Board Extends Nurse Layoff Deadline After Emotional Health Worker Protests

Contra Costa County's Board of Supervisors unanimously extended the deadline for 96 health worker layoffs by 30 days after nurses from tuberculosis, communicable disease, and maternal health programs delivered gut-wrenching testimony about the collapse of patient care. The board also used a routine property tax hearing to publicly confront the county Auditor-Controller over broken financial reporting systems — and honored a former petroleum refinery's second life as the nation's largest renewable diesel producer.

• Board pushes ECM layoff effective date to May 6 after nurses and three unions mobilize, describing loss of nearly all TB, communicable disease, and maternal health nurses

• $21M property tax cost recovery approved; board demands Auditor-Controller modernize Workday financial systems before successor takes office

• Phillips 66 Rodeo facility celebrated for 130-year anniversary and pivot to 800 million gallons of renewable diesel per year; supervisors push for state aviation fuel credit

• Opioid overdose deaths down roughly 20% as county proclaims Prescription Drug Awareness Month and distributes 3,000+ naloxone units

• Community Wellness Network RFQ pulled from consent and sent back to Equity committee

Nurses Plead to Save Programs as Board Extends ECM Layoff Deadline 30 Days

A standing-room coalition of nurses, labor leaders, and health workers turned the consent calendar into an emotional public hearing, urging the Board of Supervisors to slow down Position Adjustment Resolution No. 26590 — the elimination of 96 positions in the county's Enhanced Care Management program.

The basics: Enhanced Care Management is a statewide Medi-Cal program that pairs high-need patients with dedicated care teams. Contra Costa Health is restructuring the program, which will shrink patient enrollment from roughly 4,700 to approximately 1,050. The resolution cancels 96 positions; as of last week, roughly 11 to 13 displaced workers — mostly nurses — had not yet been placed in other county jobs.

Why it matters: Speakers from five separate health units described what the displacements have already done on the ground: the Acute Communicable Disease unit lost five of its eight public health nurses, leaving one experienced full-time nurse to track more than 96 infectious diseases. The TB program lost three of four nurses responsible for 43 active patients, with no transition plan in place. The Black Infant Health Program lost all of its public health nurses. California Children's Services lost four of 10 case managers, spiking caseloads from roughly 200 to 333 per nurse.

Where things stand: Representatives of IFPTE Local 21, SEIU 1021, and the California Nurses Association appeared together and were joined by the Contra Costa Labor Council, representing 92 affiliated unions.

"Acute Communicable Disease unit — the unit tracking and handling over 96 plus infectious diseases, including outbreaks such as measles, which we are seeing spread — currently lost five of their eight public health nurses and their expertise, with only one full-time nurse remaining," said Justin Taylor, California Nurses Association representative.

Joshua Anijar, Contra Costa Labor Council representative, was blunt: "It's insane to me that we're thinking about cutting nurses and cutting health care professionals in this moment of crisis where we're already seeing outbreaks continue."

Nurse Family Partnership nurse Jeremy Parker, reading a statement on behalf of colleague Cynthia Sanchez, described the emotional devastation of receiving a layoff notice while caring for first-time mothers — families are leaving the program because they cannot face rebuilding trust with a new nurse.

Danette, speaking on behalf of all three unions, formally requested extending the effective date to May 6, 2026, calling it "a lifeline to identify vacancies and transition employees."

The other side: Health Director Grant Colfax defended the restructuring, telling the board the changes align with how ECM programs operate across California. "These changes align with enhanced care management programs across the state," he said, adding that the county followed all civil service procedures. He noted that the vast majority of affected workers had already been placed.

Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston pulled the item from the consent calendar. She expressed personal empathy, sharing that her mother-in-law nearly died during a hospital procedure, and asked whether the remaining displaced workers could be placed with more time. "I would really like to see if it was possible to extend it to see if we could find a position for them," she said.

Supervisor John Gioia supported the extension, noting that nurses face a harder job market than non-nurse staff. "It's taking longer. It takes longer and less of the nurses have been able to find other positions," he said.

Decisions: The board unanimously approved the full consent calendar (5-0: Burgis, Gioia, Andersen, Carlson, Scales-Preston), amending C.86 to push the layoff effective date from April 6 to May 6, 2026. The 96-position elimination itself was not reversed.

What's next: Unions have 30 days to work with the county to place the remaining 11 to 13 displaced workers. The broader question — whether slashing ECM enrollment from 4,700 to 1,050 will drive up emergency room utilization — remains unanswered. No impact study was referenced during the meeting.

Board Approves $21M Property Tax Cost Recovery, Then Turns the Hearing Into an Audit of the Auditor

What began as a routine annual property tax hearing became a pointed confrontation between the board and the county's outgoing Auditor-Controller over the state of financial reporting.

The basics: Under Revenue and Taxation Code 95.3, the county recovers its costs for administering property taxes from cities and special districts. Sr. Deputy County Administrator Laura Strobel presented the annual report: total costs exceed $21 million, up 11% over the prior year. Approximately $8.7 million — about 40% — is recoverable from local jurisdictions; the county absorbs the remaining $12.8 million, including the school share. No written objections were filed.

Why it matters: Chair Diane Burgis used the hearing to publicly criticize the Auditor-Controller's office for its implementation of Workday, the county's financial management system. She said Contra Costa Health — which funds roughly 40% of the Auditor-Controller's budget — cannot produce reliable monthly financial reports from its clinics. "It's like giving your teenagers a credit card, but only being able to see the bill once a year," she said.

Burgis noted the county is spending more than $1 million annually to maintain an outdated 15-year-old legacy system. "I'm going to insist upon it because in order for us to be fiscally responsible and creative, if we have to, we have to have better information," she said.

Auditor-Controller Joanne Bohren responded that her office recently retained a new consultant, Guidehouse, and cautioned that the Health Department's requests must be carefully balanced against the integrity of the county-wide system. "One of the major things that just occurred was we got a new consultant, Guidehouse, that just agreed to a contract not that long ago. So we do have actually access to additional resources now," she said.

Supervisor John Gioia was direct, framing the issue as removing bureaucratic obstacles: "It's about how to get the information processes that we need out of the Auditor-Controller's office in ways that assist our county departments to do their job as effectively as possible." Supervisor Ken Carlson emphasized the need for efficiency improvements given state budget pressures.

Decisions: The board adopted Resolution 2026-101 unanimously (5-0; motion by Andersen, seconded by Carlson) and referred the Workday modernization issue to the Finance Committee.

What's next: The Finance Committee will develop a modernization roadmap before the outgoing Auditor-Controller's successor takes office — a signal the board intends to use its budget authority to force change that affects every county department and special district's ability to track spending in real time.

Phillips 66 Rodeo Facility Honored for 130 Years and Renewable Fuel Transition

The board recognized the 130th anniversary of the Phillips 66 Rodeo facility, which completed its conversion from traditional petroleum refining to a renewable energy complex in 2024.

Why it matters: The facility now produces approximately 800 million gallons of renewable diesel per year and 84,000 gallons per day of sustainable aviation fuel. In 2025, the complex completed an 88-acre on-site solar field with 70,000 panels — enough to power an estimated 23,000 electric vehicles annually. The conversion retained head-of-household jobs in a community historically tied to fossil fuel production.

Supervisor John Gioia flagged an immediate advocacy opportunity: "In the governor's proposed budget, there is a proposed sustainable aviation fuel credit that would predominantly benefit your facility more than any other in the state of California, and I think more than any other in the United States." He urged the county to formally support the credit. Supervisor Candace Andersen praised the company for persevering in what she called an overregulated environment. Phillips 66's representative, David Schoenthal, thanked the board for its leadership during the transition.

What's next: The sustainable aviation fuel credit in the governor's proposed budget could be a significant financial lifeline for the facility. County advocacy is expected as budget negotiations continue in Sacramento.

Minor Items

• Community Wellness Network RFQ (C.88) removed from consent by Supervisor Gioia and referred back to the Equity committee, delaying the Federal D. Glover Community Wellness Network lead-entity selection process.

• Brentwood fire station and youth center (C.115): Progressive design-build for Fire Station No. 90 and a District 3 youth center approved after a CEQA Notice of Exemption was attached.

• Autism Acceptance Month (PR.1): Board proclaimed April 2026 as Autism Acceptance Month and honored Working Wonders, a Brentwood nonprofit serving young adults with intellectual disabilities. President Matt Schwab noted 90% of clients are on the autism spectrum. Three supervisors — Chair Burgis, Supervisor Scales-Preston, and Supervisor Gioia — shared personal family connections to autism.

• Prescription Drug Awareness Month (PR.3): Alcohol and Drugs Program Chief Fatima Matal Sol and NCAPDA Founder April Rovero reported 123 opioid overdose deaths in 2024 but a roughly 20% decline in fatal overdoses year over year. The county dispensed 447,583 opioid prescriptions in 2023 — 313.9 per 1,000 residents, above the state average. More than 3,000 naloxone units have been distributed this fiscal year; naloxone training events are scheduled in Danville, Richmond, and San Ramon.

• Education and Sharing Day (PR.4): Rabbi Shmuli Reitman of Chabad of Danville and San Ramon joined the board for a proclamation honoring Rabbi Menachem Schneerson's legacy.

• Consent calendar highlights: The 133-item consent calendar also included animal shelter expansion, PFAS consulting extension, a behavioral health land purchase in Antioch, Chevron pipeline franchise renewal, Racial Justice Act data contract, and cybersecurity and crime gun intelligence grants.

• General public comment: Charisse Petkar of CircularSolar.net pitched a technology to break down toxic tire byproduct 6PPD-Quinone, requesting the county seek a pilot with Caltrans District 4 to protect salmon populations. Kismat Kathrani, a San Ramon tech entrepreneur, announced his candidacy for County Assessor, promising to modernize the office.

• Memorial: Board adjourned in memory of Alfred "Al" Dessayer, who died Feb. 25 at age 86. A French immigrant, Naval Academy graduate, and 30-year Pac Bell employee, Dessayer helped incorporate Moraga in 1974 and served 34 years on the county transit agency, County Connection. Former Moraga Mayor Steve Wolicke paid tribute alongside Supervisor Andersen.

• Board adjourned to a groundbreaking ceremony for the East County Service Center in Brentwood.