The Worker Resource Center in San Mateo

Neighbors were concerned about the impact the men had on the area. If there was not work to be found, they would linger for hours. There were reports about public drinking and urination and some women were uncomfortable walking by.

City officials weren’t sure what to do. Five years prior, then councilwoman Claire Mack tried to organize a worker center behind the Kmart on Delaware Street and despite luring them with hot coffee and a table full of job opportunities, it wasn’t enough to draw sufficient numbers to make the effort work.

The natural area was off Highway 101 in the Third Avenue Gateway. It was close to men’s homes, and it was convenient for those heading off the highway looking for day laborers.

Before 2000, the city also tried passing an ordinance forbidding the solicitation of work from a moving vehicle while police worked with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (now known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to crack down on contractors who illegally hired the men. But it was difficult to enforce and INS pulled local funding. There were also some legal issues that were difficult to resolve.

The city hired a liaison between the workers and the city to let the workers know about city policies and codes while also printing an educational pamphlet to help workers understand laws about job solicitation, public urination and littering. It also informed them of certain employment rights.

The city appeared to be in a tenuous situation because though there was talk of creating a center, there was concern by the city attorney at the time that the city couldn’t fund it without checking the legal status of the workers. This was 17 years ago. Times have changed a bit.

True progress was made when the city decided to use an old temporary fire station hull and plop it down on a piece of city-owned property at Fifth and Railroad avenues. There, workers could find work in an organized and dignified fashion and take English language and other classes if they did not find work. There are other resources there and the county health van now stops by to keep them from using the emergency room as their primary care medical facility.

It also kept the men off the street. So while there may be some lingering concern about congregating men along Third and Fourth avenues and Delaware Street, there would be more there if the center were to go away. It’s something to consider while thinking about the future of the Worker Resource Center. The city is beginning a process in trying to develop the site for what appears to be either housing and parking, and likely a combination of both, so the future of the site is in flux. Eliminating it completely should not be an option. It provides a couple of benefits. It creates a dignified and organized place for the men to find work, eliminates the chances of them getting ripped off by unscrupulous contractors and keeps them off the street and away from neighbors who may have concerns.

I know some of you will say the city should not do anything for these men because of their immigration status. But it doesn’t make any sense not to, and it never has. The fact that the men are here is not because of any city policy but rather because of our nation’s failed immigration laws and the fact that there is work available here. The city has to balance the current situation and the needs of its residents. You just can’t have people running into a busy street because they are looking for work.

There have also been some reports that the popularity of the center has waned so maybe a new location combined with other services might refresh the mission. But make no mistake, the center has been good for the city, the workers and nearby residents. We may have forgotten that creating it was no small task. Time will do that to all of us.

Jon Mays is the editor in chief of the Daily Journal. He can be reached at jon@smdailyjournal.com. Follow Jon on Twitter @jonmays.