FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
1 AGENDA ITEM #3.b
MEETING DATE September 3, 2025
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
SUBJECT Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in August 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
*Note on meetings with Town Manager: Council members meet individually with the Town Manager to discuss questions and updates. If a council member is not meeting with the Town Manager, that is by choice.
07/30: Webinar: Attended a SPUR webinar on Charter Cities 07/31: Special Closed Session Meeting regarding the anti-camping ordinance. 08/05: Met with Town Manager*
08/04: Attended Community Art Event at Sharon Virtue’s studio (Fairfax Artist in Residence) 08/06: Citizens Disaster Council Meeting. Fire and Police chiefs presented a plan to encourage residents to attend Ember Stomp at Marin Civic Center rather than hold a Fairfax-specific evacuation drill. They would like to direct staff and resources into one county-wide event rather than have multiple town-specific events this year.
08/06: Special Closed Session Meeting on two issues regarding road collapse, and one regarding the anti-camping ordinance.
08/06: Town Council Meeting. Election date for Recall, Cannabis Dispensary application, select members for the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, approve contract with Engineering firm to oversee Park Road Construction, approve contract for cost estimation for Fire Station renovation. All Consent Calendar items were approved.
08/09: Attended Music Event in Peri Park: Fairfax PARC event—Mads Tolling. Very well attended despite the heat (110+ people).
08/10: Fairfax Sugar Shack Grand Opening: Ribbon cutting for new business in town. 08/12: Met with Town Manager*
08/13: League of California Cities Webinar—Mayors and Councilmembers Department Roundtable.
Discussion items included engaging youth in civic leadership, AI in city government, and managing public meetings.
08/14: Special Closed Session Meeting re: anti-camping ordinance 08/14: Happy Hour with the Mayor and Town Manager. About 10 people (not including mayor and manager) showed up over an hour and a half to chat, ask questions, and share interests and concerns. 08/16: Sidewalk CPR: Attended this informal resident training on use of Narcan, wound management, and use of AEDs and CPR for emergencies.
2 08/19: Met with Town Manager*
08/26: Met with Town Manager*
08/29: Mayor/Manager Coffee Hour. TBD
Vice Mayor Hellman
July 1 Station 21 project call
July 9 Ross Valley Fire Board meeting
July 10 – Finance committee
July 22– Station 21 project call
July 24 – Closed meeting re anticipated litigation
July 29 – Station 21 project call
July 31 – Closed session re Scwarz v. Town of Fairfax
August 5 - Station 21 project call
August 6 – Fairfax Citizen’s Disaster Council – decision made to participate in county wide evacuation drill on September. Ross Valley will coordinate drill at 11-12:30. Destination is Ember Stomp event at Civic Center.
August 6 – Fairfax regular town council
August 13-20 Out of Town
August 14 – Closed meeting concerning Scwarz v. Town of Fairfax August 25 – meeting with Rebecca Vaugn to discuss upcoming MCCMC calendar August 26 - Station 21 project call
August 26 – visited entirely Peri Park cleared / abated site of (former) homeless encampment Councilmember Coler
1. August 19, 26 – Met with Town Manager on various Council matters.
2. August 4 – MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee meeting – mtg canceled in August.
3. August 6 – Town Council meeting.
4. August 7 – Marin Wildfire Executive Committee meeting – Primarily discussed action items for the next Board mtg. Highlight of Ember Stomp: disaster drills can culminate at Ember Stomp (qualifies for Firewise communities); CSAA Insurance group will be offering five $1,000 grants for home hardening and d-space (do not have to be a CSAA member).
5. August 13 – Ross Valley Fire Board meeting - The Board approved: pay schedule for FY 25/26. Closed session on performance evaluation of Chief Mahoney.
6. August 14 – Marin Local Formation Commission (LAFCo) meeting – The Commission approved:
Sphere of Influence (SOI) amendment and annexation of a property on Paradise Drive, Tiburon to San.
Dist. 2; SOI amendment; SOI amendment & annexation of a property on Mesa Drive, Bolinas and annexation to Bolinas PUD. A presentation on the Draft Municipal Service Review (MSRs) for the San Rafael Area (SR City and Marinwood CSD). Other discussions on CALAFCO annual conference and update on review/changes in process for CALAFCO. Response approved to the GJ report on 2 findings and 2 recommendations for LAFCO. The Commission directed staff to prepare a nomination package for Marin LAFCo re: completing all MSRs for all 62 Marin agencies in 5 years, completed in 2025 – TB submitted to CALAFCO for its annual awards.
7. August 21 – Marin Wildfire (MWPA) Board meeting – The Board elected Cathryn Hilliard President and Barbara Coler as Vice President. The Board approved a 1.6% COLA increase for MWPA staff (& the EO) based on Oakland-Hayward-SF CPI; acknowledged completion of environ. compliance docs for the “Coastal Critical Infrastructure Defensible Space Project”: maintain fuel reduction and wildfire resilience zones around critical infrastructure (e.g., water tanks, treatment facilities, utility structures) within the coastal communities of Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, and Inverness, ~ 21 acres of defensible space and trailside may be treated, and “Blueberry Ridge Fuel Reduction Project”: reducing wildfire fuels 3 in up to 25 acres along the ~ 1.1-mile-long fire road between San Geronimo Drive and the community of Woodacre; approved a small budget adjustment to the SR Core Budget to correct an error; approved the 9th amendment to Charlotte Jourdain’s Agreement extends the term to 3 years and includes an annual not-to-exceed amount of $150,000; Adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) with the Project-Specific Analysis for the Greater Mill Valley Fuel Break (GMVFB) Project & Approved the Project - ~ 23-mile-long continuous shaded fuel break within a 345-acre analysis area; Adopted a Resolution w/ Statement of Overriding Considerations and a MMRP with Marin Water’s PEIR for the "Biodiversity, Fire, and Fuels Integrated Plan" (BFFIP) (parts of the GMVFB overlap their land) & directed staff to file an NOD; Adopted the Initial Study & Mitigated Neg. Dec with mitigation & MMRP for the San Rafael Hill and Deer Valley Fuel Reduction Project and approved the Project (expands existing fuel reduction zones within SR Open Space parcels adjacent to communities).
The sites are at high risk for wildfires due to the spread of exotic, invasive fire-hazardous vegetation and increased risk of ignition due to the interface with urban development and frequent human activity in the area). Other highlights: 2025/26 Defensible Space and Home Hardening Grant Programs are up and running. This year’s program offers up to $1,500 per residence and focuses exclusively on supporting Zone Zero work identified in home evaluations (vents, gutter guards, fence/gate, as well as vegetation).
Residents must open their reports and apply for pre-approval within 30 days of their inspection – work must be completed w/in 90 days (79 reimbursement grants have been awarded or are underway to date); the Chipper Program is in its fourth round of chipping. As of early August, the program has completed 2,704 successful pickups and has removed 10,462 cubic yards of vegetation from residential properties; Defensible Space Alliance – the inspection team has completed over 19,428 inspections thus far this season; Ember Stomp (September 6, 10AM - 4PM) - highlights include an expanded Marin Wildfire area, eight live burn demos, a fire-resilient landscaping exhibit, a home hardening demo, a wildfires exhibit, a climate resilience area, a kids' zone, student art contest, fencing display, and new wildfire product & services organizations (& voluntary evac. drill).
8. August 21 – MCE Clean Energy Board meeting – no meeting held in August.
9. August 22 – Fairfax Age Friendly meeting – was not able to attend the mtg due to conflict.
10. August 25 – Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee – Last week the Legislature was booked on the redistricting which passed. Bills listed as over $50k are on suspense, some will be released Friday. Wildfire funds – this will be a big topic in the remaining session – thought is So Cal Edison will wipe out the funds due to the Eaton Fire. C&T reauthorization will have significant discussion in the remaining two weeks of the session. Action taken on bills by the Committee:
SB 79 (Weiner) – send another oppose letter; support: AB 1154 (Carrillo, allows JADUs with included sanitation facilities to not be owner-occupied and all JADUs cannot be short term rentals); AB 620 (Jackson, requires CARB to also do analysis for clean fleets for heavy duty vehicles for renting/leasing also as opposed to buying only – will potentially save $$ as well as put the onus for the clean fleets on the leasing entity); AB 300 (Lackey, requires the State Fire Marshall to classify fire severity zones every five years for SRAs). 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.
11. August 27– Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) monthly meeting – no meeting held in August.
12. August 28 – MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee meeting – mtg held after report submitted.
13. August 28 – Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) Board meeting – mtg held after report submitted.
4 14. August 29 – MCE Clean Energy Ad Hoc Contracts Subcommittee – mtg held after report submitted Councilmember Egger
Councilmember Frank Egger serves as the Town Council's liaison with the Fairfax Open Space Committee. The FOSC met last night in a joint meeting with the San Anselmo Open Space Committee at the Fairfax Women's Club. FOSC & SAOSC are looking at possible sites for acquisition as open space in and around both Towns.
The SAOSC has set up a 501(c)3 to fund their operations and purchases. SA contributes 30% of their Marin County Bond Measure A to their OSC and 70% is administrated by the Town with recommendations from the SAOSC. A SA resident left a bequeathment of $1 million dollars to the SAOSC.
The FOSC will have a table at the Town Picnic to sell FOSC swag and take suggestions for the naming of portions of the Wall property. I brought my pickup down with 3 Redwood park sign slabs, 5' x 38" x 3" thick that I purchased from a Redwood Stud Mill in Cazadero for the Wall signs. I am donating the Redwood for the signs.
I am also Fairfax's representative to the Ross Valley Flood Control Zone 9 Advisory Board. We met August 21st at the Marin Civic Center. Staff estimates an expenditure of $68.9 Million for the 20 year program. Building Bridge 2 and its removal is expected to cost $11.2 Million. The CLOMR application was submitted to FEMA on July 30, 2025. This is a big issue for Ross residents concerning flooding issues downstream of BB2
My questions of staff included information about the fish ladders in San Anselmo and Fairfax that actually block fish passage. There is no plan to address these issues. My other question was regarding the removal of BB2. RVFZ9 must secure a permit from San Anselmo to for removal. I asked what if San Anselmo rejects the removal of BB2? There was not a clear answer.
I asked if sea-level rise had been factored in to the equation? We were advised it would not impact flows to the Bay. I asked if the King Tides only flood properties adjacent to Richardson Bay or would they impact Corte Madera Creek flows or cause flooding along Creekside properties. Staff did not think so.
We were advised the removal of a 55 gallon container that probably held old oil and had some leakage would cost around $136,000 to remove and $200,000 to cover inspections. I voted yes on the first and no on the second stating there must be some State funding available to remove an abandoned tank that had polluted San Anselmo Creek an i needed more information as to why inspections should cost $200,000?
More to come including FEMA's response to the CLOMR and the actual application to San Anselmo for the removal of BB2.
Councilmember Ghiringhelli
Not received in time for publication.