On Tuesday, May 19, the Emeryville City Council tackled a jam-packed agenda aimed at the city’s checkbook—moving forward with a November tax measure to address an unfolding fiscal deficit, while deciding on a controversial $31.7 million affordable housing loan, local arts grants, and funding for Emeryville Restaurant Week.

Study Session: Fall Revenue Measures Update [48:20]

The Council began the evening with a comprehensive study session centered on bridging a structural deficit within the general fund, which currently stands at $8.3 million and is projected to climb to nearly $13 million by fiscal year 2029-30.

Finance Director Sharon Friedrichsen, alongside polling experts from Lew Edwards Group and Godby Research presented data from a survey of 306 local voters conducted between March 30 and April 8, 2026.

The findings revealed strong public support for a Business License Tax reform measure with 76.4% of those polled expressing support. Conversely, a proposed parcel tax failed to gain traction with likely voters, polling at just 51.8% indicating it would likely fall short of the two-thirds supermajority required by law for special taxes.

The Business License Tax reform measure would transition the city from its flat-rate system to a tiered variable gross receipts model. This overhauled structure lowers rates for general retail businesses that already generate sales tax while adjusting percentages for larger corporations, a model projected to generate up to $13.4 million annually in out years.

Based on these insights, the Council voted 5-0 to move forward with drafting the ballot language to reform the business license tax and completely forgo a parcel tax for the November 3, 2026 election.

Special Orders of the Day [1:23:06]

Three proclamations were made for May including:

• Recognizing May 2026 As Older Americans Month
• Recognizing May 2026 As Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Recognizing May 17-23, 2026, As National Public Works Week

Public Comment: Support for Anti-Mail Theft Action

During public comment, resident Connie Zheng urged the City Council to advocate for additional federal resources to address mail theft. Zheng cited more than 20 mailbox break-ins at Emeryville residential complexes over the past 14 months and called on the City to work with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and postal officials to secure the city’s inclusion in the USPS’s Project Safe Delivery initiative, which is replacing traditional mailbox locks with electronic locks in high-risk areas nationwide.

Consent Calendar: ECC Contract for Restaurant Week Debated [1:52:08 ]

During the regular session, Councilmember Kalimah Priforce pulled items 9.5 and 9.6 from the consent calendar. Item 9.5 was a symbolic expression opposing the war in Iran, and 9.6 was a $30,663 contract with the Emeryville Commerce Connection (ECC) to coordinate and promote Emeryville Restaurant Week.

For 9.5, Priforce expressed gratitude to the city for taking a stance on the Iran conflict on behalf of the Wellstone Democratic Club and “streamlining this across Oakland and Berkeley.” For 9.6, Priforce questioned the overlap between the city’s Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) and the ECC, a nonprofit organization, and wanted to clarification that no city money was going toward supporting an organization that could potentially lobby the city on behalf of businesses.

Councilmember David Mourra defended the contract, clarifying that the city was effectively hiring the ECC as a service provider for this one event and not subsidizing their day-to-day operations. “I think this is quite a good investment and we’ll get a lot of bang for our buck on this,” Mourra spoke in support.

Following the discussion, the council voted 5-0 to approve the ECC contract.

PUBLIC HEARING: General Plan Amendment [2:17:01]

Senior Planner Navarre Oaks presented an ordinance amending the General Plan and Title 9 planning regulations to implement the final components of Housing Element Program LL. While earlier portions of the program were passed in February to comply with state law, these amendments required a longer process—including a 90-day tribal notification period—due to mandatory map updates. The changes streamline the approval process for smaller residential projects, such as three-to-four-unit buildings and duplex conversions, by eliminating the requirement for Planning Commission review as long as they stay within maximum planning limits. The updates remove “base” restrictions and strike bonus-level approvals on Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and residential density maps, primarily affecting lower-density eastern neighborhoods like Doyle, Hollis, and the Triangle. Fulfilling this program carries no fiscal impacts, avoids CEQA triggers, and supports the city’s 2023–2031 Housing Element goals and state “pro-housing” designation.

Following a motion by Councilmember Courtney Welch and a second by Councilmember David Mourra, the City Council voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the ordinance.

ACTION ITEM: Visual Arts Grant Program Recipients [2:28:40]

Amber Evans, Community Development Coordinator and Public Art Program Manager, presented the 2026 Visual Arts Grant Program. Since launching as a pilot in 2022 with just four applications, the program grew significantly in 2026, receiving 50 applications requesting over $650,000 for a $120,000 budget. Following a multi-step evaluation by a selection subcommittee and the Public Art Committee (PAC), staff recommended awarding grants to 10 artists distributed geographically across the city.

The council clarified safety and engineering standards for the Public Market sculpture, verified that the greenway bench would be ADA-compliant, and discussed the funding mechanism. Funding for the grants stems from the Art in Public Places fund, which recently received a large, unexpected deposit from a developer who opted out of installing on-site art.

While staff noted an option to allocate an additional $34,500 to fund alternative subcommittee recommendations, the council opted to stick to the original budget.

The City Council voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the resolution executing the 10 grant contracts and appropriating an additional $750 from the public art fund to the operating budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to finalize the program.

ACTION ITEM: Public Postings for Agendas and Public Notices [2:50:58]

An amendment to the Emeryville Municipal Code to designate the Civic Center at 1333 Park Avenue as the city’s single official location for public posting of agendas and notices. Staff explained that consolidating from three locations down to one allows them to effectively monitor a centralized posting board to accommodate new translated material requirements under state bill SB 707. Staff clarified that large-print agendas will continue to be provided at the Senior Center despite it no longer being a legally designated site. Following this clarification, the City Council voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the ordinance.

ACTION ITEM: Rules of Procedure [2:54:34]

The Council shifted to a discussion regarding an amendment to Section 4.1 of the Rules of Procedure, which dictates the official Order of Business. The review, pushed by Mayor Kaur, aimed to address potential inefficiencies where ceremonial items or special orders occasionally forced attendees waiting for public comment periods to stand by unnecessarily.

Councilmember Mourra argued that moving Public Comment away from the consent calendar as Kaur was advocating for could make these comments feel disjointed and suggested sticking with the status quo knowing things could be rearranged on a case-by-case basis if needed.

The council generally agreed that the current agenda layout remains highly functional and does not create an unreasonable burden. A motion to maintain the existing agenda structure as it currently stands passed smoothly with a 5-0 vote.

ACTION ITEM: $31.7M Permanent Financing Development Loan for EAH Inc. [3:20:58]

The final agenda item of the evening brought the return of a controversial resolution authorizing the City Manager to commit up to $31,757,588 in permanent financing to EAH Inc. for a proposed 68-unit affordable housing development at 4300 San Pablo Avenue. Intended to serve low-income seniors and transitional-age youth aging out of foster care, the intergenerational project relies heavily on $25.1 million from Emeryville’s 2018 Measure C housing bond.

A similar funding request was rejected at the April 21st meeting, where Councilmembers David Mourra and Kalimah Priforce joined Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur in asking staff to return with alternative options due to soaring per-unit costs. During the staff presentation, Economic Development and Housing Manager Valerie Bernardo warned that restarting or redesigning the project would trigger strict compliance with the state’s Surplus Lands Act. She stated this process would strip the city of its specialized design standards and delay occupancy by at least three years—pushing completion to 2032 and ultimately driving construction costs higher.

During public comment, representatives from EAH and local advocates spoke in favor of the loan, describing the development as a vital regional asset that would stimulate the local economy and provide a crucial safety net for vulnerable populations.

On the dais, Councilmember David Mourra maintained his stance of fiscal restraint, explicitly tying the decision to voter expectations and a forthcoming local revenue measure. “Would the public have voted for Measure C, which we said was going to produce 500 units of housing, and now most of Measure C is going towards 67 units? So I actually don’t think it would have passed,” Mourra argued. “We need to demonstrate that we understand that trust that they’ve put in us to spend their money wisely.”

“Would the public have voted for Measure C, which we said was going to produce 500 units of housing, and now most of Measure C is going towards 67 units? So I actually don’t think it would have passed.”

Councilmember David Mourra

Vice Mayor Matthew Solomon expressed strong reservations but described the sudden jump from the project’s original $12 million city allocation to over $31 million as a “bitter pill to swallow end of the spectrum.” Councilmember Courtney Welch agreed with Solomon’s long-term outlook, stating, “it’s a pain point right now, but 20 years from now when I drive by that site, I’m not going to feel that way when I think about all the people that it’s served and all of the good it’s done for the community.”

Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur sided with Mourra in voting no, noting her support for deeply affordable housing but expressing a desire to explore more cost-effective alternative practices, such as modular construction.

Ultimately, Councilmember Kalimah Priforce found himself in the position of the swing vote. Expressing that the project’s regional benefits outweighed the sticker shock and that the timeline was “too time sensitive for us to wade in the water,” Priforce flipped his previous position to support the resolution. The funding commitment passed in a 3-2 split vote.

Future Agenda Items

In the closing minutes of the meeting, council members introduced several proposals for future consideration. Councilmember David Mourra highlighted an issue raised during public comment regarding widespread mail theft and master key break-ins, noting that at least 20 multifamily housing complexes within Emeryville have been targeted. The council unanimously supported a dual-pronged approach: agendizing a future staff report from the Emeryville Police Department on local mail security, and sending a formal letter of support to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon requesting federal assistance to prioritize electronic mailbox updates.

Councilmember Kalimah Priforce requested a future review of what he termed a “mutual dignity and safety ordinance.” The item failed to advance after receiving no dais support.

Priforce then requested a proclamation recognizing May 18th as Haitian Flag Day, noting his background as the first Haitian-American elected official in California. Because the city had no remaining meetings scheduled for May, Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur proposed a compromise to move the recognition to June so it could coincide with the city’s Juneteenth celebrations. The council voted unanimously to support the June proclamation.

The Agenda and packet for this meeting can be downloaded at Emeryville.org.