Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting – July 14, 2026

The Oakland City Council Public Works and Transportation Committee convened on July 14, 2026, at 11:35 AM in City Hall, chaired by Councilmember Zac Unger. The committee addressed a packed agenda, including a major contract award for collision repair services, energy assessments, grant acceptances, a streetscape project, a universal basic mobility pilot, and the city's response to the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report on illegal dumping. Public comments were limited to one minute per speaker. The meeting adjourned at 1:27 PM after a brief recess to convene as a special full council meeting upon the arrival of Council President Jenkins.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Draft Minutes (June 23, 2026) – Unanimously approved (4-0).
• Determination of Schedule of Outstanding Committee Items – Accepted as amended, scheduling the Safe Oakland Streets Annual Informational Report (File ID 26-0861) to the September 22, 2026 committee meeting. Unanimous (4-0).
• Municipal Facility Energy Assessments Professional Services Agreement – Awarded to KW Engineering, an Oakland-based firm, for $364,685, fully funded by a federal Department of Energy grant. Unanimously approved and forwarded to the July 21 City Council consent agenda (3-0, Councilmember Houston excused).
• $750,000 Bay Area Air Quality Management District Grant for EV Charging Stations – Accepted and appropriated a reimbursement grant to install 15 two-port fast chargers (30 ports) at the city's maintenance service center, part of a larger $16 million fleet electrification project. Unanimously approved and forwarded to consent (3-0, Houston excused).
• Broadway Streetscape Improvements Construction Contract – Awarded to McGuire and Hester for $20,881,650, the lowest responsive bidder, for safety and transit improvements on Broadway from 2nd to 11th Street and 20th to Grand Avenue. Unanimously approved and forwarded to consent (3-0, Gallo excused).
• REAP 2.0 HIT Funds for West Oakland Universal Basic Mobility Pilot – Authorized a $400,000 purchase agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to distribute 1,000 prepaid Clipper cards in West Oakland. Unanimously approved and forwarded to consent (3-0, Gallo excused).
• City Response to 2025-2026 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Report – Approved the council president's response to the grand jury's eight recommendations on illegal dumping. Unanimously approved and forwarded to consent (4-0).
• Professional Services Contract Amendment with Alta Planning + Design for 7th Street Connection Project – Amended the contract by $747,288 (total $3,955,404) and extended the deadline to December 31, 2030. An urgency finding was approved (4-0) to avoid delays. The committee added two supplemental attachments. Forwarded to consent (4-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• On Item 3 (AC Transit Fruitvale Avenue Agreement): Kevin Daly expressed strong support, suggesting synchronizing pedestrian crossing times on International Boulevard. Another speaker criticized the use of racial language in reports.
• On Item 4 (Collision Repair Contracts): A speaker questioned the backlog of 25 vehicles (22 OPD) and the contracting process, noting that Pacific Collision, a qualified Oakland vendor in District 7, was not contacted. Councilmember Houston raised concerns about vendor outreach.
• On Item 5 (Energy Assessments): A speaker noted that only one of the 20 facilities assessed is in District 7 and one in District 6, questioning equity in selection.
• On Item 6 (EV Charging Grant): Kevin Daly supported the project, including electric street sweepers. A speaker raised concerns about electric vehicle reliability during emergencies (citing hurricane examples) and environmental costs of battery materials.
• On Item 7 (Broadway Streetscape): Kevin Daly supported the project for reducing emissions. A speaker criticized the lack of assessments in underserved districts and questioned coordination with AC Transit service cuts.
• On Item 8 (UBM Pilot): A speaker questioned how the city measures reduced driving, noting difficulties in attributing mode shifts. Kevin Daly supported the program.
• On Item 9 (Grand Jury Response): No public comments.
• On Item S10 (7th Street Connection): Kevin Daly supported the project. A speaker urged caution on surveillance camera use pending the city's surveillance technology policy.
• Open Forum (9 speakers): Multiple street vendors, community advocates, and residents spoke about the city's aggressive enforcement of vending laws at Lake Merritt, alleging destruction of property without legal process, and calling for decriminalization per SB 946. Others raised concerns about illegal dumping, junk haulers, and the need for better data-sharing with the District Attorney. One speaker from PG&E noted the company's lobbying on SB 1218 related to illegal dumping.

Discussion Items

• Collision Repair Contracts (Item 4): The committee debated a staff recommendation to award $7 million in contracts to four vendors for light- and heavy-vehicle collision repair. Councilmember Houston objected that only one Oakland-based vendor (Quality Body & Fender) was included, and that Pacific Collision (District 7) was not contacted. He proposed a substitute motion to approve only the Oakland vendor ($1,050,000 for light vehicles) and defer the rest until after the summer break, citing the need to ensure fair outreach. Councilmember Gallo opposed the delay, arguing that vehicles (especially OPD) are urgently needed for service. Councilmember Wang expressed concerns about the lack of communication with local shops. The substitute motion passed 3-1 (Gallo no), with staff directed to report back on outreach and the deferred contracts in October.

Key Outcomes

• Collision repairs: Only Quality Body & Fender was awarded a contract ($1,050,000 for three years with two one-year options). The remaining six proposed contracts (totaling $5.95 million) were deferred until after the summer break, with a supplemental report on outreach to Oakland-based vendors.
• Safe Oakland Streets report: Scheduled for the September 22, 2026 committee meeting.
• All other items: Approved unanimously and forwarded to the July 21, 2026 City Council meeting, mostly on the consent calendar.
• Meeting flow: The committee adjourned at 12:56 PM upon the arrival of Council President Jenkins (creating a quorum of the full council) and reconvened as a special full council meeting, then returned to finish the agenda as a committee. The meeting ended at 1:27 PM.