Dear Friends,

Fall is a time for transition and change, a time to reflect on what serves us and what’s best to let go. It’s also one of my favorite times of the year to visit the coast to see orange fields of pumpkins, go to a farmers’ market to sample local produce, or to take a walk in one of our county parks. I hope you will make time to do something that fills your cup and makes you appreciate our beautiful county. We all need breaks from the daily stresses in life.  

Seniors on the Move Again

I am still fired up from the Seniors on the Move conference. Seeing Cypress Hall and Redwood Hall at the San Mateo County Event Center filled with 500 happy seniors and 70 outstanding resource tables was inspiring and reassuring. I want to thank the eleven speakers for sharing their perspectives on life, longevity, health, exercise, scams, consumer tips, safety, transportation and most importantly having fun.

This was the first time I hosted the event since 2019, before the pandemic. I originally started it in 1978 after my grandmother passed because I wanted to create something joyful and educational for our seniors.

One of the many highlights was certainly the Bollywood lesson from Kaiser geriatrician Dr. Aruna Chinnakotla that had everyone on their feet dancing.

I was tickled by the many comments I received in person and online in response to this video I posted on social media featuring two of your County Supervisors: 

Winning the distinction of being the most senior attendee at 102 years, South San Franciso resident Lorraine Norris shared her secret to longevity: Keep moving! Coincidentally, that was also the theme of this year’s conference.

ABC7 reporter and anchor Spencer Christian wowed everyone with stories about Muhammad Ali and President Jimmy Carter. He also shared his remarkable journey through his gambling addiction. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe talked about scams and had a long line of people asking him for advice after his presentation. Weston Ballard shared fascinating research from the Stanford Center on Longevity. NBC Bay Area consumer reporter Chris Chmura had invaluable consumer tips, including on recent scams about Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs.) Park Ranger Rob Cala closed the conference with his infectious enthusiasm for nature and a spectacular slide show of our local parks and wildlife. And there was more. Every presenter was a highlight. 

If you missed the event or want to re-live it, you can watch the entire conference.

Wet Winter on the Horizon

Fall arrived on September 22. The day before, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to strengthen statewide El Niño preparedness. San Mateo County has already been planning and preparing for what is predicted to be one of the wettest winters since 1950. While we don’t know when storms will hit, all of us play an important part in being prepared. I encourage you to take four steps right now: make a plan for your household, have your go bag packed, know the closest sandbag locations, and sign up for SMC alerts.

You can also find additional information here.  

Burlingame Home for Recovery Center Approved 

The long-planned and talked about recovery center and sobering station operated by Horizon Treatment Services will be housed in Burlingame after the State of California approved the change of location in a grant awarded for the facility. The 69-bed recovery center will be located at 826 Mahler Road, a site San Mateo County purchased in June. I believe this location is superior to the earlier proposed site in San Mateo and I worked hard to find this alternative. This site will also allow for a number of nonprofits and other county services to be co-located at the property. Now, we can finally offer individuals and families from across San Mateo County help from the first difficult hours of treatment through longer-term recovery, all at one place. 

The need for these services in the county is urgent due to the closure of a StarVista sobering station at the same location in Burlingame in August 2025. StarVista was a major contractor providing 20 mental health programs to county residents. It abruptly went bankrupt after almost 60 years of providing services. 

San Mateo County is committed to being a good neighbor and making sure Horizon is a responsible contractor. We will continue to hold community meetings to ensure the public and business owners have input. 

Visiting with Burlingame Rotarians

I continue my visits to Rotary Clubs across the county. This month I had the pleasure of meeting with Burlingame Rotarians to discuss the state of San Mateo County, in particular our affordability crisis against the backdrop of the ongoing Vehicle License Fee uncertainty. 

At first blush, our county looks idyllic. We are the richest county in California, third richest in the country. Our unemployment is 3.1%, the lowest in the state. More than 40,000 residents make over half a million a year. But at a closer look, things aren’t that rosy. The median price of a home is $1.9 million which requires a half million dollar annual income to qualify for a loan. The county ranks among the top five most expensive in the country. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Burlingame is between $3,000 and $3,500 a month. Applying the rule of thumb that a tenant should spend no more than 30% of income, a household needs to make over $120,000. Where does that leave a teacher, nurse, first responder, or blue-collar worker making $100,000 or less?

One of the most alarming dynamics I recently learned about is the increase in homeless seniors. Rents have gone up 11.4%, while social security benefits have gone up by only 2.8% in 2026. A common scenario is a senior losing a spouse and suddenly having to live on one income instead of two. Someone who has worked his or her entire life and was financially stable finds him or herself homeless at 70. 

The county is working on several fronts to address the high cost of living. We are building housing, including affordable housing, we are launching a child care pilot, and we are funding our core agencies to assist with rising food costs. 

Our budget for next year assumes that we can continue those stabilizing services, but there is uncertainty in the forecast. We are still in negotiations with the state to restore the VLF funding we are owed. The good news is that we are negotiating, and the Department of Finance has told us that they want to work with us to solve the problem. The residents of San Mateo County and its 20 cities depend on it. 

No matter how daunting the issues we are facing, we can never say they are too big or hard to solve. That is our obligation and commitment as public servants. As I told the Rotarians, citing the words of Hubert Humphey: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.”

Taking care of our pets

The county has been partnering with the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA for many years to provide sheltering and animal control services. During the board meeting on September 15, Anthony Tansimore, president of the organization, gave us an update on their current work and challenges. They provide a large variety of services:

• adoptions
• low cost spaying
• vaccinations
• end of life care
• training
• therapy
• taking in orphaned wildlife

One service you may not be aware of is their microchip program. For $30 you can have your pet vaccinated and chipped at their locations at Airport Boulevard in San Mateo or at Coyote Point. If you are looking for ways to support their work, they are always in need of blankets, towels and newspapers for the animal kennels. You can find more details here. 

Before I Go…

Do you know what AFAIG means? It stands for "As Fresh As It Gets" and the logo can be found at local farmers’ markets, restaurants, hotels, and farm stands to identify San Mateo County grown produce and locally caught fish. The goal of the San Francisco Peninsula’s program is to raise awareness about local products. It’s a great way to support our local farmers and fisherman. 

Find yourself a local pumpkin for Halloween this year or purchase locally-caught king salmon. It’s that season.

All the best,