DISTRICT 4 NEWSLETTERIf this email was forwarded to you, please sign-up by clicking this link to receive updates.Dear Friend, I'm proud to share with you that my team and I have been hard at work. Together, with Mayor Schaaf, my Council colleagues, city staff, and the community, we are tackling many important issues including: fighting for fire prevention funding in the budget, investing more dollars for paving our streets, securing funding for restorative justice & foster youth programming in Oakland Unified Schools, fighting to uphold the voters' integrity, and demanding implementation of pedestrian friendly measures around our schools to keep our kids safe. Current Issues2 year City of Oakland Budget Currently, we are working on the City's 2-year budget. The City Council is the legislative branch, and one of the most important responsibility we hold is to pass a balanced budget that represents our values and where we see the City of Oakland moving towards. The Mayor (executive branch) presented her proposed 2-year (FY 2019-2021) budget on May 7th. From there, the Council will have an opportunity to review and make amendments and pass a balanced budget by June 30th or earlier. Currently, there are District budget meetings happening throughout Oakland. At these meetings the Finance Department will present the Mayor's proposed 2-year budget and the community can add their input for changes you'd like to see the City Council make to Mayor's proposed budget. On May 8th, I hosted the first of these meetings at the Redwood Heights Recreation Center in District 4. The City Administrator's office along with the Finance Department presented the Mayor’s proposed 2 year budget at a Community Meeting. Katano Kasaine, Director of Finance and the budget team was available to answer questions regarding the city's budget. I also discussed the budget priorities for District 4 and was able to answer specific questions from the community and hear all the valuable feedback. Thanks to all of those who attended.
Recent Issues3 year street paving plan The Three-Year Paving Plan is a $100M construction investment in pavement rehabilitation and preventative maintenance for Oakland roadways. The Public Works Committee, which I'm a member, approved the staff recommendation that 75% of plan dollars be prioritized for rehabilitating local streets and 25% prioritized for rehabilitation and preventative maintenance on major streets. The framework to prioritize streets for repaving is based on equity, density, street condition, and traffic safety. The original proposal by staff allocated a 5% set-aside for Councilmembers to pave roads that were left out of the three-year plan at their discretion, each of the 7 districts and 1 At-Large City Council seat, would have had an approximately $470K each. On Tuesday, April 23rd, staff acknowledged that $1 million equates to an approximate 1 mile of newly paved roadway. I fought for an amendment that more than double District Councilmember’s discretionary fund to $1 million for each Council District and $500K for the At-Large Member. I'm happy to announce my amendment was adopted by a unanimous vote. I appreciate what the Department of Transportation presented, I fully support using an equity framework for developing this and all of Oakland’s investments. However, this plan leaves many Oaklanders out, and I am glad my colleagues agreed that as Councilmember’s we are on the ground in our Districts and better understand the every day needs of our local streets. Therefore, having more dollars for street paving in the District will help tackle some of the streets that did not make it into the 3-year plan. Measure AA Last year, Measure "AA" was put forth to Oakland voters. The measure received 62% voter approval and on the official election site of Alameda County, including Oakland's City Attorney, Barbara Parker's ballot statement, stated that it would require a two-thirds vote, which would call for at least 66% voter approval. Securing Funds for Oakland Youth I'm happy that the majority of the City Council took extraordinary action to save critical services that included the restorative justice and foster youth case management programs. These programs were cut or reduced during the adoption of OUSD's recent budget. Future EventsJoin City staff, the Oakland Climate Action Coalition and District 4 Councilmember Sheng Thao at the District 4 Community Workshop to share your vision and solutions for Oakland’s 2030 ECAP. The City of Oakland is developing its 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP) to identify how the City can equip Oaklanders (businesses and residents) to take critical actions to stop climate change, and adapt to a changing climate. Oakland has a strong history of bold climate action and community advocacy. In October 2018, City Council adopted a Climate Emergency and Just Transition Resolution, calling for an urgent climate mobilization effort to reverse global warming, reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible, and accelerate adaptation and resilience strategies in preparation for intensifying climate impacts. This includes actions that create good green jobs, reduce pollution, and help Oaklanders thrive. The ECAP is the tool that will make this happen. Come take part in shaping this important plan, to ensure that it reflects the District 2 communities’ needs and dreams!
Visit www.oaklandca.gov/projects/2030ecap for more information and to RSVP.
I will be hosting a Townhall Meeting with Assemblymember Wicks as a co-sponsor to discuss Fire Prevention and what can be done at the State level. Date: Thursday, June 20, 2019
Sincerely,
District Office Hours: For daily updates, follow me on social media: Report a Problem to OAK 311To learn more about Oakland 311, a service where Oaklanders can call 311 from their cell phone in Oakland to report maintenance issues (graffiti, potholes, illegal dumping, please click the link below) Ever wonder how to get an agenda for a future or past Committee or City Council Meeting? You can find it on Legistar, which is the City of Oakland’s comprehensive database where you can view and search legislative records, and access previous and present agenda materials. Please click the link below to view the legistar website. Contact Us!Please feel free to contact my office and me at 510-238-7004 or at [email protected]. Below is the contact info for my staff: Amauri Collins-McMurray, Community Liaison Updates District 4 IssuesUndergrounding in Piedmont Pines Vegetation Management Plan Update MONTCLAIR: SHEPHERD CANYON: UPDATE: Shepherd Canyon Road reopened to traffic in both directions on Friday, May 10, 2019. Please continue to report any infrastructure issues you may observe to the City of Oakland's new OAK 311 service. You can contact us by calling 311; e-mailing [email protected]; making an online request at 311.oaklandca.gov; or using the OAK 311 app (powered by SeeClickFix), free for Apple and Android devices. Thank you, and drive safely! SNAKE ROAD: Upcoming Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council Meetings (NCPC) - open to neighbors in the community
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council - Beat 22X District 4 Upcoming EventsDimond Improvement Association Volunteer Fair
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Announcements, Resources, and Opportunities
Hire Oakland YouthThe City of Oakland and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) are partnering so Oakland youth have summer jobs. Summer is fast approaching, and we are recruiting businesses to offer youth employment opportunities! Hiring youth is a great way to deepen local relationships, connect your business with talented youth and help develop a skilled workforce and thriving local economy. Businesses can choose to directly hire an intern, donate to the program or host a young person at your worksite, who is sponsored by the City of Oakland. To sign up, click here or email [email protected]. APIs Mobilize Youth Leadership Program 2019The application for the 2019 Mobilize Youth Leadership Program is now open! Past Engagements
Bike to Work DayOn May 9, my son Ben, Amauri on my staff and I all biked from The Laurel Cyclery and met up with Stomper, Councilmember Noel Gallo, Councilmember Loren Taylor, King-Baybe Champ, and The Original Scraper Bike Team where we then headed for pancakes at City Hall! Thank you Bike East Bay and all those who participated in the event. Small Business Appreciation WeekIn celebration of Oakland Small Business Week, I had the pleasure of honoring Delightful Foods in District 4 at the May 7th City Council meeting. Delightful Foods is a family-owned bakery established 25 years ago in the heart of the Fairfax business district. Bilal Sabir, Rafia Yusif and their family of ten own and operate Delightful Foods, which began as a pie shop that developed into a bakery which specializes in eight varieties of vegan cookies and 13 flavored pies. DELIGHTFUL FOODS is famous for the “No Cookie” cookie, which does not contain dairy, eggs, or wheat, and has been sold at over 400 health food stores, convenience shops, and grocery stores across the United States.Thank you DELIGHTFUL FOODS for the key role that you play in driving Oakland’s economy and contributing to the city’s quality of life. 4th Annual Asian Pacific American Read-In WeekOn April 29, Laurel Elementary and Oakland Public Education Fund hosted me for Asian Pacific American read-in week. I read a Hmong Cinderella story to 3rd and 5th graders, the book is call “Jouanah”. Throughout the book I was able to share more details about the Hmong culture and had Q/A. Every student learned something new about Hmong people, and that warms my heart.
SongKran FestivalOn April 27, I was honored to welcome the 1st annual SongKran Festival in Jack London Square - celebrating the Thai, Lao, Myanmar and Cambodian New Year. Special thanks to Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine Oakland, Thai General Counselor Mr. Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, and everyone who worked tirelessly to put on the SongKran Festival. Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of CommerceOn Friday, April 26, I had the honor of being a guest speaker for the Oakland Chamber Public Policy Breakfast that consisted of 20-30 small businesses and nonprofit members. I was able to tell my story about my background, discuss priorities and challenges, and give insight to my vision for Oakland.
Earth Day EventsOn Saturday, April 20, my team and I participated in various District 4 Earth Day events at Joaquin Miller, Montclair Park, and Allendale Park. I was able to pick up trash, debris and speak with community members at Dimond Park, a special thanks to Friends of Sausal Creek, Brothers on the Rise, Oakland YMCA and IUPAT District Council 16 for taking the call to come out to keep Oakland clean!
Tour of Affordable Housing in District 4On Thursday, April 18, East Bay Housing Organizations, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA), and East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) provided my colleagues and I a tour of affordable housing in each of our districts.
Love Your Park - Family Fun Day & Fundraiser On Saturday, April 13, the Redwood Heights Association hosted The Love Your Park event which is the kickoff for fundraising events to renovate and invigorate Redwood Heights Park. You can help support these efforts by donating HERE. I had the opportunity to see the preliminary design concept and speak to Oakland residents about what they envision for the park in the future. Office Hours at Communitē TableOn Saturday, April 13, I hosted Office Hours at Communitē Table and discussed solutions regarding potholes and street paving with concerned neighbors and community members. Afterwards, my staff, Amauri Collins and I went to view the potholes first hand in the Laurel and Redwood Heights neighborhoods.
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Important City Resource NumbersGENERAL INFORMATION: 444-CITY POLICE (NON EMERGENCY): 777-3333 POLICE EMERGENCY (ON CELL PHONE): 777-3211 MAYOR: 238-3141 CITY COUNCIL: 238-3266 CITY ADMINISTRATOR: 238-3301 BLIGHT/CODE ENFORCEMENT: 238-3381 PERMITS: 238-3443 PARKS/REC PROGRAMS: 238-3092 PARKING CITATIONS: 800-500-6484 GARBAGE: 613-8710 DRUG HOTLINE: 238-DRUG PROSTITUTION HOTLINE: 238-2373 PUBLIC WORKS CALL CENTER: 615-5566 PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: 238-3466 RECYCLING: 238-7283 |
PAID FOR BY SHENG THAO FOR OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL OFFICE HOLDER. FPPC ID #1405456 The Oakland Campaign Reform Act limits campaign contributions by all persons (OMC Section 3.12.050 and 3.12.060) and prohibits contributors during specified time periods from contractors doing business with the City of Oakland or the Oakland Unified School District (OMC 3.12.140) Contributions are limited to $800 per election from any person, i.e., individual, business entity, committee, or other organization or group of persons acting in concert. Contributions from a broad-based political action committee is $1,600 per election. |