[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        A TRIBUTE TO DICK SPEES

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, on Saturday, November 16, 2002, the 
city of Oakland will celebrate the remarkable career in public service 
of retiring Oakland City Councilmember Dick Spees, who has served on 
the council with grace, wit and distinction for 24 years. The 
celebration--2003: A Spees Odyssey will take place at the Chabot Space 
and Science Center in Oakland.
  Councilmember Spees leaves a quarter-century legacy of service to his 
constituents, as well as council leadership on issues of economic 
development, marketing, good government, finance, quality of life, 
public safety, and regional planning.
  Among his many accomplishments, he led local efforts to found Chabot 
Space & Science Center; Oakland-Sharing the Vision; Oakland Tours; the 
Bay Area Economic Forum; the Bay Area World Trade Center, and the Bay 
Area Bioscience Center.
  He has led campaigns to pass bond measures that have purchased open 
space, built recreation centers, libraries and cultural facilities, and 
upgraded emergency response facilities and equipment.
  As chair of the City Council's Rules Committee, Dick has shepherded 
campaign finance reform, the sunshine ordinance, the lobbyist 
registration ordinance and the formation of the public ethics 
commission. He has also spearheaded development of the city, State and 
Federal legislative programs and led advocacy efforts in Sacramento and 
Washington, DC.
  A skilled negotiator, Dick has resolved many contentious issues in 
District 4 and in the city, including the expansion of Dreyer's Grand 
Ice Cream, Montclair Lucky Store, Fred Finch Youth Center, and Lincoln 
Child Center. He negotiated recent amendments to the Residential Rent 
Arbitration Program.
  In the area of economic development, Councilmember Spees has led many 
of the city's marketing efforts, has collaborated on writing Oakland's 
telecommunications policy, and has initiated business attraction 
efforts for telecommunications, digital media, software, and bioscience 
companies. He has promoted economic development in District 4 through 
zoning changes, streetscape improvements, utility undergrounding, and 
outreach to interested developers.
  Throughout his career, Dick has represented Oakland on Bay Area 
regional agencies. He currently serves on the Association of Bay Area 
Governments, the Bay Area Economic Forum, the Regional Airport Planning 
Committee, the Bay Area World Trade Center, Oakland Base Reuse 
Authority, and cochairs the City-Port Liaison Committee and the BAR T-
Oakland Airport Connector Stakeholders Committee.
  The people of Oakland are losing a remarkable public servant in Dick 
Spees, but I suspect that his heart with never be far from the people 
he has represented so well for so long. I wish the very best to him and 
his wife Jean.

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