Dear City of Menlo Park Councilmembers and Staff,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Eduardo L. Hernandez. I have lived in Menlo Park for over twenty-five years and am a proud resident of East Menlo Park.
I am reminded of the message in John Lennon’s song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” which calls for peace, fairness, and inclusion for everyone, regardless of strength, wealth, or background. In that spirit, I am advocating for East Menlo Park residents to be fully included in decisions that affect our community.
I am speaking on Item F3, the adoption of the 2026 City Council meeting schedule, and I urge you to include meetings in East Menlo Park next year.
For decades, the City has treated our community as if it sits on the margins of Menlo Park. Some people avoid the word “East” due to its historical associations with segregation and colonialism and call our area Belle Haven instead. But avoiding the term has not helped us feel included. It has reinforced the sense of exclusion. When our District is referred to only as Belle Haven, it becomes easier to treat us as separate or optional, even though we are as much a part of Menlo Park as any other district.
This separation has real consequences. During a meeting with City Manager Justin Murphy and Councilmember Cecilia Taylor, Justin told Arlene and me that the Council does not hold meetings in Belle Haven because the issues discussed “are not connected” to Belle Haven. This made me feel that East Menlo Park is not regarded as a full and equal part of the city. It suggested our concerns, needs, and voices carry less weight than those of other districts. This is unacceptable, especially when the Council has spent significant time on issues like the pools and the Housing Element, which directly affect our community. West Menlo Park already has a completed pool plan while East Menlo Park does not. Yet we continue to hear these matters are somehow not “our” issues.
In November 2026, voters will consider a ballot measure requiring any development on city-owned property to receive approval from the entire electorate. If passed, four districts, most of which do not include East Menlo Park, could decide whether construction occurs in our neighborhood on our own city parcels. At the same time, East Menlo Park already has the highest concentration of new development in the city.
When people who do not live in our neighborhood make decisions that shape our lives, the City must ensure our community has full access to the decision-making process. At minimum, the City should bring Council meetings to us, so East Menlo Park residents can attend and speak without traveling across the city to be heard on issues that disproportionately affect our daily lives.
I want to thank Councilmembers Jeff Schmidt, Jennifer Wise, and Cecilia Taylor for holding open office hours for all residents. That represents meaningful accessibility. However, accessibility cannot end with office hours. Council meetings, where binding and consequential decisions occur, must also be accessible. That requires holding meetings here in East Menlo Park.
This request aligns with the Environmental Justice Element adopted by the City in 2024. That document commits the City to fair treatment, meaningful involvement, and expanded civic participation for communities that have experienced historical inequities. It directs the City to remove barriers that limit public engagement and improve civic access for communities like ours. Holding Council meetings in East Menlo Park honors those commitments and makes them real.
Holding meetings in East Menlo Park is not symbolic. It is a matter of equity, accountability, and basic fairness. I urge you to include East Menlo Park locations in the 2026 City Council meeting schedule. We are part of Menlo Park. Please treat us as such.
Sincerely,
Eduardo L. Hernandez
