NEW UPDATE: The County of San Mateo is now offering MATCHING INCENTIVES to PG&Es upgrade packages.  This means that you can receive from $2,000 up to $8,000 in incentives for your Energy Upgrade project! This matching rebates amount will last until the end of 2011 or until funds run out.  Visit www.energyupgradeca.org and call a participating contractor to get started on your upgrade and ensure you receive the additional funds!

San Mateo County is part of new statewide program that offers rebate money to county residents that retrofit their homes with energy efficient functions.  The program, Energy Upgrade California, is a one-stop-shop for home improvement projects that lower energy use, conserve water and natural resources, and make the home healthier and more comfortable.

The program  guides you through the energy-efficiency upgrade process by:

• Selecting an incentive package that suits your home’s needs
• Finding a participating contractor to do the work
• Applying for financing to help pay for your upgrade

“This budget strives to balance the needs of the community with the reality that sacrifices must be made to align our spending with our resources,” Boesch said. “What is significant is that we have asked our employees to work with us to achieve our goal and they have done so.”

The Recommended Budget would authorize 5,271 positions, down 9.8 percent or 573 from the 2008-09 fiscal year. Approximately 65 of the 208 positions recommended for elimination are filled. To minimize layoffs, the County is using early retirement and voluntary separation incentives to reduce staff and is working to move employees into vacant positions.

To balance the budget, Boesch recommends reducing programs and services by $29 million and using $47.5 million in General Fund reserves and $5.5 million in Proposition 172 (public safety sales tax) funds.

The Recommended Budget is the fourth installment in the five-year plan designed to restore a structural balance by FY 2012-13. That means the County will then spend within its means without drawing down reserves. Boesch cautioned that if the County does not stay on track to reduce spending, the County would continue to use reserves and virtually run out of all reserves in 2015.

The Board of Supervisors began four days of public hearings on the Recommended Budget starting Monday, June 20. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2011.

To help close the gap between expenditures and revenues, the County has over the past year made significant progress. The County has:

- In partnership with labor organizations reduced labor costs by $13 million annually by freezing salaries, instituting new retirement tiers and increasing the amount of contributions to benefits, among other steps.

- Developed new service models that have consolidated departments, as in Public Works absorbing Parks, and partnered with cities to share public safety and other services to operate more efficiently.

- Eliminated vacant positions to minimize layoffs and reduce the budget by millions.

-Instituted numerous cost-savings programs to reduce operating expenses while protecting services, improved management of facilities and fleet vehicles and cut down on energy and paper.

The Recommended Budget can be found online at http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/budget

Pro football great Roger Craig will lead a 2.5-mile run this Saturday, June 18, at Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve as part of the monthly Take A Hike series of free, guided tours of county parks.

For those who enjoy a more leisurely pace, hikers can chose from a 1.6-mile or 2.6-mile guided hikes.

What:
Take A Hike San Mateo County

Three options:
2.5 mile run with former San Francisco 49er Roger Craig
1.6 mile hike with rangers and docents
2.6 mile hike with rangers and docents

When:
Saturday, June 18 at 9 a.m.

Where:
Main entrance of Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve, located on Edgewood Road approximately a half-mile east of Interstate 280.

Parking is limited, so please consider carpooling. For driving directions and a park map, visit www.SMCoParks.org

Take A Hike is sponsored by San Mateo County Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson and County Parks. The goal is to bring together people to enjoy the outdoors, learn about a park’s history and have some fun exercise.

Rangers and docents will accompany hikers and will provide information about the 10 rare or endangered plant species and the efforts to reintroduce the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly to the park. Craig, a Super Bowl champion with the 49ers and a former National Football League Most Valuable Player, will lead the run.

Long pants, closed-toe shoes and a hat are advised for hikers. Sunscreen and a water bottle are always recommended. Hikers should meet at the newly opened Bill and Jean Lane Education Center at the Park’s main entrance.

The first 100 hikers who log at least three Take A Hike hikes and attend the September 24 hike at San Pedro Valley Park will receive a pedometer. Hike logs will be available June 18.

The 7th annual San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Day is set for 10am-2pm, Saturday, June 11, at the San Mateo County Event Center, 2495 S. Delaware Street, San Mateo. The date coincides with the first day of the 2011 San Mateo County Fair, and anyone arriving before 11am, will receive free parking AND free admission that day to the county fair.

Bring your family and learn about how to prepare and plan for a large-scale regional emergency, then enjoy the food, fun, games and rides at the 2011 San Mateo County Fair.

When: Tonight, May 24, 2011, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Where: Burlingame High School, Gymnasium, 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame, 94010

Reception immediately to follow, light refreshments will be served.

Hikes begin at 9 a.m. and are between one to three miles long. Plan to spend at least 45 minutes for this activity. Rangers and volunteers lead the hikes and provide information about park history and the local habitat. Bring water, dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes. We supply the beauty and fresh air courtesy our San Mateo County parks.

Most hikes begin at the park’s main parking lot. Check back here for detailed information about the hike approximately three weeks prior.

Schedule

Rewards for Hikers

New This Year: We want to reward participants who join us for at least three hikes this season. The first 100 hikers who attend the September 24 hike at San Pedro Valley Park and submit a log showing at least three hikes will receive a Take A Hike pedometer. Download the 2011 Take A Hike Participant Log.

More Info

For additional information about Take A Hike, please call (650) 599-1009.

Check out this video from the May 14 Hike at Junipero Serra Park to see what Take a Hike is all about!

San Mateo County Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson, Take A Hike champion, and San Mateo County Park rangers will lead this month’s hike which begins at 9 a.m. The route is a moderate 2-mile distance that will expose hikers to the park’s diverse habitats, from stands of coast live oak and buckeye toMontereypine and California laurel.

Long pants, closed-toe shoes and a hat are advised.  Sunscreen and a water bottle are always recommended.  Hikers should proceed through the park entrance and follow signs to the parking area near the Iris Point Youth Camp site. For driving directions and a park map, visit www.SMCoParks.org

This season, the first 100 hikers who log at least three hikes and attend the September 24 hike at San Pedro Valley Park will receive a pedometer. Hike logs will be available May 14.

Concerned about the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians on Highway 1 between the Half Moon Bay Airport and Devil’s Slide?  Do you have ideas to share about how to improve this section of the highway?

The County of San Mateo and Caltrans are conducting a Safety and Mobility study of Highway 1 and would like to hear feedback from the community on which sections of the road are the most dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. Come share your ideas for how to improve these areas at the upcoming community workshops:

Kick-Off Community Meeting

Thursday, April 28^th at 7pm, El Granada Elementary School

Learn more about the Safety and Mobility Study and how the community will be involved in shaping the plans for improving Highway 1.

Community Design Day

Saturday, April 30^th – 9am-2pm,FaralloneViewElementary School

Interactive discussion with the community regarding problematic areas and a walking/driving tour on these portions of Highway 1

Presentation of Plan Concepts

Thursday, May 26^th – 7-9pm, El Granada Elementary School

Based on the community’s feedback at the Kick off meeting and Community Design Day, the consultant engineers will present a conceptual plan for improving public safety on the highway. Residents’ feedback on the plan concepts will be encouraged.

Click here to find out more 

Or contact Matt Jacobs, mjacobs@co.sanmateo.ca.us 650.363.4528

All voters should have received their voter packet in the mail that contains—an official ballot, a postage-paid return envelope, and the voter information ordinarily contained in the voter pamphlet (e.g., candidate statements, measure information, voting instructions and voter resources thus saving postage, paper and resources).

No polling places will be open for voting. Five voting centers will be open for in-person voting on the accessible eSlates this month.  Both Elections Offices will serve as Voting Centers during the 29-day period before the election.

San Mateo Voting Center
San Mateo Elections Office
40 Tower Road
San Mateo, CA 94402
Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Election Day, May 3: 7 a.m. – 8.p.m.

Redwood City Voting Center
Redwood City Elections Office
555 County Center, 1st Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063
Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Election Day, May 3: 7 a.m. – 8.p.m.

Three additional Voting Centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week of April 25-29.  These centers will be located at the Millbrae Community Center, the Half Moon Bay Library and the Galleria Room at Serramonte Del Rey.

Millbrae Voting Center
Millbrae Community Center
477 Lincoln Circle
Millbrae, CA 94030
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Half Moon Bay Voting Center
Half Moon Bay Library
620 Correas Street
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Daly City Voting Center
Serramonte Del Rey, Galleria Room
699 Serramonte Blvd.
Daly City, CA 94015
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

City Halls throughout the county will provide ballot drop-off boxes between April 4 through May 3 during regular business hours. (Hours and days of operation vary city to city.)

The Official Voter Information Pamphlet is also posted on the Elections web site, www.shapethefuture.org, by choosing the Check My Registration/Election Information button on the homepage. Visually impaired voters may request a copy of the county’s Official Voter Information Pamphlet on audiotape by calling 650.312.5222.

Ballots must be delivered to the Elections Office on or before Election Day. The Elections Office cannot accept or count ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day, even if the date of postmark is before the date of the election.

For more information regarding the upcoming Consolidated Local Special Election, check the Elections web site: www.shapethefuture.org

Candidates on the May 3 Ballot (PDF)

Roster of Local Measures (PDF)