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Consider Directing Staff to Evaluate and Present Findings on a Potential Large-Format, Commercial Vacancy Fee. (Councilmember Daysog)
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COUNCIL REFERRAL FORM
The Council can take any of the following actions:
1) Take no action.
2) Refer the matter to staff to schedule as a future City Council agenda item. Concurrence that staff time will be devoted to the item does not signify approval.
3) Take dispositive action only on time sensitive legislative matters if sufficiently noticed such that the public and Council have been provided sufficient information by the published agenda, and no formal published notice of a public hearing is required.
Name of Councilmember(s) requesting referral: Tony Daysog
Date of submission to City Clerk (must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on the Monday two weeks before the Council meeting requested): August 21, 2026
Council Meeting date: September 15, 2026
Brief description of the subject to be printed on the agenda, sufficient to inform the City Council and public of the nature of the referral: Have City Staff Bring to City Council a Commercial Vacancy Tax Based on (1) a Review Commercial Vacancy Tax Policies, Practices, Ordinances, and or Resolutions, and (2) Based on Analysis Regarding Focusing the Vacancy Tax Only on Large-Format, Foot-Traffic Generating Store Types (i.e. Grocery Stores and Pharmacies)(Albeit Vacant) Analyzed in the Context of “Urban Decay” Ruling(s) Issued by the Late Kern County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Twissleman, and Not Be Applied to Non-Foot-Traffic Generating (Albeit Vacant) Retail Types.
The City Council approved a Strategic Plan on November 21, 2023, which established the following 5 priorities:
A. Enhance Community Safety & Services
B. Build Resilience to Climate Change & Water Level Rise
C. Invest in Transportation, Infrastructure, Economic Opportunities & Historic Resources
D. House All Alamedans & End Homelessness
E. Practice Fiscal Responsible, Equitable & Inclusive Governance
If applicable, briefly describe which Council priority the subject falls under and how it relates: The City of Alameda has a number of commercial shopping centers anchored by grocery stores and\or pharmacies, the closure and, in case of prolonged closure, of which can result in a state of “urban decay”, in which the loss and prolonged vacancy of grocery and\or pharmacies anchors leads to a cascading effect of closure and blight: a commercial vacancy tax aimed at and applied to ONLY long-vacant large retail spaces formerly occupied by shuttered grocery and\or pharmacies anchoring shopping centers is meant to prevent “urban decay” and incentive re-tenanting of vacant sites with foot-traffic generating stores.