OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Oakland City Council Meeting Approves More Hope Plaza and Borrowing on May 19, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, May 19, 2026
BodyOakland, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, May 19, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 15:00:01
Transcript — Verbatim
1:12

...

3:28

Good afternoon, and welcome to this council meeting.

3:31

It is Tuesday, May 19th.

3:37

And this meeting shall come to order.

3:40

Before I call roll, I would like to give instructions on how to submit a speaker card for items on this agenda.

3:46

If you are here in person, participating and would like to submit a speaker card, you must fill out a speaker card on the table in the middle of the room and turn it into a clerk representative across from the table, either before the item is read into record or two minutes, two hours after this meeting began that would make that time at 5.33 or submitting um online speaker cards.

4:09

They were due 24 hours before this meeting began so though are no longer accepted but again if you are wanting to submit a speaker card for an item on this agenda please fill out a card and turn it into a clerk representative either before the item is called into record or two hours after this it this meeting began whichever comes first with that, I will now call roll on roll for this meeting.

4:34

Council member brown.

4:36

Present.

4:36

Councilmember Fife.

4:41

Excused.

4:42

Excuse Councilmember Guile.

4:49

Councilmember Guile.

4:50

Present.

4:51

Thank you.

4:52

Councilmember Houston.

4:47

Excuse.

4:55

Okay.

4:56

Councilmember Ramachandran.

4:59

Present.

5:00

Councilmember.

5:04

Excuse me.

5:06

Unger.

5:07

My apologies.

5:08

Present.

5:09

Thank you.

5:10

Councilmember Wong.

4:59

Present.

5:13

And Chair, Council President Jenkins.

5:16

Present.

5:17

We have six move are present.

5:19

Two two excused.

5:22

I will now go to our first item, item number three, modifications to the agenda.

5:29

Any modifications to agenda?

5:31

CNN.

5:32

Or is there anything from the administration for modifications to the agenda?

5:42

Thank you for that.

5:43

I will now go to our um we have no uh item four, we have no uh public hearings at this time, so we will go to item five, which are non-consent items, starting with item 5.1.

5:53

I will read this item into record.

5:55

It is a resolution commemoratively renaming the plaza, a public right-of-way at the Oakland LGBT Community Center as More Hope Plaza.

6:05

I do have three speakers for this item.

6:08

Thank you.

6:11

Councilmember Brown.

6:14

Excellent.

6:15

Um, so I'll go ahead and uh speak first and then turn it over to Councilmember Wong.

6:20

Um, so um I am beyond uh honored and humbled to be a part of the renaming of the plaza near the Oakland LGBTQ Cultural Center in the heart of the cultural district.

6:34

More Hope Plaza.

6:36

This renaming honors the lives and legacy of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood.

6:42

These two women were trailblazers in the Bay Area through their passion for social justice, advocacy, and community organizing.

6:51

Tragically, they were killed in a car accident May 2024, leaving behind uh just a huge loss here in Oakland and beyond.

7:04

And so for those of you who don't may not know uh who was Peggy.

7:08

Um, but I'm confident that many of you have so many stories to tell about her visionary leadership.

7:15

Peggy was someone who worked on both uh the Barack Obama campaign and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns, and also ran for Oakland City Council uh a seat that I currently hold and mentored so many of us finding our way in public service and organizing.

7:34

I even had the opportunity to volunteer on one of her campaigns while learning my own path forward.

7:42

Peggy was a fierce advocate for marriage equality and worked really work alongside countless community organizations and initiatives across the East Bay in pursuit of social justice.

7:54

That same passion and fire is exactly why Peggy and her partner Hope Wood were such a perfect match after meeting in 2008 while working on the Obama campaign.

8:07

Hope was someone who also had uh accomplished a lot, um, as well as attending the Harvard Kennedy School, Color of Change and Courage of Courage and the Courage campaign together.

8:20

Peggy and Hope created their consulting firm, Hope Action Change, and continued to shape movements and communities throughout the East Bay for many years, and so this tragic, this sudden and tragic loss of Peggy and Hope was deeply felt across the entire city of Oakland and the LGBTQ Plus community as well as BIPOC communities.

8:45

So the renaming of this plaza outside the Oakland LGBTQ Cultural Center is more than just a ceremonial recognition, it is a commitment to honoring the legacy of two women who fought tirelessly to create a more equitable and just world.

9:04

Morehope Plaza will stand as a lasting reminder that queer history cannot and will not be erased in Oakland.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Arts And Culture████████████████████████████████32%
Miscellaneous█████████9%
Immigrant Support█████████9%
Public Safety████████8%
Public Engagement████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Workforce Development███████7%
Racial Equity██████6%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Oakland City Council Meeting - May 19, 2026

The Oakland City Council met on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, with six members present and two excused (Councilmembers Fife and initially Houston, though Houston later participated). The council unanimously approved a resolution to rename a plaza as More Hope Plaza honoring Peggy Moore and Hope Wood, authorized a retired annuitant appointment for continuity on the Oakland Army Base project, and approved the first reading of a $200 million tax revenue anticipation note ordinance. The consent calendar was passed with amendments, including an emergency floodplain ordinance and continuation of an item. Public comments addressed lead abatement, illegal dumping, and other community concerns.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved draft minutes from the meeting of May 5, 2026.
  • Approved numerous items, including declarations of local emergency (AIDS, medical cannabis, homelessness), a floodplain ordinance (amended as an emergency ordinance), support for state legislation (smoke shops, illegal dumping enforcement, affordable housing bond), commemorative street renaming for Gary Payton, and various contract and grant awards.
  • Item 6.5 (easement) was continued to the June 2 council meeting.
  • Item 6.6 (floodplain ordinance) was amended to include findings and adopted as an emergency ordinance.
  • Vote: 7 ayes, 1 excused (Councilmember Fife).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • On Item 5.1: Multiple speakers expressed full support for the More Hope Plaza renaming, honoring the legacies of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood, two prominent activists and community organizers who died in a traffic accident in May 2024.
  • On Item 5.2: One speaker opposed the retired annuitant appointment, citing concerns about contamination at the Oakland Army Base and arguing that development there is unsafe.
  • On Item 5.3: A speaker questioned the repayment source for the borrowing, suggesting reliance on Measure E funds, and raised concerns about consequences if repayment deadlines are missed.
  • On Consent Calendar: Speakers supported Affordable Housing Month (Item 6.15) and the Gary Payton street renaming (Item 6.18). Several speakers urged the city to use lead settlement funds for proactive rental inspections and lead abatement. One speaker criticized the illegal dumping expenditure plan, asking for KPIs and more frequent reporting. Another speaker questioned the effectiveness of the ceasefire program and requested data.

Discussion Items

  • Item 5.1 - More Hope Plaza Renaming: Councilmembers Brown and Wong presented the resolution, highlighting the lives and work of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood, who were killed in a car accident in May 2024. A video clip of Peggy Moore was played. Councilmembers shared personal stories of Moore's mentorship and advocacy. The resolution was approved unanimously (7 ayes, 1 excused).
  • Item 5.2 - Retired Annuitant Appointment: Staff explained the need to retain John Manette, a project manager with 26 years of service, as a temporary part-time retired annuitant to ensure continuity on the Oakland Army Base project, including meeting obligations for a state grant and real estate negotiations. The council approved (7 ayes, 1 excused).
  • Item 5.3 - Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs): The council authorized borrowing up to $200 million to cover temporary cash flow needs and to prefund CalPERS accrued liability, garnering a 3.34% discount. The first reading was approved (7 ayes, 1 excused). A second reading and resolution for documents will come next month.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved the resolution renaming the plaza near the Oakland LGBTQ Cultural Center as More Hope Plaza (7-0-1).
  • Authorized the appointment of John Manette as a retired annuitant (7-0-1).
  • Approved the first reading of the ordinance authorizing up to $200 million in tax revenue anticipation notes (7-0-1).
  • Approved the consent calendar as amended, including the continuation of Item 6.5 and adoption of Item 6.6 as an emergency ordinance (7-0-1).
  • Council adjourned in memory of the victims of the 85th Avenue tragedy (Robert Dixon, Charles Blackman, and others), former council member Wilson Rowles Jr., former city arborist Christopher Buckley, and community member Edam May Johnson.

Meeting Transcript

... Good afternoon, and welcome to this council meeting. It is Tuesday, May 19th. And this meeting shall come to order. Before I call roll, I would like to give instructions on how to submit a speaker card for items on this agenda. If you are here in person, participating and would like to submit a speaker card, you must fill out a speaker card on the table in the middle of the room and turn it into a clerk representative across from the table, either before the item is read into record or two minutes, two hours after this meeting began that would make that time at 5.33 or submitting um online speaker cards. They were due 24 hours before this meeting began so though are no longer accepted but again if you are wanting to submit a speaker card for an item on this agenda please fill out a card and turn it into a clerk representative either before the item is called into record or two hours after this it this meeting began whichever comes first with that, I will now call roll on roll for this meeting. Council member brown. Present. Councilmember Fife. Excused. Excuse Councilmember Guile. Councilmember Guile. Present. Thank you. Councilmember Houston. Excuse. Okay. Councilmember Ramachandran. Present. Councilmember. Excuse me. Unger. My apologies. Present. Thank you. Councilmember Wong. Present. And Chair, Council President Jenkins. Present. We have six move are present. Two two excused. I will now go to our first item, item number three, modifications to the agenda. Any modifications to agenda? CNN. Or is there anything from the administration for modifications to the agenda? Thank you for that. I will now go to our um we have no uh item four, we have no uh public hearings at this time, so we will go to item five, which are non-consent items, starting with item 5.1. I will read this item into record. It is a resolution commemoratively renaming the plaza, a public right-of-way at the Oakland LGBT Community Center as More Hope Plaza. I do have three speakers for this item. Thank you. Councilmember Brown. Excellent. Um, so I'll go ahead and uh speak first and then turn it over to Councilmember Wong. Um, so um I am beyond uh honored and humbled to be a part of the renaming of the plaza near the Oakland LGBTQ Cultural Center in the heart of the cultural district. More Hope Plaza. This renaming honors the lives and legacy of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood. These two women were trailblazers in the Bay Area through their passion for social justice, advocacy, and community organizing. Tragically, they were killed in a car accident May 2024, leaving behind uh just a huge loss here in Oakland and beyond.

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