Election Day Arrives In Contra Costa
If our comment threads have been any indication of public sentiment over the past few years we gathered residents had something to say regarding local politics and how they wanted to be governed, and we expected this state primary to be hotly contested. Initial reports are that voter turnout has been sedate if not impassioned,…
Walnut Creek PD May Be Getting Some New, Hybrid Wheels Soon
Police cars take a beating over the course of their service lives and Walnut Creek PD vehicles are no exception. A proposal up for consideration by the city council at their February 1 meeting calls for the purchase and outfitting of eight new hybrid cruisers – at a cost to the city of $540,830 –…
Walnut Creek Readies Its Response To Recent Retail Thefts
On Wednesday, the Walnut Creek City Council will hold a special meeting to receive an update on the coordinated shoplifting attack on Nordstrom Nov. 20, to review its options and to announce its response. On the table are plans for more police officers, more camera coverage and the possible deployment of a tethered camera drone…
Is Walnut Creek Going To Pot? City Assesses The Benefits Of A Profitable Business Model
Far from its over-the-top depictions in 1930’s scare reels, marijuana has evolved into a widely accepted and sought after national commodity – with some parts of California given over to its production and once-naysaying cities openly considering adding cannabis storefronts to their business districts. Up for consideration on tonight’s Walnut Creek city council agenda is…
Governor Newsom Signs Bill Ending Single-Family Zoning In California
On September 16, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 9, aimed at streamlining housing approval and loosening zoning restrictions in an effort to spur housing construction in California. SB9, by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, will have a significant impact on lots with single-family zoning. SB 9 now allows for; A…
Stromberg Resigns From Moraga Town Council
Another gap has opened on a local government council with the recent resignation of Moraga Town Council Member David Stromberg, who submitted his resignation letter to town officials on Thursday. In his letter, Stromberg said personal and private circumstances were behind his decision to leave Moraga, adding that he would end his tenure with the…
Wei-Tai Kwok Appointed To Lafayette City Council
The Lafayette City Council has appointed Wei-Tai Kwok to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Councilmember Cameron Burks. The City Council selected Kwok at a special meeting on August 24, 2021 by a vote of three to one, and he was sworn in at the online meeting. Kwok will serve on the City Council…
Retail Juggernauts Nordstrom And Apple Pay For Policing By Walnut Creek PD Officers
Faithful readers know we have been semi-documenting the blitz-style retail thefts impacting local businesses for some time, with brazen thievery triggering angry responses from store owners and private citizens for whom the experience has become so commonplace. Well-heeled local businesses are taking steps to make themselves less attractive targets – with the Walnut Creek City…
Danville Questions ABAG’s Housing Target; Files Appeal
From the Town of Danville: On July 9, 2021, the Town of Danville submitted an appeal to its assigned “fair share” of a state-mandated housing target – currently proposed to be a minimum of 2,241 housing units. The appeal focuses on the methodology used by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to generate that housing…
Lafayette Councilmember Cameron Burks Submits Letter of Resignation, Citing Family Reasons
At the City Council meeting on June 28, 2021, Councilmember Cameron Burks announced that he will resign his position on the Council effective June 29, 2021 due to family reasons. In his letter of resignation submitted that evening, Burks said in part: “In recent days, I have come to the difficult decision to step down…