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News and Announcements

We Are Parks and Recreation
Celebrating Parks & Recreation 
July is Parks and Recreation Month! We know you love our parks and recreation programs as much as we do, so join us and the National Parks and Recreation Association to celebrate the work of parks and recreation professionals! Following @smparksandrec on Facebook or Instagram for updates and fun! From maintaining parks, running events and organizing programs, we are here for you!  

Please help keep our parks open and your community safe by following health rules. As you’re enjoying our parks, please remember to wear a face covering when near others, keep physical distance of at least 6 feet, and only recreate with those from your own household. Visit our Parks FAQ web page for updated information regarding amenities and programs. 
Police Department Real Talk San Mateo Details
Listening Session on Policing – We Want to Hear from You

Join us Tuesday, July 14 to share your experiences, comments and ideas about transparency and policing in San Mateo.
As part of our Real Talk San Mateo series, the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center will facilitate this virtual listening session where you can participate live by calling in to speak or providing written comments in Zoom. You can also send us an email at pdpio@cityofsanmateo.org.

We want to know what you want for the future of policing in the City of San Mateo, how our Police Department can do better, and what you think we do well. San Mateo Police Chief Ed Barberini, City Manager Drew Corbett and Officer Lupe Mejia will join the session to listen and provide brief comments on next steps.

If you missed our last two discussions, you can watch them on our YouTube channel. You can also learn more about our policies and what we do to keep San Mateo Safe on our Police Accountability web page. Our next edition of Real Talk San Mateo will be a youth discussion on Aug. 19.

Let’s keep having these tough conversations. Together, we are San Mateo and together we will grow as a community.


Tuesday, July 14 from 6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom 
Please click the link below to join the webinar: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82487946355?pwd=VThMUkVZYlZUMnNoRzJXVmMvS0xldz09 
Password: 980188

Or you can call in:  
iPhone one-tap:
US: +16699006833,,82487946355# or +14086380968,,82487946355#
 
Or by telephone:
+1 669 900 6833 or +1 408 638 0968

Webinar ID: 824 8794 6355


Interested in Running for Office? 

While November is a ways away, the filing period to run for office in San Mateo County opens Monday, July 13. There are two seats up for election on the San Mateo City Council Nov. 3, 2020 and those interested in running should contact the City Clerk to learn more and make an appointment to start the process. The filing period is open through Aug. 7.  

It’s always a good time to register to vote! You can search to verify if you’re registered on the San Mateo County Elections Division website.  


Montara BRIDGE Housing
New Affordable Housing Community Opening Soon
We’re pleased to announce the upcoming opening of Montara, a new affordable housing development at Bay Meadows. This new apartment community was created with assistance from the City of San Mateo through the donation of land and affordable housing funds. The property consists of 67 rental?units including one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments which will be completed by fall 2020. Applications are available online. 

People interested in applying can visit Bridge Housing’s website or read this flyer. Some of the units have a preference for those who live or work in the City of San Mateo and the deadline to apply is July 17, 2020. Other units have a preference for those who live in San Mateo County and the deadline to apply is July 31, 2020. Income and other restrictions apply. 
Know someone who may be interested? Please share this information with those who might be interested in this beautiful new complex in San Mateo. 
COVID Rendering
Message from the Surgeon General
 The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are rising in our community – but you can help make a difference. As businesses reopen, people go back to work and recreational amenities welcome more visitors, we must all take steps to protect our community.  

Please make sure to always bring a face covering with you when leaving home. You must wear it when in stores, waiting in line, on transit, and generally while in public. You also must wear a face covering while outdoors recreating if you can’t maintain 6 feet of distance. 

We can all make a difference in keeping our community safe as we reopen. 
 

New Emergency Immigrant Relief Fund

Do you or someone you know need financial assistance but were unable to receive state or federal help due to immigration status? The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has created a new San Mateo County Immigrant Relief Fund to help residents who are economically impacted by COVID-19 and are not eligible for state or federal assistance due to their immigration status.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved providing $2 million toward the fund and the County will partner with the nonprofit organizations Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and Mission Asset Fund to coordinate and administer the funding. The relief fund has been seeded with $5 million from local developer and philanthropist John A. Sobrato, plus $1.7 million from additional private donors. The County’s $2 million contribution comes from Measure K, the voter-approved, countywide half-cent sales tax extension.

Learn more and apply online on the Mission Asset Fund website.

Get Tested For COVID19
Free COVID Testing 

Testing for COVID-19 is critical to fighting the spread in our community. Free testing continues to be available through the County’s collaboration with Verily’s Project Baseline at the San Mateo County Event Center. This free drive-thru testing is now available to anyone, with or without symptoms. All you need is to make an appointment online. Testing is available in several cities on various days of the week throughout San Mateo County.

To make an appointment, residents can visit Project Baseline’s website. 
 
Due to high demand for this program, County Health officials encourage you to contact your primary care physician to ask about receiving a COVID test through your provider. Learn more about COVID-19 testing in San Mateo County 


There's More Outdoor Dining in Downtown - Please Enjoy it Safely!

We appreciate those who are supporting our local businesses and restaurants. We’ve expanded outdoor dining in downtown. In addition to parklets throughout downtown, we’ve closed off all of B Street from Third to First avenues, and half of the street from First to Baldwin avenues. 

We encourage you to enjoy it safely: only dine with those in your household, keep seating areas at least 6 feet apart, and wear face coverings when not eating or drinking.

Want to report a violation at a business? Please call our Code Enforcement Division at (650) 522-7150. 

Visit our Outdoor Dining web page to learn about what's required. 
A family eating
Tables in a parklet
A family eating
Summer FunAnchor
Summer Fair

New Virtual Summer Fair

Missing the San Mateo County Fair this year? Join the library’s inaugural virtual Summer Fair for teens and adults! From July 6 to 31, submit your creative work in book craft, baked goods design and decorating, edible art, floral arts, flash fiction, Lego creations, needlework, pet costumes, photography, poetry, arts & crafts, or San Mateo-themed short story.

Categories will be 
judged and winners will receive prizes! Open to residents of San Mateo and Hillsborough. See our website for more information. 


Par 3 Drive-In
Enjoy Drive-in Movie Night at Par 3 
This Saturday, July 11 Par 3 at Poplar Creek is hosting a Dine-Out & Drive-in Movie Night. The restaurant at the City’s golf course has created a safe, sanitized and secure environment so everyone can feel comfortable to enjoy delicious food and a summer movie. They’ll be playing “Daddy’s Home” at 9 p.m. and the lot opens at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $30 per vehicle and should be purchased in advance online. Visit Par 3’s event web page for information, to review the rules and to purchase tickets. 
Library Returns
Curbside Pickup & Returns
Getting library items just got easier! Now you can place a hold on items that you want through the catalog, just like you used to before - on our Library web page. You can place up to 25 items on hold on your account. Once your item is ready, you will receive an email confirmation and you can make an appointment. Make sure that you wait until you receive a notification before you make your appointment. 

You can also return your checked out items that you have been holding on to for months. Drop off your returns at the Main Library using the manual book drop during these hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:55 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The library quarantines returned items for 72 hours before they are checked in, re-shelved, or returned to their home library. There may be a delay in your items being cleared from your account. No overdue fines will be accrued during that time. 
For more information, see our website or call us at (650) 522-7818 for assistance. Telephone assistance is available Monday – Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. 

Traffic & Transit Updates

Caltrain and SamTrans Survey 

Please take a few minutes to take a quick survey to help CalTrain and SamTrans understand how COVID-19 has affected you, your need for riding the train and bus, and what they can do to make riding Caltrain and SamTrans the best possible experience.  

These surveys should take less than five minutes to complete, and upon completion, you'll be able to enter a drawing for a chance to win one of five $50 VISA gift cards. Take the CalTrain survey online. Take the SamTrans survey online. 

WWTP Upgrade
Pile-Driving Construction Phase Starting Soon 
We’re improving our sewer infrastructure in San Mateo for a better, cleaner environment. You have probably already seen the large trucks on Third Avenue and you might have heard loud hammering near Detroit Drive.  

We have begun driving 2,000 piles to stabilize our state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant upgrade. The pile driving hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. No night work is planned, but from time to time, we may need to complete some work on a weekend.  

The bulk of the piles will be in the first stage, expected to take six months, then there will be a six-month inspection stage, before the final stage of piles to take two and a half months.
 
 
If you’re near the wastewater treatment plant, you could hear the noise from the pile driving. We’ve made mitigations to reduce the noise including a sound wall, and a shroud around the drill pump. We’re also using a second pile-driving rig to expedite this stage of the project. Every pile in is one step closer to completion!  

The piles will be delivered by truck as they are needed each day, which means you won’t see truck parking on J. Hart Clinton Drive and E. Third Avenue. The piles will be delivered between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on work days, but we will take a breather from 4 - 5:30 p.m. to get out of the way of our commuters.  

We thank everyone for their patience and cooperation when you hear the construction and see those large trucks in our local traffic.  
Want to learn everything about this upcoming work? Check out the Clean Water Program website where you can watch live construction cams, sign up for email updates, or review the virtual community meeting detailing all of the construction steps.  
Parking Enforcement Returns Starting July 15 
With our businesses starting to re-open, our parks welcoming us again and more of us out and about, it’s also time to bring back another ‘normal’ to our everyday lives: parking enforcement. On July 15, the City will resume enforcement of all parking meters, pay stations, street cleaning zones, and residential parking permit program areas.

Payment at parking meters and all downtown parking garages and lots will be required and enforced. The street cleaners already returned to their normal schedule on June 15 – you’ll need to move your car again and enforcement will also restart. Finally, if you park on the street in a residential parking permit program area longer than the posted time limit, please ensure your vehicle is displaying a 2020-2021 residential parking permit or visitor tag.  If you recently applied for a residential parking permit, expect to hear from us soon with details.   

Find your street cleaning schedule online. Find info about downtown parking garages. Learn about the Residential Parking Permit Program. 

Hayward Park Neighborhood Conversation – Parking Track Enhancement 

Thank you to the Hayward Park neighbors who have participated since March in the public outreach process for the neighborhood enhancement project. Your preferences identified in the online survey and follow up poll helped shape the draft design. We've now collected your feedback on the draft design and we hope you'll join us for a Virtual Community Meeting on Monday, July 13, 2020, at 6 p.m. We will discuss the draft design feedback and next steps for the project. Due to the shelter-in-place health orders since March, all in-person public meetings were canceled. We look forward getting a chance to talk to you again soon. 

July 13, 2020, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87396243602 
Webinar ID: 873 9624 3602  
or Phone-In Only: 1-408-638-0968 
No password required 

Stay Positive

Grocery Shop for Seniors

Grocery Shop for Seniors  

You can help seniors in your community remain independent by providing weekly shopping assistance. We’re looking for volunteers to assist by shopping and delivering groceries to seniors in San Mateo. With older adults at greater risk of COVID-19, healthy volunteers can make a huge difference today!  

If you are interested, please apply using our online application. Please note, all volunteer candidates are subjected to a live background test. If you have any questions about the position, please contact Amber Shong at alshong@cityofsanmateo.org.  


Share Your Signs of Hope

Our community has been incredible lifting each other up and sharing messages of positivity. We've received an incredible batch of photo submissions for our Signs of Hope Campaign, and we'd love to see yours, too! We're collecting and posting pictures that represent the kind, caring, and supportive community that surrounds us here in our city. Thank you notes, window paintings, neighbors helping neighbors. Look around you and send us a picture of anything that symbolizes the resilience of our community and amazing city. Email your picture(s) to: socialmedia@cityofsanmateo.org. We know life in San Mateo is quite different than what we’re all used to right now, but our community is strong when we come together and support each other. Check out some of the Signs of Hope below, and on our Facebook Page!
Humanity is our race
Hope signs
Chalk drawing

Services & Resources

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please call 2-1-1 or contact Samaritan House at (650) 347-3648.  

You can also visit our Resources for Those in Need web page for more information about programs and services in the area.


Childcare Provider Rental Assistance

The City of San Mateo has partnered with Samaritan House to provide up to $120,000 in direct rental assistance for in-home childcare providers economically impacted by COVID-19. Funds are distributed on a rolling basis until the funds are depleted. Financial assistance applications are available in English and Spanish. 

Start the application process online. Applicants can use the site to upload documents, check the status of their application, and communication with the Samaritan House’s Case Management Team. Childcare providers are encouraged to call Samaritan House with questions at (650) 347-3648. 
Great Plates Delivered
Resources for Businesses

Stay Informed with Accurate Information

One of the most important things each of us can do right now is stay informed with accurate information from official sources. We know there’s a gluttony of information out there, but please be sure to stay up-to-date by visiting the City’s coronavirus web page, the County’s website, the State's COVID website or the Centers for Disease Control’s website. 

Call 2-1-1 for non-medical information.
This is a free service available 24/7 in 180 languages 


You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor. Visit our social media page for list of all our City accounts.

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330 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403

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