Oakland Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting - April 21, 2026

The Special Public Works and Transportation Committee met on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 11:30 AM in the City Council Chamber. Chair Zac Unger presided, with Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Charlene Wang, and Ken Houston (excused initially, present at 11:37 AM) in attendance. The committee considered seven agenda items, including infrastructure certificates, easement purchases, floodplain management, cooperative purchasing agreements, a fire station design contract amendment, and a stormwater trash reduction report. The meeting adjourned at 1:11 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Item 3 – MacArthur Transit Village Phase One Certificate of Completion: Unanimously approved and forwarded to the May 5, 2026 City Council on consent (4-0).
• Item 4 – Easement at 260 Oak Street: Unanimously approved and forwarded to the May 5, 2026 City Council on consent (4-0).
• Item 5 – Floodplain Management Ordinance: Unanimously approved and forwarded to the May 5, 2026 City Council on consent (4-0).
• Item 7 – Fire Station 29 Contract Amendment: Unanimously approved and forwarded to the May 5, 2026 City Council on consent (4-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mr. Sada (spoke on multiple items): Expressed concern about 70 trees slated for removal by BART in West Oakland for a housing development, questioned who permitted the cuts. Also noted traffic lights at Keller and Mountain and College/Canyon Road have been installed but not turned on for years. On the cooperative purchase agreement, argued that bypassing solicitation reduces cost comparisons and noted 16 of 33 contracts have expired and that vendors have unspent balances. On floodplain management, stated that 37.1% of West Oakland properties face flood risk and that the report fails to cover inner-city areas where poor, Black, and Latino residents live. On stormwater trash, raised the issue of human waste from homeless encampments entering drains and urged a culture of responsibility. During open forum, highlighted a case of 23 trees cut without public works intervention, a $900,000 fine, and alleged racial disparity in enforcement.
• Zach Thayer (spoke on multiple items): Provided technical comments on infrastructure bond ETFs, polynomial ranges for capital allocation, and flood modeling. Questioned the modeling of catastrophic flooding and referenced TARP bailouts. Expressed frustration with the city's management and allocation of capital. Also criticized the lack of diesel mechanic training programs.
• Kevin Daly (spoke on items 4, 5, and 8): Supported the Oak Street easement project for safer cycling access to Amtrak. Asked how FEMA accounts for climate change in flood risk, and questioned future development in floodplains. Noted that some storm drains have wide bar grates that allow trash and pose safety hazards.
• Councilmember Noel Gallo (during discussion): Emphasized the need for proper data on fee collection and questioned the long timeline of the MacArthur Transit Village project (started 2006, revised 2017). Expressed frustration over the lack of vehicles and mechanics to achieve a clean city, pointing to trucks sitting at the Coliseum yard. Urged moving beyond policy to providing tools.
• Councilmember Ken Houston (during discussion): Asked about the location of vendors in the cooperative purchase agreement, noting only three of 33 are Oakland-based. Expressed concern about hazardous waste (needles, batteries) in storm drains and requested data on items collected. Voted against Item 6.

Discussion Items

• Item 2 – Determination of Schedule of Outstanding Committee Items: Unanimously approved the pending list as presented (3-0 with Houston excused).
• Item 3 – MacArthur Transit Village Certificate of Completion: Staff explained the ministerial approval for 900 housing units (including 90 affordable) on a former parking lot. Councilmember Gallo questioned the 20-year timeline and five-stage development process. Councilmember Wang clarified the purpose of the Unconditional Certificate of Completion (UCC). The fiscal impact was covered by $400,000 in developer fees deposited into cost-recovery fund 2415.
• Item 4 – Easement at 260 Oak Street: Staff described the Embarcadero West Rail Safety project to improve a railroad crossing. The $255,000 acquisition is funded by CalSTA AB 128 grant funds. Councilmember Wong asked how the price was determined; staff confirmed an appraisal was conducted. Councilmember Gallo asked about railroad owner contributions; staff responded that the expense is covered by the grant.
• Item 5 – Floodplain Management Ordinance: Staff explained the FEMA-required update to maintain National Flood Insurance Program participation. Non-compliance by May 26, 2026 could result in suspension, loss of flood insurance access, and ineligibility for federal disaster assistance. City Attorney Brian Mullery showed FEMA flood hazard maps, highlighting Saucel Creek, Jack London Square, Brooklyn Basin, and Estuary Park as high-risk areas. Councilmember Houston asked if the ordinance addresses drainage; staff clarified it is for catastrophic flooding, not routine drainage.
• Item 6 – Cooperative Purchase Agreements: Staff presented 33 contracts totaling $16,815,000 for equipment, fuel, and maintenance services. The Bureau of Maintenance reported a vehicle availability crisis: 12 of 13 sewer flusher trucks unavailable, street sweepers at 50% availability, and no spare fire apparatus. Vacancies in mechanic positions force outsourcing costing 50–150% more. Councilmember Gallo criticized the lack of tools and personnel. Councilmember Wong questioned the billable labor rate and hiring delays. Councilmember Houston noted only three Oakland-based vendors. Staff confirmed they are moving to an RFP model to increase local participation. Voting: 3-1 (Houston opposed), forwarded to City Council on non-consent.
• Item 7 – Fire Station 29 Design Contract Amendment: Staff requested a $700,000 increase (from $1.8M to $2.5M) for K2A – Mary McGrath Associated Architects due to additional scope: utility relocation, environmental clearance, community engagement (six sessions, 16 advisory meetings), a state-mandated broadband fiber hut colocation, 2026 building code redesign, and easement conflicts. Design is at 65%. Councilmember Gallo suggested using design-build methods to limit change orders. Unanimously approved.
• Item 8 – Stormwater Trash Load Reduction Report: Staff reported the city achieved 100% trash reduction last fiscal year but now stands at 79.3% due to stricter permit regulations eliminating credits for product bans, volunteer cleanups, and illegal dumping abatement. They expect to reach 85.1% by year-end and have until December 2030 to reach 100% compliance. Challenges include maintaining hundreds of trash capture devices and adapting to future regulations. Councilmember Gallo lamented the decline of Lake Merritt and urged renewed cleanup efforts. Councilmember Wong noted district two areas in high trash generation zones and asked about trash clogging drains. Councilmember Houston asked about hazardous waste characterization. Staff noted they do not characterize individual cleanup events but track volume. Received and filed uniformly.

Key Outcomes

• All items were approved or received, with the following votes:
  • Items 2–5, 7, 8: Unanimous (4-0 or 3-0 with Houston excused).
  • Item 6 (Cooperative Purchase Agreements): Approved 3-1 (Houston opposed), forwarded to City Council on non-consent.
• The committee forwarded items 3, 4, 5, and 7 to the May 5, 2026 City Council on consent (item 6 on non-consent).
• The floodplain management ordinance requires adoption by May 26, 2026, with two readings on May 5 and May 19.
• The stormwater trash report was received and filed; staff will continue working toward the 2030 compliance deadline.
• Staff announced upcoming presentations on a vehicle spending plan for illegal dumping and a storm drainage master plan update in June 2026.