Message to Residents from Emeryville Council Member Jennifer West: Public Input and Community Participation

West Seeks Community Input/Participation in Transit Center Public Hearing, I-80 Pedestrian-Bike Bridge Workshop, ECCL, "Shortest Triathlon", and Cooperative Grocery

Dear Emeryville neighbors,

This is my second letter to you since taking office in November 2009. My purpose in writing you is to inform you of upcoming city council actions, provide transparency about the city process and to ask for your input and participation. I encourage you to reply to me about something that is important to you. The best ways to contact me are by email at emeryvillewest@gmail.com or by phone at (510) 420-5795. Of course, if you see me in the park, or at the grocery store, please introduce yourself!

My topics for this email include events for public input and organizations or activities for community participation: Transit Center Public Hearing, I-80 Ped/Bike Bridge Community Workshop, ECCL living room conversations, the Shortest Triathlon, and joining the COG.

Vital Public Input (the City Council needs to hear from you!):

Public Hearing on the Transit Center Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010, 7:16 p.m., City Council Chambers, City Hall (corner of Park Ave. and Hollis)

This development project (conditional use permit and design review) was not approved by the Planning Commission on January 28, 2010, and the City Council appealed that decision to itself for a public hearing this Tuesday. I was the only council member who voted against appealing the P.C. decision because the developer could appeal the decision. I know that there are people in town who have been following this project and who have opinions on the scale and transit nature of the building. Wareham Development has built many buildings in this area of town, including the Terraces, the Amtrak Station, Emery Station I, Emery Station East and North, and some of the Novartis buildings. They are about to begin on the Emery Greenway project at the corner of Powell and Hollis. The “Transit Center” is planned for the Amtrak parking lot site on Horton Blvd., and will be a 163 foot high building (9 stories) with parking below, an office/bio-tech building, and bus bays for folks to connect to from Amtrak. The Heritage Square Parking Garage (7 stories, 73 feet high) is planned for the corner of Horton and 62nd St. This combined project will create an additional 528 parking spaces on our designated bike blvd, bringing the total to over 800 spaces for cars. Please go to the city’s website to read more about the project in our staff report (warning: that file is extremely large) which is under city council agenda for March 2, 2010.

I ran for city council to change the way large development projects happen in town, making sure that residents are getting tangible benefits from the public money that is spent. For this project, our Redevelopment Agency is putting in money to help clean up the toxic site (up to $3 million), paying for the replacement of the public parking spaces (around $2-$3 million), and there is federal money being spent on the plaza improvements (close to $1 million). There are public benefits from the project, including job creation, a public plaza at the end of 59th St., new tax revenues, a new elevator to the bridge over the train tracks, a new traffic signal at 62nd and Hollis, and bike valet parking. What do you think about the balance of benefits and costs? I am asking you to send a message to the entire city council (you can access a form on the city of Emeryville’s website) if you have an opinion in support of or in opposition to this project. Even better, please attend the public hearing and make your voice heard!

I-80 Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge Community workshop: Weds, Feb. 24, 6:30-8:30, City Council Chambers

Are you someone who wishes you didn’t have to go all the way to Berkeley to ride safely to the Bay trail? We are planning for a new pedestrian and bike bridge to cross I-80 at the west end of 65th St., and would like your input. Please come, learn about the 3 bridge alignments that are proposed, hear about the process and timeline, and also give direct feedback to staff on the plan that makes the most sense to you. See you there!

Emeryville Center for Community Life Living Room Conversations, March 6-10, 2010

The Center for Community Life is a significant undertaking for our small town and school district. This year is time for us to scale back the project from the original $125 million concept and gauge what level of community support exists before putting a school bond measure on the ballot. This joint use facility that would include schools, a rec center, a library and community services needs your input! It will be stronger with the inclusion of residents’ ideas. For a week in March, folks will be meeting in living rooms, community rooms, and cafes to talk in small groups about how to refine or influence this project. Please try to find a group that fits your schedule and make sure your ideas are incorporated. The conversations will be facilitated and will include an elected official and staff. Gather your neighbors and host one! Please don’t miss this opportunity to be involved.

Building Community at events and organizations: April 17, 2010 Shortest Triathlon, 8:00 a.m., begins at the Emery Secondary School Pool, ends at City Hall

Come join me! Last year I completed my very first triathlon in about 45 minutes. This year, because I am one year older, I hope to do it in 46 minutes. It was a great event, and I loved seeing people I knew there, participating and cheering everyone on. You, too, can do it! Some folks are competitive, others are just hoping to finish. Proceeds will support wellness programs in the Emery Schools. Register at Active.com. Later that day: Earth Day in Emeryville on 47th St. and Temescal Creek Park at noon.

The Cooperative Grocery, aka the COG, 1450 67th St.

Want to spend less money on your groceries? Want to know that you are buying from local companies? Want to be a part of a community that believes in sustainable production? The COG is right here in Emeryville, at Hollis and 67th St. I knew about it because I pick up my Full Belly Farm weekly vegetable box there every Friday. Now that I have joined the member supported grocery store, I find I save money on non-perishable items I used to buy elsewhere. Plus, I really enjoy meeting the people who are members. Check it out at thecog.org, and feel free to ask me questions about this fantastic opportunity to shop here in Emeryville and support a non-profit organization selling quality food.

Thanks for reading my newsletter, and please, respond to me with any feedback or if you would like to be removed. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Sincerely,
Jennifer West
Emeryville City Council Member
emeryvillewest@gmail.com
(510) 420-5795

Superintendant Explains Senior Parcel Tax Exemption Snafu

Below is the text of a letter sent by John Sugiyama, superintendant of the Emery Unified School District, to Shirley Enomoto, author of the previous post regarding the parcel tax exemption for seniors.

Hello Shirley!

Thank you for your patience in receiving this reply to your inquiry regarding the notification of Emeryville parcel owners regarding the senior exemption provision of Measure A. We have researched this issue extensively and finally have information that we believe is accurate. Hopefully this information will be helpful to you.

1. Contrary to what we understood previously, the letter notifying parcel owners of the senior exemption is only mailed to those seniors who have previously applied for the exemption. The letter is not mailed to all parcel owners in Emeryville nor does any law or statute require such a mailing since the notice of senior exemption was clearly stated in the ballot language for Measure A.

2. While the ballot language states, “Any one application from a qualified applicant will provide an exemption for the parcel for the remaining term of the assessment . . . “ the language continues on to state, “ . . . so long as such applicant continues to use the parcel as his or her principal residence.” Therefore, the only way to determine whether an applicant continues to use the parcel as his or her principal residence is for the applicant to re-submit the exemption form on an annual basis. The County Tax Assessor only knows if the parcel has changed hands, not, for example, if a parcel owner moves out and continues to rent the property and claim the exemption (for which they are no longer eligible).

However, given that there are seniors such as yourself who were not 65 at the time the parcel tax was passed and that they may not recall that they are eligible for the senior exemption when they turn 65 years old prior to July 1 of an assessment year, we have directed NBS to mail the notice of the senior exemption letter to every residential parcel owner on record with the County Tax Assessor this April as a reminder for anyone who is 65 years of age prior to July 1, 2010. In this way, we can be sure that every eligible senior will receive notification of the exemption provision in Measure A. Of course, those seniors who have previously filed the exemption request will receive the same letter in early April.

The requirement that the senior exemption be renewed annually will remain for the reasons stated above. For your information, our district along with many other school districts and city governments use NBS to manage their parcel taxes. We have been very pleased with their services and have no reasons to terminate our contract with them. If you are interested in learning more about NBS, their website is www.nbsgov.com.

I want to thank you for bringing the issue of notification of parcel owners about the senior exemption to our attention. As a result of your inquiry, we can now take action to be sure that all residential parcel owners are informed annually of their ability to apply for a senior exemption.

We expect that the letter will be mailed out by NBS sometime in early April. Please e-mail me to let me know that you have received the letter.

Thanks again,

John Sugiyama

Senior Citizens Forced to Re-apply Annually for Tax Exemption, in Violation of City Law

To Boot: Annual Reminder Letters Supposed to Go Out, But Seniors Say They Never Received Them

By Shirley Enomoto

Call it the Benjamin Button effect. Emeryville's School Board is forcing senior citizens to prove they are not getting any younger---every year.

Measure A, the Emeryville school parcel tax, was passed by the voters in 2003. In 2007, it was extended another 10 years to July, 2019.

The text of the measure reads:
"(iii) an exemption from the special tax will be made available to each property owner in the District who will attain the age of 65 years prior to July 1 of the assessment year, who owns a beneficial interest in the parcel, who uses that parcel as his or her principle place of residence and who applies to the District on or before July 1, 2007, or July 1 of any succeeding assessment year. Any one application from a qualified applicant will provide an exemption for the parcel for the remaining term of the assessment so long as such applicant continues to use the parcel as his or her principle residence. Senior exemptions granted during the term of the current special assessment will continue. In addition, should state law ever permit, there shall be an extension for property exclusively rented or leased to those age 65 years and older."

The application for a waiver is available through the office of the Superintendent of Schools, John Sugiyama, at 4727 San Pablo Avenue, Emeryville, 94608.

A letter of explanation from NBS, a consulting firm in Temecula, CA, states:
"this exemption must be renewed by application each year and must be received at the Emery Unified School District offices by noon on July 1, 2009, to be eligible for the exemption. Please note that this exemption must be requested and renewed each year."

Mr. Sugiyama says that this letter is sent to all property taxpayers every year, ever since the the passage of Measure A. But the requirement that an application for the exemption must be filed every year following the age of 65 is in direct conflict with the text of the ballot measure.

While I have always supported the school parcel tax, and in fact, have volunteered at the Anna Yates library for four years and annually raise money from family and friends to purchase books and magazines for the library, I feel that this is a devious manner of collecting taxes. I have lived in Emeryville for 13 years and have never received this letter from NBS, nor has anyone else I've asked.

Since this reduction in school parcel taxes directly affects Emeryville's schools, please do all you can to support the schools and by volunteering.

Shirley Enomoto moved to Emeryville 13 years ago, just before the real estate boom, and is now retired. She has seen various buildings demolished to make room for high rises. She has seen how the City appears to give preferential treatment to hotels and commercial developers, while holding small businesses to strict standards over minor issues like signage.