Fremont City Council Meeting: 04/07/26 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: City Manager's Office
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Plans, Policies and Studies
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5680) DOC ID: 5680
Updated: 4/2/2026 12:52 PM by Dina Lewis Page 1
FEBRUARY 2026 CITY COUNCIL RETREAT - Acceptance of the 2026 City Council Retreat Report
Contact Persons:
Name: Allen DeMers Karena Shackelford
Title: Deputy City Manager City Manager
Div/Dept: City Manager's Office City Manager's Office
Phone: 510-494-4651 510-284-4063
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summar y: On February 20 and February 23, 2026 the City of Fremont City Council conducted its annual retreat at the Downtown Event Center in Fremont. The retreat provided an opportunity for Councilmembers to discuss strategies for effective communication and the traits of a high performing City Council. The retreat’s second day focused on priority review, priority setting, and goal definition. A report has been produced summarizing the topics covered and decisions made at the 2026 City Council Retreat.
BACKGROUND: The City of Fremont City Council typically retains a professional consultant to conduct a retreat at the start of each year to review and refine Council priorities. The City’s professional staff use the refined Council priorities and defined goals to guide the year’s work and measure success. For the 2026 retreat, the City retained Nelson Fialho, Executive Director at Renne Public Law Group, and his colleague former City Manager Kevin Duggan, to prepare for and facilitate the retreat.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: In preparation for the retreat, Councilmembers and staff discussed interests, impressions and desired outcomes with the facilitators during pre-retreat interviews. The first day of the retreat focused on effective Council working relationships. The second day of the retreat focused on priority and goal setting. Based on the discussion and direction provided by the Council, the City’s priorities were refined to focus on four primary areas:
1. Economic Development and Financial Sustainability
2. Reduce Homelessness
3. Public Safety
4. Charter City Framework
Retreat participants also discussed former and potential priorities including Communications and Public Engagement and Environmental Sustainability but ultimately determined that the importance of those priorities had been effectively integrated into the City’s ongoing workplan and as such did not need to be singled out for special focus.
The attached consultant report outlines the conclusions reached at the retreat inclusive of defined outcomes in each priority area along with potential metrics/measures of success.
FISCAL IMPACT: Receipt of the retreat summary does not have a specific fiscal impact.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5680) Meeting of April 7, 2026 Updated: 4/2/2026 12:52 PM by Dina Lewis Page 2
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: None.
ATTACHMENTS:
• 2026-3-26 City of Fremont Retreat Report
RECOMMENDATION: Accept the February 2026 City Council Retreat Report.