The State of the City last Wednesday was a wonderful opportunity for Brisbane's business, local government, and school community to meet together and to hear directly from Mayor Lentz. It’s a great partnership all around, a theme of this year’s address. See the recording:
Thanks to everyone who made it out to this year's State of the City, it was a packed house!
- Community Park Camera Installation Discussion, 12/4
- 11/20 City Council Meeting Highlights
- December STAR & Spooktacular Streets Survey Now Open
- County's Assessment Survey on Community Preparedness Closes 11/30
- Announcing: Ugly Sweater Contest Winners!
- Lions Tree Lot Opens Sunday & Mulch Available Still Under Tunnel Ave. Bridge
- Final Call for Artists at the 2026 Artists' Evening of Sharing
- Upcoming Silverspot Nursery School Fundraisers, 12/6 & 12/7
- Bug Bash to Ensure a Smooth City Website Launch, 12/10
- "The Nature of our Times" added to Brisbane Authors Collection
- Thanksgiving Safety & Closure Reminders + "The Thankful Turkey"
Community Park Camera Installation Discussion, 12/4
At the September 4, 2025 City Council meeting, Councilmember Kern asked staff to agendize a discussion around how camera technology can improve public safety, optimize park management, and foster community stewardship. The staff report (which will be posted along with the 12/4 agenda here) will provide a summary of the potential uses of a camera, how other local communities have utilized cameras in public spaces, and the related costs associated with such installations.
Please plan to attend the 12/4 City Council meeting on 12/4 to weigh in on the discussion, either in-person or via Zoom.
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11/20 City Council Meeting Highlights
At their November 20, 2025 City Council meeting, the City Council:
- Received a presentation from John Swiecki, Director of Community Development, and consultants from Good City Company on the 70 Old County Road Planning Program (formerly the Bank of America building). The Council discussed three options listed below:
- The affordable or mixed-income, mixed-use residential concept as a viable near-term path for redevelopment of the 70 Old County Road property, provided the City contributes land and potentially gap financing.
- The commercial/retail scenario, if paired with a strong anchor tenant that is identified in advance, or incorporated into a broader, multi-parcel redevelopment plan.
- The community center scenario which would impose high public costs with limited utilization, but only if paired with another use as a standalone community center is financially infeasible.
Given the size constraints of the parcel, the Council directed City staff to work with Good City Company and the Parkside II Ad Hoc Subcommittee to explore the potential expansion of the scope of the current focus from the Bank of America site to other adjacent properties, which will include conversations with current property owners, and to return to the City Council with an update early next year.
- Directed City staff to reestablish a formal Sister City relationship with the City of Brisbane, Australia and authorized sending a letter drafted by Mayor Lentz with this request.
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December STAR & Spooktacular Streets Survey Now Open
The issue should be arriving in mailboxes shortly. Don't see it yet? Read it online! And please do take the Spooktacular Streets Survey so we can see what worked well, and what can be improved for the next time there are planned street closures on Halloween!
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County's Assessment Survey on Community Preparedness Closes 11/30
County residents are invited to take a short survey, available in English, Spanish and Chinese, to share their preparedness, evacuation needs & communication preferences in the event of an emergency. The survey closes at the end of November, where the responses will help San Mateo County Emergency Management shape future emergency plans. Thanks for representing Brisbane!
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Announcing: Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest Winners!
We asked community members of all ages to submit their original Brisbane-themed holiday sweater design for our first-ever Holiday Sweater Contest. We're excited to show you the winning designs, yes, two! We have an Adult winner, with Ken Bousquet's Ugly Sweater Design #10, and a Youth winner, with Charlotte Wirowek's, Ugly Sweater Design #1. Thank you to the 83 people who voted! Ken's design will be available on an ugly holiday sweater and Charlotte's on a star-shaped ceramic ornament, both perfect for gift-giving.
These items aren't yet available for purchase on Betsy, Brisbane's official merch shop on Etsy, but shhh... we're running a Black Friday Sale through the end of November... be sure to use code BRISBANE2025BF for 15% at checkout!
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Lions Tree Lot Opens Sunday & Mulch Available Still Under Tunnel Ave. Bridge
We've watched it take shape over the week...the Lions have been steadily setting up the Tree Lot to get ready for you, with Sunday the 30th being the first day the lot will be open. It's a good idea to pre-order your tree now, because they tend to go quickly!
Speaking of trees, there is still mulch available under Tunnel Ave. Bridge thanks to the 55 cubic yards of it that SSF Scavenger Co. delivered last Thursday. It's mostly pine mulch from trees in Napa; pick some up using your own supplies today for spreading in your yard! Have feedback on this first-ever mulch delivery? Please provide that feedback to sustainabilityfellow@brisbaneca.org.
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Final Call for Artists at the 2026 Artists' Evening of Sharing
There are still spots left if you've been thinking about showcasing your talent to the local community come Saturday, January 31, 2026. There's no better way than at the annual Artists' Evening of Sharing! If you do, you have until December 1st to let Beth Grossman know! Email her at beth@bethgrossman.com to inquire.
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Upcoming Silverspot Nursery School Fundraisers, 12/6 & 12/7
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Bug Bash to Ensure a Smooth City Website Launch, 12/10
Please let us know if you can make it by signing up in advance! When you do, it would be helpful to indicate what kind of device you'll be using as well as its operating system.
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"The Nature of our Times" added to Brisbane Authors Collection
"The Nature of our Times" is the sequel to "Dear Human at the Edge of Time", a poetry anthology which featured a poem by Cassandra Bousquet...whose poem was actually the title poem, and examined in the book's introduction. Cassandra's most recently published poem, "Attack of the Storm-King (after Theodora Colt)" was written in April 2023 when she was a Writer-in-Residence at Linden Place, a historic mansion and museum in Bristol, RI. Theodora Colt is the woman responsible for renaming the house Linden Place (formerly DeWolf Mansion) and planting the linden trees in an attempt to begin a new chapter in spite of the slavery that defined the house and surrounding area of Bristol.
I like to think of my poem as a symbol of resilience and hope amidst the literal and physical storms that threaten our planet. The “nature of our times” may be frightening, but like the linden trees, we stand tall, honoring the past and staunchly looking towards the future.
Once a Library staff member helps you access the Brisbane Authors Collection, you can read Cassandra's poem as well as any of the other books in the Collection, whose shelves are located behind the glass just outside the Library's History Room. Please return the books to a Library staff member when done; they're not part of the library system's circulation and therefore are to be enjoyed while visiting the Brisbane Library. Have your own published work you'd like to contribute to the Collection? Please reach out to history@brisbaneca.org.
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Thanksgiving Safety & Closure Reminders + "The Thankful Turkey"
A reminder that City Hall will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 27th and Friday, Nov. 28th for the Thanksgiving Holiday, re-opening on Monday, December 1st. For emergencies during City Hall closures:
- Maintenance-related: My Brisbane app or the web browser version (remember to put any FOG - Fats, Oils & Grease - in the trash once cooled and NOT down the drain as they can build up in sewer lines and cause costly backups and overflows)
- Crime and safety-related: Dial 9-1-1 or the 24/7 Non-Emergency number: (415) 467-1212
With that, we'd like to end this week's Blast with a poem submitted to us by one of our Sunrise Room-goers. Do you have a poem you'd like to share with us? You can share it with us by sending an email to communications@brisbaneca.org.