This eNews contains informative graphics, pictures, and flyers. To get the most out of this weekly eNews, we recommend that you download all images prior to viewing.

The City of Burlingame is conducting a feasibility study to look at potential roadway improvement designs for Old Bayshore Highway. This study will look at improving access, safety, operations, and aesthetics for all modes of transportation including pedestrian, bike, vehicles, and transit.

Over the next several months, the City will be engaging with various public and private stakeholders, including business owners, property owners, residents, and City Commissions to present the context, opportunities, and constraints of the project, as well as to solicit feedback that will determine the community's priorities for the corridor. Once this has been established, staff will present the information to the City Council for their review and approval.

Click here to share your vision. This survey closes on April 11.

If you have any questions after completing the survey, you can send an email to pwengineering@burlingame.org.

The Burlingame Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) created a “Burlingame Stands United Against Hate” mask fundraiser to support their social justice initiative for the school year. Click here for more information. The teens thank you in advance for your support of their fundraiser!

 

On March 10, the City Council held a budget study session to review the current-year budget and start planning for next fiscal year’s budget. (The fiscal year starts July 1.) The numbers aren’t surprising—the COVID-19 pandemic and associated shelter-in-place orders have taken a toll on the City’s revenues, particularly our hotel/motel tax revenues, which dropped from about $28 million just a few years ago to about $7.5 million this fiscal year. Fortunately, the City has been saving money in its reserves and putting the brakes on spending, which will help us as we go forward into next year. Please visit the City’s website to watch the presentation, or click here to review the staff report and the PowerPoint slides.

The Burlingame Library Equity Team would like to acknowledge the recent spate of attacks on Asian American elders in the country – many in the Bay Area – and offer resources for understanding and support to the community.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an increase in hate crimes directed at the Asian American community – due in large part to rising xenophobia. According to the Stop AAPI Hate National Report, there were “3,795 incidents received by the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021,” with 1,691 of those incidents in California. NPR reports that the “more than two dozen recent assaults and robberies in the Bay Area mirror a national rise in hate crimes against older Asian Americans during the pandemic".

Violence can affect any community, but unity against such hate is vital. We stand in solidarity with Asian American communities in the Bay Area and beyond. We also recognize that traditional means of enforcement are not necessarily the solution and, in some situations, can cause harm.

Our city is named after the reformer and diplomat Anson Burlingame who negotiated the first American treaty with China, which recognized the equal status of both nations in 1868. This treaty provided protections for Chinese citizens traveling to and residing in the United States. As Mark Twain wrote in Burlingame’s obituary, “For he had outgrown the narrow citizenship of a state and become a citizen of the world; and this charity was large enough and his great heart warm enough to feel for all its races and to labor for them.” Let us support our own Asian American friends and neighbors with the same great heart.

We have provided further resources on this issue and where to seek support if needed in our newsletter, which can be seen here.

Be a part of bringing clean energy to your community! Peninsula Clean Energy is recruiting Citizens Advisory Committee members. To apply, complete this online form by April 12. To qualify, you must live or work in a Peninsula Clean Energy member community, which is any area of San Mateo County. The Committee meets monthly on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. This is a volunteer position with a time commitment of approximately three to four hours per month. For more information about the Citizens Advisory Committee and recruitment, visit the Peninsula Clean Energy website.

The City of Burlingame is currently accepting applications for two vacancies on the Storm Drain Citizens Oversight Committee.

In May 2009, voters approved the storm drain fee ballot measure to upgrade the storm drainage system to alleviate chronic flooding and to protect public health and safety. The ballot measure included a citizens oversight committee to ensure funds collected from the storm drain fees are spent only on the storm drainage program.

The Storm Drain Citizens Oversight Committee is composed of three members and generally meets once a year. Click here to access and complete the application and supplemental questionnaire.

Completed applications must be received by April 26, 2021. Applications can be emailed to sbrewer@burlingame.org, or sent via USPS to the Department of Public Works, Attn: Stephanie Brewer, 501 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA 94010. Applications post-marked by April 26, 2021, will be accepted for review.

As part of the San Mateo 101 Express Lanes Project, Caltrans will be replacing a total of six overhead sign structures. Due to the large size of these sign structures, it is necessary to close one direction of the freeway at a time. Caltrans completed the removal of the first five overhead sign structures on U.S. 101 (between Millbrae Avenue in the City of Millbrae and South Airport Boulevard in the City of South San Francisco).

An additional overnight closure on northbound U.S. 101 is required to remove the remaining overhead sign structure between East Hillsdale Boulevard and SR-92 in and near the cities of San Mateo and Foster City. The closure will occur between Sunday, April 4 at 11:00 p.m. and Monday, April 5 at 4:00 a.m., when traffic volumes are usually light.

Motorists are advised to be familiar with the proposed detour routes and allow extra travel time. The closure location and time will be displayed on changeable message signs at least one week in advance.

For questions during construction, contact Caltrans Public Information Officer Alejandro Lopez at 510-385-6856, or 101express@dot.ca.gov.

Terra Outdoor Living on Burlingame Avenue is COVID-19 prepared and open for business! Watch this one minute video to see what they have done to get ready for your visit: https://youtu.be/a-AmyBioZIo

The COVID-19 flyer (pictured at right) outside of Terra Outdoor Living lets you know that they are following the "Retail Checklist" prescribed by the California Department of Health.

Remember, when you Buy in Burlingame, $43-$68 of every $100 you spend gets redistributed in our local economy. When you buy outside of Burlingame or online, $0 is distributed to our local economy. The City of Burlingame thanks you for buying in Burlingame!

Are you a business that would like to share a one minute YouTube video on how you are COVID-19 prepared and open for business? Send an email to nblackburn@burlingame.org.

Renters and landlords who have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19, have past due rent or utilities, and have a household income that is not more than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), may be eligible to receive financial assistance.

Eligibility information and applications can be found at HousingIsKey.com, or by calling 833-430-2122.

Sundays, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (previously ended at 1:30)

Please continue to follow these important tips for shopping the Fresh Market:

For more information, visit burlingamechamber.org.

via Zoom, Click Here to Register

Housing has been a big topic in Burlingame and San Mateo County these past few years. The shortage of homes impacts all of us: our friends, family, and those who work in our community. A few years ago the City held a series of forums called “Burlingame Talks Together About Housing” – perhaps you even joined us! Now there will be similar conversations countywide, in recognition that housing is both a local and regional matter.

This year, all the jurisdictions in San Mateo County – cities, towns, and the county – are updating their Housing Elements, or housing plans. This update is part of Burlingame’s General Plan and will guide the policies and programs related to housing for the next ten years.

Housing Elements are also a road map for how our city will meet our share of the Bay Area’s housing goals – the Regional Housing Needs Allocation or “RHNA” (pronounced ‘ree-nah’). Just about every city in the region needs more housing, of all types and sizes, and for a range of incomes, and is being required to plan for more. The plans we shape together through this update process will help Burlingame fulfill our shared responsibility to meet the regionally-assigned housing goals, but in particular the housing needs of Burlingame’s residents and workforce.

The good news is that Burlingame updated its General Plan in 2019, and the new plan has provided lots of opportunities for new housing to meet the needs of the community. But what types of housing should that be, and what types of programs would help make it work? We can shape the future together. The more people we hear from, the better our plans for the future of housing will reflect what is actually needed. Your voice—along with the voices of your neighbors, our workforce, and our young people—are critical to ensure we have housing that meets all our needs.

Come join the conversation at the first San Mateo County Let’s Talk Housing virtual meeting. There will be four countywide meetings, with an introduction about the update process, then time to talk with your city or town. This first meeting will include Burlingame, Hillsborough, Millbrae, City of San Mateo, and East Palo Alto. Burlingame staff members will be in attendance to answer questions and hear your thoughts.

This workshop will teach you listening skills to navigate conversations that are triggering and can backfire, despite your best intentions. You will learn to shift from an attitude of grit, which involves defensively powering through difficult encounters, to a mindset of resilience, where you redirect the arc of the conversation towards a collaborative dialog by bringing empathetic listening and curiosity to understand the needs and perspectives of those you are engaging with.

This workshop will provide you with space to try out these skills with a practice partner in a facilitated, safe environment, and receive feedback before trying them out in the real world.

This week, Burlingame's High School Correspondents Ella and Ava decided to give us an introduction into the world of thrift shopping! Did you know that the City has several consignment shops that offer affordable options for clothing and other items?

Thrift shopping has a lot of benefits! It reduces waste and you can curate a one-of-a-kind wardrobe, score high-quality goods at low prices, and spark some creativity with your very own "Pretty In Pink" creation. What is your favorite thrift find? #SmallBusinessWednesday #BurlingameSupportsSmallBusinesses #BurlingameShopsLocal

Online. Register Here! One RSVP per person.

In celebration of Women's History Month, Congresswoman Jackie Speier invites all elementary and middle school girls in her Congressional District to attend this virtual event. You will walk away filled with new dreams and confidence that you can be anything you want to be when you grow up. Speakers include an astronaut, a doctor, and an executive at Zoom.

Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) will honor four local sustainability champions, San Mateo Deputy Mayor Rick Bonilla, The HEAL Project, Service by Medallion, and former SSMC Board Chair Bryan Chen, at its 22nd Annual Awards Celebration on Friday, May 14, for their contributions to sustainability in San Mateo County.

SSMC and the American Institute of Architects, San Mateo County Chapter, will present the Green Building Award to Sacred Heart Schools’ William V. Campbell Academic and Arts Center in Atherton. The All-Electric Leadership Awards, sponsored by Peninsula Clean Energy, will recognize builders, property owners, and design teams on the forefront of building electrification in San Mateo County. Winners will be announced during the Awards Celebration.

Former State Senator Jerry Hill will emcee the evening program, which will take place on Zoom from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sponsorships are available. Visit https://sustainablesanmateo.org/sponsorship-opportunities for details.

SSMC’s Second Annual Virtual Auction will kick off on Friday, April 30, and conclude after the Awards Celebration on May 14. All bids are silent. Proceeds will benefit SSMC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to accelerating sustainability in San Mateo County.

Admission to both events is free, but pre-registration is required. Click here to register.

The Burlingame School District (BSD) is currently seeking substitute teachers for its K-8 program. A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and a substitute permit are required. To learn more, visit the Burlingame School District's website, or contact Alison Bell at abell@burlingameschools.org, or by calling 650-259-3800.