CITY OF FOSTER CITY/
ESTERO MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 21, 2025
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER OF CITY COUNCIL/EMID BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Regular Meeting of January 21, 2025 of the City Council of the City of Foster City, sitting as said Council and as ex officio the Board of Directors of the Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID), was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Mayor/President Stacy Jimenez.
This meeting was held as a hybrid meeting.
ROLL CALL
The Communications Director/City Clerk/District Secretary called the roll:
PRESENT:
Councilmembers/ex officio EMID Directors Art Kiesel, Suzy Niederhofer, Patrick Sullivan, Phoebe Venkat, and Mayor/President Stacy Jimenez.
ABSENT: None.
STAFF PRESENT:
Stefan Chatwin, City/District Manager ; Benjamin Stock , City Attorney/District Legal Counsel ; Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City/District Manager; Andrew Brozyna, Public Works Director; Sofia Mangalam, Community Development Director; Cory Call, Police Chief; Nate Cruz , Finance Director ; Rob Lasky, IT Manager ; Katherine Estrada, Deputy City Clerk; Shuli Chen, Video Technician; and Priscilla Schaus, C ommunications Director /City Clerk /District Secretary.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion by Vice Mayor/Vice President Kiesel , seconded by Councilmember/Director Niederhofer, and carried unanimously , 5-0-0, approving the following items on the City/District Consent Calendar:
City/EMID Consent Calendar
1. City/EMID Regular Meeting Minutes of January 6, 2025;
2. City Resolution No. 2025-3, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Foster City Approving an Overhire for (1) Police Officer Position from April 2025 Through the Remainder of FY 24-25;”
3. City Resolution No. 2025-4, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Foster City Appointing Nathan (Nate) Cruz to the Office of City Treasurer and Authorizing Nate Cruz and Waqas Hassan as Authorized Signatories for Purposes of Opening, Administering and Closing Any and All Cash and Investment Accounts;”
4. EMID Resolution No. 3790, “ A Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Estero Municipal Improvement District Appointing Nathan (Nate) Cruz to the Office of District Treasurer and Authorizing Nate Cruz and Waqas Hassan as Authorized Signatories for Purposes of Opening, Administering and Closing Any and All Cash and Investment Accounts;”
5. City Resolution No. 2025-5, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Foster City Renaming the Street Rehabilitation and Park Pathway Restoration Project 2024-2025 (CIP 301- 721) to Street Rehabilitation Project 2024- 2025 (CIP 301- 721); Approving the Plans and Specifications and Authorizing the Call for Bids for the Project (CIP 301- 721); Establishing a New CIP Titled Park Pathway Restoration Project 2024-2025 (New CIP); Transferring $300,000 Each from CIP 301-716 and CIP 301 -721 to Said New CIP; and Finding That the Project is Categorically Exempt Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);”
6. City Resolution No. 2025-6, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Foster City Authorizing the District President to Execute Master Agreements with Selected Six (6) Consultants for Water & Wastewater Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering Services and Finding That the Proj ect is Categorically Exempt Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);”
7. EMID Resolution No. 3791, “ A Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Estero Municipal Improvement District Authorizing the District President to Execute Master Agreements with Selected Six (6) Consultants for Water & Wastewater Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering Services and Finding That the Project is Categorically Exempt Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);” and
8. EMID Resolution No. 3792, “ A Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Estero Municipal Improvement District Authorizing the Execution of a Task Order with BKF Engineers for On-Call Civil Engineering Services in the Amount of $55,604 to Provide a Feasibility Study for CIP 455- 710 Shell Bridge Sanitary Sewer Force Main Rehabilitation Project; and Finding the Approval Exempt From the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15061(B)(3) and 15301(C)—Existing Facilities.”
NEW BUSINESS
APPOINTMENT OF ONE MEMBER TO A PARTIAL TERM FROM JANUARY 1, 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025 ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND TWO MEMBERS TO PARTIAL TERMS FROM JUNE 1, 2021 THROUGH MAY 31, 2025 AND JUNE 1, 2022 THROUGH MAY 31, 2026 ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION. MINUTE ORDER NO. 2011. CITY RESOLUTION NO. 2025-7.
Communications Director/City Clerk Schaus presented the staff report.
Applicant Ranjani Thiagarajan seeking appointment to the Audit Committee was interviewed by the City Council.
Motion by Councilmember Niederhofer, seconded by Councilmember Venkat, and carried unanimously, 5-0-0, adopting Minute Order No. 2011, appointing Ranjani Thiagarajan to a partial term from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025 on the Audit Committee.
The following applicants seeking appointment to the Planning C ommission were interviewed by the City Council:
1. Shane Arters;
2. Jacob Fox;
3. Owjan Hashtroodi;
4. Ronald Kahn;
5. Janey Kaster;
6. Shankar Kenkre;
7. Barry Salberg;
8. Doug Stoveland; and
9. Cindy Wang.
Puneet Kumar was not in attendance. Vijay Dodd and Miguel Torres withdrew their applications.
RECESS. The meeting recessed at 8:32 p.m. and reconvened at 8:39 p.m.
Motion by Councilmember Niederhofer, seconded by Vice Mayor Kiesel, and carried unanimously, 5- 0-0, adopting City Resolution No. 2025- 7, “ A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Foster City Appointing Two Members to the Planning Commission,” appointing Shankar Kenkre to a partial term from June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2025 and Doug Stoveland to a partial term from June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2026 on the Planning Commission.
COMMUNICATIONS
CITY/DISTRICT WARRANT OF DEMANDS. NO ACTION TAKEN.
City/District Warrants of Demands were Processed and Issued on December 26, 2024.
CITY/DISTRICT MANAGER REPORTS, COUNCIL/BOARD STATEMENTS AND
REQUESTS, AND COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS
City/District Manager Chatwin reminded the Councilmembers of the City Council Annual Retreat on January 23. He introduced Nate Cruz as the new Finance Director.
Councilmember/Director Venkat stated that she attended the Swearing-In Ceremony for Police Chief Call on January 13. She visited Audubon Elementary School on January 21 as the new Council Liaison to the San Mateo-Foster City School District. She encouraged the public to attend the Parks Master Plan Community Workshop at the Vibe on January
22. She noted she would attend the City Council Annual Retreat on January 23 to go over the goals and priorities of the City Council for the next year.
Councilmember/Director Sullivan welcomed Nate Cruz as the new Finance Director. He stated that he attended the San Mateo Union High School District Board Reorganization meeting on December 19. On January 13, he attended the Swearing- In Ceremony for Police Chief Call. He stated he was excited to have the StarVista mental health clinician support the Police Department with adults and youths that have experienced a mental health crisis.
Vice Mayor/Vice President Kiesel stated he was unable to attend the Swearing- In Ceremony for Police Chief Call on January 13 because he was attending a San Mateo County City Selection Committee meeting on behalf of Mayor Jimenez. He attended the San Mateo County & Stakeholder Federal Priorities Event on January 16.
Mayor/President Jimenez stated that she spoke at Police Chief Call’s Swearing -In Ceremony on January 13. She spoke at th e Antisemitism Learning Event held by 8th grade students at the Wornick Jewish Day School on January 16, and she attended an event in San Francisco held by Senator Josh Becker where they discussed the Mexican Repatriation of the 1930s on January 17 . She requested to agendize a discussion to reintroduce a Code of Conduct for the City Council and received support from Councilmember Niederhofer and Councilmember Venkat.
ADJOURNMENT
Hearing no objection from the City Council/EMID Board, Mayor/President Jimenez adjourned the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.