2025-2026 City of Alameda Legislative Agenda
General Principles
The City of Alameda (City) 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 City 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 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.
The Legislative Agenda supports legislation that advances the City Council’s Strategic Priorities:
• Enhance Community Safety and Services
• Build Resilience to Climate Change and Water Level Rise • Invest in Transportation, Infrastructure, Economic Opportunities, and Historic Resources
• House All Alamedans and End Homelessness
• Practice Fiscally Responsible, Equitable, and Inclusive Governance The Legislative Agenda includes the following Legislative Focus Areas:
• Alameda Point and Economic Development
• Infrastructure and Transportation
• Public Safety
• Physical and Mental Health, Social and Human Services • Revenue, Taxation, and Employee Relations
• Environmental Protection and Sustainability, Recreation, Parks, and Open Space • Housing
Legislative Focus Areas
Alameda Point and Economic Development
• Preserve Alameda’s interests related to base reuse, clean- up, conveyance, and development.
• Support the efficient redevelopment, selling, and leasing of property at former military bases consistent with approved community reuse plans.
Exhibit 3
• Continue to ensure construction funding is secured and the Department of Veterans Affairs complex, including a Community Based Outpatient Clinic and a National Cemetery Columbarium, will be completed with minimal delays. • Promote funding of environmental clean-up and expedited property conveyance and support reforms to CEQA that prevent unnecessary development delays and state legislation that prevent spurious CEQA challenges. • Support efforts to create and enhance financing tools, such as tax increment financing.
• Support state or federal funding to increase economic growth and vitality, including but not limited to supporting small businesses and nonprofits and guaranteed income programs.
• Support businesses in industry sectors identified as opportunities for growth, including life sciences, clean tech, green tech, high tech, blue tech and maritime, retail and restaurants, tourism and hospitality, artists, and small manufacturers. • Support local businesses through City services and programs that provide transportation and housing choices and workforce development, and policies that attract, retain, and expand businesses and jobs in Alameda, including efforts to track and fill vacant storefronts.
• Support legislation that will help local governments recover taxes from remote sellers (e-commerce).
• Support increased workforce training opportunities for City residents. • Support the League of California Cities’ strategic advocacy priority to protect local revenues and expand economic development tools.
Infrastructure and Transportation
• Address the City Council’s priorities on transportation and lower transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions.
• M ake Alameda safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, enable residents to get safely to BART, ferries, and other methods of commuting, and increase transportation safety around schools.
• R educe or help alleviate, directly or indirectly, both on- and off-island and on- and off-peninsula traffic concerns, including supporting efforts to extend BART to Alameda.
• Support funding and other identified infrastructure needs and deficiencies, including storm water drains that may be impacted by sea level rise. • Support equitable internet access especially for disadvantaged populations. • Preserve/expand maritime uses, including funding and authority for removing derelict vessels and estuary and marina debris, dredging, pier and marina upgrades, and regulations.
• Support the Smart City objective to improve safety with emergency response optimization, disaster early-warning signals, and vehicle-to-vehicle communications including advanced collision avoidance systems while reducing threats from cyber-attacks.
• 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 of Alameda, and within the public right of way.
• Support legislation to increase enforcement of speed and other traffic violations, including to allow the use of automated enforcement cameras for speed and red light violations.
• Support legislation that would provide more control for local jurisdictions and greater flexibility of speed limit setting in school zones. • Support efforts to eliminate the dangerous use of phones by people driving vehicles.
• Support changing state requirements that slow down safety projects, including but not limited to exempting traffic safety projects from CEQA. • Seek funding for dredging at Alameda-based piers.
• Support Oakland Alameda Access Project traffic improvements and efforts and funding to mitigate local impacts from state construction projects. • Support the funding and development of a West End bicycle/pedestrian bridge between Alameda and Oakland and support efforts for the bridge to be a State highway.
• Promote expansion and improvement of Bay Area-wide water transit, with an emphasis on ferry service in Alameda and making the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle permanent.
• Support efforts to remove the Fruitvale Railroad Bridge which is a collapse hazard in the event of an earthquake and threatens the Miller-Sweeney Bridge. • Support legislation and funding that supports implementation of the advanced clean fleets rule, including but not limited to funding for charging infrastructure. • Support the League of California Cities’ strategic advocacy priority to strengthen and modernize critical infrastructure.
• Protect resident interests and wellbeing regarding the expansion of Oakland Airport.
Public Safety
• P rovide resources for police and fire services, disaster preparedness, and resiliency, help reduce crime, and increase the safety of Alameda residents, businesses, and visitors.
• Support legislation that would deter and reduce automobile and catalytic converter theft, including restricting illegal sales and purchases of catalytic converters and/or the precious metals they contain, and create programs to help residents protect their property and crime prevention efforts. • Support gun safety and common-sense gun laws and policies that keep guns out of the wrong hands, including expanded background check requirements. • Increase local control to strengthen firearm safety where state or federal preemption prohibits.
• Support legislative efforts to mitigate impacts of Public Safety Power Shutoffs. • Support efforts that increases cybersecurity for the City, City residents, and local businesses.
• Support legislation that deters retail theft.
• Support funding for equipment, training, mental health, and other programs that protect police officers and firefighters.
• Support funding and resources 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 that improve the safety of Alameda residents.
• Promote funding and incentives to retrofit single and multi-family housing to withstand floods and earthquakes.
• Promote funding and incentives that support seismic retrofitting of public safety facilities and address aging public safety infrastructure. • Promote the development of new building codes that support the timely restoration of service (functional recovery) following an earthquake. • Promote efforts to ensure resilience and long-term functionality of critical public assets threatened by earthquakes, sea level rise, or rising groundwater. • Support efforts that help prepare Alameda for tsunamis and prepare for a timely evacuation with a focus on access and functional needs populations.
Physical and Mental Health, Social and 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 and unhoused.
• P rovide funding and resources to improve the physical health, mental health, and wellbeing of Alameda residents.
• Support efforts that address the needs of the most vulnerable in Alameda and increase services and positive outcomes for mentally ill and unhoused residents. • Promote social equity and advance racial justice by addressing racial discrimination and systemic racism.
• Continue supporting policing and racial equity outcomes consistent with adopted City Council directions, including adopted City Council direction on the Police Reform and Racial Equity Committee recommendations.
• Support efforts to fund and further the efforts of the CARE Team (Community Assessment Response & Engagement) led by the Alameda Fire Department with clinical support that provides a 24/7 alternative response to nonviolent individuals facing a mental health crisis.
• Support efforts to reduce opioid abuse and overdose deaths. • Support efforts to provide pro bono and other low-cost services to residents who are immigrants and refugees and others who are in need. • Support efforts that help address inequities created by the previous criminalization of cannabis and protect State rights regarding the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis.
• Support the work of organizations such as the National Institute of Health, to conduct scientific research that studies cannabis as a substance, its uses and side effects, its classification and possible removal as a Schedule 1 drug, and the potential health benefits of cannabis.
• Support affordable health insurance, women’s health services, family planning services, and protect national and local access to reproductive healthcare. • Support human rights, services, access to healthcare, and protection from discrimination for people who identify as LGBTQ+.
• Support efforts and funding that promote public health and sanitation, eliminate food insecurity, and provide resources for testing for lead poisoning, especially among children.
• Support funding and other efforts that support small hospitals, including Alameda Hospital.
• Support efforts to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our residents, including helping prevent youth smoking and vaping, reducing the consumption of sugary beverages, supporting healthier food choices, and limiting the negative impacts of social media.
• Support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts for City staff, and opportunities to expand DEIB efforts to City services.
Revenue, Taxation, and Employee Relations
• Support efforts that maintain City revenue streams and create a positive financial impact on the City, and leverage county, state, and federal funding. • Oppose measures that put City revenues from fees, charges, and tax revenue at risk and limit the ability of local governments to increase revenue. • Support legislation that will prevent the state from redirecting or taking away local revenue sources.
• Support state efforts that would reduce the vote threshold for local initiatives. • Reduce burdensome financial reporting.
• Support efforts to increase recruitment, attract, and retain qualified employees in the City workforce.
• Maintain decisions about health and retirement benefits at the local level. • Seek assistance with planning to pay for Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) unfunded liabilities.
• Seek assistance with California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) liabilities.
• Support efforts that increase funding for rent control enforcement and the continuation of efforts to establish an office for victim advocacy. • Protect existing transportation funding and oppose efforts that would reduce or eliminate funding for cities. Support state, Alameda County, regional, and federal transportation funding for:
o Stable and reliable revenue streams for transportation reconstruction and maintenance that is available for local priorities and transportation needs. o Implementation of the Citywide Transportation Choices Plan, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, and other City transportation efforts to minimize traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. o Greenhouse gas reduction efforts such as electrification programs, supporting expansion of Electric Vehicles and their charging infrastructure. o Bicycle, pedestrian, and trail improvements.
• 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 and resources for disaster preparedness, infrastructure improvements, prevention, recovery, response, and resilience for all-hazard threats, including but not limited to emergency water supply, flooding, power outages, storms, earthquakes, fires, and tsunamis.
• Seek funding opportunities for police audit and oversight, improving local infrastructure, parks, and facilities, historical preservation, encampment management, public charging, zero emission fleet vehicles, ADA plan implementation and increasing access throughout Alameda, open space, affordable housing, and critical infrastructure improvements at Alameda Point and throughout Alameda.
• Maintain federal investment in resources critical to enabling local law enforcement to adequately provide public safety such as the Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) program funding.
• Maintain full federal funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant programs and retain the local cost share waiver for the AFG program. • Support efforts to create and enhance financing tools, such as climate resilience districts, tax increment funding, and others, for funding Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) priorities.
• Support legislation and proposals that promote tax-increment and other financing mechanisms for the provision of affordable housing and initiatives that expand financial resources for affordable housing development, such as increased access to State bond funds for below market rate loans, grants for special needs housing, and loans and loan guarantees to preserve rental housing for long-term affordable use.
• Support full funding for the National Housing Trust Fund, Section 8, HOME, and the CDBG programs, and legislation that promotes innovation and flexibility for the administration of housing programs including the Moving to Work program, statutory waivers and a jurisdiction’s ability to respond to housing crises locally. • Increase grant funding opportunities with reduced local match requirement. • Support the financial and banking needs of cannabis-related businesses.
Environmental Protection and Sustainability, Recreation, Parks, and Open Space • Address climate change and promote environmental protection and sustainability, such as resource and energy efficiency, water quality, air quality, recycling, and conservation.
• Promote regional authority to coordinate climate change responses. • Work with the Army Corps of Engineers and other relevant agencies on shoreline stabilization and seek funds for implementation.
• Promote the development, expansion, maintenance, and efforts to electrify Alameda parks and 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 additional resources to assist local governments who develop and implement energy efficiency and conservation strategies that maximize available resources, reduce costs, expand community access, and protect public health. • Promote efforts to install public and multi-family electric vehicle (EV) chargers to support adoption of EVs by all Alameda residents, including renters. • Support efforts to restore the California Library Services Act and funding opportunities to expand library access in Alameda, including funding to support a new branch at Alameda Point.
• Promote efforts to expand the urban forest and ensure the equitable distribution of tree canopy across Alameda to improve public health, reduce pollution, and reduce heat island effects.
• Support development of on-island solar power generation, on-island wind power, and microgrid distribution infrastructure.
• Support program funding and efforts to use “green infrastructure,” landscaping, pervious surfaces, green roofs, and on-site stormwater retention facilities to reduce surface runoff and storm drain flooding during storm events. • Support efforts to increase the number of artificial turf fields and expand access to pickleball in Alameda.
• Support funding and resources for local agencies to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including addressing sea level rise and flood protection, implementing drought tolerant, Bay-Friendly landscape (medians and passive park areas), and providing recycled water infrastructure on the main island. • Support the adopted plastic bag and straw bans, efforts to expand existing bans, and Alameda’s disposable food service ware reduction law. • Promote and fund recycling and landfill diversion efforts and ensure residents have access to convenient recycling facilities.
• Ensure trash is removed from encampments and disposed of properly to avoid long-term environmental impacts that could impact the health of the San Francisco Bay.
• Encourage funding and resources to promote and implement energy efficiency and building electrification.
• Support resources to assist local governments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions including access to cap and trade revenues through appropriations for transportation, sustainable communities, affordable housing, and sea level rise. • Support state efforts that would grant authority to municipalities to implement congestion pricing.
• Support San Francisco Bay Trail and Bay Area Water Trail development and the development of a new regional park at the Northwest Territories in Alameda Point.
• Support the League of California Cities’ strategic advocacy priority to strengthen climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness.
Housing
• S upport the funding and development of affordable and middle-income housing for rent or purchase and continue efforts to increase transitional and permanent housing for people who are vulnerable, at risk, or unsheltered. • Support incentives that assist local governments to accommodate new growth in existing communities.
• Support legislation to increase housing near transit and jobs and remove barriers to developing housing.
• Support regulations on short-term rentals (for example, VRBO and Airbnb) including limiting the number of permits issued.
• Support legislation and proposals that provide incentives and resources to expand local efforts that integrate housing, transportation, and land use and assist in the reorganization and replacement of existing infrastructure to support California's growing population.
• Support measures and funding for those who face additional housing barriers, including unsheltered residents, veterans, seniors, and disabled members of our community.
• Support measures that would reduce income inequalities, including tax deductions for low-income renters, and programs for unsheltered residents and low-income renters, which could be funded by eliminating the state and federal tax deduction on second homes.
• Support local, state, or federal measures to assist first time homebuyers. • Secure additional resources to increase construction of housing, particularly affordable housing, workforce housing, and permanent supportive housing, and ensure cities retain flexibility based on the land use needs of each community. • Support legislative efforts to provide a funding mechanism and other strategies to promote economic development and affordable and middle-income housing programs.
• Support legislation regarding the unwinding of redevelopment that maximizes the former redevelopment agency’s flexibility and authority regarding enforceable obligations, and implementation of Disposition and Development Agreements (DDAs).
• 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 ADUs, including mortgage issues and conflicts with the state building code. • Ensure funding for existing housing projects when the Homekey subsidy expires. • Support the League of California Cities’ strategic advocacy priority to secure investments to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase the supply of affordable housing.