OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Oakland City Council Meeting – February 3, 2026: Sex Trafficking Ordinance and Consent Calendar

City Council — Tuesday, February 3, 2026
BodyOakland, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:21:44
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Thank you.

0:30

Thank you.

1:00

Thank you.

1:30

Good afternoon and welcome to the City Council meeting of February 3rd, 2026.

1:48

Before I call roll, I will give speaker card instructions.

1:51

If you would like to speak on any item on this agenda, please fill out a speaker's card

1:55

before the item is called or two hours after the start of this meeting.

1:59

The meeting was called at 3.31.

2:01

The last opportunity to turn in the speaker's card will be at 5.31 or before the item is called.

2:07

Whichever comes first, you can fill out a speaker's card and return it to a clerk representative at the front of the chambers.

2:14

If you were looking to turn in an online speaker card, that time has passed as they were due 24 hours before the start of this meeting.

2:21

On roll are.

2:22

Excuse me, we can't hear it.

2:23

Ledette.

2:29

Okay. On roll. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Fyfe. Present. Councilmember

2:40

Gio. Present. Remember you don't have to get in the queue. I will unmute you. Councilmember

2:45

Houston. Present. Councilmember Ramachandran. Present. Councilmember Unger. Here. Councilmember

2:54

wong present and chair jenkins present showing aid members present at this time going to item

3:00

three modifications to the agenda before we send city staff home is there any council member that

3:06

wants to put pull anything off of consent council member houston through the chair i wanted to bring

3:21

something up about the fire station they had was doing some construction I don't

3:27

know what item it is I'll talk to my chief of staff and it was they gave me

3:31

some data back and I just wanted them to explain the local participation on that

3:35

item and Trinity what item was that

3:40

So Trinity can you work with Monica so that you can ensure that the proper staff person

3:54

will still be here?

3:56

If Monica from the City Administrator's Office is here, Trinity will work with you to ensure

4:01

those questions are answered on the consent calendar.

4:04

Thank you.

4:08

you want to pull I'd speak to it I wanted you got to speak to it when it's on the consent calendar

4:15

we're not on the consent calendar and what is it on so right now we're on modifications to the

4:19

agenda so if you want to pull something right now you can pull it but if there's any staff that you

4:22

would like to speak to um and I think what's the agenda number trinity um this is agendas item s

4:31

6.14 okay so we'll make sure that the appropriate staff members are here thank you and through the

4:36

with you I don't have a problem with it I just want them to explain the local

4:39

participation piece that's it okay thank you any other modifications to the agenda

4:48

thank you going to item 4 there are no public hearings at this meeting today

4:53

going to item 5 which is action on all non-consent items we have one item which

4:58

is item 5.1 an ordinance amending Oakland Municipal Code section 9.008.260 to

5:07

conform state law by repealing the offense of loitering for the purpose of

5:10

engaging in prostitution adding loitering for the purpose of purchasing

5:15

commercial sex as an offense allowing the administrative assessment of fines

5:20

against sex purchasers sex traffickers and properties used for prostitution and

5:27

creating a human trafficking survivor support fund we have 13 speakers

5:40

please note as this item has been read into record no more speaker cards will

5:44

be accepted okay hey everyone I'm proud to introduce this item to the full city

5:57

Council today. I wanted to start off by playing a clip from a documentary that

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was produced in 2013 about this very topic about human trafficking here in

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the city of Oakland.

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The history of slavery in our world isn't over.

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Prostitution, the world's oldest profession, is actually a horrific trade of human flesh.

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Over 80% of victims are women, and most of them are children.

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Most people only think that this is happening in Asia, in countries like India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

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but in reality hundreds of thousands of these children are at risk every single day for being trafficked into sex slavery here in the U.S. as well.

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As girls living in the Bay Area, where 40% of all of America's sex trafficking takes place,

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we wanted to find out where the fastest growing criminal industry in the world all starts, here in our backyard.

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On the average, some of these exploiters have as many as 10 girls that they are exploiting.

7:26

And it doesn't take very much for an exploiter to lure a child into his business by just saying a few nice things to them.

7:37

There's this whole underground world that OPD basically discovered in 1999 of young girls being sold for sex in our own backyards.

7:45

Really, when you look at how it's happening and the deprivation of liberty that takes place in order to accomplish the crime, it is modern-day slavery.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████57%
Procedural██████8%
Homelessness██████8%
Cannabis Regulation██████7%
Racial Equity█████6%
Youth Programs███4%
Fiscal Sustainability██3%
Pending Litigation██3%
Transportation Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Oakland City Council Meeting – February 3, 2026

The Oakland City Council met on February 3, 2026, starting at 3:31 PM. The primary agenda item was an ordinance to amend the municipal code to repeal loitering for prostitution, add loitering for purchasing commercial sex, impose administrative fines on sex purchasers and traffickers, and create a survivor support fund. The council also considered a consent calendar with multiple items including appointments, emergency declarations, settlements, and resolutions.

Modifications to the Agenda

  • Councilmember Houston requested that staff remain to answer questions on consent item 6.14 (consultant contract amendment for a fire station project) regarding local participation. Staff were directed to be available.

Discussion Item: Ordinance on Sex Trafficking (Item 5.1)

  • Proposal: Councilmember Charlene Wong introduced an ordinance that repeals the offense of loitering for prostitution and replaces it with loitering for the purpose of purchasing commercial sex. It establishes administrative fines: up to $4,000 for first offense (sex purchasers), up to $8,000 for subsequent; up to $10,000 for traffickers (first), $20,000 for subsequent; fines tripled for minors; and $2,500 per day for property owners and business proprietors facilitating the activity. All fines are deposited into a restricted fund for survivor services (housing, mental health, job training, legal support, street outreach). The ordinance includes an affirmative defense for trafficking victims.
  • Councilmember Wong's presentation included a video about human trafficking in Oakland, noting that Oakland is a top-three California hot spot, 55% of trafficking victims are foster youth, the average entry age is 12–14, and Black women/girls represent 61% of recovered victims though only 20% of the population. She stated that 70% of sex buyers are from outside Oakland.
  • Discussion:
    • Councilmember Brown supported the ordinance and asked about allocation of funds. Wong responded that she will conduct focus groups with workers and convene service providers to determine needs, and that an RFP process will be used.
    • Councilmember Fyfe asked about enforcement resources. Lt. Marcos Campos of OPD's vice unit said enforcement will use existing patrol officers trained to issue citations, with no additional staff required.
    • Councilmember Gallo emphasized enforcement and called for FBI involvement. Lt. Campos noted a 26-year partnership with the FBI.
    • Councilmember Houston raised concerns about enforcement, transportation, and repeat offenders. He cited 51 arrests last year with only one charged. He asked about the 70% outsider statistic; Lt. Campos noted that as of January, 65% of arrestees were from outside Oakland. Brown also mentioned working with AC Transit on transportation issues.
    • Councilmember Ramachandran asked about interaction with criminal justice: civil fines provide accountability when the DA declines to prosecute. The DA's office is supportive.
    • Councilmember Fyfe referenced the 2015–2016 OPD sex trafficking scandal involving 28 officers and asked whether those officers would be liable under the ordinance. Councilmember Wong confirmed that any sex buyer, regardless of status, is subject to fines.
  • Public Comments: 13 speakers testified, mostly in strong support. Survivors (Annabelle Velasquez, Brianna Price, Davina Curilola) shared personal experiences. Representatives from Love Never Fails, OUSD, and community organizations urged passage. A few speakers raised concerns about police discretion, racial equity, and the need for survivor-led governance. Several called for making sex purchasing a felony at the state level.
  • Vote: Motion by Councilmember Houston, seconded by Councilmember Wong. Passed 6–0 (Councilmembers Gallo and Jenkins excused). The ordinance was approved on first reading; final passage is scheduled for February 17, 2026.

Consent Calendar (Items 6.1–6.16)

The consent calendar included: approval of minutes; declarations of emergencies (AIDS, medical cannabis health, homelessness); mayor's appointments to commissions (homelessness, cultural affairs, aging); settlements (Tiffany Nault, State Farm, Miriam Hernandez); resolution supporting AB 1537 (prohibiting peace officers from secondary employment with DHS); appointment to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (Ashutay Milhouse); consultant contract amendment for Fire Station 6; resolution honoring Michael Ford; and the Samson Oakland recast program.

Items Pulled or Discussed:

  • Item 6.14 (Fire Station Contract): Councilmember Houston asked for staff explanation on local participation. Staff were present to answer.
  • Item 6.3 (Medical Cannabis Health Emergency): Councilmember Houston questioned why the emergency declaration remains, noting that cannabis operators are not meeting beautification obligations. City Attorney advised that council can remove such declarations.
  • Item 6.12 (Cannabis Commission Appointment): Required an urgency finding due to lack of quorum. Councilmember Brown made the motion, seconded by Ramachandran. Urgency vote passed 5–0 (Gallo, Fyfe, Jenkins excused). Appointment of Ashutay Milhouse approved.
  • Item 6.11 (AB 1537 Support): Councilmember Brown urged support, noting recent ICE-related incidents and Mayor Lee's executive orders.
  • Public Comments on Consent: Several speakers addressed cannabis enforcement, homelessness, and the need for ambassadorship programs. Mr. Hazard criticized the city's focus on human trafficking over fentanyl deaths and alleged the April 2025 ballot measure was illegal.
  • Vote on Consent Calendar: Motion by Brown, seconded by Unger. Passed 5–0 (Fyfe, Gallo, Jenkins excused).

Open Forum

  • Speakers included Mr. Hazard (arguing against ballot measure legality) and Dominic Ware (reporting on the 40 by 40 People's Advisory Council in Deep East Oakland).

Key Outcomes

  • Ordinance on Sex Trafficking (Item 5.1): Approved 6–0 on first reading. Final adoption February 17, 2026.
  • Urgency Finding and Appointment (Item 6.12): Approved 5–0 to allow Cannabis Regulatory Commission to meet.
  • Consent Calendar: Approved 5–0, including support for AB 1537, appointments, settlements, and resolutions.
  • Announcements: Councilmember Wong announced a February 4 forum on the Costco effort in West Oakland. Councilmember Houston adjourned the meeting in memory of Bridget Cook.

Attendance

  • Present: Councilmembers Brown, Fyfe, Houston, Unger, Wong, Ramachandran (Chair).
  • Excused: Gallo, Jenkins.
  • Meeting adjourned at approximately [time not recorded in transcript].

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon and welcome to the City Council meeting of February 3rd, 2026. Before I call roll, I will give speaker card instructions. If you would like to speak on any item on this agenda, please fill out a speaker's card before the item is called or two hours after the start of this meeting. The meeting was called at 3.31. The last opportunity to turn in the speaker's card will be at 5.31 or before the item is called. Whichever comes first, you can fill out a speaker's card and return it to a clerk representative at the front of the chambers. If you were looking to turn in an online speaker card, that time has passed as they were due 24 hours before the start of this meeting. On roll are. Excuse me, we can't hear it. Ledette. Okay. On roll. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Fyfe. Present. Councilmember Gio. Present. Remember you don't have to get in the queue. I will unmute you. Councilmember Houston. Present. Councilmember Ramachandran. Present. Councilmember Unger. Here. Councilmember wong present and chair jenkins present showing aid members present at this time going to item three modifications to the agenda before we send city staff home is there any council member that wants to put pull anything off of consent council member houston through the chair i wanted to bring something up about the fire station they had was doing some construction I don't know what item it is I'll talk to my chief of staff and it was they gave me some data back and I just wanted them to explain the local participation on that item and Trinity what item was that So Trinity can you work with Monica so that you can ensure that the proper staff person will still be here? If Monica from the City Administrator's Office is here, Trinity will work with you to ensure those questions are answered on the consent calendar. Thank you. you want to pull I'd speak to it I wanted you got to speak to it when it's on the consent calendar we're not on the consent calendar and what is it on so right now we're on modifications to the agenda so if you want to pull something right now you can pull it but if there's any staff that you would like to speak to um and I think what's the agenda number trinity um this is agendas item s 6.14 okay so we'll make sure that the appropriate staff members are here thank you and through the with you I don't have a problem with it I just want them to explain the local participation piece that's it okay thank you any other modifications to the agenda thank you going to item 4 there are no public hearings at this meeting today going to item 5 which is action on all non-consent items we have one item which is item 5.1 an ordinance amending Oakland Municipal Code section 9.008.260 to conform state law by repealing the offense of loitering for the purpose of engaging in prostitution adding loitering for the purpose of purchasing commercial sex as an offense allowing the administrative assessment of fines against sex purchasers sex traffickers and properties used for prostitution and creating a human trafficking survivor support fund we have 13 speakers please note as this item has been read into record no more speaker cards will be accepted okay hey everyone I'm proud to introduce this item to the full city Council today. I wanted to start off by playing a clip from a documentary that was produced in 2013 about this very topic about human trafficking here in the city of Oakland. The history of slavery in our world isn't over.

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