[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 165 (Friday, November 8, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1117-E1118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO RONALD COLLINS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KEVIN MULLIN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 8, 2024

  Mr. MULLIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ron Collins, Councilmember 
for the City of San Carlos, upon his retirement after 13 years of 
dedicated service to the city.
  Ron Collins began his career of public service in San Mateo County in 
1972, two years after he graduated from the University of California, 
Los Angeles, where he earned his bachelor's degree in history. For 
seven years, he served as a public-school teacher and administrator in 
Half Moon Bay, and obtained a Master's Degree in Educational 
Administration and Supervision from San Francisco State University. He 
then transitioned to the private sector undertaking a career in 
insurance, where he remained until his retirement in 2022. Ron was 
elected to the City Council of San Carlos in November 2011 and served 
in this position until December 2024. During his tenure, which included 
two stretches as Mayor, Ron undertook countless initiatives that have 
greatly improved the lives of San Carlos' residents.
  Ron and his wife, Gayle, have lived in San Carlos for most of their 
lives. In addition to raising two children in the city, Ron has done 
much to improve the lives of children and families. This includes 
protecting children's safety by banning smoking in multi-family housing 
and banning the sale of flavored tobacco that particularly affect 
teenage populations. Ron additionally has sought to improve parents' 
access to childcare in San Carlos through passing a Child Care 
Development Impact Fee, which requires nonresidential developers to 
include childcare spaces on their sites, and approving a Childcare 
Grant Program designed to support local childcare operators in 
expanding their access to childcare.
  During his time as a Councilmember, Ron also made significant 
improvements to make San Carlos more accessible from both an income and 
transportation standpoint. He supported the 2023-2031 San Carlos 
Housing Element, which aims to create a total of 1,164 new units of 
housing for low-income families and approved numerous other significant 
affordable housing developments. Ron also supported the San Carlos 
Avenue Pedestrian Improvement Project and the Bicycle and Pedestrian 
Master Plan, aiming to make San Carlos a place where people can freely 
and safely navigate across the city's streets.
  Ron has worked to plan for the future of San Carlos and has also 
sought to enhance the city in the present. Ron supported multiple 
sustainability initiatives to adapt San Carlos in the face of the 
threat of climate change, from beginning to transition San Carlos' 
fleet of Public Works vehicles to an EV platform, to adopting a 
disposable foodware ordinance. Ron has strengthened San Carlos' 
economic standing by overseeing the completion of

[[Page E1118]]

projects such as the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and the Landmark 
Hotel. During his tenure, San Carlos updated and preserved many of the 
city's community facilities such as the San Carlos Library, the Youth 
Center, and the Adult Community Center. In doing so, Ron has provided 
San Carlos' residents with comprehensive spaces to congregate and enjoy 
the city's public resources.
  Ron's impressive record as a Councilmember reflects his deep, 
longstanding commitment to improve the lives of San Carlos' residents. 
Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in 
honoring Ron Collins for his years of service on the San Carlos City 
Council, commending him for his immense dedication towards the 
community he served, and wishing him all the best in the years ahead.

                          ____________________