On Tuesday, May 21, 2013, the City Council will vote on a contract for a new City Manager. Sabrina Landreth is the person we selected out of a large number of applicants, and I look forward to introducing her to the entire community. As I had mentioned previously, this is the biggest job of the council -- to find an inspiring leader to manage the operations of the city. I think we have found a real star.
Please come to the meeting to learn more and meet Sabrina. More info is available from the staff report for item 5/14 in the revised agenda packet for May 21. We will have a more formal introduction of her once her contract is confirmed.
Here is the information from the interim City Manager: As you are aware, over the past several months the City Council has been engaged in a process to bring on board a new City Manager. The City Council has selected Sabrina Landreth to fill that role and the Council will consider an employment agreement with Ms. Landreth at their meeting next Tuesday May 21, 2013. Sabrina comes to Emeryville after working for the City of Oakland for several years, most recently as Deputy City Administrator and Budget Director. Sabrina holds an engineering degree from M.I.T. and a Master’s in Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley. Should the City Council approve the employment agreement on Tuesday evening, Sabrina will start in her new role on June 24, 2013.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
More on the Bike/Ped Bridge decision
I am not one to count chickens before they hatch. There is still some uncertainty in the funding source of the Bike Ped bridge, so I figure a little more background on the case is important to share. It is a complicated story. Here are some of the facts:
The City of Emeryville sued the State last year because they did not allow us to use our bond money to proceed with 3 projects after the dissolution of redevelopment. There have been two state "end of redevelopment" laws. The first was in the summer of 2011 (ABx1 26), and the clean up bill in the summer of 2012 (AB 1484). The first took away the ability to enter into any new contracts with redevelopment funds, but it had a clause that allowed cities like ours to re-enter into contracts as long as they were subsequently approved by the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board (subject of this blog) has by design a seat for every large taxing entity that would have benefited from the funds freed up by the end of redevelopment, the funds that had previously been redirected toward redevelopment projects. The week before AB 1484 (which would no longer allow any agency to re-enter into agreements) went into effect , the City of Emeryville re-entered into agreements on 5 projects: ECCL, the Bike-Ped bridge, the Transit Center, the Arts Center and a loan repayment for brownfield remediation called the CIERRA loans. The day before AB 1484 went into effect, the Oversight Board approved three (not all 5) of those agreements. The OB did not approve the ECCL project and the Arts Center.
We won our case (read the decision here) in Superior Court in Sacramento based on these facts. The judge repudiated the Department of Finance's denial of those three projects moving forward, even though agreements had been re-entered and the OB had approved them in time. The total amount of bond funds in dispute is around $16 million and the bike ped bridge will cost around $12 million. The State has 30 days to appeal the decision, which might tie up the use of these funds longer.
The bike ped bridge is an important connection over the railroad tracks that divide Emeryville. Bikes and pedestrians can now cross the tracks on the 40th St. bridge, pedestrians can cross on the Powell St. ped bridge, bikes and pedestrians can cross at the Amtrak station, but the next place north of 40th where a bike can ride across the tracks is at 65th St. There is no doubt to me that increased access to Bay St. and the new Bay Trail connection, as well as the new east span of the Bay Bridge that will allow bikes and pedestrians, will be a great thing for Emeryville residents and visitors. Now to improve the bike and pedestrian experience on both sides of the tracks!
There is a bit more information on the bridge itself here. Here is a rendering of the bridge. The site plan for Horton Landing Park is here. Some FAQ from early 2008 can be accessed here. These answers indicate that the bridge would be open in 2010! Let's hope it is by 2015.
The City of Emeryville sued the State last year because they did not allow us to use our bond money to proceed with 3 projects after the dissolution of redevelopment. There have been two state "end of redevelopment" laws. The first was in the summer of 2011 (ABx1 26), and the clean up bill in the summer of 2012 (AB 1484). The first took away the ability to enter into any new contracts with redevelopment funds, but it had a clause that allowed cities like ours to re-enter into contracts as long as they were subsequently approved by the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board (subject of this blog) has by design a seat for every large taxing entity that would have benefited from the funds freed up by the end of redevelopment, the funds that had previously been redirected toward redevelopment projects. The week before AB 1484 (which would no longer allow any agency to re-enter into agreements) went into effect , the City of Emeryville re-entered into agreements on 5 projects: ECCL, the Bike-Ped bridge, the Transit Center, the Arts Center and a loan repayment for brownfield remediation called the CIERRA loans. The day before AB 1484 went into effect, the Oversight Board approved three (not all 5) of those agreements. The OB did not approve the ECCL project and the Arts Center.
We won our case (read the decision here) in Superior Court in Sacramento based on these facts. The judge repudiated the Department of Finance's denial of those three projects moving forward, even though agreements had been re-entered and the OB had approved them in time. The total amount of bond funds in dispute is around $16 million and the bike ped bridge will cost around $12 million. The State has 30 days to appeal the decision, which might tie up the use of these funds longer.
The bike ped bridge is an important connection over the railroad tracks that divide Emeryville. Bikes and pedestrians can now cross the tracks on the 40th St. bridge, pedestrians can cross on the Powell St. ped bridge, bikes and pedestrians can cross at the Amtrak station, but the next place north of 40th where a bike can ride across the tracks is at 65th St. There is no doubt to me that increased access to Bay St. and the new Bay Trail connection, as well as the new east span of the Bay Bridge that will allow bikes and pedestrians, will be a great thing for Emeryville residents and visitors. Now to improve the bike and pedestrian experience on both sides of the tracks!
There is a bit more information on the bridge itself here. Here is a rendering of the bridge. The site plan for Horton Landing Park is here. Some FAQ from early 2008 can be accessed here. These answers indicate that the bridge would be open in 2010! Let's hope it is by 2015.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Bike/Ped Bridge Victory on Bike to Work Day
Yesterday the City of Emeryville had a real victory! We won our litigation against the State of California, who had denied our use of Redevelopment funds to pay for the South Bayfront Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge and Horton Landing Park, after the dissolution of redevelopment.
It is a long and complicated story, but the short version for now is that the Department of Finance, which insisted on us turning over funds set aside for the Bike Ped bridge connecting Stanford and 53rd St. (east of the railroad tracks) with Bay St. (west of the tracks), lost, and the City of Emeryville, the residents of Emeryville, have won!
This is a wonderful decision that came on a day of celebrating bikes and connectivity with Bike to Work Day, May 9, 2013.
The Bridge had been planned over the past 10 years or so, and was ready to go to bid for construction 2 years ago when redevelopment was ended by the state. I hope that with this decision the city can move quickly on getting the project over the train tracks moving again. Having a better connection with Bay St. will be a huge asset for the retail area, the residents, employees, and for the region. With improvements coming soon for the Bay Trail through town, and with the bike and pedestrian access to the new east span of the Bay Bridge being worked on right now, this sorely needed bike link will be important for our town.
I will post more details on the court's decision soon.
It is a long and complicated story, but the short version for now is that the Department of Finance, which insisted on us turning over funds set aside for the Bike Ped bridge connecting Stanford and 53rd St. (east of the railroad tracks) with Bay St. (west of the tracks), lost, and the City of Emeryville, the residents of Emeryville, have won!
This is a wonderful decision that came on a day of celebrating bikes and connectivity with Bike to Work Day, May 9, 2013.
The Bridge had been planned over the past 10 years or so, and was ready to go to bid for construction 2 years ago when redevelopment was ended by the state. I hope that with this decision the city can move quickly on getting the project over the train tracks moving again. Having a better connection with Bay St. will be a huge asset for the retail area, the residents, employees, and for the region. With improvements coming soon for the Bay Trail through town, and with the bike and pedestrian access to the new east span of the Bay Bridge being worked on right now, this sorely needed bike link will be important for our town.
I will post more details on the court's decision soon.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
More Parking discussions, Sat 1/12 and Tues 1/15
The Transportation Committee meeting on December 11 at the Fire Station on Hollis Street was very well attended, thanks in part to the efforts of Ken Bukowski. We had about 30 people there: residents, property owners, and business owners. Many points of view were expressed, and quite a bit of concern about changes, as well as frustration about the current situation.
This issue is not an easy or obvious one to solve. Emotions run high when it comes to parking. Some expressed the "right" to park for free in front of homes or businesses. Some pointed fingers at other property owners who have not handled parking needs correctly. Some said that we do not want to be like Oakland or Berkeley where parking is too hard or too expensive. Others said that permit parking will be the future, sooner or later. Some said there are too many empty parking garages, perhaps because of the fees charged there. Some say that the public doesn't respect private parking for customers, disregarding signs. Although many say that these problems already exist, there was real fear that any changes will make them worse, not better.
I recognize that parking management is very complex. I do not believe that Emeryville has a parking shortage. I think that we have a parking management problem, and that we should try to make sure that each street has spaces for the users who have priority for that area. If you are allowed to park for free all day long in front of your house or business, then it will be very hard to prevent anyone else from doing so as well, or worse, instead of you.
On Saturday, January 12 at 10:00 am, Ken Bukowski is hosting a community meeting at the Ralph Hawley School site at Doyle St. and 61st St. to have the opportunity to talk more about parking issues in Emeryville. I am grateful that he is allowing me to address the gathering for 10 minutes. Please consider attending and sharing your point of view as well. His flyers talk about a parking plan in a limited part of town that the City Council is considering implementing, and will be discussing on Tuesday, January 15, City Hall, 7:15 pm. The plan has been waiting on the shelf for 3 years. It is a sensible plan with a phased approach and monitoring in place to see how changes that are put in place impact availability. It does not include paid parking in the first year or two, only later in the plan. The initial changes include limited time parking, with the painting of green curbs on certain blocks. Later in the plan there is also the possibility of residential parking permits and business/employee parking permits, if there is a need to support these uses.
I know that we all need to do our part to reduce reliance on cars, not only in Emeryville, but in the region, in the state and the world. It is a hard change to make for many of us. We have already committed to these changes with our state laws, such as SB375. Regulating on-street parking is one way to change people's behavior. Free parking actually costs all of us a lot of money in the long run.
Please consider joining me on Saturday morning, or on Tuesday evening. I welcome your comments.
This issue is not an easy or obvious one to solve. Emotions run high when it comes to parking. Some expressed the "right" to park for free in front of homes or businesses. Some pointed fingers at other property owners who have not handled parking needs correctly. Some said that we do not want to be like Oakland or Berkeley where parking is too hard or too expensive. Others said that permit parking will be the future, sooner or later. Some said there are too many empty parking garages, perhaps because of the fees charged there. Some say that the public doesn't respect private parking for customers, disregarding signs. Although many say that these problems already exist, there was real fear that any changes will make them worse, not better.
I recognize that parking management is very complex. I do not believe that Emeryville has a parking shortage. I think that we have a parking management problem, and that we should try to make sure that each street has spaces for the users who have priority for that area. If you are allowed to park for free all day long in front of your house or business, then it will be very hard to prevent anyone else from doing so as well, or worse, instead of you.
On Saturday, January 12 at 10:00 am, Ken Bukowski is hosting a community meeting at the Ralph Hawley School site at Doyle St. and 61st St. to have the opportunity to talk more about parking issues in Emeryville. I am grateful that he is allowing me to address the gathering for 10 minutes. Please consider attending and sharing your point of view as well. His flyers talk about a parking plan in a limited part of town that the City Council is considering implementing, and will be discussing on Tuesday, January 15, City Hall, 7:15 pm. The plan has been waiting on the shelf for 3 years. It is a sensible plan with a phased approach and monitoring in place to see how changes that are put in place impact availability. It does not include paid parking in the first year or two, only later in the plan. The initial changes include limited time parking, with the painting of green curbs on certain blocks. Later in the plan there is also the possibility of residential parking permits and business/employee parking permits, if there is a need to support these uses.
I know that we all need to do our part to reduce reliance on cars, not only in Emeryville, but in the region, in the state and the world. It is a hard change to make for many of us. We have already committed to these changes with our state laws, such as SB375. Regulating on-street parking is one way to change people's behavior. Free parking actually costs all of us a lot of money in the long run.
Please consider joining me on Saturday morning, or on Tuesday evening. I welcome your comments.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Parking or "Where do we put all the cars?"
When I decided to run for City Council, I had lots of conversations with people in Emeryville concerned about traffic.
I have written a few times about this, and yet, after 3 years on the
council, I am not sure that the average person thinks things have
improved. Consider that within the next 20 years, it is projected that
the number of residents in Emervyille will increase from 10,000 to
16,000, according to our General Plan. Where are we/they going to put
all those cars?
I have found a strong consensus through the transportation planning world about how plentiful, free parking actually encourages people to use cars when they otherwise might not; free parking is like a car magnet. Emeryville is different from our immediate neighbors to the north and south, in that public parking is free here. (Note that some private parking, like at our hotels and at Bay St. is not free.) I believe that free and unrestricted parking is part of the reason we have more cars here than we like. You should also know that we have 20,000 people working in Emeryville each day. They weigh many considerations as they decide how they will get here, including the direct cost to them of driving.
Several years ago (before I joined the council) Emeryville commissioned a study of the North Hollis area to look at parking issues and solutions, as the streets in this part of town are very often completely "parked up" on a weekday. Restaurants and businesses with customers who come and go have complained people can't find a place to park, and that this could impact their number of customers and sales. With off-street parking required to be provided for employees, why is the on-street parking so full all the time?
Wilbur Smith Associates, who completed the study, found that people will park where it is most convenient. With free unrestricted street parking, people will park there first, and when it is full, find another spot (maybe in a garage). Some people don't have access to off-street parking as it is private or don't want to park there as it is costly, and find themselves circling, looking for a spot on the street. With no time limits on the street, during the day there is very little turn-over of spots.
By limiting street parking in non-residential areas with a time limit, we can help people find spots that are meant for them. This is about managing parking, not just providing it. We can manage it with time limits or fees. Our hope is to first put limited time parking zones in places planned out by the study. The transportation committee, on which I serve, is having a special meeting on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at 9:00 am at the Fire Station on Hollis and 63rd St. (6303 Hollis) to talk about next steps in the parking plan. Eventually, if the city puts in paid parking on the street, we could use the revenues (once capital costs are covered, which would likely be within 2 years) to fund additional pedestrian or bike improvements that would enhance the area for everybody. This is called a parking benefit district, where the use of cars and paid parking actually helps to pay for direct improvements. Right now we taxpayers are all subsidizing those who drive here and park for free.
Residents need to be protected from other users spilling over into the areas they depend on for parking. We have some areas with residential parking permit programs, and the city can support more if it is warranted.
What is important is to hear from the community regarding this pending change. I want residents to have residential parking, I want employees to have employee parking, and customers to be able to find customer parking. It is great if we can share parking, but I know we can manage the parking we already have better to be sure each type of user can have parking when and where they need it.
Emeryville is special in that we have a free shuttle provided by businesses, property owners, and our city government that gives us a ride to and from BART, the Emery-Go-Round. With over 1.3 million riders each year, Emery-Go-Round certainly keeps some cars off our streets. We can build on this service to further encourage people to get to Emeryville without driving their cars.
I have found a strong consensus through the transportation planning world about how plentiful, free parking actually encourages people to use cars when they otherwise might not; free parking is like a car magnet. Emeryville is different from our immediate neighbors to the north and south, in that public parking is free here. (Note that some private parking, like at our hotels and at Bay St. is not free.) I believe that free and unrestricted parking is part of the reason we have more cars here than we like. You should also know that we have 20,000 people working in Emeryville each day. They weigh many considerations as they decide how they will get here, including the direct cost to them of driving.
Several years ago (before I joined the council) Emeryville commissioned a study of the North Hollis area to look at parking issues and solutions, as the streets in this part of town are very often completely "parked up" on a weekday. Restaurants and businesses with customers who come and go have complained people can't find a place to park, and that this could impact their number of customers and sales. With off-street parking required to be provided for employees, why is the on-street parking so full all the time?
Wilbur Smith Associates, who completed the study, found that people will park where it is most convenient. With free unrestricted street parking, people will park there first, and when it is full, find another spot (maybe in a garage). Some people don't have access to off-street parking as it is private or don't want to park there as it is costly, and find themselves circling, looking for a spot on the street. With no time limits on the street, during the day there is very little turn-over of spots.
By limiting street parking in non-residential areas with a time limit, we can help people find spots that are meant for them. This is about managing parking, not just providing it. We can manage it with time limits or fees. Our hope is to first put limited time parking zones in places planned out by the study. The transportation committee, on which I serve, is having a special meeting on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at 9:00 am at the Fire Station on Hollis and 63rd St. (6303 Hollis) to talk about next steps in the parking plan. Eventually, if the city puts in paid parking on the street, we could use the revenues (once capital costs are covered, which would likely be within 2 years) to fund additional pedestrian or bike improvements that would enhance the area for everybody. This is called a parking benefit district, where the use of cars and paid parking actually helps to pay for direct improvements. Right now we taxpayers are all subsidizing those who drive here and park for free.
Residents need to be protected from other users spilling over into the areas they depend on for parking. We have some areas with residential parking permit programs, and the city can support more if it is warranted.
What is important is to hear from the community regarding this pending change. I want residents to have residential parking, I want employees to have employee parking, and customers to be able to find customer parking. It is great if we can share parking, but I know we can manage the parking we already have better to be sure each type of user can have parking when and where they need it.
Emeryville is special in that we have a free shuttle provided by businesses, property owners, and our city government that gives us a ride to and from BART, the Emery-Go-Round. With over 1.3 million riders each year, Emery-Go-Round certainly keeps some cars off our streets. We can build on this service to further encourage people to get to Emeryville without driving their cars.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Democracy in Emeryville
I serve Emeryville on the city council with the goal of increasing people's involvement with decisons that impact them. You may have heard that our city council elections typically have low voter turnout (in 2011 it was 26%). By having our elections on odd-years (2011, 2013), there often is not a lot of other things to vote for, and statistically fewer people vote (than in even years: 2010, 2012). In 2010, for example, the turnout and vote for local measures (in Oakland), even down at the bottom of the ballot was about 60%.
When I won my council seat in 2009, I won with a 13% margin over the next person, more than 100 votes over him, but alas, I won with only 855 votes! We had about 5,400 registered voters in town, but only 855 votes got me elected. That means 16% of people who could have voted, voted for me. With 10,000 residents now a mere 8.5% of people who lived in Emeryville voted for me.
I believe that it is time for Emeryville to move our elections to even years, when more voters vote. Yes, we will be competing for attention with all those other candidates, propositions and measures, but it is when more people actually pay attention and participate by casting their votes. I proposed this to the city council last month, and they unanimously agreed to consider it formally. We will have an item to discuss this again and get your input on sometime in early 2013 (not on Tuesday, December 18 at our council meeting, which begins at 7:15pm, City Hall, 1333 Park Ave). Bottom line is, Emeryville will save money by consolidating our elections with the rest of Alameda County.
How to make a transition to even years is another consideration on which I would like to hear your input. To me, the simplest and cheapest way to make the change would be to extend all terms of current council members for a 5th year. That would mean the next elections would be changed to one year later: from 2013 (for me and Kurt Brinkman) to 2014. The other three council members (Ruth Atkin, Jac Asher and Nora Davis) would be done with their current terms in 2016 instead of 2015. Others think that making the next term a 3 year term would be better. In other words, whoever is elected in 2013 is up for re-election in 2016.
There are many views on this. Some say it will cost more for candidates, some say it will favor incumbents, some say it will favor new-comers, some say people will not have the patience or attention span to vote all the way down the ballot. Some say it is better to have only those who care about city issues voting in the smaller elections on odd-years. I think it is worth making the change in the interest of greater potential participation and democracy (with a small "d").
This could impact our School Board elections, which are also held in odd-years, as we have shared the extra cost of the odd-year elections with Emery Unified School District.
Further information (if you are still reading): the only other two cities in our County with odd-year elections were Livermore and Newark. Livermore voters just voted to change their elections to even-year. I hear that Newark is also considering a change.
When I won my council seat in 2009, I won with a 13% margin over the next person, more than 100 votes over him, but alas, I won with only 855 votes! We had about 5,400 registered voters in town, but only 855 votes got me elected. That means 16% of people who could have voted, voted for me. With 10,000 residents now a mere 8.5% of people who lived in Emeryville voted for me.
I believe that it is time for Emeryville to move our elections to even years, when more voters vote. Yes, we will be competing for attention with all those other candidates, propositions and measures, but it is when more people actually pay attention and participate by casting their votes. I proposed this to the city council last month, and they unanimously agreed to consider it formally. We will have an item to discuss this again and get your input on sometime in early 2013 (not on Tuesday, December 18 at our council meeting, which begins at 7:15pm, City Hall, 1333 Park Ave). Bottom line is, Emeryville will save money by consolidating our elections with the rest of Alameda County.
How to make a transition to even years is another consideration on which I would like to hear your input. To me, the simplest and cheapest way to make the change would be to extend all terms of current council members for a 5th year. That would mean the next elections would be changed to one year later: from 2013 (for me and Kurt Brinkman) to 2014. The other three council members (Ruth Atkin, Jac Asher and Nora Davis) would be done with their current terms in 2016 instead of 2015. Others think that making the next term a 3 year term would be better. In other words, whoever is elected in 2013 is up for re-election in 2016.
There are many views on this. Some say it will cost more for candidates, some say it will favor incumbents, some say it will favor new-comers, some say people will not have the patience or attention span to vote all the way down the ballot. Some say it is better to have only those who care about city issues voting in the smaller elections on odd-years. I think it is worth making the change in the interest of greater potential participation and democracy (with a small "d").
This could impact our School Board elections, which are also held in odd-years, as we have shared the extra cost of the odd-year elections with Emery Unified School District.
Further information (if you are still reading): the only other two cities in our County with odd-year elections were Livermore and Newark. Livermore voters just voted to change their elections to even-year. I hear that Newark is also considering a change.
My new job!
I have completed my personal transition and career change by taking a full time job with TransForm, a non-profit organization based in Oakland that does transportation policy and transit advocacy. In many ways, this is my dream position: working on transportation and land use issues that have been so important in my service to Emeryville. I work specifically on GreenTRIP, a certification program for new development projects that are low-traffic by design (like LEED is for energy efficiency). TransForm is also known for administering Safe Routes to Schools, a program to encourage kids and families to walk and bike to school. You may also be interested in our Great Communities Collaborative, which includes increased engagement of stakeholders in local land use planning.
With our climate concerns, with CA's focus on reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions, and with SB375 rolling out in our region, I am very excited to be working right in the thick of it. And my commute to Downtown Oakland by either bike or bus is great (especially when it is not raining)! Also, having the chance to put the skills I learned in my Masters of Public Policy program (Goldman School, graduated June 2012) to work is very satisfying. Please check out the organization, and let me know if your work is related to what we do or if you would like to learn more!
The other side of this transition is that my time for public service is less than I had before. I remain a strong and engaged council member (will end my year as Mayor on Tuesday, December 4, and have greatly enjoyed it), but I no longer have the luxury of time with my own children in the afternoons. As a result, I am reducing my evening commitments. I am still reachable by email and phone, but my responses might be a bit slower than before.
The positive side is that I have a whole new area of expertise that I bring to Emeryville, our transportation challenges, parking, and development projects. I look forward to working with you on these challenges moving forward.
With our climate concerns, with CA's focus on reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions, and with SB375 rolling out in our region, I am very excited to be working right in the thick of it. And my commute to Downtown Oakland by either bike or bus is great (especially when it is not raining)! Also, having the chance to put the skills I learned in my Masters of Public Policy program (Goldman School, graduated June 2012) to work is very satisfying. Please check out the organization, and let me know if your work is related to what we do or if you would like to learn more!
The other side of this transition is that my time for public service is less than I had before. I remain a strong and engaged council member (will end my year as Mayor on Tuesday, December 4, and have greatly enjoyed it), but I no longer have the luxury of time with my own children in the afternoons. As a result, I am reducing my evening commitments. I am still reachable by email and phone, but my responses might be a bit slower than before.
The positive side is that I have a whole new area of expertise that I bring to Emeryville, our transportation challenges, parking, and development projects. I look forward to working with you on these challenges moving forward.
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