City Council Election Preview: Dylan Radke, Greg Young Face Off in Lone Competitive Race

Winner of District 2 race will replace Mark Ross on council dais; plus, shooting hoax leads to lockdown at Alhambra High School

The following article was written by freelance writer Sam Richards thanks to the financial support of paid subscribers and other donors to the newsletter. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for $5 a month or $50 annually if not already to fund more local news coverage of Martinez.

By Sam Richards

A lifetime Martinez resident with a well-known family name and record of involvement in local government is facing off against a 23-year resident who also has served on several local commissions in the only competitive race for Martinez City Council in November’s election.

That race between Dylan Radke and Greg Young is for District 2, currently represented by Councilman Mark Ross, who was first elected in 1996 and whose home is no longer in District 2 as a result of the 2022 redrawing of district lines. 

District 2 is bordered roughly by Highway 4 on the south, Fig Tree Lane on the east, Pacheco Boulevard on the north and by Pine Street and Alhambra Avenue on the west. The Lucky grocery store, Home Depot and Walmart are within this district.

In the only other council district with an election in November, District 3, which includes the eastern edge of the city both north and south of Highway 4, incumbent Satinder Malhi is running unopposed for his first full term, having been appointed to fill a council vacancy in January 2023.

Radke, 52, is  a Contra Costa County deputy district attorney and a lifelong resident of Martinez, and both his parents, Ted and Kathy Radke, are former Martinez City Council members. Radke has served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission and Marina Commission, and is currently serving on the Martinez Education Foundation. 

Dylan Radke

He said his top three campaign issues are preservation of open space and safe and clean parks; encouraging housing growth that responds to state requirements and still preserves Martinez’s unique character; and promoting and supporting local businesses to build and sustain a vibrant local economy.

Young, 57, is a senior deputy commissioner with the state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, based in San Francisco, which protects consumers and oversees businesses engaged in financial transactions. He and his family have lived in Martinez since 2001. Young is a former Martinez Planning Commission member and onetime Library Commission member.

Greg Young

He lists his top three campaign issues as public safety; creating more affordable housing; and “thoughtfully” developing long-term plans for the marina area.

Both Radke and Young said they believe the current City Council has done a good job overall in the past few years, especially post-pandemic, with managing money, filling city positions vacated during the height of COVID and keeping major projects like marina renovations moving ahead. Young said the council has benefited from new faces in the past few years.

Regarding housing, Young said the city should encourage infill development, and work to expand the possibilities of housing within commercial zones, including live-work spaces.

“We should demystify what people think of as ‘affordable housing,’” said Young, adding that Martinez has had a “dismal record” in encouraging and promoting housing that teachers, firefighters and other “individuals we need in our community” can afford.

Radke said the city should encourage property owners to convert vacant commercial properties to residential. He also said Martinez should create an inventory of potential infill properties throughout the city and work with the owners to help facilitate residential construction, as has happened with recent multifamily projects on Green Street downtown.

The city, Radke said, should also consider potentially increasing density for projects near transportation hubs, and partnering with nonprofit affordable housing organizations that can help access funds for such projects.

Regarding commercial properties being used for commercial purposes, both Young and Radke said the city should step up efforts to help existing small businesses in Martinez, and to market the city as a place to set up shop.

Radke said the city’s Economic Development Department should ask property owners what will help them market their properties for leasing and look for opportunities to promote Martinez as a place that people would want to start a business or relocate a business. Young said he supports similar actions as Radke on these points, and that the city should consider various incentives and possibly seminars aimed squarely at small businesses.

Both men said they believe the city is on the right track in what Radke called the “complex and expensive” process to upgrade the marina area, which will involve several government agencies and will depend on grants from some of those agencies.

“Ultimately, the marina’s revitalization will rest on the city’s ability to negotiate with the state and its grant application, but as of right now, the city is focused on making its best attempt to revitalize a cherished amenity,” Radke said.

While Young said the current status of planning “is a start,” he said he favors the city enacting a “more aggressive, assertive plan with the various agencies.” He doesn’t believe significant commercial development there is crucial but is a good goal to aspire to.

“We’ve got to get some small wins with the marina, build some confidence,” Young said.

The two men have differing opinions on the recent council vote to give police expanded powers to break up public homeless encampments. Radke said that while homelessness is not a crime, he does support police having additional tools to address situations that can create health and safety risks.

Young said he would not have voted with the rest of the council on that encampments issue. He said the city already has a nuisance ordinance, and that last month’s council vote was “troubling.”

“We need to sit down and have a real discussion on the council about how we want to address the types of housing we can put in place,” Young said.

Radke reported, as of Sept. 21, campaign contributions from Thousand Friends of Martinez, $4,900; Timothy Platt, $999; Joanne Dunivan, $500; Earl and Wendy Dunivan, $300; The Turnbaugh Group LLC (Martinez), $599; and Evonne Siguenza, $500.

On Oct. 2, Young reported a contribution from Oakland-based attorney Attorney Namita Brown of $2,500.

The next campaign finance filing deadline is Oct. 24.

Both candidates were asked what separates them from their opponent. Radke points to living in Martinez his entire life and having a history of involvement and an intimate understanding of local issues.

“I have been involved with issues relating to the improvement of Martinez residents' quality of life my whole adult life and committed to continue this work if I'm elected to the City Council.”

Young countered by saying he brings over 30 years of corporate, community and government experience to solve local problems, and believes his understanding of the balance between being fiscally responsible while getting results for the community would serve Martinez well.

“I’m a collaborator, organizer and advocate for the voiceless,” Young said.

Learn more about the candidates through their campaign websites:

Radke: https://www.dylanradkeforcouncil.com/

Young: https://greg4martinez.com/

The following item was produced by Craig Lazzeretti

Alhambra High School lockdown

Alhambra High School was put on lockdown late Tuesday afternoon as police responded to what turned out to be a hoax about a shooter on campus.

Superintendent Helen Rossi sent the following message to the school community detailing what happened:

At approximately 3:00 pm today the Martinez Police Department arrived on campus as a result of a phone call they received from the Veterans Affairs Crisis Hotline. The hotline worker received a chat indicating that there was a man on our campus with a rifle hiding in the bathroom and was threatening to shoot up the school. Dispatch called administration and had us put the campus on lockdown.  When the police arrived on campus they began a comprehensive search of all areas of the school site.  As the police were searching the campus, Veterans Affairs called MPD again with additional information received from a second chat. Within this chat, the man in the restroom with the rifle stated that he shot two students and was going to shoot more, and immediately left the chat room.  The officers on scene neither heard nor saw anything that indicated any shots were fired or that anyone had been harmed, and continued their search.  The campus was cleared just before 4:00pm and the police department released the students, staff and guests from the lockdown status.  The MPD is working with the FBI to identify the individual who contacted the crisis center. There was absolutely no evidence found of this being a credible threat.

Knowing that this experience will have an impact on both students and staff, counselors will be available on campus all day tomorrow. Any student or staff needing to speak with a counselor please feel free to send your counselor an email or stop by the counseling center. 

I would like to thank the Martinez Police Department, district office personnel, and all staff for their quick and thorough response today, the students on campus for their cooperation during the entire lockdown, and the parents for their patience, as the MPD and our admin team worked to clear the campus safely. Out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the MPD, all activities on the campus are canceled for this evening. Additionally, there will be a police presence on campus tomorrow.

Police Chief Andrew White said in a phone conversation Tuesday that the chat from the person claiming to be on campus with a gun was traced by federal authorities to Germany. He said police would follow up on any leads as to who might be behind the hoax, but if it did originate overseas, there likely would be limited opportunity to investigate it.

White was on the scene talking with anxious parents who had gathered outside the campus during the lockdown while police searched to make certain there was no threat. He also praised the manner in which students conducted themselves during what was an emotional and nerve-racking situation for all involved.

“The kids did fantastic staying quiet, in their rooms and following directions,” he said, noting that “clearly training and practice paid off.”

“They did very well in an unfortunate circumstance.”

Rossi said the district had just conducted teacher training Monday on standard response and emergency protocols, with police on hand to provide input and answer questions.