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City of Emeryville October 2017 Highlights: Homeless Services, Economic Development Strategy, Fair Workweek

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The City of Emeryville provides a monthly progress report outlining significant developments and milestones that occurred throughout the period.

Among the highlights for the two meetings conducted during the month of October include the adoption of several resolutions regarding efforts to assist people experiencing homelessness. Emeryville will significantly increase compensation provided to shelters in neighboring cities and consider additional resources.

The implementation of the complicated Fair Workweek legislation finally came to a close after more than a year of discussion, delays and amendments. The total cost of the labor regulations, presented ironically after it was revealed that the city was facing a fiscal crisis back on June 6th, was determined to be over a half million dollars in addition to ongoing maintenance costs.

In addition, Economic Development Manager Chad Smalley presented an Economic Development Strategy that his staff has been working on for over a year and a half. The plan is intended to be a guide for deployment of the City’s economic development resources, including staff time and economic development funds.

Please note that the summaries provided below are taken directly from the text of these reports.


October Highlights of The Month

The City Council adopted amendments to the Fair Workweek Employment Standards and approved regulations to implement the standards; heard a presentation on the City’s homeless outreach and assistance programs, and approved additional funding for these services; approved an updated Economic Development Strategy, focusing on Emeryville’s competitive advantage as a City of art and innovation; approved the purchase of three art works from the annual Celebration of the Arts Exhibition; and passed an ordinance adopting new standards for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), to meet State requirements.

The Planning Commission held study sessions on the proposed new buildings and parks and open space at the Sherwin Williams Mixed Use Project, and on the proposed 29-unit Adeline Springs residential project.

Anton has once again fallen out of contract to develop a 186-unit residential project on the “Nady” site. Staff met with them to discuss ways to salvage their project, and has also scheduled a meeting in November with Allied Residential, who are considering taking it over.

Seven applications were received in response to a Request for Qualifications for a cannabis retailer/dispensary; the City Council will consider the applications on November 21.

A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy was issued for the Public Market Parcel C garage, above the New Season Market. This is the first new building by the current developer of the project.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Estrella Vista Affordable Housing Project at 3706 San Pablo Avenue was held on October 11.

Staff was notified of nomination for an award of $238,819 from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for operation of the Emery Go-Round Watergate Express shuttle.


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Requests for Qualifications for public art at the Marina, and for a mural on the Greenway between Powell Street and Stanford Avenue, were posted on the Call for Entry (CaFE) website.

A training and certification session on U.S. EPA regulations for lead-safe renovation, repair, and painting was held at ECCL on October 25.

View the entire progress report on Emeryville.org →


October 3rd Council Meeting

Emery Go-Round Watergate Express Grant (Consent Item)

The Council approved a grant application to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and authorized the City Manager to enter into a funding agreement for operation of the Watergate Express shuttle in calendar years 2018 and 2019, with matching funds provided by the Property and Business Improvement District (PBID). This action was to support a competitive grant application for Transportation Fund for Clean Air funds to be awarded by the BAAQMD to existing public shuttle services. On October 5, staff was informed that the application was successful, with $238,819 in funding awarded to the City.

Construction and Demolition Waste Requirements (Consent Item)

The Council passed the second reading of an ordinance that was introduced on September 19 amending the Building Regulations to add requirements for construction and demolition waste.

Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance (Consent Item)

The Council adopted the second reading of an ordinance amending the Planning Regulations by updating the Secondary Residential Unit regulations and renaming them the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations to make them consistent with current state law. The updated regulations require useable open space of at least 200 square feet, with a 10-foot minimum dimension accessible to both units, and clarify that the court requirement applies only to Multi-Unit Residential uses with ten units or more.

Fair Workweek Ordinance Amendment and Regulations (Action Item)

The City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance amending the Fair Workweek Employment Standards originally adopted in late 2016. The Fair Workweek Employment Standards establish employee scheduling standards for certain retail and restaurant employers. The amendments were made to clarify certain issues that arose during the development of implementing regulations for the standards, including additional exemptions to the requirements for Predictability Pay. Along with approving the first reading of the ordinance amending the standards, the Council reviewed draft implementing regulations and provided direction to staff on minor modifications.

The discussion for this item can be viewed above at [1:42:50].

The Agenda for the October 3rd meeting can be viewed here [PDF]


October 17th Council Meeting

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (Special Order)

The City Council issued a proclamation recognizing October 22-28, 2017 as National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. As part of this observance, the Building Division, along with the Alameda County Healthy Homes Division, hosted Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) Training on October 25 at ECCL.

This item can be viewed above at [2:33].

Fair Workweek Ordinance Amendment and Regulations (Consent Item)

The Council approved the second reading of an ordinance amending the Fair Workweek Employment Standards, as noted above. Additionally, the Council approved the implementing regulations for the standards. With this milestone achieved, staff is now working on the education and implementation phase of the standards to best ensure compliance by covered employers.

Homeless Services (Action Item)

The Council received a presentation on the City’s outreach and assistance efforts to people experiencing homelessness in Emeryville, and adopted several related resolutions. These included approving a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Oakland for the operation of the North County Family Coordinated Entry System in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville from October 2, 2017 through June 30, 2018 for an amount not to exceed $25,000; approving an amendment to the contract with the Berkeley Food and Housing Project (BFHP), increasing the maximum compensation from $36,081 to $60,000 and extending the term until June 30, 2018; and approving a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Oakland for the operation of a Winter Shelter in Oakland to accommodate up to 100 persons from November 14, 2017 through April 17, 2018 for an amount not to exceed $15,000. The Council also heard a presentation from BRIDGE Housing and BFHP about a proposed low-income housing and men’s shelter project in downtown Berkeley, and their request that Emeryville consider funding up to four shelter beds for approximately $255,000 each. The Council indicated that they would be willing to consider this, pending further financial analysis as part of the upcoming Capital Improvement Program update.

The discussion for this item can be viewed above at [26:25].

Bike Share Station on 47th Street (Action Item)

The Council approved a recommendation from the Transportation Committee for a bike share station location on the south side of 47 th Street east of San Pablo Avenue. Staff issued an approval letter the following day, and the station was installed on October 25.

The discussion for this item can be viewed above at [1:44:06].

Economic Development Strategy (Action Item)

The City Council approved an updated Economic Development Strategy for the City. The overall stated objective of the Economic Development Strategy is to “Maintain and enhance Emeryville’s economic status by leveraging its competitive advantage as a City of art and innovation”. The strategy seeks to recognize that Emeryville is uniquely endowed with a large number of innovative and arts-related companies, which has fostered a creative environment. Using this fact to inform the traditional economic development activities of infrastructure investment, marketing, employee and resident development, and network building, can further advance the City’s development for the benefit of its residents and businesses. The Economic Development Strategy is intended to be a guide for deployment of the City’s economic development resources, including staff time and economic development funds. Staff and the Economic Development Advisory Committee have begun the process of implementing the strategy and plan to use the strategy as a guide for the foreseeable future.

The discussion for this item can be viewed above at [1:51:09].

Annual Purchase Award (Action Item)

The Council approved the purchase of three art works from the annual Celebration of the Arts Exhibition as recommended by the Public Art Committee: “Chinese New Year 2017 Anxiety” by Emeryville artist John Wood, “Nostalgic Imprint: Camellia Path” by Emeryville artist Kazuko Watanabe, plus the alternate selection “My Americans: Oakland, CA” by Emeryville artist Ralf Hillebrand, with funding of $14,100 from the Public Art Fund for purchase and installation of the three works.

The discussion for this item can be viewed above at [02:26:39].

Art Center

Under Communications and Reports at the end of the meeting, the Council directed staff to schedule a study session for no later than February on the development of an Art
Center at the City-owned building at 4060 Hollis Street, adjacent to Old Town Hall.

The discussion for this item can be viewed above at [2:52:40].

The Agenda for the October 17th meeting can be viewed here [PDF]

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Rob Arias

is a third generation Californian and East Bay native who lived in Emeryville from 2003 to 2021. Rob founded The E'ville Eye in 2011 after being robbed at gunpoint and lamenting the lack of local news coverage. Rob's "day job" is as a creative professional.

3 Comments

  1. How is it possible that a shelter bed will cost $255,000 each? Maybe I have read this incorrectly but this is higher than my own annual income and far above what most middle class families are able to live on.

  2. Can you provide a more detailed breakdown on the cost of $500k to implement Fair Work Week. Above are very broad categories. How many staff are involved? What range of pay will they receive?

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