Greetings!
There’s no denying that this year and this holiday season feel different. We have all faced the challenges of the pandemic for another year. What the pandemic has not taken away from us though, is our ability to hope, to be kind, and to support one another. Together we will get through the challenges that 2022 bring us.
My December newsletter contains:
- news and updates on COVID19, the omicron variant and booster shots
- the adoption of new boundaries for supervisorial districts
- accomplishments of the Board of Supervisors
- highlights from this year and more
Wishing you and your loved one’s peace, health and happiness during this holiday season, and a happy New Year.
Best,
Warren Slocum
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VIRUS UPDATE: OMICRON, BOOSTER SHOTS,
YOUTH VACCINES & MASS VACCINES
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VACCINE OPPORTUNITIES: Pediatric and adult vaccine clinics remain open at the Event Center (1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo, 94403) and appointments can be made through MyTurn. Residents can also access first and second doses and boosters from other County-operated clinics, health providers and local pharmacies. To date, over 24,000 children ages 5 to 11 have been vaccinated with at least one dose, and 74.6% of the total population of San Mateo County has been fully vaccinated.
OMICRON VARIANT: The Bay Area had the first confirmed case of the Omicron variant in the country – just after Thanksgiving. Much is still unknown about this variant, but it is anticipated to be highly transmissible. With this news, health officials are also anticipating an uptick in the virus transmission with holiday gatherings and holiday travel. We continue to encourage vaccination if you have not yet had yours, and boosters in the coming weeks as well as continuing to wear masks in public spaces indoors and testing if you have any symptoms.
BOOSTER SHOTS: Just got mine! And the process was seamless from making my appointment on MyTurn to driving up at the Event Center. Everyone in California who has been fully vaccinated is eligible for a booster shot if you are 18 or over and are six or more months past your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or two or more months past the Johnson and Johnson dose. Visit the state’s MyTurn website, just like I did, and make your booster appointment.
YOUTH VACCINES: The San Mateo County Office of Education is partnering with the County to mobilize 13 school-based vaccination clinics in every region of the County, starting now through mid-February. If you are a parent of an elementary school age child, check with your school administration to see where the closest vaccination site is for you, and when it will be held.
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IN 2021, WE HELPED
COUNTLESS FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES
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Despite a second full year of living with the COVID19 pandemic, I am proud of our Board’s accomplishments this year. With total COVID19 Relief Funds of over $218 million, we ensured that those most vulnerable were given rental assistance, food support and other essential items.
We set up a fund to assist individuals and families who did not qualify for state support and gave out $16 million in grants. We helped small businesses with grants, and micro-businesses to start up their businesses. We funded childcare facilities to enable parents to get back to work. When students in underserved communities needed access to the internet due to distance learning, we put dollars towards boosting public WiFi. And we awarded grants to non-profits who do such important work helping our community members most vulnerable, so that they can continue their vital services.
Here are some highlights of our work in 2021, some in District 4 and some countywide:
- We hired a new Chief Equity Officer to filter all County activities through the lens of equity;
- The North Fair Oaks Library was transferred to the San Mateo County Library System;
- We formed a Vaccine Equity Workgroup whose work influenced bringing vaccine clinics directly to vulnerable communities;
- Adoption of a $3.3B budget providing a vast array of vital services provided daily to children, to meals for seniors, libraries, parks, homeless services, housing, hospitals and clinics;
- The Middlefield Road Improvement Project began;
- An Environmental Health Fee Relief Program fee credit to provide financial relief of up to $5.8 million to more than 5400 businesses;
- An updated Illegal Fireworks Ordinance, increasing fines to $1000;
- A Truth Act Forum to discuss ICE transfers that ultimately led to the San Mateo County Sheriff deciding to no longer transfer inmates to ICE.
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BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UPDATE:
SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT LINES
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On December 7th, our Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the “Communities Together” map that sets district lines for the next decade. On December 14th, the second reading of this adopted ordinance was also approved. By state law, the Board had to adopt the map by December 15, 2021 for use in the June 2022 primaries. You can see the “Communities Together” map here. Voters who have been added to District 4, will receive a mailer from the Elections Office explaining the new boundaries and any new representation.
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IT’S THE SEASON OF GIVING
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The Gift of Giving
From now until Christmas Eve, I encourage you, if able, to give to our local charities and other organizations who can make the holidays brighter for those families and individuals in need. Some provide food, some provide holiday gifts for children, teens and their parents. To name a few:
Thank you for giving hope to those in need during this season of giving!
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Let's Shop Local!
During the holidays – shop local! Have you downloaded the new SMC Choose Local app yet? You can earn points to redeem at local stores and restaurants and help our small businesses! With Christmas only weeks away, please give our local shops your business – it helps them, and it helps our community. Download the Choose Local San Mateo County app today: App Store or Google Play.
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Holiday Safety Tips
Holiday traditions are important for families and children. And this year, we can celebrate the holidays at home with our loved ones. It is more important than ever, with both the Delta and Omicron variants circulating, that those who gather with you are vaccinated and boosted. Please consider asking those unvaccinated family members and friends who are eligible to get vaccinated before the holidays, particularly young children between 5-11 years old. And if they are not, masking indoors is an important protection. Let’s be safe – and keep our loved ones safe. For more holiday safety tips, click here.
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Spotlight on Familias Unidas: A Graduation to Celebrate!
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For many years, I’ve been impressed by the work and the reach of United through Education/Familias Unidas in our community. Their mission is to create a better community, one family at a time. They teach parents from underserved communities how to support and help their children achieve success, focusing on the academic, social, emotional, and physical aspects of a healthy life. This past weekend, Familias Unidas hosted their parent graduation at the North Fair Oaks Library. At this joyful event, families received certificates, children were able to pick out a free book in partnership with the NFO Library and special prizes were raffles. For the holidays families will be connected with Nativity Church and they will receive Target gift cards for the holidays. Congratulations to all the Familias Unidas parents for your hard work!
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San Mateo County is currently recruiting for the position of County Counsel to serve as the County’s chief legal advisor. Current County Counsel John Beiers will retire in April 2022 after 27 years of dedicated service to San Mateo County – and we thank and congratulate him. To read more about the County Counsel position and apply: jobs.smcgov.org.
In order to better serve residents and potentially save property and lives, the County of San Mateo’s Office of Emergency Services is now the Department of Emergency Management. It’s now a stand-alone county department. This change reflects the frequency and complexity of emergencies and the importance of emergency planning and preparedness. You can visit the department’s new web page at https://cmo.smcgov./department-emergency-management.
The county and its four largest cities - Daly City, San Mateo, Redwood City and South San Francisco - launched a new pilot program aimed at de-escalating 9-1-1 calls and providing appropriate care for non-violent individuals. Th program is called the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Pilot Project. A mental health clinician is partnered with a police officer to help manage high-risk situations.
The Board of Supervisors approved a new round of grants to help microfood businesses who have not received assistance from County COVID-19 relief programs in the past 12 months. Grants available: $2,500 for cottage food operators; $5,000 for caterers, food trucks, and food carts; $10,000 for commissaries and incubator kitchens. Applications accepted through 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17th.
There will be enhanced efforts by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to enforce the Illegal Fireworks Ordinance during the holidays, particularly on New Year’s Eve. To report illegal fireworks in North Fair Oaks, call the Sheriff’s Substation at (650) 599-9186.
We welcome new staff in the Office of Community Affairs who will help with the Middlefield Road Improvement Project, now ongoing in the heart of North Fair Oaks, on outreach and more. They include: Cesia Velasquez Berg and Joshua Caspillan, Diana Hernandez and Rebecca Hidalgo – welcome to our team! To follow the progress of the Middlefield Road Improvement Project, click here.
If you live in the North Fair Oaks area, please consider attending the North Fair Oaks Community Council meetings. They meet the fourth Thursday night of each month. For more information, contact our Office of Community Affairs at CommunityAffairs@smcgov.org.
Are you registered to vote in San Mateo County? If not – as the former Chief Elections Office, I encourage you to do so. This goes to the heart of our democratic values and rights. You can register to vote here.
On January 4th, the Board of Supervisors will hold its reorganization meeting. We will nominate and select a new Board President and Vice President and thank our outgoing President for his service this past year. I hope you will join us virtually at 9:00 a.m. here.
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I wish everyone a Happy Holidays and New Year! If you want to get more insight into what my staff and I are working on, please connect with us on social media. It’s also a great way to interact with our office and to get notifications for upcoming events. Click the icons and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Finally, if you would like to see back issues of this newsletter, they can be found on my website here. They certainly reflect the long way we have come!
Warren Slocum
District 4 Supervisor
San Mateo County
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