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Dear Friends,
Greetings! I hope this edition finds you well and
enjoying the summer season, and all the events and excitement that go with it. Just
this week we celebrated the 240th anniversary of our independence as
a nation. As citizens of the United States of America, we enjoy the blessings
of liberty and freedom. And, as we continue to build a more perfect Union for
ourselves and generations to come, may we keep in mind, and in heart, those who
fought for our freedoms, and those who continue to uphold them.
I
was proud to kick off my 4th of July by again participating in the
City of Fremont’s annual parade. It was
a fun morning spent greeting many new and familiar faces. Thank you to the City
of Fremont for hosting such a great event.
While you’re hopefully enjoying a bit of
down time, vacationing and/or soaking up the summer sun, the Alameda County
Board of Supervisors continues to work hard for you. I am pleased to report that on June 28, the
Board adopted a $2.97 billion budget for fiscal year 2016-17, closing a $72.2
million funding gap. As the economy
recovers, this gap is the lowest recorded since the Great Recession when
shortfalls topped $100 million.
Employing a budget process that begins early in the year, and with the
collaboration of all County departments and stakeholder groups, the final
budget resulted in no reduction in county programs or staff layoff. Learn
more about the budget, East Bay Community Choice Energy, festivals in District
1, BART to ACE, road closures and more, in this newsletter.
It is my great privilege to
serve you. As always, you are welcome to
contact me regarding any County-related issues, comments or questions you may
have at 510-272-6691 or by email me at district1@acgov.org.
Sincerely,
Scott Haggerty
Ever
wonder what your Supervisor does during the weekly Tuesday Board of Supervisors
Meeting? Here are some of the board actions from the last quarter
which impact the residents of District 1:
· On May 24, the Board approved $30,000
for Abode Services for the Alameda County Impact Program for permanent
supportive housing for chronically homeless persons living in public
unsheltered environments;
· On June 24, the Board approved $66,000
for Washington Hospital Healthcare Foundation to provide free mammogram
services for impoverished, low-income and/or uninsured adults;
· Also on June 24, the Board approved
$65,000 for Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments to provide public health
services to domestic violence victims;
· On June 28, the Board
of adopted a $2.97 billion budget for fiscal year 2016-17, closing a $72.2
million funding gap. A few of the major highlights in the 2016-17 budget
include:
o The final phase of the
$668 billion upgrade of the Highland Hospital campus in Oakland, the largest
construction project in County history.
The campus serves as a safety net and community health system for all
Alameda County residents;
o Enhancing the “smart
grid” energy system at Santa Rita Jail with the installation of a 1.4-megawatt
ultra-low emissions fuel cell system to provide clean power;
o Expansion of recycling
and composting program at 60 County- owned building diverting 50% of the waste
stream to compost; and
o Installation of 17 new
electric vehicle charging stations and the launch of the County’s first Direct
Current fast-charge station.
Click here for more specific information on the 2016-17 budget.
Beginning July 5,
2016, and lasting approximately 18 months, Calaveras Road will be closed on WEEKDAYS ONLY between Geary
Road and Oakridge Road – near the Santa Clara/Alameda County Line, for dam construction.
The road will be swept of debris before opening at 6 a.m. on Saturday
mornings. The road will be closed every Sunday evening at 11:00 p.m. at gates just south of Geary Road and at Oakridge Road. Emergency First Responders will have access through the closure at all times. The entrance to East Bay Regional Park District’s Sunol Regional Wilderness will be open at all times from the north.
The road will be open for specific cycling races: the AMGEN Tour of California (if the race route includes Calaveras Road) and the Fremont Freewheelers Primavera Race.
Although the majority of the materials for the new dam will come
from on-site, approximately 300,000 cubic yards of sands and gravels
and 150,000 cubic yards of hard rock will need to be imported to the
site for construction of the dam. These materials will be imported in
large hauling trucks on Calaveras Road between Highway I- 680 in Sunol
and the Calaveras Dam entrance (at Oakridge Road).
At its peak, truck traffic could amount to an average of one
haul truck every 5 minutes on Calaveras Road during heavy hauling
activities. It is not safe for this many large trucks to share the
narrow portions of Calaveras Road with cyclists and private vehicles. Learn more about the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project here.
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The
Alameda County Public Works Agency will be completing the Vasco Road
construction project on Saturday, July 9, 2016, from Dalton Avenue to 1,000’
north of the entrance to the Republic Services Landfill.
During
construction, traffic will be reduced to one lane between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m., with traffic control for both directions.
When
approaching the construction zone, motorists are encouraged reduce their speed,
observe the construction signs, and watch for construction personnel and
equipment.
For
additional information, please call the Public Works Agency Construction
Department at (510) 670-5591.
For information on this and other County road construction projects,
click here.
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The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will soon begin construction of the Niles Canyon Short-Term Safety Improvement Project on State Route 84 in Niles Canyon between State Route 238 (Mission Boulevard) in Fremont and I-680. Work is expected to begin this month with projected completion by December 2016.
The project involves the construction of minor safety improvements in the corridor including:
- Grinding the existing pavement & paving at several locations along the route
- Installation of roadside and bridge railing delineators
- Construction of median and shoulder rumble strips in locations with 400 feet or more of a continuous four-foot shoulder
- Construction of optical bars, object markers & reflective dots
- Construction of bicycle sharrows in the corridor
- Restripe eastbound State Route 84, near Palomares Road, to provide a left-turn pocket lane
State Route 84 will remain open to traffic during the entire construction period. There will be no work occurring off-pavement and no tree removal during the Niles Canyon Short-Term Safety Improvement Project.
Click here for more information on Caltrans projects in Niles Canyon.
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Due to be adopted in
2017, the update of the region’s planning document, Plan Bay Area, is well
underway by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of
Bay Area Governments, the two agencies responsible for transportation and land
use planning for the 9-county region.
First adopted in 2013 in response to state laws adopted in 2008, two
primary goals of Plan Bay Area are – 1) reduce greenhouse gas emissions
statewide to 1990 levels by 2020 and; 2) provide housing for the region’s
projected population growth by 2035.
With 9 counties, 101 cities comprised of urban, suburban and rural
communities, and with the involvement of locally elected county supervisors,
city mayors and council members, Plan Bay Area lays out the framework for
development and key investments in the region 25 years into the future. Input from the public is also crucial in the
development of Plan Bay Area updates.
Supervisor Haggerty invites you to participate in this process as public
meetings are scheduled and through the use of on-line tools.
Build a Better Bay Area is an interactive
survey that introduces residents to three alternative scenarios—Main Streets,
Connected Neighborhoods, and Big Cities—being considered by MTC and ABAG. After
answering 10 questions on transportation and housing, residents can see which
scenario for future Bay Area growth most closely aligns with their priorities.
Survey questions mirror the tough decisions facing the Bay Area as the region
adapts to the challenges of future population growth.
The Plan
Bay Area Open Forum is a virtual open house that offers in-depth
information on housing and transportation issues. Those who visit the site can
view materials and then share their views. Comments are published and publicly
viewable on the forum.
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The Altamont Regional Rail Working Group, comprised of
elected county, city and transit district representatives from both sides of
the San Joaquin County/Alameda County line, continues to hold
a laser-like focus on the delivery of the BART to ACE project – a critical
inter-regional link to fill the missing 10-mile gap between these two systems.
The first Phase of this project, the 4.8-mile BART extension along I-580 to
Isabel Avenue has been largely funded through Measure BB funds but continues to
be stalled in a protracted 12-year environmental process. Working Group Meetings to-date have focused on
best practices and solutions for project delivery that is fast, cost-effective
and responsive to community goals and objectives. Assemblywoman Catharine Baker has
supported these efforts through the introduction of Assembly Bill 2762, a measure to establish a new single-purpose
authority aimed at meeting the Working Group’s goals.
In addition to a BART connection in the Tri-Valley, the ACEforward project will also consider
alternative connections to BART in Union City. A key part of the ACEforward environmental document will be
studying ways to provide a better connection between ACE and BART. This
will be done at a program-level. To learn more about the potential alternatives
to connect ACE to BART that have been identified for analysis in the
environmental process, please visit the ACEforward
website.
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What is Community Choice Energy?
A Community Choice energy program enables cities and
counties to procure electricity and reduce energy consumption for residents and
local businesses. In this way, communities decide where their electricity will
come from: whether to purchase electricity on the market, or more importantly,
to build local renewable energy resources in the community. Under a Community
Choice energy program, the utility company (PG&E) continues to deliver and
service the electricity.
East
Bay Community Choice Energy, or East Bay CCE, is the name of the Alameda County
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program currently nearing the end of its feasibility
study phase. With study results projecting
a positive impact both financially and environmentally, the East Bay CCE
Steering Committee, with staff and Alameda County Council, has drafted the
Joint Powers Authority (JPA) bylaws for presentation to the Board of
Supervisors at the August 2 Board Meeting.
JPA
bylaws and plans are being presented to each city council this summer for consideration,
(and hopeful) approval and program adoption this fall. With each municipal jurisdiction on board,
the program becomes stronger, more efficient and more fruitful for all Alameda
County residents, businesses and agencies who have made the choice to opt
in.
If you wish to
receive updates and notices regarding East Bay Community Choice Energy, please
sign up here. For questions or concerns, please contact Bruce Jensen, Senior Planner with
the Alameda County Community Development Agency at (510) 670-6527.
Also,
the public is encouraged to attend and participate in all meetings of the
Steering Committee. These meetings take
place the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm at the Castro Valley Library,
3600 Norbridge Avenue, Castro Valley, CA 94546.
Construction and installation of Sunol Wayside Horns will
soon be underway, contingent upon PUC approval. A construction contract was
awarded in March, funding is in place and we all are ready for a much awaited
groundbreaking. ACE officials advise that the horns are expected to be
operational within four months of the start of construction. The diligent efforts of the Sunol community in the development of this important
project has been much appreciated. Supervisor Haggerty remains committed to working with residents on issues of concern.
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The April 16 Booster Seat Giveaway was a great
success! Hosted by Supervisor
Haggerty in collaboration with Safe
Kids Alameda County, Fremont Police Department, California Highway Patrol and
Alameda County Public Works, the day brought out approximately 850 people from
Fremont and surrounding communities, and 253 Alameda County children left riding safer on
our roadways.
Booster
seats were distributed free of cost. Certified staff facilitated proper
fit and installation, as well as, education on the importance of proper use of
the seats. Both parents and children
were provided a hands-on demonstration of proper usage and fit.
In addition
to seat installations, the second component of the event was a family resource
fair. Representatives from 13 agencies
were present to answer questions, provide materials, and host activities of
their choosing. A vast array of
information and resources regarding Fremont area youth and family services and
programs, as well as, those offered by Alameda County and the State of
California was provided.
As part
of the fair, a complimentary BBQ lunch was provided (prepared and served by
Supervisor Haggerty, staff and volunteers), and children, and their parents
alike, enjoyed the bouncy house, bubble show and play and face painting
stations. The entire event was free and
open to the public.
A big THANK
YOU to American High School in
Fremont for allowing us use of their space, our sponsors: AEG-Oakland Community Foundation, Alameda County Public
Health Department, Blaylock Beal Van, LLC; in-kind
donors: Bernardin Family McDonalds, Babies R Us-Dublin, AAA, Office of
Assemblymember Bill Quirk, Galaxy Jumpers-Fremont, Tri-City Voice, FedEx
Kinkos-Pleasanton; and volunteers: American
High School students, St. Mary’s College Rugby Team, Fremont Fire Explorers,
Safe Kids Certified Booster Seat Installation Technicians, Fremont Police
Officers, Fremont Police Explorers and base of community volunteers, Livermore
Police Officers and private citizens; and the staff and representatives of the 13
agencies who made up the resource fair.
For, without the contributions of those aforementioned, the event simply
would not have been the same. Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you!
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Major
Changes Coming Soon to WHEELS Bus Service in the Tri-Valley
The
Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority, known as LAVTA, is preparing to
launch changes to its WHEELS bus transit service in August. The changes come about after more than a year
of planning and analysis to develop new and improved service routes that will
offer a convenient travel option for residents, employees and visitors in the
Tri-Valley cities of Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton. The Tri-Valley lies within the highway gateway
corridors of I-580, I-680 and SR 84, some of the busiest in the Bay Area
region. Improved bus transit service
offers an attractive alternative to congested highways, crowded city streets
and full parking lots. Expanding upon the
adoption of Clipper card bus pass service instituted late 2015, the new service
program offers innovative alternatives to compete with private transit service
including Wi-Fi service on all express and Rapid buses; a phone app; and an
Easy Pass for students at Las Positas College.
Of special note for service in East Dublin, transit network service –
Uber and Lyft carpool in East Dublin serving the Dublin BART station; and a
prospective autonomous vehicle shuttle demonstration pilot expected to come on
line in 2017. For more info on these
exciting new changes to WHEELS service visit http://www.wheelsforward.com/.
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At its
June 28 meeting the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to place a measure
on the November ballot asking voters to approve up to $580 million in General
Obligation Bonds to support affordable housing and prevent displacement of
vulnerable populations including low-income residents, seniors and the
disabled. The bond measure has two main
components designating $120 million for Homeowner programs; and $460 million
for Rental Housing programs – and includes a provision for the funds to be
distributed to each of the county’s 14 cities and to the unincorporated
areas. It includes a requirement that calls for regular audits and an independent citizen oversight committee. Planning for public information and outreach
is underway. For more information on item
approved at the board meeting click here.
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