Kaplan rep says councilmember is ‘truly sorry’ for ethics breach that prompted $19,000 penalty

Rebecca Kaplan speaks at a mayoral candidate forum in October. Photo by Sanosi Osman

Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission fined Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan $19,000 Wednesday, for violating the Government Ethics Act by failing to fully report her real estate holdings.  Kaplan, an at-large member of Oakland City Council since 2009, purchased a condo with her parents near Estuary Park in 2013 but failed to disclose it on a form filed…

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Electric scooters: covering the first and last mile in Oakland

Love them or hate them, electric scooters are now a regular sight on city streets across the nation. Since they first came to Oakland this summer, they’ve been operating in a legal gray area—there was no legislation in place to regulate them. That changed in September, when the Oakland City Council passed an ordinance to develop permits for scooter companies.

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A village for the homeless

Construction begins at The Village

The City of Oakland approved a new experimental short-term housing solution, called The Village. After a year of negotiations, they’ve been granted land by the city, and are building houses for the homeless.

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Incumbents sweep Oakland City Council and school board elections

Sitting Oakland city council and school board members won’t have to get out of their chairs; incumbents swept the seven combined seats up for re-election Tuesday. Still, many candidates say their victors were soured by the outcome of the presidential election. District 1 councilmember Dan Kalb, who represents North Oakland, took 80 percent of the vote…

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