Park Police Draw Line on ICE, Steam Train Lease Stalls at 7.5 Years

The East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors met Feb. 3 with a light action calendar but no shortage of friction — from a beloved Tilden Park steam train mired in bureaucratic limbo, to a park police chief's emphatic pledge that his officers will never aid immigration enforcement. The meeting also advanced an $800,000 bus contract aimed at getting underserved communities to the parks and surfaced simmering tensions over the district's telework policies and a controversial bike trail in Wildcat Canyon.

• Park police chief declares department will not support ICE operations, grounds policy in the 14th Amendment

• Tilden Park's 74-year-old steam train operation stuck on month-to-month lease after 7.5 years of failed negotiations

• Board unanimously approves $800K bus contract to expand park access for low-income residents, seniors and students

• District ecologist urges board to drop labor appeal and restore telework policy

• Conservation group opposes Wildcat Canyon bike trail, citing threats to Grasshopper Sparrow habitat

A consent calendar item authorizing a mutual aid agreement with the City of Santa Clara Police Department for large events — including the upcoming Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup — became the meeting's most consequential exchange when Board President Olivia Sanwong pressed for assurances about federal law enforcement interactions.