I hope you are staying safe and healthy. I also want to usher in Filipino American History Month and appreciate the contributions of my Filipinx community. 

In this newsletter, you’ll find information about:

• Next steps to increase safety, health, and inclusivity at Lake Merritt
• How to prepare for wildfires and tips on keeping your home and community safe
• Monday’s Education Partnership Committee meeting focused on school and public safety planning
• Tuesday’s Council meeting and agenda highlights
• News and resources

I hope that you’ve had the chance to enjoy the beautiful weather and fresh air that has finally returned. I’m grateful for our natural environment but reminded that we can’t take its resilience for granted and must work together to care for her.

And, like many of you, I’ve been grieving the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who pushed fiercely for a more just world through our legal system. In processing, I’m channeling sorrow to recommit to fighting for more just communities here in Oakland.

In this newsletter, you’ll find information about:

• Tuesday's Council meeting on next steps to transform our public safety system
• District 2’s Multilingual Family Forum
• Traffic Safety in District 2
• New grant opportunities for small businesses, nonprofits, artists
• Applications for the City's Homeless Advisory Commission

I hope you and your loved ones are safe as we battle both wildfires and COVID. Let’s be sure to appreciate our firefighters, first responders and health professionals during these challenging times, as well as our educators and childcare workers who teach and care for our children. 

City Council’s legislative session starts on Tuesday. In this newsletter, you’ll find information on:

• Oakland Pride
• Wednesday, 9/16 Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission meeting on Lake Merritt
• September City Council meetings
  • Tuesday, 9/15 City Council meeting including reports on emergency response and public safety
  • Monday, 9/21 Life Enrichment Committee meeting on homeless encampment management policy
  • Tuesday, 9/22 Community Economic Development Committee meeting on affordable housing impact fees
  • Tuesday, 9/29 Joint meeting of City Council and Public Safety Commissions including the new Reimagining Public Safety Task Force

This Labor Day weekend, I hope you and loved ones are able to connect in a safe, healthy and joyful way. Please keep in mind that the U.S. Weather Service has declared an Excessive Heat Watch in effect Saturday 11AM until Monday 9PM. 

Stay informed of unfolding weather / air quality updates by signing up for AC Alerts and learn about power outage safety tips, back-up power options, and potential wildfire preparedness with resources from Oakland Firesafe Council and Oakland Community Preparedness & Response. 

In this newsletter you’ll find updates on:

• Direct COVID-19 financial assistance for renters and homeowners, and COVID-positive residents
• Alameda County’s reopening plans
• New mental health hotline in Oakland
• Local updates and resources

I hope you and your loved ones are hanging in there as we contend with wildfires in addition to COVID. Big appreciations to our firefighters, first responders and health professionals during these challenging times. 

In this newsletter, you’ll find information on these topics:

• New multilingual, multicultural COVID Test Site in Chinatown
• Red Flag Warning (UPDATE: Cancelled Monday morning)
• Spare the Air Alert through Wednesday
• Emergency Preparedness

As we near the end of five months sheltering in place, I truly hope you and your loved ones are healthy.

Thanks to your participation and power by the thousands, City Council recently committed to create a Task Force to Reimagine Public Safety. The goal of the task force is to make recommendations to City Council that will reinvest in community programs and services that address the root causes of violence and increase community safety, developing alternative responses by divesting 50% of traditional policing resources in the next FY 2021-23 budget cycle -- see more below.

In this newsletter, you’ll find information on these topics:

• Updates on creating a healthy, safe, and inclusive environment at Lake Merritt
• Shifting half of policing resources to community needs & how to get involved
• Updates including OUSD First Day of School, Housing Resources, AC Transit BRT, Chinatown StreetFest, Black Arts / Black August, COVID businesses resources

This week, I was alarmed to learn about new COVID data from Roots Community Health Center that shows COVID cases are surging and many infections are from parties and social gatherings. This is a sobering reminder to continue to shelter in place and follow guidelines to protect everyone’s health. And, as rent becomes due on the 1st soon, I’m glad to share that my eviction moratorium extension passed unanimously. Oakland has the strongest eviction moratorium in the state, and it will last through the end of the Local Emergency. The City will also provide millions in rent and mortgage relief with federal CARES Act funds.

In this newsletter, you’ll find important policy updates and neighborhood news:

• COVID cases surge, many linked to parties/gatherings
• Eviction moratorium extended until end of Local Emergency
• Preview of Tuesday’s Council meeting
• News on homelessness, the Ghost Ship tragedy and more

I’m grateful for the many ways City Council, our District 2 neighbors, youth, community leaders, and organizers across Oakland have been working to cultivate relationships of care, love, and healing.

In this newsletter, you’ll find some of the reasons why I’m inspired and information on:

• Recent policy wins to protect small businesses, tenants and workers
• Preview of Tuesday’s Council meeting, including more on reimagining public safety
• Solidarity in standing up for Black Lives in the Grand Lake neighborhood
• Call to action supporting Oakland youth & families
• COVID-19 and City updates, including County reopening information

The decisions we make now about how to recover from this economic and health crisis provide rare, promising opportunities -- not to “go back to normal” or the status quo, but to emerge as a stronger and more equitable city on the other side.

That’s why I’m writing to ask for your support of three important policies coming to City Council on Tuesday. These policies aim to protect Oakland small businesses, renters, and travel and hospitality workers from the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and to help address inequities that existed before the pandemic -- see below.

This July 4th weekend, I’m reminded that our communities and country still have a very long way to go towards freedom for all, and I’m hopeful that in Oakland we will continue coming together to achieve this dream.  

As folks gather this weekend, I encourage us to look out for each other. The City is continuing its expanded efforts at Lake Merritt to manage parking, traffic and trash, as well as deploying Parks Ambassadors to hand out masks and promote physical distancing. We appreciate our City workers for providing these services, and our Firefighters who circled the Lake yesterday providing medical assistance, masks, and guidance to help ensure fire safety and address illegal fireworks. 

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• Recap of last week’s Council meetings
• Upcoming Council meetings and important agenda items
• COVID-19 updates on paused reopening plans, emergency homelessness response and resources, parking changes and more