Tag Archives: Jeff Gee

Redwood City Mayor Alicia Aguirre Selected as “2012 Woman of the Year” by California State Assemblyman Rich Gordon

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Redwood City is proud to announce that its Mayor, Alicia Aguirre, was recently selected by California State Assemblyman Rich Gordon as the “2012 Woman of the Year” for Assembly District 21.

“No one is more deserving of this recognition than Mayor Aguirre, and our entire community is very proud of her” said Redwood City Vice Mayor Jeff Gee. “Mayor Aguirre’s hallmark is her diligent work, her deep compassion, and her profound connection with every segment of our community, making her the ideal recipient of this honor.”

Assemblyman Rich Gordon will formally present Mayor Aguirre as District 21’s 2012 Woman of the Year at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor in the State Capitol on Monday, March 26. “The Bay Area at-large has benefited from Alicia’s tireless involvement in all dimensions of Redwood City,” said Assemblyman Gordon. “Her wit, intelligence, and sincere nature make her a stand-out public servant and community member.”

Mayor Aguirre, the City’s first Latina mayor, has served on the City Council of Redwood City for over six years, and has previously served on the Redwood City Elementary School Board. She is a professor at Cañada College, and is also active in the Redwood City Library Foundation, the Shelter Network, Hispanos Unidos, Redwood City International, the Redwood City – San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce, the League of California Cities, and Youth Latino Leaders, among other organizations. This is her first term as Mayor of Redwood City.

The Woman of the Year event was started in 1987 as a celebration of the contributions to society made by remarkable women throughout California. In March of every year (Women’s History Month) Assemblymembers have the opportunity to nominate one woman each for the ceremony, for a total of 80 Women of the Year in the State of California.

A Message From Vice Mayor Gee

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I want to thank my council colleagues for your support and confidence. I am humbled and honored to serve as your Vice Mayor. I look forward to supporting Mayor Aguirre as the new mayor of our great city, and working together with the Council.

For me, being a council member is about being a member of a Team of seven, working hard to make Redwood City a great place to live, work, raise a family, and retire. I know that each one of us is committed to preserving and improving our quality of life in our own ways. However, it takes all seven of us working together to make real progress and positive change.

It is that spirit of teamwork and commitment to collaboration that makes me most proud of being a member of this city council. One of the things that I am most proud of is when a member of our community, whether it be our Redwood City community or the greater San Mateo County community, comments on the respectful way in which we lead, listen, disagree, and make decisions. We don’t yell at each other or engage in hurtful behavior because we are the voices of the community at city hall.

We must set the example for respecting your neighbor, finding common ground, listening, and making common sense decisions that are in the best interest of Redwood City. I cannot imagine conducting ourselves any other way.

As a team, we work well together and we get things done. I have appreciated the opportunity to work…

  • with Council members Bain and Pierce in looking for solutions to our flooding issues;
  • with Council members Pierce and Foust on high speed rail,
  • with Council members Foust and Ira on economic development
  • with Mayor Aguirre on promoting and celebrating our community’s diversity, and
  • with Council member Seybert on Depot Circle, land use and development.

These are just examples of us working together, making Redwood City a better place to live and work.

I would also like to thank the community, which came together on Election Day to support the future of Redwood City by approving Measures I and M to generate critical new revenue for Redwood City’s budget.

Asking our community to help generate new revenue in this economy was not an easy task. The Council laid out a 3-point vision towards achieving financial sustainability: improve how we deliver city services, ask our employee groups to help with increased employee contributions to healthcare and retirements, and finally, some very modest revenue increases.

Working together as a council, with the Chamber, our local businesses and our residents, BOTH Measures I and M were passed with solid voter support. I want to thank my council colleagues, Council member Seybert, the Chamber, our local business community, our employee groups, and our residents for their help and support in passing I and M.

Beyond just passing I and M, I look at the passage of these two measures as more than just a major step towards financial sustainability. I see the support for I and M as a commitment that we as a council need to uphold. We have been entrusted with more of our community’s dollars. For the trust that we have been given, we must act with integrity, trust and confidence and be worthy stewards of our City.

As your Vice Mayor, I pledge to each of you, my council colleagues, our residents and our businesses to continue to lead our community with integrity, trust and confidence. We need to live in the present, but we also need to keep an eye out on the future so that future generations can enjoy the same quality of life and sense of community we cherish about Redwood City today.

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Vice Mayor

City Update from Councilperson Gee

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With summer over and Halloween coming soon, I wanted to take a few moments to highlight a number of events, happenings and decisions on the City.

Earlier this year, the City adopted the Downtown Precise Plan (DTPP). Combined with last year’s adoption of the General Plan, both documents set a vision for the future of our City and the downtown. The vision continues the “Renaissance” of Redwood City. In addition to establishing a vision for our City, the General Plan and the DTPP provide clarity and certainty for developers, builders, and new business owners on what they need to do to develop a project.

One of our goals is to promote housing downtown. There are a number of housing projects in the planning stages: Mels’ Bowl on El Camino Real is planned for 141 units of rental housing; the former Dodge site at Veterans/Whipple is another site that is planned for rental housing. Other projects include 333 Main Street, 132 units or rental housing, including affordable housing, and 201 Marshall Street, 116 units of housing. All of these projects could be under construction next year.

As housing and residents arrive, so do new businesses. Sakura Teppanyaki and Sushi is a new “benihana” style restaurant that opened a couple of months ago. Sakura has quickly developed a devoted and regular clientele; The Old Spaghetti Factory will be opening in a few weeks, as will Papa John’s Pizza. Coming to Sequoia Station is Pier 1 Imports (opening in early 2012), and Barone’s Wood Fire Pizza (next to Young’s Ice Cream).

On a much quieter front, a number of new tech businesses have moved-in, or started in Redwood City. These employers enjoy the access to CalTrain, the wide-variety of dining and entertainment opportunities for staff, and soon, nearby housing.

Finally, congratulations to Eric and Lori Lochtefeld, the owners of the Fox Theatre. Last month, they celebrated their one-year anniversary with their 100th event at the Fox. Where else could you hear the music of Michael Jackson (Foreverland was the featured band for the Friday night concert), followed by the music of Chicago (the Chicago Transit Authority was the opening act for the evening at the Fox), and then concluding with the music of Neil Diamond (Super Diamond). All of this in Redwood City!

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Councilperson

Jeff Gee Appointed to SamTrans Board of Directors

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Councilmember Jeff Gee beat other elected officials from nearby Peninsula cities, including Menlo Park Mayor Pro Tem Kirsten Keith, for a spot on the SamTrans Board of Directors.

Gee will take the position that was left vacant after former San Carlos Mayor Omar Ahmad died suddenly of a heart attack May 10.

Gee was picked for the position Friday by a group of elected officials representing the 20 towns and cities spanning the Peninsula that are included in the San Mateo County Council of Cities.

Keith and East Palo Alto Mayor Carlos Romero had also expressed interest in the vacant position.

Gee joins the board during a tumultuous time for local public transportation agencies, as many cities and counties are faced with cutting services in an attempt to cope with cash-strapped budgets.

Local public transportation agencies and officials are further burdened by the financial woes of Caltrain, which earlier this year announced a fiscal emergency and bandied about the possibility of reducing the amount of trains in circulation, or closing train stations in order to cut costs.

Furthermore, the elected officials in local communities must be prepared to engage in ongoing discussions about High-Speed Rail coming through the Peninsula.

But despite the seemingly daunting tasks he is faced with, Gee said he is prepared for the challenge. As a child, Gee’s father worked as an engineer for SamTrans as the transportation route was going through initial stages of planning for construction.

He said he recalls seeing blueprint plans for the route sprawled across his kitchen table years ago. Now he’s about to join the table that will decide the direction the agency will take in the future.

But Gee acknowledges the irony of now having an opportunity to map the future of his father’s work.

“It is an honor to have it come full circle,” said Gee.

Gee said the extent to which SamTrans will be able to offer services to San Mateo County residents will hinge largely on whether voters are willing to pay a tax that would go to save Caltrain.

As the rail system has fallen on dire financial straits, both SamTrans and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority have increased contributions in an effort to keep Caltrain running, said Gee.

Gee said routes to some isolated neighborhoods across the county, such as those near the coast, have suffered a reduction in the amount of busses stopping in their neighborhood.

Such service cuts can be directly attributed to the increased contributions SamTrans is making to Caltrain, said Gee. And he said that runs contrary to the purpose and responsibilities that SamTrans has to county residents.

“When we birthed SamTrans for the county, it wasn’t to run a train. It was to provide services to residents in the county,” said Gee.

He said he would be in favor of a tax that would go to support Caltrain, which is the only local public transportation agency lacking a dedicated funding source.

Gee said he will work to increase collaboration and efficiency between all existing public transportation agencies on the Peninsula. And that should he succeed, the city and residents of Redwood City would benefit.

He said that increased reliability and collaboration between agencies such as SamTrans and Caltrain would make Redwood City a more attractive destination for businesses wishing to move into the city.

As well, it would move the city closer to achieving a goal set by the City Council that would make Redwood City more friendly to those who favor alternative means of transportation such as walking or biking to driving a car.

He said Redwood City residents are beginning to make different decisions related to transportation than the generations before did.

“There is a change going on in our community,” he said, citing people who elect to move into higher density housing near transit centers as opposed to out in the suburbs, which demands more driving.

But Gee said residents will be faced with even more difficult decisions soon, as it pertains to a High-Speed Rail line coming through the Peninsula.

Gee, who is in favor of High-Speed Rail, said it is in the best interest of the greater community to begin discussions regarding how people envision the future of the Peninsula. And he advocated for communities throughout the region to begin such talks soon.

If those discussions and pro-active behaviors don’t start soon, Gee fears the fate of the region may fall in the hands of outside parties.

“We have to have a vision first. Or else, someone will tell us what the solution will be, whether we like it or not,” he said.

— Reprinted with permission by Stacie Chan, Editor, Redwood City Patch

City Update from Councilperson Gee

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In January, the City Council certified the Downtown Precise Plan – our revised and updated vision for downtown. Unfortunately, the initial Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was challenged in court, and the judge ruled that there were two areas requiring additional work – potential shadows, and more work was required on the historic structures section of the plan.

Two years later, I am pleased to report that we have a new plan for downtown. Staff and consultants have spent several hundred hours updating the plan, along with countless hours from our Historic Resources Advisory Committee, and the Planning Commission.

So why is downtown important – especially for those of us that live in Redwood Shores? I typed this question into my internet search engine and received over 14.3 million responses. Some of the answers included:

  • A sense of identity for a community
  • A social gathering space
  • A place where a community can assemble
  • Local businesses are part of a community’s quality of life
  • Downtown is part of a community’s history
  • Downtown is a neighborhood

The list goes on and on – for 14,295,000 other reasons.

Our vision for our downtown includes all of the above and more. The vision for downtown began over a decade ago with the appointment of a citizen task force. The initial thoughts of this citizen task force helped change our downtown. The foundation for this renaissance for downtown includes the new Courthouse Square and the retail/cinema complex (with the Old Spaghetti Factory opening later this year!). More recently, several new start-up technology companies have moved in.

The key to continuing the transformation of our downtown are residents that live in this new neighborhood. Hopefully, the new plan will attract new housing development and give each of us many more lifestyle choices.

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Councilperson

City Update from Councilperson Gee

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Every couple of years, the City conducts a satisfaction survey of our residents. In November 2010, over 400 residents were surveyed on the phone, and asked a number of questions related to our Quality of Life in Redwood City. This is not just a one time, survey — by repeating the survey on a regular basis, we are able to track and review results.

What the 2010 Satisfaction survey revealed is that over 90% of our residents feel very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the overall quality of life in Redwood City. These results were particularly high in Redwood Shores. Other notable categories that received high marks from Redwood Shores residents included our satisfaction with city services, and public safety.

And how can we not be satisfied here in Redwood Shores? We have a great library that was supported by our community, a new school, books for both the new school library and the library, levees that are now certifiable, restored bay wetlands at no direct tax payer expense, and a community that enjoys the opportunities to be outside! The weedwhacker makes its annual visit to the lagoons, and last year, for the first time, parts of the lagoon were dredged. For those that continue to say “Redwood City does not pay attention to the Shores” — Not True! Building on the foundation that Councilmember Foust laid when she was first elected, I can assure you that Redwood Shores is part of Redwood City.

As life happens in its own way, things do happen that we need to address. Last year we had the sewer line break at Lighthouse Cove. Several homes suffered damaged and several gallons of sewage spilled into the lagoon. Our city staff responded wonderfully, and many cities on the Peninsula offered their help. Marilyn Harang, the Interim Director of Public Works Services led our response Team, and Evan Boyd, our new Director of Public Works Services arrived in time for all of the post-event paperwork.

Evan and his staff are working hard to make sure that street lights and signals are working properly out here n the Shores. During repairs, they have discovered crushed conduits, broken fixtures, and in some cases, missing copper wiring — probably removed by those seeking its recycling value. I can assure you that functioning traffic signals and street lights are receiving attention from Evan and his staff.

Another area of the Shores that is also receiving attention is Marlin Park. Chris Beth, our Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services and his Team are working with our residents on plans for the renovation of Marlin Park. They are looking for your ideas about what you want our “new” Marlin Park to be.

Justin Ezell, Superintendent, is working with an additional 15 HOA’s that want to use recycled water for landscape irrigation. As the President of my HOA, I can attest that the financial savings of recycled water are definitely positive. We are not using recycled water where children can come into regular contact with it, and our landscape has not suffered.

The challenge ahead for all of us is “what do we need to do to maintain the Quality of Life we enjoy in Redwood Shores”. In partnership with our staff, department heads, executive Team and labor groups, we are working hard towards achieving financial sustainability for our City. But what about our greatest asset in the Shores — our lagoons? The GID fund is basically gone, and we will have on-going maintenance and repair needs for our lagoons (e.g., dredging) and for maintenance of the levees. How do we fund these improvements and others?

There are a number of choices that need to be made on these issues and others. Whatever choices are made, all of us need to be informed. I ask that you stay engaged and involved, and let me know what’s on your mind.

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Councilperson

City Update from Councilperson Gee

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Redwood City Lunar New Year Celebration

On Saturday, February 5, from 11- 3 at our Courthouse Plaza, Redwood City will be hosting our inaugural Lunar Year Festival. I am pleased to have the Shaolin Culture Center, Somei Yoshino Taiko Ensemble and the Red Panda Acrobats help us welcome the Year of the Rabbit. There will be food, crafts, activities for the kids and martial arts demonstrations.

Kristen Sze, morning news co-anchor and reporter for ABC7 News will be our emcee for the welcome and introductions at 11:00, followed immediately by a lion dance and martial arts demonstration by the Shaolin Culture Center.

I want to hank our presenting sponsor, AT&T for their help in making this event a possibility. I also want to thank many of our other business partners: Stanford University, Kaiser, Recology, First National Bank, San Mateo Credit Union, ABC7 News and Kristen Sze. I also want to thank our community partners; the City of Redwood City, the Civic Cultural Commission and Redwood City International.

I hope that you will be able to join us for our first Lunar New Year celebration. For additional information got to www.RedwoodCityEvents.com.

New Jail Site

At the end of 2010, San Mateo County closed escrow on the site for the new jail that the City assembled on Maple Street, east of Veterans, across the street from our Police Department. The City Council was united in that a new jail is not the type of urban, high density housing that we envisioned for downtown. Under the leadership of Mayor Ira, our City Manager, City Attorney and a team of real estate consultants, the City was able to assemble a site that met most of the requirements of the Sheriff’s office. Thank you to all that helped let the Sheriff’s Office and the Board of Supervisor’s know that a new jail in our downtown was not wanted.

Levees are Certifiable

On January 21, city staff received a letter from FEMA indicating that our levees are certifiable. “.It appears that the Redwood Shores Levee Systems Map meets the minimum certification requirements.” The four-page letter goes on and states that “[levee] system can do and change with time.” This means that the new flood maps will show Redwood Shores as protected from a base flood.

Please join me in thanking city staff and my council colleagues for providing the leadership and means to making this work happen. Working with new regulations from FEMA, the City of San Carlos, the County of San Mateo, and the Department of Fish & Game (just to name a few agencies involved) on a very strict deadline was not easy. By completing the work last year, each of us avoided the cost of flood insurance; a cost that ranged between $1,200 – $1,500 a year per residential property.

I look forward to seeing many of you at RSCA’s Annual Meeting on February 9, where I have the honor to talk about the “State of the Shores,” and answer any questions that you may have.

See you soon!

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Councilperson

Editorial: Planning for Higher Education

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One of the Bay Area’s most treasured assets is our access to higher education.  This is one significant reason that our region remains the preeminent location for venture capital firms.  Our three community colleges:  Cañada College, College of San Mateo, San Jose State, the University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley, Stanford University, and a number of other public and private colleges and universities.  This access to these great institutions and the benefits of these colleges and universities are an economic driver for the Peninsula.

Last month, we held a study session with the Planning Commission to hear an update on Stanford University in Redwood City.  In addition to Stanford Hospitals and Clinics, Stanford University owns 33 acres around the former Excite @ Home Campus.  Stanford is proposing to construct 1.5 million square feet of new space in Redwood City.  Proposed uses include:  administrative, business and professional offices, medical professional clinics and offices, research and development facilities, public open space and recreational facilities, and laboratories.

Stanford has been working for the past two years with the neighborhoods immediately next to their proposed project.  Through these community meetings, the initial project proposal has evolved and changed to meet neighborhood concerns.

Over the next 12 months, Stanford in Redwood City will be closely reviewed by staff, the Planning Commission, neighborhoods, interested community members and the Council to determine the appropriateness of the proposed development, and the benefits to Redwood City.  The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) should be published in early 2011, with public input in the Spring.  Reference documents are available on the City’s website at www.redwoodcity.org .

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Councilperson

Redwood Shores Elementary Dedication Ceremony

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On November 4, 2010, the Board of Trustees for the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District met at Redwood Shores Elementary to hold a dedication ceremony for the many people involved with building the new school.

This all started with the citizens of Redwood Shores voting for Measure C in November, 2005 to issue the bonds to acquire the land and build a new elementary school in Redwood Shores. The School District along with Jeff Gee, then President of RSCA, selected members of the Redwood Shores community to serve on the New Shores School Advisory Committee. They were instrumental in advising the school board on site selection, and choosing the construction firm and architects.

The new school was named Redwood Shores Elementary in consideration for the community’s involvement in making this school a reality. This fall the school opened to 265 students with a capacity of 450 students.

Editorial: An Alternative Site for a New Jail

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Last year, Sheriff Munks indicated that he needed a new jail to address over-crowding. With the courts and the Sheriff’s office in downtown Redwood City, the argument was made that the new jail needed to be downtown. The preferred site was the County Motorpool lot on Brewster.

After several years of community planning and civic investment in our downtown, the addition of a new jail to our downtown was not the type of urban housing any of us on the Council wants. Under the leadership of Mayor Ira, and with the full support of the Council, an alternative site has been identified — on Chemical Way, across the street from our police station.

Local government is more nimble and can move quickly. A lot of effort was spent in working with 4 separate property owners to purchase their properties for a fair price. Sales contracts were written, and the City executed the agreements with everyone’s knowledge and awareness that these contracts would be transferred to the County. Sheriff Munks and the Board of Supervisors have agreed that the Chemical Way site is a viable site for a new jail, and they have endorsed this site at their October 19 meeting.

This is just the beginning of the process to confirm an alternative site for a new jail. The sale of the properties cannot be finalized until the County completes the environmental review process. The downtown site will likely be analyzed as an alternative site during the EIR process, so we must continue to be vigilant. If a new jail is needed and is required to be in Redwood City, the Chemical Way site is the best site.

— Jeff Gee, Redwood City Councilperson