Regular City Council Meeting - September 23, 2024
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Regular City Council Meeting – September 23, 2024
The Redwood City Council met on Monday, September 23, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting included presentations on long COVID and community awards, public comments, a consent calendar with multiple routine approvals, a discussion on updating municipal codes (stormwater, subdivisions, and improvements), and a study session on tobacco retailer regulations and smoking in public rights-of-way. The council voted 6-1 (Mayor G opposed) to adopt the municipal code updates (excluding a later study on Chapter 27A). No final action was taken on tobacco regulations; staff will conduct further outreach and research.
Proclamations and Presentations
- National Service Dog Month (September) was proclaimed; a proclamation was presented to Canine Companions.
- Fire Prevention Week (October 6-12) was recognized with the theme "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You."
- Long COVID Update: Dr. Kismet Baldwin Santana, San Mateo County Health Officer, presented data: an estimated 10–15% of people who had COVID develop post-COVID conditions; a 2022 CDC study found 7% of adults had ever experienced long COVID and 3.4% currently had it. Higher prevalence was noted among women, adults aged 35–49, Hispanic individuals, and those with lower household incomes. Urban residents had lower rates than rural. Vaccination reduces risk. The fall 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older. Dr. Santana answered questions about symptoms, vaccine timing, and the county's role in future guidance.
- Welcoming Star Awards: Presented by Redwood City Together to José Luis Aguirre (outreach program manager at Garon) and the Sequoia YMCA Safety Around Water Program (taught 160 low-income children/parents free water safety skills; 50% had never been to a pool before).
- Career Online High School Graduation: Three graduates were honored (Janelle Medina, Heidi Casadas Pinto, and Shayla Melendez – absent). The program has now produced 17 graduates. Graduates spoke about perseverance and future goals.
Consent Calendar
All items on the consent calendar were approved unanimously by a 7-0 vote. Highlights include:
- Tentative agreement with IAFF Local 2400 firefighters.
- $2 million grant application for Bay Trail Gap Closure.
- All-way stop signs at Harrison Avenue and Dwayne Street.
- Ardell de Niños Park Expansion contract to McNabb Construction/Park Planet.
- Final acceptance of Hayes Park Synthetic Turf Replacement Project.
- Extension of the fee waiver deadline for outdoor businesses.
- Extended Day Learning Services partnership with Redwood City School District (serves over 600 children, no general fund cost).
- Various services agreements (disposal, locksmith, traffic signs) and claims approval.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Tony Gapistone (BraveMaker founder) requested community support and sponsorships for the nonprofit film festival; noted funding challenges.
- Kath Trindle (emailed) opposed the 847 Woodside Road project, citing parking, health, and safety concerns; insufficient open space; poor transit access.
- Ed Stancil (emailed) offered to settle litigation with the city regarding docktown housing for approximately $366,000; claimed city harassment and invalid contracts.
- Anu Pom Batia (emailed) complained about a recurring food truck vending without proper permits on Broadway and Winslow.
- Susan Hinton (emailed) criticized replacement of natural grass with artificial turf, citing heat islands, plastic pollution, and chemical use.
Discussion Items
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Item 8A: Municipal Code Updates (Chapters 18, 27A, 30) – Staff presented updates to streamline subdivision approvals, align with state law (e.g., SB 9), update stormwater green infrastructure standards, and repeal/repalce Chapter 30 (last updated 1979). Key changes include: raising the commercial remodel trigger for stormwater treatment from 10,000 sq ft to 25,000 sq ft to reduce burden; adding hardship exemptions for undergrounding utilities; removing the subdivision committee; and allowing city engineer/city manager to approve certain maps. Councilmember Howard suggested using the Board of Building Review for periodic updates. Mayor G expressed concerns about the cost impact on tenant improvements for stormwater requirements and requested more data and outreach before adopting Chapter 27A amendments. The council voted 6-1 (Mayor G opposed) to adopt the ordinance as presented but also directed staff to bring back additional information on other cities’ approaches and case studies.
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Study Session: Tobacco Retailer Regulations and Smoking in Public Rights-of-Way – Staff presented two options: adopt San Mateo County’s stricter ordinance (county handles permitting/enforcement; fee $672/year per retailer; prohibits all flavored tobacco including hookah; location restrictions) or create a city-run program (estimated $110,000–$175,000 annually; fee >$2,000 per retailer). The county option would affect three grandfathered hookah lounges (Pasha's, Rock & Wraps, Sandwich Spot). Councilmembers expressed a range of views. Several emphasized public health concerns (Councilmember Howard, Martinez Saballos, Aiken) and a desire to reduce youth access to flavored tobacco. Others (Vice Mayor Espinosa-Garnica, Councilmember Sturkin) stressed the cultural/economic value of hookah lounges and the need to avoid harming existing businesses. Councilmember Aiken proposed exploring a carve-out for the three lounges; county declined. Councilmember Howard suggested converting lounges to private clubs. Mayor G raised the possibility of shared services with other cities (e.g., South San Francisco) to lower enforcement costs. On smoking in public rights-of-way, many supported restrictions on the pedestrian mall and commercial corridors but cautioned against a total ban because residents in multi-unit housing already face limited options. No formal action was taken; staff will conduct outreach to hookah businesses, research state law exceptions, explore shared enforcement models, and return with findings.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously 7-0.
- Municipal Code Updates (Chapters 18, 27A, 30) – Motion passed 6-1 (Mayor G opposed). The ordinance was introduced with a first reading (Chapters 18 and 30 adopted; Chapter 27A amendments and resolution adopting updated green infrastructure standards were approved but council directed staff to return with additional research comparing other cities' approaches and case studies).
- Tobacco Regulations Study Session: No voting occurred. Council provided guidance to staff to:
- Engage the three grandfathered hookah businesses and surrounding community.
- Research state law exceptions for enclosed hookah lounges.
- Explore shared enforcement agreements with neighboring cities (e.g., South San Francisco, San Bruno).
- Investigate the feasibility of a carve-out for existing lounges under a county-enforced program.
- Study public right-of-way smoking restrictions for commercial corridors and pedestrian malls.
- Report back in late 2024 / early 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our regular city council meeting here in Rhodes City of September twenty-third, twenty twenty-four. We are continuing to offer in-person and remote options for our city council meetings. However, due to continued disruptions during public comment at open meetings throughout the region, we've modified our public comment procedures until further notice. Our public comment procedures tonight for items on the agenda or within the city 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. Comments that were received by 5 o'clock P.M. may be read aloud, time permitting, and in any case will be made part of the final meeting record. In-person speakers must turn in a speaker card to our city clerk at the disk 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 in the order in which speaker cards were turned in. If there is a high volume of public comment this evening, we may decrease the time allotted for each comment or limit the total time for public comment. This is to ensure that the City Council can address agenda items in a timely manner, and is allowed under the City Council's Guide to Communications and Business. In the event this occurs, please feel free to send your full comments to the City Council at public comment at Redwood City.org so that we can see your comments and they will be part of the meeting record. I now like to turn the meeting over to our city clerk to call the role. Jessica. Good evening, and thank you, Mayor. We'll start with Councilmember Aguirre. Here. Councilmember Aiken. Here. Councilmember Howard. Here. Councilmember Martina Saballos. Here. Councilmember Sturkin. Here. Vice Mayor Espinosa Garnica. Here. And Mayor G. Present. Thank you. I'd also like to note that our city manager, Melissa Stevenson Diaz is participating tonight, participating in tonight's meeting by Zoom while she is on work-related travel. At this time, I'd like to invite Councilmember Sturkin to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, Councilmember Stirkin. Our next section of the agenda is our celebratory part of our agenda where we acknowledge important community events, people, and cultural events. In addition to the recognition items this evening, I want to announce that the month of September is National Service Dog Month, which raises awareness of the benefits of task-trained service dogs and the rights of service dog users. The City Council issued a proclamation to Canine Companions, an organization that provides task-trained service dogs to adults, children, and veterans with disabilities, and facility dogs to professionals working in health care, criminal justice, rehabilitation, and educational settings. Please join me in honoring service dog teams and their amazing work. Another event coming up is Fire Prevention Week happening from October 6th to 12th. The Raywood City Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years. This year's campaign, Smoke Alarms, Make Them Work for You, which strives to educate the community about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. Please join us in recognizing fire prevention week in Redwood City. Our first presentation this evening is something that's still with us, even though it started in 2020. We're going to learn a little bit more about the impacts of long COVID and the new vaccinations that are coming out. I am pleased to invite San Mattel County Health Officer, Dr. Kismet Baldwin Santana, who gives an update on long COVID and share updates on vaccination availability. Thank you for joining us this evening. Very short here. All right. Thank you, Mayor G, uh Vice Mayor Espinoza Garnica and Council members for inviting me to briefly present on post-COVID conditions, also known as long COVID.
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