Committee annual reports: bike and pedestrian, budget advisory, aging, parks updates; council records several routine votes

Several Emeryville advisory committees delivered annual reports Tuesday summarizing 2024 work and outlining priorities for 2025, while the City Council recorded multiple routine votes on consent and procedural items.

Committee highlights

- Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC): Jesse Olsen, BPAC chair, said 2024 accomplishments included a bike rack inventory, feedback to the Fortieth Street multimodal project, progress on the Ho Chessing (Ho Chieng) Park greenway and a wayfinding program. BPAC’s 2025 top priorities are safety improvements at the Powell‑Christie intersection, better marina access, increased committee diversity and implementation of wayfinding. The committee asked the council for continued attention to pedestrian and cyclist safety.

- Budget Advisory Committee: Brian (committee member/finance presenter) said the committee reviewed mid‑year budget reports, fee schedules, audited financials, and section 115 pension trust issues in 2024. For 2025 the committee prioritized a review of budget policies, the master fee schedule, the two‑year budget process and investment policy; it also recommended discussing committee composition.

- Commission on Aging: Beth Rosales presented in place of the chair, reporting filled vacancies and a more diverse membership; the commission launched a volunteer‑run help desk pilot (to launch in June) and plans to recruit social work interns and volunteer guides to support seniors, with volunteer training led by a newly added member with an LCSW.

- Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee: Chair Nicholas Robert described survey work, quarterly park site visits, collaboration on McLaughlin East Shore Park progress, a children‑and‑nature pilot at Stanford Park, and priorities including park strategic planning, urban greening and continued parks capital advocacy.

Council votes at a glance

- Closed session settlement (Item 6.1.1): Reported out by the city attorney, the council voted 5–0 in closed session to settle the claim of Geisler Silva Junior for property damage to his vehicle in the amount of $4,958.50.

- Noise waiver (public hearing): Council approved a requested noise waiver after no public comments (motion carried, roll call 5–0).

- Consent pull item — Grant agreement (Consent item 10.7): Council approved a resolution authorizing a grant agreement for $266,000 to support a property’s capitalized reserves; staff said the property will use remaining reserves to address earlier code enforcement issues and must submit admin requests to withdraw funds from the reserve account. Motion carried 5–0.

Councilors thanked committee members and staff for the year’s work and asked staff to continue outreach to broaden committee participation. Several council members emphasized the need to incorporate senior, family and youth experiences into committee recruitment and program planning.