Accomplishments

I’m proud of the work that I’ve done as a Fremont City Councilmember over the last four years. Here are the highlights of my accomplishments.

Health

  • Fought to ban the sale of flavored tobacco.
  • Advocated against the city’s legislative agenda that opposed statewide public health mandates.

 Workers’ Rights

  • Fought to make sure the city’s janitors had continued health and seniority benefits even when the city switched to a non-union contractor and successfully had this added to the contract.
  • Argued for expediting minimum wage adoption and successfully fought against the movement to delay it due to COVID.

Jenny and Vinnie getting ready
to perform in the Nutcracker

Small Business

  • Fought for the Council to make small business support/vibrant neighborhood commercial districts one of its three top priorities.
  • Worked with staff to have the City to join the California Main Street Association and explore adopting business improvement districts.
  • Fought for requiring actual commercial uses on ground floor in downtown Fremont (limiting the number of medical offices and tutoring centers) – the Council agreed with this and required staff to update the zoning ordinance to tighten these requirements on developers.

Complete Streets

  • Brought a referral to make sure the mobility commission and senior commission are consulted on major street changes – this policy was passed by Council.
  • Fought for road diets on Paseo Padre and Fremont Blvd. and have advocated for pedestrian and bike safety improvements under Vision Zero.
  • I am the only councilmember with a perfect rating from Bike Fremont.

Socially Responsible Investing

  • Fought to require that the city invest using Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) principles.

Environmental Sustainability

  • I was the only councilmember that voted for the city to pay for the renewable energy package from East Bay Community Energy (this eventually came back to Council and passed).
  • Made a referral to adopt a new animal ordinance to promote urban agriculture and the keeping of livestock in residentially zoned areas – this is coming back to Council in September.
  • Fought against SiliconSage Centerville mixed use project because it has unmitigatable noise impacts, destroyed a historic building, and is inappropriate for transit-oriented area.
  • Fought against a housing development next to the freeway that would have exposed families to toxic air pollution – the Council agreed and denied this project.
  • Fought against the Niles Gateway project because the developer refused to provide sufficient affordable housing and the project is inappropriate for a sensitive habitat area.
  • Fought to require the developer of the Mission Hills Tennis Club to install environmentally friendly landscaping and integrated pest management practices – this was added to the conditions of their approval.

     Affordable Housing/Homelessness

    • Fought to increase in lieu fees on housing developers up to the maximum shown to be economically feasible so that more affordable housing could be built (unfortunately a majority of the Council voted against this).
    • Supported a comprehensive safe parking program for community residents living in vehicles (unfortunately the majority of the Council only supported one of the three prongs of the staff’s proposed plan).
    • Fought for adoption of the Housing Navigation Center and Project Homekey grant application for the conversion of a motel into permanent supportive affordable housing.
    • Supported the approval of a co-housing community.
    • Fought for requiring landlords to provide relocation assistance, prohibiting source of income discrimination, and requiring landlords to explain the rationale for rent increases greater than 5% (unfortunately a majority of the Council rejected these changes to the Rent Review Ordinance).
    • Voted against the repeal of the City’s Residential Eviction Executive Order Upon the Termination of the Alameda County Local Emergency.

      Statewide Advocacy

      • Fought to have the City endorse Prop 15 (the Schools and Communities First Act).
      • Annually provide detailed feedback on the City’s legislative agenda to ensure it is consistent with progressive policy goals.