By James Ott

This November Antioch voters may not have to bother with electing a new mayor. On Tuesday City Council voted 4 to 0 (Brian Kalinowski absent) to place a measure on the June 5 ballot that would replace the elected mayor’s position with a annual rotating mayoral seat among the council members.

Of the 482 incorporated California cities, only 149 still have a directly elected mayor. 14 cities in Contra Costa County have a rotating mayoral seat, with only Antioch, Brentwood, Richmond, Martinez, and San Ramon still directly electing their mayor. Antioch has had a directly elected mayor since 1972, but the position was rotated prior to that.

“Being the current mayor, you might think I would be against this, but I support it because it gives five different individuals the chance to share their ideas,” said Mayor Jim Davis, whose four-year-term ends this year.

The idea to switch to a rotating mayor was brought before the council at the previous council meeting by former council member Martha Parsons, who said that the change would benefit Antioch by “giving us a different vision” more often than every four years.

As far as power is concerned, the mayor has the same voting rights with other council members, is a member of the Delta Diablo Sanitation District board and represents Antioch at the annual county Mayor’s Conference. The mayor also helps the city manager prepare each council meeting agenda.

The mayor and all council members get a $450 monthly salary, but the mayor alone gets a $100 monthly travel stipend and $50 per month for communication expenses.

If a majority of Antioch voters pass the ballot measure in June, all candidates for Mayor will have to run for a council seat instead.

The council also voted to place another measure on the June ballot that would let the voters decide if the city clerk and city treasurer should become appointed by the council instead of elected. One ballot measure would have cost the city $105,000, so the council members said they felt it was a good cost savings to put both on the June ballot together as the two measures will cost an additional $10,000.

Also at the meeting:

* The city voted 4-0 to hire three full-time and up to five per diem officers to the city’s police force. According to Police Chief Allan Cantando, the per diem officers will be retired policemen who will be half the cost of community service officers for the positions because they will not receive benefits.

Cantando was quick to point out that the per diem hires will also only work about half the hours of community service officers, but he thinks they will be a big help to the police force until more money is secured for more permanent hires.

* The council voted to seek an alternate funding source for the $90,000 per year cost of watering the Lone Tree Golf Course. The course is seeing lean times due to the downturn in the economy and the building of newer golf courses in the area.

* The city reached an agreement with current computer gaming and internet access stores in town by voting to allow them to continue operations while the city implements an Urgency Zoning Ordinance to decide how to zone and manage such businesses in the future.

T’s Internet Cafe, who’s owner Tricia Simmons was present at the meeting, had previously caught the city’s attention when complaints of illegal activity were claimed against it. City staff claimed that police service calls to the area around T’s went from 137 calls from February to August 2008 to 240 calls in that same time in 2009.

The city will initiate a 45-day study to determine how to zone and regulate such businesses in the future. While the study is ongoing, no similar business will be allowed to open in Antioch.

The computer gaming and internet access stores asked for no changes to the current staff suggestions on how to move forward, except that they wish to remain open until 2 a.m. Simmons and a representative for another internet gaming store both said that they should be allowed to stay open till 2 a.m., just like other bars and restaurants in the city. The council approved the staff recommendations minus the 2 a.m. closing time.

Using Transportation Alternatives Can Help Cut Commute Costs

With gas prices continuing to rise in the Bay Area, 511 is reminding travelers about the numerous transportation options available to help cut their commute costs.

Recent surveys and news articles are reporting that Californians are paying almost $5 for a gallon of regular gas. To help alleviate the cost of driving alone, 511 encourages Bay Area commuters to consider the following:

• Join a carpool. Carpool with a co-worker or friend, or find a carpool partner using the 511 RideMatch Service and split driving costs among two or more people. This free service has helped thousands of Bay Area residents to find carpool partners.

• Start or join a vanpool. Share the cost of commuting with several others. Vanpools have 7 – 15 passengers and are ideal for those who commute more than 20 miles one way. The vanpool page at 511.org offers a list of vanpools with available seats. The 511 Team can also help you test ride a vanpool for free or start a new vanpool. For details, call 511 and say “rideshare” and request a rideshare operator who can provide more information or visit 511 Vanpool.

• Ride your bike to work. With spring approaching, consider leaving your car at home and riding your bike to work. 511’s Bicycling pages feature maps and information about bicycle parking, taking bikes on transit, finding a Bike Buddy, bicycle safety, and more.

• Ride the bus, ferry or train. You can qualify for pre-tax deductions and other incentives. Plus, the 511 Transit Trip Planner or the new 511 Transit App can help commuters find the fastest route home.

“511 offers many tools and tips to help commuters find the best travel options, including information on benefits and rewards for using alternatives to driving alone,” said Adrienne J. Tissier, chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). “Our 511 Rideshare site also features a Carpool Calculator so you can calculate your annual commute costs as a solo driver as well as the potential savings by adding riders.”

In addition to many travel-related tools and features, 511 services include carpool and vanpool formation assistance, employer consultations for the development of worksite transportation programs, and information to help commuters navigate the nine-county Bay Area. Operators are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., for assistance. For more information, call 511 or visit 511.org.

511 Rideshare maintains an expanding database exceeding 45,000 San Francisco Bay Area commuters. The 511 RideMatch Service helps Bay Area residents find carpools and vanpools, and provides online tools for commuters to earn rewards while tracking their travel patterns and reducing their CO2 emissions.

511 Rideshare provides free assistance to Bay Area companies in planning and developing customized commute programs. Its mission is to reduce traffic congestion, clean the air, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

About 511
511 is a one-stop phone and web source for up-to-the-minute Bay Area traffic, transit, rideshare and bicycling information. It’s free of charge and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from anywhere in the nine-county Bay Area. Call 511 or visit 511.org. 511 is managed by a partnership of public agencies led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Transportation.

About 511 Rideshare
511 Rideshare is a free web and phone service funded by the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. For more information, visit the Rideshare page at 511.org.

Sixteen Delta-region environmental, business, and municipal organizations have signed a letter to House Speaker John Boehner voicing strong opposition to H.R. 1837, “The San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act,” sponsored by south San Joaquin Valley Congressman Devin Nunes and scheduled to be heard by the house on February 29.

Opponents have also written to area congressional representatives Tom McClintock and Jeff Denham, both of whom support the measure.

“The environmental community, fishing groups, and the Business Industry Association of the Delta all recognize how dangerous this bill is,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. “It would strip away 150 years of water rights law and public trust protections in California.”

H.R. 1837 would relax water pumping restrictions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These restrictions have been the last line of defense for protecting water quality for Delta farming and urban users.

The bill would create a new system that would give a handful of southern San Joaquin Valley corporate farmers all the water they want at any time at the expense of Delta farmers, urban communities, and fisheries.

Co-signers of Restore the Delta’s opposition letter include the California Striped Bass Association, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, the California Delta Chambers and Visitors Bureau, the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, and the City of Stockton.

A coalition of 190 environmental, environmental justice, tribal and fishing organizations from around the state also sent comments in opposition to H.R. 1837 to Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

“It is rare for so many diverse groups to be on the same page about an issue,” said Barrigan-Parrilla. “That’s a clear indication of just how bad this bill is.”

Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) announced that he has introduced Senate Bill 1388, sponsored by AAA, to allow motorists to park at broken parking meters for the posted time limit without getting a ticket.

“When parking meters are broken or a payment center is inoperable, motorists should be allowed to park for the posted time limit without getting a ticket,” said DeSaulnier. “Motorists should not have to wonder whether it is OK to park in a particular parking space and for how long. Motorists already think that increased parking enforcement is because of tight municipal budgets. Let’s not make things worse by wrongly ticketing motorists.”

SB 1388 is sponsored by AAA (AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah and the Automobile Club of Southern California). AAA has 10 million members in California and reports that member complaints are on the rise as meter technology is changing and ticket fines are getting bigger.

“Right now, motorists don’t know what to do when they find they’ve parked at a broken meter,” said Steve Finnegan, Government Affairs Manager for the Automobile Club of Southern California. “That’s because rules change from city to city and they aren’t always posted. Senator DeSaulnier’s bill fixes this problem by simply allowing drivers to park at broken meters (up to the posted time limit) and making clear what the rules are so motorists are not unfairly ticketed.”

“We view this as a simple matter of fairness for the motoring public,” said Bob Brown, Public Affairs Director for AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah, which represents nearly 4 million members in Northern California. “Motorists should be entitled to park in open parking spaces for the allotted time period, even if the meter is broken, unless they are clearly notified otherwise that they will be subjected to a parking ticket.”

The issue of broken parking meters has arisen in other areas of the country including Detroit and Atlanta with claims of irregularities and situations where people couldn’t pay and then were ticketed. Earlier this month, WXYZ TV in Detroit reported various problems with the same kinds of electronic pay stations used throughout California. “In some cases, when people try to pay, the stations won’t accept money, either cash or credit cards. When the parking meter enforcement workers come by, they write tickets even when the pay stations aren’t working.”

“This common sense preventative measure will help assure that California drivers are not ticketed based on unfair or unknown parking rules,” said DeSaulnier. “It is a simple measure to make sure the rules are clear and drivers have notice of what they are before they get a parking ticket.”

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) is the Chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee and represents the Seventh Senate District, which includes Antioch and most of Contra Costa County.

City Council Agenda for Tuesday, February 28 at 7 p.m.

2. LONE TREE GOLF COURSE CITY COUNCIL SUB-COMMITTEE REPORT
Recommendation: 1) The Antioch Golf Corporation payment of the 2001/02 ABAG loan shall
be the top debt service priority. Review annually
2) Defer all other loan payments until after the ABAG loan payments are
current. Review annually
3) Seek an alternate funding source for the reclaimed water costs for the
course (Approx. $90,000 per year). Review annually
4) A review the golf course operational budget to be done annually by the
Ad-hoc Subcommittee, prior to approval by their Board of Directors.
5) Review “Summary” section of this report and provide direction.

3. BUDGET DISCUSSION RELATED TO POLICE DEPARTMENT STAFFING
Recommended Action: Motion to provide direction to staff

4. COMPUTER GAMING AND INTERNET ACCESS BUSINESSES
Recommendation: It is recommended that the City Council approve a:
1) Motion to read the Interim Zoning Ordinance, Urgency Ordinance, and
Regular Ordinance by title only;
2) Motion to adopt the attached Interim Urgency Zoning Ordinance
prohibiting the issuance of permits, approvals or licenses for
construction, establishment or operation of any computer gaming and
internet access business within the City of Antioch
3) Motion to adopt an Urgency Ordinance amending Title 5 of the Antioch
Municipal Code by adding Chapter 11 pertaining to the licensing
procedures and regulations for Computer Gaming and Internet Access
Businesses and making findings declaring the urgency thereof
4) Motion to introduce a Regular Ordinance amending Title 5 of the
Antioch Municipal Code by adding Chapter 11 pertaining to the licensing
procedures and regulations for Computer Gaming and Internet Access
Businesses
5) Motion to adopt a resolution to initiate an amendment to the Zoning
Ordinance to address computer gaming and internet access businesses

5. BALLOT MEASURE TO MAKE THE OFFICES OF CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER
APPOINTED
Action Item: Resolution calling a Special Municipal Election on June 5, 2012 for the
submission to the voters of a local ballot measure to make the Offices of City
Clerk and City Treasurer appointed and requesting that the Board of
Supervisors of Contra Costa County to consolidate a municipal election on a
local measure with other elections to be held on the June 5, 2012 Regular
Election

6. BALLOT MEASURE TO ELIMINATE THE DIRECTLY ELECTED MAYOR
Action Item: Resolution calling a Special Municipal Election on June 5, 2012 for the
submission to the voters of a local ballot measure to eliminate the position of a
directly elected mayor and requesting that the Board of Supervisors of Contra
Costa County to consolidate a municipal election on a local measure with
other elections to be held on the June 5, 2012 Regular Election

7. SHOPPING CARTS RECOVERY
Recommended Action: Motion to receive and file report from the Commercial Code
Enforcement/Shop Antioch subcommittee and provide direction on letter to
merchants

On February 23 at 9 p.m. Antioch Police Dispatch received several calls of an auto versus pedestrian accident at the intersection of Hillcrest Ave and East Tregallas Road. Officers found that a 34-year-old man had been crossing the street and was struck by 2 vehicles.

His injuries appeared to be very severe and he was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. The cause of the accident is still under investigation at this time. The victim later died from his injuries.

The Bay Area’s 511 traveler information system is now offering its first smartphone app for transit users. The free 511 Transit App is a multiple-agency public transit trip planner using GPS-based location tools for smartphones. Ideal for a daily commute, weekend errand or occasional trip, the app serves both residents and visitors who are planning transit trips within the nine-county region.

“We are pleased to offer this unique and powerful tool for transit riders in the Bay Area,” said Adrienne J. Tissier, chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). “Now you can use one app to plan trips on more than 30 public transit agencies, accessing the most complete coverage for the San Francisco Bay Area.”

The free 511 Transit App can be downloaded through the Android Market (search for: 511 Transit). A version for iPhone 4 will be released soon. The new app provides door-to-door transit trip planning and scheduled departure times for transit routes near your location or from a location you specify. It includes information for 720 routes and more than 23,700 transit stops throughout the region. An interactive, dynamic map shows routes and stops along the way, as well as your current position while on the move. Walking directions to and from stops and fares (including transfers) are also displayed.

“Smartphones and on-the-go trip planning are becoming increasingly common, and 511 is now extending its Bay Area transit planning tools to these faster, more compact platforms,” said Tom Spiekerman, 511 Transit project manager. “Currently, 511 customers plan more than one million transit trips per month using the popular website version of the 511 Trip Planner. The new app brings core features of this tool to customers on the go.”

Additional app features include:
• Recently viewed locations and trips are saved automatically, as well as favorites.
• GPS positioning enables users to set their current location as a starting point for a trip, or to find nearby stops and transit routes with scheduled departure times.
• The app incorporates transit agency announcements that may affect a trip’s itinerary.
511 Transit App customers are able to provide feedback on the new app by clicking on the “Help/Info” button to send an email to the 511 Team.

The new app complements numerous options people already have to access 511 traveler information. Smartphone and other mobile phone users may access many of 511’s most popular features through the mobile 511 site (m.511.org), by calling 511 from any Bay Area phone, or by receiving real-time transit Departure Times texts (SMS). Desktop users can access the information from 511.org.

The 511 Transit App includes data from SF Muni, BART, AC Transit, VTA, SamTrans, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, County Connection, Vallejo Transit, LAVTA, Sonoma County Transit, VINE (Napa County) and more than a dozen additional agencies. For a complete list of all transit agencies included in the 511 Transit app, please visit the trip planning page at 511.org.

511 is a one-stop phone and web source for up-to-the-minute Bay Area traffic, transit, rideshare and bicycling information. It’s free of charge and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere in the nine-county Bay Area. Call 511 or visit 511.org. 511 is managed by a partnership of public agencies led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Highway Patrol, Public Transit Agencies, and the California Department of Transportation.

As part of the widening of Highway 4, traffic flow through Pittsburg and Antioch will undergo two significant modifications during the week of February 20.

The switch to the new eastbound off-ramp at Somersville Road, which was planned for Friday, February 24, 2012, has been cancelled. The planned closure of the eastbound highway and Somersville Road for Thursday night is also cancelled. This work will be rescheduled in the near future. Traffic will remain on the existing temporary off-ramp until that time.

The planned work on westbound SR-4 at Century Boulevard is still planned as follows: On Saturday, February 25, 2012, traffic flow on SR-4 at Century Boulevard will be modified. Westbound traffic will be shifted to the north over a portion of the newly constructed Century Boulevard Bridge.

In order to perform this lane shift, all westbound lanes of SR-4 will be closed from Somersville Road to Loveridge Road on Wednesday and Thursday nights between 10:00 pm and 3:30 am, and on Friday night between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am. The westbound on-ramp from Somersville Road will also be closed between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am on Wednesday and Thursday nights and between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am on Friday night.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Signs will be in place at the closures to direct motorists to alternate routes. Please be alert and carefully follow all directional signs when encountering detours.

Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways. For the most current information on all SR-4 corridor closures please visit our web site at: http://widensr4.org.