City Government
OMSS $25-Million Army Base Development Will Hire 300 Local Workers
In its marathon negotiations with the city, Oakland Maritime Support Services (OMSS) owned by Bill Aboudi has faced countless obstacles over many years, even after the City Council approved an agreement.
But this week, Aboudi finally signed a 55-year lease with the City of Oakland to develop 17 acres of land on the Oakland Army Base to provide truck parking, related trucking services and jobs to local residents.
This victory means much more than a 24-hour a day service for truckers traveling through the Port, providing parking space other than West Oakland neighborhoods for polluting big rigs.
The OMSS development means construction jobs for Oakland workers and a place for dozens of small businesses to operate and provide for their families.
This Army Base Development will provide 300 permanent and construction jobs for Oakland residents and pledges to invest in the minority community. Expected to start in 2015, the project is an OMSS partnership with Turner Group Construction and other local and minority firms.
The 17-acre facility will be a model for ports all over the country, said Dexter Vizinau, a consultant for OMSS who has been working on this deal with the city for seven years.
“It’s important that African American businesses in Oakland be able to take advantage of the opportunity the army base development means to the city and the community,” he said in a prepared statement.
“West Oakland must be less impacted by the activities of the port, and we will do our part to ensure the trucking community stays out of the neighborhoods,” he continued.
A critical environmental benefit in the project is that the city has granted OMSS the exclusive right to sell truck fuel on the Army Base for 10 years, designed to encourage trucks to buy gas on the base rather than driving into neighborhoods for fuel. OMSS has agreed to donate a portion of these sales to local nonprofits.
Vizinau acknowledged Councilmembers Lynette McElhaney, Larry Reid, Desley Brooks and Rebecca Kaplan for their support of the project, calling McElhaney “our champion against tremendous odds.”
“There have been so many challenges getting (the contract) over the hurdles,” said McElhaney. “I have continued to push for Bill Aboudi to get what he needs, to make sure his contract mirrored the same kind of considerations we have given to Master Developer Phil Tagami. Fair is fair.”
“I’m confident of Bill’s commitment to hire Oakland. To turn local opportunities into jobs,” she said.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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