South San Francisco City Council Regular Meeting – April 9, 2025

The South San Francisco City Council held a regular meeting on April 9, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting included proclamations, public comments, consent calendar approvals, discussions on administrative business, and a report on BART fare gate funding. The council approved most items, tabled one consent item, and authorized negotiations on a BART reimbursement memorandum of understanding.

Proclamations & Presentations

• National Library Week (April 6–12, 2025): Presented by Councilmember Nagales. He shared personal reflections on the library's importance. The proclamation was accepted by Library Board President Dr. Camacho and VP Catherine Abbos.
• Volunteer Appreciation Month (April 2025): Presented by Councilmember Coleman. Over 1,500 volunteers serve the city annually. Recognized volunteers Sylvia Mosqueta, Farhad, and Laura Doctor.
• Arab American Heritage Month (April 2025): Presented by Councilmember Nicolas. Accepted by Planning Commissioner Sam Shihadei, who noted challenges and thanked the council.

Consent Calendar

• Items 4–10 (except Item 8): Approved unanimously. Items included: approval of minutes (March 26 and April 1, 2025); cancellation of April 23, 2025 meeting; acceptance of a $20,000 grant from Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (Item 6); authorization of an agreement with San Mateo County Library for the Big Lift Inspiring Summers program ($18,000 reimbursement) (Item 7); approval of the 2024 Military Equipment Annual Report for the Police Department (Item 9); and award of a contract to Hinderliter de Llamas & Associates for tax services (Item 10).
• Item 8 (Minimum Wage Enforcement Agreement): Pulled and tabled after Vice Mayor Addiego questioned the effectiveness (only 2 complaints in 5 years under a previous contract) and proposed exploring in-house enforcement via the City Attorney’s office. Council consensus was to table for further staff study.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Eric Colomer (Job Train): Introduced himself as the new regional director. Provided statistics: 601 clients served in FY25, 129 placed in jobs. Invited council to Job Train’s 60th anniversary event on April 30.
• Maud Igstorp (Westborough resident): Requested painting curbs red at Bettman Way and Green Dale due to parking blocking visibility, citing Daylight Law AB 413. City Manager directed staff to follow up.
• Annie Lowe (South City coalition): Criticized Councilmembers Nagales and Coleman for lack of humility in past election comments, questioned the new business tax formula’s equity, and urged opening the MSB. She also noted that Amy Lamb (Nagales’ wife) was unopposed for school board.
• Tom Carney (District 5 resident): Complained about downtown blight, drug/alcohol problems, homeless encampments, neglected bay trails, and the MSB tax. Claimed council had $20 million in reserves but failed to spend on infrastructure. He also alleged a conflict of interest for Councilmember Nagales on the BART item.

Discussion Items

• Item 6 (Financial Empowerment Center Plan): Vice Mayor Addiego expressed support after clarifying the role of the library and nonprofits. Approved.
• Item 8 (Minimum Wage Enforcement): Vice Mayor Addiego raised concerns that only two complaints were handled in five years under the previous contract with San Jose. He suggested in-house enforcement. Council agreed to table the item for further review.
• Item 10 (Tax Services Contract with Hinderliter de Llamas): Vice Mayor Addiego inquired about the discovery process for unregistered businesses. Firm representatives explained use of data analytics and physical inspections. Approved.
• Item 11 (On-Call Municipal Engineering Services): Presented by Senior Civil Engineer Audriana Hossfeld. The city has 186 CIP projects worth $175 million. The contract authority is up to $3 million per firm over three years. Councilmember Coleman asked about evaluating firms’ employment practices; staff noted it's atypical for professional services but could be considered in future. Approved unanimously.
• Item 12 (Single Audit Report FY 2023-24): Presented by Finance Director Karen Chang and auditor Amy Mayer. Two major programs tested (highway planning and ARPA) covered 81% of federal expenditures. No federal compliance findings; one financial statement finding regarding preparation of the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). Corrective action plan submitted. Approved unanimously.
• Item 13 (FY 2025-26 Action Plan): Presented by Assistant City Manager Rich Lee. The plan includes 41 slides covering housing, quality of life, financial sustainability, and community engagement. Councilmembers discussed homeownership (e.g., potential development of vacant city properties) and flexibility to add priorities. Informational only; no vote.
• Item 14 (BART Fare Gate Reimbursement): City Manager Sharon Ranals recommended authorizing negotiation of an MOU with San Mateo County. The county provided bridge funding ($10M for five stations) for new fare gates; BART will apply for grant funding. City’s worst-case liability is $1.5M. Council discussion focused on public safety benefits, relationship with BART, and leveraging the investment for station improvements. Councilmember Nagales recused himself (BART employee). Motion passed 4-0.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved except Item 8, which was tabled for further staff review.
• Items 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 all approved by roll call votes (5-0 or 4-0).
• Item 13 received as informational.
• Item 14 authorized staff to negotiate an MOU with San Mateo County for BART fare gate reimbursement.
• Direction given: Explore in-house enforcement of minimum wage ordinance (Item 8); follow up on Westborough red curbs; consider firm employment practices in future RFQs (Item 11).
• The meeting adjourned at 8:46 PM.