Four plausible candidates are running for two seats on City Council. Alameda residents already know what they're getting if they cast a vote to re-elect Trish Herrera Spencer. What will they be getting if they cast votes for the others?

The three other candidates appear to have short records concerning the City of Alameda's public business — the mix of miscellaneous, tedious, and important decisions that councilmembers are asked to vote upon on all our behalves. I point out these limitations with respect and not to suggest that's disqualifying — there are probably many additional qualities and types of experience that folks can successfully bring to local elected office. Still, I know I'm not the only one eager to know more about these three candidates, their outlooks on local topics, and their willingness to be clear and to the point when it's time to make decisions. Yes, there will be a few debates (Alameda Dem club on Sept 11; Alameda Post on Sept 28) but debates are often about hypotheticals. How about the real decisions that City Council is actually making?

So here's the deal: the Morning Bun will quote and publish any time any of the City Council candidates emails in a written public comment or gives a live verbal public comment at a Council meeting between now and the November 5 election.

There are only three meetings on the calendar between now and then:

Starting on September 17: Neighborhood Greenways

The two "regular agenda" items on September 17 will likely draw many members of the public:

• Agenda Item 7-B: new city aquatics center (to be built in Jean Sweeney Open Space Park; city staff are proposing to move ahead with the 2-pool option)
• Agenda Item 7-C: a presentation and discussion about the next steps of the Neighborhood Greenways program across Alameda Island

While no vote will be taken on this topic on September 17, Neighborhood Greenways and related programs will be the subject of future votes by City Council. Councilmember Herrera Spencer will be sharing her own thoughts on September 17 (and if the past is any indication, should she be re-elected she will be ready to "pull" even the most mundane of contracts from the consent calendar to inveigh against the entire program in the future).

What do the three newcomer challengers think?

And how do their comments try to persuade current City Council members and the broader public to join them in their position (whatever that position may be)?

September 17 is a great opportunity for the candidates for City Council to share their thoughts publicly on Neighborhood Greenways and additional real agenda items in front of City Council.

This blog will be ready to post their comments.

P.S.

P.S. Readers, would some of you like to volunteer to help? I'll set up a shared Google Sheets that lists out all the agenda items and all the candidates. I might not listen to the entire meeting live, so it would be helpful to have a few others to help either listen live in shifts or to the recording the day after each meeting. We can then tick off any agenda items where a candidates gave a live public comment. We can also skim the correspondence packets and tally those as well. Then we can have a shared Google Doc to collect the actual comments. Drop me an email if you'd like to volunteer. And if none of the council candidates besides Trish Herrera Spencer actually speak at the three coming City Council meetings, well... we'll have made some friends along the way.