The City of Oakley’s Finance Director, Tim Przybyla, has distinguished himself in his service to the City. Oakley, after a California review of Oakley’s budget and financial reports has rated Oakley as the third highest rating municipal financial management in the state. The score was over ninety-eight percent regarding financial management and solvency.
Also, Mr. Przybyla has revised budget reporting procedures so it is easily understandable and finite regarding sources of income, and expenditures, including special assessment districts in many neighborhoods in Oakley. I was stunned by the confusion, which often seemed deliberate, at least from my perspective, in how Oakley’s City Manager (Brian Montgomery) publicly presented the budget to the public. One reading the budget found it nearly undiscernible as to the total income collected by the City and how the council spent those funds. The City Council seemed to encourage Montgomery’s reporting
Mr. Przybyla created a very readable and understandable budget report, allowing everyone in the City to understand the budget, not just a privileged few. I am enthusiastic that Mr. Przybyla chose to join the Oakley City Hall Family.
George Fuller, MPA, MA
City Councilmember, City of Oakley
The Oakley City Council for the opening of the new year does have a full agenda. Item 5.1 does cause me concern. The item intends to lay a foundation for the city council to negotiate salaries with the city manager and city attorney. Discussing contracts with those two positions is a significant responsibility of the council. The task should be a team collaboration. The resolution debate on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, during the council meeting is one where the mayor and vice-mayor would act as an ad hoc committee and meet with the city manager and city attorney to negotiate their contracts. The two council members would initially meet with the city council to get direction for the negotiations, then meet with the person involved.
The proposed process is alien to my experience. The ad hoc committee would complete the negotiations, and the item would appear on the city council budget. I have difficulty with the arrangement because the two council members do not discuss the negotiations with the other team members, basically blocking them from further talks with the two city employees. Usually, the negotiator returns to the council with what the two concerned managers have presented, and the ad hoc committee receives further direction.
From my perspective, it is disrespectful to all concerned that the process excludes the council from ongoing negotiations. The disrespect is exceptionally poignant for the newly elected council members who should be merging into the council team rather than being deliberately excluded from the ongoing negotiations. The process is a dinosaur from the Montgomery era, where Bryan Montgomery easily manipulated council direction. I will be asking for an amendment to have the ad hoc committee meet with the council to report on each negotiation session in which they participated.
George Fuller, MPA, MA
City Councilmember, City of Oakley, CA
Today there was a secure feeling of safety when I saw a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) fire engine company on Laurel Rd. I rest easier at night knowing that ConFire has taken on the responsibility of fire protection for the community. We now have adequate firefighting coverage throughout East Contra Costa County that will not drain our fire protection services.
We owe Brian Helmick our ongoing gratitude in stepping forward when he was the Chief of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) in bringing to fruition a merger with ConFire. ECCFPD resources were not adequate to protect all residents in case of fire. Chief Helmick worked with the Board of Directors of ECCFPD to merge resources with ConFire with courage and vigor.
I am grateful that I was able to participate in the completion of the merger while serving on the City of Oakley City Council. It was the right thing to do.
George Fuller, MPA, MA
City Councilmember, City of Oakley, CA
In August 2021, a Delta Vista Middle School student suffered a fatal injury in a traffic collision with a train at the intersection of East Cypress Road and Main Street. In the accident, his sister, the driver of the car they were riding in, was seriously injured. I am asking for a further investigation of the accident.
We are all aware that Tri-Delta Transit was in the process of constructing a parking lot on the Northeast corner of the intersection at the time of the accident. The original investigation, which took much time to complete, failed to ascertain if the construction activity at the intersection impacted the collision. Those who drove on Main Street regularly witnessed a flag person stop traffic on Main Street at various times. My concern is did the flag person have the traffic stopped on Main Street at the time of the accident. At least, in my perspective, a determination needs to be made if traffic was stopped on Main Street, preventing cars from turning right from East Cypress Road onto Main Street. Did such a traffic stoppage prevent the vehicle in the accident from tragically not moving off the railroad tracks?
George Fuller, MPA, MA
City Councilmember, City of Oakley, CA
The Santa Clara City Council dais is being purchased with 4.5 million dollars in campaign contributions by the San Francisco 49ers to three city council candidates. If you think this cannot happen in Oakley, you might want to rethink the situation. Remember, Santa Clara is a City of Santa Clara is a little over 128,000 in population.
Below is a link to an article by the San Francisco Chronicle detailing the contributions by the 49ers.
Why are developers trying to buy two seats on the City of Oakley City Council Dais? This is the question Oakley voters need to ask themselves, at least in my perspective. Two candidates for the City Council, Hugh Henderson and Shannon Shaw, have accepted a total of more than $11,000.00 from developers during the current election campaign. Yes, if you believe the developers expect the two to “give them what they want” I would say you are correct.
Here is the breakdown of the two regarding developer contributions.
Hugh Henderson, candidate for District 2:
California Real Estate Political Action Committee – $3500.00
California Real Estate Political Action Committee is a Los Angeles based organization
involved in real estate sales and development throughout California.
G. Ferrabee Co. – $500.00
G. Ferrabee Co. is a property developer located in Concord, CA.
Ponderosa Homes – $250.00
Ponderosa Homes is a Pleasanton, CA., property developer
Build Jobs Political Action Committee – $1000.00
A political group out of Concord, CA. Indications are the PAC is backed by Seeno Developers
and O’Hara Properties.
C. A. Lauritzen, LLC – $250.00
Chris Lauritzen is a local developer and a owner of Big Break Marina. He is also a member of
the Rotary Club of Oakley, and an elected member of the Ironhouse Sanitary District. DeNova Homes – $1000.00
DeNova Homes is the developer building homes on the Northeast Corner of East Cypress
Road and Bethel Island Road
JMI Properties – $500.00
JMI Properties is a developer out of Clayton, CA
Chris Lauritzen – $100.00
Chris Lauritzen is an owner of Big Break Marina. Mr. Lauritzen is also an elected member of
the Board of Directors of the Ironhouse Sanitary District, and a member of the Rotary Club of
Oakley.
O’Hara Properties – $2000.00
O’Hara Properties is owned by Mathew and Stephen Beinke in Danville, CA. Mathew Beinke
recently attempted to have a McDonald’s and a Quick Quack Car Wash built on Laurel Plaza,
Candidate Shaw accepts over $2,000.00 in campaign contributions from developers for Oakley election. Shannon Shaw, a candidate for the Oakley City Council in District 4, has received multiple monetary contributions from land developers. The list of contributions is:
DeNova Homes, $1,000.00
DeNova Homes is developing the Northeast corner of Bethel Island Rd and East Cypress
Rd., which is located in District 4.
California Real Estate Political Action Committee, $1,000.00
The California Real Estate Political Action Committee is a PAC that operates throughout
California promoting real estate transactions and land development.
JMI Properties, $500.00
JMI Properties is a land developer located in Clayton, CA.
David Wahl, $100.00
David Wahl is a Brentwood resident and a founding member of the Rotary Club of Oakley.
Total Contributions – $2,600.00
A link to Shaw’s campaign reports listing contributions is below:
Henderson accepts over $9000.00 in campaign contributions from developers in Oakley. The breakdown of the political contributions is:
California Real Estate Political Action Committee – $3500.00
California Real Estate Political Action Committee is a Los Angeles based organization involved in real estate sales and development throughout California.
G. Ferrabee Co. – $500.00
G. Ferrabee Co. is a property developer located in Concord, CA.
Ponderosa Homes – $250.00
Ponderosa Homes is a Pleasanton, CA., property developer
Build Jobs Political Action Committee – $1000.00
A political group out of Concord, CA. Indications are the PAC is backed by Seeno Developers and O’Hara Properties.
C. A. Lauritzen, LLC – $250.00
Chris Lauritzen is a local developer and a owner of Big Break Marina. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Oakley, and an elected member of the Ironhouse Sanitary District.
DeNova Homes – $1000.00
DeNova Homes is the developer building homes on the Northeast Corner of East Cypress Road and Bethel Island Road
JMI Properties – $500.00
JMI Properties is a developer out of Clayton, CA
Chris Lauritzen – $100.00
Chris Lauritzen is an owner of Big Break Marina. Mr. Lauritzen is also an elected member of the Board of Directors of the Ironhouse Sanitary District, and a member of the Rotary Club of Oakley.
O’Hara Properties – $2000.00
O’Hara Properties is owned by Mathew and Stephen Beinke in Danville, CA. Mathew Beinke recently attempted to have a McDonald’s and a Quick Quack Car Wash built on Laurel Plaza, across from Laurel Elementary School.
Total Developer Contributions – $9,100.00
I was disappointed to see that Candidate Henderson did not list his income from Hook, Line, and Sinker, an Oakley business on his Statement of Economic Interest Form 700. Henderson has repeatedly stated over the years that he manages the Hook, Line, and Sinker. Yet, he failed to list the income on the Form 700 to be a candidate for the City Council, nor on the Form 700 submitted when he became a Planning Commissioner for the City of Oakley. However, that is an issue to be resolved by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) in the future.
Links to Henderson’s campaign contributions reporting form, and the Forms 700 of Henderson, are below.
Regarding the Rotary Club of Oakley, I previously posted that with the election of Hugh Henderson and Shannon Shaw to the Oakley City Council, there would be six people in key City of Oakley governmental positions who are members of the Rotary Club of Oakley. Actually, there would be eight members of the Rotary Club of Oakley in key governmental positions in the City of Oakley. They would be: City of Oakley City Council Aaron Meadows – Vice Mayor; Shannon Shaw – Councilmember; Hugh Henderson – Councilmember; Josh McMurray – City Manager; Diablo Water District Scott Pastor – Director, Board of Directors; Dan Muelrath – General Manager; Ironhouse Sanitary District Chris Lauritzen – Director, Board of Directors; Peter Zirkle – Director, Board of Directors.
Yes, there is a situation where Shannon Shaw, Candidate for City Council, District 4, is the spouse of Jason Shaw. He will be sworn into office in December as a Director Board of Directors, Diablo Water District. I mention the above because, in my opinion, the residents of Oakley should be aware of how the candidates affiliate with others while elected members of the City of Oakley governmental positions.
Yes, the founders of the Rotary Club of Oakley were Bryan Montgomery, former city manager of Oakley, and Dave Wahl, a Brentwood resident. Below are two articles, one concerning the City of Santa Clara and the other with the City of Los Angeles, where relationships with others outside the council chambers have been a concern.
Oakley’s zoning regulations are on the city council agenda, again, tomorrow night (Oct 11, 2022). I will call for a moratorium on issuing all building permits, CUP permits, variances, and other development projects. Tonight’s agenda calls for an indefinite continuance of the council reviewing the zoning regulations in the city. The situation has become unacceptable to me. It is also disrespectful to Councilmember Williams.
Councilmember Williams called for zoning ordinance reviews over eighteen months ago. The first presentation to the council of the proposed changes met with a very hostile reception by some council members. The item was sent back “for further work.” Each time the proposals come to the dais, they return to city staff with a promise to the community that “we’ll get it together.” In the interim, developers have a free hand in the city’s development, with an impetus to “step things up” knowing zoning changes are pending in Oakley.
It is an indefinite delay request, which usually means “never” in city hall jargon. My proposal is all development cease until the new zoning regulations are approved and implemented.
Contacting your council members to encourage them to approve a moratorium must be done before tomorrow night’s council meeting.
George Fuller, MPA, MA
Councilmember, City of Oakley, CA
