FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
1 AGENDA ITEM #7
MEETING DATE October 16, 2024
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 Coler
1. September 3, 10, 16, 24 – met with Town Manager on Council matters.
2. September 7 -Ember Stomp – worked the Marin Wildfire (MWPA) booth as a Board Member.
3. September 7 – Fairfax Open Space Committee 20th Anniversary & Early Celebration for Wall Property Acquisition.
4. September 10 – Chaired the Fairfax Disaster Council meeting – final planning for the Townwide Evacuation Drill on September 28.
5. September 18 – Mayor & Town Manager at the Farmers Market (with Officer Poppe and Councilmember Ackerman - 4:30-6pm.
6. September 19 – Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority Board meeting – The Board: acknowledged the Environmental Compliance and approved the two CORE Proposals for the Project - “West and Southern Marin Zones Coastal Evacuation Routes Project;” approved the 8th Amendment to the agreement with Charlotte Jourdain not to exceed $100K – she writes grants, develops metrics and other projects for MWPA; approved EO Compensation for 2024/2025 – total – 2.5% merit + 3.5% COLA plus benefits is $265,000. Updates - Defensible Space and Home Hardening Grant Programs: 1st round of Resident Grant funding, $433,000, was exhausted by the end of July and the application closed; will open again in October, funds expected to be exhausted in a few days; Chipper Days: 2024 season began its 5th round of chipping and is in its 6th month of operation. Chipping began on April 8th. As of September 1, the program has completed 3,068 pickups and removed 9,751 cubic yards of vegetation from residential properties – will continue into November. Citizen’s Oversight Committee – new Chair & Vice Chair are McCauley & Biggs. Fire Safe Marin report highlights: There are 77 Firewise communities in Marin with 9 in Fairfax; planning for Ember Stomp – est. 5,000 attendees, 20 major sponsors, 75 participating organizations, 30 exhibits & demos, and 100 volunteers; latest video - COULD IT HAPPEN HERE? PART I with Mark Brown. This 4-minute segment showcased at Ember Stomp as the introduction to our Marin's Wildfire History exhibit. Pointing to the 1923 Marin Fire in comparison to wildfires since, Mark explains the pathways of fire and the reasons why wildfires of today are exponentially more dangerous than those of the past; two new educational pieces: Retrofitting a Home for Wildfire Resistance highlights the most common features that put a home at risk of ignition during a wildfire and strategies to reduce that risk; the 2nd, Be Prepared for a Red Flag Warning flyer outlines key actions to take during Red Flag Warnings 2 and encourages residents to look out for those who need help on these critical days. MWPA has a new interactive map online to check out our vegetation management projects https://www.marinwildfire.org/vegetation-management
7. September 19– MCE Community Choice Energy Board meeting – The Board approved: an agreement with BAAQMD for Reliable. Equitable & Accessible Charging for Multi-Family (REACH) Grant - ~$62,000 will be spent by MCE over three years for installing EV infrastructure in disadvantaged and low income communities (MCE would also commit an additional $193,000); directed staff to accept transfer of GHG Free attributes at no cost from PGE from Diablo Canyon (by accepting them MCE not have to purchase additional attributes and this acceptance will not change the fact that Diablo Canyon will continue to operate which has already been approved at the State/Federal level & saves MCE $100M over 6 years) – Coler voted no – I worked in the nuclear industry and cleaned up hazardous waste for decades - as by doing so MCE will be 5 years behind in investing in renewables & encouraging conservation/energy efficiency, the nuclear waste will cost billions to address with no secure disposal facility, and the short term saving of a few dollars on our monthly electric bills does not help us in the long term abandon DC & its toxic legacy (Richmond Mayor Martinez also voted no – the rest voted yes); the new lease for the MCE Concord office for a smaller space starting in 2025. The Board had a discussion on the end of session Legislative update.
8. September 21 – Fairfax Town Picnic.
9. September 23 – Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee – The Committee received updates on the end of the legislative session: the Governor was sent about 950 bills, he has signed about 250 (including all housing bills, further limits local authority and SB 1037 increases penalties to $50k/month) and vetoed about 20, he has until Sept 30 to act on all bills.
Two bills which included wildfire mitigation efforts included in insurance rates are dead (Gov. vetoed SB 571 which addressed ingress/egress routes – budget issues – good news in Marin through MWPA we have Zonehaven). He has not acted on e-bike bills yet. He tends to address bills in groups by categories.
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.
10. September 23 – Chamber of Commerce meeting – meeting was not held in Sep, moved to Oct.
11. September 25 – Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) Monthly meeting. Held at The Cedars – presentations: Debrief On Initial Work Initiated For The Local Expenditure Plan For The Housing Bond And Discussion On Opportunities For Future Collaboration On Housing And Community Planning In Marin by Leelee Thomas, Deputy Director, Housing and Grants Division - Marin County Community Development Agency, and Creating A Sense Of Belonging: Inspiring Creative, Productive, Joyous, And Healthy Lives For People With Developmental Disabilities provided by Chuck Greene, Cedars Co-Executive Director.
12. September 26 - Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Board meeting – the Board discussed the possibility of purchasing the building CMCM is housed in; 63 government meetings and candidate forums were filmed by CMCM since last month’s Board meeting.
13. September 27 – Spirit of Marin Awards – attended with MCE as they were awarded the Large Business of the Year by Novato & also participated with Fairfax Chamber of Commerce for Plum Builders award of Business of the Year.
3 14. September 27 – Attended the Town of Fairfax Art Walk – great event (again!), thanks to our Artists in Residence Collective: Stephanie Mohan, Susan Pascal Beran & Sharon Virtue, our staff Anne Mannes, Minna Kim of the Chamber and many businesses and artists.
15. September 28 – Townwide Evacuation Drill to Saint Rita’s – Mayor Coler called for this when convened the Fairfax Disaster Council, led by Chief Mahoney & Chief Tabaranza, drive through and opportunities for gaining information from Fairfax Police, Ross Valley Fire, Firewise, Fire Safe Marin and others. Great turnout – 192 people, 88 cars + 5 dogs and 2 cats participated! Vice Mayor Blash
09/03 – Met with Town Manager Abrams about various
09/04 – Regular Town Council meeting
09/05 – Ross Valley Paramedic Authority Meeting. Topics included an update on the bicycle injury dashboard and e-bike injuries (see https://www.marinhhs.org/bicycle-safety), replacement of an ambulance not to exceed $525k, and receipt of a report from the Executive Officer on the status of the Deployment Study. The latter is significantly late due to data problems, although legal analysis on the impact of a potential exit of Larkspur from the JPA is done or close to done. The intent of the deployment study is to establish whether Ross continues to be the best location for an ambulance station. The Ross Town Manager and Town Council are eager to receive this information because they are about to embark on a costly rebuild of their town campus, including a new ambulance facility. The RVPA commissioned the study because Ross would like a significantly longer lease than the rolling four-year lease that has previously been in place. There may need to be a special meeting prior to the regularly scheduled December meeting to review the data once it is available. Find out more here>> 09/10 – Citizens’ Disaster Council Meeting. (Planning the Townwide Evacuation Drill). 09/10 – Met with Town Manager Abrams about various
09/13 – Ross Valley Safe Routes to School Task Force. Some key items of interest include discussion of the Street Smarts program, a traffic safety program that educates drivers, pedestrians and cyclists about safety issues, and a new e-bike program, which is a partnership between local law enforcement, schools, and bike/ped educators. Students have to register their e-bikes with the school, and illegal ebikes are not allowed to park on campus. Students also take part in an educational program. 09/17 – Met with Town Manager Abrams about various
09/16 – Meeting on road funding and budget. Met with staff to discuss road funding sources and applications.
09/16 – Homeless Subcommittee meeting (Council Members Cutrano and Blash, Town Manager Abrams, Chief Tabaranza) to discuss strategies for encampment resolution 09/25 – MCCMC (Marin County of Council of Mayors and Councilmembers) Meeting, the Cedars, San Anselmo.
09/21 – Town-wide Picnic
09/24 – Met with Town Manager Abrams about various
09/27 – Fairfax ArtWalk
09/28 – Town-wide Evacuation Drill. The evacuation drill was very successful. We had 192 individuals attend, and several practiced evacuating with their pets. We will continue to build on this success with next year with another drill and other safety-oriented activities to prepare residents in case of an actual emergency.
09/30 – Attended (as an observer) the Fairfax Candidate Forum hosted by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and the Marin League of Women Voters.
4 Councilmember Ackerman
9/2 Attended Labor Day event sponsored by North Bay Labor Council 9/4 Town Council regular meeting
9/17 Fairfax Climate Action Committee regular meeting
9/18 Presentation at Marin Conservation League, Climate working group, on County Electrification Roadmap
9/18 Listened to zoom presentation on Eel River dam removal 9/25 Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers regular meeting 9/27 Fairfax Art Walk!
9/28 Townwide slow-motion Evacuation Drill - checked in at St Rita's! Councilmember Hellman
September 1 North Bay Labor Day breakfast
September 20: MCCMC planning discussion with CM city clerk Rebecca Vaughn and SR council member Eli Hill.
September 25: MCCMC regular monthly meeting. Hosted by San Anselmo at Cedar’s.
September 27: Fairfax Art Walk
September 28: Town-wide Evacuation Drill
September 30: Meeting with FPD Chief Tabaranza, Town Manager Abrams, and Town Attorney Coleson regarding ebike safety and latest progress with school registration and parent engagement.
Councilmember Cutrano
9/04/24—Regular Meeting of the Fairfax Town Council.
9/06/24—TAM Alternative Fuel and Electric Vehicle Ad-Hoc Committee Meeting 9/07/24—Served as Event Ambassador at the FireSafe Marin booth at EmberStomp 2024 at the Marin County Civic Center
9/07/24—Attended the 20th Anniversary of the Fairfax Open Space Committee (FOSC) and the celebration of the Wall Property acquisition
9/09/24—Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Administration, Projects & Planning (APP) Executive Committee meeting
9/12/24—Transportation Authority of Marin Clean Fleet Expo 9/13/24—Safe Routes to School Fall Task Force Meeting
9/16/24—Meeting with Vice Mayor Lisel Blash, Town Manager Abrams, Public Works Director Umbertis, Police Chief Tabaranza, and Town Attorney Coleson to discuss Town strategies to resolve homelessness and approaches undertaken by neighboring localities.
9/17/24—Meeting with Sean Fitzpatrick regarding homelessness in Fairfax and programs to resolve the encampment behind the Pavillion
9/19/24—Call with Jason Menkler regarding updates on Fairfax Dog Park proposal 9/21/24—Attended the Fairfax Town-wide Picnic
9/21/24—Meeting with the Fairfax Police Officers Association regarding town facilities improvements, electrification of town vehicles, and status of and strategies to address homelessness in Fairfax 9/24/24—Regular Fairfax Open Space Committee meeting.
9/25/24—Meeting with Sara Haugen at the California Coastal Conservancy regarding final steps for Wall Property acquisition.
9/25/24—Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) General Meeting 9/26/24—Monthly check-in meeting on Fairfax-Bolinas Road fall road repair schedule, communications and website development, and coordination of the federal PROTECT grant with Town Manager Abrams, 5 Public Works Director Umbertis, Marin County Public Works Director Rosemarie Gaglione, Marin County Senior Engineer Rachel Calvert, and Marin County Legislative Director Talia Smith 9/26/24—Follow-up meeting with Town Attorney Janet Coleson and California Coastal Conservancy policy staff (Sara Haugen) and legal counsel (Kellen Boyd) regarding final steps for Wall Property acquisition.
9/26/24—Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Regular September Board of Commissioners Meeting 9/27/24—Attended the Fairfax Art Walk and tabled with the Fairfax Open Space Committee 9/28/24—Participated in the Fairfax Evacuation Drill
10/02/24—Meeting with Town Attorney Coleson to review the Supreme Court ruling on City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, discussion of updates on Wall Property litigation, discussion of updates on 80 Crest Road litigation, discussion of updates in Tamalpais Rd road and retaining wall investigation as well as Berry Trail title report process
10/04/24—Meeting with Assemblymember Damon Connolly regarding ongoing challenges with homelessness in Fairfax and Marin and request for financial support for encampment resolution. Also discussed conflicts between Fairfax Lumber and adjacent residential neighborhoods regarding fugitive dust issues and possible solutions
10/07/24—Meeting with Councilmember Stephanie Hellman and Town Manager Abrams regarding progress and planning for Ross Valley Fire Department Station 21 remodel in Fairfax 10/14/24—Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Administration, Projects & Planning (APP) Executive Committee meeting
10/14/24—Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Wall Property
10/15/24—Speaking with 5th Grade class at Manor School about youth activism and housing affordability in partnership with Children 4 Change