A Message From the Supervisor
Dear Friend,
Greetings! 2019 is in full swing, and I am excited to continue my work with, and for, the residents of District 1 and Alameda County. Throughout my tenure as Supervisor, my focus has always been centered on supporting issues of public safety and quality of life, and of course, ongoing improvements to our transportation systems and infrastructure. Although these projects may not always make headlines, they are critical, and have the greatest impact on our communities.
You will find in this newsletter, a snapshot of some of the projects underway in District 1 and Alameda County. I encourage you to stay informed by visiting my website, following me on social media, and reading my e-newsletters as they come out.
It is important to me to keep community members informed and up-to-date on all of our work towards a better Alameda County. And, it is even more important that I hear from community members on a regular basis, so that I can stay as aware and ahead of the issues facing our District, and County, as possible. I'm dedicated to engaging our community using a range of channels to build and promote a vibrant exchange of ideas. Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any County-related issue. Reach me at 510-272-6691 or at district1@acgov.org.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve and represent you.
Sincerely,
 
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:
November 20, 2018— the Board of Supervisors approved a $10.2 million allocation to Abode Services for the purpose of operating a housing resource center in South, East, and Mid-County. Housing resource centers will serve as “hubs” providing direct services and coordinated access to resources for homeless individuals and households.
November 20, 2018— the Board of Supervisors approved $115,000 to the City of Fremont to provide winter shelter services to the homeless population in Fremont. The shelter holds up to 40 homeless adults per night. The winter shelter also provides food, showers, social services and necessities while at the shelter.
December 4, 2018— the Board of Supervisors voted to grant Falck Northern California with the Alameda County Ambulance Transport Service contract. Amendments to the contract were made to ensure that the existing ambulance provider employees will be retained with the same seniority and at a minimum have the same salaries and benefits that they currently have. The Board also directed the County’s Emergency Management Services to develop a new Request for Proposal in the next 24 months that will consider all service delivery options.
January 29, 2019— the Board of Supervisors approved up to $6.7 million in Measure A1 Housing Bond funds to Abode Services for the City Center Apartments project, which includes 59 affordable housing units.
January 29, 2019— the Board of Supervisors approved up to $18.5 million in Measure A1 Housing Bond funds to Resources for Community Development for the Fremont Islander project that will create 126 affordable housing units.
EBCE Makes $4.7 Million Repayment to Alameda County
East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) is the new electricity provider for most of Alameda County, including Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Piedmont, Oakland, San Leandro, and Union City as well as unincorporated areas of the County. EBCE began serving commercial customers in June 2018 and serving residential customers in November 2018 with cleaner energy and lower rates. After eight months in operation, during the Board of Supervisors meeting on February 26, EBCE Chief Executive Officer, Nick Chaset, presented a check for repayment in full to Alameda County for the advance in start-up funding in the amount of $4.7 million. County Supervisor and EBCE Board Chair, Scott Haggerty, a champion of EBCE since its inception, said “We’ve worked for many years on this effort to provide cleaner power to our local communities. This milestone shows the effectiveness of EBCE’s management and marks the start of an exciting transition to clean power.”
EBCE needed start-up resources in order to begin operations, and the County provided both start-up funding and staff support. The County Board of Supervisors originally approved the Community Choice Energy program in November 2016 and entered an agreement with EBCE in April 2017 to lend up to $5.5 million to the new agency. EBCE is now operational, has a staff of 20, and is supplying power to over 550,000 residential and commercial customers throughout the County. To date, EBCE estimates it has saved customers over $3 million in electricity costs by offering lower rates for cleaner power. EBCE operates through revenue it receives from sales of electricity; it does not rely on any taxpayer funding.
EBCE is the local electricity provider created by the votes of 11 City Councils and the County of Alameda Board of Supervisors to provide low cost, cleaner power to our community. Launching to residential customers in November 2018, EBCE joined 19 other Community Choice Energy programs operating across California.
Supervisor Haggerty secured funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the amount of $10.2 million this past Fall for project advancement activities and environmental review and project design is currently underway with estimated completion this summer. In December, the Valley Link Board adopted a Sustainability Policy with a goal to be a model of sustainability in the design, construction and operation of the system. A key strategy will be to strive to create a system that can largely operate on its own stored energy. System design features may include the utilization of a hybrid vehicle technology, solar canopies at stations and potential wind and solar generation in proximity to the proposed yard and shop.
Work is also underway to ensure that station design is responsive to the goals and objectives of the communities it will serve. Community workshops and pop-up meetings are being planned throughout the project stations areas. In addition, an online survey is now available for the public to provide input. Please take the time to share your thoughts with us. What would you like to see at your station? You may also contact us directly to share your concerns or ideas.
—Making History—
In February, Supervisor Scott Haggerty was elected to serve as the first ever two-time Chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Elected to serve as the Commission’s Vice Chair was Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza.
Read the full story here.
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Save the Date!
Sunday
Sept. 22, 2019
7am to 2pm
A joint effort by Alameda County Supervisors Scott Haggerty and Richard Valle, the Niles Canyon Stroll & Roll is a rare event (having only taken place once in 2015 and once in 2017) where Highway 84 (Niles Canyon Road) is closed to vehicular traffic. The closure provides an opportunity for people to safely bike/walk/run through the canyon at their leisure.
The purpose of the event is to bring about public awareness and support for an initiative to create a class 1, multi-use trail through Niles Canyon, from Niles to Sunol. The trail would provide access for pedestrians and bicyclists to experience Niles Canyon, as well as, serve as an alternative to Highway 84 for commuters on bicycle. A feasibility study was completed in 2015 and a project study report was completed in 2017. This event provides the opportunity to profile the findings in the previous studies, highlight areas of future study, and seek input from members of the public as they walk or bicycle along the road.
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The 2019 Hall of Fame Class will be honored during the 26th annual luncheon and awards ceremony on March 30 in Oakland.
This year's class includes 4 District 1 residents!
Kimberly Larson- Dublin
Akemi Williams- Dublin
Moina Shaiq- Fremont
Laura Savio- Fremont
Congratulations to each of these women, and the entire 2019 class of inductees. Visit the ACWHOF website for more information.
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Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Celebrates Grand Opening of the Marissa Hunt Agricultural Education Center at the Alameda County Fairgrounds
On March 7, Alameda County Fairgrounds officials, along with Supervisor Scott Haggerty, representatives of local 4-H and FFA communities and members of the public came together to celebrate the opening of a new community youth barn on Fairgrounds property.
The Marissa Hunt Agricultural Education Center is an 8,000 square foot facility which welcomes all Alameda County FFA and 4-H Club members who raise animals for the Junior Livestock Show, held annually at the Alameda County Fair.
The Center offers animal pens, a classroom, an animal wash rack, outdoor paddocks, and a livestock scale. It provides enough space to house approximately 80 animals.
“I am beyond excited for the unveiling of this project. I can’t tell you how many times during my 22 years in office that I’ve heard of kids yearning to become involved in 4H or FFA, but were unable due to lack of space at their homes to raise an animal. This venue provides them with that opportunity,” said Supervisor Scott Haggerty. “And, as for its namesake, Marissa made such an immense impact on me and the entire ag community at the time. I knew from the start that this project would be dedicated to her.”
The Marissa Hunt Agricultural Educational Center was named after ten-year-old Marissa Hunt, a Pleasanton 4-H member whose life was tragically cut short in 2004. The center, which is operated by Fairgrounds staff and parent volunteers, was established to aid the community and promote Alameda County’s rich agricultural traditions.
“This project has been a year in the making,” said Jerome Hoban, CEO of the Alameda County Fairgrounds. “We are so proud to now be able to share this facility with all our future agricultural leaders. Through them, Marissa’s spirit will live on.”
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