CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 1 Section Name: STUDY SESSION Account Number: 10-1311 File ID: 26-10851 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: City Manager's Office
MEETING DATE: February 02, 2026
SUBJECT:
Draft 2026 City of San Mateo Legislative Platform – Direction RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a presentation on the Draft 2026 City of San Mateo Legislative Platform and provide feedback and direction to staff.
BACKGROUND:
The City of San Mateo is considering adoption of a Legislative Platform to establish a clear, consistent framework to guide the City’s engagement on state legislative and budget matters. A Legislative Platform is intended to articulate the City’s priorities and policy positions on issues that affect municipal operations, service delivery, fiscal sustainability, and the well- being of the San Mateo community, and to communicate those priorities to state legislators, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
Developing a Legislative Platform allows the City to take a more proactive and coordinated approach to legislative advocacy by identifying priority issue areas in advance of each legislative session. The Platform is designed to support informed and timely engagement on legislation, budget proposals, and funding opportunities that may impact the City, while preserving the City Council’s discretion to consider and adopt positions on individual legislative items as they arise.
The Legislative Platform is intended to function as a living document that may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect evolving City priorities, changes in state policy, and emerging legislative issues. Adoption of a Platform does not limit the City Council’s authority to direct advocacy on matters outside the Platform but rather provides an organizing framework to support consistent evaluation and response to state-level policy initiatives.
Development Process
In preparation for the 2026 legislative session, City staff worked with the City’s legislative consultant, California Public Policy Group (CPPG), to develop a proposed Legislative Platform grounded in the City’s adopted policies, Strategic Plan, and operational priorities. The draft Platform was informed by a review of City guiding documents and input from City departments regarding key policy challenges and anticipated legislative impacts. On October 27, 2025, the draft Legislative Platform was reviewed by the City Council Legislative Subcommittee, whereby direction was made to make additional edits, and bring the draft Platform to the full City Council for consideration.
The proposed 2026 Legislative Platform reflects a coordinated and cross-departmental process designed to align the City’s legislative advocacy with adopted policies, operational needs, and long-term strategic goals. As part of the development process, staff met with and incorporated input from multiple City departments, including:
CITY OF SAN MATEO
City Manager’s Office
Community Development
Public Works
Parks and Recreation
Police
San Mateo Consolidated Fire
CPPG and staff also reviewed key guiding documents, including the City’s Housing Element, General Plan 2040, City Mission and Values statements, adopted equity and inclusion policies, and prior City Council Resolutions, to ensure consistency between the Legislative Platform and the City’s broader policy framework.
The Draft 2026 Legislative Platform is organized by major policy subject areas that reflect the City’s adopted priorities, operational responsibilities, and areas of anticipated state legislative activity. The Platform includes the following subject areas:
Community Development and Housing
Transportation and Public Works
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
Governmental Transparency and Public Meeting Access
Utilities, Infrastructure, and Climate Adaptation
Administration and Fiscal Sustainability
Public Safety and Homelessness Services
Fire and Emergency Medical Services
Each policy section outlines guiding principles intended to preserve local authority, promote fiscal sustainability, advance equity and inclusivity, protect public safety, and support the City’s ability to deliver essential services to the community.
The draft policy can be seen in full as Attachment 1.
Next Steps
This study session is intended to provide the City Council with an opportunity to review the draft Platform, ask questions, and offer feedback or suggested refinements. Following direction from the City Council, staff will incorporate feedback and return a final proposed Legislative Platform for City Council consideration and adoption as a consent item at a future meeting.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with receiving this report or providing feedback on the draft Legislative Platform.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This item is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Draft 2026 City of San Mateo Legislative Platform
STAFF CONTACT
Zachary Reda, Senior Management Analyst
[email protected]
(650) 435-0823