Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, everyone.

Good evening.

Good evening, everyone.

Hello.

Hi, everyone.

Good evening.

Thank you for your patience.

We're just waiting on our colleague, but we just want to welcome everyone to the special

meeting of the Mountain View City Council of January 13, 2026.

So we'll begin.

Ask you to please stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

All right, everyone, thank you.

We'll move on to item three, which is roll call.

The City Clerk will take attendance by roll call.

Council Member Clark?

Here.

Council Member McAllister?

Here.

Council Member Ramirez?

Here.

Council Member Showalter?

Here.

Vice Mayor Ramos?

Here.

Mayor Comey?

Here.

We have a forum with Council Member Hicks absent.

So we'll move on to item four, new business.

We will now hear from Supervisor Margaret Abe Koga on behalf of the Santa Clara County

Board of Supervisors.

Good evening.

It's really an honor to be here.

As mentioned, I'm Margaret Abe Koga, County Supervisor for District 5.

And thank you so much for inviting me to your very important reorganization meeting.

it's always great to be home and I just want to first of all thank you Mountain View, Mountain

View City Council, the residents for your great partnership this year with the county this past

year. We have some have had some big challenges and we still have many more to go but it's really

wonderful to have the partnership with the cities and the county and I've been I'm fortunate to be

able to represent nine cities now. This is my last day of reorganization meetings. I have one more to

go after this one, and I will have done all eight cities, and then I have San Jose, but, you know,

I try not to pick favorites, but I think you all know which one is in my heart. So, I'm pleased to

be able to be here today to honor outgoing Mayor Ellen Kamei, and I just want to say, first of all,

congratulations to you for a very successful year as mayor. I recall because you were my vice mayor

and then became mayor in 2021, and that was during COVID when we were sheltering in place.

And I know how disappointed you were because you didn't get to do all of the things that most

mayors do with events and ceremonies. So I hope that this past year you were able to fulfill all

of your dreams. And I think that you did a wonderful job in leading the city. I appreciate

your leadership on so many issues, especially with affordable housing. I know we were able to

open La Avenida together, homelessness response. I know we need to continue to work on that,

but I appreciate your leadership there. I've been watching, sometimes I watch you on YouTube

on your discussions on middle-income housing.

So thank you for your work on that,

as well as your continued commitment

to the diversity of the community,

making sure we are at Mountain View as a city for all,

and your special focus on the youth.

And I know that you champion

the Chinese Language Leadership Academy,

that with the Spanish Leadership Academy

to continue to encourage civic engagement for all.

So just want to again thank you and congratulate you

on your successful year.

And on behalf of the Board of Supervisors,

I'm very honored to be able to present

this commendation to you.

So congratulations.

I'll let you go first.

Thank you.

We will now hear from Kevin Fong on behalf of Senator Josh Becker's office.

No, sorry.

Assemblymember Mark Berman's office.

I should know that. I'm so sorry, Kevin. Sometimes I do listen and I just read the thing.

Not a problem, Madam Mayor. Kevin Fong, on behalf of Assemblymember Mark Berman, it's a pleasure to

be here with you all this evening as we honor and recognize Mayor Kamei for her year of service.

Congratulations on a very successful year. Your steadfast leadership has guided the city through

challenging times, but, you know, I'm sure it's very worthwhile. And to what the supervisor is

saying, hopefully you got a fulfilling year out of this, unlike your prior year, prior term as

mayor in 2021, when, you know, we were kind of still in the pandemic. And so on behalf of the

Assemblymember, I just want to extend his congratulations and his well wishes and looking

forward to working with the new mayor and the council in this coming year as well.

Thank you.

We'll now hear from Nicholas Hargis on behalf of Congressman Sam Liccardo's office.

Good evening, Council.

On behalf of Congressman Sam Liccardo and his entire office,

it's my honor to present a certificate of congressional recognition

to the Honorable Ellen Kamei upon completion of your term as mayor.

Thank you for your steadfast partnership with Congressman Liccardo, Mayor Kamei, and for your exemplary commitment to good governance, collaboration, and leadership.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the prospective mayor, Emily Ann Ramos, and state that the congressman looks forward to working with all of you to serve the city of Mountain View.

Thank you.

Thank you, we'll now hear from Isabel Augustine

from the office of Senator Josh Becker.

Hi, I just on behalf of Senator Becker

wanted to thank Mayor Kameh for your multiple terms

of service as mayor and your work as a council member.

You've really been a great partner to us.

We've been able to do events together.

We had a great time at our Java.

And we really wanna thank you for all that you've done

during your time as mayor.

And we look forward to continuing to work with you

as a council member.

And then also wanted to congratulate our prospective mayor.

And we look forward to working with you as mayor as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Great.

Well thank you.

What we'll be doing tonight is we're going to do all of our public comment right now.

So we're going to take public comment for all the new business items, which will include

the recognition of the outgoing mayor and the nomination and election of the incoming

mayor and vice mayor.

So if you are somebody who would like to give public comment virtually or in person, please

provide a comment card on these items.

Please click the raise hand button in Zoom or submit a blue speaker card to the city

clerk now.

We'll take in-person speakers first and each speaker will have three minutes.

So in-person first is Peter Katz.

Mommy!

Mommy!

I'm being upstaged.

Thank you very much.

On behalf, I'm Peter Katz, the CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce.

And on behalf of our 600 members, I just want to really thank from the heart Mayor Kamei

for all of her help and support through the years.

I've had the great pleasure both personally and professionally of actually being part

of the chamber for two terms as mayor.

But this one's much more fun because we got to do more outside.

We got to do more without COVID hanging over us.

But your hello.

And also the children.

That was certainly the best part of it, I think.

But again, really want to thank you

for all that you've meant to our businesses,

all that you've meant to our community,

and how we all work together for one community for all.

And I also want to welcome our incoming mayor

and say what a pleasure it is to be able to welcome you

and to say how much we're looking forward

to making Mountain View the best place

to live, work, and play in the upcoming year.

Thank you very much.

Great. Thank you. Alex Brown.

Congratulations. Good job.

All right. I am not seeing any more in-person public comment or virtual public comment.

So I'm going to turn it over to item 4.1.

All right.

Ms. Madam Mayor, could you join me down to the lectern?

All right.

We will actually, let's start with this gift that I got you.

So feel free to open it up now because I'm going to take a point of personal privilege to show it off.

It's reusable.

It's recyclable because we're very green and we value sustainability in Mountain View.

Yeah.

Hi, baby.

oh look who's this oh is this me it is

continuing on our tradition of vice mayors uh giving uh the mayor a gift as uh as a thank you

for your year uh think of it as like a yearbook uh of your past year as mayor so um we are moving

on to this gavel. I don't know if there's a script. Did I? Is there a script on the thing?

Okay. Oh, okay. We are starting with the proclamation. So we have this lovely

proclamation for our wonderful Madam Mayor. So here you go as we read it. So the city

of Mountain View Proclamation, whereas Ellen Kamei was selected by her fellow council members

to serve as mayor of Mountain View and took her oath of office on January 14, 2025, whereas Mayor

Kamei is strongly committed to building a community for all in Mountain View, addressing housing needs

at all income levels, including home ownership for low-income and middle-income households,

promoting language access and inclusivity through city programs such as the Spanish and

Chinese language civic leadership academies.

Highlighting the city's important work

through the Minute with Mayor Kamei video series,

inspiring youth to learn about civics

through the Mayor for a Day contest

and focusing on making government more accessible

by continuously engaging with community members,

business owners, and local and regional partners

on important issues affecting Mountain View and...

Whereas while serving as mayor in 2025, several important projects came to fruition, such as the all-electric Rainstorm Park Aquatic Center, the all-inclusive Magical Bridge Playground, bicycle safety improvements through the California Street Pilot Project, the opening of the first affordable housing project in the North Bayshore, La Avenida Apartments, and the El Camino Real Rehabilitation and ADA Improvements Project.

And whereas in performing her duties as mayor, Ellen Kamei participated in local, regional, and national panels that encouraged the responsible use of generative AI while embracing innovation in local government.

And whereas Mayor Kameh is a tireless advocate for vulnerable populations, convening the mayor's roundtable on immigration and presiding as mayor as the city adopted a homelessness response strategy called Pathways to Housing, launched the 2025 Community for All grant program to help immigrant communities and mixed status families, and placed the fire department's first emergency ambulance into service.

and whereas Mayor Kamek participated in several community events to foster inclusivity

and bring the community together with such highlights as the city's first State of the City,

Lunar New Year Celebration, Multicultural Festival, Earth and Arbor Day Celebration,

the city's first Pride Celebration, Together in Pride, Technology Showcase, Memorial Day,

Dia de Muertos Celebration, Veterans Day Ceremony, German Holiday Market,

and the community tree lighting celebration, and?

And, whereas Mayor Kamei represented her constituents locally

by serving on the Council Appointments Review Committee as chair,

the Council Goal Setting Subcommittee also as chair,

Council Race, Equity, and Inclusion Ad Hoc Subcommittee also as chair,

and the Council Transportation Committee

and the Council Youth Services Committee.

And.

Whereas Mayor Kamei has represented the City of Mountain View statewide and regionally by serving on the League of California Cities Board of Directors,

Cities Association of Santa Clara County Board of Directors, City Association of Santa Clara County City Selection Committee,

and Cities Association of the Santa Clara County Legislative Action Committee.

And.

Whereas a representative of the City of Mountain View and a champion for economic vitality,

Mayor Kamehameh participated in panels about the city economic development efforts, including downtown new retail pop-up programs, supporting local stores, shops by promoting small business Saturday, showcasing the planning underway for major sporting events coming to the Bay Area in 2026, and attending many local business tours.

Ann? Now therefore, be it resolved that the City Council, City of Mountain View, on behalf of its members, city staff, and community, does hereby express sincere and overwhelming appreciation to Ellen Kamei for her year of dedicated service to the community as mayor.

We also have a really nice little gavel thing too.

Thank you.

Would any member of the council like to say a few words?

Councilmember Ramirez.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Mayor Comey, thank you for your service again this year.

It's, I think, a great honor to have served the council twice in two four-year terms.

I know as many members of the community had shared,

the first opportunity to serve as mayor was unusual.

It was a great opportunity to demonstrate leadership

in a very difficult time,

and you showed up for your community then.

And now, still, unfortunately,

still some big challenges that we're dealing with

as a community,

but a lot of opportunity also to engage our residents

in a much more direct way.

And I think, again, your service this year is characterized by always showing up and being ubiquitous and being with the community when they need to see their leader in their presence.

So thank you again for your service.

Next, we have Council Member McAllister.

You know, I could always find you, Mayor, just by your Facebook.

I never had to call or look or just I looked down at Facebook.

Oh, she's here.

20 minutes later, she's crossed town at another event.

Next thing I know, she's overseas.

And I'm going, where does this woman find the time?

That is dedication.

And so I just admire that what you've been able to do.

I mean, you caught up for lost time.

You really did.

And I think you were one of the best representatives I've ever seen in my short term here on council.

And what really made me proud is that you made Baskin-Robbins your honorary ice cream.

And I really appreciate that as a small businessman.

So continue to support us, and you do have support to the small businesses, and that's what we greatly appreciate it.

Thank you, Council Member McAllister.

Council Member Hicks?

I won't take long, but I'm going to give you a very short thank you.

I especially enjoyed your service over the past year in person because, as you may have noticed, I go to every downtown ribbon cutting that I can.

So I saw a great deal of you had a lot of food and drinks that were very good and I hope everybody

patronizes the many places that we cut ribbons for and I hope to continue seeing you at ribbon cuttings over the next year

Thank you councilmember Hicks councilmember Showalter

Having been the mayor the year before I just know how many many hours are involved in being the mayor and

And you don't get more than 24 hours in the day in spite of that.

So I really appreciate just all the time and effort and dedication that you put in.

It was much appreciated.

Thank you, Council Member Showalter.

We have City Manager Kimber McCarthy.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

So, Mayor, I just wanted to thank you for a great 2025.

We've accomplished so much together as a council.

and with the city organization.

And I think it kind of goes without saying

that we see here that your dedication to this job

requires so much from you and from your family.

And I just wanna thank you for being the type of leader

that has been willing to take risks

being a mother to two small children

and really setting an example,

I think for people that might want to be in office

or be inspired to run for office.

for women out there who are really inspired by your journey.

And certainly I think that's such a great example

for the city organization,

for employees, prospective employees,

and for all of us here to know that public service

also means service to our family

as much as it means to our community.

So I just want to thank you for your partnership,

for a great year working together.

It's been tremendous two times.

The first time was quite different,

from now but I've always appreciated how available you are given how super super busy you are

you're always there and always supportive of staff and so for that I am so grateful

and so appreciative for your leadership as mayor thank you

thank you city manager city attorney Logue so I'm going to be brief but I just wanted to say

I remember when I interviewed for this position and you were the mayor at the time and sitting

there so so nervous you were a very calming presence for me by the time I

got here councilmember Ramirez was mayor and so this was it was a pleasure to

have the opportunity to serve a city attorney while you were mayor and I

really want to echo how much I appreciate your support for staff it is

really truly amazing and it means a lot to all of us so thank you

Thank you, City Attorney Logue. I guess I'll finish up. Thank you, Mayor Kamei for your service as mayor. I don't think there would have been anyone I would have rather learn under as we do this transition.

I learned a great deal of your professionalism, balancing so many different priorities from our community.

I'm a bit more stubborn as a chaotic middle child, but you are always such a steady hand that I learned so much from.

So thank you for your time here as mayor.

And you're not leaving anytime soon.

We're still together for another year at least.

and I'm glad I had that opportunity to learn from you.

Oh, Chris, sorry, Council Member Clark.

Please go ahead.

I was going to say this later, but it makes more sense to say it now.

I just want to express my deep appreciation to Mayor Kamei

for all the work over this past year.

I mean, there are two things about being mayor that are really, really important and I think show the dedication that Ellen has had to this.

One, it's about showing up and being communicative.

I don't think there was ever a missed call that didn't get returned.

And with all, as was said before, with all the demands on your time from family, from work, from the community, you always found the time to help be a thought partner to us when we needed it and to lead us.

And that's the other key thing that not everyone recognizes about the mayorship is that that year is it's not about the individual who holds that position.

It's about the trust that the community and the council place in that person to really lead us and to make sure that everyone is heard and you're the last to speak.

And you have to think about running the meeting and or handling this event or doing all these things.

And that is not an easy thing to do.

And you've done it so spectacularly well.

The meetings have just been run incredibly.

and I know those are more mundane things,

but those are really the hallmarks

of a really, really great mayor.

And being able to do that

with everything else that you're juggling,

I think has just been absolutely incredible.

So thank you for being a partner through all this

and especially for your dedication to our community

and the diversity of our community

with Together in Pride

and all the other firsts that we had in this past year.

It's been challenging,

but I, and I know you worked incredibly hard

on all those things, but they got done

and they got done super, super well.

And I think all of our community

really appreciates your effort.

Thank you, Council Member Clark.

I think we are good.

Anyone else?

Anyone else?

Okay, we're good.

Take it away, Madam Mayor.

All right, everyone.

So we have, item 4.2 is remarks by the outgoing mayor.

outgoing mayor, so I'll just say a little bit, which is thank you so much for the honor and

privilege of serving as your mayor. As was alluded to when I spoke in 2021, I dubbed myself the

virtual mayor because it was a completely Zoom year, and much of our connection happened through

screens, but this year, this past year was different. It was very much lived in real life

through conversations on sidewalks, at city events,

and in moments both challenging and hopeful.

And I'm deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to have served again as mayor.

I am immensely thankful to my city council colleagues,

both past and present, for their collaboration

and shared commitment to responsible stewardship.

I want to especially thank,

and maybe I get to be the first one to say this pretty soon,

thank Mayor Ramos, Vice Mayor Clark,

and Council Members Hicks, Showalter, McAllister, and Ramirez.

Even when we face complex issues,

we led with respect, shared purpose, and care for this community.

I also want to thank city staff.

Mountain View's tradition of collaboration between council and staff

truly sets us apart.

Your professionalism and dedication are the reasons our city continues to thrive in a fast-moving and innovative environment.

You represent the very best of public service, and our residents can trust that this city works and works well because of you.

2025 reaffirmed my belief in Mountain View's vision as a community for all,

a city where all are welcome, all belong, and everyone has opportunity.

Being a community for all means creating a true sense of belonging, ensuring safety,

dignity, and opportunity at every stage of life. It means confronting real challenges

like the cost of housing, access to child care, mental health support, and the pressures facing

our working families. These issues are personal to me. Being multiracial and multilingual has

shaped how I see this community and why inclusion, equity, and belonging are not abstract values to

me, but lived experiences. Over the past year in particular, I reflected about how my paternal

grandparents met here working in the fields. They faced circumstances, unfortunately, not

dissimilar to current times. Yet there was something about the city of Mountain View that

led them to return here after Heart Mountain. They felt that the city was a place where,

unlike other communities, they could belong. They were wanted. And it is that sense of belonging

that brought me back here after graduate school to live with my grandfather, the reason I chose

to stay, and it's led to this incredible opportunity to serve the city that shaped me.

Supporting families, especially young families, has been a key part of that work.

And I'm proud of how Mountain View remains committed to helping create and sustain child care options for both residents and city employees.

In this year's budget, we included a $100,000 subsidy to help offset costs at learning lengths so that our city site can continue offering affordable care to our Mountain View families and our city staff.

staff. We are also one of the only cities in the region to provide eight weeks of paid

family leave for city employees, welcoming a child through birth, adoption, or fostering.

This is also available to our council, our boards, and our commissions. I'm grateful

to have championed this and to have been able to utilize it twice for the birth of my children,

Rewriting our 123-year-old history.

Now, this pilot program is a permanent commitment

and reflected in our recommended budget at $1 million in our parental leave reserve.

We're also looking ahead to the development of a new child care center

at the Evelyn Affordable Housing Project on our city-owned land

in partnership with Affirmed Housing.

This is what it means to be a community for all,

including our youngest residents.

and it's the reason why in both of my stints I held a mayor for a day contest. It has been a

meaningful way for me to give young people the opportunity to imagine how they would tackle

issues facing local government and I think it reminds all of us as policymakers that belonging

also means helping the next generation see that their voices matter and that this city is theirs

to shape. Together, the council advanced major initiatives that will shape our city's future,

including long-term planning for our parks, housing, downtown, public art, biodiversity,

and a comprehensive homelessness response strategy, all while maintaining Mountain View's

AAA credit rating, reflecting strong fiscal stewardship. And we opened Law Avenida,

expanding affordable housing opportunities in the North Bayshore.

We placed our first ambulance ever into service, strengthening emergency response.

Our city continues to be recognized statewide for leadership and innovation.

And through our city-led Community for All initiative, we invested in connection and belonging,

awarding grants, hosting a Dia de Muertos celebration, and holding our first ever Together in Pride event.

We are also entering nine years of our Spanish Language Leadership Academy and the third year of our Civic Leadership Academy in Mandarin Chinese.

Those efforts reflect our belief that strong communities are built not only through policy, but through empathy, culture, and shared experiences.

Even amid challenges at the federal level, Mountain View stayed true to its values.

And in a time when fear and division dominate our politics, Mountain View modeled empathy,

courage, and cooperation.

As I enter my final year on the City Council, I do so with gratitude and a deep sense of

responsibility focused on this work and on helping lay a strong foundation for the future

in Mountain View.

So I want to thank all of you, everyone who serves this city, our staff, boards, commissions,

partners, residents, and of course our council. It's been an incredible honor to

serve and you may hear our incoming mayor talk about how Mountain View is the

best city ever and this is the reason why. All are welcome, all belong, we're a

community for all. Thank you.

Thanks everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

And now to some of the exciting stuff.

Item 4.3, our nomination for election of mayor.

So now is the time for the call for nominations for mayor.

Councilmember Clark

Thank you Mayor Kameh

It's my distinct honor to nominate

Vice Mayor Emily Ann Ramos

to serve as Mountain View's next mayor

When I nominated Emily for

Vice Mayor last year I spoke about her

exemplary leadership and tireless dedication

Over the past year

she's more than proven those words true

Emily has served this body

and our community with distinction

demonstrating that public service

is most effective when it's rooted in transparency and when every voice is heard.

Her unwavering commitment to making housing more affordable remains a cornerstone of her service.

With her engineering background and policy expertise,

Emily has guided us through the complex work of producing and preserving housing.

She's also a fierce advocate for protecting our most vulnerable residents,

and her leadership has helped ensure that as Mountain View grows,

we remain a community where families can thrive regardless of circumstance.

Beyond housing, Emily's leadership as vice mayor in 2025 has been expansive and effective.

She has skillfully chaired the Youth Services Committee and represented our city locally and regionally.

Her work consistently reflects a commitment to making local government more accessible to our diverse community.

On a personal note, I'm continually impressed by Emily's fortitude and dedication.

She's a self-described optimist, and I would agree.

And that's a trait that in today's political environment I think we can all agree is increasingly

rare but necessary.

She brings a collaborative spirit, deep policy expertise, and the heart needed to lead this

city.

Emily has served us well as vice mayor, and I'm confident she's ready to lead us as mayor.

She will be Mountain View's first Filipino-American mayor.

a milestone that reflects the evolving story of our city.

I look forward to working alongside her to achieve meaningful and lasting progress for

our community.

Please join me in supporting Emily as we navigate the year ahead together and continue building

a welcoming, vibrant, and resilient mountain view for generations to come.

Great.

Councilmember McCallister?

Yes.

It is my honor to second the motion.

I think that's just brief as he's ever been.

Let's take the vote.

Woo!

It's a celebration.

Let's take the vote.

All right, and that is unanimous Mayor Emily Ann Ramos.

All right.

I will take it from here.

We will now call for nominations for the vice mayor.

I see Councilmember Ramirez.

Thank you, Mayor Ramos, and congratulations.

It's dangerous to go out there alone.

So I'm going to nominate the best person I think for the role to serve as your lieutenant,

Councilmember Clark.

It's an honor to nominate the council member who I think has demonstrated the greatest

ability to deliver consensus, to find a path forward even when we might be very divided.

And I think his thoughtfulness, his balanced approach to deliberation and his dedication

to this community will serve you well as you lead the city as mayor.

Thank you, Councilmember Ramirez.

And Councilmember Showalter.

I would very much like to second this motion.

I've known Chris for about 12 or 14 years now,

and the first time I met him,

I was blown away by the depth of his understanding of environmental policy.

and I've come to find out that that was just the tip of the iceberg.

So I'm really looking forward to serving with you for many years.

Thank you, Council Member Showalter.

We will now send it off to a vote.

And the motion passes unanimously.

Congratulations, Vice Mayor Clark.

All right, with that, we will have the remarks

by the incoming vice mayor followed by my remarks.

Thank you, Mayor Ramos, and congratulations again.

And thank you to my colleagues for your support.

What council remember Ramirez didn't tell you

amongst all those nice things that he said

is that we also have a rotation policy

which says that unless I've done something terrible,

I'm next in line.

So here we are.

But I'm honored to be entrusted with the vice mayorship,

and I look forward to serving all of you in the year ahead.

Tonight's focus, obviously, should be celebrating

the accomplishments of our outgoing mayor, Ellen Kamei,

and the year ahead under Mayor Ramos' leadership.

So I'm simply going to thank all of you, my colleagues, my community and supporters and, of course, my family at home for the honor, for their support and for the honor to serve you as vice mayor in 2026.

And I'll turn things back over to you, Mayor.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Clark.

All right.

The last item before you guys get to eat.

All right.

So thank you everyone. I'm deeply honored by your trust and grateful for the opportunity to serve as mayor of Mountain View.

Tonight is meaningful to me in a very personal way. I will be the first person of Filipino descent to serve as mayor of this city.

I am a daughter of immigrants who came to the United States believing in the promise that through hard work and community, their children could have a better life.

And that promise is why I'm here today.

I want to thank my family and friends who are here this evening.

I'm pretty sure this whole room is filled with them.

And everyone say hi to my parents.

They're right over there.

Your love, encouragement, and patience, especially during long nights, long meetings, and very long campaigns, mean more than I can ever say.

When I was running for office, I often said that I've always believed that

government is simply a structure for community to make decisions for themselves.

That belief will guide my mayoral year.

My focus will be on community engagement.

I want all residents to feel heard, valued, and empowered to shape the future of Mountain View.

That does not mean that we will always agree with each other.

One of the many benefits of a diverse community is the range of perspectives and beliefs shaped by our experiences and our visions for the future of the city.

We are living through challenging times.

Even though Mountain View has led on policies that protect residents from displacement and continues to work on removing barriers to building more housing,

many residents, seniors, and workers still feel the stifling impact of our housing crisis.

Many residents also are facing fear and uncertainty from aggressive actions from our federal government

against immigrants.

For our city and our country, a community becomes great not by keeping people out, but

by welcoming and cherishing our neighbors, whether they have lived here for generations

or just arrived.

Now, I have been watching city council meetings from many different cities since 2015.

I see a few of you in the audience.

Thank you for being here.

And I've learned many things, including what we can do, what we probably should avoid.

What has always stood out to me about Mountain View is how uniquely welcoming this community is to those who want to get involved.

We are an ambitious city that wants to get many things done, and that requires many people giving their time and their effort.

The more people involved, the better our chances of meeting our shared goals.

In 2017, then-Mayor Ken Rosenberg began each city council meeting with a historical fact about our city.

I plan to carry forward that spirit, but with a small twist.

Instead of history, I'll begin meetings by highlighting a volunteer opportunity in our community.

There are so many needs, but that also means there are so many opportunities.

service is how community comes alive so tonight I want to make a call to action a call to service

and a call to community I encourage residents to volunteer with your neighborhood associations

non-profit service agencies city programs rapid response networks advisory boards and community

groups it is our residents showing up for one another no matter how long they have been here

who make Mountain View the best city.

So I'm so very grateful for this opportunity

and I look forward to serving you all.

Thank you.

And thank you so much everyone.

With that, I invite everyone to join us downstairs in the Rotunda area where there will be light refreshments.

And also my parents brought Turon for everyone.

So please enjoy the delicious snacks and Filipino desserts.

and then the next, unless anything else is,

the next city council meeting will be held

on January 27th, 2026.

Please join us in the rotunda for refreshments.

The meeting is adjourned at 6.51.

See you later.