Thank you for your request. According to our system, we already have an open service request at this location. Your service request has been combined with service request # 535650 . If you would like to check the status of the request, please contact the Public Works Call Center at (510) 615-5566 or pwacallcenter@oaklandnet.com.
This issue can also be followed by watching http://seeclickfix.com/issues/1249596

We West Oaklanders have got to pay close attention to the Mayoral campaign leading to the 11/4/14 voting. Our new Mayor's #1 PRIORITY SHOULD BE to clean up the 1.2 mile stretch from the Emeryville border to Grand Ave along San Pablo Avenue. As long as the candidate offers concrete plans for a place to house the "street people" so that unhealthy, drug addicted, mentally unbalanced, homeless people are not just littering San Pablo Ave and its side streets; and provides funding to keep this area clean, I'm pushing a drive (going door door) throughout West Oakland Neighbors, West Oakland Green Initiative (WOGI), West-Oak High School Athletic Booster Club for him or her to win; gotta make sure WHOMEVER is elected Mayor addresses
THIS area of Oakland first and foremost.

We can't wait for the next admin to address this problem. We all need to call the Mayor's office & Lynn McElhaney on Tues morning to demand action. I am considering calling the Tribune to see if they are at all interested in the neglect and abuse of the residents in this neighborhood.

We can't wait for next admin to address this. We need to get the current admin to respond! Please join me in calling the Mayor's office & Lynn McElhaney on Tues morning. Let me know what others feel about calling to Tribune to see if they care at all about this years long neglect and abuse of residents

Try contacting Chip Johnson from the Chronicle. He reports on issues in Oakland.

That is a great idea. Does anyone have the contact info for Chip Johnson? I have emailed out beat officer almost 10 times with photos attached and have not received one response.

Chip Johnson just published a column discussing his interview with Courtney Ruby. You might be interested in taking a like look....Courtney talks about concrete steps she would take to fix Oakland....with numbers and everything! Chip Johnson's contact info is listed there as well.

I already wrote and was responded to by Lynnette McElhaney and don't know what to make of her response -it was very"politician-like". Read the thread from the bottom up:

Councilwoman McElhaney, thank you for your response.

We West Oakland inhabitants also believe the fact that so many so-called "helping agencies" concentrated within the 1.2 miles along San Pablo Avenue (from Emeryville's border to Grand Ave): Churches, Food Distributors, Halfway Homes, Drug Rehabs, Single Unit Long-term Motel Rooms, etc., are the basis for this area of West Oakland being the dumping ground for all of the marginalized, down-trodden population. These places MUST be disbanded and spread throughout Oakland, we can't carry this much hopelessness/despair/poverty/mental illness in our little concentrated area.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 23:30:04 -0700
Subject: RE: Embarrassed about Oakland
From: lmcelhaney@oaklandnet.com
To: nayaa_lacy@hotmail.com

Nayaa,

I'm not sure how to respond. I live in Oakland and share the experience of living here. What you know is that Oakland has lots of needs and too little money and too few hands. That said, in the 18 months I've been in service on the council, I co-authored legislation that made it possible to prosecute dumpers, significantly increased funding for illegal dumping, increased funding for graffiti abatement, organized over a dozen community clean-ups, sponsored numerous mural projects and green walls. With the new garbage franchise we have mandated that the garbage company pick-up illegal dumping as well as provide bulky item pick up for multi-family buildings when the new contract starts on July 2015.

This is certainly a major problem that is being experienced throughout the East Bay where we don't yet have the revenue to support an expanded police force like San Francisco. We are working on it and I believe are making progress. We have had new challenges since Albany evicted their homeless two months ago but we are working at it.

Thank you for your efforts. It all helps.

Best, Lynette

Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney from my Android phone. Please pardon any typos.

-------- Original message --------
From: nayaa lacy
Date: 08/18/2014 7:50 PM (GMT-08:00)
To: lmcelhaney@oaklandnet.com
Cc: dkalb@oaklandnet.com,pkernighan@oaklandnet.com,lschaaf@oaklandnet.com,ngallo@oaklandnet.com,dbrooks@oaklandnet.com,lreid@oaklandnet.com,atlarge@oaklandnet.com
Subject: Embarrassed about Oakland

Council woman, McElhaney, below (in blue) is a message I just received from a woman I befriended while on vacation in Long Island and invited to Oakland to visit.

I have been writing to your office and to all the candidates for years now. Our neighborhood has gotten progressively worse since then. I have joined WON/WOGI/99Rise we plant trees, clean up the park on 32nd & San Pablo (only to see it back in " a state" hours later) and call seeclickfix when dumping and graffiti are sighted.

The future Mayor of West Oakland (especially the areas between the overpass separating Emeryville from Oakland, along San Pablo Ave and Grand Avenue, as well as the side streets branching off) will have to run on this particular platform; how do we address the issue of the concentrated, discarded of society being DUMPED in this one area of Oakland, to the point where it looks uninhabitable.

Hi, Nayaa! Yes, we did land and get the rental car and ultimately found your home, which looks well maintained and inviting. However, the remainder of the neighborhood made me very nervous. There were several abandoned/ graffiti covered buildings surrounding your block. There was a large homeless population with signs asking for money and trash everywhere. I just could not ensure my daughter's safety, especially coming in and out at night and having to park down the street and walk. You seem like a very nice person and I was looking forward to your breakfast. However, we drove to San Francisco and are staying in a hotel instead of visiting at your house. Thank you. Be well. SueEllen

I agree, L. McElhaney's response is very indirect as regards the problem - St. Andrews Plaza is somewhat separate problem. Yes, these poor folk are drawn into this spot by the social service providers, but also because they are allowed opening drink, do whatever drugs are available. The Hotel California & St. Mary's both have very nice garden areas to sit &spend time in but cients are not allowed to drink alcohol there. But the more immediate problem is allowing the worst of St. Andrews to spread down & take over Filbert St.
As I said before, I have driven extensively thru OakL and have never encountered anything like St. Andrews. For some reason, the City is very comfortable allowing this to go on. One of our neighbors in the house on NW corner of Filbert & 32nd has already left the neighborhood after expending much energy to restore the home.

What Lynette did not address in her email is that the city is allowing a homeless encampment and drug activity in a residential neighborhood, causing unsafe, unsanitary conditions. Illegal Dumping is one thing but to let people erect structures establishing permanent housing is ridiculous when we pay property taxes, this would not be acceptable in any other neighborhood in Oakland, the city is comfortable because they have found a "containment zone" but unfortunately it is right in front of my house.

I can make you a list of City personnel who have not returned my calls -
Nathaniel Walker, Community PolicingBeat7, Arturo Sanchez - Mayors Office, Blight Division. However, Dexter English, DPW Supervisor, was very sympathetic to our problem 510-434-5130. He can tell you when the clean up will be scheduled but can't to anything to prevent this from re-occurring.
I left messages w/ Annie Sloan Neighborhood Services Coord & Sherry Willis, Alameda Board of Health this a.m. Will see . . .
Would anyone else be interested in meeting for coffee to brainstorm?

Just spoke to Channel 2 news, they are interested in doing a story on St. Andrews Plaza and the homeless encampment. Here is the phone number, (510)874-0242. I am sure if they here from more of the neighbors we can get them out there.

I am willing to meet for coffee anytime is good for me: 9519992539

Just spoke with Channel 2 also and was told to email our plight to: newstips@ktvu.com

I just emailed Channel 2 and explained the situation as best I could. I live over by Lake Merritt, and while we all have our neighborhood issues, West Oakland needs some fixing bad. I stressed that this situation needs exposure to the entire city and beyond. This could be the catalyst that lights a fire under the mayor and city council. Updates please.

Very grateful to you John M, for sharing in problems beyond your own backyard. My name is Anne & email is byrnbail@gmail.com for anyone who wants to discuss over coffee, maybe at Kilovolt on Mandela Pkwy tomorrow after 5?

If I can't make it tomorrow, then soon. I will be in touch.

Is it nice to see all the proactive people trying to address this monumental problem. I would be @#$% to come out my home and look at this mess and have almost ZERO response from my city. Council person McElhaney remarks were pathetic at best. Where is your Oakland police problem solving officer? I agree the press needs to be brought in to expose this problem.

I agree, Lynn's response was pretty tepid & indirect. I just left email @ newstips@ktvu.com, will try Chip Johnson at the Tribune next. I would like to really get some photos out to the public but taking pic in this setting seems very risky - wiynessed a woman firing up a crack pipe this a.m.

This is a health issue for our families.

mentally & physically

WOak neighbor, did others meet with you the other evening at Kilovolt; I was called into work last minute? If you'll be meeting again let me know please. nayaa_lacy@hotmail.com

No, we did not meet. I would still like to get together - I have company from out of state visiting until Weds however. As you probably know the cleanup took place on Thursday. Hopefully, things will not get so badly out of control again right away.

WOak neighbor, good to speak to you and looking forward to our brainstorming on Thurs, 9/11/14 @11 at (you'll have to give me the address). It looks like all the homeless who've moved from your area are now migrating to my street on 31st. This is horrible!!!!!

Yes, the problem continues - now the trash filled shopping carts, garbage is piling up next to and in front of the unfortunate home on the northwest corner of 32nd and Filbert St, literally surrounding it. The residents of St Andrews Plaza have established themselves on the porch steps. Not sure who the owner is or whether or not the bank took this house back.
Black Spring Coffee is on 2930 Telegraph, my daughter tells me it is quiet & has plenty of seating, also tea & other drinks in addition to coffee. If any other SCF members interested in some brainstorming are interested, we will be meeting there 11am this Thursday.

See you then, in the mean time will jot down some ideas to improve the situation so we can take a united plan of action to the Mayoral hopefuls and the current district rep.