San Carlos schools have a lot to be proud of with the release of the most recent API Scores.  Remember, that while the API scores are one way to calibrate California schools, there are also many other important factors to consider when evaluating a particular school.  That being said, congrats to the San Carlos School District!

Arundel School jumped 30 points to 952.

Brittan Acres jumped 8 points to 878.

White Oaks stayed even with last year’s index of 932.

Heather Elementary dropped two points to 919.

Tierra Linda has not yet been released. The score reported earlier was incorrect.

Central Middle School has not yet been released.

San Carlos Charter has not yet been released.

By the time all of the votes were counted, Measure A passed by an overwhelming margin.  81.1% of the ballots cast, voted in favor of Measure A and the $110.00 per year parcel tax.  This vote will insure a much needed revenue stream to the San Carlos School District. Congrats to all of those who worked so hard to make these additional funds a reality for our schools.

The Scene

After nearly an hour and a half of impassioned public comment on the future of San Carlos fire services, the San Carlos City Council voted unanimously to pursue an agreement with Redwood City as a means to provide fire services to the City of San Carlos as well as take a major step toward lowering their current fire services costs. The crowd was raucous at times, forcing Mayor Ahmad to close the tall doors leading to the lobby of City Hall.  Speakers ranged from concerned members of the public, current firefighters from the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department, Fire Chiefs from around the Bay Area, community leaders and the former mayor of San Carlos.  The vast majority of the speakers pleaded with the council to ignore a substantial cost savings and not go with the private option, Wackenhut Corporation, to provide San Carlos fire services.  Instead, these speakers argued that a significant savings could also be realized by negotiating with Redwood City for a more regionalized approach.  In the end, they got their wish.

Theory vs. Practicality

Many of the council members found themselves caught in a struggle of theory versus practicality.  In this case, was it possible for a private company such as Wackenhut, to handle a service that has traditionally been a publicly provided service?  Countless speakers argued that there was no oversight with a company such as Wackenhut.  The Brown Act and an open forum with the public was not mandatory under a contract with Wackenhut. Further, could a company that was made for profit be trusted to provide the same level of safety for San Carlos residents as many of our current firefighters do every day.  Some, including former San Carlos Mayor, John Buchanan, said he faced the exact same issue the current council was facing last night, over thirty years ago.  He urged the council to explore the Wackenhut option, alluding to the idea that the current structure of our public fire fighting platforms will land the city right back in this same position again some day. In the end, the council seemed to really be taken with some of the ideas in the Wackenhut proposal, but ultimately it appeared there was simply to much of an unknown factor with Wackenhut.

It’s Not a Done Deal

Keep in mind that the decision was to pursue an agreement with Redwood City for fire services in San Carlos.  There are many details still to be worked out, such as upper management issues, hiring, and oversight issues.  Councilman Andy Klein made it known that private companies such as Wackenhut were not entirely out of the picture.  While he hoped for a successful negotiation with Redwood City, he made it clear that he would have the council revisit a possible deal with Wackenhut or another private company should those negotiations with Redwood City not make favorable progress.

It’s Time to Give the City Council Credit

There are many different opinions on the members of the city council.  I, for one, feel they take far too much heat for being handed a disaster of a financial situation and asked to make everyone happy.  The truth of the matter is that San Carlos is in a massive hole due to Proposition 13.  We see far less per property tax dollar than any of our neighboring towns and the voters of San Carlos have shot down every measure which would have generated additional taxes for services such as the Fire Department. You simply cannot have it both ways.  At the end of the day, this council has systematically and intelligently cut costs across the board.  Everything from police, fire, parks and city employees have seen substantial cuts. The result is that San Carlos will very soon be living within its means….something that has not happened in a very long time. It is certainly okay to be critical of city leaders when appropriate, but when you have the last three council members running unopposed and working under almost impossible circumstances while finally getting San Carlos to sustainability, it’s time to give them some credit.

I am always very cautious when posting on issues such as this.  The intent of this post is not to make anyone fearful, but rather alert our readers and their neighbors to be more vigilant regarding their home and neighborhood.  These recent burglaries are brazen and somewhat disturbing considering the amount of surveillance that would need to be in place before someone attempted the burglary.

On Monday,  a home on the 1300 Block of Orange Avenue was burglarized during the mid morning hours.  The burglars apparently slipped into the home through an unlocked window.  They made off with electronics and jewelry.  Another home close to Eaton Avenue and Warwick Avenue, was burglarized in the same way…..an open window in the middle of the day.

The Sheriff’s Department at 600 Elm Street in San Carlos can be reached at (650) 802-4277 with any concerns/tips.

Over the last week there have been a few instances of criminal activity which has some residents keeping a more careful eye on their neighborhood.

On Thursday night a car was stolen in the White Oaks neighborhood, closer to Laurel Street. A police report was filed immediately.  There has not been any update on this case.

Last Sunday, the San Mateo County Non-Emergency Alert System reported the following:

On 03/26/2011 at 3:00PM, a resident on Richland Court, San Carlos was contacted by a male subject soliciting vehicle paint work. The resident allowed the subject to work on two of her vehicles, which in turn he was paid a sum of cash. At the completion, the subject asked to enter inside of the residence to clean up. After entering the residence, the subject stole a large amount of cash from a desk. The subject left without incident. The work was inspected and determined shabby and not complete. An immediate search of the residence revealed the theft. The suspect is described as a male of Hispanic decent in his 20′s and 5’7″ tall who spoke clear English. He was driving a white, unknown model/make truck with blue tape across the entire front windshield. The San Mateo Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents of this particular scam where residents are solicited for paint work, yard work, and other various construction at their residences. So please be aware of your surroundings and do not accept any offers of this nature. Anyone with information regarding similar cases is encouraged to contact the San Mateo Sheriff’s Office, San Carlos Bureau at 802-4277.

How It Happened

Just in case you were hiding under a rock today, a mountain lion managed to make its way down to Alameda de las Pulgas and Whipple and took refuge in a backyard.  Several calls into the police department eventually led to the Department of Fish and Game making the decision to shoot the mountain lion in backyard of a personal residence.  The mountain lion reportedly was stuck in between two fences in the backyard, which hampered the ability of the Department of Fish and Game to get a clear shot with a tranquilizer gun.  This, combined with the fact that there was a hospital and park nearby, was enough for Fish and Game to make the decision to fire two shots at the mountain lion which fatally wounded the animal.  This was not a small mountain lion.  Reports from the scene put it at around 100 pounds.

In following the social networking sites immediately thereafter, there were people who were extremely upset at the decision to shoot the mountain lion.  Granted, none of those people who were upset about the shooting were in the actual situation and ultimately they are not the ones responsible if the animal managed to get away and injure someone else.  Nonetheless, the outcry was substantial.

The Presence of Mountain Lions

Mountain lions have always been a low level threat in Redwood City and San Carlos.  In the early part of San Carlos history, they were routinely hunted and killed on the hills that make up Brittan Avenue and Melendy Drive.  Obviously, some are still around.  With some of our parks such as Eaton Park, Big Canyon Park and the Pulgas Reserve being the most obvious as places to be aware of your surroundings.

They were prepared, mentally tough, and in the end, 2011 San Carlos Treasure Hunters Champions.  Brittney Wilkerson, Sophia Navarro and Isabella Navarro were the first all-girls team to win the event.  Please watch the video below for the full story. For better viewing, please click the full screen option by clicking the button with four arrows going in opposite directions.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am3NnXfM8H0[/youtube]

***Please click the link below for a copy of all 10 Treasure Hunters Clue, including the final Golden Clue and a copy of the challenges.***

The Background

The decision to possibly renew a $111 parcel tax via the  May 3rd mail-in election is forthcoming.  From everyone I have spoken with, I believe it is safe to say that your ballot will be waiting in your mail box. The purpose of this parcel tax is to provide the San Carlos School District with an additional $1,000,000 per year.  In 2003, voters passed Measure D.  Measure D consisted of a yearly parcel tax of $98, as well as an adjustable cost of living factor built-in to each successive year.  Measure D has been in place since 2003 and is scheduled to run through 2011.  With the cost of living factor, Measure D currently sits at $111.  The possible upcoming San Carlos parcel tax measure would basically be an extension of Measure D for another eight years.  The only difference is that a cost of living factor would not be in effect for those eight years, keeping the parcel tax locked at $111.

The Frustration

Out of all the topics covered on this blog over the past four years, I can tell you that nothing gets people more riled up than San Carlos schools and taxes.  Combine the two, and you are going to get some very strong opinions.  The San Carlos School District, through no fault of its own, has the unenviable task each year of trying to balance a budget that yields higher costs with fewer funds each passing school year.  To their credit, they have done so and have kept all of our schools at an elite level.  However, the SCSD has been aided during the past few years by the herculean effort of the San Carlos Educational Foundation and the parcel tax. So precarious is the financial situation that losing the parcel tax as a revenue stream would be unconscionable in the view of many. I’ve sat through a few of these school parcel tax measures over the last ten years and I can tell you that the amount of angst ahead of this one is palpable.  The frustration is coming from many parents who work tirelessly to support their school through volunteer hours and donations. Some have told me that if the parcel tax measure does not pass, private school or going to a public school outside San Carlos is a very real possibility.  The frustration seems to be compounding itself as there appears to be a growing belief among some volunteers working to help our schools that there are more than a handful of parents in San Carlos who don’t want to contribute anything to the schools, and expect someone else to pick up the slack. “At the end of the day, I can deal with someone not wanting to donate to our schools.  I get that. Public education is public education.  But to not pass a hundred dollar parcel tax which supports the main reason your property values remain so high in San Carlos is mind-boggling,” was how one parent described the situation.

How the Preparation for Proposition 13 Reduced the SCSD Revenue Stream

Many in San Carlos do not understand how we can have such high property values, but our schools have very little money.  The truth lies in what happened shortly before Proposition 13 was implemented.  It’s a bit confusing….but here goes….. Just prior to Proposition 13 going into effect, San Carlos was a different town than it is today.  San Carlos certainly had kids, but not nearly on the level that it does today.  It was not an educational destination for families on the peninsula. The City of San Carlos decided that it in order to have its property taxes remain as low as possible, the portion or percentage of property taxes which were to be earmarked for our schools was to be relatively low, compared to other cities and districts.  When Prop 13 became law in 1978, it essentially froze the disbursement rates that cities were using for determining the share of property taxes to be used for its schools.  San Carlos was frozen at a relatively low portion or percentage of its property taxes going to the San Carlos School District.  This rate has never changed, thus it has been incredibly difficult for our schools to keep up, financially.   Further, it is legally impossible for San Carlos and cities similar to San Carlos to change their disbursement percentage from pre-1978.  However unfair this may seem, it’s a reality that our district has had to deal with for the past 30 years.

At the same time as the implementation of Prop 13, a very famous California Supreme Court case was decided.  The final ruling in Serrano v. Priest stated that the State of California had an obligation to equalize the disparities in the funding of California School districts.  The result was a political compromise.  Essentially, all school districts in California were given a choice:  (1) districts with very high property taxes could opt to be self-funding from their property taxes with very little help from Sacramento (as long as they could prove viability); or (2) districts could agree to essentially forego the heavy dependency on their local property taxes and join the revenue stream from the state budget.  Almost all of the districts opted to be a part of the state budget to secure a minimum level of funding each and every year.  In fact, out of the 1,000 plus school districts in California, only 65 went with choice #1, and became what is referred to as Basic Aid Districts .  One such district which decided to become a Basic Aid District is the Palo Alto Unified School District.  Obviously, this proved to be a very good move for Palo Alto.

Given this information it now becomes clear that an increase in property tax revenue does not translate to more money for our San Carlos schools.  While in Basic Aid Districts the increase in property taxes would most likely translate to more money for schools.  It is also easy to see why so many are asking to either repeal Proposition 13 or build in an amendment which would give cities and districts some more flexibility in positioning themselves to maximize the property tax revenue percentages going to their local schools.

Summary

I rarely contribute my own two cents on an issue such as this, but the one thing I can tell you with complete certainty is that the San Carlos schools are far and away, the number one reason people move to San Carlos and the reason they are willing to pay so much to live here.  I would estimate that 9 out of 10 buyers mention this in my first meeting with them.  There are several reasons to vote in favor of the parcel tax in May.  Helping our schools, kids, community and property values, just to name a few. It could be the best $111 you’ve ever spent.

Please see the press release below from the Sheriff’s Department regarding an attempted armed robbery on the 1400 Block of Cedar on Thursday evening.

“On December 2nd at approximately 7:30 pm a resident was approached by a single suspect in his driveway as he exited his vehicle in the 1400 block of Cedar Street in the city of San Carlos.

The suspect was described as a black male, approximately 16-20 years of age, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. The suspect appeared to be holding a semi-automatic hand gun down to his side as he demanded the victim’s wallet.

The victim refused and began to yell at the suspect. The suspect turned and walked back towards a waiting vehicle that was parked around the corner.

The victim said that the suspect never pointed the weapon at him and that there were two additional suspects. One was standing in front of his neighbor’s residence and the other was waiting at the vehicle.

The two additional suspects were described as black males each 16-20 years of age, medium build and wearing black hooded sweatshirts and blue jeans. The associated vehicle was described as an older model gray passenger vehicle, possibly a Mercury. The three subjects fled in the vehicle northbound on Cedar Street.

Deputies responded to the area and conducted an extensive search for the suspects and vehicle with negative results.   The case has been assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Detective Division for follow-up.

For additional information, please contact the on duty Watch Commander at (650) 802-4277.”

I want to strongly emphasize that the purpose of this post is not to alarm anyone.  With the information available at this point, it is almost impossible to understand just what placement on the Top 100 list entails.  The purpose of this post is to simply let you know that San Carlos is on the list.

PG&E just released a list entitled the Top 100 Segments, in which they detail the top 100 segments of gas pipe that are in need of further evaluation.  One of those sections listed as Map No. 18, can be found in San Carlos on Brittan Avenue, between Brittan Avenue and El Camino.

PG&E established a key factor for determining the placement on the list for each segment.  The key factor for the pipe in San Carlos was: Physical Design and Characteristics.

PG&E defines this term as follows:

“Physical Design and Characteristics: Factors include items such as: the age of pipe, the type of welding performed on the pipe, the fittings used in the pipeline, and the materials used to manufacture the pipe. Some of the actions PG&E would take to reduce this risk factor include replacement of the pipe or fittings in order to upgrade or improve the design or characteristics of the line segment.”
Further, PG&E gives a brief explanation of why the 105 feet of pipe that is under review:

“PG&E is conducting an engineering review of the design materials of 105 feet of pipe near Brittan Ave and El Camino Real in San Carlos. Based on this review, PG&E will determine whether any repair or replacement action is warranted.”

The ranking system, which appears to rank San Carlos in the upper half of all listed pipe segment locations, is a bit difficult to understand.  To view the complete release from PG&E, please click here.

There is a lot of information which still needs to be more thoroughly understood before jumping to any conclusions regarding the pipe in question for San Carlos.  This post will be updated as more becomes available.