BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Vol. 18, No. 42
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
The cost of police overtime
October 19, 2018
Looks Restoring the wetlands Family For Answers
by Aly Brown Staff Writer
With populations in cities throughout East County on the rise, crime rates are often placed in the spotlight along with the cost to put officer boots on the streets. Brentwood, Oakley and Antioch each saw their share of overtime pay to police departments in 2017. According to Transparent California, a public pay and pension database, 49 officers in Brentwood (population of about 61,000) brought home a total of $468,000 in overtime. Twenty-four officers in Oakley (population: 41,000) accrued a little over $269,000. Overtime in Antioch (population: 111,000) was about $1.6 million for the listed 78 officers. “Overtime is an expected cost for a variety of different reasons … and the dollar amount is generally based on total number of staff and salaries,” said Brentwood Police Department Lt. Walter O’Grodnick. “We rely heavily on
The murder of Emily Courchesne remains unsolved – police are asking for public’s help. Page 5
Halloween Hauntings Photo by Tony Kukulich
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atty Finfrock, program manager for the Department of Water Resources, presided over groundbreaking ceremonies for the Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project in Oakley, Wednesday, Oct. 17. The wetland restoration project encompasses nearly 1,200 acres and is the largest project of its kind in the Delta. Originally conceived in 1999, the project will restore the Emerson, Gilbert and Burroughs parcels east of Marsh Creek to a combination of wetland, upland and open water habitats.
see Overtime page 34
Development may fund fire service by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The City of Oakley and the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District are close to finalizing plans to require about 600 future homeowners to pay for fire protection services through a community facilities district (CFD). The agreement, which will involve future homeowners of the unbuilt Gilbert Property near the Contra Costa Water District Canal and Cypress Road, would levy a $279.62 yearly tax – which adjusts with the consumer price index – on each of the 581 households, fire district officials said. If all goes as planned, the funding mechanism could be approved by the end of November, bringing in eventually up to $162,459 a year beginning on the 2019/2020 tax roll. “We are working hand-in-
hand with the City of Oakley, trying to work this through,” said Fire Chief Brian Helmick. “I think this is the beginning of many conversations about bringing revenue into the district, so I see this as a positive thing.” The potential fees would be similar to those already in effect in the Summer Lakes community, Oakley’s other fire-service funding CFD. The city-district agreement will likely call for the city to disperse all CFD revenue to the district, minus any city-incurred CFD costs. “It’s a very small step toward addressing the large problem of funding the fire district,” said Oakley City Councilman Kevin Romick. “Other avenues of fixing this issue will need to be found.” The subdivision’s condition of approval mandated that property
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owners devise a funding plan to pay for the development’s fire protection services, prompting CC County Communities LLC to petition the city for the CFD’s establishment. It’s possible that adjacent development projects could also be lumped into the facilities district with city council approval. The fire district, which covers 249 square miles and over 114,000 residents, has diminished from eight stations in 2008 to three today, and since 2012, fire district residents have shot down a revenue-generating parcel tax, benefit assessment and utility-user tax. “The area that will be paying this CFD is essentially an area that is no cost to the district to service right now because it’s vacant land,” said fire board member Joe Young. “As it’s developed, it puts an additional burden on the district’s servic-
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es, so the CFD will help pay for the addition of that service load.” The garnered funds would be used for explicitly defined Gilbert property uses, including the operation and maintenance of fire stations, equipment and vehicles. The landowners must approve the tax, which is expected since they sought the city’s help to create the funding mechanism. “This is an important first step,” Young said. “We have done some fees, but this is the first time we have taken action to bring in some additional revenue.” If approved by the district, city and property owner, then this CFD would be the third created to help fund the fire district, joining Summer Lakes in Oakley and Delta Coves in Bethel Island. see Fire page 34
Election 2018
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Voting is underway for the November 2018 General Midterm Elections.
It’s the season of tricks and treats. Check out all the spooky happenings in East County. Page 7
Serving Up Victory
Liberty girls’ volleyball team has clinched BVAL title and is looking toward playoffs. Page 23 Calendar................................35 Classifieds.............................29 Cop Logs................................33 Election Updates ...............18 Entertainment.....................13 Food........................................12 Milestones............................15 Opinion..................................22 Pets.........................................28 Sports.....................................23
Holiday Joy
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Operation Christmas Child at Golden Hills Church is gearing up for the season.