Pleasant Hill Approves Fountain Rehab as Housing Group Hits Rule 9-6

Municipal plaza restoration, regional building electrification costs, and public broadcasting listener research headlined civic developments across central Contra Costa County and the wider East Bay this week. The Pleasant Hill City Council awarded a contract to rehabilitate the City Hall pond, fountain, and plaza walkways, while the California Rental Housing Association challenged the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's amended zero-NOx water heater mandate and KPFA 94.1 invited Bay Area listeners to complete its annual Public Radio TechSurvey 2026.

Pleasant Hill City Council Approves City Hall Fountain Rehabilitation

At its regularly scheduled meeting on November 2, the Pleasant Hill City Council awarded the City Hall Pond and Fountain Rehabilitation Project to contractor All About Building, Inc. The plaza makeover encompasses draining and cleaning the existing reflection pond, upgrading mechanical, plumbing, and lighting systems, restoring the fountain tilework, and replacing cracked and broken walkway tiles across City Hall Plaza.

City officials confirmed that Pleasant Hill City Hall will remain open and accessible to the public throughout the construction period, and that the weekly Farmers Market and all scheduled City Hall events will continue at their usual locations.

Housing Coalition Calls for New Cost Analysis on BAAQMD Rule 9-6

Regional housing providers pushed back on November 5 after the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Board of Directors voted to adopt amendments to Rule 9-6, the district's ban on the sale and installation of new natural gas water heaters. While the amendments delay implementation by 1 year to January 2028 and introduce exemptions for low-income homeowners, space-constrained homes, and properties with electrical limitations, the California Rental Housing Association (CalRHA)—which represents more than 14,000 members operating more than 805,000 rental units statewide—warned that replacement mandates still burden older multi-family properties.

Joined by the East Bay Rental Housing Association, Berkeley Property Owners Association, Santa Clara Association of Realtors, San Mateo County Association of Realtors, and other coalition partners who testified at the September, October, and November board meetings, CalRHA President Adam Pearce cited a 2023 California Public Utilities Commission report finding that upgrading electrical panels, circuits, and street service lines in buildings constructed before 1980 costs between $11,500 and more than $120,000 per building. Pearce urged the Air District to conduct an updated cost analysis and establish financial incentives for small duplex and fourplex owners.

KPFA 94.1 Launches Public Radio TechSurvey 2026

In East Bay public media, KPFA 94.1 Interim General Manager Antonio Ortiz invited listeners on November 6, 2026, to participate in the annual Public Radio TechSurvey 2026 in collaboration with the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) and the Public Media Content Collective (PMCC). Taking approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete, the confidential survey gathers listener feedback on radio, smartphone, tablet, social media, and streaming habits to guide future station programming and digital platform delivery.