The Atherton City Council's 2023 leadership is taking shape, with a vice mayor stepping into the role as mayor and one of the newest council members tapped to become the vice mayor at a Dec. 21 meeting.

Outgoing mayor Rick DeGolia nominated Bill Widmer to serve as the next mayor and the council unanimously elected him to the role. Widmer then nominated Diana Hawkins-Manuelian, who joined the council in 2020, for vice mayor and the council voted her in.

The council swore in DeGolia, Widmer and newcomer Stacy Miles Holland, who were all elected to the council in November. DeGolia received the most voter support in the election, with 31.4% of votes, Widmer getting 29.2% of votes, and Miles Holland taking 21.5% of votes, according to certified election results. Miles Holland served as chair of the Environmental Programs Committee before joining the council.

This will be Widmer's third time as mayor since he joined the council in 2010. A former professor at Menlo College, he has lived in Atherton since 1996. Widmer was also formerly a business executive for 30 years.

Hawkins-Manuelian has lived in Atherton for about 30 years. She served on the Environmental Programs Committee, where she pursued her passion for environmental advocacy. She holds a doctorate from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, a postdoctoral degree from MIT, and has professional consulting experience with companies like NBC, MTV, and Citibank.

One of the first items of business for Widmer was to appoint Council members Elizabeth Lewis and DeGolia to serve on the City Council Ad Hoc Committee to develop a plan for celebrating the town's centennial in 2023. The town is surveying residents to gather input on how to celebrate the anniversary.

Outgoing member honored

The council honored outgoing council member Bob Polito for his service on the council with a plaque. Polito served on the council for 14 months, stepping in for Mike Lempres who moved to Paris in fall 2021. Polito had served on the town audit and finance committee member for over eight years before being appointed to complete the remainder of Lempres' term on the council.

DeGolia said Polito brought "discipline" and a "perspective" to the council. DeGolia also complimented Polito for his integrity by keeping his promise not to run for council this fall. DeGolia explained that the council doesn't like appointed members to run in the next election since they have the unfair advantage of incumbent status without having run in a prior election.

Polito said he felt "a little guilty leaving you guys with this housing element," referring to the town's new state housing requirement for the town to accommodate at least 348 new housing units over the next eight years.

On the council, Polito advocated for trying to find compromises in the housing element and noted that he doesn't think the state will approve its housing element if it doesn't include some multifamily units in its plan.

Outgoing mayor on 2022 accomplishments, challenges

DeGolia, who served as mayor in 2021 and 2022, offered closing remarks, calling 2022 a "highly unusual year" not only because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but also because of the unique challenge of trying to satisfy state-mandated housing goals. The town also opened its new Town Center after taking eight years to design and build the center, following three failed attempts over the prior 20 years to raise the funding, he said.

"When I began this year I spoke about how service on this council is the most time-consuming volunteer work that I've ever done," he said. "It has been a genuine pleasure to serve with my fellow council members because we have been so extremely collaborative, and to work closely with (City Manager) George Rodericks and his excellent team. I am proud of all that we have accomplished."

He said that the new library received LEED Gold certification and various parts of the town center project have been entered in several architectural award contests.

He's also proud that the town has continued to prioritize the safety of Atherton residents and expanded the use of automated license plate readers in Atherton.

When Caltrain closed the Atherton train station in 2020, the town required that the transit agency agree to design and install quad gates on Watkins Avenue. The design process is now complete and Caltrain has committed to completing the construction in 2023, he said.

Watch a video of the meeting here: