Posts Tagged ‘city council’
Oakland committee approves new plan to address homelessness
Oakland City Council Life Enrichment Committee draws a plan to address homelessness and help African American families who seem to be more vulnerable to the housing crisis.
Read MoreArrest of former Oakland councilmember sparks outrage at committee meeting
Tuesday night’s Oakland Public Safety Committee meeting’s main agenda item—reviewing a report about holding a special election to amend the regulations that govern the Oakland Police Commission—was initially upstaged by jarring testimony from former Councilmember Wilson Riles Jr. about his arrest last week. Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan introduced the issue for the committee to address.…
Read MoreHomeless advocates express questions, concerns about new family shelter
At Tuesday’s Life Enrichment Committee meeting, residents, advocates, and city council members expressed concerns about a new family shelter.
Read MorePolicing watchdog groups push for changes to Oakland’s Police Commission
Members of local police accountability and activist groups say that conflicts of interest, unaccountable staff and lack of transparency prevent the Oakland Police Commission from being able to police the police.
Read MoreLawsuit challenges Oakland’s certification of education funding tax Measure AA
Two weeks ago, a business advocacy group sued the city of Oakland over its certification of Measure AA, a tax initiative from the November election that would create a fund for more early childhood education programs. The lawsuit—filed by the Jobs and Housing Coalition, along with a group of property owners—argues that the city council…
Read MoreThe price of your vote
Over $6 million: That’s how much money flowed into the war chests of Oakland candidates and PACs in the November election for mayor and city council seats.
Read MoreAs early returns trickle in, Oakland voters and candidates wait
In a packed home in the Grand Lake neighborhood, supporters of Mayor Libby Schaaf and her campaign’s volunteers nibbled on quesadillas and checked back and forth between CNN and the front door to see when the candidate would arrive. Everyone from Jon Sarriugarte, the artist who designed the now-famous snail car, to city hall officials…
Read MoreOakland council approves increase in shelter beds while displacing homeless encampment
Over a year after Oakland declared a state of emergency on homelessness, during a sparsely-attended city council meeting on Tuesday night, councilmembers passed two resolutions intended to help those living on the streets.
Read MoreFire destroys part of The Village encampment, as protesters call for safer conditions for the homeless
As the city and local volunteers rush to assist those displaced by an early morning fire at the East Oakland homeless encampment, questions and concerns about safe living spaces still remain.
Read MoreLong-time community activist’s fight against eviction highlights loophole in tenant protections
On a chilly Wednesday morning outside the Hayward Hall of Justice, a group of about 100 people gathered in support of long-time community activist Frances Moore, affectionately known as Aunti Frances, who has been feeding homeless and low-income people in North Oakland since 2009. Outside the courthouse, a group of Oakland activists set up two…
Read MoreOakland politicians, community members discuss solutions to growing homelessness crisis
Oakland Councilmember-at-large Rebecca Kaplan hosted a community meeting on homeless solutions Monday to address what she believes is the city’s number one concern: the number of unhoused people living on Oakland’s streets.
Read MoreCity council unanimously passes ordinance declaring a shelter crisis in Oakland
During the City Council meeting, the council members discussed Oakland’s shelter crisis, the federal legislation of California firearms laws and the state of the city address.
Read MoreOakland council passes ban on flavored tobacco sales
In an unanimous decision, on Tuesday night the Oakland City Council voted to ban of sales of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, in Oakland.
Read MoreOakland moves toward Trump wall boycott
Oakland may become the first city in the nation to use its purchasing power against President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.
Read MoreOakland City Council reviews post-Ghost Ship fire recommendations, community-written proposal receives little debate
On Tuesday night, the council heard reports by working groups created by Mayor Libby Schaff’s Executive Order 2017-1 on January 11, calling for improving building and fire safety in non-permitted spaces while avoiding displacing their residents if code violations aren’t life-threatening. Should tenants have to be relocated, the order calls for the city to provide more relocation assistance. The order also calls for more notice for inspections; strengthening the Just Cause Ordinance, which prohibits landlords from evicting tenants except for specific reasons like failure to pay rent and illegal activities; as well as steps towards legalizing non-conforming spaces and reforming the city’s events permits system.
Read MoreMcElhaney missing meetings as criticism intensifies over ethics complaint: “Where is your council president?”
At the Oakland City Council meeting on Tuesday night, tensions flared as councilmembers discussed a June Alameda County civil grand jury report, which found that an Oakland city councilmember violated government ethics and conflict of interest rules.
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