Featured - page 93

The City of Redwood City is continuing to seek public input in its transition from an at-large election system for city councilmembers to a by-district system.

The existing at-large elections allow voters of the entire city to elect Redwood City’s seven councilmembers. In 2020, the city is set to transition to a system where the city will be divided into districts and voters will vote solely for the council candidates who reside in their district.

With help from this Map Kit and this supplemental Microsoft Excel Kit, residents are being asked to create and submit their own proposed map for what the districts should look like. The deadline to submit your district map proposal is Friday, Jan. 18. Maps can be submitted at City Hall or directly to the project consultants at districtelections@redwoodcity.org, or mail at PO Box 5271, Glendale, CA 91221.

In addition, community forum events will be held at three city locations on Tuesday, Jan. 15 — the Veterans Memorial Senior Center at 11a.m., Fair Oaks Community Center at 5 p.m. and Downtown Library, Community Room at 7 p.m. 

The move toward a district-based election system, approved by City Council in September, followed threats of legal action alleging the city’s current at-large system violates the California Voting Rights Act in discriminating against minorities and minority candidates.

Critics have voiced concerns over the impact of district elections, arguing in part that they force councilmembers to favor their district rather than the city as a whole, and would eliminate viable candidates who happen to reside near one another. Climate Online further covered this topic in October, in part by featuring a map showing where councilmembers and council candidates reside.

Redwood City is among a growing list of jurisdictions throughout California that are moving to district elections under threat of legal action. Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman sent a letter threatening legal action to the Redwood City council this past summer. Despite the Latino population making up 39-percent of city residents, according to Shenkman’s letter, the city has just one Latina councilmember, Alicia Aguirre, who was first elected in 2005. The at-large system “dilutes the ability of Latinos to elect candidates of their choice or otherwise influence the outcome of the city’s council elections,” the letter adds.

For more information about District Elections, visit the city’s site here.

Timeline for implementing By-District Elections for City Council Members:

August 8, 2018 City received a letter from Kevin Shenkman of the law firm of Shenkman & Hughes asserting that the City’s at-large council member electoral system violates the California Voting Rights Act.

September 24, 2018 The City Council adopted Resolution No. 15704 initiating the process to transition from an at-large election system to a district-based election system.

October 22, 2018 First public hearing held at the City Council meeting, at which the public was invited to provide input regarding the composition of the districts.

November 19, 2018 Second public hearing to seek additional public input and provide direction on criteria to be considered while drafting district maps.

Throughout November and December residents are able to draft and submit district map proposals.

January 15, 2019 Three public forums will be held in different regions of the community led by the City’s demographer: Veterans Memorial Senior Center at 11:00am, Fair Oaks Community Center at 5:00pm, and Downtown Main Library at 7:00pm.

January 18, 2019 Deadline for the public to submit maps.

February 4, 2019 Draft Maps will be posted on the District website and available at all District public offices.

February 11, 2019 During the City Council meeting the third public hearing will be conducted, during which the public is invited to provide input regarding the content of the draft map or maps and the proposed sequence of elections.

February 18, 2019 Any revised or new maps requested at the third hearing posted on District website and available at all district sites.

February 25, 2019 The City Council will conduct the fourth public hearing, and will be requested to select a preferred map and direct amendments as necessary.

March 11, 2019- The City Council will conduct the fifth public hearing to adopt a map, election sequence, and introduce an ordinance to transition to a district-based electoral system.

March 25, 2019 Second reading of ordinance.

March 31, 2019 Deadline to adopt ordinance.

March 2020 Community votes on Charter revisions implementing by-district elections, if necessary.

November 2020 First by-district elections held in four districts.

2021 Districts redrawn using 2020 Census data.

2022 Remaining three districts hold their first elections.

No one was injured in a fire reported on a property at Spruce and Buckeye streets in Redwood City this morning, according to the Redwood City Fire Department.

The fire was reported just before 5:30 a.m. and under control soon thereafter, fire officials said.

Further details, including the fire’s cause or damage estimates, weren’t immediately available. Check back for updates.

A presentation about San Mateo County’s aviation history is scheduled to take off at the San Mateo County History Museum on Saturday, Jan. 12.

Historian Barbara Wilcox is set to deliver “Wings Over Redwood City: Origins of San Mateo County Aviation” as part of an illustrated discussion at at 1 p.m. in the historic “Courtroom A” of the museum at 2200 Broadway in Redwood City.

“Wilcox will acquaint the audience with the little-known story of San Mateo County’s earliest aviation days, how Redwood City lost out to Mills Field – – today’s San Francisco International Airport – – and how locals can explore that history today,” organizers said.

The event, included in the museum’s price of admission ($6 for adults, $4 for seniors and students), is part of the museum’s “Courthouse Docket” program sponsored by the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation..

Photo: Victor “Speed” Johnson, provided to the museum courtesy of Hiller Aviation Museum.

Redwood City has launched an interactive map of childcare and preschool providers in the Redwood City/North Fair Oaks area serving children from birth to 12 years old.

All are state-licensed by Community Care Licensing or legally exempt and are operated by various public, private and nonprofit entities.

You can access the map here. The map tools allow users to search by address or program name, and to filter by:

• Age group(s); infants/toddlers, preschool ages (2-5 or 3-5 years), and/or school-age (before and/or after school for 5-12 years)
• Program schedule (Part-day or Full-day)
• Parent Tuition-based or Subsidized (for low-income families), and
• Location within 10-minute walk of the Caltrain station

For more information about the interactive map, click here. 

Caltrain and SamTrans will offer free service after 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve so community members can celebrate safely.

SamTrans’ free service will run from 8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, until 5 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1. On New Year’s Day, SamTrans will run on a Sunday schedule. Schedules for specific routes can be found here.

Caltrain will provide free service on trains departing after 8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, until the last train departing the San Francisco station at 2 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1. Trains will operate special event service on Dec. 31 to accommodate the San Francisco fireworks show in addition to regular weekday service. Along with regular weekday service, two additional northbound limited service trains will operate in the evening to San Francisco. After the fireworks show, Caltrain will operate additional southbound trains, with departure times varying depending on crowd size. Post-firework trains will make all local weekend stops from San Francisco to San Jose.

On Tuesday, Jan. 1, Caltrain will operate a holiday service schedule. Shuttle bus service will operate between the San Jose Diridon and Tamien Caltrain stations and trains will not provide service south of San Jose, the transit agency said.

Three new rental housing laws and an increase in the minimum wage are set to take effect in Redwood City on Jan. 1, 2019. 

Smoke-Free Multi-Family Housing Units:

In an ongoing effort to broaden protections from second-hand smoke, Multi-Family Housing Units will be smoke free in 2019. The ban applies to new and existing multi-family residences, with two or more attached units including duplexes, apartment buildings, condominium complexes, senior and assisted living facilities, and long-term health care facilities.

Rental Relocation Assistance:

The City’s new Rental Relocation Assistance policy applies to rental property owners of buildings with five or more units who choose to withdraw from the housing market, seek to remodel, renovate and/or demolish, convert or change the use of the building to nonresidential. A minimum of three months’ rent will be required to assist tenants with first and last month’s rent, and a security deposit to obtain a replacement unit.

Minimum Rental Lease Ordinance:

Aiming to provide more stability to renters, the City will require a year long minimum lease for rental properties with three or more units. The new Minimum Lease Ordinance, however, allows for a lease to be less than one year as long as both renter and lanlord agree in writing. The ordinance provides no constraints on a property owner raising rents at the end of the lease agreement or when renewing a lease.

Raise in the Local Minimum Wage: 

A new local minimum wage of $13.50 per hour will go into effect in Redwood City. This ordinance seeks to outpace the State’s minimum wage, reaching $15 by 2020. Every year after 2020, the minimum wage will increase based upon the consumer price index (CPI).

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a 19-year-old man who went missing on Dec. 18.

Daniel Gilchrist was last seen leaving his father’s Moss Beach home about 11 p.m. He told his father he was going to spend time with his friend in Pacifica about 7 miles away, but he never arrived, sheriff’s officials said.

“Daniel left his vehicle and the keys at his father’s residence, and seemingly walked,” the sheriff’s office said. “His cell phone has been turned off and no one has heard from him since the evening of the 18th.”

On Christmas Eve, the sheriff’s office posted about the missing persons case on Facebook, garnering significant response from the community, including from those who know Gilchrist and his family.

Anyone who has seen Daniel or has any information about his location is encouraged to contact Detective Joe Fava with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office 650-363-4192 or via email at jfava@smcgov.org.

City officials have been saying it over and over — fireworks are illegal in Redwood City. Extra reminders come during the holidays.

Violators can face up to $50,000 in fines and jail time, according to city officials. In April this year, the city council approved increasing fines for fireworks violations (see chart below for city penalties).

For more information about this policy, click here.