City Council Employs Double Standard on Voting Reform

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Irene

At its April 2 meeting, the city council, after agreeing to lower the cost of candidate statements, considered reviewing other electoral reforms such as campaign finance, ranked choice voting, carving the city into election districts, and expanding the size of the city council.  The ensuing discussion created more questions than it answered and exhibited council’s double standard for considering voting reforms. Continue reading →

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Open Government May Close

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Irene

On February 20, the city council will decide the fate of the Open Government Commission and whether there will be any meaningful oversight of the council itself.

On the table is whether to continue having the commission hear complaints about alleged violations of the Sunshine Ordinance or hire a hearing officer/attorney to do so.  Whether the paid hearing officer will have any binding authority, such as making the council cure and correct a violation, is yet to be seen.

Four years ago, when the commission sustained a complaint and ordered the council to re-agendize a matter, the city council stripped the commission of its enforcement authority, making it an advisory body only. Continue reading →

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Beach Restroom Project Halted to Raise Elevation

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Irene

The restroom project on Alameda’s beach at Shore Line Drive and Grand Street has turned out to be a real pisser.  

Construction of the new restroom began in early 2023, after years of planning and obtaining clearances.  The project was expected to cost the East Bay Regional Park District about $300,000.  New plumbing pipes were installed, dune fences erected, and rebar put in place to pour the slab.  Delivery of the modular restroom was scheduled for April 18. 

Then the project suddenly stopped.  Passersby are wondering why. Continue reading →

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New Streetscapes for a Healthier Bay

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Irene

Three street intersections along Central Avenue will be getting a makeover to render them better for the environment. The intersections will incorporate bioretention facilities, which are special soil and vegetation features that help filter out harmful chemicals from stormwater runoff before the stormwater flows into the Bay. 

On July 5, after a decade of planning and funding efforts, the city council gave the go-ahead to begin work in 2024 on the “Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project.” 

Continue reading →

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Trash Pollution at MLK Shoreline is Out of Control

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Irene

Volunteers in background, Feb. 2, 2023

Buckets and gloves are not enough, according to volunteers who have been picking up trash in the marsh wetlands at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline for years.

“I’ve been cleaning this shoreline since 2018,” said Alameda resident Jim DuPont.  “It’s like Groundhog Day.  We clean, it rains, and the trash from Oakland streets covers the shoreline again.” Continue reading →

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Bigger Council Is Not Better

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Irene

Out of the blue, Councilmember Tony Daysog suddenly has a new priority.  He wants to expand the city council from five to seven members.  (Daysog’s Swearing-in Ceremony Speech, Alameda Sun, Dec. 29)

What gives?  This expansion was not part of his recent campaign platform nor proposed during his 18 years of service on the council, including his stint on the recent city-charter-review subcommittee.  There has been no community outcry for such an expansion either.

Can you imagine how much longer city council meetings will last if this happens?  The council can barely get through its meetings in a timely fashion as it is, often having to continue agenda items.  Adding two more members with another nine minutes for each to speak on every issue could make meetings go later into the night, hindering public participation.

Daysog claims that “for a city of our size,” having more councilmembers would make for a more “responsive city hall.”  But Alameda is a relatively small city. Continue reading →

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Support Local News Publications

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Irene

Many communities do not have any local news publications, but Alameda is blessed to have three!  

The Alameda Sun is where the city publishes all its public notices and covers local issues.  The East Bay Time’s Alameda Journal reports on local matters with an added regional perspective.  The Alameda Post is the city’s only all-online publication bringing to light an array of local news, including a weekly newsletter and podcast.

Alamedans should not take any of these local publications for granted.  The only way to keep them going is by subscribing or donating, and businesses placing ads.  Treat yourself or someone else to a subscription to one or more of these local news organizations.  It is also a service to the community that keeps giving all year long. Continue reading →

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Election Results Reveal Need for Ranked Choice Voting

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Irene

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) was a topic of discussion at Alameda’s 2022 candidate forums and in written questionnaires.  That’s because the voting method is needed in Alameda.  The recent election illustrates the value of RCV. 

Majority Rule

RCV ensures that candidates receive a majority of the votes cast in a single election in order to win.  Alameda’s current system allows that whoever gets the most votes wins, even if it is not a majority.  In a democracy, shouldn’t the majority rule? Continue reading →

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Ranked Choice Voting Gaining Steam

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Irene

Ranked Choice Voting gathered steam in the 2022 election.  From statewide to county and city races, the voting method of ranking candidates by preference was adopted by voters in eight more places.  Plus hundreds of thousands of voters across America, including the Bay Area, are already using it.  In Alameda, ranked choice voting was a topic of discussion at candidate forums and in written questionnaires.

“RCV is on a clear path to becoming the norm, not the exception,” said Deb Otis from FairVote.org.  “In large parts of the country, voting equals ranking.” Continue reading →

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Encinal Terminals Project Approved

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Irene

In a nail-biter finish, the Alameda City Council approved the revised Encinal Terminals project, including the proposed land exchange.  The project promises to turn a blighted industrial site into a mixed-use development with 589 homes, a Bay Trail waterfront promenade and plazas.

Councilmember Trish Herrera Spencer was the deciding vote after she received two concessions from the developer, North Waterfront Cove, LLC,  during the meeting.  Her vote was conditioned on getting a greater number of units designated as “for sale,” because for-sale units would provide more opportunities for middle-income people to start building housing security, especially when augmented by first-time-homebuyer programs.  She also ensured that all residential buildings will be designed to the extent possible with operable windows to facilitate natural air flow and ventilation. Continue reading →

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