>>Alameda County
ALAMEDA COUNTY — Regular board meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 9:30 a.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Jan. 29. | Reorganization of the board.
>>Board planning meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 1 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE |
-MUTTON BUSTING/WILD COW MILKING- Rodeo activities, primarily in Castro Valley, have been enjoyed by many for decades. But some residents, along with animal rights activists, believe the county ordinance pertaining to rodeos is inadequate and “unnecessarily cruel and/or inhumane to farm animals,” according to a staff report. Among the activities is “mutton busting,” which allows children to ride sheep and “wild cow milking,” which is self-explanatory, a competition to see how quickly a wild cow can be milked. Supervisors will determine whether any changes to the county ordinance is needed.
>San Leandro revisits mobile home renter protections
SAN LEANDRO — City Council work session, Monday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Jan. 22.
-MOBILE HOME RENT PROTECTIONS- Problems for San Leandro mobile home renters have been festering for sometime as the cost of renting spaces rises. It only got worse recently when the poster boy for their travails, 82-year-old San Leandro mobile home renter John Busch was arrested just before Thanksgiving for not leaving his space after an eviction following exorbitant rent increases by the park’s new owners. Busch spent a weekend in jail before the owners decided against filing charges. Monday night, the council could stage the stage for either adding mobile home parks to the existing Rent Review Program and Tenant Relocation Assistance ordinance or ask staff to craft a Mobile home rent regulation ordinance.
>Hayward could loosen cannabis ordinance
HAYWARD — Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Jan. 22.
-CANNABIS- Hayward has 15 approved cannabis business permit that cover everything from cultivation sites to retail. Three retail sites may be seeking to operate in Downtown Hayward. But there’s a 1,000-foot buffer zone to avoid over-concentration in the city’s cannabis ordinance. The council Tuesday night could take steps to reduce the buffer zone or even eliminate it. Staff is recommending the council maintain the existing 1, 000-feet rule. Also, in response to questions from existing cannabis permit holders, the city will look into how to proceed with businesses that want to expand into other segments of the industry.
-AIRPORT SNARL- Tenants of the city-owned hangars at the Hayward Executive Airport were steamed last year after the city recommended 10 percent annual increases in rent for the next 5 years. The council approved a 10 percent increase for only this past year. Occupancy at the hangars remains at 100 percent, in addition, to a robust waiting list. For standard sized hangars, staff is recommending a five percent annual increase for next four years, and all other types at 2.5 percent annually over four years.
-NOTES- Council and staff will discuss the Downtown Specific Plan Project during a work session… Following Berkeley’s lead, the council will approve a “Declaration of a Climate Emergency.”
>Fremont minimum wage discussion returns
FREMONT — Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Feb. 4 (joint Council/FUSD meeting) .
–MIN WAGE PROPOSALS– The council will have three choices Tuesday for a proposed acceleration of the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. They could back an initial proposal to stagger the increase over the next two years starting this July at $13.50 and $15 the next year for both small and large businesses. Or a two-tiered plan that allows businesses with 25 employees or less an extra year to adjust to the increases by 2021. Larger businesses would reach $15 in 2020. They could also do nothing and wait for the state’s minimum wage to reach $15 in 2022. A proposal in the staff report would exempt some businesses and non-profits from participating in the ordinance, if approved, until they are 25 years old.
>Alameda will redo cannabis ordinances
ALAMEDA — Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Jan. 22.
–-DO-OVER ON CANNABIS REGS- Last October, the council attempted to make similar changes to its cannabis ordinance that included doubling the number of dispensaries from two to four, expanding existing zoning for conditional-use cannabis permits, and approve adult-use cannabis retail in Alameda. But after a complaint sustained by the city’s Open Government Commission determined the council’s decision was made without proper notification to the public, it deemed the ordinance null and void. Alameda’s City Attorney’s office, however, said the Sunshine Ordinance was not violated, and argues the commission has no power to null and void ordinances. Instead of entering into a City Charter crisis of some kind, the council will perform a redo and repeal the ordinances passed last November before approving them again Tuesday night.
–SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT ARGUMENT– Alameda’s April 9 special election requires one more council action before the campaign for against the citizen initiative asking for a property near Crab Cove to become open space instead of a $40 million senior wellness center and building to aid the homeless slated for the McKay Avenue property. After settling on the initiative’s impartial ballot question, in addition, to the council’s own ballot measure reaffirming its action for the property, it must now craft its ballot arguments for each. Similarly, the city attorney is asking for council direction on whether to ascertain whether the potential win by the ballot measure’s proponents constitutes a “taking” of the property by the city from the Alameda Point Collaborative, which was given the lease for the McKay Avenue project by the federal government. Such a taking would likely be costly to Alameda taxpayers.
-NOTES- Alameda City Council will approve Memorandum of Understanding resolutions with three city employee groups to extend contracts through June 2022 with the Alameda Police Officers Association, Alameda City Employees Association, and Management and Confidential Employees Association.
>>Planning Board meeting, Monday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Jan. 28.
PULLED FROM AGENDA –329 RESIDENTIAL UNITS– “Steelwave Acquisitions, LLC, the project applicant, is requesting certification of the Environmental Impact Report and approval of a Development Plan, Design Review, Density Bonus for development of the an 8.1 acre “Alameda Shipways” site located at 1100-1250 Marina Village Parkway. The applicant is proposing to construct four separate buildings containing 329 residential units, 54 of which will be deed-restricted affordable housing units. A parking lot under the buildings will provide 498 parking spaces. A new waterfront park will provide access to 2.79-acres of public open space. A portion of the park would be constructed on lands owned by the City of Alameda.”
UNION CITY — Special council meeting, Monday, Jan. 14, 6 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Human Relations Board interviews.
CHABOT-LAS POSITAS COLLEGE BOARD — Regular board meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. (Closed session: 5 p.m.)
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Feb. 19.
-INTERIM CHANCELLOR?”- Chabot and Las Positas Colleges have been without a permanent chancellor since last May. An extensive search and public vetting process seeking a replacement in recent months yielded three candidates: Walter Tribley, Lisa Avery, and David Dore. But none passed muster with the Community College Board of Directors last month. Back to the drawing board. Since the interim chancellor Thomas Fallo will soon be precluded from holding on to the job because of pension restrictions, either the board chooses another interim and finds a suitable permanent leader. According to Tuesday night’s agenda in which the matter will again be discussed in closed session, they will go the interim route.
EDEN HEALTH DISTRICT — Regular board meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 5:30 p.m.
ENTIRE AGENDA HERE | Next meeting: Feb. 20.
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