Public Meetings - San Ramon, California

The San Ramon City Council met in regular session at 6:30 PM on October 27, 2026, in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road, and later convened in closed session. The agenda included the consent calendar, special presentations on aquatics and the Community Planning Academy, a discussion on park shade structures and back-support seating at Valley View, Mosaic, and Arlington Parks, councilmember comments, and a closed-session City Attorney evaluation. Minutes from the October 13, 2026 City Council meeting were on the consent calendar, but no separately published minutes of this meeting were included in the source materials. Consent Calendar - The Council approved Consent Calendar items 5.1 through 5.5 unanimously on a motion by Councilmember Verose, seconded by Vice Mayor Rubio. - Items included: approval of the October 13, 2026 meeting minutes; the City Treasurer’s Register of Demands for the period ending September 30, 2026; an Arts Advisory Committee appointment; Resolution No. 2026-124 accepting offers of dedication and roadway and landscape improvements for the roundabouts on Faria Preserve Parkway (Lennar); and Resolution No. 2026-125 authorizing the Mayor to execute a Memorandum of Termination of the Fostoria Agreement, approving the sale of the Fostoria parcel (APN 218-090-032) by the Town of Danville to the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) and authorizing an access license to EBRPD. - Public speaker American Intelligence asked to pull item 5.5 and argued the resolution did not properly disclose city interests, also raising police and fire concerns. The Council did not pull the item. Mayor Armstrong explained that 5.5 was an administrative, zero-cost action involving no San Ramon property; it terminated a 33-year-old agreement tied to construction of the Fostoria overpass and allowed Danville to transfer its parcel to EBRPD. Special Presentations - 6.1 Outstanding Aquatic Operations Award: Jim Wheeler of Total Aquatic Management presented the city’s aquatic staff with the firm’s first-ever perfect Outstanding Aquatic Operations award. He reported that an unannounced audit on August 2, 2026, at the San Ramon Olympic Pool and Aquatic Park achieved a perfect score. He said the city had been a regional and national aquatics leader for nearly 40 years, and that his firm had performed nearly 100 audits for San Ramon and more than 1,000 audits across the western United States. Recreation Supervisor Amanda Tugwell accepted the award with aquatic coordinators Lillian O’Keefe and Anna Chan, and councilmembers congratulated the lifeguard team. - 6.2 2026 Community Planning Academy Recognition: Senior Planner Ryan Driscoll recognized the ninth annual Community Planning Academy, held over four weeks in September 2026. The class had 26 participants, the largest in the program’s nine years. Participants received certificates, and Council thanked planning staff including Cindy Yee and Ryan Driscoll. Public Comments & Testimony - During initial public comment, Craig Isam, a 30-year resident and Planning Academy participant, praised the academy and staff, said many residents are dismayed by the current pace of housing development, and noted the state has increasingly overridden local planning control. He said he planned to share what he learned with neighbors. - During the park discussion, several speakers represented senior groups. Bala requested additional benches and expanded shade at Sports Park, noting most seniors are over 70. Rada requested shade and back-support seating at Mosaic Park. Rajesh Am Zoshi described about 20 Arlington Park seniors meeting five days a week, with two members over 90 and several over 85, and asked for protection from sun and rain. Mendhara Makkar said about 150 seniors gather daily at Mosaic Park, but seating capacity is only 28 and the shelter is not covered. Telap requested drinking water and brighter lighting at Mosaic Park. Greg Carr recommended a citywide park assessment and criticized louvered pergola shade structures, suggesting solid covers. American Intelligence criticized the staff presentation and asked for temporary assistance for seniors. - During the closed-session public comment period, American Intelligence urged the Council not to extend the City Attorney’s contract, alleging the attorney had given incorrect advice about pulling consent calendar items and had obstructed transparent government. Discussion Items - 9.1 Park shade structures and back-support seating: Public Services Division Manager John Bell presented maps and photos showing existing amenities at the three parks. Arlington Park has no shade structure, four benches with back support around the playground, and two benches without back support near the restrooms. A 2018 Prop 68 grant site was considered for a shade structure but would have required removing about 10 mature trees. Mosaic Park has seven benches with back support, one 20-by-60-foot pergola-style shade structure with three picnic benches, and eight additional benches with back support along its southern panhandle. Valley View Park has four benches with back support and three 15-by-15-foot shade structures combined into one fully enclosed structure covering picnic benches. - Councilmembers debated scope and process. Councilmember Adler and Mayor Armstrong favored a holistic, citywide review and staff prioritization before committing to specific parks. Vice Mayor Rubio clarified that the senior concern was about picnic-table back support and porous shade that does not block rain; she noted the Mosaic Park community lacks easy access to the senior center and asked for cost estimates and options. Councilmember Verose argued the Council should act with urgency for constituents who have waited about a year, rather than defer to a commission or a broader study. - The Council approved a motion by Vice Mayor Rubio to direct staff to obtain cost estimates for shade-structure options and back-support seating options, including removable back supports and storage, for Valley View, Mosaic, and Arlington Parks. The motion passed 5-0. Councilmembers emphasized this was a request for information and cost estimates, not a budget appropriation. Staff was also informally directed to include a broader citywide assessment of park amenity needs. Councilmember Comments & Matters Initiated - Councilmember comments reminded residents to prepare for upcoming storms, stock up on sandbags, and report traffic and safety issues to SRPD so the data can inform staffing decisions. - Councilmembers reported attending the Arts Advisory Committee, Sustainability Advisory Committee, Teen Council, Live Oak Elementary School Student Council, LAFCO, County Connection, Tri-Valley Transportation Council, and community and cultural events. Mayor Armstrong recognized Sahashra Talasila as the Teen Council’s outstanding teen citizenship award winner and noted that a senior walk-and-talk event identified that the path at Ethan Downs Park stops before completing a loop. Closed Session - The Council convened in closed session pursuant to the agenda item citing California Government Code § 59457 to perform the City Attorney evaluation. After reconvening, Mayor Armstrong reported that the item was continued to the next scheduled closed session on November 10, 2026, with nothing further to report. Key Outcomes - Consent Calendar approved unanimously. - Aquatic staff recognized with a perfect-audit award; 26 Planning Academy graduates recognized. - Council directed staff to return with cost estimates for shade and back-support seating options at Valley View, Mosaic, and Arlington Parks on a 5-0 vote; no funds were appropriated. - Council also gave direction for a broader, citywide park amenity needs evaluation. - Closed-session City Attorney evaluation continued to November 10, 2026.