FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
1 AGENDA ITEM #6
MEETING DATE
PREPARED FOR
PREPARED BY
SUBJECT
February 7, 2024
Mayor and Town Council
Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in January 2024.
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 Coler
Jan 8 – met with Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters RE: Wall Property and consideration of Marin County Open Space District acquisition for its open space preserve network.
Jan 9 – Agenda setting mtg - for January 24 & Feb 7 Council meetings with Vice Mayor Blash and Town staff.
Jan 10 – Special Town Council mtg.
Jan 11 – Briefing on the Fairfax/Marin County Bolinas Road project with Supervisor Rice, County Staff (Rosemary Gaglione, Chris Blunk of PW), Town Manager Abrams, PW Director Loren Umbertis.
Jan 12 - Marin LAFCO Workshop – the Santa Cruz LAFCO EO Serrano facilitated – Topics included:
GASB 75, Presentation on the Brown and Levine Act; LAFCO 101/201a, Marin LAFCO policy and internal ops, Marin LAFCO Workplan. There are several new Commissioners, therefore this workshop addressed many LAFCO overview topics.
Jan 12 – Wall Property meeting with Supervisor Rice, County Staff (Korten, Sommers), MOST (Long, Braun) and Councilmember Cutrano.
Jan 18 – Housing Element Subcommittee mtg – with Staff, D&B consultants and Councilmember Cutrano RE: the Workforce Housing Overlay.
Jan 18 – Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) – The Board approved the End of FY 22/23 Fiscal Rollover of $3.38M. The Board: appointed 3 Citizen’s Oversight Committee (COC) reps – John McCauley (Southern Marin), Pat Randolph (San Rafael), Steve Sias (Fire Prevention GRPs); adopted a Resolution for Lucy Dilworth’s tenure on the COC; approved Master Service Agreement template for 11 selected veg mgmt. contractors (task orders will be issued as needed, will streamline contracting for members and for MWPA overall). For action items, the Board approved: SaaS agreements for Genasys (formerly Zonehaven) Inclusive of Ladris for Traffic Modeling; the COC FY 21/22 report. There was a presentation on the Wildfire Commission report. New Chairs/Vice Chairs for the Advisory Technical and Operations committees, respectively are: Chief Martin/Battalion Chief Hilliard & Chief Tyler/City Manager Cusimano. The Board reviewed the FY 22/23 Annual Report – Highlights:
- Vegetation Management: 6,316 acres of shaded fuel breaks and prescribed herbivory, 567 miles of roadside evacuation route improvements, and 16 miles of fire road maintenance were completed, underway, or ready to implement,
- Evacuation/Ingress/Egress Risk Assessment project completed literature/data review, modeled wildfire, communications, and traffic to create detailed fire model maps for five test areas, 2 - Grant Programs: $733,000 MWPA grant funds were distributed to residents to address 563 unique defensible space and 126 unique home hardening improvements, - Fire Resistant Homes: 30,884 homes were evaluated during the Defensible Space and Home Hardening evaluations & Chipper Days resulted in 10,502 cubic yards of vegetation removed during 3,307 pickups; over 123 new and continuing wildfire prevention and community preparedness proposals totaling approximately $21 million are included in MWPA’s new 2023- 24 Work Plan.
- Public Outreach and Education: Fire Safe Marin (FSM) and MWPA both initiated different kinds of surveys to gather quantitative baseline data to guide public outreach strategies. Additionally, FSM used and developed many types of outreach approaches to educate Marin County residents about how to prepare for and adapt to wildfire. - Insurance: MWPA collaborated with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) on “Wildfire Prepared Home ™” designations on a pilot basis that will allow California homeowners to show their insurance companies that they’ve taken action to reduce their home’s wildfire risk.
Jan 18 – MCE Clean Energy – (no Board meeting was held in January or December).
Jan 2, Jan 16, Jan 23, 30 – Met with Town Manager on Council matters.
Jan 20 – Attended Wall Property fundraiser held at Deer Park Villa. Mike Ghirenghelli graciously offered to use of the venue pro bono. The Fairfax Open Space Committee (FOSC) hosted the event. Susan Pascal Beran’s, Chair of FOSC, leadership led to an incredibly successful event with music, food and drinks, a silent auction with short speeches by Susan, Marin Open Space Trust (Long, Braun), Mayor Coler & Christine Kelly of FOSC. FOSC members and other members of the Fairfax community volunteered at the fundraiser. Approximately 170 people attended the event! Jan 22 – Marin County Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee meeting. The meeting was canceled as new staff person has not been onboarded. 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 cooperation. 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.
Jan 22 – Fairfax Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting - with Mayor and Town Manager and reps from the Chamber. The Chamber outlined their PR campaign. They will be updating the website, using social media and other techniques. Reps attending were David Smadbeck, Minna Kim, Gerry Kelly and Stacy Messerschmidt.
Jan 24 – Regular Town Council meeting. This meeting with the Marin County Mayors and Councilmembers meeting so Fairfax could not attend the MCCMC meeting.
Jan 25 – Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Board meeting – Staff completed the work to setup 401K accounts with Ascensus, 10 staff were eligible to join and all signed up. This will ensure staff have better retirement plans than were offered previously. Gerry Kelly (of Sonas, Fairfax) is the newest member of the Board; Gerry represents the business community in Marin County – he was appointed by the San Rafael Chamber who is the designating agency by the CMCM by-laws. Barbara Coler brought him in, as she did another Fairfaxian, Susan Pascal Beran, who represents the Arts Community (she has been on the Board for about 2 years and also serves as Board Secretary). Staff will explore the possibility of working with MCAL (Marin County Athletics League for high schoolers) so that CMCM will continue its work with youth to teach them sports programming. Adam McGill has been hired as the new Executive Director of MGSA (who is the overseeing agency of CMCM). Staff will be developing a proposal to apply for a Marin County community grant to cover our work to “shoot” non-profit events and assist them to get their message out.
3 Jan 26 – Age Friendly Fairfax meeting held at Victory Village – 90+ Celebration overview: 23 people participated out of 51 eligible, 2 have passed away since, tentative date for 2024 is October 19 – thanks to Jackie Engstrom for leading the event again! The Fairfax Library will be having a mini-Senior Fair in April (date TBD); possible tabling events discussed.
Vice Mayor Blash
January 9th – Agenda Setting Meeting for Town Council
January 10th – Special meeting in closed session followed by Special Town Council Meeting and Public Hearing on Clustered Zoning (agenda)
January 11th – MCCMC (Marin County Council of Mayors and Council Members) Committee on Homelessness Meeting. Discussed the County’s possible partnership with Urban Vision Alliance, an organization that seeks to bring together private sector and public sector organizations, local residents, and local government to jointly develop a comprehensive solution to homelessness.
January 12th – Ross Valley Safe Routes to School Task Force. We discussed an overview of the Safe Routes to School program and how to enhance participation. A major issue identified was driver behavior, particularly on the smaller residential streets on which children walk and ride to school. One potential is another “Share-the-Road” program for new drivers at Archie Williams High School since new drivers were identified as part of the problem. In addition, there have been many parent complaints about safety for children using Sir Francis Drake to get to Manor and White Hill schools. We discussed the feasibility of a more protected bike lane for children on part of the route, and enhancements on Olema Road, which many children use to get to White Hill School. Fairfax has received funding to revise its bicycle/pedestrian advisory plan, but that does not come through until mid-year and many would like to start efforts sooner in order to get these possible projects on the 2024-25 budget and get out grant applications, which are coming up in spring.
January 20th – Participated in a mural walk led by Georgia Gibbs and Geo Taylor to learn more about the history of the mural on Merwin across from Fairfax Lumber.
January 20th – Attended the Fairfax Open Space Committee Wall Property Fundraiser. See https://www.townoffairfax.org/wall-property-project/ for more information on the project.
January 23rd – Participated in the Marin Point in Time Homeless Count. This count takes place every two years. Volunteers fan out very early in the morning to check for unhoused individuals street-by-street and area-by-area throughout Marin. The compiled results help the County assess how many unhoused individuals reside in the County and in what conditions.
January 24th – Special meeting in closed session followed by Fairfax Regular Town Council Meeting and Public Hearing on Workforce Housing Overlay for the Housing Element Councilmember Ackerman
1/10 Town Council closed session
1/10 Town Council regular meeting
1/17 MarinCAN Climate Leadership Forum – second in a series of meetings with leaders of the 7 MarinCAN-endorsed solutions, one of which is the Fairfax Pavilion. MarinCAN was formerly known as Drawdown!Marin.
1/18 Marin Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control manager recruitment interviews round 2 1/19 Marin Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control board, round 3 of interviews 1/20 Open Space Benefit at Deer Park Villa, for potential Wall Property purchase and stewardship 1/21 Climate Action Committee annual retreat (special meeting) 1/24 Town Council closed session
1/24 Town Council regular meeting
1/25 Building Electrification Squad – presentation on the Dcbel inverter 1/26 Marin Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control manager recruitment subcommittee Councilmember Hellman
4 1/3 Tour of new Vivalon center in San Rafael
1/7 Congregation Kol Shofar for California's Response to Antisemitism, with Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis
1/9 Meeting with town staff and councilmember Cutrano regarding tenant protection implementation 1/16 Meeting with town staff and Legal Aid of Marin regarding tenant protection implementation program components/options
1/10 Fairfax town council special meeting
1/12 Ross Valley Fire Department special board meeting
1/20 Wall Property fundraiser at Deer Park Villa
1/24 Fairfax Town council regular meeting
1/29 Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) – final cohort meeting for local elected leaders Councilmember Cutrano
1/5—Meeting with Town Councilmember Hellman and Marin County District Attorney Lori Frugoli regarding the tenant protections in the Town of Fairfax. 1/9—Meeting with Town Manager Abrams, Councilmember Hellman, and Town Attorney Coleson regarding tenant protections in the Town of Fairfax.
1/9—Community Emergency Preparedness Committee meeting. Find the agenda here. 1/10—Closed Session of the Fairfax Town Council.
1/10—Special Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 1/11—Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) Homelessness Committee meeting.
1/12—Town of Fairfax & County of Marin Bolinas Road Rehabilitation Monthly Check-in Meeting. 1/12—Safe Routes to School Winter Meeting with Vice Mayor Lisel Blash, Town Manager Abrams, Public Works Director Loren Umbertis. Find the agenda here.
1/12—Special Meeting of the Ross Valley Fire Board. Find the agenda packet here. 1/12— Meeting with Mayor Coler, Supervisor Katie Rice, Bill Long and Jonathan Braun of the Marin Open Space Trust (MOST), and Director Max Korten of the Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) regarding the status of the Wall Property and immediate next steps. 1/16—Meeting with Councilmember Hellman, Town Manager Abrams, Town Attorney Coleson, and Lucie Hollingsworth and Laura McMahon from Legal Aid of Marin to review MOU for pro bono services, such as the development of petition templates, and the essentials for the successful implementation of a petition process for landlords and tenants.
1/18—Housing Element Subcommittee Meeting regarding the Workforce Housing Overlay (WHO) with Mayor Coler, Town Manager Abrams, Planning Director Beiswenger, and Housing Element consultant Andrew Hill of Dyett and Bhatia, and Town Attorney Coleson. 1/18—Ross Valley Yellow Bus Transportation JEPA Meeting. Find the agenda packet here. 1/20—Fairfax Open Space Committee fundraiser to acquire the Wall Property. 1/22—Meeting with Felix AuTeung of MidPen Housing to receive an update on vacancy rates, rents, and completed and outstanding renovations at Sherwood Oaks Apartments. 1/23—Participation in United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Point-in-Time (PIT) count in the San Anselmo, Fairfax and San Geronimo Valley alongside Councilmember Hellman and a team of service providers from Community Action Marin (CAM) to count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night. 1/23—Regular Fairfax Open Space Committee meeting. Find the agenda here. 1/23—Marin Emergency Radio Authority Regular January Governing Board meeting. Find the agenda packet here.
1/24—Closed Session of the Fairfax Town Council.
1/24—Regular January Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council. Find the agenda packet here. 1/25—Groundbreaking Celebration of the Ritter Center’s new facility at 800 A Street. 5 1/25—Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Regular Board Meeting. Find the agenda packet here. Find the agenda packet supplement here.
2/1—State Route 37 Policy Committee Meeting. Find the agenda packet here. 2/6—Special Meeting of the Fairfax Open Space Committee. Find the agenda here.