Planned improvements to the #alamtg Lincoln "Speedway" (and lots of other great projects) are at risk with the new federal administration 
Please consider calling Lateefah Simon, our Congresswoman, to share your concerns. More information from the Morning Bun, here: https://www.themorningbun.com/trumps-secretary-of-transportation-orders-review-of-the-usdot-grant-that-alameda-already-won/
This Tuesday #alamtg City Council will be voting on the Fernside project. While the long-term design is great, it's dependent on funding which may be hard to come by given the competitive funding landscape and the new federal administration. We're pushing for less expensive options and more timely delivery of safety improvements. Our full letter is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h7F0ustqqJHIN0H_hQiA5baOZKY11idC/view?usp=sharing
CM Pryor brought up equity, noting that a $500 fine was pretty steep. The mayor noted that nobody was required to run a red light. And that the lights are near two senior centers, and we should consider the quality of life of people who don't drive.
It sounds like there might be future discussion of payment plans for tickets.
When I heard about the item, I wondered about people turning left on yellow, but these are intersections with left turn lanes. So not an issue.
Props to Tracy Jensen for getting this through.
City Council meeting:
two red light cameras are going in for a one year pilot:
Park x Otis & Webster x Atlantic
Unanimously passes.
Exciting news—Alameda has been nominated for the Strongest Town competition! This is a five-week bracket-style contest, and we need your votes to win!
If you love Alameda and all the progress we’ve made to be more livable, walkable, and bikeable, now’s the time to show your support.
Vote for Alameda at https://www.strongesttown.com. Voting closes each Thursday at 10 AM PT—so don’t wait!
#alamtg
@kern @BikeWalkAlameda this might be interesting to y’all in #alameda #alamtg
How do we report close calls today? Does safe streets only collect impact and injury / death stats?
This Wednesday evening starting at 6:30pm, #alamtg Staff will present the 2025 Work Plan to the Transportation Commission. Lots of good stuff!
Other items of interest: a Vision Zero update, and the Willie Stargell project.
Agenda and registration here:
https://alameda.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1274325&GUID=5D07F099-2C59-4AF4-9DF7-23491CE491DD
If you have concerns or input, especially shuttle or dock users with longer bikes or boats, plan to attend and share them.
#alamtg
At the last #alamtg Council meeting, the City Manager mentioned that $16 million for the Lincoln Avenue / Marshall Way / Pacific Avenue Corridor project is at risk. The money was awarded through the federal “Safe Streets for All” program, a target.
Please contact our reps and ask them to preserve it!
Historical Advisory Board: Urban Forest.
25' restriction is only for trees under utility lines, according to the consultant.
Commissioner comments how odd it is that we aren't replanting lots of coast live oaks (yes!)
Long meeting, but mostly informational.
You have till Feb 14 to comment on the Urban Forest Plan:
Feb 10, Planning Board takes up the question of short term rentals.
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7109280&GUID=C16FAD1F-0D21-421D-BDC0-1D6D1108E250
Urban Forest Plan still going to other boards:
February 6 at 7pm | Historical Advisory Board
February 13 at 7pm | Recreation and Parks Commission
One more thing, Mayor introduces Public Utilities Board nominations.
Apparently the charter says you have to be a engineer. I wonder what exactly it says, but a cursory glance isn't pulling it up. Maybe @phildini has magic.
Mayor talking. Apparently Astra is hiring machinists out of one of the local community colleges. (I'm very glad that we're still training machinists - I thought they were all getting really old. And I'm impressed that we have some place to employ them. Good stuff.)
She's praising Astra.
Astra lease thing is passing.
Public speakers.
The woman from Building 43 winery complains that she isn't getting the same thing they're getting.
Trish Spencer is saying, I think, that #Astra isn't doing as well as they could be. And calling them out for being white men. (?!?)
A kid? Very young at least. Berkeley student helping folks do their mechanical engineering homework. Very excited about Astra for the engineering connections.
(And very nervous; but you're doing fine kid!)
Yawn, Todd H coming back, saying how much he supports Astra. But asking if they got a pay or quit notice when they didn't pay the rent. Says it's racist. (wtf calls Boller a spy) (mentions Pryor again.... #hickmanHazing I guess)
Mayor pauses time to tell the person applauding in the back to stop.
"We try to act like adults"
Mayor threatens to kick out the applauding guy if he applauds again. Apologizes to the other council members. (Is Todd still yelling? the mike is picking up something.) Dunno, but the mayor just called a five minute break.
Q: does anybody sublease?
A: no, they're covered under international arms trafficking legislation, so decided not to
They're very motivated to close their Sunnyvale office and consolidate to Alameda.
Q from Pryor: Is there anyone potentially wanting to lease it? (good question!)
A: for over 10k sq ft, nope nope nope. Plus there's other hangers available.
Q from Jensen: asking about numbers; found a mistake
Astra went public, but then it went private again. They asked for a lease deferment, would like to move another office here once the lease in Sunnyvale is up. (nothing legally binding)
City came up with something so that if they default, it would be on their biggest building. Astra is a large city tenant and employees a decent number of people.
Next agenda item: Astra lease.
(pic 1) Currently they're on a bunch of expired leases, footprint has increased. That's a butt load of $$$$$.
(pic 2) They're over one of the underground pollution plumes that the Navy is currently clearing up, so they had to install a vapor barrier, ventilation stuff, and test their air quality.
Mayor asks what protection of trees on private property would look like. Allen Tai from the Planning Division comes up to talk about that.
- Could be permits for tree removal.
- Could be remove one tree, replace with 4.
- Could be no tree topping pruning
Oh gee, the Mayor just called out the PTAC green schoolyards group. I'm on that. They got a grant for trees at Ruby Bridges.
I should have gone in person, ha. I'm not sure who that was that gave the mini update, but no the group has not yet visited every schoolyard. Getting there.
