Better flood prep sought in San Mateo

Danielle Cwirko-Godycki, a leader in organizing residents for flood response and the Shoreview Parkside Neighborhood Association, said while the focus has been on dredging the Marina Lagoon, there is an acknowledgment it could take a couple of summers before that occurred. In the meantime, she and other residents want to see public safety initiatives for the upcoming rainy season when potential flooding could occur, calling for proactive action from the City Council around policy, planning and organizing.

“We need to take immediate steps now for the upcoming winter,” Cwirko-Godycki said. “Yesterday, we focused on more of the public safety aspect and readying the city for storms.”

Many residents are concerned about flooding following the city getting 5 inches of rain during the New Year’s Eve storm that damaged businesses and homes throughout the city. The storm led to the city closing streets and setting up barriers and traffic control in multiple residential neighborhoods, with some residents upset by the city’s response.

At the meeting, public speaker Olivia McNally called for further planning and proactive solutions in the upcoming winter, with many other speakers also calling for more tangible action in the coming months. Suggestions included extra sandbag materials, pumping trucks ahead of the storm, having enough sandbag stations in high-risk flood areas, creating an emergency volunteer center to answer telephones during emergencies, cleaning up Laurel Creek and setting up barricades.

“Our creeks are covered in overgrown bush, littered with broken logs and garbage and filled with rocks and sediment,” McNally said. “After what happened last winter, this is inexcusable, and action must be taken immediately for the safety of our city.”

In a letter to the council, residents provided a list of questions on if the city had fixed all issues at the pumping stations, how it would improve emergency flood preparedness, what are the operating procedures during a flood and if the city would consider training community-based volunteers to help in emergencies. A list of recommendations was also provided, like mapping flood-prone areas, putting sandbag stations near those areas, cleaning all storm drains before Nov. 30, a 24/7 employee presence at pump stations during high storm events, creating a city ordinance aimed at stopping creek dumping, and adding cameras to all creeks to monitor water levels.

Councilmember Rich Hedges said he was happy to see people express their views and noted measures like having sandbag stations near the affected areas were a first step. He is still interested in using city reserves to address flood prevention to provide some relief in the near future, with discussions expected at an Aug. 21 council meeting. That meeting will also include an outside report on city actions during the New Year’s Eve storm.

“I’ve lived on the east side for 54 years,” Hedges said. “I believe this is the first time I have seen the east side so organized.”

At the meeting, the City Council noted it is interested in bringing a November ballot measure forward with an $8 monthly stormwater fee for all properties as it looks for funds for maintenance and operations of the city’s stormwater system. Surveys show a narrow majority supported it, although it is less than needed for full funding. Mayor Amourence Lee noted the measure could provide the dedicated funding needed to address issues but needed support from the community.

“My impression is this council is taking a leap of faith in supporting the $8 assessment fee with lukewarm polling, and the hope is that we can work in partnership with the community to actually get this passed,” Lee said.