Thursday, September 21, 2017 VOLUME LIV, NUMBER 38 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL BART/ACE Bill Goes to Governor for Signature By Ron McNicoll of Dublin and Susan Eggman of If Brown signs the bill, it would Baker said that the bill would be A bill with the potential to San Joaquin County, won over- formally establish a Tri-Valley- a “game-changer,” because it puts speed up BART to Livermore, whelming votes in both legislative San Joaquin County rail authority the authority to make decisions See Inside Section A or find some other way to link houses. The bill went to Brown into the area that it will serve. A Section A is filled with to drive the connection between BART with ACE to ease traffic Sept. 15, the last day of the 2017 BART and the ACE trains in project that would come from the information about arts, people, congestion on I-580, cleared the session. Livermore. process could be built. entertainment and special events. Legislature and has gone to Gov. Using figures from a BART re- Baker said, "This is a good Chances for Brown’s signature There are education stories, a Jerry Brown for his signature. port, Baker said that it would take development after years of delay. look good. He sent one of his ad- variety of features, and the arts AB 758, co-authored by As- 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles off the Connecting BART and ACE has ministration officials to the Legis- and entertainment and semblymembers Catharine Baker road in the region. been years in the making.” bulletin board. (See BILLS, page 3) Land Purchase Council Could Provide Supports Access to Agreement Doolan Canyon with Costco The Altamont Open Space The Pleasanton City Council Advisory Committee voted last voted to direct staff to move for- Friday to allocate funds to the ward on the implementation of the East Bay Regional Park District Johnson Drive Economic Develop- (EBRPD) to be used to purchase ment Zone (JDEDZ). two properties. The council vote also autho- One, a 1.5 acre parcel owned rized the city manager to execute by rancher Larry Gosselin, would an agreement with Costco select- make it possible for the district to ing the sales tax sharing option provide public access to the Dool- as the preferred financing option an Canyon Regional Preserve. The second, a 4 acre property on for the required transportation Pleasanton Ridge would allow the improvements. district to create the ability to offer The vote was unanimous with easier access to Pleasanton Ridge Mayor Jerry Thorne absent. Regional Park. Photo - Doug Jorgensen Arne Olson, who made the mo- Funds for acquisition of open Splatter celebrated water, wine, art and music in Dublin's Emerald Glen Park last Saturday. Activities, tion, said he had supported the plan space lands in eastern Alameda food and entertainment were available for all ages. An evening concert and a community dance party from day one. County are derived from fees paid under the stars capped off the festive event. For more photos, go to page 10. Karla Brown was the only at the Altamont and Vasco landfills councilmember who had been hes- as the result of a legal settlement in itant. She said that she had asked connection with expansion of the people she knew if they wanted a Altamont Landfill. The commit- Costco. All replied, "Yes." "The tee, composed of representatives Zone 7 President Wants project is so massive and so large, from Alameda County, the City of but I will do what I think most Livermore, the City of Pleasanton, residents want. I will support it." and the Sierra Club, decides which To Drop TV Coverage Jerry Pentin declared, "I think properties receive funding. The this is good for Pleasanton. We eastern area receives the largest By Ron McNicoll night, and broadcast a few days think there is enough on our web have a responsibility to grow our share; the western - Pleasanton and Zone 7 Water Agency Board later on Saturday afternoons and site. Our minutes are on the web economic development. Tax shar- Dublin, a lesser amount. President John Greci says that Wednesday evenings. They repeat site,” said Greci. ing is the right option." The purchase price for the 1.5 he will ask fellow directors to until the next Zone 7 meeting, (The web site on Sept.18 had Kathy Narum said she agreed acres on the Gosselin/Rollins ranch drop television coverage of board which occurs once each month. the minutes for the Aug. 2 special was listed at $264,400. EBRPD with Karla Brown that most people meetings. Meetings are also available on meeting, but not for the Aug. 16 want a Costco. "It is a massive requested that the committee The item has not been placed on demand on the Tri-Valley Com- regular meeting.) provide $132,200. The vote was undertaking, but I don't see a risk an agenda, although it could hap- munity Television (TVCT) web Greci said he asked to put the to the city." unanimous to do so. pen in a month or two, said Greci. page at http://www.tri-valleytv. television item on the agenda. "I Negotiations with Gosselin An estimated $21.5 million Greci told a reporter, “I don’t org/. The recordings are chaptered, won't let it drop. It will be on a would be needed in traffic im- began in 2010. think we are getting the bang for so viewers can click on an agenda future agenda. It needs to be ad- Liz Musbach, EBRPD Chief of provements to help ease impacts the buck that we need. People are item to view. dressed. We need to decide if it’s of development in the area. Under Land Acquisition, told the commit- not tuned in to watch. I don’t have worth the money,” said Greci. Greci said that Zone 7 has a the proposed agreement negoti- tee that the ranch can be accessed one friend that watches it.” web page and a newsletter posted Zone 7 pays TVCT a little over ated between the City and Costco, from Collier Canyon Road. The The Zone 7 meetings are re- on it. People can also subscribe $22,000 annually for the coverage. $6.4 million will be paid using (See PURCHASE, page 2) corded on a Wednesday meeting via e-mail to get the newsletter. “I (See ZONE 7, page 2) (See COSTCO, page 2) Downtown Livermore Workshop Participants Want More Open Space The first two downtown Liver- west corner of the old Lucky site hood session on Sept. 18. Those tel, parking, traffic, open space, Steering Committee members were more workshops showed several and a parking garage in the south- taking part were assigned seats on housing, and cultural facilities for also distributed to participants. trends. Notably, most of those west corner were two other options a random basis. participants to use in judging what Using all of the information from participating wanted more open supported by a large majority. City Consultant David Early elements to place on the maps Early and the four concepts, each space than is shown in any of the About 130 people participated from PlaceWorks presented what given to each table. table was directed to come up with four sample concepts. in a community workshop on Sept. he called "key learnings" on a Four concept development a plan for the 8.2 acres belonging Housing located in the north- 13, another 50 or 60 in a neighbor- variety of topics, such as a ho- maps created by the Downtown (See DOWNTOWN, page 3) Pleasanton Reconsiders Request by Youth to School Population Standards Declare Livermore an Inclusive City By Ron McNicoll Lydiksen School, and other mod- Teens serving on the Livermore Pleasanton Unfied School Dis- ernization projects that would Area Youth Advisory Commission trict Trustees held a workshop to qualify for state matching funds. (LAYAC) have drafted a procla- discuss spending $70 million from The bond also will pay off a mation calling for an inclusive the voter-approved $270 million debt of $14 million, which will bond Measure I1, passed in No- community that they plan to ask enable the district to redirect devel- the Livermore City Council to vember 2016. oper fees to future school building adopt. No final decision or approval projects instead of loan payments. of any action occurred at the Sept. The board wanted to explore The decision to write the proc- 12 session. The workshop was some ideas further before the staff lamation came in response to intended for brainstorming ideas, presents specific thoughts about incidents of bullying and racism and giving staff direction about what might be done. in the San Ramon Valley School how to implement the board’s The center of the discussion District that made national head- vision. focused on elementary schools. A lines. Some of the Livermore The board already has appor- new idea for the board involved Photo - Doug Jorgensen students had observed divisive tioned the $70 million into various dropping the long-held “rule” that Volunteers took part in the sixth annual Tri-Valley Creeks to Bay behavior and actions while others categories, including technology elementary schools should have a Clean-up on Saturday. The Clean-up event was part of Coastal Clean- personally experienced bullying and security system upgrades, population between 600 and 660 or up Day, the largest statewide and international effort to clean trash and racist comments. modernization or rebuilding of and debris from waterways. Miranda and Max Gresshoff worked Ann Brown, an adult com- (See PLEASANTON, page 5) near the Springtown Wetlands.