Tonight, Alameda historian Rasheed Shabazz will be hosting a presentation on Measure A:
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April 24, 2018
April 23, 2018
Better data, better decisions
Finally! Someone has created the elusive SimCity but for real life software. From Fast Company:
The software makes it possible to plug in any urban planning scenario, push a few buttons, and see a broad set of impacts, including how a plan might change traffic and commute times, the ability of kids to walk to school, access to jobs, energy use, the local economy, health, and carbon emissions. (The software tool can’t predict changes to rents). In the past, these types of complex calculations–if they were done at all–could take months or years as teams of consultants gathered massive amounts of data and made or customized models. Today, the State of California announced that it is partnering with the company to make the tool available for free to more than 500 cities, counties, and regional agencies in the state.
When communities can see comprehensive data about multiple plans for the future, the startup’s founders say, it becomes easier to compare them and reach consensus. For planners and designers, the tool can lead to better designs.
April 20, 2018
Think of the children
In case you were wondering who might be behind the Friends of Crab Cove pitting sweet cheeked children against ragged homeless individuals, well Irene Dieter has the first person willing to be associated with the anti-Respite Center effort:
Some worry the drop-in resource center will attract loitering or sleeping in the area. “It seems likely people will hang out while they are waiting for services or waiting to be seen,” said Angela Fawcett, a nearby resident. “The neighborhood would support medical respite for seniors, but the drop-in part evokes images of a permanent homeless presence on the street and in the park.” Fawcett said the Collaborative’s existing facility at Alameda Point “would be a better location to accommodate the general public seeking homeless services rather than next to where children go for educational programs and playing at Crab Cove.”
April 19, 2018
Oops, I (allegedly) did it again
Also from Steven Tavares for the East Bay Express:
According to two knowledgeable sources, Keimach also secretly recorded a conversation with another city official in an unrelated matter. In addition, at least two other people now say that they believe Keimach illegally recorded them as well: Assemblymember Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, and Jeff Del Bono, head of the Alameda firefighters’ union.
…
In an interview, Assemblymember Bonta said he also suspects Keimach recorded him during a phone conversation sometime last September to discuss his support for Weaver. “When the conversation was over I thought, ‘Did she just record me?'” Bonta said. Keimach seemed awkwardly guarded during the conversation and often asked him to repeat his comments like “she was trying to capture something,” he said. “I’ve taken depositions before, so I know you try to get a clean answer so you can use it in court without ambiguity.”
April 18, 2018
Marchin’ on the Trail of Tears
I know some of you barely watch City Council meetings, so that means that Rec and Park Commission meeting are probably really outside of your must see TV queue. But if you’re looking for some non City Council drama, the Rec and Park Commission is definitely where it’s at. First of all, everyone should be thanking the majority on the City Council for not voting for Ruben Tilos to be seated on the Planning Board. Based on comments made at the last Rec and Park Commission meeting he’s still holding a huge grudge over not being confirmed to that Board. He made comments along the line about the process being politicized saying that in the past nominations would always be voted through. Guess what also used to happen in the past Ruben Tilos? When someone was eligible for a second term, they would always be renominated and not passed over. So since we’re not following that past rule, I guess we didn’t need to follow the one which would have gotten you confirmed without question, eh?
Anyway.
There were a few super messy things that happen at the Rec and Park Commission but let me first describe this mess. So one of the public correspondence was about renaming Jackson Park to something other than Jackson Park. It’s sort of in line with the Haight Elementary renaming movement. You know, let’s honor and recognize people/ideas that should be honored and not just dead white dudes. Particularly those with really questionable historical records.
April 17, 2018
Mark your calendars
Check out #alamtg on Twitter for the full live Tweet play by play, but if you just want to know what happened, here are some tweets from those that actually were able to stay up and play along.
April 16, 2018
Release the report
Welp, today is one of the scheduled days that the other shoe may drop on the role City Manager/City Council shenanigans. Expect to see a couple news vans around City Hall, but the man of the hour has got to be Steven Tavares who scooped the story of the — at first alleged, but now confirmed — non consented secret recording of a private meeting. I’ve read a lot of people making excuses about the recording saying it falls under the guarding against committing a crime exclusion.
But let me propose this: perhaps those making the excuses should check their biases for one second. If the inverse had happened, say it was Malia Vella or Jim Oddie who were revealed to have made the recording because they believed that they were being extorted by the City Manager or bribed, would you still be making the same excuses? If the answer is: yes, Lauren, I would be equally aghast either way since facts that have been released about the meeting seemed fairly benign. Annoying in its persistence, but nothing rising to the level of extortion or bribery. Then cool. If your honest answer to yourself is: no, this behavior only becomes excuse worthy because I don’t like the firefighter union’s influence on either Malia Vella or Jim Oddie and so I will excuse any attempts to take them down. Well then, sounds like you’re not a ton better than the Republican Congress who are willing to overlook the transgressions of Trump which a Democratic president would never survive.
Anyway.
April 13, 2018
Two-party line
Holy crap people. With the biggest scoop of this year for Alameda related political news:
Alameda City Manager Allegedly Wiretapped Councilors.
Highlights:
An independent investigator has uncovered evidence that Alameda City Manager Jill Keimach unlawfully recorded two councilmembers and another city employee without their consent last year, according to two knowledgeable sources.
…
The existence of the alleged recordings was first learned in early March by independent investigator Michael Jenkins, an attorney who was hired by the council to probe allegations made by Keimach last fall, sources said.
…
April 12, 2018
Third of many
When even your opponents are getting in on the benefits of a law, that’s when you know you’re winning. Or even #winning!
One of the non profit housing developers in San Francisco, MEDA vociferously opposed the SB 35 streamlined housing legislation that was signed into law last year. But now, they are the third proposal this year to use SB 35 to smooth along the process to build their housing development per the San Francisco Chronicle. Highlights:
Under the law by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, developers of certain projects can bypass the environmental analysis typically required. In exchange for expedited approvals, the developer must commit to a certain percentage of permanently affordable units. The amount of affordable units ranges from 10 to 100 percent, depending on the community and how much housing it produces. In San Francisco, a developer looking to take advantage of SB35 must commit to making at least 50 percent of the units affordable.
The move to invoke SB35 is somewhat ironic because MEDA opposed the legislation, fearing it could exacerbate displacement and gentrification in some areas and that in some parts of the state the amount of affordable housing required is too low, just 10 percent.
April 11, 2018
Exposed
At the last City Council meeting the Council voted 3 – 2 (Frank Matarrese and Marilyn Ezzy-Ashcraft opposing) to schedule two more special meetings to talk about the City Manager report issue.
This is what the agenda looks like:
