1. A proposed law that would protect Oakland tenants from being evicted by landlords who want to raise rents advanced through a city council committee last night, the Trib$ reports. The measure, authored by Councilmember Dan Kalb, also is designed to protect tenants from harassment. The council’s Community and Economic Development Committee voted 2-1 to approve the measure, with Councilmembers Libby Schaaf and Lynette Gibson McElhaney voting in favor, and Councilmember Pat Kernighan opposed. The committee, however, watered down the measure slightly before approving it, removing a provision that would allow the city to levy fines against landlords who violate the law. The measure now goes to the full council for approval.
2. Many potential homebuyers are being priced out of the Bay Area’s red-hot housing market, as home prices continued to soar last month, the Mercury News$ reports. The median home price in Alameda County reached $621,000 in September, up 8.5 percent from the previous year. Analysts attributed the price hikes to a lack of available homes on the market.
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3. Oakland is on track to have the fewest number of homicides in fifteen years, the Trib$ reports. The number of killings in the city has dropped substantially in 2014, and could end up being the lowest since 1999.
4. AC Transit has fired it’s embattled CFO — Lewis Clinton Jr. — who has been charged with embezzling $500,000 in funds from Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, the Chron reports. Clinton Jr. allegedly used the money for private school tuition for his kids and a golf membership. However, there is no evidence that he stole from AC Transit.
