Ring out the Old, Bring in the New

I have always enjoyed reflecting on a year past and looking forward to the beginning of the New Year. It allows us to reflect upon the challenges and successes of the last year as we plan for the upcoming months and goals we choose to set for the future.

This year is no exception. If anything, these feelings are intensified by the new challenge of serving our citizens and developing a plan for continued prosperity and the quality of life in Foster City. The City is blessed with a talented group of council members who are passionate and dedicated to a shared vision of the future; a vision that will provide a stable business environment that yields additional revenue for the city as well as opportunity for small and large businesses to locate in our commercial spaces. I am excited to be part of the conversation and the policy setting discussions that will set the course for the future revenue streams that will bolster our coffers.

I am pleased that 2011 city council candidate Bill Schwarz, has been chosen to serve on the Foster City Audit Committee. He is passionate and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in finance that will be a useful resource for his colleagues. Congratulations to Jennifer Minkey-Selvitella for joining the Park and Recreation Committee, as well.

We, as a community, need to reinvest in ourselves to support our local businesses and restaurants. We need to continue our commitment to shop locally and develop strong local businesses that can depend upon our community for patronage. More importantly, we as council members need to hear your voices. We need you to share your thoughts on businesses and services that you want to see in our commercial centers. It is only with your input that we can formulate policies that will encourage economic and socially sustainable growth that encourages business to invest in our community.

Our families have spoken loud and clear. They want a better partnership with the school district and its leadership so that we can create better solutions for the overcrowding in our Foster City schools. I encourage our families to visit us at our council meetings to share your thoughts on what we as a city can do to solve this problem. It will be through a collective solution-based approach that this serious issue will be resolved. Each entity must bear its respective burden to realize a collective benefit.

Finally, no one solution will solve our current structural budgetary deficit. We cannot simply cut line items and we cannot simply raise revenue streams. It will be a combination of several solutions that include the development of new revenue opportunities, streamlining of processes, development, redevelopment, and the elimination of extraneous services or costs. The most challenging of these solutions has been and will continue to be cost-cutting measures.

Feel free to drop me a note at hperez@fostercity.org or call me at 650-468-3143.

And remember, every Friday at 9:30 a.m. I will host an informal coffee meet and greet for our residents at Foster City Bakery in the Edgewater Plaza Shopping Center. I would enjoy chatting with you about the City.