|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The town of Woodside began 2025 prepared for a “dynamic” year as Mayor Brian Dombkowski put it. With a state-approved housing element, Town Center Area Plan update and new town manager on the agenda, the town had many things to consider throughout 2025.
In May, the town bid farewell to longtime Town Manager Kevin Bryant, who retired after 17 years in Woodside. The community celebrated Bryant’s service with a luau-themed retirement party. During his last Town Council meeting, he received a recognition and proclamation from San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, state Sen. Josh Becker and state Assemblymember Marc Berman.
With Bryant’s departure, the town appointed Jason Ledbetter to take on the role of Woodside’s town manager. Hailing from Siskiyou County in rural Northern California, Ledbetter had big shoes to fill, but within months on the job, he had quickly become acquainted with the community and its needs.
The May Day Festival brought hundreds of people out to Woodside to celebrate its 103rd annual celebration. This year’s theme was “Giddyup, Woodside!” Karen Seiko Arimoto-Peterson was honored with the title of grand marshal and Sharon LaCrosse Ryan as deputy marshal.
The town also made a big step forward in starting its Town Center Area Plan update. In July, the Citizen Advisory Committee was formed bringing together a group of 18 local residents to serve as representatives for their district. The town began to see more community engagement as Woodside’s consultant team from Good City Company began hosting pop-up events and workshops to gauge the community’s opinions on Town Center.
In August, the CAC held its first meeting to discuss potential constraints, ideas and opportunities that the town has to re-envision Town Center since its last amended plan in 1988. In October, the town held its first community open house for residents to share their ideas on improvements and enhancements to Town Center, which is both a community gathering place and a tourist magnet.
Following in the footsteps of neighboring towns, Woodside continued to explore an ordinance that would prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and enforce the use of electric leaf blowers. In December, the town voted to exempt properties located in special conservation planning and open space zoning districts from the proposed ban. The ordinance will be voted for adoption in January.
In its annual mayoral rotation, Woodside broke from tradition to renominate current Mayor Dombkowski for his second consecutive term. For more than 20 years, it was expected that the mayor pro tempore from the previous year would take on the mayoral seat, but Council member Paul Goeld deferred his turn to ask that Dombkowski serve again. Ironically, Woodside’s last back-to-back mayor was Goeld, Dombkowski shared with The Almanac.
