Contra Costa Centre
GOVERNMENT
Walnut Creek Set to Launch Online Permit Portal For Planning Permits
The City of Walnut Creek is preparing to transition to having all planning permits submitted electronically, effective Monday, July 29. Paper applications will no longer be accepted. With the launch of the new online permit portal last April, all submittals for building permits and site development permits began to occur...
Judge rules in favor of recall effort against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao
A judge has tentatively ruled that the public ethics commission overstepped its bounds in a document request related to a recall effort against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, and if the commission accepts the ruling, the hearing will be canceled.
Former Oakland Wood Street encampment dweller now housed
OAKLAND -- Former Oakland Wood Street encampment residents reacted to Gov. Newsom's order to state officials to begin dismantling homeless camps across the state.Wood Street was Oakland's largest encampment and it was removed in April of 2023. John Janosko lived there for 8 years."It still affects me to this day because it was my home," Janosko said as he looked around Wood Street. "It was heart-wrenching. It was one of the most dramatic things that has probably ever happened to me because it wasn't just an encampment. I don't like using that word. It was a community."On Thursday, Gov. Gavin...
Lafayette Council places sales tax measure for city services on November ballot
City manager claims 1/2-cent increase to 9.25% needed due to inflation, unfunded state mandates; would last 7 years. On July 22, 2024, the Lafayette City Council placed a funding measure on the November 2024 ballot, asking Lafayette voters to authorize a local sales tax increase of 1/2 cent (half a penny for every $1 spent locally) for seven years to maintain the current level of City services. This measure will require a 50% +1 vote to pass.
East Bay animal shelter to open new state-of-the-art clinic made of shipping containers
An East Bay animal rescue is taking an innovative approach to help solve the pet overpopulation crisis.Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter is sharing its plan to open a new, state-of-the-art spay and neuter clinic.But what makes this plan unique, is what its building will be made out of: shipping containers."We were originally going to build a brick and mortar medical center," said John Lipp, CEO of Friends of Alameda Animal Shelter. "The price tag was close to $10 million, and we were looking at fundraising and that's a lot of money to raise, and so we thought, what can...
Antioch Approves Long Awaited Sideshow Ordinance
In a 3-0 vote, the Antioch City Council approved its long-awaited sideshow ordinance after nearly two-years of discussions. Within the ordinance, it prohibits organizing, advertising, and being a spectator at a street racing, sideshows, and reckless driving exhibitions. Any person who violates the ordinance could be subject to a $1,000 fine or 6-months in jail, or both,
Opposition mobilizes against recalls of Oakland mayor, DA
Local progressive organizations held a press event in Oakland on Friday to oppose the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. Few allies have publicly shown their support for embattled Mayor Thao since the FBI raid, but the groups on said they still believe in Thao as she fights for her political career."Sheng is the mayor we need now," said Pamela Drake of the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club."The problem with Oakland didn't just start with this mayor, she's very new, very new. This problem has been going on for 20, 30 years," said Oakland native...
California Lawmaker Prioritizes Harbor Tug Safety
[Office of California Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains]. Dr. Jasmeet Bains (D-Delano) visited the Port of Oakland last week to discuss her proposed harborcraft legislation and to call on regulators to prioritize mariner safety. Dr. Bains toured the port aboard the tugboat Sandra Hugh to gain first-hand insight into the challenges...
Alameda County grand jury probe leads to rare charges against an Oakland recycling business and its managers
A two-day toxic blaze that blanketed Oakland in smoke last summer has resulted in criminal indictments for Radius Recycling. “Under my leadership, this administration will not allow corporate criminals to poison our community recklessly, to create vulnerabilities for our community and for those who serve our community and just walk away having made a profit and get off with a slap on the wrist,” Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said in a news conference on Tuesday.
Orinda’s Historic 1841 Adobe House Fills With Laughter Again
When people ask Kent Long, president of the Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe (FJMA), why he has dedicated the last 15 years to reviving a ramshackle, graffiti-emblazoned building, he laughingly replies, “That evil, evil book.”. The book he’s referring to is, in fact, the wonderful “History of Orinda:...
Richmond elementary school temporarily closes after "environmental hazards" found
West Contra Costa Unified School District Superintendent Kenneth Hurst announced the temporary closure of Stege Elementary School in a letter to families Tuesday after environmental hazards were found on the campus. “During the summer repair work, we encountered environmental hazards. In response, WCCUSD will relocate the Stege community for the...
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