Title
Discussion Regarding Restorative Justice Mediation and Consideration of Facilitated Discussion Mechanisms to Help Resolve Disagreements for the City Council
StaffReport
SUMMARY
This item provides an update to the City Council on the Rules Committee’s review of restorative justice mediation and seeks direction on whether further exploration of facilitated discussion options should proceed.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the City Council:
1. Receive the report from the City Council Rules Committee regarding its deliberations to date; and
2. Provide direction on whether the City Council Member Handbook should be revised to incorporate a facilitated discussion mechanism to resolve conflicts between Councilmembers.
BACKGROUND
On January 5, 2026, the City Council considered an item concerning the public release of an independent investigation report prepared in response to a complaint submitted by Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen to the Human Resources Department. As part of the Council’s action, the City Council directed staff to schedule a future agenda item to discuss restorative justice mediation for the City Council.
The discussion occurred on April 6, 2026. Following Council deliberations, the City Council voted to refer the topic to the City Council Rules Committee for further examination, specifically to consider how restorative justice mediation could potentially be incorporated into the City Council Internal Discipline Policy, found in Title A1, Chapter 13 of the Administrative Code.
The Rules Committee reviewed the item on April 22, 2026 and continued it to allow additional time for research, including defining restorative justice mediation and considering the implications of integrating such processes into the Council’s discipline framework. Councilmember Fred Simon submitted proposed amendments to the Internal Discipline Policy, which were provided to the Committee for discussion.
On June 24, 2026, the Rules Committee reviewed the item again. After discussion, the Committee determined that the full City Council should decide whether to authorize revised direction before the Committee continues its work.
Specifically, the Committee is requesting Council direction on whether to shift the Committee’s focus away from restorative justice toward exploring one or more facilitated discussion mechanisms to help resolve disagreements among Councilmembers before matters escalate to the City's Councilmember Discipline Policy. The selected facilitated discussion process will be incorporated into the City Council Handbook. Because this scope differs from the Committee’s current charge, the Rules Committee voted to forward the matter back to the full City Council for direction.
ANALYSIS
The City Council now has several potential pathways:
Option 1: Authorize the Rules Committee to Continue Its Work With a New Scope of Facilitated Discussion Mechanisms to Help Resolve Disagreements
Under this option, the Rules Committee would be granted authority to explore revising the City Council Member Handbook to include facilitated discussion to address disputes. This may include preventative or relational models, facilitated mediation sessions, or conflict-resolution frameworks used by other public agencies.
Option 2: Limit Work to the Existing Scope of Including Restorative Justice Mediation Into the Internal Discipline Policy
The Council may direct the Rules Committee to continue discussing restorative justice mediation solely within the parameters of Title A1, Chapter 13, without authorizing the exploration of facilitated discussion mechanisms.
Option 3: Conclude Committee Consideration
The Council may decide to conclude the Committee’s review, thereby resulting in no revisions to the Internal Discipline Policy or the City Council Member Handbook.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
There are no financial impacts associated with receiving this report or providing direction. Future costs may be incurred if the City Council directs staff or the Rules Committee to conduct further research, engage consultants, or pursue mediation or facilitation services.
ATTACHMENTS
A: City of San Leandro Administrative Code, Title A1, Chapter 13 - City Council Internal Discipline Policy
B: City Council Member Handbook
C: Presentation
PREPARED BY: T. Michael Yuen, Assistant City Manager