Comments on: Supporters of initiative for downtown Antioch park and event center on lumber company lot submit signatures

By: Arne

Arne — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 13:14:13 +0000

Only registered Antioch voters were eligible to sign these petitions. When we performed the prima facie signature count which took my Deputy and I 4-1/2 hours, we excluded (“tossed out”) all signatures signed by people whose address was other than Antioch (for example, we found signatures with addresses in Pittsburg, Oakley, Brentwood, Bay Point, Discovery Bay and Livermore). We also doubled checked each other work and totals.

By: Publisher

Publisher — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 01:29:38 +0000

In reply to Karl Dietzel.

Karl,
Antioch City Clerk Arne Simonsen stated the proponents delivered the signature petitions to his office on Tuesday afternoon. Then, he and his staff reviewed them and tossed out the signatures from those people who don’t live in Antioch. I don’t know how he did that, other than marking through their names and signatures with a pen. Then, he took the petitions to the County Elections Office, for the staff there to verify the validity of the signatures of the rest of those who signed and provided Antioch addresses.

The property is currently zoned mixed use which allows for the park and event center. The initiative would require the city preserve the lot as a “town square” as defined by the initiative, by amending the zoning.

I’m attaching the final ballot initiative for you and the rest of our readers to see. Please see Section 3, subsection B for explanation.

Hope that answers your questions and clears up any confusion.

Allen Payton, Publisher

By: Karl Dietzel

Karl Dietzel — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 20:34:39 +0000

Dear editor
I sm kind of confused ny your article , please clarify .

First of , my understand is that the ballot measure is
To change the general plan from commercial to mixed use.
If, how, when and what could be built at this lot is part of it.

Secondly , if I understand the process right , all gathered signatures were
Brought to the martinez election office, which is in charge and will do the signature verification .

Please explain the city clerk comments, that he “tossed out”
Invalid signatures . That’s not his job or tecponsibility.

Thanks