This regular meeting of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on December 16, 2025, began with board remarks, public comment, and unanimous approval of the consent calendar. Key agenda items included a resolution on language access, the sheriff's annual military equipment report, and a decision on an interim ambulance service provider. The board also heard extensive public testimony regarding a recent explosion on East Welling Boulevard, approved several ordinances, and received updates on HIV/AIDS awareness and immigrant community impacts.
On agenda items (excluding set matters):
On items not on the agenda (regarding the East Welling Boulevard explosion):
Recording in progress. Good morning, everyone. I'd like to call to order today's meeting of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Would you all please rise if you can and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge of allegiance. Thank you. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish our quorum? Supervisor Marquez. Present. Supervisor Tam. Present. Supervisor Miley. Supervisor Fortunatabas. President Halbert. Present. We have a quorum. Very good. The next item is Board of Supervisors' remarks. I'll recognize Supervisor Tam. Thank you, President Halbert. I wanted to take the opportunity to thank our first responders, the Alameda County Fire Department and the Sheriff's Office for their rapid response and helping to address the fire that occurred on Eastwood Welling in Ashland on December 11th. And also for their work, especially the fire department in providing mutual aid to Washington State for the flood and storm damage that had occurred as well. And I'd like to adjourn today's meeting in memory of Rob Reiner, who worked alongside the late supervisor Wilma Chan as one of the key architects for Proposition 10, which then led to funding the first five programs, and it's an integral part of Alameda County's uh early childhood care um programs. And I also wanted to take the opportunity to um celebrate Hanukkah and reaffirm that this board um is committed to making sure that there's an inclusive environment in every part of our county and uh to denounce any acts of anti-Semitism, uh, some that occurred very recently uh in my district in San Lorenzo. Thank you, Supervisor Marquez. Uh thank you, uh Vice Chair, for those comments. I um have the same sentiment with respect to the passing of Mr. Reiner, and also just want to um request, if possible later today, if we could just provide a status update to the public with respect to next steps with the explosion that occurred last Thursday in Ashland and um find out if I know that the Red Cross is involved with providing support and um housing for the folks that have been displaced, but if we can get an update on additional support and services that can be provided to the people that were injured, those that are still hospitalized and those that are recovering at home. So just um really unfortunate set of circumstances, but hope that we can debrief and learn from the situation so that it does not um repeat in our community. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Marquez, Supervisor Fortunato Bass. Thank you, President Halbert. Um and thank you to my colleagues for your comments as well. I uh definitely concur and empathize with them. Um I wanted to just take a brief uh few seconds to thank the organizations that my office has been able to partner with during the holiday season, including raising leaders who worked with us on uh Thanksgiving bags to McClyman's high school families, um, also to the Linda Han Foundation who did their annual Joy of Giving event and uh assembly member Liz Ortega, who helped deliver literally um hundreds of thousands of diapers to families in need. Um, I also wanted to um wish everyone a happy and peaceful holiday, I know with some of the recent events that is not that for everyone, and I hope it will be a time that people can connect with their loved ones, and while that might be hard for those of you whose loved ones might have passed, who may be incarcerated, who may be detained or deported, um, it is really a season where we need to reflect on uh the care and compassion that we all have for each other, and I hope it's with that spirit that we'll be able to have a peaceful holiday. Thank you. Thank you. Uh I'll echo uh all of our shared concerns. Uh, indeed, this is a bittersweet holiday with uh the Hayward explosion, the murder of Ashlyn, Ashland, the murder of Rob Reiner. Uh, I also will, while I don't typically weigh in on uh in international incidents. I think what we saw in Australia was deplorable. I think 16 people dead, 42 injured among the Hanukkah celebration. So that's the bitter part, the sweet part. I'd like to thank everyone who showed up. I think many of us had holiday events where we collected toys and food. Over 500 toys collected at my event, a ton of food, the very next day, going out to members in the community in need. I'd like to thank also rising leaders at bike distribution. Just yesterday, outstanding work. That's the sweet part of our holidays.