10/31/00 Public Works Committee Meeting Summary
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10/31/00 Public Works Committee Meeting Summary |
Considering the time and date, there was a good show of Oakland residents at the Public Works Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 31st. There were a dozen speakers and many more bodies in the meeting room, all supporting the replacement and/or repair and maintenance of the City owned stairways. To everyone who gave up their afternoon to attend the meeting, thank you for your vital support!
We were heard. In addition to the excellent comments made by stairs supporters, our stairs video documentary was shown and seemed to have a positive impact on the councilmembers and other public officials in attendence. Councilmember Chang's comment was "a picture is worth a thousand words."
We would also like to extend a special thanks to Councilmember Dick Spees for his leadership on this issue. He was responsible for stepping up the timing of the initial stairs report, apparently in order to get the stairs into the upcoming budget discussions. Councilmember Spees also demonstrated his concern and support for repair and maintenance of the public stairways in his comments throughout the meeting. Additionally, thanks to his office, and particularly his assistant Niccolo De Luca, the stairs video was shown at the meeting and live on KTOP, our local public access channel.
The city council members who participated in the Committee meeting seemed responsive to our calls for action. They requested that the Public Works Department (headed by Claudette Ford), submit a detailed report on repair and/or replacement of the "top ten" stairways in Oakland. It is our understanding that the Thornhill/Merriewood stairs are on that list. The report could be ready for the Public Works Committee meeting on December 5th. We'll keep you posted as we hear more.
Following the reading of the "top ten" report in December, the council members are requested to go back to their constituents and determine whether the recommendations of the Public Works Department (PWD) staff are in line with the community needs. We're not certain what type of forum this public input into the project will have, but once again, we'll keep you posted.
It seems that now we have several tasks at hand. First of all, we need to keep the pressure on. We don't want our stairways to get lost in the end of year shuffle. Now that there is a little bit of momentum, let's make it clear that we expect action NOW, not years down the line.
Secondly, we need to let Councilmember Spees know what we're after, specifically. There is a HUGE cost differential between wooden versus concrete stairs, for example. The PWD has demonstrated time and time again that they are completely out of touch with the community needs. Let's not leave these big decisions entirely up to their recommendation(s). If what we're looking for is a basic set of wooden stairs (and functional handrails) to replace the current rotting ones, let's say so. If there are stairways that only need some serious pruning and some repair work, that's a good thing to note too. Councilmember Spees shared his interest in making this a community project. If you are so inclined, let him know how you could or would be willing to assist in a stair rebuilding/repairing project. Community involvement on this level could really help move this project off of the back burners.
Finally, the time is ripe for all Oakland residents who use public pathways to speak out. The PWD will eventually be assessing each of the 75 stairways and pathways in Oakland on a case by case basis and making recommendations to the City Council for repair, replacement or abandonment. If you know of other stairs or pathways that are an important part of the community infrastructure, let your voice be heard. Tell friends around the city who may not know their pedestrian access routes are at risk. Use one-click addressing to send a message to the important folks in our city government who need to know your opinion.
Good work everybody! Our representatives on the city council (Spees and Chang) and the rest of the Public Works Committee heard us loud and clear. We want the Thornhill/Merriewood stairways repaired or replaced. We DO NOT want them barricaded and abandoned. With any luck, we're on our way to a safe set of new stairs.