Community encouraged to participate
The community is encouraged to participate in City Council [1] meetings in person or online to provide input on matters of interest. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, in the Council Chambers on the third floor.
[2]Consent Calendar
The Consent Calendar portion of the agenda is reserved for routine items considered non-controversial. Examples are approving meeting minutes, financial reports, vendor contracts, and final passage of ordinances previously discussed and debated. The Consent Calendar is approved by one motion to streamline the meeting.
Members of the public may comment once on the entire Consent Calendar.
Councilmembers may request that an item be removed from the consent calendar for separate discussion and action. Removed items are then discussed after the Regular Agenda items.
An item from the March 18 Consent Calendar which may prove controversial is the return of the proposed implementation of Sister City relations between the Village of Wadi Foquin in the Palestinian Territories and the City of Alameda.
The City’s Sister Cities [3] program seeks to promote cultural understanding and cooperation with cities around the world, strengthening international partnerships. The relationship between the two cities began through a partnership established by the Buena Vista United Methodist Church. The Alameda Sister Cities Association recommends consideration of a Memorandum of Understanding [4] (link downloads document) between the Village and the City.
Regular Agenda
On March 18, City Council will consider the following issues during its Regular Agenda:
- A Settlement Agreement with the Port of Oakland [5] regarding the Port’s Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Oakland Airport [6] Terminal Modification and Development Project. Council has been closely monitoring this project and its potential impacts [7], especially in the vicinity of Bay Farm Island. The City and the Port directed their staff to resolve their FEIR differences through negotiation.
The Port, the City, and the Citizens League for Airport Safety and Serenity (CLASS), a Harbor Bay Isle community organization, have reached a mutually acceptable Settlement Agreement. Staff recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to execute it.
- Design Concepts for the Fernside Traffic Calming and Bikeways Project. The Fernside Boulevard Traffic Safety and Bikeways Project [8] aims to reduce auto speeds and increase safety and access for all road users on Fernside Boulevard. This project would implement separated bikeways and a proposed San Francisco Bay Trail segment.
The Transportation Commission and staff recommend Council endorse the design, allowing staff to implement near-term improvements with planned 2026 Fernside Boulevard pavement resurfacing and seek funding for the long-term corridor project.
- 2025 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) Mid-Cycle Update and 2024 Annual Report. Council will consider adopting the final draft 2025 CARP (reviewed by Ken Der for the Alameda Post [9]), which serves as a mid-cycle update to the original plan published in 2019. Council will also consider accepting the 2024 Annual Report highlighting the past year’s progress on plan implementation.
- Economic Development Status Update. The Economic Development Status Report provides an update on the City’s economic development efforts over the past six months and outlines planned initiatives for the next six months, emphasizing the new Storefront Vacancy Assistance Program [10] (link downloads document). Council will provide feedback and direction.
How to Participate
View the complete March 18 agenda with links to exhibits here [11] (link downloads document).
Requests for reasonable accommodations can be made by contacting the City Clerk’s office at [email protected] [12] or 510-747-4800.
Register online [13] to participate in the March 18 City Council meeting via Zoom. See information to assist with remote participation at the City’s Public Comment and City Council Meeting Guide [14]. The meeting can also be viewed on the City of Alameda’s Facebook page [15]. However, comments posted there are not monitored.
For telephone participants, the Zoom phone number is 669-900-9128, and the Zoom Meeting ID is 833 3873 3321.
For each issue, public speakers will have three minutes to speak if there are fewer than five speakers, or two minutes to speak if there are five or more speakers.
Community members may also email Council Members [16] on issues of interest before meetings.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post [17]. Contact her via [email protected] [18]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen [19] and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen [20].