Greetings!
“Chance favors the prepared mind,” stated French chemist Louis Pasteur. In Pacifica’s case, years of preparation with improvements to wastewater infrastructure – replacements of sewer mains, construction of the 2.1 million gallon wet weather equalization basin, sewer lateral replacements by residents and supported through the City’s grant program, and annual cleaning of creeks, channels, and inlets of debris – all combined to prevent major flooding in the Linda Mar area from Sunday’s historic storm of more than 6 inches of rain in Pacifica, a very low percent chance storm. By comparison, the December 11, 2014, storm that flooded significant portions of Linda Mar was estimated at approximately 4 inches of rain. Were it not for these annual preparations and the Equalization Basin, this storm would have been a major disaster.
The extreme amount of rain in a short time did exceed the capacity of the basin (despite the basin being one of the largest in the region) and the Linda Mar pump station to transport the mixture of mostly storm water and some waste water to the treatment plant, which resulted in some discharge to the ocean. Similar “bypasses” or “sanitary sewer overflows” also happened to many other waste water systems in the bay area. However, protective measures and health monitoring were immediately implemented at the beach and will ensure a safe reopening of the beach, potentially as early as this weekend. As I summarized in detail at the City Council meeting last Monday, Pacifica’s storm preparations and response – Public Works Wastewater and Field Services, the Police Department, and the North County Fire Authority – were exemplary. The City Council, as they publicly stated on Monday, and I are thankful and proud of the commitment and service each employee in each of these departments provides to help protect the community and the environment in these extreme storm circumstances.
Sincerely,
Kevin Woodhouse
City Manager
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Stay Updated with the latest
San Mateo County Health News
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Need a flu shot? Click here to find a free flu clinic in San Mateo County.
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SMC ALERT is an alert notification system used to immediately contact you during urgent or emergency situations. You can set alerts to send emergency and non-emergency text and voice messages to your:
- Email accounts
- Cell phones, smartphones, tablets
- Voice messages to landline phones (home & work)
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Congresswoman Speier to unveil exhibit honoring San Mateo County residents who died of COVID-19
San Mateo, CA – Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14) will open a week-long exhibit, “In America: Remember” to reflect on the San Mateo residents who passed away from COVID-19 on Sunday, November 7, 2021 at noon at Leo Ryan Park in Foster City. The exhibit is inspired by an installation of more than 690,000 white flags artist Suzanne Firstenberg placed on 20 acres on the National Mall in Washington, DC in September.
“Visiting the exhibit in DC was deeply moving and I want to bring that impact home to my district,” Rep. Speier said. “Suzanne Firstenberg succeeded in illustrating the enormity of the pandemic tragedy. I believe that displaying the white flags in every county in America could help us heal and come together. It is also a way to remember the lives of people who we have lost locally.”
Rep. Speier will be joined in remarks by Foster City Mayor Sanjay Gehani, Dr. Grace Firtch of Kaiser Permanente, and Pastor Paul Bains of WeHOPE. Singer Liz Buljan and bagpiper Fred Payne will provide music for the event.
According to the San Mateo County Health department, there have been 623 COVID deaths and 52,723 cases in the county as of October 27, 2021. The vaccination rate is over 90 percent, one of the highest in the country.
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Please Remember to Pick Up After Your Pet!
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Did you know that pet waste left on sidewalks, streets, yards and other open areas can make its way into storm drains leading into local creeks and the ocean, harming the water quality and habitat? Please remember to carry disposable bags every time you walk your pet and dispose of pet waste in a garbage can.
The City of Pacifica offers FREE Dog Bag Dispenser and Waste Bags to Pacifica residents (while supplies last!). Pick yours up at the Public Works office at 151 Milagra Drive. Thank you!
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Workforce Development Opportunities
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Improve your potential in the workplace through a workforce development program or training! Check out some of the different opportunities being offered locally to grow your workforce skills.
Please see below:
Click on one of the training advertisements below for more information.
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The Fire Department reminds you to "Cook with Caution." Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries.
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Comment on SamTrans Proposed
Route Changes before November 3
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SamTrans is recommending changes to bus routes.
The new bus system is designed to (1) Prioritize Equity - prioritize buses to high-need communities from underused and duplicate routes; (2) Improve Efficiency – create faster, reliable service through more direct and consolidated routes; and (3) Expand Connections – provide expanded all-day service, and more service to transit hubs and job centers
SamTrans needs to hear from you. Please go to reimaginesamtrans.com or call 1-800- 660-4287 by November 8 to learn about the changes.
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Pacifica School District Workforce Housing Project - Informational Session on November 4
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The Pacifica School District and City of Pacifica will host a joint meeting on the School District’s proposed Workforce Housing Project located at 930 Oddstad Boulevard which is under review by the City.
The meeting will be held at 6 PM on Thursday, November 4, and will be comprised of two parts:
Part 1 – Information session hosted by the Pacifica School District about the proposed project which includes 70 residential units and maintenance of playing fields accessible to the community.
Part 2 – Environmental Impact Report (EIR) scoping meeting hosted by the City of Pacifica on the environmental review process and how the public can get involved.
No registration is required. Please note the options to join the meeting, below:
Option 2: Join by phone: US: (669) 900-6833, Webinar ID: 831 3077 8540
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Renew Your Business Licenses
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All City of Pacifica business licenses are expiring on October 31.
Click here to apply for a new business license or renew your current license.
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Financing Options Available to Build an ADU
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The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) recently launched a state program that offers grants of up to $25,000 for low and moderate income homeowners to construct an Accessory Dwelling Unit, or "ADU," ( full details here). The path to access the grant requires that the homeowner get a construction or renovation loan with a CalHFA-approved lender that has also opted into the ADU grant program (a list of such lenders is on the CalHFA website).
If you are interested in learning more, visit www.calhfa.ca.gov or call 877-9-CALHFA (877-922-5432).
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Peninsula Clean Energy 2020 Community Benefits Summary for Pacifica
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Pacifica is part of Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) , San Mateo County's electricity provider that offers a choice for electricity with higher renewable energy content than PG&E. Through PCE, Pacifica residents and businesses are helping the environment while saving money. PCE helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by providing clean energy principally from wind, solar and hydro resources, all at competitive rates.
Click here to see Pacifica's Community Impact Report for 2020.
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Join the Ohlone-Portola
Heritage Hike on November 6
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To commemorate the First Contact Between Two Cultures and the Portolá Expeditions sighting of San Francisco Bay, on November 6 there will be a Heritage Hike event which will include a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly named Ahni Trail. For more information, see the flyer below or contact the Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Department at (650) 738-7378.
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Arbor Day Celebration on November 13 - Register Now to Plant a Tree!
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Celebrate Arbor Day with Tree City Pacifica on November 13. There will be an event at Fairmont Part and Recreation Center (access via Parkview Circle). If you would like to plant a tree, please email [email protected] or call (650) 303-1841. Trees will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. At the November 13 event, the Mayor will present and dedicate the COVID Memorial Grove.
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The City is Hiring for Various Positions
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The City of Pacifica is currently recruiting for various open positions. Visit CalOpps to learn about the different recruitment opportunities. Apply for a position on our City Team, today!
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That's all your updates for this week!
Thanks for Connecting with Pacifica.
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Please note: This newsletter is sent weekly on Friday and content is current at that time. Those who have not opened the email by Monday receive a reminder email, and some content may no longer be current.
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Click on the meeting link for the agenda and information how to join the meeting virtually via Zoom.
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Recent City of Pacifica and Pacifica Police Department press releases are available on the City of Pacifica website under City Government - Press Releases & Media Bulletins.
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