South San Francisco City Council Meeting - January 14, 2026

The City Council met on January 14, 2026, to hear a presentation on social determinants of health, approve funding for the Rotary Gardens affordable housing project, discuss committee assignments, and receive public comments on various topics.

Consent Calendar

• The council unanimously approved the minutes of the meetings of December 9, 10, and 16, 2025, as part of the consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Cynthia Markopolis (South San Francisco Citizens Coalition) criticized city credit card spending, citing specific examples such as a $903.28 meal in Boston and $67,161 in tuition reimbursement, and argued against a proposed parcel tax.
• Tony Allen urged the council to adopt proactive protections against ICE enforcement, referencing San Jose and Chicago ordinances, including requiring ICE agents to show identification and banning ICE from city properties.
• Maud Agstrom (resident on Bethman Way) expressed concern about incomplete red curb painting for daylighting parking at corners, creating safety hazards for visibility.
• Annie Lowe challenged the city's practice of recording only speaker names in meeting minutes, stating it lacked summary of topics, and requested the city clerk provide clarification; she noted no response to public records requests.
• Vinola accused the city of being exclusive and cited a previous incident regarding "Women of the Year" event, calling for an authority with subpoena power.

Discussion Items

Social Determinants of Health Presentation

• Dr. Curtis Chan (Deputy Health Officer, San Mateo County) and Vice Mayor Ruben Abraca (East Palo Alto) presented the county's Community Health Improvement Plan, focusing on three priority areas: access to healthcare, social determinants, and mental health. They asked how the city uses health data dashboards and what policies it considers to improve public health.
• Councilmembers discussed the value of a self-assessment against a city health policy rubric and requested staff to compile a list of existing city policies. Vice Mayor Nogales suggested evaluating what the city has already accomplished. Councilmember Flores noted the importance of current data for grants and cited past failures in county testing during COVID-19. The presentation was well received.

Rotary Gardens Affordable Housing Project (Resolution)

• The council considered a resolution to appropriate $7,867,409 from the commercial linkage fee fund and authorize $1.2 million in impact fee waivers for Phase 1 (80 senior units) of Rotary Gardens at 500 Linden Avenue. The project is a collaboration with the Rotary Club and Beacon Development Group.
• Key details: 80 units (mostly one-bedroom), 60% AMI with 20 units for homeless/special needs at 15% AMI; monthly rent ~$1,600 for 60% AMI, ~$500 for 15% AMI. The county committed $16.8 million, contingent on the city's increased contribution. Phase 2 (64 family units) is planned later.
• Councilmembers expressed strong support, emphasizing the depth of affordability (15% AMI), the use of commercial linkage fees from market-rate development, and the 51% local live-work preference. They appreciated the city becoming master leaseholder for commercial space. Staff will return with loan agreement terms.

Key Outcomes

• The resolution approving the budget amendment and impact fee waivers for Rotary Gardens Phase 1 passed unanimously (5-0).
• City Council committee assignments for 2026 were discussed and generally approved as proposed, with Mayor Adiago noting some committees may be obsolete (e.g., Airport Noise Insulation Program). Councilmember Flores announced his appointments to the San Mateo County Charter Review Committee and the League of California Cities Board of Directors.