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MINUTES Page 8 City of San Leandro City Council and San Leandro Redevelopment Agency Joint Meeting-December 3, 2007 12. CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Souza commented that her daughter's wedding was this past Saturday, and now that it is past, she will be able to attend more City functions. Councilmember Starosciak attended the Tree Lighting and Lighted Boat Parade, and she commented that the events were really well done and a lot of fun was had by all. She expressed some disappointment at the small number of boats that participated. Councilmember Starosciak requested that tonight's meeting be adjourned in memory of Roland Paul Sobek, father of Police Sergeant Mike Sobek; Vincent Calcagno, former San Leandro Fire Captain and great uncle of Police Officer Doug Calcagno; and Mary Rea, English teacher at Chabot College and a personal friend of hers. Councilmember Starosciak commented that she has requested that her constituents participate in "Operation Thank Bad Santa," by acknowledging and expressing appreciation to the City's police officers for their good work in the community. She commented on recent articles in the local newspapers regarding crime in San Leandro, and she pointed out that the City's Police Department does a great job. She suggested that the Council consider a strategic plan for enhancing the community's support of the Police Department, including renovating police facilities and a plan for community engagement to build trust and respect for the department. Councilmember Stephens concurred with Councilmember Starosciak, suggesting that the City Council add the discussion on Police support to the Council's retreat agenda. He noted that there have been high profile events in the past few months, as well as auto thefts, vagrancy and panhandling, and traffic issues, that have shifted the community's perception about safety in the City. Councilmember Stephens commented that we must ensure the individual safety of our residents and make San Leandro known as the safest city in the East Bay. Councilmember Stephens requested that a crime analysis of key indicators over the past five years be performed, and that a report of the results be provided to the Council prior to its retreat. He also requested that the PD provide its views on what things it could use to better combat crime, i.e., technology, community assessment, community assistance, lighting, communications, deployments, tactics, etc. to advance crime prevention. Councilmember Prola thanked the staff involved in organizing the Tree Lighting ceremony and the Thanksgiving lunches for seniors at the Main Library and Marina Community Center. He commented on a news article in the San Leandro Times regarding Betts Springs' move out of San Leandro, and he remarked that it hurts the City when major manufacturers move out of town because employees cannot afford to live here. Councilmember Prola encouraged the City to make an even greater effort to develop affordable housing. Councilmember Prola commented on the Sutter Health nurses' strike, which would affect San Leandro Hospital and other Sutter hospitals. Mayor Santos commented that he also attended the Tree Lighting and Lighted Boat Parade. He noted that a good sized crowd showed up for the Lighted Boat Parade, and he was impressed with the number of students that volunteered to help with the event. Mayor Santos commented on the crime problem in San Leandro, and recalled that a report on police staffing a few years ago stated that the more police officers a community has, the better the crime statistics. Regarding plastic grocery bags, Mayor Santos noted that this would be a major