UPDATE ON EBMUD PROJECT:

Thank you so much to everyone who attended the EBMUD Board meeting on Tuesday, March 14. After much discussion, EBMUD Director April Chan made a motion to terminate the project.  John Coleman seconded the motion.  The result:

April Chan:  Yes

John Coleman:  Yes

Bill Patterson:  Yes

Doug Linney: No

Andy Katz:   No

Marguerite Young:  No

Lesa McIntosh: Absent

Since the vote was  3-3, it did not pass.  But it seemed that at least Linney and Katz recognized the project site was inappropriate, and just wanted to give staff more time to work on alternatives. 

Next Steps:  We still have a lot of work to do, but the light at the end of the tunnel is much brighter!  We won’t be satisfied until we know that the Quarry Site is off the table for consideration!  

We hope to get this back in front of the full Board of Directors in the near future.  In the meantime, we will be trying to gain even more support to oppose this project.  So please make sure all your neighbors, friends, acquaintances sign the petition, if they haven’t done so already.  Please stay tuned to attend meetings and write letters.  We can do this!  

Summary of the March 14th Board Meeting: We had a standing room only crowd, which was what we needed!  The Coalition was allowed to give a 10 minute power point presentation to the Board.  Everyone who gave public comment did a fantastic job explaining how ill-conceived this quarry site project is.  San Leandro Mayor Gonzalez came in person and City Council Member Celina Reynes attended on zoom.  Both of them spoke eloquently against the project.  

The star of the show was our EBMUD Representative Director April Chan who got this project on the Board agenda in the first place and advocated strongly and so articulately for its termination.  She was phenomenal! 

Director Chan made a motion to terminate the project and got 3 votes. Unfortunately, there were three directors who, despite recognizing that there appeared to be serious problems with the project that “may be insurmountable,” voted against termination until staff has an opportunity to explore alternatives for the extracted soils.  So the vote was 3 to 3, which meant the motion did not pass.  One of the Directors, Lesa McIntosh, was absent.  We will hope to get her vote and flip the “no” votes when we get this back on the Board’s agenda.  

STAY TUNED TO THE WEBSITE SAVELAKECHABOTROAD.COM FOR FURTHER INFO!  WE NOW HAVE OVER 1,600 PETITIONERS.