Brentwood proclaims Black History Month

from The Press 01.27.2023

Mortgage rates could level off this year

By Jake Menez Staff Writer

BRENTWOOD The Brentwood City Council tackled a number of topics before diving into the minutiae of their operating budget and strategic plan during a session on Jan. 24 that lasted nearly four hours. The result was a laundry list of upcoming developments and events that residents can expect to see.

Near the start of the meeting, Mayor Joel Bryant and Vice Mayor Susannah Meyer issued a proclamation that Brentwood would recognize February as Black History Month, bringing see City Council page 18A

City Attorney Derek Cole warned the Council that letters from three law firms, according to the staff report, “raised several issues, some of which regarding the proposed buffer that would impact a small number of properties, the purpose of the additional traffic analysis for drive-through restaurants, car washes, and gas stations, a number of operational standards related to the amount of responsibility being put onto business managers for dealing with unruly patrons or visitors to the property, and the setback required behind gas stations and other requirements within that standard.”

Cole also focused on the ordinance’s 500-foot buffer requirement and advised them, “I do not believe it is in the city’s best interest to pass this ordinance.” He added, “I’m not trying to usurp your authority to make policy.”

Vice Mayor Anissa Williams, who has been promoting see Drive-through page 18A

75th from page 1A

City staff opened a time capsule from 1998, which Ogden said was put together by then-Eagle Scout Ben Burgess. His father owned a hardware store on First Street at the time. The family moved away when the store closed in 2005, according to Gale. Items pulled out of the time capsule included:

• Newspapers from each of the newspapers that covered Brentwood from 1997 and a newspaper from the 40th Anniversary in 1987;

• Volleyball, football and basketball from the Burgess Family;

• A Liberty/Freedom Bell Game Hat;

• A photo album from the Eagle Scout Project of Ben Burgess (all photos were destroyed due to water);

• Liberty and Edna Hill yearbooks from 1997;

• Brentwood Yellow Pages from 1997;

• receipts from donors for the 1989 construction of the city’s Gazebo;

• construction documents and contract for the 1989 Gazebo;

• A book titled “Old Times in Contra Costa” and some bound stories written by a local newspaper reporter. Both were unreadable due to water damage. The city supplied the hungry crowd with cupcakes and sweets. The youngest attendees also enjoyed cotton candy, and city staff handed out gift bags to all.

The East Bay Regional Parks staffed a booth draped with animal skins that are found throughout their various parks. A proclamation from county Super- visor Diane Burgis commemorating the anniversary was presented by staff representative Melissa van Ruiten to Mayor Joel Bryant and City Council.