During the 1999-01 budget cycle, revitalization of the Fruitvale/San Antonio continued at a rapid pace as we made significant progress in these policy and constituent areas:

Economic Development: The Fruitvale’s International Boulevard became the City’s third Business Improvement District or BID – taking advantage of a new program that allows the City to collect an assessment for district-wide services and improvements such as litter vacuuming and increased security. The Fruitvale BART Transit Village secured final funding for its $90 million construction project. I opened a permanent facility to serve Day Laborers on E. 12^th Street – the center insures the workers are treated fairly and has negotiated higher average wages than similar centers in neighboring cities.

Decent Housing: I formed the Decent Housing Task Force including tenant advocates, landlords and City staff to address the issue of decent living conditions in low-income housing. Our "Dirty Dozen" campaign forced 71 problem landlords to bring their properties up to legal, habitable standards. We also instituted aggressive rental housing inspections in conjunction with the Fire Department. I fought along side the 45 families living in Oak Park apartments to win their habitability law suit and transform that slum into fully rehabilitated affordable housing.

New Schools: I celebrated the long-awaited demolition of the Montgomery Wards Building and watched construction begin on two new small schools to relieve the unconscionable conditions in overcrowded Fruitvale and San Antonio public schools. We also opened the Ascend School at the Dewey site and continued to explore additional school sites.

New Parks & Open Space: Along with the Unity Council, we completed the Master Plan for a new 9 acre park at Union Point -- the first water-front park to serve San Antonio and Fruitvale. We put in grass fields for the children at Manzanita Elementary School and new playground improvements at Foothill Meadows Park, Josie De La Cruz Park (formerly Sanborn Park), Dolores Huerta Charter School and Lazear Elementary School.

Legislation: I am particularly proud to have authored, along with Councilmember Danny Wan, the Equal Access Ordinance, requiring the City to have bi-lingual employees in key public contact positions. I also sponsored the anti-Predatory Lending Ordinance to prevent Oakland homeowners from falling prey to unfair lending practices. I also created an ordinance allowing the City to remove problem public pay phones and a pilot program that licenses health department-approved mobile food vendors.

During the next two years I expect to see the completion of the Fruitvale BART Transit Village, including a new health clinic for La Clinica De La Raza, expanded Cesar Chavez Library, Senior Centers, YMCA, retail and housing. I’m confident this project will spark additional economic development along International Boulevard. I also plan to see the opening of Union Point Park, additional new small schools and charter schools serving our youth, and additional improvements to Peralta Hacienda Park.