Belmont City Council Regular Meeting - May 13, 2025
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Belmont City Council Regular Meeting - May 13, 2025
The Belmont City Council held a regular meeting on May 13, 2025, at 7:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. Vice Mayor Robin Pang-Maganaris presided due to Mayor Julia Mates' absence. The meeting was brief, lasting approximately 40 minutes, and included special presentations, proclamations, consent business, and verbal reports. No public comments or general business items were conducted.
Special Presentations
- Belmont Community Foundation (Clarissa): Announced an event on August 9, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Barrett Community Center to promote a new community center. Collaboration with Footsteps After School and Rotary Club. Encouraged attendees to sign up for updates and volunteer via BelmontCommunityFoundation.org.
- Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps (LRA) and Ordinance Updates (Fire Marshal Carissa Workman, San Mateo Consolidated Fire): Presented new state-mandated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Belmont. All areas designated as moderate hazard (yellow on map); no high or very high zones remain. Adoption required by new legislation within 120 days of receipt (maps released February 2025). The updated ordinance includes moderate zones, enabling stricter building codes (Chapter 7A) and defensible space requirements. Councilmember McCune asked about funding eligibility; staff noted moderate status may not qualify for state/federal grants aimed at high severity zones. Councilmember Jordan inquired about resident property inspections; Fire Marshal provided the community risk reduction phone number (650-527-9400) for courtesy WUI inspections. Parks and Rec Director Brigitte Shearer reported on completed chipping program (west of Alameda de las Pulgas) and ongoing grant-funded fuel reduction on emergency access roads at San Juan Canyon and Water Dog Lake (trail closures during work, finishing by 3:30 PM).
- Proclamations:
- Jewish American Heritage Month (May 2025) – proclaimed by Vice Mayor Pang-Maganaris.
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May 2025) – proclaimed by Councilmember Jordan.
- National Public Works Week (May 18–24, 2025) – proclaimed by Councilmember McCune.
- Professional Municipal Clerks Week (May 4–10, 2025) – proclaimed by Councilmember Latimerlo, with additional remarks honoring City Clerk Jozi Plut and her team.
Councilmember Announcements
- Councilmember McCune: Congratulated Belmont tenth-grader Nectarios for winning first place in the 2025 Congressional Art Competition (District 15) with watercolor "My San Mateo."
- Councilmember Jordan: Invited public to Public Works Open House on May 22, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Twin Pines Park; encouraged participation in the "Your Voice, Your Belmont" survey and noted a well-attended meeting about the HIA area (~40–50 participants).
Consent Calendar
- Item B – Second Reading of Indemnity Ordinance: Ordinance regulating indemnity for applicants/holders of permits, licenses, encroachments, and right-of-way maintenance. The city attorney read the title. Motion to approve carried 4-0 (one absent).
- Remaining Consent Items (Approval of Minutes, Monthly Financials – February 2025, Salson Trail Culvert Replacement Project – including plans, bid authorization up to $554,321 plus 10% contingency, design task order $93,142, construction management $90,655, Twin Pines Park Tree Removal Notice of Completion, SB 1 Local Streets and Roads Project List FY 2025-2026, and CSG Master Service Agreement renewal for building plan review services up to $130,000) were approved in a single motion: 4-0.
Verbal Reports
- Councilmember Jordan (HART): Reported on HART annual meeting – $4 million provided for pre-development of the 100% affordable "Ridge at Ralston" project (7–8 stories). HART offers first-time homebuyer down payment assistance, mobile home replacement loans, and consulting services for cities.
- Councilmember McCune (Peninsula Clean Energy): Noted that PCE is setting rates at a 10% discount below PG&E generation rates for 2025, up from 5% discount in previous years. Suggested publicizing the discount more directly.
- City Manager Afshin Oskoui: Announced the draft budget will be presented at the next meeting; invited community to the May 22 Public Works Open House; acknowledged ongoing fuel reduction work in open space.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance B (Indemnity Requirements) adopted on second reading (4-0).
- Consent Business approved as a single item (4-0).
- Meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Night City Council regular meeting on May 13th, 2025. We're going to briefly open this meeting before taking a recess to do a closed session. But first, Madam Clerk, will you please do roll call? Hi, good evening. Um Councilmember Jordan. Here. McKeun. Frozen. Ladderman Lowe. Here. Vice Mayor Pang Banganares. Present. Absent today is Mayor Mates. True. That's the reason for me sitting in the hot seat tonight. All right. So now we shall recess to close session. We'll be back at 7 o'clock. Okay. I think I'm now. Welcome everyone. We are back for our regularly scheduled city council meeting here at City Hall on May 13th. At 7 o'clock PM. We are returning from a closed session. Previously we took roll call, noting that we are all here except for Mayor Mates. That's the reason for my sitting in this evening. I ask for everyone's patience as I muddle my way through running this meeting. So given that we've already done the our call to order, we can move on to item three, which is the Pledge of Allegiance. Those of you who are able, will you please stand and join us in singing the pledge? And to the Republic for which it stands. We are now moving to item four, report from closed session. And I see that our city attorney is not present. I can act like that through the I see at this moment. We have two presentations tonight and a number of proclamations. So let us begin first with a presentation from Belmont Community Foundation. Hi, thank you, and good evening. Like this. Yeah, just m more to capture your voice. There we go. So this evening I'm here to mention that the Belmont Community Foundation, which is has been working in collaboration with the City of Belmont to educate the community about the need for a new community center at Belmont. Um excuse me, at Barrett is having an event on August 9th from 10 to 2 p.m. And we'd like to invite everyone to attend. And we want something that is fun for all ages.org. We direct everyone to the Belmont Community Foundation website, and there's a QR code in the lower right, or it's Belmont Community Foundation.org. And we're very excited to let everyone know that we are doing this in collaboration now with Footsteps After School as well as the Rotary Club. And so it will bring that many more people to the to the event. If you would like on the website, you can sign up to get regular updates as well as volunteer. The creation of a new community center will be a great value to everyone in the area, and we need everyone's participation and help with that. So thank you very much. Does anyone have any questions for our Clarissa?
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