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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

San Leandro City Council Meeting Work Session on July 14, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, July 14, 2026

BodySan Leandro, California

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, July 14, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:43:05

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

10:52

Okay, so it is 706, 705 and uh 706.

10:57

And I'm calling the City of San Leandro City Council meeting to order.

11:01

Today is Monday, July 13th.

11:03

I will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

11:05

Please stand if you're able to.

11:08

I pledge to the flag of the United States of America.

11:12

And to the Republic for which it stands.

11:14

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

11:20

Madam Clerk, would you please take a role to establish quorum?

11:27

Council Member James Aguilar.

11:29

Present.

11:31

Councilmember Victor Aguilar is absent.

11:34

Councilmember Bolt.

11:36

Present.

11:37

Councilmember Bowen.

11:39

Present.

11:40

Councilmember Simon is absent.

11:43

Vice Mayor Rivero Swalton present.

11:46

And Mayor Gonzalez.

11:47

Present.

11:47

The City of San Leandro conducts orderly meetings to fulfill its mandate.

11:51

Discriminatory statements or conduct that would potentially violate the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and/or the California for Employment and Housing Act.

12:00

California Penal Code sections 43 or 415 are per se disruptive to a meeting and will not be tolerated.

12:05

Please see the City Council handbook and city council meeting rules of decorum for more information.

12:10

Madam Clerk, your announcement, please.

12:13

If you would like to make a public comment during the meeting, you can do so in person or via Zoom.

12:18

If you are present at the meeting, please complete a speaker card and submit it to the city clerk before the item is presented.

12:25

If you wish to participate in public comment via Zoom, you can use the raise your hand tool when the item is called.

12:32

During the public comment session, speakers will be invited to speak and will have a set time to share their comments.

12:41

And when the time is up, the microphone will be muted.

12:44

All raised hands outside of public comment will be lowered to avoid confusion.

12:48

Once public comment is opened, hands may be raised to speak.

12:53

Okay, I think Senator City Manager Yoon, I think you've got an announcement for us.

12:58

Yes, thank you, Mayor.

13:00

Good evening.

13:00

Uh the fourth annual San Leandro restaurant week is next week from July 19th through the 26th.

13:08

Uh join the fun by enjoying specials at your favorite restaurants and participate in San Leandro Restaurant Week Challenge for a chance to have your meals reimbursed.

13:18

Over 20 restaurants are participating with multiple offering one-time and three course meal specials.

13:26

So learn more at San Leandro.org slash restaurant week.

13:32

So even that even though it's not specifically a city sponsored event, we are supportive and collaborative with our chamber of commerce.

13:50

There we go.

13:51

So that is correct.

13:52

So let's move on to item number uh four, which is presentations tonight.

13:57

During our work session, we've got a couple of presentations.

14:01

The first one involves AC transit budget and service updates, and we've got Diane Castleberry and Owen Christopherson here to present and share.

14:23

Um it's my pleasure to be here today.

14:25

I will um talk about essential role of AC Transit plays in San Leandro and the East Bay, alongside my AC Transit colleague, transportation planner Owen Christopherson.

14:36

We'll also directly address our current budget challenges.

14:39

AC Transit is a special district serving 13 cities and eight unincorporated communities across Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

14:52

Nearly two-thirds of our riders are low-income, making AC transit an essential lifeline for all communities we serve.

15:00

We're proud to have received the top honor as outstanding public transportation system in the United States in 2023.

15:06

We provide 40 million rides every year, more than 140,000 riders aboard our buses on a typical weekday.

15:13

And when school returns, at least 30,000 students will depend on us to get safely to and from class each day.

15:20

In February, March, and April, we delivered our first three straight months of year over year ridership growth since the pandemic.

15:29

AC Transit supports more than 5,100 jobs across the East Bay.

15:34

More than half of those jobs are created outside our agency.

15:37

Together, they generate over $604 million in annual wages, and they inject nearly $1 billion into the East Bay economy every year.

15:47

For over a quarter century, AC Transit has led the nation in zero emission buses.

15:53

Today, our fleet of 58 zero emission buses, that's out of some 635 buses, are eliminating any tailpipe emissions from our streets.

16:01

That leadership earned AC Transit, a 40 million dollar federal investment to launch the transit's industry first zero emission bus university known as ZebU.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Services█████████████████17%

Public Safety████████████████16%

Economic Development███████████████15%

Engineering And Infrastructure████████████12%

Affordable Housing████████8%

Procedural███████7%

Community Engagement██████6%

Arts and Culture█████5%

Climate Action████4%

Summary of Proceedings

San Leandro City Council Work Session – July 14, 2026

This work session focused on updates to the city's five priority work plans (Quality of Life, Economic Development, Public Safety, Infrastructure, Housing & Homelessness), plus a presentation from AC Transit on budget challenges and proposed service reductions. No formal actions were taken on the work plans; the meeting adjourned in memory of Supervisor Scott Hagerty.

Presentations

AC Transit Budget and Service Updates

Diane Castleberry (AC Transit) and Owen Christopherson outlined AC Transit's critical role, serving 13 cities with 40 million rides annually and over 140,000 weekday riders. Nearly two‐thirds of riders are low‑income. AC Transit projects a $200 million deficit over four years, necessitating potential service cuts of up to 16% if new funding is not secured. A state bridge loan of $55 million will close the current year’s gap but must be repaid. The proposed Connect Bay Area Act (November ballot) would generate an estimated $52 million annually for AC Transit through a half‑cent sales tax.
Owen Christopherson presented a contingency service plan preserving the primary route network but reducing frequency on lines 9, 97, 28, 34, 35, 40, and 93. If funding is secured, the plan will not be implemented. The AC Transit Board will consider approval in December 2026, with changes effective June 2027.

Council Priority Work Plan Updates Quality of Life (Library Director Brian Simons, Recreation & Parks Director Vicente Zuniga)

Completed/on‑track: arts grants program ($30,000 funded), expanded art gallery spaces, cultural events (1,100 library events this fiscal year), native/drought‑tolerant plant initiative, tree canopy coverage (secured $244,000 state grant), litter receptacle upgrades, recreation programming (tripled all‑age offerings, $180,000 invested in food access for 23,000 residents), senior services expansion, and continued joint‑use agreements with San Leandro Unified School District.

Economic Development (Economic Development Manager Katie Bowman)

Progress on: supporting target industries (clean tech, advanced manufacturing), retail attraction plan, city brand assessment (moving to ideation phase), zoning code update (delayed to Q3 2027), real estate assessment, public‑private partnership evaluation, commercial incentive programs ($5,000 grant streamlined), workforce training (San Leandro First Jobs manufacturing internship), and small business support (monthly advising at Chamber).

Public Safety (Captain Ape Tang, Emergency Services Specialist Elizabeth Bessman)

Staffing: on track to meet hiring milestones (78% authorized by end of FY26, 82% by FY27), but traffic unit replacements on hold due to retirements/separations.
Animal control: transitioning from a dedicated animal control officer to cross‑trained police service technicians (PSTs) providing 24/7 coverage. Citations increased from 38 in all of 2025 to 70 in Jan–May 2026.
Encampment removals: exceeding goals, averaging 1 cleanup per week (target 3 per quarter); biweekly coordination with Union Pacific Railroad Police.
Emergency management: local hazard mitigation plan out for public comment through July 24; wildfire preparedness workshop and CERT training completed.

Infrastructure (Assistant Public Works Director Nick Tom, City Engineer Jason Mai)

Stormwater fee update: beginning July 2026; fee has been unchanged since 1993.
EV fleet transition: PG&E program fully committed; city is purchasing EVs but deliveries delayed (only 3 of 8 ordered received).
CIP projects: Memorial Park, fuel tank projects complete; Carrie Haas Bridge on schedule; Lake Chabot Road delayed one quarter due to NEPA clearance; MacArthur roundabout delayed to January 2028.
Environmental programs: Trash‑Free San Leandro Initiative launched, green business certification expanded.

Housing & Homelessness (Deputy City Manager Jessica Loberon, Housing Manager Carrie Husler, Planning Manager Wayland Lee)

Homelessness prevention rental assistance: launched April 2026, served 8 households (7 with minor children).
Rent program implementation: ordinance adopted, software completed, staff hired; full program launch January 2027.
Mobile home rent stabilization: timeline extended to allow phased outreach; draft ordinance expected in 2028.
Local preference disparate impact study: staff recommends discontinuing due to cost and lack of current affordable housing projects impacted.
Llewellyn Interim Housing & Drop‑in Center: 618 individuals accessed drop‑in; 36 moved from shelter to permanent housing in the first year.
Housing production: updated impact fees (reduced/eliminated for ADUs and deed‑restricted affordable), amended parking requirements, Bayfair TOD planning (funded by $1.8 million MTC grant), and development tracking improvements.

Public Comments & Testimony

Alvaro Ramos (on AC Transit): expressed support for extending bus rapid transit, opposed AI use, called for more comfortable bus stops and bus lanes on East 14th and Mission. Later, on housing, urged financial assistance (medical debt, credit union options) and criticized work requirements.
Douglas Spaulding (on AC Transit): supported the November ballot measure, asked for rationale behind cuts to lines 97 and 9. Later, praised the work plan breadth but urged immediate attention to data centers and quicker action on mobile home rent stabilization.
Ginny Madsen (on housing): supported rent registry enforcement, urged faster process for mobile home rent stabilization (only 9 parks), and criticized delays on local preference policy.
Mike Katz‑Lakabe (on public safety): noted it has been over 65 days since a police‑involved shooting at the marina (May 7) and that AB 748 requires release of critical incident video within 45 days; called for prompt release and accountability.
Emily Grego (Chamber of Commerce): thanked staff for collaboration, highlighted workforce development workshops, and noted difficulty with translation for some Asian‑owned restaurants.

Key Outcomes

The meeting adjourned in memory of former Supervisor Scott Hagerty.
Motions to extend the meeting by 30 minutes (4‑1) and by 15 minutes (5‑0) were approved.
No votes were taken on work plan items; updates were informational. Several staff recommendations to discontinue or defer specific deliverables were noted (EV fleet PG&E program, local preference disparate impact study, animal control officer transition).

Meeting Transcript

Okay, so it is 706, 705 and uh 706. And I'm calling the City of San Leandro City Council meeting to order. Today is Monday, July 13th. I will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand if you're able to. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Madam Clerk, would you please take a role to establish quorum? Council Member James Aguilar. Present. Councilmember Victor Aguilar is absent. Councilmember Bolt. Present. Councilmember Bowen. Present. Councilmember Simon is absent. Vice Mayor Rivero Swalton present. And Mayor Gonzalez. Present. The City of San Leandro conducts orderly meetings to fulfill its mandate. Discriminatory statements or conduct that would potentially violate the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and/or the California for Employment and Housing Act. California Penal Code sections 43 or 415 are per se disruptive to a meeting and will not be tolerated. Please see the City Council handbook and city council meeting rules of decorum for more information. Madam Clerk, your announcement, please. 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. 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. 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. Okay, I think Senator City Manager Yoon, I think you've got an announcement for us. Yes, thank you, Mayor. Good evening. Uh the fourth annual San Leandro restaurant week is next week from July 19th through the 26th. Uh join the fun by enjoying specials at your favorite restaurants and participate in San Leandro Restaurant Week Challenge for a chance to have your meals reimbursed. Over 20 restaurants are participating with multiple offering one-time and three course meal specials. So learn more at San Leandro.org slash restaurant week. So even that even though it's not specifically a city sponsored event, we are supportive and collaborative with our chamber of commerce. There we go. So that is correct. So let's move on to item number uh four, which is presentations tonight. During our work session, we've got a couple of presentations. The first one involves AC transit budget and service updates, and we've got Diane Castleberry and Owen Christopherson here to present and share. Um it's my pleasure to be here today. I will um talk about essential role of AC Transit plays in San Leandro and the East Bay, alongside my AC Transit colleague, transportation planner Owen Christopherson. We'll also directly address our current budget challenges. AC Transit is a special district serving 13 cities and eight unincorporated communities across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Nearly two-thirds of our riders are low-income, making AC transit an essential lifeline for all communities we serve.

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