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Protect Yourself & Others this ThanksgivingFrom all of us at the City of San Mateo, we wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
While much of our lives looks different these days, there are ways you can have a meaningful and safe holiday season. This week, County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow’s statement emphasizes how each of us can have an effect on the spread of COVID-19 and the importance of avoiding holiday gatherings to protect ourselves and our community. Please review the steps you can take to make our holidays safer.
Celebrate Without GatheringThere are many ways to more safely enjoy the holidays with loved ones: Enjoy holiday traditions at home with your household Decorate your home and/or yard Share a virtual meal with family and friends Host online parties and/or contests Prepare meals using traditional recipes and deliver to family and neighbors Attend holiday movie nights at drive-in venues Visit holiday-themed outdoor art installations Participate in drive-by events where everyone stays in their vehicle
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COVID-19 cases are rising and public health experts STRONGLY discourage large gatherings. If you do decide to gather with others outside your household, consider getting a COVID-19 test beforehand – it’s free, fast and easy! Public health experts advise any gatherings should be:- Small: Limit gatherings to no more than 3 households
- Short: Limit gatherings to no more than 2 hours
- Stable: Do not participate in multiple gatherings with different households
- Safer: Outside is safer than inside
Trot off the Turkey at a Local ParkGetting outdoors is a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving and enjoy some exercise!
We expect many to enjoy our City parks, so let’s do our best to keep the parks safe and looking beautiful! Please make sure to follow safety precautions, carry a face mask and wear it if you can’t stay at least 6 feet apart. Make sure to maintain physical distancing from others not inside your household when eating at picnic tables and benches. Please throw away your trash in the trash cans and garbage totes scattered throughout the parks. To see which restrooms will be open, please visit our parks Frequently Asked Questions page. County Parks will also be waiving entrance fees on Friday, November 27. City Hall ClosuresCity Hall and administrative offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 for the Thanksgiving holiday. We look forward to continuing to serve you when we return!
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Join a Conversation About Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Your Community Following a tumultuous year and a divisive election, we want to create a space for our community to come together for dialogue, learning and healing. Join us as we unite San Mateo by reflecting on who we are as a community and how we can become more tolerant. This three-part virtual workshop series will be an interactive and engaging dialogue on diversity, equity and inclusion. Space is limited, so register today to share your thoughts and hear from others in your community. Participate in one or all three of these events hosted by the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center and the City of San Mateo. Attendees can actively participate during the conversations & workshops. Spanish interpretation will be available. Space is very limited and advanced registration is required.
Descriptions of each event are in the links below.
Film & Dialogue: Exploring Identities & Addressing BiasTuesday, Dec. 1 from 6:30-8 p.m. Register: https://tinyurl.com/UAH-Film Implicit Bias WorkshopThursday, Dec. 3 from 6:30-8 p.m. Register: https://tinyurl.com/UAH-Bias Cross-Cultural Communication WorkshopThursday, Dec. 10 from 6:30-8 p.m. Register: https://tinyurl.com/UAH-culture Learn more about the City’s ongoing work to support diversity, equity and inclusion at www.cityofsanmateo.org/dei.
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Supporting PALOn December 1, 2020, San Mateo Police Activities League is proud to participate in Giving Tuesday. This global day of giving invites individuals to celebrate the season by giving back and creating change in their communities, and therefore, the world. Together, we can make a difference.
We have started the giving season off right, and we invite you, our all-star supporters, to help bring smiles to the faces of our PAL kids and families. This year, we ask for your help to raise $15,000 to be used on food, essentials, and holiday gifts during our holiday giving events. Our annual holiday events will look a little different this year due to COVID-19, but we’ve adapted and continue to serve our community. This past Saturday, we hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner Kit drive-thru and provided 100 families with a meal for Thanksgiving. In December, we’ll host a drive-thru Brunch with Santa to provide our families with a holiday breakfast. You can aid Santa Cop and his PAL Elves as they deliver food and gifts to our most in-need families. Donate today or wait until #GivingTuesday. Either way, know you are most definitely making an impact on the lives of those who need it. Let our kids know you won’t let COVID-19 ruin their holidays. Donate here today!
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Fighting Poverty, Lifting LivesThe San Mateo-based nonprofit Samaritan House is a core service agency that provides vital assistance to our community. From rental assistance to medical care, and food to clothing, Samaritan House is a lifeline for many in need. You can support their year-round efforts by making a charitable contribution.
Their current Thanksgiving wish list includes: ham, rice, roast beef, fruit, salad fixings or bagged salads, and potatoes. You can support families by donating diapers and pullups, medium and large sized gloves, sanitizing wipes, Lysol spray and cleaning produce. Samaritan House kindly asks perishable items to be dropped off on the day of purchase due to food safety and to email donationdrives@samaritanhousesanmateo.org to arrange a drop off time.
You can also make a monetary donation at www.samaritanhousesanmateo.org/donate.
Thank you for supporting families and members of our San Mateo community!
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Peninsula Family ServiceLocated in San Mateo, Peninsula Family Service strengthens our community by providing children, families, and older adults the support and tools to realize their full potential and lead healthy, stable lives.
This year, the J.H. Robbins Foundation has generously agreed to match all gifts made, up to $10,000. Making your donation on or before #GivingTuesday is the best way to double your impact at Peninsula Family Service. You can make a donation to Peninsula Family Service online to help build strength, resilience and hope this holiday season for our most vulnerable community members.
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Your Volunteer Spirit Makes us ShineWe recently celebrated our 2020 Outstanding Volunteer honorees, a group of folks who’ve lent a helping hand during a very challenging time. Their collective effort included supporting a neighborhood COVID-19 testing site, teaching virtual fitness courses, reading to elementary school children, helping deliver meals to seniors and so much more. You can watch a short video of our 2020 Outstanding Volunteers, who truly help make San Mateo a caring community. Learn more about our Volunteer Program at www.cityofsanmateo.org/volunteer.
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October & Movember - Raising Awareness About Cancer Things have been a little hairy around our Police Department lately.
It may have been hard for you to see the efforts our officers have made this month underneath their masks, but as part of Movember, they’ve been growin’ these groovy mustaches & beards. As part of #noshavenovember, they are growing facial hair to spread awareness in regard to men’s health.
We wear pink in October for breast cancer awareness and in November we let it all grow out for prostate & testicular cancer awareness. Come December, our guys will be back to their clean-shaven, shiny selves. To learn more about the Movember movement, visit us.movember.com.
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Still in the Red, But Preparing for PurpleAs of Wednesday, San Mateo County is one of the few in the Bay Area to remain in the red tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This could change quickly and San Mateo County may be placed back into the more restrictive purple tier, requiring more businesses to cease indoor operations or reduce capacity.
After being in the purple tier for about two days, the statewide limited shelter-in-place order for counties in the purple tier would also take effect. The curfew prohibits gathering with others not in your household from between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Please visit the State’s COVID-19 website for the latest information and learn more about what’s allowed in each tier on the California Department of Public Health website. You can also visit the County’s webpage for more information.
County Protects Businesses with New Cap on Delivery FeesThe fees delivery services can charge local restaurants and businesses are now capped after the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 17 approved an emergency regulation. The new rule caps commissions and fees charged by third-party food deliver services such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Doordash to all restaurants in San Mateo County until June 30, 2021 or the end of the local emergency due to COVID-19. The regulation caps delivery fees at 15% of the cost of an order and non-deliveries at 10% per order. There is also a provision that the Delivery Service Platform cannot make up the difference from reducing the gratuity made to the driver.
Read a press release for more information. You can also read the County’s full ordinance here.
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No-Cost COVID Testing San Mateo County offers no-cost, drive-through COVID-19 testing at numerous sites for adults & children age 5 and older.
Widespread testing plays a key role in the state’s criteria for loosening or tightening restrictions on certain activities and the economy. Learn more about your testing options on the County’s COVID-19 testing web page.
Testing at San Mateo County Event Center (1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo)
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Drive Electric & Save!Electric vehicles cost significantly less to run, have lower maintenance costs and emit 25 times less emissions than gas-powered cars. Peninsula Clean Energy is providing first-time EV buyers in San Mateo County a $1,000 rebate for a full-battery EV, or a $700 rebate for a plug-in hybrid. Rebates available now through December 31, 2020. Find out more at https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com/newev/.
Rebates for Home Energy ImprovementsThe Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) Home + Program offers you an opportunity to upgrade to an energy-efficient home that is more comfortable, durable, and safe. You’ll reduce energy and improve comfort and indoor air quality. Rebates are available for attic and wall insulation, duct sealing/replacement, and building air sealing. Rebates are also available for heat pump clothes dryer, heat pump water heater, and induction electric range. Find out more at https://bayrenresidential.org/get-rebates.
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Be a Local Hero - Adopt a Drain Support sustainability efforts by adopting a drain and helping prevent debris from entering our waterways! You can sign up now to join hundreds of San Mateo volunteers who have made their neighborhood a priority. Adopting a drain is easy: Pick a drain from our list Sign up to adopt the drain of your choice, Clean your drain as often as you can.
It can be just you, or you can ask your friends and family to join in. Maybe each of you can adopt your own drains nearby? Your efforts will help keep your San Mateo neighborhood clean, our waterways free of debris, and our planet just a little bit nicer. Visit www.cityofsanmateo.org/adoptadrain for full details.
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New Short-Term Parking Downtown Next time you’re downtown for a quick pick up from one of our local restaurants or businesses, look for these new 24-minute spaces in some of our downtown parking spots! We’ve increased the number of short-term parking spaces so that visitors have easier access to their favorite local businesses! We've also increased the amount of time you can stay in a short-term space from 10 minutes to 24 minutes. Don’t forget to pay your meter for your brief stop! Look for the new signs when you’re choosing your parking spot.
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Disability Accessibility SurveyWe want to hear from you about the accessibility in our City for anyone with disabilities. This is the final step of a yearlong process to assess our City’s accessibility. Our consultants have been studying our streets, sidewalks, buildings and parks, and now they want to hear from you. Please visit www.cityofsanmateo.org/ADA for links to the surveys for individuals, and organizations that serve people with disabilities. Survey is open until Jan. 15, 2021.
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State Route 82/92 Interchange Landscape ImprovementsIt’s not too late to share your thoughts on the upcoming landscaping options for the 82/92 Interchange; the final step in the yearslong improvement project.
On Dec. 9, 2020, Public Works staff is presenting its revised proposal for the landscaping work to the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission and is seeking feedback on the proposal. Public feedback is welcomed at the commission meeting, or in advance of the meeting.
There are two ways for the public to have input: 1.Submit your comments by email before Dec. 9, 2020 to: PWFeedback@cityofsanmateo.org. 2.Participate in the public feedback portion of the Dec. 9, 2020 commission meeting. Find out more about providing public comment here: Speaking at a Public Meeting.
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Traffic Flow Change in Central Neighborhood Pilot ProjectOur Public Works Department will install a pilot project at S. Grant Street and E. 4th Avenue to improve safety at the intersection. Once installed, only northbound right turns and southbound left turns will be allowed onto E. 4th Avenue. Work begins Nov. 30, 2020 and will be completed in stages until December 2020. Some early morning work is required for safe installation of these improvements.
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Private Sewer Lateral Ordinance AmendmentsWe’re working on eliminating sewer overflows, ensuring a healthy environment for all in San Mateo. Starting Dec, 1, 2020, the updated amendments to our Private Sewer Lateral Ordinance will go into effect. The update means that any one of four actions could prompt a sewer lateral inspection: - Property sale
- $90k or more in renovations
- Sewer class change, ie: residential to commercial
- Sewer overflow
Once a sewer lateral is repaired, it’s good for five years. If it’s replaced, it’s good for 25 years. We’ll keep the inspection and status records on file at City Hall. For details about the amendments to our sewer lateral ordinance, visit: www.cityofsanmateo.org/PSLO.
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