New Woodside town manager outlines priorities: town center plan, hazard mitigation and street safety

Jason Ledbetter, the newly appointed town manager for Woodside, used his first council meeting on May 27 to outline his 12-month priorities and initial outreach efforts, saying he was "onboarded on May 15" and is focused on setting internal expectations, meeting the community and ensuring a seamless transition.

Ledbetter said he has begun work on the Town Center Area Plan, which the council will discuss with the community at a June 10 meeting, and that hazard mitigation and emergency preparedness will be a priority. "Hazard mitigation is a big deal for me, and so I'm gonna be hyper engaged with emergency preparedness," he said, citing fire, earthquake and flooding as his primary concerns.

Ledbetter described early outreach to law enforcement and said he has met with San Mateo sheriff's captain Frank Del Porto but has not yet met with the sheriff to finalize the town's contract. "They have stated that they're in the process of scheduling a meeting with me and the sheriff to finalize our contract, but no actual date has been presented to me at this time," he said.

Ledbetter also flagged street safety as a focus after a resident raised speeding on Highway 84. "I've reached out to Frank, the captain with the sheriff's office, to kinda see what we can do, to alleviate and start educating the public on that topic," he said.

During the same manager report, public works staff member Yaz reported that the Glenn (Glen's) sidewalk phases 1—through 3 project was submitted to the American Public Works Association (APWA) awards program and won "project of the year" in its transportation category. "I'm very happy to report that it has won, in its category, for transportation projects, project of the year award," Yaz said; staff accepted the plaque and offered to pose for a photo with council members.

Council members asked for additional detail on the sheriff contract and for district-specific community meetings Ledbetter said he is scheduling. Council member Brown asked whether Ledbetter had met the sheriff; Ledbetter said he had met only with Captain Del Porto and was "still waiting awaiting, the actual confirmed date" to meet with the sheriff.

The council did not take formal policy action on any of the items Ledbetter raised. Several council members welcomed Ledbetter and presented him with a novelty "Town of Woodside" flak jacket as a ceremonial gift earlier in the meeting.

What happens next: the council and staff plan a June 10 public meeting on the Town Center Area Plan and staff said they will return with details on law enforcement contract discussions once a meeting with the sheriff is scheduled.