San Mateo aims to improve relations

The most recent council got off to a rough start at the end of 2022 when two of the four new councilmembers, now-mayor Lisa Diaz Nash and Deputy Mayor Rob Newsom, objected to appointing now-Councilmember Amourence Lee to the mayorship before a vacant council seat was filled, disrupting a long-standing precedent of voting in the most senior councilmember to the position. Lee subsequently made illegal vote-trading claims against certain individuals, which were ultimately deemed to be unfounded, per the district attorney’s investigation. 

City Manager Alex Khojikian said those events, coupled with numerous staff departures at the time, has shaken up the organization as of late.

“San Mateo has a long history of being a regional leader and stable organization, so when that December mayoral issue arose, everyone was watching and took notice of what happened. There were also a lot of staff transitions after that … and that sense of stability was impacted,” Khojikian said, adding the city has taken a hit in “the brand itself.” 

Since 2022, the discourse has remained less headline-grabbing but still replete with tense discussions. Some of the more recent disagreements have centered around the city’s housing policies, with Lee stating the council’s stance on development doesn't go far enough in addressing the affordability crisis. She has also been particularly critical of Nash. In February, Lee implored the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to intervene in a historic districting dispute in the Baywood neighborhood — where Nash resides — saying the mayor didn’t properly recuse herself from participating in related policy discussions and was obstructing a potential vote on the matter. The majority of supervisors ultimately declined to step in, saying it didn’t merit county-level involvement. The council majority had also decided not to move forward with a vote.

As part of the May 30 meeting, the five elected officials were tasked with discussing practices that are conducive to a well-functioning council and those that, conversely, contribute to a counterproductive work culture. City staff leaders, including Assistant City Manager Christina Horrisberger, also reiterated the importance of respecting precedent from previous councils, as well as providing clear communication from council if it’s determined the policy direction should change. Such standards have tangible implications over citywide priorities, such as housing. Developers, for instance, often want feedback from the city on how to optimize their applications and ensure a smoother application process. 

“If we have the council and commissions switching directions every couple years, then we can’t give them good advice. We’re hearing [we need to] streamline or smooth out, but we can’t streamline or smooth out if we’re getting zig zaggy policy direction, and we can’t give them good support,” Horrisberger said. 

The discussion also included procedural suggestions to facilitate more civil and productive discourse, such as improving the transition from public comment to council deliberation during meetings.

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102