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Vol. 15, No. 2
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Fire district chief set to retire by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
Longtime Fire Chief Hugh Henderson has announced he will retire from the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District at the end of March, after 12 years with the district. “It has been in my plans, and it seemed like the right time to make that decision and move on to new adventures,” said Henderson, 54, who was previously a paid-on-call firefighter, Brentwood police officer and firefighter in El Cerrito. The East County native joined the district as a battalion chief in 2005 and became district chief three years later. He will be remembered as the organization’s rock during unsteady times, including the closure of several stations. “I don’t think the district would even be operating without
the efforts of the chief,” said Joe Young, district board member. “It’s amazing we can function with three or four fire stations, so I think that is an outstanding effort.” Henderson inherited a district in 2008 that struggled – and still does – to maintain staffing and provide adequate service, but he never stopped searching for solutions. The fire district’s financial problems stem almost entirely from the property-tax allocation set by Proposition 13 in 1978, when volunteer departments were sufficient to cover East County. The district’s current allocation of 8 cents per property-tax dollar is about half that received by most other departments in the county. After the district was forced to close two of its eight stations, in 2010, officials attempted to maintain the remaining six
January 13, 2017
Being Healthy, Beautiful, Fit
Peruse this week’s health, beauty, fitness section to become your best self in 2017. Page 1B
And Babies Make Seven Photo by Tony Kukulich
Fire Chief Hugh Henderson announced his retirement this week, after 36 years in the fire service, including 12 with the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. through Measure S in June 2012. However, the measure was rejected, forcing the closure of three more stations. The federal government
awarded the district $7.8 million in grants in September 2012, which were used to restore staffsee Henderson page 26A
Identical triplets bring joy and plenty of diapers to local couple now parents of five girls. Page 6A
Meter installation could cost $906 per home Rainy Start by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
Last week, the Town of Discovery Bay Community Services District (CSD) Board voted to add $3.11 million to its current bond project of $8 million to cover the cost of the water-meter installation project. This brings to total amount of the bond to approximately $11.2 million. The cost of the meter project will be passed on to residents, who will pay approximately $906 for their new meters and installation. During the meeting, the board discussed several payback options for homeowners, eventually settling on a two-option solution – homeowners will be able to pay the entire amount up front in one payment, or choose a 10-year
“ This may be the right answer, but it wasn’t properly vetted or discussed with care and consideration.
”
CSD Director Kevin Graves option, financed at approximately 4.5 percent interest, costing roughly $9.40 each month, for a total of $1,128. This decision supersedes the board’s original plan to finance the cost to residents for free for 36 months, paying the $3.11 million with water and wastewater reserves, which currently total over $6 million. Interim general manager Catherine Kutsuris wanted to offer homeowners a low-cost monthly option to pay for the
new meter. There were also concerns that the town’s aging infrastructure might need costly repairs before reserves could be replaced. This led the board to its 3-2 decision to add the cost of the project to the bond. Directors Kevin Graves and Chris Steele voted against the measure. “We’ve known for years this project was coming and spent months making a decision about how to pay for it,” Graves said, referring to the original, 36-month, payback option. “We threw that
decision out at the last minute. This may be the right answer, but it wasn’t properly vetted or discussed with care and consideration. I’m not frivolous with our constituent’s money, and I don’t want to put (them) into a financial hardship. However, I don’t think we should be increasing the cost of an already-expensive expenditure by 24 percent.” The original $8 million bond project began last year to pay for the filtration project at Wastewater Plant 2. The Regional Water Quality Control Board requires this project, which was designed to improve the quality of the water that goes back into the Delta. The board discussed adding the meter project to this bond, rather than paying for see Meter page 26A
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