Breaking News! – Clayton Chief of Police Richard McEachin is Moving On!

News Release 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Thursday, November 21, 2024

Contact: Janell Martin, Assistant City Clerk (209) 357-6241

City of Atwater Announces the Expected Appointment of Police Chief

Chief of Police Richard McEachin

Atwater, CA - The City of Atwater is pleased to announce the expected appointment of Richard McEachin as the city's next Police Chief. The City Council will consider and vote on his appointment at its next regular City Council meeting on Monday, December 9, 2024. McEachin's tentative start date is Thursday, December 19, 2024.

Chief McEachin brings considerable experience to the role, having served as the Police Chief for the City of Dos Palos from January 2018 to November 2022 and the City of Clayton from November 2022 to the present. Chief McEachin has been in law enforcement since 2004, following in his father's footsteps.

Chief McEachin holds a bachelors degree and masters degree in criminal justice from California Coast University in Santa Ana. He attended and graduated from the Napa Valley Police Academy in 2003.

City Manager Chris Hoem expressed his enthusiasm for the anticipated appointment. saying. "Chief McEachin is an outstanding leader with the vision and experience to build strong community connections and ensure public safety. I'm confident in his ability to uphold our city's values while addressing the challenges of modem policing."

Chief McEachin grew up in the Bay Area and has called the Central Valley home since he was appointed Chief in Dos Palos in 2018. He commented on moving forward with the City of Atwater, saying, "It is truly an honor to be selected as the next Police Chief of the City of Atwater. Atwater is an outstanding community, and I look forward to working with the residents, businesses, visitors, and staff to continue to move forward in a positive direction. I would like to thank City Manager Chris Hoem and the Atwater City Council for putting their trust in me, and I am excited for this opportunity."

Election Update! 

The most recent update from Contra Costa County was released at 2:29 PM on Friday, November 22, 2024. (See below.)

The overall net gain of 93 votes was distributed as follows: Enea +41, Tillman +48, Diaz +51, and Shulman +53. 

With 83.50% of the votes counted, it seems there might still be a handful of votes left to tally. (See below.) 

Clayton has every reason to feel proud, as it currently boasts the highest turnout in Contra Costa County.

We'll keep you updated with the latest results from the county as they come in. The next update is anticipated on Wednesday, November 27th.

While you wait, we encourage you to check out our wide range of articles. You can use the “Search Queries” feature on the right to find a specific keyword or topic that interests you.

City Council Meeting Summary 11-19-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

------------------------------------------------------------

By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

On Tuesday night the Council met to discuss a few significant items:

- We approved the installation of a plaque in memory of Bob Hoyer in the Grove Park. As our first Mayor, Bob Hoyer was instrumental in the City's incorporation. Even after leaving city government after four terms, Mr. Hoyer continued to work towards establishing a downtown park and what is now the Grove. It is only fitting that a tribute to Mr. Hoyer be placed in the Grove for all to appreciate.

- We authorized painting and flooring work in City Hall. The work will take place starting the week of December 16 and City Hall will be closed to the public during that time and through the holidays. This is a regular maintenance item that hasn't been done in many many years.

- We had a lengthy discussion about the organizational structure of City staff, the potential of adding new positions, and eliminating certain positions that were no longer needed. On balance, the proposal advanced by staff called for an addition of two FTEs. This proposal would be largely flat from a financial perspective in FY25, and increase the FY26 spend by approximately $130K.

I appreciated and supported the new org structure. It reduced the instances of a management position having only one person reporting to them. A siloed vertical structure that we currently have can be inefficient.

When the Council approved changes to the org structure earlier in the year, we did so with the intent of reducing the number of high level management positions, and increasing the number of staff level positions. In a small city like Clayton, we often need more people to be hands on doing work, rather than more administration managing. The newly proposed org structure reflects this.

And while I support the new org structure overall, there were a few items included where the work assessing the demand and level of those positions was still in flight. Ultimately the Council took no action but instead gave feedback to staff on what level of analysis we would like to see regarding job duties and level for example, as well as some modifications that were identified.

We asked staff to come back with updated recommendations.

--------------------------------------------------------

We appreciate you for reading this article.

Please support our cause with a small donation today!

Good Day, Clayton Community Readers!

We've Assembled some of the most share-worth stories from the area. The most recent election update from Contra Costa County was released at 3:04 PM on Friday, November 15, 2024. (See below.)

There is still a possibility that the results are not final. Historically, voter turnout in Clayton has been remarkable. At present, with 82.09% of the votes counted, it seems there are additional ballots yet to be processed. We will keep you updated with the most recent results from the county as they are released, likely by next week. Please note that California State law mandates that elections must be certified within 30 days following election day.

C.C. County Election Update! 

The most recent update from Contra Costa County was released at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. (See below.)

Traditionally, Clayton experiences a voter turnout ranging from 80% to 87% during elections. Currently, with 81.94% of the votes tallied, it appears there are still approximately 200 to 300 votes left to be counted.  We will continue to provide you with the latest results from the county as they become available. Next update is expected Friday, November 15th.

In the meantime, we invite you to explore our extensive collection of articles. Utilize the “Search Queries” feature on the right to enter a keyword or phrase of interest.