Disharmony in Millbrae

So it was disheartening to read about the Millbrae reorganization meeting when the council could not agree on a vice mayor, a position which is still open. Gina Papan was easily named mayor. Ann Schneider who won her first election to the council in 2015 (she had run in 2013 and lost) was next in line for vice mayor but passed over and was not shy about expressing her regrets. She was unable to secure even one vote for her nomination except for herself, while Wayne Lee was nominated but didn’t receive a second.

Schneider came in second behind Papan in the last election. And she has defenders who believe she deserved to be named vice mayor. She is a native of the city, attended Millbrae public schools — elementary, middle school and Capuchino High School. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, Schneider worked at Hewlett-Packard and moved to Mountain View where she has spent a good part of her adult life. She also worked for San Jose on the city’s solid waste program. She became active in the Sierra Club in Santa Clara County and was co-chair of the political committee, which interviewed candidates for elective office. When she was assigned to interview and recommend candidates in San Mateo County one year, Papan did not receive the Sierra Club endorsement. According to Schneider, that’s when the chill developed between her and Papan although today they both say they have tried hard to work with each other and will continue to do so.

Even though Schneider was a Millbrae native she is relatively new to the community compared to the long ties of the Papan family and others. Councilwoman Anne Oliva is the daughter of former San Bruno mayor Bob Marshall, all close to the Papans. The fifth councilmember, Reuben Holober, is the son of a former councilmember, the late Nadia Holober, and Richard Holober, who is on the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Mayor Papan realizes the reorganization meeting was a mess and not good for the city. At the meeting, one councilmember said Schneider was unfit to be vice mayor because she bullied colleagues and staff if she didn’t get her way. This comment revealed the bad feelings among the council. Something needed to be done. As a result, Papan has been working with staff on a protocol in which issues could be written on a form and reviewed by the city attorney if necessary. She insisted she wants to work with Schneider for the good of the city. For her part, Schneider expressed similar sentiments. With Millbrae’s eight-year term limit and a tradition of termed-out members running again after sitting out two years, it may be that time will tell how this will all work out. Perhaps, as in Burlingame and Belmont, it will mean some new councilmembers and some new chemistry.

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The above seems petty when you consider the major issues facing Millbrae today. A major project for the existing BART station is before the council for review.

Millbrae is a small city and this is a mega project. Already the BART/Caltrain SFO connection has put Millbrae on the map as a definite stop for any future high-speed rail. It is a natural place for a new transit-oriented development. But how big and how transit oriented will it be, how much affordable housing will the developer provide and who will pay for it, and how will the Gateway project fit into the rest of the city are major questions.

BART is a tough and powerful negotiator so the city will need a strong and united council to get what it wants. Or some of what it wants. This should be an incentive for councilmembers to put personality and political differences behind them and work to restore the public’s confidence in the people they elected.

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.