1 BURLINGAME CITY COUNCIL
Approved Minutes
City Council Goal Setting Session on February 18, 2026
1. CALL TO ORDER
A duly noticed meeting of the Burlingame City Council was held on the above date in person and via Zoom at 5:30 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Brownrigg, Colson, Pappajohn, Stevenson, Thayer MEMBERS ABSENT: None
3. REQUEST FOR AB 2449 REMOTE PARTICIPATION
There were no requests.
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
5. GOAL SETTING SESSION
Mayor Brownrigg welcomed everyone to the Annual Goal Setting Session. He explained that this year, he wanted the City Council, staff, and the community to think beyond the day-to-day needs of the City.
Instead, this session was focused on having individuals think about Burlingame in 20 to 25 years.
Mayor Brownrigg introduced Lou Pambianco, the facilitator for the evening.
Mayor Brownrigg showed a series of photos that depicted what he believed to be Burlingame’s identity including:
• Strong schools
• Housing projects
• The safety from police and fire
• Infrastructure investments such as parking garages and the community center • Public spaces and recreation
2 Mr. Pambianco discussed our “right brain” and “left brain”. In the right brain, he noted that vision informs values, which informs behaviors. He added that behaviors are what people do day-to-day to advance those values. He stated that the left brain focuses on objectives, strategies, tactics, and success metrics.
Therefore, when left and right brain elements are combined, organizations gain an integrated structure for growth and change.
Mr. Pambianco reviewed examples of other cities’ vision statements including San Jose’.
Mr. Pambianco asked the participants (Council, staff, and members of the public) to use post-its and write a value on each post-it that they believe exists in Burlingame. He asked that people continue to write until they were out of ideas.
Participants were then asked to stick their post-its on a board.
Mr. Pambianco had each participant state the values they saw in Burlingame. Here are some examples:
thoughtful growth, local character, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, quality of life, age-friendly, historical appreciation, transit-oriented, family-friendly, financially sound, safe, nature oriented, healthy, and integrity.
Mr. Pambianco then asked all the participants to walk around the room, introducing themselves, and stating what they believed was the single highest priority value from their list. Afterwards, he asked the group, from those conversations, what values rose to the top. Some of these priorities included:
• Healthy – as it encompassed financial health and more • Safety – as foundational for community life
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability – environment, infrastructure, and finances
Mr. Pambianco asked participants to create a short list of core values.
Councilmember Colson took notes for the group, and the following five core values were selected:
• Welcoming and Inclusive
• Sustainable
• Beautiful
• Safe
• Engaged
Mayor Brownrigg asked the participants to identify what they believed were the assets and liabilities for the City. The following assets were identified:
• Diverse revenue base
• Strong educational institutions
• Parks and public open spaces
• Staff
3 • Location and setting
• Infrastructure
• Community culture of engagement
The following liabilities were identified:
• Sea level rise
• Climate risk (more generally)
• Affordability/high cost of living
• Unfunded fiscal needs
• State mandates that reduce local control
• Car-centric transportation and limited mobility options • Outreach and engagement of new residents
After this discussion, the participants took a ten-minute break.
Mr. Pambianco re-centered the group after the break and introduced a visioning exercise designed to connect personal experience with organizational vision. He asked participants to recall a time in their own lives when they had visualized a future state. He then asked them to put words to that image and explain how it created a force field.
Mr. Pambianco asked the participants to close their eyes, breathe, and envision what Burlingame should be like in 20-25 years from now, anchored in the values that the group identified. Participants were instructed to write down their vision on a post-it. He asked individuals to share their vision. Some examples of what was shared include:
• A vibrant, liable city, in which residents can readily point to the elements across our city that provide for an enjoyable modern existence and fulfilling experience, and at the same time reflect the importance of our history and demonstrably tie back to our roots. • A dynamic city with two new schools for all the new families in our city, most of whom are regular working folks.
• A “drone flyover” view of Burlingame with a beautiful and safe shoreline, emerging Rollins Road neighborhood, parks and public spaces including grade separation at Broadway, beautiful schools, a vibrant downtown, and tree-filled neighborhoods that are walkable and lush • Burlingame will be a welcoming inclusive community that is safe and sustainable, with an engaged populace, well-maintained civic facilities, and vibrant downtowns. • A beautiful city with a substantial tree canopy and a welcoming and engaged community that cares about its past while not neglecting present problems.
Mr. Pambianco next divided the participants into five small groups and asked them to share their individual written visions and collaborate on a single short vision statement.
After the small group discussions, each group selected a spokesperson to read its statement aloud.
4 The five statements were:
1. We envision a welcoming, inclusive, beautiful, and safe city, grounded in sustainability and active engagement, where residents enjoy a modern and vibrant quality of life that reflects our history while being visionary and forward-looking.
2. A welcoming, inclusive, and equitable community that’s safe with a strong economy and a government that is responsive and well-maintained facilities.
3. To be an inclusive and sustainable city where beauty, opportunity, and an engaged community shape a thriving community for all.
4. A vibrant community filled with diverse activities and engagement in a beautiful, sustainable environment that is welcoming to all.
5. A vibrant beautiful city that promotes healthy activity between people and places.
Participants discussed common themes that arose from these statements and that the statements seemed broad enough to all for evolution over time.
Councilmember Colson noted that she put the statements into ChatGPT to produce a single statement: A welcoming, vibrant community where beauty, sustainability, and opportunity come together, creating a healthy, thriving future for all.
Mr. Pambianco stated that once a final vision is adopted, it should remain stable over decades and not change with each election. He cited Colorado Springs’ vision statement: “We will build a great city that matches our scenery”.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Jennifer Pfaff thanked Council for this goal-setting session.
Janet Martin expressed her gratitude for the hard work of staff and Council.
A student discussed statewide climate goals and the importance of Burlingame participating in these goals.
Howard Wettan discussed that the meeting was being held in a building that was created through visualizing and community outreach.
Stephanie Lee discussed the “Meet Six Neighbors” campaign.
7. CLOSING REMARKS
Mayor Brownrigg thanked everyone for coming and participating in this exercise.
The Council all shared their appreciation for the session, and it was determined that this item would be brought back for future discussion.
5 8. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Brownrigg adjourned the study session at 8:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/
Meaghan Hassel-Shearer
City Clerk