Officers Save Overdose Victims as San Pablo's Opioid Program Reduces Calls by 60%

San Pablo's City Council meeting showcased the tangible, life-saving returns on the city's opioid settlement investments — body-camera footage of officers reviving fentanyl victims, paired with data showing emergency calls plunging 60% in two years. The evening also revealed a looming fiscal cliff: the sales tax revenue powering much of the city's economic development work is set to drop by $1 million in October 2027, making an upcoming ballot measure a make-or-break moment for programs serving hundreds of small businesses, workers, and scholarship recipients.

• Four police officers receive Life-Saving Medals after reviving fentanyl overdose victims; opioid response calls down 60% since 2024

• EDC reports 131 businesses served, 155 scholarships awarded, and a local cleaner goes all-electric — but Measure S funding faces a $1M cliff in 2027

• Council unanimously backs Measure V, a 9-year renewal of WCCUSD's $10M annual parcel tax for schools

• Nine new and promoted employees introduced, including a Public Works director overseeing a $61M capital program

• Council cancels Oct. 19 meeting as City Manager heads to ICMA conference for 35-year service award

Life-Saving Medals and the Data Behind Them

The basics: The San Pablo Police Department awarded its Life-Saving Medal — one of the department's highest honors — to Sergeant Javier Rios, Officer Mike Munoz, Officer Ray Aboun, and Officer Jeffrey Lee for two separate incidents in which they revived individuals experiencing fentanyl overdoses. Body-camera footage shown at the meeting depicted officers administering CPR and Narcan to save the victims' lives.

Why it matters: The recognitions are not just ceremonial. They are the human proof-point of a broader opioid response program funded by opioid settlement dollars the council accepted in 2023. That program includes school programming, parent and family outreach, Narcan deployment training, community resources in English and Spanish, and a digital awareness campaign.

Where things stand: The numbers tell a striking story. "In the first year from programming, we saw a 40% reduction in overdose-related calls for service that we were responding to," said Chief Bubar, Chief of Police. "By the second year, we saw up to a 60% reduction from when we started in 2024."

Chief Bubar underscored the narrow window officers face: "You have about 120 seconds before the overdose takes over and the opioid receptors in your brain start to shut your body down." In one of the incidents, bystanders deployed Narcan before officers arrived. "That in and of itself may have given the officers a chance to save that life," Chief Bubar said.

Sergeant Rios, speaking on behalf of the four recipients, emphasized that training was the foundation for composure under pressure.

The other side: Council members were uniformly supportive. Councilmember Patricia Ponce stressed the importance of officer debriefing after such intense calls — "Saving a life is, we saw it in action" — and said she wants to bring fentanyl test strips to San Pablo. Councilmember Abel Pineda connected the dots between education, Narcan accessibility, and training, calling the data "quite powerful." Several council members said the results reinforce the case for the city's planned new police training facility.

What's next: The opioid response program continues with settlement funding. Council discussion signaled continued investment in Narcan distribution and community education, with the training facility as a longer-term priority.

EDC Annual Report: 131 Businesses, 155 Scholarships, and a Funding Cliff

The basics: The San Pablo Economic Development Corporation presented its annual report to council, covering business services, housing assistance, workforce development, and the scholarship program for fiscal year 2025–26.

Why it matters: The EDC's work — from small-business technical assistance to homebuyer loans to EMT training — is heavily underwritten by Measure S sales tax revenue. That funding faces a structural downshift from a half cent to a quarter cent in October 2027, a $1 million annual loss. Measure R, on the ballot, could fill the gap.

Business Services and Sustainability Wins

Executive Director Leslie Choi reported 131 businesses served, 430 hours of technical assistance, 13 webinars and events, and 1,600 client touches. The organization named Delicias Express its Small Business of the Year and Five Star Cleaners its Sustainable Business of the Year — the latter achieving a 95% reduction in water consumption and transitioning to an all-electric fleet.

Choi drew a direct line between police work and economic vitality: "We don't do economic development without the San Pablo Police Department. They make people feel safe about investing here. They make people feel safe to shop and live here."

Housing: SPLASH Loans and Down Payment Matching

Business and Housing Manager Aurora Bettencourt detailed two programs. The SPLASH shared appreciation loan offers up to $100,000 on a 30-year term. The WISH matching grant through Mechanics Bank can match roughly $8,200 in savings with $32,837 in grant funds. Of 95 inquiries received, 75% were income-qualified, and one Refresh rehabilitation loan has been issued.

Workforce: EMT Training, On-the-Job Partnerships

Workforce Manager Owen Hershey reported on the federally funded WIOA program, augmented by Measure S and Kaiser Permanente grants. Five EMT training cohorts are running at Contra Costa College. On-the-job training partnerships include Rudy's Commercial Refrigeration (three positions, a referral from Councilmember Arturo Cruz) and Five Star Cleaners (two positions). A Careers in the Trades event was scheduled for Oct. 1 with 18 vendors.

Scholarship Program and the Measure R Question

The EDC awarded 155 scholarships — 100 new, 55 renewals — at $1,000 each, with Travis Credit Union access accounts and $50 Grocery Outlet gift certificates. But the funding source is now exhausted. "While we understand that the source of funds is now exhausted, we understood that there's a tax measure on the ballot that could, if passed, help fund these scholarships moving forward," Executive Director Choi said.

Deal Math: The Measure S Cliff

City Manager Matt Rodriguez laid out the stakes plainly: "We do have a downshift to that sales tax measure from a half cent to quarter cent on October 1st, 2027. So that's going to be a million-dollar revenue loss to the city's general fund." Measure S continues through 2033 at the lower rate; Measure R would backfill the lost revenue for general municipal services including EDC funding.

Councilmember Pineda reflected on the scholarship program's trajectory: "The fact that that goes from idea — there was an opportunity to create a scholarship, where now we have a ballot measure that potentially can secure ongoing funding. This is big, and all these things matter."

Vice Mayor Rita Xavier asked Hershey whether the workforce team had connected with the Working Waterfront Coalition, which trains maritime workers at Mare Island — a potential expansion of the trades pipeline.

What's next: Restaurant Week runs Oct. 17–25. The Measure R ballot outcome will determine whether the EDC's business services, workforce programs, and scholarship pipeline can continue at current scale beyond 2027.

Council Backs Measure V School Parcel Tax Renewal

Why it matters: Measure V would extend the existing West Contra Costa Unified School District parcel tax — 7.2 cents per square foot — for nine more years, generating approximately $10 million annually for core academics, science, music, arts, college readiness, career technical education, teacher retention, and mental health and counseling services. It is also a key component of the district's fiscal solvency plan.

Where things stand: Superintendent Cheryl Cotton and School Board Trustee Cynthia Hernandez spoke before the consent vote. Superintendent Cotton emphasized: "Measure V is not a new tax. It would extend this existing funding for 9 years at the current rate of 7.2 cents per square foot, with exemptions available for eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities."

Trustee Hernandez reinforced that the measure is a renewal, not a new levy, and thanked the council for the support resolution.

Decisions: The consent calendar, including the Measure V support resolution, passed 4-0 (For: Cruz, Ponce, Pineda, Xavier; Absent: Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado).

New Hires Fill Critical Roles

City Manager Rodriguez introduced nine employees across four departments. Key hires include Howard Yildiz, the new IT manager with 25-plus years of experience from San Jose Public Library, who will oversee cybersecurity and a Microsoft 365 migration; and Public Works Director Melissa Tigbao, who brings more than 20 years of experience from Pacifica and Vallejo, including managing a $150 million public safety building and a $120 million pavement program. She will now oversee San Pablo's $61 million capital improvement program.

New police staff include Officer Tekbir Juti, currently in field training, and Administrative Clerk Caroline O'Neill, a former Marin County probation officer. Promotions went to Jimmy Joe (senior civil engineer), Chiara Hanna (senior management analyst), and Rodrigo Perez (senior maintenance worker). Council members welcomed the new staff warmly, emphasizing the family culture of the organization.

Minor Items

• 29th consecutive GFOA award: City Manager Rodriguez announced that the Government Finance Officers Association awarded San Pablo its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the annual comprehensive financial report ending June 30, 2025 — the city's 29th straight year. The finance team is led by Administrative Services Director Arturo Castillo.

• Oct. 19 meeting canceled: Council voted 4-0 to cancel the Oct. 19 regular meeting so the city manager and assistant city manager can attend the ICMA Annual Conference in Long Beach — the first West Coast ICMA conference since San Jose in 2009. City Manager Rodriguez will receive a 35-year Service of Excellence Award. Agenda items will shift to Oct. 5 or Nov. 2.

• Remembering Latonya Fisher: Councilmember Cruz paid tribute to deceased city employee Latonya Fisher during council reports. "Latonya was a very hard-working person who was always professional and had a smile on her face," he said.

• Transit planning: Vice Mayor Xavier reported attending a CCTA transportation expenditure plan workshop for a measure heading to the 2028 ballot.

• Councilmember Ponce highlighted attendance at the Embark ribbon cutting and Vice Mayor Xavier discussed participation in the Fiestas Patrias parade.