Monthly Archives: July 2013

Ignoring the law

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

At last week’s Council meeting, when the topic of reducing the City’s liability for Other Post-Employment Benefits (“OPEB”) by capping retiree health benefits came up, the following dialog occurred: Mayor Marie Gilmore: Can I just be very clear here? There … Continue reading →

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Why fund OPEB when you can build an EOC?

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

There’s good news for all those pining for a new $3 million state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center “(EOC”) to built at the corner of Buena Vista and Grand. A year after voters failed to pass a measure to increase the sales … Continue reading →

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How to solve the OPEB problem (Part II)

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

In yesterday’s post, we suggested that, if City Council truly is interested in solving Alameda’s “OPEB problem,” it ought to break the issue of “unfunded liabilities” into its two components.  Yesterday, we discussed “liabilities” – i.e., what the City owes … Continue reading →

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How to solve the OPEB problem (Part I)

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

If City Council truly is interested in solving Alameda’s “OPEB problem,” the first thing it needs to do is to define exactly what problem it wants to solve. The actuaries tell us that, as of January 1, 2011, the City … Continue reading →

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OPEB problem? What OPEB problem?

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

Five years ago, City Manager Debra Kurita (with the assistance of Interim Finance Director Ann Marie Gallant) alerted City Council that Alameda had an “OPEB problem”:   It had agreed to provide health benefits to retired public employees (and, in the … Continue reading →

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What ABAG thinks Alameda needs

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

Quick quiz: Will the City of Alameda need more or less housing in the next eight years than it needed in the past eight years? If you answered, “More,” you can send in your application for membership in HOMES (or … Continue reading →

Posted in Alameda Point, Development, Housing | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Certificate of service

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

At tonight’s Council meeting, Mayor Gilmore will hand out certificates to 11 Alameda citizens thanking them for their service on various City boards and commissions.  One of the recipients is my wife, Jane Sullwold, the outgoing chair of the Alameda … Continue reading →

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