Christina Briggs

The City Council Retreat commenced with a welcome by the Mayor and included opening comments from the City Manager regarding the importance of the retreat and the executive team's commitment to serving the Council and community. Key discussions involved a visioning exercise to explore collective and individual visions for the City of Fremont. Furthermore, Councilmembers discussed and agreed to amend the protocols and norms documented in the Council handbook to foster effective working relationships. The Council also reaffirmed its current Citywide priorities for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 while noting an intent to refine the draft language for several priority objectives.

The meeting included a Closed Session for discussions regarding Real Property Negotiators and Labor Negotiators, with no reportable actions taken. Key consent items involved waiving the reading of ordinances and approving several contract awards and appropriations. These included a $135,000 budget appropriation for water quality improvements in Lake Elizabeth, contracting with Eden Housing Resident Services, Inc. for senior service coordination, and awarding contracts for the Northgate Park Restroom Replacement Project and the Irvington Community Park Restroom Replacement Project. Ceremonial items included a Proclamation for Arbor Day. Under Public Communications, discussions addressed issues related to homeless unions and community concerns. The session for Other Business involved an update on the FY 2024/25 General Fund Operating Budget and preliminary three-year forecast, resulting in adjustments to revenue estimates for property tax, sales tax, business tax, and hotel tax, alongside an increase in interest earnings estimates. A council referral requested staff to prepare an amendment to the Camping Ordinance concerning aiding/abetting and camping limitations on private residential property. Finally, appointments to the Economic Development Advisory Commission, Environmental Sustainability Commission, and Senior Citizens Commission were approved.

The meeting addressed multiple consent calendar items, including waiving the reading of ordinances, adopting an ordinance regarding Affordable Housing for Nonresidential Developments, approving contracts for School Crossing Guard Services, and awarding a contract for the Demolition of Buildings 1 and 2 at the Town Fair Shopping Center. The Council also adopted resolutions related to a mutual indemnification agreement with Alameda County for property tax collection, and approved final maps, improvement agreements, and land dedications for Tracts 8288 and 8286. Several two-year Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were approved with various employee associations, including the Fremont Police Management Association, Fremont Professional Fire Fighters, and Operating Engineers, Local Union No. 3. Additionally, amendments to the employment agreements for the City Manager and City Attorney, granting a three percent cost of living wage increase, were approved. The agenda included ceremonial items, public communications, and a public hearing on modifications to Human Services Department Fees, which was continued to July 18, 2017. Other business involved the approval of the proposed refunding of the City of Fremont Series 2008 Certificates of Participation (COPs) and the Fire Safety Bond Project General Obligation Bonds, and authorization to exercise the option to extend the Solid Waste Collection Agreement with Republic Services for 10 years. The Council also heard a presentation on the Rent Control and Just-Cause Eviction Study and referred the designation of the League of California Cities Annual Conference Voting Delegate.

This notice pertains to a Special Meeting, which includes both a public session and a closed session conducted via teleconference, with one Councilmember participating from Taipei, Taiwan. The public session agenda included procedures for submitting public comments, either via email by 4:00 p.m. on the meeting day or by speaking in person. The closed session items scheduled for discussion included a Conference with Real Property Negotiators regarding property at Fremont Boulevard and St. Leonards Way, specifically concerning price and terms negotiation, and a Conference with Labor Negotiators, involving designated City representatives and several employee organizations.

This Special Meeting convened to a Closed Session to discuss two primary negotiation topics. The first was Conference with Real Property Negotiators regarding property located at Fremont Boulevard and St. Leonards Way (APN 525-802-33-3), specifically negotiating the price and terms with the owner. The second item was Conference with Labor Negotiator concerning negotiations with multiple employee organizations, including the City of Fremont Employee Association, various labor unions, and management associations.