Happy National Public Works Week! 2026 marks the 66th Annual National Public Works Week sponsored by the American Public Works Association. Our Public Works professionals, engineers, managers, and employees make substantial contributions to protecting our health, safety, and advancing quality life for all. They're often the "unsung heroes" in fluorescent green, reporting in to start lift and pump station checks and their maintenance punch lists before many of us are getting out of bed. They respond to natural and man-made hazards in a moment's notice, and we thank each team member for exemplifying this year's theme, “Rooted in Service, Powered by Community”.
- Red Curb Painting #2 with Brisbane Cares Volunteers
- Smoke Testing Community Meeting Addressed Any Stated Concerns
- 2026 Bike to Work/Wherever Day Recap
- Potential Change to Business License Tax Structure Presentation
- Planning Commission Workshops on the Baylands 5/28 & 6/11; Public Hearing 6/25
- Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Open for Public Comment: 5/15-6/15
- Star City Montessori Takes Action for Earth Day!
- Trash Talk: Is it REALLY Recyclable?
- Boat America Course at Sierra Point Yacht Club, 6/13
Red Curb Painting #2 with Brisbane Cares Volunteers
Our second red curbs painting event with Brisbane Cares volunteers went off without a hitch last Thursday. The six volunteers were able to paint 15 curbs - all of Visitacion - between 10-noon. We thank them for all their efforts, and those from Public Works, Parks and Rec, and the City Manager’s Office that were a part of the successful morning!
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Smoke Testing Community Meeting Addressed Any Stated Concerns
On May 14th, the Public Works Utilities Division held a Smoke Testing Community Meeting where attendees received an informational overview of the City’s planned sanitary sewer smoke testing program. Aging infrastructure affects all municipalities, and the City of Brisbane is making this a priority, especially as it relates to our sewer system. Smoke testing is scheduled to commence in late-June throughout Central Brisbane.
When smoke testing commences next month, you can expect to see the following:
- Crews blowing white non-toxic smoke into the City’s sewer system via a manhole and tracking where it escapes from.
- Field crew documenting specific locations with photos and flags.
- Traffic control measures managed by the contractor to ensure safe work zones.
- Public Works staff onsite to monitor activities and support field operations.
Questions? Please call Public Works at (415) 508-2130 or visit the project webpage for a map & FAQs at: brisbaneca.gov/smoketesting
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2026 Bike to Work/Wherever Day Recap
Approximately 630 cyclists passed through Brisbane’s Energizer Station at Lagoon & Tunnel, where they picked up limited edition BTWD bags, snacks, and even benefitted from bike repairs! Volunteer Michael Barnes joined Parks and Recreation Coordinator Ricardo Monroy again, and helped transport a neighbor’s bike that had suffered a flat coming down the hill back home so she could get to work! Missed Bike to Work/Wherever Day? Don't worry! You can still pledge to ride your bike in May! Our partners at Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition will set you up activities, programs, and classes to keep you riding all month long!
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Potential Change to Business License Tax Structure Presentation
Economic Vitality Director Mitch Bull and Finance Director Carolina Yuen on May 19th provided an overview of the Council-approved recommendation to proceed with launching a ballot initiative for the November 2026 election that would change the City's Business License Fee structure. The tax rate, if passed by voters, would consist of a small flat rate tax plus a single rate based on either gross receipts or cost of business operations. Thanks to Noah Kellstedt, Brisbane resident and voter, for participating in the focus group! View their presentation below or on the City's YouTube channel, youtube.com/brisbaneca. Note: the slide deck is available in the video's description as well as on the Business License section of the City's website.
If you have any questions, please contact Carolina or Mitch by the end of May so that they have an opportunity to address them before the draft ordinance goes to the City Council in June.
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Planning Commission Workshops on the Baylands 5/28 & 6/11; Public Hearing 6/25
The Baylands Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) and 2026 Draft Specific Plan were released on Thursday, May 14th. The Final EIR is an update to the 2025 Draft that included answers to received public comments, while the Specific Plan is an update to the developer-submitted plan that includes staff-recommended changes. Read more in the press release. Two Planning Commission workshops will be held on May 28 and June 11 at 6:30 PM, followed by the first public hearing on June 25 at 7:30 PM. The purpose of the 5/28 workshop will be to inform the Commission and public on the Baylands planning process to date, and to provide a high-level orientation to both the developer's 2025 Specific Plan and staff's recommended changes to the Plan. The 6/11 workshop will give an overview of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) and describe the upcoming public hearing process at both the Planning Commission and City Council. Hard copies of documents are available at City Hall and the Brisbane Library. See all upcoming meetings with the Planning Commission here. To ensure you receive an email notification for the workshops and public hearings, please sign up for the Planning Commission Interested Parties subscription list at brisbaneca.gov/NotifyMe.
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Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Open for Public Comment: 5/15-6/15
San Mateo County's draft Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is open for public comment. See Brisbane's Draft here.
The LHMP identifies our risks from wildfires, flooding, earthquakes, severe weather, other natural hazards, and outlines actions to reduce damage before disasters happen. It also keeps San Mateo County’s 20 cities, unincorporated communities, and special districts eligible for federal hazard mitigation funding.
The County is seeking input from residents, businesses, and community organizations. Tell them where the plan is strong, what it misses, and what you would add.
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Star City Montessori Takes Action for Earth Day!
The Star City Montessori students did an incredible job celebrating Earth Day by giving back to their local community! On April 29th (1 week later than originally planned due to rain), the children headed over to the Community Park for a hands-on cleanup adventure, and their hard work truly made a difference. Equipped with trash grabbers and safety vests, the students searched high and low around the grass, benches, and playground. They showed amazing focus and excitement, treating the cleanup like a treasure hunt for small pieces of plastic and litter. What they accomplished:
- Park Cleanup: cleared litter from the main grass fields, seating area, and playground
- Eco-Sorting: students carefully sorted everything they found into the correct compost, recycling, and trash bags
- Community Impact: left the Community Park cleaner and safer for everyone to enjoy
We thank these young environmental stewards, their teachers, and their chaperones for all their great work!
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Trash Talk: Is it REALLY Recyclable?
Empty plastic water and soda bottles, milk and detergent jugs, and yogurt and sour cream tubs belong in your blue recycling bin. These are rigid containers made from #1 (PET), #2 (HDPE), or #5 (PP) plastic that can be recovered at our local material recovery facility, Blue Line Transfer, and that are commonly desired by recyclers.
What other plastics belong in the blue bin? Ask yourself these questions:
- Is it a bottle, jar, jug, tub or clamshell (hinged container like berries are sold in)?
- Is it made entirely of #1, #2, or #5 plastic?
If you answered yes to both questions, it belongs.
Items made from #3, #4, #6, #7, or an unknown plastic belong in the gray garbage bin along with items made from a combination of different plastics or other materials. Same for #1, #2, and #5 plastic items that are not rigid plastic bottles, jars, jugs, tubs or clamshells. You read that right. Plastic cups, utensils, and plates do not belong in the blue bin.
There’s no need to look too closely at product labels. They often contain misleading symbols and statements. Only the resin code (# of plastic) is important, and it should be considered a clue, not a guarantee that something is recyclable.
Recycling right matters more than recycling more. Your efforts to reduce waste and sort smart are important and appreciated!
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Boat America Course at Sierra Point Yacht Club, 6/13
The USCG Auxiliary will be teaching the Boat America Safety Class & Cal Boater Card Class at Sierra Point Yacht Club on June 13, 2026, from 9 AM to 5 PM. Boat America is a boating certificate that offers an in-depth and interesting boating safety course, and provides the knowledge needed to obtain a boating certificate. Some insurance companies will also offer discounts on boating insurance to boaters who successfully complete this course.
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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 (under CivicAlerts). Find all of our subscription lists at brisbaneca.gov/NotifyMe, latest news at brisbaneca.gov/news, and upcoming meetings, Council Subcommittee meetings, and events at brisbaneca.gov/meetings. Thanks for reading and staying engaged!