Adoption of Resolution Amending Resolution No. 15472, “Calling a Special Election in the City of Alameda on April 9, 2019 for the Submission of a Proposed Initiative Measure to Change the Designation for an Approximately 3.65 Acre Site on McKay Avenue, by Amending the General Plan Designation from Office to Open Space, and by Amending the Zoning Ordinance from Administrative-Professional District to Open Space District,” by Amending Section 1 (Ballot Question); and Adoption of Resolution Amending Resolution No. 15473, “Submitting to the Electors an Ordinance Entitled “Caring Alameda Act” at the Special Municipal Election to be Held in the City of Alameda on Tuesday, April 9, 2019,” by Amending Section 3 (Ballot Question). (City Clerk 2220)
Shortly. This is where it is. Okay. Again, my name is Doug Biggs, executive director of the Alameda Point Collaborative. Just wanted to comment on a couple of things. One, I did follow up on last week's meeting with a letter further explaining the loss that the agency would incur if the election was done later. I'm often told that I am incoherent when I'm speaking in front of the council and hopefully that provided additional information. You needed to confirm that we would be at a loss. That is not the reason to have the election early, of course, because the additional cost to the city and the deferred costs of the facility itself. Regarding the agenda item related to things, the matters as they're written I think are very clear and well done. It's just a shame that we're at this point. I feel very bittersweet that this is a wonderful project that needs to happen. And I'm sorry that representatives of Friends of Crab Cove aren't here tonight to be able to talk about it and explain what they're doing. And further, I'm very sad that they're not continuing to talk with us to come to a community agreement around how that program can operate. Well, within the community, we have a right to create that project. They have a right to raise concerns. It can be addressed without this. And it's just a shame we have to get to this point. But here we are. Thank you very. Much. Thank you, Mr. Biggs. All right. And I have no further public speakers. So with that, the. Okay. So we have two resolutions. The the revised. Ballot language on the initiative and then the. The resolution, the language on the Cities Initiative, the Caring Alameda Act. I'm going to suggest that we start with the initiative first. So Council wants to start and I will just add that we had two subcommittees working. Councilmember Vela and I. Revised language for the initiative. The proposed initiative measure to change the designation on Mackay. Mackay in both the general PEN, the zoning amendment and Vice Mayor in Knox Wyatt and Councilmember Ody work together to draft the ballot measure, introducing an ordinance entitled The Caring Alameda Act. But let's start with the the initiative itself. There is proposed revised ballot language. Have you all had a chance to review that? Any questions? Thoughts? Councilman Brody. Thank you. I just had a quick question, so. This should say 15473. Right? Yes. So then the resolution also should say one five, 473 at the whole. So then before the meeting. I realize the mayor wants to talk about this first, but then the second one also says one four, 573. Which is seven four. That one should say seven four. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So when we when we make a motion, we have to motion to amend it. Is it read the right. Yeah, it's it's pretty and it's a typographical errors, so I can correct it. Okay. The 73 and 74. Okay. What was that, the extent of your copy. Of my question? I'll just listen to comments. Okay. And chime in when you call on me. All right. Very, very well, then. Let's see. Any when. Councilmember Vela. Well, we obviously were the authors you went to speak with. I think the intent of our language here was just to make sure that, you know, we spent some time reviewing the initiative itself and to make it very. Responsive to what the initiative purported to do. And so in that respect, we made a couple of changes. Most of them were to the structure of the question itself. Right. As mayor. Just and know, I can go either way on this and I thought this was fantastic. But felt he had to say that. No, no. I think I think it's I think it's written really well. I wonder if we want to consider changing the term, the word former to existing former federal. They are federal buildings. They continue to be federal buildings until. They are no longer an existing. Also I think is clear that they are there and not in some giant state of disarray. So I will actually chime in in response to your comment. The note that I had made was to describe them as vacant federal buildings, because I think that's informative to the public that there there is no use being made of them. So would that that was the the comment of the suggested minor amendment I was going to make. Councilmember Vela And it was one of the points that we had discussed about the the wording there. And we I think we had gone back and forth. So I'm fine with that change to make it all right. And. Councilman Brody. So. Help me. How many words out here are there? Do we have. We read. One. Or two. Oh, um. What's your. What's your thought? I think we're below that. Below was the suggestion to change form or to vacant or maybe add of vacant former federal buildings. No, no, not to add. Yeah. They. It's federal poverty. It's GSA. It's not a former federal building. So. That would be factually incorrect. Okay. So Bacon is probably a better word. Okay. I'm fine with. That. Okay. And Councilmember De, thank you in the way and want to say. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedules, both of you, for putting this together. But other than that, I. Think you're welcome. Thank you for thanking us. Okay. So so we can agree to that wording that might have wording change. Okay. So with that, then, do I have a motion to amend resolution number 15473 calling for a special election in the city of Alameda. Probably can let the um the we have if many no no worries we have many meetings going on this evening under one roof. Hi, everyone. Okay. Okay. Do we have a motion? I'll make a motion to adopt the resolution. Obviously. Updating the typo from 141547 2 to 1 5473 throughout and changing the word on the draft ballot initiative conversion of former federal buildings to conversion of vacant federal buildings. The motion to have a second. Second. All right. All those in favor. I opposed. Abstain. Okay. So the motion passes for four? Yes. And one abstention. Thank you. Now we're going to move on to item, not item that to the resolution. This is the Caring Alameda Act. And this is. Resolution number 15474. And this is submitting to the electors an ordinance entitled The Carrying Alameda Act. Okay. Any discussion on this one? A vice mayor. And that's why I. Would simply we use the term existing in arts and I would simply suggest we use the vacant buildings so that both both initiatives are describing the buildings in the same factual way. Okay. So let's see. So in the second line. Shall the ordinance in the City Council's actions to permit re-use of vacant buildings? Okay. Okay. So again. We could add federal as well as federal buildings at the same. That's a good. Idea. Yeah, I think it's good to have that consistency. Good point. Okay. Yes. To permit the re-use of exactly vacant federal buildings would replace the word existing. Correct. All right. Any other comments? Suggestions? Nimitz canceled. Good question. And I don't know if the public's been informed on this, but, you know, should they both fail? And maybe the city clerk comment on what happens to the action the council took already. I think we might ask the city attorney's office to come in and. No, no. Either one. I don't care. If. If both measures fail, the council action that it took back in December to change the land use designations would remain in play, that it would not negate or cause those actions to be null and void. It would continue in full force, in effect. Okay. So even though we're using the word confirming. If it fails, it's not erased or invalidated or anything. Right. And and that was explained in a memo we got this evening. But just for the. For the sake of the benefit. Of the public. And I agree with those changes. You know, we did work a lot on this. So I appreciate everyone's everyone's appreciation of it. I do as well. I do as well. And this was a quick turnaround time. We all had deadlines. And thank you all for for meeting them. We've been working very hard in our first week and a half on the job. Um. Okay. So I am looking for a motion to. Amend resolution number 15474 and. As as previously described, is there a motion to approve. So so moved with the change as set of 15 or 74 and. And as the language change as noted. Okay. As noted. Thank you. Motion. That a second. Sure. I'll second guess. I'll write the motion and it's been moved and seconded. All in favor. I am opposed. Abstain. So the motion passes with four in favor and one abstention. And I just want to say in closing that there is still time. If the Friends of Crab Cove were so moved and so inclined to withdraw their initiative, they have until 5 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, January 11th. And although City Council, City Hall and the city clerk's office is closed, there is a mechanism in place whereby there they can email the city clerk up until 5 p.m. tomorrow. So it's not over till it's over. And we will. We'll see what happens. But. With that. We've we've disposed of that item and we have no further business. All right. So with that. I just want to get my appreciation that the city attorney's office was really, really we worked fast and hard, but they were also very responsive. I would just want to give my great appreciation to. And Selena in particular should get the should get the kudos here. I looked at it that she did the hard work. Thank you. I that that is that is well stated Councilmember Vela. And I would like to note that the 9212 elections report, which I know that we based our our question off of as well, was very helpful and informative in terms of outlining all of the issues at play and streamlining it. So and Celina did a fantastic job on that. Those are very difficult reports to put together in a way that is linear and easy to follow. And I thought it was one of the best ones I've ever seen. So and I will just echo my thanks and appreciation for the quick and comprehensive response back. We got to our questions up to and including today going into this meeting. All right, Councilman Brody, I'll. Just say ditto to all. That, you know. Nice. All right. Councilmember de seconded. Okay. All right. With that, we will. We're out of here. Thanks. Everyone will be back Tuesday the 15th for a regular meeting to.