Title
Recommendation to Approve the 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda for the City of Alameda. (City Manager 10021030)
Titl
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda’s (City) 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda includes legislative themes that guide the City’s overall legislative advocacy efforts. By adopting a Legislative Agenda, City staff and the Mayor and City Council can react quickly to most legislative issues as they arise, ensuring the City is engaged in legislative matters that reflect the adopted City Council strategic priorities.
The draft 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda was developed in collaboration with City department heads, the Mayor, and City Councilmembers. This agenda reinforces the City’s commitment to the values of dignity, inclusivity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or immigration status. It also prioritizes protecting the entire community from threats of hate-based violence and discrimination and ensuring that funding that has been granted to the City is received.
Throughout the year, the City’s Communications and Legislative Affairs Director works alongside registered state and federal lobbyists to support or oppose legislation, sponsor new legislation, advocate on behalf of the City for funding and resources, and implement regulations. At this time, staff is seeking City Council approval on the draft 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda (Exhibit 1).
BACKGROUND
Previous versions of the City’s Legislative Agenda were adopted in December 2013, December 2014, November 2015, March 2017, March 2018, May 2019, March 2020, February 2021, and May 2023. Following the City Council’s adoption of the 2025-26 Legislative Agenda, City staff will share the document with our state and federal representatives and will continue to monitor legislation and funding opportunities.
In 2024, the City took a support position on fifty State bills (www.alamedaca.gov/legislativeaffairs <http://www.alamedaca.gov/legislativeaffairs>), 28 of which were signed into law by the Governor, on issues such as reducing crime and retail theft, increasing fines for selling tobacco products to minors, providing additional pathways for recycled organic waste products, permitting curbside electric vehicle charging stations, and common sense gun control.
Securing and Protecting State and Federal Funding
State Budget Funding
In the 2024-25 state budget cycle, the City lent its support to the RESHAP housing project. In 2023-24, the City received $1.25 million for the Day Center and Safe Parking program and $750,000 for the Lincoln/Marshal/Pacific transportation safety project. In 2022-23 the City received $1.8 million for the CARE Team pilot project.
Federal Funding
In the 2024-25 federal budget cycle, Community Project Funding of $900,000 was appropriated for the Crime Victims Initiative and $250,000 for the Lincoln/Marshal/Pacific transportation safety project. The City applied for a $55 million FEMA grant for adaptation work on Bay Farm Island and $30 million was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) for adaptation work along the Oakland Estuary. The Lincoln/Marshal/Pacific project was awarded $16 million from the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
Ongoing Funding Needs
The City remains actively engaged with the Veterans Administration (VA), U.S. Navy, and Army Corps of Engineers on the development of a VA hospital and columbarium at Alameda Point. To date, $395 million has been appropriated for construction. The City continues to work with the Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders to ensure funding for the removal of the Fruitvale rail bridge, which is a hazard to the Miller Sweeney Bridge. A disposition study will be completed later this year and at that time funds will be needed for design and engineering.
DISCUSSION
The draft 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda includes feedback from the City department directors, the Mayor, and City Councilmembers. The draft also includes the League of California Cities 2025 Advocacy Priorities, including:
•
Protect local revenues and expand economic development tools.
• Strengthen climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness.
• Strengthen and modernize critical infrastructure.
• Secure investments to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase the supply of affordable housing.
General Principles
The City’s draft 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda reinforces the City’s commitment to the values of dignity, inclusivity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or immigration status.
The Legislative Agenda will strongly consider supporting local government action and legislation that safeguards against hate-based violence and discrimination against marginalized communities, promotes social equity, and enhances the quality of life and health of Alameda residents and businesses.
The City will seek funding opportunities and partnerships with the County, state, and federal government for projects that reflect the City’s strategic principles and will work to ensure that all funding that has been granted to the City is received.
The City will strongly consider opposing any legislation or regulations that negatively affects the City’s budget, residents, and businesses or imposes unfunded mandates on the City.
Strategic Plan Adopted Priorities
The 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda supports legislation that advances the City Council’s five adopted Strategic Priorities:
• Enhance Community Safety and Services
• Build Resilience to Climate Change and Water Level Rise
• Invest in Alameda’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Economy
• House all Alamedans and End Homelessness
• Practice Fiscally Responsible, Equitable and Inclusive Governance
Legislative Agenda Focus Areas
The Legislative Agenda is divided into the following seven focus areas:
1. Alameda Point & Economic Development
2. Infrastructure & Transportation
3. Public Safety
4. Physical & Mental Health, Social & Human Services
5. Revenue, Taxation, & Employee Relations
6. Environmental Protection & Sustainability, Recreation, Parks & Open Space
7. Housing
Additions to the 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda
The following list highlights the most important additions to the draft 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda compared to the previously adopted 2023-2024 Legislative Agenda:
General Principles
• Added language that reinforces the City’s commitment to the values of dignity, inclusivity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or immigration status; protects the entire Alameda community from threats of hate-based violence and discrimination; seeks funding opportunities that reflect the City Council’s strategic principles; and ensures funding that has been granted to the City is received
Overall Updates
• Moved guiding principles to the corresponding legislative focus area
• Updated the League of California Cities’ strategic advocacy priorities
• Moved support for funding items to the revenue focus area
Alameda Point & Economic Development
• Added support for state legislation that prevents spurious California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenges
• Added additional economic development focus points, including support to increase economic growth and vitality, support for businesses in industry sectors identified as opportunities for growth, and support to businesses via City services and programs
Infrastructure & Transportation
• Added language to preserve/expand maritime uses, including funding and authority for removing derelict vessels, dredging, pier and marina upgrades, and regulations
• Added language to preserve the City’s ability to control the time, place, manner, and cost of wireless communication facilities on City property, on housing developments in the City and within the public right of way
• Added supporting efforts and funding to mitigate local impacts from state construction projects
• Added supporting efforts for the West End bicycle/pedestrian bridge between Alameda and Oakland to be a State highway
• Added efforts to make the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle permanent
• Added protecting resident interests and wellbeing regarding the expansion of Oakland Airport
Public Safety
• Support for legislation that deters retail theft
• Support efforts that increase cybersecurity
• Support funding for equipment, training, mental health, and other programs that protect police officers and firefighters
• Support efforts that would allow the Alameda Animal Shelter to relocate to a location that meets current and future needs and is not located in a residential area
• Support disaster prevention planning and implementation efforts as well as developing building codes that support the functional recovery following an earthquake
• Promote funding and incentives for seismic retrofitting of public safety facilities and aging infrastructure
• Promote efforts to ensure resilience and long-term functionality of critical public assets from earthquakes, sea level rise or rising groundwater as well as support efforts that help prepare Alameda for tsunamis and prepare for a timely evacuation, with a focus on access and functional needs populations
Physical & Mental Health, Social & Human Services
• Maintain, support, and when necessary, defend funding allocations, particularly as it relates to Sanctuary City status and access to greater rights and protections, healthcare, and housing for our most vulnerable residents, including those who are undocumented or unhoused
• Support human rights, services, access to healthcare, and protection from discrimination for people who identify as LGBTQ+
• Support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts for City staff, and opportunities to expand DEIB efforts to City services
Revenue, Taxation, & Employee Relations
• Support efforts that increase funding for rent control enforcement and the continuation of efforts to establish an office for victim advocacy
• Support efforts for a road user charge or fee-per-mile to address falling gas tax revenues resulting from improved gas engine efficiency and electric vehicle adoption to maintain the City’s roadway network
• Seek funding for a wide range of infrastructure, facilities, and services
• Support efforts to create and enhance financing tools and mechanisms to fund Climate Action and Resiliency Plan priorities, affordable housing, Community Development Block Grant programs, and housing programs
• Support the financial and banking needs of cannabis-related businesses
Environmental Protection & Sustainability, Recreation, Parks & Open Space
• Address climate change and promote environmental sustainability, such as resource and energy efficiency, water quality, recycling, and conservation
• Promote regional authority to coordinate climate change responses
• Coordinate with relevant agencies and seek funds for shoreline stabilization
• Promote efforts to electrify Alameda parks and the aquatic center
• Support transportation, land use, and building policies that encourage the thoughtful use of resources, lower energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance resilience
• Support efforts to restore the California Library Services Act and funding opportunities to expand library services in Alameda, including funding to support a new branch at Alameda Point
• Support efforts to increase the number of artificial turf fields and expand access to pickleball in Alameda
Housing
• Support measures that increase renter/tenant protections
• Restore multi-family housing program and advocate for tax credits to be used to build affordable housing
• Support legislation that reduces constraints on building Accessory Dwelling Units
• Ensure funding for existing housing projects when the Homekey subsidies expire
ALTERNATIVES
• Provide direction to staff on the draft 2025-26 Legislative Agenda and approve as amended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from the adoption of the Legislative Agenda. However, pursuing the items in the Legislative Agenda is intended to defend as well as promote the City’s financial stability.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code and supports all priorities of the City Strategic Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report. However, if the City does not have an approved Legislative Agenda, the City may not be able to act on legislation that increases resiliency, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and has a positive climate impact.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the 2025-26 Legislative Agenda for the City of Alameda.
Respectfully submitted by,
Sarah Henry, Communications and Legislative Affairs Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Draft 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda
2. Redlined Draft 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda