Contra Costa County Civil Grand Jury Report Summaries 2023-2024 Challenges Facing the City of Antioch Antioch is a dynamic and diverse city that faces a number of challenges, including high turnover in City leadership, a City employee vacancy rate that is four-times the national average, and possible Brown Act violations by the Mayor and certain City Council members. Hiring and retaining an experienced and qualified City Manager, a process that is currently underway, will be an important first step in addressing these challenges, but more needs to be done. (See page 4)
The Community Warning System: Will Everyone Get a Warning?
Does DCD Utilize Best Practices to Enforce Disability Accessibility Standards?
In the 2017 Wine Country fires and the 2018 Camp Fire warning systems in those counties failed to alert people for various reasons. Could that happen with the Contra Costa County warning system too? The Grand Jury investigated risks that the Contra Costa County warning system could also fail, and found areas for improvement that may get warnings out to more people sooner. (See page 5)
Businesses are required to make their facilities accessible to people with disabilities. The California Construction-Related Accessibility Standards Compliance Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), along with other statutes, help California businesses comply with state and federal accessibility standards. After investigation, the Grand Jury recommends the Board of Supervisors pursue whether DCD is enforcing accessibility standards in its commercial buildings. (See page 6)
Petroleum Refineries and Hazardous Material Releases Contra Costa County is home to two major petroleum refineries as well as other businesses that employ hazardous materials in their operations. These materials can pose a significant health risk to the surrounding community if not properly maintained. The Hazardous Materials Division of Contra Costa Health Services has the responsibility to monitor the use of these hazardous materials through periodic inspections and to respond to any accidental release of hazardous materials
that does occur. The Grand Jury has investigated the procedures used for these important health and safety responsibilities and has determined that additional staff are needed at Contra Costa Health Services to improve their ability to quickly and fully respond to emergencies. Also, the Community Warning System presently used to advise and warn residents when accidental hazardous material releases occur should be modified in a way to reach more residents. (See page 6)
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