AGENDA ITEM #7
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
August 3, 2022
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Lorena Barrera, Administrative Analyst
SUBJECT: Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in July __________________________________________________________________________________
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
• July 11: July 22: Strengthening Just Cause and Rent Stabilization working group meeting: Vice Mayor Cutrano, Curt Reis/DSA, Leah Simon Weisberg • July 12: Fairfax Special Town Council meeting
• July 13: Ross Valley Fire Dept board meeting. Authorized the Fire Chief to Enter into a Professional Services Agreement with Local Motion Solutions for the Leadership / Governance Study.
• July 19: Discussion with PG&E Local Government Affairs rep Mark Van Gorder, and Enhanced Vegetation Management “EVM” program leader with Town Manager and Councilmember Coler. Agreed PG&E will host a public forum for Fairfax to explain background and scope for EVM in and EPSS (Enhanced Power Safety Setting) – webinar date to be announced asap.
• July 19: Attended Ross Valley School District special meeting in person at Wade Thomas School. RVSD Board President shared a “Deer Park Working Group” has been formed with Fairfax San Anselmo Children’s Center. There is cooperation and alignment on 3 resolution options for exploration with the preferred option being a transfer of ownership to the center. • July 20: Attended Age Friendly Marin "Breakfast with Friends" at Barefoot Café. • July 20: Walking tour of the recent fire at Bon Tempe lake with resident who discovered the blaze and victim.
• July 21: Meeting with RSVD Superintendent Trahan, RSVD board president Shelle Freeman, Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center Director Heidi Tomsky and Erik Schweninger, Council member Goddard and town attorney Janet Coleson – this meeting was a deeper exploration of the options the “Deer Park Working Group” (which consists of RVSD, FSACC and their respective attorneys) with Goddard and Hellman serving in their 2 RVSD liaison roles.
• July 22: Weekly Strengthening Just Cause and Rent Stabilization working group meeting: Vice Mayor Cutrano, Curt Reis/DSA, Leah Simon Weisberg 2 • July 25: Council agenda setting meeting Town Manager, Clerk and Town Attorney. • July 26: Attended project presentation on Greater Ross Valley Shaded Fuel Break a public meeting hosted by Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority. • July 29: Weekly Strengthening Just Cause and Rent Stabilization working group meeting: Vice Mayor Cutrano, Curt Reis/DSA, Leah Simon Weisberg, Lucie Hollingsworth / Legal Aid of Marin
• July 27: Meeting to discuss Fairfax event opportunity “Kings, Queens and Vaccines” with Spahr Center stemming from a grant they received to support vaccines. Event will include a couple outdoor drag performances. Attendees: Maria Baird (Staff), Fel Agrelius / Spahr, Karen Marks, Manager of Farmers Market.
• July 29: Weekly Strengthening Just Cause / Rent Stabilization working group meeting. Includes Vice Mayor Cutrano, Curt Reis/DSA, Lucie Hollingsworth Legal Aid of Marin and Leah Simon Weisberg Berkeley expert and statewide leader on rent control, landlord-tenant law, Legal Director for ACCE.
*Regular interaction with residents about a host of topics including outdoor dining, PG&E, local homeless encampment.
Vice Mayor Cutrano
• 7/6 - Closed Session of the Fairfax Town Council. Full agenda packet can be found here. • 7/6 - Regular Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Full agenda packet and video recording can be found here.
• 7/7 - Ready & Resilient Ross Valley: Fairfax Event Planning Session with Councilmember Renee Goddard, Jody Timms, and Ross Valley Fire Department Disaster Preparedness Coordinate Miranda Miller.
• 7/7 - Introductory meeting regarding Marin Town and Country Club. Councilmember Renee Goddard and I were approached by representatives of the owner of the Marin Town and Country Club to learn about the owner’s intentions for the site. • 7/8 - Rent Stabilization Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting. I met with Mayor Hellman, Curt Reis (of DSA Marin)
• 7/11 - Rent Stabilization Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting. I met with Mayor Hellman, Curt Reis (of DSA Marin) and Lucy Hollingsworth (Legal Aid of Marin) to better understand Legal Aid of Marin’s offered support services to help the Town of Fairfax implement a rent stabilization program.
• 7/12 - Closed Session of the Fairfax Town Council. Full agenda packet can be found here.
• 7/12 - Continued adjourned Regular Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Full agenda packet and video recording can be found here.
• 7/14 - North South Greenway Corte Madera Creek Gap Closure Ribbon Cutting. The long-awaited and much-improved multi-use pathway over Corte Madera Creek has been completed and is now fully open! A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on July 14 to celebrate the newly constructed multi- use path. The new path replaces the old 4-foot, narrow pathway with a 12-foot-wide multi-use path that is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. This new path begins on the north side of Corte Madera Creek, at the touchdown of the Central Marin Ferry Connector Bridge and ends on Old Redwood Highway in Larkspur.
3 • 7/18 - Rent Stabilization Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting. I joined Town Manager Abrams, Town Attorney Coleson, and Interim Planning Director Woltering for a check-in meeting to work through the draft rent stabilization flow chart and capture outstanding questions.
• 7/21 - Marin Sonoma Narrows Segment B7 Groundbreaking. After years of planning, seeking funding, and constructing the Marin-Sonoma Narrows in segments, the final segment - B7 - has entered construction. A groundbreaking celebration was held on July 21 and received news coverage from the Marin Independent Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, and ABC/Channel 7. Construction of this segment includes widening US-101 for HOV lanes for 3.5 miles along the northbound lanes from North Novato to the County Line, and for 6.3 miles along the southbound lanes from De Long Avenue to the County Line. • 7/22 - Rent Stabilization Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting. I met with Mayor Hellman, Curt Reis (of DSA Marin) and Leah Simon-Wiseberg (Alliance of Californias for Community Empowerment) to discuss questions that came up at my 7/19 check-in meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Town Attorney Coleson, and Interim Planning Director David Woltering. • 7/26 - Fairfax Open Space Committee July Meeting. At the July meeting we discussed upcoming events, donation of and acquisition of parcels for the Town of Fairfax, and regional open space initiatives. I also recommended to the Open Space Committee that they initiate a process to provide the Town Council with a Committee report for the last year and a proposed work plan (with jusifications) for 2023. This will be agendized for their August or September meetings.
• 7/27- Meeting with Petitioners regarding Homelessness Issues in Fairfax. Councilmember Renee Goddard and I met with Sandy Handsher and Nancy Clothier to discuss the state of County and Town engagement in homelessness issues in Fairfax.
• 7/27 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting. I met with Councilmember Renee Goddard and Town Manager Heather Abrams to discuss the expected staff report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion activities / progress in the Town of Fairfax.
• 7/27 - Ross Valley Paramedic Authority Ballot Measure Planning Meeting. I met with Councilmember Renee Goddard and Town Clerk Michelle Gardner to review requirements for placing the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority funding renewal on the ballot for this November.
• 7/27 - Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA) Regular July Meeting. MERA had a rather short agency this month. We reviewed progress on the NextGen system: Bid Package 1 is complete; Bid Package 2 is out to Fidato; Bid Package 3 is expected to go out the first week of August; Bid Packages 4 and 5 will also be release in August. The MERA board approved a change order for Bid Package 1A. We also welcomed a new Executive Officer to MERA, Heather Tannehill-Plamondon. Full agenda packet can be found here. • 7/28 - Fairfax Emergency Preparedness Committee Scoping Meeting. I organized a check-in meeting with the Ross Valley Fire District (RVFD) Disaster Preparedness Coordinator to discuss our effort to form an Emergency Preparedness Committee in the Town of Fairfax, as a model for the Ross Valley. We reviewed the scope of work, outputs, and outcomes that were originally discussed when Councilmember Goddard and I proposed this to the Town Council, and we discussed possible changes to the scope now that Miranda in her new role at RVFD. We discussed next steps over the coming six months, including a gap analysis and needs assessment to align priorities and reduce duplicative efforts across stakeholder groups. We conducted high level planning for the fundamental 4 priority of increasing the number of households we engage/educate regarding disaster preparedness in the Ross Valley and the Town of Fairfax. • 7/28 - Marin Water Strategic Water Supply Assessment Community Workshop #3. Marin Water conducted another Community Workshop to discuss various proposed water supply strategies, and their associated costs, outcomes, uncertainties. This is very important to keep track of, and these meetings are always informative. Full agenda packet and video recording can be found here.
• 7/28 - Transportation Authority of Marin Board of Commissioners Regular July Meeting. Full agenda packet can be found here.
• 7/29 - Rent Stabilization Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting. I met with Mayor Hellman, Curt Reis (of DSA Marin) to discuss questions that came up at Mayor Hellman’s 7/25 check-in meeting with Town Manager Abrams and Interim Planning Director David Woltering.
Councilmember Ackerman
• 7/1 – Marin Clean Energy (MCE) Executive Committee meeting (as alternate) • 7/6 - Town Council closed session and Regular Meeting (adjourned due to power outage) • 7/7 - MCE Technical Committee monthly meeting
• 7/7 - First Thursdays at the Law Library - very informative presentation on Marin Conservation Corps
• 7/12 - Council closed session (missed due to travel), and continued adjourned Regular Meeting (missed part of it due to travel)
• 7/19 - Climate Action Meeting -- cancelled
• 7/21 - MCE Board meeting (attended as public)
• 8/3 - Town Council regular meeting
Councilmember Coler
1. Met with Town Manager several times on Town matters (July 5, 12, 19, 26, Aug 2).
2. Marin Clean Energy (MCE) Ad Hoc Committee RE: Executive Compensation (Jul 7) – This committee will meet 2-3 times to outline the process for compensation of MCE’s CEO.
3. Met with Marin Prof. Firefighters President & Political Director (Jul 8) – Regarding Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) involvement in fire district(s) consolidations.
4. Attended continued Regular Town Council meeting (July 12) – Due to power outage meeting was adjourned from July 6.
5. Attended meeting with PGE for Mayor RE: Enhanced Vegetation Management Program (July 14) – with FX & SA Town Managers, SA Mayor and Sup. Katie Rice aide Vernon: PGE reps explained their process of communicating with private property owners and the purpose of the CPUC ordered program to avoid wildfires from trees/vegetation hitting their transmission lines. PGE committed to provide information to the Town Managers to make available in their newsletters.
6. Participated in Ready & Resilient Ross Valley – Wildfire Safety & Preparedness event in Peri Park (July 15) – Tabling was held by FireSafe Marin, Ross Valley Fire, MCIL, Age Friendly Fairfax; presentations by Renee Goddard, Amanda Miller (RV Fire Emerg. Prep. coordinator), RV Fire Battalion Chief Illingworth, Police Chief Tabaranza, Coler as Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) Board member & Anne Crealock (MWPA Manager). 5 7. Attended Ross Valley School District meeting for support of the FX/SA Children’s Center (July 19).
8. Attended Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) Board meeting (July 21) The Board: elected Supervisor Dennis Rodoni as Chair and Julie McMillian (Ross) as Vice Chair for FY 22/23; approved the Citizen’s Oversight Committee’s 1st annual report (the COC generally stated that MWPA has spent the funds appropriately in accordance with Measure C and provided some recommendations); approved the license & lease for the new office and meeting spaces at Marin Commons on Los Gamos, SR; agreed with President appointing an Ad Hoc DEI committee; accepted the FY 20/21 Audit (clean report with one deficiency noted that will be rectified); and accepted the CEQA NOE for the Core Proposal “San Rafael Zone Marinwood and San Rafael Open Space Prescribed Herbivory Project” (added two sites to the priorapproved NOE/project of 12 herbivory areas). Two new employees were introduced – Martina Wilson Management Analyst (she will be Clerk among other responsibilities) and Steve Peters Vegetation Management Specialist (he is running the chipper program). Grants update: 170 Home Hardening apps have been submitted; 124 D-Space apps have been submitted.
9. Attended MCE Clean Energy Board meeting (July 21) – The Board approved an agreement for 185MW of Resource Adequacy (supplies 14% of 15% RA required by CPUC) for Battery Storage with Hecate for their facility under construction in LA (also has $100K required by Hecate for MCE’s Community Benefits program & all Union labor); the Because of Youth Campaign awarded 11 certificates to youth for their work; the CEO discussed MCE’s 1st virtual power plant in Richmond to benefit disadvantaged people & a new battery storage facility MCE funded at the Point Reyes community medical center.
10.Attended Age Friendly Fairfax meeting (July 22).
11.Attended Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Monthly Meeting – No meetings held July/Aug – next meeting will be Sep 28.
12.Attended MWPA Greater Ross Valley Shaded Fuel Break Implementation meeting (July 26).
13.Attended Marin LAFCO Annual Workshop (July 27) – Focused on Municipal Services Reviews (MSRs) and new approaches/formats for developing MSRs.
14.Attended Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Board meeting (July 28) – report submitted prior to meeting.
15.Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee – no meeting held in July; next meeting is August 22. 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.
Councilmember Goddard
6 • 7/6 - Regular Town Council Meeting
• 7/7 - Met with Miranda Miller (Ross Valley Fire’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator) and Jody Timms (Age Friendly Fairfax) to plan ‘Ready & Resilient Fairfax’, an event which included presentations from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA), Ross Valley Fire, and the Fairfax Police Chief. Firesafe Marin. The Center for Independent Living, Firewise Town representatives and Age Friendly Fairfax tabled and provided educational materials.
• 7/8 - Met with Miranda to review educational materials being developed by emergency prep coordinators County-wide for a new website readymarin.org • 7/11 - 2022 Fairfax Festival final debrief meeting
• *In my capacity as Festival 0 waste coordinator I am pleased to report that due to collaboration with Conservation Corp North Bay (CCNB) and Marin Sanitary Service (MSS), we were able to recover and divert 83% of the discarded resources (waste) from the landfill. • 7/12 - Special Town Council Meeting
• 7/13 - Met with Karen Marks (Fairfax Community Farmer’s Market Manager), Sean Youra (Climate Action Coordinator) and Town Manager Abrams to finalize waste sorting systems for the Farmer’s Market
• 7/15 - Ready & Resilient Fairfax event
• *attended by 35 members of the community
• 7/19 - Met with Lucie Hollingsworth from Legal Aid Marin to discuss tenant protections and Just Cause Eviction provisions
• 7/20 - Met with Curt Ries and other members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to ask and answer questions related to the proposed Just Cause Evictions protections • 7/21 - Mayor Hellman and I met with the ‘Deer Park Working Group’ consisting of Superintendent Trahan, Ross Valley School District (RVSD) Board Chair Hamilton, Fairfax San Anselmo children’s Center (FSACC) Director Heidi Tomsky and FSACC Program Director Erik Schweninger, to discuss the role that Fairfax might play to support and secure FSACC remaining in the community.
• 7/21 - Met with CCNB and MSS to debrief and strategize increased waste diversion strategies for future festivals.
• 7/25 - Cascade Canyon Firewise Steering Committee meeting in Doc Edgar Park. The public was invited to participate and several new neighbors are considering joining the Steering Committee
• 7/27 - Met with Vice Mayor Cutrano, Nancy Clothier and Sandy Handsher to share and hear concerns regarding the unhoused individuals behind the Pavillion. The conversation was productive and informative and the solution- oriented thinking was rooted in compassion