High Speed Rail Meeting

Posted on December 5, 2010 by RSCA

Redwood City & Redwood Shores residents have an opportunity to hear a City staff update on the status of the High Speed Rail (HSR) project, as it relates to Redwood City.

Staff will make an informational update presentation at the December 6^th City Council meeting. The meeting begins at 7 pm, taking place at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road. Council meetings are broadcast on cable channels 26 or 27, and streamed live on the City’s website (go to Government/City Council/Meetings – direct link: www.redwoodcity.org/government/council/meetings.html).

This informational report is subsequent to the general HSR community workshops which were held in Redwood City on April 29 and May 11, 2010, and the two additional community meetings held to discuss the potential for a high-speed rail station in Redwood City, which took place on October 13 and November 3, 2010.

At the December 6 Council meeting, staff will provide:

A Program update, including the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement
An overview of the active engagement process, including community outreach meetings; Policy Working Group meetings; Technical Working Group meetings; updates to the Chamber of Commerce, Seaport Industrial Association, and Peninsula Freight Rail Users Group; and regional coordination
A review of the High Speed Rail project’s integration with Redwood City’s New General Plan, including key themes, urban form and land use, circulation, and economic development
Time for Council Q & A and discussion

No decisions will be made at this meeting – it is purely an informational report to the City Council and the community.

More information on the Project is available on the City’s HSR information page at www.redwoodcity.org/hsr.html , or at the California High Speed Rail Authority’s web page at www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov .

Fire Safety for the Holidays

Posted on December 5, 2010 by RSCA

You may know that the holidays are a time of increased risk of home fires – some holiday activities including cooking, Christmas trees, candle usage, and use of holiday decorations, are among the leading causes of home fires. Here are a few key fire-safety tips from the Redwood City Fire Department:

Kitchen safety:

Stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food. Most cooking fires involve the stovetop, so keep anything that can catch fire away from it, and turn off the stove when you leave the kitchen, even if it’s for a short period of time. If you’re simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.

Candles:

Consider using flameless candles, which look and smell like real candles. However, if you do use traditional candles, keep them at least 12” away from anything that can burn, and remember to blow them out when you leave the room or go to bed. Use candle holders that are sturdy, won’t tip over and are placed on uncluttered surfaces. Avoid using candles in the bedroom.

Trees:

If you have an artificial tree, be sure it’s labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire-retardant.
If you choose a fresh tree, make sure the green needles don’t fall off when touched; before placing it in the stand, cut 1-2” from the base of the trunk. Add water to the tree stand, and be sure to water it daily.
Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit, and is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles and heat vents or lights.
Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory, and make sure you know whether they are designed for indoor or outdoor use.
Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini-string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.
Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving the home or going to bed.
After Christmas, remove the tree from your home. Dried-out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside the home.
Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

Additional information on home fire safety for the holidays is available from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website, located at www.nfpa.org/holiday . More information on how to make your home “fire-safe” can be obtained by contacting the Redwood City Fire Department at 650-780-7400 or visiting www.redwoodcity.org/fire .

Redwood Shores Elementary Dedication Ceremony

Posted on December 1, 2010 by RSCA

On November 4, 2010, the Board of Trustees for the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District met at Redwood Shores Elementary to hold a dedication ceremony for the many people involved with building the new school.

This all started with the citizens of Redwood Shores voting for Measure C in November, 2005 to issue the bonds to acquire the land and build a new elementary school in Redwood Shores. The School District along with Jeff Gee, then President of RSCA, selected members of the Redwood Shores community to serve on the New Shores School Advisory Committee. They were instrumental in advising the school board on site selection, and choosing the construction firm and architects.

The new school was named Redwood Shores Elementary in consideration for the community’s involvement in making this school a reality. This fall the school opened to 265 students with a capacity of 450 students.

City Council Accepts Resignation of City Manager Peter Ingram

Posted on December 1, 2010 by RSCA

The City Council of Redwood City has accepted the resignation of City Manager Peter Ingram effective December 31, 2010. Mr. Ingram has worked for the City since 1992 and has served as City Manager since June of 2008.

The City Council wishes to express its appreciation for Mr. Ingram’s service to the City of Redwood City. As City Manager, Mr. Ingram has been instrumental in developing and delivering the City’s strategic plan and general plan and making recommendations to resolve the City’s financial deficits. Prior to his role as City Manager, Mr. Ingram served as the Community Development Director and Public Work Services Director. In these roles Mr. Ingram led staff through a variety of major initiatives such as the revitalization of the City’s downtown and the recycled water project.

Mr. Ingram wishes to express his appreciation to the City Council and staff for their dedication and commitment to the community of Redwood City.

The City Council will meet in the near future to appoint an interim city manager and discuss the process for recruiting for the next city manager.

Special Amnesty for Library Fines: “Food for Fines” Helps Second Harvest Food Bank

Posted on December 1, 2010 by RSCA

The Redwood City Public Library, in partnership with the San Mateo County Library, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, and Second Harvest Food Bank, presents a unique way to both clear up unpaid library fines, and build community by donating food to those in need. It’s the 2010 “Food for Fines” program, which allows library patrons to pay-off their library fines by donating food during between November 15 and December 30.

Anyone with outstanding library fines is invited to deliver nonperishable food items to any Redwood City library (or to any of the San Mateo County Library’s twelve branches) during regular business hours. The higher the amount of someone’s unpaid fines, the more food they should donate! They’ll leave the library with a cleared account (up to $100 in fines may be forgiven), and the great feeling of having helped others as the holidays approach.

All food collected will be provided to Second Harvest Food Bank, and of course everyone is encouraged to donate food to help those in need, even if they don’t owe any library fines – each library has a special Second Harvest Food Bank bin where donated food items can be placed. Over 45.5 million pounds of nutritious food is delivered annually by Second Harvest Food Bank to low income people in need in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. The majority of these people are children and seniors. These millions of pounds of food are provided free of charge to 326 local nonprofit agencies at more than 700 sites, including pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and after-school programs.

Please note that food donations as part of the Food for Fines program cannot be applied towards the cost of lost or damaged library items, unique collection items, or printing fees. The program is only valid for fines and fees of to San Mateo County Libraries and Redwood City Libraries. Libraries can accept only store-sealed items, and cannot accept glass containers.

The Redwood City Public Library offers many free programs for children, adults, and families, and is the learning center of our community. For more information about library events and services you may access the library’s home page at www.redwoodcity.org/library or call 780-7026.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s email newsletter and other City documents by visiting www.redwoodcity.org/egov

Light Up the Shores

Posted on December 1, 2010 by RSCA

Dress up your home and yard with lights, Santa, reindeers, snowmen and win prizes! Winning homes will be featured in The Pilot and on the web.

If you want to be sure our judges see your lighted home, just email us at when your lights are up and give us your street address and name.

Judging ends on Friday, December 17th (7PM), so if your house is lighting up your neighborhood, be sure to email RSCA and let us know!

The Redwood Shores Community Celebrates 40 Years

Posted on November 23, 2010 by RSCA

Our 40^th anniversary celebration has now come and gone and despite the rain we had a great turn out. If you weren’t able to attend there’s still ways you can check out what RSCA has done the last 40 years and how this area has developed.

We hope to have the historical boards displayed soon at the library for your enjoyment and you can try out the Historical Walk at any time. You can download the walk on RSCA.org or pick up a copy at the library and Sandpiper. We will post on the web site the various weeks the sign boards will be out on the walk but again the walk is easy to follow by the using the brochures or the download.

I wanted to personally thank my committee — Carol Mertens, Lynn Adams. Clemencia Rodriquez, Doug Crisman, Nina Boire and Pat Dixon. Also two people who worked incredibly hard on the event Harris Rogers who scanned every piece of material used and Marc Nix who put ALL the historical signs together and the Historical walk.

I also wanted to thank our exhibitors — Boy Scout Troop 27, Girl Scout Cadette Troop 724, Julie Wynn & Ray Tekamaki from Electronic Arts, Shellie Sakamoto & friends from The Lions Club, Mary Ellen and Jessica Hills and Carol Scola from Nine Lives Foundation, Provident Credit Union, Erica Spacher the Neighborhood Liason Coordinator from The City of Redwood City, Recology and Mike Mancusi, Shannon & Joe Guzzetta, Joanne Bruggemann, Yi Chinn, Kent Soo Hoo and Beth Godfrey from the Redwood Shores Emergency Response Team.

It seems as if RSCA has been a tremendous watch dog over the years for the Shores and will continue to strive to keep Redwood Shores a great place to live. Keep in touch using our website, The Pilot and our sign boards

CONGRATULATIONS for 40 years of service to Redwood Shores.

[Show as slideshow]

— Sue Nix
— 40th Anniversary Celebration Chairperson

To help you learn more about Redwood Shores’ past and present, the Redwood Shores Community Association has created a Redwood Shores Historic Walk that takes you to various scenic and historic spots in the neighborhood. This two-mile walk is accessible at all of its points by foot, bicycle or car, and there will be signs out over the weekend to guide you through the tour.

Those with GPS-enabled smartphones (or those at home who are interested in what there is to see along the route) can also jump over to an interactive tour guide provided courtesy Google Maps. You can click for a Street View of each spot, and check out story text and photographs that explain the relevance of each spot.

Full-size guide signs will be posted on the 17th, so please take the tour and help celebrate our history!

View Redwood Shores Historic Walk in a larger map

Saltworks Open House EIR Scoping Meeting

Posted on November 20, 2010 by RSCA

Redwood City is committed to an open and transparent review of the proposed Saltworks Project application, and this commitment includes keeping you informed, facilitating participation in the process, and supporting the community’s understanding of the proposed project. The environmental review process established by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a critical component of the City’s review of the proposal and supports the City’s commitment to a robust program of community involvement.

You are invited and encouraged to attend the first of several Open House EIR Scoping Meetings, which is this Saturday.

This first meeting will focus on Land Use and Housing, and will be held:

This Saturday, November 6th

9 am to 1 pm

Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Ave, Redwood City.

Childcare will be provided.

The purpose of the Open House EIR Scoping Meetings is to provide a forum where experts are available to discuss information directly with the public and explain the roles and responsibilities of their agency or City Department. Members of the public can speak directly to agency representatives, the project applicant, and experts in specific subject areas. Due to the more informal “open house” nature of these workshops, oral comments will not be accepted at the Open House meetings. Instead, community members have the opportunity to submit written scoping comments to be considered by the City in preparing the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

Representatives will be on hand from the City’s Environmental Review Team for the proposed Saltworks project, the project applicant, the Port of Redwood City, Redwood City’s Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Department, its Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department, and Public Safety.

The Scoping Meetings allow the public to help identify the range of alternatives, environmental effects, methods of assessment, and mitigation measures to be analyzed in the EIR.

Following this Saturday’s Open House meeting, the next meeting and topic will be:

Open House Scoping Meeting focused on Water Supply, Wastewater, & Flooding

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 from 6:30 to 9 pm.

Sandpiper Community Center, 797 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City.

(Again, written comments only – due to the “open house” nature of this workshop.)

Based on the input the City receives from the community at the first Scoping Meetings, additional informational Scoping Meetings will be scheduled in early 2011.

The City will not make a decision regarding the Saltworks project application until the environmental review process has been completed and the EIR has been certified.

The City will continue to update its Saltworks website with more details about the application process, required studies, and schedule for the review process. For more information about the proposed Saltworks project, visit: www.redwoodcity.org/saltworks.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday morning.

Thanks,

— Malcolm Smith

— Public Communications Manager

City Council to Consider Increase in Solid Waste (Garbage/Recycling) Collection Rates

Posted on November 20, 2010 by RSCA

The City Council of Redwood City will be considering an 18% increase in the residential and commercial rates for garbage and recycling collection within Redwood City. The proposed rate increase will be discussed at a public hearing on Monday, January 10th, 2011, beginning at 7 pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall. If approved by the Council, the rate increase would be effective the following day, January 11, 2011. Notices of the proposed increase have been sent to all garbage/recycling service customers in Redwood City. Customers have the opportunity to protest the proposed rate increase in advance of the public hearing by writing to the City. Details of the protest procedure were included in the mailing, and are available online at www.redwoodcity.org/finance/utility

Solid waste collection rates are adopted each year, and proposed rates are developed by the Board of Directors of the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA – the joint powers agency which oversees various cities’ contracts for solid waste collection). The City Council then considers the recommended new rates. Each year an analysis is done of the expenses and revenues from the prior year, along with projected expenses and revenues for the following year, and a recommendation is made concerning the following year’s rates.

The proposed 2011 rate increase is based on a financial evaluation of 2010 actual operating costs and revenues for the current carrier, Allied Waste, and projected operating costs and projected revenues for Recology San Mateo County, the new carrier which will begin service on January 1, 2011. The proposed rate increase is based on these factors:

A 10.1% increase in costs for providing new collection services in 2011 with Recology;
A 15.0% increase in costs for collection services provided in 2010, including balancing the account with Allied (the 2010 collector) to meet the contractual revenue level (primarily due to increases in Allied’s employee costs and disposal fees, and revenue shortfalls from loss or downsizing of commercial customers);
A 2.5% reduction in revenue due to known garbage/recycling bin size reductions (based on the number of customers who have already indicated they will use smaller bins, which are charged at a lower rate, resulting in lower revenue);
A 2.2% reduction in revenue due to projected 2011 bin size reductions (based on the projection of how many customers will change to a smaller bin size in 2011);

The above percentages are offset by 11.8% from the City’s rate stabilization fund to reduce the overall cost impact on customers. Without the City contributing from its rate stabilization fund, the total increase to customers would have been nearly 30%. The rate stabilization fund is used to lower the overall annual increase to customers, and reduce the “price shock” of the rate increase. It provides for smaller, but continuing, increases.

Scouting for Food

Posted on November 15, 2010 by RSCA

“To Help Other People at All Times”
— from the Boy Scout Oath

Help the Boy Scouts of America help others as part of its annual food collection for local food banks and charities. Please place nonperishable goods in a recycled bag or box and put the package outside in view of the street by 9:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 20, 2010. Boy Scout Troop 27 will be picking these items up in Redwood Shores.

Please, no glass containers or perishable foods. Please also no open containers or frozen foods.

Suggested foods include:

Canned Goods (tuna/chicken, fruit, vegetables, soups or chilli, spaghetti or ravioli)
Peanut Butter
Cereal or Pop Tarts
Pancake/Muffin Mixes
Crackers/Cookies
Instant Soup
Rice/Beans
Pasta
Powdered Juice/Milk
Dried Fruits
Snack Bars