Following a series of recent residential burglaries in Redwood City, our local police department has issued the following guide to recognizing and preventing burglaries in our neighborhoods.
Below is this month’s issue of The PILOT, published in it’s entirety on the RSCA website. To get a complete view of this month’s issue that is easy to read on your screen, please choose the “Fullscreen” option at the top of the viewer — from there, you can click on the left or right of each page to thumb through the various pages.
All of the software needed to view this web-based version of The PILOT should be linked below if it is not already installed on your web browser, and you can also download or print the PDF document for use away from the computer. If you are having trouble viewing this document on your cellphone, tablet or computer, please contact the RSCA website team.
I wanted to take a moment as we begin this New Year 2012 to recognize the important contributions that our local businesses make to the high quality of life we enjoy here in Redwood Shores. Redwood City has for many years worked hard to create a great business climate, and we are fortunate to have many great business neighbors here in the Shores.
We have large companies like EA and Oracle with their global headquarters here, and satellite offices of several multi-nationals, but we also have many smaller businesses which provide important services to our local community.
Many of these smaller businesses, with their advertising sponsorship, support RSCA’s communications outreach to the Shores. This includes the (significant) cost of printing & mailing these issues of The PILOT every month to every household and most businesses in the Shores at no cost to you.
Please look carefully through this issue and take special note of those local businesses which support RSCA in The PILOT.
Make an effort to patronize these local businesses whenever possible.
We were making every effort to begin to disseminate the information we’ve gathered about the Canada goose situation in late January, but, as Rosanne Rosannadanna used to say, “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.” (If you’re not old enough to understand the reference, google it.)
The Redwood City Attorney’s office, in their review of the information we had compiled so far, discovered that there is an old City ordinance that contradicts the very recommendations of the CA Dept of Fish & Game and US Fish & Wildlife service. The City, though, has already started the process of amending that ordinance to bring it in alignment with state and federal wildlife policies. The first reading of the amendment is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 6, so that’s our next target date.
The information and recommendations we provide will be mostly applicable to the property managers for our local HOAs and commercial business properties and to Redwood City for the park areas, especially those on the waterways. But we’ll also provide information on the national scope of the problem caused by these “no longer migrating” birds.
As I’d said time and again: we have been working closely with federal and state wildlife officials on what we can and can NOT do to help mitigate the problem of the increasing amount of goose feces left in our parks and on our walkways and open lawns. We are following their recommendations closely and working closely with the City on solutions for our parks and other public areas.
Yes, both RSCA and the City are aware of the flocks of crows that seemed to have recently descended upon several neighborhoods in the Shores. They’ve recently decided to peck away at the skylight in my office when I’m trying to work. I found it interesting that a flock of crows is also called a “murder”, and I don’t think the derivation of that term was in any way meant to be humorous.
We do know that the common American crow is considered by wildlife officials a “species of least concern”, that is, not in any way threatened or in need of protection. You would think that would make finding a solution easy, wouldn’t you?
Again, we have recent “property crimes” that can’t be called “break-ins” because doors were left unlocked with valuable items in plain sight. Please, please…
Be safe, be smart. Let’s not make it so easy.
The winter rains are finally here. Our streets are wet and slick, but we are still seeing speeds of 45-50 mph on the main roadways in the residential areas east of Bridge Pky. This is just way too fast in our residential neighborhoods. Take a few extra seconds to get where you’re going and slow down on your way in or out of the Shores.
With over 5,400 residents and 700 business in the Shores, we use our email list to keep you informed about our community events during the year. If you would like to be on our email list, simply click on the “Join Our Email List” button in the Feedback section of RSCA.org to sign up.
Our Privacy Policy:
Your information is for use only by Redwood Shores Community Association in contacting you. We do not share, sell, or provide our contact list to any other person or organization.
— Harris Rogers, RSCA President
“Are You Uncomfortable Flying?”
The Fear of Flying Clinic is private non-profit public service corporation, who, for the past thirty-five years has helped thousands of clients, from California to New York become more comfortable flying.
The classes are held at San Francisco International Airport. We are staffed by volunteers from the airlines, maintenance bases, Federal Aviation Association and past clients. We offer two types of programs each year. One is a four-day, held on two weekends, with an optional flight on the last day and the other one is a one-day workshop without the flight.
The Fear of Flying Clinic is hosting a two weekend clinic starting on Saturday, March 17th, continuing on the 18th, again on the 24th with the optional flight on March 25th. This Clinic has helped thousands of our Clients get more comfortable flying. The cost of the clinic is $595.00 not including the optional flight. We feel that the decision to fly should be up to each client. We do offer a $50.00 discount if signed up by February 25th. The classes are held at San Francisco International Airport from 9 AM to 5 PM. Pre registration is required. For more information or to register go to FOFC.com or call 650-341-1595
The City of Redwood City is happy to provide you with a link to the Redwood City Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2010-2011.
The document can be found at www.redwoodcity.org/government/council/Annual_Report_2010-11_Final.pdf . It’s also linked from the Annual Report/Strategic Plan page located at www.redwoodcity.org/annualreport .
The Annual Report is a good look at what each of our City departments has been doing during the last fiscal year (our fiscal year is July — June). We’ve tried to make it very readable and not overwhelming with numbers and statistics (although there are some of those!) You’ll read about each department’s key accomplishments, selected innovations and performance measures, some facts and figures, and a look at upcoming challenges and opportunities.
We hope you’ll find this Annual Report to be an interesting and illuminating perspective on what the employees of Redwood City are doing in service to the community.
(NOTE: This Letter to the Editor for the Pilot is about the Public Hearing/Council Meeting held on Monday January 9, 2012.)
City Council Hears Voices
Monday January 9th turned out to be a very special evening for residents of Redwood City. The City Council voted unanimously to reject the proposed Household Hazardous Waste program and its mandatory monthly fee. The result is that Redwood City residents will be paying a smaller monthly increase than originally proposed for their garbage pickup.
Rate increases for utilities are a sore subject for all residents and the proposed increases for garbage and recycling were no different. Although it is very difficult to understand the web that is Recology, South Bay Recycling and the South Bay Waste Management Authority and how they compute our garbage rates, it was clear from the start that the new service was doomed.
Officials from SBWMA could not provide data, from either studies or surveys, supporting the need or desire for the new Hazardous Waste program. According to historical data from similar programs implemented elsewhere the new program would have been paid for by all rate payers but only used by 5%. 100% paying for 5% in this economy is not acceptable as the Council heard from local residents speaking out at the Redwood City Council meeting on January 9th. In fact San Mateo County already has a program available for residents to take Household Hazardous Waste for free with an appointment. (See below)
Through letters, local newspaper articles, and petitions the City Council was made aware of resident’s discontent with this new monthly charge that surely would increase and never go away for years to come. Most importantly, the Council listened to the speakers at the Council meeting who expressed their concerns. It truly was a victory for Redwood City residents. Thank you City Council for “hearing the voices” of the folks who have to pay the bills!
— Matthew Reising, Redwood Shores Resident
To find a Household Hazardous Waste site and to make an appointment call 650-363-4718 or go to www.smhealth.org/hhw
The big (and Good) news relating to RSCA Disaster Preparedness is that as a result of the merging of the RWC and San Carlos Fire Departments, we now have an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the combined CERT teams of the two cities. Her name is Christy Adonis and she was previously in the same position for the San Carlos-Belmont Fire Department. When the RWC CERT program was first started, Fire Captain Ernie Gomez acted as the part time CERT Coordinator, and did an excellent job for about six years. When the budget short-fall arrived last year, Captain Gomez was relieved of his CERT responsibilities. CERT was put into “Slumber mode” which meant that all CERT organized activities such as training stopped. Each of the CERT neighborhood teams were on their own and member interest fell off.
Redwood City CERT members are very familiar with Christy Adonis from joint exercises in which we participated and through activities that Christy organized and was kind enough to invite us. The attached training flyer is an example of part of the 2012 program that she has already launched.
— Mike Mancusi
After nearly five years of effort, the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District Measure C Bond Oversight Committee had its last meeting on January 17, 2012. The committee was established by the Board of Trustees in 2007 according to State law to ensure that the $25 million in bonds authorized by the Shores community in Measure C (2005) was used solely for the construction of the Shores Elementary School. While the new school opened in August, 2010, expenditures finally came to an end in June, 2011.
The bond oversight committee has reviewed final expenditure reports and the independent financial and performance audits. It will advise the Board of Trustees at its meeting on February 2, 2012, that “to the best of its knowledge, the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District is in compliance with the requirements of the CA Constitution [and] bond revenue has been expended only for the purposes so described in Measure ‘C’.”
Copies of the final Annual Report to the Board of Trustees may be found on the District’s website http://brssd.org/oversightcommittees.html
Thanks to all who have faithfully and diligently served on the committee over the years!
— Respectfully submitted by Carole Wong (Chair), Measure C Bond Oversight Committee
Dear Redwood City Residents:
I wanted to share with you some of my thoughts on the City Council’s decision-making process regarding the increase in garbage/recycling rates. As you may know, after a thoughtful discussion at our January 9, 2011 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved a rate increase of 7.2% . This increase is less than the 7.81% increase that was originally proposed. The lower increase resulted from the Council deciding not to implement a proposed new curbside household hazardous waste collection service (which would have added 0.61% to the increase).
For the majority of Redwood City households, which have the 32-gallon cart, this amounts to an additional $1.78 per month/per cart (for those with 20-gallon carts the increase is 75¢ per month/per cart). Corresponding increases are reflected in the rates for larger bins and for commercial customers. More detailed information is available online at www.redwoodcity.org/garbagerates .
It’s important to remind you that all revenues from this rate increase are used only to provide garbage service to the community.
This was a difficult decision, especially in light of the 85 official protest letters we received, and knowing that this increase is of some level of concern to everyone in the community. During the Council’s discussion on the rate increase, we directed staff to update rate projections for future years and also asked that an analysis be done of the current rate methodology. We want to make sure that the most equitable and fair approach is in place, in order to ensure predictability and certainty in future rates for the community.
Thank you for your understanding, and please be assured that I and my colleagues on the Council appreciate your concerns with rate increases, and their impact on households during these difficult economic times. I encourage you to become involved in issues like this which are of concern to you — your involvement in important City matters is of great value to the entire community. You can keep up to date on City activities and issues through our website, or via this email list.
Sincerely,
— Alicia Aguirre, Mayor
Below is this month’s issue of The Pilot, published in it’s entirety on the RSCA website. To get a complete view of this month’s issue that is easy to read on your screen, please choose the “Fullscreen” option at the top of the viewer — from there, you can click on the left or right of each page to thumb through the various pages.
All of the software needed to view this web-based version of The Pilot should be linked below if it is not already installed on your web browser, and you can also download or print the PDF document for use away from the computer. If you are having trouble viewing this document on your cellphone, tablet or computer, please contact the RSCA website team.