City Government

City Forbids Hazardous Cargo in West Oakland

Published

10 years ago

December 19, 2013

The City of Oakland’s Zoning division has issued a ruling this week forbidding entrepreneur Tom Henderson from establishing a U.S. Customs Exam Station at the old Horizon Beverage in West Oakland to inspect potentially hazardous or explosive cargo that comes into the country through the Port of Oakland.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has given approval but not yet signed contacts to conduct inspections with two local companies: North America 3PL at 1700 20^th St. in Oakland, of which Henderson is CEO, and BOBAC CSF Corp. at 300 Ave. A in Alameda.

In a letter dated Wednesday, Dec. 18, city Zoning Manager Scott Miller told Henderson that his business was forbidden to conduct inspections of hazardous materials or unknown materials. “I understand that the facility is an Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team (inspection site), which conducts inspections for illegal cargo, smuggling, weapons of mass destruction, and other contraband, in addition to being a Trade (site), which conducts inspections for trade violations,” Miller said.

“The city would not be able to issue a zoning clearance for the proposed … facility absent a change to the zoning regulations approved by the City Council or a Major Variance approved by the City Planning Commission,” according to Miller.

A previously issued zoning clearance for the site does not apply to the exam station, he said, because such a clearance only applies to “materials being handled at the site (that are) known to the operator, (but) the fundamental purpose of the (exam station) is to conduct inspections to discover the true nature of materials which may result in the discovery of previously unknown materials.”

Henderson has until Jan. 13 to appeal the city’s ruling, the letter said.

City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney, who represents West Oakland, said she has been receiving emails, letters and petitions from residents who are concerned about the proposed Customs exam station.

“We received (a lot of) calls after the Post ran the story,” said McElhaney. “I think there will continue to be some concern” until the issue is resolved, she said.

Customs inspections conducted by BOBAC, which have already begun in Alameda, are raising concerns of residents of that city.

“Since I first raised the issue at the Alameda City Council meeting of an Anti-Terrorist and Contraband Enforcement Team (A-TCET) site in West Alameda, I have done some more research. What I found is somewhat alarming,” said Alameda resident Irma Garcia-Sinclair, in a Dec. 5 letter published in the Alameda newspaper.

“We residents of West Alameda deserve an answer to (our) questions,” she wrote.

Contacted by the Post, Alameda City Manager John Russo refused to comment on inspections being conducted by BOBAC in his city. Russo “does not want to speak on the issue at this time,” said the person who answered the phone at his office.

The Post has not been able to reach BOBAC for a comment.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.