City Government

Councilmember Gallo Introduces RV Parking Ban Proposal

Oakland has 147 total spaces for RV parking in the Safe Parking Programs the city has helped set up through non-profit organizations, according to Citywide Communication Director Karen Boyd. None of these spaces are currently available for residents.

Published

4 years ago

April 25, 2022

Oakland Post

On May 24, the Public Works Committee is scheduled to receive a supplemental report that aims to address inquiries by Taylor, Kalb and Thao about Gallo’s proposal. The committee is then scheduled to vote on the proposal.

By Zack Haber

During a Public Works Department committee meeting on March 22, Councilmember Noel Gallo introduced an ordinance to amend the city of Oakland’s municipal code to place limitations on large, non-commercial vehicles parking in certain streets.

The proposal would make it illegal to park a vehicle that is longer than 22 feet, wider than 7 feet, and/or taller than 7 feet on any street that is 40 feet wide.

Since the vast majority of RVs and trailers are larger than the dimensions listed, advocates for people that live in such vehicles and vehicle dwellers themselves have labeled the legislation as an RV ban. According to a draft that Oakland’s Department of Transportation shared with The Oakland Post, about 79% of Oakland streets are 40 feet wide or narrower.

“This proposal would give the city authority to tow and impound peoples’ vehicle dwellings leaving them on the street with no shelter,” reads an Instagram post from Love and Justice in the Streets, a grassroots advocacy group for Oakland residents experiencing homelessness. “It does not include any real solutions or offer any housing solutions to Oakland residents who currently find shelter in RVs.”

The language in Gallo’s proposal lists blocking bike lanes, access for emergency vehicles and improving visibility for drivers as reasons for the ban.

“I think the policy is very clear, that I can’t do anything I want in front of (Councilmember) Dan Kalb’s house or park my RV therein and leave my trash and garbage whenever I want to,” said Gallo. “I bring this request to you on behalf of the residents that have been here a lifetime that are trying to send their children to school but cannot walk on the street because they’re being blocked off.”

A little over a dozen residents spoke out against Gallo’s proposal during the meeting, saying it would harm vehicle dwellers by taking their homes without offering solutions, especially as some vehicles that serve as homes are difficult to move as they no longer run.

Judy Elkin said, “people need these vehicles for their homes.”

Oakland unhoused resident Nino Parker said the proposal would “just put more people on the street” and that it was “going to make the problem worse.” The legislation would charge the person living in a vehicle that gets towed for towing and storage fees, although it doesn’t list where vehicles would be stored. Parker suggested that if the proposal passes, vehicle dwellers who have their homes towed should move to District 5, which is Gallo’s district.

Two residents spoke in favor of Gallo’s proposal during the meeting. One of these residents, who identified their self only using their first name, Patricia, said “hopefully the RVs can just go into the lots that have already been set up for parking because they pose a problem when you’re cycling around the city.”

“None of the sites have vacancies right now,” wrote Boyd in an email. “Not all of the sites are full, but they are not able to take new people for various reasons.”

Gallo’s proposal does not add any additional spaces for RV parking.

Ultimately, the Public Works Committee, which in addition to Gallo also includes Councilmembers Loren Taylor, Dan Kalb and Sheng Thao, unanimously decided to delay voting on the proposal until a meeting on May 24. Taylor and Kalb asked for a supplemental report on the proposal that would address how it would be enforced, whether the city could determine which RVs belonged to Oakland residents and/or those who worked in Oakland, and information on other similar ordinances from other nearby cities.

Thao asked for a plan as to where the RVs would go if they were towed.

“If we are removing RVs from streets, where are we bringing them?” she asked. Then stated that she “doesn’t want them just shifting around.”

If the majority of the committee votes to pass the proposal, the entire City Council could then vote it into law in a future meeting.

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Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

Published

4 days ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Commitment to Reform City Contracting

She committed to ensuring the coalition has direct access to City leadership by designating Assistant Deputy City Administrator Chuck Baker the primary liaison. Working alongside Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro, DWES Director Emylene Aspilla, Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn, and other City departments, the coalition will continue advancing these priorities while maintaining regular communication with City leadership.

Published

1 week ago

July 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Maria Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.

Special to The Post

On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities.

Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting represented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months.

On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities:

Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) waiver practices
Strengthening prompt payment compliance
Improving procurement forecasting and transparency
Expanding contractor capacity building and business development
Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting

A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson.

Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained within the Disparity Study.

Coalition leaders described the meeting as productive, candid, collaborative, and encouraging.

During the meeting, Lee spoke not only from her role as mayor but also from her experience as an 8(a) contractor and business owner, sharing that she understands firsthand what it takes to build and grow a successful company, employ a substantial workforce, compete for public work, and navigate the complexities of municipal contracting.

Mayor Lee also expressed her commitment to personally participate in future working meetings with the coalition.

“This meeting represents a renewed commitment to partnership,” said Adams. “Mayor Lee listened, engaged, and demonstrated that she wants to move beyond conversation and into implementation.”

CRC’s Len Turner said the roadmap is already in place. ““The City already has the evidence. What’s been missing is execution. …Now it’s time to deliver results.”

Mario Wagner, president of NAMC NorCal agreed that the next phase must focus on implementation, funding, and accountability.

“The coalition is ready to get to work. …The next step is ensuring these initiatives receive meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle. Just as important, the City must establish transparent reporting mechanisms that keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and accountability.”

Coalition leaders also acknowledged that while City leadership has indicated it is reviewing Local and Small Local Business Enterprise waiver practices, the community continues to seek a formal response regarding existing long-term waivers, including waivers extending 10 and 25 years. The coalition believes those waivers should be comprehensively reviewed and, where appropriate, rolled back as part of the City’s broader contracting reforms.

The coalition is also calling on the City to include meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle to support implementation of the Disparity Study recommendations and establish better methods and mechanisms to keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and transparent accountability.

The coalition’s immediate next step is to schedule a working meeting with Baker, Aspilla, Lee, and the appropriate City staff to review what has already been accomplished under the implementation framework.