COUNCIL AGENDA : 9/15/2026
FILE : 26-981
ITEM : 2.15
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND
CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Toni Taber, MMC
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW
City Clerk
DATE: September 11, 2026
SUBJECT: Request for Travel and Excused Absence
Recommendation
As recommended by the Rules and Open Government Committee on September 9, 2026:
(a) Authorize travel, accept travel payments to the City of San José, and designate Mayor Mahan as the City representative to attend the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University convening, “Leading a Government Residents Can See and Trust” funded by The Knight Foundation, from September 28-29, 2026. Source of Funds: Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University and Mayor's Office Budget.
(b) Excuse Mayor Mahan’s absence from the City Council meeting on September 29, 2026, due to authorized City business.
CEQA: Not a Project, File No. PP17-010, City Organizational and Administrative Activities resulting in no changes
to the physical environment. (Mayor)
[Rules Committee referral 9/9/2026 - Item B.3]
ROGC AGENDA: 9/9/2026
ITEM: B.3
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Mayor Matt Mahan
SUBJECT: REQUEST TO TRAVEL
DATE: August 27, 2026
Approved:
Date: 08/27/2026
RECOMMENDATION: 1. Authorize travel, accept travel payments to the City of San José, and designate Mayor Mahan as the City representative to attend the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University convening, “Leading a Government Residents Can See and Trust” funded by The Knight Foundation, from September 28-29, 2026.
2. Excuse Mayor Mahan’s absence from the City Council meeting on September 29, 2026, due to authorized City business.
3. Place this item on the September 15, 2026 City Council Agenda for action.
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Meeting Dates: September 28-29, 2026
Source of Funds: Costs associated with tuition, accommodation, airfare, and most meals will be paid for by Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Any remaining costs, such as ground transportation, meals not covered and Wi-Fi will be paid by Mayor’s Office Budget.
Purpose:
Participation in the “Leading a Government Residents Can See and Trust” convening will help the City strengthen how it serves residents. The sessions focus on improving how the City listens to community experiences, responds to changing conditions, supports staff in acting on resident feedback, and communicates results in ways residents understand and trust. The convening also provides practical strategies and new tools, including emerging AI approaches, that can help the City better synthesize community input and improve responsiveness across departments.
This convening will provide information and perspectives valuable to the City’s ongoing work to improve services and resident engagement. Given the Citywide relevance of the topics and the
ROGC AGENDA: 9/9/2026
ITEM: B.3
need to connect what is learned to broader City initiatives, it is appropriate for the Mayor to represent the City at this event. Attendance will ensure the City can directly benefit from the practices and insights shared and consider how they may be applied in future organizational efforts.