[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6545778,"mediaKeyId","3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd","parentId",3413749,"title","Board waives 180‑day rule to rehire retired chief nursing officer for CNA contract talks","audioSeconds",188,"startMs",7157000,"endMs",7345000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd&start=7157&end=7345","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd/thumbnail_7157000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6545778/Contra-Costa-County/California/Board-waives-180day-rule-to-rehire-retired-chief-nursing-officer-for-CNA-contract-talks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545778-367f511bf378b4d74a6247b3051a7600/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149758&Signature=cK7MfS~e7yPaq~7YcbR6ZTcCo8U5Gm3-XYAe18gidU5tHmISAtbg5Iw56TosfksnGJ~iOWCnK6hNXtvbBR7Sw8hqzJystVWJpuLgbI26IIpOY9xSKDOnOfAULhZeXzAxXM8bXuBOLuqTMY95LNA8PTn~rKiWwzjPEO5E34jK2HHYApKYDh70jGjvhrpbW~TDzlAWf2wYOiqE80oqTMh8pr7sA4oPQ4np9u1HBtD2b6QNNLXNM4t1A2PppySXJebPCD~FpnkpfE7rkrcnwS-8eebxLKwmWFCnQnhluXC5IFRs0qouW~PuMdVSCOsak~s2OaItnXAypa3zJrc4LhIZbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Contra Costa","date","2025-05-20T08:31:00Z","article","The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on May 20 to waive the 180‑day rehire restriction and permit the part‑time reappointment of retired Contra Costa Regional Medical Center chief nursing officer Jaspreet Benipal to assist with upcoming collective‑bargaining talks with the California Nurses Association.

The nut graf: County hospital leaders said Benipal’s past experience as chief nursing officer and her familiarity with the current CNA memorandum of understanding would assist management during negotiations; hospital leaders said she would serve in a consultant capacity and not return to day-to-day nursing leadership.

David Culberson, CEO of Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and the health centers, recommended the temporary rehire. “I'd like to recommend that we go ahead and... recommend Jaspreet Benipal RN MSN, a recent retiree... to be brought back on a part time basis to assist with the upcoming contract negotiations with the California Nursing Association,” Culberson told the board.

Culberson said Benipal retired in March after a long leadership tenure and has in recent contract cycles represented management in sessions with the CNA. He told the board Benipal “will not be involved in the day to day leadership of the nursing team at Contra Costa Health because these duties are and will continue to be directed by Helena Marty, interim nursing officer at CCRMC.”

The item drew no public comment. A motion and second were made for the waiver and the board voted unanimously to approve the action.

Ending: County health leadership said Benipal will consult on contract development for the CNA agreement that expires Sept. 30, 2025, and the hospital will return to the board with routine operational updates during the contract period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Contra Costa - BOARD OF SUPERVISORS on 2025-05-20 9:00 AM - May 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved a one-time waiver to rehired retired chief nursing officer Jaspreet Benipal on a part‑time basis to assist with California Nurses Association contract negotiations, while daily nursing leadership remains with the interim nursing officer.","taxTitle","Contra Costa County, California","taxId",3335,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545782,"County outlines climate action work: EV fleet expansion, chargers and employee training",184,3776000,3960000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd&start=3776&end=3960","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd/thumbnail_3776000.jpg","/articles/6545782/Contra-Costa-County/California/County-outlines-climate-action-work-EV-fleet-expansion-chargers-and-employee-training","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545782-be685a98bf38a0f1c6e22e740559afc2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149758&Signature=mKBp3DnTdMiNhsvGALxSNZwila24xTnk8ywR~p0v2fNe3gGdDIQVVcadv9Woe0NBq~ki~cm9VFJMvRUet4~z-pLlPCOiEgl6Fjs3-nKZYekpF7e3LOLQi2MtjiqQ-myOSXNJ9GJSf7K2DFx72QWmjlTx8lRN0qBBUMkKRrz96zyrWBpInN6Xo-9t9BY13N0HmfdzMU7d0KdO4G~YnAvkV5w644ws4hUgTP9AuU-q8GbUS-MTDUxTSW9W4mV~3m2Pf0dhxufCVpgCO6viqtbz7bJArs9aOENDyCV453p9cbVy-ZtQv4PKIOu15rB14pZUUj69LirGRYirt6-OsZFBUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Contra Costa County officials presented an interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force briefing on May 20 that outlined ongoing work to electrify the county fleet, expand EV charging infrastructure at county facilities, and train employees to safely operate and maintain new electric vehicles.

The nut graf: County energy and sustainability staff told the Board of Supervisors about progress on charging stations, the acquisition of dozens of electric vehicles and plans for an EV transition toolkit aimed at fleet liaisons and technicians. Officials said the work is part of the county’s broader Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

Jody London, the county sustainability coordinator, and Bridal Havener (county energy manager) led the presentation. Public Works Director Warren Lai joined staff for recognition of recent achievements. A video excerpt played for the board included a statement from Public Works about the county’s fleet: “For the county, we service about 1,600 pieces of equipment. And out of that 1,600 pieces of equipment, about 1,300 vehicles that drive on the road every day in and around Contra Costa County. We're mandated by CARB, and they mandate starting this year that 50% or more of our vehicles are purchased that are electrical,” the video said.

Bridal Havener said that in the past three years the county has supported acquisition of more than 50 electric vehicles and installed more than 120 EV chargers at 11 county facilities; additional vehicles and chargers are under construction. She described a forthcoming online “EV transition toolkit” to give employees operational guidance, training materials and answers to common questions.

Officials said the county is prioritizing chargers where fleet vehicles are parked overnight to reduce charging costs and demand charges; they acknowledged that installation pace is constrained mainly by the county’s capital projects capacity rather than by supply-chain problems.

The broader Climate Action and Adaptation Plan update covered community-facing programs (BayREN residential energy-efficiency partnerships and a Spanish-language induction-cooktop outreach video) and employee engagement through volunteer “G3 champions” who meet regularly and help spread energy-management practices across departments.

The board voted to accept the climate task force report, 5-0. Supervisors praised staff for accreditation and for on-the-ground work, and asked staff to continue coordinating with regional partners including the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and MCE (the community choice aggregator).

Ending: County staff will continue charger installations and to roll out the EV toolkit and will return with updates. Supervisors asked that the board be informed on charging capacity, staffing for capital projects and any external funding opportunities.","Board heard an interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force report describing steps toward an all-electric county fleet, EV charging installations, an employee-focused EV transition toolkit and broader climate-adaptation programs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545787,"Board adopts $7.154 billion Contra Costa budget for FY 2025–26; sets contingencies and one-time allocations",8529,12013000,20542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd&start=12013&end=20542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd/thumbnail_12013000.jpg","/articles/6545787/Contra-Costa-County/California/Board-adopts-7154-billion-Contra-Costa-budget-for-FY-202526-sets-contingencies-and-one-time-allocations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545787-4bee031b1b084a559638189d0dca2b68/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149758&Signature=Zg-qKrw1O3T4OTe7peeu-1BbtZiIgo2fWIGjLA-y8QfRoV~hicTmMoImcoO4YArcv~gX28QSvRP8~5zlmopWEtV6~EV1RsTErU~eBOx~6T-emB9674vtzD6Bc7JkPVysQb5oyTAAmhuzvSHzt-C7ZgBvZiMBY3l1564piL-PVPeIA9Ekvpp8~V4VMa5xKH0R0P-NOcDQ2rAylYL7O3dHOMkHRniqyXGwaAZzusL49iZuyCkEmnBp1yFNqMROJK3GdsRppUf1KMfzcwYD6b4zszSRIQh043zxWpEflKOGoRq2fR1Wo8kgJOsis15qUKC7mOirx3IcGk~ONml6CsgKDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 recommended budget on May 20, approving a county and special districts spending plan the county administrator described as $7,154,000,000 and authorizing 11,288.33 full‑time equivalent positions.

The nut graf: The board acted after two days of budget hearings and public comment, approving line-item adjustments and a package of one-time and ongoing allocations. The package reduced a FEMA-designated COVID reserve, set aside a larger contingency fund, allocated money for a planned safe center and other Measure X items, and approved several position changes including two ongoing forensic social-worker positions for the public defender.

County Budget Director Adam [last name redacted in transcript] summarized the April hearings and board direction. “The board unanimously approved line item changes, increasing the total budget to $7,154,000,000 and authorizing 11,288.33 full time equivalent positions,” he said during the presentation. The approved package reduced the COVID FEMA reserve and appropriated a mix of one-time sources for board-directed allocations, including funds toward a county safe center, refugee resettlement support and other Measure X items.

Adam and Chief Administrative Officer Monica N. discussed contingency and funding sources. The board directed $9,000,000 in appropriations for items including emergency services and the safe center; the board used a combination of ARPA/FEMA funds, current-year balances and Measure X dollars to meet those requests. Adam said the county’s appropriations-for-contingency figure increased from an initial roughly $21.5 million to about $35.9 million after the board’s adjustments.

Health leaders briefed the board on emerging state-level budget risks that could affect county finances. Acting Contra Costa public-health system leader Dr. [Ori] Sabelli summarized potential state changes affecting Medi‑Cal eligibility and reimbursements that the governor proposed in a May revise and warned of possible county fiscal impacts in the near term. “From a budgetary perspective, we’re expecting... about a $5,000,000 hit the first year” from the proposed changes and “about $17,000,000” on another rate change scenario, Dr. Sabelli said at the hearing.

Supervisors debated personnel labels and hiring practice for Stand Together Contra Costa positions (legal assistants, a deputy public defender, clerical and community-relations posts). After public comment from unions and program supporters urging parity and retention, Supervisor John Gioia moved to change the five positions listed for Stand Together on attachment C (page 11) from project‑based to permanent positions; the board adopted the change as part of the final budget motion.

The board also authorized a resolution to implement position modifications and standard technical adjustments at fiscal-year close. The county administrator’s office said staff will return in September with final technical adjustments and that the board may need to act during the year if state or federal funding changes materially affect county revenue.

Ending: The budget was adopted by a recorded board vote; supervisors emphasized fiscal caution and the need to be prepared for state or federal changes that could affect public health and safety-net programs. Supervisors and department heads asked staff to return with follow-up options if additional state or federal cuts materialize.","After hearings and public comment, the Board approved a $7.154 billion county and special districts budget, established a contingency pool, allocated one-time funds including Measure X and FEMA/ARPA sources for a safe center and other items, and approved position changes including two ongoing forensic social-worker posts.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545792,"Pretrial services: Contra Costa validates pretrial risk tool as caseloads rise after Prop 36",524,6182000,6706000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd&start=6182&end=6706","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd/thumbnail_6182000.jpg","/articles/6545792/Contra-Costa-County/California/Pretrial-services-Contra-Costa-validates-pretrial-risk-tool-as-caseloads-rise-after-Prop-36","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545792-6aa2a222725fbaf4ea14b494af759ca6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149758&Signature=NIMmhrE5WajN06TOW7ldwJnVR7nMVMg-PcIhxRgGbTfEqG2XXiDZi4dmugT~ZaO93q-vZj9xnnKOVDM2M8CvGd7TPT4nMHMvXnuQXti6c0AS9qa5z3~n7qlagA2vUBCf4VgpZhRTVT-OpTRwkIpX2YX6vAPl4bHmoO4a0YTwA4kZEtnvdFatlPo~YuilG9HMB-5tLGrKPcBPL37avzRVX9WTmIQ8cm2oJAjW5Mt90J23v-RCuDe4aLOyAQD4lXilt4cTFcVCzP9vIApdAX2h5HAhJ9gXByUPE8NV32d5BBBtS8bOSvblHk8RKXmY7YiTC1Hl653xqFb0ZxQQ7dDywA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Contra Costa County probation officials told the Board of Supervisors on May 20 that the county-validated pretrial public safety assessment (PSA) performs well and shows no detectable racial or gender bias, even as the department is seeing a sharp increase in pretrial workload following voter-approved criminal justice changes.

The nut graf: A validation study completed in 2024 found the county’s PSA has strong predictive performance for failures to appear and new criminal activity, and departmental officials said January–April pretrial assessments rose from 130 in 2024 to 243 in 2025. Probation officials warned the board the workload will increase further as Proposition 36 cases begin to filter through the system and urged coordinated investment in treatment and services.

E. C. McCrashford, the county’s chief probation officer, said the department expanded pretrial services after state funding (SB 129) came available and has used the funds to staff and to contract for community supports. “We completed 243 assessments,” probation staff told the board, nearly doubling the 130 assessments completed in the January–April 2024 period.

Probation manager Bart Sloan summarized the validation project and its findings. The project “investigated predictive validity — the extent to which the PSA correctly measures what it's supposed to measure,” Sloan said. The county contracted RDA Consulting to validate the tool locally; Sloan reported that overall performance indicated most defendants “avoided new criminal activity” and that the study showed “no significant bias was detected.”

County leaders said the PSA uses static law‑enforcement-record factors to score risk for three outcomes: failure to appear, new criminal activity and new violent criminal activity. The study found the tool was “accurately predicting” those outcomes and the department posted the local validation as required by SB 36.

Supervisors also heard data on geography and demographics: the pretrial population includes people living across the county, with a notable share living outside county boundaries, and three major offense categories were property, violent, and drug-and-alcohol-related charges. Probation described special caseload programs under way, including a gender-responsive caseload with tailored supports and a transitional-age-youth caseload for 18–25-year-olds.

McCrashford and Sloan warned the board the department is already seeing increased referrals since Proposition 36 took effect and that long-term success in managing new caseload types will depend on investment in treatment infrastructure and staffing. The board voted to accept the pretrial services report, 5-0.

Ending: Supervisors asked for a follow-up, multi-department presentation that would include probation, the district attorney, the public defender and the sheriff to present a fuller picture of pretrial populations, custody status and racial/ethnic disparities. Probation recommended a fall follow-up to allow for more data collection after Prop 36's early impacts are clearer.","Probation presented a validation of the county's public safety assessment, found strong predictive performance with no detectable bias, and reported pretrial assessments nearly doubled year over year amid higher referrals since Proposition 36.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545797,"Contra Costa Head Start cited for safety-practice deficiency; county launches corrective plan",518,8705000,9223000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd&start=8705&end=9223","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413749-56c39b62714b3073af65754fbf19f5fd/thumbnail_8705000.jpg","/articles/6545797/Contra-Costa-County/California/Contra-Costa-Head-Start-cited-for-safety-practice-deficiency-county-launches-corrective-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545797-19b6510b385a43e47bdbfdce4092092d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149758&Signature=c8kQ1O1n~q~~5nsjbdQMuPuCxzWKJmyc098XhERhkipbn-Qv1l3BqyY3jSjNfZ4vd9O~LhiNA0nRfgZ9Bh~ibmMT7oB2eS5NN3yBVUZOLdkTpJKTBC1SLk76aMXCl7QNnwcgHoJj~BBx54WI1T99547ixMoW3YSLmsEP0y~4Fio97qyGs95J4wPLeUrmNiAyWjF6TwLtcRzvmCkgwXxM6pQU6DoxF4c~eMhmHNopVMO74uoLwjdo6lZjkZkSZNrnNMqceeus0qZgNHWb4C21giodocSseRP0IoVvwmLa9G3~UVttCTjO2j8bpCM4Sw1dW8CV9AyjyldNZ8~n-SIafg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Contra Costa County officials told the Board of Supervisors on May 20 that the county’s Head Start program has received a deficiency finding from the Office of Head Start after auditors identified multiple incidents “with the potential to maltreat and endanger the health and safety of children.”

The nut graf: County officials said four brief incidents, three at county-run sites and one at a partner site, were substantiated; all four classroom staff were removed from the classroom and have been separated from employment. County leaders said they have launched a seven-category corrective action program and asked for extra time to finish work on partner-site video camera requirements.

Marla Stewart, director of the Employment and Human Services Department, told supervisors that the deficiency notice followed a risk assessment and a review on April 24. “A deficiency is a systematic or substantial material failure of an agency in the area of performance,” Stewart said. The performance area cited was “safety practices.”

Stewart said Head Start’s review identified four specific incidents during the 12-month review period. She listed them to the board: in September 2024 a nap-mat incident in which a child rolled off a mat and a blanket was tossed over the child’s head; in December 2024 a teacher grabbed a child by the arm; in March 2025 a teacher grabbed a child by the shirt collar; and a fourth reported incident at a partner site. Stewart said none of the children were injured. “All four teachers were removed from the classroom during the investigation and based on the investigations which substantiated the events all four teachers were separated from employment,” Stewart said.

Stewart outlined seven corrective-action areas the county has started: board policy review; internal Head Start procedures; hiring and background-check reviews; stronger staff affirmations of prohibited conduct (including wording taken from Head Start program performance standards); expanded child-safety training for county and partner staff; requiring video cameras at partner sites and access for county investigators; and stepped-up monitoring, including random video review and daily assessments of staff knowledge of prohibited behaviors.

Stewart told the board the program’s 30-day corrective period began May 4 and ends June 3. “Tomorrow, we do plan, unless we hear differently from you, we do plan to submit a request for a 30 day extension,” she said, adding that if the extension is approved the county would complete camera installations and any needed board-policy edits during that additional window.

Sarah Reich, Head Start division manager, summarized monitoring and enrollment figures and confirmed there had been additional partner-site incidents reported during the corrective period; two of those reports remain under investigation, she said. Reich said county-run classrooms do have video cameras in place and that the county will require partner agencies to install and maintain cameras and to give county staff access for investigations.

Supervisors pressed for clarity about reporting and for a tangible timetable. Supervisor John Gioia noted staff had “self-reported” incidents and said the county must guard against discouraging staff from reporting safety concerns. Stewart said video and daily checks will be part of the steps to verify progress.

The board accepted the monthly Head Start update by motion, 5-0. Stewart said Head Start had accepted technical assistance from federal staff and would be working closely with county counsel and the county administrator on contract changes to require partner cameras and other measures.

Ending: County officials said they will return with progress updates after the corrective period and that the board will be informed of any follow-up federal review. If the deficiency is not corrected, program rules allow for further federal action up to grant cancellation; health officials told the board they are working to avoid that outcome.","Federal Head Start auditors found a safety-practices deficiency after four incidents; county officials say staff involved were removed, corrective actions are underway and a 30-day remediation period is in effect with a likely 30-day extension request.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board waives 180‑day rule to rehire retired chief nursing officer for CNA contract talks

County outlines climate action work: EV fleet expansion, chargers and employee training

Board adopts $7.154 billion Contra Costa budget for FY 2025–26; sets contingencies and one-time allocations

Pretrial services: Contra Costa validates pretrial risk tool as caseloads rise after Prop 36

Contra Costa Head Start cited for safety-practice deficiency; county launches corrective plan