Contra Costa County News & Developments

***Animo*** · May 24th, 2011, 06:54 PM

Contra Costa County (Spanish for "opposite coast") is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025. The county seat is Martinez.

The west face of Mount Diablo, the most notable natural landmark in Contra Costa County

***Animo*** · May 24th, 2011, 07:21 PM

By Tom Barnidge
Contra Costa Times columnist
Posted: 05/21/2011 08:00:00 PM PDT

IF THE HOTTEST issue right now in Contra Costa County government is the redrawing of supervisors' districts, someone needs to tell the voters. They seem to be as captivated by the process as a lecture on the Dewey Decimal system.

Supervisor Federal Glover hosted a redistricting workshop Thursday evening in Bay Point, replete with maps, facts and figures, and of the 226,000 constituents in his district, 11 showed up.

That was only seven more than the number of county employees in the room.
A half-dozen miles away, at the Concord City Council Chamber, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff's workshop attracted about two dozen of the 188,000 residents in her district. Each attendee could have spread out across a separate row of seats.

Mitchoff said that five or six persons came to hear Supervisor Gayle Uilkema at Rossmoor earlier in the week, and seven or eight listened to Supervisor Mary Piepho in Walnut Creek.

At this rate, it will take roughly 410 years to reach every resident in the county.

Admittedly, redistricting is an arcane procedure, fully understood only by politicians, wizards and gnomes, but the procedure determines which supervisor represents which locale in county government decisions. Voters might want a voice in that.

If you live in an unincorporated area, the county is your final authority on local laws and enforcement, but even residents in incorporated cities are affected by supervisors' votes.

"You are touched by county services more than you know," Mitchoff said, "even if you're not receiving them directly through child welfare, government assistance or whatever.

"People get their library services, fire services and animal control services -- everywhere but Antioch -- from the county. They get public and environmental health services. That means sanitary kitchens in restaurants and safety standards in industrial areas.

"The county controls weights and measurements, from gas pump gauges to weighing your vegetables at the supermarket. It meters all taxis in the county, and it does all the pest control."

City hall debates are such headline-making fun -- Neiman Marcus, anyone? In-N-Out Burger? -- that it's easy to forget that decisions regarding regional transportation, sewer systems, health clinics and elder care rest with the five supervisors who meet in Martinez every week.

Perhaps redistricting falls off the radar because it happens so infrequently. Only every 10 years, after the federal census is completed, are supervisors required to carve up the county into portions of approximately equal population.

Adjustments are necessary because regional growth patterns change, and that's when complications set in. Should Concord be split between two districts? Should Antioch remain grouped with Pittsburg? Should one district span the distance from San Ramon to Bethel Island?

It's not quite as simple as slicing a pie into five equal pieces. In fact, the current map looks as if someone used a chain saw to cut apart the districts.
The seven boundary options now under review are so diverse that Martinez could land in any of three districts. Ditto for Crockett. Rest assured that supervisors favor plans that keep them aligned with their most supportive constituents.

But Glover assures that this process, which must be completed by Nov. 1, will be transparent, devoid of arm-twisting and backroom deals.
"We are going to listen to our constituents," he said.
That's assuming they bother to speak up.

612bv3 · June 25th, 2011, 06:58 PM

source: SJ Mercury News

Quote:

Pittsburg moves toward OK for BART transit village

By Rick Radin
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 06/24/2011 09:22:09 PM PDT

PITTSBURG -- Plans are on track for a transit village on a 50-acre site around the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART station.

City planning commissioners are expected to weigh in on revises to the project's master plan in August. After that, it could go to the City Council for approval as soon as late August or early September, said Leigha Schmidt, a Pittsburg associate planner.

Pittsburg is hosting a final open house on the master plan Tuesday as part of a public review period that ends Aug. 1.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18350469

theEmbarcadero · March 31st, 2012, 05:27 AM

Where can I find a thread about Concord...specifically any high rises planned....or built since I left 5 years ago...??

May 24th, 2011, 06:54 PM	#1
*Animo* I'm Watching You Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 9,461 Likes (Received): 94	Contra Costa County News & Developments Contra Costa County (Spanish for "opposite coast") is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025. The county seat is Martinez. The west face of Mount Diablo, the most notable natural landmark in Contra Costa County

May 24th, 2011, 07:21 PM	#2
*Animo* I'm Watching You Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 9,461 Likes (Received): 94	Does anyone in Contra Costa County care about redistricting? By Tom Barnidge Contra Costa Times columnist Posted: 05/21/2011 08:00:00 PM PDT IF THE HOTTEST issue right now in Contra Costa County government is the redrawing of supervisors' districts, someone needs to tell the voters. They seem to be as captivated by the process as a lecture on the Dewey Decimal system. Supervisor Federal Glover hosted a redistricting workshop Thursday evening in Bay Point, replete with maps, facts and figures, and of the 226,000 constituents in his district, 11 showed up. That was only seven more than the number of county employees in the room. A half-dozen miles away, at the Concord City Council Chamber, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff's workshop attracted about two dozen of the 188,000 residents in her district. Each attendee could have spread out across a separate row of seats. Mitchoff said that five or six persons came to hear Supervisor Gayle Uilkema at Rossmoor earlier in the week, and seven or eight listened to Supervisor Mary Piepho in Walnut Creek. At this rate, it will take roughly 410 years to reach every resident in the county. Admittedly, redistricting is an arcane procedure, fully understood only by politicians, wizards and gnomes, but the procedure determines which supervisor represents which locale in county government decisions. Voters might want a voice in that. If you live in an unincorporated area, the county is your final authority on local laws and enforcement, but even residents in incorporated cities are affected by supervisors' votes. "You are touched by county services more than you know," Mitchoff said, "even if you're not receiving them directly through child welfare, government assistance or whatever. "People get their library services, fire services and animal control services -- everywhere but Antioch -- from the county. They get public and environmental health services. That means sanitary kitchens in restaurants and safety standards in industrial areas. "The county controls weights and measurements, from gas pump gauges to weighing your vegetables at the supermarket. It meters all taxis in the county, and it does all the pest control." City hall debates are such headline-making fun -- Neiman Marcus, anyone? In-N-Out Burger? -- that it's easy to forget that decisions regarding regional transportation, sewer systems, health clinics and elder care rest with the five supervisors who meet in Martinez every week. Perhaps redistricting falls off the radar because it happens so infrequently. Only every 10 years, after the federal census is completed, are supervisors required to carve up the county into portions of approximately equal population. Adjustments are necessary because regional growth patterns change, and that's when complications set in. Should Concord be split between two districts? Should Antioch remain grouped with Pittsburg? Should one district span the distance from San Ramon to Bethel Island? It's not quite as simple as slicing a pie into five equal pieces. In fact, the current map looks as if someone used a chain saw to cut apart the districts. The seven boundary options now under review are so diverse that Martinez could land in any of three districts. Ditto for Crockett. Rest assured that supervisors favor plans that keep them aligned with their most supportive constituents. But Glover assures that this process, which must be completed by Nov. 1, will be transparent, devoid of arm-twisting and backroom deals. "We are going to listen to our constituents," he said. That's assuming they bother to speak up.

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March 31st, 2012, 05:27 AM	#4
theEmbarcadero Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Alajuela Posts: 2,303 Likes (Received): 6	Where can I find a thread about Concord...specifically any high rises planned....or built since I left 5 years ago...??