CV MAC General Purpose Meeting Recap: 9-15-2014
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 Perspective on MACs From Another MAC
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. …
The Eight Elected MACs of Stanislaus County
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 …
The History of “Castro Valley Tan”
“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 …
The Missing Sidewalks of Castro Valley
If you’re walking around Castro Valley, one of the first things you notice is that it’s not particularly friendly to pedestrians. At the 2014 Castro Valley Pride event, we asked attendees what mattered to them in Castro Valley, and sidewalks was one of the top mentions. We’ve previously covered how …
Recap of the MAC Land Use Meeting
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 …
Where to Save on Sales Tax
Note: This is the second post in a series about sales taxes and how they apply to unincorporated areas like Castro Valley. Click here for the first post. How far would you travel to save $20 when you purchase your next flat screen TV? If you’re like me, you’re looking forward to football …
MACs and “MAC Equivalents” Serve 1.4 Million Californians
In a blog post from last month, I asked “What is the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), Anyway?” After a recent Eden Area Livability Initiative Governance Planning Group Meeting, where Alameda County presented a short list of other Municipal Advisory Councils (MACs) around California, I started asking “How many …
Proctor Court and Neighborhood Concerns
UPDATE: The Proctor Court Development will be addressed at the MAC Meeting on Monday, September 8. This Monday, August 25, the Castro Valley community will hear the latest plan for the “Proctor Court” Development. The project has come before the MAC two previous times and each MAC meeting resulted in …
EALI Education Working Group: Update from August Meeting
The Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) Education Working group met for the fourth time on Tuesday, August 19, 2014, in this second phase of the EALI II process. The following goal rose to the top from the charrette in November: Advocate and provide avenues for increasing resources and opportunities for …