The County of San Mateo on Sept. 18, 2019, celebrated the completion of its new $64.5 million Regional Operations Center (ROC), a state-of-the-art and seismically safe facility to house its Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications which operates 9-1-1 dispatch, and a secure data center. Located on the County Center campus in Redwood City, the ROC serves as the hub for disaster response and recovery and is the largest project to date funded by Measure K, the countywide half-cent sales tax. LEARN MORE

Joining more than 1,000 national, international and local jurisdictions, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution at its Sept. 17, 2019, meeting declaring a climate emergency in San Mateo County to highlight the increasingly urgent need for action to address the climate crisis. The resolution calls for the County to create Climate Action Plans that will achieve carbon neutrality in advance of the State of California’s 2045 goal, and coordinate with the cities and other local partners in addressing the climate crisis. The resolution also requires the Office of Sustainability to report annually to the Board of Supervisors on progress towards meeting the County’s carbon reduction and resiliency goals. LEARN MORE

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors at its Sept. 24, 2019, meeting will adopt the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Recommended Budget after considering $296 million in revisions that represent significant commitments to employees and residents. The budget amendments are largely due to the re-appropriation of capital improvement projects, IT projects, Measure K initiatives and new positions. The proposed 9.3 percent increase to be presented Sept. 24 brings the budget total to $3.5 billion with 5,850 authorized positions. The proposed general fund budget is $2.5 billion with 4,469 authorized positions. LEARN MORE

The County of San Mateo’s innovative efforts to make housing accessible to residents at all price points and treat those with severe substance abuse issues through a unique multi-disciplinary approach have earned two prestigious Challenge Awards from the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). The Home for All initiative and the Integrated Medication Assisted Treatment (IMAT) Team were both honored for innovation and best practices in county government by CSAC. These two programs were chosen as winners of the Challenge Awards from a vast pool of 284 entries. LEARN MORE