West Oakland BusinessAlert

Business Community Attendees
West Oakland Business Alert Chair: Michael Herling (Consolidated Cleaning), Bill Aboudi (OMSS), Andy Comly (PS Print), Fatemah Hedari (Live Edge), Marcus Johnson (Amstutz Assoc.), Ray Kidd (WOPAC), Malia Langi (SF Enterprises), Steve Lowe (WOPAC/WOCA), Tom McCoy (BBI Construction), Chris Mills (BKF Engineering), Tim Morse (Bay Alarm), Ellen Wyrick Parkinson (Parkinson Enterprises); Lowell Rice (WOCA), Jennifer Wong (Kinetic Arts), OPD: Officer Jose Barocio, Annie Sloan (NSD), Margot Lederer Prado (Bus Dev Services), Officer Komodo and Officer Griffin

The meeting began with a discussion of the situation outside 24th and Willow, with a homeless encampment and the attraction of drug dealers.  Officer Komodo asserted that the 238-DRUG number should be called in case of such suspicions.  It is an anonymous number.  Andy asked about people living in cars, and the officers responded that it is illegal and that the earlier such incidents are reported to them the better.  The OPD officers noted that the more detail one can get of the suspicious parties (color of sneakers) beyond just noting common shirt and pants types, the better.  Note if you can any stash locations, such as seeing items put in mailboxes or trees.  The officers noted an increase in gang activity.  Even if they are successful in eliminating one, there seems to be a new gang group popping up, often related to a larger network.  They are trying to change their tools so that even affiliation with a gang can be considered a crime.  An incident at 9th and Willow was discussed, and OPD said they had substantial information about that homicide, but could not make an arrest yet.

The security at the Army Base was discussed, including a discussion of cameras for surveillance.  OPD said that “life threatening incidents” always trump property damage and vandalism.  Stationary cameras that can record at least a portion of a crime when committed help the police in solving crimes.  More crime analysis and research is needed, but resources for that are limited. The PSO teams in District 1 should be covering the Base.  Bill Aboudi mentioned the problem of parking tickets when trucks are visiting his facility.   Annie Sloan offered to contact Parking Management about this.  Truck Parking in West Oakland, as an issue, will be added to the next Business Alert Agenda, with a review of current practice and regulations. Community members asked when cameras funded by Redevelopment are anticipated. 

The meeting moved to a discussion of the proposed West Oakland Industrial District Infrastructure Study.  City Business Development has obtained funds through the Redevelopment Agency to conduct a study of the existing conditions and possible improvements to lighting, street surfacing, vacated or abandoned rail removal, sidewalks and other areas that will bring the area standards up.  The Study will be conducted in the fall of 2009 and results presented early in 2010, if not before.  The City has already prepared base maps of existing conditions, and is preparing contract documents, so that actual work can begin in later September.  BKF Engineering is the consultant, selected from the CEDA Project Management “On-Call” consultant lists.  Chris Mills of BKF Engineering was present to talk about the similar work BKF conducted for the City in East Oakland Industrial Districts.