San Ramon council creates Sustainability Advisory Committee, sends OSAC and TAC to workshops

The San Ramon City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 12 to establish a Sustainability Advisory Committee as a standing advisory body, adopting the Climate Action Task Force's charter language as the starting point for a council‑level advisory group.

Council member Marshall Rubio moved to create the standalone Sustainability Advisory Committee; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The resolution was presented to council as Resolution 2025‑112 in staff materials as an example of one adoption option, though councilmembers agreed the final membership, duties and name could be adjusted during future steps.

Deputy City Manager Christina Franco and City Manager explained the staff recommendation for a committee that would advise on the climate action plan work plan, transportation and mobility strategies, general plan and policy review, active transportation projects, open‑space preservation, and community engagement. Staff suggested a five‑member at‑large committee with two alternates, staggered four‑year terms and a minimum of quarterly meetings; they also proposed annual outreach activities such as a trail hike/walk, park cleanup and bike events to keep the committee visible.

Public comment at the meeting included extensive remarks opposing consolidation of the existing Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) and the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) into a single five‑member body. Bob Peoples, chair of OSAC, told the council consolidation "would substantially reduce and possibly eliminate long standing citizen involvement in and city focus on open space protection and use." Others representing OSAC, TAC and the Climate Action Task Force urged alternatives including expanding the new committee's membership, forming subcommittees, or holding workshops to gather committee input.

Council responded by approving the standalone Sustainability Advisory Committee and separately directing staff to convene workshops with TAC and OSAC so those committees could review and advise on their charges. Council asked staff to produce written responses to issues the committees raise and to include cost and workload estimates for any work items the committees propose. Staff told council recruitment could begin after the holidays with a goal of seating a committee by February, subject to council interview schedules.

The council also took related administrative actions at the meeting: it approved cancelling the Dec. 23, 2025 council meeting (three members agreed) and, following a closed session evaluation of the city manager, appointed an ad hoc committee of the mayor and vice mayor to consider city manager compensation at the end of the evaluation process.

Mayor Armstrong said the decision to establish the sustainability committee was a launching point for more community engagement and that the council would rely on workshops and written staff analysis to resolve outstanding questions about how OSAC and TAC duties should proceed.

Next steps: staff will begin recruitment for the new Sustainability Advisory Committee, convene workshops with OSAC and TAC to gather committee feedback, and prepare a staff report addressing issues raised, including potential costs and recommended charges for council consideration.