THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2-8
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–ALAMEDA COUNTY– Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 10:30 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–BALLOT MEASURE FOR CHILDREN– The Board of Supervisor will approve placement on the June ballot of a countywide half-cent sales tax measure to fund child care and early childhood development programs. If approved by voters with a two-thirds majority, the half-cent sales tax increase would immediately go into effect on Oct. 1, 2018. The county estimates the measure will bring in an additional revenues of $140 million annually over the next 30 years and expand access for low-to-middle income children to access child care and education. The measure will also raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for child care providers and early education teachers. NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, Feb. 27.


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–ALAMEDA– Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–MORE LICENSE PLATE READERS– Alameda already has four Automated Licence Plate readers affixed to patrol cars since 2014. On Tuesday, APD will ask to approve $500,000 to purchase an additional 13 units. However, these license plate readers will be deployed along fixed points at the island city’s bridges and other exit points. “The proposed ALPR system, which requires one camera per traffic lane, would be located at the Webster and Posey Tubes (which is controlled by the California Department of Transportation, aka Caltrans), Park Street, Fruitvale, and High Street Bridges (Alameda County property), Doolittle Drive and Harbor Bay Parkway (Caltrans), and at Harbor Bay Parkway and Ron Cowan Parkway (City of Alameda). The system would require 13 ALPR systems, each with two cameras and associated equipment.”

–CRIME IS UP AND IT’S DOWN– “While it is true that there was a spike in crime from 2016 to 2017, Alameda is still in the midst of an overall thirty year low in crimes reported. Despite that fact, the social media reports have caused some to doubt the safety of the community and the effectiveness of the Police Department… In calendar year 2017, APD received a total of 5,075 crime reports versus 4,514 during calendar year 2016. The difference amounts to an increase of 561 reports, or an overall increase of 12.4 percent… In an effort to address the increase, Chief of Police Paul Rolleri recently authorized the transfer of three detectives back to patrol to bolster staffing and increase police visibility. We have increased parole and probation checks on repeat offenders.” NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, Feb. 20.

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–SAN LEANDRO– Regular council meeting, Monday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–ZONING CODE UPDATES COMING– San Leandro’s municipal zoning code has not been updated since 1989. A city staff report is asking the council’s approval to begin cleaning up the zoning code. “The City typically amends the Zoning Code a couple of times each year. Over time, multiple piecemeal changes have made the Zoning Code more difficult to use. While one section may have been updated or “cleaned-up,” sometimes other related codes were overlooked, resulting in unintended inconsistencies. The Planning Division has identified in recent years over 40 different code sections that need to be addressed through a clean-up effort.” NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, Feb. 20.

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–OAKLAND– Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 5:30 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–COMMITTEE POWER PLAY– Oakland City Council President Larry Reid is angling for more control of appointments to various council committees. Under the current rules, the council president nominates committee members and the chairs, pending approval of the resolution by the full council. A proposal Tuesday would “streamline” the process and omit approval by the full council. A staff report prepared by Reid and sponsors, Councilmembers Annie Campbell Washington and Lynette Gibson McElhaney says the current process is outdated and not used by other larger cities in the state.  A second part of the agenda item hopes to change the current process allowing two councilmembers to pull items off of consent for another meeting. NEXT MEETING: Committees, Tuesday, Feb. 13.

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–BERKELEY– Special council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE] // Zoning Adjustment Board appeals for 1446 Fifth Street, 2334 Jefferson Avenue, and 1436 Campus Drive. NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, Feb. 13


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–HAYWARD– Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–RENTAL HOUSING AFFORDABILITY– “Approximately 49% of Hayward’s residents are renters and in Hayward, 57% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs… According to the U.S. Census, Hayward’s population grew by nearly 15,000 residents between 2005 and 2015. Over that same period, the total number of housing units increased by less than 500 units. In 2005, Hayward had one housing unit for every 2.84 people. In 2015, Hayward had one housing unit for every 3.24 people. Hayward’s population continues to grow, and while the City has made strides in approving the construction of new housing units, the demand for housing continues to exceed the City’s supply.”  NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, Feb. 20.

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