El Cerrito Wire

The El Cerrito City Council is scheduled to hear an update on legislation affecting the city at its Oct. 20, 2026 meeting. New California legislation in the reports affects e-bikes, bike project approval, public records requests, and more. The council will hear presentations from the League of California Cities and the city’s lobbyist, California Public Policy Group. Both presentations are posted on the city website as part of the packet for the meeting. Some of the legislation recently signed into law in the presentations: - Class 2 e-bikes must have a speedometer and front and rear lights (AB2346), vehicles such as motorcycles and mopeds cannot be marketed as e-bikes (SB1167), and safety programs for grades 7-12 are encouraged and standardized (AB1569). - Limits review of pedestrian and bicycle projects (AB1976) - Extends deadline for responding to Public Records Act requests from 10 days to 10 business days. The council meets at 6 pm Oct. 20 at City Hall. Agenda/packet:  https:/...

The El Cerrito Wire elections page has been continually updated throughout the election to add new information about the races and measures on your ballot. The latest revise is intended to make it easy to locate information quickly as you complete your ballot. Access it with the " Vote " tab at the top of any El Cerrito Wire page. For the El Cerrito City Council race, the page includes links to an El Cerrito Wire analysis of the race and coverage dating back to before filing began. It also includes the responses to a questionnaire sent to all El Cerrito City Council candidates covering the city's finances, capital improvements such as the library and public safety building, transit, relationship with the city manager and city boards, and listening to and getting information to the community. You can find links to the candidates' campaign websites at the end of the Q and As. It also includes links to recordings of two El Cerrito City Council candidate forums and the lo...

From left, El Cerrito City Council Member William Ktsanes speaking, seated candidates Carolyn Wysinger, Gabe Quinto, Kimberly White, Wally Nowinski, Mary Ann “MJ” Jawili, and Forrest Lanning at the Sept. 30 forum At a Sept. 30 forum, the six candidates for El Cerrito City Council answered questions about some of El Cerrito’s hottest topics - city finances, capital needs such as a senior center, Flock, and transportation. The questions posed were a composite of questions submitted by the community. Incumbents Gabe Quinto and Carolyn Wysinger and challengers Wally Nowinski, Forrest Lanning, Mary Ann “MJ” Jawili, and Kimberly White are vying for two four-year terms on the Nov. 3 ballot. FINANCES As noted in the question asked by moderator Lakisha Mitchell-Keith, El Cerrito has had many years of budget deficits, with unfunded pension liabilities growing to nearly a hundred million dollars. Candidates were asked if they believe El Cerrito is at risk of financial problems similar to those hi...

Data analyst Ira Sharenow, who frequently puts in Public Records Act requests to the city of El Cerrito and often posts analysis of city documents on Nextdoor, has launched a website. Sharenow has a M.A. in mathematics and an M.S. in business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  The website includes sections about El Cerrito related to: City finances The library issue Transportation issues such as the Richmond Street bike lanes, San Pablo Avenue, the Ohlone Greenway, and parking management Fire and police organization, staffing, budget, and incident data analysis The Service Delivery Study and compensation studies and how these relate to the state auditor’s recommendations The city manager’s compensation Elections Sharenow’s website:  https://irasharenow100.github.io/portfolio/ Image from Sharenow’s website

The El Cerrito City Council voted Sept. 15, 2026 to adopt a Local Road Safety Plan that includes increasing bike lanes, adding speed humps, improving intersection markings, and setting and strictly enforcing a 25 mph speed limit citywide. ”I think this is the right direction,” said Council Member Lisa Motoyama. “It makes much more sense to prioritize humans rather than how fast cars can get through an intersection.” The road plan is structured around a “Vision Zero” policy, aimed at eliminating fatal and serious injury crashes citywide by 2035. Council Member Carolyn Wysinger said people ask why we have things like bulbouts. “People are getting hurt in our streets.” In speaking in support of the plan, Mayor Gabe Quinto said he was hit on his bike on San Pablo Avenue as a child. Rebecca Saltzman said she thought the city should consider speed limits even lower than 25 miles per hour in some places. The vote was 4-1. William Ktsanes voted no, saying while the plan contains gre...

The El Cerrito City Council is scheduled to adopt a Local Road Safety Plan and receive a quarterly update on general fund revenues and expenses when it meets Tuesday, Sept.15, 2026. The road plan is designed to reduce crashes, particularly fatal ones. It is required for the city to remain eligible or competitive for transportation grants, according to the staff report.  El Cerrito’s plan includes measures such as: -enforcing a 25-mile speed limit citywide, including by using “automated speed enforcement technology, as soon as it is permitted under state law” and designing roads with the target speed in mind. -adding bike lanes by removing street parking -allowing and encouraging e-bikes while addressing reckless and illegal use -installing speed humps -standardizing intersection design markings and signs The council is also scheduled to authorize the city to accept a $200,000 federal Community Development Block Grant for Americans with Disabilities Act and architectoral improvement...

  Richmond police have identified the officer struck by gunfire Sept. 3, 2026 on Key Boulevard as Justin Church, a 25-year veteran of law enforcement. Church was treated at a local trauma center and was released from the hospital at about 3 pm Sept. 4. Police said a second officer was inside a patrol vehicle struck by several rounds of gunfire but was not injured. The suspect has been identified as Jasmine Robinson, 39, of Richmond. Robinson has been charged with attempted murder, assault with an assault weapon on a person, and kidnapping, according to police. The complete press release from Richmond police, updated Sept. 4: At approximately 6:41 p.m. Sept. 3, A3 was contacted regarding a request to conduct a mental health check on an individual in the 2200 block of Key Boulevard. A3 is Contra Costa County’s behavioral health crisis response program. When circumstances present a potential safety concern, A3 may request assistance from law enforcement. Due to the nature of the ...

{press release] RICHMOND - At approximately 6:41 p.m. Sept. 3, A3 was contacted regarding a request to conduct a mental health check on an individual in the 2200 block of Key Boulevard. A3 is Contra Costa County’s behavioral health crisis response program. When circumstances present a potential safety concern, A3 may request assistance from law enforcement. Due to the nature of the call, A3 requested that Richmond Police officers accompany them to the location. When the first officer arrived at the residence, the officer was struck by gunfire. The officer was immediately transported to a local hospital for treatment and is in stable condition. The officer is expected to survive. The suspect barricaded inside the residence and continued firing numerous rounds indiscriminately from within the home. Several rounds struck an RPD Patrol vehicle and neighboring residences, but fortunately, no residents or additional personnel were injured. The Richmond Police Department SWAT Team responded w...

El Cerrito police have arrested a second suspect in an Aug. 23, 2026 fatal shooting and now believe a marijuana robbery was the motive. They also now believe the suspect arrested earlier was one of two people who fired shots. Jamir Buckley, 18, of Richmond was arrested on Monday, Aug. 31 in connection with the killing in the parking lot at Potrero and San Pablo avenues, according to a Nixle notice from police. Police suspect him of being the driver of the car in which the three suspects fled. Buckley was found in possession of an illegal assault rifle and high-capacity magazine, police said. Based on “additional forensic examination,” El Cerrito detectives now believe the first suspect they arrested, Jacari Talifero Gibson, 18, of Richmond, was one of two suspects who fired shots. The detectives worked with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office to amend charges against Gibson to include murder, according to police. El Cerrito detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Gibso...

UPDATE second arrest   In announcing the arrest of one of the suspects in an Aug. 23 fatal shooting, El Cerrito police said they were able to identify the vehicle they believe was used by the three suspects with the help of other jurisdictions and their Flock and Vigilant cameras. The Flock cameras in El Cerrito, including ones near where the shooting took place, had only recently been removed. A Nixle announcement said El Cerrito detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Jacari Talifero Gibson,18, from Richmond, Aug. 24 and working with Richmond police took him into custody and searched his home. El Cerrito police are still looking for two suspects, one they believe shot the 21-year-old victim and the other they believe drove the vehicle used by the suspects to flee the scene. That vehicle, a 2017 Nissan Maxima, was located the evening of Aug. 24, 2026 by Vallejo police officers, the El Cerrito department reported. Police suspect Gibson of being the lookout in the killing in the s...