👋 eNews: Oct. 2, 2026 Dia De Los Muertos Event, Sandbag Stations Opened Oct. 1, Voter Information and More!

Email from City of San Mateo Check out the latest from the City of San Mateo In today's edition: Now Through Oct. 25! Download the Dine & Discover Downtown San Mateo Passport Climate Adaptation Plan Workshop on Oct. 6 Oct. 5 City Council Meeting Preview Election and Voter Information Celebrate Día de Los Muertos With Us! / ¡Celebra el Día de los Muertos con nosotros! You're Invited to the Reopening of East Hillsdale Park City Council Study Sessions: Single-Family Permitting and Food Truck Operations Free ADU Fair Help Local Government Reach the People It’s Missing! Main Street Garage Top Floor Temporary Closure Oct. 5–26 for Waterproofing San Mateo Sandbag Stations Opened for Wet-Weather Season on Oct. 1 Public Notifications for 16th Avenue and 19th Avenue Channels National Coffee With a Cop Day! Traffic Advisory: Nightly Closures on SR-92/101 Interchange in San Mateo Oct. 4-9 The Spooky Book Faire at the Main Library Land of Opportunity: The Immigrant Experience in San Mateo County Treasures of the Pharaohs Careers with Impact: Join our Team Today City Manager's Office Now Through Oct. 25! Download the Dine & Discover Downtown San Mateo Passport We've extended the Dine & Discover dates, so you now have more time to take part this October! Dine & Discover Downtown San Mateo is a simple way to explore the district’s dining scene and support local businesses. As you visit different restaurants, check in to earn points and prizes. Whether you are local or a visitor, it’s a fun way to try new cuisines around downtown. Now from Sept. 10 - Oct. 25, join Dine & Discover Downtown San Mateo to earn points, unlock badges and win local prizes every time you check in at participating spots. How to join: Download the @vibemap app Check in at Downtown San Mateo restaurants (Sept. 10–Oct. 25) Earn points towards badges and prizes (including a grand prize valued at $500!) Dine & Discover Downtown San Mateo Climate Adaptation Plan Workshop on Oct. 6 The city needs your feedback to shape how our community prepares for sea level rise. Your input will help shape a coordinated, actionable plan that protects our community, critical infrastructure and natural resources while preparing San Mateo for future climate impacts. Attend our community workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 6-7 p.m. in person at the San Mateo Main Library Oak Room, 55 W. 3rd Ave. Refreshments will be provided. Learn More About the Climate Adaptation Plan Workshop City Clerk's Office Oct. 5 City Council Meeting Preview We hope you can join us at our next City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 5. Here are some key highlights that will be considered: Special meeting, 6 p.m. Presentation on the San Mateo Police Department Real Time Information Center Regular meeting, 7:30 p.m. Proclamations Breast Cancer Awareness Month Hispanic Heritage Month Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week Consideration of a resolution to approve the City's Below Market Rate Alternative Plan for the proposed housing development project located at 1700 S. El Camino Real Consideration of a resolution to adopt the updated Storm Drain Master Plan To review the full agenda or to access the meeting online, visit the Agendas & Minutes Public Meeting Portal. Agendas and Minutes Public Meeting Portal Election and Voter Information As we round the corner into October, we're now weeks away from the Nov. 3, 2026, election! More election information is available on the city's website, but here's some important info to help you prepare: Ballot Measure Information Measure H: ¼-Cent Transactions and Use Sales Tax Measure F: Charter Amendments Measure Where Can I Vote? Find out how and where to vote in San Mateo. Temporary Campaign Sign Enforcement During Elections Learn more about rules and regulations for temporary campaign signs, helpful resources, as well as a reporting system through our My San Mateo online service request portal and app. To report a potential violation, use the city's My San Mateo online service request portal. Voter Registration, Status and Updates Go to vote.gov to register to vote, check your voter registration status or update your registration. Parks and Recreation Celebrate Día de Los Muertos With Us! Join us for the seventh annual Día de los Muertos Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, from noon to 3 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Park in San Mateo. Hosted by the San Mateo Police Activities League (PAL) in partnership with City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation, this free, family-friendly celebration brings our community together to celebrate the rich cultural traditions that make our community special. Date: Saturday, Oct. 10 Time: Noon to 3 p.m. Location: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Park, 725 Monte Diablo Ave. Enjoy an afternoon filled with traditional music and dance, hands-on crafts, delicious food, interactive cultural exhibits and fun for the whole family. For performers, activities and more details, visit the San Mateo PAL Día de los Muertos Celebration event page. ¡Celebra el Día de los Muertos con nosotros! Acompáñanos en la séptima Celebración anual del Día de los Muertos el sábado 10 de octubre de 2026, de 12 a 3 p. m., en el Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Park en San Mateo. Organizada por la San Mateo Police Activities League (PAL) en colaboración con el Departamento de Parques y Recreación de la Ciudad de San Mateo, esta celebración gratuita y para toda la familia reúne a nuestra comunidad para honrar las ricas tradiciones culturales que la hacen tan especial. Fecha: sábado 10 de octubre Hora: de 12 a 3 p. m. Lugar: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Park, 725 Monte Diablo Ave. Disfruta de una tarde llena de música y baile tradicional, manualidades, comida deliciosa, exhibiciones culturales interactivas y diversión para toda la familia. Para conocer a los artistas, las actividades y más detalles, visita la página del evento de la Celebración del Día de los Muertos de San Mateo PAL. You're Invited to the Reopening of East Hillsdale Park We're excited to invite you to a brief ceremony celebrating the reopening of East Hillsdale Park following months of construction and improvements. Date: Wednesday, Oct. 7 Time: 1 p.m. Location: East Hillsdale Park, 123 31st Ave. We look forward to celebrating with you and seeing the park filled with happy families once again! Parking: This small park is tucked within a residential neighborhood and doesn't have reserved parking, so street parking is the only option. If you plan to attend, please be considerate of our neighbors and park appropriately. Please don't block driveways or double-park. Thank you for helping us be good neighbors while we celebrate this special occasion.  Want to learn more? Visit the East Hillsdale Park Development Project webpage. Community Development City Council Study Sessions: Single-Family Permitting and Food Truck Operations October 19 Study Session: Single-family Permit Streamlining The City Council will hold a study session on Oct. 19 to review the permitting process and zoning code standards for single-family homes and assess opportunities to simplify and streamline the requirements. Single-family residential districts make up a significant portion of the city's land and include a diverse range of neighborhoods. The City Council will give staff direction on how the permitting process and development standards should be updated or maintained to make permitting simpler, clearer and more efficient. No final decisions will be made at this meeting. For more information, view the white paper on single-family residential regulations developed earlier this year. Oct. 19 Study Session: Food Truck Operations on Private Property The City Council will hold a study session on Oct. 19 to receive updates on the city's enforcement of regulations on mobile food vendors in the public right-of-way and consider policy options for permitting and regulating food trucks on private property. Consistent with a City Council priority for this year and in conjunction with the broader Comprehensive Zoning Code Update, staff researched best practices from other cities and developed a list of policy questions for the council to consider on new food truck standards. No final decisions will be made at this meeting. Free ADU Fair If you're interested in learning more about ADUs, check out this free event hosted by the nonprofit ADU Resource Center of San Mateo County. Whether you're curious about design, cost, financing or return on investment, you'll have the chance to speak directly with industry experts, including architects, contractors and lenders. You'll also get insights from an ADU specialist on what you can build, learn about opportunities to rent your unit affordably to community members and hear presentations on various aspects of ADU construction. After the fair, attendees can tour real ADUs in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Get your free ticket today on Eventbrite. Date: Sunday, Oct. 11 Time: 10 a.m. to noon Location: Burlingame Community Center, 850 Burlingame Ave. Bonus: Visit ADU open houses in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties from 1 to 4 p.m. Help Local Government Reach the People It’s Missing! The County of San Mateo is looking for paid community ambassadors to better connect governments like the City of San Mateo with the communities they serve. Until Oct. 16, the County is taking applications from the following types of organizations: Community-based and grassroots organizations Culturally and linguistically specific organizations Academic partners (research centers, university programs, student-led initiatives) Faith-based groups Individuals or small teams with strong community trust and engagement experience Firms and independent consultants that do community engagement work No experience working with government is required, just great relationships with your community and creative ideas for how to get them involved. Selected groups will become eligible for cities throughout San Mateo County to contract with to equitably engage their communities. These activities will help amplify voices that government often doesn't hear, such as youth, immigrants, renters, non-English speakers and working parents.  Visit OpenGov for details of this Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ), and contact Emily Robbins at robbins@planningcollaborative.com with any questions. Public Works Main Street Garage Top Floor Temporary Closure Oct. 5–26 for Waterproofing Starting Monday, Oct. 5, the top floor of the Main Street Parking Garage will be closed while crews install a protective waterproof coating. The top floor will remain closed through Monday, Oct. 26. This maintenance protects the garage structure from water damage and extends the life of the facility. Levels below the top floor will remain open. What you need to know: The elevator will remain operational throughout construction, providing access to all levels of the garage. Please use the lower levels of the Main Street Garage during the closure. Parking may fill more quickly during busy times, so allow a little extra time. Signs will be posted at the garage entrance to guide you. Businesses will remain open throughout the project. The city encourages customers to continue supporting and visiting local businesses as usual. Find more parking options at our downtown parking facilities webpage for garage locations, hours and parking information. Thank you for your patience while we complete this work to maintain the garage. For questions, contact Public Works at 650-522-7300. San Mateo Sandbag Stations Opened for Wet-Weather Season on Oct. 1 With the rainy season approaching, now is the time to prepare your home and property for storms and potential flooding. Taking a few simple steps before wet weather arrives can help protect your property and keep our community safe. The City of San Mateo's self-service sandbag stations are now open 24/7. Sandbags are available to San Mateo residents and property owners, with a limit of 10 bags per vehicle. Residents should bring their own shovel and gloves. Sand and bags are provided while supplies last and are refilled throughout the rainy season. Self-service sandbag stations are available at three locations: City of San Mateo Corporation Yard Beresford Park Anchor Road/Bay Trail Before the rain arrives, take a few minutes to review the City's storm and flood preparedness resources and find your nearest sandbag location: Learn more about storm and flood preparedness. Find sandbag locations and additional information. Public Notifications for 16th Avenue and 19th Avenue Channels The City has planned creek maintenance at the 16th and 19th Avenue channels between September and October 2026 to remove cattails, invasive and non-native vegetation, and vegetation in select areas to help improve channel function. All removed material will be hauled offsite to an approved green waste facility. No trees will be removed and no chemicals will be used as part of this maintenance effort. All applicable permits and approvals have been approved by the regulatory agencies. More specific information about work at each site is as follows: 16th Avenue Channel, Near the Corner of South Delaware Street and East 16th Avenue Trucks will use the existing maintenance road above the channel for staging, with access from South Delaware Street and East 16th Avenue. Site preparation will include mowing and trimming along the maintenance road adjacent to the channel to support safe access. Construction is expected to take five days during low-flow conditions, and there is no planned dewatering or storage in or near the channel. We expect minimal impacts on the community, as truck traffic will operate on the access road. 19th Avenue Channel, Across From the City’s Corporation Yard  Crews will remove vegetation to the rooting depth using a small Bobcat that works in the channel, then load material into dump trucks via a short-boom excavator at the access gate. Staging will be outside the channel along Pacific Boulevard, and "no parking" signs will be posted in advance of the work to clear the staging area. The work is expected to take one day. In most years, the channel is dry in late summer, but if water is present, temporary dewatering may be used to isolate the work area. We'll use appropriate traffic controls and expect minimal impacts on the community as the work is along Pacific Boulevard near the Corporation Yard. Police Department National Coffee With a Cop Day! Join the San Mateo Police Department at the Starbucks inside Target at Bridgepointe Shopping Center on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for National Coffee with a Cop Day! Officers will be there from 9 to 11 a.m. and are grateful to Target for hosting. They hope to see you there!  Date: Wednesday, Oct. 7 Time: 9 to 11 a.m. Location: Starbucks inside Target, 2220 Bridgepointe Parkway, San Mateo Update from Caltrans Traffic Advisory: Nightly Closures on SR-92/101 Interchange in San Mateo Oct. 4-9 Caltrans has scheduled nightly full ramp closures on the westbound SR-92 connector to southbound US-101 (Loop Ramp) in the city of San Mateo on Sunday, Oct. 4 through Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Crews will work to install conduits for the ramp metering system and street lighting along the Westbound SR-92 Connector to Southbound US-101. To facilitate this work, the following ramp closure will be in effect: Westbound SR-92 Connector to Southbound US-101 (Loop Ramp) Full ramp closure: Sunday: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday - Thursday: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Detour route: From Westbound SR-92 → Loop off-ramp → Delaware St. → Eastbound Concar Dr. → On-ramp to Eastbound Route 92 → Connector off-ramp to Southbound Route 101. Crews will additionally conduct electrical work at E. Hillsdale Boulevard and Eastbound SR-92/Mariners Island Boulevard: Westbound SR-92 Mainline (1 Lane will be Closed) One lane on Westbound SR-92 will be closed between the Northbound US-101 off-ramp and the Southbound US-101 loop ramp. Traffic control in place: Sunday - Thursday: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Northbound US-101 Off-Ramp to E. Hillsdale Blvd. Full ramp closure: Monday - Friday: 10 p.m. - 7 a.m. Detour route: From Northbound Route 101 → Connector off-ramp to Eastbound Route 92 → Off-ramp to Edgewater Blvd./Mariners Island Blvd. → Southbound Edgewater Blvd. to E. Hillsdale Blvd. All work is weather dependent. Please drive with caution. Caltrans thanks you for your patience in its work to maintain the state’s highways, bridges and tunnels. For real-time traffic, use the Caltrans QuickMap. Library Updates   The Spooky Book Faire at the Main Library  Saturday, Oct. 10 | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Main Library, first floor | Oak Room  Do you enjoy Halloween and a good scary story? You are in for a treat! Join us at the San Mateo Public Library for live scary story readings and also games, door prizes and refreshments. Books by authors will be available for purchase as well! Take photos in our spooky setting and visit each table for games to win spooky stuff! This is an adult program. Presented by HorrorAddicts.net Press. Find more information on the Spooky Book Faire event webpage. Land of Opportunity: The Immigrant Experience in San Mateo County Saturday, Oct. 17 | 10:30 a.m. to noon | Main Library, first floor | Oak Room Carmen Blair of the San Mateo County Historical Association will speak about the history of immigration in San Mateo County, focusing on some of the largest immigrant groups that have made the county their home since the Gold Rush. Registration is required. Find more information on the Land of Opportunity event webpage.   Treasures of the Pharaohs Saturday, Oct. 17 | 3 to 4 p.m. | Main Library, first floor, Oak Room Volunteer docent Alfred Escoffier will discuss the de Young Museum's latest exhibit, "Treasures of the Pharaohs." Find more information on the Treasures of the Pharaohs event webpage.   Job Opportunities With the City Careers with Impact: Join Our Team Today Your weekly window into city service and job opportunities Apply Now: Golf Services Manager Community Development Department Planning Intern – Per Diem Preschool Specialist I – Per Diem Preschool Specialist II – Per Diem Recreation Specialist II, Afterschool Program – Per Diem Wastewater Treatment Plant Mechanic I/II 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? 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