Oakland Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting Summary - October 27, 2026

On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the City of Oakland Community & Economic Development Committee convened at 1:31 p.m. in City Hall. Councilmember Carroll Fife (District 3), Councilmember Janani Ramachandran (District 4), Councilmember Zac Unger (District 1), and Chair Rowena Brown (At-Large) were present. All six agenda items were considered; every roll call vote was 4-0, and the substantive resolutions were forwarded to the November 10, 2026 Special City Council consent agenda.

Consent Calendar / Routine Approvals

• Approved the draft minutes from the committee meeting of October 13, 2026 (motion by Fife, second by Unger).
• Accepted the schedule of outstanding committee items as presented (motion by Unger, second by Ramachandran).

Public Comments & Testimony

• On Item 2, Sada Olavala said the City Administrator had made many Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) expenditures that lacked explanation, citing examples that included a $49,000 on-call economic consultant, a $200,000 grant with an unclear purpose, $100,000 to the Spanish Speaking Unity Council of Alameda County (listed twice), $24,990 to Fong Jewelry, $200,000 to the Laurel Street Association, $100,000 to the Black Culture Zone, and $158,000 in family community engagement funding. She asked for a separate accounting of EWD spending.
• On Item 2, Cynthia Rodriguez of La Clinica's Haven's Court Safe Homes Initiative called on the city to act on lead abatement and proactive rental inspection programs, noting that youth and promotoras had spent more than four years raising awareness during Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
• On Item 2, a public commenter said a city race and equity analysis from about ten years earlier found Fruitvale had higher childhood lead poisoning rates than Flint, Michigan had during the height of its water crisis; seven years after the settlement, Oakland had remediated zero homes and tested zero children with those funds, while Los Angeles County had remediated more than 1,400 units. Oakland remained eight to twelve months away from remediating its first home.
• On Item 2, Valerie Bachelor, ACE director, said Oakland received more than $14 million in a 2019 lead settlement but still has no lead abatement program; tenants have filed more than 200 code enforcement complaints. She urged immediate implementation of the equitable lead hazard abatement program and proactive rental inspection program.
• On Item 3, Sada Olavala asked whether the Montclair BID's roughly 220 businesses are required to pay the assessment, what happens if they do not pay, whether hardship waivers exist, why the BID operates the city park and lot, and how community members can have input into spending. She said she was glad the assessment is on businesses rather than residents.
• On Item 4, Sada Olavala questioned why a city staff member presented the Rockridge BID's report rather than the BID itself, asked about the BID's level of investment in public safety, and asked whether residents pay the fee.
• On Item 5, Sada Olavala urged future use of Prop 64 funds for youth prevention and intervention, citing the grant's stated purpose to support school districts and community programs and the harms of youth substance abuse.
• On Item 5, Blair Beekman praised Oakland's cannabis equity work as a model, said San Diego was still working through similar issues, described the challenge of balancing enforcement with equity, and said he was learning from Oakland's approach.
• On Item 6, Sada Olavala said the city should retain final authority over scheduling, conduct rules, facility rules, special events, and tournaments, and preserve public access to Caldecott Field regardless of donor investment, citing lessons from the Raimondi partnership.
• In open forum, Rita Watson, representing her church at 9941 D Street in Russell City, said it is the last remaining building of Russell City; she reported repeated break-ins and people on the property despite police responses, and requested city help. Chair Brown said her team would follow up and noted the location is in District 7.

Discussion Items

• Montclair BID (Item 3): EWD staff member Eric Samunza presented the resolution. The Montclair BID covers approximately 220 businesses and proposes a 2027 budget of about $250,000, including $127,050 in projected assessment revenue from a 5% assessment increase and $123,000 in non-assessment revenue and donations. The BID reported 9,757 pounds of trash collected, 1,560 merchant check-ins, almost 4,000 linear feet of rooftop lighting, 66 graffiti incidents removed, and nine events in 2025, plus a 44% year-over-year increase in Facebook engagement and a 67% increase in Instagram engagement. Staff said hardship waiver availability varies by BID, unpaid assessments can affect business license renewal, and the December 1, 2026 public hearing is the venue for business-owner protests.
• Rockridge BID (Item 4): The Rockridge BID covers about 482 businesses and proposes a 2027 budget of approximately $240,000, including $193,640 in projected assessments from a 3% increase, $2,000 in associate member revenue, $5,000 in additional revenue/donations, and just under $40,000 carried over from the prior year. The BID launched the Rockridge Card in June 2026, with more than $6,000 in gift cards sold; it also launched a new website and held a July event that hid miniature Waldo figures in 25 businesses. Councilmember Ramachandran asked why the report showed zero security cameras but camera footage provided to OPD; staff explained that Rockridge is a merchant-based BID that does not fund cameras, while Montclair has cameras and significant fundraising. Both BIDs are considering conversion to property-based BIDs.
• BSCC Proposition 64 Cohort 4 Grant (Item 5): Kat Toyo of EWD presented the resolution to accept up to $4,500,000 from the Board of State and Community Corrections for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031. Approximately $4,280,880 would fund staff costs for coordinated enforcement of illicit cannabis activity, with the remainder for equipment, technology upgrades to the ACELA permitting and inspection platform, an evaluator, and administrative costs. Staff reported cannabis-related public nuisance cases rising from 21 in 2025 to 39 in 2026, an estimated 86% increase, with 74 locations needing additional enforcement and only one inspector currently on staff; the grant would add four inspectors and support OPD and Fire overtime. The prior Cohort 3 award of $2,260,000 funded security improvements and a $310,000 equity awareness campaign and remains active through 2028.
• North Oakland Regional Sports Center / Caldecott Field (Item 6): Councilmember Unger introduced a resolution directing the City Administrator to negotiate a non-exclusive agreement with North Oakland/South Oakland Little League and College Preparatory School for capital improvements and long-term stewardship of Caldecott Field at 6900 Broadway. Unger described the field as suffering from water supply issues, dead grass, destroyed playing surfaces, and inoperable bathrooms, with no current capital improvement plan. The resolution would require a comprehensive equity study, preserve public access, and return to the full Council with proposed terms and CEQA findings before any agreement is final. Councilmember Ramachandran asked about the city's financial obligation and illegal dumping; Unger said all terms would be negotiated. Councilmember Fife raised issues encountered in the Raimondi partnership; Unger acknowledged likely challenges, including water infrastructure work involving EBMUD and PG&E.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1 approved the October 13, 2026 draft minutes, 4-0.
• Item 2 accepted the schedule of outstanding committee items as presented, 4-0.
• Item 3: The committee approved staff recommendations and forwarded the Montclair BID resolution to the November 10, 2026 Special City Council consent agenda. The resolution declares the intent to levy 2027 assessments, including the 5% increase, and schedules a December 1, 2026 public hearing.
• Item 4: The committee approved staff recommendations and forwarded the Rockridge BID resolution to the November 10, 2026 Special City Council consent agenda. The resolution declares the intent to levy 2027 assessments, including the 3% increase, and schedules a December 1, 2026 public hearing.
• Item 5: The committee approved and forwarded the BSCC Proposition 64 Cohort 4 Grant resolution to the November 10, 2026 Special City Council consent agenda, authorizing the City Administrator to apply for, accept, and appropriate up to $4,500,000.
• Item 6: The committee approved and forwarded the Caldecott Field resolution to the November 10, 2026 Special City Council consent agenda, directing the City Administrator to negotiate with NOLL/SOLL and College Preparatory School and to return with proposed terms and appropriate CEQA findings.
• All roll call votes were 4-0 in favor, with Councilmembers Fife, Ramachandran, Unger, and Chair Brown voting aye.