5 running for Foster City Council

Land use and housing

Kiesel noted Foster City was only 3.9 square miles and with few developable areas, with a need for affordable housing for rent. He noted the city had a choice of developing higher or taking some of the city property and parks, with the state taking over local control. He worried about the city’s regional housing needs allocation numbers currently and in the future, which dictate how much housing the city must zone.

“I don’t know if the community is ready to go up to three stories,” Kiesel said.

Awasthi said housing conversations are much easier than four years ago, with a significant process due to community outreach about the benefits of more development. She argued for smart growth and conversations to bring along people concerned about housing and land use changes.

Adams acknowledged while there are concerns about traffic and density, there needed to be a discussion about the good that comes along with new people and where to place new residents. He noted that new restaurants, supermarkets and amenities are impossible without more residents.

“You can’t have these things without the density that comes with new people, and people want these things to be updated in our town,” Adams said.

Jimenez championed her ability to build bridges, noting fears of longtime residents of more traffic, decreasing home values and the loss of peace must be addressed while also providing housing opportunities for others. She believes there are places to add housing without increasing traffic. Jimenez suggested using affordable housing overlay zones and was against housing at the golf course. She offered there could be housing at the old Orchard Supply Hardware on Metro Center Boulevard.

Staffing

Shuffling city staff has also been an issue, with former City Manager Peter Pirnejad dismissed in August 2021 after only seven months in the job following a close 3-2 vote. The decision led to others departing and instability and lowered staff morale. While no reason was given at the time, some on the council later referenced a lack of direction and the wrong fit. Kiesel said talking to staff showed the council was micromanaging and getting into personality conflicts with prior city managers. He noted the city had two city managers for 40 years, with around eight different managers, including some interim ones, in the last few years, causing a dip in staff morale. Others like Melchner and Jimenez agreed, noting council had to understand their role and stay in their lane. Melchner has lived in Foster City since 1979 and said he is running to address the lack of trust and transparency in city government. Adams wanted to protect and empower the city manager and staff. Awasthi said she was optimistic about the new city manager and was committed to retaining staff, noting she and the council had to make difficult decisions.

“With regards to the city council-city manager relationship, that has improved so much with having a very experienced city manager,” Awasthi said.

Budget

Awasthi noted ongoing costs have gone up due to labor contracts, and the city is looking at other sources of revenue to address potential future deficits. She suggested monetizing, looking at the business license tax again and redevelopment discussions with Gilead and other biotech companies.

Adams suggested readjusting spending priorities to pay staff more to compete with similar cities like Belmont and San Carlos and work with large companies like Costco and Gilead on property taxes, given it was the city’s largest income stream. He suggested focusing on the next 50 years of Foster City and activating the waterfront and Bayfront to provide competing options to downtown San Carlos. Melchner was worried about the budget impacts of keeping reserves and not reinvesting elsewhere.

“We have these bulky reserves, and the money has been sitting stagnant for some time,” Melchner said.

Transit

Jimenez favored investment in a more workable transportation system that solved the first and last mile issues for people using Caltrain and SamTrans, suggesting increased business shuttle partnerships to improve transit. Adams wanted more transit across the San Mateo Bridge and Foster City Boulevard and updated bike and pedestrian infrastructure for more safe routes and hubs. Awasthi agreed that the last mile of the commute was a challenge and noted there are plans for more bike paths and reconfiguring State Route 92. Short-term possibilities include timing traffic lights.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102