Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Redwood City Council Meeting – February 23, 2026

City Council — Monday, February 23, 2026

BodyRedwood City, California

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, February 23, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 5:07:54

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:35

All right.

8:24

All right.

8:25

Good evening, everyone.

8:26

Thank you for joining our regular city council meeting of February twenty third, twenty twenty-six.

8:32

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

8:49

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

9:00

Which you wish to speak on.

9:01

Attendees who have joined us by Zoom will be called to speak after the in-person comments have been given.

9:07

Detailed instructions for public comment will be provided on the screen when the time for public comment begins.

9:13

And 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.

9:22

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

9:30

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

9:35

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

9:39

Good evening.

9:40

Councilmember Chu.

9:41

Here.

9:41

Councilmember G.

9:42

Present.

9:43

Councilmember Howard.

9:44

Here.

9:44

Councilmember Padilla.

9:46

Here, Councilmember Sturkin.

9:48

Here.

9:48

Vice Mayor Aiken.

9:50

Here.

9:50

Mayor Martinez Saballos.

9:52

Here.

9:52

Thank you.

9:53

Great.

9:53

Thank you, everyone.

9:54

And we'll go to the Pledge of Allegiance.

9:56

Councilmember Padilla, can you leave us?

10:23

Thank you, Councilmember.

10:25

We'll move on to item four.

10:27

And item four is not applicable tonight, so we'll move on to the next agenda item, which is item number five, presentations and acknowledgments.

10:37

And our first recognition this evening is to honor women's history month in annual observance to highlight women's roles and contributions in securing equity, equality, economic, and social justice.

10:52

And whereas, excuse me, and I'll read a few of the whereas of the proclamation, whereas the city of Redwood City designates the month of March as women's history month.

11:03

American women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways.

11:15

And whereas American women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic and cultural institutions in our nation and served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement.

11:31

And whereas we commemorate all of the wonderful women of Redwood City, both past and present, their lasting impact and influence will forever be a staple in our community.

11:41

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Elmer Martinez Saballos, Mayor of Redwood City, on behalf of the City Council and the people of the City of Redwood City do hereby proclaim March 2026 as Women's History Month in Redwood City and encourage all residents to observe this month in honor of the history made by American women.

12:02

And it's now my honor to invite Andrea Jones, inductee of the 2026 San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame to the podium to accept the proclamation and share some remarks.

12:13

Welcome and congratulations.

12:24

Thank you, Mayor Sabayos and the City Council.

12:26

I am just it is such a privilege to accept this honor in honor of Women's History Month.

12:32

We've been residents of Redwood City since 2008, and are so happy and um just work really hard to try and make our community a better place.

12:43

And I know that there are so many fabulous women tonight here in the chambers that um lead their lives in the same way, and also on the city council and city staff.

12:51

So once again, thank you so much, and um, yeah, I appreciate the honor.

13:00

Thank you, Andrea.

13:01

We have a proclamation, so it'd be great to get a photo.

13:15

Um, I'm gonna get a Thank you, Andrea again for being here and congratulations, and please extend our congratulations to the other inductees who couldn't be here.

14:13

I know Terry Nagel, Alison Suzuki, Danica Gonzalez Johnston, and Amani Schroaff are all being inducted with you.

14:21

So please extend our congratulations and thank you for all your great work in the community.

14:26

And with that, we will now move on.

14:30

Excuse me, item five B.

14:33

We are celebrating Lunar New Year, which began Tuesday, February 17th, and honors ancestors, welcomes spring, and signifies turning away the old to embrace a prosperous new year.

14:46

I'll read a few excerpts of the proclamation.

14:49

Whereas the City of Redwood City joins people around the globe in celebrating Lunar New Year, ushering good fortune and warm wishes with the new year, and lifting up the diverse and dynamic communities that make our community, excuse me, our city, states, and country what they are today.

15:06

And whereas Asian American and Pacific Islander or AAPI communities have shaped our communities through foundational contributions to our past, present, and future.

15:17

As we celebrate this rich heritage with its many amazing leaders and accomplishments, we also recognize the unfortunate history of violence and discrimination against these communities and reaffirm for the sake of our neighbors and loved ones, all of us must confront racism in all its forms.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Economic Development███████████████████████████████████████████43%

Community Engagement██████████████14%

Pending Litigation█████████9%

Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%

Procedural███████7%

Personnel Matters██████6%

Parks and Recreation████4%

Transportation Safety████4%

Technology and Innovation███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Redwood City Council Meeting – February 23, 2026

The Redwood City Council met on February 23, 2026, at 2:00 PM in a hybrid format. The agenda included proclamations for Women's History Month and Lunar New Year, a presentation from San Mateo County on the vehicle license fee (VLF) shortfall, a consent calendar, a public hearing on eminent domain for the SR-84 interchange project, a mid-year budget update, and a study session on mobile and sidewalk vending regulations. The meeting featured robust discussion on the city's fiscal outlook, regulatory updates, and community concerns.

Presentations & Acknowledgments

Women's History Month: Mayor Martinez Saballos read a proclamation designating March 2026 as Women's History Month. Andrea Jones, inductee of the 2026 San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame, accepted the proclamation and thanked the council.
Lunar New Year: A proclamation celebrated Lunar New Year 2026, the Year of the Horse. Representatives from Redwood City International accepted and promoted the upcoming Lunar Festival on Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 11 AM to 4 PM.

Consent Calendar

All consent calendar items were approved by a single motion except item 7B (force account work for a construction project), which was pulled by Councilmember Sirkin for discussion. After clarification from the Director of Engineering and Transportation, the council voted unanimously to approve 7B. All other items passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

Bill Johnson (in-person): Owner of local apartment complexes thanked the city for its rapid response to a fire on January 30, 2026, at Rollison Road. He highlighted the coordination between city departments and the Fair Oaks Community Center in housing 18 displaced families.
Jason Solomon (via Zoom): Urged the council to consider an ordinance prohibiting city employees, including police officers, from taking secondary employment with ICE or similar enforcement agencies, citing a Los Angeles City Council ordinance as a model.
During the budget section, Aaron Coleman expressed distress over a floating home dispute with the city, stating his daughter's cremated remains are inaccessible and he remains in a homeless shelter. The city attorney noted the matter has been litigated.
Clara Jekyll (on body-worn cameras): Argued that without independent civilian oversight, body-worn cameras do not improve accountability, and urged reallocation of funds to community wellness and youth programs.
During the street vending study session, several residents and business owners spoke: Fergal O'Boyle (concerns about food truck noise and safety near Stafford Park), Dylan Finch (supported sidewalk vending for vibrancy), Edwin RG (restaurant owner asking for fairness), Anthony Persons (objected to vendors in residential areas due to fire hazards and litter), Olivia Bracamontes (brick-and-mortar owner described trash and grease from unpermitted vendors), and Timothy Russell (Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center) offered training and technical assistance.

Discussion Items

Vehicle License Fee (VLF) Shortfall: County Executive Mike Callaghi and Assistant County Executive Justin Mates presented that a $119 million countywide VLF shortfall exists for 2025-26 due to a broken state payment mechanism unique to San Mateo, Alpine, and Mono counties. They noted that no funding is in the governor's budget, a lawsuit is pending, and the shortfall would severely impact county and city services. Redwood City's estimated loss is $5.4 million annually. Council members expressed frustration and pledged support for legislative and legal efforts.
Mid-Year Budget Update: Finance Director Beth Goldberg presented the mid-year budget adjustments totaling $5.9 million across all funds, with a net fund balance change of $2.4 million. Key challenges include the VLF backfill loss (budgeted but not received), weaker sales and business license tax revenues, and accelerating depletion of the Section 115 pension trust fund. The city now expects to draw on reserves earlier than planned, with a projected negative unassigned fund balance of $14 million for 2026-27 without adjustments. The city manager outlined a "measured approach" focusing on core services, modernization, economic development (including potential rezoning for housing), and intergovernmental relations. Council members generally supported the strategy while expressing caution about reserve depletion.
Street Vending Study Session: Economic Development Manager Amanda Anthony explained state law constraints on regulating motorized (food trucks) and non-motorized (pushcarts) vendors. Key issues include outdated 40-year-old code, lack of enforcement tools, and challenges with unpermitted vendors. Council feedback included: updating ordinances to comply with state law, aligning hours with noise ordinance, considering designated vending zones or lots, prioritizing health and safety, education and training for vendors, and targeting bad actors. No action was taken; staff will return with a draft ordinance in early summer.
Public Hearing – Eminent Domain: The council held a public hearing on a resolution of necessity to acquire property for the SR-84/Woodside Road/US 101 interchange project. No public comments were received, and the council unanimously approved the resolution.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (motion by Councilmember Chu, second by Councilmember G).
Eminent Domain Resolution: Approved unanimously (motion by Councilmember G, second by Councilmember Howard).
Mid-Year Budget Adjustments and Forecast: Approved unanimously (motion by Mayor Martinez Saballos, second by Councilmember Howard). Council accepted the update on year-end results, mid-year goals, economic outlook, and directed staff to proceed with the budget development framework.
Street Vending Study Session: No formal action; staff directed to incorporate council feedback and return with a draft ordinance in early summer for further consideration.
Ad Hoc Committee on Special Events: Mayor Martinez Saballos announced the formation of an ad hoc committee comprising Councilmembers Padilla and Chu, to evaluate event vitality and safety, with a report due by October 2026.
Council Reports: Vice Mayor Aiken reported on the Governance Subcommittee (February 17) and the Finance and Audit Subcommittee (February 19). Mayor Martinez Saballos reported on the 84/101 Ad Hoc Committee (February 20).
Meeting Extension: The council voted to extend the meeting to 11:15 PM to complete the agenda.

Meeting Transcript

All right. All right. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for joining our regular city council meeting of February twenty third, twenty twenty-six. We are holding meetings in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation available. Speaker cards are located at the back table in the council chambers and must be turned into the city clerk here at the days. 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 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. 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 I will now turn it over to our city clerk to call the roll. Good evening. Councilmember Chu. Here. Councilmember G. Present. Councilmember Howard. Here. Councilmember Padilla. Here, Councilmember Sturkin. Here. Vice Mayor Aiken. Here. Mayor Martinez Saballos. Here. Thank you. Great. Thank you, everyone. And we'll go to the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilmember Padilla, can you leave us? Thank you, Councilmember. We'll move on to item four. And item four is not applicable tonight, so we'll move on to the next agenda item, which is item number five, presentations and acknowledgments. And our first recognition this evening is to honor women's history month in annual observance to highlight women's roles and contributions in securing equity, equality, economic, and social justice. And whereas, excuse me, and I'll read a few of the whereas of the proclamation, whereas the city of Redwood City designates the month of March as women's history month. American women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways. And whereas American women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic and cultural institutions in our nation and served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement. And whereas we commemorate all of the wonderful women of Redwood City, both past and present, their lasting impact and influence will forever be a staple in our community. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Elmer Martinez Saballos, Mayor of Redwood City, on behalf of the City Council and the people of the City of Redwood City do hereby proclaim March 2026 as Women's History Month in Redwood City and encourage all residents to observe this month in honor of the history made by American women. And it's now my honor to invite Andrea Jones, inductee of the 2026 San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame to the podium to accept the proclamation and share some remarks. Welcome and congratulations. Thank you, Mayor Sabayos and the City Council. I am just it is such a privilege to accept this honor in honor of Women's History Month. We've been residents of Redwood City since 2008, and are so happy and um just work really hard to try and make our community a better place. And I know that there are so many fabulous women tonight here in the chambers that um lead their lives in the same way, and also on the city council and city staff. So once again, thank you so much, and um, yeah, I appreciate the honor. Thank you, Andrea. We have a proclamation, so it'd be great to get a photo.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com