Oakland City Council Meeting – July 21, 2026: Coliseum Sale, Collision Contracts, Sanctuary City
Oakland City Council Concurrent Meeting – July 21, 2026
The Oakland City Council and Redevelopment Successor Agency met on July 21, 2026, at 3:37 PM (scheduled 3:30 PM) in City Hall. The meeting was chaired by Councilmember Ramachandran. Present were Councilmembers Gallo, Houston, Ramachandran, Unger, Wang, and later Brown (via teleconference); Councilmembers Fife and Jenkins were excused. Speaker time was reduced to one minute due to a tight quorum. Key actions included approval of a $50 million Coliseum sale proceeds allocation to CalPERS, partial approval of collision repair contracts with an emphasis on Oakland-based vendors, and passage of the consent calendar with amendments.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (July 7, 2026) – Approved.
- Declaration of Local Emergency – AIDS Epidemic – Renewed and continued.
- Declaration of Medical Cannabis Health Emergency – Renewed.
- Declaration of Local Emergency on Homelessness – Renewed and continued.
- Travel Reimbursements – League of California Cities (Brown, Ramachandran) and Congressional Black Caucus (Jenkins, Brown, Houston) – Approved.
- Consolidation of November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election – Final passage.
- Salary Ordinance Amendments – Various classifications and for Council Member, City Attorney, City Auditor – Final passage.
- Sale of 319 Chester Street – Converted to affordable rental; final passage.
- Sanctuary City Policy Reaffirmation (City of Refuge Ordinance) – Final passage with amendments acknowledging black Oakland residents.
- 2026 Miscellaneous Planning Code Amendments – Final passage.
- Resolution in Support of AB 1588 (Sideshow Enhancements) – Adopted.
- Final Tract Maps – Oak Knoll Parcels 9 and 10 – Approved.
- Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative MOU – Approved.
- Appointments/Reappointments – Cannabis Regulatory Commission, Head Start Advisory Board, Children’s Initiative Oversight Commission, Cultural Affairs Commission (amended term), Privacy Advisory Commission (amended vacancy), and others – Approved.
- Resolution in Support of SB 954 (CEQA Exemption) – Adopted.
- Cultural Affairs Commission Enabling Ordinance Amendment – Approved on introduction.
- Encampment Management Abatement Operations Informational Report – Received and filed.
- Ray Mueller Settlement ($45,000) – Approved.
- Second Amendment to Coliseum Complex Sale Agreement – Final passage.
- Technology Audit Grant ($202,500) – Adopted.
- Citywide Strategic Plan One-Year Update – Received and filed.
- Parking Operator Contract Extension – Adopted as amended (extended to end of 2025 with additional informational report).
- Reimbursement Resolution for General Obligation Bonds – Adopted.
- Forensic Audit Services Agreement with Weaver and Tidwell ($490,000) – Adopted.
- AC Transit Fruitvale Avenue Cooperation Agreement – Adopted.
- Municipal Facility Energy Assessments Contract ($364,685) – Adopted.
- BAAQMD Grant for EV Charging Stations ($750,000) – Adopted.
- Broadway Streetscape Improvements Construction Contract ($20.88M) – Adopted.
- REAP 2.0 Funds for West Oakland UBM Pilot ($400,000) – Adopted.
- City Response to Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Report – Adopted.
- Professional Services Contract Amendment – 7th Street Connection ($3.96M) – Adopted.
- Chapter 8 Tax Sale Authorization – Two resolutions adopted.
- Seminary Point Debt and Rent Forgiveness – Resolution adopted; ordinance approved on introduction.
- Workforce Development Funds FY 2026-27 ($4.8M+) – Adopted.
- Construction Resource Center Grant ($100,000) – Adopted.
- HUD Continuum of Care Programs ($5.65M) – Adopted.
- AC-OCAP 2026 CSBG Resolution ($1.32M) – Adopted.
- Oakland Paratransit for Elderly and Disabled Program ($3.2M) – Adopted.
- OPD Surveillance Technology 2025 Annual Reports – Adopted (ALPR item stricken per committee amendment).
- Operational Agreement with Alameda County (SEMS) – Adopted.
- Apricot 2026 Annual Report and Amended Use Policy – Adopted.
- Contract with Bright Research Group ($513,000) – Adopted.
- OPD Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Grant ($324,324) – Adopted.
- OPD Helicopter Maintenance Contract with RSI ($3.4M) – Adopted.
- MOU with California Highway Patrol – Adopted.
- Grand Performance Mural Restoration – Adopted with urgency finding.
- Contract Agreement for Police Chief James Beere ($411,294.96 annual compensation) – Adopted with urgency finding.
- Item S6.40 (Barretto Co. Signage and Wayfinding) – Continued to September 15, 2026 per administration request.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Police Commission Nominations (Item 5.1): Speakers Blair Beekman and Asada Olabala expressed concerns about the selection process, including the omission of candidate Omar Farmer. The item was withdrawn on administration request.
- Collision Repair Contracts (Item 5.2): Speaker Ina Auction (Turbo Auto Body) urged the city to include local Oakland businesses, noting his 36-year history and hardship from a car crash. Councilmember Houston strongly supported keeping contracts in Oakland.
- Coliseum Payment Allocation (Item 5.3): Six speakers addressed the item. John Santos, Betty Robinson Harris, Alana Lipset, Robert Tabadoya, Jothi Singh, Ronnie Stratton, Ted Russell, Alison Wall, Natalia Neida, JK Fowler, and others urged the council to dedicate the 6% ticket revenue share to arts and culture. David Peters reminded the council of the 2014 policy directing net gain to the affordable housing trust.
- Consent Calendar (Items 6.25, 6.11, 6.46, etc.): Multiple speakers supported the Sanctuary City ordinance (City of Refuge), including Corina Gomez, Elsa Stevens, Moose, and Arlington Tungwell. On the Coliseum sale, speakers urged arts funding. On surveillance technology, Madison Stacy, Chris McKay, and others criticized ALPRs and encampment sweeps. John Jones III supported the Coliseum deal and sanctuary city. Armando G. criticized the encampment policy as harmful. Asada Olabala raised concerns about contract processes and the police chief selection.
- Open Forum: Speakers addressed Children’s Hospital Oakland (Measure C funds), public comment time reduction, and thanked the council. Councilmember Wang thanked Asada Olabala for her contributions.
Discussion Items
- Item 5.1 – Police Commission Selection Panel Nominations: The administration requested withdrawal, stating that background checks had not been completed per the municipal code. The council voted unanimously (5 ayes, 3 excused) to withdraw with no new date.
- Item 5.2 – Collision Repair Contracts: The committee had recommended only approving Quality Body & Fender (Oakland-based) and CEQA findings. Councilmember Houston moved to also approve Moeller Bros. (heavy vehicles) due to $280,000 in outstanding invoices and to reject other non-Oakland vendors. Councilmember Unger seconded. Staff noted that limiting to one Oakland shop would slow repairs. Councilmember Wang supported local outreach. The motion passed 6-0-2.
- Item 5.3 – Coliseum Payment Allocation to CalPERS: An urgency finding was approved (6-0-2). The resolution appropriating $50 million from the Coliseum sale to pay down the city’s unfunded pension liability was adopted (6-0-2). Councilmember Ramachandran noted the city’s $2 billion liability and the savings from early payment.
- Consent Calendar Amendments: Councilmember Brown participated remotely. Amendments were made to items 6.19 (Cultural Affairs Commission term) and 6.20 (Privacy Advisory Commission vacancy). Item 6.40 was continued. Councilmembers Unger and Wang registered no votes on item 6.40. Councilmember Houston requested that the encampment abatement report (item 6.23) be brought back in September for full council discussion.
Key Outcomes
- Police Commission Nominations: Withdrawn; no new date set.
- Collision Repair Contracts: Approved as amended – only Quality Body & Fender (light vehicles) and Moeller Bros. (heavy vehicles) were awarded contracts. Further outreach to Oakland vendors will occur over summer recess.
- Coliseum Sale Proceeds: $50 million allocated to CalPERS for pension liability reduction. The 6% ticket revenue share will be considered for future allocation; council members expressed support for arts and culture funding.
- Sanctuary City Ordinance: Final passage of the “City of Refuge” ordinance, including amendments acknowledging historical harms to Black Oakland residents.
- Police Chief Contract: Approved with urgency, providing $411,294.96 annual compensation for Chief James Beere.
- Consent Calendar: Approved as amended, with 34 public speakers heard. The council adjourned at 6:06 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, good afternoon. And welcome to the rule the uh city council meeting um today, July twenty-first. The time is three thirty-seven 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 and participating and would like to submit a speaker card, please fill out a speaker card and turn it into a clerk representative, either before the item is called into record or no later than a two hours after the meeting began again. The meeting began at three thirty-seven. Um so again, uh online speaker cards are uh online speaker card submission is uh due twenty-four hours before the meeting begins, so that has closed. So once again, if you would like to speak to an item on this agenda, again fill out a speaker card, turn it into a clerk representative either before the item is called into record or two hours after this meeting began, whichever comes first. With that, I will now call roll on roll. Councilmember Brown is excused. Councilmember Fife is excused. Councilmember Guile. Here. Yes, I have two quick announcements because we are in a very tight quorum situation. Um we will be with only five members present. We will be reducing speaker time to one minute. We will all there's also a request from the administration to pull item five point one, which will be the first on the non-consent calendar. Thank you. Thank you for that. So with that, um item three is modifications to the agenda. Um assuming the council chair just noted that, but is there any additional any other modifications? No. Okay, that now moves us um through the agenda item number four is consideration of public hearings. There are no public hearings on this agenda today. We will now move to our um non-consent items. Uh five. So item five point one. I will read the item into record. And it is adopt one of the following pieces of legislation. One a resolution accepting the police commission selection panel slate of two commissioners Ricardo Garcia Acosta and Johnny Harris to serve on the Oakland Police Police Commission or a resolution rejecting the police commission selection panel slate of two commissioners Ricardo Garcia Acosta and Johnny Harrison to serve on the Oakland Police Commission. I do have three speakers for this item. Thank you. Uh to the administration, please go ahead. Good afternoon, council. We're asking that the item is withdrawn from the agenda. The selection panel hasn't had the opportunity to consider the background checks prior to submission to council, and we would like to note that the city charter provides that if the city council does not accept or reject the slate within 60 days after after completion of the background checks and submission by the selection panel. All designated replacement shall be deemed appointed. However, the Oakland City Municipal Code requires that the appointing authority here, the selection panel considers the background checks prior to submission to the council, and that has not happened yet. As such, the background check process has not yet been completed, and this recommendation is not properly before the council at this time, and therefore the 60-day time period cannot start to run. Thank you. Um Madam Clerk, I know we still have to read in public comment, even though the item is polled. We want to make sure all the T's are crossed and I's are dotted before voting on anything. Um so please read in the public comments. We'll do thank you for that. Chair Rama Chandran. So I will read in the speakers um for those who are here in person. Please step up to the podium when I call your name. Please restate your name for the record. Um if you are participating online, please raise your hand so I can easily identify you. We will take those who are in person first, followed by those who are online.
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