In a measure to protect tenants, I was proud that our Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted an ordinance today Establishing Property Owner Obligations with Respect to Tenants Displaced from Unsafe or Substandard Units.
...I attended the reorganization meeting of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, mainly to witness the swearing in of the newest member Dave Canepa. It, too, was a very crowded event. Hard to find a place to park and hard to find a seat. What impressed me was how much good these officials do for the community. Supervisor Warren Slocum helped set up a homeless shelter for vets on the VA site. Supervisor Dave Pine has been the advocate and go-to guy to protect us from sea level rise and has even been invited to the Netherlands as a local expert. Supervisor Carole Groom has worked tirelessly on The Big Lift, a program to ensure kids can read at the proper grade level. And Don Horsley, the new president of the board, assured our local immigrant population that we will keep them safe from federal witch hunts.
Supervisor Warren Slocum was appointed to represent the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, or MTC, to fill the seat vacated by outgoing Supervisor Adrienne Tissier. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors held its annual rotation, selecting Supervisor Don Horsley as its 2017 president and welcoming Supervisor David Canepa who was elected in November to represent District Five.
On Dec. 2, 2016, Facebook announced its plan to invest $20 million to address the need to increase the supply of affordable housing and the related issues of displacement, particularly in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, and communities within a 15-mile radius of their campus. This is exactly the kind of leadership that we in local government seek: Leaders who are willing to take stock and commit resources, time and talent to help solve the problem — creatively and collaboratively
On December 13, 2016, the Board of Supervisors enacted a moratorium on outdoor marijuana growing as well as commercial operations in response to voters approving Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana in the state. The temporary ban will initially last for 45 days and could be extended to two years, but the end goal is to study potential regulations and attempt to create a more regional approach. Getting feedback from stakeholders may assist the county in forming a blueprint law cities in the county could adopt.
At our very first San Mateo County Veteran of the Year Award Luncheon, four outstanding honorees were recognized. I introduce you to them and congratulate them on their work to support veterans in our county. There are three award categories. I present to you the 2016 Patriot of the Year - Carolyn Livengood, the 2016 Enterprise of the Year - Reveille, Peninsula Covenant Church, and the 2016 Veterans of the Year - Judge John Grandsaert and Tim Healy. Congrats to all of the 2016 honorees!
The housing crisis currently facing San Mateo County and the region is often positioned as a series of alarming numbers. Between 2010 and 2014, for example, the county welcomed 54,600 new jobs but developers built a mere 2,100 housing units. The median household income in the county is $108,088, but affording a median-priced home requires $205,965. A county renter needs to earn at least $88,903 to afford an average two-bedroom apartment. And that's why ... 62 percent of existing jobs in the county are filled by non-county residents, which means heavier congestion on our roadways and a greater impact on the longevity of this vital infrastructure. Housing and transportation are two sides of the same coin.
In this current economic climate, there's nothing more important than preserving affordable housing in San Mateo County. In a first-of-its-kind partnership with MidPen Housing, our Board of Supervisors agreed to lend $5.8 million for the purchase of the Atherton Court apartments. In all, 55 homes were saved--forever.
The California Clubhouse, located in San Carlos, is a non-profit organization that provides support for adults living with a severe mental illness. I was proud to co-sponsor a $30,000 grant of Measure A funds with Supervisor Don Horsley. It was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors at our November 15, 2016 meeting for the purpose of financing the purchase of a 12-person passenger van that will be used for grocery shopping, field trips and other uses.