Week In Review: BART Strike, Wastewater Hikes

These are some of the stories that made news last week in the Pinole-Hercules area.

BART Trains Return: BART workers returned to their jobs on Thursday afternoon after union negotiators and BART management agreed to extend employees contracts for 30 days while they continued to try to reach an agreement. The next talks are reportedly scheduled for Monday.

Wastewater Rate Hike: The Pinole City Council approved a five-year plan to raise rates for wastewater treatment services. The rate increases will average 3.5 percent over the five years. The charge for a single-family residence will rise from $52.77 to $62.55 during that time period.

Recreation Director Departs: Greg Dwyer, the director of Hercules' recreation department, is leaving after accepting a job as community services manager in San Pablo. Dwyer has worked for the city of Hercules for 20 years.

Park District Deal: Workers in the East Bay Regional Park District reached a deal on a new contract, avoiding a strike during the Fourth of July weekend. The four-year agreement provides park employees with a 9.5 percent raise but also asks them to contribute an additional 4 percent to their pension plans.