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Record of Proceedings

San Leandro Arts, Culture & Library Commission Meeting – June 10, 2026 (Transcript Shows May 19, 2026)

City Council — Wednesday, June 10, 2026

BodySan Leandro, California

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, June 10, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 56:05

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

0:03

It is a grass enjoyer.

0:05

I call the Arts Culture and Library Commission meeting of May 19, 2026 to order.

0:10

Please take roll call.

0:12

Alright.

0:14

Chair Miller.

0:16

Present.

0:19

Vice Chair Elvarez.

0:22

Not here yet.

0:24

Commissioner Acevedo.

0:28

Commissioner Alex.

0:30

All right.

0:30

Good to meet you, by the way.

0:31

I'm Brian Simons.

0:32

I'm nice to meet you too.

0:33

Commissioner Bryant, I think we said uh wasn't gonna make it tonight, correct?

0:38

Uh Commissioner Gillary.

0:40

Here Commissioner Ridgedale.

0:43

Present.

0:44

Good to meet you as well.

0:45

I see you.

0:47

Commissioner Scotland is here.

0:49

And Commissioner Velasquez, I believe, is also not here.

0:54

Okay.

0:55

Hi.

0:57

All right.

0:57

So it looks like we have six in uh attendance, and uh we have met quorum.

1:06

Wonderful.

1:07

Uh item number two, there are no announcements.

1:10

So moving on to item three consent calendar.

1:13

Can I get a motion to approve the minutes of April 21st, 2026?

1:18

I move.

1:20

Is there a second?

1:21

So any discussion?

1:24

Hearing none, all those in favor?

1:27

Okay.

1:28

Any opposed?

1:30

All right.

1:31

Seeing no more discussion, or there was no discussion.

1:36

Motion carried.

1:37

Uh moving on to item for library services staff report and announcements.

1:42

Okay.

1:42

Thank you for having me this evening in Bill's place.

1:45

Bill's on a much deserved vacation.

1:48

Uh so however he's you know up visiting his mom in a nursing home.

1:54

So, how much of a vacation, you know, who knows.

1:58

Um, I'm glad he's getting the time though to spend with her.

2:00

So thank you.

2:01

Um, so uh just want to uh kind of give you an update on where we are uh with the budget and kind of what some of those things mean.

2:12

Some of you probably already know this, which is great.

2:15

So I'm gonna go back a little bit to go forward.

2:19

So uh in at the April 21st uh commission meeting, uh Bill had reported uh on the developments of the April 13th City Council work session, uh where we uh the proposed mid-2027 mid-cycle budget updates.

2:38

And what he had explained was after some discussion regarding the proposed library department's budget uh amendments that the the city council provided guidance to the library um that to somehow fund the fiscal year 27 arts and culture grants, um and we were gonna do a number of things to to do that.

3:00

We were gonna uh which we did canceled the planned uh 2026 uh comedy show uh because that was the direction of the council to do so.

3:10

Um we were going to carry over some other uh uh minor amounts left over this year uh if we were allowed to, and then also we were going to allocate additional funds from the library's budget line items to get to that 30,000.

3:28

Um however, so now we're going forward.

3:32

Um what happened wonderfully and a little unexpectedly uh was that the uh the council um wound up approving an additional $30,000 at the budget meeting on May 4th to add $30,000 back into the actual budget, so we didn't have to pull all these extra strings.

3:58

Um so the fiscal year 27 arts and culture grants program uh will be whole for $30,000.

4:08

Uh the result of the city council's generous addition of $30,000 uh to the library department's budget for the grants program uh is that the carryover uh for the arts line item funds is no longer necessary, um, and also not only not is it necessary, is that the guidance from the finance department is it just can't be carried over.

4:31

Um, so it's a spend it or lose it type situation, um, and those unfortunately have to be uh encumbered or spent by June 30th, which how those the time it takes to get those things done.

4:48

There's it's already mid-May.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Arts and Culture███████████████████████████████████35%

Community Engagement███████████████████19%

Parks and Recreation██████████████████18%

Procedural█████████████13%

Economic Development██████6%

Transportation Safety██████6%

Cultural Programming███3%

Summary of Proceedings

San Leandro Arts, Culture & Library Commission Meeting – June 10, 2026

Note: The transcript provided for this meeting indicates it took place on May 19, 2026, not the June 10, 2026 date listed in the instruction. The following summary is based on the May 19 transcript content.

The Arts, Culture & Library Commission of San Leandro met to discuss budget updates, social media strategy, and ongoing committee projects. The meeting included a staff report on library budget developments, a presentation on a potential commission social media presence, and updates from subcommittees on Game of Shrooms, a poetry contest, a library bike tour, and more. The commission approved the minutes from the previous meeting.

Consent Calendar

Minutes of April 21, 2026: Approved unanimously. Motion by Commissioner Scotland, seconded without objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were offered during the meeting.

Discussion Items

Social Media Strategy for the Commission: Commissioners discussed the possibility of revitalizing or sunsetting an old Instagram account (@SLArtsComm). Staff will first consult the city manager’s office to determine if independent commission social media accounts are permitted. If allowed, a plan to increase visibility could be developed; if not, the account may be closed to avoid confusion. Commissioner Velasquez (via proxy comments) noted potential workarounds such as a “Friends of” group, but no formal action was taken.

Library Services Staff Report

Budget Update (Fiscal Year 2027): Staff reported that after City Council direction to fund the FY27 arts & culture grants program, an additional $30,000 was approved by Council on May 4, 2026. This eliminates the need to cancel the planned 2026 comedy show or carry over other funds. Remaining 2026 arts funds will be used to purchase new display cases (replacing old, unsecured ones) and to secure three curated exhibits: Take Me to the Water (maritime life and people of color), Chinese Pioneers, and Buffalo Soldiers. These exhibits will be displayed in the library atrium.
Susan Hughes’ Arts Spaces Inventory: Susan Hughes is compiling a list of city-owned indoor and outdoor spaces suitable for temporary or permanent art installations. The inventory, including photos, is expected by end of July 2026. She is also working with an Oakland art collective to identify artists for future exhibits.
One Percent for Arts Policy: Staff noted that the policy idea is still under review by the Community Development Department, and no new momentum was reported since the budget process.

Commission Reports & Updates

Grants Committee: No formal report this month; staff will collate prior cycle reports for a future presentation.
Game of Shrooms Committee (2026): An art-making session on May 30 at the library produced over 50 pieces, of which about 40 are hideable. The main event is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 at 9:45 a.m. at the Main Library, featuring a talk on foraging and mushrooms with a truffle dog on May 26 at Manor Branch. Special guests include the mayor and the founder of Game of Shrooms.
Latinx Youth Writing Workshop Committee: On hold; originator Rosa is reassessing her capacity to lead the project.
Library Bike Tour Committee: A single-day group ride connecting all library branches is planned for May or June 2027 (avoiding conflict with Game of Shrooms). The route is approximately 8 miles and aims to promote bicycle safety and library awareness. Committee is seeking collaborators and sponsors.
Poetry Contest (Proposed): Commissioners Scotland and Ridgedale presented a concept for a juried poetry exhibition (not a contest), possibly multilingual, culminating in a reading at the library and a zine or literary magazine. Timing is still being considered, with fall a potential season to avoid overlap with spring grants and summer breaks.

Commissioner Comments & Announcements

Commissioner Acevedo noted that a “Taste of Asia” restaurant week promotion in San Leandro went largely unnoticed; suggested the commission could help promote culinary culture in the future.
Commissioner Scotland proposed adding a future agenda item to discuss how to better emphasize the “culture” component of the commission’s mandate.
Free Mandarin classes at the Manor Branch library were highlighted as a cultural program.

Key Outcomes

Consent calendar approved (minutes of April 21, 2026).
Staff directed to check with city manager’s office regarding commission social media policy.
Subcommittees will continue planning: Game of Shrooms event proceeds as scheduled; bike tour and poetry contest to be refined with sponsorship wish lists; grants committee report deferred.
Meeting adjourned at 6:27 p.m. (Pacific) on May 19, 2026.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

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