Board Approves Controversial $149K Poll on Measure D Changes

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors took the first formal step in 26 years toward potentially reshaping the county's foundational open-space and agriculture initiative, voting 3-1-1 to fund countywide polling on Measure D amendments — over sharp objections from environmental advocates and one supervisor who called it a misplaced priority. In a separate work session, staff laid out sweeping new hybrid-meeting mandates under SB 707 that the county must implement by July 1.

• Board approves $149,100 sole-source contract for countywide Measure D polling, the first in the initiative's history (3-1-1)
• Agricultural community turns out to argue Measure D has hurt the farms and wine region it was meant to protect
• Environmental and open-space advocates push back, calling public-funded polling an inappropriate effort to undermine voter protections
• SB 707 Brown Act overhaul will require mandatory Zoom/Teams meetings, new ADA remote-participation rights, and a technology disruption policy by July 1
• Budget update postponed — federal, state and county fiscal briefing continued to a future meeting

The most contentious item on the special meeting agenda was a $149,100 sole-source contract with TeamCivX LLC to conduct countywide polling, feasibility analysis and strategy reports on potential amendments to Measure D — the voter-approved initiative that has governed development in rural unincorporated Alameda County since 2000.