San Leandro City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026
San Leandro City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026
The San Leandro City Council met on May 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included recognitions, a consent calendar, public comments on non-agenda items, a public hearing on fee schedule updates, an annual report on military equipment, and a future agenda item request regarding Lake Chabot Road. Key decisions included unanimous approval of the fee schedule and military equipment policy, and a 5-2 vote to schedule an urgent referral on Lake Chabot Road for July.
Recognitions & Proclamations
- Swearing-in of appointee: Ian Rickson was sworn in as a member of the Senior Commission after confirmation by the council.
- National Police Week Proclamation: The council recognized Police Week (May 11–17, 2026) and honored Officers Jose Sanchez and Ruth Canisal Vialobos, who had recently completed training.
Consent Calendar
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously (7-0). Public comment was received from Douglas Spaulding, who questioned a workers' compensation consulting contract (Item 5A), suggesting the city could handle the work in-house rather than spending up to $1 million over five years.
Public Comments & Testimony (Non-Agenda Items)
- Citizens' Bond Measure: Susan Gonzalez (Citizens for a Safe and Vibrant San Leandro) advocated for a citizen-led bond measure to fund streets and infrastructure.
- Flock License Plate Cameras: Multiple speakers (Dan Finley, Mike Katz Lacabe, Alvaro Ramos) expressed opposition, citing privacy violations, legal noncompliance, data misuse, and contract concerns. They urged an audit and cancellation of the contract.
- Lake Chabot Road Closure: Over a dozen residents from Bayo Vista and surrounding areas (including Faye Clements, Paul Wellenkamp, Catherine Lucerne, Margaret Horowitz, Tondi Smith, Key Wu, Kat Wellman, Brian Liebau) stressed the need to reopen the road for emergency evacuation, citing wildfire danger, a UC Berkeley evacuation study showing potential 2-hour evacuation times, and the presence of vulnerable residents. They requested a geotechnical report and a council resolution to reopen.
- Business License Tax Measure: Emily Grego (Chamber of Commerce) raised concerns about the proposed business license tax increase, stating it was insufficiently vetted and could harm small businesses.
- Other Topics: Robert Caruso inquired about a roundabout fee paid in 2007 and requested a list of soft-story properties subject to an ordinance. Arthur Johnson urged support for the bond measure to fund Casa Peralta restoration.
Discussion Items
- Public Hearing – FY27 Fee Schedule: Assistant Finance Director Felicia Silva presented the annual fee update, based on CPI (3%) and construction cost index (2.8%). Councilmember Simon clarified the block party fee increase from $31 to $125 as a compromise. Public comment by Douglas Spaulding supported the increase but questioned the business license tax timeline relative to a potential November measure. The resolutions were approved unanimously.
- Annual Military Equipment Report (AB481): Acting Chief Luis Torres presented usage data for 2025: drones used 65 times, armored vehicle 19 times, hostage negotiation vehicle 3 times, less-lethal tools deployed several times, no policy violations. Two new kinetic breaching tools were acquired; no new equipment requested. Questions from council focused on mutual aid, data tracking, and equipment lifespan. The policy renewal was approved unanimously.
- Future Agenda Item – Lake Chabot Road: Vice Mayor Viveros Walton requested an urgency referral for a resolution reaffirming the council's intent to rehabilitate and reopen Lake Chabot Road. After discussion about urgency criteria and scheduling, the council voted 5-2 to approve the urgency referral (James Aguilar, Victor Aguilar, Fred Simon, Vice Mayor Viveros Walton, and Mayor Gonzalez in favor; Dillon Bolt and Sue Bowen opposed). The item will be scheduled for the July 13 or July 20, 2026 meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved unanimously.
- FY27 Fee Schedule and associated CPI increases for business license tax, EMS tax, and emergency communications tax approved unanimously.
- Renewal of Military Equipment Use Policy approved unanimously.
- Urgency referral for Lake Chabot Road resolution passed 5-2; resolution to be considered in July 2026.
- The council observed a moment of silence for victims of the San Diego mosque shooting.
Note: The official meeting date is May 20, 2026, per the provided instruction; the transcript records the date as May 18, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, it's seven o'clock and I'm calling to order the city council meeting, standard of city council today. It's Monday, May 18th. And it's like I said, 7 p.m. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge the allegiance. So at this point in time, if we could have. I guess I'll do my announcement first. So today we've got the swearing in of an appointee. Uh, it's under section 10A. I'd like to move it to the section four recognitions. If there are no concerns, seeing no concerns, we will make that adjustment to our agenda. And uh let's see the city of San Leandro conducts orderly meetings for fill its mandate, discriminatory statements for conduct that would potentially violate the Federal Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty-four and or the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, California Pial Code Sections 403 or 415 are per se disruptive from the meeting and will not be tolerated. Please say the city council handbook and city council meeting rules of decorum for more information, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Mayor. For purposes of our roll call. Present. Councilmember James Aguilar. Present. Councilmember Victor Aguilar. Present, thank you. Councilmember Fred Simon. Present. Councilmember Sue Bowen. Present. Thank you. Councilmember Dillon Bolt. Here. And Mayor Gonzalez. Present. Thank you. Now for our public comment announcement. If you would like to make a public comment during the meeting, you can do so in person or via Zoom. If you are present at the meeting, please complete a speaker card and submit it to the city clerk before the item is presented. Then wait for public comment on that item to be called. If you wish to participate in public comment via Zoom, you can use the raise your hand tool when the item is called. During the public comment session, speakers will be invited to speak and will have a set time to share their comments. A countdown timer will appear for their convenience. And when the time is up, the microphone will be muted. All raised hands outside of public comment will be lowered to avoid confusion. Once public comment is opened, hands may be raised to speak. After the time is up, the council will proceed with the rest of the meeting's agenda. If you have not had the opportunity to speak during the initial 30-minute period, there will be another chance to do so after item 12 City Council reports. So we did not have a closed section, closed session today, so there is no item three to consider. For item number four, we've got our 10A recognition, the motion to appoint and Rixon to the senior commission. We already took public comment during the nomination process. Are there any questions or follow-ups on this item? Seeing none, I believe that we can move straight to a vote. So if you would please vote. Okay. Can I please have a motion?
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