AGENDA ITEM #6
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
February 2, 2022
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
SUBJECT: Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in January
__________________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Receive Councilmember activities report.
DISCUSSION
Every month, each Councilmember provides a list of the meetings they attended in the preceding month on behalf of the Town, for inclusion in this report. Under the agenda section entitled “Council Reports and Comments” Councilmembers may choose to highlight one of those meetings.
Mayor Hellman
• January 19: Fairfax regular town council meeting
• January 20: Fairfax welcome letter communication meeting with community members • January 21: Rent stabilization meeting with Vice Mayor Cutrano and community organizers • January 24: Town council agenda setting meeting with Staff and Vice Mayor Cutrano • January 24: Fairfax Volunteer Board meeting
• January 25: Meeting with Interim Director of Public works and Interim Town Manager • January 26: Discussion with FPD Chief Tabaranza concerning traffic safety and other topics • January 26: Cal Cities North Bay General Membership mtg • January 26: Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) • January 27: Town hall with Representative Jared Huffman and Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) for a virtual town hall on safeguarding our democracy in the aftermath of January 26:
Discussion of accountability and strategies to protect democracy including through the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol and legislation to protect election integrity. Participants will have the opportunity to send questions in advance and during the program.
Vice Mayor Cutrano
• 1/10— Fairfax Town Council Agenda Setting with Mayor Hellman and Town staff • 1/10— “Homelessness in Marin” event sponsored by Opening Doors Marin • 1/11— “Putting Water in the Ground” event sponsored by UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE)
• 1/13—MCCMC Ad Hoc Water Policy Committee meeting
• 1/14—Ross Valley Safe Routes to School Task Force Spring Fall Meeting • 1/14— “Code Rad for Humanity; What Municipalities Can Do” event sponsored by Acterra • 1/19—Closed Session of the Fairfax Town Council
• 1/19—Regular Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council
2 • 1/21—Rent Stabilization meeting with Mayor Hellman and DSA regarding their Rent Stabilization Campaign
• 1/24—Fairfax Town Council Agenda Setting with Mayor Hellman and Town staff • 1/24—Fairfax Volunteer Board Meeting
• 1/25—Fairfax Open Space Committee Meeting
• 1/26—Cal Cities: North Bay Division General Membership Meeting • 1/26—Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA) Meeting
• 1/26—Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) January Meeting • 1/26—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee meeting with Councilmember Goddard
• 1/27—Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) January Meeting Councilmember Ackerman
• 1/12 Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District board meeting • 1/18 Climate Action Committee regular meeting
• 1/19 Meeting with Interim Public Works Director regarding Pavilion, EV and other infrastructure • 1/19 Town Council closed session, and Town Council regular meeting • 1/21 County Ad Hoc Green Microgrid Policy Makers Group, meeting at Commonweal • 1/26 Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) regular meeting Councilmember Coler
• Met with Town Clerk Gardner RE: short term rentals (Jan 6, 18). • Met with Interim Town Manager several times on transition and other Town matters (Jan 11, 18, 25).
• Attended Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) Board meeting (Jan 20) – Received workplan progress report & that Operations Committee is developing next FY workplan; adopted MWPA objectives document (part of strategic planning efforts); approved job description and salary range for Management Analyst (recruitment to begin soon) position; adopted guidelines for contractor for grants specialist; reviewed FireSafe Marin’s report and annual chipper day report; Operations Committee – Fire Chief White (SR) is now Chair & Dan Schwartz remains Vice Chair; education session held on MWPA’s CEQA compliance strategy by MWPA’s CEQA Counsel and Environmental Consulting firm rep. • Attended MCE Clean Energy Board meeting () – Board meeting was not held in January. • Attended MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee meeting (Jan 21) – primary action was adoption of resolution for CEO’s annual compensation after performance review; an Ad Hoc Committee of the Executive Committee was formed to develop CEO compensation structure (criteria, process (360 eval.?), etc.) – Coler is a member of this Ad Hoc Committee (meetings will be held starting in spring).
• Civic Center - Oath of office for Supervisor succession in emergency (Jan 24). • Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers Legislative Committee (Jan 24) – Governor’s proposed budget highlights: nearly $46B surplus projected; $286.4B budget – rebuild reserves and strengthen economic support for families and businesses; most to be spent on one-time investments. State may exceed the Gann Limit which would require taxpayer rebates and increased education spending. It is expected that there will be maneuvers to expend the excess revenue (to eliminate the possible exceedance of the Gann Limit) which may include paying down additional debt, invest in infrastructure, and providing discretionary funding to local governments.
3 • MCCMC LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SCOPE OF ADVOCACY: Fiscal Protection: protect city revenues from state Local Control: support legislation that enhances local control of resources to provide services while supporting regional co-operation. Oppose unfunded mandates and preemption of local authority and control of land use Transportation Investment: promote stable transportation finance structure for state and local government. Multimodal, enhancing livable communities Housing/Land use: protect local government land use authority. Oppose punitive housing legislation, and legislation that restricts or reduces local discretion on land use decisions. Other legislation can be recommended to MCCMC at a regular meeting. • Attended Marin Council of Mayors & Councilmembers monthly meeting (Jan 26) – Two presentations: Cybersecurity and Physical Security resources available to local government agencies, by Edgar Castor, Protective Security Advisor, and Mario Garcia, CISSP, Cyber Security Advisor, for the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus Update & Mayors for Meals Campaign Update by Anne Grey, Chief Executive Officer, Vivalon.
• Meeting with local advocates for rent control (Jan 26). • Attended Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Board meeting (Jan 27). • Attended Fairfax Age Friendly Task Force meeting (Jan 28).
Councilmember Goddard
• 1/7- Marin County Council of Mayors and Council Members (MCCMC) Homeless Committee Met with San Rafael Vice-Mayor and Committee Co-Chair Rachel Kertz to discuss an initial meeting plan, and Guest Speakers for 2022
• 1/10- Attended the County Workshop ‘Homelessness In Marin’ • 1/11- Marin Sanitary Service -Met with Interim Public Works Director Johnathon Goldman and Marin Sanitary Service (MSS) outreach team to discuss new waste sorting systems and disposal Infrastructure for Town owned buildings
• 1/12- Ross Valley Fire Board Meeting
• 1/14- Ross Valley Safe Routes To Schools Task Force Meeting • 1/14- Attended Senator McGuire’s Town Hall with Dr. Timothy Brewer, one of the state’s top infectious disease physicians. The conversation focused on answering questions and giving the latest facts on the Omicron variant and what to expect in the coming weeks and months of the pandemic.
• 1/18- Participated in a Conversation with Mayor Hellman, Ken Shapiro (County Health and Human Services (HHS) asst Director) and Gary Naja-Riese (Homelessness Director), Nancy Vernon (Aide to Supervisor Rice) and Lisel Blash (member of the Fairfax Affordable Housing Committee) to discuss and strategize a more coordinated and effective response and resolution to Victory Village Resident’s challenges with their formerly unhoused neighbors. • 1/18- Attended the County Workshop regarding the proposed Project Homekey 2.0 property at 1251 South Eliseo Drive in Larkspur. Project Homekey recently received a $2.75 billion expansion from the State, and the County will seek funding through this expansion for converting a former skilled nursing center at 1251 S. Eliseo Drive, Greenbrae into 43 permanent supportive housing apartments for people experiencing homelessness. • 1/19- Regular Town Council Meeting
• 1/20- Met with Cascade Canyon neighbors and Mayor Hellman to discuss a ‘Welcome’ and informational letter to distribute to new residents.
• 1/23- Met with Curt Ries, one of the co-chairs of Marin Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)'s Rent Control Committee, and other members of the organizing team. They are working on a campaign to establish rent control in Marin County. 4 • 1/24- Cascade Canyon Firewise Steering Committee meeting • 1/24- Attended the Fairfax Volunteer Board meeting to co-present with resident Mark Solomons, a proposal for seasonal multi-cultural celebration/ observance events. The goal is to form a sub-committee to conduct outreach and invite members of different cultures, religions and affiliations to host and share their traditions and rituals. These will be inclusive community wide events aimed at celebrating and appreciating our differences and discovering our points in common.
• 1/25- Attended the Marin Housing Authority’s meeting to hear the Marin City Residents Council’s current plan for a Green Rehabilitation plan for Golden Gate Village • 1/26- MCCMC Regular Business Meeting
• 1/31- Fairfax Festival. Attended a meeting as a member of the Committee to discuss and plan for the return of the Festival in June 2022.
• 1/31- Co-Chaired the MCCMC Homeless Committee meeting • The guest speaker was Karen Strolia, Director of Downtown Streets Team North Bay. She updated the Committee on the Mobile Care (Showers) which all Marin Cities and Towns support through contributions to the Community Homeless fund.