Greetings!
The dictionary defines change as “replace something with something else, especially something better.”
And that is exactly what we have done in San Mateo County.
Change. And more change. Sometimes we think change will not happen soon enough. Like the end of the pandemic or, at least, the end of the restrictions on how we gather. Other times, change comes fast and furious.
May has definitely been a month of change and in this newsletter, we attempt to summarize some of those changes through graphics and narrative (see below).
Best,
Warren Slocum
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GETTING THE JOB DONE:
COVID VACCINE UPDATE
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May brought positive news on the vaccine front. San Mateo County has been fully committed to vaccine equity. We have brought the vaccine to our most vulnerable communities – even when vaccine supply was limited. Thankfully, our vaccine supply is now steady. And we continue to hold targeted micro events to get those hard-to-reach residents vaccinated at churches, employment centers and large apartment buildings. |
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SAN MATEO COUNTY IS IN THE YELLOW –
LEAST RESTRICTIVE TIER!
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On May 12th, San Mateo County went into the Yellow Tier – the least restrictive tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This is fantastic news. We are only one of 9 counties (out of 58) in the state and 2 counties in the Bay Area to reach this goal. And it is because of all the hard work of you – our residents, volunteers, nonprofits and businesses who helped us get there!
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For the past 35 years, our County Fireworks Ordinance has remained unchanged. What has changed is the much-expanded and devastating fire seasons – due to Climate change – and the danger unpermitted fireworks pose to our community both in personal injury and property damage.
I have heard from constituents about the number of unpermitted fireworks going off near and during the July 4th holiday. They are very concerned for their safety and that of their neighborhood. It is why Supervisor Don Horsley and I brought forth an updated fireworks ordinance that calls for strict liability of social hosts and increased and meaningful fines to deter people from using unpermitted fireworks. The ordinance applies to the unincorporated areas, but we have sent it to all the cities with the hope that they too will enact a similar ordinance. You can read our updated fireworks ordinance here.
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Local Company –
Building Housing and Bringing Hope
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This is a success story for a local non-profit, Project WeHope, transforming itself to meet the needs it saw in the homeless population it served. For years, Project We Hope, located in East Palo Alto, has provided shelter and support services to homeless in southern San Mateo County. What they saw was that their clients, many whom had jobs and salaries, were often homeless because they could not find affordable housing – they simply did not make enough to live in San Mateo County.
Here’s what they decided to do - to create both affordable housing for extremely low-income residents in San Mateo County and up to eighty good paying manufacturing jobs, the leaders of Project WeHope joined with other community leaders to establish a new non-profit organization, United Hope Builders. And in partnership with indieDwell, they plan to manufacture affordable, modular housing units at a new plant in East Palo Alto that will provide residents with well-paid manufacturing jobs.
On May 18th, I sponsored legislation that called for a grant of $500,000 to this organization to help jump start its operations. My request was approved by the entire board.
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Housing is Key –
Relief for Tenants & Landlords
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This pandemic exacerbated the availability of housing in an already tight housing market here in San Mateo County and the Bay Area. The median home price in San Mateo County is $2 million. And for the most part, production of affordable housing slowed during this time, at least in the first months of the pandemic. San Mateo County moved quickly to ensure that our most vulnerable residents, both renters and homeowners, were able to pay rent and utilities through several grant programs.
Recently, the state has begun a new rent relief program – Housing is Key – for both tenants and landlords to keep families housed. Housing is Key will help income-eligible households pay rent and utilities, both for past due and future payments.
Here’s how it works. Eligible renters can apply for landlords to be reimbursed for 80% of each eligible renter’s unpaid rent between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. The landlord must agree to waive the remaining 20% of unpaid rent for that specific time period. Eligible renters whose landlords choose not to participate in the program may receive 25% of unpaid rent between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Landlords who have one or more eligible renters can apply to get reimbursed for 80% of each eligible renter’s unpaid rent between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, if they agree to waive the remaining 20% of unpaid rent for that specific time period.
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SUMMER CAMP OPPORTUNITIES |
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This is the time of the year when many parents fret about summer activities for their kids. School will soon be out and moms and dads are looking for fun, interesting, educational and affordable activities. It’s a big challenge.
Our local cities offer some great recreational programs, there are summer jobs programs for youth programs and other daily activities at places like the Boys and Girls Club. Also, don’t forget to check out your local library for programming especially for youth. Here are some options:
The Summer Learning Challenge is set to start June 1st. All youth with an SMCL Library card will automatically be included in the Summer Learning Challenge celebrations and will have a chance to win one of thirteen $1000 college scholarships! Community members can also sign up online at summerlearners.org.
The Big Lift is taking registrations for free 5-week camps for Redwood City-North Fair Oaks and East Palo Alto-Belle Haven for children entering K-3 in the fall.
Currently, there are openings in their Ravenswood camp, and a waitlist for the Redwood City camp.
There are openings for day camp. The camps are not free, but there is a financial aid application.
They have 25 spaces available for a 6-week program. The program is free for all students that are a part of their after-school program, but any non-participating applicants will be a required to pay a small fee of $20 for the entire summer. See flyer above.
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DISTRICT 4 EVENTS:
FACEBOOK LIVE CONVERSATIONS
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Get Ready for Back-to-School Post-COVID |
On May 20th, my office hosted a Facebook Live on “Back to School – Post-COVID” in partnership with CARON, Redwood City Together and the Redwood City School District. We heard from our panelists Redwood City School District Superintendent John Baker, RCSD Trustee and parent Cecilia Marquez, District Community Liaison Michelle Remond and Taft Elementary Principal Anna Herrera. They gave parents important information about what will be required for students to return to school, what the schools are doing to prepare for this new year, and why it is important socially and academically to have students to come back in-person. You can watch this Facebook Live discussion, which is in Spanish, here. |
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Poetry and Mindfulness with the San Mateo County Library |
May is Mental Health Awareness Month – and we are partnering with the San Mateo County Library System and Supervisor Carole Groom to bring you this special virtual series where meditation and verse come to life. Our first “Poetry and Mindfulness” workshop will be on Wednesday, May 26 at 7:00 p.m. Our current and past County Poet Laureates will join the conversation to help us focus and center!
And did you know that you can download the CALM app from the library for a 6-month trial? I have done so – and so has my staff – to enjoy both meditation, poetry and more mindfulness activities. Try it!
You can register for this event here - we hope to “see” you on May 26!
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Middlefield Road
Improvement Project
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- The contractor began preparing the lot behind the clinic for their construction trailers, material storage, and staging.
- The construction trailers, some pipe, and porta-potties have been delivered. They hope to have their field office (construction trailers) step up this week or next. They will be using generators until they can get temporary power to the trailers.
- This week they took soil samples for testing to determine where excavated materials from Middlefield Road can be disposed and they will start potholing (digging holes to locate existing underground utilities) next week, which is anticipated to take two weeks. After that their first order of work will be the sewer pipe replacement at the north end of the project and specifically north of the rail road to Douglas.
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Our Budget
Demonstrates Our Values
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Our Board of Supervisors will be holding budget hearings the week of June 20th. The Recommended $3.3 Billion Budget for FY 2021-22. As we prepare the County to operate in a post-COVID world our budget balances new initiatives, existing important programs along with caution for potential unforeseen liabilities.
One of the biggest areas of interest is the allowable uses and dollar amounts for the American Rescue Plan disbursements. The first disbursement ($74.4million) and documents associated to areas that it can be spent on were just release on May 11. One effort that we will be taking up shortly effort to help small businesses on their path to recovery.
The County’s budget reflects our values and the vast array of vital services provided daily to our kids, to meals for seniors, libraries, parks, homeless services, housing, hospitals and clinics as well as the criminal justice system.
And finally, I invite you to Zoom into the County’s budgeting process. Our meetings can be viewed online starting June 21st at 9 AM.
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MEMORIAL DAY - REMEMBER AND HONOR |
On May 31, America will celebrate Memorial Day. Since the founding of our country, more than 1.3 million Americans have lost their lives in service to our Country. They died for our freedoms. As a proud veteran, I never will forget their sacrifices. Here are a few Memorial Day ceremonies you might be interested in.
Skylawn Cemetery in San Mateo is hosting a virtual event on Monday, May 31 at 9:30 a.m.
The Japanese Cemetery in Colma is hosting a virtual Memorial Day Service on Monday, May 31 at 11:00 a.m.at the Japanese Cemetery
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Call for Nominations – the San Mateo County Veterans Commission is seeking nominations for the Veteran of the Year, Patriot and the Year and Enterprise of the Year for their 6th Annual Veterans Recognition event this November. Nomination forms can be found here.
Apply to serve on the San Mateo County Supervisorial District Lines Advisory Commission! This 11-member Commission will do important work to study the boundaries of the County’s five supervisorial districts, including holding a series of public meetings. The Commission’s work will be supported by a professional demographer and County staff. Recruitment is open now until Friday, June 4 at 5pm.
May is Teacher Appreciation Month – and we need to thank all the educators for going above and beyond during this pandemic. Please thank all the teachers you know!
The San Mateo County Fair is back – from June 5-13th! Their daily schedule is up, and tickets can be purchased on line. Check it out!
If you live in the North Fair Oaks area, please consider attending the North Fair Oaks Community Council meetings. They meet the fourth Thursday night of each month. For more information, contact our Office of Community Affairs at CommunityAffairs@smcgov.org.
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If you want to get more insight into what my staff and I are working on, please connect with us on social media. It’s also a great way to interact with the office and to get notifications on upcoming events. Click the icons and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Finally, if you would like to see back issues of this newsletter, they can be found on my website here. They certainly reflect the long way we have come!
Warren Slocum
District 4 Supervisor
San Mateo County
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