In 30 good morning
Good morning, and welcome to the Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting on this Tuesday October 27th
It is 1130 and this meeting shall come to order
Before I call roll I would like to give instructions on how to submit a speaker card for items on the
Agenda if you are here in person and would like to submit a speaker card, please turn in a speaker card
You can turn it into myself.
Either before the item is called into record
or be 10 minutes after the meeting began.
This meeting began at 11.30, so that will be 11.40.
Online speaker cards were due 24 hours
before this meeting began,
so you will no longer be able to submit speaker cards online.
However, again, if you're here in person
and would like to submit a speaker card,
please turn it into myself.
You can place it on the podium there.
before the call item is read into record or 10 minutes after the meeting
again so again the meeting again at 1130 with that I will now call roll of
members present on row for this meeting I have councilmember guile present
councilmember Houston here councilmember Wong is excused and chair
Chair Unger?
Here.
Thank you.
We have three members present, one excused, Council Member Wong with that.
Chair Unger, do you have any announcements before we go on to the first item?
No, that's rock and roll.
That's rock and roll.
And moving on to item number one, which is the approval of the draft minutes for the
committee meeting on October 13th, 2026.
I have no speakers.
I just need a motion.
Gail moved I was second there was a motion by councilmember Gayle seconded by councilmember chair
Unger to approve item one the minutes
On roll council member gail. Hi Houston
Councilmember Wong excuse and chair under item number one is approved with three eyes one excuse councilmember Wong
That now takes us to item number two
item number two is determination of schedule of outstanding committee items
which is also known as your pending list I do have one speaker for this item
anything from staff or my colleagues on the pending list no changes at this time
all right let's hear from our speaker please thank you so much for that I have
miss Asada Ola Bala for item number two your pending list
speak to one thing there needs to be a discussion of the process for permitting
of removal of trees and in that process I'm helping some nuns who live in I
think your district mr. Houston the sisters of charity trying to get trees
removed and you pay for the permit six hundred and something dollars and you
may not get after an investigation of what you have you might not be approved
But you keep the $600 and something dollars, whether you get the opportunity to remove
the trees or not.
Then once you get the permit, that's one day, you get the permit in one day, and then you
wait six to eight weeks for the investigation into whether the trees can be removed.
What doesn't exist is what could be called an emergency process, because in this case
The trees are obstructing the sewer line and can bust the pipe pipes
So there needs to be is this an emergency or a non-emergency permitting process that you're applying for and
If it's an emergency
Because if we don't get it done soon
We'll have damage to the property and damage to the city sewer system. So I just don't understand the process and
I think we need to look at any permitting process
Where you get the permit one day and then you have to wait six to eight weeks for the investigation to take place
And so that's a staffing issue. I know what's going to be the answer
but if there's an emergency what do we do and
In the in between time if the property is damaged because we didn't get the permit done. Is the city liable?
that you requested to have something done right away.
It didn't happen.
And damages happen.
Thank you for your comments, Ms. Ollabala.
Your time is up.
That concludes your speakers for item number two.
We need a motion.
So moved to accept the pending list.
Second.
There was a, I see,
there was a motion by Council Member Unger,
seconded by Council Member Gallo.
I do see a hand raised by Council Member Houston.
Through the Chair.
Do you know when the parking division reorganization report
will be scheduled, Chair Unger?
The parking division reorganization report,
will that be scheduled?
Cause it says no date specific.
I don't know.
And there was a motion by Council Member Unger,
seconded by Council Member Gallo to approve item two
as is on roll.
Council Member Gallo?
Aye.
Houston?
Council Member Wong is excused and Chair Unger?
Aye.
Two is approved with three eyes one excuse Wong
That now takes us to item number three one moment
While I read that I have to record and just noting for the record at 11 36 council member Wong has arrived
Item number three adopt the following pieces of legislation a resolution authorizing the city administrator to enter into a subdivision
improvement agreement with Kenilworth property LLC for deferred construction of
Public infrastructure improvements as a condition to partial map approval for parcel map number
8228 located at Kenilworth Road and making appropriate
California Environmental Quality Act findings and to a resolution granting a conditional and revocable major encroachment permit
Enm J to 2 0 5 4 to kindleworth property LLC to allow
privately owned maintained retaining walls
Pressurized sanitary sewer systems storm drain systems
Bioretention planters and
Irrigation systems to encroach the public right away beneath and adjacent to the Kenilworth and
adopting
Appropriate sequel findings and three a resolution conditionally approving parcel map number 82 to eight
located at Kenilworth Road for a four lot subdivision with
and amanda parcel a right-of-way dedication and sewer reserve
Abandonment for property owners kennelworth property LLC and adopting sequel findings. I have three four speakers for this item
Thank you. Is there a staff report?
Hello. Yeah
Good morning, TR and committee members. My name is Isra Jahan a supervising civil engineer
With oak dots right of a management division today. We are requesting your recommendation of approval of three related
Resolutions associated with the proposed subdivision on Kenil what the road located in council district four
The project involves the development of seven single-family homes on currently vacant downhill parcels along an
Unpaid section of Kenel what road within a residential each zone hillside area
The project was originally approved in 2010
with subsequent extensions approved
by the Oakland City Planning Commission
and Planning Bureau.
The subdivider is Canalworth Property LLC
which also holds fee title to the property
that is subject of the proposed for-law subdivision
with a reminder person.
There are three resolutions before you today.
The first resolution authorizes
a subdivision improvement agreement
between the city and the subdivider.
The agreement requires the subdivider
to construct the necessary public infrastructure
improvements, including a private access roadway
and utility infrastructure to serve proposed parcels
as well as a secondary emergency fire access route,
connecting Kanellwath Road to Devon Way
to ensure completion of the required improvements,
the city will require financial security
equal to 175% of the estimated construction cost.
The second resolution approves a major encroachment permit.
This permit provides conditional and revocable
authorization of certain privately owned
and maintain infrastructure within public right of way.
These improvements include pressurized sanitary source
system retaining walls by retention basins,
storm drainage systems, et cetera.
The improvements will initially be privately owned
and maintained by the subdivider.
Once the geologic hazard abatement district,
God and the homeowners association or HOA
are established for the development,
the applicable ownership and maintenance responsibilities
will be transferred to these entities.
The third resolution conditionally approves
parcel map 8228.
The parcel map establishes the proposed full law subdivision
with a reminder parcel, including necessary dedication
for roadway and utility purposes,
as well as abandonment of a portion
of existing sanitary store easement,
which is not used by the public right now,
it approval is an important step
toward creating legally recognized laws
for future development and sale
subject to all applicable conditions and requirements.
All three approvals remain subject
to applicable city requirements,
permit conditions and procedures.
There is no fiscal impact associated
with the proposed resolution,
staff cost for processing the subdivision
improvement agreement, major encroachment permit
and parcel map are covered by permit processing fees
established under city's master fee schedule
and paid by subdivider.
Public outreach for the projects was conducted
during the land use entitlement process
consistent with the Department of Planning
and Billings established procedures.
Staff recommends that the committee
approve the staff recommendations
and forward all three resolutions
the city council for consideration. This concludes my presentation. Michael Branson
from City Attorney and I am available to answer any questions. Thank you.
Colleagues, do you have questions? Public speakers.
All right. As I call your name, please approach the podium in any order. Please restate your
name for the record. If you are participating online and you've submitted a speaker card,
please raise your hand so I can easily identify you. We will start with those who are in person
and then we will follow that up with our online speakers.
We have Mrs. Sada Olibala, Kevin Dally,
Quentin Karl-Hildgren, Andrew Rothman,
Laura Borel, in any order.
Good morning, Mr. Dally.
Okay, thank you, Kevin Dally.
It's great to add some additional housing.
I couldn't immediately find a reference
to sidewalks in the plan and I may have missed it.
I know it's common in the hills not to require
that sidewalks be built.
The way Oakland's policy on sidewalks is
if there is an existing sidewalk,
then the property owner has to continue paying
for sidewalks repairs in the future.
But if there wasn't, if there is not an existing sidewalk,
then the property owner never has to install a sidewalk.
So the right time to have a sidewalk built
is when the housing gets built.
It would be a little bit extra cost, but not a lot.
And yes, I know that it might be a sidewalk to nowhere,
but you have to start somewhere.
If you installed the sidewalk today,
it will then as more houses go in,
you can have the sidewalk added too.
In addition, it would be good to look at
what types of transportation do people,
does the city assume that people living in that area
will use, don't think there's a bus system,
there's a bit of bike, are we having an adequate,
are the roads being planned adequately?
Is Grizzly Peak Boulevard safe?
That's gonna be a common route, gonna be paved.
It hasn't been paved in years.
It's dangerous to cyclists.
And obviously I'm sure Chair Unger
will ask about fire dangers.
Is there a good path for exit if there is a fire?
Thank you.
So the report states that whoever becomes the owner
of these single family homes will have to pay
into the geo-hazard abatement district funds or fee.
And also they're gonna have to pay
into the homeowners association fee.
There's a lot of extra money.
So I hope there's some kind of specification
that people thoroughly understand
their financial obligations
once they invest in buying into these homes.
What struck me in the report was the amount of time
has taken to get this project started.
The first partial map appeared on 11-15-2006 and it was redrawn in 2010, then it resurfaces
again in 2017, and then again in 2020, and twice in 2020, and now we're starting perhaps
the project whenever in 2020.
That's a lot of time.
it's almost 20 years that we've been unable
to get this project started.
And that leads me into Oak Knoll, Mr. Hunt Houston.
Why we can't get that project started, was holding it up.
It's just something that needs to be dealt with.
Lastly, we need to execute an agreement between the,
uh-oh, my time's up.
Okay, between the city and in between to set the obligations
of the major encroachment permit.
I think that's somewhere in here.
But I don't know, I don't understand all of this.
All I know is this is a lot of time wasted
and it's not happening, we're just at one project.
Let's look into projects and how many of them
have taken a long period of time to get started for housing.
Thank you so much for your comments, Mrs. Sato,
your time is up.
Next speaker, if I called your name
and you're here in person, please approach the podium.
Hello, my name is Laura Blair,
and I'm here for the project applicant from Build Zig,
and I'd like to cede my time to Carlos Plazola.
Build Zig?
Just a quick hello to members of the committee.
I'm Laura's business partner and...
My apologies, I'm sorry.
Did you sign up to speak, Carlos?
I don't have a speaker card for you.
It was a miscommunication.
She was supposed to do a speaker card for me.
Okay, you would have to have signed up for her
to cede you time.
I apologize, it's up to the chair.
I'll allow it, it's fine.
Thank you, just, thank you.
Two minutes.
Two minutes, okay.
Thank you, just a quick 30 seconds.
It's been a long journey with this client.
We've been supporting him in this effort for 10 years,
and it's great to finally be here.
We're here to answer any questions you may have
of the developer.
He bought it for his wife and child
to build their first home.
understand what he was getting into and 10 years later they're trying to get
through this process so thank you thank you so much for your comments I call
two other names if you're here in person please approach the podium otherwise we
will proceed thank you hello council I'm Quentin Helgren I am a neighbor
directly above these parcels, and I guess the big problem for me is that this has
been going on for so long. There's constantly dust and debris that comes
all over the house, diesel fumes. If you like actually take a look at what's
going on right now, there's just there's vehicles everywhere, big machinery, and I
mean for neighbors that have been there for a long time, it's been happening for
long as they've been there. And when I initially talked to Sven, his plan was exactly as these
guys said, was to build a single family home for him and his family and now it's changed
into a whole project of building a bunch of different parcels. It sounds like more of
a commercial project. And lots of deadlines seem to have been missed and it's changing
and I'm just suffering along with all the other neighbors around there with all the
debris and construction dust that are constantly just blowing up on the house houses.
I don't know if everything else they want to thank you guys.
Thank you so much for your comments.
Hi, I'm Andrew Rothman.
I'm also a neighbor immediately above the section here.
I object to giving the owner more time for what has turned into a forever,
never ending commercial construction project in our residential neighborhood.
As the previous speaker just said, we are surrounded by noise,
diesel fumes and dust all day, every day, with the smallest possible team
working down there, because it looks to me like the owner is trying to drag this
project out as long as possible because of his financial concerns.
In fact, the speaker who was speaking to you earlier sent me an email on July 19th,
2020 saying, hi, Andy, due to COVID Sven has chosen to slow down the process and
be prudent about the project as the economy unfolds erratically before us.
That was in 2020 and it's still the case that they're working as slowly as
possible. So this is a developer who has abandoned the idea of moving to our
neighborhood, who is now trying to build seven houses for commercial gain in a
a residential neighborhood at a pace that is going on forever.
Construction's been going on for at least six years now.
And every time we complain about noise and dust and diesel fumes,
the owner blames it on the contractor and says he'll fix it and nothing ever
happens. So I don't think that he's entitled to another extension on this.
If you go out and look at the site,
Nothing's been done other than clearing land
after more than six years.
And that prevents us from enjoying and using our own homes.
It's just not right.
Thank you so much for your comments.
That concludes our speakers for this item.
So I do generally support the construction of new homes,
but I do think we also need to make sure
that they are following all applicable codes
and building construction projects.
My staffer just stepped out of the room,
but when he comes back,
I'm gonna have him connect with you
about how we can make sure
that everything is being done up to our standards.
Council Member Houston, do you have a comment?
Yes, through the chair.
This isn't in my district, this is in district four,
and I just wanna know what Council Member Janani feels
about it, I'm gonna abstain on this
because I don't understand it to the fullest
without talking to her.
So I'll make a motion that we approve this.
we did have a motion by guile seconded by Wong
for this item.
Any other questions council member Wong.
Sorry, I did second that without hearing the public comment
and realizing that this was controversial.
Can we just understand around the comments,
this request around a delayed or deferred?
Can you explain that?
I'm sorry, could you,
The question was about why it's taken this long?
Or or I think part of this is a request to, like,
authorizing the city administrator to enter into an SIA
for deferred construction.
We heard public comments that said we shouldn't allow
for an extension and so just trying to understand
why we have this request and it's on condition
of a parcel map approval.
to explain what this request is about?
Thank you.
So whenever we have a development
that involves a subdivision map,
there are typically conditions on the subdivision
that you complete certain public improvements,
and this one includes an extension of a roadway,
there's a lot of grading,
and as well as some sewer,
other public utility improvements
that are going into the area.
And the way that the subdivision map act is written
developer records or files an initial map and before they can record the final
map with the county recorder they must complete all of those improvements
before getting to pull a building permit or getting to move forward with the
actual vertical construction typically that's difficult to secure within the
timelines that are in the subdivision map act so the subdivision map act has a
a provision that allows for developers to enter into what's called the Subdivision Improvement
Agreement. They come to this committee from time to time, not particularly often but from
time to time. And it allows for the developer to record that map with this agreement in
place that they will complete the improvements. And the agreement requires bonding for completing
those improvements so that if they're not completed, in theory, the city can step in
gonna complete them or call the bonds.
And it does have a debt, it has requirements
for time of completing the improvements as well
in the subdivision improvement agreement.
I believe it's two years with options
for extension by the city engineer.
Okay, and so is this giving more time to the developer
as some public comment has alluded to,
or this is just allowing, I guess,
I just don't understand it while reading the report.
It serves to allow the developer to, yes,
give us some additional time to finish the improvements
in the development.
If it were not to be approved, then the map would expire
and they would have to start the entitlement process over.
Okay, all right, thank you, that's helpful.
Council Member Houston.
Through the chair, like I said, it's not my district,
was in council member Janati's district,
and I heard the concerns of the constituents,
and I'm not gonna, I just wanted to know,
what's the young lady that just came up?
Can she come back up please?
What type of community meetings have,
and I'm not stepping over my council member, I'm not,
I'm just saying if it was in my district,
I would wanna know what meetings did the contractor have
with the community, have they been engaged?
I had Count President Unger I had the same kind of issue with Sequoia Golf Club when
they were doing some redevelopment and things like that and I had to bring the community
and the developer together back and forth back and forth until we came to a solution
and I saved the city millions of dollars without them going to court so through the chair and
I'm not speaking over my councilmember Janani but I just want to know what community meetings
as a contractor had with the the residents because I heard what they're
saying with the residents. Yeah thank you councilmember I'm Emily Eller's with
the Department of Transportation in the right-of-way management division when it
comes to this phase of the development we're really looking at the public
improvements in public right-of-way and the time for public engagement is
typically during the planning entitlements so I think as Isra had
mentioned this project is 20 some years old and before the planning commission
and the planning department approved it there would have been community
engagement associated with that so we didn't do any community engagement
related to the permitting or the subdivision math act and I appreciate
that but I'm saying if if you're gonna be a good community partner it doesn't
matter you know it's like you engage with the community to figure out what
their concerns are. So you can it's almost like we can coexist in the same neighborhood like I'm
having with my industrial commercial with the new plan that's happening in district seven. You got
to be able to coexist and you got to be able to communicate and I wasn't towards you I just want
to know did you know if the contractor reached out to the residents just to speak to them to engage
so they feel like they've been heard right and I see it works it works really really well communication
is the ultimate right even if they disagree people come to a resolution and
they feel like they've been heard because what I just heard from these two
gentlemen that just came up and I'm gonna say it again it's not my district
I'm not speaking over my councilmember because I want the same respect in my
district right they their voice needs to be heard and I wanted to know if the
contractor did reach out to him because it seems to me from what they stated
that there have not been any communication.
Yeah, understood.
We can relay that message to the contractor.
It sounds like they're also here
and heard loud and clear as well.
That's a.
So I need to ask them.
So if the chair is allowing me to do that,
I don't wanna step over your meeting.
No, no, we're, I'm happy to hear from the applicants again.
So I wanna hear from the applicants.
What have you done?
Hello, good morning.
What have you done to address the concerns
of the constituents, because being on the other side,
being a regular resident, when you're not heard,
you come and say things like that, right?
Where's the communication?
You don't have to agree on everything,
but let me share with you.
You can agree to disagree and be heard.
So my question to you through the chair
is, what have you done in this timeframe
to communicate with the neighbors?
Yeah, thank you.
We've actually, I've met the folks who are here.
I've been on this project for 10 years, as I mentioned.
They have my phone number, emails,
I'm surprised about what I'm hearing today,
but I'm happy from here to sit with them,
hear more and do more.
Our inspector, Joe Watson, is doing a great job
of ensuring that we're complying with city code,
including with dust control.
Just as background, the reason it's taken so long
is because we were midstream and doing the development,
the grading work when we hit an ancient landslide,
And it was more than 40 feet deep.
Our peers wouldn't sink that deep.
We had to redesign the project about six years ago.
As a result, the developer's not gonna make any money
on this, he's so deep into this because
of the problems that we found at site.
And frankly, if we don't do the development,
the project is at risk because of the ancient landslide
that we found.
So that's been one of the causes of delays.
The other cause of delay was COVID because of the delays
in getting inspections, our permits expired.
I'm here to tell you that we
had to renew our permits and go
through a whole process which
took about two years.
So it's been a really arduous
process through here and at no
fault of the developer the
contractor if he can do more I'm
here to tell you that we will do
more.
Because we've done a lot already
and we'll continue to do more.
To ensure that people are happy
but I need to hear what people
want so so let me say this to
the chair again I thank you.
That was my question not being
rude I'm saying how many times
if you're the developer you're impeding on their lifestyle so it should be that
you need to reach out to them and like I said I'm gonna say it again I'm not
stepping on my council members feet but I'm just saying in general being a
contractor in my past life and running projects in my district is the
developer's responsibility to reach out to the constituents to see what their
concerns is is not their responsibility to reach out to you that's just my
perception so I'd like to hear from the developers again and then give the
neighbors another chance to speak after the developers thank you and if you have
anything that please do but so our role is to represent the owner who is not a
developer he's a guy who wanted to build a house he got in way more over over
what he could do he thought it was gonna be an easy thing and he'd sell the lots
but it ended up being complicated for him so that's the first thing so we
represent him and trying to get the project through the process. It's been a
tough process. I have met with the owners, I'm sorry, with the neighbors many
times over the years. More recently, the owners Sven has taken a more hands-on
approach of dealing with the neighbors, but if I need to meet with the neighbors
I'm happy to do so. I've met the folks who spoke today, at least one of them, and
I'm happy to do so and continue to do so. Our information is also available.
they people have our e-mail and our phone numbers us directly so we're here to be held accountable and we're happy to to continue to
Work with neighbors. Okay, let's hear from the neighbors again, please
I'm here largely because communication with the developer and the contractor has been terrible
We asked for dust control and for an hour. They go out with a hose and spray things and then the next day
It's back to the way it was before
Um, and we've given up talking to the contractor.
We've been focused on talking to the, uh, property owner and all he ever
does is tell us he'll fix everything and then nothing ever gets done.
But the main problem is this has been going on forever.
And I understand the issues that the contractor just raised.
It's been a difficult project.
The owner has told us he's in over his head.
He's losing money.
He can't build a house for his family like he planned to.
So he wants to turn it into a commercial subdivision of seven units right
below our houses, I get that.
But we who have been living there should not be forced
to suffer the consequences of his bad investment decision.
And does the city wanna give him approval
to make this a forever construction project?
Because it looks to us, when we look down the hill
from our houses every day, like they're doing
the bare possible minimum every day,
enough to create all the dust and noise.
I work from home, I can't keep my windows open.
even with the windows closed, the noise is distracting.
This has been going on forever,
and there's almost no progress.
Thank you.
Hold on, hold on.
Can you come to the mic, please?
Hi, my name is Laura Blair,
and this project was approved in 2006.
It has about eight pages of conditions,
including on dust and noise.
If there are issues with compliance,
we are happy to comply with the existing conditions
and meet with the neighbors to address those conditions.
The seven lot subdivision was approved in 2006,
and this is about the parcel map for that prior approval.
As a part of that prior approval,
there are a lot of conditions to create a public road.
For the developer to build that public road,
he needs the parcel map to be approved.
This is not an extraordinary application in front of you.
it is unusual because there are not a lot of subdivisions
in the Oakland Hills.
But it is not an extra permission
to build something that has already been approved
by the Planning Commission and by council
and gone through an extensive CEQA process.
We are happy to meet with the neighbors
to address their concerns.
And I'm sorry that that has been your existence,
we did not, reality, but we know about it.
But we have retaining walls and grading already in place.
So this is not a project that is going to go away
if this is not approved today.
This is a project that will need to be dealt with
somehow in the Oakland Hills.
It was approved in 2006, and we also have a family
that bought something that they quite frankly
didn't know the extent of.
But it has been on the books since 2006.
They met with the neighbors.
We've met with the neighbors extensively
prior to this project, but this has been
a very long process.
And we have done everything that we can
to meet the extensive environmental conditions
I think we may have heard that
but I think we're going to have
a great deal of this permit but
I want to be clear about what
you are considering.
Because the retaining walls and
the grading or already there the
neighbors already have to deal
with it and we're happy to
figure out a way to work with
you so that you don't hear the
diesel I heard that that you
don't do the dust.
But they're going to be those
retaining walls there and we're
going to have to figure out how
to work through it.
I asked that the council move
this to sit to the city can't
that they have addressed today.
Councilmember Houston so through the chair and I'm gonna be done in a second can you come up sir. I just want to know it's not all on the contractor either I want to ask you what did you do on your concerns, because contractors should have a dust control plan.
because contractors should have a dust control plan
and I wanted to find out through the city
and through the contractor,
I wanna see what their dust control plan was laid out.
It's almost like sweat when you do for drains,
you have a storm water pollution plan, right?
So what is their dust control plan?
I like to get that from the city and from the contractor.
What was your way of letting the contractor
know that they were out of compliance
or your concerns, did you report it to the city?
Did you report it to code compliance?
What did you do in writing, not verbal, in writing?
What did you do?
Thank you.
I've been remiss.
I probably should have made my protests
in writing directly to the city.
I've been trying to work with the owner
to not create more hassle for him.
And maybe that was a mistake.
We tried talking directly to the contractor
at the recommendation of the owner and got nowhere.
and so then we started focusing on talking to the owner
and he would meet with us and promise to do everything
he could to solve these problems
and nothing would ever happen.
And this has been going on for six years now.
Okay, so through the chair,
and this is my last question and my last statement,
it's not just the contractor, it's the residents too.
And like I said, we can coexist,
but they need to know and the city
doesn't know what you're thinking
if you didn't report it to the city, right?
The city needs to understand that there's a dust problem.
So, I believe that the city would've asked them
for their dust control plan and said,
how are you implementing that dust control plan?
What's your, give me the law, show me what you have done.
So, let's see if we can get this resolved
before our next meeting, and I'm not stepping over
my council member Janati, I'm not.
I'm just saying, see if you guys can sit down
and talk and figure this out,
because you're not gonna agree on everything.
But let's just see if that communication can be better.
So here's what I'd like to do.
I'd like to move this to council on non-consent,
if you're willing to adjust your motion.
That will give the district four council member
a chance to sit down with both parties.
That will also give the council member
from district four a chance to weigh in on this
at full council.
I'm also happy to sit down with both parties
and see if we can talk this through.
So I believe you're the maker of the motion, or no?
At non-consent, are you willing to move it on non-consent?
Okay.
Thank you so much for that.
So there was a motion by Councilmember Gallo,
seconded by Councilmember Wong,
to approve staff recommendations, all three pieces,
and to forward to the November 10th City Council.
a special November tenth city council agenda on non consent all role council member guy
oh Houston abstain abstained thank you and councilmember Wong thank you and council chair
younger item number three and all three pieces were approved with four eyes to be forwarded
to the noble extension excuse me thank you so much for that we have three eyes one abstention
councilmember Houston to be forwarded to the November tenth city special city council agenda
on non-consent.
That now takes us to item four.
Item four is a resolution
awarding a professional services agreement
to VSCE, for an amount of $5 million
to provide construction management support services
for the Broadway StreetScape, excuse me,
Broadway StreetScape improvements project
and adopting CEQA findings.
I have three speakers for this item, thank you.
Alright, let's hear from our staff first, please.
Hey, good afternoon, committee chair and committee members.
My name is Edmund Hsu, I'm a supervising civil engineer
and the acting transportation manager
of the major projects division.
A little background on the item here today.
In July, 2026, council awarded a construction contract
to McGuire and Hester
for the Broadway StreetScape improvements project,
which will deliver pedestrian and crossing improvements
and lighting, red bus-only lanes, transit shelters
and seating, trash receptacles, street trees,
as well as upgraded traffic signals
on Broadway between 2nd and 11th Street
and from 20th Street to Grand Avenue.
The item before you today would award a contract
to VSCE, Inc. to manage construction of that project
and perform the work of resident engineers, inspectors,
material testing, and special inspections
city staff for oversight of the
project.
VSCE is an Oakland SLB certified
firm based here in Oakland,
California.
In their proposal, VSCE proposed
to self-perform 60% of the scope
of work.
The contract is in the amount of
$5 million and 100% grant funded
by state and local fund sources.
A little background about our
procurement, on July 31st we
issued an RFP for the
for the construction management support services
and in mid-August the clerk received two proposals.
Following the evaluation and negotiation process,
VSE was evaluated as the highest scoring firm
and selected to be awarded a professional services agreement
to provide these construction management support services
for the project.
We're open to any questions from the committee.
So this contract spans several years?
Or the entire length of the project, whatever?
Yes, it'll be the duration of the working for construction.
This is the second time we've had a large contract
like this recently for outside engineering and project
management services.
And so I'll just echo what I said in our pre-meeting
the other day, which is that it is my hope that we can
eventually bring this in-house.
I would love to have more employees on staff.
I know that's your goal as well, and we're just
having difficulty finding qualified folks who
are willing to take our job.
So we're contracting this out, not
because we want to, but because we have to,
and let's keep trying to find folks to come in-house.
Council Member Houston.
In-house, through the chair, in-house is great.
But what I saw here that really made me excited
was local and small local business.
They are small local.
That's better than going outside of the city,
and that's what I've been fighting for for years.
And you said 60% self-perform,
the other 40% is going to local small businesses
inside of Oakland?
It's gonna be a mix of specialty subs.
So I don't have the exact breakdown of that remaining 40%,
but the services span from not only construction management,
but special inspections, material testing elements
in there as well.
So there'll be a kind of a breakup of those subconsultants
that comprise of that.
Got it, due to Chair.
So 60% self-performing, 40%, I like to find out
that 40% is it local, Oakland, small businesses also,
or a bigger business inside of Oakland,
because I want to keep this 100% in Oakland.
So that's through the chair.
All right, council member Wong next.
To our, did you want to respond to his question?
No, okay.
No, I want to, let me express my appreciation
for the work that you do.
I want to get the job done.
And with that I make a motion
to support your recommendation, thank you.
Council Member Wong.
Hi, thank you for your work on this.
This project is actually in district two.
I will say I am pretty stunned
that it costs five million dollars
to do the construction management.
They're not actually doing the construction, right?
They're just overseeing McGuire and Hester.
And so what are we getting for five million dollars?
Like how many staff are they gonna be dedicating to this?
And is it, yeah, I'd love to know some of those facts
since it's an extraordinarily high amount of money.
Now you didn't note that it is grant money
that's gonna be funding this, is it?
It is, yeah.
100% funded by grant funding?
Yes.
Okay, and is the grant funding,
could it be used on other projects
this is the only project that that grant funding is eligible for? This specific
grant funding for this Broadway project is identified as part of that as part of
the funding portfolio. We funded the construction contract with a set of
grants there and this remaining grant portion is intended to support the
construction management services and as well as staff time from the city. Is that
typical is that the construction management costs would cost about a
quarter of the actual construction costs? I think we are seeing some of the
trends there with the how I can explain it is the need to supply the right amount
of staff to deliver the project kind of efficiently and properly. The VSCE team
As a team has brought forward a kind of baseline staff of
resident engineers, office engineers, and inspectors as well as in this budget for the contract has allowed for, like I mentioned to council member Houston, the availability to tap into special inspections, material testing on this specific project as well for environmental monitoring to comply with federal requirements, and so that's part of the team internally in the office.
They also have their administrative staff
as well as other specialty staff
that may be needed during construction.
Okay.
And then there was another firm
that competed for this contract.
I see the 3D built.
Was it, because I'm not seeing two proposals
and whether the VSCE proposed the lowest bid here,
did they both proposed $5 million or what was the cost?
Yeah, so with these professional services contracts,
they're evaluated based on qualifications.
Okay.
And so qualification-based selections take place first.
Following that process and the firms are ranked,
then the proposals are opened at that point.
And so we've already selected based on the qualification
and then we unseal the fee proposals at that point.
Those are reviewed by the staff,
making sure that that accounts
for the right amount of staff time,
that there's enough budget for specialty subs,
as well as contingency within that contract
for any kind of unforeseen circumstances.
Okay, so basically you went out to bid saying
this contract is for five million dollars,
and then you received two.
Is that how that works?
Went out to bid with the project plans
and the scope of work for the construction,
and the consultants then proposed based on that,
and yeah, so we don't prescribe a specific budget to them
and we're asking that they propose the budget
that they believe will deliver the project.
Okay, all right, thank you.
Council Member Houston.
Last question, what was the engineer's estimate on that?
Sorry, for the construction or the engineer services?
Yes.
Yeah, I think we're approximately,
the engineer's estimate was about 4 million there?
Yeah.
Okay.
I have no longer, no other question.
Okay, let's hear from our public speakers, please.
Thank you so much for that.
If I call your name,
please approach the podium in any order,
and again, state your name for the record,
and if you are participating online,
please raise your hand so I can easily identify you.
I have Ms. Asada Olavala, Kevin Dowley,
and Belair Beekman.
Good morning.
Kevin Dowley, this is a good project.
It will help make Broadway more walkable, cyclable.
Many parts of Broadway are not,
are pretty unpleasant to walk on now,
especially under 880.
Given that 880 is staying in place,
there's only so much you can do.
There is one ask, it's not a giant ask.
It'd be great to have a bike turn box from Broadway
into and out of Sixth Street,
the part that's west of Broadway.
No, Sixth Street is the part,
it's one way currently for vehicles going westbound
and crosses by the OPD headquarters.
So, no, to give you the idea,
Sixth Street is currently blocked with blockades.
OPD drives on the sidewalk,
which is not good for the sidewalk to get by.
I believe that the street is opened up,
but there'll be a two-way bike path installed.
And even though Broadway does not have a bike path on it,
this will be regularly used by cyclists.
So having a bike box on Broadway to allow the turns
would really be wonderful.
I think it'll be a fairly small cost.
In order to fix this part, you know
Definitely to a cycle track. I would love to have a way to turn past as I
Travel by the police department
Thanks
Thanks so much for your comments
So it's identified in the report these two projects are taking place in Chinatown in downtown Oakland
So I looked at some of the project. There's a lot of projects that this city is pursuing
So I want to know where are we with the 73rd Avenue Action Road to Transit project, the
8th Street West Oakland Traffic Project calming, the Adeline Street Oakland Bridge seismic
retrofit project, the Bancroft Avenue Greenway project, the Antioch Court renovation project,
Bellevue Avenue paving project, the Brookfield Branch renovation project, the
common East Oakland streets project, common Fruitvale streets project, the
Cortland Creek restoration project, I think that one is complete, the East
Oakland mobility action plan project, the Hegenberger road completion street
plan project, the High Street Paving Project. Now I'm naming these projects
because they are mostly in deep East Oakland District 6 and 7 and I haven't
seen them come up. I saw the Bancroat Avenue Greenway Project come up two
years ago, but nothing's happening. Just ideas about what they were going to do
with the medium. So let's create, they've got a lot of projects, let's create
how the prioritization project is going in terms of fairness and equity because certain
parts of Oakland are not getting as much attention as other parts. We've got a lot of projects
in Chinatown. We've got a lot of projects in downtown Oakland, but we have very little
going on in East Oakland.
Thank you so much for your comments, Mrs. Sade. That completes our speakers. Our last
speaker was Blair big men I do not see him in the queue or in the room so that
concludes our speakers for this item any other questions colleagues do we have a
motion all right I will second it we have one more question from council
number one yeah I would just like to request I I just don't think it's a good
practice when we're being when we're being requested as the council to approve
extraordinarily large contracts like this you know five million dollars for
of a documentation to be this light.
I will vote for this, but I'd like for more information
to be included as it moves to the full city council.
Since there's just, the report is pretty short,
the amendment's pretty short,
I think we need to have more information for the public
whenever we're issuing, especially around the services
that we intend to get for $5 million.
I think we can call the roll okay and there was a motion by Councilmember Gallo seconded by Chair
Unger to approve item for
to be forwarded to the November 10th City Council agenda on roll councilmember Gallo I
Houston I
Councilmember Wong I
Chair Unger I item number four is approved with four eyes to be forwarded to the November 10th City Council agenda on
consent or not
Consent please and since okay that concludes our items substance will move to I open forum
I have missus out of olibala Kevin dally and
Blair beak men again if you are participating online, please raise your hand so we can easily identify you
In the finance committee meeting we had a report out on the city administrators opportunity to spend up to
$250,000 in that report
there were many, many items that were spent related to public works and
transportation. I think when that report comes out,
it needs to go to finance,
but it also needs to go to each committee that is impacted by the city
administrators spending. For instance, uh,
related to a public works,
the city administrator spent a city-wide $250,000 on sidewalk shavings,
It's $250,000 a year.
Recycling, I don't know what this means,
services, $250,000, tree maintenance, $250,000,
boarding up and securing city property, $200,000.
And there were many, many more items,
which he spent excessive amount of money on.
My time's up.
Yes, I apologize.
One minute for everyone.
Thank you so much.
Next speaker, please.
councilmember Houston for bringing up the parking reorg report. I look forward to seeing
that in the near future and I think we'll also have a chance to look at paving soon
on the transportation side and in some of the transportation reorganization and the
report and finance on hiring things look encouraging in transportation. Looking forward to future
reports. Thank you. Thank you so much for your comments. Our last speaker Blair
Beekman is not listed in the queue and that concludes our open forum speaker.
Thank you everyone this meeting is adjourned.