Board Honors County “STARS”

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday honored County programs that demonstrate exceptional service or contribute to cost savings and efficiency.

The Board presented commendations to four programs that received STARS Awards. The STARS Awards encourage employees to continuously develop creative ways to serve the public.

“Every dollar counts,” said Adrienne J. Tissier, President of the Board of Supervisors. “The STARS Awards is one way we can publicly thank our employees for doing exceptional work at a time when we are faced with extremely limited budgets and resources.”

The Board presented awards in four categories: Customer Service, Program Performance, “Green” projects and Employee Suggestions. Programs were awarded additional funding that can be used for training, expanding operations or other uses that improve service or efficiency.

Customer Service Award:
Health Coverage Unit Hotline ($10,000)
The telephone hotline has expanded its service to assist uninsured residents in finding affordable health insurance coverage.

Program Performance Awards:
Moving to Work Program ($20,000)
The program assists low-income families in finding housing quickly and efficiently.

Benefits/Wellness Program ($20,000)
The program helps employees improve their health (and control rising health care costs) and improves efficiency with an online benefits assistance system.

Honorable Mention:
San Mateo Medical Center Teledermatology Program. ($10,000)
The program offers timely access to consultations, saving time and money through technology.

Green Award:
Sheriff’s Jails ($5,000)
The portion size for meals for corrections officers and deputies working in jails has been reduced, resulting in cost savings and decreases waste.

Employee Suggestion Awards:

1. Implement an internal talent exchange program to share knowledge across departments.
2. Explore inviting food trucks with health options to sell food near County facilities.
3. Explore expanding the use of solar power.

The employee suggestions are being studied for feasibility. Employees that submitted the ideas each received $100.

Funding for the STARS Awards is designated for that purpose in each year’s budget.

 

Free Dental Care for Low-Income Children on Give Kids a Smile Day

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and on February 3 and February 4, dentists in San Mateo County will provide free dental services to low-income children ages 1 to 18 on Give Kids a Smile Day.

Give Kids a Smile Day is a national event where nearly 9,500 dentists donate their time to raise awareness on the importance of dental care, and to help those parents who cannot afford proper dental care for their children.

San Mateo County dentists will participate in Give Kids a Smile Day by offering free services to families with children, teens, and young adults who may otherwise not be able to afford or access dental care. Thirteen dentists in the county will provide free services ranging from oral exams, cleanings, x-rays, and fluoride treatments.

The County expects to provide services to approximately 100 children. The families will also be assisted with health insurance enrollment. Families can call (650) 616-2002 to schedule an appointment.

“A healthy body starts with a healthy mouth” says Dr. Gracia Cua. “Untreated dental disease is painful and affects a child’s physical, emotional and social well being, and yet it’s preventable through brushing, flossing, proper diet, and regular visits to the dentist.”

San Mateo County Health System ensures that all children ages 0 through 18 years in San Mateo County have access to comprehensive health and dental insurance coverage. To learn about health insurance enrollment for children, please call San Mateo County Health Coverage Unit at (650) 616-2002 or visit
http://www.smcchi.org
.

Space is limited for Give Kids a Smile Day appointments. Call the San Mateo County Health Coverage Unit at (650) 616-2002 to schedule an appointment.

Media Contact: Robyn Thaw (650) 867-1661

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Reduce Pollution During Rainy Season

The rainy season brings more than gray skies to San Mateo County. It also brings an increase in water pollution. The San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program (SMCWPPP) is reminding residents to help reduce pollution during rainy season to protect our creeks, stormwater systems and local watershed.

“The first heavy rains of the season wash pollutants, like motor oil, litter and pesticides off our streets and roads and send them into local waters, ” explains Matt Fabry, Program Coordinator for SMCWPPP.  “The good news is that there are things residents can do to help reduce water pollution during the rainy season.”

A few things you can do to prevent water pollution this season:

• Check your vehicles for leaks! Even a small leak can have a big impact.  One gallon of oil can contaminate 1,000,000 gallons of water.
• If you see litter, pick it up! A bottle or food wrapper on the ground is unsightly; when rains wash litter down storm drains, these items pollute local waters.
• Don’t spray pesticides around the perimeter of your home, especially when rain is in the forecast.

For more tips on how you can prevent water pollution, visit www.flowstobay.org and www.BayWise.org.  SMCWPPP is a program of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG).

For more San Mateo County news, visit
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January 24 Board of Supervisors Agenda Available

The agenda for the Tuesday, January 24 meeting of the Board of Supervisors is now available.

Visit this site and click on “agendas.”  

The meeting will be at 9 a.m. in the Board Chambers, 400 County Center, Redwood City.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday — Offices Closed Monday

San Mateo County offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, in observance of  Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

Emergency services are available.

 

 

 

Adrienne J. Tissier Selected as Board President

Economic Development, Job Creation Top Agenda

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Moments after she was selected Tuesday to serve as President of the Board of Supervisors for 2012, Adrienne J. Tissier said spurring economic development to create jobs and fund vital public services are among her priorities for the coming year.

“We know a strong community depends on a strong economy that provides well-paying jobs for our residents,” she said after the meeting. “The Board of Supervisors in San Mateo County is committed to helping our economy grow so that our families feel safe and secure.”

In a low-key ceremony, Tissier was officially handed the gavel by Carole Groom, who concluded a year as Board President. The Board voted unanimously to select Tissier as President for the second time since she was took office in 2005. The Board then voted unanimously to appoint Don Horsley as Vice President for the coming year.

Adrienne J. Tissier

In her remarks to the audience, Tissier outlined several initiatives to improve the local economy and raise revenue for public agencies. As the California economy stumbles, the State has increasingly turned to counties to fund human service programs for the growing ranks of the unemployed, health services and other vital needs.

The County, she said, is interested in seeing a hotel developed at San Francisco International Airport and the San Mateo County Event Center. The transient occupancy taxes generated by visitors would help pay for vital local services.

She also noted the County’s interest in assuming control of the Sharp Park Golf Course in Pacifica from San Francisco and working with Redwood City to revitalize the downtown area around County Center as priorities.

“We are asset-rich here in our county,” she said.

She also outlined several other initiatives. These include working with local legislators to prevent sex trafficking and working with other local governments to share services and reduce costs.

Tissier announced a major change in the way the Board will do business in 2012.

For now on, the Board will tackle budget and policy issues in the morning and land use issues in the afternoon. That should reduce the amount of time members of the public will have to wait for a particular issue and increase the Board’s efficiency. There will be more workshops around substantive issues the Board wishes to tackle also.

In addition to serving as Board President, Tissier in 2012 will serve as the chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area’s regional planning agency for roads and transit. She is also chair of the joint powers board that oversees Caltrain, the commuter rail service.

Tissier served two terms on the City Council in Daly City before her election to the Board of Supervisors. Since her election she has spearheaded Disaster Preparedness Day, an education event to improve our community’s ability to respond to a disaster, and has worked on projects as varied as providing seminars to improve the driving of older adults and a countywide pharmaceutical disposal program, to attempting to secure funding for park improvements.

MEDIA Contact:
Lorraine Simmons
650-599-1007
lsimmons@smcgov.org

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County Fast Facts: Services, the Budget and More

What programs does San Mateo County provide to residents?

How are sales and property taxes divided among the County, cities and other agencies?

What is the County’s budget?

Those questions and others are answered in a new four-page publication from the County Manager’s Office.

Download a copy.

To see more San Mateo County news, visit
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Town Hall Meeting January 10 on Public Safety Realignment

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The criminal justice system in San Mateo County is undergoing significant changes.

Governor Jerry Brown last year signed legislation designed to close the revolving door of low-level inmates cycling in and out of state prison. The bill, AB 109, transfers responsibility for supervising certain low-level inmates from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to counties.

San Mateo County is currently developing strategies to:

• Supervise parolees to protect public safety
• Improve educational and work-training programs to reduce recidivism
• Help former inmates successfully re-enter society

The San Mateo County Probation Department invites you to a town hall meeting to hear your ideas. The Probation Department will incorporate ideas from the community in the County’s local Public Safety Realignment Implementation Plan.

 Public Safety Realignment Town Hall Meeting

Tuesday, January 10, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

455 County Center, Room 101 (across the courtyard from the Hall of Justice), Redwood City

 Anyone with an interest in this topic is welcome to attend. For more information on Public Safety Realignment, visit
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/CommunityCorrectionsPartnership