District 5 Summer 2019 Newsletter

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Summer 2019 Newsletter

A quarterly update for the residents of District 5

District 5 of Alameda County includes Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, and parts of Oakland. 

KEITH'S CORNER

ASK

It is my hope that you have been enjoying the summer and have taken the time to enjoy all that District 5 has to offer, from street festivals and fairs to the beauty of nature in our regional and local parks. We are lucky to live in a place rich with activity and culture!

Although the Board has been on summer recess, there has been no shortage of work and activities happening in the District and throughout the County. My staff has been busy meeting with many of you out in the community and assisting you with County-related needs. The Board will be returning to its normal schedule in mid-September, and I look forward to continuing to represent the dynamic and diverse residents of District 5.

The fall is gearing up to be full of events, from Census 2020 town halls to the Ready to Learn Fun Fair - I hope to see many of you in the coming months!

- Keith Carson

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Budget Brief
  • DAJA Internship
  • Homelessness
  • Boards & Commissions
  • Shoo the Flu
  • Ask Keith!
  • Save the Date: RTLFF
  • Staff Spotlight
WEEKLY

Every week, our office sends out the Wednesday Weekly, an e-update on the various community meetings and events taking place in and around District 5.  Don't miss out on the wealth of activities our district has to offer! 

Sign up to receive the Weekly and our quarterly newsletter here: bit.ly/2Kmqz1p

Do you receive SSI?

Don't miss out on food benefits!

calfresh

Many SSI recipients are now eligible for CalFresh Food Benefits. There is NO CHANGE or reduction to SSI/SSP amounts.

HOW TO APPLY

Online: GetCalFresh.org

Call: 1-877-847-3663

parks

Every Friday until the end of the year the East Bay Regional Park District is offering Free Park Fridays to mark its 85th Anniversary.

Free Park Fridays applies to park entrance and fees for day use parking, swimming, dogs, horse trailers, boat launching, and fishing permits will all be waived.

For 85 years, the Park District has preserved and protected open space in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and provided public access to regional parks, shorelines, and trails for recreation and nature discovery.

Learn more: https://www.ebparks.org

2026

ACGOV Vision 2026 is Alameda County’s comprehensive effort to set a course for the next decade that anticipates community challenges and maximizes our ability to meet residents’ needs in a rapidly changing world. Our vision of the future and the goals and guiding principles you see here grew from extensive collaboration involving Alameda County leaders and other local officials who are "facing forward" to promote communities that are vibrant, prosperous, safe, healthy and inclusive.

To learn more, visit: vision2026.acgov.org 

events

Keep a lookout for Team Carson at these upcoming events:

September 8
Oakland Pride Parade + Festival

September 8
Solano Stroll

September 15
Rockridge Out and About

October 5 
Black Cowboy Parade + Festival

October 5 & 6
Oaktoberfest

Concerned about housing?

h

Take the Alameda County Housing Survey to provide feedback on housing characteristics in the County. Your responses will help to guide housing policy in your area!

Visit: http://bit.ly/2ZlCPb8

Sign up for emergency alerts!

ac

AC Alert is the Mass Notification System used by City and County agencies throughout Alameda County to rapidly disseminate emergency alerts to people who live, work in, or visit our County. AC Alert is capable of sending alerts by voice, text and email, as well as messaging Nixle subscribers, posting to social media pages, and sending FEMA Wireless Alerts (WEA).

The County of Alameda and our partner Cities strongly encourage all who live, work in, or frequently visit Alameda County, to opt-in to the AC Alert system. When you register with AC Alert you can provide multiple methods of contact, including your cell, home & work phones, and email addresses. You can designate multiple locations in Alameda County where you want to receive emergency alerts. Additionally, you can sign up for community subscription topics offered by participating jurisdictions.

To make sure we can reach you in an emergency, when you need to take protective actions, register with AC Alert at www.acalert.org.

X

For over 15 years, Alameda County has proudly declared itself as a “Welcoming Community”. Our public services have always been available to all who live in Alameda County, regardless of immigration status.

If you suspect ICE activity or if you or a loved one has been detained, the Alameda County Immigration Legal & Education Partnership (ACILEP) is available to help.

(510) 241-4011

https://centrolegal.org/acilep/

W

Connect With Us!

web

acgov.org/carson

 

 

fb

facebook.com/supervisorcarson

 

 

insta

supervisor_keithcarson

 

 

tweet

@Keith_Carson

 

budget

In June, the Board approved a $3.5 billion Alameda County Final Budget for FY 2019-20 that is balanced and closes a $60.4 million funding gap without significant reductions to services or staff.

The Final Budget reflects the priorities outlined in our County’s long-term Strategic Vision, known as Vision 2026, by supporting efforts to address Countywide challenges such as homelessness, an affordable housing shortfall, and the need to maintain and improve aging infrastructure.

Alameda County continues to devote substantial resources to address the region’s worsening homelessness problem. The Final Budget contains $130.2 million in increased spending on homelessness as called for in the Homelessness Action Plan adopted by the Board last year. Under the plan, we are committed to spending nearly $340 million over the next three years to address homelessness on multiple fronts. Since passage of the Homelessness Action Plan, the County has secured additional funding bringing total spending on homelessness across the three years to $357 million.

You can read the full 2019-2020 Final Budget on our Open Budget website: http://bit.ly/328jqHm

DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S JUSTICE ACADEMY

daja

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Justice Academy (DAJA) is a six month learning and working experience for high school students, ages 16 and up, who are interested in pursuing the study of law, justice, social justice, and the courts.

This Academy teaches teens about the many facets of the justice system while encouraging critical thought and civic engagement.

During the spring semester, DAJA students meet twice monthly to participate in highly engaging and thought-provoking seminars led by experts in the field. The students are then placed in a paid internship with a local government agency, non-profit organization, office of an elected official, or private law office over the summer.

blue

This summer, our office had the great pleasure to host DAJA intern Michael Blue, who provided us with research and administrative support. Michael is a bright young man who just graduated from Albany High School and aims to one day be a civil rights attorney. Congratulations to Michael and the rest of his impressive cohort for completing DAJA - we wish you the best!

Applications for the 2020 Academy will be available in mid September. If you would like to learn more about the program or apply, visit http://bit.ly/2LgjlwZ.

ALAMEDA COUNTY AND CITY LEADERS MEET TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS CRISIS

tent

In July, Alameda County convened a historic meeting of regional leaders to discuss our deepening homelessness problem and to promote increased collaboration to maximize opportunities to address homelessness and housing insecurity.

The meeting brought together the full Board of Supervisors and mayors and city managers from each of the County’s 14 cities for a discussion of solutions to the region’s homelessness crisis, which became all the more urgent after figures from a Point-In-Time count conducted earlier this year showing homelessness grew by 43 percent across the County over the past two years.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the County to highlight more than $937 million in funding we have identified to address the crisis in the coming years. We urged our city partners to join us in pulling out all the stops to turn the tide against a homelessness problem that is affecting communities across the nation. Every level of government must do more if we are to successfully confront this crisis.

To learn more about what Alameda County is doing to address homelessness, visit https://homelessness.acgov.org/index.page.

BOARDS & COMMISSIONS OPPORTUNITIES

BNC

District 5 2019 Annual Boards & Commissions Update Meeting

Supervisor Carson is seeking District 5 Representatives for the following boards & commissions: 

  • Alameda County Fair Association Board of Directors (2)
  • Alameda County Fire Advisory Commission (1)
  • Commission on the Status of Women (3)
  • Consumer Affairs Commission (3)
  • Human Relations Commission (1)
  • Tree Advisory Board (1)

This is an opportunity to serve your community and represent District 5! 

For more information or to apply, visit the Boards and Commissions site: https://acgov.org/bc/.

Please note the eligibility requirements and commitments associated with each position.

shoo

It's almost that time of year again to Shoo the Flu!! Shoo the Flu is a community-based initiative to prevent seasonal influenza in Oakland through a school-based vaccination program. The program offers free flu vaccines, regardless of insurance, to students and on-site school staff at participating schools every fall. All Oakland elementary and K-8 schools, including Oakland Unified School District, charter, and private schools, are invited to participate. To see if your student’s school is participating, please visit www.shootheflu.org.

Shoo the Flu is a partnership between the Alameda County Public Health Department, California Department of Public Health, Oakland Unified School District, and other community partners.

ASK

Earlier this year, I launched new weekly video series that YOU get to contribute to! Have a burning question about county policy or programs? Want to know more about life as an elected official? Curious about my favorite books? Send me your questions and I may just answer you via video on social media!

Visit my YouTube channel to view all AskKeith! episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/user/KeithCarsonDistrict5

AskKeith! has been on summer hiatus, but the series will resume in September - be sure to submit your questions soon!

Email questions to: AskKeith@acgov.org

SAVE THE DATE: READY TO LEARN FUN FAIR

RTLFF

For more than 10 years, the Ready to Learn Fun Fair (RTLFF) has been a highly valued resource for hundreds of families across Alameda County.

RTLFF provides families with information about local community resources in the areas of education, nutrition, social services, exercise and the arts.

In addition, there will be musical performances, a clown show, and the popular television character Clifford the Big Red Dog will be in attendance to promote reading as a fun activity.

Saturday, October 12, 2019
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Washington Elementary School
2300 Martin Luther King Junior Way
Berkeley, CA 94704

Entrance to the fair is FREE and all children that attend will receive a complimentary book. ​

REGISTER HERE: https://rtlff2019.eventbrite.com/

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Team Carson has grown!  Please welcome the newest addition to our staff, Jared Spencer

Jared will be fulfilling his duties as our Filed Representative, whose responsibilities include Boys and Men of Color Initiatives, community & business engagement, event coordination, and managing special projects. Jared brings with him experience working on policy, politics, and strategic outreach in a number of policy areas at the county and city levels of government in Portland, OR and Dallas, TX.

Jared