Growing concerns around the impacts of climate change — severe drought, increased wildfire risks and sea level rise — have prompted San Mateo County officials to explore placing a parcel tax on the ballot to help fund mitigation efforts.
“In San Mateo County, we face an increasing vulnerability to the risks of flooding and wildfire driven by climate change. Reducing those risks and preparing our communities, critical infrastructure, and our natural and built environments for flooding and wildfire is vital to maintain quality of life in San Mateo County,” according to the staff report.
The county has been working with the firm, Terris Barnes Walters Boigon Heath Lester, since last April to explore options for a potential revenue measure that would go toward climate resilience and wildfire mitigation.
After almost a year into analyzing the issue, staff will ask the board to approve an amendment to the agreement that would task the firm with conducting additional community outreach through July after increasing the contract by $637,000 for a total of $835,000.
Under the agreement, TBWBHL would help design, plan and implement a public engagement push as well as play an advisory role on the feasibility of a revenue ballot measure. The goal, as stated in the staff report, is to contact each household in the county between four to six times before June.
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The effects of climate change have grown more prevalent in San Mateo County over the years. In 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex sent a historic wave of flames across more than 86,000 acres of land between the southern end of San Mateo County and much of Santa Cruz County after the region was struck by a thunderstorm that caused about 11,000 lightning bolts.
Years of increasingly dry weather caused forest brush to dry out and build up and that, combined with intense winds, helped the fires to spread rapidly, experts said at the time. The county’s Parks Department currently has a five-year Wildfire Fuel Mitigation Plan in place but that collection of 32 projects is estimated to cost about $19 million and would harden up only 1,830 acres of the county’s 16,000 acres of parkland.
County residents have also called on the county to do more to reduce the amount of highly flammable invasive species in the county, like eucalyptus and pine trees.
Sea level rise and flooding are also a grave concern across the Peninsula, which is lined by bodies of water to the east and west. Cities that have begun working collaboratively to determine how to address the issue while also adopting their own climate mitigation plans.
To help address these issues, the county would look to funds collected though a parcel tax but is first interested in gauging community support. Tuesday’s item is listed under the consent calendar with other measures considered routine in nature meaning the board will only discuss the issue if one of the five supervisors requests that it be pulled for discussion.
No thanks, taxpayers have contributed more than enough to government pensions and benefits, and to the train-to-nowhere, and to the $billions lost to EDD fraud, and to water storage products which are not being built, and to educators providing a subpar education, and to...
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(3) comments
"NO" to more taxes.
Forgot to mention this is a "no bid" contract. The Board of Supervisors and County Manager love no bid contracts.
No thanks, taxpayers have contributed more than enough to government pensions and benefits, and to the train-to-nowhere, and to the $billions lost to EDD fraud, and to water storage products which are not being built, and to educators providing a subpar education, and to...
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.