Fife Abstains on Planning Pick as Quan Fight Heads to Council

Oakland's Rules & Legislation Committee spent its longest debate of Oct. 8, 2026, on a core question: should planning commissioners weigh displacement? Two of Mayor Barbara Lee's Planning Commission picks advanced. Labor representative David Newton was approved 4-0. Former commissioner Peter Smith was approved 3-0-1 after Councilmember Carroll Fife questioned his view of the commission's role. The committee also sent former Mayor Jean Quan's Police Commission nomination to a non-consent council vote.

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• Planning Commission picks advance: Newton 4-0 to consent; Smith 3-0-1 to non-consent
• Jean Quan's Police Commission slate heads to an Oct. 20 council floor fight
• Rule 24 bypasses challenged: the chair asked why so many items skipped committee
• $450,900 OPD traffic grant now requires a report on OPD's current traffic program
• OUSD items routing: Brown pushes for more school board partnership on Garfield Park and internships

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A Displacement Test for the Planning Commission

Why it matters: Two departures this summer threatened the Planning Commission's quorum. The appointees will shape land-use decisions as state laws like SB 79 push more development.

Where things stand: Natalie Sandols' term ended, and Maurice Robbs resigned July 14. Preston Kilgore, Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Lee, presented the urgency finding needed to hear the appointments. "Recently we had a few planning commissioners resign and step down, and so there's an urgency to allow them to continue to meet and have quorum to continue city business," said Kilgore. The finding passed 4-0.

Smith is a former two-term Planning Commission chair and former chair of the General Plan Congress. He has more than 35 years of land use, real estate and construction law experience and now works as a mediator and arbitrator. Newton is a lifelong Oakland resident and ILWU labor representative with zoning, entitlement and project-feasibility experience. He also serves on the Coliseum JPA.

Fife's challenge: "I want to know how you plan on engaging issues around the lack of affordable housing and displacement in your role," said Fife to Smith. Smith called for faster approvals. "We probably also need to look at inclusionary zoning and probably do more to create an opportunity for the building of affordable housing," he said. Inclusionary zoning requires market-rate projects to include affordable units.

Fife then narrowed her question. "There's a lot, particularly at the state level, that is encouraging additional development like SB 79, but the anti-displacement piece is what I'm asking about," she said. "It's not directly in the purview of the Planning Commission, as I understand it," said Smith. "We should definitely debate that moving forward," Fife replied.

Newton's moment: Fife asked Newton how he would balance development pressure against the needs of residents with less. Newton pointed to labor and community action: "We don't need armchair revolutionaries, we need people on the front line." He described the Black Panther Party's 1967 demand for a stoplight at 55th and Market, which the Planning Commission denied. "So to have a child of the Panther now as a planning commissioner, for me, is more than monumental, and I appreciate the opportunity, and I'm ready to go to work," said Newton.

"These commissions have played such a pivotal role in the ugly part of our city's history," said Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Councilmember Rowena Brown and Council President Kevin Jenkins also praised Newton. Councilmember Ken Houston, who is not on the committee, backed Newton but withheld judgment on Smith: "I don't know Peter Smith, haven't spoke to him, but I'm gonna get to know him before the vote."

The other side: Public commenter Asada Olabala contrasted the praise for Newton with the council's treatment of Omar Farmer, who was not reappointed to the Police Commission. She warned that some appointees, often lawyers, "get these appointments to fill their resume up, and they stay a little while and then they leave." Public commenter Blair Beekman urged housing that is "truly affordable and not just middle income."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts:
- Smith: For: 3 (Brown, Ramachandran, Jenkins). Against: 0. Abstain: 1 (Fife). Absent: 0. Fife did not state a reason.
- Newton: For: 4. Against: 0.

Council rules send any non-unanimous item to non-consent, so Smith's appointment will get open debate. Tenant and anti-displacement advocates now have a clear venue. Development interests gain a nominee focused on faster approvals.

What's next: The full council takes up both appointments Oct. 20. Newton is on consent; Smith is on non-consent.

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Quan's Police Commission Bid Heads to a Floor Fight

The basics: The City Charter requires the Rules Committee to schedule the Police Commission Selection Panel's slate. The council must then adopt either an accept or a reject resolution. The slate pairs former Mayor Jean Quan with Nicholas O'Brien-Kovari, and they are voted on together.

Why it matters: Because the slate is all-or-nothing, opposition to Quan could also sink O'Brien-Kovari.

Where things stand: Houston said he had tried to separate the nominees. He called O'Brien-Kovari a good candidate but said Quan and "the old guards, they got to move on," adding, "we need young people, new people, new faces." He backed the reject resolution and asked that the item not be scheduled.

The other side: Olabala cited Quan's past conflict with the police union, police chief resignations and campaign finance and Ethics Commission matters. "As a city council member, she voted to lay off roughly 80 to 100 police officers to address a severe budget deficit," said Olabala. She also said Quan told the panel she applied "because somebody asked me to do it."

Public commenter Rajni Mondal confirmed that account and asked the council to address Quan's social media activity. "There needs to be a clear boundary between personal speech and statements that may be reasonably perceived as representing the Police Commission," said Mondal. Beekman offered a qualified defense: he said he liked Quan and believed she "got a real bad rap," but hoped the ethics concerns would be addressed.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The committee made no changes. The slate was scheduled as part of the 4-0 vote on item 3. Police accountability advocates and police-union critics of Quan will both be watching the council vote.

What's next: The accept and reject resolutions go to the Oct. 20 council meeting on non-consent.

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Missed Meetings, Fast-Tracked Money

Why it matters: Rule 24 lets items skip policy committees and go straight to the full council. That speeds up urgent funding but reduces public and committee scrutiny of contracts and grants.

Where things stand: "To the administration, why are there so many Rule 24s?" asked Jenkins. "We haven't had a regularly scheduled Rules Committee, and so just trying to make sure the critical items get heard before the council in a timely manner," an administration representative answered.

The deadline-driven items included:
- Firearm relinquishment MOU with the court: OPD cannot invoice for salary reimbursement until the agreement is executed.
- Bay Area PL Services forensic contract: The vendor may stop blood draws and sexual assault suspect exams over unpaid invoices of $102,510. OPD has no alternative vendor.
- $875,000 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant: It funds fire station diesel exhaust systems and has a 30-day acceptance window.
- $250,000 HUD grant for Brooklyn Plaza: The grant agreement is with Zarsian OHP1 LLC. "The city is required to enter into this grant agreement no later than October 2026," said Tom Morgan, Assistant Director of Public Works, who added the item from the floor.
- Paul Coverdale crime lab grant: Tracy Jones, OPD Legislative Services Manager, said it gives the lab nine months to buy materials and train employees. She said the Public Safety chair, Councilmember Wong, had already approved the bypass.

The other side: Mondal supported the FEMA grant but noted the fire department had proposed about $1.6M in Measure NN funds for the same exhaust systems. She asked the department and the Measure NN oversight commission to decide whether that spending is still needed.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Item 3 passed 4-0, moved by Fife and seconded by Ramachandran. Item 4 passed 4-0, moved by Fife and seconded by Brown. Both votes send these items to the Oct. 20 council meeting. Item 4 also moved the 2025 Safe Oakland Streets annual report to the Oct. 27 Public Safety Committee.

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Who Will Do OPD's Traffic Enforcement?

Where things stand: The state Office of Traffic Safety offered $450,900 for OPD's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, which funds DUI checkpoints and traffic enforcement. The city would add up to $73,226 from the General Purpose Fund for overhead.

The other side: "OPD disbanded its traffic enforcement unit because staffing shortages require those officers to return to patrol," said Mondal. She asked whether the work would use overtime or pull officers from patrol, and how many hours the grant would fund. Beekman urged limits on automated license plate readers (ALPR) as the city plans to exit its contract with Flock. He called discretionary stops based on ALPR data questionable.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Ramachandran required the staff report to explain "what OPD's traffic safety program currently looks like, and what the funds would be used for." The item goes to Oct. 20 consent with that requirement.

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OUSD Partnership Tension Surfaces

Where things stand: Two OUSD-related items are headed to the Oct. 27 Life Enrichment Committee: a fire department student internship agreement and the $597,500 sale of the city's 0.6-acre portion of Garfield Park to OUSD. "I received feedback from the school board members wanting more partnership and collaboration between the city and just ongoing efforts such as this," said Brown, who chairs the Education Partnerships Committee. She pledged to publish a full 2027 meeting schedule.

The other side: Administration staff said land sales are council's call alone. Because Education Partnerships includes OUSD members, a council committee is the more appropriate venue. "It's my understanding that that authority lies within our City Council exclusively," staff said. Olabala disputed the premise of the sale: "There's never been a vote by the board to buy property."

What's next: Both items will be heard Oct. 27 at Life Enrichment. Staff said the internship MOU could become the first step toward a citywide program.

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• Prop 1 and Prop 43: Resolutions supporting the $11.25 billion state housing bond and opposing a two-thirds voter threshold for local special taxes go to Oct. 20 consent, with Jenkins added as co-sponsor.
• Measure NN fellowship: Mondal warned that a proposed $1M+ OPSPAC fellowship includes advocacy aimed at council, and City Attorney guidance on it is still pending.
• Inspector general oversight: Mondal urged moving the Office of Inspector General under the City Auditor, while Beekman defended the current police review system.
• Business district assessments: Montclair (5%) and Rockridge (3%) seek 2027 increases, with public hearings Dec. 1, 2026.
• Baker Tilly contract: A $249K procurement consultant contract that waives competitive bidding and local business requirements heads to Oct. 27 Finance.

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Looking ahead: The full council meets Oct. 20 on the Quan slate, Smith and Newton, and the fast-tracked grants. Several committees meet Oct. 27. The West Oakland Senior Center reopens Oct. 21. Voters decide Props 1 and 43 on Nov. 3, 2026.