I was sworn in last December and I wanted to share an update on what we've accomplished - especially for those who don't follow local government closely. The East Palo Alto City Council has five members: Ruben Abrica, Martha Barragan, Mark Dinan, Webster Lincoln, and Carlos Romero. Martha, Webster, and I generally align on issues, while Carlos and Ruben often dissent, leading to a lot of 3-2 votes. We've also had our share of unanimous 5-0 decisions. Here's a look at some of the new initiatives we've funded this year:

• Code Enforcement: We've directed and funded staff to enforce our code on "Tier III" violations, which include things like broken-down vehicles, trash and old furniture in front yards, and overgrown vegetation blocking sidewalks.

East Palo Alto leaders spar over code enforcement

Amid ongoing concerns about unaddressed dumping, illegal construction and other code violations, three East Palo Alto council members pushed city staff Tuesday to take a more proactive approach toward enforcement.

Palo Alto OnlineLisa Moreno

• Parking Enforcement: New funding for parking enforcement will help remove unregistered and broken-down vehicles and increase enforcement of the 72-hour parking rule.
• New Park and Street Lighting: We've funded new field lighting at Martin Luther King Park, which will allow kids to practice past 5 p.m. during the winter. We're also funding new street lighting to make our streets safer and better lit. We are also funding a new dog park!

East Palo Alto prepares to open its first dog park

The East Palo Alto City Council advanced plans on Tuesday to create the city’s first dog park at Martin Luther King Junior Park and improve local park lighting, camera and technology systems at other parks.

Palo Alto OnlineLisa Moreno

• Park Improvements: New scoreboards at MLK and Jack Farrell parks are being installed, which addresses a longstanding request from the Little League.

• Community and Cultural Events: We've funded movies, music, and other cultural events at the EPACENTER. Look forward to live music of every type, including jazz, blues, salsa, banda, reggae, samba, bossa nova, and mariachi.

Inspired by youth, nonprofit EPACENTER starts to welcome adults

Kids designed practically every aspect of EPACENTER. But ever since its opening in 2022, the East Palo Alto nonprofit began fielding requests and concerns from older residents also seeking access to tech amenities like digital labs. So the nonprofit recently decided to switch gears.

Palo Alto OnlineLisa Moreno

• YMCA Access: With our funding, the YMCA will be free on weekends for residents and will offer swim classes, basketball leagues, and enhanced senior activities.

• Emergency Preparedness: We're getting the city ready for the eventual earthquake that we can expect to happen in our lifetime by funding new emergency response measures. We put $100k in the budget for evacuation planning, emergency shelters, and other disaster preparedness.

Shaky, Shaky, Shaky! Are We Ready For an Earthquake in EPA?

Labor Day 2028 - A 7.2 Earthquake hits the Hayward Fault, and East Palo Alto - located in a liquefaction zone - is devastated. Multiple aging apartment buildings collapse, and hundreds of people suddenly lose their homes. Many residents have been injured in the earthquake and are desperately looking

East Palo Alto SunMark Dinan

The Biggest News Perhaps the most significant news is that we're working to get a new track field, soccer field, library, and City Hall built on the Bloomhouse site on Pulgas Avenue. We'll have more updates on this major project as it moves forward.

‘A once in a lifetime opportunity’: East Palo Alto advances plan for new civic center

The East Palo Alto City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to move forward with a multimillion dollar plan to build a civic commons, a municipal development that will include a new library, City Hall, Police Department headquarters, community space and an athletic field, among other amenities.

Palo Alto OnlineLisa Moreno

Serving on the council is a big commitment, but it's been worthwhile. I've especially enjoyed working with our mayor, Martha Barragan. I've also been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy collaborating with Webster Lincoln. We see eye-to-eye on many issues and have consistently voted the same way on important matters.The year is not yet over, and I expect we will be moving ahead on a few more issues before the year is up.

Mark Dinan

Vice Mayor

Phone (650) 440-1080

Email mdinan@cityofepa.org