Community and the City Council in Action - October 04, 2017

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.

In September, the City Council received a report on polling results conducted by an independent public opinion research firm relating to the Levee Protection Planning and Improvements Project. This polling survey was done in August prior to all the natural disasters that occurred across the globe. Key findings included the following: Most Foster City voters who were polled recognized the importance of taking action to protect City services and the City against flooding, safety, and infrastructure hazards. Although some people expressed an overall distress in introducing new taxes, nearly 9 in 10 voters would find protecting the City from flooding to be an important use of tax dollars. As we continue to trek forward, it is important that we keep a positive outlook on this major project and remember what is best for the City and our residents.

Also in this past month, the City Council approved an autonomous robot pilot program, in which robots, also known as Personal Delivery Devices, will be used to deliver goods such as groceries, food, and parcels. During the pilot stage, handlers will monitor the robots to further refine its procedures and algorithms to ensure that the City and community interests are safeguarded while the robots are in operation. The robots will be limited to sidewalks, crosswalks, and other areas used for pedestrian travel. I am excited to see this new technology in operation in our City. From an economic standpoint, this would allow many of our local establishments to increase sales, serving a greater number of customers, with a potential to reduce vehicular traffic in Foster City.

We declared the month of October as “Down Syndrome Awareness Month.” This cause was championed by Julie Tang, a Foster City resident who personally has a child of her own with Down Syndrome. Julie started by creating a community support group, and she later joined a non-profit organization called the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area. It was evident that spreading awareness for Down Syndrome was not only critical to help expand and build more services for those with Down Syndrome, but as in Julie Tang’s case, this would be a lifelong commitment and passion. It is from people like Julie that we learn how one voice can truly make a profound impact within the community.

On that note, I want to remind Foster City residents that, collectively, we have the choice and the voice to define our community. With an ongoing effort, we can work together to tackle the City’s challenges, continuously find ways to improve our neighborhoods, and, in turn, bring greater resources and services to the community.

As always, if you have thoughts or comments, please feel free to email me at cmahanpour@fostercity.org.