July 19th, 2025
Good afternoon building community,
For those of you who noticed my absence this past week I have been due to a positive covid test result. I anticipate being fully recuperated with a presence back in the building by Wednesday. I am also long overdue in sending out a building newsletter. Please review the following information for updates, next steps, what's to come, and key recaps and reminders.
Updates
Access Control Change: After six months of review and deliberation CALLI has decided to move forward with changing the access control for the front entrance of the building. We will be working with Safe & Sound Security to install the Brivo access control system on the front door. The installation is currently scheduled for the morning of Thursday, August 21st which gives us ample time to prepare for the change. We will be focusing on rolling out mobile pass credentials. (Check out the first minute and 25 seconds of this Brivo Mobile Pass video for a sneak peak)
Reasoning: For those with the longest tenure in the building, we recognize that this will be a significant transition. We have chosen to keep the side door entrance on the existing system that legacy groups currently control and administrator. Our decision was motivated by identifying a cloud-based solution that CALLI could consistently administer that would meet our current and future needs in the building. We chose Brivo for it's ease of administration, remote capabilities, and scalability. For the foreseeable future I will be the primary CALLI administrator for the access control system. Any and all inquiries can be directed to me on behalf of CALLI & EBPREC.
Logistics: We are starting out with a set number of 100 mobile pass credentials and want to encourage each lessee to limit their request for front door credentials to 10 people.
There will also be a limited number of proximity cards available to check out if there are credential holders that are not able to utilize Brivo mobile pass on their phone. These proximity cards will require a $5 security deposit with CALLI and should only be requested as a last resort. We want to move away from card access control because it adds additional challenges to access management but recognize the need to have an alternative option available.
People Management: While the list of people with front door access control will be slimmer, the Brivo system also enables us to capture a broader range of building stakeholders, including individuals who get banned from the building through Brivo user profiles. Profiles will also make it easy to verify individuals that are members of organizations that require entry into the building. I will be paying more attention to front door notifications on the app then I do when the doorbell rings, and have the capacity to provide remote door access. The remaining set of access control credentials that are not claimed by lessees can be added to people on an ad hoc basis if and when they are hosting an event or are doing an activity that requires direct access to the building for a limited period of time.
Directory + Membership List: To help prepare for the transition I would like each of the six groups in the building connected to a lease (CCL, EBFNB, Free Store, Sudomesh, Sudoroom, Wood Street Commons) to create a duplicate of the following Google sheets: Directory + membership list template and ensure that you populate the three tabs. Please plan to resend me the information by August 8th so that I can start processing and uploading the information. This will ensure that we have the most updated contact information and have a seamless access control transition. The following are some details about the three sheets.
Org contact list: This is an opportunity to update the points of contact for key leadership roles. If these positions haven't changed in the last year you can also notify me that the information remains the same as our current records.
Membership List: The second sheet should capture all the active/current affiliates or members of your group. Moving forward this will help streamline front door management with individuals that don't have access control credentials who will be able to be verified through the membership list which will be uploaded to Brivo.
Special Ask: I highly encourage us to get as many member photographs as possible. As the primary administrator of Brivo, this will really help minimize biased descriptions of individuals when recounting building events, and ensure that CALLI is familiar with all of the members of the building community. Photos can also be added later on once the profiles are created, so I can also revisit this with individuals directly after August 8th.
Hours of Operations: The final sheet aims to capture existing programs and space use of each lessee. Understanding the building's average programming will help me structure my schedule, and make more informed decisions that better support peoples needs.
Points of contact for events and specific activity can also be given scheduled access control capability in addition to the individuals selected by each group.
Capturing this information will also get us one step closer to having a public Google Calendar for the building to keep everyone in the loop.
ADA Automatic Door Opener: Dave's Lock Services will be working under Safe & Sound Security to install the front door automatic door opener for better accessibility in the same timeline as the access control project. Under the membership list above, I would also encourage a note be written next to individuals that indicate needing ADA accessibility so we can plan accordingly.
Security Cameras: After a lot of deliberation I put forward my recommendation of installing six wireless Tapo cameras at the following location. The goals behind the locations are included in the link. Please note that the three inside locations are in areas that are not currently being leased and are under CALLI's direct oversight. We have chosen not to install commercial cameras that integrate with Brivo and instead opted for a more cost effective alternative with local storage that only the CALLI team has access to. The cameras will greatly support my role and capacity as Stewardship Manager and can easily be amended or removed if they don't work out. My goal is to install the cameras on or after July 23rd. If anyone has further comments, concerns, or would like to be involved in the installation. Please reach out to me directly.
Siding Project: Since the last newsletter we decided to switch general contractors for the building's South wall siding project. The process required a City of Oakland permit transfer to GVD Renovations and pushed the project out by at least a month. While our completion date is uncertain (anticipated in September) we will be getting a thicker siding material with a Class A Fire/Flame Spread Rating.
Interior Doors: In the past we shared that we would be working on adding two interior doors to the building. Last month we submitted the plans to the City of Oakland and they are processing additional materials requested. We anticipate purchasing the door hardware and materials and self performing the work with Don Luis. Our goal is to get this done before our next fire inspection.
Cease & Desist: After more than a year of the ballroom having an enforceable C&D in place we were finally able to get the City of Oakland to lift the Cease and Desist on the ballroom. HOWEVER, the special events department has not cleared us for events of 50+ people without needing to get a special events permit which is an additional $50-$200 per event. While events are allowed in the ballroom it is still impractical under these circumstances to expect community groups to pay those additional costs for gatherings. We are continuing to escalate this issue to the next level of City administration in hopes of getting a favorable zoning determination that will finally put this reoccurring issue with the City to rest.
Recaps & Reminders
Infractions: I will continue to populate the infractions reference document with a new tab for every newsletter to show instances where building rule violations or infractions occur that have an adverse effect on building operations. For July, I also want to pull out the following:
Dumping Bulk Items & Mess: Furniture and other unwanted items should not be left in the entrance hall. The building does not currently have a dedicated cleaning staff or budget for dumping. Time spent on cleaning, breaking down bulk items, and organizing things in the building takes away from Don Luis and I's primary roles and responsibilities. If folks are interested in donating to the Free Store that needs to be given directly to Free Store volunteers or left on the Free Store donation table with their permission. If the Free Store is interested in items, those also need to be able to be stored in the designated Free Store storage area at the end of each day they are open.
Unauthorized breaker being turned on: For the second time in the last few months I have experienced an issue with the electrical breaker connected to the outside outlet being switched back on without any communication or approval. This is a very serious issue that cannot continue.
High electrical bill: This past month alone there was a $500 increase in electrical use for the building despite very few approved event activity. We cannot afford these volatile spikes in utility costs. Please be mindful to turn off lights and electrical equipment that is not in use. I also want to request that the lights in the entrance hall be turned off throughout the day and remain turned off after the free store is closed or standard building hours.
Space use: Any type of request for space use big or small, short term or long term, pro-bono or paid will be reviewed on a case by case basis via this form: https://forms.gle/x4CRcpoCYNRFcQrs5 until we say otherwise.
Engagement: Since May many have done a great job with keeping walkways unobstructed and paths of egress clear. There have been a lot of proactive steps taken by groups in leased spaces. I appreciate seeing the sustained engagement and positive improvements in different spaces. Cheers to everyone who has played a proactive and supportive role in the building, please continue to keep the momentum going.
What's New
Volunteer & Collaboration Opportunities:
I have been really grateful to the members of the Omni Commons who have helped me on my journey to becoming a building whisperer. There are a ton of skills and experiences across the six groups in the building, and I am fortunate that folks have extended a helping hand. If you are interested in supporting building improvements, safety upgrades, and operating procedures please email me directly to indicate your interest. Topics that I am actively soliciting input and support for are:
Design ideas for outdoor beautification and what to plant in place of the Italian Cypress that were removed alongside the building.
Assistance with increasing internet speed in the CALLI office and creating an additional password protected internet network to house access control and security cameras.
Design and/or installation of a wireless fire alarm system.
Interest in helping plan a Fall season follow up to our April 1st gathering. Something to culminate a year with CALLI?
Strategies and ideas for greening the building and incorporating more indoor plants.
Property Condition Assessment: While we have been planning, scheduling, and executing on $500,000 worth of improvements to the building for this first year, we also want to make sure that we determine a process for implementing future building improvements. Last month we started working with Basis - architecture and consulting firm to assess the building and help us plan for future improvements.
On the Horizon:
Reoccurring Payment Option: We have gotten some requests for monthly reoccurring bills so that rent and utilities can be scheduled on auto pay. Due to the fluctuation of the utility bills, we were not able to set this up. After several months of capturing utility information we are confident that we can roll out an auto-pay program where we populate an average utility bill amount based on the organization's average and set up a tracking system to either reimburse or bill for any amount owed at the end of the year. We have piloted this with one organization, and want to move in the direction of doing this with the other groups. If there are concerns with transitioning to reoccurring payments please let me know by the end of the month. We hope to initiate this for August billing.
Welfare Tax Exemption Application: We are still in the process of getting the welfare tax exemption and have received comments and additional requests on our submitted application that are due in September. One of the concerns is that CALLI does not have signed leases with all of the groups. Most were assumed in the purchase with Omni Commons. We are talking to lawyers to determine the best way to go about this. We are hopeful that an addendum amending the leases will suffice, but there is a chance we may need to reach out to get leases resigned to appease the County. The terms of the lease would be identical, it would just be about having CALLI named and signing as the Lessor. The target date for any changes would be in August so that either the amendment or resigned leases can go into effect for the August billing period.
We are doing our best to minimize the impact on everyone, but please designate and prepare a signatory for this type of request. I encourage groups to review Section 14 of your leases that references this kind of situation.
Upcoming Building Rules Implementation: Since receiving feedback on the V1 building rules and the release of the last newsletter, I have shifted away from creating responses to comments toward developing additional training material on aspects of the building rules. Be on the lookout for future updates. Specific topics to look out for in notices or communication are guidance on building signage, tripping hazards mitigation, encapsulation, appliances, and other safety processes.
Connecting with the 44th St building: Since I came back from the Social Purpose Summit in LA in May I have been in communication with Alex the Stewardship Manager of the future Critical Resistance owned building on 44th street (Building People Power (BPP) building. We have been talking about ways to support each other and how to maintain continuity of services when they break ground on their project. We will be rescheduling a visit to each other's space in the upcoming week.
I hope this newsletter provided helpful details. Due to changes in my son's summer schedule, my time in the building has shifted. For the next few weeks I will be in the space daily until ~2:30 pm. If we need to schedule a time to meet outside of 9:30-2:30 pm that can be arranged upon request.
Thank you and take care,
*Attached is a pdf of the text written above for ease of distribution.
