Mission Statement

To make Oakland an easy, efficient, prosperous, and resilient place to do business, and to reduce racial disparities and help all Oaklanders achieve economic security so that everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

Learn more about who we are and what we do here.

SERVICE IMPACTS &

EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS

Enhancements 

Affordable Housing & Homelessness Solutions

1. Adds 1.0 FTE Real Property Asset Manager (Development) with the use of fund balance. This new position is part of succession planning for the Public/Private Development (PPD) team and will begin the process to consolidate the two current Redevelopment Area Teams to reflect expected reductions in staffing due to retirement. This new position will eventually replace two (2) Redevelopment Area Manager positions resulting in reduced costs and contributing to the reduction in expenditure of Redevelopment Bond Funds over time.
   • Equity Consideration: Consolidating multiple Redevelopment Area Manager positions and staffing into a single team will streamline operations and allow staff to better focus on delivering services across all of Oakland, expediting the delivery of affordable housing.

Good Jobs & Vibrant Economy

1. Adds $1.03M to replenish the Operating Reserve for Scotlan Convention Center and covers the Scotlan Convention Center Operating Deficit. The City is contractually obligated to cover any shortfalls at the Convention Center and must do so to ensure continued operations of the facility as it reopens and recovers from the negative impacts of the pandemic.
   • Equity Consideration: The Scotlan Convention Center serves Oakland and the region and hosts large and small corporate events and trade shows. These events draw thousands of people to downtown Oakland who visit Oakland’s diverse restaurant and entertainment offerings, bringing new customers to Oakland’s restaurants, bars, and other small businesses.
2. Adds one-time funding support for consulting services for development of a 5-Year Economic Development Strategy. This will support the City's equitable economic development policy goals and support continuation of the prior 2017-2020 Economic Strategy and 2021 Economic Recovery Plan.
   • Equity Consideration: For a majority people of color city like Oakland, closing racial disparities in business ownership, business revenues, and income is a core strategy for economic growth. The update of the Economic Development Strategy will be focused on equitable economic development, using the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and building upon the prior strategy, economic recovery efforts, and newly gathered demographic data and neighborhood data. This funding support is necessary to engage a professional services consultant through a competitive process to help develop the 5-year Economic Development Strategy.
3. Increases Revenue in Fund 5999 and adds 1.0 FTE Project Manager III (Coliseum) and 1.0 FTE Project Manager II (Coliseum) and recognizes the rest of the $2.5M in Coliseum Project Expense Payment (PEP). These positions are needed to advance the redevelopment of the Coliseum Complex as part of a public/private partnership approved by City Council. It is the largest development project in Oakland, and requires dedicated, experienced staff to negotiate the transaction and manage the project. Per the authorization in CMS 88922, the City’s development partner will pay all staff costs via Project Expense Payments, including an upfront payment of $2.5M to the City once the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) is executed later this Spring. Creating these positions will allow these Project Expense Payments to be received from the development partner.
   • Equity Consideration: Creating these positions will help advance a catalytic project for East Oakland that will include new affordable housing, jobs, open space, and retail and community services. East Oakland has historically been home to a low-income community, with a majority Black and Latinx population that has long experienced social and economic inequities and lacked access to services, which this project will help to correct. In addition, the City’s private partner, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), is an all-Black, Oakland-based development team.
4. Establishes budget in Fund 5505 and add 1.0 FTE Program Analyst II in Cultural Affairs to support public art and authorize the ongoing use of a portion of Public Art Fund 5505 to fund a permanent position to support the Public Art Program. This new position in Cultural Affairs will focus on 1) implementation of the Neighborhood Mural Program, and 2) support for the Public Art Program including community outreach to increase diversity in the applicant pool for public art projects.
   • Equity Consideration: Addition of this position will expand staff capacity in Cultural Affairs to engage in community outreach and analysis work to address structural biases in the field of Public Art. This position will conduct community outreach and engagement, gather data, and analyze public art in capital improvement projects. This position will also support implementation of the Mural Program, which is centered in neighborhood activities and will be grounded in serving underinvested majority-BIPOC communities in the flatlands in East Oakland, Fruitvale, and West Oakland.
5. Adds 1.0 FTE Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) Deputy Director (Special Activities). This position will effectuate the transition of Special Activities to EWDD from the City Administrator’s office by creating a new Deputy Director position to manage the Special Activity Permits Division.
   • Equity Consideration: Creating this position in EWDD will allow the Special Activity Permits division to expand their equity work to support Oakland’s cannabis businesses, street vendors, special events and festivals, and other activities, which benefit the Black, Latinx, immigrant and woman business owners that participate in these sectors.
6. Increases Measure C Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) Fund 2419 Funding for Fairs & Festivals. The pandemic has decimated TOT funding, which subsidizes the event permitting fees of OPD and OFD, due to decreased travel and tourism activity during COVID. Increasing the share of TOT funds directed to support fairs and festivals will enable events to safely take place, which is critical for the City’s economic recovery.
   • Equity Consideration: Restoring TOT funds to support fairs and festivals will enable lower-income Oakland entrepreneurs and street vendors to generate revenue and provide community expression and social cohesion after two years of limited economic and social opportunities.
7. Adds $350,000 for concerts series, performances, and art vendors in City Hall Plaza and Pablo's Alley.
   • Equity Consideration: Equitable special event policies can decrease disparities in business ownership and employment opportunities in marginalized communities of color as well as create a sense of belonging in Oakland. Furthermore, funding to facilitate events that feature vendors and artists from underinvested communities will help realize a more equitable approach to special events as part of the transition of special event permitting to EWDD.
8. Allocate $250,000 in the Cannabis Revolving Loan Fund and an additional $250,000 in Cannabis Workforce Development Program.
   • Equity Consideration: These investments will ensure the City remains competitive for state grants and a hub for equitable cannabis employment and business growth. This local investment will provide workforce programming and business start-up capital for those disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs to access employment and business ownership opportunities in the regulated cannabis marketplace.
9. Adds $1,250,000 for Job Readiness Programs, $110,500 for Unity Council, $50,000 for Oak PIC, $400,000 for Construction Resource Center, $350,000 for Movement Strategy Center for TAY CTE Hub, and $885,305 to extend Workforce Development Board grants.
   • Equity Impact: This is a council amendment approved at budget adoption and an equity statement was not developed for this item.

Clean, Healthy, & Sustainable Neighborhoods

1. Unfreeze 0.6 FTE Urban Economic Analyst (UEA) IV PPT in Business Development to support Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
   • Equity Consideration: The unfreezing of the 0.6 FTE UEA IV would provide staffing resources to a critical commercial neighborhood support program that improves neighborhood conditions. The BID Program Manager would provide the administrative support and guidance for BID formation in new neighborhoods that are currently not represented by BIDs, including in D4, D6, and D7, where City Council has allocated funding for BID formation support for as part of the adopted biennial budget. The restoration of the position would allow staffing to be re-allocated to business and development support programming in East and West Oakland.
2. Increase revenue $40,000 one-time for New Lease
   • Equity Consideration: The West Oakland neighborhood adjacent to the former Army Base is a historically underserved, low-income, majority-Black community that has long experienced social and economic inequities. The new truck parking lease and additional expenditures will have positive health, safety, and quality of life benefits for this community by moving heavy industry and truck activities from this neighborhood to the former Army Base.
3. Purchase vehicles for municipal code enforcement officers. The City’s two municipal code enforcement officers (soon to be reclassified as “special activity permit inspectors”) serve as critical liaisons between the City and lower-income entrepreneurs as well as the broader community. To be effective, they need to work in the field and outside of normal office hours, specifically nights and weekends as that is when most vending, events and cabaret activity take place. Purchasing vehicles dedicated to municipal code enforcement officers will facilitate them carrying out their work outside of traditional office hours. Currently, staff rely on the availability of OPW pool cars and must coordinate any rentals outside of office hours with OPW staff who only work regular office hours. This hinders municipal code enforcement officers’ ability to carry out their work.
   • Equity Consideration: This purchase will support the City’s efforts to legalize low-income mobile food vendors, African-American operated cabarets and special events.
4. Adds $62,000 for West Coast Blues Society.
   • Equity Consideration: This is a council amendment approved at budget adoption and an equity statement was not developed for this item.

Other Impacts And Changes

1. Reduce Recycling Fund Budget 1710 (to be added to Oakland Public Works (OPW) Environmental Services). The fund transfer would reflect current operational capacities and departmental tasks. Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD) historically facilitated the State of California Recycling Market Development Zone Program (RMDZ) and utilized restricted Recycling Fund budget to support marketing and site selection services for businesses purchasing recycled materials for production of products. With rising land costs and changes in the recycled materials market, limited program utilization and spending of the recycling budget has occurred which has been coupled with EWDD staff retirements and shifting of core services. EWDD has underspent the recycling fund allocation over the past two years and operationally would be better suited to be re-absorbed back to OPW for recycling program use. The funds are restricted and can only be used for recycling program support.
   • Equity Consideration: The transfer of funds back to OPW would allow additional funding resources into the recycling program that supports citywide efforts for recycling, litter control, and waste stream reduction.
2. Subsidizes Oakland Fire Department (OFD) Fire Inspectors personnel costs as a part of new Community Event Fee program.
   • Equity Consideration: OFD’s inspection fees can present a barrier to special event applicants and they restrict how far Measure C (Transient Occupancy Tax) funds can go towards covering the City’s costs at City sponsored special events. Subsidizing a lower fire inspection fee for events that support historically marginalized communities will realize the City’s Cultural Plan of providing equitable opportunities for cultural expression.

SIGNIFICANT BUDGETARY CHANGES

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

POSITION INFORMATION