Redwood City Council Approves Consent Calendar and Directs Immigration Ordinance Draft for Q1 2025 - November 25, 2024
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Redwood City Council Meeting Summary - November 25, 2024
The Redwood City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, November 25, 2024, convening at 6:00 PM. The council addressed a consent calendar, heard extensive public comment on a proposed immigration enforcement ordinance referral, approved executive management compensation changes, accepted the 2025 meeting calendar, and received committee reports. The meeting concluded with memorials and a closed session.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved a consent calendar (items 6A–6Q) with one motion, minus items 6C, 6K, 6L, and 6O due to recusals by Councilmember Howard (6C, 6K, 6L) and Councilmember Aiken (6O). The motion passed unanimously.
- Items approved included: investment report for period ending September 30, 2024; final acceptance of several construction projects; temporary removal of the Docktown floating dock; submission of a Bay Road Complete Street funding application; tentative agreement with the Police Officers Association; agreement to provide financial services to South Bayside Waste Management Authority; parcel map for Stanford Health Care Block E; award of contract for sewer capacity design; amendment for emergency management services; and approval of claims and checks.
- The council then voted separately on the recused items. Item 6O (1900 Broadway) passed 5-0 (Mayor G and Councilmember Aiken recused). Items 6C, 6K, and 6L passed 6-0 (Mayor G recused).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-agenda public comments: Jose Reyes recounted an alleged police beating and requested an investigation. Jim Crampton, co-chair of the Bear Island Neighborhood, thanked staff for addressing homelessness along Redwood Creek and requested fencing of undercrossings. Marty Udiches, president of Bear Island Aquatic Center, supported consent item 6G regarding the Docktown dock removal, citing deterioration and safety hazards.
- On item 7A (immigration ordinance referral), the city clerk reported 26 in-person speakers and 24 written emails. The vast majority expressed strong support for placing and passing an ordinance restricting city cooperation with immigration authorities. Speakers represented organizations such as Casa Circulo Cultural, Redwood City Education Foundation, Faith in Action, and youth groups. They cited fear of deportation, the contributions of immigrants (e.g., "over 39% of San Mateo County residents are foreign-born", "undocumented immigrants contribute over $3 million annually in state and local taxes across California", and "in 2022 alone, undocumented people paid $54.4 billion in federal taxes and $37.3 billion in state taxes"), and the need to build trust with law enforcement. Several spoke in Spanish, with interpretation provided.
- Opposition was primarily in written comments: Sharon King questioned public safety impacts and urged a community survey; Thomas and Catherine Delphs, 55-year residents, opposed and called for a public vote. The California Apartment Association submitted a letter arguing the ordinance would be illegal and discriminatory, citing the Unruh Civil Rights Act and Civil Code 1940.35.
Discussion Items
- Item 7A – Referral for an ordinance restricting city resources for immigration cooperation. City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz clarified that the referral would direct staff to conduct research, and that no ordinance was being voted on that night. Councilmember Sterkin, the referral author, argued that a welcoming city designation is not enough and that codifying and expanding the existing police non-cooperation policy to all departments would provide stronger protection. Some members, including Vice Mayor Espinoza Garnica and Councilmember Martinez-Savos, supported exploring the ordinance, with the Vice Mayor favoring the county's no-exemption language. Councilmembers Aiken, Howard, and Mayor G expressed caution, citing the 2017 experience, the need for community outreach, concerns about the term "sanctuary," and the risk of federal retaliation. Councilmember Aguirre clarified that the proposal is specifically about city resources, not a sanctuary designation. After discussion, Councilmember Sterkin amended his motion to direct staff to draft an ordinance for council consideration in the first quarter of 2025.
- Item 9A – Amendments to executive management benefits and classification, including a 40-hour vacation advance and increased bereavement leave. Approved unanimously after no public comment.
- Item 9B – Amendment to the City Attorney's employment agreement to increase severance pay from six to nine months if the council terminates employment. The ad hoc committee recommended the change; no public comment was received. Approved unanimously.
- Item 10A – The 2025 City Council meeting calendar was accepted unanimously.
- Item 10B – Councilmember Aiken reported on several meetings attended (Veterans Day celebration, SFO roundtable, climate talk, CCAG, Peninsula Clean Energy).
- Committee reports: Councilmember Sterkin summarized the Climate Action Subcommittee's November 13 meeting (presentations from SAMTRANS and city staff). Vice Mayor Espinoza Garnica summarized the Utilities Subcommittee's November 15 meeting (solid waste rates and stormwater management).
- City Manager update: Melissa Stevenson Diaz thanked public works staff for winter storm preparation, including storm drain clearing, pump maintenance, and providing sandbag resources. She reminded residents about the self-serve sandbag station at 1400 Broadway and creek maintenance responsibilities.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved as described, with separate votes for recused items.
- The council adopted a motion (4-3: Sterkin, Espinoza Garnica, Aguirre, Martinez-Savos in favor; Howard, Aiken, Mayor G opposed) directing staff to draft an ordinance restricting the use of city resources to assist or cooperate with immigration authorities, for consideration in Q1 2025.
- Unanimous approval of executive management benefits changes (9A) and City Attorney severance amendment (9B).
- Unanimous approval of the 2025 meeting calendar (10A).
- The public meeting was adjourned in memory of Janet Thomas and Ruby Inoue, and the council moved into closed session for labor negotiations and litigation. No reportable action was anticipated.
Meeting Transcript
Well good evening, everyone. Welcome to our meeting of what day to day, November 25th of 2024. I'd like to ask our city clerk to call the roll, please. Councilmember Aguirre. Here. Councilmember Aiken. Here. Councilmember Howard. Here. Councilmember Martinez Sabayo should be joining us shortly. Councilmember Sturkin. Here. Vice Mayor Espinoza Garnica. Here. And Mayor G. Present. Thank you. Thank you. 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 our region, 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 are 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 continue to re-evaluate our public comment procedures and will share updates as necessary. Comments that were received via email by five o'clock PM may be read aloud, time permitting, and in any case will be part of the final meeting record. In-person speakers must turn in a speaker card to the city clerk at the Diaz 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 the city council can address agenda items in a timely manner and is allowed under the City Council's Guide to Communications and Business.org so that we can see your comments and they will be part of the meeting record. Lastly, I'd like to let everyone know that Spanish interpretation is available during tonight's meeting through item 7A. If you'd like to receive a and a listening device, please see the staff in the back of the room. Thank you. Matters of council interest and items not on the agenda. Two minutes each, please. Okay. Orange brink blinking light means you've got 30 seconds, and red light with the beat means your time is up. Welcome to the name's Jose Reyes. I'm nervous. I'm here because of an injustice that was done to me. I was tie wrapped in beat. Hog tied. I was tie wrapped in beat, hog tide, and for four and a half years I've been trying to bring it to the light. I've wrote to Christina Corpus. I've wrote to the grievance thing. I've done this is a calendar of all the things I wrote. I wrote to letters to the judge. I've wrote to the DA. This is to the magistrate. This is to anyway, long story short.
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