Bring Back the Blotter!

Two years ago, the Hayward Police Department joined the public safety website Nixle. Each week, the department would post a blotter to the Nixle platform. It provided an informative description of recent criminal activity, the corresponding police response, and the outcome.

In March of this year the regular posting of the blotter abruptly stopped with a promise that it would return three weeks later in a new and improved format. Two months have now passed since it was supposed to have returned.

(Message posted to Nixle by Hayward PD in March)

When I inquired to staff as to what was going on, I was told that the blotter was discontinued because it was thought that it cast Hayward in a bad light. It would return when it could be figured out how to present the information in way that didn't reflect so negatively on the city.

Huh? This doesn't really seem to jibe with the PD's previous message. But if what I was told is true, we're probably in for a long wait. How do you put a happy face on criminal activity?

CrimeMapping.com still appears to be updated by the department. But with descriptions of only one or two words in length, the information is hardly useful or interesting. What's more, this kind of limited reporting actually does make the city look bad, because it only indicates widespread criminal activity and not successful policing in the form of identifying suspects and making arrests.

To be useful to residents and businesses (and therefore the department itself), the reporting should be detailed and accurate without any unnecessary censorship or spin. It should also include mug shots like those included in the Union City Police Blotter. Geo-referencing the information to an interactive map is also nice, but without a truly descriptive narrative it is of little value.

Please bring back the blotter.

Free photovoltaic systems for qualified homeowners

Last month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that some low-income homeowners are eligible to receive free solar arrays that typically cost $15,000 or more. According to the article, the generous giveaway is made possible through a California program managed by Grid Alternatives, an Oakland based, non-profit company.

Upon browsing the Grid Alternatives website, I was confused to find program eligibility requirements that apparently differed from those mentioned in the article. While I personally wouldn't qualify under the requirements of either list, I wondered how anyone could if the requirements of both needed to be satisfied. So out of curiosity, I decided to contact the company to find out more.

As it turns out, Grid Alternatives purchases and installs solar panels using subsidies acquired through multiple State programs having different qualifications. Depending on a client's particular situation, the company will seek funding from the appropriate source.

Of course, "appropriate" is a subjective term. Some argue that none of this is appropriate, since it all appears to be a questionable gift of public funds.

Whatever the case, it is what it is. So I figured I'd just share what I've learned for those who might be able to take advantage of the opportunities while they last.

The two programs currently worth trumpeting are the Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) program and the Low Income Weatherization Program. The SASH program is the more established of the two (for photovoltaics) and the one most prominently featured on the Grid Alternative's website at the time of this posting. The Low Income Weatherization program is the one highlighted by the Chronicle article.

The common fundamental prerequisites for both programs are:

  1) The homeowner must live in the home, and
  2) The household must earn no more than 80-percent of the area median income (AMI)
        (based on the previous year's tax return).

For those living in Alameda County, the income limits are as follows:

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Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) Program

The Single-family Affordable Solar Homes or SASH program is a solar incentive program intended to fully or partially subsidize the installation of a photovoltaic system for low-income homeowners. It's offered through the California Solar Initiative (CSI) and is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The program has a budget of $108.3-million and is managed by Grid Alternatives on the PUC's behalf.

In addition to the common requirements previously described, this program requires that the home be classified as "affordable housing" as defined by the Public Utilities Code 2852.

If not, the home should otherwise be located in a qualified census tract. In Hayward, current qualifying census tracts include those shaded in green and blue on the map below. These can change from year-to-year; so what qualifies this year may not in future years and vice-versa. (This census tract qualifier is a new one that was recently approved by the State and is not listed on Grid Alternative's website at the time of this posting.)

Blue and green shaded area = Currently eligible census tracts in 2015.
Purple shaded area = Previously eligible census tracts, but no longer.

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Low Income Weatherization Program

The Low Income Weatherization Program has traditionally disbursed funds to organizations like Hayward's Spectrum Community Services for repairing or replacing inefficient, energy consuming appliances and systems in low income households.  But thanks to the greenhouse gas-reduction funds generated by California's Cap-and-Trade Program, it now also provides money for Grid Alternatives to install photovoltaic systems for low income homeowners.

While the Weatherization Program currently has a smaller budget than the SASH program, the funding windfall generated by cap-and-trade, together with a legislated minimum allocation requirement, suggest that this program will potentially offer greater opportunities in the future.

In addition to the common fundamental requirements previously described, this program requires that the home be located in a disadvantaged community. A disadvantaged community is an area disproportionately burdened by environmental pollution and socioeconomic issues as established by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), In Hayward, this is the red shaded area on the map below.

Only Hayward's western most neighborhoods have been assigned this designation. This is obviously based upon a recognition that these neighborhoods are primarily disadvantaged by their proximity to the Russell City Energy Center. Strangely, however, the delineated boundary doesn't appear completely rational or fair. While the area includes the Eden Shores Community, where some homes are currently valued at over a million dollars, the boundary appears to deliberately exclude the more economically depressed neighborhood portions surrounding Mt Eden Park. These excluded portions are closer to the power plant, are clearly at a greater disadvantage, and are seemingly more suitable candidates of current and future offers of assistance in terms of program requirements and objectives.

Future boundary changes are possible, according to CalEPA. Therefore, it should be incumbent upon the City Council and Assemblyman Bill Quirk to lobby hard for the proper expansion of the disadvantaged area. Considering that they didn't offer any resistance to locating the offending pollution source in the community in the first place, it's the least they can do now. 

Red shading represents a disadvantaged area that potentially  qualifies low-income homeowners
for free or greatly discounted photvoltaic systems.

If all of this seems a bit convoluted, that's because it is. These are multifaceted bureaucratic programs with evolving rules and conditions. Be sure to contact Grid Alternatives if you think you qualify or are otherwise uncertain. As the programs' adminstrator/contractor, only they can definitively determine and correctly explain how they might be able to assist.

EBRPD Police - A Nextdoor Introduction

This past week, the Police Department of the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) joined the online social website 'Nextdoor.'  As a way of introduction, a brief description of the department was posted. It partially states:

"By land, by sea, and by air we provide around-the-clock services through a variety of specialized assignments. Our department includes patrol teams, the Air Support Unit, Marine Patrol, Equestrian Patrols, K-9 Unit, Special Enforcement Unit, Investigations Unit, and a 24-hour per day 9-1-1 Communications Center."

Rather impressive I think...and also somewhat sad. After all, what does it say about our society that our park spaces require such extensive law enforcement?

When you visit the District's website you learn that its police force is made up of 65-sworn officers costing more than $13-million per year. You'll also find images and video of the department's operations and equipment, including a SWAT team and a "Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport" (BATT) truck. The armored vehicle is similar to the one used by Hayward and that recently ordered by the City of San Leandro.

I can't help but wonder; don't our cities, counties, state and federal law enforcement agencies have enough warrior cops and militaristic hardware that we have to further fund a dedicated SWAT team and an armored truck for our parks as well?

Images from East Bay Regional Park District Police Department webpage and recruitment video.

Hayward's Sales Tax Increases to 10-percent -- April 1, 2015

No, it's not an April Fools' joke unfortunately. Today, Hayward's sales tax--together with that of San Leandro, Union City, and Albany--increases to 10-percent, the highest in the state. The increase is a result of voters approving County Transportation Measure BB this past November. (Hayward's sales tax rate had just previously increased from 9- to 9½-percent this past October as a consequence of Measure C.)

El Cerrito and four Los Angeles communities share our top tier tax status. At 10-percent, we now have a higher sales tax rate than 99-percent of the nearly 1,800 communities listed on the State Board of Equalization's website.

Approximately 500 California communities have a sales tax rate of 7½-percent--the State's base rate. What's the difference? 2½-percentage points obviously, but in more tangible terms: a $30,000 vehicle purchased and registered in a city having a 10-percent sales tax rate will cost $750 more in sales tax than one purchased and registered in community having a 7½-percent rate--an appreciable difference.

For a breakdown of Hayward's sales tax composition, see this previous post.

New Senior Apartments at Grand and B Streets

Construction of Eden Housing's Hayward Senior Phase II project, located at the intersection of Grand and B Streets, is now complete. The new 22-apartment facility, as seen in the photo above, is fairly faithful to the plan approved by the City Council in May 2011 (below).

Revised development proposal after collaborating with neighbors.

While I'm not a fan of the bright white window frames that contrast rather harshly with the earth tone colors of other materials, I think that overall the project turned out quite well--considerably better than what was originally proposed before neighbors got involved.

I recall receiving a postcard back in early 2011 announcing the proposed project. The card contained a tiny black & white image, not much bigger than a postage stamp. I couldn't make out the details, but it didn't appear to be particularly attractive. Upon requesting and receiving the original pic (below), it was confirmed; I didn't like it, nor did my neighbors.

Original development proposal before neighborhood involvement.

There weren't any neighbor-hood meetings conducted prior to the scheduled project approval. So a petition was circulated requesting that it be rejected. With about 50 households signing the petition and numerous individuals expressing objections and concerns at the Council meeting, consideration was postponed to a later date.

Eden Housing and its architectural firm, Struthers Dias Architects, then worked diligently to respond to the community's concerns. They held two neighborhood meetings and went back to the drawing board after each one. The outcome speaks for itself. The community collaboration clearly resulted in a much improved plan for which all involved can be generally proud.

NOTE: All of the apartments at this new facility have already been leased. Those interested in similar housing opportunities should regularly check the Eden Housing website. 

Police Response and Posturing - Things Need to Improve

In the relatively recent past, there have been numerous shootings at the Hayward BART Station:

• July 5, 2014 - a man was shot in the stomach.
• June 17, 2014 - multiple shots were fired near the bus zone.
• June 7, 2014 - groups of teens opened fire on one another.
• October 29, 2012 - numerous shots were fired, one into an adjacent home.

In each instance, the police response was remarkably underwhelming. I know this, because I live and work across the street. The response to the 2012 shooting, in fact, didn't even get noticed by the press. You won't find a single article about it online.

As far as I know, none of the shooters in any of these instances were ever identified or arrested. This is despite the fact that the Hayward Station is a bustling transit hub with numerous security cameras and a near 24/7 police presence.

Last week, in a neighborhood just a few blocks away, it was a whole nother story. Early Sunday morning, some moron decided that the smartest response to being pulled over was to shoot at the officer and then flee on foot. What ensued was a neighborhood lockdown, a 12-hour manhunt, and a spectacle that made the streets of Hayward look like those of Fallujah. The dummy was eventually captured, and I imagine he'll remain locked up for quite some time--to which I applaud and say good riddance.

But all this leaves me wondering; why is the response to a threat on an officer taken so much more seriously than a threat on an entire station of civilians? How is it that anyone can walk into a downtown transit hub adjacent to City Hall and get away with discharging a firearm, time and time again? Why is it though, that when an officer is threatened, a militaristic dragnet is launched? This kind of disparate response doesn't seem right to me.

To be clear, I'm not objecting to a thorough and professional police response as is warranted. But in my humble opinion the police are not nearly as dedicated to responding to threats on the public as they are to threats on the brotherhood--I'm talking to the point of absurdity.

When images of last week's manhunt started to appear on various social media sites. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Images posted to various social media sites showing Hayward PD's 12-hour manhunt on Sunday, March 1, 2015.

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When I look at these pictures, I don't see peace officers; I see commandos. Many are not wearing police uniforms, badges, or the regular police patch. They're wearing battle-fatigues, special forces insignia, and they're armed to the teeth. These guys look like they're going to war.

Now I won't pretend to know what the proper armament is for any given policing situation, but let's be honest, dressing up like G.I. Joe is completely ridiculous and unnecessary. We're not in the desert, the jungle, or any theater of war. It seems to me that this kind of dress is purely for the intimidation factor.

Police vehicle marketing image.

Policing by intimidation appears to be an increasingly disturbing trend throughout the country. Even regular police cruisers are being marketed as menacingly aggressive.

Why? Does anyone believe that the bad guys are being scared straight by all of this posturing? They're not. It's primarily serving to creep out decent folks who want to live in a safe and welcoming community--me included.

Hey Hayward, let's work to ensure that our police responses are always properly adequate without all the unnecessary bravado. Can we do that please?

Happy Valentine's Day Bay Area!

A Hayward Fault Valentine by Oakland artist Thien Pham, commissioned by KQED.

Reduce your garbage costs

Now that the Hayward City Council approved a garbage collection rate hike of nearly 10-percent come March, residential customers should re-evaluate their disposal habits and determine their true garbage collection needs. Doing so could offset the rate increase by manyfold.

According to the most recent StopWaste Benchmark brochure, 45-percent of what Hayward residents are discarding in their garbage carts should actually be placed in their recycling carts or green waste carts. If this is true, then the average Hayward resident may be using a garbage cart that is at least one size too large. Think about it: a 35-gallon volume reduced by 45-percent is about 19-gallons; a 64-gallon volume reduced by 45-percent equals 35-gallons; and a 96-gallon volume reduced by the same amount leaves 53-gallons. Admittedly there is a bit of incongruity here as the StopWaste survey was conducted as a percentage of weight not volume. However, it's reasonable to assume that more meticulous sorting and more conscientious consuming could reduce needed cart volume by at least one size.

If an overly large cart is currently desired for the purpose of occasional overflow, consider metering out some of the garbage to future regular pickups, a special bulk pickup, or a free transfer station drop-off (customers can get two free bulk pickups and two coupons for free transfer station drop-offs each year). Or consider purchasing a trash compactor, the year-after-year savings might justify it.

          Possible savings:

          Switching from a 35-gallon cart to a: 20-gallon cart will save $113/year

          Switching from a 64-gallon cart to a: 35-gallon cart will save $280/year
                                                               20-gallon cart will save $393/year

          Switching from a 96-gallon cart to a: 64-gallon cart will save $280/year
                                                               35-gallon cart will save $560/year
                                                               20-gallon cart will save $673/year

In addition to the above, cart based customers with low incomes may qualify for a reduced cost savings of $93/year.

To adjust cart size, schedule bulk pickups, request coupons for transfer station drop-offs or to learn of eligibility requirements for a low income rate reduction, call
Waste Management of Alameda County at 510-537-5500.
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The various collection cart sizes. The 20-gallon size is the 35-gallon cart with a small bucket liner inside.

Garbage collection rates are going up, up, up

Last month, Hayward property owners and businesses received notice of proposed rate increases for garbage, recycling, and organics services. The notice provides a table that lists comparable residential rates of nearby jurisdictions. The table indicates that Hayward's rate after the proposed increase will actually be low relative to others for the first year. This is somewhat comforting, until you realize that collection rates have been increasing significantly among all local jurisdictions and will probably continue to do so.

The issue will be taken up this evening as the City Council considers approving a new franchise agreement with Waste Management. The proposal now on the table could increase our garbage collection rates by as much as 27.5-percent over the next four years and as much as 52-percent over a seven year term.

The staff report on the matter explains that substantial increases are necessary to stem Waste Management losses and to ensure a positive return on investment.

Pardon me for being skeptical, but something doesn't seem right. How can the magnitude of these increases be justified when you consider:

• Inflation is low and has been for years. The Bay Area Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been averaging only 2.4% per year over the past six years;
• The volume of discarded material per capita is dropping, while more rate payers are being added in more densely populated and more easily serviced neighborhoods. Hundreds of new rate payers have been added to the Burbank neighborhood in just the past few years alone. Additionally, customers are separating more of their waste for recycling;
• Recycled materials are an increasingly valuable commodity as a greater number of consumer goods are manufactured with them;
• With each passing year we're paying more and more disposal/recycling fees at the point of sale or as a property assessment--this includes fees for household hazardous waste, tires, lumber, paint, electronic waste, cans, bottles, etc.

Despite all this, our rates continue to increase substantially. What gives?

Beats me. The problem here is that we have a business effectively operating as a monopoly. Waste Management has been servicing Hayward for at least four decades and will apparently continue to do so for at least the next seven years. Property owners and businesses must accept this as the company has exclusive operating rights in the city--no other company can legally duplicate it services. The city yields some regulatory authority with this arrangement, but true transparency is not available to the general public.

What is the company's cost of servicing Hayward? What amount of revenue is it generating here? Without competition, is it operating efficiently? Who knows? The only information readily available on the Internet is that the company posted a $270-million profit in its most recently reported quarter and that its CEO recently received over $10-million in annual compensation. Not too shabby, eh?

I understand the City is requesting that additional services be provided by Waste Management, which of course would impact rate payer costs. But its not clear how a dollar of additional service costs translates to the invoice of an individual rate payer. If the proposed rate increase is due primarily to the desired additional services, then perhaps the Council needs to reconsider its wish list.

Another problem, that is certainly impacting cost, is that the City is effectively taxing rate payers through the franchise agreement. This is done by charging Waste Management impact fees. The city has been charging the company a fee for street sweeping, and it's now proposing a fee for roadway rehabilitation. According to the staff report, these fees total 3.5-percent of revenue, which, of course, is passed on to captive rate payers. The result is basically a clandestine tax on property owners and businesses that was never approved by voters as required by Proposition 218.

Unfortunately, in the end, we all know how this story plays out. As long as Hayward's rate payer costs are in-line with those of neighboring jurisdictions, it makes no difference whether the proposed increases are clearly justifiable or not. They're going to happen, so budget accordingly.
 

Plastic plumbing... soon to be permitted in Hayward homes?

Tomorrow the City Council will consider ending Hayward's long standing prohibition of plastic plumbing in homes and other buildings.

PEX, ABS, PVC, and CPVC pipes and fittings are all allowed by the California Plumbing Code. However, Hayward has traditionally adopted the State code with amendments that specifically forbid them. While this may have been warranted decades ago following initial quality concerns, doing so now just serves to add excessive costs to new construction and remodeling projects.

As a result, this prohibition generates a considerable amount of ridicule directed at the City. Many project owners and contractors with whom I'm familiar consider the ban incredibly burdensome and unnecessary. It's one of the frustrating hindrances frequently mentioned when discussing development in Hayward.


Now numerous city departments have come around to recommending that the restrictive amendments to the State plumbing code be eliminated. I wholeheartedly concur.

If the Council acts as recommended, construction using plastic plumbing materials may be permitted by the end of February.

January is Restaurant Month in Hayward

Throughout the month of January, seventeen Hayward restaurants are offering the discounts listed below via a promotional voucher booklet--Dine Hayward. The booklet costs $10, and proceeds benefit the City's Homework Support Center and the Leadership Hayward Program.

Booklets can be purchased at the Hayward Main Library as well as the Hayward Chamber of Commerce.

25% off on full order   Bijou Restaurant & Bar (with purchase of entree) 20% off on full order   IHOP (after 2pm)   Kin Cafe (excludes beverages) 15% off on full order   Acqua e Farina Ristorante (excludes alcohol)   éko Coffee Bar & Tea House   Ristorante Di Palermo (2 dinner entree purchase)   San Marcos Taqueria (minimum $25 purchase)   The Golden Peacock 10% off on full order   Bubble Crab Cajun Restaurant   Buon Appetito (dinner order)   Skywest Bar & Grill

25% off a dozen cupcakes   The Cupcake Shoppe (2 dozen maximum) Buy one, get one free   The Cannery Cafe Buy one, get one 50% off   The Golden Tea Garden (high tea service) One free dessert   Buddy's Bites & Brews (w/purchase of 2 meals) Free Buffalo Poppers   Buffalo Bill's Brewery (w/purchase of an entree) Free flan   El Taquito #2 (w/purchase of specialty items 1-12)

Note that all the coupons expire at the end of the month, and they may not be combined with any other offer or promotion. All restaurant offers are for dine-in only.

Explore Hayward Businesses using Google Business View

Now here's something fun. Have you ever used Google Maps Street View to move from an outdoor street scene to an indoor view of a store or restaurant?  It's a Google feature called Business View, and scores of Hayward businesses can be explored this way.

Business View of Val's Burgers. Click on the image to navigate around this venerable Hayward institution.

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Participating proprietors offer a navigable, virtual tour of their business locations with the hope that you'll be enticed enough to visit in person. Having perused some interesting sites, like The Book Shop, the Reptile Room and Karen's Flower Kottage, I would say mission accomplished. Some others, however, may leave you wondering what they were thinking.

Whatever the case, check out some of what Hayward has to offer using the links below. If you like what you see, resolve to visit and support them in 2015.

Note: Fluid navigation requires a high-speed Internet connection.
        Links will open in a separate tab.

Auto Dealers	Restaurants / Cafes / Bakeries
Hayward Nissan	Acqua E' Farina
Team Volkswagen of Hayward	Best Burger
	Bronco Billy's Pizza Palace
Barbers / Salons	Buon Appetito
Antonio's Old Fashion Barber	Caffe Caribe
Cuts n Stuff - Hair Designs Phase II	California Gyro & Pizza
High Fashion Studios	Carmen Family BBQ
Nails International	Celia's Mexican
Perfect Hair & Nails	China Best
Tracy Hair Salon	El Taquito
Vizion's Beauty Salon	El Taquito Restaurant #2
Wonder Nails	Emil Villa's California BBQ
	Eon Coffee
Gyms / Fitness / Health	Fink's Bakery
24 Hr Fitness	Grand Taipei Restaurant
24 Hr Fitness Super Sport	Green Tea House
Arthur Murray Dance Studios	Hayward Ranch
Hayward Martial Arts	Kenkoy's Grill
Hot Box Yoga	Kona BBQ & Grill
Kraski's Nutrition	Korea House
Sparta Gymnastics Academy	La Cosita
	La Paradis
Others	Los Compadres
Acme Awards and Embroidery	Los Dos Hermanos
Airport Home Appliance	Los Planes De Renderos
Alma's Creations	Mr. Pho
Avalon Jewelry	My Favorite Indian
Bedrosians	Pizza House
Chalk It Up Pool Hall	Red Chili
Colyer's Used Appliances	Ribs-n-Things
Cycle Path Hayward	Shark Shack
East Bay Lawn Mower	Sunflower 2
Eden Jewelry and Loan Co.	Taqueria Los Gallos 2
Fiesta Depot	The Bistro
Hayward Floral	The Golden Tea Room
Hayward Gift	Togos
Hayward Minuteman Press	Tommy's Donuts
Hayward Video	Tomodachi Sushi Bistro
Higgins Jewelry Center	United Bar & Grill
Karen's Flower Kottage	United Paleria y Neveria
Kim Pacific Martial Arts Supply	Val's Burgers
La Esperanza Tricolor	Yuki Hana Sushi
La Mexicana
R&H Liquors
Reptile Room
Sun Tans to Go
Superway Aquarium
The Book Shop
Tu Tiendo Azteca

Lastly, for those who like to reminisce; here are a couple of old time classics--gone but not forgotten...    Vasiliki's (now Black Bear Diner) and Medina's Gym.

Please report broken links, businesses that no longer exist, or businesses using Business View that have not been included here.