Agenda packet, first session — East Palo Alto City Council, June 2, 2026 (part 3 of 3)

Question: How do the environmental justice issues overlap with new required densities of housing that unfortunately reduce the urban canopy by default?
Answer: Increasing the availability of housing (particularly affordable and high-quality housing), locating housing in denser areas that minimize car dependence, and increasing the urban tree canopy and other greenery are all important to addressing environmental justice and reducing inequities. These priorities are not mutually exclusive, and communities can successfully enact all three. PREP does not directly make land use decisions, although it will be touching on these and similar topics to the extent they affect safety and hazard issues. Additionally, three of the communities participating in PREP (Burlingame, East Palo Alto, and San Mateo County) are currently preparing Environmental Justice elements of their General Plans, which will more directly address environmental justice topics.
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Question: How is the County building ecological and environmental resilience to protect us from flooding/erosion and manage storm water?
Answer: The County and other local communities are installing green infrastructure, which includes the use of natural spaces and managed green areas, to protect against flooding and similar issues.

For example, rain gardens and bioswales, which are channels in an urban environment lined with plants, help capture and slow down rainwater, filtering it and allowing it to percolate into the ground rather than running onto streets and causing flooding. We expect that policies in PREP will promote greater installation of green infrastructure throughout San Mateo County.

Question: Further on bio levels, with so many cities promoting life science projects, I’m curious if the County will develop a county-wide set of regulations regarding biohazards that will apply and be enforceable at the planning level?
Answer: It would be up to each individual jurisdiction to adopt and enforce regulations for new life science hazard development projects. The County does not have land use authority in incorporated communities(cities). PREP may include language to develop such regulations or to promote greater coordination between communities on this topic.

Question: Are you using CalEnviroScreen data in your mapping? It would be good to be consistent with popular datasets.

Answer: Yes. PREP is using CalEnviroScreen data, among many other sources, in its mapping.

CalEnviroScreen data helps identify frontline communities and other locations where people are more likely to be disproportionately affected by climate change hazards, based on environmental risks and socio-economic factors. The Cities of Burlingame and East Palo Alto and San Mateo County are also updating their General Plan Environmental Justice Elements, which includes the identification of communities heavily impacted by pollution burdens. This analysis will also use CalEnviroScreen data in conjunction with data from the California Healthy Places Index and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Equity Priority Communities. The project teams are working together to ensure consistency across the data and mapping for these two parallel General Plan updates. More information on the Environmental Justice elements is available at https://envirojusticeplanning.com/.
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COMMUNITY INPUT REPORT
APPENDIX C: VIRTUAL COMMUNITY WORKSHOP 3 SUMMARY REPORT

PLACEWORKS
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MEMORANDUM
Introduction
This memorandum summarizes the virtual community workshop held as part of the second phase of outreach for the Peninsula Resilience Planning (PREP) project. It includes a description of the event and a summary of the feedback received from attendees, which is meant to support the development of the Safety Element goals, policies, and actions. The unedited notes from the small group discussion of the event are included as Appendix A.

Community Workshops Summary

WORKSHOP PURPOSE AND DESIRED OUTCOMES
The purpose of the virtual community workshop was for members of the public to receive an update on the PREP project and to provide input on current efforts. During the workshop, project staff shared high-level results of the vulnerability assessments and a set of draft policy concepts to address the hazards that pose the greatest risk to San Mateo County community members, infrastructure, and assets. The project staff also shared information about how participants; feedback would be incorporated into the draft Safety Elements. The intent of the workshop was to receive community feedback on the draft policy concepts to improve resilience to the hazards and associated vulnerabilities present in the participating communities, including those identified in the vulnerability assessments. As a part of the feedback, community members were able to provide input on the potential effectiveness and implementation of the policy concepts. This workshop occurred following completion of the vulnerability assessments and draft Safety Element policy concepts.

WORKSHOP PROMOTION
Participating jurisdictions promoted the workshops through their various County- and City-controlled communication channels. This included posting the event on community event calendars on agency websites, sharing event details via e-news distribution lists, and posting on social media sites like NextDoor and Facebook. Participating jurisdictions also shared the event details with community-based organizations to share with their audiences. Promotional materials were available in English and Spanish. PlaceWorks also advertised the workshop to the project’s mailing list via email. Community members from East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, San Bruno, Belmont, and other parts of the County that are not participating in PREP attended.

AGENDA AND FORMAT
The PREP project team, including agency staff from the participating jurisdictions1, hosted a virtual community event via Zoom on May 21st, 2025, from 6:00-7:30 PM. After welcoming attendees, the 1 Participating jurisdictions are the Town of Atherton, the cities of Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, San Bruno, and San Mateo County. Of these nine jurisdictions, 522

project staff gave a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer period. The presentation provided an overview of the PREP project, the results of vulnerability assessments, and the schedule of the project. After this period, the project staff split attendees into small groups for a 45-minute discussion period about a set of draft Safety Element policy concepts. A total of 80 individuals registered for the workshop and 28 attended, not including members of the project team and facilitation staff.

While the workshop materials focused on the jurisdictions participating in the PREP project, the workshop was open to all community members. The project team provided simultaneous interpretation to Spanish during the workshop and provided a dedicated discussion group for Spanish speakers.

QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD
A brief question-and-answer period followed the presentation. Below are the key topics of the questions. Appendix B provides a full list of questions received, and the provided answers. • Interaction of sea level rise, and resulting emergent groundwater, with hazardous materials and cleanup sites.
• Impact of climate change on wind.
• The regional Vulnerable Communities Platform and how it differs and overlaps with the analysis of the PREP Vulnerability Assessments.
• Multi-language outreach via radio broadcasts.
• Renters’ ability to hold landlords accountable for hardening properties to mitigate the risk of damage from hazards.

DISCUSSION GROUP PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
For the remainder of the workshop, attendees participated in facilitated small group discussions in four Zoom breakout rooms, each with a group facilitator and a separate note taker, made up of members of the project staff. One breakout group was conducted in Spanish for those who indicated that they would prefer a Spanish-language discussion. The project team randomly assigned the remaining participants to one of three small groups of five to eight people to discuss their feedback on the draft policy concepts. For the discussion period, the project team provided a list of draft policy concepts for six categories of hazards and other related issues, which are wildfire; sea level rise, flooding, and emergent groundwater; earthquakes and landslides; extreme heat; evacuation and emergency preparedness.

Facilitators had six general questions to help guide the discussion, along with access to several resources to help illustrate important concepts, such as maps of hazard zones. Notetakers shared their computer screens during the discussion so that participants could confirm their comments were being noted correctly. Appendix A provides the complete notes from the discussion groups. Below are the discussion questions, the draft policy concepts, and a summary of the key themes that emerged from the discussion groups.
six (Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, San Bruno, and San Mateo County) are working together on community engagement for their Safety Element updates.

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General Discussion Questions

1. Do you have any suggestions or considerations for your community to help make these concepts more effective policies? This can include local and regional partnerships, funding and resources, community education programs, and more.

2. Do the draft policy concepts help address your concerns or priorities associated with the hazard or issue, including improving resilience of priority vulnerabilities in your community? If not, what concerns or priorities do these policies not address?

3. Do you have any opposition to your community enacting these as policies? If so, why?

4. Should any policy concepts be strengthened or made stricter? Should any be made more flexible or less stringent?

5. Which policy concepts would you prioritize? Why?

6. Do you have any other edits, considerations, or other comments related to these draft policy concepts?
Wildfire
Policy Concepts

1. Require all new development in fire hazard severity zones to incorporate design measures that enhance fire protection. These measures and policies include but are not limited to the use of fire-resistant structural designs, use of fire-resistant landscaping, home hardening, defensible space, and vegetation management around the perimeter of structures.

2. To the greatest extent possible, locate new public and critical facilities outside of Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

3. Educate property owners, residents (with special attention to at risk populations), and business owners on vegetation management practices, including fire safety, landscape installation and maintenance, defensible space, and other fire hazard reduction strategies.

Coordinate with Firewise Communities to increase landscape-scale resilience.

4. Develop retrofit guidelines for existing non-conforming properties in the fire hazard severity zones to understand what improvements may be necessary to comply with the California Fire Code, local ordinances, and best management practices.

Feedback
The key themes from the discussions on the wildfire policy concepts are noted below.

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» Participants supported requirements for new developments in fire hazard severity zones to incorporate design measures that enhance fire protection, including home hardening and vegetation management.
» Participants urged public agencies to ensure there is adequate water and supporting infrastructure to fight fires if needed.
» Participants supported the development of retrofit guidelines for existing properties in fire hazard severity zones.
» Participants recommended considering the impacts of fires outside the county, which contribute to poor air quality, and the implementation of fire breaks to prevent the spread of fire.
» Participants supported collaboration with other jurisdictions, regional organizations, and local Fire Safe Councils.
» Participants expressed concern about rising insurance costs or the inability to get insurance for properties in fire hazard severity zones.

Sea Level Rise, Flooding, and Emergent Groundwater
Policy Concepts

1. Partner with community-based organizations to provide financial assistance to low-resourced households to harden homes against flooding. To the greatest extent possible, locate new public and critical facilities outside of Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

2. Integrate drainage and flood control systems to enhance ecosystems through the use of green infrastructure.

3. Explore educational and cost-share methods of increasing uptake in flood insurance in households that are not required to purchase insurance, but that reside in areas with increasing flood risk.

4. Develop a Buffer Zone of at least 100 feet from the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean shoreline. Limit new development in this Buffer Zone to provide space to accommodate and maintain built and natural infrastructure for flood protection, habitat restoration, and public access.

5. Use Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) programs, tax credits, and other strategies to encourage the transition of development away from the shoreline in areas identified as high opportunity for nature-based adaptation. These high opportunity zones should be areas outside of mapped hazard zones to the greatest extent possible, within or adjacent to existing development, with little or no environmental constraints, and otherwise be suited for development.

6. Prioritize the remediation of hazardous materials sites in areas identified as vulnerable to emergent groundwater and within environmental justice communities or neighborhoods.

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7. Work with OneShoreline and adjacent jurisdictions as appropriate to incorporate regionally coordinated comprehensive adaptation strategies for shallow groundwater rise into the community’s Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan, General Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and Municipal Code.

Feedback
The key themes from the discussions on the sea level rise, flooding, and emergency groundwater policy concepts are noted below.
» Participants asked about the criteria used to classify households as “low-resourced”. 2 » Participants supported retrofitting or hardening drainage and flood control infrastructure, including sewage infrastructure in coastside communities. » Participants supported developing a Buffer Zone from the Bay and Pacific shorelines where development would be limited to accommodate nature-based infrastructure for flood protection and, potentially, recreation.
» Participants supported the remediation of hazardous materials sites in areas subject to future flooding.

Earthquakes and Landslides
Policy Concepts:

1. Prohibit high-density or high-development potential in areas of increased landslide potential.

2. Prohibit structures used for involuntary occupancy (including schools, hospitals, and correctional facilities) and high voluntary occupancy (including offices, theaters, and religious facilities) in areas of high geologic or seismic hazard risk.

3. Coordinate with water providers to ensure adequate emergency water supplies are available on both sides of active fault traces in the event of water line failure due to earthquake. 2 As defined in the Vulnerability Assessment, low-resourced households include households that are cost-burdened (those that pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs), low-income, overcrowded (households that have more than one person per room of the home), on fixed incomes, persons without access to lifelines such as personal vehicles and internet, and households in poverty.

Low-resourced households typically lack sufficient resources to invest in home repairs and weatherization improvements, air conditioning and efficient appliances, health care, and other means to prepare for and recover from hazardous events. Evacuations pose significant concerns for these households, as they may lack access to reliable transportation or the financial means to leave during emergencies, making it difficult to comply with evacuation orders during severe weather events.

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4. Design and construct new City and County facilities and utility infrastructure (either public or private) that cross active fault traces to accommodate horizontal and/or vertical displacement.

Feedback
The key themes from the discussions on the earthquakes and landslides policy concepts are noted below.
» Participants supported limiting development in areas at risk of geologic hazards and suggested these areas be excluded from the Regional Housing Needs Assessment site selection process.

If development needs to occur there, they recommended using innovative design techniques to mitigate risk of damage.
» Participants recommended that buildings in hazardous areas have adequate resources to prepare for an emergency and more than one point of entry in the event of an evacuation.

Renters are at a disadvantage due to less physical space to store supplies. » Participants recommended assisting those who can’t afford to bring structures up to code.

Extreme Heat
Policy Concepts:

1. Install shade structures and trees, both green and built infrastructure, at parks, transit stops, along public streets and trails, and at other public spaces to reduce ground surface temperatures.

2. Prioritize installation of green infrastructure and tree plantings in areas most vulnerable to heat and environmental justice communities.

3. Explore opportunities to develop mobile providers of water, backup power, air conditioning, and medical supplies that can be deployed to vulnerable communities during high heat events, power outages, and other emergencies.

Feedback
The key themes from the discussions on the extreme heat policy concepts are noted below. » Participants supported increasing the tree canopy coverage throughout their communities, and especially at bus stops and Caltrain stations. They also recommended the use of cool roofs and solar shade canopies in parking lots.
» Participants supported mobile stations for water, backup power, air conditioning, and medical supplies for vulnerable communities, especially those that are geographically isolated. They also supported the establishment of microgrids for energy resilience.

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Policy Concepts: Evacuation and Emergency Preparedness
Policy Concepts:

1. Install shade structures and trees, both green and built infrastructure, at parks, transit stops, along public streets and trails, and at other public spaces to reduce ground surface temperatures.

2. Prioritize installation of green infrastructure and tree plantings in areas most vulnerable to heat and environmental justice communities.

4. Designate corridors where temporary evacuation capacity can be created through manual traffic direction to optimize traffic flow, including use of available parking lanes, turn lanes, shoulders, and bikeways for traffic while ensuring emergency responder access is maintained.

5. Require new development in High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and in mapped floodplains to have access to at least two emergency evacuation routes.

6. Support and encourage Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to residents and members of the business community to increase disaster awareness and emergency response capability.

7. Conduct educational campaigns in multiple languages and formats; and offer residents information on ways to protect their property and preserve personal health and safety from various hazards, and on available incentives and other financial resources.

Feedback
The key themes from the discussions on the evacuation and emergency preparedness policy concepts are noted below.
» Participants noted that many people don’t know what to do in an emergency and therefore supported increasing outreach efforts to educate community members on emergency preparedness and response.
» Participants supported the identification, maintenance, and hardening of evacuation routes that will not be compromised in a hazardous event. They also noted that evacuation planning should include attention to people who rely on transit. » Participants supported the establishment of resilience centers at public facilities and schools.

They noted the need for adequate water and food supplies during emergencies. » Participants wanted local governments to continue to support the CERT programs in their jurisdictions and expand training opportunities to different times, mediums, and groups. » Participants supported broad educational and outreach programs to residents on emergency preparedness, including to younger people through schools and in different languages.

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Other Issues
Policy Concepts:

1. Encourage the installation of water efficiency and graywater measures in existing private development, including by helping residents identify rebates and other financial incentives.

2. Expand participation in the Bay Area Air District’s Clean Air Filtration Program by supporting residential filter installation and maintenance. Partner with community-based organizations for program implementation, prioritizing environmental justice communities and vulnerable populations.

3. Develop standards for healthy building design that address indoor air quality, natural ventilation, and protection from outdoor air pollution.

4. Collaborate with state agencies, regional land managers like Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and neighboring local agencies to align invasive species management efforts across jurisdictions.

5. Collaborate with state agencies, regional land managers like Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and neighboring local agencies to align invasive species management efforts across jurisdictions.

6. Implement land use planning and management practices that anticipate and accommodate ecosystem changes caused by climate change, ensuring long-term ecological health, community safety, and climate resilience.

Feedback
The key themes from the discussions on the other policy concepts are noted below. » Participants supported policies to improve water efficiency and indoor air quality in private development.
» Participants supported the removal of invasive species and suggested combining these efforts with vegetation management to mitigate risk of other hazards like wildfire.

Next Steps
The project team will use the feedback gathered from community members to inform the development of the draft goals, policies, and actions of the draft Safety Elements, which will be completed in summer/early fall of 2025. Community members will be able to review and provide feedback on the draft Safety Elements prior to the release of the final draft and adoption hearings by the end of 2025.

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Appendix A: PREP Virtual Community Workshop Discussion Notes Below are the combined, unedited notes from the group discussion portion of the virtual community workshop. The facilitators of each discussion group asked participants to review six categories of policy concepts and provide input. Facilitators used the provided questions to help guide discussions, although facilitators were also free to ask other questions to help encourage a productive conversation. Notes from all groups are combined under the policy concept they reference. In addition to feedback on specific policy concepts, some groups provided input on the topics at a more general level.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

3. Do you have any opposition to your community enacting these as policies? If so, why?

4. Should any policy concepts be strengthened or made stricter? Should any be made more flexible or less stringent?

5. Which ones would you prioritize? Why?

6. Do you have any other edits, considerations, or other comments related to these draft policy concepts?
POLICY CONCEPTS: WILDFIRE

1. Require all new development in fire hazard severity zones to incorporate design measures that enhance fire protection. These measures and policies include but are not limited to the use of fireresistant structural designs, use of fire-resistant landscaping, home hardening, defensible space, and vegetation management around the perimeter of structures.

Notes:
• Already being done. Grant funds redirected to home hardening, for new and existing homes.

Don’t fund vegetation/habitat removal.
• General support for policy.
• Agree with this policy to help reduce wildfires/spread of wildfires. • Concerned with use of fire retardant sprayed on homes to put out fires. There should be a green way to put out fires.

2. To the greatest extent possible, locate new public and critical facilities outside of Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Notes:
• Don’t limit just to public infrastructure.
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• Agencies need to address water infrastructure, need enough water and pressure to be able to fight fires.

Notes:
• Include Fire Safe councils. Include with property taxes as a means of communicating risks from fire.
• Comment: we should also address impacts of fires from outside of the County, such as smoke.

General topic notes:
• Having people understand the evacuation levels, where to find info, where to evacuate to, just as urgent and disorganized as tsunami warning from last year. • Interested in fire breaks and other bigger efforts to prevent spread of wildfire – big picture “uber defensible space” ex. Prevent fire from getting from one community to another. • Collaboration: Are cities learning from other jurisdictions? How are partnerships being incorporated into policies in context of wildfire, WUI, tapping organizations that are focused on wildfire mitigation projects?
o Regional organizations, not just city-based, interjurisdictional efforts. • Competing interests ex. Homes requiring landscaping, vegetation vs. defensible space requirements from CalFire.
o How to design for some elements of nature, but be safe as possible for built environment?
o Retrofits for existing houses are very expensive.
• Insurance issue: Looking at fire risk maps, what are the major issues that put communities into a very high or high and how to address so that can be downgraded? POLICY CONCEPTS: SEA LEVEL RISE, FLOODING, AND EMERGENCY GROUNDWATER

1. Partner with community-based organizations to provide financial assistance to low-resourced households to harden homes against flooding.

Notes:
● What CBOs are already partners on the project?
● How are low-resourced households being identified?
○ Not only low-resourced households are affected
○ What numbers, criteria is being used by the CBOs?
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○ Threshold for low resourced?
○ CBOs could provide assistance to those first impacted regardless of socioeconomic status.
● Retrofit homes if near a contaminated site
○ Contaminants might be vaporized and get into people’s homes that way. ○ Upgrade seals on sewer pipes to make sure vapors don’t get into buildings. ● Sea level rise - how it could change energy of the creeks or change course and the effects of that on upstream communities.
● Yes, and you could say the same thing about wildfire.

2. Integrate drainage and flood control systems to enhance ecosystems through the use of green infrastructure.

Notes:
● OneShoreline funded by measure K but doesn’t exist on coastside. ○ Dam, creek, and ocean in coastside community with a sewer plant nearby that needs to move - who will pay for that?
○ Redo every sewage infrastructure that we have some still use very outdated materials.
○ Differences in the state of infrastructure between bayside and coastside. ○ OneShoreline doing a great job on the bayside.
● Note, groundbreaking project in Sharon Heights points out that we can do these projects in upper watersheds to enhance.

3. Explore educational and cost-share methods of increasing uptake in flood insurance in households that are not required to purchase insurance, but that reside in areas with increasing flood risk.

Notes:
● Some have no choice, forced to pay for flood insurance ○ Costs between $1200 and sometimes over $2k annually.
○ SMC undergrounded all the creeks so OneShoreline trying to back in time and bring creeks back up to the surface.

4. Develop a Buffer Zone of at least 100 feet from the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean shoreline.

Limit new development in this Buffer Zone to provide space to accommodate and maintain built and natural infrastructure for flood protection, habitat restoration, and public access.

Notes:
● Good idea (2 people thought so)
○ Opportunity to build nature-based infrastructure to create new recreational opportunities and habitat.
● Yes

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nature-based adaptation. These high opportunity zones should be areas outside of mapped hazard zones to the greatest extent possible, within or adjacent to existing development, with little or no environmental constraints, and otherwise be suited for development.

Notes:
• Nature Conservancy is doing a lot of work around TDR programs. Receiving sites could be PDAs. • Could there be a way to prohibit cities from allowing high intensity development in areas subject to future flooding? Redwood City example.

6. Prioritize the remediation of hazardous materials sites in areas identified as vulnerable to emergent groundwater and within environmental justice communities or neighborhoods.

Notes:
● Good idea (2 people thought so)
○ Opportunities for community health studies exposed to groundwater rise and SLR concern from members that health is already being impacted ○ Elementary students grow up with more health concerns ○ Clean up can be a long process - is that normal?
● Yes

Notes:
● Reach One project and OneShoreline’s work on that
● Encourage adaptation strategies be nature based before considering hardened sea walls. ○ Ecotone levies, wetlands, only if not possible then move towards hardened infrastructure
● Coastal commission land use plan in Pacifica
○ Encourage Pacifica to go with natural accommodations and adaptations, but no plan yet.

General Topic Notes
● Not seeing anything on larger/interjurisdictional shared resources.

POLICY CONCEPTS: EARTHQUAKES AND LANDSLIDES

1. Prohibit high-density or high-development potential in areas of increased landslide potential.

Notes:
• Should be excluded from RHNA site selection process.
• Use innovative technology like Geosystem (interlocking blocks) when building structures on hillsides to help prevent landslides.
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Notes:
• And same for flood zones. How adequately retrofitted is Crystal Springs dam? • Need to ensure these buildings have multiple ingress and egress points in case of emergencies, for personnel to get into buildings and screen persons. • Use innovative products to advance the resilience of these spaces like polymere for schools, are a clean space for germs and mats that are solar chargers.

3. Coordinate with water providers to ensure adequate emergency water supplies are available on both sides of active fault traces in the event of water line failure due to earthquake.

Notes:
• Renters or those with less space have a more difficult time storing large amounts of water in case of emergency .
• Power and sewar too, all critical infrastructure requirements. • How to teach people to be actually prepared, have supplies, ready to shelter in place? There have been education efforts, but most people aren’t prepared, not paying attention.

4. Design and construct new City and County facilities and utility infrastructure (either public or private) that cross active fault traces to accommodate horizontal and/or vertical displacement.

Notes:
• Should we avoid locating facilities here or is this really a design/engineering question? General Topic Notes:
• Should have assistance to help those that can’t afford to bring structures into code. • Getting emergency responders out to more rural areas.

POLICY CONCEPTS: EXTREME HEAT

1. Install shade structures and trees, both green and built infrastructure, at parks, transit stops, along public streets and trails, and at other public spaces to reduce ground surface temperatures.

Notes:
• Yes, the more green the better. Look at reflective roofs. Bus stops/Caltrain structures with inadequate shading. Need benches at bus stops too! Large parking lots should have solar shade structures. Zoning should require a percentage of vegetation just as they do a percentage of development per lot. Need tall crowning trees.
• In conflict with wildfire safety requirements of defensible space; what’s the right answer?

2. Prioritize installation of green infrastructure and tree plantings in areas most vulnerable to heat and environmental justice communities.
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Notes:
• Ban use of eucalyptus trees. Tall crowning trees create shade and capture more carbon.

Notes:
• PSPS have highlighted that vulnerability. Now that 2-stroke engines are phasing out battery backups are key. Another opportunity for a grant program for at risk residents, like BayREN but should be funded by PG&E.
• Especially helpful to communities that might be isolated for long periods ex. Half Moon Bay, La Honda.
• PG&E had mobile unit staged in HMB, need appropriate sites for when power is down, should have a process for where and how to help people.
• Microgrids as helpful tool to addressing power outages.

POLICY CONCEPTS: EVACUATION AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

1. Coordinate with transit agencies, school districts, community service organizations, and faith-based organizations to assist with evacuation efforts, ensuring evacuation services are available to vulnerable populations, including those with limited English proficiency, limited mobility, or limited access to transportation, communication, and other lifeline resources and services.

Notes:
● Not everyone knows what to do in an emergency.
● One comment that they haven’t heard anything recently about where to go in an evacuation. ○ Identify evacuation sites and let people know.
○ If sites get flooded where would people go, choose sites that are least likely to be impacted.
○ Sign up for SMC alert.
■ Does it send alerts in different languages?
■ But only used for big emergencies.
○ Have residents get CERT certified.
● Should look at identifying evacuation routes and identifying alternatives, or armoring routes to make them resistant to various failures due to hazards. Plan evacuations to places that will still be usable after an event. Road widening for two CalFire trucks to pass. ● Data from CZU Complex Fire evacuation? How well was it enacted? What worked/didn’t work? Could we pull learnings from it?
○ SMC Office of Emergency Management should be involved in forming these policies, CalFire, need community forums where people from the communities who really know the area and can speak to it.
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● Many people don’t evacuate when they can’t take their animals with them, especially those with large livestock.
○ Include/involve animal rescues in thinking through these issues; locations for animal holding for evacuated animals.
● Issue of many EV owners, how will these people evacuate when they don’t have access to electricity?
● Evacuation plans need to be simple so that it is clear to everyone how to evacuate in case of an emergency.

2. Work with neighboring jurisdictions, districts, and agencies to establish and maintain equitably located community resilience centers throughout the community and throughout San Mateo County; conduct outreach to educate and inform the community about the resilience hubs. These facilities shall offer refuge from extreme heat, poor air quality, and power outages, in addition to other hazards such as floods and wildfires, and provide important community services during both hazardous and normal conditions. They shall be equipped with renewable energy generation and backup power supplies.

Such facilities should be located in areas with minimal exposure to hazards.

Notes:
● New Cesar Chavez school in EPA would be a good site.
● Are there any public facilities to be used as hubs in EPA? ○ City Hall for hot days
○ Library
● Can Core service agencies be bolstered to serve as resilience hubs? Should be proactively supported to handle those events.
● Especially helpful to communities that might be isolated for long periods ex. Half Moon Bay, La Honda
○ PG&E had mobile unit staged in HMB, need appropriate sites for when power is down, should have a process for where and how to help people ● Microgrids as helpful tool to addressing power outages ● Designated facilities should be set up properly to handle the population in case of emergencies. What is each organization supposed to do?
● Should be able to provide water in emergencies. Schools and similar facilities need to be prepared to provide services in emergencies - that’s where people go to meet in case of emergencies.
● Need to make sure we have enough food vendors during emergencies.

3. Designate corridors where temporary evacuation capacity can be created through manual traffic direction to optimize traffic flow, including use of available parking lanes, turn lanes, shoulders, and bikeways for traffic while ensuring emergency responder access is maintained.

Notes:
● Big challenge in EPA with commuters from 84, roads are already congested. ○ So many people passing through city it’s too congested now. ○ Only a few ways to leave the city.
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■ Local residents might not be able to go anywhere.
● Many residents take public transit
● Does Zonehaven (new name) provide evacuation routes? Should it? When do you think about evacuation for those without cars? How do those people get out with their things?

4. Require new development in High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and in mapped floodplains to have access to at least two emergency evacuation routes.

Notes:
● Mapped floodplains should apply to areas that will be in a floodplain in the future due to SLR and extreme storms.
● Yes

5. Support and encourage Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to residents and members of the business community to increase disaster awareness and emergency response capability.

Notes:
● Definitely
● CERT day, materials
● Where to store medical equipment for most vulnerable residents? ○ Trainings for community members with scenarios, more hands on not just a training but a total physical response experience.
● Individuals working from 3-11 may not able to complete program. ● Coastside CERT got adopted and then got money from the state. ○ Constant training, year-round
○ Everyone very motivated
● Create video trainings for people who cannot attend, people can complete at their own pace. ● Partner with other communities.
● Go a step further. Getting to know your neighbors is also helpful. Small grants to hold a BBQ and know your neighbors. City sponsored neighborhood events. ● Consider the military/veteran population to be put into these roles in their neighborhoods. ● Form a nonprofit with military veterans to meet this need. They have skills in emergency services that would be useful.

6. Conduct educational campaigns in multiple languages and formats; and offer residents information on ways to protect their property and preserve personal health and safety from various hazards, and on available incentives and other financial resources.

Notes:
● Create videos, do them in multiple languages
● Engage younger generations to get involved, use social media ● Look at teen cert in high schools
● Yes
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● Important to provide information in multiple languages; people need to be aware of evacuations and emergency preparedness.

POLICY CONCEPTS: OTHER ISSUES

1. Encourage the installation of water efficiency and graywater measures in existing private development, including by helping residents identify rebates and other financial incentives.

Notes:
• Already happening
• Concerned that we don’t have technology to address cleaning our water. Or perhaps the innovation is out there, we just don’t know how/where to access it.

Notes:
• And use Cal Enviroscreen

3. Develop standards for healthy building design that address indoor air quality, natural ventilation, and protection from outdoor air pollution.

Notes:
• Yes
• Should explore green products to reduce affects on health. • Should have and ensure that compliance checklists are used.

Notes:
• Yes. Use of Integrated Pest Management
• How do invasive species impact emergency situations ex. Eucalyptus, very flammable in wildfire situation, but also habitat for monarch butterflies
• Could expand from Wildfire comments – big tracks of land and land owners. o MidPen as large landowner, tap them to collaborate on this policy.

5. Implement land use planning and management practices that anticipate and accommodate ecosystem changes caused by climate change, ensuring long-term ecological health, community safety, and climate resilience.
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VIRTUAL COMMUNITY WORKSHOP 3 SUMMARY | Appendix B
Appendix B: PREP Virtual Community Workshop Q&A
Below is a list of the questions received during the question-and-answer portion of the PREP virtual community workshop. The answers provided by the presenters at the event are summarized below each question.

1. Is the team looking at the new Vulnerable Communities Platform that the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation has created?
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/652c6def7040429bafe23c38966f8f73/page/Welcome- %26-Regions
Answer: The Vulnerable Communities Platform is more of a regional tool, and we are seeking to get more specific to cities, the County, maybe even neighborhood level. More granular. That tool is higher-level, but is good to know some of the larger trends across the region.

2. Does climate change affect the windiness of SFO?
Answer: The science is uncertain on the exact link between climate change and wind. The rough consensus is that we can expect more wind in the future due to climate change, but this is not wellstudied. The State is currently updating the California Climate Change Assessment, and they will be looking at wind. The anticipated release of the latest version of the assessment is in the next few years. More information on the California Climate Change Assessment can be found here.

3. Was the vulnerability from groundwater infiltrating hazardous waste sites included? Answer: Yes, the Vulnerability Assessments included analysis of how sea level rise, and resulting emergent groundwater, will affect toxins stored in soils and potentially cause them to spread.

4. Was the vulnerability of derelict and abandoned properties, which may also be superfund sites, included in the Vulnerability Assessments?
Answer: Yes, the Vulnerability Assessments include an analysis and mapping of known contaminated and clean-up sites and their relation to the hazard zones. The project team looked at potential leaching and the need to remediate any contaminated sites due to changing hazard conditions from climate change.

5. Several radio stations in SMC participate in Emergency Alert Broadcast (EAS). Would each station broadcast updates about a disaster in both English and Spanish? Would any stations broadcast in Spanish?
Answer: Emergency alerts can go out in several languages. The local Department of Emergency Management is responsible for choosing which languages these alerts are broadcast in. This is helpful feedback for potential policies in the updated Safety Elements. 539

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6. Insofar as preparation measures happen on residential property, such as fire breaks, how do tenants hold landlords responsible for taking necessary measures, and how do landlords hold tenants responsible for their end of necessary measures?
Answer: There are certain steps that property owners must take to harden properties against wildfire if they are in a fire hazard severity zone. Tenants can work with their landlords to ensure they complete these precautions. Tenants can also contact their local fire department to ensure that those rules are enforced. For hardening measures that are not required, it is more difficult for tenants to hold landlords accountable. The project team is seeking to remedy that with policies in the updated Safety Elements and is happy to accept feedback from community members if they have ideas on how to achieve that accountability.
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APPENDIX D: COASTSIDE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY
March 2026
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MEMORANDUM
This memo summarizes the in-person community workshop held as part of the second phase of outreach for the Safety Element Updates for both San Mateo County and the City of Half Moon Bay. It includes a description of the workshop activities and a summary of the feedback received from attendees, which is meant to support the development and refinement of the Safety Element goals, policies, and actions.

Overall, participants expressed strong support for proposed safety policies while highlighting key community concerns about evacuation constraints, wildfire risks near residential areas, creek maintenance needs, emergency communication, and the importance of coordinating with local emergency response teams like CERT.

The workshop revealed a strong desire for more educational outreach, especially for youth, and emphasized the need for the County and City to be active partners in helping residents implement hazard reduction measures.

Community Workshop Summary

WORKSHOP PURPOSE AND DESIRED OUTCOMES
The workshop had two primary purposes. First, the project team shared information about the Safety Element update, including the status of the project and the results of the vulnerability assessment. Second, the project team provided draft policy concepts for the City and County’s Safety Elements and invited members of the public to provide input. Attendees shared if they supported or opposed a draft policy concept, if they had any concerns or questions regarding a policy concept, and if they had other ideas or requests for policies in the Safety Elements. The project team will use attendee feedback to help inform the goals, policies, and implementation actions for the administrative drafts of these documents, which will be available for public review in Summer/Fall 2025.

AGENDA AND FORMAT
The County of San Mateo and the City of Half Moon Bay hosted an in-person community workshop at the Half Moon Bay Library from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 28, 2025. The workshop began with a welcome and an open-house period, during which time attendees were able to talk with staff, participate in interactive activities, and review information related to hazards and climate change impacts. Following this, the project team gave a short presentation, followed by a discussion and question-and-answer session with project staff.

After the presentation, the workshop shifted back into an open house format for the remainder of the event.

The presentation provided an overview of the Safety Element update process, including the structure and purpose of the Safety Element, the Peninsula Resilience Planning (PREP) regional coordination effort, new state Safety Element requirements, the relationship with other planning documents, and findings from the vulnerability assessments. Attendees were able to ask questions, discuss safety issues with project staff, and provide feedback after the presentation.

Before and after the presentation and discussion session, attendees were able to circulate between five stations with posters outlining the purpose and significance of the Safety Element, wildfire hazards, flooding and tsunami risks, other safety issues (including earthquakes, drought, extreme heat, landslides, hazardous materials, and emergent groundwater), and emergency response and communication. There was also a sixth station with representatives from partner agencies, including Coastside Fire Protection District, the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). These partner agencies displayed information and answered questions on topics of relevance to the Safety Element. The station content and associated activities were available in both English and Spanish, and Spanish-speaking staff were available to provide interpretation services as needed.

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City and County staff set up the posters at public locations for multiple weeks following the workshop to gather additional feedback. Staff placed the English-language posters at Supervisor Mueller’s office at Pillar Point Harbor, and the Spanish-language posters at the ALAS offices in downtown Half Moon Bay. Members of the public who were not able to attend the April 28th workshop could visit these locations for several weeks after the workshop and provide input.

Consultant, City, and County project team staff jointly staffed the workshop, with consultant team members delivering the presentation and all staff circulating during the open house period to help answer questions. City of Half Moon Bay and San Mateo County staff, along with the consultant team, staffed the information stations to explain components of the Safety Element, answer questions, and ask for feedback. Approximately six members of the community attended the workshop.

STATIONS
The open house offered participants the opportunity to engage with the following five stations:
» Station 1: What is a Safety Element? This station explained what the Safety Element is and why the City and County are updating it as part of the PREP regional effort involving nine jurisdictions. The station described the various hazards addressed in both the City and County’s Safety Elements, including airport hazards, coastal erosion, drought, emergency preparedness, emergent groundwater, extreme heat, fire hazards, flooding, hazardous materials, human health hazards, sea level rise, seismic and geologic hazards, severe weather, and tsunamis. It also highlighted climate change impacts affecting the region and how the Safety Elements work together with other plans like Climate Action Plans and the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. » Station 2: Wildfire. This station summarized wildfire risks in Half Moon Bay and coastal unincorporated San Mateo County, including maps of the new proposed fire hazard severity zones. The station highlighted key wildfire challenges facing the communities, including rising property insurance costs, older buildings lacking fire-safe features, wildfire smoke impacts, transportation and evacuation constraints, and power outage vulnerabilities. The station presented approaches to address wildfire safety through City and County outreach, development requirements, vegetation management standards, and fire agency coordination.

Activity: At Station 2, attendees were asked to provide feedback on whether they support, were unsure about, or opposed selected draft wildfire policy concepts. » Station 3: Flooding & Tsunamis. This station described flood conditions in Half Moon Bay and coastal San Mateo County, including areas of special flood hazard, tsunami inundation zones, and projected sea level rise impacts. The station highlighted how climate change is worsening flooding challenges through more intense storms and rising sea levels pushing coastal floodwaters further inland.

Activity: At Station 3, attendees were asked to provide feedback on whether they support, were unsure about, or opposed selected draft flood and tsunami policy concepts. Attendees could also weigh in on any implementation concerns about these policy concepts, what resources they would like to have available for flood and tsunami protection, and preferences for green infrastructure in their neighborhoods. » Station 4: Other Safety Issues? This station highlighted additional hazards affecting the Mid Coast region, including earthquake risks, drought, extreme heat, landslides, hazardous materials, emergent groundwater, and sea level rise. The station explained how climate change is expected to bring longer dry periods, up to three times as many extreme heat days by 2050, more intense storms triggering landslides and debris flows, and rising sea levels that push groundwater higher and threaten coastal infrastructure.

Activity: At Station 4, attendees were asked to provide feedback on whether they support, were unsure about, or opposed selected draft policies addressing these other hazards. Additionally, a board with four open-ended questions invited attendees to share further feedback—such as thoughts on personal preparedness or other considerations—using sticky notes.

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Station 5: Emergency Response & Communication. This station addressed the unique emergency response and communication challenges faced by the Coastside communities. The station presented draft policies related to critical facilities, evacuation routes, emergency alert systems, and recovery activities.

Activity: At Station 5, attendees were asked to provide feedback on whether they support, were unsure about, or opposed selected draft policies addressing emergency response and communication. Additionally, attendees participated in a dot voting activity to indicate what would help them be better prepared for emergencies.
» Station 6: Partner Agencies. This station featured representatives from partner agencies including the Coastside Fire Protection District and CERT, who provided information about their programs and resources related to emergency preparedness and hazard mitigation.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
Attendees were able to ask questions before, during, and after the presentation. As attendees circulated between each of the six stations, members of the project team invited them to provide feedback on the content provided on each of the posters. Participants were able to write comments on sticky notes to have affixed to the poster, dictate comments to workshop staff, and use stickers to answer questions and identify areas of high concern on maps.

Activity Responses
Attendees were able to use stickers to answer questions at Stations 2, 3, 4, and 5. Questions and results are recorded in Figures 1 to 5 below. Overall, there was strong support for most policy concepts presented, with no opposition votes recorded for the evacuation and emergency alert-related policies (Figure 4). The other hazardrelated policies (Figure 2) received mostly support, with a few "unsure" votes and comments requesting more clarity on implementation and partner agencies for low-cost assistance programs. Wildfire-related policies (Figure 3) garnered unanimous support, reflecting the community's concern about fire risks.

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Figure 4: Which of the following evacuation and emergency alert-related policies do you support, oppose, or are unsure about?
Establish a regular communication system on
hazards & emergency procedures
Ensure accessible communications & educational
info. on short-term recovery activities are
available
Establish early warning & evacuation systems for
hillside residents prior to landslides
Ensure emergency alerts using accessible
language and formats are provided
Collaborate with nearby jurisdictions & Caltrans
to maintain potential Coastside evacuation routes
Locate critical facilities outside of identified
hazard areas whenever possible
0 1 2 3 4 5
Number of Support Votes
There were no ‘Oppose’ or ‘Unsure’ votes on any of the listed policies for this activity.

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Figure 5: What would help you be better prepared for emergency events? Other
Emergency supply guidance
Neighborhood evacuation drills
Special needs assistance
Multi-language emergency information
Detailed evacuation maps
0 1 2 3
Other Feedback
In addition to the structured activities, attendees were able to ask questions of project staff and provide feedback and recommendations in the form of verbal commentary and sticky notes left at each of the stations.

The following topics emerged from community feedback:

Wildfire Concerns: Residents from Canada Cove mobile home park noted their proximity to eucalyptus trees and expressed concern about being in a fire hazard zone designated by CAL FIRE in the latest draft fire hazard severity zone maps. Some homeowners reported losing insurance coverage due to fire hazard designations, though City staff noted that they were informed insurance agencies were not using the maps to determine coverage and said they were looking into the issue.

Evacuation Issues: Attendees expressed concerns about evacuation routes, noting that Half Moon Bay and the unincorporated coastside has many bottlenecks and people are unsure how to plan effectively. One comment emphasized the need for "safe places on the coastside that don't require Highway 92 to be an evacuation route, since it is not a practical route for emergency evacuation." Participants also raised about shelter-in-place plans.

One participant raised a specific concern regarding how evacuations would proceed if Highway 1 is closed at Surfers Beach, where high waves occasionally overtop the riprap and wash onto the roadbed.

Government Assistance: Attendees emphasized the need for government agencies to help with mitigation, management, and funding to aid residents in meeting new hazard and climate standards. Questions were raised about who would serve as partners for low-cost assistance programs.

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Policy Implementation: One comment noted that "County regulations are based on stale information" and that "County needs to be a partner in this, not just walk away," citing Rancho Palos Verdes as a model. Another requested "more clarity" on how policies would be implemented, while someone else noted the challenge of "overcoming inaction or apathy."
Specific Local Issues: Power outages were identified as "a significant safety issue south of central Half Moon Bay." Residents from the Quarry Park neighborhood in El Granada reported experiencing flooding issues.

Concerns were raised about properties on Pilarcitos Avenue in Half Moon Bay conducting brush clearance, , creating a "grey area where people are trying to protect properties but might not be following local laws." Participants identified erosion as a significant issue along Pilarcitos Creek. Attendees expressed a desire for a way to clean up and improve conditions in the creeks, including removal of dangerous eucalyptus trees. It City staff mentioned they were aware of these issues and are working on them, but the feedback from community members suggests that there is a desire for more rapid action.

Other Questions: Attendees asked whether the Safety Element would need to be certified by the Coastal Commission, how conflicting policies between different agencies would be managed, what other opportunities exist to provide input, and if there are programs designed for children to learn about environmental planning and sustainability.

Education and Coordination: Attendees asked whether City and County emergency/safety staff could tour schools to talk about hazard and safety issues. There was specific interest in outreach programs for children and adolescents to teach them about hazards and emergency preparations. Workshop participants also suggested developing more partnerships with other government agencies. Participants shared information about the home repair programs run by the Senior Coastsiders organization, which could potentially be leveraged to reduce home hazard vulnerabilities for older adults.

CERT Resources and Concerns: CERT is very popular in the Half Moon Bay and unincorporated coastside area, with hundreds of trained volunteers across 37 neighborhoods. Specific safety concerns highlighted by CERT representatives included high winds during storms frequently downing power lines into puddles of water, resulting in electrocution hazards when people walk their dogs during breaks in storms. CERT provides numerous services, including basic medical care and support with large animal evacuation. Suggestions included having City and County emergency response plans incorporate coordination with CERT and preparing a fact sheet informing residents about services that CERT volunteers can provide in an emergency. Another issue that participants raised was the lack of medical care facilities in the area, with a note that the Senior Coastsiders runs a clinic out of their building in Half Moon Bay that could potentially be used to provide basic medical care during emergencies.

Next Steps
This memo provides the summary of the community workshop for the Mid Coast Safety Element Update for both unincorporated Coastside San Mateo County and the City of Half Moon Bay. The project team will use the feedback gathered from community members to inform the development of the Safety Element goals, policies, and actions.

Following this community engagement phase, the project team will develop draft Safety Elements for both jurisdictions, which will be made available for public review in Summer/Fall 2025. The adoption hearings for the Safety Elements are expected to take place in Fall 2025.

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Appendix: Workshop Photos and Transcript of Written Comments This appendix presents photographs of the boards as presented at the workshop and at the locations where the boards were hosted for several following weeks.

STATION 1: WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
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STATION 2: WILDFIRE
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STATION 3: FLOODING & TSUNAMIS
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STATION 4: OTHER SAFETY ISSUES
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STATION 5: EMERGENCY RESPONSE & COMMUNICATION.

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TRANSCRIPT OF WRITTEN COMMENTS
Flooding & Tsunami Draft Policies:
- Policy 1 - For development proposed in a special flood hazard area, require habitable structure to be elevated three feet above the base flood elevation and not contribute to the flooding of surrounding structures and properties: Or modest and can be mitigated. Want County to manage new development and hazards.
- Policy 3 - Partner with Community-Based Organizations to provide financial assistance to low-resourced households to prepare homes for potential flooding, including assistance for landlords to improve rental units: Risks can be managed. County regulations are based on stale information. County needs to be a partner in this, not just walk away. For example, look at how much help the city of Rancho Pales Verdes provides to the residents in Portuguese.

Do you have specific concerns about implementing any of these [flooding] policies? - Who are partners for low cost assistance?
Other Safety Issues - Questions for Community Input
- Do you have specific concern about implementing any of these policies? More clarity. - What’s missing? Ways to overcome inaction or apathy.
- Other feedback: Power outages are a significant safety issue south of central Half Moon Bay.

Emergency Response and Communication – Questions for Community Input - Neighborhood evacuation drills – What are your shelter in place plans? - Other: Establish safe places on the coastside that don’t require Highway 92 to be an evacuation route, since it is not a practical route for emergency evacuation.

What resources would help you implement safety policies on your property? - Assistance during previous fires: ALAS, FEMA, St Vincent de Paul - Emergency response preparations for the Spanish-speaking community (Moonridge) What types of green infrastructure would you like to see in your neighborhood? - In case of an emergency, how would seniors who do not drive manage to evacuate? - Tires clogged the drains and consequently my house flooded.

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APPENDIX E: SAN BRUNO COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY

PLACEWORKS
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MEMORANDUM
This memo summarizes the in-person community workshop held as part of the initial phase of outreach for the San Bruno Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Safety Element Update. It includes a description of the workshop activities and a summary of the feedback received from attendees, which will support the development of the CAP strategies and Safety Element goals, policies, and actions.

Overall, attendees’ feedback highlighted several key themes including concerns about the affordability of climate adaptation requirements for homeowners, strong interest in emergency preparedness resources, support for distributed energy resources and solar installations, emphasis on environmental protection with specific tree replacement policies, and desire for improved sustainable transportation options throughout the community.

COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY

WORKSHOP PURPOSE AND DESIRED OUTCOMES
The purpose of the community workshop was to raise awareness of the CAP and Safety Element update projects and underlying issues of environmental hazards, greenhouse gas emissions, evacuation plans, community constraints, vulnerable populations, and key community assets, and to provide opportunities for the community to provide local knowledge and input.

This workshop occurred following PlaceWorks’ preparation of the draft vulnerability assessment and GHG inventory and forecast, and in preparation for the development of the administrative draft of the Climate Action Plan and Safety Element. PlaceWorks will use attendee feedback to help inform policies, strategies, and other information for these documents, which will be made available for public review.

AGENDA AND FORMAT
The City of San Bruno hosted an in-person, open house style community workshop from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 24, 2025. The workshop began with an introduction by City staff and a 15-minute presentation by the PlaceWorks team, followed by a question-and-answer session with PlaceWorks and City staff, then shifted into an open house format. During the open house, attendees were able 1 563

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to talk with City staff, participate in interactive activities, and review information related to climate hazards and greenhouse gas emissions.

The presentation provided an overview of the CAP and Safety Element update process, including the structure and purpose of the CAP and Safety Element, their relationship with other City and regional documents and planning efforts, findings from the GHG inventory and vulnerability assessment, and next steps for the projects. Attendees were able to ask questions and provide feedback after the presentation.

After the conclusion of the presentation and Q&A session, attendees were able to circulate between five stations outlining the purpose and significance of the Climate Action CAP and Safety Element, San Bruno’s greenhouse gas emissions and targets, San Bruno’s primary climate changerelated hazards and priority vulnerable populations and assets, and potential resilience strategies.

Images of the posters used at these five stations are included in Appendix 1. There was also a sixth station with representatives from partner agencies: the San Bruno Fire and Public Works Departments, OneShoreline, and Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) in their role as coordinators for Resilient San Bruno, who displayed information and answered questions on topics of relevance to the CAP and Safety Element. All stations provided the opportunity for attendees to provide feedback and ask questions, and two of the six stations included an interactive activity on the boards. The board content and associated activities were available in both English and Spanish, and live interpretation was available as needed.

PlaceWorks and City staff jointly staffed the workshop, with two staff delivering the presentation, one facilitator helping with workshop check-in, and all staff circulating during the open house period to help answer questions. Approximately 26 members of the community attended the workshop.

City staff promoted the workshop in advance. Promotion strategies included a direct email campaign to almost 50 community groups and community contacts, distributing flyers in Downtown San Bruno, promotion through the local school district and Skyline College, and posting about the workshop in the City’s website and social media channels. Flyers were made available in English and Spanish text.

STATIONS
The open house offered participants the opportunity to engage with the following six stations:
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Station 1: What is the CAP and Safety Element?
This station described what the CAP and Safety Element are and highlighted how they overlap and complement each other.

Station 2: Where do GHG emissions in San Bruno come from? This station presented the results of the community GHG emissions inventory, projections of future GHG emissions, the GHG reductions from existing local and state efforts, and the proposed GHG emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2045. This station displayed trends over time in GHG emissions and the activities that are the largest contributors to emissions in San Bruno.

Station 3: How will we lower GHG emissions in San Bruno? This station shared draft GHG emission reduction strategy concepts and gathered feedback from attendees.
• Activity: At Station 3, attendees were asked to vote using colored sticky dots whether they support, oppose, or are unsure about the GHG reduction strategy concepts.

Station 4: Who and what is vulnerable to climate hazards in San Bruno? This station described the climate hazards affecting San Bruno and presented the results of the city’s Vulnerability Assessment, including identifying the priority vulnerabilities (the populations and assets that are most vulnerable to climate change hazards) in San Bruno. It also displayed maps of fire hazard zones, extreme heat severity, sea level rise, and landslide susceptibility in San Bruno.

Station 5: How can we make San Bruno more resilient to climate hazards? This station shared draft Safety Element policy concepts for San Bruno and gathered feedback from attendees.
• Activities: At Station 5, attendees participated in a dot voting activity to indicate which effects of climate hazards they had personally experienced and to express whether they supported, opposed, or felt neutral about the draft safety and resilience policy concepts presented. Additionally, a board with two open-ended questions invited attendees to share further feedback—such as thoughts on personal preparedness or other considerations— using sticky notes.
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Station 6: Table for partner agencies
The San Bruno Fire and Public Works Departments, OneShoreline, and Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) each hosted a station presenting information on climate hazards and programs to help bolster climate resilience and adaptation in San Bruno.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
Attendees were able to ask questions after the presentation. As attendees circulated between each of the stations, the Project Team invited them to provide feedback on the content provided on each of the posters. Participants were able to write comments on sticky notes to display directly on the poster, dictate comments to workshop staff, and/or use stickers to answer questions posed in the activities.

Activity Responses
Attendees were able to use stickers to answer questions at two of the stations. Figures 1, 2, and 3 present the activity questions and results. Overall, attendees expressed that the effects of climate hazards experienced the most were difficulty sleeping during heat waves (likely due to lack of air conditioning) and power outages during storms or fire hazard events. GHG resilience strategies to address improving accessible active transit modes and increasing building energy efficiency received the most attendee support. The safety and resilience policies that received the most support were related to removal of eucalyptus trees, maintenance of evacuation routes, and promotion of harm reduction activities, while only two policies related to drought and wildfire, and associated costs of requirements, were opposed. In addition to the activity responses, attendees' written and verbal feedback highlighted several key themes, including concerns about the affordability of adaptation requirements for homeowners, interest in emergency preparedness resources, support for renewable energy, and desire for improved sustainable mobility options throughout the community.
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Figure 2. What effects of climate hazards have you experienced? Climate Hazard Effect Injury or household death from natural disaster
Water use restrictions
Increased insurance cost / loss of coverage
Rising utility costs from fire risks
Travel disruptions due to flooding
Difficulty sleeping during heat waves
Air quality health impacts
Flooding damage to home/property
Power outages during hazard events
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Number of Votes
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Other Feedback
In addition to the structured activities at the stations, attendees were able to ask questions of project staff and provide feedback and recommendations in the form of verbal commentary, sticky notes left at each of the stations, and post-workshop comment cards. Photos of the interactive activities and comments on the boards are included in the workshop photos in Appendix 2. No comment cards were received. The following topics emerged from community feedback2 :

Cost Concerns and Affordability
- Concern about how costs for climate adaptation requirements might burden homeowners, particularly for Fire Hazard Severity Zone protection measures. - Interest in improving grant programs to ensure that costs for energy efficiency upgrades are not passed on to renters.
- Questions about affordability of drought-tolerant landscaping requirements and whether state funding is available to offset costs.

Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Several attendees noted they have emergency and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) kits ready with specific plans for emergencies.
- Others expressed interest in initiating emergency preparation actions but hadn't yet done so.
- Desire for more exit drills and emergency planning resources.

Energy Resilience and Alternatives
- Support for distributed energy resources to improve resilience during outages. - Interest in expanding solar panel installations throughout the community. - Recognition that active transportation options (like e-bikes) complement clean energy programs offered by Peninsula Clean Energy.
2 Community comments have been edited for clarity.
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Environmental Protection and Sustainability
- Concerns about tree removal policies, with suggestions that replacement trees should be planted at a ratio of at least 10:1 for any trees removed. Contrarily, there is a high support for eucalyptus tree removal.
- Desire for better practices related to wildfire mitigation debris removal. - Interest in reducing toxic materials and "forever chemicals" in consumer products and holding businesses accountable for their use.

Transportation and Infrastructure
- Support for improved public transit, including electric buses. - Interest in more green landscapes integrated with transportation infrastructure. - Desire for the City to actively promote local, county, and State climate resilience programs, including those for electric vehicles and home energy efficiency.

NEXT STEPS
This memo provides the summary of the first community workshop for the San Bruno Climate Action Plan and Safety Element Update projects. The project teams will use the feedback gathered from community members to inform the development of the CAP strategies and Safety Element goals, policies, and actions.
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APPENDIX 1: POSTER IMAGES
This appendix presents the images of the poster boards used at five of the six stations. These images are of the posters themselves without any input, comments, or feedback from workshop participants. For images of the boards with feedback, please see Appendix 2.

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STATION 3: HOW WILL WE LOWER EMISSIONS IN SAN BRUNO?
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APPENDIX 2: WORKSHOP PHOTOS AND COMMENT TRANSCRIPTION
This appendix presents photographs of the boards as presented at the workshop, transcriptions of written comments, and the results of the interactive activities. Only photos of workshop boards with feedback are shown here. For images of all workshop boards, please see Appendix 1. 22 584

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TRANSCRIPTION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS
Personal Preparation:
- I have an ER and CERT kit ready and a plan for where/what to do in case of an emergency. - I have not prepared but would like to initiate action.

Other Considerations:
- Require all entities who perform wildfire mitigation to heave away what they clear. - Public transit, EV buses, more green landscape, incentives, updates on progress. - Solar panels in as many places as possible / use more alternative and cleaner energy. - Exit drills and plans.
- Actively promote local, county, and state programs aimed for climate resilience (like HEEHRA before funding ran out, PCE's used EV program, and the HOMES program - if it ever launches).

GHG Reduction Strategy Concepts:
- Strategy Concept 1 – Increase energy efficiency and the use of carbon-free power in buildings:

Support, but ensure that the associated cost is not passed on to renters by improving grant programs.
- Strategy Concept 3 – Increase the use of transit and active transportation modes: Expanding active modes of transportation pairs well with PCE programs for e-bikes and used EVs. - Strategy Concept 6 – Reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills: People use many things and can be wasteful. Too many plastics with toxic "forever chemicals". Cut back use of these materials that are bad for the environment, and hold businesses accountable for use of these materials.

Draft safety and resilience policies:
- Installation of solar panels and battery energy storage systems on private buildings: DERs [Distributed Energy Resources] are good!
- Eucalyptus tree removal: Only if 10+ trees are planted for every tree removed. - FHSZ protection measures requirements: Cost!
- Drought-tolerant landscaping requirements: Affordability and any state funding in mind... Is "new development" more expensive and better? How so?
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APPENDIX F: BURLINGAME COMMUNITY WORKSHOP AND JOINT STUDY

SESSION SUMMARY
March 2026
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MEMORANDUM
This memo summarizes the in-person community workshop and joint study session with the City Council and Planning Commission of the City of Burlingame. The City hosted this workshop as part of the second phase of outreach for the City of Burlingame Safety Element Update and Environmental Justice Element Update. It includes a description of the workshop activities and a summary of the feedback received from Planning Commissioners, City Council members, and members of the public. The feedback is meant to support the development and refinement of the Safety Element and Environmental Justice Element goals, policies, and actions.

WORKSHOP PURPOSE AND DESIRED OUTCOMES
The workshop had two primary purposes: 1) to share information about the Safety Element and Environmental Justice Element Updates, including the status of the projects and the results of initial technical analyses; and 2) to receive input on the high-level draft policy concepts for the City’s Safety and Environmental Justice Elements.

Community Workshop Summary

AGENDA AND FORMAT
The City of Burlingame hosted an in-person community workshop at the Burlingame Community Center from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Consultants and City project team staff jointly staffed the workshop, with consultant team members delivering the presentation and all staff circulating during the open house period to help answer questions. All five City Council members, four Planning Commissioners, and approximately ten members of the public attended the study session.

The workshop began with an open-house period to allow attendees to circulate between six stations outlining the purpose and significance of the Safety Element and Environmental Justice Element, key climate change hazards impacting Burlingame, and the priority vulnerabilities (populations and community assets facing the greatest risk of harm from climate change). Attendees reviewed workshop boards with information about hazards and climate change impacts affecting Burlingame, as well as analyses and study results to support the Environmental Justice Element Update. Participants were also able to talk with project team staff and participate in interactive activities during this phase of the event. Following this phase of the workshop, the project team gave a short presentation to participants, Planning Commissioners, and City Council members and then participated in a discussion and question-and-answer session with participants. After the joint session, the workshop shifted back into an open house format for the remainder of the event.

The presentation on the Safety Element Update provided an overview of the project process, including the structure and purpose of the Safety Element, the Peninsula Resilience Planning (PREP) regional coordination effort, new state Safety Element requirements, the relationship with Burlingame’s other planning documents, and findings from the vulnerability assessment. The presentation on the Environmental Justice Element Update provided an overview of the Equity-Focus Areas or EFAs (neighborhoods where community members experience disproportionate environmental injustices), key environmental justice issues in Burlingame, and initial policy concepts to address environmental justice topics. Planning Commission and City Council members and members 596

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BURLINGAME COMMUNITY WORKSHOP & JOINT STUDY SESSION SUMMARY of the public were able to ask questions, discuss safety and environmental justice issues with project staff, and provide feedback on policy concepts and other issues after the presentation.

ACTIVITY STATIONS
The six stations were organized as follows:
» Station 1: What is a Safety Element? This station explained what the Safety Element is and why the City is updating it as part of the PREP regional effort involving nine jurisdictions. The station described the State requirements for safety elements and how Burlingame’s Safety Element relates to other City and County plans and programs. It also listed the various hazards and emergency topics that the Safety Element will address.
» Station 2: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Results. This station provided an overview of the vulnerability assessment results, which included a list of the priority vulnerabilities in Burlingame (populations and community assets). The station listed the priority climate hazards that have the potential to cause the most harm to people and assets in Burlingame. These priority hazards are sea level rise, emergent groundwater, flooding, extreme heat, and wildfire. » Station 3: What is an Environmental Justice Element? This station explained what the Environmental Justice Element is and what analysis has been done to date. The station identified the three EFAs, which are areas of the City that are disproportionately impacted by environmental justice issues. These areas are the Northwest Burlingame EFA, El Camino Real Corridor EFA, and East Burlingame EFA. » Station 4: Wildfire. This station summarized wildfire risks in Burlingame, including maps of the new proposed fire hazard severity zones. The station highlighted key wildfire challenges facing the community, including rising property insurance costs, older buildings lacking fire-safe features, wildfire smoke impacts, vegetation management, and power outage vulnerabilities. The station presented approaches to address wildfire safety through public education, development requirements, vegetation management standards, and regional fire agency coordination.

Activity: At Station 4, attendees were asked to provide feedback on whether they support, were unsure about, or opposed selected draft wildfire policy concepts. There was also space for attendees to provide feedback on additional questions/considerations they had related to the policy concepts. » Station 5: Flooding, Sea Level Rise, and Emergent Groundwater. This station described flood conditions in Burlingame, including flood hazard zones and projected sea level rise impacts. The station highlighted how climate change is exacerbating flooding challenges through more intense storms and rising sea levels, which also pushes up fresh groundwater in low-lying areas of the City (a hazardous condition called emergent groundwater).

Activity: At Station 5, attendees were asked to provide feedback on whether they support, were unsure about, or opposed selected draft flood and sea level rise policy concepts. Attendees could also share any implementation concerns they had about these policy concepts, what resources they would like to have available for flood and sea level rise protection, and preferences for green infrastructure in their neighborhoods.
» Station 6: Other Safety Issues and Policies. This station highlighted additional hazards affecting Burlingame, which are drought, extreme heat, landslides, human health hazards, ecosystem pests, severe weather, and airport hazards. The station also explained Burlingame’s current approach to emergency preparedness and response.

Activity: At Station 6, attendees were asked to provide feedback on whether they support, were unsure about, or opposed selected draft policies addressing these other hazards. Additionally, a space with four May 16, 2025 | Page 2
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BURLINGAME COMMUNITY WORKSHOP & JOINT STUDY SESSION SUMMARY open-ended questions invited attendees to share further feedback, such as thoughts on personal preparedness or other considerations.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
Attendees were able to ask questions during the initial open-house period and after the presentations on each element. As attendees circulated between each of the six stations, members of the project team invited them to provide feedback on the content provided on each of the posters. Participants were able to write comments on sticky notes to affix to the poster or a large writing pad near the poster, dictate comments to workshop staff, and use stickers to answer questions.

Feedback Summary
During the dot-voting exercise, participants showed strong overall support for the draft policy concepts related to wildfire, flooding and sea level rise, and other safety issues. At Station 4 (Wildfire), attendees supported policies focused on infrastructure hardening, regional coordination, public education, and water supply management though one comment questioned why Mills Canyon was rated only “moderate” fire risk. At Station 5 (Flooding, Sea Level Rise, and Emergent Groundwater), participants favored nature-based shoreline infrastructure and building protective defenses into the Bay, periodically reassessing development requirements for vulnerable properties, groundwater vulnerability assessments for new development, and restoration of riparian corridors. At Station 6 (Other Safety Issues), although there was no additional written feedback, the sticker voting indicated support for resilience centers, drought-tolerant landscaping, extreme heat public education, and climate-adaptive land management practices. Across all stations, only five out of 37 total votes expressed opposition. Some participants opposed the promotion of drought-tolerant landscaping, climateadaptive land management, regionally coordinated adaptation strategies for groundwater resilience, and fire service readiness.

During the discussion period, City Council members and Planning Commissioners expressed support for the draft policy concepts, especially those related to wildfire safety, flooding, and environmental justice. Participants emphasized the need to address vulnerabilities such as wildfire risks in Mills Canyon, sea level rise impacts on infrastructure, the urban heat island effect, hazardous trees during drought-periods, and the lack of tree canopy in certain neighborhoods. Comments also highlighted the importance of equitable outreach, particularly to Burlingame’s Chinese community, and called for more detailed demographic data in Equity-Focus Areas.

Attendees raised questions about policy funding, hazard analysis frequency, and balancing resilience strategies with urban development.

Activity Responses
Attendees were able to use stickers to show their support of or opposition to a set of draft policy concepts at Stations 4, 5, and 6. Overall, there was strong support for most policy concepts presented, with only five opposition votes out of 37 total votes. The figures below depict the total count of opposing or supportive votes on each policy concept and a transcription of any written comments received.

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In addition to the open house activities, members of the public, Planning Commissioners, and City Council members were able to ask questions of project staff and provide feedback and recommendations in the form of verbal commentary following each presentation. Below is a summary of the questions and comments received.

Safety Element
• Highlight children as a vulnerable population.
• There is a tension between vegetation management for fire prevention and potentially intensifying the urban heat island effect. Similarly, there is a tension between increasing density and the requirements for evacuation or defensible space between buildings in urban areas. How do we solve these seeming conflicts?
• The sea level rise and flooding policies are missing strategies for constructing defenses into the Bay.

This is a topic of conversation within the City currently. • The wastewater treatment plant is also vulnerable to sea level rise. • Large eucalyptus limbs are at risk of falling in drought conditions. The City has already done some analysis and planning for tree removal, especially around El Camino Real. • Mills Canyon is a significant fire risk and should be added to the local responsibility area fire hazard severity zones.
• Older homes on hillsides that are not being retrofitted are at risk of landslides and erosion following heavy rains.
• Most homes in Burlingame don’t have air conditioning and don’t necessarily need it. • Transit needs to be a focus as Burlingame and the surrounding region adds density. • Linguistically-isolated individuals are vulnerable in the event of an emergency and evacuation. • Attendees asked if there would be any cost estimates of the Safety Element policies included in the final element and noted that they would like to have visibility into how other communities are funding these strategies. They also asked if there would be recommendations on how frequently to analyze various hazard risks and what should be a localized effort or a coordinated countywide effort.

Environmental Justice Element
• There is a lack of tree canopy in some areas of Burlingame. Review and consider incorporating the 3- 30-300 recommendation from Cecil Konijnendijk, a Dutch researcher and educator, which recommends 3 mature trees for every home, 30 percent tree canopy cover in every neighborhood, and that all residents should be at least 300 meters from the nearest public park or green space. • The Chinese population should be more involved in these efforts and language is often a barrier for them. The project team should perform targeted outreach to the Chinese community in Burlingame. • Attendees asked how the Equity-Focus Areas were defined and if they considered future conditions.

There was a request to see more granularity in the social demographics of these areas.

Next Steps
This memo provides a summary of the community workshop for the Burlingame Safety Element and Environmental Justice Element Updates for the City of Burlingame. The project team will use the feedback gathered from community members to inform the development of the Safety and Environmental Justice Element goals, policies, and actions. Following this community engagement phase, the project team will develop draft Safety and Environmental Justice Elements, which will be made available for public review in the late summer/fall of 2025.

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BURLINGAME COMMUNITY WORKSHOP & JOINT STUDY SESSION SUMMARY Appendix: Workshop Photos of Dot-Voting Exercise and Written Comments
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APPENDIX G: SERVICE PROVIDER DISCUSSIONS SUMMARY

PLACEWORKS
606

MEMORANDUM
This memorandum summarizes the service provider discussions held as part of the initial phase of outreach for the Peninsula Resilience Planning (PREP) project. It includes a description of the discussions and a summary of the feedback received from participants. These discussions are meant to inform development of the vulnerability assessment and Safety Element goals, policies, and actions.

Meeting Planning and Participation
The PREP project consultant team put together an initial list of service providers (initially called “stakeholders”, but the team changed the name to “service providers” to better distinguish these organizations from community members) operating in the PREP jurisdictions. These service providers are government agencies, non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies that provide important services to local community members. These services include providing vital utilities, transportation, healthcare, financial assistance, and community organization and advocacy. Many of these service providers focus their efforts on community members who may be disproportionately affected by climate change, including older adults, low-income households, and persons with access and functional needs.

PREP jurisdiction staff reviewed this list of service providers and made edits to add or remove organizations and to identify specific points of contact. The consultant team reached out to each organization and individual identified in the list to inform them about the PREP project and to invite them to participate in a 30 to 60-minute virtual discussion about their organization’s work and how it relates to public safety and climate resilience. If the team did not have a specific point of contact for an organization, the team used a general email address or web form to try to reach someone who could participate in these discussions.

The consultant team and jurisdiction staff identified 74 individuals representing 54 different organizations. Of these individuals, the team was able to get contact information and send invitations to 64 people, including general inquiries. Ultimately, 24 individuals confirmed their interest and were able to participate in the discussions.

Meeting Schedule and Approach
The consultant team grouped the 24 participating individuals into eight categories, depending on the type of organization they represented:
• Chambers of Commerce and business groups
o Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce
• Community service organizations
o Center for Independence for Individuals with Disabilities o Housing Leadership Council
o Thrive Alliance
• Energy providers and related services
o San Mateo County Energy Watch & RICAPS
• Environmental groups
o Burlingame Neighborhood Network
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o Citizen’s Environmental Council
o Save the Bay
o Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter
• Faith-based organizations
o California Interfaith Power and Light
• Public health organizations
o SMC Health: Public Health, Policy & Planning
o Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council (BACHAC)
• Transit providers
o Caltrain
o SMTCA
o Samtrans
o Water and wastewater providersMid-Peninsula Water District The team offered participants in each group three timeslots for a discussion and chose the one that the greatest number of people were able to participate in. The team held these discussions over Zoom between June 3, 2024, and June 18, 2024. Each discussion had one or two senior members of the consultant team acting as a facilitator, in addition to another member of the consultant team to take notes. Staff from the PREP jurisdictions also had the option to sit in on any discussions of their choice.

All discussions followed the same general format. Facilitators introduced the PREP project and how the service provider discussions would support PREP’s goals. Service provider representatives had the opportunity to ask questions about the project. The facilitators then asked a series of questions to better understand each organization’s role in the community and how it relates to PREP’s goals, the organization’s experiences with public safety issues, and how the participating communities can support and work with these organizations to improve local adaptation and resilience. Service provider representatives received the questions in advance of the meeting to better prepare responses. At the end, representatives had the option to ask further questions. Facilitators then informed the service provider representatives of next steps and gave them the opportunity to be added to the project email update list.

Facilitators asked the same questions in all meetings, varying the wording and order of the questions somewhat depending on how the discussion evolved:

1. What programs or initiatives does your organization have or provide to address hazards, public safety, and/or climate adaptation?

2. How has your organization prepared for, responded to, or recovered from natural disasters or hazard events like wildfires, earthquakes, debris flows, extreme heat, or similar events? What strategies have been most effective?

3. What type of populations, infrastructure, and community assets do you think are most vulnerable to hazards in San Mateo County?

4. What hazards are of most concern to your organization and the people you work with? What do you feel most and least prepared to address?

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6. What opportunities do you see available in the county or cities to increase the community’s resilience to hazards? Are there barriers that the County or cities can help remove?

7. If you’ve been able to review any of the project materials available on the project website, do you have any recommendations or comments that we can consider as we move through the project?
Summary of Feedback
The feedback from the discussions varied widely depending on the service providers and their role in the community. Despite the diversity of organizations involved, there were some common topics and themes that representatives raised. This section summarizes the key points raised during the discussions.

HAZARDS AND VULNERABILITIES
• Representatives from organizations that rely on large-scale infrastructure, such as pump stations, underground substations, roads, overhead powerlines, and rail tracks, to provide services spoke about the challenges they have had with facilities being damaged by past hazards and the difficulties in preparing these facilities for future disruptions. Service providers are considering these vulnerabilities in planning for future service routes or siting operations infrastructure away from hazard zones. Moving critical infrastructure can be more expensive or time intensive, but repairing damaged infrastructure in hazard zones may only be a shortterm solution. In one instance a service provider installed flood gates to prevent damage to facilities.
• While there was no single hazard that representatives felt posed the greatest threat to their operations, and hazards of concern varied widely by representatives, many representatives mentioned extreme heat as one that their felt their community was not widely prepared to address. Several representatives mentioned the significant health risks posed by extreme heat and the threat posed to people who are already facing disproportionate impacts, such as the lack of air conditioning and shade trees in many lower-income neighborhoods. • Many representatives had specific concerns about hazards that were relevant to their organization’s work, such as:
o Sea level rise creating a human health risk by threatening biotech facilities near the shoreline.
o Downed power lines interrupting electrified transit services. o Earthquakes threatening low-income housing that has not been seismically retrofitted and damaging pipes.
o Rail tracks flooding during storms or buckling in extreme heat. o Flooding and sea level rise inundating operational facilities such as bus bases, pump stations, or substations.
o Landslides and tree debris impacting bus routes, especially on steeper hills. • Many representatives were concerned about the possibility of a major hazard event preventing their staff or volunteers from traveling, further reducing their organizations’ ability to provide key services. These representatives also spoke about supply chain challenges complicating preparation and recovery activities.

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• Several representatives mentioned that, while the frequency of power outages has declined in the county in recent years, they are still too frequent, particularly for people in remote areas and for those who rely on medical devices. Many representatives were aware of actions that could help community members be more resilient to power outages, such as backup generators or solar and battery storage systems, but spoke about costs and a lack of infrastructure capacity as major barriers.

SOLUTIONS AND IDEAS
• Almost all representatives spoke about the importance of educating and preparing community members well in advance of a hazard event. Many representatives discussed social resilience and the role that community members can play in educating and helping others, and about the role of trusted community members and organizations to act as champions to build community support. Several representatives mentioned that community members are often unaware of the programs and services available to assist them, and that there isn’t a single place where people can go for information. On a related note, many representatives discussed training that their organization provides to community members and encouraged the PREP project to support and promote these trainings.
• Several representatives spoke about the importance of interjurisdictional cooperation on adaptation and resilience issues, and that a unified approach is more effective than each jurisdiction acting individually. This comment came up when speaking about physical solutions (e.g., infrastructure improvements) as well as in educational programs, trainings, and other forms of community outreach. Some representatives mentioned cost-sharing challenges as a barrier to this kind of cooperation.
• Several representatives mentioned how important it was to speak regularly and openly with community members, and not only conduct engagement as a discrete phase of a project.

Representatives mentioned that this is particularly important for communities that have been marginalized or are remote from decision-making (both geographically and socioeconomically). • Several representatives spoke about how the County and individual jurisdictions can support their efforts, including coordinating meetings between agencies, providing financial and staff support, and supporting community outreach efforts.
• Multiple representatives spoke about the importance of nature-based solutions or green infrastructure in helping to address climate change hazards, especially for flooding, sea level rise, and extreme heat, including expanding the urban tree canopy and conducting beach nourishment.

BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES
• Almost all representatives mentioned funding as a barrier to accomplishing their organization’s resilience goals, with staffing levels and time availability being other common challenges. • Many representatives mentioned that their organizations know what they can do to improve climate adaptation and resilience but lack the resources to implement these steps. Some representatives spoke about the lack of data on some topics hampering decision-making, particularly related to emergent groundwater and hazardous materials.

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• Some representatives spoke about complicated permitting procedures that can get in the way of their organizations or community members in preparing for hazards. However, other representatives felt that permitting procedures should be made more restrictive, particularly for new development in hazard-prone areas.

Next Steps
The project team will use the feedback gathered from representatives of the service provider organizations to inform the vulnerability assessment (including revisions to the lists of hazards, populations, and assets) and the development of the goals, policies, and actions of the Safety Elements.

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APPENDIX H: COMMUNITIES OF CONCERN MEETINGS PHASE 1 SUMMARY March 2026
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Community Engagement Summary: Phase 1
Multi-Agency Safety Element Collaboration (2024)
Outreach led by:

In partnership with:

Overview
In the spring of 2024, local jurisdiction staff and technical consultants for the Peninsula Resilience Planning (PREP) effort conducted community engagement efforts throughout unincorporated areas to inform the development of jurisdictions’ Safety Elements. The community outreach for PREP is a partnership of the cities of Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay,and San Bruno and the County of San Mateo for the unincorporated areas within the region. Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) led the outreach focused on “hard-to-reach communities” across the county, with emphasis on the unincorporated communities of North Fair Oaks, Pescadero, and unincorporated neighborhoods near Half Moon Bay. This initiative gathered diverse perspectives on safety concerns and resilience strategies from traditionally underrepresented populations to inform the updated Safety Element for the nine participating jurisdictions.

CRC conducted these workshops throughout May and June of 2024, with the selected regions of most concern prioritized in the first round of outreach and engagement (Pescadero, North Fair Oaks, and unincorporated areas near Half Moon Bay). In total, 63 residents of these regions participated and provided their feedback in a workshop including 18 people in Pescadero (12 Spanish Speakers, 6 English Speakers), 26 people in North Fair Oaks (11 bilingual English/Spanish speakers, 15 monolingual Spanish speakers), and 19 people in the Half Moon Bay (19 monolingual Spanish speakers).

The workshop format included a 15-minute presentation on PREP and the intended goals and outcomes of this outreach, a question-and-answer period, and then a roundtable discussion about the specific safety hazards of concern in their community, where they are located, and what solutions participants would like to see implemented. Meeting facilitators 613

Peninsula Resilience Engagement Plan
Community Engagement Summary: Phase 1
captured community members’ feedback using maps of the community as well as large poster boards that were organized by safety hazards (sea level rise, flooding, wildfire, etc.) and questions to capture where specifically there is most risk, who is at the most risk and what solutions can be implemented to provide relief. Each meeting concluded with the next steps on how their feedback will be used and how to stay involved in the project.

Workshop Logistics:

Date Region and
Location
Community-Based
Organization (CBO)
Partner
Total Attendees
May 19, 2024 Pescadero, La
Honda-Pescadero
High School
Irma Rodriquez-Mitten,
Sustainable South
Coast
18 total (12 Spanish
Speakers, 6 English
Speakers)
June 18, 2024 North Fair Oaks, Fair
Oaks Community
Center
Ever Rodriquez, North
Fair Oaks Community
Alliance (NFOCA)
26 total (11
bilingual
English/Spanish
speakers, 15
monolingual
Spanish speakers)
June 26, 2024 Unincorporated Half
Moon Bay area, Half
Moon Bay Library
Cecilia Penaloza,
Ayudando Latinos A
Soñar (ALAS)
19 monolingual
Spanish speakers
Key Takeaways and Trends
Urgent Needs Emerged Around Flood and Fire Risks:

Residents in coastal and mountainous areas expressed heightened concerns about flooding and wildfire risks. Many participants reported feeling underprepared for these hazards and desired more resources for home hardening and evacuation planning. The risk of flooding is particularly acute in two major areas: (1) the homes that have been built close to the creeks and river systems that consistently flood through severe storms in the winter and (2) areas affected by recent wildfires where the landscape changes increase the likelihood of flash floods and debris flows. Resident participants in this workshop series shared that they feel like “sitting ducks” who do not receive resources ahead of a disaster. The majority of the community members in the three workshops shared similar feelings that they are left to react on their own when disaster strikes, and the County cannot reach them. The community is 2 614

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calling for robust resources for home hardening and comprehensive, accessible evacuation plans. They emphasized the need to couple information with empowerment and action.

Critical Gaps in Emergency Communication:

A common theme across all communities was the need for improved emergency communication systems, particularly for non-English speakers and those without reliable internet access. In an emergency, every minute counts. Residents are worried language and technology barriers are putting lives at risk. This aligns with community feedback from these workshops that emphasized the importance of early warning systems and clear communication channels that are practiced before natural disasters so that residents know it works and have experience without the stress of an urgent crisis. Residents want government policy at the city and county levels to prioritize multilingual, multi-channel emergency alert systems that reach every resident, regardless of their language or access to technology.

Dire Need for Infrastructure Resilience:

Participants consistently highlighted the importance of upgrading critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power systems, to withstand climate-related stresses and ensure community safety during emergencies. Residents are demanding significant upgrades to roads, bridges, and power systems to withstand intensifying climate-related stresses. The residents of Moonridge Apartments in unincorporated Half Moon Bay are still seeing impacts of flooding impacts several months after the last rain. Residents feel this is not safe or sanitary and want to see proactive actions to address community needs before the next storm. The community is calling for resilient, future-proof solutions that will ensure safety during emergencies and long-term sustainability that addresses the basic human needs of safe places to live, work, and rest.

Addressing Glaring Social Vulnerability:

The workshops revealed a stark reality that community members know intuitively to be true:
socioeconomic factors create a dangerous disparity in disaster preparedness and recovery.

These communities see and feel every day the infrastructure risks in their communities, the product of being historically disadvantaged by racism, discrimination, and pollution. Lowincome and minority communities are bearing the brunt of climate change impacts in San Mateo County. Residents want equity in resilience planning and the incorporation of their lived knowledge and experience. The long-term effects of flooding, including waterborne illnesses, groundwater rise, disruption of communication services, and economic consequences, can leave these vulnerable communities devastated for years. The existing 3 615

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and historic socioeconomic factors of San Mateo County significantly impact residents' ability to prepare for and recover from disasters. Many expressed concerns about the disproportionate effects of climate change on low-income and minority communities.

Residents want to see these traditional inequities to be addressed in the County’s planning and resources allocation through the PREP project.

Community-Driven Preparedness and Planning:

Throughout the workshops, residents consistently advocated for a fundamental shift in how preparedness and planning efforts are approached. They demand to be seen not as a passive recipient of county services or “hard to reach”. Instead, they want to be seen as equal partners in the PREP project and ongoing resilience efforts. Because of the lived experience and knowledge of these communities, the residents don’t want to be told what to do but rather create solutions together. This calls for co-created action plans that blend technical expertise with generations of local knowledge, equitable resource allocation for community-based emergency response, and culturally responsive strategies that respect the County’s diversity. Residents stressed the need for continuous engagement and adaptive planning to keep pace with rapidly changing environmental conditions. They want to be engaged so that there is a shared ownership and balance of prioritization when considering what to rebuild in their communities, not just acting as recipients of aid. By repositioning communities and their leaders as true partners in disaster preparedness and resilience building, a more robust, responsive, and effective system can be created that not only prepares for disasters but ensures communities have the support and autonomy to bounce back together.

Most Common Concerns from Communities (Safety and Other Topics):

Housing Issues
The residents of North Fair Oaks, Pescadero, and unincorporated neighborhoods near Half Moon Bay face severe housing challenges that threaten the stability and well-being of their communities. Affordability is a critical issue, with many families, particularly farm workers and low-income residents, struggling to secure safe, sanitary, and stable housing. The high cost of rent in San Mateo County forces many to live in overcrowded conditions, often with multiple families sharing small spaces or residing in structures not intended for habitation, such as garages or tool sheds. These substandard living conditions often lack proper sanitation, heating, and other safety features which pose significant health and safety risks to occupants’ daily hazards that would only be exacerbated in the event of a significant disaster. 4 616

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The housing crisis is further exacerbated by the fear of displacement, especially in areas like North Fair Oaks, where residents reported they worry that any improvements to the neighborhood might attract more affluent newcomers, driving up property values and rents.

This gentrification threat creates a paradoxical situation where community members desire and deserve better living conditions but fear the very improvements that could price them out of their neighborhoods – emphasizing the importance of strong tenant protections and an intersectional approach to these issues.

Lack of Infrastructure and Services
The extreme lack of basic infrastructure and limited public services in these areas, particularly in unincorporated regions of San Mateo County, significantly impacts the quality of life for residents and challenges their safety day-to-day. North Fair Oaks, for instance, has a long history of neglect regarding essential infrastructure, as reported by residents throughout ongoing conversations with CRC in separate, ongoing efforts including the North Fair Oaks Community Climate Change team (which CRC has been facilitating since 2019).

The absence of adequate storm drains leads to frequent flooding during rainy seasons, while insufficient sewage systems pose health risks. Many streets lack proper paving, sidewalks are often missing, or in disrepair, and street lighting is inadequate, creating safety concerns for pedestrians and commuters alike. This was captured in conversations around the lack of communication and timeline regarding the Middlefield Road Improvement Project. Residents feel a lack of support because of their unincorporated status, knowing they must rely on, but do not trust the County to take care of them like an incorporated City might. This gap in governance results in a noticeable disparity in public services compared to neighboring incorporated areas. Residents often find themselves navigating complex bureaucratic systems to address basic needs, from road maintenance to public safety concerns, highlighting the challenges of living in these communities that feel a sense of minimal involvement with government procedures.

Economic Challenges
Economic hardship is a pervasive concern across these communities, with the high cost of living contributing to a decline in traditional industries and exacerbating income inequality. In coastal and agricultural areas, the disappearance of farms due to climate impacts and the struggles of the agricultural industry are particularly pronounced. The exorbitant land values in San Mateo County make it increasingly difficult for farmers to maintain their operations, leading to a gradual erosion of the region’s agricultural heritage. Farmworkers, who form the backbone of this industry locally, often earn wages well below the poverty level for San Mateo County, creating a stark contrast between their economic reality and the affluence of nearby technology hubs. This wage disparity extends beyond agriculture, affecting frontline service workers and other low- and fixed-income residents who find it nearly impossible to afford 5 617

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local housing or meet the daily basic needs of surviving in these communities. The economic challenges create a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break, with limited opportunities for upward mobility and a growing sense of economic insecurity among long-time residents.

Community Identity and Representation
The preservation of community identity and the lack of political representation are intertwined and deeply affect residents in these areas. Unincorporated community member participants of North Fair Oaks, Pescadero, and the neighborhoods just outside of Half Moon Bay’s borders expressed feeling of being removed from the direct local government despite the presence of local County Advisory Councils. This lack of broader local representation results in the feeling that their needs are being overlooked and deprioritized in county-wide decisionmaking processes. Folks aware of these meeting spaces and who have participated previously felt that the meetings did not yield tangible results at the level of urgency they felt was required.

Being seen as “hard to reach” by the County and categorized as such in this engagement process demonstrates the lack of understanding and support these communities feel in how they are seen and represented through the County government’s lens. This governance gap leaves residents feeling multiple years of voicelessness and disconnection from the political processes that shape their communities. Additionally, there is a strong desire to maintain the cultural identity and diversity that characterize their neighborhoods. Many residents, particularly in long-established immigrant communities, expressed fear that demographic changes driven by economic pressures could erode the unique cultural fabric of their neighborhoods. They shared worry about losing small businesses, community events, and social networks that define their sense of place and safety. The challenge lies in finding ways to improve living conditions and attract necessary resources without displacing the very people who have built and sustained these communities over generations. This delicate balance between progress and preservation is at the heart of the community conversations conducted in the PREP community workshops.

How Feedback will be used
The insights gathered during this engagement phase will directly inform the development of a draft Safety Element for San Mateo County and other participating jurisdictions, as well as and continuation of community engagement. The PREP project will be developing goals, policies, and implementing actions focused on climate resiliency and hazards with strategies to reduce their severity. The following areas of concern will be used to develop targeted policies to address the unique needs of vulnerable populations and community assets. 6 618

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 Priority for resource distribution, deeper partnerships with community-based organizations in the communities of highest concern, etc.  Enhancing emergency communication protocols to ensure comprehensive community coverage.
 Incorporating community-suggested resilience measures into infrastructure planning.  Creating culturally appropriate education and preparedness programs tailored to diverse community needs.
 Prepare measures to support implementation, including securing funding, identifying responsible staff and supporting agencies, reporting on progress, and making future revisions.
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Recommendations from residents:
● Residents want more transparent communication pathways and a shared understanding of what the County is doing to support the coastside before, during, and after natural disasters.
● CERT programming hosted by the County would aid in more residents having the capacity to communicate within the community as disasters happen. ● Residents are interested in programs that provide assistance to receive and maintain a backup generator.
● A bridge over Pescadero Creek is a major priority so that there is a safer process to cross the bridge as it regularly floods.
● Residents want the support of the County to facilitate more community-led adaptation and mitigation efforts. The residents do not trust the County and wish to not wait any longer as inaction continues. They would rather see the County support and fund community-led programs and projects that allow for residents to have autonomy in the disaster preparedness efforts they require with guaranteed and consistent funding streams.

Workshop logistic recommendations:
● Host at least 2 more sessions about the Safety Element update in Pescadero. Folks on the coast feel very left out and want to see more engagement to feel like their thoughts and ideas can be heard completely.
● Redesign questions and activities so that there is a way to vote for what are the largest priorities within each of the hazards they identified (wildfire, creek flooding, sea level rise, communications strategies).
○ Create hazard maps that demonstrate:
■ Where it has flooded and where it is projected to flood in the future. ■ Where it has burned and where it is projected to burn in the future. ■ Where there have been evacuation routes and how they might be impacted in the future.
■ Where people have been told to gather for evacuation and what resources were distributed.
● Create clear identification and connection to the County’s Safety Element and how it was informed by Pescadero’s longest-term residents.

Workshop logistics:

Pescadero Workshop: Sunday, May 19th, 2024, 1:00-3:00 p.m. ● Location: Pescadero High School Board Room
● Food provided by Sustainable South Coast
● $40 VISA Gift Card as Stipends provided by CRC
● Facilitated by CRC, SCS is Notetaker and Outreach Lead 10 622
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come to the high school, there are no tangible resources available, or these resources aren’t appropriate for what we need in the moment.
● SCM: Pescadero resident and Pie Ranch employee - We need support and systemic coverage for senior citizens in the area. The infrastructure for when the power goes out is majorly unreliable.
● SCM: Pescadero resident over 18 years - the CZU fires demonstrated just how underserved and under-resourced this community is. They know how bad it was, and they can see how bad it will be in the future, and they still choose to do nothing. ● SCM: Pescadero resident - I live close to the fire department and Pescadero creek. I couldn't get out during the last flood event. Once my family was able to be rescued, we were told to go to the high school. When we arrived around 10/11pm, they ushered us into the huge gym without providing what we needed to rest comfortably and with dignity. I chose to take my family back to the car to sleep and wait until the storm died down in the morning to go back. I felt absolutely forgotten by the County and I would rather see the state or Federal government get involved because of how little I have seen the County do over time here.
● SCM: Pescadero resident near creek for over 35 years - I am concerned about flooding because I have had to cook with boots on in her kitchen due to flooding of the creek nearby.
● SCM: It is clear from our introductions that there is a major lack of integration where we are all doing things, but we are not coordinating with other community members in the room.
● SCM: We want to see a communication authority on the HAM operator certification so that there is always someone on the other end that can give you updates, regardless of if the power is out.
● SCM: echoed all mentioned about fire and the rainy season being a big concern. She has lived in Pescadero for 20 years. Has two children, 13YO in Middle school and daughter in Cañada College. Emphasizes the rainy season because trees fall and block the way they take the children to school. Also, when roads are blocked, they cannot get out or help cannot get in.
● SCM: Has lived in Pescadero for over 30 years. Worried about the fire and flooding disasters. Mentions that an area for evacuation is needed from local (County) and state authorities. He states that they see their needs but don’t do anything about it. He continues to mention that the roads get blocked when something happens. He states “Please, we want help”.
● SCM: He has lived for 18 years at “Jacobs” ranch? He works in agriculture. Three years ago, the fires were sad for the community, no means to exit, we needed help from authorities to exit. Those in charge, at the State level need to communicate better in these areas. We need to go to Half Moon Bay when sick but can’t leave when something happens.
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● SCM: asked before introducing himself, Who are you? Who do you work for? How will this get to the right people?
○ CRC staff mentions that adding their input will be part of a report that will be shared and added into the General Plan, once the General plan is approved, the County will be obligated to follow the General Plan. ○ SCM: Mentions that he has been interviewed in this way and has seen no results. He is concerned about the rainy season. He lives near the fire station, but the creek is a problem. Water there runs out toward the ocean, but when it gets trapped there, it comes back and that is what also causes the floods. He was one of the community members that was unable to get out of the area last time and was able to get out with some fire department assistance. However, once at the location sent, the high school, upon arrival at about 10-11pm, they were only offered chairs to sit at, so they went back to their car and slept there.

He urges the County to do something. And asks why haven’t they already done something?
○ CRC Staff states that this is our first time interacting with the community and will not be the last. Will work with Irma and Puente to advocate. Will look into other methods and funds to expedite the work that needs to be done to not have to wait for a County response.
○ CM: shared an update, stating that the Chief of the La Honda Fire Board is working on finalizing the date of delivery of comprehensive emergency boxes that are equipped with cots, blankets, generators, and emergency response equipment to already be in the 5 neighborhoods. Mentions that people need to be certified or get a license to operate communications radios and also to be able to open emergency resources spaces. If more people in the area with needs are certified, then there might not need to be a waiting period to get assistance. The response would be more immediate.
● CM: Shared that her organization focuses on having those conversations with the County and to try and advocate to get more resources and work done in their area.

She states she looks for funds that can help with this work. ● SCM: Has lived in Pescadero for over 30 years. Her home floods all the time, the creek is next to her kitchen. Her garage, home and kitchen have flooded, she has cooked in her rain boots in her kitchen. She has flooded in a short amount of time five times, and that makes her feel sad, depressed, hopeless, and helpless. She envisions, or has a dream of a place that can have a kitchen to cook, and a space to rest and access to solar energy because loss of electricity is huge as well when they need help during a disaster. She would like to buy a generator, but they are expensive, she has not been able to buy one until this day. She mentions that she is thankful that during a fire emergency authorities were able to pay for her room at a hotel for four days and she is thankful for that, but for floods, there has not been any help. Floods have been 13 625

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a problem. In 1997 all her food went bad, her house was extremely damaged. She and her family like it there and understand that it is no one's fault, but still need help. ● CM: takes an opportunity to mention that FEMA rules and regulations might change a little, to allow for home damage to be part of the assistance offered. Her organization is working on getting the information and the assistance to bring it back to the area.

There is a lot of paperwork involved and has decreased a little to make it more accessible. However, the assistance is for a disaster, not for past disasters. ● CM: Asks how many would like to live in clean houses, mentions housing is another issue as well.
● SCM: Asked when will this be part of the plan or implemented? ○ CRC staff mentions that June 2025 will be when the plan gets approved. The Safety Element will be part of that after they (community) approve it. Adding that homeowners also need assistance for the damages, could be part of the report.
● SCM: states that she asked the County of San Mateo once if they could do something about the river, or if they could help with the home costs, but they answered that the owner was responsible for the costs. She continues to state that if the homeowner has financial difficulties too, why not help them too, so they can fix the home. Renters are limited. Insurance is limited if at all offered, she stated that there is none for her. ● SCM: States that the County knows about all these issues, but they continue to do nothing. Continues to say that once supervisors or Senate members came to talk to them, but years have passed and there is still no system to address the river floods. ● CM: Adds that it sounds like communication is a huge problem. People don’t get notifications or don’t know of things available if any. ○ CRC Staff adds that the community present may benefit from the model CRC has for CCCT groups to meet once a month and address concerns. ○ CM continues to mention that there was a group in action, but once the gentleman that ran it retired, it stopped functioning.

Notes from English Breakout Session
● Impacts of Hazards:
○ Overall - we can see any individual place and individual damage, but the fact is that any hazard has downstream effects and sometimes quite literally with our creek flow. If someone changes the course of a stream, it affects the people on the property down below them that floods.
○ Palace Verdes is going through a water management situation that has caused fishers 8 ft deep because it is falling into the earth. ○ HWY 84 is our main road that connects us, even if we can’t get to 92 or 35. ○ Residents almost lost our last route out because of the percolation caused trees to come over and mismanagement of the properties above
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○ Wildfire: During the disaster it is terrible, trees fall down and clog the creek, the hidden damage of the buildup of trees is really challenging too where the water is contaminated.
○ Flooding: Mold after the floods is awful to deal with. I can’t get out when it floods, and it is too late to evacuate when it becomes obvious that the creek is going to flood over again.
○ Roads: Situation where 84 was closed, Cloverdale Rd was blocked, Pescadero Creek Rd was unblocked a bit because of the lower tide. It quickly becomes an issue of being stranded. Power goes out for weeks. A simple fix in with a shovel into a culvert would have avoided the overdue maintenance. ○ Most traumatized when the 98 floods happened, and no one knew. ○ Water and electricity - all of us are dependent on individual wells that need to be pumped. If we don’t have power, then we don’t have water at home and can’t flush our toilets at home and all our food goes bad. ○ Look at the distance within Pescadero - we are not just a few miles from a Safeway or the Library. It is 30 minutes to go from one neighborhood in Pescadero to our neighbors in La Honda.
○ No one was certified.
○ The County knows when the storm is going to happen, past history tells us when it will flood. They don’t do anything before the event and instead wait until the event is going on and now, they can’t get to us during the event. ○ Some supplies are available and there are people who are certified but ○ MAJOR COMMUNICATION PROBLEM - we are here experiencing something, and we have to wait until the County decides they care about us. The County alert system is not reliable because many do not know about it and those that know are without cell reception.
■ Maintenance does not replace their batteries on the cell tower after 4 hours.
■ There’s County Wi-Fi available but only if there is power. We want that system to be connected to a generator.
○ Energy infrastructure resilience - wanting to help make more microgrids and find the funding to work AROUND the County to make sure that there is enough solar and backup battery to power a minimum.
○ Resilient Hub in Pescadero
○ We want MORE meetings and want to have more focus on the major priorities we want to see included in the Safety Element like:
■ Communications plan including early response, ongoing info sharing and what happens when they are in the midst of emergency.
■ Microgrid planning
■ Resilience Hub planning
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■ Flood adaptation planning
○ The high school is not the right place to have folks access resources. For this community, we need a room like this (board room) because the high school is freezing cold, and the wind makes it scary to get in. Instead, we want to see food preparation, safe places to rest and a place to rent generators so that you can bring power back home to pump your well.
○ Because of the access, strategy A is neighborhood hubs so that you don’t have to assume people can drive through all the flooding and downed trees. Every canyon and every ridge need those impacts addressed. The canyons will likely need flooding AND fire resources while a ridge will be more concerned with fire and air quality.
○ You have to do it on this scale because they have a relationship and legal structure to maintain a road.
○ Ranches are also communities sometimes so they need to be more uniquely a one stop shop for everyone on the ranch.
○ What has been affected?
■ Fire: I decided I would just jump in the creek if it comes to that. ■ Leveraging school contacts - families live all over the Pescadero area so the parents are typically able to talk to each other via texting. A bunch of people do have generators or are using satellites. Even though it was not a solution, I was able to stay in contact and understand the latest and greatest with road access by texting via the school chat. ■ If there is something that happens where we have to shelter in place for a month, I have what I need to support my community on Native Sons Road.
■ I have a bunch of free HAM radios that are battery powered so that there is the most communication.
○ Two separate decisions: Who do we talk to and what’s the best way to get to them?
■ Leverage the word of mouth that revolves around the way that you have already built relationships with your community.
■ Having HAM radio operators in the neighborhood, having CERTs in the community, in an off grid and concentrated community.
○ Getting medical aid in is a major concern! There’s only two ambulances and Life Light can get here quickly but they need to have a place to land it costs well over $10k to get this done.
○ Putting the stations out there already in between disasters is really important. ○ Prioritize hiring Pescadero residents as the communication plan. ○ CLEAR COMMUNICATION - command and control, organizing volunteer groups because those that want to self-deploy might make it worse, scenario 16 628

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planning and training so that the community comes together and acts out what they would do based on their lived knowledge and experience. ■ Wanting to understand when it doesn’t make sense.
○ Positive relationship with Board Supervisor Ray Mueller which is great. ■ When we requested a past Supervisor for similar support, he just blew us off. Ray Mueller has been held accountable and already taken clear action in less than a year in office.

Notes from Spanish Breakout Room:
➔ What areas are of highest priority in Pescadero?
◆ Central space to have resources available. Prepared with cots, blankets, food, kitchen space and supplies for pets as well.
◆ Clinic: (Mobile clinic if possible) it is essential in their area. ◆ Creek/river: a bridge or ramp for the water to go under and still allow a way through for those that live in the area (Animals/people/cars). Water rises about 2-3 feet, and we cannot get out. Four years ago, they came and took soil out, but it is not enough. We need something more permanent. ● Rancheros don’t let change in. They say Pescadero is historic and when a house burns down, they don’t allow for a new one to be constructed because it will not be historic anymore.
◆ We know what we need, but they (County) don’t do anything about it because they are not here.
◆ Coastal commission allows for change over the mountains, but do not allow for it here.
◆ Generators: need assistance to buy them because they are expensive, if someone can help with part of the cost, that would help because we lose power when it is windy, hot and rainy. Generators are a top priority. ➔ Vulnerable People: Which people and places are most vulnerable and why? ◆ School access, kids cannot make it to school because we cannot exit to take them.
◆ Work, both floods and fires keep us from leaving.
● A food dispensary would be helpful, because we cannot go out to work, and therefore cannot make money to buy food. In San Mateo there is a place that every 15 days they give out food, but it is out there, not nearby.
◆ There isn’t enough housing. Also, housing is not dignified. ◆ School does not have potable water. Students cannot wash their hands or drink water at school. There is a plan in the works.
➔ Impacts of Hazards: What has already happened here and how did it impact the community?
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◆ Wildfires and floods both cut our access to electricity. ◆ The pandemic hit us hard.
◆ Lack of work in the winter.
◆ Salt water for plants where I work..
➔ Resilience Visioning: What do you want to see here to improve safety and resilience to natural hazards?
◆ Communication: certification/license
◆ Internet system. Have had 15 days without the internet. ◆ Improve the fire station. They are here to help, but leave to stay safe, but we still need them here so what do we do?
◆ Evacuation site, equipped with all supplies needed. Maybe fix the high school to be that space?
➔ Preparation and Recovery: How have you responded and what barriers exist in that response?
◆ Nothing.
◆ They promise, we wait and nothing.
◆ Journalists publish what they want to publish, or what is convenient to them.

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2. Jun 18, 2024 | North Fair Oaks Safety Element Workshop CRC Staff in Attendance: Kamille Lang, Alba Cardenas, Theo Gress CBO Partners in Attendance: Ever Rodriguez, Gabriela Valencia Total attendees: 26 residents of North Fair Oaks (11 bilingual English/Spanish speakers, 15 monolingual Spanish speakers)
Key Findings
● Residents expressed concerns about slow police and emergency response times in North Fair Oaks, leading to a feeling of neglect and lack of prioritization that is already felt in a number of different ways by the County.
● Flooding, illegal dumping, and lack of proper drainage systems are major issues impacting residents, schools, businesses, and transportation in the area. ● The community knows they face significant risks from natural hazards such as wildfires, extreme heat, and poor air quality. They understand these risks disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations like the elderly, disabled, monolingual Spanish speakers and low-income residents
● There is a lack of effective communication and coordination between the County and North Fair Oaks residents regarding emergency preparedness, hazard mitigation, and available resources.
● Housing conditions, including lack of air conditioning, pest infestations, and tenant rights violations, are a pressing concern for many residents.

Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Emergency Response
● Improve emergency response times and resource allocation in North Fair Oaks by increasing staffing, establishing a dedicated response team, and prioritizing the area’s needs.
● Implement a comprehensive communication plan to ensure timely and accessible information sharing with residents about emergencies, hazard mitigation, and available resources.
● Provide pathways for feedback directly from residents, community leaders and organizations throughout the process of planning and implementation.

Recommendation 2: Flood Mitigation
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● Conduct a thorough assessment of flood-prone areas, drainage systems, and illegal dumping hotspots in North Fair Oaks, and develop a targeted action plan to address these issues.
● Allocate funding for infrastructure improvements, regular maintenance, and community-based programs like Block Action Teams (BAT) to mitigate flooding and illegal dumping.
● Ongoing assessment to measure impact and opportunities for innovation.

Recommendation 3: Heat Action Plan
● Develop a comprehensive heat action plan and establish cooling centers and shade structures in North Fair Oaks to protect vulnerable populations during extreme heat events.
● Collaborative with community organizations like NFOCA, El Concilio and CRC along with residents to implement wildfire risk reduction strategies, such as vegetation management, home hardening, and evacuation planning.
● Strengthen tenant rights protections, enforce housing code violations, and provide resources for pest control and mold remediation to improve living conditions in North Fair Oaks.

Meeting Notes
Q&A after PREP Presentation
● I want to see the issues of North Fair Oaks in the maps. I am tired of not seeing this missing in all the information that the County brings to us. ● I want to see a better communication plan so that the County can ensure that all North Fair Oaks residents are notified as early on as possible when a natural hazard occurs in our neighborhood.
● I believe the County wants to see us suffer. Why else would they keep denying our ideas, our formal proposals and watching us suffer as these natural hazards get worse in NFO? Why don’t they care?
● I want to see policy and implementation plans that reflect listening to the community and showing what steps will be taken to train community members effectively WELL IN ADVANCE of a natural disaster.
● There are some things we can predict and others we cannot. Why don’t the County reach out to provide education and resources for the things we can definitely predict? ● I am willing to collaborate! All I feel I need right now is the approval and support of the County to get it done.
● Observe, orient and act. That is a martial arts principal that I can see being applied to where we are in our community. We have observed enough, suffered plenty and asked for help for so many years. Now the cycle MUST move forward so that we can 20 632

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get the right County staff, CBOs and community leaders working together to advance the health and safety of North Fair Oaks.
● The County has to admit where they went wrong to accept where we are and what needs to be done in the community.
● The fire department incident command structure is broken. Look at the cause of the fire and how many suffer without a response from the fire department. It took 57 minutes for them to respond… why is that the way it is here and not in Redwood City? I want to see answers, admittance of what went wrong and action. ● This area is forgotten, and they are used to having folks hit the ground running and solve the problem within the community. I am grateful that so many in the community want to rise up and take action, but this only enables the County to continue with inaction. We are giving them what they want when we try to work around them and without the County’s support. There isn’t a need for them to get involved because they don’t feel the problem along with us.
● We need to do something about CHP managing the crosswalks in North Fair Oaks.

Nothing gets done when it is at that high of a level and removed from the community that walks these streets daily and relies on them for safety.

Peninsula Resilience Engagement Plan
Community Engagement Summary: Phase 1
○ The entire community is affected but mainly the homeless, the elderly, children, pets and the plants that make up our community suffer the most. ● What can be done to address this?
○ Community spaces as cooling stations
○ Training/outreach on heat relief
○ Fixing the lack of open spaces, for example adding more shade structures to Friendship Park and all parks in North Fair Oaks
○ Block Act Teams! We are done waiting for County support!! ○ Shade/cover from the sun along all bus stops
○ Plant more trees! Work with Canopy to advance their work throughout North Fair Oaks
○ Community education
○ Unifying the community so that they are organized, committed, and have a direct line of communication with the County.
○ Keeping community members actively informed of predictable weather conditions, providing resources to be prepared with proper ventilation in their homes, lots of extra water in the home, etc.
○ Take care of the environment, plant more trees, open more places where people can go to shelter on extreme days, more shade in the bus stops, to prepare you to know what to do.
○ Providing air condition in homes, especially during the hot season Flooding
● Where does this happen in North Fair Oaks?
○ Fairfield School
○ 2nd Ave, tends to flood (street dip and has no good drainage system). +4 ■ Fair Oaks at 2nd Ave
○ Bay Road: very close to schools, makes it hard for kids to walk in the area. +1 ○ Specific road hazards on 2nd & Middlefield near Casa Circulo and El Gurellense.
○ Trailer park area and Bayside.
○ On Northumberland by St. Francis Center and the surrounding neighborhood. ○ On 5th Ave, especially on the lower slope. So much flooding there!! +3 ○ Broadway +2
○ Close to the channel.
○ Page Street,
○ Rolison Ave near Broadway.
○ On Spring Street between 9th and 10th Ave.
● Who is impacted?
○ On 2nd Street: residents, schools, small business, non-profit, clinic, SamTrans/buses. + 1
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○ Bay Road - mostly residents and schools.
○ Residents who live on or near those streets. +3
○ Senior citizens +2
○ People who walk their pets, relatives that visit those homes. ○ Those who are reliant on their vehicle to transport them from home in these neighborhoods to work.
● What can be done to address this issue?
○ Clean out drains BEFORE it rains +3
■ Want to see drains being cleaned before, during and after it rains. ○ Send County crews or BAT (NFOCA Block Action Teams) to provide support and resources.
○ FUNDING IS NEEDED to resolve these issues affecting residents, school openings, and small businesses. +1
○ Drainage assessment
○ Sewer inspections
○ Better signage that provides ongoing awareness in flood prone areas. ○ Affordable resources to prepare and address the impacts after it has happened. ○ Alert system and communication of areas to avoid.
○ County commitment to support prevention. +2
○ Sandbag distribution prior to severe weather events along with information on where to get more LOCALLY and not across and into Redwood City. ○ The County must take action and that cannot be done without the community. ○ The County must pay attention to the needs of NFO and resolve them as best as possible. This can be done by updating the sewage infrastructure. Keep the ones that already are helping, fix the ones that will enable for cleaner streets, hire NFO community members to see more representation from NFO in the County’s improvements in NFO.
○ They can put more water containers so that the water does not settle in the areas where it always floods.

Wildfire Risk
● Where does this happen in North Fair Oaks?
○ Near Atherton border
○ Everywhere
○ Around 101 near the marsh
○ At 280 in the Woodside area
○ Near highways and major roadways where there is dry grass and a lot of cars driving by
○ 84 highway
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○ Hoover School, Woodside High School
● Who is impacted?
○ The whole community +6
○ Our most vulnerable community members
○ Industrial areas handling chemicals and explosives that cause fires. ○ Trains with harmful cargo with a risk of draining/exploding into the North Fair Oaks neighborhoods that are by the train tracks.
○ Veterans that live near the train tracks.
○ All of us suffer from smoke and poor air pollution.
○ Pets
○ Homeowners
○ The homeless population
○ Children
● What can be done to address this issue locally?
○ Create strategies with outcome data or analytics that can prevent bad or thoughtless solutions from happening.
○ BAT Program implementation +6
○ More collaborative community response.
○ More frequent and regular community clean ups.
○ Managing dry grass +4
○ Check the trees and take down what is no longer useful. +2 ○ Better illegal dumping pick up program so that there is less abandoned furniture and garbage around homes and near apartments.
○ Do community assessments to see where there is highest risk and create priorities based on that assessment.

Other Safety Hazards:
● Other hazards captured from community feedback:
○ Communication Pathways with the County
■ Better communication and coordination between entities for response ■ The community doesn’t see the interest and timely response from County Personnel as a whole.
■ Remove the terms that sound like a lawyer would say it. Show up like a neighbor and take care of this community!
■ We need more action and education. The community is ready to learn and participate but we need responses and actions to do what needs to be done NOW!
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Community Engagement Summary: Phase 1
○ Law enforcement
■ Crime!
■ Lack of or delayed response from Sheriff or emergency responders. ■ The community doesn’t see the interest and timely response from County Personnel as a whole.
○ Homelessness
■ The misunderstanding, lack of education and lack of mental health resources provided.
○ Transportation Routes and Safety
■ Speeding cars on certain streets is a long-standing problem in the community.
■ We need a bridge from the clinic to Redwood City target. ■ Major issues at Fair Oaks and Hampshire Street intersection. Needs County intervention for solutions.
○ Housing
■ Houses and apartments that do not have A/C and HVAC systems. ■ In the place I am renting, the owner changed everything without any notice or request for feedback from the tenants. My brother also lives in NFO in a place that did the same thing. The floors were completely destroyed, and the conditions were miserable but there was no pressure from the landlord to address it.
■ There are clone organizations that have no stakes in protecting tenants’ rights in North Fair Oaks.
■ Our community needs more training on how to clean mold. So many of us do not know what to do or how to address this issue. ■ Policy that protects tenants. For many years I have lived here, seen all these problems and absolutely no solutions.
■ There are so many homes infested with cockroaches. There is no help or support for dealing with this!
■ We need help dealing with rats, ants, mosquitos, bed bugs, other pests, and mold in our homes. Especially for renters!
■ I don’t hear the County talk about the mad conditions in the buildings. I fear constantly of increasing rent or eviction and have no support system for being prepared for that.
■ Addressing the needs and concerns of the Second Ave Woodside Apartments.
○ Illegal Dumping
■ At Hampshire Street, it is always full of trash. We call to report it, and the County never does anything about it. Why is that?
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■ Excessive garbage problem with Hampshine, Oakside and North Fair Oaks roads affected. The community is concerned and tired of carrying the burden of solution.
● Who is impacted?
○ Seniors and people living alone +3
○ People on dark/poorly lit streets
○ All of our community members
○ Neighbors and park goers where unhoused persons stay. ○ All neighbors on the affected streets
○ Young women and girls are more impacted than men in the community when it comes to safety.
○ The buildings on 9th Ave and North Fair Oaks are most affected. ○ Those with chronic health conditions, especially those that impact their lungs and heart.
● What can be done to address these issues locally?
○ More lights in neighborhoods
○ Deeper community engagement and follow through.
○ More parks and green spaces
○ Walkable streets
○ More police presence
○ Learn and engage with the SMC Mobile Crisis Hotline Response Team (mental health clinician and peer specialists).
○ Communicate evacuation plans to people and enable/empower community teams like BAT and CRNFO.
○ Improving police response times.
○ Have illegal dumping and tree planting programs be free so that residents can access it.
○ More support and resources to control the homeless population. ○ Pay attention to what is going on in the parks.
○ Make sure that there is safe transportation for the homeless to move around the community.
○ We hope for your return with answers. We want action and help agencies and organization and can really support us here in our community. ○ You cannot allow for a $2500/month one-bedroom apartment to be in that condition. I don’t know what we can do but this needs to stop. ○ Inviting and directly engaging folks so that the community meetings are near where real people you are trying to reach live.
○ Put yourself in our shoes, wouldn’t you want answers by now? ○ Explain yourselves - what is the factory where Malibu was and what is that smoke?
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Community Engagement Summary: Phase 1
○ Create collaborative community education campaigns that have the goal of more civic awareness.
○ Begin to dismantle the class system that has historically and continuously leaves us behind. Enough!!
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Community Engagement Summary: Phase 1

3. Jun 27, 2024 | Unincorporated Half Moon Bay PREP Safety Element Workshop
CRC Staff in Attendance: Kamille Lang, Alba Cardenas, Annabelle Choi CBO Partners in Attendance: Cecilia Penaloza
Total attendees: 19 monolingual Spanish speaking residents of unincorporated areas near Half Moon Bay included Moss Beach, Montara, El Granada and residents of the Moonridge Apartments in Half Moon Bay
Key Findings

1. Communication Issues
○ Lack of consistent communication between the County and coastal communities
○ Need for improved emergency notification systems including satellite phones for coastal residents.
○ Desire for family-focused emergency preparedness trainings.

2. Sea Level Rise Concerns:
a. Impacts observed in multiple coastal areas, including Pescadero, El Granada, Moss Beach and Montara.
b. Need for more information on tsunami preparedness and evacuation routes. c. Request for sea level rise adaptation strategies like seawalls and levees.

3. Flooding Problems:
a. Significant at Moonridge Apartments and surrounding areas. b. Impacts on transportation, particularly along Highway 92 and in Pescadero c. Need for improved drainage systems and regular maintenance of flood-prone areas.

4. Wildfire Risks
a. Concerns about overgrown vegetation in coastal areas, particularly Pescadero b. Impacts on vulnerable populations, including children, elderly, and those with respiratory issues.
c. Request for more wildfire preparedness workshops and vegetation management.

5. Power Outages
a. Frequent and prolonged power outages affecting coastal communities. b. Impacts on food safety, communication, and overall quality of life. c. Desire for sustainable energy solutions and backup power systems.

6. Transportation and Infrastructure:
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a. Need for improved evacuation routes and road maintenance, especially in Pescadero and San Gregorio.
b. Concerns about falling trees damaging power lines and blocking roads.

7. Community Safety:
a. Security issues reported at Moonridge Apartments.
b. Request for increased police presence and community-based safety initiatives.

8. Disaster Preparedness
a. Strong desire for more community-based emergency preparedness trainings and resources.
b. Need for multilingual emergency information and culturally appropriate outreach.

Recommendations
● Improve emergency communication and preparedness: Establish a robust, multichannel emergency notification system for coastal communities, including satellite phones for residents in areas with poor connectivity. Conduct regular family-focused emergency preparedness training sessions, particularly in vulnerable areas like Moonridge Apartments and Pescadero Creek. These sessions should cover various hazards, including tsunamis, flooding, and wildfires, and be offered in multiple languages.
● Enhance flood mitigation and drainage infrastructure: Prioritize the improvement of drainage systems in flood-prone areas, especially around Moonridge Apartments and along Highway 92. Implement regular maintenance schedules for storm drains and ditches to prevent clogging and reduce flooding risks. Provide residents with sandbags before the rainy season and offer guidance on their proper use. ● Develop comprehensive sea level rise adaptation strategies: Create and implement sea level rise adaptation plans for coastal communities, including the construction of seawalls and levees where appropriate or integrate that adaptation into community-led and nature-based solutions. Conduct current and thereby relevant vulnerability assessments along major coastal transportation corridors, such as Highway 92, and include the community so that they are continued to be engaged throughout the entirety of development and implementation. The assessment should be working towards establishing clear evacuation routes and procedures for tsunami and flooding events, ensuring all residents are informed and prepared. ● Address power outage and wildfire concerns: Invest in sustainable energy solutions and backup power systems for coastal communities to reduce the impact of frequent power outages. Implement a proactive vegetation management program to reduce wildfire risks, particularly in overgrown areas of Pescadero and other coastal 29 641

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regions. Collaborate with PG&E to improve power infrastructure resilience and communication during outages.

Meeting Notes
Residents Sharing their Thoughts Related to Safety Element and General Plans for San Mateo County
● Moonridge Apartments at Miramontes Point Road has a big problem with not having a clean road to enter the area. On top of this, another big problem exists in the same area with flooding. This leaves it to private owners to clean up their parts, but they don’t have the ability or capacity to clean up the entire thing. There are street sweepers that come in too so they can get to the middle, but they miss the sides of the road because there are so many cars parked on the sides. This has been an ongoing problem for many years in a row and we continue to not see any help from the County or the state.
● I am worried about tsunamis so much more than when I first started living here years ago. The waves are so much bigger now and seeing the tsunami in Santa Cruz recently makes me really worried about that in my area. I know we have a warning system here, but we are not notified with enough time to leave, and we don’t know what to do when the warning actually goes off in an emergency. ● There is a new law in California that cars cannot be there for a certain amount of days.

In Moonridge, parking is such a problem and so packed that people are scared to move their cars because they know their spot will be taken immediately. It is frustrating because it looks like people are parked there for months without moving their car despite the law. Why is this not enforced or otherwise addressed locally? Q&A after PREP Presentation
● Power outages lead to wasted and spoiled food. PG&E continues to not take responsibility and sometimes will not say anything, and it feels like they just want it to go away despite it happening.
● I came to this meeting today because I am concerned about the amount of trees that fall in my neighborhood in Moss Beach. Are there existing programs that help in case a tree falls? I don’t really know what to do but I see it happens a lot during the wintertime.

Roundtable Discussion Activity Notes
Communication Pathways with San Mateo County
● What is the communication like between your community and the County? ○ There is currently no communication between the County and the Pescadero community. +3
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○ We do not have a phone number to call so that we can report hazards or disastrous situations. +6
○ In San Gregorio, there is no community when the only two entrances and exits are hazardous (La Honda Road). And there is no communication or help provided during power outages.
○ During natural disasters there is no communication or information that I can access from the County.
○ The entire coast suffers from the lack of consistent communication from the County.
● What is needed for better communication?
○ County should issue satellite phones to folks who live on the coast so that we can still stay informed during power outages. +6
○ We need more family focused training that empowers our communication skills within the community. We learn how to be safe and prepared for emergencies and who to contact.
○ There needs to be more attention and focus on communicating with the Montara community. We feel tremendously left out and not thought of. +5 ● What can be done to address communication issues locally? ○ At Pillar Ridge in Moss Beach there is a tube that gets turned on and looks like sparks of fire. It scares people! The County or whoever is responsible for it needs to warn community members when it gets turned on. ○ More priority and focus on communicating with folks who are disabled or otherwise unable to physically move in an emergency. Teaming up with the resource centers and service providers that know who they are and where they live so that communication connections can be made through their existing trust with organizations.
○ Utilize telephone numbers to notify when it is time to evacuate. ○ There needs to be more evacuation sirens and practice days so that everyone is trained on what to do, where to go and we know this system functions well. ○ If I am giving my phone number to the County, I want to know how it will be used and I want to see it tested before an emergency happens. ○ There should be family training hosted at schools so that the entire family knows what to do in case of an emergency. +5
○ Creating jobs paid for by the County for there to be identified community leaders on the coast who know when it is time to call or text their neighbors about a safety hazard or other emergency.

Sea Level Rise
● Where does it happen on the coast? (Be specific)
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○ Entrance to Pescadero at Hwy 1. It sinks and is constantly destroyed by waves.

They have repaired it, but I know it will happen again and continue to damage transportation corridors.
○ In El Granada, the sea level is very high.
○ Moss Beach sea levels get very high during storms, especially this last winter. +2
○ In Pescadero and in the nearby neighborhoods that touch the Pescadero Creek ○ In Linda Mar, the area floods frequently during storms on the coast. ○ Montara area, especially near Hwy 1
● Who is impacted?
○ In El Granada, We are at risk of tsunami, and we do not have much information on how to be prepared and what to do in case there is an emergency. ○ In Linda Mar, because the shops and streets are very close to the ocean, they see the most impact and take the longest to recover completely. ○ Coastside residents who cannot leave or have the capacity to get out before it gets bad.
○ Everyone here is impacted including the restaurant owners, hotel operators and employees. The fabric of this community is threatened by sea level rise. ○ All coastside residents because we have to go through San Gregorio or Pescadero during an emergency to get to the other side of the County. ○ Our whole community including the pets, wildlife, and our homes. ○ In Pescadero, it really impacts the folks who work the land and their families who rely on them for safety, security, and food on the table. Their children are impacted when Pescadero residents cannot go to work and provide for them. ● What can be done to address this?
○ I am not sure, but I do know that we need more information from the County, so we know what to do in an emergency and where to go.
○ I want to see emergency training workshops hosted at the Moonridge Apartments or in that neighborhood. We need to know what to do when the County cannot get to us and help!
○ We deserve to be informed! There should be an emergency plan and several ways to access that plan before, during and after an event that we can predict. ○ I want to communicate with more from the County. Ask us to help make an emergency plan with you.
○ Low or no cost swim lesson classes for adults.
○ We need support from the County to clean out areas that become overwhelmed with debris after a sea level rise event and more communication from the County when and how resources will be shared with our community. We have to do a lot together so that everyone knows what to do when there is an emergency related to sea level rise.
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○ We need more emergency preparedness resources and staff on the coast like firefighters, police and EMTs.
○ San Mateo County should bring more and better Internet towers to the coast for better signal and communication pathways that will be utilized during an emergency.
○ More information and tangible resources for how to prepare for tsunamis. +1 ○ More information and tangible resources for disaster preparedness in Spanish and taught by Spanish speakers. +2
○ San Mateo County should promote education and awareness campaigns that teach residents to turn of gas valves during emergencies. ○ Prepare evacuation routes from the coast including Pescadero and providing communication.
○ At the Moonridge Apartments, we need reliable back-up power that can work during the flooding that happens every rainy season.
○ Thoughtful and ongoing inspections should be conducted at the Moonridge Apartments. Don’t wait until it is too late and continue to do nothing! ○ More sea level rise adaptation strategies should be prioritized in the unincorporated areas like sea walls, levees and whatever else the County knows can be built to keep families safe on the coast.

Inland Flooding
● Where does this happen on the coast?
○ Moonridge Apartments - when it rains, this apartment complex and neighborhood floods tremendously. All the nearby land slides into one area and so much debris clogs the storm drains. We only have one entrance and exit out of this complex and that is where all the flooding happens. +2 ○ Hwy 92 - flooding in the farms by 92, a lot of trees fall during the storms, too many power outages, very bad Internet connection. +4
○ At the entrance to Pescadero from Hwy 1
○ Moonridge Apartments at Miramontes Point Road. Ditches are filled with mud, and no one has come to clean them.
○ Moonridge Apartments at Chamomile Lane always floods with no drainage. ● Who is impacted?
○ Homeowners and renters who reside in property near the entrance to Pescadero. They need help!
○ As a resident of the Moonridge Apartments, I have experienced so much flooding in my apartment last year. I know my neighbors are experiencing the same thing. It has been challenging to address the flooding on my own and with my property manager even though it has been months since the last flood. ○ Pescadero residents are tremendously impacted. The creek and rivers that flow through this area put us all at risk when there is flooding during a storm. 33 645

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○ Those who have to travel on dirt roads to work are severely affected. When the dirt road to my workplace gets flooded, it is very dangerous, and I usually cannot get paid because I cannot safely enter my workplace. ○ All the residents who live at the Moonridge Apartments are impacted. There have been occasions previously where residents have been evacuated from their homes because of how dangerous the situation becomes. ○ Renters are really, really impacted because of the limited resources and support available to them.
○ Our cars are impacted severely. Their health is severely impacted when there is flooding like this.
○ Our pets suffer so much when there is not a safe place for them. ○ Children, especially those who are three years of age and below. ○ On Coronado Street, those who live near power lines are impacted a lot, especially when there is a storm that knocks them down. ○ People who need to work in Pescadero are impacted the most. ● What can be done to address this issue?
○ El Granada needs more information from the County would be greatly appreciated. I do not feel like they give us information and that communication is so important.
○ The County must inspect the areas of 92 because there are many trees and so much flooding. It is dangerous when residents try to inspect the area without the appropriate resources. We recommend a vulnerability assessment be conducted along the Highway 92 corridor and the County provides updates of what they are finding throughout the assessment process. We have the right to know what is at risk in our community!
○ The County should provide more sandbags to places they know flood regularly like the Moonridge Apartments.
○ We want to see the County come to Moonridge and clean up the swollen river that appears every time it rains in this area. There should be regular cleanings during the dry seasons so that this area does not create such a dangerous disaster when it rains again. +3
○ Trees need to be assessed near communities and major transportation routes. I am worried so many more will fall the next time there is a storm. ○ Disaster preparedness workshops that are centered around families and what supplies are needed for those who are under five years old to be safe and healthy during an emergency.
○ The County should work with residents of the Moonridge Apartments to develop safe evacuation routes and practice using them before disaster strikes again. ○ El Granada needs better Internet so that we can stay connected and informed during an emergency.
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○ There should be frequent and ongoing training for the variety of disasters we can predict will happen on the coast.
○ The County must provide improvements to Stage Road and Pescadero Creek Road before the stormy season to ensure safety is available to those who use those roads to get to work, school and grocery stores.
○ Raise the height of homes in Pescadero so that when there is flooding, it does not affect the houses or the foundation under the home. ○ The County should address the dynamic between renters and landlords because it is so challenging for a renter to receive support and services without risking eviction. I worry that if I complain or even ask for help, my family will get kicked out. I am left to choose to live in suffering and fear what will be the breaking point, a flood, or a mean landlord.
○ Develop and install larger storm drains that can handle the amount of water and debris we know comes into the area when it rains.
○ In El Granada, we need to know who to call and there needs to be safe and reliable ways to call when we have questions and concerns before, during and after a flooding event.
○ More jobs that are focused on cleaning up and maintaining safe and accessible evacuation routes. This will create security for everyone! ○ Every renter and homeowner in Pescadero should be given 20 sandbags from the County before the rainy season along with resources on how to safely use them, who to call or where to go if they need more, and a pick up service that comes to dispose of them at the end of the rainy season. ○ Do the mesh walls that have been installed along 84 in places like Pescadero and the Moonridge apartments. This will help prevent landslides that completely isolated towns and neighborhoods. Think of what to build before it all falls down.

Wildfire Risk
● Where does this happen in your community?
○ On the coastside where there are overgrown weeds and hills where the wind rolls through strongly. Specifically, Pescadero, San Gregorio, Loma Mar, Moonridge, and Half Moon Bay.
○ In Pescadero this happens where there are supremely overgrown plants, and the County has not done anything about it. I can see that it is really dangerous, and I worry about it a lot.
● Who is impacted?
○ Parks that are available for children.
○ Folks that are unhoused and living near the rivers and otherwise outside. ○ In El Granada I know that very young children, like those under three years of age, are impacted most.
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○ In Pescadero, the people that live in the countryside and far away from others are most at risk. I know our parks and the children that play there are also impacted too.
○ It generally affects the entire coastal population. It affects all our health, our children and the most vulnerable are the elderly. Also, I know that people with respiratory problems are at risk. +3
● What can be done to address this issue locally?
○ Informational workshops and trainings for adults and children to ask about wildfire risk and what resources exist.
○ The County should cut the grass and make sure there is a communication pathway to communicate with residents for an emergency response. +3 ○ In El Granada, we need more training to know what to do and what supplies we need to breathe safely when there is smoke in the air.
○ The County should do more campaigns and information sharing about making sure trash goes in the right areas and the connection to illegal dumping/trash and cigarettes with the increased wildfire risk.
○ We need more information and more workshops like this to know more and how to survive through all of this. Don’t look over us or leave us behind! Other Safety Hazards:
● Other hazards captured from community feedback:
○ Moonridge Apartments
■ Security issues - The security detail at the apartments has been in the news recently. I personally have seen many incidents happen without more police support. I would like to see police circulate more around that place until crime goes down.
■ Power outages - when it goes out for several days with no signal or support on how to communicate with the County in an emergency. I worry about my safety and the safety of my neighbors.
■ Evacuation Routes - we need better emergency exit routes in and out of the community.
○ Electrical fires are a major concern for me.
○ In the Montara community, we suffer a lot when trees fall due to the large amount of rain and the age of the trees in this area. Trees falling also affects our electricity and our telephone communications system. Also, when the trees fall and the power goes out, we lose our food, and it increases our bills for restoration services.
○ In El Granada, the electricity went out for 4 days and they did not help us solve the problem. Our food was spoiled and that was awful.
● Who is impacted?
○ Moonridge Apartments -
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■ Power outages impact how safe and comfortable families feel at home. ■ The shooting that happened last year really impacted me and my children’s mental health significantly. I don’t think we will ever be the same.
■ Moonridge should be made our private and incorporated city or town so that residents could enter safely and feel a sense of support. It has become too big to not do something about everyone’s safety. ■ There is a major danger in the area because of gangs that need to be addressed too.
■ Fire-safe gardens would be an important addition to Moonridge. ○ Our coastal communities include our neighborhood, animals, shopping centers, schools, and daycare facilities.
● What can be done to address these issues locally?
○ In Pescadero, the County should cut the grass more often before it dries so that it does not grow too much.
○ I want to see more sustainable energy systems on the coast and solar lamps so that there is better security at night, and we can have better security and help the planet.
○ More educational workshops and training to address the things we can predict. +6
○ I want more communication with my neighbors to know how we can help each other instead of always waiting for the county.
○ Addressing the lack of light on the coast is really important. Finding alternatives when the power goes out is important too.
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COMMUNITY INPUT REPORT
APPENDIX I: COMMUNITIES OF CONCERN MEETINGS PHASE 2 SUMMARY

PLACEWORKS
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Apr 15, 2024 | North Fair Oaks Safety Element Workshop
CRC Staff in Attendance: Kamille Lang, Alba Cardenas, Theo Gress CBO Partners in Attendance: North Fair Oaks Community Alliance’s Ever Rodriguez, Gabriela Valencia
Meeting Logistics:
● Monday, April 15th, 2025, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
● Workshop hosted at the Fair Oaks Community Center
● Total attendees: 26 residents of North Fair Oaks (11 bilingual English/Spanish speakers, 15 monolingual Spanish speakers)
● Meeting was held exclusively in Spanish
Description: This report summarizes the outcomes of a focus group on the Safety Element Update for the County of San Mateo’s General Plan. It was organized by PlaceWorks in collaboration with Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) and North Fair Oaks Community Alliance (NFOCA) for the Spanish-speaking community within Half Moon Bay and surrounding unincorporated San Mateo County on May 1st, 2025. The primary facilitator was Alba Cardenas (CRC staff).

Participant Demographics:
● All participants were residents of San Mateo County and North Fair Oaks ● All participants were Spanish speakers
Objectives/Purpose:

Major Themes:
● Introducing the General Plan Safety Element.
● Reviewing and ground-truthing state data that highlighted areas in Half Moon Bay and surrounding unincorporated areas that are more disadvantaged or otherwise at risk from safety hazards and issues than the city as a whole.
● Getting resident input on the areas of greatest concern, answering questions the public may have about the topics, the data, and opportunities for participation going forward. ● Assuring workshop attendees that their feedback is important to Climate Resilient Communities and will be shared with the appropriate agencies in San Mateo County to ensure that planning is informed by community feedback. CRC makes this disclaimer at all workshops to build trust with a community who may not usually engage in City and County processing for planning and policy.
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Structure
● The meeting began with a presentation from Climate Resilient Communities that shared the existing data and the state-developed requirements for a Safety Element. ● The second half of the session involved asking participants discussion questions about their community and obtaining details regarding specific concerns surrounding their safety risks. These questions included:
○ Do you believe that these policy concepts are going to tackle dangers and vulnerabilities of priority?
○ Where should we prioritize solutions first and why?
○ What is lacking? What do you want to see San Mateo County do to improve safety and resilience?
Methodology:

Outreach: NFOCA targeted outreach through their community leaders and partnerships.

NFOCA maintains strong connections with individuals in the Spanish-speaking communities in and surrounding North Fair Oaks. For this event’s outreach, NFOCA primarily used word-of-mouth to engage individuals who regularly attend their offerings.

Facilitation: The below agenda explains the general outline of the meeting. It began with an overview of the Safety Element and General Plan Update in San Mateo County before discussing more specific issues that residents of North Fair Oaks have dealt with. The discussion ended with open-ended questions about residents’ needs and desires for policy prioritization through this process. Participants received a $40 gift card upon the return of the feedback survey.

Logistics
Date/Time Venue Food Stipend Childcare
Monday, April 15
1st, 6-7:30 pm
Fair Oaks
Community
Center
Mexican food
from local
restaurant
(Provided by
NFOCA)
$40 gift card per
attendee (must
be 16 years of
age or older)
Provided by
CRC
Agenda
Time Activity Facilitator
5:45 - 6:00 pm Arrival, Food CRC
6:00 - 7:00 pm Presentation & Q&A CRC
7:00 - 7:30 pm Discussion CRC
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Materials Required:

From Venue From CRC From PlaceWorks From NFOCA
● Screen
● HDMI plug in
● Tables and
chairs
● Laptop with
HDMI port (or
AV
connections)
● Feedback
Form (English
and Spanish)
● Slide deck
(English only,
translated by
CRC) (shared
before
workshop)
● Food for
participants
● Stipends
Key Findings
● Residents expressed concerns about slow police and emergency response times in North Fair Oaks, leading to a feeling of neglect and lack of prioritization that is already felt in a number of different ways by the County. ● Flooding, illegal dumping, and lack of proper drainage systems are major issues impacting residents, schools, businesses and transportation in the area. ● The community knows they face significant risks from natural hazards such as wildfires, extreme heat, and poor air quality. They understand these risks disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations like the elderly, disabled, monolingual Spanish speakers
and low-income residents
● There is a lack of effective
communication and coordination
between the County and North
Fair Oaks residents regarding
emergency preparedness,
hazard mitigation, and available
resources
● Housing conditions, including
lack of air conditioning, pest
infestations, and tenant rights
violations, are a pressing
concern for many residents
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Conclusions and Supplementary Recommendations from
Climate Resilient Communities, based on community
feedback
Issue 1: Emergency Response
A central concern expressed during the workshop was emergency response. Residents highlighted the importance of faster response times and more equitable resource allocation to ensure safety in urgent situations. Participants emphasized the need for additional staffing and a dedicated team focused on North Fair Oaks, noting that current response capacity does not fully reflect community needs. Attendees also underscored the importance of open community - both during emergencies and in preparation for them - so that residents receive timely information on hazards, resources, and mitigation efforts. Finally, participants stressed the value of creating ongoing pathways for feedback from community members, leaders, and organizations to strengthen trust and ensure continuous improvement. As a result, CRC has synthesized community feedback into the following recommendations:
● Improve emergency response times and resource allocation in North Fair Oaks by increasing staffing, establishing a dedicated response team, and prioritizing the area’s needs.
● Implement a comprehensive communication plan to ensure timely and accessible information sharing with residents about emergencies, hazard mitigation, and available resources.
● Provide pathways for feedback directly from residents, community leaders and organizations throughout the process of planning and implementation Issue 2: Flood Mitigation
Another significant concern that emerged during the workshop was flood mitigation. Residents shared that recurring flooding - made worse by outdated drainage systems and illegal dumping - creates both safety risks and quality-of-life impacts for the community. Participants emphasized that indeed for a comprehensive assessment of flood-prone areas that they could be involved in to share their neighborhood level insight and experience. They wished to see that coupled with a targeted plan to address problem spots through both infrastructure upgrades and proactive prevention measures. Community members also highlighted the importance of investing in local programs, like North Fair Oaks Community Alliance’s Block Action Teams (BAT), to build neighborhood-level capacity for addressing flooding and illegal dumping. Finally, attendees stressed the value of ongoing evaluation to measure progress, identify gaps, and pursue

CLIMATE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES
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innovative approaches over time. As a result, CRC has amalgamated community feedback into the following recommendations:
● Conduct a thorough assessment of flood-prone areas, drainage systems, and illegal dumping hotspots in North Fair Oaks, and develop a targeted action plan to address these issues.
● Allocate funding for infrastructure improvements, regular maintenance, and community-based programs like Block Action Teams (BAT) to mitigate flooding and illegal dumping.
● Ongoing assessment to measure impact and opportunities for innovation.

Issue 3: Extreme Heat
Another pressing concern expressed during the workshop was the community’s vulnerability to extreme heat and poor housing conditions. Residents emphasized the need for a comprehensive Heat Action Plan that includes cooling centers and shade structures to protect vulnerable groups such as seniors, children, and outdoor workers. Participants also highlighted the trust they have in local organizations - including NFOCA, El Concilio of San Mateo County, PAL Center and CRC - along with residents to come together and implement wildfire risk reduction measures, such as vegetation management, home hardening, and evacuation planning. In addition, attendees noted that tenant protections and healthy housing standards are integral to community resilience, underscoring the need to strengthen enforcement of housing codes and provide resources for pest control and mold remediation. Residents shared an urgency to take action to safeguard health, safety, and quality of life in North Fair Oaks. As a result, CRC has amalgamated community feedback into the following recommendations:
● Develop a comprehensive heat action plan and establish cooling centers and shade structures in North Fair Oaks to protect vulnerable populations during extreme heat events.
● Collaborative with community organizations like NFOCA, El Concilio and CRC along with residents to implement wildfire risk reduction strategies, such as vegetation management, home hardening, and evacuation planning. ● Strengthen tenant rights protections, enforce housing code violations, and provide resources for pest control and mold remediation to improve living conditions in North Fair Oaks.

Meeting Notes
Q&A after PREP Presentation

CLIMATE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES
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● I want to see the issues of North Fair Oaks in the maps. I am tired of not seeing this missing in all the information that the County brings to us. ● I want to see a better communication plan so that the County can ensure that all North Fair Oaks residents are notified as early on as possible when a natural hazard occurs in our neighborhood.
● I believe the County
wants to see us suffer.

WHy else would they
keep denying our
ideas, our formal
proposals and watching
us suffer as these
natural hazards get
worse in NFO? Why
don’t they care?
● I want to see policy and
implementation plans
that reflect listening to
the community and
showing what steps will
be done to train
community members
effectively WELL IN
ADVANCE of a natural disaster.
● There are some things we can predict and others we cannot. Why don’t the County reach out to provide education and resources for the things we can definitely predict?” ● I am willing to collaborate! All I feel I need right now is the approval and support of the County to get it done.
● Observe, orient and act. That is a martial arts principal that I can see being applied to where we are in our community. We have observed enough, suffered plenty and asked for help for so many years. Now the cycle MUST move forward so that we can get the right County staff, CBOs and community leaders working together to advance the health and safety of North Fair Oaks.
● The County has to admit where they went wrong to accept where we are and what needs to be done in the community.
● The fire department incident command structure is broken. Look at the cause of the fire and how many suffer without a response from the fire department. It took 57 minutes for them to respond… why is that the way it is here and not in Redwood City? I want to see answers, admittance of what went wrong and action.
● This area is forgotten and they are used to having folks hit the ground running and solve the problem within the community. I am grateful that so many in the community want to 656
rise up and take action but this only enables the County to continue with inaction. We are giving them what they want when we try to work around them and without the County’s support. There isn’t a need for them to get involved because they don’t feel the problem along with us.
● We need to do something about CHP managing the crosswalks in North Fair Oaks.

Nothing gets done when it is at that high of a level and removed from the community that walks these streets daily and relies on them for safety.

Roundtable Discussion Activity Notes
Extreme Heat
● Where does it happen in North Fair Oaks?
○ Everywhere
○ Small businesses in Middlefield
○ Apartments at Roosevelt & El Camino, Curtis & Huntington (near railway tracks) ○ EVERYWHERE
○ Up and down Middlefield
○ This impacts the entire community, due to the lack of trees. There is no shade and people are at increased risk.
● Who is impacted?
○ Those who are physically disabled and cannot relocated safety to a cooling center
○ The whole community, especially more densely housed members and retired or folks who work from home
○ EVERYONE +3
○ ELDERLY +2
○ Pets +2
○ Families with little economic access and income. They end up renting and living in buildings that do not have the resources needed to be protected against extreme heat like A/C units.
○ Older adults and children
○ The entire community affected but mainly the homeless, the elderly, children, pets and the plants that make up our community suffer the most ● What can be done to address this?
○ Community spaces as cooling stations
○ Training/outreach on heat relief
○ Fixing the lack of open spaces, for example adding more shade structures to Friendship Park and all parks in North Fair Oaks
○ Block Act Teams! We are done waiting for County support!! ○ Shade/cover from the sun along all bus stops
○ Plant more trees! Work with Canopy to advance their work throughout North Fair Oaks
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○ Community education
○ Unifying the community so that they are organized, committed and have a direct line of communication with the County
○ Keeping community members actively informed of predictable weather conditions, providing resources to be prepared with proper ventilation in their homes, lots of extra water in the home, etc.
○ Take care of the environment, plant more trees, open more places where people can go to shelter on extreme days, more shade in the bus stops, to prepare you to know what to do.
○ Providing air condition in homes, especially during the hot season Flooding
● Where does this happen in North Fair Oaks?
○ Fairfield School
○ 2nd Ave, tends to flood (street dip and has no good drainage system) +4 ■ Fair Oaks at 2nd Ave
○ Bay Road: very close to schools, makes it hard for kids to walk in the area +1 ○ Specific road hazards on 2nd & Middlefield near Casa Circulo and El Gurellense ○ Trailer park area and Bayside
○ On Northumberland by St. Francis Center and the surrounding neighborhood ○ On 5th Ave, especially on the lower slope. So much flooding there!! +3 ○ Broadway +2
○ Close to the channel
○ Page Street,
○ Rolison Ave near Broadway
○ On Spring Street between 9th and 10th ave
● Who is impacted?
○ On 2nd Street: residents, schools, small business, non-profit, clinic, SamTrans/buses + 1
○ Bay Road - mostly residents and schools
○ Residents who live on or near those streets +3
○ Senior citizens +2
○ People who walk their pets, relatives th
○ At visit those homes
○ Those who are reliant on their vehicle to transport them from home in these neighborhoods to work
○
● What can be done to address this issue?
○ Clean out drains BEFORE it rains +3
■ Want to see drains being cleaned before, during and after it rains ○ Send County crews or BAT (NFOCA Block Action Teams) to provide support and resources
658

○ FUNDING IS NEEDED to resolve these issues affecting residents, school openings, small businesses +1
○ Drainage assessment
○ Sewer inspections
○ Better signage that provides ongoing awareness in flood prone areas ○ Affordable resources to prepare and address the impacts after it has happened ○ Alert system and communication of areas to avoid
○ County commitment to support prevention +2
○ Sandbag distribution prior to severe weather events along with information on where to get more LOCALLY and not across and into Redwood City ○ The County must take action and that cannot be done without the community ○ The County must pay attention to the needs of NFO and resolve them as best as possible. This can be done by updating the sewage infrastructure. Keep the ones that already are helping, fix the ones that will enable for cleaner streets, hire NFO community members to see more representation from NFO in the County’s improvements in NFO
○ They can put more water containers so that the water does not settle in the areas where it always floods
Wildfire Risk
● Where does this happen in North Fair Oaks?
○ Near Atherton border
○ Everywhere
○ Around 101 near the marsh
○ At 280 in the Woodside area
○ Near highways and major roadways where there is dry grass and a lot of cars driving by
○ 84 highway
○ Hoover School, Woodside High School
● Who is impacted?
○ The whole community +6
○ Our most vulnerable community members
○ Industrial areas handling chemicals, explosives that cause fires ○ Trains with harmful cargo with a risk of draining/exploding into the North Fair Oaks neighborhoods that are by the train tracks
○ Veterans that live near the train tracks
○ All of us suffer from smoke and poor air pollution
○ Pets
○ Homeowners
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○ The homeless population
○ Children
● What can be done to address this issue locally?
○ Create strategies with outcome data or analytics that can prevent bad or thoughtless solutions from happening
○ BAT Program implementation +6
○ More collaborative community response
○ More frequent and regular community clean ups
○ Managing dry grass +4
○ Check the trees and take down what is no longer useful +2 ○ Better illegal dumping pick up program so that there is less abandoned furniture and garbage around homes and near apartments
○ Do community assessments to see where there is highest risk and create priorities based on that assessment
Other Safety Hazards:
● Other hazards captured from community feedback
○ Communication Pathways with the County
■ Better communication and coordination between entities for response ■ The community doesn’t see the interest and timely response from County Personal as a whole
■ Remove the terms that sound like a lawyer would say it. Show up like a neighbor and take care of this community!
■ We need more action and education. The community is ready to learn and participate but we need responses and actions to do what needs to be done NOW!
○ Law enforcement
■ Crime!
■ Lack of or delayed response from Sheriff or emergency responders ■ The community doesn’t see the interest and timely response from County Personal as a whole
○ Homelessness
■ the misunderstanding, lack of education and lack of mental health resources provided
○ Transportation Routes and Safety
■ Speedings cars on certain streets is a long standing problem in the community
■ We need a bridge from the clinic to Redwood City target 660
■ Major issues at Fair Oaks and Hampshire Street intersection. Needs County intervention for solutions.
○ Housing
■ Houses and apartments that do not have A/C and HVAC systems ■ In the place I am renting, the owner changed everything without any notice or request for feedback from the tenants. My brother also lives in NFO in a place that did the same thing. The floors were completely destroyed and the conditions were miserable but there was no pressure from the landlord to address it.
■ There are clone organizations that have no stakes in protecting tenants rights in North Fair Oaks
■ Our community needs more training on how to clean mold. So many of us do not know what to do or how to address this issue.
■ Policy that protects tenants. For many years I have lived here, seen all these problems and absolutely no solutions.
■ There are so many homes infested with cockroaches. There is no help or support for dealing with this!
■ We need help dealing with rants, ants, mosquitos, bed bugs, other pests and mold in our homes. Especially for renters!
■ I don’t hear the County talk about the mad conditions in the buildings. I fear constantly of increasing rent or eviction and have no support system for being prepared for that.
■ Addressing the needs and concerns of the Second Ave Woodside Apartments
○ Illegal Dumping
■ At Hampshire Street, it is always full of trash. We call to report it and the County never does anything about it. Why is that?
■ Excessive garbage problem with Hampshine, Oakside and North Fair Oaks roads affected. The community is concerned and tired of carrying the burden of solution
● Who is impacted?
○ Seniors and people living alone +3
○ People on dark/poorly lit streets
○ All of our community members
○ Neighbors and park goers where unhoused persons stay
○ All neighbors on the affected streets
○ Young women and girls are more impacted then men in the community when it comes to safety
○ The buildings on 9th Ave and North Fair Oaks are most affected ○ Those with chronic health conditions, especially those that impact their lungs and heart
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● What can be done to address these issues locally?
○ More lights in neighborhoods
○ Deeper community engagement and follow through
○ More parks and green spaces
○ Walkable streets
○ More police presence
○ Learn and engagement with the SMC Mobile Crisis Hotline Response Team (mental health clinician and peer specialists)
○ Communicate evacuation plans to people and enable/empower community teams like BAT and CRNFO
○ Improving police response times
○ Have illegal dumping and tree planting programs be free so that residents can access it
○ More support and resources to control the homeless population ○ Pay attention to what is going on in the parks
○ Make sure that there is safe transportation for the homeless to move around the community
○ We hope for your return with answers. We want action and help agencies and organization and can really support us here in our community. ○ You cannot allow for a $2500/month one-bedroom apartment to be in that condition. I don’t know what we can do but this needs to stop. ○ Inviting and directly engaging folks so that the community meetings are near where real people you are trying to to reach live
○ Put yourself in our shoes, wouldn’t you want answers by now? ○ Explain yourselves - what is the factory where Malibu was and what is that smoke?
○ Create collaborative community education campaigns that have the goal of more civic awareness
○ Begin to dismantle the class system that has historically and continuously leaves us behind. Enough!!
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Report Back - Reflections from Participants
● A lot of the same issues we have seen in North Fair Oaks for a long time. For example the police response time here. Depending on where you are in North Fair Oaks, the police either do not respond or take way too long to reach out. ● I am noticing the power of our community and the shared heart that wants to help each other make things happen. This feels like a community that truly cares, despite the burden the County allows for us to bear.
● We have big neighborly commitment and we want to make sure we are actively reviewing how the County is addressing the historical injustices and negative impact they have had when they do not prioritize North Fair Oaks.
● As neighbors who live here in North Fair Oaks, it is frustrating to see how much money comes into the County without any of that moving into actionable projects in North Fair Oaks.
● I am grateful to have and be surrounded in a community who cares despite the burden it is to carry the advocating energy I feel in this room.
● It is incumbent upon the County to make communication more reliable, relatable and accessible to the folks that the information is meant to be shared with. You end up putting so many folks at risk when continuing a cycle of posting resources on the website that are not translated, not informative and demonstrate that lack of priority in this community to provide essential and life saving services. ● NFOCA’s BAT program should be funded by the County and a template of resilience that can be utilized across San Mateo County’s unincorporated areas. 663
May 1, 2025 6:00 PM | Half Moon Bay Safety Element Focus Group
CRC Staff in Attendance: Jackie Duprey, Kamille Lang, Lina Karamali Meeting Logistics:
● Tuesday, May 1st, 2025, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
● Workshop hosted at the Half Moon Bay Library
● Total attendees: 22 residents of Half Moon Bay and surrounding unincorporated areas
● Meeting was held exclusively in Spanish
Description: This report summarizes the outcomes of a focus group on the Safety Element Update for the County of San Mateo’s General Plan. It was organized by PlaceWorks in collaboration with Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) and Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) for the Spanish-speaking community within Half Moon Bay and surrounding unincorporated San Mateo County on May 1st, 2025. The primary facilitator was Jackie Duprey (CRC staff).

Participant Demographics:
● All participants were
residents of San Mateo
County
● All participants were
Spanish speakers
Objectives/Purpose:

Structure
● The meeting began with a presentation from Climate Resilient Communities that shared the existing data and the state-developed requirements for a Safety Element. ● The second half of the session involved asking participants discussion questions about their community and obtaining details regarding specific concerns surrounding their safety risks. These questions included:
○ Do you believe that these policy concepts are going to tackle dangers and vulnerabilities of priority?
○ Where should we prioritize solutions first and why?
○ What is lacking? What do you want to see San Mateo County do to improve safety and resilience?
Methodology:

Outreach: ALAS conducted
targeted outreach through their
community leaders and
partnerships. ALAS maintains
strong connections with
individuals in the
Spanish-speaking communities in
and surrounding Half Moon Bay.

For this event’s outreach, ALAS
primarily used word-of-mouth to
engage individuals who regularly
attend their offerings.

Facilitation: The below agenda
explains the general outline of
the meeting. It began with an
overview of the Safety Element
and General Plan Update in Half Moon Bay and San Mateo County before discussing more specific issues that residents of Half Moon Bay and surrounding unincorporated areas have dealt with. The discussion ended with open-ended questions about residents’ needs and desires for policy prioritization through this process. Participants received a $40 gift card upon the return of the feedback survey.

Logistics
Date/Time Venue Food Stipend Childcare
665
666
667
668
■ Yes
■ They need to have help
■ It’s important to participate in the process, but they need to be untied and have these ideas together, so it’s good that we have these meetings ○ Where should we prioritize solutions first and why?
■ The problem right now is in air contamination for this community, especially from fires
■ Earthquakes are also a major worry, as well as forest fires ■ How can we prevent contamination in the air, because you can’t see or feel it?
■ Taking steps for safety at home, with the family
■ More potable water sources in public because the water quality is not always good
● When you have bottled water, the plastic can contaminate the water, especially if it’s in the sun
■ More trash bins in public areas
■ Where are they going to go in the case of a disaster? There are very limited routes
■ Planting trees
○ What else? What should the County know?
■ Parks to go with the family and for the kids
● The parks that are there have broken playgrounds, etc. ● Construct a big and pretty park – Mexico is poor but they still have parks there
■ More trees
■ In Moonridge there are not areas that are safe for kids, because of the air and lack of green spaces
■ In Moonridge there is never any parking, the electricity goes out for days or weeks at a time, and the cars get damaged when it rains Appendix 1: Post-Workshop Feedback Survey Results
Total Surveys Completed: 22
669
Q1: I learned information that is useful to me (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree) Q2: I have a better understanding of what my community’s vulnerabilities and concerns are (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)
670
Q3: I have gained new perspective about issues that may exist in my community (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)
Q4: The format of the meeting worked well for me (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree) Q6: What key points are you taking away from today’s meeting? ● We learned about disasters
● Addressing and preventing natural disasters
● About disasters and the needs of the community
● Listening to the people in the group and that we are going to help the community ● Air contamination
● Key points about disasters
● About planting more trees, the roads have potholes, more traffic lights… ● Water and preventing natural disasters
671
● About the disasters in the community and getting help from the County ● That we can work together to have a community that is more safe and clean ● The key points around earthquakes
● Learning to give value to the planet regarding environmental contamination ● Creating awareness and agreement about climate change ● The importance of taking care of the environment
● Sharing and knowing those who attended the meeting. The workshop is very important. ● That there can be different programs for the county
● Learning about disasters and the needs of my community, and that we can work as a community
● About climate change
● We learned about natural disasters and the priority
Q7: What are your top two (2) priorities and solutions for your community in the next year? ● Potable water and contamination
● That they work on completing projects that we talk about ● Pedestrian crossings
● More pedestrian traffic lights, and the traffic
● More trash cans, less contamination. Start setting an example ● That they complete the plans that we talk about
● Parks and planting trees
● To put more trash cans in public areas
● Cleanups and about the environmental air
● Raise awareness in my family about taking care of the environment, and one day per month doing a cleaning of the community
● Working with the example of starting at home and one day contributing to cleaning public areas
● Cleaning public areas
● Parking lots and safety
● Awareness and air contamination
● More parks
● The first priority is flooding and not littering, and that the city provide cleaning of sewers.

The second is the air in the environment
● More pedestrian traffic lights, and putting more trash cans in public areas ● That they plan with all the desires and needs that we share Appendix 2: Participant Notes During Discussion

1. Work by example; start at home with the family to increase awareness

2. Recreational parks

3. Plant trees

4. A community cleanup day
672

5. Fountains of potable water to not use bottled water

6. More trash cans in public areas

7. More pedestrian crossing lights

8. Fix roads to avoid accidents that cause traffic

9. A pedestrian bridge on highway 92 (Lemos Farm)

10. Security cameras to prevent delinquency
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May 4, 2025 1:00 PM | Pescadero Safety Element Focus Group CRC Staff in Attendance: Alba Cardenas, Kamille Lang, Lina Karamali Meeting Logistics:
● Tuesday, May 4th, 2025, 1:00 - 2:45 pm
● Workshops hosted at the Pescadero Middle School
● Total attendees: 18 total residents of Pescadero and surrounding unincorporated areas
● A meeting held exclusively in Spanish was held concurrently with a meeting held exclusively in English
Description: This report
summarizes the outcomes of two
focus groups on the Safety
Element Update for the County of
San Mateo’s General Plan. They
were organized by PlaceWorks in
collaboration with Climate
Resilient Communities (CRC) and
Arriba South Coast for both the
Spanish- and English-speaking
communities within Pescadero
and surrounding unincorporated
areas on May 4th, 2025. The
primary facilitator for the Spanish
workshop was Alba Cardenas
(CRC staff), and the primary
facilitator for the English workshop was Kamille Lang (CRC staff).

Participant Demographics:
● All participants were residents of Pescadero and surrounding unincorporated areas Objectives/Purpose:

Major Themes:
● Introducing the General Plan Safety Element.
● Reviewing and ground-truthing state data that highlighted areas in Pescadero and surrounding unincorporated areas that are more disadvantaged or otherwise at risk from safety hazards and issues than the city as a whole.
674
● Getting resident input on the
areas of greatest concern,
answering questions the
public may have about the
topics, the data, and
opportunities for participation
going forward.
● Assuring workshop attendees
that their feedback is
important to Climate Resilient
Communities and will be
shared with the appropriate
agencies in San Mateo
County to ensure that
planning is informed by
community feedback. CRC
makes this disclaimer at all workshops to build trust with a community who may not usually engage in City and County processing for planning and policy.

Structure
● The workshop began with a presentation from Climate Resilient Communities that provided exposure to the existing data and the state developed requirements for a Safety Element.
● The second half of the session involved asking participants discussion questions about their community and obtaining details regarding specific concerns about safety risks.

These questions included:
○ Do you believe that these policy
concepts are going to tackle dangers and
vulnerabilities of priority?
○ Where should we prioritize solutions
first and why?
○ What is lacking? What do you want
to see San Mateo County do to improve safety and
resilience?
Methodology:

Outreach: Arriba South Coast conducted targeted
outreach through their community leaders and
partnerships. Arriba issued personal invitations to
people who attended the initial 2024 workshop,
people active in other preparedness/resilience
projects, and residents from remote neighborhoods
across the unincorporated South Coast. Arriba also distributed flyers and digital invitations 675
through Puente to the Spanish-speaking community, announced the event on Pescadero Public Radio and at the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council, and shared it online through newsletters, NextDoor posts, and local club message boards.

Facilitation: The below agenda explains the general outline of the meeting. It began with an overview of the Safety Element and General Plan Update in San Mateo County before discussing more specifically issues that residents of Pescadero and surrounding unincorporated areas have dealt with. The discussion ended with open-ended questions about residents’ needs and desires for policy prioritization through this process. Participants received a $40 Visa gift card upon the return of the feedback survey.

Logistics
Date/Time Venue Food Stipend Childcare
Sunday, May
4th, 1 - 2:45 pm
Pescadero
Middle School
Burritos, salads,
and sandwiches
from local
restaurants
(Provided by
Arriba)
$40 Visa gift
card per
attendee (must
be 16 years of
age or older)
N/A
Agenda
Time Activity Facilitator
12:45 - 1:00 pm Arrival, Food CRC
1:00 - 2:00 pm Presentation & Q&A CRC
2:00 - 2:45 pm Discussion CRC
Materials Required:

From Venue From CRC From PlaceWorks From Arriba
● Screen
● HDMI plug in
● Tables and
chairs
● Laptop with
HDMI port (or
AV
connections)
● Feedback
Form (English
and Spanish)
● Slide deck
(English only,
translated by
CRC) (shared
before
workshop)
● Food for
participants
● Stipends
Key Findings
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● Attendees shared serious concerns about disaster preparedness, flooding and other weather-related disasters, and communication.
● Residents expressed frustration around frequent and lengthy power outages that result in an inability to communicate or receive updates due to lack of cell and radio signals.
● They also discussed the challenges that arise when roads close, including due to flooding.
● Additionally, attendees shared that they felt unprepared for hazards or disasters when they do occur, and that when they did gather at emergency points there were no available resources to support them.
● Finally, residents shared that trainings and classes are essential resources that they need, including around how to take care of children. They stated that being issued certificates of trainings (such as CPR, CERT, etc.) would help them feel more confident and ensure a uniformity of knowledge.

Conclusions and Supplementary Recommendations from
Climate Resilient Communities, based on community
feedback
Issue 1: Emergency Communication and Knowledge
Residents of Pescadero and surrounding unincorporated areas communicate that they deserve timely and accessible information about emergencies, hazard mitigation, and available resources. They feel like they do not know what to do in case of emergencies and that they are overlooked by existing safety infrastructure due to accessibility issues, including language barriers. As a result, CRC amalgamates community feedback to share the following recommendations:
● Implementing a multi-channel communication strategy that reaches all community members, including those with limited internet access or language barriers. This would include multiple systems such as opt-in texting, visual signage on roads and in public areas, and testing to ensure that these systems work, along with practice days to make sure residents are aware of and bought into these systems. ● Organizing locally-led practice scenario days, with funding and support from the County, to test the communication plan and allow residents to familiarize themselves with emergency procedures.
● Establish direct feedback channels for residents, community leaders, and local CBOs throughout the planning and implementation process. This might include the establishment of a task force, advisory committee, or other community-led leadership 677
opportunity for those who are most passionate about being a part of the development of this resource.
● Providing comprehensive and uniform materials to residents in various languages listing supplies they should have on hand in case of emergencies and how to prepare their homes for disasters, as well as overhauling existing materials to ensure they contain all relevant information and are accessible to community members. ● Support City and County paid staff positions hiring individuals who live in these communities to organize more localized trainings at times/places that are convenient for working people, including providing stipends, childcare, and transit so that attending is not a burden.
● Ensure that trainings provide information on how adults can protect themselves and their children in situations of emergency or extreme weather/natural disaster events, and that they are issued certificates for these trainings following a certain level of knowledge to ensure a high standard of knowledge uniformly among participants. ● Support and align with efforts such as the Thrive Alliance Community Organizations Active in Disaster committees working to address specific preparedness issues for older adults, those with Access and Functional Needs, and families with children.

Issue 2: Resources During Outages/Disasters
Attendees reported frequent and lengthy power outages that have massive impacts on their daily lives, including losing all cell service, experiencing difficulties obtaining food, and a lack of resources when residents do follow safety procedures, such as gathering at specific locations.

As a result, CRC amalgamates community feedback to share the following recommendations:
● Ensuring resources are stored at emergency gathering points, such as community centers and the local schools, including non-perishable food, blankets, water, generators, and other supplies.
● Providing subsidies for residents to obtain personal generators (fuel or solar) and backup battery storage systems so that the impacts of outages are not so severe. ● Working with PG&E and cell service providers to ensure more communication surrounding outages and putting backup plans in place so that residents are not cut off from all communication and resources in the case of outages. ● Increase direct funding to support and expand operations at Pescadero Public Radio Service (KPDO) in order to: add a translator station in La Honda to cover the entire south coast; train and pay Spanish-language announcers; and instate Starlink or similar backup option in case the broadband connection goes down. ● Supporting local efforts to secure grant funding for developing and maintaining Neighborhood Resilience Centers, including training for resident area captains, procurement of emergency supplies, and regular awareness and educational events to build community capacity for self-sufficiency.

Issue 3: Flooding and Other Weather-Related Disasters
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Residents of Pescadero and surrounding unincorporated areas suffer from the impacts of flooding and other weather-related disasters. As a result of these phenomena, residents are often unable to go about their daily lives and responsibilities, and the prevalence of roads that often only have two lanes and serve as primary through-ways for the community makes detours difficult. Residents’ routes are also sometimes disrupted by heavy tourist loads and a lack of infrastructure to handle these issues. Given the Pescadero area’s vulnerability to extreme weather and ongoing community concerns regarding their safety, CRC amalgamates community feedback to share the following recommendations:
● Conducting a thorough assessment of flood-prone areas, especially in central Pescadero. This assessment would include in-person tours to investigate drainage systems, along with developing a targeted action plan to address these issues first on these streets and then adapting the plan for the rest of the community. ● Developing and widely disseminating clear, actionable plans for residents on what to do before, during and after flooding events. This may also be included in the aforementioned practice scenario days.
● Implementing more nature-based solutions for flood abatement, such as creek/river restoration, native plant restoration efforts, watershed scale planning efforts, and installation of rain gardens or more water-absorbent landscaping. ● Regularly assessing the impact of flood mitigation efforts to measure impact and exploring opportunities for innovative solutions.
● Creating a mobile ramp or bridge to serve as a backup for infrastructure failures so that even in cases of flooding residents can still go about their lives. ● Issuing a method of granting locals priority access when roads are closed (e.g., a “local” card that residents can display in vehicles so they can get access to alternate routes).

Community-Supported Emergent Project: Pescadero to Sea
Initiative
CRC urges the County to proactively partner with Arriba South Coast to advance the Pescadero to Sea Trail Exploration Project from planning to implementation within the next two years, aligning with the adoption of both the Safety and Environmental Justice Elements. This project has consistently been part of the narrative from communities in multiple engagement areas, including during this workshop and at other tabling events. The community has expressed excitement about this project that seems like a valuable opportunity for them.

The Pescadero to Sea initiative stands as a transformative opportunity to address long standing community needs. By connecting downtown Pescadero to the coast through a safe, accessible, and multi-benefit trail, this project directly responds to community feedback gathered throughout the Safety Element update process. Residents have consistently voiced the need for safer routes, improved access to recreational spaces, and meaningful action on flood mitigation and 679
habitat restoration. The Pescadero to Sea project is uniquely positioned to deliver on all these fronts.

Partnering with Arriba South Coast will enable the County to:
● Advance Environmental Justice: The trail will increase equitable access to open space and nature for historically underserved residents, addressing disparities in health, mobility, and recreation.
● Enhance Community Safety: By providing a dedicated, multi-modal route, the project will reduce pedestrian and cyclist risk along hazardous roadways, directly addressing critical safety concerns.
● Support Nature-Based Solutions: Integrating flood mitigation and habitat restoration into trail design will help safeguard the community from climate impacts while enhancing local ecosystems.
● Demonstrate Tangible Progress: Moving this project into implementation within the next two years will show the County’s commitment to turning community feedback into visible, lasting improvements.

CRC strongly recommends that the County formalize its partnership with Arriba South Coast, leveraging their local expertise and groundwork, and pursue joint funding opportunities. By doing so, the County can ensure that the vision for a safe, beautiful, and resilient Pescadero to Sea trail becomes a reality-delivering on both the Safety and Environmental Justice Elements and setting a model for community-driven action.

Meeting Notes
● What brought them to the workshop?
○ Floods and fires and tsunami risk, fear and wanting to learn/prepare ○ All of the issues they face in the community
○ They need help because there are not good living conditions and they don’t have good ways to stay safe in the case of disasters
○ To learn more
○ Having kids in school it’s extra difficult and sometimes there is no power and they can’t go to school or get groceries
○ Wanting to know what to do in case of fires, floods
● Most of them work outside - it always depends on the boss whether they have to stay outside in dangerous conditions
○ Important to take precautions when it comes to smoke and working outside ○ Luckily not too many pests so they aren’t exposed to as many chemicals as they used to be
● They’re always told to go to the high school in cases of emergencies but when they do, there is nothing there like places to sleep or anything to eat or resources ● What would work is establishing energy systems b/c when it rains or is very hot the power goes out a lot
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○ Sometimes two or three weeks without electricity
○ Having a generator for electricity would be a great idea ○ Food spoils too in these conditions
○ Electricity is one of the most important priorities
○ Without electricity there is also no communication so it would be great to have a community center with power
○ Would be good to have a training with how to be ready, what to have in an emergency kit
○ Radio signal here is really bad, even if you’re prepared with a radio it doesn’t do much, you don’t get any stations
■ And the only ones that work are in English
○ If there’s no electricity AT&T doesn’t work, only Verizon works (not the best but better than the alternative)
○ Lots of areas don’t have good cell signal and some areas only have AT&T ○ A participant using T-Mobile reported only being able to use cell phones with wifi ○ Puente does send updates, but without electricity they can’t see any of the information anyway
○ If every person could have a generator that would be incredibly helpful but it’s still not really possible with the price – need some support/discount ● How can we motivate others?
○ Need to be positive about potential impact
● It always floods in central Pescadero
● It would be helpful to put a ramp or bridge over the river so people can leave and/or so the water can drain
○ They dig but it’s not sufficient
○ In the past when it floods people can’t come or go so it’s difficult for them ○ Maybe there could be a movable bridge so it can be moved when it doesn’t rain ● Even when there are trainings for things like CPR, they don’t give you a certificate ○ They feel more prepared, but it makes them feel safer to have a certificate ○ They don’t really get to practice that much in the classes, at least not as much as in a class where you actually get certified
○ It feels really important to have this knowledge to be able to help others and save your family if the need arises
○ Even if adults feel prepared to help themselves/each other, they need more preparation to be able to help the children
○ Not many people attended the classes that exist
○ Exposure to information is essential, but practice is even more important to feel prepared to help others, especially children
● In 2022 it was really difficult because the high school was an evacuation point but there were no resources
○ People decided it was better to go elsewhere because there wasn’t anything here ○ Really important to prepare these locations for emergencies (trailer, closet, generators, storage container, blankets, etc.)
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○ Haven’t seen any improvements/changes
○ In 1998, the county did help, but in 2022 they didn’t – just firefighters ● What are the top priorities?
○ Communication systems
○ Creating a bridge over the river/flooding
● Excessive snow and excessive wind are missing from the list of hazards; unusual for South Skyline to get heavy snow and people are not equipped to drive on snowy roads; heavy winds are a more frequent problem. Both types of weather highlight the area’s increasing vulnerability to impacts of changing climate. ● Road Safety: Rural roads used for high speed tourist traffic. Car accidents are a major hazard because of lack of medical services in the area, and long response times for emergency personnel. Residents are often first on-scene and need more training in advanced first aid.
● Road Safety is also compromised by excessive tourist traffic loads. In an emergency, non-locals have no idea what to do or what the evacuation routes are. ● In a major disaster, local services are not prepared to also support hundreds of extra people who might be trapped in the area.
● Locals would like priority access when roads are closed for weather-related disasters. ○ Idea: Comment that some neighborhoods along Highway 17 in Santa Cruz County have “Local” card that residents can display in vehicles so that they can get access to alternate routes.
● Animal evacuation plans/protocols are also an area of concern. ● Lack of enough first responders with local knowledge. When local crews get called away to serve other disasters, substitute crews are not familiar enough with roads and landmarks.
● PG&E is a huge challenge. Utility crews and their contractors often do not know which roads are not suitable for their large trucks. They get stuck or damage people’s driveways because equipment is too heavy. Residents want a better way for the County to communicate with utilities and other contractors which roads are suitable, or require them to use pilot cars.
○ Idea: Improve maps of local road limitations and make sure the County shares maps with any public works contractors.
○ Idea: Put additional signage on roads. Some private road owners do this but it’s not consistent. County needs to also put more signage on public roads. ● In 2016 or 2017, CalFire and La Honda Fire Brigade compiled a new GIS mapping database for several South Coast neighborhoods to assist with fire response. This dataset cannot be shared due to privacy agreement, and it may be quite outdated. ○ What can be done to update this map layer, make sure all neighborhoods are included, and then use it to help with road signage or evacuation planning? ● Trust is a big issue – resident to County, and sometimes neighbor-to-neighbor. ● We have a small pool of volunteers and there’s a loss of institutional knowledge whenever someone moves or passes away.
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● This area is very diverse. There’s a big difference between people who live on big parcels vs those who live in small cabins in the trees vs those who live in “town-like places.” Every area needs different solutions.
● Need to make it easier for people to find information on how they can help their neighbors. CERT classes and other trainings need to be very localized to the neighborhood/terrain that they serve.
● Need more neighborhood self-organization in the more remote areas, instead of relying on a CERT team activated by the fire station or County. ● Middleton Tract specifically wants more funding or direct provision of earthquake supplies, fire hoses, etc because they know they will get completely cut off. ● The better a neighborhood is prepared, the less the County has to do so it can save resources for other areas.
● Pescadero is not a mono-geography.
● BUT neighborhoods tend to be very inconsistent about self-organizing, especially if neighbors don’t get along, and this isn’t usually captured in any dataset. ● Need to have some sort of Service-Level-Agreement between the organized neighborhood groups and the County to ensure resilience is achieved. ● Another challenge is what defines the “neighborhood” given that many houses are too isolated to be considered neighbors. The Genesys zone maps don’t necessarily correspond to what people actually call their neighborhood. ● The problem is also that a lot of us wear many hats and it's hard to choose what to focus on. We are spread very thin and we need more county services and more emergency response staff.
● Refresher courses more often and more specific topics of hazards we are likely to encounter.
● Better communications: Email should only be a backup/secondary option; NextDoor works, people under 30 prefer direct text; Flyers and big signs/banners at major intersections work to get people’s attention. SMC alerts still aren’t working well enough/aren’t specific or timely enough
● Infrastructure maintenance, esp. on roads close to the creek where erosion is already apparent; clogged culverts; County needs to cut brush along roadsides more frequently because cyclists go out into vehicle lanes when brush encroaches on the shoulder. ● Do more triage and cut before the bad plants go to seed. ● County does road maintenance but is not good at prevention. ● Power resiliency has to be different based on individual needs. A single backup solution is not resilient.
● Simplify permitting for ground-mounted solar so more people can get it. ● Resilience needs to include solutions for all populations. Don’t divide the community by blaming people for living in a rural place.
● Safety Element needs to recognize that South Coast bears the “wear and tear” of being the playground for the rest of the County.
● County officials need to come out here more often to understand what we live through, and that we can’t just “run down to Target” to get emergency supplies. 683
● Build better relationships and institutionalize how we communicate Appendix 1: Post-Workshop Feedback Survey Results
Total Surveys Completed: 22
Q1: I learned information that is useful to me (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree) Q2: I have a better understanding of what my community’s vulnerabilities and concerns are (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)
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Q3: I have gained new perspective about issues that may exist in my community (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)
Q4: The format of the meeting worked well for me (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree) Q6: What key points are you taking away from today’s meeting? ● Flooding and fires
● The need for greater coordination and collaboration among various neighborhoods/communities on the South Coast. The need for greater county resources (physical and monetary) to create resiliency.
● About flooding and storms
● Knowledge of community organizations to look for more info. The importance of working together with the complete coastside area for solutions. 685
● Around flooding
● The matter of fires
● Badge for locals to reenter during emergency
● There is a very diverse community in the county
● Cell towers and generators
● I found this encouraging to see/hear what my county is wanting to learn how to help our community and is curious to learn what our challenges are ● Look at how to better communicate emergency preparedness events and information.

Look at more events in Pescadero area
● Neighbors collaboration, planning and preparing, mobilizing resources ● The key is personal participation in the CRC group
● We work well in our individual communities, we need better structured/organized communities
● Cell towers, preparation for children, and generators if possible Q7: What are your top two (2) priorities and solutions for your community in the next year? ● Electricity and communication
● Petition county for better roadside/road maintenance. Continue to work toward building community resilience hubs on the South Coast
● About electricity and communication
● Better communication within our community and include those outside our immediate area
● Communication, a movable bridge
● Preparation for Pescadero
● Fire, flood
● Communication and household appliances
● A bridge in flood areas
● Road conditions, emergency prep
● 1) We need to have county point people in the county who can help our individual communities connect to resources -> e.g. preemptive fixes to erosion and clogged culverts along roads. 2) Create a strategic roadside mowing and maintenance (but NO herbicide!) 3) how to get updated signage for properties (addresses, turn-arounds ahead, limitations on what size of large trucks, etc.)
● Increase number of involved volunteers in each neighborhood, reach more residents ● Communications, energy resilience
● The organization of a bridge as soon as possible
● A better coded map with hard-to-reach communities (particular hazards). Do NOT mandate electric appliances or power banks (more options) 686
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PENINSULA RESILIENCE PLANNING

COMMUNITY INPUT REPORT
APPENDIX J: EAST PALO ALTO COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY
March 2026
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East Palo Alto Safety Element Focus Groups Summary
CRC Staff in Attendance: Lesley Lopez, Lina Karamali, Kamille Lang, Alba Cárdenas Focus Group Logistics:
● Thursday, June 26th (Spanish monolingual), Tuesday, July 15th (English monolingual), and Thursday July 17th (Samoan/Tongan interpretation), 2025, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
● Three separate focus group sessions hosted at the East Palo Alto YMCA ● Total attendees for all three workshops: about 50 residents of East Palo Alto ● The three focus groups were held in Spanish, English, and English with Samoan/Tongan interpretation as needed, respectively
● Focus group capacity was set to no more than 15 residents per session to ensure in depth and active conversation
Description: This report summarizes the outcomes of three focus groups on the Safety Element Update for the City of East Palo Alto’s General Plan. It was organized by Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) in collaboration with the City of East Palo Alto and PlaceWorks for the linguistically diverse communities within East Palo Alto in June and July of 2025. The primary facilitators were Kamille Lang and Alba Cárdenas (CRC staff), with translation to Samoan/Tongan provided as needed by Anamatangi Polynesian Voices.

Participant Demographics:
● All participants were residents of
East Palo Alto
Objectives/Purpose:

Major Themes:
● Overview of the General Plan
Safety Element
● Reviewing state data that
highlighted areas in East Palo Alto
that are more disadvantaged or
otherwise at risk from safety
hazards and issues than the city
as a whole
● Getting resident input on the areas
of greatest concern, answering
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questions about the topics, the data, and opportunities for participation going forward ● Specifically asking about toxic sites/contamination, earthquake preparedness, and disaster insurance in their communities
● Assuring workshop attendees that their feedback is important in East Palo Alto city planning and building trust with a community who shared they are not usually engaged intentionally in these processes.

Structure
● A brief presentation from Climate Resilient Communities that provided exposure to the existing data and the state developed requirements for a Safety Element ● Asking participants open-ended questions about what they would like to see and what is missing around toxic sites and contamination, earthquake preparedness, and disaster insurance in their communities
Methodology:

Outreach: CRC conducted targeted outreach through our community leaders. The CRC network with residents in East Palo Alto is well established and utilized to engage this community comprehensively for outreach and attendance at these workshops.

1. CRC hosted one-on-one outreach training with CRC outreach staff to ensure that the correct information was being shared with residents. Training included a brief slide deck presentation on what a Safety Element is, the importance of community participation, review of PlaceWorks developed outreach materials, and mock conversations to practice inviting folks to attend the workshop.

2. Outreach strategies utilized by CRC included:
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a. Phone calls with and text messages sent to East Palo Alto homeowners and renters
b. Follow up phone call and text conversations as a reminder to those invited to attend
c. Outreach specifically to the Samoan/Tongan-speaking community done by Anamatangi Polynesian Voices
Facilitation: The below agenda explains the general outline of the meeting. It began with a presentation before attendees participated in a group discussion. This consisted of an introduction to/reminder about the Safety Element and what this project entails. The group discussion focused mainly on three issues: contaminated sites, earthquakes, and insurance.

Participants were encouraged to share their perspectives and experiences regarding these topics and what they would like to see changed in their community. After the discussion, participants were gathered back together to complete a short feedback survey on the workshop experience. They received a $40 Visa gift card upon the return of the feedback survey.

Logistics
Date/Time Venue Food Stipend Childcare
June 26th, July
15th, and July
17th
6-8pm
YMCA in East
Palo Alto
Meals from local
restaurant
(Provided by
CRC)
$40 Visa gift
card per
attendee (must
be 16 years of
age or older)
N/A
Agenda
Time Activity Facilitator
6:00 - 6:15pm Arrival, Food CRC
6:15 - 6:30pm Presentation CRC
6:45 - 7:20pm Discussion CRC,
Anamatangi
Polynesian
Voices (7/17
focus group)
7:20 - 7:30pm Reconvene, Close CRC
Materials Required:

From Venue From CRC From PlaceWorks
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● Screen
● HDMI plug in
● Tables and chairs
● Laptop with HDMI port
(or AV connections)
● Feedback Form
(English and Spanish)
x 30 (double-sided
● Sign-in Sheets
● Food for Participants
● Slide deck (shared
before workshop)
Key Findings
● Residents expressed concerns about emergency preparedness, feeling that they did not know what to do in case of an emergency and that the resources provided by the City could be improved to feel more tangible and actionable at the resident level. For example, the City hosting more regular drills at the community level and hosting workshops cyclically instead of sending out blasts moments after a disaster strikes in the community.
● Concerns regarding insurance specific to flooding, earthquakes, etc. included the high cost of these insurance plans, as well as fears that insurance carriers would cancel their plans if something were to happen, thus making it a waste of money and effort. Further concerns were shared regarding the relationship between the City of EPA and FEMA in updating the information that reflects in higher insurance costs for residents (specifically FEMA flood maps that do not capture recent flood resilience improvements the city has implemented). ● Attendees felt strongly that more information and education was needed surrounding the contaminated sites in East Palo Alto, especially around the risk they pose to residents and what options the city and other stakeholders are taking to mitigate that risk going forward. They recommended several strategies to address this problem and advocated for systems that will better inform the community directly about these sites with visuals to demonstrate where the sites are in the community and what the risk of interacting with these sites might cause.
● Each focus group
expressed interest
● Finally, residents
also underscored the
importance of effective
communications systems
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in multiple languages and via multiple formats to ensure that all residents receive important information during an emergency and that it does not depend solely on access to technology, certain languages, electricity, or physical ability.

Conclusions and Supplementary Recommendations from
Climate Resilient Communities, informed exclusively by
community feedback
CRC has previously conducted safety element workshops in East Palo Alto and continues to hear many of the same issues from community members as clear priorities and what they most need addressed. CRC has previously issued recommendations based on this feedback and reaffirms those recommendations but adds to them here with the specific information gleaned from these focus groups. Below are the conclusions from this workshop and the supplementary recommendations that CRC appends to its previous recommendations, based solely on community feedback.

Issue 1: Knowledge and Communication
East Palo Alto
residents
communicated
that they lack
the information
they need to
know in case
of disasters
and what to do
when serious
safety hazards
arise in their
daily life. They
expressed a
need for more
information about where to go in case of emergency, how to seek refuge and when to remain in their homes, and how to gain increased access to services like the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trainings. In addition to CRC’s previous communications recommendations, CRC proposes:
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● Ensuring that all communications pathways have dedicated Spanish channels or iterations.
● Using multiple methods of communication during emergencies (participants suggested communicating online, via text, and with trucks driving around broadcasting announcements in multiple languages).
● Dedicating more staff and funding to programs like CERT to ensure residents have access to essential safety information.
● Making widely available evacuation plans and guidelines for when to go to places of refuge (and where to go) and when to shelter in place.

Issue 2: Contaminated Sites
Residents expressed worry around the prevalence of contaminated sites in East Palo Alto and the lack of community knowledge thereof. Given the number of contaminated sites in East Palo Alto and ongoing community concerns regarding their safety, CRC shares the following community recommendations:
● Implementation from the City of increased signage on contaminated sites, especially brightly colored or otherwise eye-catching signage that includes information about exposure risk and history of the contamination. This could additionally take the form of a mural located in a major common area that educates residents on the history, significance, and risk of contaminated sites in their community.
● Conducting research on what has been done to mitigate contamination in other communities and using that information to inform research on East Palo Alto’s contaminated sites. This research might include conducting annual testing of air, water, and soil, as well as putting together comparative health research over multiple years, with clear communication from the City as to the results of all research.
● Putting together a workshop to inform community members about the presence, risk, and location of contaminated sites in East Palo Alto, including presence from City staff and materials residents can take such as maps or pamphlets.

Issue 3: Preventative Measures
East Palo Alto residents continue to report challenges around emergency response processes, including a lack of resources from the City (or resources running out in emergencies), a delay in receiving updates during emergencies, and a general sense 694
that they are unprepared for emergency situations. To address these issues, CRC proposes in conjunction with its previous recommendations:
● The City ensuring that they have resources proactively ready for residents before emergencies happen (e.g., making sure there are enough sandbags or other supplies available at any time in case of emergency).
● Establishing a monitoring system that immediately sends alerts or prerecorded messages. Residents hoped that the kinds of early warning systems like the tsunami horns along the coast might be possible to establish in their communities; for example, if the San Francisquito creek rises above a certain level, residents might automatically receive an alert.
● Implementing preventative measures such as cutting trees, clearing storm drains, etc. to prepare for severe weather and emergencies that are seasonable or more predictable.

By carrying out these and previous recommendations in partnership, we can build a more resilient East Palo Alto that prioritizes the safety and well-being of all its residents, especially those more vulnerable to climate-related hazards.

Meeting Notes
June 26th, 2025 Spanish Focus Group Notes
● Listening to the radio is helpful for emergencies
● Need email, text, etc. all with dedicated Spanish channels ● Preparation and response to emergencies
○ They like the preparation and response to emergencies policy draft, no feedback ● Resilience of infrastructure
○ When something happens, they don’t have places of refuge to go to ■ Sometimes if you’re in an apartment building and no one has power so they don’t go to each other for support, but it would be easier to be somewhere where you could go to your neighbor for help
■ They instead have to go to a cafe or library or know someone who will still have power
■ They don’t have access to things like generators or things to keep in case of an emergency
■ Some people have power banks but don’t charge them routinely ● Community preparation
○ General agreement with the policy draft, no comments
● Key danger problems
○ Agree with the policy draft
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○ Could the point about air filters in “casas privadas” (homeowners) be changed to include other spaces like apartments and to also apply to renters? ● Discussion
○ In apartments, they are required through basic renter’s insurance to have insurance for robberies and stuff but not for disasters like earthquakes ○ Where should they go in case of aftershocks from an earthquake? Should they leave their homes? How long do they wait?
■ They would need to wait until the disaster was over and get info about what to do
■ Need improved communication methods to make sure they know what to do
○ To get to a refuge like the YMCA or something, there is so much traffic and you’d have to walk because there is so much chaos and it would be hard to get there ○ Need more lights on the streets
○ Need to have traffic lights fixed
■ On University and Donohoe and by the Four Seasons
○ Need to have traffic cameras because people drive super recklessly ○ The police presence is really bad, there need to be more of them so that they actually come when people call
○ Earthquakes
■ They don’t have an evacuation plan or know about where to go ■ People need to know how to be prepared in case of emergency – getting info posted in public common spaces like a list of materials or something ● This list should have where to go, different safe locations, FAQs on where to go, what to do in case of different disasters, what to take with you, tools they can use, maps, etc.
● Don’t need phone numbers because no one will answer, but an informational line they can call to get information from a recording would be helpful
■ Nextdoor can be a good way to spread the word for residents too on how to be prepared, etc.
■ Alerts, on the tv and via text
○ Contaminated sites
■ Maps, info on whether they need to wear a mask in certain areas, how it impacts you, how you can tell it’s contaminated, etc.
■ Important that there are no homes near contaminated sites ■ They would go to a workshop about contaminated sites to get a map and information, they think it would be helpful
● Part of it could be showing people the tool with the contaminated sites and helping them see where is contaminated
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■ What would they want to see from a poster or something that was physically there in their community?
● Bright colors to let you know the site is there
○ A sign with info about the history of what happened and how it impacts people, what type of contamination, how
long it was contaminated, etc. (like at zoos how they have plaques about animals)
■ Potentially a QR code with the information in more
languages
● Broader community education through visuals like a big mural with info
○ With a QR code that takes you to a virtual map/tour
■ How does it feel to know that there are contaminated sites? ● Worrying as to how it affects them and their health
○ Access to and use of insurance (earthquake, flooding, etc.) ■ The cost is what makes it too difficult to have, and the renter’s insurance that’s required doesn’t have any of that stuff
■ Each one is separate (fires, earthquakes, etc.) and it’s all extra money ■ A lot of people don’t want to get insurance because they’re afraid the insurance will let them down (like what happened with the fires in LA) and they don’t see a benefit in spending their money on it
■ Car insurance companies classify any potential change to your car (like a chip) as an accident so your premiums go up
■ Who do you trust to go through an insurance conversation with? ● With an organization because they're looking out for the community and not to get money
July 15th, 2025 English Focus Group Notes
● Can the city control taxes on consumer goods? Even if the city can’t actually control consumer goods, maybe they can incentivize or de-incentivize ● The city may not be able to make direct changes to the buildings/facilities/operations that are the responsibility of other agencies, but can they partner with other govt. agencies to address them? (e.g., for Romic)
● CERT program is under-utilized and understaffed in EPA ○ The fact that the sessions spread across multiple days and many hours could be a barrier
■ Hard to commit to that amount of time
○ How could a safety ambassador program meet the needs of the community while recognizing that their time is valuable?
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○ Maybe local employers could add CERT training as part of their staff development/training days so it doesn’t feel like such a big lift on the personal level
○ Staffing and funding for these trainings needs to be prioritized ■ Maybe partnering with another city that has a big CERT program could make it happen more effectively
● There’s currently a tenants’ association being developed at the Woodland apartments – would be a great opportunity to have a safety ambassador there, train them monthly to be prepared
○ This could be the city’s role to make sure these processes are functioning ○ They have the largest landlord of a huge area of EPA that’s super vulnerable to issues including extreme heat and cold winters — how do you keep them accountable to the community they oversee?
● Nuestra Casa had some students working with them who proposed creating a service hub in empty space, such as the IKEA parking lot when it remains empty, or somewhere comparable so that people can know more about the services that are available to them ○ Residents are frustrated that there are these big parking structures and lots that are not available for them to use when they are dealing with such parking issues and lack of places of refuge (e.g., IKEA/Home Depot parking lots) ● There’s not really a good place of refuge/gathering in EPA ● The entire plaza is private property with security circulating, and when YUCA/YCC went on their field trip to toxic sites they got police called on them ○ This is also where the bus drivers stop and take their breaks and they seem to be allowed – what does this permitting look like and could it extend to emergencies as well?
● If the city were to purchase a plot of land, it would make it more available to do something like a service center/hub
○ Otherwise folks end up scrambling and panic or put off evacuating for other fears ● There’s an opportunity to partner with the city and have them look for spaces for gathering
● Could try to organize somewhere to gather/make a hub on Nextdoor or on another platform dedicated to sharing important emergency information ○ Rapid Response Network could be a platform for it
○ But not everyone knows how to use apps or websites
○ What if the internet is down?
○ Need a multi-channel way of communicating (maybe online, over text, trucks driving with announcements, etc.)
● Toxic sites in EPA
○ The city being part of and leading the conversation, not just CBOs ■ Attending meetings, partnering to achieve goals
■ Funding to work in collaboration with the City on projects 698
■ Supporting advocacy work related to contaminated sites instead of limiting it
○ Increased signage on sites
■ Something that the city might be able to do relatively soon that will make a big impact
■ If the city can’t make the agencies (e.g., Bay Road Holdings) clean up the sites or come in person, maybe the city can partner with them to bring updates to the community and gather feedback to share with them ○ Since entities like Bay Road Holdings have business licenses to work in EPA, is there anything that can be done by the City to limit them? ○ Maybe if you’re a property owner on a contaminated site you could have to provide updates on what you’re doing to help improve the site and mitigate contamination
■ What do community members have as a pathway to ask for accountability ■ What policy can be implemented through the safety element by the city to request data and understand what’s being done at these sites in a way that’s repeated?
○ CBOs like Save the Bay and OneShoreline have good recommendations for what to do about groundwater rise and contamination
○ Concern about gas stations and closed gas stations being contaminated sites that are overlooked and groundwater rise pushes contaminants up ● Preparedness for earthquakes
○ The city has gotten a little better at communicating when there’s an extreme event/hazard, but it still feels very reactive
■ In extreme heat or cold, the city will post about it and send specific newsletter emails about it, which they didn’t use to do, but they just pass on information instead of adding additional resources
■ If there is a lack of funding towards FEMA or other entities, how will we get accurate information?
■ The city needs to have their own twist on the information with community-specific information and resources
■ The city implemented cameras to monitor levels of the creek, which is great, but there’s a lot of worry around flooding
■ The city does clean the storm drains every summer in preparation ○ Much more worry about flooding after the 2023 floods
■ During those floods there was not enough information coming from the city – only a day or two after
○ In preparation for shifting weather, the City should have resources readily available in case an emergency does happen
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■ Especially over the ramp in the University Circle/Four Seasons area there is a need for resources, and there are big empty floors in buildings that could be hubs for resources
○ There is also not always urgency among community members and people are reactionary – need to communicate urgency and know how to respond ○ When it’s cyclical, like the seasons, we can and should be prepared ○ In the most recent San Francisquito Creek floods, sometimes people weren’t aware of flooding until they saw the water
■ Need a monitoring system that automatically triggers an alert so that it doesn’t have to be a manual announcement by the City – maybe some sort of alarm, like the tsunami horns in Half Moon Bay
○ Pilot city policy in Woodlands where the flooding risk is within the community, then implement throughout EPA
○ Worry about the transition from landlines to cell phones – very few people have landlines but they are more reliable in an emergency
■ If there’s anything the city can do to have basic landline phones available in public places that could be helpful to have a reliable way to communicate during an emergency
■ Could send a text/call to landlines that’s automatically sent out to every phone with information about resources and where to go
● What is the plan for the new FEMA flood maps in November? July 17th, 2025 Samoan/Tongan Focus Group Notes
● What is the city’s relationship with PG&E? Need their support with the relationship between community members and PG&E
● If the city can’t do anything about the contaminated sites, can residents do that? Concerned about those entities continuing to build and not informing the community about the chemicals that exist there? For them to not do anything is what is frustrating ● People need more incentive to attend meetings and share their perspectives – the city needs to raise money to give people information to be prepared ● Annual trainings done by the city including FEMA and American Red Cross to give information and say what the city has done to improve things would really help ● The city could be more active in implementing CERT and making sure people are incentivized to participate
● Insurance for natural disasters
○ Gardens gets flooded all the time
○ For homeowners, it’s really important to get insurance costs to go down; if the city can’t do anything, can community organizations do something? ○ There are issues for renters too – what happens if electronic entryways to apartment buildings lose power?
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■ When the affordable housing owners are asked about things like this, they don’t respond
■ Things like mobility issues and accessibility are overlooked, including in senior buildings
○ In 1997, there was flooding where water filled the parking garages and got under the cars and people always worry about this kind of thing happening again ○ Costs are so high, and it’s hard for people to get these things on their own as a result
○ The flooding is a really big issue – living right by the San Francisquito Creek mobile home flood insurance was required
■ There were two big floods
■ The government should give money to support the folks who live right by the creek and need to pay for insurance
■ Need FEMA to help – sometimes people get responses that they don’t qualify because they don’t have damage to property or car, but they need the help for other things like mental or financial burdens ● Last year during the floods there seemed to be a shortage of sandbags; people learned that in those moments of crisis, residents of EPA, Palo Alto, Redwood City, etc. are all looking for sandbags and there is no management solution or prioritization of whom to give them to first
○ There always seems to be a sandbag shortage, and since the community is very dependent on the city it’s important to change that
● The community is good at taking care of themselves and doesn’t need FEMA ○ The community can do more to prevent things from happening ● Need some alarms like they have for tsunamis on the coast for when the water rises and flooding is imminent
● We do need federal assistance; it can make a big difference in our lives and it is necessary
● How do you want emergency information dispersed to you? What is ideal? ○ Want a command center where people can walk in and say what’s going on and what they need and people who are certified can provide resources ● What has the city done to educate and engage with members of the public? ○ Haven’t heard about anything that they’re doing
○ Maybe they could share updates about what they’re doing, send out mailers with information, etc.
○ The metric of the city to use for success is whether the people in that area feel more safe
● SFCJPA gets funded by the government, but they take forever to do anything ○ They have meetings occasionally, but need more and need more in EPA, because EPA is the first one to get hit
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○ The city council reps need to get these resources to more people in EPA and let them know what the community needs
● EPA needs to go federal to get money, by making a big stink about it ● The city knows that the season is coming, so they should be out there cutting the trees and taking preventative measures to avoid floods and blackouts ○ When these things happen, essential community functions are shut down ● Neighborhood Initiative structure should be on paper and brought back out as a structure to start with
● Teaching people to prepare spaces for emergencies – young people are a good group who would be interested
○ When there was the Fordham fire, young people from elsewhere came into the community to help instead of having local youth doing it ○ Youth who are told they’re needed by the community will be motivated ○ The government money is what’s needed here
○ There is a need for a multi-language, multi-generational group – everyone needs to understand what to do in a safety situation regardless of background or age ● Contaminated sites
○ There should be a normalization of inspections of sites ○ Research on other communities that have had this issue and what they have done about it
○ Important to get updates on the contaminated areas to be aware of what’s happening
○ Have a filter system
○ Have a hotline to reach someone in the community who knows about these problems to have them on call
○ Make sure there is closure and removal of residents to a safe place ○ Communicate with residents what they’re doing to eliminate the toxins at contaminated sites
○ Annual testing of air, water, and soil
○ Comparative health research over multiple years to show evidence of contamination
○ Suing Romic site and if the community wins, the money could go to community resources
○ Menlo Labs generates waste right on University; how will we learn from what happened with Romic with them? They’re right across from a school ■ Has any of this been checked by the city?
○ Require cleanups
■ Not cleaning up should have massive penalties, not just minor fines ○ Secure federal funding by the state
○ Ban housing on contaminated sites
○ Investigate PG&E
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● Want to see all new housing developers add to the parking capacity of the entire city when they build new housing developments
● Some people don’t get help because of immigration status ● From notes at each table during small group discussion:
○ Reduce contamination
■ Finding highprint
■ Stop building in city and build on what we have
■ Green waste on Romic site (phase 2)
■ Air purifier
■ Filter system
■ Hotline (community)
■ Gravel grounds
■ Normalize inspection and research on other communities and how they dealt with contaminated sites
○ How to reduce the risk associated with contaminated sites? ■ Have a drawn out plan/process to remove the sites and share with the community
○ How can the city help you prepare for any risks of contamination? ■ Have the contaminated sites closed off and removed residents to a safe place
■ Communicate with residents what they are doing to eliminate the toxins ○ Annual testing of water, air, and soil (comparative health research) including prior years
○ Statute of limitations on Romic sites
○ Allying with experts
○ Accessibility of general information
○ Priority: education and info
○ Require clean ups
○ Secure federal funding
○ ACTION by the state
○ Ban housing on contaminated sites
○ Regarding contamination from over development
○ Increase developer fees for contamination
○ Investigate PG&E gate around tower – Fordham by school Appendix 1: Post-Workshop Feedback Survey Results
Total Surveys Completed: 36 (data from the 6/26 and 7/17 workshops, as feedback surveys were not collected from attendees at the 7/15 workshop due to an oversight) 703
Q1: How did you hear about today’s workshop? (30 responses) friend
Tiffany Anamatangi
APV
APV
Anamatangi
Tiffany - Anamatangi
Anamatangi
APV
Anamatangi Polynesian Voices
word of mouth
Anamatangi/Tiffany
friend
friend
APV
APV
a friend
anamatangi
APV
anamatangi
my cousin Pauline Brown/APV
phone call
CRC Lesley
CRC Lesley
CRC
My sister
Lesley and CRC
Text message
CRC employee
CRC
CRC employee
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Message
Family
word of mouth - Tiffany Hautau APV
Q2: I learned information that is useful to me (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree) Q3: I have a better understanding of what safety hazards are (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)
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Q4: I have gained new perspective about issues that may exist in East Palo Alto (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)
Q5: The format of the meeting worked well for me (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree) Q6: What key points are you taking away from today’s meeting? to get a safety place for the people
That I can join more meetings to understand the
issues going on in the community
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Evacuation locations in case of earthquakes,
areas of contamination
Preparations, improvements, community needs,
tools
Preparing for environmental issues
How to prepare in case of an emergency. I
learned that most of East Palo Alto is
contaminated
The importance of knowing how to inform
ourselves about evacuation if there is a disaster
Access to insurance and renters' insurance are
topics I have limited knowledge about (as well
as the whole group)
Being more clear and specific about the
problems that exist and solutions
How to help
About earthquakes and contamination and to
inform myself to be able to help the community
Renter's insurance concerns
emergency preparation, Romic, Flood insurance
Q7: What are your top two (2) priorities and solutions for your community in the next year? community plan, senior accessibility
To be more informed -- see more City reps in
our meetings.

Parking and environmental and attend more
meetings
Flood zone preparedness
Education prevention
More workshop and educate our communities
My top two priorities are to do more research
about our community waterways as well as
health research
Let everyone know and upgrade
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Safety, keep it clean
1 safety, 2 parking
Stay connected to the sources that will educate
me more about community changes
Getting it done before it's too late
provide the policies and know what's going on,
need more programs to help
Spread more awareness of the ongoing
problems in our community
Soil washing/underground weather proofing
safety and encourage
right away getting need help soon getting help
normalize inspection, filter system
Clean areas from the contaminated sites, speak
more to the community about issues
More information in contaminated areas and
safe locations in case of shocks
More openness of the stories behind
contaminated sites. Evacuation sites (maps)
The quality of the roads and more light at night
Lighting, road fix
Safety
Adding more cameras and lamps (as well as an
emergency button when pedestrians and
cyclists) to EPA streets to make them
welcoming and safe
More accessible information or easier
information to apply
Plaques in contaminated areas
Putting brightly colored signs to inform which
areas are contaminated
Putting signs on contaminated areas, making
info available for earthquake resources
72 hour kit, flooding prep
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May 22, 2026
Planning Commission and City Council
City of East Palo Alto
2415 University Avenue
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Re: Public Comment Process Shortfall for the Draft Safety Element Update Dear Planning Commissioners and Councilmembers,
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we are writing to express concern regarding the process used for Planning Commission consideration of the draft Safety Element update.

The City established an April 24 public comment deadline for submission of comments on the draft Safety Element. However, the Planning Commission hearing and vote were held on April 27, the following Monday. As a result, the Planning Commission agenda packet did not include all timely submitted public comment letters, and the accompanying staff report did not address many of the comments received.

This undermined transparency and limited the ability of Commissioners and the public to fully consider the range and substance of community input prior to the Commission’s deliberations and recommendation.

The timely submitted comment letters included detailed input from East Palo Alto community-based organizations and advocates working directly on issues related to environmental justice, flooding, contamination, groundwater rise, housing, and public health. 709
These perspectives should be fully considered in a planning process that will shape East Palo Alto’s long-term health, safety, and resilience.

Because the submitted comments were not reflected in the Planning Commission materials, community members and Commissioners alike lacked a meaningful opportunity to review and consider this input prior to the Commission’s recommendation.

We recognize that staff are managing a substantial and technically complex planning effort.

Nevertheless, when the City establishes a formal public comment deadline, community members should reasonably expect that comments submitted in compliance with that deadline will be included in the public record and substantively considered before recommendations are finalized.

To help ensure transparency, accountability, and informed public participation moving forward, we respectfully request that the City
● Publish all submitted comment letters on the Safety Element webpage as part of the publicly accessible project record,
● Notify the City’s Safety Element stakeholder list when comment letters and updated draft materials are posted,
● Release an updated draft of the Safety Element sufficiently in advance of City Council consideration to allow thoughtful public review of revisions and submitted comments, ● Include in the City Council staff report a summary of major comments received, an explanation of how those comments informed revisions to the draft, and, where key recommendations were not incorporated, an explanation of why, and ● Ensure sufficient time between future public comment deadlines and hearings in order to allow staff, decision-makers, and the public to review and consider submitted comments.

The Safety Element will shape how East Palo Alto prepares for flooding, sea level rise, groundwater rise, contamination risks, and other long-term hazards for decades to come.

Constructive public participation, particularly from local community-based organizations, is essential to developing a credible, equitable, and effective plan.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Adams
Environmental Justice Program Director
Nuestra Casa
Filiberto Zaragoza
Campaign Organizer, Co-Program Director
Youth United for Community Action
Pam D Jones
Program Manager
Belle Haven Empowered
710
Jennifer Chang Hetterly
Campaign Coordinator
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Bay Alive Campaign
Alexandra Mendoza
Environmental Associate
Green Foothills
Sarah Atkinson
Sustainability & Resilience Policy Director
SPUR
Eileen McLaughlin
Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge
Victorina Arvelo Vásquez
Senior Resilience Manager
Greenbelt Alliance
cc:

Melvin E. Gaines, City Manager [[email protected]] Elena Lee, Planning Division Manager [[email protected]] 711

13.2 Temporary Housing Development Incentive Program Ordinance Introduction THIS ITEM HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO JUNE 9, 2026.

A STAFF REPORT IS FORTHCOMING.
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\
May 5, 2026
City Council
City of East Palo Alto
2415 University Avenue
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Dear Mayor Lincoln and Members of the East Palo Alto City Council, I am writing to thank you for adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism this evening. At a time when Jewish communities are facing rising hostility, fear, and isolation, your vote sends an important message that antisemitism must be named clearly if it is going to be confronted effectively.

The IHRA definition is not a speech code. It does not prohibit criticism of Israel, advocacy for Palestinians, political disagreement, protest, or debate. In fact, the definition itself makes clear that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country is not antisemitic. What it does identify are the forms of antisemitism that are often missed or excused in modern public life: conspiracy theories about Jewish power, holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, denying the Jewish people the same right to self-determination afforded to others, or using Israel as a vehicle to demonize Jews as Jews. That distinction matters.

To Vice Mayor Abrica and Councilmember Romero, who voted against the adoption, I urge you to reconsider what this definition actually does. Recognizing antisemitism does not diminish anyone else’s pain. This is not an “all lives matter” moment. When a specific community is targeted by a specific form of hatred, the answer is not to dilute the response into a general statement against all hate. Of course all hate matters. But when antisemitism is the issue before the Council, Jewish residents deserve the dignity of having their experience addressed directly and accurately.

A city can stand against antisemitism and also protect free speech. A city can recognize the suffering of Palestinians and also reject the targeting of Jews. A city can support robust political debate and still draw a line when that debate crosses into bigotry. These are not competing values. They are the foundation of a healthy civic community.

East Palo Alto’s adoption of IHRA is not an act of censorship. It is an act of clarity. It gives city leaders, staff, law enforcement, educators, and residents a practical tool to better understand when anti-Jewish hatred is present, including when it appears in forms that are more coded, political, or socially acceptable than the antisemitism of the past.

Thank you for taking this issue seriously and for standing with the Jewish community at a moment when that leadership matters deeply.

Respectfully,
Lisa Katz
Chief Government Affairs Officer
Combat Antisemitism Movement
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East Palo Alto City CouncilJune 2, 2026

East Palo Alto City Council
June 2, 2026