Tom Wong

As an investigative reporter focusing on municipal governance and fiscal accountability in Hayward and the greater Bay Area, I delve into the stories that matter, holding officials accountable and shedding light on issues that impact our community. Candidate for Hayward Mayor in 2026.

Alameda City Planning Board 12/16/2024

Tom Wong December 16, 2024 0

Transcript And we're calling the meeting to order at exactly 7 o'clock. We'll go ahead and do the flag salute. Board member Luis, can you lead us, please? Yes, sir. I pledge allegiance to the flag of all, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. And moving on to the agenda, item number 1, roll call. Good evening. Board member Hamm? Here. Board member Hsu? Here. Board member Ruiz? Here. Board member Bridal? Here. Board member Wang? Here. Board member Suhayba? Present. And president Cisneros? Here. We, have a quorum. All are present. Okay. Great. Thank you. Next agenda item is agenda changes. Anyone from the board or staff, any proposed, changes? Seeing none, we'll keep it as is. Item number 3, non agenda public items. If anyone from the public would like to speak on an item that's not on the agenda, you're welcome to come up now and speak for 3 minutes. Are there any speakers? I don't have any speaker slips, and I don't see any hands raised on Zoom. Okay. Thank you. Moving on to agenda item number 4, consent calendar. We have the draft meeting minutes. If, there's any items that need to be pulled, now is the opportunity to do so. No? I'm not seeing any. Okay. I will note I will note there were 3, members absent from the meeting, and so, the 4 of you that were there could vote to approve the minutes. Okay, great. I should open it up for public comment, right? Any public comments on the consent calendar item? Seeing none. Okay. Does, anyone want to make a motion? I can move to approve. Okay. And, I'll abstain. Well, I'll second the motion. Okay, great. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. I'll abstain to. Oppose abstentions? Yes, I abstention. Okay. All right. Motion carries. Okay. Great. Moving on to regular agenda items. 5 a, which is, the update is a workshop on the update for the Alameda Point EIR, design guidelines for new infill development. ESSF presentation. Good evening, President Cisneros and members of the planning board. Brian Maguire, planner 2 here to present, essentially a staff update, but we wanted to agendize this to give the board a chance to, provide any comments and the public a chance to comment since we did some work on this item earlier this year, on the EIR requirement to adopt guidelines for new infill development within the NAS Alameda Historic District. A little bit of background. Back in February 2014, the city council approved the Alameda Point project. This involved 4 key actions, to guide the reuse and redevelopment of the base. Certified the final environmental impact report, adopted a general plan amendment, adopted the Alameda Point zoning code as well as a master infrastructure plan for Alameda Point. The EIR lays out mitigation measures to reduce the severity of impacts, environmental impacts, when possible. 1 such EIR mitigation requires that the city adopt guidelines for new infill development prior to constructing new buildings within the historic district. There are many, many in-depth high quality reports and plans by both the Navy and the city, over the years that contain contain guidance for consideration when adding new buildings and other development in the historic district. Most relevant to tonight's discussion are the 1997 guide to preserving the character of the NAS Alameda Historic District, commonly referred to as the guide, and the 20 2012 cultural landscape reports. Earlier this year, staff began developing draft infill design guidelines in consultation primarily with the HAB but also the planning board. At the same time, we were reviewing the early plans for the performing arts center project, which we'll hear more about later. After that separate deep dive into the, existing reports and guidelines, it's become clear that already adopted guidelines are sufficient for complying with the EIR mitigation requirement. Thanks to previous Navy conveyance requirements when they gave us the land, in 1999, the city was required to formally adopt the guide as city policy and then in 2013, this is sort of, you know, I call it sort of the lost resolution. It, happened before the Alameda Point project was approved but, after the federal nomination, in the wake of that nomination, the city council was required to amend the 1997 guide to include 20 pages of design review guidelines for the historic design landscape excerpted from the cultural landscape report, which is Exhibit 1 attached to your staff report. That action is key because it upgraded the guide to include infill design guidelines for new buildings. Previously the guide mostly focused on the reuse and rehabilitation of the existing in the historic district. So that brings us back to 2014, and the approval of the Alameda Point project. At the same time the EIR was certified city council adopted the Alameda Point zoning district rules which included this provision called NES Alameda Historic District guidelines. It requires all new construction in the historic district to be consistent with the guide as amended. If you didn't know about that 2013 resolution, you might, that as amended part might go unnoticed like it did for me for a while. Since the guide to preserving the character was amended a full year before the certification of the EIR and adoption of the zoning ordinance, it was not immediately clear to current staff, hi, that the infill design guidelines from the cultural landscape report had already been formally adopted into the Alameda Point zoning code. By incorporating the amended guide directly into the zoning, city council ensured compliance with this mitigation measure from the start. So where does that leave us? For the Waterfront Town Center and Main Street neighborhoods shown in pink and purple here, we have adopted specific plans to augment the underlying design guidelines from the cultural landscape report and the guide. For the adaptive reuse district shown in green here, there's not currently a specific plan. Most of the contributing buildings from the historic district are here as well as character defining features of the historic landscape like the the the mall sort of in front of City Hall West, the large parade grounds, I believe they're mostly referred to as. So we're likely to see much less infill development in this area. Most of what we'll see would be the reuse of existing buildings like storehouse lofts you saw last week, things like the Almanac and Rake, Firebrand and Kairos type projects. As for the work that was started this year, trying to create a guide to the guides, so to speak. Staff will continue to work on creating a user friendly, visually attractive tool as part of our work program and bring that back to you at some point in the future. I'm happy to answer any questions, hear public comment, take any additional feedback you might have tonight. We're not asking for any action as part of this update. Great. Thank you much for the presentation. Before we open up for public comment, any clarifying questions from the board? Seeing none, thank you so much. I'll open up for public comment. Any speakers? I don't see any hands raised, and I don't have any speaker slips on this item. Okay. Great. Closing, public comment, and, go ahead and open up to the board for any, comments or, feedback regarding this update. Board member Holmes. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for the staff report. And I couldn't understand how complex this issue is. I don't give you a Give you a Yeah. A lot of pages. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of different documents. This is more a question if I try to ask it, I guess, under questions. But based on the staff report and what your presentation, covered, it sounds like the cultural landscape report, the guidelines that were adopted into the zoning code, those are the primary guideline that covers all of Alameda Point. And then there's specific guidelines related to each specific plan that might be like a supplemental or that they're kind of they pertain to a smaller geographical area, project specific guidelines. What about the state, historic, guidelines? Are those incorporated or reflected in the cultural guidelines at all? Or they another set of guidelines that that the city needs to be aware of that is in addition to the cultural landscape guidelines? Are you referring to, like, the secretary of interior standards? Yeah. Yeah. The yeah. Secretary of interior standards also SHPO standards. So are those incorporated by reference or otherwise into the cultural landscape guidelines? I I defer to Steve on the SHPO aspect of it. I think the secretary of interior standards, I I can confidently say, are, guidelines that we're required to follow when, taking on projects that within the historic district. In order to get a certificate of approval from the historical advisory board, they have to find that it's consistent with those guidelines, but anything you wanna add to that? No, that's right. I, it's it's, 1 of the mitigation measures, which again is a little confusing because then it's also just put in the zoning code. When the zoning was adopted, they just threw everything into the code as a as a development standard. So, yes, those are adopted and, guidance for the HAB. Okay. So when so when you develop the checklist or the so those will reflect the requirements, the National Historic Preservation requirement? Absolutely. The Secretary of Interior Standards are referenced in, 13 dash 21 in the historic preservation ordinance. So separate from the zoning but it's it's in the code and we would definitely wanna include that as part of the the universe of materials that future applicants, board members and staff would would need to be, referencing when bringing projects forward. Okay. So the way how I'm envisioning this, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, there'll be these general guidelines pertains to the Alameda Point, and then there'll be these sub area guidelines that will pertain to each, specific plan or precise plan area. Yeah. Is that what you're thinking? Yeah. You can imagine sort of a checklist. The specific plan areas overlap the historic district but they actually cover a lot of area outside the historic district guidelines. So, like, the waterfront town center covers the area, you know, like, east of Pan Am, basically, and along the Seaplane Lagoon, but mostly it covers everything from site A, like, that was previously developed along West Atlantic, those townhomes and apartment buildings there which are not in the historic district. So it's kind of, you know, it's like, okay, where am I? And then you got to sort of figure out which boxes apply to you. So you're gonna have a nice map that will show all these district boundaries. Okay. Thanks. Great. Any other, comments or questions? Board Member Wang? Yeah. Thanks for the thanks for the presentation. So so I'm understanding that the guide to the guides that you're currently working on is really just a crosswalk between the mitigation measure and the requirements that you already have codified in the zoning code. Right? Yeah. I think you could you could think of it as sort of like a a really big handout for that we would have in the permit center for people who want to build an ADU. Here's your 5 page handout on things you need to be thinking about for development and within the historic district we would we would have something obviously much more robust sort of, to present all of this different information and and help them pull the key pieces that you're likely to need but also sort of as a roadmap for where they need to go for further, investigation. Right. So at this point it seems more like a practical tool than really generating a new document of substance. I'm I'm curious whether you're gonna require an action from the planning board when you when you finalize this document. I think that's a good question. I defer to Steve. I don't think it necessarily depending on what form it takes, we'll definitely want to come to this, to the planning board and the historical advisory board, to provide input on it but since it's really just a sort of a tool and it's it's, you know, sort of supplementing the adopted guidelines, it doesn't necessarily, you know, we don't really feel the need like we would absolutely have to readopt it since it's really just referring to existing adopted plans. So it would feel a little redundant potentially. But we definitely wanna make sure everyone is comfortable with what that finished product looks like because it is really complicated set of, guidelines and and documents to sort through. Thanks. Thank you. And measure, requirements. So I thank you for doing that, research, and looks like it'll come back to us once it's ready to be all packaged up. So, thank you for the work and the update. Great. With that we will move on to item 5 B, which is, to look at the little opera house, project. This is a workshop. So, is there a staff presentation for this? Hello again. Lehi a lot of me tonight. No time no see. Hi again....

Alameda City Mayor’s Economic Development Advisory Panel/Economic Recovery Task Force 12/11/2024

Tom Wong December 11, 2024 0

Transcript Agenda item for oral communication public. If the public would like to comment on an item, please email Eric Fonstein at efonstein@alamedaca.gov. Comments submitted during the meeting before the conclusion of the public comment section will be read into the record. If the public would like to comment and has called in by phone, please dial 9 to raise your hand. Comments from the audience may concern matters either on or not on the agenda, but must deal with matters subject to the jurisdiction of the mayor's economic development advisory panel. Comments will be limited to 3 minutes. Comments concerning matters on this evening's agenda will be heard when that item is called. Eric, do we have any speakers or comments? So far, no. It's, even though it looks like we don't have any questions. It's not easy. Yeah. Which brings us to the consent calendar. We have nothing on the consent calendar, so we'll move to regular agenda items. Tonight's agenda item 6 a is an update on the Alameda Point Piers and the Alameda Maritime BlueTech strategy. Before I turn it over to Abby, just a reminder on how we proceed. First, Abby will give a staff presentation followed by clarifying questions from from the panel, followed by public comment. And then at the close of public comment, there'll be a time for a panel member discussion. Abby? Thank you. Good evening, everybody. I'm pleased to be here and I'm very pleased to have a special guest speaker tonight presenting on the Pierist and Maritime Strategy, Ron Golomb. Ron has been an economic and real estate consultant for and and well, in the economic and real estate world for many, many years. Most recently was the director of, real estate real estate at VTA down in the South Bay, and was a long for a long, long time, consulted at Bay Area Economics before then and is now hung out on some shingle very luckily for us. So we have a lot of really decent real estate and economics experience. And Ron has been doing a lot of background analysis that he'll present to you tonight, for our discussion. So you wanna take it away, Ron? I will. Thank you. I'm gonna say it here. Say it. Say it again. Okay. We could do it then. Second here. I need to my machine will be in sync here. Okay. Okay. So thank you for the time introduction. As I already mentioned, I've been working for about 3 decades in creating public private partnerships, really advanced economic development as well as sort of, brutalization. And I've worked on about a half dozen base closure projects. So it's a lot of, interesting experience along the way. Who put this in the presentation? I see it's not a PDF. Right? Sorry. No. That's Hi. Good. So what we'd like to do tonight is and what you saw in the packet is, you saw both the staff report and then you saw the detailed draft, strategy for maritime and blue tech uses that's prepared by Geis Hommerston. So what I'm gonna do is go ahead and kind of give a very high level overview and then really post some questions that hopefully will set the stage. And, obviously, what we're excited about is really getting your input and expertise to help us think about how to sharpen the thinking that we're doing and the work that we're doing. So what I'm gonna talk about tonight are gonna be the opportunities for the peers of waterfront at Avian Point. I'm gonna touch on the challenges that we have because of the conditions and flooding needs. I'm gonna talk about some of the potential strategies to advance maritime fleet type uses. And I do wanna note that while we're focused on the working waterfront, which you see on the graphic that we have here, as well as what we're calling sort of a maritime blue tech area behind it, where we have a number of tenants in the maritime center already, this area is adjacent to the enterprise district. And, obviously, there's also opportunities we think for synergies between what's envisioned for the enterprise district and really those types of businesses and what's happening here. And so, again, what this is really all about is getting your guidance, to help shape our thinking about what should be the priorities and actions that have to be taken. We have a good sign on. That's the challenge is now we have to figure that out. Is this development, can I ask a question? How do I do that? Is this, the development of a new specific plan or an additional specific plan for Illumina Point? Or I think at this point, it's not so much a land use exercise in terms of thinking about specific plan. It's really more on strategy in terms of economic development, which is what are the kinds of uses we wanna track? What's the sector that we wanna try to create and build upon here? And so it's really a little focus in that direction. That's not to say that there wouldn't be perhaps a specific line down the road, but I think we're a little bit early in the process than that. Can I augment a little bit, that that it's really more of an investment sort of at some point the city is going to have to make financial decisions about the pier? So it's an investment plan, but also I think policy decisions that Ron will go over that are not yet, as LeBron said, not land use, but more of just just more real estate policy. So that's more of the feedback we're looking for as we get. Great. So I think a good place to start is really to think about what is the competitive advantage that was Alameda? And, you know, it doesn't say it very simply, what we have at Alameda Point, which is Okay. Which is, you know, there's there's only a few number of place to be here that have this, but we have a working waterfront that's able to accommodate various maritime uses. We don't have a facility that's foreign in towards cargo like Port of Oakland, but we do have a facility that's a lot of really support a broad range of other maritime, cable tech activities. The fact that we're adjacent to the Port of Oakland is a huge advantage in terms of support activities that cannot be accounted important and have been here in the past. The fact that we're also on the other side of Alameda Point from base shipping yacht, from a functioning working shipyard that works with all kinds of garment and fire ships is also another big advantage. This is not something we're talking about creating from scratch. We already have a dozen maritime blue tech tenants at Alameda Point, so we have a cluster here already. This is really a discussion about how we grow and expand the cluster cluster to really help fulfill goals for for Alameda Point. And it's also worth noting that we have available buildings and sites that are both available for reuse as well as new development. And really and this is where it ties into the city's economic development strategic plan. This is about how can we support the city's goals for job and business creation and workforce development when we think there's real opportunities in maritime, in Bluetech sector. The graphic you see shows, well, simply, in peers 1, 2, and 3. Although, obviously, we have significant current uses such as the USS Hornet, you can see him in peer 3, power engineering at peer 1. Pier 2 is not in use at all. I'll sort of have that more embedded. But we have some pretty substantial unused per assets. And as you can see in line with that, we have a pretty fair amount of land in our buildings. And, of course, we have the the SF Ferry, formerly known as WIDA. We have their maintenance and operations facility. So just to talk briefly about what we have already happening at, Alameda Point. So maritime needs to include merit, not the shifts, but some warehouse and support activities they have. NASA navigation, we have Banner Sea Republic Services that supports, maritime, firms. We have power engineering, you know, we have the asset Bay Fair. We also have some significant recreational waterfront uses, the US Department Museum, the LME Utility Center, as well as Tech Adventure. And then BluTech, which I'll talk about in a minute, but really more research and development oriented uses that we have, including door marine, mangrove boats, Kite Concepts, and Pansail drone. And these are facilities that only use the piers at Alameda, but they're actually using the seaplane, specifically the seaplane, ramps as well as the small dock that's over there. So the images on the right are really trying to show 2 things. On the upper image is really giving you another view to show you the piers and the relationships, the land, and the the buildings that are cut up behind them. And in all, we have about half dozen buildings, and we have 20 acres of land that could potentially support a broad range of maritime, and and blue tech activities. How far east does the land area extend for this? For discussion, really, if you look at kind of Orion Street here, this is the dividing line where these are really maritime blue tech uses that are on this side of of Rhine Street, whereas on this area, on the other side of Rhine, it's really Enterprise District. And if you saw the city council presentation a couple months ago, that was when the boundary tour was talked about parcels and phasing. But I also wanna touch on another issue that's really significant for this, and that's the public lands, public trust restrictions. So as true in all of our products in California, what you see in this area, midshaded green, I realize it's a little bit weak, but you can see the areas that identify as part of the public trust where there's actually restrictions on what can go to those areas. And those restrictions are really oriented towards preserving, you know, maritime uses, public access, and so on. And so really about 6 acres of the area we're talking about is already in the public trust. In a lot of ways, and this is kind of 1 of the considerations, is that 1 of the challenges that we appoint is that per policy, you know, the city really has to get fair market value for when it's supposed to properties because the need raised funding for infrastructure or if it has to happen to to allow the plan to be implemented. When you look in this area, because of the use restriction on maritime because of public trust, that actually supports lower land value. Since a lot of ways, it kind of also makes this area a better fit for a lot of maritime and BlueTech uses because it really does support lower value than potentially lower rent than you would than the sea would have to realize in the parts of of that viewpoint per the current policies. So I've talked about the piers in waterfront, but as I mentioned, it's also worth noting what's happening with Seaplane View. And, you know, the key thing about the Seaplane View is that and this goes back to the current plan from your point. This is the area that's really seen as public access to public faces with a lot of uses They're focusing public activity here to really protect the piers and more working waterfront environment that is not necessarily as as open or as accessible by the public. So going back to the town center and waterfront precise plans that are adopted, the eastern side is envisioned as, this area here is envisioned as a mixed use urban waterfront development. So basically, think about mixed use residential with ground floor chimney voices. Pardon? No. You touched that. Can you dance? Oh, sorry about that. Oh, sorry about that. Hang on. Oh, boy. So what I see here is really, mixed use development where you have, you know, retail, restaurants, commercial activities, and places plugged into the waterfront with residential use of weather. On the north side, you have new new waterfront product. I'm sure you see the first piece there that was part of parcel layout. You have a new urban waterfront, that really is kind of a public area for people to enjoy the And, obviously, part of that is gonna be thinking about how to preserve the use of the seaplane ramp by the tenants who are in the hangars. What you also see in this graphic, and the rest is a little washed up here, is what the plant envisions is additional development between that waterfront pond and the existing hangars. And then finally, on the western side, what you see is kind of all goals for habitat restoration and passive recreation. So now I'm gonna get to the nitty gritty bouts, really the challenge that we face here. When we talk about sort of the piers in the waterfront area, we have some really substantial costs for both improvements and repairs and ongoing operations. The city simply doesn't have the funds to to cover. The graph that you see here is a picture of a damaged pile at Pier 2. You can see the pile shear. There's a lot of these at Pier 2, which is why it's been closed to large ships there. Lesser issues than the other piers, but, you know, I think as folks appreciate, the maritime environment is an incredibly corrosive environment. And anything that is in the water requires a lot of ongoing maintenance to really be, say, in an operating condition. So the most immediate issue that we're thinking about is dredging. And so you may be aware that Mara lehi a couple of years ago because their ships were large enough that they were getting a little concerned about was it an assurance for their ships to range to pier too. You know, when the navy was here for the aircraft carriers, they need about 35 to 40 feet of draft for those ships. We don't have that anymore. According to studies that we've done in the past, pure areas sold something about 6 inches per year and a train base in about a foot a year. And so if you do the math, you can realize maybe another 10 to 15 years, we could be in a situation where we have the ability to really accommodate pull off your shifts. And so I'm saying this because it really shows that there's a need for an ongoing dredging. It needs to happen every few years. Now in a minute, I'll talk about a study we're doing sharpness. But based on prior work that's been done, we think that if you sort of average that cost per year, it's about $4,000,000 per year to dredge the the the area from the peers to the train basin. And that $4,000,000 a year is simply money that doesn't exist in the city's budget to cover that cost on an ongoing basis. The next issue then is tier 2. And based on prior studies, and again, we're gonna update this. We think there's at least $15,000,000 of cost and probably more to fix tier 2 so that you could have large ships like, birth clearance passed. Now it is possible for a much more modest air repairs to get smaller ships, names, types of ships that are in there. But right now, there's a real constraint in how you can use peer 2 because repairs could happen. What you'll see when you look at the draft strategy and what's in the packet is there's a lot of scenarios in the back that talk about what are different ways of if we have birthing and the fees we collect from birthing and the revenue we generate, how does that compare to these costs both funding the dredging and funding the the, pure repairs. And what you're assuming with those scenarios is none of them can curve that cost. It just does not generate enough revenues relative to what those long term costs are gonna be. And so what it really leaves us is the realization that if we're gonna sustain kind of dredging activity, we've gotta find federal and state funding to be able to cover those costs. And so that's 1 of our key challenges here is that this is something that's gonna require a larger effort in funding from other partners to be able to sustain the pure use and the water quality. So I'd like to talk for a minute now about based on that background, what is the city doing right now? The staff has been processing. These are some of these actions will become the council in the near future. The first is to hire a marine engineering firm to really develop updated information on what the water depths are right now, an updated bath and hydrant study, as well as updated cost for both the dredging and what their peer repairs are gonna be. And those costs have sort of 2 components for dredging. 1 is sort of what is the periodic ongoing cost, but there's also a decision which we'll talk more about which depth do we need to get to. Because if we can let the depth be a little shallower, you know, you don't have much 1 time cost as compared to if we felt we had actual depth that was here when the navy was birthing aircraft carriers. And so that's 1 of the questions. The staff is also working to set up a port management contract to handle short term licenses for both the impures 13. You know, we have about half of the pure 3, all of pure 2, and pure 1 where we could have short term growth. We could be generating revenues, but that's not something that's been happening. So that's an opportunity that that we're working to really put that in place. As I mentioned, part of asking, making some minor repairs appear to to allow us for growth activity. And then, of course, the other thing to ask this discussion tonight is that you see the draft strategy document. But really as a strategy document, it lays out what the opportunity is and what we can do. But there's a lot of work beyond that as to how you actually go about implementing data. So that's the work we're starting out. That's where your input will be very helpful both in terms of the strategy as well as how you go about implementing it. So now let's take just a couple minutes to talk about Bluetech specifically. So, you know, these are not hard and fast definitions. I think most folks are familiar with maritime. It's really being activities focused around shipping, cargo, you know, waterborne transportation, as well as recreation. And Bluetech is part of that. But where the Bluetech term comes from is really a subset that's focused on more of r and d activities, research and development, technological innovation, and really create more sustainable use of ocean and freshwater resources. And so a lot of traditional shipping companies are already in the space because there's a lot of discussion about how can we make things cleaner. To talk about SF Ferry, They're thinking about how can they electrify the ferries. And so right there, you're at sort of leading edge of where, vessel engineering is as to how do you create and let the ferries sustain that kind of operation. And it's really a great topic because when you think about the ocean right now, 1, we don't understand a lot about the ocean. The state of science technology is very thin....

Berkeley City Council Special Meeting December 10, 2024

Tom Wong December 10, 2024 0

Transcript Whenever you're ready. Alright. I don't have the agenda in front of me actually, but I'd like to call this special meeting to order. Okay. I Can you take the role, please? Yes. I will take the role. Thank you, mayor. Council member Kesarwani? Here. Kaplan? Present. Bartlett? Here. Treib? Pheasant. O'Keefe? Here. Lackey? Here. Luna Parra? Here. Humber? Present. And Mayor Ezey? Here. Okay. Miss Quorum is present. Hey. Well, welcome everyone. I'd like to welcome you to the December 10th special meeting of the Berkeley City Council and call this meeting to order. I did that, so I believe we just have 1 item on our agenda, so would someone like to move item number 1 as written? So I so move. Second. Clerk, would you like to call the roll? We could, take public comment on the consent counter at this time. Oh, I don't have this. Here it is. Yes. I'd like to take public comment, please. Is there any public comment from attendees in the room for the 5:30 PM special meeting? Does it have to be on topic or Yes. Yes. No speakers in the room? Okay. We'll turn to the remote attendees. We have 1, speaker who's raised his hand, Blair Beekman. You can now unmute and provide comment. Hi. Blair Beekman. I'm a person who, works on the issues of tech accountability, the future of, open public policies and best practices with the future of our technology, surveillance and data collection. Boy, congratulations to the new mayor. Thank you that he is, it's it's nice to see your it's nice to be here and to be a part of this process with the new mayor. Thank you. All candidates are always important and good. I'm really hopeful in what the new mayor can be working towards and accomplishing. I hope we can really set a course to really understand that tech accountability is a process of community participation. It's an awesome process. It does some really amazing good things in working together as a full community effort and not just, you know, specific specialized groups. It's a really interesting work. So good luck in the efforts, and, thanks for the meeting today. And, yeah, hello to Berkeley. I'm currently in Vietnam, by the way. I'll be here for a few more months. Thanks for your time. Bye. Thank you. Alright. Any other There are no other, speakers, on Zoom. So we could proceed to, to a vote on the consent calendar to confirm the results of the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election. Council member Casarwani. Yes. Taplan? Yes. Bartlett? Yes. Treggum? Aye. O'Keefe? Yes. Blackaby? Yes. Una Parra? Yes. Humbert? Yes. And Mayor Ishii? Yes. Okay. The motion carries. And that concludes the business for the 5:30, p. M. Special meeting. Mhmm. And, thank you. We will, start our regular meeting at 6 p. M. For the ceremonial swearing in of our new members. Is there a motion to adjourn? So moved. Second. Thank you. Okay, Council Member Castorwani? Yes. Taplan? Yes. Bartlett? Yes. Trego? Aye. O'Keefe? Yes. Clackabee? Yes. Luna Parra? Yes. Humber? Yes. And Mayor Ihshi? Yes. Okay, we are adjourned from the 5:30 p. M. Special meeting. Thank you. Thanks everyone for waiting. Oh, that was it. Recording stopped.

Berkeley City Council Regular Meeting December 10, 2024

Tom Wong December 10, 2024 0

Transcript Hello. Hello. Good evening, everyone. I'd like to welcome you all to the December 10th meeting of the Berkeley City Council and call this meeting to order. Can we start with a roll call, please? Okay. Thank you. Council Member Kesselwani? Here. Taplan? Present. Bartlett? Here. Tregga? Present. O'Keefe? Here. Blackabee? Here. Luna Parra? Here. Humber? Present. And, Mayor Ihshi? Here. Okay, quorum is present. Thank you. So typically, we would read the land acknowledgement statement at the beginning of each monthly meeting, but since this is my first meeting, I'd like to ask that we do a land acknowledgement statement again. And, from now on we're gonna be switching off and have different council members do the land acknowledgement and, we're gonna start with council member Casarwani. Thank you very much, Mayor Ishii. The city of Berkeley recognizes that the community we live in was built on the territory of Huichun, the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo speaking Ohlone people, the ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. This land was and continues to be of great importance to all of the Ohlone tribes and descendants of the Verona Band. As we begin our meeting tonight, we acknowledge and honor the original inhabitants of Berkeley, the documented 5000 year history of a vibrant community at the West Berkeley Shell Mound and the Ohlone people who continue to reside in the East Bay. We recognize that Berkeley's residents have and continue to benefit from the use and occupation of this unseated stolen land since the City of Berkeley's incorporation in 18/78. As stewards of the laws regulating the City of Berkeley, it is not only vital that we recognize the history of this land, excuse me, but also recognize that the Ohlone people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today. The City of Berkeley will continue to build relationships with the Luohan scribe and to create meaningful actions that uphold the intention of this land acknowledgement. Thank you so much, Council member. I'd like to move us on to ceremonial manner matters and I'm gonna pass it off to Mark, our City Clerk. Okay. Thank you, Mayor. So at this time, we will, administer the oath of office for, newly elected and reelected, members of the city council and mayor. Okay. So at this time, I'll have you stand. And if you turn on your microphone and point it up, it'll pick up some better audio. And raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, state your name, I I, Shaitanya O'Keefe. Do solemnly swear or affirm do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support and defend that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California and the Constitution of the State of California. Against all enemies against all enemies, foreign and domestic, foreign and domestic, That I will bear true faith and allegiance. That I will bear true faith and allegiance. To the Constitution of the United States. To the Constitution of the United States. And the Constitution of the State of California. And the Constitution of the State of California. That I take this obligation freely. That I take this obligation freely. Without any mental reservation. Without any mental reservation. Or purpose of evasion. Or purpose of evasion. And that I will well and faithfully discharge. And that I will well and faithfully discharge. The duties upon which I'm about to enter. The duties upon which I'm about to enter. Congratulations. Thank you so much and thank you to those who are here to witness swearing in. I wanna give our new council members and, also reelected council members time to say a few words if you'd like. Council member Brokawbe. Sure, I'll be brief and we said a little bit this Friday night, but, I just want to let everyone know here, I'm so honored to be joining this body, to be joining the city council, with this wonderful group of colleagues, who all wanna serve our community and make Berkeley even better. At a time that we're entering some rocky waters nationally, I do believe that what we do here locally really matters because government can be a force for good, empowering us to join together as a community to solve problems that we can't solve individually, and to extend a helping hand to friends and neighbors that need our support. The people of Berkeley deserve a world class local government that delivers top notch public safety, affordable housing, vibrant public spaces, and safe transportation for everyone that uses our streets and sidewalks. They deserve a government that is data driven, accountable, and transparent, and local leadership that stands up to defend our progressive values. And I'm looking forward to doing all that work together. In particular, I just wanna thank the voters in district 6 who placed their trust in me to be their voice on the city council. It's an honor and a privilege that I don't take for granted. 1 thing just to think about, the people of district 6 have had only 2 council members over the past 32 years, just 2 32 years. Susan Weingraff for the previous 16 and Betty Olds for the 16 years before that. These are 2 trail blazing, outspoken, courageous women who were passionate advocates for our district and dedicated to constituent service. They've set a super high bar and I will work every day to live up to their examples. So again, I'm looking forward to joining our new mayor, all of my council colleagues, our city manager, Paul Budenhagen, and our terrific city staff to tackle the challenges ahead and help Berkeley live up to its fullest potential. For everyone who lives and works here now and in the future, Thanks again for the privilege of serving. Thank you so much, council member Blackby. Would anyone else like to say a few words? Go ahead, council member Humper. I I I wanna personally say a quick but hearty congratulations to our new council members and those who've been reseated and to say a hearty welcome, once again, I've welcomed them several times, to our new council members. And I wanna thank the city clerk and the staff for all the work on this election. Berkeley really puts our staff through trials with our many measures, and that includes council making a lot of demands when it comes to crafting the ones we place on the ballot. I'm not gonna address our ballot measures, but finally I wanna say a special congratulations and welcome to Mayor Ishii. Herding council cats and other creatures isn't always easy, but I'm excited for your leadership and really looking forward to working with you. Vlaminos. Thank you. I also would like to join my colleague in welcoming our new colleagues. It's nice to have a full full house once again. It's been a long time. And all of you, I've known you all many years, all of you. It's really amazing to see this. It's like, 1 family all coming home to roost. And I welcome you. I'm gonna help you and support you. I'll be there for you, and just welcome aboard. I'm so proud of you all for doing it. And my mayor, madam mayor, wonderful work. You you are a trailblazer and so proud of the work you've done already and look forward to helping you succeed and help us all see together. Thank you so much. And to the voters of District 3, thanks again for your support. I'm there with you, reach out anytime. Thank you so much. Yes, Council Member O'Keefe. Just briefly, I wanna say, I'm a child of Berkeley, I was born at Ulta Bates Hospital. I've lived here almost my entire life and, frankly I plan to die here. This is my home. In a very serious way and I love this community and I love this city so much and I just wanna say this is the honor of a lifetime to be able to serve in this way and I wanna say thank you to the voters of District 5 and, thank you to all my colleagues for welcoming me and I'm really looking forward to to working with y'all. And I hope to do your pad, Berkeley. Thank you. Council member Taplin? Thank you. Thank you to the voters. Welcome to the members. Welcome to the new mayor, mayor Ishii. And, let's get to work. Yeah. I also just wanna thank folks again for being here this evening and, to say that even if you didn't vote for me, my job is to earn your trust and I look forward to being in touch with the people of Berkeley and hearing from you. I'm very much looking forward to doing this job. It's been an absolute honor and everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. I look forward to moving forward as a council together. So, thank you so much. I, Thank you. I also want to acknowledge that this is the last meeting for deputy city council managers Latanya Bellows and also Anne Cardwell, so I wanted to give, I believe council member Taplin first an opportunity to speak and to to make some comments since I'm new and didn't get a chance to work with you much. Thank you so much and good evening everybody. On behalf of the council, Madam WC manager Bello and Madam c Madam c Madam WC manager Ian Cardwell, thank you so much for your years of service to the community, city, and people of Berkeley. We have benefited so much from your unflinching responsiveness and your executive approach to the administration. And although it is with a heavy heart that we must say goodbye for now, we are so excited for you and your, your journey in Emeryville, not too far away. So, hopefully, you won't be gone too long and, but, but but honestly, thank you so much and, I've I've loved working with you. We've all loved working with you and and we wish you the best. Thank you. Thank you so much. And I'm not actually sure if Anne's here, but I'm going to pass it over to our city manager, to say a few words as well. Thank you, Mayor Ishi. I want to say a few words about our retiring Deputy City Manager, Anne Cardwell, as well as our moving to the Emeryville City Manager, Deputy City Manager, Bello. So to both of you, my profound thanks for your hard work, for your leadership, for your compassion, for your passion, and for all of the many things that you've done to make Berkeley a better place for everybody who lives here. I know you're gonna do the same in Emeryville. I know that we will stay connected as 2 cities working together. So, I thank you for all of that. And also thank Deputy City Manager Anne Cardwell for her years of service here to the City of Berkeley. She had the internal service department, so she wasn't quite as visible, but that was really the backbone of what made the city work also. So my sincere thanks to you also and Deputy City Major Cardwell. Thank you so much for those comments and actually, I'm going to send it to, we are going to send it back to you for City Manager comments, actually. Thank you, Mayor Richey. I don't really have any comments other than I do want to pull item number 9 from the consent calendar. Other than that, that's it. Thank you so much. And at this time, we're going to take public comment on non oh, sorry, my apologies. Our City Auditor also has some comments. Alright. Good evening and I wanted to congratulate, our newly elected mayor and, our newly elected city council members and our reelected city council members. And I also wanted to just, send best best wishes to deputy city manager Latanya Bello and, Anne Cardwell as well. Thank you for your service to our city, and to this council and to, our city manager, our, city attorney, and and other folks on the city staff. I look forward to working with you all to ensure Berkeley services are run efficiently, effectively, and equitably. Tonight, I just wanted to talk a little bit about, you know, some of the audit recommendations, updates that's on the agenda. A key part of our work together is ensuring that departments implement these recommendations outlined in our audits. And I just wanted to share some of the progress with you, our, you know, with the departments and to the public. I wanted to share that 4 of the departments have provided updates as information items on today's council agenda, including the first update on restaurant inspections, on the restaurant inspections audit that, the that was released in July. The public can provide comments during the consent calendar on all of these items. So I'm gonna just share a little bit about each item. Item number 22 is the, restaurant inspections audit where, the department has been understaffed and the program did not meet targets at the time of the, audit release. When this report was released, city council requested that the environmental health division provide an update to our recommendations in December given the serious public health risks identified in the report. To fulfill that request, the division shared an information item and to demonstrate that they've started or, partly implemented 7 out of the 8 recommendations proposed in the audit. Our report found that longstanding staff vacancies impacted program operations and left too many restaurants and other food facilities uninspected in 2023. According to the department's response, the division should have finished inspecting all high risk food facilities by November 2024. Their target is to now complete the inspections by the end of this calendar year for all low and medium risk facilities. We're pleased to share the environmental health division is also staffing up. The division has filled 1 inspector position and is in the process of selecting a supervisor to hire. In the short term, they've entered into a contract with California Association of Environmental Health Administrators for temporary food inspection support. And additionally, the division reported that they are planning to upgrade its current database to enable public access to food facility inspection results. Next, I wanted to share item 24. This is the report. Rocky Road, Berkeley Streets at risk and significantly underfunded. And Fleet Replacement Fund is Short 1,000,000. Public Works department has shared updates on 2 outstanding audits. 1 related to, street maintenance and the other regarding the Fleet Replacement Fund. For the streets audit, the department plans to engage a consultant to conduct an annual inventory of deferred street maintenance needs and estimated associated costs. The funds from measure FF, which just was just approved by voters, will further support the goals of the paving program. And for the fleet audit, public works progress since the last update includes launching a new fleet management system in spring of 2024 and the department's updating replacement costs in the new system to account for all associated expenses, such as personnel and customization, which was not included before. Public works also completed an assessment of the charging infrastructure, vehicle trans transitions, and costs needed to transition electric fleet by 2030. The 3rd item, item 23, is a audit titled Domestic Violence Response. Berkeley needs a comprehensive policy to support city employees. And in their update, HR shares that they will continue to make progress on recommendations. Since the last update, they have made additional revisions to the city's domestic violence policy, including revisions to the title, scope, and definitions. And this updated policy will soon be submitted to the City Attorney's Office for legal review. HR is also planning to incorporate staff training for compliance with the updated policy into a redesigned supervisor training curriculum. And finally, item 21 is, fire prevention inspections, insufficient resources strain code compliance....

Berkeley City Council Regular Meeting December 3, 2024

Tom Wong December 3, 2024 0

Transcript You are almost always right on your policies and positions, not quite a 100%, but almost. And when I've disagreed with you on 1 of your positions, at the same time, I've known that in holding that position, you have the best interest of your constituents in mind. Having said that, I always want your blessings for my items and I have a feeling even when you're off council would probably still behoove us to make sure that our referrals have your approval. I'm so thankful for all your service and for being a friend and mentor to me as I've gotten the hang of being on council. At the same time, I'm glad you'll be getting some much deserved rest and time with your family, though I know you're gonna still be active. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if you become 1 of the folks who comes and comments on nearly every item at every meeting. I think that would help us. But you deserve to enjoy your retirement, so instead I'll just have to ask myself, what would Susan do? From the bottom of my heart, thank you again for everything you've done and do and I wish you and your loved ones, your husband Mark, your grandchildren, your children, and your adorable grandchildren a happy council retirement. Thank you. That was so sweet, council member Humber. WWSD. What would Susan do? I guess, Susan and I will be, enjoying a leisurely dinner during the, council meetings. You know, we made it do some really rigorous times. We absolutely have. And so council member Windgrath, you, were like a living library of everything this council has done, all the rules, you know, the right questions to ask, and I enjoyed working with you. And despite our differences, which on on its surface appear to be many, difference in age, gender, race, geophysical positioning within the city. But but what united us through these years, these 8 years together, was the love of Berkeley, want us to work together. We came together many times, and you supported me. I supported you. We worked on Measure FF for fire. We worked on the fire plan in 2017. We worked on a myriad of issues. And every time you were there to to lend a helping hand and teach me, a plucky kid from the chief of South Berkeley, how to operate and be collaborative and initiate a vision, and we did it over and over again. And you were always steadfast, and you held your ground. And when it made sense, I was with you. And, I don't relish the, the fact that I have to take your position now as the most senior member on the council. Very alarming possibility, eventuality. And I will say again, just, council member Wingraff, it's been wonderful, wonderful experience. You're you're a lover of the arts. We share that, and I've learned so much from you and inspired by you and learned so much. And I'm gonna miss you, And please come around and comment on every item. Shut us down a couple of times. Okay? Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Thank you. And, councilor Mohan. Well, councilor Mahan, what can I say? So going back with 13, 14 years, I think it was, when we first, started coming together, You recruited my wife onto the the the women's commission, and you led the charge to shut down these massage parlors and to take that group, which had been relegated to, you know, 1 of those traditional women's auxiliary type clubs, talking about lace patterns and doing an annual event, to being proactive and producing leaders and making big change and sticking up for women. And, that was incredible. And then I saw you get involved in the downtown plan and all these large scale projects with council member Ara Gein back in the day. And through these years, you and I became so close. And, again, another genius woman here taught me so much and loved working with you through the years. And on council, we came in together on that blue green tide, and, we we brought a new a new energy, a new direction, and I can tell you, working with you and observing your your the power of your intellect is unrivaled. Powerhouse with a a brain and thought structure so massive and so complex, it takes a lot of time to express it in words. A lot of time. Oh my god. Counselor Ron. And, you know, and you're you're you're you're you are of Berkeley. You're a yellow jacket. Cheerleader. You know, you get it. You get what Berkeley is. You get it. It's in your fiber of your DNA. You get it. You express it. You believe in, what makes us unique, what makes us strong, what made us famous throughout the world. You embody that, and you push for that stuff. You go for it. And it's been an honor to support you throughout these this near decade together. And, you know, I'll I'll say this. Yet now that you've, you know, amassed all of your powers and you've you've run a campaign, you've launched out now, you're gonna be, free in the world with these new powers and new energies and new thoughts. You're gonna rest for a while, but I know what's gonna happen. I'm gonna leave you with a poem from my late father, Dale Bartlett. He would say if he were here, life is a river and must run its course, from a trickle to a stream and back to its source. We'll see you again. Farewells are really hard for me, so I'm not gonna say farewell because I hope to continue working with you and seeking your guidance. Councilor Bahan, you when I was first elected, you really embraced me as a colleague. I cherished our walks we would go on. I loved working on a number of my items with you and having you review my items at committee and give your feedback and knowing that I can always come to you for insight. And even when, we didn't agree, you were always willing to hear me out and and make my items better. Like you, I also grew up here in Berkeley, but I've never met anyone in my life who loves Berkeley as much as you do. And I've also never seen someone fight as hard on behalf of the city and its people in the way that you do. I've been so grateful and in awe of your passion, your deep knowledge of history, your championing of affordable housing, everything you've done for the arts community. And as someone who will be the 3rd most senior member of council, I feel so fortunate to have had these last 4 years to learn from you, and so I hope to continue doing doing so. And I hope that you can continue keeping me updated and let me know how I can support you. And, I hope to see, even more of you. And, and thank you for everything you've done for for all of us, for the community, for the city. Thank you for not being, afraid to challenge people and to call people out and to hold us to our better selves and and, you know, doing that for the community as well. And thank you for thinking of not just the good of the city, but also how to make sure that everyone in the city has a beautiful life, that we have beautiful spaces to share, to preserve our culture, to create culture, to work on the world that we all wanna see, and that our community deserves. And I I'm I'm deeply indebted to you for that and for having had that as a as a guiding light, especially through the pandemic and as someone who really, you know, came out of nowhere, didn't know anything when I first got here. So thank you so much. And, Mary Windingroff, I have loved every single day of these last 4 years working with you. Like Ben was saying, you know, we represent 2 very different districts, 2 very different parts of town, but, you we were always able to mutually support 1 other and and our our constituents. And and thank you so much for your your, your commitment to West Berkeley and the waterfront and for the wealth of knowledge that you have and just being able to come to you with all kinds of questions. And and I remember 1 time, it was 1 of my first first, like, doctor referrals. It was, I think you're, you know, you're all gonna laugh at me here. But it was a referral to add some trash cans along from Hill Avenue and it went to, I think, agenda in the rules, perhaps, and you were like, why do we need an item for trash cans? But at the at the time, it felt like, oh, crushed. Like, oh my god. Like, my first little item. But, you know, like, but especially for for newer members of council, having someone who is willing to sort of point out when something is a little ridiculous and and naive, in a way that, you know, is is clear, but also encouraging. And it's very important to have have those moments so that we don't end up doing better referrals or for for individual trash cans. And and, you know, working with you and the public safety committee and getting to learn about the needs of of the Hills District with respect to, evacuation and fire safety and wildlife wildfire, mitigation, and, you know, some of the less glamorous things we have to deal with, you know, refuse issues, infrastructure. Those have been my favorite parts of of working for the city is tending to those those assets. And, and I thank you so much for being, like, my mentor and my friends, and I I I really hope that, we can continue calling on you and and Lunch. Lunch. Yeah. Lunch. Absolutely. Yeah. And don't be surprised when, you know, if if we end up naming a couple of parks and streets and facilities and gardens and the city itself after you. I want to first echo my colleagues beautiful comments about Council Member Hahn and acting mayor Weingraaf who served on this council with such passion over the past 8 to 16 years. And while I only shared half of a year of that time with you both, I feel like I have learned so much from the both of you. There have been countless moments I've shared with you where I have been so appreciative of your expertise, your knowledge of history, your passions, your questions, your curiosity, and your kindness. Sophie, I want to specifically recognize some of the incredible work that you have done with maintaining affordable housing and supporting tenants. It is really incredible and I'm so excited to be able to continue to work off of it, but I know that it is because of you that I get to work off of it in the first place. I am so thankful to have had the chance to serve alongside you, and I just wanna mention how many times in the past 6 months I have smiled to myself and thought, wow, that's a really good point. I would not have thought of that. And it has been just really really incredible to see, this to see your work and and how passionate you are about it. So thank you. Susan, your dedication and your compassion and your thoughtful leadership have made such an incredible mark on this community and I, again, feel so fortunate to have been able to work alongside you. Your attention to detail and your commitment to your constituents, all of your constituents, will be sorely missed. Although I know that your successor will will follow in the very large footsteps that you have left for him. It is so clear to me how you lead with kindness and humility and a deep commitment to the well-being of our residents and I so admire the integrity that you take, in every single decision that you make. And I think that it will inspire our city's leaders for generations to come. I wanna thank you both for your years of service and especially for welcoming me to this council, and for the moments that we shared. I feel so lucky to have been able to serve with 2 such strong women on this council. I feel inspired. I wish you both and your incredible staff all the very best in the future, and I am glad that your families will get to spend more time with you. And I hope that you don't hesitate to reach out and if it is okay, I also won't. Thank you. Okay, thank you so much. Okay, we'll go now to council members on Zoom. Ingrid? You know, I simply don't have the words to describe, the depth of my appreciation of the community's appreciation for both of you, Sophie and Susan, mayor Langraf, and council member Han. If I had the boards, we would be here all night. I'm not going to make you go through a long council meeting, as as your final 1. But, I did want to share a few different stories that I think capture the full depth and breadth of everything that you have brought to our community throughout, not just your Council tenure, but your lifetime. Susan, I don't even remember the issue, but I remember that we were at loggerheads about something. This was maybe a decade ago or more, but you invited me into your office. And when we talked through it, and we had just a heart to heart conversation, I'll never forget what you told me. Oh my gosh. I am I am sorry for whatever, in the I don't even remember what it was, but whatever it was I was going through, and you offered to make me chicken soup. Your memory is better than mine. I am not making this up. And I'm also not making the up that after I left your office, I was like, what the hell were we arguing about anyway? Like, what what was the actual disagreement? And then, just I I also remember then I I was on a I was zooming into a meeting when you, offered, and I wasn't sure if you were talking to your council colleagues only. I was not on the council at that time, but you offered to take anyone who wanted to, on a, tour of the hills. And so I remember texting you in the middle of that meeting, and I said, I'm not sure if this was meant for me, but I would be honored. I would love to learn more about the Berkeley Hills. And almost immediately, or once, you went on recess, you, texted me back and said, let's go. So we we jumped into your leaf, and we went all around, the r 1 h district in the hills, and I learned so much from that. No, tomes of zoning, documents or materials, could ever, describe the half of everything that, I learned from you in that hour long tour. Susan, thank you for always inspiring, and challenging us to come up with a fully baked product. And if it's not fully baked, then after it gets a grilling from you, you better believe it's going to be a much better work product. Susan, I I learned from you. It's nice to get to 5 votes. That's a that's a quick win. That may be the easy win. But what would really go a long way towards really being desorbing of serving our entire community is something that gets a unanimous vote. And thank you for showing me through your leadership and through modeling that time and time again, what that level of collaboration and partnership and problem solving with everyone, how that feels at the end of it. And it feels fantastic because at the end of it, we're all working together. So thank you. Thank you, Susan. Sophie. Thank you, Igor. Thank you very much. Thank you. Sophie, some things are never going to change. You knew me, I think we first met when I was 23 and I was a knucklehead and you you challenged me to do better and then you reminded me that the community deserves nothing less. And then 17 years later I remember mourning a really just mourning a very unfortunate, national election loss. And then you were like, Igor, I need you to come to my house. We have an item. Actually, you did the fall item. It was a 21 page memo, I believe, and it was, concerning an issue in my district. Thank you for taking that on. And then once I got there, like, have you read the memo yet? And I was like, no. I'm not done warning the national election results. You are going to read the memo, sir. I'm going to sit here, and you're going to read this memo, and, you are going to make sure every I is dotted and every t is crossed. There were no i's that needed to be dotted, you took care of that. I I will met, 2 days after I wasn't sure, but maybe I may have gotten, elected. Like, the results were nowhere near certified that it was still being counted. You were, like, 8 AM. I've we're meeting. I've convened this meeting of, folks in your district in the arts community. We are going to work to try to save the arts district. That wasn't even your district, but you knew what, it means to be, for all of Berkeley, and thank you for that. I, I have so many stories. I will cap it off here because I really don't want us to I I don't want to I will spare you having to be here all night, But, I am so blessed to have such good friends in both of you. This goes beyond, whatever the position was. You, we have gotten to know each other's families. You, Ben reminded me, yes, Sophie. It's all your fault....

City of Fremont Council Meeting | October 17, 2023

Tom Wong October 17, 2023 0

Transcript Good evening. Welcome to the October 17 city council meeting. I'd like to call the meeting to order, and I'd like to invite Councilmember Yang Xiao to lead us in the Pledge. I pledge an allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, the visible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Roll call, please. Thank you. Council Member Shao. I'm sorry I missed. Council member saw one. I apologize. Present. I was ready. Council Member Shao is here. Council Member Casson. Here. Council Member Campbell. Here. Council Member Kang. Here. Vice Mayor Cox. Here. Mayor May. Here. Thank you so much. And at this time, I'd like to share the announcements that there's vacancies on our Boards and Commissions. And the City Clerk's Office accepts applications for the boards and commissions throughout the year. And if you're interested in learning more about those opportunities, please see our Boards, Commissions and Committees web page on our city's website. Or if you have questions, feel free to dial call the City Clerk's Office at 510-284-4060. Emails submitted to the City Clerk Office are compiled and distributed to the City Council and considered part of our City's public records. And if there's any other questions, if you're coming here today to join us, I would like to announce this meeting will go up to 11:30 p.m.. And we'll allow for 30 minutes of general public comment. And if there are additional speakers for oral communications after the initial 30 minutes, we'll take those at the end of the evening if time remains. And I would like to now turn this meeting over to our City Manager, Karina Shackleford, to make any announcements and introduce her staff at this time. Thank you, Mayor May. With us this evening, there is our city attorney, Rafael Alvarado. Across from me is our city clerk. Susan Gothier, and our management analyst, Alberto Quintanilla. And we also have our Sergeant at. Arms, who's always here with us, sergeant Kenneth Quok. Thank you. No announcements this evening. Thank you. And at this time, I'd also like to then move the Consent Calendar. And the consent calendar are items that will be passed with one council vote, and the staff recommendation will stand. Does any member of the Council wish to remove any item from the Consent calendar? Any speaker cards for any items? Thank you. Is there a motion from the Council to prove the items? Oh, thank you. Sorry. Okay. Thank you. So I see. Vice Mayor Teresa Cox and also Councilmember Saw one. Is that a motion in a second? Yes. I would like to move that we accept the entire consent calendar and we. Have a motion and by second by Council Member Saw One. Please vote. Thank you. And the consent calendar passes unanimously with the staff recommendation standing. And at this time, I'd like to share this evening, we have two ceremonial items. There is a proclamation for hispanic Heritage Month, which just ended a few days ago, but we would love to still celebrate it's traditionally September 15 through October 15. And so I would love to welcome Patricia to join me. Patty. Sorry. Montenejano. So bienvenido. And I look forward to seeing you down there's. It longer arms. Thank you so much for coming. So again, bienvenidio. I would like to share this for Hispanic Heritage Month. Whereas Hispanic Heritage Month started as Hispanic Heritage Week under former President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, and was expanded by former President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30 day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. And whereas Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens and residents whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and the Central and South America. And whereas the diverse heritage of the Hispanic community has had a significant role in the economy, culture, education, all fields and identity of the United States, and made contributions to the City of Fremont's success. And whereas the City of Fremont recognizes the many contributions and accomplishments of the Hispanic community, as well as their deep commitment to family and community, enduring work ethic, and the perseverance to succeed and contribute to society. And Whereas, the City of Fremont encourages the recognition of the rich cultural heritage and ethnic diversity within greater Tri Cities area as part of the City of Fremont's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural awareness programs, and Whereas, the Fremont City Council encourages all to promote and join in the appropriate celebration and observances throughout the City of Fremont. Now, therefore, the City Council of the City of Fremont hereby declares September 15 through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in appreciation of the achievements and contributions made by members of the Hispanic community to the City of Fremont. So, congratulations. And thank you, Patty, for coming to accept. Thank you. Thank you very much. Just push I just want to say thank you for everyone for having this such a great moment for me. It's my last one. It's my last one in person as I'm terming out as a Human Relations Commissioner. But I'm so glad to have been part of wonderful eight years of being part of such a great community. I may be off the commission, but I tend to dabble and get myself into lots of trouble here and there. So I'm not completely gone. But thank you very much for tonight. This means a great deal to me and my family and everybody else. Thank you so much. Madam mayor, I would like to make a point of privilege that our commissioner, Patty Matago, was honored by assemblymember Alex Lee, as well as Alameda county supervisor Alyssa Marquez at the recent Hispanic heritage month celebration. And she was our honoree for this last month. So I'd just like to recognize that before our City Council that Fremont was in the House. Which is glaciers and bienvenido. We were so much appreciative of the fact that yourself and so many others have represented our community and continue to be able to celebrate this. And I hope that people will join us. In the past, we have had in our city, besides this honoree, we also have had three Spanish immersion programs, and we're so blessed to have that resource here in our city, as well as be able to celebrate DS de le Muertes and other holidays. And so we look forward to continuing this as well. As I know I would say soccer, but my son would correct me and tell me it's football. Football. And so I know that with the World Cup and other things coming, there are so many opportunities, and of course, we look forward to your continued participation and that we welcome that in our community. So thank you. Muches gracias. Also this evening, I'd like to be able to honor Filipino American History Month. And so I'd like to invite our former trustee, current trustee for New Haven. Sure, I'm going to read this Magadang. So, whereas California is proud to be home to the largest Filipino American population in the nation, that contributes greatly to shaping, advancing, and enriching our community, and nearly 100,000 Filipinos live in Alameda County, representing 6% of its total population. And whereas Filipino Americans are the third largest Asian American group in the United States and the second largest Asian American group in the state of California, and whereas the Filipino American National Historical Society recognizes the year 1763 as the date of the first permanent Filipino settlement in USA, in St. Malto, Louisiana. Malo. Yeah. Okay. Sorry my eyes are not as great as it could be. Whereas in November of 2009, the United States Congress passed its resolution to officially recognize October as Filipino American History Month. And whereas Filipino men and women have made valuable contributions to all areas of life throughout the California state and the United States, including government, business, education, arts and sciences, medicine and healthcare, law enforcement, and the military. And whereas Filipino Americans have a long history of engaging in social justice movements across the nation, including, but not limited to, the United Farm Workers Movement and the Hawaii Sugar Plantation. And whereas the Filipino American communities have shared their rich culture and traditions with neighbors and friends, while setting examples as model citizens and public servants. Now, therefore, the City Council of the City of Fremont hereby proclaims October of 2023 as Filipino American History Month at the City of Fremont encourages all the members of the community to continually engage in efforts to learn, respect, and engage the history of the Filipino American community. And thank you for holding that wonderful event, and perhaps you can share a little bit about that. And I think this is an annual event that you've been doing, and so we look forward to sasalamapole. Thank you. Take a real quick picture. Okay. Thank you. See what thank you very much on behalf of the Filipino National Historical Society in the East Bay, which is Alameda and Contacasta counties. And I would like to thank you for this proclamation. But I also would like to introduce who's with me. This is Victoria Santos. He is one of the national Board trustees for the Northern California area. We have over 40 chapters, 43 chapters all around United States and Edith and Dennis back there. So we are here as member of funds to accept proclamation. And what Mayor May Lily May was sharing was that on October 7, we had a Filipino Historical History Month celebration at Italyong Veracruz Middle School. It was a very successful day. We had the topics of standing on your shoulders, representation matters and legacy. And we had a very good turnout of people. We have almost 500 people attendees at that event. So we are very grateful to the community for supporting us. So again, thank you. I will not take more time. Thank you very much for this proclamation and we will share it. You will sure will see you your faces on Facebook tonight. Thank you so much. I also wanted to share that we have many different great authors locally too, and resources. And so around the corner from here is Banter Bookstore and they have one of the books from one of the authors who is local here to celebrate Filipino history. So we're so fortunate to be able to encourage the access to these wonderful resources and programs. Next on our calendar this evening is our regularly scheduled agenda item. Oh, actually, it's oral communications. And at this time are there any speaker cards for oral? Currently have four. Okay, thank you. If we could announce that this is for any persons to speak on matters which are not scheduled this evening on the agenda may do so under Oral Communications section of the public Communications. And the communications received again via email are placed on file and considered part of public record. And so if there's any agenda item that's not scheduled this evening, the council cannot take action and nor respond to the items that are brought up under Oral Communications. But please note that we will take note of these. And however, the item could be agendized for a future meeting. If the council makes a referral to staff for a report back when speaking on behalf of an organization, please kindly state the name of the organization you are representing. And a bell will ring when 30 seconds are remaining for you to sum up your comments. And the bell will ring again when your time has ended. And so if we could call our next speaker and we'll go with two, three we'll go with many minutes, three minutes. It's only four speakers. Okay, the first speaker is Benjamin Yee, followed by Kelly Rose. Welcome. Hi. I think everybody knows who I am. Thank you. Mayor May and city Council and city staff. I know they're all smiling right now. I'm extremely excited about what I want to share with all of you and announce it's, especially because we just had the proclamation for Filipino American History Month. So, the mayor and I have been working for the last couple weeks with Iglesia Nicristo, one of the largest Philippine church organizations in the United States, and I just got off the phone with them, as well as the management team with Pape Machinery. They both have worked together and agreed that on the 29th of this month, from four to 07:00 P.m., they'll be giving away food to 100 needy families. So I just wanted to let you all know that they will be doing that on the 29th from four to 07:00 P.m.. So the name of the event, they just sent it to me, so bear with me. It's called the Felix E. Manolo foundation. Care for humanity in honor of the birthday of a glacier. Nicristo executive Minister brother Eduardo V. Manolo. So, just wanted to let you know, so I won't take up all three minutes. I think I'm done. Thank you. Kelly Rose. Welcome, Kelly. Followed by John Hines. Good evening. Thanks for having me. I'm here tonight as a private citizen concerned about a homeless encampment that is on the rise on Chapel Way in Fremont at Irvington Avenue....

City of Fremont Council Meeting | September 19, 2023

Tom Wong September 19, 2023 0

Transcript Meeting, and I'd like to ask Councilmember Yang Xiao to lead us in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May I have a roll call, please? Council member Sullivan. Present. Council Member Shao? Present. Council Member Cassin? Here. Council Member Campbell. Council Member Kang? Here. Vice Mayor Cox? Here. Mayor May? Here. And at this time, I'd like to share that there are vacancies on our Boards and commissions, and our City Clerk's Office accepts applications throughout the year. And if you're interested in looking at the Boards and commissions, please look it on our web page at fremont dot gov. Or please contact the city clerk's office at 510-264-4060. Members of the public participating in this night's evening, if you're doing it so electronically with Zoom, please press the Raise Hand icon. Or if you're calling in by, dialing star Nine. And I will make announcement before each section of the agenda, and if not noted on the Zoom screen, please kindly state your name. And if you're representing an organization, please state the name of the organization that you represent. Emails submitted to City Clerk's Office are compiled and distributed to the Council and staff and published in the City's Agenda Center on Fremont Gov, and will be placed on file and considered part of the public record. I would like to announce that the meeting will go up to 11:30 p.m. This evening, if needed, and we will allow for 30 minutes of general public comment, and if there are additional speakers for oral communications after the initial 30 minutes, we will take the additional speakers at the end of the meeting. If time remains, I will now turn the meeting over to our City Manager, Karina Shackleford, to make any announcements and to introduce herself and her staff at this time. Welcome. All right. Thank you. Mayor May, good evening to you and to members of the Council. Thank you for the opportunity to introduce my colleagues. Raphael Alvarado, our city attorney. Across from me is Susan Gothier, our City clerk. And next to her is Alberto Quintanilla, our former assistant city clerk, now management analyst, but still helping us with the clerking duties. Thank you, Alberto. There is an item that I'd like to share this evening and just want to make the public aware that the city's Homeless Response Plan vendor has completed an initial assessment and data analysis, and staff are working with the consultants to schedule next steps, which would include stakeholder interviews and focus groups, which will occur in the fall and winter. And also the isherwood and Washington underpass, which is future Bart parking. They're scheduled for enhanced cleaning activities at the end of September, early October, so be on the lookout for that. Thank you. Thank you. And at this time, I'd like to have the consent calendar be reviewed the consent calendar item are agenda items that will be passed with one council vote and the staff recommendation will stand. Members of the public wishing to comment on an item on the consent calendar may do so by submitting a card if you're in the audience or if you're on zoom by pressing the Raise hand icon, or if you're dialing in via phone by pressing soar, nine does the City Clerk I know, I see we won. Public speaker on the consent calendar items two J. Two J. Okay. Are there any members of the Council which wish to address some item on the consent calendar? Council member saw one? Yes. I'll be recusing on item 2D, which is a centerville, railroad corridor, safety improvements that is adjacent to my office. Okay, thank you so much. 2d, which is the centerville, and two J, which is the ACTC project funding agreements. Okay. May I get a motion, please? Vice Mayor Cox? Yes. I would like to move that we accept the I'm sorry, your mic is off. I would like to make a motion to approve the consent agenda, except for two J, and then noted that our Council member someone, is disqualified for himself on 2D. Yes. Okay, may I have a second? Seconded. Okay. Seconded by Council Member Kang. Please vote. Can everybody please vote? I think it cleared again, so that's why cassin council Member thank you. Please note, the consent calendar passes unanimously with the exception of item two J, which will be addressed separately. And 2D for the recusal of council Member saw one. Thank you so much. And at this time, I would like to proceed to the ceremonial item. And this evening, we have a proclamation for American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. Thank you. So I've joined. Thank. I believe accepting the proclamation this evening will be musa tariq, who is the policy coordinator with the council on american islamic relationship for san francisco bay area office, accompanied by nasir iran from the saleem food pantry and salam food pantry and also salma ume from the muslim support network. So if you'd like to join me up here, I'd love to share this. Assalamu alaikum. And so this is a proclamation on behalf of American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. It's usually in August, but please note that our council is usually in recess in August. Whereas enriched by unparalleled diversity of its residents, the City of Fremont takes great pride in supporting individual religious freedom and is strengthened by many varied religious, political, culture and contributions of its diverse population, including those that practice Islam. And Whereas, over 90,000 Muslims live in Alameda County and made significant contributions to the well being of the City of Fremont, the State of California, and the United States. And Whereas, Fremont has a thriving Muslim community with full time Islamic schools, organizations and mosques that have been providing religious and community service for decades and have answered the call for help during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Whereas, the Islamic Society of East Bay has established their COVID-19 care program that provides financial aid, groceries, supplies and serves dinners at the Abode homeless shelter and delivers food to all vulnerable community members in partnership with Support Life Foundation for COVID-19 vaccine clinics that provided 6200 vaccines. And Whereas, the Islamic Center of Fremont and its volunteers have served hundred meals a day and continued to its monthly grocery bag delivery program for underprivileged of the Tri Valley area and in partnership with the Salam Food Pantry to serve the economically disadvantaged community. And Whereas. Founded in 2016, the Fremont based American Muslim Community Foundation is an innovative and award winning national community foundation that is committed to its social needs, racial justice, and health equity initiatives by distributing more than 8 million to over 400 nonprofits, then creating donor advised funds, giving circles, distributing grants, and its building endowments. Now, Therefore, the City Council of the City of Fremont hereby honors and recognizes the month of September 2023 as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month in the City of Fremont and acknowledge the rich history and contributions of the Muslim community. So I just wanted to say welcome. I know that over the years I've had the opportunity to welcome many of your organizations. And I know our council joins me in sharing our warmest appreciations for the outreach that you've provided, whether it's for our small businesses, for the vaccines, for the health and wellness and public safety within our communities, and certainly in these times that have been trying. I think that we are very pleased and honored to be able to partner on awareness of hate and also to be able to spread more hope and love with one another. So I'd love to present this to you're. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and assalamu alaikum, my dear brothers and sisters, I am deeply honored to stand before you today as we accept this proclamation from our esteemed Mayor May recognizing American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. This proclamation not only celebrates the rich cultural tapestry of our diverse community, but also highlights the importance of unity and understanding among our fellow citizens. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mayor May and the City Council for their unwavering support and for acknowledging the contributions of American Muslims in our great city. I also want to take this moment to express my gratitude to all the dedicated individuals who made our organization Muslim Support Network, possible. We are committed to serving the elderly Muslim population in our city, and this proclamation is a testament to impact of our work. Every fourth Monday of the month, we invite our elders to the Age Well Center and set up some activities to help them heal from their physical and mental health issues, relax, and connect with other members of our society. We have also helped the elders in our community with difficulties overcoming the language barrier. I would like to especially thank the Fremont City Human Services Department for their continued support for past 18 years. May this American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month be a time of reflection, unity and appreciation for the diversity that makes our city great. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor, city Council members and assalamualaikum. This is California's 8th year designated as the Muslim American Appreciation and Awareness Month. We truly appreciate the City of Fremont honoring this month on behalf of Slam Food Pantry, which is a local, nonprofit, volunteer based and community funded food pantry established in 2016, serving families and individuals facing food insecurity in Fremont, Hayward and Union City. Over the past six years, we've created a network with other nonprofit organizations, restaurants and local businesses to support our cause. I'm thankful for our energetic volunteers some of them are here, who are predominantly high school volunteers and our adult volunteers supporting us through the past years. Since the pantry opened in 2016 of April, we've not missed one single distribution day, even during the pandemic. As American Muslims and integral fabric of the local community, we look after our neighbors who are veterans, disabled, homebound, and unable to get to groceries, and neighbors who are facing challenges at the end of the month to get groceries on the tables. We carry our Islamic values and human values and love serving them throughout the month. We are inculcating the same values in our children to be responsible and caring. Slum Food Pantry and its volunteers are humbled to receive the recognition during the American Muslim Appreciation Awareness Month. This pro commission signifies the daily role American Muslims play in their communities where they live and raise their children as caring citizens. We truly appreciate the recognition. Thank you all. Everybody. I wasn't anticipating making a public comment today, but that's okay. I'm Musa Tariq, the policy coordinator at the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Care, the Council on American Islamic Relations. And I just wanted to say thank you to everybody, particularly in the Muslim community, for showing up today for this proclamation. Out of all the City Council meetings I've been to for the Muslim Appreciation Awareness Proclamations, this has one of the largest turnouts, and that's not very surprising considering the robust Muslim community in Fremont. And we have members of our staff that also are residents of Fremont, including our Executive Director, Zara Bilu. So I just wanted to say thank you for all the people showing up today and mobilizing for your community and for all your great efforts. Thank you so much. To who are you talking to? Tells Theory to go home. Thank you to all who have joined us this evening. At this time, I'd like to go on to public actually public communications, and that's for items that are not agendized this evening. So if you are interested in addressing an item that's not agendized this evening, if you're in the audience, please submit a speaker card. Or if you're a member of the public on Zoom, please do so by raising the raise hand icon, or if dialing in by pressing Star nine. And again, if not noted on Zoom screen, please state your name when speaking on behalf of an organization and state the name of the organization you are representing. Do we have speakers? We have three cards so far. Joe Rose, followed by Kelly abrupt. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor May and council members. My name is Joe Rose, and I'm executive director for Nami Alameda County South. That's the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and we're having our annual walk here in Fremont. Although we serve all of Alameda County, we're really grateful for the city of Fremont to be a hub for our walk at Lake Elizabeth. We're going to be doing that on Saturday, October 7. I believe that there was a flyer that was sent out, and you should be having that. And our supervisor, Halbert, is going to be a keynote speaker there. Supervisor Marquez is going to try to be there. She's a busy lady, but she's going to try to be there and speak as well. And we have a lot of things going on. This is Mental Health Suicide Awareness Month, and although we're having our walk in October, what we're going to do is we're going to have a butterfly release in memory of those who have passed way too soon. There's going to be in three separate parts. One is for people that are at the walk to want to release a butterfly in memory of someone. Then for those people that are not able to be there, they're going to be a butterfly released by somebody that's there for them. And then finally, we're going to release a dozen butterflies in memory of those who we can't mention in name, because we don't know them, but they still deserve recognition. So we're going to be doing that. We're going to have in addition to that, we're going to have face painting and a lot of things to celebrate life. And so I hope that you can join us on October the 7th. And again, we want to thank the city of Fremont for hosting us. Fremont PD will have a table there. Fremont Fires has two companies. They're not going to be there at the same time, but they will be there to support us. And we'll have a number of other organizations. So part of this, most of the fundraising is online, but what we look at the walk for is to do outreach to the community, because a lot of people walk there. So we're looking at really, basically doing an outreach to the community to let people know what services are available and how they can get a hold of those services. So thank you very much for allowing us to host our event here in Fremont. No, thank you so much for sharing. The next speaker is Kelly Abrew, followed by Saleem maston. Thank you. The representation of our culture in the film, in cinema, is actually very important. And some of you may know something that ought to be titled the Real Housewives of Ruby Hill. Ruby Hill is in Pleasanton, and it's a reality TV kind of a show, which does exactly the kind of things, stunts, that you would expect on a reality TV show. But Fremont has a real movie, a serious film called Fremont is the title of the film. And it seems that the film has a very accurate analysis, or insightful, penetrating insight into the political and social culture of Fremont. And a lot of the message there that the director is trying to put out is very timely and very apt and very correctly aimed. His analysis of our culture, very accurate right here in centerville the whole city and in the city Human Resource Human Services Department, because a lot of the city policies are based on this idea of female disempowerment. Female, you know? Yeah, disempowerment. And that's entirely overblown. In fact, the film director told KQED two weeks ago, when he spoke to them about the movie, for nearly an hour on Forum, he said, something that has annoyed me a lot has been the representation of Afghan women in the media and the cinema, in that they seem to solely focus on the oppression that they were under. And that is not untrue, because, of course, it's dire the situation for them. But having grown up around Afghan women in Iran and also abroad, most Afghan women I met were very independent. They had a sense of agency, they had desires, they had wishes, and we seldom heard or saw anything about that. So when he wrote the movie, actually, he had a woman write the movie. But when he filmed the movie, and when he came up with a concept for this movie, it's all about trying to portray Afghan women more accurately. And the result of this kind of misperception is perhaps an imbalance in the treatment of the Afghan community by your Human Services Department. The next speaker is Salim Maston. Good evening, Mayor. And the City Council members and the staff. I'm sorry I was late for the presentation, but I got to say a few words, too, for the Muslim Appreciation Month. What is it to be a Muslim in Fremont, California? We came here about 50, 45 years ago, and we settled here and started becoming a family, which is now over 500 people. In these 45 years of Fremont, we have made sure that we as a community, not only think about just Muslims, but everybody. In all, we have encompassed everyone along with us....

City of Fremont Council Meeting | September 12, 2023

Tom Wong September 12, 2023 0

Transcript Meeting to order, and I'd like to ask Councilmember Campbell to please lead us in the pledge to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one. Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and. Justice law may I ask for a roll call, please? Council member. Soar Present. Council Member Shao? Present. Council Member Cassin? Council Member Campbell? Present. Council Member Kang? Present. Vice Mayor Cox? Present. Mayor May? Here. So, at this time, I'd like to share. There are vacancies on our Boards and Commissions, and the City Clerk's Office accepts applications throughout the year. If you're interested in learning about those, please go to our website at the Committee's Commission's webpage at fremont dot gov. Or feel free to contact our City Clerk's Office at 510-284-4060. Members of the public wishing to participate this evening via electronic meeting may do so and speak under Public Comment by clicking on the Raise Hand icon, or if dialing in by dialing Star Nine. I will make an announcement before each section of the agenda, and if not noted on the zoom screen, please kindly state your name. Or if you're representing an organization, please state the organization that you're representing. So, in addition, please note that emails submitted to City Clerk's Office are compiled and distributed to the City Council and staff and published in the City's Agenda Center on Fremont Gov, and are placed on file and considered part of the public record. I'd like to announce that this meeting will go up until 1130 this evening, if needed, and we'll allow for 30 minutes of general public comment, and if there are additional speakers for oral communications after the initial 30 minutes, we will take those additional speakers at the end of the meeting. If time remains, I will now turn the meeting over to our City Manager, Karina Shackleford, to introduce her staff at this time and to make any announcements. All right. Thank you, Mayor May. Joining me this evening is city attorney Raphael Alvarado, our city clerk, Susan Gothier, and our management analyst, Alberto Quintanilla. As far as announcements are concerned, I'd just like to soar that on August 11, the City announced a notice of funding availability for the creation of affordable housing in Fremont. There is approximately $30 million in funding available for new construction of affordable rental developments or sustainable rehabilitation of existing market rate developments for the purpose of creating new affordable rental housing for extremely low, very low or low income households. To learn more, visit the City's website. And the deadline to submit proposals is October 31. That's it for announcements. Thank you very much. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to note for the Clerk, please, that our Council Member Cassin has arrived, and then also that the Consent Calendar is next on our agenda. And the Consent calendar are items that will be passed with one council vote and staff recommendation will stand. Are members of the Public wishing to speak on the consent calendar may do so by pressing the Raise Hand icon or if dialing in by dialing Star Nine. Does the City Clerk's Office have any speakers on any of the items on the consent calendar in person? We have one card for two h, and we have somebody who's raised their hand on Zoom. So let's check that one. Suresh. Which item do you want to speak on? I could not get the agenda. No, I was to only speak during the open session. I was unable to see the agenda on the website, but I'll maybe figure that out later. What's going on for oral communications? We'll note that. Yeah. Okay. And then, Council Member Cox, did you want to pull in an item or did you want to okay, so I. Would like to move that we move everything on the consent agenda except for two h. Second. Okay. Moved by Council Member Cox, seconded by Council Member Kang. Please vote, and the consent calendar carries unanimously. Thank you. And then this evening, I'm also next will be our ceremonial items. And the person is not here yet. Okay. Why don't we should we skip that until it's available? They are available. We'll continue with next are public communications, oral communications, and I believe we have at least one speaker for that. And those are for the items that are not listed on the agenda this evening. And any person desiring to speak on. Those matters may do so under oral. Communications of the Public Communications Section. And communications received again via email will be placed on file, considered part of the public record. Members of the public wishing to do so at this time may do so by clicking on Raise Hand icon if you're using Zoom as an app, or by dialing in by dialing Star Nine. And again, if not noted on the Zoom screen, please kindly state your name. And when speaking on behalf of an organization, state the name of the organization you are representing. Thank you so much. Do we have speakers for we're going. To call on Kelly Abrew first for oral communications. Okay. Welcome, Kelly. In Castor Valley. They have something called the Hayward area Recreation District, and they do parks. And they also have something that's kind of like a city council. So yesterday they had a State of the Parks presentation and update by the Recreation and Park District. And the City of Fremont has something similar. It has the EBRPD City Liaison Committee that is supposed to meet three times a year. Three times a year. Now, it met twice in 2016 and 2017 and 2018 and 2021. But in 2019, it met just once, just once in 2020, just once in 2022, and it met on April 27 of 2023. That's once. So it sounds a couple of years of once and a couple of years of twice that averages out to what? One and a half supposed to be three. And if you ask, well, what are the issues? Well, maybe you should turn on look at the Sacramento Bee. They covered the story. The big news, the destruction of the pole at Mission Peak. How about Cron? Four Bay Area news. How about San Francisco Chronicle? How about the San Jose Mercury? I could give you a whole list of articles about what's going on in the park over there. You would think that the politicians would be interested. Even the city politicians seem to have an interest in Mission Peak when it's time to restrict parking, when it's time to cut park hours, when it's time to limit how many restrooms we build and build. Thank you. The next speaker is suresh. Hi, can you hear me? Yes. Ten days ago, the Mission Peaker pole at the summit of Mission Peak was sliced in half and tossed 200ft down the side of the mountain. The City council has been eerily silent on this act of vandalism, but the council has had many, many long and lively debates regarding access to Mission Peak. Back in November 2021, a council member made the following statement about the pole imagine if we had that right on Mission Boulevard. You don't have to climb the peak. Well, it seems that phase one of Operation Mission Peaker has been successfully executed. We are now waiting to find out when and where the pole will be reinstalled on Mission Boulevard so that, as the council members suggested, in 2021, you don't have to climb the peak. You could just take the photo right there and then invite them for the experience. Thank you. There's no additional speakers. Thank you very much. I know this is not agenda's item, but I know that our city staff has been working in concert with the East Bay Regional Parks who owns Mission Peak, and so I just wanted to leave it at that. And they will be sharing an update as they work in concert. Certainly all of us as community members are sad whenever there is vandalism of any facilities in our city, be it park or other city facilities. And this is certainly one that's well loved and well recognized in our community. And so thank you for all the care from the community members who have spent time recreating in our city, and thank you for the continued interest in working in partnership with East Bay Regional Parks. At this time. I will also then turn it back to see if there's the recipient, I think has arrived for this evening's ceremonial. That's what I was going to say. Thank you and I'll be coming down, but I just wanted to say that this evening we're sharing a proclamation for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which is the month of September 2023. Thank you. I'll be right download you. Thank you so much. And this is for Childhood Cancer Awareness. Month in September 2023. Whereas according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, childhood Cancer is the leading cause of disease for children in the United States. Whereas, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, approximately one of every six children is not expected to live past five years of age. And whereas the American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 9910 children United States under 15 years of age will be diagnosed. With cancer in 2023. And whereas the potential years of life lost to childhood cancer and the potential years of life saved by treatment extend all exceed all other cancers with exception of breast cancer. And whereas most children cannot be treated at a local hospital, and families must face the disruption of relocating to receive treatment at a regional cancer center. And whereas the result of major treatment advances in recent decades, more than 85% of children with cancer now survive five years or more. And whereas the survival rate of children with cancer has significantly increased since the mid 1970s when the five year survival rate was approximately 58% and whereas survival rates vary depending on the type of cancer and other factors and whereas due to children's bodies still growing and cancer treatments largely geared toward use on adults, children are more likely to experience long term side effects from treatments. Now, therefore, the City Council of the City of Fremont hereby proclaims September 2023 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and encourages individual businesses and organizations throughout the City to participate in activities and events that promote awareness of childhood cancer and support families affected by this devastating disease. Not just during September, but throughout the year, the City of Fremont celebrates the progress of all related organizations in aiding children battling childhood cancer while simultaneously renewing its commitment to that cause. And so, I have here tonight, Ms. Metta, if you would come and share some words. And then also I wanted to let you know I think gold is the color that represents the children childhood cancer. So that's why I'm wearing it this evening. But thank you so much. Please come and share. Thank you again. Hi, everyone. I'm Manisha. I am Ronald's mom. He passed away five years back in 2018 when he was 14 years old. He was in 7th grade when he was diagnosed with DIPG. It's a pediatric brain tumor and it's terminal. It's very aggressive. There is no cure. There is 0% survival. There is no neil Armstrong's daughter had this in 1960s when she was two years old. And till then, from there till now, there has been no research done, no progress done in this disease and for any other these kind of brainstem tumors. And the reason being because there is no awareness, because when this happened to our child, we were not aware of this at all. And we had to even go out of the country to get treatments in Mexico and all experimental treatments. And the reason awareness is very important is because only if there's awareness, there would be some research, and that could probably lead to some cure. And my son donated his tumor to Stanford Hospital for research and after he passed away. We have now formed a nonprofit organization and we are trying to help in fund research and do some even advocacy. Right, because we just had a bill passed in the Senate for having declaring September as Childhood Cancer month, because California is one of the 20 states in US. Which is still not declared September as childhood cancer month. So it's in the House right now, and then it'll go to the governor. But the reason this is very important is because only if people are aware that children are dying of cancer, and kids also get cancer, then only there will be some federal funding, because right now, literally only less than 4% of federal funding goes to childhood cancer. So all of the 2020 5000 kids are just allowed to die and then there's nothing done for them. So there's only like families whose kids have passed away. They have foundations, they try to do something because obviously we're not going to get our kids back, but we don't want other families to go through what has happened. Awareness and doing something and caring for this cause is very important. And there are so many things one can do. Like you can always talk to people, like right now, like breast cancer, everybody's aware, the pink ribbon everybody knows. But September, nobody even knows the gold ribbon much. But if people talk about it more during your families with your friends and all, if you just kind of pass that message on, and if more people are aware, that could help, or at least help some foundations who are trying to do some work. If you can donate or try to talk to your officials, your representatives, that more needs to be done. Because once you have it, and once you go through it, doing something at that point is very late. And the time is like to care now and to feel concerned about it now, because anything can happen to anybody at any time, to any of your loved ones. Because if we think that it's not going to happen to us, we never thought we would be a cancer family, but it could happen to anybody. So yeah, I just feel like if you feel it in our hearts that we need to do something for the child. Because when a child's life is lost, more than 70 years of lives are lost. So we're not saying don't do anything for adult cancer, but less than 3% is like very little. And pharmaceutical companies don't really do much because the numbers are not there. So the kids are, then somebody needs to stand up and be there for them and fight for them. So thanks for City of Fremont, for declaring September as proclaiming it for this year, for September is Childhood Cancer Month. So thanks. And we hope to take this further. We're going to DC next month or next week for the Cure Fest. And our foundation has been selected, has been invited to the White House also for the Moonshot program. So we're going to go and talk about this more there too, and try and push the needle further as much as we can for all our children's sake. So thank you. Thank you everyone for listening....