Town Talks with the Mayor

November is the month we thank and honor our veterans. In this month’s Town Talks installment, Danville Mayor Renee Morgan will talk with local Viet Nam veterans, a Gold Star Mom, and veteran organizations about current topics facing military personnel, veterans, and their families. Mayor Morgan will also discuss Danville’s National Purple Heart Designation presentation scheduled for November 11, 2021.

Murder, mystery, and DNA! In this month’s Town Talks installment, Danville Mayor Renee Morgan chatted with the former cold-case investigator, writer, and podcaster, Paul Holes about the Golden State Killer case that Holes helped solve using advancements in DNA profiling and genealogy technology. Paul Holes was an investigator for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office in Martinez, California. Holes’ contributions led to the arrest of the Golden State Killer, the first public arrest obtained through genetic genealogy. Recently Holes launched a true-crime podcast called The Murder Squad that explores evidence and discussions of current unsolved murders, unidentified remains, and missing persons cases.

On the August 6 episode of Town Talks with the Mayor, Mayor Renee Morgan discusses the increasingly sophisticated threat of digital fraud and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim. Among the guests joining the Mayor on August 6, will be Sid Patel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for FBI San Francisco, Dave Mathers, Senior Inspector for Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, and Clancy Priest, Town of Danville’s Chief Technology Officer. Find out about elder scams, romance scams, and phishing scams. The discussion will also include what to look out for, and most importantly how you can protect yourself and vulnerable friends and family from becoming victims of fraud.

In the July 2, 2021, installment of the Town Talks Livestream program, Mayor Renee Morgan discusses how Danville residents and visitors can stay active and get involved with activities, classes, and programs throughout the Town this summer. Among the guests joining the Mayor include representatives from Save Mount Diablo, Town of Danville’s Program Supervisor for Adults & Seniors, Leah Martinez, representatives from “I Can Do That” Theatre Company and Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission Chair, Randall Diamond.

With so many opportunities for summer recreation right here in Danville, community members are encouraged to join the discussion and find out about some of the upcoming programs.

In the June 4, 2021 installment of the Town Talks Livestream program, Mayor Renee Morgan discusses how the community can be prepared for events like Public Safety Power Shutoffs and wildfires. The Mayor will be joined by San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District’s Fire Chief, Paige Meyer and a representative from PG&E to discuss wildfire preparedness, fire evacuation plans, emergency alerts as well as other emergency preparedness topics.

In the May 7, 2021 installment of the Town Talks Livestream program, Mayor Renee Morgan discusses how the pandemic altered Danville’s culinary epicenter. The Mayor will be joined by Town Economic Development Manager, Jill Bergman, and local restaurant owners from The Vine and Spirits, Pete’s Brass Rail, Danville Harvest and The Peasant & The Pear to dive deep into pandemic impacts, uncover how these renowned restaurants weathered the storm and their plans for moving forward. Conversations will focus on:

• Health orders and the challenges of various business and patron’s non-compliance
• Impacts to businesses during closures, partial reopening and plans for moving forward
• Steps taken to pivot business models to compete, local and federal support received, and how the lessons learned fuel their fire to rebuild even stronger in our community.

On the April 2 episode, the Mayor is joined by Town Manager Joe Calabrigo, Chief of Planning David Crompton, and Assistant to the Town Manager Diane Friedmann. The following topics covered during the program include:

• State Housing legislation and its effect on Danville
• The update of the Town of Danville’s 2022-30 Housing Element
• Housing Needs – how are each city’s numbers allocated
• Continuing erosion of local control

Mayor Morgan speaks with Contra Costa County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District Chief Paige Meyer, and San Ramon Valley Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Ann Lucena. The group will talk about the current COVID-19 response, the rollout of vaccinations in Contra Costa County, and the challenges of providing front-line care during a pandemic.