Alameda Sunwww.alamedasun.com
May 28, 2015
11
Make: Commentary asserts city staffers’ ideas don’t have facts in mind
Continued from page 10
performs detailed engineering
reviews for state highway projects
and merely looks at local projects
for general compliance, relying on
the city to provide detailed engineering reviews.
Many who live on the East
End remember the Southwood
and Gibbons School Children
Crossing Grant which Caltrans had
approved. The community spoke
up and resulting in the withdrawal
of the grant. And many of us also
remember the bikeway grant on
Fernside Boulevard that Caltrans
approved in 2001 but then it was
rebuilt a few years later. Saying so
doesn’t make it so.
For a city the size of Alameda,
engineering decisions must be
made every day, yet Alameda’s
licensed engineers who retired or
left city hall have not been replaced
by equally qualified personnel. As
Public Works director, it is highly
probable that Haun is making crucial engineering decisions with no
licensed civil engineers in respon-
Haun can reinvent
and repackage
the details, but
when all is said
and done, there
remains one indisputable fact...
sible charge to review and approve
them and perform the independent checks of consultants like for
the large infrastructure program at
Alameda Point.
Also Haun was the lead preparer from Public Works for a
major city report, and his name is
followed by the credentials “P.E.”
for Professional Engineer. Indeed,
the city’s website lists Haun as a
“P.E.” since 2013 although he is
not a licensed professional engineer in the Alameda Point Final
Environmental Impact Report. (see
Chapter 7 List of Preparers, http://
alamedaca.gov/alameda-point/eir).
This never was corrected even
though the city had been formal-
ly notified of this in October 21,
2013. That is false credentialing
and gross misrepresentation. And
again saying it’s so doesn’t make
it so.
We all would agree that the
public involvement process is a
positive thing; it is always good to
get information out to the public,
as long as it is straightforward
and supported by facts. But public
involvement can never take the
place of the educated assessment
of a licensed engineer trained to
identify and eliminate design flaws
early in the process — before the
designs are fully engineered. This
type of oversight would not add to
taxpayer costs. On the contrary, it
would save taxpayer dollars.
I tried to resolve the lack of
qualified civil engineers regarding
the Clement Avenue Project and
other projects by letter on April
8. In my letter, I included facts
supporting the need for qualified
civil engineers to be in responsible
charge at City Hall, but no action
has been taken to date.
Events: Coming up in weeks ahead
Transportation Commission
member Jesus Vargas also tried in
an April 14 email to Public Works,
stating he did not vote for the
Clement Avenue project because
of its many flaws and that he had
been asking for qualified staff on
the city’s projects for more than
18 months. Residents and business
owners also recognized the major
flaws in the Clement plan and
went before the Transportation
Commission on March 25 to fight
it. None of these actions would
have been necessary if the city had
qualified licensed civil engineers in
responsible charge of the Clement
project.
Haun can reinvent and repackage the details, but when all is said
and done, there remains one indisputable fact: California law requires
that a licensed civil engineer must
be in responsible charge of professional civil engineering work at the
Public Works Department. Saying
the city has them doesn’t make it
so. It doesn’t make us safe. And it
doesn’t make for smart spending of
taxpayer dollars.
Longtime Alameda resident
Eugenie P. Thomson PE is retired
licensed civil and traffic engineer.
THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ALAMEDA
SINCE 1973 HAS BEEN DEDICATED
TO ANIMAL PROTECTION AND PET POPULATION CONTROL
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
to continue our financial assistance to the Alameda Animal Shelter,
our spay and neuter fund and our dedicated programs.
q $20 Individual Membership
q $100 Life Member
q $35 Supporting Member
q $______ A Donation Amount
Send to: H.S.A., P.O. Box 1571, Alameda, CA 94501
www.HSAlameda.org
Name ___________________ Address ______________________________
City _________________________________ Zip ______________________
H.S.A. is now offering FREE animal adoption for Alameda Veterans of the Armed
Services. We continue to offer FREE animal adoptions for Alameda Senior Citizens
living on low incomes. Animal adoptions provided at the Alameda Animal Shelter.
Checks payable to the Humane Society are tax-deductible. We are an all-volunteer 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Continued from page 4
tix: 522-1731 or www.peersdance.
org/doctor2015.html)
n June 7, 4:15 to 5 p.m. New
Acoustic Music: Guitar and vocal
solos by Edie O’Hara. One of a
series of concerts slated for the
first Sunday of each month through
November. Tickets: $10 at the door.
Island Yoga, 911 Central Ave. (Info:
www.jom-songs.com/nam_series)
n June 10, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Artists’
Reception: Celebrate the opening of
Moving Forward, Looking Back, an
exhibit of film to digital photography by Francesca Roccaforte. Free
to the public. Main Branch of the
Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak St.
(Info: 747-7777)
n June 11, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
“Rhythmix Wild West Bingo”: 10
rounds of Bingo: $25. Live entertainment and songs. Doors open
at 6:30. Rhythmix Cultural Works,
2513 Blanding Ave. (Info: 865-5060
or www.rhythmix.org)
n June 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Evening Concert at the Cove: Free
concert featuring Tin Man, a classic rock band playing music from
the 1960s and ’70s. Co-sponsored
by the Alameda Rotary Club and
the East Bay Regional Park District.
Family activities on the deck begin
at 4:30; food and beverages will be
available for purchase. Additional
concerts: July 10 and Aug. 14. Free
for all ages. Crab Cove, 1252 McKay
Ave. (Info: 544-3187)
n June 12, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Artist’s Reception: Celebrate the
opening of Creature Feature, an East
Bay Artists group show. Studio 23,
2309 Encinal Ave.
n June 15, 6 p.m. Regarding
Susan Sontag: A special screening in honor of LGBTQ Pride. Free
to the public. Main Branch of the
Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak St.
(Reservations requested: 217-8527)
n June 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Return of the Terns”: View a nesting site teeming with several hundred pairs of endangered California
least terns and their chicks. A wildlife biologist will be aboard the bus
to interpret behavior and answer
questions. Three trips are planned
for 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Adults and children 8 and older.
Fee: $9; registration required. Crab
Cove, 1252 McKay Ave. (Info: 1-888327-2757, option, 2)
n June 20, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. “The Interview Drill”: Practice
for job interviews. Bring three copies of your resume and three job
descriptions that interest you. Free
for seniors. Main Branch of the
RBC Capital Markets is pleased to announce the sale of the following municipal
bond issue:
$93,000,000*
Alameda Unified School District
$90,000,000*
Election of 2014 General Obligation Bonds, Series A
$3,000,000*
2015 General Obligation Refunding Bonds
Tax Status: Federal and State Tax-Free (Non-AMT)
Underwriters: RBC Capital Markets and Ross, Sinclaire & Associates, LLC
Courtesy photo
Rhythmix Cultural Works’ Wild West Bingo is set for
Thursday, June 11. With the help of sponsor C’era Una
Volta Italian Restaurant, the event has been subtitled
“The Good, The Bad, and The Rudy” in reference to
both the restaurant’s chef and the spaghetti westerns of
decades past. As part of the games, entertainment and
other fun, fresh-made spaghetti will be served.
Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak
St. (Registration: send an email to
[email protected])
n June 21, 1 to 7 p.m. Summer
Art Fair: Live art demonstrations,
40 local artists, music, face painting, “Creature Feature art exhibit
and costume party. Free to the
public. Studio 23, 2309 Encinal Ave.
(Info: www.studio23gallery.com)
n June 28, 7 p.m. Café Flamenco:
Featuring “Mujeres Flamencas.”
Tickets: $20, in advance; $25, at
the door; $12 for children 12 and
younger. Rhythmix Cultural Works,
2513 Blanding Ave. (Info: 865-5060
or www.rhythmix.org)
n July 10, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Evening Concert at the Cove: Free
concert featuring Patron Latin
Rhythms performing Latin music,
with dashes of rock, mambo, R&B
and funk. Co-sponsored by the
Alameda Rotary Club and the East
Bay Regional Park District. Family
activities on the deck begin at 4:30;
food and beverages will be available
for purchase. Additional concert:
Aug. 14. Free for all ages. Crab Cove,
1252 McKay Ave. (Info: 544-3187)
n Aug. 14, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Evening Concert at the Cove: Final
free concert featuring Soulstice
performing California-style reggae. Co-sponsored by the Alameda
Rotary Club and the East Bay
Regional Park District. Family
activities on the deck begin at
4:30; food and beverages will be
available for purchase. Free for all
ages. Crab Cove, 1252 McKay Ave.
(Info: 544-3187)
Underlying Ratings: Aa2 (Moody’s)/AA- (Standard & Poor’s)
Expected Sale Date: June 4, 2015
For all inquiries regarding the purchase of the bonds, please contact:
RBC Wealth Management
Bob Carmichael
1999 Harrison Street Suite 1200
Oakland, CA 94612
510.267.1726
Ross, Sinclaire & Associates LLC
Dave Hart
2504 Santa Clara Ave #8
Alameda CA 94501
510.769.1039
rbcwealthmanagement.com/usa
*Preliminary, subject to change. This offering is federally tax-exempt and not subject to taxation in the State of California. This
announcement is not an offer, solicitation, commitment or recommendation to buy or sell the bonds and does not purport to be a
complete statement of all material facts relating to the bonds. The offering is made only by means of the Official Statement, copies of
which may be obtained from RBC Capital Markets. This communication is not, and under no circumstances should be construed as, a
solicitation to act as securities broker or dealer in any jurisdiction by any person or company that is not legally permitted to carry on the
business of a securities broker or dealer in that jurisdiction. RBC Capital Markets is not acting as a fiduciary or as a municipal, financial,
commodity or investment adviser. The information provided is not intended to be and should not be construed as “advice” within the
meaning of Section 15B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This advertisement is for informational purposes only. RBC Capital
Markets is a registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC Capital Markets is the global brand name for the capital markets
business of Royal Bank of Canada and its affiliates, including RBC Capital Markets, LLC (member FINRA, NYSE and SIPC). ® Registered
trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC Wealth Management is a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC. RBC Wealth Management and
RBC Capital Markets are separate entities. Used under license. © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
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