West Oakland BusinessAlert

Business Community Attendees
George Burtt (WOCA), Roberto Costa (CEDA), Debbie Hauser (Staff), Michael Herling (Consolidated Cleaning Services), Marcus Johnson (Amstutz Assoc.), Ray Kidd (WON), Steve Lowe (WOCA), Tom McCoy (BBI Construction), Reginald McKinley (ABC Security Service), Chris Mills (BKF Engineers), Tim Morse (Bay Alarm), Ellen Parkinson (Parkinson Enterprises), Margot Lederer Prado (Bus. Dev. Services), John Stewart (City of Oakland Building Services), Bob Tuck (Atlas Heating & A/C), Marcel Uzegbu (CEDA Engineering Design)

Approval of Minutes
March 2010 meeting minutes were approved.

Safety & Security Discussion
Bob Tuck distributed a crime report generated from the City of Oakland’s website, indicating statistics tracked over a two-month period ending April 20. The report displays results of crimes in a quarter-mile radius centering around the Poplar Recreation Center in West Oakland. Seven murders, 13 aggravated assaults, 12 burglaries, eight robberies, and 22 vehicle thefts were recorded during this time period. It was noted that officers in attendance at recent BusinessAlert meetings have not reported these troubling statistics to the group.

Bob encouraged that BusinessAlert be focused on reducing crime as a foremost priority, He discussed a shooting incident on 32nd at which automatic weapons were used, resulting in the unacceptable situation of bullets penetrating nearby homes. It appears that much of the crime stems from gang violence. The proposed gang injunction ordinance will be heard in court tomorrow, and recent statements made by Chief Batts indicate he is committed to clamping down on gang-related activity and violence.

OPD’s current level of officers stands at 779, and there are reports that eight more will soon be added, coming closer to the number of mandated officers, 803. Federal stimulus funding may be available to hire additional officers, however grantees must follow stringent regulations in how staffing is accomplished.

There was general consensus that BusinessAlert and West Oakland’s NCPC must actively network with each other so that vital information is exchanged between the two groups on a regular basis. Currently, OPD PSOs only attend NCPC meetings, and so they do not hear directly from property owners the problems being experienced at their places of business or surrounding neighborhoods. Both West Oakland’s NSCs will be asked to share crime stats and information emanating from NCPC meetings with the West Oakland BusinessAlert committee on an ongoing basis. A mechanism that will result in good communication between the two groups is necessary.

John Stewart encouraged the implementation of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to discourage crime at West Oakland businesses. Margot will invite Eddie Simlin, who oversees the CPTED program, to a future meeting to discuss the program.

City of Oakland Building Services
John Stewart provided a report on the services provided by the Building Services division of the City of Oakland. Tasks are divided between the Residential Group, Commercial Group and Special Projects Group. John’s job tasks focus mainly on West Oakland private property inspections. As with all City departments suffering from budget cutbacks, Building Services has also experienced recent reductions in staff. He encourages use of the City’s call center to report violations at (510) 615-5566. Information can also be sent to Mr. Stewart directly at jstewart@oaklandnet.com.

Ray Kidd advised Mr. Stewart of the nuisance property located at 3408 Adeline. The home has sat vacant for some time, inviting blight and crime into the area. Mr. Stewart is working with Councilmember Nadel’s office to resolve this problem property. The area around Mead near the boy’s club was also discussed as a problem where code violations are rampant. The Building Services division continues to work on getting these vacant properties in compliance.

City Engineering Report
Marcel Uzegbu provided an overview of the role of the City’s Department of Engineering and Construction. Engineering holds responsibility for delivery of sidewalk and curb design, right-of-way enforcement, streetscape structure and design, stairs and bridges design, storms and creek engineering, and sanitary sewer design. The division also manages a sidewalk repair program, and Marcel distributed a flyer that describes property owner responsibilities versus City responsibilities in maintaining and repairing sidewalks.

As it relates to West Oakland’s infrastructure study now underway, the Engineering division will ensure a fruitful outcome once the study is completed. The study’s quantified findings, cost estimates, and prioritizations will assist Engineering with overall project planning, coordination, database updates and project implementation. Engineering will work closely with the community to ensure compliance with established standards and coordination of utilities. Future projects for Engineering, when funds are available, include sidewalk and wheelchair ramp upgrades, additional streetscapes, and street resurfacing.

Engineering conducted a survey of rail crossings several months ago and met with Union Pacific and PUC reps in this regard. Marcel and his staff are working with UP on repair of track defects at crossings that make it difficult for traffic to transverse the area. The Oakland right of way at Mandela and 26th is one example of a crossing that needs improvement. The City of Oakland and UP have an existing but expired franchise agreement that is currently being renegotiated. It is of key importance that stakeholders be brought to the table to renew franchise agreements; folding maintenance into the agreements will be critical as well. It was noted that franchise fees, owed by rail companies to the city, have not been collected in many years. Railroad companies are only responsible for improving crossings two feet out either direction of track. The West Oakland infrastructure study will serve to enhance Engineering staff’s survey findings.

Once all data is culled and analyzed, Engineering can better make a case to UP in regards to replacing deficient crossings. The City of Oakland, in general, has the support of the PUC in terms of holding railroad companies responsible for the repair of defective crossings. George Burtt reported that it may be beneficial to have rail declared abandoned, resulting in a change of status into a category with different regulations than when rail is considered active. George’s understanding is that UP manages a fund for this purpose however it hasn’t been approached by City staff to make this declaration. Marcel encouraged BKF Engineering, in its public infrastructure study report, to raise the issue of potential legal liability in the case of ADA noncompliance of existing crossings.

George Burtt distributed copies of an email sent by him to City staffer Jocelyn Combs on behalf of the West Oakland Commerce Corporation on April 8, 2010. The email describes George’s efforts to document poor rail conditions in West Oakland and includes a summary of 37 photos taken around the area that were attached to the email. The letter asks for a meeting the week of April 19th to discuss rail issues and illegal dumping in the area. The letter states that prioritization of repairs needed, as requested by Ms. Combs, is not possible due to the overwhelming poor conditions of the many sites observed, making them each a high priority to repair. George conveyed his view that the decision of prioritization should be made by City staff, although all rail should be put in line for repair. Tom McCoy’s request to have a PUC representative attend a future meeting to respond to questions in regards to West Oakland rail will be followed up by Marcel. West Oakland Works Margot displayed a sample carrying bag promoting West Oakland Works. More details about ordering the bag will be available in the near future.