District 3 Council Member· 2022-2026
Rob Newsom Jr.
San Mateo
No biography on file yet.
Contact
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 18
- Total speaking time
- 1:29:01
- Avg per meeting
- 4:57
- Segments
- 1126
Want every word Newsom has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Newsom said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)
1700 S. El Camino Real affordable senior housing
No city or county funds requested; the developer plans private activity tax-exempt bonds and low-income housing tax credits.
2026 Storm Drain Master Plan and flood protection
Storm drain cleaning is already budgeted, funded in part by the Community Flood and Storm Protection Fee residents pay — no new costs are on the table at this meeting.
Security cameras at Central Park playground
About $130,268 for camera purchase and installation.
Pro Housing Designation and state grant funding
The project applicant bears the cost of the required environmental and tribal records searches.
Citywide speed limit update
About $50,000 for new signage, absorbed in the existing project budget.
county services and housing
Get ready for potentially higher prices on everyday goods if that sales tax hike goes through, but hey, maybe new services are worth it?
Five-Year Housing Fund Strategy
Unknown — no funding figures were included in the published agenda.
Single-family permit streamlining
Expect slightly higher upfront building costs, but long-term savings on energy bills.
ALPR surveillance: Flock response and Axon contract
No payments are due until June 2028; the full Axon contract could total roughly $8.5 million over its term, and the city can exit during the pilot year.
616 South B Street Housing Development
The project will pay city impact fees across several categories and adds needed housing downtown, with no direct cost to taxpayers.
Data Centers and ICE Property Use — Council Directives
Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan and corridor redesign
$70,000 of Measure A funds approved now; the full corridor redesign could cost up to $1 billion regionally over six to ten years.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center Modernization and Resiliency Center
General Fund deficit projected at $16.8 million; King Center project has $5.4 million committed toward an estimated $11-12 million total.
Hillsdale mall redevelopment environmental review
New High-Density Zoning Districts (R6, R7, MU3, MU4)
No direct fiscal impact now, but the districts shape future housing supply and development fees citywide.
Technology disruption procedures under SB 707
Marina Lagoon Spot Dredging
Adds $49,000, for a revised total of $276,261.
Library Employee Compensation
Bringing library staff to market median would have a limited budget impact according to speakers.
Transition to SMART goals and public reporting
No budget impact from this item itself; resource needs roll into the FY 2026-27 budget proposal.
Marina Branch Library Restoration Cost Overruns
$500,000 from General Fund balance within the Capital Fund.
Decisions during term (150)
Recorded while Jr. was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Consent calendar — approval of meeting minutes
Bay Meadows Phase II Development Agreement annual review (PA-2026-0073)
Pro Housing Designation Program application — recommendation to City Council
Approval of August 19, 2026 Meeting Minutes
Permanent Local Housing Allocation Five-Year Plan
Prohousing Designation Program Application
Approval of Minutes
Consent calendar (items 3-9, 11-14)
Security cameras for Central Park playground (Item 10)
Consent Calendar Items 4-10 (including citywide speed limit update ordinance)
Grand Jury Report Response Letter — Flock ALPR Cameras (Item 11)
Axon ALPR Master Services Agreement Amendment (Item 12)
Alternative BMR Compliance — 1700 S. El Camino Real (Item 13)
2026 Storm Drain Master Plan Adoption (Item 14)
Consent Calendar (Items 4-10, 12-15)
Consent Item 15 — Zoning Code Update (R6, R7, MU3, MU4 Districts)
Consent Item 5 — East Bellevue Avenue Closure Funding (Fernandez abstention)
Consent Item 11 — 477 9th Avenue Storm Drain Easement (pulled)
Item 16 — Ordinance No. 2, South Delaware Street Segments (not introduced)
Item 17 — Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan Resolution
Voting record (54)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.
Consent calendar (items 3-9, 11-14)
Security cameras for Central Park playground (Item 10)
Consent Calendar Items 4-10 (including citywide speed limit update ordinance)
Grand Jury Report Response Letter — Flock ALPR Cameras (Item 11)
Axon ALPR Master Services Agreement Amendment (Item 12)
Alternative BMR Compliance — 1700 S. El Camino Real (Item 13)
2026 Storm Drain Master Plan Adoption (Item 14)
Consent Calendar (Items 4-10, 12-15)
Item 16 — Citywide Speed Limit Ordinance No. 1 (introduction)
Item 17 — Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan Resolution
Consent Calendar (Items 4-16)
Introduction of Zoning Ordinance — Four New High-Density Districts (Item 18)
Historic Policy Update budget appropriation — Option 2 ($140,584, 91 properties)
Approval of Consent Calendar (Items 2-20)
616 South B Street Mixed-Use Project (Nazareth Vista) — Planning Application 2025-0039
Introduction of Ordinance — Public Works Code Amendments (First Reading)
Consent Calendar (Items 3-6, 8-19)
Item 7 — Emergency Rental Assistance Program Approval
Wants success metrics reported so the council can judge whether to keep funding it.
Item 21 — Appeal of Planning Commission Approval, 715-733 North San Mateo Drive
Item 22 — Quarter-Cent Sales Tax Measure on November 2026 Ballot
Said the roughly $6.67 average annual cost per resident is modest and preserves services.