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Contra Costa Council News
The Contra Costa Council is a public policy advocacy organization
that promotes the economic vitality of Contra Costa County and the region.
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| Upcoming Events |
The Contra Costa Council and the Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley and Pittsburg Chambers of Commerce present:
District 5 Supervisorial
Candidates Forum:
Supervisor Federal Glover & Candidate Gary Agopian
Moderated by Lisa Vorderbrueggen
Sponsored by Chevron
Wed., September 17
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center
4800 Golf Course Road
Antioch
For questions, contact Suzanne Schoenfeld at 925-246-1880.
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Luncheon with Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier
Fri., September 26
Please check our website for details.
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The Contra Costa Council, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, East Bay Economic Development Association and the Tri-Valley Business Council present:
Getting It Right--Getting It Green (the business case for going green)
Fri., October 24
8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hilton Concord
1970 Diamond Blvd.,
Concord
Featuring Federal Glover, Chair, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors (invited);Gary Craft, Craft Consulting Group; and Richard A. Walker, Ph.D., UC Berkeley
"The Business Case for Going Green" panel discussion with John Kouletis, Kaiser Permanente; Joe Pettus, Safeway, Inc.; Terry Mann, Contra Costa County General Services; and a representative from Bishop Ranch/Sunset Development. Facilitated by Clay Jones of New Resource Bank
"Getting to the Green Economy, Step-by-Step" panel discussion with Thomas H. Werner, SunPower Corporation; Susan Muranishi, Alameda County Administrator; and representatives from Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Budweiser Brewing. Closing comments by Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
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For more information about any Contra Costa Council event, please contact Suzanne Schoenfeld at the Council office, 925-246-1880.
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| News & Comment |
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Golfers Mike Maxwell, VP of TaylorMade Water Systems, at left, and Dr. Joe Ovick, County Superintendent of Schools.
Lots of winners and no losers at the Council's 24th Annual Golf Tournament at Round Hill
Some 130 Contra Costa Council members and guests gathered for great golf and even better conversation at the Round Hill Country Club in Alamo on August 18. While the Council's 24th Annual Golf Tournament had no reports of holes-in-one, or any birdies for that matter, the competition was still keen in all tournament categories and the silent auction for sports memorabilia.
Categories and deserving winners included:
- Long Drive (Men)--Gerry Clancy
- Long Drive (Women)--Jill Osur
- Chipping Contest--Chip Little, first place; John Giambastiani, second place
- Closest to the Hole #5--Dan Haynosch
- Closest to the Hole #7--John Stoeser
- Closest to the Hole #13--Aaron Loughleon
- Closest to the Hole #16--Dave Olund
- Petroleum Cup--Winning the cup was the Shell Martinez Refinery team of Dave Olund, Bill McNally, Steve Nielsen and Don Bachand, shooting 60. Second place went to the Mount Diablo Region YMCA team of Mike Erwin, G. Christensen and Dennis Hughes, and third place went to the Comerica Bank team of Jim Bryski, Andrew Bodisco, George Lottl and Gerry Clancy.
Congratulations to all winners, and thanks to all golfers and volunteers who made this year's event another great one!
Thanks especially to our generous sponsors, who included the Sunvalley Shopping Center (corporate sponsor), along with Chevron, ConocoPhillips, the Contra Costa Times, Mirant California, Shell Martinez Refinery, Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery, Wells Fargo and Western States Petroleum Association. |
| CEO Viewpoint |
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Contra Costa Council joins statewide coalition of business organizations
By Linda Best, President and CEO, Contra Costa Council
Under the leadership of Carl Guardino of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Lucy Dunn of the Orange County Business Council, a statewide coalition of regional business organizations has been formed to impact public policy on critical issues. The Contra Costa Council was invited to be a founding member of the new group, which is known as the Regional Economic Association Leaders of California, or the R.E.A.L. Coalition.
The opportunity to affect public policy at the state level is enormous when you consider the coalition's member organizations, which include, in addition to the associations mentioned above, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Bay Area Council, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Southern California Leadership Council, Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, North Bay Leadership Council, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and East Bay Economic Development Alliance, among others.
In the four meetings held since the coalition's inception, the combined weight of these organizations has attracted key administration and legislative leaders, who have interacted with the group, providing an opportunity to affect policy.
The R.E.A.L. Coalition can speak with a united voice, representing the business community to address economic vitality. The group's members have determined the coalition will focus on three key areas: water policy, workforce development and public/private partnerships to fund needed infrastructure (P3).
Already, the group has been effective in supporting legislation that will increase support for multiple pathways (career academies), a program that is strongly supported by the Contra Costa Economic Partnership and Contra Costa Council through April Treece's Workforce Development Initiative, as well as greater accountability for student progress.
The group is also working toward achieving consensus on water policy to address Delta ecosystem health and water supply reliability, an issue in which the Council has been heavily engaged through the Delta Vision process. It is remarkable that multiple stakeholders in both northern and southern California recognize the importance of this issue and are coming together on solutions.
There is strong agreement that public/private partnerships are key to leveraging the funding from the private sector needed to address infrastructure needs. In the coming weeks, the group will be developing strategies to make this tool a reality.
I will continue to update you on the progress of this exciting initiative, which enables the business community to speak with a united voice. | |
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| Advocacy Action |
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State should adopt balanced budget without using local revenues or Prop 42 funds
In an August letter to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and State Senate and Assembly leaders, the Contra Costa Council Executive Board supported the state government's continued opposition to taking local government, redevelopment or vital transportation revenues to fund the state budget deficit.
"We understand that your options are limited and we support a budget compromise that is balanced and makes progress toward long-term/structural budget reform," wrote Council President and CEO Linda Best. "These steps are vital if you are going to restore the stability in the state budget and the confidence of our voters and the business community."
"We urge you to make the compromises necessary to balance the state budget with state revenues, and keep critical local funds where they belong--with cities and counties," continued Best. "And we urge you to respect the will of the voters who overwhelmingly voted twice to dedicate Proposition 42 money for transportation improvements. A fiscally responsible and balanced budget is California's priority, and it should happen without taking these sorely needed funds."
Transportation planning needs to expand to meet population growth
In recent comments on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's |
| Other News, Events & Briefings |
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City of Concord Naval Weapons Station Workshop: September 13 . . . The City of Concord is holding another public workshop on Saturday, September 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle in Concord. The workshop will focus on narrowing the alternatives for the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Your input is important in shaping the plan for this important resource, so please make every efffort to attend. For details, see the City of Concord website. (Read about the work of the Council's Concord Naval Weapons Station Ad Hoc Task Force in the Task Force Spotlight, below.)
Educational workforce forum held September 4 . . . The Contra Costa Council, East Bay Economic Development Alliance and the Tri-Valley Business Council, along with many of the East Bay's Chambers of Commerce and business associations, presented a joint work session, titled Maintaining a Viable East Bay Economy: Aligning East Bay educational systems, needs and expectations, on September 4, at the Alameda County Conference Center. Following a welcome by Ken Mercer of ValleyCare Health System, Trina Ostrander of Bayer HealthCare LLC moderated a panel discussion, featuring Mo Qayoumi of California State University, East Bay; Judy Walters of Diablo Valley Community College; Sheila Jordan of the Alameda County Office of Education and April Treece, Project Manager-Workforce Initiative of the Contra Costa Economic Partnership. |
Task Force Briefings
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Upcoming briefings . . .
New and prospective Council members are
welcome to attend Task Force meetings. Please notify a Task Force chair prior
to the meeting to confirm time and location. Here is a list of upcoming briefings, as
currently scheduled: Health Care Task Force . . . Thurs., September 4,
8:30 a.m. . . . Morgan Miller Blair, 1331 N. California Blvd., Suite 200, Walnut
Creek. Recent activities have included discussion of
the current public television documentary series, "Unnatural Causes," as the
subject of a possible Council event; also updates on state budget reform, Doctors Medical Center, legislation and policy. Frank Puglisi will represent the Contra Costa Council on the Healthy and Active Before Five Leadership Council. Next meeting is Thurs., October 2. Contacts: Ron Wetter
and Frank Puglisi, Jr.
Environmental/Manufacturing Task Force . . . Fri.,
September 5, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Brown
and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 300,
Walnut Creek.
Presentation by Alan Gardner, president of Eco Friendly Energy Company, a Walnut Creek firm that provides alternative energy solutions, such as solar, fuel cell, wind and tide/wave. Next
meeting is Fri., October 3. Contacts: Peter McGaw and George SmithLand Use Task Force . . . Wed., September 10, 8
to 9 a.m. . . . Morrison & Foerster, 101 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Suite 450 (opposite Walnut Creek BART). Speakers will address SB 375, the Steinberg bill to reform land-use planning and decision-making to encourage transit-oriented and infill development, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gases to meet AB 32 goals; the bill was passed by the Senate on August 30 and now goes to the Governor. Wednesday's speakers are Todd Williams, Morgan Miller Blair, Paul Campos, Sr., VP and general counsel, Home Builders Association of No. California; and Eric Figueroa, regional rep, League of California Cities. Also on the agenda: Union Pacific's proposed reactivation of the "Mococo" (freight rail) line to help move goods from the Port of Oakland inland. Next meeting is Wed., October 8. Contacts: Dan Muller and Mike McGill
Water Task Force . . . Tues., September 16,
8:15 to 10 a.m. . . . Brown and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Dr., Suite 300, Walnut Creek. Recent interactive discussion with Les Grober, environmental program
manager, State Water Resources Control Board, regarding the Water Board's Strategic Workplan for activities in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta Estuary. Next meeting is Tues., October 21. Contact: Bob Whitley
Workforce Development & Education Task Force
. . . Thurs., September 18, 8:30 to 10 a.m. . . . JFK University, 100 Ellinwood, Conference Room S209, Pleasant Hill. Recent discussions about the impact of the state budget
crisis on public schools and pending legislation around longitudinal education
data and career technical education (AB 2648, SB 1298 and SB 1425). Next
meeting is Thurs., October 16. Contacts: April Treece
and Keith ArchuletaSmall Business & Entrepreneur Task
Force . . . Tues., September 23, 7:30 a.m. . . . Mass
Mutual Financial Group, 2121 N.
California Blvd., Suite 395, Walnut Creek.
Heard recently from Jay Lifson of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce;
updated by David Kelly on AB 2716. Next meeting is Tues., October 27. Contacts: Stuart Bolinger and Zachary SaharEconomic Development Task Force . . . Wed.,
September 24, 8 to 9 a.m. . . . City
National Bank, 2001 N. Main St., Suite 200, Walnut Creek.
Recently updated all of the Council Task Forces on the East Bay Green Economy Cluster Study.
Next meeting is Wed.,
October 22. Contacts: Gary Craft and Mike ConlonNonprofit/Business Task Force . . . Thurs., September 25, 8 a.m. . . . Chapman University, 2950 Buskirk Ave., Suite 200, Walnut
Creek. The Task Force is
monitoring the state budget situation and considering advocacy strategies. Next
meeting is Thurs., October 23. Contacts: Mike Erwin,
Mark Hughes and Terry ShoaffTransportation Task Force . . . Tues., October 7, 8 to 9:30 a.m. . . . PMI Building, 3003 Oak Road, Walnut
Creek . . . Recent teleconference with Jim Earp, executive director of the
California Alliance for Jobs and member of the California
Transportation Commission, providing an update on the Prop. 42 preservation discussions
and the alliance's ongoing public awareness campaign. Next meeting is Tues.,
November 4. Contacts: Hank Haugse
and Bob Brown
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| Task Force Spotlight |
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Concord Naval Weapons Station overview. --City of Concord photo
Concord Naval Weapons Station Ad Hoc Task Force fosters a bold vision in developing site
"The closure of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) provides the City of Concord with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create something significant and unique for future generations that will make Concord a focal point of the county and the region."
--From a letter to the Concord City Council from Contra Costa Council President and CEO Linda Best, June 16, 2006
This vision of the Contra Costa Council's Concord Naval Weapons Station Ad Hoc Task Force hasn't changed from the stance taken
by the Council two years ago. If anything, Task Force Co-chairs Gary Craft and Ed Shaffer now may support even more strongly statements in the
2006 letter about the importance of "embracing vision and boldness" in creating
a landmark area for Concord that "leaves a legacy for future generations as an
example of land-use planning at its absolute best."
Craft and Shaffer were logical choices for co-chairs when
the Task Force was established three years ago to monitor the city's efforts in
planning the 5,000-plus acre property and to recommend how the Council should
participate in the process. Principal of Craft Consulting Group in
Lafayette, Gary Craft has a graduate degree in city and regional planning and
has worked as a professional planner in the public sector and on the
development side in planning large-scale projects similar to the CNWS. A former
chairman of the Council, he also co-leads the Economic Development Task Force.
Craft grew up in Concord
and lived near the southwestern edge of the Naval Weapons property.
Current Council Chairman Ed Shaffer, a partner with the Archer Norris law firm in Walnut Creek,
also has a graduate degree in planning and was a city planner and planning
consultant before becoming a land use attorney. His practice focuses on
development permitting and guiding projects through the complex procedural and
substantive requirements of environmental review and development approval,
advising both property owners and public agencies. Actively involved in
the Council since 1997, Shaffer formerly served as chair-elect, chief legal
counsel and chairman of the Land Use Task Force.
Significant regional
resource
Shaffer explains that the CNWS Task Force meets on an ad hoc
basis. Its members come from the Council's permanent task forces--land use,
housing, education, economic development, environmental, transportation, water
and nonprofit--representing the broad spectrum of subjects that the Council
monitors. Early on, the group adopted basic principles and recommended planning
goals for reuse of the CNWS site (now called the Concord Community Reuse Project). From the Council's viewpoint, the property represents a
significant regional resource, providing new opportunities for economic
development, housing, open space and recreation, and important public spaces
and facilities.
"Our goal has been to support the city and recommend an
established process for moving forward, and by and large, there has been a good
public process with reasonable timeframes," says Shaffer, who notes that the
Council has urged the city to resist pressure from special interests as it
formulates a balanced land use plan.
The city originally identified seven possible land use
scenarios, representing different patterns and intensities of housing,
business, institutional, recreation and open space uses, which were studied in
an environmental impact report. Now the community is working to select a preferred alternative, with a target date of January
2009. Although the Navy has a different timeline, it has given Concord
an extension to mid-September 2008, but Concord
has indicated it needs at least another year to complete the process.
Narrowing the
alternatives
"Our feeling is that the city needs to narrow down the
alternatives to a preferred project as quickly as possible," says Craft. "The 'bubble
diagrams' being offered to describe the current alternative designs do not
effectively communicate what they are trying to accomplish. These designs need
to get to a greater level of detail so they articulate a vision of mixed-use
integration, connectivity and sustainability."
One of the last major available sites in central county
within the Urban Limit Line, the Naval Weapons site has excellent freeway
access and is close to the North Concord BART station. Given these attributes, the
Council's Ad Hoc Task Force reached a consensus that it made sense for portions
of the CNWS to be developed, "while simultaneously preserving and enhancing
existing natural resources and the scenic beauty of the property."
Shaffer observes that the site is an asset for both Concord and the region,
with the potential to provide valuable opportunities for housing, employment
and major new institutions, together with significant amounts of improved and
natural open space. However, he cautions that any overall land use plan must be
fiscally sound, generating enough revenue to fund the substantial roads,
utilities and other improvements required without creating a strain on the city's
finances.
Craft agrees that it is important to recognize that whatever
development occurs will have a regional impact, and hence a number of regional
issues need to be addressed, including transportation, water, the need for a
wide range of housing opportunities including workforce housing, scenic
corridors and wildlife habitat, a regional park to serve the growing population
and sensitivity to biological and cultural resources on the site. "This should
be a signature project for Concord
with the integration of a mix of land uses into a compact development that is
transit and pedestrian oriented," he says.
What does a
world-class vision look like?
Craft believes the project's designers need to consider what
the county's changing demographics could mean in terms of 21st
century housing, education, recreation and other needs. "We should be asking:
What does a world-class vision of a signature project look like?" This is a
project that should incorporate smart growth and "projects for public spaces" principles, green building criteria and renewable-energy
elements like solar technology in houses and other buildings.
Recycled water systems should be developed for irrigating
landscaped areas, designed with drought-tolerant and indigenous species to cut
water consumption. It should also integrate a mix of land uses around the BART
station, so that along with residential areas, there are also jobs, retail
shops and restaurants, trails and parks to serve the new residents. Walking and
bicycle paths should be integrated with the transportation system. An
employment center could offer jobs to people living within the development as
well as central and east county residents. Potential businesses could include "clean tech"
and medical equipment firms, or healthcare companies like MuirLab, post-secondary
education and applied research facilities, and other entrepreneurial
enterprises.
"We also need to think about how you create a transit loop
between downtown Concord
and the new development. This is a 25 percent expansion of the city and needs to
be integrated with the city and not seen as a separate community," says Craft.
"In the end, we hope to see a quality development, truly a visionary project. For
example, Concord
could put itself on the map with a great urban park that might include museums,
ball fields, hiking trails, creeks, open space and natural areas."
According to Shaffer, the Council is excited about the
opportunities presented by reuse of the Naval Station property and believes the
site will play an important role in improving both economic development and the
quality of life in the county--the two primary missions of the Contra Costa
Council. He finishes by complimenting
the careful and comprehensive planning effort being followed by Concord, which has
involved all interested parties and considered the full range of land use and environmental issues: "It's a very different way of thinking about
development." |
Corporate Member Spotlight
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 Praxair: Enabling cleaner fuels in Contra Costa County
Praxair has been
a Contra Costa corporate citizen for 50 years, and continues to operate an air
separation plant and cylinder-filling plant in Pittsburg. The Fortune 500 company's large
white tanker trucks with the big green Praxair logo are a familiar site on California highways as
they deliver product to customers throughout the state.
While achieving
a consistently excellent safety record, the company's approximately 1,000 California employees
operate a variety of industrial gases facilities. These range from half a dozen
large plants producing oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide and liquid
hydrogen to dozens of cylinder-filling stations and retail stores and more
specialized electronics facilities.
Praxair delivers
oxygen to hospitals; nitrogen for food freezing; argon for welding; helium for
MRI machines; carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery; and specialty gases to
computer chip manufacturers, to name just a few examples. In most cases, applications
of Praxair's products and technologies bring efficiency and environmental
benefits to customers in a wide variety of industries.
Another good
example is the hydrogen Praxair plans to produce and distribute in Contra Costa
County. Praxair's primary
customer, Chevron, will use the hydrogen to produce cleaner-burning gasoline
and diesel fuels. Hydrogen removes sulfur from crude oil during the refining
process. Sulfur is an ingredient of acid
rain. And by building a proposed pipeline, Praxair will be able to deliver
hydrogen in the safest, most efficient way to additional refineries in the
region. Plans include careful protection of the environment along the pipeline
route. Praxair has been meeting with local agencies, community groups and the
public to provide information and answer questions about its proposed project. More
information is available at |
New Members
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Please welcome this new Contra Costa Council member!
Robert A
Buchman, Managing Partner
Shapiro Buchman Provine & Patton, LLP
1333 No. California Blvd.,
Ste. 350
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925-944-9700 ph
925-944-9701 fax
rbuchman@sbllp.com
www.sbllp.com
A leading mid-size law firm in the Contra
Costa County Bay Area, which combines a diverse corporate, business, real
estate and estate planning practice with a highly regarded litigation practice.
............................................................................................. For information about joining the
Contra Costa Council, visit our website
or call our office at 925-246-1880. |
Our Mission
The mission of the
Contra Costa Council is to provide advocacy on public policy issues
affecting the economic vitality and quality of life in Contra Costa
County.
The Council engages on issues of critical importance to the business
community and residents of Contra Costa County, balancing the needs of
a diverse county though policy efforts that provide for economic
development while retaining our quality of life. The Council also produces top-tier events, including Contra Costa USA,
the premier business event in the County, featuring major national
speakers as well as providing a local perspective on current events.
The Council retains a close relationship with local, state and federal
elected officials. These relationships provide regular opportunities
for our members to interact with their political representatives and
other business leaders.
For more information about the Council, please visit our website.
To comment about items in this newsletter, please contact Linda Best at the Contra Costa Council.
This issue was edited for the Contra Costa Council by Molly A. Walker of Walker Communications.
© 2008 Contra Costa Council
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