YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 18, No. 43
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Temp ban Easy as pie issued for short term rentals
More Than A Cup Of Joe
It’s a haven of swirling aromas, but Big House Beans is about more than coffee. Page 8
by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The City of Oakley has instituted a temporary ban on short-term residential rentals to allow staff to formulate a plan for regulating the businesses. The 45-day moratorium applies only to residential rentals less than 30 days and is a direct response to a series of complaints about such operations routinely advertised on short-term rental websites such as Airbnb and VRBO. “Some of these (renters) are just coming for a place to party,” said City Councilmember Doug Hardcastle. “I don’t want it to be party-rental homes that impact normal, everyday people just trying to live and see Rentals page 34
Fat, Fat The Water Rat
Photo by Tony Kukulich
J
aden gave the pie-eating contest his best shot at the Oakley Harvest Festival Saturday, Oct. 20. The event featured a Halloween costume parade for pets and another one for kids, as well as a pumpkin-carving contest. To view more photos of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/slideshows
Fire district outlines future plans by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District aims to reduce response times amid a variety of other goals in the next five years, according to recently released details of the agency’s draft specific plan. The document, released last week in hopes of garnering public feedback at a Nov. 14 community workshop, outlines the district’s proposed goals, strategies, vision, values and mission. “We want everyone to be actively engaged and understand exactly where we are as an agency,” said Fire Chief Brian Helmick.
“ Today we are already not adequately
protecting the residents we have, and that is a problem. That is what we are trying to correct.
” ECCFPD Fire Chief Brian Helmick
The five preliminary goals are to reduce response times; ensure financial stability and sustainability; maintain a highperforming workforce; modernize stations, apparatus and equipment; and transfer fire prevention services and inspections from the county to the district. Potential basic strategies to meet each goal are identified
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in the plan, but precise steps to implement each strategy, along with associated costs and the length of time for each to be accomplished, are still being determined, said fire board member Joe Young, chair of the district’s finance subcommittee. Crafting of the proposed five-year outline, to be updated every three years, began in April
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last year and derives from stakeholder interviews, surveys and workshops, fire board retreats and the guidance of a hired consultant. The document is slated for fire board adoption in December with implementation in January. “(The consultant is) going to develop, in conjunction with the staff, some action plans to implement each one of the strategies, and the action plan will have a schedule, cost and any special resources that are needed to achieve it,” said Young. One of the plan’s biggest potential goals is to increase resources – a glaringly obvious need. see Fire page 34
Halloween Fun www.thepress.net/news/webextras
The Pleasanton Harvest Festival will ring in the Halloween weekend on Oct. 26.
Officials hope to eradicate the prodigious nutria wreaking havoc along the Delta. Page 6
Historic Win For Liberty
Liberty football team defeats Pittsburg 24-21 to secure first league title since 1985. Page 23 Calendar................................35 Classifieds.............................29 Cop Logs................................33 Elections..................................9 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Health & Beauty..................28 Opinion..................................22 Pets.........................................15 Sports.....................................23
For The Troops
www.thepress.net/news/press_releases
Congressman McNerney kicks off Holiday Cards For The Troops program.