CITY NEWS
Mayor’s Message As I write this, the Contra Costa County Health officer announced a mandatory order banning all public and private gatherings of 100 or more
people through the month of March. This order is legally binding, and those that violate the order are subject to fines and imprisonment. As of today, March
Martinez City News Senior Center Closed until April 8 The Martinez Senior Center will remain closed to the public until April 8 or as directed by Contra Costa Health Services. City staff is available to answer phones and provide support to the senior community from 9am to 1pm. All phone calls will be logged so that city staff can determine the services and resources needed. City staff will continue to support Meals on Wheels and CC Café by remaining as a pickup and drop off location (no sit down meals). Registered participants of the CC Café program who are identified as being at higher risk will be contacted by city staff to arrange pick ups for 7-day frozen meal packs at the Senior Center that will be provided each Tuesday. Staff will coordinate with outside organizations, agencies, and the Senior Citizens’ Club of Martinez membership to solicit donations. Those interested in donating will be instructed to call the Senior Center office line at (925) 370-8770 to make arrangements for donations. Additional resources: Food Bank of Contra Costa, 4010 Nelson Avenue, Concord, 94520, (925) 676-7543; Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa, 835 Ferry Street, Martinez, 94553, (925) 293-4792.
Proclamation of Local Emergency On March 16, City Manager Eric Figueroa proclaimed a local emergency. The proclamation is not in response to a direct incident within Martinez but rather relaxes the city’s purchasing requirements to allow the city to acquire goods and services at a moment’s notice, enhancing its ability to protect public safety. The proclamation is also required for City of Martinez taxpayers to be reimbursed from national and state agencies for expenses incurred during the emergency.
Rob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez
14, there are 29 Contra Costa residents infected with Covid-19 and there have been no deaths. As you read this, I am sure those numbers will have changed for the worse. The normal content of my monthly message announces upcoming events and issues being discussed by the Martinez City Council, however, this month, all I can announce is that all Martinez events have been cancelled due to this health order. These include the Sunday farmers’ market, Bay Area Beer Festival, Mini-Motorland, Arbor Day, Swan Day, St. Baldrick’s Foundation Martinez Shave-Off, and the closing of the Martinez Senior Center. The city has also closed the bathrooms in all of our neighborhood parks with the exception of Waterfront Park. We will continue to hold regular and special city council meetings, however, we will be limiting in-person attendance to 40 individuals, appropriately spaced apart. We will allow people to submit comments via email as well as prior to the meeting. Only the city manager, city clerk, video technician, and myself will be physically in the city council chamber. The other city council members will at-
tend the meeting remotely via conference call. The conference call set-up is all being done under the new direction of the governor. I, along with the city council, prioritize the health and safety of our community above all else. For this reason, we are taking special precautions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which I know disrupts your daily life. These measures are taken solely in the interest of public health and safety. I sincerely hope that the situation will improve in the coming weeks and we can return to a more normal course of business. Until then, I urge everyone to follow the guidelines of our health and safety experts at Contra Costa Health Services and routinely visit their special website, https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/, which is updated daily and dedicated to addressing the pandemic. You can learn more about steps taken by the city on our coronavirus page at www.url.gov. It is my hope that as you read this the pandemic is subsiding and daily life and the economy are on the road back to normalcy. Stay safe and be healthy.
Farmers’ Market Reopens The Martinez Farmers’ Market reopened on Sunday, March 22, due to its classification as an essential business and necessary food source during this time of “Shelter in Place.” The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market (PCFMA) will be practicing health safety precautions to create a safer environment: no food sampling, no musical entertainment, and no public seating. As many items as possible will be pre-bagged for grab and go. Farmers and producers are encouraged to bring hand-washing stations and wear gloves. There will also be increased space between vendors’ stalls for additional safety. If you go, you are asked to wash all fresh fruits and vegetables, practice social distancing, not form lines, and shop quickly to allow others space. Only touch fruits and vegetables that you intend to buy or have the farmer pick out your produce. The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market webpage states, “We believe that our farmers’ markets are essential food resources and we are committed to keeping them open for as long as possible. We are also committed to helping to keep our communities safe, so if we are instructed to close a farmers’ market by a local health authority due to their concerns about the Coronavirus, we will comply.” The PCFMA will be posting any changes to market schedules, including closures, on Facebook: facebook.com/PCFMA or their website: https://pcfma.org. Martinez Covid-19: website: www.downtownmartinez.org/covid-19-emergency-relief
For the Home You’ve Always Wanted...Call Us Today
SAMUELS
CONSTRUCTION • Kitchens • Bath Remodeling • Tile • Cultured Marble • Granite • Additions • Windows • Doors • Concrete • Foundations • Driveways • Patios • Fences
samcon60@gmail.com • 925.260.4448 MEMBER
313 Gloria Drive, Pleasant Hill
General Contractor Lic#652185
OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | APRIL 2020 | 7
