Smoking, Land Swap, Hazard Plan, Commissions — Busy Agenda for City Council

Alameda City Council members are expected to give their quick final approval to a proposed anti-smoking ordinance Tuesday night, while two other "action items" on the agenda — an update to the city's hazard mitigation plan and two surveys about making Alameda's boards and commissions more efficient — look like straightforward municipl housekeeping.

It's anybody's bet, though, what the council will do with Mayor Marie Gilmore's request to revisit a proposed land swap on Harbor Bay Isle.

Council members could direct city staff to seek alternatives to the swap, which would trade the Mif Albright golf course for a chunk of Harbor Bay Business Park property of similar size, as Gilmore is asking them to do. Or they could simply postpone the controversial issue to a future council meeting.

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Natural Disasters

The hazard mitigation plan is both an update and a requirement for receiving federal aid in the event of a major disaster, such as an earthquake or tsunami. If approved, it will be included in the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Report on Taming Natural Disasters and ultimately forwarded to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The updated plan does point up some shortcomings in Alameda's preparations for dealing with a future disasters: several projects are currently stalled for lack of funding. These include relocating and/or replacing the city's Fire Station #3; developing a new emergency operations center; bringing some senior and low-income housing up to current earthquake safety standards; and various shoreline repairs.

Also unfunded are several needed improvements for Alameda Municipal Power. These include providing a backup dispatch operations center; building a seawater surge wall around the Cartwright Substation; and planning for an alternate source of electrical power on the Island in the event of disaster.

Boards and Commissions

Alameda currently has nearly 20 boards and commissions, dealing with everything from Civil Service employment issues to public art. Nearly half of them have vacant seats.

The city is looking at ways to make these bodies — which mainly advise the city council on various issues — more efficient and to reduce the workload for city staff. The council is being asked to approve the next step in the process, surveys of both local residents and members of the boards and commissions. The surveys would ask for respondents' experiences and for suggestions about improving efficiency.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave., following special joint meetings with the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority and the Community Improvement Commission.

You may download complete agendas for those meetings, along with related reports, at the City of Alameda website.