City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov City Council
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Date: 1/13/2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Locations: Teleconference and
City Council Chambers
751 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025
Regular Session
A. Call To Order
Mayor Nash called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.
B. Roll Call
Present: Combs, Nash, Schmidt, Wise
Absent: Taylor
Staff: City Manager Justin Murphy, Assistant City Manager Stephen Stolte, City Attorney Nira Doherty, Assistant to the City Manager/ City Clerk Judi A. Herren C. Agenda Review
None.
D. Public Comment
Pam Jones requested a detailed report of both pools’ downtime cause, duration and remedy.
E. Presentations and Proclamations
E1. Proclamation: National Law Enforcement Day (Attachment) E2. Proclamation: National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (Attachment) Mayor Nash introduced the proclamations.
Menlo Park Police Officers accepted the proclamations (Attachment).
F. Consent Calendar
F1. Accept the City Council meeting minutes for December 2 and 9, 2025 (Attachment) F2. Transmittal of the annual report on the status of development impact fees and in-lieu fees collected as of June 30, 2025 (Staff Report #26-001-CC)
ACTION: Motion and second (Wise/ Combs), to approve the consent calendar, passed 4-0-1 (Taylor absent).
City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov G. Regular Business
G1. Approve 2026 City Council roll call voting procedure (Staff Report #26-002-CC) City Clerk Judi Herren introduced the item.
The City Council discussed roll call variations.
ACTION: Motion and second (Combs/ Nash), to approve the roll call voting procedure using the remote participant first and then in alphabetical order by legal first name with the presiding officer called last and also in alphabetical order by legal first name with the presiding officer called last if all City Councilmembers are in-person for calendar year 2026, passed 4-0-1 (Taylor absent).
G2. Consideration of fee waiver for annexation of West Menlo Triangle (Staff Report #26-005-CC) Assistant City Manager Stephen Stolte introduced the item . Gregory Faris spoke in support of the fee waiver and annexation of the West Menlo Triangle. Dr. Marisol Escalera, from San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Muller’s office, spoke in support of the annexation of the West Menlo Triangle.
Kristin Kassaei spoke in support of the fee waiver.
Vina spoke in support of the fee waiver.
Rob Bartoli offered clarification on any questions related to San Mateo County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).
Leah Rogers spoke in support of the fee waiver.
Andrea Beylen spoke in support of the annexation of the West Menlo Triangle.
The City Council received clarification on timeline and benchmarking of the annexation process if the fee waiver is approved and requested regular report outs to the City Council beginning within the first six months.
The City Council discussed staff project prioritization.
ACTION: Motion and second (Combs/ Wise), to approve the fee waiver for annexation of West Menlo Triangle, passed 3-1-1 (Nash dissenting and Taylor absent).
G3. Appoint City Council liaisons to San Mateo County Transit District and San Mateo County Transportation Authority (Staff Report #26-006-CC)
City Clerk Judi Herren introduced the item.
ACTION: Motion and second (Wise/ Nash), to appoint Vice Mayor Jennifer Wise as the liaison to San Mateo County Transit District and San Mateo County Transportation Authority, passed 4-0-1 (Taylor absent).
H. Informational Items
H1. City Council agenda topics: January – February 2026 (Staff Report #26-007-CC) City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
January 13, 2026
City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov H2. Update on the City’s Middle Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Rail Crossing project (Staff Report #26-003-CC)
Michael Barclay provided a cost analysis for the bike tunnel and spoke in opposition to the project.
Will Oursler spoke in support of the project.
Adina Levin spoke in support of the project.
John Woodell spoke in support of the project.
Katie Behroozi spoke in support of the project.
H3. Update on the City’s shuttle operations (Staff Report #26-004-CC) I. City Manager Report
None.
J. City Councilmember Reports
City Councilmember Schmidt reported out on ReThink Waste Assembly Bill 762.
Mayor Nash reported out on the police swearing in ceremony.
K. Adjournment
Mayor Nash adjourned the meeting at 7:16 p.m.
Assistant to the City Manager/ City Clerk Judi A. Herren These minutes were approved at the City Council meeting February 10, 2026.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
January 13, 2026
Proclamation
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY
WHEREAS, National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day was founded by multiple organizations in 2015 to recognize officers across the country for the daily sacrifices they make for their communities; and WHEREAS, the leading organization, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S) provides a national support network for families and co-workers who have lost a loved one in the line of duty and supports positive recognition of officers doing good work every day; and
WHEREAS, Law Enforcement Officers of every rank and file have chosen a profession that puts their life on the line in order to maintain public safety for the good of all; and WHEREAS, in addition to intense training and personal risk, Law Enforcement Officers often give up holidays and milestones with their families and loved ones to do their jobs; and WHEREAS, Law Enforcement Officers have answered a call to public service that is uniquely demanding and often unappreciated and face many challenges, including responding to emergencies, investigating crimes and building trust with the community; and
WHEREAS, there are over 900,000 officers in the United States. In 2025, approximately 111 officers died in the line of duty and on average 184 officers commit suicide each year; and WHEREAS, we appreciate the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices made by officers and their family members in order to protect our schools, workplaces, roadways and homes; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, that I, Betsy
Nash, Mayor of the City of Menlo Park, on behalf of the City Council and City, do hereby proclaim and celebrate January 9, 2026 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in
Menlo Park.
Betsy Nash, Mayor
January 13, 2026
AGENDA ITEM E-1 Page E-1.1 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 13, 2026
Proclamation
NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH
WHEREAS, the United States Senate designated January 11 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in 2007 and, beginning in 2010, by Presidential Proclamation, each January has been designated National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month; and
WHEREAS, human trafficking, sex trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation and labor exploitation are human rights violations, illegal under federal and California law, and promote the breakdown of families and communities, fuel organized crime, deprive countries of human capital, undermine public health and impose large economic costs; and
WHEREAS, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are more than 24.9 million human trafficking victims worldwide, including 16 million victims of labor exploitation, 4.8 million victims of sexual exploitation and 4.1 million victims of state imposed forced labor; and WHEREAS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified California and the San Francisco Bay Area as an area of high prevalence for human trafficking. In 2021, approximately 300 individuals were identified within San Mateo County in 2020 who had been victimized by human trafficking, including minors and adults; and WHEREAS, although forced labor, involuntary domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation of adults and youth are illegal, victims often do not recognize their victimization, do not know that help is available or where to seek assistance. Additionally, community members may not know how to identify the red flags of trafficking or how to report suspicious circumstances; and WHEREAS, everyone can help in the fight against human trafficking. By raising awareness of this crime, we can help victims by learning the signs of human trafficking and how to identify and respond to trafficking in our community; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, that I, Betsy
Nash, Mayor of the City of Menlo Park, on behalf of the City Council and City, do hereby proclaim and celebrate January 2026 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in
Menlo Park.
Betsy Nash, Mayor
January 13, 2026
AGENDA ITEM E-2 Page E-2.1 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 13, 2026