Oakland Rules & Legislation Committee Meeting - April 30, 2026

The Rules & Legislation Committee convened at 10:31 AM on April 30, 2026, with all four members present (Council President Jenkins, Councilmembers Brown, Fife, and Ramachandran). The meeting addressed scheduling of multiple items for future City Council and committee agendas, including several title changes, Rule 24 urgency findings, and dais requests. The meeting adjourned at 11:18 AM.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rajni Mandal (District 4) spoke on determination of outstanding committee items, strongly supporting charter reform for the Police Commission, arguing that current overlapping authority and unclear accountability are structural problems.
• Kevin Daly spoke on item 3.7 (AB 1837 video imaging) noting privacy concerns are minimal as data is deleted after 15 days, and urged checking with privacy groups.
• Miguel LaRosa (Oakland resident) criticized overuse of Rule 24 for items that should have been planned earlier, but supported items 3.3 (illegal dumping), 3.5 (fire equipment), and 3.6 (SCBA units), and requested more detailed written informational reports.
• Blair Beekman spoke on several items: supported illegal dumping plan (3.3) with community input and non-punitive approaches; supported AB 1837 (3.7) as earlier; thanked Councilmember Wang for SB 1095 (3.4) on data privacy; and spoke on item 3.15 (police oversight report) with more comments expected later.
• Carmen Salazar (via interpreter) raised concerns about high parking fines and fees, noting that fines can escalate from $64–$84 to $200–$300 with additional fees, with no income consideration, and requested a review of the fee schedule.
• Rajni Mandal (Open Forum) spoke about Police Commission governance issues, citing a 2020 audit showing non-compliance with charter requirements, refusal to follow city attorney guidance, and lack of coordination with federal compliance efforts, arguing charter reform is necessary.
• Blair Beekman (Open Forum) urged Council to address the war in Iran and to promote peace dialogue involving Israel, while acknowledging Oakland’s role in modeling peaceful practices.

Discussion Items

• Approval of Draft Minutes (April 16, 2026) – Approved unanimously (4-0).
• Determination of Schedule of Outstanding Committee Items – Approved as presented (4-0).
• New Scheduling Items (Item 3): The committee processed 15 sub-items, including title changes, Rule 24 urgency findings, and scheduling dates. Key actions:
  • Item 3.1 (Ramiro G. Hernandez Street Renaming): Rule 24 urgency finding noted; scheduled to May 5 City Council consent.
  • Item 3.2 (FY 2026-27 Tax & Revenue Anticipation Notes): Scheduled to May 12 Finance & Management Committee.
  • Item 3.3 (Illegal Dumping Expenditure Plan): Title change accepted; scheduled to May 12 Public Works & Transportation Committee.
  • Item 3.4 (Support of SB 1095): Rescheduled from May 12 Public Safety to May 14 Rules & Legislation Committee per Councilmember Wang’s office.
  • Item 3.5 (LN Curtis Firefighter Equipment Purchase): Title change accepted (extension option corrected to $500,000/yr); scheduled to May 12 Public Safety Committee.
  • Item 3.6 (Bauer Compressors SCBA Units): Title change accepted; scheduled to May 12 Public Safety.
  • Item 3.7 (Support AB 1837 Video Imaging): Rule 24 accepted; Councilmember Brown added as co-sponsor; scheduled to May 19 City Council consent.
  • Item 3.8 (Condemning the War on Iran): Rule 24 presented; committee placed item on Rules Pending List – No Date Specific, pending consultation with federal offices.
  • Item 3.9 (Former Councilmember Kalb Reimbursement): Rule 24 accepted; scheduled to May 19 City Council consent. (Note: Agenda states May 19, but minutes indicate May 12 – discrepancy unresolved.)
  • Item 3.10 (Investment Policy & Delegation): Scheduled to May 26 Finance & Management.
  • Item 3.11 (Cash Management Report): Scheduled to May 26 Finance & Management.
  • Item 3.12 (Performance Audit of Illegal Dumping): Scheduled to May 26 Public Works & Transportation.
  • Item 3.13 (OPD PMAM False Alarm Reduction Contract): Scheduled to May 26 Public Safety.
  • Item 3.14 (Special Revenue Collection Project): Scheduled to September 22 Finance & Management.
  • Item 3.15 (Informational Report re Ordinance 13873): Title change accepted; scheduled to September 22 Public Safety.
• Dais Scheduling Requests (Council President Jenkins):
  • Recognized Municipal Clerks Week (May 3-9, 2026) with a resolution; Rule 24 urgency noted; scheduled to May 5 City Council consent.
  • Proposed an ordinance amending Vacant Property Tax (Chapter 4.56) to create a temporary three-year exemption for parcels east of High Street; scheduled to May 26 Finance & Management.
• Review of Draft Agendas (Item 4):
  • For May 5 City Council: Title change and urgency finding accepted for Feather River Camp septic/drinking water replacement (Item 6.25); total amount $523,938.09.
  • Mayor’s appointment of Doug Wong to Police Commission (Item 5.5) was withdrawn at Mayor’s request.
  • Public speaker Kevin Daly criticized parking reorg changes promised to wait for budget but advancing; Blair Beekman urged faster phase-out of Peregrine/Cellbrite data collection and more public reporting.

Key Outcomes

• All agenda items and dais requests were approved as amended by unanimous votes (4-0), except item 3.8 placed on pending list with no date.
• Several items received title changes and urgency findings; those are reflected in scheduling.
• Council President Jenkins will consult with federal offices on the best way to express opposition to the war in Iran before bringing item 3.8 back for scheduling.
• The next Rules & Legislation Committee meeting is scheduled for May 7, 2026 (pending lists review).