County of San Mateo News Update: September 1, 2022

     September 1, 2022

Emergency Officials Prepare for Excessive Heat Wave

With widespread heat expected across the Bay Area this Labor Day weekend, emergency officials recommend residents be prepared and plan ahead for the excessive heat warning. Resources and tips include beach safety, signing up for emergency alerts and how to prevent heat-related illness. Residents can also expect Flex Alerts asking for voluntary electricity conservation to save power and reduce the risk of outages. In response to the heat event, Gov. Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency to temporarily increase energy production and reduce demand through Sept. 7. 

County Health Pauses COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics

San Mateo County Health’s community COVID-19 vaccine clinics are temporarily closed and are expected to reopen after September 12 when they will offer the new booster shot. With the recent Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorization of the new bivalent Omicron booster, the current monovalent COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized to be used as boosters. Current COVID-19 vaccines remain widely available. Individuals interested in booking their first vaccination appointments should contact their provider or a local pharmacy.

New County Building to Serve as Peninsula's Civic Center

A light and airy space for public meetings is one feature of a new County of San Mateo building taking shape in downtown Redwood City. Once construction is complete in late 2023, County offices from the Hall of Justice and other locations will move to the new five-story civic center building with a larger Board Chambers. Following a long planning process, the Board of Supervisors approved the project with multiple goals including consolidating offices and locations to save money on rents, creating a welcoming space for the public and employees and serving as the Peninsula's town square. 

Human Services Agency Hires New Assistant Director

A longtime health and behavioral health leader both in San Mateo County and elsewhere has joined the Human Services Agency as its new assistant director. Dr. Jei Africa was most recently director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services for the County of San Mateo where he focused on expanding community outreach to underserved communities and led the acquisition of several critical residential facility projects. Africa said he's excited to be back to help people "thrive" and to ensure services are "accessible, equitable and client-centered.”

Homekey Funds Continue to Create Housing for Homeless

The State of California commemorated Project Homekey’s recent two-year anniversary in an announcement commending the creation of more than 12,500 homes throughout California for people exiting homelessness by purchasing hotels and other buildings since its launch in 2020. This includes more than 500 homeless housing units, 358 interim housing units and 147 apartments with leases in San Mateo County. Homekey awards from the state totaling $118K also contributed to the creation of the 240-bed Navigation Center, currently under construction.

Students Invited to Apply to Climate Leadership Program

Applications are now open for the Youth Climate Ambassadors Leadership Program, an eight-month program that encourages San Mateo County students in ninth to 12^th grade to put their ideas about climate change into action. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with local professionals working on climate change and sustainability and earn a $500 stipend for completing the program. The program is a partnership between the Office of Sustainability, San Mateo County Office of Education and Peninsula Clean Energy.

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