City Government
Council Approves Funds for Job Services to Crisis Impacted Workers
Councilmembers voted unanimously near midnight at this week’s City Council meeting to give federal CARES funding to local job training agencies in light of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 virus on workers’ jobs in Oakland.
Oakland residents are dealing with a double-digit unemployment rate that is much higher than the national rate.
Councilmember Larry Reid made the motion at Tuesday’s meeting, seconded by City Council Pres. Rebecca Kaplan to provide $200,000 to support extended job services at the Oakland Private Industry Council (PIC), which is the city’s one-stop career center operation and $100,000 to Lao Family Community Development.
According to the federal government, the CARES Act provides fast and direct economic assistance for American workers and families, small businesses, and preserves jobs for American industries.
So far, the city administration has not provided information on how much money has been spent to date. Under federal guidelines, all the funds must be expended by Dec. 31, 2020.
“One of the big negative impacts of COVID is job loss, which is disproportionately impacting African Americans,” said Kaplan in an interview with the Oakland Post.
“Therefore, there is an urgent need for an increase in jobs programs and assistance for people facing these needs. This is why I worked for and passed direction to prioritize funding for vitally needed jobs programs in the use of available CARES Act funds in Oakland.”
Added Councilmember Loren Taylor, “We have a number of people who have been out of work or underemployed for a while, and in this crisis they have limited job prospects in the industries where they used to work. The city has to provide the services that will help them become productive for themselves and their families.”
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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