Councilmember Gallo authors resolution to put funding of real estate project on November ballot

By Ken Epstein

The majority of the City Council’s Rules Committee voted this week to place an item on Tuesday, July 5 Council meeting agenda to decide whether voters will be able to decide whether they want to spend more than a billion dollars in public funds on billionaire John Fisher’s private Port development.

The resolution at the Thursday Rules Committee, submitted by Councilmember Noel Gallo, was supported by Councilmembers Carroll Fife, Sheng Thao, and Nikki Fortunato Bas. Councilmember Dan Kalb abstained.

In an interview with the Oakland Post before the meeting, Councilmember Gallo said, “I still believe that the Council’s input is necessary, (but) based on letters, emails, texts, and conversations in the neighborhood, people are demanding that this item should go before the voters,” Councilmember Gallo said.

“I support that effort.  I am here to represent the public, not the Fisher family or the Oakland Athletics. We’re still paying for the Raiders not being here and for the Warriors not being here. I don’t want to see that continue,” he said.

Gallo continued: The billion dollars “is being requested by a private business, the Oakland Athletics. We should develop the Coliseum for professional sports teams and housing, and the Howard Terminal should be used for development opportunities and for businesses at the Army Base and the Port of Oakland.”

If the deal goes through, “the Fisher family would become the biggest developer and investor in Oakland. I want to make sure we get a return on our investment,” he said.

Gallo recently authored a resolution, which the City Council approved, calling for the city to produce a study on the full costs of the Howard Terminal proposal to Oakland, including maintenance and infrastructure.

He said he had been having regular meetings with City staff on the progress of that study, but in the last few weeks, the meetings have been canceled.

“As of right now, I don’t have a current update,” he said.

Council members said they have received hundreds of letters, texts, and emails from members of the public saying they want a vote of the public on whether to spend public money on infrastructure for the private Howard Terminal development.

Two dozen speakers addressed this week’s Rules Committee supporting the placement of the measure on the November ballot. Three speakers opposed putting the measure on the ballot.

The East Oakland Stadium Alliance has recently run a social media campaign and delivered petitions signed by thousands of Oakland residents to City Council members supporting a public vote on the Howard Terminal Project.

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