While Foster City is built on what was once Brewer Island, and is proud of that history, and while we use bridges to enter or leave Foster City, we are firmly attached to the Peninsula and California by laws and governance. We should never think of ourselves as an island in a political sense. Foster City must develop and maintain a close working relationship with San Mateo County and with the State Government if we are to have an influence on those governing entities. I am pleased to report that this Council is active in making our voice heard at the County and State level. When appropriate this Council also takes positions on Federal legislation.
Foster City?s voice is heard because City Council members serve on committees and agencies at the County and State level. In every case, this requires additional time taken from our businesses or employment. I serve as the Chairperson of the City and County Association of Government (C/CAG) Congestion Management and Air Quality Committee, which is responsible for the planning of the Countywide Transportation Plan and the funding of those projects. Deborah Wilder serves as the Vice Chair of C/CAG. I am Foster City?s representative to the Airport Community Roundtable, and currently serve as Vice Chairperson. Ron Cox is Foster City?s representative to the C/CAG Airport Land Use Committee. Deborah Wilder and I both serve on San Mateo County Economic Development Association committees.
At the next higher level of government, I represent the Cities of San Mateo County on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Board of Directors and am currently the Secretary of that Board. The mission of the BAAQMD is to protect the public?s interest in air quality in the nine Bay Area Counties. The BAAQMD Board consists of 21 members, roughly half are City Council members from the nine Counties and half are Supervisors from those Counties. Peninsula residents have the cleanest air in the Bay Area and it is important to assure that our air remain that way.
As a City in the nine county Bay Area, we are also impacted by actions of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). A component of ABAG is the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). The BAAQMD works closely with MTC to assure that Bay Area Transportation funds from the Federal and State government is available for local needs. Failure to meet the Environmental Protection Agency requirements for clean air means an end to State and Federal funding for roads and transit.
Water is a major concern for all cities served by the Hetch Hetchy water system, which is owned and managed by the City of San Francisco. We are most fortunate to have Council member Rick Wykoff as Foster City?s representative to the Bay Area Water Users Association that is working to assure that the Hetch Hetchy water system is suitably maintained and will continue to be a reliable source of our water.
While this Council Corner cannot cover all of the work your City Council does to assure that Foster City is not a political island, I hope you have a better idea of the important responsibilities that your representatives are fulfilling to keep Foster City a great place to live.
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