California community voices frustration over botched grant application

OAKLAND, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - On Monday, Oakland's NAACP, Chinatown community leaders and church activists calling out the city for the “botched” application, and are now demanding answers.

The city adminstrator says they submitted their application to the state, but it was incomplete. Community members voiced their frustrations, saying this is a missed opportunity for Oakland.

"Missed the deadline sounds like negligence. Sounds like somebody was not focused…what was necessary to do," said Greg McConnel, CEO of the McConnell Group and Oakland NAACP member.

"What is going on in Oakland is a civil rights issue…This is the mayor's fault. We need to hear from the mayor," said one community member.

Accepting responsibility

Mayor Sheng Thao was asked about the city missing the deadline at her town talk event Sunday. She directed questions about the state money miss to City Administrator Jestin Johnson. He called the outcome unacceptable.

"But we accept...'I' accept responsibility for what was lost. Quite frankly, we just missed it. No excuse...Look at this as an opportunity to improve and move forward," Johnson explained.

Meantime, several jurisdictions throughout the Bay Area did get a share of the state's $267 million for retail theft, including the Alameda County District Attorney.

Across the bay in San Francisco, the police department just got a $15 million bonus to support the fight against retail crime.