Remarks by Helen-Marie Gordon
83 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 4
- Play at 51:32
“Yes, I just want to say for the record, I did have a lot of questions. And to the constituents who asked me, the city manager got back to me and he answered those questions, so I'll forward them to you when you respond. Thank you so much, City Manager.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 1:19:24
“Go ahead, Council Member Gordon. We came here to work. So this is our job. So we got to speak on this stuff, right? But what I was about to ask, if you can please reset the vote because we need to be clear on what we're voting on. We are in the process of doing that.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 2:31:45
“Good evening. Thank you so much for your presentation. I do appreciate all of the work that went into it, and thank you to Council Member Mateus for requesting this financial option. My big question to my colleagues and also to legal, to Attorney Knapp, what is the problem with my island way i've heard a little here and there but what the pants we can't sell it we can't do nothing with it so what is the problem with that location maybe someone can give me a little history because i mean there was like a survey say well why don't we use that space that's already there And we will save a whole…”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 2:33:20
“I was just wondering if there was something legal connected to it. So basically there is nothing.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 2:33:41
“Well, because I heard that it belonged to state farms or something of that nature, and we can't sell it, but we're spending money in it and on it. So we're talking about we're in a financial situation, but we have a building right there. Well, then pick us up and put us there and put them here. I mean, I just don't get why we have this property and it's just sitting there.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 2:36:15
“I appreciate that because you have half the city saying this, well won't we put them in there? We have half the city say no, but nobody understands what is the issue to why they can't be there. So I appreciate you clarifying, thank you. All right, Vice Mayor Matulak.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 3:17:15
“All right. Council Member Gordon. Thank you. I also want you all to keep in mind that whatever we kick down the road, As you mentioned earlier, Councilman Beganza, about it was 50 this, but now it's 100 and something now. Cost of materials and so forth will go up. So if we're trying to cut here and there, please keep that in mind. I think I love the idea. I don't want to go back to the drawing board because we spent already so much money, but it looks like we have to do something because otherwise this building will never get done because we won't have the money from what I hear and it's…”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 3:34:50
“Thank you. As everyone already know, when it comes to CEQA, my ears and eyes open up. So I'm going to stick, as you all know, South Vallejo is known to have high rate of asthma. We are also next to Highway 29. We have tons of vehicle actions all the time going through there because it is a main entry into Highway 80. So this is my concern. So I'm just going to read my concerns, okay? The pros of this policy benefit would ensure local compliance with updated state-mandated VMT threshold, CEQA section, as quoted earlier, 15061B3. Exemption prevents extended litigation timeline, provide clear…”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 3:38:21
“Thank you. So my biggest concern is I attended a meeting that was in Fairfield and I heard someone say they wanted to eliminate CEQA requirements.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 3:39:20
“So like I was reading my report, you're basically making sure that what you're proposing is is for particularly the city of Vallejo because we know some part of Vallejo has a mass of wonderful air, but we are literally, we have Highway 80 here and Highway 80 here. Yeah. So we get all of that. pushed back from the vehicles, whether it's trucks, whatever. So that was my concern. So this right here, you're saying if they want to build a project, for example, on Highway 29, Sonoma Boulevard, which has mass of travel, how would that affect this?”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 3:41:49
“Thank you so much. I appreciate both of you.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 3:52:31
“To your point about making sure that we have it on record, I did ask this question because it was brought up. And thank you to staff for answering it. So if my colleagues or my constituents have any questions, I can forward that to them. Great.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 4:07:13
“Yes, I'm not sure how I can really word this, but I would like to see if we can get staff to see how we can look at getting a grocery store in South Vallejo. We've all been marked across from each other, and yet to this day we have no... LIBEL HEALTHY GROCERY STORE IN DISTRICT SIX.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 4:08:18
“That's my request. We've got grocery stores sitting on top of grocery stores in other parts of Vallejo. We've got to pack the kids up on vacation to go shopping.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 4:10:16
“See, that's the complication of this, because before... We have, I'm seeing grocery stores pop up everywhere, but there's no grocery stores being designed in South Vallejo. So what is working there that's not working here for us to be sitting there?”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 4:10:45
“So maybe Mr. can help us with this as well with the question.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 4:10:54
“I'm looking to see because we have business popping up everywhere, but we have nothing happening where it's really needed.”
City Council · Oct 13, 2026
- Play at 57:07
“Yeah, I was just going to mention that I would like to pull the youth fund. So that would be F. It's already pulled. I know, but my button wasn't working, so.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 57:39
“Could I ask you a question? Since our buttons are not working, how are we going to address this?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 1:25:14
“Thank you so much. And I do appreciate this report. I had a chance to go over it. I heard you to say and again, it's just why you are planning and why you're thinking. Yes, Mare Island is important, but there's other parts of Lael as well, such as the inland. My biggest concern when I see something like this, that underrepresentation of districts, I hope to say that quickly, for example, I hope you look at it per district as well, because District 6, not only is it underutilized, It has no real strong equity coming out of it. It has been underserved. And I like to look for more mixed-use…”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 1:59:33
“Thank you, Vice Mayor. I just wanted to clarify. So I want to say thank you so much because I did see to the questions that was asked earlier on page seven about your dashboard and charts. That is going to be, that clarification is open to the public. It's going to be on our website. How would that dashboard be published to the community or are you referring to that dashboard being in-house? Okay.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:01:33
“Thank you and I appreciate that because that's going to be very important. I also noticed that on page 10 for your timeline, you do have optional scope developed and participation in the community engagement workshop for weeks 16 and 20. Is this because you're going to do all of it and then instead of it being option, can I ask you, can we make this a plan instead of it being an optional?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:02:58
“My last thing, I remember last year we did a workshop on... with our community and was very engaging and from the most part we heard a lot of positivity, a lot of positive comments. That would be something I would think about doing more of a workshop. Not only are you going to educate us so that we can project it to our constituents, but you also are going to help them understand what tough decisions I hear you say that we're going to have to make. So I worry about what that means, but at the same time, I don't want our communities who have been without to continue to go without to make that…”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:04:26
“To adopt the resolution approving a consultant and professional service agreement with Baker Tilly Advisory Group LP to provide long-range financial modeling and not to exceed the amount of $250,000 and authorizing the city manager to execute the same.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:04:52
“Thank you for that clarification. I thought I said that. Thank you.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026