San Bruno council debates forming ad hoc committee to review paid parking program

Councilmember Marty Medina on Dec. 10 asked colleagues to agendize the creation of an ad hoc subcommittee to work with staff on proposed changes to San Bruno’s paid parking program, citing community meetings, business outreach and a long list of potential modifications.

Medina said he had "attended five community meetings" and engaged business owners and residents, and asked fellow councilmembers to authorize a subcommittee to help review proposed changes and collect community input.

Several councilmembers said they supported increased public engagement but warned that appointing a two-member ad hoc committee now could reduce transparency and delay action. One councilmember said the program's remaining work is largely staff-level detail and that bringing two councilmembers into a subcommittee could slow the process by creating an additional step before returning items to the full council. Concerns included in the discussion: stalled timelines, inoperable kiosks, unresolved business-owner complaints and the prospect that a committee meeting with two members would not be as open or transparent as full-council deliberations.

City Manager Alex D McIntyre told the council staff had begun addressing some "low-hanging fruit" items and planned an executive team meeting to identify hurdles and set timelines. He said some fixes could be ready to return by the Jan. 14 meeting but that other changes would require additional study to understand consequences and resources required.

Why it matters: The paid parking program affects downtown businesses, residents’ daily parking and municipal revenue from parking; the council must balance community input, timely fixes and proper oversight.

Outcome: No formal vote to form an ad hoc committee was recorded; councilmembers asked staff for updates and timelines, and the city manager committed to an internal meeting to produce a prioritized list and implementation schedule.