BART Warns of Service Cuts and Layoffs as Board Faces Looming Strike, ICE Vote

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors confronted a cascade of pressure points Aug. 11 — from BART directors warning that 1,200 workers could be laid off by January to a Teamsters threat of a strike in eight days. The meeting also set the stage for a high-profile Sept. 8 vote on an ICE non-cooperation ordinance after more than a dozen speakers demanded enforceable protections.

• BART directors say 1,200 layoffs and potential East County station closures loom without a new transit revenue source by January 2027
• Teamsters Local 856 warns of an Aug. 19 strike of 2,000 county workers over stalled salary survey talks
• Over 15 speakers demand enforceable ICE non-cooperation ordinance ahead of the Sept. 8 Board vote, rejecting a weaker policy approach
• $1M Black wellness pilot served 21,495 people through 13 grassroots organizations at $47.61 per person; $7.9M remains to build permanent network
• Walnut Creek residents deliver 300-signature petition to restore a safety gate they say was removed without public process
• Steelworkers denounce Marathon lockout as company posts $5.1 billion in quarterly profits
• Residents call for countywide data center moratorium after a Pittsburgh project proposes 37 diesel generators near homes and a school

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BART's Fiscal Cliff Hits East County Hardest

BART Director Matthew Rinn and BART Director Mark Foley delivered a presentation that paired good news — a record 60 million trips in fiscal year 2026 and an 89% rider satisfaction score — with a stark warning about what happens next.

Why it matters: BART has cut $516 million in operating costs over six years under SB 63, installed new fare gates that are generating additional farebox revenue, and rebuilt ridership. But without a new operating revenue source, the recovery hits a wall — and East County communities that invested decades and billions in the system stand to lose the most.

Where things stand: "If we do not have an additional source of operating revenue, either through a transit measure or some other vehicle, we're going to have to look at significant cuts within the system," said BART Director Matthew Rinn. "Those would start in January. Reduction in service, an increase in our fares, laying off about a third of our staff, 1,200 employees."

The warning prompted sharp responses from multiple supervisors. Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston pointed to the working-class riders in East County who depend on the eBart extension to Pittsburgh, Antioch, Oakley, and Brentwood: "When we talk about equity, we're talking about equity within transportation too, because these individuals, they use eBart and BART for work. These are working class people out in the East Contra Costa County."

Chair Diane Burgis echoed the concern, noting that East County communities have paid into the BART system for 50 years and invested millions of their own dollars to build out the eBart extension.

The other side: Supervisors pressed BART to show it is bearing the same financial pain it asks the public to accept. Supervisor John Gioia was direct: "You have to do more than just talking about all the bad things that are going to happen if a transit measure doesn't pass. I know BART has taken some steps. Some may argue that BART should take more steps."

Supervisor Candace Andersen reinforced the point, urging BART to "please continue telling the public not just that you're going to cut stations, shut down routes, but how you internally are going to start saving money and that you're going to be bearing the burden that all of us are burdened with as we deal with deficit budgets."

What's next: No vote was taken. The presentation was informational, but the Board's message was clear: any transit revenue measure will need to demonstrate that BART has exhausted internal savings first — and East County stations must be protected.

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A Coalition Demands the Board Pass an ICE Ordinance, Not a Policy

More than 15 speakers from a broad coalition of immigrant rights, faith, and civic organizations dominated general public comment with a single, unified demand: pass an enforceable ICE non-cooperation ordinance at the Sept. 8 meeting — not a weaker policy.

Why it matters: The Board has an ICE non-cooperation item agendized for Sept. 8. The coalition wants the document to be an ordinance, which carries legal weight and enforcement mechanisms, rather than a policy, which can be changed or ignored without consequence. The stakes are heightened by the transfer of more than 100,000 immigration cases to the new Concord immigration court.

Where things stand: Speakers from the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance, Lift Up Contra Costa, the League of Women Voters, Multi-Faith Action Coalition, Indivisible Resistors, Faith Alliance for Moral Economy, Concord Immigrant Protection Network, and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center laid out four specific demands: revert the draft from a policy to an ordinance; close the contractor loophole by reinstating contractor compliance provisions; remove "conflict with other policies" language; and restore severability and implementation date language.

"A policy can be changed or ignored," said Danny Espinoza of Lift Up Contra Costa, who presented over 1,100 petition signatures. "An ordinance creates accountability. It ensures that every county department is held to the same standard and that our community has confidence that the county resources will not be used to facilitate federal immigration enforcement."

Jesus, a public commenter with the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance, spoke from personal experience of ICE detention. He recounted ICE buses stopping at the Contra Costa County Jail and demanded three specific changes to the draft.

Mia Sodi Tenacore, an attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, assured the Board that the proposed ordinance does not conflict with the Attorney General's SB 580 guidance and cited the AG's own recommendation for contractor data protections.

Speakers estimated the economic impact of mass deportation plans at $1.7 billion and reported that small businesses on Monument Boulevard are already feeling effects.

Decisions: No action was taken. Chair Burgis confirmed the item is agendized for Sept. 8.

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Black Wellness Pilot Delivers Big Results on a Small Budget

The Board received the final report on the inaugural year of the Federal D. Glover Community Wellness Network — a $1 million African American Support Services pilot that served 21,495 people through 13 Black-led organizations, with 73% of participants identifying as African American.

The basics: The pilot, administered by the East Bay Community Foundation, distributed grants to grassroots organizations delivering services across five pillars: maternal and infant health, behavioral health, food and housing insecurity, youth development, and community healing. Participants rated satisfaction at 4.3 out of 5. All grant awards were fully expended.

Why it matters: The per-person cost was roughly $47.61 — a figure Chair Diane Burgis called evidence of direct service delivery reaching the people it was meant to reach. With $7.9 million remaining, the pilot's results will shape how the Board builds a permanent countywide wellness network.

Where things stand: Co-Director Peter Kim of the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice described the investment as responding to "urgent concerns in our vulnerable communities and particularly in our African American communities." The East Bay Community Foundation provided capacity-building support including fundraising workshops — 75% of grantees reported improvement — and training through candid.org. Key lessons included the importance of advanced payments to remove cash-flow barriers for small organizations and the need for infrastructure support.

Supervisor John Gioia pressed for geographic equity in future funding rounds, noting that Richmond and Antioch each have about 23,000 African American residents, Pittsburgh about 12,000, and that services should be located where people live.

Public commenters praised the investment but called for more. Gigi Crowder of NAMI Contra Costa and the 40 Voices campaign described the approach of meeting people where they are: "At NAMI we understood very well that we can't have people come to us. We need to go to them. So we set up satellite offices." Melvin Willis of ACE and the Racial Justice Coalition called the $1 million a "drop in the bucket" and urged continued funding for organizations with cultural competency. Pastor Chantel Owens of Genesis Church described a grocery share program that has doubled in size but noted that $47 per person keeps people in poverty cycles without sustained investment.

What's next: An RFQ for a lead entity to manage the permanent network received 10 applications and is under review. An RFP for direct service providers closes Sept. 4, with 54 registered bidders. Chair Burgis framed this phase as building a foundation that will eventually become its own nonprofit entity.

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Teamsters Threaten Strike as Nurses Near Deal

Three union groups addressed the Board before closed session, painting a split picture of county labor relations — one heading toward resolution, the other toward a work stoppage.

Why it matters: A Teamsters strike affecting roughly 2,000 county workers would significantly disrupt county services in just eight days.

Where things stand: Matt Finnegan of Teamsters Local 856 delivered the most urgent warning: "We are poised to go on strike on August 19th. What I'm asking and imploring you to do today is to make the decision to enter into an agreement with us to do a salary survey for our classifications." The salary survey is the central sticking point.

By contrast, county nurses expressed cautious optimism. Vicki Davidson, a 15-year public health nurse, reported that the county's bargaining team has recently heard the nurses and that they believe a contract agreement is close. She urged the Board to finalize it at the Thursday bargaining session. Javetta Johnson of SEIU Local 2015, an in-home care provider, also urged the Board to reach a good contract.

Decisions: The Board entered closed session with no reportable action.

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300 Signatures and a Blind Curve: Walnut Creek Gate Fight

At least seven residents from the Walnut Knowles neighborhood in unincorporated Walnut Creek came to the Board — in person and via Zoom — to demand restoration of a safety gate at Mountain View Boulevard and Blackwood Drive that was removed May 20 after roughly 38 years.

Why it matters: Five prior county determinations spanning 1988 to early 2026 all concluded that any gate changes required public review. Residents allege Supervisor Ken Carlson unilaterally ordered the removal based on a single resident's complaint.

Where things stand: Doris Davis presented a 300-signature petition and described dangerous conditions: no sidewalks, a blind curve, school starting the following week, and a documented car accident that sent a vehicle into a resident's front yard. Multiple speakers cited the five prior reviews. One caller supported the removal, arguing that fire evacuation safety research correlates additional neighborhood exits with reduced fire fatalities.

Decisions: The Board took no action. The item was raised during general public comment.

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Steelworkers Call Out Marathon's $5.1B Profits During Lockout

Nick Perkowski, president of United Steelworkers Local 5, told the Board that Marathon posted $5.1 billion in second-quarter profits while locking out refinery workers who refused to accept additional fatigue and risk. He called for enforceable fatigue and staffing regulations in the county's industrial safety ordinance and urged the Board to examine its renewable fuel contracts with Marathon.

"While we bargain to put some of that $5.1 billion from a three-month period that we were locked out back into our own jobs, protecting ourselves as workers and our communities," Perkowski said. "I would encourage you to look into your renewable fuel contracts that you have."

Carl Smith, a displaced Marathon refinery worker, detailed 107 days out of work and 51 days of what he called an illegal lockout. He noted that Marathon has eliminated 14 jobs and threatens 46 more despite benefiting from Inflation Reduction Act tax credits that require prevailing wages.

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Residents Push for Data Center Moratorium

Several public commenters raised alarms about hyperscale data center development in East County. Keisha, a Pittsburgh homeowner, requested an immediate moratorium, arguing that the planned Avayo Persis project would fundamentally change the community. Maeve Lillis cited the project's planned 37 diesel backup generators within 400 feet of homes, a church, and Rancho Modanos Junior High School. She noted Oakley has enacted a moratorium through April 2027 and Brentwood is exploring one. Supervisor Gioia noted that significant time at the recent NACo conference was spent discussing data centers. No action was taken.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar (C.1–C.197): All 197 items approved unanimously (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0); motion by Supervisor Scales-Preston, second by Supervisor Andersen. Supervisor Gioia noted a comment letter on C.31, the Just Transition study, saying the issues raised would be addressed in the study process.

• National Health Center Week (C.10): Tracy Mendez of Alados Health and Yui Nishike of Lifelong Medical Care highlighted community health centers serving more than 60,000 low-income patients annually, regardless of ability to pay. Lifelong's family medicine residency graduates six physicians annually.

• Pacheco Boulevard rezone (D.1): Board unanimously approved (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0) rezoning a 4.77-acre parcel at 4677 Pacheco Blvd. in unincorporated Martinez from R-7 (single-family residential) to C (commercial), aligning the site with the 2024 General Plan. The existing tenant, Brightview Landscaping, is consistent with the new designation. Motion by Supervisor Scales-Preston, second by Supervisor Carlson. No public comment.

• National Breastfeeding Month proclamation (PR.2): Public Health Director Dr. Sefanit Mekuria cited data showing only 25% of U.S. infants meet the AAP six-month exclusive breastfeeding recommendation, with Black infants and lower-income families at even lower rates. The county's programs — Black Infant Health, Perinatal Equity, and WIC — provide culturally responsive support. Contra Costa Regional Medical Center holds a Baby-Friendly Hospital designation.

• Emergency Management Month proclamation (PR.3): Emergency Services Manager Rick Kovar and Senior Emergency Planning Coordinator Beatrice Portillo presented the county's cross-jurisdictional emergency preparedness network. Chair Burgis delivered an extended personal appeal for evacuation compliance: "When they tell you to evacuate, evacuate. Do not make their jobs harder so that they can protect your property and not have to protect your lives. Get the heck out when you need to."

• Bethel Island drainage: Lisa Kirk of the Bethlehem Municipal Improvement District requested collaboration with Public Works on drainage issues caused by the Delta Coves development.

• Cannabis equity: Dr. Ayoka Nurse, owner of the county's first Black-owned cannabis retail store, asked the Board to direct county counsel to clarify the adult-use pathway, alleging her store was forced out of the market while larger operators had greater access.

• Criminal justice accountability: Craig Lazzaretti detailed the murder of Todd Steeler by a suspect released from jail without an ankle monitor, calling for accountability from the sheriff, DA, and courts.