The legislative body of the City of San Ramon, responsible for enacting local laws, setting municipal policy, and overseeing the city budget and services.
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Council member Jweinat initiated a request for a future staff presentation or study session to review the city's current zoning and design standards in light of evolving state housing law. He asked staff to distinguish which standards are objective versus subjective, evaluate whether additional objective or form-based standards (building envelopes, lot coverage, facade length, step-backs) should be adopted prospectively, and confirm any updates would apply only to future applications and remain consistent with the certified housing element and state law. City Manager Steven noted this had been presented to the Planning Commission previously but agreed to bring it to council. All five council members indicated support. Vice Mayor Rubio suggested incorporating it into a planned council-planning commission workshop.
Mayor Armstrong initiated a request to agendize discussion of an emergency preparedness town hall in response to recent earthquake swarms and the approaching fire season. City Manager Steven disclosed he was already in communication with new Fire Chief Jonas Aguilar about a joint community meeting potentially featuring a USGS representative. Armstrong indicated the existing planning could satisfy his request. The council agreed (3+ votes) to agendize a future discussion on format and scope. Armstrong also reported from the Contra Costa Mayors Conference where he fielded questions about earthquake swarms, and noted California SB 959, a bill that would protect school districts from losing average daily attendance funding when classes are canceled due to imminent fire danger.
San Ramon
NextdoorCity Council31d agoFebruary 11, 2026
Social Media Misinformation Response
Council member Verose raised the persistent challenge of misinformation on platforms like Nextdoor and Facebook. Simone explained that Nextdoor's platform architecture prevents the city from seeing resident posts, only their own posts and comments on them. City Manager Steven noted that Nextdoor's terms of service prohibit local government from participating in neighborhood chats, and that publicly refuting misinformation can sometimes amplify it through social media algorithms. Vice Mayor Rubio suggested monitoring known community pages and proactively posting objective information with links rather than engaging in back-and-forth. Verose mentioned a past contact with a Nextdoor community relationship manager and offered to reconnect. Public commenter Chirag Kathrani criticized the council for not engaging enough with residents on Nextdoor, citing the Measure G open space issue where 25 people spoke but it was handled on the consent calendar.
The city's newly hired Communications Program Manager Simone presented a roadmap for developing San Ramon's first citywide strategic communications plan. The city currently operates a decentralized communications model where each department manages its own outreach. The plan would establish unified objectives including building a consistent citywide brand, enhancing the city website (with a full redesign planned for FY2027), increasing public meeting participation awareness, and evaluating technology including AI. Council members provided extensive feedback: Jweinat advocated strongly for a dedicated mobile app with alerts and consolidated notifications; Rubio proposed a Concord Connect-style app with geolocation, drop-down issue categories, and emergency links on the landing page; Verose emphasized inter-agency collaboration with the school district and fire district, combating misinformation on social media, AI preparedness, and leveraging community tech volunteers; Adler asked about generational communication preferences; and Armstrong raised the balance between centralized message consistency and timeliness, AI chatbots for the website, and including non-digital engagement like town halls. Public commenters urged the council to resource the plan adequately, hold regular town halls, and implement SB707 remote meeting access by July.
Planning Commissioner Santosh Kanjula spoke during public comment requesting clearer council direction on affordable housing requirements for upcoming developments, specifically whether affordable units should be for-sale or rental, and on-site versus off-site. During matters initiated, Council member Verose formally requested a staff presentation on the current mix of affordable housing rental versus for-sale units. Vice Mayor Rubio expanded the request to include the city's progress toward RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) zoning obligations under the current cycle. City Manager Steven noted that while zoning status is clear, actual production is a moving target outside the city's control. The council agreed (3+ votes) to agendize this for a future presentation.
San Ramon
ParksCity Council31d agoFebruary 11, 2026
Park Deficiency and Quality of Life
Public commenter Jim Blickenstaff urged the council to prioritize park acquisition and development, arguing that San Ramon has been falling behind on the number of parks required by the general plan relative to new development. He noted that developer fees collected in lieu of parks may not be restricted to park purchases, and that available land will disappear if the city does not act early in the development process. He called for a 'park opportunity site' approach similar to how the city identifies housing opportunity sites.
San Ramon
BARTCity Council31d agoFebruary 11, 2026
Transportation Infrastructure and Funding
Multiple speakers raised transportation issues. Public commenter Richard Jarrett flagged BART board considering closing stations like Dublin-Pleasanton, deteriorating Highway 680 conditions between Danville and San Ramon, and high-speed rail funding misallocation. During council updates, Vice Mayor Rubio reported on the Tri-Valley Transportation Committee allocating funds to Innovate 680 for Danville ramp improvements, and transit bills AB 1421 (road user charge/mileage fee) and AB 1599 (statewide transit stop data app). Mayor Armstrong reported from his DC trip advocating for the $166 million mega grant for Innovate 680, the 580/680 interchange improvement, Valley Link rail, and attended a micro-transit plenary featuring Arlington and Memphis models combining reduced bus routes with rideshare options.
San Ramon
OrchardsCity Council45d agoJanuary 28, 2026
City Manager Announcements and Upcoming Hearings
City Manager announced the next public hearing for the Orchards proposed development at the Planning Commission on Feb. 3, upcoming application deadlines for Government 101, the PD Community Academy, and the Sustainability Advisory Committee, and noted the successful Giants Fan Fest.
San Ramon
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