By Robert Haugh
Tomorrow’s City Council meeting has a long agenda. The agenda packet is 1,414 pages. Wow. That’s a lot of information. The meeting opens with a 4:30 p.m. closed session, followed by a 5:30 p.m. study session. Good thing Council members aren’t paid hourly.
Noise Monitoring
A study session will discuss noise monitoring in the vicinity of Levi’s Stadium. Emeryville-based noise monitoring consultant Wilson Ihring Acoustics, Noise & Vibration and City staff will provide an overview of noise monitoring and recommended next steps.
Unfortunately, the agenda packet has no further information.
Neighbors have stated their frustrations with late night events. We’ve been near the stadium on event nights, and understand their grievances, especially when curfews are intentionally broken. And we know it’s going to come up, but the noise at Great America is quite different than that of 40,000-plus people.
Public Safety Overtime for Christmas Eve 49ers Game
On December 12, 2017, the City Council in closed session authorized the City to meet and confer and seek agreement with several bargaining units regarding paying double-time pay for hours worked for the Sunday, December 24 Christmas Eve 49ers game at Levi’s Stadium. The City subsequently offered double time to the bargaining representatives and has either reached agreement or is still meeting and conferring with the bargaining representatives.
In addition, to ensure adequate staffing, it is recommended that as needed Per Diem Police Officer Special Events, Per Diem Dispatchers and Traffic Control Special Events employees be paid time and one half pay their usual hourly rate of pay for the event.
The cost is approximately $70,000. The 49ers have agreed to reimburse the City. Last year, the team didn’t agree to do so until long after the New Year’s Day game. So that’s progress.
Mayor Travel
The Mayor and City Council Offices budgeted $3,280 for the United States Conference of Mayors Annual Conference held in June, 2018 in Miami Beach, Florida. In place of the annual conference, Mayor Lisa Gillmor is attending the United States Conference of Mayors’ 86th Winter meeting in January in Washington, DC, so a budget reallocation is necessary. Gillmor has volunteered to pay any additional incurred costs for travel that may exceed the budgeted amount of $3,280. Shall we call this the “Caserta Rule?”
City Attorney Salary Set
Brian Doyle, who has been working on a continuous half-time, hourly basis since February, 2017, was recently approved as the full time city attorney. His annual salary will be $320,000.
