Oakland City Council Meeting on Parking Reorganization, Paving Contract, and Land Conservation – February 10, 2026

The City Council of Oakland held a special full council meeting on February 10, 2026, initially convened as the Public Works and Transportation Committee and then adjourned into a full council session. The meeting focused on three primary agenda items: a proposed reorganization of the Department of Transportation's Parking Division, a contract change order for citywide pavement rehabilitation, and a Measure DD grant for land acquisition by the Sogorea Te' Land Trust. Public comment was extensive, particularly regarding the parking reorg, with 40 speakers signed up.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of draft minutes from the January 27, 2026 committee meeting (accepted with three ayes, one excused).
• Determination schedule of outstanding committee items (pending list) accepted with four ayes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Parking Reorganization (Item 5): 40 speakers addressed the item. Key themes included:
  • Brooke Levin (former Public Works Director) questioned why the reorganization was happening outside the budget process and requested cost details.
  • Savlan Hauser (Oakland BID Alliance) warned that splitting functions would undermine commercial district stewardship and noted DOT had achieved record revenue.
  • Michael Ford (DOT Parking Manager) argued the division is the "closest thing to a perfect organization" and that the proposal would delete his protected position, making future parking decisions vulnerable to political pressure. He highlighted DOT's success in recovering stolen vehicles.
  • Sha'ala Azimi (DOT) stated there is no performance problem to fix and that the move would reverse hard-earned progress.
  • Ruth Meza and Keith Sherholtz (DOT employees) requested a pause, stating parking revenue grew 30-50% under OakDOT leadership.
  • Kirby Olson (Local 21) presented an analysis claiming the reorganization would cost $1.42 million annually in added staff, contrary to the administration's claim of minimal cost.
  • Dante Hollowell (SEIU steward) raised safety concerns, noting parking technicians face physical attacks due to perceived revenue generation.
  • Chanelle Smith (35-year employee) described improved morale and career growth under DOT, citing an employee recognized for towing 500 stolen vehicles.
  • Brian Colbertson and Robert Prince (traffic safety advocates) argued that moving abandoned auto functions back to OPD would reverse progress made under DOT.
• Pavement Rehabilitation Change Order (Item 3): One speaker (Mrs. Asada) made a general request for reports on various parking and street cleaning issues.
• Measure DD Grant (Item 4): Five speakers (Frances Ranstead, Ariel Lucky, Nikki Alexander, Brady Moss, and Mrs. Asada) voiced strong support. They emphasized the conservation value of the 16-acre property, its headwaters protection, and the alignment with Indigenous land-back principles.

Discussion Items

Item 5 – Proposed Reorganization of the Parking Division

• Administration Presentation: City Administrator Johnson and Finance Director Bradley Johnson explained the proposal: move day-to-day parking enforcement, collections, and the Citation Assistance Center to the Finance Department, and move abandoned auto operations to OPD. DOT would retain parking policy and curb management. Justifications included aligning collections with best practices, addressing delays (e.g., collection timeline target of three months vs. current six or seven months), and leveraging existing OPD abandoned auto work (70% already handled by OPD). Two new positions were cited: a bureau administrator for the parking division ($16,000 cost delta) and a supervisor for the citation center (recommended regardless of reorg).
• Councilmember Questions:
  • Chair Unger questioned the problem being solved, noting parking revenues had declined but attributed partly to economic factors. She expressed concern about added costs, adequate staffing in OPD and Finance, and lack of engagement with business and bike/ped communities. She asked how success would be measured (not just revenue).
  • Councilmember Brown asked about collection timeline inefficiencies and historical context of the division's moves. She noted council investments in hiring more parking technicians and sought clarity on joint responsibilities between DOT and Finance.
  • Councilmember Wong criticized the report as inadequate, requesting detailed historical data on parking revenue (by meter, garage, fines), collection times, abandoned vehicles towed, and sales tax trends. She stressed data-driven decision-making.
  • Councilmember Houston strongly opposed moving abandoned auto to OPD, citing personal experience removing 38 stolen vehicles with DOT coordination. He argued DOT provides non-intimidating service, while OPD is understaffed (dropped from 850 to 500 officers).
  • Councilmember Gallo emphasized service delivery over revenue collection, recalling past successes when parking was moved out of OPD. He warned that OPD would not have capacity to respond to parking issues.
• Administration Responses: City Administrator acknowledged lack of external engagement but committed to discussions now that the proposal is public. Finance Director Bradley confirmed openness to exploring other structures but stated current plan is what was presented. He also noted that the department previously ran parking for 23 years and has boots-on-the-ground experience.

Item 3 – Change Order Limit for McGuire & Hester Contract

• DOT Director Josh Rowan presented a request to increase the change order limit from 25% to 27.5% (additional ~$300,000) for the citywide pavement rehabilitation contract due to unforeseen conditions (high groundwater, excess rails). The contract total would not exceed $19,232,418.75.
• Councilmember Houston asked about SLBE participation in change orders; staff responded that participation levels don't change with change orders but offered to provide a breakdown.
• Councilmember Wong inquired about contractor performance metrics; staff stated they use basic performance measures (schedule, safety, traffic control) and that McGuire & Hester has an acceptable track record.
• The item was approved with four ayes and forwarded to the February 17 council agenda on consent.

Item 4 – Measure DD Grant to Sogorea Te' Land Trust

• Staff (Mike Perlmutter) recommended awarding $843,875 to the Sogorea Te' Land Trust to acquire a 16-acre property at 2 Blatchford Court (headwaters of Cobbledick Creek, tributary to Sausal Creek). The property is valued at $1.295 million; owners are willing to sell under market for $800,000. The land trust would own and steward the land in perpetuity, with a conservation easement ensuring use only for watershed restoration. This aligns with Measure DD acquisition funds and Oakland's race and equity goals by returning land to Indigenous stewards.
• A clerical error in the first whereas clause was corrected: Measure DD amount changed from $192 million to $198 million.
• Councilmember Houston requested similar attention to District 7 creeks.
• The resolution was approved as amended with four ayes and forwarded to the February 17 council agenda on consent.

Key Outcomes

• Item 5 (Parking Reorganization): Motion to forward to the March 3, 2026 full council meeting on non-consent, with a supplemental report requested by Councilmember Wong containing historic parking revenue data (by meter, garage, tax, fines), sales tax trends, abandoned vehicle tow counts, collection timing data, and unpaid fines data. The motion passed 4-0.
• Item 3 (Pavement Rehabilitation Change Order): Approved with 4-0 vote, forwarded to February 17 council consent calendar.
• Item 4 (Measure DD Grant): Approved as amended (clerical correction) with 4-0 vote, forwarded to February 17 council consent calendar.
• Open Forum: Kevin Dolly requested a verbal guarantee from the city administrator that the parking reorganization would not be implemented before the council meeting. The city administrator had previously delayed the effective date.

The meeting adjourned after open forum.