Last night at the City/Schools Committee meeting (first Thursday of every month at 5:30 at ESS), we had a presentation and accepted the final conceptual design plan for the Center for Community Life (ECCL). After the School Board officially recommends this conceptual design (which will come at the March 13th meeting I expect), the architects will move on to the schematic design, which are the details on how the buildings will look and from which the construction documents will be drawn. The last public workshop on the conceptual plan will be this Saturday, March 3, from 2-5 at Emery Secondary School. Childcare and refreshments provided. All welcome! Demolition is planned for this summer (2012) for the Secondary School to prepare the site for the new facility.
We also heard last night from the 6 student ECCL Fellows whose job it is to engage the community and spread the word to keep the community informed. They presented information about their activities and answered questions about the program. They expressed a desire to have more students involved. There are also 4 adults who are part of the Fellows project.
Here is a link to the website that contains information on ECCL and also the presentation that the City/Schools Committee heard last night. With the bonds that have been sold by the district ($48 million) and the commitment of former redevelopment funds ($25 million), the project has $73 million available for it at this time.
We also heard from a few people who serve on the Citizens Oversight Committee (COC) which collects information on the Measure J Bonds and how they are being spent. Putting in place the tools that the COC needs and figuring out their role with 17 members has made for a challenging year. Brian Carver, who has served as the chair, gave his monthly report which included some changes to the structure of the committee. After his report, he also expressed personal frustration with the process, the amount of time and effort that this work demands, and some of the resistance or attitudes he has met from staff when procedures or assumptions are questioned. He is concerned that the School Board is not looking long term at the management and use of all 3 of their properties, spending most of their attention on the one ESS site. He thinks that the argument for K-12 co-location has not been made adequately. He is considering leaving the committee, he said. I am very sorry to hear that level of frustration from any volunteer who has dedicated so much. I urge all elected officials, staff and residents to respect people who share ideas that are different from their own, truly listen, and maintain a constructive dialogue. That is how public projects are improved and how individuals contribute.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Oversight Board
To keep you informed on Redevelopment changes, I will share with you about the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board is being formed in the next month or so and will be in place by May 1, 2012. This body will be reviewing all decisions made by the City Council as Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency as we wind down its affairs, including looking at all of the projects and "enforceable obligations" that are listed on our Enforceable Obligation Payment Schedule (EOPS). The Oversight Board will have 7 members:
- the Mayor
- a person appointed by the County Superintendent of Schools, Sheila Jordan
- a person appointed by ACTransit
- a person appointed by the Peralta Community College District
- a member of the County Board of Supervisors
- a person appointed by the County Board of Supervisors
- a member of our staff: Helen Bean the Director of Ecomonic Develeopment and Housing will serve in that capacity
Monday, February 27, 2012
Important meeting to chart Emeryville's path
Please come on down to City Hall on Tuesday, February 28 to share your ideas with the City Council. Redevelopment is gone and we must set our shared priorities before the new 2 year budget is drafted and adopted in June. We start at 5:30 pm and will go until 9:30 if we need to. You will get a chance to hear information from staff, add your own voice, meet some neighbors, hear the council share their views and even have a few refreshments. The agenda is available here.
I look forward to seeing you at 1333 Park Ave. at 5:30 on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Jennifer West
Mayor of Emeryville
I look forward to seeing you at 1333 Park Ave. at 5:30 on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Jennifer West
Mayor of Emeryville
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
I-80 Corridor Congestion Relief project meeting, Feb 13, 6:00-9:00pm
Here is a link to information on this meeting!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Yellow Pages Opt out link
Emeryville Neighbors,
If you are interested in no longer receiving yellow pages directories, please follow the info provided below. Realize that it may take a month or more to process your request and you may still receive a yellow pages in the interim.
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Simply go to www.YellowPagesOptOut.com, enter your zip code and follow the prompts to make your choice. Once complete, you will be sent a confirmation email. Click the link embedded in the email to confirm your request.
If you are interested in no longer receiving yellow pages directories, please follow the info provided below. Realize that it may take a month or more to process your request and you may still receive a yellow pages in the interim.
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YELLOWPAGES Opt-Out
Consumer Choice
Developed in partnership between the Local Search Association and the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP), www.YellowPagesOptOut.com provides an easy and secure way for you to control the number of Yellow Pages telephone directories you receive or to stop directory delivery entirely. It is a completely free service for residents, municipalities and organizations that want to help promote sustainable business practices.
The Internet-based tool is specifically designed to prevent directories from being delivered to anyone who does not want one while ensuring that they are delivered to the majority of consumers who continue to rely upon and use the print Yellow Pages to make purchases supporting the local business community and economy. It is a significant and unified commitment on behalf of directory publishers of which the positive impacts are already being realized in many communities around the country.
As the industry’s official website to manage requests, all Association and ADP member companies are committed to honoring requests made through the opt-out web portal. Information gathered through the site will not be sold to third-parties and will be used solely to update publishers’ delivery information.
Friday, February 3, 2012
What is the State of the City?
On February 7, at the City Council meeting at 7:15 pm at City Hall (1333 Park Ave.) there will be several items that may interest folks in town.
The Mayor (that's me) will give a State of the City address at the beginning of the meeting -- the same address I gave at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon just a week ago. To reach the citizens of Emeryville, I asked to give the speech again so that more might hear about what has gone on in the past year and what can be expected going forward. Pat O'Keeffe, the City Manager, will also give a part of the speech. You can also watch this live on your TV on Channel 27, or on your computer with live streaming. You will be glad to hear that we are also taking this show on the road -- reaching out even further as we are committed to attending neighborhood gatherings to share the same information. Consider inviting us to one of your homes, your complex, or your community room in the near future.
Contracting with the County for fire services? Before our regular meeting there is a study session (beginning at 6:30) to hear about the proposals we have received to improve Emeryville's fire services. The folks who work in the Fire Dept., the Task Force that was created to look into our fire service delivery, the consultants who we hired to analyze our needs, and the managerial staff all have recommended to the Council that we consider joining the Alameda County Fire Department. Come to this session before the City Council meeting to hear more about this topic.
You may have noticed new LED street lights lighting up the street outside your home. There is an item on the agenda to discuss the changes in lighting, both the quality of the light and the cost savings that we anticipate from the energy saving technology and the lower maintenance costs. A number of residents have brought this to our attention and we will discuss the change at our meeting.
We are appointing a new Planning Commissioner as Art Hoff has left the Planning Commission. Several people have applied and now the Council will appoint one.
The design for a new park next to the development dubbed "Parkside" in the block bordered by Hollis/Powell/Stanford/Doyle will be considered by the council.
A group named Ohana that is proposing to assist ECAP, the Emeryville Community Action Program, an organization that helps people who need food, clothing and support services will be presenting an update on their activities.
And we will hear about regional sustainability with the Sustainable Communities Strategies presentation. For me, this is a very important and exciting opportunity to be involved in the way our region tackles transportation and land use decisions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by CA law, SB375. If you are not able to attend Tuesday evening, but want to participate, please consider this virtual workshop as a way to share your thoughts.
Finally, we will proclaim how kids need parks, the importance of the Red Cross, celebrate the dedicated career of a Police Service Technician, and acknowledge one impressive college freshman from Emeryville!
I will do my best to get all the hot topics as early as possible in the evening.
See you there!
The Mayor (that's me) will give a State of the City address at the beginning of the meeting -- the same address I gave at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon just a week ago. To reach the citizens of Emeryville, I asked to give the speech again so that more might hear about what has gone on in the past year and what can be expected going forward. Pat O'Keeffe, the City Manager, will also give a part of the speech. You can also watch this live on your TV on Channel 27, or on your computer with live streaming. You will be glad to hear that we are also taking this show on the road -- reaching out even further as we are committed to attending neighborhood gatherings to share the same information. Consider inviting us to one of your homes, your complex, or your community room in the near future.
Contracting with the County for fire services? Before our regular meeting there is a study session (beginning at 6:30) to hear about the proposals we have received to improve Emeryville's fire services. The folks who work in the Fire Dept., the Task Force that was created to look into our fire service delivery, the consultants who we hired to analyze our needs, and the managerial staff all have recommended to the Council that we consider joining the Alameda County Fire Department. Come to this session before the City Council meeting to hear more about this topic.
You may have noticed new LED street lights lighting up the street outside your home. There is an item on the agenda to discuss the changes in lighting, both the quality of the light and the cost savings that we anticipate from the energy saving technology and the lower maintenance costs. A number of residents have brought this to our attention and we will discuss the change at our meeting.
We are appointing a new Planning Commissioner as Art Hoff has left the Planning Commission. Several people have applied and now the Council will appoint one.
The design for a new park next to the development dubbed "Parkside" in the block bordered by Hollis/Powell/Stanford/Doyle will be considered by the council.
A group named Ohana that is proposing to assist ECAP, the Emeryville Community Action Program, an organization that helps people who need food, clothing and support services will be presenting an update on their activities.
And we will hear about regional sustainability with the Sustainable Communities Strategies presentation. For me, this is a very important and exciting opportunity to be involved in the way our region tackles transportation and land use decisions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by CA law, SB375. If you are not able to attend Tuesday evening, but want to participate, please consider this virtual workshop as a way to share your thoughts.
Finally, we will proclaim how kids need parks, the importance of the Red Cross, celebrate the dedicated career of a Police Service Technician, and acknowledge one impressive college freshman from Emeryville!
I will do my best to get all the hot topics as early as possible in the evening.
See you there!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The end of Redevelopment as we know it
On February 1, 2012, if no other urgency legislation gets passed, the two Redevelpment Agencies (RDA) in Emeryville will be dissolved. I want to give you a little background as to how we got here, and what we might expect as we move forward.
Emeryville has two redevelopment areas that collectively cover 95% of our town, everything except the Watergate Condominiums. The 1976 Redevelopment Agency was established in 1976, and the Shellmound Redevelopment Agency was established in 1987. Over the years both agencies have issued bonds to finance projects that have cleaned up our town and assisted with public and private development of parcels. Redevelopment agencies use tools like eminent domain to assemble parcels. Emeryville was left with a large amount of toxic waste when industry left, and we have used these funds to clean up brownfields, and are still doing so. Some of the most visible projects of redevelopment have been the Bay St. development, along with IKEA and the Courtyard Marriott, and the East Bay Bridge mall where we have many big box stores.
When a redevelopment area is established, all future increases in the property taxes come back to the redevelopment agency as "tax increment." In other words, whether the property taxes in that area might have gone up on their own or not, the gains are attributable to redevelopment and help to pay back the debt that redevelopment has accrued. Redevelopment may indeed have contributed to increasing the property taxes, but all other agencies that normally take a slice from the property tax pie (Alameda County, the City of Emeryville, the Emery Unified School District, AC Transit, Peralta Community College District to name a few) do not get any of the tax increment. Their amount of property tax revenue was frozen back when the RDA was established.
Because our RDAs have helped to build hotels and retail, our city's general fund has benefited from hotel taxes (TOT) and sales tax revenues as a result of redevelopment as well.
Over the years, the state has had to fill in on school funding when the district did not get adequate funding from the property taxes collected locally. Today, our EUSD gets only about 20% of the funding from local funds, and 80% comes from the state. The burden on the state has increased, which has led to serious budget issues (I know you know about these), and the State has again and again turned to local funds to try and balance their budget. In 2010, cities and counties successfully passed Prop 22 which again stated that the state could no longer take local government funds. That seemed like a good thing to protect our dollars, but there was an unintended consequence.
Last year, Jerry Brown, proposed ending redevelopment as we know it to free up tax increment funds, allowing more money from property taxes to flow to schools and counties, reducing the state's burden. The legislature ending up passing 2 bills, AB 26 and AB 27. The first one ended redevelopment; the second one re-established RDA with a "voluntary" program and extortion payments from RDAs to pay for the opportunity to continue to exist. Emeryville would have had to pay $13 million this week in order to play. We were planning to do so, as by continuing to exist, the RDA would hold onto assets of around $120 million.
But last summer, the statewide CA Redevelopment Association challenged AB26 and AB27 in court. The CA Supreme Court decision, released on Dec. 29, 2011, upheld AB26, but struck down AB27. Essentially, they said that the legislature had the power to eliminate redevelopment, but under the constitution (which now included Prop 22) the legislature could not require payment to re-establish RDAs. It is ironic that Prop 22 was the reason that AB27 was struck down.
There are many people talking about how this was not what was intended by state legislators. There may be a new form of redevelopment that is considered, one perhaps that allows RDAs to continue working toward affordable housing goals. Some bills are already in the works.
In Emeryville, we have a number of RDA projects in various stages of completion and planning. The real question on everyone's mind around the state (there are 400 redevelopment agencies) is "How far along does a project need to be to be considered an 'enforceable obligation' and allowed to continue?"
When RDAs dissolve on Feb. 1, a "Successor Agency" will take over to assist with the wind down of affairs. In Emeryville it is likely that the Successor Agency will be the City Council (decision comes this evening). All actions by the Successor Agency are subjected to an "Oversight Board" which has on it representatives of the other taxing entities that serve to benefit from the release of tax increment funds, such as the County, Schools representative, the Community College Board, AC Transit, etc. We will also have a representative on that Board, appointed by me, the Mayor. Additionally, the County Auditor-Controller and the State Controller and Department of Finance have oversight of the actions of these agencies. Tax increment will still be allocated to pay off the debt of the RDAs, which is about $14 million per year, and other pass-through payments that are "enforceable obligations."
Because the intent of RDA dissolution is at least partly to assist the schools, we feel confident that the joint-use facility called the Center of Community Life will be allowed to move forward. We have "enforceable obligations" in place with the School District already in the form of MOUs, and we hope that with our accelerated design and construction plan due to federal funds we are receiving, we will have no problem on that project. Other projects are not as clear at this time. I can speculate, but do not know the fate of projects such as the Bike/Ped bridge to Bay St. that has been planned, but has been waiting these past 9 months or so to move forward, pending these decisions.
One thing that is very clear to me is that the future of Emeryville will look very different without the RDA there to assist with development. For that reason, it is imperative that the council and the community come together and talk through our priorities moving forward. On Feb. 28, 2012, at 5:30, at City Hall, the Council will meet for a long term visioning workshop. I hope you can attend.
Tonight, Jan. 17, 2012, at our Council meeting at 7:15 pm we will have a couple of items discussing these developments. Please consider attending to learn more. As always, feel free to send questions my way.
Emeryville has two redevelopment areas that collectively cover 95% of our town, everything except the Watergate Condominiums. The 1976 Redevelopment Agency was established in 1976, and the Shellmound Redevelopment Agency was established in 1987. Over the years both agencies have issued bonds to finance projects that have cleaned up our town and assisted with public and private development of parcels. Redevelopment agencies use tools like eminent domain to assemble parcels. Emeryville was left with a large amount of toxic waste when industry left, and we have used these funds to clean up brownfields, and are still doing so. Some of the most visible projects of redevelopment have been the Bay St. development, along with IKEA and the Courtyard Marriott, and the East Bay Bridge mall where we have many big box stores.
When a redevelopment area is established, all future increases in the property taxes come back to the redevelopment agency as "tax increment." In other words, whether the property taxes in that area might have gone up on their own or not, the gains are attributable to redevelopment and help to pay back the debt that redevelopment has accrued. Redevelopment may indeed have contributed to increasing the property taxes, but all other agencies that normally take a slice from the property tax pie (Alameda County, the City of Emeryville, the Emery Unified School District, AC Transit, Peralta Community College District to name a few) do not get any of the tax increment. Their amount of property tax revenue was frozen back when the RDA was established.
Because our RDAs have helped to build hotels and retail, our city's general fund has benefited from hotel taxes (TOT) and sales tax revenues as a result of redevelopment as well.
Over the years, the state has had to fill in on school funding when the district did not get adequate funding from the property taxes collected locally. Today, our EUSD gets only about 20% of the funding from local funds, and 80% comes from the state. The burden on the state has increased, which has led to serious budget issues (I know you know about these), and the State has again and again turned to local funds to try and balance their budget. In 2010, cities and counties successfully passed Prop 22 which again stated that the state could no longer take local government funds. That seemed like a good thing to protect our dollars, but there was an unintended consequence.
Last year, Jerry Brown, proposed ending redevelopment as we know it to free up tax increment funds, allowing more money from property taxes to flow to schools and counties, reducing the state's burden. The legislature ending up passing 2 bills, AB 26 and AB 27. The first one ended redevelopment; the second one re-established RDA with a "voluntary" program and extortion payments from RDAs to pay for the opportunity to continue to exist. Emeryville would have had to pay $13 million this week in order to play. We were planning to do so, as by continuing to exist, the RDA would hold onto assets of around $120 million.
But last summer, the statewide CA Redevelopment Association challenged AB26 and AB27 in court. The CA Supreme Court decision, released on Dec. 29, 2011, upheld AB26, but struck down AB27. Essentially, they said that the legislature had the power to eliminate redevelopment, but under the constitution (which now included Prop 22) the legislature could not require payment to re-establish RDAs. It is ironic that Prop 22 was the reason that AB27 was struck down.
There are many people talking about how this was not what was intended by state legislators. There may be a new form of redevelopment that is considered, one perhaps that allows RDAs to continue working toward affordable housing goals. Some bills are already in the works.
In Emeryville, we have a number of RDA projects in various stages of completion and planning. The real question on everyone's mind around the state (there are 400 redevelopment agencies) is "How far along does a project need to be to be considered an 'enforceable obligation' and allowed to continue?"
When RDAs dissolve on Feb. 1, a "Successor Agency" will take over to assist with the wind down of affairs. In Emeryville it is likely that the Successor Agency will be the City Council (decision comes this evening). All actions by the Successor Agency are subjected to an "Oversight Board" which has on it representatives of the other taxing entities that serve to benefit from the release of tax increment funds, such as the County, Schools representative, the Community College Board, AC Transit, etc. We will also have a representative on that Board, appointed by me, the Mayor. Additionally, the County Auditor-Controller and the State Controller and Department of Finance have oversight of the actions of these agencies. Tax increment will still be allocated to pay off the debt of the RDAs, which is about $14 million per year, and other pass-through payments that are "enforceable obligations."
Because the intent of RDA dissolution is at least partly to assist the schools, we feel confident that the joint-use facility called the Center of Community Life will be allowed to move forward. We have "enforceable obligations" in place with the School District already in the form of MOUs, and we hope that with our accelerated design and construction plan due to federal funds we are receiving, we will have no problem on that project. Other projects are not as clear at this time. I can speculate, but do not know the fate of projects such as the Bike/Ped bridge to Bay St. that has been planned, but has been waiting these past 9 months or so to move forward, pending these decisions.
One thing that is very clear to me is that the future of Emeryville will look very different without the RDA there to assist with development. For that reason, it is imperative that the council and the community come together and talk through our priorities moving forward. On Feb. 28, 2012, at 5:30, at City Hall, the Council will meet for a long term visioning workshop. I hope you can attend.
Tonight, Jan. 17, 2012, at our Council meeting at 7:15 pm we will have a couple of items discussing these developments. Please consider attending to learn more. As always, feel free to send questions my way.
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