Town Meetings & News

The City Council will hold a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, March 15 at 6 PM. Staff will publish agendas no less than 72 hours prior to meetings. When published you can view agendas by visiting the  Towns Agenda & Minutes public portal.

The 100-Year Centennial Committee will hold a regular meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. To view the agenda visit: 100 - Year Centennial Committee Meeting Agenda

The Transportation Committee Scheduled for March 14 and the Environmental Programs Committee Scheduled for March 16 has been canceled. 

To view meeting videos of The Town of Atherton Committees and Commissions visit: Atherton YouTube

This week's Atherton Online features:

• Countywide Weather Advisory
• Coming Restrictions on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers 
• Invitations to the upcoming community events: 
  • MARCH 29: Electric and Battery Landscaping Equipment Training and Introduction
  • APRIL 6: Everything You Need to Know to Build or Rent an ADU in Atherton Informational Workshop
  • APRIL 8: Atherton's Annual Waste Wise Event with GreenWaste
  • APRIL 22: Atherton's Annual Earth Day Celebration - We Love Our Earth Festival 
• Opportunities to serve on a Town Committee or Commission
• 100-Year Centennial Celebration

Countywide Weather Advisory

The storm originating on March 9 tracked significantly further south than had been predicted. That said, San Mateo County will continue to have rain on and off for the next week and with soils saturated, downed trees and mudslides remain a significant concern. Thank you for continuing to stay prepared and informed.
 
BE PREPARED

• We might see power outages again. Many Atherton residents were without power for several days for the last storm; make sure you are prepared. Do you need new batteries for your lanterns and flashlights? Fresh candles? Gas for your generator? Have you charged your EV, phone battery packs, etc.? Do you have nonperishable food? Don’t forget to plan for your pet’s needs as well.
• Secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture and decorations that could be blown away by strong winds. Make sure your sump pumps and other water detention systems are ready to go.
• Sandbags are available at the self-service sandbag station at Holbrook Palmer Park. To learn more about proper sandbag placement, visit the Town's Emergency Preparedness resource page at https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/653/Winter-Storm-Preparedness
• Plan in advance to assist your neighbors or have them help you in an emergency. 
    

STAY INFORMED

• Sign up for Town of Atherton emergency alert notifications here:https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/list.aspx 
• Follow latest storm updates on the Atherton City Manager Alert Center here: https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=10 
• Sign up for County-wide alerts (text or email):https://www.smcgov.org/ceo/smc-alert 
• If you lose power, you can visit the PG&E Outage Center for information regarding specific outages and ETA on restoration (if available):https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outagecenter/
• Follow the National Weather Service Bay Area on Twitter (@NWSBayArea) or Facebook 
• If you live close to the Atherton Channel, you can monitor water levels on the OneShoreline website.

Coming Restrictions on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

The State recently adopted legislation to ban the sale of small off-road engines (SORE) beginning January 1, 2024. Small off-road engines are spark-ignition engines with rated power at or below 19 kilowatts (25 horsepower). Engines that use diesel fuel and engines that are used in stationary equipment, including standby generators, are not subject to the SORE regulations. Here is a link to a fact sheet, but examples of some residential landscaping equipment with engines that are subject to SORE regulations banning the sale include edgers, hedge trimmers, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and riding mowers. 

In response to the State’s action to ban the sale of such equipment, local jurisdictions are adopting regulations that ban the use of such equipment. At the April 19, 2023, City Council meeting, the City Council will consider the introduction of an Ordinance to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers beginning July 1, 2024. On March 29, 2023, the Town is partnering with industry experts, the American Green Zone Alliance and Gardenland, to host a landscaper-focused workshop to assist landscapers and residents in navigating the transition process, educate about various types of equipment, and provide information about available rebates and vouchers to assist in the purchase of equipment.  Additionally, at the Love Our Earth Festival on Saturday, April 22 there will be demonstrations and educational information to assist landscapers and residents interested in learning more about electric and battery landscape equipment. 

The California Air Resources Board has a variety of incentive programs available to help purchase zero-emission lawn and garden equipment. The Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) provides a point-of-sale discount to help offset the incremental cost of zero-emission technology for professional landscaping services operated by small businesses or sole proprietors. More details can be found on the CORE website. The State rebate and voucher program is focused on the professional landscaper. In addition to resources provided by the State, the City Council will also be considering the adoption of a rebate program that would be applicable to residents to assist in their purchase of similar equipment.