The Redwood City Council met on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (after technical difficulties). The meeting included community recognitions, public comment on a short‑term rental property and on proposed resolutions, adoption of two resolutions reaffirming civil liberties and the city’s authority over its property, and reports from council committees. Councilmember Padilla was absent.
Test test. Thank you. Test test. All right. Good evening, everybody. Thank you for your patience while we got through those technical difficulties. We will go ahead and get started. And we'll move to a roll call. Good evening. We'll start with Council Member Chu here. Council Member G. Present. Council Member Howard. Here. Councilmember Padilla is absent this evening. Council Member Sturkin. Here. Vice Mayor Aiken. Here, Mayor Martinez Savos. Here. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. And we'll move to the Pledge of Allegiance. And Vice Mayor could you lead us on the pledge? Please join me in saluting our flag. I pledge allegiance to the fly of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it saves you under God. But because it is not applicable this evening, we have all council members who are participating in person. Basically, this is a program where they learn about their leadership skills and develop them a little bit more, and are able to learn about uh public speaking, interview skills, all of that fun stuff that is necessary in the real world, obviously. Um, and yeah, I'm super proud of them. They made it through. Jesus was actually our finalist for both East Palo Alto Clubhouse and the Forest, so we were able to move on to regionals. Um, and unfortunately he didn't make it after that, but we are super proud of him. Thank you. Thank you, Sandra, and congratulations to all of you for being here for this great recognition. And we have some certificates for you all, and we'd love to take a photo. Thank you. Thanks again, everybody, and congratulations. Our next recognition this evening is for the American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. A time to celebrate the significant contributions, history, and resilience of our Muslim communities. And I'll read a few excerpts from the proclamation. Whereas freedom of religion holds a distinction as a cherished right and a fundamental value upon which the law and ethics of the United States are based. And whereas over 15,000 Muslims live in San Mateo County and make an innumerable contributions to the political, cultural, and economic fabric and well-being of California and the United States. Whereas Dion Yet, Silicon Valley, Itrogul, Ghazi Masid, established this year by Bay Area residents from Turkey with the support of the Turkish American Religious Foundation, will serve as a vibrant center for worship, education, and community engagement to foster unity, cultural connection, and mutual understanding among Muslims and the broader community. And whereas the City of Redwood City acknowledges the importance of local government in promoting harmony and understanding that Muslims everywhere deserve to live in peace and safety. And now therefore be it resolved that I, Elmer Martinez Abos, mayor of Redwood City, on behalf of the City Council and the residents of Redwood City, do hereby proclaim April 2026 as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month to acknowledge the rich history and contributions and guiding virtues of Muslims and to commend all Muslim communities for the lasting positive impact they have made towards the advancement of our city and our country. And I'd like to now welcome members of the Dionette Uttargul Ghazi Masid, Silicon Valley Islamic Community Mosque, which is located right here in Redwood City, as well as Musa Tariq, policy coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations, to the podium to accept the proclamation and share some remarks. Thank you all for being here and welcome. Sorry, and if uh anybody would like to make a remarks, I think Musa was gonna be here, but if there's uh another representative, we'd be happy to give you the floor. Please, thank you.