EPA City Council approves strategic priorities

East Palo Alto City Council members are shown in this screen grab during their June 3, 2025 regular meeting. Mayor Martha Barragan participated in the meeting on Zoom. Get full details from the article below.

In a divided June 3 meeting marked by procedural confusion and financial concerns, the East Palo Alto City Council approved its 2025–29 strategic priorities, including a compromise to allocate $175,000 in Transient Occupancy Tax, or TOT, funds to the YMCA.

Council members first voted to reappoint incumbents Michael Maychak and Robert Allen Fisk to full-term seats on the Planning Commission. The alternate seat was awarded to Christopher Kao, who also previously held a seat.

Following the commission appointments, the council turned to its strategic priorities. A community survey — open for four months and completed by 183 respondents — revealed strong support for improving traffic and road infrastructure, expanding renter protections, and strengthening emergency preparedness for seniors. Residents also suggested new ideas such as exploring alternative models for affordable housing, investing in community gardens, developing public health programs and dedicating city buildings for nonprofit use.

The City Council revisited its seven strategic priorities for the next four years, reaffirming alignment with community feedback. According to city staff, 78% of East Palo Alto residents surveyed agreed that the city’s strategic priorities reflect the most pressing local issues. The priorities, listed in order of importance based on community input, are:

Civic engagement; Comprehensive housing; Governance, organizational strength, and fiscal sustainability; Land use, economic, and workforce development; Parks, recreation, and community facilities; Public health, safety, and quality of life; Public infrastructure

Top-voted projects included developing a citywide sewer plan, expanding parking enforcement capacity, and completing the street lighting upgrade project.

City staff recommended merging some proposed projects, such as combining the financial empowerment and foreclosure prevention program with the foreclosure prevention fund.

They also removed one newly proposed project — a study to create a parks and recreation department — due to the adoption of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan in April 2023. 

 Altogether, these revisions bring the total number of newly proposed projects to 22. The bulk of these new and ongoing projects fall under public infrastructure (16), parks and recreation (11), and public health (9). To support this work, the city would need to draw $2.6 million from its general fund in the 2025–26 fiscal year, raising the projected deficit from $2.1 million to $3.4 million.

Council members largely supported the proposed priorities and amended the land use section to include language addressing economic leakage, aiming to ensure that local development directly benefits East Palo Alto residents.

As the council weighed the scope of the 22 new projects, budget concerns quickly took center stage. Council member Carlos Romero expressed unease over the financial implications.

"But really to add the additional $1.3 million … So 800,000 in new operating costs at this point, I think wouldn’t be prudent,” he said.

With the parking permit program still not implemented, its potential revenue was uncertain. Council member Ruben Abrica cautioned against further spending.

“No organization … can handle these kinds of increases without being clear about how the money is being spent,” he said.

Vice Mayor Mark Dinan acknowledged the financial risks, but emphasized the value of strategic investments. “This is why people pay taxes is so we can spend it on good projects.”

Additional council attention focused on the development of a senior center and improving Bell Street Park. Mayor Martha Barragan, Dinan and Abrica supported investing in amenities such as a bathroom and lighting.

“The parks need to be a safe place with some lights, a bathroom and some way to have security so that people use them,” said Abrica.

However, the debate intensified when Dinan pushed for a significant increase in funding for the Lewis & Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA, framing it as a long-overdue investment in community services that had been neglected for too long. 

He argued that the YMCA’s role in providing family-centered programs and recreational infrastructure made it a natural candidate for increased public funding. Dinan proposed expanding the organization’s share of the TOT funds — the same funds that had already distributed $360,000 to nonprofits — to strengthen recreational programming in East Palo Alto and better meet resident needs. 

“It’s just an unambiguous good for the health and welfare of the community when we utilize the YMCA for its original purpose, which was a public private partnership with a non-profit like the Y,” he said, adding that the YMCA has been a place to vote, hold city meetings and deliver COVID vaccinations.

City staff projected a remaining balance of $850,000 in the TOT fund by June 2026, with $70,000 tentatively allocated to the YMCA and EPACenter each.

Public speakers — including a community member,  YMCA board member and executive director — echoed requests for increased YMCA funding. 

“I want to call out the YMCA funding to have it now be part of the [Transient Occupancy Tax] grant, which it should be on an annual basis,” said resident Sharifa Wilson.

While Abrica supported collaboration for recreation services with the YMCA, he hinted that those funds could also go to public schools or other organizations doing similar work. 

“We need to look more holistically at how we can better provide recreation for all opportunities of all types through the YMCA, through the school district, through the Boys and Girls Club,” he said.

Romero also disagreed with the approach: “Why isn’t the Boys and Girls Club here? To just throw out this money without any forethought ... is problematic without a process.”

Dinan formally introduced a motion to increase YMCA funding to $300,000, which was seconded by Barragan. Dinan called for an immediate vote — a move that drew criticism from Romero.

“There’s discussion on this item and you cannot run a meeting this way,” said Romero. “We have a council member that wanted to speak on it.”

Abrica expressed discomfort with the increase in funding for the YMCA without a transparent process.

“It’s problematic for any one person to just throw money out there,” he said. “It becomes just like a power move.”

Assistant to the City Manager Orly Amey reminded the Council that the YMCA was already part of the city’s recreation plan and suggested starting with $100,000.

Dinan clarified the flexibility of his proposal: “I would like to bring this to a close and vote on it, “ he said. “That’s up to $300,000 — We don’t have to spend it all.”

Romero rejected the notion that the city had not invested in community services.

“You need only look at Measure C,” he said. “Your child does not want to go to multi-racial groups that are doing basketball and football — That's another issue that you think they should only go to the YMCA.”

Tensions escalated when Dinan remarked that Romero did not have a child using city services.

“You have no idea what's going on in the city for people with children,” he argued. “You don't have any personal responsibilities — You don't have a dog, a cat and now you're bringing my son into this.

Dinan continued, pushing that Romero just brought up his son to make a “cheap political point,” which Romero found insulting. 

“I see council members who are not raising families in East Palo Alto,” said Romero. “And for you to marginalize people who do not have children or do not have children in this city, I think it's problematic.”

 After the exchange became more personal, the council decided to call a recess, after which, Barragan suggested a compromise to minimize time spent on the subject. 

“Maybe a reasonable solution at the moment could be $175,000 … and that way we could possibly free up some of that TOT funds for other groups,” she said.

 Abrica agreed: “I’m willing to support your compromise this time. But, we have to look at this question of just appearing to be favoring certain organizations.”

The motion passed 4-1, allocating up to $175,000 in TOT funds to the YMCA.

As the council shifted to the next set of priorities — including a proposed $70,000 Sister City cultural exchange with Tonga — Romero voiced his opposition, with Dinan expressing similar hesitation. The council quickly moved to a vote, but it soon became apparent that members were not aligned on what had actually been approved.

A second motion was needed to rescind the vote. The miscommunication underscored broader issues with how the meeting was managed, as trying to address all 22 proposed projects in a single motion led to disorganization and growing frustration.

“Sorry, maybe it’s getting late for me, but this whole process is very confusing,” said Abrica. And Barragan considered tabling the agenda item for the next meeting.

After some discussion on protocol, the Council approved all 22 projects in a 4-1 vote, with Romero dissenting due to budget concerns.

Council member Webster Lincoln, who had remained relatively quiet throughout the meeting, offered a measured response to Romero’s concerns: “I think we’re in a budget deficit for other reasons that we’ve prioritized in advance, but I’m happy that we can move forward to the next agenda item.”

The council will adopt the 2025–27 work plan at its June 17 meeting.

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