San Mateo mayor faces calls for resignation

The public response led to Vice Mayor Lisa Diaz Nash calling for further discussions through an agenda item at the next council meeting and considering what, if any, action the council should take regarding the report or a potential code of conduct for the council and boards and commissions. Councilmembers Robert Newsom and Rich Hedges agreed to further conversation, while Councilmember Adam Loraine was against moving forward.

“I believe it is important that their concerns be addressed,” Diaz Nash said of the public comment.

Lee said in an email statement that she brought the issue of possible vote trading forward because of concerns about potential attempts to influence her vote and was relieved to learn the outcome of the District Attorney’s Office investigation.

“I had no knowledge of who might have been involved, and fortunately, there was no crime committed,” Lee said by email. “It was clear to me and should be clear to anyone who reads the report that there were efforts to influence my vote for the council seat. This unfortunate incident was caused by an entirely preventable breach of protocols. Our community is eager to put this behind us and focus on the people’s business.”

The District Attorney’s Office announced on April 6 its investigation concluded there was no evidence of an illegal attempt to corrupt the voting process over the nomination and selection of the San Mateo mayor and deputy mayor during the December City Council meetings. The monthslong investigation started following public allegations from Lee that she had received vote-trading proposals to become mayor in exchange for voting for Cliff Robbins, a member of the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission, to fill a vacant council seat. At a Dec. 12 council meeting, Lee announced Robbins as the person being suggested to her by pulling out a manila envelope she had at the meeting and opening it to reveal a piece of paper with his name. The manila envelope incident occurred after Diaz Nash and Newsom declined to vote to make Lee the mayor on Dec. 5, usually a ceremonial decision, citing a desire to see the vacant council seat filled first on Dec. 12 so all five people could appoint the mayor.

The DA’s report findings of lack of evidence led some residents to attend the April 17 meeting and call for her resignation, censure or an independent oversight committee. Following the report findings, many cited a need to protect San Mateo’s ethics and reputation and address issues of behavior from Lee. Michael Weinhauer, an organizer of recall efforts against Lee and president of the Central Neighborhood Association, said he was calling for her resignation because of alleged egregious behaviors, citing the vote trading allegations, revisiting land use decisions after council meetings and bad decision making.

“That is why I stand before you, Mayor Lee, and demand your resignation on behalf of a broad coalition of San Mateo residents,” Weinhauer said. “Barring that, this council must take action.”

Lisa Taner, a San Mateo resident, called for her resignation and for the council to take action to ensure her removal.

“Councilmembers, it is fully in your hands where San Mateo goes from here,” Taner said. “If Lee refuses to step down, we look to you to remove her.”

The City Council has no power to remove a councilmember on its own. Elected officials can be removed through the recall process only.

Some San Mateo residents are pushing for a special election in November to recall Lee over their allegations of alleged civic failures and bad behaviors. The group is gathering signatures and has cited the allegations made during the December meetings and the subsequent fallout. Lee and her supporters have refuted those claims, saying they were meritless and based on falsehoods that will hurt attempts to address issues and cost taxpayers.

Some of the conflict has roots around housing and Measure Y, as the city remains split about its philosophy on how much housing to zone for and add in its housing element, a blueprint for how the city will plan for housing. Measure Y limits building height to 55 feet in most city areas and a density limit of 50 units per acre for the next decade. The council is discussing putting a ballot measure forward, asking voters whether Measure Y should be repealed. The measure has caused divisions in the city, with Lee a lead voice in favor of more housing.

Jordan Grimes, a San Mateo housing advocate who grew up in the area, spoke at the April 17 meeting and said claims of lies from those arguing for Lee’s removal were pure projection. He argued the group was a vocal minority of angry homeowners, disproportionately white, older and wealthier than the city, who see efforts to pursue affordable housing as a threat to their power.

“These are the same voices we have heard over and over, year after year, articulating a vision for this city that freezes it in amber and preserves it as a retirement community for the rich and nostalgic,” Grimes said. “Mayor Lee stands opposed to that vision.”

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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