In this edition:                             December 22, 2016

City Offices' Holiday Schedule
Welcome Mayor Ricardo Ortiz
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
2016 Sustainability Highlights
Winter Spare the Air Days
Thank you Nuts for Candy & CCFD
Be a Sustainability Expert

holidayhoursCity Offices' Holiday Schedule
City offices will close at Noon on Friday, 12/23, and will be closed all day, Monday, 12/26.
welcomeWelcome Mayor Ricardo Ortiz
and Vice Mayor Michael Brownrigg!

Per the City's formal rotation procedure established by City Council in 1999, outgoing Mayor, Ann Keighran, welcomed incoming Mayor, Ricardo Ortiz at Monday's City Council session. Mayor Ricardo Ortiz and Vice Mayor Michael Brownrigg will serve the City of Burlingame in their new roles for the next twelve months. 

Mayor Ortiz (pictured in center with family below) accepted his new position with enthusiasm and thanked his peers on City Council for their tireless efforts and cordial willingness to agree to disagree at times. He also thanked City staff and commissioners and expressed his appreciation to the community members who take the time and make the effort to share their thoughts and opinions through emails and public comment at City Council meetings.    


driveDrive Sober or Get Pulled Over
Burlingame Police Department enforces safe roads this holiday
 
This holiday season, the Burlingame Police Department will be out looking for drunk and drugged drivers as part of a special, year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization. 
 
"Beginning December 16 and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired," said Burlingame Police Chief, Eric Wollman. "We want to keep our roads safe for holiday travelers, so we will have zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving."
 
As part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign period, police, sheriff and the CHP will be deploying DUI Checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols during the upcoming 17-day DUI crackdown throughout the region. The Burlingame Police Department will be conducting a DUI checkpoint on Friday, December 30, 2016 and saturation patrols during this crackdown period. 
 
Drugs such as prescription medication, marijuana or illicit drugs can impair judgment and get you the same DUI arrest as alcohol.  Nationally in 2014, 32,675 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes with 9,967 people killed in crashes involving an impaired driver.  In California, total highway deaths were reported at 3,126 with 1,155 lives lost in alcohol and/or drug impaired collisions.  If you're caught driving impaired by alcohol or drugs, you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver's license, towing fees, and other DUI expenses, totaling $10,000 on average. 
 
"Driving under the influence is not only costly, but can ruin the holidays for you, your family or for someone else's family," said OTS Director, Rhonda Craft. "Make the decision to drive sober or use our DDVIP app to help you find a safe ride home for yourself or your friends if you know they've been drinking."
 
Drivers are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or "DDVIP," free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more.  The feature-packed app even has social media tie-ins and even a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb.
 
For more information on the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign and all OTS efforts, visit www.ots.ca.gov. To learn more about the DDVIP app, please visit the OTS Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS or follow OTS on Twitter @OTS_CA. 
 
The Burlingame Police Department wants everyone to have a safe and memorable holiday season, and is calling on everyone to be alert; 'Report Drunk Drivers - Call 911!
 
Funding for this holiday enforcement campaign is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
sustainability2016 Sustainability Highlights
Summary of Burlingame's green initiatives during the past year
 
In October, the City joined Peninsula Clean Energy  (PCE) - San Mateo County's electricity provider - which means that our electricity now comes from at least 50% renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. By being part of PCE, the City is reducing close to 500 tons of greenhouse gases/year, which is like removing 100 cars from the road/year. Burlingame residents and businesses can join PCE  now as well (or wait for their enrollment notice to come this April) to start receiving greener electricity.
 
The City gave out over 1,000 free water efficient sprinklers to help Burlingame water customers conserve water. The program is still available - sign up now to receive up to 25 free water efficient sprinklers .
 
Burlingame is working to reduce waste going to the landfill. New recycling and composting stations were installed in City Hall and the Rec Center; new recycling bins are located in Burlingame Parks and in downtown Burlingame; and City staff is working on a zero waste guide to reduce waste in future City events.
 
Learn more about these highlights and other sustainability actions here .
spareairWinter Spare the Air Days
Check before you burn

The cooler air this past week triggered three Winter Spare The Air Days - days when it is illegal to burn wood. Winter air pollution is mainly caused by particulates or soot pollution from wood smoke. Smoke from wood-burning fires is linked to asthma and other lung diseases and is especially harmful for children and the elderly.

Spare the Air Days forecast when air quality may be unhealthy. During such days, it is illegal for Bay Area residents to burn wood or other solid fuels in fireplaces, wood stoves and inserts, pellet stoves, outdoor fire-pits, or other wood-burning devices. To check before you burn, visit www.sparetheair.org or call (800) 430-1515 and register to receive automatic Winter Spare the Air alerts. 
thankyouThank You Nuts for Candy & Toys and CCFD
Local Burlingame business donates money to Children's Toy Drive








On December 16, 2016, local Burlingame business, Nuts for Candy & Toys and Cotchett, Pitre, and McCarthy, LLP presented checks totaling $25,287.30 to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and the Central County Fire Department (CCFD) Toy Drive. Toys for Tots is a program operated by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distribute toys to families across the nation who can't afford toys. The CCFD serves the communities of Burlingame, Hillsborough, and Millbrae and their annual holiday toy drive helps children in San Mateo County receive a special gift for the holidays. The donated money will help provide gifts for children in San Francisco County, San Mateo County, and Marin County.
susexpertBe a Sustainability Expert!
Register soon

The San Mateo County Office of Sustainability's Sustainability Academy is offering free classes- an 8-week Master Resource Conservation Course and a 5-topic webinar series. The Sustainability Academy classes are taught by local sustainability experts, are hands on, and offer participants a chance to give back to the community though volunteer projects after the classes end.
 
These classes fill up quickly, so register soon !
EventsEvents Around Town
CommCenterCommunity Corner
(The community events listed here are not sponsored or endorsed by the City of Burlingame)

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