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Vote Local - Information on City-Specific Ballot Are you a City of San Mateo voter? Guess what, you get to vote on three ballot measures specific to your community!
You can learn about Measure W: a hotel tax increase to maintain City services; and Measure R and Measure Y: competing measures that would affect the City’s General Plan.
There have been a lot of questions about Measure R and Measure Y, both of which involve complicated land-use policies within the City’s General Plan including height and density limits, and affordable housing requirements. While there are similarities between Measure R and Measure Y, there are also distinct differences.
To help inform voters, we’ve created a new web page and responses to Frequently Asked Questions. Here you can find impartial information about these measures, how both measures would affect the City’s General Plan, how they could impact affordable housing policies, and citizens’ arguments for either measure.
Learn more about what’s on the ballot specific to the City of San Mateo - including the three candidates running for two Council seats - on our Elections web page.
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NEW! Interactive Map of Where & How to Vote in San MateoWe have a new interactive map on how you can vote in the City of San Mateo! There’s three ways to vote this year: drop off at a ballot box, mail your ballot or vote in person at any Vote Center in the County. Ballots will start to arrive the week of October 5 - and you can vote as soon as you receive it!
It’s easy to vote by dropping off your ballot at a local official ballot drop box If you’d prefer to put it in the mail, make sure to have it postmarked no later than Election Day, and it needs to be received by November 20, for your vote to be counted. You may also vote in-person at any vote center in San Mateo County. For a full list of vote centers, ballot drop-boxes and more voting information visit www.smcacre.org/elections.
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Register to Vote TodayCheck to make sure you're registered to vote at www.registertovote.ca.gov.
Sign up for the Secretary of State's new "Where's My Ballot?" tool to receive automatic updates on the status of your vote-by-mail ballots including when your ballot is mailed to you, when it’s received by the county elections division, when it’s been counted and whether there’s any issues with your ballot.
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Wildfire Smoke & COVIDWildfire smoke and high winds are resulting in poor air quality in much of the Bay Area, including San Mateo. High temperatures have also prompted a Spare the Air Day through at least Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Residents should monitor air quality and avoid outdoor activities when air quality is poor. Learn more about how poor air quality can affect your health and monitor local conditions on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District website. The U.S. EPA also has a new, interactive fire and smoke map where you can get real-time data on air quality and the impacts of wildfires.
Find tips on how to balance the impacts of wildfire smoke and COVID-19 on the CDC's website.
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Get Ready to Play! Know the Rules for PlaygroundsAs promised, we’re reopening playgrounds starting this weekend now that State public health experts released new COVID-19 safety rules!
For your family’s safety, all playground visitors must follow these mandatory safety rules from the California Department of Public Health.
Playground visitors must: - Wear face coverings at all times (including anyone over 2 years old)
- Don’t crowd. Do not use if you can’t maintain 6 feet of distance from others. Playground capacity limits have been posted at each location.
- Wash or sanitize hands before and after use. Hand washing stations have been provided at those playground locations without restrooms.
- Children must be actively supervised at all times
- No eating or drinking
- Limit visits to 30 minutes when others are waiting
If you or your child are unable to comply with these safety rules, we ask that you refrain from use of the playground areas at this time. It is important to note that even when all state safety guidelines are followed, visitors should be aware that there are risks involved with using this high-touch, shared equipment.
Please note that the City simply does not have the resources to monitor playgrounds for compliance or provide daily cleaning. Just like all other activities we participate in during COVID-19, people will have to make their own decisions about what risks they feel comfortable taking. We all need to take personal responsibility for following the rules, being a good neighbor and taking steps to protect ourselves. Remember, your actions affect the health and well being of our community. Please play safe!
Learn more on the California Department of Public Health website.
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Get Tested - It's Free!Last weekend, we hosted a free COVID-19 neighborhood testing site at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center where we provided multi-lingual services to over 125 community members. The one-day event was made possible thanks to volunteers with our local San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team, and City as well as County staff. It’s just another example of how the City of San Mateo is working hard to support the community as we all navigate the challenges of COVID-19. Check out some of our photos of the volunteers on our Facebook page.
Anyone who lives or works in San Mateo County has access to FREE COVID-19 testing - with or without symptoms or insurance. The County has expanded its free testing site at the San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, to Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is advisable to schedule an appointment at least 72 hours in advance with Verily/Project Baseline, San Mateo County’s testing provider at https://bit.ly/2xk73OL. You can learn more and sign up at www.smcgov.org/testing.
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Downtown Dining is Here to Stay!We have good news! Our very popular outdoor dining is here until at least March 2021. This is just one example of how our City has dedicated time and resources to support our local businesses during the pandemic.
We also want to take a moment to say thank you to our Public Works team for their fast, efficient and reliable work installing and maintaining our parklets! Did you know they were out there at almost midnight setting them up and they continue their maintenance and upkeep
A big shout out to the businesses for dressing up the parklets, too! And thank you to our residents and visitors for returning to support our local businesses. Learn more about our vibrant downtown at www.downtownsanmateo.org.
We hope you continue to enjoy these outdoor spaces into 2021! Check out more photos of dining in downtown and the parklet installations on our Facebook page.
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Live Chat with a Firefighter - Prevention Week & StorytimeFire Prevention Week begins this Sunday and with all the wildfires that have been raging across California, it’s a great time to engage with our local San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department.
Their annual open house is going virtual this year, so they’ll be launching a new web page with information and stories from our local firefighters starting Sunday at www.smcfire.org.
You can take a virtual tour of a fire engine, watch how quickly a firefighter can put on their gear, and children can enjoy a livestream storytime in English as well as Spanish and even ask a fire captain questions about what it’s like to be a fire fighter! Kids can also participate in an arts contest for a chance to win a prize.
Adults: complete an emergency preparedness survey at www.smcfire.org for a chance to win an emergency backpack. Children: must sign up in advance for the livestream storytime on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. at https://smplibrary.as.me/fire.
Real Talk - A Senior's Perspective on PoliceContinuing our conversation with the community, this month we sat down with senior citizens in San Mateo to talk about policing and how we can serve you better. To watch the video, please visit our Police Department's YouTube channel. For information on senior citizen resources in San Mateo, please visit our senior resources web page.
If you missed our last four episodes, 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. Stay tuned because our next edition of Real Talk San Mateo will be with the Latinx community in October.
Let us keep having these tough conversations. Together, we are San Mateo and together we will grow as a community.
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It's Almost Halloween! Get Spooky while Staying SafeWith the spookiest holiday of the year right around the corner, it’s a great time to plan for a safe and fun Halloween! The Bay Area health officers have issued guidance on how you and your family can celebrate Halloween & Día de Los Muertos safely during the ongoing pandemic.
We know it's Halloween, but catching COVID can be pretty scary. The Bay Area health officers DO NOT recommend door-to-door trick-or-treating and large gatherings are still prohibited.
We want you to have fun. So please be respectful of your neighbors and remember some may not feel comfortable with visitors this year!
Safe Halloween ideas include: - Scary movie night at home
- Online costume contest
- Deck your home with spooky décor
- Sign up for our NEW drive-thru Halloween Car-nival!
New Halloween Event!
Our Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting our first ever drive-thru event for families on Saturday Oct. 24 and Sunday Oct. 25. Visit www.cityofsanmateo.org/halloween2020 to sign up for the event and for more family-friendly ideas to celebrate.
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We Make an Impact!Our San Mateo Public Library is an invaluable resource to our community and makes a huge impact every single day. Do you know all the services available to you? We offer daily programming for children, passport services, adult literacy, job search assistance, computer and internet services, and a wide array of digital and hard-copy books and media. The San Mateo Public Library is pleased to share our Impact Report 2019-2020. The annual report highlights some of the exciting programs, diverse resources and services, and community connections at the library during fiscal year 2019-2020.
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Book Donation DayGot books to donate? Bring books, CDs, or DVDs in good condition to the Main library for our Friends of the Library Donation Day on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 2-4 p.m. Please limit donations to one banker's box or two grocery bags per person. Donors must be masked, and donations will be driveup/touchless. Help support the nonprofit that helps ensure our wonderful City of San Mateo Library Department is an asset for everyone in our community!
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PAL Fundraiser & Auction Goes OnlineSan Mateo Police Activities League is excited to invite you to their first online auction. Bidding opens Monday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. and ends Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 3 p.m.
We invite our entire community to take part in the fun. PAL has been gathering amazing items for you to bid on and win, and it's all for a great cause! Check out the preview of our incredible items and get ready for bidding by registering now. Please feel free to pass along to friends and family!
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Free Chromebook AccessNeed to use the internet? Chromebooks are available for on-site, outdoor use in 30-minute increments, and users can print up to three pages. No reservation is required, but space is limited. Due to health and safety, masks and social distancing are required.
Available: October 12 - November 5 on Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m., and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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Flood Zone Improvements Kick OffOn Sept. 15, 2020, San Mateo City Council and city leadership joined community leaders in the North Shoreview neighborhood at the site of the Coyote Point pump station to break ground on the three-year Flood Zone Improvement project. The event included a sixty-foot dirt pile so that all participants could keep their distance, masks were worn by all, and only elbow bumps were allowed for greetings. When completed, the flood zone project will remove properties in the North Shoreview neighborhood from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood insurance rate map. In 2011, the city completed the South Bayfront Levee Improvement Project which removed 4,000 properties from FEMA’s flood map. The work in North Shoreview will be completed in 2023. Learn more on our web page. |
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Bay Trail Detours Don’t forget that the Bay Trail now detours through Monte Diablo and N Kingston in North Shoreview, all part of the Flood Zone improvement project. The detour is expected to last until 2023.
With extra cyclists, pedestrians and cars on the road in this busy neighborhood, we ask everyone to slow down, be patient and watch out for each other. Learn more about the improvements and construction timeline.
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Central Park Garage ClosedA reminder that the Central Park garage is closed from Oct. 1 – Dec. 31 for improvements to the parking garage and tennis courts. All other downtown parking garages are open during this time. All other downtown parking garages are open during this time. To find out more about the work we’re doing, go to: www.cityofsanmateo.org/garagerenovation.
Are you a parking permit holder? Tennis Court Garage permit holders may use their permits to park in 10-hour, long-term parking spaces at other City-owned parking facilities for the duration of the construction work. Permits will not be valid for on-street parking or in 3-hour, short-term parking spaces at City-owned parking facilities. Visit the City-owned parking facilities webpage to locate the 10-hour parking spaces and for information about our Downtown parking facilities.
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El Camino & SR92 Landscaping Thank you to everyone who has participated in our survey for the beautification of the SR 82/92 Interchange. The survey closes on Oct. 15, pass it on to your friends and family who haven’t yet participated. As a refresher, our Public Works Department is working with our partners at Caltrans to plan some of the landscaping aspects of the El Camino Real and State Route 92 Interchange and we want to hear from you. Our quick online survey closes next week. By sharing your preferences, you can to help guide project planners in this final stage of the State Route 82/92 Interchange Improvement Project.
Take the survey before the deadline: 5 p.m. Oct. 15, 2020. The results will go before an upcoming Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission meeting. The project team hope to begin landscape planting in 2022.
101 Express Lanes – Updates TimelinesResidents near the 101 Express Lanes project in North Shoreview saw a recent postcard about the project’s timelines. The schedule has since been revised. Caltrans has now said that the relocation timeline for the two additional sections of sound wall along Bayshore Boulevard has been adjusted as follows: From Newbridge Avenue to just past Dakota Avenue: now anticipated to be relocated and rebuilt in November 2020 From 2nd Avenue to Dore Avenue: now anticipated to be relocated and rebuilt in February 2021
As always, all construction activities are subject to change without notice. For up to date project information, please email with the subject “Weekly” to 101express@dot.ca.gov. For additional information on construction or to sign up for quarterly updates, please visit http://101express.com/. You can also send questions or comments to Alejandro Lopez, Caltrans Public Information Officer, at 510-385-6856 or 101express@dot.ca.gov.
Bay Meadows – Nighttime Intersection ClosureThe 25th Grade Separation Project is continuing its forward momentum toward its completion goals, and as such, will need to close the intersection of S. Delaware Street and E. 28th Avenue starting Oct. 5 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Mondays through Fridays for a three weeks. A detour will be available with clear signage. During the closure, crews will install a storm drain line and tie in at the intersection. The nighttime work at this location is intended so as not to interfere with the community’s continued daytime use of the City’s Safe Streets initiative in Bay Meadows. You can find the latest on the 25th Grade project at www.caltrain.com/25thgs.
High Speed Rail – How Do You Travel? The California High-Speed Rail Authority, in partnership with Caltrans and CalSTA, is conducting a statewide study to understand how Californians travel in and around the state. This study will directly inform the planning of California’s statewide rail network.
They want your opinions on different transportation options to inform this statewide study. The survey will ask you about a trip you took in 2019 as well as your opinion on different rail options in California. Everyone’s input is valuable is CHSR plans for the future of California passenger rail.
This survey will take about 20 minutes.
English: https://californiasp.sawtoothsoftware.com/
Spanish: https://californiaspes.sawtoothsoftware.com/
Passcode: RailNorCal
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