As cities throughout the Bay Area brace for the loss of federal relief money, the mayor of an East Bay city is attempting an interesting approach to fund vital services: pressuring big businesses to pay up.
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Concord Mayor Carlyn Obringer said a critical COVID-era program is at risk of losing long-term funding once federal relief funds run out. The program pays for a security guard for Todos Santos Plaza, the “community’s living room,” as Obringer describes it, with green space, a playground and a summer music series that draws thousands of people to the park every week.
Now she’s pressuring major businesses with branches in Concord that surround the plaza to each spend $25,000 a year to keep the security guard program going. Obringer and business owners in the area say they’re worried that without the security guard to patrol the area, persistent homelessness, panhandling, car break-ins, public drug use and defecation could return to the plaza.
Walter Eichinger, the president of the downtown business association, said that since the security guard started working in 2023, the frequency of “unwanted behavior” in the plaza has “turned around dramatically.” He said the security guard recorded up to 100 negative interactions per month, mostly involving homelessness, at the start of the program two years ago. Now that number is down to about 15 per month.
As a result, Obringer has called on Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Umpqua Bank, Starbucks and Pete’s Coffee to help pay for the program, which costs $150,000 a year. Her demand underscores the dilemma cities face as federal COVID relief funds run out and uncertainty remains about federal funding for municipalities.
“I am so disappointed that we have these banks and these two corporate coffee shops that tout all of their community giving and they won’t even return the phone call of a mayor,” Obringer said. “I would just really like to see them put their money where their mouth is. Do they care about the Concord community?”
None of the businesses returned the Chronicle’s request for comment except for Chase Bank, which declined to comment.
Two years ago, Concord officials used federal COVID relief funds to pay for a security guard to roam the plaza daily to address homelessness, panhandling and other quality-of-life issues. The security guard doesn’t have a badge or a gun, he simply asks people to move it along and calls police if the situation escalates. In addition to federal funds, some local businesses contributed money toward the program, saying the need for security was dire. While Obringer said the program has enough money for two more years, she wants to secure more stable funding for the guard to ensure the program continues indefinitely.
How about this. Private guard increases the business and social activity and attitude.
How about this a) remove all taxes related to criminal activity fire, police, ambulance, additionally tax responses of the above on a percentage basis to all the businesses within the district monthly, and finally make sure the general public knows this program is in effect.
If the businesses don’t want to participate that is all good. Criminal, anti social behavior, the property in and around the problem are protected but the owners who do not want to participate either have their own protection or suffer.
If they “demand” protection they get it on an immediate response….. with the fact they pay a penalty equivalent to one years contract fee, and the cost of that item response.
e.g. Fire – Fire department response will be dispatched.
a:If there is no contract and no request by the property owner to “save” the building the only obligation is to save the surrounding properties. If the fire is so intense that the surrounding properties cannot be protected or saved, then the owner of the property can have the property seized, and sold to cover damages, and any other properties associated with the managers/owners also forfeit to cover damages.
b:to participate in contract protection each owner will have fire insurance as well as their monthly fee.
This is just a short raw option but you get it. Private enterprise will handle the issue and most likely more efficiently and at less cost.
As a news reporter used to say “One man’s opinion.”