Redwood City Council Meeting - October 2, 2026

The Redwood City Council met on October 2, 2026, in a hybrid format to discuss a wide-ranging agenda. Key actions included adopting a moderate program for downtown parking, voting to support the regional Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative on the November 2026 ballot, and receiving a comprehensive winter storm readiness plan for an expected strong El Niño. The meeting also featured proclamations for Hispanic Heritage Month and Welcoming Week, recognition of Career Online High School graduates, and a memorial for community member Jerry Pierce. The public comment period included intense debate about a permanent street closure, automated license plate readers (ALPRs), and several instances of hate speech which were disavowed by the council.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar, containing routine items, was approved by a 5-0 vote with Councilmember G and Vice Mayor Aiken absent.

Presentations & Proclamations

• National Hispanic Heritage Month: Mayor Martinez Saballos proclaimed September 15 through October 15, 2026, as National Hispanic Heritage Month. The Latino Community Council of Redwood City (LCCRC) was recognized for organizing the Fiestas Patrias event, which drew thousands of attendees. Speakers Arnoldo Arreola, Ernie, and Connie Guerrero thanked the city for its partnership and highlighted the community and cultural significance of the event. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Fiestas Patrias.
• Welcoming Week: September 10-19, 2026, was proclaimed Welcoming Week. Elisa Chavez of Redwood City Together accepted the proclamation and highlighted ongoing events celebrating the city's diverse and inclusive community. Redwood City became a welcoming city in 2017, and over 34% of residents are immigrants.
• Career Online High School Graduates: Interim Library Director Sarah LaTora recognized five new graduates of the program (Isabel, Steve, Arturo, Christopher, and Javier), which is run in partnership with the Redwood City Library. The program has reached a 10-year milestone with 22 total graduates. Each graduate shared personal stories of overcoming obstacles to earn their diplomas.
• Jerry Pierce Memorial: The council read a proclamation honoring the life and legacy of Jerry Pierce, a longtime Redwood City resident, technologist, avid outdoorsman, and husband of former Mayor Barbara Pierce. The city extended its condolences to his family.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Southgate Street Closure (In-Person): Kate Allison argued the city's pilot program closing Southgate Street at Brewster was a permanent decision avoiding proper hearings, traffic studies, and environmental review. She stated the city does not hold fee title to the land and that over $60,000 has been spent on title and traffic consultants while the city faces a $10.2 million deficit. Ed Connolly submitted 109 petitions from residents demanding the street be reopened, citing a lack of accidents at the intersection and a title report indicating the city does not own the land.
• Historic Preservation (In-Person): Glenn Babbitt, Vice Chair of the Historic Resources Advisory Committee (speaking as a resident), urged the council to oppose proposed changes to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act that could diminish the city's voice in federal projects affecting the downtown historic district. He requested the council direct the city manager to draft a letter of opposition to Congress.
• Surveillance & ALPRs (Zoom): Amber Garza Washburn and Bill Newell, speaking on behalf of community groups, cited a critical recent San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report on the city's surveillance camera system. They requested the council pause the current ALPR contract RFP, hold a public hearing to respond to the grand jury, and host community town halls on the issue before proceeding with a new contract.
• 9/11 Remembrance (Zoom): Jim Bridger requested the council consider a resolution for a week of remembrance for the September 11 attacks.
• Hate Speech (Zoom): Three subsequent Zoom speakers made antisemitic, racist, and transphobic comments. The Mayor and councilmembers repeatedly interrupted the speakers, enforced rules of decorum by muting them, and issued strong statements disavowing the views, stating they do not represent the community or city values.

Discussion Items

• Downtown Parking Program Update: Engineering Director Tanisha Werner and Parking Manager Christian Hammock presented an update on the downtown parking program, which currently faces a $1.4 million deficit. The program has two zones covering 1,100 on-street spaces, several garages, and shared parking agreements. Staff outlined two possible paths forward: a “Simple” program or a “Moderate” program involving more staffing, data analysis, and technology. Council discussion centered on flipping the pricing model so garages are cheaper than curb spaces to improve turnover, the critical role of enforcement, and the need for robust business outreach before implementing major changes. A public commenter, Dylan Finch, spoke in favor of the moderate program.
• Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative: Assistant City Manager Derek Wolfgram presented the half-cent regional transit sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot. The measure would provide San Mateo County with approximately $700 million over 14 years, distributed among Caltrain, BART, Muni, and SAMTrans. Council discussion included the importance of transit for downtown success and equity. Councilmember Howard clarified that ferry funds will support the South San Francisco service. Councilmember Padilla expressed strong opposition, citing the tax burden on working families (pushing the local sales tax over 10%), the changing nature of ridership post-pandemic, and concerns over transit agency oversight and fiscal responsibility. SAMTrans representatives noted that 94% of their ridership is low-income and that they are implementing cost-cutting measures.
• Winter Storm Readiness: Public Works Acting Superintendent Linda Chang presented the city's preparations for the upcoming winter, which has a greater than 90% chance of a strong El Niño event. The presentation covered infrastructure (18 pump stations, the new Bayfront Canal Diversion Project), the Adopt-a-Drain program, CERT preparedness, and the availability of free sandbags at the Public Works yard and a new self-service station at Fair Oaks Community Center. Council discussion focused on outreach to Spanish-speaking residents and mobile home parks, community sandbag-filling events, debris capture in creeks, and improving sidewalk drainage through the sidewalk replacement program.

Key Outcomes

• Downtown Parking Program: The council voted 5-0 to adopt the Moderate Program approach and approved the staff-recommended automatic increases to on-street meter rates. Staff was directed to complete outreach to downtown businesses and residents before returning with a comprehensive package for further policy directions.
• Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative: The council voted 4-1 to adopt an official position of support for the Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative on the November 2026 ballot. Councilmember Padilla cast the dissenting vote. The council requested that Councilmember G, the city’s representative on the SAMTrans board, provide regular updates on the agency’s cost-cutting and efficiency measures.
• Winter Readiness (Direction to Staff): Council members gave several directives to staff, including creating multilingual one-page informational flyers, exploring a community sandbag-filling event with partner organizations, coordinating with non-profits for door-to-door outreach in mobile home parks, and investigating curb-cutting and green infrastructure options within the existing sidewalk repair program.
• Upcoming Events: A community meeting regarding the potential affordable housing development on Library Lot B is scheduled for the evening of October 6th. The annual Pride & Beautification cleanup is scheduled for October 19th.