OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Redwood City Council Meeting - November 10, 2025

City CouncilMonday, November 10, 2025
BodyRedwood City, California
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, November 10, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:34:26
Transcript — Verbatim
4:31

Hello, everyone.

4:32

It is six o'clock, so we're gonna go ahead and get started.

4:35

Good evening and thank you all for joining us for our regular city council meeting of November 10th, 2025.

4:42

We are holding meetings in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation available.

4:48

The city welcomes public comment on topics within the city's subject matter jurisdiction, and members of the public may provide comments as follows.

4:55

In speaker, in-person speakers will be called first.

4:58

Speaker cards are located at the back table in the council chambers and must be turned in to the city clerk here at the Dais.

5:06

Please be sure to indicate the agenda item number which you wish to speak on.

5:10

Attendees who have joined us by Zoom will be called to speak after in-person speaker comments have been given, and detailed instructions for public comment will be provided on the screen when the time for public comment begins.

5:22

If there's a high volume of public comment this evening, we may decrease the total time allotted for each comment or limit the total time for public comment.

5:30

In the event this occurs, please feel free to send your full comments to the city council at Council at Redwood City.org.

5:37

Written comments are not read aloud but will be made part of the final meeting record.

5:41

And before we begin tonight's meeting, I'd like to take a moment of silence to honor and remember two members of our community, Benny or Beninho Nuguid Bade and Anil Kumar Shorma, who tragically lost their lives in a fire that occurred here in Redwood City last week.

5:59

As we pause together, let us remember their lives and the impact they had on those around them.

6:05

May this moment remind us to cherish the people we hold dear and to stand together in times of lost.

6:11

Please join me now in a moment of silence.

6:29

Thank you, everyone.

6:30

I'll now turn it over to our city clerk to call the roll.

6:34

Thank you, and good evening.

6:36

Councilmember Chu.

6:39

Councilmember G.

6:41

Present.

6:41

Council Member Howard.

6:43

Here.

6:43

Councilmember Padilla.

6:45

Here.

6:46

Councilmember Starkin.

6:47

Here.

6:48

Vice Mayor Aiken.

6:49

Here.

6:49

Mayor Martinez Saballos.

6:51

Here.

6:51

Thank you.

6:52

Thanks, everyone.

6:53

We'll go on to the Pledge of Allegiance.

6:55

Councilmember Howard could do the do the honors, please.

6:58

Thank you.

6:58

And the day before Veterans Day, let's stand and honor our flag and our country.

7:06

I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and two great other stands.

7:27

Thank you, Councilmember Howard.

7:29

We will move on to item four.

7:31

Item four is a procedural item for the purpose of identifying and confirming any council members who wish to participate in the meeting remotely and have not already provided a remote location listed on the agenda.

7:42

This item doesn't pertain to public comment from the public.

7:46

And not seeing we have any council members exercising this, so we'll move on to item five, which is our presentations and acknowledgements.

7:55

And our first recognition item this evening is to recognize a local partner that's provided critical resources to combat hunger and food insecurity here in our region.

8:06

Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley continues to supply Redwood City residents with healthy food and financial support to ensure that Redwood City residents, excuse me, that Redwood City residents and families do not go hungry.

8:21

On behalf of the City Council, I'd like to present the following proclamation.

8:25

Whereas Second Harvest of Silicon Valley has been a steadfast partner in the fight against hunger, providing nutritious food to hundreds of thousands of individuals and families across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

8:39

And whereas the City of Redwood City recognizes that addressing hunger strengthens our entire community and reaffirms our shared values of compassion, inclusion, and equity.

8:49

And whereas the dedicated staff and volunteers of Second Harvest embody the spirit of service and generosity that makes Redwood City and the Greater Peninsula a place where we can all thrive.

9:00

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Elmer Martinez Aballos, Mayor of Redwood City, on behalf of the City Council and the people of Redwood City to hereby proclaim our heartfelt appreciation for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and commend their unwavering commitment to ending food, excuse me, ending hunger and uplifting the lives of our residents.

9:21

And now I'd like to invite Second Harvest of Silicon Valley's program director, Josue Parajas, and his team to accept the proclamation and tell us more about the great work that they're doing in our community.

9:33

Welcome, Josue and team.

9:37

Thank you very much.

9:39

It is an honor and privilege to be here standing up with some of my colleagues.

9:43

We are very grateful and we are thankful for everything that has happened in this time because it's um served as a testimony of how we can work together to unify and how as a community we come together.

9:56

Um we're also very honored to be working with two special partners in this region, Cañada College, and um give me one second.

10:07

Let me pull out my notes.

10:15

Oh, yes, and College of San Mateo.

10:17

Both of those have um worked very closely to continue to provide nourishment in the community.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████████████████47%
Parks and Recreation███████████████████20%
Community Engagement███████████12%
Procedural█████████9%
Economic Development███████7%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Affordable Housing██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Redwood City Council Meeting - November 10, 2025

The Redwood City Council met on November 10, 2025, at 6 PM. The meeting opened with a moment of silence for two community members lost in a fire, followed by recognitions for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and the San Mateo County Central Labor Council (90th anniversary). The consent calendar was approved with one item pulled for discussion. Three public hearings addressed the YMCA phase two project, water utility rate increases, and solid waste rate increases. All three were approved unanimously, with council directing further study on rate assistance programs.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar was approved unanimously except item 7i, a consultant presentation pro forma pulled by Councilmember G. Councilmember G noted the pro forma assumed 5% annual rent increases over 10 years, resulting in a 55% increase from $2,800 to $4,500/month for a base unit. Item 7i passed 4-3, with Councilmembers Chu, G, and Padilla opposed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Several residents urged the city to regulate small cell facility placement, citing health, property value, and fire hazard concerns. They noted over 12 California cities have adopted protections. Speakers requested a meeting with council and a timeline for action.
  • Katie Getz, chair of the Housing and Human Concerns Committee, thanked the council for the tenant protection ordinance second reading.
  • Multiple carpenters and apprentices spoke against the current Community Workforce Agreement (CWA) PLA, requesting pre-qualification language covering all trades, standard wages, healthcare, and apprenticeship opportunities. They argued the existing CWA PLA excludes many local union workers.
  • On water rates, speakers objected to the uniform rate structure, saying it removes conservation incentives and disproportionately impacts low water users. Some noted the SFPUC’s deferred maintenance is driving cost increases.
  • On solid waste rates, Mark Moulton protested the cumulative increases (11-18% annually) and urged a one-time correction to match cost of service.

Discussion Items

  • YMCA Phase Two Project (Item 8A): Staff and YMCA presented the final phase of the intergenerational campus at Red Morton Park. The YMCA will construct a 36,353 sq ft facility with indoor/outdoor pools, childcare for 72 children, wellness center, and community spaces. The project is fully funded by the YMCA. Key benefits include open community swim, free teen summer memberships, and financial assistance (21% of current members receive aid). Council praised the preservation of Valota Green and the partnership. Approved unanimously.
  • Water Utility Rate Increases (Item 8B): The proposed adjustments for 2026-2028 aim to cover rising costs from the SFPUC (44% of expenses) and infrastructure maintenance. The city proposes moving from tiered to uniform water use charges to comply with cost-of-service requirements. A typical single-family customer would see monthly increases of about 9% annually. Council discussed the Utility Rate Assistance Program (URAP), which currently serves ~300 households. Councilmember Surkin requested expanding eligibility beyond 50% AMI and increasing outreach. The vice mayor noted the utility subcommittee had studied the issue for two years. Approved unanimously.
  • Solid Waste Rate Increases (Item 8C): The proposed $6/month increase for 2026 and 2027 for all residential cart sizes to close a projected $1.8M deficit. The city used $250K from the rate stabilization fund to reduce the increase from $7 to $6. Council debated level-of-service changes (e.g., every-other-week collection) but acknowledged public health concerns. The amendment allowing self-haul with a permitting system was introduced. Councilmember Surkin asked about providing credits from the rate stabilization fund directly to residents; staff explained the fund is applied to lower rates upfront. Approved unanimously.
  • Matters of Council Interest: The 2026 meeting calendar was accepted (approved unanimously). Committee reports included updates on the utilities subcommittee, city manager recruitment ad hoc, and the 101/84 corridor project. City manager noted city offices closed for Veterans Day and ongoing community engagement on the Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved consent calendar except item 7i (passed 4-3).
  • Approved all three resolutions for the YMCA phase two project (unanimous).
  • Approved water utility rate increases for 2026-2028 (unanimous), with direction to staff to explore expanding URAP eligibility and outreach.
  • Approved solid waste rate increases for 2026-2027 and related ordinance amendments (unanimous).
  • Accepted the 2026 city council meeting calendar (unanimous).
  • No reportable action from closed session.

Meeting Transcript

Hello, everyone. It is six o'clock, so we're gonna go ahead and get started. Good evening and thank you all for joining us for our regular city council meeting of November 10th, 2025. We are holding meetings in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation available. The city welcomes public comment on topics within the city's subject matter jurisdiction, and members of the public may provide comments as follows. In speaker, in-person speakers will be called first. Speaker cards are located at the back table in the council chambers and must be turned in to the city clerk here at the Dais. Please be sure to indicate the agenda item number which you wish to speak on. Attendees who have joined us by Zoom will be called to speak after in-person speaker comments have been given, and detailed instructions for public comment will be provided on the screen when the time for public comment begins. If there's a high volume of public comment this evening, we may decrease the total time allotted for each comment or limit the total time for public comment. In the event this occurs, please feel free to send your full comments to the city council at Council at Redwood City.org. Written comments are not read aloud but will be made part of the final meeting record. And before we begin tonight's meeting, I'd like to take a moment of silence to honor and remember two members of our community, Benny or Beninho Nuguid Bade and Anil Kumar Shorma, who tragically lost their lives in a fire that occurred here in Redwood City last week. As we pause together, let us remember their lives and the impact they had on those around them. May this moment remind us to cherish the people we hold dear and to stand together in times of lost. Please join me now in a moment of silence. Thank you, everyone. I'll now turn it over to our city clerk to call the roll. Thank you, and good evening. Councilmember Chu. Councilmember G. Present. Council Member Howard. Here. Councilmember Padilla. Here. Councilmember Starkin. Here. Vice Mayor Aiken. Here. Mayor Martinez Saballos. Here. Thank you. Thanks, everyone. We'll go on to the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilmember Howard could do the do the honors, please. Thank you. And the day before Veterans Day, let's stand and honor our flag and our country. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and two great other stands. Thank you, Councilmember Howard. We will move on to item four. Item four is a procedural item for the purpose of identifying and confirming any council members who wish to participate in the meeting remotely and have not already provided a remote location listed on the agenda. This item doesn't pertain to public comment from the public. And not seeing we have any council members exercising this, so we'll move on to item five, which is our presentations and acknowledgements. And our first recognition item this evening is to recognize a local partner that's provided critical resources to combat hunger and food insecurity here in our region. Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley continues to supply Redwood City residents with healthy food and financial support to ensure that Redwood City residents, excuse me, that Redwood City residents and families do not go hungry. On behalf of the City Council, I'd like to present the following proclamation. Whereas Second Harvest of Silicon Valley has been a steadfast partner in the fight against hunger, providing nutritious food to hundreds of thousands of individuals and families across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. And whereas the City of Redwood City recognizes that addressing hunger strengthens our entire community and reaffirms our shared values of compassion, inclusion, and equity. And whereas the dedicated staff and volunteers of Second Harvest embody the spirit of service and generosity that makes Redwood City and the Greater Peninsula a place where we can all thrive.

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