Martinez Seeks $15M Federal Grant to Connect Downtown to the Waterfront

The Martinez City Council on June 3 unanimously backed a bid for federal transportation dollars that could finally break the railroad barrier between downtown and the waterfront — the single piece of infrastructure that residents, developers, and emergency responders have demanded at virtually every public meeting for years. The council also adopted new tenant protections, introduced a sweeping zoning code cleanup, placed the city's first-ever nuisance abatement lien, and heard a sobering disclosure: nearly one-third of the police department's sworn officers are currently unavailable for patrol.

• Council unanimously authorizes $15M federal grant application for a grade-separated railroad crossing at the waterfront, with Tucker Sadler providing the $3M local match
• Tenant anti-harassment protections adopted under new Ordinance No. 1484, adding Chapter 22.85 to the municipal code
• Omnibus zoning ordinance introduced aligning SB 9 lot-split rules with state law and filling gaps in the R-12.0 district
• First nuisance abatement cost recovery in recent city history — a $16,724 lien placed on an abandoned property at 105 Main Street
• Police chief discloses 32% of sworn officers unavailable, equaling three-quarters of a patrol shift's staffing needs
• Animal services costs approach $500K with declining service levels; mayor pledges to push for inter-city solutions at county conference

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The Railroad Grant: A Waterfront Locked Behind the Tracks

Why it matters: Union Pacific's Ozone switching yard and frequent Amtrak passenger operations create unpredictable blockages at the Barlessa and Ferry Street at-grade crossings — the only reliable access to Martinez's waterfront. The blockages strand emergency vehicles, choke off tournament traffic to Joe DiMaggio Fields, and have stalled private investment in waterfront revitalization for years.

Where things stand: Staff presented the city's application to the Federal Railroad Administration's Railroad Crossing Elimination program, seeking $12 million in federal funds. Tucker Sadler, the city's private development partner, is providing the full 20% local match of $3 million — bringing the total project to $15 million for planning, environmental review, engineering design, and stakeholder engagement to identify a preferred grade-separated crossing design. The application was due the Monday after the meeting.

"This is the item that comes up every single public meeting that we have about the waterfront. Everyone says you can't move forward without an overpass," said Mayor Brianne Zorn.

Staff secured letters of support from Congressman Garamendi, the police and fire chiefs, and Union Pacific itself — which brought the grant opportunity to the city's attention. Staff member Lauren framed the stakes in practical terms: "A blocked crossing during an active weekend combined with a major emergency response event is a real challenge that our police and fire teams are routinely concerned about."

The other side: Councilmember Greg Young voiced caution about depending on Washington. "Complete reliance on federal funding given what's going on right now makes me a little nervous. So that's why I asked, in the event this doesn't come through, are we actively looking at other options?" he said. Staff responded that they are developing a broader legislative platform for diverse funding sources, and noted reassurance from federal representatives that transportation remains the one area where grants continue to flow. "The one area where the federal government is consistently shelling out funds right now is in transportation. So all the other grants have pretty much gone away," Lauren added.

Vice Mayor Satinder Malhi urged engagement with congressional office staff. Councilmember Debbie McKillop suggested referencing the bocce federation, and Councilmember Jay Howard recommended outreach to the Sea Scouts and yacht club to strengthen community backing.

Decisions: The resolution passed 5-0 (For: Mayor Zorn, Vice Mayor Malhi, Councilmember Howard, Councilmember Young, Councilmember McKillop; Against: none; Absent: none), authorizing the city manager designee to submit all required application materials.

What's next: If awarded, the grant would fund design and environmental review for a grade-separated crossing, unlocking the path for the Tucker Sadler waterfront development partnership.

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Abandoned Property Gets the City's First Nuisance Abatement Lien

The basics: Nuisance abatement cost recovery allows a city to clear a hazardous property and place a lien on the parcel to recoup expenses — a tool Martinez had not used in recent memory until now.

Why it matters: The $16,724 lien on 105 Main Street is the first test case for the city's Vacant to Vibrant initiative, sending a signal that code enforcement will follow through with financial consequences for neglected properties.

Where things stand: Code Enforcement Inspector Nicole Russo detailed the timeline: the case opened in September 2025 after complaints about overgrown vegetation creating visual blight, sidewalk obstruction, and fire hazards at the property, where the owner had died and no next of kin was located. After an order to abate and an abatement warrant, a contractor cleared 24 cubic yards of vegetation in April 2026. The total cost: $3,950 for abatement and $12,774 in administrative costs.

The other side: A public commenter who said she has been paying the property's taxes since 2023 argued the city had prevented her from performing free maintenance, creating the problem that led to the bill. She offered to pay the $3,950 abatement portion but contested the administrative costs and asked to be appointed as caretaker. City Attorney Matt clarified that the council cannot adjudicate caretaker or adverse possession claims — those are civil matters for the courts. Resident Colin Hickel supported the lien, confirming the property had been overgrown for years and attracted squatters, but asked about long-term maintenance.

Vice Mayor Malhi praised the handling: "I really was impressed with the expeditiousness here," he said, expressing hope it would become a model for other problem properties. Councilmember Howard floated the idea of the city acquiring the property for workforce housing. The city attorney noted that if property taxes remain unpaid for five years, the county will sell the property at tax auction, with the city getting first call to purchase.

Decisions: The resolution passed 5-0.

What's next: The lien attaches to the property and will be recovered through any future sale or tax auction. The case establishes a template for how the city handles similar abandoned properties going forward.

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Smart Ramp Metering Comes to I-680

Why it matters: I-680 is one of the Bay Area's worst congestion bottlenecks. Rather than widen the freeway, regional agencies are betting on technology — and Martinez is part of the pilot.

Where things stand: The Contra Costa Transportation Authority and Caltrans presented plans for both conventional Adaptive Ramp Metering (ARM) and a first-of-its-kind Coordinated Adaptive Ramp Metering (CARM) system, where all ramp meters along a corridor communicate to optimize traffic flow in real time. CCTA Director of Projects Stephanie Hu explained the collaborative MOU approach across jurisdictions. GHD Consultant Scott Pater described the CARM pilot between El Costa Boulevard and Willow Pass Road — the Bay Area's first coordinated system. A Caltrans representative showed travel-time savings data from I-880 and US-101 deployments. Construction for the Caltrans ARM component is already underway south of Martinez; both systems target full operations by early 2029.

Vice Mayor Malhi asked about cybersecurity protections and learned the system uses edge processors for local fallback if communications are disrupted. He also pressed Caltrans on freeway litter: "We also need clean freeways," he said, noting Martinez on- and off-ramps "leave a lot to be desired." Mayor Zorn asked specifically about queuing capacity at the Pacheco southbound on-ramp. Councilmember Young expressed cautious optimism about whether automation can keep pace with increasing traffic demand.

Decisions: The I-680 Corridor Ramp Metering MOU was approved on the consent calendar, 5-0.

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Zoning Code Cleanup: SB 9 Compliance and R-12.0 Fix

The basics: SB 9 allows homeowners to split single-family lots and build duplexes. SB 450, effective January 2025, prohibits cities from imposing development standards on SB 9 projects more restrictive than the underlying zoning district.

Why it matters: Martinez had required 40-foot front setbacks and 16-foot height limits for SB 9 projects — standards inconsistent with most single-family zones and now illegal under SB 450. No SB 9 applications have been processed in Martinez to date, but removing these barriers could open the door to lot splits and small-scale housing production.

Where things stand: Associate Planner Brandon Northart presented an omnibus ordinance with seven categories of amendments: aligning SB 9 regulations with SB 450, adding missing R-12.0 zoning district standards (lot area, coverage, setbacks, hillside regulations), allowing minor subdivisions to be approved by the zoning administrator rather than the full Planning Commission, adding catch-all conditional use provisions to zoning districts that lacked them, updating small lot subdivision regulations, and clarifying that temporary use permits don't apply to public property.

Decisions: The ordinance was introduced unanimously, 5-0, with no public comment. This was the first reading; a second reading is required for final adoption.

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Police Staffing Crisis: One-Third of Sworn Officers Unavailable

Why it matters: The police chief's disclosure that 32% of the department's sworn strength is currently unavailable — in the academy, in field training, or on medical leave — means the city is running short by roughly three-quarters of the staff needed to fill a full patrol shift.

"32% of our entire sworn strength is unavailable currently, either they're in the academy, they're in FTO, or on medical leaves of various types," the police chief reported during city manager comments.

This tracks with the HR report delivered earlier in the evening. HR Manager Marta Gotz reported the city's overall vacancy rate at 5.96% — identical to last year and well below the 20% AB 2561 reporting threshold — but police remains the biggest challenge, with five vacancies including three police officer positions. Over 300 candidates have been screened, and the city is sponsoring three police academy candidates. Employee departures dropped from 30 to 20 year-over-year, and 80% of staff have been with the city less than 10 years.

Mayor Zorn praised the turnaround: "Down from 20% vacancy down to 5% vacancy is huge."

The police chief also announced a virtual evacuation drill on July 11 from 9–10 a.m. with council participation, and noted the downtown security ambassador is on medical leave through the end of the fiscal year.

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Rising Animal Services Costs Draw Council Frustration

Mayor Zorn pulled the animal services cost report from the consent calendar to spotlight what she called an unsustainable trend. Costs for the county animal services agreement are approaching $500,000 annually while service levels have declined.

"Each year it's gone up and up and up and, you know, $13 a person doesn't seem like that much money. But $500,000 is a large chunk of our budget," Mayor Zorn said.

The police chief noted costs haven't crossed the tipping point where bringing services in-house — which would require a facility, staffing, and licensing — would be cheaper. The county returned $35,000 in savings from the prior year. Councilmember McKillop suggested exploring collaboration with three or more cities, noting Antioch runs its own animal services program. Resident Erin Kahadza described her failed attempts to get animal services to respond when two German shepherds killed a cat and posed risks to children on her street. Mayor Zorn committed to raising the issue at the county mayors' conference the following day.

Decisions: The report was received and filed, 5-0.

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Minor Items

• Tenant anti-harassment protections: Ordinance No. 1484 adopted on consent, adding Chapter 22.85 to the municipal code with explicit protections for tenants against landlord harassment.
• $5.76M pavement contract: MCK Services awarded the FY 2025-26 pavement maintenance and rehabilitation contract (C1083), the largest single infrastructure item on the agenda.
• November 2026 election called: Resolution adopted consolidating the General Municipal Election for Mayor, At-Large, District 1, and District 4 seats with the statewide Nov. 3 ballot.
• SB 1 street list adopted: Council approved streets designated for state gas-tax funded repairs in FY 2026-27.
• Stormwater agreements: Three interagency agreements approved — a regional alternative compliance JPA, a group program inspection agreement, and a 15-year Contra Costa Clean Water Program agreement (2026–2041).
• Engineering amendment: $39,000 contract amendment with LCC Engineering for the pavement rehabilitation project approved.
• Speed limits updated: Ordinance 1487 amending special speed limits on specified city streets adopted.
• Advisory body reappointments and promotions: Incumbent members reappointed; alternate commissioners promoted to regular seats on the Planning Commission and PRMAC.
• Advisory body appointments (Item 23): Council approved 12 new appointees across PRMAC, Measure X and D oversight committees, the Planning Commission, and Veterans Commission. Notable: Alhambra High School freshman Luciano DiTullio to PRMAC, student Valeria Gonzalez Sandoval to Measure X, and local realtor Courtney Ayers to the Planning Commission. City Attorney Matt clarified that FPPC regulations do not automatically require realtors to recuse themselves — it depends on whether specific clients or properties come before the commission.
• Landscaping districts levy approved: Assessment district levies set for FY 2026-27. Council praised new contractor Landscape Care Company for dramatically improving median maintenance in Morello Park and discussed expanding the service citywide. Public hearing set for June 24.
• Proclamations: June declared Pride Month (five years of the Progress Pride flag at Ignacio Plaza; September Martinez Pride event upcoming). Juneteenth Week proclaimed, received by Alhambra High School's Black Student Union. Outgoing PRMAC Commissioner Jeff Manley honored for six years of service; he departs for a role as park unit manager at East Bay Regional Park District overseeing Martinez Shoreline. Veterans Commissioner Charles Martin honored for 27 years of service since 1999.
• Meeting adjourned in memory of Barbara Capsalis. Downtown Martinez Company will rename its Volunteer of the Year award in her honor.