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Dozens of drivers should have read our warning from last week ahead of traffic operations in Millbrae and San Carlos.

On Friday, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office headed out to collision hot spots in both cities and handed out 84 citations — 51 from Millbrae and 33 in San Carlos.

“Most of the violations were for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk,” the sheriff’s office said. “Other citations were also issued for cell phone related violations, failing to obey posted signs/markings, seatbelt violations, loud music from a vehicle, and mechanical violations.”

Deputies took every opportunity to educate drivers and pedestrians about safe practices during the operation, the sheriff’s office added.

In response to sharply rising public pension costs, Redwood City is proposing to reduce benefits for retirees hired after Sept. 1, 2018.

At tonight’s meeting, city council heard the staff’s proposal, although changes won’t move forward until the city has met and conferred with all bargaining groups for city unions. Should all agree to the proposal, the city estimates savings of $2.4 million over the lifetime of current employees, with annual savings for all employee groups estimated at $262,000 in fiscal year 2018-19 and increasing over time, according to a city staff report.

Under the proposal, employees hired after Sept. 1 would receive 90-percent single party coverage for their selected plan, capped at the Kaiser Bay Area single party rate. Currently, retirees receive 100-percent of single party coverage for their plan, capped at the Kaiser Bay Area family rate.

The proposal is one of several ways Redwood City is looking to address a growing pension crisis that is impacting cities statewide. Redwood City’s current unfunded liability for retiree health benefits stands at $58 million. The city’s annual payments to the pension fund are expected to double from FY 2016-17 through FY 2024-25, aided by a decision by CalPERS’ board earlier this year to shorten the amortization period for certain sources of unfunded liability from 30 years to 20 years, according to a San Mateo County grand jury report.

In FY 2018-19, all city departments were forced to shave $3.7 million from their budgets to keep the city in the black. The city’s deficit is expected to reach $12 million annually in five years, further crippling the ability to maintain existing city services levels, including in police, fire, park maintenance and after-school programs.

In addition to negotiating with unions, the city is also pursuing a half-cent sales tax measure and a cannabis tax measure for the November ballot to raise revenue, and recently increased developer fees. For more information about the city’s financial situation, visit its recent blog on the issue and view this by-the-numbers report:

In response to a community hearing last month about increasing uses at the Port of Redwood City, including a private ferry service, port officials on Friday unveiled newly developed guidelines for recreational and commercial waterfront users.

The guidelines are posted beneath this story and can also be accessed here.

“These guidelines represent good best practices and will continue to be refined,” the port said in a statement.

The port also posted the schedule of the Prop SF water taxi service on its website. Prop SF is in the midst of a pilot program transporting a private employer’s workers to Bay Area cities including San Francisco. A public ferry is also being considered in the future.

Redwood City is moving forward with a project to build a large, linear park that extends from the city’s downtown to the Bay.

On Monday, City Council approved recommendations by city staff to move to the design phase of the ambitious project, which aims to transition existing city sites, including parking lots, into a variety of park spaces and to create an urban recreational corridor stretching from the Downtown Library to the U.S. Highway 101 undercrossing.

SERA Urban Design provided conceptual designs of the plans, drawing from community input garnered through a city outreach campaign. The continuous pathway through downtown would feature varied park resources, such as a play space, courtyard and plaza, at the Downtown Library, where Parking Lot A would transform into lawn and garden space. At City Hall and Main Street, parking would also be reduced to make way for a scenic plaza, lawn and garden. Beginning at Bradford Street, the plans also envision a scenic bike and pedestrian pathway along a greatly restored Redwood Creek connecting to U.S. Highway 101.

The cost of the plans are uncertain given the project might not get started for several years. Estimates for park changes to the Library and City Hall Main Street Lot could reach $5.9 million, and given the necessary environmental process for changes proposed for Redwood Creek, costs for the plans involving it remain uncertain. Ongoing maintenance costs for all proposed park areas must be factored in. Currently, the city has $2 million allocated in its Capital Improvement Program for planning and a portion of construction.

Some residents have expressed concern over the project’s impact on parking and noise, while others believe the plans don’t go far enough. Even so, City Council members expressed excitement over viewing possible designs of a potentially game-changing downtown park.

LIBRARY SITE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

CITY HALL SITE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

REDWOOD CREEK SITE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

The Weingarten Children’s Center, a Redwood City-based nonprofit serving children with hearing loss, announced Monday that Bill Doyle will join the organization as its executive director.

Doyle arrives at the nonprofit after many years working in the private sector, with his most recent experience in general management, strategic consulting and investment banking. His career has focused on building and growing companies and raising and deploying capital, according to a statement by the nonprofit.

“In his new role, Doyle will help the organization build on its 50-year history, pedagogy, and technology, and extend its mission to unserved and underserved young children anywhere reached by technology,” the statement read.

Doyle, who holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering degree from Princeton University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Stanford University, said he’s “delighted to join an organization with this heritage and proven efficacy.”

“I am excited at the prospect of working with Weingarten Children’s Center and its strategic partners to deliver highly effective early intervention and make a truly significant impact on children with hearing loss, wherever they may live and whatever their circumstances,” Doyle added.

The Weingarten Children’s Center operates the leading specialized early-intervention clinic and school on the San Francisco Peninsula and “BabyTalk,” a pioneering online teletherapy program developed by Weingarten in conjunction with Stanford University.

To learn more about the Weingarten Children’s Center, click here.