Putting 2010 Pulse of Concord views into perspective

CONCORD, CA (Mar. 23, 2025) — I started the Pulse of Concord 15 years ago to open discussions on various local issues that were not really being looked at publicly.

Here is a quick summary of June 2010, with about 400 responses and some views between 92% residents and 8% non-residents.

1. More than half the people like the idea of a 7-foot base for backyard fences compared to a 6-foot base and 20% don’t. Both would have allowed a 1-foot trestle (see-through lattice). The city has not changed its 6-foot base. In my neighborhood, people pile up a foot of dirt and rocks and then put the 6-foot fence on top to get some privacy.
2. The idea of a 0.5% increase in the sales tax was polarized: almost 48% disagree (38% strongly), with 40% agreeing (23% strongly) and 12% neutral. The city has subsequently passed two sets of 0.5% sales tax, which have saved the city budget and allowed road repair, etc.
3. Almost two-thirds agree that the police should target employers who pick up street workers to force them into the hiring halls. Another 22% disagree and 11% are neutral. The city never took action, and I doubt it would be supported today.
4. Some 95% agree that the City Council should have a primary residence where they spend 200 days/nights in the city. About 3% were neutral. At the time, there was a councilmember who was accused of living in Sacramento. The city incorporated this in 2018 with the introduction of districts.
5. The city should sell advertisements by 55% to 21%, with a large neutral group. While we had a small series of banners/flags downtown to support the summer concerts, there has not been any effort in regard to, say, private parking lots at Park N Shop, etc., being allowed to have similar banners/flags with maybe a fee for the city.
6. Only about 8% agree that the City Council represents their views. This was one of the reasons that I ran for office in 2010 (and lost) and ran again in 2012. I strongly guess that the number is substantially higher now after over a decade of emphasis on public outreach.
7. The utility tax was more unpopular than a sales tax. The disagree group was pushing 60%, with 28% agreeing and 12% neutral. The City Council is looking at this right now and they may want to poll this idea.
8. Graffiti has been getting on people’s nerves to the extent that more than 50% think it has gotten worse, though 30% are neutral. In the last 15 years, the Anti-Graffiti Squad has done a wonderful job in removing vandalism. There was a push to increase funding in 2012 to this squad, and the Concord Connect App has helped a lot to report and achieve removal of this disgraceful plague of spray paint.
9. Outsourcing government functions such as housing inspection and parking enforcement is not a popular issue, with 48% disagreeing (30% strongly disagree) and 19% neutral. Council often resorts to this and it’s under review again whether we have gone too far and if it’s cost effective after 15 years of growth.
10. Police interaction in the last six months was also curious. More than 40% had a personal interaction with Concord police. Here I found the only real difference between residents and non-residents. If you were a non-resident, you were twice as likely (22% to 11%) to have an unsatisfactory reaction. Maybe speeding tickets could account for this. Some 60+% of you had a good feeling from whatever you did with the cops and 11% negative. Today, Concord has a high positive view toward its police force. They have worked on that with the community, and we can be proud of the accomplishment.

So, there you have it, a glimpse into the distant past.

There is a new survey coming up, and I will be revising the website and direct email notices shortly. To be added to the list, send the email you want listed to EdiBirsan@gmail.com.