Daly City honors cultural months, wildfire readiness, water awareness and public‑works staff

The Daly City City Council on Tuesday issued a series of proclamations recognizing cultural heritage and urging residents to prepare for seasonal risks. Mayor Glenn R. Sylvester read proclamations marking Asian‑American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month; the council also proclaimed May as Wildfire Preparedness Month and Water Awareness Month and recognized National Public Works Week.

The most visible moment came when community leader Raina Mayafua accepted the AANHPI proclamation and described work running family‑oriented cultural events. “I'm very honored to be recognized,” Mayafua said, thanking council members, staff and religious leaders for their support.

Why it matters: Council members tied the heritage proclamations to ongoing local outreach and education: officials said such gestures “invite the community to understand more about a culture,” in the words of Council Member Dr. Rod. The wildfire proclamation included data cited by Council Member Manalo — that last year there were 8,036 wildfires burning 525,223 acres across California and that roughly 95% of fires are human‑caused — and urged residents to sign up for SMC Alert and ZoneHaven evacuation tools. Acting Fire Chief Nicholas Gracia described ZoneHaven as a voluntary mapping and alert system that breaks the county into zones to help residents know whether an evacuation affects them.

Council members also used the proclamations to thank city staff. Director Richard Chu and his public‑works team described the breadth of their work — parks, street maintenance, building maintenance and fleet services — and members said the week’s public‑works proclamation was meant to spotlight often unseen labor that keeps the city functioning.

What’s next: The council encouraged residents to take concrete steps — sign up for SMC Alert and ZoneHaven, check water‑use practices and engage with cultural events — and noted further outreach on wildfire notifications and water‑savings programs will be announced by departments.