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21-20 3/4/2021 Pat Willard
<br />Ms. Howard,
<br /> I acknowledge and appreciate your diligence, as well as your interest in hearing from residents across our
<br />beautiful city, many of whom offer varying points of view. Let me also express my appreciation of our City
<br />Manager, Ms. Stevenson Diaz, who in my experience is open to receiving, and answering, many questions she
<br />receives from yours truly. It is a tribute to the high level of public service she provides.
<br /> I am writing this letter to express support of, and agreement with, my colleague, Ms. Luna -- a request for
<br />government transparency. I am concerned that delay on the part of City Hall exacerbates community fear that
<br />nothing will change, and inevitably frustration. Left vague is solid commitment, and a firm date range as when
<br />substantive public participation will be made available.
<br /> Also left vague is the means by which community participation will take. The mechanism is of concern comes
<br />by the following way. It has been suggest at city leadership level that "participatory budgeting" may be the
<br />model used. My read is that the curated selection processes of the "participatory budgeting" model is, in and of
<br />itself, destined to be inequitable. To be clear, everything we've seen in American history related to the
<br />distribution of public resources is consistently captured those residing in wealthy neighborhoods, getting theirs
<br />first...and foremost. Those without fluent English writing skills working to fill out budget or project request
<br />forms, submitting them online over poor Wi-Fi connections, and finding the free time and a quiet location, wind
<br />up at the back of the line.
<br /> Rest assured, Ms. Mayor, we are not asking that City Hall boil the ocean. No one is asking every sub-line of sub-
<br />line of the entire budget be exposed and critiqued. Nor should anyone wait for an entire Equity Plan be
<br />published, because inequity will occur before today is over, and several times tomorrow.
<br /> Going back to the topic of police resources presently, and the possibility that some portion may be re-
<br />purposed, in the coming fiscal year:
<br /> Respectfully, I think it disingenuous to refer to a hold on police department hiring as an exemplar of re-shaping
<br />services to me community needs. A hold is no more than a delay on the inevitable -- that being the hold
<br />removed, and the commencement of hiring more patrol officers and staff promotions to manage the larger law
<br />enforcement presence. Nine months ago, at a study session where the current budget (2020 to 2021 budget
<br />was finalized) just before its passage the City Council's subsequent meeting, Ms. Stevenson-Diaz assure us, the
<br />Council members and the public in attendance, that the hold was temporary.
<br /> At this time, I ask a question of clarity, and a public information request.
<br />City Manager,
<br />Administrative Services,
<br />Finance 3/13/2021 No 1:00 $0
<br />21-21 3/12/2021 Johanna Rasmussen
<br />Pursuant to the California Public Records Act (California Government Code §§ 6250), I hereby request the
<br />following records and documents that show how much COVID-19 related State and Federals monies the City of
<br />Redwood City has received and anticipates receiving in the future.
<br /> I kindly request the electronic delivery of an Excel spreadsheet with the following information:
<br /> From the Period of March 12, 2020 - March 12, 2021
<br />
<br /> The total amount of Federal COVID-19 related monies received by the City of Redwood City.
<br />
<br />
<br /> The Total Amount of State COVID-19 related monies received by the City of Redwood City.
<br />
<br /> In relation to the aforementioned sums of State and/or Federal COVID-19 related monies.
<br />
<br /> How has the City of Redwood City allocated all of the COVID-19 funds received to date?
<br />
<br /> Please provide a breakdown that includes the source of funding, amount of funds received, the amount of
<br />funds allocated to date by each Department, and the total amount of unallocated funds currently being held in
<br />reserve.
<br />
<br /> How much State and/or Federal COVID-19 related funds does the City of Redwood City expect and/or
<br />anticipate receiving in 2021-2023?
<br />
<br /> Please provide a breakdown that includes the source, amounts, and dates this funding is expected to be
<br />received.
<br />
<br /> How does the City of Redwood City intend to allocate any remaining amounts of unallocated funding received
<br />to date in 2021-2023?
<br />
<br /> Please provide a breakdown, including the source, date, and amount of anticipated allocations by Department.
<br />City Manager,
<br />Administrative Services,
<br />Finance 3/22/2021 No 1:00 $0
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