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Betsy Nash, elected to the Menlo Park City Council in 2018, will be the city’s mayor for 2022, following a unanimous vote by her fellow council members Tuesday night. Councilwoman Jen Wolosin was selected unanimously as the city’s vice mayor for 2022.
Nash represents Menlo Park’s District 4, which covers much of central Menlo Park, much of downtown and the Allied Arts neighborhood. She got her start in local politics as an advocate for installing sidewalks along Santa Cruz Avenue and as a bicycle commissioner, then complete streets commissioner when the bicycle and transportation commissions were merged. She has lived in Menlo Park for more than 30 years and raised her family here.
“The prospect of serving as Menlo Park mayor is as challenging as it is exciting,” she said.
Looking ahead to the next year, Nash said, the city has some significant steps planned. Early in 2022, the city plans to hire a new city manager to replace the current city manager, Starla Jerome-Robinson, who is retiring. The city will continue to work through developing its new housing element for 2023-30 and work on other pieces of updating the city’s general plan, including developing a new environmental justice element and updating the existing safety element. “This work must be founded on effective community outreach and input,” she said.
In addition, the two large developments underway along El Camino Real, Springline and the Stanford Middle Plaza projects, are expected to achieve occupancy in late next year, which will provide an opportunity for retailers, restaurants and other businesses to develop. Plus, the new Guild Theatre is set to open in January as a nonprofit music venue, providing a new draw to visitors and contributing to downtown vibrancy, she said.
Other projects, like redistricting, building the new community campus and reimagining public safety are ongoing, and other priority projects like grade separations and a study on quiet zones, are in the queue, she said.
She added that she plans to join a new initiative, supported by a number of mayors throughout San Mateo County to raise awareness of mental health needs and increase access to mental health services.
Nash takes on the role of mayor going into a new year that is still being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but, notably, at least while sitting from the City Council dais, a new development in recent months as the council has moved toward hybrid meetings, with council members and staff meeting in the City Council chambers and the public participating remotely. Previously, during the pandemic, meetings were all-remote.
As mayor, Nash agreed to be the city’s lead representative to various regional agencies, including the Association of Bay Area Governments, the League of California Cities – Peninsula Division, Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce and San Mateo County Council of Cities – City Selection Committee.
Wolosin said she was looking forward to “brighter days” in 2022.
“Here’s to our whole community moving hopefully beyond what we’ve grown accustomed to with the pandemic,” she said.
Combs says farewell as mayor
The meeting also celebrated the accomplishments of outgoing mayor Drew Combs.
A resolution recognizing his work credits his “incisive independent analysis,” grace, humor and service to the city.
In his outgoing remarks, Combs said he hadn’t initially planned to run for City Council after he lost his first election in 2014, but after a conversation with now-Councilwoman Cecilia Taylor in 2016 and a series of persistent conversations with Councilman Ray Mueller in 2018, Combs eventually agreed to run again in 2018. He also thanked staff and his wife for their support.
“Thank you for the faith that you have in me, that you thought I would do a good job in this position serving the community,” he said.
Superb choices!
We are fortunate to have two such excellent people serving our community.