San Bruno CA: Part 2 of 2 - State of the City Address - Mayor Jim Ruane January 6th 2015

Part 2 of 2

While we celebrate the beginnings of the Plaza project and work closely with other businesses interested in what San Bruno has to offer, we also continue to celebrate completion of the San Bruno Grade Separation Project which not only resolves serious and long standing safety concerns, but also creates a new amenity and hub of activity to support revitalization of San Bruno’s downtown. The $160 million San Bruno Grade Separation Project was dedicated at a ceremony in May. The finished project elevates the Caltrain tracks above three existing street crossings at San Bruno, San Mateo and Angus Avenues. This change improves safety for both motorists and pedestrians, and reduces traffic congestion to and from Highway 101 into San Bruno. The newly elevated Caltrain station on San Bruno Avenue at San Mateo Avenue opened to the public in April, replacing the former station at Sylvan Avenue. A total of 201 parking spaces and a drop off lot serve the station nearby at the former San Bruno Lumber site and three pedestrian underpasses at Sylvan, at the new station and at Euclid provide safety and convenience for pedestrians.

The relocated Posy Park in the plaza area adjacent to the station is a beautiful new amenity for the area with its benches, landscaping and river-like fountain. As I mentioned, look for our installation of the Centennial mosaic tile mural commissioned by our Culture and Arts Commission. The next exciting component of the station area will be the decorative arch feature to be installed on the east side of the station entrance. The new structure already makes a strong and positive statement and the new arch will make this an even more welcoming gateway to San Bruno. We look forward to dedicating our new arch in 2015.

Construction of the Grade Separation has been ongoing for over two years, often interrupting traffic and creating noise, dust and other difficulties for the surrounding neighborhoods. I would like to acknowledge our residents’ endurance and resiliency during the construction time as we can all imagine how disruptive this type of heavy construction can be. While we have a wonderful result that we can all be proud of, it remains a highest priority of the San Bruno City Council to assure that residents and businesses in the areas in and around the downtown are protected and supported during the time that new development activity will continue to be a part of what it takes to realize our vision for San Bruno’s future. It is not just the result and the benefits that development can bring that matters. We remain mindful that our equally important objective is to protect and enhance the character and the quality of life that our residents enjoy and that makes this a place that people want to be.

Along with planning for and supporting new development projects, the City remains focused on taking care of the utility systems that are critical to support both residents and businesses alike. The City embarked on its aggressive infrastructure replacement program three years ago to assure continued safe and reliable infrastructure for the water and sewer utility systems. While most of us may not usually think about what is under the ground until there is a problem – this approach cannot sustain a community that is now 100 years old. Some of our utility infrastructure is even older. Several projects have already been completed or are in the planning or design stage. One that is highly visible and currently under construction is the sewer pipeline replacement along Kains and San Mateo Avenues. This project improves long-time trouble spots in the sewer system and will provide the necessary service to support an enhanced downtown.

The City is also rehabilitating pump stations and water tanks to improve the reliability and provide adequate water pressure and water flow throughout the community. The College Pump Station, located at the intersection of College Drive and Skyline Boulevard, is the first pump station to be improved and it is very close to final completion. The new pump station is designed to resist earthquake loads and has state-of-the art pumps, motors, controls and an emergency power supply to continue service during a disaster. Active demolition and construction will begin during the coming year to replace the water tank on Glenview Drive. Soon to follow is replacement of the water tank off of Cunningham and the Olympic sewer pump station.

Infrastructure also continues to be reconstructed in the Crestmoor neighborhood. All of the City’s underground infrastructure has now been replaced in the neighborhood and the City will be embarking in the next month on a project to replace all of the private sewer laterals serving homes in the neighborhood. Surface repairs, which include repaving the streets and installing new sidewalks and streetlights will follow, hopefully beginning by the end of the coming year.

This year will also see the construction of the final 10 new homes to replace the 38 that were destroyed in the 2010 PG&E gas line explosion and fire. These beautiful new homes will be available for sale to new residents late this year. We look forward to final completion of the long process of physical recovery for the neighborhood into 2016 and we continue to commend and take pride in the resilience of this community that has become the example to the nation and beyond of triumph over disaster.

Knowing that utility system deficiencies and failure of our state’s utility regulatory system were key contributing causes to the explosion, the City continues to seek justice for the community and its victims and for meaningful reform at the California Public Utilities Commission, the State agency charged with assuring safety in the operation of the gas, electric and other public utility systems we all rely on. During the past year, the City of San Bruno successfully challenged the Commission with a lawsuit to force the release of public records that it sought to withhold in violation of the State’s Public Records Act. Those records confirmed our worst fears – that the decision makers at the Commission have been directly and continuously involved, over a long period of time, in inappropriate and illegal communication with the very utility they were trusted to regulate. When the City’s efforts led to public disclosure of what the news media has widely reported as corruption and scandal at the top levels of the Commission and the utility, executives and officials involved have either been released or have stepped down from their positions.

This is just a start toward the meaningful reform that the City seeks to assure so we can all be confident that what happened here that day in September, 2010 never happens again, anywhere. As we enter the year that will see commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the explosion, the City remains committed to seeing this effort through to full implementation of the changes that are needed. We continue our strong advocacy for installation of an Independent Monitor function at the CPUC to assure that proper regulation and oversight is being carried out. And, we continue advocacy for the establishment and funding of a California Pipeline Safety Trust organization to focus on the critical issues of pipeline safety advocacy, education and public information. Both of these initiatives are critical as part of the final resolution of the pending penalty and criminal proceedings that are now being completed.

On a more positive note, the City is proud of its progress to establish and begin operation of the San Bruno Community Foundation. The Foundation is charged with management and decision making on the use of restitution funds the City negotiated and received from PG&E. Just a year ago the City Council completed selection and appointment of 7 community members to the Foundation Board and tasked them with building the new not-for-profit organization and its operation from the ground up. With a mission statement that assigned the Foundation to assure that the restitution funds are used to “benefit the San Bruno community through enduring and significant contributions to, and investments in charitable and community programs and publically owned community facilities over the long term”, the Board has been diligently at work to establish the Foundation. To date the Board has already accomplished completion and approval through the IRS of full incorporation as a not-for-profit organization, creation of initial operational procedures and protocols, and most recently, the selection of the Foundation’s first Executive Director. Their official announcement of this important step forward to build the staff support to deliver their mission is coming very soon.

Lastly, I want to again acknowledge the tremendous support and collaboration that this community provides and that makes San Bruno unique. Individuals from throughout the community came together not only to plant trees, plan, help finance and deliver our Centennial celebration, produce youth sports and other activities, but our community organizations continue to step up to support San Bruno in many different ways. The San Bruno Rotary Club and the San Bruno Lions Club both delivered projects that helped preserve our police force, renovate the community’s public facilities and support programs throughout the community. Those generous efforts are what make San Bruno such a strong and vibrant community and to everyone that has lent their hands, minds and pocket books, I say thank you. You all are what help build our community.

Again, I thank you for being here today and for the invitation to the Chamber Board Installation. Congratulations to the new Board – your new and continued efforts are appreciated and celebrated by the community today. Congratulations to you and I wish you all a very healthy and prosperous 2015!