Month: June 2004

  • Rosalie Running?

    Interesting piece in the San Mateo Daily Journal today –

    "Tension on the Burlingame City Council may be coming to a head. One councilmember is suggesting that all five meet in a closed session to discuss how to speak to each other in public. The need arises from some recent phrasing by others that was not received well.

    In some recent decisions, the 3-2 votes have put councilwomen Terry Nagel and Cathy Baylock on the short end of the vote. Nagel and Baylock have lost on funding crossing guards and extending a sound wall further than what the others wanted on Rollins Road. Doing so would have blocked a car dealership which brings in significant money for the city. However, two key planning decisions housing on the Bayfront and the Safeway project placed Vice Mayor Joe Galligan and Councilman Mike Coffey on the short end. Mayor Rosalie O'Mahony has been the swingwoman for most decisions and ultimately, the winner. One Burlingame political insider said O'Mahony played it smart in endorsing Nagel in the last election, ensuring that she will have three votes when it comes to planning issues and three votes the other way when it comes to financial and business decisions.

    For the record, O'Mahony said she is running for a fifth term in 2005, despite some whispers she wouldn't. And she will win."

    Add Miss Rosalie to the list of 2005 election candidates … it must now be about 12 candidates whispering in the wind to run in 2005. We know the new Council will work together and won't snipe at each other like our present one. Look forward to the election – it will be fun, interesting and challenging!

    – Written by admin

  • Burlingame Community Group Funding

    Readers of the Burlingame Voice may be interested in the final allocation of community funds in the soon to be approved city budget. It is interesting to note that $15k of these funds are going to community groups that are not directly feeding and housing our disadvantaged citizens.

    – Written by admin

  • No power line down Trousdale!

    Burlingame has received some good news about the high-voltage line proposed by Pacific Gas & Electric! In the administrative law judge (ALJ)'s recommendation issued yesterday afternoon, she does not envision running the line down Trousdale!

    Instead, she recommends bringing the power line underground up Skyline to Trousdale, and then running it overhead from Skyline/Trousdale to the Glenview transition station in San Bruno through the watershed lands.

    The ALJ believes this route avoids all the complications involved in the Trousdale/El Camino segment and provides protection to residents from electromagnetic fields. There would still be EMF exposure to some residents along Skyline, but she believes that would not exceed 2.5 mG at any residence, which is the tentative standard (3 mG) that she seems to have adopted.

    This recommendation will not be final until it is adopted by the California Public Utilities Commissioners themselves, and the City of Burlingame (which is an official intervenor in the process) still has 30 days to provide comments.

    You can read more about the Jefferson-Martin project at the California ISO web site and also read the final EIR at the State PUC website.

    – Written by admin

  • Council Meeting – June 7

    After sitting through last night's council meeting, I kept saying to myself – don't, don't, don't get more cynical about small-minded Burlingame politics.

    The residents vs. car dealers was an interesting example of Burlingame politics. Caltrans is willing to put up a sound wall to help with all that noisy traffic zooming by. There were fancy diagrams, decibel comparisons and alot of discussion about car buying, car sales tax coming into poor cash-strapped Burlingame and those poor car dealers' showrooms and signs being blocked off by a sound wall. One dealer said that nowhere else are there sound walls in front of car dealers. Conversely, the residents talked about not being able to have a conversation or sleep at night with the windows open because of the noise. The words "property rights" were banded around like a tired old mantra but the "logic" was that the property value of the residents' homes would go up and the dealers' property values would go down if the wall was built. Not fair, heh! Interestingly some council members were ready to vote but then realized that the wall would grade down at the wrong spot and cover up those fancy showrooms. Oops! The final vote was 3:2 for.

    The grant funding went the way it usually does in our wonderful town. Except this year Broadway by the Bay was refused funding. The Burlingame Historical Society was asking for $400 to help with all the free – and I mean free – services they give to every Burlingame 3rd grader and residents of Burlingame and beyond. They were refused the $400. Burlingame Community Theater received funding ($2,835) so it had nothing to do with "food and lodging" although there was something about tree lighting.

    It seems the crossing guard issue is still a hot potato. Who should the donations be sent to – the School Board or the School Crossing Guard Fund at City Hall? Make a decision, folks! Madam Mayor was miffed claiming that the CBB had not asked for permission before they mounted a $32 campaign that would have sent all the donations to the City Manager. Perhaps she should check with the City Manager first as he had received a copy of the flyer before it was printed. It has become so ridiculous that I requested my donation be returned to me because, in good faith, I had mailed my check to the City Manager for the Crossing Guard Fund but now it seems it should go via the CBB to be forwarded to God knows who. It is absolutely absurd.

    Maybe the government employees who just lurk on this blog could clarify some of these anomalies especially for the group of residents who walked out of last nights meeting with a renewed sense of political activism! Cynical, moi!?

    – Written by Fiona

  • Telephone Survey

    Tuesday's Daily Journal article, Safeway survey causes alarm, gives us a glimpse of what is to come. Safeway's logic as to why they needed to conduct the telephone survey astounds me. Safeway is willing to discount the voices of those residents, who opposed the tired old BIG BOX proposal, but was willing to give credence to alleged telephone calls and alleged emails, sent to Safeway. In the interest of fair disclosure, I am sure Safeway would be willing to make those emails available for review. Unlike the opinions of those residents, who spoke out about the tired old BIG BOX proposal, the alleged telephone calls to Safeway cannot be counted. The opposition's voice was recorded and is part of the public record, unlike any alleged telephone calls made to either Safeway or its representatives.

    If Safeway doesn't want the poll? to be perceived contrived, Safeway should make the poll? questions public along with the results. Safeway's attorney, Mark Hudak, knows in a court of law, if an individual or entity does not or refuse to answer a question, the premise of the refusal is looked upon unfavorably.

    The idea of a corporation going to the ballot box to get a store built doesn't have a good track record. If my memory serves me correctly, Wal-Mart attempted this ploy and LOST. When the public is provided with all of the facts, not emotions, they generally reject the idea, because they know the damaging effect the BIG BOX store has on the small local merchant.

    – Written by rich grogan

  • PG&E On Trousdale

    The City Council has postponed the discussion on the proposed ordinance about high power lines. They are meeting in closed session to discuss the issue. Stay tuned for the actual date it will be on the Council's agenda

    – Written by Dan

  • $32 dollar solution

    As a past Washington School Site Council member in the mid- 90's, I was proud to lead a group of concerned parents and residents in a quest to get two intersections posted with 4-way stops around the school. The speed limit on one of the streets, was even posted at 30mph. It took two long years of gathering signatures and meeting with Burlingame officials to result in any changes.

    Even after signs were finally installed and the speed limits lowered, there was never a point in time when we felt safe enough to do without our adult Crossing Guards. Mary, our cherished crossing guard, stopped many a relentless speeder from plowing down children and other residents, trying to get across the intersection. A petit, demur woman, she protected the kids as if they were her own.

    Now, with the future of Crossing Guard funds in jeopardy, I urge residents of this town to help our local PTAs by donating to the "$32 Solution", a wonderful program developed by the Citizens for a Better Burlingame.

    Now, more than ever, crossing guards are not a luxury, but a necessity. Please check out the program on the CBB site.

    – Written by Jennifer Pfaff

  • Virgin Airways Chooses San Mateo County

    You heard it here first! Senator Jackie Speier announced at the Human Investment Project luncheon today that Virgin Airways has named San Mateo County as headquarters for its U.S. operation. She said this development will bring up to 1400 jobs to our county.

    – Written by CathyBaylock

  • Candidates, candidates & candidates

    Article in the Daily Journal today:

    "Even though the next Burlingame City Council election is more than a year away, names are already being dropped as to who will run. Seats up for grabs are currently being held by Rosalie O'Mahony, Joe Galligan and Cathy Baylock. Galligan, who is expanding his San Mateo accounting service, may not run again and O'Mahony has hinted she may not be a sure thing for a fifth term. Baylock is expected to run again.

    Already showing interest in one of the open seats is Planning Commissioner Ann Keighran, Burlingame School Board trustees Dave Pine and Linda Lees Dwyer and former council candidates Russ Cohen and Dan Andersen. Dennis Zell may also have an interest in running. Zell ran against state Sen. Jackie Speier as a Republican and is currently leading the charge against PG&E plans to run a high-voltage power line down Trousdale Drive."

    I personally want one of the incumbents who "may not run again" to run again!

    – Written by admin

  • Safeway phones Burlingamers

    Safeway is at it again. They have begun a phone survey with questions leading the listener to believe that a ballot measure will soon appear asking voters to approve or deny a new Safeway. Will it be the same Safeway plan that has been before us for umpteen years or will it be a new plan that is more in scale with downtown Burlingame? Will the ballot measure have any teeth or will it simply be an opinion poll? So, stand by your phones and when asked some questions by Safeway ask some tough questions right back.

    – Written by Russ Cohen

The Burlingame Voice

Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community

RECENT COMMENTS

RECENT POSTS

CATEGORIES

ABOUT THE VOICE

The Burlingame Voice is dedicated to informing and empowering the Burlingame community.  Our blog is a public forum for the discussion of issues that relate to Burlingame, California.  Opinions posted on the Burlingame Voice are those of the poster and commenter and not necessarily the opinion of the Editorial Board.  Comments are subject to the Terms of Use.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All content subject to Copyright 2003-2026