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Record of Proceedings

San Leandro City Council Meeting Summary (December 1, 2025)

City Council — Thursday, December 4, 2025
BodySan Leandro, California
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, December 4, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:14:01

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:00

Thank you.

0:30

Thank you.

1:00

Thank you.

1:30

Thank you.

2:00

Thank you.

2:30

Thank you.

3:00

Thank you.

3:30

Thank you.

4:00

Thank you.

4:30

Thank you.

5:00

Thank you.

5:30

Thank you.

6:00

Thank you.

6:30

Thank you.

7:00

Thank you.

7:30

Thank you.

8:00

Thank you.

8:30

Thank you.

9:00

Thank you.

9:30

Thank you.

10:00

Thank you.

10:30

Thank you.

11:00

Thank you.

11:30

Thank you.

12:00

Thank you.

12:30

Okay, it is 7.01 and I'm calling the meeting of the San Lando City Council to order.

12:41

It is Monday, December 1st.

12:43

And what we're going to do here is if you're able to stand, please join us in the Pledge

12:46

of Allegiance.

12:48

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic of which

12:54

you stand, one nation under God, indivisible, for creating justice for all.

13:00

Madam Clerk, would you please take roll?

13:03

Council Member Aguilar.

13:10

Present.

13:12

Council Member Azevedo.

13:14

Present.

13:16

Council Member Bolt.

13:18

Here.

13:19

Council Member Simon.

13:21

Present.

13:23

Council Member Viveros Walton.

13:25

Present.

13:25

Vice Mayor Bowen is absent.

13:29

And Mayor Gonzalez.

13:30

Present.

13:31

The City of San Antonio conducts orderly meetings to fulfill its mandate.

13:34

Discriminatory statements for conduct that would potentially violate the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964

13:39

and or the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, California Penal Code Sections 403 or 415,

13:46

are per se disruptive to a meeting and will not be tolerated.

13:49

Please see the City Council Handbook and City Council Meeting Rules of Decorum for more information.

13:55

Madam Clerk, your announcement.

13:58

If you would like to make a public comment during the meeting, you can do so in person or via Zoom.

14:04

If you are present at the meeting, please complete a speaker card and submit it to the city clerk before the item is presented.

14:11

If you wish to participate in public comment via Zoom, you can do so using the raise your hand tool when the item is called.

14:19

During the public comment session, speakers will be invited to speak and will have a set time to share their comments.

14:27

A countdown timer will appear for their convenience.

14:31

And when time is up, the microphone will be muted.

14:35

All raised hands outside of public comment will be lowered to avoid confusion.

14:40

Once public comment is opened, hands may be raised to speak.

14:44

There will be a 30-minute window for public comments, which will take place under item 7, public comments, as per the published agenda.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement██████████████████████████████30%
Economic Development████████████12%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████12%
Fiscal Sustainability████████8%
Public Safety████████8%
Arts And Culture████████8%
Public Engagement██████6%
Youth Programs██████6%
Parks And Recreation██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

San Leandro City Council Meeting (Dec. 1, 2025)

The San Leandro City Council met Monday, December 1 (called to order at 7:01 p.m., adjourned 10:03 p.m.) with extensive community and business recognitions, followed by routine approvals on the Consent Calendar and two major action items related to public disclosure of a 2024 revenue survey draft and whether to continue exploring a 2026 revenue measure. Attendance at roll call: Mayor Juan Gonzalez, Council Members Aguilar, Azevedo, Bolt, Simon, Viveros Walton present; Vice Mayor Bowen absent.

Closed Session Report-Out

  • City Attorney reported no reportable actions.
  • Announced a future agenda item (Dec. 8) related to Vice Mayor Bowen’s request for discipline; stated there was no majority direction to waive privilege on the report referenced.

Recognitions & Awards (Community Partners, District Awards, and Excellence Awards)

  • Mayor highlighted that downtown “free” events relied on sponsorships and estimated 42,000+ attendees downtown across events.
  • Recognized downtown event sponsors contributing $5,000+, including:
    • Chase / JPMorgan Chase (recognized; not present)
    • Port of Oakland (speaker: Luana Espana), described sponsorship and volunteer “sweat equity” for events such as Cherry Festival and SL Pride
    • Prologis (recognized; not present) – $5,000
    • Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling (recognized; not present) – $5,000 plus nearly $2,000 in donated product
    • Kaiser Permanente – $10,000 (speaker: “MG”/Mary Grace)
    • Waste Management – $10,000 (speakers: Sean Das, Virginia Harrington)
    • Ava Community Energy – $10,000 (speaker: James Cunningham)
    • ACI – $10,000 (speaker: Bernie)
    • Optimist Club of San Leandro – $25,000 (speaker: Robert Herron)
  • District leadership awards:
    • District 1 (Viveros Walton): Lynn Drogo / TAGS (Teen Advocacy Going Strong); TAGS described serving ages 13–24, operating at 1711 E. 14th St, and noted Giving Tuesday.
    • District 2 (Azevedo): Dan Dillman, President/Artistic Director of San Leandro Curtain Call / Historic BAL Theatre; spoke about supporting arts and mentoring youth; asked for community support.
    • District 3 (Aguilar): Rob Roby, service on Human Services Commission; recognized work supporting seniors and community events.
    • District 4 (Simon): Melissa Wong (remote remarks), active in Washington Manor HOA, budget transparency, and advocating participatory budgeting.
    • District 6 (Bolt): Menica (surname not provided in transcript), recognized for pro-democracy organizing; stated ~10 people attended an initial Presidents’ Day “No Kings” event and 2,300 demonstrators attended June 14; thanked multiple community groups.
    • District 5 (presented by Mayor for Vice Mayor Bowen): Eve King, founder of Juniper Corner (nonprofit begun in 2023); described a planned 6,000+ sq. ft. permanent play space at 1900 E. 14th St with planned opening Feb. 2026.
  • Mayor recognition:
    • Janine Hanelt: led Relay for Life team “Walk a Mile for Kyle” for 20+ years, raising $100,000+ for cancer research.
  • Mayor’s Awards for Excellence:
    • Small Organization: Palin’s Martial Arts (two San Leandro locations; programs described from age 3 to adults)
    • Medium Organization: Asian Health Services (founded 1974; referenced 51st anniversary; expansion including dental/mental health near City Hall and a PACE Center planned for late 2026)
    • Large Business: Energy Recovery (speaker: Rodney Clement), noted company moved to San Leandro in 2000; referenced prior peak of ~$2B market cap and stated company grew from 5 employees and “burning $5M” to generating “about $150M” in cash
    • Innovation & Entrepreneur: CoreShell Technologies (speaker: Cicely Lee), described EV battery development and pilot manufacturing line in San Leandro; stated hope for automaker vehicles using batteries by 2026–2027
  • Service awards:
    • Councilmember Viveros Walton: 5 years (Library Historical Commission; Council service)
    • Brody Scotland: 5 years (Arts Commission / Arts, Culture & Library Commission)
    • Councilmember Aguilar: 10 years (Human Services Commission + Council)
    • Jen Wachison: 15 years (Senior Commission; meetings third Thursday 10 a.m.–12 p.m.; noted December hiatus; work on Age-Friendly initiative)
    • Tom Silva: 20 years (Rent Review Board; not present)

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously (Vice Mayor absent).
  • Public commenter Douglas Spaulding (Zoom) highlighted “nearly $100,000 in library grants” (items 5C–5E) and asked about:
    • Item 5A contract with Dillard Environmental for debris cleaning (requested clarification)
    • Item 5F (LINKS shuttle): suggested exploring minimal fares (noted “90,000 riders per year”)
    • Item 5G Cherry Festival: suggested evaluating vendor fees
  • Public commenter Alvaro Ramos (Zoom) urged LINKS planning to prioritize local business, citing opposition to supporting major employers such as Amazon/Walmart and referencing boycotts and inflation impacts.

City Manager Report

  • Cookies with the Cops toy drive: Dec. 2, 5:30–8:30 p.m. in front of Police Department; toys to support families via Davis Street Family Resource Center.
  • 28th “It’s a Wonderful Night” downtown: Friday (date not stated in transcript), begins 5:00 p.m.; tree lighting 5:30 p.m. at Estudillo Plaza.
  • Promoted downtown Augmented Reality Art Walk; map at sanleandro.org/publicart.

Public Comments & Testimony (Non-agenda)

  • Douglas Spaulding noted World AIDS Day; urged transparency and requested release of a report referenced earlier; also previewed concerns about a citizen committee developing a $150 million parcel tax and stated he would raise an alternative proposal later.
  • Emily Grego (San Leandro Chamber of Commerce CEO) congratulated awardees, emphasized business contributions, and promoted upcoming Chamber events.
  • Jesse Rubin (League of San Leandro Voters):
    • Urged Council action (even if report not released) regarding findings about Councilmember behavior, citing credibility and the Council handbook.
    • Stated Councilmember Azevedo should step down due to FBI charges, while acknowledging “innocent until proven guilty”; characterized continued service as harming public trust.

Discussion Items

Action Item 10A — Limited Waiver of Attorney-Client Privilege (June 2024 Revenue Measure Tracking Survey Draft)

  • Staff explained the document was a draft June 2024 community survey results presentation prepared during exploration of a potential Nov. 2024 revenue measure; Council directed staff on July 15, 2024 to cease the Nov. 2024 ballot effort, so the draft was never finalized or released.
  • A Public Records Act request had been received for the draft; staff stated only Council could waive the privilege.
  • Public comment:
    • Douglas Spaulding asked who requested the document and how to request it; Clerk explained PRA requests can be submitted via website form or email.
    • Sarah Bailey opposed release of additional survey data beyond what is public, arguing it could be used to support an “unjust” citizen-led parcel tax campaign.
  • Vote outcome: Motion to adopt the resolution failed.
    • Yes: Gonzalez, Viveros Walton, Bolt (3)
    • No: Azevedo (1)
    • Abstain: Simon, Aguilar (2)
    • Absent: Bowen
  • Mayor stated intent to seek reconsideration at the next regular meeting (Dec. 15, per council discussion).

Action Item 10B — Exploring Potential Revenue Measures for November 2026

  • Staff presented:
    • Council previously supported exploration (special meeting Feb. 2025, per staff) and staff proposed $500,000 during the budget process, which Council denied, requesting staff return with year-end results.
    • Preliminary (unaudited) FY 2024–25 General Fund update: amended budget projected $20.7M use of reserves; actual projected use was ~$5.9M, with $9.1M encumbered and carried over; projected ending fund balance $69.6M.
    • Proposed “next steps” costs discussed included $92,000 for outreach/survey work (noted as already within an existing contract authorization), plus additional potential costs if proceeding further (informational campaign items and other costs shown up to $321,500, with election costs occurring regardless).
    • Staff stated the operating budget gap was about $15M, while infrastructure needs were described as in the hundreds of millions (staff did not provide a precise figure during the meeting).
  • Public comment themes:
    • Several speakers supported continuing exploration and emphasized focusing on roads and public safety, with repeated references to the Washington Manor fire station and roadway needs.
    • Some speakers argued polling was unnecessary and urged immediate movement toward a measure; others supported polling and asked that results be made public to help community campaigning.
    • Douglas Spaulding supported continuing exploration but argued against “two measures,” preferred a city-led measure, and proposed narrowing scope (e.g., fire stations and Neptune Drive).
  • Council deliberation:
    • Multiple Councilmembers expressed that the City’s infrastructure conditions warrant a revenue measure.
    • Councilmember Azevedo opposed continuing exploration, stating residents had already indicated they did not want to raise taxes and argued taxes were already too high.
    • A motion was made and seconded to continue exploring a revenue measure, but the motion was later clarified to include conducting the work under attorney-client privilege (with possible future waiver by Council).
    • Mayor objected to conducting the survey process under attorney-client privilege, expressing concern about transparency and questioning legal applicability to polling work.
  • Vote outcome: Motion to continue exploring revenue measures under attorney-client privilege failed.
    • Tally stated as 3 yes, 2 no, 1 abstention, with Vice Mayor Bowen absent (individual vote breakdown not read into the record for this item).
    • Mayor stated intent to seek reconsideration at the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar approved unanimously (Bowen absent).
  • Action Item 10A (release of draft June 2024 survey results) failed: 3-1-2 (Yes-No-Abstain), Bowen absent; Mayor announced plan to seek reconsideration Dec. 15.
  • Action Item 10B (continue exploring 2026 revenue measure) failed after amendment/clarification that work proceed under attorney-client privilege: 3 yes, 2 no, 1 abstention, Bowen absent; Mayor announced plan to seek reconsideration.
  • Meeting recessed at 8:24 p.m. and returned at 8:25 p.m.

Council Reports

  • Council Members Aguilar, Azevedo, Bolt reported attending the National League of Cities City Summit in Salt Lake City (dates stated by Aguilar as Nov. 20–22; Aguilar noted he paid out of pocket). Topics included workforce development, volunteerism, homelessness systems, and civic leadership.
  • Councilmember Aguilar and public commenters noted World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) and spoke to its significance.

Adjournment

  • Meeting adjourned at 10:03 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, it is 7.01 and I'm calling the meeting of the San Lando City Council to order. It is Monday, December 1st. And what we're going to do here is if you're able to stand, please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic of which you stand, one nation under God, indivisible, for creating justice for all. Madam Clerk, would you please take roll? Council Member Aguilar. Present. Council Member Azevedo. Present. Council Member Bolt. Here. Council Member Simon. Present. Council Member Viveros Walton. Present. Vice Mayor Bowen is absent. And Mayor Gonzalez. Present. The City of San Antonio conducts orderly meetings to fulfill its mandate. Discriminatory statements for conduct that would potentially violate the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and or the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, California Penal Code Sections 403 or 415, are per se disruptive to a meeting and will not be tolerated. Please see the City Council Handbook and City Council Meeting Rules of Decorum for more information.

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