{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 1, "text": "MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING\nTUESDAY--APRIL 21, 2020- -2:00 P.M.\n(20-218) A special meeting was called to allow the City Council to attend the Alameda\nBusiness Community's Town Hall: Tuesdays at 2 pm.\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 2, "text": "MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING\nTUESDAY- - -APRIL 21,2020-6:30 P.M.\n(20-219) The special closed session meeting was cancelled.\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 3, "text": "MINUTES OF THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING\nTUESDAY- - APRIL 21, 2020- 7:00 P.M.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft convened the meeting at 7:01 p.m., led the Pledge of Allegiance\nand made brief comments.\nROLL CALL -\nPresent:\nCouncilmembers Daysog, Knox White, Oddie, Vella,\nand Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft - 5. [Note: The meeting\nwas conducted via WebEx]\nAbsent:\nNone.\nAGENDA CHANGES\nVice Mayor Knox White moved approval of calling a recess to convene the 7:01 p.m.\nmeeting and consider the urgency items first.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote:\nCouncilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor\nEzzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.\n***\nThe meeting was recessed at 7:08 p.m. and reconvened at 10:10 p.m.\n***\nCouncilmember Oddie moved approval of delaying the Charter amendment [paragraph\nno 20-234 per the suggestion of the League of Women Voters and others; proposed\nthe item be delayed until 2 weeks after the shelter in place orders have been lifted and\nbe presented at a special meeting.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she agrees in part to Councilmember Oddie's proposal\nto move the item; discussed the background for selecting the Charter Subcommittee;\nnoted the Subcommittee has been tasked with looking over the entire Charter,\nespecially the items raised by the Grand Jury report; stated public trust in elected\nofficials is important; expressed support for continuing the item to the next meeting;\nstated the item is simpler than others; Council is not voting to raise pay, the vote will\nallow the possibility of placing separate ballot initiatives on the November election; the\nnext meeting has a light agenda; noted Measure 2 language allows the City to add a\nprosecutor, which is important to consider; stated correspondence received has\nrequested a full and robust discussion with full participation from the public; that she\nagrees in part and disagrees in part; expressed support for a full and robust discussion\nwith public participation; speaking to Council in person is a kind of luxury; outlined\ndifficulties with childcare or access to meetings in general; stated there will be\nlimitations to meeting in groups all through summer and into the fall; expressed support\nfor continuing the item to the next Council meeting and for scheduling two special\nmeetings to address the meatier items; stated each item deserves its own separate\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n1\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 4, "text": "hearing; expressed support for a Zoom meeting, which allows speakers to be heard\nrather than having comments read, and for having the meetings well publicized ahead\nof time for as full and robust of a discussion as possible; stated packing the Council\nChambers with people will not happen for a while.\nCouncilmember Vella seconded the motion.\nUnder discussion, Council member stated these are uncertain times; expressed support\nfor tabling the item at least until the shelter in place order has been lifted; stated the\nprimary focus of most people are on day-to-day items, not Council discussions related\nto initiatives; the November election is still unclear; expressed concern for bringing\ncertain Charter changes to the election in November based on current voting access\nconditions; stated a number of bills and legislation being worked on; decisions should\nnot be made in the middle of the night; expressed concern that essential workers will\nnot being able to comment or participate at a special or regular meeting and about staff\nbandwidth and workload; expressed support for one special meeting to be agendized\nearlier in the day to allow participation; expressed support for tabling the item until the\nshelter in place has been lifted.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the same avenues to submit comments will be allowed at\nthe special meetings, people can e-mail or text; those that want to show up in person\ncan have access on devices; expressed support for two special meetings; stated the\ntopics are fairly meaty and can be time-consuming.\nCouncilmember Vella stated there are people working long hours that are not thinking\nabout items aside from providing essential work and cannot respond in way that they\nwould normally be able to; expressed concern about people not having the time or\ncapacity to dig through recommendations; stated the conversation should be robust; all\nitems should be considered should be in front of all Councilmembers and constituents.\nCouncilmember Oddie expressed support for Councilmember Vella's comments; stated\nmany people are worried about their health, jobs, and family; stated it is a bad look for\nCouncil to have this discussion when people are preoccupied; Measure A and Charter\nSection 7-3 are not part of the current agenda item; the idea of a City prosecutor has\ncome up this year.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that not all items have originated from the Grand Jury\nreport; some items have come from evaluating the Charter, finding deficiencies and\nwanting to make improvements; these are exceptional times; an election is occurring in\nNovember.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated the Charter discussion should happen at a later date.\nVice Mayor Knox White stated all items were brought to Council, including a couple\nbeing brought by Councilmember Vella; the City prosecutor item was based on direction\nprovided by a unanimous Council vote last September; expressed support for a way to\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n2\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 5, "text": "slim down the conversation; stated there is no specific language ready to place on the\nballot; feedback is desired; expressed support for having the item related to Council\npay, City prosecutor and remote meetings on the May 5th meeting; stated direction can\nbe provided at the May 5th meeting for consideration of additional meetings to take\nplace after the shelter in place order has lifted; stated tonight Council can discuss\nspecific items to be continued to May 5th\nCouncilmember Vella expressed support for the three items to be considered at the May\n5th meeting and tabling the remainder until after the shelter in place order has lifted.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for continuing the item to May 5th to whittle\ndown the items and make a decision for next steps on May 5th. stated more information\nmay be available at that time.\nVice Mayor Knox White stated some items such as term limits could be part of a simpler\nconversation; expressed support for a discussion allowing a future Council to raise pay\nif and when the economy is better, allowing the City Attorney's office to prosecute\nwithout approval of the District Attorney (DA), and clarifying the absence and remote\nmeeting participation as related to parenting and family care; stated the items can then\nbe written into ballot language after the May 5th meeting; the last meeting in June is\nprojected to be without a shelter in place order; stated many people are submitting\ncorrespondence electronically.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated remote attendance based on shelter in place restrictions is\na reason to broaden the exception.\nCouncilmember Vella inquired whether the Subcommittee could pare down the agenda\nitem to the items discussed by Vice Mayor Knox White if the item is tabled until a future\ndate.\nVice Mayor Knox White responded in the affirmative; stated that he and Councilmember\nDaysog could pare down the item and provide it to staff for the May 5th meeting.\nCouncilmember Daysog expressed support for the proposal; stated the current items\nare important, but not as heavy as the other items; the item is technical in nature;\nexpressed support for paring down the item.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether the Subcommittee can provide items in time for\nagenda publishing and whether giving direction during an agenda changes motion is\nappropriate.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the Subcommittee has already discussed paring the item\ndown.\nVice Mayor Knox White stated the idea is to pare down items for the May 5th meeting.\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n3\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 6, "text": "Councilmember Oddie stated the item can be placed on a special meeting if it cannot to\nbe completed in time for the regular meeting.\nThe City Attorney stated Councilmembers are able to say whether or not they are willing\nto support a particular motion based on representation from other Councilmembers; the\nvote is related to continuing the item or if the item should be heard at the current\nmeeting; additional items are informational only.\nVice Mayor Knox White inquired whether edits can be made prior to the agenda\npublishing on Thursday, to which the City Attorney responded in the affirmative.\nCouncilmember Oddie expressed support for the proposal.\n***\nDue to technical difficulties, the meeting was recessed at 10:39 p.m. and reconvened at\n10:59 p.m.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated Council needs to take action to continue the meeting to\ntomorrow night at 7:00 p.m.; inquired whether Council is able to continue the meeting.\nThe City Attorney requested a motion be done; stated prior to continuation, a motion\nshould also be made to continue the Charter amendment to a date specific; once a\nmotion is adopted to continue the meeting, other motions on specific agenda items\ncannot be considered.\nVice Mayor Knox White inquired whether revised information could be provided for the\ncontinued meeting occurring on April 22.\nThe City Attorney responded Council can only discuss the items included in the staff\nreport; stated the agenda materials have already been published for the meeting and a\nnew staff report would not be able to be submitted.\nVice Mayor Knox White inquired whether a subset of the staff report could be submitted.\nThe City Attorney responded in the affirmative; stated as long as the changes are\ncontained within the staff report already submitted without any new items.\nVice Mayor Knox White stated that he already sent revised language and is ready to\nconsider the revision tomorrow or at the May 5th meeting.\nCouncilmember Vella expressed support for continuing the item until May 5th\nCouncilmember Oddie expressed support for the pared down version being brought\nback to the May 5th meeting.\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n4\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 7, "text": "Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for continuing the item to the May 5th meeting.\nCouncilmember Vella moved approval of a substitute motion continuing the Charter\namendment to May 5th\nCouncilmember Oddie seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote:\nCouncilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor\nEzzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.\nVice Mayor Knox White moved approval of continuing the current meeting to April 22,\n2020 at 7:00pm\nCouncilmember Vella seconded the motion; requested a friendly amendment to have\nthe start time be 6:30 p.m.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for a 6:00 p.m. start time.\nVice Mayor Knox White amended the motion to a 6:00 p.m. start time.\nCouncilmember Vella seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote:\nCouncilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor\nEzzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.\nPROCLAMATIONS, SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY AND ANNOUNCEMENTS\n(20-220) Proclamation Declaring the Month of April as Autism Awareness Month 2020.\nNot heard.\n(20-221) Proclamation Declaring the Week of April 19 to 25, 2020 as Alameda County\nVictims' Rights Week. Not heard.\nORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA\nNot heard.\nCONSENT CALENDAR\n(20-222) Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting, the Special Joint City Council and\nSuccessor Agency to the Community Improvement Commission Meetings and the\nRegular City Council Meeting Held on March 17, 2020. Not heard.\n(20-223) Ratified bills in the amount of $3,184,612.02. Not heard.\n(20-224) Recommendation to Accept the Work of St. Francis Electric for Streetlight\nConduit Replacement Project, Gibbons and Southwood, P.W. No. 04-19-18. Not heard.\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n5\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 8, "text": "(20-225) Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute Five, Five-Year\nAgreements, in an Amount Not to Exceed $150,000 Each, Annually, to Advanced\nMobility Group (AMG); Fehr and Peers; Iteris Inc.; Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.;\nand Parisi Transportation Consulting for On-Call Consulting Services for Transportation\nPlanning and Engineering Services for Individual Total Cumulative Amounts Not to\nExceed $750,000 Each and a Combined Total Cumulative Amount Not to Exceed\n$3,750,000. Not heard.\n(20-226) Recommendation to Set June 16, 2020, for a Public Hearing to Consider\nCollection of Delinquent Integrated Waste Management Accounts Via Property Tax\nBills. Not heard.\n(20-227) Recommendation to Support Resource Recovery Coalition of California's\nEmergency Solid Waste Funding Proposal, which Provides Additional Support to\nAlameda County Industries in Response to Financial Impacts of the COVID-19\nPandemic. Not heard.\n(20-228) Adoption of Resolution Preliminarily Approving the Annual Report Declaring\nthe City's Intention to Order the Levy and Collection of Assessments and Providing for\nNotice of Public Hearing on June 16, 2020 - Island City Landscaping and Lighting\nDistrict 84-2 (Various Locations). Not heard.\n(20-229) Adoption of Resolution Preliminarily Approving the Annual Report Declaring\nthe City's Intention to Order the Levy and Collection of Assessments and Providing for\nNotice of Public Hearing on June 16, 2020 - Maintenance Assessment District 01-01\n(Marina Cove). Not heard.\n(20-230) Adoption of Resolution Approving that the Pavement Management Project be\nFunded Through the State's Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account for Fiscal\nYear 2020-21. Not heard.\n(20-231) Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Apply for and Receive\nup to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) in Local Government Planning\nSupport Grant Program Funds. Not heard.\n(20-232) Final Passage of Ordinance Approving a Development Agreement By and\nBetween the City of Alameda and Boatworks, LLC Governing the Boatworks Project for\nReal Property Located at 2229 to 2235 Clement Avenue. Not heard.\nREGULAR AGENDA ITEMS\n(20-233) Adoption of Resolution Establishing Policies on Street Width, Lane Width,\nCrosswalks and Bulb-Outs to Promote Safe, Livable Streets and Environmentally\nSustainable Transportation Choices;\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n6\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 9, "text": "(20-233 A) Recommendation to Provide Direction to Staff on Tools for Improving Safety\nat Intersections. Not heard.\n(20-234) Adoption of Resolution Recommendation to Provide Direction on Potential\nMeasures Amending the City Charter. Not heard.\n(20-235) Introduction of Ordinance Amending Alameda Municipal Code Chapter 30\n(Development Regulations) to Modify Accessory Dwelling Unit Regulations to\nImplement and Comply with State Law and Make Other Administrative, Technical, and\nClarifying Amendments pertaining to Appeals and Youth Centers Definition, as\nRecommended by the Planning Board. Not heard.\n(20-236) Introduction of Ordinance Amending Section 1 (Part) of Ordinance No. 3226\nN.S. and Section 4-60.40 of the Alameda Municipal Code to Extend from July 1, 2020 to\nJuly 1, 2021, or to Another Date Determined by Council, the Increase in Minimum Wage\nwithin the City of Alameda to an Hourly Rate of Fifteen Dollars. Withdrawn.\n(20-237) Introduction of Ordinance Authorizing the City Manager, or Designee, to\nExecute a Twelve Month Amendment to the Lease with Pacific Pinball Museum, a\n501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, with the Option of Four One-Year Extensions, for\nBuilding 169, Suite 101 Located at 1680 Viking Street at Alameda Point. Not heard.\n(20-238) Introduction of Ordinance Amending the Alameda Municipal Code by\nAmending Section 2-19 (Commission on Disability) to Change the Number of Members\nto Seven and Change the Name to the Commission on Persons with Disabilities. Not\nheard.\n(20-239) Recommendation to Provide Direction to the City Attorney to Consent, Modify\nor Reject Law Firm Goldfarb Lipman's Request to Waive Conflicts of Interest In\nConnection with Goldfarb's Legal Representation of the City of Alameda and the\nHousing Authority of the City of Alameda. Not heard.\nCITY MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS\nNot heard.\nORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA\nNot heard.\nCOUNCIL REFERRALS\nNone.\nCOUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n7\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 10, "text": "Not heard.\nADJOURNMENT\nAt 11:09 p.m., the meeting was continued to April 22, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.\nRespectfully submitted,\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nRegular Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n8\nApril 21, 2020", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 11, "text": "MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL\n UESDAY--APRIL 21, - 2020- 7:01 P.M.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft convened the meeting at 7:07 p.m.\nROLL CALL -\nPresent:\nCouncilmember Daysog, Knox White, Oddie, Vella\nand Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft - 5. [Note: This meeting\nwas conducted via WebEx]\nAbsent:\nNone.\nAGENDA ITEMS\n(20-240) Recommendation to Accept a Budget Update for Fiscal Year 2019-20 General\nFund Revenue and Expenditure Projections through June 30, 2020; and\n(20-240 A) Resolution No. 15642, Altering the Pension Funding Policy for Fiscal Year\n2019-20 to Not Invest Reserved Funds in Discretionary Pension Payment Due to\nCOVID-19.\nThe City Manager made a brief presentation.\nThe City Treasurer stated the Budget Analyst has done great work; assumptions from\nsurrounding cities have been taken and applied to current numbers related to the\ncurrent fiscal year budget; analysis of revenue impacts has been conducted; the\nsituation will be fluid during the last four months of the fiscal year; there is a distinction\nbetween lost revenue and deferred revenue; many items shown are lost revenue, such\nas sales tax from restaurants and Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) from hotels;\ndiscussed a report about lost revenues affecting restaurants; stated deferred revenue,\nsuch as transfer taxes and rent are anticipated; collection of sales taxes is being\ndeferred for many businesses; much of the revenue from this period will not come back;\nmanagement is proactive; the City is in a strong position financially; there is hope for\nmore clarity by the time the May budget workshops occur; it is reasonable to expect\nsome of the issues to carry over into the 2021 budget.\nThe City Auditor stated the financial uncertainty will require constant monitoring;\ninformation provided by the Finance Department shows variances, but is generally\ncorrect and consistent; the pandemic will not allow past practice to dictate the manner in\nwhich the City can track revenues and expenditures; uncertainty of cash flow will\nnecessitate a timely review of the City's budget; recommended the City institute a policy\nof having budget analysis significantly more frequently;, stated there should be a\nminimum monthly review of information to enable management to react to the effects of\nthe pandemic; stated the information will enable reallocation of funds; the revenue and\nexpenditure update that has been presented has allocated $750,000 to COVID-19\nexpenses and economic assistance.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n1", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 12, "text": "Councilmember Oddie stated the City has been working hard to increase its sales tax\nand TOT; the City is less dependent on said taxes; noted there is merit to more frequent\nupdates; stated updates have previously been provided up to nine months after the fact;\ngoing forward, Council having more information would be better.\nCouncilmember Oddie moved approval of the staff recommendation.\nCouncilmember Daysog inquired whether the expenditure line for Police shown is\ndesired or actual, to which the City Manager responded the estimated actuals is\nprojected for June 30th\nCouncilmember Daysog stated the City is aggressively recruiting for Police Officers;\nshould the City end up with more hires, the figure could be higher.\nThe City Manager stated the estimate is based on recruitment; staff is confident in the\nfigure.\nVice Mayor Knox White seconded the motion.\nUnder discussion, Vice Mayor Knox White stated previous staff and Council put the City\nin a position to have a cushion and allow for necessary planning; expressed support for\nstaff's recommendation; stated various scenarios will be discussed in July.\nCouncilmember Vella stated more frequent budget updates will be needed; expressed\nconcern about the burden on staff; stated additional budget asks will require critical\ninformation; expressed support for previous decisions related to budget preparations;\ninquired whether federal aid will impact the budget; questioned whether the City would\nbe in a position to recoup money; expressed support.\nThe City Manager responded anything received from the federal government will be a\npositive; stated staff is planning to review the budget strategy in October; not all\nestimates will be available for the May 2020 work session; staff will work with an outside\nconsulting firm for a report back late September.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for the item; stated the situation is very fluid;\nnoted the duration of the shelter in place is unknown; stated some restrictions may be\nloosened; social distancing is making a difference; expressed support for past Council\nbudget actions; stated the City does have reserves, but is spending more than it is\nbringing in; the proposal presented is prudent; the situation will continue to be\nassessed; noted the City Manager has experience with budgets.\nCouncilmember Daysog expressed support for the staff recommendation; stated that he\nappreciates the flexibility of staff and Council regarding the pension reserve; the amount\nset aside for the pension formula is out of whack and should be discussed further; the\nCity has been holding down expenditures on the Police side.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n2", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 13, "text": "Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed concern about discussing items that may not be part of\nthe noticed agenda.\nOn the call for the question, the motion carried by the following roll call vote:\nCouncilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor\nEzzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.\n(20-241) Resolution No. 15643, \"Amending the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget to Increase\nAppropriations in the General Fund by $250,000, in the Base Reuse Budget by\n$97,500, and in the Commercial Revitalization Budget by $250,000 in Order to Fund a\n$600,000 COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant Program to Help Mitigate Barriers to\nCapital for the Most Vulnerable Alameda Small Businesses and Restaurants; and\nRecommendation to Provide Direction to Staff Regarding Implementation of the\nMinimum Wage Increase.\" Adopted.\nThe Economic Development Manager gave a brief presentation.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the issue surrounding minimum wage could be made into a\nthird rail of local politics or it could be an intelligent, civil discussion looking at the issue\nfrom all sides; questioned how to protect local businesses and workers simultaneously;\nstated three members of Council were present for a noticed town hall meeting for small\nbusinesses; Council should consider small business employees will be out of work if the\nbusiness goes under; expressed concern for future removal of restaurant tables\nallowing for further needed social distancing; questioned the criteria needed to allow a\nslight delay in implementing the minimum wage increase; noted the grants will be\navailable for small businesses with 1 to 25 employees; inquired the process for a\nbusiness with only one employee; expressed concern about employment; inquired\nwhether there is a distinction between individually owned versus corporate owned\nbusinesses and restaurants; questioned whether a Starbucks or Burger King with 25\nemployees would be eligible for the grant; noted there is reference to the number of\neligible businesses; more money is needed; expressed support for staff to address how\nsmall businesses will be notified of the 10 day application period; stated the window is\nshort; that she would like to make sure everyone is able to apply.\nThe Economic Development Manager responded a small business is typically a mom\nand pop shop that is owned and has one employee; stated Starbucks would not qualify\nfor funding if it is corporate owned; some restaurant chains or coffee chains are\nfranchised and considered a small business, which would then qualify for funding; noted\na franchised Starbucks with 30 employees would not qualify; stated many franchise\nbusinesses have more than 25 employees; there are 67 grants outside of Alameda\nPoint and 13 for businesses within Alameda Point, totaling 80 grants; staff plans to\nutilize a mailing list from the Finance Department, provide the information in an\nEconomic Development newsletter, and businesses associations will get the word out\nabout the grant funding.\nCouncilmember Daysog inquired whether staff has considered geographically targeting\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n3", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 14, "text": "assistance to businesses; stated Alameda Point money can only be sent to businesses\nwithin Alameda Point; businesses are spread out throughout the rest of the City;\ninquired whether there is a possibility of targeting businesses in specific areas, such as\nPark Street, South Shore, and Webster Street excluding Alameda Landing; there are\nlimited dollars and Council needs to make difficult decisions about efficient funding;\nexpressed support for the concept of small business funding.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft requested clarification about whether the inquiry is directed at the\npros and cons of geographic targeting, to which Councilmember Daysog responded in\nthe affirmative.\nThe Economic Development Manager stated staff finds importance in ensuring business\ndistricts are viable when the pandemic is over; staff has considered geographic\ntargeting and will readily accept Council direction.\nCouncilmember Vella inquired how members of the business community would receive\ninformation if they are not associated with traditional business associations; and\nwhether the money could apply to preschools or daycare facilities.\nThe Economic Development Manager responded the funding will apply to all small\nbusinesses; stated staff is going to send out the information to a wide array of\nbusinesses; there is a separate list for child care businesses that will receive the\ninformational notice; all small businesses will be receive information.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired the reason behind sending the information to large\nbusinesses which may be ineligible to receive funding, to which the Economic\nDevelopment Manager responded the community talks to each other and many\nbusinesses encourage each other to apply for funding through a network.\nCouncilmember Vella expressed support for the item; inquired whether there are other\npotential funding sources being looked at for future opportunities\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she has submitted a Council Referral for the next\nmeeting; noted a community member has discussed exploring the idea of creating a tax\nexempt special fund to provide gap resources to be matched with grants or\nphilanthropic donations to local businesses, renters and other local organizations that\nhave been significantly impacted by COVID-19.\nThe City Attorney stated for items generally related to the agenda item, Council is\nauthorized to give brief staff direction without significant deliberation; the issue is\nrelated, but not agendized; staff recommends to provide brief direction to staff to bring\nan item to Council for consideration and action.\nCouncilmember Vella inquired whether other grants could be looked at by staff\nmembers as well; stated this is a great start and she would like to see if other options\nexist.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n4", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 15, "text": "The City Manager responded having staff look into other funding opportunities could be\npart of the direction to staff.\nVice Mayor Knox White stated the staff report notes grant sizes for funding up to\n$7,500; inquired whether consideration has been given to allowing some businesses to\ndonate portions of grants to other businesses; whether the intent is to provide 80 $7,000\ngrants or up to 80 at $7,500.\nThe Economic Development Manager responded the intention of the staff report was to\nallow for $7,500; stated the alternatives included a range between $5,000 and $10,000;\nnoted Council may select a different amount.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether restrictions can be placed on the funding\nawards related to non-publicly traded entities.\nThe Economic Development Manager responded Council may provide direction to\nexclude said entities.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated that he would like a breakdown of the timeline; noted that\nhe would like to know the deadline and disbursement dates.\nThe Economic Development Manager responded the information will go out by Monday;\nstated the ten days would begin after the information goes out; proposals would be\nreviewed within two weeks; following review, checks will be sent out within 30 days.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether the application close date would be May 7, to\nwhich the Economic Development Manager responded in the affirmative.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether it is possible to put a placeholder on the May\n5th agenda for Council discussion of the matter in the event more than 80 applications\nare received; expressed concern about delaying the process due to Council\nreauthorization.\nThe Economic Development Manager responded that she is unsure changes can be\nmade to the resolution; noted Council can change the recommendation to state: \"as\nfunds apply;\" the resolution is related to funding; staff is requesting approval of the\nprogram; the reference in the staff report provides a concept.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether there will be adequate notice for business\ncommunity members.\nThe Economic Development Manager responded many businesses are responsive to e-\nmail; stated staff can ensure capital letters be used by for maximum visibility.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated the minimum wage increase can be included in the\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n5", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 16, "text": "communication; inquired the reason for omitting the Governor's ability to off-ramp; and\nwhether there is a requirement for a conflict or ethics check of panel members that are\nnot employed with the City.\nThe City Manager responded a restriction in funding for corporate-owned businesses\ncould create issues; stated restricting publicly-traded businesses would help clarify;;\nnoted a restriction of financial institutions could be considered by Council as well.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether a single accountant could be eligible.\nThe Community Development Director responded the accountant would need at least\none employee; noted the Governor will not make an announcement regarding the\nminimum wage off-ramp until August 1st, which is past the City's July 1st deadline; stated\nthe panel can be limited to two Economic Development staff members, a representative\nfrom Support of Competitive Research (SCORE), a representative from the small\nbusiness development center, and two non-profits which work closely with small\nbusinesses.\nPublic Comment Read Into Record:\nExpressed support for the grant program; expressed concern for the number of\nbusinesses the grant is likely to help; urged Council to consider a larger vision for an\n\"Alameda Strong\" campaign; outlined funding breakdowns; noted tax deductions for\ndonations: Linda Asbury, West Alameda Business Association.\nQuestioned whether the City can work with private funders to supplement the grant\nprogram; expressed support for the item: Ron Mooney, Alameda.\nStated the poorest people should not be supporting business owners by losing an\nanticipated wage increase; noted rent, utilities and food costs have increased; stated\nchanging the wage increase would take more notice: Catherine Pauling, Alameda.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft noted the regular meeting will not begin at 8:30 p.m.\nVice Mayor Knox White stated that he will not support a delay in the minimum wage\nincrease; the businesses community has been discussing the minimum wage increase\na lot; inquired whether Council could provide direction to staff to find ways to augment\nthe current program; stated there is a need to augment the program and set up\nsomething for long-term; many businesses and fundraisers in town are looking at ways\nto help increase funding; if every business take the full amount, the City will be helping\nless than 10% of all businesses; he expects the program to be over-subscribed; there is\nmoney to spend for business marketing; questioned whether the item could be\nagendized for the May 5th meeting to discuss shifting funds from one business to\nanother; stated a longer term economic crisis will follow the pandemic; Council will need\nto roll-out programs to help the change; his goal is to help save as many businesses as\npossible to keep a strong commercial sector; strong business marketing programs will\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n6", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 17, "text": "be important going forward; expressed support for a re-opening committee for the\nbusinesses community; the community could review street organization and parking;\nstaff should come back with a plan to re-open in June; $7,500 grants will only carry\nbusinesses for a month or two; expressed concern about spending too much time on\ngeographic equity and limiting certain spaces; stated Council needs to work fast and be\nas equitable as possible; expressed concern about spending too much time effectively\ncausing a delay in the implementation of programs and funding; expressed support for\nthe recommendation with the augmentation of moving forward with a matching fund and\nbringing back a funding recommendation for increasing the size of the program at the\nnext meeting.\nCouncilmember Daysog stated Council must allow the small mom and pop shops a\nfighting chance to survive; the grant program is a positive step; many local-owned\nstores will need temporary relief from the minimum wage increase; smaller stores do not\nhave financial reserves like national chains; 60 to 90 days would be a reasonable delay;\nexpressed support targeting the grant to specific commercial areas; stated that he\nwould support staff tracking how many applications are received from each known\ncommercial business area within the City.\nCouncilmember Vella expressed support for giving staff general direction to move\nforward with trying to expand funding for the grant program through various funding\nsources; expressed concern for restaurants and businesses; stated the diverse cuisine\nthroughout Alameda should stay; expressed concern about preschools and daycare\nfacilities; stated that she would like to ensure childcare facilities are available;\nexpressed support for businesses which provide activities; stated many businesses will\nhave to re-think how they open when the shelter in place order is lifted; noted activity\nand after school programs will also need assistance; expressed support for looking at\nfunding for arts based providers and not for profit organizations, which provide important\nactivities; stated that she will not be supporting a delay in the minimum wage increase;\nall options should be exhausted when looking at ways to keep businesses afloat; she\ndoes not want to hurt the lowest wage workers by delaying the wage increase;\nexpressed concern for the inability to pay rent and make-up for lost wages; the grant is\na good first step; expressed concern about creating too much bureaucratic red-tape,\nspreading grants throughout the City and to different types of businesses and conflicts\nof interest; stated that she is supportive of the panel description; expressed support for\npublicly traded companies being ineligible, and limiting language around financial\ninstitutions, such as banks or lenders; stated that she does not want all funds to go to\nlandlords for payment of rent; the funding should be spent trying to keep the businesses\nafloat in other ways; commercial landlords should be working with businesses.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated there is more creativity to be had; businesses have been\nimpacted; his weekly take-out business is no longer operating; a recent call showed rent\nis the number one concern; a three week deferral on rent with six months to repay\nyields 1.5 times the monthly rent; deferred payment deserves should be discussed at a\nlater time; expressed support for staff direction to work on a public-private partnership\nsooner rather than later; stated that he is happy to contribute by ordering take-out, extra\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n7", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 18, "text": "tipping, or pre-paying for services; expressed gratitude for staff's work on conflicts;\nstated staff has exercised good judgement; noted his first choice would be to have the\nprocess contained within staff; stated publicly traded companies should not be eligible;\nthere may be some issues with franchises; this is just the beginning, many other\nproprietors that do not have employees will need assistance and Council should\nconsider providing assistance; he will not support a delay in the minimum wage\nincrease; expressed support for understanding how businesses deal with the increase\nshould it prove to be impactful; expressed concern that the action is not enough; stated\na trigger should be added in the event a high amount of applications are received, the\nCity Manager could be authorized to fund an additional amount or additional funding\ncould be considered at the next Council meeting.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated more funding is needed; the City's funding should be\nconsidered as a last resort; businesses should apply for federal grants; outlined\navailable funding; stated staff has connected with the business community and provided\nresources; fa\u00e7ade grant funds could be used to help reposition floorplans for businesses\nand restaurants to prepare for reopening; she does not support a geographical quota;\ngood criteria have been created, along with the proposed panel; Council must resist the\nurge to be all things to all people; her first criteria is to keep people housed; expressed\nsupport for helping renters and keeping businesses open; stated there is not majority\nsupport for delaying the minimum wage increase; she does not support a blanket delay;\nquestioned whether staff could provide criteria for allowing a slight delay in\nimplementing the minimum wage increase, such as an employer providing benefits or\nmaintaining its workforce in majority or whole; questioned whether the topic lends itself\nto subcommittee review; stated the subcommittee could be herself and Councilmember\nOddie; she would hate to see a business go under.\nCouncilmember Vella moved approval of the staff proposal to start the small business\ngrant program at $7,500 per grant, adding direction based on Vice Mayor Knox White's\ncomments related to a business which does not need all $7,500 being able to return a\nportion of the grant back to the fund for allocation to other businesses, directing staff to\nlook at other public-private partnerships and funding available in the future, taking into\naccount all feedback given from speakers and Councilmembers, directing staff to work\non this immediately and allow the program to begin as soon as possible, and that no\nfinancial institutions or publically traded companies can be recipients of the grant.\nVice Mayor Knox White seconded the motion, with the understanding that the direction\nalso includes no bureaucratic hoops be in the way of the program starting.\nUnder discussion, Councilmember Oddie proposed a friendly amendment to include the\nCommunity Development Director's panel composition.\nCouncilmember Vella accepted the friendly amendment.\nCouncilmember Oddie proposed an agenda item be placed on the next Council meeting\nto discuss the matter in the event of popularity.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n8", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 19, "text": "taken onto public streets; staff can look into the issue outside of State law should\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n9", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 20, "text": "Council desire.\nCouncilmember Daysog requested the item be bifurcated with cannabis items\nseparated due to his recusal on such items.\nCouncilmember Vella inquired the difference between allowing alcohol consumption\nduring street fairs and Councilmember Oddie's inquiry.\nThe City Attorney responded there are specific authorizations for closed street events.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired how to conduct two votes on the item.\nThe City Attorney responded Council could take a vote on general support for\neverything in the ordinance except cannabis; Councilmember Daysog could then recuse\nhimself for Council vote on the ordinance as a whole.\nVice Mayor Knox White made a substitute motion to make a statement of support for all\nitems in the ordinance, minus cannabis.\nCouncilmember Oddie seconded the substitute motion, which carried by the following\nroll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye;\nand Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.\nCouncilmember Vella moved approval of the ordinance.\nVice Mayor Knox White seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call\nvote: Councilmembers Daysog: Absent; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 4, Absent: 1.\n(20-243) Urgency Ordinance No. 3275, \"(A) Imposing within the City of Alameda a\nTemporary Moratorium on (1) Residential and Commercial Evictions Due to or During\nthe COVID-19 Pandemic, (2) Landlords' Shutting off Utilities in Residential and\nCommercial Rental Units Except for Emergency Situations and Essential Activities, and\n(3) Rent Increases for Fully Regulated Residential Rental Units Until January 1, 2021,\nand (B) Repealing Ordinance No. 3273.\" Adopted.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether consideration has been given to how base rent\nwill be calculated for landlords and tenants entering into a voluntary agreement to\ntemporarily lower the rent for a short time.\nThe City Attorney responded regulations are being developed to ensure any rent\nreduction will not impact base rent calculations.\nThe Community Development Director stated the regulations were promulgated last\nweek; the regulations are out and include the provision.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n10", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 21, "text": "Public Comment Read Into Record:\nUrged Council to consider small businesses; stated six months is a very short time for\npeople to get back up and running; expressed concern for large property owners being\nable to weather the virus better than average citizens: Joanne Martin, Hot Rod Shop.\nVice Mayor Knox White moved approval of the staff recommendation as-written\n[adoption of the urgency ordinance].\nCouncilmember Vella seconded the motion.\nUnder discussion, Councilmember Daysog stated the provision freezing rents for\nresidential units until January 2021 is too onerous and unreasonable; a reasonable\ntimeframe would be four months; outlined difficulties with the rent regime and rent\nformula; stated the allowable rent increase will be much less than 2.8% due to the\ndowngrade in the economy; an eight month rent freeze will create a deep freeze\ninstead; expressed support for a four month rent freeze instead.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for the motion.\nOn the call for the question, the motion carried by the following roll call vote:\nCouncilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor\nEzzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.\n(20-244) Recommendation to Consider Rent Relief for City of Alameda Commercial and\nResidential Tenants, Excluding Cell Phone Towers and Marinas.\nThe Assistant Community Development Director gave a brief presentation.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated if a business is able to get back up and running from day\none, they should yield a lesser rebate than an alternate business which struggles more\nto return in need of extra assistance.\nThe Assistant Community Development Director continued the presentation.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated that he was hoping to have creative minds look at this\nitem; discussions have been had with businesses showing that rent is the biggest worry;\nthe City should lead by example where others can follow.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated rent is a concern, but also many are trying to retain as\nmany employees as possible and are attempting to apply for grants; noted creative\nsolutions should be considered during this time; ideas for re-opening should be\ndiscussed.\nCouncilmember Vella inquired whether a business that is a business district anchor\nshould be considered as value; questioned whether profit-splitting could be considered\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n11", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 22, "text": "to be used for repayment of rent; expressed support for rent forgiveness; stated all\nbusinesses will be working toward being successful.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the proposal could work for the Alameda Theatre; many\nbusinesses operate on a thin margin; expressed concern for profit-splitting with\nbusinesses which do not currently have said business model; stated that she would like\nmore information related to landlords offering a reduction in rent to be repaid over a\nperiod of time.\nCouncilmember Vella expressed concern about a blanket policy related to rent\nreduction or abatement; stated some businesses are adapting and changing models;\nexpressed concern about budget impacts; stated, as a landlord, the City needs to work\nwith businesses to see what is possible; there are retail-oriented businesses that could\nbenefit from a longer repayment period; there will need to be a combination of\nrepayment periods or rent reductions; expressed support for the City Manager looking\ninto the duration which a business has paid market rent; stated many tenants pay below\nmarket rate, which should be factored into the benefit; stated businesses with profit\nmargins could begin repayment once profits return.\nVice Mayor Knox White expressed support for Councilmember Vella's comments;\nstated the perfect program is difficult to craft; expressed support for approving a 90-day\ndeferral, directing staff with some guidance to return with a longer term program; stated\nthe government shut down most tenants; Council can show leadership by trying to\nabate rent to the greatest extent possible for tenants not able to open and conduct\nbusiness; the City is one of the few with money to provide relief; expressed support for\ndirecting the City Manager to look into an abatement proposal; questioned the criteria\nfor not abating rent while a business was closed; stated deferrals will be needed as well.\nCouncilmember Vella questioned whether abating rent would be applied to the shelter in\nplace order or a longer term; stated that she supports abating rent while under the\nshelter in place; expressed support for staff addressing whether the intention be to\nabate rent past the shelter in place order for businesses to figure out how to restart.\nVice Mayor Knox White stated the Alameda Theatre is a good example of a business\nnot being able to re-open the same as the rest of the City; questioned whether the City\nshould collect rent payment from the Theatre should this occur; stated there are bond\npayments based on what was to be collected; staff can return with more information for\na plan through the end of the shelter in place order; the process is similar to the rent\nprogram offering 30-days past the end of the order.\nCouncilmember Daysog stated the City is in a unique position to exercise flexibility in an\neffort to help businesses; expressed support for staff's recommendation and going\nbeyond the shelter in place order; stated ramp-up time will be needed to regain\nconsumer demand, which should be factored into decision making.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated the intention of the item is to hear other criteria to include;\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n12", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 23, "text": "a checklist would be involved; the process should be as immune to political pressure as\npossible; noted one of the criteria for abatement is to maintain employees; expressed\nsupport for staff providing recommendations; expressed concern about business\nresiliency and financial impacts; stated there should be a cap; he supports the idea of\nrepurposing profit participation; three non-profits are listed; questioned what can be\ndone for the businesses which have no revenue.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the subcommittee had quite a bit of input; expressed\nconcern about being all things to all people; stated Council is providing input for staff to\nimplement; the item should not be politicized; expressed support for criteria similar to\nthe grant program application related to business viability; stated Council should not be\nthe entity to prop up businesses that were not a growing concern; non-profits should\nalso be accounted for; she is optimistic about the future; the City is helping to slow the\nspread of COVID-19; scientific advancements will impact the reopening of businesses;\noutlined potential new norms for restaurants and businesses; urged everyone to do as\nmuch as possible; questioned whether Vice Mayor Knox White proposed implementing\na 90-day trial with a discussion to return.\nVice Mayor Knox White expressed concern about stepping up to provide community\nbenefits as a factor in credit; stated some businesses are able to provide support and\nsome are fighting for survival; the City can celebrate the intent behind the actions, but it\ncan be problematic; his recommendation is to defer the rent for 90-days to give staff\ntime to come back with a plan.\nCouncilmember Vella stated that she supports much of the direction from the\nsubcommittee; expressed support for looking at overall resiliency of a business;\nbusinesses need to find new ways to operate in a world where social distancing\nrequirements are in place; expressed concern about the City funding things long-term to\nkeep businesses afloat; questioned whether the businesses could also apply for the\nsmall business grant; expressed concern about businesses applying for grant funding\nand rent abatement; stated there should be an overall cap; one to two exceptions would\nneed detailed explanations; expressed support for looking into how much employees\nare making, and at the overall health of the business; for giving approval for the deferral\nas-needed; staff can take time to refine the direction provided.\nCouncilmember Oddie questioned whether the 90-days will begin immediately or\ninclude the 60-days of already deferred time.\nVice Mayor Knox White responded his assumption is that most tenants paid in March;\nstated the start date would be April 1, 2020.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated the extension would be through June; expressed support\nfor the timing; stated civic contribution could also include paying staff or allowing staff to\nwork at the Food Bank.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for recognizing civic good deeds, but it should\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n13", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2020-04-21", "page": 24, "text": "not be a strong part of criteria; stated financial needs and viability should still be\nreviewed.\nThe City Manager stated that he has made note of each Councilmember's input; staff\nhas been given direction with some consistencies; a proposal can be brought back to\nCouncil for discussion.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the 90-day timeframe works.\nThe City Manager responded that he supports the timeframe.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether enough direction has been provided.\nThe City Manager responded staff can bring a proposal back for consideration.\nADJOURNMENT\nThere being no further business, Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft adjourned the meeting at 9:55\np.m.\nRespectfully submitted,\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nApril 21, 2020\n14", "path": "CityCouncil/2020-04-21.pdf"}