Alameda County Unincorporated Services Committee Meeting

Note: The meeting agenda and transcript list this meeting as Wednesday, October 28, 2026, but the provided timestamps indicate it took place on Thursday, October 29, 2026. This summary uses the date from the provided metadata.

The Unincorporated Services Committee, chaired by Supervisor Nate Miley with Supervisor Lena Tam, met to receive public comment and take action on two major items: a proposal for a voter-initiated minimum wage ordinance and the draft Bay Fair Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP). Both items received unanimous votes from the committee.

Minimum Wage Ordinance Discussion

• The committee heard a detailed presentation from Eileen Dalton of the Community Development Agency and Chelsea Guerrero of BAE Urban Economics on the economic and fiscal impacts of a voter initiative that would raise the minimum wage to $30 per hour in unincorporated Alameda County. The presentation, previously given to the full Board of Supervisors, projected significant costs, including $33 to $34 million annually in direct county personnel and facility costs, largely because the measure applies to public agencies, a feature not found in similar ordinances in other counties like Los Angeles and San Mateo.
• Consultants noted risks including potential business relocation to neighboring cities like Hayward or San Leandro, negative impacts on nonprofits and childcare providers (citing fixed budgets and Measure C revenue constraints), and difficulties attracting new businesses. The measure's unique application to county-leased properties in incorporated areas was also highlighted as a legal and operational concern.
• Supervisors Miley and Tam expressed hesitation about the broad impacts of the ballot initiative, particularly its effect on the county's budget, which recently closed a $185 million deficit, and on social service nonprofits. They discussed the need to align with neighboring cities to avoid competitive disadvantages for local businesses.

Public Comments on Minimum Wage

• Warren Cushman (unincorporated community leader) expressed the need for a full and open community engagement process to avoid voter confusion.
• Nara Dalwaka raised concerns about the heavy unintended consequences for social service agencies and small business franchisees, as well as restaurants.
• Diane Widley (San Lorenzo) highlighted the potential hardship on fixed-income seniors and homeowners associations.

Bay Fair Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP)

• Angelica González (Assistant Planning Director) and Molly Sun (Fair and Pierce) presented the draft CBTP, a collaborative plan between Alameda County and the City of San Leandro. The plan was funded by a $350,000 grant from the Alameda CTC and involved extensive community engagement, gathering input from approximately 440 community members.
• The plan recommends projects in seven categories: safer neighborhood/school streets, safe routes to Bay Fair BART, I-580 crossing improvements, complete streets on major corridors, sidewalk gap closures, bus stop improvements, and a transit/street ambassador program.
• Discussion focused on the lack of full funding for several key projects (e.g., the East Bay Greenway multimodal project still awaiting construction funding) and the importance of the plan as a framework to pursue future grants and align with other county efforts like the Transit Oriented Communities policy.
• Public speakers Warren Cushman (steering committee member) and Michael C. Williams (HARD Trails Program Manager) praised the robust, inclusive, and collaborative planning process as a model for multi-jurisdictional work. Diane Widley supported the ambassador program and raised concerns about accommodating newer forms of personal transportation.

Public Comments on Non-Agendized Items

• A speaker representing environmental groups (Save Sky West, local food sovereignty) advocated for preserving open space and integrating ecological oases into transportation corridors.
• Aaron Panfilio (Alameda County Fire) provided an update on El Niño weather preparedness, listing specific sandbag locations at the Public Works yards in Dublin and Hayward, and Fire Stations 6 and 14.

Key Outcomes

• Minimum Wage Ordinance: The committee unanimously voted to direct county counsel and the Economic Development Department to develop a competing minimum wage ballot measure for the March 2028 election. Chair Miley announced the formation of an ad hoc working group to provide input on the alternative measure. Staff is scheduled to report back on the process and timeline on January 27, 2027.
• Bay Fair CBTP: The committee unanimously voted to forward the draft Bay Fair Community-Based Transportation Plan to the full Board of Supervisors for adoption. The public comment period for the draft plan ends on November 2, 2026.