San Mateo Mayor Pushes For Climate Action As Council Reviews Goals

SAN MATEO, CA — San Mateo Mayor Rick Bonilla pushed for “complete and full electrification” for buildings during a city council meeting this week.

The council went over a progress update on the 2020 Climate Action Report.

Implementation highlights included installing electric vehicle charging reports at the Main Street Garage, launching the electric leaf blower rebate program, adopting a disposable food service waste ordinance and developing the Kiku Crossing complex.

Goals for the 2022-23 fiscal year included developing a plan to decarbonize existing buildings, adopting reach codes and addressing gas leaf blower use.

Bonilla did not hide his desire for bigger climate goals like building electrification..

“I believe we can do this if we make a strong, concerted and loud effort,” Bonilla said. “We’re not going to do it by being calm, by sitting still. We need to not be excitable, but we need to be out front and we need to make this change in a large and an increasingly emphatic way.”

Bonilla pointed out that San Mateo was leading by example by having a drought-resistant lawn in front of City Hall. But he wanted a greater sense of urgency to address climate change.

“If we maintain the way we’re going, we’re not going to make the progress we need to make,” Bonilla said.