Alameda County Board of Supervisors Meeting – November 18, 2025
Alameda County Board of Supervisors Meeting – November 18, 2025
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors convened on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 9:30 AM. Supervisors Marquez and Miley were excused initially; quorum was established with Supervisors Tam, Fortunato Bass, and President Halbert present. The meeting included board remarks, public comment, approval of minutes, a closed session, proclamations, a consent calendar, and discussion of several agenda items. The board also honored the memory of Coach John Beam, who was fatally shot on November 14.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of previous meetings.
- Approved consent calendar items 101 to 116, with items 104 and 111 pulled. Later, a mass motion approved items 2–94 (excluding 16, 61, and others) with a contingency on item 71 (agreements requiring county counsel approval).
- Item 21 (Supervisor Fortunato Bass's first allocation of $100,000 to Oakland LGBTQ Community Center from EV 2036) was noted with praise.
- Item 28 (MOU and data use agreement with Georgetown University’s Better Government Lab) was explained as a no-cost academic research partnership to analyze Medicaid data churn under HR1.
- Item 29 ($50,000 allocation to Spark Point program in Fremont for tax preparation and financial coaching) highlighted.
- Item 30 (Measure C pediatric portion) included an additional $4 million for violence prevention, following health committee recommendations. Supervisors emphasized using data-driven, public health approaches and coordination with cities.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Carol Mayhar and Laura Calvert (Spectrum Community Services) spoke in strong support of item 16, requesting approval of $3 million in Measure W funding for LIHEAP. They noted that 70% of applicants are turned away due to insufficient federal funds, and that PG&E rates have risen 70% since 2020. They emphasized that utility shutoffs threaten housing stability.
- Multiple speakers (Democratic Socialists of America, Jewish Voice for Peace, UAW Local 2320, and others) supported items 106 and 107 (Treasurer’s investment reports) and urged immediate implementation of the Ethical Investment Policy (EIP). They argued that continued investment in companies like Lockheed Martin and Palantir fuels genocide and human rights abuses. Several requested a public update on the EIP timeline.
- Chris Moore opposed EIP implementation, claiming Treasurer Levy changed benchmarks and that a study is needed before adopting a policy that could reduce returns. He supported Measure W funding for LIHEAP.
- Caitlin Chan (Legal Assistance for Seniors) requested approval of item 5 (contract amendment for services already delivered).
- Samuel Raimi spoke on items 15, 25, and 31, expressing concern about affordable housing and homelessness among seniors.
- Public comment on non-agendized items (after closed session) included several speakers again urging EIP implementation, rejecting opposition as based on non-expert opinion.
Discussion Items
- Item 16 – LIHEAP Funding (Spectrum Community Services): The board heard updates that federal LIHEAP funds were stable (no cut), but the state’s 2026 plan may reduce Alameda County’s allocation due to a change in methodology favoring colder regions. Spectrum’s Laura Calvert clarified that direct utility payments (not reflected in the county contract) are $3.766 million annually. The board debated whether to proceed with the $3 million Measure W allocation despite no federal cut. Supervisors Marquez and Miley supported continued allocation to address unmet need (70% of applicants turned away) and high energy burdens. Supervisor Tan questioned the departure from the original condition (backfill for cuts). The social services agency recommended a revised scope of work consistent with Measure W guidelines. A motion by Supervisor Marquez, seconded by Fortunato Bass, passed (4-0, President Halbert excused) to bring item 16 back on December 9, 2025, with a proposed revised scope.
- Item 61 – Transportation Contract: Supervisor Miley pulled this item, questioning the low number of bidders and the low score (273 points) of a Washington, D.C.-based vendor. General Services and agency directors explained that the contract involves specialized assisted transportation requiring EMS and mental health skills, not just driving. The contract total is $378,880 over three years. The board continued the item to the December 9 meeting for additional detail on scope and logistics.
- Closed Session Report: County counsel reported two settlements: RT vs. County of Alameda ($750,000, vote on May 17, 2025) and IH vs. County of Alameda ($750,000, vote on July 8, 2025). Both votes were unanimous (Supervisors Miley, Halbert, Tam, Marquez, Fortunato Bass).
Proclamations and Commendations
- Item 95 – All California Day: President Halbert presented a proclamation designating November 9 as All California Day to honor shared history with Baja California and Baja California Sur. Assemblymember’s staff presented a framed resolution.
- Item 96 – Clerk of the Board Week (Nov 17–21): Proclamation recognizing the clerk’s office; Cheryl Perkins accepted.
- Item 97 – Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month (November 2025): President Halbert noted the proclamation; also recognized Union City Mayor Gary Singh.
- Item 98 – Women’s Cancer Resource Center Month (November 25): Supervisors Fortunato Bass and Miley honored 39 years of service; WCRC representatives noted supporting 30,000 women in total.
- Item 99 – National Diabetes Month (November 2025): Supervisor Miley presented the proclamation; Annette Laverty (Alameda County Nutrition Services) reported that the diabetes program served 800 residents last fiscal year, with 90% of participants reducing A1C.
- Item 100 – Roots Community Health Commendation: Supervisors Miley and Tam commended Roots for its Young People’s Wellness Center opening October 22, 2025; Dr. Noha Aboelata accepted, emphasizing low-barrier integrated services for youth 13–26.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Consent calendar (with pulled items), minutes, mass motion for items 2–94 (with contingency on item 71), salary ordinance (item 62), fire code ordinances (items 74 and 81).
- Continued: Item 16 (LIHEAP) to December 9, 2025, with direction to staff to bring back a revised scope of work consistent with Measure W essential services criteria. Item 61 (transportation contract) to December 9, 2025, for more details.
- Adjourned in Memory: The board adjourned the meeting in memory of Coach John Beam, with extended remarks from Supervisors Tam, Miley, Fortunato Bass, Marquez, and Halbert. A moment of silence was observed. The board recessed into closed session after the morning session and reconvened in the afternoon for the remainder of the agenda.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Good morning, everyone. I'd like to call to order the meeting of Tuesday, November 18th. We'll do so by asking the clerk to please call the role to establish our quorum. Supervisor Marquez, excused. Supervisor Tan. Present. Supervisor Miley, excused. Supervisor Fortnite. President Halbert. Present. We have a quorum. Thank you very much. Would you all please rise and join me if you can to say the Pledge of Allegiance? Our board recognizes and appreciates members of the public who wish to participate in today's meeting. You can do so either in person. We ask that you fill out a speaker slip or online. The clerk will now provide brief instructions on how to participate online. Detailed instructions are provided in the teleconferencing guidelines. The link to the document is included in today's agenda. If you are joining the meeting using a computer, use the button at the bottom of your screen to raise your hand to request to speak. When called to speak, please unmute your microphone and state your name. If you're calling in Dow Star 9 to raise your hand to speak, when you are called to speak, the host will enable you to speak. If you decide not to speak, notify the clerk. When your call is notify the clerk when your call is unmuted, or you may simply hang up and dial back into the meeting. As a reminder, you may always just observe the meeting without participating by clicking on the view now link on the county's web page at ACGov.org. When called, you will have two minutes to speak. Please limit your remarks to the time allocated. Public comment will generally alternate between in-person and online speakers as determined by the president of the board and subject to overall time limits. Thank you. Thank you very much. We will now move to board of supervisors' remarks. I recognize Supervisor Tam. Thank you, President Halbert, and good morning, everyone. Wanted to extend our congratulations to the California Blue Ribbon Schools in Alameda County. School. And I would also like to adjourn our meeting today in memory of Coach John Bean. Thank you very much. Thank you, President Halbert. I too would like to adjourn in the memory of Coach John Beam and extend my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones after his tragic passing. I know his loss is deeply felt by the Laney Skyline, Oakland and Sports Communities. And perhaps we can all share some more extended comments once Supervisor Miley is here because I know he wishes to join that adjournment. It's good that we have that certainty of the government opening. And we all know that while the government was closed, there was a lot that was happening in terms of food security. So I do want to thank my colleagues on the board for allocating 16.5 million for food security. This is definitely going to help address the increased need for food, mitigate the loss of federal ARPA funds as well as federal funds due to HR1. And of course, when the government was shut down and the SNAP payments, CalFresh payments were delayed in November, our food bank really stepped up with its partners, literally 370 partners across the uh across the county. And I did want to share that my office was really proud to help create the Alameda County Rapid Response Food Resilience Fund, which is providing one-time rapid response grants to the community partners in the county that are helping with food distribution as well as delivery, recovery, and other important work that helps to uh complement the work of the food bank. We had announced we initially raised a half million dollars, including some funds from my office, and we are still fundraising, and we will shortly be announcing some additional funds that we were able to raise. So just want to note that even though the government is uh opening again, food is still an ongoing crisis that we need to meet.
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