Sam Hindi - Council Corner
November 27, 2019
As we enter the Holiday Season and the year comes to a close, I am grateful, honored, and have had the great privilege to serve as your Mayor. Although our community has been experiencing more challenges this year, particularly in regards to politics, I’m certain that we will overcome this phase in Foster City and uphold the values, ideals, and standards we are known for.
May 8, 2019
Since the opening of the William E. Walker Recreation Center in 1974, this facility has grown to be the central hub of activity for the Foster City community. Its location adjacent to Leo J. Ryan Park is one of the many reasons why the Recreation Center is highly used by groups of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds. As a public space, those who have gathered here have contributed to the sense of community we have all come to value in Foster City. In addition, the Recreation Center also serves as an emergency care shelter.
January 16, 2019
Over the past several years, the Bay Area has experienced a revolution in transportation. We are all familiar with the considerable amount of traffic that has built up along our roadways, stressing our infrastructure and calling the need for expanded mobility options. It has required a vested interest from public agencies, private sector employers, local, state, and federal representatives alike, to find transit solutions to this mounting problem.
March 7, 2018
Foster City is one of the safest places to live. Low crime rates, quick response times from police and firefighters and a City Council that prioritizes residents’ safety all make our city a desirable place to call home.
Safety is and always will be a top priority in Foster City.
February 15, 2017
As we endured the much needed recent rain storms, I could not help but notice the difference in the storms’ impact on Foster City compared to our neighbors on the peninsula. In particular, I’m focusing on infrastructure and its ability to withstand the rain storms, avoiding flooding and any road closures. Although we are at sea level, it was great to see that Foster City fared superbly and there were no major issues to mention other than some fallen trees.
December 7, 2016
Almost a year ago, I was honored to be elected to serve as your representative on the City Council. It has been a year of accomplishments and successes as a result of teamwork and commitment to excellence by your City Council and City staff. I am grateful to have the support of our professional staff and their commitment to deliver excellent service to our residents and businesses.
August 24, 2016
On August 8, 2016, the City Council held a study session and received an update from staff and the City Council Economic Development Ad Hoc Subcommittee. The subcommittee is comprised of two council members, Vice Mayor Bronitsky, myself, and City Manager Kevin Miller, Assistant City Manager Dante Hall and his team. The City Council was presented with an update of the subcommittee’s work and an Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP). After discussing the plan, the City Council gave its approval for the committee to continue its work and develop the programs outlined in the plan.
By the latest estimates, Foster City's population is about 32,700 and the number of employees who work in Foster City is more than 20,000. The workforce is not actually half but the business community contribution to our City is substantial and has an intrinsic link to the quality of life we all enjoy. In addition to the Fortune 500 companies such as Gilead, Visa, IBM, Illumina, there are hundreds of small businesses that deserve our support.
We all have our opinions of what makes Foster City a great place to "Live, Work and Play". Most agree that our great quality of life is due to our excellent public safety, infrastructure, and quality education. Others might argue that our world class parks including our lagoons, central location are great contributors to our quality of life as well. To me, in addition to the aforementioned, I've always valued our diversity and the "sense of community" that Foster City provides.
The traffic congestion and the pain it causes our commute has reached unprecedented levels in the bay area in the last few years.The huge imbalance between jobs created and housing units built on this side of the bay is the main culprit.
I moved to Foster City in 1992 with the knowledge that it is in the path of airplanes landing in SFO. Back then, the airplanes were required to fly over the bay for the most part during their approach from Foster City to SFO. I remember we had a noise complaint hotline on our refrigerator to call when an airplane flew over homes with excessive noise. In the mid to late nineties, the issue seemed to have been resolved until early last year when some neighborhoods in Foster City started experiencing more planes flying over them at lower altitude and louder noise. So what happened?
Fourteen days, three countries, eight elected Arab American public servants, twenty five meetings with broad and diverse spectrum of ambassadors, policy makers, businesspeople, non-governmental organizations, strategic studies institutes, American universities and visits to three refugee camps summarize my trip to the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon as a member of the Arab American Institute's Leadership Council. The purpose of the trip was to gain better understanding of the region's culture, challenges, opportunities and bilateral relationships with the United States.
Not surprisingly, Foster City was recently named the best city to live in California by homesnacks.net. Achieving such an accolade is not a coincidence; it is the result of great vision, plan, and execution. Crucial factors contributing to the success of our community are responsible past City Councils and professional staff, both of whom assured the economic vitality of the City.
