SAN BRUNO CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
City Council Retreat
January 24, 2025
Public Comment(s)
From: Claudia Quinn
To: City Clerk
Subject: For City Council retreat January 24, 2025
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025 10:27:53 AM
Please add this email to the above meeting
To the Mayor, City Manager and City Council members
As long time San Bruno residents, we have just been made aware of funds possibly coming from - 50+million dollar community benefit package from YouTube, 5 million from sale of property by Jacks and 5 million from Southline
project.
We respectfully
ask to be included in discussions regarding the use of these revenues.
Have they been received, have they been spent or are they already allocated and will you give the community an opportunity to take part in these discussions?
We feel you need to listen to your constituents. That should be your priority.
So many issues are pressing and important to San Bruno.
We look forward to being informed in an easily accessible manner.
Respectfully,
Sean and Claudia Quinn
Sent from my iPhone
1 Lupita Huerta
From: Linda Mason < >
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 6:02 AM
To: City Clerk; Lupita Huerta
Subject: Strategic Priorities Retreat Public Comment
Dear Council,
As you are aware, this is amongst the most important - if not THE most important meeting of the year. It's unfortunate there was not more notice for people to be able to attend. The following is my public comment and priority request(s):
(1) Agendize next year's retreat in Tuesday nights calendar approval: As you approve next year's calendar this coming Tuesday the first request is to agendize the retreat for next year on the calendar, preferably on a weekend or after work, so that the public can attend. Additionally, the Notice should also state that retreats are not recorded and cannot be seen later...
(2) Listening Sessions on Funds. As you are all aware, we worked tirelessly during the 2019-2022 years seeing various commitments to the City in the form of one time payments, This included the You Tube Community Benefits Package; Southline fund contribution; Selling of property near Jacks; and Crestmoor. (There may be more not included here.) The above totaled over $60M. Some of this may have already been received since then and some received this past year (2024). However, the public has not been informed of the receipt of the funds unless mentioned in one of the longer budget meetings. Given the large sums of money - there needs to be a report on the status of all of these significant funds. If not received, say it. If received, where is it? Per the staff report (see below)- nothing is expected to come in this year but what about what has come in since being announced between 2019-2022 and how has it been spent?
Then, there are additional funds coming into San Bruno annually/regularly including Artichoke Joe's Annual Contribution (increased to a million dollars), WalMart (over three million per year); cannabis (estimated to be shy of one million dollars), Short term rentals (at least $200,000), and Measure G. (Also worth mentioning are development impact fees.) The status should also be included in a listening session.
As a priority, the Council needs to prioritize listening sessions providing the public with an accounting of what is coming in, how much, and asking the public how to spend their funds. Since this would likely be conducted by a third party as the SB Community Foundation has done (and approximately the same amount of funds), then this would need to be a priority. This information, and lack thereof, is how public
2 trust disintegrates. I have yet to receive a substantive e-mail response to my e- mail on the status of these funds, which is of great concern.
(3) Downtown. You need to prioritize fixing the downtown parking situation. If this means applying funds for free Sundays, it may need to occur. The adverse impact of the poor rollout of the parking meters and LAZ is the drop in business to small business owners and pause in momentum we all worked so hard to establish. Please address the meter issue by: (1) Making Sunday's free and ensuring the meters work every morning; (2) Issuing an RFP - since one was never issued - for a company to monitor the parking situation (LAZ can apply and at least there was a competitive process and San Bruno is getting the best it can get); (3) Consider simple "fixes" to the parking situation, i.e. submitting a number for each parking space instead of license plate number; piloting placing single parking space meters in one of the smaller lots; etc. Additionally, please select another part of the streetscape plan to implement to keep the momentum going, i.e. lights up and down the street, a mural to finish Centennial Park; etc.
(4) Rollingwood lights - hoping these are already being addressed but is a need and should be prioritized.
No further explanation is needed.
(5) Stipend. Youth sports administered by San Bruno - with the exception of youth sports for middle school, it appears that other classes in the Park and Rec catalog are paid contractors or staff. Can funds be set aside to pay our middle school volunteer coaches (basketball, volleyball, etc.) a stipend just like the other cities surrounding San Bruno does? The last few seasons parents wait daily to hear whether the season will be cancelled - sometimes up to the day of the start of the season (sometimes past ) daily until a parent steps up to coach.The City doesn't have parameters around this (how many practices per week vs, games, etc.) because everyone is so thankful to just have a coach. This should not be the case and the City should have funds to prioritize providing a stipend to these activities. Please consider this as a pilot in the new year.
There are so many needs in our City but the City Manager is visibly moving projects along, which is appreciated. I am hopeful the council will address the above as priorities as they are all manageable in the next year, reasonable asks, and will have large impacts. The last study I saw of the public trust in the City leadership was about 40%. Today would likely be less. While you are thanked for your service, it doesn't come without significant asks to move our City forward while still rebuilding the public trust that has been so greatly damaged.
With the exception of Sandy - you were all present when many of these agreements (described in #2 above) were made for revenue between 2019-2022- so where is the money? Answering that - in a public setting - is a "must" for your priorities because every...single...item mentioned has an archived report out by the City stating that the agreement/deals were made and funds to come in the future...so I ask again...where is the money?
Thank you.
Best regards,
Linda Mason
Please excuse any errors as this was typed while multitasking...
1 Lupita Huerta
From: Jason >
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 9:49 AM
To: City Clerk
Cc: Rico Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Michael Salazar; Marty Medina Subject: For Today's City Council Retreat - Impact of Excluding Sundays from San Bruno Parking Program
Dear City Council,
While the City Council convenes for the annual budget planning session, I'd like to share a thoughtful approach to addressing some of the challenges our city's paid parking program is facing.
After months of listening to and having experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of the city’s paid parking program, it’s time that as a business owner we speak up on this topic.
Given how the parking program continues to be a hot topic amongst business owners, residents, and patrons alike, there are both valid and anecdotal points that have been raised since the inception of the parking program. In the spirit of transparency, providing additional details on the health of the parking program by the next City Council meeting could provide some relief and assurance that the City Council and administration actually does care about its business owners and residents. Below are bullet-p oints the City Council can share
during upcoming city council meetings that can help alleviate some of the angst:
Detailed and average breakdown of gross revenue generated from parking meters across entire city where meters are present since the start of the paid parking program 7 days a week and Sundays only Detailed and average breakdown of revenue generated from parking meters just in the downtown area including street parking on San Mateo Ave, street parking adjacent to San Mateo Ave including El Camino and side streets since the start of the paid parking program 7 days a week and on Sundays only
Detailed and average breakdown of number of parking citations and the value of the citations on Sundays since the start of the paid parking program
Financial model of how long it will take to recover exclusion of Sundays from paid parking program including not paying LAZ for enforcement personnel
(This is more of a question for my own education than anything) How is LAZ and their parking enforcement personnel compensated? Does LAZ pays them and then the city receives an invoice for hours worked?
o Will we save money by not having to pay LAZ for parking enforcement on Sundays?
While the city manager’s office continues with its modeling of different scenarios that could bring relief to businesses and patrons, I would recommend putting a temporary moratorium on charging for parking on Sundays for at least 4-6 weeks and changing the daily parking on the streets and lots to 6pm once the reprogramming of the kiosks are complete. This temporary pause should include signage on the outside of the kiosks, message on the kiosk LCD screen, and signage on A frame signage across the city to announce the temporary pause for Sundays. This would allow the city to gather additional data points and plus serve as good will towards business owners and their patrons.
As a business owner, we realize there are various factors both negative and positive affecting businesses. During council meetings and in online forums, what context isn’t apparent by those in favor or against the parking program is that depending on your type of business, a business owner may have had to raise the prices of their goods or services to offset the increase in wholesale cost of goods affecting groceries, cafes, restaurants, auto parts, party favor stores, toys, clothing, etc. The macro and micro effect on
2 businesses and consumers results in the consumer making a conscious decision on whether they should shop downtown or seek a cheaper alternative.
Additionally, January and February are historically slow months for businesses as consumers are recovering from the holidays and are preparing for tax season. While we both empathize with those affected by the parking program, we also have received positive comments from our customers about the increase in available parking spots both on the street and in parking lots.
While there are businesses who benefit from the paid parking program, there are businesses who also suffer from not having a more robust parking program in place to include parking spots for to-go and pickup orders and short term (20 minutes or less) parking. We are open to leading an oversight committee to be the liaison between the city and business owners across the city of San Bruno so we can better provide transparency and make recommendations that benefit both residents and business owners alike.
We understand the city has many priorities to tackle. However, there are some that can distract a city from focusing on other priorities. It's a tough job and we do appreciate all of your efforts. We are happy to help.
Best regards,
Jason & J
Co-owners of Catch 22 Salon and Boutique
1 Lupita Huerta
From: Melissa Rohlfs < >
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 11:12 AM
To: City Clerk
Cc: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Fwd: JAN 24, 2025 City Council Planning Meeting: PUBLIC COMMENTS Please include my e-mail in the public record. I'm happy to provide my address. I own a home in San Bruno. I just didn't want that also included in the official record. I'm happy to e-
mail it separately
though. Thanks, Melissa
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
___
Dear San Bruno City Councilmembers,
I understand the city council is meeting today, January 24th, and the focus is setting budget and priorities. This e-mail is in lieu of making public comments as my job precludes me from attending today's session in person.
As a San Bruno homeowner, I'm asking you to prioritize sprucing up the main entry points to San Bruno (e.g. wayfinding signs and center medians) along El Camino Real, Skyline Boulevards, Sneath, and San Bruno Avenues. Ours are overgrown with weeds and sorely neglected. When trees fall, the large stumps remain. They are overgrown with weeds and a magnet for trash. It's
embarrassing. I believe that its also one of the primary reasons that our city's commercial lease rates lag and our home values are less than neighboring cities. First impressions matter and San Bruno makes a poor first impression. If the challenge with maintaining the city's many public streets, sidewalks, and medians.
2 Why not soem "out-of-the-box efforts? Perhaps the city can ask some of the larger commercial businesses to "adopt" the nearby public sidewalk or median for a tax break or some other discount?
As a resident that cares deeply about the long term viability of our community, and the parent of a school-age child with asthma, I'm writing to implore you to continue improving the air quality for all San Bruno residents. I believe the commissions should be given mandates to include sustainability in approving new construction.
As you are aware, our city is bordered by major highways and the SFO airport, on all sides. Additionally, San Bruno is bifurcated by El
Camino Real, a major thoroughfare. As a result, the air quality in San Bruno is far worse than neighboring communities. San Bruno's residents - including my child, suffer due to the detrimental effects of sustained exposure to poor air quality. I believe the city should prioritize its resources to addressing these issues for the long term benefit of its residents.
1. I would like to see the city prioritize improving air quality and addressing flooding.
2. I would like to see a concerted effort to plant more oak trees and other native plants in public spaces. To also require this for any new construction or planned commercial buildings.
3. I'd like to see the city collaborate with county resources to educate and amplify energy efficiency and sustainable design in apartment buildings.
4. I'd like the city to focus on mitigating the impact of flooding and wildfire concerns.
3 5. I'd like to see the city hire a grantwriter or dedicate current staff toward seeking grants to help offset potential costs associated with these efforts.
Thank you for considering this request and for all you do in support of our community.
--
Regards,
Melissa Rohlfs
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Regards,
Melissa Rohlfs
2 when I do hold his hand, I’ve noticed that drivers often see me because I’m taller than the pots, but as I stop to ensure it’s safe to cross, they will speed through the crossing to avoid waiting. Let’s face it, not everyone is as considerate these days, which makes this situation even more dangerous.
Furthermore, with about six businesses in downtown cater to children—including Dancel’s Academy, Dojo USA, La Petite Baleen, Tutu School, Cahill’s Judo Academy, and Vibo Music—it is even more critical to ensure that the crosswalks are as safe as possible for young pedestrians and their families.
In keeping with the beautification efforts. Would it be feasible to replace these pots with trees featuring thin trunks, which would enhance visibility, while also considering the installation of a flashing crosswalks? Currently, the crossing sign on the 500 block is broken off and has remained so for months, creating an additional hazard.
Additionally, I wonder if removing some of these pots might reduce costs or make better use of the funds allocated for the beautification project, spearheaded by Travis Karlen and funded by the San Bruno Community Foundation. If I recall correctly, approximately $130,000 was allocated for the pot revitalization and there is a special revenue fund for the Tree Planting Program.
Could you confirm whether these pots comply with the new 20-foot intersection rule?
Thank you for your consideration.
I hope we can work together to make our streets safer for all residents, especially our children.
Sincerely,
Sadana Traxler
Business Owner, Twice as Nice
President, San Bruno Improvement Group
1 Lupita Huerta
From: Matt Jones
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 12:35 PM
To: Rico Medina; Marty Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Michael Salazar Cc: City Manager; City Clerk; Matthew Lee; Harry Yip
Subject: Comment on 2025 Council priorities
Hello,
I hope this email finds you well. You all know me through my comments as a resident but today I'm commenting through my capacity as the Bike Coalition's Advocacy Director.
Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully strategize on 2025 priorities.
We recently completed our 2025 workplan and I believe there are areas where our priorities overlap and there are opportunities to collaborate. Here are a few:
Bike to Wherever Day(s): two energizer stations at BART and Caltrain. We would love to encourage Council and staff to join us in supporting these stations through your presence and a commitment to bike during bike month
Cycletrack, part 1 (southern portion): we would like to feature this portion coming online with a ribbon cutting and a council and staff ride during bike month if possible. We would like to work with public works to set up a pop up bike lane in conjunction with the above event to fully connect the southern portion with the BART station and connect our two energizer stations. TCP part II: we applied for grant funding to assist with some outreach and programming around this plan along with the CAP. We want to help build support for more TOD and more transit, bike and ped projects to incentivize people away from single occupany vehicle modes. Downtown parking issues: One of the hot button issues for the City. Our capacity is limited for outreach, but we can help you partner with the right staff that can help with things like grants for bike racks and bike lockers. If we receive grant funding, we are hoping we can do more programmatic work to showcase non-auto travel to downtown, like a Bike to Shop Day.
Additionally, we provide valet bike parking at events (we can do this for events like the Posy Parade on a fee for service basis).
Please let us know if there are opportunities from the above that you would like to collaborate on together.
Best,
--
Matt Jones | he/him/his
Director of Advocacy
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
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