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Evaluating options to reopen
East County vaccinations
REGIONAL East County schools continue to grapple with the ever-changing standards stacked against them when it comes to reopening campuses. With continued guidance from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcing last Friday that schools could reopen without mandating vaccinations, districts around East County – which are all still 100% remote – are addressing how that looks from a logistical level. At press time, Brentwood and Oakley were gearing up for their respective board of trustees meetings, set for Wednesday. Brentwood Union School District (BUSD) Superintendent Dana Eaton predicted his board would make a decision on the reopening timelines by Wednesday night. “We all want to reopen schools, but we want to see Reopen page 18A
mission spots. The council will also soon decide how many planning commission applicants to interview for three open seats on that commission, with the public interviews and selection process occurring during a future special meeting. During the public interview meetings, the council will ask the same five questions of the candidates, one created from each councilmember. The mayor, after hearing the council’s preferred candidates at the conclusion of the interviews, will ultimately choose which to put for a vote to fill the open seats.
OAKLEY The pandemic has done little to slow the progress of several capital projects in the city. According to a recently released city update, there are multiple projects nearing completion, including key roadway improvements, trail connection safety upgrades and park amenity additions. “Our budget has been stable, and we continued to be very fiscally prudent,” said Mayor Sue Higgins. “Our projects, although I don’t see as many as in years previous, continue to be vital in the health and safety of our city.” At least two key roadway enhancements are at or near the finish line. A key stretch of Laurel Road reconstruction, from Mellowood Drive to Main Street, is nearly done, with final paving work scheduled after the winter season and cold temperatures have subsided. The upgrades are expected to include reconstruction of the roadway stretch; the addition of a protected double left turn, from eastbound Laurel Road to Main Street, to accommodate increased traffic demands; traffic signal modifications and new curb, gutter, sidewalk, pavement, landscaping and irrigation. The $3.1 million project is funded through transportation impact fees garnered from new development. “With the growth of the community along the East Cypress Corridor, and just the large number of residents who live there and
see Appointment page 18A
see Projects page 18A
Photo by Tony Kukulich
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MT Theresa Williams administers a vaccine dose to Discovery Bay resident Evelyn Jansen during a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Los Medanos College Brentwood Center, Saturday, Feb. 13. Multiple agencies conducted the appointment-only clinic that administered 500 doses of vaccine. To read the full story, see Page 4A.
City alters commission appointment process “ I am very happy we are moving this way
Staff Writer
BRENTWOOD The city is altering how select commissions are filled to increase transparency in the appointment process. Applicants vying for the planning, park and recreation and arts commissions will now be subject to public interviews by the full city council, with candidates needing to garner the approval of the mayor and then at least two other councilmembers to secure a seat. The previous selection process involved the mayor and vice mayor privately interviewing candidates, with the mayor bringing
so the entire council can see both components (candidate interview and application) and not just rely on a recommendation of the mayor and wonder what happened.
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Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant forth his selections to the full city council for approval. “I think one thing that got us to this point is that we didn’t know why (the preferred) candidates were selected,” said Councilmember Karen Rarey. The public application pro-
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cess to fill the latest planning, park and recreation and arts commission vacancies has closed. The council has opted to interview all four applicants for two open arts commission seats and all five candidates vying for three open park and recreation com-
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