THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22-28
The Oakland City Council and Alameda County Board of Supervisors passed resolutions calling for the reinstatement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) over the past few weeks. For progressives government bodies this is expected, but this week Hayward is passing its own resolution. The agenda item shows just how far Hayward has shifted in its public support for immigrants. Hayward was the last hold out in the Greater East Bay this year for declaring sanctuary city status. The fact was disheartening to many activists since Hayward is home to the largest Latino communities in the East Bay–roughly 40 percent.
Suffice to say it took awhile for Hayward administration and city council to come around and their breakneck pace in just the last six weeks has been noticeable. It started when Hayward’s city administration moved quickly to keep the public informed after ICE arrested two undocumented immigrants. Its next test also comes Tuesday night with a draft update to its 1992 Anti-Discrimination Action Plan. The document includes a recommendation that Hayward Police Department end participation in Urban Shield, the controversial disaster training program held each year in Alameda County. Notably, a city staff report singles out the recommendation and in typical Hayward fashion, takes pains to highlight why it’s not a good idea.
Here’s your highlights for this week in East Bay government:
➤Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan wants to help bake cannabis locations.
➤Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty helps Fremont’s Washington High.
➤Public bank forum in Oakland on Monday night
➤AC Transit: Love ’em or hate ’em?
–OAKLAND– City council committee hearing, Tuesday, Sept. 26, starts at 9:30 a.m.
Finance & Management Committee, 9:30 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–COMPLIANCE REPORT– Besides English, the three languages spoken in Oakland are Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese. This is important since Oakland was sued in 2011 for failing to adequately offer city services to these communities in their native languages. Tuesday’s report lays out the city’s work in complying with the settlement.
Community & Economic Development Committee, 1:30 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–NON-PROFIT DISPLACEMENT– A committee item detailing the possibility that Oakland non-profits are struggling to cope with rising rents was first discussed during a CED meeting in April. Later, city staff found preliminary evidence that non-profits were not exactly flourishing in the current real estate market but that there was slight uptick in their growth in Oakland. What’s needed, says a city staff report, is to create a more specific survey to evaluate the risk of displacement for Oakland’s non-profits.
Life Enrichment Committee, 4 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–OAKLAND MUSEUM FINANCIALS– The Oakland Museum of California is run by a non-profit, but the collection is owned by the public. The museum employs 150 people in addition, to 750 volunteers. “OMCA’s operating budget has grown from $13.3 million in Fiscal Year 12 to $15.0 in Fiscal Year16. The organization has achieved a balanced budget with a modest surplus for each of the past several years. City support to the Museum was $5 million per year in Fiscal Year 12, Fiscal Year 13, and Fiscal Year 14, declining to $4.8 million in Fiscal Year 15, and $4.6 million in Fiscal Year 16.”
Public Safety Committee, 6 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–POT DELIVERY AMENDMENT– “As Oakland has begun the process of launching our 2017 cannabis permitting system, some issues have arisen which would benefit from clarification and amendment,” according to a proposed amendment by Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan to city’s ordinance for delivering medical cannabis. “This proposal would expand allowable locations for producing cannabis products, into areas identified as having substantial available locations which are well-suited to food production and similar cannabis preparation activities, in specified Community Commercial zones.”
Public Works Committee, 11:30 a.m. // CalRecycle, Road management budget [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE] Rules Committee, Thursday, Sept. 28, 10:45 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–ALAMEDA COUNTY– Regular board meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 10:30 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–LAKE MERRITT WATER PUMP CONTRACT INCREASE– A $24,938 purchase order with Gettler-Ryan, Inc. in July for maintenance of an underground storage tank at the Lake Merritt Pumping Station needs a significant increase in funding–almost three times the original bid, according to a county staff report.
–“In the course of a routine inspection, the State Water Resources Control Board identified issues pertaining to the Lake Merritt Pump Station underground storage tank system. In order to meet the requirements of the Board, the District must install a line leak detection system, pipe containment trench bulkheads and a trench sensor. Failure to install this safety equipment as soon as practicable may result in significant fines and fees levied against the District. Therefore, we are requesting a $66,843.52 increase to the subject Blanket Purchase Order to cover this additional work, for a total approved contract amount of $91,782.27.”
–WASTE MANAGEMENT BOND– A public hearing for the issuance of up to $100 million in tax-exempt bonds for improvements to solid waste facilities at Waste Management properties at the Altamont Landfill in Livermore and the Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro.
–HELP FOR HIGH SCHOOL BAND– Supervisor Scott Haggerty is earmarking $25,000 in savings from his district’s Fiscal Management Reward program to replace 17-year-old uniforms for Fremont’s Washington High School marching band.
–HAYWARD– Regular City Council meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ACTION PLAN– Hayward’s Anti-Discrimination Action Plan, created in 1992, has been renamed “Commitment for an Inclusive, Equitable, and Compassionate Community” (CIECC). A draft update will be offered to the council Tuesday night. Notably, the task force, which earlier this year was asked to make recommendations to the council on whether Hayward becoming a sanctuary city, wants the Hayward PD to withdraw from participating in Urban Shield, the law enforcement disaster training event and bazaar held in Alameda County.
–DACA RESOLUTION– “In California, there are an estimated 200,000 DACA recipients, or “Dreamers” as they are also known, young people who are making important contributions to their communities, including the City of Hayward, a significant number of whom are Hayward Unified School District, Chabot Community College and California State University East Bay students.”
–GATHERINGS– California Renter Power Statewide Assembly 2017, Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 23-24, 8 a.m., Alameda High School, 2201 Encinal Avenue. MORE INFO HERE.
–Community forum on a public banking and renewable energy presented by Oakland Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Dan Kalb, Monday, Sept. 25, 6-9 p.m., Oakland City Hall council chambers.
–“The Affordable Housing Crunch: Is The Answer In Your Backyard?” a discussion hosted by Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett, Thursday, Sept. 28, 6 p.m., South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
–47th Annual Democratic Unity Dinner with keynote speaker California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Saturday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. at the Oakland Airport Hilton, 1 Hegenberger Road, Oakland. MORE INFO HERE
–AC TRANSIT– Regular board meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 5 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–PUBLIC PERCEPTION SURVEY– Riders and the public have a generally positive of AC Transit, but they also believe it’s not quite well-managed, according to a survey of 800 people this summer. “The AC Transit brand is healthy, and positive opinion continues to grow. Self-reported ridership has also increased since 2015. The increase in self-reported ridership is a sign that more residents are forming opinions of AC Transit, and those opinions are largely positive.”
–And the not-so good news: “Fewer residents think that AC Transit is financially sound or well managed, but these are very important to residents. Improving the perception of fiscal management, safety and reliability will likely have the largest positive impacts on AC Transit’s standing in the community.”
–BART– Regular board meeting, Thursday, Sept. 28, 9:30 a.m., Warm Springs/South Fremont BART Station. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE] Special board meeting with Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors, Thursday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m., Leon Mazzetti Maintenance Center, 42551 Osgood Road, Fremont. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–EBMUD– Regular board meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 1:15 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
ebcitizen.com 
By MW:
In regard to the fact that both the Oakland City County and the AC Board of Supervisors passed resolutions calling for the reinstatement of DACA:
That of course is also tied into, and cannot be separated from, the debate btwn the Trump Administration and various cities and counties, and especially in California, and extra especially in the Bay area, as those local jurisdictions which, and including through their sanctuary ordinances, are in conflict with federal law on immigration, and whether therefore they should lose federal funding.
So if the Trump Administration gets more and more aggressive in trying to deny federal funding for all sorts of programs to cities and counties that have sanctuary ordinances and/or are ignoring federal immigration law, those cities and counties will undoubtedly bring non-stop lawsuits in which they will claim, and among other things, that they desperately need that money to provide essential services.
However if I were Donald Trump, I would respond to those claims by Oakland and Alameda County by bringing to national attention the beyond absurdly outrageously high salaries that some of the public employees in Oakland and AC government are receiving.
I would highlight that AC Administrator Susan Muranishi has a total compensation of approx 770K per year. I would highlight that many of the extreme alcoholics in various Bay area fire departments have salaries of anywhere btwn 150K and 350K per year.
I would discuss the fact that in some major cities, and such as for instance Philadelphia, some of the sergeants in the police department make less than 70K per year, and while at the same time many of the extreme alcoholics in various Bay area fire departments have salaries of over 200K per year.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE TYPE OF EXTREME STUPIDITY AND TOTAL INSANITY THAT SOME YEARS AGO CAUSED THE BAY AREA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY TO GIVE ITS “HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD” TO WILLIE BROWN, AND EVEN THOUGH OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES WB HAS GOTTEN FAR MORE MONEY FROM THE TOBACCO COMPANIES THAT ANY OTHER POLITICIAN IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, AND ALSO BACK IN THE 1970's CAUSED THE MOST PROMINENT POLITICIANS IN SF AND OAKLAND TO MAKE A HERO OUT OF JIM JONES, IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL IN THE BAY AREA.
In fact rather than Donald Trump trying to deny federal funds to sanctuary counties and cities such as Alameda County and Oakland over their refusal to follow federal immigration law, he should do it simply on the basis that they are spending, AND WASTING, the money they already have wildly and irresponsibly like a maniac on drugs.
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By MW:
One of the items in this article is a mention that the Democratic Party will be having a Unity Dinner at the Oakland Airport Hilton on October 7.
I hope the attendees enjoy it, since it will be their last opportunity for unity – in other words the DP is about to fracture into a million pieces.
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I'm an old timer from Hayward and we don't want no stinkin' illegals in town. Need good ol' days again!
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