COUNTY

For information on the role and powers of the county board of supervisors see County Structure. For an excellent article on county governance of unincorporated communities see Caring for Unincorporated Communities.

Alameda County Board of Supervisors -- Website has minutes and agendas of the board as well as audio feed when board is meeting. The board meets regularly on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. at the County Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, Oakland, 5th Floor. The supervisors for the Eden unincorporated area are Nate Miley (Castro Valley, portions of Ashland and Cherryland districts, Fairmont Terrace and El Portal Ridge) and Alice Lai-Bitker (San Lorenzo, portion of Ashland district, Hillcrest Knolls).

Supervisor Miley -- tel. 272-6694, fax 465-7628. He also maintains an office in Castro Valley at 20999 Redwood Road (near the BART station). Tel. 670-5717; fax 537-7289.

Supervisor Lai-Bitker -- tel. 272-6693, fax 268-8004. She also maintains an office in San Lorenzo at 15903 Hesperian (in the retail center across from the Lucky supermarket). Tel. 278-0367; fax 278-0467.

Alameda County General Code Index -- This index has links to the text of ordinances at the County's website.

Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance -- conditions prohibited in the Eden unincorporated area of the county.
Commercial vehicles in residential areas -- limitations on parking.

Community Development Agency

Planning Commission -- The Planning Commission makes recommendations, based on public hearings, to the Board of Supervisors on land-use policy, and conducts hearings on applications for conditional use permits under certain circumstances. Hearings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month. Call 670-5400 for information. See Planning Commission agendas and minutes.

San Lorenzo Specific Plan -- The proposed San Lorenzo Specific Plan is a detailed land-use plan for future development of San Lorenzo's "village square," the commercial area along Hesperian Boulevard that has suffered since Mervyn's store closed six years ago. The Specific Plan website contains documents and discussion of the Specific Plan as developed by a local advisory panel, as well as the final plan. See introduction to the plan, a good summary of how the plan came about.

Eden Area Plan -- Beginning in fall 2002 the county began revision of the Eden Area Plan, covering all the unincorporated areas in the west county other than Castro Valley. For information and documents, see Eden Plan.

Planning Department -- County Office Building, 224 West Winton Ave., Hayward 94544; telephone 670-5400, fax 785-8793.

Redevelopment Agency -- Eileen Dalton, manager (224 West Winton Ave., Room 110, Hayward 94544; 670-6509; e-mail Eileen Dalton)

Zoning Administration and Enforcement

Board of Zoning Adjustments -- The county's Board of Zoning Adjustments conducts public hearings on applications for conditional use permits and variances from county zoning regulations. (The Planning Commission conducts hearings on applications for conditional use permits under certain circumstances.) Hearings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. For information call 670-5400. See Board of Zoning Adjustment agendas and minutes.

Nuisance Abatement -- The Code Enforcement Department is responsible for responding to complaints of violations of the county's nuisance ordinances, also called the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance. To complain about property conditions, contact the department at 670-5400. The head of the department is Tona Henninger (670-6556). Public hearings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month as part of Board of Zoning Adjustments hearings (see above).

Park, Recreation, and Historical Commission -- The commission is concerned with preserving historic sites in the county. A survey of historic sites in unincorporated areas of Eden Township has been completed. The commission meets the first Thursday each month (see Express Calendar). For information call 670-5400.

Public Works

Clearing streets The division is responsible for removing anything in the streets, other than vehicles, that obstruct traffic or parking. A common problem is basketball backboards left standing near the curb. To request action (a warning or removal) call 670-5500 (maintenance coordinator).

Sidewalk repair Repair of a sidewalk is the responsibility of the property owner adjacent to the walk. The county will pay a portion of the cost of repairing a sidewalk. To complain about a sidewalk in need of repair, call 670-5500 (maintenance coordinator) or e-mail info@acpwa.org .

Street lighting To report a burned out or dim street light, call 670-5518 (Special Districts Administrator). It normally takes 3 - 5 days to replace lights.

Tree trimming The division will trim street trees located within the county's right-of-way on residential streets (this includes virtually all homes in the unincorporated areas). Trimming is restricted to low-lying branches that interfere with vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Call 670-5500 (maintenance coordinator). A permit is required to plant, trim, or remove street trees within the county's right-of-way on residential streets (Alameda County General Ordinances, sections 12.08.540 - 12.08.580). See Trees in Our Town).

Road conditions and traffic -- Questions or complaints about roads or traffic in the Eden Area should be addressed to John Bates, traffic engineer, 670-6456.

Sheriff -- The Alameda County sheriff's department (Eden Substation) is the principal law enforcement agency in the unincorporated communities. (However, the California Highway Patrol is responsible for traffic and parking -- see below under State of California.)

Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving COPPS provides directed patrols, bicycle patrols, community walks, community meetings, anti-graffiti flashlight patrols, identification and education in the use of community resources, and problem-solving guidance for anti-social problems. Contact the Eden Area Community Policing office at 667-7770.

Sheriff's Advisory Committee analyzes problems in services in the unincorporated Eden Area. The committee meets the second Monday of each month, 4 p.m., at the San Lorenzo Community Hall (377 Paseo Grande). For more information call 667-7770.

Alameda County Congestion Management Agency -- In 1990 California voters added nine cents per gallon to the state fuel tax to fund local, regional, and state transportation projects and services (Proposition 111). Urban counties were required to create a congestion management agency, whose primary responsibility is to coordinate transportation planning, funding, and other activities in a congestion management program. The Alameda County Congestion Management Agency (CMA) was created in 1991 by a joint-powers agreement between Alameda County and all its cities. The CMA establishes funding priorities for many state and federal transportation spending programs.

REGIONAL

Association of Bay Area Governments -- The ABAG website has information on other Bay Area communities and links to municipal Web sites.

Metropolitan Transportation Commission -- MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Federal and state laws since 1970 have given MTC an increasingly powerful role in transportation planning. As a conduit for federal and state money, MTC holds the pursestrings to major funding of local transportation projects.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

California Government -- Good starting point on the Web to access text of laws and regulations, courts, elected officials, etc.

California Law -- Search for statutes and regulations from this Web site and retrieve the full text. You can search by topic or go directly to specific parts of the code.

California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) -- The unincorporated Eden Area is in CalTrans District 4. See the District 4 Website or call 510.286.4444 for information on construction of state highways that affect you, questions about local freeway landscaping, highway maintenance, etc.

California Highway Patrol -- The CHP is responsible for enforcing the state Vehicle Code in unincorporated communities. If you wish to register a complaint about parked vehicles or unsafe driving, call the local CHP Community Patrol (Castro Valley), 581-9028. This office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To reach the CHP after 5 p.m. or on weekends, call 800.835.5247 (800-TELL-CHP). In an emergency, call 911.

State Assembly

MARY HAYASHI, 18th District
State Capitol, P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0018, tel 916.319.2018, fax 916.319.2118. Local district Office: 22320 Foothill Boulevard, Suite 540, Hayward 94541, tel 583-8818, fax 583-8800.

State Senate

ELLEN CORBETT, 10th District
State Capitol, Room 3092, Sacramento, CA 95814, tel 916.651.4010, fax 916.327.2433. Local district office: 1057 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 206, San Leandro, CA 94577; tel. 577-2310 or 413-5960 (from the 408 area code 408.286.0329), fax 577-2308.

UNITED STATES

Congress.Org
An extremely well-organized and valuable website, produced by private firms, offering complete information on the Congress, committees, and links to individuals.

U.S. House of Representatives

PETE STARK, 13th District
Room 239, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; voice (202) 225-5065, fax (202) 226-3805. District Office (Fremont), (510) 247-1388. E-Mail to petemail.direct@stark.house.gov.

U.S. Senate

SEN. BARBARA BOXER
Room 112, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510; tele. (202) 224-3553. District office (San Francisco), voice 415.403.0100, fax 415.956.6701. E-mail to senator@boxer.senate.gov.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN
Room 331, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510; voice 202.224.3841, fax 202.228.3954. District Office (San Francisco), voice 415.393.0707, fax 415.393.0710. E-mail to senator@feinstein.senate.gov.