Public Safety Not Affected

Administrative offices will be closed between Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2 for a combination of City holidays and business closure days as a result of budget cutbacks, as follows:

While the City's administrative employees are out of the office, if a situation arises that requires more staffing, the City has a plan in place to call in additional resources. Police, fire and emergency services are not affected during the holidays or business closures.

Business closures-and the unpaid time off taken by City employees on such days-were agreed to by employee labor unions as part of the package of employee concessions to balance the City's $58 million budget deficit. Every City employee agreed to contribute nine (9) percent of their compensation to minimize the reduction of vital City services to the public.

Specific Service Impacts for December 24 - January 2:

Parking Enforcement

• As previously announced, Saturday, December 24 is a Parking "Holiday." Parking at all parking meters will be free for the posted period of time (30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours). The free parking "holiday" applies to both standard meters and the parking kiosks that are located in many commercial districts. Standard parking rules and time limits apply - if shoppers need additional parking time, they will need to move their car. The City will be monitoring parked cars on a regular basis.
• December 25 and 26, and January 1 and 2 are parking holidays during which motorists do not need to pay for parking at City meters.  
• Regularenforcement will occur throughout the City for all parking violations on December 27 - 31.

Public Works

• No streetsweeping will occur.
• Serious emergencies - such as sewer overflows, traffic signal outages, objects completely blocking the street to vehicle traffic and major flooding conditions - will be responded to.

Oakland Public Library  

• All libraries will be closed December 24 through January 2.
• All locations will resume normal hours on January 3, 2012.
• Books and other materials are not due until January 5, 2012.

Patrons are asked to not attempt to return materials in library book drops until January 3.

OaklandAnimal Shelter

• December 24 and December 31: Open from 12 noon to 5 pm
• December 27 and December 29: Open from 4 to 7 pm.
• Will be closed on December 25, 26, 28 and 30 as well as January 1.
• People who find stray animals and cannot hold them when the shelter is closed should call 510-777-3333 between the hours of 7 am to 3:30 pm to be put in touch with a Shelter representative.
• The shelter will resume a normal operating schedule on January 3 from 4 to 7 pm.

Office of Parks and Recreation

• Visitors will have access to parks; however gates and restrooms will be closed and staff will not be on site.
• Program sites will be closed on December 24, 25 and 31, as well as January 1. 
• Fee-based programs and Winter Camps will continue at participating sites.

Human Services

Senior Centers

• All senior centers will be closed December 24 through January 2.

Head Start/Early Head Start Programs

• Head Start and Early Head Start sites will be closed December 24 through January 2.

Broadway Shuttle

• The shuttle will not operate on December 26 or January 2.
• The shuttle will operate a normal Saturday schedule (6 pm to 1am) on both December 24 and December 31.
• The shuttle will operate a normal schedule December 27 - 30, including extended Friday night service to 1am.

Remaining Business Closure Days for Fiscal Year 2011-12 generally occur once a month in conjunction with observed City holidays.

Remaining Business Closure Days for Fiscal Year 2011-12

• Friday, January 13, 2012 (Monday, January 16 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a City holiday) 
• Friday, February 10, 2012(Monday, February 13 is Lincoln's Birthday, a City holiday)
• Friday, March 30, 2012 
• Friday, April 13, 2012