Medina versus Medina for San Bruno mayor

“All of our residents deserve that engagement and the mayor should be that person and lead and show by example,” he said. “I believe, with my engagement with the community across the city, that I’m in a better place, I’m more prepared and willing to seek out good and bad news from our residents.”

By contrast, Rico Medina, who has held the mayoral position for three two-year terms, emphasized his longtime experience and positions on regional committees as qualifications that make him best suited for the job.

“It’s important that we have those types of elements and leadership,” he said. “I’ve also, unfortunately, while being on the council, experienced the 2010 PG&E explosion, the active YouTube shooter, the shooting at Tanforan. Those are things that you have to know what to do, when to do it and how to do it.”

Cease-fire resolution

The City Council experienced tumult late last year when they voted not to agendize discussion of a cease-fire resolution, a decision that some Palestinian community members are still protesting. The candidates had differing perspectives on the issue, with Rico Medina voting against and Marty Medina voting to agendize.

The issue is a contentious one, Rico Medina acknowledged — he originally voted against its agendization under the rationale that the City Council should focus only on local affairs. It wouldn’t have been fair to agendize the resolution and raise hopes and expectations if it wasn’t going to pass, he said.

“I tried to run that meeting so everybody could be heard. The emotions were high and I can understand, I think the hurt was deep,” he said. “If there weren’t going to be the votes and that eligibility to have it happen, there was a lot of pain and anguish.”

Marty Medina stood by his vote, he said, noting the City Council had previously involved itself in international affairs.

“We raised the Ukrainian flag at the City Hall two times. That’s taking a stand, that’s getting involved,” he said. “The war is going on. A resolution wasn’t going to stop it, but it also left a segment of our population that felt they aren’t heard.”

Censure of mayor

Rico Medina faced another challenge in 2021, when he was censured following the release of an investigation that found a pattern of inappropriate behavior, including speaking to staff in a “harsh or belittling manner” as well as calling staff while drunk and attending a City Council meeting while impaired.

He accepted the censure and did not pursue an alleged Brown Act violation that had occurred from fellow councilmembers during the procedures because he wanted to move forward, he said.

“I accepted what had happened, I owned up, I apologized, I wanted to turn the page,” he said. “That, to me, is in the rearview mirror, and we are as a council and professional staff, moving forward.”

The council “did the right thing” in enacting consequences, Marty Medina said, and agreed the City Council, including the mayor, was moving forward.

Development

San Bruno has consistently struggled with inviting development and boosting its revenue sources. Though the city has approved a number of projects, development in active construction is extremely limited. Only two housing projects are in development along El Camino Real, both using state housing laws that allow developers to bypass local regulations like height and density.

The city is currently undergoing a financial feasibility assessment to understand the economic factors and existing zoning rules making developers hesitate on moving forward with San Bruno projects. Results could mean San Bruno potentially going back to the voters to extend height limitations or changing other zoning rules.

“We have had a number of developments that have been entitled, that yet don’t get built … the interest is coming to San Bruno. I think a number of things has delayed that,” Marty Medina said. “As we’re going forward, we’ve been talking about zones of development and how we can go ahead and partner with the public lots we own.”

Marty Medina’s 2019 no vote on the proposed Mills Park project has been criticized by some as the catalyst for the city’s development stagnation. Rico Medina, who voted yes on the project, said the City Council’s denial of the development was described by other elected officials as the “poster child” for statewide housing laws that override local control.

“Four years ago at a League of Women Voters forum, the question was asked, ‘do you think the denial of that project hurt the development of the city of San Bruno?’ My answer was yes,” he said.

For the city to move forward with development, the mayor will need to work with residents to help them accept that growth is a reality, Rico Medina said, agreeing with Marty Medina that the city will need to revisit its height limits.

“I have people that tell me we’ve grown so much. Well … we really haven’t,” he said. “But the perception is we have. We’re going to have a big lift, once this housing element [is certified]. We’re going to have to have a hard conversation.”

Marty Medina said he’s willing to “accept my part” in the Mills Park development, but noted he was prioritizing the concerns around resident impact and increased traffic. The project has been approved in a reduced format, he noted — though there’s been no recent movement on development — and he explained he would have preferred a continuance on the vote so a greater compromise could have been reached.

“Unfortunately, the developer did not want a continuance, and got an answer that I have to stand by,” he said. “Since then, the project has been revised.”

Tanforan

A large part of the city’s current development plan is a vast remodel of Tanforan, which is set to include a relocation of the Target, biotech development and increased housing.

Unfortunately, Rico Medina will have to recuse himself from all votes and discussion on Tanforan due to the location of his home, Marty Medina pointed out. He said that the Tanforan development is a deeply exciting opportunity for San Bruno.

“Tanforan never really got going to its full potential for a number of reasons, not really having the products that people wanted,” he said. “Target will be relocated and rebuilt 100% … [Target] will stay, there will be biotech and it will be a longer time for it to be built than we originally thought, and there’s an option for a hotel.”

It will be important for the City Council to walk residents through any qualms they might have about the project, Rico Medina said.

“I think that will be people’s concern, will be the impact to the roads, to the infrastructure and that’s where we’re going to have to show, and walk them [through] together and be available,” he said.

Downtown

San Bruno’s downtown has experienced its own set of issues, with long-term challenges to the area’s vitality and, most recently, contention and anger over a newly-implemented paid parking system.

While the city is making efforts to invest in its downtown, with a recent $1.5 million investment to revamping Centennial Plaza, the parking meters are a real issue, Marty Medina acknowledged. He’s attended every community meeting on the issue and is well aware of the needs of businesses.

“Unfortunately, the parking system we currently have, the kiosks are not operating right,” he said. “I have direct communication to a number of those businesses, and I have been bringing it forward, what they want to see … as for the development of better businesses, we have amazing businesses downtown. Our diversity is unmatched.”

Rico Medina cited increased investment in parks, more street-washing and more trash receptacles as recent downtown positives. The parking is causing challenges the city is attempting to address, he said.

“I think there has been more focus and investment on this, real dollars, from the City Council and the community foundation,” he said.

Both candidates said that the city’s revenue sources and upcoming budget deficits are a councilwide problem to solve, citing the passage of a half-cent sales tax as extremely helpful for San Bruno’s income. Rico Medina said the infrastructure bond on voter’s upcoming November ballots could be a boon to the city as well, with Marty Medina pointing to judicious review of existing finances — including the sale of CityNet — as positive steps forward.

Note to readers: A previous version of this story quoted Marty Medina as saying "the mall" will stay in regards to the Tanforan redevelopment. The candidate clarified he meant that Target, not the mall, would stay.