Home Contra Costa County East Contra Costa Fire Releases Breakdown of Benefit Assessment Vote

East Contra Costa Fire Releases Breakdown of Benefit Assessment Vote

by ECT

On Friday, the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District released a breakdown of its Benefit Assessment vote which highlighted how voters across the District voted.

According to the Board Agenda for Monday’s ECCFPD Fire Board meeting, a breakdown of the results show Brentwood and Marsh Creek area voters supported the assessment. Meanwhile Oakley, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Knightsen and Byron overwhelmingly rejected the idea.

In April, the public rejected the idea of paying a Benefit Assessment of roughly $100 to keep two East Contra Costa Fire Protection District stations open.

As a result, in May, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to shutter stations. Station 54 in Downtown Brentwood and Station 94 in Knigthsen both closed permanently leaving the District with just 3-stations.

The remaining stations open are in Brentwood (Balfour & Bypass), Oakley (O’Hara) and Discovery Bay (Bixler) where the District is forced to go into structure protection of neighboring homes versus trying to save a home already involved due to safety and limited resources.

IMG_1059On July 1, a 2:28 am residential structure fire in the 1600 block of Eden Plains Road in Brentwood destroyed a home. It should be noted that the second engine on scene was Engine 88 from Antioch.

The District said the home was a total loss while windows and stucco was damaged on a neighboring home. The estimated loss is $500,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The closed Knigthsen fire station is less than a mile away. Firefighters did save a neighboring home.

IMG_2526On June 23, a single-alarm fire destroyed a home in the 4700 block of La Vista Drive off Holly Drive in Oakley after a propane tank explosion. Firefighters arrived to find the home fully involved and due to safety were not able to make access to the roof or go inside.

The home was deemed a complete loss by fire officials after the fire started from a malfunction of a propane cylinder in the backyard which resulted in an exterior fire which quickly spread to the interior of the home.

The District stated in May, results show of the 43,684 ballots distributed, just 11,599 (or 27%) of voters returned their ballots which showed just 47% of the District supported the ballot measure.

Here is a breakdown of the vote

Bentwood had 6,069 votes returned

  • 54% – Yes
  • 46% – No

Oakley had 2,514 votes returned

  • 41% – Yes
  • 59% – No

Discovery Bay had 1,985 votes returned

  • 40% – Yes
  • 60% – No

Bethel Island had 475 votes returned

  • 33% – Yes
  • 67% – No

Knightsen had 146 votes returned

  • 38% – Yes
  • 62% – No

Byron had 285 votes returned

  • 24% – Yes
  • 76% – No

Marsh Creek had 125 votes returned

  • 71% – Yes
  • 29% – No

Tonight East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Board meeting will begin at 6:30 pm at 3231 Main Street in Oakley at Oakley City Hall.

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6 comments

Voter925 Jul 6, 2015 - 7:58 am

Not interested in funding Brentwood and Oakley to have 2 stations but the rest of the District gets screwed. The hell with this Board.

Rick Jul 6, 2015 - 7:03 pm

We can vote to dissolve,but then what?

fred flintstone Jul 6, 2015 - 7:59 am

Way to go Discovery Bay, you have showed your true colors in whining and bitching about your station closure but failed to put any skin in the game by 60% of you saying no. The Board should shut that station down and put the engine where all the calls are actually coming from.

Math is not that hard Jul 6, 2015 - 10:16 am

Fred, thanks for demonstrating Stone Age logic.

Let’s work the numbers. We’ll focus on “No” votes since that seems to be where you’re stuck:

Discovery Bay “No” = 1191 votes

Oakley “No” = 1483 votes

Brentwood “No” = 3614 votes

Based on those numbers, looks like you should be taking away more resources from the cities with your argument. Since more people there didn’t “put skin in the game”, as you put it.

Since this is the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District and not the Brentwood Fire Department, your arbitrary drawing of lines around certain groups of people to support your logic is flawed from the beginning.

In the future, perhaps understand the difference between rocks and boomerangs before throwing them. Using terms like “all the calls” shows a lack of comprehension with respect to the facts on the ground.

Anytime you’re ready to pull your property tax bill out and have that “skin the game” argument on an individual basis, we can have it.

Julio Jul 6, 2015 - 12:26 pm

I would like to know total registered voters who could have voted for each of the communities in you pie chart. A comparison of the actual votes and registered voters total.

Barney Rebel Jul 6, 2015 - 8:56 pm

This is another sample that the citizens of East County are not buying the BS that the Fire District is selling. Now I here the City managers are meeting with the 1230 union as a task force. The problem is that the public is uninvited. This is more of an example to sell mistrust to the citizens. Supervisor Mary Piepho is needed now more than ever to stop the behind door private meetings. If everyone read the paper article about the task force a week or so ago they would also know the secrecy that is playing out. The paper said a county rep was to be involved and it is not so. Something needs to be done by our county supervisors to regain public trust as it relates to East County Fire Services. They have been lying to the public for too long. I’m glad the landowners were smart enough to see this. I also hope they continue to resist until the lies and back door meetings stop.

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