Politics & Government

Your City Council--Live: City Goes After Oliva, Names New City Attorney

Follow the Tuesday, August 23 City Council meeting from the bottom of the page up.

7:35, CITY MANAGER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS

Conduct Discussion And Consider The Formation Of A Sycamore North Task Force/Committee Or A Community and Economic Development Citizens’ Advisory Committee--NO ACTION. COUNCIL DID NOT FORM THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BUT AGREED TO HOLD MORE TOWN HALL MEETINGS ON THE PROJECT.

COMMENTS

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Resident Selina Williams (see video) spoke on behalf of a Bayside neighborhood group that has formed out of concern over the Sycamore North project. The group went door-to-door in their community over the weekend. Williams said that on some blocks nearby Sycamore North, nearly half of the houses were vacant. “We’re talking about a community in extreme distress…we’re looking at this project and wondering, what are our tax dollars paying for?”

Resident Toni Leance, “I really think this should be a more global task force on real estate …the city is really acting as a private developer with all this land…most people in municipal government are not experts in private development.”

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Bayside resident Robert Lyles, A task force is ideal. "Community input into what the city will actually look like is the best option..." Lyles said most Bayside residents he talked to supported tearing down Sycamore North's residential floors.

Councilman Dan Romero…I understand that the community wants actions…Until we have those legitimate answers (to legal questions) to bring back to the community, it doesn’t do any good for residents to get together…"

Councilman Gerard Boulanger, ”This s not only a Bayside problem (it’s a citywide) problem.” Boulanger supported forming some type of advisory committee for Sycamore North. 

Councilman William Wilkins, “I understand the city’s concerns...I’m going to rely on the people who are going to buy this to tell us what they want to do with it” and then come back and ask if that’s okay with the community.

Councilman John Delgado, Task force, “I don’t want to see us jeopardizing our lawyer-client privilege…you want us to have all the tools that we can have to deal with this issue.”

Mayor Myrna de Vera, “The past administration has failed fiscally and ethically…because the community was not involved…I would like to see some kind of task force formed…I think we should keep the citizens engaged…of course there’s confidential matters we can’t include…”

Adopt A Resolution Amending Resolution No. 11-095 Authorizing The Implementation Of Government Code Section 20636(c)(4) Pursuant To Section 20691 For Paying And Reporting The Value Of Employer Paid Member Contributions (EPMC) To The Public Employees’ Retirement System For The Following Groups: Mid-Management And Full-Time Teamsters Local 315; Senior Management; Confidential Un-represented Groups And The Hercules Police Officers Association--COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION WITH A 5--0 VOTE

Receive Presentation And Consider Adoption Of A Resolution Supporting The Contra Costa Clean Water Program’s Stormwater Quality Funding Initiative--COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION WITH A 3--2 VOTE with Councimen Dan Romero and Gerard Boulanger decenting.

Presentation from RecycleMore representative, who wants Hercules to join in on a plastic bag ban. Instead of plastic bags, retailers would use paper. Retailers would charge an extra 5 to 10 cents per bag to customers opting for plastic.

NO CONSENT CALENDAR, PUBLIC HEARINGS OR UNFINISHED BUSINESS TONIGHT.

7:22, PUBLIC COMMENT

Citizens Finance Ad Hoc Committee Chair Hector Rubio gives update: The committee is currently looking into lowering costs associated with a lease. The

Phil Simmons, "You folks are doing a pretty fine jobs with the last couple of meetings...tonight, the council meeting is really the Sycamore North meeting...Over the past 60 days, we've had little involvement with the waterfront project." Simmons asks the city to get moving on waterfront environmental documents and negotiations.

Resident Toni Leance, Please with the city's decisions coming out of closed session. Wants to know about the city's dumping policy. "The City of Hercules has dumped a home (in my neighborhood)...People live there, it is the waterfront."

7:10, Sean O'Neal And Marcus Lampley On Achieving The Eagle Scout Rank.

7:10 p.m., CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS

The council has decided to censure Councilman Gerard Boulanger for campaign trail embellishments. Boulanger will be required to pay a $500 fee that will be donated to the library. The maximum fine would be $1,000.

The city has decided to initiate a civil suit against former City Manager Nelson Oliva. 

Resident Patrick Tang was named Hercules' new city attorney.


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