Speaker Melody Davis: “2 minutes isn’t long enough, we need a day retreat” to talk about the #HowardTerminal project. #oakmtg
Spkr Patricia Lamborn goes over the sordid history of the #HowardTerminal site and says the Draft EIR does not properly address the site’s issues. #oakmtg
UPRR’s Adrian Guerrero: Company still has concerns over #HowardTerminal project, cites UP’s 3 yards in the area. As part of train switching activity, trains stop for up to 45 minutes in front of HT. Grade separation required. #oakmtg
EBASE rep speaking, calls for strong CBA in keeping with statement just published on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/workingeastbay/status/1412836926537617411#HowardTerminal #oakmtg
Evey Hwang: #HowardTerminal project will forever tie Oakland to the Fisher family. Mentions one-percenters. #oakmtg
Carla Collins compares #HowardTerminal to Sacramento’s arena/redevelopment plan. Does not mention public financing. Bigger than baseball. #oakmtg
Zennie is one of the last speakers this round. Now it’s Susan Ransom from SSA Marine. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
Now it @AsHotDog speaking as an economist. Espouses idea that 3,000 new units, even if they’re market rate, will reduce pressure on housing market. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
@AsHotDog Jamar McClain hints at the racial schism between the maritime/shipping trades and the building trades in terms of diversity. 9% Black for the latter? #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
@AsHotDog Zennie and @BleacherDave spoke, plus @linusalf & @burnowt as well. Check their TL’s for their positions. We’re near the end of this comment round, preso’s to begin soon. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
@AsHotDog @Bleacherdave @linusalf @burnowt Mercifully comment period is over. CM Kalb switches to preso’s, no other non-HT agenda items as this is a study session. Kaval up first for his ~10 minutes, then staff. Rep from Port on hand as a panelist to handle questions. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Gallo notes that he has to leave at 2 PM to meet with 2 groups looking to perform at the Coliseum. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kaval preso begins. He talks $12 Billion project, a different vision for the waterfront, failure at Laney, then shift to HT which was 3.5 years ago. A’s will cover all on-site infrastructure. City responsible for off-site, can use TIF for that. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kaval cites concessions: 10 acres removed for widened turning basin, buffer zone on west side where housing isn’t built. Believes in industrial and commercial/residential uses co-existing even though they’re bumping up against each other. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
10 minutes is short for a preso. Kaval offers nothing new or newsworthy. Kaval finished before his time was up. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
Betsy Lake is now presenting for staff. Talking about state of term sheet, will discuss non-relocation agreement. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
An EIFD will be governed by a PFA which handles how the infrastructure money is managed and allotted. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal 
Think of the PFA as a mini-Coliseum JPA built specifically for the #HowardTerminal project. #oakmtg
For those wondering if this is public financing for the EIFD - it is, but it’s backed by the special tax listed below, not the City’s general fund. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Maybrun says #HowardTerminal gets $73,000/year in property tax revenue in its current use. #oakmtg
If the projections are this rosy for converting industrial land to residential/commercial, why wouldn’t Oakland do this everywhere? (seriously) #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Maybrun says staff DOES NOT recommend utilizing the offsite IFD mechanism (JLS) the A’s recommended. In the map the thick black line demarcates West Oakland from Downtown Oakland. Formation would require 2/3rds of property owners to opt in for special tax. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Current estimate for onsite infrastructure: $300 MM. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Staff recommends ditching the offsite (JLS) IFD and going with a single IFD for #HowardTerminal. This is partly because of the political difficulty among property owners, partly to get County buy-in. #oakmtg
Terms of non-relocation agreement are mostly boilerplate and agreed to by City and A’s. Length of non-relo is the issue (A’s want 20, City wants 45). #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
@hyphy_republic brought this up earlier this week: It’s weird that a project that threatens to displace some Port operations is leaning so heavily on existing Port community benefits programs. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
@hyphy_republic Maybrun refers to Port to answer questions about Seaport Compatibility Measures. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Staff preso ended. CM Fife asks first question, Is A’s ownership willing to provide private $ towards community benefits? Kaval says yes, through the project. Fife not satisfied with Kaval’s response, neither is Kalb. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
Maybrun: Staff is still waiting for A’s to file some applications as part of development process. Expecting everything to be in by late October, Final EIR hearings could start in November. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
Maybrun: County participation is unknown at this point. City still prefers County to take part. #HowardTerminal #oakmtg
Maybrun: Existing Oaklanders’ property taxes will not be raised unless people live at #HowardTerminal, which as of today no one does. (I assume that’s under single IFD plan) #oakmtg
Pam Kershaw and Matt Davis from @PortofOakland are answering questions in fairly general terms about #HowardTerminal. #oakmtg
@PortofOakland CM Taylor to Kaval: What’s the proposal for bridging the funding gap if the 2nd IFD (JLS) isn’t utilized?
Plus, 20-year non-relo (A’s proposal) seems like poor return for substantial public investment.
#oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Plus, 20-year non-relo (A’s proposal) seems like poor return for substantial public investment.
#oakmtg #HowardTerminal
@PortofOakland Kaval’s response to CM Taylor: Other cities with non-relo agreement also publicly financed their ballparks. #HowardTerminal is different because of private financing.
Team still believes off-site (JLS) IFD is required, can be phased in over time.
#oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Team still believes off-site (JLS) IFD is required, can be phased in over time.
#oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Kalb discusses “non-binding” aspect of term sheet. Though non-binding, there is an implicit notion that the term sheet will guide the deal in the future. Kalb asks if that’s a correct assessment. Maybrun responds that parties can change their minds. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kalb asks if A’s will commit to affordable housing metrics (set asides/impact fees) set by the City. Kaval says that it wants to take a different approach to provide affordable housing. Kalb says that’s a bad precedent, does not support. Taylor/Fife agree. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kalb brings up grade separation including the pedestrian bridge. Maybrun cites transit hub on 2nd Street as a mitigation measure. The vehicular grade separation would be near Market/Brush, is listed as an alternative, not a requirement. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kalb asks Port reps about status of Seaport Compatibility Measures. Who pays? Port’s Davis says it’s an ongoing discussion and negotiation. However he notes that a grade separation, which is a #HowardTerminal mitigation measure, is outside the Port’s jurisdiction. #oakmtg
Port’s Kershaw adds that Port is hesitant to provide a list of items to add to Seaport Compatibility Measures because of those ongoing talks with stakeholders. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Fife adds that she has not had any discussions with the Port and one discussion with the A’s about #HowardTerminal. Makes sure to separate stakeholder talks with City staff from discussions with City Council, which for them this is new info. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kershaw says that incoming property buyers at #HowardTerminal would need to sign a waiver to prevent filing claims against the Port or Port operators for doing business as usual nearby. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Vice Mayor Kaplan chimes in for the first time this session. Says City needs a full transportation assessment before making any agreements. Believes that issues can be resolved. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Staff is asked about EIR certification (for AB 734 standard, not for final EIR cert). Maybrun says approval was obtained in August 2020, lawsuit and governor approval in February 2021. Appeal still open in court. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Maybrun: City may see more litigation as #HowardTerminal project moves forward. #oakmtg
CM Kalb asks about toxics remediation at the #HowardTerminal site. Kershaw says the DTSC does monitoring and gets regular reports.
Important to note that the project will require shipping 90,000 cubic feet of toxic soil off site, probably out of state.
#oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Important to note that the project will require shipping 90,000 cubic feet of toxic soil off site, probably out of state.
#oakmtg #HowardTerminal
And yes, the DTSC was responsible for the lax enforcement of Schnitzer Steel, leading to the settlement and $4 million fine next to #HowardTerminal. #oakmtg
CM Bas asks the A’s to release their traffic study to help inform potentially impacted regions like Chinatown. Kaval replies that OakDOT should release info. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Kalb asks to show the closing slide of the staff preso: #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
https://twitter.com/CaseyPrattABC7/status/1412893562811809795
VM Kaplan brings up how West Oakland was destroyed by major infrastructure projects. Just because it benefits city/region doesn’t mean it won’t adversely impact community. Single IFD is more defensible than off-site. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
VM Kaplan also says many of the vacant spaces/storefronts at JLS were applications rejected by the State Lands Commission. Guess who makes the final call on #HowardTerminal? That’s right, the SLC. She gets a dig at A’s ownership - who’s going to Vegas again - at the end. #oakmtg
CM Reid speaks: Was shocked by A’s unprofessional negotiation-by-tweet strategy. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Reid asks about the buffer next to Schnitzer Steel. Maybrun says those blocks would be reserved for parking and office uses. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Taylor asks what specifc amount is needed to fund the infrastructure requirements and maintenance at #HowardTerminal. Maybrun says it comes to $10.3 MM per year. City would realize $25.6 MM net of those costs. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Fife asks staff what happens to Project works if County doesn’t participate in IFD. Maybrun says she doesn’t know. Public won’t know until September when County votes. Kaval says there are ways to make offsite IFD work without County. Fife is skeptical. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
CM Fife admonishes Kaval for going the social media route the last few weeks. She is holding a town hall on #HowardTerminal on 7/17. #oakmtg
CM Kalb asks Kaval if there will be some sort of legally binding agreement for #HowardTerminal’s environmental stewardship. Kaval says it’s written in AB 734. Kalb says he read it, expects A’s commitment to go beyond that. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kaval says that TODAY (3:30 PM) the A’s filed a Clean Air Act lawsuit against Schnitzer Steel. Kalb asks if there is an agreement that goes beyond AB 734. Staff will check and respond. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kalb: Prior to April 2021 I thought City staff and the A’s would present the proposal together for the Council to approve. Term sheet and what City had were very different. What efforts are the A’s willing to make to ensure that both are on the same page? #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kaval: We’ve already put out a great proposal. You have to understand we’re not going to give everything away. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kalb: $450 million in community benefits sounds great at first. Over 66 years it doesn’t sound that great. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Kalb final comment: I’ve read dozens and dozens of EIRs. If I don’t see substantive responses and mitigations to comments, I’m not going to approve the EIR. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Presentation is over. Now they’re going to open forum! 1 minute each. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
Comments are over. On to the 7/20 City Council meeting and vote. This session adjourned. I didn’t catch whatever the last speaker said that caused him to get dumped. #oakmtg #HowardTerminal
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