Title
Minutes of the Joint City Council and Successor Agency to the Community Improvement Commission Meeting and Regular City Council Meeting Held on January 3, 2023. (City Clerk)
Body
UNAPPROVED
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND
SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION (SACIC)
TUESDAY- -JANUARY 3, 2023- -6:59 P.M.
Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft convened the meeting at 7:01 p.m. Vice Mayor/Commissioner Daysog led the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL - Present: Councilmembers/Commissioners Daysog, Herrera Spencer, Jensen, Vella and Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft - 5. [Note: The meeting was held via Zoom.]
Absent: None.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilmember/Commissioner Jensen moved approval of the Consent Calendar.
Vice Mayor/Commissioner Daysog seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers/Commissioners Daysog: Aye; Herrera Spencer: Aye; Jensen: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5. [Items so enacted or adopted are indicated by an asterisk preceding the paragraph number.]
(*23- CC/23- SACIC) Minutes of the Joint City Council and SACIC Meeting Held on December 6, 2022. Approved.
(*23- CC/23- SACIC) Resolution No. 16021, and No. 23-18, “Approving the Development List of Affordable Housing Projects and Funding Request for Such Projects as Requested by the Alameda Unified School District.” Adopted; and
(*23- CC-A/23- SACIC-A) Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Submit the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule (ROPS) and Administrative Budget for the Period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 to the Countywide Oversight Board. Accepted.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Mayor/Chair Ezzy Ashcraft adjourned the meeting at 7:04 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lara Weisiger, City Clerk and Secretary, SACIC
The agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.
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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY- - JANUARY 3, 2023- -7:00 P.M.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft convened the meeting at 7:04 p.m.
ROLL CALL - Present: Councilmembers Daysog, Herrera Spencer, Jensen, Vella, and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft - 5. [Note: The meeting was conducted via Zoom.]
Absent: None.
AGENDA CHANGES
(23- ) Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated she would call City Manager Communications next.
CITY MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS
(23- ) The Interim City Manager made an announcement regarding the upcoming storm.
PROCLAMATIONS, SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
(23- ) Presentation by the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District.
Ryan Clausnitzer, Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District (ACMAD), gave a Power Point presentation.
Councilmember Jensen inquired whether there is a season for mosquitos; noted rain is coming which will result in standing water.
Mr. Clausnitzer responded in the affirmative; stated flood water causes mosquitos to lay eggs in the soil; when water reaches the soil, the eggs hatch; mosquitos tend to wait until the spring equinox to hatch; staff is preparing for the hatch season; there are less diseases with more water, however, more mosquitos will be present.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated residents should drain standing water after any heavy rain.
Mr. Clausnitzer stated the ACMAD responds to calls within one day; residents can drain standing water by tipping over containers.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA
(23- ) Tod Hickman discussed the City Manager position; suggested requiring four votes to terminate the City Manager.
(23- ) Paul Beusterien, Alameda, expressed support for Council requiring four votes to terminate the City Manager; discussed the storm and expressed his appreciation for City staff providing information and taking action; encouraged improvements be made to lagoons.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilmember Herrera Spencer requested the Teleconference Findings [paragraph no. 23- ] be removed from the Consent Calendar for discussion.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer moved approval of the Consent Calendar.
Vice Mayor Daysog seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Herrera Spencer: Aye; Jensen: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5. [Items so enacted or adopted are indicated by an asterisk preceding the paragraph number.]
(*23- ) Minutes of the Special and Regular City Council Meetings Held on December 6, 2022. Approved.
(*23- ) Ratified bills in the amount of $957,461.80.
(*23- ) Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager, or Designee, to Execute a Five-Year Agreement with Rojas Flores Landscaping, Inc. for Landscape Maintenance Services - Various Locations (Citywide) for a Total Amount Not to Exceed $825,369.
Not heard on December 20, 2022. Accepted.
(*23- ) Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Accept the Improvements Completed by Alameda Marina, LLC, for Alameda Marina - Lot 4, EVA Corridor Utilities. Accepted.
(*23- ) Recommendation to Authorize the Purchase of Three Vehicles Consistent with the Revised Vehicle Replacement Policy in Amounts Not to Exceed $404,162.72 from Downtown Ford for One Versalift Bucket Truck and One Crane Truck and $422,043.26 from Weco Industries for a Multi-Conductor Camera Van. Accepted.
(23- ) Recommendation to Approve Findings to Allow City Meetings to be Conducted via Teleconference.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she would like to discuss the matter now that a new Councilmember is present; it is important for the City to move to the hybrid meeting model as soon as possible; noted other jurisdictions have moved to a hybrid meeting model.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer moved approval of proceeding with hybrid meetings at the next Council meeting.
Councilmember Jensen stated other agencies are performing in-person meetings; she understands Alameda and other agencies throughout the State will be required to shift meetings beginning in March 2023 due to the end of the state of emergency; requested clarification of the timeline; proposed approving the matter for another month to allow staff to come up with a hybrid meeting model.
The City Manager stated March 1, Councilmembers have to go back to the Brown Act requirements where any Councilmember, Board, or Commission member subject to the Brown Act, will have to provide and report their remote location; the location will need to be published and made accessible to the public; staff is recommending hybrid meetings starting March 1; noted there has been a surge of COVID-19; stated additional trainings and coordination for hybrid meetings are needed; staff recommends waiting to start the hybrid model until legally required due to the mentioned factors.
The City Attorney stated the Governor intends to stop the state of emergency at the end of February, effective March 1.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the City Manager is proposing Council begin hybrid meetings at the first Council meeting in March.
The City Manager responded in the affirmative; stated all Councilmembers would have to be in-person in Council Chambers or publish their remote location on the agenda; hybrid would be available for staff and the public; staff is looking into how the hybrid meeting model will be implemented for all Boards and Commissions.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she is expecting the public to be able to participate in-person, not just via Zoom; expressed support for allowing Council, Board, and Commission members to participate remotely; expressed concern over members of the public being denied the opportunity to participate in Council meetings; stated that she supports the hybrid meeting model being made available to everyone; expressed support for members of the public being able to participate in public meetings in-person; stated that she believes not as many members of the public participate in City meetings via Zoom; discussed the number of Zoom participants; stated many Zoom participant counts include staff.
Councilmember Vella stated prior to meeting virtually, staff was often seated in the Chambers audience; several meetings had only staff members present in Chambers; people would often watch Council meetings on television or through the City website; getting a sense of participation is difficult; people could be watching the meetings via Facebook Live and numbers can change throughout the evening; measuring is often an imperfect science; people can watch meetings after-the-fact; expressed support for expanding the reach of meetings moving forward and for an as seamless as possible process providing transparency; stated that she understands the concerns related to technology issues; she hopes the hybrid process works well; expressed support for providing direction to staff for a test-run being performed in February in order to have the hybrid meeting process work as soon as possible.
Vice Mayor Daysog concurred with Councilmember Vella; stated it sounds as though Council can perform a hybrid test-run in February; there is a hard start date of March 1; the approach is a common sense compromise; there is a new City Manager; Council should contemplate the compromise proposed by Councilmember Vella, recognizing that hybrid meetings might not occur in February; inquired whether people will be allowed to attend the meeting in-person with the hybrid meeting model.
The City Manager responded in the affirmative; stated the public would be able to join via Zoom, other electronic modes, or attend in-person; staff can also participate in a hybrid manner either remote or in-person; the difference will be whether the City allows Council to join in a hybrid manner with some participating in Chambers and some participating remotely; staff would like to ensure Council participation is seamless.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer inquired whether the potential test run includes participation in-person by members of the public.
The City Manager responded staff has discussed performing an internal dry-run meeting; a dry run can be done in February to ensure the system will be ready by the March 7th Council meeting; if Council desires a dry-run of an actual Council meeting prior to March 7th, staff will have to discuss a possible approach.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for beginning hybrid meetings in March; stated typically, bugs need to be worked out whenever something is attempted for the first time; hybrid meetings will apply to Boards and Commissions; inquired whether a trial run can be attempted with a Board or Commission first; stated it is not Council’s job to micromanage staff’s implementation of new procedures; Council may provide direction to staff; there appears to be consensus from majority of Council to wait until the first meeting in March for hybrid meetings.
Vice Mayor Daysog stated if the motion incorporates the thoughts raised by Councilmember Vella and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft, Council would move to start hybrid meetings at the first meeting in March for City Council, Boards, and Commissions; it would be acceptable for staff to perform a dry run earlier in February, if possible.
The City Manager stated there is a question of whether Councilmembers would like to attend meetings remotely; complications arise when Councilmembers participate both in-person and remotely; the technology is available for the public and staff to participate remotely, however, the process becomes more complicated; if all of all of Council will be present in Chambers, staff can begin the transition process sooner; hybrid Council attendance means the meeting would need to be managed differently.
The City Clerk concurred with the City Manager; expressed concern over complications for members not being in the room together; stated there is increased difficulty in being called on for comments and decreased visibility; it is easy to see all participants on Zoom, however, managing screen viewing and in-person attendees is much more difficult.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether Councilmembers can attend the meeting via teleconference call.
The City Clerk responded teleconferencing could still occur as well as Zoom; stated staff will be better prepared for the option to teleconference in the future if one member need to participate remotely; transitioning back into the Council Chambers is not the best time to attempt teleconference participation.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated COVID-19 is not going anywhere; people will often be notified of exposure to someone that has tested positive for COVID-19 and would need to quarantine for five days or until a negative test occurs; the exposure might necessitate a Councilmember participating remotely.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer inquired about the State requirements.
The City Attorney stated starting March 1st, the State will require local agencies return to Brown Act meetings as was done prior to COVID-19; a couple of changes have been made to State law, including allowing urgent medical need exceptions, which allows members to attend remotely without disclosing their address; the requirements can be discussed with any Councilmember; generally, the rule of thumb will be pre-COVID-19 meeting rules apply with members of the public in Council Chambers, Councilmembers in Chambers or remote with disclosed locations or under the caveats previously mentioned.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she continues to believe it is appropriate for Council to allow members of the public, Council, and staff to participate in hybrid meetings; discussed a Stopwaste meeting conducted in a hybrid manner; stated there was not confusion during the meeting; staff should reach out to Stopwaste with any concerns.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft noted there is a motion on the floor, however, a second to the motion has not been made.
Vice Mayor Daysog expressed support for the compromise provided by Councilmember Vella.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether Vice Mayor Daysog is offering a substitute motion, to which Vice Mayor Daysog responded in the negative.
Councilmember Vella proposed a substitute motion to approve moving to hybrid meetings as soon as technically possible with additional direction to staff to soft-launch the technology needed to perform a hybrid meeting; the hybrid meeting model could include Council or Board and Commission meetings.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the motion includes the deadline of March 1, 2023, to which Councilmember Vella responded in the affirmative.
Vice Mayor Daysog seconded the motion.
Under discussion, Vice Mayor Daysog stated that he appreciates comments provided by Councilmember Herrera Spencer; the City is in a unique situation where a new City Manager and Councilmember have begun.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she understands staff has already indicated that they are technologically ready for hybrid meetings; requested clarification whether staff believes the technology is available for hybrid meetings.
The City Clerk stated the equipment is ready; issues are still present, such as staff training, Council attendance and which Boards and Commissions will utilize the hybrid format; there are details to finalize.
Councilmember Vella stated that she can re-word the substitute motion to omit the portion related to being “technically ready” to “when the City is ready to move to hybrid and can work out any glitches and training needed;” ensuring staff is adequately trained is part of being able to correctly roll out the hybrid meeting model.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the motion now indicates approval to move to hybrid as soon as staff is adequately trained, no later than March 1.
Vice Mayor Daysog inquired whether the motion includes staff running a test meeting sooner than March 1, to which Councilmember Vella responded in the affirmative.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer inquired whether staff will be bringing the matter back to Council before implementation to inform the public of any decisions and allow Council to provide comments.
The City Clerk responded the matter has to return to Council every 30 days; since the February meeting occurs beyond the 30 days, the matter will return at the next Council meeting; the matter will return again in February; Council will have two additional opportunities to discuss the matter.
The City Manager stated staff will not have a lot of details to include for the next meeting; staff will try to lay out some options and discuss trainings in the coming meetings.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated Council can expect an update at the first February Council meeting.
On the call for the question, the motion carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Herrera Spencer: No; Jensen: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 4. Noes: 1.
(*23- ) Recommendation to Accept the Notice of Completion for the Lincoln Park Playground Replacement Project. Accepted.
(*23- ) Resolution No. 16022, “Designating Authorized Agents for the Purpose of Obtaining Certain Current or Future Grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES).” Adopted.
(*23- ) Resolution No. 16023, “Authorizing the City Manager or Designee to Enter Into a Special Use Agreement, Substantially in the Same Form as the Attached, with the East Bay Regional Park District for the City of Alameda to Operate a Dog Park at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach (Crown Beach) in the Area Known as Washington Park Dog Park.” Adopted.
CONTINUED AGENDA ITEMS
None.
REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
(23- ) Public Hearing to Consider Approving the Housing and Community Development Needs Statement for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2023-24.
The Community Development Manager gave a Power Point presentation.
Stated the Board discussed priority needs for the next fiscal year and voted unanimously on the needs statement; the Board recommends the following priority areas with a strong emphasis on racial equity concerns: housing and homeless services, domestic violence, access and information referral services, legal information and mental health services, child care, and food security; discussed the impacts of the pandemic; urged Council to supplement CDBG funds with other resources: Sarah Lewis, Social Service Human Relations Board (SSHRB).
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for the work being performed; stated the staff report recommendation is to return with a two-year service provider agreement for Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 pending results from the Community Needs Assessment (CNA); service provider agreements are for one year with options to extend one year; inquired the reason for the staff recommendation differs slightly from the SSHRB.
The Community Development Manager responded staff would like to return to two-year agreements; the SSHRB is in the process of completing its CNA; staff had hoped to complete the CNA before posting the Notice of Funding Availability; the CNA is in process and will hopefully be completed by the time staff returns to Council in May; staff will present information in May; having a one year agreement with the option of a one year extension provides the best of both worlds.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated a table in the staff report indicates the number of service providers and clients served; the table tells a startling story of how the pandemic impacted so many people; not all were impacted equally; the Alameda Food Bank is serving 1,000 more people than in the previous fiscal year; the numbers increased 18-fold during the pandemic; expressed concern over the increase in Family Violence Law Center cases; stated the Center served 43 clients in 2021 and 62 clients in 2022; economic strain can lead to domestic violence and homelessness; legal assistance for seniors also increased; the information being brought forth is important; the City is fortunate to have providers; providers need to find ways to continue; weather conditions often highlight the need for services; many people are living in their cars on Main Street.
In response to Councilmember Jensen’s inquiry related to funding amounts, the Community Development Manager stated the City provided approximately $216,000 in the last fiscal year; staff will not know the actual number until Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announces allocations; staff is anticipating approximately $184,000.
Councilmember Jensen inquired whether all local agencies are being similarly reduced or whether the issue is specific to Alameda.
The Community Development Manager responded the challenge comes from a few different areas; the funds being received from HUD are decreasing modestly; staff has previously been able to generate a fair amount of CDBG loans; a percentage of the interest being made on the loans has helped fund social services; the number of loans the City has on the books has been decreasing and many people are paying off loans since interest rates are low; staff is hoping interest rates going back up will make the program attractive again; it will be some time before staff can rebuild the fund.
Vice Mayor Daysog discussed SSHRB comments; inquired what thoughts staff has about the SSHRB recommendation related to supplementing funding.
The Community Development Director responded staff has been considering the recommendation in relation to the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) release; stated staff will work with the SSHRB to prioritize projects with the optimistic idea that additional funds will be found and will consider additional projects to be funded or pro rata funding increases; the SSHRB will provide recommendations on potential future funds; if Council decides to allocate additional funds, staff will be prepared to quickly utilize the funding.
The City Manager stated staff does expect to put forward some additional funding as part of the budget process; based on requests, Council can decide to allocate additional funding to the program.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer moved approval of the needs statement.
Councilmember Jensen seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Herrera Spencer: Aye; Jensen: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.
***
Vice Mayor Daysog left the meeting at 8:18 p.m. and returned at 8:20 p.m.
***
(23- ) Recommendation to Select a Name for the New Park Known as Alameda Marina Park.
The Recreation and Parks Director gave a Power Point presentation.
Councilmember Jensen inquired whether Council has the option to either adopt the name of Riveter’s Park with potentially adding educational signage about Svensden Boat Works or staff can be directed to perform further study on the appropriateness of the Svensden name for the park, to which the Recreation and Parks Director responded in the affirmative.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she supports naming the park after Svensden Boat Works; expressed appreciation for naming Alameda parks after people and subjects related to Alameda; stated that she has been to Riveter Park in Richmond; Alameda is fortunate to have the Svensdens as part of the community; the park location is part of the Svensden property and is unique; Jean Sweeney Park has educational signage; expressed support for educational signage being included.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she favors the staff recommendation to name the park Riveter’s Park; the selection was one of Recreation and Park Commission’s top choices; expressed concern over not following the City’s naming criteria; stated the naming process was created thoughtfully by Council and the City should stick to it; expressed support for vetted signage recognizing Svensden; stated there is a distinction between the proposed park and Jean Sweeney Park; the staff report references honoring and recognizing diversity, which is important; discussed the history of Riveters in the area; stated the matter is an opportunity to celebrate the importance and roles of women in history; expressed support for the staff recommendation of naming the park Riveter’s Waterfront Park while including educational signage related to the Svensdens.
Councilmember Jensen stated that she would like to ensure the park be named for the diverse residents of Alameda; inquired whether staff reached out to the Svensden family or whether the family had been made aware of the naming process since the site is part of the Boat Works land.
The Recreation and Parks Director stated staff did not reach out to the Svensden family; some of the family members live in Alameda; noted the two community surveys were broadly marketed.
Councilmember Jensen stated the recommendation provided by the Recreation and Parks Commission is being considered; she is not concerned the submittal was late; Council correspondence includes a lot of thought and information about the role of Sven Svensden in Alameda, as well as the Bay Area, including bringing the World Cup to Alameda; Mr. Svensden hired local Alamedans to work in his boat yard; there is support for honoring Mr. Svensden with a park name or plaque.
Councilmember Jensen moved approval of the matter returning to Council unless there is urgency.
The Recreation and Parks Director stated there is no particular urgency; she is seeking specific direction about what Council is interested in staff coming back with.
Councilmember Jensen concurred with Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft’s distinction about Jean Sweeney Park; stated the park was appropriately named to honor Jean Sweeney’s legacy in Alameda; the parks in Alameda are named according to three categories: prominent Alamedans, dead presidents or established locations or people; it is appropriate to consider the Svensden name and have the matter return.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft noted a park has recently been named Bohol Circle Park.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she would like to second the motion pending clarification that the staff report requests direction be provided to staff to conduct historical and background research on Sven Svensden and return to Council; inquired whether the motion includes said direction, to which Councilmember Jensen responded in the affirmative.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer seconded the motion.
Under discussion, Councilmember Vella stated the City provides funding to the Alameda Museum; expressed support for architectural history; stated that she would like more input from the Alameda Museum; she appreciates site-specific history; Alameda has moved the needle in the right direction many times, however, more can be done; the City does not have many landmarks named for women and does not have many landmarks named for diverse communities, which is something the City should do; many reasons have been put forward to honor people; her apprehension is not to be dismissive; the City should honor Sven Svensden’s contributions to Alameda; expressed support for educational signage being installed; expressed concern over moving in a direction simply due to site-specific history; questioned whether other historic opportunities should be consider; stated the City rarely gets the opportunity to name larger spaces in honor of historical contributions from the diverse community; the City needs to honor the Alameda Point site where the first women of the workforce movement worked; the site could potentially provide personal information to show diversity; many communities have deep history in Alameda and the City should honor more of them.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the matter will be brought back for further consideration, not just consideration of the proposed Svensden naming, but the greater consideration of what the park might be named based on current comments being provided.
Councilmember Jensen stated that her motion is based on the staff recommendation of naming the park Riveter’s Park and including signage or directing staff to do more research on the Svensden name; her motion is approval of the latter: directing staff to perform more research on the Svensden name for the park.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she cannot support the motion as-proposed; expressed support for the matter returning to the Recreation and Park Commission for a full review.
Councilmember Jensen stated that she is acting on the alternatives provided in staff recommendation.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated a member of the Svensden family has submitted a lengthy letter which has been attached to the record.
Vice Mayor Daysog stated that he appreciates the points being made; he is moved the most by the Recreation and Parks Commission going outside of the normal naming process in recommending a choice between Riveter’s Park or Svensden Park with the caveat that more staff review is necessary prior to selecting Svensden Park; out of deference to the Recreation and Park Commission, he is willing to support the motion; he is not moved by the name Riveter’s Park; stated there are two Rosie the Riveter parks: the National park in Richmond and a local park; he would not be surprised if other parks in the Bay Area decide to also have Rosie the Riveter parks; staff will return after vetting the history; Council has received a lengthy letter from a Svensden family member; if the naming pass muster, the City can move forward with the park name; Council is not solidifying the name of the park yet; there is a recommendation from the Recreation and Park Commission; he previously did not support the renaming of Jackson Park to Chochenyo Park; he recognizes and respects the change; Alameda Landing Park was changed to Bohol Circle Immigrant Park; Council has done a yeoman’s job in following through on the policy in place; there appears to be enough for the Recreation and Park Commission to be flexible.
Councilmember Vella stated the City has many items named after Jackson; she feels strongly about the matter because she is a woman; women’s contributions have often been overlooked; expressed concern over actions taking place to simply check a box; stated opportunities to celebrate women should be taken; the City should recognize contributions of all individuals regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation; the City should make a concerted effort to recognize certain individuals or groups that have been historically written out; inquired whether the City is also considering archeological history in the naming process; stated there have been significant finds and discoveries during the construction process; expressed support for adding criteria to the policy; expressed support for the City being extensive in looking at site histories and contributions.
Councilmember Jensen concurred with Councilmember Vella; stated that she is supportive of an alternative park name with a historical, female Alameda resident who has contributed to the City’s economy, maritime economy or some other contribution similar to Jean Sweeney; expressed support for comments provided by Councilmember Vella and there being space at Alameda Point to recognize the role of women in Alameda’s defense; in the early 2000s the School Board had similar discussions related to Ruby Bridges School naming process; the naming requirements allowed the school to be named after a notable African American woman in history; she is supportive of the comments provided; with what has been presented, she supports moving forward in receiving more information on the Svensden alternative; there will be naming opportunities as Alameda Point is developed; expressed support for using the opportunities to honor female and diverse contributions; using the Alameda Museum to contribute to the naming process is great; she hopes the Alameda Museum has been asked or provided any relevant information.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer expressed support for comments provided by Vice Mayor Daysog; noted Long Beach has a Rosie the Riveter park; Alameda has multiple elementary schools named after women; the City does have some diversity; she does not think the naming process takes away from women’s contributions; there is a good reason to name the park after Sven Svensden, including the contributions he made to the City; the process of naming the park after Sven Svensden does not hurt women; Svensden had an immigrant life and came to Alameda from a different background; he was a leader in the maritime industry and supported the community at-large; expressed support for the motion; stated that she looks forward to the history and additional information being brought back to Council; the opportunity allows the City to hold up a notable Alamedan.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the matter will be brought back to the Recreation and Park Commission.
The Recreation and Park Director responded in the negative; stated the staff will engage with historians at Alameda Museum to provide backup and historical research on Mr. Svensden and will return to Council.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether Council would then have the choice of approving the name selection or directing staff return to the drawing board, to which the Recreation and Park Director responded in the affirmative.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the public should be involved any time there is a process about how Council will make a selection; expressed concern over skipping the public process; stated other proposed names were included in public surveys; the proposed name appears to be skipping the established process; the City should follow the established public process regardless of the person’s importance; she will not be supporting the motion.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated the public process has been lacking due to COVID-19; the City has not had as much public participation which has hurt the process; it is not appropriate to hold it against the Svensden family; staff has acknowledged no one reached out to the family; it is appropriate for the City to remain flexible; she plans to support the motion.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft requested clarification about the public process for naming the park.
The Recreation and Parks Director stated the first Recreation and Park Commission identified the naming criteria; staff took the criteria and had over 1,000 responses for park names, which was brought back to the Commission; the top ten options were identified for each park; the information was brought to the Commission again for final recommendation to Council.
On the call for the question, the motion carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Herrera Spencer: Aye; Jensen: Aye; Vella: No; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: No. Ayes: 3. Noes: 2.
***
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft called a recess at 9:00 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 9:17 p.m.
***
CITY MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS
(23- ) The City Manager expressed appreciation for the Public Works Director serving as the Interim City Manager.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA
None.
COUNCIL REFERRALS
(23- ) Consider Directing Staff to Address Massive Corporations Purchasing Housing. (Councilmember Herrera Spencer)
Councilmember Herrera Spencer gave a brief presentation.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she would like input from the City Attorney on the matter.
The City Attorney stated local governments have some limited authority; the City’s ability to prevent private entities from purchasing homes is limited; the City has the ability to purchase the property, however, the option holds tremendous costs to the General Fund; if Council directs staff to perform more work on the matter, staff will look into other available options; the matter is difficult to tackle.
Councilmember Jensen inquired whether the goal is to determine whether large corporations are purchasing vacant properties, whether the matter seeks to determine corporations are purchasing property and not renting and whether the matter seeks to improve housing opportunities, to which Councilmember Herrera Spencer responded in the affirmative.
Councilmember Jensen stated that she appreciates the goal; including information in the report would have been good; the issue might be broader than corporations and might include long-term large property or multi-unit owners with low cost properties that are not being marketed for housing; inquired whether the referral is specific to only large corporations.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she is always mindful of Council staying within the limitations of the Brown Act; the agenda item is listed as a consideration to direct staff to address massive corporations purchasing housing.
Councilmember Jensen stated additional information would be interesting; details about how to address massive corporations was not included in the referral.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the new City Manager is working on providing a Council Priority Setting workshop soon; inquired what the desired outcome would be for the workshop.
The City Manager responded the workshop allows for Council to focus in on priorities and projects; stated the process occurs over-time; the workshop allows staff to manage workload, resources and ensure that staff is successfully implementing priorities; placing priorities in a document is helpful for staff to reference; the priorities are not set in stone and are meant to be part of a working document that can be changed and updated; the document allows trade-offs of staff resources; the referral can be included in the workshop as a potential priority project in order to receive Council feedback.
Vice Mayor Daysog stated the challenge with the referral is that it is open-ended; there are two major issues with corporations and single-family homes: corporation hedge funds are buying a bunch of single-family homes to rent out and corporations are buying single family homes to flip and sell at a higher price; he is unsure where the trends are going; well-intentioned corporations have bought single family homes, made improvements and rented with the idea of rent-to-own.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed concern over comments being provided; stated the referral is a consideration of providing direction to staff.
Vice Mayor Daysog stated different types of corporations are vacuuming up single-family homes; his comments fall in line with the referral; the referral report is open-ended and needs to be sharpened; discussed the process of purchasing a home including indicating investment or primary residence; stated it is unclear where Council can take the matter.
Councilmember Vella expressed concern over the amount of staff time needed to address the underlying issue; stated Council needs to consider how to tackle larger scale priorities; Council should discuss prioritization of the limited housing stock available; expressed support for the matter being brought up in Council planning context and including more specificity to aid in priority ranking.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated the referral is intentionally broad and asks staff to provide options to address concerns raised by the email; the concern raised relates to Blackrock, which has purchased properties and tied them up so families do not have an opportunity to purchase homes; she does not know options available to Council; the referral requests staff to provide options to address the concerns raised; the issue is unique and the preference is to have families or individuals purchase single family homes versus Blackrock.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that her preference would be to have the Council Priority Setting workshop include a topic addressing housing supply and the various factors impacting the supply, including consideration of short-term rentals; Council needs to take a look at housing across a broad spectrum; Council also needs to prioritize staff resources.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer withdrew her referral.
(23- ) Consider Directing Staff to Create a Requirement for Upfront Payment of Candidate Statements if a Candidate for Local Elected Office Has a Balance Due from a Prior Election. (Councilmember Knox White and Vice Mayor Vella)
Councilmember Vella gave a brief presentation.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed concern over the high bar being set in filing and running for elected office in Alameda; stated the estimate for a candidate statement was $4,500 for the last election; inquired whether the statement or filing fee can be deferred due to low-income.
The City Clerk responded the statement-in-lieu is only for the $25 filing fee; the candidate statement is separate and cannot be waived.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether running for Alameda School Board includes the School District paying the cost of the candidate statement.
Councilmember Jensen responded the School Board candidates run through Alameda County and the County fees are $1,200 and are substantially different.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the candidates pay the School Board fees.
Councilmember Jensen responded in the affirmative; stated the amount is substantially less than City Council.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she believes the School District does pick up the costs for candidates; expressed support for the City providing the service to increase diversity and opportunity to run for elected office.
Councilmember Vella stated the City Clerk or staff could return to Council with options; the City needs to have a policy; without a policy, the bill ends up being left to the taxpayers, which is not the intent; the policy could include a waiver of fees; Council could decide circumstances to off-set costs.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the matter should be considered in the Council Priority Setting workshop or addressed by staff; stated the matter is something that should be addressed in order to encourage a wider diversity of candidates to run for elected office.
Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated that she would like to remain within the Brown Act regulations for discussion; noted the referral speaks to a requirement of up-front payment for candidate statements for local elected office for those with a prior balance due from past elections; the referral is narrow, however, she is open to discussing the broader issue of the City paying a portion of the fees at the Council Priority Setting workshop.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the discussion fits within the referral topic; the matter is part of a broader question related to candidates’ ability to pay and whether there is more for the City to look at.
Councilmember Vella moved approval of directing staff to include the matter at the Council Priority Setting workshop to address candidate fees including any balances that could be past due for future elections.
Vice Mayor Daysog seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Herrera Spencer: No; Jensen: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: No. Ayes: 4. Noes: 1.
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
(23- ) Councilmember Jensen wished a Happy New Year to all; requested an update for a previous Council Referral related to towing fees.
The City Clerk stated the matter had been addressed at the December 20th Council meeting prior to the regular Council meeting; she will follow up with Councilmember Jensen and provide information.
(23- ) Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft announced a menorah lighting sponsored by Temple Israel, discussed two swearing-in ceremonies for County officials, wished all a Happy New Year and expressed her gratitude to the former Interim City Manager for her work on the warming shelter.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft adjourned the meeting at 9:47 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lara Weisiger, City Clerk
The agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.