City Council - meeting_joint_special

Good afternoon, and welcome to the special city council meeting of Monday, 03/16/2026. Before our call roll, I will go over speaker card instructions. If you'd like to fill out a speaker's card on any item, please fill out a speaker's card before the item is called for discussion. You can do so by filling pulling a card at the front table and giving it to a clerk representative before the item is called or two hours after the start of the meeting. This meeting was called to order at 03:32, so making that time 05:32 your last opportunity to turn in speaker cards or before the item is called for discussion whichever one comes first.

On roll for this meeting council member Brown. Present. Council member Fife is excused. Council member Gayle?

Present.

Council member Houston?

Here.

Council member Ramachandran? Present. Council member Unger? Here. Council member Wong? Present. And chair Jenkins?

Present.

Showing seven members present, one excused. Fife? Going to item three modifications to the agenda. This is the point of the agenda where you can reschedule items from consent to non consent, move items to the next council meeting, speak on consent calendar items, register no votes or change order of items.

Seeing none, let's move forward.

Item four, there are no public hearings for this meeting. Going to item five which is action, There are actually no consent items for this meeting either. Going to item 6.1, a declaration of a local emergency due to the AIDS epidemic. Item 6.2, a resolution regarding a medical cannabis health emergency. Item 6.3, a resolution regarding a declaration of a local emergency on homelessness.

Item 6.4, an ordinance concerning amendments of the planning code chapter 17.96, section s 14 housing sites combining zone regulations. If approved, this action will be final passage. Going to item 6.5, an ordinance regarding senate bill 79, planning code implementation ordinance. This item also will be final passage if approved this afternoon. Item 6.6, a resolution regarding Oakland's commitment to gender affirming care.

Item 6.7, a resolution regarding International Day of Happiness. Item 6.8, a resolution for citywide cooperative agreements for fiscal years '26 through '27. Item 6.9, a resolution in support of California Senate Bill nine five nine. Item 6.1, a resolution in support of h r five three five six. Item 6.11 is a resolution for travel reimbursements from the council contingency fund for travel to Philadelphia for federal advocacy.

Item 6.13, a resolution regarding the Oakland Alameda access project delegated maintenance agreement amendment. Item 6.14 includes multiple pieces of legislation regarding the affordable housing and sustainable communities program cycles eight and nine. Item 6.15, a resolution for lead hazard reduction grant program. Item 6.16, an information report right regarding the HCD anti displacement strategic action plan. Item 6.17, a resolution for pro housing incentive pilot program grant application round four.

Item 6.18, a resolution for professional services agreement amendment with American Building Services Inc. Item 6.19, a resolution for Adhow Fine Arts Services contract. Item 6.2, a resolution regarding innovation interfaces contract renewal. Item 6.21, a resolution regarding h hap winter relief and OPRI. Item 6.22, a resolution for OPD cadet program funding.

Item 6.23, a resolution for Tom O'Neil Mabel Page versus City of Oakland. Item 6.24, a resolution for a settlement for Philmos Hagos versus the City of Oakland. And that is your final consent item. And you do have speakers on this item.

Council members, any comments on the consent calendar? Council member, president Gautam Gayle and then council member.

Thank you for the information and presentation. The the item that I would like to have the cons the council or the staff administration bring back to the council has to do with the the cannabis emergency cannabis resolution that we have before us. The reality is I was here when we created that, and there were millions of dollars coming to the city or due to the city from the cannabis business, but they were never collected or used in the right places. But secondly, I I wanna bring that issue back to the council because I'm getting a good number of requests from the neighborhood where there are some cannabis operations, but they don't have the legal one is the permits. Secondly, they don't have the waterproof situation that they need to have water, protection or the water in case of an emergency.

And also, there's a good number of, smoke shops throughout your district, specifically in mine, where they are providing the marijuana sales illegally. And we need to get that back in order in our neighborhoods and making make sure that I want to do wanna hear from the administration how many millions are we collecting annually. Because at one time, they used to bring the millions of dollars cash in a bus and give them to the city, but we didn't know where it was being spent. So if you can give us a financial report, that would be great, and also do the follow-up with the fire department in terms of the inspections, so the operations, and and also with our department, our office to make sure that we are permitting, but we're doing legal permitting and checkups to that operation. Then the last one I'll bring up is this on this consent agenda is has to do with the lead hazard, in our homes.

And I'm the chairperson, the president of the lead hazard joint effort between the county and the city of Oakland. And we meet on a monthly basis. But the reality that's happening in my office this week last week, my chief assistant, Rosa, and her little boy wound up with lead in the paint issue. Children's Hospital reported the little boy with contamination. Then my assistant went for a checkup, and she had a high contamination.

And we removed some samples of the paint falling in our office at city council, and they were tested, and they were tested at very high levels of lead in the pain issue. And and I shared that with you because I went to the county, and the county said, I'm sorry. We cannot help the city. Even though they have $9,500,000 that legally we sued and we have money for, that money's sitting in there not being used in our neighborhood, and they can't assist us to do an inspection. I went to my city staff that we have $5,000,000 for years that we have not been using.

And, well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. We gotta find an inspector. But the bottom line is I have the data, the documentations, the test that are in front of us with that issue existing here at City Hall. And but I I ask the administration to please, make in make sure that I get the inspector legally to come and test our office to make sure that our city Hall is a safe place to to to do business in. Because we did meet with your your buildings department and other departments, but, you know, I got one of those but but who's gonna pay for the inspector?

Anyway, so that's we need to address that issue. Thank you for that for that time to be able to share that with you. Thank you.

Thank you council member and sending well wishes to your staff and her child. And we'll work with administration to make sure that the city council offices are getting tested. Aye. You wanna go after council member Houston? Council member Houston then Wong then Ramachandra then Brown.

You were in the queue. So through the chair I just wanted to piggyback on what councilmember Gayle mentioned. Councilmember Gayle there was a illegal marijuana facility they just think they can come into our district and do whatever they want to do. They started actually building out this facility. They put all these units on top, 26 units on top without getting structural permits, no permits. Council member Gaio, they were in my district creating a new facility. They're not even following the fifty percent fifty feet beautification efforts that they do. They're not following anything. We need to address that. So I'm a be behind you on that issue. I just wanted to share that I'm with you on that.

Alright. Thank you council member Houston. Council member Wong?

Yeah. Thank you. I wanted to make comment on a few items. First, agenda item 6.21. This is around the resolution accepting around $23,000,000 through HAP as well as Alameda County winter relief funds and the Oakland Housing Authority funds.

I had authored an amendment that was voted on on the March. We had all voted to include that amendment. I've been in communication with the staff this week and the intent of the amendment was to really add a set of performance metrics to our homelessness funding especially around interim shelter and we're all committed to that. We have agreed that we need to develop a more comprehensive set of performance metrics and so that will be presented at the March 24 meeting. We'll be working in collaboration with CHS staff as well as LEC chair Fife.

So more to come on that but I'm recommending that the item is for now adopted without the amendments that were discussed at the last LEC meeting.

Miss Asada. Please continue.

And then the other item I just wanted to comment on was 6.6. I want to thank my colleagues council members Unger and Brown for you know working on this resolution that really is just an affirmation around gender affirming care especially with providers even within the city of Oakland that are no longer offering the needed care for those who are transgender as well as gender non conforming. Thank you.

Thank you. Council member Ramachandra.

Through the chair, if I could before council member Ramachandra goes, going back to council member Wong's statement of not adopting her amendments to item 6.21, the committee will need to clarify which direction they're going in regard to this item. Is it the original staff recommendation or one of the supplemental? So whenever the motion is made that will need to be clarified on the record. Thank you.

Thank you. Council member Armasandra. You. Awesome.

Thank you. So I'm so excited to be bringing forward a resolution to declare this Friday, March 20, the International Day of Happiness. Back in 2012, the United Nations declared International Day of Happiness on March 20, and I think the city of Oakland can use a douse of happiness right now more than ever. So I'm excited to celebrate this internationally defined day and to be taking actions forward as a city to make sure that we can inculcate the values and and skills of happiness in this and other actions moving forward. And we'd be following the lead of many of our neighboring cities and cities across not just the country, but the world in doing so.

Thank you. Thank you council member Ramachandra. Council member Brown?

I'll make my comment after the public speakers. Thank you.

Thank you council member Houston then we'll go to public speakers.

Yes on that 6.21 being the vice chair of public safety I agree with council member Wong on what she said about that. I'd like to go back and I hopefully I'm saying the right thing to the original request or what we was going to adopt. So is that what you wanted through the chair council member Wong? The original. Okay. So we're go back to the original and then we'll read and and review their result based accountability and see what they come up with. Okay. I agree with that chair.

Okay. I think I think we have staff.

Good afternoon. Jason Lester, HSD director. Also with agenda item 6.21, we want to clarify the contracts and the time periods to make sure they are reflected correctly. So contract BFWC, the dates will be from 06/01/2026 through 09/30/2027. For the East Oakland Community Project, those dates will be from 08/01/2026 to 07/31/2020 through 07/31/2027.

And lastly, for the housing consortium of the East Bay, that that date will be reflected from 06/01/2026 through 09/30/2027.

Thank you.

Through the chair, one more thing to staff if that is amending is that amending the legislation in the packet?

Sorry. Deputy assistant city administrator Sophia Navarro. So yes. That is amending the resolution that's in the packet.

Through the chair to staff, is that are those reflected in the link that's labeled view supplemental legislation two that's currently in

the packet?

Okay. So the amendments are in the packet, and it's supplemental legislation too Thank for the

you. Council member Houston. Okay. Alright let's go to the public speakers.

As I call your name please approach the podium in any order. Please state your name for the record before beginning. If you are ceding time or have time ceded to you, please state that person's name and they must be in the chamber or on Zoom. And again, please step to the podium or if you're on Zoom, please raise your hand so I can easily identify you. Don speaks, maybe Madeline Stacy, Shelly Wong, and Daniels.

Is it Arnie from Rainbow's Family Action? Jennifer Riggs Vetter, JB, Evan Wiseman, Karen Kramer, Mississauga Olabala, Cliff, Retchaefen, Paul Vetter, Derek Barnes, Kevin Dally, Jeffrey Beaman, Karen Kagan, Jonathan Allen Zingman, John Eric Henry, mister Hazard, Erica Gordon, Marcus Romero, Valerie Bachelor, Corey Miller, Isabelle, Linda Wade, Renee, John Harmon, Candida Haynes, Mike Hook Robles, Greg Slaughter, Willie Thomas, Michael Washington, Sharon Greenpeace, Kathy Harris, Barley Ostafanos, Edwin Ediberi, Go ahead.

Hi. Don Cefkas. San Leandro, California. I represent the coalition for a new national infrastructure bank. We have 58 co sponsors in the house in Washington including representative Simon who recently signed on.

It's an extremely important bill. The last NIB we had financed the first two bores, Caldecott Tunnel, it financed the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, it financed the Alameda County Courthouse right down the street, City Hall in San Leandro, help pay for widening San Pablo Avenue between Oakland and Richmond. And all that without increasing taxes or increasing any deficit spending. A new bank can do three things for the Bay Area. We desperately need a new second Oakland Bay Bridge from the I 280 stub down King Street landing on Port Of Oakland land that you own which greatly simplifies the matter to provide a second way into the city and a second set of BART tracks across our bridge into the city.

This new bank of finance Thank

you for your comments. Your time is up. And I need to correct myself. I have one more card. Rainbow Families Action with the initials MY and there also there's no seating time during open forum. So I need to correct myself there. Thank you. Come on up to the podium in any order. Please state your name before beginning.

Ann Daniels from Oakland, California. I want to thank this body for item 6.6. This is so necessary in these times of incredible aggressive hostility against gender affirming care that we're seeing on all levels of government. I'm a board member of PFLAG San Francisco, although I am an Oakland resident. PFLAG is hearing from people all over Northern California that their city councils and their school boards are taking aggressive action against the transgender nonconforming two spirit communities.

I'm very, very grateful to be here in Oakland and to have this body that understands the importance of providing gender affirming care, necessary medical care to all of those who need it despite the aggressive hostility, as I've said, on all levels of government that we're seeing from Washington and across this country. Thank you very much.

Miss Ronald McDonald? I'm sorry. One more thing before you begin. Just in case I did not read six twelve on the consent calendar, it does include item six twelve, the head start noncompetitive baseline grant application for fiscal years '26 and '27.

Hello, Madeline Stacy, long time Oakland resident. I am not with any organization, but I am a member of the queer community. And I wanted to thank you all very much. I know you all voted in favor for this resolution to show Oakland's commitment to this community. This is a very vital time.

It is incredibly important and you all know this that our health care entities not comply in advance. We really need to get the word out as constituents, as members of health care entities we have to call our health care agencies and tell them do not comply in advance. The rules are not there yet, the laws are not on the books yet and so I greatly appreciate this resolution in Oakland making a strong sand and commitment to supporting my community. And yeah, thank you so much.

Good afternoon. I'm Paul Vetter of Oakland and I'm speaking in support of agenda item 6.6, the resolution on transgender health care. At a time when the rights of transgender, people are under attack all across The United States. I'm proud to live in Oakland where our elected officials believe in civil rights for all. I have a transgender daughter a transgender nephew whom I love and respect very much.

And we have many of us here today who similarly treasure our trans family members. And we don't intend to fold quietly while equal civil rights for trans people are removed. Trans people deserve the rights to access to fair housing, education, employment, voting, and what we're here to talk about today, access to health care. We know that gender affirming care for trans people is necessary and effective and important. I thank the city council for their support of this resolution and we believe that it's important to demonstrate the city's resolve to the health care providers, the insurance companies that are in within our communities that they comply with California constitution and

Good

afternoon council members. I'm an Oakland resident and a mom of two teenagers who attend Oakland Public Schools. And I just wanna say as a parent of a trans child, this is a really scary time.

Through the chair, pause your time. Please state your name.

Oh, sorry. From Rainbow Families Action, m y. So every day we're hearing about new attacks on our children from the federal government trying to take away rights to basic protections like safety in school and healthcare. So this resolution is about gender affirming care and the process of decision making about medical care is something that should be made by patients, parents, and providers working together. It's not something that should be made by politicians.

Like a lot of parents, I'm scared that my child could lose access to medical care and to the right to make those decisions and as a parent, I'm scared of losing those rights. By passing this resolution, you can help put pressure on our healthcare providers to do the right thing and to focus on patients, not politics and not to give in. Thank you.

So why did you just put transgender on

your behalf? Hello, this is JB from Rainbow Families Action. Good afternoon council members. I am an Oakland resident and proud parent of a non binary child and I'm here today to say thank you. When I watch what is happening at the national level, the executive orders, the legislation, the attempts to strip away care, necessary health care that our children depend on, it can feel frightening and isolating.

But days like today remind me that we are not alone. Gender affirming care is a difference between children thriving and suffering. By passing this resolution unanimously, you are sending a message that this city sees families, that it values our children's lives, and that it will not be silent while others try to erase them. To every young person in Oakland who is transgender or non binary, your city is fighting for you. You belong here. You are loved. Thank you council members for your courage and your compassion.

Hi. I'm Arnie from Rainbow Families Action. Thank you to council member Unger for bringing us to the floor and to council member Wong and also Brown for co sponsoring. Being the parent of a trans transgender or non binary kid is a lot right now. We are living a half underground life, watching obscure regulations take our lives by the throat.

Doctors won't communicate with us in writing. Trusted institutions weigh the lives of our children like coins on a risk assessment scale. Liberal politicians try to figure out how much of my children's lives are worth defending. Every day, every single day, another attack is announced on our children. In that context, every single time someone stands up and says to us, your kids belong. They are entitled to all the rights we've all fought for. It's deeply moving and gives us strength for the next round. Quite literally, our every waking moment is filled with this fight and we thank you for joining us.

Hi, I'm Karen. I'm with Families United for Trans Rights, which is an organization of parents who are fighting literally for the lives of their children. And I wanna thank the city of Oakland for standing with us today. It feels like Armageddon against our children. And I have a trans daughter and I also have diabetes, type one diabetes.

And it would be like saying to a child who has diabetes, you can't have insulin anymore to take away your gender affirming care. And it's that serious. And so we really need everyone to speak out and support trans youth and trans people who are just trying to live their lives like everyone else and really, really appreciate the support of the city and everything that you can do to help. Thank you.

Hi. I'm Cliff Rechhoff and I'm also a member of Families United for Trans Rights and an Oakland resident speaking on behalf in support of six point six. Thank you council members Unger Wang and Brown for your strong support. I have a transgender daughter. When she transitioned and got gender affirming care, it changed her life immeasurably for the positive.

It's impossible to imagine her living her life without this gender affirming care. She can't go back. Trans people are under intense, unjustified, and cruel attacks from the current federal administration. It's critical that our local health care providers continue to provide gender affirming care. It's required by the state constitution and state civil rights law and it's very important that leaders like you and the city council speak up and remind our health care providers of their obligations and speak up in support of our kids. Thank you very much.

Hello. I'm Evan Weissman, a resident of Oakland, a member of Families United for Trans Rights and the father of a trans daughter. And I just wanna briefly thank you all for supporting resolution 6.6 in defending the necessary civil rights and healthcare of our trans youth and adults. Thank you.

My name is Karen Kagan. I am not from Families United. Good afternoon. I am and am speaking as a customer of a business located on 16th Street in Poplar in West Oakland. I and all the customers I speak to love the business we are part of.

I have spoken to potential new customers as well as existing customers who have expressed concerns about what goes on with the unhoused population living on Poplar Street from 14th To 20th Street. I understand this as a huge issue that's difficult to come up with a solution for. I, for one, would love the city to find housing for the unhoused. However, I realize this is probably not feasible for the amount of unhoused there are on the streets of Oakland. Short of finding housing for this population, can the city think of taking on the task of a regularly scheduled cleanup of the streets where there are the most unhoused with poplar

Thank you for your comments. Your time is up.

President Jenkins, council members, thank you for this opportunity. My name is Edwin Edebury, and I'm the global chief happiness officer. On October 1030 yeah. October 1030, we hosted the first ever global happiness summit on board the USS ONet in Alameda. Along with other organization around the world, we launched a movement that led to UN passing the resolution in 02/12, and then my work was recognized at the United Nation in 02/14.

Now to celebrate this year, I've created 10 powerful ways for everybody to celebrate International Day of Happiness on March 20. And keeping in mind that day of happiness is not just on March 20, that it can overflow throughout the year. The focus is this. We know there's all kind of stuff going on around the world, and we might get caught into giving way to celebrating happiness. And that will be fair except that this more than ever is the time we need to celebrate happiness.

I remember 03/20/2020, the beginning of the pandemic, we were set to celebrate International Day of Happiness at a major event. And, of course, the event was canceled, and we were resilient. We moved it online, and we celebrated International Day of Happiness that led to a movement that we were able to create a forum where almost 20,000 monthly businesses were hanging out together. And so I wanted to extend that spirit to now, that yes, things are going on around the world and things will always go on around the world. But one of the thing that we know, according to Harvard Medical School and the University of California in San Diego, when an individual becomes happy, it trigger a chain reaction.

And that chain reaction affect through three levels of people that they don't even know. So I challenge every one of us to insist on our own happiness because our happiness can affect people that we

My name is Marcus and I'm an organizer with ACE. I'm here today because habitability isn't just a policy term, it is a matter of health and safety for Oakland families. I am speaking regarding agenda item six sixteen, the anti displacement report. I have seen conditions that no portion should endure. Seniors at Oakland Station have had multiple winters without heat, broken elevators, pests, damaged trash shoots, malfunctioning entry points, and broken garage doors. Just weeks ago, our members organized. We delivered a formal letter to management in their corporate offices documenting years of broken heaters and safety hazards. Corporate responded with a letter claiming these issues were already addressed. Shortly after that letter, two massive water leaks tore through the building displacing several seniors. We cannot put the burden of code enforcement on the victims of these conditions.

We are calling on the city to implement a proactive rental inspection program. A shift from a compliant based system that is that has led the city inspection mandate. This protects tenants from being the target of landlord retaliation. It also creates a system where the city, not the tenant, is holding the landlord accountable for breaking the law.

Hi, council council members. My name is Greg. I am a member of Ace Oakland myself and I live in District 7 which I plan

on moving out of it real soon.

As a senior, I want to live in peace. That's why I'm here today to advocate for the proactive rental inspection. And also council member Brown, I would really love for you to come and join us at Oakland Station for these people. As you can see here, we have a bunch. We have other ones that's gonna be here. So we have a council person that's gonna come there and be with us. We already been in the office with supervisor Miley. He has been there. I actually sent out two emails, one to that person sitting over there. They'd like to give people's fingers and Miley's office.

The only person showing up is Miley's office. I have not heard nothing for them. I requested a meeting with Houston's office almost two and a half months ago. Have not heard.

Thank you.

Is it on now? Okay. Good afternoon, city council. My name is Linda.

We'll pause your time. You can pull the mic down so you don't have to.

Oh, thank you. My name is Linda, and I am a resident of District 7. And I'm a very, very proud member of ACE. I've lived at the open station for what used to be the seniors for eleven months now. And my neighbors and I have had to deal with some unnecessary issues such as dirty hallways.

For the past eleven months, I have had no heat, The garbage chutes, the garage cars have been broken into because the garage gate, it it does not work and people have learned how to get around it, you know, even if they come in by other people, there's no security or anything there. I I do not feel safe at at this in this community, at this particular senior community at all.

Hello. My name is Kathy Harris, and I too live at Oakland, used to be Senior Station, apartments. And Ken Houston came August and cleaned the streets up. We had a problem with homeless people sleeping on the sidewalk. We couldn't even go down the sidewalk to go to the store. We had to go out into the lane of traffic. Even the bicycle lane was full of trash. But he cleaned that up but he hasn't been back since and we're starting to get issues again with people sleeping in their cars on our block and dumping trash again. So we like for you to come out and take a look at that. And other than that, I'm saying the same thing that everybody else is saying.

We have broken heaters, dirty halls, roaches, and the whole nine yards. And we'd like to support you guys to come out and inspect do a rental inspection for the city. Thank you.

Thank you. Good afternoon. Let me say mine real quick. Well I've had a bidet for two years now trying to get it put in. Management put in a request for them to do it. They told me I gotta do it. I can't afford to do it. My rent PG and E and one other bill takes up my whole check. I don't got extra money and I'm tired of wiping with a hook. You guys try that. See if you don't complain. Alright? I think this building will start, you know, recognizing what things that we need around there especially with me with the Boudet. I'm just tired of an ass hurting. Thank you.

Sir can you give me your name before you

go? My

name? I'm Michael Robles aka Hooks.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Sharon Green Peace. I have lived at Oakland Station four and a half years. In that time, it was a brand new complex. We had to qualify to move in. Now they're letting family with kids in. We are we feel unsafe because they're smoking, they're drinking, they're leaving trash everywhere. And as you see, I'm in a wheelchair and it's hard to get around. The elevators break down. We have no one to come and check on us like if you needed something, someone to come and go to the store for you, there's no one there.

They said this is not a assisted living. This is an independent living place. Well, I can live on my own, but every now and then you do need someone to come and help you. So I would like for the management to know that we were in a brand new complex, but now the place has run down.

Hi. Valerie Bachelor and I believe Renee is seating time to me. Miss Renee can you raise your hand?

There's no seating time in the consent calendar.

Okay, wonderful. So I'm here to speak on behalf of point one eight or six point one six which is a proactive rental inspection program that is part of the anti displacement work. We have a system that is failing, Oaklanders. Right now we have fires, floods, and plagues that are part of the everyday life of our tenants in our city. And this is a tenant majority city so does the majority of our folks in our city.

Most tenants, we have the most important rental protections in the city but we have no real enforcement. I wanna emphasize that. No real enforcement. So that means seniors like who you just saw are in their homes freezing, children are covered in bug bites, and families have to pick up the pieces after a fire that was totally avoidable because because landlords are not doing their fair share. Happiness to tenants means safe and habitable homes for all through landlord accountability. So again, wanna thank council member Wong for joining us on a reality tour. I call upon each and every one of you to also join us on reality

If your name was called and you're in chambers and you wish to speak, please step to the podium or we'll be moving to the Zoom speakers. And mister Hazard, I have you with multiple items for three minutes.

Jean Hazard, you go to cleanoakland.com. Yeah. You wanna celebrate happiness, but what about live life? You don't even acknowledge mister Lacey's Moisha love life. Okay? Last week, at a easy lounge, A young lady, a teacher, was killed by an errant bullet. Love life. That's the same thing that happened to Moesia. And you don't even acknowledge it. So what's this reimbursement for Jenkins and Unger for your staff to go on your junkets?

We don't even get a report. And you wanna take your staff. What are they gonna do? I handed out to you the anti injunction clause is a constitutional nullity. The provision contained in Oakland municipal code four point two six point one three o titled enjoining collection forbidden is not simply unconstitutional.

It is legally impossible for the municipality to enact. Enact. That sales tax you put on the public, 10/01/2025, is unconstitutional. The most fundamental principle of a democratic governance is that the voters must know what they are voting on. California courts have consistently held that when ballot materials materially misrepresent the nature of a measure, the resulting election cannot confer lawful authority.

You're collecting a tax on the people of Oakland that you enacted 10/01/2025. It's unconstitutional. Did you hear me? It's unconstitutional. And don't tell me that the city attorney city attorney is the problem.

The city attorney altered the special election ballot measure, the transaction and use tax. Ramachandra, you can look up, and you went for it. And, god, you always tell me, well, the city attorney tells us. Well, I don't know whether they told you or not, but I'm telling you, that ballot measure where you wanna try to collect, Jenkins, when you're on December 12 on your agenda report, you talked about a sales tax because of fiscal crisis. I got it.

All of you are misleading the public. Shame on you. You won't talk about cannabis. What about fentanyl? That's a deadly opioid.

Hey. You look down.

Thank you, mister Hassler, for your comments. We appreciate them. Thank you.

Thank you, madam clerk. Starting with item 6.3, declaration related to emergency on homelessness. You will not be able to address homelessness as an emergency until you recognize that thirty five percent of cases of homelessness in Oakland is because of people losing their homes. You spend a lot of time on people who are renters becoming homeless. Sufficiently, we need to look at people who are homeless because they've lost their homes.

Item 6.6, Oakland commit this has to do with gender affirming care. I think you're on the borderline of proposition two zero nine being a not affirmed. Two zero nine says you cannot have affirmative action related to race and gender. So you always, when we ask you to do things around black people, you always pull up proposition two zero nine. This is the issue around gender.

Does two zero nine apply? Item 6.7, International Day of Happiness. You say in this that you are promoting equity, you are expanding opportunities for residents of all ages, you are accessing stable housing in Oakland, neighborhood safety and public services. You all are lying down. Now you can have your day of happiness, but don't lie that this stuff is going on in Oakland.

It's not. 6.8, the city administrator is no longer able to limit have unlimited spending related to piggyback contracts. That's what this is about. Anything over $250,000 has to come to counsel, 6.9. Senate bill dealing with wildfires. I still tell you guys, you ignore the fact that Skyline High School, you cannot evacuate over 3,000 students from the hills. The instructions from the fire department is to shelter in place. That cannot work. Six point eleven, travel for federal advisory. That wasn't federal advisory.

That's for black administrators to get some kind of help with leadership, and only one person went, and you need to rectify that we're not getting reimbursed for three people. We next go to head start 6.12. Now y'all got problems with head start. You fired the director, she came back, now she's leaving. You got some money issues going on in there, y'all won't deal with head start, but the federal government is gonna jump on y'all once they find out y'all screwed up the money with Head Start.

Six point, 15 lead, you already addressed that very adequately. Thank you, council member. 6.16, anti displacement strategies. You don't have no strategies for black people.

Thank you, miss Olabala. Moving to the Zoom speak well, again, if your name was called and you're in chamber and you wish to speak, please step to the podium. Moving to the Zoom speaker, I have one speaker, Jeffrey Beamon, please unmute yourself. I have you for one card. You will have one minute to address the council.

Hello, Oklahoma City Council. My name is Jeff Beamon. I'm retired scientist after thirty five years at Lawrence Berkeley, and I now work supporting the creation of the National Infrastructure Bank. This is item 6.1. Oakland has a critical housing problem. California has a water problem. The world has a carbon problem, and we all have utility bill problems. Unfortunately, the gridlock in Washington has very little chance of helping with any of these major issues, but there is a social and financial mechanism that can help. A new infrastructure bank like we had during the WPA works outside of the usual gridlocked political channels to make money available for things like affordable housing, upgrading the electricity grid, and provides money for clean transportation product projects. If we get people into affordable housing, we also need to provide transportation for them to get to self sustained jobs.

So while doing all of this, we can create good paying local jobs that will help invigorate our community, but we're going to need a sizable chunk of infrastructure capital to do it. Oakland has nothing to lose and a lot to gain by endorsing the creation of this bank. Let's please do so and add a little bit of positive momentum to worthwhile, hopeful institution.

Thank you for your comments. At this time, all names have been called, and that was the last speaker.

Thank you for everybody who came out to speak. Council member Houston and council member Brown.

Through the chair, the frustration that some of my constituents have with this Oakland station is valid. It's very valid. I sent out Trinity, can you come up to the the podium, please? I need her to read something that I sent out on 02/1926. And I even gotten trouble for it because it's almost like saying I was director staff because somebody we got played at the city of Oakland when we had this deed restriction about changing it from seniors after five years.

Who would agree to that? If I put my seniors in there, who would agree with changing and putting my seniors out like that. Right? So what what what what they just said, I totally agree. I'll take full responsibility even though I've in office twelve months and I will be back over there again to take care of that because I did clean that up and I'll make sure that's cleaned again. I'll take full responsibility. But let me say this, we got played. We got played. Five years, my seniors after that, it turns into regular housing. How are gonna do that? So I talked to supervisor named Miley. I've talked to the city attorney, city administrator. Read that that that that email please.

Good afternoon to the chair. This is an email that I'll be reading from council member Houston. The email reads, dear Jean Casey, there is a concern about the property located at 1428 105th Avenue also known as the Oakland Station. The regulatory agreement was supposed to be done prior to the complex being converted to housing accessible by all ages. Please cease the process until me and Alameda County supervisor Nate Miley are clear about the process between the state of California and the city of Oakland on how this con how how this conversion is being done. Additionally, I need an urgent meeting on this matter because my senior stability at this complex are in jeopardy. Thank you. And that was sent on 02/19/2026.

Thank you, Trinity. You can you can sit down. So my thing is this, I only could do so much. Right? My my my job is is policy and legislation. But you can see right now, I got my gloves on. I'm out on the ground taking care of my community and I shouldn't even be doing that. But when things are done prior to my council members here, we gotta take the responsibility. However, our hands are tied and that's why I want this charter revision done too in a different way because there's only so much I can do. From from me sending that email, they're saying I'm directing staff.

Right? That's what I thought they said to me. I'll direct staff again and again and again. They can they can charge me whatever they want. If my seniors and my people was hurting, I'm a do what I gotta do to make it happen. I'm a do what I gotta do to make it happen. So I feel your pain, I feel your passion, and I'll take the heat. And I will fight for you like I've always been fighting for you. I'm a keep fighting for my community. And I have something else to say about this six point six point six.

Everyone is is is is benefiting from the civil rights movement of our black leaders back in the day. I'm talking about the the the the the LGBTQ. I mean, just everybody's benefiting from that. Right? So I want the same people to come out.

I want everybody to come out that benefited from this civil rights movement when my my young black men and young Latinos are dying on the street like animals. I want everybody to come out and do it the same way they fight for their rights. And in closing, Durbin was murdered, and we did a resolution. He was murdered a year ago tomorrow. And I wanna close this out in his name even though our resolution is four twelve twenty six.

He was murdered. Right? And I wanna close it out with that. So my thing is this, I'm frustrated. You know, I didn't know it was gonna be this difficult to move things like I'm trying to move to EAP. It's been six months. My people that's unhoused are suffering. My community, my businesses are suffering. My residents are suffering, and they holding up a EAP that makes sense that's in line with the governor's executive order and his model ordinance, and we holding up something that has hurt my community and my people and my aunt house in a humane way. So today, I'm doing something again I probably shouldn't be doing.

I'm relocating an encampment on A Hundredth And East 14th right now in a humane way so they're not in front of the churches, not in front of the school, not in front of our residents, and I'm moving them to a low sensitivity area, and I'm giving them some financial stability so they can feel like they're part of that move. I'm doing that today. That was gonna take two months to move them. I'm doing it today. Because you know why?

Because I gotta sit in front of 350 of my Latino brothers and sisters at the church this Sunday, and I'm gonna say, oh, I can't do it after they dropped porta potties and and handwashing stations in the area that was not

it was Council members, is this relating to the declaration of on homelessness?

Yes. It is. Okay. I just wanna say this. I got I took this job to fight for my community and fight for my people. Right? So I take this serious. So I'm a say this to my seniors of that Oakland station. I'm sorry, but I'm a fight for you. I'm a fight Nate Miley's gonna fight for you, and I know my council members on this board is gonna fight for you. I yield the floor.

Thank you council member. Council member Brown.

Excellent. All right first off I wanted to thank the community members that came out from Families United for Trans Rights as well as Oaklanders that came to speak on item 6.6. Also want to say thank you to Councilmember Unger for your leadership on this as well as Councilmember Wong. You know as a proud member of the LGBT community you know my journey to being here on the city council has not been an easy one. Similar to what I heard council member Houston speak to around just the leadership of those during the civil rights and how it's almost like this domino effect of just different rights that others in community have been able to to receive.

And so in that same way, so many leaders in the LGBTQ community have been fighting for rights whether we're talking about Marsha P. Jordan, Johnson, Sylvia Rivera or Miss Major who had a huge impact on rights right here in the Bay Area and that recently passed away last year. And so these attacks that are happening from the Trump administration on the LGBTQ community, especially our youth, it's not just unfortunate or disappointing, it's actually appalling. And so as many of the public speakers mentioned not only is it a basic human right, also our constitution states these rights for our trans and gender non conforming people and youth. And so these rollbacks that are occurring in healthcare definitely have very real consequences especially those who rely on Medicare and Medi Cal as well as children's health insurance programs and specifically low income families as well as black and people of color.

And so you know colleagues by voting yes on this resolution you are standing with our trans and gender nonconfirming community members not only here in Oakland but throughout the state of California to ensure that they can have the care and dignity that they deserve and access to healthcare. So I hope that every one of my colleagues will vote yes on 6.6. I also wanted to briefly comment on I think it was the Alameda, Oakland Alameda Access Project, that's item 6.13. Really hoping that this project can move full steam ahead. Also at the same time ensuring that any that those who are living in and around this area who are unhoused, they can receive the care and housing that they deserve.

So I just wanted to offer my support to council member Wong on that item. As a member of the Alameda County Transportation Commission that worked to, you know, fund this project, I also wanna make sure that we are also taking care of those residents as well. So please reach out if I can be supportive. And then lastly I wanted to comment on item 6.16 which is the anti displacement strategic plan. Of course thank you to the leadership of Valerie Batchelor and the team at ACE and for the community members that consistently show up to speak whether it's in CED or sending us emails.

I would like the opportunity to go on one of the reality tours so please you know tap me into any and all of them because I'm there. I like to support as well as what council member Houston said. Although you know we were not around, we've only been in office a little over a year. But of course we have to take accountability for the situations that our community members are experiencing. And so when we take an all hands on deck approach we know that we can ensure better outcomes as well.

So just wanted to thank you all for consistently showing up and I look forward to attending one of those reality tours and seeing how we can work to improve those conditions. Thank you. And

I'll entertain a motion as amended. Council member Fife.

I will make the motion. I I do wanna just say a couple words about the National Infrastructure Bank because I think it's clear that we know all of the infrastructure needs that exist in the city of Oakland and NIB offers an opportunity to fund necessary projects in key areas and because I was a part of the board for trying to bring a public bank of the East Bay, this just made sense. And so I appreciate the speakers who came out to lift that up because I truly believe that when individuals' needs are met, including housing, access to transportation, clean air, water, food, and just the right to be free, then we can talk about what happiness looks like. But without those act the access to those basic services, then we have a lot of challenges that that we're seeing that are they they tend to be displaced and misplaced with black folks. And so I just wanna lift up what council member Houston spoke about, and then also challenge this body, this city council to create the equity that so many public speakers talked about and needs for gender affirming care to keep that same energy, is what my council colleague was saying when it comes to issues of disparities with black Oaklanders.

Because we I I don't know what counsel my colleagues get, but I'm concerned about the counsel that I get when I come here to fight for my people. And I know we have to protect the city of Oakland legally from challenges from the Trump administration, but when we do that for one group, it has to be equal across the board. So we gotta fight for black folks who are the majority of the people on our streets because we were never constitutionally included to be human beings in the first place. Right? So I I just want us to remember, and sometimes it feels imbalanced when folks come and tell us and demand that we need to pay attention to a certain community when we have folks who have been here for hundreds of years that have never been treated right.

Electorally, legislatively, and and all of the Lee's, educationally. So I I wanted to say that because it's it's it's sitting in my spirit that this is another example of disparate the the disparate ways that we engage with with with the issues that mean so much to our everyday existences. And we have to find joy in any place that we can, so I'm not trying to knock the legislation, but there are things happening every day to keep us from it. The number of people I bury from not having adequate housing, and the I didn't hear Ace come up here and talk about all of the members that I paid for hotels for just, what, a year ago when folks utilities went out. So I hear you when when y'all come up here and and criticize, come up and give praise too for the things that we have done and acknowledge the fights that we are in and the work that we've done around proactive rental in in enforcement.

This is not easy. Legislation is not easy. So please, at the very least, acknowledge that the work is not done, but that you have people up here who are fighting for it. And I make the motion council president.

Thank you. Thank you. Do you have to read something in first?

This year not reading in just clarifying that there's no amendment on 6.21. It's adopting supplemental number two. The amendments are included in the packet.

Thank you. And there's a motion by council member five. Houston, do you have something to say?

Yeah. Just through the chair, I had a general question. And this is to the parliamentarian. Is is prop two zero nine a a a a federal or state? I'm asking her.

Through

the chair, yes. It's state law.

Okay. So so when we defied the sanctuary city, I should know nothing. That would decide we we defied the sanctuary city. That's federal. Right? Federal?

I think it'd be more appropriate for us to answer your legal questions offline, council member.

Okay. Okay. That's fine. I I agree with you. So so I'm a say this, if we can defy federal, why couldn't we defy the state on the same way with two zero nine and have that where our SLBEs are taken care of out here. You know, I'm I'm just I'm working through this and I'm gonna get it. So, thank you.

Thank you council member. There's a motion there's a motion and a second. Let's go take the roll.

On the motion by council member Fife, second by council member Houston to adopt the consent calendar. Council member Brown? Aye. Council member Fife? Aye. Council member Gaillo?

Aye.

Remember you don't have to get in the queue. I can unmute you. Council member Houston. Aye. Council member Ramachandran. Aye. Council member Unger. Aye. Council member Wong.

Aye.

Chair Jenkins.

Aye.

Motion passes with a vote of eight ayes. Going to item seven which is council member announcements.

Council member Fife.

I wanted to acknowledge the loss of life that took place at EZ's Lounge for the second Friday I mean, the first Saturday of the month. It claimed the life of a teacher. Most people know I was also an an elementary school teacher and it is really really disheartening. So I wanna just adjourn the meeting in memory of Leticia Bobo, the individual who lost her life and was along with several other individuals that were shot. So I wanna recognize her.

Alright. Let's go to the public speakers for open forum.

Open forum. As I call your name, approach the podium in any order as all speakers are in the chambers this evening or afternoon. Mister Hazard and miss Asada Olabala for open forum.

This is a statement that president Jenkins made on December 12 in his agenda report. The proposed sales tax increase, if approved by voters in April special election, would raise approximately $20,000,000 helping to preserve critical service. This is misleading. He was already setting this up. Allowing municipalities to restrict judicial re remedies would permit local governments to shield unlawful taxes from court review, insulate unconstitutional ordinance, and effectively place themselves above the law.

The California constitution does not tolerate such a structure. This body has misled the general residents of the city of Oakland, which this, constitutional sales tax. Mister Jenkins, out of your own words, you miss

Thank you. Thank you for your comments, mister Hazard. We appreciate you. Thank you.

So March 30, you have a partnership meeting with OUSD. Last Wednesday, OUSD approved $19,000,000 that would come from the measure a a Oakland children's fund. That fund identified at the meeting was the administrator, and she says that she approved the spending. I went online to see who approved the spending, and I thought it's the commission, and then another time it says you. But $19,000,000 over three years, they can't commit to over three years because they you spend a budget you approve a budget every annually.

So they have three different commitments over '26, '27, and '28 to the Garfield project. And first five Alameda has recommended the spending. It is thoroughly confusing. You need to put on the agenda this item of the spending of measure a a who is actually make

Judith Christensen or Christian from finance. Alright. That was the last speaker.

Alright, let's adjourn in memory.

We adjourn in honor of remembering the life of Durban Alvarado and miss Leticia Bobo.

Thank you. This meeting is adjourned.