Stop the (re)appointment of Oakland Planning Commission members

agenda link: https://oakland.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=398405&GUID=527768C4-BC1D-49B0-BF91-351C953DB87D

S7.34 Subject: Planning Commission Anointments
From: Office of the Mayor
Recommendation: adopt a resolution confirming the Mayor's reappointment of Emily Weinstein (developer), Adhi Nagral (developer) and the appointment of Amanda Monchamp (lawyer).

Council Member Kalb (dist 1) initiated and Guillen (dist 2) seconded the motion at the recent Rules & Legis Cmte to place this on the consent portion of the City Council meeting rather than have a discussion of these important appointments at one of the regular committee meetings. Rather than have residents comment on appointments to what is arguably one of the most powerful commissions within the municipal corporation of Oakland, they are suggesting this be buried in the consent portion of the full council.

Normally, an appointee's resume is included in the council packet. This resume (or application) is what is typically provided for the mayor to base the initial selection upon. Typically, an "interview" or meeting would be scheduled afterwards.

In general, all but two of the commissioners are an absolute waste of space on this commission. The commission rubberstamps everything that crosses the dias. This is NOT minutiae. Their rubberstamping has massive impacts upon the residents of Oakland and will have massive impacts for generations to come. These chairwarmers have approved all of the Specific Area Plans, Planned Development Areas, stack & pack modern tenements, etc.

Emily Weinstein (developer) and Adhi Nagral (developer) have been a steady ally of the bankers and associated gentrifiers. Amanda Monchamp (lawyer) just happens to be associated with SPUR and is sitting on their new Oakland branch’s Business Membership Committee. SPUR is a front group for foundations, developers and banksters to hustle through massive gentrification policies. They are funded by developers and large corporations to produce papers that reflect those sponsor’s goals. City staff, the administration, and our (s)elected representatives know the “workforce” doesn’t understand any of these complex mechanisms and they know the mainstream media won’t take the time and won’t have the inclination to explain any of this.

For those remaining few with the concentration longer than the average 8 seconds associated with the use of their portable microwave devices, previous mayor Jerry Brown pushed thru a plan for 10,000 stack & pack units. An estimated +6,000 have been completed since his rotten tenure at city hall. The current mayor Libby Schaaf was a staffer with both Jerry Brown and council member Ignacio de la Fuente. Her history suggests she will continue policies associated with both of these rotten representatives. She already has another rotten SPUR employee on her staff – Tomiquia Moss – who was also the Executive Director of HOPE SF at the San Francisco Mayor's Office. The federale’s HOPE program is designed to privatize the public housing projects.

Think this doesn’t matter? There are 4 major project stinkeroos on this evening’s agenda that should never have been rubberstamped by the planning commission. They should have been considerably modified before progressing to the city council.

S7.33 Subject: Downtown Oakland Specific Plan and EIR
From: Planning and Building Dept
9.1 Subject: Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland’s Master Plan Project
From: Planning & Building Dept
9.2 Subject: 4690 Tompkins Avenue Project Appeal
9.3 Subject: Final Development Plan for MacArthur Station Phase 3 & 4
From: Economic & Workforce Development Dept

Contact your (s)elected representative at City Hall and say NO to all three appointees!