Catherine Mahanpour - Council Corner
December 18, 2019
Thank you to my colleagues for the vote of confidence to serve as your Mayor. It is a responsibility I take very seriously.
September 4, 2019
Our Country’s Constitution begins with: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Abraham Lincoln expanded on this idea in his Gettysburg Address by talking about “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” and how it “shall not perish from the Earth.” Today, these words are as valid as they were when they were written.
June 26, 2019
Over the past month, I have attended a couple of events worth talking about: Turning the Tide: Connecting for Resiliency (Climate Ready SMC Collaborative Convening #4), which is a series of conversations about climate change sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability; and A Celebration for Age Friendly San Mateo (hosted by Supervisor David Canepa). Both of these events were well-attended and very informative.
April 17, 2019
As a part of a continuing series of my City Council responsibilities outside of the City Council meetings, this article covers my work as a member of the Legislative Committee of C/CAG (County and City Association of Governments). This committee’s work entails keeping updated on legislation that would affect transportation and housing in San Mateo County and making recommendations to C/CAG as to whether to support or oppose a bill. As a committee, we receive monthly written reports and oral briefings from the C/CAG’s State legislative advocates.
March 13, 2019
So, because we have been bombarded with doom and gloom news lately, I have decided to focus on some good news in my Council Corner this week. As Councilmembers, we not only make policy for the City, but we also represent the City’s interests on a regional level. One of the Boards on which I serve in my capacity as a Foster City Councilmember is the Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) Board. You may have heard me talk about PCE’s efforts in my closing comments during the City Council meetings. However, you may not know that each meeting requires hours of preparation time for everyone involved. Our Board members and the staff are very dedicated.
February 6, 2019
So, as I write this article, we are a month into a new year – a new beginning. In November, voters overwhelmingly voted for change – locally and nationally. Your voices were heard and I will continue to listen to your voice and advocate for what is best for you and Foster City. I will continue on with the business of the City. This year, we have many projects and challenges to face, and we will face them together.
As former President Obama once said: “A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.” A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to welcome the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame Traveling Exhibit sponsored by The Commission on the Status of Women, an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors, to the Foster City Library. This exhibit, established in 1984, is an important and lasting way to recognize the incredible contributions of women of all walks of life to the well-being of our County and individual communities.
Recently, there have been conversations about leadership and the qualities of true leadership. I would like to take a portion of this article to discuss that. To me, a leader creates a culture that encourages originality, imagination, and exciting new ideas. I do not believe those in any leadership position who may utilize techniques that work to intimidate or influence decisions by uncivil debate or conduct can accomplish anything positive; it only stifles creativity, innovative thinking, and team building.
Welcome to 2018! This will be a year of exciting opportunities and challenges for our City, and I look forward to tackling all of them. I want to address some of the opportunities we have to make our City an even greater place to be.
In light of the natural disasters and other distasteful news going on in the world lately, I wanted to take this time to provide an update on a few accomplishments within our community that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
On January 21st, we held our annual Vision and Policy Summit. We set aside this time to review our accomplishments of the last year and to set our priorities for 2017. Overall, the day went well, and we had honest, open discussions. Since I realize that most residents are not able to set aside an entire day to join us at these meetings, I would like to summarize the day-long meeting to update you all on what we were able to accomplish.
In looking at 2016 in the rearview mirror, so to speak, I note how fortunate our City is to have responsive, knowledgeable people working to maintain our living standard in Foster City. I personally thank all of the City staff, Police Department, and Fire Department members with whom I have worked over the past year for their patience and flexibility. We have a terrific and talented group of people working to maintain our City’s infrastructure and reputation as the jewel of the Peninsula.
Recently, I received several requests to summarize the programs of the non-profit organizations that requested funding from Foster City. The following information was taken directly from the non-profit organizations’ applications to the City and from the organizations’ websites. Listed here are those organizations to which we provided funding for this year in our budget.
Throughout time, communication has allowed us to work together toward a common goal, to survive in a harsh environment, and to enjoy one another’s company. Communication on a larger scale presents its own set of challenges, and our changing demographics and advancing technology only complicates the dissemination of information. Meeting these challenges takes patience, innovation, and creativity. We in Foster City are fortunate to have such talented people working in our Communications Division.
My husband and I have frequently walked the parks in Foster City, and we often talk about how nicely the parks are maintained. A lot of work goes into making our parks the best in the area.
"We are committed to ensuring the long-term financial stability of the City and providing services that enhance the quality of life for those who live, work and play in Foster City." This is our mission. Our supporting values include Engagement, Leadership, Integrity, Innovation, Teamwork, and Excellence ("ELIITE"). At the City Council meeting on February 8th, we adopted the Vision Statement and confirmed the priorities that were discussed at our retreat on January 25th.
Over the last few months, I have had the opportunity to meet with the City staff, several members of our police and fire departments, Mayor Perez, and the other Councilmembers, and we are all looking forward to an exciting year. We are ready to face the challenges of 2016. We are fortunate to have such a talented group of people working for the residents and for the benefit of Foster City. I have met many residents of Foster City, and every person wants what is best for our jewel of the peninsula.
