Update on Menlo Park priorities from Mayor Drew Combs

In his March newsletter, Mayor Drew Combs wrote:

“New City Priority: At the annual City Council Priority-Setting Workshop, which was held on March 22, there was unanimous city council support for adding Downtown to the city’s priority list. This addition represents renewed support among the city council for implementing measures aimed at improving the overall downtown experience and providing support for current and potential downtown businesses. Direction to city staff on specific projects, ordinance changes and other city actions will come at a future meeting.

“As I’ve previously shared, I’m supportive of the council considering actions such as 1) expanding the business types allowed on Santa Cruz Avenue, 2) establishing a downtown commission, 3) prioritizing the resurfacing of downtown parking plazas and 4) improving the downtown physical environment (kiosks, hardscape, and landscaping). As we begin this process, it’s important that we not get bogged down in years of “visioning.”

“Feedback from Residents: As part of the priority-setting process, the city received 524 online responses and 18 hand-written responses. According to a staff report, there appeared to be strong support for the 4 current priorities and revitalizing/activating downtown. Additionally, the city received 168 responses expressing a lack of support for redeveloping the downtown parking lots into housing.

“Current Priorities Retained: During the workshop, a city council majority also expressed support for retaining all the current items on the priority list: climate action, housing, safe routes and emergency preparedness. I proposed removing a couple of items from the list. I think priorities for any organization, should be items that are both important and lack a certain level of maturity and/or stability. Some of the current priorities (and the work plans that underpin them) have reached a business-as-usual state and are no longer in need of the additional focus from both the city council and city staff. My preference was for a more selective approach to the city’s priority list. As I said during the meeting,’If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.'”

InMenlo file photo (c) 2014