Belmont Weekly Civic & Community Briefing (Oct. 9–16, 2026): El Niño Emergency Declaration, New School Superintendent, ERP Modernization & Pumpkin Fest

This week in Belmont: The Belmont City Council took decisive proactive action on Tuesday evening, voting unanimously to declare a local emergency ahead of the 2026–27 El Niño winter storm season following federal forecasts warning of historically active rainfall. Across town on Thursday, the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD) Board of Trustees finalized their months-long executive search, unanimously appointing veteran educator Guadalupe Guerrero as the district's new permanent superintendent. Concurrently, city leaders launched a multi-year modernization roadmap to overhaul municipal financial systems, and School Force announced raising $1.85 million in the first six weeks of its annual campaign. On the Peninsula, regional emergency crews are lowering lagoon levels, and the Coastside welcomes visitors for the 54th Annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival.

This briefing covers civic decisions and community journalism published Oct. 9–16, 2026, alongside curated Peninsula weekend events from Oct. 17 through Oct. 25.

Municipal Policy & City Council Actions

Belmont Proclaims Local Emergency in Preparation for 2026–27 El Niño Winter Storms

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 13, the Belmont City Council voted 5–0 to adopt a resolution proclaiming a local emergency in anticipation of an active 2026–27 winter storm season. Presenting the measure, City Manager Afshin Oskoui highlighted that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a greater than 90% probability of very strong El Niño conditions this winter, with a 75% probability that the October through December window could reach historically exceptional strength. The proclamation aligns Belmont with the state-level emergency declaration, establishing a heightened readiness posture and enabling rapid procurement of emergency resources, engineering consultants, and specialized contractors.

Public Works teams have already completed preemptive creek maintenance and dredging along flood-prone corridors, cleared critical storm drain inlets, and identified hotspot drainage zones for targeted remediation before the first sustained atmospheric river arrives. To support neighborhood resilience, the city has activated its public Adopt-a-Drain outreach campaign and prepared sandbag filling stations at the City Hall complex. Residents are urged to inspect private property culverts, clear gutter debris, and verify their emergency notification settings.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Modernization: Transitioning Beyond Dynamics GP

The City Council also reviewed an informational study session outlining the transition strategy for Belmont's core financial and enterprise management infrastructure. Assistant City Manager and consulting leaders from Plante Moran, including Project Manager Matt Coates and Project Director Brian Pestis, briefed councilmembers on the impending end-of-life of Microsoft Dynamics GP, which has powered the city's accounting and financial ledger systems for over a decade. Microsoft will officially terminate product support in 2029, requiring Belmont to proactively evaluate modern cloud-based ERP solutions to maintain secure, compliant operations.

The city has initiated a 6-to-7 month detailed needs assessment that will audit workflows across Finance, Human Resources, Payroll, Asset Management, and Land Permitting. Following this discovery phase, staff will issue a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) in mid-2027 to select a best-fit municipal software suite and qualified implementation partner. Councilmembers emphasized prioritizing commercial off-the-shelf software with proven public sector track records, cautioning against heavy customization that often escalates ongoing IT overhead.

BRSSD Board Leadership & Education Decisions

Guadalupe Guerrero Unanimously Appointed BRSSD Superintendent

The BRSSD Board of Trustees met on Thursday, October 15, and voted unanimously 5–0 to approve an employment agreement selecting Guadalupe Guerrero as the district's next superintendent. Mr. Guerrero brings more than 30 years of public education experience, beginning his career as a bilingual classroom teacher in the Bay Area before serving as a principal, senior district administrator in San Francisco and Boston, and Superintendent of Portland Public Schools. Board President David Koss commended Mr. Guerrero's proven record in instructional leadership, collaborative culture building, and student-centered curriculum governance.

The contract establishes a term of approximately two years and 8.5 months, beginning Monday, October 19, 2026, through June 30, 2029, with an annualized base salary of $305,000 prorated for the 2026–27 school year across a 223-day positive work schedule. The appointment concludes the tenure of interim superintendent Craig Goldman, who successfully guided district administration through the early fall transition. In addressing the community, Mr. Guerrero pledged to spend his opening weeks actively visiting classrooms and engaging directly with educators, support personnel, and families across Belmont and Redwood Shores.

School Force Campaign Surpasses $1.85 Million; $321K Awarded in Teacher Innovation Grants

During public reports, School Force Executive Director Ardith Andrews shared encouraging campaign milestones for BRSSD schools. The annual back-to-school fundraising effort has generated $1.85 million in donations over its opening six weeks, achieving 61% of the foundation's $3.0 million goal. These funds sustain vital staffing across all district campuses, including full-time credentialed counselors, specialist music educators, hands-on science programs, and visual arts curricula.

Additionally, School Force expanded its annual educator innovation grants, awarding $321,000 to teachers and school teams this fall—an increase from $287,000 distributed during the prior school year. Funded projects span interactive STEM equipment, cozy classroom reading corners, diverse literature collections, and experiential field projects such as Ralston Middle School's archaeological Big Dig. Separately, the board voted 5–0 to approve Resolution 2026-27-8 endorsing Proposition 3 on the November 3 ballot, which would make permanent the state's existing income tax rates on high earners to maintain predictable revenue for K-12 education.

Local News & Regional Bulletins

Belmont Modernizes Municipal Fee Schedule Under Proposition 26

The City of Belmont is preparing an updated municipal fee schedule to align developer permitting costs with current staff labor and service expenses, as reported by the San Mateo Daily Journal. The city's last comprehensive master fee evaluation occurred in 2015. Under the proposed modernization, large-scale commercial and residential development applications will be restructured toward full cost recovery, while fees for smaller community projects—such as residential block parties and temporary street closures—are being reduced to lower barriers for neighborhood gatherings.

Foster City Lowers Lagoon Levels for Storm Season Retention

Neighboring Foster City announced that lagoon water levels will transition from summer operating elevations to winter baseline levels starting mid-November, with accelerated lowering planned if regional rainfall warrants. The city noted that forecasted El Niño conditions increase the likelihood of heavy runoff, prompting crews to lower lagoon surfaces below typical winter marks to create extra stormwater buffering capacity. A public sandbag station has opened at 610 Foster City Boulevard.

Reminder — Beautiful Belmont & Community Service Awards: Nominations remain open through Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. at belmont.gov/BBAwards.

The City of Belmont is accepting nominations for the 20th Annual Beautiful Belmont Awards and the Community Service Award through Monday, October 26 at 5:00 p.m. The Beautiful Belmont Awards recognize commercial and residential property improvements, landscaping, and architectural lighting, while the Community Service Award honors local volunteers demonstrating selfless community leadership. Nomination forms are available online at belmont.gov/BBAwards, with awards to be presented at the December 8 City Council meeting.

📅 Peninsula Weekend Radar & Events (Oct. 17–25)

A curated selection of verified, family-friendly, cultural, and outdoor events taking place in Belmont and nearby Peninsula destinations.