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Oct. 14, 2022

A Special Sneak Peek
Project Planners Tour New Firehouse Square 

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, members of our City Council and Planning Commission, City Staff and some very special guests joined Mid-Peninsula Housing staff for an inside look at our brand-new affordable housing development, Firehouse Square.

You might recall that work on this project started in 2011. Today, the reconstructed building hosts reminders of the building's past, like the 1936 Firehouse's Spanish tiles and light fixtures, and original mosaics designed by artist Xuan Ho using salvaged materials from the site. See this Tweet about it from August.  To see what we and our hosts posted about the sneak peek on Tuesday click on these social channels:  City's Twitter MidPen Housing's Twitter City Manager's LinkedIn To learn more about the history of Firehouse Square, visit the project's development webpage.

We invite your opinion of our top citywide priorities for a proposed community benefits program. Popular examples include sidewalk improvements, bike lanes, new parks, public parking, and the development of affordable housing. Tell us what you want to see in Belmont. 

It's Fire Prevention Week

Did you know it’s the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, and our City Council acknowledged this event at Tuesday night’s Council meeting by presenting a proclamation to the San Mateo Consolidated Fire. In recognition of this event, we like to share some important information with you for the occasion.

Did you know you have less than two minutes to escape if a fire breaks out in your home? Here’s how to make sure you can make it out quickly:

• Plan and practice your home escape plan today.
• Know two ways out of every room.
• Have a meeting place in a safe location, and make sure everyone in the home knows where it is.
• Never re-enter a home that is on fire.
• Have working smoke alarms in all sleeping rooms and hallways leading to sleeping rooms.

Learn more about Emergency Preparedness, and the Top 5 tips for preparing for disasters by watching our video here.

Sign up for San Mateo County’s alert and warning system here.

Know your ZONE.

Great California ShakeOut

Mark your Calendars: Oct 20, 2022 

Are you ready? Thursday is the annual Great California ShakeOut, the world’s largest earthquake safety drill.

• You can practice the earthquake response procedure from work, school or home.
• If you register online, you will be counted in the final tally of participants (We are counting on a strong showing from Belmont!).
• The drill will start at 10:20 a.m. and last for one minute.

Do you know what to do in an earthquake? Here’s a refresher:

California residents can also download the free MyShake app to receive earthquake warnings. The app is a component of Earthquake Warning California, the country’s first publicly available, statewide warning system that could give California residents crucial seconds to take cover before you feel shaking. Earthquake Warning California uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them and can notify you to take cover in advance of an earthquake.

Community Meeting: Placemaking Guidelines Join us on Oct. 17 at 9:30 a.m. Streetscapes may seem simple – but a lot of planning goes into improving the look and feel of our streets, sidewalks, and public spaces.  We have been developing detailed design guidelines for streetscape treatments in the Belmont Village Specific Plan (BVSP) area. The guidelines will create public placemaking opportunities and ensure that incremental improvements will result in an integrated and consistently high-quality streetscape system. Priorities will center on: Street Trees Special Paving Sidewalk/Street Width Seating Bike Racks Trash Receptacles Banners/Hanging Baskets Join our City Council’s Placemaking Committee for a community meeting on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022 from at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall (second floor, EOC room) to review the "Draft BVSP Streetscape Design Guidelines" and to see and comment on our streetscape plans for the future.  Add this event to your calendar, click here:

Progress Report: Citywide Pavement Condition Report Update On Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, Public Works updated City Council on the status of our pavement condition on roads throughout our city.  In just three short years, we've improved our pavement's 'good' status from forty-five to sixty-eight percent! There's more good news in the report that you can read for yourself.  Find a link to the agenda item here: Oct. 11, 2022 Agenda. It's item 9.b. To read the staff report, click here.

Have you seen ...

The latest addition to the Firehouse Square development project? 

Next time you're in the area -- if you're like us, admiring the beautiful new building -- look south on O'Neill Avenue and you'll see three new banners along the construction fence. Each one depicts a tiny bit of history about our city and the site of the new development. 

Sustainable San Mateo County & Peninsula Clean Energy Seek Award Nominations

Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) is now accepting nominations for its 2023 awards program, which honors those who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to sustainable practices in San Mateo County. Deadline is Nov. 18, 2022.

• Application forms: https://sustainablesanmateo.org/awards. 

Peninsula Clean Energy has announced its 2023 All-Electric Awards program, which recognizes builders, property owners and design teams on the forefront of building electrification in San Mateo County. 

Winners will be honored during SSMC’s Awards Celebration.

• Information: https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com/all-electric-awards-program.

Meeting Agendas

City Council:
Regular Meeting
Oct. 25, 2022
7 p.m. 

Planning Commission
Oct.18, 2022
7 p.m. 

Parks and Recreation Commission
Nov. 9, 2022
7 p.m.

Nov. 8, 2022 Municipal Election Information

The Nov. 8, 2022 Belmont Municipal Election includes a new Mayoral race and two councilmember races for District 1 and District 3. Election and voter information is available at www.belmont.gov/elections. 

In addition, Belmont City Council placed Measure K, a locally-controlled "hotel tax," on the ballot for voter consideration. Measure K proposes a two percentage point adjustment to the transient occupancy tax, or "hotel tax" rate which guests pay when staying at hotels or lodging facilities in Belmont for less than 30 days. Visit www.belmont.gov/MeasureK for more details. 

Tonight is the Final Movies in the Park for 2022

Let's Talk: Vaccines, Boosters, Variants & COVID-19 For families with infants, toddlers, and children: Hear from pediatricians Dr. Naveen Mahmood of Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Dr. Sylvia Espinoza of Stanford Children’s Health, in discussion with Eric Valladares, executive director of Family Connections. The virtual event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022 at 6 p.m. To watch First 5 San Mateo County's livestream event, please click here.

Mental Health Symposium Returns
Evening of Nov. 16, 2022 

What should you expect from the Belmont Police Department during a response to a mental health crisis? Join the conversation at our second annual Community Mental Health Symposium. 

Click on the image below to add this event to your calendar. 

A Fond Farewell
Public Goodbye Events for Representative Speier

As most of our residents already know, Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s time in Congress is coming to a close at the end of this year. To thank her constituents for their trust and support over almost 15 years in Congress and almost 40 years in elected office, she will hold a farewell town hall tour. Three are scheduled close to home: 

Burlingame Town Hall, Oct. 27, 6-7:30 p.m.

Half Moon Bay Town Hall, Oct. 29, 2-3:30 p.m.

South San Francisco Town Hall, Nov. 10, 6-7:30 p.m.

Halloween Home Decorating Contest - Open For Entries
Belmont Residents Can Get Creative

Out-BOO your neighbors by entering Belmont's third annual Halloween Home Decorating Contest!

Categories include 'Too Cute To Spook' and 'Scare-Tastic.'

Winners will receive a lawn sign displaying their achievement and a chance to be featured on Parks and Recreation's social media.

Deadline LOOMING: sign up by Oct. 16, 2022; entries are limited. 

Launching High School Fair 2022 Mid-October Event Showcases Options Belmont’s Youth Advisory Committee invites all local middle schoolers and their families to Belmont’s first High School Fair on Wednesday, Oct.19, 2022 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Twin Pines Community Center. This is a great opportunity for families to learn about what local public and private high schools have to offer in terms of academics, arts, athletics, student resources, and more. Attendees will be provided with a list of recommended questions to ask schools, and can enjoy light refreshments and fun interactive activities provided by the Youth Advisory Committee and V.O.I.C.E.S. team. The wonderful high schools attending are Carlmont, Compass, Crystal Springs Uplands, Design Tech, Menlo School, Mercy, Notre Dame, Serra, Summit Prep, and The Nueva School.   We hope you stop by for this free, educational community event!

Trunk or Treat Returns  Throw on a costume and head over to the Barrett Community Center basketball court on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m., for some Halloween fun! Our annual Trunk or Treat event is back this year with spooky, decorated cars, Halloween music, and of course loads of candy. This event is free and open to all ages! More information can be found here.

October Virtual Poetry Night 

Join us on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022 for this month's Virtual Poetry Night with our Belmont Poet Laureate, Monica Korde.

In the theme "LIKHA: creation", featuring Filipina American poet Dina Klarisse, in celebration of Filipinx American History Month.

To sign up for the Open Mic portion of the evening, please email Monica at: monicakorde@gmail.com and write "Open Mic" in the subject. Register here.

Trick or Treat at City Hall Join us 3-6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 We're counting the days until our first-ever City Hall Halloween -- open to all ages -- and doggies, too. Come in costume (or not) and enjoy the one-of-a-kind, friendly, fun haunted hallways of City Hall.  Click on the image above to add the event to your calendar or find the event on our Facebook page.  But that's not all, we have a number of Halloween events planned in Belmont, scroll down to our In Your Community section for more information.

World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics  If you are looking for a fun and exciting outdoor activity for your little one this fall, look no further than World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics.  They offer classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays for 4-6 year olds and 7-9 year olds! For more information and to sign up for classes, click here.

Street and Traffic Division Weekly Highlights

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month

In recognition of National Pedestrian Safety Month, we like to share some tips specific to making Belmont safer for all. 

Drivers: 

• Put the phone down and watch out for pedestrians. Sending or reading a short text takes your eyes off the road for almost five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
• Driving a few miles over the speed limit might not feel like a big deal, but in a collision with a pedestrian, it can be the difference between life and death.
• Do not block crosswalks when you stop at intersections.
• Take extra care while driving around schools, playgrounds and neighborhoods.

Pedestrians also have a responsibility on the roads. During October's Pedestrian Safety Month, we remind all to follow these road rules when using Belmont's streets and sidewalks. 

Pedestrians:

• Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
• Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.
• Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections. Nationally, most pedestrian fatalities occur at mid-block locations.
• Look for cars in all directions, including those turning left or right. If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely and continue watching for traffic as you cross.
• Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways or backing up in parking lots.

Need resources to share? Visit this website. 

Employers: Minimum Wage Updates New Rules Effective in the New Year Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, all employers of employees who perform at least two (2) hours of work per week within the geographical boundary of Belmont must pay those employees minimum wages of not less than $16.75 per hour. More information available at www.belmont.gov/minwage

Did you know? 

The City of Belmont's Planning Commission meets every first and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, One Twin Pines Lane, Belmont. Sign up to receive meeting notifications and agendas. 

Paratransit Seeks Qualified Riders Secret-Shopper Style Program San Mateo County Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) represents Redi-Wheels and RediCoast riders. Its Consumer Corps is a secret-shopper program where customers provide anonymous feedback about their rides. The program collects data on service quality, telephone wait time, on-time performance, etc.   Earn FREE TICKETS on REDI-WHEELS & REDICOAST!   By completing and submitting at least eight ride evaluation forms in a quarter, Corps members receive one Redi-Wheels ticket book = 10 tickets.  All forms and stamped envelopes supplied or complete evaluations online.   To join the Consumer Corps call (650) 299-1442 or email sanmateopcc2@gmail.com To attend a meeting or join the PCC, visit sanmateopcc.org or call (650) 299-1442.

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