San Leandro City Council Regular Meeting - April 21, 2026

Note: The agenda and minutes list this meeting as occurring on Monday, April 20, 2026, but the provided metadata states the meeting took place on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. This summary uses the required date from the metadata.

The San Leandro City Council met in a regular session on April 21, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included recognitions, a consent calendar with multiple items (one pulled for separate discussion), two public hearings on rent program fees/vacancy reporting, and council reports. Key actions included approving on-call environmental consulting contracts, adopting a resolution and ordinance to launch the rent program with an amended fee structure and delayed implementation, and accepting a report on city vacancies.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (6-0, with one absent) all consent items except Item 5a, which was pulled for discussion.
• Items approved included: consulting agreements for business process analysis (Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, $27,500); parcel map approval at 600 Parrott Street; street overlay contract (Bay Cities Paving, $3,999,677); purchase of a Ford F-450 ($129,872), a CCTV inspection system ($485,241), a digger derrick truck ($392,975), and a mulch blower ($112,771); a sodium hypochlorite supply agreement (Univar, up to $630,000); nomination of Emilio Piñones to the Recreation and Parks Commission; approval of April 6, 2026 minutes; and acceptance of $100,000 donation from the Rotary Club for a fitness court at Marina Park.
• Item 5a (on-call environmental planning services) was pulled by the City Manager for clarification; it was later approved separately.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Consent Calendar: One online speaker (Douglas Spaulding) questioned the need for three environmental consulting firms at $500,000 each and the purchase of multiple vehicles, suggesting cost-saving measures.
• Non-Agenda Items: The same speaker (Spaulding) commented on a personnel matter involving Shaquille Coleman’s civil rights case, urging transparency and questioning leaked body camera footage.
• Item 8a – Rent Program: Ten speakers addressed the public hearing.
  • Jennifer Rizzo (California Apartment Association) expressed concerns about fee increases from originally presented amounts, the fee study methodology, and imbalance between fee inflation and rent control limits.
  • Carol Haberkorn expressed support, noting the program will hold landlords accountable and benefit renters.
  • Craig Williams suggested income-based fee reductions for tenants and better outreach to renters via digital news.
  • David Stark (Bay East Association of Realtors) questioned ongoing costs, pension liabilities, and the impact on other city services, and argued the program won’t create housing.
  • Mike McGuire urged not to make the program burdensome with excessive fees, and advocated for just-cause eviction protections.
  • Mark Janowitz opposed petition fees, noting they are unprecedented in the Bay Area, and argued the program will preserve affordable housing at no cost to the city.
  • Douglas Spaulding supported the fees but opposed pass-through to tenants and petition fees, urging a world-class program.
  • Amanda Chang (Urban Habitat) opposed allowing half the fee to be passed to tenants and called for removal of petition fees, suggesting alternatives from Salinas’ ordinance.
  • Alvaro Ramos emphasized the need for stability and government intervention to address inequality.
  • Jim Madson expressed anger over pass-through and $236 petition fees, urging reconsideration.
• Item 8b – Vacancy Report: No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

• 5a – On-Call Environmental Planning Services: City Manager questioned the open-ended authority (up to $7.5 million without specific deliverables). Planning Manager Wayland Lee explained the contracts are for cost recovery from developers, used on an as-needed basis. Council confirmed 100% cost recovery and approved the resolution (6-0).
• 8a – Rent Program Implementation (Resolution & Ordinance):
  • Staff presented a proposed fee structure ($148/unit for registry; $108 additional for stabilized units, total $256), $2.23M budget, six FTEs, a $2.23M general fund loan at 3.76% interest, and alignment of the registry deadline to January 31, 2027.
  • Council questions covered repayment safeguards, outreach to small landlords, metrics for success, staffing flexibility, interest rate methodology, penalty levels, and legal limits on fees/pass-through.
  • Vice Mayor suggested a moratorium on petition fees; Councilmember Bowen raised concerns about funding gaps; Mayor argued the original rent registry cost was lower and criticized the low interest rate and penalty structure.
  • After hearing public testimony, Council discussion centered on eliminating petition fees (fair return and rent decrease), adjusting the interest rate, and removing the 50% pass-through to tenants (the last requires a future ordinance amendment).
  • Final action per minutes: A motion by Mayor González, seconded by Councilmember Boldt, carried 6-0 to adopt the resolution as amended (removing provisions relating to the fee schedule and General Fund loan) and introduce the ordinance amending the deadline to January 31, 2027, with direction to staff to bring remaining items back. (Note: The transcript indicates a motion to grant budgetary authority and delay implementation — both accounts reflect a decision to approve the program structure without finalizing fees or loan terms at this meeting.)
• 8b – Vacancy Report: Human Resources Manager Tiffany Johnston presented data on city vacancies (48.5 FTE vacant, 11.6% rate), recruitment, and retention efforts. Council had no questions. The report was received and filed.
• 11 – Council Request to Schedule Agenda Items: Councilmember Simon proposed adding an item to the May 4, 2026 agenda to remove two disciplinary investigation reports from the city’s website. He argued it would not impact staff and followed past practice. Councilmembers Bowen and Vice Mayor opposed, citing the Council’s recent decision not to take up new referrals and lack of urgency. No second was offered, and the request died.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved (6-0) with 5a pulled; 5a later approved separately (6-0).
• Rent Program (Item 8a): The Council adopted a resolution (as amended to remove fee schedule and loan provisions) and introduced an ordinance changing the rental registry deadline to January 31, 2027. Staff will return with refined fees, interest rate modeling, and a proposal to eliminate the 50% pass-through to tenants.
• Vacancy Report (Item 8b): Accepted and filed; no further action.
• Council Request (Item 11): Not added to future agenda due to lack of second.
• Closed Session: The Council authorized a 998 offer between $70,000 and $80,000 in the case of Tapia v. City of San Leandro.
• Recognitions: Mayor's Kindness Award to Darby Currey and Jennifer Ramos; Proclamation declaring April 22, 2026 as Earth Day.
• Upcoming events: Wastewater treatment plant tour on Earth Day; Arbor Day tree planting on April 24.
• The meeting adjourned at 9:52 PM.