The City continues to move forward and the inertia that carries it stops for no individual. The reality is that the perpetual mechanism of change is upon us and will create its own path with resultant outcomes unless we intervene to shape our future. Together we must determine what issues require our immediate attention and direction. In this way we can better prepare the City to meet challenges in these difficult economic times. The Council will hold a series of Study Sessions to present various scenarios that address a 2.4 million dollar structural deficit. Our last study session was poorly attended with only one resident voicing their concerns with regard to the blue and red line shuttle service. It is important to remember that these sessions provide Council, Staff, and the public with information and reports, as well as a mutual opportunity to give input into the process. In the absence of input, the process can be driven by one perspective or preconceived notion of what the public needs or wants with regard to any given issue. It is crucial that the public reaches out and voices its collective opinion in order to help the Council design policy for effective governance. One such issue is that of development. The Promise of Development The economic challenges that have swept across the country continue to affect all aspects of our daily lives. The State of California and San Mateo County are no exception. The death of the Redevelopment agencies (RDA) will significantly impact all aspects of future projects within Foster City for the foreseeable future. This reality must be accepted and dealt with in real-time. As a community we must move forward with a realistic approach that is not reliant upon any public funding sources that are not secured. The City has a number of projects that are directly affected by the dissolution of the RDA. While there is much speculation and hyperbole, one thing is certain; the City’s RDA coffers will be emptied by the State and the impact will affect current projects underway and future projects in the development pipeline. The 15-acre project, which is to be home to a senior development, is directly affected by the Governors decision to dissolve the RDAs. We, as a City have always maintained a high ratio of affordable housing, as part of our housing element in our General Plan. The City has in part financed this through RDA funds. Those funds are gone and there is no guaranteed additional source of funding in the foreseeable future. No doubt the project and the affordable housing component will be affected. I remain optimistic about the project as a whole, however I am concerned about the promises we made to the public regarding affordability, accessibility, and viability. Additionally, we must insure that the project is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. However, we must do so within the constraints of our budget and prudent financial stewardship. We as a Council will need to hear your voices in the coming months on this and other important policy decisions.
