Redwood City pursuing street closures

Areas up for consideration in the program include several blocks of Broadway spanning El Camino Real to Main Street and the section of Main Street between Broadway and Middlefield Road. The project as presented would leave three cross Streets of Broadway open including Winslow Street, Hamilton Street and Jefferson Avenue.  

While the project is being proposed to run from July to late September, various weekly schedules will be suggested including an option to close the streets once a week on Saturdays between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. and another possible three-day closure with unspecified times. The three-day option would allow for city staff to set up street barriers Fridays and later remove the barriers Mondays. 

To participate in the project, merchants may have to apply for an encroachment permit with a possible fee waiver from the city. Eateries interested in service alcohol outdoors would also have to apply for a state Alcohol Beverage Control patio liquor permit. 

Also being proposed is a partial closure of select streets which would place barriers between parking stalls and vehicle right-of-ways, permitting merchants to place tables and chairs in the freed space. The project would operate during normal business hours, seven days a week. Parking lots are also being considered for overflow seating, carhop service and takeout. 

In other business, the council will also vote on a resolution to call for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to consolidate countywide elections with the Nov. 3 Presidential General Elections as done in the past. The resolution would also call for the general municipal elections for City Council districts 1, 3, 4 and 7, currently held by Vice Mayor Shelly Masur, Councilwoman Alicia Aguirre, Councilman Ian Bain and Councilwoman Janet Borgens. 

The council will also hold a public hearing on a resolution up for being adopted which would set a $31.80 fee for publishing an additional 400-word City Council candidate statement on the city website. The fee would be for candidates who do not comply with the voluntary expenditure limits. 

Staff is also recommending the council waive the second hearing and adopt a resolution establishing special revenue funds with the city’s financial system called the Community Development Block Grant Fund, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program Fund and the Housing Support Fund. Revenue for Housing Support Fund would be sourced from hotel tax revenue and prepaid wireless utility tax revenue.

The council is also being asked to approve and authorize the city manager to extend an contract agreement with Aila Malik DBA Venture Leadership Consulting by nine months for interim executive director services for Redwood City 2020, a community partnership. An additional recruitment agreement will also have to be entered for the search of a permanent director. 

The City Council will meet remotely 7 p.m. Monday, June 8, and will be streamed live at redwoodcity.org and on Comcast Channel 27 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99. Remote public comments will be received by telephone during the meeting, prior to the close of public comment on an item. *67 (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 984 7741 2993.