Infrastructure bond, auditor/treasurer elimination, bike lane parking ban
On July 21, City Council will decide whether to place two significant measures on the November ballot—a $300 million infrastructure bond and a charter amendment eliminating the City’s elected auditor and treasurer—while also considering a new ordinance banning parking in bicycle lanes citywide. The meeting will also include appointments to several boards and commissions.
Below is a summary of the issues and information on how you can participate.
[1]Infrastructure bond
Council will take final steps to place a $300 million general obligation bond measure on the November 3 ballot, asking voters to fund major infrastructure improvements to address aging facilities, climate resilience, and public safety. If approved by a two-thirds majority, the measure would finance projects including shoreline protection, street and pothole repairs, flood prevention at the Posey and Webster tubes, emergency response infrastructure, and improvements to prepare Alameda for sea-level rise and earthquakes.
The Council must approve the final passage of an ordinance submitting the bond measure to voters, a step requiring at least four affirmative votes, and adopt a resolution officially directing it to be included on the ballot and approving the ballot question.
The proposed ballot measure, titled the SAFER Alameda Act (Preparing Alameda for Sea-Level Rise, Accidents, Flooding, Earthquakes, Resilience) would authorize the City to levy an estimated property tax of $49 per $100,000 of assessed value, generating approximately $19 million annually while the bonds remain outstanding. The measure also includes provisions for independent oversight, public financial disclosures, and local control of spending.
The bond aims to fund capital improvements that the City says cannot be completed with existing revenue sources. Proceeds would not be used for ongoing operating expenses or to replace General Fund spending. Staff estimates that adding the bond measure to the November ballot will cost approximately $20,000.
Elimination of auditor and treasurer positions
Council will consider placing a charter amendment on the November 3 ballot that would ask voters whether to eliminate the City’s elected auditor and treasurer positions and replace them with a governance structure consistent with most other Alameda County cities. The proposal, developed by the Council’s Charter Review Subcommittee, would amend several sections of the City Charter and repeal the articles establishing the two elected offices. If approved by voters, the change is projected to reduce General Fund expenditures by at least $84,000 annually, although placing the measure on the ballot would cost an estimated $40,000.
Alameda’s charter established the elected auditor and treasurer positions in 1937, with salaries that remain fixed at $3,600 annually. However, the offices also receive employee benefits, bringing total compensation for each position to more than $470,000 over the past 15 years. In Alameda County, only Berkeley and Oakland still elect city auditors. No other city in the county elects a treasurer. If voters approve the amendment, these officers’ existing duties—including financial audits, investment policy recommendations, and oversight of the City’s investment portfolio—would no longer be assigned to elected officials.
No parking in bike lanes
[2]Council will consider an ordinance that would make it illegal to park in most bicycle lanes citywide, closing a gap in state law that currently limits the City’s enforcement authority. The proposal would prohibit parking in Class II bike lanes, Class III bike routes, and Class IV protected bike lanes, while establishing a new $79 citation and $53 late penalty for violations.
Currently, California law prohibits parking only in Class I shared-use paths, leaving the City to rely on inconsistent parking violations, such as double parking or parking outside marked spaces, to cite vehicles blocking other types of bikeways. Those alternatives are not enforceable in all locations, and vehicles parked in bicycle lanes force cyclists into adjacent traffic lanes or onto sidewalks, increasing the risk of collisions.
Board and commission appointments
Council will adopt resolutions reappointing Timothy Erwin and appointing Matthew Hada as Members of the Civil Service Board; reappointing Arthur Brito and Hank Hernandez, and appointing Rachel Lee as Members of the Historical Advisory Board; reappointing Thelma Decoy and Eric Husby, and appointing Gerald “Gerry” Johnson as Members of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners; reappointing Thushan Amarasiriwardena as a Member of the Library Board; and reappointing Wesley Radez, and appointing Erick Bell and Ronda Sorensen as Members of the Recreation and Parks Commission.
How to participate
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, located on the third floor of City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue.
Members of the public are welcome to participate in person or via Zoom. They may comment on the Non-Agenda, Consent Calendar, and Regular Agenda portions of the Meeting Agenda [3] (link downloads document).
The Non-Agenda portion of the meeting provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the Council regarding any matter not on the agenda over which the Council has jurisdiction. The Consent Calendar is intended for routine items and is approved by a single motion. The Regular Agenda is the central portion of the meeting, where each issue receives a presentation and time for Council discussion and public comment.
Complete this online form [4] to request reasonable accommodation.
Click here [5] for Zoom registration. The Zoom phone number for telephone participants is 669-900-9128; the Meeting ID is 847 8272 1659.
Information to assist with remote participation is available online in the Public Comment and City Council Meeting Guide [6]. The meeting can also be viewed on the City of Alameda’s Facebook page [7]. Note that comments posted there are not monitored.
For each issue, public speakers will have three minutes to speak if fewer than five are speaking, or two minutes if five or more are speaking.
Community members may also email Council Members [8] on issues of interest before meetings.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post [9]. Contact her via [email protected] [10]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen [11] and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen [12].