CITY OF SAN MATEO
City Council Special Meeting
March 14, 2025
9:00 AM
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community
Center
725 Monte Diablo Avenue, San Mateo, CA
94401
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Robert Newsom Jr.
Adam Loraine
Nicole Fernandez
Danielle Cwirko-Godycki
Lisa Diaz Nash
AGENDA
PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED IN PERSON.
SEE END OF AGENDA FOR OPTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING.
CALL TO ORDER
Roll Call
STUDY SESSION
The public will have an opportunity to comment during the consideration of this item.
1. City Council Strategic Plan Workshop
Engage in a facilitated discussion to begin development of the Strategic Plan as agreed upon on October 7, 2024, before returning with a draft Plan for Council review and further direction in Summer 2025.
CEQA: This update is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
ADJOURNMENT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDAS:
Agendas and material are posted on the City’s website on the Friday preceding each Council Meeting and can be viewed on the City's website at
www.cityofsanmateo.org
. Any supplemental material distributed to the Council after the posting of the agenda will be made part of the official record.
PUBLIC COMMENTS/REQUEST TO SPEAK
Prior to the Meeting
Send comments to:
[email protected]
until 4 p.m. the day before the meeting.
During the meeting
In Person:
At the meeting complete a “Request to Speak” form
ACCESSIBILITY:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, those with disabilities requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting may contact the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 522-7040 or [email protected]
. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will
enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
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Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 1 Section Name: STUDY SESSION Account Number: 10-1311 File ID: 25-9757 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: City Manager's Office
MEETING DATE: March 14, 2025
SUBJECT:
City Council Strategic Plan Workshop
RECOMMENDATION:
Engage in a facilitated discussion to begin development of the Strategic Plan as agreed upon on October 7, 2024, before returning with a draft Plan for Council review and further direction in Summer 2025.
BACKGROUND:
On October 7, 2024 the City Council reviewed staff’s proposal to develop a Strategic Plan, which will be a living document providing a framework to help guide the implementation of existing planning documents for the City Council to use in determining both short and long term priorities. It will guide the Annual Budget process and integrate key elements from large and long-term planning documents, such as the General Plan and Capital Improvement Projects. The October 7, 2024 Agenda Report provided details and is attached for reference (Attachment 1). The Council directed staff to move forward with next steps to onboard a consultant and plan workshops to develop, and review at key milestones, the Strategic Plan.
To inform the Plan, the Council will rely upon staff and information from the General Plan (i.e. the Ten Big Ideas), community “Conversations” outreach effort, 2025 Community Survey, and 2024 Faith/community Leaders Round Table meeting, which are summarized in Attachment 2.
The Strategic Plan will utilize the following elements:
•Mission Statement: the guiding benchmark for Council decisions, developed and approved by the City Council. •Initiatives: major categories reflecting the long-term concerns and interests of the City, developed by the City Council. •Priorities: key initiatives identified by the Council that will guide both direction and financial decisions. These priorities may span several years yet are reviewed annually as part of the Annual Budget process. •Goals: high-level outcomes established by the Council, related to Priorities, with typically 2 – 4 goals per Priority. •Activities: approved and funded projects and programs that align with Priorities and Initiatives as developed by staff, reflecting Council interests and direction.
•Reports: regular reports to Council reflecting progress and outcomes on approved Activities. Though not a part of the Strategic Plan document, they are critical to the effectiveness of the process and for the Council in decision-making.
It is anticipated that the Strategic Plan will be implemented as part of the Fiscal Year 2026/27 process. To accomplish this, the following steps are needed:
Mission Statement March 2025
Initiatives March 2025
Priorities March 2025
Draft Plan, with Goals presented to Council Fall 2025
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Activities Identified by Council Annual Budget Process 2026 BUDGET IMPACT:
The total cost of services for facilitation and strategic planning with a consultant will not exceed $10,000.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This update is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – October 7, 2024 City Council Agenda Report
Att 2 – Inputs Summary from DunkinWorks
STAFF CONTACT
Christina Horrisberger, Assistant City Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7210
Tim Dunkin, Consultant
DunkinWorks
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 1 Section Name: STUDY SESSION Account Number: 10-1311- professional services
File ID: 25-9757
TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: City Manager's Office
MEETING DATE: October 07, 2024
SUBJECT:
Discussion and Adoption of Strategic Planning Process for the City Council.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the following: (1) incorporate a robust Strategic Plan into the Annual Budget Process, starting with the Fiscal Year 2026- 2027; (2) develop the Strategic Plan during an off-site workshop by City Council in February 2025; (3) continue the Blue Sky goal-setting workshop to include key Council projects in the Fiscal Year 2026- 2027 annual budget process.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council is responsible for reviewing and approving an annual budget that funds all city services. This process involves several months of public and Council input and review, concluding with a final approval in June, in preparation for the Fiscal Year commencing on July 1.
Currently, the process involves the following:
•Blue Sky goal-setting workshop to gather initial public input, identify City Council priorities, and announce major department initiatives.
•Preliminary budget to indicate ongoing projects, resources, staffing, facilities, legal requirements and projects, and City Council priorities identified during the Blue Sky goal-setting process. •Finalized proposed budget presented to City Council.
•Approval of the final budget.
The adopted budget provides the financial framework for the fiscal year’s projects and ongoing operations and services.
Additionally, the City Council may approve necessary adjustments to the budget in response to either unforeseen opportunities or challenges.
The City Council often faces complex challenges when various demands and interests, regulatory requirements, fiscal restraints, and aging infrastructure combat with long-term planning. This impacts the City Council’s overall vision and priorities for the City, making it difficult to balance immediate needs with long-term goals.
A robust Strategic Plan would offer a comprehensive framework for City Council to utilize when making decisions for both long-term and immediate priorities. It would also guide the Annual budget process and integrate key elements from large and long-term planning documents, such as the General Plan and Capital Improvement Projects for greater efficiency and impact.
Proposed Strategic Plan Elements
Staff is proposing a Strategic Plan that will incorporate the following elements:
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• Mission Statement: the guiding benchmark for Council decisions, developed and approved by the City Council. • Strategic Initiatives: major categories reflecting the long-term concerns and interests of the City, developed by the City Council.
• Strategic Priorities: key initiatives identified by the Council that will guide both direction and financial decisions.
These priorities may span several years but are reviewed annually. • Goals: high-level outcomes established by the Council, related to Strategic Priorities, with typically 2-4 goals per priority.
• Activities: approved and funded projects and programs that align with the Strategic Priorities, developed by staff, though reflecting Council interests and direction.
• Reports: regular reports to the Council reflecting progress and outcomes on approved Activities. Though not part of the Strategic Plan document, they are a critical part of the effectiveness of the process and essential for the Council in decision-making.
The initial Strategic Plan would be developed under the following process, and then reviewed annually thereafter for any modifications.
1. Approval of Concept and Framework: Council approves the overall Strategic Plan concept.
2. Mission Statement, Strategic Initiatives, and Strategic Priorities: Plan to develop and approve during an off-site workshop, tentatively planned for February 2025.
3. Goals: City Council will approve of Goals in the fall of 2025.
4. Activities: City Council will approve of Activities and incorporate in the Annual Budget process thereafter.
The off-site workshop will be facilitated by a strategic planning consultant, and staff will provide City Council with resources that include General Plan categories (Land Use, Housing, Circulation, Economic Development, Communications and Outreach, Sustainability and Climate Change Resilience, Infrastructure and Facilities), Community Conversations summaries, and community survey results. Utilizing these resources, the Council will both identify the long-term Strategic Initiatives and the Strategic Priorities.
Adopting this new Strategic Plan process will not interfere with the current Blue Sky goal-setting process for the forthcoming fiscal year. Council members will submit their top three priorities for consideration and provide the community the opportunity to submit public comment. In future years, the Blue Sky goal-setting process will be modified to align with the new Strategic Plan priorities identified by City Council while also ensuring opportunities for community input in accordance with both law and Council practices.
Staff recommends approving the proposed Strategic Plan process and parameters.
BUDGET IMPACT:
The total cost of services for facilitation and strategic planning with a consultant will not exceed $10,000.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This discussion is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
None
STAFF CONTACT
Christina Horrisberger, Assistant City Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7210
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2 Strategic Planning Process for the City of San Mateo
The following is a summary of the strategic planning process and the elements therein as approved by the City Council at its Study Session of 10/07/24. This information will be reviewed at the Off-Site Workshop on March 14, 2025.
Reference Summaries for Initiative Identification
The following summary reflects the work of the General Plan, the Community Opinion Survey (February 2025), the Community Leader Interviews (July 2024) and the Community Conversations (sessions 1 – 5, with 6 to be completed March 2025). Please note that the Community Conversations are yet to be officially completed and compiled, so the information within this summary reflects current notes from the facilitator of those sessions.
The purpose of this document is to assist the Council in identification of appropriate Initiatives for the Strategic Plan by reflecting some information from historical and current communication and planning processes. To be most effective, the Council will identify up to ten (10) Initiatives.
Theme General Plan
2040
2025
Community
Survey
Community
Leaders
Interviews
“Conversations”
Housing &
Homelessness
Housing
Element
More affordable
housing;
addressing
homelessness
Expand
affordable
housing
Maintain &
expand
affordable
housing
Land Use and
Development
Land Use
Element
Limited growth
& preserving
open space.
Manage land
use and
development
Development
process is
arduous and
costly
Increase green
spaces and
public serving
facilities
Transportation Circulation
Element
Managing
congestion;
Improve City’s
transportation
system to
reduce traffic,
encourage
walking, biking,
transit use
Increase
accessibility
for public
transportation;
pedestrian
friendly
infrastructure
Enhance bus
services; address
parking issues;
enhance
accessibility;
pedestrian safety;
traffic congestion
Aesthetics Community
Design and
Historic
Improve
appearance of
the City by
removing trash
Maintaining
property
standards to keep
the neighborhood
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Element
and graffiti,
improving
landscaping,
beautification
projects
attractive.
Enforce
maintenance
codes; mobile
food vendors; see
more tree
planting
Public
Safety/Emergency
Preparedness
Safety
Element
Improving the
City's
preparedness
for emergencies
and natural
disasters
Promote safety
initiatives.
Continue to build
strong
relationships with
first responders;
domestic violence
is prevalent
Sustainability and
Climate
Resiliency
General Plan
Theme -
Sustainability
Protect
Resources;
reduces GHGs
Invest in eco-
friendly
projects
Invest in green
spaces
Infrastructure and
Facilities
Public
Services and
Facilities
Element
Upgrade and
maintain public
infrastructure
Centralized
Resources:
Create a
multilingual
centralized
hub for
resources and
events to
improve
accessibility
and inclusivity
for all
residents
Upgrade City
facilities to serve
the current needs
of the community;
make space for
community
gatherings; more
ped/bike paths
Economic Vitality Land Use
Element
Promoting
economic
development;
improve City’s
economic
vitality through
business-
friendly policies,
revitalizing
outdated
commercial
areas, attracting
diverse mix of
employers, jobs
Locally
focused job
training
Revitalize
neighborhood
amenities;
support
employment
opportunities;
attract
supermarkets
and other
essential
businesses back
to the area
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Engagement and
Communication
General Plan
Theme –
Community
Engagement
Continue to
improve
communications
and
engagement
Increase
engagement
&
participation;
foster
leadership;
multiple
languages for
materials;
annual
assessments
and feedback
Promote
advocacy; target
youth in
communications;
encourage
volunteerism &
leadership;
support
educational
opportunities;
increase
responsiveness
of government.
Organization
Health/Good
Governance
Public
Services and
Facilities
Element
Long-term
financial
conditions
Hire diverse
staff;
promote
programs that
explain the
political
process, civic
rights, and
avenues
for
involvement.
need for
better access
to city
services and
resources
City needs to
demonstrate that
they are listening
and willing to
work together
with the
community to
address
challenges and
provide solutions.
Ensure city staff
receive cultural
sensitivity training
to better serve
diverse
communities and
improve
engagement;
increase staff
diversity
Healthy
Community for all
Ages
Cultural
Enhancement
Conservation,
Open Space
and
Recreation
Element
Community
Design and
Historic
Resources
Element
Appreciation for
Parks and
Recreation
facilities and
opportunities
and a strong
community
bond
Strengthen
neighborhood
support
structures;
preserve and
uplift
cultural
districts; use
local task
forces; health
access
programs;
Community
programming;
enhance senior
services;
celebrate cultural
diversity; bridge
neighborhoods;
host community-
unifying events
and multicultural
celebrations
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telling
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From: Jayden Wan
To: Clerk; Adam Loraine; Rob Newsom; Lisa Diaz Nash; Danielle Cwirko-Godycki; Nicole Fernandez Cc:
Subject: Public Comment - City Council Special Meeting
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025 8:00:13 AM
San Mateo City Council and Staff,
My name is Jayden Wan. I'm seventeen years old, and a senior at Burlingame High. I spoke at the Council's 2/3 Meeting and their Blue Sky Session.
In light of the City’s process for long-term visioning, I’d like to address the discrepancy between the Council’s proposed priorities and its actual action, specifically on the topic of sustainability, safety, and bike/pedestrian infrastructure.
Communities across the Bay Area both in and outside the City of San Mateo are mobilizing to support the Humboldt bike lanes. That's because the decisions made in the City of San Mateo set rippling precedent for other cities locally, and removing bike lanes in this city enables the removal of bike lanes in MY city. Other cities follow in the footsteps of San Mateo, for better or worse.
I expect that the Council back down on their decision to remove the bike lanes for the following reasons and many more.
It is indisputable that bike lanes make streets safer for bikers, pedestrians, homeowners, and cars. They also reduce vehicle congestion and negative greenhouse gas emissions.
The pilot program to install bike boulevards on Fremont/Idaho is an insufficient supplement for bikers locally, who deserve dedicated bike LANES.
The Council has NOT involved youth in this decision-making process, and has not considered how removing the bike lanes would disenfranchise students at many local schools of their safety and mobility.
In 10, 20, 50 years, the current councilmembers' terms will have expired and the City will undoubtedly return to this issue of bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
Bike culture should and will have popularized increasingly by then, and by not thinking long-term, San Mateo would be hindering its capacity to provide for the
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residents of the future as those here today.
There is still time to make the right decision for San Mateo and the future.
My ask is simple: before making a decision, Council must engage with the youth and students who will be directly impacted. Since this outreach has NOT occurred, Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action currently organizing a petition and survey at San Mateo High School to (1) gauge student perspectives on bike lanes and (2) collect data on their usage. I estimate that students, parents, and staff overwhelmingly support these bike lanes, and once they become aware of this decision, there may be frustration with the Council. If all students were given a chance to speak to you like I am right now, you might reconsider your decision, we’re hoping.
Our perspective is not oppositional—it is collaborative. We want to provide the city with a fuller understanding of the real impact of its decisions.
History is watching this Council anxiously.
Best,
Jayden Wan
Burlingame High School
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