How do we give us a hug Evening, everyone, and welcome to the city council meeting for the City of Alameda.

Tonight is Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and the council is about to go into closed session.

But I would like to start with the roll call, please, Madam Clerk Laura Weissinker.

Would you please call the role?

Council Member Spoiler.

We've heard from Vice Mayor Prior and Justin.

Okay, that's good.

Madam Clerk, do we have any public comment on closed session items only?

We do not.

All right.

Then we will move to um item three.

We are about to adjourn to closed session to consider the following items that I would like to ask the city clerk to please introduce.

Subsection D two.

The number of cases is one with the city exposure to legal action as defendant, the plaintiff's al is Alamina Marina.

Three C is conference of labor negotiators pursuant to government code section five four nine five seven point six.

The city negotiators are the interim city manager, human resources director, Jack Hughes from Libra Cassidy Whitmore, and uh assistant city attorney employee organizations of the Alameda Fire Chiefs Association under negotiation or salaries, employment benefits in terms of employment.

So with that announcement, we are going to go into the council, and ever so briefly the city attorney, but then we're excusing you, and our consultant Pam Derby, um I'd like everybody to meet us, everyone I just named to please meet us and city clerk.

Um very no, I don't need you actually.

How do we give us a h do we give us a hug Are we ready in the balcony?

Balcony's ready, so we're all ready.

Good evening, everyone.

Apologies for starting a little late.

We had some meaty closed session items, and we didn't get through all of them.

The council will be going back after this regular session ends, but we got through two out of three.

Not bad.

So the council has a welcome.

This is the city council meeting for the city of Alameda.

Tonight is Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with the Alameda City Council.

We have just returned from two-thirds of the closed session.

And so I would like to ask our city clerk Laura Weisinger to please announce any action taken in closed session.

So the first item 3A, which was public employee appointment hiring, council provided direction with no vote taken, and second item, which was potential litigation.

Staff provided information and council provided direction, which carried by um four eyes with council member Desog abstaining.

And we'll go back into here three C after.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

And I um will then adjourn the special closed session meeting and call to order our regular city council meeting.

And I would like to ask Councilmember Tracy Jensen to please lead us in the pledge.

Please, Raya.

Thank you.

I put you in a position of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Councilmember Jensen.

Madam Clerk, I don't think we have any agenda changes this evening, correct?

No.

All right.

Well, I want to start the meeting by um wishing everyone a happy lunar new year.

This evening marks the beginning of the lunar new year, and you may know that this is the year of the horse.

So you have to stop writing Year of the Monkey on your checks or whatever in my year of the horse.

Um but the horse signifies independence, charisma, and forward momentum.

That's nice, huh?

So happy birthday to anyone who was born under that sign, or will be, I guess, this year.

This evening also marks the beginning of Ramadan.

So for those who observe Ramadan in the Muslim faith, we wish you a Ramadan Karim.

And with that, we will go to oral communications on non-agenda items.

And these are um items will take 15 minutes now for speakers.

And I will, and we do have some speakers.

So I'll just do my little um conduct um meeting conduct guidelines, which is to say that this is um a business meeting, it is not theater, it's not a sporting event, and therefore we do not applaud, we not do not cheer, jeer, boo, do the wave.

We just sit and respectfully listen to our fellow speakers.

If you're the speaker, come on up.

I always say make that microphone your own gently.

Be gentle with the equipment, but just raise it to whatever level you need to be heard.

And when the timer goes off or before the timer goes off, please finish speaking and return to your seat.

And the reason I give these admonitions is we always want people to feel that this is their space.

This is the public's meeting house.

We're doing the business of the city of Alameda.

We don't want anyone to feel intimidated to come up and speak.

Oh, someone might they might laugh at me or boo or hiss or something.

We don't, because we don't do that.

We create a respectful space where hopefully everyone feels safe to come up and say their piece.

We love it when you're respectful, um, and then sit back down.

And so just I'd like to say treat people the way you would like to be treated.

And um it goes well when we do that.

So with that, Madam Clerk, will you call our first speaker?

Yes, and we have three, so look at three minutes each.

First is Valma Gay, and then Ronde Gordo and Gordon, and then Zach Thayer.

Welcome, Speaker Yay.

Hello, how are you guys doing once again?

Um, I'm here uh today to discuss to see if someone can make an authentic uh attempt to address my concerns about what I endured while residing at Dignity Village.

I was truly traumatized by the experience, and I met briefly today with Adam Pulitzer, who did not seem to have the time to spend with me.

Initially, US uh Jennifer Ott was assigned to me.

However, she has moved over to Haywards as City, I guess, city manager for uh the city of Hayward.

And I need someone that can actually address my issues.

Next is to begin for us to have a begin to have a serious discussion, because what transpired at Dignity Village should have never occurred, and it's having long-standing effects not only upon me, but as well as others who resided there, and because you didn't have an administrative infrastructure set up, you had the building, but you didn't have administrative setup, and you didn't have any policies, procedures, guidelines to ensure what happened to me as well as several others does not transpire again.

So you need to have some sort of basically checks and balances of which you did not.

So Adam Pulitzer uh initially tried to assign me to uh Amy Woolridge as well as uh Simone, her assistant, but as you know, Amy Woldridge is part of the problem, as well as yourself, because you knew well in advance what's what's transpiring at Dignity Village because I told you well in advance with Marcy Johnson as well as others, and you did nothing.

So it's traumatized me.

That's why I'm here.

So who do you have that you can assign me that can actually assist me in resolving the issues that I faced at Dignity Village?

Is that all or thank you?

Well, it is public comment, so it is not question and answer, but certainly our staff are hearing you and can be in touch.

Someone's gonna get in touch with me.

Is that what you're saying?

They can okay.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Aronde Gordo, and then Zach Thayer.

Welcome.

Are you fine?

Oh, Gordon, it is Gordon.

I couldn't read that.

Excuse me.

Mayor, members of the council, thank you for your time today.

My name is Aronde Gordon, and I am a cyber security uh consultant and an OT specialist for Nephesys uh ICS.

Basically, what I do is uh free cybersecurity OT assessments for agencies, mostly industrial, um, but also I help with agencies with the uh California cybersecurity grant that's actually coming up next month, so it's an opportunity for the city.

There's money on the table, and I'm here to you know, offer my services free of charge to help you know obtain that money and you know work with the city then after that or any of the follow-up that happens.

So that's myself.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And did you bring some contact information to leave?

Uh yes, I can.

I can probably do a very able city clerks.

Yeah, my only question was because I didn't know who the key stakeholders were, or you know, who would probably be the person to you know to talk to, you know, or people who'd want to be able to want to move on that.

So, thank you.

Our next speaker, Zach Thayer.

Welcome.

So I'm here to uh, I guess it's a little bit more.

I am the filler um and compliance is against the state.

I'm here to confirm the open calm communication with the Office of the 47th Administration, identifying at Fort Hill.

Uh DF-5 is active in view of a heart scan.

Communication with less than an hour ago.

Nuremberg Order 208 is an active application.

The application that the super volcano that is placed at the location of the fort is to be understood in view of blatant gross mouse and intentional negligence against the offices of the state.

I wish to tell Ken Slade and Mr.

Smith that we we understand him as his impeachment agent that it is okay to go after members of his political party that supported him that are mobites that it is okay to be um directive and efficient in view of the office of inspector general and that by the use of it in anthraxia via the United States.

Will be compliant.

I have and will update Nuremberg Order two sixteen, which will validate every one of the executive directors, including the war criminals, and their orders in view of active theater for blatant gross malice and intentional negligence or day-to-day application.

View of the view to the food that includes the activation of three more atomic weapons, one more biological weapon, and two more presidential assassinations.

Members of the family of the current administration.

By that of active procedure, I am informing this in active communication.

I am viewing the right to council and Wayne Wright be the United States.

I move against the application of five USC 29063 CFR Code of Conduct and identify it in view of the Congressional Medal of Freedom as forward application.

In view of DMOC coordination, this is an application for the movement of the carrier group, the USS Prince William.

We will be in US waters by no later than February 28th to March 3rd with an active request for impeachment order 179, which indicates if any loss of myself, including heart attack, car accident, fight, arrestment, is a use of one thousand or 13,971 Kemper missiles, or also known as the storm shuttle missile project under L3 Harris and is identified to attack under new UN Order 10921 against the United States.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, we do have one more speaker.

They had I we'd missed it in the wrong thing.

Um Ian Clark Johnson.

Certainly welcome.

Good evening, Mayor.

Council.

Thank you for your time this evening.

My name is Ian Clark Johnson.

I'm a practitioner with Urban Alchemy.

Um, speaking in support of uh let's go on.

Let me stop you there.

I believe you're actually speaking in support of an item that's on the agenda tonight.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's confusing.

Right now, we're hearing non-agenda items, so people could come and just speak things that are on their mind that the city council has jurisdiction over, but the urban alchemy contract that is coming up very soon.

So um, if if you would just um go make yourself comfortable, we'll we'll call you.

Um, Madam Clerk, remind me which item that is.

7E.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's confusing.

All right.

Any other um, okay.

With that, I am going to close um oral communication, and I we are going to move on to item five, which is the consent calendar, and these are um routine matters that can be um uh can be uh approved by one motion, unless the city council, any council members remove an item for discussion.

If an item is removed, we'll hear it at the end of the regular agenda.

Council members may speak for up to three minutes on the consent calendar.

So, first, are there any items the council wishes to pull?

Not just ask a question, I'll get that in a minute.

No polls, seeing no council polls.

Are there any council questions?

Councilman Jensen and Vice Mayor Pryor in that order, because that's the order I slide.

Well, I just have a comment, not a question.

Of course, tell us which item.

It's um on item 5e, the resolution approving a memorandum of understanding between the International Association of Firefighters Article 689 and the City of Alameda for 24 months term commencing January 1st, 2026 and ending December 31st, 2026.

Item five E.

What's your comment?

I I just want to comment that to thank the members of the International Association of Firefighters, IFF 689, and city staff in our HR department.

The Association of Firefighters is a critical resource for Alameda residents and businesses, and I appreciate the staff and firefighter negotiators coming to resolution on this item, and I'm happy to support it.

Thank you.

Our next um are any other councilman's advice mayor prior.

Oh I have a question on 5G.

All right.

Um 5G, Madam Clerk.

Could you tell us what 5G is, please?

Yeah.

Yes.

5G is a public hearing to consider adoption resolution amending master fee resolution 12191 to add and revise recreation and park and aquatic fees for the calendar 2026.

And so now is also the time for public comment on that, right?

The mayor call speakers.

Right.

And let me just say, are there any other council questions?

Okay.

Um recreation parks director Justin Long.

Come on up.

And um, and your question, well, you can address it to Mr.

Long.

Yeah.

Hello.

Um, I just well, one, thank you for working with um our uh aquatic members uh our residents in Alameda.

Um I know that this is something you've been working on for a while.

I am I just with the um I was just wondering what the estimated fund impact is because I um and that was my question.

Yes, so the annual fund impact is a reduction of about $15,000 a year in revenue.

Okay, and um that was my clarifying question.

Thank you.

And thank you for working on this.

Yeah, and I also um Mr.

Long wanted to comment that I happened to run into one of the aquatic um, one of the swimmers um at in another meeting and said, Oh, I you know, I saw good news in on the agenda, and she specifically mentioned how great you were to work with, and I know she's not alone in filling that.

So thank you very much for all your work in getting this resolution.

So, madam clerk, go ahead and do there's um this is what happens when I go off script.

Um, the clerk needs to make an announcement.

Yeah, so that public hearing for the far park fees.

Um, if there's any public speakers who would like to address it, now is the time for comment on that.

And we do have one speaker on the whole consent calendar.

Okay, all right.

Um, so let's call our speaker on the connect consent calendar.

Zached.

Let's do it this way.

Well, yeah, yes.

Um, we'll redo the application um Ladin Ladero v.

the United States Harvest Aid v the United States.

Um, sir, I'm I'm I just want you to know this is just the consent calendar.

I understand that Oregon CRE the United States.

Uh Calorado River basin via the United States, Michigan v the EPA compliances of the Potomac and the view to the Hawaii.

Um I am wishing to challenge the regulatory reform act and Trump v.

Um Hawaii based on procedure of grant authorization of allocated hours and the uses of services within uh the city of Alameda based on jurisdictional application using uh the uh master uh plan as a form of contractual application using um what is wondered in HR uh 58 or 5862 based on zoning applications uh tied to the and the fire and applications of duality of do uh uh dual jurisdiction, including the view to day-to-day management, cost of living, and other uses of city um resources.

I believe that the city has been has become negligent.

There's no applications for um what you call um frisbee golf.

They've taken the bathrooms away for the general uh for for general um usage.

They've increased the part uh the permits for general businesses in this uh community.

You've rechanged the how um the housing um allotment for for and model.

Uh you have a failed to submit an application to AC Transit for uh bond ETF.

You failed to have done that also as a BART as a bond ETF based on trade association rights.

Oh, my friends are coming.

Um, um, we um have a little bit of an issue with how tri-regional authority agreement is seen in schematic application.

I am the commercial developer and Laudera be the United States, uh also known as Lotus Capital Management.

In view of the Mazzetti project, I was taken to court and US pork association via the United States based on model assessment to the view of international driver's license.

I wish to challenge the appellate, the ninth appellate view of the state of California for gross malice, intentional and blatant negligence in view of that of the state, and ask that there be an administrative request under the Sunshine Act and the Tom Baines Act in view against the city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker.

With that, we will close public comment on the consent calendar.

And um council, do we have any comments on any of the other consent calendar items?

Seeing none, I am looking for a motion and a second to approve the consent calendar.

I move that we approve the consent calendar.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Oh, uh, vote no on 5E.

Um, I'm sorry, say it again.

Uh vote no on five E.

Noted.

All right.

Um, so now we will move on to the uh regular agenda.

And um we'll start with item 7A.

Madam Clerk, would you please um introduce that item?

I believe we have a remote uh speakers at it.

I mean a remote uh presenter.

All right.

All right.

Adoption resolution adopting and ratifying revised salary schedules for the city council, appointed positions of city manager and city attorney to ensure compliance with CalPERS requirements, and the consultant has been promoted and should be able to unmute herself and speak.

All right.

And show her screen if she wants to.

Okay.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and honorable members of the council.

I want to confirm that you can hear me clearly.

We can.

Hi.

Hello.

Um, I am here to give you a brief summary of the item before you.

Uh the action that's been requested of the council tonight is to approve.

Um, before you do that, would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?

Of course.

Thank you for that kind reminder.

My name is Isabel Safe.

I am a partner with a law firm of Best Best in Krieger.

I serve as special counsel to the city advising the city on compliance with CalPurse requirements.

Um, the request that is before the council today is to approve revised pay schedules for the city attorney and city manager, which are the two contracted positions at the city, in order to ensure complete compliance with CalPur's requirements.

As a CalPur's contracting agency, the city is required to ensure that all of its reportable compensation complies with both statutory and regulatory requirements in order for that reported compensation to be reportable to CalPurse.

Uh the city council will recall that previously the council did approve pay schedules for the city attorney and city manager positions, given a request from CalPERS, because they had identified that those positions were not on city council approved pay schedules.

The revisions that are now before the city council are to incorporate pay ranges for the compensation of the pay rates for the city manager and the city attorney.

Pay ranges were which were not on the previously approved pay schedules for these two positions, are consistent with what the city already uses for all other positions at the city.

Plus, they also ensure that the city can appropriately distinguish between cost of living adjustments, which are provided across the board, versus merit or performance increases that are provided in recognition of the performance of the incumbent in that position.

Without pay ranges and only reflecting single values on the pay schedule, those merit or performance increases run a significant risk of CalPurse not recognizing them as reportable, which would be inconsistent with the intent of the city council.

The proposed ranges are consistent with uh prior um uh the span is the same as the span for all other positions.

In other words, the low uh to the high value is a 25 21.55 percent.

It's the same range across all other positions.

Um in addition, and to make clear the action being requested of the council, does not change either the current or prior compensation that the council has approved for both a city attorney and the city manager, nor does it obligate the council to any uh compensation uh uh for either position.

It remains under the sole discretion of the city council.

Uh the uh pay schedules that you're being asked to revise are pay schedules dating from June 19th of 2022 all the way through July 13th of 2025.

They accurately incorporate colas that were approved by the city council for both the city attorney and city manager positions, as well as market-based adjustments that were approved in recognition of the positions held by the city attorney and city manager.

With that, I will end my summary of what's being requested of the council, and I'm happy to address any questions that you may have.

Thank you very much.

That was a great um report.

So, council, before I go to um public comment, if there's any, does anyone have any clarifying questions?

This isn't discussions, just any clarifying questions about um what council just told us.

Council spelled with an S.

Okay, I'm not seeing any Madam Clerk.

Do we have public comment?

No public comment, so we'll close public comment on item 7a, and we'll open it up to deliberation or just a motion and a second looking to my right.

I'll move for approval.

Alright, we have a motion by council member bowler, second advisor.

Second.

Vice Mayor Pryor, any further discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please signify by stating aye.

Aye.

And that was unanimous, right?

Okay.

That motion and passes unanimously.

Thank you, Miss Safey.

And thank you, everybody.

So with that, we are moving right along.

So our next item, Madam Clerk, you want to introduce our next item.

Yeah, um, is a recommendation to accept an informational presentation on Alamesa Police Department data from the police auditor.

And I understand that our um police auditor, um, Ms.

Lee Grossman, um, needs 15 minutes rather than the customary five.

And you know, this is a lot of media information, so I just know we want to vote to uh give her the uh 15 minutes instead of 10.

Right?

Right.

Okay, let's have a motion and a second.

Move by council member Jensen, seconded by Vice Mayor Pryor.

This is to is 15 minutes enough.

Is that enough?

Yeah, okay, to um allocate, it's really just five more minutes.

Uh, allocate um Dr.

Grossman, five more minutes for a total uh staff report time of 15 minutes.

All those in favor signify by stating aye.

Aye.

Aye, and that's signified by stating aye, Ms.

Councilmember Gazak.

Thank you.

There's a record to be created here.

And um that put uh motion passes unanimously.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Uh, good evening, Madam Mayor, members of the city council.

My name is Lee Grossman, and I'm the police auditor for the city.

Um, this evening I'm here to present you a very high-level overview of the data from 2025.

Uh, thank you for your time, and I look forward to any questions you might have.

Um, to give you a brief overview of what I am going to present tonight.

Um, here are a few key findings.

Uh, first, while there has been an increase in internal affairs investigations and uh use of forced incidents and arrests, um, there does not appear to be an increase in misconduct.

Um, in fact, sustained rates for internal affairs investigations have decreased this year compared to previous years.

Um, there has been an increase in proactivity in police officers, and so that might be one reason for the increase in some of these numbers.

In 2025, there was a large increase in stops, particularly driven by an 89% increase in traffic stops.

Regarding traffic stops outcomes, that would be a ticket warning and arrest.

Outcomes are fairly consistent across all races, which is what we like to see.

Lastly, staffing numbers have remained fairly consistent over the past three years.

That is for both sworn and professional staff members.

So the number of internal affairs cases increased by approximately 70% in 2025 compared to 2024.

There was also an increase 2023 to 2024.

I review each case.

I believe the increase in cases is partially due to supervisors taking a more proactive approach to reporting allegations made by members of the public.

These investigations don't need to rise to the level of internal affairs investigations.

However, that's the route that APD has chosen to take, and I think that is why you'll see their numbers higher than you know similar agencies across the Bay Area and across the state.

Over the past year, the department has investigated serious allegations of misconduct, including 18 cases involving use of force allegations, 15 cases involving bias-based policing allegations, and a couple truthfulness cases.

So far in 2025, 48 of 59 cases have closed.

Nine of these cases have at least one sustained allegation.

Some of the sustained allegations are for firearm safety, conducting an unsatisfactory work product, conduct towards others, body worn camera activations.

Disciplinary actions range from counseling and training, and it sounds like and in some cases, suspension.

Moving on to use of force incidents, the Alameda Police Department defines use of force as the application of physical techniques or tactics, chemical agents or weapons on an individual for the purpose of self-defense against an assault, overcoming resistance to arrest or custody, or preventing escape from custody.

In 2025, the department recorded a 67% decrease in weapon display incidents, which is involving a pointing a firearm or a taser at an individual.

However, incidents involving low-level uses of force saw a 54% increase.

Additionally, there was a one-incident increase in intermediate level uses of force.

There were eight in 2025 and seven in 2024.

A control hold can be applied without causing pain.

They are department approved techniques used to manage an individual's movements by applying manual pressure to specific areas of the body.

And I do want to note that there is no one standard definition of force that needs to be reported by police departments.

So not all police departments would consider lifting an individual's legs into a patrol car as a use of force.

Alameda does.

And so that contributes to the high numbers that you see in Alameda that you may not see in other agencies.

So in 2025, 76% of all use of force incidents involved a control hold, and 30% involved only a control hold.

So you do see multiple force types being used in multiple in each incident, oftentimes.

As I mentioned, traffic stops increased by 89% in 2025.

The department did prioritize traffic stops, and as a result, you see a large increase.

The biggest increase is in moving violations, which includes things such as speeding and proper turns, running a red light, not stopping for pedestrians.

So looking at traffic outcomes by race, you see that very few stops result in an arrest.

Typically, that would be due to a warrant, a DUI, or drug possession.

Approximately half of all traffic stops across all races resulted in a citation, and the other half resulted in a warning.

Though you do see a little bit of fluctuation, it is fairly consistent across the different racial groups.

So looking at moving violation traffic stops by race, a big area of concern for the community as well as the department is whether officers are stopping people due to their race.

Data from the US Census is often used as a comparison to the stop data.

Kind of looking for a benchmark.

When looking at traffic stops and stops in general, census data is actually not typically an appropriate benchmark as a large portion of those stops, those stopped do not live in Alameda.

So I use citation and warning data from 2025, and I found that only 36% of those that received a citation or a warning lived in Alameda.

So the majority of people stopped do not live in a city.

So they're here for business, they're here for shopping, they're here for school.

And therefore, if we use census data, we would not be accurately reflecting the people that are being stopped.

For other stop types, only about half provided an Alameda address.

So still a large proportion of people we are stopping do not live in the city.

A better benchmark to use, but still imperfect, is collision data, and that is because probably most collisions are not reported to police.

Also, a number of the collisions reported were hit and runs where the race of the driver that was at fault is unknown.

Regardless, it's still an important thing to look at and use what data we have available, and remember that the benchmark should just be used as an indicator.

So the table above looks at moving violation stops, which again speeding, running a red light, not you know, expired registrations or tints, and compares it to the race of at fault drivers of collisions reported to police.

The biggest differences you see are with Asians who make up 19% of the moving violations, and 29% of at fault drivers and Hispanics who make up 27% moving violations and 17% of collisions.

So still something important to look at, but we don't expect a perfect comparison between the data.

Calls for service.

You do see a little bit of fluctuation, but relatively stable over the past three years.

There were 68,000 calls made in 2025.

This does include calls to the fire department.

There was a 56% increase in felony arrests and a 28% increase in misdemeanor arrests compared to 2024, a big driver of those increases were theft and shoplifting charges.

The department did have an increased focus on business districts, and you see you do see that reflected in the numbers.

In 2024, the police department modified their pursuit policy, which allowed officers to pursue suspects or vehicles wanted for felony uh felony crimes.

In 2025, there were 12 pursuits compared to 13 pursuits in 2024.

Most pursuits are very short, less than one minute.

The longest was four minutes.

There were no collisions as a result of the pursuit.

Each collision or each pursuit undergoes a thorough review by a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.

Some pursuits are additionally reviewed by the chief.

They really do focus on areas of improvement and training, and key areas of focus include communication during the pursuit, clearing intersections, and vehicle speed.

There were two more collisions in 2025 compared to 2024.

Employees were found to be at fault in 78% of these collisions, and about half of the at fault collisions involved the officers striking a fixed object, which is similar to 2024.

Since 2022, when an individual reaches out to the police department, they received a follow-up text message with an invitation to complete the survey.

Response rates did increase.

You do see an increase over the years in dispatcher satisfaction, the department in general, and with safety in Alameda.

There was a decrease in the satisfaction with officer professionalism.

However, I do want to note that officer professionalism still has the highest satisfaction rate, and most satisfaction rates you see are four and a half out of five.

So still good numbers.

The numbers have been steady over time.

We did have periods where the survey did not work as expected.

That's the little empty areas in the data.

The department is working with their vendor to fix the issue.

Staffing levels have remained steady over the past three years.

Sworn staffing is 25% below authorized levels, and currently sworn staffing is frozen at 72.

There was a large increase in claims filed against the department.

They're filed when an individual believes the city may be responsible for damage or loss to their property.

Over 40% of the claims in 2025 are related to vehicle tows, which is consistent in 20 uh compared to 2024.

The city paid out four claims in 2025, three related to accidents involving APD vehicles, and one additional that involved a use of forced entry case.

A third-party administrator does handle all of these claims on behalf of the city.

Training, post mandates that officers in California complete 24 hours of continued professional training and 18 hours of perishable skills training every two years.

Alameda officers on average receive about 100 hours of training each year.

Some of the topics included drone training, patrol training, which includes investigations, warrants, and going to the shooting range, emotional intelligence, and canine training.

And finally, Kalia accreditation, which is something that I began working on with the department in 2025.

Becoming accredited means the department voluntarily meets an established set of professional standards.

The work to become accredited involves a lot of policy changes and other written directive changes.

It involves a lot of labor.

APD is also required to show that it complies with the written directives.

So that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Dr.

Grossman, nice work.

Council, do we have any clarifying questions about the report?

Councilmember Jensen.

Oh, thank you for the report.

And thank you for the data.

It's great to be able to see all this information so clear so clearly provided.

And um and I'm happy to see much of the of the um, these are questions, clarifying questions.

So on page 13 of the slide, there was uh and earlier in the presentation as well.

You talk about the 25% sworn vacancy rate.

Can you can you um tell me how that's determined the 25%, 25% of what number?

Um so it's authorized versus actual.

So I believe they're authorized to have 88 officers, and they actually have hired there's you know, between 69 to 72 officers.

So the department has uh the ability to hire another 24 officers.

Um currently staffing is frozen at 72 officers, but prior to that, yes.

So that's my question.

It's not actually authorized because there's a freeze, right?

Now yes, still technically they're authorized to have 88.

Um I do mention that yes, there is a current freeze.

Um, I'll I'll say I have another question about the error the pursuits, but I can ask that, I can save that until after public comment.

Okay, any other clarifying questions, uh, Vice Mayor Prayer.

Um yeah, I have a couple.

Um I just want to clarify the sustained percentage.

Um, I'm sorry, on page one, it says uh regarding um internal affairs investigation that sustained percentage has decreased.

Um is and I I think it means the same thing as cases that have been substantiated.

Yes have decreased.

Got it.

Okay.

Um my other question on page two.

Um an example of a sustained violation was body-worn camera.

Um so I was just wondering how common that is.

Not very common.

Okay, great.

Um also uh about the use of force.

Um on page three, um, it was broken up between um weapons displays and low slash intermediate level uses of force.

Um and so are these three control hold takedown and wrap, or all those considered low incident?

I was trying to figure out which ones were low incident.

Yes, most of them are low.

Um I can't go back.

Um if it's fish strikes, oh we can we can go back in the in the oh, it's on page four.

Right.

How do the columns are like the next one?

There you go.

Is that the one?

Um intermediate uses of force would be personal body weapon, impact weapon, teaser use.

Oh okay.

Those would be the inner the intermediate, yeah.

Awesome, and then I'm just going through um.

Oh, okay, that was a comment, so I'll skip that.

Um I think that's it.

That was it.

Thank you.

Okay, on this side of the day, I say the clarifying questions.

Councilmember Daisak.

Well, thank you very much, Doctor.

Um, for the uh presentation.

Sorry.

And the information that you provided.

On um page seven of eighteen on your uh presentation.

You have the traffic stop outcomes by race.

And I think the way that you read the table is you read it's basically race distributed by the various traffic stops.

So I was wondering um if you have the data available, um, or if you can give it to us um afterwards where you do it instead of doing it up and down, do it sideways.

So do citations distributed by the various races.

Um obviously we can do the quick calculations, but you know, um so um and and perhaps um if we can get uh 2024 um uh um data to to see the comparison.

So for example, in citations um or or warnings in warnings um you have um African Americans um uh given 783 uh of the warnings that were issued were African Americans.

Um but then when you count up everyone else, it totals to 3,349 warnings, which means that African Americans were 23% of the total warnings.

Um because you're looking at warnings this way instead of African American.

And then um and then Hispanics come across as 24%, so that's pretty close.

Um, and then white comes across in that fashion, comes across that as 26%.

So um, i.e.

862 divided by 3,349.

So if we can look at the data that way, that'd be really interesting.

So I will send that to you.

Appreciate it.

And Dr.

Gerson, while we're on that slide on page six, what is the row called community caretaking?

What is that refer to?

Um, yes.

It typically refers to um if there is only like a 5150 hold on the individual, if a um a ride is provided to the individual.

Okay, got it.

Thank you.

Oh, and Councilmember Desak.

And you could just email us that data.

That's okay.

All of us obviously.

Thank you.

All right, Councilmember Jensen, was that your hand up, Tess?

Was just your hand up?

Okay.

Any other clarifying questions?

No, but keep your hands down.

No, it's fine.

Okay, thank you for that.

Um, Madam Clerk, do we have public comment?

Yes, Zach T.

All right.

Uh welcome speaker.

Zach Thayer, yeah.

Is it Thayer?

Yeah.

Yeah, speaker Thayer.

You have a public comment?

D H E R E.

T H A Y E R.

Okay, got it.

This way.

Um, in view of Master Limited Partnership Fund Wells Fargo IMP case um case, uh, Oakland uh v Simon properties.

I wish to challenge the OIG department in view of the Sunshine Act in view of controlled bias by that of law enforcement and the of city and county employees and compliances of the Tom Bain Act.

Um I wish to invoke a request for CERSA in view of administrative management tied to qualifiable applications, anything uh consisted of non-schedule uh one.

Um I would identify in the view of the state that because there's not been a petition for a gram of cocaine compared to how um uh mushrooms are wondered and marijuana is wondered as legalization.

Most of the uh state uh third of the region, um what I wonder is a one-sixth of the city are that that believe that cocaine is a medical-based uh application.

That's how long marijuana has been legal in the state.

The state has not taken a state petition um at all to legalize one gram of cocaine um as a requirement uh or any city, county, or municipality to do that in over 10 years.

Yeah, with that as an application, I choose to request that the city uh do a fiduciary audit on including a tri-regional assessment under the Sunshine Act, looking at controlled buys, particularly of that with law enforcement on the fire department, off-duty, security guards, security guards, off-duty police, and EMT view of narcotics and distribution.

I believe that this is an issue.

It uh directly uh deals with the police commission, police commission oversight board, the police uh what is known as the police credit union in the same way as asking can you shoot and my math be right, isn't understood to day-to-day management compared to uh hustling or what you would call selling something, uh argument of breeze scheme.

Um how that is wondered in the view of uh recreation, um, when you have a population assessment that identifies what I wonder as much as one third of the state that is failing and is unwilling to take a state um based um measure to legalize it.

We are seen as blatantly malice and grossly negligent as that of city, county, and municipal authority agents based on that as recreational use.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Belma Gay.

Welcome, Speaker Gay.

Um in regards to the young lady who just provided the information on police auditing.

Um, one of the things that I'm hoping to establish, um, as you probably already know, is that um to establish more structure within the homeless community because I feel as though what transpired me and as well as others, um, of which you're meeting one is Zach Thayer, who was currently living with me at Episcopal Episcopal Um Christ Church.

We went from there over to Dignity Village, which was uh comprised of approximately 12 of us, and um you guys have a there's a lack of structure within the homeless community.

So when the lady is uh uh providing information about the police force, there isn't any where is the data or is the statistical data or transparency that interrelates with the homeless community?

Yeah, we know that the home the homeless community are having a problem with.

I see them stealing stuff out of the, you know, like there's an issue there with the uh police, but they're not they're like living in the shadows, and it has to be structure, and um like working with all departments and structure within the homeless community, and it's it's definitely lacking.

So, how I don't know how to begin the process of starting something that uh we have more structures where there's policies, uh you know, like she's mentioning accreditations audits.

Where is this within the homeless community?

In Alameda County, Oakland, San Francisco, where you are next speaker.

That was our last speaker.

Okay, with that we will close public comment on item 7a and um sorry, not 7A, 7B, and again, this is um a recommendation to accept an informal presentation on the Alamade Police Department data from our police auditors.

So any further comment or discussion.

Advice mayor prior.

Um yeah, I just had a couple of comments.

Um I when I was looking at pursuits on page 10.

I'm very grateful that there were no collisions as a result of pursuits.

I know that that can be um uh pretty unsafe.

Um I know that when uh my sister was a high officer, so I think you have to weigh, you know, public safety versus we need to catch this person that committed a crime.

So I'm grateful.

I did it's probably every time an extremely difficult situation.

Um and then also I am glad that we are tracking all um types of use of force, even like you gave the example of lifting someone's legs up.

Um I I do think that's really important.

Um I think it keeps all of us accountable.

It keeps us safe, it the transparency with the community uh paired with the body camera footage.

So I'm I'm uh I just want to say I'm grateful for that, and thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, Councilmember Desag.

Uh just a quick comment.

I want to thank uh Dr.

Grossman for the presentation and also for um the observation on you know how to uh look at the data or evaluate the data, given that sometimes the data is um affected by not just local population but by you know population that comes in and out of the city.

So that was an interesting observation to just want to thank her for that, as well as I'd love to move approval of the um of the presentation uh of the report.

Um Councilmember Bowler, please.

Um thank you.

I just want to um comment.

Thank you, Dr.

Grossman.

Thank you to um really all the sworn members of our police department.

I think the main intention here in terms of transparency is definitely uh quite evident in this report.

In fact, there's multiple occasions in that presentation where you can see that the police department is working to enhance transparency, extra levels of reporting, extra levels of training, extra levels of uh investigation that are not done in other departments, and so I think that that really serves the the community wish to have really effective community policing, but also uh fair and obviously legal and and very um compassionate uh service calls.

We have a large number of service calls that's continuous.

We have a steady um police force that's that has been basically steady numbers for some years, but we've also seen in just this last year quite an increase in terms of enforcement when it comes to some property crimes with the business districts and also other types of property crimes, in addition to traffic safety, and seeing that and from my perspective, and in terms of you know, talking to people in the community, that's exactly some of the areas that our our residents are the most concerned about.

So despite the consistent staffing levels and these extra levels of you know transparency measures, nonetheless, the department has used some of its technology and some of its um strategic placement of resources to affect that.

I think that's that's really some good news.

Um, and you also see really when it comes to the use of force and some of these other issues that the department is really doing a really good job, and I I want to accentuate one last thing, which is the training piece, just one more time, because we've had other presentations this year looking at the department's um efforts with training, and it really is it really is remarkable the amount of extra work that's done there, uh, which it's a very difficult job, obviously, being a peace officer, and um we're lucky to have the people that serve us in the community in this function.

So we appreciate it.

Thank you, Councilmember Bowler, nicely said, and I just want to end with my thanks and appreciation.

We have a couple of um Alameda Police Department personnel in in chambers um this evening, and we are very fortunate to have the fine department that we have.

It's a growing department, it's a young department.

We've been able to hire a lot of new officers, but they do tend to be young, so we really rely on some of our senior folks to provide the role model, the the training, as you said, that's so important.

But what I also appreciate so much is this is fact-based actions that are being taken.

We are looking, we hired a police auditor, we are looking at the numbers, we are making adjustments accordingly and assigning patrols and officers, for instance, to our business districts and you know, as a council, I know I and I'm sure my count my colleagues hear from residents who are very upset about the speeding that happens, especially around schools and in our neighborhoods.

But when you see the increase in moving violations, that is saying that we hear you, we know that people are residents, the people who do business here who come to shop or you know, go to the beach or what have you.

They want to feel safe and we want that too.

But the fact that there were more out-of-towners getting the citations means you didn't get the memo about drive 25 in Alameda.

But no, it just shows that we're listening.

When I say we, I'm giving credit to APG, but listening and responding and doing the things that it takes to make the community as safe as possible.

The numbers, the staffing troubles me, and I'm just gonna mention this ever so briefly because I don't want to get into uh any problem with the Brown Act, but we do need to get those numbers up to where they're authorized and council.

Let's just look forward to doing that in the future.

So thank you so much, and Dr.

Grossman for bringing all this to our attention and APD for what you do every day 24-7 while we sleep to keep us safe.

Um, so what we need is a motion to, and I think I might have heard it from Council Member Days to accept this informational presentation on Alameda Police Department data from the police auditors.

It's been moved by Councilmember Day Socks, seconded by Councilmember Bowler.

All those in favor, please signify by stating aye.

Aye.

That is unanimous.

Thank you so much.

So, Madam Clerk, now we go on to three items.

Do you want to tell us how that works?

Yes, so um items 7 C D and E, which I'll introduce right now are all related, and staff's gonna give one presentation on it.

That that then council will take separate votes on the three um presentations.

So 7C is a recommendation to authorize the interim city manager to exit a agreement with Alameda Family Services and annual amount not to exceed 218,000 to provide therapeutic services.

Um, you can slow down a little so everybody can digest that's fine.

Okay, the emergency supportive housing and the day center safe parking program for the um term of March 1st, 2026 through December 31st, 2026, with the option of four one-year extensions in an annual amount not to exceed 264,000 dollars for a total five-year amount not to exceed 1,274,000.

Um, and then I'll read the sequel language that applies to all of them at the end.

The 7D is a recommendation authorized the interim city manager to execute an agreement with Ruby's place, doing business as restorative pathways at an amount not to exceed 700,000 to operate the emergency supportive housing program for the term February 15, 2026 through February 28th, 2027, with the option of four one-year extensions for a total five-year amount not to exceed 3.5 million, and seven, I mean E, yes, which is a recommendation to authorize the interim city manager to execute an agreement with urban alchemy and an amount not to exceed 1.6 million to operate the day center and safe parking program for the term February 15th, 2026 through February 26th, 28th, 2027, with an option for four one-year extensions for a total five-year amount not to exceed eight million dollars.

Um, all these projects are saturatorily exempt from further environmental review pursuant to the public resources code section 2108080.10 services for people experiencing homelessness and categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15301 existing facilities and 1503 or 61B3 common sense, thank you.

And you're gonna um that was all three of them, right?

Yes, and so that's all three.

Okay, and so we have um joining us this evening uh Ms.

Simone Falls, who is housing and human services manager.

Ms.

Falls, I just want to confirm is 10 minutes really enough for you because you know that we will give you more time.

I have a brief presentation.

I think 10 minutes will be enough.

You think okay, all right, take it away.

Thank you.

All right, thank you for having me, uh, mayor and city council.

Again, my name's Simone Falls, manager of housing and human services division.

I do just want to um give a side note for urban alchemy.

I had actually asked them to introduce themselves in the beginning, so sorry for that confusion.

Uh, but they are here for when their item comes up to help answer questions.

Perfect.

So we have three items.

The first item is regarding mental health services at our shelter programs, currently provided by Alameda Family Services, so that is current services that are provided.

The two other programs are also current programs, but we have gone through a process for new providers, so we're recommending restorative pathways for emergency supportive housing and urban alchemy for the day Center Safe Parking overnight shelter Program.

We continue to see a need for homeless services in Alameda.

For example, the winter warming shelter continues to be over capacity at this time, so we um are looking forward to continuing to strengthen our services.

We're looking forward to the new day center program, which will add 12 additional beds to our system.

We also see complex challenges.

There's been increased discussion around mental health and substance abuse challenges, which is where AFS is supportive with providing services within the shelter.

We have an integrated homeless service response system.

So we have our new shelter providers, which we'll talk about how they were selected shortly.

We have our mental health services through AFS, and we have a strong collaboration between those providers and housing and human services division working collaboratively together to provide the most optimal services in our programs.

We also have what's called the coordinated outreach team, which is a meeting that is twice a month, where we meet with our all of our service partners around homeless services in Alameda and discuss clients by name so that we can collaborate closely and ensure people are connected to housing.

So we went through a competitive request for proposals a few months ago.

The objective was to solicit proposals for qualified organizations.

We had two review panels.

The first was a written review panel from partner cities that do similar work.

They reviewed the written proposals, and the top three agencies were selected to move forward.

They then went into an oral panel with uh HHS and partners.

We had AFS and Building Futures with Women and Children, independent individual from our local COC that were on that panel.

And from that panel, we selected who we believed were the most equipped and experienced and prepared to come provide and continue these services in Alameda.

Restorative Pathways has been doing services for over 55 years.

They have contracts with partner agencies such as Alameda County and the City of Hayward.

They are primarily serving families, singles, single adults, transitional age youth, and they specialize in those types of programs.

Urban Alchemy also has been doing this work for, or I don't have the exact number, I believe I want to say it's about 10 years.

They started in Alameda with their showers, and they are continuing to grow their agency with focusing on low barrier, challenging programs such as tiny home safe parking programs, emergency shelters, very similar to the day center safe parking program that we have here in Alameda.

They have several contracts in San Francisco, they have a contract in Alameda, Los Angeles, and also out of state.

So currently there is a therapist at Dignity Village on site.

There's also a shared therapist at the Day Center and Emergency Supportive Housing.

So this is a request to continue those services.

They provide crisis intervention, they also provide individual therapeutic services for clients, and they provide resource connections, so continued connection to therapy outside of the site and also other resource connections such as substance abuse services, mental health services, housing services in addition to the case management and housing navigation that's on site.

So the first request is to support Alameda Family Services to continue mental health services at Dignity Village Emergency Supportive Housing and the Day Center.

Secondly, to approve restorative pathways to support the four emergency supportive housing properties and urban alchemy to support the day center safe parking and overnight emergency shelter site.

I believe Karen may be on the line for questions, and we have a couple of folks when we get to the next item for restorative pathways on Zoom, and then Urban Alchemy is here in the room for the third.

And that would be Karen Zeltzer from Albany Services.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you for that presentation.

I have a clarifying question, and some of my colleagues may as well.

Can someone help me understand the um I might have missed it in the report, but so let's and because I think the city clerk let us know that we we heard the report on all three of these items, C D and E, but we'll have to vote on them individually because they're individual contracts.

So on let's just take the first one 7C, and this is uh to authorize the interim city manager to execute this agreement with Almeida family services in amount not to exceed 218,000 dollars to provide, etc.

etc.

It's the with the option of four one-year extensions in an annual amount not to exceed 264,000 for a total five-year amount not to exceed one million two hundred and seventy-four thousand dollars.

My question is, is what does it take to have a one-year extension?

Does is there some criteria that has to have been met?

Um, a certain, you know, standard or level.

What what is that?

And if I missed it in the staff report, please point me to it.

So for each contract to receive an extension, we have um several different um steps that we take.

Each contract will be evaluated, they'll be monitored.

So I started monitoring our programs when I joined the team about a year, a little over a year ago.

So we've monitored all of our CDBG programs.

We will then monitor Dignity Village since the provider has now been there for a year, and these providers will also be monitored after six months and then after a year to ensure that they're meeting their outcomes and their outcomes are listed in their scope of work.

Also each year we would re-evaluate their outcomes to see if they should be changed.

Um it's also dependent on funding availability and the desire to continue the program.

So that's something that we would discuss if there is a continued need for the program.

I appreciate that, and this might be a question for legal for the city attorney.

Where is it in the agreement that includes those conditions of renewal?

Because um I um it is I don't know the section, but there is a section in the agreement that's so madam mayor.

I think the agreement is as drafted, it's it's in section one where it authorizes to four additional years, um, and combined with the staff report, it gives the city manager wide discretion to authorize the extensions, and so the staff report as written essentially grants the city manager wide discretion to um entertain extensions or not.

The council is essentially delegating that authority to the city manager based on the staff report.

Um okay, and so um you see that in the agreement section one, which is term, and then uh does it in some way refer back to the staff report?

Uh no, we always interpret these agreements in light of the staff report.

We always do, and the staff report essentially asks the council to delegate the exercise of these extensions to the city manager by using his or her discretion.

Um, and I appreciate that.

This is possibly one of the lower contracts because the total is 1.274,000, 1,274,000.

We um, as we sit here today, we have an interim city manager who's very capable, but will not be here a year from now.

And um, is I would feel better if there was some provision for a report back to the council.

I do not want to tie a city manager's hands, but I also think um just given the fact that we are changing providers in some instances that we have, and I credit uh Ms.

Falls and your department for realizing that some things you know weren't working as well as we hoped and needed changes, but I I would like something, some involvement of the council to at least be made aware of.

We're renewing it here, as Ms.

Falls noted, um, that um outcomes are monitored, reevaluated, we're recommending that these changes be made.

I think addressing homelessness and preventing it is such an important objective of this council.

I'd like there to be a little more return to the council at least to be informed and by extension, the public.

Of course.

The council could, for example, direct staff to provide the council with a written update, certain number of days before the city manager chooses to entertain the option.

So that's one way the council could retain some public reporting.

If the council that would be typically done off agenda, the city manager would prepare a memo and send it to the council.

If the council wanted a higher level of public involvement, of course, the council could direct the city manager to return to council for a presentation each time that the contract is set for renewal.

Yeah, I'm I'm wasn't, I hope you didn't interpret what I was saying to request that.

Five years later, we will have spent 1,275,000 and just known that a city manager said, sure, go ahead.

I think we do want to hear in a memo, and I don't know, I'll leave it to my colleagues when they comment whether it's something they would want to have come back or not, but at least some reports so we're um this is this is a field that is evolving.

We're all learning about best practice.

We're learning from each other, Ms.

Falls and Interim City Manager Um Paulitzer.

The three of us were recently in Berkeley for a great presentation by a leading expert um in addressing homelessness.

So we're always learning new ways.

So okay, that it could be done with staff direction.

Yes, absolutely.

Okay, thank you for that.

Um, that's my clarifying question.

Other clarifying questions, council?

Councilmember Jensen.

Thank you.

My questions are have to do with the um the sec the um five not not the one, not the first one.

They have to do with 7D and 7E.

And so these are really questions about the oversight and the scope of work for these providers.

So with regard to um 7D, that's the contract for restorative pathways, the provider to often operate a transitional housing program.

So my first question is um the provider will provide 24 hour services and transitional housing, and a staff for 20 excuse me, 24 hour services, including an awake overnight staffing.

So this is for all of these sites, and I believe, well, you can um confirm that there are four sites for this program, and so the each site will have a overnight 24-hour staff.

No, so the model currently and the model with the new contract, the family houses do not have on-site staffing, they have access to staffing, and they have and the single adult houses have uh rotating staff, so they have their next door to each other, and so they have an overnight staff that has rounds where they rotate.

Okay, thanks.

And my second question is about the um the provision that requires the provider to set up an emergency supportive housing program in Clarity HMIS with Alameda County HMIS.

And I'm it says to set it up, but I am asking whether that program is already in place.

So every time there's a new provider, it has to be set up again with the new under the new provider's name.

So there is data currently recorded in HMIS, but it will be updated.

Thank you.

And just for the public's uh benefit, housing management information system.

And what is it?

If you could summarize what it is, um it's the HUD mandated database that all jurisdictions must use to collect homeless data.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, and can you get there's several times referenced in the um set these documents?

The City of Alameda Engagement Services Team and the Alameda Point Homeless Services Program.

Can you define both of those teams and programs?

Yes, the City of Alameda Engagement Team is our internal team, so they provide street homeless street outreach services and light case management and resource connection.

They all work closely with the day center program as they typically have shared clients, and Alameda Point Homeless Services Program is a placeholder name for the Days Center Safe Parking emergency shelter.

Thank you also with um regard to the restorative pathways program, the emergency supportive housing, there's a provision in the scope of work that says that that the provider will collect and save 30% of clients' income and render the funds upon discharge.

My question is how is the 30% determined, and how are the funds collected?

Um so the funds are determined based on the ability ability, it's not a requirement for people to be in the program, but um they are working with clients to collect the funds uh currently they collect the funds in their own bank account, so that's something we'll work with restorative pathways if they want to continue that model where the clients save their own funds in a bank account, and then um their case manager works closely with them to budget and monitor that those funds remain, but it's because it's not a requirement, it is one of the looser um parts of the scope of work.

So it is a provision that the provider will collect and save 30% of clients' income, but that is um the 30% you're saying is is um not arbitrary or it's not it's not um some transitional housing programs they collect the money and the money goes back into the program.

We don't manage that money in that way, the money goes to back to the client, so it's not as strict as some other transitional housing programs.

I see, thank you.

And um I think those are oh with my last question on the first contract or the the um restorative pathways contract is the case management and housing, and so there one of the requirements for case management and housing navigation is that on-site case management and housing navigation services will be provided one time per week, including holiday weeks, and um I just wanted to know how that's how that oversight happens.

How do you or Alameda City contract managers know that that is taking place?

Uh similar to the coordinated outreach team meeting.

We have meetings, so our um program, homeless services program manager.

I believe you're all familiar with Camille.

She meets with the providers currently she meets with Dignity Village every week, so she won't be meeting with these providers also starting on a weekly basis, and it may decrease to biweekly or monthly depending on the need, but we would start off with weekly meetings.

The coordinated outreach team meets once a week, uh they meet twice a month.

And the CARES, the collaboration advancing resources efforts and supports meets once a month.

Once a month, okay.

Okay, thank you.

And um then I have a couple of questions on the other contract.

Sorry, the um urban alchemy program.

So I wanted to, well, this is actually on both.

For these programs, the emergency supportive housing and the um the day can day center.

How often does city staff that is overseeing the contract do site visits?

Uh so we will do random pop-ups and additionally, we'll have scheduled visits.

We don't have an exact cadence of visits, but we do random pop-ups.

Um, both I um Camille and our engagement specialist supervisor go to the program sites.

And um, my last question, I'll I may have some more later.

Thank you, Ms.

Falls.

But when uh the you mentioned in the scope of work and in um the report, as you mentioned in your report too, the there'll be a shelter opening at 1041 West Midway.

Do you have an idea when that's going to open?

Uh or do we have an idea?

I don't I don't know if uh there's an official open date, but I would say late summer, early falls when we expect it to open.

Thank you.

Those are my questions.

Okay, other clarifying questions from council?

Madam Clerk, do we have public comment?

We do.

We have three speakers.

All right.

Uh first is Zach, then Ian Clark Johnson, and then Bell McGay.

Oh, sorry.

Well, you're withdrawing your comment on you.

All right.

Uh that's fine.

Ian Clark Johnson.

Yes, welcome.

Now's your time.

Good evening, Mayor.

Good meeting uh good evening, counsel.

Thank you for your time this evening.

Ian Clark Johnson representing Urban Alchemy.

Um, grateful to be here.

Want to push forward with this opportunity, given this opportunity, we believe that we're gonna bring um a change and some support and really just do it with love and respect.

Our mission is to transform people in places with love and respect, which makes our model a little different.

We utilize men and women with lived experience, previous experience, some return to citizens that have been previously incarcerated, some that have been formerly homeless, uh, folks that have exercised some resilience in the space they are today, uh, to build a relationship that with someone that's you know, maybe in a low place and just needs some support and really just needs someone to wrap their arms around them figuratively by wraparound services, uh being present 24 hours.

I think this model is very unique because it gives us the opportunity to have a day uh a day center where folks could come in, access services, showers, uh you know, have a small computer lab and have different things, and also you saw you'll have mental health folks on site.

Um, and then also you have an opportunity for safe parking outside where you can have men and women who are experiencing homelessness but living in vehicles, gives them a safe space to park their vehicle to be.

Um a lot of times we have experience where we operate a safe parking site in Oakland, and what it's really allowed people to do is go to work, like be able to let their guard down, know that their vehicle is safe.

Um, another thing that we'll be able to do is have the overnight beds, the overnight beds are gonna be humongous because just like tonight you think about how cold it is, how rainy it is outside, have a safe warm space for folks inside with 24 hour support, and so one thing that we do, we don't not only take pride for inside the facility, but you'll be seeing us outside the facility doing outreach.

We're grateful to just become stakeholders within Alameda.

A lot of our workforce currently are folks who live in Alameda County.

We have some folks that live in Alameda, founded in San Francisco.

We do a lot of work in San Francisco, that's where we're our headquarters is, so we consider ourselves a local organization.

So we started with shower program in Oakland and Alameda probably about five years ago.

Unfortunately, due to funding gaps, that you know that that program went away, but we were able to have some relationships with folks out here, and so we're just excited with this opportunity if granted this evening uh to be able to do some good work here in the city of Alameda.

I thank you for your time.

God bless.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Val McGay.

Speaker Gay, welcome.

I guess I uh hit the jackpot tonight by being involved with um I'm very familiar with urban alchemy.

Um, but the reason why I'm getting up and I'm continuously speaking about structure is because, and why is though I should be compensated for what I was doing at Dignity Village, is because you didn't have that when I was there.

You didn't have Simone Falls before you didn't have the falls, as well as when I came to Simone Falls for assistance approximately what eight months ago, you she did nothing, she just acted as though she's standing here.

Um she's coming across as very astute, but when I came to her for assistant, she didn't she didn't help me.

So I'm wondering, I'm I'm confused by the veneer of or the mask of you have a person that's been chronically homeless that is standing before you and all of these services.

I've seen all this before, and I haven't seen seen uh anything that became anything good other than what I did at Dignity Village.

So I'm concerned that this is why I'm here.

What you know, what I needed wasn't there, and what was uh in put in place, I'm the one that accomplished that.

So I'm trying to figure out how do you feel how you feel as though that I should not be compensated for what I did at Dignity Village.

You have Zach there who witnessed personally witnessed I wasn't even planning on meeting him today I didn't know he was going to be on schedule he personally witnessed what I was doing there at Dignity Village.

So how is this all coming about I'm concerned about urban alchemy which is um another organization other than five keys organizations I mean the vetting process are they meeting that's what I mean by accreditations audits where is the statistical data the transparency of the information that um the people of the community should be able to read he's he's mentioning that they have people that were previously um incarcerated but when you hired five keys the city of Alameda hired five keys you didn't admit you didn't tell anybody that they were out of prison so it caused long term long effects that are are still traumatizing today for all of us who were involved I mean you're seeing me stand here today but there's you know that I can easily get 10 or 15 people down here to um state what was transpiring within the uh build so much our next speaker Mr Thayer you're right.

Let's do it this way in view of the grant deviation ID number 4318190 you'll indicate an application against indemnity in the Department of Interior I'll be taking the Department of Urban Housing in view of the Office of OMB based on procedure regressment in view of interagency application we will not be will be asking the Alameda City College to look at that as masterial and postdoctoral we'll be looking at OASIS as an expansion and then bringing in another program on that in the building that was burnt on purpose um by model when that is wondered as acts of leadership we do have recordings and we even go after household members their homes if we have to um to get our point across the interagency application there was nine other locations for the original bid for dignity village argument your urban alchemy was originally supposed to be a partnership with your health and human service agency for part time for part-time work or work study grant under the mayor courts for a collective housing the fact that the tiny house the shed program was not identified in view of the state in view of model under HR uh 5862 again um which was challenged based on cost of living and the view to domiciling um there is again what I stated earlier for that level of negligence for the view to tectonic plate shift or the ability of active leadership for the gross malice and intentional negligence I asked that this agency be looked at specifically under the Sunshine Act across the United States and I would even say it as a congressional medal recipient that it be looked at from allocation of funds and every appellate based on the Sunshine and Bain Act.

Their logo is is the understanding of the same thing.

This is an Austrian tell all the Mundolians go enjoy themselves.

Any whalish male uh whalish or Macedonian citizens.

Oh, I forgot the compliance.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Karen Zeltzer.

Welcome, Speaker Zeltzer.

Remote, correct?

It's here.

Hello.

Can you hear me?

You sure can.

Hi.

Okay, hi.

This is Karen Zeltzer, Division Director of Crisis Services at Alameda Family Services.

Um, Madam Mayor, City Council members, and city staff, thank you for considering the opportunity for Alameda Family Services to continue supporting Alameda residents who are experiencing homelessness as well as individuals recently housed in transitional housing.

We have seen directly the benefits of having a supportive therapist on site, able to be accessed as needed when needed, and the benefits to having mental health consultation available to staff.

Housing support and mental health support truly need to be in partnership to create lasting stabilization.

AFS mental health clinicians have been able to provide traditional therapy sessions, shorter check-ins as needed, mill use support, crisis de-escalation, mediation between clients and clients, and between clients and staff and therapeutic groups such as uh activities around gardening, art, music, and games, all of these services support individuals' healing and resilience as well as building community and community healing.

We respectfully ask that the contracts with Alameda Family Services be approved so that AFS therapists can continue supporting our clients, our community, and our partnerships with the other unhoused service providers and HHS.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Thank you so much.

Our next speaker, that's our last.

Okay, with that, we will close public comment on 7C D and E.

And we will so again we're gonna do three separate motions on each of these contracts, but we can do our comments on all three of them together.

Um let's start on my left.

Any comments over here?

Okay.

So more of a question and um clarification/slash confirmation.

So in each of the um agreements in um they basically share the the same um section one term, and I just want to clarify that um what the second paragraph um reads the parties may agree to extend the term of this agreement for an additional number of years, depending on the different um agreements.

Any extensions shall be documented in assigned amendment in the event that the parties agree to extend the agreement, all provisions of the agreement shall remain unchanged.

So I just want to clarify when we're talking about parties extending the agreement.

Is it correct to say that both parties have to agree?

And it's not just one, and the parties um are those entities that are kind of referenced in the very first paragraph, which is um the city of Alameda, and depending on 7C, 70 or 70, it might be family services, it might be urban alchemy, or it might be the uh the other entity.

So those are the parties, and both have to agree.

Councilmember, that is correct.

Great.

Well, thank you.

And I'm asking that because in the event something goes wrong, you know, we hope nothing goes wrong, but in the event something goes wrong, I do believe that what I see in front of me is providing um uh the uh city council and city staff um uh safeguards to deal with um situations as they unfortunately might arise.

Um, there is some um uh desire potentially to change um some of that language in this in in the sense of bringing it to city council.

I don't mind, you know.

Uh I don't mind.

Um that's fine too, but from what I can tell, I think there are the safeguards are in place.

Thank you.

Other comments?

Um, Councilmember Bowler, okay, Vice Mayor Pryor.

I um I have a also have a quick question and a comment.

Um so when these when the extensions come up, do they just get put on the consent calendar or do they just get executed?

Um so, madam vice Mayor, in the current uh staff report recommendation is that you're delegating fully that authority to the city manager.

If you would like it to come back on consent, you can direct that tonight for staff to obviously change the agreement or uh or direct just give direction to staff to provide you with a memo prior to execution.

Council has wide ranging authority to sort of change the latitude of your delegation.

Okay.

I don't have a strong opinion either way.

I just thought the mayor brought up a really good point about um, you know, having a new city manager, and then it just um, and you know, the the reason to can you know to go forward with an extension.

You know, things are come.

I mean, this is a complex issue.

You're right, we're gonna have to have some flexibility and innovation.

Um, you know, I absolutely trust staff, but then I'm like, what if someone, you know, somebody kidnaps her and takes her away to a different city or something, you know, like we'll be so sad.

But you know, I just thought for us or for the city to have something consistent.

Um, that's all that's just it just got me thinking.

Um I just about having, you know, turnover in a city just for us to have something consistent um with our our vendors.

Um you know, I appreciate you um for bringing I appreciate you for a lot of reasons, Vice Mayor, but thank you for bringing that up.

I actually would like extensions to come back on the consent calendar for a number of reasons, and it has nothing to do with our very competent staff.

However, these are large number of large dollar amounts, a lot of public money we're spending.

There is also community concern because some of these facilities are in residential neighborhoods, say out at Alameda Point where our big whites are, and we do hear from the residents um from time to time, and and problems come up.

I mean, these are these are complex situations.

We're absolutely doing the right thing.

I'm proud of our city for doing this, but I think we need to look with a really wide like 360-degree um view of how it's perceived in the community, and if there were concerns, that this would be a time to be receptive to our residents.

And I don't I don't think it's asking a lot um that once a year this be looked at, and it could be a brief staff report that just brought us up to date.

Here's what we've accomplished, here's where we may need to see changes, but I think it is more than something that is just a memo, and the other benefit of bringing it back on consent is the public gets to see that too.

If it's a memo to the council, not so much.

Can um city attorney, yeah.

Yes, madam mayor.

If if that is the council's direction, I would recommend changing the second sentence of the second paragraph in section one.

That second sentence currently reads any extension shall be documented in a signed agreement.

Yeah, uh, I would recommend at the end of that sentence changing to comma, uh approved by the city council.

Okay, do we need to say anything about coming back on the consent calendar or uh I think council then will have the latitude to put it on consent or even put it on regular if you felt like it?

So I I think it could just the agreement itself could just say any extension shall be documented in the sign agreement approved by the city council.

Um with all due respect, it is not generally council that initiates items that are brought to the agenda.

I do attend all the agenda meetings, but the agenda draft agenda is already made up, and I just comment and I might suggest that some things be added or removed.

Um so how can we get a little more assurance?

Um it could say signed agreement approved by the city council in an open uh public meeting.

Uh I think I think it's uh I do not recommend specifically seeing the consent calendar because you might move the council.

I like the open public meeting.

How does that sound to you?

Yeah, I think that sounds great.

Vice mayor.

Um okay, thank you for for raising that.

Did you have further comments?

Uh I don't see.

Sorry.

I feel much better about that if we could vote to add that I didn't want to.

Give me a second.

Councilmember Daisak, I'm gonna finish this side of the dice and then we'll come back to you.

Okay.

Um, I just was I really liked um hearing about um like when urban sorry, alchemy was up, uh, just talking about not, you know, just doing everything with love and dignity, but um it just what really struck me is just the safety, um, people being able to leave their cars or if you know if they uh are sleeping in their cars, uh just people being there 24 hours and um I I just anyway it just wrong um it just hit me and I I'm just glad that we're offering these services.

I thank you for acknowledging that.

Councilmember Jensen.

Thank you.

Um I I have some question a question about the process.

So um first of all, can you confirm that um Operation Dignity continues to operate the the um dignity village?

Yes, that's good.

And did Operation Dignity uh was were they one of the applicants for no they were not?

Okay, then those are my questions.

I just wanted to well actually this is uh about the vetting process as well, because if um there has been some issues and some news stories about uh urban alchemy in particular, about some other cities, local cities, especially, as well as cities in other states that have either had problems with existing contracts or have not entered into contracts because of concerns about potential or actual uh legal actions.

So I'm wondering how that was addressed or discussed when the vetting was done for for this and if there were if it was competitive or if this was the what was deemed to be the only potential contract, and um before um excuse me for interrupting Ms.

Falls, but um interim city manager Pollitzer.

I know I brought to your attention an article I read in the San Francisco Chronicle, um, and I believe you had some discussions, did you, or um on the topic?

Yes, um I did talk with assistant uh our assistant city manager and I think um our manager uh falls here will comment on um some of the references that they um called to confirm.

All right, fair enough.

So you spoke with Assistant City Manager Amy Woldridge, she's away, and Ms.

Falls, um can you help us understand what you discovered?

Yes, so um I have previously visited urban alchemy sites, so I'm familiar with them.

Uh we did a previous RFP process and I visited sites of all the providers for this process, the three providers that had um moved forward to the final stage.

I had already seen all of their programs, not all of them, I had already seen program sites that they operate.

So the year prior, I would had the opportunity to visit Urban Alchemy's site, one of their sites in San Francisco, and I had the opportunity to speak with San Francisco staff and hear from them about the program.

I did reach out to San Francisco again this year.

Um they haven't I haven't been able to connect with anyone this year yet.

Um they don't have the same um person that I spoke with last time.

Um but um I did speak with Oakland, who has a current contract with them, and they still spoke positively about their services in Oakland.

And um if um if I may just interrupt and um not to put you on the spot.

The article that I read, I don't know what my colleague um read actually raised um the possibility of some um budgetary items of overspending by a significant amount um funds that were allocated.

That was from San Francisco.

I that was the only city did you and I guess I thought some of these.

That wasn't the one that I was referring to, but I did read that article as well.

And and that I think that that was uh for that managing that homeless site, or excuse me, that transitional housing site.

I I think that um you know that that was not a it didn't turn into any legal action as far as I could tell.

Right.

But I and I that article didn't talk about anything about um questioning the quality of the care or the pro the services that were provided.

So it was just was there perhaps some I don't know extreme overspending, but I I talked with staff and it seemed to think that we've gotten some information to that yeah it was my understanding from talking to assistant city manager Wooldridge that the overspending was based on the service level also increasing and so it wasn't misappropriation of their budget um it was basically not keeping up with the demand and putting in the um request for additional funds so I think that that was that was the understanding that I received from our assistant city manager.

Okay so um anything further to add or that was actually the article that I was referring to was an article about the the homeless outreach services in um Sausoleto and that article referred to six lawsuits and um a potential class action suit alleging labor violations so those were that was what were I was wondering if there had been any um review or if that had come up during the vetting process I'm not um that's the first time I've heard of that article I'm not familiar with it I um and in the interest of fairness sorry to interrupt you again is there anyone from urban alchemy who is in a position to address that because I think that it's I don't want this to be one-sided and this is a lot of you know we read a newspaper article it's not in front of us but come on up and introduce yourself hello hi hi um my name is Melik Tota I'm the CFO of urban alchemy perfect um thank you so much for allowing us to speak on this topic and um I'll just first say that there definitely have been a few articles out and I'll say that there um there's been misinformation that has been um published and the the article specifically I'll maybe I'll address both if that's okay the the chronicle article as soon as it was issued we contacted the reporter letting them know that it was incorrect we were on the phone with him for a good hour he changed to the information in the article it was sort of it was online and it was re-um it was edited and reposted but unfortunately the AP press had already picked up the original article that mentioned eight hundred thousand dollars in overspending so that was absolutely incorrect um the there was a memo that the analyst had given the board of supervisors that spoke to an 800 thousand dollar number but it was not an overspend at all the overspend was 36000 and that was as as the as Adam Pulitzer mentioned that it was related solely to the fact that we had been requested to add 30 additional guests to our shelter and we had not received commensurate funding we had asked for it since the beginning of the the um the news where we were requested to add these guests and um so in the end they gave us the funding and so I'm not sure that was clear at all but we spent exactly what they gave us at the end we did not go over at all so just to clarify that but there was a request for that funding and that was what was before the board of supervisors at that point in time and it was approved.

And what about the allegations of litigation related to some labor issues.

So there were there's probably a couple things there but the one in Sauselito was recently completely dismissed by the judge so that was you know in our opinion complete falsification there was no substance to it whatsoever so there is no legal uh claim and that unfortunately happens like you know the news will pick up something and it will get very um sensationalized and you know it took us many years to get through that but finally it was just thrown out because there wasn't enough substance to it at all.

We have been subject to PAGA lawsuits um like many many other translate that PAGA um what does that stand for?

It's um like a personal attorney um anyone know what that is the GA city attorney do we know what PACA is?

It's a it's the yeah the their private attorney general lawsuits oh got it yes right yes yes and so that's been new you know legislation that's been around for a few years now and um there have been many many many California agencies that have been subject to these paga lawsuits that stack penalties and they can be they can form class action suits from very small infractions um and so it's also if you do end up um litigating one of those and you are found even one percent guilty of uh of infraction you pay all of your attorney fees and all of the plaintiffs' attorney fees as well so it can be quite challenging to take a something like that to court um and so we decided to settle one recently um even though we felt very strongly and our attorneys recommended that we could probably fight it and win a class suit but we wouldn't necessarily win a hundred percent of the PAGA claims um which is very hard to prove so we we have had that um but our our timekeeping practices are are you know quite advanced now we use a paycom system and we have geofencing technology that helps us track time so I think you know we've really made a lot of advancements in that and our attorney specifically said he had never seen an organization as strong in terms of our internal controls and pay payroll and time as as ours so I think we're really proud of the progress we've made there thank you so much for the information I'm glad you're in the room um and what I would say to my colleagues and to you is your answers have satisfied me um I think it's yet another reason you can sit down thank you thank you so much thank you for being here um it is yet another reason why I think it makes sense to bring these the renewal of these agreements back on an annual basis in an open public meeting like council meeting specifically council meeting um but I um I think there's no one out there doing work that hasn't somehow run into difficulties but we also you know give people credit for correcting them and I personally am satisfied um anything further from anyone oh yeah counselor would say so another clarifying question um uh so the source of funding based upon reading the reports is ARPA funding um is uh and it we're supposed to um either use it or or um make um contracts by December 31st 2026 based upon the staff reports for each items um so the question I have is would also ARPA funding also be available for it in the event extensions occur how how does that work oh yes so the funding is a mixture of ARPA and general funds so the extensions would be with the general fund unless we are able to identify a new funding source.

I see okay well thank you that's how how much ARBA funds do we have left I don't have that off the top of my head but I can share um let's share out with yeah yeah yeah I'm delighted to know that there's still some left because we've done quite a bit with our ARPA funds including building dignity village um okay anything further all right thank you so much Ms.

Falls thank you all right counsel I hope we have well let's start with item 7C so madam clerk just paraphrase this is the one with Alameda Family Services for the therapeutic services at dignity village.

All right do I have a motion and a second to approve this um well to authorize the city that was that you council member Jensen it's been moved by council member Jensen seconded by Vice Mayor Pryor all those in favor please signify by stating aye oh wait wait wait didn't really say aye but with the additional um instruction as noted earlier by the city attorney uh that in the um uh this assumes my iPad will come uh we'll cooperate that in the service provider agreement um under the section agreement uh paragraph one titled term the second paragraph shall state that this is this is adding the sentence.

This is where the page numbers are the way I'm happy I'm happy to review that would you maybe right so the sentence that currently states any extension shall be documented in a sign agreement.

It will now state any extension shall be documented in a sign agreement and approved by the city council in an open and public meeting.

Thank you so much, City Attorney Shen.

I would also add that we will add that sentence that uh clause to every um uh succeeding um agreement we're gonna vote on tonight on this item.

Okay, so let's see, moved by councilmember Jensen, seconded by Vice Mayor Pryor as amended and eloquently stated by the city attorney.

Alders in favor, please signify again by stating aye.

Aye, that's five, right?

Okay, that one passes unanimously.

Okay, I'm looking to the right.

I this now is item 7D, madam clerk.

If you would paraphrase briefly.

Yes, this one is uh Ruby's place doing business at restorative pathways, and this is to operate the emergency supportive housing program.

With the same caveat and um the addition it's been moved by council member Desak, seconded by Councilmember Bowler.

All those in favor, please signify by stating aye.

Aye.

I am opposed to that, and I want to make a comment about it.

Okay.

So it was it actually passed four to one with Councilmember.

Okay.

And I'll just point out um just what I found on the internet that there have been there's a as pointed out, and thank you to um to Urban Alchemy for being here, but I appreciate that they've settled lawsuits without uh admitting um guilt or wrongdoing.

But in addition to that, there's been a class action lawsuit in 2020 that they settled.

There's been civil rights violations in 2020.

So the next item that involves urban alchemy.

Oh, I apologize.

This is Ruby's place.

Yes.

Yes, okay.

My apologies.

Do we have your yes?

Yes, great.

All right, we are back to unanimous vote.

Thank you so much.

You know how I'm gonna vote on the next one.

So move 70 as amended.

All right, one second.

All right, it's been moved by Councilmember Desa, seconded by um uh Vice Mayor Pryor.

Um, and we got your explanation.

I believe earlier just transferred to this item.

Um, all those in favor, please signify by stating aye.

Aye, that's for and one opposed.

I'm opposed.

Opposed, okay.

And I believe um the clerk got the reasons before.

Okay, that is lovely.

We have done something very important by um uh approving these three agreements, but also continuing to be transparent with um the public with ourselves and bringing these back each year when it is time to renew them.

So thank you so much for that.

All right, um, we are moving on now to city uh manager communication, city manager, interim city manager Adam Pollitzer.

What do you have for us?

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh I have two quick items here.

Um, both uh good news, great news actually, and uh quite exciting to share.

Uh as the mayor shared uh uh manager our uh housing and um human services manager falls and I joined the mayor at the Alameda County Mayor's Working Group on homelessness meeting last week on the 11th, and at that meeting uh Alameda County awarded five point five million dollars in Measure W funds to support the Alameda Point Collaborative Project, which is at 1245 McKay Avenue.

And in selecting this, we feel like it gave um it it reflected positively that the county has confidence in the Alameda uh housing strategy.

Uh these funds support uh measure measure W funds support the regional goal of creating long-term housing solutions.

Um this project led by the Alameda Point Collaborative and Mercy Housing will create permanent supportive housing for our seniors experiencing homelessness.

So we're very excited um that the county um recognize our project as one of the recipients.

It's worth noting that there were uh five cities here in Alameda County that received um a portion of the of the 52 million dollars that were that were allocated from Measure W.

And uh three of those projects are here in our in uh in district three.

Um and uh and and one of those was was obviously um the Almeida um the Almir Point Collaborative, so very exciting, and big uh kudos to our staff and for the council for their support.

The other ex um announcement came the next day, and uh and something personal to me uh as you all received uh from our communications director.

Uh a team the Australian national team uh selected Alameda um to be its home base.

Uh and so it was announced that the Alameda Oakland routes and the Oakland Seoul uh training facility has been selected as the official World Cup base camp for training uh for the Australian national team, the Socceros, which is which is a lot of a lot of it's gonna be a lot of fun um for our community.

Um we look forward to welcoming the team and their fans uh to the island.

Um their island's a little larger there in Australia than ours, but uh, but uh I'm sure the island life will uh be living large here with the Aussies uh joining us.

Uh worth noting uh you know this is uh um the top-tier teams get to select their location.

So we were chosen, we were their their top choice.

Um and uh and this isn't the first time that uh Australia's been in the World Cup.

This is actually the sixth time.

Uh and so that they are a top-tier team.

Um they'll have uh three games here on the West Coast, so there'll be training here and their game starting in June.

Uh they'll start up in Vancouver and they'll make their way down to Seattle where they'll play uh the U.S.

That'll be a big game when they're um playing Seattle um uh playing in Seattle uh on June 19th.

And then uh they'll have a local game here in the Bay Area in Santa Clara later later in the month on June on June 25th.

So we're very excited to have them joining our team.

Uh many of you may not know this, but my mother is Australian.

Um, I'm a dual citizen, and so I was fingers crossed, my whole family were fingers crossed that the Aussies were coming to Alameda.

And so when that announcement came out, I'm getting goosebumps right now.

Um so stay tuned.

Um come back to our website.

I'm sure there'll be lots of announcements going forward in the next month or so about events and and uh activities.

Um but again, very excited.

So good news on both fronts.

Receiving uh the measure um W funds is a big deal, a big deal, um, especially in light of the conversation we just had.

And then obviously on the fun side uh on the world stage, Alameda will be uh front and center with uh Team Australia and the Sakaroos.

We're gonna show my good time.

Um probably with the Australians, it's the other way around.

But anyway, um thank you, intercity manager Paul, sir.

Madam Clerk, do we have oral communications not agenda item?

We will close that item.

No council referrals, council communications.

Given that we're going back into closed session, I'm sure we want to make this somewhat brief, but um let's start with you, Councilmember Desag.

I know you made an appearance for me recently.

Oh, yes, um, two items.

Thank you for reminding me about that.

Oh, um I attended uh the Coast Guard uh Coast Guard Island, the um enlisted person of the quarter, as well as a civilian employee per for uh staff member of the quarter and Coast Guard Island uh gave certificates to the two individuals on behalf of the mayor and the city council.

So that was a lot of fun.

That was last week on Thursday, and on the very same day right afterwards, along with uh Vice Mayor Michelle Prairie attended the City of Alameda Um AC Transit Um joint meeting.

Um so that was very uh fun and informative.

I took a lot of notes, which I won't read, but I have my notes in my text, so um, so there's a lot of stuff that I wrote down.

Thank you.

Thank you for that, Councilmember Bowler.

I don't have anything, thank you.

All right, Vice Mayor Pryor.

Um I was gonna say we all went to the retreat.

Oh, yeah.

So that was great.

We are all amazing.

Okay.

Um and then at that AC Transit meeting though, um, one of the issues was because of all the you know, there's construction, we all know that on the island, and it's affecting bus routes.

So they were explaining um how uh they are going to um just problem solve for this.

Um they have a hard job and they do it really well.

Um, one of the issues though, um AUSD um was concerned, um, there was gonna be a bus line interruption.

I I already forgot what school it was, um, and that but they are currently and had been uh even before the meeting partnering um, you know, together AC Transit and AUS uh to uh problem solve for this.

So that was great to go there.

Um I was like all ready to like, hey, we gotta watch out for this, and it was already being done.

So they are great partners, and um that's a good meeting.

And I left all my notes at my house.

So I might, if I can, if I if I can mention one substance thing for my note, there had been um some discussion of having City of Alameda join with other cities and having this kind of multiple city um meeting with AC Transit, but AC Transit informed us that we will continue to have a standalone AC Transit and City of Alameda issues, so our issues don't get lost in, say, you know, the issues I don't know who the other neighbors would have been.

So, right, yeah.

And also we are prolific AC Transit users, so we shouldn't have our own liaison committee.

And then I know I used to be in the committee, but you mean AUSD has a representative on the committee too?

Um, no, I uh the president of AOC, Ryan Lalonde um had already contacted them saying, Hey, this change, this you know, even though I think it was temporary, it's gonna affect I think it was 200 students, and so uh what can we do?

Um, and um, you know, and they are um you know used to having to problem solve due to construction, right?

That's part of their job.

They also also uh are also good about changing their bus routes depending on bell schedules.

That's something that they do.

Um so this I think is just another issue.

It's mid-year, um, I think just on you know, like, oh hey, like we need to tweak this too.

Um, and oh gosh, I was gonna say, um, but I don't know what I was gonna say.

If I remember, I'll I'll talk again after Tracy.

Yeah, thank you, Vice Mayor Councilmember Jensen.

I have nothing.

Um, and I will just be brief.

Um there are some fun tricks of my job.

Um, on Friday, February 6th, that was the kickoff of the Super Bowl weekend.

And I think they were kicking that weekend off for a while.

Um, I got a lovely invitation from Gold Bar Whiskey and Distillery out at Alameda Point.

Would I like to come and welcome the crowd and introduce this fellow who really needs no introduction, his name is Joe Montana.

But Joe Montana was here in Alameda on um Friday the 6th, and looking out at that crowd of red and white and gold jerseys, you would have thought the 49ers were in the Super Bowl.

But he couldn't have been more gracious, and um I was I was so happy to tell him.

Well, a that my father was like practically a lifelong Joe Montana.

Well, not Joe Montana, the 49ers back when they played at Keysar and later Joe Montana, um in the Bill Walsh years and all that.

But I also told Joe Montana that as a mayor and as a mom, what I really appreciated was what a great role model he has continued to be all these years for young people.

So that's huge.

And then as I was leaving that event, um Elliot Gillespie, the president of Gold Bar, and a couple of folks said, Oh, mayor, can we walk you out?

We have a request, and I just want to throw out kudos to staff, because there's this influencer who I will confess I hadn't heard of, but many had, especially if you have children of a certain uh generation.

Uh there's an influencer named Mr.

Beast, and he was wanting to land his um helicopter at Gold Bar whiskey on Super Bowl Sunday and give out some amazing swag that he gives out, like cars and such.

And could I help them get permission?

It's like two o'clock or after two on a Friday, and I'm thinking, oh boy, but I said, okay, you gotta cut me loose because I've got to go make a couple of texts and phone calls.

Long story short.

Working Friday afternoon into the evening, the amazing base for use and economic development director, Abby Thorne Lyman, but the city attorney's office, the finance department, the fire department, the city manager, and even the library, I'll give you the backstory on that, all got into getting that license put together and paid for.

That was where the license the library came in.

They were the only folks in the city opened who could accept credit card payments, but they had a maximum amount they could accept, so they just had to keep running the card.

Anyway, that was Team Alameda in action, and it was very well received.

And we it's just kind of exciting to see all these happy people coming out.

There were kids events.

I do not go, but I saw the pictures, and um, but I know staff brought some of our staff brought their kids, and so anyway, good for Alameda.

I want to switch gears just a little, and um I want to honor someone who is retiring at the end of this month, and she is going to be missed.

That would be Irma Reyes Glidden, who has been what has her title been?

Assistant city clerk.

She um, you know, Irma has worked for the city of Alameda since 1997.

She and her family, she was with a Navy family.

Irma, I believe, was born in the Philippines, and her dad was in the Navy.

And so from the Philippines, the family was transferred very logically to Alaska.

And I remember when she was telling me the story, I said, in the Philippines, did you even have a warm coat?

She said, Nope.

We were so cold and they just but they were there for a while, but then they got transferred to Pearl Harbor.

Wouldn't that have been the more logic?

Anyway, um, and then from um Pearl Harbor, her family moved to Naval Air Station Alameda, and she graduated from Anson Al High School in the same class as Councilmember Tony Daysog.

She went to work for the Bureau of Electricity, which was it was called at the time, it's now Alameda Municipal Power.

Of course, Ant.

And she also worked in development services and with the staff at then it was called the Alameda Reuse and Development Authority.

I guess back in the days of the Council War.

They were the Alameda reuse and redevelopment authority.

They met on Wednesday nights, the first Wednesday of the month.

Tony will remember.

And so it was a it was a hat the council actually wore to do the redevelopment of Alameda Point.

Okay, yep, she staffed it.

And is that why we have the or is that the successor agency?

Is the success agency that?

No, that was different.

This was just for the just for base.

Just for the base.

Until she joined the city clerk's office in 2009.

So at the end of this month, um Irma is retiring.

So if you see her or send her a message and just wish her well and all the best, she is the best.

And then lastly, I'm going to adjourn tonight's council meeting in memory of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, or Jesse Jackson, he's maybe not a Reverend.

Um, Jesse Jackson, the civil rights icon who died today in Chicago at the age of 84.

But if you've listened to any of the news stories about him, and in my lifetime, I did have the honor and privilege of once meeting him.

He not only was a civil rights leader, a protege of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., went to college in North Carolina, got active in the um student sit-ins at the school counter-the-the lunch counters that that um excluded um black people, went on to work with the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

was actually present in Memphis on the balcony when um Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

was assassinated.

But not only was he um and and ran for president twice in the 1980s and really paved the way for a fellow named Barack Obama to run and win, but it throughout his career in civil rights, it wasn't just African Americans that he advocated for and supported, it was coal miners in Appalachia, it was students in slums in Nigeria.

It was his his vision, his reach, the rainbow coalition was wide.

Um, the world is a better place because uh Jesse Jackson lived here for 84 years and was very active for most of those years.

So we will adjourn this meeting in his memory and in his honor.

Thank you.

But we're not really adjourning.

That will be in case anyone's left by the time we come back.

We are, and we will resume because we, the council, are returning to closed session to hear what's that, Madam Clerk?

Yeah, it's uh labor negotiations for Alameda Fire Chiefs.

And you announced that at the beginning, didn't you?

Okay.

Um, Council, would you like a break until 9 30?

It's 9 24.

Does that work for you?

Okay, let's be back in our seats at um 9 24.

Hopefully it won't take too long.

We can do okay.

Hi there.

Okay, greetings everyone.

We have just received returned from um closed session, and I would like to ask our city clerk, Lara Weisinker to please report out.

So it was regarding uh the last item, which was 3C, which was conference of labor negotiators for the Fire Chiefs Association, and staff for right in information and council provided direction by unanimous vote vote bye byes.

All right.

Um thank you, everybody.

Thank you.

Staff up there in the balcony, staff here in the dias.

Council members, thank you for your work.

This meeting is now adjourned.

Good night.