Public Safety Ballot Measure Certified as Oakland Sets Packed Spring Agenda

Oakland's Rules & Legislation Committee moved more than 30 items through the legislative pipeline on Feb. 26, certifying a citizen-initiated public safety ballot measure for the June 2026 election while fast-tracking a gender-affirming care resolution ahead of expected federal restrictions. The session also revealed friction between council members and the administration over transparency — from a homelessness plan unveiled without elected officials' knowledge to cooperative purchasing deals that lacked basic vendor details.

• Citizen-initiated public safety and accountability measure certified for June 2, 2026 special election with urgency finding to meet a March 6 filing deadline

• Gender-affirming care resolution fast-tracked directly to Council, bypassing committee, as federal HHS rules restricting care loom

• $80.5 million in state affordable housing funds for two projects scheduled for committee review

• $40 million parcel tax proposal shelved indefinitely with no timeline for return

• Council member blasts administration for publicly unveiling homelessness plan without briefing elected officials

• SB 79 dense housing near BART heads to Council after an amendment to exclude three stations fails

• $8 million in cooperative purchasing deals delayed as members demand vendor transparency

Public Safety Ballot Initiative Heads to June 2026 Election

The committee certified the Oakland Public Safety, Cleanliness and Community Accountability Act of 2026, a citizen-initiated petition that will now appear on the June 2, 2026 statewide primary ballot as a special municipal election.

Why it matters: The item required an urgency finding because the Council must approve the certification at its March 3 meeting to meet the March 6 county filing deadline. Missing that window would have killed the measure's chances for the June ballot entirely.

Decisions: The committee approved the item 4-0 and placed it on the March 3 Council consent calendar. The resolution directs the City Clerk to take all necessary actions for the consolidated election.

Gender-Affirming Care Resolution Fast-Tracked as Federal Rules Loom

The committee bypassed its normal committee review process to send a resolution reaffirming Oakland's commitment to gender-affirming care for transgender, gender-nonconforming, intersex, and Two-Spirit residents and employees directly to the March 16 Special Council meeting on consent.

Why it matters: The federal Department of Health and Human Services has proposed two rules restricting gender-affirming care that are expected to take effect shortly. The resolution is designed to signal to local healthcare organizations that they should not comply with the federal restrictions.

Where things stand: Councilmember Rowena Brown requested to be added as co-author alongside the original sponsor, Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, and read the Rule 24 justification into the record. Rule 24 allows items to skip committee when time-sensitive circumstances warrant it. The item was placed on the March 16 Special Council consent calendar without opposition.

Homelessness Plan Sparks Process Clash Between Council and Administration

A staff member from Councilmember Houston's District 7 office used the scheduling discussion to voice frustration that the mayor's office presented Oakland's five-year homelessness strategic action plan at the Homeless Commission the previous night — without first briefing council members.

Why it matters: Council members report they cannot answer constituent questions about the plan because they were not given advance information, highlighting a breakdown in the governance process between the executive and legislative branches.

"His frustration comes from the lack of engagement with the council prior to bringing this information forward to the public. We've had several calls and inquiries from our constituent which we cannot properly explain because we haven't had proper briefing to the council staff," said District 7 staff on behalf of Councilmember Houston.

Council President Kevin Jenkins cut the remarks short, noting they needed to relate to scheduling. The five-year homelessness strategic action plan itself was scheduled for the March 10 Life Enrichment Committee without further discussion.

Council Demands Vendor Transparency on $8M Purchasing Deals

A resolution approving ongoing cooperative purchase agreements exceeding $250,000 for citywide goods and services — totaling up to $8,040,000 — hit a wall when committee members said the original staff report lacked basic information about which departments use the services, which vendors are listed, what products are most purchased, and which other cities use these vendors.

Why it matters: The exchange reflects broader concerns about whether the administration is providing sufficient detail for the Council to exercise meaningful fiscal oversight over multimillion-dollar procurement.

The other side: Council President Kevin Jenkins pushed back on the process of requiring a written supplemental report, arguing it consumes staff time unnecessarily. "Are you available to answer these questions before the meeting? These seem like questions that can be answered before the meetings. It takes a lot of staff time for you guys to have to do this," he said.

Councilmember Rowena Brown defended the request: "During the Finance and Management committee meeting, as we were reading the reports, these were some items, the questions that we posed. These are some items that we believe the reports could have benefited from."

Councilmember Janani Ramachandran brokered a compromise, proposing the item move to the March 16 consent calendar with the supplemental report attached: "I would prefer that it — I know we have an impacted agenda on the 16th. So if it can go on the consent calendar with the supplemental, that would be my preference."

Decisions: The item was moved from March 3 non-consent to March 16 Special Council on consent, contingent on a supplemental report with vendor and department details.

$40 Million Parcel Tax Measure Shelved Indefinitely

Budget Advisory Commission recommendations on a proposed June 2026 parcel tax measure to support essential city services and fiscal stability were withdrawn to the Finance and Management Committee pending list with no specific date for return.

Why it matters: The potential $40 million annual revenue measure for fiscal stability currently has no path forward. Councilmember Ramachandran pressed the administration: "Does the administration have an update on when this could be heard next rather than having it on no date specific?" Staff responded only that they are coordinating with BAC members on availability.

SB 79: Dense Housing Near BART Heads to Council After Station Exclusion Fails

The Senate Bill 79 Planning Code Implementation Ordinance, which adds zoning regulations for abundant and affordable homes near transit, was forwarded to the March 3 Council as a public hearing.

Why it matters: SB 79 is a state law requiring cities to allow denser housing near transit stations. Oakland's implementation will significantly increase development potential near BART stations — a flashpoint for neighborhood-level tensions over growth, displacement, and infrastructure capacity.

Where things stand: At the Community and Economic Development Committee, a motion by Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, seconded by another member, to amend the ordinance by excluding sites near Ashby, MacArthur, and Rockridge BART stations failed on a 2-2 tie. A subsequent motion to forward the ordinance as written passed 4-0. The public hearing at the March 3 Council meeting will be the next opportunity for residents to weigh in.

Union, Residents Clash Over Civil Service Exemptions and Police Oversight Positions

Four pieces of legislation proposing civil service exemptions for the Parking Administrator, Constitutional Policing Administrator, and Assistant Director of Human Services — plus salary schedule amendments — drew pointed public comment from a union member and a police oversight advocate.

Why it matters: Converting civil service positions to at-will employment raises concerns about worker protections and political influence over operational roles. At the same time, the Constitutional Policing Administrator is considered essential to ending more than 20 years of federal court oversight under the Negotiated Settlement Agreement.

Where things stand: Michael Ford, a Local 21 union member and city employee, opposed the Parking Administrator conversion: "I'm deeply concerned that the city is using its limited resources and precious staff time to fix something that is not broken. Your current parking organization and its personnel have a proven track record and have recently been honored with a national award for its innovative efforts."

Rajni Mandal, a District 4 resident, spoke in strong support of maintaining the Constitutional Policing Administrator role: "This position is a linchpin in Oakland's effort to exit the NSA and finally bring this 20-plus-year process to a close." She noted that ACA Michelle Phillips has made significant progress on NSA compliance and that the position is essential for coordination across OPD, the federal monitor, the city attorney, and the court.

What's next: All four items were scheduled for the March 24 Finance and Management Committee.

Race and Equity Update Demoted to Consent After Agenda Debate

A Department of Race and Equity update, forwarded from the Life Enrichment Committee with a recommendation for a full Council presentation, was instead moved to the March 3 consent calendar after committee leadership questioned the placement.

Council President Kevin Jenkins challenged the non-consent placement: "Is there a reason that this was forwarded to non-consent as opposed to consent? I ask because we have an impacted agenda."

Councilmember Brown explained that two committee members wanted the full body to hear the presentation. Councilmember Carroll Fife offered a counter-philosophy: "If there's no action to be taken, it's my recommendation for council members to either attend the meetings or to watch the video." The item was ultimately placed on consent with a link to the committee video.

Rent Board Reappointees Confirmed Unanimously

Mayor Barbara Lee's three reappointments to the Housing, Residential Rent, and Relocation Board were confirmed 4-0. Deputy Chief of Staff Preston Gilgar presented the nominees: Kara Brodfuehrer, a civil rights and housing attorney at the California Civil Rights Department (landlord representative); Cinthya Munoz Ramos, an immigrant rights organizer and policy leader (tenant representative); and Deseanna Williams, executive director of Berkeley's Rent Stabilization Board (alternate tenant representative).

"These three appointees each bring deep expertise, steady leadership and a demonstrated commitment to housing justice and fair process," said Deputy Chief of Staff Preston Gilgar.

Council President Jenkins personally moved the item, noting Munoz Ramos is his mentee. The reappointments were forwarded to March 3 Council on consent.

Surveillance Ordinance Reform Requested

During public comment, Rajni Mandal urged the committee to calendar discussion of potential amendments to Oakland's Surveillance Ordinance, citing 2024 OPD annual surveillance reports as evidence that reporting requirements have become unworkable. "It's not about reducing oversight, but about aligning deadlines and requirements with realistic workloads and operational capacity," she said. The committee took no action on the request. The annual surveillance reports themselves were forwarded to March 3 Council on consent.

Minor Items

• $80.5 million in state AHSC funds for the Residences at Liberation Park ($44.7M, Round 8) and the 285 12th Street Housing Project ($35.9M, Round 9) scheduled for March 10 PW&T Committee.

• $13.8 million Head Start grant application withdrawn to the Rules pending list with no date specific at the administration's request.

• $27.7 million homelessness funding package (HHAP-6, Winter Relief, OPRI) withdrawn to the Life Enrichment pending list with no date specific.

• $3.4 million Stryker emergency medical equipment purchase agreement forwarded to March 3 Council on consent.

• $3.3 million Adeline Street Bridge seismic retrofit construction phase forwarded to March 3 Council on consent.

• OPD cadet program receives $900,000 in Police Foundation funding; Mayor Lee added as co-sponsor; scheduled for March 10 Public Safety Committee.

• ImageTrend AI-powered fire/EMS records system forwarded to March 3 Council on consent.

• Rent Adjustment Ordinance amendments eliminating tenant petition deadlines, requiring landlord compliance evidence, and increasing civil action damages scheduled for March 24 CED Committee.

• City-wide staffing and vacancy report scheduled for March 24 Finance & Management Committee and April 14 Council as a public hearing.

• BART fiscal outlook informational report to be delivered as an oral report at March 10 PW&T Committee.

• Housing sites zoning code update (Chapter 17.96) forwarded to March 3 Council as a public hearing.

• Oakland Alameda Access Project maintenance agreement continued to March 10 PW&T with a supplemental on Caltrans encampment responsibilities.

• PFRS pension fund investment portfolio and actuarial valuation report scheduled for March 24 Finance & Management Committee.

• OFCY annual evaluation report rescheduled to April 21 Life Enrichment Committee.

• Feb. 12 committee minutes approved 3-0-1, with Council President Jenkins abstaining.

• March 17 Council meeting canceled; replaced by a March 16 special meeting at 3:30 p.m.

• International Day of Happiness resolution fast-tracked to March 16 Special Council via Rule 24.