City Government

Vallejo City Council Denies ELITE Public Schools Permit to Expand into Downtown

After two years of fighting for their plans, members of the Vallejo City Council by a 6-1 vote, approved an appeal that overturned the Planning Commission’s decision to allow ELITE Public Schools charter to expand into downtown Vallejo.

Published

1 year ago

July 8, 2024

Oakland Post

Vallejo City Council voted against the approval of expanding ELITE Public Schools charter into the downtown area. ELITE fought for two years to gain approval of their project and will now seek legal action. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

By Magaly Muñoz

ELITE Public Schools had submitted an application in July 2022 for a Major Use Permit to convert a vacant office building into a high school that would accommodate 400 students plus staff. Opposition to the reconstruction soon began from members of the community.

The primary opposers to the project were former Solano County judge Paul Beeman and his wife Donna. The couple, whose office sits next to the vacant office building, argued that the arrival of 400 high school students would cause a disturbance to the area and did not follow the economic revitalization guidelines for downtown Vallejo.

The Beemans attempted to rally the support of other business owners and the Vallejo Central Core Restoration Corporation (CCRC) against the proposed expansion. While several residents agreed that the school was not needed, the CCRC voted to not involve themselves in the developments of the plan as a collective.

The Planning Commission had initially approved the Major Use Permit in March, but it was quickly appealed by the Beemans 10 days later.

Members of ELITE claimed that the opposition to their proposed plan was racially motivated since the majority of the students are Black and Brown kids. In one instance, that observation was not far off, particularly when a local business owner blamed the rise in crime in the community on Black people.

The sour taste of that response carried on into the rest of the proceedings and comments made in the council meetings.

Despite the opposition from community members, ELITE students and families held steady in their fight to advocate for their school. They attended every meeting, no matter how late the discussions ran, even if it meant staying up into the middle of the night on a school day.

Students shared stories about how ELITE has pushed them to do better in their academics, how to be leaders, and set goals for themselves that they didn’t know were achievable for them before joining ELITE.

Despite the obvious support and reports from city staff that showed that the school followed all guidelines and regulations, the city council voted to not grant the Major Use Permit on grounds that there was no sufficient evidence to prove that this expansion was a good fit for Vallejo.

Councilmember Charles Palmares cast the only dissenting vote to allow the appeal and overturn the decision to grant the permit. Palmares did not respond for comment at the time of publication.

But the fight for ELITE might not be over yet.

Eric Schaffer, attorney for the owner of the vacant building where ELITE wanted to expand into, spoke at the Tuesday meeting, stating that they are considering legal action to appeal the city council’s decision.

Schaffer said his client wants the project to go through and the council has no basis to deny the permit. He also insinuated that the reason why the project isn’t going through is due to Mr. Beeman’s prominence in the community and that the council is being swayed by this influence.

“[Mr. Beeman] is not the decider today, the council is,” Schaffer said.

Similar claims have been made by other members of the community throughout the process of fighting for the Major Use Permit.

Schaffer said they did not want to go through the lengthy and expensive process of a legal battle but they would do so in order to address the conflict of interest on the council and other rights violated by the decision.

Schaffer did not respond for comment at the time of publication.

Dr. Ramona Bishop, founder of ELITE, has previously stated how disappointed she was in the actions of the community and the council for not allowing them to expand into the downtown area. When asked for a comment on the final decision from the city, Bishop said her lawyers would be handling the situation moving forward.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

1 week ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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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

2 weeks 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.

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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

2 weeks 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.