Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Mateo staff brief council on wet‑weather readiness, lagoon dredging plan and sandbag access
Summary
City staff updated the San Mateo City Council on an ongoing wet‑weather preparedness program, reporting accelerated catch‑basin cleaning, new camera monitoring, a spot‑dredging plan for Marina Lagoon pending regulatory approval, and expanded sandbag stations including a temporary site at Turnbull Preschool; no formal actions were taken.
Catherine, a city public works staff member filling in for Director Matt Fabry, told the San Mateo City Council on Feb. 5 that the presentation was "an informational update only" and outlined the city's work to prepare for an incoming storm system and the current wet season.
The update said a flood watch was in effect through Wednesday, with the heaviest rain forecast for Tuesday — about 0.5 inch on Monday and roughly 1.5 inches expected on Tuesday for San Mateo. Catherine urged residents to prepare emergency kits and to report downed trees to Public Works and downed power lines to PG&E.
The report summarized immediate, short‑ and mid‑term actions the city has taken since the August 2023 program update. City crews have cleaned about 4,300 catch basins so far — an increase from the 4,100 figure listed in the staff slide deck — are maintaining pump station wet wells and trash racks, and completed final maintenance on an engine used for pumping. The city said it established a fourth sandbag station in the North Central neighborhood at Turnbull Preschool; of the roughly 1,000 sandbags placed at that station, staff reported about 350 have already been used this season.
The agenda presentation said Anchor Road's sandbag station has been refilled three times and that crews typically refill each station with about eight cubic yards of sand per refill. In addition to sandbags, staff discussed exploring options such as prefilled sandbags for seniors and volunteer efforts to prefill and deploy bags.
On Marina Lagoon, staff described an alternatives analysis for pumping below the 95‑foot elevation and a proposed spot‑dredging project focused on the 19th Avenue and 16th Avenue channels. Catherine said the city's sampling and analysis plan was submitted to the DMMO (a joint regulatory review group) and that the regulatory review remains pending; if approvals follow schedule, staff said they hope to begin dredging work this summer contingent on DMMO authorization.
The city also described nine camera monitoring locations installed by city staff for real‑time views of key drainage infrastructure; six cameras are active and three remain to be installed. Staff said the camera views are currently available only to city staff but that the city has been exploring enrollment for other users.
Staff described a program to "adopt" catch basins in which residents receive supplies and reminders to help clear local drains. Staff noted they are refining the program to identify drains with a higher likelihood of heavy leaf litter — often in neighborhoods with mature street trees such as North Central — so volunteers can be targeted effectively.
Council members and public commenters raised several operational questions during the public comment period and the council discussion. A public commenter cautioned against using plastic pipe replacements that could contribute debris to the bay; staff said pipe material choices depend on condition and location, and that solutions range from lining existing corrugated metal pipe to concrete or plastic pipe options, with costs and suitability evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis. At one point a staff speaker (identified in the transcript as "Mike") said that many modern storm drain replacements use PVC or HDPE and that the rusting problems seen with corrugated metal pipe are not typically repeated with those materials.
Council members asked for follow‑up information, including the list of adopted drains and the number of drains that remain unadopted, and encouraged staff to return with requests for additional cameras if staff conclude more are needed. Council member Fernandez suggested exploring volunteer or scout opportunities to prefill sandbags and help deliver them to seniors.
Catherine said the Army Corps of Engineers had contacted the city seeking a letter of intent and a fact sheet for a feasibility study the city is pursuing; she said that submission was prepared on Jan. 23 and that Corps engagement could support federal funding for a study. Staff said they will keep the council apprised of progress on the feasibility study and on DMMO review of the sediment sampling plan.
No formal motions or votes were taken during the special meeting; the presentation was informational and staff sought council feedback and direction to continue coordination and regulatory submittals.
