Home California Frazier Resigns from Council, Ready for State Assembly

Frazier Resigns from Council, Ready for State Assembly

by ECT

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With his swearing in on Monday to the California State Assembly, Oakley Councilman Jim Frazier resigned as of 5:00 pm Friday because state law permits him from holding two offices. Frazier is now set to become the first Oakley resident to take State office which is a very neat accomplishment.

Rowena Coetsee of the Contra Costa Times did a nice profile on Frazier in today’s paper which is a great read. The article provides quotes from Frazier, Aaron Meadows and Rico Cinquini.

Frazier went out with a bang as he helped Oakley get $750,000 in Caltrans funds to improve the Raye Avenue which is a flood-prone road which some refer to it as “Raye Lake”.  Frazier pushed the project hard which includes rebuilding the road and adding storm drainage and sewer lines, has been in Oakley’s plans for the last decade, but there have been hiccups to its funding, Councilman Jim Frazier said.

Most recently, Oakley had planned to use redevelopment money for the project, but it “become a casualty” of the state’s dissolution of those funds, City Engineer Jason Vogan said.

Here is a recap of his major accomplishments during his four years on the Oakley City Council.

All-Abilities Playground
This will be the first of its kind in East County which will be set up a Crockett park. The structure feature slides, climbers, bridges and ramps, and interactive panels all easily accessed by special-needs children.

Caltrans Relinquishment of Highway 4/Main Street
Frazier was instrumental in negotiating with Caltrans over the last couple of years. Oakley finally gained control of this road in February of 2012.

Development Fee Reduction
In order to get the economy jump started and get citizens back to work, Frazier worked to lower Development fee by nearly 40%. Since the reduction, permits have been pulled and a renewed interest in further developing Oakley has occurred.

Friends of Oakley
He was able to leverage the Friends of Oakley into providing many fundraisers for the community and help raise money for the citizens in need. Later this month, the non-profit is expected to provide Christmas meals to nearly 400 families.

HALO & Old Fire Station 93
The Homeless Animals’ Lifeline Organization (HALO) originally wanted a home in another building in Oakley, but the he worked with staff and the council to propose the old Fire Station 93 as a new home for the organization. He even worked to gather funding from the local community.

Highway 4 Widening
As part of East Contra Costa transportation agency (TRANSPLAN), Mayor Frazier helped secure $50 million from the state to widen the Highway 4 Bypass, and an additional $160 million in federal funding for the Highway 4/160 connector.

La Clinica:
Frazier went out to raise funds in order to bring La Clincia to Oakley which took four-years to complete the process. La Clinica facility, which offers an array of health care services to those carrying little or no insurance. It also brings a Dr. back to the community.

Mayors Conferences (Contra Costa County)
As Mayor, he had the opportunity to represent Oakley at the monthly conference to discuss local issues and work on policy that benefited the community.

Mayors Walk & Talks
In order to be more accessible to the community, while service as Mayor,  Frazier initiated this bi-monthly walk in order to discuss community issues and get feedback from concerned citizens along Marsh Creek Trail.

Sand Creek Funding
As part of the Highway 4 Bypass Authority, Frazier was able to secure $25 million in Corridor Mobility Improvement Account money that will help reduce gridlock at Sand Creek Road intersection and turn it into an interchange.

Senate Bill 536
Although this Bill has been around for a few years, Mr. Frazier worked with State Senator Mark DeSaulnier which was co-authored by Assembly Member Joan Buchanan to finally have the governor sign SB 536 which brings an additional $3 million per year injected into a modest $12 million annual operating budget for Oakley. That is a pretty big influx of funding.

Regional Transportation Mitigation Fee Reduction ECCRFAFA
He worked to adopt a resolution that became official Dec. 12 which reduces the portion of fees charged by the City by approximately 50%. This will help fund 27 regional projects over a period of years. ECCRFFA charged one of the largest fees, $18,710 for a single family dwelling unit at the time and now charges around $9,000. By lowering these fees, it helps put people to work.

Safe Routes to School
Frazier helped secure funding to provide an improved walkway for the children who attend Orchard Park School.

Oakley Power Plant
Frazier has been working with stakeholders locally and from the State to push forward the Power Plant.

Burk Byline
By Michael Burkholder

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3 comments

JimSimmons42 Dec 1, 2012 - 7:43 am

Congratulations Assemblyman Frazier. You earned this!

Rob Saw Dec 1, 2012 - 7:46 am

With all the BS Frazier took from the rabble rousers as Burk calls them, this is much deserved and a great thing for East County and the District. The other guy would have been a disaster for the area.

Frazier Resigns from Council, Ready for State Assembly « Delta Living Magazine Dec 1, 2012 - 9:27 am

[…] Frazier Resigns from Council, Ready for State Assembly. […]

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