Oakland City Council Preview
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza
Tuesday, Mar. 18, 5:30 p.m.
[FULL AGENDA HERE]
Twitter hashtag: #oakmtg

>>> REASON TO FILL OUT A SPEAKER’S CARD
LANDLORDS VS TENANTS A week ago, members of the Oakland City Council Community and Economic Development Committee were unwilling to take a clear stand on contentious rental adjustment proposals meant to help the city’s renters from incurring step rent increases following capital improvements on their buildings. Instead, the committee voted to kick their entire package of options to the full council. Councilmember Larry Reid, however, abstained Mar. 11 and said he would likely do the same Tuesday night. One proposal considered amendable to the committee includes increasing the number of years landlords can amortize the cost of capital improvements to tenants from 5 years to 20 and cap hikes in rent at 10 percent (Item S-12.1).

WHAT IT MEANS If San Francisco is any indication; this may be the first in a line of landlord/tenant issues before the Oakland City Council as more East Bay property owners seek to cash in on priced-out renters from across the bay. Members of the CED Committee say representatives from both sides have made great strides in coming together for a compromise, but the committee itself couldn’t pull the trigger in a definitive fashion. As it stands tonight, there’s a good chance the City Council might call in the punting team and hope for a booming kick.

>>> OTHER AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
BE AWARE City appointments: Jay Ashford to the Community Policing Advisory Board; Howard Tevelson, Jason Takenouchi, Brian Bingham to the Citizen’s Police Review Board; Mary Thiessen, Chris Burgardt to the Wildlife Prevention and Assessment District Advisory Board…Council seeks to urge the state’s U.S. senators to protect Postal Service delivery currently at six days a week (Item 7.15)…Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley presents the council with a report detailing the disposition of arrests made by the Oakland PD (Item 11). Read here for last week’s committee skinny.

>>> POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE
Many commendations on the agenda tonight: Cesar Chavez National Day of Service on Mar. 31; resolution honoring Oakland’s Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson; celebrating Williams Baptist Chapel Church’s 75th anniversary. Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney honors Oakland School for the Arts A Capella group Vocal Rush for finishing third in last year’s “The Sing Off” on NBC. Councilmember Noel Gallo thanks his chief of staff Claudia Burgos for 10 years with the city. Councilmember Dan Kalb honors Emerson Elementary School teacher Juanita Matthews for 40 years of service.

>>> LAST TIME OUT
Mar. 4, the Oakland City Council ran deep into the morning hours to roll back the controversial Domain Awareness Center to a port-only program. After hours of testimony, some critics of the DAC who sought to ban the federally-funded surveillance center from Oakland, yelled “shame” after the 4-4 tie was broken by Mayor Jean Quan. Nevertheless, the vote was seen as a success for returning the proposal back to its originate intent to secure the Port of Oakland. >>> SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

NOW YOU CAN’T SAY YOU DIDN’T KNOW

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