Supervisor Burgis Reply
From: Supervisor_Burgis <Supervisor_Burgis@bos.cccounty.us> Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 9:30 AM To: BVMB Board Cc: Carol Prell <Carol@vs.cccounty.us>; Eric Angstadt <Eric.Angstadt@cao.cccounty.us>; stacey.sinclair@pw.cccounty.us; Teresa Gerringer <teresa.gerringer@bos.cccounty.us>; Stephen Griswold <Stephen.Griswold@bos.cccounty.us> Subject: Re: Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building
Dear Mr. Moses and the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building Board of Directors,
Thank you for your email, thank you for your service, and thank you for your advocacy for East County’s veterans.
As you know, Contra Costa County has hosted the BVMB on County-owned land for decades, at a nominal cost of $1 per year, well below market rate. In my office, we have steadfastly worked with Brentwood Veterans, and we delivered a County-procured automated external defibrillator (AED) for use in the building earlier this year. The County is also currently pursuing $199,000 in facility improvements to the building between now and 2025, with improvements to fire alarm systems, air conditioning, exterior siding, kitchen exhaust and more. (Structural improvements are also planned for the Antioch Veterans Memorial Hall, with a budget exceeding $166,000.) In the past five years, the County has invested more than $100,000 into improvements at the building, including a major roof repair.
Next door, on land also owned by the County, Contra Costa Fire Protection District is beginning the construction of a new fire station, which will improve fire and medical response times in Brentwood and across East County. As you mentioned in your email, the new fire station is not a surprise to you and your board, and Deputy Chief Aaron McAlister contacted you last year specifically about adjusting the property line. While it may have been surprising to see newly painted lines on the ground recently, this reapportionment of County-owned land in order to improve fire protection for tens of thousands of residents should not be mischaracterized as an invasion. I sympathize that you have gotten used to the fire station not operating next door since 2014, but I hope you understand the importance of and support a fire department that is fully equipped and staffed to meet the needs of our community, including our beloved veterans.
The new fire station will require moving the storage containers that Brentwood Veterans has been using, but it will not require any changes to the main building other than the nearly $200,000 in improvements the County has planned. The new lot line would shift less than 7% of the space currently leased by the BVMB to the fire station. I recognize that this is an inconvenience for the Board and the community members you serve, and I welcome a conversation with you and/or other members of your board about how to make the transition easier with slightly less space for your storage containers.
Please continue conversations with Eric Angstadt at the CAO’s office, my chief of staff Teresa Gerringer, and my Brentwood community representative and Air Force veteran Stephen Griswold so we can help you adjust to the new property line as easily as possible.
Sincerely,
Supervisor Diane Burgis
