I think I think I think I think I think I think I...

Okay.

Okay.

Good afternoon, everyone.

We're gonna go ahead and start.

Good afternoon, good morning, and welcome to the rules and legislation committee meeting of Thursday, February 19, 2026.

Before I call roll, we will go over the speaker card instructions.

If you'd like to speak on any item on this agenda, you must fill out a speaker's card by 1043 a.m.

or before the item is called for discussion, whichever happens first.

You can fill out a card by getting a card off the front table and turning it into the clerk representative sitting at the front table again before 1043 or before the item is called for discussion, whichever occurs first.

If you're looking to turn in an online speaker card, they were due 24 hours before the start of this meeting.

So you will have to submit a in-person speaker card.

Our role for this meeting are Councilmember Brown present.

Councilmember Ramachandran.

And Councilmember Fife present.

We'll be sharing this meeting.

So President Jenkins is excused today.

Before we get into the agenda, do you have any announcements?

No announcements.

Thank you.

We'll hear from the speaker.

Derek Barnes.

Don't see him in chambers.

I do not see him on Zoom either.

So just need a motion.

Move approval.

Second.

On the motion by councilmember five, seconded by councilmember Ramachanjar to approve the minutes from February 5th.

Sorry.

Councilmember Brown.

Aye.

Councilmember Ramachandran.

Aye.

Chair Fife.

Aye.

Motion passes with a vote of three ayes.

Council President Jenkins is excused.

Going to item three, which is new scheduling.

And if I could, through the chair to the council members, I'm just gonna leave your mics on.

So press your button to mute yourself since it's only the three of us in the meeting today to make it easier on myself.

Starting with item 3.1, receive an information report on the 2024 City of Oakland disparity study prepared by Mason Tillman Associates pursuant to resolution number 89058.

And I believe you all want to schedule this to the March 3rd City Council meeting.

That is correct.

So noted on consent or non-consent.

Non-consent.

Schedules to go to March 3rd on non-consent.

Item 3.2 receive an information report on measure Q.

Why was extreme making changes to this?

I'm sorry.

Why was extreme fiscal necessity declared without open discussion?

What the timeline is for making changes to this practice following the grand jury report.

When can the biennial audit report be expected?

What will the process be defining extreme fiscal necessity with measure Q and other stakeholders?

This is asked to go to the March 10th and Finance and Management Committee agenda.

Report we'd also like to remove Councilmember Brown as a co-sponsor on that.

I put that there accidentally.

If you could start over, we missed half of what you said on the microphone.

Yeah.

Uh we're okay with this being an oral report from staff.

And then also we'd like to remove councilmember Brown uh as a co-sponsor.

I put that there accidentally.

So thank you.

Going to item 3.3, a resolution authorizing the city administrator to accept and appropriate up to 4.4 million in grant funds from the federal led hazard reduction program.

Enter into a professional services agreement with Habitat for Humanity, East Bay Silicon Valley in the amount not to exceed 3,886,283 to provide grant administration and management construction services for the lead-based paint mitigation and healthy homes program and to waive the city of Oakland local and small business local enterprise program requirements, local employment and Oakland apprenticeship requirements and request for proposal qualifications, competitive process requirements upon completion of a competitive procurement process, enter into one or more agreements in the total amount not to exceed $321,397 with one or more workforce development services providers to expand the supply of workers and firms available to conduct lead-based paint mitigation and healthy homes work and to waive the city of Oakland's local and small local business enterprise program requirements.

Make grants to eligible property owners for the remediation of lead-based paint hazards and healthy home improvements on the March 10th, 2026 CED committee.

And that concludes all of your new scheduling.

Derek Barnes and Rajni Mandal, in any order.

Rajney Mandel District 4.

Um, for item 3.2, extreme fiscal necessity can't become become a routine bypass mechanism for voter-approved parcel taxes.

We saw under measure and n how extreme fiscal necessity allows the use of restricted funds even though they don't meet the 700 officer threshold.

So if measure Q includes similar flexibility, the rules must be clearly defined before they're invoked and not interpreted in real time.

The city auditor has repeatedly emphasized the importance of structural accountability and timely reporting.

Without audits, the public can't evaluate whether emergency authority is justified.

So if extreme fiscal necessity is going to alter how funds are used, then the definition thresholds and process must be transparent, objective, and consistently applied.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Mondal.

I do not see Derek Barnes in the chamber or in the Zoom queue.

Thank you, Madam City Clerk.

I will just reiterate the changes for item three for agenda item three.

Item 3.1 March 3rd will be the date for the disparity study report on non-consent, and item 3.2 will be an oral report instead of an info report, and we will remove councilmember Brown as a co-sponsor.

I will entertain a motion.

So moved, second.

On the motion by Councilmember Ramachandran, seconded by Council Member Brown to approve item three as amended.

Councilmember Brown.

Aye.

Councilmember Ramachandran.

Aye.

And Chair Fife.

Aye.

Motion passes with a vote of three ayes, noting Council President Jenkins is excused.

Going to item four, review of draft agendas, pending lists, city council and committee meetings attached to this item are the committee agendas for the week of February 23rd, including your rules and legislation committee and pending list and your draft agendas for the city council of March 3rd and rules and legislation of March 5th.

Thank you, Michael.

Yep.

So if I heard you correctly, item seven for the February 21st, 24th public safety committee agenda, will be moved.

Item 7 will be moved to pending no date specific.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Rajni Manda for item four.

Rajimandal District 4.

For item four, I'd like to flag a structural concern for the upcoming Skelly item.

At a recent police commission meeting, uh CIPRA Director Lawson stated, quote, I've objected to basically every Skelly decision that's come to me, and that those objections, quote, just prolong the process, end quote.

If objections are made made to nearly every Skelly finding, that itself contributes to a delay.

That's a disagreement about outcomes and not necessarily proof that scaly officers are exceeding their authority.

We've also heard that the inspector general is sitting in on Skelly hearings and reporting to the police commission, which oversees CIPRA.

So if CIPRA also assumes Skelly administration, then investigation, review, and oversight begin to converge.

So if this moves forward, I urge council to ensure neutrality is preserved and that we avoid blurring the lines between investigation and independent review.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments, madam chair.

That was the only speaker for this item.

I'll entertain a motion.

Move approval on the pending list.

Second.

On item four, move by council member brown, second by council member Ramachandran to approve item four with the removal of the sanctuary city item from the February 24th Public Safety Committee moving that's a pending no date specific.

Council Member Brown.

Aye.

Councilmember Ramachandran.

Aye.

Chair Five.

Aye.

Noting that Council President Jenkins is excused.

This item is approved with a vote of three ayes.

Going to item five, a resolution confirming the mayor's reappointment of CARA brewed for her as a landlord representative and Cynthia Munios Ramos as a tenant representative and DeSanna Williams as an alternate tenant representative to the housing residential rent and relocation board.

Do we have a representative?

Thank you.

Thanks, Chair, Chair Plate.

Uh good morning, Council Members.

President Kilgar, Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Barbara Lee.

I understand that the legislative file was not fully complete, and it is the recommendation to continue this file to the next Thursday's rule committee so that we can hear it together while we work with the clerk and the city attorney to update the file.

So if so willing, we would like to request that the rules committee uh makes a motion to continue this item to next Thursday's rules committee meeting to hear all three of our um uh requested appointments.

Um thank you to city attorney for their guidance and the city administrative as well.

Thank you all.

Thank you, Mr.

Kilgore.

So the request is to move this item to next week's rules.

And um I will make the motion to to continue this item to the next week's rules.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

And I I do want to apologize to one of the individuals who came here to speak on this item, Miss Cynthia Munoz Ramos.

Um, we would like to hear all of the speakers collectively at one time on this item.

So I do apologize, and I will definitely get you a latte after the rules committee meeting for your trip over here.

Thank you.

Second.

I have also offered that as well.

Thank you, Cindy.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

On the motion by council councilmember five, second by council member brown to continue this item to the next rules committee, which will be February 26th.

Councilmember Brown.

Aye.

Councilmember Ramachandran.

Aye.

And Chair Five.

Aye.

Motion is approved with a vote of three ayes, one excuse.

Speakers, no speakers.

Um excuse Jenkins.

Going to your open forum, Rajni Mandal, Derek Barnes, in any order.

Uh Raji Mandal District 4.

I just wanted to comment on um the laps in security on City Hall that was reported.

Um, and uh just what this means about perception of crime.

For me coming to these meetings, I come in the day, I come in the night, and now I'm gonna keep my purse with me at all times.

Again, it's not because I feel like I'm gonna be targeted, it's just about perception.

And unfortunately, this perception also permeates through the public, including my neighborhood and my community.

When I try to convince people to come to these meetings, it's already hard, especially for the evening meetings because of that perception of not being safe.

And now stories like this just unfortunately feed into that narrative.

And it becomes even harder for me to get people to come here like 6 30 to stay to like 9 30 or 10 o'clock at night to come and speak at not just city council meetings but um commission meetings as well.

Um, so I really hope that we can do something about the perception.

I'm not talking about numbers, just about the perception to tell people that it's safe to come here to participate.

Um, and including that, I hope the employees also feel safe too.

Thank you.

I want to thank you for those comments, Ms.

Ron Mondal, and I also want to urge the public to take advantage of the hybrid option to participate online.

That is something that is available.

If people don't don't feel safe coming in person, they can take advantage of that option as well.

So I do want to appreciate everyone.

I do see um council member Ramachandran.

Did you have a comment?

Well, with that, I believe this meeting is adjourned.

It is 10 47.

Thank you all for uh participating.