The Redwood City Council met on June 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM for a regular meeting that included a budget study session, appointment to the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BOSCA), public hearings on federal grant funding and sewer charges, and numerous public comments on wireless facilities and traffic safety. The meeting began with a Juneteenth proclamation and a statement from the mayor reaffirming the city's commitment to inclusion and non-enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Good evening, everybody. Hello, hello, good evening, everybody. Should I practice? Thank you, everybody. Good evening. Thank you all for being here to for our regular city council meeting of June 9th, 2025. We continue to offer in-person and remote options for our city council meetings. The city welcomes public comments on topics within the city's subject matter jurisdiction, and members of the public may provide public comments in person during the meeting or by email to public comment at Redwood City dot org 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. Please be sure to indicate the agenda item number which you wish to address. Time permitting, but in any case will be made part of the final meeting record. And if there's a high volume of public comment tonight, we might decrease the total time allotted for each comment or limit the total time for public comment.org. And I will now turn it over to our city clerk to call the roll. Here. And whereas the City of Redwood City honors and celebrates the vibrant culture and leadership that Black Americans bring to our community, and whereas with equity as a city's top guiding principle, we're committed to ensuring inclusion, diversity, compassion, and respect for all. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Elmer Martina Sabayos, Mayor of Redwood City, on behalf of the City Council and the people of the City of Redwood City do hereby proclaim June 19th, 2025 as Juneteenth in Redwood City, and urge all community members to join us in observing this pivotal day in American history and in strengthening our commitment to racial equity in Redwood City and beyond. I'd like to now welcome Michelle Velchez and Maurice Goodman from the Black Parent Network to the podium to accept the proclamation and say a few words. Thank you. Okay. Hello, good evening, um, City Council members and city manager Melissa Diaz. Um just such a pleasure to be here on behalf of Innovate Public Schools. We are a parent power building organization, and for the last 13 years, we have really focused on building the power of Black and Latino parents throughout California and specifically in San Mateo County. We're so so pleased about our parents, uh our Black Parent Network across the peninsula and really building energy within the city of Redwood City. So it is my distinct pleasure to introduce Maurice Goodman, who is our Black Parent Network organizer, um, and who can uh say a few words on behalf of Innovate. Great, thank you. Uh good evening, Mayor, uh, City Council members, community leaders, and and residents of Redwood City. On behalf of the Black Parent Network of Innovative Public Schools, I stand before you today deeply honored and humbled to accept this Juneteenth proclamation. I extend our sincerest gratitude to the City of Redwood City for recognizing and uplifting this powerful day of remembrance, resilience, and liberation. Juneteenth is more than a historic day. It's a legacy, a legacy of struggle met with strength, a legacy of bondage broken by belief, a legacy of people who even after the final shackles were loosed, continue to build, lead, educate, and love a country that did not always love them back. Tonight, this proclamation is more than a ceremonial. It's a public declaration of Redwood City's stand on the side of truth, equity, and the ongoing pursuit of justice. For the Black Parent Network, this recognition affirms what we fight for every single day: equity and education, empowerment of black families, and the elevation of black voices in spaces where pre where our presence has too long been marginalized. We exist to ensure that our children see themselves reflected in the curriculum, leadership, and opportunity. We work so that no child is ever left waiting like our ancestors were for a freedom delayed. Let this proclamation also be a call to action, a reminder that the spirit of Juneteenth lives on and how we educate, legislate, and uplift one another. Not just in June, but every day. To our partners, educators, and families, this is a shared moment of progress. And to the young people watching, know this. Your blackness is not a burden. It is a badge. Your story is part of a powerful tradition, and your future is worth fighting for. Thank you again, City of Redwood City, for standing with us in truth and in purpose as we continue to make history. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Goodman, and thank you, Ms. Velchez for being here. Can we give them a quick round of applause? Thank you. Your work is so impactful.