Oakland has no regrets
Tri-Valley fiscal year budget outlooks are bright; Oakland mayor gets down; more Asian-related issues in Price's DAs ofice.
CITY NEWS
OAKLAND
—EVICTION MORATORIUM—The ongoing war of words between tenants and landlords, along with some councilmembers, returns this afternoon.
—The full Oakland City Council will vote on legislation authored by Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Councilmember Dan Kalb to end the city’s eviction moratorium with a phased approach.
Here’s the proposal likely to be approved tonight: The eviction moratorium would remain in effect after May 2.
—However, landlords would be able to evict tenants not covered by Covid-19-related issues that are precluding them from paying rent. Evictions, though, can only follow unpaid rent after this May.
—The eviction moratorium would ultimately end on Sept. 1. The rent increase moratorium would end on July 1, 2024.
—Oakland Councilmember Noel Gallo offered his own amendments last week to quicken the timeline. Gallo’s idea is to end the eviction moratorium on May 30, instead of Sept. 1 and roll back some of the proposed changes to the city’s just cause regulations.
—Except for enthusiastic landlords in attendance at last week’s committee meeting, Gallo’s plan did not achieve much support.
—NO REGRETS—Last week, Oakland Councilmember Carroll Fife uttered a racial slur against Asian landlords, and with no admonishment from her Asian colleagues on the city council, or anybody else.
—During the same meeting about a phased-out approach to ending the city’s eviction moratorium, Fife made another controversial comment, asserting she would help Black landlords in danger of foreclosure fight the banks, but not necessarily property owners of other races.
—At one point, Fife gesturing toward someone inside chambers and, said, “You’re not black.” Watch the clip HERE.
—In the meantime, just like Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, Fife’s supporters are calling the attention to the councilmember’s comments an attack on her and harassment. They have a scheduled a rally for Fife this afternoon at Oakland City Hall.
—DANCING MAYOR—Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has been silent about Councilmember Carroll Fife’s comments last week. The new mayor’s car was also broken into while she attended a screening last Thursday of Stephen Curry’s documentary at the Grand Lake Theater in downtown Oakland. And don’t forget the end to the city ransomware attack is still unknown.
—But that didn’t stop Thao from getting down with state champion Oakland high school basketball players at a celebration on Sunday.
—Let’s hope Thao is showing the same level of enthusiasm during ballpark negotiations with the Oakland Athletics.
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DUBLIN
—IN-LIEU BLUES—The developer behind a proposed 450 single-family housing development in Dublin wants the city council to consider switching out $5.7 million in proposed in-lieu fees for 25 units of affordable housing.
—In its place, the developer is asking the city to form a Facilities Community Facilities District to pay for infrastructure costs at the undeveloped parcel east of Fallon Road near Interstate 580.
—SURPLUS—Dublin has a projected $16.3 million budget surplus for the coming fiscal year, city staff reports. Property tax revenues improved by $3.4 million, or a 6.1 percent increase.
PLEASANTON
—MODEST FORECAST—Pleasanton’s projected expenditures for Fiscal Year 2023-24 slightly exceeds revenues, according to the city’s finance department. a presentation of the budget will be offered tonight at a special work session starting at 5:30 p.m.
—The use of $760,000 in various reserve funds would cover the small deficit.
—Over the course of the proposed two-year budget presented on Tuesday night, revenues and expenditures are projected to rise at almost the same rate. Pleasanton’s outlook does not include federal Covid-19 funding that greatly helped local municipalities during the pandemic.
—Sales tax receipts are expected to see “modest” increases in coming years, despite the opening soon of Costco in Pleasanton, always a sales tax powerhouse for many cities. That’s because the city owes 40 percent of future tax receipts to pay back Costco for road improvements at the location.
COUNTY NEWS
ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
—OPEN SEASON—A chief deputy district attorney in Pamela Price’s office allegedly made racially-insensitive comments about Samoans, ABC7 reports.
—Price’s second-in-command, Otis Bruce, Jr., served as assistant DA in Marin County until retiring last year. He was named to Price’s leadership team earlier this year.
—Bruce filed a $12 million racial discrimination suit last month against Marin County DA Lori Frugoli and two other prosecutors.
—"Samoans fight. They like to get drunk and high and they fight in a minute,” a Alameda County prosecutor currently placed on paid leave, attributed to Bruce, according to ABC7.
—A female prosecutor in the DA’s office made an official complaint about Bruce’s alleged comment to the union.