City Council Mission and Focus Areas - February 17, 2016

"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.  

Engagement: By engaging all of our residents and businesses, we will build lasting relationships leading to mutually beneficial outcomes for the City. We have started this process through several channels, including, among other things, developing the Foster City Access application where residents can report various issues throughout the City and creating an email newsletter that relays information to the residents on a regular basis. The City Council and City Staff are committed to improving community engagement.

Leadership: Through the leadership of the City Council and City Staff, a clear vision and strategy for the future of Foster City will be shared with the community for comment and participation. We will strive for the best future for the residents and businesses in the City.

Integrity: We promote transparency within the City Council process, thereby creating an atmosphere of trust and respect.

Innovation: Encouraging flexibility and positive change within the City organization will lead to innovative and creative ideas that will benefit the community.

Teamwork: Through an environment of collaboration, support and mutual respect, we will work together for the benefit of the community.

Excellence: We expect accountability from ourselves, our community and our organization, leading to achievements that are recognizable on all levels.

During the February 8th meeting, we affirmed five focus areas for further discussion and action. Those focus areas include land use, traffic circulation and transportation, infrastructure, economic development, and quality education. To address these focus areas, we formed ad hoc subcommittees consisting of two City Council members and will be assigned staff support. These subcommittees are charged with developing and proposing work plans that will be submitted as recommendations to the full City Council. We established the following new ad hoc subcommittees: Land Use (Vice Mayor Bronitsky and Council Member Mahanpour); Infrastructure (Mayor Perez); Mission and Values (Mayor Perez and Council Member Pollard); Communications and Public Engagement (Mayor Perez and Council Member Pollard); Transportation (Council Member Pollard and Council Member Hindi); Economic Development (Vice Mayor Bronitsky and Council Member Hindi); Shared Service Opportunities (Council Member Mahanpour and Council Member Hindi); and Quality Education Priority (SMUHSD - Council Member Pollard and Council Member Mahanpour; SMFCSD – Mayor Perez and Vice Mayor Bronitsky).

The Land Use Subcommittee will study and explore policies related to the efficient use of existing and new development sites and improvements to commercial retail centers with a view toward managed growth and development consistent with community values. We recognize the community view on additional housing and are mindful of the economic impacts.

The Traffic Circulation and Transportation Subcommittee will explore transportation alternatives and viability, including mass transit.

The Infrastructure Subcommittee will make recommendations regarding the alignment of the City's resources with the need for improvements to our infrastructure, including the streets, lagoon, levee, wastewater system, parks, and City facilities.

The Economic Development Subcommittee is tasked with refining and making recommendations on an economic development strategy aligned with the City's vision.

The Quality Education Subcommittee is focused on strengthening relationships with the San Mateo High School District and the San Mateo-Foster City School District to encourage discussion on issues of mutual interest.

Over the next year, we have a lot of work to accomplish. I am confident that, with our values and focus areas in mind, we will have a productive and successful year. It is an exciting and challenging era in Foster City, and I look forward to the future as we learn from the past.