Uncategorized

Community Challenges Courtney Ruby’s Audit

Published

13 years ago

April 5, 2013

Oakland Post

Heather Ehmke

By Ken A. Epstein

Community members and local leaders spoke out out this week at the first City Council meeting since Auditor Courtney Ruby released a report targeting Councilmembers Desley Brooks and Larry Reid for interfering with city staff.
While the main issues on the agenda concerned the city’s new budget, over 91 speakers had signed up for the Open Forum part of the meeting. Many of those who spoke challenged the methods and conclusions reached by Ruby in her March 21 audit.
“The auditor’s report, as far as we are concerned, was false. (There weren’t) any facts in that report,” said Len Turner, president of Turner Group Construction.
The audit charged that Reid and Brooks in 2011 interfered with city staff, attempting to steer a contract worth at least $2 million to Turner Group, a local minority-owned construction company.
“The auditor never gave us an opportunity to speak to those false accusations,” Turner said. The report talks about favoritism, he said, but “Turner Group… has only received two contracts from the city in the last five years, each equally less than $50,000.”
At the time the contract was being negotiated, he said, “We met with about everyone on the council about the Army Base project,” including Councilmember Pat Kernighan, who is currently council president.
“Hopefully, you have received our rebuttal from our attorney,” he said.
“I think we are getting the message about your feelings about the auditor’s report, said Kernighan in response to Turner.
Derek Barrett, president of the National Association of Minority Contactors, Northern California chapter, said the audit was unfair.
“I’m awfully discouraged with that rush to judgment concerning one of our local minority contactors,” said Barrett, who is a painting contractor in Oakland.
“Turner Group Construction has been a solid contractor. We feel that there has been unfair treatment due to the fact that you didn’t even get their side of the story.”
“Councilmember Reid and Councilmember Brooks, we thank you for caring that there is fair participation with the local (small businesses),” he said.
City labor leader Dwight McElroy, who attended the council meeting with hundreds of members to demand raises, also defended the two council members.
Speaking of “Brother Reid and Sister Brooks, there’s a smell that’s emanating from the accusations that (are being made), and the smell is not coming from either one of them,” said McElroy, a city public works employee and Oakland chapter president of SEIU 1021.
“The city’s auditors report falls far short of the truth,” said Tom Chasm of Urban Recycling Solutions, alleging that issues of interference originated from Phil Tagami, master developer of the Army Base development project.

Derek Barrett

According to Chasm, his company was working to bring recycled dirt for Army Base cleanup at no cost to the city, and the staff was encouraging him.
“We were told in August (2012) that things changed,” he said, “that the developer had other plans to import fill, barging 2,800,000 tons of soil at a cost of $40 to $50 million.”
“You ought to investigate why the developer is not creating jobs and saving this town $50 million,” said Chasm.
Heather Ehmke challenged Kernighan for statements attributed to her in the media that the City Council should develop a process for censuring council members.
“The audit report was reckless and unsupported by evidence. If there was a crime council members should know before this is released to the media. No evidence was quoted or cited in the report,” said Ehmke.
“There was no crime for anyone to be censured (about).”
“There was no crime for anyone to be censured (about),” said Ehmke.

Oakland Post

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Uncategorized

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.