Supervisor Karen Mitchoff's February e-Newsletter

Contra Costa County's annual MLK celebration was held at the Board of Supervisors' chambers on January 19th. Keynote speaker, Phil Arnold, inspired the room with the history and impact of Dr. King's commitment to equality and altruism. As in years past, the MLK celebration also provided an opportunity to honor local humanitarians. California High School senior Davis Bullock was recognized as the Student Humanitarian of the Year. Mr. Bullock, a young cancer survivor, encouraged the audience to value gratitude and services. The 2016 Humanitarian of the Year was awarded to Terri Porter for her work with the Visions of Success program through the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

The Martin Luther King Jr. day celebration is a treasured tradition in Contra Costa, and I am grateful to everyone who helps to make it the wonderful event that it is each year.

Board of Supervisors with Student Humanitarian of the Year, Davis Bullock

Super Bowl 50 and
Buchanan Field Airport

Super Bowl 50 will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on February 7th, 2016. Due to the event's 50th anniversary, and the tourism destination of the Bay Area, it is anticipated that it could bring the largest Super Bowl attendance to date. As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expecting approximately 1,200 additional jets to fly into the Bay Area in the week preceding, and days following, Super Bowl 50. Accordingly, Contra Costa County Airports predicts that air traffic associated with Buchanan Field and Byron Airports will increase substantially from February 4th to February 10th, 2016.

Contra Costa County Airports would like to thank communities located near the Airports in advance for their patience with regard to the expected, temporary increase in aircraft activity and related noise.

Flood Preparedness & Sandbag Stations

As we all know, weather forecasters are continuing to predict wet weather ahead. The County encourages all residents to be prepared before the rains begin. Residents can click here to obtain storm preparedness information.

If you're concerned about flooding at your home or business, you can visit one of the convenient sandbag stations located throughout the county. Please note that you'll need to bring a shovel, but bags and sand are available for free. If you live within the boundaries of one of our 19 cities, please click here to find information about your city's sandbag distribution.

Contra Costa Elections Hosts Photo Contest

The Contra Costa County Elections Division is kicking off 2016 in a fun, unique way.

In what promises to be a busy year for elections, the department is holding a photo contest for all county residents to submit their best pictures of what the area has to offer for the cover of its Voter Information Guides in June and November.

One of the unique features of the Contra Costa voter guide and sample ballot is that the cover features a photo highlighting some of the intrinsic beauty and history of the county, which enhances the voters' experience.

"Hopefully getting our residents involved in the election process months before Election Day will help them be engaged in local issues and pique their interest in voting," Registrar of Voters Joe Canciamilla said. "Plus, it's a way to showcase the flavor and flair of where we live."

Few, if any, counties in California feature a photo on the cover of their guide.

The winner will have their photo featured on the cover of the booklet, which goes out to over a half-million registered voters. First, second and third place winner will also have their photos featured in our office lobby and on our website. The winning artists will also receive collectible election pins, which are issued to Contra Costa Election Officials.

The Elections Division will be taking submissions from January 1st, to February 29th. Applicants must submit a 50-100 word description about their photo. The photos must be able to run in black-and-white. They should also be sent in JPEG format. There is no entry fee.

More information, including release forms, will be available on the Contra Costa Elections Website by clicking here.

Local Cities Launch Mobile Apps

Pleasant Hill

The City of Pleasant Hill has launched a new mobile app called Ask PHill. The free app is available for download on iPhone and android mobile devices. In the App Store or Google Play store, simply search for 'Ask Phill' or 'Pleasanthill' (all in one word).

After downloading and opening the app, you should log in by creating a simple profile or using your Facebook login (if you have one). The app will prompt you to enable it to find your geographic location on your mobile device, so that when you report potholes or tripping hazards, for example, the app will automatically identify the location and provide that information to City staff.

Ask PHill enables users to quickly submit service requests and other issues to the appropriate City department. Submitters can easily attach a photo to any request. The app also provides direct links to City Departments, job postings, news announcements, meetings and agendas, and information about events, festivals and other happenings.

The app service request feature can also be used on the City's website by clicking here .

Concord

Have you encountered an issue in your community but were not sure how to let the city know? In Concord, there is an app for that!

Civic Hero is an app that allows users to file a request for service from their smart phones and track its progress until the complaint has been resolved.

Using geo-tracking, Civic Hero automatically identifies the location of the issue then routes the report directly to the city department responsible. Tap your smart phone to report unsightly graffiti, abandoned vehicles, potholes, etc. In addition to potholes, abandoned vehicles and graffiti, the list of 20 to 25 issues that will be available on the app in Concord also includes tree maintenance, trash removal, nuisance animals, leaking fire hydrants and property concerns.

For more information or to download the app click here.

Earned Income Tax Credit

It's that time of year again- tax season. United Way of the Bay Area is once again offering their Earn It! Keep It! Save It! program in order to provide free tax preparation service as a tool to help Bay Area residents become financially stable.

United Way of the Bay Area trains volunteer tax preparers to help individuals and families claim their maximum benefit and refund. They partner with hundreds of community organizations and other free tax preparation providers such as Tax-Aid and AARP Tax-Aide to process over 74,000 tax returns each year. Through this free, quality tax return preparation, they provide low to moderate income households with access to asset building and income support resources such as public benefits, low or no cost bank accounts, and financial education. They also ensure eligible taxpayers claim income boosts such as the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and now the new California State Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) as well.

You may qualify for a tax credit and you don't even realize it. If you qualify for a tax credit, you can file your tax returns for free at a tax preparation site in your neighborhood starting February 1st.

There are a number of locations in Contra Costa County offering this free service. Call 211 or click here to find a free tax site near you that will help you get your tax credit.

Economic Contributions of
Contra Costa County Agriculture

Residents and visitors alike know and value the rural character of Contra Costa County. Farmers' markets overflow with fresh produce and community spirit. Sweet corn, grapes, and dozens of other crops grow in fertile soils and a moderate climate. Clearly, agriculture plays a key role in sustaining a healthy local economy. What's not so clear, however, is the true size of that role. How much money does agriculture contribute to the local economy? How many jobs does agriculture support? In other words, just how important is agriculture as a driver of the County's economic health?

The Economic Contributions of Contra Costa County Agriculture report sheds light on these and related questions. Using multiple data sources and advanced economic modeling techniques, it analyzes agriculture's total contribution to the Contra Costa County economy. The report also examines agricultural diversity and its role in supporting economic resiliency, including a first-ever quantitative measure. Some of the key findings include:

Of the $225 million in total economic contribution, $154.2 million came from direct economic output. An additional $70.8 million came from expenditures by agriculture companies and their employees.
Of the 2,277 total jobs agriculture supported, 1,735 were direct employees. The remaining 542 jobs were made possible through expenditures by agriculture companies and their employees.
With a Diversity Index score of 2.67, Contra Costa County agriculture has exceptional economic diversity that increases its resiliency to economic shocks while providing critical economic stability to the county.

On the whole, the findings offer important information for policy makers, the public, and anyone who values a vibrant local economy. You can find the link to the report here.

Family Justice Center Seeks Applicants for the Community Fellowship Program

The Family Justice Center is offering 10-month, 10 hour-a-week fellowship programs starting in March 2016. The program is currently accepting applications for 2 locations: Richmond & Concord.

The fellowship is looking for applicants age 18 & up thatreside in Contra Costa County and have experienced interpersonal violence more than one year ago.

The program requires applicants have conversational & reading English language ability, have graduated high school or equivalent, have reliable transportation and have participated in school or community activities with a goal of increasing involvement.

This is a wonderful opportunity to build leadership skills and experience. Fellows will also receive a stipend.

To download an application, click here.

For more information contact: Annabelle Berrios, Advocacy & Training Manager via email or by calling (510) 965-4949.

Contra Costa to Move Ahead with Laura's Law Program in February

At the February 3, 2015 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, my colleagues and I voted unanimously to implement Laura's Law, making Contra Costa the eighth county in California to support Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) as a tool for making treatment possible for individuals with severe mental illness.

The 2002 state law allows counties to use the civil court system to supervise care for people with mental illness who meet specific legal criteria, which include a history of hospitalization or violence and of declining offered treatment.

We are hopeful that by enacting Laura's Law we will not only save money by providing the right level of treatment for individuals that are currently cycling through psychiatric emergency responses, but more importantly, we are hopeful that we will save lives. The county's Assisted Outpatient Treatment program begins Feb. 1, 2016.

AOT emphasizes voluntary participation, but includes a referral and hearing process for placing individuals in court-ordered treatment, developed in partnership with Contra Costa Superior Court, County Counsel and the Public Defender's Office.

Behavioral Health Services (BHS) has hired Mental Health Systems, a nonprofit with experience running similar programs in San Diego County and elsewhere in California, to work with county clinicians in providing treatment to referred patients.

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS), Behavioral Health Services Division (BHS) and its partners will continue to work closely with providers, family and patient advocates and the county Mental Health Commission, to ensure AOT is effective, fair and respectful to all involved.

AOT is critical for community members whose mental health challenges put them or others at risk and have not yet received the help they need. This program is a resource to break the cycle of repeated hospitalization or incarceration that many of our potential patients face.

Program participants collaborate with care providers to develop individualized treatment plans and receive 24-hour access to services. Services may include mental health treatment, medication, access to primary healthcare, substance abuse counseling, counseling regarding benefits and other resources, supportive housing, vocational rehabilitation and family member support.

Requests for an AOT referral come from immediate family members, mental health care providers or law enforcement. A team of specially trained clinicians evaluate all referral requests, and a care team will repeatedly attempt to communicate with a referred individual to encourage voluntary participation.

A referred individual who will not voluntarily participate may be summoned to a private civil hearing in Contra Costa Superior Court. BHS would present evidence from its evaluation and the court would also hear from the individual and their legal representation, provided by the Public Defender's Office.

After the hearing, the judge may order the referred individual to participate in the AOT program.

When fully implemented, the program will have capacity to deliver care to as many as 75 patients. The first year of the program will be funded with $2.25 million in Mental Health Services Act funding and about $400,000 from the county's General Fund.

I have worked closely on this issue as it has moved through the process of further discussion, research, analysis and now implementation in our County. I appreciate all of the work put into this important dialogue by the various departments and stakeholders involved, especially the dedicated mental health advocates in our community that have invested so much time and heart into seeing this through. This is a collaboration of agencies coming together to ensure there is an option for intervention for people who are disproportionately at risk for homelessness, violence, incarceration and death.

For more information or updates regarding the AOT program click here.

District Representative, Lisa Chow (center), with Senior Community Librarian Patrick Remer (right) and a member of the public at the
Pleasant Hill Community Service Awards in January

12th Annual Young Children's Issues Forum

"Speak Out for Children:
Educate and Advocate"

The Young Children's Issues Forum is an annual community event sponsored and organized by the Contra Costa County Local Planning and Advisory Council for Early Care and Education (LPC) and coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education.

The purpose of the event is to:

*Provide a forum for discussion among state legislators, local officials, and the community regarding current children's issues

*Provide the community with tangible advocacy tools, resources, and opportunities to become active in the policy-making and legislative process

Our state is challenged with many budgetary, systemic, and policy issues that impact children and families. The annual forum acknowledges the paramount importance of dialogue among stakeholders in a community as the vehicle to widen the breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding of key issues in the areas of education, health and social welfare which directly impact young children and their families.

Join your local state legislators, local elected officials, and special guests in a dialogue about the national movement towards Universal Quality Early Care and Education, state legislation, and current initiatives for quality improvement of California's early care and education programs.

When: Saturday, March 12, 2016, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Where: Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Cost: $15.00, Certificate of Professional Growth Hours Available

For more information please click here.

White Pony Express

White Pony Express (WPE) is a 501(c)(3) corporation now based in Pleasant Hill. This all-volunteer organization helps to fight hunger and poverty in Contra Costa County. They do this by picking up surplus food from local markets and delivering it to those in need, for free. Their established relationships with Diablo Foods, Sprouts (Dublin, San Ramon), Whole Foods (San Ramon) and many others has allowed WPE to deliver 1,400,000 pounds of food in 2015 alone.

In addition to this, they've also created a Free General Store where those in need receive new or gently used clothing (for all ages), toys and children's books for free. WPE takes their unique mobile boutiques to the public and sets up at faith centers, schools and community centers in neighborhoods with the need. By doing this, it cuts out the transportation barrier that many face to receive services. The Free General Store also started an active direct-distribution program to shelters and occupational programs.

To learn more about White Pony Express, please visit their website here . If you'd like to volunteer your time please contact Mandy Nakaya at (925) 818-6361 or by emailing her here .

Adoptable Animals in Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County's Animal Services Department continues to work hard to match animals with loving homes. Volunteers are a key part of the Department's outreach

Recently, the department acquired a mobile adoption van that expands their ability to get animals into the public and hopefully into their forever-homes. With the mobile adoption van Animal Services Volunteers hold several mobile adoption events each month. Every Saturday they

bring rabbits available for adoption to the Petco in Walnut Creek (1301 S. California Blvd.) and every Sunday volunteers have dogs available for adoption in the Martinez shelter's parking lot located at 4800 Imhoff Place.

Additionally, Animal Services works with local storefronts to help keep adoptable animals available all the time. Adoptable cats can be visited at Pet Food Express in Walnut Creek, Petsmart in Concord, Rodies Feed in Clayton and the Contra Costa Humane Society in Pleasant Hill.

You can also always view adoptable animals online by clicking here. If you happen to see an animal that you're interested in, please visit them in the shelter for a meet-and-greet.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Noell Crosse at noel.crosse@asd.cccounty.us . Volunteer orientations are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 23, July 23or October 22. Please indicate which orientation date you wish to attend in the subject line of your email.

Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement : In our December newsletter, we included this photo of Clayton Police Chief Wenzel, being sworn in by the Clayton City Council. Credit for this photo goes to Jenny Wood Pierce from Claycord.com.

County Commission Vacancies

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has established many boards, committees, and commissions to which it appoints Contra Costa residents to serve, on a volunteer basis, to advise the Board on the myriad of programs and issues under the Board's jurisdiction. Contra Costa residents are encouraged to participate in their County government, and to put their expert knowledge and experience to work in their communities by applying to serve on a Board advisory body.

Supervisors appoint individuals to various boards within their district. Currently there are vacancies for District IV representatives on six different boards, as follows:

1. Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board

2. Contra Costa Centre Municipal Advisory Committee

3. Emergency Medical Care Committee, Alternate Seat
4. Fire Protection District, Alternate Seat
5. Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee

6. Local Planning Council

If you or someone you know might be interested in applying for a seat on one of these commissions, please visit my website for further information or contact my office at (925) 521-7100.

District IV Supervisor Karen Mitchoff

                         2
                         151 Salvio Street, Suite R
                        

                         Concord, California 94520
                        

                         (925) 521-7100
                        