City Council Staff Report Page 1 of 3 September 22, 2026 Staff Report
Agenda Item No. 3.6
DATE: September 22, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Joan Malloy, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Amending the Budget to Appropriate $10,000 From the Union Landing Property Improvement District Fund Towards Marketing and Promotion for the Sama-Sama Fest 2026 in Union Landing
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution to appropriate $10,000 from the Union Landing Property Business Improvement District (PBID) Fund toward marketing and promotion for the 2026 Sama-Sama Fest at Union Landing.
The inaugural Sama-Sama Fest was held at Union Landing on October 11, 2025, and attracted more than 4,500 attendees from Union City and throughout the greater Bay Area. The event celebrates Filipino American culture, provides additional community programming, and brings visitors to Union Landing.
The 2026 event is anticipated to cost $31,000, with $21,000 currently committed through sponsorships and ULPOA funding, leaving a $10,000 funding shortfall. Staff has identified available PBID reserve funds as a potential non-General Fund source to help address the shortfall.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This agenda item is aligned with the following:
Goal C, Strategy 4: Enhance the City’s partnership with Union Landing property owners and tenants to grow the vitality of the business district and revenue to the City.
BACKGROUND
Sama-Sama Fest is a celebration of Filipino American culture, heritage, and community spirit. The event is inspired by the Filipino phrase Sama-Sama, meaning “together,” and is intended to bring Union City together to celebrate Filipino contributions, share cultural traditions, and strengthen community connections.
Agenda Item No. 3.6
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The inaugural Sama-Sama Fest was held on October 11, 2025, at Union Landing Shopping Center. The event was hosted by the Union Landing Property Owners Association (ULPOA), with Community Strong Strategies providing event organization and Moveable serving as the promoter and event producer.
The event was developed in part to provide additional community events for Union City residents, a priority identified by the City Council and the Mayor. The inaugural event attracted more than 4,500 attendees from Union City and throughout the greater Bay Area, including the Peninsula and Central Valley. (See Exhibit A.) The event featured merchandise and community organization booths, food trucks, and entertainment from Bay Area artists.
Due to the success of the inaugural event, ULPOA would like to host Sama-Sama Fest again on October 11, 2026. The 2026 event is anticipated to have $31,000 in production and operational costs.
At the annual ULPOA meeting held on September 3, 2026, Nathan Ulsh of Community Strong Strategies indicated that the ULPOA required additional funds to host the event in 2026.
Current funding commitments are as follows:
Table 1 – Funding Sources
Funding Source Amount
Fremont Bank $5,000
Kaiser Permanente $5,000
Alameda County $1,000
Union Landing Property Owners Association $10,000
Total Confirmed Funding $21,000
Remaining Funding Shortfall $10,000
DISCUSSION
Staff explored potential funding sources that would not require an allocation from the City's General Fund and identified available unappropriated reserve funds within the Union Landing PBID Fund as a potential source of support.
The Union Landing PBID supports activities and improvements that benefit the Union Landing commercial area, and permissible uses of funding from the Union Landing PBID Fund include marketing and promotions. As a regional power center and one of the City's most significant commercial destinations, Union Landing plays an important role in Union City's economic development strategy.
Special events at Union Landing can support both economic development and Agenda Item No. 3.6
City Council Staff Report Page 3 of 3 September 22, 2026 6 9 9
community-building objectives by bringing residents and visitors to the center, increasing business activity, promoting Union Landing as a regional destination, and raising awareness of Union City among visitors from throughout the Bay Area.
Union Landing is also the City's largest generator of sales tax revenue, contributing more than $2.5 million annually to the City's General Fund. Supporting activities that increase visitation and strengthen Union Landing as a regional retail destination can therefore provide economic benefits to both the commercial district and the City.
The 2025 Sama-Sama Fest demonstrated its ability to attract significant attendance, with more than 4,500 attendees in its inaugural year.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed $10,000 would be drawn from available reserves in the Union Landing Property Improvement District fund.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution to appropriate $10,000 from the Union Landing Property Improvement District Fund toward marketing and promotion for the Sama-Sama Fest 2026 in Union Landing.
Prepared by: Joan Malloy, City Manager
Submitted by: Joan Malloy, City Manager
Attachments
1. Draft Resolution