This year, the County Elections Office and the City worked together to ensure a secure, efficient, and easy way for voters to drop off their ballots without entering a voting center. While this is the first year that Burlingame has installed outdoor ballot drop boxes, other cities and the County have been using them for more than a decade.

You can track your ballot. Sign up on wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov, and you can track when the Election Office receives your ballot and even when it is counted. Don't delay. The sooner you drop off your ballot, the sooner you can start tracking it! The County will start mailing ballots to all registered voters in San Mateo County on October 5.

If you have questions or concerns about the upcoming election, please contact City Clerk Meaghan Hassel-Shearer at mhasselshearer@burlingame.org, or at 650-558-7203. #BurlingameVotes

The newest appliance trend hitting California is all-electric appliances. Appliances that use electricity instead of natural gas don't burn fossil fuels and are better for the environment, especially in Burlingame where most of our electricity is generated from clean sources. ​

Induction cooktops are high-performing cooking ranges that use electromagnetism to directly heat the cookware. This means that the cooktop stays cool and only the pan heats up. Induction cooktops are highly efficient and heat up faster than gas stoves; they don't create any indoor air pollution; and they are easy to clean. Most cookware, like cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans, work on induction cooktops. If a magnet sticks to the bottom of a pan, it will work. If it doesn't, an inexpensive converter plate can be used.

Learn more about how Burlingame is supporting all-electric buildings here​.

The City of Burlingame is in the process of updating its Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. This plan will focus on enhancing Burlingame’s bicycle and pedestrian network, which includes on-street bike routes, Bay Trail connections, pedestrian facilities, and street and highway crossings.

You are invited to offer input on the Plan through a Virtual Open House. This is a great opportunity to preview and comment on the draft bicycle and pedestrian project recommendations. Once inside the Virtual Open House, visitors will be able to:

The Virtual Open House will be open through September 17. In addition, comments related to the Plan may also be submitted by emailing info@walkbikeburlingame.com.

At this time, the City is seeking to fill two vacant seats on the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Council will likely appoint each Commissioner to the full three-year term. Incumbents may reapply. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 21, 2020. Click here for more information about the Parks and Recreation Commission and to access the application and supplemental questionnaire.

If you have any questions, please contact Ana Silva in the City Manager’s Office at

650-558-7204.

The final Burlingame Avenue street closures will occur this weekend on September 5 and 6. Public Works staff will begin installing parklet barriers on September 11 for businesses that have completed their encroachment permit paperwork. Please contact Economic Development and Housing Specialist Joseph Sanfilippo at jsanfilippo@burlingame.org with any questions.

As part of this project, the City has hired Kingdom Pipelines, Inc. to install a new concrete driveway, additional asphalt concrete pavement for vehicles, and new fencing for the Hillside Reservoir in order to allow better access by City staff. In addition, a new concrete block retaining wall and new asphalt concrete pavement will be installed for the Skyview Reservoir in order to replace the existing wood retaining wall and allow improved vehicle access within the reservoir area.

Construction is anticipated to begin on September 8 and continue through November 2020, dependent on weather, holidays, and other delays.  More project information is available here.

What to Expect During Construction

Every effort will be made to minimize disruption and noise caused by construction activities. The City’s inspector will be on the job site and available to answer questions or offer assistance, if necessary. If you cannot locate the inspector onsite, please contact Tony Basch at 925-642-5839. Your patience during construction is greatly appreciated.

Labor Day Construction Schedule: Construction activities related to the San Mateo 101 Express Lanes Project will briefly pause in observance of the upcoming Labor Day Weekend. Crews will not be working Friday night, September 4, through Monday night, September 7. Crews will return to work during the day on Tuesday, September 8.  

Sound Wall Work: Construction crews working on the sound walls will continue to implement one-way traffic control periodically on Bayshore Boulevard (from Newbridge Avenue to just past Dakota Avenue, from 2nd Avenue to Dore Avenue, and from Dore Avenue to East Poplar Avenue) in the City of San Mateo. One-way traffic control may occur from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. During this time, northbound traffic will remain on Bayshore Boulevard while southbound traffic will be detoured. Watch for detour signs. After 5:00 p.m., the road will be restored to two-way traffic. 

Nighttime Freeway Lane Closures: Nightly freeway lane closures may occur on northbound and southbound U.S. 101 from 7:00 p.m, to 6:30 a.m., Sunday nights to Friday mornings. Due to low traffic volumes, project-related traffic delays are anticipated to be minimal. Caltrans will continue to monitor traffic delays and make adjustments, as necessary.

Freeway Ramp Closures: Temporary ramp closures may occur during the night. Ramp closures could occur in both the northbound and southbound directions of the freeway. However, consecutive interchanges for northbound and southbound ramps will not be closed at the same time.

Nighttime Ramp Closures: Short-term nighttime ramp closures are possible during the week of August 30 (between Sunday night and Friday morning) in/near the cities of Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont, San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame, Millbrae, San Bruno, and South San Francisco. Signs near the ramps will have exact closure times and locations.

For questions during construction, contact the Caltrans Public Information Officer Alejandro Lopez at 510-385-6856, or visit 101express@dot.ca.gov.

Never miss an update! Subscribe to weekly construction updates by emailing 101express@dot.ca.gov with the word "weekly" in the subject line.

Thursdays, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Please continue to follow these important tips for shopping the Fresh Market:

For more information, visit burlingamechamber.org.

Volunteers are needed to help pick up litter in neighborhoods all across San Mateo County. Cleanups will be self-guided and start at your front door this year.

When: Coastal Cleanup 2020 is now EVERY Saturday in September!

Where: Individuals, households, and social bubbles are encouraged to clean up litter in their local neighborhoods. Cleanups in large groups are not allowed this year in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

How: Watch this short video or read the details below.

Join Burlingame's Parks and Recreation Department for another drive-in movie event starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny in "Space Jam". Space is limited, and registration is required for this event. Please register one car per household.

The movie will begin at sunset. Cars may begin arriving at 6:30 pm. Gabriel & Daniel’s Mexican Grill will be available for to-go orders. Please feel free to bring your own items, but please do not share between vehicles in order to comply with current COVID-19 orders.

Burlingame Parks and Recreation is following all San Mateo County and State mandates regarding COVID-19. Information regarding policies and procedures for attendance will be sent to families closer to the event date. For any questions, please call 650-558-7300.

Bring paper documents and confidential materials for safe and secure on-site shredding. Proof of Burlingame residency is required, and each household is limited to three standard size boxes (10"x12"x15"). Staples and paper clips are okay. The event will last until noon or until the truck is full, whichever comes first.

Please note that this year’s event is limited to shredding services ONLY. No e-scrap items will be accepted!

Register at www.burlingamespiritrun.com

 

After a one-year hiatus, the popular Burlingame Spirit Run will come back as a virtual race on Labor Day weekend. Hosted by the Burlingame Community for Education Foundation (BCE), this event will allow participants to run or walk their own 5K or 10K race course, choose their own race location, and also determine their own race time. No crowds or waking up early (unless you want to)! 

Proceeds from the race will benefit BCE, which raises money for all public schools in the Burlingame School District. People from all around the Bay Area and beyond are invited and encouraged to participate by running or walking, or even hiking or logging miles on their treadmills. After you’ve finished, to log your effort, enter your completed race time on the Spirit Run website any time Labor Day weekend.

Find out more about the virtual race and our sponsors at the BCE website www.bcefoundation.org.

HEART of San Mateo County and Meriwest Mortgage will hold a two free virtual first-time homebuyer workshops in September.

HEART and Meriwest Mortgage partner together to offer downpayment assistance to first-time homebuyers in San Mateo County to buy a home with only 5% down and no private mortgage insurance.

You can buy a market-rate single-family home, town home, or condo worth up to $908,156 anywhere in the county with this special program. A representative realtor will be on hand to talk about what might be available in this challenging real estate market and how to make a successful offer. 

Zoom, pre-registration required

The climate crisis, growing inequality, systemic racism and the pandemic are threatening our lives and our life support systems. These are all part of a deeper crisis of disconnectedness in which we experience nature and community less and less in our daily lives to the detriment of our well-being.

The Citizens Environmental Council (CEC) invites you to this free Zoom program on the importance of living locally. It will feature Matt Biggar, Ph.D., a network strategy consultant and researcher, who will offer guidance and invite discussion on the importance of vital connections. There is no charge, but pre-registration is required at https://bit.ly/3jiAO50. You will receive an email with instructions on how to access the webinar on Zoom.

Matt Biggar is the principal and founder of Connected to Place, a consulting firm that supports place-based networks, foundations, and organizations to transform communities into healthy, thriving places. He served as Principal of Burlingame High School from 2002 to 2008 and as Associate Superintendent in the San Mateo Union High School District from 2008 to 2011. Click here for more information.

Burlingame residents are invited to sign up for the eighth annual Burlingame Disaster Survival Drill. Hosted by the Burlingame Neighborhood Network (BNN), it will be a shelter-in-place virtual drill observing social distancing guidelines and will be conducted in the safety of people’s own homes. Participation will also help neighborhoods qualify for free emergency supply caches and free personal protection equipment.

To sign up your neighborhood, email info@burlingamenetwork.org with your name and street address by September 22 and indicate whether you want to lead a block or join another group. You will be contacted by a BNN representative. There is no charge.

Burlingame’s annual drills help neighbors learn how to team up to respond to incidents following a major emergency, when emergency responders may not be unavailable for up to 96 hours. This year's participants will practice communicating via different modes within their own neighborhoods. No personal interaction is needed to participate. Neighbors will be given “virtual incidents” and will be challenged to figure out how to respond to each incident and communicate it to others.

Thanks to support from the City of Burlingame, neighborhood groups that participate in at least two drills and have other occasional activities may qualify for a free emergency cache valued at $550. So far, 25 of the more than 50 active blocks in Burlingame have received caches.

Blocks with caches that participate in this year’s drill will receive a supply of disposable masks, vinyl gloves, and surgical gowns to add to their caches. All blocks will receive drill kits (or refresher materials). This year, kits will include receive a stack of “OK/Help” signs that will help neighborhood responders identify where to focus assistance during a real emergency.

For more information, visit BurlingameNetwork.org or email info@burlingamenetwork.org. Pictured below: Bernal group practices first aid. Picture by Terry Nagel.