Planning in Oakland for the Federal Promise Neighborhoods Initiative

On March 12, 2010, representatives from City and County agencies, the school district, and local non-profit organizations came together to discuss how to identify a Promise Neighborhood and a capable anchor institution in Oakland. The group decided that an executive committee would meet weekly to decide on a neighborhood and an anchor insitution for the initiative. The executive committee is considering school data, school-based programs and services, neighborhood characteristics, community-based programs and services, neighborhood collaboratives and initiatives as they work together to craft an application for Oakland. Mayor Dellums and Superintendent Smith are forming a panel to make the final decision regarding which neighborhood and anchor institution they will support applications from.

City Council Meeting on June 15th, 2010

The City Council will deliberate about the City's participation in the Promise Neighborhood planning process at an upcoming meeting of the Oakland Redevelopment Agency and City Council on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 5:30 PM at Oakland City Hall.

A report was commissioned to inform the Council's decision to accept or decline to participate in the application for Promise Neighborhood program funding.

This report, compiled by Council President Jane Brunner and Council Member Desley Brooks, provides background on the Promise Neighborhood project and application process and estimates the likelihood of acceptance at around 2%. The authors of the report conclude that an applicant must submit a thorough and comprehensive proposal in order to be competitive.

The report also refers to fiscal concerns about the PN program. The authors draw attention to the threat budget cuts pose to federal spending, particularly on fledgling programs like Promise Neighborhoods.

Report from Brunner and Brooks to Members of the Council

Supplemental Report from the Office of the Mayor

Summary of City Council Report

Briefing on Oakland's Promise Neighborhood Initiative

Agendas & Notes from Executive Committee Meetings