Governance

The June 2014 Primary Election Report for Castro Valley

Yesterday, voters across California went to the polls — or trusted that their mailed-in ballots were counted — for the primaries. California’s open primary system means that voters need not stick to one party on their primary ballot. It also means that only the top two vote-getters move on to …

Governance
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Castro Valley Governance Issues to be Addressed at EALI

It’s not too late to be part of the EALI Process Check out the agenda for the Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) governance meeting tonight (Thursday, May 8, 2014) at 6:30 PM at the Castro Valley Library, and join me and others from Castro Valley Matters in participating in this meeting. It was …

Governance

California Senate Bill 1129 affects the Town Square Proposal

California Senate Bill 1129, which would reduce the hurdles in transferring former redevelopment properties for a public use, will be back in the spotlight on May 5, 2014, when the Senate Appropriations Committee holds a hearing at 1:00 PM in Sacramento to discuss the bill’s fiscal impact. This legislation could make …

Governance

Meeting Summary: EALI Agriculture/Environment Working Group

The Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) Environment/Agriculture working group held their second meeting of 2014 on April 17 at the Castro Valley Library. During this meeting, we discussed the progress made during the March meeting, and continued with the editing and fleshing out of the specific projects for the unincorporated …

Featured Story
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A few words from Castro Valley Matters

In a letter to the editor (above) published in the April 23, 2014 edition of The Castro Valley Forum, Marc Crawford, Chair of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), accused Castro Valley Matters volunteers of vandalism and anonymous online attacks against him and Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley. When …

Governance
1

Mr. Kusiak goes to Sacramento re: California Senate Bill 1129

California Senate Bill 1129, co-authored by Castro Valley’s State Senator Ellen Corbett, would reduce the hurdles in transferring former redevelopment properties, like the Daughtrey’s Building site, for a public use, such as a town square. The Senate Governance and Finance Committee starts is holding a hearing about SB 1129 at 9:30 this morning.  At some point …

Featured Story
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California Senate Bill 1129, Castro Valley, and You

On April 9, the California Senate Governance and Finance Committee will have a hearing on  California Senate Bill 1129. We’ve mentioned this bill before, but its passage could be hugely beneficial to Castro Valley, and to the town square proposal. The 2012 dissolution of the California redevelopment agencies has been …

Governance
1

“Embarrassed” by Castro Valley MAC Chair at Town Square Meeting

An open letter to the Chair of the Castro Valley MAC originally published as a letter to the editor of the Castro Valley Forum: There have been times when I have supported you, and times when I’ve disagreed with you. During the March 17 Castro Valley MAC meeting, I was …

Governance
3

Redevelopment Plan Revised, Path for Town Square Plan Created

The Alameda County Redevelopment Successor Agency Oversight Board voted on Wednesday to revise the Long Range Property Management Plan (LRPMP) so that a public use (e.g. a town square) will be considered for the Daughtrey’s site as the complicated process of wrapping up the affairs of over 400 redevelopment agencies in …

Governance
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Town Square Discussion at MAC Meeting Raises More Questions

“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.” – Thomas Pynchon Tuesday night’s Castro Valley MAC Meeting left us with more questions than answers. I will try to list many of these questions here, going from more general questions on governance to …