Life Enrichment Committee
February 24, 2026
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Jamie Turbak,
City Administrator Director of Library Services
SUBJECT: Atthowe Fine Arts Services Contract DATE: February 5, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Waiving The Request For Proposals/Qualifications Requirements, And Awarding A Contract To Atthowe Transportation Cooperative Corp. Dba Atthowe Fine Art Services For The Storage Of Select African American Museum Library Materials For A Five Year Term In An Amount Not To Exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Atthowe Transportation Cooperative Corp. DBA Atthowe Fine Art Services, is an Oakland based company that is exclusively dedicated to the handling and storage of fine art. The City of Oakland has engaged their services since 2016 for the storage of more than 20 years’ worth of the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AMMLO) archival collections.
The proposed contract with Atthowe Transportation Cooperative Corp., DBA Atthowe Fine Arts Services, will not exceed three hundred thousand over a five-year term and will allow for the continued storage of AMMLO’s archival collections in a humidity controlled environment that meets professional and industry standards.
BACKGROUND/LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On July 20, 2021, the Oakland City Council passed Resolution No. 88752 C.M.S. authorizing the City Administrator to execute an agreement for a five-year contract with Atthowe Transportation Co., DBA Atthowe Fine Art Services. That contract term ends in September 2026.
Currently, there are more than 20 years’ worth of archival collections stored in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment at Atthowe Fine Art Storage. Controlling temperature and relative humidity is crucial for archival collections and a fundamental aspect of preservation. These collections are historically significant and unique documents chronicling the history of African Americans in Northern California and the Bay Area. The processing and Jestin Johnson (Feb 26, 2026 08:46:53 PST)
Feb 26, 2026
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Atthowe Fine Arts Services Contract
Date: February 5, 2026 Page 2
Life Enrichment Committee
February 24, 2026
cataloging backlog requires dedicated human resources and environmental storage that meets professional and industry standards. The Library Department and AAMLO seek a continued storage contract at the current facility to complete the processing of these important historical documents. To move these documents to another storage facility at this time is not in the best interest of the City, as it would disrupt the processing efforts and misspend human effort in moving collections.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Oakland Municipal Code (“OMC”) section 2.04.051.A requires the City Administrator to conduct a request for proposals/qualifications (RFP/Q) process for professional services contracts, and OMC section 2.04.051.B allows Council to waive the RFP/Q requirements upon a finding by the Council that it is in the best interest of the City to do so.
It is in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive request for proposal/qualifications process for this contract because initiating a contract with a new vendor would require moving the collections, which would result in a duplication of effort and a wastage of resources already invested in this project. Moreover, since Atthowe Transportation Cooperative Corp. DBA Atthowe Fine Art Services is the only local vendor that specializes in this service; a new vendor outside of Oakland would also mean higher transportation and other overhead costs
Approval of this resolution advances the Citywide priority of housing, economic, and cultural security because it will allow the Library to continue to engage the services of Atthowe Transportation Cooperative Corp., DBA Atthowe Fine Art Services, for the storage of AMMLO’s archival collections for a five-year term which avoids higher costs associated with securing services of a vendor outside of Oakland and maintains the stability of the AAMLO archival collections.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for the Atthowe Fine Art Services contract is budgeted and available in the General- Purpose Fund (1010), African American Museum Library Org (61511), Administration Project (1000013), and African American Museum Library Program (NB18).
The proposed annual contract amount is not anticipated to exceed $60,000 per year for a total not to exceed amount of $300,000 for a five-year term. Funding for the first year of the contract is included in OPL’s FY 2027 adopted budget. Funds for the outer years of the contract will be included in OPL’s FY 2028-2031 baseline budget and contingent upon the availability of funding.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No public outreach was required in the development of this report and resolution.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Atthowe Fine Arts Services Contract
Date: February 5, 2026 Page 3
Life Enrichment Committee
February 24, 2026
COORDINATION
This report and legislation were reviewed by the Budget Bureau and the Office of the City Attorney.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Atthowe Transportation Cooperative Corp., DBA Atthowe Fine Art Services, is an Oakland-based company that provides job opportunities for Oakland’s residents.
Environmental: No environmental opportunities have been identified.
Race & Equity: The collections that are stored at Atthowe Fine Art Services are historically significant and unique documents chronicling the history of African Americans in Northern California and the Bay Area. These archival collections must be preserved so the history of African Americans is always remembered and shared.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Waiving The Request For Proposals/Qualifications Requirements, And Awarding A Contract To Atthowe Transportation Cooperative Corp. Dba Atthowe Fine Art Services For The Storage Of Select African American Museum Library Materials For A Five Year Term In An Amount Not To Exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000).
For questions regarding this report, please contact Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services at (510) 238-6610.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMIE TURBAK
Director of Library Services
Prepared by:
Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services
Oakland Public Library