Oakland A's Coliseum Lease Deal Approved By City Council With Modifications
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- The Oakland City Council approved a lease agreement for the Oakland Athletics to stay at the O.Co Coliseum Wednesday night, but the team expressed disappointment after city leaders made several adjustments to the deal.
The city council approved the 10-year lease, with a series of tweaks proposed by Councilmember Pat Kernighan, which she called clean-up language.
A's President Michael Crowley was stunned by the vote.
"We'd like the document to go forward as approved," he said.
Fans had different ideas, many of them trashing the plan they say offers no guarantee the A's would have a future in Oakland, and makes no room for a new Raiders stadium.
"When I read that lease, I see no good use for it except for when I run out of toilet paper, because that's all it is a bunch of crap," Raiders fan Brian Dixon said.
Mayor Jean Quan claimed again that she wanted the deal approved, despite a series of flip-flops over the past several weeks.
"I want direction to move forward with the lease," Quan said.
The county is expected to vote on the agreement on July 29th.
Political insider Phil Matier told KCBS that despite that two members of the Oakland City Council, who voted Wednesday night and sit on the Coliseum Board and were privy to negotiations, could have been directed these new demands all along but didn't. He said it's typical of the city's political dysfunction.
"They say there is no communication between the mayor and council. They say there is no communication between the council and the council; between the council and city administrator—that they have had three city administrators in and out," Matier said.
"It doesn't look good. It looks like the clown car pulled up to City Hall and they're all jumping around on it."
Matier said that what's happening in Oakland is just a "warm up" for the deal to build a new Coliseum for the Raiders.
"This is just batting practice compared to that game," he said.
LISTEN:
Phil Matier: The A's Lease Fiasco Is Further Proof Of Oakland City Hall's Dysfunction
