San Leandro City Council Regular Meeting - July 8, 2026
San Leandro City Council Regular Meeting - July 8, 2026
The San Leandro City Council met on July 8, 2026, at 7:06 PM in City Council Chambers (with teleconference participation). Mayor Juan González III presided. Five councilmembers were present (James Aguilar, Dylan Boldt, Xouhoa Bowen, Fred Simon, González); Victor Aguilar Jr. and Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton were absent. Key actions included approval of the consent calendar, a first reading of a zoning code amendment reducing parking minimums and establishing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) regulations, unanimous appointment of an interim police chief, and a decision to postpone a business license tax modernization measure to the November 2028 election. The meeting adjourned at 9:31 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Adopted (5-0-2) with no items pulled for separate discussion. Included:
- Second reading of Ordinance 2026-007 prohibiting landlords from passing through the Rent Stabilization Program fee to tenants.
- Resolution 2026-087: $300,000 agreement with Cognizant Technology Solutions for ERP post-go-live support and data migration.
- Resolution 2026-088: Lease amendment with As Kneaded café at Main Library, reducing rent by $363.29 per month.
- Resolution 2026-089: Acceptance of $50,000 donation from Friends of the Library for summer programs.
- Resolution 2026-090: Acceptance of $154,722 in Transportation Development Act grant funds for crosswalk and sidewalk projects.
- Resolution 2026-091: Measure BB funds ($1,826,461) for paratransit services.
- Resolution 2026-092: Amendment No. 3 with David Sams for golf operations oversight ($81,600).
- Resolution 2026-093: Amendment No. 3 with ANI Private Security ($68,792).
- Resolution 2026-094: Certification of June 2, 2026 special municipal election results.
- Motion 2026-024: Nomination of David Jackson to the Community Police Review Board.
- Approval of minutes from May 27 (Finance), June 15 (Council), and June 24 (Rules) meetings.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Consent Calendar: Jenny Madsen and Douglas Spaulding spoke in support of the rent stabilization fee prohibition. Douglas Spaulding also thanked the mayor for the CPRB appointment and supported the As Kneaded lease reduction. Lucas commented that the pass-through prohibition may be ineffective in practice because landlords can bundle fees into overall rent increases, and urged careful stewardship of funds.
- General Public Comments (non-agenda): Multiple residents (Marquita Banks, Linda Austin, Virginia Oxley) complained about parking restrictions in District 2 near San Leandro High School, especially ticketing on Saturdays and holidays, arguing residents cannot park near their homes. Jenny Madsen raised concerns about private equity firm ProLogis buying up warehouses. Mike Katzlacabe urged a ban on data centers due to high water/electricity use, noise pollution, and minimal local economic benefit. Douglas Spaulding supported studying a data center moratorium.
- Public Hearing – Parking/TDM Ordinance: Alvaro Ramos requested that single-family and two-family parking minimums also be reduced, and asked about biodiversity lighting standards.
- Action Item – Business License Tax: Eight speakers commented. Kristen Anderson (business owner), Emily Grego (San Leandro Chamber of Commerce), and David Stark (Bay East Association of Realtors) urged caution, citing the need for more business outreach and citing Union City’s two-year process. Jenny Madsen noted ACA 22 (constitutional amendment requiring 2/3 voter approval for special taxes, effective 2027). Douglas Spaulding and Lucas supported moving forward, arguing businesses are undertaxed relative to other cities. Camille Bowler worried about businesses leaving. Alvaro Ramos asked for rationale on the 25% discount for large businesses.
Discussion Items
1. First Reading of Zoning Code Amendments – Parking and TDM (Item 8a)
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Staff (Lourdes Suarez, Brian Kanepa, Alex McCurry) presented findings that current parking minimums exceed peak demand, increasing housing costs. Proposed two parking zones: a “blue” zone within ½‑mile of major transit stops (eliminating most minimums per AB 2097) and a “green” zone (outside) with reduced minimums (e.g., residential reduced by about 0.5 space/unit). TDM requirements apply to new developments of 25+ units or 50,000+ sq ft non-residential, including mandatory measures (mode share survey, education, bike repair station) and at least one optional measure (e.g., flexible work, transit benefits). Unbundled parking required for projects with 5+ units (expanding state law). Bicycle parking requirements decoupled from vehicle parking. Councilmember Bowen expressed support, noting alignment with housing element goals and regional trends. Councilmember Simon asked about enforcement for storefronts without parking. Mayor González voiced concern about potential spillover parking into neighborhoods and requested more time. The motion to approve (Bowen/Simon) passed 4-1 (González against; both absent). The ordinance will return for a second reading as a discussion item, not on consent.
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Key speaker positions: Lourdes Suarez (staff) support; Brian Kanepa (consultant) support; Alex McCurry (consultant) support; Alvaro Ramos (public) supported broader reductions; Mayor González expressed concerns.
2. Appointment of Interim Police Chief (Item 10a)
- HR Director Emily Hung recommended appointing retired annuitant Joseph Kreins as interim chief while Chief Angela Averett is on leave. No public comments. Unanimously approved (5-0-2).
3. Business License Tax Modernization (Item 10b)
- Deputy City Manager Eric Ingelbart reviewed the process since February 2025. The June 8 council direction led to modifications: no tax changes for property rental and mobile home parks; increased warehouse rate to $4.50 per $1,000 gross receipts; 25% discount for businesses with >$50M gross receipts. Two options were presented: place on November 2026 ballot or continue analysis for November 2028. Public comments were heavily opposed to rushing. Councilmember Bowen moved to defer to 2028 to allow more business outreach and analysis. Councilmember Bolt opposed, arguing the city needs revenue and the work is sufficient; he noted San Leandro’s current taxes are far lower than neighboring cities (e.g., $10,000/yr for a $400M retailer vs. nearly $1M in Oakland). The motion carried 4-1 (Bolt nay; two absent).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved (5-0-2).
- Parking/TDM Ordinance first reading approved (4-1-2); second reading set for future discussion.
- Interim Police Chief appointment approved (5-0-2).
- Business License Tax modernization postponed; staff directed to continue fiscal analysis and public outreach for the November 2028 election (4-1-2).
- Council reports: Councilmember Bowen announced election as first vice president of StopWaste; Councilmember James Aguilar praised the city’s 250th celebration and Workday implementation; Mayor González highlighted wildfire risk education, California Conservation Corps visit, and the on-time implementation of the new ERP system.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Alright. Well, Okay, so we are going to come to order. The time is seven oh six. Today is Monday, July sixth, and we are here at uh City Hall on East 14th. At this point in time, I will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise if you're able to. So I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it's one of the school. Present. 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. There will be a 30-minute window for public comments on items not on the agenda, which will take place under item seven public comments as per the published agenda. 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 for item three on our agenda, we did meet in closed session to discuss two items. No reportable action was taken, but direction was given for item four. We don't have recognitions today, but we do have our consent calendar. Do we have any amendments? I.e. council members, would you like to pull any item on our consent calendar? If not, I will go to public comment. Seeing none, let's initiate public comment on this item. Mayor, we have received one comment card. Uh apologies. That would be incorrect. One comment card. And there are two hands raised online. Please proceed in person. Our in-person commenter is Jenny Madsen. So hi, it's Jenny Madsen again, and I'm here tonight strictly to thank you and encourage you to vote the second reading through on the changes to the re rental stabilization ordinance, which gave tenants the freedom from having to pay the pass-through for the fee, the rental housing program fee. This is important, it's not just me. It's a lot of, in fact, it probably won't help me at all, but this is a big deal to most of the tenants in town. And it was smart, it was big spirited. It was forward linked thinking. And I thank you for doing it and hope you can come through again. Thank you. Thank you. There are no more comment cards received for this item. So we'll close public comment in person and we will open up public comment online. Our first online speaker is Douglas Spaulding. Thank you very much. Good evening, Council. Uh, I would like to comment briefly on three items on the consent agenda.
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