One more time, the Oakley City Council gaslights Oakley residents and turns their backs on them. The Oakley City Council is moving full steam ahead with the train station. The members have authorized the construction of the train station and 300 car parking lot without further considering the post-pandemic future.
The City of Oakley uses a system on a project building approval by discussing the item during the budget session. If the City Council says it is okay, the City goes ahead with the construction item. The flaw with the concept is that if the council approves a project, the City engineer can construct it a year or later. The public is not allowed to comment on the project at the time of construction. No review of bids takes place in public, but “kept in a drawer.” The public does not see the fiscal impact of the project on the community.
So, the City is moving forward at a quick pace to spend 3.5 million dollars on a three hundred car parking lot in downtown and a train station associated with the parking lot. These projects, for the most part, were approved in the 2019/2020 budget. The council is not reviewing the wisdom of constructing the items, even though a train will not stop in Oakley. The council is not checking the fact that people are not using mass transit and will not do so for years to come.
The $3,500,000.00 could be a fantastic boost for pandemic recovery. Childcare development would become a priority. The public is entitled to speak on the topic before construction is to start.
Stopping the immediate construction means contacting councilmembers today and voicing your concern.
Stopping this ongoing behavior with the council requires three new council members on the council dais November 3.
Two pages from 2020/2021 City of Oakley budget is below. The pages show the expenditure approvals for the parking lot and train station.
George Fuller, MPA, MA george@fullerforoakley.net fullerforoakley.net
