FROM YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 52
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Oftedal new fire board president by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Board will head into the new year with a new president. Current board Vice President Brian Oftedal was unanimously selected by his fellow board members to assume the presidency earlier this month after longtime president Joel Bryant declined to serve another term. Bryant will remain on the board. “It’s exciting, it’s a challenge, but I am excited to work with Chief Helmick and the rest of the board coming up in 2018,” said Oftedal, a 17-year East County resident and current Oakland Fire Department captain whom the City of Oakley appointed to the board in October 2016. Oftedal, vice president of the board since May 2017, will serve a one-year term as the appointed board’s president but plans to vie for a seat when the district transitions to an elected board in November 2018. His duties as president will include serving as presiding officer of the board, representing the board in public policy matters and overseeing the board’s monthly meeting agenda – during an uncertain time for the district.
Current East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Vice President Brian Oftedal will become the board president in the new year. Photo by Tony Kukulich
The agency’s long-term budget is sound but allows only three stations to be staffed to serve 114,000 residents and 249 square miles. The fire district’s financial problems stem almost entirely from its property-tax allocation being set with the approval of Proposition 13 in 1978, when volunteer departments were sufficient to cover far East County. Its current allocation of 8 cents per property-tax dollar is about half the amount of most other departments in the county. To close the funding gap, attempts such as a revenue-generating parcel tax, a benefit assessment and a utility-user tax were proposed but
ultimately all turned down by voters. Oftedal, who believes the district has done a good job budgeting its available money, admitted that a funding fix won’t likely occur in 2018 but said the district is laying the groundwork to find future answers. District officials are in the process of completing 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 budget audits and other actuarial studies that should show the district has been responsibly spending its money and needs community collaboration to fix the problem. see Oftedal page 22
New laws coming to California in 2018 by Aly Brown Staff Writer
As 2017 comes to a close and another year looms, some new laws will be written into the 2018 books. From issues around immigration and benefits for veterans to employee rights and minimum wage, assembly and senate bills address a wide range of issues for Californians. East County residents will no doubt feel the change along with the state. “Headed into the New Year, the new laws going into effect create some uncertainty and also some potential opportunities,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis. “Changes to the Affordable Care Act and the new tax bill will have an impact on the county’s budget,
“ Moving forward, I’m going to continue
to focus on economic development so we can improve our jobs-to-housing ratio and to improving our transportation infrastructure
”
Diane Burgis, District 3 supervisor and that’s why I’m glad the board of supervisors has managed the budget so carefully this year.” The following are a sampling of other areas East County residents can expect some change: Firearms Gun owners in unincorporated towns of Byron, Knightsen and Discovery Bay will want to pay attention to Assembly Bill (AB) 7. This law will make carrying a shot-
gun in any city, unincorporated town, county or public area beyond the confines of a vehicle a crime, thus closing a loophole in existing law. In addition, punishment could entail prison time and a fine if ammunition for the weapon are found in the violator’s possession. And as far as ammunition is concerned, AB 693 tightens ammo sales by ensuring all purchases are made through an authorized ven-
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dor. Online ammunition orders must still be processed by an authorized vendor, who will initially receive and process the transaction in compliance with the sections of AB 693. Immigration With a high demographic of immigrant families, many East County residents will find themselves directly impacted by new laws surrounding immigration. The Oakley and Brentwood school districts, which both declared themselves ‘safe havens’ for children of immigrant families, are backed by a measure encompassing the state. Senate Bill (SB) 54 deems California a sanctuary state, restricting law-enforcement agensee Laws page 22
Home Safety
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PG&E urges customers to be cautious when heating their homes.
December 29, 2017
The Year In Review
Take a look at some of The Press’ best photos snapped throughout the year. Page 12
New Bilingual Features
Local teens and young adults share their views, opinions and experiences in English, Spanish content. Page 8
Freedom Coach Retires
Longtime Freedom football coach Kevin Hartwig steps down after 16 years. Page 16 Breaking News......................7 Calender................................23 Classifieds.............................20 Cop Logs................................19 Entertainment.....................10 Food........................................11 Milestones............................18 Opinion..................................14 Pets.........................................15 Sports.....................................16
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