AGENDA ITEM #5
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
March 1, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
SUBJECT: Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in February
__________________________________________________________________________________
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 Cutrano
(Not received in time for publication)
Vice Mayor Coler
• Met with Town Manager several times on Town matters (2/14, 2/28). • Attended the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) Executive Committee meeting (Feb 2, Coler is alternate & attends when a standing member cannot) – Discussed remote participation in meetings after 2/28/2023 to AB 2449; Approved rental space at MWPA HQ for defensible space inspector consortium (14 of 17 MWPA members are in the consortium); Discussed potential reduction of Ex Com & Board meetings if appropriate and as needed. The Senior Low Income exemption forms are on the MWPA website. • MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee meeting (Feb 3) – EC approved: 2nd agreement with Energy Solutions which allows MCE the ability to scale up adoption of electric vehicles (“EV”) and increase access to new and used EV ownership by providing income qualified customers with educational resources and incentives. [The agreement continues MCE’s work on EVs for income-qualified customers, while directly addressing some of the largest barriers for those customers to participate in the Program by: Changing the post-purchase rebate processed by MCE into a point-of-sale grant processed by dealers and approved by MCE to reduce the upfront financial burden; Adding a $2,000 incentive for used EVs in addition to maintaining a $3,500 incentive for new EVs to support customers interested in either; Committing to the Program for 3 fiscal years to provide confidence and consistency; and marketing and other functions. Currently, MCE has provided 296 post-purchase rebates to income qualified customers over 3 fiscal years. The goals for the Agreement would be to add 556 grants at point-of-sale for income qualified customers from April 2023 to March 2026, nearly doubling MCE’s rate of impact.] EC approved: new Schedule A.3 to the Agreement with CLEAResult Consulting Inc. which allows MCE to scale up and expand the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations at workplaces, multi-family properties, and public rights of way throughout MCE’s service area. Since 2018 MCE’s program has helped its customers install over 1,000 EV charging ports across MCE’s service area with another 1,000 EV charging ports under planning or construction. In 2022, MCE won 4 new grants totaling close to $3M to support 2 further expansion of its EV programs; the program prior was managed in-house. EC approved:
7th Agreement with Energy Alliance which supports a new equity-focused commercial energy efficiency program. The Program secured funding from the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) through the end of 2023 and a funding request has been included in the current 2024- 2027 Energy Efficiency Business Plan Application, which is awaiting CPUC approval. This Program will be focused on commercial businesses that are in disadvantaged communities and low-income census tracts. EC discussed remote participation in meetings after 2/28/2023 following the Default Teleconferencing Rules so as to allow Board and other standing committee meetings to occur at both the San Rafael and Concord office locations – to be recommended to the full Board. EC discussed the MCE Formation Documents and the Voting Rules – the Operating Rules and other Formation documents will be reviewed/amended if needed an Ad Hoc Committee (Coler will be a member with others on the EC). • Met with PGE, Town Manager and Mayor Cutrano re: PGE matters (Feb 6). • Met with Town Manager and Mayor Cutrano re: planning Just Cause community workshop (Feb 8).
• Attended Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) (Feb 9) –– The Commission received a presentation on the draft Municipal Service Review (MSR) for the Golden Gate Corridor Region (Mill Valley, Sausalito, Southern Marin Fire, and other special districts in the area – 8 agencies total) – the draft is out for public comment thru 2//28/2023, the Commission will review the final at its April meeting); the Commission: discussed return to in-person meetings (location at MWPA office); approved an alternative system to Marin Maps with Cinquini & Passarino for a new mapping system; commended public member Larry Loder as he resigned from LAFCO. Coler was assigned to the Legislative Committee. New County BOS members were seated: Eric Lucan primary & Stephanie Moulton-Peters alternate. • Attended Housing Element Subcommittee meeting with Mayor Cutrano, HE consultants and staff (Feb 13).
• Attended Town Council Special meeting (Feb 15) – Presentation and discussion on Ross Valley Fire Department next steps after Marin County Fire Chief and supporting staff leaves effective July 1, 2023.
• MCE Marin Clean Energy Board meeting (Feb 16) – The Board presented Charles McGlashen awards to three recipients: Napa Green; Matthew Belasco of the Pittsburg Unified School District; and Sara Belafonte of the City of Pittsburg. The Board presented the MCE Climate Action Leadership Awards to four federal Senators and Members of Congress who championed MCE’s first-ever community-directed spending proposals: Senator Dianne Feinstein; Senator Alex Padilla; Congressman John Garamendi; and Congressman Jared Huffman. Through Congressional support, MCE secured $3.2M for its Healthy Homes, EV Charging and Rebate programs. MCE has provided over $1M in its low-income qualified EV rebates. • Attended Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority Board meeting (Feb 16) – The Board approved:
renting space at the MWPA offices to the D-Space Inspector Consortium (15 of 17 member agencies) and an amendment to the Informal Bidding procedures. The Board acknowledged the Environmental Compliance/Project Approval for the Southern Marin Zone Emergency Notification Network Project - includes installation of three emergency alerting sirens to Southern Marin’s existing network of 11 (no potential noise-related impacts are anticipated on Northern Spotted Owls or other wildlife due to LRAD locations and other design features). The Board received the annual 2022 chipper day report – highlights: 10,502 cubic yards of flammable material removed; 3,307 completed pickups county wide; average 3.07 cubic yards per pickup; added 5 extra weeks of chipping added due to popular demand; 2 rounds of pickup for each MWPA zone community with an additional week added w/the 5 extra weeks; MWPA allocated $1.25M for the 2022 program (spent $830K even with adding the 5 addt’l weeks). The 3 curbside program eliminates 90% of the VMT associated with removal of the material (1 Chipper Truck = 17+ small landscaper pickup trucks). The value of 3 free chipper days far exceeded the Measure C tax payment of almost all Marin County residents. A Closed Session was held on the EO compensation/evaluation.
• Attended MCE Clean Energy Ad Hoc Contracts Committee meeting (Feb 17) – The Committee generally reviews contracts and other related matters for referral to the MCE standing Technical Committee.
• Attended Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers Monthly meeting (Feb 22) - The guest speakers were Assemblymember Damon Connolly; Marin Co. Superintendent of Schools John Carroll; and Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships.
• Attended Community Media Center of Marin Board meeting (Feb 23) – Meeting held after report submitted.
• Attended Fairfax Age Friendly Task Force meeting (Feb 24) – Meeting held after report submitted.
• Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee (Feb 27) – Meeting held after report submitted.
• 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 Ackerman
• 2/1 Town Council regular meeting at Women's Club
• 2/8 Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District board meeting • 2/15 Presentation to MarinCAN (formerly Drawdown: Marin) on Pavilion/Microgrid status • 2/15 Town Council special meeting at Women's Club
• 2/21 Fairfax Climate Action Committee regular meeting • 2/22 MCCMC monthly regular meeting
• 2/27 Flood Zone 9 Building Bridge 2 ad-hoc subcommittee meeting • Regular check-ins with Town staff, and multiple discussions with citizens regarding in particular the eviction and rent stabilization ordinances
Councilmember Hellman
• Feb 7: Fairfax Festival 2023 community volunteer committee meeting • Feb 8: Meeting with Michael and Pam Burke, "Marin's Apartment Specialists" Golden Gate Sotheby's International re Fairfax tenant policies.
• Feb 13: Phone meeting with Felix AuYeung / MidPen – which currently has sale pending due diligence for Sherwood Oaks apts.
• Feb 8: Ross Valley Fire Board meeting: Approved Resolution 23-05 Amending the Salary and Job Class Specifications for the Administrative Assistant Position; Approved Resolution 23-06 Midyear Budget Report Revising FY2022-2023 Operating Budget • Feb 13: Meeting with County staff regarding Fairfax tenant policies • Feb 13: Elected leader session with SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice- Marin) VOTE (Values Observe Trust Empathetic Engagement)
4 • Feb 14: Cal Cities seminar on Homelessness crisis in CA – sharing challenges, solutions, opportunities
• Feb 15: Fairfax Special Town Council meeting
• Feb 23: California Moms Demand Action 2023 Legislative Advocacy (zoom) meeting • Feb 24: Meeting with Legal Aid of Marin, ACCE, MDSA, Sonoma County Legal Aid, North Bay Organizing Project
• Feb 2-22: Held 6 separate discussions with community members regarding recent Fairfax tenant protection policies.
Councilmember Blash
• Toured Fairfax on bike with MCBC policy representatives Warren Wells and Zoe Reckas to explore our bike spine and discuss bike and pedestrian safety issues on February 21. • Attended MCCMC (Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers) online meeting on February 22.
• Attended TAM Board of Commissioners Meeting online as an alternate on February 23.