 1 prohibited owners of (live)stock to suffer (allow) the same to run at large within the limit of the town. An ordinance was passed regulating the use of firearms. A motion was passed to have Mr. Hard to furnish and repair the town prison.

Disincorporated and Incorporated Again

One interesting historical fact is, according to the book entitled, History of Contra Costa County California, Antioch “was first incorporated in 1872. Later it was disincorporated, but was again incorporated in 1890.

Special thanks to Jacquelyn Higgins, Adult/Teen Services Librarian of the Antioch Community Library for her research assistance for this article.

 

Fliers posted throughout community

By Oakley Police Department

The Oakley Police Department received a call of a missing person, under suspicious circumstances, on January 27, 2022. The missing person is identified as Alexis Gabe, 24, of Oakley. She was last seen on Benttree Way in Antioch.

Gabe is described as an Asian female, 5’7”, 170 pounds and last known to be wearing a white tank top, silver/black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and green/white shoes.

Oakley Police patrol personnel and detectives began immediate efforts to locate Gabe. The Oakley Police Department has been in contact with Gabe’s family and have spoken to key people who were last known to be with her. The efforts to locate Gabe are continuing as detectives analyze evidence and patrol personnel continue to field tips and conduct physical searches for Gabe.

Fliers of Gabe have been posted throughout East County over the past two days.

Please report any credible sightings of Gabe, or any information that will lead to her discovery by calling the Oakley Police Department at 925-625-8060.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Approaching critical phase – but few people seem interested, participating

The BART redistricting process is reaching a critical phase, with just one more virtual meeting for public outreach, scheduled for 6 pm on Wednesday, February 2nd. Few people seem interested in participating in the process in spite of the significant impact redistricting has on who will run for office and be elected over the next 10 years. Only two people offered public comments at the last BART meeting on redistricting, including the publisher of the Herald, Allen Payton.

Join the virtual meeting on 2/2/22 at 6pm on Zoom:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82168419186
Webinar ID: 821 6841 9186

Or Telephone US: +1 669 900 6833  (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499

BART election districts are redrawn every 10 years following the U.S. Census. The primary purpose of redistricting is to ensure population equality among districts.

Once the public outreach has concluded, the BART Board of Directors will continue to discuss the process and advance the work at upcoming Board meetings, including a special meeting of the Board of Directors. Meetings and agendas will be announced in advance. Sign up for Board meeting notices here.

BART has provided the following draft maps and census population and race/ethnicity data:

BART Board Districts Map Plan A

BART Board Districts Map Plan B

BART Board Districts Map Plan C

Census population and race/ethnicity data by District (Current, Plan A, Plan B, Plan C)

BART has rolled out mapping tools to enable public input for redistricting.

BART interactive mapping tool for redistricting: This tool gives residents the ability to create and share a Community of Interest and/or draft Board Member districts. Map submissions will appear in the gallery on the main landing page, enabling residents to view public input for redistricting.

BART Districts and Demographic Data: This web mapping tool is for visualizing BART districts and demographic data.
In addition to the interactive mapping tool, BART is providing a Community Input Map to allow residents to identify and provide supplemental information regarding their Community of Interest. This feature can be used on a mobile device and is offered in English and Spanish (Español), providing residents with an app that can be used to submit community information in their language of choice.

Community Input Map: English

Community Input Map: Spanish

Learn more about BART Redistricting at bart.gov/redistricting.

This process is guided by traditional redistricting principles as well as the U.S. Constitution, the California Constitution, the federal Voting Rights Act, the BART District Act, and the Fair and Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions (FAIR MAPS) Act.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Daniel Borsuk

A housing boom in the single family and multi-family residential construction sectors will jump start Contra Costa County’s economy in the post-COVID 19 era, economist Dr. Christopher Thornberg told the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors during their retreat on Tuesday.

“Housing, housing, housing is the wave of the future for Contra Costa County,” Dr. Thornberg of Beacon Economics said during a two-hour remote presentation entitled “The Post-Covid New World Order: It’s a seller’s market for now.”

In 2021, Contra Costa County outpaced other Bay Area counties especially San Francisco and Alameda counties in issuing single family and multi-family residential permits, the economist said.  Housing construction serves as an economic sparkplug for the local economy – stores and services, especially public schools.

From this increased economic activity, the county will draw increased sales tax revenue particularly from the newly voter approved Measure X sales tax measure.  County officials estimate Measure X will pump in $170 million of additional revenue for county health and social programs for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Contra Costa County had issued 1,687 permits in 2021 for single family residential units, an increase of 466 permits from 2019 and 1,336 permits for multi-family residential units, an increase of 580 units from 2019, based on statistics that Dr. Thornberg showed.

In the meantime, San Francisco City and County issued only 86 single-family housing permits in 2021, an increase of only nine permits from 2020, and 2,075 multi-family residential unit permits in 2021, a decrease of 552 permits, from 2020.

Residential construction in Alameda County was down in both categories. Single family was declined 41 permits with 1,241 permits issued overall in 2021.  Multi-family residential construction was also down 126 units to 2,953 units multi-family residential unit permits overall.

“Offices are going to take a beating in the suburbs,” the economist forecast. More people are working from home, and it appears this remote trend is here to stay for a while, he said.

In San Francisco’s Financial District, where it is nearly deserted because of the pandemic, there are office buildings that are practically empty of workers, Thornberg said.  He said it would be very costly to convert unused office buildings into residential buildings in the city.

79.8 Percent Fully Vaccinated 

Meanwhile, Contra Costa County Health Services Director Anna Roth reported that 79.8 percent of the county’s population is fully vaccinated.

“Mask-wearing has become a priority and wearing cloth masks are not that protective,” said Roth

Even then there has been a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the county Deputy Health Officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli said with 281 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or the Omicron variant.

Supervisors also learned the county on average administers 12,000 COVID-19 tests daily.

Nino Recommends Postponing $59 Million of American Rescue Plan Funds

Supervisors also, on the recommendation of County Administrator Monica Nino, voted 5-0 to postpone the acceptance of $59 million of the second-year allocation of American Rescue Plan funds “until the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and related impacts on Contra Costa County is better understood in January 2023,” she stated.

In the meantime, some $53 million in year two American Rescue Plan funds be accept by the county.

Nino had cited bureaucratic red-tape issues both at the state and federal levels for temporarily halting portions of the federal funds used for rental assistance, employment assistance and other federal government subsidy programs developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

One suspect named Sir Stephen Forbes demonstrates lack of nobility concealing weapon; another suspect had multiple warrants

By Darryl Saffold, Strategic Communications Officer, Antioch Police Department

Last night, while everyone was hopefully sleeping 🛌, our Blue Swings crew was out searching for things that go bump in the night. On three separate stops, by three separate officers, four illegal handguns were recovered.

There are no code reds 🚨 in Antioch, meaning we will be proactive in making sure our streets and citizens are safe! Thankfully we have a few good men and women who make it so we can all rest a little easier.

DATE: 1/27/22  TIME: 6:06 PM

LOCATION: Peppertree Way at Sycamore Drive

Officer Nutt conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle being driven by Sir Stephen Forbes (22 years old). A probable cause search was conducted, and a loaded firearm was located inside a fanny pack belonging to Sir Stephen. The gun was registered to Sir Stephen but he was illegally concealing the firearm and did not have a concealed carry permit. Sir Stephen was subsequently cited and released from the scene for the MISD weapons possession.

DATE: 1/27/22  TIME: 10:38  PM

LOCATION: G Street at W. 13th Street

Officer Miller conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle being driven by Taylor Michelson (30 years old). A records check showed Michelson to have multiple warrants for his arrest. Michelson was taken into custody without incident and a subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a loaded Glock pistol. Michelson was transported to MDF.

Two other illegal firearms were recovered last night through police efforts. No additional details will be provided to protect identities of parties involved.

American tech workers not happy, say policy change “destroys the career prospects of young American graduates”

By Allen D. Payton

President Biden and Vice President Harris issued a statement on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, announcing actions and policy changes their administration is taking to make it easier to attract foreign scholars, students, researchers, and experts to ultimately fill American technology jobs. In addition, on Tuesday, Biden issued a statement announcing his support for the America COMPETES Act of 2022 (H.R. 3593).

In addition, according to an announcement issued today by the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor, tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 28, the Biden administration will make 20,000 additional temporary nonfarm, H2-B work visas available for hiring through March, delivering on a demand from business groups.

“The supplemental H-2B visa allocation consists of 13,500 visas available to returning workers who received an H-2B visa, or were otherwise granted H-2B status, during one of the last three fiscal years. The remaining 6,500 visas, which are exempt from the returning worker requirement, are reserved for nationals of Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras,” the joint statement reads. “The H-2B program permits employers to temporarily hire noncitizens to perform nonagricultural labor or services in the United States.”

Also, according to a Bloomberg Law article, published yesterday, Democrats have included a new entrepreneur visa in a House bill.

“Nonimmigrant visas for owners and key employees of start-ups as well as their family members and other STEM-boosting measures are part of legislation introduced by Democratic House leaders this week. The Senate last year passed its own version of the legislation, which President Joe Biden’s administration has identified as a key priority,” the article reads. “The bill, which also exempts immigrants with doctorates in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields from annual green card caps, is part of a broader legislative package released Tuesday that seeks to strengthen U.S. competitiveness with China in research and development.”

American Tech Workers Not Happy

But an organization of American technology workers, U.S. Tech Workers, which describes itself as a “nonprofit representing the voices of American workers harmed by the H-1B visa program and pushing Congress for reforms to protect workers”, are not happy with the Administration’s policies nor the Democrats’ legislation.

In a post on the group’s Twitter feed on Monday, Jan. 24, they wrote, “employers lobbied the US government for the ability to hire foreign workers via guest worker visa programs so they could rig the free-market in their favor.”

The group is also opposed to the changes in the H-2B visa and OPT programs. They said the changes will encourage companies to discriminate against American job applicants.

“This is exactly the kind of policy that destroys the career prospects of young American graduates,” the group posted on their Twitter feed. “USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) is incentivizing employers to discriminate against US grads because the OPT program provides employers who hire foreign students: – FICA tax exemptions – No wage standards.”

An article on the group’s website written by Joe Guzzardi, a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist who writes about immigration issues, and joined Progressives for Immigration Reform in 2018, reads, “STEM OPT’s expansion…is significant since the thousands of new foreign-born workers entering the labor pool will adversely affect employed U.S. tech workers or recent U.S. STEM graduates whose prospective careers could be jeopardized.”

In addition, the U.S. Tech Workers tweeted, “Exempting a certain category of foreign workers counting towards numerical Green Card caps is a deceptive & crafty tactic of INCREASING overall immigration numbers. It basically means there’s an unlimited supply of GCs for PhDs & their family (spouse/kids).”

In another tweet about Biden’s statement on the America COMPETES ACT of 2022, the U.S. Tech Workers wrote, “House version of America COMPETES Act of 2022 sneakingly adds immigration provisions: – Exempts PhD foreign students & their family from counting towards Green Card cap – Creates new visas for entrepreneurs.”

According to a 2021 Bloomberg article, “Businesses that hire foreign students are exempt from paying Medicare and Social Security taxes, amounting to a discount of 7.65%.”

Biden-Harris Foreign STEM Talent Statement

The statement from the White House reads as follows:

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Actions to Attract STEM Talent and Strengthen our Economy and Competitiveness

JANUARY 21, 2022

“The Biden-Harris Administration believes that one of America’s greatest strengths is our ability to attract global talent to strengthen our economy and technological competitiveness, and benefit working people and communities all across the country.

In the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) – fields that are critical to the prosperity, security, and health of our Nation – our history is filled with examples of how America’s ability to attract global talent has spurred path-breaking innovation. This innovation has led to the creation of new jobs, new industries, and new opportunities for Americans across the United States. Our commitment as a nation to welcoming new talent has long provided America with a global competitive advantage, and we must continue to lead in this effort.

Today, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are announcing new actions to advance predictability and clarity for pathways for international STEM scholars, students, researchers, and experts to contribute to innovation and job creation efforts across America. These actions will allow international STEM talent to continue to make meaningful contributions to America’s scholarly, research and development, and innovation communities.

These announcements build on the Biden Administration’s efforts to remove barriers to legal immigration, such as under Executive Order 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, and to promote educational exchange, such as under the recent Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education issued by Secretaries Blinken and Cardona.

Today’s agency announcements include:

• The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is announcing an “Early Career STEM Research Initiative,” to facilitate non-immigrant BridgeUSA exchange visitors coming to the United States to engage in STEM research through research, training or educational exchange visitor programs with host organizations, including businesses. ECA is also announcing new guidance that will facilitate additional academic training for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields on the J-1 visa for periods of up to 36 months.

• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas is announcing that 22 new fields of study are now included in the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The program permits F-1 students earning Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorates in certain STEM fields to remain in the United States for up to 36 months to complete Optional Practical Training after earning their degrees. Information on the new fields of study will be communicated to schools and students in a forthcoming Federal Register notice. The added fields of study are primarily new multidisciplinary or emerging fields, and are critical in attracting talent to support U.S. economic growth and technological competitiveness.
• DHS is issuing an update to its policy manual related to “extraordinary ability” (O-1A) nonimmigrant status regarding what evidence may satisfy the O-1A evidentiary criteria.

• O-1A nonimmigrant status is available to persons of extraordinary ability in the fields of science, business, education, or athletics. In this update, DHS is clarifying how it determines eligibility for immigrants of extraordinary abilities, such as PHD holders, in the science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields.
• The new update provides examples of evidence that may satisfy the O-1A evidentiary criteria and discusses considerations that are relevant to evaluating such evidence, with a focus on the highly technical nature of STEM fields and the complexity of the evidence often submitted.
• The update also emphasizes that, if a petitioner demonstrates that a particular criterion does not readily apply to their occupation, they may submit evidence that is of comparable significance to that criterion to establish sustained acclaim and recognition. Additionally, it provides examples of possible comparable evidence that may be submitted in support of petitions for beneficiaries working in STEM fields.
• With respect to immigration, DHS is issuing an update to its policy manual on how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a DHS component, adjudicates national interest waivers for certain immigrants with exceptional abilities in their field of work.
  • The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides that an employer can file an immigrant petition for a person of exceptional ability or a member of the professions with an advanced degree. The INA provides that USCIS may waive a job offer requirement, allowing immigrants whose work is in the national interest to petition for themselves, without an employer.
  • The USCIS policy update clarifies how the national interest waiver can be used for persons with advanced degrees in STEM fields and entrepreneurs, as well as the significance of letters from governmental and quasi-governmental entities. This update will promote efficient and effective benefit processing as USCIS reviews requests for national interest waivers. This effort is consistent with the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities to restore faith in the legal immigration system.

Biden Statement on America COMPETES Act of 2022

Following is the statement by the President Biden on the America COMPETES ACT of 2022 issued on Tuesday:

Statement by President Biden on the America COMPETES Act of 2022

JANUARY 25, 2022

The House took an important step forward today in advancing legislation that will make our supply chains stronger and reinvigorate the innovation engine of our economy to outcompete China and the rest of the world for decades to come.

The proposals laid out by the House and Senate represent the sort of transformational investments in our industrial base and research and development that helped power the United States to lead the global economy in the 20th century and expand opportunity for middle class families. They’ll help bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, and they’re squarely focused on easing the sort of supply chain bottlenecks like semiconductors that have led to higher prices for the middle class. Building on the historic investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I signed last year – and on signs of progress like last week’s Intel announcement and today’s GM announcement – comprehensive competitiveness legislation will power our economy to create good-paying jobs for all Americans, no matter where you live or whether you have a college degree, and will help tackle the climate crisis.

I’m heartened by Congress’ bipartisan work so far, and its commitment to quick action to get this to my desk as soon as possible. Together, we have an opportunity to show China and the rest of the world that the 21st century will be the American century – forged by the ingenuity and hard work of our innovators, workers, and businesses.”

All 3 gerrymandered to protect incumbents, except for one trustee; very few changes from 2019 map based on 2010 Census with 13,400 fewer residents

Board should start over and allow more public input with online mapping tool

By Allen Payton

Official Notice

Subject: Post Census Redistricting

Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022 (During the Regular Board of Education Meeting)

Time: Open Session 7:00 p.m.

Location: Deer Valley High School Theater 4700 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, CA 94531

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Governing Board of the Antioch Unified School District will hold a public hearing during its Regular Board Meeting on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, to receive community feedback regarding post census redistricting. To ensure Trustee Areas are in compliance with Education Code 5019.5, the District must review and potentially adjust its electoral map. This hearing will provide the AUSD Board of Education an opportunity to review initial draft scenarios adjusting the boundaries for trustee areas and to accept feedback from the community regarding the proposed changes. Proposed maps can be viewed at https://www.antiochschools.net/domain/3540.

Analysis

During their next regularly scheduled Antioch School Board meeting tonight, Wednesday, January 26, 2022, the Antioch School Board will consider three maps that are very similar to their current map. That’s in spite of a population growth of 13,386 in the district during the decade of 2010 to 2020. The current trustee area map was approved by the board in 2019 based on the 2010 Census. (See related article)

The three proposed maps, drawn by a consultant and labeled Scenario 1, 2 and 3, all show where the current trustees live, which is a political matter and is not a required criteria for the board to consider, based on either federal or state law. The trustee area boundary lines don’t make much sense other than protecting incumbents. The only exception is Trustee Ellie Householder who moved from the current Area 2 to Area 1, last year. The map only uses major roads as boundaries between Areas 1 and 2. For example, both Trustee Mary Rocha barely lives inside Area 5 and Trustee Clyde Lewis, Jr. barely lives inside Area 3.

Plus, the maps don’t respect communities of interest, a basic principle of redistricting, splitting the Mira Vista Hills area south of James Donlon Blvd. into Areas 2 and 4. In addition, the maps don’t primarily use major roads as dividing lines, especially between Areas 3 and 4 and between Areas 2 and 3.

Also, the current map and all three proposed maps unnecessarily have the area bounded by Lone Tree Way, Deer Valley Road and Country Hills Drive, where no one lives, included in Area 4 instead of Area 2 creating a strange shape. That area is one Census Tract and can easily be moved between trustee areas.

Trust areas are legally allowed to have a maximum population deviation from average of 5% or 10% maximum between areas. Scenario 1 has a deviation of 8.3% between trustee areas, Scenario 2 offers a deviation of 1.2% and Scenario 3 has a deviation of 4.0%.

Scrap Proposed Maps, Offer Public Online Mapping Tool

What the board should do is scrap the three proposed consultant’s maps and start over by opening the process to the public – putting we the people in charge of choosing who it is will represent us, not the other way around – and provide an online mapping tool like the Antioch City Council and other cities have done. But the board should use the same tool as on the City of Brentwood’s city council redistricting website, since it’s the easiest to use of those in the county and BART’s that I’ve tried.

What the board and council should have done is form independent citizen redistricting commissions, like both the city councils of Brentwood and Martinez have done, to truly put the process in the hands of the public and take the politics out of it. (See related article)

While the board must have a final map approved by March 1, that gives them the two meetings in February, and if necessary, they could hold a separate redistricting workshop, to consider maps drawn and submitted by the public. They need to direct their redistricting consultant to get the online mapping tool up by Friday.

We shall see if they’re interested in doing what’s best for the people they were elected to represent or what will protect their own political interests.

The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and can be viewed in-person or online at https://youtu.be/VFJxu3aBpYw. Public comments can only be made in person at the meeting by completing and submitting a speaker card.