Council member five good morning
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to the rules and legislation committee meeting of Thursday, November 20th before I call roll
I will go over speaker card instructions. If you're looking to speak on any agenda item. You must fill out a speakers card
before the item is called
Or 10 minutes after the start of this meeting this meeting was called to order at 1032 a.m
Making that time 1132 a.m
you can get a card from one of the ladies at the front desk.
And you must submit that card before the item is called for
discussion, or again, ten minutes within the start of this
meeting, so that would be by 10.42 a.m.
If you're looking to turn in an online speaker card, they were
due 24 hours from the start of this meeting.
On roll, Councilmember Brown?
Present.
Councilmember Fyfe?
Present.
Councilmember Ramachandran is excused and Chair Jenkins?
You're the only three members present at this time and one excuse.
Do you have any announcements before we begin?
Yes, absolutely.
So two announcements because of the amount of speakers.
Public comment will be one minute.
We will wind up against quorum issues.
The second, item 3.36 will not be scheduled.
Again, item number 3.36, flat cameras will not be scheduled today.
All items that make it out of committee, regardless if they pass or fail, comes back to the rules
committee.
The motion carries.
The motion carries.
The motion to approve for 3.36 will not be scheduled today.
Thank you for that announcement going to item two.
Approval of the draft minutes from the committee meeting
of November 6, 2025.
I don't have any speakers.
I just need a motion.
Move approval.
Second.
There is a motion by Councilmember Fyfe.
Seconded by Councilmember Brown.
Councilmember Brown.
Aye.
Councilmember Fyfe.
Aye.
going to item 3.1 under new scheduling items,
a resolution accepting and appropriating funds
from the East Bay Community Foundation
in an amount not to exceed $279,000
to support two staff positions in the mayor's office,
and this is asked to go before the December 2nd
city council agenda on consent.
Item 3.2, confirming the mayor's appointments
of Emily Habanoski to the Commission
on Persons with Disabilities.
This is going to the December 2nd
city council agenda on consent.
I have 3.3 confirming the mayor's appointments
of Denise Schmidt, Shada Rager,
Tanya Love to the bicyclist advisory
pedestrian advisory commission.
This is asked to go before the December 2nd, 2025
city council agenda on consent.
Tanya Love and Jesse Olson
to the bicycle pedestrian advisory commission.
Just an extra individual for the appointment.
Thank you.
So again, can you clarify the change?
Oh, yes.
Resolution confirming the mayor's appointment
of Denise Schmidt, Shada Rager, Tanya Love,
Jesse, and Jesse Olsen,
to the Bi-School Pedestrian Advisory Commission.
Okay, thank you, and just please ensure
that the legislation is received to my office.
Going to item 3.4,
a resolution confirming the mayor's appointment
of Vanessa Zamora and Reina Badar,
Matt leads to the budget advisory commission
on the December 2nd city council agenda on consent.
I am 3.5, I believe has a title change.
Title change, when you're ready, okay.
Staff recommends that the city council
conduct a public hearing and upon conclusion,
adopt a resolution finding Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner,
owners of record of assessor parcel number 48H-7672-18.
in violation of the Oakland municipal code chapter 12.36
in parentheses protected trees
by illegally removing 38 protected trees at said parcel
and imposing a penalty pursuant to chapter 12.36.150
of the Oakland municipal code
of a total sum of $915,135.40
to place a hold on any building permits
and place a lien for said property
that we have to pay for this
so we have to pay until this
penalty is paid in full.
And if I may through the chair
to count rules committee staff
and department staff we also
are amenable if ammissible the
item be scheduled to December
16th city council rather than
the second noting that there's
multiple public hearings and
this will help alleviate an
impacted council so if you are
and to all of us today.
Thank you.
And I want to thank you for what you've done
to me and for what you've done as a public hearing.
Thank you.
Going to item three point six.
A resolution amending resolution number eight eight three four one
to appeal the twenty twenty encampment management policy.
And replace with the twenty twenty five encampment abatement policy.
That defines encampment to exclude vehicles and authorizes citation
and to wing of an inhabited vehicles by city departments
pursuant to the California vehicle code.
Prior to non urgent encampment closures and clarifies emergency and urgent health and safety conditions
That authorize immediate 24 hour or 72 hour notice for encampment closures
Including encampments blocking sidewalks on the December 2nd City Council agenda on non consent. It's a long that's a long title Trinity
The chair we are seeking to schedule the EAP to the December 2nd City Council meeting on non consent
Thank you
Item 3.7 a resolution calling and giving notice for the holding of a special municipal election on June 2nd
2026 for the purpose of submitting to the voters a measure to amend the city's business tax ordinance
To provide business tax exemptions for certain small businesses and new businesses opening locations and commercial spaces
and requesting consolidation of the municipal election with the statewide direct primary election to be held in the city of Oakland on June 2nd
twenty-six directing the city clerk to take any and all actions necessary
Under law to submit this measure to voters at the June 2nd twenty twenty-six election and making appropriate sequel findings
This is asked to go before the December 4th rules and legislation
committee
Item 3.8 a resolution calling and giving notice for the holding of a special municipal election
On June 2nd for the purpose of submitting to the voters and measure that would amend city charter
section two six zero one two among other things expand the eligibility for members of the police and fire
retirement board
Change the board meeting frequency for monthly to no less than quarterly
Requesting consolidation of the special municipal election with the statewide direct primary election
To be held in the city of Oakland on June 2nd directing the city clerk to take any and all actions necessary under law
To submit this measure to voters at the June 2nd 2026 election and are making appropriate sequel findings
On the December 4th rules on legislation committee agenda
item 3.9 an information report from the city auditor on the audit of the kids
first open children's fund for fiscal year is 18 through 19 through fiscal
years 23 through 24 on the December 9th 2025 finance and management committee
agenda item 3.10 and information report on the ratings for the general
obligation bonds from Moody's invest investor service and standard and poor
on the December 9th finance and management committee agenda item three
point eleven a resolution waving the competitive building competitive bidding
process and the local small local business enterprise program requirements
and authorizing the city administrator to execute a five-year renewal of the
professional services agreement with HDL software in the amount not to exceed one
million six hundred seventy thousand dollars for all five years for the
provision of technical support ongoing maintenance software upgrades for the
city's local tax software solution and printing and mailing services on the
December 9th finance and management committee agenda Adam 3.12 in Oakland
redevelopment successor agency resolution approving the submission of a
recognized obligation payment schedule in Oakland redevelopment successor
agency administrative budget for July 1 2026 through June 30th 2027 and
and transmission of both to the county-wide oversight board
and Alameda County Auditor-Controller
and the State Department of Finance for approval
on the December 9th Finance and Management Committee agenda.
Item 3.13, a resolution authorizing
professional services agreement with Francisco
and Associates for engineering services
for various local measures and for the city
of Oakland Landscape and Lighting Assessment District
for a three-year term effective January 1, 26
December 31, 2028 with an option to extend for two additional years without
returning to council for a total contract amount not to exceed $550,000
and waiving the local small business enterprise requirements on the December
9th finance and management committee agenda item 3.14 a resolution updating
the city of Oakland's environmentally preferable purchasing policy to align
with the short-lived climate pollutants acts the city's 2030 equitable climate
plan and the city's reusable food wear ordinance and authorizing the city
administrators to implement such policy and approve future policy updates on
the December 9th Public Works and Transportation Committee agenda. On 3.15
a resolution mini resolution number 90814 which waived local small business
business and local small business local business enterprise program requirements
for pedestrian right away construction to increase competition lower prices and
and enable rapid compliance in the event
of the parties of Huron versus City of Oakland
reach settlement to specify that the waiver includes
local, small, local business participation,
local employment and apprenticeship requirements
on the December 9th Public Works
and Transportation Committee agenda.
Item 3.16, a resolution authorizing the city administrator
to accept a grant from Cal Start
in the amount of up to $800,000
Oakland Electric Bike Lending Program,
amend the Professional Services Agreement with Bike Hub
to operate the Electric Bike Lending Program
for an additional four-year term
and an amount not to exceed $66,203 per year
for a total contract amount over four years
of $264,812 waving advertising bidding
and the request for proposal qualifications,
competitive selection process,
and adopting appropriate CEQA findings
on the December 9th Public Works
and Transportation Committee agenda.
Item 3.17, a resolution authorizing the city administrator
to negotiate terms for an exclusive negotiating agreement
with Costco Wholesale Corporation and DICA companies
to develop a Costco wholesale and retail
general merchandise facility in the North Gateway
development area of the former Oakland Army Base
and declaring their property exempt surplus land
on the December 9th, I'm sorry, December 9th CED committee.
At 3.18, a resolution accepting the annual report
on the affordable housing transportation,
capital improvement, and jobs and housing impact fees
for fiscal years 24 through 25 on the January 27th,
2026 community and economic development committee agenda,
and on the February 3rd city council agenda.
And just noting that there is no need for a public hearing
on this item so that part will be removed.
Starting with item 3.19 which are the recommendations
and actions from all of the committee meetings of this week.
Starting with item 3.19,
the vacant property ordinance amendments,
the committee approved the recommendations of staff
and forwarded this item to the December 25th,
I'm sorry December 2nd, 2025 city council agenda on consent.
Item 3.20 regarding the information report
on special revenue collection, the committee approved,
I'm sorry, the committee continued this item
to the April 21st, 2026,
Finance and Management Committee agenda.
Item 3.21, the Cash Management Report
for fiscal year 25 through 26,
the committee received and filed this item in committee.
Item 3.22, and these are your recommendations and actions
from the Public Works and Transportation Committee
of November 18th.
Item 3.22, Lakeside Drive, Lake Merritt Boulevard,
and the public works for
the city council agenda on
complete streets construction
contract.
The committee approved the
recommendations of staff and
forwarded this item to the
December second twenty twenty
five city council agenda on
non consent.
And three point twenty three.
The public works equipment
services division cooperative
purchase agreements.
The committee approved the
recommendations of staff and
forwarded this item.
To the December second twenty
twenty five city council agenda
item three point twenty
administrative updates
the committee approved the recommendation of staff and for this item
to the december second city council meeting on consent
going to your recommendations from this the cd
committee from november eighteen starting with
item three point twenty five
the mou for the third for thirty blair place
the committee approved the recommendations of staff and to forward this item
item three point twenty six
the east bay asian local
development corporation
property sale and loan
forgiveness the committee
approve the recommendations of
staff and for to this items of
the december second city
council agenda on consent.
Item three point twenty seven
the economic activation zones
the committee approved the
recommendations of staff and
forty this item to the
december second city council
agenda on consent and that
does include both pieces of
the board and the city council
And that does include both pieces of legislation the resolution and the ordinance out of three point twenty eight
The Planning Code amendments to the streamlined conditional use permit regulations the committee approved this item as amended
To for this items of the December 2nd
City Council agenda with the following amendments amending title 17 of the Oakland municipal code to adjust regulations for a permitted and continue
conditionally permitted activities and facilities for purposes of providing greater opportunities
for ground floor activities and ease the permitting burden for a commercial civic and low impact
industrial activation and make related miscellaneous cleanup and administrative changes and making
appropriate sequel findings and the following revisions retain L4 for administrative civic
activities in all zones in table 17.17.01 and at a footnote to table 17.11.060. Staging
food service and other concessions does not include any temporary structures or movable
carts or trucks. See OMC chapters 5.51 and 12.64 and 3.29 citywide permit reform the
fall 2025 update the committee received and filed this item in committee going
with your recommendations which includes the actions of the November 18th life
enrichment committee starting with item 3.30 the fiscal year 25 to 27 budget
amendment cultural affairs manager the committee approved the recommendations
of staff and to forward this item to the December 2nd City Council agenda on
consent item three point thirty-one the disparities and contracts study update
the committee received and filed this item in committee I don't three point
thirty-two the senior comparison program foster grandparent program the
committee approved the recommendations of staff and for this item to the
December 2nd City Council agenda on consent item three point thirty-three
the city of Oakland's annual contributions to youth ventures joint
powers authority the city I'm sorry the committee approved their recommendations
of staff and forwarded this items to the December 2nd City Council agenda on
consent item 3.34 the early childhood multi-state contracts for fiscal year
26 to 27 the committee approved the recommendations of staff and to forward
this item to the December 2nd City Council agenda on consent and that is
for both parts both resolutions I'm sorry all three resolutions item 3.35
the city council agenda on
consent. Moving to the
recommendations and actions of the November 18th public safety
committee. I don't three point thirty six the OPD community
safety. Camera system and flock contract. This item failed in
committee with a vote of two ayes two noes. I don't three
point thirty. Can we stop there and I know there's a lot of
public interest in this committee. I don't think that's
So, can we stop there?
And I know there's a lot of public interest
in this comment, so just saying this.
Council members, can you guys confirm
that this item will not be scheduled at this meeting?
Excellent, yes, and I think I also sent some emails out
that just states that here at the Rules
and Legislation Committee, we always review the actions
that occur at any committee, and so for those of you
this item would be scheduled by
another council member who were
present on Tuesday night well
into the night you know that the
item died in committee and so
all that is happening today is
restating the actions of the
committee and so for this item
to come back it would need to
come back as a new scheduling
item.
Councilman councilmember five.
Thank you chair Jenkins I was
told that this item would be
That was attempting to schedule something through the rules committee. So if that is not occurring then I
I'm happy to hear that so
Is the council member here? I don't know. Got you. Okay, so this item will not be scheduled
This item will not be scheduled today
Continuing on with the standard practice of the rules and legislation committee going to item 3.37
The lpd crime report this item was received and filed in committee
Going to item three point thirty eight the performance out of Oakland police emergency response times
The committee have received and forwarded this item to the December 2nd City Council agenda on consent
And your fight. I'm excuse me your final item under new scheduling and committee actions
Three point thirty nine the report on the city's the Met excuse me domestic violence activities
The committee received and filed this item in committee. I believe you do have
I do not have a request on the
dais I at least I heard through
the grapevine I don't have it.
But I can read it if somebody
passes me the copy.
So maybe not staff go ahead.
Good morning Erica Vasquez
management assistant Oakland
public works equipment services
I would like to add this item to
The staff recommends that the City Council adopt the resolution, one, accepting and
appropriating grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles
Program in the amount of $1,364,154 to accepting and appropriating grant funds from the Alameda
county transportation Commission trans fund for clean air program and the
amount of one hundred four thousand dollars three authorizing the city
administrator to enter into a cooperative agreement pursuant to Oakland
municipal code section two point zero four point zero eight zero with a tech
equipment through source well contract number 110223 THC for the purchase of
one refuse holler in the amount not to exceed of five hundred forty thousand
dollars B. O. N. equipment sells through source well contract number zero nine
three zero two one ELG for the purchase of three electric sweep sweepers in an
an amount not to exceed $2,850,000 C. Beam Global through the United States General
Service Administration, GSA, contract number 47QSWA21D0006 for the purchase of one electric
solar panel charger and an amount not to exceed $100,885.89.
And D, in charge energy ink through source wall contract number 051123inc to design,
build, purchase, and maintain 15 electric vehicle chargers and an amount not to exceed
$1,400,000 for appropriating $2,634,609 from available fund balance in the comprehensive
cleanup funds 1720 for grant matching purposes, 5 appropriating $1,644,174 from available
fund balance in the equipment fund 4100 for grant matching purposes and six adopting appropriate
California environmental quality act findings. Through the chair I believe councilmember
Wong staff also had a Dias request. Hi excuse me good morning chairperson my name is Huey
I'm with the finance department we have a title change request for item number 311 and
I'm going to go ahead and read that into the record.
OK, it's for item 311.
The title is going to be read as resolution
waiving the comparative multi-step solicitation
process for IT contract and the small local business enterprise
program requirements and authorizing the city administrator
to execute a five-year professional service agreement
with HDL Software LLC in an amount of, in an amount not to exceed $1.6 million for the provision of technical support, ongoing maintenance, software upgrades for the city local tax software solution and printing and mailing services. Thank you.
And going to the public speakers for item three, Raj Mandal. Again, you can approach the podium in any order. Please state your name for the record before beginning.
If you are participating on Zoom, please raise your hand
so I can easily identify you
and give you your appropriate time.
And Zoom speakers will be called
after the speakers in chambers.
Rajni Mandal, Reem Solomon, Juan Abanel, maybe.
Sorry if I said that incorrectly.
Adam Alexander-Wolf, Blair Beekman, Musa Tariq,
Madeline Stacy, James Breeden, Jim Donatell,
Cat Brooks, Lance Wilson, Jennifer Tu,
T.J. Grayson, Margaret Ann Ferro, Armando Soluzano,
Michael Piotuk, sorry if I said that incorrectly,
I feel like I say it wrong every time,
Leanna's son Alex M. Kevin Dally Chris Moore Stacia Hanson
Arnold Rose I can't read the first name on the Vernon
Stephanie Tran Jason Martins Alexandra
go ahead and again please state your name so we can assign you the appropriate
amount of time. Sure, my name is Reem Suleiman. I am a District 6 resident and
I work for Fight for the Future as well and a former PAC member. I was one of the
people that gave testimony on Tuesday night and I know this is not scheduled
and not debated but I do think that there's a broader point related to this
that I feel is important to make, plus I already paid for parking. So I wanted to
share that yesterday what happened especially with OUSD really demonstrates
why it's so important for anybody who's even considering bringing this flock
contract back in any form that this is an incredible, incredible danger and I
know that several council members have made statements to community members and
to the press that you know contradicted what was clarified in this meeting and
And so I think that needs to be called out.
I'm a parent of a first grade child in OUSD.
My neighborhood is constantly fliering outside of the highway in my neighborhood to protect
each other from.
Thank you for your comments.
Your time is expired.
Hello, my name is Margaret Farrow.
I'm a member of the Alameda County Library Advisory Commission, a local business owner
and a security professional.
I was also here to speak about Flock, and I think now that we've decided as a community
that we are united in not expanding the Flock contract, we ought to also revisit terminating
the existing Flock contract and getting rid of the cameras we already have.
In the security field, when we talk about risk, we speak about the likelihood and the
impact of those risks.
In Flock's case, we have a 100 percent likelihood that they will be selling out our neighbors
for deportation if we continue to have these devices in our communities.
that point there is no reason we should continue to use even the cameras that
are already within our community and I understand that my council member was
one of those who was not with the majority on this and I hope that we can
have more dialogue within our community as when we are discussing in tech spaces
flop cameras they are seen as an egregious outlier people with a
background in this field do not view these as equivalent to their competitors
and there are other other options. Armando, Solorzano, do I have two minutes?
One. So the EAP failed to pass committee, just like Flock,
but trying to bring it back to the full council.
I think you're subverting the normal legislative process.
If Flock is dead, EAP should be dead too.
I don't think you need any new legislation
to implement homelessness solutions.
The EMP gives authority to establish co-governed encampments.
You could activate vacant lots, provide the bare minimum
of sanitation infrastructure.
The county can pay for expensive wraparound services,
professional healthcare, case management staff.
I'm familiar with the case studies for these types of interventions and multiple community
based proposals.
You could open these sites for like $70,000 to $100,000 a year, compare that to $8.4 million
for the Wood Street cabins which had leaking sewage and inhumane conditions.
Do you know architect Michael Pyatalk?
He has designs ranging from tent platforms all the way to like micro apartments, RV parking
cabins, everything in between, service centers, and workshops and classrooms, things for people
to do.
unhoused people over years, and that's a community-based solution.
Hello.
James Breeden, 20-year resident of Oakland, here to speak in favor of the flock cameras.
Our neighborhood put in flock cameras two years ago.
We ended up stopping a group of criminals, just one example of a success story that had
been coming and accosting people at gunpoint as they got out of their cars, women, walking
them into their homes and robbing them blind.
We were able to provide a license plate with our floc cameras.
The OPD was able to use the license plate we provided with floc cameras to find the
perpetrators, which was a group out of Modesto that had done it more than 12 times in Oakland.
They were arrested.
They have not done it since.
So that's just one case.
We've been able to use them for multiple success stories like that.
That is, I think, the most obvious one where a group of serial violent criminals were stopped.
So thank you very much for considering that.
Good morning council members.
My name is Jim Donatell, a 20-year Oakland resident.
I am here in support of putting Flock Renewal on the council's agenda.
Some data points, OPD's operational strength is at 511, that's 36% less than the 800 recommended.
OPD needs tools that deliver results not fewer.
Flock technology has accounted for over 300 public safety successes.
That's 300 times Oakland was made safer.
23 neighboring cities in Alameda and Contra Costa use Flock technology.
Ending this program sends the wrong message.
Come to Oakland.
You won't get chased and you won't get caught.
Please add this item to the full council agenda.
Thank you.
Hello, my name is Alex M. I'm just going to read from an AP news article that just dropped
today.
The first paragraph says the U.S. border patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers
nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it
deems suspicious.
If you're familiar with Flock's operating system, they specifically advertise patterning
as one of their AI tools.
Now, this is just one example that is breaking now
of how the CBP is beginning to integrate
into this massive surveillance network
and building their own.
If we don't think that they're going to develop
their network using Flock's camera system, we're crazy.
One specific comment that I wanna say
in regard to the lies that the OPD has been spreading,
law enforcement agencies across Southern California
violated state law more than 100 times last month by sharing information from
automatic license plate readers with federal agents. This is published. This
is happening. Hi, my name is Lena Sun, I'm the one resident. I'm wondering about the
schedule item 3.6. Am I allowed to get an answer? What exactly the council agenda
item on non-consent is? Does that mean it's being up for a vote? So, I did not
understand what you said. Oh I am trying to understand the item 3.6 if it's being
put to vote on December 2nd. Council agenda item on non-consent what 3.6
for the EAP 3.6 EAP yeah EAP will come on December 2nd does that means being
put to a vote yes it is okay so you can start my public comments um I had two
minutes but I'll try to be brief we as far as I know I don't believe we have
the amendments to the EAP yet so we don't know what changes are going to
happen to the encampment payment policy for the folks in the room the encampment
abatement policy is an anti-homeless measure to criminalize people being in
vehicles last that we saw the draft if there are significant amendments there
being placed we need to know what those are so that we can understand how the
public is going to be impacted there are many thousands of homeless residents in
Oakland and we need to know what's going to happen to them if this were to pass
Right now, we have no idea what's going on.
We don't have the amendments.
We don't know, and it's going for a vote
after being defeated in the Public Safety Council.
This is irresponsible and we need more transparency.
Thank you.
Good morning, my name is Stasha Hanson.
I just wanted to publicly thank council members Fife
and Brown for their responsiveness
to the will of the people on Tuesday evening
for recognizing that flock surveillance systems
cannot be in conjunction with open sanctuary status
or with our statewide sanctuary status.
So thank you to both of you for your responsiveness
to the people who came out.
And council member Fife specifically
for your leadership on this issue.
Hi, my name is Juan Albanel.
I'm here to reiterate my opposition to the Flock contract.
Again, also thank you to council members Brown and Fife
for voting no on this issue.
I'm really glad that we will not be wasting $2.25 million
on a company that has such a horrible track record
of outdated operating systems, back doors left and right,
leaks, hacks, and just a lot of lying.
As someone who's worked in tech and startup world,
trusting a company that's backed by Peter Thiel
and the people that are backing this company
is, for the safety of our people, seems very irresponsible.
So I'm glad that we are not proceeding with this.
And again, I just want to share on top
of all the great reasons that have been discussed already
that on Tuesday, I believe, Secure Justice
filed a suit to shut down the entire LOPR program.
So I do wanna keep pushing the council
to not just go against this new contract,
but also shut down the existing cameras.
Thank you.
Lance Wilson with Anti-Police terror Project.
I'm here today to publicly thank council member Fyde
for her fearless leadership, for voting no on FLOC,
cause we know what FLOC does to our communities.
They share the data with the Trump administration
and you know, kidnap our community members
and you know, just for her to stand up
and you know, be such the fierce leader
that we need in Oakland.
I really appreciate you.
Also appreciate you Council Member Brown
for voting no on that.
And just yesterday, you know, ICE was in our community
the day after we voted no on these flock cameras,
you know, capturing and harming our community members
that's just simply going to pick up their kids from school.
So I just want folks to realize that, you know,
This is mass surveillance, and the Trump administration
has gone whole on deporting folks that have,
like Council Member Fife said, they have a quota
to meet for 3,000 people, and so they're coming
into our community, so thank you.
Good morning, Council Members.
I have three items to speak on, 3.7, 3.27, 3.36.
Please state your name.
Sorry, Stephanie Tran.
3.7, business relief.
Stephanie Tran, president of the Oakland Chinatown
Chamber of Commerce.
On behalf of our organization, we express our support
the business tax relief. Our small businesses continue to face real
economic challenges and a tax relief will provide timely and practical relief
by easing some of these initial tax burdens for new and emerging businesses.
The city is really helping to help entrepreneurs build a strong
sustainable operation from day one and hopefully to attract also new businesses
to fill some of our vacant spaces. So to keep it short just really want to thank
Council Member Unger and Council Member Ramachandran
for this initiative and we look forward
to moving this forward with the rest of council.
Matters of 3.27 entertainment zone.
Oakland Chinatown is one of the oldest
and most culturally significant business districts
and we continue to express our disappointment
that Chinatown was not included in the initial pilot zone.
However, we do believe that economic entertainment
AI zone is an important step towards revitalizing our commercial corridors and supporting small
businesses and expanding equitable access across all of Oakland, so we continue to request
that the city works with the Chinatown Chamber and our community partners to ensure that
Chinatown is considered for future phases, and again, thank you Councilmember Brown for
your initiative around this and really carving the pathway for us to continue to have economic
zones throughout this city. 3.7 cameras. Public safety, again, is a top concern for our businesses.
Ten years ago we decided to create a camera system because of a violent crime that happened
within our community. And today we operate more than 50 cameras in Chinatown, but we
need clear, responsible rules to guide how the Oakland Police Department uses and is
accountable to technology.
So we support the OPD camera surveillance use policy
because we believe it provides a strong outline of procedures,
accountability, and privacy protections.
But at the same time, we do believe
that the cities has a duty because of our sanctuary policy.
And it is a non-negotiable that we
need to make sure we protect our immigrant community.
And any contract with any technology surveillance
must take that into consideration.
And thank you to Council Member Wong
for trying to find a pathway for this
to balance technology while protecting
several liberties at the same time.
And of course, Council Member Five Brown in Houston,
that stayed very late to trying to figure out a pathway
for our city to move forward in this matter.
So thank you all.
Hi, good morning.
Jennifer Too with American Friends Service Committee,
also a D1 resident.
I just wanted to thank Council Members Brown
and for listening to residents of Oakland
and the current concern we have for our neighbors
who may be targeted by ICE
and to hear the residents' concerns.
I also want to just briefly thank this body
for recognizing what was recommended out of the,
or not recommended, out of both the Public Safety Committee
and also the Privacy Advisory Committee.
Thank you for listening to the recommendations
out of those bodies and respecting that
and not agendizing this issue further.
Thank you.
Good morning.
My name is Anaya Rose.
I am in district one.
I've lived in Oakland for more than 40 years.
Do you want me to spell my first name?
Okay.
I wanted to start out also by thanking council members
Fife and Brown for Tuesday night.
And I need to restate my opinion about floc.
Oh, and great, thanks for giving me two minutes
because I signed up for several items.
I do not want to live in a surveillance society.
I oppose the two-year contract for $2.25 million,
which will want to be refunded in two more years
for more money, likely including OPD drones.
I am concerned that the issues brought up
by the privacy's committee has not really been answered.
I am concerned that there have been numerous data breaches
in other cities, particularly think about what happened
in Evanston where they eventually had to cover the cameras
with plastic garbage bags.
And it's clear that OPD can't or won't regulate
the use of the database by outside agencies
such as ICE and CPB and someone else talked
about how there's just been these breaches.
I'm concerned that the license plate readers
are capturing people's faces
from both Flock and from privately owned cameras.
I'm concerned that we are not sufficiently addressing
the root causes of crime,
predominantly poverty and insufficient services.
I do not want this data to be collected.
There's evidence that the code is vulnerable to hacking,
which could override any effort to control the sharing
and protect our data.
Flock is lied saying that they have no federal contracts,
but it turns out they do.
Even if you trust that they will disallow such access
to the feds, such sharing could be done through CHP
or surreptitiously by individuals with access, i.e. OPD.
Thank you for taking it off the agenda
and I certainly hope it does not come back.
Hi, I'm Alexandra, I call district two home.
The people of the town showed up on Tuesday.
We stayed late into the night to speak out.
Oakland City Council heard our very thoughtful
and well-researched responses to this contract
and to the proposed amendments.
What you heard was a resounding no.
We do not consent to being surveilled.
We do not want Oakland to contract
with our privacy and our data.
We cannot trust FLOC safety to keep our data secure.
We cannot trust FLOC or OPD to prevent our data
from being shared with federal agents
who are terrorizing our neighborhoods.
Members of this council should always resist
and shut down attempts to circumvent the regular process
in order to override the voices of the people of Oakland
who elected you to represent us.
The people said no, and the council voted it down.
Thank you, and I ask that you uphold that vote.
Members of the council, my name is Michael Pyatok.
I'm here to speak on 3.6, the encampment management policy
change that's being proposed.
I'm an architect.
I was trained to be a logical problem solver.
I see no logic or sensible problem solving
in this proposed change.
If you're going to be removing encampments, towing vehicles,
whether RVs or cars, you have to have a decent shelter
service in place.
Oakland is not even close to that.
In fact, it's closing shelters right now,
particularly the former cabin communities,
which I had a part in helping to make.
So I'm familiar with the numbers.
You're reducing the slots available in shelters
at the same time you're going to be expanding
the displacement of people.
So you're not solving the problem.
As a homeowner and a business founder in this city,
you're making matters worse for us
because you're turning thousands of people
into itinerants who have no place to go
but roam the streets.
It's gonna be harmful for them, harmful for those of us
who are trying to maintain our homes and our businesses.
You've got to have more shelters.
Measure W is there, there are organizations out here
coming up with very sensible ways
of dramatically expanding the availability of shelters.
So get those shelters in place
before you start removing people.
And I'm looking at you, Councilman Jenkins,
and Houston, who's not here,
because you're the primary movers of this thing,
which keeps coming back against the people's wishes.
Buenos dias, council members.
This is a matter of repeat of Tuesday.
My name is Reington Dorado,
Vice-Chair of the Community Commissantes de Fruitvale.
I'm proud to say I'm an Oakland Chicano,
born on East 10th in Jingle Town,
and raised on 38th Avenue.
My office is on Fruitvale,
where I continue the work my father started 70 years ago.
In those 70 years I've seen great changes in Oakland.
The most important ones were the struggles of the people
against the rich and powerful in Oakland.
This is specifically why we now have a city council
that looks like you rather than a bunch of old white male
Republican fat cats from downtown and the hills.
Recently we've seen a resurgence of this power base
that wants to take us back to those bad old days.
Well, we ain't going back.
Ladies and gentlemen the current question really isn't about cameras
It's about representation. Let me remind you that openness fought long and hard to elect true representative of the people
Will you betray that legacy the people like to do represent them them?
Thank you. Mr. Mr. Dorado. Was there anything else you have to say?
The people elected you to represent them the majority of the city not only downtown and not only the hills
Don't you ever forget that?
We won't
Muchas gracias
Thank You mr. Dorado now moving to the zoom speakers Blair Beekman, please unmute yourself and begin your comments
Teresa, please give me my co-host abilities back. Thank you
Mr. Beakman, please unmute yourself and begin your comments. I
took a while for the thing to show
Thank you. Thank you for allowing me three minutes. I wanted I had several items
I wanted to speak to 3.6 to repeal the 2020 encampment policy.
I have not been much around for that issue.
It was a new discovered, defined by yourselves,
and I will be wanting to see the updates on it.
Thank you for public comment on it today as well.
3.2 and 3.22 is appointing people
to the Bicycle Commission Street's streets.
I think these two items can be connected in the way
of how we would be considering the future of our technology.
Lakeside Complete Streets is an $8 million project.
That's a lot.
And I'm very concerned about overall tech issues
that I think the bicycle commission can be a really good
place in their, you know, working technology plans
for bicycle routes in the future.
They also have a good sense of good accountable tech practices
that are happening at this time.
that and we can have a public policy test.
It's them to understand that as a federal
bicycle commission is a really important
feature concept towards, I don't know,
the sustainable holistic goals we're all trying to go to.
So I just wanted to mention those things
and how we build the future of complete streets.
It has to be accountable and good policies
that we can all understand.
And that we're not afraid to talk about this tech.
It's safe, it can be safe to talk about.
cash management, crime data, and emergency spot times.
I think he has that.
Looks like we lost Mr. Beekman going to our next speaker.
Rajni Mandel, have you with one card.
Please unmute yourself and begin your comments.
Rajni Mandel, District Four.
On Tuesday night,
hundreds of people came to the Public Safety Committee
meeting.
We heard one viewpoint loudly,
but many others who came to speak were intimidated,
harassed and silenced, and some told me they were afraid
of being targeted afterward.
Those who did speak were heckled and talked over
by much of the audience.
Rule 15 requires a chair to maintain order
and prevent conduct that is disruptive,
disturbs the peace and good order of the meeting,
or maliciously attacks individuals.
The Brown Act requires meetings to be open
and accessible to all members of the public.
What happened on Tuesday was not open at all.
It was hostile and exclusionary.
My neighbors are not regulars at City Hall.
If this is what they see, they'll never come back.
Even Zoom callers couldn't be heard
over the chaos in the chamber.
This is now a pattern, the police commission,
the privacy commission are now here.
So I'm asking, can we please have a meeting
where every Oaklander, not just the loudest faction,
can participate safely and be heard?
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments going to, I'm sorry,
Key Bliss, please state the name you submitted a card under.
the board. I'm sorry. I don't have a card for you for item three. Going to the next
speaker. David motorbok. Please state the name you submitted a card under. Yeah hi my
My name is David Motorsbach, and I'm talking about, I think, the two items under the card.
Did you submit a card under what name?
David Motorsbach.
I don't have a card for you for item three.
Going to Chris Moore, I have you for one card for one minute, I believe.
Please unmute yourself and begin your comments.
Hello.
Hey, this is Chris Moore.
I echo Rajni's comments a few minutes ago.
I think that the meeting unfortunately was not managed well in terms of allowing the
speakers who were actually speaking about factual information.
And they were, myself and all of our other speakers were harassed and many did not end
up speaking about facts about the case and they were, they and the police officers that
speaking were shouted down or heckled down and this is obviously Brown Act
violations and I think you need to have actual true security versus rent of
security in there next time and you need to have certainly if people continue to
do this where the council nor the public can hear us speak then you need to take
care of that and we do get it the other sides doing that because they only have
misinformation to talk about. Thank you Mr. Moore for your comments Mr. Chair
that was the last speaker who signed up for item three again if your name was
calling in the chamber and you do wish to speak I see Mr. Dally are you waving
okay all names have been called for this item. Thank you everybody for your
comments so what we have is 3.3 with the title change 3.5 with the title change
three point six December second nine consent and three point eleven with the
title change I will entertain a motion sorry the date changed to item three
point five do we state that three point five will be going with its title change
my apologies Candace from the city administrators office three point five
was a title change in being scheduled to December 16th and three point five to
motion that we move the motion
second a motion by councilmember
brown seconded by councilmember
five to move item three with the
stated amendments on record
including the dais request
councilmember brown I
councilmember five I
councilmember ramachandran is
excused here Jenkins I motion
passes with a vote of three I
is going to item four review the
City Council and committee meetings attached you'll see your council
excuse me canceled agendas for the committees next week and as far as well
as your pending list your draft agendas for December 2nd and rules on December
4th anything from administration you supposed to use Candace's mic Winnie
Wu from the city administrators office I like to bring to your attention to the
pending list for CED. Under the semi-annual reports, there's only one
item under there, it's the semi-annual tracking report for code enforcement.
Staff is requesting that this item be scheduled to the January 27th, 2026 CED.
And then under the December 9th, 2025 list, item number three, receive an
informational report on the housing and community development department's
anti-displacement strategic action plan staff is requesting that this item be
rescheduled for January 13th CED and staff is here for questions on that item.
Okay thank you so much for the update I think the first item being rescheduled
which is for planning and building for January 27th, 2026 that is fine. Had a
couple questions about the reschedule of the strategic plan especially given
that I believe like the original report it was due in March we had it scheduled
for June and then for November and now on this December item and so just wanted
to check in on as why it is delayed especially since I was told that it was
ready. Yeah Emily Weinstein director of Housing Committee Development basically
we've been short staffed and working on this plan for over a year but we want to
To incorporate we're working very closely with the department of race and equity and there are other
feedback that we've received over the last couple months that we want to make sure that we incorporate into the plan and we don't want
To do a public presentation until we've made those
those changes
Okay, and so the earliest
CED in 2026 is it
The six actually or is it the well according to my calendar? It says the six
I just want to confirm what date. It's January 13th. It's the first committee for
2026
Okay, January 6th is a City Council meeting. Okay
All right, well, hopefully we it can be complete by that time. Yep. Thank you
All right any other comments
Seeing no more public comment
As a car your name, please approach the podium in any order if you're on zoom
please raise your hands so I can easily identify you. Welcome Kevin and Blair
Beekman. Hi Kevin Dalley, I'm a co-chair of the Policy and Legislative Committee
of the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission and president of the
Council and member of the Rules Committee I'm once again requesting
scheduling for the fire code and specifically I want to send chapter 5
503 and appendix D both to public works and transportation.
Those are the sections related to fire apparatus access roads,
which is related to street with traffic calming and miscellaneous other things.
Usually, this would have been scheduled by this time of the year.
I don't know what's going on.
usually it's late November that we see it on the schedule, or possibly very, very early
December.
So, I have sent emails to all the members of the Rules Committee requesting exactly
what I want, and I'm hoping the Rules Committee will consider this.
I am concerned a number of council members have mentioned the past having issues come
up before them without enough notice that they can actually do anything.
And it feels like this is another example where the goal is to have it passed by the
end of the year, and we are now down to just a few weeks left and just a few council meetings
with very little chance for public input.
Good news, Biscollist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission will be talking about fire code
this evening 6 p.m. hearing room four. Hope to see anyone there who cares. Thanks.
Thank you. Going to Blair Beekman. Please unmute yourself and begin your comments.
Hi, Blair Beekman. I hope you can see it. My Zoom is slightly being cut off when I'm
halfway through my words. Watch it. See what happens. I'm trying to do good, decent things
here. I wish they'd stop doing that if something's happening. To continue at
this time to speak on overall broad issues of our committee issues coming up
on the council or committee again should it be presented more as an
informational item and not as an action item more community debate discussion on
next steps towards future open communities. There's a continual community dialogue, committee
these excellent strategic motion to reject
block altogether at this time will open city government
at least assume create Oakland Public Meeting
agenda item for committee in the steps needed
to more openly publicly questioned
and to look for a new ALPR vendor.
You also note the current block contract may or not
may or may not have the urgency to be signed immediately.
Can we be considering a one year contract
since the time it says there are two year contract
and to continue to work towards a full community
review process, and possible feature vetting of a new a LPR vendor in the next 6 to 12
months as I've described previously. This can also fully respect current neighborhood
public safety concerns. Thanks for your time. I hope you can work on this Zoom fade out
issue that's cutting me again. Thanks for your time.
Through the chair, that was the last speaker. And if I could clarify that the clerk staff
and I don't know if you have
got the opportunity to have
that does control the zoom and
nobody is cutting you off
unfortunately if you have a
week internet signal it we're
it will interfere with your
zoom participation I did give
away a little longer to see if
you could come back on item
three and unfortunately we
could not hear you at this end
and you were also fading out a
little bit during this public
comment thank you.
And that concludes your
the first city meeting in 2026.
Semiannual report from code enforcement rescheduled to 127, 2026.
With that, I'll entertain a motion for item four.
Excellent move approval.
Second.
On item four, moved by Councilmember Brown, seconded by Councilmember Fyfe.
With the amendments read onto record, Councilmember Brown?
Aye.
Councilmember Fyfe?
Aye.
Councilmember Fyfe?
Aye.
councilmember rama chondron is excused chair jenkins aye motion passes with a vote of three eyes one excused rama chondron
That was your final action item for this rules committee today, and we can move to
Open forum if you are ready
Points open form as I call your name, please approach the podium in any order
Please state your name for the record again if you are participating via zoom, please raise your hand so I can easily identify you
Blair beekman Rajni mandal and Kevin daily
I'm going to turn it over to the.
I'm going to turn it over to the.
Kevin is passing going to the zoom speakers.
Starting with Blair beakman please unmute yourself and begin your comment.
I.
Well I guess I have incredibly bad luck hopefully it's on my end but hopefully if it's on your end you can work on it you.
I've said what I need to stay. I'm trying to be pretty decent. About everything.
There is a future change of direction if Baye Wasee has changed the future of Bay Area
and community preparedness and planning that this would be inevitable.
Thankfully, Baye Wasee has created the tools for a legal well-structured subsidy process
at this time that can invite local Bay Area governments into efforts of cooperation, good
information sharing, ideas, advice, constructive criticism, and consensus building.
These are simply the best practices of an open democracy, a respectful Baye Wasee pass,
And what should help to better shape the future direction of Bay O'Wassy?
High and local Bay Area government communities can understand these are the efforts of positive
community sustainability.
And so these ask questions of the Bay O'Wassy public authority right now and it considers
some possibly much darker intentions and goals of the Bay O'Wassy approval authority staff
and how to develop the future direction of Bay O'Wassy at this time.
They need to be really questioned, guys.
I hope you can make the efforts to really get involved in your own future of...
like you lost internet connection.
Is there another speaker?
Ms. Mondale, please unmute yourself and begin your comments.
Rajni Mondale, District 4.
This is my statement that I gave on Tuesday.
YouTube videos, coordinated misinformation campaigns,
siloed information that is repeated enough
to be thought to be true.
Sound familiar?
These were the exact strategies used during COVID to sow fear
and mistrust in the government, which led to mistrust
in vaccines and the death of millions.
That rhetoric, which dismissed facts and evidence
from reputable sources in favor of fear-mongering and paranoia,
led to a rise in death and preventable disease.
What you see here today are the same tactics
and the same rhetoric.
Policy should be made based on data and not anecdotes.
Policy should be made by subject matter experts,
not armchair experts.
The lives of our residents are in your hands.
And I hope that you listen to actual residents, those who
took the time out to email you directly,
because they have jobs, kids are elderly or disabled
and can't make it to meetings.
Listen to Oaklanders and experts, not ideologues,
make the educated decision.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
That was the last speaker as Mr. Daley
has waved his public comment.
I believe council member Brown has a comment,
announcements.
Excellent.
I just wanted to make a quick announcement.
We know that all of the amazing work that we get to do
on behalf of community members,
whether it has to do with being prepared
for our council meeting, showing up in community,
or even some of the outside assignments that we have.
We're all able to do that
because of the incredible staff that we have.
And so I wanted to just take a moment
to wish my policy director a happy birthday.
Happy birthday, Chiamaka.
I mean, his birthday is on Sunday, but since he's here,
let's all wish him a really happy birthday, Kay.
that was so sweet but councilmember Brown you're making us look horribly
I've been here three years and never said happy birthday to any of my staff
this meeting is adjourned oh councilmember fight I'm sorry to change
the mood there's been a lot of activity around protecting Oakland residents
against ice I wanted to let my constituents know in West Oakland there
are federal agents in ice in immigration efforts that are happening I just got
I've seen a couple of, uh,
pictures that were sent to me,
um, at 941 West Grand around JJ's Chicken.
So I just wanted to make people aware
that this is something that we have to stay vigilant about.
So, um, apologize if I'm pouring cold water
on Chiamaka's birthday because it is Scorpio season.
I want to acknowledge that.
But we also have to pay attention
to the very real issues that are happening
in our neighborhoods every day.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilmember Fyfe,
much. Too much. Tiamaka. I got it right. This meeting is adjourned.