Redwood City Council State of the City Address – March 24, 2025
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Redwood City Council State of the City Address – March 24, 2025
The Redwood City Council held a joint regular meeting on March 24, 2025, featuring a State of the City address delivered by Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos and individual councilmembers. The meeting included public comments from five speakers and one written comment, followed by presentations on housing, transportation, community well-being, economic opportunity, safety, and sustainability, each culminating in a "Redwood City Roots Award" to a notable initiative.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Carolyn Hoskins (Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center) responded to a negative online review, asserting the museum's value and thanking Senator Josh Becker and Supervisor Ray Mueller for support. She invited councilmembers to visit the museum at 890 Jefferson Avenue.
- Barbara Finnegan (American Association of University Women) noted that March 25 is Equal Pay Day, stating women earn 83 cents on the dollar nationally (64–65 cents for women of color). She urged the city to address the gender pay gap to reduce poverty and boost the economy.
- Michael Arrasa Cruz (Peninsula for Everyone) presented a white paper arguing that the city's gatekeeper process is a significant impediment to housing construction. He stated that projects stuck in the process contain over 900 housing units (311 affordable) and urged streamlining and moving projects forward.
- Maurice Goodman (NAACP San Mateo County) supported Carolyn Hoskins and the Black History Museum, calling on the city to stand against hate and affirm that Black history is American history.
- Jose Reyes (resident) described an alleged incident of excessive force and mistreatment by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in 2018, including a hog-tie restraint and subsequent alleged cover-up. He requested an investigation by the California Attorney General.
- Written comment: Jack O'Hara submitted a concept proposal for Redwood City's urban development, emphasizing service to the community, county, state, and union.
Discussion Items
Councilmembers each presented a segment of the State of the City address, followed by the presentation of a Roots Award.
- Housing and Homelessness (Councilmember Chris Sturken): Outlined the "four Ps" framework (preserve, protect, produce, partner) including a preservation fund, mobile home park rezoning, development of a tenant protection ordinance, and homelessness partnerships. Award: The collective effort to expand affordable housing was recognized for achieving nearly 1,000 affordable units approved, under construction, or recently completed, including projects like 353 Main, Arroyo Green, Hallmark House, and Miramontes.
- Transportation (Councilmember Jeff Gee): Highlighted Vision Zero, the 101/84 Woodside Road Interchange Project (construction starting 2027), Caltrain grade separations, and equitable safety improvements. Award: The 101/84 Woodside Road Interchange Project was awarded for its potential to reduce congestion and improve safety.
- Community Well-being (Councilmember Marcella Padilla): Discussed the Complete Parks Indicator, mental health services partnerships, the Veterans Memorial Building and Senior Center (opening fall 2025), library programs, and the Redwood City Together collaborative. Award: The new Veterans Memorial Building and Senior Center was recognized as an intergenerational space for wellness and connection.
- Economic Opportunity (Councilmember Isabella Chu): Described the outdoor business program, Broadway Pedestrian Mall, Greater Downtown Area Plan, new businesses, and a potential digital billboard pilot. Award: The Broadway Pedestrian Mall was awarded for enhancing downtown vitality and economic activity.
- Safe and Connected Neighborhoods (Councilmember Diane Howard): Covered community policing, the transition of the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team (CWCRT) from pilot to ongoing service, organized retail theft response, CERT academies, and neighborhood associations. Award: The CWCRT program was recognized for its care-first approach to crisis situations.
- Sustainable Future (Vice Mayor Kaia Eakin): Addressed climate action, sea level rise adaptation, Bayfront Canal flood management, and digital equity through the Wi-Fi hotspot lending program. Award: The city's Wi-Fi hotspot lending program was awarded for promoting digital equity and connectivity.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or ordinances were passed during the meeting. The council received public comments and unanimously presented six Roots Awards.
- Councilmember Sturken noted that the Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness will consider recommending an ordinance to limit camping on public property.
- The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for April 14, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everybody. It is time we'll go ahead and get started with item one call to order. Thank you, everyone, for joining our regular City Council meeting of March twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-five. Tonight's meeting is a special event as we'll be delivering our state of the city address.org as outlined on the agenda. There will be one opportunity for public comment tonight under item number four. In-person speakers must turn in a speaker card to the city clerk at the days to be recognized to speak. Comments that were received via email by five o'clock may be read aloud, time permitting, and in any case, will be made part of the final meeting record. Here, Council Member G. Present. Council Member Howard here. We'll take public comment on topics on or off the agenda and within the city's subject matter jurisdiction. And I'll turn it over to the city clerk to facilitate public comment. Thank you. We do have five speaker cards, and if anyone else in the audience would like to speak, uh please turn in your speaker card now. And once we begin public comment, we'll be closing the list for public comment. All right, seeing none, we'll first call Carolyn Hoskins to the podium. Carolyn will be followed by Barbara Finnegau. And there is a timer on the podium. The orange blinking light is their 30-second warning, and the red light with the beep means your time is up. Thank you. And the timer will begin when you start speaking. Welcome. Okay. The Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center is proud to share our history here in Redwood City. We don't just check the box on diversity. We practice it every day. Everyone is welcome. We had over 1,000 students from the San Mateo and Foster City School District visit the museum. I thank Senator Josh Becker for the two million dollar grant so that we have a permanent location at 890 Jefferson and Supervisor Ray Mueller for his support. I am here today to speak on a review about the museum from a Redwood City residence. So as a 22,000 square foot space that was vacant for years, now have a tenant, a ghost museum that has no visitors ever, cost a fortune to visit, and zero real artifacts and zero ties to local history. Senator Josh Becker basically got vacant subsidies from the Loki from the lucky business owner. What kind of kickback or tilt or tat is going on here? And since when does Redwood City promote Black Lives Matter? Is Redwood City community value of our tax dollars? I don't care about the political agenda. And everything in this review is a lie. So please don't attack me or the museum with lies. But for me, it's not a big deal because it shows an education and stupidity. So I will continue to let my voice be heard loud and clear. And where do you go to visit this museum? You come to Redwood City. So again, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this message with you. And I also invite you to come and let me share my history with you. You are somebody. Every race and nationality has contributed to make America what it is. America is not great. You can ask a lot of people through history to know that. But each and every day, we strive to make America have respect for each and every one. So everyone is important.
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