South San Francisco City Council Meeting - December 10, 2025

The South San Francisco City Council held its regular meeting on December 10, 2025, covering a range of topics including an action plan update, approval of the consent calendar, a presentation on emergency rental assistance, and a discussion on a requested amendment to the affordable housing agreement for the Essex development at 7 South Linden Avenue. The meeting also included public comments, council member reports, and recognitions.

Consent Calendar

• The council approved the consent calendar (items 2 through 18) unanimously. Four items were pulled for discussion prior to the vote: Item 3 (Grand Avenue and Airport Boulevard street improvements acceptance), Item 7 (sanitary sewer spot repair contract), Item 8 (trash capture devices project contract), and Item 15 (public art agreement for the new park at Linden and Pine Avenues). After discussion, all four items were included in the consent vote and approved.
• Key consent items included: acceptance of street and sewer improvement projects, resolutions for various construction contracts, grant acceptance for pedestrian and bicycle safety ($150,000 from California Office of Traffic Safety), a public art agreement with J. Muscas for $168,000, and a budget amendment appropriating $25,294,527.52 from the sale of city-owned parcels to Genentech.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sam Tacuti criticized City Manager Sharon Reynolds, alleging she called him a liar regarding his difficulty finding a special meeting location. He argued that council members (except Mayor Adiego) did not defend him.
• Corey David complained about delayed responses to public records requests, citing credit card expenditures and lack of transparency. He expressed concern over the city's spending and questioned the need for city attorney involvement in public records processing.
• Sydney Marcopoulos (representing the South San Francisco Citizens Coalition) congratulated Mayor Adiego on his election as mayor and expressed hope for honesty and transparency. She also mentioned the Middle East Children's Alliance in response to Mayor Adiego's earlier remarks.

Discussion Items

• Fiscal Year 2025-26 Action Plan Update (Presentation only, no vote): Assistant City Manager Richley presented updates on key initiatives, including the 905 London RFP for affordable housing, ADU zoning text amendment, Linden Park development (90% construction documents under review), senior services expansion (including a $25,000 Kaiser grant for congregate nutrition), El Camino Real mobility planning, and the ERP system implementation on track for October 2026. No council questions or action taken.
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program (Item 19): Management Analyst Elia Moreno presented a request to appropriate $235,000 from the Low and Moderate Income Housing Fund to continue the program, which has assisted 323 households since 2020. The program provides up to $4,500 per household. The YMCA administers the program with an 18% administration fee. Council members expressed support, with Vice Mayor Nogales noting the program's origin and impact. The resolution was approved unanimously.
• Essex Affordable Housing Agreement Amendment (Item 20): The council considered two options proposed by Essex Property Trust to modify the affordable housing agreement for the 543-unit project at 7 South Linden. Option A would maintain 81 affordable units but reallocate them into very low, low (at 70% AMI), and moderate income (at 110% AMI) categories. Option B would reduce the total affordable units to 54, but all very low income (50% AMI). Essex representative Lauren Krause argued that the change would attract a capital partner, but acknowledged the project would proceed regardless. Council members expressed concerns about precedent, the timing of the request (after groundbreaking), and the need to prioritize very low and low income units. After discussion, the council decided not to approve either amendment, leaving the original affordable housing agreement in place (15% affordable, with one-third very low and two-thirds low income at 60% AMI rents). No motion was made.
• Public Art for Linden Park (Item 15 - pulled): Aaron O'Brien and Ann Birchold presented the artist selection process for the new park. Artist J. Muscas was recommended based on community poll (48% support) and selection committee scores. The artwork includes mosaic columns, inlays, and a playground sculpture incorporating community workshops. The council praised the process and approved the contract as part of the consent calendar.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (all 17 items).
• Emergency Rental Assistance: Resolution 26.042 approved unanimously, appropriating $235,000 for the program.
• Essex Affordable Housing Amendment: Not approved; the council declined to take action, leaving the original agreement in effect. No motion was made.
• Public Art Agreement: Approved as part of the consent calendar.
• Council Committee Assignments: The mayor confirmed the current roster for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Mayor Adiego as chair). The Cal ID committee was discussed but no appointment made.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned in memory of Wendy Tam, Philomer Ancheta, Rustico Tensuan, and the mother of San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina.