Photo Credit: YouTube
(SAN RAMON, CA.) – The San Ramon Parks and Community Services Commission cleared the rest of its June 10 agenda pretty quickly. The final portion of the meeting covered everything from upcoming summer events to reviewing senior services and taking a quick look at the city’s tightening budget.
Division Manager Brad Morris gave the latest Director’s Report, announcing that the highly anticipated Trails Master Plan is scheduled to head to the City Council on June 23 for feedback and potential adoption. Progress is also moving forward on historical preservation efforts at Forest Home Farms, where funding has been secured to advance the design phases for the historic Boone House renovation. On the courts and in the pools, youth sports are already seeing high engagement, highlighted by the return of recreational swimming and a recent youth tennis tournament that successfully hosted more than 80 young athletes.
Morris then told the commission about an update regarding the park amenities. “The shade structure, unfortunately, we’re still in a holding pattern for the terrace patio.” Given the delay, staff hopes the delivery arrives in time for the city’s holiday lineup. “We hope it’s going to be delivered by the Fourth of July and installed, and we're especially looking forward to that, with our camps on that back terrace. That's where they do check in,” he said.
Independence Day festivities will kick off at 8:00 a.m. with San Ramon’s traditional morning 5K, 10K, and the fastest mile races, concluding with an evening celebration at the amphitheater featuring the high-energy funk and soul band The Cheese Balls.
The summer momentum will carry into the following week when the city’s popular Summer Concert Series officially launches on July 12 with a performance by Pride and Joy. Morris excitedly shared with the commission that the timeless pop and soul band “is a fan favorite throughout the community. So two bands back to back that are really going to be great for the concert series.”
After the report, Commissioner Partha Mitra asked why a Bollywood-themed concert was left off this year’s lineup, noting it’s usually a huge draw for San Ramon’s South Asian community. Morris responded by informing the commission that there is a form on the City of San Ramon website where residents can submit their requests. “If you have bands that you’re interested in seeing at some concerts or a particular act, please go to the San Ramon web page…it’s a great resource for us to understand what the community is looking for in the Summer Concert Series,” Morris said.
Discussions became a bit tense when Chair Steve Bried brought up the popular senior luncheon trips potentially being cut. As stated in the OpGov.News summary, “The re-evaluation of popular senior programs due to rising costs further underscores potential future impacts on community services.”
Video Credit: YouTube
The meeting then moved on to committees sharing their individual updates. The Senior and Arts Advisory Committee reported good news that participation at the senior center has increased this year. From the Teen Council, initiatives are underway to address youth safety and mental health. The council is working on e-bike safety outreach, training teens to provide seniors with tech tutoring, and expanding a peer-mentorship program that pairs eighth graders with high schoolers.
Commissioner Mitra highlighted the importance of peer mentorship and the impact of mental health awareness in youth. “I think when we talk about mental health, most of the time we focus on the high schoolers. We don’t think that middle schoolers also [deal with] mental health on their own.” He believes that the program is very beneficial and “I would request the Teen Council to continue and expand it to all the middle schools.”
Vice Chair Kyle Levy recapped the June 2 Planning Commission meeting, and the plans for a 45-unit townhome development that were debated at that meeting. Shifting gears to upcoming community events, Levy announced the Cool Summer Jazz concert coming up on June 27. “From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the San Ramon Library, there is a free one-hour jazz concert featuring Dave Rocha and his jazz quintet,” Levy said. “It should be a lot of fun, check it out.”
To wrap up the meeting, Chair Bried briefed the commission on the city’s recently adopted fiscal year 2027 budget, informing them of a looming structural deficit. While a $6 million gap between the city’s $70 million in revenue and $76 million in expenses is currently covered by Measure N, Bried warned that the local tax measure’s upcoming expiration leaves the city on shaky ground.
“We need to either cut services [or] find other revenue sources to make up for our delta,” Bried said, emphasizing the need for fiscal awareness. “I think it’s important for all of us to know where we are from a budget standpoint.”
Bried also commended the City Council’s recent approval of a new commemorative flag policy, calling the decision “fair for everybody” and praising the council for “working through that dynamic issue.”
The commission took no formal action on the budget report, concluding the meeting shortly after Bried’s remarks.
If you have any questions or comments, please email me at kathleen.p@lead4earth.org or comment below.
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