Redwood City to discuss equity committees

On Monday, March 8, councilmembers will be asked to formally create the two committees after postponing the discussion scheduled for January. The Equity and Social Justice subcommittee will work directly with the city’s new Equity and Inclusion Officer Brianna Evans while the Police Advisory Committee would communicate directly with Redwood City Police Department leadership.

As proposed, the Police Advisory Committee would be made up of 11 community members. Each councilmember will appoint one person and the remaining four committee members would be appointed by the entire council.

The advisory committee would be allowed to review policing policies and crime data and discuss community concerns related to crime and police interactions. The committee would also receive updates about the multiagency mental health pilot program and an annual report on personnel complaint processes.

Members of the Equity and Social Justice Sub-committee will be tasked with helping implement the city’s Equity Work Plan. The plan would aim to bring an equity lens to public safety, city services and the community as a whole.

In January, Mayor Diane Howard appointed councilmembers Lissette Espinoza-Garnica, Michael Smith and Diana Reddy to the subcommittee. Each will serve a one-year-term and will be required to take a one-term hiatus before serving a second.

“Each one of them brings a skill set that will be very important going forward and when having these difficult discussions on policies and being aware of inequalities we weren’t even aware of,” said Howard. “They’ll all bring different perspectives.”

The council will also discuss whether to direct staff to craft an urgency ordinance requiring hazard pay for grocery and drugstore workers using a similar ordinance recently approved in South San Francisco for reference.

Customer-facing employees of stores with more than 300 employees nationwide would receive $5 in hazard pay on top of base pay, retroactive hazard pay and paid COVID-19 vacation leave.

Councilmembers will also weigh in on zoning changes related to accessory dwelling units. A 5-2 vote in late-December ultimately denied the adoption of the ADU amendments which would have limited the height of detached ADUs to 16 feet.

A majority of councilmembers voiced concern the height limit would be too low for developing two-story ADUs, signaling interests in potentially raising the height limit to around 20 feet.

The City Council will meet remotely via Zoom at 6 p.m. Monday, March 8, and will be streamed live at www.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: 962 5028 8377.