San Leandro City Council Regular Meeting - May 5, 2026

The San Leandro City Council met on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 7:04 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included recognitions, consent calendar approvals, public comments, and three action items. Council unanimously approved the FY 2027 mid-cycle budget amendments with an amendment to preserve $30,000 for the arts and culture grant program, adopted new meeting disruption and language access policies under SB 707, and appointed a new Recreation and Parks Commissioner. The meeting adjourned at 9:02 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Item 5a-5p: All 16 consent calendar items were approved unanimously. Key actions included:
  • Adoption of the FY 2026–2027 CDBG Annual Action Plan and $501,338.50 in CDBG funds for a multi-family rehabilitation project at The Surf (15320 Tropic Court) with Eden Housing.
  • Continued participation in the Alameda County HOME Consortium and $783,667.36 in HOME funds for The Surf project.
  • Amendment No. 1 with Alta Planning + Design for Bay Fair Development Plan, increasing contract by $95,521 to $195,509.
  • Approval of the 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report.
  • MOU with City of Oakland for processing entitlements and building permits for a property at 1 East 14th Street straddling both jurisdictions.
  • Second reading of Ordinance No. 2026-002 amending the rental registry filing deadline from July 31 to January 31.
  • Declaration of 18 vehicles and miscellaneous equipment as surplus for auction.
  • Acceptance of an additional $100,000 in HSIP funds for the Wicks & Manor traffic signal upgrade.
  • Acceptance of a $375,000 CalRecycle Rubberized Pavement Grant.
  • Approval of a $620,036 contract with Newton Construction for golf course clubhouse exterior improvements.
  • Authorization of on-call wastewater design, construction management, and capital program management contracts totaling up to $8.3 million across multiple firms.
  • Nomination of Ann Wrixon to the Senior Commission.
  • Approval of minutes from the March 25, 2026 Finance Committee, April 9, 2026 Facilities & Transportation Committee, April 20, 2026 City Council, and April 22, 2026 Rules Committee meetings.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Non-Agenda Public Comments: Two speakers. One resident expressed concerns about youth behavior and safety near Spouts, calling for better education and collaboration between the city and school district. Douglas Spaulding spoke in support of Measure F (district elections), stating it would encourage more candidates and avoid an expensive lawsuit.
• Budget Item (10b): Four speakers commented:
  • Emily Grego (San Leandro Chamber of Commerce) thanked council for preserving the business incentive program but expressed concern about cuts to the downtown ambassadors program and third-party encampment cleanup, urging restoration of funding.
  • Brody Scotland (Arts, Culture and Library Commission) opposed eliminating the library art grant fund, noting it was already reduced from $80,000 to $30,000 and would go to zero, arguing it stifles artistic and economic benefits.
  • Shaylani Alex (Arts, Culture and Library Commissioner) urged preservation of the $30,000 art grant program, citing economic returns and social value, and suggested leveraging external matching funds.
  • Alana Miller (Chair, Arts, Culture and Library Commission) asked council to keep the grant program in the budget, highlighting its community impact through murals, classes, and performances.
• Brown Act Policy Item (10c): One online speaker, Alvaro Ramos, raised questions about ADA compliance for language access, suggesting consideration of American Sign Language and assistive technology, and expressed support for unlimited remote attendance.

Discussion Items

• Appointment of Emilio Piñones (Item 10a moved to Recognitions): Council unanimously appointed Emilio Piñones to the Recreation and Parks Commission. He was sworn in during the recognition portion of the meeting.
• Proclamations and Donation (Items 4a-4c):
  • Proclamation declaring May as Mental Health Awareness Month, accepted by representatives from Asian Health Services, who highlighted their integrated dental and mental health clinic.
  • Proclamation declaring May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, accepted by the Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay, which has helped over 500 students on the path to citizenship.
  • Recognition of a $100,000 donation from the Rotary Club of San Leandro to support installation of a Fitness Court at Marina Park, celebrating the club’s 100 years of service.
• FY 2027 Biennial Budget Amendments (Item 10b): Finance Director Nicole Gonzalez presented the mid-cycle budget amendments. Key changes included elimination of economic development studies ($100,000 reduction), retention of $50,000 in business incentive program, and adjustments to the IT, facilities maintenance, and capital funds. The city is projected to meet its 20% reserve policy. Councilmember Dylan Boldt initially proposed splitting $1 million for painting and roof replacements across two years but withdrew after staff explained cost efficiencies of a single bid. Mayor González proposed an amendment to keep $30,000 for the arts and culture grant program, citing the small relative cost (approximately 0.02% of the city budget) and the value of public art. The motion to adopt the budget with that amendment passed unanimously.
• Brown Act Changes and Meeting Policies (Item 10c): City Attorney Richard Pirotta presented an overview of SB 707, which mandates hybrid public participation, agenda translation into Spanish and Chinese, and adoption of meeting disruption and language access policies. The rules committee had vetted the policies. Council discussed remote attendance limits, social media restrictions (no liking or reposting fellow council members' posts on city business matters), and the cost of expanding hybrid participation to boards and commissions. Staff recommended no action on hybrid for boards/commissions due to cost ($30,000-$150,000). Councilmember Fred Simon expressed interest in future cost-effective options. Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen moved to adopt the resolution approving the meeting disruption and language access policies, seconded by Councilmember James Aguilar. The motion passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Appointment: Emilio Piñones appointed to Recreation and Parks Commission (Min Order 2026-018).
• Budget Approval: Resolution 2026-055 adopted, amending the FY 2027 biennial budget, including an amendment to retain $30,000 for the arts and culture grant program. Unanimous vote (7-0).
• Brown Act Policies: Resolution 2026-056 adopted, adding Chapters 14 (Meeting Disruption Policy) and 15 (Language Access Policy) to the San Leandro Administrative Code. Unanimous vote (7-0).
• Consent Calendar: All 16 items approved unanimously, with corresponding enactments (Resolutions 2026-046 through 2026-054, Ordinance 2026-002, Minutes Orders 2026-019 and 2026-020).
• Next Meeting: The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2026.