It’s a dense agenda for the last meeting of the legislative session, but also a fairly light one in terms of controversial issues. The Non-Consent calendar has only three items, and almost half of the items on the Consent Calendar are second readings. Here’s the rundown of what’s of note:
Non-Consent
Selection Panel Appointment of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Joey Harrison
The appointments could end up being contentious if past experience is any guide. The Police Commission Selection Panel has submitted two candidates for Commission seats, and one of them is current Chair Ricardo Garcia-Acosta, who the Council twice voted to reject for the role. The rejection and the very visibly politicized process by Council caused the Selection Panel to have an unusual conversation ahead of their vote in June. Several panelists considered strategizing their appointee submissions to the body so that their work of months would not be dashed in a single night by Council as it has been twice before.
The charter requires the Council to approve or reject the appointments as a slate, so that even if the issue for CMs is only one Commissioner, they must reject all of the commissioners in the legislative request. That reality caused the Selection Panel to have a live debate about staggering a slate of one each for Council consideration, so that if the Council again proceeds with its unusual decision to reject candidates, the body will not have to re-do the entire process for both candidates. The body ultimately decided to proceed with its standard process of a slate of two candidates, Ricardo Garcia-Acosta for full Commission and Joey Harrison as alternate.
The Council rejection of Garcia Acosta and Farmer—twice—has had wide-ranging impacts across the spectrum of process and it made the current commission composition a confusing traffic jam of vacancies. After the Council rejected the appointments of Ricardo Garcia Acosta and Omar Farmer, Farmer and Garcia-Acosta nevertheless agreed to serve as hold-over commissioners so that the body would not have quorum issues. Garcia Acosta is effectively a commissioner without official appointment, meaning his current seat, which should have been filled last October, is vacant. The other candidate on the slate is Joey Harrison who, if confirmed, would be filling the alternate seat that Garcia-Acosta left vacant when he was elevated to full Commissioner after former Commissioner Jesse Hsieh resigned from the body years ago.
The Selection Panel actually has four positions to fill in this period. Garcia Acosta’s permanent seat and the replacement of the alternate seat Garcia Acosta once filled will be the slate Council reviews on Tuesday. The Selection Panel is also expected to submit a second slate of former Mayor Jean Quan and Nicholas O'Brien-Kovari to fill terms that begin in October–both of those seats are currently vacant regardless, due to the death of Wilson Riles Jr. and the resignation of Samuel Dawit. Both Dawit and Riles terms would have ended in October this year.
Coliseum Payment Allocation
This item was originally part of the legislation amending the sale agreement for the Coliseum on Monday, but it was carved out as an item of its own during that meeting. The legislation would ensure that the upcoming $50 MM payment for the Arena goes to pay down unfunded liability in the CALPERS retirement fund, not the General Purpose Fund.
Consent
Encampment Management And Abatement Operations
This report on the EAP was already heard at the last Council meeting, but CM Ken Houston has demanded it be heard again because he argued it got short consideration then. Regardless, it’s on the Consent Calendar, which means it normally would not have extensive discussion. Extensive discussion likely will happen, regardless, prompted by Houston. It could also be moved to the Non-Consent calendar at the start of the meeting. During the discussion, it was clear that the City is not ready to move forward with normal EAP operations as envisioned in the legislation, although it has continued to tow RVs and vehicles in the meantime.
Second Amendment To Coliseum Complex Sale Agreement
The amendment had its first reading last Monday at a well-reported special meeting. Second readings for ordinances generally create little controversy, but it’s possible this ends up being discussed again.
Professional Services Agreement With Weaver And Tidwell, LLP For Forensic Audit Services of Capital Improvements and Human Services
This 490K contract fulfills some of Mayor Barbara Lee’s promise to have forensic audits of the City’s departments.
City Response To 2025-2026 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Report
The City’s response is that it implemented almost all of the recommendations while the Grand Jury Report was being written. This still might generate a convo at Council tho.
Seminary Point Debt And Rent Forgiveness
Not likely to generate much conversation as city and council members seem determined to move this quickly and with little fanfare. You can read more about it here.
OPD RSI Helicopter Maintenance Contract
Almost five years ago, the OPD promised Council it would endeavor to switch over to fixed wing aircraft instead of dumping nearly a million a year into helicopter maintenance for its aging helicopters. Despite even going as far as submitting a use policy for the new surveillance array an FWA requires at high altitudes, the project fell into the shadows. It’s likely to come up again in this vote, even if the item is not moved to Non-Consent
Contract Agreement For James Beere As Oakland Police Chief
Paying a police chief almost half a million per year, nearly twice the Mayor’s salary, would normally be an issue for discussion. But not for this council apparently, which has placed this on consent.
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