A Message From the Supervisor
Greetings – now that the summer season has come and gone, many of us are looking forward to cooler weather and, hopefully, a respite from the drought! Until water supply conditions improve, contact your water utility for changing water use requirements. In the Tri-Valley, outdoor irrigation systems are restricted to one day a week during October and November and no irrigation December to March.
November 4 is Election Day and while a low voter turn-out is predicted for this mid-term non-presidential election I urge you to get out and vote! One of the most precious civic duties of any U.S. citizen, the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. In this technologically connected environment, I encourage you to educate yourself on the candidates and measures. Collectively, our votes influence our future.
November is also a time to honor our Veterans, men and women in military service to our country, and who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms (including the right to vote). There will be a range of local activities in which to participate to recognize our Veterans and military personnel. A call to an elderly relative to say “hello” and to thank him or her for past service to our country can be a heart-felt way to reconnect and honor a family Veteran. This newsletter includes articles and links to various resources for local Veterans.
I am deeply honored to serve and represent you. Please do not hesitate to contact my office regarding any County-related issue or concern. Also, for up-to-date news, meetings and information, I invite you to visit the District 1 website.
Happy Fall!
Very Sincerely,
Scott Haggerty
Board of Supervisors Actions
Ever wonder what your Supervisor does during the weekly Tuesday Board of Supervisors Meeting? Here are some of the board actions from the last quarter which impact the residents of District 1:
While the Board was closed to meetings during the month of August for summer recess, they hit the ground running in September. The following are some actions taken in September that impact District 1:
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The Board approved the renewal of the service agreement, Abode Services in Fremont for CalWORKs Work Experience/Community Service program services, extending the current term of 7/1/08 - 6/30/14 through 6/30/15, and increasing the contract amount from $1,703,554.85 to $2,136,926.33 ($433,371.48 increase)
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The Board unanimously approved an amendment to the Portia Bell Hume Behavioral Health and Training Center, to continue providing mental health consultation services to teachers, counselors, school administrators, parents and students in the Tri-Valley, extending the contract period of 11/15/11 - 6/30/14 for 12 months to 6/30/15, and increasing the contract amount from $480,000 to $630,000 ($150,000 increase)
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The Board authorized the Auditor-Controller to adjust the budget by increasing revenue in the amount of $781,305 in order to effectuate a pass through of federal Low Income Health Program reimbursement to Washington Township Health Care District Hospital, pursuant to the Board approved Claiming Agreement between Alameda County and Washington Hospital
 Alameda County Officials Break Ground on New East County Courthouse
It took more than a decade to come to fruition, but Alameda County officials, along with judges and local dignitaries, finally broke ground last month on the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.
The project is the result of an extended planning effort initiated in 2001.
“We are very excited to see construction of this important project under way at last,’’ said Supervisor Scott Haggerty. “Thanks to a lengthy collaboration involving Alameda County and the State of California, this state-of-the-art complex will provide much-needed law and justice services to the residents of eastern Alameda County.’’
The long-delayed project, consisting of a five-story courthouse with 13 courtrooms, a two-story County office building and 865 parking spaces, will be built on 20 acres of land adjacent to the Santa Rita Jail. It will replace the leased Gale Schenone Hall of Justice in Pleasanton and the Allen E. Broussard Justice Center in Oakland, which suffered flooding damage in 2007 and had to be vacated.
In addition to the convenience of consolidating various court departments in one location, the County will also see long-term cost savings from the courthouse's proximity to the county jail, as fewer inmates will be transported to Oakland for hearings.
The project is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy in early 2017.
 2014 District 1 Holiday Open House
Mark your calendar now to join Supervisor Haggerty on Thursday, December 11, 2014 for his annual Holiday Open House. The informal community event, now in its third year, is an opportunity for constituents, commissioners and elected officials to gather, mingle, greet the Supervisor, his family and staff, and spread some good holiday cheer.
The open house is also "holiday central" for Supervisor Haggerty’s annual food and toy drive from which, all donations and proceeds go to benefit local charities. Can’t make it to the open house? You are welcome to drop off your food or toy donation at the Heritage House anytime between November 17 and December 18.
The event will take place in the Supervisor’s district office, the historic Heritage House at 4501 Pleasanton Avenue, Pleasanton from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.
For more information on the holiday open house, please contact Leah Doyle-Stevens at (925) 551-6995.
 Alameda County-Wide Goods Movement Planning Gets Underway
Home to the Port of Oakland, the 5th busiest in the U.S., and the 3rd largest container port on the U.S. West Coast, the efficient movement of goods via road, rail, air and water has great implications for Alameda County and the region. The Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) is developing a plan to address Goods Movement in Alameda County that will lay out a strategy for future investments for this purpose. The planning process proposes to examine environmental and quality of life issues for impacted communities; safe and reliable transport of goods; multimodal and interconnectivity opportunities; innovative practices; and sustained economic prosperity from this activity. ACTC is coordinating with planning efforts for goods movement at the regional (MTC), state and federal levels. The plan is expected to be completed late 2015. For more information on the ACTC Goods Movement Plan effort visit their website.
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New Bridge Connects Fremont BART Stations
On October 2, Supervisor Haggerty participated in a ceremony for the completion of a new BART rail bridge crossing over Walnut Avenue in Fremont. The new bridge links the existing vintage 1970’s Fremont BART station with the future Warm Springs BART station in south Fremont. Joined by Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison and BART Director Tom Blalock, Supervisor Haggerty applauded progress being made on the 5.4 mile BART extension project. Planned since the 1980’s, construction on the $890 million (includes $224 million of Measure B funds) extension got underway September 2009, with a scheduled opening in late 2015. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) also has a 10-mile Phase 1 BART extension to San Jose under construction that will connect at Warm Springs and is expected to be open for service in 2018. Haggerty acknowledged the symbolism of the new bridge, connecting Fremont to its future as the area surrounding the new Warm Springs station is designated as an “Innovation District” with space planned for future technological industries to call home, and that will firmly establish the city’s place in the Silicon Valley region. While housing and a new elementary school are also planned around the Warm Springs station, economic development generating jobs will be the focus. The city is also taking advantage of its proximity to the existing Fremont BART station as it develops its vision for a City Center Downtown District. For more information on the Warm Springs BART station area click here .
 Supervisor Haggerty Celebrates Bay Area Community Services Grand Opening of their Fremont Facility
Bay Area Community Services (BACS) has been providing high quality, affordable, and innovative services since 1953. Services began in Oakland, and over the next 60 years expanded to Hayward, Alameda, Oakland, Pleasanton, Vallejo and Fremont.
BACS runs more than 10 programs for frail seniors, adults and teens living with mental illness, as well as, programs for homeless adults and teens. BACS works to keep these individuals connected their community, and promotes health and wellness in each program.
Supervisor Haggerty was thrilled to have been a part of celebrating the continuation of these important programs, and the grand opening of their remodeled space.
For more information on BACS please visit their website.
 Community Recognition of the Quarter
…Belia Martinez was raised in a small Texas town near the Mexican border in an underprivileged setting. She and her family picked cotton for money and lived in a poverty-stricken home of migrant workers. It was through this experience that she recognized the vast importance of education and further, that of formal education, and the opportunities each present for one’s future. Being one of four siblings, Ms. Martinez knew her mother, a single parent, couldn’t afford higher education. So, after graduating high school, she enlisted in the United States Army, where she served her country and earned financial assistance for a college education. Following her active duty military service, she enrolled at Texas Women’s University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and became the first in her family to not only graduate college, or even enroll…
Click here to read the full story.
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 Supervisor Haggerty appointed to chair the CSAC Homeless Policy Taskforce
Contra Costa County Supervisor, and President of the California Association of Counties (CSAC) John Gioia, recently appointed Supervisor Haggerty to chair the CSAC Homeless Taskforce. The purpose of the taskforce is to create policy within the CSAC platform that addresses the issue of homelessness. The taskforce will address housing, mental health and health services, and public safety.
Supervisor Haggerty is excited for the opportunity to serve CSAC in this capacity and believes this to be a great opportunity for Alameda County to share some of its best practices and learn what other counties are doing to help individuals and families work their way out of homelessness. In Alameda County we have made some progress to end homelessness, reducing the number of homeless individuals by 16% since 2003. We have made progress by adopting model programs, like rapid-rehousing, which allows individuals and families to be placed in stable housing in a timely manner.
There is a lot of work still to be done statewide to end homelessness; Supervisor Haggerty alongside his colleagues on the taskforce have vowed to accept the challenge!
Community Choice Aggregation in Alameda County
In June, the Board of Supervisors authorized actions that could result in formation of new Joint Powers Agency (JPA) to implement a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program in Alameda County.
During the Transportation and Planning Committee hearing on October 6, Alameda County Community Development Agency (CDA) unveiled a preliminary working document to serve as the initial blue print in the CCA planning process. A draft set of eight goals and objectives were presented to include: provisions for electric rate competitiveness, renewable energy maximization, carbon footprint reduction, local build-out and job creation, union labor considerations.
The Committee heard several key concerns of activists, Labor representatives and members of the community. As a result, County CDA staff will more clearly define the goals and objectives of the plan as they relate to: local energy production, development of a plan that is labor friendly, cost savings initiatives and greenhouse gas reduction. County staff will also present a two-tier program governing structure to include both labor and members of the community. Projections are that within one year from now, phase one, which includes the Feasibility Study, will be complete.
Click here for more information on Community Choice Aggregation.
 Supervisor Haggerty Discusses County Economic Opportunities with Veterans
Supervisor Haggerty recently had the pleasure of speaking with Veterans Affairs Work-Study students through the California Employment Development Department (EDD). The students, EDD, Alameda County Veterans Commission, and learning institutions came together to provide VA students with information they need to get proper training to move on to a successful career after serving our country.
Recently, the Ohlone College Veteran Student Club surveyed 15+ colleges and training institutions in Alameda County and learned there are 2,000 plus Veteran students attending school in Alameda County. Then the event at the San Leandro Veterans Memorial building gave some of those students the opportunity to learn more about job market trends in Alameda County in order to help them select the career path that is right for them. The good news is the job market is growing here in Alameda County and is forecasted to add an additional 10,000 jobs by 2015. Many of the growing industries in the County seek to hire Veterans. Specifically for Veterans, there is a partnership through the Alameda County Work Force Investment Board (WIB) and One Stop Career Centers to help with job placement and training. Another exciting partnership specifically for Veterans is with the Alameda County WIB and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The Two parties developed a 24 month engineering technical education program for Veterans. The training is provided through Las Positas College where the training allows veterans the skills to become eligible to work for companies like NASA, Sandia and LLNL. Up to 30 veterans will enroll this fall as LLNL is expecting to replace 200 engineering technician vacancies over the next five years.
Nationally, 56% of Veterans withdraw from school before completing studies for a degree or certificate. With that in mind, the goal for Alameda County and its partners is to build an infrastructure of support at each institution to help Veterans succeed. We take great pride in providing services to our veterans and will continue to work on their behalf.
Local Veterans Resources:
Tri-Valley City Services
Alameda County Veterans Services
Valley Veterans Foundation
Las Positas Veterans First Program
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 International Walk and Roll to School Week
October 6-10 was dubbed International Walk and Roll to School Week for 2014, and Supervisor Haggerty was excited about the opportunity to participate in events hosted by District 1’s Dougherty Elementary School in Dublin. (See photo gallery)
Monday, October 6, the Dougherty Dolphins kicked off Walk and Roll to School Week in a big way. And, for Walk and Roll to School Day on Wednesday, October 6, in the company of countless schools around the world, Dougherty upped the ante to encourage alternate means of getting to and from school with a host of festivities, contests and giveaways.
Given his passion and strong ties to conservation and transportation, Supervisor Haggerty was both thrilled and honored to be involved in the day.
Dougherty is the reigning champion in all of Alameda County for participation on Walk and Roll to School Day since 2012.
Click here for more information on International Walk and Roll to School Week.
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