After months of pleading for the City Council to address concerns on the lack of progress for the waterfront project, the city finally placed the item on the September 14 agenda. It is illustrative of the relationship the City had with waterfront residents — at least before the election — that their response to that [...]

In closed session prior to Tuesday’s City Council meeting — 7pm at City Hall — the Redevelopment Agency will enter negotiations over the Sycamore North mixed-use project (currently under construction). Details over what will be discussed have not been provided, however NEO’s role (doing business as AHSG) in administering the affordable housing element of the [...]

This Times report sounds eerily familiar… Potential voters were asked a series of questions, including whether public schools in the John Swett District have a great need, some need, little need, or no real need for more money; and how likely they were to vote for or against measure J after hearing statements like “The [...]

Tom Lochner reports on Monday’s town hall meeting… Earlier in the meeting, several residents said they resented what they described as a condescending attitude on the part of city officials, who, they argued, have cited the complexity of the waterfront project as an excuse not to explain what has gone awry, implying that residents would [...]

It’s a thorough (yet brief), honest and transparent overview of what is going on at City Hall. It includes updates on the Intermodal Station and Hercules Bayfront projects, as well as an outline of some changes the interim city manager — Charlie Long — already plans to implement. Two changes of note: the operations of [...]

In 2008, Councilmember Joanne Ward, then mayor, participated in an interview with American City Business Journals for a short profile of Hercules. The mayor was asked about the city’s development priorities… What is the most important development project to come soon? The transit-oriented development on the waterfront. The waterfront area includes the multimodal transit center [...]

The City has released the push poll questionnaire. Questions included the possibility of a tax on residents to fund the waterfront development… This tax question, which came toward the end of the survey, further demonstrates the City’s sole purpose of this push poll — to develop support for eminent domain — since a natural reaction [...]

All indications point to the City Attorney as the person responsible for the wording of the push poll recently conducted by the City. The results of the poll are due from polling firm Strategy Research Institute in time for tonight’s City Council meeting. It doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise that City Attorney Mick Cabral [...]

The City Council will announce the interim City Manager following closed session at Tuesday’s meeting — 7pm at City Hall. The Council will also receive a presentation on the Chelsea Wetlands restoration project and a follow-up on the Intermodal Station and Hercules Bayfront projects. The latter may include the results of the survey recently conducted, [...]

The City Council emerged from closed session at approximately 7pm on Tuesday, September 28, 2010, and Mayor Kris Valstad announced that there had been no reportable action taken. During the closed session however, the Council had approved a political push poll that targeted likely voters, a $24.5k-contract with Strategy Research Institute signed by City Manager [...]

Hello hammer. Meet nail. The argument that the push poll recently conducted by the City was simply an honest survey of Hercules residents on the subject of the waterfront development, as well as “affordable housing and quality of life issues within the city,” and not a purely political poll, took a major hit following review [...]

I received the push poll telephone call last night. I recorded it. It is now abundantly clear: the City is laying the groundwork and establishing the public support for eminent domain proceedings, and they’re doing so by presenting false and misleading information. This is going to be a disaster. The most loaded question came close [...]

Tom Lochner reports on the push poll… “Some Hercules residents worry that a recent telephone survey focusing mainly on the waterfront signals that the city wants to proceed with a train station there in isolation and postpone, or even abandon, the promise of a surrounding New Urbanism community that many say lured them to Hercules [...]

The City is ramping up efforts to take ownership of the Waterfront property through eminent domain… “A telephone survey conducted in recent days that has some residents of the Hercules Waterfront wondering about its genesis and purpose is related to possible upcoming litigation, city spokeswoman Doreen Mathews said Monday. She did not elaborate on the [...]

The City Council approved an apparent push poll, currently being conducted, aimed to turn residents against the Waterfront developer and help incumbents win in next month’s election. The poll, which costs $24.5k, was approved during closed session prior to last week’s City Council meeting and was not on the agenda. The poll is being conducted [...]