Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, and welcome to the life enrichment committee meeting.

Today, March twenty-fourth.

The time is now four oh two PM.

This meeting has come to order.

Before taking roll, I will provide instructions on how to submit a speaker's card for items on this agenda.

If you are here with us in chambers and you would like to submit a speaker's card, please fill one out and turn into a clerk representative.

With that, we would now proceed to take roll.

Present.

Moving to our first item of this evening, approval of the draft minutes from the committee meeting on March 10th, 2026.

I'll entertain a motion.

Moving to our public speakers, Ms.ada.

Now, how do you say I work for white people?

You want to repeat that?

Ms.

Fife, you want to oh you're gonna act like you didn't say it.

Okay, there's a number of issues that are going on related to gentrification and your sanctuary city status.

This is a book that I purchase that talks about San Francisco Bay Area displacement and resistance to the displacement, and there's several.

There's a chapter on gentrification.

This is another book that I'm reading.

200 years history, immigration surges, employer biases, and depression of black wealth.

And what is it saying is the same thing that Barbara Jordan said in 1994 when she was uh delegated by President Clinton to look at the immigration situation in this country, and her report came back that we had to do something to lower immigration, it was irregardless of legal or illegal, because it at some point it was going to have an impact on low scale African American male workers, and nothing was done.

So now you in Oakland with African Americans having 9% unemployment, African Americans being homeless 70%, African Americans being evicted at high rates, deplaced displaced at high rates, and you won't even discuss it.

You won't even talk about it.

But people are talking about the Bay Area gentrification problem.

And anything that impacts, that's why you're looking down.

Black people sitting up here, don't do nothing for black people except ignore.

I've been coming here for over 18 years.

You have studies report the Mason Tillman report, you just report uh you've receive and file, nothing happening.

But we got people like the chair saying I work for white people.

That I don't do nothing.

I don't come here expecting you to do anything.

Thank you for your comment, Ms.

Asada.

We do have a motion made by Councilmember Gallo, seconded by Councilmember Houston to accept the determination of schedule about standing committee items as is unrolled.

Councilmember Gaio.

Thank you.

Councilmember Houston.

Aye.

Councilmember Wong.

Aye.

And Chair Five?

Aye.

This motion does pass with four ayes to accept determination of schedule outstanding committee items as is.

Moving to item three.

Receive an informational report from the Oakland Public Library Commission for the 25 calendar year.

And you do have multiple speakers for this item.

Thank you, Director Turbeck.

I see you're ready to present.

How much time do you need?

Five.

Five minutes.

Oh Gabby.

You may proceed.

Thank you.

My name is Jamie Turbeck.

I'm the director of the Oakland Public Library, and I'm proud to introduce the 2025 Library Commission chair who will give an overview of the Library Commission's report of activities from last year.

Thank you.

Oh Gabrielle Sonlos, right?

Thank you very much, Jamie.

And thank you to the members of the Life Enrichment Committee.

So I'm going to try and keep it brief.

Basically, last year.

This report actually covers the period since our last report.

So it's actually 2025 and part of 2024, just to be clear.

Two increase public awareness of Oakland Public Library's financial situation.

Three, plan and advocate for the maintenance of library systems and services.

And five, support the goals and objectives of the OPL Racial Equity Action Plan.

A quick update on those.

Primarily our community engagement committee developed guides and talking points for new commissioners, which allowed us to make a really strong showing during our city council meetings during the last budget cycle.

We uh also um to increase public awareness, we collaborated with OPL advocates um to have our annual mixer, which is like a a party and a Pollock, but it's also a time for advocates uh and uh public servants and others to really connect uh about supporting our libraries.

Um we uh also this is this is a new thing.

Um we now have a liaison to the uh general plan advisory committee for the general plan update um to ensure that um libraries are accounted for um in our city planning going forward.

Uh we also now have a liaison to the Department of Public Works to help escalate complaints coming from our branches.

Um in the last year and a half, we have taken on nine new commissioners.

Uh we uh also um now uh developed a new initiative um to uh we also developed a mentorship program and we developed an initiative to um uh all new commissioners are now um uh required to take the reducing bias and cultivating equity training, um, which is a very good training, by the way.

Um and uh in addition to all of this, we put a lot of effort in the last year and a half, especially around the the budget issues that we've been having uh into uh uh collaborating with library advocates uh from friends groups, uh OPL advocates uh and members of the public.

Uh we did a lot of research and analysis um around uh responses that we were getting from city staff that didn't line up with our understanding of the parcel tax measures um and we mobilized uh library advocates to um two uh committee meetings, um the Life and Richard Committee on uh April of uh last year and the community and economic development committee uh in June of last year um to advocate for the restoration of the uh 14.5 million uh sorry um the 14.5 million um uh appropriations from the general fund um and also um uh for to ensure that uh the the funding of of our branch in fruitvale um so with that um I think what I really want to leave all of you with um is the critical importance of two things one is as soon as possible um restoring the general fund appropriation which is 14.5 million dollars that is a requirement of the parcel tax measures um as long as we're not restoring those funds we are risking our entire library system um the other thing is uh the uh it is to sorry um the for Hoover Durant um we we want Hoover Trant to be prioritized um in future bond measures um because we have the feasibility study um and we we've been uh we have advocates that are here today who have been working to get that branch off the ground for years um and that is is such a huge uh it's an important it's a really important need for the community there used to be a branch there that branch was taken away um and so um yeah this that's that those are our two big two big asks thank you Gabrielle you did a great job thank you you no need to apologize uh we're it was that the totality of your presentation yes so um before we go to our public speakers how many do we have madam clerk on this item who organized this 15 speakers that's great for a committee meeting so I will just hold my comments until we hear from a public speakers yes thank you when I call your name please approach the podium state your name for the record if you are seating time please make sure that all persons were seating time to the individual is in the chambers if you're participating via Zoom please raise your hand so you're easily identified as practice we will take in person speakers before Zoom speakers Ms.

Owens John L.

Williams Ms Cook and what would your name be ma'am oh we avertita on it Owens okay and you can use the microphone to your right if if that's easier for you this one over here.

Thank you.

And you can use the microphone to your right if if that's easier for you, this one over here.

Okay.

Rafael Hernandez.

Her, I'm sorry, Henreguez.

Excuse me for mispronouncing your name.

Catherine Sturbick.

Kevin Gerbayas.

Fatima Yasuf.

Miss Asada.

Lionel Wilson.

Lionel Wilson.

Christina Tostada.

And you will be Miss Cook.

Yes.

Miss Alvare.

Okay.

Ms.

Cook, you have two people seating time to you or just one.

I have what?

I thought you had two, if I'm not mistaken.

Oh, two people.

Sharon Jones.

Miss Sharon Jones.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Let me put your max on the clock.

Thank you.

You may proceed.

Okay.

I may not need all of the seated time.

Okay.

Greetings, uh, enrichment life enrichment committee members.

My name is Al Janir Baker Cook, and I am the chair of the Friends of Hoover Durant Public Library.

I want to first begin by quoting Walter Conkrite.

Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to an ignorant nation.

I am here to strongly encourage you to support the full allocation of the library services retention and enhancement act major C, including the additional 2.7 million dollars from the general purpose fund for the Oakland Public Library.

And to vote yes on funding the maintenance of efforts for libraries.

The friends of Hoover Durant Public Library, the neighborhoods, it represents library advocates and the voting public.

Expect you to keep your word.

Again, I am asking you to support these measures.

Thank you for your consideration, Altonier Baker Cook and the Friends of Hoover Durant Public Library.

Oh.

Yes, please state your name for the record.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Um, Kevin Kovarubia's um Library Commissioner representing District 2, the agent branch and East Oakland branches as well.

Um good afternoon, Chair Fife, uh members of the committee.

Uh I'm here to support support the commission's annual report and speak briefly on uh to its two key requests.

First, the 4.5 million general purpose fund appropriation.

Um, under measure C, that number is the condition for the city's authority to collect the library partial tax at all.

We're 2.7 million dollars short.

Um, that's 7% of the city's total maintenance of effort gap.

And closing it brings us close, uh brings us into compliance with both measure C and D.

Of everything on the council's compliance list.

This is one of the smallest fixes available.

Second, the commission asks that the council support capital appropriations for the Hoover Durant neighborhood library in electrical and energy upgrades at multiple branches in the next bond sale.

Um, we talk a lot about public safety in Oakland.

Um, a library is public safety, it's where kids go after school.

It's internet access, literary literacy, social services.

Um growing up, born and raised in East Oakland.

I think back to you know, my experiences, you know, attending a lot of the libraries where I grew up, um, from not just the main branch library and the Asian branch library, but also Melrose.

And you know, growing up close to you know, Footfeld, you know, so if our child is um the library um there too as well.

Um, and so I uh the commission appreciates the committee receiving this report, and I'd be happy to answer any questions and follow-up discussions with the offices of District 2 and East Oakland serving council members as well.

Thank you for your time.

Good afternoon, Chair Fife and members of the Life Enrichment Committee.

My name is Christina Tostado, aka teen in front of town, born and raised in East Oakland.

On Mondays, I serve as an Oakland Library Commissioner, and on Tuesdays, I'm a mentor for Life Goes On, working directly with young people to help end senseless gun violence.

I want to start with our libraries.

Growing up, the Martin Luther King Junior Library was a library we went to as a family where we felt safe, and our community uh was where it was closest to us where we lived.

Today, libraries are not just community hubs, they're also used for emergency hubs during extreme heat.

People rely on it to save to feel safe.

Yet some of the branches don't have adequate AC and are forced to close when needed most.

At the MLK library, there's ongoing electrical issues.

There's a bike program that was awarded a grant, but because of the electricity, it can't um it doesn't have enough capacity to support it.

So even when resources exist, the infrastructure isn't there to deliver to deliver them.

Um actually, I just looked at the time.

I have an additional two minutes.

Sorry, I just realized it.

Um that's why restoring uh the 14.5 million to our Oakland Public Library budget and investing in the Hoover Durant are critical upgrades, are much important.

These funds are appropriated and they should go where they're intended.

And then that brings me to the sugar sweetened beverage funds.

The city receives millions each year, and about one million was supposed to go directly to community programs, and that was cut to help balance the budget.

Um at this time at this time, uh Yonas Yannis Davis Foundation was awarded 130 grant and funding and still has not reached uh the ground.

Yannis is doing the work, mentoring youth and helping prevent violence before it starts.

We want to support him and keep him focused so he doesn't go back to old ways as well.

The city needs to do a better job keeping its word, promises that were made for our community, and we need to literally for your comment.

You're welcome.

Moving to our Zoom speaker, Miss Asada.

So, Ms.

Fike, what you say it about Latanya Simmons?

You won't repeat that uh on the mic?

If you can speak to you, you don't want to repeat what you said about Latanya.

Not on my time.

Okay, you can you get your mic time.

Please continue.

This is my time.

Okay.

And what did you say about my high blood pressure?

My physical condition.

Uh-huh.

You won't say it in public.

Uh so the library commission annual report should have some things in the report, particularly related to the Piedmont contract, and when you're gonna get that contract done.

It's been almost 20 years without a contract.

It's been on the rules, but I haven't seen it come forward.

West Oakland Library is right now sitting in next to uh a school that has TCB and S Vestus, and what are you doing to encourage OUSD to remediate those problems?

Because your council member says she don't have nothing to do with our schools.

Uh P uh going to the books that have been removed from West Oakland Library.

Uh those that library is a collection for African American books site, and you've been taking those African American books off the shelf.

Security and safety issues at these libraries.

What is your report on that?

Particularly when I was going to Elmhurst, they had to close the bathroom because of problems with inappropriateness going on in the bathrooms.

Uh the use of the libraries for uh cooling and heating stations.

I haven't seen any report on how that worked out.

We need to have a report on staffing.

At some point during the years, it was being said that African American staffing was way below what it should be.

Uh the East Mont Mall.

The mall cannot be open on weekends.

Uh, what what have you done to suggest that we get something in place that we can open at mall?

The feasibility study.

Why didn't this group speak up about the Piedmont feasibility study pushing back the Hoover de Grant study?

The issue of language, how do you accomplish language?

The issue of computers.

What are you saying about computers being used over actually using the library books that are in there?

Lost books.

Thank you.

Mover to our Zoom speakers.

Starting with Fatima.

Please unmute yourself and begin your comment.

Hi, my name is Fatima Yousuf.

I am a 24-year-old registered voter, resident of District One, and a member of Oakland Public Library Advocates, which is the informal coalition of community groups that support Oakland's public library system services and funding.

I support the library commission's request that the city council restore the 14.5 million dollars in general funded appropriations to the Oakland Public Library budget for fiscal year 26 to 27.

I also support that the city council make capital appropriations for the Hoover Durant Neighborhood Library and electrical slash energy upgrades at multiple branches in the next bond sale.

It is critically important to find libraries as they are a safe space for kids to learn.

They connect Oaklanders of all ages with knowledge, job opportunities, and other services.

This is especially important in light of the federal attempts to cut grants to libraries and tie funding to restrictions on certain books and education materials that some politicians deem controversial.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your comment, Miss Yosef.

Moving to our next Zoom speaker, Catherine.

Please unmute yourself and begin your comments.

Catherine.

Thank you.

Yes.

My name is Catherine Sturbance, and I'm a longtime director on the Friends of the Oakland Public Library Board and former chair of the city's library commission.

In support of your library commission, I'm here to urge you to restore the full 14.5 million dollar general fund appropriation to OPL's budget for fiscal year 26-27.

Here's some context.

OPL is funded through measure C and D, parcel taxes approved by voters along with the general fund.

Measure C and D require minimum contributions from the general fund for tax collection.

Only with the financial event that is severe and unanticipated.

Can this general fund amount be reduced?

While the city clearly is facing a severe financial event, it cannot be called unanticipated.

The city itself issued multiple reports anticipating future deficits in 2021, 22, 23, and so forth.

Failure to meet these requirements places current and future OPL budgets in a dangerous position.

The city council has already waived the maintenance of effort on measure C and D in the past.

These two parcel taxes represent 75% of the library's budget, seven five.

If these requirements are again not met in the fiscal year 26-27 budget, the library will be decimated.

More than 80% of Oakland voters voted yes for measure C to collect these funds exclusively for library services.

Please don't betray their trust.

Follow your library commission's recommendation and restore the full general fund appropriation to OPL's budget for fiscal year 26 and 27.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comment, Miss Catherine.

Moving to our next Zoom speaker, Rafael Henriquez.

Excuse me if I mispronounced your name.

Please unmute yourself and begin your comment.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Life Enrichment Committee.

My name is Rafael Henriquez, and I volunteer with the friends of the Hoover Durant Public Library.

I'm here to encourage you to work with the rest of Oakland City Council to please restore the 14.5 million general fund appropriation to OPL's budget for fiscal year 26 to 27.

And please support capital appropriations for the Hoover Durant Neighborhood Library, as well as electrical and energy upgrades at multiple branches in the next bond sale.

Thank you for all that you do to support the well-being of Oakland residents.

I yield the rest of my time.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Founder president.

Did you fill out a speaker card?

And if so, what name are you under?

Founder president.

Okay, that concludes your public speakers for item three.

Thank you, Madam City Clerk.

Are there questions or comments from the committee?

Councilmember Houston.

Yes, through the chair.

Um I like to mention something that I just heard from Miss Tina about Giannis about a contract that he had had and got it was re-awarded.

Um through the chair.

Can I ask her a question?

That's not agendized.

I do want to say that Deborah Israel in my office, if you could come to the chambers and speak with Christina Testata around this topic, I would appreciate that.

We did do some research into that issue, but unfortunately that's not on the agenda for today.

It does not it's not about a chair.

I was just saying I got something in the mail, and it's kind of disturbing that we yeah, that we need to help this young man out that had some.

But I understand what you say.

Let's let's talk offline after the meeting.

We're both here for public safety.

So okay.

All right, yes, thank you.

Oh, yeah, I can mention it there.

Councilmember Guy.

Yes, thank thank you.

My aunt okay, thank you.

Um for the thank you to the members of the public.

Um I agree with you.

The library growing up in Oakland and East Oakland, the library was the center for many of us growing up through elementary school, middle school, and high school, the center of doing your homework.

I could never do my homework at home, but the library there on Fruitville used to be the Fruitville Library on Fruitville, was open Monday through Sunday.

Late hours, and the librarian was a welcoming person, and that's why we name the park next to her after her.

And anyway, so for me, the library is in Oakland, East Oakland, considering our populations uh throughout the city, West Oakland is perhaps the most important city government location to help our young people, to help uh teenagers, get them off the street, give them something positive to do, and to help uh the rest of us parents and grandmas and so forth to continue our education and support for community.

So I'm 100%.

And so my question to the administrator is is they're absolutely right.

The voters made it very clear their financial support when it came to libraries.

So, you know, the number 14.5 million dollars.

Is that still in question under the leadership of administration?

That shouldn't even be a discussion anymore.

We're trying to take care of the children in the future.

Is that still under debate?

That money being directed to the library?

That's what I heard that it's hasn't been officially committed to the library, even though Measure C and so what's the answer?

Do we know or we don't know?

I actually requested someone from the finance committee to come and speak to that, but I will open the floor to our city administrator to speak on it.

Yeah.

Through the chair, DCA Navarro.

Um we are following up with finance just to confirm and waiting on a response so we can get back to you.

So we don't still have an answer considering to one of the most valuable locations for children.

And this is what we're facing here in Oakland today, having grown up in Oakland, not just the library, but look at our recreation centers and parks.

They used to be open Monday through Sunday, day in, night out.

We had a place to go to.

Go play basketball, read your books, do your homework, uh, and have somebody else provide the discipline for you that we didn't get at home.

And so I I would to the administration, uh, I'm in full support of restoring the funds that the voters approved.

Because certainly the library for my neighborhood and throughout the city is the most sacred, most important location for some of us that we can't do it at home or at school.

That was uh an educational institution that we all followed.

And so the other question that I have for our um librarians that are here is uh at one time being on the school board, I still remember Oakland Unified School District.

We closed down or reduced most of our libraries from elementary school to high school and directed that energy to the city of Oakland.

And um I don't know if the librarians are they still here or not.

Can you please answer?

Has the Oakland Universe because even that's an example, Fremont High School.

It used to be the library was open day in, day out, Monday through Sunday, but we said, well, we're trying to save money.

Why don't we direct that effort to Melrose Library and let the city of Oakland keep that library open Monday through Sunday?

I mean, is that relationship still going on, or did we get it back in order where you know the school system or the schools were also their libraries would would continue to be open?

I know that you know when it comes to after school hours or Monday through Sunday or Saturdays and Sundays, you know, all our schools are locked down, chained down, and we can't even get in there to play ball like we used to.

And and for those of us that didn't have a father or someone at home to direct this, the the school site was the place to go to.

And the library.

So what's the relationship between the open public library and the schools right now?

Yeah.

Um thank you, Jamie Turback Director.

Um Oakland Public Library in Oakland Unified School District partner on many endeavors.

I don't have the status of how many of the Oakland schools have libraries in them.

My understanding is that most do not, or if they have a library, it's a room with books and that's not staffed in any way or cataloged in any way.

So I think the Oakland Public Library is still a primary resource for the students in the city.

Yeah.

And so, yeah, because it we directed that energy or that information to the Oakland Public Library, and the school libraries during the weekends were closed.

It was shut down and after school hours were closed down.

So I I like to be able to communicate that work with you on that on that effort, but I do support your request.

And certainly, you know, we want to make sure that you know the Fruitville Library remains open.

And uh and the other libraries, whether it's in the West Oakland through the McClymus High School area.

I mean, those were the center locations for many of us, you know, to work towards a brighter future.

And so I you have my full support on that effort.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Thank you, Councilmember Guile.

Council, I'm gonna take Councilmember Wong and then Councilmember Houston.

Through the chair, and uh yeah, I've seen just the absolutely amazing programming that the libraries have produced.

Um I I'm wondering if uh you can speak to what are some of the service cuts that we've had to or the impacts that have um been felt by the library given that we've failed to meet those MOEs.

Um currently there have not been any service cuts.

Um since COVID, the library built up a fund balance, which means that because we had low staffing and um reduced hours during the pandemic, uh we didn't spend as much money because measures C and measure D can only be used for libraries, that money sits until the library can use it.

So as our appropriation, our maintenance of effort was reduced, we drew down those funds.

So we have been able to maintain services, but our ability to have a cushion is disappearing.

Okay, gotcha understood.

And then I also noticed in the um ballot language that it's also supposed to fund services for homelessness at the libraries.

Can you elaborate more about what that has what that looks like today?

Uh we have a variety of services.

Um something that's been very popular lately is we have a dental clinic that comes to the main library.

So we had so many um patrons coming to use free dental services that they had to come back the next day because they couldn't meet the need.

So we partnered with um organizations that provide a variety of service, rental service services, tenant assistance, legal services, tax help.

Um so it takes many different forms depending on what different people need.

Okay.

Um actually, just to go back to the prior question, were the cushion to be no longer there, what do you anticipate or do you anticipate what would be the service impacts?

As an example, in 2009, when there was a recession, the proposed cuts looked like either closing branches entirely or reducing hours.

So generally that's what it the kind of form it takes.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Houston.

One thing to that.

Yes, do the chairs just kind of offbeat.

Um, Jamie and Gabriela, um, how is like AI and how is technology affected the library?

Like when I'm growing up, you know, used to get the biz the card and all that.

How are we stepping up the game to bring in the youth?

Because it was a safe place for us, right?

But now that I just asked my daughter right behind me, I said, when the last time you've been to the library, she said, I didn't think it was safe, Dad, you know, to go from where we live, right?

And that's sad.

So how are we using um AI, you know, like technology to draw in these youth?

That's just through the chair.

I just want to ask a question.

Um so we have a variety of technology.

We have computers which are very heavily used.

We have free Wi-Fi, free internet, uh, free printing.

Um we teach classes on AI using AI safely and some of the concerns around AI.

We've had very popular programs with presenters who've talked on that topic.

Um, and we do other things that are more entertaining, like video games or other kinds of technology.

I think we do a pretty good job of drawing young people in for a variety of interests, um, not just technology necessarily, but um for social needs and other kinds of needs.

And I said that, so I wanted the public to hear it too, because I support you too.

And I wanted to tell uh Gabriela that you did a good job.

I saw you was a little nervous, but you did a good job.

Did an excellent job.

Thank you, Councilmember Hughes.

You welcome.

Gabrielle, did you have anything else to share?

I saw you came back up to the mic.

Yes, thank you.

Um to Councilmember Wang.

I just wanted to add um with the question about the reserves.

Um when those reserves run out.

Uh well, first of all, um, using those reserves, those measures, C and D reserves is subject to the same conditions as reducing the maintenance of effort.

So that's another sort of risk that we had to draw down on those reserves.

Um, but I just want to highlight again that when we do not fully fund our libraries, we're not just risking uh what we the part like the 2.7 million that we are not funding, we are potentially risking the entire system.

So I just want to make that very clear.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

And tell them Gabrielle, you're not new to this, you're true to this.

To manage our agenda time, I do want to um just make sure we're moving on track because I think we have some other speakers that uh several speakers I see in the audience that are here uh for another library item.

So I will entertain a motion to receive and file this in committee, but I also want to thank all of the volunteers, the library commission, all of you, for the tireless work that you do to support our um institutions.

You do this unpaid and you do it for the love because it's needed.

So I thank all of you, all the public speakers, as well as our staff, Jamie, Gabrielle.

Um, I appreciate you all.

There's a motion and a second.

I'm sure the person is when do we get the that's a great that's a great question.

Reaffirmed that's a great question.

We actually did request for someone from the finance committee to be here to answer questions about the maintenance of effort and and the allocation that was utilized in their last budget, and they're not here today.

So we um can potentially bring that back as another item, but there's also an item in the finance committee or uh AC through the chair.

Um there was uh director Johnson had shared that there was an item related to this uh that was at the FMC on February 10th that really detailed the update of the MOEs and in particular measure C was listed in there as well.

So, but we can have finance um follow up and answer any particular questions that are yeah, thank you.

We have a motion made by Councilmember Houston seconded by Councilmember Gallo to receive and file this in the life enrichment committee.

Unroll Councilmember Gaio.

Councilmember, thank you.

Councilmember Houston.

Aye.

Councilmember Wong.

Aye.

And Chair Fife?

Aye.

This motion does pass with four ayes to receive and file this in a life enrichment committee.

Moving to item four.

Adopt a resolution approving it in accordance to the city council budget appropriations allocation as adopted by fiscal year 25 through 27 budget ongoing cooperative purchase agreement, exceeding 250,000 for citywide commodities and service contracts as set forth in table one, in amount not to exceed 2,900,000, and you do have two speakers.

Thanks.

Okay, um, so with regard to uh item number four, uh we are state attorney flags on the force, so we want to make sure we get it corrected.

With the first um resolve, uh be it resolved.

Um we are recommending the following uh be added to the resolved uh clause as follows.

Um that the city uh council approves and to the extent necessary awards the ongoing cooperative purchase agreements exceeding 250,000 dollars for commodities and services set forth in table one, and this is the part as referenced in the agenda report and accompanying attachment uh for an amount not to exceed those amounts listed in table one uh pursuant of Oakland Municipal Code uh 2.04.030A.

Um so that's um the update we wanted to make with regard to this.

Um and I just want to verify that you all have uh the table uh that I'm referencing.

Is that in the packet what you're referencing?

Uh is attachment A.

I am titled citywide ongoing cooperative uh purchase agreements.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Um so uh these vendors here, U.S.

foods and school specialty LLC.

These are the vendors that we've been working with and that we have uh great faith in.

Uh and we believe that they will rise to the occasion for our kiddos this summer.

Thank you.

If you could just you can have your seat.

You don't have to stand up there, but we'll take our public speakers now.

All right, thank you.

Want to call your name, please approach the podium.

David Boat Wright and Ms.

Sada.

So anytime you want to, you can start identifying where I'm getting money from who, Ms.

Fife, and do it on the microphone.

Don't do it in my face.

If I'm taking money, that's what you said.

So what concerns me here are two things on this item.

The race and equity statement.

I think departments don't take serious the race and equity statement, because this one says the city budgets activities increasingly priorities, race and equity.

How are you doing it related to this particular issue?

How are you prioritizing race and equity?

And then the source of funding.

According to the report, this item has 15 different sources of funding, including Measure H, the general fund, ARCA self-sustaining, resolving funding, Department of Health Land, Human Services Fund, Department of Aquaculture Fund, California Department Education Fund, the State of California, other fund, measure AA Fund, high school classroom and seasonal organization program, strengthening children, youth, and families program, DP 5000 administrative project, head start, early head start measure AA, 27 CCTR or project, head start.

All right.

Now that's no problem that you identified the names of where the source of funding is coming from, but to qualify this completely for each one of these 15 sources.

How much money is going to add up to the two point, what is it?

2.9 million.

You're not indicating indicating 15 sources of funding, but for each source, the complete report should be each source contributes what amount you're going to consider the signal obligation.

Thank you, Mr.

Sado.

Thank you for your comments.

Mr.

Mr.

Boatwright, are you speaking on this item?

Yes, ma'am.

Mr.

Lester, Director Lesser, if you could come back to the podium, I I would ask that you repeat some of the comments that you made.

This item is to adopt a resolution that will go to city council to allow the ongoing cooperative purchase agreements that exceed the city administrators' authorization to continue contracts for parks and rec um HSD, other programs primarily that impact children and youth.

Could you repeat your was that an amendment that you stated on the record?

Because I didn't have that ahead of time.

Yes, ma'am.

It was uh the city attorney recommended I do it from the floor uh because it wasn't featured in the information.

So would you need me to read it again?

Would that be best?

And yes, read please read that again and state the purpose of the item that you're reading.

Uh the purpose was uh that um this this uh was not included in the resolution, the table.

Uh so we uh then uh the party is as referenced in agenda report and a copying attachment.

That that's what was missing from the first be it resolved.

May I see a copy of what you have, sir?

I'm I'm having a hard time following what you're saying.

Sorry.

And you know, when would when were these changes made they don't have that is not featured?

All of my colleagues are asking to review this information.

Um, so just in full transparency, in order for us to support this type of amendment being made, it's important that the council and the public has access to any amendments that are being made so that we can approve them and um all transparency.

So I'm I know it's a simple amendment that's being recommended in the further, it's the further resolve, correct?

Yes, the first yeah, we just need to see it, even if it can be put on screen.

This is but it's ideal that we have it ahead of time.

So we're gonna come back to this item.

We're gonna move to the next agenda item to give us time to get everything collected.

Again, this is a minor amendment, but I prefer that we know what those amendments are so I can even determine that it's minor.

Councilmember Houston.

Well, he'll he'll be he'll be back.

We're gonna move to you wanna ask me a question.

So just in case I have to go.

Um these these companies are from out of state.

Uh how long have we I just wanted to say that to you, K Sali.

Which which organizations are you referenced?

They're talking about this one right here.

Both of them.

You talk about the food, um, U.S.

Food Inc, school specialties.

One is from Rosemont, Illinois, and the other one is from Greenville, Washington, if I can see properly.

Yeah, both of them.

Yeah, I'm just saying, um, it just is like you I wanted to know what type of um product and services they provided.

That's what questions I was gonna ask.

When we come back to the uh topic, when we come back to that agenda item, we can raise that with the director and staff from HSD.

We'll go on to the next agenda item and come back to to this one.

If I may, sorry, I just asked staff to go ahead and get copies printed so that we can have copies of what the changes were.

I stated through the chair.

We will now come back to item four, moving to item five.

Adopt an ordinance one, authorizing a city administrator to negotiate and execute a purchase and sale agreement for 3105 San Pablo LLC to acquire the improved real property located at 3105 San Pablo Avenue and Oakland for 3,495,000 and related due diligence and closing costs for a redevelopment for Hoover branch library, and two reallocating 242,000 of Measure KK funds for the property acquisition and three adopting SQL findings.

And you do have 13 speakers for this item.

Thank you.

And you are back, Director Turback.

Yes.

Good afternoon.

I'm Jamie Turback, Director of the Oakland Public Library.

I have the privilege today to request authorization for the city to purchase a building to be used as a Hoover branch library.

And I want to thank Councilmember Fife for sponsoring this ordinance.

The property is located at 3105 San Pablo Avenue in the Hoover Foster neighborhood in West Oakland and was formerly the community foods market grocery store that closed in 2022.

This property was listed for sale sale several months ago, and staff in the real estate department, JB Williams and Brendan Moriarty, who are here today if there's questions, were able to establish a reduced price that would allow the city to buy it for about 3.6 million dollars.

The background section of the report details the lengthy planning and community engagement efforts to restore library in a neighborhood that had one or two for nearly a hundred years, but lost all of them by 1981 after decades of redlining and disinvestment.

Twenty years ago, a library facilities master plan and the friends of Hoover Durant Public Library advocated more formally to restore the Hoover Library.

This eventually led to a robust feasibility study led by June Grant of Blink Lab Architecture.

The feasibility study ranked adaptive reviews of the former grocery store, the highest in community preference, the most accessible location, and the most economical and environmentally responsible choice.

Number one, the funds for this purchase would come from reallocating bonds from two other library capital projects.

About 1.7 million would come from the Brookfield Library renovation, which is nearing completion and is under budget and will have excess funding.

The remaining $2 million would come from the Melrose Renovation Project, Melrose Library.

This project is in the initial design stage and retains $1 million to continue moving forward.

The library department will seek future council authorization to restore funds during the next measure you bond sale.

If $2 million is not restored by 2027, we will lose matching grant funds, and we will not be able to enter into the construction phase for the Melrose renovation.

Number two, the purchase of this building does not include the adjoining parking lot.

The feasibility study estimated the cost of about 11 million dollars for the necessary improvements, such as foundation, roofing, environmental controls, restrooms, safety requirements, interior furnishes, and furniture.

Measure U bond funds or state funds might be options.

The library department and Friends of Hoover Durant Public Library will also increase our fundraising efforts.

As noted in the report, we did apply for a million dollar grant from the state, but we were denied because we hadn't procured a site at that time.

So I do believe there's dollars out there for that purpose.

Lastly, staffing books, equipment, and any parking lease expenses would come from the library department's budget, primarily measures C and D.

When the city declares a fiscal emergency, the library's measure C and D have compensated for the loss of the maintenance of effort requirements from the general purpose fund.

Without the full maintenance of effort of 14.5 million dollars, the library budget will be stretched in supporting an additional library.

In addition, there will be increased maintenance, security, and custodial costs borne by the public works department from an internal service fund that is already overburdened.

Despite these important considerations and challenges, I hope we continue to work together to build this vision into a reality.

This is a very exciting moment in the culmination of passion and dedication by city employees, commissioners, elected officials, and other stakeholders.

Most importantly, community members organized and guided by the Friends of Hoover Durant Public Library have kept this dream alive for decades.

Staff recommends that city council adopt this ordinance.

The real estate department and I are available for questions.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Let's go straight to the public speakers.

You've been waiting for a long time.

When I call your name.

If you're participating via Zoom, please raise your hand so you're easily identified as practice.

We will take in person before Zoom speakers.

We have David Boatwright, Miss Owens.

Thank you.

Rafael Henri Henriquez.

I'm really sorry about mispronouncing your name.

Miss Catherine, Kevin, Fatima, Duane Nelson, Lionel, Christina, John Williams, and Miss Asada.

Okay.

And you may line up in no particular order.

Come on, everybody.

You may line up in no particular order to speak.

Please state your name for the record.

I'm here today representing.

Please state your name for the record.

Oh, excuse me.

I will have my name in there.

My name is Lionel Wilson.

And I'm here representing four generations of Oaklanders who have used what I knew as the North Oakland Library.

And I want to correct our chief librarian.

31st Street, and where the new proposed location is not North Oakland, is not West Oakland.

My grandfather, who was born in 1899, and who was also a benefited from the library here in Oakland, graduated from Prescott Elementary School in the ninth grade, and was able to use the library services to promote himself and retire as a lieutenant in the Oakland Fire Department.

As you know, both of my parents were raised here in Oakland.

My father was also a user of the North, what I knew as the North Oakland Library.

My brothers and I are also users of that library.

In fact, it was that library that gave us, helped give us this incentives to continue reading, learning, and growing.

I can't think of anything more important in this the whole school district.

The only kind of contact that we ever came into say the with the city is that my grandfather, of course, at the fire department has this was the city's service, but was the library that we used.

And I can't tell you the number of individuals who I know who I grew up with, who went on to college and now provide services here in Oakland and elsewhere who have benefited from these libraries.

There is nothing more important.

My children now take benefit of those libraries, and also my grandchildren.

I urge you in general, as Mr.

Galli also said, we need this library.

It's so important.

It's not West Oakland, it's North Oakland.

It's Hoover Durant.

It's Clarston Elementary School that was there.

It was Longfellow Elementary School.

It was Hoover Durant Elementary School and Junior High School who used those facilities.

All these areas could benefit and will benefit if you approve this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Come on, ladies.

Community members like Ogva Stein have been working to restore a library to this neighborhood for over 20 years.

The Friends of Hubert Durant Public Library organized in 2006.

A seven-member committee led a feasibility study with the architect and over 500 community surveys.

Adding on to my earlier point about public safety, a Hoover branch would reach nearly 11,000 residents within a 10-minute walk.

And the eruptive reuse comes in at the lowest cost in of any option study.

So I would urge the committee to support this resolution and thank you so much for your time and consideration.

David Boatride District 4.

One question.

Thank you.

And that Piedmont Library has fallen through, but they spent $700,000 for a feasibility study for a space that needed to be a child development center or housing for teachers.

Those were the three recommendations.

But the white people in the city of Piedmont wanted a library.

And y'all went alone with that.

And doing it, this group, Hoover Durant got pushed to the side.

So thank you for your dedication.

I have to say this though.

Measure you, four million dollars for a project that the community said they were going to build it themselves.

But the council member before you took money for that.

They got money to build your library.

They're not gonna do it unless you pressure them, or you become a favorite child.

When it's too many African Americans on the scene, you're not a favorite child.

But this has to start.

So Mr.

Gallow, when you gonna rename that library, she's a Chavez.

See, when I came here two meetings ago and told y'all about Caesar Chavez turning in illegal immigrants and beating them up at the border, y'all didn't have nothing to say.

Now this issue is serious about him sexually abusing people, but he was turning in illegal immigrants.

And y'all don't have nothing to say.

You need to rename that library.

I'll be on that because y'all always have something to say about black people like you, Miss Fife, taking this comment.

Next speaker, please.

Yeah, my name is John Williams, and I want to thank the council for letting me uh special uh express my uh desires for the Hoover Durant Library.

We need the library there because of the fact that nowadays when we're living in a time where everybody needs good information, you know, information that's coming from everywhere.

And if you want to get a lot of information, you'd have to go to the library where you wouldn't have to spend a lot of money and get good and good information.

We have I had a picture of the library that we had in Hoover Durant area, and we had a picture of uh the kids and how they were enjoying being at the library, and that's the uh area that uh the mayor came from, the mayor of Oakland at one time.

He was living in that area, so it's very it would be very good for us to re-establish uh the Hoover Durant Library because of the fact that it's not just gonna be a library, it's gonna have a facility there for medical help as well, and that is good for everyone.

So I appreciate you listening to what I had to say.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comment.

If I called your name and you still wish to speak, please approach the podium.

Yes, sir.

And please state your name for the record.

My name is Dwayne Nelson.

I'm a district three resident in West Oakland, member of uh West Oakland neighbors, and I'm here to support this ordinance and uh urge its immediate passage.

This committee's been waiting since 1981, nearly 50 years for the city to return a library.

I wouldn't say it was taken, I would say it was stolen by a depraved act of government neglect.

I think you've got generations of people who've had to go a long distance just to find a library, or more likely they just went without.

And I think you have to look at this and say that this neglect was pretty intentional.

I mean, you have uh somebody on the city payroll actually write and say that this is not a reading neighborhood to justify the underfunding of the branch.

I mean, I think that's that's outrageous.

I think it's a vile and vicious racist lie, and I think we can call it that.

I would say that this community is a reading community and it is a learning community, and I would I would say you wouldn't need to listen to anyone who says differently.

Now I certainly would love to have a grocery store in this location, but I think that's a conversation for another day.

But I think uh the staff did a great job in terms of utilizing the space.

I think uh with 15,000 square feet, I think that's great.

But I'm concerned about the the parking.

I think you need to secure the parking because if you don't, you're gonna wind up with the library that's not accessible.

I think if you have a library that's not accessible, at that point you're just delivering on a promise that's half-kept.

I would say we've had enough promises half-kept in Oakland, we don't need any more.

You know, I've lived long enough to be experienced and experienced enough to be cynical.

I think I hope that the right thing will happen in this room today.

You know, it's obvious that we have a nation right now where we're diluting content in libraries, if not straight out looting them or closing them.

So I think that we can change our trajectory here today.

I hope that you vote yes on this and pass this.

Thank you.

Would you like to still speak?

Miss Altonier.

Okay, okay.

Owens, you're going to speak separate.

Yes, ma'am.

Hi, my name is Alvertio Owens, and I am a member of the Friends of Hoover Durant Library.

I'm the fundraising chairperson and I'm part of the leadership team.

And I've been one of the people that's been here for the 20 years on the conception idea.

And I'm a believer in having a library accessible to everyone within a radius and making getting there accessible.

And we don't have that because we do service a large area from San Pablo back east all up into PO Hill into Piedmont government over to Emoryville.

It's a lot of services that we are planning on instituting in our library.

We're trying to get a medical mobile.

We're going to look at uh getting some type of financial literacy in our neighborhood.

We really need that.

Um that's a uh some an area that we're really lacking in.

And um we have plans of keeping up and having like AI, uh, the things that are needed for people to survive, and it can only enrich the lives of those in the area, and we are an underserved area, we've been pushed aside, forgotten about, thrown away, think we won't do, but we will and we can, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support because it's something that we need to have a legacy to build from, and I thank you very much, and please, yes, vote and support and put that money back so we can get it going.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment, Miss Owens.

Ms.

Owens.

Would you like to speak?

Okay.

Hello everyone.

My name is Professor Sharon Jones.

And I teach health medicine and nutrition at San Francisco State University.

We need this library, you all.

One of the um things that we want to focus on, which many people have some have already stated, is that we know that there are health disparities in our community.

We know that black women die of breast cancer at a rate higher than others.

We know that the infant mortality rate in our community is off the hook.

We know that there are other health conditions that we deal with in our community that we shouldn't, if there were services that would provide preventative measures, and that's what we plan on our library doing.

We plan on having people to uh come in to the library to um find out early if they have diabetes, if they have cancer, if they have just all these different um medical conditions that are preventable if there are services that are available, people will come into the library before they'll go to their doctors, maybe.

We know that the library is a safe place for our teenage.

Thank you so much.

Good afternoon again.

I'm uh I'm Al Sonir Cook, and I am the chair of the Friends of Hoover Durant.

But I want to introduce these people who worked, have been working since 2013.

To bring our library back.

Ernest Johnson, vice chair.

I don't think he's here.

Odva Stein, who is the treasurer.

Raphael Enriquez, who is the secretary.

Norman Hooks, who is here.

He's uh with our feasibility study.

Uh Catherine Zucker, Capital Campaign Fund, our team leaders, Alberta Owens.

You heard from her.

Alexandria Jennings, who is our accountant, who keeps us out of trouble, with Gavin Newson, Donald Trump, and the city.

Um Jennifer Castellone, David Stein, John Williams, who is the administrative assistant to the chair.

Amy Worth, our strategic consultant, Lionel Wilson, who is our liaison, and Sabine Dabati.

I also want to thank all the rest of you who had faith in us, who encouraged us when we felt down.

I guess I just want to conclude by asking you and strongly asking you to support the purchase of this site.

It would be ideal.

It would represent our community, it would help our community.

We have worked hard for it.

Please vote for this.

We are determined to bring our library back for all the reasons that were discussed here today.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Christina, or would you still like to speak?

Okay, moving to our Zoom speakers.

Catherine, please unmute yourself and begin your comment.

Thank you.

Hello again.

My name is Catherine Sturbenz.

I'm advocacy chair of the Friends of the Oakland Public Library and former chair of the city's library commission.

First, please support these capital improvements.

I mean that these capital appropriations, excuse me, for the Hoover Durant Neighborhood Library.

As you know, it was devastated in 1981 when 980 tore through.

And so the purchase of 3105 San Pablo Avenue would uh for the Hoover Durant Library would restore library services to West Oakland that are long overdue.

Second, please support the full 14.5 million allocation of the Library Services Retention and Enhancement Act, also known as Measure C.

As a supporter of the Friends of Hoover Durant, I have seen how OPL provides essential services for children, youth, families, and adults across Oakland, including residents who are not easily reached by other city programs.

OPL is also a critical part of the city's public safety strategy that is often overlooked.

People talk about police, they forget police cannot do it all, and libraries are a key part of that.

In 2026, when many Oakland residents are facing significant affordability challenges, stable library funding is more important than ever.

We regularly hear from residents about the difference that library services make in their daily lives.

Reducing library services would disproportionately harm the people who rely on these resources the most.

So in the face of fiscal constraints, please protect the core public services that help Oakland residents learn, work, and thrive.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comment.

Moving to our next speaker, Rafael.

Please unmute yourself and begin your comment.

Yes, thank you.

Good afternoon, Life Enrichment Committee.

My name is Rafael Henriquez, and I am a volunteer with the friends of the Hoover Durant Public Library.

I'm here to encourage you to work with the rest of Oakland City Council to please support the full allocation of the Library Services Retention and Enhancement Act, Measure C, including the additional 2.7 million from the general purpose fund for Oakland Public Library.

I'd also like to encourage you to please support this property purchase for a Hoover Durant branch.

Thank you for all that you do to support the well-being of Oakland residents.

Thank you, and I yield the rest of my time.

Thank you for your comment.

Moving to our next speaker, Fatima.

Please unmute yourself and begin your comment.

Hi, my name is Fatima Yesaf.

I'm a 24-year-old registered voter and resident of District One and member of Oakland Public Library Advocates, and I support the purchase of the San Pablo property for the Heroid Ranch Library.

This project is many decades in the making, and it would positively impact so many people.

Yeah, thank you for your time and I yield the rest of my time.

That concludes your speakers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll go straight to Councilmember Houston.

Through the chair.

And what I mean by that is that they're doing a Brookville library.

And I live right around a corner, so and I'm a contractor by trade in my other world.

And so I wanted to know could this project be done without the balance for the Brookville Recreation Center?

Because I was going to be talking to who's ever in charge of that with the punch list, because it's a bunch of things there that could be done.

My seniors and my children need a beautiful place too, right?

And that's what I was elected to do.

And I saw it's a couple of things like some ADA grade levels is different, it could be fixed, some landscaping and this access on the um on that cove area.

It's a bunch of little punch list things that can be done because they did half of the siding.

They should do all the siding where it's just uniform and it looks good.

I want them to have quality also.

So I was wondering without that money from the Brookfield, can this still be happening?

Because it's my library too in East Oakland.

So the Brookfield Library Project retains funds.

So there will be uh it will be fully complete as it was designed and planned.

Um it should be ready to reopen uh by June, we're estimating.

Uh the reason there's excess funds is because midway through the project, we got additional state money of about three million dollars.

So that allowed us to have enough to do everything we wanted to do at Brookfield.

Um, the Brookfield branch, as you know, is located in the same building as the East Oakland Senior Center.

Right.

So the East Oakland Senior Center has a separate capital project that's going on, and that will complete the siding as well as other things that will happen on the senior side of the building.

Um, so to your point, no, we cannot make this purchase without the excess funds from Brookfield.

Uh those funds would not be used for any other purpose at this time.

So that's why we were proposing to move this purchase forward.

Oh, so now you got me fighting with my council member Fife, you know.

Uh so um, all right.

Yeah, because this some things that need to be done there, and that money could go for.

But let me let me let me let my other colleagues talk.

No, for her.

Um, I just am really grateful for the community for coming out for um organizing all these years um, in spite of you know the the clear negligence and some of the statements that I heard that were really concerning around the history, and I um am just thankful for this effort and want to move the item.

Thank you.

Councilmember Guy, did you have anything to share?

I'll just have a little bit.

Well, you second is the second, yeah.

And so I'll just say really quickly, Councilmember uh Houston.

I'm not gonna fight you on this issue because I'm just saying your district deserves amenities too.

And they're coming.

And so with the budget that the budget shifts that are happening, it's because the library portion uh came in under budget.

And as Director Turback just said, the resources for the senior center are separate uh allocation, correct?

So I just want to be clear there you both of your um centers are going the library and the senior center are going to reopen and to the full design for which they were created.

I do want to give an opportunity if I'm putting you on the spot.

If I'm putting you on the spot, I apologize, but I want to bring up Blink Labs architect June Grant because she has been a visionary in this process, and I couldn't let this opportunity pass without you speaking on your vision for helping uh these folks bring this to life.

So I just wanted to give you at least an opportunity to say something.

Thank you, Councilwoman Fife.

I'm not used to referring to you that way, but forgive me.

My name is June Grant.

I am the founding design principal of Blink Lab Architecture.

After 20 something years of working for large corporate architecture firms, including AECOM, I opened my practice in Oakland with the deliberate intent to work only with communities that currently reside within the redlined zones.

We do this specifically because these communities rarely ever get professional services that work directly with the communities.

Most architects work for a developer.

But the community voice from my experience has never been truly listened to the point where they can articulate the vision.

What we did for Hoover starting in 2016 when Miss Cook walked into my studio and asked me to design a library for her, and I looked at her at the time she was about 77, and I thought she cannot afford my services.

But she can afford a poster.

That little poster in 2016 resulted in our first street corner library, which was agit prop in order to bring attention to the lack of a library in that community.

And we literally stood there in San Pablo with boxes and boxes and boxes of books, really to shame the city, but also to awaken our residents to the fact that this community had two libraries.

It's where the middle class African American residents came from.

It's where our first black mayor came from.

It's where our black fire station used to be.

When this community voted for community market as their preferred site, it will do so many things.

One is adaptive reuse, which we're very supportive of, but two, if you look at how market and San Pablo, and and I I think Adeline's not too far away, but it acts as a nexus.

And when you drive on San Pablo, what happens is people just drive through a neighborhood.

It's a neighborhood.

What this building will do is begin to anchor the neighborhood.

It would allow us to calm the traffic.

It allowed us to bring a civic center to this community that lacks one.

It would begin to knit both the east and the west side of San Pablo with one location.

And this library is likely to also spur investment into San Pablo, which we sorely need.

So I appreciate the opportunity to talk about why I do what I do, but also this is a golden opportunity to revive San Pablo and where North and West meet.

And I really hope you support this initiative.

So thank you for the opportunity for talking.

I use my time.

Thank you.

If I can add, uh Ms.

Grant is also the architect for the Brookfield Library.

So she's doing a wonderful job.

I had the honor of being featured with Ms.

Grant and the Oakland Museum of California's exhibit on Black Spaces.

So if you missed it, she's working on a digital version that can be viewed at any time about the space and how we need to envision it for the future, in spite of the past.

And so I appreciate all of you for coming out.

I and our last community meeting on this issue.

I was moved when I met Miss Elverdia.

Um and I I forget all the people that I met in 2014 about this issue.

So I met June Grant and everybody that was working on this project 12 years ago, and it is still moving forward.

And I said, on my watch, we're going to get this across the finish line.

And so when elders in my community were brought to tears saying that they didn't think they would see this done in their lifetime, that just gave me just that extra courage.

I reached out to all of our state representatives to get support with grant and funding allocations.

I talked to community vision, and I told them how important this was to my constituents, and you have the biggest champion with Director Turback, um, and just her experience, her acumen around these issues, and so thank you for bringing this to me when we met at AMLO and you brought up the possibility.

This has been a long time coming, but it we're not at the finish line.

And I want to be absolutely clear.

There's several things that have to happen in terms of making sure that our libraries are fully funded across the board with the allocations that we heard from some of our other speakers as well.

Um it is a it's a public safety issue.

Um, but it's also something that really resonated with me.

There's so many seniors that are working on this project, so many seniors.

So if you're a young person and you're listening to this, or I'm gonna put on my social media, get involved and support this process as well.

Um, so they can rest, and it this can be the work can be passed on to other generations because it'll be beneficial for our communities.

We are also working on the San Pablo Corridor project, which is going to bring streetscaping, additional um bus and rapid transit, and we're we're the whole corridor will be transformed within the next few years, and this library is going to be an anchor to that transformation.

We're bringing things back.

So on my watch, we will get this done.

I know Director Turback feels the same.

I I hope my colleagues feel the same way, but we're gonna we're gonna bring it home.

And so I appreciate all of you all.

I I do want to recognize my colleague who who has his hand up.

I wanted to make the motion, but council member Wong put it in first.

But um, councilmember Houston, you have the floor.

Um, through the chair, you know I was when I said we're gonna fight.

I know we wouldn't fight.

I just want to make sure that my seniors and my kids in DP Stoke is taking care of too.

So I'm gonna say yes to, but however, I do want to walk through that project because it is some things I want to make sure that are included with the senior funding piece, because as a contractor, like in my old life, I see things that needed to be done on ABA access, and I just want to make sure the landscape is that it's beautiful too.

So I still want to do a walk and make sure that's a part of that funding, but I'm gonna roll with it because Councilmember Fife.

That's it.

I got you.

Miss Altonier, I appreciate you.

You have led this project with the amazing work.

It's been a it's been a collective process.

All of you all are wonderful, wonderful.

I know.

You're the one who talks the most in the community meetings.

But thank you all for your time and your energy.

So, madam clerk, we can call the roll.

Thank you.

We have a motion made by Councilmember Wong, second by Councilmember Gaio to approve the recommendations of staff and afford this item to the April 14th.

Special city council agenda at 3:30 on roll.

Councilmember Gallo.

Thank you.

Councilmember Houston.

I thank you.

Councilmember Wong.

I'm chair five.

Several ayes, all of the ayes.

The motion passes with four eyes to approve the recommendations of staff and afford this item to the April 14th, 2026 special city council agenda and through the body.

Would that be on consent?

Yes.

Thank you.

On consent.

Moving back to item four.

I will reread the item into record.

Adopt a resolution approving in accordance to the city council budget appropriations allocation as adopted by the fiscal year 2527 budget ongoing cooperative purchase agreement exceeding 250,000 for citywide commodities and services contracts and set forth in table one in an amount not to exceed 2,900,000 meeting in April and time.

April has April 14th has two meetings at 9 30 and 3 30 p.m.

And that particular item item five is going to the 3 30 p.m.

The recommendations for the 3 30 p.m.

Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

Shout out to real estate.

I'm sorry.

How did I leave you?

Thank you.

JV?

Okay.

Okay.

So thank you for coming back.

And I I hate to be a stickler.

I just when things are read and I can't read along, it gets a little convoluted in my head.

So if you could um just read this minor edition that you read into record, we can go ahead and call the vote on this item.

Well, first of all, apologies.

Um it won't happen again.

Um so um though just to read it in a record, um, it's uh a small thing, uh, but it's it's it it is important.

Uh so we resolved that the city council approves and to the extent necessary awards the ongoing cooperative purchase agreements exceeding 250,000 dollars for commodities and services set forth in table one, and then this is the part as referenced in the agenda report in a company attachment for the amount not to exceed those amounts listed in table one pursuant of OMC 2.04 zero three point zero three zero thank you for repeating the amendment.

So the council will need a motion and a second, and let's vote on the item.

Through you have a question, but I may through the chair, DC Navarro.

Uh we do have staff here available to actually present uh the report itself, so if we can allow for staff to provide the report and then we can move forward.

Okay, yeah.

20 seconds noted.

Uh Sarah Trist program operations manager with early childhood and family services.

Um this report and resolution is simply to provide contracting authority.

These are cooperative grants that are competitively bid.

Uh I'd like to point out that for both of these vendors, they are not the sole source for these goods and services, um, but they are important ones to ensure that our children in uh centers in after-school programming in summer camps have a wide variety of nutritious foods and excellent craft materials uh for their enrichment and development.

Uh this allows us to contract over a period of time to ensure continuity of care, continuity of services, and a lower burden on contracting questions, yes, go ahead, council member.

Yeah, um, I actually have some really real concerns with this item.

Um I think you know, for me, I first of all just in general, and I I'm not picking on this department.

I've also brought this up with an item that came before finance and management, which is that you know, there's not kind of the the metrics where it's like how much are we saving with first of all pursuing a cooperative agreement?

Um I will say that I am also noticing many controversies associated with this U.S.

foods company.

Uh, to my fellow council members' point, they're not first of all based in anywhere.

They're like based out out in Indiana or Illinois, and um there's a couple of issues documented with them.

Uh in 2024, uh there was there's a uh there was a class action lawsuit about their failure to pay drivers properly, they didn't pay on time.

Uh in 2023, the U.S.

Department of Labor also uh settled with them over essentially uh gender-based discrimination where uh there were not fair wages paid to 997 female applicants in 2012.

The EEOC settled a lawsuit with the same company for allegations of race discrimination where black employees were subjected to racial harassment in their Memphis facility.

So I I know that it is usually just you know it's an extension of an existing thing, but especially in light of you know the disparity study that we got recently, and I think it's fair that we need to scrutinize these contracts more and not just say, well, we've already we've already done it, let's just continue it.

And when it also comes to nutrition value, since this is uh an extremely large company, they're I think the second largest food distributor in the United States.

Um these large distributors are well documented to provide extremely old like ultra processed foods, and so it's these things that without seeing more accountability.

Are we ensuring that this company is going to be providing the best nutrition to our kids?

I just um I I have concerns, and yeah.

We got through the chair.

I'm not um aware of the other concerns going back to 23 and 24 around the labor practices, those are of course very concerning.

What I can speak to is the food that we do purchase.

Um so our central kitchen staff arrive at 6 a.m.

to cook from scratch.

So they are cooking whole turkeys, they are cooking rice from scratch, they are chopping vegetables, some of which comes from U.S.

foods, but they are not our only food distributor.

Historically, we have had more local vendors who by and large shut down in 2020.

The department has gone out with RFPs for milk distributors, produce distributors, which we have, uh poultry and meat distributors, and we continue to go out.

Our issue is we haven't had bids come back because many of those businesses have closed.

It is our preference to have a variety of vendors, because that is how we ensure continuity of services, especially when there have been interruptions in the food supply.

Um we do need a broadline distributor who has everything we need.

The produce, the tofu, the poultry, the spices, the flour, the sugar.

Um, and we are not committed to using one, but this is one of the sources that we have been able to rely on uh to ensure that children are fed well.

Okay.

Go ahead, council member.

Thank you through the chair.

Thank you, Councilmember Wang for that.

Um my concern is this is that, and I didn't know nothing about that, and I'm gonna speak to you, Councilmember Wang, about the the uh uh um prejudice.

You you you looked something up that said that that it was discrimination in that.

I'd like to look know a little bit more about that.

But my concern is that is that you know from day one when I became council member, I was talking about the SLBE local, local, local, um Oakland.

This is not even in California.

Um and we don't have anyone in California can provide the same services in California.

I'm talking about, um at least in California.

Um so I got a concern about what Council Member Wang mentioned about discrimination.

What were you saying, Councilmember Wang through the chair?

Yeah.

Um so I'm seeing here, and this is just uh Google search, and I've confirmed just looking at the links myself, that and also I will just say in general to the staff, I would typically give you a heads up, but I was just I'm responding to looking at things on my laptop in real time.

So in 2024, there was a class action lawsuit that um first of all there was a failure to pay the drivers properly, so around uh wages, um, and then there's also um a U.S.

Department of Labor.

So we have the federal government here that had settled on a 2023 gender-based uh hiring discrimination uh case.

So US foods paid around 721,000 in back wages to 997 in then there was also a race discrimination suit in 2012 or the EEOC, again, this is the federal government that settled with U.S.

foods around um racial discrimination that was occurring at one of their facilities.

So, you know, there's a lot of this company does not have a great track record.

So through the chair, I wish Council Member Fife would have heard that too.

So if if we don't go with this, will that slow down?

Because this is talking about for children, you know.

Now, you know, I'm all about the kids and the seniors, right?

So what would how will this affect our our our the process of our children?

Through the chair, if I don't have another broadline distributor to bring food into the kitchen, 12 of our centers will close immediately.

I cannot operate them without food.

I don't I have a produce contract that's in California, but I can't feed the children just produce.

We are committed to having more vendors, and we have been going through that process.

We would like more vendors, we would like more local vendors.

But if we do not have a broadline distributor, all of our centers will close until we do.

So basically through the chair, our hands are tied.

I got it.

I hear you loud and clear.

Um so if we vote this down today, there's no option to rectify it.

And this is a this is not about this department, but in general, sometimes I feel like a gun is held to our head at these uh when we have to make these votes where if we don't vote for it, we have an issue with the vendors that are being proposed.

Um, or it's like a gun to our head where it's like you have to do it because you know it's gonna shut down these centers.

This is just generally frustrating.

So let me go through the chair again.

Councilmember Five, you were out there with the with that was good.

It's good because you got it.

That's your folks, and and it was a great win.

Um, but can you restate that so council member five can hear that please?

Yeah, so I had just uh and I'm looking in real time.

I would have uh given a heads up to folks if I had seen this earlier, but I have some real concerns with the US foods company that um is being recommended to increase their contract amount by 1.75 million dollars.

Um there in 2024, there was a there's a California class action lawsuit around their failure to pay drivers properly.

Uh in 2023, uh there was a U.S.

Department of Labor settlement um where there were women that experienced gender-based hiring discrimination, and in 2012 there was another lawsuit with the EEOC, um, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with uh allegations of race discrimination experienced by uh black employees at their Memphis facility, and um you know, when in addition, I don't see anything in the report that shows what's the cost savings also with it this is the second largest food uh distributor in the country, and so historically these kind of companies have had had issues with you know providing anything but like just ultra-processed foods and just getting assurances that at least the quality of the food at our facilities is going to be excellent.

These are the things that I just got questions about.

Yeah, and are uh is there an alternative motion or an alternative vendor that's been recommended.

I stepped out.

What is the suggestion being made by the committee?

Can we do can we do that?

We can just no, I'm asking.

So I mean I I hear I just wanted you to hear because uh uh the she she clearly understood um explained about they get they get the quality food and things like that.

She clearly explained that my thing was the discrimination piece, right?

And being out of the state, but if we don't have any other choice, we just don't have any other choice.

It like you just said, Councilmember Wang, got a gun to our head, but that's gonna stop with me.

I'm telling you, that's gonna stop soon.

Um so anyway, I'm gonna open the floor.

If there are other alternatives, um I think we should look at them.

If they're not, then we should work with staff to figure out what can be built out over um the next cycle of um yeah, RFPs that might go out so we can look into um locally based California-based firms that can offer better services.

And right now, yeah, we often find ourselves in these positions where we have to make immediate decisions uh because historically that's how things have been done, and no one has surfaced other alternatives.

But what I've heard loud and clear from this committee and from the council body altogether is that we want local and we want firms that are going to treat their employees right, and so unfortunately in this country in the the economic system that we live under, there's a lot of exploitation.

So we have to do our due diligence and research working with staff to find out what else is possible.

In this moment, I apologize that this is what we have, and we have to vote about what's in front of us today.

Yeah, one thing I want to add.

Um I heard your concerns about the outcomes, and I want to share with you and everyone that we will be looking at what is the return on investment, what are the outcomes similar to the other matter that we're working on?

Um HSD will be a bit uh extremely transparent and sharing the outcomes and so that we will all know what we're getting on return investment.

Yeah, I that would be great, Dr.

Lester.

I think especially when we're giving money to a large company.

I I think sometimes our smaller companies struggle with reporting and all the metrics and that creates a burden.

But US Foods is the second largest food distributor in the United States.

They better you know, we better be able to get them to report on some metrics that we're gonna give them, you know, money.

So, anyways, yes.

I all that to say is I agree and thank you.

We do have a motion made by councilmember Houston, seconded by Councilmember Gaio.

I think we have two final statements.

Councilmember member Wong, are you complete?

I see your life's so long.

Oh, Councilmember Houston.

Yeah, I just wanted to say she explained it thoroughly, and I trust in Dr.

Lester, because I had a great conversation when he first came, and I believe that he believes in what the change that this new council wants to do.

So, yes.

We do have a motion made by councilmember Houston, seconded by councilmember Guyo to approve as amended the recommendations of staff to forward this item to the April 14th special city council agenda at 3:30 p.m.

with the amendments made to the first resolve clause, adding as reference in the agenda report and accompanying an attachment after table one and before the sentence of for an amount not to exceed.

Councilmember Houston.

Aye.

Councilmember Wong.

I'm going to log on a no vote just for all the reasons that I explained earlier.

Thank you.

And Chair Fife.

Aye.

Thank you.

We have a motion made by three ayes and one no wrong to approve as amended the recommendations of staff and to forward this item to the April 14th, 2026 special city council agenda at 3:30 p.m.

and through the body that is on consent.

On consent.

Moving to open form.

Yes.

Want to call your name, please approach the podium.

Miss Owens, Mrs.

Sada, and Miss Cook.

So according to Carol Fife, all I do is come here and run my mouth, and I don't do nothing in the community.

So since you're talking about lawsuits, let me tell you about the lawsuits that have been taken place in the state of California that have to do with black people and their jobs, why they have to sue.

Last week, a black woman who works in the code of enforcement for the city of Fresno just has been awarded $15 million for being called the N-word for retaliation, harassment, and racial discrimination.

$50 million.

In the city of Fran uh San Francisco, there is a case of city black workers who have filed a suit claiming that they have been disciplined at a higher rate.

They are paid less, and they're less likely to be promoted.

Tesla has been sued several times by African Americans for racial graffiti slurs at the Fremont plant, hostility on the work environment, and unequal pay.

Google in the state of California have been sued by black workers for they have been subject to discrimination, firing, hostile work environment.

I can't remember what city this is, but the it's uh Sacramento.

African Americans have sued SMUO for discrimination and retaliation in the city of Oakland, Kaiser Permanente has been sued by over 2,225 black employees for uh in Northern California for failing to uh uh of out because of allegations of discrimination, low pay, and lack of promotions.

Okay, so in the city of Rosewell, you have uh auto workers who have sued for racial harassment and black employees all in the city of McClamen, California.

Um I might be saying it wrong, black racial harassment and slurs at the plant that's in that city.

Okay, that's black racial harassment just in this city or this state.

So you talk about her uh jobs.

Carol Fife says thank you for your comment, Mr.

Sada.

Oh yeah, it's a little so we're revisiting the item from our previous vote.

Yes, uh, through the chair, deputy city attorney.

Um rule five um of your rules requires that an item um can only go to consent if it's unanimous, and there was a no vote.

Thank you so much to city of parliamentarian.

Going back to item four, restating the motion.

We had we did have a motion made by Councilmember Houston, seconded by Councilmember Raga to approve as amended the recommendations of staff and to forward this item to the April 14th, 2026 special city council agenda at 3 30 p.m.

with the amendments of adding as reference to the agenda report and accompanying an attachment at the first further resolve of the legislation.

Thank you, sorry.

Councilmember Houston.

Aye.

Thank you.

Councilmember Wong.

No.

Thank you.

And Chair Fife.

I want to hear from the parliamentarian.

I'm sorry, I wasn't suggesting to retake the vote.

I was just suggesting that it should go to non-consent because of the vote instead of going on consent, which was lodged before.

Thank you.

The motion passed with three ayes and one no.

Wong to approve the recommendations as amended estaffs and afford this item to the April 14th, city special city council agenda at 3:30 p.m.

on non-consent.

And going back to open forum, that concludes our speakers for open forum.

Thank you.

We get did some amazing work in this committee today, everyone.

Thank you.

This meeting is adjourned.