San Leandro council to study restorative justice mediation for council discipline policy; discussion sent to rules committee

Council member Fred Simon introduced an item on April 6 proposing the use of restorative justice mediation to help resolve interpersonal conflicts among council members and to incorporate that approach into the city’s discipline policy. Simon described restorative mediation as an evidence‑based practice focused on accountability, healing and prevention.

Simon said part of the intent is to have a toolbox of options that includes third‑party mediators who could be called on as needed. "Restorative justice mediation focuses on accountability, healing, and prevention as part of the iterative process," he said.

Public commenters with mediation experience urged the city to use a third‑party neutral and stressed that restorative processes should be voluntary, confidential and focused on repairing harm. Several speakers recommended creating a vetted roster of mediators and discussed scope and confidentiality constraints.

After discussion about process and possible scope—whether to apply restorative approaches to past incidents or only future ones—the council voted to move the item to the rules committee to consider how restorative justice mediation could be integrated into discipline procedures. The council recorded the motion as passing (majority yes, one abstention and one absence) and asked staff to agendize follow‑up items via the rules committee.

No immediate disciplinary actions were taken; the referral asks the rules committee to examine implementation details and possible vendor/contract processes.