Belmont City Council Meeting Summary – May 27, 2025
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Belmont City Council Regular Meeting – May 27, 2025
The Belmont City Council met on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included special presentations, public comments, approval of a consent calendar item, and discussion of three major general business items: the Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan, a $1 million affordable housing contribution for 678 Ralston Avenue, and the introduction of the proposed Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget. The council voted 3-2 to approve the affordable housing loan.
Consent Calendar
- Approved a Service Agreement with Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc. for the Belmont Community Center Master Plan Refresh in an amount not to exceed $106,846. The motion passed unanimously (5-0).
Special Presentations
- Officers of the Year Presentation: Police Chief Ken Stenquist recognized Volunteer of the Year Dolores Quig (absent), Professional Services Employee of the Year Jennifer Fedstrom (dispatcher), and Officer of the Year Sacope Tongawila. Tongawila was praised for his compassion and work on the CARE team and will become a school resource officer in fall 2025.
- Pride Month Proclamation: Mayor Julia Mates read a proclamation declaring June 2025 as Pride Month in Belmont, with a Progress Pride flag raising scheduled for June 3, 2025.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mark Trout spoke in support of ICE cooperation and against immigration, and made anti-LGBTQ+ statements, calling pride a sin. He also referenced biblical prophecy.
- Juliana Carlini rebutted Trout, stating his views do not represent Belmont or Christianity. She requested the council consider creating a bike and pedestrian committee and agendize discussion of the 10192 connector project, which she argued would increase congestion and cut-through traffic.
Discussion Items
- Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan (10A): Representatives from SamTrans presented an 8.5-mile study from San Mateo to Redwood City, aimed at improving safety, active transportation, and transit reliability on El Camino. The plan builds on previous local plans. Public engagement runs through July 13, 2025, with pop-ups and an online survey. The council received the presentation; no action was required.
- 678 Ralston Ave Affordable Housing Contribution (10B): The council considered a resolution authorizing a $1 million loan from the city’s Affordable Housing Fund to CRP Affordable Housing for a 65-unit, 100% affordable housing project (The Bridge at Ralston). The project was approved under SB35 and is seven stories with 65 units (including 33 two- and three-bedroom units) and 19 parking spaces. The loan is structured as a residual receipts loan with a 55-year affordability term. Council debated the project’s height, parking, and process. Councilmember McCune opposed because the developer used state law to bypass city standards. Councilmember Pang-Maganaris voted no due to process concerns. The motion passed 3-2 (Jordan, Latimerlo, Mates yes; McCune, Pang-Maganaris no).
- Introduction of Proposed FY2025-26 Budget (10C): Finance Director Grace Castaneda presented the budget. The total citywide operating budget is proposed at $80.8 million ($66.1 million city + $14.7 million fire district), with a $13.5 million capital improvement plan, for a total of $94.3 million. The general fund shows a $1.4 million gap, requiring a draw on reserves, primarily due to the state’s refusal to reimburse the Vehicle License Fee (VLF) shortfall of $1.7 million. Without the VLF reimbursement, the city projects a $30 million loss over 10 years and reserves falling below the 33% target by FY2030-31. Department heads presented highlights. The public hearing and adoption are scheduled for June 10, 2025. No action was taken; the council provided feedback and expressed support for the budget direction.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved 5-0.
- Approved Resolution authorizing up to $1 million loan for 678 Ralston affordable housing project (3-2).
- Received Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan presentation; no action.
- Received and discussed FY2025-26 budget introduction; public hearing set for June 10, 2025.
- Councilmember announcements included: Pride flag raising June 3, Twin Pines Park Creek Restoration groundbreaking June 3, summer concert series starting June 15, firefighter contract approval (3% COLA plus equity adjustments), and updates on Caltrain’s long-range plan and county affordable housing challenges.
Meeting Transcript
Did you say good? Yes. Okay, good evening. Welcome to the City of Belmont City Council meeting. Today is Tuesday, May twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-five. We're here in our council chambers. Um, just a quick reminder of how you can access our meeting if these instructions are posted on the published agenda. You can attend by Comcast Cable Channel Twenty Seven, streamed live via the city's website at WWW dot bellmont.gov via Zoom, and there is a meeting ID on our published agenda, and also attend the meeting in our council chambers in the city hall, second floor. Uh reminder about public comment, public comment in the council chamber. Uh, you just fill one of those slips back there, uh, a green slip, and please provide it to our city clerk. You can also dial in and um ver uh virtually raise your hand to speak. And you are limited to three minutes until unless otherwise determined by the chair. Um, and we will go ahead and uh look at the first item of the agenda, which is a call to order and roll call, please. Good evening, council members. Let's begin with Councilmember Jordan. Here. Vladimir Lowe. Here, McHughan. Present. Vice Mayor Pang Magonares. Present, Mayor Maids. Present. Thank you. Great, thank you. Uh item two is items before seven PM. We had no closed session or study session. Uh special session, nothing on that item agenda either. Uh the next item is our Pledge of Allegiance, and this will be led by the Belmont Police Department on our guard. Please rise if you're able to get the detail. Right. Forward. Great. Thank you very much. And thank you very much to our Bellvont PD Honor Guard for honoring us with that presentation of the colors. Also, before I move on to our special presentations, wanted to give a shout out to Scout Troops 321 and 301 who are with us tonight earning one of their badges that enables them to attend a city council meeting. So happy you're here. Hopefully, this is the first of many meetings and government, local government uh events that you'll participate in. All right. Uh moving on to item two, which is report from closed session. Uh we uh Mr. City Attorney. We had no closed session, so we have no report. Great. Item three, special presentations three A as officers of the year presentation, and we have our police chief Ken Stenquist with us this evening. Good evening, Madam May. Early during the month of May, every year during the month of May, we proudly set aside some time to honor and recognize three outstanding employees who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the service, not only to our police smart department, but also to our community. This annual tradition allows us to reflect on and celebrate the values that are foundation of our organization. These individuals embody the very essence of what our department stands for unwavering commitment, a tireless work ethic, integrity, and a deep sense of duty to others. Through their actions, they consistently uphold the high standards and ideals that define our mission. Their professionalism and dedication serve as an inspiration to their coworkers and a source of pride for the entire department.
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