Votes at a glance: Council approves consent calendar, moves to adopt 2025 building-code ordinance and establish Civic Arts Commission (all items 4-13)

At Monday's San Mateo City Council meeting the council approved a set of procedural and program items on the consent calendar and introduced two ordinances. All votes described below passed on roll-call votes of 4-0 (Deputy Mayor absent) unless otherwise noted.

• Consent calendar (items 4–11): Approved. The consent calendar included approval of meeting minutes, an amendment to the San Mateo Police Officers Association memorandum of understanding, an ordinance adoption related to animal control amendments, acceptance of a crisis-intervention grant and budget appropriation for a backfilled community service officer position, a lease amendment for 365 Second Avenue, personal-computer replacement approval, a mapping software enterprise agreement, and an amendment to clean-water program management services. The deputy city clerk read the consent items into the record; no public speakers asked to pull items.

• Item 12 — 2025 triennial building code update (introduction): Approved (introduce ordinance and adopt express findings). Motion to introduce an ordinance to amend Title 23 to adopt the 2025 California Building Standards Codes by reference with local amendments, add Chapter 23.29 (Wildland Urban Interface Code), and adopt a resolution with express findings carried on a 4-0 roll call. Staff presentation noted the ordinance’s focus on seismic safety, fire protection, and energy resilience and highlighted AB 130’s immediate applicability.

• Item 13 — Establish Civic Arts Commission (introduction): Approved (introduce ordinance). Council introduced an ordinance to add San Mateo Municipal Code chapter 2.22, converting the longtime Civic Arts Committee to a standing Civic Arts Commission and amending chapter 23.6. The ordinance includes language permitting youth-advisory participation consistent with other commissions and will return for final adoption.

Vote details: Roll calls recorded the following affirmative votes on each motion: Council member Fernandez (aye), Mayor Rob Newsom (yes/aye), Council member Diaz Nash (yes), Council member Sverko Goditsky (yes). The deputy mayor was absent and excused for the votes.

Ending: Several council members made brief comments on specific consent items (including praise for staff’s grant work to backfill a community service officer position); the meeting then proceeded to public comment and the evening’s new- and old-business items.