Good afternoon and welcome to the special city council meeting of Monday, March 16th, 2026.

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

If you'd like to fill out a speaker's card on any item, please fill out a speaker's card before the item is called for discussion.

You can do so by filling pulling a card at the front table and giving it to a clerk representative before the item is called, or two hours after the start of the meeting.

This meeting was called to order at three thirty-two.

So making that time five thirty-two is your last opportunity to turn in speaker cards or before the item is called for discussion, whichever one comes first.

Councilmember Gaio.

Here.

If approved, this action will be final passage.

Going to item 6.5, an ordinance regarding Senate Bill 79 Planning Code implementation ordinance.

This item also will be final passage if approved.

This afternoon.

A resolution regarding International Day of Happiness.

Item 6.8, a resolution for citywide cooperative agreements for fiscal years 26 through 27.

Item 6.9, a resolution support of California Senate Bill 959.

Item 6.10, a resolution in support of HR 5356.

Item 6.11 is a resolution for travel reimbursements from the council contingency fund for travel to Philadelphia for federal advocacy.

Item 6.13 a resolution regarding the Oakland Alameda Access Project.

Delegated Maintenance Agreement Amendment.

Item 6.14 includes multiple pieces of legislation regarding the affordable housing and sustainable communities program cycles eight and nine.

A resolution for lead hazard reduction grant program.

Item 6.16 an information report right regarding the HCD anti-displacement strategic action plan.

Grant application round four.

Item 6.18.

A resolution for professional services agreement amendment with American Building Services Inc.

Item 6.19, a resolution for adhofine art services contract.

A resolution regarding innovation interfaces contract renewal.

Item 6.21, a resolution regarding HAP winter relief and OPRI.

Item 6.22, a resolution for OPD cadet program funding.

Item 6.23, a resolution for Tom O'Neill, Mabel Page versus City of Oakland.

Item 6.24, a resolution for a settlement for Phil Moshagos versus the City of Oakland.

And that is your final consent item.

And you do have speakers on this item.

Councilmember.

And then council member.

Thank you.

But secondly, I I want to bring that issue back to the council because I'm getting a good number of requests from the neighborhood where there are some cannabis operations, but they don't have the legal one, is the permits.

Secondly, they don't have the waterproof situation that they need to have water protection or the water in case of an emergency.

And also there's a good number of uh smoke shops throughout your district, specifically in mine, where they are providing uh the marijuana sales illegally, and uh we need to get that back in order in our neighborhoods uh and make sure that I want to do want to hear from the administration how many millions are we collecting annually because at one time they used to bring the millions of dollars cash in a bus and give them to the city, but we didn't know where it was being spent.

So if you can give us a financial report, that would be great, and also do the follow-up with the fire department uh in terms of the inspections, so the operations and also with our department, our office to make sure that we are permitting, but we're doing legal permitting and checkups to that operation.

Then the last one I'll bring up is this on this uh consent agenda is has to do with the lead hazard uh in our homes, and I'm the chairperson, the precedent of the lead hazard joint effort between the county and the city of Oakland.

And uh we meet on a monthly basis, but the reality that's happening in my office this week last week.

My chief assistant, Rosa and her little boy wound up with lead in the paint issue.

Children's hospital reported the little boy with contamination.

Then my assistant went for a checkup and she had a high contamination, and we removed some samples of the paint falling in our office at City Council, and they were tested, and they were tested at very high levels of lead in the paint issue.

And I share that with you because I went to the county, and the county said, I'm sorry, we cannot help the city.

Even though they have 9.5 million dollars to legally we sued and we have money for that money sitting in there not being used in our neighborhood, and they can assist us to do an inspection.

I went to my city staff that we have five million dollars for years that we have not been using, and well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you.

We've got to find an inspector.

But the bottom line is I have the data, the documentations, the tests that are in front of us with that issue existing here as City Hall, and but I I asked the administration to please uh make and make sure that I get the inspector legally come and test our office to make sure that our city hall is a safe place to um to do business in because we didn't meet with your but your uh buildings department and other departments, but you know, I got one of those but but who's gonna pay for the inspector anyway.

So that's we need to address that issue.

Thank you uh for that in for that uh time to be able to share that with you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember, and sending well wishes to your staff and her child, and we'll work with the administration to make sure that the city council offices are getting tested.

You want to go after council member hews?

Councilmember Houston, then Wong, then Ramachandra, then Brown.

You were in the queue.

So through the chair, I just wanted to piggyback on what super um uh councilmember guile mentioned.

Um councilmember Guyo, there was a illegal marijuana facility to just think they can come into our district and do whatever they want to do.

They started actually building out this facility, they put all these units on top, 26 units on top without getting structural um permits, no permits, councilmember guile.

They were in my district creating a new facility.

They're not even following the 50 percent 50 feet beautification efforts that they do.

They're not following anything.

We need to address that.

So I'm gonna be behind you on that issue.

I just wanted to share that.

I'm with you on that.

All right.

Thank you, Councilmember Houston.

Councilmember Wong.

Uh yeah, thank you.

Um, I wanted to make comment on a few items.

First, um, agenda item 6.21.

Uh, this is around the resolution accepting around uh 23 million dollars through HAP uh as well as Alameda County winter relief funds and the Oakland Housing Authority funds.

Um I had uh authored an amendment uh that was uh voted on on the March 10th life enrichment committee.

We had all voted to include that amendment.

Um I've been in communication with the staff this week.

Um and the intent of the amendment was to really add a set of performance metrics to our uh homelessness funding, especially around interim shelter, um, and we are all committed to that.

Uh we have agreed that um we need to develop a more comprehensive set of performance metrics, and so that will be presented at the March 24th meeting.

We'll be working in collaboration with CHS staff um as well as uh LEC Chair Fife.

So uh more to come on that, but I'm recommending that the item is for now adopted without the amendments that were discussed at the last LEC meeting.

Mrs.

Hadder.

Um, and then the other item I just wanted to comment on was uh 6.6.

I want to thank my colleagues, council members uh Unger and Brown for um uh you know working on this uh resolution that really is just an affirmation around gender affirming care, especially with providers even within the city of Oakland that are um no longer offering the the needed care for those who are transgender um as well as gender nonconforming.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, Councilmember Ramishandra through the chair, um, if I could before council member Ramachandran goes going back to Councilmember Wong's statement of not adopting her amendments to item 6.21.

The committee will need to clarify which direction they're going in regard to this item.

Is it the original staff recommendation or one of the supplemental?

So whenever the motion is made, that will need to be clarified on the record.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Ramadan.

Awesome.

Thank you.

So I'm so excited to be bringing forward a resolution to declare this Friday, March 20th, the International Day of Happiness.

Back in 2012, the United Nations declared um International Day of Happiness on March 20th.

And I think the city of Oakland can use a douse of happiness right now more than ever.

So I'm excited to celebrate this internationally defined day and to be taking actions forward as a city to make sure that we can inculcate the values and skills of happiness in this and other actions moving forward, and would be following the lead of many of our neighboring cities and cities across not just the country but the world in doing so.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Ramishandra, Councilmember Brown.

Um, I'll make my comment after the public speakers.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Houston, then we'll go to public speakers.

Yes, on that 6.21.

Um, being the vice chair of public safety, I agree with Councilmember Wong on what she said about that.

I'd like to go back, and I hope that I'm saying the right thing to the original request or what we was gonna adopt.

So is that what you wanted through the chair, Councilmember Wong?

The original.

Okay, so we're gonna go back to the original, and then we'll read and and review their result-based accountability and see what they come up with.

Okay, I'll agree with that.

Chair, okay.

I think I think we have staff.

Good afternoon, Jason Lester, HSD, director.

Um, also with uh agenda item um 6.21.

Uh, we want to clarify um the contracts uh and the time periods uh to make sure they're reflected correctly.

So contract BFWC.

Um the dates will be um from June 1st, 2026 through September 30th, 2027 for the East Oakland Community Project.

Uh those dates will be from August the 1st, 2026 to July 31st, 20 through July 31st, 2027.

And lastly, for the housing consortium of the East Bay, that that date will be reflected from June 1st, 2026 through September the 30th, 2027.

Thank you.

Through the chair, one more thing to staff if that is amending, is that amending the legislation in the packet?

Sorry, Deputy Assistant City Administrator Sophia Navarro.

So yes, that is amending the resolution that's in the packet.

Through the chair to staff, is that are those reflected in the link that's labeled view supplemental legislation two?

That's currently in the packet.

Okay, so the amendments are in the packet um and it's supplemental legislation two.

Yes, for the record.

Thanks.

Thank you, Councilmember Houston.

Okay.

All right, let's go to the public speakers.

As I call your name, please approach the podium in any order.

Please state your name for the record before beginning.

If you are seating time or have time seated to you, please state that person's name and they must be in the chamber, or on Zoom.

And again, please step to the podium.

Or if you're on Zoom, please raise your hand so I can easily identify you.

Don speaks, maybe Madeline Stacy, Shelly Wong, and Daniels.

Is it Arnie from Rainbow's Family Action?

Jennifer Riggs Vetter, JB, Evan Wiseman, Karen Kramer, Missisada Olabala, Cliff, Red Schaefen, Paul Vetter, Derek Barnes, Kevin Daly, Jeffrey Beaman, Karen Kagan, Jonathan Allen Zingman, John Eric Henry, Mr.

Hazard, Erica Gordon, Marcus Romero, Valerie Bachelor, Corey Miller, Isabel, Linda Wade, Renee, John Harmon, Candida Haynes, Mike Hook Robles, Greg Slaughter, Willie Thomas, Michael Washington, Sharon Green Peace, Kathy Harris, Barley Astafonos, Edwin Ed Beary.

Go ahead.

Hi, uh Don Seefus, San Leandro, California, and represent the coalition for a new national infrastructure bank.

We have 58 co-sponsors in the House in Washington, including Representative Simon, who recently signed on.

This is an extremely important bill.

The last NIB we had finance the first two boards, the Complicot Tunnel, and finance the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge.

It finance the Alameda County Courthouse right down the street, City Hall and San Leandro, help pay for widening San Pablo Avano between Oakland and Richmond.

And all that without increasing taxes or increasing any deficit spending.

A new bank can do three things for the Bay Area.

We desperately need a new second Oakland Bay Bridge from the I-280 stub down King Street, landing on port of Oakland land that you own, which greatly simplifies the matter to apply a second way into the city and a second set of BART tracks across our bridge into the city.

This new bank of finance.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is up.

All right, low-income housing and as much as any of the and I need to correct myself.

I have one more card.

Rainbow Families Action with the initials MY and there also there's no seating time during open forum, so I need to correct myself there.

Thank you.

Come on up to the podium in any order.

Please state your name before beginning.

Ann Daniels from Oakland, California.

I want to thank this body for item 6.6.

This is so necessary in these times of incredible aggressive hostility against gender-affirming care that we're seeing on all levels of government.

I'm a board member of PFLEG San Francisco, although I am an Oakland resident.

PFLEG is hearing from people all over Northern California that their city councils and their school boards are taking aggressive action against the transgender non-conforming to spirit communities.

I'm very, very grateful to be here in Oakland and to have this body that understands the importance of providing gender-affirming care, necessary medical care to all of those who need it, despite the aggressive hostility, as I've said, on all levels of government that we're seeing from Washington and across this country.

Thank you very much.

I'm sorry, one more thing before you begin, just in case I did not read 612 on the consent calendar.

It does include item 612, the Hayes Starred non-competitive baseline grant application for fiscal years 26 and 27.

Hello, Madeline Stacy, longtime Oakland resident.

I am not with any organization, but I am a member of the Queer community, and I wanted to thank you all very much.

I know you all voted in favor for this resolution to show Oakland's commitment to this community.

Um this is a very vital time.

It is incredibly important, and you all know this that our health care entities not comply in advance.

We really need to get the word out as constituents as members of different health care entities.

We have to call our health care agencies and tell them to not comply in advance.

The rules are not there yet, the laws are not in the books yet, and so I greatly appreciate this resolution in Oakland making a strong sand and commitment to supporting my community.

And yeah, thank you so much.

Good afternoon.

Uh I'm Paul Venner of Oakland, and I'm speaking in support of agenda item 6.6, the resolution on transgender health care.

I'm proud to live in Oakland, where our elected officials believe in civil rights for all.

I am a transgender daughter and a transgender nephew, whom I love and respect very much.

And we have many of us here today who similarly treasure our trans family members.

And we don't intend to fold quietly while equal civil rights for trans people are removed.

Trans people deserve the rights to access to fair housing, education, employment, voting, and what we're here to talk about today access to health care.

We know that gender affirming care for trans people is necessary and effective and important.

Good afternoon, council members.

I'm an Oakland resident and uh mom of two teenagers who attend Oakland public schools.

And I just want to say, as a parent of a trans child, this is a really scary time.

We do through the chair, we pause your time.

Please state your name.

Oh, sorry.

Uh, from Rainbow Families Action.

Uh MY.

So every day we're hearing about new attacks on our children from the federal government trying to take away rights to basic protections like safety in school and health care.

So this resolution is about gender affirming care.

And the process of decision making about medical uh medical care is something that should be made by patients, parents, and providers working together.

It's not something that should be made by politicians.

Like a lot of parents, I'm scared that my child could lose access to medical care and to the right to make those decisions.

And as a parent, I'm scared of losing those rights.

By passing this resolution, you can help put pressure on our health care providers to do the right thing and to focus on patients, not politics, um, and not to give in.

Thank you.

So why don't you just put transgender on your hello?

This is JB from Rainbow Families Action.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I am an Oakland resident and proud parent of a non-binary child, and I'm here today to say thank you.

When I watch what is happening at the national level, the executive orders, the legislation, um, the attempts to strip away care, um, necessary health care that our children depend on.

It can feel frightening and isolating, but days like today remind me that we are not alone.

Gender affirming care is a difference between children thriving and suffering.

By passing this resolution unanimously, you are sending a message that this city sees our families, that it values our children's lives, and that it will not be silent while others try to erase them.

To every young person in Oakland who is transgender or non-binary, your city is fighting for you.

You belong here, you are loved.

Thank you, Council members, for your courage and your compassion.

Hi, I'm Arnie from Rainbow Families Action.

Thank you to Councilmember Unger for bringing this to the floor, and to Councilmember Wong and also Brown for co-sponsoring.

Um being the parent of a transgender or non-binary kid is a lot right now.

We are living a half-underground life.

Watching obscure regulations take our lives by the throat.

Doctors won't communicate with us in writing.

Trusted institutions weigh the lives of our children like coins on a risk assessment scale.

Liberal politicians try to figure out how much of my children's lives are worth defending.

Every day, every single day.

Another attack is announced on our children.

In that context, every single time someone stands up and says to us, your kids belong.

They are entitled to all the rights we've all fought for.

It's deeply moving and gives us strength for the next round.

Quite literally, our every waking moment is filled with this fight, and we thank you for joining us.

Hi, I'm Karen.

I'm with Families United for Trans Rights, which is an organization of parents who are fighting literally for the lives of their children.

And I want to thank the City of Oakland for standing with us today.

It feels like Armageddon against our children.

Um I have a trans daughter, and I also have uh diabetes, type one diabetes, and it would be like saying to a child who has diabetes, you can't have insulin anymore to take away your gender affirming care.

And it's that serious.

And so we really need everyone to speak out and support trans youth and trans people who are just trying to live their lives like everyone else.

And really, really appreciate the support of the city and everything that you can do to help.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Cliff Recchan.

I'm also a member of Families United for Trans Rights and an Oakland resident speaking on behalf and support of 6.6.

Thank you, Councilmembers Angar Wong and Brown for your strong support.

I have a transgender daughter.

When she transitioned and got gender affirming care, it changed her life immeasurably for the positive.

It's impossible to imagine her living her life without this gender affirming care.

She can't go back.

Trans people are under intense, unjustified and cruel attacks from the current federal administration.

It's critical that our local health care providers continue to provide gender affirming care.

It's required by the state constitution and state civil rights law, and it's very important that leaders like you and the city council speak up and remind our health care providers of their obligations and speak up in support of our kids.

Thank you very much.

Hello, I'm Evan Weissman, a resident of Oakland, a member of Families United for Trans Rights, and the father of a trans daughter.

And I just want to briefly thank you all for supporting resolution 6.6 in defending the necessary civil rights and health care of our trans youth and adults.

Thank you.

My name is Karen Kagan, and I am not from Families United.

Good afternoon.

I am and am speaking as a customer of a business located on 16th Street and Poplar in West Oakland.

I and all the customers I speak to love the business we are part of.

I have spoken to potential new customers as well as existing customers who have expressed concerns about what goes on with the unhoused population living on Poplar Street from 14th to 20th Street.

I understand this is a huge issue that's difficult to come up with a solution for.

I, for one, would love the city to find housing for the unhoused.

However, I realize this is probably not feasible for the amount of unhoused there are on the streets of Oakland.

Short of finding housing for this population, can the city think of taking on the task of a regularly scheduled cleanup of the streets where there are the most unhoused with Poplar's.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is up.

Yeah, October 10, 2010, we hosted the first ever Global Happiness Summit on board the USS ONET in Alamida.

Along with other organizations around the world, we launched a movement that led to UN passing the resolution in 21.

And then my work was recognized at the United Nation in 2014.

Now to celebrate this year, I've created 10 powerful ways for everybody to celebrate International Day of Happiness on March 20th.

And keeping in mind that day of happiness is not just on March 20th, that it can overflow throughout the year.

The focus is this.

We moved it online and we celebrated International Day of Happiness that led to a movement that we're able to create a forum where almost 20,000 monthly businesses were hanging out together.

And so I wanted to extend that spirit to now that yes, things are going on around the world, and things will always go on around the world.

But one of the things that we know, according to Harvard Medical School and the University of California in San Diego, when an individual becomes happy, it triggered a chain reaction.

And that chain reaction affects true three levels of people that they don't even know.

So I challenge every one of us to insist on our own happiness because our happiness can affect people that we're Marcus, and I'm an organizer with Ace.

I'm here today because habitability isn't just a policy term.

It is a matter of health and safety for Oakland families.

I am speaking regarding agenda item 616, the anti-displacement report.

I have seen conditions that no portion should endure.

Seniors at Oakland Station have had multiple winters without heat, broken elevators, pests, damaged trash shoots, malfunctioning entry points, and broken garage doors.

Just weeks ago, our members organized, we delivered a former letter to management and their corporate offices documenting years of broken heaters and safety hazards.

Corporate responded with a letter claiming these issues were already addressed.

Shortly after that letter, two massive water leaks tortured the building, displacing several seniors.

We cannot put the burden of code enforcement on the victims of these conditions.

We are calling on the city to implement a proactive rental inspection program.

A shift from a compliant-based system that is that has led the city inspection mandate.

This protects the tenants from being the target of landlord retaliation.

It also creates a system where the city, not the tenant, is holding the landlord accountable for breaking the law.

Hi, Council Council members.

My name is Greg.

I am a member of Ace Oakland myself, and I live in District 7, which I plan on moving out of it real soon.

Um as a senior, I want to live in peace.

That's why I'm here today to advocate for the proactive rental inspection.

And also Council Member Brown.

I would really love for you to come and join us at Oakland Station for these people.

As you can see here, we have a bunch, we have other fores that's going to be here.

So we have a council person that's gonna come there and be with us.

We already been in the office with uh uh uh supervisor Miley.

He has been there.

I actually sent out two emails, one to the person sitting over there, they'd like to give people fingers, and Mike's office, the only person showing up is Miley's office.

I have not heard nothing for them.

I requested a meeting with Houston's office almost two and a half months ago.

Have not heard thank you.

Okay, good afternoon, City Council.

My name is Lynn.

We'll pause your time.

You can pull the mic down so you don't have to.

My name is Linda, and I am a resident of District 7, and I'm a very, very proud member of Ace.

I live uh at the Oakland Station for what used to be the seniors for 11 months now.

And um my neighbors and I have had to deal with some unnecessary issues, such as dirty hallways for the past 11 months.

I have had no heat.

Uh the garbage chutes, the garage cars have been broken into because the garage gate, it does not work and people have learned how to get around it, you know.

Even if they come in by other people, there's no security or anything there.

I I do not feel safe at this in this community at this particular senior community at all.

Hello, my name is Kathy Harris, and I too live at Oakland.

Used to be senior station um apartments.

And Ken Houston came uh August of last year and cleaned the streets up.

We had a problem with homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks.

We couldn't even go down the sidewalk to go to the store.

We have to go out into the lane of traffic, even the bicycle lane was full of trash.

But he cleaned that up, but he hasn't been back since.

And we're starting to get issues again with people um sleeping in their cars on our block and dumping trash again.

So we like for you to come out and take a look at that.

And other than that, I'm saying the same thing to everybody else is saying we have broken heaters, dirty halls, roaches in the whole nine yards.

And we like you guys to come out and expect do a rental inspection for the city.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Let me say mine real quick.

Well, I've had a boudet for two years now, trying to get it put in.

Management, I've put in a request for them to do it.

They told me I gotta do it.

I can't afford to do it.

My rent, PGE, and one other bill takes up my whole check.

I don't got extra money.

And I'm tired of wiping with the hook.

You guys try that.

See if you don't complain.

All right.

I need this building to start, you know, recognizing what things that we need around there, especially with me with the boudet.

I'm just tired of an ASA hurting.

Thank you.

Sir, can you give me your name before you go?

Michael.

Just saying to the microphone.

Oh my name.

I'm Michael Robles, aka hooks.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Sharon Greenpeace.

I have lived at Oakland Station four and a half years.

In that time, it was a brand new complex.

We had to qualify to move in.

Now they're letting family with kids in.

We are we feel unsafe because they're smoking, they're drinking, they're leaving trash everywhere.

And as you see, I'm in a wheelchair and it's hard to get around.

The elevators break down.

We have no one to come and check on us.

Like if you needed uh something, uh someone to come and go to the store for you.

There's no one there.

They said this is not a assistant living.

This is an independent living place.

Well, I can live on my own, but every now and then you do need someone to come and help you.

So I would like for the management to know that we were in a brand new complex, but now the place has run down.

Hi, Valerie Bachelor, and I believe uh Renee is seating time to me.

Miss Renee, can you raise your hand?

There's no seating time in um the consent calendar.

Okay, wonderful.

So I'm here to speak on behalf of 6.18 or 6.16, which is a proactive rental inspection program that is part of the anti-displacement work.

We have a system that is failing, Oaklanders.

Right now, we have fires, floods, and plagues that are part of the everyday life of our tenants in our in our city.

And this is a tenant majority city, so it's a majority of our folks in our city.

Um, most tenants, you know, we have the most important rental protections in the city, but we have no real enforcement.

I want to emphasize that.

No real enforcement.

So that means seniors like who just who you just saw are in their homes freezing, children are covered in bug bites, and families have to pick up the pieces after a fire.

That was totally avoidable because ten because landlords are not doing their fair share.

Happiness to tenants means safe and habitable homes for all through landlord accountability.

So again, I want to thank Councilmember Wong for joining us on a reality tour.

I call upon each and every one of you to also join us on reality.

If your name is Connor in Chambers and you wish to speak, please step to the podium.

Or we'll be moving to the Zoom speakers.

You go to CleanOakland.com.

Yeah, you want to celebrate happiness, but what about live life?

You don't even acknowledge Mr.

Lacey's Moesha Love Life.

Okay.

Last week at an easy lounge, a young lady, a teacher, was killed by an arid bullet.

Love life.

That's the same thing that happened to Moeship.

And you don't even acknowledge it.

So what's this reimbursement for Jenkins and Unger for your staff to go on your junkets?

We don't even get a report.

And you want to take your staff.

What are they gonna do?

I hand it out to you.

The anti-injunction clause is a constitutional nullity.

The provision contained in Oakland Municipal Code 4.26.130, titled Enjoining Collection Forbidden.

It's not simply unconstitutional.

It is legally impossible for the municipality to enact.

Enact that sales tax you put on the public.

October 1, 2025 is unconstitutional.

The most fundamental principle of a democratic governance is that the voters must know what they are voting on.

California courts have consistently held that when ballot materials materially misrepresent the nature of a measure, the resulting election cannot confer lawful authority.

You're collecting a tax on the people of Oakland that you enacted October 1, 2025.

It's unconstitutional.

Did you hear me?

It's unconstitutional.

And don't tell me that the city attorney, city attorney is the problem.

The transaction and use tax.

Ramachandra, you can look up.

And you went for it.

And God, you always tell me, well, the city attorney tells us.

That ballot measure where you want to try to collect Jenkins when you on December 12th on your agenda report.

You talked about a sales tax because the fiscal crisis.

Shame on you.

You're gonna talk about cannabis.

What about fitnol?

That's a deadly opioid.

You look at Thank you, Mr.

Hazard for your comments.

We appreciate them.

Thank you.

Go to CleanOpen.com and you can see.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Starting with item 6.3 declaration related to emergency on homelessness, you will not be able to address homelessness as an emergency until you recognize that 35% of cases of homelessness in Oakland is because of people losing their homes.

You spend a lot of time on people who are rners becoming homeless.

Sufficiently, we need to look at people who are homeless because they've lost their homes.

Item 6.6.

Oakland commit uh this has to do with gender affirming care.

I think you're on the borderline of Proposition 209 being uh a limit not affirmed.

209 says you cannot have affirmative action related to race and gender.

So you always, when we ask you to do things around black people, you always pull up proposition 209.

This is the issue around gender.

Does 209 apply?

Uh item 6.7, International Day of Happiness.

You say in this that you are promoting equity, you're expanding opportunities for residents of all ages.

You're extending accessing stable housing in Oakland, neighborhood safety and uh public services.

Y'all are lying down.

Now you can have your day of happiness, but don't lie that this stuff is going on in Oakland.

It's not 6.8.

The city administrator is no longer able to limit have unlimited spending related to piggyback contracts.

That's what this is about.

Anything over 250,000 has to come to council.

6.9.

Uh Senate bill uh dealing with wildfires.

I still tell you guys you ignore the fact that Skyline High School, you cannot evacuate over 3,000 students from the hills.

The instructions from the fire department is to shelter in place.

That cannot work.

6.11 travel for federal advisory.

Uh that wasn't federal advisory.

That's for black administrators to get some kind of help with leadership, and only one person went, and you need to rectify that we're not getting reimbursed for three people.

Um we next go to uh uh head start 6.12.

Now y'all got problems with head start.

You fired the director, she came back, now she's leaving.

They got some money issues going on in there, and y'all won't deal with head start, but the federal government is gonna jump on y'all once they find out y'all didn't screwed up the money with head start.

6.15 led you already addressed that very adequately.

Thank you, council member.

Uh 6.16 anti-displacement strategies.

You don't have no strategies for black people.

Thank you, Ms.

Olabala.

Moving to the Zoom speaker.

Well, again, if your name was Carl and you're in chamber and you wish to speak, please step to the podium.

Moving to the Zoom speaker, I have one speaker.

Jeffrey Beaman, please unmute yourself.

I have you for one card.

You will have one minute to address the council.

Hello, Oakland City Council.

My name is Jeff Beaman.

I'm a retired scientist after 35 years at Lawrence Berkeley, and I now work supporting the creation of the National Infrastructure Bank.

This is item 6.10.

Oakland has a critical housing problem.

California has a water problem, the world has a carbon problem, and we all have utility bill problems.

Unfortunately, the gridlock in Washington has very little chance of helping with any of these major issues, but there is a social and financial mechanism that can help.

A new infrastructure bank like we had during the WPA works outside of the usual gridlocked political channels to make money available for things like affordable housing, upgrading the electricity grid, and provides money for clean transportation products, projects.

If we get people to do affordable housing, we also need to provide transportation for them to get to self-sustained jobs.

So while doing all of this, we can create good paying local jobs that will help invigorate our community, but we're going to need a sizable chunk of infrastructure capital to do it.

Oakland has nothing to lose and a lot to gain by endorsing the creation of this bank.

Let's please do so and add a little bit of positive momentum to worthwhile hopeful institution.

Thank you for your comments.

At this time, all names have been called, and that was the last speaker.

Thank you for everybody who came out to speak.

Councilmember Houston.

Through the chair.

Can you come up to the podium, please?

I need her to read something that I sent out on 219 26.

And I even got in trouble for it because it's almost like saying I was directing staff because somebody we got played at the city of Oakland when we had this deed restriction about um changing it from seniors after five years.

Who would agree to that?

If I put my seniors in there, who would agree with changing and putting my seniors out like that, right?

So what what they just said, I totally agree.

I'll take full responsibility, even on being in office 12 months, and I will be back over there again to take care of that because I did clean that up and I'll make sure that's cleaned again.

I'll take full responsibility.

But let me say this, we got played.

We got played.

Five years my seniors after that.

Um it turns into regular housing.

How are we gonna do that?

So I talked to Supervisor Nate Miley, I've talked to the city attorney, city administrator.

Read that that that that email, please.

Good afternoon, 30 chair.

Um, this is an email that I'll be reading um from Councilmember Houston.

The email reads, Dear Gene Casey, there's a concern about the property located at 1428, 105th Avenue, also known as the Oakland Station.

The regulatory agreement was supposed to be done prior to the complex being converted to housing accessible by all ages.

Please cease the process until me and Alamina County Supervisor Nate Miley are clear about the process between the state of California and the city of Oakland on how this con this conversion is being done.

Additionally, I need an urgent meeting on this matter because my senior stability at this complex are in jeopardy.

Thank you.

And that was sent on to 19, 2026.

Thank you, Trinity.

You can sit down.

So my thing is this I only could do so much, right?

My my job is policy and legislation.

But you can see right now, I got my gloves on, I'm out on the ground taking care of my community, and I shouldn't even be doing that.

But when things are done prior to my council members here, we gotta take the responsibility.

However, our hands are tied, and that's why I want this charter revision done too in a different way.

Um, because it's only so much I can do.

For me sending that email, they're saying I'm directing staff, right?

That's what I thought they said to me.

I'll direct staff again and again and again.

They can they can charge me whatever they want.

If my seniors and my people was hurting, I'm gonna do what I gotta do to make it happen.

I'm gonna do what I gotta do to make it happen.

So I feel your pain, I feel your passion, and I'll take the heat.

And I will fight for you like I've always been fighting for you.

I'm gonna keep fighting for my community.

And I have something else to say about this six point six point six.

Everyone is is benefiting from the civil rights movement of our black leaders back in the day.

I'm talking about the the the LGBTQ.

I mean, just everybody's benefiting from that, right?

So I want the same people to come out.

I want everybody to come out that benefited from this civil rights movement when my my young black men and young Latinos are dying on the street like animals.

I want everybody to come out and do it the same way they fight for their rights.

And in closing, Durbin was murdered, and we did a resolution, he was murdered a year ago tomorrow.

And I want to close this out in his name, even though our resolution is 412 um 26.

He was murdered, right?

And I want to close it out with that.

So my thing is this.

I'm frustrated.

You know, I didn't know it was gonna be this difficult to move things like I'm trying to move the EAP.

It's been six months.

My people that's unhoused is suffering.

My community, my businesses are suffering.

My residents are suffering, and they holding up an EAP that makes sense, that's in line with the governor's executive order and his model ordinance, and we holding up something that has hurt my community and my people and my unhouse in a humane way.

So today I'm doing something again I probably shouldn't be doing.

I'm relocating an encampment on a hundredth and east 14th right now in a humane way.

So they're not in front of the churches, not in front of the school, um, not in front of our residents, and I'm moving them to a low sensitivity area, and I'm giving them some financial stability so they can feel like they're part of that move.

I'm doing that today.

That was gonna take two months to move them.

I'm doing it today.

Because you know why?

Because I gotta sit in front of 350 of my Latino brothers and sisters at the church this Sunday, and I'm gonna say, oh, I can't do it.

After they drop porter potties and and hand washing stations in an area that was not it was Council members, it's relating to the declaration of uh on homelessness.

Yes, it is.

Okay.

I just want to say this.

I got I took this job to fight for my community and fight for my people, right?

So I take this serious.

So I'm gonna say this to my seniors of that Oakland station.

I'm sorry, but I'm gonna fight for you, I'm gonna fight.

Nate Miley's gonna fight for you, and I know my council members on this on this on this board is gonna fight for you.

So um, I yield the floor.

Thank you, councilmember.

Councilmember Brown.

Excellent.

Um first off, I wanted to thank um the community members that came out from Families United for Trans Rights as well as Oaklanders that came to speak on item 6.6.

Also wanna say thank you to Councilmember Unger for your leadership on this, as well as Councilmember Wong.

Um, you know, as a proud member of the LGBT community, you know, my journey to being here on the city council has not been an easy one.

Uh similar to what I heard Councilmember Houston speak to around um just the leadership of those during the civil rights and how it's almost like this domino effect of just different rights that um others in community have been able to receive.

And so in that same way, so many leaders in the LGBTQ community have been fighting for rights, whether we're talking about Marsha P.

Jordan, uh Johnson, Sylvia Rivera or Miss Major, um, who had a huge impact on rights right here in the Bay Area and that recently passed passed away last year.

And so these attack these attacks that are happening from the Trump administration on the LGBTQ community, especially our youth, um, it's not just unfortunate and or disappointing, it's actually appalling.

Um, and so as many of the public speakers mentioned, um, not only is it a basic human right, um, it also our constitution states these these rights for our trans and gender non-conforming uh people and youth.

And so these rollbacks that are occurring in health care uh definitely have very real consequences, especially those who rely on Medicare and Medi Cal as well as children's health insurance programs and specifically low-income families as well as black and people of color.

And so, you know, colleagues, by voting yes on this resolution, you are standing with our trans engender non-confirming community members, um, not only here in Oakland, but um throughout the state of California to ensure that they can have the care and dignity that they deserve and access to health care.

Um so I hope that every one of my colleagues will vote yes on 6.6.

I also wanted to briefly comment on um, I think it was the Alameda Oakland Alameda Access Project.

That's item six six point one three.

Uh really hoping that this project can move full steam ahead, also at the same time ensuring that um any um that those who are living in and around this area who are unhoused, they can receive the care um and housing that they deserve.

So just wanted to offer my support to Councilmember Wong on that item as a member of the Alameda County Transportation Commission that worked to you know fund this project.

Um, I also want to make sure that we are also taking care of those residents as well.

So um please reach out if I can be supportive.

Um and then lastly, I wanted to comment on item 6.16, which is the anti-displacement strategic plan.

Um, of course, thank you to um the leadership of Valerie Bachelor and the team at ACE and for the community members that consistently show up um to speak, um, whether it's in CED or sending us emails, um, I would like the opportunity to go on one of the reality tours.

Um, so please, you know, tap me into any and all of them because I'm there.

I would I would like to support as well as what Councilmember Houston said.

Although, you know, we were not around, we've only been in office a little over a year.

Um, but of course, we have to take accountability for the situations that our community members are experiencing.

And so um when we take hand all an all hands-on deck approach, we know that we can uh ensure better outcomes as well.

So just wanted to thank you all for consistently showing up and uh I look forward to um attending one of those reality tours and seeing how we can uh work to improve those conditions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I'll entertain, I'll entertain a motion as amended.

Councilmember Fife.

I will um make the motion.

I I do want to just say a couple words about um the national infrastructure bank because I think it's clear that we know all of the infrastructure needs that uh exist in the city of Oakland, and the NIB offers an opportunity to fund necessary projects in key areas, and because I was a part of the board for um trying to bring a public bank of the East Bay, this just made sense, and so I appreciate the speakers who came out to lift that up because I truly believe that when individuals needs are met, including housing, access to transportation, clean air, water, food, and just the right to be free, then we can talk about what happiness looks like.

But without those act the access to those basic services, then we have uh a lot of challenges that that we're saying that are they they tend to be displaced and misplaced with um black folks, and so I just want to lift up what council member Houston spoke about, and then also challenge this body, this city council, to create the equity that so many public speakers talked about and needs for gender-affirming care to keep that same energy, which is what my council colleague was saying when it comes to issues of disparities with black Oaklanders, because we I don't know what council my colleagues get, but I'm concerned about the council that I get when I come here to fight for my people, and I know we have to protect the city of Oakland legally from challenges from the Trump administration, but when we do that for one group, it has to be equal across the board.

So we gotta fight for black folks who are the majority of the people on our streets because we were never constitutionally included to be human beings in the first place, right?

So I just want us to remember, and sometimes it feels imbalanced when folks come and tell us and demand that we need to pay attention to a certain community when we have folks who have been here for hundreds of years that have never been treated right electorally, legislatively, and and all of the lease educationally.

So I I wanted to say that because it's it's it's sitting in my spirit that this is another example of disparate the the disparate ways that we engage with with the issues that mean so much to our everyday existences, and we have to find joy in any place where we can.

So I'm not trying to knock the legislation, but there are things happening every day to keep us from it.

The number of people I bury from not having adequate housing, and the I didn't hear Ace come up here and talk about all of the members that I paid for hotels for just what a year ago when folks' utilities went out.

So I hear you when when y'all come up here and criticize, come up and give praise too for the things that we have done and acknowledge the fights that we are in and the work that we've done around proactive rental in enforcement.

This is not easy.

Legislation is not easy, so please at the very least acknowledged that the work is not done, but that you have people up here who are fighting for it.

And I make the motion, Council President.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um do you have to read something in first year not reading in, just clarifying that there's no amendment on 6.21, it's adopting supplemental number two.

The amendments are included in the packet.

Thank you.

And there's a motion by council member five.

Do you have something to say?

Yeah, just through the chair, I had a general question.

Um this is to the parliamentarian.

Um, is is Prop 209 a federal or state?

I'm asking her.

Through the chair, yes, it's um state law.

Okay.

So when we defied the sanctuary city, I should know nothing.

Um decide we defied the sanctuary city, that's federal, right?

Federal.

I think it'd be more appropriate for us to answer your legal questions offline, council member.

Okay, okay.

That's fine.

I agree with you.

So so I'm gonna say this.

If we can defy federal, why couldn't we defy the state on the same way with 209 and have that where our SLBEs are taken care of out here?

You know, I I'm I'm just I'm working through this and I'm gonna get it.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

There's a motion there's a motion and a second.

Let's go take the roll.

On the motion by council member five, second by council member Houston to adopt the consent calendar.

Councilmember Brown.

Aye, council member Fife.

Aye, Councilmember Gaio.

Remember, you don't have to get in the queue.

I can unmute you.

Councilmember Houston.

Aye.

Council Member Ramachandron.

Aye.

Councilmember Unger.

Aye.

Councilmember Wong.

Aye.

Chair Jenkins.

Aye.

Motion passes with a vote of eight ayes.

Going to item seven, which is council member announcements.

Councilmember Fife.

I wanted to acknowledge the loss of life that took place at Easy's Lounge.

Um the second Friday, I mean the first Saturday of the month.

Um it claimed the life of a teacher.

Most people know I was also an elementary school teacher, and it is really really disheartening.

So I want to just adjourn the meeting in memory of Letitia Bobo, the individual who lost her life and was uh along with several other individuals that were shot.

So I want to recognize her.

Let's go to the public speakers for open form.

Open form as I call your name, please approach the podium in any order as all speakers are in the chambers this evening or afternoon.

Mr.

Hazard and Ms.

Asada Olabala for open form.

This is the statement that President Jenkins made on December twelfth in his agenda report.

The proposed sales tax increase, if approved by voters in April special election, would raise approximately 20 million dollars, helping to preserve critical service.

This is misleading.

He was already setting this up.

Allow municipalities to restrict judicial remedies would permit local governments to shield unlawful taxes from court review, insulate unconstitutional ordinance, and effectively place themselves above the law.

The California Constitution does not tolerate such a structure.

What's this uh constitutional sales tax?

Mr.

Jenkins, out of your own words.

You miss you, thank you for your comments, Mr.

Hazard.

We appreciate you.

Thank you.

So March 30th, you have a partnership meeting with OUSD.

Last Wednesday, OUSD approved $19 million that would come from the Measure A8 Oakland Children's Fund.

That fund uh identified at the meeting was the administrator, and she says that she approves the spending.

I went online to see who approves the spending, and I thought it's the commission, and then another time it says you, but 19 million dollars over three years.

They can't commit to over three years because they you spend a budget, you approve a budget every annually.

So they have three different uh commitments over 26, 27, and 28 to the Garfield project, and first five Alameda has recommended the spending.

It is thoroughly confusing.

You need to put on the agenda this item of the spending of measure AA, who is actually making Judith Christensen or Christian from Finance All right.

That was the last speaker.

All right, let's adjourn in memory.

We adjourn in honor of remembering the life of Durbing Avarado and Miss Letitia Bobo.