FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
1 AGENDA ITEM #8
MEETING DATE October 4, 2023
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
SUBJECT Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in September.
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
8/1—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams and Vice Mayor Coler regarding Town Manager performance evaluation and proposed contract amendments.
8/2—Special Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 8/2—Regular August Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 8/3—Meeting with Assemblymember Connolly regarding the status of tenant protections in Fairfax and potential funding support for Fairfax-Bolinas Road repair and rehabilitation funding efforts. 8/7—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams and various representatives from PG&E including Mark Van Gorter and Daniel McBride regarding efforts to improve communication with Town officials and the community as it relates to vegetation management in the Town of Fairfax. 8/7—Special Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 8/8—Meeting with Town Manger Abrams regarding signed for Bolinas Park and improved signage for trucks on narrow hillside streets of Fairfax.
8/8—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Vice Mayor Coler, and Town Attorney Coleson regarding the Town’s response to an unpermitted construction project within Fairfax. 8/8—Ross Valley Fire Board Undesignated Reserves Subcommittee Meeting with Director Tom Finn, Director Elizabeth Robbins, Interim Fire Chief Dan Mahoney, Fairfax Town Manager Heather Abrams, San Anselmo Town Manager Dave Donnery, and Ross Town Manager Christa Johnson. 8/9—Meeting with Town of Fairfax Open Space Committee Vice Chair Jack Judkins and representatives of Sequoia Mortgage Capital regarding their ownership of and interest in the future of the 100.5 acre undeveloped parcel commonly known as the “Wall Property” located in Fairfax. 8/9—Meeting with Erica Williams of the Trust for Public Land regarding the status of the 100.5 acre undeveloped parcel commonly known as the “Wall Property” located in Fairfax. 8/9—Mayor and Manager Meetup at the Fairfax Farmers Market 8/10—Meeting with Bill Long with Marin Open Space Trust (MOST) and Carl Somers (Marin County Open Space District) regarding the status of the 100.5 acre undeveloped parcel commonly known as the “Wall Property” located in Fairfax and possible next steps. 2 8/14—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams and Vice Mayor Coler regarding Town Manager performance evaluation and proposed contract amendments. 8/15—Fairfax Town Council September Agenda Setting Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Vice Mayor Coler, Town Attorney Coleson, and Town Clerk Michele Gardner. 8/16—Fairfax Microgrid proposal discussion with Councilmember Ackerman, Public Works Director Umbertis, Climate Action Coordinator Sean Youra, and Pieter Colenbrander. Discussion included scope of work, preparation and review of PG&E grant application, and next steps. 8/16—Bay Area Housing Finance Authority Virtual Workshop: “Investing in the Future of Bay Area Housing.” Find the workshop recording and presentation slides here. 8/16—San Rafael – San Anselmo Fuel Reduction Zone Project. Find the FAQs, the presentation recording and slides here.
8/17—Town of Fairfax Community Emergency Preparedness Committee Pre-meeting with Town Clerk Michele Gardner, Deputy Town Clerk Christine Foster, Ross Valley Fire Department’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Miranda Miller.
8/21—Transportation Authority of Marin Alternative Fuel and Electric Vehicle Ad-hoc Committee meeting
8/22— Ross Valley Fire Board Undesignated Reserves Subcommittee Meeting with Director Tom Finn, Director Elizabeth Robbins, Interim Fire Chief Dan Mahoney, Fairfax Town Manager Heather Abrams, San Anselmo Town Manager Dave Donnery, and Ross Town Manager Christa Johnson. 8/22—Town of Fairfax Open Space Committee joint meeting with the San Anselmo Open Space Committee. Find the agenda here.
8/24—Pavilion Resilience Hub Project meeting with Councilmember Ackerman, Public Works Director Umbertis, Climate Action Coordinator Sean Youra, and Pieter Colenbrander. Discussion include strategies to enhance renewable energy generation, panel connectivity, and battery back-up for Town facilities.
8/24—Housing Element Subcommittee Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Planning Director Beiswenger, and Housing Element consultant Andrew Hill of Dyett and Bhatia, and Town Attorney Coleson.
8/28—Meeting with the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce regarding upcoming events include the Fairfax Picnic, Biketoberfest, the Halloween Parade, the Irish Festival possible holiday event on Bolinas Road on December 15th and possible ribbon cutting for Salt and Pepper Deli 8/29—Closed Session of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda here. Action: The Town Council unanimously voted to establish a subcommittee consisting of Mayor Cutrano and Vice Mayor Coler to explore the feasibility of acquisition of the Wall Property, and to move forward in acquiring an appraisal and a preliminary geotechnical report for the property
8/29—Discussion with Ross Valley School District Board President Shelly Hamilton regarding the status of the Fairfax San Anselmo Children Center discussions, immediate next steps, potential interim and long term solutions, and opportunities for the Town of Fairfax to support the Fairfax San Anselmo Children Center.
8/30—Housing Element Subcommittee Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Planning Director Beiswenger, and Housing Element consultant Andrew Hill of Dyett and Bhatia, and Town Attorney Coleson.
8/30— Ross Valley Fire Board Undesignated Reserves Subcommittee Meeting with Director Tom Finn, Director Elizabeth Robbins, Interim Fire Chief Dan Mahoney, Fairfax Town Manager Heather Abrams, San Anselmo Town Manager Dave Donnery, and Ross Town Manager Christa Johnson. 8/31—Meeting with Vice Mayor Coler and Bill Long of Marin Open Space Trust (MOST) regarding MOST’s interest in supporting the Town of Fairfax to attain a fair market raw land appraisal and preliminary geotechnical report to explore the feasibility of acquisition of the Wall Property as public open space.
3 9/5—Fairfax Town Council October Agenda Setting Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Vice Mayor Coler, Town Attorney Coleson, and Town Clerk Michele Gardner. 9/5—Meeting with the John Carrol and Ken Lippe of the Marin County Office of Education regarding immediate next steps, potential interim and long-term solutions, and opportunities for the Town of Fairfax to support the Fairfax San Anselmo Children Center. 9/6—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Public Works Director Umbertis, and representatives from Marin Water—General Manager Ben Horenstein and Design Engineer Alex Anaya—regrading efforts to coordinate regional, state, and federal funding requests for the rehabilitation of Fairfax-Bolinas Road. 9/6—Special Town Council Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 9/6—Regular September Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 9/8—Check-in Meeting with Councilmember Blash regarding efforts to reconstitute the Fairfax Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, next steps for Veteran’s Day celebrations in Fairfax, and efforts to support a resident that requested support services at public open time at the September Town Council meeting.
9/8—Ross Valley Safe Routes 2 School Task Force meeting. 9/8—Check-in meeting with Marin County Supervisor Mary Sackett regarding her research on e-bikes in Marin.
9/11—Meeting with Vice Mayor Coler, Bill Long and Jonathan Braun of the Marin Open Space Trust (MOST), and Director Max Korten and Carl Somers of the Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) regarding the status of the Wall Property and immediate next steps. 9/11—Transportation Authority of Marin Administration, Projects, and Planning Executive Committee Meeting. Find the meeting recording and agenda packet here. 9/12—Check-in meeting with President of the Marin County Board of Supervisors and Marin’s Representative to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) regarding a status update and prioritization of Fairfax-Bolinas Road and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard for regional transportation funding.
9/12—Town of Fairfax’s Inaugural Community Emergency Preparedness Committee Meeting 9/13—Special Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 9/13—Regular September meeting of the Ross Valley Fire Department Board of Directors. Find the meeting recording and agenda packet here.
9/14—"Building Bridges for Marin Housing Solutions” event hosted by Dominican University, Community Action Marin, Legal Aid of Marin, and the Canal Alliance. 9/14—Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) Homelessness Committee meeting. Special guest: LaSaunda Tate, Chief Operating Officer of Homeward Bound. 9/17—Town of Fairfax Annual Picnic
9/18—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Public Works Director Umbertis, and representations from the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM)—Director Anne Richman and Project Manager Bill Whitney—regarding prioritization/support/funding opportunities and next steps associated with FairfaxBolinas Road. 9/18—Meeting Preparation for Neighborhood Meetup with Town of Fairfax Public Works Director Umbertis, District 2 Supervisor Katie Rice, District 2 Supervisor Aide Nancy Vernon, various staff members from the Marin County Public Works Department.
9/20—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Police Chief Tabaranza, Interim Deputy Fire Chief Illingworth, Town Attorney Coleson, Building Inspector Mark Lockaby regarding the arson at the Fairfax homeless encampment behind the Corporation Yard and the Town’s response. 9/20—Homeless encampment walkthrough with Interim Deputy Fire Chief Illingworth, Building Inspector Mark Lockaby.
9/20—League of Cities 2023 Annual Conference and Expo in Sacramento 9/21—League of Cities 2023 Annual Conference and Expo in Sacramento 4 9/21—Fairfax-Bolinas Road Neighborhood Meetup preparation meeting with Public Works Director Umbertis
9/21—Fairfax-Bolinas Road Neighborhood Meetup with residents, Town of Fairfax Public Works Director Umbertis, Supervisor Katie Rice, Marin County Department of Public Works, and representatives from Marin Water and the Meadow Club golf course. 9/25—Meeting with the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, Town Manager Abrams, Public Works Director Umbertis, and Police Chief Tabaranza regarding a proposed winter holiday event on Bolinas Road the evening of December 15th
9/25—Meeting with Vice Mayor Coler, Bill Long and Jonathan Braun of the Marin Open Space Trust (MOST), and Director Max Korten and Carl Somers of the Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) regarding the status of the Wall Property and immediate next steps. 9/26— Housing Element Subcommittee Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Planning Director Beiswenger, and Housing Element consultant Andrew Hill of Dyett and Bhatia, and Town Attorney Coleson.
9/26—Town of Fairfax Open Space Committee meeting. Find the agenda here. 9/27—Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) Regular September Meeting.
Find the agenda packet here.
9/28—California Department of Insurance "Second Workshop Examining Catastrophe Modeling and Insurance"
9/28—Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Regular September Meeting. Find the agenda packet here.
9/29—Town of Fairfax Annual Art Walk
Vice Mayor Coler
1. Attended Special Town Council meeting (Sep 13). Appeal of permit suspension for 79 Wood Lane.
2. Wall Property Subcommittee – Meetings were held Aug 31 (w/Mayor Cutrano and MOST ED Bill Long); Sep 11 (w/ Mayor, County OS – Korten/Somers, MOST B. Long/J. Braun); Sep 25 (w/ Mayor, County OS – Korten/Somers, MOST B. Long/J. Braun).
3. Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee (Sep 18) – The Committee met with Assemblymember Damon Connolly in addition to its regular meeting.
Assemblymember Connolly stated he has 7 bills that are on their way to the Governor’s desk (e.g., ban on flavored tobacco). He encouraged electees to reach out to him on legislative needs, budget asks, ideas for hearings and potentially changing regulations. Our CalCities lobbyist reported that there are 10 ballot items that are qualified for the November 2024 ballot thus far (it will be a long ballot) and 2 related to mental health for the March 2024 ballot. The legislature convened last Thursday close to midnight, will reconvene January 2024 - 900 bills were sent to the Governor, his deadline for signing or vetoing is October 14 – he has ~85% signing rate. Key housing bills sent were Weiner bills (SB 423 – extends SB 35 sunset and expands it to coastal areas; SB 4 – housing on church grounds). AB 1637 was sent to the Governor (requires all government to convert to “.gov” as their URLs; Dept. of Finance has an opposing position (as does MCCMC). Nancy Hall Bennett reported that Janelle Kellman of Sausalito will be named VP of the Calcities North Bay Division at their conference this week. 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 5 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.
4. Attended Housing Subcommittee meetings with Mayor, Staff and Dyett & Bhatia (Sep 19, Sep 26, Oct 3) – discussed HCD’s comments on Fairfax Housing Element & next steps for HE and the EIR.
5. Attended Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) Board meeting (Sep 21) – The Board:
approved a second amendment to the agreement with Fire Aside for development and ongoing maintenance of Defensible Space Inspection and Evaluation Software (DSI) for a new SaaS software program for the grant program (cost is $14,000/year same as the prior program which is not meeting MWPA current needs); acknowledged the Environmental Compliance and Project Approval for Core Proposal "Treatment Method Augmentation for the San Rafael Zone Open Space Management and Evacuation Route Projects;” received a presentation on the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy report from Danny Franco, National Parks Conservancy (the report was developed by a partnership of One Tam, MWPA and the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria). Updates: The 2023 season for the Chipper Day Program began in mid-May (ending mid-Nov) and has completed 2,841 pickups with 9,105 cubic yards of material removed thus far; Greater Ross Valley Shaded Fuel Break (inc. Fairfax) total will be 1,810 / 38 miles – approximately 19-20 miles total (approx. 450 acres) completed to date; Resident Grants Program – to date, for every dollar spent by MWPA, it is estimated that ~$8 is spent by residents (funding will run out by Oct/Nov, at which time the grants group will develop prioritizations for grant expenditure for the next season (e.g., replace vents to prevent embers going in the home over replacing windows). FireSafe Wildfire Watch “The Tragedy in Maui is a Warning for Marin” – see it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51_fomP8Wq8. Points out the differences BTW Maui and Marin re: wildfire. Main takeaways are: 1) Marin has excellent coordinated and redundant alert and warning systems. 2) California State and Marin County have invested a lot to build an arsenal of resources that is ready to respond rapidly to wildfire. 3) We have an idea of WHEN major wildfires will occur. Catastrophic wildfires occur during Red Flag events with strong winds and low humidity. 4) To survive an evacuation, you must plan and prepare in advance so that you can receive alerts and leave quickly. All 3 participants agreed that you are safer evacuating in your car than on foot or bike. 5) Design and material affect how buildings burn.
6. Attended Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) meeting (Sep 27) – Held in Fairfax at Split Rock. Report submitted prior to the meeting being held.
7. Attended MCE Clean Energy Board Retreat meeting (Sep 29) - The regular Board meeting was not held in Sep as Retreat was held Sep 29 in San Rafael. Report submitted prior to the meeting being held (and the Retreat agenda was not available yet).
8. Attended Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Board meeting (Sep 28). Report submitted prior to the meeting being held.
9. Attended Fairfax Art Walk (Sep 29).
10. Attended Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Open House (Sep 30).
Councilmember Ackerman
6 9/6 Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District (MSMVCD) board special meeting 9/6 Town Council regular meeting
9/13 Town Council special meeting
9/19 Fairfax Climate Action Committee (CAC) regular meeting 9/20-9/22 California League of Cities conference in Sacramento 9/27 Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) regular meeting (hosted by Fairfax!)
9/29 MCE annual Board Retreat
Meetings as needed with Town Staff and with residents
Councilmember Blash
Formal (meetings representing the town of Fairfax)
1. September 6 — Fairfax Town Council Meeting
2. September 7— Ross Valley Paramedic Authority Board of Directors Meeting. a) Discussed the RVPA’s receipt of a 2023 Mission LifeLine Recognition award from the American Heart Association. This reward is related to cardiac arrest survival rates. The integration of hospital systems and pre-hospital care (EMS) has resulted in a vastly greater survival rate than what agencies were experiencing 20 years ago. b) Adopted updated agreements with Central Marin Fire Authority (CMFA), City of Larkspur, Marin County Fire Department (MCFD) and Ross Valley Fire Department (RVFD) and directed staff to execute agreement(s) with CMFA, City of Larkspur, MCFD, and RVFD—including. c) Discussed Tax revenue impacts related to California Community Housing Agency acquisition of 700 Lincoln Village Circle in Larkspur, also known as “Serenity at Larkspur”. California Community Housing Agency (CalCHA) entered into a Joint Powers Authority with City of Larkspur. This JPA with the city allowed for a change in the tax structure, ultimately removing approximately $40K in revenue for the RVPA. This is an unusual way of creating housing affordability. In this program, government agencies known as joint powers authorities, or JPAs, partner with private companies to purchase apartment buildings and lower the rent. The agencies say this works because, as the government, they don’t need to pay property tax, allowing them to pass along that savings to tenants. However, some members of the Fairfax community read an article in the IJ about some possible unintended consequences of this type of acquisition that might require tenants in the affordable units to pay some of the lost tax revenue. *Fairfax does not have any housing of this type. *
3. September 8 — Ross Valley Safe Routes to School Task Force Meeting a) Discussed evaluation statistics on SRTS activities, b) discussion of SRTS programs, challenges, and activities at each participating Ross Valley School, c) Public officials and staff discussed promising programs and infrastructure improvements. Fairfax’s Public Works Director talked about our new sidewalk repair program and upgrades to Scenic Road and Porteous. C) Presentation on protected bike lanes on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. (prepared by Warren Wells of MCBC and local Fairfax parent, Michael Mason.)
4. September 13— Special Town Council Meeting
5. September 14 — MCCMC Homeless Committee: a) Update from County HHS regarding the state of homelessness (weekly updates here>>), b) Round Robin with public officials re: homelessness issues in their communities, c) Update from Homeward Bound representative. For more information on the legal challenges jurisdictions face in resolving encampments, see California homeless camps: What constitutes adequate shelter? - CalMatters 7 6. September 20-22 —Attended the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo.
Attended sessions on forming partnerships to address homelessness, public comment in meetings, holding constituent conversations, “How to Solve Big City Problems in Small Towns”, and more.
7. September 27 —MCCMC (Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers) Party/Meeting
8. September 28 — TAM Board meeting (as an alternate)
9. October 4 — Fairfax Town Council Meeting
Informal Community Events (Informational re: engaging with the community) Constituent Meetings: Met with one resident on pedestrian safety issues. Four conversations on rent stabilization (2 pro, 1 con, 1 undecided). One conversation on assisting a resident with an emergency.
1. September 4 – Attended North Bay Labor Council Breakfast. Event was intended to celebrate labor and provide the opportunity to meet federal, state, and local elected officials.
2. September 12—Talked to Miranda Miller of the Ross Valley Fire Department about disaster preparedness.
3. September 14— Attended panel discussion “Building Bridges for Housing”, Dominican University.
The event focused on exploring creative and collaborative solutions to address housing preservation, protection, and production in Marin County..
4. September 15— Talked with Kristin Amlie, Fairfax representative on the Marin Commission on Aging
5. September 17 — Attended Fairfax Town Picnic
6. September 23 – Attended Dishin’ with Democrats annual fundraiser.
7. September 29 — Attended Fairfax ArtWalk
Councilmember Hellman
9/6 - Town of Fairfax Regular town council meeting
9/7 - Meeting with RVFD Executive Officer Donery and Interim Chief Mahoney regarding upcoming board meeting
9/13 - Ross Valley Fire Board meeting
9/14 Building Bridges for Marin Housing Solutions Event hosted by Canal Alliance, Community Action Marin, North Marin Community Services, Legal Aid of Marin and Dominican University 9/13 - Fairfax Coffee with a Cop
9/14 - Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) training cohort for electees. 9/17 Manor Hill annual Firewise Neighborhood event, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Miranda Miller presented.
9/19 Marin County Fire & PG&E hosted event showcasing firefighting helicopter located here through end of October at Gnoss Field
9/21 Meeting with MCOE/staff, Supervisor Rice/staff, Fairfax San Anselmo Children’s Center leadership, MCF regarding pathways
9/26 Fairfax Open Space Committee meeting
9/27 MCCMC regular monthly meeting hosted by Town of Fairfax 9/29 Spirit of Marin awards luncheon
9/29 Fairfax Art Walk