Court Denies Pleasant Hill City Council’s Petition To Reconsider Approval of Mental Health Treatment Facility

A superior court judge on Tuesday ruled that the Pleasant Hill City Council does not have the right to reconsider its approval of an unlocked treatment center for adults with mental illnesses, the Contra Costa Times reports (Lyons, Contra Costa Times, 10/8). The city council in September voted 3-1 to tighten the conditions under which it approved the opening of an unlocked treatment center, after voting in July to allow Crestwood Behavioral Health to open a 53,000-square-foot facility. Crestwood had agreed to limit passes out of the center to between 10 a.m. and nightfall, assign a police officer to patrol the area and not admit sex offenders or people with a history of violence, but opponents said that the conditions were not strong enough to ensure the safety of the neighborhood (California Healthline, 9/17). On Tuesday, Contra Costa Judge Peter Spinetta did said he concurred with Crestwood's petition, which said that the council in September had violated its own rules that required a vote to reconsider its decision to take place after the initial vote or at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Larry Kamer, a Crestwood spokesperson, said, "We have every expectation the city will now fulfill its obligation to grant all necessary permits still outstanding." Mayor Sue Angeli, who voted to reconsider the issue, said that she "was not surprised by the decision," the Times reports. Angeli said she believed that the city has 60 days to appeal the ruling, adding that the decision "would have to be made in closed session by the council." Crestwood plans to open the facility this month (Contra Costa Times, 10/8).