Ms. Spencer, you are not correct to say that the two new members of the City council campaigned against the ECCL plan. I endorsed both Dianne and Scott with the assurance that they were supportive of the direction the City and the school district were pursuing together and, as well, they endorsed me in my school board race where completing the ECCL project was a key platform piece. Since the election, both council members have worked positively moving forward. In my own election, 97% of voters (approximately1255/1286 voters) supported me and my platform in support of the ECCL project. The other newly elected school board member, Donn Merriam, is a school architect who also ran on making ECCL work and who has consistently supported the effort.

Let’s look at the 97% mandate that Mr Affeldt claims the election gave him. Donn Merriam, who did run on an ECCL platform, received 730 votes, only 30 more than former Board incumbent Miguel Dwin, the strongest proponent of the ECCL. John Affeldt on the other hand received 1,255 votes or 97% of the possible 1286 possible votes. But why 1286? In Emeryville, 2,524 people voted* for gubernatorial candidate. For the school bond measure, 2,279 people voted. This means that less than 50% of the people that voted cast their ballot for John Affeldt. Even if we just look at the number of people that voted for education issues (the parcel tax), Mr Affeldt received 55% of the vote. Donn Merriam, again who campaigned as a proponent of the ECCL, received less than a third of the vote. Miguel Dwin, the loser, even fewer.

The election was not mandate for the ECCL (or for Mr Affeldt), but a reflection of the community’s tepid interest in the schools of Emeryville. The ECCL is over budget, late and just as unpopular as ever. If Mr Affeldt had ever shown any interest, even intellectual curiosity about public opinion over the ECCL instead of using his position as School Board President to quash dissent, he might have been more aware and he might not have issued such impolitic and harsh rebukes against the public he would have to later apologize for. Gall is a word that is apropos at this point.

Hi John,

I apologize for the delay in responding to you and publishing your comment. I've reached out to Kyle Spencer our author on this story to ask her about her conversations with the two new members of the city council, Diane Martinez and Scott Donahue.

Here's what she said:

"Dianne Martinez and Scott Donahue both spoke to me on the record saying they had concerns about the city's current ECCL plan. They were also reported saying this in at least one interview during the lead up to the city council election."

Thank you for reading and for taking the time to comment with your concerns.

Best,
Lillian Mongeau
Engagement Editor

The biggest problem I see with this flawed project beyond the site being too small (a finding of Sacramento) is the fact that the promoters of it among the Emery School Board have shut out dissenting voices in the community from the beginning. Inherent and apparently non-negotiable in the Center of 'Community' Life idea is the concept of the K-12 model these promoters say. However community frustration over the resulting closing of the existing elementary school grew so large that some 73 parents and citizens wrote a letter to the School Board in 2013, pleading for a chance to weigh in on the school closing as they were promised they would be allowed to do but the Board simply ignored the community's concerns and forged blithely on. It's why I finally started using the word community in quotations for this Center of 'Community' Life project.

The biggest problem I see with this flawed project beyond the site being too small (a finding of Sacramento) is the fact that the promoters of it among the Emery School Board have shut out dissenting voices in the community from the beginning. Inherent and apparently non-negotiable in the Center of 'Community' Life idea is the concept of the K-12 model these promoters say. However community frustration over the resulting closing of the existing elementary school grew so large that some 73 parents and citizens wrote a letter to the School Board in 2013, pleading for a chance to weigh in on the school closing as they were promised they would be allowed to do but the Board simply ignored the community's concerns and forged blithely on. It's why I finally started using the word community in quotations for this Center of 'Community' Life project.

"...how popular ideas can lose favor..." Nope.

"...even when almost everyone likes the idea." Nope

The story of Emeryville's Center for Community Life is not one of a popular idea mismanaged. It was only ever "popular" amongst a majority of the School Board and their paid consultants and staff. This is a story of the powerful few shoving through their own plan despite the protests of everyone else in the community that was paying attention. Over 70 residents signed a letter pleading with the District not to close Anna Yates and move the youngest children to this monstrosity. There have never been 70 people sign ANYthing in favor of ECCL.

More recently 17 parents went again to a School Board meeting to urge the Board not to close Anna Yates and they were ignored. Never have 17 people (not paid by the District) ever attended a meeting to say positive things about the ECCL. A small few thought they knew what was best and they have consistently refused to acknowledge the concerns of the community. It's not a vocal minority. It's everyone who knows what is happening. I know virtually every family in this District and I cannot find one that thinks this is a good idea.