The Board of Supervisors held their annual reorganization meeting on January 7, swearing-in Supervisor Karen Mitchoff as the chair for 2014, and electing Supervisor John Gioia as vice-chair. Outgoing Chair Federal Glover was honored for his leadership over the past year, and standing committee assignments were determined.  This year, Candace will serve on the following committees:

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Whose Heart is in your Hands?

Give your Valentine the gift of learning CPR  

As 2014 gets underway there will be a number of projects occurring in downtown Danville.   Some are public improvements while others are private redevelopment projects.  In an effort to give residents as much information as possible, a new website, click here has been launched to provide a single source of information on these projects.

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The Annual Commission Recruitment application deadline has been extended!!  The City of Orinda is seeking applications from  resident volunteers to serve on the following City Commissions and Committees:

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As the statewide vehicle theft coordinator, the California Highway Patrol embraces its leadership role to reduce vehicle theft, which is a significant economic drain on the people and law enforcement resources in California. The CHP actively coordinates and supports legislation in an effort to reduce vehicle theft related crimes. The CHP reviews state and federal regulations and existing laws affecting vehicle theft.  

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On January 21^st, the Board of Supervisors recognized the United States Power Squadrons with a signed resolution to commemorate their 100th Anniversary. The United States Power Squadrons was founded in 1914 at the encouragement of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, as a national organization to promote boating safety. 

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County Connection has launched a new program to ease traffic in Danville and along the I-680 corridor.  When the Alamo Creek, Monterosso, and Ponderosa Colony neighborhoods were developed through the County in unincorporated East Danville, they became part of a T-1 District, with each household paying a special assessment with their property taxes to be used for transit purposes.With this funding, County Connection has launched a pilot shuttle program which is free to anyone traveling to and from the neighborhoods to the Danville Park and Ride and Walnut Creek BART during commute hours, and to other locations throughout the rest of the day.

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Saturday, February 1st Supervisor Andersen joined Cub Scouts at Vista Grande Elementary School in Danville for their annual Pinewood Derby.  She had the opportunity to judge the cars, which were creatively carved, painted, and embellished by the boys from a block of wood. Categories included: Scouting/Patriotic; Best Designed Race Car; and Most Creative.  Following the judging, the boys raced their cars against one another in numerous heats until a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner were determined. The three top winners get to have their cars displayed at Norm's Place in Danville and are entitled to a free meal anytime they go there for the next year!

A town hall meeting was held in Martinez on January 22nd to present the draft operational study of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and seek feedback from the public. The District has been dealing with severe budget cuts that have resulted in decreased services and fire station closures. 

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The Town of Moraga plans to replace the Canyon Road bridge sometime in late 2015 or early 2016 using a grant from the Federal Highway Bridge Program. The current bridge was built in 1936 and has become structurally deficient. The new multi-span bridge will be approximately 120 feet long and 40 feet wide and will accommodate two 12-foot travel lanes and two 8-foot wide shoulders on both sides for bicyclists, along with one 5-foot wide sidewalk for pedestrians.

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The Great Race for Clean Air, being held March 1 through April 30, 2014, is a friendly competition between Bay Area employers to determine who will reign as the company with the best Bay Area Commuters!  The competition encourages employees to use commute alternatives such as transit, carpooling, vanpooling, walking and bicycling - anything but driving alone to work! For a list of categories that employers can win, click here.

Once your company is registered you will receive a welcome packet including posters and a series of email messages which you can use to promote the Great Race for Clean Air. All participating employees will be eligible for weekly prize drawings for gift cards from local merchants. Employees can track their commute trips using 511 Rideshare's online Trip Diary beginning March 1st. Contact Stephanie Anderson by  clicking here for details and/or questions.

Seeking Volunteers to Represent District 2

Supervisor Andersen is looking for volunteers from her district to fill seats on the following committees:

• Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board - Click here  for more information
• In Home Support Services Public Authority Advisory Committee - Click here  for more information
• Mental Health Commission (1 Consumer Seat) - Click here  for more information
• Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (1 youth representative-Alamo resident) - Click here  for more information
• County Service Area P-5 Citizens Advisory Committee (One Regular & two alternate seats - Residents of: Roundhill,Regency Woods and Windsor Green) 

Link to the Application: Click here for more information

The Board of Supervisors held their annual reorganization meeting on January 7, swearing-in Supervisor Karen Mitchoff as the chair for 2014, and electing Supervisor John Gioia as vice-chair. Outgoing Chair Federal Glover was honored for his leadership over the past year, and standing committee assignments were determined.  This year, Candace will serve on the following committees:

• Family & Human Services Committee
• Internal Operations Committee
• Transportation, Water & Infrastructure Committee
• Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (BayRICS) Authority
•  Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority
•  Dougherty Valley Oversight Committee
• East Bay Regional Communication System (EBRCS)  Authority Governing Board
• Hazardous Waste Management Facility Allocation Committee, Alternate
• Medical Services Joint Conference Committee
• Pleasant Hill BART/Contra Costa Centre Joint Powers Authority Board of Trustees
• Southwest Area Transportation Committee (SWAT)
• TRAFFIX, Measure J Traffic Congestion Relief Agency
• TRANSPAC, Alternate
• Tri-Valley Transportation Council
•  Central Contra Costa Transit Authority, (CCCTA) Board of  Directors
•  Contra Costa Transportation Authority, Alternate
• Local Agency Formation Commission, (LAFCO) Alternate
• Association of Bay Area Counties (ABAG) Executive Board, Alternate
• ABAG General Assembly, Alternate
• First 5 Children and Families Commission Member

Whose Heart is in your Hands?

Give your Valentine the gift of learning CPR  

As 2014 gets underway there will be a number of projects occurring in downtown Danville.   Some are public improvements while others are private redevelopment projects.  In an effort to give residents as much information as possible, a new website, click here has been launched to provide a single source of information on these projects.

The projects include: East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) water line replacement; installation of wayfinding signage; North Hartz Beautification; private redevelopment of the Danville Hotel Site; Railroad Avenue Improvements and private redevelopment of the Austin Root House.

Town of Danville Community Development Director Tai Williams said with all of these projects getting started this year, it is vitally important to keep residents informed.

"The idea behind having a website is that the community can go to a single web address and get everything they need to know, " Williams stated. "Project descriptions and plans, construction schedules, even who to contact for each project."

In addition to the website, the Town is also partnering with downtown businesses to disseminate information about the work happening downtown this year. Williams said several business owners have volunteered to be "Danville Insiders", who will receive periodic updates which they can then pass on to their customers and other business owners.

For more information on the new website or the outreach efforts, contact Community Development Director Tai Williams at (925) 314-3313  or e-mail Tai by clicking here. 

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The Annual Commission Recruitment application deadline has been extended!!  The City of Orinda is seeking applications from  resident volunteers to serve on the following City Commissions and Committees:

Art in Public Places Committee (2); Planning Commission (2); Parks & Recreation Commission (3); Citizens' Infrastructure Oversight Commission (2); Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (3); Finance Advisory Committee (3); Public Works Aesthetic Review Committee (1); Historic Landmark Committee (3).

The City of Orinda is also seeking applications from resident volunteers to serve as the City's Liaison to the following local agencies:

Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District Trustee (1); Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging (1); Representative on the Contra Costa County Library Commission (2); County Connection Citizens Advisory Committee (1).

Statement of Interest forms are available from the Orinda City Clerk's Office located at 22 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563. If you have any specific questions regarding the recruitment, please contact Michele Olsen, City Clerk at (925) 253-4221 or email her by clicking here. Application forms may also be downloaded from the City's website by  clicking here.

Completed Statement of Interest forms must be submitted to the City Clerk's Office by Friday, February 28, 2014 at 5:00pm.

Qualified applicants for City Commission and Committee appointments will be invited to interview before the full City Council on Saturday, March 15, 2014.

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As the statewide vehicle theft coordinator, the California Highway Patrol embraces its leadership role to reduce vehicle theft, which is a significant economic drain on the people and law enforcement resources in California. The CHP actively coordinates and supports legislation in an effort to reduce vehicle theft related crimes. The CHP reviews state and federal regulations and existing laws affecting vehicle theft.  

In Contra Costa County, the Highway Patrol works closely with local law enforcement agencies, investigators from the district attorneys' office, prosecutors from the district attorney's office, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. 6,788 vehicles were reported stolen in Contra Costa County during 2012.  Of those, 6,673 were recovered. There were an estimated 919,403 vehicles registered in Contra Costa County in 2012 (697,279 autos, 139,494 trucks, 56,886 trailers and 25,744 motorcycles).   Final 2013 statistics are still being reviewed.

Why Are Vehicles Stolen?       

• To commit other crimes (such as robberies, break and enters, drug dealing or drive by shootings)     
• For transportation (thieves will use your vehicle to get where they want to go and abandon the vehicle)      
• For vehicle cloning (given a fraudulent identification number and then sold to unsuspecting persons who are defrauded of their money)       
• To sell the vehicle as a whole or parts (identification numbers may be altered or removed, ownership certificates forged, parts sold or the vehicle repainted)

How to Protect Your Vehicle

• Never leave valuables in your vehicle
• Lock your vehicle and keep the keys in your possession
• Use a visual deterrent such as steering wheel lock
• Completely close car windows, including sunroof when vehicle is parked
• Never leave your vehicle unattended while the engine is running (especially on cold winter morning)
• After parking, always activate your vehicle's security system
• Remove all portable accessories (phones, GPS, mp3) from plain view (and their holders)
• Ensure that the dealership you bought your vehicle from has not put a valet key in the owner's manual in your glove box.  Thieves know to look for this key  
• Be careful with your keys; don't hide an extra set in the vehicle, thieves know where to look
• If you have a garage use it to park your car
• If you don't have a garage, park in a visible location by a light, or as close to the house as possible
• Keep your registration and insurance papers secure

Anti Theft Devices

There are numerous anti-theft devices on the market. These include, steering wheel locks, automatic engine shut offs, satellite tracking, window etching, and many types of car alarms.

Buyer Beware

When buying a vehicle, make sure that the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the dashboard identification plate matches that on the vehicle registration (and any forms) and that it has not been tampered with. If it has been tampered with, it may be a stolen vehicle.

Potential signs:

• Loose rivets; Scratched numbers
• Mismatched rivets, screws in place of rivets, tape, glue or paint over the VIN
• Demand on seeing the original Vehicle Registration form not a copy.
• Ask the seller to provide you with photo identification and check that the name on the registration form is the same as the person standing in front of you. Make sure you have a valid home address, home number, and work number.
• Ask to see the service records for the vehicle. Stolen vehicles don't usually come with maintenance records.
• Check the license plate on the vehicle to ensure it matches the registration papers.
• Check the odometer reading (average is 25,000 km/yr.) Is the wear of the car consistent with the odometer reading?
• Be aware, if you buy a stolen vehicle it will be seized by police without any compensation.

On January 21^st, the Board of Supervisors recognized the United States Power Squadrons with a signed resolution to commemorate their 100th Anniversary. The United States Power Squadrons was founded in 1914 at the encouragement of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, as a national organization to promote boating safety. The Power Squadrons is the largest volunteer boating organization in virtually every state and territory. Local squadrons offer boating safety courses on a regular basis to boaters in our communities. These courses are open to the public and there is no age limit for participants. USPS squadrons have offered these courses for over half a century and have educated more than 3 million boaters to date. Successfully completing a USPS boating safety course meets the educational requirements for boat operation in all states. In a cooperative program with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, squadron members conduct courtesy Vessel Safety Checks of boats at the request of their owners. To learn more about this program, and how to get your boat checked, click here. Power Squadrons members also help the National Ocean Service keep our nautical charts accurate by reporting chart corrections, and our local squadrons participate in many other community improvement projects.

Locally, Diablo Sail and Power Squadron is sponsoring "America's Boating Course," a two day training on March 29 and April 5.  Classes are open to the public and designed for all boaters.  This course meets the educational requirements of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. For more information on "America's Boating Course" and Diablo Sail and Power Squadron, call (925) 377-2628, or click here to register for the course. The cost is $45 and includes educational materials and lunch.  The event is being held at the Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road in Walnut Creek.  Successful completion of this course may reduce your boat insurance.  

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County Connection has launched a new program to ease traffic in Danville and along the I-680 corridor.  When the Alamo Creek, Monterosso, and Ponderosa Colony neighborhoods were developed through the County in unincorporated East Danville, they became part of a T-1 District, with each household paying a special assessment with their property taxes to be used for transit purposes.With this funding, County Connection has launched a pilot shuttle program which is free to anyone traveling to and from the neighborhoods to the Danville Park and Ride and Walnut Creek BART during commute hours, and to other locations throughout the rest of the day.

The morning schedule picks up riders between 6:00 a.m. -6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m., and 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.; arriving at the Walnut Creek BART station at 7:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 10:00 a.m. The evening schedule departs Walnut Creek BART at 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.  Throughout the day the shuttle can be requested by neighbors to travel to other locations within the corridor along Camino Tassajara and I-680.  The services are free and Alamo Creek, Ponderosa Colony, and Monterosso residents can schedule a pick-up at their door.  The number to call for reservations is (925) 943-1829.

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The Supervisors and County staff listen to Jim Broman and Guillermo Fuentes, both from Fitch Consultants, present their preliminary findings

A town hall meeting was held in Martinez on January 22nd to present the draft operational study of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and seek feedback from the public. The District has been dealing with severe budget cuts that have resulted in decreased services and fire station closures. In February 2013, the Board of Supervisors, serving as the Board of Directors of the Fire District, approved a contract with Fitch and Associates, LLC to conduct a study of District operations and make recommendations for future service delivery options. Since that time, the consultants met with stakeholders throughout the County and conducted three public town hall meetings in August 2013.

At the town Hall, the consultants summarized the draft report by presenting a district overview, their observations, a fiscal analysis, three options for service delivery, and the project's next steps. Following the presentation, they answered questions from the public. Click here to view the PowerPoint Presentation from the Town Hall Meeting. Fitch plans to present study findings to the Board of Supervisors February 25th, 2014. For more information regarding Fitch and Associates, LLC and the Fire Study, please click here.   

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The Town of Moraga plans to replace the Canyon Road bridge sometime in late 2015 or early 2016 using a grant from the Federal Highway Bridge Program. The current bridge was built in 1936 and has become structurally deficient. The new multi-span bridge will be approximately 120 feet long and 40 feet wide and will accommodate two 12-foot travel lanes and two 8-foot wide shoulders on both sides for bicyclists, along with one 5-foot wide sidewalk for pedestrians.

Moraga anticipates that a conceptual design plan with recommendations for construction staging will be available for discussion at a community outreach meeting sometime this summer.  Additional outreach meetings will take place to receive community and other agencies' input.  A final meeting will take place prior to the start of construction to inform the community of the plan for construction staging and to introduce the construction management team, who will be on-site during construction and available for any questions throughout the duration of the project.

The bridge replacement construction will be phased so that people will be able to continue to cross as they do now.  A portion of the existing bridge will be demolished and a section of the new bridge constructed.  Vehicles will be required to cross the bridge one-at-a-time with stop controls at each end or temporary traffic signals on each end.  With completion of the first stage of the new bridge, vehicles will then be shifted to the new bridge, and then the remaining portions of the old, existing bridge will be demolished and the second half constructed. 

If you would like more information on the bridge project, you may contact the project manager at the Town of Moraga, Laurie Sucgang by email or by phone at (925) 888-7026.  

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