Februray 24, 2010
Dear [First Name]:
There’s not much time left. If you believe that Burlingame should continue to offer excellent schools, please vote “yes” on Measure B and return your vote-by-mail ballot today. All ballots must be received by March 2.
If you’re running late, you can drop off your ballot at Burlingame City Hall until 5 p.m. that day or take it to the county Elections Office at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, until 8 p.m. on March 2. If you’re missing your ballot, you can also pick up a copy from the Elections Office during normal business hours.
Outstanding elementary schools are just one of the reasons many of us decided to move here. Burlingame offers top-notch library and recreation programs, responds promptly to citizen concerns and maintains a small-town ambience accented with verdant parks and sweeping canopies of trees. We are fiscally responsible, encourage citizen feedback and invite your participation in government. You can read more about Burlingame’s civic engagement initiatives at www.burlingame.org/inde.aspx?page=1398.
All of those qualities translate into property values that have held their value better than most cities on the Peninsula. According to Coldwell Banker Realtor Don Diltz, “Burlingame has shown the highest net price increase over the past 10 years of any city on the Peninsula, with homes rising in value by 81 percent.” He said Burlingame is among the top five cities on the Peninsula (including both Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties) that have shown the least price decline during the recent downturn: “just a 12 percent decline after Burlingame’s peak in 2007.”
Budget Crisis
We will be challenged to keep maintaining those services at the present level in the coming year, due to declining revenues from sales tax and our transient occupancy (hotel) tax. The Burlingame City Council’s task at a budget study session tonight (February 24) is to begin figuring out how to slash $2.9 million from the 2010-11 budget. We’ll be asking you, through subsequent surveys and public meetings, to prioritize city programs and services. And we’d like your thoughts on whether you feel the current economic situation justifies dipping into our emergency reserve fund to forestall cuts.
Please come to the budget study session tonight at 6 p.m. in the Lane Room at the Burlingame Public Library, 480 Primrose Road, to participate in this important discussion.
There’s no spare money in our budget, but the council is committed to carrying out a list of goals for the city that range from banning Styrofoam to implementing a high speed rail action plan. To see the draft 2010-11 City Council Goals, visit http://www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page=657
High Speed Rail Countdown
Next Thursday is a big day for those following the high speed rail issue: The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) will release its draft Alternative Analysis, which will begin to narrow the choices contemplated for the project running along the Caltrain corridor – right through the middle of Burlingame. The report will be posted on the CHSRA Web site here: www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
The Burlingame City Council will discuss our city’s high speed rail strategy during the next regular council meeting on Monday, March 1, beginning at 7 p.m. in City Hall. If you want to get up to speed on this important issue, I also encourage you to attend meetings of the Peninsula Cities Consortium (PCC), which meets every other Friday. The next meeting will take place on Friday, March 5, from 8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in the Menlo Park Council Chambers, 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park. The public is welcome.
You can sign up for updates on high speed rail on the PCC Web site at www.peninsularail.com.
One more learning opportunity: On Tuesday, March 16, the League of Women Voters will present “Impact of High Speed Rail on San Mateo County” from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Chetcuti Room at 450 Poplar Ave. in Millbrae, adjacent to the Millbrae Public Library. Nadia Naik, cofounder of Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design, and I will be the panelists during this informative discussion. Admission is free.
For a comprehensive overview of how transportation works in the Bay Area, read Mike Rosenberg’s excellent series in the San Mateo County Times, “Bay Area Transit in Trouble: Running on Empty” at http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-transportation.
Google Broadband Opportunity
Not all is gloom and doom. Imagine having Internet access that is 100 times faster than what most Americans experience! Think of how fast you could download music and videos, and how this ultra-high-speed broadband connection would enhance home and business values.
Google is planning to launch a Google Fiber for Communities experiment that will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. The company plans to test ultra-high-speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country.
Burlingame is surveying community members to gauge local interest in being one of the communities selected to be part of this new trial. If you’re signed up for the city’s e-newsletter (go to www.burlingame.org/signup), you will receive this survey within the next day or so.
Water, Water, Everywhere
It’s the ultimate irony: Rain pouring from the skies and prices for water going through the roof. Due to escalating prices from Hetch Hetchy, the supplier of our super-pure water, water rates are rising in Burlingame and many other cities.
Did you know that most homeowners water their lawns and gardens three times more than necessary? Now is a good time to take a water-efficient landscaping class and learn about the new “smart” irrigation systems that water plants as needed. For a schedule of classes and water-saving tips, visit the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency’s site at www.bawsca.org.
Low-Cost Loans for Sustainability
To finance a smart irrigation system, solar panels or other energy and water-saving improvements, check out the CaliforniaFIRST program at www.renewfund.com/node/220. Burlingame is expected to begin offering loans for energy efficiency projects through this program sometime this summer.
It’s a great deal: You obtain financing immediately at lower-than-usual municipal rates and pay it back as a line item on your property tax. The assessment obligation transfers with the property upon its sale. So even if you only plan to remain in your house for a limited time, you can begin enjoying the benefits and savings of energy-efficient projects immediately and pay for them only as long as you reside in the home.
Businesses as well as homes are eligible for the loans, which cover such projects as air sealing, wall and roof installation, energy-efficient windows, tankless water heaters, photovoltaic (solar energy) and low-flow toilets. The cost to the city is zero and there’s almost no work for city staff, since the program is administered by an outside association of California counties and cites.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could finance earthquake retrofit projects in the same way? I just suggested that idea to Assemblymember Jerry Hill, who is exploring it. It would be an ideal way to motivate people to get their homes bolted to the foundation, reinforce chimneys and shore up “soft-shell” apartment buildings build on top of open garages, which are prone to “pancaking” during earthquakes.
Fun Stuff
Looking for something fun to do? Visit the San Mateo County Convention and Visitors Bureau site at www.visitsanmateocounty.com and click on “Visitors” at the top, then “Calendar.” You can also find local event information on Twitter at https://twitter.com/visit_SMC_SV and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smc.sv.
Quick Takes
United Way of the Bay Area offers free tax preparation at 26 locations in San Mateo County to county residents with incomes of $52,000 or less; go to www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org or call 1 (800) 358-8832 … Sustainable San Mateo County is offering parties with refreshments for up to 25 people who schedule a home energy efficiency analysis. Email advocate@sustainablesanmateo.org or call (650) 638-2323 to learn more … Our county health director strongly recommends that residents of all ages get an H1N1 flu shot. To find information about free clinics, visit www.smhealth.org/flu or call the county’s Flu Hotline at (650) 573-3927 …
Coming soon: A 211 service is expected to go live by this summer, providing San Mateo County residents who dial 2-1-1 with information about public and private social services, including food assistance and temporary shelters, senior services, mental health counseling and crisis intervention
You can dispose of old prescription medications safely by dropping them in the locked box in the front lobby of the Burlingame Police Department at 111 Trousdale Drive.
Neighborhood groups wishing to meet to discuss emergency preparedness or crime prevention or to build community may qualify for free meeting space in city facilities; see http://www.burlingame.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=5787
March 1 is the deadline for nominations for the San Francisco Foundation’s 2010 Community Leadership Awards; visit www.sff.org/cla
Nominations are due March 31 for the 2010 Tech Awards, which honor innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity; see www.techawards.org
Calendar
Wednesday, February 24, 4 p.m. Burlingame Spelling Bee for students from all elementary schools. Lions Club, 990 Burlingame Ave.
Wednesday, February 24, 6 p.m. – Burlingame City Council’s budget study session. Lane Room at Burlingame Library, 480 Primrose Road. All are welcome.
Friday, February 26, 6-9:30 p.m. – Taste of the Town, Burlingame High School’s annual fundraiser, at Burlingame Recreation Center 850 Burlingame Ave. $50. See http://bhspg.org/taste_of_the_town.htm
Saturday, February 27, 5:30 p.m.-midnight – “Casino Royale,” Burlingame Community for Education’s annual fundraiser, a gala dinner-dance at the Hyatt Regency. $110. See https://bcefoundation.ejoinme.org/?tabid=187608
Thursday, March 4 – High speed rail draft Alternatives Analysis released. (See above.)
Saturday, March 6, 9 a.m.-noon – Annual joint meeting of the Burlingame City Council and Planning Commission to discuss short and long-term projects related to land use. The public is welcome.
Tuesday, March 16, 7-9 p.m. – League of Women Voters program on high speed rail in the Chetcuti Room at 450 Poplar Ave., Millbrae. Free.
Tuesday, April 6, 6:30-9 p.m. – Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course begins on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with one Saturday skills session. To register, contact Lisa Bartolo, lbartolo@centralcountyfd.org or (650) 558-7600.
See you around town!
