The Redwood City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, January 22, 2024, at 6:00 PM. The meeting opened with presentations and acknowledgments, including the annual Water Conservation Poster Contest awards, an update from the San Mateo County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission, and a feasibility study presentation from the Center for Creativity. Public comment was dominated by calls for a ceasefire resolution regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, with nearly 30 speakers addressing the council. The consent calendar, containing 13 routine items, was approved unanimously, as were two staff reports on animal control ordinance updates and executive management classification and salary adjustments.
The consent calendar included 13 items (6A through 6M) and was approved unanimously with a motion by Councilmember Getty and second by Councilmember Howard. Items highlighted during discussion:
During the public comment period (Item 5), 29 individuals spoke or submitted comments. The overwhelming majority (26 of 29) urged the council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, citing the high number of civilian casualties, the humanitarian crisis, and the use of U.S. tax dollars. Several speakers identified themselves as Palestinian, Jewish, or community activists. One speaker (Wayne Regalia) raised a local traffic safety concern about double-parked vehicles on James Avenue and Brewster Avenue near school drop-off zones, requesting police enforcement. No public comments were received for items 8A or 8B.
Well, good evening, everyone, and welcome to Redwood City. It's great to see a full chamber of participants and audience members. This is our meeting of Monday, January 22nd, 2024. And it's dry out there for at least a few hours. So we are 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 have modified our public comment procedures until further notice. The city welcomes public comment on topics within the city subject matter jurisdiction, and this can be provided in person during the meeting or by email ahead of the meeting. Our section four is for our presentations and acknowledgments. This is the celebratory part of our agenda. So we have three items this evening. Our first one, I always like this one, is a fun one. It's recognition of winners of the annual water conservation poster contest by the City of Redwood City's Public Works Water Division. We're recognizing the winners of the annual water conservation poster contest coordinated by the city's public works water division. It's a great opportunity to teach our future generations about water conservation and experience it through their creative art. Tonight we're presenting awards to the 12 winners of the 28th annual water conservation poster contests. Twenty-eight years in a row. That's great. That's wonderful. Our city has many initiatives and programs that help keep our community conserved water year after year, making us one of the most water efficient communities in the Bay Area. Some of these programs include the drop counter water use portal and flume smart home water monitor. God, that's a lot of words for monitoring your water use and getting usage alerts, water wise home conservation kits and residential self-audit tools, rebates for lawn replacement, rain barrels, irrigation equipment, and smart irrigation controller, water wise gardening workshops, and why we are all here tonight, one of our longest running and most successful programs, the water conservation poster contest. I'd like to turn the rest of the presentation over to Justin Chapel, our public works superintendent to present the winners. Justin, you look great for 28 plus. Thank you, Mary G. Although I haven't been doing the awards for 28 years personally, so this is maybe only my tenth or something like that. So uh the poster contest is a fun dynamic way for students to learn about water conservation and reaches hundreds of students each year in kindergarten through fifth grade. The kids love taking each year's theme, discussing how important it is to conserve water, and then letting their creativity shine in their artwork. We would also like to take a moment to thank all the teachers who'd participate in the program this year, because if not for their help and cooperation, our program would not be the success that it has it is today and for the past 28 years. So the um the theme of this year's contest was rain comes and goes, only pearl precipitation knows. So as we know, California's weather is unpredictable. It can go from drought conditions to heavy rains and flooding. With the return of wet winter season, we can water our gardens again. We asked the students to think about how our gardens could be more water efficient. We provided them with a few ideas for saving water and preventing water waste and landscape. And with the help of our mascot, Pearl Precipitation. So some of the ways would be that to capture water in the rainy season is to reuse the it in the garden during the dry season through rain barrels. Irrigate using water efficient practices such as drip irrigation, and don't let the water run off during irrigating and don't irrigate while Pearl is watering us for us. We can also replace our lawns with water efficient plants, and California natives are a great option. So from hundreds of entries, 12 winners were selected for their exemplary artistic efforts and water conservation messaging. Each of them will receive a personalized certificate from the City Council, and the certificate says, upon the recommendation of the mayor and this council of the city of Redwood City, these students are hereby awarded this certificate for raising community awareness of Redwood City's water conservation poster contest theme: rain comes and goes, only pearls precipitation knows. As part of Redwood City's water conservation poster contest, with all the rights, honors, and privileges apparent thereto, and with the congratulations and great appreciation of the City Council of Redwood City on this 22nd day of January 2024. At this time, I'd like to invite Mayor G to come up front to help present the awards. And for the first award tonight goes to Kali Monet from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and Mrs. Mellespina's class. And Cowley won the theme award. Now for the winners for second and third grade. So the theme winner goes to Eleanor Sondag at Roy Cloud in Mrs. Johnson's class. Okay. So unfortunately, the next winner is uh for first place isn't here, and that goes to Renata Miranda or Tiaga from Henry Ford School in Mr.