Greetings from the City Manager

Dear Pinoleans,

I am thrilled to be here to serve this beautiful city!  Pinole is a very special place with a forward-thinking spirit and people who love living, playing, and working here. I feel incredibly fortunate to be get to be a part of it.

Since 2016, my background has been in all areas of local government, with extensive experience in development, finance, and procurement. I have been known to tackle complex municipal challenges with heart and dedication to drive innovation. I believe in the power of community partnerships, and look forward to working together with City staff to address priorities and key projects to build upon the amazing progress made in Pinole.  

Having recently moved to the area from Oregon, I am humbled and grateful to have received such a warm welcome! I am very impressed by the hard work and knowledge of the team and the commitment of the Councilors.  I have hit the ground running, and am in the process of hiring the next Police Chief. I expect to announce that decision by the end of September. 

Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me! I have greatly enjoyed my time speaking with the citizens of Pinole so far, and look forward to continuing those conversations and getting to know this wonderful community!  I will be at Coffee with the City next Wednesday, Sept. 11 at Panera Bread from 8am-10am. Soon, I will establish community office hours where you can come to my office and chat about anything Pinole - please stay tuned! 

Upcoming Events

CITY PUBLIC MEETINGS

Planning  Commission - Mon, Sept. 9, 7pm - Zoom/City Hall

TAPS Meeting - Wed, Sept. 11, 6pm - Zoom/City Hall

City Council Meeting - Tues, Sept. 17, 5pm - Zoom/City Hall

Planning  Commission - Mon, Sept. 23, 7pm - Zoom/City Hall

Community Services Commission Meeting - Wed, Sept. 25, 5-7pm - Zoom/City Hall

The public may attend and participate in-person in the City Hall Council Chamber or via Zoom. Agendas, minutes, and other detailed information regarding how to attend and participate in Pinole’s public meetings can be found on the website.

CITY-SPONSORED EVENTS

Food Distribution – Mon. Sept. 9, 9-10am - Senior Center

Senior Food Program – Tues. Sept. 10, 10-11am - Senior Center

Coffee with the City - Wed. Sept. 11, 8-10am – Panera Bread

Community Blood Drive - Thurs. Sept. 12, 9am-3pm - Youth Center

Coastal Cleanup Day -  Sat. Sept. 21, 9am-12pm - Bayfront Park

Senior Food Program – Tues. Sept. 24, 10-11am - Senior Center

National Night Out - Tues. Oct. 1, 5-8pm - Fernandez Park

Dumpster Day - Sat. Oct. 5, 7-11am - Pinole Valley Park Parking Lot

Halloween Movie Night - Fri. Oct. 18, 6:15pm - Fernandez Park

Inside the Council Chambers

Kelcey Young takes an oath as the new Pinole City Manager.

COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

Pinole City Council recognized the distinguished career and significant community impact of Police Chief Neil H. Gang, with a proclamation at Tuesday's council meeting. After 36 years in law enforcement and 11 years with the City of Pinole, Chief Gang retired from the Pinole Police Department on September 5, 2024. City Manager Kelcey Young was sworn in to her position. City Council also read a proclamation for National Suicide Prevention Day, which is September 10. 

Just before the start of the council meeting, long-standing Pinole Commander Matt Avery was promoted to Acting Police Chief. Acting Police Chief Avery has dedicated 34 years of his life to public service, 25 of which have been in law enforcement, and has demonstrated leadership of initiatives to improve the quality of life for others in the Pinole community. 

Commander Avery expresses his appreciation for the promotion to Acting Police Chief.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS

City Attorney Eric Casher presented information for a public hearing to waive the first reading of an ordinance adding Chapter 9.19 "Safe Storage of Firearms" to the Pinole Municipal Code. The City of Pinole Municipal Code does not currently include regulations on the storage of firearms in residences or vehicles. The Proposed Ordinance requires firearms to be stored in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock when stored in residences. Ammunition must also be stored in a locked container in a residence. Another highlight of the proposed ordinance is that firearms stored in unattended vehicles must be disabled with a trigger lock in a locked container in the locked trunk of a vehicle, without the key or disabling device to the lock box in the vehicle. Read more about the proposed ordinance. 

News & Updates

COMMUNITY HONORS RETIRED POLICE CHIEF NEIL H. GANG

Yesterday, the Police Department, City staff, and several community members celebrated the retirement of beloved Police Chief Neil H. Gang. Chief Gang has had a distinguished 36-year career in law enforcement. He began his career as an officer in 1988 with the West Windsor Police Department in New Jersey and in 1991 lateraled to Pembroke Pines Police Department in Florida. During his tenure with Pinole PD, Chief Gang has demonstrated leadership and service as well as authoring the Asher Model-7 Point Approach to a Culture of Wellness and is recognized nationally as a keynote speaker on organizational wellness and leadership. Chief Gang has served as the Chairperson of the California Police Chiefs Association Organizational Wellness and Resiliency Committee, the Co-Chair of the IACP Officer Wellness Committee, and is a CALPOST-Wellness Instructor. In Pinole, he is well known for for his forward-thinking approach to law enforcement, which included a special emphasis on organizational wellness and community engagement. Chief Gang's tremendous impact will resonate long after his retirement. His innovative programs and leadership models have left a lasting legacy across multiple areas of public safety and city governance across the City of Pinole. Read the full article. 

Police Chief finalists James Laughter and Kenneth Booker answer questions from the community on stage.

COMMUNITY MEET & GREET OF POLICE CHIEF CANDIDATES

City Manager Young invited the community to participate in a special Police Chief Candidate Meet and Greet this past Wednesday. The event offered a rare and valuable opportunity for Pinole residents to meet and engage with the two finalist candidates for the position of Police Chief before they proceeded to their final interview with the City Manager. Previous community engagement efforts for the new Police Chief included a public survey and a community interview panel, which helped narrow down the search to two qualified candidates. Understanding the importance of a strong, trusting relationship between the new Police Chief and the community, the City has decided to provide this additional opportunity for residents to actively participate in the interview process. The event was well attended with over 60 community members, City staff, and members of the Pinole Police Department.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

September is a time for mental health advocates, survivors, allies, and communities come together to promote awareness and share resources for help when people need it most. In Jul 2022, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was launched to provide accessible support during times of mental health and substance-abuse related crises. In our county, the Contra Costa Crisis Center has been dedicated to providing free, confidential crisis counseling and referral services to individuals in need. Just this past year, the Contra Costa Crisis Center has received over 22,000 988 Lifeline crisis calls, which is a dramatic increase from the year prior. If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelineto receive confidential judgement-free support. 

UNITED AGAINST HATE WEEK

United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is September 22-29th. UAHW is a call to action by people in every community to stop the hate and implicit biases that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns and cities. The City of Pinole will be participating in this call to action throughout the month of September. Pledge boards have been set up for individuals to write down their pledge on a paper hand and post with the rest of the community. Take a pledge at City Hall and the Senior Center as we stand UNITED against hate!

SAVE THE DATE FOR FAIR HOUSING TRAINING

Join us on September 20, 2024, from 10:00 am to noon for a Fair Housing Training presented by ECHO Housing. This session is for housing providers, renters, and service providers. At the event, you'll learn about State and federal fair housing laws, including who is protected under these laws. Additional training topics include:

• How to provide reasonable accommodations and modifications for tenants with disabilities
• Renting to families with children
• Occupancy standards, advertising tips, and more

For any questions or more details, contact ECHO Housing at contact@echofairhousing.org.

A Greener Pinole

COASTAL CLEANUP DAY IS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Join your community at Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 21 from 9am-12pm to help rid our beautiful Pinole shoreline of trash. This is an excellent opportunity to earn community service hours, or simply be an active steward of our coastline. Participants can even partipate in a contest to find the oddest trash item!  In the morning there will be pastries and coffee and later, a barbecue lunch will be provided. Everyone is encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle, gloves, and/or bucket, in case supplies run out. We hope to see you there!

CITY AWARDED MICROGRANT BY COALITION OF CLEAN AIR

The City was awarded a microgrant in the amount of $1,000 by the Coalition for Clean Air to host a local Clean Air Day event in the first week of October. The funds will be used to host induction cooktop demonstrations with food samples for the public in partnership with Pinole’s Kitchen@812, a food business incubator. The demonstrations will be performed at the City-hosted National Night Out event in tandem with promotion of the Pinole Energy Enhancement Rebate Program (PEER) program, which includes rebates on induction stoves. This microgrant helps carry out actions directed in the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). This effort is being lead by Sustainability Project Manager Kapil Amin.

Reminders

YOUTH TENNIS CLASSES

Calling all future tennis stars! Lil' Racketeers is a beginner tennis class designed for kids ages 5-10. It's all about introducing kids to the exciting sport of tennis in a fun and energetic way. Please visit www.pinolerec.com to sign up today.

TINY TOTS FALL REGISTRATION

Come join the fun at Tiny Tots! Online registration for fall session is underway! Children will enjoy learning through arts & crafts, music, and story time. A few spots remain in our Tuesday & Thursday Early Learning class. Fall session is held from August 26^th to November 15^th. Please visit https://www.pinole.gov/city_government/tiny_tots or email tinytots@pinole.gov for further details.

Senior Food Program

The City of Pinole Senior Center will be partnering with the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County to offer the Senior Food Program. Low-income senior citizens ages 55+ will be able to receive free groceries, including healthy pantry staples, eggs, cheese, and assorted meats twice a month. The program at the Senior Center (2500 Charles Avenue) is available for Pinole senior residents only. This program will take place every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The next distribution will be on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, from 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

Individuals interested in the program must complete the Senior Food Program Application. Applications will be available at the Senior Center and can also be found on the Pinole Senior Center website:

https://www.pinole.gov/city_government/senior_center
For questions, contact, mpicazo@pinole.gov.

WE ARE HIRING

The City of Pinole Community Services Department is hiring a Recreation Coordinator and Rental Custodian Attendants. Become a member of our team – Visit our website to apply today!

COMMISSION VACANCIES

​PINOLE residents are encouraged to become involved with their community and serve in an advisory capacity on a board or committee. The City of Pinole has the following vacancies:

​Community Services Commission:  One (1) vacancy, two-year term

Community Services Commission

Applications due to City Clerk: Open until Filled

The Pinole Community Services Commission is a seven-member panel that seek to enhance quality of life for the citizens of Pinole through responsive and interactive community services. A critical aspect of the Commission is their community advocacy. They provide feedback for a number of organizations and projects. The Committee meetings take place on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 5:00 pm.