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Setting Goals: Council Strategic Meeting SaturdayEvery year, the San Mateo City Council holds its annual goal setting meeting to establish its priorities and strategic initiatives for the City of San Mateo. This year, the meeting will take place on Saturday, Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to noon, via Zoom.
Some of the priorities up for consideration include police accountability and transparency, general plan updates, housing affordability, and small business recovery plans. If you would like to submit written comments, email clerk@cityofsanmateo.org by 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29. We welcome your input and look forward to drafting a strategic plan that works toward a better San Mateo.
During the meeting, the Council will also review a mid-year budget update. Review a staff report for more details and how to join on our Public Meeting Portal.
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State of San Mateo – 2021We had a great turnout for Mayor Eric Rodriguez’s live State of the City last week and a recording of the annual event is now available on our YouTube channel.
Mayor Rodriguez provided a comprehensive update on the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, accomplishments over the last year, and what’s to come in 2021 during his talk “Resilience on the Path to Recovery.” You’ll learn about infrastructure projects, community policing, parks and recreation programs, city finances, how to support local businesses and more by watching San Mateo’s 2021 State of the City.
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Safe Streets San MateoWe are united in the goal to keep San Mateo a safe place to drive, walk, bicycle, and live. This year we launched Safe Streets San Mateo, an educational campaign that highlights each of our responsibilities on our roads, sidewalks, and intersections. When we work together, we can all get home safe.
To engage our community to join us in this important effort, we’re sharing local data on our new interactive Traffic Safety Maps for anyone curious about traffic issues. As we roll out our messaging, you’ll see specific reminders about everything from pedestrian safety to driver behavior all inspired by the data we’re seeing and sharing with you.
Our Public Works and Police departments will continue with engineering and enforcement to improve safety on our streets. But we need the cooperation of everyone in our community and you too can help. Visit our Safe Streets San Mateo web page to learn more.
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Free Emergency Response TrainingDo you feel prepared for an emergency? Would you like to learn skills that can help your family and your neighbors during a crisis? Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training teaches residents like you about disaster preparedness, light search and rescue, fire suppression, disaster first aid, disaster psychology, and more!
CERT has been adjusted to a hybrid model. Hybrid CERT is a course of study offered for free by the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department. The online component is available in English or Spanish. Registration is limited so sign up today. Classes begin Feb. 4 are usually on Thursday evenings for 8 weeks. For more information, and to register for this Hybrid CERT Core Course, please visit www.smcfire.eventbrite.com.
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Celebrating Black History On Monday, Feb. 1, City Council will adopt a proclamation honoring the contributions African Americans have made to our society, acknowledging ongoing inequalities, and recognizing February as Black History Month. Whether you’re an artist, a writer or just prefer to read, we want to help you be inspired as we commemorate Black History Month this February. Check out these free activities from our San Mateo Public Library as we celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans. |
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Black History Month Teen Art & Writing Contest
Local teens can celebrate Black History Month through artistic expression by entering our art and writing contest. Submit an original writing or piece of art that celebrates a Black American or Civil Rights event (recent or historical) that inspires you. Examples of submissions might be a photo, drawing, short story, poem or any other artistic medium. Visit our website to learn more and submit your work!
Book Group Discussion: Feb. 4
The Library’s Book Discussion Group will be reading and reviewing “Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow” by Henry Louis Gates. The group meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Email cmccarthy@cityofsanmateo.org to sign up and join.
Children’s Black History Storytime & Crafts: Feb. 24
Celebrate and help educate children grades 3-5 with a Black History Month program that includes stories and a cultural craft. This virtual program at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Space is limited, sign up online.
Award-Winning Gospel Artist in Concert: Feb. 27
The African American Library Advisory Committee will present a concert with award-winning gospel recording artist, song-writer and producer, Pastor Desmond Pringle to commemorate Black History Month on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. via Zoom. Register to join the concert online.
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Calling All Artists: Digital Commission for Downtown Parking StructureWe’re looking for 1-2 artists to create digital images that will become part of an important new development in downtown San Mateo – a vibrant residential and commercial district in the heart of the Peninsula.
The art will be printed on flexible facades suspended along the exterior of a new parking garage and the selected artist(s) will work with the nonprofit developer MidPen Housing and the City’s Civic Arts Commission through a design review process.
The work is part of our new entirely affordable housing community and parking garage project in collaboration with MidPen. Previously known as the Downtown Opportunity Sites, the recently approved project is called Kiku Crossing and will bring up to 225 much-needed affordable rental homes and a new publicly-accessible parking garage to downtown San Mateo.
Artists: the deadline to enter is Monday, Feb. 1. Please visit the Call For Entry web page for details and to enter.
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Evaluating Downtown San MateoOn Monday, Feb. 1, the City Council will hold a study session to start the conversation in evaluating downtown and how zoning could help support a vibrant, active commercial district in light of increasing ground floor commercial vacancies. The meeting will include an overview of what is currently allowed under the 2009 Downtown Area Plan, as well as a summary of stakeholder input and information about some of the actions nearby cities are taking in response to a changing retail and service market.
Both the Council and stakeholders have expressed interest in evaluating the current requirements and what potential changes could help enhance the vitality of downtown. This will be a high-level discussion about potential near-term options to help address vacancies, and is expected to result in City Council direction to staff as to what, if any, changes to zoning requirements should be explored.
Eventually, the entire Downtown Area Plan will undergo a comprehensive update as part of the multi-year, citywide General Plan Update process that is expected to take several years to complete. However, due to the immediacy of the economic challenges prompted by the pandemic and evolving market trends such as e-commerce, the Council will begin discussing near-term options.
Monday’s discussion will primarily focus on ground-floor uses of retail spaces throughout the 70 blocks that make up San Mateo’s largest commercial district. Currently, only retail, personal services such as salons, restaurants and eating/drinking facilities, theaters and banks can be located on the ground floor frontage of downtown buildings.
The Council meeting begins 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1 on Zoom. A staff report and instructions on how to join the meeting will be posted later this week on the City’s Public Meeting Portal.
Council to Consider Rules for Short-term Rentals Share your thoughts on how the City should regulate short-term rentals in San Mateo as the Council considers new rules on Monday, Feb. 1. Short-term rentals are rooms, dwelling units, or residential properties that are rented for short periods of time on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. After discussing the issue at a meeting last year, the City Council will consider a draft ordinance regulating short-term rentals that seeks to help preserve neighborhood quality and promote safety. Currently, the City of San Mateo does not have an ordinance regulating use of short-term rentals. However, short-term rental operators are required to pay hotel transient occupancy tax. The upcoming meeting follows community survey and prior public meetings. Based on feedback from the public and Council, staff will present a draft ordinance that includes recommendations such as prohibiting large events, establishing occupancy limits, and limiting the number of rental days per calendar year. The policy recommendations were developed in response to the resident concerns regarding short-term rentals and the impacts on their communities. You’re invited to share your opinions during the meeting that begins 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 via Zoom. A staff report and details on how to join will be posted later this week on our Public Meeting Portal.
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New Ordinance to Protect TreesOn Wednesday Feb. 3, staff will present the new proposed Protected Trees Ordinance and accompanying Administrative Guidelines to the Park and Recreation Commission. The proposed changes seek to improve the clarity and administration of San Mateo’s Heritage Tree Ordinance and are focused on tree protection during construction. Learn more about heritage trees and the City’s ordinance on the Heritage Tree web page.
Feedback from the public and commission have been collected during past commission meetings and more input will be collected at the upcoming meeting. Comments are also welcome in advance and can be sent to prcommission@cityofsanmateo.org up until 4 p.m. the day of the meeting. The meeting will be held on Zoom beginning 7 p.m. on Feb. 3. Instructions for how to join and a staff report with the new ordinance will be available next week on the City’s Public Meeting Portal. Questions? Please contact Matthew Fried, Managing Arborist at: 650-522-7422 or mfried@cityofsanmateo.org.
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Back in the Purple – What Does it Mean?As of Monday, the state ended the Regional Stay at Home and San Mateo County returned to the purple tier, the most restrictive of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Under the purple tier, some businesses are allowed to resume limited operations, including outdoor dining at restaurants. The California Department of Public Health has a breakdown of what's allowed in each tier.
The purple tier includes the following activities/business with limited operations: Restaurants: Outdoors only with modifications (takeout and delivery open with modifications) Gatherings: Outdoors only with modifications, no more than three households Places of Worship: Outdoors only with modifications Movie Theaters, Gyms and Fitness Centers, Museums, Zoos and Aquariums: Outdoors only with modifications Hair Salons, Barbershops, Personal Care Services: Open indoors with modifications All Retail (except stand-alone grocers), Shopping Centers, Malls, Swap Meets: Open indoors with modifications, maximum 25% capacity, closed common areas, closed food courts
All businesses are required to follow industry-specific guidance. You can easily search for an extensive list of what’s open in San Mateo County at any given time on the State’s Blueprint web page. If you wish to report a businesses that is not complying with COVID regulations, please visit the County's COVID-19 business compliance task force web page. |
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City Hall Reopening for Limited Services City Hall was temporarily closed to the public during the Regional Stay Home Order but will reopen to the public for in-person services starting Monday, Feb. 1 Even though we will reopen for limited customer service, we strongly encourage customers to access services remotely through our Online Applications and Services page. You can apply for a building permit, register for recreation classes, file a police report, pay for a business license, apply for an encroachment permit and much more all from the comfort of home.
For those who wish to come to City Hall, we will continue to have safety protocols in place while providing limited access to help keep the public and our staff safe. Due to construction and COVID-19, visitors may only access City Hall from the Council Chambers entrance off O’Farrell street.
Visitors must first check in at the kiosk outside Council Chambers to receive an appointment, and will be asked to wait outside until it is their turn. Services are being provided in Conference Room C from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visitors must also follow our COVID-19 safety protocols. All other city facilities remain closed to the public at this time due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Vaccine InformationThe State and San Mateo County Health are continuing to support the equitable distribution of vaccines. The County is following state guidance on how to prioritize distribution of the limited supply of the vaccine. Most San Mateo County residents will receive the vaccine directly from their primary health care provider (such as Kaiser, Sutter etc.) Contact your health care provider for the most accurate and up to date information about when and how you can expect to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.Everyone will have access to the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost when it is available to them. Visit the County’s COVID-19 Vaccine web page for more information. The State’s distribution guidelines are evolving, so check back often for updates.
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Food Services Volunteers WantedThe Samaritan House is inviting community members who are able to commit to a minimum of 4 weeks to help with Food Services. Roles include in-person food hand out and also driving roles. Driving roles are most often needed on a sub basis but have potential to turn into ongoing volunteer positions. Hours vary between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. depending on role. Contact volunteering@samaritanhousesanmateo.org for more information or to volunteer.
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Zoom Fitness Cohosts Would you like to help out by co-hosting one of our live-stream Zoom Recreation Dance & Fitness classes? We are currently offering over 40 adult dance and fitness classes and many still need cohosts to assist with admitting students and tracking attendance. Plus, you can even partake in the class and have lots of fun. We will provide the training, so join us, in a healthy and happy New Year! Class examples are listed below. Mon. 9-10 a.m. Total Body Workout Tues. 9-10 a.m. Cardio/Strength & Stretch Wed. 10-11 a.m. Pilates Thurs. 12:45-1:45 p.m. Chair Yoga Friday 9-10 a.m. Total Body Workout
To apply, please apply using our online application. Under "Assignment Preference" please select P&R: Fitness Monitor.
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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.
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? Apply now for the new San Mateo County Immigrant Relief Fund, which can help residents who are economically impacted by COVID-19 and not eligible for state or federal assistance due to their immigration status. Learn more and apply online on the Mission Asset Fund website or by contacting Legal Aid.
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