Supervisor Andersen and the District 2 Staff 

wish you a Happy New Year!

Each January at the County Board of Supervisors' first meeting the board is reorganized. On January 6 Supervisor John Gioia (District 1) was elected Chair. Supervisor Andersen was elected to be the Vice-Chair.  

A new park is coming to Alamo and your input is needed. Last spring the Board of Supervisors, upon the recommendation of the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), purchased a .70 acre parcel which sits at the corner of Danville Boulevard and Hemme Avenue, and backs up to the Iron Horse Trail. 

At the December 2, 2014, Board of Supervisors' meeting, the Supervisors declared November as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in Contra Costa County. For more information about pancreatic cancer or to get involved in the fight against pancreatic cancer, click here.

District 2 is delighted to announce Jennifer Quallick as the newest member of our team. Most recently, Jennifer worked for Supervisor Mary Piepho who represents District 3, which used to include all of the San Ramon Valley. With Supervisor Piepho's gracious support, Jen has come back to serve the people in the community where she lives.  

Congratulations to the Hansamo Scholarship Award recipients at Dougherty Valley High School who were honored on December 17th! They do an amazing job promoting Korean language and culture in the San Ramon Valley.  

Seniors are a vulnerable audience, often preyed upon by unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors. Senior Scam Stopper seminars have been offered throughout the state since 1999 in cooperation with legislators, state and local agencies, law enforcement, district attorneys, and community-based organizations.

Starting in January, changes in state law will permit retail food businesses to allow dogs in outdoor dining areas, if they meet several conditions intended to protect diners and staff.  

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Rotary Club of Moraga was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by Janet Young, Executive Director of the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall Auxiliary, an organization that aids the boys and girls incarcerated there. The award was accepted by Rotarian Barbara Bruner, the Community Services Chair for several years, on behalf of the Club.

In addition to the District 2 vacancies listed below, Supervisor Andersen would like to draw your attention to the following list of countywide advisory bodies that currently have At Large Seats available, such as the Advisory Council on Aging, Advisory Council on Equal Employment Opportunity, Agricultural Task Force Committee, Alcohol & Other Drugs Advisory Board, Arts & Culture Commission, County Connection Citizen Advisory Committee, Economic Opportunity Council, Homelessness Advisory Board, Local Child Care & Development Planning Council, Managed Care Commission, Public & Environmental Health Advisory Board, and the Workforce Development Board.

To apply for any of these seats, you can click on this link: click here 

* Countywide Bicycle Committee

* County Service Area P-5 Citizens Advisory Committee (1 Alternate Seat - Residents of: Roundhill, Regency Woods or Windsor Green)

* Contra Costa Commission for Women -

Supervisor Andersen and the District 2 Staff wish you a

Happy New Year!

Each January at the County Board of Supervisors' first meeting the board is reorganized. On January 6 Supervisor John Gioia (District 1) was elected Chair. Supervisor Andersen was elected to be the Vice-Chair. New committee assignments were also made.  A list of all of the committees and boards Candace will be serving on in 2015 can be found listed on the left side of the newsletter.

Supervisor Andersen thanks Supervisor Gioia at the Board Reorganization event for donating on her behalf to Early Childhood Mental Health.

One very important issue the Board of Supervisors will be discussing prior to their retreat is the 33%/$32,000 pay raise voted in on a 4-1 vote on October 28.  Supervisor Andersen was the only vote in opposition to this raise.  She also signed a waiver declining the raise, instead accepting the same 4% raise offered to employees.   It is anticipated that the pay raise will be rescinded at the Board's January 13, 2015 meeting.

Public employees and community members collected close to 40,000 signatures seeking a referendum on this pay raise issue. These signatures were delivered to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors on January 2, 2015, which automatically suspended the pay raise ordinance.  Rather than waiting the 30 days allowed by law to verify the authenticity of the voters who signed the petitions (25,400 valid signatures of registered voters is required), and then deciding whether to rescind the pay raise ordinance or put the issue up to a vote of the public, the other Supervisors have publically indicated a willingness to not expend additional County resources on this matter and intend to rescind the pay raise at the Board's January 13, 2015 meeting.  There is the option to just rescind the measure, or to also pass a new ordinance with a lower pay raise which would be more acceptable to the public and County employees.

If you're not able to attend a County Board of Supervisors meeting, you can always watch it live on Contra Costa Television (CCTV), click here Comcast Channel 27, Astound Channel 32, or AT&T Uverse Channel 99.  An archive of prior meetings can be viewed here.  

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A new park is coming to Alamo and your input is needed. Last spring the Board of Supervisors, upon the recommendation of the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), purchased a .70 acre parcel which sits at the corner of Danville Boulevard and Hemme Avenue, and backs up to the Iron Horse Trail. The Alamo MAC is excited about creating plans for this park site and is reaching out to the community to get its suggestions on everything from the amenities desired to the name of the park.

We invite you to participate in the planning process of this future park. We have received about 100 responses and are offering one last chance to participate. Please click here to take our initial on-line survey with regard to park amenities. Visit www.alamoparks.com by  clicking here for more information about the planning process as it becomes available. Click here to e-mail Jen Quallick in my office with park related questions.  

You have an open-invitation to attend any of our monthly Alamo MAC meetings, held the first Tuesday of each month, at 6:00 p.m., at the Alamo Women's Club, 1401 Danville Boulevard. The Alamo MAC is made up of seven members, a youth representative and an alternate who are all Alamo residents, reflecting a diverse cross-section of the community. They are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors and make recommendations regarding development, land use, traffic, transportation, parks and recreation to me  and the entire Board. This monthly meeting is where the community will have the opportunity to share their opinions directly with the council about this new park.

For additional information about the Alamo MAC meetings and/or to be added to our Alamo MAC Distribution list, please e-mail Jen Quallick by clicking here or call my office at (925) 957-8860.

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• Simulated attack involving multiple chemicals to produce a toxic gas.
• Biological agent released onto luggage in a plane in an attempt to get the passengers sick.
• A terrorist attack involving railcars containing Bakken Crude.
• Chemical warfare agent lab.
• Chemical warfare agent lab, and
• A radiological incident at a shipping sorting facility.

The Contra Costa Hazardous Materials Incident Response Team won this event for the second time in three years.  Last year the team placed second and third with the best combined score of any team.

The team was able to win this year because of extraordinary teamwork, strong leadership from the veteran team members, and the willingness of the new members to learn and do whatever it takes to get the job done. It's nice to know that we are  prepared for emergencies and disasters in our County.

To read more about Urban Shield click here.  

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District 2 is delighted to announce Jennifer Quallick as the newest member of our team. Most recently, Jennifer worked for Supervisor Mary Piepho who represents District 3, which used to include all of the San Ramon Valley. With Supervisor Piepho's gracious support, Jen has come back to serve the people in the community where she lives.  

Among the keys to her success have been the ability to work collaboratively with divergent interests to solve problems, attention to detail and understanding of the workings of government services, particularly land use planning and development entitlements.

In addition to her county service, her private sector career included responsible positions in deploying wireless telecommunications networks, marketing, and home building operations as well as property acquisition.

Jennifer graduated from Saint Mary's College of California with a degree in Mass Communications and was a member of the Leadership San Ramon Valley - Class of 2011. A long-time Contra Costa County resident, she resides in San Ramon with her two young children, Riley and Kyra, and husband Jesse. You can email Jen by clicking here.

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• Keep fireplace fires small.
• Always use a screen to prevent sparks from entering the room.
• Never burn trash, paper, decorations or holiday trees in the fireplace.
• Discard ashes into a closed metal container located away from the house.
• Keep all fixed and portable space heaters at least 3-feet away from all fuels.

However, no wood fire burning is allowed on Spare the Air days. The Winter Spare the Air program notifies residents when particulate matter levels are anticipated to be unhealthy. On these high pollution days, the Air District will issue a Winter Spare the Air Alert which prohibits wood burning throughout the Bay Area. For more information and to sign up for Spare the Air updates, click here.  

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Seniors are a vulnerable audience, often preyed upon by unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors. Senior Scam Stopper seminars have been offered throughout the state since 1999 in cooperation with legislators, state and local agencies, law enforcement, district attorneys, and community-based organizations.

Seminars provide information about construction-related scams and how seniors can protect themselves when hiring a contractor. Sessions feature expert speakers from many local, state, and federal agencies, who present broader topics, including identity theft, auto repair, Medicare, foreign lotteries, and mail fraud.

If you are interested, you may join one of the upcoming seminars. Check the calendar for a seminar near you. Click here  for more information. Or contact CSLB's outreach coordinator at (916) 255-3273 for additional details.

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Starting in January, changes in state law will permit retail food businesses to allow dogs in outdoor dining areas, if they meet several conditions intended to protect diners and staff. The modification to California's health code, signed by Governor Jerry Brown in August, does allow local government to restrict or prevent dogs in restaurants, but Contra Costa County has no such ordinance. Beginning January 1, 2015, state law allows restaurants to seat diners with dogs on leashes or in carriers in outdoor dining areas that have a separate entrance. (Service or police canines are allowed both in outside and indoor dining areas.) Food cannot be prepared or stored in the pet area, and dogs may not eat or drink from dishes used to serve food to people. The law does not change the health and safety standards by which the county regulates retail food businesses; restaurants that allow dogs will follow the same rules and be subject to the same regulatory and inspection requirements as other businesses. County Environmental Health Division is studying the changes and has prepared information to share with the public and facility operators. Read more information on their website by clicking here.  

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Rotary Club of Moraga was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by Janet Young, Executive Director of the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall Auxiliary, an organization that aids the boys and girls incarcerated there. The award was accepted by Rotarian Barbara Bruner, the Community Services Chair for several years, on behalf of the Club.

This is the 18th year that Moraga Rotary has provided about 300-320 children at Juvenile Hall with handmade & decorated Christmas stockings filled with presents such as candy, a pair of socks, a deck of cards, puzzle books, soaps, shampoos, and other cosmetics. The stockings were cut and sewn by Moraga Rotarians, spouses, and friends. Girls at Juvenile participated in the decorating of the stockings with original designs in glitter glue. Stockings were given to about 30 girls and 270 boys on Christmas Day, along with many dozens of cookies which were donated by Joan Bruzzone. In some cases, the stockings were the only presents these children received. The program was originated by Rotarians Jim and Linda Campbell.

Rotary Club of Moraga is a local service club within Rotary International, one of about 33,000 Rotary Clubs in about 200 countries. Regular meetings are held on most Tuesdays at the Soda Center at St. Mary's College, and for further information, please call Frank May at 925-376-8195, or check out by clicking here.

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Ever wonder what your Supervisor does at that weekly Tuesday Board of Supervisors Meeting?  Here are some of the board actions from the month of December which impact the residents of District 2:    

Declared the month of December 2014 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen and Piepho.

Recognized the Hazardous Materials Incident Response Team for placing first at the 2014 Urban Shield Exercise.

Approved the recommendation of the County Planning Commission to nominate two trees located on 2444 Lunada Lane in Alamo as Heritage Trees.

Accepted the County Planning Commission recommendation to adopt the 2014 Housing Element Update to the County General Plan.

Conducted a hearing on the adoption of a Resolution to establish and update service fees for the Environmental Health Division of Contra Costa County Health Services, to be effective January 1, 2015; Adopted Ordinance authorizing the collection of a plan review fee for plan reviews and inspections of food facilities and public swimming pools.

Considered the District Attorney's report of accomplishments.

Adjourned in memory of Roger Poynts, from the Town of Moraga, Mardy Robinson, from Lafayette, and Barclay Simpson, Orinda Resident.

Approved/Authorized a grant application to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery for rubberized asphalt concrete and chip seal projects, Countywide.

Approved/Authorized right of way services to the Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority for its I-680 Express Lane Project, and for payment to the County.

Approved/Authorized application/acceptance of grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program in an amount not to exceed $950,000 for the purchase of a thermal imaging cameras and a regional command vehicle.

Recognized the 60th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Danville, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen.

Recognized Sue Severson for her years of service on the Orinda City Council, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen.

Recognized Ken Chew for his service on the Moraga Town Council, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen.

Recognized Kristina D. Lawson for her service on the Walnut Creek City Council, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen and Mitchoff.

Accepted the resignation of Judy Carney; Declared vacant the District II Seat on the Contra Costa County Commission for Women; Directed the Clerk of the Board to post the vacancy, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen.

Appointed Catherine Taughinbaugh to the District II-C Seat on the Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board of Contra Costa County, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen.

Appointed Barbara Serwin to the District II Consumer Seat of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen

Approved/Authorized application/acceptance of a continuation grant from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women for Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program.

Approved/Authorized a novation contract with Contra Costa ARC (Advocacy, Respect. Commitment) to provide wrap-around services including community based mental health services, to high risk youth and their families.

Approved/Authorized a contract amendment with Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa increasing the payment limit to provide Long Term Care Ombudsman Services to Seniors.

Declared/Accepted the results of the General Election conducted on November 4, 2014 as on file in Contra Costa County Elections Division.

Accepted a report from the Fire Chief providing a status summary for ongoing Fire District activities and initiatives.

Approved/Authorized a purchase contract with Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $9,500,000 for the manufacture and sale of three 100' aerial ladder trucks, nine Type I fire engines, and one heavy rescue truck; Approved/Authorized a lease-purchase agreement with Oshkosh Capital for an amount not to exceed $10,500,000, including finance charges, with annual payments not to exceed $1,000,000 and a term not to exceed 10 years. 

Adopted Ordinance establishing a fee for first-responder emergency medical services provided by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Recognized John Wyro, President of the Board of Directors for the Moraga Orinda Fire District upon his retirement, as recommended by Supervisor Andersen. 

Approved/Authorized application for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections, to reduce violent crime and recidivism within the County, and to sign the Grant Agreement with the BSCC, including any amendments thereof.

Appointed, in lieu of election, individuals to the governing boards of four districts where no declarations of candidacy were filed in the November 4, 2014 General Election.

Honored former County Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier.

Accepted findings and Approved proposed recommendations related to the County's Alcoholic Beverage Sales Commercial Activities Ordinance, particularly as related to the sale of "Alcopop" and beverages marketed to under-aged youth. Referred the proposed Ordinance changes to the County Planning Commission, as recommended by the Public Protection Committee.

Reviewed/Approved the Draft Emergency Ambulance Request for Proposal (RFP) for emergency ambulance services for Emergency Response Areas I, II and V and DIRECT the EMS Director, or designee, to finalize the RFP for submission to the California State Emergency Medical Services Authority.

Adopted the FY 2015/16 Recommended Budget development schedule.

Accepted as complete the contracted work performed by Breneman, Inc., for the Stone Valley Road Bike Lane Gap Closure Project, Alamo.

Approved/Authorized a contract amendment with Hanna Engineering, Inc. (dba The Hanna Group) to increase the payment limit for construction management services for the Camino Tassajara Shoulder Widening Project, San Ramon.

Approved the Final Map and Subdivision Agreement for a project by Shapell Homes, San Ramon-Dougherty Valley.

Approved/Authorized a contract with John Muir Health Inc. to pay the County to be designated as a Primary Stroke Center.

Approved/Authorized a contract amendment with Alta Planning & Design, to extend the term and increase the payment limit to complete additional tasks for the Olympic Corridor Trail Connector Study.

Approved/Authorized an agreement with San Ramon Valley Unified School District for a crossing guard at the intersection of Livorna and Wilson Roads, Alamo.

Approved/Authorized a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of San Mateo's Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, to include mutual indemnification, to share information as it relates to narcotics trafficking; organized crime; international, domestic and street terrorism related activities.

Approved amendments to the Conflict of Interest Code for the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District.