There will be an important meeting on Thursday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Burlingame Recreation Center.  The State Lands Commission (SLC) staff will be holding a public meeting to get input from the community about what should be on the vacant State Lands property on the Bayfront.  This is a site where there could be a large open space area for community use with picnic tables and a restroom.  This is one of the last areas in the City where there is an opportunity for a good sized park.  Please join the conversation and let you thoughts be heard.  

For FAQs, the public notice and more information about the City of Burlingame's permitted uses for this parcel, click here. 

If you can't make the meeting, the SLC staff will accept written comments.  Comments can be sent to:

 

Al Franzoia

Public Land Management Specialist

California State Lands Commission

100 Howe Avenue, Suite 100 South

Sacramento, CA 95825

al.franzoia@slc.ca.gov

 

The input will then be presented to the State Lands Commissioners and they will determine what type of applications to accept for the site. 

The City of Burlingame reinforced its commitment to clean energy this week by endorsing the Sierra Club's national campaign to transition to 100% clean energy derived from renewable sources like wind and solar. Mayor Brownrigg joined 200 other mayors from around the country in signing the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy statement and pledging to work toward achieving the clean energy goal.

 

The City of Burlingame is well-positioned to achieve 100% clean energy community-wide thanks to the ECO100 option from Peninsula Clean Energy. The City proudly switched to ECO100 and is encouraging businesses and residents to do the same. Make a bold (but easy!) move to power your homes and businesses with 100% renewable electricity.

Congratulations to the New England Lobster Market Eatery and the City of Burlingame Corps Yard for being certified as a Green Business . To become certified, businesses complete a comprehensive check list of environmental actions that range from energy efficient lighting to composting food waste. Great job!

 

Interested in being certified? Learn how at the upcoming Green Business Academy. The 2-part workshop will be held this spring at the Burlingame Main Library:

Register here. Questions?  Contact Emi Hashizume at ehashizume@smcgov.org or 650-599-1441. 

Ever wondered where exactly storm water flows to? The City has added a new informational map to the Storm Preparedness page of the City's website. 

Come take a virtual tour and learn about the City's five storm water pump stations. The Storm Water Pump Station Map offers you basic statistics about each of our pump stations and links to information about rain accumulation, creek levels, and a tide chart.

 

Are you interested in finding a way to participate in your community? Then consider applying for appointment to the City of Burlingame Planning Commission! The City invites applicants to offer their interest, experience, and enthusiasm in service of their City.

           

Commissioners offer their ideas and recommendations to the City Council and staff in order to help them to make the finest, most informed decisions in the best interest of everyone living, working, and visiting our community.

 

The City is seeking to fill three (3) vacant seats on the Planning Commission. The application deadline is Friday, March 16, 2018.  Click here for the application and supplemental questionnaire.

The Burlingame Library Foundation's Spring Book Sale is set for April 20 - April 22, and the committee needs volunteers.  First-timers are welcome! If you've always thought about contributing some time to the library, now's your chance. Click here to view and sign up for available shifts. 

Every hour you share makes a difference! The greater community looks forward to this sale each spring and the proceeds make a real difference to our library, the staff and the programs they offer. Thank you!

HomeIntel is a PG&E affiliated program that analyzes your home's energy use and provides recommendations for savings. The program is excellent for catching hidden energy hogs and prioritizing energy improvements. To learn more and start saving, visit hea.com/SMC.

On behalf of the City of Burlingame Parks Division and the Burlingame Beautification Commission, we wish to thank Mayor Brownrigg, Vice Mayor Colson, Councilmember Beach, City Staff, Burlingame School Board Members, Park and Recreation Commission Members, Parks and Recreation Foundation Board Members, and Forester Jimi Scheid from CalFire for attending the 39th Annual Arbor Day Ceremony.  Additionally, we'd like to thank the children from Lincoln School, Washington School, St. Catherine of Sienna, Our Lady of Angels, Roosevelt School, and Burlingame Intermediate School, for their participation in our Arbor Day Program on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 in Pershing Park.   

Four trees were planted: one in honor of Residential Sustainable Landscape Award Winners Mike and Chris Read; and one each for the Green Business Award winners, Alvi n's Coffee and Tea and SF Airport Marriott Waterfront; and, one for the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC).  Burlingame is proud of its 39th designation as a "Tree City USA"!

 

Why can't black plastic be recycling? Does the "no black" rule apply to black plastic items clearly marked with a recyclable symbol?

 

All our recycling is taken to the Shoreway Environmental Center in San Carlos where it is sorted. The machines there cannot identify black plastic and it ends up being thrown away in the garbage. We hope improvements in the future will allow for black plastic.

 

I've been hearing a lot about straws lately. Can they be recycled?

 

Drinking straws cannot be recycled and need to go in the black garbage bins. You may be hearing about straws in the news because they are a popular trash item on our beaches and in our oceans. Some cities and countries are exploring ways to avoid straw waste.

 

Send recycling questions to smichael@burlingame.org

The installation of Murray Field Synthetic Turf begins this week.  During the construction period, the playground at Murray Field will be closed.  Construction is anticipated to be completed in late August 2018.

The Parks Division has completed the planting of 82 City trees throughout Burlingame in planter strip areas, tree lawns and Parks.  The species of trees being planted include Trident Maples, Gingko Bilobas, Crepe Myrtles, Maytens, Red Oaks, Cork Oaks,  Australian Willows, Magnolia St. Mary's and Samuel Sommers, Scarlet Oaks, Red Maples, Raywood Ashes, Chinese Flame trees, Chinese Pistaches, Sycamores, Purple Leaf Plums, and Aristocrat Pears.  This is the first of three plantings that will happen this year.

 

Bring up to three (3) items to be repaired by our awesome team of volunteers. They can try to fix small appliances, minor sewing fixes (no pants  hemming please), help you troubleshoot your computer problem, and do small jewelry repairs. There will also be a free e-waste drop-off site near the Bellevue door. 

We are also looking for more people willing to do general repairs. We'll provide some basic tools, although our main repair person does bring his own toolbox. We have plenty of electrical outlets and a sink in the room.   If you are interested in helping with repairs, email Cynthia Rider at rider@plsinfo.org

HEART of San Mateo County has arranged to have a First Time Homebuyer Workshop in Burlingame!  This will be an opportunity to come find out how you may be able use the HEART loan to buy a market-rate home or condo in San Mateo County.

 

HEART offers down payment loans for qualified first-time homebuyers up to $119,278, which, together with a first 30-year, fixed rate mortgage from Meriwest Mortgage, enables the borrower to finance their first home with 5% down and no PMI (private mortgage insurance).

For more information about HEART and to download guidelines and applications, click on this link.  To register for the event, click here. 

The Burlingame Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting their first-ever Summer Camp Fair in April. This fair will provide an excellent opportunity for parents to come and learn about all the summer camp options available to their children.

There will be:

-          20+ camps attending

-          FREE admission!

-          A FREE raffle for all that attend with a chance to win awesome prizes!

-          2 lucky winners will win a FREE week to Burlingame's Adventure Camp (a value of $440)!

-          A Kids Korner with games, face painting, arts and crafts, and more!

 

Don't miss out on this fun and informative Summer Camp Fair!

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/179411989504054/

St. Paul's Nursery School in Burlingame, CA, is organizing its first shoe drive this winter!  We are collecting shoes from now until the end of March, at which point the shoes will be donated to people among several nations and regions including, but not limited to, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Botswana, Eastern Europe, Jordan, and Chile.  Collected shoes are used to support micro-enterprise vendors. Micro-enterprises are small businesses in developing nations and are typically operated by one person or family and friends, depending on size.

 

We are hoping to collect as many shoes as we can to provide to those who don't have them.  Please help us reach our goal and donate any adult or children's shoes!  Gently worn, used, or new shoes are all welcome.   Boxes are located at Burlingame Recreation Center and St. Paul's Nursery School at 405 El Camino Real in Burlingame.  Thank you for your help in advance!

The Peninsula Museum of Art presents  a juried competition for professional, established artists from the Greater Bay Area.  Entrants will be judged by Janet Martin (The Studio Shop) and Andra Norris (Andra Norris Gallery).  First, second, and third ribbons will be awarded in both 2-D and 3-D categories.  "Best of Show" awards will include solo exhibitions at The Peninsula Museum of Art. 

All entries are due online by April 2, 2018.  Entry fee is $25 per entry. Click here to submit your entry form and payment online.   Accepted artwork for Bay Area Masters must be delivered by Thursday, June 7, 2018. For instructions and details click here.  Questions? Please email Charmaine Conui at conui@peninsulamuseum.org.