Pay More For Your Sewage Services

Someone has to pay for city sewage services, and  Oakland homeowners are about to get hit with increases.  To comply with EPA standards, Oakland Public Works has proposed 16 percent annual hikes – for the next four years!

Although the dollars are far from huge, the proposal is making its way through approval processes.  As a single-family homeowner, you currently pay $267 and would fork over $483 by 2014.  Increases would get pegged to CPI thereafter.

To put this in context, take a look at this summary of the operations and maintenance budget.

Our aging infrastructure isn’t a city secret.  Like most Oaklanders, we can share rainy-day stories about neighborhood sewer overflows and pipe bursts. Even if you are sick of paying more for city services, check out this section of the California Constitution:  “revenues derived from the sewer service charge shall not be used for any purpose other than that for which the charge was imposed.”

Recently, the City Council approved this latest round of sewage fees through 2014.  If we understand what happens next, then there will be a “majority protest hearing” and you’ll be notified by mail.  In addition, the public is invited to a special City Hall hearing – pencil in July 6th at 7pm.  To learn more, please read this Sewage Charge report.

Neighborhood Endorsers Make First District 4 Council Picks

Tonight a group of active neighborhood leaders made three picks for the upcoming District 4 council race, after meeting and interviewing candidates a week ago.  They endorsed Libby Schaaf and Daniel Swafford as “most qualified,” and Melanie Shelby as “very strong.”

Although the election is next November, there’s high interest in assessing who might follow Jean Quan into this position.  The  District 4 Neighborhood Endorsement Committee is comprised of neighborhood volunteers, listed below.  Their group recommendations are perhaps the earliest ones to come down the pike.

Here’s the group press release, in its entirety:

DISTRICT  4  NEIGHBORHOOD  ENDORSEMENT COMMITTEE
CANDIDATE  RECOMMENDATIONS

Oakland, CA – May 10, 2010. The District 4 Neighborhood Endorsement Committee is made up of a volunteer group of District 4 residents who are involved in a range of neighborhood initiatives and activities in this district.  This Committee came together to identify preferred qualities in a candidate for City Council.  The goal was to recommend a candidate who will continue to support local neighborhoods. The Committee has decided to recommend three candidates for consideration by District 4 voters.

Potential candidates for the District 4 City Council office submitted a short application and one hour interviews were scheduled.  Following the interview process with seven candidates the weekend of May 1 and 2, and Committee deliberations, the Committee deemed Libby Schaaf and Daniel Swafford the most qualified to represent District 4.  Melanie Shelby is also a very strong candidate.

All three candidates are strongly committed to supporting neighborhood-based initiatives that will help empower the residents of District 4.  These candidates are also able to address critical citywide issues in the areas of finance, public safety and economic development.

All three candidates spoke to the importance of maintaining the highest ethical standard and transparency in government and how they would work to achieve these standards.  These candidates indicated they intend to be full time council members.  They all possess an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of District 4.

Libby Schaaf has a strong policy and neighborhood organization background, with considerable experience in city government, which gives her the knowledge to both maximize revenue sources and eliminate inefficiencies in existing programs.

Daniel Swafford has an extensive record of leadership in local organizations in District 4.  His experience includes the development of economic corridors in neighborhoods and the capability of creating and managing major merchant and neighborhood events.

Melanie Shelby, with experience in running both large and small businesses, is a consensus builder and will work to bring divergent viewpoints together.  She has served on the boards of several Oakland based commissions and is knowledgeable about the city as well as state and federal agencies.

To review a copy of the District 4 Neighborhood Endorsement Committee mission statement, questions posed to the candidates, and candidate application forms for participation in this interview process, email krussell@russell-gordon.com.

The members of the District 4 Neighborhood Endorsement Committee include Roger Brett (Montclair West), Jim Clardy (Fernwood), Jose Corona (Allendale; youth member), Krista Gulbransen (Maxwell Park), Nancy Karigaca (Maxwell Park), Jeanne Nixon (Fairfax), Dale Risden (Joaquin Miller Hights), Sharon Rose (Dimond), Kathleen Russell (Dimond), Nick Vigilante (Shepherd Canyon), Stan Weisner, chair (Montclair).

Census Workers, At A Coffee Shop Near You

Well, the U.S. Census of 2010 is underway.

Temporary workers are knocking on doors across America, and Oaklanders who haven’t sent back their forms are getting targeted for visits.  It’s a marvel of old-fashioned organization, with people and all their sweat equity aimed at counting us.

Lately, we have been stumbling across Census workers in the Village.  Try hanging out at a coffee shop for a half hour, and a few will magically appear.  During the past week alone, we have spotted a boss holding court with numerous workers, as well as multiple meet-ups between two workers swapping war stories.

These workers do need to meet somewhere and the coffee shops make sense.  There’s plenty of paperwork exchanging hands, along with schedules getting hammered out.  We bet the per-store sales of coffee and cakes will go up this month.

A decade ago, we wonder where the Census workers gathered.  Did Uncle Sam arrange for temporary space?  Were the libraries used instead?  Dunno, but workers are in full view this go-around.

Who Were The Montclarions?

Who were the Montclarions?  We all know about the Ohlones, Spanish, Gold Rush era and later settlers.  But there’s more color and dimension to these earlier inhabitants, according to Oakland historian and librarian Kathleen diGiovanni.  She brought her well-researched and clever observations to the Montclair Library today, as part of their 80th year celebratory events.

Without further introduction, here’s a bit more about the people who lived outside, camped, planted flags and established the good life here:

  • Native Americans – Sure enough, the Ohlones populated these parts and lived in small units rather than some centralized settlements.  Decades before the Spanish arrived, these newcomers transmitted their old-world pathogens and sickened many of the natives through trade.  By the mid-1800s, the remaining Ohlones were living as virtual-slaves in the nearby missions.
  • Land Grantees – To pay their military, the Spanish government handed out land grants and Luis Maria Peralta received nearly 44 thousand acres.  His four sons ranched lands from Albany to San Leandro, including Antonio Maria around Oakland.  The Peraltas spent substantial energies proving their ownership to Uncle Sam, yet their holdings were gone by the next generation.
  • Bad Eggs – There were people who leased property from the Peraltas, all above board.  There were other people who were bad eggs, and just squatted all over the place – and even sold land they didn’t own.  Our very own version of the Wild West, right here!
  • City Fathers – Well, Montclair was the place to escape for John Coffee Hays.  He built the first amazing estate in the hills, right around Thornhill Drive.  Hays was a big shot, as a Texas Ranger, before arriving in California.  Once here in Oakland, he helped found the city and wanted that (mostly unused) home outside city limits.
  • Entrepreneurs – Now this is a species we can understand.  Everyone was rather scrappy around here, but John Percy ended up living in the same general area as Hays.  He was involved in real estate and in the water business.  However, Percy was absolutely over-extended and this came to light when his estate burned down.  The guy went broke.
  • Settlers – By the 1920s, there were many workers living here who hailed from Portugal.  There were also farmers, including the Medau family at (now) Montclair Park.  In the next decade-plus, developers built homes for modest and more well-healed buyers who arrived in droves.  Various covenants restricted ownership, and they were blatantly advertised.

From afar, these Montclarions might teach us a lesson or two.  At some level, we know it’s worth preventing infectious diseases.  Please clear deeds on your property.  Don’t do land scams.  Get fire insurance that covers replacement value.  And try living within your means.

Last but not least, everyone should be welcome to live here.  History teaches lessons, and sometimes we listen.

Caldecott Mega-Project Underway

If you live in the northern reaches of Montclair, then you likely know the Caldecott Tunnel’s Fourth Bore construction is finally happening now.  It will take four years and some $420 million to complete this mega-project.

During the standard workday, you can drive by and catch some construction on the northern side of Route 24.  There are various cranes and trucks working on the barrier, like the one yellow beauty we caught in action below.

Late yesterday afternoon, there was an exit closure which might be due to the mega-project.  We were headed westbound on Route 24 and wanted to go to Berkeley, but the Highway 13 interchange was blocked in that direction.  Anyone else run into the problem?

On the Caldecott web site, Caltrans reports this 24/13 interchange work as underway.  Take a quick look at that purple line in the overlay view below, where the connector road will ultimately be moved.  We were a little annoyed and surprised by the activity, but could easily re-route yesterday.

At this point, Caltrans is not only working on that highway interchange but also the Kay Street overpass.  As part of construction abatement, workers are widening the street and installing a traffic signal.  These improvements matter, especially when all the truck traffic arrives down the road.

When dealing with the Fourth Bore, Montclarions will need to learn patience – and exhibit that trait over the next four years!

More info:  See the Caldecott Tunnel mega-project’s web site, including a list of current activities and recent photo gallery.  There are also links about noise data, traffic advisories and closures.