Daily Journal Article on 2015 City Council Race

By Karen Schmidt

The four candidates vying for two seats on the San Mateo City Council said they're ready to face a broad range of pressing issues from planning for the future of downtown to addressing the impacts of growth.

With Deputy Mayor Jack Matthews being termed out and Mayor Maureen Freschet seeking re-election; the incumbent is running against Thomas Morgan, an accountant working in San Jose's finance department; Diane Papan, an attorney and nonprofit director; and Karen Schmidt, a marketing and communications manager for a local tech company.

A total of three seats were up for grab this November however, appointed incumbent Rick Bonilla is running unopposed for the two-year remainder of former mayor Robert Ross' council term.

The candidates discussed their views on a variety of topics such as possibly raising height limits in downtown to account for residential growth, whether they support the city's proposed sales tax extension Measure S and how to fund infrastructure improvements.

Where their priorities stand

Morgan said he's conscientious of the expense new developments will have on the city and is weary of adding more parking to downtown. Regional traffic issues require the city to work with different transit agencies and there should be more options for commuters, Morgan said.

"I'm really concerned with all the projects that are coming up, so addressing growth. I think transit-oriented development is a solution, but I think there's been a lot of housing added already," Morgan said. "We have to address the housing issue and be cognizant of we're in a good time, and we don't know how long it's going to last. So we also have to make sure we don't overbuild."

Papan said one of her top priorities is to address infrastructure needs such as streets, upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant and helping remove homeowners in North Shoreview from the flood zone.

"It's maintaining our quality of life, it's a general statement and a real complex issue. I think we do it through being sensitive to our neighborhoods so growth accommodates our neighborhoods, we've got to maintain our 911, police and fire, after-school programs, senior programs," Papan said. "This is a time of growth. ... But we have to do it in a way that's artful and in a way that hears all voices in San Mateo."

Schmidt said she has numerous ideas to help streamline city processes, use technology to enhance people's lives and save taxpayers money. She believes innovation can make a difference from using solar panels at the wastewater treatment plant to cut down on electricity bills to using apps to help people find parking downtown. Schmidt also emphasized the need for better transit options and coordinating with other cities.

"I think we need to mobilize people and raise awareness on a lot of things and I can see how technology will help that," Schmidt said, later adding she wants to help the underserved and appreciates the role teachers play in society. "We're all a community and we all need to support it."

Freschet, who is seeking her second term and recently retired from her position with Notre Dame de Namur University, said she wants to continue to make a difference in the city's future. Some of the most critical issues ahead include funding repairs to city infrastructure and addressing the affordable housing crisis.

"My priorities are really about public safety, affordability, keeping the character of our community and our quality of life. I want us to continue to be a sustainable community which to me is not just environmentally, it's economically thriving," Freschet said.

A need for housing and Measure P

Freschet said she wants to consider using the city-owned downtown lots at Fifth and Railroad avenues for workforce housing redevelopments and, if voters are willing, would be open to considering raising height limits -- a voter-approved regulation that caps buildings at 55 feet, or 75 feet downtown with council approval -- in appropriate locations. Measure P is an extension of Measure H, which originally passed in 1991.

"The biggest issue facing San Mateo, I think, is affordable housing. I'm really concerned about the displacement that's occurring. One of the things that's always made San Mateo a beautiful place to live is the diversity," Freschet said.

Initially against asking voters to reconsider Measure P height limits when she ran for council four years ago, Schmidt said she might consider it so long as developers are required to provide more amenities to the city. Schmidt emphasized the need to work with neighboring cities and consider alternative housing options as well as promoting public transportation for employees.

"I think San Mateo has really done a good job to provide as much housing as possible and there's other areas like San Bruno where land is cheaper, so maybe we get together and try to help each other," Schmidt said. "It takes a village and again, working on public transportation to move people around and not necessarily feel responsible to have to house everyone that works in your town."

Supportive of looking at the transit corridor to add housing and willing to consider raising height limitations in appropriate places, Papan said it's about an inventory problem and looking at low interest loans could be an option to encourage developers to provide more affordable units.

"We've got a real housing shortage here and we've got to open it (height limits) up for discussion. I'm optimistic that we can build housing that may be a little higher but has more of a neighborhood look to it," Papan said. "We can still keep the character of our neighborhoods and provide workforce housing."

Morgan said he wants to balance the existing character of downtown with the need to keep rents reasonable for both residents and businesses. He also suggested alternative housing options such as home sharing and said he's concerned large-scale transit-oriented developments have reduced competition for smaller developers.

"I'd be very reluctant to build downtown, especially since we have at least three more [office] buildings at Bay Meadows and the Hines [office complex]," Morgan said. "It's concerning that there's a shortage of [housing] supply currently, however, we obviously don't know what the future holds. I think a lot of the recent projects that have been approved have been housing focused."

Whether to tax and where funds are most needed

Morgan said it was torn about whether to support Measure S -- a 30-year extension of Measure L, the quarter-cent sales tax that will be up for San Mateo voters in November. Morgan said he was concerned about the length of the tax but agreed money is needed for infrastructure repairs. If the city had a surplus, he'd like to see funds allocated to transit improvements such as considering a shuttle to downtown.

Schmidt, Freschet and Papan said they'd support the tax because it wouldn't be an additional increase and funding infrastructure improvements is critical.

"There's a lot of work to be done, and people are sort of used to it," Schmidt said.

Schmidt said she'd like to see excess money put toward local nonprofits, such as Samaritan House's Worker Resource Center, which currently needs assistance funding English classes for the Hispanic community. She'd also like to promote better transit, improvements to downtown such as a shuttle and using technology like creating apps to support businesses or shoppers.

Freschet said the city has nearly $350 million in capital improvement projects covering everything from parks to streets. She vowed to focus on infrastructure as well as affordable housing needs.

"The last thing I want to do is ask people to pay more money or more taxes, but we have these projects that need to be done and we don't have the money in the budget," Freschet said, adding shoppers from out-of-town would be contributing.

Papan said San Mateo's 18 miles of failed streets needs to be addressed and addressing infrastructure needs is critical to accounting for future population growth.

"I'm so grateful that people in the last century had the foresight to spend money on the streets and roads," Papan said. "I'm all about that legacy. I think Measure S is an integral part of making that happen. It is our quality of life."

samantha@smdailyjournal.com