Coliseum City: Alameda County Wanted Share Sale To Part With Dysfunctional Oakland

According to sources who don't wish to be named - friends I've known for over 20 years and close to the process involving the effort to retain the Oakland Raiders, Oakland Athletics and Golden State Warriors, as well as the Coliseum City project – in May, the County of Alameda Board of Supervisors collectively elected to propose a deal to the City of Oakland, where Oakland could buy out the County of Alameda's share of the Coliseum. As it turned out, the reason wasn't as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley said in his July 29th 2015 press release - issued after the NFL / City / County / Raiders Meeting at Raiders Headquarters - when he wrote: “The County and the City are in different positions. The County loses money each year while the City has more revenue generating opportunities to offset costs and losses associated with property development and sports venues,” Miley said. “The County believed, when it entered this arrangement in 1995, that it would get revenues from operations of the facilities, but they never fully materialized. Thus, we believe it’s wise to sell our interest to the City, retire our debt, and focus on what we do best—providing our residents with beneficial programs like healthcare and social services.” The real reason the County of Alameda collectively wanted out of dealing with Oakland regarding the Coliseum can be summed up in two words: Oakland's dysfunction. Alameda County representatives on the Oakland-Alameda County Joint Powers Authority JPA, along with Alameda County staffers and retired employees who worked on the Coliseum City effort grew more angry and more frustrated with what one of my sources called “the passing number of city people” involved with Coliseum City, the lack of a single leader or Oakland point person - Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was invited to sit on the JPA along with the current two Oakland City Council representatives last fall after she won her race to be mayor – thus giving Oakland prime voting power - but turned down the invitation, reportedly saying she would come to important meetings when needed - well as Oakland's lack of desire to cut ties with Coliseum City ENA holder New City Development LLC and its boss, Floyd Kephart. More: http://ift.tt/1E9Qlsw

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