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Stormwater Fee Mail-In Ballot Endorsement; Private Tour of SM Police HQ and More!

WHY A TAX FOR STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE?

SAFER TODAY, STRONGER TOMORROW

Neighbors, your Baywood Neighborhood Association (BNA) supports the upcoming City mail-in ballot initiative to enact an $8/month/parcel fee to establish a dedicated City revenue stream to pay for ongoing stormwater infrastructure maintenance and modernization. We recommend you vote for the fee when you receive your ballot next month.


We want to provide factual information below about what the fee covers, how it will impact you, and why BNA is endorsing it. While most would prefer no change in their property fees, your BNA believes that this fee is necessary to protect all of us from future storms and flooding like we saw last winter.


WHY: Last winter, there were devastating floods across the City of San Mateo. All 5 Districts suffered substantial damage. Over 10,000 homes were flooded, homes of our community members, neighbors and friends. Millions of dollars of damage was caused, including to our neighbors on Arroyo Court.


The floods were due largely to the torrential, extended rains; aged stormwater infrastructure, mechanical malfunctions, and insufficient budget and staffing to do all the needed infrastructure clean-out prior to the storms. This El Niño winter comes with predictions of more heavy storms.


After extensive system review, the San Mateo City Council voted in August 2023 to dedicate $3 million from the City’s Reserve Fund for the most critical, short-term, systemwide clean-out and capital repairs. Public Works staff are hard at work all over the City implementing this plan right now.


THERE IS STILL NEED. This one-time investment doesn’t include long-term funding to replace our aging infrastructure (necessary to ready ourselves for fiercer, climate-change-related storms) or pay dedicated City staff for recurring maintenance. This is why the City is reaching out to its residents now.


As a result, City Council has endorsed a November 2023 mail-in ballot initiative asking San Mateo property owners to approve a dedicated parcel fee to support ongoing infrastructure maintenance and improvements.


HOW MUCH IS THE TAX & WILL IT INCREASE DOWN THE ROAD? HOW MUCH?: Approximately $8 per month per residential parcel would be added to your annual City property tax bill. (That’s about 26 cents per day.) It would be a dedicated fund used only for stormwater maintenance and flood prevention investments. It is forecast to raise approximately $4 million annually.


WILL IT INCREASE?: To cover the cost of inflation, there is a provision in the initiative to allow City Council to vote to increase this stormwater fee 3% annually. (That brings it from about $8 to about $8.25 the first time an increase might be approved.) This automatic option would cost taxpayers less than voting annually to keep up with inflation.


YOUR “YES” VOTE MEANS: This stormwater fee would go into effect July 1, 2024 and take approximately 1 year to raise funds to begin to invest in additional stormwater infrastructure maintenance and replacement. The City already is seeking options of Federal and State funding to cover larger related capital projects not covered by this fee (e.g. Lagoon dredging to preserve its critical flood control role).


LEARN MORE BEFORE YOU VOTE: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/stormwater (Ballots are expected to be mailed out to each parcel owner the first half of November 2023.)


Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Please email us at baywoodneighborhood@gmail.com with any additional questions.






OCTOBER 28 HALLOWEEN BOOS ON B STREET!

We’ve got a family-friendly Halloween-themed event coming to Downtown San Mateo! Join your friends and neighbors for a BOO-tiful day on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 2-5 p.m. along the B Street Pedestrian Mall.


We’ll have live DJ music, carnival games, bring-your-own pumpkin decorating contest, face painting, and more! Kids and parents, put on your FANG-tastic costume and Trick-or-Treat at San Mateo businesses during our Boos on B Street event.


The event is brought to you by our San Mateo Parks and Recreation team, in collaboration with the Downtown San Mateo Association. Thanks to these great organizations for doing this! We hope to see you Saturday, October 28, 2pm-5pm, on the B St. Pedestrian Mall for a SPOOK-tacular day.






CHECK OUT THE SPECTACULAR PUBLIC ART ON B STREET!

Something exciting is happening on B Street and you can be part of it! Please mark your calendars and join a celebration of the City's new Racial Equity mural’s planned completion on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. at B Street and Second Avenue, during the Boos on B Street event. The artwork is currently being painted, and will be covered up to dry until it is unveiled at the celebration. But if you go down this weekend, you can see Raphael Blanco, the mural's creator, and his painter colleagues hard at work!


This City-sponsored art piece is inspired by artistic patterns of the many different cultures that have been part of San Mateo over time. They are woven together into a blended beauty that represents how San Mateo is stronger and more beautiful because of our diversity. The mural was developed after much community input. It is the first of many other planned improvements to the B Street Pedestrian Mall, ensuring a more vibrant and inclusive downtown. Learn more about the mural and the artist, Rafael Blanco, here and help celebrate this wonderful addition to San Mateo on Saturday, October 28, 2pm-5pm, on the B Street Pedestrian Mall.







SAVE THE DATE: TUES., NOV. 14 SPECIAL BNA TOUR OF THE SAN MATEO POLICE HEADQUARTERS!

We all know our San Mateo Police Department is one of the best on the Peninsula. But have you ever wanted to get a "behind the scenes" look at how they keep our City safe, get up close with all their latest crime-fighting technology, or see how they work with their K-9 companions?


Well your Baywood Neighborhood Association has organized a private visit of the San Mateo Police Department headquarters on Tuesday, November 14th, 6pm-7:30pm, for the first 40 Baywood neighbors who respond to this email. Thanks to our Area Lieutenant, Glen Texeira, for putting this special opportunity for us!


So please respond to this email if you are interested in attending. Then get your San Mateo public safety questions ready for Tuesday, November 14, 6pm-7:30pm, at the San Mateo Police Department HQ, 200 Franklin Parkway, San Mateo.


This is another in the series of special events organized by your Baywood Neighborhood Association to share more of what makes San Mateo, and Baywood, such a special place. Please share any ideas you have for 2024 events and encourage your neighbors who haven't already joined BNA to join us at https://www.baywoodneighborhood.org/become-a-member-now!

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©2024 by Baywood Neighborhood Association.

Baywood Neighborhood Association

P.O.Box 349

San Mateo, Ca 94401

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