Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - BrentwoodPress_05.16.08 - Index

PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #48
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 10, No. 20 Including Surrounding Communities www.thepress.net May 16, 2008
Fire plan
goes up
in smoke
by Rick Lemyre
Staff Writer
The Brentwood City Council will investigate
the possibility of obtaining fi re service through the
district that serves Antioch after a decision by the
Oakley council to back out of a plan to share control
over the present district.
Brentwood, Oakley and the county have been
working for more than three years to re-vamp the
East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, which
provides fi re service throughout far East County.
The district, funded by tax rates set when the thenrural
area was served by volunteer fi refi ghters, is
severely under-funded, and can afford only two
fi refi ghters per engine and no paramedics. Industry
standards call for three-person crews with one
a paramedic.
In order to raise revenues to fully staff the
district, additional taxes will be required. Local of-
see Fire page 21A
Civic center project hits roadblock
by Rick Lemyre
Staff Writer
The effort to build a new
downtown civic center stalled
this week after a drama-fi lled
City Council debate over a trio
of objections.
The most heated discussion
concerned a plan to move the
library to the city’s Tech Center
on Sand Creek Road while the
Civic Center and the new library
on Oak Street are built. The current
library will be demolished
to help make room for the new
city hall, parking structure and
community center that are part
of the Civic Center plan. The
proposed time line has the library
moving back downtown
in 2011, after about 16 months
at its Sand Creek location.
“I do not want to move the
library twice,” Mayor Bob Taylor
emphatically told the council.
“There has to be a better way.”
Consultant Jim Wyrick of
LPA Associates said the possibility
of moving the library
into a portion of the Oak Street
building it will ultimately occupy
had been studied. The lack
of sprinklers and the impacts on
the library from the Civic Center
construction across the street
were among the reasons his fi rm
was recommending the move to
the Tech Center, but the biggest
concern was uncertainty about
the construction problems that
could be encountered remodeling
the 60-year-old building.
During the study, the discovery
of a load-bearing wall in an un-
Hometown Heroes
Proclamations were handed out by the fi stful at Tuesday’s City
Council meeting. Recipients, from left, were Staff Sgt. Michael
Broussard, resident Michaela Sullivan and Marine Sgt. Miguel
Hinojosa. Broussard was honored for winning the 2008 Best Ranger
Competition and serving four tours in the Middle East; Sullivan and
Hinojosa were congratulated for combining their efforts to save a
Brentwood 5-year-old from drowning. Appreciation for each came
from the city and representatives for Assemblyman Guy Houston and
Congressman Jerry McNerney.
“ I can’t believe something as little as a
library is screwing up the whole project.”
”
City Councilman Chris Becnel
expected location had shown
that there could well be other,
similar surprises that would signifi
cantly delay the rest of the
Civic Center project should the
library’s move from its present
location be hampered.
Taylor, however, was adamant,
and expressed the fear
that once the library had been
moved to Sand Creek, other delays
to the Civic Center might
mean it would never return to
the downtown.
Taylor was joined in his
vote against the authorization
to proceed with the move by
Councilmen Erick Stonebarger
and Brandon Richey, each of
Photo by Rick Lemyre
whom objected for different reasons.
Stonebarger said he liked
the plan, but felt the entire $72
million Civic Center project was
going too fast, given the uncertainty
of the current economy.
“I think we are forging forward
without any idea of where
the light is at the end of the
tunnel,” he said. “I have a real
problem forging ahead without
having a real strong idea of our
revenue.”
Richey also said he supports
the project, but he wants
a mechanism put in place that
would give local contractors
preference in securing the work.
“It’s a deal-breaker for me unless
it can be an integral part of the
Civic Center plan to make local
jobs,” he said.
Councilmen Chris Becnel
and Bob Brockman supported
see Roadblock page 21A
National Award Winning Newspapers
THIS WEEK
Security
in synergy
When folks join forces to keep
crime from infecting their
neighborhoods, the whole city
benefits.
Page 4A
Jumpy
juveniles
Check out our Community
Calendar for the inside scoop
on Dia de los Niños, a bi-lingual
kids’ bash featuring 20 – yes,
we said 20 – jump houses.
Page 23B
Track clash
sets high bar
Liberty and Heritage athletes
took home some hardware at
a recent league championship
meet.
Page 1B
INSIDE
Business ...........................6B
Calendar ........................23B
Classifieds ......................15B
Community .................... 3A
Education ....................... 8A
Entertainment ..............12B
Health & Beauty ...........10B
Milestones .......................9B
Opinion ........................16A
Public Notices ................18B