CITY NEWS
Mayor’s Message This year is turning out to be a challenging year for all of us. The pandemic has changed every one of our lives in a way that I never thought was possible. It has made me aware of how I took so many things for granted. We just need to continue to practice social distancing, wear a face covering when outside your home, and to wash your hands frequently. Those that do not are causing the pandemic to surge again. Last month Martinez became international news with respect to the Black Lives Matter movement. Local activists held rallies and protests and then a white supremacy hate flyer was found downtown near the jail. The local organization asked for permission to paint a temporary mural on Court Street as a response to the hate flyer and permission was granted. The mural was painted by volunteers, and then vandalized not long after the paint was dry.
In these days of mobile devices and social media, the video of the incident went viral and was aired on almost every news outlet in the Unites States and Europe. After a week of newspaper headlines, radio interviews and television coverage, another rally was planned for July 12. The city did not issue a permit for this rally and asked the organizers to cancel or postpone the march due to the high degree of emotions and the possibility of those with less than altruistic intentions of descending on Martinez to cause trouble. The organizers refused so Chief Sappal decided to work with the organizers to make the event as safe as possible for the participants, businesses and residents. Over a thousand people participated in the protest and rally. Other than a few skirmishes, everything was peaceful. Thanks to Chief Sappal, his command staff, every member of the MPD,
Rob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez
and to all of the other agencies that came to Martinez to secure the peace and to respond if there was any trouble. If you drive down Escobar Street near the Contra Costa Community College District office, you will see a big change. The building where the Family Kitchen operated for many years is gone. The city bought that building with the intent of demolishing it to provide more parking at lot 4. The long-term vision is either a multistory parking lot or a mixed-use building with parking. In an effort to beautify and reduce the amount of trash that gets pulled out of the garbage cans downtown, the city is entering into a pilot project to secure three Big Belly receptacle pairs. Big Belly receptacles are like a high-tech mailbox with one receptacle for trash and the other for recyclables. They are equipped with a compactor that
is powered by a solar panel that allows for more capacity of material. They improve sanitation and almost a total reduction of litter around containers. Once waste is placed into the container through the container door, the public cannot access it. The outdoor dining program continues to be successful and popular as Martinez residents and visitors are enjoying the European-style outdoor dining experience while restaurant owners are able to utilize the extra space adjacent to or in front of their businesses. One challenge of the program is that some customers are not following state and county social distancing and facemask guidelines. To address this issue the city sent emails to business owners reminding them of their responsibility to help ensure that they and their customers adhere to public health guidelines and requirements.
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