May is Mental Health Month
One-third of San Mateo County adults (36%) have had a mental health issue. (Source: San Mateo County Community Stigma Baseline Survey). Brisbane is joining other cities across San Mateo County lighting up in green for Mental Health Month to show unity and support for their communities' mental health. Find local events and resources at SMCMentalHealthMonth.org.
Free Mental Health First Aid Training Right Here in Brisbane May 21st, 8:30am-5pm
San Mateo County Mayors Mental Health Initiative invites you to a free in-person training happening right here in Brisbane on Saturday, May 21st from 8:30am-5pm. This training is geared for Adults helping other Adults. Registration is required and will be capped to allow for safe distancing. Coffee, snacks, and lunch will be provided.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use issues. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You’ll also learn how to help connect people to appropriate support. Learn why this type of training is so important in this video:
Open Seats on City Committees: Apply Now
The City of Brisbane is currently recruiting community members interested in serving on the Complete Street Safety Committee and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) Committee. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 5pm.
Brisbane residents, as well as those who work but don't live in town, are welcome to apply for the IDEA Committee.
A Reminder from BPD: Protect Your Property
Recently, the Brisbane Police Department has seen a spike in vehicle-related crimes. To help our Police Department investigate these crimes, we are looking to increase their technology tools to include automated license plate readers (ALPRs). The use of this technology will help them determine a more specific time of the theft, associated vehicles involved, and the direction of where these vehicles are going as they leave our city. As they complete the process of obtaining this technology, we encourage everyone to always practice safe measures to keep your vehicle safe: take your keys out of the vehicle, lock your vehicle at all times when parked, and do not leave valuables in plain view. Work vans and trucks that have tools in them become vulnerable as these tools can easily be sold. The Police Department looks forward to having a civic engagement session to discuss the investigation benefits that ALPRs provide in helping deter and solve these crimes. Please look out for an upcoming date in June. We look forward to hearing from you in addressing any concerns you may have. In the meantime, if you see any suspicious activity, please immediately report it to them by calling (415) 467-1212.
National Public Works Week: May 15-21, 2022
At last night's City Council Meeting, Public Works staff joined the meeting where City Engineer/Public Works Director Randy Breault accepted a Proclamation and provided an overview of the department's responsibilities, which include: 90% of the City's $90M overall Capital Improvements Project list, sustainability practices including open space, streets, storm drains, maintenance of 20 public facilities, 44 landscaped areas, engineering, water quality, sewer, emergency services, and the 580-slip Brisbane Marina. In the last two years, operations in all divisions of Public Works continued despite Shelter-in-Place orders. They truly are READY to serve this community and RESILIENT as ever. Thank you, Public Works, your fingerprints are everywhere in this town and we appreciate your dedication to the profession!
Recognizing Emergency Medical Services Week and May as Wildfire Preparedness Month
Battalion Chief and Emergency Medical Chief Matt Powers was on-hand at last night's Council Meeting and pleased to accept both Proclamations on behalf of North County Fire Authority. Many of NCFA's crew are also trained as paramedics and have worked tirelessly to meet the emergency medical needs of Brisbane community members, and also provided continuous operations throughout the pandemic. BC Powers also reminded the community that fire season is year-round, and that firefighters are deployed for weeks at a time to help and protect others. It's been a very dry year, so we need all of us to do our part to keep our town fire-safe.
Grow with us in the City of Stars
Looking to join an excellent organization? We currently have two great opportunities to do so, with one closing today at 5pm:
The STAR - May 2022
North County Fire Authority's May 2022 Newsletter
Students in Business & Government - Lipman 8th Graders Visit City Hall
We were honored to be joined by Lipman 8th graders Alejandro, Allan, and Mason on May 5th, 2022, who chose to visit Brisbane City Hall for Students in Business & Government Day. They came with great questions for Mayor Mackin to answer, who joined us virtually, as well as Asst. City Manager Stuart Schillinger, Recreation Coordinator Sara Nahass, Communications Coordinator Matt Ordoña, and Communications Manager Caroline Cheung who all helped fill in with responses to their questions that covered all city departments including: Administration, Community Development, Finance, Fire, Police, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works (including Emergency Services and the Marina).
MOB Shop is May 6th & 7th
Take the Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment Survey
While identifying priorities in 2021, the Parks & Recreation Commission agreed that a community-wide needs assessment would prove to be a valuable tool for future planning. The previous needs assessment survey was conducted in 2017 and given the numerous changes to our daily lives over the past few years, the need to understand community priorities is greater than ever.
The survey strives to identify deficiencies or gaps in services, to outline changing needs and shifting trends, and to gain perspective on how the City can best serve its residents. It will alleviate the need to make assumptions about program/service desires and will ensure that the community plays an integral role in future planning for parks & recreation. Residents are invited to spend a few minutes completing the online survey, however, requests for hard copies of the survey can also be made to the Parks & Recreation Department at (415) 508-2140.
Hydrant Painting & Restoration - Applications Due Today, May 6th
Fall Soccer for Kids Age 4-13
Brisbane AYSO youth soccer registration is now open for their fall 2022 season! Some divisions are filling up quickly, so please register your child ASAP to secure their spot on a team.
AYSO soccer is a fun, exciting program whose main goal is to get kids on the field, provide them with good coaches, and teach them to play the game. No previous soccer experience is needed; the focus is on developing players and cultivating good sportsmanship at all ages. Brisbane AYSO soccer welcomes participants from Brisbane and surrounding areas, and offers generous scholarships for families in need. Cost for the season is $100 and includes player uniform.
Spring Plant Sale at Silverspot Co-Op Nursery School
Silverspot is having a plant sale all next week! Visit them Monday-Friday at 4 Solano St., Brisbane during 9am - 1pm! This fundraiser supports Silverspot Co-Op. You can also donate to the school below.
Sustainable San Mateo County’s 23rd Annual Awards Celebration, May 11th
SSMC will honor four local sustainability champions: Each Green Corner, Kalimah Salahuddin, Seamless Bay Area, and Robert Whitehair, along with the 2022 Green Building Award winner, the Marshall Medical Offices on Kaiser Permanente’s Redwood City campus. The All-Electric Leadership Awards, sponsored by Peninsula Clean Energy, will also be announced during the Awards Celebration. SSMC’s Third Annual Virtual Auction is now live, and will conclude on May 15. Admission to the Awards Celebration is FREE, but pre-registration is required.
May is National Bike Month
May is also Bike Month (there’s also Bike to Your Library Weekend: May 21-22), and there are a couple events taking place in town we wanted to make sure you knew about!
On Thursday, May 19th from 4-7pm during the Farmers' Market, find Brisbane Recreation Coordinator Ricardo Monroy under the Gazebo with Bike to Work Day bags and other goodies! Note: there will not be any Energizer Stations located in Brisbane this year, nor in SF, due to the first of three scheduled Bike to Wherever Days (May 20, 21, and 22) falling on a Friday. Of course, you can still choose to bike to work that day, but pledge to ride so you can be entered to win prizes. See more at bikesiliconvalley.org/events/btwd.
The Brisbane Library will be holding a Bike Safety Inspection event on Saturday, May 21st from 2-4:30pm. San Mateo County Libraries has partnered with Velofix, a mobile bicycle maintenance team, to offer free bicycle safety inspections. During the bicycle inspection, bicycle technicians will inspect the bicycle, make minor bicycle adjustments, and share their findings with the owners. This event is first-come, first-served, and they anticipate each bicycle inspection lasting about 15 minutes in length. Happy Biking!
High Efficiency Toilet Grants (Includes FREE Toilet Installation) Available
Please reach out to Jessica Lee at (415) 508-2128 or jessicalee@brisbaneca.org if you have any questions about this unique program. These High Efficiency Toilets use less water per flush, conserve water, and will help save on your water bill! Upgrade to a High Efficiency Toilet for Free!
We Need to be Water-Wise, Brisbane
We're seeing more and more evidence of the statewide drought; as of today, we're still in a Stage 1 Drought, but this could change for us shortly as well. Whether you are a renter, homeowner, or business, the SFPUC, which is our water wholesaler, has tips and resources to help preserve this precious resource.
Speaking of watering, it's so important to keep watering your young and mature trees as we go through this drought. Click on the link(s) that apply to the trees in your yard:
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Drop-Off Event in SSF This Saturday, May 7th
The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program is hosting a drop-off event in South San Francisco on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
To participate, you must schedule an appointment* at San Mateo County’s HHW Program, or by calling (650) 372-6200. The event location will be disclosed once your appointment is confirmed. Residents unable to attend this event can still make an appointment to dispose of household hazardous waste for free at SMC’s permanent HHW facility Thursdays-Saturdays (except major holiday weekends). See a listing of drop off sites here. More information can about HHW events can be found here.
San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury Recruitment
Peninsula Family Service Offering Counseling for Adults 55+
Brisbane Farmers' Market: Thursdays in the Park, 3-7pm
Expanded City Hall Hours
City Hall's public walk-in hours are now: M: 9-4, W: 9-7, Th: 9-4. Building and Planning staff are available on Wednesdays by appointment only, with all City Hall staff accessible by phone and email; we highly encourage use of our Online Services to get business done in the comfort of your home. If you do come to City Hall, masks are still required until further notice. Disposable masks are available if you don't have one.
Curative has been offering weekly COVID-19 PCR Testing in the Park on Thursdays, from 10am-4pm. Sign up for appt. here. Walk-ups are accepted. To receive your results by phone, please call 888-702-9042.
You can find more County-wide testing sites at smcgov.org/testing. As a reminder, U.S. households are able to place additional orders for free, at-home COVID-19 rapid tests (4 tests per order) at: special.usps.com/testkits | covidtests.gov/es (Spanish) | covidtests.gov/zh (Chinese)
According to the County Health Department's data dashboards, Brisbane has had 659 confirmed historical cases. Brisbane resident Amrit Lall has been keeping track of the cases released per week, and let us know that Brisbane recorded 10 new COVID-19 cases this past week. We must continue keeping our guard up if we want to get through this pandemic, weary as we may be from it all. The highly contagious Omicron variant and its subvariants, BA.2, BA.2.12 (with North American and European lineages), and BA.2.12.2 (deriving its lineage from the U.S. and Canada), can evade safety measures. Vaccines are proven to be the greatest protection from the risks of severe illness or death from COVID-19. Masking up when near others is also recommended and last last week, the BART Board moved to require riders to wear masks in paid areas of the system, which is effective until July 18, 2022, unless it is extended by the BART Board. Caltrain, SamTrans and SF Muni have changed their mask policy to "strongly recommended" following the federal mask mandate lift.
Earlier this week, San Mateo County moved from Low to Medium in its COVID-19 Community Level, with cases on the rise. With a greater presence of the disease in our community, it’s important to pay attention to protective measures like being current with vaccinations and boosters, wearing high-quality masks (like N95s or KN95s), being mindful of indoor ventilation, and following the State's isolation and quarantine guidance if you've tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19. Visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to find a vaccine or booster near you.
CA COVID-19 Rent Relief
The State’s Housing is Key program to assist renters and landlords with rent and utility payments came to a close March 31st, but the City’s Rental Assistance Program is still be available; the Brisbane City Council has made $100,000 in rental assistance available to those that need it. Contact the Community Resource Center of the YMCA at (650) 276-4101 or crc@ymcasf.org to get the application process started.
CA Mortgage Relief Program Portal Now Accepting Applications
Save the Date: BDW's "OH the Places", May 15th
Save the Date: Wildfire Awareness Event, June 4th
Save the Date: San Mateo County's Anonymous Gun Buyback Program, June 4th
Save the Date: LUNAFEST is June 11th
Complete Streets Safety Committee Meeting - Monday, May 2, 2022 - 6:30pm
City Council Meeting - Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 7:30pm
Did You Know?
It’s Weed Abatement Season – if you have any questions, please contact Clyde Preston, Safety Inspector, Fire Prevention Services Bureau at: (650) 991-5741 or cpreston@northcountyfire.org. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance with creating a safer environment for all!
Quote of the week
This concludes our update; we'll be sending out the next Blast on Friday, May 13th, in the afternoon. If this email was forwarded to you or you saw it on social media and would like to subscribe, sign up here. As always, please keep connected with us via our website and social media pages. A Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers in our lives. Thanks for reading and staying engaged with us!