👋 eNews: Aug. 28, 2026 - Election Updates, Celebrate the Main Library's 20th Anniversary With Us Tomorrow and More!

Email from City of San Mateo Check out the latest from the City of San Mateo In today's edition: WestLight Energy Free EV Charging Webinar for Multifamily Property Owners Get Ready for September Nights on B 2026! Temporary Campaign Sign Enforcement During Elections Nov. 3, 2026, Election Updates Downtown Pedestrian Mall: Making Crossings Safer Water Safety Reminders With City of San Mateo’s Harbor Patrol Joinville Park Playground Repairs The City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department is Hiring a Student Intern 1989 Historic Building Survey Update New High-Density Zones: Implementing Strive San Mateo 2040 Tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 29: Celebrate Main Library's 20th Anniversary and Cafe Grand Opening! Writers Helping Writers Series - Book Promotion: 18 Years of Lessons Author Visit With Vero Perez/Visita de la autora con Vero Pérez Careers With Impact - Join Our Team Today! City Manager's Office WestLight Energy Free EV Charging Webinar for Multifamily Property Owners EV charging is quickly becoming a must-have amenity, but installation costs and navigating a maze of incentive programs can feel challenging. Join WestLight Energy, Ecology Action and local contractor Bee Daly for a free webinar on how to bring EV charging to your multifamily housing property. In this one-hour session, you will learn proven strategies to reduce EV charger installation costs, how to navigate and stack currently available incentives, how to access free technical assistance and an installer's perspective of the process. Register today for the free webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at noon. Get Ready for September Nights on B 2026! Spend an evening with us on B Street on Sept. 10 and 17, 2026, where live music, great food and family-friendly activities bring the block to life! Join the fun between 1st and 3rd avenues from 6–8 p.m., featuring the following musical performances: Thursday, Sept. 10 | Live music by Pure Ecstasy (Motown & R&B) Thursday, Sept. 17 | Live music by Neon Velvet (Top 40) The whole family can come and enjoy the evening with our dedicated kids zone. For more information, visit the September Nights on B Street event page. City Clerk's Office Temporary Campaign Sign Enforcement During Elections As the election draws near, we are receiving inquiries from the public regarding temporary sign placement rules and regulations. The City has prepared some helpful resources as well as a reporting system through our My San Mateo online service request portal and app. The City's enforcement policy, and additional information regarding placement and violation criteria, are available on the City's website. Suspected violation concerns may be submitted online or on mobile through My San Mateo. Nov. 3, 2026, Election Updates Find Elections Information available on the City's website. City Council Candidates & Ballot Measures City Council candidates for Districts 1, 3 and 5 Measure H: ¼-Cent Transactions and Use Sales Tax Measure F: Charter Amendments Measure Save the Date! Oct. 1: San Mateo City Council Candidate Forum The League of Women Voters will host a live San Mateo City Council Candidate Forum on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, with the option to watch online via Zoom. The community can submit questions in advance to questions@lwvncsmc.org with the subject line San Mateo CC. Are you registered to vote? It's always a good time to register to vote! Register or verify your registration on the San Mateo County Elections Division website. Where can I vote?  Drop box and vote center location information will also be available on the county's website. Ballots will be mailed to registered voters on Oct. 5, and ballot drop boxes will open on Oct. 6. An early voting Vote Center will be open at the County Elections Office in San Mateo on Oct. 5. 11-day and 4-day Vote Centers will open at several locations in San Mateo. More information will be available as we approach the election date. Public Works Downtown Pedestrian Mall: Making Crossings Safer To support the community's safe use of the pedestrian scrambles at First, Second and Third avenues and South B Street, and to reduce driver frustration, we've made several recent changes: New signs We installed new signs above the pedestrian signals and push buttons at the First, Second and Third Avenue intersections to make it easier to notice and understand when to cross. Pedestrians should cross when they see the "walk" sign, while green lights are for vehicles. Signal timing change at Third Avenue We changed the order of the traffic signal so pedestrians get to cross before drivers on B Street get their green light. The goal is to reinforce that pedestrians should wait for their turn to cross. Talking crosswalk signal at Third Avenue. The crosswalk signal at Third Avenue and B Street now talks. When it's time to walk, it announces "walk sign is on for all crossings." If you push the button and it's not yet your turn, it will remind you to wait periodically. We're watching how well this works before deciding whether to add it at other crossings nearby. Extended crosswalk striping. Public Works crews extended the crosswalk lines fully through the First, Second and Third Avenue intersections. This helps further clarify that the public can cross in any direction, including diagonally, through the intersection.  We're planning additional pavement markings within the intersections to further help guide pedestrians safely across. Staff will also continue to monitor the intersections to evaluate the success of these changes and the need for additional improvements. Thanks for your patience and feedback as we work to make downtown safer for everyone. Parks and Recreation Water Safety Reminders With City of San Mateo’s Harbor Patrol Hey San Mateo, plan on enjoying the water this summer? Harbor Patrol would like to share a few reminders for keeping our waterways safe. Always operate your vessel at a safe and responsible speed, and abide by the speed limits of each zone. Be aware of designated kayaking and paddleboarding areas. Kayakers and paddleboarders should avoid entering Zone A. Idling and loitering in Zone A is prohibited. Maintain at least 50 feet of distance from residential shorelines and private docks. Boating that creates large wakes is prohibited. Only one rider is permitted at a time for all towed water activities, including tubing, wakeboarding and water skiing. If you plan on operating a vessel after sunset, the speed is restricted to 10 mph, except in areas where lower speed limits are posted and required. And remember, all fireworks are prohibited in San Mateo. Leave the fireworks displays to approved public events and help keep our community safe! Learn more on our Marina Lagoon webpage or email us at parksandrecreation@cityofsanmateo.org to get a copy of the Marina Lagoon Boating and Recreation guide. Let's all do our part to keep San Mateo waterways safe and fun for all! Joinville Park Playground Repairs The Joinville Park playground will be closed for repairs from Monday, Aug. 31, through Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. Please help us keep everyone safe by staying off the play equipment and abiding by all posted signage. Thank you! The City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department is Hiring a Student Intern The City is looking for a part-time, year-round intern who will assist the Parks and Recreation Department with research and data for the City’s parks and community center facilities as well as assist with other special projects. The ideal candidate should be friendly, professional, detail-oriented and self-motivated, with the ability to work independently. They should be skilled in customer service, organization, multi-tasking and communication. Applicants must either be a recent college graduate or in the process of earning an undergraduate or master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Parks & Recreation, Urban Planning or a related field. Ready to Apply? Submit an application, résumé (required), and supplemental questionnaire on the CalOpps website. For additional information, contact Suzette Silberman by email at ssilberman@cityofsanmateo.org. Community Development 1989 Historic Building Survey Update On Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026 at 6 p.m. during its special meeting, the City Council will consider whether to expand the scope of the Historic Policy Update Effort to include an update of the City's 1989 Historic Building Survey. This work would include updating assessments of up to 124 properties listed in the 1989 Survey to determine if they are still eligible historic resources. The action would include an additional appropriation of funds and amendment of the contract with Rincon Consultants, the City's historic consultant. If approved, the scope of work would include outreach and engagement with all affected property owners. This work is related to the Historic Policy Update Effort that started at the beginning of 2025 and led to the adoption of the Citywide Historic Context Statement, an updated Historic Preservation Ordinance and other related historic preservation policies. As part of the updated Historic Preservation Ordinance, Council included a provision allowing it to nominate properties identified in the 1989 Historic Building Survey for potential addition to the San Mateo Historic Resources Inventory. However, because the Survey and its supporting documentation are more than 37 years old, the information must be updated before it can be used to support the potential designation of any of these properties. Council directed staff to prioritize updating the Survey and return with a proposed scope of work for consideration. Resources: Public Meeting Portal 1989 Historic Building Survey Historic Policy Update Effort Website New High-Density Zones: Implementing Strive San Mateo 2040 The City Council will consider code amendments to create four new mixed-use and residential zoning districts (MU3, MU4, R6, and R7) at a public hearing during its regular meeting on Sept. 8, 2026, at 7 p.m. The new districts support implementation of the City's General Plan 2040 by establishing clear and objective standards for permitted uses, development form and density for these new land use designations. This ordinance also includes several code amendments to improve code clarity, correct inconsistencies and support General Plan and housing policies. Additional information on the Zoning Code amendments can be found on the City's Policy and Zoning Code Update Efforts page, and the agenda report and draft ordinance can be viewed on the City's Public Meeting Portal. Comments can be submitted to Project Planner Shelby Donohoe at sdonohoe@cityofsanmateo.org. Library Updates Tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 29: Celebrate Main Library's 20th Anniversary and Cafe Grand Opening! Celebrate a major milestone with us on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as the Main Library marks its 20th anniversary with a day of music, dance and community festivities. The fun will begin with the grand opening of PLUR Coffee’s newest location at 11 a.m. on the third floor. The anniversary program kicks off at 12:15 p.m. in the lobby with a dynamic performance by San Mateo Buddhist Temple Taiko, followed by a rich lineup of cultural performances: Ukulele Fun Jam with Charlie Chin and Victor Labrador Grupo Folklórico de SMHS dance performance Jazz and swing piano recital by local student Aarohi Kher Persian musical performance by Amir Etemadzadeh and Mint Tea Productions Light refreshments will be served. All community members are welcome—come celebrate with us! Find more information on the 20th anniversary event webpage.   Writers Helping Writers Series - Book Promotion: 18 Years of Lessons  Thursday, Sept. 10 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Main Library, 1st Floor | Cedar Room Laurel Anne Hill will condense her 18 years of book promotion experience into a 30-minute presentation, then open the floor for attendees to share their own publishing journey and swap valuable strategies. Registration is required. Find more information on the Book Promotion event webpage. Author Visit With Vero Perez/Visita de la autora con Vero Pérez  Saturday, Sept. 12 | 11 a.m. to noon| Main Library, 1st Floor | Book Bubble Celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month with a special author visit and Q&A with Veronica (Vero) Perez, author of Little Vero, Big Dreams! Join us for an inspiring conversation about her book, her journey, and the importance of dreaming big. Find more information on the Vero Perez event webpage. Celebra el inicio del Mes de la Herencia Hispana con una visita especial de la autora Veronica (Vero) Perez y una sesión de preguntas y respuestas. Vero es la autora de Little Vero, Big Dreams. Acompáñanos para una conversación inspiradora sobre su libro, su trayectoria y la importancia de soñar en grande. Encuentra más información en la página web del evento Vero Perez.     Job Opportunities With the City Careers With Impact - Join Our Team Today! Your weekly window into city service and job opportunities Apply Now: Research Student Intern - Per Diem Development Review Technician I/II Housing Specialist I/II Preschool Program Specialist - Per Diem Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator III See all open positions on the City of San Mateo job portal. A great way to make a positive impact with opportunities for growth and development. "Together, we make our community stronger."  Want Even More City Updates? You can also sign up for additional City of San Mateo updates and alerts on topics that matter to you! City of San Mateo Email Alerts and Newsletters Follow us on social media & stay engaged Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email City of San Mateo | 330 West 20th Avenue | San Mateo, CA 94403 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice