Posts Tagged ‘Jane Brunner’
As new members join the Oakland City Council, three long-serving politicians move on
This week will end the tenure of three of the longest-standing members on the Oakland City Council, each of whom has served for nearly two decades. On January 7, three new members who won in the November 2012 election will take over for District 5 Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente, who gave up his position…
Read MoreOakland’s Municipal ID, debit card program to launch February 1
Oakland officials have announced a launch date for the city’s new Municipal ID program, which would allow Oakland residents to apply for a city-issued identification card that can also be used as a debit card. Oakland studied other cities that have implemented similar programs, including New Haven, Connecticut, and San Francisco, said Mayor Jean Quan,…
Read MoreCity Attorney candidates discuss injunctions, medical marijuana and public safety
This year, voters must choose whether to give a full four-year term to current City Attorney Barbara Parker or to longtime District 1 Councilmember Jane Brunner, both familiar faces in Oakland politics. When Oakland voters nixed Measure H in 2011, they decided how the city would select a city attorney this year. Until 1998, city…
Read MoreCity council postpones voting on contentious items with two councilmembers absent
With two councilmembers absent, Tuesday night’s Oakland City Council meeting was brief, and much of the agenda was postponed.
Read MoreRockridge BART plaza receives a facelift
After years of planning, renovations to the Rockridge BART plaza’s exterior began last week. According to the Rockridge Community Planning Council’s website, the new configuration created by landscape designer Greer Alley was inspired by the community’s desire for improved seating and better lighting in the space. The goal of the renovation is to take a now-unusable area and create a community gathering space where community members may sit and talk or enjoy a cup of coffee.
Read MoreCouncilmembers discuss ways to get out of bond debt deal with Goldman Sachs
The City of Oakland should find a way to get out of its interest rate swap agreement with Goldman Sachs, a deal that costs the city $4 million annually, according to a city staff report. The problem before the city council now is figuring out the best way to do that without costing the city more money.
Read MoreDespite cancelled meeting, councilmembers discuss changing city’s banking contract
For the second consecutive time, the Oakland City Council’s finance and management committee failed to meet because not enough members showed up. The lack of a quorum—only Councilmembers Jane Brunner (District 1) and Patricia Kernighan (District 2) were present—shelved a resolution that would have taken away the power of the City Administrator’s Office to extend the city’s banking contract with Wells Fargo past this year, instead giving the power to the city council to negotiate a new deal.
Read MoreCity promoting rain barrels for hills residents to help prevent erosion
On Wednesday morning, Oakland hills resident Terry Galloway finished installing a third rain barrel on his property, a 305-gallon tank that is attached to the back of his home and connected to the gutters on his roof, as part of an event to promote the City of Oakland Rain Barrel Program.
Read MoreCommunity benefits package aimed at creating local jobs for Army Base project passes committee
The Oakland City Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee approved a community benefits package for the project at its meeting on Tuesday afternoon, moving the item to the city council for approval and giving the council the chance to decide if it wants to approve a series of recommendations aimed at making sure Oakland residents—and especially those who live in West Oakland—have access to the 3,000 jobs the project is expected to create.
Read MoreCity of Oakland to take over affordable housing programs, debt obligations after redevelopment agency is eliminated
The City of Oakland will take over the Oakland Redevelopment Agency’s affordable and low income housing programs, assume responsibility for the agency’s enforceable obligations and oversee the dissolution of the agency this spring. In a tense city council meeting that unexpectedly went into closed session Tuesday night, Oakland city councilmembers unanimously elected the City of…
Read MoreDespite meeting cancellation, community members talk Army base redevelopment at City Hall
About 40 people crowded the lobby of Oakland’s City Hall, demanding an impromptu audience with city councilmembers after a meeting of the council’s Community and Economic Development Committee was unexpectedly canceled Tuesday afternoon.
Read MoreCouncilmembers, Occupy Oakland protesters spar over port policing resolution
After waiting for more than five hours for their chance to voice their opposition to a resolution intended to prevent another shutdown of the Port of Oakland, a large contingent of Occupy Oakland supporters weren’t going to go away just because the Oakland City Council decided against even hearing the measure.
Read MoreOakland’s City Council approves point system, businesses can earn city contracts
In a lengthy meeting Tuesday, the Oakland City Council approved a pilot program to give more of a preference for city contracts to local and small local businesses and another one to establish mobile food pod sites. The council also appointed Victor Uno to the Board of Port Commissioners.
Read MoreNew mobile vending proposal could create “food pods” throughout Oakland
A new pilot program championed by Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Jane Brunner would begin to legitimize Oakland’s largely underground street food businesses. And despite of years of contention, supporters and critics of mobile food seem to agree that the proposed program could be a boon to business, bolstering the mobile food industry while minimizing competition with dine-in restaurants.
Read MoreOakland residents and city council call for reform to building services division
On Tuesday at the Community and Economic Development Committee meeting, Oakland City Council members and speakers from the audience criticized the city administrator’s office for not moving fast enough to fix systematic problems with the city’s much-criticized building services division.
Read MoreOakland City Council approves new requirements for Army Base redevelopment project
The Oakland City Council approved new requirements Tuesday night that would grant local businesses exclusive rights to demolition and remediation contracts for the Oakland Army Base redevelopent project.
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