The Mayor Answers Your Questions!

Mayor Andy Klein answers your questions about fire partnerships, sign twirlers, and how the city got its nickname.

Bill Bohlen asks: Mayor Klein, I am a resident of Belmont, is there any chance of our two cities coming together on a new fire partnership or have both cities completely washed their hands of each other?

Answer:  While there has been a lot of bad blood between both communities stemming from fire related issues and property acquisition, that should not get in the way of potential partnerships in the future.  The dissolving of the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department had strictly to do with the finances of the agency and the amount of control each city had in deciding its own fate.  The model that we have put together with Redwood City could easily include more cities, which would in turn increase the cost savings to each member.  I look forward to more discussions about greater regionalization and shared services in the oncoming years.

Louis Gascoigne: Mayor, may we please introduce an ordinance which limits obnoxious sign twirlers? I think we know the folks I am talking about, they're probably out on El Camino/Holly/San Carlos Ave as I am typing this. It's one thing to have an occasional event, but nearly every day for weeks is just obnoxious in my opinion.

Answer: I understand the frustration that took place for many of our citizens with the sign waivers on the corner of San Carlos Avenue/Holly Street and El Camino.  This was a one-time disturbance brought on by the closing of a long valued business in town.  I don't feel that an ordinance is necessary at this time, if it begins to happen more often then we should explore our options.

Janet Lamb asks: How did San Carlos get its name “The City of Good Living?

Answer:  Frederick Drake who is considered the founder of San Carlos coined the phrase as a marketing tool to sell residential lots in the town.  Previous developers had failed at selling off their land in San Carlos, but Mr. Drake was able to help the town take hold. The founding of San Carlos and the towns' first few decades are very interesting to learn about.  I recommend that anyone who is interested stop the San Carlos History Museum at 533 Laurel Street.  The museum is open from 1-4pm every Saturday.

San Carlos Patch asks: How does a mayor/councilman prepare for a city council meeting? How much preparation goes into each meeting?

Answer:  I am unable to give an answer to this question for every councilman, so I will explain how I prepare for a meeting. Generally we receive our council packets Wednesday night, I usually skim through it that night and then read it fully on Thursday.  I ask questions of staff as they come up, and if it is a controversial topic I make sure to reach out to members of the community with varying backgrounds.  I generally receive some emails or phone calls on the more interesting topics, and I make sure to speak to or write to those citizens who want to make sure their input is taken.  I will read the packet again on the weekend, formulate more questions and reach out to more people.  The time allotted to all of this depends on how large the packet is, or what the topics are that are being covered.  Sometimes the packets are simple and not a lot of time goes into the preparation, but then there are times when I spend hours and hours preparing for a meeting.  Generally I feel it is better to be over prepared than underprepared.