Schools aid green efforts with reusable water bottles
By Heather Murtagh (Daily Journal)

Two local high schools began selling reusable water bottles to fend off waste, raise awareness and funds.

Water bottles are becoming a hot item at Burlingame and Aragon high schools. Both campuses have environmentally-concerned teen groups who began selling the water bottles this year as a way to promote green living.

“Long story short, I’m pretty passionate about the environment, said junior Jason Bade. Water bottles at Aragon was a sale Bade, Recycling Club president and Environmental Impact Committee chair, could get behind. In April, Aragon environmentalist kicked off “Kick the Bottled Water Habit,” a campaign to reduce the use of throw away bottles. Discounted, BPA-free reusable Nalgene bottles were sold at lunch ranging from $3.50 to $4.50 depending on the bottle size. Bottles sold out in two days, said Bade. The group took orders for more. “The Aragon community is truly coming together to make a small difference in the world,” said Bade.

The group advertised the sale using a one-minute YouTube video shown to students and e-mailed to parents and faculty. Facts are shared on the video such as how Americans use 4 million water bottles an hour. But only 13 percent of bottles are recycled.

Efforts to promote greener habits began at Aragon with recycling. At the beginning of the year, the Recycling Club made an effort to increase recycling by placing yellow bins in classrooms and rolling toters with a hole for bottles around campus.

Harrison Anixter, a Burlingame High School student, came up with a similar bottle idea when learning about the environment. Anixter was always interested in being a good steward for the planet. At home, he recycles and keeps a compost pile in the backyard. In January, Anixter joined the Burlingame Green Ribbon Task Force — the city’s group focused on environmental issues. The high school students were challenged during the first meeting to come up with a way to educate their classmates. Reusable water bottles decorated with a panther and slogan was Anixter’s idea.

“I associated with this idea because I personally made the switch to refillable bottles at the beginning of junior year,” he said. “While bottled water is not only a waste of money, it is a waste of landfill space too.” With that inspiration, Anixter developed the slogan “Refill not Landfill.”

Bottles are on sale on campus all week for $1.50. The bottles will also be sold during the Burlingame Green Street Faire on Sunday, May 18. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Park Road near the farmers’ market.

To watch the one-minute video visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pD9k1qVAGg. To purchase a Burlingame High School bottle contact Harrison Anixter at hdanix@mac.com.

Armed robber hits credit union (By Mark Abramson,
Daily News)

Burlingame police are looking for a man who held up a credit union at gunpoint Friday morning.

The robber flashed a semiautomatic handgun when he robbed the Operating Engineers Federal Credit Union, 828 Mahler Road, at 10:45 a.m., police Cmdr. Mike Matteucci said. “He went in, showed a black semiautomatic handgun and jumped the (teller’s) counter,'’ Matteucci said. There was only one teller and a manager inside at the time of the robbery, and no one was injured, Matteucci said.

Police described the suspect as a 5 foot 10 inch black man in his 40s and weighing 240 pounds. He was wearing a motorcycle helmet, dark sunglasses, a fake beard, a camouflage jacket, orange T-shirt and blue jeans. He took an undisclosed amount of money and fled north on Bayshore Highway on a red motorcycle with black and white writing on it.

“The FBI is (also) looking into it. They are going to look at the surveillance images to see if he is connected to any other robberies,'’ Matteucci said.

Matteucci said this robbery does not appear to be related to Tuesday’s heist in which a duffel bag-toting white man wearing a black wig robbed the Union Bank of California at 1887 El Camino Real.

PRESS RELEASE

Burlingame PD CRACKING DOWN ON BUCKLING UP - Click It or Ticket Aims to Boost Seat Belt Use

The Burlingame Police Department will be aggressively enforcing the state’s occupant protection laws as part of California’s 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization, taking place May 12-June 1. The campaign relies on heavy enforcement and public education as a means to help California achieve the highest seat belt use rate in the nation. California currently has the nation’s fourth highest seat belt use rate at 94.6 percent.

“We want to make sure that all drivers and passengers buckle up on every ride, day and night,” said Police Chief Jack Van Etten."Our officers will be on the lookout for those who are not buckled up and for teens and children not riding properly restrained. We will not accept excuses or give warnings. It’s Click It or Ticket.”

California has a primary seat belt law which requires that every passenger in the car, including the driver, is required to wear a seat belt at all times. If stopped and found to be in violation, law enforcement will issue citations without warning. Tickets for first seat belt violations range from $80 to $91 for adults and $330 to $401 for children under age 16, depending on the county.

“We’re doing well with nearly 95 percent buckling up, fourth highest in the nation,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “That’s 1.5 million more people protected from death and injury by using seatbelts since the Click It or Ticket campaign started in 2005. But we can do better yet. I urge everyone to always buckle up.”

While the buckle up rate for adults has continued to climb in recent years, California’s teen seat belt use rate lags behind the general population. In 2007, California’s teen seat belt use rate was 88.9 percent, well below the state rate of 94.6 percent for the same year.

More than 280 law enforcement agencies statewide will be participating in this year’s Click It or Ticket mobilization. Additionally, agencies are encouraged to conduct nighttime patrols in an effort to boost compliance at night.

Funding for officer overtime to support California’s Click It or Ticket campaign was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

More information for those of us who want to attend Burlingame’s Green Fair:

Date: Sunday May 18
Time: From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Place: Next door to the Sunday Fresh Market on Park Avenue at Burlingame Avenue.

* Green products and demonstrations
* A free Burlingame bike map
* Green and sustainable building and lifestyle ideas
* A climbing wall and activity centers for kids
* First 300 attendees will receive a reusable green shopping bag and compact fluorescent light bulb.
* Admission - free.
* Information - Denyse Jones at (415) 244-9427 or e-mail: drjdesign@gmail.com or Jennifer Varma at (650) 340-9133 or e-mail: jvarma@intralineinc.com.

PHS plan delayed (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal)

A new home for homeless puppies and kittens won’t open this summer as originally hoped by the Peninsula Humane Society.

Drawn-out litigation stalled momentum to build the Peninsula Humane Society Center for Compassion in Burlingame. Originally, the hope was to open in July. Now it’s looking like early 2010. A one-year extension for the design review and permits will go before the Burlingame Planning Commission Monday. The item is on the consent calendar.

Plans for the 41,871-foot facility at the corner of 1450 Rollins Road and 20 Edwards Court were unanimously approved by the City Council last June after a string of well-attended meetings.

“Subsequent to that approval, PHS was embroiled in numerous lawsuits with the project’s opponents and ultimately settled in December 2007,” Jennifer Renk of Luce Forward law firm wrote to the city in an April 22 letter. The delay postponed construction and design as well, said PHS/SPCA President Ken White. He hopes to break ground in November and open in early 2010.

The proposed facility will be 35,931 square feet with a 5,940-square-foot netted aviary and wildlife area totaling 41,871 square feet. At any one time, the facility would be allowed to house 200 domestic and 218 wild animals. A retractable roof to keep noise in during quieter hours will be closed from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. PHS will study and revisit the parking issue in one year, three years and five years out and amend the parking if needed.

Last year, the county extended its contract with PHS for three years, giving some leeway for the construction schedule.

The commission meets 7 p.m. Monday, May 12 at City Hall, 501 Primrose Road, Burlingame.

###

Government Watch (Daily Journal)

On Monday, the Burlingame Planning Commission will vote on two condominium projects: A seven-story, 25-unit building at 1800 Trousdale and a four-story, nine-unit building at 1226 El Camino Real.

The Trousdale plans call for the demolition of the single-story office building before constructing the residential center with underground parking.

###

Agenda for Monday’s meeting

Drawing up plans - Group is evaluating ideas to present to the city council to redevelop the Howard Avenue Safeway (by Mark Abramson/Daily News Staff Writer)

When Burlingame’s city council and planning commission meet next month to talk about redeveloping the Safeway site on Howard Avenue, they will be presented with what an advisory group considers the best one or two design ideas it has come up with in the past year.

The Safeway Working Group has generated 16 design ideas since it started meeting in April 2007 and intends to narrow its choices by the June 12 meeting. Group members include city residents, downtown property and business owners, chamber of commerce officials, petitioners for a new Safeway, the grassroots group Citizens for a Better Burlingame and Safeway officials.

“The June 12 meeting is what it is all about,” said group facilitator Candace Hathaway.

The group’s ideas have ranged from building a Safeway atop street-level parking to putting a parking lot on the store’s roof. Another idea is to build a multistory parking garage nearby with a long ramp to the store’s rooftop parking and to Howard Avenue and Primrose Road.

The group also grappled with where to place the store on the 1450 Howard Ave. site.

“Someone came up with parking on the roof and there was dead silence and we were like, let’s look at that,” Hathaway said.

The city council and planning commission could either choose one of the recommended designs or ask the working group to explore other ideas. If Safeway decides to fine-tune the design it would have to get the city’s approval, a process that City Manager Jim Nantell said could take a year.

Before the joint session, Safeway Working Group members will meet one or two times to evaluate the designs and choose the best, Hathaway said.

The city and Safeway brought in Hathaway after the council and a group of residents called Citizens for a Better Burlingame opposed a redevelopment effort in 2004. They contended the proposed 62,000-square-foot store was too massive.

When Safeway backed down, city and store officials organized the working group to come up with a plan that residents, the grocery chain and other interested parties would support. The group has looked at redeveloping the site with a Safeway only, a Safeway with retail and office space, a Safeway with residential units, and a Safeway with mixed office, retail and residential space.

“Personally, I think that mixed use could be a positive if it is done in the right way,” Planning Commissioner Richard Terrones said. Downtown could become more vibrant with more people living there and patronizing nearby restaurants and other businesses, Terrones said.

Safeway has not built any projects that have mixed-use residential, but the company is a tenant in developments that have such uses, Hathaway said.

###

This has been a very exciting process with the stakeholder members spending hours and hours of their time to come up with new ideas. Now thats dedication!

I love the use of the word synergy which was used at last night’s meeting to describe retail on Primrose and a Safeway store.

Burlingame principal named (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal)

Chris Holleran will take the lead over Burlingame High School next year after being appointed principal yesterday.

Holleran, who is currently principal at Tamalpias High School in Mill Valley, will begin work in Burlingame this summer filling the position currently held by Matt Biggar. Superintendent David Miller pointed to Holleran’s passion for education as the inspiration for his recommendation. The San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees agreed, voting to appoint Holleran during a special meeting yesterday.

“First and foremost, he strongly wants to be and enjoys being a principal,” said Miller of Holleran. “He doesn’t think of this as a stepping stone to the district office. He has passion.”

During a school visit, Miller said students spoke highly of Holleran.

Most impressive to Miller was Holleran’s dedication to improving an already good program. Tamalpias High scored 806 on the state’s Academic Performance Index for 2006-2007 — six points above the state goal of 800, according to the California Department of Education Web site. Holleran decided to do better, Miller said. Curriculum changes were made. The most recent API scores for Tamalpias raised over 50 points to 857.

In January, Biggar began temporarily taking over the position of assistant superintendent of instruction after Mark Avelar retired. Biggar was working part time at Burlingame and the other part at the district office. When Biggar was not at the school, Brent Daniels, the assistant principal of administrative services, will be in charge. Earlier this year, Biggar was named to officially take the job this summer …

Additional article in Burlingame Daily News

PRESS RELEASE

On Tuesday, May 6, at approx. 3:27 pm, the Union Bank of California in Burlingame was robbed by a lone subject. The suspect, described as a white male adult in his mid-40’s, entered the bank carrying a black dufne bag; and wearing a black baseball hat, long black wig, dark sunglasses, and a blue collared shirt.

The subject waited briefly in line, approached an available teller, simulated a weapon,and demanded cash from the teller drawer. The man then exited the bank with an undisclosed sum of money via the front doors. He was last seen fleeing the area on foot westbound from the bank on Murchison Avenue.

It is believed the suspect may be responsible for additional bank robberies in the Bay Area cities of San Mateo, Redwood City, Los Altos, and San Ramon.

The Burlingame Police Department is asking that anyone who recognizes the suspect or has any other information regarding this robbery please contact Burlingame Police Inspectors at (650) 777-4100.

(photo of suspect on city website)

Library Board Vacancies (source: City website)

Residents of the City of Burlingame are encouraged to apply to serve on City boards and commissions as vacancies occur. Currently, the City of Burlingame is accepting applications to fill two vacancies (term to June 30, 2008) on the Library Board. Commission applicants must meet the following requirements prior to being invited to an interview:

Library Board applicants are encouraged to review a Library Board meeting packet (public copies will be available in the Library and at the meeting) as well as attend and observe a board meeting. Library Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., in the Burlingame Public Library, 480 Primrose Road. All meetings are open to the public.

The application filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2008.

If you are interested in serving on this Board, the application and supplemental questionnaire are available here, or by contacting Executive Assistant Ana Silva, City Manager’s office (phone: 558-7204 or asilve@burlingame.org), 501 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA 94010.

Should you have specific questions or wish to arrange for attending a Library Board meeting(s), please contact City Librarian, Alfred Escoffier, Burlingame Public Library (phone: 558-7474).

LIBRARY BOARD: Appointed three-year term – Meets third Tuesday of each month, 5:30 p.m., Main Library, 480 Primrose Road.

CORRECTION, PLEASE NOTE THE CORRECT EMAIL - asilva@burlingame.org

School cut talks raise emotions (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal)

Deficit spending, less librarians, office staff, custodians and school supplies are part of the Burlingame Elementary School District’s tentative plan to deal with $1.1 million in needed cuts for the next school year.

Next year, Burlingame anticipates $19 million in revenue, down from $19.6 million this year, and $20.1 million in expenditures. Residents voiced opinions last night on how to cut back the $1.1 million shortfall. Talks became emotional as those on the chopping block described a school without their presence. Since the loss is an estimate at this point, the Board of Trustees put forward a list to make cuts totaling $1.125 million. The district will make up the deficit by dipping into its $2 million in reserves. Then, the board created a priority list of what would be reinstated if more money became available. Early literacy, counselors at Burlingame Intermediate and English learner staff topped the reinstatement list.

A vote will go before the board on May 27.

Trustees also became emotional when thinking of the decision at hand. “I’m angry at the way funding of education is done in the state. I feel like the five of us are put in a horrible situation. Mommy and daddy lost their jobs and we only have enough money to feed one child,” said board President Michael Barber. “…We’re picking between situation and another. I couldn’t be in that situation. But I am in that situation.”

The emotional remark came during public comments as employees dutifully explained how their job keeps schools and children safe.

Potential cuts before the board include class-size increases, freezing employee salaries, eliminating physical education teachers from elementary schools in addition to cutting school supplies, music and early literacy programs. Additionally, the board considered reducing the school maintenance, counseling and office staff at Burlingame Intermediate School, grounds keepers, English language learner staff and noon yard duties at elementary schools. Cuts also face the district office including reducing the clerical staff in the business office, receptionists, supplies, machine replacement, administrator professional development, copy services and board health insurance.

Many of the highest money saving items — like increasing class sizes, freezing salaries and physical education teachers — need to be negotiated. Those talks could be done in the coming weeks.

The board directed Superintendent Sonny Da Marto to discuss possible changes with the union.

The Burlingame Education Foundation funds portions of music, library and physical education. Shifting those funds will also be discussed in the coming weeks.

A parcel tax could also be in Burlingame’s future. Barber was in favor of one as early as November.

State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, stopped by the meeting to explain the state’s role in the pending cuts. California faces an estimated $20 billion deficit for the upcoming year. He called the district’s estimates “hopeful,” adding that the May budget revise will be “worse than expected.”

The board will meet on May 27 to make the final budget decision.

Additional article in the Burlingame Daily News

Schools dodge tax trouble (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal)

To rectify flawed ballot language limiting the San Mateo Union High School District, property owners will pay taxes for an additional 15 years to complete the goals of Measure M after the Board of Supervisors approved the change.

Voters passed Measure M, a $298 million bond measure, in 2006 which included language limiting the debt to 25-year bonds. Ordinarily, districts have the option of utilizing up to 40-year bonds. The voter-approved language restricts the district’s ability to fund the promised projects, said Superintendent David Miller. Yesterday, the district successfully petitioned the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to amend the bond language allowing the use of both 25-year and 40-year bonds. The change will extend taxpayer payments up to an additional 15 years — from 2037 to 2052 — but allow the district to finish the original renovation plans.

“This is a wonderful day for the district. We appreciate the Board of Supervisors listening with an open mind,” said Miller. Supervisors were mostly in favor of the proposal calling it a chance to partner with the school district. “It’s about the kids. That’s the bottom line. We have to support the children we serve in this community,” said Supervisor Jerry Hill.

Board President Adrienne Tissier agreed it is about the children, however, had some concerns. “I’m still having trouble with the fact that voters voted for this. This is a contract with the voters,” she said before adding an amendment should have gone before the voters about the change.

The district is now moving ahead with design work over the next six months, said Miller, with plans to begin construction in 2009.

Four options to fix the problem were put before the board: Extend the bond issuance period to 2022 instead of 2012; extend the issuance period and use loans to fill the gaps; increase the tax rate from $16 per $100,000 of assessed value to $23.21; or issue a combination of 25-year and 40-year bonds.

The last option was approved unanimously by the board in March. It would require the last series of bonds to be issued in September 2012 for 40 years meaning taxpayers would make their last payment in 2052, Chief Business Official Liz McManus explained previously. This plan calls for the projects to be completed by 2012 instead of 2013 and a $7 million cushion.

Of the options, trustees and district staff found the validation change to be the best since it kept the tax rate at the promised level and finished the original project list.

Approval by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors was required to make such a change.

Additional article in Burlingame Daily News.

High school journalism awards announced (San Francisco Peninsula Press Club)

The Oracle, the student newspaper of Gunn High School in Palo Alto, took first place in the General Excellence category at the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club’s High School Journalism Awards.

The awards, co-sponsored by Hillsdale Shopping Center and Notre Dame de Namur University Communications Program, were presented at an afternoon reception in the Ballroom of Ralston Hall in the NDNU campus in Belmont.

In all, 132 students from 12 publications at nine high schools submitted 248 entries in 12 categories. Professional members of the Press Club judged the competition.

Here is a complete list of winners*
General Excellence
The Burlingame B, Burlingame High School

Layout and Design
Tie — Verde Magazine, Palo Alto High School, and The Burlingame B, Burlingame High School

News Story
Tie — Janey Moon, The Thunderbolt, Mills High School, and Carlo Acenas, The Burlingame B, Burlingame High School

Column
Andy Verderosa, The Burlingame B, Burlingame High School
Andy Verderosa, The Burlingame B, Burlingame High School

(* relevant to BHS. Please click here for list of other winners)

THE FRIENDS OF MILLS Canyon’s next hike will be:

* “Walk on our Wild Side” - our Wildflower Hike
* Saturday, May 10 from 10:00 pm.
* Hike Leader: Ken Himes, California Native Plant Society.
* Meet at the Adeline entrance of Mills Canyon Wildlife Park.
* Programs and free and everyone is welcome.

For further information: (650) 558-7325 or www.friendsofmillscanyon.org.

The next Downtown Specific Area Plan meeting is as follows:

Thursday, May 8, 2008
From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Lane Room.

Burlingame short with PG&E over outages - Utility plans further improvements to boost power system’s reliability
(by Mark Abramson / Daily News Staff Writer)

Burlingame city officials say Pacific Gas & Electric still needs to do more to prevent power outages from systematically plaguing the city - this after the utility giant started meeting with residents more than a year ago to address the problem.

PG&E officials, however, say they have spent millions of dollars to improve the reliability of the circuits and system that powers Burlingame, and they’re planning to do even more this year. The company spent $3.4 million between 2003 and 2007 to make it more reliable, said PG&E spokesman Joe Molica. “We constantly strive to make our customers’ reliability better,” Molica said. “We heard the residents of Burlingame concerns and we responded.”

According to PG&E, the frequency of outages in 2007 dropped by about 57 percent, compared to the average number of outages from 2003 to 2006, and the number of residents who experienced sustained outages of more than five minutes dropped by 56 percent.

Despite the money PG&E has invested, Burlingame Council Member Terry Nagel and City Manager Jim Nantell insist more work is needed. “They have spent millions of dollars in the past three years here that have made some real improvements, but I know there are some areas that need some more investment,” Nantell said. “We will be inviting PG&E back within the next couple of months to report to the city council what they are doing. PG&E has been good at working with us on it.”

Nagel has led the council’s effort to keep the power on. She even started a group for residents called Burlingamers Unwilling to Live with Blackouts (BUL in response to power outages in the winter of 2002-03, and she set up an area on her Web site - www.terrynagel.com - where people can log on and report outage locations and durations. According to the log, there have been about 40 outages since Jan. 1 of this year.

“There are still many people reporting outages and in the same area over and over again. Walnut Avenue has been a persistent problem area,” Nagel said. “I would say, ‘I think they could do more.’”

Molica acknowledged that Walnut Avenue is a problem and he said PG&E plans to install equipment to address it this year.

Nagel’s log also indicates that the 1200 block of Bellevue Avenue, 400 block of Howard Avenue, 1100 block of Broadway and 1400 block of Edgehill Drive have also experienced outages.

Ellen Weisl, manager of Weimax Wines & Spirits on the 1100 block of Broadway, said the outages are so frequent that clerks keep candles, notepads and calculators on hand so they can continue to ring up customers when the power goes out.

“We used to have a joke that the power would fail two days before Christmas Eve no matter what the weather was,” Weisl said. “It goes out for no reason at all when the weather is calm.” In the past three months, however, there haven’t been any major power outages, just some brief lapses, Weisl said.

Haci Kurt, the owner of Ristorante Rocca on the 1200 block of Broadway, said it’s been smooth sailing since his business lost power for eight hours in January 2007 and about 100 reservations. “I believe PG&E responded,” Kurt said.

PG&E officials said they responded to Burlingame’s power concerns by beefing up the system with new equipment such as fault indicators to more quickly pinpoint where problems are; expanding tree trimming efforts to keep branches from causing outages; and splitting circuits to reduce the number of customers on each circuit, which reduces how many people and businesses are affected by an outage.

Other computer diagnostic equipment and systems have been added as well, and more will be installed later this year, Molica said. “We are not just throwing money at the problem, we are trying to be very intelligent at the way we attack the issue to improve reliability,” Molica said.

(1) Dogs get their day in Burlingame (Daily Journal)

Dogs will be able to roam off leash in Burlingame – at least for a limited time.

The Burlingame City Council held a public hearing to allow dogs off leash during the early morning hours for 90 days. Two weeks ago, the council moved the ordinance forward in a split 3-2 vote, with councilwomen Ann Keighran and Cathy Baylock opposing. The action was duplicated last night.

Activities will be contained to the upper field area at Cuernavaca Park and the eastern most lawn in Washington Park before 7:30 a.m. each day from June 2 through Sept. 9 unless repealed earlier, according to the resolution. The council will revisit the topic after that date.

(2)Storm Drain Community Survey and Study (see full article in Daily Journal)

A potential fee could go before property owners to raise $39 million toward storm drains after the Burlingame City Council approved a community survey and study last night.

On Monday, the council approved a $44,232 contract for Willdan Financial Service to conduct the first phase of the plan of developing a storm drain fee — including a financial engineering study and public poll. Results are anticipated to be before council in July. At that time, the council will decide when and if it should go forward to the voters. If it goes to voters, the fee could require a simple majority by property owners or a two-thirds majority if put before residents.

The approved study will determine the method of taxation by considering water usage from the parcel, according to Ken Taylor, task manager from Willdan. From there, property owners will be polled regarding three estimated fees. Project Manager Katie Wilson anticipated reviewing the results at a council meeting in early July.

The fee was one of three options previously discussed by the City Council in February as a means for raising funds for storm drain needs. If the vote went to property owners, the vote would be unweighted. The owner of a hotel or an apartment building, for example, would have only one vote regardless of the number of rooms. However, an owner of multiple properties would receive one vote per property – a point Vice Mayor Ann Keighran made.

Property owners do not need to be registered voters to participate. Burlingame was aiming for a February 2009 ballot, however recent legislation changed the first possible date to May, said City Attorney Larry Anderson. The change was not a welcome one from the council who worried about the date being farther away from the rainy season.

Schools aim to cut $1M (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal)

Before cutting $1.1 million from next year’s budget, the Burlingame Elementary School District plans to hold a community meeting about the upcoming restraints and possible reductions.

The first of two meetings revolving around the budget will be held tonight by the Board of Trustees at Burlingame Intermediate School. A projected loss of revenue means the district faces a need to cut $1.125 million from next year’s budget, said Chief Business Officer Jing-Jing Wang. Tonight, residents will have a chance to learn about the budget situation, as well as the potential reductions to eliminate the shortfall.

An eight-day survey of 939 community members gave some guidance as the district moves ahead. Those questioned ranked class size, teacher salary and physical education among the top priorities of large programs. School maintenance, counseling at BIS and school supplies were the top three priorities in the smaller programs.

Burlingame began discussing cuts in November with a seven-page list, including 810 budgeted line items.

At that time, potential cuts included cutting a teacher at McKinley Elementary, reducing summer school, eliminating the early literacy program, bringing preschool special education in house, eliminating library media teach aids and librarians, reducing the principal budget for McKinley and Washington schools and cutting maintenance workers.

The board approved a $19 million budget for the current school year, which estimated a $1.5 million reserve around May 2007. In June, the board approved $362,671 in cost savings during the 2006-2007 school year and more than $200,000 in reductions for the current school year to maintain a $1.5 million reserve. The decision meant the district would take on $170,000 in deficit spending during this year. Now, the district is preparing to make $1.125 million in cuts for next year.

The board meets 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 6 at Burlingame Intermediate School auditorium, 1715 Quesada Way. A final vote on the budget will be held Tuesday, May 27.

Additional article in Examiner

City to discuss storm drain fee (by By Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal)

A storm drain fee to help address $39 million in capital improvement needs could come before Burlingame property owners or residents in about a year.

The city will first need to do some research. On Monday, the City Council will hold a special study session before its regular meeting to review the process of developing a storm drain fee. A $44,232 contract for Wildan Financial Service to conduct the first phase of the plan — including a financial engineering study and public poll — is on the council’s consent agenda later in the evening. If it went to voters, the fee could require a simple majority by property owners or a two-thirds majority if put before residents.

“We basically want to review all the information before it’s approved,” said City Manager Jim Nantell.

The fee was one of three options previously discussed by the City Council in February as a means to raise funds for sewer needs. If the vote went to property owners, the vote would be unweighted. The owner of a hotel or an apartment building, for example, would have only one vote regardless of the number of rooms. But it also means the city would be educating a new audience about the city’s needs.

Monday, the council will be voting on a contract to determine the method of taxation considering water usage from the parcel, said Public Works Director Syed Murtuza. From there, Wildan Financial Services would poll the community for feedback regarding the estimated fee rates. The results of the poll would be brought before the council.

The council can decide, when the study is reviewed, which group will participate in the all-mail ballot.

Two other options were previously discussed — a general obligation bond and a community facility district. Those who actively campaigned against the last measure would oppose another bond, Nantell said previously.

A community facilities district, on the other hand, allows for financing of public improvements and services. Creation would require a two-thirds voter approval. One downside of the fee option was a limitation on the funds. These funds can only be used for storm drainage purposes including maintenance and operations. Conversely, money from a bond measure could also be used for projects like sidewalks.

The battle to fund the much-needed improvements began in Burlingame more than a year ago with Measure H — a $44 million bond measure marginally defeated in November 2006. Since then, the city looked at various alternatives for funding projects — including a second bond measure. The narrow defeat was attributed to a small but vocal group of residents who felt the general obligation tax was unfair for new homeowners. That thought has not changed among those residents.

A smaller bond was considered in early 2007. Plans were scrapped allowing the city to see the results of a California constitutional amendment proposed by state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, before moving ahead. The amendment would allow voter-approved fee increases to be used to address storm drain and urban water runoff problems, such as those facing Burlingame.

The council study session begins at 6 p.m. Monday, May 5 at the Lane Room in the Burlingame Library, 480 Primrose Road. The regular council meeting begins at 7 p.m. Monday, May 5 at City Hall, 501 Primrose Road.

City properties given the A-list treatment? (by Mike Rosenberg, The Examiner

BURLINGAME (Map, News) - A push by city leaders to preserve Burlingame’s historic value has led to a good old-fashioned controversy.

During a heated meeting with the occasional shouting match last week, property owners complained to city officials about the validity of a newly released list that identifies which properties in the city should be historically protected. The owners of buildings on the preliminary list questioned whether their properties should be subject to historic preservation, which would force the owners into extra costs for renovations.

At the center of the debate is the city’s historic A-list of 23 downtown structures that will be added to the California Register of Historic Resources and the National Register of Historic Places. That list includes the train depot, St. Catherine of Siena School, the Mike Harvey Honda dealership, and other churches, businesses and homes.

Any property owner on the A-list by state law must hire a consultant to evaluate the property, about a $2,000 to $3,000 expense, Community Development Director Bill Meeker said. Furthermore, properties on the register also are required by state law to conduct a special environmental impact report before demolition of that building, he said.

The review process is long, costly and could prevent developments from starting, said John Ward, a consultant for two property owners on the A-list. Ward’s clients are now in the spotlight after they purchased two properties on Douglas Avenue to make way for a 17-unit condominium project, only to see the two houses cited as historic.

Despite those obligations, the property owners on the list are eligible for “major” tax benefits, said Councilmember Cathy Baylock, a member of the Burlingame Historical Society. “I personally would want the historic designation even if it meant I couldn’t tear down my house,” Baylock said.

There are also 51 structures in the downtown area placed on an historic B-list. Those buildings convey historical significance, but will likely not be subject to the state or national registers or extra costs.

The City Council voted to create the list in January 2007. A group of independent consultants have since worked with organizations, such as the Burlingame Historical Society, to determine which properties would make the inventory. The council, which was in attendance at last week’s meeting, will have to approve the final list in the coming months.

History lesson - Burlingame’s historical preservation list

23: Properties on proposed preservation list

51: Additional properties with historic value

500: Properties eligible for list

January 2007: Council approves formation of the list

Feb. 19: Preliminary list issued

Source: City of Burlingame

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Its interesting to see the City’s Preliminary Historic Inventory from the 1980’s (which was unsuccessful) and had three tiers of “historic” sites for the whole of Burlingame, some of which have gone or been extensively remodelled out of the 2008 DSAP lists:

First Priority:
Burlingame High School
Oldsmobile Dealership at 1021 Burlingame Avenue (*)
Train station (*)
1100 Burlingame Avenue (*)
1375 Burlingame Avenue (**)
1435 Burlingame Avenue (*)
1427 Chapin (*)
347 Primrose
Burlingame Library (**)
1449 Bellevue
St. Paul’s Church
Russian Church of All Saints
Fire Station
Kohl Mansion

Second Tier
Neo-Victorian Home on 200 block of Burlingame Avenue
1120 Burlingame Avenue (**)
1214 Donnelly (*)
327 Lorton (**)
Private Residence on 300-block of Chapin Lane
Private Residence on 1500 block of Ralston
Private Residence on 1100 block of Sanchez

Recognition
Washington School
Wasington Park
Lions Hall
Burlingame Woman’s Club (**)
De Anza Expedition Campsite
McKinley School
Hoover Elementary School

(*) on 2008 A-list
(**) on 2008 B-list

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Isn’t Safeway’s building 45 years old and eligible for some Burlingame list of “historical” (or as someone said at the meeting - “endangered") species list?!

What a nice weekend in old Burlingame. The Friday night Wine and Hot Chocolate Walk drew more than 1,000 people and I have heard the storeowners and restaurant owners were really pleased with the response. I know I ventured into a couple of ladies apparel shops that I had never visited before.

Today’s Centennial tour was also really fun. More vintage cars were out and about and for me the trolley tour was an opportunity to view some well-known sites through the eyes of relative newcomers to Burlingame.

We are in the home stretch to the big Centennial dinner and fireworks show. Get you tickets to this June 6th event so you can enjoy the culmination of a wonderful yearlong celebration.

Burlingame has volunteers on its radar screen - City hopes to train residents to detect speeders (by Mark Abramson/Daily News Staff Writer)

Burlingame is looking for a few good volunteers to arm with radar guns and send out hunting for speeding motorists. The first stop would be Winchester Drive, which speeding scofflaws apparently know well.

Depending on how many sign up for the new Speed Watch program, the radar gun toters may be dispatched to other trouble spots.

Police hope to launch the pilot program by June 1, after training volunteers to use the radar guns and posting portable signs alerting drivers about the speed crackdown campaign.

Speeders caught on the radar gun won’t be ticketed, but will receive a carefully worded letter urging them to slow down. Futhermore, streets that seem to draw a good share of speeders can expect a heavy police presence.

Burlingame Traffic Engineer Augustine Chou has been working on the program with police Sgt. Don Shepley for several months, dealing with liability issues and putting together rules and operating procedures.

Winchester Drive was identified as a good place to start because residents there approached the city about cracking down on speeders, Chou said. “It’s to tell the drivers we are not trying to punish you, we are trying to educate you,” Chou said about Speed Watch.

But if the speed watchers’ work shows a persistent problem on a street, police could monitor that area and start giving tickets, Shepley said. The speed watchers’ logs will indicate when and where any speeding trends exist.

The city has no plans to send an officer out to crackdown on any particular drivers who are caught speeding repeatedly because police need to look at the bigger picture when it comes to traffic problems in the city and some people are going to continue regardless, Shepley said.

Peter Gum, a Winchester Drive resident, met with Chou and Shepley about the program Tuesday. He plans to relay the information to his neighbors. “I think that there is a strong interest in reducing speeding on our street. What the city thought of is a good idea,” Gum said. “I want to encourage volunteers. I support the concept. I think, yes, overall it can help.”

Gum said one problem he envisions, however, with Speed Watch is finding people who could commit the time to it. Although Gum supports it, he said it would be hard for him to participate because of his busy schedule as a father of a 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter.

Police in Ft. Collins, Colo., which has had a similar program called Traffic Tamers since 1996, said the biggest problem they have with their operation is finding people who are willing to volunteer.

Burlingame would give its volunteers a crash course in how to use a radar gun and jot down license plates. The city would also want people to participate continuously because it would absorb the $70 to $80 costs for background checks on the volunteers, Shepley said. Volunteers would be asked to monitor other streets besides the one they live on.

Police will use the background checks to ensure that volunteers have not committed violent crimes and offenses like lewd conduct, which can determine what type of person is applying to be a speed watcher, and a prospective volunteer’s neighbor could be contacted to get more information, Shepley said. All applicants must be at least 18, and the program will only operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

And at least one volunteer in each two-person Speed Watch team must have a cell phone so he or she could call police if needed, Shepley said.

To find out more about Speed Watch, call Sgt. Don Shepley at 650-777-4100 or Augustine Chou at 650-558-7236.

School board axes 55 - Layoffs account for half of $3.5 million in mandated cuts (by Will Oremus, Burlingame Daily News)

On a day when more than 200 students walked out of class to protest staff cuts, the San Mateo Union High School District’s board voted 3-2 to approve a budget that includes layoffs of the equivalent of 55 full-time employees.

A week of informational picketing by teachers - who also stopped offering students out-of-class help in an effort to raise awareness of their plight - culminated in a school board meeting that felt more like a raucous political rally, complete with signs, jeers and boos.

Janitors, accountants, classroom aides and temporary teachers will likely lose their jobs, despite an outpouring of anger and pleas from employees and students before and during the meeting. The cuts accounted for about half of the $3.5 million in budget reductions the school district made to cover an unexpected revenue shortfall.

“We’re about to pay for all of your mistakes,” San Mateo High School sophomore Edan Freiberger told the board and top administrators, to thunderous applause from the audience.

Superintendent Sam Johnson in particular has been slammed for the district’s deficit spending in recent years, which resulted from relying on county tax revenue estimates that proved inaccurate.

Dozens of speakers decried the cuts Thursday, including teachers, parents who spoke of immigrating to America because of the educational opportunities, and a tearful accountant who said, “I’d like to know how you can justify getting rid of the entire accounts payable department, and an entire level of office assistants.”

A sign in the audience summed up the general sentiment toward the board and administrators, who quietly sat through 90 minutes of criticism: “Your mistakes; Our teachers.”

A low point came when Trustee Peter Hanley was shouted down after criticizing the teachers’ union - whose average member, he said, makes about $75,000 a year for about nine months of work - for rumor-mongering and instilling fear in students. “The level of discourse, with some very notable exceptions, has been low,” Hanley said before being drowned out by boos. A few rowdy students cheered when he said he had received “e-mails filled with hateful and disrespectful language.”

However, some students spoke eloquently, as Trustee Linda Lees Dwyer noted before casting her vote against the cuts. Lees Dwyer said she would have preferred to see all district staff accept a one-time 2.75 percent pay cut, which could have prevented layoffs. Unions representing teachers and staff have dismissed calls for pay cuts, saying that they are being punished for the district’s mistakes.

Diane Vranes, the other trustee who opposed the budget, said she supported a “more humane plan” of making the cuts on a slower schedule and betting that the county would not respond by taking over the district.

The next Burlingame Safeway Working Group will be on May 7 from 7:00 p.m - 9:30 p.m in City Hall. Some important agenda items are as follows:

- Questions/additional thoughts on Option III: Grocery Store plus retail, office and/or housing alternatives
- Considerations for financial feasibility
- Process for evaluating alternatives

Public comment is also welcome.

The next meeting planned is for Thursday, May 22 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Conference Room A at City Hall, 501 Primrose Road. Please confirm dates and location by checking www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page+911 the day of the meeting.

Here are two young people for our students to emulate (as in Daily Journal)

Congratulations to the Jefferson Awards Youth Service Initiative winners from Burlingame High School this year — junior Emily Fairclough and senior Catherine Tordsen.

Fairclough won in the fall. She is co-president of the American Cancer Society club at BHS, and a member of the ACS youth council. She served on the planning committee for the recent American Cancer Relay for Life and helped recruit her peers to participate in the event. She has achieved over 100 hours of service for her first two years at BHS and is well on her way to her third year of 100 hours of service. Those hours were spent at community clean ups, local school fairs and as a TWIG volunteer at Coyote Point museum.

Tordsen won in the spring. For the last four years, Tordsen spent more than 500 hours handling animals and giving tours through the “Talk on the Wild Side” program at the San Francisco Zoo. According to the zoo keepers, “she is the perfect role model, mature, and efficient in her volunteer work.” Katie’s dream is to become a veterinarian and it shows through her volunteer work. In addition, she is also the Youth Red Cross Representative for the San Mateo Adult Leadership Board and participated in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life for three years.

3-Minute Interview: Eric Bakhtiari

Burlingame High School graduate and former University of San Diego football player Eric Bakhtiari was signed by the San Diego Chargers this week.

Mike Rosenberg, The Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Diego Chargers signed the Burlingame High School graduate and former University of San Diego football player this week. The defensive end-turned-linebacker was the defensive player of the year in 2006 and 2007 in the Pioneer Football League, USD’s conference.

How does it feel to go from Burlingame High to the NFL? It feels surreal. Growing up playing in Burlingame, I thought I wasn’t very good, I don’t think I’m very good now. But now things are definitely going the way I dreamed they would. I wake up and say, “Oh god, I get to be a Charger today.”

Did you ever think as a kid growing up in Burlingame that you’d one day make it to the NFL? No, not at all. Especially in the first years at Burlingame High, I was told I wasn’t very good and that I’d be cut, and, in fact, I wasn’t very good. I had one good year in high school.

What was the first thought that popped into your head when you realized you could be lining up during an NFL game? I better not screw up, because you have a lot more people looking at you when you’re on the Chargers than when you’re playing at USD.

What NFL quarterback would you most like to sack? Josh Johnson, quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, my old teammate at USD. If Brett Favre unretired, that’d be really cool to play against him, and I always thought it’d be really cool to play against Michael Vick to see if I could catch him.

Are you going to make a statement by trying to take down teammates LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates? No, I’m a lowly undrafted free agent; those are $40 [million] to $50 million players who contribute highly to the success of the Chargers. I won’t even breathe on them wrongly.

This kind of success is very motivational for a lot of high school kids who have to work their way into starting line-ups. It is a great message about hard work paying off. Congrats to Eric and his parents Debbie and Karl. All are a credit to BHS.

… Also on Thursday, the school board approved going to bid for the last portion of toxic soil removal at Burlingame High School. Officials expect the fences to come down, and the contaminated fields to be reopened in the next few weeks, weather permitting.

“I think everybody will be excited,” said Liz McManus, the district’s chief business official. “There’s been a lot of construction going on at Burlingame for a long time, and it’s been very disruptive, and now it’s coming to a close …”

source: Burlingame Daily News

History in the making - City compiling properties with historical value(by Mark Abramson/Daily News Staff Writer)

… Putting together the list entailed surveying more than 500 parcels in the downtown area, bounded by Oak Grove and Peninsula avenues, El Camino Real, the Caltrain tracks and Anita Road. Placing a property on a registry would in many cases subject it to greater environmental review before the owner is allowed to make any significant changes. And under California’s Mills Act, the owner of a historical building would be eligible for property tax breaks of up to 60 percent if he or she signs an agreement with the city to preserve the property.

… The citizens advisory committee for the downtown specific plan wants to get the property owners’ input before it decides how to address historic buildings and makes a recommendation to the planning commission, said Kevin Gardiner, the consultant for the plan. The commission could agree with the recommendation and ask that the city council approve it or make its own recommendation. “When you are doing a big planning effort, like a downtown plan, you don’t want to be making policies in a vacuum that affect historic resources,” Gardiner said.

Last week’s court ruling against Redwood City illustrated the consequences of not adequately evaluating historic buildings when developing a downtown specific plan. A San Mateo County Superior Court judge said the city’s plan needed to include a comprehensive study of historic buildings. Until one is completed, the plan can’t be implemented.

… Burlingame Historical Society President Russ Cohen described the list as “hugely important.” The city attempted to catalog its historic properties in 1982, but failed because it did not hire an unbiased third party, such as Carey & Co., Cohen said. “The council should formally adopt (the list) so they send a signal to the community that they value those buildings,” said Cohen, who is also a former city council member. “I think the consultant has done a good job, and looking at the list, I think he is correct.”

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According to many at last night’s meeting, the list includes many errors including a property on California Drive which may be non-eligible for the A-list and errors in some of the residential properties and St. Catherine’s.

The meeting was animated to say the least with plenty of criticism all around - to the professionals, to the city and to the Historical Society - for the list itself, the whole process, some of the property owners were not informed of last night’s meeting and how this list will impact property owners.

One particularly interesting test case is two houses on Douglas which are on the list but have been in the planning process for years. Moving one/both houses is an option but where to? Past attempts to relocate houses slated for demolition have been unsuccessful.

Though I am a critic of the Historical Society, the numerous comments towards this group were very harsh especially the derision shown when the property owners were invited to donate plans and information on their properties. During the three years I was a volunteer every piece of information, map, photo or artifact was gratefully received, professionally catalogued and safely stored for future use.

Thanks to our excellent City Manager for his professionalism and also to the two property owners who brought some much-needed humor to a very vocal meeting!

Support needed to make turf reality (Daily Journal)

Artificial turf could be coming to Bayside Field in Burlingame during the upcoming year if residents are willing to help cover the cost.

The City Council previously decided to earmark $150,000 rather than the requested $500,000 toward installing turf at the local park. A new synthetic field will require much support from local groups, $350,000 over five years was pledged by local groups. On Monday, the council will decide whether to OK fundraising efforts for the remaining $175,000 needed for the field.

Parks and Recreation Director Randy Schwartz originally suggested improving what the city already owns — an idea not all councilmembers supported — last month.

By putting in artificial turf on the two lower fields, the city could run multiple games simultaneously as well as increase playing time from eight months to year round, said Schwartz. The original $1 million plan included $500,000 from the city, $275,000 from unused funds earmarked for the Burlingame High School field and an in-kind donation of materials.

Not all councilmembers were impressed with the proposal resulting in the city contribution dropping to $150,000. Local groups were given until November to show monetary support to push the project forward. Many came forward already volunteering to assess themselves $15 per player, per year, for five years depending on the fees charged by the San Mateo Union High School District. Additionally, Coyotes lacrosse pledged a one-time donation of $50,000 for a total in $350,000 in funds over five years.

The council meets 7 p.m. Monday, May 5 at City Hall, 501 Primrose Road.

(full agenda)

From the Archives - 5 Years Ago (Daily Journal)

Disputed Safeway rejected

After two-and-a half hours of discussion amongst themselves, the Burlingame Planning Commission denied the proposed Safeway project by 6 to 1 May 1, 2003 for basically the same reason offered countless times over the previous four years: a 69,747-square-foot store would be simply too big.

“I tried hard to like this project. I tried hard to convince myself this was the best way to build this … but this is not a live or die situation for Burlingame. Everybody wants a new Safeway store but I don’t think we need one this big,” said Commissioner Stan Vistica before the vote.

The vote — with Commissioner Tim Auran the only member in favor of approving the project — came after three nights and more than 11 hours of presentations by Safeway, public comments by hundreds of residents, and hours of questions and discussion by the Planning Commission. The denial means that if Safeway ever were to bring the project back there must be significant changes to the design.

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Not sure if that square foot number is correct?

As part of the Mysterious California series, there will be a Book Discussion tonight in the Lane Room:

Wednesday, April 30th at 7:00 PM
Shell Games by Kirk Russell
(click here for more information)