Title
Report regarding amendments to 2026 City Council Priorities Action Plan (Rich Lee, Assistant City Manager)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Revised 2026 City Council Priorities Action Plan.
Body
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The City Council held their annual priority-setting workshop on January 24, 2026. Staff created an action plan based on those priorities and presented it to the City Council on April 8, 2026. The City Council adopted that plan and identified seven additional priorities for consideration. Those seven items were:
1) Air quality (general consensus this was the highest priority of the possible additions.)
2) Vehicle License Fee (VLF) community outreach
3) Communities Facilities District (CFD) East of 101
4) Activate street spaces / outdoor dining
5) More robust communication plan - texting
6) Model reach codes - A/C electric readiness
7) Community connections/Promotores program
Below is more information about each topic and the staff recommendation about if/how to incorporate it into the 2026 City Council Priorities Action Plan.
Priorities recommended for addition to 2026 City Council Priorities Action Plan
Staff is recommending the following specific components of how to add and incorporate #1 Air quality, #2 VLF outreach, #3 CFD, and part of #4 (activate street spaces / outdoor dining) relative to activating neighborhoods, and specific to community events into the action plan. The below is the specific detail about which existing Major Focus Area the priority would fit into, which Key Strategy the topic fits into or a recommendation of a new one, and the same for the specific Activity/Initiative.
1) Air quality
Major Focus Area: Infrastructure and The Environment
Key Strategy: Address Air Quality Concerns
Activity/Initiative: Review and Understand CalEnviroScreen Report and other sources of air quality data
Staff from the Economic and Community Development Department will unpack the concerns from the San Mateo Daily Journal article that referenced the CalEnviroScreen report. Based on initial research, staff has identified that CalEnviroScreen data reflects social and environmental justice indicators, in addition to air quality measures. Further analysis will focus on identifying and understanding air quality data and sources separate from social and demographic data. Staff may elect to engage a consultant during this initial scope to better define and understand air quality data in South San Francisco.
2) VLF Community Outreach
Major Focus Area: Modern and Sustainable Organization
Key Strategy: Ensure Financial Sustainability
Activity/Initiative: VLF Communications Plan
In alignment with San Mateo County’s communications on the Property Tax in-lieu of Vehicle License Fees (VLF) shortfall, staff from the City Manager’s Office and Finance Department will present an update to the City Council in the coming months. A community communication plan has been drafted and will be finalized following that city council meeting. Components of the communication plan include staff presentations to a wide array of audiences and dissemination of educational information via social media, our e-newsletter, and the City’s website on a dedicated page.
3) Community Facilities District (CFD) East of 101
Major Focus Area: Modern and Sustainable Organization
Key Strategy: Community Facilities District (CFD)
Activity/Initiative: Re-initiate conversations with large property owners east of 101 to affirm their commitment to a CFD
East of 101 is projected to have significant employee growth over the next generation - from 30,000 to 100,000. To support the projected work force growth, East of 101’s infrastructure, primarily transportation and roads, require significant investment. In response, prior to pandemic, the City began efforts to bring a Community Facilities District (CFD) to fruition in order to finance the cost of the infrastructure improvements. The City’s efforts paused during COVID, but resumed in 2023, including significant outreach with East of 101 property owners in 2024.
In 2025, in response to an unintended loophole in the Mello-Roos Act, which is the authorizing legislation that allows local government entities to form CFDs, City Council and staff worked with Senator Josh Becker, who authored Senate Bill 390 to provide a legislative correction.
However, given the current economic headwinds, including a relatively higher vacancy rate east of 101, staff recommends that we reengage with the largest property owners to determine if they still have interest in the formation of a CFD.
4) Activate street spaces / outdoor dining (staff note: modifying to create a focus on community events)
Major Focus Area: Welcoming and Connected Community
Key Strategy: Community Engagement and Events
Activity/Initiative: Activating Neighborhoods/Community Events
The City currently has a special event permit process, facilitated by the Police Department with input from various other departments. While this is an effective process, it can be daunting for smaller or less experienced community groups and partner organizations. Staff recommends developing a special event toolkit. The toolkit can offer options based on event size, budget, and other constraints, allowing community groups to select the package that best fits their needs while streamlining approvals and budgeting for events. The Police and Parks & Recreation Departments will take the lead in developing the toolkit, with assistance from Economic & Community Development.
Priorities Not Recommended for Addition to 2026 City Council Priorities Action Plan
Staff wants to ensure implementation of the action plan as well as maintain core service levels. The plan as presented will allow us to meet those goals. Therefore, several additional priorities are not recommended. If the City Council wishes to add any of the below priorities to the 2026 Action Plan, staff will need direction on which of the other priorities should be removed from the plan.
4) Activate street spaces / outdoor dining
Major Focus Area: Quality of Life
Key Strategy: Support a Sustainable Retail Environment
Activity/Initiative: Outdoor Dining
While outdoor dining during COVID helped to keep local businesses open, based on the lived experience and challenges that accompanied it, staff does not recommend pursuing outdoor dining for the foreseeable future. The primary challenges were public safety and maintenance of the facilities permitted during COVID. Dining facilities located within the roadway impacts drainage and increases exposure of public to moving traffic.
5) More robust communication plan - texting
Major Focus Area: Welcoming and Connected Community
Key Strategy: Enhanced Communications
Activity/Initiative: More Robust Communications Plan/Texting
In 2024, as a part of the rollout of Indy, the City’s AI chatbot, the scope of work also included a text messaging platform. Staff promoted the platform through the e-newsletter, social media, and postcards for neighborhood town hall meetings. Despite the City’s promotional efforts, there was very little to no interest in the text messaging platform, so the scope was discontinued. In addition, building a database of cell phone numbers the City could contact using bulk texting requires implementing a system that complies with applicable Federal and California laws.
6) Model reach codes - A/C electric readiness
Major Focus Area: Infrastructure and The Environment
Key Strategy: Model Reach Codes
Activity/Initiative: Consider adoption of Model Reach Codes
At this time, staff recommends focusing on the key strategy of addressing air quality. While implementing model reach codes such as requiring heat pumps in lieu of new air conditioning units may not be a staff intensive activity, they can have the effect of discouraging property owners from obtaining permits for appliance replacement (like gas water heaters) and HVAC units due to significantly increased costs associated with house electrical system modifications, electrical service upgrades, and concerns with long term electrical reliability and capacity. Currently, those permits are easy to access - online and over-the-counter, which encourages uptake and ensures the City’s Building Division inspects for proper installation.
7) Community connections/Promotores program
Major Focus Area: Welcoming and Connected Community
Key Strategy: Promotores Program
Activity/Initiative: Consider Enhancement of Promotores Program
The South San Francisco Promotores Program was established in March 2022 - an initiative of the Racial and Social Equity Commission’s Action Plan. The Program was designed to expand linkage and navigation support for people of color and other historically disenfranchised community members and build trust between community members and the City. The Program was staffed with a manager (a Management Analyst II in the City Manager’s Office) and three part-time, hourly promotores. When the Program’s manager left the City in late 2023, the Program moved from the City Manager’s Office to the Housing Division in the Economic & Community Development Department. Over the years, two promotores moved on to promotional opportunities in other organizations and the City continues to employ one part-time, hourly promotora. To augment the City’s in-house promotora, the City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with El Concilio in late 2024. The MOU provides El Concilio’s promotor with access to the Economic Advancement Center two days per week, while requiring him to provide case information to the City for each client served from South San Francisco.
To better evaluate whether or not the City should continue to staff the Promotores Program with hourly employees of the City or instead engage a local nonprofit, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in 2025 for a non-profit entity to deliver the City’s Promotores Program. Unfortunately, the proposals received in response to the RFP were cost prohibitive. As such, the current program is limited to one part-time hourly employee and complimentary program support from El Concilio.
Staff have applied several times for grant funding opportunities for navigational/social/system navigation services, but the grant funds for social services remain incredibly competitive.
FISCAL IMPACT
Of the additional priorities recommended for inclusion in the 2026 Action Plan, the Air Quality priority may require the support of an air quality consulting firm, depending on outcomes of staff’s initial research. The cost of an air quality consultant is anticipated to be modest. The VLF Outreach Plan, CFD engagement, and Activating Neighborhoods/Community Events can be accommodated with existing staff resources.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES ACTION PLAN
Amendment of the 2026 City Council Priorities Action Plan is in support of every Major Focus Area to ensure that staff monitors, tracks, and executes the City’s Council’s priorities.
CONCLUSION
Approval of the amendment to the 2026 Action Plan will ensure that staff can deliver and execute the City’s Council’s priorities.
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
Attachment 1 - PowerPoint Presentation
Attachment 2 - Amended City Council Priorities Action Plan