Sharing important items on Tomorrow's 10/19 City Council Meeting Agenda!

I am sharing important items that will be discussed at the up coming October 19, 2021, City Council meeting, landlord and tenant financial assistance for past due rent, and job opportunities at the Oakland Arena.

Photo of Rebecca Kaplan standing in front of a sign

Hi Neighbor,

Sincerely,

𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧

#LOVELIFE

Tuesday, October 19, 1:30PM Council Meeting

Zoom Link:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88527652491

Agenda: Link

Honoring Community Leader

Bobbi Lopez

As Part Of National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month

I am honored to spotlight Bobbi Lopez, as the At Large District 2021 National Hispanic/ Latinx Month Honoree. Bobby Lopez was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and is a proud resident of District 1; She previously worked at La Raza Centro Legal supporting children in suspension/expulsion hearings and IEP hearings; Lopez is a founder of La Voz Latina, a program in San Francisco working with Latino immigrant families; She was a union representative at SEIU 1021 representing City of Oakland workers; She currently works on affordable housing locally; sits on the Executive Board of the state Democratic Party and on the state legislation committee; and lastly, Bobbi Lopez is a proud mama to two OUSD public school students.

Item: Link

Children’s Environmental Health Month

In partnership with Council member Kalb, I am introducing a resolution to declare October 2021 as Children’s Environmental Health (CEH) Month in the City of Oakland. The aim of CEH Month is to raise awareness about the importance of clean air and water, safe food and consumer products, healthy environments, and stable climates to children’s health and development. A statewide CEH Month was established on September 1st, 2021 by the California State Assembly. It provides a means to celebrate the progress of the children’s environmental health movement and create an even stronger network of child health advocates. Additionally, it encourages individuals and organizations to raise awareness and understanding of children’s environmental health issues, seek improved protections for all children, and to work on sustainability and environmental health. This can help support some of the efforts we have been working on locally, such as our work to provide zero-emission trucks and reduce diesel emissions in our communities, to expand access to healthy food, to abate lead and other hazards, and more.

Item: Link

Resolution To Declare October 18-24, 2021, As “Love Life” Week

I am honored to support the Resolution declaring October 18-24 as Love Life week in the City of Oakland. I co-authored the 2016 resolution adopting “Love Life” as the city’s motto. Mr. Donald Lacy championed the task of making Love Life the City’s official motto. He also is the founder of the LoveLife Foundation which was created to honor the work and vision of his 16- year-old daughter LoEshe' Lacy, a successful conflict resolution mediator who was an innocent victim of a shooting in West Oakland on October 20, 1997. We honor LoEshe' Lacy’s life and legacy by observing Love Life week with random acts of kindness; uplifting one another and calling for an end to violence.

Item: Link

Support of Ghost Guns Litigation

I am introducing a resolution in support of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin lawsuit against "ghost gun" manufacturers. There has been an upward trend of gun violence in Oakland since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially over recent months. Illegal gun dealers and users are supplied by the ease of purchasing and assembly of ghost guns and their lack of traceability. This trend has not only impacted Oakland, but the Bay Area and beyond. Last week, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that he will join the lawsuit seeking a court order to bar the companies from shipping their products in California.

I will continue to advocate that every possible jurisdiction joins the effort to take a strong stance against the manufacturers and retailers of ghost guns, which are devastating our communities and are being used to evade basic gun laws. On September 7, 2021, I wrote a letter urging Nancy O’Malley, Alameda County District Attorney, to join San Francisco lawsuits. Tomorrow, I ask my colleagues on the City Council to publicly support this litigation and hold these “ghost gun” manufacturers accountable.

Full Letter to District Attorney: Link

Item: Link

MACRO

On October 12, 2021, I, along with my colleagues on the Public Safety Committee, accepted the City Administration’s report on MACRO. I made the motion to forward the report to the October 19, 2021, full City Council meeting with the following direction:

Return with Options for a 24/7 MACRO service post pilot program within 6 months
Plan for an Advisory Board by the November 16, 2021, City Council meeting
Plan for Grant Writing support for MACRO by the November 16, 2021, City Council meeting

Item: Link

We were happy to learn that the City Administration and the Unions representing the MACRO positions reached a salary agreement. Tomorrow, we will also vote to approve this salary schedule.

Item: Link

City’s Work to Improve Contracting Opportunities

On October 17, 2021, the Finance committee received an informational report on the City’s work towards contracting opportunities. The committee recommended forwarding the report to the to the full city council on October 19, 2021, with the request for additional information:

The Status Of Council-Authorized Grants And The Process For Issuance Of ‘Grants, Including: For Each Grant Approved By Council In 2021,
Whether All Or Part Or None Of Funds Have Been Issued,
Status Of Any Remaining Steps To Be Taken And Funds To Be Issued

At the September 21, 2021, Oakland City Council meeting, I asked the City Administration, who is responsible for implementing the Council’s directives, to provide an important informational report on the status of several vital community grants that were previously council approved -- many since early this spring. Many of these grants were funded with the $10 million that I allocated back to the city as a board member for the city on the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Authority. These grants are time sensitive as they provided direct funding for vital community needs, such as COVID vaccination outreach, and work to ensure opportunity for minority contractors.

I grew concerned as some of the grantees notified me that they had not received the funding from the city and were being asked to resubmit documents that they had previously provided. At the September 21, 2021, Oakland City Council meeting, the City Administration confirmed that there was a separate subcommittee they created that meets to review certain selected city contracting and grants. The purpose of those meetings was unclear, as it seems only minority contractors were sent for extra delay.

I am concerned with the extra process that some grantees were made to go through as they are primarily African American businesses. We know from Oakland's Disparity Report that this is an urgent issue to be addressed. I will continue to advocate and ask for a transparent, timely, and fair city contracting process for all.

Item: Link

Reports On Outside Boards And Commissions

Council President Bas and I scheduled an oral update from the City of Oakland representatives serving on external Boards and Commissions. We asked for a brief update on: Activities, Major Decisions, including high-stakes negotiations or transactions, and Agendas.

We scheduled for this update to comply with Council Rules of Procedure, Rule 25, the Accountability and Transparency in High-Stakes Negotiations Policy: Voting by Delegates and Alternatives to Boards, Commissions and Other Bodies. Rule 25 requires delegates to provide an annual report or briefing and to notify the City Council of high-stakes negotiations or transactions.

Item: Link

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Portal Open

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) portal opened, October 1. Tenants and property owners in need of financial assistance for past due rent may be eligible for the Emergency Rent Assistance Program. Oakland residents in need of help paying rent and property owners whose tenants have refused to apply for rental assistance are encouraged to apply for emergency rental assistance.

To apply: