Speaker 4: Well, thank you. Let me just make several points, maybe two or three. I think the first point I want to make is that we have to remember that when the Slow Street program began in February, March 2020, we were into the pandemic at a time when we were very unsure about, you know, how to negotiate that. Tennis courts were closed, swimming pools were closed. Our shopping areas, you know, were very limited service. So you really weren't going out there. And a lot of us at that time, for those who are lucky, were working from home. And so we really needed to get out of the house and to walk up and down. And I remember this because Kerry and I, you know, would do that. We'd walk down Broadway and then make a left on Shoreline Drive, walk in the direction of the post office and turn around and walk back. And you needed space. To kind of facilitate that that that physical activity that you needed to get out of that isolation, being kind of cooped up at home. And so that's kind of the backdrop of, you know, where this Low Street program began. I think the idea even was before it. But I think the pandemic, as it began, really kind of accelerated it. But over that time, we have managed to negotiate the pandemic. We have managed to come back to the tennis courts. We have managed to come back to swimming. We have managed to come back to our downtown areas. We have managed to, frankly, you know, socially gather, but hopefully in a socially distant manner and with face masks. And so kind of the overarching issues that required us to put in place the the Slow Street program, I think is is not there. Clearly, you know, we've got the American virus that is coming down the pike is a significant part of the new peop of numbers of people who are, you know, getting COVID. Without a doubt, you know, the emergency hasn't lifted. But, you know, in that wonderful way that Americans are able to we've kind of figure it out and are continuing to figure out, you know, how to negotiate the difficulties. So I think the backdrop that forced us to to to adopt the Slow Streets program. I'm not seeing it there. I think even within our Macron, you know, we can still walk down certain sidewalks and streets in a in a socially distant manner. Face masking. If we you know, for example, if I'm watering my plants and I see people walking down the sidewalk, you know, they just temporarily diverge onto the street and then come back onto the sidewalk. So I think, you know, I'm seeing we're in a different condition now. That is telling me that the urgency for the Slow Streets program or the reason for the Slow Street program isn't there as as much as it was there in in February, March 2020. So that's the first point I want to make. I think the second point I want to make is what you're seeing in the Slow Street program as it's evolving and as people are seeing it. I don't think people are seeing it as a mechanism to deal with social distancing, a mechanism to deal with, you know, the COVID situation. I think what people are seeing in the Slow Streets program really is basically. A quasi cul de sac, basically. And, you know, we'd all love to live in cul de sacs where we don't have traps through traffic coming into into our neighborhoods because, hey, there's no doubt if you've got, you know, if you live in a cul de sac or maybe if you live in in the solicitor's neighborhood, you know, you're going to love what it is because you don't have traffic. And. But that's a completely different conversation, which I think. US as local elected officials and as city staff, we have to have a different level of discussion. And that difficult, different level of discussion has to come down to which streets get to get to be picked in terms of getting the the slow streets lottery in which streets don't get picked in terms of the low streets lottery because it is you know, I think it's it stands on its own that, you know, the less amount of car is going down, you know, is is a benefit. Let's not miss that. You know, we're not going to argue against that. But I think if you're going to have that kind of a lottery, you got it. We as a council or we as a city staff, we should really talk about that further. And so I think what I'm not going to support the continuation of the Slow Streets program for one more year. I think the urgency with which it brought you know, we brought it up isn't there. But what I would encourage city staff and and our commissions and our councils is to figure out a way what is the equitable approach in terms of why does one street get a slow street program and another doesn't? And, you know. For those who have a fellowship program in their areas, you know, hey, great, I'm not holding it against you, obviously. You know, you want to you want to keep it. My mom has a little series program in front of her house. And, you know, I know that she walks her dog. I remember I thought about this 25 years ago. She walks the dog, but she doesn't walk on the street. But but, you know, it gives me some semblance of assurance that at least, you know, when she's walking down Santa Clara Avenue, there's less traffic. But as policymakers, though, we need to make a tough call as to why does this street get a slow street, and why does the street not get a slow street? Why does Buena Vista Avenue not get a slow street?
Adoption of Resolution Continuing the Declaration of the Existence of a Local Emergency in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Consistent with Government Code Section 8630(c). (City Manager 10021030)