All right, we'll get started.

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our August 28th regular meeting of the Redwood City City Council.

We are holding our meetings in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation.

Well, hold on for a second.

We have a thank you, Councilmember Stirken for that assist.

Appreciate it.

Items will be taken in order that they are listed on our agenda.

With our hybrid meeting format, the public comment procedures are as follows.

In-person speakers must turn in a speaker card to the interim city clerk at the DS to be recognized to speak.

Please be sure to indicate the agenda item number you wish to speak on.

In-person speakers will be called first in the order in which speaker cards are turned in.

Virtual attendees who join us by Zoom must raise their hand to be recognized to speak and would be called after the in-person comments have been given.

Detailed instructions will be provided on the screen when the time for public comment begins.

We ask that you please sign up for public comment as soon as possible after the relevant agenda item has begun, other by submitting a speaker card to our interim city clerk or by raising your hand on Zoom.

Once the public comment period has begun, no additional speakers will be allowed to join the list of speakers.

We are also offering Spanish interpretation for tonight's meeting.

To hear the meeting in Spanish, please pick up a headset from our staff at the back of the room.

Instructions are also shown on the screen, and I will now ask our interpreter to give the instructions in Spanish.

Buenas noches.

Thank you, Mayor, and good evening.

Councilmember Aguirre.

Councilmember Aiken here.

Councilmember Howard.

Here.

Councilmember Martina Saballos?

Here.

Councilmember Stirkin.

Here.

Vice Mayor Espinosa Carnica?

Here.

And Mayor G.

Here.

Thank you.

Uh item number three, I'd like to invite Councilmember Sturkin to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you, Councilmember Sturkin, for the assistant or interim city clerk.

If I can ask our IT to help with Councilmember Getty's um voting.

Thank you.

Uh given that all council members are present and Councilmember Howard is joining us in the traditional Brown Act.

Uh, we will not have any we don't have any AB 2449 requests for this evening.

So we'll go on to item number five, presentations and acknowledgments.

Our first proclamation this evening is recognizing International Youth Day.

I'd like to now read a few excerpts of the proclamation that we're presenting tonight.

Whereas the City Clerk seeks to improve the lives of Redwood City's children and youth by increasing the number and affordability of child care spaces, opportunities for family entertainment, family-friendly businesses, and youth activities, as well as opportunities for youth to provide meaningful input.

And whereas the purposeful action creation and engagement, known as the PACE program, was co-developed with youth in our community and in partnership with the City of Redwood City, the Police Activities League, PAL Center, Redwood City together, and community-based partners in order to respond to community concerns about disruptive youth behavior in downtown and foster positive relationships between community members, community leaders, law enforcement, and the bike life movement youth in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks.

And whereas the PACE program and the PACE team has supported youth by creating 65 jobs, providing weekend and evening activities, and is now launching community-based organization advisory spaces for youth.

And the team continues to partner with new organizations in the city of Redwood City to support children and youth.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I'm the mayor and of Redwood City on behalf of the City Council and the people of the City of Redwood City do hereby proclaim August 12th, 2023 as International Youth Day.

I'd like now to introduce the founders of the PACE program, executive director of River C together, Rafael Albondano, PAL Center Directors Ivan Martinez, Jade Martinez, and Ileana Garcia, PACE Program Manager Roberto Alvarez, and a PACE Youth Participant, Ibis Baratu.

If you all like to join the podium and share some of your remarks.

Hello, community.

Uh hello, Council.

It's always a pleasure to be here.

Um, for me, it's definitely a joy to have been a part of this and continue to be a part of this, but I just want to give honor to the youth for allowing me to serve them.

Uh, for allowing me to really express how it is to practice voice, choice, and leadership.

One of the founders of the program is actually sitting in the corner here.

And I thank you because you propelled me to work hard for you.

And uh, without that engagement, we wouldn't be here today, a year later talking about creation of jobs, creation of amenities, creation of honestly what the people would wanted, and the people were the young people.

And so for me, uh it gives me joy to work with all of these amazing community heroes to just be a bridge, to be a bridge, and uh to serve my community.

So thank you.

Hi, uh Ivan Martinez, executive director for the PAL Center.