Hello! I hope you and your families were able to enjoy the 4
th
of July weekend in some form or another. As was the case for my family, I’m sure yours was not a ‘normal’ celebration - but hopefully you found a way to relax and enjoy yourselves.
I’m happy to report that, overall, the 4
th
of July weekend went well for Half Moon Bay, and did not result in the major problems we anticipated may occur. I’d say our preparations for the worst-case scenario really paid off – we generally discouraged people from coming to the coast, completely closed the beaches and their parking areas, put up electronic message boards on key roadways advising of the situation, and did our best to enforce the closures.
Enforcement with the force of law is of course something only the Sheriff’s Office can do, so it was good to have deputies present at a number of locations. We did have City staff stationed all weekend at the entrances to City beaches. Their job was to educate visitors about the closures and dissuade people from going onto the beach or the closed section of the Coastal Trail. By all reports, most people indeed complied. I’ve heard of only a few complaints from disappointed visitors, but I’m told that overall, everyone who our staff contacted was cooperative.
I want to offer my great thanks to our own community members who continue to be so patient and understanding of these unique circumstances, especially over the holiday weekend.
Guidance for Reopening of Businesses:
As counties across the state continue to have to rollback their openings, let’s keep pushing forward and doing what we can do to keep each other, our community, and our economy safe. Wear your masks, keep your distance, follow guidelines, and be diligent. We can accomplish a return to normalcy together.
County Board of Supervisors Provides $2 Million for Emergency Immigrant Relief:
The Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to provide $2 million to the
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 County will partner with nonprofit organizations
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
and the
Mission Asset Fund
to coordinate and administer the fund. 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.
Coastside Hope School Supplies:
Is your family in need of school supplies for the upcoming school year? If so, you can register to receive school supplies through Coastside Hope. For more information, please call 650-726-9071.
This program is possible due to the collaboration of the following organizations: Coastside Hope, Holy Family Episcopal Church , Abundant Grace Coastside Worker, Community Methodist Church, Coastside Lutheran Church , Coastside Jewish Community, The Migrant Student Program at the Cabrillo School District, St.Vincent de Paul Society at Our Lady of the Pillar, The Rotary Club, and The Coastside Mother’s Club
.
A huge thank you to these community partners for coming together to support our schools and youth!
2020 Election Candidate Filing Period Begins Next Week:
Starting Monday, the candidate filing period for November’s City Council election begins. Registered voters living within Districts 2 and 3 are eligible to run for those two available seats. This election, the fling period is being conducted electronically and by appointment only. Please email our City Clerk, Jessica Blair, at
[email protected]
or 650-726-8271 to set up an appointment and for more information.
If you missed the Elections Q&A, be sure to check out the City’s
elections web page
.
The page is updated continuously as more information becomes available.
San Mateo County Elections is Now Hiring:
The Elections Division for San Mateo County has begun hiring Vote Center Representatives for November’s election. Wages start at $21.02 and bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged to apply!
Plastic Free July:
Celebrate Plastic Free July with the City! To participate, you can refuse to buy single-use plastics, use more reusable items, or simply be more aware of the plastic you’re using. Many times, single-use plastics are used for minutes at a time but stick around for hundreds of years.
Pledge to participate in whichever way that works for your lifestyle whether you can participate for one month, one week, or one day. By celebrating Plastic Free July, you’re helping our planet be happy and healthy for generations to come!
Half Moon Bay Library Update:
Summer plans and activities may look different this year, but the library’s annual
Summer Learning Challenge
continues! The Summer Learning Challenge also means free books that will be yours to keep and read and re-read over the summer. Your FREE Summer Learning Challenge books are now available to pick up at the Half Moon Bay Library during
curbside hours
– no appointment necessary. Happy Reading!
