Dedication Ceremony Held for County Administration Campus B | | | On July 9th, the Board of Supervisors held a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the award winning Contra Costa County Administration Building. This is a new cutting-edge office administration building and civic plaza located in the heart of downtown Martinez.
This new facility stands on the historic grounds previously occupied by a taller, outdated office tower and a jail dating back to around 1902, both of which were demolished to make way for modern development. The new building showcases state-of-the-art architecture that harmonizes beautifully with the surrounding historic buildings, rejuvenating the public plaza. It embodies sustainability with onsite photovoltaics for high-performance energy use, responsibly sourced finishes, and low embodied carbon materials.
The development significantly enhances community space by adding a new public law library, ground floor retail spaces, and a parking garage. It also includes street improvements and an advanced stormwater system tailored to the site’s unique groundwater challenges and topography. Internally, the building acts as a hub for several County administrative departments, including the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, the Law Library, the Public Defender, and the County Sheriff’s Civil Division, consolidating essential services under one roof to improve service delivery and enhance community interaction.
The Supervisors, as well as members of the Martinez City Council and other elected officials, celebrated this significant contribution to Contra Costa County, where modernity meets tradition and community service meets innovation.
| | Summer Activities in District Two | | |
The Town of Danville is happy to present a summer full of your favorite traditions and new experiences!
Outdoor concerts are back, so grab your friends and family for fun summer nights. Concerts are every other Saturday July 6-20 at Oak Hill Park, and August 3 on the Town Green. MORE
Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to the Town Green and enjoy a movie under the stars. Movies begin at sundown, every other Friday June 28-July 26. Kids' crafts and activities at 6 before each movie. MORE
The Town's 14th annual juried exhibition, Botanica, opens with a free public reception July 13. The works explore floral inspirations through a variety of mediums. MORE
Shakespeare’s quintessential romantic comedy, complete with mistaken identities, love triangles, and those who are lost, finding themselves in love. This live production by SPARC Theater comes to the Village Theatre. MORE
The Town of Moraga’s Concert Series Information can be found here.
City of Orinda Concerts can be found here.
San Ramon concerts can be found here.
Walnut Creek concerts can be found here.
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House Rockers & Food Trucks in Alamo Tonight!
On Friday, July 12th, the House Rockers will be in Alamo! The concert will also include two food trucks, Betty's Buns and Global Express Catering.
Date: Friday, July 12
Location: Livorna Park (located at the corner of Livorna Road and Miranda Avenue)
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm
| | The House Rockers are a ten piece band from Northern California performing some of the greatest Rock and Soul songs ever recorded. | | Yummy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls — Made from Scratch, No Preservatives, Soft, Moist and Delicious! | | Serving California Cuisine with a twist! | | |
Contra Costa County Public Works to begin Construction on
Livorna Road Shoulder Widening Project
Contra Costa County Public Works will begin construction of the Livorna Road Shoulder Widening Project on Monday, July 15, 2024, and continue through Friday, August 2, 2024, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will take place between 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, weather permitting. The work consists of roadway shoulder widening along a 200-foot segment of Livorna Road between Douglas Court and Paseo De Sol.
Traffic control will be used. Message boards will alert drivers about the work. Drivers should expect delays of up to 10 minutes through the construction zone and consider alternative routes during working hours.
Funding for this project is provided by a local Transportation Development Act grant and Gas Tax Funds. For more information visit: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/9876/Livorna-Road-Shoulder-Widening
| | Supervisor Andersen to Speak at the San Ramon and Danville Area Chambers of Commerce State of the County Luncheon | | |
Please join the San Ramon and Danville Area Chambers of Commerce as Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen gives her Annual "State of the County Address".
To register for the event go Here
| | County Anticipates a 4.17% Increase in 2024 - 2025 Property Assessment Roll | | |
The "2024-2025” Assessor's Close of Roll Affidavit" has been delivered to the County Auditor, as required by law.
The increase to the local tax base for 2024-2025 is over $11.16 billion, which represents a 4.17% increase in assessed value and brings the total net local assessment roll to more than $278.83 billion. The 2024-2025 assessment roll is the highest to date in Contra Costa County’s history.
Cities with the largest increases in assessed value include Antioch, Oakley, and Martinez with increases ranging from 4.99% up to 6.09%. San Ramon, Concord, and Walnut Creek saw the lowest assessed value increases ranging from 2.97% down to 1.45%. The assessment roll now consists of 380,681 parcels, an increase of 1,239 over the previous year.
The Assessor’s annual letter to the Board of Supervisors and 2024-2025 Assessment Roll Reports can be found at:
Close-of-Assessment-Roll-Letter-and-Reports
| | Library Digital Resource - Mango Languages | | Start learning a new language with Mango, now available through the Library. Choose from over 70 world languages. Enjoy native speaker audio and cultural context that will fully immerse you in the language. Mango includes Little Pim for young children, American Sign Language, and English as a Second Language for non-English speakers. Visit the Digital Resources page at ccclib.org to get started. | |
New Health Permit Allows Home Kitchens to Sell Meals
to The Public in Contra Costa
| | | Contra Costa residents interested in selling home-cooked food to the public can now get a health permit to do so, an affordable option for entrepreneurs that ensures the safety of their customers.
Beginning July 1, Contra Costa Health (CCH) offers a new type of food permit for small-scale, home-based restaurants operated inside private homes by their residents. Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs) can offer meals for dine-in, delivery and takeout.
“By providing this option we ensure that people who sell food out of their homes do so in a safe manner that protects the health of our community,” said Federal Glover, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “We also open the door for neighborhood businesses, and for more access to healthy, nutritious food in areas where options may be limited.”
The board unanimously adopted an ordinance in May authorizing the county to offer the permit under terms of a 2018 state law. Several other Bay Area jurisdictions already do so, including Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Solano counties, and the City of Berkeley.
The permit allows meals to be stored, handled, and prepared to be served or delivered in a private residence. Most other food permits require a commercial kitchen in a restaurant or similar facility.
A permitted home can also serve as a space to prepare food for sale on street carts, a requirement to obtain a cart vendor health permit that has proven to be a significant barrier in Contra Costa.
As with holders of standard commercial food permits, MEHKO permit holders must meet requirements relating both to the spaces where their businesses operate and the food-safety training of operators. CCH will inspect each permit holder annually or more often.
The MEHKO permits do limit the holder to selling no more than 30 meals per day and 90 meals per week, and no more than $100,000 in gross annual sales. There are also some limitations regarding the type of food that may be served.
CCH will schedule workshops throughout the county later this year for potential applicants.
“This permit is great for new entrepreneurs who are just getting started,” CCH Environmental Health Director Kristian Lucas said. “It’s also a way for the public to know that a seller advertising on social media is complying with food safety regulations.”
MEHKO permit holders will be required to display their permits at their homes, and their health inspection records will be available to the public at cchealth.org.
For more information about the new permits, including how to apply, visit cchealth.org/homekitchens.
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Innovative Permanent Supportive Housing Complex Set to Open in San Pablo
Contra Costa County has transformed a vacant office building in San Pablo into 54 micro-unit apartments for homeless adults with disabilities, thanks to funding from Measure X and the state’s Homekey program.
El Portal Place, 2555 El Portal Drive, will serve some of the county’s most vulnerable residents with permanent supportive housing that includes onsite services such as case management, community supports, and referrals to services such as behavioral health, benefits assistance, and healthcare.
“El Portal Place is an innovative project connecting people in desperate need with quality housing and services to improve their health,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, whose district includes San Pablo. “We appreciate our strong partnership with the City of San Pablo, and the continued support from Governor Gavin Newsom. These homes help us achieve equity and improved health for county residents.”
The facility will become the first built by the county specifically for residents who meet federal criteria for chronic homelessness, meaning they have been unhoused for a long period of time and have disabilities that prevent them from maintaining permanent housing on their own.
When tenants arrive later this summer, each will live in a micro-unit apartment with bathroom, kitchenette and workspace, in a complex with a community room, courtyard, garden, and dog park. Onsite staff will assist in coordinating a comprehensive range of services for residents, supported by federal and state funding.
“Providing stability for people experiencing homelessness not only lifts up those served, but it also lifts our entire community,” said Federal Glover, chair of the county Board of Supervisors. “El Portal Place is an example of putting public funds to work to do something about homelessness.”
| | | | Pass2Class: Free Bus Passes for Students | | Join CentralSan for a Free Bicycling Tour | | |
Discover what’s happening beneath your wheels! In partnership with Bike Concord, the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (CentralSan) will guide participants along a portion of their wastewater infrastructure following the Iron Horse Trail. The free tour will take place on Saturday, July 13, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, beginning at California High School and going to the Museum of the San Ramon Valley in downtown Danville and back.
For more information and to register, visit centralsan.org/bike.
| | Contra Costa County Behavioral Health Seeking Proposals to Provide Substance Use Disorder Services | | |
Contra Costa Behavioral Health – Alcohol and Other Drugs Services (AODS) is soliciting proposals from qualified agencies that have the necessary qualifications to provide substance use disorder (“SUD”) services for beneficiaries aged 13-21 and adults. Whether an organization has such qualifications will be determined through a review process as described in the continuous solicitation document.
At this time, AODS is emphasizing the immediate need in the following SUD Categories:
1. Early Intervention Services for ASAM Level 0.5 also known as EPSDT 2. Outpatient Treatment Services for ASAM Level 1.0;
3. Intensive Outpatient Treatment Services for ASAM Level 2.1.
Additional information pertaining to the requirements and locations of needed services can be found in the continuous solicitation document. Contract negotiations will occur on a first-come, first-served basis as responses to the solicitation are received and approved so requesting a solicitation packet and submitting a timely response does improve the chances of receiving a contract.
CCBH is hoping to execute the first contracts by November 2024.
To receive a copy of this Solicitation, please go to Contra Costa Health Ongoing Contracting Opportunities page:
hsdmobile.cchealth.org/ConSolicitEx/Contracts
For questions contact: Famima Matal Sol Fatima.MatalSol@cchealth.org or Christopher Pedraza Christopher.Pedraza@cchealth.org
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Contra Costa County TRUTH Act Community Forum
Scheduled for July 23
| State law requires each County to annually hold a Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds (“TRUTH”) Act Forum to provide information regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to individuals by County employees, and to receive and consider public comment, pursuant to Government Code Sections 7283 and 7283.1. | |
Do You Want to Make a Difference in the Lives of
Contra Costa Families?
| | The Office of Reentry & Justice is Hiring a New Program Manager | | Applications For 2024 Fall District Attorney Community Academy Now Open | | Make A Splash This Summer | | Make a splash this summer by joining the Summer Water Savers Challenge! By taking water efficiency actions from the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge, you can help to meet the goal to save 500,000 gallons of water now through August 31st. If the goal is met, 2 participants will be selected from a random drawing to win $25 Ace gift cards. Don't be a fish out of water, play today! | | County Volunteer Opportunities | | |
Community Advisory Board (CAB) on Public Safety Realignment
Central County Residents Preferred
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) on Public Safety Realignment was established by the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) Executive Committee in December 2012 to provide input on community needs; assess implementation of the realignment plan; review data on realignment outcomes; advise the CCP on community engagement strategies; offer recommendations for ongoing realignment planning; advise County agencies regarding programs for implementation in the County; and encourage outcomes that are consistent with the County’s Reentry Strategic Plan.
Submit an Application Online here. Questions? Contact: The Office of Reentry & Justice, by phone at (925) 313-4087.
For more information on CAB membership duties and activities, please visit their website contracosta.ca.gov/4165/Community-Advisory-Board-CAB.
Mental Health Commission - https://cchealth.org/mentalhealth/mhc/
The primary purpose of the Commission is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors and to the Mental Health Division and its staff. Mission Statement: To influence the County's Mental Health System to ensure the delivery of quality services that are effective, efficient, culturally relevant, and responsive to the needs and desires of the clients it serves with dignity and respect; and to be the advocate with the Board of Supervisors, the Mental Health Division, and the community on behalf of all Contra Costa County residents who need mental health services.
Find out more information about volunteering for an advisory body here co.contra-costa.ca.us/3418.
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