County's final budget reopens parks, keeps North Fair Oaks crime team County's final budget reopens parks, keeps North Fair Oaks crime team (October 06, 2004)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

Thanks to a slightly improving fiscal situation, San Mateo County has reopened four parks that were closed for three days a week, and will continue providing two detectives to the street-crime team pursuing gang violence in North Fair Oaks.

The $1.34 billion budget for 2004-05, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on September 28, also restores some $11 million in services that were eliminated in the preliminary budget adopted in June.

Among services being restored are:

** Strengthening Child Welfare Services by increasing training for social workers, and adding staff to lower caseloads to 25 cases per worker.

** Expanding public health operations by establishing a new center at the San Mateo Medical Center to focus on infectious and other communicable diseases.

** Reopening a unit at Camp Glenwood, a camp to rehabilitate young offenders.

The North Fair Oaks community will also get a new center for day laborers, thanks to a request from Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson.

Since June, the county has found, the $56.3 million deficit it incorporated in the 2004-05 budget had shrunk. By September, the county gained an additional $29.4 million in funds, according to Deputy County Manager Reyna Farrales. And the state took away $6.2 million rather than the $23.1 million county officials had feared.

Nevertheless, the county's budget is still in the shrinking mode. "We still have made major cuts in county services, and I foresee we will have to make more next year," said Supervisor Rich Gordon.

Street crime

With gang violence on the rise throughout the county, the supervisors voted unanimously for $250,000 to restore two Sheriff's Office positions assigned to the Street-Crime Suppression Team, which works with the Redwood City Police Department on gang violence and drugs in North Fair Oaks.

"I'm usually trying to pinch pennies, but I'm willing to spend a little money here," said Supervisor Gordon.

The county also funded another county-wide street-crime pilot project, and kept its deputies working on gang violence and crime with East Palo Alto police.

Undersheriff Greg Munks reported that there have been six homicides in East Palo Alto this year.

"Gangs are fluid," he said. "They move up and down the Peninsula using stolen vehicles, using public transit."

Parks

Supervisor Jerry Hill proposed reopening the four parks -- Edgewood, San Bruno Mountain, Junipero Serra, and San Pedro Valley -- that were closed for three days a week as part of the June budget cuts.

When parks were closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, school groups couldn't use them, volunteers couldn't work on weeding and restoration, and they were more subject to arson and vandalism, Mr. Hill said. "It's important to bring the parks back to normal."

The supervisors voted unanimously to provide $187,489 to reopen the parks.

Ravenswood clinic

The Ravenswood Family Health Center, however, was not successful in its request for $250,000 -- at least for the time being.

Speaking at the meeting, director Luisa Buada pleaded for the money to help the new clinic continue serving its clients in one of the county's medically needy areas. "Foundations won't bail us out without evidence of financial support," she said.

The clinic was founded about three years ago to serve the vulnerable population of East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park. It receives a $1 million federal grant, but must make up the rest of its $4 million budget from other public and private sources, Ms. Buada explained.

The indigent and uninsured clients that the clinic can't serve end up in other county facilities at far greater cost to the county, Ms Buada said. "It's pennywise and pound foolish."

The supervisors did not close the door, but wanted more information and study before committing funds. The clinic "is very critical to our ability to serve the indigent and uninsured," said Supervisor Jacobs Gibson of East Palo Alto.

Supervisor Jacobs Gibson promised to work with the clinic to find ways to provide sustained services. "It's a relationship that has to be developed further," she said.

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