West Oakland BusinessAlert

Business Community Attendees

Business Community Attendees George Burtt (WOCA), Greg Chan (EBMUD), Roberto Costa (CEDA), Debbie Hauser (staff), Michael Herling (Consolidated Cleaning Services), Marcus Johnson (Amstutz Assoc.), Ray Kidd (WON), Margaretta Lin (City of Oakland), Tom McCoy (WOCA), Ellen Parkinson (Parkinson Enterprises), Margot Lederer-Prado (CEDA), Cameron Wilson (RTO)

Approval of Minutes

May 2010 meeting minutes were approved.

Guest Speaker: Margaretta Lin, City Administrator’s Office

Ms. Lin distributed a matrix entitled “Oakland Stimulus Grants” and reviewed stimulus funding received to boost the local economy and continue funding of threatened services. Funds received were not sufficient to satisfy all needs, but Mayor Dellums was credited for his collaborative approach to leverage stimulus resources. There remains much hyperbole surrounding the granting of stimulus funds that Ms. Lin feels is not realistic. Oakland received very little in the way of “shovel-ready” funding. However, $214 million was received in five categories as outlined on the matrix: $78 million for Economic & Workforce Development, $25 million for Health, Housing and Social Services, $24 million for Public Infrastructure, $31 million for Public Safety and $56 million for Transportation. One pending stimulus application is on file with the federal government, $25 million for a broadband program. Oakland received the largest COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) grant that could possibly be awarded as part of the $31 million grant for Public Safety, almost $20 million that saved 41 OPD positions last year. $3.2 million funded two more public safety positions, equipment, OPD operations and Compstat. Oakland received the largest grant award, with a perfect score on its grant application.

Ms. Lin commended Mayor Dellums and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for their efforts to win the awards for Oakland. She discussed a visit to Oakland made by White House staff in March that included a bus tour of the city and participation in a procurement summit that involved major companies and entities doing business in Oakland.

A dedicated website for providing information in regards to how stimulus funds have been spent is available at www.oaklandstimulus.com. Contracting opportunities are also posted there. Signs are posted at each job site funded by stimulus to identify the project as such. A listing of nonprofit organizations and other Oakland companies that have received grant funding is now being undertaken.

Funds were unavailable to be specifically targeted to the reduction and monitoring of illegal dumping and other public works quality of life issues. Ms. Lin reported that, despite media reports, there will be no second phase of stimulus funding from the federal government, however various jobs programs are in the works through the George Miller Federal Jobs Program that will hire back laid off workers, among other job-related functions.

Distribution of federal stimulus funds is now complete, however other vehicles exist for the possible funding of infrastructure improvements, including EDA grants, federal earmarks, and I-Bonds through the State of California. The City of Oakland is also pursuing other grant funds, up to $500,000 each, for public safety. Margaretta will be invited back to review the West Oakland Infrastructure Study being conducted by BKF Engineering, once complete.

Lease Under Freeway

George Burtt attended the Oakland City Council’s Public Works Committee meeting last week. The Caltrans housekeeping issue raised for the third time has been deemed informational and will therefore not go before the full City Council. Jocelyn Combs will serve as the go-between with Caltrans and the Committee due to Oakland’s ongoing agreement with the agency. She is available to provide a report at a future meeting and is willing to work with Caltrans on this ongoing maintenance issue. It was noted that problems with private property must be handled through Code Compliance. Margot Prado will follow up on a planned code compliance sweep that was to occur recently but did not. Code Compliance will need to be sensitive to act fairly in citing property owners for violations, as a sweep of East Oakland commercial properties resulted in angry property owners who felt unfairly targeted.

West Oakland Infrastructure Study

Margot distributed a working draft of the infrastructure study completed by BKF Engineers, including the narrative that begins the study and a chapters outline, and invited committee members to comment.

EBMUD representative Gregory Chan was also invited to review the report for elements that may be missing, including a sanitary survey that should be included as part of the study, the last one completed in 1987. Mr. Chan addressed technical questions posed by committee members. EBMUD’s responsibility for infrastructure begins at the interceptors that bring water to the city, located on Wood Street. Underground creeks are not the responsibility of EBMUD and are most likely maintained by County Flood Control. Mr. Chan discussed EBMUD’s efforts to use waste water as a power source for some water-related business functions. Some waste water is being treated on a limited basis and used as “recycled water,” as opposed to gray water. This water can be used in cooling towers and to maintain median strips, as two examples. Margot encouraged the development and enactment of a collaborative pilot program between EBMUD and the West Oakland business community in this regard, which Mr. Chan welcomed.

Committee members provided input to Margot in regards to BKF’s infrastructure study draft. It was noted that some issues discussed in meetings with BKF had been missed in the draft, and the outline differs somewhat from what was discussed. Some committee members suggested that report language could be edited to more accurately reflect current conditions of West Oakland rail and to make the case that area rail has been abandoned. Accompanying report maps not included in the draft will provide a more complete picture of infrastructure needs, and the report will provide a framework for needed capital improvements. Margot noted that the study document will be considered complete when parties are satisfied with its content, not according to a deadline. Additional dedicated funds may be needed to accomplish this goal.