pages: CityCouncil/2014-09-16.pdf, 12
This data as json
body | date | page | text | path |
---|---|---|---|---|
CityCouncil | 2014-09-16 | 12 | purchasing rental properties: Kathryn Hopping, Alameda. Urged action be taken to ensure people do not lose housing and urged tenants to organize: Rasheed Shabazz, Alameda. Vice Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft thanked all speakers; stated that she favors going forward with the staff proposal with some modifications; City staff brings local laws and regulations and should be on the task force; Mr. Cambra's process would just prolong the process; suggested including EBHO on the task force. Councilmember Daysog stated if the task force opens to eight members, the eighth could be a non-voting member. Councilmember Chen stated that he understands the urgency to take action; if a task force is approved, the process would take too long; the community can work faster; for the process to move expeditiously, it has to be outside of government constraint. Councilmember Tam stated she would like to give the alternative process an opportunity to respond and get meaningful information before composing a task force. Vice Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated a task force takes staff time, but dealing with the livelihood of landlords and tenants is a very important issue; there are not mutually exclusive propositions and staff time should not be skimped, as staff brings lots of institutional knowledge; that she is puzzled by Councilmember Chen's comments that the process would be faster without a task force. Councilmember Chen clarified his comment that the community would be faster than Council rushing to compose a seven-member task force; urged moving forward on the matter now; Mr. Cambra has been working on the alternative process for months. Councilmember Daysog stated that he is encouraged by members of community focusing on solutions; suggested involving EBHO as an eighth non-voting member on substantive issues; stated members should not be removed, just add an eighth member. Councilmember Chen inquired whether staff would have time tomorrow to redo the composition of task force; and whether staff has the same sense of urgency as the community. The City Manager responded staff did its best to create a balanced group; the Chamber of Commerce as pro-landlord, the Planning Board members incepted the process, the SSHRB as pro-tenant, Renewed Hope to represent tenants, and EBHO to represent landlords; in comparison and as demonstrated by the OPEB task force, there was no benefit to stacking the deck; the OPEB task force was data-driven and did not come back with a consensus; staff do not object to Council choosing the community process; a community process can scope but there will still be the need for staff to prepare data. Regular Meeting Alameda City Council September 16, 2014 | CityCouncil/2014-09-16.pdf |