AGENDA ITEM #4
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
May 3, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
SUBJECT: Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in April __________________________________________________________________________________
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
• 4/5— Regular Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council
• 4/7—Meeting with Marin Housing and Human Services team members, Gary Naja-Riese and Ashley Hart McIntyre, Town Manager Abrams, and Councilmember Hellman regarding trends, funding, and possible support for unhoused population in Fairfax. • 4/13—Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) Homelessness Subcommittee Meeting.
• 4/18—May Agenda Setting Meeting with Vice Mayor Coler and Town Manager Abrams • 4/19—2023 California State Rail Plan Public Workshop
• 4/19—Special Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council
• 4/22—Marin County Youth Town Hall with Mayors from around Marin County sponsored by Marin County Elections Department, the Marin County Office of Education, the Student Elections Ambassador Program, and the League of Women Voters of Marin County. • 4/24--Meeting regarding State Route 37 “Segment A” with Congressman Jared Huffman, Senator Mike McGuire, Assemblymember Damon Connolly, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Andrew Fremier, Caltrans District 4 Director Dina El-Tawansy, Executive Director of TAM Anne Richman, Supervisor Eric Lucan, Councilmember Brian Colbert, and representatives from Save the Bay and Sonoma Land Trust.
The conversation integration of SMART into environmental review and design for the proposed SR 37 elevated causeway over Novato Creek.
• 4/24—Spruce Road Subcommittee check-in meeting with residents of Spruce Road • 4/24—California Transportation Commission public information hearing for the State Route 37 Sears Point to Mare Island Improvement Project Tolling Facility Application. • 4/24—Fairfax Tree Committee meeting
• 4/25—Just Cause Eviction Workshop check-in meeting with Vice Mayor Barbara Coler, Town Manager Abrams, facilitators from Plan to Place and CivicMakers, and Jillian Zeiger with the County of Marin’s Housing and Federal Grants Division.
• 4/25—Fairfax Open Space Committee meeting
2 Vice Mayor Coler
• Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) (April 6) – The Commission approved: Annexation of 255 Margarita Drive, SR into SR Sanitation District; Annexation of 3606 Paradise Drive, Tiburon to Sanitary District 5 [both were to get off septic]; Golden Gate Municipal Services Review (Southern Marin agencies were covered). Interviews were conducted for the primary and alternate public member seats (cont’d to June meeting as two candidates were not available). Adopted the draft Budget for FY 23/24; accepted the FY 21/22 Audit.
• Attended Ross Valley School District 7-11 Committee meeting (April 17) – RE: Fairfax – San Anselmo Children’s Center.
• Met with Town Manager on Town matters (5/2 & Agenda setting mtg with Mayor Cutrano, 4/18).
• Met with Town Manager, Mayor Cutrano & Facilitators/County planning re: planning Just Cause community workshop (April 18 & 25, May 1). Meeting with Mayor and Town Manager RE: workshop survey (4/7).
• Met with various persons/groups at different times RE: rent stabilization/just cause. • Attended Special Town Council meeting RE: Housing Element & Scoping for EIR public comments (April 19).
• Attended Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority Board meeting (April 20) – The Board acknowledged CEQA completion for the San Rafael Zone Fire Road Vegetation Clearance Phase 2 Project which adds 3.9 miles of fire roads as a second phase to this effort and adds the option of using herbicides (small scale hand treatment) to reduce regrowth of nonnative, invasive vegetation, particularly broom and eucalyptus (this makes the total 15.9 miles for such treatment). The Board adopted: a Resolution making Findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan Association with the ProjectSpecific Analysis for the Greater Novato Shaded Fuel Break (GNSFB) and approved the GNSFB Project. MWPA and Novato Fire completed the CEQA analysis using CalFire’s CalVTP PEIR (Vegetation Treatment Program Programmatic EIR) and prepared a joint project specific analysis (PSA) and an EIR Addendum to cover the project. Grants - since FY 2022- 2023 (July 1) over $700,000 has been distributed to homeowners in Marin County for home hardening and defensible space work – only limited funds remain, the program will end soon for this FY and begin again in FY 23/24 with the new FY budget. The Chipper Day Program is ramping up for the 2023 season with signups well underway and contracting with crews in process. Pickups will begin on May 15. Fire Safe Marin (FSN): Ember Stomp will be on May 20 (11-5pm) at Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds - fundraising will cover all costs; in June 2023, FSM will host the annual online Workshop Series for each of the five MWPA zones, highlighting wildfire prevention work accomplished throughout the year. • MCE Clean Energy Board meeting (April 20) – The Board received a briefing on the MCE Richmond Virtual Power plant by Director Eli Beckman (Corte Madera). The Board approved:
a Resolution to accept two Congressional Community Projects Funding Grants administered by HUD – 1) $750,000 for Healthy Homes Expansion for low income families for energy efficiency, mitigation H&S hazards, and needed home repairs, and 2) $2M for MCE’s EV program to increase the number of charging stations; a Resolution to enter into a 3-year agreement with the Royal Bank of Canada for a revolving line of credit. MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee – MCE changed the meeting day of Ex Com to the first Wednesday of the month afternoon – Coler dropped off committee due to conflict with Town Council meeting. • Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee (4/24) The Committee voted to send: support letters on AB 99 (Connolly) – requires CalTrans to limit herbicide/pesticide uses where local jurisdictions have limited; AB 557 (Hart) – allows 3 teleconferencing for local agencies where emergency order in place; AB 817 (Pacheco) – allows teleconferencing for subsidiary bodies; oppose letters – CA Business Roundtable Ballot Measure (Fairfax has already sent oppose letter); AB 1484 (Zbur) – requires temp employees placement in bargaining units; AB 1637 (Irwin) – requires local government to change all websites to domain of “ca.gov.” AB 478 (Connolly) re: insurance premiums for fire for 65 and older is now a 2-year bill. 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 Fairfax Measure ‘A’ Committee meeting (4/24) – The meeting was to prepare draft recommendations to the Council for the budget allocations for Measure A, parks and open space monies.
• Attended Community Media Center of Marin Board meeting (4/27) – Meeting held after report submitted.
• Judge for the Margie Burke Speech Tournament (4/29) – Held at Ross School for middle school and high school students. Coler has participated as a judge since 2015. • Attended Senator Mike McGuire Wildfire Prevention meeting (May 2) – by Zoom.
Councilmember Ackerman
• 4/4 Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District board meeting • 4/5 Town Council regular meeting
• 4/19 Council special meeting to hear comments on Housing Element draft and EIR Scoping -- missed due to a long-planned family trip but have listened to the recording. • Numerous meetings with Town Manager and staff
• Numerous discussions via phone, email and in-person with people regarding tenant protection ordinances.
Councilmember Blash
• 03.31.2023 MCBC re: e-bikes
• 04.21.2023: Safe Routes to School Task Force
• 04.19.2023 Special Town Council Meeting re: Housing Element • 04.24.2023 Measure ‘A’ Committee Meeting
• 04.27.2023 TAM Board Meeting
• As usual, talked to a number of people about rent stabilization/just cause Councilmember Hellman
(Not received in time for publication)