The Redwood City Council held its first regular meeting of 2024 on January 8, 2024, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included proclamations, extensive public comment on the Israel-Hamas conflict, approval of updates to development impact fees and utility capacity fees, and adoption of the park impact fee project list. All votes were 6-0 with Councilmember Aguirre absent.
The council modified public comment procedures, temporarily suspending Zoom comments due to regional disruptions. A total of 17 in-person speakers and 12 emailed comments (of 13 received) were presented. The vast majority of speakers addressed the Israel-Hamas war, urging the council to keep divisive foreign policy resolutions off the agenda. Speakers included members of Congregation Beth Jacob, Jewish community leaders, a Palestinian American Christian, and high school students.
Items 7B through 7G were approved in a single motion (6-0).
Item 7A – Agreement for Services for Redwood Life Project (pulled from consent for discussion)
Item 8A – Adoption of Nexus Study and Impact Fee Updates for Transportation, Water, and Sewer
Item 8B – Adoption of Updated Park Impact Fee Project List
Well, good evening, everyone, and welcome to Redwood City. Welcome to our first meeting of 2024. Um, and I hope we everyone had a happy new year and uh a nice holiday season. We're continuing to offer in-person and remote options for our city council meetings. However, due to continued recent disruptions during public comment at open meetings throughout our region and state, we've modified our public comment procedures until further notice. The city welcomes public comment on topics within the city's subject matter jurisdiction, and this can be provided in person during the meeting or by email ahead of the meeting. At this time, we're temporarily suspending public comments by Zoom. We want to ensure that the city can continue to conduct the city's business in a manner that allows all residents to participate. We are currently re-evaluating our public comment procedures and we'll share an update soon. Our public comment procedures for items on the agenda or within the city's subject matter jurisdiction are as follows. Public comment is taken in person during the meeting or in advance via email as outlined on the agenda. In-person speakers must turn in a speaker card to the city clerk at the dais to be recognized to speak. Comments that were received by 5 o'clock PM today may be read into the record by the city clerk. All public comment received by 5 o'clock will be made part of the final meeting record. Both in-person and emailed comments are subject to the same time limit. Lastly, if we have a high volume of comments this evening, we may decrease the time allotted for each comment or limit the local time for public comment.org so that we can see your comments and that they would card the meeting records. But before we move to closed session, I'd like to turn it over to the clerk for any public comment on the closed session item. Well good evening again and thank you for joining us. Thank you for your patience the council. No reporter action this evening. So now we'll begin our presentation and acknowledgment part of our council meeting. This is a month long initiative to raise awareness. Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs, including food, clothing, and shelter. We're really proud of the ongoing partnership that we have with the city and with Fair Oaks Community Center, ensuring that our communities most vulnerable or are uh fed, clothed, healthy, and housed. I want to thank you again for your ongoing support of Samaritan House and for uh working with us to fight poverty and lift lives. Alec, thank you and thank the Samaritan House and everyone, the board and all the volunteers for making a difference in River City. I'm going to come down and present this proclamation to you and ask counsel to join us in the front for a photo. So, Alec. Thanks. As you know, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to the principle that we as a people have achieved and can continue to achieve nonviolent social change. I'd like to take a moment to read a few excerpts from this proclamation this evening. Whereas Dr. King was a great orator and leader whose eloquent message influenced his country to integrate peacefully and resulted in the passing and signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And whereas Dr. King received the Nobel Priest Prize in 1964 for his constant adherence to the principles of nonviolence in the face of frequent th threats. So now therefore it be resolved on behalf of the City Council. We do hereby proclaim January 15th, 2024 in Redwood City as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and encourage all residents to recommit themselves to the principle of justice and equality for all. On behalf of the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center, I would like to thank you for this honor. The museum started in part because of Dr. King. Throughout history, we know that all races and nationalities marched and died with Dr. King because of the injustice to African Americans. So today we honor him because of what he stood for. Freedom and justice for all people. So I invite you to come and visit the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center to help keep his dream alive. We are unstoppable, proud, strong, fearless, and inspiring. The museum will open February 1st through the 29th from 12 noon to 6 p.m.