City Council November 29, 2022
AGENDA REPORT TO: Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas FROM: Mayor Libby Schaaf Members of the City Council City Administrator Ed Reiskin SUBJECT: Shop Safe Oakland and Downtown Safety Enhancements DATE: November 23, 2022 RECOMMENDATION Mayor Libby Schaaf and City Administrator Ed Reiskin recommend that the City Council approve the following: A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE GRANT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE GRANTEES LISTED IN TABLE 1 TO THIS RESOLUTION FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($779,000) TO (1) IMMEDIATELY ENHANCE SECURITY AMBASSADOR AND PERSONNEL PROGRAMS DURING THE 2022 HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON IN NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING AREAS; (2) ENHANCE DOWNTOWN SECURITY AND SAFETY FOR RETURNING WORKERS AND VISITORS FOR THE FOR THE NEXT 90 DAYS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE AMOUNTS STATED IN TABLE 1; AND (3) ALLOCATING SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND ($75,000) DOLLARS TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FUND (1010), ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (85411), FOR EMERGENCY WINDOW REPAIRS REPORT Oakland’s pandemic recovery is in a pivotal moment. We approach the holiday shopping season, which is always a make-or-break time for small businesses but is particularly so following the lean pandemic years. Also, workers and visitors are beginning to return to Downtown offices, shops, restaurants, and bars, but public safety concerns are slowing, and possibly threatening, this important trend. We are very grateful to Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas for scheduling this Special Meeting to authorize rapid grants to our business organizations so they may immediately enhance public safety in our Downtown and in our beloved neighborhood shopping districts. The proposed grant uses come directly from our business organizations themselves over several hours of listening sessions, following a call-to-action from our Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
Subject: Shop Safe Oakland and Downtown Safety Enhancements Date: November 23 Page 2 City Council November 29, 2022
In summary, Shop Safe Oakland grants will: • Immediately expand security ambassador and personnel programs used in neighborhood shopping areas through the holidays. • Provide grants to commercial organizations to help make physical safety improvements. • Expand our Façade and Tenant Improvement Program to include additional funding for rapid broken window replacement grants. Welcome Back Downtown grants will: • Immediately expand security and ambassadors in the downtown commercial district, including the creation of New Nighttime Security Ambassadors. • Expand Nighttime Weekend Traffic Control and Illegal Vending Enforcement. • Provide grants to the Downtown/Uptown Oakland Association for physical safety improvements, including possible expansion of their security camera program. These grants will compliment Oakland Police Department (OPD) operational enhancements including high-visibility patrol presence in commercial areas during key shopping times and enhanced coordination with commercial district ambassadors and security, including regular coordination meetings and shared communications devices. The specific requested grant amounts are: Shop Safe Oakland Initiative – Grants: The following grants would be to enhance Ambassador and Security Programs during the holiday shopping season in Neighborhood Shopping Areas as follows: • A $150,000 grant to the Jack London Improvement District (representing the Oakland BID Alliance), which will serve as fiscal agent for regranting to the following organizations for the following amounts: o Koreatown/Northgate BID (Kono) $20,000 o Temescal/Telegraph BID $20,000 o Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council $20,000 o Jack London Improvement District $20,000 o Dimond Improvement Association $10,000 o Laurel District Association $10,000 o Rockridge District Association $20,000 o Montclair Village Association $10,000 o Lakeshore BID $10,000 o Piedmont Ave Merchants Association $10,000 • A $40,000 grant to the Spanish Speaking Unity Council to serve the Fruitvale commercial district and to serve as fiscal agent for regranting to two additional organizations, broken out as follows: o Spanish Speaking Unity Council $20,000 o Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce $10,000 o The Black Culture Zone $10,000 • An additional $50,000 grant to the BID Alliance/Jack London Improvement District to establish a mini-grant program, open to all Neighborhood Shopping Areas by Subject: Shop Safe Oakland and Downtown Safety Enhancements Date: November 23 Page 3 City Council November 29, 2022
application, to fund additional physical security enhancements such as lighting and cameras. Finally, $75,000 would be added to the City’s Façade and Tenant Improvement funding specifically for emergency broken window repairs; businesses would apply to the City directly for these funds. This fund would be available until all funds have been used. TOTAL: $315,000 for approximately 1 month, through holiday shopping season Welcome Back Downtown Initiative – Grants: Additionally, a $464,000 grant will be directed to the Downtown Oakland Association to enhance Downtown security and safety for returning workers and visitors for the next 3-month period: Additional Ambassador Deployment, including Nighttime $120,000 Traffic Management/Weekend Street Closures $144,000 Physical Security Enhancements, including camera program $200,000 TOTAL:$464,000 for a 3-month demonstration Funding would come from budget surplus and salary savings, almost entirely from the Oakland Police Department. OPD also strongly recommends the City Council deploys a 1-year pilot of the Flock Automated License Plate Reader system, prioritizing high gun violence locations, but that proposal would come to Council separately for discussion and consideration. We recommend you adopt the attached Resolution authorizing the rapid deployment of these specific grants to the listed commercial organizations.