FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
1 AGENDA ITEM #6.b
MEETING DATE August 6, 2025
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
SUBJECT Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in July 2025.
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 Blash
07/01: Met with Town Manager
07/08: Met with Town Manager
7/09: Happy Hour with the Mayor and Town Manager. About 15 people showed up over a hour and a half to chat, ask questions, and share interests and concerns. 7/10: Finance Committee Meeting. Met with Town Manager, Finance Director, Treasurer, Vice Mayor, and Auditor to review the audit report in advance of the Town Council meeting to better understand findings. 7/16: Town Council Meeting. Adopted Two Resolutions of Necessity for Parcel Acquisition for the Meadow Way Bridge Replacement Project, Received the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Financial Audit Report, Adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget, Adopted a Resolution to Amend the Land Use, Town Center and Safety Elements of the General Plan, All Consent Calendar items were approved. 7/18: Met with the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce
7/21: Met with Town Manager.
7/21: Met with Chief Dan Mahoney: Discussed Citizen’s Disaster Council, Ember Stomp, and Evacuation Drill
On vacation 7/21-7/25
7/29: Met with Town Manager.
7/31: Met with Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire. Discussed state housing mandates, resident requests for Town Hall, etc.
Vice Mayor Hellman
Not received in time for publication.
Councilmember Coler
1. July 1, 8, 15, 21, 29 – Met with Town Manager on various Council matters.
2. July 2 – Community Media Center of Marin – Coler met with Superintendent Carroll for possible new MCOE rep on the Board.
3. June 7 – MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee meeting (& premeeting with staff to Chair July 17 Board meeting) – Ex Com received a presentation on a proposed pilot for 24/7 Renewable Energy project to run three years for up to 400 Municipal customer accounts – the premium cost above 2 light green would be >5 cents/kwh (this would be opt-in only) – approved to send to the Board; also included was a proposed increase to the premium for Deep Green from 1 cent/kwh to 1.5 cents/kwh (Coler led the discussion to not approve this change) – was not approved by majority of Ex Com. There was also a discussion of the process for the FY 24/25 audit & a presentation on the Language Accessibility Study.
4. July 9– Ross Valley Fire Board meeting – The Board approved: the Revised FY 25/26 Budget; a Record Retention Policy; the EO and the Board President to finalize/execute MOUs for the Firefighters and the Fire Chief Officers & approved three Resolutions for Unrepresented Staff – all for three years, for FY 25-28. The Board had a Closed Session for performance evaluation for the Fire Chief. Three FF/Paramedic positions will be advertised next week. The Ross Fire Station successfully closed on July 1, the remaining three fire stations are now fully staffed with 3 on an engine and all 4 members of the JPA will continue to be served by Ross Valley Fire.
5. July 16 – Town Council meeting.
6. July 17 – Marin Wildfire (MWPA) Board meeting – no meeting held in July.
7. July 17 – MCE Clean Energy Board meeting – The Board approved: a Revised Load Management Standards Plan; authorized the CEO to execute vendor agreements for work that will be conducted pursuant to CEC grant funding; 24/7 Renewable Energy pilot project to run three years (starting 1/1/2026) for up to 400 Municipal customer accounts (solar, wind, batteries, geothermal; initial premium price is 5.4 cents/kwh). The Board carefully considered an update to the premium charged for Deep Green (has not changed from 1 cent/kwh since inception in 2010) to cover increased costs in renewables in 2023 and may continue to increase – the Board: approved the premium increase to $1.25 cents per kwh (Coler and all of Marin except one city voted no). Other: MCE completed its 3rd prepaid transaction for a $1B green bond (will save customers $65M); Geysers Geothermal expansion (7MW – powers 15,000 homes) was completed; MCE closed escrow on the San Rafael office.
8. July 22 – Attended Fairfax Open Space Committee meeting.
9. July 24 – Town Council Special meeting – Closed Session.
10. July 25 – Fairfax Age Friendly meeting – meeting was canceled & will be held in August.
11. July 23 – Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) monthly meeting – no meeting held in July.
12. July 24 – Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Board meeting – The Board discussed: 1) holding a Building Subcommittee meeting to discuss forming an LLC for the Building; 2) Forming an Ad Hoc Committee to start work on strategic plan also with a succession plan for a Board Retreat to be held in September. Two new potential Board members attended: Superintendent John Carroll of MCOE and Karen Strolia, President and CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.
13. July 28 – Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee – Assemblymember Damon Connolly attended. Suggest folks sign up for his monthly newsletter https://a12.asmdc.org/newsletters. Legislature is on recess until mid-August, then returns until midSeptember; Governor has until Oct 12 to sign bills. 16 of his bills are moving forward, of note AB 1 – has the Insurance Commissioner reviewing regs every 5 years to include home hardening in their regulations among other things to potentially lower rates. He got an Audit approved to be conducted for DPR and County Ag Commissioners to review their overall pesticide work to ensure staying away from sensitive uses. His website and newsletters have information re: immigrant rights. Budget:
balanced (yet $20-$30B deficits in subsequent years) – the Legislature rejected Governor’s cuts to IHHS among other things. Other updates – 2 housing bonds may be proposed for the June 2026 ballot 3 ($10B each). No action was taken on bills by the Committee since many changes will occur & current recess- will wait until August meeting. Update SB 445 (Weiner) was gutted and amended- it now only applies to high-speed rail so does not impact Marin. SB 79 has been amended to have three tiers, only 3rd tier applies to Marin (Committee already sent oppose letter prior). 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.
Coler requested and was approved to follow all wildfire bills as they fit within land use/housing and local control.
14. July 31 - CMCM Building Subcommittee meeting – mtg held after report submittal.
Councilmember Egger
Attended the July 16th 2025 Town Council Closed Session meeting at 4pm and then the Regular meeting at 6:30. I attended the July 22, 2025 Fairfax Open Space Committee meeting. Discussions included the Wall property, financing, naming possibilities and signage for Open Space properties. The FOSC is recommends that the Fairfax Town Council name the Northern Spotted Owl as Fairfax's Town Bird.
I was able to lineup two 38" high X 10 foot long, 2&1/2 or so inches thick Redwood slabs for new FOSC signs. They are in Cazadero and I have to bring them down in my truck. They are probably in the $500 range for each. I offered to buy them donate them to the Fairfax OSC. I attended a Memorial Mass on Sat. July 26th for former San Anselmo Mayor Anne Wooliever.
Councilmember Ghiringhelli
Not received in time for publication.