Consider Directing the City Manager to Prepare Analysis and Recommendations Regarding Reviving the Airport Operations Committee.  (Councilmembers Daysog and Oddie)
Considered directing the city manager to prepare analysis and recommendations regarding reviving the airport operations committee. This item was placed on the agenda at the request of councilmembers. Dave. All right. Remember days ago, A.D.? Did you want to speak to this? Right. Well, thank you. You know, as indicated last time, when the members of the audience came out, the FAA is doing an incredible major overhaul of how. Jets, the flight path of jets moving into a satellite based system. And as a result, that's causing a lot of disruptions throughout communities in the United States, especially along the West Coast . Now, the reason why the members of the public had argued for an Alameda specific committee to deal with this issue, which is on a time limited basis, is because there are other players representing their own areas who are at the table. And right now, the congresspersons representing the peninsula have represented and organized citizens from San Mateo and that area to bring them to the table to discuss matters with the FAA on the proper routes of of the of the. Path of the planes coming in and out. And it's the FAA who controls the air tower. And for Alameda, we need to think about this, especially because there are other cities, especially including Oakland, for example, where their own residents are organizing. And while we as a city are on regional committees that deal with airport issues like the Noise Forum or something called Calk, which monitors the city of Alameda, Oakland Class Airport Agreement. While we are on regional committees like Cork or the Noise Forum, it's completely possible that members in those regional committees might not necessarily understand where Alameda viewpoints are. Specific let me say this at the last noise for a meeting, there were a lot of Oakland residents who came out to talk about the impacts of the altered flight paths. Residents from Montclair, especially, there had to be like maybe 15 to 20 speakers who came out. No one ever comes out the noise for meetings and they're gone. And they are talking about getting their own council members involved. So the question then becomes in working with the our congressperson, hopefully, and also getting this to the table with the FAA. If we go in with Hawk or the Port of Oakland, we have to wonder whose interests are being best served in that way. We have to remember that, for example, that while the Port of Oakland is a quasi independent entity, its its leading members are appointed by the council members from Oakland. So this is an important issue. And the window for this, for this matter, is a very tight frame because this is something that the FAA wants to deal with. And, you know, I and I think the arguments raised by members from class and members from the first know homeowners association made a pretty good sense as to why we need an Alameda specific entity, especially involving those persons who previously served on the airport operations committee, whose incredible knowledge of airport issues is just. Are reaching. Yeah. Just briefly. I joined Councilmember De Saag in this referral. You know what? I think it's a it's a short term committee, so it's something we can get done and get out of there. You know? One of the reasons I did it is because this is not theoretical to me. I lived for 15 years directly in the flight path, and for those that actually do that, you know, you can argue, you know, you got disclosures, blah, blah, blah, you know about it. But, you know, it is an impact on your your quality of life. And, you know, I want to make sure that, you know, we in Alameda have have a say in this. I'm. Rascoff I don't disagree with any of the comments about the impact and and needing to do something about this. I'm just wondering. That, you know, we we pay a federal lobbyist in Washington, D.C. and we do have. As Councilmember re noted, we have a congressional representative in D.C.. He maybe we have some local representatives there right now. But the I I'm just wondering, you know, time wise, how long it would take to get a committee set up and started. And maybe it's a we take a kind of a shotgun approach and operate on more than one friend at a time. But I, I would at least like to know what is possible to be done from a lobbying level, the federal the federal government, because it's I think what we want is to get some make an impact and get some decisions made sooner rather than later. So I just would like to know the most expedited way to do that and effective way. I swear. For that reason. For the reason that councilmember disorganized. Councilmember Ashcraft said as well, I would like to support this because this direction is to have this city manager prepare an analysis. And. And a recommendation with regard to stating this. Committee a. Once upon a time with action. So I'm curious to hear what the outcome is. So I make the motion that we. Have it looked into as requested in this Council. Referral. For a second. I'll second it. And I might also add that yeah, I think you know, it could all to get it could be parallel tracks of working with the uh, with a lobbyist. But I also think, and I suspect the city manager's staff know it worked closely with people like Walt Jacobs or Dave Needle, I mean, or Barbara to layer. They've got some ideas out as to how we might proceed most effectively. And and they see a table that will soon open up and is and they just want to make sure that in the same way that the FAA has been accommodating people on the peninsula, that people on the East Bay area, that perhaps we join up on that table, that that's been opened up for the people in peninsula. So I'd like to speak on this. And so when you're done. Okay, you go ahead. You want to go ahead? That's right. So I haven't spoken before. You made your motion, but I'd like to weigh in that I support this, but I'm not familiar with what the dormant airport operations committee was. So I would like it when it comes back that it brings whatever, however. But that was how it was composed, whatever documentation we have as to that. So I did have a conversation with Councilmember De Saag on this matter. But I think from our perspective, and I don't know a ton about this, just what I've been learning in the last couple of weeks, there are about six committees that we monitor, and that's very time intensive for our staff. Doesn't mean that this is not important, and I think it is important. And I think as Councilmember De Saag said, I think we would need to rely heavily on these citizen citizens who have this expertize. And I think absolutely, as Councilmember Ashcroft said, we would probably want to connect our citizens with our lobbyists and our representatives. But I just also want you all to realize there are about six committees that we monitor just on airport noise. And it is, you know, we have limited capability to continue to, um, um, add to that. And in fact, I want to add when I was in D.C. for that U.S. Mayors conference, we had a speaker come and say that the mayor of San Leandro was connecting with the FAA and she reached out to include me to do that. However, we got snowed out. So what she's tried to do is set up a phone conference to hook up with the FAA and stuff will be part of that. That might be an act for this. Share that. It just seems to me that it would be logical to probably join it. But and notwithstanding what you said, Councilmember de SAC, about the port having its own interests, but, you know, the airspace that these jets fly over doesn't just go along city limits. And so there is strength in numbers. So maybe we want to look at what San Leandro and Oakland and whoever the you know, our neighbors who are also affected are are doing and, you know, get a little stronger in in. Concert with our our colleagues. So I agree with that. All right. So we have a motion you want to make. Okay. All those in favor. I. All right. So thank you on that one. The next line be. Can we move to the special meeting? Is that okay? Let's just move this agenda item. Yes. It's 230 in the morning. I'll move to do that. You went under. February 24th. Yeah. Or. It'll be 230 in the morning again. I got it. We got a media.