Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents demand services and accountability after council briefing on criminal allegation involving former temp employee
Summary
Council received an informational briefing about felony charges against a former on-call temporary employee and disavowed city involvement in the alleged acts; public speakers and several councilmembers demanded more services for unhoused and LGBTQ+ youth and criticized a councilmember's use of personal letterhead to submit a character reference in the criminal case.
The council devoted a large portion of March 4's meeting to an informational briefing and public outcry over felony charges filed by the San Mateo County District Attorney against a former intermittent on-call temporary employee, and related concern about a councilmember's use of a personal support letter in court filings.
City staff told the council the employee, who had worked intermittently from July 2022 through April 2025 in administrative and outreach roles, was not hired for a youth-serving role, that the city completed fingerprint and DOJ background checks when he was hired and that a subsequent arrest notice arrived in June 2025 after his last assignment. The city manager said the hiring followed standard background procedures and that the city would review notification and hiring practices so the council would not learn of an arrest only after media coverage.
The public comment period that followed was strongly focused on the needs of youth at risk: dozens of speakers—youth advocates, service providers, and residents—asked the city to shift from finger-pointing to action: to develop emergency youth shelter options, drop-in centers, wraparound services for queer and homeless youth, and protocols to better protect minors. Several commenters said this is not an isolated incident and urged long-term investment in housing and supportive services for vulnerable youth.
A particularly heated exchange centered on a letter written by a councilmember on stationery identified as "from the office of Carlos Romero" supporting a release petition for the defendant. Several councilmembers and many speakers said the letter created an appearance of impropriety and asked Romero to resign; Romero defended the letter as a personal character reference and said it asked the court to "review carefully the facts." The mayor and other councilmembers said the letter used a city-formatted letterhead and thus created an unacceptable appearance. The mayor requested Romero's resignation; Romero declined.
What the council directed: The mayor said staff would review hiring and subsequent-arrest notification procedures; the city manager was asked to clarify administrative controls and to coordinate with county partners for services. Many community speakers asked the council to prioritize funding and programs for homeless and LGBTQ+ youth; several councilmembers said they will bring proposals on youth services and shelter options to a future agenda.
Public records: Staff confirmed the city did not employ the person in any youth-serving role or at the county-run library, and that councilmember Romero's letter was authored in his individual capacity (the city manager's briefing noted the letter was not an official City Council action).
