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“A couple of key things” will likely define Menlo Park’s City Council agendas in the coming year, according to Councilman Peter Ohtaki, who will hold the title of mayor in 2018.
Those topics are traffic, Stanford’s application to renew its general use permit, the city’s transition to district elections, and ongoing growth at Facebook.
In remarks on Dec. 12, after the council elected him mayor, he said he hopes the council can also look at such matters as developing roadmaps for Belle Haven improvements and strategic financing, and continuing discussions about education in Menlo Park.
“This is probably the best economy to be able to address some of the issues of inequality in the city,” Mr. Ohtaki said. “If we don’t do it now, when the next recession comes, people will go back to their silos. It’s not easy when we have at least 45 projects on our current work plan. I hope it’s something we can at least start. … I don’t presuppose any options.”
The council elects a mayor each year from among its members. The mayor presides over council meetings and represents the city at ceremonial and public functions.
The title usually goes to the council member who has gone the longest without serving as mayor (so long as she or he has been on the council at least a year). The pattern this year was no exception.
Councilman Ray Mueller was named vice mayor for the coming year. Both picks were made by acclamation.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and representatives from the offices of state Assemblyman Marc Berman and state Sen. Jerry Hill attended the meeting.
Mr. Simitian offered brief remarks on Ms. Keith’s work as mayor, saying their discussions over weekend brunches “shaped my views regarding what’s going on in the wider region.”
Ms. Keith remarked that the year has been a busy one, reviewing briefly a number of projects and accomplishments, including making Menlo Park a “safe city,” adding housing, developing safe bike routes downtown, making parks herbicide-free, and a number of development approvals and groundbreakings.
The council plans to hold its annual goal-setting meeting, during which staff and council members lay out priorities for the new year, on Friday, Jan. 26.
I appreciate the service of our Council members and I enjoyed being present at the peaceful transition of “power” meeting. At that, new Mayor Ohtaki made remarks pertaining to his priorities as mayor which included the need for a “road map for improvements in Belle Haven.” I couldn’t agree more. Mayor Ohtaki also mentioned the need for a strategic financing roadmap and this too is an excellent idea. I politely also suggest that Menlo Park needs an overall strategic plan where improvements in Belle Haven and the financing roadmap would be part of a broader overall plan. Having a strategic plan would reduce reactivity and keep everyone more focused on agreed upon, shared goals. So during Council and Staff’s January meeting to discuss their work plan, I hope that they will start the conversation around developing a strategic plan. The process should include significant public input and participation. If our city had a strategic plan, I also think that staff would like their jobs better and feel more fulfilled, as having shared goals should lead to more empowerment, initiative and innovation.