Fremont City Council Meeting: 10/21/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: City Attorney's Office
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Plans, Policies and Studies
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5559) DOC ID: 5559
Updated: 10/15/2025 8:48 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
CITY COUNCIL POLICY - Consideration of a City Council Policy to Prioritize Municipal Affairs
Contact Persons:
Name: Rafael Alvarado Karena Shackelford
Title: City Attorney City Manager
Div/Dept: City Attorney's Office City Manager's Office
Phone: 510-284-4030 510-284-4063
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: This staff report implements the City Council’s direction to City staff to develop a policy that emphasizes the City of Fremont’s commitment to addressing local matters and restricts official City statements on international affairs. The draft resolution attached to this report would establish such a City policy, emphasizing the need to prioritize municipal affairs and restricting City actions or statements on matters that do not directly affect the City of Fremont.
BACKGROUND: On occasion, the City Council receives requests to take action on matters that do not have a direct effect upon the administration of the local affairs of the City of Fremont. The City Council has expressed an interest in reviewing a draft policy that would prioritize municipal affairs and issues that have a direct effect on the City of Fremont. The City Council previously voted 7-0 in favor of Councilmember Yang Shao’s referral to direct staff to develop such a policy for City Council review and consideration.
As directed, City staff has developed a draft policy that would restrict the City Council from issuing official statements on international issues or other matters that have no direct effect upon the administration of the local affairs of the City of Fremont. Notably, the policy would not limit the right of any individual Council member or members of the public to give their personal view on such matters or to seek interpretation of the applicability of the policy when uncertain.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The proposed action is exempt from and not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because, without limitation, it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) and/or 15378(b)(5), and it has no possibility of having a significant effect on the environment, as specified in CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Resolution - Policy Prioritizing Municipal Affairs
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Review the draft resolution that would establish a City Council policy prioritizing municipal affairs, and
Council Staff Report (ID # 5559) Meeting of October 21, 2025 Updated: 10/15/2025 8:48 AM by Dina Lewis Page 2
2. Adopt the draft resolution or provide further direction to City staff on any proposed modifications.