Dear Friend:

This Saturday, the Burlingame City Council will set goals for the coming fiscal year. How can the city serve you better? What would you like us to do differently? Do you have a new idea you’d like to share?
If you email your thoughts to me at Terry@terrynagel.com before Saturday, I will share them with the rest of the council. You can also drop off a hard copy at the city clerk’s office at City Hall and she will distribute it. And please plan to attend the goal-setting session. There will be a lively discussion, and public input is welcome! The session will run January 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Burlingame Recreation Center at 850 Burlingame Ave.

Where do we stand?

For the first time since 9/11, there are a number of positive indications that Burlingame may have turned the corner and can begin to look forward to a more positive economic climate. For example:

• General fund revenue grew 5.4 percent in FY2004 and 6 percent in FY2005
• Property tax revenue grew 26.5 percent in FY2005.
• The city's unemployment rate as of June 2005 was 3.0 percent, compared to 4.5 percent for San Mateo County and 5.4 percent for the state.Sales per capita in Burlingame were $7,300, compared to $4,000 for San Mateo County and $3,200 for the state.
• The transient occupancy tax (from hotel visitors) grew by 10 percent in FY2005. During the month of June 2005, the monthly occupancy rate reached 79 percent, a milestone not achieved since November 2000.
• Under an agreement approved by voters, the state will no longer withhold property tax from the city after FY2006 for the governor's "deficit reduction plan." (The state took back $608,000 in FY2005 and will take the same amount this year.
• Airport passenger traffic increased continued to rise, with a 6.1 percent increase as of June 2005.
• Virgin America has chosen Burlingame for its headquarters offices and plans to hire about 2,000 employees in the Bay Area in coming months.

Not all financial news is rosy:

• Public safety operating expenditures increased $1.8 million due to insurance premiums, salary and benefit adjustments and injuries that generated unexpected overtime costs.
• Residents are paying higher water and sewer rates due to the council's decision to upgrade the crumbling infrastructure.
• Parking enforcement revenues are down, most likely due to the city's more friendly attitude toward offenders.
• We need to allocate more funding toward capital improvement projects such as street maintenance and storm drainage--projects that have been on hold in recent years--and continue to build our reserves.

The improving financial picture does not mean we can restore all services to pre-2001 levels, but it may mean that we may not have to make any cuts for the first time in three years. Stay tuned!

Help the city or a nonprofit!

You can make a difference in Burlingame by donating a special service or item that isn’t funded in the city’s normal budget. If you wish, you can make a contribution in someone else’s honor or to commemorate a family or neighborhood celebration. Community groups are also invited to consider donating these improvements. Click here to see the city’s current Wish List of items, ranging from park benches and trees to children’s picture books and state-of-the-art equipment.

I have expanded the Community Wish List that I started last year to encompass all nonprofit organizations in San Mateo County. The list features hundreds of new and used items desired by 23 local nonprofits, including small items like shampoo and dustpans and large ones such as conference tables and used cars. Some organizations are requesting services, such as designing a Web site or knitting baby clothes. It includes contact information so that you can donate directly to the organization of your choice. You will receive a written acknowledgment within 30 days that you can keep on hand for tax purposes. Click here to see the list, which is in PDF format. (Click here to download Adobe Acrobat, which allows you to view PDFs.)

Community Calendar

Here are two upcoming events:

Wednesday, February 1 - Citizens for a Better Burlingame invites you to hear Michael Freedman discuss the essential ingredients for a successful downtown at the Burlingame Women’s Club at 211 Park Road. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

Saturday, February 11 - The Burlingame Parks and Recreation Department offers a family-friendly performance of Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona at 2 p.m. at the Burlingame Recreation Center. Advance tickets are on sale at the Recreation Center for $5 (adults) or $1 (seniors 65 and over and children 16 and under). Prices at the door will be $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children.

More Lanes for 101

The county has finally completed the design of a Highway 101 improvement project that will add extra lanes between Third Avenue and Millbrae Avenue in both directions, improve the Peninsula Avenue overcrossing, reconstruct the Monte Diablo pedestrian/bicycle bridge and construct a new pedestrian/bicycle overcrossing at Broadway. Construction on the $109 million project is tentatively scheduled to begin in October 2006 and be completed in three years, provided funding is secured. The project includes a sound wall on the west side of the freeway from Corbitt Drive to north of Toyon Drive.

Block That Solicitor!

Annoyed by door-to-door salespeople? The council has just approved a new ordinance that requires peddlers and solicitors to obtain permits and get fingerprinted. If you don’t want to be bothered, post a “No soliciting” sign. Always exercise caution when opening your door, day or night. If someone tries to sell you something, ask to see the person’s Burlingame Police Department-approved ID card, which they should wear or display. If a salesperson bothers you after you have asked him or her to leave, please call 911 and explain the situation to the police dispatcher.

New Garbage Pickup Days

Beginning the week of February 6, Burlingame residents will have new garbage and recycling pickup days. Watch your mail for information about your day change, including a 2006 recycling calendar. If you miss it, visit the Web site for Allied Waste  (formerly called BFI) or call customer service at (650) 592-2411.

Help with Medicare Part D

Is someone in your family having trouble deciding which prescription drug plan to choose under Medicare Part D? Your local pharmacy may be able to assist you. Longs Drugs and Walgreens have information available on their Web sites, including toll-free numbers you can call.

Deals on BART

Did you know that you can park at the Millbrae BART station for free? There's also a free shuttle from the Broadway train station to the Millbrae station on weekdays during commute hours. Individuals age 65 or older, children 5 to 12 years old and those with disabilities qualify for a can obtain a $24 ticket on BART for only $9. Children 4 and younger are free. To find out where you can buy a discount ticket, visit BART’s Web site.

Celebrity Match

Which movie star is your hidden twin? Check out My Heritage, where a face-recognition program lets you upload a photo and tells you which celebrities you look like.

Here's to a great 2006!