Alameda County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - March 3, 2026
Alameda County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - March 3, 2026
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, beginning at 9:30 AM and concluding after 5:00 PM. The meeting included opening remarks from supervisors, approval of a consent calendar, extensive public comment, a continued public hearing on the Alameda Health System (AHS) budget reductions (the Belinson hearing), and several appointments and reports. Key actions included approval of $53 million in Measure W funding for affordable housing, deferral of AHS layoffs, and creation of an ad hoc committee to address AHS's structural deficit.
Remarks & Reports from Supervisors
- Supervisor Tam reported on February events: the third annual African American Recognition Awards, a Lunar New Year celebration at Lincoln Square Recreation Center, a sold-out screening of "The Apology" about the dismantling of Russell City, and the fourth annual Oakland Chinatown Lunar New Year parade. The Russell City Redress Fund has reached $1.3 million.
- Supervisor Marquez highlighted participation in Lunar New Year events, a Black History Month listening session with the Reparations Commission, a visit from Governor Gavin Newsom to the Fremont Library to launch a connectivity initiative, and a Care Court event in Hayward praising Alameda County's progress.
- Supervisor Fortunato Bass noted support for the Fair Chance Housing ordinance, reminded of the March 5th Alameda County Together for All meeting, and congratulated retirees from Firefighters Local 55. She also announced a proclamation for figure skater Alyssa Liu and the 100th anniversary of the Grand Lake Theater.
- Supervisor Miley requested a work session in April on the pediatric portion of Measure C, citing controversy over funding for Children's Hospital Oakland. He also disclosed his attendance at the National Association of Counties meeting in Washington, D.C.
Consent Calendar
- The board approved a mass motion covering items 1–47, with items 28 and 29 pulled for separate votes. Item 38 was withdrawn at the department's request. The motion passed 5-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Parent Voices Oakland (four speakers, including Keila Moore) urged that any Measure C funds for pediatric care be spent exclusively in Oakland, not San Francisco. They called for audits, construction upgrades, and staff input. Supervisor Miley noted that a work session on Measure C is planned for April.
- City of Oakland (Faye Darmawi, Deputy Director of Housing and Community Development) thanked the county for Measure W funding and requested future allocations reflect Oakland's 60% share of the county's homeless population. She noted 800 affordable units under construction and 600 more planned.
- Eden Housing (Vasco Yorgov, Diego Castro) and Sahar (Nan Mai) expressed gratitude for Measure W awards, highlighting projects like Downtown Livermore Apartments (130 units, 33 PSH) and Brighter Bancroft (91 senior units, 25 PSH). Eden Housing noted the Livermore project faced litigation starting in 2021.
- EBRA (Emma) proposed a vacancy activation program to repair existing units quickly, complementing new development.
- Public comment on items not on the agenda (later in meeting):
- Glenn Kirby and Mark Egonoff opposed an informal RFP to amend Measure D (Agriculture and Open Space Initiative), arguing it would overturn voter intent. They requested the process be made public and the RFP withdrawn.
- Jane Kramer suggested the health department create a public education program on nutrition and food choices, and questioned police-community trust.
- Venus Gist updated on probate court reform, announcing monthly town halls and cases of concern (Kia Jandeyi, Gums family).
Discussion Items
- Measure W Funding (Item 19): The board discussed awarding $53 million to 10 projects creating 950 affordable units, including 310 for people experiencing homelessness. Staff noted 85–90 projects in the pipeline and that future RFPs would focus on acquisition/rehab. Supervisors emphasized transparency, accurate public communication, and integrating Fair Chance Housing policies. Staff confirmed that once a countywide Fair Chance ordinance is adopted, it can be included in loan documents.
- Illegal Dumping (Item 15): Supervisor Miley spoke about the fifth annual statewide illegal dumping conference (April 30–May 1 in Oakland), which he initiated. The conference uses the three E's: education, eradication, enforcement. A model ordinance is being developed, and state legislation is being pursued.
- Appointments (Items 28 & 29): The board unanimously approved:
- Cynthia Cornejo as acting Registrar of Voters, effective March 29, 2026, at $8,867.20 bi-weekly.
- Andrea Weddle as interim County Counsel, effective March 29, 2026, at $15,985.60 bi-weekly. Both fill vacancies created by retirements (Tim Dupuis and Donna Ziegler).
- Belinson Hearing (Continued): The board continued deliberation on AHS's proposed reductions. The county administrator reported that AHS is exploring deferring the March 9 layoff date and identifying non-patient-facing positions for cuts. The board heard from AHS CEO James Jackson, who acknowledged the need for better collaboration and committed to a special board meeting the next day to discuss deferral.
Key Outcomes
- Mass Motion Passed 5-0 approving the consent calendar (minus items 28, 29, 38).
- Item 28 Approved 5-0: Appointment of Cynthia Cornejo as acting Registrar of Voters.
- Item 29 Approved 5-0: Appointment of Andrea Weddle as interim County Counsel.
- Belinson Hearing Actions:
- The board voted 5-0 to close the public hearing.
- Approved a motion by Supervisor Miley (seconded by Fortunato Bass) that:
- Concurs with AHS's direction to defer March 9, 2026 layoffs and identify alternative non-patient-facing reductions.
- Directs the county administrator, auditor, and AHS interim director to continue working on options (behavioral health contract payments, line of credit, IOP program models).
- Schedules a report back on March 17, 2026.
- Designates an ad hoc committee (Supervisors Miley and Bass) to interface with stakeholders, including AHS leadership and labor, to address AHS's fiscal imbalance.
- Approved item 48B 5-0, designating AHS to provide a 24-hour information service and receive complaints under Health and Safety Code sections 1440–1498.
- Closed Session Report: The board authorized (5-0) the county to sign amicus briefs supporting Governor Newsom in Newsom v. Trump (Ninth Circuit). Also, a settlement of $120,000 plus waiver of $4,800 in sanctions was approved in Jose Mejia Valle v. County of Alameda (consolidated with Norma Marino Lopez v. County of Alameda).
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned in memory of Betty Reed Soskin (age 104, historian and activist) and Dorothy "Puffy" Moring (San Lorenzo community volunteer).
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone, and thank you and welcome and thank you for joining us today. Uh Tuesday, March 3rd, our regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meetings. I will call our meeting to order and ask the clerk to call the role to establish our quorum. Supervisor Marquez. Present. Supervisor Tan. Present. Supervisor Miley. Supervisor Fournotabath. President Halbert. Present. We have a quorum. Would you all please rise if you can and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? Our next item uh for speaking uh or on the agenda, rather, is remarks from our board of supervisors, my colleagues. I recognize Supervisor Tam, then Marquez, then Fortunato Bass, then Miley. Supervisor Tam, the floor is yours. Thank you, President Halbert. Um ask the board's indulgence. I have some extensive comments because February was just a jam-packed month and a very short month. First of all, I want to thank our bird our board clerk, um Brittany Davis and her staff for posting the minutes on a very timely basis. My staff and I really appreciate it because these minutes are key in terms of uh helping uh get funding out to some of the communities that were approved. So, as I mentioned, February has been an extremely busy month, especially because it was both Black History Month and Lunar New Year, and these past two weeks have been very jam-packed with activities. So on February 11th, in partnership with Hip Hop TV and the Urban League of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, our office proudly hosted the third annual African American Recognition Awards. The event celebrated inspiring black leaders whose dedication, service, and leadership continue to strengthen Alameda County and move our community forward. On the 17th of February, we proudly continued the decades-long tradition that Supervisor Keith Carson established by hosting the county-sponsored Lunar New Year celebration at Lincoln Square Recreation Center in Oakland, Chinatown. And in partnership with Supervisor Fortunata Bass and her office and the Asian Pacific Islander Community Collaborative, our office welcomed more than a hundred children and families for an afternoon celebrating the rich diversity of the lunar new year traditions. Students from Lincoln and Cleveland Elementary Schools joined us to learn about cultural customs, while the festivities featured vibrant lion dancing, choral performances, Hawaiian music, Vietnamese, Mongolian, and Korean dance performances that was beautiful beautifully showcasing the diversity in our community. And on the 23rd, uh our office hosted a sold-out screening of the Apology at the Alameda Theater, which examines the 1960s dismantling of Russell City when one when 1400 black and brown residents were displaced for an industrial park. Sixty years later, the stories of former residents and their descendants remind us of the importance of acknowledging this history. With a contribution from our office, the Russell City Redress Fund has now reached 1.3 million dollars. We reflecting our ongoing commitment to repair harm, honor the community, and ensure these stories are never forgotten. So I wanted to thank the City of Alameda, the Alameda Theater, and Cineplex for being gracious hosts, and the producer Aisha Knowles for her tireless community outreach and work during to bring the story to our audiences. And lastly, uh this past Saturday on the 28th, many of you, Supervisor Fortunata Baths and our county administrator, um former Supervisors Keith Carson joined us in a fourth annual Oakland Chinatown Lunar New Year parade, which has been getting larger and larger over the years, and it's been more festive with over a thousand people watching the parade. So two of the traditional gods joined me on my vehicle at the parade, and I was happy to see that many of the restaurants and the boba shops were filled with people. There were lines out the door about regenerating Oakland, Chinatown. And I look forward to this opportunity to work more with the merchants to bring more prosperity to our community. So thank you, Supervisor. Supervisor Tam, quite a busy February for you. Great job. And I love hearing about those events. Supervisor Marquez. Okay, thank you so much. Good morning, everyone. Um, thank you, President Howard. Just wanted to also flag uh District 2 had a very fun and joyous month as well. Um, just to highlight, we did participate in Lunar New Year here in Oakland with Supervisor Tam and Fortunato Bass. Also want to thank my team for going to Lunar New Year events and new work. Also had the opportunity to participate in IFTAR, acknowledging breaking the fast for Ramadan and for Black History Month. We worked in collaboration with Alameda County Reparations Commission on hosting a listening session. I'd like to encourage the public to fill out that survey.
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