In observance of the holidays, most non-essential City facilities will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Emergency and other essential services will continue. 

• City Hall: closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

• Libraries: All branches will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Libraries will close at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and be closed New Year’s Day.

• Parks and Recreation: All recreation centers and the Japanese Garden in Central Park are closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. Most recreation centers are also closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, with the exception of the King Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From everyone at the City of San Mateo, we hope you have a safe and festive holiday season!

In This Edition

Go Digital This Holiday Season

Are you traveling for the holidays? Let the San Mateo Public Library help you pack light! Save valuable space in your bag by renting an eBook, audiobook or eMagazine. You can also download the Peninsula Library System’s mobile app Libby to download digital content on the go!

Holiday Safety Tips

With the holidays in full swing, you probably have a majority of your shopping done. But that doesn’t mean you need to be lax now. San Mateo Police are increasing enforcement efforts to deter burglars and ask community members to help protect themselves.
Here are a few safety tips to avoid becoming a victim of a residential burglary:

• Secure your home – always lock doors, windows and garages
• Don’t advertise your purchases – break down shipping boxes and be mindful of what you put in the trash, avoid posting on social media
• Don’t advertise your travel plans – avoid telling your ride share driver or posting your itinerary on social media
• Pay attention to who is coming and going – with visitors for the holidays, be aware of strangers in your neighborhood
• Immediately report any suspicious activity – take note of what the suspect is wearing, their direction of travel and any associated vehicle and license plate number
• Make arrangements for package deliveries – don’t leave packages unattended, track your shipping, ask a neighbor to hold a package for you, or have an item delivered to your place of work

For more information visit the Police Department’s Crime Prevention and Safety Tips page. 

New Year Brings Changes to Garbage Container Rules

The City’s new Solid Waste Container Ordinance goes into effect on December 20 and enforcement will begin after January 1. The new rules provide a 36-hour timeframe of when waste containers may be left out on residential streets. Residential waste containers may not be placed on the curb prior to noon the day before collection service and must be removed by midnight the day of pick up. For Downtown San Mateo – defined as the area zoned as Central Business District or Central Business District Support – all solid waste containers cannot go to the curb before 6 p.m. the day prior to service and must be removed by 11 a.m. the day of service.
Did you know there’s a special holiday solid waste collection schedule? There is no collection on Christmas or New Year’s Day and some Recology customers may have their pick up delayed a day. Visit RethinkWaste’s calendar for more information.  

Dedicated to Smooth Streets 

Do you remember when San Mateo voters approved Measure S in 2015? That quarter-cent sales tax extension supports community-identified priorities like fixing streets. In 2018, the City of San Mateo’s Smooth Streets program completed 26 street rehabilitation projects. Ten more street segments have been identified for fixing in 2019. Is yours one of them? Visit the Smooth Streets interactive map portal for more details.

Bicylists - It's Not Too Late to Get Involved!

Did you miss the recent Bicycle Master Plan update meetings? The Public Works Department has begun updating the 2011 Bicycle Master Plan with an aim to make the City of San Mateo a great place to bike. Even if you missed the meetings, you can still share your thoughts, complete our quick survey and add your favorite bike paths (or create a new one) to our WikiMap. We want to hear from you!