MARIJUANA TOPS AGENDA FOR 'FINAL' COUNCIL MEETING

Bus Shelters, Predatory Lending Among The 50 Items

OAKLAND -- The Oakland City Council will be packing in as much as
possible at its meeting Tuesday before packing up for a six-week summer
break.

It will be the council's last meeting until Sept. 11, and the agenda
includes 50 items, some hot and some not.

But unlike past years, when the last July council meeting routinely
dragged into the wee hours of the morning, this one is unlikely to be a
marathon session, said Council President Ignacio De La Fuente.

"I think it will be a reasonable meeting," De La Fuente said. "How short
depends on whether we reach an agreement on medical marijuana."

De La Fuente is sponsoring an ordinance that would substantially reduce
the number of plants medical marijuana patients are allowed to
cultivate, from 144 to 10. That would bring Oakland in line with limits
in Berkeley and other cities, but the proposed reduction has enraged
medical marijuana advocates, who say it is too restrictive.

De La Fuente said he has been trying to reach a compromise.

"We have had meetings, and we are trying to come up with a middle
ground," he said.

The council's first action item Tuesday calls for a vote on a contract
with Adshel to put up hundreds of bus shelters with advertising on city
streets. Adshel has been competing with Infinity Outdoor Inc. for the
contract, but last week Mayor Jerry Brown used his influence to swing
the vote to Adshel.

Brown is expected to make a brief appearance at Tuesday's meeting to
break the 4-4 tie over the contract.

Also on the agenda is an ordinance to ban certain "predatory" lending
practices in Oakland. The law would be the first of its kind in the
state, placing restrictions on high-cost loans, limiting early payment
penalties, and adding a counseling requirement for some loans.

The law is backed by the Association of Community Organizations for
Reform Now (ACORN) and opposed by the California Bankers Association. It
has already won the unanimous approval of a four-member council
committee.

Also on the agenda is a deal to sell the earthquake-damaged Bermuda
Building, which the city seized through eminent domain, to Ellis
Partners for $3.6 million. The developer plans to demolish it and build
an office building.

Other agenda items include:

Approval of a contract with City Carshare to implement a car sharing
program in Oakland.

A relocation plan for residents and businesses in the "Uptown"
redevelopment area, between 17th and 21st streets and Broadway and
Telegraph Avenue.

Final approval of a $50,000 settlement with Nereyda Lopez-Bowden, who
accused Brown's senior adviser, Jacques Barzaghi, of sexual harassment.