A recent flurry of concerns on Nextdoor.com and San Mateo Moms Facebook group led to an important decision by the Parks & Recreation Department to discontinue use of Glyphosate (the herbicide commonly known as Roundup). The City just published this notice to inform residents of the decision and the anticipated changes.
“Some of you may begin to notice our City-owned parks and landscaping are starting to look a little different. That’s because we’ve stopped using glyphosate on City-owned properties. This decision came following community concerns about the health implications of exposure to the herbicide commonly known as the brand name Roundup.
Over the years, our Parks and Recreation Department has significantly reduced the use of herbicides, and our staff always complies with all safety requirements. But now that City staff and our contractors are not using glyphosate, we must consider alternate weed-control methods for our municipal buildings, parks and medians within San Mateo’s right-of-way.
Many other cities and agencies are in a similar situation and experimenting with various approaches. Overall, staff anticipates alternative methods will likely be more costly and generally less effective.
We all want our landscaped areas to look beautiful for the public while maintaining a safe environment. As we continue to evaluate alternatives, we appreciate our community’s patience as our parks and landscaping will likely start to appear different.”
North Central Neighborhood 