San Bruno merchants association forms

The group has been meeting monthly, gaining membership over the last five months. Businesses in the San Bruno Merchants Association include Neelam Pacific Market, One Love Cafe, Chain Reaction Fitness & Nutrition, Leonel's Watch and Jewelry Repair, Atlas Pizza, Hana Hawaiian Barbecue, ViBo, Pho de Nguyen, Radiant Nails Spa, Sweet Connections and Embarc Dispensaries, per the website.

A major issue for some downtown merchants has been the installation of new parking meters, which they say is preventing visitors to their businesses, especially for those just stopping in to pick up takeout or quick grocery items. The city has aimed to address some concerns around a previous $1.50, one-hour minimum by offering visitors a 20-minute parking option for 75 cents.

Now, Molano said, the major issue with the parking meters is that some simply don’t work, and residents and visitors are getting ticketed when they can’t use the meters to pay.

At a recent merchants meeting, Councilmember Marty Medina — who regularly attends the gatherings — delivered an update that some of the credit card readers in some of the parking meters aren’t charging properly, causing disturbances to the system. It’s an issue staff is working to fix, he said.

The meetings are a way to deliver pertinent information to some individuals who, for whatever reason, don’t find City Council meetings a productive place to meet with their representatives, Medina said.

“It’s easier and preferable for some to come to a cafe and have an open discussion, than to sit through a procedural, ‘you have three minutes to make a comment on this and council will not be able to respond,’” he said.

Molano also said she felt like the connection to city representatives was empowering for the group.

“Having these meetings where we can have direct access to people that are supposed to represent our town, I feel like it’s breathing new life into the community and people are being inspired to get active and make a change,” she said.

The merchants association is also working to be a resource for new businesses and empower economic development, Molano said. It’s partnering with the South San Francisco Renaissance Center and the San Mateo County Small Business Development Center to make individuals and businesses aware of the possible resources to which they have access.

“San Bruno has been known to be a sleepy town. People aren't really aware there's even a downtown,” Molano said. “I always see the potential. I see our downtown being a place that embraces diversity and culture. I see it being a destination place where people want to come, because we celebrate diversity.”

holly@smdailyjournal.com

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