By Robert Haugh

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parade of Champions, a great Mission City tradition will continue this year.

The Council allocated $15,000 to fund a virtual parade.  Last year, the real thing returned after an absence of 24 years. It was a huge success. 

Stay tuned for more details.

Downtown Courthouse Issue

Last week, the Council directed the City staff to inquire with the State about the possibility of moving the downtown courthouse. 

Reclaiming Our Downtown wanted staff to engage in a series of meetings with them and the State to discuss moving the courthouse. But that wasn’t approved.

Councilman Raj Chahal made a motion to bring the issue back in a few months. But that motion failed.

But yesterday, Bob O’Keefe successfully convinced the Council to agendize for September 1 a discussion of the issue.

O’Keefe is a board member and leader of the Old Quad Residents Association. He’s also a candidate for City Council District 5, representing the downtown.

This is a major issue for the association and downtown residents.

The vote was unanimous.

Stadium Authority

Chahal presented a series of interesting questions to City staff about the stadium. A lot of the questions were about process and minutiae.

For example, Chahal wanted to know why there were no minutes for the meetings between City staff and 49ers staff.

City Manager Deanna Santana said that it was a staff capacity issue. But offered to make it a priority if the Council wanted them.

Mayor Lisa Gillmor said that according to the report in response to Chahal’s request, it looks like the City staff is teaching the 49ers how to follow the law on contract procurement. Gillmor said that minutes would be good to document that fact.

One of the major issues in the City’s case to terminate the stadium management agreement is that the 49ers don’t have the right contract management expertise.