[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 193 (Thursday, December 6, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF CHARLIE BRONITSKY

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2018

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Charlie Bronitsky upon his 
departure from the city council of Foster City and the governing board 
of the Estero Municipal Improvement District. During his service, 
Charlie has been a well-reasoned, principled voice for smart change in 
a city undergoing significant transformation.
  He was born in Brooklyn and moved to California in 1980 to finish his 
education in Berkeley. He is a graduate of the U.C. Berkeley School of 
Law, as it is now known, and practices real estate law focusing on 
transactions and litigation, including construction litigation. He 
brings to the city council a vast knowledge of land use law, mediation, 
and the intricacies of how every level of government operates. After he 
served on the planning commission for 3\1/2\ years, the residents of 
Foster City wisely selected him to serve on the city council, starting 
in 2009.
  Of course, 2009 was an extraordinarily bad year for our economy. 
Foster City finances cratered and the council had to make very 
difficult decisions. City staff endured layoffs and the public endured 
service reductions. During this time, Charlie supported the 
consolidation of fire service with surrounding communities. He also 
supported partnering with San Mateo to deliver park and recreation 
services. By 2013, the city's finances were stabilized but challenges 
remained. An economic plan, written in part by Charlie and a colleague 
on the council, was passed and the city's growth since has largely 
followed its outline.
  Charlie represents Foster City on the board of the regional water 
agency which guarantees clean, reliable water at a fair price to all 
ratepayers. He is a leader on infrastructure issues, supporting 
renovations of the wastewater treatment plant and levee repairs to 
protect residents from catastrophic flooding. The construction of a 
senior residence development near city hall was due to a significant 
degree to the leadership of Charlie Bronitsky. Throughout these times, 
he's been a champion for sustainability initiatives. During his second 
term as Mayor, the city was one of two that received a Platinum 
Sustainability Best Practices Award from the Institute of Local 
Government.
  With the economy now recovered, major companies, such as Illumina and 
Gilead, are creating or adding to their corporate campuses in Foster 
City. Startups are once again moving into the office complexes in the 
city. Science and its bounty are powering the growth of this community 
that offers products and services around the globe.
  Foster City is also coping with enormous traffic that travels through 
the city on its way to surrounding communities. Councilmember Bronitsky 
has repeatedly advocated for the city to experiment with measures to 
deal with traffic rather than conducting lengthy studies or trying 
half-hearted measures. He has also cautioned residents to be mindful of 
the way a city's budget is financed in modern-day California. 
Development brings additional property tax revenue to provide such 
essential services as police, fire, parks and libraries. His message is 
wise and needed during a time of change.
  Mr. Speaker, Foster City is a small town of 35,000 where families 
come to thrive, where seagulls come to dive, and where pelicans and 
boaters vie for space on the lagoons. For all its beauty, Councilmember 
Charlie Bronitsky chose to run for the city council when our nation was 
in crisis and the town's budget was severely challenged. He stepped up 
because that's what a citizen of this nation does when a community 
needs leadership.
  His priorities in 2009 included strong fiscal management of the city, 
the construction of a senior living facility near city hall, and 
managed, green growth. All three have largely been achieved during his 
terms in office. Residents can be certain that Charlie Bronitsky cast 
his votes and made his public comments with the best interests of 
existing and future residents in mind. He will now return to private 
life and leave the opportunities of leadership to his successors. I am 
proud to call Charlie a friend and colleague and wish him and his 
equally impressive wife Martha and son Will much happiness and 
continued success.

                          ____________________