Redwood City Council Special Meeting - August 21, 2023: BCC Work Plans, Docktown Closed Session
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Redwood City Council Special Meeting - August 21, 2023
This special meeting of the Redwood City Council focused on work plans from three boards, commissions, and committees (BCCs): the Housing and Human Concerns Committee (HHCC), the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (PRCS), and the Port Commission. The council also received public comments on various topics and adjourned to closed session to discuss litigation related to the Docktown marina, where they approved two settlement agreements.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jimmy Hedges inquired about an update on the Cordilleras Creek group formed in March to address issues with San Carlos Bridge and other agencies.
- Isabel Pardo (Local 217) advocated for union apprenticeships, sharing her positive experience training a new apprentice.
- Scott Rathjan (union veteran) emphasized the importance of unions for skills, benefits, and future generations, supporting union work.
- Brian Shields (Carpenter's Local 217) requested an agendized item to study labor standards in Redwood City, citing Berkeley's Hard Hat Ordinance as a model.
- Alison Madden called attention to the closed session item on Docktown litigation, previewed a book about YIMBY issues, and criticized attorney Ted Hannig's role in past lawsuits.
- Laird Benin urged council to quick-build a two-way protected bikeway on northbound El Camino Real, citing safety concerns and the city's deadliest roadway.
- Taylor Pope supported expediting bike lanes on El Camino Real, noting that Redwood City Council approved plans in 2017 but progress has stalled.
Discussion Items
5A: Housing and Human Concerns Committee (HHCC) Work Plan
- Chair Kate Heister presented the HHCC's approved work plan, which included committee-led items on data collection, extremely low-income housing, and a mental health/substance use needs assessment. She expressed dismay that staff unilaterally altered the plan in the agenda packet without consulting the committee, calling it a breach of process. She requested council either approve the original HHCC-approved version or return it for further discussion.
- City Manager noted that the changes were made to highlight committee-led items for council consideration, acknowledging the committee's hard work but stating that some items require significant policy, legal, or operational staff support.
- Council Vice Mayor Espinoza Garnica apologized for the miscommunication, supported exploring data collection models like a rental registry, and moved to return the work plan to HHCC for further review with staff.
- Councilmember Sturkin echoed support for returning the work plan and requested staff analysis on the cost and time required to support the committee-led research.
- Councilmember Howard emphasized the importance of focusing on the housing element priorities and suggested the committee phase in its work.
- Mayor G noted the city's resource constraints and requested prioritization and sustainability in the work plan.
- Vote: Motion to return the HHCC work plan to the committee for further review passed unanimously.
5B: Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (PRCS) Work Plan
- Chair Jennifer Tipton presented the commission's two-year work plan, focusing on increasing community engagement, equitable distribution of park amenities, green sustainable parks, and programming for youth, teens, and seniors. The plan also addresses park safety as an overarching priority.
- Vice Mayor Espinoza Garnica and Councilmember Aitken praised the work plan, asking about engagement strategies for diverse communities and equity in park amenities.
- Councilmember Howard noted the importance of parks as community gathering places and supported the commission's volunteer-led initiatives.
- Councilmember Getz highlighted the need to address inequities on the east side, including outreach to trailer parks and non-English speaking communities, and asked about scholarship programs for classes.
- Councilmember Sturkin asked about mobile recreation program data and park safety, urging outreach beyond neighborhood associations.
- Vote: Motion to accept the PRCS work plan for fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 passed unanimously.
5C: Port Commission Annual Report
- Chair Ralph Garcia and Executive Director Christine Zortman presented the port's FY23 year-end results and FY24 report, highlighting financial performance (over $500,000 subvention to city general fund), maritime trade, waterfront recreation, sustainability efforts (Green Marine program), and progress on a future public ferry terminal.
- Vice Mayor Espinoza Garnica asked about community engagement and transportation barriers to the port.
- Councilmember Getz praised the port's diversity of events and requested continued outreach in multiple languages.
- Councilmember Howard commended the port's opening to the community and noted the Saturday concert series sponsored by a nonprofit.
- Councilmember Aitken highlighted the environmental benefits of shipping by water vs. truck.
- Councilmember Martinez Sabayos asked about sustainability and workforce development connections with local colleges.
- Chair Garcia emphasized that port commissioners need business experience, not political appointments.
- Vote: Motion to accept the port's annual report passed unanimously.
Closed Session: Docktown Litigation
- Council adjourned to closed session to discuss multiple lawsuits related to the Docktown marina.
- Public comment: Ed Stancil and Alison Madden spoke against attorney Ted Hannig, criticizing past settlements and urging the council not to award him further taxpayer money.
- Report out: City attorney announced that the council unanimously approved two written settlement agreements: one with the estate of William Fleming and a second with Tina and Jonathan Reed, resolving litigation claims related to the Docktown marina.
Key Outcomes
- HHCC work plan: Returned to the committee for further review with staff; council requested prioritization and cost analysis of committee-led items.
- PRCS work plan: Accepted unanimously.
- Port Commission annual report: Accepted unanimously.
- Closed session: Two settlement agreements approved (Fleming estate and Reed family) regarding Docktown litigation.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good evening, everyone. Welcome to our August twenty first council meeting here in Redwood City. Hope everyone's having a great summer, even though the Mother Nature is uh having fun with us between rain, winds, storms, and tropical storms in California. But we are flexible, and we're all adjusting. So I hope everyone's being safe and staying safe. Items will be taken in the order that they are listed on the agenda. With our hybrid meeting format, the public comment procedures are as follows. Speaker cards are located at the table in the back. Detailed instructions for public comment will be provided on the screen when the time for public comment begins. Lastly, please submit your speaker card or raise your hand on Zoom as soon as possible after the relevant agenda item has begun. Once the public comment period has begun, no additional speakers will be allowed to join the list of speakers. So now I'd like to ask our interim city clerk to call the roll. Thank you and good evening. Councilmember Aguirre. Here, Councilmember Aitken. Here. Councilmember Howard. Here. Councilmember Martinez Taballos. Here. Councilmember Sturkin. Here. Vice Mayor Espinosa Garnica. Here. And Mayor G. Here. Thank you. Thank you. Seeing that all members are present. We don't need to deal with AB 2449 on absences. So we'll now turn to item number four public comment. Well, thank now take public comment on items that are not on tonight's agenda. If you join the meeting to speak on any of the boards, commissions or committees work plans or on the closed session item, an opportunity to give comment on those topics will be provided later in the meeting when they're called on the agenda. If you're attending in person, please fill out a speaker card and submit it to our interim city clerk here at the DS. If you're attending virtually, please feel free to raise your hand on Zoom or press star 9 if you've joined by phone. Once we've gathered all the speaker cards and raised hands and have begun public comment, no additional speakers will be allowed to join the list join the list of speakers. I'll now turn over the public comment to our interim city clerk to facilitate this process. Thank you, Mayor. Now is the time for public comment on item number four. That's general public comment for items that are not on the agenda. Please follow the instructions on the screen to be recognized for public comment. And as the mayor mentioned, we'll be taking public comment first from those who have joined in person and next from those who've joined by Zoom or phone. Once our list of speakers is finalized, I will state the names of the last speakers, both in person and on Zoom. And once public comment begins, no additional speakers will be allowed to join the list of speakers. And now I'll do a last call. I do have four speaker cards for item number four in person. And I'll do a quick last call if there's anyone else that would like to speak. Okay. And we've got three raised hands on Zoom. Our last in-person speaker will be Brian Shields.
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