From: Shelby S
To: City Clerk; Trish Spencer; Malia Vella; Tracy Jensen; Tony Daysog Subject: [EXTERNAL] for comment on 5E Jean Sweeney/ Suarez Construction--removed from consent so public can review its not even a "first" reading.
Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 2:48:43 PM
RE the Suarez contract and the Jean Sweeney Trail Extension. I would like more information about this nearly $1 million project, and it should be taken off the consent calendar due to lack of information. (I'm sure the info is somewhere, but its not with the agenda materials).
This is a surprise item that has not been properly reviewed and the agenda materials are insufficient, so it should be taken off the consent calendar and NOT passed tonight as it doesn't even constitute a first reading..
The agenda materials are sorely lacking, and the only information I could find about the project was on the City website:
"...construction of four trail connections within Sweeney Park in Alameda, California.
The two northern trail connections (N-1 and N-2) will be constructed from the Marina Village Business Park to the existing Cross Alameda Trail, and the two southern trail connections (S-1 and S-2) will be constructed from the Cross Alameda Trail to residential streets (8th Street and Wood Street)."
https://www.alamedaca.gov/BUSINESS/Bid-on-City-Contracts/Specifications-and-Plans-for-Jean-Sweeney-Open-Space- Park-Trail-Connectors
**none of the four "Segments" mentioned above are described on the City's site called "Cross Alameda Trail overall"-- so its very confusing.
See:
https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Planning-Building-and-Transportation/Transportation/Cross- Alameda-Trail
Also, my PRA request timely revealed only the following: "The City is in need of the following services: construction of four trail connections within Jean Sweeney Open Space Park in Alameda, California. City staff issued an IFB on October 19, 2023, after a submittal period of 27 days received Eight (8) timely submitted bids, and the bids were opened on November 15, 2023. Staff reviewed the bids and selected the lowest responsive and responsible bidder "
The public has not yet reviewed this project, and the materials are dismissively obfuscating.
For example we need information and time to review the following:
1. CEQA.
This item is not exempt from CEQA, and there is no way to tell if the proper environmental review was conducted because the CEQA documentation has not been made available to the public, so the City as usual is not compliant with CEQA (surprise!)
2. How about a Map?
There is no map or anything informative on this item so there is no way for the public to evaluate the Project.--we need this info with the Agenda Materials.
3. Trees and contaminated Soil
a. what trees are to be removed ? (or saved?)
b. what the soil is contaminated with and where it is being removed from? c. the source of the complete budget (I thought there was a $2 million grant) d. and...??
4. What about the West Entrance?
I have been tracking my PRA request about the Thau Way parcel, and the former Food Bank parcel should have been rightly turned over to the Park at least 3 years ago according to Amy Pinocchio Wooldridge (see PRA23-438) AND you have already received the grant money to do it so...
5. Sneaky Sneaky--Community and Public input lacking (surprise!) Last I heard the residents on the above streets mentioned in the description-not- included-with-the-agenda were none too happy about the increase in traffic to their currently nearly private dead end streets, so this seems a little sneaky to me.
Please take this off the consent calendar and allow the public to properly review this project.
Thanks,
Shelby Sheehan
member of the public you are supposed to be serving