Community & Economic Development Committee
July 14, 2026
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Rose Rubel
Acting City Administrator Assistant to the City
Administrator
SUBJECT: Professional Services Agreement
With Barretto, Co. For Signage &
Wayfinding Services
DATE: June 15, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution 1) Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Barretto-Co. LLC, An Oakland Certified Small Local Business Enterprise, For Signage And Wayfinding Graphic Design Services At 250 Frank H Ogawa Plaza, For A One-Year Term With The Option To Extend For An Additional One Year, For A Total Contract Amount Not To Exceed $300,000; And 2) Waiving The Competitive Request For Proposals/Qualifications Requirements.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Administrator’s Office is seeking design services for a new wayfinding signage system at the Single Storefront Permit Center (SSPC) at 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza commensurate with other physical and operational upgrades at the Center, and in alignment with the ongoing #OakPermits Citywide Permitting program. City staff issued an informal Request for Proposals (RFP) on March 17, 2026 to nine vendors (of which five were Local/Small Local Businesses) and received one response from Barretto-Co. LLC, a certified Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE).
Staff determined the professional services agreement (PSA) would need to include additional design scope at a higher total contract amount to facilitate the reconstruction of design assets that were lost to the 2023 ransomware attack, as well as design and fabricate a visually cohesive, brand-aligned, and ADA-compliant wayfinding signage system for orientation and visitor experience at the SSPC. Based on this assessment, staff recommends that the City Council waive the competitive request for proposals/qualifications requirements and authorize the City Administrator to enter into a PSA with Barretto-Co. LLC for the proposed signage and wayfinding graphic design services for a one-year term with the option to extend for an additional one year without returning to Council, for a total contract amount not to exceed $300,000.
Betsy Lake (Jul 2, 2026 16:30:53 PDT)
Jul 2, 2026
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Professional Services Agreement With Barretto, Co. For Signage & Wayfinding Date: June 15, 2026 Page 2
Community & Economic Development Committee
July 14, 2026
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The proposed PSA was initiated under the ongoing #OakPermits Citywide Permitting program, led by the Office of the City Administrator, to develop and scale efficiency solutions across various customer journeys, from digital platforms available through the City’s website and in- person services offered at the Single Storefront Permit Center (SSPC) at 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (250 FHOP). Under the proposed project, the City is seeking design services for an updated wayfinding signage deployment at the SSPC commensurate with other physical and operational upgrades at the Center.
The public service areas of the SSPC occupy the first and second levels at 250 FHOP, where in-person permitting and related services are provided by City agencies including Planning and Building, Transportation, Public Works, Fire Prevention, Housing and Community Development, and Business Tax. On March 17, 2026, City staff issued an informal Request for Proposals (RFP) to nine firms in total – four of the vendors were identified from the City’s Business Directory, and the other five were identified from the City of Oakland Local/Small Local Business Enterprise Certified Directory – each with North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes related to graphic design services, sign manufacturing, and/or interior design services, and with experience performing similar or relevant work as depicted on their business website. Responses were due to the City by April 10, 2026. Staff received one proposal, from Barretto-Co LLC.
An internal, cross-departmental team of staff from the City Administrator’s Office, Planning & Building Department, and Oakland Public Works Facilities Services Division evaluated the proposal from Barretto-Co. LLC and engaged the firm in a Q&A session and presentation of the proposed scope of work and other contract terms. The review team found the proposal to be extremely thorough and well-structured, and the firm’s portfolio of past work to be squarely aligned with the proposed outcomes of the project. The scope of work described in the RFP included four possible phases of the project, to include program/style development, final design specifications, and templates for signage typologies. The Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) Chapter 2.04.040 stipulates that contracts procured through an Informal Advertising and Bidding process cannot exceed $50,000. Initially, staff anticipated negotiating a contract within this limit that did not include sign fabrication, but subsequently discovered that the original design documentation for 250 FHOP – including signage and wayfinding design specifications – were lost in the 2023 ransomware attack. Staff had intended to provide these specifications to the selected vendor as a baseline for the vendor to update and revise for the new signage program, but after learning from Facilities Services Division staff that the files were lost, staff determined the PSA would need to be expanded and dollar amount increased, to allow the vendor to both facilitate the reconstruction of lost design assets as well as deployment of new/updated customer wayfinding and signage in a key public facility.
Upon evaluation of Barretto-Co. LLC’s proposal and breakdown of costs and associated deliverables for each project phase, as well as review of other similarly-sized projects performed by the vendor, staff recommends increasing the contract dollar amount to ensure that the full project scope can be delivered to the City.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Professional Services Agreement With Barretto, Co. For Signage & Wayfinding Date: June 15, 2026 Page 3
Community & Economic Development Committee
July 14, 2026
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The proposed PSA with Barretto-Co. LLC will deliver a comprehensive catalogue of signage typologies and associated specifications, as well as a style guide with colorways, typeface hierarchy and other details – a resource the City does not currently possess for its existing signage and wayfinding assets. In 2023, the original design documentation for the facility – including signage and wayfinding design specifications – were lost in a ransomware attack.
Staff had intended to provide these original specifications to the selected vendor to update and revise for the new signage program, but after learning from Facilities Services Division staff that the files have been lost, staff determined the PSA would need to be expanded and dollar amount increased, to allow the vendor to develop specifications for existing assets at the SSPC.
Additionally, expanding the proposed contract will also enable staff to include an optional Fabrication Planning and Management component, allowing the vendor to deliver the newly designed assets to the City for installation in 250 FHOP, rather than contract out this portion of work to a new/separate vendor.
The revised, currently proposed PSA facilitates the reconstruction of lost design assets and consistent deployment of customer wayfinding and signage in a key public facility. This project will have Citywide benefits, as staff expect the deliverables to be applicable at many, if not all City facilities in addition to the SSPC at 250 FHOP. Under the proposed scope of work, the vendor would perform the following:
1. Program Development. The Consultant will develop a signage program for the SSPC inclusive of locations and typologies (graphic layouts).
2. Style Development. The City of Oakland will furnish several existing assets that can provide a starting point for graphic development of the signage system. These will include a style guide for printed assets, PowerPoint presentation template, and city website Cascading Style Sheets, among other materials.
3. Final Design Specifications. The consultant will provide a final package as follows:
3.1. A comprehensive style guide for the signage system that is consistent with the City’s existing Style Guide, or proposes enhancements or amendments to the current Guide.
3.2. Layouts for all signage typologies, including by not limited to typical assets such as, Informational Panels (Hours of Operation, etc.), Directional Signage, Wayfinding, and Fixture Inserts (a schedule of fixtures to be provided)
4. Templates for Signage Typologies. The consultant will provide digital assets as follows:
4.1. Production files for each sign template, as vector graphics (Adobe Illustrator or similar).
5. Fabrication Planning, Management (Optional Implementation). The consultant may be tasked with managing fabrication of the SSPC signage Program. Implementation shall be managed by the City.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Professional Services Agreement With Barretto, Co. For Signage & Wayfinding Date: June 15, 2026 Page 4
Community & Economic Development Committee
July 14, 2026
In addition, all design layouts and location specifications shall comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements under Federal ADA Accessibility Standards Title III, Chapter 7 /SAD §703. Some of the existing assets in the SSPC do not meet current standards, and this project will prioritize replacing these fixtures.
The proposed vendor, Barretto-Co. LLC, is a small, minority-owned creative agency that is certified by the City of Oakland as a Small Local Business Enterprise for graphic design services. This firm has completed similar projects for the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Jack London Business Improvement District.
As referenced above, OMC Chapter 2.04.040 stipulates that contracts procured through an Informal Advertising and Bidding process cannot exceed $50,000. Due to the ransomware attack in 2023, much of the original design documentation for the facility – including signage and wayfinding design specifications – were lost from the City’s electronic records. Staff intended to provide these specifications to the selected vendor to incorporate, update, and revise for the new signage program, but after learning that the files have been lost, staff determined the PSA would need to be expanded and dollar amount increased to allow the vendor to develop specifications for existing assets at the SSPC. The revised, currently proposed PSA facilitates the reconstruction of lost design assets, and consistent deployment of customer wayfinding and signage in a key public facility. While staff initially believed that the scope of work could feasibly be performed for $50,000 or less, the informal solicitation for the proposed project gave staff a clearer understanding of the tasks and steps required to meaningfully achieve the project’s goal – to create a visually cohesive, brand-aligned, and ADA-compliant wayfinding signage system for fabrication to enhance orientation and visitor experience at the SSPC. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council waive the competitive request for proposals/qualifications requirements and authorize the City Administrator to enter into a professional services agreement with Barretto-Co. LLC, an Oakland Certified Small Local Business Enterprise, for signage and wayfinding graphic design services at 250 FHOP for a one-year term, with the option to extend for an additional one year without returning to Council, for a total contract amount not to exceed $300,000.
The proposed action advances the Citywide priority of responsive, trustworthy government by supporting the City’s ongoing efforts to improve customer service experience for the public at the SSPC and other City facilities.
RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS
This agenda item seeking to enter into a contract for signage and wayfinding graphic design services is routine in nature and does not relate to any of the five priorities outlined in the City of Oakland Strategic Plan 2025-28.
FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient funds are available for this professional services agreement from a prior budget allocation for the Re-Imagining Citywide Permitting project. The proposed contract will be funded from Development Services funds in the amount of $300,000 which is available in Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Professional Services Agreement With Barretto, Co. For Signage & Wayfinding Date: June 15, 2026 Page 5
Community & Economic Development Committee
July 14, 2026
Development Services Fund (2415), Non-Departmental Organization (90591), Phase II ROSP Athenian Group Project (1006079), and DPBNP Administration Program (IP49).
A breakdown of the appropriate project funding source is included in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Project Funding Sources
Fund
Source
Organization Account Project Program Amount
(Fund # and
Name)
(Org # and
Name)
(Account #
and Name)
(Project #
and Name)
(Program #
and Name)
$
2415
Development
Services
Fund
90591 Non-
Departmental
Org
54930
Professional
Services
1006079
Phase II
ROSP
Athenian
Group
IP49 DPBNP
Administration
Program
$300,000
Total
Project:
$300,000
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
While staff anticipate that the proposed project will have a public impact through improved signage and wayfinding at the SSPC, no outreach was deemed necessary for the proposed policy action beyond the standard City Council agenda noticing procedures because the scope of work was informed by feedback already received from staff and members of the public regarding needed improvements to the overall in-person customer experience in 250 FHOP.
COORDINATION
This report and legislation have been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney and the Budget Bureau.
RACE AND EQUITY
Staff did not complete a Racial Equity Impact Analysis on the recommended action to approve a PSA with Barretto-Co. LLC for signage and wayfinding graphic design services. Upon completion of this contract, staff will continue to monitor customer and staff experience at the SSPC through surveys, and will also establish metrics to track the success of new signage and wayfinding assets or identify accessibility or other issues, which will be incorporated into the SSPC’s signage program.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Professional Services Agreement With Barretto, Co. For Signage & Wayfinding Date: June 15, 2026 Page 6
Community & Economic Development Committee
July 14, 2026
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution 1) Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Barretto-Co. LLC, An Oakland Certified Small Local Business Enterprise, For Signage And Wayfinding Graphic Design Services At 250 Frank H Ogawa Plaza, For A One-Year Term With The Option To Extend For An Additional One Year, For A Total Contract Amount Not To Exceed $300,000; And 2) Waiving The Competitive Request For Proposals/Qualifications Requirements.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Rose Rubel, Assistant to the City Administrator, at (510) 238-6587.
Respectfully submitted,
ROSE RUBEL
Assistant to the City Administrator, City
Administrator’s Office
Reviewed by:
Robin Abad, Citywide Permit Ombuds
Rose Rubel (Jul 2, 2026 16:13:10 PDT)
Rose Rubel