Oakland City Council Committees Preview
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza
Tuesday, Apr. 8, begins at 9:30 a.m.
Hashtag: #oakmtg

>>> COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Fox Theater restoration completed in 2009

CRAZY LIKE A FOX THEATER The investors for Oakland’s Fox Theater want the city to reaffirm certain tax credits used for the massive restoration project will be afforded to them in the future. A historic tax credit and new market tax credit was recently retired by the Fox Theater investors totaling $31 million, says the staff report. “The guarantees protect the investor in the event that the tax credits are recaptured. Recapture events could occur if the project or FOT is not compliant with New Market Tax Credits (NMTCs) or Historic Tax Credits (HTCs) re: regulations. The guarantees remain in place until expiration of the statute of limitations for an IRS audit of the NMTCs and the HTCs, which is generally three years after the expiration of the respective compliance periods for each tax credit, namely seven (7) years for the NMTCs and five (5) years for the HTCs. All of these recapture periods will be completed by Dec. 31, 2018 at which time the guarantees will end,” says the staff report. WHAT IT MEANS If the preservation effort for the Fox Theater is somehow out of compliance one day for the lucrative tax breaks it received in 2006 and 2008, Oakland taxpayers will be on the hook for the costs. That’s what the agreement already says, but, Fox Theater investors just want to make it clear. Cue Gene Hazzard. BE AWARE The developer behind Oakland’s Brooklyn Basin project seeks to transfer interest in the 3,100-unit waterfront development to the new partnership with Chinese investors to be called, Zarsion-OHP I, LLC…A resolution authorizing the city administrator to apply and appropriate $2 million in state funds to underwrite new affordable multi-unit housing in Oakland is also on Tuesday’s agenda. (Meeting starts at 2 p.m.)

>>> LIFE ENRICHMENT COMMITTEE
ACA LOCAL IMPACT The city is hoping to leverage $200,000 for homeless services with the Alameda County Behavioral Health Services. Through the Affordable Care Act, new resources are available through the county to aid the homeless. Oakland may be able to leverage the $200,000 for an additional $150,000 that would go toward support of homeless residents at the Harrison Hotel, California Hotel and Savoy Hotel. BE AWARE Several important allocations for Oakland residents struggling in the aftermath of the Great Recession, they include: $180,000 for paratransit services through the end of this fiscal year; contracting with the San Lorenzo Unified School District to provide summer food service to children worth $285,750. (Meeting starts at 4 p.m.)

>>> FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BUDGET TRANSPARENCY The raw budget data long hidden from the curiosity of the public is closer to seeing the light of day. The Finance Committee will discuss a Budget Advisory Committee report recommending the city publish entire budget documents in an open-data format on the Web in a downloadable and searchable format. The recommendation also urges the city facilitate side-by-side comparisons of competing budget proposals. The budget figures will be available at data.oaklandnet.com. WHAT IT MEANS This is Councilmember Libby Schaaf’s baby and will look nice on campaign mailers for mayor this fall. In May 2013, the City Council passed the budget transparency resolution, although, rival Councilmember Desley Brooks use the opportunity to mock Schaaf for her legislation in the midst of contentious budget negotiations last spring. Brooks, Councilmembers Larry Reid and Noel Gallo later came out on the losing end. (Meeting starts at 9:30 a.m.)

>>> PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
HARRIS RADIO CONTRACT City staff recommends entering into a one-year, $500,000 service agreement with Harris Public Safety Communications to supply parts to its public safety radios. The deal includes an option for another year, for a total of $1 million and waiver for a no-bid contract. WHAT IT MEANS A consultant last year said the city did not have expertise to service its own radios. There also continues to be some at City Hall who say Oakland, instead, needs to join its neighboring cities in the East Bay Regional Communications Authority (EBRCSA).However, Harris stepped in last year at its own costs, said a staff report, to fill the gap until last January. Meanwhile, Oakland’s radios are manufactured by Harris and therefore, the corporation is the only manufacturer of parts. Further, implies the staff report, Harris was there for the city last year when they needed them, therefore, no-bid. BE AWARE For an informational report on the potential reauthorization of Measure Y coming before voters this fall and a city crime trends report from Oakland PD. (Meeting starts at 6 p.m. NOTE: Meeting held at Oakland Tech High School Girls Gymnasium, 4351 Broadway.)

>>> PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
NEW STOP SIGNS Just one item on the agenda. Public Works asks for approval to install five new stop signs around the city at a cost of $6,000. A traffic study and collision reports suggest the new stop signs are needed, but sometimes the familiar red octagon doesn’t always do much good. Ask residents around Oakland’s Longridge and Rosemont Roads. That’s the spot known for notorious “Hollywood stops” and the area Oakland mayoral candidate Joe Tuman accidentally ran over a dog. (Meeting starts at 11:30 a.m.)

NOW YOU CAN’T SAY YOU DIDN’T KNOW

Advertisement