August 27, 2025.

Can I please have roll call?

Councilmember Coleman.

Here.

Council Member Nogales.

Here.

Councilmember Nicholas.

Present.

Vice Mayor Adiego.

And Mayor Flores.

Present.

Thank you.

Next, joining us tonight to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance is our new deputy city manager, Megan Woosley Osdall.

Megan, if you could clear uh please come up to the podium.

Just to share a little bit with our audience.

Megan brings over 15 years of experience in land use and transportation planning across both public and private sectors.

She holds a master's in city and regional planning from UNC Chapel Hill and has worked with cities including Chapel Hill, San Bruno, San Carlos, and now here with us in South San Francisco.

Megan joined our city in 2023 as principal planner and recently stepped into her new role as deputy city manager, which we're thrilled to have her as.

She's passionate about collaboration and community, and we're proud to have her on our team.

I'll give you some time to share a little bit afterwards, but if you are able to, please stand and place your right hand over your heart, and Megan will lead us on the pledge.

And to the republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Well, thank you so much, Mayor and Vice Mayor and Council members.

I'm I'm so honored to serve as the deputy city manager.

I'm really looking forward to working more closely with the five of you, and I'm continuing to work collaboratively with my colleagues in the city departments and with the community.

So thank you so much for this opportunity.

Yes, thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Welcome again.

Thank you.

Yes, let's give her a hand.

Next item, please.

Thank you.

Moving on to agenda review.

We have no changes to the agenda.

Great, thank you.

Next item.

Thank you.

Moving on.

Does the council have any Levine Act disclosures tonight?

None.

Thank you.

Moving on to announcements from staff.

Great.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members.

Marie Patea from City Hall.

I have two announcements tonight.

The first is please join us tomorrow night as we gather to honor Juliana, who lost her battle to cancer, and we will be lighting the Seinhill Tree in Gold for her and for all the children for childhood cancer awareness month.

Please join us at 7 30 on the second floor at in the community room.

We will have an educational program by our commissioner, El Camino High School student, and also a South City library volunteer, Sonia Galati, about brain explorations, and we'll learn more about childhood conditions and cancers.

And we hope you can join us.

Secondly, please join Mayor Eddie and Councilmember James Coleman on Saturday, September 13th, for a coffee situation.

It's a community conversation at Royal Pin Donuts, and this event will be from 10 a.m.

to 11:30 a.m.

So thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

All right, good evening, Greg Mediati, Director of Parks and Recreation.

And I am excited to be before you all tonight to invite you to our annual concert in the park, which will take place on Saturday, September 20th, from 11 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

at Orange Memorial Park.

I think this year we might have our biggest performer yet, Ozamotley.

They are known worldwide.

And since 1995, have blended Latin, hip hop, funk, reggae, and global influences.

So all things that sort of capture the essence of South San Francisco.

In June, they kick off their 30 Revolutions tour, so it's a tribute to their 30 decades of music, culture, and connection.

And of course, in addition to a day of music, attendees can enjoy food, drinks, our vendor area, and family activities for all ages.

So uh we hope to see you all there.

Thank you, Greg.

Good evening, Mayor Eddie, Vice Mayor Adiego, Councilmember Scott Campbell, your chief of police.

As our community is aware, our police department was involved in a critical incident, officer-involved shooting on May 14th on the three in a block of Oyster Point Boulevard.

Pursuant to state law, the incident is being investigated by the California Department of Justice, and per their protocols can take some time.

As our chief of police, we remain committed to transparency and have just released a video summarizing the incident.

The video includes the initial 911 call, witness cell phone video, body worn camera footage, police radio traffic, and drone footage.

The QR code on the screen provides a direct link to the video where it can be found on the City of South San Francisco YouTube channel.

We hope that the release of this video will help to answer any questions or concerns.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chief Campbell.

Okay.

I think I have a slide by good evening.

Uh excuse me.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor.

Get closer to the mic, please.

Thank you.

Thanks, Eddie.

Good evening, Mayor, Eddie, Vice Mayor, City Council members.

I've uh some exciting news to share regarding the downtown Old Town Landing Project.

Work is commencing uh next week, uh starting on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Uh the contractor will be uh uh replacing the uh historical street lights with LEDs.

Uh they'll be starting again, they'll be starting working on next Tuesday, um, uh expected to last through September.

There'll also uh there'll be some minor impacts to parking uh adjacent to the uh street lights, but that should be about it.

And then um in October, we're expecting to start uh replacing the uh street lights at uh Cypress and Linden Park, and uh that should commence uh that should complete the project.

So thank you.

Thank you.

And remind me how much was the grant for?

It was 1.26 million dollars.

Great, thanks in part to uh Peninsula Clean Energy.

Thank you, Jeffrey.

Appreciate it.

Good evening, council member.

Um, mayor, vice mayor.

Um my name is Angel Torres, uh Public Works Engineering.

Just wanted to give you guys an update on the uh school traffic safety enhancements for everyone project.

Um this project has been going on since 2022.

Um there was a lot of outreach that took place in the early stages of this project.

Um we secured funding for the project, and we're currently in the design phase of the project to improve um access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles along Spruce, School Street, and Hillside Boulevard.

Part of the project is also doing a demonstration, which is currently in uh in uh in the process to see the effects of converting the segment of School Street from Maple Avenue to Olive into a one-way street.

So we'll be taking uh traffic counts before and during the demonstration project and then coming back to the community with the results of the demonstration and looking for feedback.

Um as part of these two projects, we'd like for the community to be involved.

We've set up a survey, an online survey, to get information on feedback for the demonstration project.

So the QR code will lead you to a uh survey.

It's an anonymous survey, and it will help us kind of uh structurize the results of the demonstration project, but we still have the email in case you need to uh email us directly um with specific information or comments, and then we're gonna be conducting a community meeting on October 1st uh at Paradise Valley Park Community Center to go over the results of the feedback, the demonstration project, but also introduce the 35% design for the overall project.

Hope everybody can attend.

Um mayor, vice mayor, council members.

I appreciate the opportunity.

Thank you, Angel.

Appreciate uh staff's uh announcements on this regard.

Lots of uh improvement projects happening around our city, and we're very grateful um for the patience of our residents, um, especially around those areas, but definitely come and check out, especially this one around Martin's school.

Mr.

Mayor, if I can comment on that, I was gonna pull item A, but I feel like it's appropriate now, um, because this is related.

I just wanted to say thank you to staff.

Uh, as I've been dropping off my children at school, I've seen the vast improvements in terms of safety around the schools, and I've seen also those signs around reminding people to slow down.

And I had a conversation with Matt about this.

So thank you for doing that.

I know it's it's making a difference because I hear parents talking about it, and if parents are aware, that's very important.

That means they're looking out for kids as they're dropping off their children.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Next item, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

Moving on to presentation.

Presentation number one is a proclamation recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Thank you.

Tonight we pause to honor childhood cancer awareness month.

It is a time to recognize the brave children and families who face the unimaginable and to recommit ourselves to a future where no child has to suffer from this devastating illness.

Here in South San Francisco, we remember one of our own, Juliana Peña, a beautiful, bright soul who touched so many lives with her strength, her smile, and her spirit.

Though she is no longer with us, her light indeed continues to shine.

Especially it's each year when we illuminate the Sine Hill tree in her honor, or as she called it, light tree.

To Juliana's father, Jose Peña and his mom, Antonia, and to the entire family, we thank you for your courage, your advocacy, and your love.

Your strength continues to inspire this city.

Let this proclamation be more than just words or numbers.

Let it be a call to action, a reminder that awareness leads to research, that research leads to hope, and that one day that hope will lead to a cure.

This is for Juliana and for every single child still fighting.

Please welcome Mr.

Peña and his mom as he comes up to the podium to accept this proclamation.

Thank you very much.

Of course, here's the proclamations.

Make sure you show the picture too.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you so much.

Oh, it's great.

Thank you, Mayor Eddie, Vice Mayor, Mark, and fellow council members.

We hear again, and I thank you guys very much from the bottom of my heart.

We've been doing this for the 12th or 13th year, if I'm not mistaken, and it's all been honor of Juliana and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

We saw a vision, and you guys helped our vision come alive, and you keep her spirit and her memory alive every year with also giving other people hope, not just child children, but adults.

But you guys are in the front runner of awareness in our community in the peninsula.

We I'm a part of a group where we try to get big places, monuments to light up gold for September.

Some places will only do it for one day, some places won't do it at all.

In Northern California, you guys are one of the main places that lights that tree goal for childhood cancer awareness month and for the whole month.

Our city needs more recognition for this because we are really a front runner in childhood cancer awareness, and I thank you all for that.

Every single one of you have been sitting in that main chair, and every single one of you have promised me and kept your word of keeping that tree lit.

And that's all we can do with hope.

I don't want to get into politics things, but we are losing more funding now with the person that is in office, and most of our donations do come from from out-of-pocket donors from people like ourselves, and we need it because it's still the number one killer in kids.

It still is compared to everything else.

Childhood cancer is still the number one death in kids.

And as we keep spreading awareness, like I said, till I'm long gone off this, I hope my son follows in my footsteps, and this city keeps going, but till there's a cure, we know that tree's gonna be lit.

And the day it goes out is the day we know there's no more childhood cancer awareness.

So again, I thank you guys all very much from the bottom of my heart, not only from me, my family.

I know Juliana's looking down every time that tree shines.

And like I said, when I told you before, every time I pass that tree, like I used to give her three besitos, rub on the nose, and then another besito.

And thank you guys, seriously.

I we've all became more than friends.

You guys I consider you guys family for what you guys do and the awareness you guys put out, and thank you very much.

And Marie, thank you very much always too.

I appreciate you reaching out and helping me always put this together as well.

You your work does not go unnoticed.

Thank you all.

Thank you very much.

Let's give him a warm hand.

Thank you very much for both of you.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Very well said.

Uh, next item, please.

Item number two is a proclamation recognizing September as suicide prevention month.

Indeed, September is suicide prevention month, a time to raise also awareness, break the silence, and remind our community that help is always within reach.

In Samateo County, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for youth and adults alike.

Here in South San Francisco, we are not immune.

Behind every statistic is a family, a friend, a neighbor, and someone we love.

That's why we must continue to talk about mental health with compassion and with urgency.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that you are not alone.

Continue to mention those words.

They can call or text the number 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline, 24 hours a day, free and confidential in multiple languages.

This month and every month, we stand together to say everyone's life matters.

Their story matters, and there is always hope.

Let's keep showing up for one another with empathy, with resources, taking away the stigma and with open hearts.

Tonight, accepting this proclamation is Maya Canas, Samateo County Behavioral Health Commission and Youth Action Board Member.

Please welcome Miss Kanas to the podium as uh she shares some comments with this proclamation.

Hi, you want to hold it?

Good evening, Mayor Flores, members of the council, city manager, city staff, and members of the public.

My name is Edith Cabusli.

I am my pronouns are she, her, and Sia.

I work with behavioral health and recovery services in the county health departments managing the community health promotion unit.

I am here this evening as one of the many adult advisors for the youth action board, and I will turn over the floor to one of those members.

Good evening.

My name is Maya Kennedy.

When I get closer to the mic, please, thank you.

There you go.

My name is Maya Kanyez, and I use the pronouns she, her.

And as a member of the Youth Action Board, it has really given me the opportunity to broaden my experiences and really take forth an actions that I believe deserve to be brought about.

And first, I want to thank the city of South San Francisco for joining other cities in the county in proclaiming September 2025 as the suicide prevention month.

It represents a powerful moment to reflect on immense human impact of suicide while simultaneously fostering a renewed commitment to promoting mental health awareness and implementing preventative strategies within our community.

The 2020 for the Suicide Prevention Month theme is Support Your Way.

And it is a crucial initiative because it moves towards a one-size fits-all, and it allows that people all have different experiences and different issues that can all still be helped even when people don't feel like they can.

Specifically, this month is important to me because it brings awareness to the silent battles that everyone fights through.

Specifically, today I'll be talking about the story of my older cousin, lovely Nostrados, who is fighting her own battles.

On the outside, she was an 18-year-old girl who seemed fine when she was hanging out with friends, or she would do cover stories, cover songs on YouTube.

But her family conflicts took a major toll on her.

Occasionally, these conflicts, sometimes abusive, would lead to her attempts to leave home.

But she'd always return because that was all she really knew as a home.

But then one day, her youngest brother found that she had hung herself in her bed with a note addressed to her mom, which only her mom and the police know what are in the contents of that letter.

Lovely story reminds us of a painful truth, but a very strong one.

People can appear fine while quietly battling exhaustion, loneliness, and despair.

These hidden struggles are the reason connection matters.

Suicide Prevention Month is not only about remembrance, but also by taking action.

Declaring Suicide Awareness Month informs the community of the resources to maintaining strong mental health and ways to obtain these tools to battle these internal conflicts.

This month declares that no one has to walk these darkest moments alone.

Like lovely and many other victims.

It reminds people of resources to guide towards living a fulfilling life, letting us use these days not only to raise awareness, but to extend compassion and to listen to each other and to build a stronger and more loving community.

Therefore, I invite you all to take action towards a few options.

Like we said before, 98 is an always open, call it and save it.

And if you see signs of suicide, call it, and they'll be able to help.

Another option is educating yourself on more signs of suicide, seeing who may seem depressed or even just different at times, and being able to open to be that person to be there for them.

Another way is to look into resources into community, which you can get more info at SMC SMC Healthy.com slash SPM.

Thank you, Council members, for having me here.

Thank you very much.

Let's give it my hand once again.

Thank you, Edith and Maya, for your leadership.

Thank you very much.

Very important.

Next item, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

Moving on to a proclamation honoring finance director Karen Chang on her retirement.

And I've asked my colleague, Councilmember Floor Nicholas to make this presentation.

Thank you, Mayor.

And may call on Karen Chang to the podium, please.

Although I'm very jealous, I am honored to present this proclamation to Karen Chang for her distinguished career in finance for 33 years, both in private and public sectors.

Karen joined the City of South San Francisco as director of finance in June of 2022, overseeing a 16-member finance department responsible for treasury, budget, audit, and compliance functions, and managing the city's 385 million dollar combined operating and capital improvement budgets.

Under Karen's leadership, the city maintained our triple A credit rating and continued to earn national recognition from the Government finance Officers association, receiving the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award beginning in fiscal year 2023-2024.

Karen, your steady guidance, collaborative leadership, and dedication have contributed significantly to the city's resilience, financial stability, and ability to provide high-quality services to its residents.

And I'm honored, like I said, on behalf of the City Council of the City of South San Francisco and our community to recognize and commend you for your exemplary service and achievements, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for a fulfilling and well-earned retirement.

Thank you.

Let's give them a hand.

Congratulations, Karen.

Thank you so much.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

So if I if I may, I would like to say a few words.

Please.

Okay.

So good evening, Mayor Eddie, Vice Mayor Ed Diego, Councilman, colleagues, and friends.

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak tonight.

And a special thank you for the proclamation.

It truly means so much to me and is such a thoughtful way to mark this milestone.

As I retire from my road as the finance director, I'm filled with both gratitude and reflection.

This marks the end of more than 16 years of public service, a journey full of challenges, growth, and unforgettable experiences.

I began my public service during the economic downturn in 2009, after both my husband and I got layoff.

By God's grace, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve in the city government, and it completely changed the way I understand what it means to serve a community.

What I've come to value most is the delegation of the people that I work alongside with.

Thank you for this honor, for the support, for your leadership, and for the opportunity to be part of this vibrant community.

Thank you.

Thank you very much once again.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Item number four is a presentation on Sister Cities Exchange with Kishiwata, Japan.

Or good evening, Mayor Eddie, Vice Mayor Adiego, Council Members, and Community Members.

My name is Katie Donner, Management Analyst in the Economic and Community Development Department, and this is Marie Patea, management analyst in the city manager's Office.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share a quick report on our recent delegation trip to Kishawada, Japan.

Marie will later present on Kishawada's delegation visit to South San Francisco.

First, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the City of Kishawada for their incredible hospitality and generosity in hosting us.

We were truly touched by the kindness and warmth we experienced everywhere we went.

Mayor Sano of Kishawada invited Mayor Eddie and his delegation to visit their beautiful city and to attend USA National Day at Expo 2025, Osaka Kansai, Japan.

I also want to thank Mayor Eddie for including us in his delegation and for his leadership and strengthening these important international ties.

Arigato Gazamos, thank you.

Our delegation included Mayor Eddie, Ernesto Lucero, economic development manager, Marie Patea, and myself.

Together we had the privilege of representing our city and building on the partnership between our community and Kishawada.

It is important to note that the city of South San Francisco contributed zero dollars to this trip.

All expenses were covered either directly by the city of Kishawada or through personal funds from the delegation members.

Kishawada is one of five official sister cities of South San Francisco.

These partnerships are designed to promote cultural exchange, educational opportunities, and mutual understanding between between our communities.

Our trip to Kishawada was not only about honoring this relationship, but also about continuing to strengthen the bonds that connect South San Francisco with communities around the world.

This trip wasn't just about experiencing Japan, it was about strengthening a sister city-style partnership that brings long-term value to our community from cultural exchange to potential economic opportunities.

Participating in Expo 2025 also gave us insight into international collaboration and innovation that can inspire future business, tourism, and community connections for South San Francisco.

During our visit, we were welcomed with an official meeting with the mayor of Kishawada, who expressed his commitment to friendship and collaboration between our cities.

We also had the opportunity to tour Kishawada Castle, Kishawada City Hall, the Danjiri float display, and the fire department headquarters, which gave us a deeper appreciation for the city's history and civic pride.

Experiencing the tranquility of Japan's gardens and temples.

These visits highlighted the deep traditions and resilience of Japan Japanese culture.

We also had the opportunity to attend USA National Day at Expo 2025, Osaka Kinsai.

It was inspiring to witness how nations come together to showcase innovation and celebrate culture on a global stage.

Finally, we enjoyed the vibrant local life of A Silin Farmers Market, where we can connected with residents and sampled local specialties.

We shared meals of fresh sushi, cozy Izakaya dining, and hearty tonkatsu, each representing a unique part of Japanese culinary culture.

The hospitality extended through food made us feel not just like visitors but like friends.

Just as Kishawada welcomed us with generosity, we were honored to return the gesture when their delegation visited South San Francisco.

Marie will share more about that in her presentation.

In every moment, what stood out the most was the warmth and respect of the people of Japan.

This trip reminded us the value of building people to people connections and the importance of strengthening international partnerships.

On behalf of the delegation, we again say Arigato Kazimas, thank you very much to the city of Kishawada for their warm welcome and to Mayor Eddie for his vision and support in fostering these friendships.

We look forward to continuing this partnership and to exploring ways these international friendships can benefit our community, our residents, and future generations here at home.

Great job.

Thank you, Katie.

Thank you, Mayor.

Again, I'm Marie Pateya, and I'm honored to provide an update on the Kishiwata students that just visited South City.

They arrived on Tuesday the 19th and departed on Monday the 25th.

This exchange would not be possible without the coordination and funding by our South San Francisco Rotary Club.

I was able to host two of the 15 students at my home, and they spoke English pretty well and definitely left with improved English skills.

And there, this is a picture.

Oops.

Oops, wrong way.

There we go, of the students at uh in front of City Hall with Mayor Eddie.

Um the delegation was able upon arrival to visit um the South City Scavenger Company, they learned about recycling.

Our police department and they toured and learned about operations, our fire department where they toured and sprayed water and were able to feel the weight of a full hose.

Um Park and Rec had a Japanese watercolor demonstration and painted the library had demonstrations with 3D printer, laser cutting, button making, bracelet making, and made beautiful crafts.

South City High School hosted and they toured, they did a dance performance, plus they gave them all hoodies, so they were so excited.

El Camino High School toured and did a rally, which they enjoyed, but it was really loud.

And then they went to San Francisco Golden Gate Park, California Academy of Sciences, and then at City Hall, there was a gift exchange.

Let's see, I'm going the wrong way.

I'm new at this clicking thing.

There we go.

Um gift exchange with Mayor Eddie, and in return, he gave a gift to Mayor Sano.

The students toured all the city departments, including our city clerk's office and the city hall annex.

And thank you, Councilmember Nicholas, for joining too.

Um, and thanks to all the city employee uh departments that were able to be there to help tour, provide information and projects and gifts for the students.

Um, on Friday, wrong way, so backwards, sorry.

You're going back the other way.

For my delay.

Well, here.

I want to try that.

Thank you.

On Friday, the Sister Cities Associates Association hosted a nice dinner, and thanks to Council members Nogales, Coleman, and Nicholas for attending and saying a few words.

On Saturday, the students chaperones and I represented Sister Cities and marched in the Kotura Fest parade, which was very fun.

And then on Sunday, the trip concluded with a dinner and performance that was hosted by the Rotary.

So if anyone is interested, we're still in Coyota.

Well, which we wish we were still there.

Um, if you're interested in learning more about the Sister Cities Association or Rotary, please see me or stop by City Hall, and I'll fill you in.

So here's uh the City Hall visit, and there's the dinner with the Sister Cities Association and the student exchange where they did performances and my two students and blue bubbles before the parade.

Great.

Okay, I think that's it already.

Let's give my hand.

Thank you very much, Katie and Marie.

Um, from my my perspective, this indeed was a very uh worthwhile um uh trip.

As you can see, the the Sister City Exchange program is also an extremely successful program that we continue to partner with our school district and the Rotary Club of South San Francisco.

Want to thank Frank Macaulay and all the members as well of the Sister City Association for continuously not just uh supporting uh Kishiwata City, but all our five cities that South San Francisco has the great honor and privilege of being uh having Sister City relationships.

Uh my colleague, Mayor uh Rob Newsom was also uh took a larger delegation from the city of San Mateo.

Uh, we were able also to say hello over there at the expo.

It was a great time to be able to partake and and be able to to learn a lot.

And and mostly because this this mayor, Mayor Sano, uh, just got into office April of this year.

So uh it's his new opportunity to get not only get to know his constituents, but also uh the international relationships that we have made.

So thank you to the entire delegation that was there, wanted to bring this forth to the community so that you could see that our sister city relationship with Kishiwata City remains strong and positive.

Thank you again, all of you.

Councilmember Coleman wanted to give some remarks.

Oh, just some brief comments.

Um, so you know, I've taken part in this program several times.

Uh in high school, I was a student on an exchange trip to Kishiwada, and I stayed for a week.

And then the following year, I hosted a student here in South San Francisco.

Uh, and then fast forward a few years, I believe it is 2023.

Uh I went on a delegation trip uh to to restart the program once uh, you know, because during COVID, they they stopped the program for a number of years, and so I'm glad we're continuing this.

And uh a fun fact about Kishiwada is you know, the sister city of Osaka is San Francisco.

And similar to how South San Francisco is closer to the airport than San Francisco is, and similar to you know how industrial our city is, that is exactly what describes Kishiwata is an industrial manufacturing city, and it is also closer to the airport.

And so uh I hope we can continue this relationship for many, many years to come.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Appreciate that.

Next item, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

Moving on to council comments requests.

Excellent.

I will start off to my right, Councilmember Nogales.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh lead, first off by uh congratulating the mayor and everyone involved in the Kotura Fest.

It was a fantastic, fantastic event to see everyone come out together.

I don't know what we estimated, but it was a lot of people that attended uh the event.

Um, you know, I'm very interested in doing something similar as we look in terms of events.

We kind of talked about how you know maybe we allow for organizers to kind of start this event.

So I think maybe I think the vice mayor talked about maybe doing something on 4th of July or something similar.

And so I I think it would be great to kind of this is kind of like our benchmark to kind of see like how much money was raised and kind of use that as a jumping point for any other event in the future.

So congratulations, Mr.

Mayor.

I think it was a fantastic event.

It brought people together, and uh I was following a lot of people on social media, and they were just saying how great it was just having the community come together.

So please take a bat on that event, Mr.

Mayor.

Um myself uh and council member uh for Nicholas went to Flory Ventura's Diamond Jubilee's birthday.

And if you don't know Flori, you should really should because she is an amazing volunteer for our community, and what she celebrated for her birthday is she did a concert, and all these people came, and you know, it was it was great to see her family and all our friends celebrate her.

So, Mr.

Mayor, if we can do like a letter for her wishing her like a happy birthday from you.

I think I think she would really, really appreciate it.

Thank you for the idea.

Absolutely.

And as uh staff mentioned, uh the Kishiwada dinner, uh it was great to see uh the community again rally around and welcoming uh these amazing students from Kishiwada.

Uh, I was talking to one student who was just kind of amazed in terms of I guess the size and what she saw in South San Francisco.

Um and the word that she kept saying was she was in awe, and when she looked in uh at South San Francisco.

Uh uh I look forward to when we go back there again, Mr.

Mayor and uh another delegation at some point.

So I joined uh many of my colleagues and actually many other elected officials in San Bruno at the BART station uh when we celebrated um BART uh installing all the new Fairgates in San Mateo County.

I think there were like 30 electeds there, maybe perhaps celebrating kind of the new fairgates throughout San Mateo County.

So it was nice to kind of see everyone.

And then um we all I also attended with other colleagues um or uh Congress almost did again.

Supervisor Jackie Spear and Supervisor Alicia Gaucher uh held a town hall uh on child care, and she mentioned how South City is a model for a lot of the things um she wants to replicate in terms of the county.

Uh and then lastly, I wanted to adjourn the memory uh to Raymond Ray Latham, uh a longtime South San Francisco resident and former trustee of the South San Francisco Unified School District, who passed away uh on Saturday.

He uh served on the school board um for many, many years, and he guided the district through through the 1990s and the 2000s.

He was first elected in the early 1990s, and he won multiple terms, and he was the board president at least five times.

I had the great pleasure of knowing um and to know Mr.

Latham and um because he was on the school board when I graduated from high school, and I got to know his family.

Uh so to my friends Patrick, Teresa and Ainsley, um, know that he was loved and uh he meant a lot to this community, and he will always always be remembered for the numerous numerous contributions he did for this community.

So thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you very much, Councilmember Councilwoman Nicholas.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, last August 14th, like uh Councilmember Nagales said, we attended the Town Hall of Supervisors, Jack Spear and Lisa Gautier, um, here with uh LPR regarding child care.

Something really needs to be done for it to be affordable and for providers to be able to have a sustainable income in this environment.

I'm looking forward to the final recommendation after they finish the listening sessions.

Um, I also attended the BART uh generation Fairgate ribbon cutting ceremony, and uh it was really great to hear about the improving ridership and also the improving safety of the people who use the BART.

On the 15 high school students that was sponsored by our rotary here.

Um, the first time I had interactions with them was because they come here every odd years, and every even year, we send a delegation over to Kishiwada.

So I thank the Rotary and the host who opened their homes to the guests, especially Marie Patea, who hosted two.

Um, congratulations to our mayor for the Cultura Fest.

A ton of thank you, of course, to our city staff who worked diligently to make it an enjoyable and peaceful celebration.

Without you, of course, that won't be successful.

Congratulations to St.

Augustine Parish, excuse me, for celebrating their 55th foundation anniversary.

They have an ongoing celebration nightly, and the final one will be tomorrow.

I am also more inspired after attending a tribute to our monongs and manangs.

Filipinos, especially the elders are called manons and manons.

So they were recognized at the San Francisco Public Library Correct Um Auditorium.

They uh they talk about their immigration stories and the resilience uh that paved the way now for the next generation.

They truly exemplify Filipino pride, and the notable award is included Cynthia Bonta, who was surprised by her son, the California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who dropped by to give his mother the hit the award in prison.

Another was Dado Benatao, who invented the foundational technologies, and that's why we have the personal computers now.

It was really wonderful to see him and um they explained the use of I why I see all the time positively Filipino, and now I understood why it was.

It says that in those days, it says positively Filipinos are not allowed.

So they reclaimed the Positively Filipino and making it like a proud moment to say it's positively Filipino.

And on in memory of the following, I request our council meeting to be adjourned in memory of the victims of this morning's shooting in Minneapolis at the Annunciation Catholic Church, killing a 10-year-old and an eight-year-old, and also uh in memory of Sue Miller, who is called Sensei Su, who taught pre-shotokan and nurtured many young boys and girls, leading them to become sensei themselves for 31 years here under our library uh under our parks and recreation program.

Her lasting legacy to many youth who went under her tutelage will be remembered and will stay in our hearts.

Rest in peace.

Thank you very much.

Well said.

Councilmember Coleman.

Yes, uh, thank you very much.

First, first I wanted to just state how incredible Cultura Fest was in downtown South San Francisco.

And a big thank you to the mayor for being visionary and bringing this event.

Because I don't think I've seen that many people on Grand Avenue ever.

And it was just incredible seeing so many events there, so many booths, vendors, dancers, you know, performers, and also I believe Eddie made history as the first mayor to bring wrestling to South San Francisco, right?

But not wrestlers beating each other up, but like mock wrestling.

And it was just such an incredible sight to behold.

And I hope that we can continue to bring events like this to South San Francisco.

I would also like to extend a big thank you to staff for making this possible, as I know that this was a tremendous, tremendous effort by our city staff.

I was talking to Sharon earlier today, I believe over 60 staff, it helped make this event possible, which is incredible.

So big thank you to our police department, fire, parks and rec and everyone else who was able to make that possible.

And in the event, well, in line of seeing more events like these, I understand that this was a big lift, but I would like to see, you know, an accounting of what it took to make this event possible and uh what it would take in in a way that would make more sense, right?

If if we can continue to plan great community events like this in the future and other street fairs and and the like.

Next, I would like to um mentioned that I was able to attend uh a business focused know your rights workshop, one of three uh with the mayor, uh, and I want to thank the partners who were able to make this possible, of course, uh with our ECD department, uh, Renaissance Job Train, um, our chambers of commerce, Cyrin, and many more who are able to help uh, you know, uh let our businesses know uh what their rights are and how to properly respond if uh they face immigration enforcement.

Uh my colleague uh Councilmember Nogales made mention of the BART Fairgates, but one thing that he didn't mention was they now accept contactless payments, which is very cool.

Um, and so now you don't even need a clipper card.

I know we all love Clipper, but you don't need a clipper card.

You can if you have Apple Pay, you can just swipe your phone and use BART.

And it's so important because when we talk about public transit, it has to be as convenient as possible.

And especially if folks are visiting from out of town, they're going to the airport.

A lot of them don't know how to grab a clipper card, and so being able to just swipe and go to visit the Bay Area is so incredibly important.

So uh thank you to Mark Nogales and our entire team at BART for making that possible.

Um next, uh on Monday, I was able to attend the LGBTQ Leaders Summit hosted by Equality California in Sacramento.

This was a free event.

I took a day trip up in Sacramento.

Um, and you know, there are many things up for discussion, especially with recent Supreme Court uh hearings and how it affects the LGBTQ community.

Um is ever important to continue to protect the community in these days.

Tomorrow, I believe there's a very special event happening here in this building.

Uh, the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition Bike Summit will be hosted here.

Um, and as you may know, in 2021, we passed a vision zero ordinance for the city of South Sand School, basically envisioning that you know we can uh structure our uh our roads and and infrastructure to where we can have zero uh pedestrian uh and biker deaths and injuries in South San Francisco, and uh we're honored to host the summit once again, right?

This isn't their first time here.

They keep on coming back, and I think it shows that uh you know this is a commitment, it shows that we have a commitment to it's uh safe traffic infrastructure, of course, inclusive of bikers and pedestrians.

Uh and this event always brings together bike advocates and transportation leaders from all around uh the Bay Area in attendance.

So uh unfortunately I can't make it, but I know uh this will be an incredible event tomorrow.

Uh lastly, I also want to adjourn in memory of Sensei Sue Miller.

She passed away on August 17th and taught Shinkyu Shotokan karate for many years in South San Francisco.

She taught and mentored thousands of students over the course of over 30 years in South San Francisco and in the surrounding community, including myself.

I did Shingy Shotokan karate uh with our Parks Mark department starting at the age of four, and then I did it for around 10 years before I dropped off and focused more on the swim team.

And I remember very fondly throughout my childhood taking karate classes with her through our Parks Rec department in Terra Bay in the Fernices building and in Westboro.

And growing up, we often performed at Day in the Park.

And memory I have is, you know, there would oftentimes be parents who didn't know any better, right?

They would go to Sensei Su and they would ask her, how come you're not, you know, kicking and breaking bricks and breaking boards, which is what you might see with other um other uh martial arts.

And what Sensei Su would always say is what did the board do to you?

And that was because karate in her classes was never about violence or hurting things.

It was about self-defense, restraint, discipline, respect, and resilience.

She will be missed and remembered by countless members of the South San Francisco Karate community.

She was uh a beloved resident in San Bruno as well, someone who opened the doors, her and her husband Ron, opened her their doors to her house to those in need.

And um, beyond enjoying in her memory tonight, I hope that our city can work with the karate community with her parks direct department and do more to remember her legacy here in South San Francisco.

And that is all I have for tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Vice Mayor Diego.

Thank you, Mayor Flores.

I just wanted to comment on a couple of items.

And the first really is your Saturday event, which kind of like blew the doors off of Grand Avenue.

And I have to echo um Councilman Coleman's words that I don't know if I've ever seen that many people on Grand Ivy, but my ever is a lot longer.

Um, but there used to be something called the Art and Wine Festival that was big, but I think you eclipsed that by many, many hundreds.

Um, and we were talking earlier about how important that was to the community because so many of our uh recent immigrant families have begun to feel like victims, and there was even a time when we were worried that would people come out because of what they're seeing in the nightly news.

And they came out and they celebrated who they were together.

Um, and that's the very best of not just South San Francisco.

That's the very best of America.

And you should be very proud.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And then I wanted to personally thank you because the sister city is something that's been important to me for a lot of years, and I know that um uh mayor John Pennett, it goes back to the 90s when he began the Keshiwada journey, is very grateful for you to taking the time out to travel there and keep it going at a very important time for their with the with their expo.

Um, I do have one there's one caveat there is when you're dealing with the sister cities, when you accept and are hosted by someone, then there is an expectation that you will reciprocate.

So um I'll help you work on that.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Um I also want to join my colleagues in recognizing the passing of a dedicated public servant, former South San Francisco Unified School District, board trustee uh Ray Latham.

Uh Ray served our school district for over 15 years, uh, with heart, with integrity, um, with deep commitment to our students and families.

Uh his years on the board reflected a belief in the power of education to transform lives and willingness to do the hard and often thankless work that comes with school board service.

As many of us know, being a trustee is one of the toughest, I believe, toughest elected roles one can take on.

And Ray did it with grace and with purpose.

So to his family, uh Patrick, Teresa, Ainsley, please accept our deepest condolences.

We are holding you in our hearts.

Ray's legacy lives on in the classrooms, the opportunities and the futures that he helped shape here in South San Francisco as a local elected official.

I'd also like to adjourn in honor and memory of Miss Teresita Bokilong, a South San Francisco resident right here at uh Rotary Terrace, on behalf of the staff and fellow neighbors there at Rotary Terrace.

Uh, we extend heartfelt condolences also to her daughter, uh Froda Bokilon as well.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour uh the city of San Jose's safe parking program site.

I'd like to take uh I'd like to take a moment to thank San Jose Councilmember David Cohen and San Jose Councilmember Anthony Tordillos and their offices in the mayor's office in San Jose on housing and our own city staff who joined me in this tour.

While our RV and unhouse conditions are not as dire as San Jose's, it was a very important learning opportunity of what it is out there and how things can be done right.

It was impressive to hear that in the eight months that they have opened this second uh housing site uh for over 86 RVs and displaced individuals.

Not one police call or report has been documented, which is impressive to the quality and the professionalism uh when things are done right and in a humane way.

I look forward uh to further discussions and actions from this council to guide and address the unhoused populations and concerns here in South San Francisco.

Uh thank you uh to Supervisor Lisa Gaucher and Spear once again for holding the first county child care town hall um in our city.

Uh this really uh shed light on an important issue uh sometimes um that you know we think that we know or we think that we're experiencing an alone, and this has now been a crisis.

And I know that council member Coleman started to address this and bring consciousness back in 2022 on this topic.

So I look forward to tangible uh practical approaches and recommendations out of these town halls.

Uh the council member also mentioned we held our know your rights for business owners in South San Francisco, over 30 attendees.

Thank you to the Council Member Coltman for partnering with me on this initiative in the workshop, as well as Cyrin, the nonprofit, our ECD office and Ernesto Lucero for helping this and bring it to life.

Uh this will be a series of workshops, and I have also asked our conference center CEO to bring this workshop uh during our quarterly meeting with all the hotelier owners and general managers to empower our hotel industry and staff so that they also can know their rights.

Um indeed it was a very fun time this past uh Friday with our Kishiwata City Exchange students.

Uh, we brought them up.

I actually treated them across the street to nations.

Uh, we had a traditional American lunch of cheeseburgers, fries and pies, and they loved it.

Trust me, they couldn't believe what was happening.

Uh it is heartwarming, um, like my vice mayor said, to continue to see uh this relationship continue to thrive with all of our sister cities.

Uh, thank you uh to the staff, to Marie Patea, uh, and everyone who helped coordinate the week long stay here in South San Francisco.

Um, I also wanted to share with the community and with my colleagues that yesterday morning during the County Board of Supervisors meeting, I was uh unanimously voted in and appointed by all supervisors to be on the board of the Samateo County Community Action Agency, which oversees all of the county's core services agencies in the count County Human Services Agency.

This is important to South San Francisco for two reasons.

One, this is the board that oversees the distribution and operation of our very own YMCA, which is the core agency here in South City that provides social services, especially to those in need or in crisis.

Everything from rental assistance to homeless initiatives, as well as this board helps to help the board of supervisors and the county uh executive to oversee 800 employees across eight branches.

I am very honored and grateful to serve in this capacity countywide and thank President of the Board Canopa and Supervisor Corso for authoring the resolution and confining in me.

And now I want to share a little bit for those of you that were not able to attend.

I just got a text message that confirms that over 4,000 individuals attended Cultura Fest this past Saturday here in South San Francisco.

If we could bring up the slides, I want to share a little bit.

Um I want to take a moment to say really uh thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Um, Cultura Fest 2025 was more than an event.

It was a moment of transformation, a celebration of who we are, where we come from, and where we're going together.

South San Francisco really made history.

Next slide.

Um, while we're we're still reviewing it's it's about 4200.

One thing is already clear, and that is that South San Francisco made history this past weekend.

And that's because of each and every one of you, those that helped staff members as well as the community that came out, the elected officials that supported, the numerous vendors and partners, our chamber of commerce, our local businesses who put on special sales and opened their doors and extended their hours.

To our incredible city staff, I have to say, everyone from Parks and Rec, Public Works, Police, Fire, Library Team, the city manager's office, every single one of you.

Um, some of you uh were up before sunshine.

Some of you were still at City Hall at 8 p.m.

And I know that because I saw you there.

Um, you stood on your feet for hours.

You kept things running smoothly, and you did it all with professionalism, with pride and with deep corazon.

Every person that visited the mayor's balcony or the the second floor of City Hall was invited, was welcomed with grace and with a smiling selfie, and that meant a lot.

To many of our future leaders, um, every single child that sat on that chair in the mayor's office.

I looked into their eyes and I told them one day you too can become a female mayor here in South City, a male mayor and any type of leader that you want.

Uh, to our partners, the Chamber of Commerce, Ricardo Archila, who ran ran the nonprofit that supported and his amazing team.

I want to say also thank you for bringing your energy, your culture, and your love to this community.

And to the people of South San Francisco, thank you for showing up.

It really meant a lot.

We thought it was gonna be about a thousand people.

And um, and you showed up and and you you didn't let fear stand in the way.

And you you stood with me and you trusted me, and you earned my trust by believing that we are to get we are stronger together.

And you showed up.

Um, and so I thank you for dancing, for eating, for celebrating, and for reminding us really what unity looks like.

I'm proud to share that, and and Chief is right here in this room and can confirm that according to um him and and his team, not a single incident or emergency call was recorded during the entire event.

That's a testament to how we show up for one another here in South San Francisco.

Forty, two hundred individuals, and we all showed up with respect, with joy, and with care.

So that's not to say that we're rowdy Latinos that don't know how to uh throw a party.

We could do it right when it's intentional.

Um, like I said, this was more than a festival, and I've heard it through text messages, Sunday mornings, social media letters, emails.

For those of you that don't know, this is really a generational social shift for this community.

It was a declaration that South San Francisco isn't just talking about equity in an equity plan or in a commission.

We're living it.

And the world is noticing.

I want you to know uh, folks, that for many of us, we weren't allowed to show our pride in El Salvador.

We weren't allowed to wear blue and white colors for decades because of the civil war.

And this event was a healing space for many.

There were people that actually I was telling Mark that flew in from New York City, drove from three hours away in the Central Valley, and content creators who came the evening before from El Salvador.

This is a movement and hope to capture this in South City's cultural history.

I've already been in touch with John Penn to see if uh the South San Francisco Historical Society also captures this.

So I just want to outpour um gratitude because it doesn't we don't hear it enough when we say thank you.

We acknowledge it, but I really want to wanna um underscore how every single person that helped execute this um uh really laid their vision and believed in a vision and did it again with professionalism and heart.

Everyone that served, everyone that smiled, everyone that came on stage.

I know that I was the one holding the mic, but it meant more than the world to see the entire city council there standing alongside your all class acts for supporting and and continuing to show up for our community.

So thank you once again.

All right, and with that, let's move on to the next agenda item.

Thank you.

Thank you for trade.

Thank you, Mayor.

Moving on to public comments.

I have Annie.

During the last three council meetings, June 25th, July 9th, and August 13, I raised questions on the process and data related to the women of the year event.

At the last meeting on August 8th, 13, I raised a question to Mr.

Coleman, who had initiated this women of the year event last year, what it was his idea of putting on a fake democracy facade by soliciting the public to submit nominees, but in reality, based on the city manager's office response to my public common request recently, nominations for this woman of the year event were welcome but not required for the mayor's award for women of the year.

So I question Mr.

Goldman who didn't, why didn't he and Mr.

Flores just do a proclamation instead of wasting residents' time to complete their online nomination forms when our voices don't matter anyway?

It would also save our city staff's time and other city resources to work on other more relevant tasks and projects.

Today I also want to address Ms.

Reynolds as we respond to one of my questions raised during the June 25th meeting, which is why my nominee, Miss Cynthia Macopoulos, despite having received the most a total of nine nominations by fellow residents, were you know of 47 total entries or 42 valid entries, as five of the entries were submitted past the due date of June of April 30th, but three of those actually were selected to be recognized.

So Ms.

Reynolds uh responded during the June 25th meeting that the number of nominations were not advertised as one of the criteria since she feared that nominees might solicit their friends to nominate them.

Based on the 2025 nominations data from the city, fellow South San Francisco residents are not as crooked in trying to solicit their friends to nominate them as Miss Reynolds had thought they would.

In fact, my nominee, Cindy Macopoulos, actually asked me not to waste my time when I reached out to her for a copy of her bio, as brief biography of the nominee was one of the seven required fields to be completed on that nomination form.

Cindy's response was they choose their own inner circle.

So I had to search online for the professional bio since she did not give it to me at all.

So Cindy, you were right, while I was wrong and naive to believe that we have democracy here in South San Francisco.

It is a disgrace that women residents don't believe that their event is being run with integrity and fairness.

Sadly, our city records and data prove to us just that.

We have no additional speakers registered.

We did receive a public comment from Lorraine Yi, which can be found online.

Thank you very much.

Next uh agenda item.

Mr.

Flores.

I just listened to you say that you can be any type of leader that you want.

Let me say this: you cannot be any type of leader that you want.

Next uh item, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

Moving on to consent calendar is item number five.

Is a motion to approve the minutes for the meeting of August 13, 2025.

Item number six is a motion to accept the construction improvements of the 2024 concrete and base repair project as complete in accordance with plans and speculation and specifications.

Total construction cost $643,701.

Item number seven is a motion to accept completion and close capital improvement project number TR1902 east of 101 traffic signal idea grant project.

Item number eight is a motion to accept the construction improvements of the citywide school traffic safety improvement project number st2402, bid number 2694 as complete in accordance with plans and spec specifications.

Total construction costs $677,720.

Item number nine is a report regarding a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a consulting services agreement with Arub Us Incorporated of San Francisco, California for 1,184,946 for the South San Francisco Shoreline Protection and Connectivity Feasibility Study.

Item 9A is a resolution.

Item 10 is a report regarding a resolution authorizing the filing of an application for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority Highway Program Grant for up to 17 million dollars for the Colma South San Francisco El Camino Real Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Project and approving budget amendment number 26.017.

Item 10A is a resolution.

Item 11 is a report regarding a resolution authorizing budget amendment number 26.014 to transfer $521,001 and 90 cents from the right-of-way infrastructure assessment and upgrades project to the traffic signal safety improvement project to increase the construction contract and contingency for the Bay Area Lightworks and to close CAP project TR2302.

Item 11A is a resolution.

Item 12 is a report regarding adoption of a resolution allocating 190,000 in community development block grant program year 2025-26 public improvement funding for the CDBG Ramps and Paths Project and approving the Associated Budget Amendment No.012.

Item 12A is the resolution.

Item 13 is a report regarding a resolution approving the third amendment to the lease agreement for the use of the Economic Advancement Center located at 366 Grand Avenue.

Item 13A is the resolution.

Item 14 is a report regarding a resolution approving the South San Francisco Fire Department's Annual Inspections Performance Pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code Section 1314 6.4.

Item 14A is a resolution.

Item 15 is a report regarding a resolution authorizing a one-year extension of purchase agreements with distributors Baker and Taylor LLC and Broadard Company to supply library books and audiovisual materials and services.

Item 15a is a resolution.

Item 16 is a report regarding adoption of an ordinance amending the South San Francisco zoning map, RZ 25-0002, to rezone two vacant parcels, APN numbers 014-061-070 and 014-072-050 from T4 Lindenville to a planned development district to allow the construction of 70 single unit 70 single family townhouse units located at 500 Railroad Avenue.

16A is the ordinance.

11.

11.

Anyone else?

Going once.

Alright, we'll start from uh item 10, please.

Go ahead, Councilmember.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I just want to a couple questions of clarification.

When we submit this application, or is it are we submitting it separately from COLMA or we're doing it jointly?

I just want to.

We're doing it jointly.

Oh, can you hear me?

There you go.

Hi, Adriana Hosfeld, your senior civil engineer.

Um, thanks for the question.

So Colma will actually be submitting the application.

Um, South San Francisco is part of the process, but they will be the um uh the lead sponsor.

Thank you, the lead sponsor, yes, and we will have a reimbursement agreement with the town of Colma.

Okay.

So they have if they agree to it, they have to fund us as well as is called.

Correct.

So they have to cover our costs.

Okay, and then in in terms of the the bike lanes, Colma is getting a class four, and we're getting a class one.

I'm just wondering why the discrepancy on that.

Yeah, and it might be helpful.

Um, I put up uh a Google Maps photo.

Um, so the existing conditions, um, it's difficult.

Right there, it's too difficult, yeah.

Yes, and so um uh the back of curb is the edge of the right of way.

So the um bike lane will be going um on the left-hand side here, and so we'll need to build a retaining wall into the left-hand side.

Um, so as you can see, the the existing conditions um are constrained, and that's why we're we're going with the class one shared use bike path.

So it's two ways, is that what you're doing?

It is two ways, yes, and it'll be for p pedestrians and bikes.

But it's a class one, so it's not protected.

It will be protected.

So there will be a about five foot, it'll vary along the way, but approximately five foot buffer, okay.

Um that's the little landscape in between the cars.

Thank you, because that was the section I was worried about.

Um, like, how do you put a bike lane there and how do you make it safe?

Of course.

Um, so that uh scares I'm glad that you brought that up.

So yeah, and where we have less than five feet, we will have a guardrail.

And the TA recommended this application to be submitted or correct.

So they're currently funding um the project, our current phase, and they recommended that we apply for this next phase.

Does it go to BPAC at all?

Oh, this is what I was about to ask.

Is it going through BPAC?

So it it isn't for this current grant, um, but we uh did apply for a grant um through the MTC, the active transportation planning grant.

Um, and we did go through BPAC for that, um, and that was earlier this year.

I know that the COLMA was approved before, but I don't think this is a package, but I really like that it's a package because you know, for regional um development, you get the higher pointage.

So you hire higher points is given to that because we're coordinating it with COLMA.

Definitely.

Okay, so I'm glad that you because I was worried about the the cost or the uh grant amount of 17 million that that might be a little high, but if it's a joint application that might be but you know they were talking about lumping everything now, so that may be why they were asked to lump that 17 million, correct?

It'll be interesting to kind of see it at the TH.

Yeah, and if they're going through BPAC, please give me a heads up.

Yeah, thank you very much.

Thank you, appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember, for that um information.

Uh item number 11, Mr.

John Wilson.

And go ahead, council member uh Nicholas.

Yeah, I I really like that we're doing some improvements in our signal lights.

Uh I just noticed that the timing that uh just for the selected Grand Avenue intersections.

Is there a plan to have it in other intersections?

Well, that's a great question.

Um thank you, Johnny Wilson.

With um I'm your senior engineer with our engineering division.

Um so with regard to what you're exp what you're talking about uh on grand, is we often call a pedestrian head start, where I I believe that's what you're talking about, where when you hit the button, you get to go a few seconds, like three to seven seconds before.

So it's not really the intersection, it is more of the traffic lights.

That's what's it's more of the traffic signal function.

So when you hit the button and it's your turn to go, you'll get a walk sign about five seconds before the the same direction vehicles will get a green light.

And what that does is it allows pedestrians to kind of establish their space out in the road, so that uh turning vehicles.

Let's just say if you're turning right in your car, um, you'll you'll see that someone has already taken over that intersection.

And we're doing that, we do that in a lot of locations.

We've got right out here this very, very busy crosswalk at City of Campus Way and chestnut.

We've right now we're running a three-second pedestrian head start.

And it is our standard to um do that at all new signals.

And for the existing signals, um yeah, we are updating those as well.

As a matter of fact, we just completed uh signal retiming on Westboro, um, you know, essentially to help give the pedestrians that um, you know allow them to establish their position out in the road before vehicles.

And is that part of our vision zero program or it's one of the elements is one of the things that you can do to reduce crashes between cars and pedestrians?

Absolutely.

And typically, honestly, I think that it works well for bikes as well as a lot of times cyclists will use the pedestrian crosswalk as an indication that they can get going as well and kind of establish their place.

No, we don't have a vision zero action plan.

We're working on that.

We have a project to do that right now.

And that will be you know one of the many elements that go into helping to reduce crashes, resulting in fatalities or serious injuries.

So it's just concerning the pedestrians.

What about you know that we get a lot of complaints about the turns, right?

When there are signal lights for the vehicles, because it seems like it's not time because it's a go-on-one and it's just a short um intersection or a short distance, and then it stops.

So they get backed up.

So is it something also that will be in the future one of our projects?

So that what you're talking about there is like coordination between different traffic signals so that you know the idea is you hit every green light.

I mean, mostly.

Yeah, mostly.

And then you're having a good day, right?

Um, well, in some in some cases, we we don't want to do that in limited cases, and that would be because it can make a pedestrian have to wait a very long time to cross the street, just based on the you know, the math and the timing of it.

However, um we have uh we're just wrapping up uh a project called adaptive traffic signals, and what that project did was essentially allow the traffic signals to think for themselves and rather than be on like a static timing plan, adjust you know their synchronization and how much time they're giving to pedestrians in vehicles based on the actual traffic demand.

So when there's more traffic, it might give more time to traffic in one direct cars in one direction versus the other.

Um like I said, we're just finishing that up and we're doing the fine-tuning at a lot of our corridors.

For example, at this um just this week, we um are implementing adaptive on Westboro, and we just turned on the adaptive controls here on Chestnut.

So, you know, uh it takes about a week for the system to kind of learn the traffic patterns and make some adjustments, and then it should overall improve the flow.

But you know, on some on some roadways, like for example, on Westboro, we may find that coordinating the traffic signals doesn't make um a lot of sense in one direction versus the other.

Like, for example, on Westboro, a lot of traffic turns off at um just after you go over, was it uh Callon, and doesn't continue all the way westbound, but the eastbound traffic a lot of traffic that start up at Skyline continue all the way to downtown.

Um so you know, essentially we have to look at each street individually and determine what's best for uh the traffic congestion.

We want to minimize congestion, but also make sure it's safe for pedestrians so that they're not sitting uh and waiting for the their walk signal for you know two minutes, which uh may make some of our residents, uh particularly younger ones a little impatient and may encourage them to cross a straight without a walk signal.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Wilson.

Well, it's great to know.

I learned a lot from this conversation.

Yeah, you're very welcome.

Thank you.

I do have a question.

Uh so the intersection at General and Arroyo, it's a very long-awaited traffic signal.

Is there the timeline that we have?

Yeah, that's a very great question.

Um, so our worst case timeline is going to be uh to have that signal turned on in January, and that is because we're waiting for some parts that have a very long lead.

I mean, through no fault of the contractor or or ourselves, we've put our order in in time, but the supplier just simply has that, you know, long lead time.

So I'm hoping to deliver.

We've got some plans to try to deliver it sooner than that, but um January is uh what our current schedule shows.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

All right.

If not, I'm looking for a motion to approve the entire uh consent agenda calendar.

I have a first.

Can I have a second, please?

I have a first and a second.

Can I please have roll call?

Yes.

Mayor Flores?

Yes.

Council Member Coleman.

Yes.

Council Member Nogales.

Yes.

And Councilmember Nicholas.

I thank you.

Motion passes.

Next item, please.

Moving on to public hearing item number 17 is a report regarding a proposed amendment to Title 20 zoning of the South San Francisco Municipal Code regarding provisions regulating tobacco use to minor revisions, corrections, and clarifications to ensure consistency throughout the municipal code to remove hookah bar smoking lounge from the commercial use classifications under section 20.620.040 and determining that the proposed zoning amendments are exempt from CEQA.

Item 17AZ ordinance.

Mr.

Master, City Attorney.

Yeah, there was a member of the public who actually wanted to speak on one of the consent calendar items and didn't realize that she should have put in a card for general public comment.

If you're willing to recognize her, you can still do that.

If not, I realize that that we've already moved on from the consent calendar.

I will recognize it for one minute.

If we could put the coun the counter to one minute.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate your accommodation.

Sorry.

Uh bicyclist fatalities in the United States have reached a record high with over 1,100 deaths in 2023 alone.

According to the insurance institute for highway safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Most occurring in urban areas due to collisions with motor vehicles and factors like failing to yield the right of way to traffic.

But since you failed to perform an environmental impact study on the traffic impacts, in the Alcamina Real Plan, you're hardly in a position to move forward with this.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Alrighty.

Um you read the item.

I will open the public hearing, and we can have a staff presentation.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

I'm Adina Friedman, Chief Planner, and I will be presenting the staff report this evening.

I am going to be presenting amendments related to tobacco regulations in the zoning code.

For a little bit of background, um, there are tobacco regulations throughout the municipal code, all focusing on um regulating and limiting tobacco use to help public health and welfare.

There are cross-references, particularly between titles six and twenty.

So the amendments tonight are focusing on minor changes to chapter 20 to reflect recent changes to chapter six, which the council adopted earlier this year in order to be consistent with the county's tobacco retail permit ordinance.

I am also going to discuss a policy item regarding hookah bars and smoking lounges.

So in 2023, San Mateo County enacted a new tobacco retail permit ordinance, and cities that want county health to administer this permit within their jurisdiction must pass the ordinance or adopt it by reference verbatim.

And earlier this year, the city council adopted the updated county ordinance by reference to maintain consistency and ensure that the county will enforce its ordinance within our city.

So today's item updates to Title 20 are to ensure an internal consistency within our municipal code as well as within our policy and enforcement.

So I'm gonna give a little background and reminder regarding flavored tobacco.

No flavored tobacco products are permitted as part of the county's tobacco retail permit.

And then a little bit of background on hookah and the relationship to the county ordinance and zoning regulations.

Hookah with unflavored tobacco could be permitted under the county tobacco retailer permit, and non-tobacco, non-nicotine hookah that is not delivered through an electronic device would not require or would not be regulated by the tobacco retail permit.

And we did um staff did confirm this with the county's environmental health.

It's a little bit of an important detail, so I just wanted to lay that out.

Um currently, the zoning ordinance does permit hookah bars and smoking lounges with a conditional use permit in our mixed industrial districts.

There are currently no permitted hookah bars or smoking lounges operating within the city, although we have received one application for such a use.

Now I'm gonna go into the proposed amendments in front of the city council tonight.

There are several cross-references that are proposed to be updated, mostly to reflect the recently adopted county ordinance, which was adopted in our municipal code by reference.

So that was updated in April of this year, these are some references in the zoning code to make sure that numbers and references are all consistent internally.

Additionally, staff is bringing forward a recommendation regarding hookah bars and smoking lounges to promote public health and welfare.

The recommendation is to remove hoca bar and smoking lounge as a use in the zoning ordinance, which means this use would no longer be permitted in the city if the city council were to approve this ordinance.

Um the slide in front of you shows the proposed changes.

The most important change is shown in red, whereas right now hookah bar and smoking lounge is permitted with a conditional use permit in our two mixed industrial districts, and if this ordinance is approved, that would no longer be the case.

The ordinance language does include a carve out for use permit applications that were submitted prior to today, and as I mentioned, the planning division does have one application for a hookah lounge that was submitted last week.

If council approves this ordinance, that application would be allowed to continue through the entitlement review process, which includes staff review, conditions applied by all departments, eventually review by the planning commission, and the city council if the council chose to call up that project for review.

It is important to note that any hookah bar or smoking lounge could only operate with non-tobacco, non-nicotine hookah, that is not delivered through an electronic device or non-flavored tobacco, which would require the county permit.

Environmental review is not required as these revisions are minor in nature and not considered a project per CEQA guidelines, and with that I'm going to move to staff's recommendation, which is to determine that the proposed zoning ordinance amendment is exempt from CEQA and introduce an ordinance amendment to Title 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code to make minor revisions related to tobacco use.

That concludes my presentation, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

So we'll do just uh questions only, and then we'll go to uh public comments.

Any members have questions for Adina.

Councilmember Nogales.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Adina.

So, I'm going to be very honest here, colleagues.

Um conflicted on this because I think you guys know my history about how I've been strongly against flavored tobacco.

So this ordinance says, I guess non-flavored tobacco, non-nicotine, as long as not in electronic device, allows for the usage of, I guess we'll just say non flavored tobacco.

I think let me make sure that's correct, right?

Scott, you just jump in here.

Yeah, let me see if I can help with this.

Um, the ordinance that's being proposed to council tonight is only going to amend um the zoning code to um clean it up and remove and then primarily remove hookah or smoking lounges as a permitted use.

The city council has already adopted by reference or already adopted the county's tobacco ordinance.

That ordinance prohibits all flavored tobacco products, all tobacco products.

What um environmental health um in consultation with the county council's office has um advised us is that um there is a product on the market um that is typically smoked in a hookah device, it does not contain nicotine, it is not a tobacco product, but it is flavored.

So it is a non-nicotine, non-tobacco flavored product that is essentially sold to be smoked in a hookah device, and um is, in their view, something that is not prohibited by the county's ordinance and is therefore not a prohibited product or s or type of um smoking.

Um and so under the current city ordinance, um because the council has adopted the county's ordinance, it's something that's allowed.

If council um uh adopts the proposed ordinance tonight, then um then other than the one um with a pending application, if that application is ultimately approved, there would be no hookah lounges allowed in the city, and so even though the county has said that as a product that could be sold and smoked, there would be no places to do it.

Um so the ordinance closes the door on that type of land use.

So there would be no place to to commercially sell and smoke that type that product, other than the one application that's been submitted, and we've crafted the ordinance to allow that one to continue to be processed because it was filed before this application before this ordinance came forward.

Okay, so hope that it's a lot, but hopefully that that unpacks it some.

We would basically grandfather them in.

Essentially, yes.

And I don't know if that's the correct terminology.

No one can trouble with my colleagues.

Um, and so I just want to understand this.

So no one 21 years or younger can go into this lounge, correct?

So this is a separate lounge inside the restaurant, I'm assuming.

So um, we there is a active application, and that could be a condition of approval that could that would be imposed on that application if it were to be approved.

So a separate lounge would be part of the conditional use.

Is that what we're saying?

Correct, or a limit on and it could okay.

Yeah, or and or I would say both and a limit on age.

And I would also like to, if it this passes, what I want to see is a sign that says no one under the age of 21 is part of so it's very clear as part of the conditional conditions of approval.

That could be included as a condition.

Okay, I guess where I'm concerned.

Let's just do questions and then we'll come back.

This isn't my question.

So, um, where the the concern I have is we've had people obviously complain in the past about violations, and I think where I'm trying to struggle in terms of the question is here, the county would then come back each time for enforcement to test if if they're f I guess if there's flavored tobacco or nicotine.

I'm I'll try to answer this.

Okay, and it may not be accurate, in which case I'll ask Skye to step in.

Um, my understanding is that if it is not a tobacco product, if it is if this hookah lounge, if if a hookah lounge were to go forward and operate with this non-nicotine, non-tobacco, non-e device, it would not be regulated under the county's tobacco permit.

The county has said that is exempt from our permit, so they would not regulate that use.

I guess the question I have is someone complains.

That would be up to the city to regulate.

Well, if somebody if somebody complains that they I think it's it's it we're we're in answering the question, we kind of have to make an assumption about what is the complaint.

Right.

If the complaint is um people are going into the the lounge and they are actually smoking uh a tobacco product, that is a complaint that we would direct to the county to investigate.

If the complaint is there are people, why why are people allowed to to imbibe a product in the hookah in this lounge?

Yeah, that was one that the city would probably say we are as long as they're compliant with the terms of the conditional use permit.

This is not a product that's prohibited by the by the city's ordinance slash county ordinance, and so the investigation would basically just be we're confirming that the pro the only product is is the one that's permitted under the conditional use permit.

Okay.

All right, I don't want to dominate the time.

I'll I'll make colleagues ask questions.

Okay.

Um, so what we're trying to thank you, council member, for going there.

So my question is so if we deviate from that, uh the county wouldn't be in charge of enforcement, right?

We would, the city.

Uh if if I would also, I guess I will I will add to my previous answer.

If if if a complaint came in and it was ambiguous, probably it would start with the city.

If the city determined that they believed that that there had actually been a nicotine or tobacco product smoked in the lounge, the city could refer that to the county because then the activity would would be one that was prohibited by the ordinance.

So we'd basically say it looks to us like like the restaurant sold a tobacco or nicotine product to somebody, allowed them to smoke it, we're referring it to the county for further investigation.

Who's enforcing it though?

The county.

If if it's there's a determination that it was something that was prohibited by the ordinance, it would be the county.

But I'm saying if we were to to determine and investigate, is it who would do it?

Is that our police officers?

Is that who's who's going in and checking?

My my question is if it's flavored, it could be nicotine or non-nicotine.

Who's gonna test it to see if it's nicotine versus non-nicotine, if it's flavored?

I I it not to you, but that's that's the general question.

Yeah, I mean if it if it's if it if if I could I could say if it's an investigation that were handled by the city for whatever reason, it would be code enforcement and police.

If it was something that that was properly con um handled by the county because it's it's prohibited by the county, county would conduct the investigation and do enforcement.

And so if our code enforcement would go in there and try to investigate, how do we would determine if indeed it was again a nicotine uh or a tobacco flavored product versus a non-tobacco flavored product?

I I'd circle back to my previous answer to say if the allegation is that somebody believes that tobacco was being smoked, we'd probably just refer that to the county and let them investigate and do any chemical testing that was necessary.

Because then the complaint is somebody was smoking tobacco where they weren't permitted to smoke tobacco.

But we wouldn't know if it if it was tobacco or flavored.

Exactly, but that would be the point.

So that's a loophole for me, right?

Because no one can just determine through smell whether it's tobacco or not.

Um mayor, if I could just add, there is packaging.

So we have been out to visit the site and you could look at the package which they've purchased, which describes the ingredients just for for one indicator of what the material is.

But I don't know that packaging is gonna come into play at 11, 12 midnight when it's a dark room inside a hookah lounge where people are just having fun.

Um in a hookah lounge, is there a reserved hookah spaces versus non-hookah spaces?

Uh is that part of the application?

Is that part of the consideration?

Yes, that is definitely something we would require as part of the application, and we would also, you know, if it were to move forward, we would include those as conditions as well that the project would need to be operated, you know, as described in the site plan and narrative that was provided that shows clearly defined locations where hookah is allowed to be.

But it's still in the same restaurant in the same space.

The applicant and I I want to just um clarify we've we've only received an application a week ago, so we haven't dug into any details or started any review.

We wanted to get council's feedback prior to that, but but that is how it would go forward, that it would be in one location, one building with different uses.

So the we got the application last week.

When did we start moving this forward though?

Uh Sky, this was back in March, right?

Or what was it?

The um the county's ordinance was uh the city council adopted the county's ordinance in April, and we brought this um to planning commission in June.

I think that yes, okay.

Um so the city manager, you said you visited this place.

I'm just trying to figure out like what's is this why this item just came until now because you were investigating or what?

I believe the applicants are here, and and they may want to speak to that.

But yes, um the the operators of this establishment were concerned because the the nature of this business is they offer hookah, and this is a small window of a path forward for them, uh, not to just shut them down and say you are out of luck, uh, you need you know, and especially with the op the possibility that their business would fail.

So the idea was if we had an application, you don't you're not currently permitted.

If you were permitted, that would be a different matter.

So since this had not yet been approved, it's a small window forward for this business uh to do non-tobacco, non uh to nicotine hookah, and it's up to the council.

It's just yeah, my thank you.

Uh, my issue is again how do we determine when it's tobacco versus non-tobacco, and that's speculation, and who again enforces it, right?

It's gonna be ping-pong between the county and us, and do we have the resources in our coin enforcement to be looking at that?

Uh I'm I'm not there like my colleague over here.

There's a lot of uh missing gaps in in this scenario for me, and it's not about luck, it's not about that.

It's it's it's bigger issue for me than that.

I'll pause there to see if my council colleagues here have questions.

Okay, um so I got two emails.

One was at 5 p.m., one was at 6 18.

Um, which you know isn't it in a lot of time to review these things.

But um, I I did want to ask just the context of email.

So one of the emails uh asked if well made a claim that this exemption would void the partnership with the county and South San Francisco, is that true?

I would defer to the city manager or city attorney.

Uh I would say no, as we've explained, the the environment county environmental health in consultation with the county council's office has has been very clear with us that they consider non-tobacco, non-nicotine, not delivered through an electronic device, hookah products, uh not to be regulated by the county ordinance.

And so um if we were to if the council was to adopt an ordinance that um uh uh allowed one establishment to move forward with an application that still needs to be approved to offer such um an activity, um our understanding is that the county considers that to be a permissible permissible activity.

If I could just add um we I received the same email uh council member Coleman and I believe the assumption is that this was gonna permit tobacco hookah, is pretty clear in the email.

Like if you allowed tobacco hookah, which is not the case in this example.

Okay, thank you.

And the other email said um, I'm just quoting the email here.

Right, right?

I just wanted to check check all the bases.

Okay, the planning commission's proposed zoning revisions, such as removing hookah bar smoking lounge from zoning categories and deleting references to repealed city code are described as minor.

The intent as I understand it is to create consistency in zoning language and clarify what is no longer permitted.

It may be helpful to note that when cities add zoning changes on top of the county's ordinance, there's a risk of creating dual a dual regulatory system in practice.

That can mean the county enforces one set of rules while the city's zoning sets another, which may cause confusion for enforcement and for businesses.

Is that true?

Um partially.

But there are always going to be two regulatory systems.

Um any business that is operating in South San Francisco is going to be subject to the city's land use and zoning regulations, regardless of uh what is set forth in the tobacco retailer um or step provisions of the municipal code.

But actually, in our view, this isn't making them consistent because again, um the county considers this this very narrow form of hookah use to be outside of the scope of the tobacco ordinance, and um other than the one application that's been submitted, um the proposed changes would actually make the zoning um completely consistent with um the county ordinance, and even the one business that has submitted an application is is if approved would be subject to a conditional use permit that would restrict them to the one type of hookah use that the county says is is allowed, and if they failed to um fail to comply with that, while the county would enforce uh the tobacco side of it, they would also be subject to city enforcement as to the conditional use permit.

So the county ordinance currently allows for non-tobacco, non-nicotine hookah?

That's correct.

Okay.

So I believe that there are other hookah bars in the county.

I know there's I guess at least one in Burlingame, one in Redwood City.

Um, how how is their relationship with the county and the city?

Like how are they regulated?

I plan I did look into this with a couple of cities in uh maybe Adina, you want to speak to that?

Sure, I can definitely answer.

There are several hookah bars um in some of our neighboring cities.

There's at least one in San Bruno, there's one in, I believe Millbrae, um, as well as the others you've mentioned.

Those were established many years ago, so they would likely be considered grandfathered uses.

And I I'm my guess is that they would be allowed to operate under the um uh the use regulations that were in place the time that they got their permit, whereas that's the same here.

If there were if, for example, like if they're established um uses that uh you know got a use permit 10 years ago, since then our zoning has changed, they're still permitted to operate under the conditions of that use permit.

So the hookah bars in other cities are they offering nicotine and tobacco hookah?

Oh, I can't answer that.

I don't know, Sky.

I can't answer that either.

I think that's an important question to answer.

Well, uh what we're proposing is more restrictive.

So if they offer tobacco, this proposal is no tobacco, no nicotine.

So this use would be more restrictive than than what uh Sam Bruno could possibly have.

Right.

And the reason I asked that is, you know, if if other hookah lounges were offering non-tobacco non-nicotine hookah, then you we won't be the only ones, in which case I would be more comfortable with this.

But if we were to only ones, and this would be the only location subject to to this sort of standard, then I mean the county probably well, there's there's one, right?

But it would, I guess the regulation would probably require us conducting periodic checks or or responding to complaints and and doing testing.

Um, um if there is a violation, then what happens is is their permit canceled or what what is what comes after a potential violation?

Well, uh on the city side, uh, aside from the enforcement of the tobacco ordinance and and who would do that, um, the conditional use permit if approved would restrict them to the non-nicotine, non-tobacco, non-e-device delivered hookah products.

If that were if there was a violation of that, then um the city would be able to cite them under as for a violation of of the zoning code, and if it would become serious and not compliance um wasn't obtained, the city could initiate a permit revocation process.

That's a standard process under the municipal code.

All right.

So we have the authority to revoke the permit if there are violations.

That's correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

And I I know the applicants are in the room, so I'd like to hear from them about your outstanding questions.

We're gonna do public comments first.

Uh councilwoman, do you have any comments or questions?

All right.

Let's move to thank you, Adina.

Let's move to um public comments, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

We have Nisreen Carmy.

Good evening.

Uh, my name is Nisareen Carmi, and we are the new owners of the.

If you could come closer to the mic, please, thank you.

Is that better?

That's better.

We are the new owners of the restaurant in question.

Um we purchased this business back in February.

Uh we were made to believe that the business offered hookah.

That was the main reason we purchased the business.

Hookah is cultural for us, and it's something that uh people do after dinner in the evening time, they sit, they relax, and they enjoy a hookah.

Uh, it was to our surprise when uh Don Lavelle came in and basically told us, hey, you guys can't be doing this.

So we shut down all that activity once we found out that we were not allowed to do it.

Um Sharon, as as she mentioned, uh came by and saw what we have to offer, and then I was able to speak with Nell and Adina, and they, you know, they said that it was possible to do a conditional use permit.

We submitted the conditional use permit.

Um basically what we want to do is we want to offer the non-tobacco non-nicotine flavor after 6 p.m., strictly 21 and over.

Uh we would have ID checks, we would have a um a device that checks for fake IDs.

We will be very strict.

It is our pure intention to only use the non-nicotine non-tobacco.

So, you know, I know that I can say it as much as I want, but we wouldn't mind if you guys came in and checked and saw what we offered and things like that.

It would be devastating to our business and our family if we could not serve the hookah.

So anybody have questions for me?

It's just public comment.

Thank you.

Uh next person.

No additional speakers other than the email that the council received from Trisha Barr.

Okay.

All right.

Um, go ahead.

Can I ask another question?

Sure.

This maybe Adina or two, the applicants.

When you are, I guess, advertising the hookah, uh does the menu will say non-nicotine, non-tobacco.

We would include that as a condition of approval.

You would include you would include that.

Okay.

And it's after six o'clock is what you're saying.

That's typically I'm asking because I don't know.

And what time is the business operated till?

So we we have uh our hours are from 11 to 12 on the weekdays, and basically the location is separated.

It's a restaurant, there's a bank.

You could come up to the mic, sorry, apologize.

So um the location is a restaurant, banquet area.

Now, basically the banquet area would be cut off to it would be permitted to do the hookah if it was allowed after 6 p.m.

until 12.

That's how it would operate on the weekends until 1 30.

So Friday, Saturday only would be until 1 30.

And you sell um alcohol in your premises, I would use some.

We do, yes.

All right.

Any other questions or comments?

I'll actually take comments.

Um I'm um we're on comments from council.

Yeah, go ahead.

I'm very um I know what we're trying to accomplish, but um I am kind of moved by the um the cultural component of this, and I um, you know, uh I don't find it easy to step over um uh people's would have been their rights.

I'm aware of a restaurant in uh foster city, the Mediterranean.

I love their food, I don't smoke hookah, but the outdoor space along the canal is full of people enjoying life, and I have to celebrate that.

Um people enjoy different things in their lives.

Um I drink alcohol.

Some people smoke hookah, and if if we can make this work and and be in compliance with the county, um I'm I'm willing to give them that latitude and and believe that they will do their best to attempt to stay within the boundaries.

Okay, thank you.

I will also say, you know, I talked with city manager earlier today, and it seems like the situation is very unfair for the applicants who um you know purchased this business and and invested quite a lot of um capital and money into this, and I I would hate to see us um you know treat treat your family business in this manner.

Um and I and I do appreciate that you know what will be allowed is is non-tobacco and non-nicotine.

Um, and I think we have a commitment from the applicants, but also commitment from the city that we that we will be enforcing um this standard, and if this standard is is violated in in serious ways, then that permit can't be revoked, and and it will um but I want to you know thank staff and and thank the business for for working together and and finding a path forward that I believe makes sense.

The cultural component here also appeals to me because we all know we're all different here, and uh we try to be very inclusive, and so therefore, you know, if this will be the only one because right after that that will be cut off, so I will be okay with this too.

I I want to go over Skye and Adina, um, what you've captured for the conditional use permit.

I saw you write some notes so that we we can hear them back, please.

Yes, so the notes that I wrote down are um to have signage on site that states no one under 21 is permitted in the area where hookah is provided, having hookah provided in a separate area from other parts of the restaurant, separate lounge, advertise non-nicotine products on the menu, and all advertisements.

Um I know Billy was also taking notes.

He may have had other, he may have written down other things.

Is that it?

Okay, I Dina, I think also the age uh 21 and over.

Did you say that?

Yes, signage for no one under 21.

And I wanted to um just state this the we're just starting to review this application, and I am certain that in working with the other departments and divisions, we'll get a very long comprehensive list of conditions of approval, but any other ones that we can get tonight would be very helpful and very much appreciated.

Councilmember Nogales, do you?

Yeah, um, I I am really am moved by the applicants, and I don't think we want to get in the way of small businesses, and so I'm what I'm hearing is there's you're gonna be a collaborative partner with the city, you know.

And that there are conditions here that I'm okay with.

Um I think the question of enforcement, it's still gonna be there, but it sounds like to me, we're we'll be watching if there's a violations, and we could come down pretty hard if there's violations, and so I'm I'm I'm gonna trust this partnership, and that you're gonna follow because you heard our concerns, and I I think you really do hear that.

And so I don't I don't participate in hookah, as as the vice vice says, um, but the culture is really really important.

And we have said that we are an inclusive city, that we are a welcoming city, and I don't want to go back on that, but that's why I am gonna trust the city in terms of enforcement here.

So, and I'm sure if there's any violations, you will hear from it from residents and from staff.

So, um uh city attorney or or Adina, what would it take to revoke the permit?

Is it one complaint?

Is it a series of investigations like?

Um the permit the process for revocation of a conditional use permit uh would require a public hearing before the planning commission, um, because the the CUP establishes uh certain rights in the business to conduct the activity, um, and in order to revoke those, we do have to make sure that we provide an opportunity for them to be heard and to establish sufficient evidence for the basis for the violation.

However, and that's why I said it uh if we would follow a normal code enforcement process if if there were if there were complaints that that violations of the conditions of approval for the CUP were occurring, we'd investigate if we determined that they that that was that they were justified, we would undertake a process to um use other code enforcement tools.

But ultimately, if we had done that numerous times, the violations were serious, and we did not believe that the business owner was going to come into compliance, we would then initiate a revocation hearing with the city with the planning commission.

All right.

Uh I I will share that I don't think it's just about inclusive and diversity, I think it's also about safety, and for me, enforcement is a big deal, um, especially late at night, and in those uh type of quote unquote the industrial part of our city, and that's remains a concern for me.

Um any other no no public comments, all right.

If not, then I I would uh entertain if anyone wants to move forward with a motion.

Oh, sorry.

Huh?

Oh, thank you.

I will close the public comment, and now if uh I could have a motion.

So moved.

I have a first second.

I have a first and a second.

Can I have roll call, please?

Mayor Flores was the second council member Nicholas or Vice Mayor Adiego.

Vice Mayor Adiego.

Thank you.

Councilmember Coleman?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Adiego?

Yes.

Councilmember Nicholas?

Hi.

Councilmember Nogales?

Yes.

And Mayor Flores.

Abstain.

Thank you.

All right.

Motion passes.

Um next item, please.

Thank you, Adina.

Moving on to item number 18, is a report regarding a proposed development agreement to extend approved entitlements to construct a new office RD campus and multifamily residential building at 180 El Camino Rail in the Planned Development Zoning District for a period of 10 years in exchange for payment of community benefits monetary contribution obligations in accordance with title 19 and 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code, and making findings regarding the consistency of the proposed action with the adopted addendum to the 2009 environmental impact report pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.

Item 18A is the ordinance.

Good evening, Mr.

Gross.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members.

Uh Billy Gross, principal planner with the planning division.

And I'll be presenting an overview of Stillwave's request for development agreements to extend the approval timeline at 180 El Camino.

This aerial site rendering shows the entirety of the proposed developments at the former Safeway Shopping Center site, which was entitled as two separate projects.

At the front of the rendering is the new Safeway building, which was the first of the two projects that was entitled.

As you're all aware, the Safeway Building is currently under construction with a scheduled opening date of summer 2026.

Safeway was approved under separate entitlements in December of 2021 and is not included in the development agreement before council this evening.

Council entitled the second of the two projects at the site in September 2022.

Those entitlements consist of the office research and development components, which can be seen to the right and above Safeway, consisting of three life science buildings and a parking garage at the rear, and then the residential component, which can be seen to the left of the Safeway parking lot.

This rendering shows the proposed El Camino Real frontage with the under construction Safeway, a little bit of it just to the left, and one of the three life science buildings on the right.

This rendering shows the proposed residential component, which consists of 183 rental units fronting on South Spruce Avenue adjacent to the Safeway parcel.

Overall, the project that was entitled by council in 2022 included 750,000 square foot of life science space and 180 residential units.

Steelwave is requesting a development agreement that would extend entitlements for 10 years or to 2035.

In exchange for the additional time, they would prepay the majority of their community benefit fee obligations within the first five years of the development agreement.

The intent of this setup is to provide the applicant with additional time to build the projects and to provide the city with a small but steady stream of payments for community reinvestment.

Any prepayments made by the applicant would be non-refundable, even if the project were not ultimately constructed.

This table shows the proposed prepayment schedule.

The 180 El Camino Real Life Science Residential Project included conditions of approval that required 2.4 million dollars in community benefit payments.

So the first prepayment represents 20% of that total, and would be due one year from the effective date, which would be approximately September of next year.

The second prepayment also represents 20% of the total, paid three years from the effective date, so September 2028.

The third and final prepayment would represent 30% of the total five years from the effective date.

The remaining 30% of the community benefit fee would be due at the first building permit issued after the five-year anniversary.

As stated previously, all prepayment fees received are non-refundable.

They can be transferred to a new project owner or developer.

And at the bottom of the slide, it is noted that all of the regular impact fees would remain in place for the project.

And I'll just note that the project was estimated to have approximately 45 million dollars in impact fee obligations when entitled.

This general setup is being proposed for all projects that were entitled in late 2022 to early 2023 that are requesting time extensions.

You will see this also in the item on the next agenda item.

So a big question: why isn't this project under construction yet?

As we're all aware, the Bay Area's market conditions have changed significantly subsequent to the original entitlements for this project.

This list relates to difficulties with the life science market, and there have been similar impacts on the residential market, particularly in relation to financing and construction costs.

Staff believes that the proposed development agreement would not make any changes to the project, only extend the entitlement timeline, so there would be no new sequel implications.

South San Francisco needs more time to allow for the absorption of recently constructed and entitled life science space and to allow financial markets to study and recover.

And finally, preserving these entitlements also preserves future impact fee obligations.

Therefore, staff is recommending that council waive reading and introduce an ordinance finding that the development agreement is in compliance with CEQA and approving the development agreement.

That ends my presentation.

Happy to answer any questions.

Uh I also say that uh representatives with Steel Wave are also here tonight and ready to speak.

Thank you.

And in case I didn't, I'm opening the public hearing.

Thank you, Mr.

Gross.

Uh questions for Billy.

So what was the total amount of um of impact fees that they would be responsible for?

At the time in 2022, when it was a titled, it was approximately 45 million.

So it would have gone up a little bit with CPI adjustments, but that that was the starting point.

And when does this um development agreement um expire?

It would be um 10 years from the effective date, so basically this time in 2035.

Well, we're we're extending something tonight.

No, and so this would be an additional 10 years from so three years was the original entitlements.

That's what I said.

Okay, so it was new 10 years.

It was three years, and now we're gonna go to 10.

So it would be 13 total.

And all these uh impact fees are locked in with the original development agreement.

Not at the actual fee program is locked in, but the fee amount would be subject to whenever they pull the building permits.

Okay, and so if there have been CPI adjustments every year for the next seven years, whatever that amount is at that time is what they would be on the hook for.

Okay.

Go ahead.

And this does not affect the construction or the operation of the Safeway and the associated businesses on the others?

Correct, that's completely separate project.

And so let's say it's 2027, right?

The safeways open and everything.

What will the rest of the site look like?

I'll allow the applicant to speak to that.

Why don't we welcome Ben and Steve up to the podium?

It's rare to see both of you here tonight.

So once it must be a big night for you, and and just to uh explain my question.

Like, imagine it's 2027, the safeways open, we have a couple restaurants open, um, but the rest of the site, I guess, have it hasn't broken ground yet.

Permits have been pulled yet.

Uh, what does that look like to the surrounding community?

Yeah, I think I think the the good news is the safe way is on the predominant corner of spruce and El Camino and is the most visible.

There is an internal drive that bisects through the site, so that will be in existence and will be fully improved.

Um I think this question kind of, if you don't mind, I can expand on that answer.

We do see a recovery starting in the residential side of the business.

So we we in fact are putting together uh proposals now to potentially go forward with that.

Uh, it still takes time.

We have to get um construction drawings completed and permitted and and financed, but we are seeing that recovery happening sooner than we're seeing in the life science sector or the RD sector.

However, the RD sector is actually starting to percolate with all the AI businesses, robotics, um, still affected by um the great economy we have here and uh software.

So it may not be straight down the middle traditional life science, but I think it will have uh attachments to that.

AI is definitely a huge part in data science as well in the life science sector.

So we're optimistic there, but it's not there today.

Uh I think we've seen it, and we know that there's a lot of other projects that are up.

The one thing that we also have an advantage of, as you know, we have two big projects in South San Francisco, which we're super proud of, is that these projects are very different than each other.

Uh, this is really the Discovery Station project is a mixed-use development, and it's very exciting because of the synergies it creates together.

So it's a different kind of tenant that would potentially go there.

It'll probably be a little bit smaller at total 800,000 square feet of RD.

Whereas Infinite, which is our freeway frontage 101 site, that will eventually be around 2.3 million square feet.

So you you have a site that's right on the freeway, huge exposure, iconic project.

It's just different, and the scale is obviously bigger.

So we think that will attract other users that are different than this one, but we're really excited that we differentiate from a lot of the other competitive uh projects in the market.

Thank you.

Great, thank you.

And I just want to um, you know, the community is really looking forward to this project, and I just don't want them to look at another pile of dirt and wonder what's going on.

Uh, but I I appreciate the yeah.

One thing we we might give you an update on Safeway and what's going on.

We you can see it now, it's got a great presence there.

We're super excited about it.

Is a first-class facility with on a podium construction.

Um, and we have um also signed leases with Chipotle.

Uh, they're on the very corner uh underneath Safeway, and we have another national brand um coffee uh user that uh is under letter of intent, otherwise I'd tell you it was because they're not signed yet.

And then we have another communications national brand company also signed up for letter of intent.

So we only have three thousand feet.

It's basically the pad restaurant site is available.

We're kind of holding off on that because we think that's gonna uh also be a very special location for people.

Great.

Anything you want to add to that then?

Yeah, no, uh the only thing I would add is that um we carefully designed the project so that Safeway has a very prominent face core.

As Steve said, so the frontage uh that the life science has is a good frontage, but you know the design of the project had three buildings, and the two other buildings are further set back.

So the first thing that you'll see when you're driving by is really gonna be this great safe way.

So I think that that's gonna make a big different big difference.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Nicholas.

Did you have a question?

Comments?

No, it does the terms.

Councilman Adiego were kind of a comment on that.

You know, when we first looked at this, we made sure that the safe way was what everyone was looking at.

That had to be the primary thing we had to see.

And I know this has been a long time coming.

But there was some initial resistance from the developer if I remember right.

Yes, there was.

I remember but it it is a long time coming in.

I I know this council can't wait for that ribbon cutting for a safe way, and I think Mr.

Vice Mayor Adiego will be mayor when that happens.

So he gets the nice little ribbon cutting.

Great comments.

Well, it would be interesting to see the uh excitement that it you're creating uh with some other uh retail operations, and you know, you might re envision the entire corner.

Excellent.

Go ahead.

Yeah, I'm just glad to see that to know and get the assurance from you that the safe way is going along and it will be completed as planned.

Uh we do understand that you know it's hard economic times, vacancy rate.

I mean, the the demand is greater than the supply.

And so therefore, this is not really the time.

So I understand why you're coming back for this extension.

Great, thank you.

You know, four years ago it was a total different conversation.

I was not smiling, but now I am smiling.

So that says it all.

Thank you, gentlemen.

I will um open up for public comments now.

We have no public comments for this item, mayor.

All right, I will close the public hearing.

And um, if there are no other questions or comments from my colleagues, I will entertain a motion to move this forward.

So move this mayor, second.

I have a first and a second.

Can I have roll call, please?

Councilmember Coleman?

Yes, Councilmember Nicholas.

Aye, Vice Mayor Diego.

Yes.

Mayor Flores?

Yes.

And Councilmember Nicholas.

Yes.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

Next item, please.

Thank you, everyone.

Moving on to item number 19.

Is a report regarding a proposed development agreement to extend approved entitlements to construct.

Am I 19?

Sorry.

Sorry.

Yeah.

Sorry.

Too many items here.

Item 19 is a report regarding a proposed development agreement to extend approved entitlements to construct a new office R and D campus at 800 Dubuque Avenue in the East of 101 Transit Core Zoning District for a period of 10 years in exchange for prepayment of community benefit program fee obligations in accordance with Title 19 and 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code and a recommendation determining consistency of the proposed action with the adopted initial study mitigated negative declaration.

Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act, item 19A is the ordinance.

Thank you.

I will open the public hearing.

Mr.

Rosie, it's all yours.

Thank you, Mayor.

Vice Mayor, Council Members Tony Rossi with your ECD department.

Have the unfortunate responsibility coming on after the John Bon Jovi of planning.

So this slideshow is gonna look really aging yourself.

Quite quite uh similar.

So I'll try and skip over.

Uh IQHQ is really just completing the first of what can be four phases of development along Dubuque.

Uh they've got a project entitled at 800 Dubuque.

You're seeing the rendering right here.

Um, but this will give you a sense of the properties that they have options or control over, and how much new development could come forward.

Right now, 580 Dubuque, complete, untened, 800 Dubuque entitled by.

Closer to the mic, please.

Oh, uh 580 Dubuque, complete, no tenant yet.

800 Dubuque entitled, but with um entitlements expiring in about a year.

Um they're coming forward with essentially the same requests that you just saw before you.

As a council, uh, they are looking for a 10-year extension.

Uh the same metric of payments and off ramps on year five.

Uh, this would give you some community benefit payments up early that are essentially unencumbered that could be used by the city.

Same conditions.

Um, I want to highlight the vacancy rate and the fact we've really had a ton of square footage come online that was entitled five years ago, six years ago.

And it just needs time to absorb, and that's really the big challenge right now for us and for everyone that has life science or office space in the Bay Area.

We're asking that you consider and support the ordinance in front of you tonight by waiving the first reading and approving it.

Uh, we would then come back for a second reading in September.

Uh, I've got Kerry Algazi from uh IQHQ here as a surprise guest because I think I highlighted a different person on the final slide, but I don't know, this isn't working.

I want to give you one more picture.

What do I do, Rich?

That clicker is something else tonight.

All right, thank you, Tony.

Uh, let's welcome the uh developer.

Carrie, come on up.

Welcome.

Thank you, Tony.

Good morning, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

My name's Carrie Algazi.

I'm the development director at IQHQ.

Um, I'll keep my remarks very brief just since you heard the last item just a moment ago.

But in short, we like the rest of the industry have encountered somewhat of an unprecedented and extended down cycle in our industry.

Um, but we still remain very bullish in South San Francisco, and particularly for our vision on the debut corridor.

Um, we are really excited to deliver this asset when the market timing is appropriate.

Um, so the prepayments of our community benefits fees that we will be paying in advance will be for the city's benefit to use those fees while we wait for the market to recover.

So, um, with that, I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you so much.

So, when is the building gonna the current one?

Is it fully finished yet or is it it is?

Yeah, so 580 Dubuque is almost fully complete.

Uh, we're getting COO next month.

Um, it's beautiful.

If you haven't been out there, we're happy to give you a tour and walk you through it.

Um, but it came out really beautifully.

It's vacant right now.

We are um having some increased touring activity, which is really exciting, and the feedback that we're getting on those tours is celebration of the proximity to transit, which has really underscored our development thesis and makes us extra bullish about 800 as well.

Can you talk about the lighting also, the aspect of it?

It regulates um city manager.

You were taught telling me about this, according to the flow of traffic.

Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful.

It's it's actually sort of a public art piece as well, and so depending on the flow of traffic, the lights will illuminate or decrease um depending on the flow of traffic.

So it's a really interesting feature and illuminates the building in a really beautiful way.

If you haven't seen it at nighttime, I highly recommend going by it.

We'd uh love to do a ribbon cutting when it's gonna be.

Yeah, oh, we would love that.

Yeah, absolutely.

Any questions for my colleagues or comments?

Just brief comments.

Um the building's beautiful.

People talk about it all the time once they're driving up and down one-on-one, and uh can't wait for the next ones to come in.

Thank you so much, appreciate it.

Okay, thank you.

We'll go for um public comments.

No public comments, Mayor.

All right, I will close the public hearing and I will entertain a motion.

So and I will second.

Can I have roll call, please?

Councilmember Nogales?

Yes.

Councilmember Coleman?

Yes.

Mayor Flores.

Yes.

Councilmember Nicholas.

Aye.

And Vice Mayor Adiego.

Yes, motion passes.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Carrie.

All right, next item, please.

Moving on to administrative business item number 20 is a report regarding a project update and two resolutions approving amendments to the consulting services agreement with Kitchell CM for program and construction management services, and Dorman Associates for Architectural Design Services for the Westboro Preschool Project.

Um, oh, this is a business item, so we're good.

Mr.

Gilchrist.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members.

I am doing terribly with the uh clicker at the moment.

And as soon as I can get a battery, you need new batteries.

Rich just put new batteries, the assistant city manager Lee just put new batteries in it, and that may have been my downfall.

Um I am very excited to be here.

It this project has not taken quite as long as the El Camino and Spruce Safeway, but almost for the last four years.

We have been exploring sites and locations amongst different sites for a new pre-cuse me.

IT, could we get the presentation up here?

We don't have it in our screen.

It's also stuck on slide three for some reason.

Uh if I could, Jake, if you said if you say next slide, IT can advance them as well.

Awesome.

Yeah, that back when we see it here in our modern screen.

There we go.

It's not on your screens.

Okay.

Um we we after looking through several locations over the last four years, um, we have finally settled on what I hope is going to be the home of the new Westboro Preschool.

I have with me Chris Dorman from Dorman Associates and Mary Peterson, also from Dorman Associates, and as well as Ranji Sinha and Michael Ransom from Kitchell, who brought us this beautiful building as well as the building across the street as our project and construction managers.

Um I just wanted to mention that when Chris comes up to do a run through of the design, that one of the big benefits of this design is that after exploring several different locations for the preschool, the location that we've settled on commits the Alos Bulos Community Center back to full-time community use.

We've heard a lot of concern about the need for other programming, particularly for seniors in Westboro.

And so one of the things that this design does provides a maximum flexibility and sort of rededicates that site to the non-preschool community.

Um I'd like to invite Chris up here somewhere.

Um one brief moment or one one brief point on Chris Dorman that I learned is that his mother has actually for her passion was child care.

And so she actually knew Jackie Spear when when um Supervisor Spear was an assembly woman and advocating at the state level for child care.

So it's it's been really been a joy to work with Dorman Associates on the project.

And after Chris runs through the design, I'm happy to answer any questions about the financial pieces and the amendments that we're doing tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, great.

Hello, mayor, vice mayor, and council members.

My name is Chris Dorman, and we have been enjoying our opportunity here to work with the city of San Francisco South San Francisco on this project, as was mentioned.

Um we we did study a number of places in this in the vicinity in the park, and we really found this um this perfect opportunity to locate the center in a place that it has some real advantages in terms of um separating some of the child care center um uses from the rest of the park and allowing people to um come and and uh as you can see in the plan, come in um park more easily and do drop-off.

So we have been um designing child care centers in a methodology where we can create um places for um uh effectively courtyard buildings with um with central access, et cetera.

So this building is a great opportunity for us to create both a presence at the entry to the site as well as um a community uh opportunity to understand the importance of child care in in South San Francisco.

Uh next slide, please.

One, there we go.

Uh oh.

I think we're well we seem to be moving through slides rapidly.

Um so yes, the next slide is the floor plan uh just zooming in.

So as I mentioned, um, what we're trying to do is create a safe place for families to drop off their children to come from the neighborhood to walk in very easily.

So there's an uh a lighter green area, which is the admin area.

We're finally able to create a lot of um support admin space for the child care center that I think is gonna really be an advantage to the teachers and the staff.

Um, and then we we enter through the admin area into and just into the courtyard of the play area so that we can distribute to all the classrooms.

So, what we're trying to do is create um classrooms that uh that effectively um are directly oriented to the play area, so they allow for teachers to move inside and outside from classroom to the play area.

The play area um is uh surrounded by um basically natural landscaping, which we'll show you in a minute, but there's also um at the top of the screen an outdoor covered uh play area um classroom that allows them to have some outdoor functions as well.

So we've managed to fit um a much more uh cohesive plan together than that we wouldn't have been able to do were we to try and uh use the alternate site.

Next slide, please.

So for inspiration, we looked uh locally here at some of the uh mid-century modern houses that are in the area, and we wanted to provide a um a residential aesthetic, but yet also um a fun and and uh a lovely building for the community.

Next slide.

So we're looking here at the entry of the building to the left, the administrative area and the central entry.

There's uh a fenced, you can see the fence play area behind, and then classrooms surrounding uh the play area.

Um, as we showed before, we're looking at sort of a mid-century aesthetic for the the roofs that allow us to grab natural light and ventilation and really try and create an aesthetic that is um responsive to the local residential community.

Next slide, please.

So from above, you can see um how the buildings uh create this natural outdoor courtyard.

They also kind of protect the uh park a little bit from the children in terms of allowing them to play and be noisy, and then the park has a sort of a more private area, and um and again it it's the it's gonna be a wonderful entry to the park area.

Next slide, please.

In order to accomplish this, we've had to move the um restroom, and what we think we're able to do here is to make a much more convenient restroom facility that is closer to the tennis courts, closer to the picnic area, and so um we've also managed to do this um great uh accessible path up to the tennis area.

So we're able to um create um a number of improvements to the site in the park area.

Next slide.

Um, all of our child care centers are based on best practices, and we just wanted to show you some uh some imagery from some of the inside of child care centers that we've done in the past.

We we focus on creating sight lines for teachers so that we can have the best uh uh opportunity for teachers to be able to view the classrooms while they're helping other children with toileting or with with uh food prep.

Uh next slide, please.

And finally, um we're very excited about providing nature play, and the uh the play area in the middle of the courtyard will be really play-based on um natural uh a natural environment using logs and um and dirt and sand and play structures that bring out the um the fun of nature, and as I mentioned up above, there will be this covered outdoor area.

If it's raining or if it's stamp, we can still do art projects and have some uh some gross motor skills areas as well.

So, um happy to answer any questions that you might have, but thank you very much.

Thank you very much for your presentation.

Councilmember Nogales.

Chris is finished.

If you have, I was gonna mention if you have questions for the architect, he's happy to answer, and then I can talk about the administrative items.

I kind of want to hear your part.

Yeah, sure.

The administrative part.

Oh, yeah, I heard that.

So basically, what's happening is um when we originally awarded contract to Kitchell for project management, it was for two projects.

It was for 840 West Orange, full project from the project inception all the way through construction, and for just a design study for Westboro.

Um, subsequently, we have sort of flipped those priorities and we have um canceled the 840 West Orange project and are really focused on this project.

So, this the rezo for the resolution for Kitchell memorializes increasing their contract amount for full project management for the Westboro site, and administratively we've already refunded the money from the West Orange project for the Dorman contract.

When we came to council when I came to council last year for the award of contract for professional services for Dorman, we were imagining a two or three classroom expansion, most likely for modular construction, immediately adjacent to the Alos Bulos community center.

It was not imagined that we were building a stick built all design bid build brand new facility with a brand new playground courtyard and everything, and so because of this expansion, we're expanding their contract as well.

Um so it's it's it's a more expensive project, certainly.

We have nine million dollars from the 21 and 22 CIPs, and um and we also are hopefully going to receive 850,000 dollars via an earmark from Congressman Mullen.

Um, we think right now the project is in like the 12 to 13 million dollar range.

There is child care impact fees to cover that delta.

A lot of that delta is because we're in an existing park, and so if we had purchased a parcel to build this to the tune of two or three million dollars, we would have just spent the money on the parcel.

But as council member Nogales knows in particular, we couldn't find anything in Westboro, but so the extra money that we're anticipating the project will need has to do with building a new restroom because we're demolishing the old outdoor restroom, providing this all nature play specifically, um, this new playground, and then also really providing new ADA compliant pathways and access all the way up to the tennis courts and the upper terrace of the ball field at Westboro.

There's never been an ADA compliant accessible route up to the upper field at Westboro, and so I I'm sort of seeing this as giving back to the seniors, but also giving back to the children and the general public in the neighborhood because the um one other thing I would mention is the younger children's playground that is immediately adjacent to the Bullo Center, as you know is closed to the public during the preschool hours.

That one no longer will be the case because the preschool will have a dedicated facility.

So, you know, we we we really tried to to plan this at a as a at a residential scale and really try to integrate it into the park as best we could, and and um having had my boys go through Westboro preschool and both graduate.

Um being this close to the fire station is just going to really excite a lot of the kids because they all love fire trucks, and um we're looking forward to being good neighbors with with the fire department at the uh at the site.

And I'm happy to answer any administrative questions before you ask Chris any questions about the design.

All right, thank you.

Now, Councilmember Nagas.

First, let me uh give a couple thank yous.

Actually, start off with my colleagues.

Um, I I've been really fortunate that this council and really and the previous council have made child care a priority.

And I I want to thank each one of you.

Um, Councilmore Nicholas, you're an amazing mom and grandmother, and so you know how important child care is, and these three gentlemen have made sure that child care is also an important um part of our city.

And I I mentioned earlier that you know, during the child care town hall, like South City was kind of the blueprint, and you know, Supervisor Spear and Super Cochet were saying, you know, other cities should follow our lead, and this is an example of that right now.

And so I'm I'm really excited about the design.

I when I first saw this design, I would never have thought this was a child care center, just the way it actually fits in the neighborhood in a sense.

Like I've like those like almost like residential housing in a sense, and I was like, wow, that and the garden space and just the play area, that's different from what we've seen um really what we provided in the past.

And so just a just kudos in terms of the design.

A couple questions I did have.

Well, we're I guess during construction, are we gonna have a temporary bathroom in Westboro?

Yes.

Okay.

So what we're exploring, we haven't made a recommendation to council yet, but what we are exploring is potentially building a brand new modular prefabricated restroom building in this location at the picnic area, or potentially going with something like the throne system that we're exploring at Linden.

But um, we're and right now, because of schedule of the project, one of the nuances of the design is that the electrical service for the ball field and the and the playgrounds are is actually in the existing restroom building, and so we're exploring potentially doing an initial phase of work where we move that electrical service and develop a pad for a temporary restroom site during the duration of construction.

But we're we're working on because there's also operational challenges.

If we do all of this demolition, there is no truck access to the upper field unless we make accommodations, and so we're working through all of those.

But we'll at worst we'll have portable toilets available.

Um, but we may just do a subscription for the throne system similar to what we're doing at Linden during construction.

And are we taking a portion of the fire station property?

We're what we're planning what we're proposing is in interior to the fire station's fence line, there's a planter that's five feet wide, and we're proposing moving the fence line to that planter edge.

So we're taking up a planter that's not being used, but that's the only property.

And we've been I've been working with um both the fire marshal and chief sampson on the design.

Okay.

And then that entrance that can you put that map up?

Which slide?

The I guess the top view.

I'll do my best.

First one, can we go to slide two, please, or slide three?

Thank you.

Was it two council member?

Uh nope.

Keep going.

Keep going.

That one.

This one, yes.

So right now that entryway is in and out.

Are we looking at one entrance in, or is it still gonna be in and out in that side?

The other entrance is is the only the other end of the parking lot is exit only.

Yeah.

So we would have to do something here.

Um, I mean, this could remain in and out, but we're actually we've I've I've been having conversations with planning and engineering about that.

We haven't made a determination yet.

I just wondered in terms of safety, if it makes sense just to have an entrance only and just go out.

Out, out, yeah, closer to Westboro.

Right.

But the problem is like when you made that left turn in Westboro, there is that blind spot.

Correct.

So you might have to do more of a red stripe going further down.

We're also discussing potential four-way stop signs at the immediate at the adjacent cul-de-sac because this I I this is a two-way, and because my boys love fire trucks, I would leave the facility every day out this way instead of the Westboro exit.

And just dealing with the cars that are coming down Galway from Westboro, it's quite a challenge exiting from this side.

So we we may we're we're we're working all of those details out right now.

And then in terms of the child care impact fees, you said we have the delta to finish this, and then do you know how much we'll have left over?

I don't.

It I mean, I I believe there's an excess of 15 million right now, potentially more at this point.

Uh uh I believe the assistant city manager uh Richley has that number.

So as of today, uh the child care impact fee fund has 19 million in cash.

Uh of that 15 million is available.

Um in the current year that the fund is accounted for 2.7 million dollars in revenue.

Okay, this is with it 100 kids.

100 kids, yes.

And what's also great is that we're taking the Alice Blue site and making that space for adult senior activities or just park and rec activities because I know there's been always an ask for more park and rack, and we're able to do that.

So uh I just want to again say thank you to my colleagues and the staff.

I know this is a long time coming, and and 27 is what we're looking at here.

We are planning to break ground in the spring of 26.

Yes, and we should be open by summer, mid-summer 27.

I I am well aware.

Great.

Let's move on.

Uh questions?

Thank you, Councilman.

No, you're good.

Questions?

Just a comment.

I I think it's really great optimizing the space, uh, you know, and improving the park.

This is like uh killing two birds with one shot.

So really thank you.

And also, you know, it's really great for our community to have a bigger space for our more facilities for child care.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, I just want to say thank you to Jake, uh, who went through a lot uh to get to this point, and I really appreciate um your your leadership in this.

Thank you.

Agreed, thank you.

Very well put together.

Yeah, go ahead.

And a couple of comments.

Um first of all, um, I think uh the district representative should be just ecstatic because this is a complete refresh for that park.

And personally, the inspirational imagery, one of my favorite homes is an Eichler home with the big atrium in the middle.

And you've captured that look um in this child care facility, which it makes it look like a a partner in the neighborhood instead of just a um you know government building.

Um, I'm just uh really impressed what we ended up with.

And uh you should be very happy.

Thank you.

Go ahead, make the motion.

I'm proud to make that motion, Mr.

Mayor.

Second, I have a first and a second.

Can I have reports?

For item 28, right, Mayor.

28, yes, the first uh resolution.

Councilmember Nogales?

Yes, member Nicholas.

Aye, Vice Mayor Diego, yes, Mayor Flores?

Yes, Councilmember Coleman.

Yes.

Thank you.

Can I have a motion for item 20b, a resolution 25-553?

So moved.

Uh can I have a second?

I'll second.

I have a first and a second.

Can I have roll call, please?

Vice Marina Diego.

Yes.

Councilmember Nagawas?

Yes.

Councilmember Coleman?

Yes.

Mayor Flores.

Yes.

Councilmember Nicholas.

Hi.

Both motions pass.

Next item.

Thank you, Jake.

Moving on to items from council committee reports and announcements.

Anyone have any committee reports or announcements to share?

Um, yes, I do.

Very briefly.

So today we had a heart meeting, housing endowment and regional trust board of San Mateo County.

I know our council has um heard about a program from Hart, their middle income housing bond program where they basically purchase um existing housing and convert it uh to middle income housing.

And I believe we explored this maybe a couple years back, and our you know, economic and community development department uh had some issues with that.

Um, but today uh they proposed uh a similar idea where they issue bonds to purchase the building, convert to middle income or below market rate units.

Um they are currently working with the San Mateo County Office of Education on this for workforce housing.

Um but there's something that they are doing differently in their approach.

They are changing it where they gradually convert the units from market to below market rate at a rate of around two units per month over the course of many years.

They are financing this with two bonds, one that is a 11-year junior bonds with 35-year longer term bonds, and um this basically makes it more fiscally sustainable, and so I hope that we can look at this different approach and see if it makes sense, and maybe there's an opportunity in South San Francisco for us to do something uh similar uh for our uh residents who are middle income.

Thank you.

Missing middle.

Yep.

Great, thank you for sharing that with us.

Anyone else?

If not, we'll move on to uh the next item, final items.

Thank you, Mayor.

Moving on to closed session.

Item number 21 is a conference with real property negotiators pursuant to government code section 54956.8.

Property is 400 Miller Avenue, APN number 012-303-110.

City negotiators, now Sealander Economic and Community Development Director, and Sky Woodrough City Attorney.

Negotiating Party, Nissar Saik Trust under negotiations price and terms.

Item number 22 is a conference with legal counsel, anticipated litigation, significant exposure to litigation pursuant to government code section 54956.9 D2, one potential case.

Thank you.