AGENDA ITEM #3
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
April 5, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
SUBJECT: Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in March
__________________________________________________________________________________
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
• Attended MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee meeting (Mar 3) – CEO Weisz reported:
MCE has distributed $19.5M in COVID Arrearage payments to MCE customers ($5M MCE funds; $14.5M State funds); MCE’s bond issuance has/will have saved MCE customers $3.25M pe year for 7 years; some key issues – price spikes for energy procurement, scarcity in Resource Adequacy availability (needed to meet CAISO requirements), and huge delay/backlog by CAISO in interconnectors for energy. The EC recommended approval to the full Board of the proposed FY 23/24 Budget; EC recommended that staff continue to explore Carbon Free energy for a new service offering given that wind/solar do not generally provide adequate electricity at night.
• Met with Town Manager several times on Town matters (3/7, 3/10, 3/13, 3/21 – Agenda setting mtg with Mayor Cutrano, 3/28).
• Attended Housing Element Subcommittee meeting with Mayor Cutrano, HE consultants and staff (Mar 14 & Mar 28).
• Met with Town Manager, Mayor Cutrano & Facilitators/County planning re: planning Just Cause community workshop (Mar 15 & 20).
• Met with various persons/groups at different times RE: rent stabilization/just cause. • MCE Clean Energy Board meeting (Mar 16) – The Board approved: the FY 23/24 Budget (MCE’s FY is April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024); minor amendments to the MCE Investment Policy. The Board discussed and gave direction to staff re: to explore new Deep Green Resource Mix and New Service Offering. CEO updates: since Deep Green is now the default for new customers, DG has increased by 55% - 14,000 & 21,000 new DG customers in Dec 2022 & Feb 2023, respectively; MCE’s utility bill relief program has awarded $19.5M to our customers - $5M thru MCE CARES and $14.5M thru statewide arrearage program; MCE’s 2 Diversity Report notes that MCE has invested > $4M in women, LGBTQ and veterans programs.
• Attended Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority Board meeting (Feb 16) – Since FY 2022-2023 (July 1) over $618,000 has been distributed to homeowners in Marin County for home hardening and defensible space work; the Board approved a transfer of $100K to add further funding into the two Homeowner Grant programs. The Board approved staff submitting a $5M grant application (max that can be awarded for the $20M Greater Novato Shaded Fuel Break Core Project - there are 18,226 structures within or adjacent to the proposed GNSFB project area. The project would be 3,463.3 acres (60 miles in total length) and provide increased wildfire protection to the residents and key community facilities within and adjacent to the greater Novato area – MCE will provide $500K per year for 5 years if grant awarded; UNK at this time how much $$ Novato Fire will provide. The Board approved: adjusting the MWPA tax levy with an increase of 3% for the 2023-2024 tax year, as permitted by Measure C (it was adjusted 3% in 2022-2023 but there was no adjustment in 2021-2022 due to financial concerns for taxpayers due to COVID) – average property owner tax is $200/yr. with increase will be $206/yr.; acknowledged the Environmental Compliance and approved the Core Project Proposals for the “San Rafael Zone Open Space Prescribed Herbivory Expansion Project” (expands prior approved projects - expands five existing sites and adds one additional site (45.7 additional acres) to the prescribed herbivory program in the San Rafael Zone) and the “Novato Zone Northeast Novato Evacuation Route Project” (augments a prior approved project - adds 35.7 miles of roadways & would allow for flexibility to conduct targeted vegetation 3 management out to 100 feet from the road edge where determined appropriate by a qualified professional). The Board received a report from FireSafe Marin (FSM, all funded by MWPA; note: prior to MWPA FSM funding was ~$40K annually, with MWPA it is >$1M annually – FSM is the education “arm” of MWPA) - Ember Stomp will be held at the Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 20 from 11-5 PM; FSM finalized video production on 9 pieces: 5 new “Did You Know?” (30 seconds/in English and Spanish) - Pruning Trees; Fences; Zone Zero; Space Between Plants; Red Flag Days; A new Mythbusters: the myths and risks of eucalyptus trees. (30 seconds); Adapt Campaign PSA – Spring Fire Prevention Work (English and Spanish); Ember Stomp promotional videos (30, 15, 6 seconds in English and Spanish); Recruitment video: defensible space inspectors. FSM developed new deliverables for the spring Adapt to Wildfire campaign, a new Wildfire Survival Checklist, and a Wildfire Preparedness Calendar. Check FSM website for more information https://firesafemarin.org.
Received an update on the Evacuation Risk Assessment progress – once completed (May/June 2023) should NOT be used for real time evacuation management; purpose is for mitigation project planning.
• Attended Town Council Retreat (March 17) – discussed Accomplishments in prior 12 months and developed Goals for the next Fiscal Year.
• Attended Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers Monthly meeting (3/22) - The guest speakers were Supervisor Katie Rice Regarding The County Landscaping Industry Emissions Reduction And Small Business Protection Plan; Anne Grey, Vivalon CEO, Regarding Vivalon’s Healthy Aging Campus; and Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ Marin) Regarding Their Upcoming Elected Officials DEI Training.
3 • Attended Community Media Center of Marin Board meeting (3/23) – • Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee (3/27) – Most bills are on the watch list as it is early (likely take positions at the May meeting on many). The Committee voted to send: support letter on SB 329 (Dodd) as it allows city councils to provide councilmember compensation by ordinance (Sonoma County has had problems with retention); oppose letter on SB 423 (Weiner) which further expands SB 35 for housing streamlining.
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 Best, Best & Krieger Free Webinar on New Housing Laws (Mar 29). • Attended Countywide CDBG Priority Setting Committee workshop for applicants (Mar 30) – This workshop was held for all potential applicants for HUD HOME, CDBG or other funds (and for members of the Committee to hear more details on potential projects). • Attended Fairfax Age Friendly Task Force meeting (Mar 31) – Meeting held after report submitted.
Councilmember Ackerman
• 3/1 Town Council Meeting
• 3/2 Countywide Microgrid Working Group, by zoom
• 3/6 Flood Zone 9 representative on San Anselmo Building Bridge Two working group • 3/8 Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District, board meeting, by zoom • 3/12 Fairfax Climate Action Committee annual planning meeting Part II, in Women's Club • 3/14 Pavilion Resilience Hub Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting • 3/15 Ride & Drive Clean webinar on powering a house from an EV (was recorded -- check it out!)
• 3/17 Council Annual Planning meeting, preceeded by closed session • 3/21 Resilient Libraries - Check-in on Fairfax Library resilience center project • 3/21 Fairfax Climate Action Committee regular meeting • 3/22 Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers regular meeting and presentations • 3/31 MCL Business Breakfast
Councilmember Blash
• March 2: Ross Valley Paramedic Authority Meeting
• March 5: Fairfax Town Council Meeting
• March 16: Coffee Chat: North Bay Housing Element: Where are you now? Informational meeting sponsored by the League of California Cities.
• March 17: Fairfax Town Council Retreat
• March 18: San Anselmo Memorial Park Opening
• March 22: Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) Meeting 4 • April 3: Chief Weber re: Ross Valley Paramedic Authority • Several meetings with constituents & experts re: Just Cause/Rent Stabilization Councilmember Hellman
(Not received in time for publication)