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(Nov. 24 12:07 p.m.) Update — The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution during the special meeting. Trustee Nicky González Yuen and Trustee Cindi Napoli Abella-Reiss attended the meeting remotely.

Oakland – The Peralta Community College District’s Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Monday to vote on emergency work for the “repair and enhancement” of security at the Laney College Fieldhouse. 

On Nov. 13, Laney Athletic Director John Beam was fatally shot at the Fieldhouse.

The resolution includes the repair and enhancement of “security fencing, lighting, security cameras, doors, emergency phones, and access control systems” at the Fieldhouse.

If the board votes in a four-fifths majority to declare an emergency, it will grant the district chancellor power to supersede the bidding process for contracts up to $220,000, under the California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act.

This provides a fast-track for “emergency work,” which the contract code defines as “a sudden, unexpected occurrence that poses a clear and imminent danger, requiring immediate action to prevent or mitigate the loss or impairment of life, health, property, or essential public services.”

The district’s bidding process is to issue a request for proposals from potential clients, or vendors, and select the “lowest responsible bidder,” or the client who is both qualified to complete the work and for the lowest price. The process can take months, but with “emergency work” vendors don’t have to submit a formal proposal until after there is no longer a declared emergency.

A pre-qualified vendor’s list ensures there is no delay as a result of the bidding process before the Spring 2026 semester begins. 

The Citizen reached out to Board President Louis Quindlen for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

On Nov. 18, Robert Crowley, Kinesiology/Athletics/Sports Fitness/Health Education (KASH) department co-chair, addressed the Peralta board of trustees during public comment on behalf of the KASH department.

“We can’t return to the Fieldhouse without improved safety,” Crowley said, ”the visibility, the usage, the openness that make that facility so incredible is why we need to have a plan to keep it safe.”

According to the resolution for emergency work, Laney athletics programs that used the Fieldhouse have been temporarily relocated. The Fieldhouse will not be available to student athletes and athletic staff until the Spring 2026 semester.

Crowley said he met with Peralta Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson, Laney administrators, and Laney President Rebecca Opsata on Nov. 17, to strategize a plan to “implement relatively quickly, […] more dedicated and trained staff members” around the Fieldhouse.

The meeting will be held Nov. 24 at 333 East 8th Street in Oakland at 12:00 p.m. 

(Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct Robert Crowley’s title.)