City Government

Limited Community Access to Helms Middle

Published

5 years ago

July 4, 2019

San Pablo City Council on Monday approved a 32-week pilot program allowing community access to the sports fields at Helms Middle School.

The city is working with the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) on the proposal allowing access Monday-Friday from 6:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. beginning in August through the end of October, and re-opening again in March 2020 and running through June 30, 2020.

San Pablo has committed about $15,000 to pay for the pilot program, which, if successful, could be extended, according to San Pablo city staff.

The pilot project would allow residents to access the football field, soccer fields, track, basketball courts and other amenities of the fields. The entire property, including where the community center is located, belongs to the school district.

During those non-school hours, safe access to the fields will be provided through the community center, according to city staff.

Campus safety has been at the center of why the community hasn’t been able to use the fields, city staff says. Gates providing access to the community have been kept shut in order to keep visitors from intermingling with children in physical education classes or after school programs. The locked gates haven’t stopped some community members from crawling under or hopping over fences to gain access to the fields, city staff said.

The solution, staff said, was to identify a way to safely gain access to the sports amenities. That led to the proposal for limited access during non-school hours using the community center’s front and back entrances.

Some community members say it’s about time. San Pablo Mayor Rich Kinney said voters approved a property tax that promised access to school-built facilities such as Helms Middle, which was rebuilt in 2010. The mayor said community access to the property was part of discussions during early meetings about the San Pablo Community Center. The city paid for the construction of the center, which opened in 2014, and the district leases use of the property to the city for $1 in perpetuity. In those early discussions about the site, the school district and city talked about sharing cost for community access to the fields, Kinney said.

“We were always promised from Day 1 that we would have access to the black top and the basketball courts behind the Community Center,” Mayor Kinney said.

It’s the reason high fences were installed to wall off access to the school, he said.

The mayor said he approved the pilot program Monday because he wants access for the community, but added that the fight should continue for the right of city taxpayers to use the fields at no cost.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.