City hears federal and state legislative updates; staff says Shoreline earmark still pending in Senate
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Summary
Federal and state legislative representatives briefed the San Leandro council on 2026 priorities and potential funding, including a House‑passed earmark of about $1,000,000 for Shoreline water infrastructure that staff said had not yet cleared the Senate.
San Leandro — Federal and state lobbyists briefed the City Council on Jan. 12 about priorities for 2026 and opportunities for local project funding.
Jen Covino, working the federal legislative platform remotely, summarized major federal themes for the year — implementation of the recent budget reconciliation package, housing, public safety, clean‑energy investments and changes to federal grant terms following recent executive orders. She called council attention to possible changes to grant terms that include broader termination‑for‑convenience language and referenced the Code of Federal Regulations guidance in 2 C.F.R. §200.340.
Covino also told the council the House included a roughly $1,000,000 community project funding request for San Leandro in the interior and environment appropriations bill to support shoreline water‑quality infrastructure. "While the House of Representatives has passed the measure including that funding, the Senate has not yet taken action," Deputy City Manager Eric Engelbart confirmed in response to a public question; staff said the funding was therefore not yet fully secured.
State update: Niccolo DeLuca of Townsend Public Affairs reviewed the 2025 session outcomes and 2026 priorities, noting more than 2,700 bills were introduced in 2025 and highlighting measures of local interest including SB 79 (transit‑oriented development near high‑quality transit stops) and other housing bills. DeLuca discussed SB 79 cleanup legislation (introduced as follow‑up) and SB 707 regarding public‑meeting access and transparency reforms.
Why it matters: The briefings outlined potential state and federal funding and regulatory changes that could affect city projects and operations. Council members asked specific questions about SB 79 height limits near transit, homelessness funding streams (HAP/HHA funding), cannabis rescheduling at the federal level and potential impacts from national appropriations timetables.
Council and public questions: Council members pressed for specifics on the Shoreline earmark and on how state budget shifts might affect local general‑fund pressures. A public commenter asked whether the earmark was specifically for FEMA floodplain or seawall work; staff replied the earmark was for Shoreline water‑quality infrastructure elements.
Next steps: Staff encouraged city departments to prepare community project funding requests for federal FY 2027 and to coordinate with the city's delegation in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., on ongoing priority projects.
