San Mateo · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Mateo public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
2026 Storm Drain Master Plan and flood protection
A new license with the school district lets the city put a sandbag station at Fiesta Gardens International School in North Central — handy before winter storms hit flood-prone areas.
Marina Lagoon Spot Dredging
An extra $49,000 for Moffatt & Nichol wraps up the long-running Marina Lagoon dredging project — water quality and flood capacity for the lagoon neighborhoods.
Marina Lagoon Pump Station and Sea Level Rise
The last three (really four) pump station rebuilds — Los Prados, Kelly/Kehl, and Arroyo Court — are queued, with work coordinated around school and wildlife schedules. The contractor staging lot on El Camino near 41st has drawn neighbor complaints, but it's slated as a future affordable housing site.
Clean Water Program completion and final budget
San Mateo's decade-long, ~$1.035 billion sewer and wastewater overhaul is nearly done, coming in only 4.4% over the 2017 estimate — remarkable for a project this size. A $5.9 million increase for the treatment plant lands in the FY 2026-27 budget, but the approved 5-year sewer rate schedule stays intact thanks to low-interest state and federal loans.