Dublin Weighs More Help for Cultural Events as Deficit Looms

Dublin's fee-waiver program for cultural events is drawing crowds. It is also drawing questions about cost as the city's budget tightens. At its Oct. 20, 2026, meeting, the City Council took no formal action on the Dublin CREATE program but sent options for added event support into upcoming budget talks. The council also marked a first-ever Filipino American History Month proclamation and heard pointed, unverified allegations about Mayor Sherry Hu.

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• CREATE program report: four events, about 12,500 attendees and roughly $9,500 in waived fees
• Event-support options head to budget talks as one councilmember warns of a creeping deficit
• Strategic plan first quarter: nothing off target, though camera permitting draws a resident's criticism
• Public commenters press Mayor Hu on disclosure questions; allegations go unanswered and unverified
• First Filipino American History Month proclamation presented after objections to group-specific recognitions

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Cultural Events Draw Crowds, and a Cost Debate

The basics: In May 2026, Dublin merged two programs into Dublin CREATE. The Arts Space Grant Program dates to 2016. The other was the Cultural Event Fee Waiver Program. The combined program uses two tiers and caps how many waivers an organizer can receive.

Why it matters: The program puts city money and staff time behind community festivals. Council members now have to decide whether to expand that support while also watching the deficit.

Where things stand: Recreation Supervisor Lauren Marriott presented the update. Events listed included Odisha Divas, Dublin Diwali on Nov. 7 and Global Connections on Jan. 23, 2027. Staff tracked about 45 staff hours on the program. That count excludes police and other departments.

The arts half of the program has gone quiet. No arts-space applications have arrived since 2024, and the program is waiting on the future Dublin Arts Center.

"We haven't received any in the last 2 years requesting that they receive fees waived for any type of art production," said Jackie Dwyer, Director of Parks and Community Services.

Councilmembers asked several follow-up questions:

• How Diwali and Holi fall outside the program's quarterly limit
• Why no arts requests have come in
• How the program is promoted

Mayor Sherry Hu said she attended every event and called them successes. She asked whether the city could offer more help, including funding or additional fee waivers.

The other side: One councilmember added up the program's direct and staff costs and framed the total as diversity spending:

"So if I were to surmise, the $9,520 plus the 45 hours at market salary rate, our investment in DEI is probably over $20,000," said a councilmember. Staff agreed the figure was about right.

Staff pointed to limited existing tools. "We do have a discretionary grant program, but I think it's only $15,000 or something a year," said a city staff member. Staff floated a tiered nonprofit grant for the preliminary budget discussion. Staff also said the city cannot add staff to run the program.

A second councilmember pushed back on new ongoing spending. "I'm leery of us just adding on and adding on, especially as we are watching our deficit creep closer and closer together," the councilmember said. That member suggested two lower-cost alternatives:

• A one-page guide explaining what events cost
• Letting nonprofits use the city's vendor contracts

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No vote was taken. Cultural nonprofits and festival organizers stand to gain if a grant tier materializes. Organizers have said their costs go well beyond the fees the city waives. City staff, already described as at capacity, would absorb any added workload. Arts producers remain largely sidelined until the Dublin Arts Center opens.

What's next: Mayor Hu said event support will appear on the agenda for the council's budget discussion.

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Strategic Plan Report Flags Nothing Off Target

Why it matters: This is the first progress check on the plan adopted April 7, 2026. That plan sets 8 strategic priorities supported by 33 objectives, covering housing, public safety and infrastructure.

Where things stand: Senior Management Analyst Jordan Foss walked through early progress:

• Housing: Work is moving on Sunflower Hill, Amador Station, Dublin Transit Center D1 and Eden Housing at Francis Ranch, along with first-time homebuyer loans.
• ADU fee waiver: The waiver program is set to expire Dec. 31. ADUs are accessory dwelling units, the backyard cottages and garage conversions California has pushed cities to permit more easily.
• Streetlight district: A proposed citywide streetlight assessment district will not form because property owners did not support it. Under Proposition 218, property owners must approve such assessments.
• Other actions: Staff deployed the Perry Weather system, launched an open data website, updated the volunteer program and continued permit streamlining.

In response to a councilmember's question, staff confirmed that no items are off target.

The camera rollout: Staff reported 8 situational awareness cameras installed and 24 permits submitted. The police chief said, "All the ALPRs have been installed." ALPRs are automated license plate readers. The chief added that 26 cameras are in permitting, with 5 expected the week of Nov. 2 and about 10 more to follow.

The other side: Public commenter Mike Grant said the timeline is too long and questioned why the city relies on the consultant Four Leaf. "We don't need all these outside sources getting involved to hang a thing up," Grant said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The report was informational. "So no action needed, right? It's just updates," said Mayor Hu. Councilmembers praised staff. One councilmember asked for a tutorial on the weather software, saying, "I would be very interested in seeing that in action."

What's next: More camera installations are expected starting the week of Nov. 2.

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Speakers Press Mayor on Disclosure Questions

Why it matters: The questions concern financial disclosure by an elected official. That is a core accountability issue, but none of the claims were verified at the meeting.

Where things stand: Public commenter Christy Lee cited reported WeChat messages, an SEC Form D filing and the Inspiration Senior Living project. She asked why a reported business position held by Mayor Hu does not appear on the mayor's Form 700. That form is the economic interest disclosure California officials must file. Lee said emails she sent the mayor on Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 went unanswered.

Public commenter Juan Wu raised similar questions about the senior living project and urged an investigation. He also made general election-security claims that were not substantiated at the meeting.

The other side: Mike Grant criticized outside money in local campaigns, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and the outcome of the failed TOT measure. TOT is a transient occupancy tax, the tax paid on hotel stays. Grant apologized to a departing councilmember, saying, "She was never bought and paid for by anybody."

Public commenter Brent Sanjeev said the city's Dublin Digest described a shooting victim as a man when the victim was a woman. "The official thing that the city released in the Dublin Digest says that a man was shot. The person was a woman," Sanjeev said. He called for a correction and said the mayor should step down.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The council did not respond during public comment. Mayor Hu reminded the audience of the meeting's no-cheers-or-jeers rule.

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Filipino American History Month Marked for First Time

Where things stand: Mayor Hu read the proclamation's background. Congress recognized Filipino American History Month in 2009. The observance traces to the arrival of Filipinos at Morro Bay on Oct. 18, 1587.

Rosalinda Canas, Chapter President of the Filipino American National Historical Society East Bay Chapter, accepted the proclamation. She called it a first for Dublin and said she hopes it becomes a lasting tradition. "Filipino American history is American history," Canas said.

The Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General also accepted a proclamation. "This year is particularly significant as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of bilateral relations between the Philippines and the United States," the Consul General said.

The other side: Two public commenters objected before the presentation. One was Sanjeev, who said, "I don't think we should be doing proclamations for different groups of people," and objected to DEI.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No vote was required. Later, during council reports, Vice Mayor Kashef Qaadri cited No Place for Hate Month and said the council values diversity and recognizes people's legal gender. "We push back on hate speech, and we do support recognizing folks for who they are," Qaadri said.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar: Approved on a voice vote the mayor declared unanimous; no individual tally was recorded. Items included Oct. 6 minutes, the payment report and an HF&H Consultants solid waste support agreement. Staff said hauler performance and compensation reviews of Amador Valley Industries arrive "in early 2027, in time to inform us of the upcoming rate-setting process."
• Emerald Glen Ball Field: The council approved a budget adjustment for the renovation project (CIP No. PK0127) on consent.
• AI reskilling grant: Vice Mayor Qaadri asked staff to study a small grant for Dublin residents earning up to 80% of area median income who are at risk of losing jobs to AI. The grant would fund Las Positas courses. Colleague support was not clearly confirmed beyond a voiced "Yes."
• Disaster preparedness: A councilmember sought an agenda item on disaster preparedness "in anticipation of the Super Niño."
• Youth accessibility nonprofit: Fiona Mo of the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee introduced Tomorrow's Onset Project, which offers Braille resources, and offered to partner with the city. Councilmember John Morada, who invited the students, praised them as "very, very entrepreneurial."

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Looking Ahead

Several dates are coming up:

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The Wellness in Our Backyard Health and Safety Fair at Don Biddle Park.
• Week of Nov. 2: The next batch of surveillance cameras is expected.
• Nov. 7: Dublin Diwali.
• Dec. 31: The ADU fee waiver expires.
• Budget season: The council's budget discussion will test whether cultural event support grows or holds flat.