Alameda County Reparations Commission Meeting – February 13, 2026

The Alameda County Reparations Commission convened on February 13, 2026, at 2:15 PM, with 11 commissioners present and 4 excused (Commissioners Brazil, Barry, Burlington, Triplett). The meeting focused on debriefing the January 31 retreat, adopting subcommittee work plans and timelines, discussing the Russell City willow tree removal, reviewing pop-up events, and finalizing the process for submitting recommendations to the Board of Supervisors by June 23, 2026. Several votes were taken to set deadlines and approve work scopes.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the January 14, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously with one abstention (Commissioner Baden).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were received either in the room or online.

Discussion Items

• New Commissioner Onboarding: Commissioner Dolores D. Johnson was welcomed; onboarding materials provided.
• Retreat Debrief (Jan 31, 2026): Natrice from ECC presented a summary and an implementation work plan for February–June. Key discussion points included the need to finalize recommendations by a set deadline, balancing data collection from pop-ups and surveys, and integrating ongoing community feedback. Michael Arnold from Informing Change noted that recommendations submitted by the end of March would allow sufficient time to produce a draft report by May.
• Russell City Willow Tree: The commission received an update from the City of Hayward investigation. The tree’s removal was deemed a safety measure after storm damage, not an act of malice. The property owner (Craft Three Habit Boulevard Owner LLC) did not obtain a permit but fell under an exception. The Patterson-Johnson family remains committed to the Russell City Legacy Restoration Plan. Commissioners discussed potential actions including working with the family, calling for a memorial, and advocating for a historic site survey. Two motions passed: (1) to collaborate with the Johnson family on restitution, and (2) to integrate the tree-related recommendations into the commission’s overall report.
• Pop‑Up Events: A comprehensive list of upcoming pop‑up events (e.g., Feb 14 at the Black Joy Parade, Feb 17 housing stability, Feb 20 art and soul, Feb 28 with Kingmakers, March 3 with Berkeley Unified School District, March 4 with Live Free USA) was reviewed. Survey distribution efforts were highlighted, with a goal of 400 completed surveys. Current surveys tallied 55 new responses and additional responses from prior forms totaling over 100.
• Speaking on Behalf of the Commission: Chair clarified that any request to represent the commission must be brought to the full body; individuals cannot speak on behalf of the commission without authorization due to Brown Act constraints.
• Subcommittee Reports and Action Items:
  • Admin & Budget: Presented projected budget surplus, plans to contract two canvassing groups for survey outreach, and management of vendor payments. The scope of work and timeline were approved.
  • Community Listening Sessions: Reported on the final official listening session (scheduled for late February) and feedback sessions on recommendations. The subcommittee’s scope of work was approved with a change: the recommendation deadline was moved from February to March (later adjusted to March 18).
  • Data Collection & Analysis (DAR): Discussed the Google form for collecting individual and committee recommendations. DAR’s timeline was adjusted to reflect the new deadline. The draft report review by the commission will occur March 31, and the report review by community partners by April 30, with final revisions in May.
• Decision‑Making Process: The commission discussed using a structured Google form to gather recommendations. After input, two separate forms (one for individuals, one for committees) will be created, and mandatory fields will be reduced by adding an “N/A” option. A motion to adopt this modified form passed.

Key Outcomes

• Motions Passed:
  • Collaborating with the Johnson family on willow tree restitution (unanimous).
  • Integrating the willow tree issue into the commission’s action plan report (unanimous).
  • Approval of Admin & Budget subcommittee scope of work and timeline (majority).
  • Approval of Community Listening Sessions subcommittee scope with recommendation deadline moved to March 18 (majority).
  • Rescheduling the March 11, 2026, commission meeting to March 18, 2026 (majority).
  • Approval of DAR subcommittee scope and adjusted timeline (majority).
  • Adoption of the modified Google form (two versions, optional non-mandatory fields) for submitting recommendations (majority).
• Next Steps: Subcommittees will meet weekly to develop recommendations. The full commission will meet on February 18 (special meeting?) — actually the next regular meeting is March 18, 2026, where final recommendations will be reviewed and voted on. The final report is due to the Board of Supervisors by June 23, 2026.