Monday’s Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meeting attracted a crowd of about 75 people , many of whom were there to comment on potential solutions to pedestrian and bicyclist issues on Anita and Somerset Avenues (see Item IV. from this week’s MAC agenda). Alameda County Public Works Agency Director Art Carrera presented on the scope and costs …

Castro Valley could elect its Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) at a fraction of the cost asserted by Alameda County officials at recent Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) Governance Working Group meetings. Based on research of elections within Alameda County and throughout the State of California coupled with  publicly available information, something …

Castro Valley faces a subtle uphill battle when competing for Alameda County resources. We’ve covered how Castro Valley sales tax doesn’t stay in Castro Valley, but what about other allocations? How do we make sure Castro Valley receives allocations from county and state measures? There are a lot of advocacy …

At the regular Alameda County Board of Supervisors Meeting on September 23rd, the Board unanimously voted (at District 4 Supervisor Nate Miley’s urging) to reappoint Marc Crawford to the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council. Castro Valley resident Steve Dimick, who is not a member of Castro Valley Matters, expressed discomfort with the …

One of the ideas being examined by the Eden Area Livability Initiative is that of having the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) be an elected body rather than an appointed one.  The County has reported that this would be very expensive, and not “economically feasible.”  In a previous article, …

Monday night saw another lively meeting of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (CV MAC) in front of about 20 local citizens at the Castro Valley Library.  Those in attendance were lucky enough to hear talk about local topics ranging from ethics and storm drains, to squirrels and vaping. Public …

A Brief Comparison of Two Unincorporated Communities: Castro Valley and Salida Guest Post by Katherine Borges, Salida Municipal Advisory Council Chair When I tell people that Castro Valley is unincorporated, they are shocked. Its locality, its amenities, and especially its size, all lend to the appearance of an incorporated city. …

One of the goals of the Eden Area Liveability Initiative (EALI) is to “enhance local governance.”  To that end, the EALI Governance Working Group has been evaluating alternate methods of local governance in Castro Valley, and the entire Eden area.  One scenario being looked at is to change our existing Castro …

“Why is Castro Valley Boulevard so tan?”  Many people have spoken up complaining about the overall drabness in our Downtown business district.  How did this come to be?  Why is colorfulness discouraged, and remodeled buildings are awash in “50 Shades of Beige?”  Lets take a look at the history. Castro …

On Monday night, a capacity crowd jammed into the Castro Valley Library to attend the latest Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meeting. The “Public Comment” section was very diverse.  Topics covered the entire Valley spectrum and included the ongoing garbage situation in the Canyonlands, as well as a downed …