San Mateo City Council pulls zoning hearing, recesses and moves into closed session on labor talks

San Mateo City Council on July 20 recessed a special meeting and removed a scheduled public hearing on proposed high-density mixed-use and multifamily zoning-code updates, then reconvened and entered closed session to discuss two labor-negotiation items.

“Agenda item number 3, public hearing, high density mixed use, and multifamily districts and zoning code updates, ordinance introduction has been pulled from the agenda at the request of staff and will not be considered this evening,” the City Clerk announced as the meeting opened, and the council recessed until 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Lorraine reopened the session, reviewed options for public participation (in-person slips, Zoom raise-hand, and phone instructions) and confirmed the rescheduling of the zoning hearing. She told attendees the meeting would receive public comment before the closed session when applicable.

The City Clerk reported there were no public requests to speak on either of the closed-session items: “Mayor Lorraine, we have not received any request to speak on either of the closed session items, either in person or in our virtual environment.” With no public commenters, the council went into closed session to confer with labor negotiators on the two listed items.

After the closed session concluded, Mayor Lorraine announced the special meeting was adjourned and said the regular meeting would begin in about five minutes. The transcript records no formal votes or public outcomes from the closed-session discussions.

The rescheduling of the zoning public hearing means the proposed high-density mixed-use and multifamily-district zoning code updates will be considered at a later date; the transcript does not specify the new date or provide details of the labor negotiations discussed in closed session.