May 2023 Edition

Edition 3 May 2023

In This Edition
  1. FOR CONSIDERATION
  2. HOUSING
  3. SOCIAL JUSTICE
  4. CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
  5. COMMUNITY UPDATES

Calendar

MON 5/1/23 7 PM City Planning at Council Chambers
TH 5/4/23 Last day of Puente fundraiser (see flyer)
SAT 5/6-7/23 11A – 5P Coastside Weekend at Sanchez Art Center
SUN 5/7/23 1- 4 PM Mizpah celebration honoring Lynn Adams, Shelldance. (See article)
MON 5/8/23 Green light to celebrate Mental Health Awareness (see flyer)
MON 5/8/237 PM City Council at Council Chambers
SAT 5/13/23 3-4:30 PM Tenants Belong event, Trinity Hall in Menlo Park (see flier)
MON 5/15/23 7 PM Planning Commission, Council Chambers
WED 5/17/23 12N-1PM HIP Housing, virtual luncheon (see flyer)
TH 5/18/23 7-8:30 PM Electrify your house , Pedro Point Firehouse (see flier)
SAT 5/20/23 1- 3 PM Farmworkers Summit (see article)
MON 5/22/23 7 PM City Council, Council Chambers
SAT 6/3/23 Pacifica Coast Pride parade and festival with parade on Palmetto at 11 AM and festival at IBL 11:30 AM
MON 6/5 23 7 PM City Planning, Council Chambers
MON 6/12/23 7 PM City Council at Council Chambers
SAVE THE DATES
SAT 9/30/23 The Pacifica Resource Center Palm-A-Palooza
TH 10/26/23 A Rothstein Event
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See posted calendars for:

  • Pacifica Library
  • San Mateo County Mental Health Events
  • Housing Leadership Council Affordable Housing Month

Pacifica Voice is eager to receive articles on issues important to our community. Please send them to editor@pacvoice.org for consideration.
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FOR CONSIDERATION

May is Mental Health Month (MHM) – Mary Bier 

I cannot believe how fast this year is going by!

As a member of the San Mateo County Mayors Mental Health Initiative Working Group, I am happy to report that cities across San Mateo County are participating in efforts to increase awareness about mental health issues and resources.  We are fortunate to have excellent partnerships with County Health’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), Office of Community Affairs/Diversity and Equity and support from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. San Mateo County offers free public events throughout and this year, they are offering both in-person and virtual events!  Please visit this website to access the event calendar. Event calendar: San Mateo County MHM EVENTS

Each year, Pacifica joins the country in celebrating Mental Health Month. This is one of the best times of the year to increase awareness and inspire action to reduce stigma against those with mental health and substance use conditions. This year’s statewide theme for Mental Health Month is “#Share4MH.” To promote engagement across audiences in California, we are asking the Pacifica community to: 

  • Share how you practice self-care. 
  • Share how you practice mental wellness. 
  • Share how you get support for your mental health. 
  • Share how you overcame stigma. 
  • Share your journey towards wellness and inspire others to take action. 
  • Share how you live the Take Action pillars: Check-In, Learn More, and Get Support. 


This year we will issue a Proclamation on May 8th and light up our community center in lime green, the color of mental health. We are asking our community partners to do the same.  Light up your windows with green twinkle lights and use your media networks to promote MHM resources and activities. There is a beautiful flier in English and Spanish as well as a virtual background to use on social media platforms.

Link to Flyer: MHM FLYER   Virtual background: MHM VIRTUAL BACKGROUND

As we stand together in love, it is important for us to care for each other and promote mental wellness.  It is an honor to serve my community and walk alongside each and every one of you!  BE WELL

Get Healthy San Mateo

Reposted from Healthy San Mateo County website gethealthysmc.org

Health Impacts of Housing Insecurity

  • Unaffordable housing costs lead to lack of healthy food, medical care, childcare
  • Overcrowding causes stress, spread of disease, loss of sleep, difficulty doing schoolwork
  • Displacement causes  stress and disrupts social ties, threatens job stability, disrupts education, health maintenance
  • Finding housing far away leads to long commutes, worsening air quality, threatening physical health due to hours in a car, time away from family and community, inhibits civic engagement
  • Becoming homeless leads to dramatic reductions in health

How are health and housing connected? “Public health and housing have a shared history, and I think we’re really coming back to realizing that housing is an essential part of health outcomes,” says Ken Cole with the County Department of Housing.

Read MORE on Housing Stability and Health

Playing Chicken With the Coastal Commission – James Kremer

Dr. James Kremer is a Coastal Systems Ecologist and emeritus professor, residing in Sharp Park since 2008. He served on the Pacifica Community Working Group on Sea Level rise in 2019

This is a narrative on Pacifica (the City’s) attempts to get a Local Coastal Land Use Plan(LCLUP) through the California Coastal Commission (CCC). It is long, with specific quotes, timetables, and explanations of a complex process. To help you get started, here are the key points that you will find as you read on to the details and supporting evidence.

Q: Are our city officials “Playing Chicken” with our future?
(Urban Dictionary: “Playing chicken is when two cars race toward each other; the first to pull to the side is the chicken (coward).

  1. History of a 2-year dialog over a submitted draft LCLUP resulting in no changes.
    • A Land Use Program and a Local Coastal Land Use Program are BOTH legally required parts of our General Plan. Unless and until the CCC approves an updated LCLUP the outmoded 1980 plan stays in effect.
    • A two-year dialog with the Staff of the CCC is documented in 4 submissions from the City and 4 replies.
      1. The official Draft LCLUP approved by City Council Feb 2020, was submitted to the CCC in July 2020.
      2. The City’s 4th response in July 2022 refused changes citing reasons dating back to Feb 2020.
    • CCC Staff recommended the 2020 draft be approved with modifications, but the City postponed the hearing.

  2. Coastal Commission: mandate, authority, and process
    • California Coastal Act (1976) created the CCC with legal authority to oversee all coastal development.
    • All Californians own tidal lands and by law the CCC ensures access and sustainable protection.
    • A 2019 project exemplified the process and a poor outcome for a developer who had City approval.

  3. What lies ahead?
    • CCC Staff sees the City refusing to comply with Coastal Act laws.
    • Successful litigation by citizens challenging recent City actions has cost the City (taxpayers) large sums.
    • Some CA cities & groups reportedly advocate outright refusal to comply with Coastal Act law!
    • CCC has a recognized need to streamline its process, but Pacifica’s LCLUP delay was the city’s fault.
    • The risks and disadvantages of non-compliance are many and dire, spanning near- and long-term.

OK. Here’s the beef:

The recent dialog between the California Coastal Commission and Pacifica City officials about updating our Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) appears at an impasse. An updated LCLUP is a required part of our Land Use Program (LUP) under the California Coastal Act for coastal cities. (An Implementation Plan (IP) is also required, but Pacifica has chosen to submit that later.) Unless and until the CCC approves the updates, the 1980 LCLUP is still in effect and the City must base its coastal planning decisions on very old documents.City projects are being reviewed under out-of-date standards which are not adequate to address current problems such as sea level rise. That leads to other problems such as conflicts with the state Coastal Act. It is instructive to appreciate how we got here–

Pacifica’s ongoing disagreement over a new LCLUP – In June, 2020, the City submitted a draft LCLUP, and a two-year dialog began. Pacifica submitted 4 letters and received 4 responses, in which Coastal Commission Staff repeatedly advised changes to comply with the Coastal Act. For the previous 3 years the city shared early versions of an emerging LCLUP, before submitting an official draft.

In July 2022 the City’s 4th submittal again explained its positions. The response to the most substantive request from the CCC Staff was, “the City has already prepared a very detailed 34-page table that responded to each of CCC suggestions and the City has no other narrative to provide at this time.” However, this table was in the agenda packet that City Council considered on 2/3/2020 when the draft LCLUP submitted in June was approved. ALL entries in this table cited in July 2022 were CCC Staff input and city reactions to pre-approval drafts incorporated prior to the June 2020 submittal. It appears that no real progress has resulted from two years of CCC Staff guidance.

CCC Staff offered a compromise. They accepted and filed the original draft LCLUP in August 2022, and scheduled it for a hearing before the full Commission March 8, 2023, conveniently in Half Moon Bay. The CC Staff Summary stated that the D-LCLUP was still unsatisfactory, citing, “the City’s proposal does not actually take on the difficult coastal hazard questions facing this community, and is most aptly described as a ‘full-armoring ‘adaptation plan that would essentially commit the City in the long run to the detrimental effects of same, including the loss of its beach and shoreline recreational areas. … The… coastal hazard provisions cannot be found consistent with the Coastal Act” without modification. 

CC Staff’s solution:  In guidance to the 12 Commissioners, CCC Staff recommended two votes:

A. DENY the [LCLUP] as submitted, for non-compliance with Coastal Act and not meeting requirements of CEQA (CA Environmental Quality Act), when feasible alternatives exist.

B. APPROVE a revised [LCLUP] with suggested modifications. They included a revision with many specific additions and deletions that would meet minimum compliance with state law and allow the City to proceed with further steps toward approval of a General Plan.

Responding, the city requested a continuance (delay) stating insufficient time to respond. Yet CCC Staff had anticipated this, reminding Commissioners and the City, “…modifications are suggested to ensure Coastal Act consistency. To be clear, such modifications should not appear to be unfamiliar to the City as they are the same types of changes that staff has been suggesting to the City for many years. In fact, they are even further refined and limited to the extent feasible to the core changes necessary to allow for a functioning LUP with respect to hazards. [Many] appropriate changes … have been ‘left on the table’ … in the spirit of trying to provide the City an as-modified LUP that can be approved and that retains the City’s proposed structure and many of its core provisions in a way that can ideally be accepted by the City and form the basis for future LCP planning.”

What the City is planning next is uncertain. They might compromise so that an acceptable revision can be approved by the Commission at a future meeting. Or they may try to move ahead without legal approval. Regardless, we should consider the potential consequences, and try to understand the possible motivations that explain this City action.

Coastal Commission: mandate, authority and process – A popular vote approved the California Coastal Act of 1976 and created the Coastal Commission (CCC). MISSION: “The Commission is committed to protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations. It does so through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, rigorous use of science, strong public participation, education, and effective intergovernmental coordination.”

The CCC has responsibility and legal authority to oversee coastal development. “We the people” actually OWN tidal lands in Public Trust, but CCC has regulatory oversight nearshore regardless of ownership. Coastal Act provisions ensure long-term access and sustainable protection for everyone. This authority is not unfettered:  explicit policies, legal precedent, and recommendations define boundaries within which a city has jurisdiction.

When the City considers coastal developments, they submit details to the CCC Staff which provides feedback ensuring compliance with the Coastal Act. A dialog may ensue until the document is ready to go before the 12 Commissioners, accompanied by a CCC Staff background statement and recommendation. In the case of the LCLUP, for the previous 3 years the city had shared early versions of an emerging LCLUP, before submitting the official draft in June 2020, which was followed by 2 years of unproductive dialogue.

A Pacifica example of process and outcome – In 2019 City Council approved a proposal for condos on Beach Blvd. The developer and the City refused CCC Staff suggestions to modify their design and move the condos back under the threat of rising sea level. Deliberations stalled. Eventually, noting that the plan violated the City’s own LCP and the Coastal Act, CCC Staff prepared to submit the plan to the Commissioners, recommending it be REJECTED. Importantly, CCC Staff recommended “that the Commission take jurisdiction over the application for the proposed project.” Facing this, the developer agreed to changes. CCC Staff then brought forward for APPROVAL a compromise version. However, the Commissioners decided to deny the project for unacceptable future risk and insufficient protection. This case demonstrates the process, and how badly unproductive dialog between local government and the CCC can turn out.

What lies ahead – The stalled dialogue over LCLUP certification places Pacifica on a fraught path. CCC Staff, in filing the City’s draft for consideration by the Commissioners, commented “that the City and Commission staff have had and continue to have different approaches to addressing the coastal zone issues facing the City.”

Citizen activism – In recent cases, citizens have appealed City Council decisions contending violations of state CEQA law when these rules seemed to be evaded. When the city loses litigation it may also have to pay plaintiff’s legal expenses, in a recent case perhaps exceeding $1M. Worse, protracted delays from unproductive discussions and litigation take time and staff energy unnecessarily. I and others are puzzled that the City chooses this path.

Widespread resistance – A number of coastal cities are reportedly advocating overt refusal to comply with CCC and the Coastal Act, although not admitting this openly. Complaints reject CCC Staff guidance as “regulatory overreach.” It is certainly true that CCC approval forces delays and should be streamlined. In the case of Pacifica’s LCLUP, however, it appears that the City’s refusal to compromise is largely responsible. And the Implementation Plan still looms on the horizon.

 Seeking a balance – Many Pacificans have spoken against the City’s stance, provided expert opinions, supported CCC staff suggestions, and have been ignored. The disadvantages of noncompliance with the Coastal Act are considerable, including the legal and financial hazards of rejecting CCC input, the risks of losing expensive litigation, and the interminable delay in achieving modernization of the General Plan and its required parts. Yet some issues transcend short-term policy. The city’s official reliance on coastal armoring raises questions of tradeoffs for unreliable protection. Such proposals are not true resilience, and will be exorbitantly expensive to remove eventually, placing further burden on future generations. In addition, everyone should appreciate that the protracted refusal will harm our chances to compete for funding essential to any large scale coastal protection responses we eventually undertake.

Personally, I am grateful that the Coastal Act protects our access to the coast and ensures sustainability of this public resource. Once it is degraded or lost, it is gone forever. CCC is a guardian of Pacifica’s valued coastal resources and of access not only for Pacificans but for all Californians. “Playing Chicken” is rarely prudent. Playing Chicken against State authorities is precarious. I doubt that most Pacificans support this tactic.

HOUSING

Pacifica Resource Center Update – Suzanne Moore

  • Pacifica Resource Center (PRC) is available 7 days/week
  • News on their new outreach specialist and the 3rd quarter Safe Parking report.


Pacifica Resource Center (PRC) is available 7 days/week to respond to calls and assist Pacifica’s unhoused. With their new outreach specialist joining the team, PRC is prepared to help our unhoused on the path to permanent housing in Pacifica and along the coast through Pescadero. Sundiata Al Rashid brings past experience from San Francisco and Alameda Counties and is ready to assist our community. Contact the Unhoused on the Coast (UC) Outreach team at UCOutreach@pacresourcecenter.org. Sundiata can be contacted by cell or text at 650 575 4861.

Catherine Nieva-Duran, the Coordinator for the Pacifica Safe Parking Permit (PSPP) program, shared the 3rd quarter report for January through March, 2023. To date, PSPP served 22 clients, including 2 non-PSPP participants who used the dumping voucher program. Two participants became permanently housed in January which provided the opportunity for two new participants to enroll, one of which is a family of four, including two adult children. PSPP recently created a partnership and voucher program with a local gas station on Westborough for access to propane, utilized so far by 3 PSPP participants.

Sadly, harassment of PSPP participants persists, in particular honking while passing their motorhomes. Video caught an erratic driver who veered to scare Lundy Way clients and someone is egging motorhomes. Harassment is a poor reflection of the usual respect and dignity offered in our community. In response, patrols have been increased.

Outreach is expanding, but some people are still hesitant to access resources because they don’t want to take services from someone who they feel need them more than they do. If you are concerned about someone who appears unhoused, contact the PRC Outreach Team. The best solution to Pacifica’s homelessness is to find our neighbors homes.

Pacifica’s Housing Element and Concerns for Low-Income and Workforce Housing – Summer Lee

Summer is a 23-year resident of Pacifica

Teachers and nurses and essential service providers cannot afford to live in Pacifica, and we suffer workforce shortages that affect our quality of life. 

I am disheartened that the feedback I heard given at the community workshop (of 2 offered) that I attended was not incorporated into Pacifica’s  Housing Element. I was among others who requested policies to encourage low-income housing as well as preventing displacement. This draft either uses vague and underwhelming goals and timelines, or omits anti-displacement policy found in other HCD-certified drafts. While the City workshops focused on identifying housing sites and rezoning for developers who produce market rate housing, as has been the long history of Pacifica, there was no discussion of policy that will take those rezoned properties and guarantee housing for any of the low-income or moderate-income tiers. 

Also, I see that none of the community-supported suggestions by PH4A were meaningfully addressed or included. 

Contrary to this city’s imagination that supports the intentions of for-profit developers, truly affordable housing and the protection of fragile ecosystems can co-exist and do in many neighboring jurisdictions.  

It is clear this draft will not pass HCD and the City will miss the May 2023 deadline for compliance, so it is not in Pacifica’s best interest to hurry and cudgel this draft through with disregard of public input. The City would be best served by making prudent changes and adopt a draft that uses strong and specific language to protect Pacificans by preventing displacement, encouraging low-income housing, and deterring housing for the most vulnerable of our neighbors from being placed in hazardous areas. 

Because affordable housing projects in Pacifica take longer than a housing element’s timeline (and in some cases ever) I suggest prioritization of programs to prevent displacement and encourage low-income housing projects that can happen NOW, like establishing a housing fund, in the timeline, but also back these programs with specific actions to achieve them. For example:

1) Public lands should either have RFP’s for non-profit developers circulated now, and sales should follow the Surplus Land Act. When it is eventually sold, those funds should go to a housing fund. A housing fund and following the surplus land act are two of many actions that forge the pathway towards non-profit development, where, as it stands now in this draft, absolutely no pathway exists. 

2) No in-lieu fees agreement should ever be accepted. No developer should be able to avoid inclusion of affordable housing. The in-lieu fees for the Harmony@1 subdivision, were substantially underpriced and to this day sits unused and will be potentially misused in the absence of a dedicated housing fund. 

3) More tenant protections, such as extended relocation payouts, and just-cause eviction standards starting at day 1. Additionally, there should be tighter restrictions on landlord renovation evictions. 

4) A limit on STR’s besides the recent meaningless cap of 150 permits for operators (not units). 

5) Increasing the vacancy tax and allotting it towards a housing fund. 

6) Permanent deed restrictions on designated affordable housing units. 

It is achievable now to preserve housing for our most vulnerable, prevent displacement, protect tenants, and build a housing fund for truly affordable housing, while the longer term goals of suburban sprawl and contributing to climate crisis for more luxury, ocean-view development can go on and on being supported by the current City leadership. 

Tenants Belong

Sea Bowl and the Housing Element – Patricia Kremer

This article is a follow-up to a memo I sent to the City Council and City Manager Woodhouse on April 4 relating to the Draft Housing Element. My comments are specifically related to Site #36 of the “Opportunity Sites” listed in Figs. 2-5 and Tables 2-4.

The Sea Bowl site #36 is particularly problematic.  Table 4 in the Draft Housing Element lists a potential for 219 “lower income” capacity.  This is privately owned land that will soon change ownership. The new owners are Toll. Bros. who specialize in anything but “lower income” housing. 

Here is what Toll Bros writes about itself on its website:

Toll Brothers, an award-winning Fortune 500 company founded in 1967, is the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. Embracing an unwavering commitment to quality and customer service, Toll Brothers currently builds in 24 states nationwide, and is a publicly owned company with its common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TOL). Toll Brothers was named the World’s Most Admired Homebuilder in Fortune magazine’s 2023 survey of the World’s Most Admired Companies®, the eighth year it has been so honored.

Why is the Sea Bowl site (#36) listed only in the “lower income” category in the Draft Housing Element for Pacifica’s General Plan?  It is MUCH more logical to put this site with potential for housing in several additional categories.

Presently this site is zoned as “Visitor-Serving Commercial”, so rezoning is necessary for any housing to be built.  This site has great potential as a Mixed Use site with a range of types of housing, plus commercial, and recreational facilities, including the Sea Bowl Facility itself.  This site deserves careful, long term planning (“Planned Development”?), where probably the whole site is not developed at once.

Again from the Toll Bros website:

Where distinctive luxury intersects with everyday convenience and exceptional service, you’ll find a Toll Brothers® community. Built upon a history of quality, each Toll Brothers® community reflects the pride of the people who helped to craft it. From a single community in rural Pennsylvania in 1967, to numerous communities in 24 states across the country, Toll Brothers® has earned its title as the nation’s luxury home builder.” 

The Better Business Bureau has something different to report (Click here to see BBB report.) They have been rated with an average of 1.2 stars out of 5 and they are NOT BBB accredited.

We must use their (our) valuable property to negotiate what is good for Pacifica, not just good for Toll Bros. Inc.  They are a Fortune 500 Company, with stockholders and a motivation to maximize profits.

Toll Bros, the new owners of the Sea Bowl property, seems to be all about building expensive housing, and only housing.  Their promo blurbs write about “Toll Brothers communities”, but  according to the several developments they are advertising in the Bay Area, they build only housing developments without the associated amenities one would hope to find in a thoughtfully planned site, where commercial recreation already exists. 

With the Sea Bowl property we have the opportunity to create not only a very desirable place to live, but also a place that includes a variety of successful businesses that add to the economic sustainability of Pacifica.  We have the opportunity to make this a place where there are amenities within walking distance for those living there, and can serve as a popular destination not only for Pacificans but also visitors from outside. 

Affordable Housing Month – Housing Leadership Council

Celebrate Affordable Housing Month this May with HLC!

Don’t miss out on the Early Bird special! Join the Housing Leadership Council in celebrating Affordable Housing Month at their Policy Breakfast and Bus Tour, with special guest CA State Senator Josh Becker!

The event will be held on Friday, May 12, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 pm at the CZI Community Space in Redwood City. This will be a Policy Breakfast, with an optional Bus Tour of affordable homes across the county and a stop at Eden Housing’s Light Tree ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Can’t make it on May 12? No problem! We have a month full of events! From bike rides to grand openings, join us throughout the month. Register at www.hlcsmc.org

HIP Housing Update

April has come and gone but that doesn’t mean your opportunity to volunteer has! Continuing the spirit of National Volunteer Month, HIP Housing is looking for help with program outreach, marketing, our new information and referral program, database and email list clean-up, and more. Tasks can be tailored to the interests of volunteers and hours are flexible. To apply, visit: HIP Housing Volunteer Interest application.

For more information, contact Laura Fanucchi:  lfanucchi@hiphousing.org or (650) 348 6660.

Our Home Sharing Program helps match individuals seeking housing with people who have a room or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to rent. Learn more about HIP Housing’s nationally recognized Home Sharing Program and how you can be the change in San Mateo County by attending our virtual Lunch and Learn next month! To attend visit the link in the flyer to RSVP. Save the date! May 17 at noon! 

SOCIAL JUSTICE

San Mateo County Passes Ordinance to Protect All Immigrants from ICE

An opinion piece by Blue Murov, Pacifica Social Justice

On Tuesday, April 25th, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors (BOS) finalized their previous 4-1 vote and again passed an ordinance to stop cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in our county. I work with Pacifica Social Justice and we are part of the coalition, San Mateo County Coalition for Immigrant Rights (SMCCIR), who was instrumental in bringing about this important Ordinance that legally ends collaboration with ICE and shows support for the immigrant community. The Ordinance is designed to build trust, reduce harm, and keep our immigrant community and their families together.

The Ordinance prevents county agencies from using County funds to collaborate with ICE in any way that involves immigration law – transfers, arrests, communication and access to non-public property –  unless ICE has a judicial warrant. ICE is a federal agency with documented human rights violations. Immigrant organizations believe that no one should be doing business with ICE.

 SMCCIR attempted to meet with Sup Mueller weeks before the ordinance was introduced, and he delayed our requests until the Friday before the final vote. In advance of that meeting, Mueller received a letter in support of the original unamended ordinance drafted by Puente, Coastside Hope and Asian Law Caucus and signed by more than 70 organizations. Mueller told us he supported the ordinance but only with exceptions for certain violent crimes. He stated several times that “these people do not deserve a second chance.” He was unmovable at that meeting and both BOS meetings in the face of dozens of courageous narratives and valid reasons to justify the original Ordinance without amendment.

In the week before the vote took place, Mueller and backers of this amendment spread views which inflamed fear, divided people and community organizations, and dominated the news with his rhetoric. Urged on by Mueller, the Association of Realtors, who helped fund his campaign for supervisor, publicized these views as well. Like ants to sugar, Mueller’s position attracted white nationalist hate groups who blasted the internet with vitriolic chatter demonizing immigrant people and the organizations that work to support them. Sup. Slocum reported that his email and voicemail were flooded with hate email from these racist groups. 

Ray Mueller campaigned with a quasi-progressive agenda. Pacifica Progressive Alliance (PPA) met with him during the campaign. He claimed to support immigrants,  but recent actions belie support. PPA chose not to endorse him because he accepted campaign funds from realty special interests.

Pacifica Social Justice and immigrant rights advocates maintain that a person should never be judged by a conviction in criminal court. For example: the person convicted of murder for killing their abuser, the young adult LGBTQ+ person who had a consensual relationship with a young adult minor and was convicted of child molestation, the undocumented person who has been here basically their whole life. There should never be a two-tiered system that double-punishes anyone who is not born here.

Members of SMCCIR worked tirelessly to educate our elected officials and County staff to draft the Ordinance which codifies the sheriff’s policy from 2021 to end all transfers to ICE. At the April 25th meeting, fifty-two people spoke in favor of the ordinance without amendments, 10 spoke against it. Many shared their own stories of the impact of deportation on their lives.

Supervisor Noelia Corzo talked about her own experiences with ICE and of her support for the ordinance. Supervisor David Canepa, who introduced the ordinance with Supervisor Dave Pine, thanked everyone who worked to get this written and passed and mentioned organizations and people by name. Canepa strongly criticized Mueller for being misinformed and unprofessional. Supervisor Warren Slocum spoke passionately in favor of the ordinance. Supervisor Ray Mueller from our very own Coastside community was the only dissenting vote.  


Sup. Corzo had this to say about the ordinance:

The original ordinance is a matter of human rights. We will not have a two-tiered justice system where immigrants are treated differently under the law. Many of the individuals who ICE targets are vulnerable and marginalized. When we use county resources to aid in their detention and deportation, sometimes mistakenly and irreparably, we essentially abandon them to a federal agency with documented human rights abuses and racist practices. This is not only morally wrong, but it also undermines our values of justice and equality.

SMCCIR is asking people to write Supervisors Canepa, Corzo, Pine and Slocum and thank them. Write Mueller and let him know how wrong he was to vote no. If he really cares about immigrants, he needs to drop this vendetta and instead promote the good and caring work he states he supports. Now more than ever we need community trust, acceptance, and inclusivity – and our Supervisors should model that. We can’t afford to waste time and resources on false assumptions and racist scenarios.  We are now faced with even more harm reduction while we attempt to repair his mess. Support our local immigrant rights organizations.

See ICE Ordinance Letter from Puente to Ray Mueller Signed by 70+ Bay Area Organizations Below

Farm Worker’s Public Summit – Victoria Sanchez De Alba, SMC Dems Farmworker Affairs Committee

The Farmworker Affairs Committee of the San Mateo County Democratic Party cordially invites you to the Farmworker Public Summit on Saturday, May 20 from 1:00pm-3:00pm PST in Half Moon Bay.

This Summit will expand upon the May 2022 Farmworker Roundtable discussion which was attended by the region’s representatives from Congress, the state legislature, and the County Board of Supervisors. Last year’s event was the first time a roundtable of this magnitude was ever organized with our elected representatives and leaders of local community-based organizations. The tragic shootings in January in Half Moon Bay remind us even more urgently of how important it is to expand our efforts and include the public in ongoing discussions of Farmworker-related issues. 

The topics that will be discussed on May 20 include: access to clean water, housing, and health care. Following up on last year’s Roundtable, this year’s Summit will focus on mapping tangible policy solutions that lawmakers at all levels of our government can pursue on behalf of our region’s Farmworkers. By taking collective action we can all improve the lives of the people who work so hard to put food on our tables and contribute to our county’s economy.

The Summit will take place on Saturday, May 20 from 1:00pm-3:00pm PST at the following venue:

Boys and Girls Club of The Coastside Event Center 
530 Kelly Ave.
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Agenda:

For invited officials, time will be allotted from 1:00 p.m -2:00 p.m. to address our attendees and provide updates on their sponsored projects and legislative proposals that are in progress and those they are planning to introduce. We are inviting them to share ways that community members can help pass legislation, secure funding, improve services, and get projects built that improve the lives of Farmworkers.

From 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., we will hear from leaders of our Coastside community based organizations, farmworkers will be invited to comment, make suggestions and ask questions, and other engaged community members in attendance will be asked to participate as time permits. Public comment and questions will be recorded to provide officials with the option to submit answers and follow up at a later time. Translation services in Spanish and Mandarin will be provided.

Invited elected officials include:

  • Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
  • Congressman Kevin Mullin
  • Senator Josh Becker
  • Assemblymember Diane Papan
  • Assemblymember Marc Berman
  • Supervisor Ray Mueller
  • SMC Manager Mike Callagy


Invited Community Members and Organizations include:

  • SMC Dems Farmworker Affairs Committee
  • SMC Farmworker Affairs Coalition (non-partisan group)
  • Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS)
  • Coastside Hope
  • Puente de la Costa Sur
  • Dolores Huerta, Founder and President of Dolores Huerta Foundation and Co-Founder of UFW
  • United Farm Workers (UFW)


For further information please contact the Chair of the SMC Dems Farmworker Affairs Committee, Victoria Sanchez De Alba at 650-270-7819 / victoria@dealba.net. or Farmworker Affairs Committee member April Vargas at 650-207-2729.

Celebrate with Pacifica Pride June 3

Parade starts at 11 AM on Palmetto

Festival begins at 11:30 AM at Ingrid B Lacy Middle School 1427 Palmetto Ave

CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

Peninsula Clean Energy Electrification Workshop – Margo Meiman

The Pacifica Climate Committee, in partnership with 350 Silicon Valley and the City of Pacifica, is pleased to host an electrification workshop funded by a grant from Peninsula Clean Energy. Attendees will learn about new technologies such as heat pump water heaters and induction cooktops, as well as financial incentives that make going electric more affordable. The event will feature speakers from the Building Decarbonization Coalition, the City of Pacifica and residents who have made the switch. Thursday, May 18th, at 7pm at the Firehouse.

Pacifica and Tree Canopy – Paul Totah

Why should tree canopy goals be part of climate action plans for all cities?

In July 2014, the Pacifica City Council adopted a Climate Action Plan to help the city face challenges posed by climate change. Back then, the city committed to reducing total community-wide emissions by 35 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. 

Tree City Pacifica applauds this effort and these goals. In addition, we are requesting that going forward, the Climate Action Plan includes a tree canopy goal of 30 percent — an international standard — up from our current 20 percent canopy cover.

Here’s why: While most of our focus centers on ways to reduce emissions, we believe it is also essential to include nature-based solutions, including growing our urban forest. Trees, as we well know, not only release carbon to the atmosphere when cleared but also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. They also help cities adapt to changing climates by absorbing water from increased rainfall and preserving topsoil, thus preventing mudslides. Trees can also save energy costs by keeping cities cool as temperatures rise.

That is why many cities have incorporated tree canopy goals into their climate action plans.

  • San Diego, for example, wants to have a tree canopy of 35 percent by 2035, up from 15 percent in 2020. 
  • Cleveland, Ohio, is aiming for a 30 percent canopy by 2040.
  • Bowie, Maryland, has a target of 45 percent. 
  • Milwaukie, Oregon, wants to reach 40 percent by 2040, up from 26 percent in 2014. 
  • Portland, Oregon, wants 33.3 percent of the city covered by trees.
  • Tacoma, Washington, is shooting for 30 percent by 2030. 
  • South San Francisco, which has only an 8.7 percent canopy cover, has set a goal of 22.6 percent. As their Urban Forest Master Plan states, “climate equity can be achieved by prioritizing tree planting in disadvantaged communities with low access to open space, such as Downtown. New trees will capture carbon, help to reduce the urban heat island effect, make walking and biking more pleasant on hot days, and improve local air quality; all of which improve public health and wellbeing.”

Barcelona, Bristol, Canberra, and Vancouver are also adopting a 30 percent tree canopy goal, which was recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. That organization also cites the benefits of tree canopies, including “cooling, better microclimates, mental and physical health, and possibly also reducing air pollution and noise. By creating more leafy neighborhoods, we also encourage people to spend more time outdoors and to interact with their neighborhoods (which in turn promotes social health).”

In short, while the focus on vehicle miles traveled reduction and vehicle and building electrification are essential in the Climate Action Plan, adding a canopy goal can only help as we incorporate all solutions in our efforts.

Mizpah honors Lynn Adams

Please join us on May 7th, from 1 to 4 pm, at the beautiful Shelldance Orchid Gardens. Pacifica’s oldest community service organization, Mizpah, honors Lynn Adams, President of Pacific Beach Coalition!

Please join us on May 7th, from 1 to 4 pm, at the beautiful Shelldance Orchid Gardens. Pacifica’s oldest community service organization, Mizpah, honors Lynn Adams, President of Pacific Beach Coalition!

Mizpah’s annual Tea & Craft Fair is our opportunity to celebrate a member of our community who contributes above and beyond to Pacifica –  and Lynn certainly qualifies. In addition to showing our appreciation for Lynn, we will have tea and snacks as well as wonderful crafts for sale.

Mizpah Fellowship is a local, non-denominational, non-profit service organization.  We raise funds for scholarships for graduating seniors at Terra Nova and Oceana High Schools, and we support many other local organizations including the Pacifica Resource Center, Pacifica Historical Society, Friends of the Library, and Sanchez Art Center.

Admission is free! 

Shelldance is located at 2000 Coast Highway in Pacifica and is a beautiful setting for a celebration. Come join us!

COMMUNITY UPDATES

COASTSIDE WEEKEND AT SANCHEZ ART CENTER

Sanchez Art Center is delighted to be taking part in the 2023 Silicon Valley Open Studios “Coastside Weekend”, Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7, 2023.  Extended hours of 11am – 5pm both days to provide plenty of opportunity to visit with over two dozen artists in studios and the galleries sharing about their art.  And, view the 2023 Left Coast Annual Juried Exhibition and 2022 LCA Exhibition Awards Shows.  

Puente Fundraiser Ends May 4th 2023

Pacifica Library Events

Power Up Afternoons: FilAm Arts with ChiChai – Whimsical Flower Bouquet
Tuesday, May 2 at 3:30pm at the Sharp Park Library
Make an everlasting bouquet of Philippine florals with ChiChai. We’ll use different paper cutting and folding techniques to make these flowers and leaves come to life. All skills welcome to join.
REGISTER HERE

Power Up Afternoons: Science Action Club
Wednesday, May 3 at 2:30pm at the Sharp Park Library
Have you ever thought about the millions of tiny creatures that play an important role in our environment? Come to Science Action Club and join our Bug Safari! You’ll learn all about the arthropods that live in your local community through local field expeditions and make contributions to nature research through community science projects.

Power Up Afternoons: Sewing Make & Take
Thursday, May 4 at 4pm at the Sharp Park Library
Join Laura McHugh from the San Mateo County Fair and learn how easy it is to sew something small! Participants will make a coaster, ornament or hanging decorative item in this hands-on workshop. Participants must be aged 10+ to join.

Power Up Afternoons: Python Ron’s Reptile Kingdom 
Tuesday, May 9 at 3pm at the Sanchez Library
Look, touch and hold exotic reptiles in astonishing colors and sizes. You will be as fascinated to see all the different creatures that travel with Python Ron. From 18 foot pythons to 4 foot long lizards, Python Ron gives everyone the opportunity to get close up and personal with these awesome creatures.

Power Up Afternoons: Nutrition & Intuitive Eating for Youth
Wednesday, May 10 at 2:30pm at the Sharp Park Library
A nutrition education activity to help teach nutrients present in foods through neutral/intuitive eating aligned approach.

Power Up Afternoons: More Awesome Asian Americans
Author Visit and Drawing Demonstration with Oliver Chin
Thursday, May 11 at 3:30pm at the Sharp Park Library
Celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Oliver Chin, author of the exciting graphic novel More Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Citizens Who Energized America. This sequel shares more fascinating biographies of remarkable individuals who’ve contributed to our country and our world. This spectacularly illustrated anthology profiles 10 women and 10 men, from a rainbow of ethnic backgrounds and vocations. Oliver will share his inspirations behind this socially relevant collection and read favorite excerpts. Plus he will do a live drawing demonstration on his approach to illustration and comic book artwork.

Book Arts Road Show
Saturday, May 13 at 2pm at the Sharp Park Library
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by making an Origami Book in a Box! It’s an expandable book made out of folded origami pages that collapses down to fit in a little box ready for you to take home and fill with haiku, family recipes, stories and more.
Please REGISTER HERE in advance for this workshop

Velofix Bicycle Safety Inspection
Saturday, May 20 from 12-3pm at the Sanchez Library
Do you remember the last time you had your bicycle inspected? To celebrate Bike to Your Library Weekend we have partnered with Velofix a mobile bicycle maintenance team, to offer free bicycle safety inspections to our customers. During the bicycle inspection bicycle technicians will inspect the bicycle, make minor bicycle adjustments, and share their findings with the owners. This event requires registration and we anticipate each bicycle inspection to last about 15 minutes in length. Registrants will receive service on a first come first served basis (during the event)
REGISTER HERE

Creative Journaling
Wednesday, May 24 at 6pm at the Sharp Park Library
Create beautiful journal spreads while simultaneously reaping the stress-relieving benefits of art! Nicole Momberg leads participants through step-by-step directed drawing sessions to help them to create gorgeous illustrations in their journals while promoting mindfulness. Each drawing tutorial is followed by a guided journaling exercise. She introduces writing prompts that encourage participants to explore personal development topics while giving them access to new resources for their stress management toolkit. Registration required.
REGISTER HERE

This is Not My Home: Author Storytime with Vivienne Chang & Eugenia Oh
Thursday, May 25 at 3:30pm at the Sharp Park Library
Meet author/illustrator duo Vivienne Chang & Eugenia Yoh as they join us for a storytime of This Is Not My Home!  Explore the meaning of home with them as they read their debut picture book and lead us in an interactive activity. “From debut author-illustrator duo Vivienne Chang and Eugenia Yoh comes a humerous and heartfelt reverse immigration story that will resonate across cultures and show us how a place can become home. When Lily’s mom announces that their family must move back to Taiwan to take care of her elderly Ah Mah, Lily is devastated to leave behind her whole life for a place that is most definitely not her home. But Lily soon realizes, through the help of her family and friends, what home means to them. And perhaps someday—maybe not today, but someday—it might become her home too

Bug Out: East Bat Vivarium’s Reptile Show
Tuesday, May 30 at 3:30pm at the Sharp Park Library
The East Bay Vivarium’s Traveling Reptile Program presents fun and educational programs featuring between 15 and 20 amazing creatures. We teach natural history, animal husbandry and safety. Among our many animal stars you might encounter:

The frog that can kill a horse!
The tortoise that can outlive your grandchildren!
The bug that makes its own salad dressing!
The snake that makes friends with gophers!

Bug Out: Beetle Lady – Bugs of Animal Crossing
Wednesday, May 31 at 3:30pm at the Sanchez Library
In the game of Animal Crossing, players can find, catch and collect many insects and other arthropods. All the bugs in the game are real species of arthropods from around the world. Come and learn about the real-life bugs you might encounter on your Animal Crossing island.  

Pacifican’s Care Highlights

About this time every year, Pacificans Care puts together an annual report of our activities over the last fiscal year (July 22 to June 23). Here are the highlights from this last year:

In 2022, Pacificans Care distributed $85,500 in grant funds to our core social service agencies to assist in meeting critical needs in the community, including:

  • Pacifica Resource Center:  $30,000 to address safety-net services for housing, food security, transportation, financial stability, and utilities for over 1,500 Pacifica households.
  • Pacifica Child Care Services:  $15,000 to provide summer enrichment and educational programs, including swim lessons and field trips for children who would otherwise be unable to participate.
  • Pacifica Senior Services: $25,000 to provide socialization, life learning opportunities, health programs, and quality nutrition for our senior community –  specifically the Meals on Wheels program which delivers 2,000-2,4000 meals to its 151 senior clients each month.
  • Pacifica Youth Service Bureau:  $15,000 to provide therapeutic support to students at a Pacifica school and affordable therapy at its clinic for more intensive and family therapies.

 In addition, our Holiday Gratitude contributions totaling $8,000 to our core agencies in 2022 included:

  • $500 to the Pacifica Resource Center for clothing for the unhoused.
  • $1000 in gifts for 2 families as part of the PRC Holiday Joy program
  • In partnership with Grocery Outlet, we turned $3,000 in seed money into 120 in grocery gift cards for Pacifica Senior Services congregate meal clients.
  • Distributed $3,750 in grocery gift cards to 75 Child Care Services families in partnership with Oceana Market.

The Rockaway Ricky Memorial Fund is a program of Pacificans Care to assist seniors and those in need with food, supplies, and veterinary care for their pets. In 2022, Pacificans Care distributed $10,000 from the RRMF to the Pacifica Resource Center and the ‘Healthy Pets/Health Seniors’ program at Pacifica Senior Services to assist with pet care needs. Special thanks to Lommori/Stahl Group at RE/MAX Star Properties for sponsoring the Rockaway Ricky Memorial Fund.

Visit Pacificans Care at the Wednesday afternoon Farmer’s Market:  Pacificans Care is staffing an information booth at the Farmer’s Market on May 10th and June 14th. Stop by to meet Pacificans Care board members and learn more about the work of Pacificans Care.

Pacificans Care is the only Pacifica nonprofit organization solely dedicated to supporting social services in Pacifica from children and youth to families and seniors. Pacificans Care is an all-volunteer organization administered by an active Board of Directors comprised of community members dedicated to making a difference in our community.

For more information about Pacificans Care visit our website at www.Pacificans Care.org, or email pacificanscare1982@gmail.com.