San Ramon Council Votes To Send Letter To Mayor Hudson

SAN RAMON, CA — The San Ramon City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a letter drafted by an ad hoc subcommittee addressed to Mayor Dave Hudson, who is on indefinite leave after suffering a stroke in January.

The Council decided to draft the letter during their March 28 meeting, following an extensive discussion on available options moving forward.

During that meeting, City Attorney Martin Lysons advised the Council that the city’s municipal code says that a council member of mayor’s seat will be deemed vacant if the council member or elected official is gone for more than 60 consecutive days without permission. However, the code does not go into much detail about what is excused and is not, so the Council has a fair amount of discretion in making that determination. If the seat is determined vacant, the city has 30 days to either name an interim successor, or declare a special election.

Several public commenters, including Hudson’s children and former council members, extended well wishes and asked the Council to make whatever accommodations were in their power. “Council, you can accept current policies, or you can be problem solvers, and look into options through the lens of equity, accessibility and inclusion, to make better current practices and procedures, not only for you, but for future council members down the line,” said Hudson’s daughter Carly. “You have surrounding cities, and cities across California, that are doing this, and making accommodations to their current staff. I really hope you can figure out ways to make this work for all involved.”

AB2449, a state bill passed in January, would allow Hudson to participate in meetings remotely if he can point to either a “just cause” or “emergency situation” that justifies it. Carly and her brother Brad also said that their father is “improving exponentially” and is eager to resume his duties as soon as he can.

Following public comment, Vice Mayor Mark Armstrong suggested forming an ad hoc subcommittee to write Hudson a letter to “put basically put everyone on the same sheet of music” regarding rules and regulations, and to request periodic communication on his recovery.

Armstrong and Councilmember Marisol Rubio worked together to draft Hudson a one-page letter, which wished him a continued speedy recovery, promised to keep him updated on city business, and asked that he do the same regarding his health.

“We know the path to recovery is not easy, but through feedback from our councilmembers, friends, city staff and your family, we are encouraged to learn about your progress and heartened to hear that you are eager to return. We know you are working hard to make that possible,” reads the letter, which was signed by Armstrong, and can be read in full on page 36 of the staff agenda packet.
“Our sincere desire is that you come back and resume your full range of duties as Mayor of San Ramon. We look forward to regular updates about when you can resume those duties and to a discussion about what options may be available to accommodate your public participation as Mayor. We understand that a full recovery from your illness requires time and, as such, the City Council and our city staff are doing everything to seamlessly adjust to what we all hope is a temporary absence.”
On Tuesday, other council members praised the tone of the letter. “I was very very pleased in the tone of the letter in telling Mayor Hudson how much look forward to his recovery and return, and how we can accommodate him if possible. There are legal issues we can work through, and hopefully we can find a path, but it works out for all if Mayor Hudson can return to this position and continue to serve as mayor,” said Councilmember Scott Perkins before a unanimous vote in favor of sending Hudson the letter.

Hudson is the longest-serving member of the current city council. He comfortably won re-election to mayor against two challengers in November. He has served as mayor since 2020, and served on the city council for a total of 25 years. He also serves on over 30 different regional committees and boards, including Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the Tri-Valley High Speed Rail Study Group, and the League of California Cities.