District 3 Community Meeting: Councilmember Nadel Gathers Input On Stimulus Projects
By Shannon Tracey
On Wednesday, March 25, Councilmember Nancy Nadel hosted a community meeting to involve her constituents in the upcoming decisions about Federal Stimulus funding. With many more potential infrastructure and business development projects in Oakland than can be funded through the stimulus package, Oakland’s city council will have to make some difficult decisions when applying for grants in the months ahead. The funding that has not already been allocated will be distributed through grants, and will focus on economic development as well as infrastructure. Oakland’s budgetary situation is grim, so these grants are critical opportunities for the city to make ends meet and keep providing vital services for our community.
After presentations by city staff and community members about the state of Oakland’s infrastructure and economic needs, “Group discussion” by neighborhood began. Nadel and staff facilitated four small-group brainstorms to gather specifics about where and what needs improvement within District 3. WOBO members from the Grand Lake neighborhood helped “bike lanes on Broadway” on the priority list and many groups mentioned the need for improved transit options for commuting and other trips. The final “share” offered Nadel quite a list of priorities for stimulus funding – and everyone present seemed excited about holding another community meeting soon.
• If you live in Nancy Nadel’s district (West Oakland, downtown, and north Lake Merritt), email Carletta Starks at clstarks@oaklandnet.com to get on the list for future community meeting announcements.
• If you live in another district, find your Councilmember here and find out if he/she is hosting a community meeting, and if not, ask him/her to! We need to let our Councilmembers know what our priorities are, and encourage them to include bikes and pedestrians in their stimulus funding plans.
• Click here to find out more about Oakland’s Bike Plan – that is, the places where the city has already decided to install bike improvements and should be encouraged to fund and implement.
Nancy Nadel (left) participating in the National Mayor's Ride in 2005