YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 29
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Diablo Water GM improving technology, customer focus by Deanna Gordon Staff Writer
Dan Muelrath spends his days managing one of everyone’s most vital needs: water. Muelrath joined Diablo Water District as its general manager in December 2018. He was previously general manager at Valley of the Moon Water District in Sonoma, where he worked for six years. He earned a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in agribusiness, with a minor in water science engineering — both from California Polytechnic State University. Diablo Water District is a self-governing public agency that provides water to residents in Oakley, Bethel Island and Knightsen, and Muelrath said he is excited to be on board. “I’ve always loved being in public service roles,” he said. “Our staff is great here and ev-
eryone has been welcoming.” One of his primary objectives since joining Diablo Water District has been technological improvement. “Like everyone else, we want to make sure we are up to date on current technology,” Muelrath said. “We want to get away from paper.” Diablo Water updated its website, www.diablowater.org, and created a Facebook page, www. facebook.com/diablowaterdistrict. The new website is more userfriendly and customer-centric, allowing customers to quickly navigate to pay their bills, start or stop service, get information on how to save money, conserve water and read agendas from the district’s board of directors meetings. The agency is also in the process of digitizing records to make its day-to-day operations easier. see Water page 22A
Staff Writer
More than 100 people crowded into Scout Hall on Bethel Island last week as the California Division of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) held a meeting to collect public input on efforts to make changes to nearby Franks Tract. Just over a year ago, CDFW presented the final draft of the Franks Tract Futures Feasibility Study to the Delta Stewardship Council. The study concluded that the project to modify Franks Tract — as it was envisioned at the time — was viable, but local opposition to the plan has prompted a return to the drawing board. “We are pretty much starting
from scratch,” said Brett Milligan, associate professor of landscape architecture for the University of California, Davis, who is serving as a consultant on CDFW’s initiative. “We are starting over on our alternatives, and that’s based on the feedback we got through the feasibility study, where there was an initial plan that was very good at meeting the ecological, technical and water-quality performance criteria. But that was before people were really aware of the local interests such as the many marinas, the recreational economy there and so forth.” The initial objectives of the see Franks Tract page 22A
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Urban Limit Line Meeting
Photo courtesy of Dan Muelrath
Dan Muelrath is the new general manager of Diablo Water District as of December 2018.
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Brentwood council holding meeting on the impacts of a proposed urban limit line expansion. Page 6A
Local Olympic Hopeful
Former Freedom trampolinist Ruben Padilla bouncing his way to a future Olympics. Page 14A
Photo by Tony Kukulich
With Franks Tract in the background, boaters motor down Piper Slough as the San Joaquin Yacht Club held the Opening Day Parade on Bethel Island this past spring. The California Division of Fish and Wildlife hosted a meeting last week seeking public input on potential changes to Franks Tract.
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State reconsiders changes in Franks Tract by Tony Kukulich
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School Lunches www.thepress.net/news/webextras
School districts announce policy for free and reduced-price meals for children.
Calendar.............................23A Classifieds..........................18A Cop Logs.............................20A Health & Beauty................. 4B Milestones.........................11A Opinion...............................13A Adopt a Pet.......................... 8A Sports..................................14A
Road Project
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County has begun work on San Pablo Dam Road Sidewalk project.