Alameda City Council Meeting - April 3, 2025
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Alameda City Council Meeting - April 3, 2025
On April 3, 2025, the Alameda City Council held a regular meeting covering a range of topics including proclamations, public comments, consent calendar items, the State of the City address, climate action plan updates, economic development strategies, electric vehicle charging regulations, and annual reports on transportation and housing. The meeting began at approximately 11:00 AM and concluded the same day, with several unanimous votes and one dissenting vote on executive compensation.
Consent Calendar
- Approved with one item pulled for discussion: Item 5H regarding salary increases for three Alameda Municipal Power unrepresented employees (13%, 20%, and 25% increases) was pulled by Councilmember Daysog, who voted no, citing concerns about engaging in a bidding war. The rest of the consent calendar passed unanimously.
- Public comment on 5D: Jake Garfinkel criticized a contract for EV charging stations, arguing it lacked proper CEQA review and that the city attorney should validate exemptions.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Oral Communications (non-agenda):
- William Morrison and Gordon Williams (Fernside residents) opposed the Gibbons Drive traffic changes, presenting a petition signed by 82 residents and arguing the process lacked transparency and was out of scope.
- Joshua Altier (Housing Authority) announced waitlists for Lynette Corner (senior housing) and Estuary One (permanent supportive housing).
- Brianna Wing praised APD and urged parental responsibility regarding shoplifting and parking at CVS.
- Rachel Campos de Avinor highlighted the start of Arts Culture and Creativity Month and the Rising Tides initiative.
- Paula Rainey (League of Women Voters) promoted a speaker series on free speech.
- On Proclamation: Jean Nader (Alameda resident, Lebanese American) thanked the council for the Arab American Heritage Month proclamation and urged support for the Wadi Faqen sister city proposal.
- On CARP Update: Tyler Middleton and Ruth Abbey (CASA) supported the CARP update, with Middleton advocating for local waste processing partner B Green.
- On Transportation Annual Report: Ruth Abbey and Cindy Johnson (Bike Walk Alameda) expressed support, with Johnson urging faster completion of neighborhood greenways.
Discussion Items
- Arab American Heritage Month Proclamation: Mayor Ashcraft read the proclamation. One public speaker spoke in support.
- State of the City Address: Mayor Ashcraft delivered the annual address, highlighting resilience in safety (fire, police, streets), health (food bank, CARP progress), housing (programs and production), financial stability (business support, fiscal challenges), and community partnerships. Key statistics: 29% reduction in GHG emissions since 2005, 13% decrease in overall crime in 2024, nearly 9,000 rent program inquiries, and 243 building permits for new housing in 2024.
- Appointments: Resolutions appointing John Lip (Commission on Persons with Disabilities) and Lily Boris and Hamil Sarant (Golf Commission) were approved unanimously.
- Item 7C - 2025 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) Mid-cycle Update: Presented by Sustainability Manager Danielle Mueller. Highlights: 29% emissions reduction, 31% per capita reduction, 40% per service population reduction. The plan includes updates to hazard mitigation and flooding strategies. Councilmember Jensen moved approval with amendments incorporating expert feedback on wetland language. Unanimously approved.
- Item 7D - Economic Development Program Status Update: Economic Development Manager Dwayne Dalman presented strategies for business retention/attraction, including a storefront vacancy assistance program with four categories. Vacancy rates: DABA 4.8%, WABA 3.4%. Council discussed shopping center vacancies (e.g., Harbor Bay Landing) and the need for enforcement tools. Unanimously accepted.
- Item 7E - EV Charging Ordinance (First Reading): Parking Manager Ricardo DelaTorre presented an ordinance making it unlawful to park in designated EV spaces without being connected to a charger. Fine proposed at $45, consistent with expired meter fines. Staff emphasized equity for renters and multifamily residents. Unanimously approved first reading.
- Item 7F - 2024 Annual Reports (General Plan, Housing Element, Transportation Choices Plan, Vision Zero): Presented by Planning Manager Steve Buckley and Transportation Planning Manager Lisa Foster. Highlights: 1.2 miles of bikeways built, 89 intersections improved, 51,000 water shuttle passengers in 5.5 months. Unanimously accepted.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved with Councilmember Daysog voting no on Item 5H.
- CARP Mid-cycle Update adopted unanimously, incorporating minor language adjustments on wetland terminology.
- Economic Development status update accepted unanimously; staff to provide regular updates on vacancy progress.
- EV Charging Ordinance passed first reading unanimously; second reading scheduled for April 15, 2025.
- 2024 Annual Reports accepted unanimously.
- Ad hoc subcommittee formed: Mayor Ashcraft appointed Councilmembers Bowler and Daysog to evaluate salary survey comparisons for direct reports (city manager, attorney, clerk).
Meeting Transcript
All right. Um, good evening, everyone, and welcome to the City of Alameda City Council meeting for a pleasant change. We are not just coming back from closed session. And um, I'm going to call the meeting to order, and we will start with the Pledge of Allegiance. And I would like to ask my colleague Councilmember Desag if he would please lead us in the pledge. Oh, one nation. Indivisible liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Council, Councilmember Days. Madam Clerk, Lara Weissinger, would you please call the roll? Council members Bowler. Days here, Jensen. Prior here, Mayor Ezie Ashcraft. Here. Five present. All right. Um, so we begin the evening with um proclamations. No, we don't. We uh go next to item two. Jump in the gun. Um, agenda changes. Madam Clerk, do we have any agenda changes? We just have one. Um that item 5E was withdrawn and will not be heard tonight. All right, thank you. So now we move on to um proclamations, and we do have a proclamation this evening uh because uh April is Arab American Heritage Month. And coincidentally, I'm an Arab American, so it is my pleasure to read this proclamation. So California joins the nation in recognizing the month of April as Arab American Heritage Month. As California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote, as home to more immigrants than any other state, California knows firsthand that diversity is our greatest asset. Our state is fortunate to have the largest Arab American population in the country with thriving communities in Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area, and other parts of the state that trace their heritage across the Middle East and North Africa. And Arab immigrants and their descendants have enriched our nation and our state with their traditions, values, and diverse perspectives for more than a century, positively impacting every aspect of American society from medicine, law, and business to the arts, education, and public service, shaping the nation's identity through their creativity, innovation, and hard work. And whereas the San Francisco Bay Area has long been home to a vibrant Arab American community, whose members have contributed to the cultural, economic, and social life of the region, founding businesses, establishing cultural and religious organizations, and contributing to the fields of art, technology, law, medicine, education, and more. And Arab American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to not only celebrate the invaluable role of Arab Americans in the Bay Area and around the country, but also to stand united in the ongoing fight against hate and discrimination and to promote a culture of inclusivity, understanding, and mutual respect among all communities. And by acknowledging and addressing anti-Arab discrimination, we can foster a more just and equitable society. And by recognizing the contributions of our Arab American neighbors, we honor the diversity and rich richness that we value in our island community. During Arab American Heritage Month, we honor the past, present, and future of this community in our California story, and we dedicate ourselves to ensuring the safety and belonging of Arab Americans across our state. And Arab Americans join with all Americans in the shared pursuit of a free and diverse democratic society where every person is guaranteed equality and security. Now, therefore, I, Marilyn Ezie Ashcraft, Mayor of the City of Alameda, to hereby proclaim April 2025 as Arab American Heritage Month in the City of Alameda, and encourage all residents to learn more about the rich culture and traditions of Arab Americans by participating in the following activities presented by the Alameda Free Library. Today going on is the take and make Arabic style tile kit um uh activity at the West End Library Branch for kids ages eight and up. Uh kits are available while supplies last. So if you didn't get there today, try tomorrow. Um, and then there is an Arab architecture and art activity on Saturday, April 12th from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Ladecker Event Center that's out by the Bay Farm Branch Island. And this is presented in partnership with the Museum of Children's Art and is for children ages five and up and their caregivers. And finally, on Tuesday, April the 29th in the main library at 5 30 PM is a multimedia presentation of archival materials from libraries with librarians with Palestine. So I just want to uh thank you for the opportunity to read to read that. And as I was declaring this month, Arab American Heritage Month, I was thinking when I was growing up, that just wouldn't have been a thing. I mean, people didn't talk about Arab Americans. If I said I was Arab American, people didn't know what that meant. So we've caught come a long way. We've got a ways to go, but we've come a long way, and it's a good thing.
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