Okay, good evening.

This is the City of Belmont City Council regular meeting.

And we are calling the calling to order.

And that is a quorum of five.

Right.

We are back from our closed session.

Um, this is the City of Belmont City Council meeting.

It is Tuesday, April eighth.

It is now uh seven oh one PM.

And uh you can join us to be part of this meeting, participate by uh looking at Comcast Cable Channel Twenty Seven.

The meeting's also streamed live via the city's website at Belmont.gov.

Zoom, uh, there's a meeting ID and website on our published agenda, and also the public may attend the meeting in the council chambers here at Belmont City Hall on the second floor.

Public comment in the council chamber, please present the clerk or request a speak slip found at the table at the rear of the chamber, and our clerk is sitting right here.

If you're participating virtually, please use the raised hand feature to speak.

And um, all public comments are subject to a three minute time limit unless otherwise determined by the chair.

Written public comments, uh, you can send an email to c clerk at Belmont.gov before the council considers the item.

It should be three hours before the start of the meeting, and make sure that you put uh the agenda item number you wish to comment in on your email subject line.

A reminder the mayor has the authority to rule any speaker out of order, including speakers during the public comment period if the subject rate is not within the subject matter jurisdiction of the city council during a public hearing or a general business item if the speaker is not presenting testimony or evidence relevant to the matter, or if the speaker becomes disruptive to the proceedings and conduct of the meeting.

And whereas Belmont poet laureate Monica Corday continues to ignite a love for poetry throughout monthly curated readings, intergenerational community projects, engaging workshops for youth and adults, city and library collaborations, including virtual Belmont Poetry Night, Fireside Poetry at the Manor, Lunar New Year, Holy, Diwali, Pride Month, and Veterans Day ceremonies, and Dr.

MLK Jr.

Poetry and Essay Contest.

Now in her fourth year, Monica Corday celebrates National Poetry Month by hosting the annual Belmont Poetry Contest celebration and a special virtual poetry night featuring California poet laureate Lee Herrick in a conversation on poetry's impact and role in the community.

Attendees will also be invited to respond to the State Poet Laureate's featured work with an original poem submission.

Selected entries will be published online on Monica's signature initiative project, Poetry 360, amplifying the voices of our creative community.

Whereas all of Belmont's poet voices continue to highlight their talents and diversity and to help each other navigate the challenges and celebrate the beauty of our daily lives.

Now, therefore, be it resolved, I, Julia Mates, Mayor of Belmont, do hereby proclaim April 1st through April 30th as National Poetry Month.

We call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of Belmont to observe this month, observe this month, celebrate the cultural riches our community has to offer, and recognize the important role of poetry in creating and sustaining this great nation with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

So congratulations.

We have our uh poet laureate here with us.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh good evening, everyone, Madam Mayor, Council members, and beloved community.

Thank you so much for having me.

Uh, first and foremost, I want to express my deep gratitude to the City of Belmont for extending my tenure and entrusting me in this role for another year.

Since my appointment as Belmont's poet laureate in 2021, I'm honored to mark this as my fourth year serving in the position.

I'm proud to remain committed to nurturing a culture where poetry is accessible to all, where every voice finds its place, and where creativity continues to flourish as an integral part of our civic life.

As I stand before you now to receive the National Poetry Month Proclamation, I want to thank you for recognizing the power of poetry, not only in celebration, but in action as a means of connection, reflection, and change.

Your support affirms that poetry has a home in our city, and for that I am deeply grateful.

As I reflect on the past year as poet laureate, I am reminded of the progress we've made in bringing poetry to the forefront of our community and amplifying the voices of our poets.

My efforts in this work have been strongly supported by Belmont Parks and Rick and Belmont Library, and I am deeply grateful to every individual and staff member who has assisted me and contributed their time and skill making these initiatives possible.

I would truly love to name each person individually, but in the interest of time, I'll simply give a huge shout out and extend my deepest gratitude to the entire team at the Parks and Rec office and the library.

Through a variety of initiatives, events, and collaborations, I've strived to elevate poetry in ways that resonate and connect, and I'm pleased to share some of the highlights from the past year, as well as a glimpse of what's been unfolding since the beginning of this year.

Starting with virtual Belmont Poetry Night, as you see on the slide here, the monthly reading and open mic series that I curate and host on Zoom, this event has continued to thrive, showing steady growth and meaningful engagement.

Last year's November Poetry Night, for instance, drew nearly 50 attendees, an encouraging milestone, especially considering the number of other poetry circles being hosted both virtually and in person around the Bay Area.

This level of participation throughout my tenure has been both affirming and energizing for the series, and as curator and host, it's been both a privilege and a responsibility I hold with deep intention to spotlight a diverse range of featured poets from BIPOC, LGBTQ Plus, API, and immigrant communities, whether established or emerging talents, including both adults and youth.

From researching and reaching out to poets to thoughtfully crafting interviews and shaping each program around a vibrant open mic at the end, this series has both been time-intensive and deeply rewarding, and it remains one of the most fulfilling aspects of my laureateship.

Building on that momentum, I began this year with a special New Year's Fireside Poetry Open Mic at the Manor, where I had the pleasure of featuring youth musicians from Harmony Ensemble, a student-led symphony orchestra as the highlighted artists for the evening.

While I've had the opportunity to organize several in-person celebrations and poetry readings, this particular event stood out as a special one since it marked the return of in-person open mic gatherings in Belmont for the first time since the pandemic, making it a truly memorable reunion for many poetry lovers who've been attending these poetry nights regularly.

The Fireside Poetry event was well attended by poets both young and seasoned from around and across the Bay Area, with some traveling from as far as Loma Mar and Sacramento to join us and read their work and ring in the new year.

In keeping with that spirit of inclusion and connection, I've remained dedicated to weaving poetry into cultural celebrations and expanding its reach to broader, more diverse audiences in collaboration with various artists.

In addition to presenting poetry at the San Mateo County County Fair, the Belmont Library, and many San Mateo County Libraries this year, I've had the joy and privilege of performing for Indian festivals such as Holi and Guru Purunema at several other library locations, including Los Altos and San Jose last year.

As done in the past years, I continue to curate readings featuring RP artists and poets at community celebrations like Belmont's Diwali and Lunar New Year events.

It has also been a privilege to compose and present poems on occasions such as Belmont's Pride flag raising ceremony and Veterans Day ceremonies.

And I'm grateful to remain involved in these significant occasions, working alongside the city and our library to make them a reality.

In addition to curating and featuring artists at cultural events, I've also focused on the literary engagement of voices through organizing writing and poetry-related activities.

I've had the honor of serving on judging panels for events like San Mateo County's Poetry Out Loud competition, and have continued my collaboration with the city for the third consecutive year in organizing, co-judging, and MCing Belmont's Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Poetry and Essay Contest.

Additionally, this year, I was invited to join the judging panel for the Daily City Youth Poet Laureate program, contributing to the selection process as the city prepares to announce its new youth poet laureate this April.

These conscious and continued efforts have allowed me to support literary excellence and help cultivate spaces where young writers are inspired, nurtured, and recognized for their creative potential, further deepening the scope of my work as Belmont's poet laureate.