City Government

Nikki Fortunato Bas Holds District 2 Community Meeting

Published

7 years ago

January 12, 2019

On Saturday, Jan. 5th, two days before being sworn into office, newly elected district two city council member Nikki Fortunato Bas held a lunchtime meeting both for her constituents and those who live outside of her district. More than 125 people attended the event held in the cafeteria of Cleveland Elementary School.

The meeting excited Josie Camacho, former executive director of The Alameda Labor Council, who had never seen an Oakland city council member convene a community meeting before being sworn in. Camacho, who also worked at city hall for ten years, said “In convening this meeting, Bas exemplifies leadership and vision we’ve been lacking for so long.”

While former Mayor Jean Quan and former mayoral candidate Dan Siegel were inspired to attend, the meeting also drew people like Noah Kratznelson, a lifelong Bay Area resident who had never before been involved with local electoral politics but has felt more inspired to engage since the election of Donald Trump.

“This is new to me,” said Kratznelson. “I want to meet my neighbors and get more involved at the local level.”

After some time for socializing, networking, and eating, Bas got the meeting’s attendees attention by beginning a unity clap, a method where a clap begins slowly, gains momentum, and then becomes more unified and loud as more people start clapping. She was inspired to use the clap by Filipino and Mexican workers of The United Farmworker’s Movement who used it to express solidarity across language barriers.

Bas introduced new staff members but did not speak at length about policy. She instead centered most of the event’s time around listening to concerns and ideas of Oakland residents.

“We want to be making decisions with you and not for you,” said Bas while addressing the meeting’s attendees. “We want to get a head start connecting with all of you, hearing about the organizations you’re involved in so we can partner with you.”

Bas and her team organized the events attendees into four groups based around district two neighborhoods, with one additional group for those who lived outside the district. Each group had facilitators who asked their group members a few open ended questions that were audio recorded for Bas to hear later.

Those who attended the meeting spoke about many issues, but the issues addressed most frequently related to homelessness and housing.

In an interview after the meeting Bas spoke of how, during her first hundred days in office, she wants to meet with city staff about issues relating to homelessness while continuing to meet with unsheltered residents and activists. She thinks the city could improve services for encampments of unsheltered people by increasing the frequency of trash pick up, and providing clean water and decent sanitation.

Bas also wants city services to be more effective for non- English who often find them difficult to access.

“Not all of our city services are in the languages that our neighbors speak,” she said.

She plans to work with city staff and residents to help non- English speaking Oakland residents access city services and permits.

Zack Haber

Posts by Zack Haber

Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

3 days ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

4 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.