Oakland Rules & Legislation Committee Meeting - July 16, 2026

The Oakland City Council Rules & Legislation Committee convened on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 10:30 AM to schedule items for the July 21, 2026 City Council meeting and future meetings. The committee approved most recommendations from the Finance & Management, Public Works & Transportation, Community & Economic Development, Life Enrichment, and Public Safety committees, with some amendments. A severance package item was withdrawn, and a Pride resolution was rescheduled with added co-sponsors.

Consent Calendar

• The committee approved the determination of schedule of outstanding committee items (Item 2) by a 3-0 vote (Councilmember Fife excused).
• Item 3.1 (Grand Performance Mural restoration) was scheduled to the July 21 City Council agenda on consent, with a Rule 24 bypass and urgency finding due to the need to meet an October 1, 2026 dry-weather construction deadline.
• Item 3.2 (Police Chief James Beere employment agreement) was scheduled to July 21 consent with urgency finding. The agreement provides total annual compensation of $403,694.96 (salary $358,839.96, premium pay $44,855, plus auto allowance of $750/month or city vehicle).
• Item 3.5 (Celebrating Pride and honoring LGBTQ+ leaders) was scheduled to September 15, 2026 on consent via Rule 24 (ceremonial). Co-sponsors added: Councilmember Wang, Councilmember Ramachandran, and Mayor Lee.
• Numerous recommendations from the July 14 committee meetings were forwarded to the July 21 City Council on consent, including:
  • Grant funds for a technology audit ($202,500 from Oakland Fund)
  • FY 2025-2028 Citywide Strategic Plan one-year update
  • Parking operator contract extension (up to $12,399,039 for three years, with an amendment to extend through end of year and a request for garage-by-garage data)
  • Reimbursement resolution for general obligation bonds (Measures DD, KK, and U)
  • Professional services agreement with Weaver and Tidwell, LLP for forensic audits ($490,000, with request for supplemental report on subcontractors and prior findings)
  • AC Transit Fruitvale Avenue cooperation agreement (transit signal priority)
  • Municipal facility energy assessment contract with KW Engineering ($364,685)
  • $750,000 Bay Area Air Quality Management District grant for 30 EV charging ports
  • Broadway Streetscape improvements construction contract ($20,881,650 to McGuire and Hester)
  • REAP 2.0 funds for West Oakland Universal Basic Mobility pilot (up to $400,000 for 1,000 prepaid Clipper cards)
  • City response to 2025-2026 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report
  • Contract amendment with Alta Planning + Design for 7th Street Connection project (increase of $747,288, total $3,955,404, extended to 2030)
  • Chapter 8 Tax Sale authorization (two pieces: removing code enforcement liens and vacant property tax liens, each up to $10 million, to facilitate affordable housing)
  • Seminary Point debt and rent forgiveness (forgiveness of $2M loan and $1.5M line of credit, plus up to $40,000 ground rent, contingent on sale to qualified buyer)
  • Workforce development funds (WIOA $4,827,587, California Volunteers $1,993,914, plus up to $250,000 per instance)
  • Construction Resource Center grant ($100,000 for Mentor-Protégé program)
  • HUD Continuum of Care supportive housing funding ($5,650,302)
  • Anti-poverty Community Services Block Grant ($1,319,745)
  • Oakland Paratransit for the Elderly and Disabled (Measure BB funds $3,202,298)
  • Operational Area Agreement with Alameda County (emergency management through 2035)
  • Apricot 2026 annual report and amended use policy
  • Contract with Bright Research Group for violence prevention training ($513,000)
  • OPD Edward Byrne Memorial JAG grant ($324,324)
  • OPD helicopter maintenance contract with Rotorcraft Support, Inc. (up to $1,700,000 with extension options to $3,400,000)
  • OPD surveillance technology 2025 annual reports (with amendment striking automated license plate reader section and Attachment E)
  • MOU with California Highway Patrol for electronic accident report submission
• Item 3.10 (FY 2025-2028 Citywide Strategic Plan one-year update) was received and filed.
• Item 3.25 (Professional services agreement with Barretto Co. for signage and wayfinding) was originally on non-consent due to a 3-1 committee vote but was moved to consent at staff request after obtaining Councilmember Unger's approval.

The following informational reports were received and filed: Item 3.9 (One year update to FY 2026-30 Oakland Roadmap to Fiscal Health) and Item 3.24 (FY 2025-26 Q1 & Q2 code enforcement activities update).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kevin Daly spoke on items 3.11 and 3.7 (parking garages), expressing appreciation for the Finance Committee discussion and urging a broader parking policy review involving both DOT and Public Works.
• Blair Beekman commented on several items: (1) Supported the employment agreement for Police Chief Beere but urged focus on community policing and noted three police killings in the past year; (2) Supported the Coliseum payment allocation but asked for transparency in negotiations; (3) Urged open public process for technology policies in parking and Broadway streetscape; (4) Expressed strong disappointment that the Public Safety committee excluded discussion of ALPR/FLOCK contract status and called for better public explanation of the holdup; (5) Encouraged community involvement in selecting an ALPR vendor other than Flock. Beekman also spoke during open forum, reiterating the need for transparency on the Flock contract and commending efforts to resolve vendor issues at Lake Merritt.

Discussion Items

• Item 3.3 (Coliseum Payment Allocation): The committee approved scheduling the resolution to appropriate $50 million from the sale of the city's 50% interest in the Coliseum to CalPERS for unfunded accrued liability. An urgency finding was stated because the city may close the deal before September and delaying payment could reduce long-term savings due to lost investment time.
• Item 3.4 (Severance Package for Jestin Johnson): This item, sponsored by Councilmember Houston, was withdrawn by the district seven office with no new scheduling date.
• Item 3.15 (Collision Repair Contracts): Following the Public Works & Transportation Committee's action, the Rules Committee scheduled only sections 2 (Quality Body & Fender contract) and 8 (CEQA findings) to the July 21 council on non-consent; the remaining six contracts (totaling over $6 million) were rescheduled after summer break.
• Item 3.21 (7th Street Connection Contract Amendment): The committee forwarded the item to consent after accepting an urgency finding; supplemental attachments A and B were added to the staff report.
• The committee also scheduled an Education Partnership Committee meeting for Monday, September 28, 2026 at 3:30 PM.

Key Outcomes

• Item 3.4 (severance package for Jestin Johnson, $409,737.24) was withdrawn.
• Item 3.25 (Barretto Co. signage contract) was moved from non-consent to consent for the July 21 council agenda.
• Item 3.15 (collision repair contracts) will go to the July 21 council on non-consent but only for the Quality Body & Fender contract and CEQA findings; other contracts postponed.
• Urgency findings were approved for items 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.21 (as well as previously approved for 3.22, 3.23 from committee recommendations).
• The committee approved the review of draft agendas and pending lists (Item 4) by a 4-0 vote, noting cancellation of committee meetings for July 23, 28, and 30.
• The meeting adjourned at 11:02 AM.