OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Redwood City Council Meeting – January 26, 2026: Approves Jefferson Avenue Safety Improvements, Arts Work Plan, and Survey Results

City Council — Monday, January 26, 2026
BodyRedwood City, California
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, January 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:24:22
Transcript — Verbatim
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Thank you.

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Thank you.

1:30

Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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

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The city welcomes public comment on topics within the city's subject matter jurisdiction,

4:43

and members of the public may provide comments as follows.

4:46

In-person speakers will be called first.

4:49

Speaker cards are located at the back table in the council chambers

4:52

and must be turned in to the city clerk here at the dais.

4:55

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

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attendees who have joined us by zoom will be called to speak after the in-person

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comments have been given detailed instructions for public comment will be

5:08

provided on the screen when the time for public comment begins and if there's a

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high volume of public comment this evening we may decrease the time allotted

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for each comment or limit the total time for public comment in the event this

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occurs please feel free to send your full comments to the city council at

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Council at RedwoodCity.org.

5:28

Written comments are not read aloud,

5:30

but will be made part of the final meeting record.

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

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Good evening.

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Council Member Chu.

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Here.

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Council Member Gee.

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Present.

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Council Member Howard.

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Here.

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Council Member Padilla.

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Here.

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Council Member Sterkin.

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Here.

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Vice Mayor Aiken will be joining us shortly.

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And Mayor Martinez-Caballos.

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Here.

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Thank you so much.

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Thank you, everybody.

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and we'll move on to the Pledge of Allegiance.

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Council Member G, could you do the honors?

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Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

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If you would rise and join me in saluting the flag of our country.

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Thank you, Council Member. With that, we will move on to item four, which 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.

6:39

This item does not pertain to public comment from the public.

6:43

And I understand that a member of the Council is participating virtually this evening and has triggered the notification requirements under the government code section.

6:51

And so I'll pass things over to Councilmember Sturkin to address the council.

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Thank you, Mayor.

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And thank you for the opportunity to participate remotely.

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I am participating remotely under item four here,

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for having a contagious illness.

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And there is nobody present in my apartment.

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And I will have my video on and audio throughout the meeting.

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great thank you council member

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sir can hope you feel better and thank you for

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participating in tonight's meeting

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and with that we'll go on to

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement███████████████████████████████████████39%
Procedural██████████████████████████26%
Transportation Safety█████████████████████21%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Pending Litigation██2%
Affordable Housing█1%
Personnel Matters█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Redwood City Council Meeting – January 26, 2026

The Redwood City Council convened at 7:01 PM in a hybrid format. Council Member Sterkin participated remotely due to a contagious illness. The meeting began with a closed session (no reportable action) and then moved to open session. Key actions included approving the Jefferson Avenue Traffic Safety Improvement Project (Alternative B), adopting the Arts Commission’s two‑year work plan, receiving the 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey, and appointing a retired annuitant as interim Deputy Fire Chief.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved all consent items except 8A (Council Member Chu recused).
  • Item 8A (restroom facility) was approved separately on a 6‑0 vote (Chu recused).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Quinn Summers (Redwood City resident, 15 years) praised city leadership and police professionalism but expressed fear about recent federal actions in Minneapolis. He requested the council consider organizing a community militia for self‑defense if ICE agents arrive.
  • Ulysses Manciron (resident, lives on Jefferson Avenue): Strong support for Alternative B, citing close calls while crossing with his daughter and the need for a single travel lane to reduce speeding and prevent crashes.
  • Carvin Dasanayake (District 2 resident): Supported Alternative B for pedestrian and bike safety, but urged adding physical barriers (flex posts or low concrete) to bike lanes for greater protection.
  • Matt (resident on Jefferson): Supported Alternative B, described dangerous crossings to Red Morton Park, and thanked staff for community outreach.
  • Dylan Finch: Supported Alternative B, praised staff outreach, and recommended protected intersection designs and curb bulb‑outs on side streets.
  • Cameron Matthews (Mount Carmel Neighborhood Association chair, Orion School PTO co‑chair): Supported Alternative B but asked the city to monitor traffic diversion into neighborhood streets and to pursue a connected bike network beyond this segment.

Discussion Items

  • Arts Commission Work Plan (FY 25‑26 & 26‑27): Chair Anna Westendorf and Vice Chair Ashley Quintana presented priorities: streamline public art processes, update commission handbooks, expand youth engagement, launch an art vending machine, refresh shadow art, and continue mural/community events. Council members expressed strong support, suggesting partnerships, decorative crosswalks, and children’s art. The work plan was approved unanimously.
  • 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey: Deputy City Manager Jennifer Yamaguma and Polco consultant Jason Neumeier presented results. Key findings: governance ratings improved; safety ratings in line with national benchmarks; local economy on the rise but affordability remains a challenge; mobility infrastructure needs improvement; inclusivity and community engagement exceeded benchmarks. Of 123 evaluative items, 7 were higher than national averages, 106 similar, 10 lower. 74% of survey respondents supported Alternative B for Jefferson Avenue. Council discussed demographics, response rate (9.3%), and future outreach strategies. No action required.
  • Jefferson Avenue Traffic Safety Improvement Project: Principal Planner Malahat Orang detailed the project background (101 collisions since 2017, 15 pedestrian, 4 bicyclist), community outreach (mailers to 2,400 addresses, two in‑person meetings, online survey), and two alternatives. Alternative B was recommended: road diet (one travel lane per direction between Farm Hill and Hudson) with a center turn lane, bike lanes, curb extensions, pedestrian beacons, a new traffic signal at Valota, and pavement overlay. Cost $8 million, with $5.5 million in grants. Council discussion focused on bike lane protection, side‑street bulb‑outs, diversion concerns, and timeline. Unanimously approved.
  • Appointment of Retired Annuitant as Deputy Fire Chief: Human Resources Director Michelle Kasayoshi presented a request to hire Gregory DeCuna (29‑year veteran, former Deputy Fire Chief) as extra‑help for up to six months, with no additional benefits. Required a PEPRA exception due to the 180‑day waiting period. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved the Arts Commission work plan for FY 25‑26 and 26‑27 (unanimous).
  • Accepted the 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey report (no vote needed).
  • Approved Jefferson Avenue Traffic Safety Improvement Project Alternative B (unanimous).
  • Approved the appointment of Gregory DeCuna as retired annuitant Deputy Fire Chief effective January 27, 2026 (unanimous).
  • Next Regular City Council Meeting: February 9, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 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-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 the in-person comments have been given detailed instructions for public comment will be provided on the screen when the time for public comment begins and if there's 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 in the event this occurs please feel free to send your full comments to the city council at Council at RedwoodCity.org. Written comments are not read aloud, but will be made part of the final meeting record. And I'll now turn it over to our city clerk to call the roll. Good evening. Council Member Chu. Here. Council Member Gee. Present. Council Member Howard. Here. Council Member Padilla. Here. Council Member Sterkin. Here. Vice Mayor Aiken will be joining us shortly. And Mayor Martinez-Caballos. Here. Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. and we'll move on to the Pledge of Allegiance. Council Member G, could you do the honors? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If you would rise and join me in saluting the flag of our country. Thank you, Council Member. With that, we will move on to item four, which 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 does not pertain to public comment from the public. And I understand that a member of the Council is participating virtually this evening and has triggered the notification requirements under the government code section. And so I'll pass things over to Councilmember Sturkin to address the council.

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