We thank Rory Wilberg for holding onto these clippings from the Brisbane Bee (Brisbane's former weekly newspaper), and her friend Karen Cunningham for sharing them with us! Seeing the above articles talking about a "Christmas Bazaar," which the Firemen and Police Wives Association of that time sponsored each December, we couldn't help but think of BDW's Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair, taking place this Saturday, December 6th from 11 AM - 4 PM at Mission Blue Center! That event will also feature many handmade items, as well as Pictures with Santa, sponsored by Silverspot Nursery School.
- Festival of Lights is Sunday, 12/7, with Ugly Holiday Sweater Available to Purchase at 12/4 Farmers' Market!
- Get your Brisbane Holiday Stars from the Chamber!
- Reminder about Community Park Camera Installation Discussion, 12/4
- Next California King Tides are December 4-5 & January 2-3
- Why Water System Flushing Matters for Our Community
- Next Quarry Office Hours, 12/10
- Reminder to take the Spooktacular Streets Survey re: Halloween Street Closures
- County's Assessment Survey Extended to 12/7; Act Now & Sign up for SMC Alert
- Reminder about our Bug Bash to Ensure a Smooth City Website Launch, 12/10
Festival of Lights is Sunday, 12/7, with Ugly Holiday Sweater Available to Purchase at 12/4 Farmers' Market!
You may have seen the sign outside Madhouse Coffee - all of the Festival of Lights events will be held in front of the Tree, including a Community Sing-Along, led by Leanne Borghesi. Join us at the Community Park at 6 PM when the festivities begin!
That and other new features are highlighted in this second video released last week, as a lead-up to some residents' all-time favorite event of the year. To prepare for the evening's participants, a portion of San Francisco Ave. will be closed starting at 12 PM and will open back up after the event. Don't miss the Festival of Lights this Sunday, starting at 6 PM at the Tree!
And what you've been waiting for...your very own Brisbane Ugly Holiday Sweater, with winning design by Ken Bousquet! The sweaters arrived this week and we'll have them for sale at this week's farmers' market. Have them in time by the Festival of Lights by either purchasing them on Betsy here or in-person at the Farmers' Market this Thursday between 2-4:30 PM! The sweaters will also be available for purchase at the Parks and Rec booth during the Festival of Lights.
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Get your Brisbane Holiday Stars from the Chamber!
With the Lions' Christmas Tree Lot now open, there will also be a limited amount of wooden holiday stars available there. See suggested donation amounts below:
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Reminder about 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 provides 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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Next California King Tides are December 4-5 & January 2-3
The California King Tides Project helps the California Coastal Commission visualize future sea level by observing the highest tides of today. You can help by taking and sharing photos of the shoreline during King Tides to create a record of changes to our coast and estuaries. Note: the time/heights of tides comes from NOAA's Tides & Currents webpage.
If you'd like to participate, first choose where you want to photograph and then find the nearest pin on the Tide Map. That will tell you what time high tide will be, and you should take your photo as near to that time as you can, ideally within a half hour. Note; they're looking for photos in any tidally-influenced location; you aren't limited to the locations pinned on this map.)
Remember, the most important thing is your safety! Take extra precautions when you walk on slippery areas or near big waves, and always be conscious of your surroundings and the weather conditions. And remember to never turn your back on the ocean!
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Why Water System Flushing Matters for Our Community
Every year, the City of Brisbane and the Guadalupe Valley Municipal Improvement District (GVMID) deliver high-quality drinking water that meets or exceeds all state and federal water-quality standards. To maintain this level of safety and reliability, the Public Works Department performs routine water system flushing – an essential part of keeping our drinking water clean, fresh, and dependable.
What Is Water Flushing? Flushing is a preventive water-quality strategy that involves intentionally releasing water from fire hydrants at key locations throughout the distribution system. This process keeps water moving through the pipelines and helps prevent water from remaining stagnant for extended periods. When water sits too long in pipes or storage tanks, particularly during periods of low water demand, water “age” can increase, which may affect water quality. Flushing is especially important in these conditions. Brisbane’s water system includes over 25 miles of pipelines, more than 700 valves, and multiple pump stations and storage tanks. With a system this of this size and complexity, routine flushing helps ensure everything continues to operate safely and efficiently.
Why Flushing Is Important Routine flushing helps to:
- Maintain adequate disinfectant levels throughout the distribution system
- Reduce potential taste, odor, and color issues
- Support compliance with state and federal drinking water regulations
What Residents May Notice During flushing activities in your neighborhood, you may temporarily experience:
- Slight water discoloration
- Cloudy or turbid water
These effects are normal and temporary. After flushing is completed, running your cold water for a few minutes should clear your home’s plumbing.
A Shared Commitment to Water Quality Flushing is not a sign of a problem – it's a sign of proactive, preventative maintenance. By routinely clearing and refreshing the water in the system, the City helps ensure that every tap continues to deliver safe, clean, great-tasting drinking water.
For more information, please view the City’s of Brisbane’s 2024 Water Quality Report or this video on Water Quality from our Power of Public Works videos produced during National Public Works Week.
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Next Quarry Office Hours, 12/10
A reminder that the project team has been holding Virtual Office Hours on Zoom to hear from members of the community; the last office hours of 2025 will take place on Wednesday, December 10th, from 4-5 PM. They're keeping track of any questions received during this time via a live Frequently Asked Questions document.
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Reminder to take the Spooktacular Streets Survey re: Halloween Street Closures
Please 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! Hard copies of the survey can also be found at the Library, Sunrise Room, and City Hall. Please return all completed hardcopy surveys to Caroline at 25A Park Place or in the drop box found in the main lobby of City Hall.
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County's Assessment Survey Extended to 12/7; Act Now & Sign up for SMC Alert
Originally planned to close at the end of November, the County has extended the closing date for this survey to Sunday, December 7th in order to hear from more residents. Only 20 Brisbane residents have taken the survey at the time of publishing, join their voices and take the survey today! Your voice shapes the County's resilience as a whole and will be used to help build emergency plans that protect what matters most to you, your family, and your community.
And speaking of emergency planning, please take a moment to sign in to SMC Alert at smcalert.info, and make sure you have a Brisbane address on the back-end. If you don't, you risk not getting alerts sent from City of Brisbane officials, and instead getting alerts that don't pertain to you!
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Reminder about our 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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This concludes my City Manager's Weekly Update; if it was forwarded to you or you saw it on social media and would like to subscribe, sign up here. Find all of our subscription lists at brisbaneca.org/subscribe, latest news at brisbaneca.org/news, and upcoming meetings, Council Subcommittee meetings, and events at brisbaneca.org/meetings. As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts on the Blast. Thanks for reading and staying engaged!