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COVID Cases Up, Health Department Recommends Masking Indoors
COVID case rates and hospitalizations are on the rise in the Bay Area. As of May 10, 3,545 new cases in Contra Costa County had been reported in the last 14 days (including 352 in Concord); and 57 people are currently hospitalized with COVID in the County, compared to 21 just one month ago.

In response to the upward trend, Contra Costa Health Services released this message on May 10:

With Contra Costa and other Bay Area counties seeing a swell in COVID cases, health officials are reiterating their strong recommendation to wear masks indoors. Omicron subvariants, which are even more contagious than the original Omicron, are driving the recent increase in cases. Outbreaks in workplaces and schools have also sharply increased in the past few weeks.

While masking remains optional for most public indoor settings, health officials say wearing face covering during periods of increased transmission is a simple best practice to protect against COVID.

“There’s a lot of COVID out there right now, so it’s time to mask up indoors in public again,” said Dr. Ori Tzvieli, health officer for Contra Costa County. Dr. Tzvieli said people should also stay home if they feel sick and get tested. He added that people eligible for booster shots should get one since protection from the COVID vaccines wane over time. Learn more.
COVID Testing in Concord

COVID-19 testing is available by appointment at the Concord Senior Center (2727 Parkside Cir.). Testing is set up on the front patio of the Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
 
Tests being performed are PCR tests (not rapid tests), and the results are typically available within 1-2 days. Appointments can be made by visiting cur.tv/concord, or calling 888-702-9042. 
  
No health insurance is required. Individuals with health insurance will be asked to provide their health insurance information, and Curative will bill the insurance company. 
Ballot Drop Box Available Now for June 7 Primary
Election Day is just four weeks away! California's primary will be held on Tuesday, June 7, and every registered voter will receive a vote-by-mail ballot.

Looking for a spot to drop off your ballot? Contra Costa residents can drop them at any one of 37 ballot boxes in the county, including the one located at Concord's City Hall - 1950 Parkside Drive between Willow Pass and Salvio. Just look for the red, white & blue banner!

The box is now accepting ballots and will remain open until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Want to mail your ballot? No problem, and no postage necessary! Remember, it must be postmarked by Election Day.

Want to track your ballot? Voters can sign up to receive notifications about when their ballot is mailed, received, and counted by visiting WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov. Voters can also use the My Voting Information tool to confirm whether their ballot has been issued or received by the County Elections office.

May 23 is the last day to register to vote in the primary.

Visit the Contra Costa County Elections Division for more information about the upcoming Election and how you can cast your vote.
Planning Commission, Design Review Board Consider Objective Design Standards
The City of Concord will host a second special joint meeting of the Planning Commission and Design Review Board on Thursday, May 26 at 6:30 p.m. for considering and providing input on a draft framework for the City’s “Objective Design Standards” (ODS) for housing projects. This is in response to the City’s April 6 joint special meeting on updating the City’s design standards, as a result of recent State housing legislation.

The meeting will include: 
  1. Summary review of the purpose of the project;
  2. Presentation on existing conditions and findings;
  3. Review and discussion of the draft framework for the ODS document; and
  4. Design exercise, including a photo discussion, to identify values and approaches toward design elements and priorities for the application of standards.

Because this is a special meeting, it will be held in-person only in the Permit Center Conference Room –Building D (1950 Parkside Drive), and will not be available by Zoom, nor will it be televised.

The project intends to support Concord’s tradition of high-quality design and streamline the review of housing projects, consistent with the State Housing Accountability Act.

Background
In response to California’s housing crisis, several state laws have been enacted to bolster the State’s Housing Accountability Act, with the intent of stimulating housing production. These bills are intended to advance housing by streamlining permit processes and making it more difficult for communities to deny or reduce the density of housing projects that meet objective General Plan and zoning requirements.

The State has limited a local jurisdiction’s ability to apply subjective design standards. Going forward, the City can now only rely on the application of objective design standards for most housing projects. Objective Design Standards are those that do not involve discretion or subjective judgment and are verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion. 

For further details, please contact Joan Ryan, Principal Planner, by email or at (925) 671-3370.
Housing Element Update Draft to be Released, Feedback Sought
City staff has scheduled a third round of community meetings to seek input on Concord's Draft Housing Element, a plan for addressing the City’s housing needs from 2023 through 2031.

Community members are invited to attend the townhall-style meetings to learn about the Housing Element Draft, how to provide public comment on the proposed plan, and how previous public input has been incorporated into the Draft. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage with the project team.
   
There are two ways to participate:  
  
  • Saturday, June 4, 12-2 p.m.: In-person/Outdoors at Todos Santos Plaza This is a family-friendly, open house format – come by anytime! There will be coloring activities for children.
  • Wednesday, June 8, 6-8 p.m. This virtual meeting will be held by Zoom.

Spanish translation will be provided at both events. Interpretación al español será disponible.   

The Draft Housing Element will be published the week of May 23 on the Housing Element website. Information about how and when to provide public comment on the draft will be forthcoming.

Data from CORE Team Indicates Progress in Assisting Unsheltered
The City of Concord funds a full-time dedicated Coordinated Outreach, Referral & Engagement (CORE) team that provides services to Concord's unsheltered residents.

The CORE team engages people on the streets and in the encampments where they live, providing health-related and basic needs supplies and services, and making referrals to housing and other services. CORE also serves as an entry point into the County's coordinated entry system for the unsheltered.

The City-funded, three-person CORE team, which includes a licensed social worker, works 40 hours per week in Concord.

Recent data from CORE shows that Concord's team contacted 123 individuals during the month of April, providing a total of 484 services and assisting with seven stable exists from the streets. This data, which is posted to the City's website, will continue to be tracked and updated as it becomes available.

To learn more about Concord's efforts to address homelessness, please review the City's Homeless Services web page and fact sheet. 
Concord PD is Hiring: Answer the Call!
The Concord Police Department is hiring for multiple positions.

Join Concord PD and help keep our community safe!

Opportunities include:
  • Lateral Police Officer (signing bonus of up to $20,000)
  • Police Officer Trainee
  • Academy Graduate Police Officer
  • Police Dispatcher I & II
  • Community Service Officer

The City offers a generous benefits program for full-time employees, including Paid Holidays, Health, Dental and Vision coverage, Life Insurance, Vacation and Sick Leave, Retirement Program, 401(k), 457, Flexible Spending Accounts, Shift Differential (Officers, Dispatchers & Community Service Officers), Bilingual Pay and much more!

View all of the City's current full-time and part-time career opportunities at: cityofconcord.org/jobs
City of Concord | www.cityofconcord.org