Editor:

We would like our residents to know that the Brentwood City Council has sent the following letter to Mr. Scott D. Moore, Vice President Public Affairs for the Union Pacific Railroad:

Dear Mr. Moore,

Over the course of the past year, Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) has been provided correspondence expressing concerns of East Contra Costa County elected officials and communities regarding the UPRR’s Mococo Line. Unfortunately, the responses we have received to date lack information and explanation and leave this Council without action or answers for our concerned residents.

Currently the rail cars are covered in unsightly offensive graffiti and continue to be stored adjacent to residential neighborhoods creating a visual blight. This violates the City’s nuisance abatement regulations and has been recognized in previous correspondence by UPRR as a serious problem. Recently UPRR Public Affairs has indicated UPRR’s inability to relocate the rail cars without providing any rationale and also failed to acknowledge the continued requests for graffiti abatement plans.

Logical and or technical reasons for the “relocation inability” have not been forthcoming and efforts at compromise have been fruitless. At this time we must insist the cars be relocated outside of suburban communities to the rural areas where it appears that sufficient storage capacity exists along UPRR’s Mococo Line.

UPRR has expressed numerous times that it strongly desires to be considered a partner and good neighbor in East Contra Costa County. Given this desire, we will expect UPRR to mobilize their resources appropriately and abate the graffiti problem and relocate the rail cars as mentioned above. I want to thank you in advance for your immediate attention to this letter and the City looks forward to receiving your written response and a mutually agreeable resolution to these issues.

Sincerely,

Mayor Robert Taylor

Vice Mayor Erick Stonebarger

Councilmember Chris Becnel

Councilmember Brandon Richey

Councilmember Robert Brockman

City of Brentwood