CC MIN 2015-04-20 Special Town Hall

Browse Search

economic development and transportation. She noted that good progress is being made in all these areas but focused her remarks primarily in community for all ages and transportation. Ms. Ramberg highlighted various accomplishments and service enhancements, subject to future City Council review and approval, including a Senior Day shuttle service downtown, expansion of library service hours at both the Schaberg and Fair Oaks libraries, enhanced programming at the CAB (Cammunity Activities Building), and increased street sweeping service to two times per month. Ms. Ramberg also alluded to ease and improved transportation and parking downtown with over 2,300 parking spaces to be created with the projects in the pipeline, this includes the reopening of the Winslow parking lot for public use. She wished everyone a Happy Earth Day, coming up this Wednesday, and noted city initiatives that provide opportunities for people to be involved. Mayor Gee thanked the hosts - Principal Paliughi and his team members Keith Kadera and Dan - for opening the Kennedy School for this meeting and PenTV for their recording and future online posting of the video. He also noted that Spanish translation is available for those who may need it and reiterated that anyone wishing to speak should fill out a speakers' card. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT Yolanda de la Rosa, representing Comite de Inquilinos (Renters Committee) who has a fourteen year old teenager studying at Roosevelt, said she is a single working parent and her big worry is increase in rents and how she may be forced to move away from Redwood City and out of the state because she cannot continue to pay the rent. She spoke about her struggle to support herself and her son in his studies and having barely enough to feed themselves and how she wants to get another job in addition to the one she already has. She noted that her story also applies to many of her friends and relatives. She thanked Council for listening to her. Aleyda Donaire, representing Comite de Inquilinos (Renters Committee), said she is part of 47 percent residents that rent and the purpose of being here is to ask Council Members to concretely answer or have a plan of action that would resolve this housing crisis that many are experiencing. She said that her rent has increased $350 recently and she anticipates another increase in the middle of this year. She opined that many others hope to be heard because they take care of the community and may work providing child care, gardening, or serving in restaurants and it is illogical to have the minimum wage at $10 per hour because it means that a fulltime worker would get about $1,600 and this amount is inadequate to cover a small one bedroom apartment. She is very worried for the children, and noted that she has a high school student with aspirations to become an engineer and she is worried for what the future will bring. Nada Ballator expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to speak at a Town Hall meeting and said there are three things she wished to thank this City for: the Nextdoor online social network that lets people know what is going on and increases community feeling; the MyRWC application to ask questions, report problems, and she noted that she has used it five times and received responsive and fast resolution to her concerns; the my water use email that she gets every few weeks from Public Works that anyone SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL/STUDY SESSION/TOWN HALL April 20, 2015 MEETING MINUTES MINUTE BOOK NO. 65 PAGE 2 Page No. 374