Committee backs shorter parking contract extension; capital audit and housing bonds head to council

Routine approval of the committee's draft minutes from its September 22, 2026 meeting. 00:01:38

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved and Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) seconded approval of the draft minutes from the committee meeting of September 22, 2026. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:02:03

The committee's list of pending items and when they are scheduled to come back. A public speaker said the committee had not received a report on the City Administrator's spending under the $250,000 authority since 2023; staff said that report is scheduled for the committee's October 27 meeting. 00:02:03

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved and Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) seconded accepting the schedule of outstanding committee items as is. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:05:44

• A councilmember asked whether a report comes to the committee on City Administrator spending that stays under the $250,000 limit and does not go to the council 00:05:02
• A speaker said that report is scheduled for the October 27 committee meeting 00:05:15
• City staff added that the report will cover fiscal years 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 00:05:24

A resolution extending the city's agreement with Mythics, LLC (d/b/a Mythics VIII, LLC) to November 30, 2028 and raising it from $249,850 to a maximum of $1,250,000. Finance staff said the contractor programs the city's Oracle payroll system, which in-house staff could no longer do after retirements, and that the work is needed to keep payroll stable, put new labor-contract terms in place, and meet changing tax law, including federal rules on overtime for W-2s. Added to the agenda under Rule 28. 00:05:44

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved and Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) seconded approving the staff recommendation and forwarding it to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:23:13

• City staff said the extension is critical for payroll stability, compliance with changing legislation, and keeping the Oracle system working 00:06:33
• A councilmember asked why the contract amount is increasing 00:07:19
• City staff explained that staff who knew the system had retired, no one in house could program a new alternative work schedule from a union agreement without breaking the system, and the consultant took six months and used nearly all the money 00:07:28
• A councilmember asked how the contract would help prevent overpayments like those tied to FLSA compliance issues raised in the auditor's report 00:08:17
• City staff said the consultant is fixing and documenting the old code and training current staff, with the hope of making the system more automated and robust 00:08:35
• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) asked whether the work would help with overtime calculations 00:09:41
• City staff said the first priority is stabilizing the system and putting in new contract changes, such as new CalPERS and medical contributions under the OPMA labor contract, before eventually adding rules to automate overtime 00:10:15
• City staff said the first year of added money is for compliance, including W-2 requirements and labor agreement changes, with system improvements to follow 00:11:18
• City staff said the contract mainly supports the existing Oracle setup so it does not break, and that a fully integrated system would require reimplementing the city's ERP 00:12:28
• City staff said a key need is capturing the federal tax exemption for overtime on employees' W-2s, noting the city's labor-contract definition of overtime differs from the federal one 00:13:35
• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) noted the council had approved a system to support police overtime calculation and flagged that the systems need to communicate with each other 00:14:54
• City staff said they doubt the current Oracle R12 system can support a Telestaff integration for police without breaking, and that a proper integration likely belongs in a next-generation ERP 00:15:18
• City staff explained that Telestaff must first be configured to track police scheduling accurately, which is an IT project with the police department, before it could feed payroll 00:17:03
• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) said her reading of the report is that $250,000 is already allocated from Fund 4510, with the rest coming from that fund in the next budget cycle 00:22:29
• City staff confirmed that and said this is spending authority, so the money will not be spent if it is not needed 00:22:44

Staff asked to amend the city's agreement with Modaxo Traffic Management Inc. for parking citation software, hardware and services, extending it to March 31, 2028 for up to $5,279,143, including up to $1,347,328 in outstanding invoices, and to waive competitive bidding (agenda). The contract ran out in April 2026, and the vendor has kept providing services since. Staff said the platform handles citation processing, permits, payments, customer portals, collections, and handheld and license plate recognition devices, and supports about $29.7 million in budgeted parking revenue this fiscal year. Members objected to a 30% collection fee that staff said is added to tickets at day 61. The committee shortened the extension to June 30, 2027 on the same terms and approved paying the outstanding invoices. It also told staff to come back as soon as possible with other vendor options, including privacy protections for license plate data. Added to the agenda under Rule 28. 00:23:13

• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) moved and Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded approving the staff recommendation as amended: the agreement is extended only to June 30, 2027 under the same terms, the outstanding invoices are paid, and staff is directed to return to council as soon as possible with other vendor options, including privacy protections on data collection. Forwarded to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:53:46

• A speaker presented the request as the fourth and final amendment to the agreement with Modaxo, extending it 24 months from April 2026 through March 2028 00:24:23
• A speaker said the system supports collection of about $29.7 million in budgeted parking revenue for the current fiscal year 00:25:25
• A speaker said the agreement expired in April 2026, and that after the program moved from the Department of Transportation to Finance, Finance reviewed its contracts and practices 00:25:25
• A speaker said negotiations produced an agreement that collection fees will not apply to citations under the state-mandated indigent payment plan 00:26:26
• A speaker described the extension as a temporary bridge to allow a competitive procurement for a long-term parking management system 00:26:26
• A speaker said staff is also exploring gated entry and exit at city-owned parking garages 00:27:27
• A councilmember said they were very concerned that 30% goes to a company that does not do the collections, called it a blow to public trust, and said they could not support extending the contract 00:28:28
• A councilmember asked why the contract came to Finance so many months after it expired 00:29:29
• A speaker said no one from the Department of Transportation was present to explain, that Finance aims to bring the contract into compliance and pay the vendor for services since April, and that procurement staff are short-handed 00:29:48
• A councilmember asked why a private company gets 30% for collections work done by the DMV, the city, or state programs 00:31:12
• A speaker said the fee is part of the vendor's pay for specialized services and depends on collecting delinquent balances, and that the DMV and Franchise Tax Board portions are under negotiation 00:31:34
• City staff pointed to a cost breakdown on page four of the report showing options with and without the special collection services 00:32:11
• A councilmember said the two options differ by only about $300,000 and that dropping the service would shift the cost from ticket payers to the city, so neither was acceptable 00:32:23
• A councilmember noted six months of the 24 had already passed and asked whether staff needs the remaining 18 months for a full RFP 00:32:54
• A speaker said a request for information goes out this month and a request for proposals in November 00:33:24
• A speaker said switching vendors would require moving terabytes of historical data, and recommended the full term 00:34:24
• A councilmember said the problem is the contract terms, not the vendor, and asked whether a shorter term would be workable 00:34:55
• A speaker said a shorter term would put staff in a crunch 00:35:38
• City staff said a shorter timeline could mean staff returns with another extension 00:35:54
• A councilmember raised privacy concerns about the license plate data the company collects and noted that Los Angeles's transportation department added privacy protections 00:36:25
• A councilmember said the outstanding invoices must be paid, the city could get better terms, and she wanted to know what other vendors are available 00:37:28
• A councilmember asked whether a 30% fee is typical for this kind of company 00:37:52
• A speaker said such fees typically range from 20 to 30 percent in the industry 00:38:35
• City staff said the 30% rate is not unusual, but the arrangement of charging it on money sent through the DMV or Franchise Tax Board is something they had not seen before 00:38:47
• A speaker explained the 30% is added to a ticket on day 61, an internal business decision inherited from the Department of Transportation that will be revisited with an equity lens in the new RFP 00:39:43
• A councilmember moved to extend the contract only to the end of this fiscal year, June 30, and to have staff return with an alternative 00:42:34
• City staff said staff can bring back options under a shorter term, that the committee would hear back in December or January, and that this may affect the procurement process 00:43:15
• City staff said the department is working citywide to stop paying contracts in arrears and will not pay any contract until the council authorizes it 00:45:23
• City staff recommended that a short extension keep the current collection process, including the special collection services, so staff can focus on the new procurement 00:46:16
• A councilmember restated the motion: extend to June 30, 2027 on the same terms, with direction to return quickly with other options and to include privacy protections on license plate reader data 00:48:05

• Item 2: one speaker said the committee had not received the required report on the City Administrator's spending authority of up to $250,000 since 2023, criticized approval of about $12,000 in Measure Z funds for police travel to Washington, D.C., and asked for a review of the fiscal impact of Oakland's sanctuary city status. A second person signed up but was not in the Zoom queue.
• Item 3 (Mythics): one speaker questioned the fiscal impact statement saying the item depends on funds being available, and criticized approving an agreement that started July 1, 2026 after the fact, comparing it to a police labor agreement approved late the week before. A second person signed up but was not in the queue.
• Item 4 (parking citation contract): three speakers. One resident backed a minimal extension and said parking policy is tied to traffic safety and demand-based parking, and asked why the Department of Transportation was absent. A representative of the vendor thanked the city and offered to answer questions. Another speaker criticized using Rule 28 to skip the Rules Committee, asked whether the outstanding invoices violate the city's prompt payment policy, and noted the report says a 2023 extension was with a different company, Conduent, without explaining when the contractor changed.
• Open forum: two speakers. One asked about the ABC Securities contract, which the speaker said expired September 30, and raised the racial demographics of the contractor's security staff. The other raised police overtime and criticized a police collision report on an October 9 fatal crash on Foothill Boulevard as poorly written.

• Items 3 (Mythics extension) and 4 (Modaxo parking citation contract, as amended) were forwarded to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent.
• The report on City Administrator spending under the $250,000 authority is scheduled for the committee's October 27 meeting and will cover fiscal years 2023-24 through 2025-26, according to staff.
• Staff said it will return in December or January with options for the parking citation contract after June 30, 2027, such as better terms with the current vendor or a transition to a new one.
• Staff said a request for information on parking management goes out in October and a request for proposals is planned for November.
• A committee member asked whether the Telestaff work for police would come to this committee.

Approval of the draft minutes from the committee's September 22, 2026 meeting. Routine. 00:04:19

• Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) moved, seconded by Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee), to approve the draft minutes as is. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:04:35

The committee's list of items scheduled for future meetings. The clerk corrected it: the 2025 Safe Oakland Streets annual informational report had been placed on the October 27 Public Works agenda by mistake and is scheduled instead for the October 27 Public Safety Committee. 00:04:35

• Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) moved, seconded by Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7), to approve the pending list as amended. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:08:22

• The city clerk announced that the 2025 Safe Oakland Streets annual report was mistakenly listed for this committee's October 27 meeting and belongs to the October 27 Public Safety Committee 00:04:35

A $5,055,898 construction contract to McGuire and Hester, the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, for the East 12th Street Bikeway (project 1003980), plus authority for the City Administrator to approve change orders up to 25% of the contract amount. Staff said the project closes a one-mile gap in the bike network between International Boulevard at 54th Avenue and the Fruitvale BART station, with protected bike lanes, paving, new ADA curb ramps, signal work, and traffic calming such as traffic circles and speed bumps. 00:08:22

• Noel Gallo (Councilmember, District 5; President Pro Tempore) moved, seconded by Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee), to approve and forward to the October 20 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:22:37

• City staff said the project closes a one-mile gap in the bikeway network, routing cyclists off International Boulevard at 54th Avenue to Fruitvale BART via East 12th Street 00:10:06
• City staff listed the improvements, including protected bike lanes, restriping, paving, ADA curb ramps, wayfinding, signal upgrades and traffic calming 00:10:06
• City staff said four bids came in and McGuire and Hester was the lowest responsible and responsive bidder 00:10:06
• City staff said the project is funded by an Alameda County Transportation Commission grant, Measure U and gas tax revenue 00:11:09
• City staff said staff do not expect to use the full 25% change order authority, which helps keep schedule and control costs 00:11:09
• A speaker asked for the project timeline 00:12:13
• City staff said construction would likely start in spring 2027, after contracting, and take about a year 00:12:44
• A councilmember asked staff to explain the contract's local business participation and credited percentages 00:13:02
• A councilmember asked staff to track and report back on the money that small local businesses receive under the contract 00:14:41
• A councilmember said the extra cost compared with a lower, non-compliant bid was worth it for local small businesses 00:15:10
• City staff said change orders are evaluated case by case and typically go to the same subcontractor when existing work must be redone 00:19:35
• City staff clarified that the whole project, including change orders, must meet the minimum small and local business requirements 00:20:28
• A speaker said the city has paperwork certifying payments to small local businesses but no oversight function yet, and is piloting tracking software with the housing department 00:20:59
• A councilmember asked that results of the payment tracking come back to the council 00:22:00

Amends Resolution No. 91091 C.M.S., which accepted state Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (Round 8, 2024-2025) loan and grant funds for the Residences at Liberation Park project, in an amount not to exceed $44,661,404. Staff described it as a technical change to who receives part of the grant money, needed because the state won't release the funds otherwise. 00:22:37

• Noel Gallo (Councilmember, District 5; President Pro Tempore) moved, seconded by Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee), to approve and forward to the October 20 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:27:17

• City staff described the amendment as technical, changing who receives a portion of the grant funds while the total award, city funding and projects stay the same 00:23:21
• City staff said the state requires the amendment before releasing funds because the original resolution named specific payees 00:23:21

A $4,000,000 professional services agreement with Azad Engineering PC to manage construction of the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements Project (number 1008516), which staff said includes pedestrian crossings, lighting, street trees, seating, a two-way cycle track and upgraded signals on MLK Way between 2nd and 14th Streets. Staff said the city is hiring outside help because its construction management team has a very high vacancy rate. 00:34:19

• Noel Gallo (Councilmember, District 5; President Pro Tempore) moved, seconded by Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee), to approve and forward to the October 20 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:34:19

• City staff described the streetscape project's improvements on MLK Way between 2nd and 14th Streets 00:27:49
• City staff said Azad is an Oakland-certified small local business that proposed to do most of the work itself 00:28:49
• City staff said the contract is fully funded by state and local grants 00:28:49
• City staff said the city issued a request for proposals on July 17, received two proposals in mid-August, and Azad scored highest 00:28:49
• A councilmember said it is frustrating to contract the work out and asked why the city can't do it in house 00:29:36
• A speaker said the construction management team for large streetscape projects has an 80% vacancy rate and grant deadlines require consultants 00:29:50
• A councilmember said the general goal is to bring such work in house as much as possible 00:30:11

Authorizes buying ready-mix concrete as needed for four years from CalPortland, CEMEX, and one more eligible supplier, up to $400,000 per supplier per year, $1,200,000 a year in total and $4,800,000 over four years (agenda); pays up to $70,000 in unpaid CalPortland invoices; waives further competitive bidding; and waives the city's border wall and sanctuary city contracting prohibitions for these suppliers. Staff said the two suppliers in Oakland refused to sign the city's certifications, and without concrete deliveries the in-house ADA curb ramp program is suspended, which affects the city's consent decree obligations. 00:34:56

▶ Hear it Why have sanctuary rules if the city keeps waiving them? · 0:52

• Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) moved, seconded by Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee), to approve and forward to the October 20 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:49:32

• City staff said the resolution also covers up to $70,000 for concrete delivered after the prior purchase authority expired 00:36:44
• City staff said the Oakland market has only two to three providers and a 2025 request for quotes drew none 00:36:44
• City staff said CalPortland and CEMEX accepted the city's terms, including prevailing wage, but declined the certifications barring ICE detention services and border wall work 00:37:47
• City staff said the municipal code lets the council waive the two requirements when no reasonable alternatives exist, which staff believe is the case 00:37:47
• City staff said crews now mix concrete by hand and the in-house ADA curb ramp program is suspended, affecting the capital program and consent decree obligations 00:38:48
• A councilmember asked what is being done to bring on a third supplier and how many of the suppliers' workers live in Oakland 00:39:58
• City staff said Sierra Pacific had no plans to reopen its Wood Street plant, and the third-supplier slot keeps the option open 00:40:26
• City staff said CalPortland could not estimate its Oakland employees, and two limited-duration city concrete finishers would likely be let go in February without concrete 00:41:27
• A councilmember requested the concrete mix designs for curb and gutter work to see whether a small local company could supply it 00:41:53
• A councilmember asked why the city adopts sanctuary city and border wall rules if it waives them so often 00:42:25
• A councilmember said a large contracting reform package being prepared would address those questions 00:42:25
• A speaker said the city has one concrete mixing truck 00:48:17
• City staff said the equipment backlog exceeds $50 million, so upgrading the fleet will take a long time 00:48:38

An informational report from the City Auditor on how the city manages money for capital projects such as roads, parks and buildings, covering July 2022 through June 2025, when the city spent about $300 million on them. Findings included an unadopted construction management manual, inconsistent approvals of change orders, about $35,000 in overpayments, slow invoice payments that cost $66,000 in interest on one project, weak oversight of Measure KK and Measure U bond funds, and no long-term capital plan. Management agreed or partly agreed with all 17 recommendations. 00:49:32

▶ Hear it Should big change orders come back to council for review? · 0:38

• Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) moved, seconded by Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7), to forward the report to the October 20 City Council agenda on non-consent for a presentation. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 01:28:11

• A speaker said the audit was requested by the transportation director and covers fiscal years 2023 through 2025 00:50:36
• A speaker said the city spent about $300 million on capital projects over the three fiscal years, with bond measures the largest funding source 00:53:47
• A speaker said change orders took an average of 79 days and a median of 35 days to issue, versus the manual's two weeks 00:54:48
• A speaker said neither Public Works nor Transportation has formally adopted the construction management manual 00:55:52
• A speaker said change orders on a paving project raised its cost by over 25% without council approval 00:57:55
• A speaker said $105 million, or 41% of contracted capital spending, went to on-call contracts with no guidance on their use or extensions 00:59:02
• A speaker said staff often did not follow the manual, including 34 of 65 sampled orders to proceed 01:00:04
• A speaker said vacancies have been persistently high, with about half of construction management engineer positions vacant 01:01:06
• A speaker said project information is scattered across several systems with no central project management system 01:02:15
• A speaker said the city overpaid about $35,000 on seven of 46 projects reviewed, mostly from misapplied markup rates 01:03:19
• A speaker said invoices took an average of 47 days to pay, though local primes must be paid within 20 days 01:05:21
• A speaker said late payments on one project cost the city $66,000 in interest 01:06:27
• A speaker said the city has not adequately overseen Measure KK and Measure U bond funds or done the required annual audits of them 01:07:31
• A speaker said projects sometimes go to bid before designs are complete because of funding deadlines, and five of 92 change orders could have been avoided 01:08:40
• A speaker recommended a 10-year capital improvement plan and at least annual progress reports to the council 01:10:35
• City staff said management agreed or partly agreed with all 17 recommendations and has an implementation plan with target dates 01:12:13
• City staff said seven recommendations will be addressed by updating the construction management manual by February 2027 01:13:13
• City staff said some fixes are done already, including updated payment forms 01:13:13
• A councilmember asked why capital projects are paid late so often, citing a Finance Committee report of about 55% on time versus 90% for other work 01:15:04
• City staff said bond-funded payments require an extra independent Treasury Bureau check, which lengthens the process 01:15:35
• City staff said internal payment timelines might be adjusted once processes improve 01:16:42
• A councilmember asked whether primes could be required to document payments to subcontractors without undue burden 01:17:32
• A speaker said an invoice exhibit lists subcontractor payments, and the city is looking at amending its prime contracts to strengthen requirements 01:18:16
• A councilmember called for one easily accessible place showing the status of each capital project 01:19:10
• A councilmember asked why the city does not use design-build contracts, arguing they save money and reduce change orders 01:20:08
• A speaker said Public Works is open to design-build, especially for facilities like fire stations and recreation centers, but it must be chosen at a project's start 01:21:07
• A speaker warned that bringing every change order to committee would slow projects considerably 01:22:56
• A councilmember suggested change orders above a dollar threshold, such as $200,000, come back to the council 01:23:09

Accepts up to $3,000,000 from the U.S. EPA San Francisco Bay Program for removing legacy PCB contamination in Arroyo Viejo Creek in East Oakland. Staff said a 2022 regional water board cleanup order makes the city and Union Pacific Railroad jointly responsible, they plan to split costs evenly, and the grant cuts into a city share that would otherwise be about $4 million of an estimated $8 million maximum. 01:28:11

• Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) moved, seconded by Noel Gallo (Councilmember, District 5; President Pro Tempore), to approve and forward to the October 20 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 01:33:33

• A speaker said the grant supports the city's obligations under a 2022 regional water board cleanup order 01:29:07
• A speaker said a cost-sharing agreement being developed with Union Pacific would split costs evenly 01:29:07
• A speaker said the city would otherwise bear about $4 million of an estimated maximum of about $8 million 01:30:14
• A speaker told a public commenter that public comment is not a back-and-forth 01:31:34
• A speaker said the grant requires a 25% match and put it at $1 million, though 25% of $3 million is $750,000 and the agenda doesn't state the match, so the amount is unclear; said the match would come from a Monsanto settlement and the city facilities fund 01:32:36

• The same two residents spoke on most items. A third person signed up for every item but never appeared in the room or on Zoom.
• Pending list (1 speaker): asked how parking at the ice center works, how protected bike lanes get swept, whether protected lanes are placed fairly in East and West Oakland, and raised lawsuits over uneven sidewalks.
• East 12th Street Bikeway (2 speakers): one, who rides the route, supported it and said cars often parked in the painted lane; the other asked about limits on change orders, construction impacts, who will work on the job, racial equity in contracting and hiring, and stalled bike lanes on Bancroft.
• Liberation Park grant (1 speaker, 1 passed): argued the amounts going to Black community groups are too small to counter Black displacement, and criticized the race equity statement.
• MLK Way contract (2 speakers): one asked how the project would improve air quality, wanted block-by-block detail, said streetlights elsewhere were installed but never turned on, and asked about racial equity in hiring; the other supported it as a safety project and said the city has one street sweeper that fits protected bike lanes, plus ambassadors who sweep them.
• Ready-mix concrete (2 speakers): one criticized the city's sanctuary policy and its effect on Black residents; the other supported the contract and spoke about the ADA sidewalk consent decree and sidewalks strong enough for fire trucks.
• Capital audit (2 speakers): one praised the audit, raised departments bringing urgent contracts to the council too late, and backed coming contracting reforms; the other said the city had not answered the findings on vacancies and bond oversight, and argued design-build projects can still go over cost.
• Arroyo Viejo grant (1 speaker): pressed staff on whether the grant requires a 25% local match, which staff then answered.
• Open forum (1 speaker): spoke about city labor negotiations and argued pay raises are unfair when most city employees don't live in Oakland.

• Items 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 go to the October 20 City Council agenda on consent.
• The capital audit (item 7) goes to the October 20 City Council agenda on non-consent, with a presentation by Michael Houston (City Auditor).
• The 2025 Safe Oakland Streets annual report is scheduled for the October 27 Public Safety Committee, not this committee.
• Staff said they would report back on tracking payments to small local businesses under the East 12th Street contract, and a councilmember asked for those results to come to the council.
• Transportation staff were asked to provide the curb and gutter concrete mix designs to a councilmember.
• A contracting reform package mentioned under a councilmember's label (see uncertainties) is described as nearly done.
• Finance staff said the construction management manual will be updated by February 2027, guidance on on-call contracts will go to the City Administrator for approval, and this committee will hear future updates on the sanitary sewer and storm drain master plans.
• Public Works (a speaker) agreed to discuss with a councilmember a dollar threshold for bringing change orders back to the council, and to flag projects suited to design-build.
• The auditor's office was asked to send its slides to a councilmember's office; staff said the slides are not on Legistar.
• Two limited-duration city concrete finisher positions expire in February and would likely end if concrete can't be bought.

Routine approval of the draft minutes from the committee's September 22, 2026 meeting. Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) was absent at roll call and listed as excused, so three members voted. 00:06:24

• Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) moved to approve the draft minutes of September 22, 2026; Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:06:39

The committee's routine review of its list of pending items. The administration had no changes, and the list was accepted as is. Two people were called to speak on it, but neither appears to have spoken. 00:06:39

• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) moved to accept the schedule of outstanding committee items as is; Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:07:42

An ordinance letting the City Administrator sign a 25-year license with the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District for a fee of $0, so the city takes on maintenance and stewardship of a 0.7-mile stretch of the San Leandro Creek Trail. The ordinance also lets the city sublicense that work to the nonprofit Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation for five years, with four 5-year options, up to 25 years in total (agenda). City staff said the county built the trail with a $4.1 million state grant that required another agency to take on maintenance for 25 years. Staff said that if no sublicensee could be found, the city would be responsible for the maintenance, which Public Works estimates at $20,000 to $25,000 a year. Partway through the item, the committee voted to convene as a special meeting of the full council because Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7)'s presence made a quorum of the council. Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) arrived at 1:38 PM, while the item was being read in. 00:07:42

• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) moved to adjourn the committee meeting and convene as a special meeting of the City Council, because Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7)'s presence made a quorum; Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 4-0. 00:13:06
• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved to approve the staff recommendation and forward the ordinance to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent; Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 4-0. 00:30:07

• A speaker described the trail segment as seven-tenths of a mile, owned by the county flood district but entirely inside city limits 00:09:16
• A speaker explained that the county's 2018 state grant to build the trail depended on another agency taking on 25 years of maintenance 00:09:16
• A speaker said community partners have maintained the trail through the county's Adopt A Spot program and raised more than $500,000 00:10:19
• A speaker said that without a replacement sublicensee the city would pay for maintenance, which Public Works estimates at $20,000 to $25,000 a year 00:11:26
• A speaker said maintenance responsibility would pass to the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation as soon as the county agreement is signed 00:11:26
• A councilmember said District 7 has long been underserved, noting that Tyrone Carney Park had been closed for 23 years 00:23:17
• A councilmember asked whether the nonprofits doing the work must carry insurance 00:24:19
• A speaker said the foundation must carry adequate insurance under the city's regular contracting rules, the same coverage it has for Tyrone Carney Park 00:24:48
• A speaker said Planting Justice put in the trail's plantings and will maintain them through early 2027 00:25:34
• A speaker said the scope of maintenance work is spelled out in the city-county agreement and carried into the sublicense 00:26:35
• A councilmember noted that the report says a Coastal Commission grant must be spent by December 31 and asked whether that would happen 00:27:08
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked whether the volunteers stewarding the trail would be paid stipends 00:28:49
• A speaker said paying stewards is the goal, although current funds may not cover it, and that the city's sustainability division will help fundraise 00:29:39

Two resolutions, one for the Oakland Redevelopment Successor Agency (ORSA) and one for the city. Together they approve a termination plan that moves all of ORSA's remaining assets, liabilities and interests except bond debt to the city: active loans, development and owner participation agreements, and real property. The plan also writes off uncollectible ORSA loans as bad debts (agenda). City staff said the final redevelopment bond payments come due in 2040. Under the transfer agreement, the city would pay net revenue from these assets, after staffing costs, to the taxing entities. The assets named include the closed Franklin 88 parking garage in Chinatown, which staff said must be sold, and seven small parcels in West Oakland's Oak Center area. The chair cited about $1.6 million in loans listed under various borrowers, which staff said can no longer legally be collected. 00:30:07

• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) moved to approve the staff recommendations and forward both resolutions to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent; Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 4-0. 00:50:42

• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) said full wind-down is expected in 2040, and the department is planning now while experienced staff are still there before retiring 00:32:16
• A speaker said staff are in talks with the Courtyard by Marriott about changing the use of its site, which its development agreement now requires to stay a hotel 00:36:42
• A speaker said three active commercial loans are still being collected, with net proceeds going to the taxing entities 00:36:42
• A speaker proposed moving certain redevelopment-era affordable housing loans to the city as housing assets 00:37:49
• A speaker said the doubtful loans are long past the statute of limitations but can only be written off with board approval 00:37:49
• A speaker said demand for the Franklin 88 garage collapsed after COVID and the garage is closed and must be sold 00:38:56
• A speaker described seven small, undevelopable leftover parcels in West Oakland, none over a thousand square feet 00:38:56
• A speaker said most bond payments end in 2036, with one bond running until 2040 00:39:59
• A speaker said the city may deduct staffing costs but must pay net revenue from the assets to the taxing entities 00:41:05
• A councilmember asked what the roughly $1.6 million listed under various borrowers is and which fund it comes from 00:42:21
• A speaker said the money will never be recovered, and that if it had been repaid, most would have gone to the taxing entities, with the city getting about 29 percent 00:43:05
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked what staff meant by saying neighbors probably think the small parcels are theirs 00:44:45
• A speaker said the parcels have no real market value, and the city can either hold them or try to sell them to neighboring owners 00:45:06
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked to be kept informed of any outreach to neighboring property owners 00:46:14
• A councilmember asked whether the transfer would bring the city any additional revenue 00:47:26
• A speaker said the only money reaching the city from these transfers is from sales and loan payments, and the city keeps only enough to cover staffing 00:47:50
• A speaker explained that ORSA bond program revenue is swept to the city every year around June and added to the budget based on actual amounts 00:48:43

An informational report, with no action required, on the transient occupancy (hotel) tax sharing agreement with Oakland Pro Soccer LLC, the owner of Oakland Roots and Soul. City staff said the agreement, signed May 12, 2026, would share up to $300,000 of general fund hotel tax revenue above the June 2025 baseline of $1,350,000 if the club met performance targets for the 2026 World Cup. Staff said the club met all of them: Australia's men's national team used the club's facility as its base camp and stayed at the Claremont Hotel. Staff said June 2026 hotel tax came to about $1,735,000, so the club received $300,000 and the city kept about $80,000 above the baseline. Staff said the report must go to the full council as a public hearing under California Government Code section 53083, which covers economic development subsidies. 00:50:42

• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) moved to receive the informational report and forward it to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda as a public hearing; Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 4-0. 01:11:48

• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) said the agreement shares up to $300,000 of general fund hotel tax collected above the June 2025 level 00:52:36
• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) gave the June 2025 baseline as $1,350,000, to be compared against June 2026 00:52:36
• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) said the club met all its targets, including landing an official World Cup team base camp 00:53:37
• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) reported about $1,735,000 in hotel tax collected in June 2026 00:54:41
• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) said the club received $300,000 and the city kept about $80,000 more on top of the baseline 00:55:41
• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) said hotel tax rose 28 percent that month even though the city had five fewer hotels and 360 fewer rooms than a year earlier 00:55:41
• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) cited Visit Oakland figures showing hotel occupancy rose from about 67 percent to 73.6 percent 00:55:41
• Ashleigh Kanat (Director, Economic & Workforce Development Department) said the report must be heard by the full council as a public hearing 00:56:52
• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) thanked the club for activating the whole city 00:57:45
• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) noted that larger cities also brought in less revenue than expected because of ticket prices and FIFA policy 00:58:48
• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) asked whether Alameda County and the City of Alameda had similar agreements with the club 00:58:48
• City staff said she believed the City of Alameda offered up to $150,000 and the county's role was mainly sheriff and security services 00:59:24
• A speaker said the club expects the City of Alameda to share its hotel tax revenue but has not yet received it 00:59:55
• A speaker said the county had no similar arrangement and did not help fund the effort 00:59:55
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked whether Oakland has to split hotel tax from the Claremont Hotel with Berkeley 01:01:12
• City staff said she believed Oakland receives all of the Claremont's hotel tax despite its Berkeley mailing address, and that she would confirm 01:01:27
• A councilmember said the Claremont is legally entirely within Oakland and District 4, though a small part physically falls in Berkeley 01:02:18
• A councilmember asked for a breakdown of how District 7 hotels benefited, noting five hotels there have closed 01:03:15
• A councilmember raised concern that the club's training facility is in Alameda, so nearby Alameda hotels benefit rather than District 7 01:03:15
• A councilmember said he remained concerned about $700,000 he described as owed to the city and $700,000 owed to Alameda County 01:04:40
• City staff said the city has completed the agreement's terms and offered to follow up separately with district-by-district hotel data she had not prepared 01:05:37

A resolution allocating up to $50,000,000 from the Measure U housing bond and other non-bond funds, including administrative costs, to the city's affordable housing programs: new construction, rapid response homeless housing (R2H2) and Homekey, acquisition and conversion (ACAH), and rehabilitation. It also lets the City Administrator allocate other affordable housing funds as they come in, make development loans and grants, and shift previously authorized funds among Measure U tranches 1, 2 and 3. It adds up to $2,000,000 to the Health and Safety Rehabilitation Program (agenda). City staff said the council already appropriated the $50 million for tranche three in this year's budget, so the request carries no new fiscal impact, and that the money depends on the tranche three bonds being sold. Staff said the health and safety emergency repair fund has run out. Staff also said the next new construction funding round opens in January 2027 so projects can compete for the state's first funding round under its new Housing Development Finance Committee in April. Staff read amendments into the record, and the committee forwarded the resolution as amended. 01:11:48

▶ Hear it What happens once the housing bond money runs out? · 0:20

• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) moved to approve the staff recommendation as amended and forward it to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent; Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded. As read by the clerk, the amendments make the first resolved clause contingent on the sale of the Measure U tranche three bonds and on final project funding legislation, add consistency with Measure KK to the second further resolved clause, and in the fourth further resolved clause replace the word among with from and add consistency with Measure U for each funding tranche. Result: passed, 4-0. 01:50:53

• A speaker read in an amendment making the allocation contingent on the sale of the tranche three bonds and on final project funding legislation 01:14:01
• A speaker said the request only grants authority to allocate money already approved and appropriated, so it has no new fiscal impact 01:16:06
• A speaker said the new construction program has committed $180 million, creating more than 1,300 units and helping 468 people out of homelessness 01:17:06
• City staff said a survey of residents in Homekey and R2H2 housing found that most reported lower stress and better mental health 01:18:47
• City staff said 10 youth at the Friendly Manor transition-age youth housing, which has 26 units and 52 beds, have found full-time jobs since July 01:20:58
• A speaker said the last new construction funding round drew 24 applications asking for $424 million, of which the city could fund $144 million 01:22:12
• A speaker said the pipeline has grown to about 15 to 20 projects with about 1,200 units, needing roughly $350 million 01:22:12
• A speaker laid out the timeline: the funding round opens in January, awards are expected in March, and projects apply to the state's first round in April 01:23:15
• A speaker said the health and safety loan fund, which offers interest-free emergency repair loans of up to $250,000 per project, is out of money 01:24:15
• A speaker gave the expected split of the $50 million: about $35 million for new construction, $5 million each for R2H2 and ACAH, and $2.5 million for administration 01:25:16
• A councilmember said running out of this money feels like a crisis because affordable housing has not been solved 01:29:23
• City staff said about another $50 million could follow in a fourth tranche, depending on the biennial budget 01:28:25
• City staff acknowledged the city will need additional funding sources 01:29:40
• City staff said tranches one and two spent $248 million out of a Measure U housing figure she gave as $350 million 01:30:09
• City staff confirmed that both this tranche and a fourth would require bond sales 01:30:38
• City staff said $30 million of the second tranche went to the acquisition program, run with the Housing Accelerator Fund 01:31:09
• City staff said buildings bought through the acquisition program get deed restrictions keeping them affordable for 55 years 01:31:09
• City staff said $7 million is set aside for the next rehabilitation funding round, likely with more in a fourth tranche 01:32:43
• A councilmember pointed to gaps in East Oakland, with few or no funded projects in Districts 6 and 7 in several programs 01:34:42
• City staff said the state's high opportunity maps put Oakland at a disadvantage when competing for funding 01:34:58
• City staff said city money must be leveraged about five to one with state funds and tax credits 01:34:58
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked whether developers get extra points for building in certain districts or high-need areas 01:37:20
• City staff said projects in areas with high displacement pressure get additional points 01:38:37
• City staff said a racial equity impact analysis was done on the new construction scoring criteria 01:39:36
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) credited the acquisition program, formerly called PATH, with helping East Oakland renters stay in their homes 01:40:02

An ordinance amending Oakland Municipal Code Chapter 15.62. It would allow Affordable Housing Trust Fund money that comes from redevelopment dissolution to pay operating and rental subsidies for housing that serves homeless and extremely low-income households, and it removes the 2027 sunset on using that money for anti-displacement and homelessness prevention services (agenda). City staff said the sunset date is June 30, 2027, and that the change has no fiscal impact. Staff said the fund's yearly budget has fallen from just under $25 million to about $17 million over five years, that more than $10 million was redirected to other city uses during the fiscal emergency, and that the $12.3 million fund balance is fully committed. Any future service contracts would still need separate council approval. 01:50:53

▶ Hear it Does homelessness prevention money actually reduce homelessness? · 0:49

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved to approve the staff recommendation and forward the ordinance to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent; Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 4-0. 02:04:49

• City staff said the ordinance repeals the June 30, 2027 sunset on using the fund for homelessness prevention and anti-displacement services 01:51:56
• City staff said the fund could also be used for operating subsidies, not just capital investment 01:51:56
• City staff said the change has no fiscal impact and does not affect any service contracts 01:51:56
• City staff explained that impact fees were moved to a separate account, so the fund now runs on former redevelopment money 01:52:58
• City staff said this year's budget for the fund includes $2.3 million for homelessness prevention and $1.4 million for eviction defense 01:54:03
• City staff said the fund's yearly budget fell from just under $25 million to about $17 million over five years 01:54:03
• City staff said more than $10 million was redirected from the fund to other city line items during three years of fiscal emergency 01:56:15
• City staff said the current $12.3 million fund balance is fully committed 01:56:15
• City staff cited an independent evaluation in which more than 84 percent of those helped said they would likely have lost their housing otherwise 01:57:21
• City staff said the fund paid for rapid help after four major apartment fires in 2026 that affected more than 100 families 01:58:37

An ordinance from Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) amending Oakland Municipal Code 1.08 to raise maximum civil penalties for nuisances: up to $2,500 per day for repeated or continuing violations, and up to $10,000 per day for nuisances on real property that go unabated after notice and a chance to fix them (agenda). The sponsor said the current $1,000-a-day maximum dates from 1968, and that the higher fines target repeat offenders such as absentee owners of vacant buildings, not minor violations. As read into the record, the code also caps penalties at $3,650,000 per parcel or structure per calendar year. The code would add factors for staff to weigh when setting a penalty, including whether the nuisance came from commercial activity and equity considerations. Two amendments were adopted. One inserts the word major, so the code allows $1,000 for a first major violation and $2,500 for each later or continuing major violation. The other corrects a whereas recital to say increases above $2,500 come only after an initial fine and time to fix the violation. A third proposed change, lowering the notice threshold in section C to $1,000, was withdrawn as a mistake. The agenda shows the item was earlier scheduled for a July 21, 2026 council public hearing. 02:04:49

▶ Hear it Will higher nuisance fines hit businesses unfairly? · 0:54

• Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) moved to approve the staff recommendation as amended (inserting major violation in section B of 1.08.060 and correcting the whereas recital to $2,500) and forward it to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda as a public hearing; Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) seconded. Result: passed, 4-0. 02:27:43

• A councilmember said the $1,000-a-day maximum for many code violations was set in 1968 and no longer deters the worst offenders 02:05:43
• A councilmember said the target is repeat offenders such as absentee owners of decaying vacant buildings, not people with minor lapses 02:05:43
• A councilmember said the ordinance keeps an escalating ladder of fines and leaves the City Administrator room to work with offenders 02:06:56
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked whether the ordinance covers graffiti, noting that businesses are often the victims of it 02:09:25
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) said some business owners in her district, which has many entertainment venues, have petitioned over enforcement they see as racialized, and asked for case-by-case review 02:10:17
• A councilmember said the ordinance changes neither the petition process nor enforcement discretion, only the fine amounts 02:10:58
• A councilmember asked for a comprehensive list of examples of public nuisances before the item reaches the council 02:11:16
• A councilmember said code enforcement usually gives written notice first, and the goal is to fix problems rather than collect money 02:12:15
• A councilmember said several chambers of commerce were consulted and support the change 02:13:14
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked that council district offices be told when businesses are fined, to stay aware rather than to intervene 02:15:49
• A speaker said the change gives the city more administrative tools against repeat offenders where court judgments are slow and ineffective 02:17:30
• A speaker read the amended penalty language, including an annual cap per parcel or structure 02:19:11
• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) asked whether the penalty range could be struck down as grossly disproportional under the California constitution 02:20:13
• A speaker said staff must weigh factors listed in the ordinance, including newly added ones on commercial activity and equity 02:21:29
• A speaker said a $10,000 penalty for minor blight would be open to legal challenge 02:21:29
• A councilmember said that adjusted for inflation, $1,000 in 1968 equals about $9,700 today 02:22:40
• A councilmember urged the administration to publicize the new fines widely, through memos and city social media 02:22:55
• A speaker said code enforcement has moved this year toward proactive inspections, not only responding to complaints, and has added inspectors 02:24:02
• City staff clarified that the first amendment read was wrong and only the last two amendments stand 02:26:55

• At the start of the meeting, the chair cut public speaking time to 90 seconds because of the long agenda.
• San Leandro Creek Trail (item 3): five speakers. Four supported the agreement, among them people from a college environmental program, a community neighborhoods initiative and a local planner. They cited two decades of community design and stewardship work, environmental justice, safe routes to school, youth involvement and workforce opportunities in Deep East Oakland. One speaker raised concerns about liability when non-city groups do city work, and asked why the arrangement runs 25 years without performance evaluations.
• ORSA termination plan (item 4): one speaker asked what the city will do with the Franklin 88 garage and with properties it may be stuck maintaining. The same speaker raised concern that many city employees do not live in Oakland.
• Oakland Roots hotel-tax report (item 5): three speakers. One argued the city made no real profit, citing a $700,000 city contribution, free watch parties and what the speaker described as Berkeley contributing nothing. The club's president said the club hosted 21 free watch parties for more than 15,000 fans, ran the East Bay Soccer Trail across all seven council districts, and renovated a futsal court at Rainbow Recreation Center. One speaker urged a broader view of the benefits of sports and culture beyond immediate return on investment.
• Measure U housing allocation (item 6): six speakers. Five supported it, from affordable housing developers, a community land trust and a housing advocacy coalition. They said local money is needed to win state funds and keep the pipeline moving, and one cited a 95-unit project at 125 East 12th Street. The coalition speaker warned that little Measure U money will remain and also voiced support for item 7. One speaker objected to $30 million in Measure U money going to a Chinatown recreation center and said the city lacks data on immigrant housing need.
• Affordable Housing Trust Fund (item 7): two speakers. A homelessness services provider credited prevention funding with reducing homelessness and urged keeping the fund in place. Another speaker argued that citizens should be prioritized over non-citizens and that staff should name descendants of slavery as the group being targeted.
• Nuisance penalties (item 8): two people were called; no one appears to have spoken.
• Open forum: one speaker said falling participation in high school football in the Bay Area reflects demographic change rather than concussion fears.

• October 20, 2026 City Council: the San Leandro Creek Trail ordinance, the ORSA termination plan resolutions, the Measure U allocation (as amended) and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund ordinance are set for the consent calendar. The Oakland Roots hotel-tax report and the nuisance penalty ordinance are set as public hearings.
• San Leandro Creek Trail: city staff are to send Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) the maintenance scope of work, and a briefing for his office was mentioned. The report says a Coastal Commission grant must be spent by December 31. Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) said he would announce a grand opening for Tyrone Carney Park.
• ORSA: Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked to be kept informed of any outreach to neighbors about the seven Oak Center parcels. Staff said the Franklin 88 garage must be sold in the near future, and most cleanup actions are hoped for by early next year.
• Oakland Roots: city staff said they would confirm whether any Claremont Hotel tax must be shared with Berkeley, and would follow up with Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) with district-by-district hotel data.
• Measure U: the tranche three money depends on a bond sale. HCD plans to open the new construction funding round in January 2027, commit funds in March, and have projects ready for the state's first Housing Development Finance Committee round in April. Staff mentioned a statewide housing bond on the November ballot. A possible tranche four of about $50 million would depend on the next biennial budget.
• Nuisance penalties: Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) asked for a list of nuisance examples before the council hearing, and Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee) said they would refer to the existing code. Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked the administration to publicize the new fines widely, and Chuck Baker (Assistant City Administrator) said the shift to proactive inspections would also be announced.

Before the agenda, committee members made announcements: a commemorative bench honoring a former councilmember and police commissioner who died this past year, a City Hall resource event in East Oakland, and a recent gun-violence death in the community. 00:10:42

• A councilmember announced that a former councilmember and police commissioner, who died this past year, will be honored with a commemorative bench on October 27, with the time to be announced by Barbara Lee (Mayor)'s office 00:10:42
• A councilmember announced a City Hall to East Oakland event on Friday the 16th from 3:30 to 5:30, with most city departments offering resources 00:11:50
• A councilmember noted that a community member was killed by gun violence and said the committee should each do its part to take more guns off the streets 00:12:21
• Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) said he had sent a video to KTOP showing guns he and the police chief had recovered that he said would have ended up in East Oakland 00:12:54

The committee's routine review of its pending list of items scheduled for future meetings. Public speakers used it to suggest topics, and members used it to praise staff for the city's exit from federal police oversight under the NSA. 00:13:32

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved, seconded by Charlene Wang (Councilmember, District 2; Chair, Public Safety Committee), to approve the schedule of outstanding committee items as is. Result: passed, 4-0. 00:20:27

• A councilmember praised an assistant city administrator for leading the work that got the city out of the NSA 00:18:57
• A councilmember thanked the same assistant city administrator and joked that she shouldn't answer the phone at 11 PM 00:19:26
• Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) said he had told the Mayor in person that the assistant city administrator was doing a phenomenal job and that the city should keep her 00:19:40
• A councilmember agreed with the praise, urged the assistant city administrator not to leave, and moved the item 00:20:16

A twice-yearly informational report from the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) on its functions and duties as required by Oakland Municipal Code 2.46.030. No report was given: the director's slide presentation hadn't been attached to the agenda in writing, so the item was moved to the October 27 meeting. 00:20:27

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved, seconded by Charlene Wang (Councilmember, District 2; Chair, Public Safety Committee), to continue the item to the October 27 Public Safety Committee meeting. Result: continued, 4-0. 00:24:08

• A speaker said he had a slide presentation ready, but the City Attorney's office told him that day he couldn't present it because it hadn't been attached to the agenda in writing, and offered to give it aloud or reschedule 00:21:20
• A councilmember proposed rescheduling to the next committee meeting, since the director had lost his voice, with materials due by the 17th 00:21:54
• A speaker said he had earlier given the committee a draft of the agency's 2025 annual report and had brought copies of the final report to share 00:22:20
• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) asked whether the annual report is available digitally and could be added to the agenda report; the reply was that it is on the agency's website and can be added 00:23:37

A police department item on the 2026 Paul Coverdell grant. The agenda says the Rules and Legislation Committee pulled it from this meeting on October 8 and placed it on the October 20 City Council consent agenda. The clerk announced this and the committee did not take it up. 00:24:08

• No motion; the clerk announced that the Rules and Legislation Committee had withdrawn the item on October 8 and rescheduled it to the October 20 City Council consent agenda. Result: withdrawn. 00:24:08

A resolution to (1) ratify a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Alameda County Superior Court, signed by a former police chief and effective December 1, 2024, and (2) accept and appropriate up to $1,563,571 in reimbursement funding under it. The money pays for equipment and staffing for a program that removes illegally held guns, guns held by people barred from having them, and guns covered by gun violence restraining orders (GVROs). Staff said the MOU was never fully executed because it needed council approval, so the department could not invoice for reimbursement until now. Staff also said the grant needs no added city spending. The agenda's history shows Rules and Legislation sent it to this special meeting on October 8 and read an urgency finding into the record. 00:25:11

▶ Hear it Is the police ceasefire section running at half strength? · 0:46

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved, seconded by Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee), to approve the staff recommendation and forward the item to the October 20 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 4-0. 00:49:37

• A speaker said the money traces back to $40 million that the state Judicial Council received in 2022 for firearm relinquishment work, part of which went to the Alameda County Superior Court 00:26:01
• A speaker said the program was meant to start in January 2025 but was pushed to July 2025 for lack of resources 00:27:01
• A speaker explained that when the department went to invoice, it found the MOU had not been fully executed because it needed City Council approval 00:27:01
• A speaker explained that a GVRO is a court order letting law enforcement temporarily remove guns from someone who poses a significant danger to themselves or others, and that people other than police can seek one 00:28:03
• A speaker said 65 of Oakland's 67 homicides in 2025 involved a firearm 00:30:03
• A speaker said the department dropped the idea of buying a technology integration platform, finding it works better to have staff connect the existing systems themselves 00:31:08
• A speaker said the grant covers up to four sworn officers and one professional staff member already in the unit, and requires no added city spending 00:31:08
• A speaker said the funding will be used only for GVRO work and for recovering unlawfully held guns, not for broad operations 00:32:18
• A councilmember in a video played for the committee, described being alerted to a stash of high-impact weapons and calling James Beere (Chief, Police Department), who came right out; he said the guns were headed for District 3 or 7 00:33:30
• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) asked staff to explain in public how the funds will be allocated and used, and what the work has accomplished so far 00:34:25
• A speaker said part of the funding pays overtime for teams that serve GVROs and remove guns, and that much of that field work hasn't started yet because the department was waiting for the funding to be secured 00:35:22
• A speaker said he believed 54 firearms had been recovered so far through the team's work under the initiative 00:36:24
• A speaker said the plan is to train officers first and then build an online portal explaining how GVROs work and how to seek one 00:38:11
• A councilmember said GVROs can be sought by family members, roommates, employers, coworkers and teachers but are underused, and asked about educating the public and training civilian police staff 00:38:59
• A speaker said he didn't have an exact count of GVROs filed, but that usually two or three are in progress at once and each can take months 00:40:29
• A councilmember asked about staffing in the department's Ceasefire section, saying her understanding was that it had dropped 00:41:05
• A speaker said Ceasefire has about 16 officers, probably half or less of past levels, and that other specialized units are even lower 00:41:23
• A councilmember asked whether the reimbursable work is something the department would be doing anyway 00:42:01
• A speaker said the reimbursement covers a designated set of staff already in the operations center, while overtime brings in patrol or specialized officers on their days off for field work 00:44:01
• A councilmember asked whether the grant is being billed at overtime rates rather than straight time 00:44:23
• A speaker said the officers in the office are full-time, and that only field work, such as serving GVROs and enforcement against people barred from having guns, is done on overtime 00:44:35
• A speaker said field operations take more resources but less time, for example ten-hour operations with six or eight officers and a sergeant 00:45:04
• A councilmember asked whether any of the staff doing this work are civilians or whether all are sworn 00:45:41
• A speaker said the grant reimburses one professional staff member and four sworn officers, and that an earlier plan to fully cover one civilian's salary was dropped to leave room for adding more civilian staff 00:45:54
• A speaker answered a public speaker by saying the department never resells guns, so forfeited guns are stored and then destroyed, and that it charges no storage fees 00:48:07

Public comment on topics not on the agenda: police equipment and racial disparities, how residents report non-emergency crimes, a community group offering to clean up San Leandro Creek, and unhoused residents asking for a voice in decisions. 00:49:37

▶ Hear it Why residents stop reporting non-emergency crimes · 0:54

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) told a speaker offering creek cleanup that the San Leandro Creek item had been at the Community and Economic Development Committee, and that Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) would be getting a briefing from the staff handling it 00:53:46
• A councilmember said he would mention the group's work at his briefing, see whether it could get stipend money to help with the creek, and follow up with a contact 00:54:08
• A councilmember vouched for the community group's cleanup work in District 2 00:54:26

• Item 2 (pending list), three speakers: one listed topics they want the committee to take up, including overcrowded housing after a fire in a 21-unit Bancroft building that held about 100 people, a Stanford report, police stop data, officer wellness after a police murder-suicide, truancy, hate-crime reporting, and the difference between militarized and protective police equipment. A second, from an unhoused people's collective, said the collective's site survived hundreds of arsons but was refused fire extinguishers, criticized how shelters are run, and said Public Works took their RV. A third praised the Mayor-led effort that ended 23 years of federal police oversight and suggested replacing NSA reports with periodic updates from the police department's risk management.
• Item 3 (CPRA report): four people signed up; they waived their time and said they would wait for the rescheduled report.
• Item 5 (firearm grant), one speaker: asked whether a gun owner can choose to give up a confiscated gun to be destroyed, and whether the city charges storage fees. Staff answered both.
• Open forum, four speakers: one returned to protective versus militarized equipment and said the federal judge's final ruling found continued racial profiling of African Americans and unequal discipline of Black officers. One described community frustration that many non-emergency crimes must be reported in person to an officer, with slow response leading people not to report, and asked for a simpler reporting system; the chair said she had been thinking the same thing. One, from a community group, offered to clean up San Leandro Creek in District 7. One, from an unhoused collective, asked that unhoused residents be included in decisions about them and described being displaced again.

• CPRA twice-yearly report (item 3) continued to the October 27, 2026 Public Safety Committee meeting; the director is to submit written materials by the 17th, and said he would submit them that day.
• Firearm relinquishment grant resolution (item 5), up to $1,563,571, forwarded to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent.
• Police Paul Coverdell 2026 grant (item 4) rescheduled to the October 20, 2026 City Council consent agenda.
• Commemorative bench honoring a former councilmember and police commissioner to be installed October 27; time to be announced by Barbara Lee (Mayor)'s office.
• Ken Houston (Councilmember, District 7) to get a staff briefing on the San Leandro Creek item and said he would raise the community group's offer to help.
• Police plan to train officers on GVROs and then build an online public portal on how to seek one; no date was given.

The committee's routine review of the schedule of outstanding committee items, also called the pending list. The clerk said no public speakers had signed up for it. It was approved without changes. 00:01:39

• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) moved, Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded, to approve item 2 as is. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:02:06

Oakland Police Department request to accept the FY 2026-2027 Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange (SAVE) grant: $75,000 for removing abandoned boats, a 10% in-kind staff match of $7,500, and a $12,180 General Purpose Fund contribution for central services. It would also waive competitive bidding and local/small local business requirements so the city can hire specialized vendors to remove, store and dispose of abandoned vessels as needed. Using an urgency finding (Rule 24), it was scheduled for the October 20 City Council consent calendar. The urgency finding says the grant term began October 1 and the work has sped up ahead of El Niño storms, for which the governor has declared a state of emergency. It was approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:02:06

• The city clerk read the urgency finding into the record: the grant term began October 1 and the department wants the money approved quickly so boats can be removed before the storms 00:03:08

Finance Department proposal for a professional services contract of up to $249,000 (agenda) with Baker Tilly to help improve the city's procurement, purchasing and contracting. It would waive the competitive RFP/Q and local/small local business requirements. The title change names the contractor as Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP rather than Baker Tilly US, LLP. It was scheduled for the October 27 Finance and Management Committee and approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:04:09

• The city clerk read in the new title and short title, which change the contracting entity to Baker Tilly Advisory Group LP 00:04:09

Human Resources request to amend the city's contracts with three executive search firms and extend all three through August 31, 2027. Ralph Andersen & Associates would go from $250,000 to $450,000 and The Hawkins Company from $250,000 to $350,000 (agenda amounts); CPS HR Consulting would get the extension only. The title change read at the meeting adds a waiver of the competitive RFP/Q and local/small business requirements, which the printed agenda title doesn't include. It was scheduled for the October 27 Finance and Management Committee and approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:05:09

• A speaker read the new title, extending the three recruitment agreements through August 31, 2027 and raising the not-to-exceed amounts 00:05:30
• A speaker added a waiver of the competitive RFP/Q and local and small business enterprise requirements to the title 00:05:30

Noel Gallo (Councilmember, District 5; President Pro Tempore) requested an informational report on the city's cannabis regulatory program covering everything since it began: permitting, taxes and revenues, equity program compliance, workforce outcomes, staffing, fees, public-safety coordination, enforcement, reporting to other governments, and how cannabis revenue has been spent. The new title read at the meeting asks for the report from the City Administrator and sets it for the November 17 Community and Economic Development Committee. It was approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:06:49

• A speaker read the new title, on behalf of the District 5 office, requesting the report from the city administrator 00:07:10
• A speaker said the report would be heard at the November 17 Community and Economic Development Committee 00:07:10

Parks, Recreation and Youth Development proposal for an ordinance to sell the city-owned 0.6-acre portion of Garfield Park at 2201-2299 East 17th Street to Oakland Unified for $597,500, less closing costs, so the district can renovate the Garfield Elementary campus. It would also approve an agreement letting the city and the community use the athletic field on the renovated campus, declare the land exempt surplus land, and adopt CEQA findings. The title change regroups the clauses. It was scheduled for the October 27 Life Enrichment Committee and approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:08:19

• The city clerk read in the new title for the sale of the city's portion of the park to the school district 00:08:19

Two items were set for the October 29 Rules and Legislation Committee. The first is the City Clerk's draft 2027 calendar for City Council and committee meetings and report distribution. The second is a resolution confirming Barbara Lee (Mayor)'s appointment of an undesignated representative to the Housing, Residential Rent and Relocation Board. Both were approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:09:24

Oakland Fire Department request for an agreement with the City of Piedmont on firefighter training, education and cost reimbursement. It was scheduled for the November 10 City Council consent calendar, skipping the Public Safety Committee under Rule 24 so it can be authorized close to the start of the November 2026 fire academy. It was approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:09:24

• The city clerk read the Rule 24 reason: the department wants authorization close to the start of the November 2026 fire academy 00:10:28

Housing and Community Development's informational report on anti-displacement programs, including the annual Rent Adjustment Program report, for fiscal year 2025-2026. It was scheduled for the November 17 Community and Economic Development Committee and approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:10:28

Oakland Fire Department's informational report on its progress clearing vegetation along the city's evacuation routes. It was scheduled for the November 17 Public Safety Committee. Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) was added as a co-sponsor. It was approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:10:28

• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) said the member's office had worked with the fire department on the report, and asked to be listed as a co-sponsor 00:11:28

An informational report from the Police Department, the Department of Violence Prevention and the Fire Department on reducing violence under Measure NN, the Oakland Community Violence and Emergency Response Act of 2024. It was scheduled for a November 30 special joint meeting of the City Council, the Oakland Public Safety Planning and Oversight Commission, the Community Policing Advisory Board and the Police Commission. City staff said that meeting starts at 12:30 PM. It was approved as part of the single vote on item 3. 00:11:42

• The city clerk asked whether staff could give a start time for the special joint meeting 00:11:42
• A speaker said the November 30 special meeting would start at 12:30 PM 00:12:44

Items the October 13 committees forwarded to the October 20 City Council. Unless noted, the agenda amounts weren't spoken at the meeting. On consent: - A Mythics, LLC agreement, extended to November 30, 2028 and increased from $249,850 to $1,250,000. - The Modaxo parking citation system contract, as amended in committee: extended only to June 30, 2027 on the same terms, with direction to return soon with other vendor options, privacy protections against data collection, and payment of the outstanding invoice. The proposal had been through March 31, 2028, up to $5,279,143, including $1,347,328 in outstanding invoices. - A $5,055,898 contract with McGuire and Hester for the East 12th Street Bikeway. - An amendment to Resolution 91091 on state Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities funds for the Residences at Liberation Park, up to $44,661,404. - A $4,000,000 construction management contract with Azad Engineering for the MLK Jr. Way streetscape project. - Ready-mix concrete purchases of up to $4.8 million over four years. - A $3,000,000 EPA grant for PCB cleanup in Arroyo Viejo Creek. - A 25-year San Leandro Creek Trail maintenance license. - The Redevelopment Successor Agency termination plan, in two pieces of legislation. - Up to $50,000,000 in Measure U and other affordable housing funds, with amendments making it contingent on the sale of Tranche 3 bonds. - An Affordable Housing Trust Fund ordinance change. - An $1,563,571 firearm relinquishment reimbursement agreement with the Superior Court. Non-consent: the City Auditor's audit of capital improvement program financial management. Public hearings: - A report on the hotel-tax (TOT) sharing agreement with Oakland Roots and Soul. - Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee)'s ordinance raising nuisance civil penalties to up to $2,500 per day for repeated or continuing violations and $10,000 per day for unabated nuisances, as amended in committee. Continued: the Community Police Review Agency's twice-yearly report, sponsored by Charlene Wang (Councilmember, District 2; Chair, Public Safety Committee), moved to the October 27 Public Safety Committee. The committee then approved all of item 3, as amended, in one vote. 00:12:56

• Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) moved, Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) seconded, to approve all of item 3 (items 3.1 through 3.27) as amended. Result: passed, 4-0. 00:20:18

• The city clerk read the committee's amendments to the parking citation contract, which limit the extension to June 30, 2027 and call for other vendor options 00:12:56
• The city clerk noted the capital improvement program audit goes to the October 20 Council as a non-consent item 00:15:03
• The city clerk noted the Roots and Soul hotel-tax sharing report goes to the October 20 Council as a public hearing 00:16:08
• The city clerk read the Measure U amendment making the housing funding contingent on the sale of Tranche 3 bonds 00:16:08
• The city clerk read the nuisance penalty amendment replacing $1,000 with $2,500 00:18:11
• The city clerk noted the police review agency report was continued to the October 27 Public Safety Committee 00:18:11
• A councilmember summarized the changes to item 3 before the vote: title changes on 3.3 and 3.4, and a co-sponsor added to 3.10 00:19:43

Review of the October 20 City Council agenda, the October 22 Rules agenda, all committee pending lists, the draft October 27 committee agendas and the draft October 29 Rules agenda. The administration had no changes. At Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee)'s request, the October 27 Finance and Management Committee becomes a special meeting starting at 9 AM. 00:20:18

• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) moved, Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded, to approve item 4 as amended. Result: passed. 00:21:31

• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) asked to make the October 27 Finance Committee a special meeting at 9 AM, saying members had been polled and there was a quorum 00:20:59
• A councilmember noted the special meeting on the 27th starting at 9 AM and called for a motion 00:21:17

• Item 3 drew no public comment. The clerk said comment would be taken only at open forum.
• At open forum, three speakers from One Fair Wage urged the council to place a ballot measure raising Oakland's minimum wage to $30 an hour on its agenda. They said enough signatures had been gathered, and one said the City Clerk's office had told them verbally the previous Friday that the signatures were sufficient. They argued state law requires the council to consider a certified measure at its next meeting, and noted it was not on the October 20 Council agenda or the Rules agenda. One suggested the council could order a study of the measure, as they said Alameda County did.
• Two of those speakers framed the measure in terms of dignity and racial equity. One cited the history of the eight-hour workday; another cited tipped workers and the legacy of slavery, and said Black residents gathered most of the signatures.

• October 20 City Council consent calendar (agenda): the SAVE abandoned-vessel grant; the Mythics extension; the parking citation contract as amended; the East 12th Street Bikeway contract; the Liberation Park funding amendment; the MLK Jr. Way construction management contract; the ready-mix concrete purchases; the EPA Arroyo Viejo Creek grant; the San Leandro Creek Trail license; the Redevelopment Successor Agency termination plan; the Measure U affordable housing funding as amended; the Affordable Housing Trust Fund ordinance; and the firearm relinquishment grant.
• October 20 City Council public hearings: the report on the hotel-tax sharing agreement with Oakland Roots and Soul, and Zac Unger (Councilmember, District 1; Chair, Public Works and Transportation Committee)'s ordinance raising nuisance penalties as amended. Also on October 20, as a non-consent item: the capital improvement program audit.
• October 27 Finance and Management Committee, now a special meeting starting at 9 AM: the Baker Tilly procurement consulting contract and the executive recruitment contract extensions.
• October 27 Life Enrichment Committee: the sale of the city's portion of Garfield Park to OUSD.
• October 27 Public Safety Committee: the continued Community Police Review Agency report.
• October 29 Rules and Legislation Committee: the draft 2027 legislative calendar and the Rent Board appointment.
• November 10 City Council consent calendar: the firefighter training agreement with Piedmont.
• November 17 Community and Economic Development Committee: the cannabis program report and the anti-displacement / Rent Adjustment Program report.
• November 17 Public Safety Committee: the report on vegetation clearing along evacuation routes, now co-sponsored by Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee).
• November 30, 12:30 PM: special joint meeting of the City Council, OPSPOC, the Community Policing Advisory Board and the Police Commission on Measure NN violence reduction.
• Open forum speakers said the $30 minimum wage ballot measure must legally come to the council, and noted it was not on the October 20 agenda. No official responded at the meeting.