bc14c0d1-item-7-all-public-comment-received-before-3pm — Fairfax City Council, June 3, 2026

Outlook
STand up for LBGTQ people
From Andrew Rader <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 10:44 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Town Council,
The topic you are about to address tonight is a red herring. No need to cancel one for the other.

Those who want to cancel celebrating and honoring Pride month just want that. They are about excluding those of us who are in the minority and need the protection of the majority.

If those who want to honor the Founders of Fairfax, consider that as a stand alone issue and research the history, warts and all. Then decide if that is worthy and choose an unspoken for month to do that.

Thank you for listening.

Andy Rader
--
Andrew Rader, LAc, MS
Acupuncturist, Herbalist and Hypnotherapist.

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Town Pride Flags
From Ashley Robinson <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 7:17 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hello,
I'm writing about the petition to remove the pride flags from downtown to support "heritage month".

In these times it is most important that we uphold town values as inclusivity for all of our residents.

The flags are a joyful reminder of this and honestly bring a smile to my face every time they fly.

These calls for replacement are nothing more than dog-whistles for intolerant homophobia and must be rejected. There are plenty of other times of the year for other celebrations.

Respectfully,
Ashley
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Pride celebration
From Barry Hessenius <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 12:51 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Replacing the LGBTQ Pride celebration with some other holiday would send the wrong message and ultimately harm Fairfax businesses and image. Horrible idea. Projects a biased, prejudicial image Sent from my iPhone
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Fw: Petition regarding Pride Flags
From Barbara Coler <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 9:04 PM
To Christine Foster <[email protected]>
Barbara Coler, Councilmember
Town of Fairfax
**The opinions expressed in this email are those of this individual Council Member and are not representative of the entire Council or Town of Fairfax unless otherwise stated.**
From: Gubbins Family <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 9:00 PM
To: Heather Abrams <[email protected]>; Barbara Coler <[email protected]>; Stephanie Hellman <[email protected]>; Frank Egger <[email protected]>; Lisel Blash <[email protected]>; Michael Ghiringhelli <[email protected]> Subject: Petition regarding Pride Flags
Hello Town Council,
I am really saddened to hear of the petition that Todd Greenberg put forward about the pride flags.

June is Pride month, which is celebrated all across the United States. It celebrates beautiful human beings which include people of all genders, races and ethnicities. It is for those who are marginalized, those who have to fight for who they love, those who are shamed for being who they are. And this petition is perfect example of the hate that the LGBTQ+ community has to overcome every single day.

One thing we know for sure, LOVE will always win in Fairfax. Keep the Pride flags flying! Thank you!
Brenna Gubbins
Sent from my iSmile
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Pride month
From Catherine Kane <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 2:44 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> I support the Pride celebration - flags and crosswalk. It makes me proud to live in Faitfax.

Catherine Kane
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Keep the PRIDE flags!!
From Connie Siegenthaler <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 8:41 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> In this terrible time we are living thru when people are being discriminated against more and more it is CRITICAL that we continue to support and recognize the LGBTQ+ community. I can’t help thinking of the old Nazi adage “they came for the jews but I wasn’t Jewish so I didn’t do anything, they came for the disabled but I wasn’t disabled so I didn’t do anything etc etc.

Thanks
Connie Siegenthaler
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6/3 Meeting Agenda Item 7
From Daniele Petrone <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 6:05 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Councilmembers,
Some of you may know me from my service on the Planning Commission. I’m writing to you instead as an LGBTQ+ resident of Fairfax, asking you to oppose the proposal to stop flying Pride flags during June and replace them with a rotating system of "heritage month" banners.

As you all know, Pride Month exists for a reason. It commemorates the long struggle for equality, visibility, and safety for LGBTQ+ people. Flying the Pride flag for one month each year is not about elevating one group above others; it is about recognizing a community that has historically faced exclusion, discrimination, and at times violence (yes, even here in Marin).

For many LGBTQ+ residents, especially young people, seeing Pride flags around town has become a simple but meaningful reminder that they belong. It tells teens questioning their identity that they are welcome in Fairfax. It tells families like mine that we are part of the civic fabric of this community. It tells visitors that Fairfax strives to be a place where people can live openly and authentically. Removing those flags would not create more inclusion; it would remove a visible expression of it.

What concerns me most is that this proposal, in choosing the month of June, does not begin with a request to add new forms of recognition. It begins with a request to remove an existing one. That distinction matters. Adding recognition says: "We see more members of our community." Removing recognition says: "We no longer wish to extend the same public support we once did." Those are fundamentally different actions.

The argument that other communities and heritage groups should be recognized is a worthy one. If the Town wishes to expand its recognition of other groups, we can absolutely do so without taking anything away from LGBTQ+ residents. Inclusion is not a finite resource.

It is also worth noting that these Pride flags were donated by community members. No taxpayer funds were spent procuring them. The Town chose to display them as a statement that LGBTQ+ residents are valued members of the Fairfax community. Removing them would not solve a budget problem, improve public services, or address any demonstrated harm. It would simply withdraw a symbol of belonging that many residents have come to appreciate.

Fairfax has long prided itself on being welcoming, compassionate, and inclusive. Continuing to fly Pride flags during Pride Month is entirely consistent with those values.

I appreciate your consideration,
Daniele Petrone
--
Daniele Petrone
[email protected]
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Pride flags
From Gioia, Debbie <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 12:07 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear members of the Town Council:

I walk my dog through downtown Fairfax every morning and I was thinking about how wonderful it is when I see the rainbow flags and the crosswalk to think about how comfortable and inviting we are making the town for our friends, neighbors, family members and visitors. It has been such a difficult time to feel a sense of belonging and symbols speak volumes. These beautiful flags tell everyone that they belong. When the Fairfax Festival happens later this month, I will be happy to be celebrating in the comfort of this inclusivity.

Debbie
Deborah Gioia, PhD, LCSW-C
Associate Professor, Emeritus
Editor, Social Work in Mental Health
University of Maryland, Baltimore
School of Social Work
525 W. Redwood St
Baltimore, MD 21201
cell - 734 730 4366
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Rainbow flags
From Debra Baker <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 4:15 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Town Council;
The rainbow flags make many of us happy not only by what they signify, but by the vibrant colors. Please continue to fly them and let our LGBTQ family, friends and neighbors know that they belong here, and add to, our vibrant community.

Thank you,
Debra Baker
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Pride flag and pride month
From [email protected] <[email protected]> Date Mon 6/1/2026 9:24 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear town council:

I oppose the removal of Pride month and the pride flags in town. It’s important to stand in support of our LGBTQ friends, family and neighbors. It’s especially important now when groups are threatened with marginalization and attempted erasure. Needless to say the town founders are not under that kind of attack.

Deirdre Director
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Pride flags
From Deirdre McDonald <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 1:31 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hi town council
Please keep the pride flags! It’s just an awareness month which is so important right now; with the current executive branch administration doing so much to harm this community, especially trans children. Gay youth have higher suicide rates; gay people are five times more likely to be victims of violent crime.

My stepfather who was gay was the joy, song and dance of my early adolescent, a godsend person in my life. He was my stepfather for a year as my mother passed away a year into their marriage. Then he passed away ten years later in 1985 from AIDS. The gay community touches all of our life’s let’s recognize that.

Thank you for your time and consideration
Deirdre McDonald
Fairfax resident from 2000-2008 now living in San Geronimo valley. So Fairfax is my town! Sent from my iPhone
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Pride flags
From Deirdre McDonald <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 1:31 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hi town council
Please keep the pride flags! It’s just an awareness month which is so important right now; with the current executive branch administration doing so much to harm this community, especially trans children. Gay youth have higher suicide rates; gay people are five times more likely to be victims of violent crime.

Thank you for your time and consideration
Deirdre McDonald
Fairfax resident from 2000-2008 now living in San Geronimo valley. So Fairfax is my town! Sent from my iPhone
Outlook

KEEP THE PRIDE FLAG
From Diana Britting <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 9:58 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Removing that beautiful flag is so disrespectful. Fear only the racists, bigots, and those full of hate want this flag to go away. These "cowards" and those who marginalize others should be ashamed of themselves.

Please don't lower the town to their level.

Diana Britting
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Please keep Fairfax pride flags
From Hayes Handler <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 2:00 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> To the Fairfax Mayor and Town Council Members,
I am writing regarding the proposal I saw on your agenda for June 3rd regarding the replacement banner program. I am a queer parent of three children in this community, an educator, and a member of multiple equity committees. I am writing to implore the town of Fairfax to object to this proposal of erasure and discrimination that is trying to be disguised as anything else.

This petition and proposal are microaggressive ways to erase a marginalized group that has been fighting to be seen and accepted. This proposal could be seen by some as an outright aggressive motion to further push the LGTQIA+ community to the side. With each pride flag replaced with “a general theme of acceptance,” it is in actuality a step in taking away from all of these communities. If the residents of the signed petition proposal were queer themselves, or had queer identified children, I do not believe they would not have signed this petition. The proposal is from a non-inclusive group of people, not anyone with lived experience.

The proposal shows an ignorance of queer identity, an unacceptance of our community, and outlines steps towards erasure. Having pride flags up in June in Fairfax makes my family feel safer and included in the community at large, and is why we moved here. We hope that the town carries this tradition on for a long time to come.

Thank you,
Hayes Handler
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Keep Pride in Fairfax
From Jack Gaylord <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 11:50 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hello,
Regarding the Residents’ Petition was Received Regarding a Banner Program – Petitioner: Todd Greenberg:

I believe that we should continue to promote Pride Month in June in Fairfax. The Fairfax Festival is a particularly important time to signal our support for LGBTQ+ members of our community and guests.

I support Fairfax residents wanting to celebrate the diverse heritage of our families and communities - let's do that in a way that does not conflict with Pride Month.

Thanks,
Jack Gaylord
Fairfax resident
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Public Comment for 06/03/2026 Town Council Meeting for the Record From Janet Turner <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 1:10 PM
To Town Clerk's Office <[email protected]>; Stephanie Hellman <[email protected]>; Frank Egger <[email protected]>; Barbara Coler <[email protected]>; Lisel Blash <[email protected]>
Town Council,
Town of Fairfax does not have the worst roads in Marin because of gay pride flags and a rainbow crosswalk. As a former government accountant, the math doesn’t work. Call a spade a spade. The obsession with gay pride flags and a rainbow crosswalk is blatant homophobia. Since my parents were from the Old South and left it on purpose, I have an allergy to “code” talk. What someone(s) may be bringing to the Town Council tonight is “code” talk. It is odious and disgusting wink and a nod.

Janet Turner
15 Maple
Sent from my iPhone
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Pride Flag
From [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 8:06 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Keep the Pride flag flying!!! It indicates safety, too.

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Pride flags
From Jessica Powell <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 10:42 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Love them -- thanks!
Jessica Powell
99 Porteous Ave
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Yes to inclusion.

From Joan Haukom <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 5:29 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Please fly those pride flags high all over Fairfax!!
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
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Pride month flags and celebration
From Kay Neal <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 8:22 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> A group of residents has asked the Town Council to stop celebrating Pride Month and remove the rainbow flags from Fairfax. Instead, they want June to become a "heritage month" celebrating the people who founded Fairfax, focusing primarily on white settlers. This proposal raises some important questions. LGBTQ+ people are not a race or nationality. They are our neighbors, family members, friends, coworkers, and community members of every race, ethnicity, culture, and background. Pride Month is not about replacing anyone's heritage. It is about recognizing a group of people who have faced discrimination and exclusion simply for who they are. It's also worth remembering that history is complex. Fairfax itself is named after a slaveholder. Ironically Black people where not named in the list of races to celebrate. If we are going to celebrate our past, we should do so honestly, acknowledging all who contributed to our community, including those who have too often been left out of the story. When LGBTQ+ people no longer face discrimination, harassment, bullying, and unequal treatment, perhaps we can have a conversation about whether those symbols are still needed. Until then, they remain an important reminder that our community values inclusion, acceptance, and dignity for all. The rainbow flags flying in Fairfax send a simple message: You belong here. You are welcome here.

Please do not consider this resident petition and continue to celebrate June as pride month.

Thank you
Kay Neal
Outlook
Please keep Pride flags in Fairfax
From Kelli Gaylord <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 10:36 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hi there,
I’m writing in support of keeping all Pride flags in June in Fairfax. This is a critical time in our political landscape to show support for the LGBTQ community. In a 2025 survey conducted by the Trevor project, 90% of LGBTQ+ youth said recent anti-LGBTQ policies caused them stress or anxiety and "LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than a third of the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities".

Pride flags are a signal to our neighbors that they’re welcome and celebrated here. During a time of such regressive policy at the federal level, removing this signal would be a very poor reflection on Fairfax.

If the intent is to become more inclusive, then add banners for other groups in other months, not in June.

Thank you for your consideration,
Kelli Gaylord
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(No subject)
From Kim Stanton <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 3:47 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hi.

Who do I talk to about pride flags
Why are these up ?
Can't put flags up memorial day ?
This is less than 1% population.

What about other groups
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Please continue Pride Month
From Laura Marquit <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 2:47 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Town Council,
I am in favor of continuing to celebrate pride month in Fairfax. I heard there is some disagreement over that and I want to send my support.

Laura Marquit
Business Owner
Fairfax
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Pride flags
From Liliana Lavezzo <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 4:12 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> I think its really silly that Todd G and others want to remove the Pride flags from Fairfax polls. Across the US and the world LGBTQ + Pride month is celebrated in June. I support the flags being flown and feel it brings joy to everyone. The flags were sewn and donated by a lovely community member.

These 🌈 🏳️‍🌈 flags let people from LGBTQ+ community know that they're welcome here. Keep the flags. ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜 Liliana Lavezzo
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Speaking against the petition
From Lola Palladini <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 11:32 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Town Council,
Thank you for taking the time to read this message. I am a lifelong resident of Fairfax and have always been so appreciative and moved by the openness and acceptance that this community has, which is why is so saddening to hear that there is a petition in front of the council to remove the pride month celebration from Fairfax. Fairfax is home too many people from the community, I personally know many, and it breaks my heart to know that this town is considering removing the celebratory that is meant to honor them and show our support. It is my understanding that this petition is claiming that we should change June to heritage month to honor many other groups, but there are 11 other months in the year that Fairfax can use to do so, why must we take the month that is meant to celebrate pride? I would be miss not to speak out and share my opinion on this seeing as I will always call Fairfax my home. Please do not let this petition pass and keep Fairfax and open, accepting, and progressive space for all.

Best,
Lola Palladini
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Pride Flags
From M Knightly <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 3:58 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hi,
It's come to my attention that someone has taken issue with the Pride flags downtown and wants them replaced. I don't agree with this. The Pride flags make me feel more comfortable in my community and have made me feel like I'm accepted here through the years. With the current climate for LGBT youth and people everywhere, it would disappoint me greatly, and I suspect many others, if we were to take these down. To take them down feels disrespectful to me and others when their presence feels supportive.

Thank you,
Madeline Knightly
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Pride Flags
From Maureen McManus <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 1:24 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hi: please keep the Pride Flags. It’s simple for me “Everyone is Welcomed in Our Beautiful and Kind Community”.

Respectfully,
Maureen (mo) McManus
414-595-2345
Sent from my iPhone
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In Support of Recognized Pride Month Activities in Fairfax From melissa enlow <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 12:41 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> To Whom it May Concern,
I am a native Marin County resident, who is more than dismayed at the rumblings of replacing Pride Month with Heritage Month for the month of June in Fairfax. I'm actually bordering on being outraged truthfully.

I fully support the continued recognition of Pride Month and its activities in Fairfax, and all of Marin and beyond for that matter.

I feel you are doing your residents a disservice and that you are not accurately listening to them or reflecting their values if you institute this change.

Sincerely,
Melissa Enlow
5 Sonora Way
Corte Madera, CA 94925
Outlook
Celebrating Pride Month in Fairfax
From Michael Peters <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 11:19 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Fairfax Town Council,
I am writing to you regarding stories that are circulating on the internet, both through social media and having received direct emails from friends.

My husband and I are not residents of Fairfax, we live in nearby San Anselmo. However, we love all that Fairfax has to offer and quite frequently shop there, dine at restaurants, and have friends who live in Fairfax. As a handyman across all of Marin County, I can also proudly say I have some clients who live in Fairfax and that means I shop for supplies at Fairfax Lumber and eat my lunches downtown when on my breaks at those residences.

I believe it was 2 years ago when I drove into Fairfax on an early June day. I was absolutely filled with emotion when I saw the array of colorful pride, rainbow flags throughout the town, as well as the diversity crosswalk and various businesses displaying pride signs in their windows. I consider myself a proud Marin citizen. In general, there is a sense of acceptance, love, compassion and respect here for openly gay individuals such as me. We all know this is not true in many parts of our country.

I attend a church in Tiburon which is open and affirming; I volunteer for the newly found Marin LGBTQ Center; I celebrate with my fellow community members at Pride events such as the upcoming one in Mill Valley on June 6th. For the town of Fairfax to even consider a small number of individuals' request to remove the rainbow flags and push Pride month back "into the closet" seems preposterous to me.

Fairfax has always been known as a loving, free-thinking, diverse group of eclectic people, and I've always felt safe and happy while spending time there. Let's not go back in time and suppress this movement of LGBTQ+ pride. With all that is going on in our country on the political landscape, we need celebration of diversity now more than ever.

Thank you for your consideration.

Michael Peters (he/him)
(415) 684-4761
[email protected]
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Public Comment 6/3
From Mick Bruckner <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 1:12 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> To the Council and to Todd Greenberg,
As the boyfriend of Archie’s first (out) Gay Homecoming King, Fairfax has always been a somewhat welcoming place for me. I was the ‘Glee’ generation; I watched gay marriage become legal my sophomore year of high school; i was ridiculed by my peers. And yet my mom delivered lunches to gay men dying of AIDS in the 90s. What a remarkable and inspirational story that gay liberation has become and will forever be.

To think that all of this hardship, death, joy, resistance—experienced and enacted by millions and millions of Americans— would not be celebrated is simply cruel. Todd Greenberg and his gang of boomers remind me of just how much work there is still left to do, and how so many people have such little curiosity as to why people who might live on the margins might not feel “celebrated” by the American flag.

I wish we lived in a world where people were aversive to this type of thinking—and even more where they would be afraid to share such bigoted sentiment. But I do not live in a fantasy world, and on top of all of the other things queer and trans people, and pretty much everyone else in the country now have to face, to also have to fight to keep the freaking Pride flag up is just plain stupid (I know this is not a voting item, but the sentiment this petition has unearthed merits a swift and strong response).

Gay Liberation, forever and always,
Mick Bruckner
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Pride Month
From nancy murray <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 2:31 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Love, love celebrating Fairfax Pride❣️❣️
Nancy Murray
Sent from my iPad
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Pride
From octavio saez <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 12:05 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hi, please continue supporting pride month. The recent attempts to rename the month are nothing but homophobia from the top (white House)and from the bottom ( "locals'). Celebrating pride celebrates everyone with peace and love.

Thank you octavio saez de Ibarra.

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Continue celebrating Gay Pride in Fairfax
From Patrick Crossan <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 10:46 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> I was appalled to hear the town of Fairfax is considering stopping Gay Pride celebrations and may remove Pride flags.

This is inconsistent with the values of Marin in general. Fairfax would be permanently stained as anti gay for taking actions against pride.

Patrick Crossan,
Longtime Marin resident (Novato) & gay
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LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈
From [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 11:54 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Please support and stand with our community of diversity and inclusion. It’s why we love it here and why we choose to live here!
PK sent from my iPhone
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Public Comment on Petition regarding Banner Program
From Raven Rose <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 1:39 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Fairfax Town Council,
It has come to my attention that there is a petition to take down/remove the Pride Flags and Pride crosswalk.

At a time when there is a violent anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the atmosphere, this sentiment is most disheartening and distressing.

As a member of the LGBTQ community and ally, the presence of the Pride Flags during the designated month of Pride (June) is most essential.

It communicates and upholds the safety and inclusion of this marginalized community in our good town of Fairfax.

While including and acknowledging other marginalized groups and cultural affiliations, like the indigenous people of this land is also essential,
removing the Pride Flags is NOT the ethical path to that end.

Thank you for considering my comment.

I urge you to REFUSE/Not to sign the Residents’ Petition Regarding a Banner Program (submitted by Petitioner, Todd Greenberg)
With gratitude,
R.N. Rose
Fairfax resident
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Raised Flags
From R J Meyers <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 10:28 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Instead of a raising a flag for gay month why not make it veterans month? Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
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LGBTQ
From sara Sacksteder <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 8:31 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hello,
I support diversity period. I welcome LGBTQ flags and signs of support.

Sara Sacksteder
Sent from my iPhone
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LGBTQ
From sara Sacksteder <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 8:31 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hello,
I support diversity period. I welcome LGBTQ flags and signs of support.

Sara Sacksteder
Sent from my iPhone
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Pride flags
From Stacey Martinez <[email protected]>
Date Mon 6/1/2026 9:52 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Cc Alba Balice <[email protected]>
Who assented to flying pride flags for not just a month but a few extra days? They were up before June.

I have lived in Fairfax for 47 years. I don’t remember being asked.

I take umbrage in displaying a pride flag practically every 15 feet. One flag would have been acceptable.

One year we counted how many there were. Astounding number. And our town employees are used to install these?
I personally am disturbed by the above.

Stacey Martinez
Sent from my iPad
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For today’s meeting
From Susan Weiss E <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 8:46 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> In regards to today’s meeting. I would like to add my voice in strong support of raising the Pride flags in Fairfax; letting our LGBTQ+ community members (and visitors to Fairfax) know that they are welcomed, valued and respected!
Susan Weiss
Longtime Fairfax resident
Sent from my iPhone
Outlook
For today’s meeting
From Susan Weiss E <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 8:46 AM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> In regards to today’s meeting. I would like to add my voice in strong support of raising the Pride flags in Fairfax; letting our LGBTQ+ community members (and visitors to Fairfax) know that they are welcomed, valued and respected!
Susan Weiss
Longtime Fairfax resident
Sent from my iPhone
Outlook
Please do not support the removal of Pride Month
From THERESA HALL <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 8:32 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Town Council members,
I am a long-time resident of Fairfax, and I was deeply saddened to learn about the recent proposal to eliminate Pride Month here in our wonderful town. Fairfax has always been about inclusion and acceptance of all people, and this proposal's efforts to exclude members of our community and send a message of hate go against who we are.

If there is a desire to create a new celebration month for different cultures, there are 11 other months in which to do so; the fact that the proposal has chosen June only shows an anti-gay and anti-trans agenda, not one of belonging and inclusion.

I respectfully ask you not to support this proposal any further.

Thank you,
Theresa Hall
252 Cascade Drive, Fairfax
Outlook
Please do not support the removal of Pride Month
From THERESA HALL <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 8:32 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Dear Town Council members,
I am a long-time resident of Fairfax, and I was deeply saddened to learn about the recent proposal to eliminate Pride Month here in our wonderful town. Fairfax has always been about inclusion and acceptance of all people, and this proposal's efforts to exclude members of our community and send a message of hate go against who we are.

I respectfully ask you not to support this proposal any further.

Thank you,
Theresa Hall
252 Cascade Drive, Fairfax
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Pride Month
From t o <[email protected]>
Date Tue 6/2/2026 8:43 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Hello All
Just want to say o very much support celebrating Pride, tolerance, love, compassion and understanding.

These are values i hope most of my neighbors and fellow Faxians share.

Cheers
trish
Fairfax, CA 94930
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Urgent Agenda Item 7 - Request to Post Complete Citizens' Petition Packet Before Tonight's Meeting ---- Public Comment re: Agenda Item 7, June 3, 2026 Fairfax Town Council June 3, 2026 Meeting :

From todd greenberg <[email protected]>
Date Wed 6/3/2026 1:50 PM
To Fairfax Town Council <[email protected]> Cc Christine Foster <[email protected]>; Stephanie Hellman <[email protected]>; Heather Abrams <[email protected]>; Linda Kenton <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]> 8 attachments (222 KB)
Fairfax_Item7_Complete_Petition_Packet_CitizenPetitionRelatedComment.pdf;

1.PetitionCoverLetter_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx; 2.ResidentsPetitionRevised_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx;

3.CoverMemo_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx; 4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx;

5.ExhibitA_IllustrativeBannerConcepts_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx;

6.Proclamation_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx; 7.Resolution_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx; Urgent Agenda Item 7 - Request to Post Complete Citizens' Petition Packet Before Tonight's Meeting
Mayor Hellman and Members of the Fairfax Town Council,
Town Attorney Coleson,
Town Manager Abrams,
Town Clerk Kenton, and Deputy Clerk Foster,
I am writing with concern regarding Agenda Item 7 for tonight's June 3, 2026 Town Council meeting: "Pursuant to Town Code Section 2.08.090, a Residents' Petition was Received Regarding a Banner Program - Petitioner: Todd Greenberg." The staff report confirms that a residents' petition was submitted, that it contained 35 Fairfax resident signatures, that it exceeded the 25-signature threshold under Fairfax Municipal Code section 2.08.090(C), and that it was accompanied by a cover memo and supporting packet dated April 29, 2026.

Fairfax Festival is one of the most important civic moments of the year. It brings the whole town together during June and brings many visitors to Fairfax, shaping the impression people take away from the Town.

For that reason, the June downtown banner program should reflect more than one part of the community. A Fairfax Festival Heritage and Inclusion Framework can honor Pride Month while also recognizing Juneteenth, African American Music Month, Caribbean-American Heritage Month, National Immigrant Heritage Month, local history, cultural heritage, music, arts, peace, coexistence, and the many communities that make Fairfax what it is. That broader approach is not anti-Pride; it is an expression of pride in Fairfax itself - pride in being fair, inclusive, transparent, and welcoming to all.

For the public's understanding, seven separate documents were submitted for this agenda item.

The Town's posted packet appears to include only an incomplete combined version. Upon physical comparison of the documents submitted to the Town against the materials posted online, it appears that the Town has left out parts of the submitted materials.

Most importantly, the Town's posted materials appear to omit:

1. Pages 2 and 3 of "4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework"; and

2. The actual Citizens' Petition wording.

These omissions matter. Pages 2 and 3 of
"4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework" explain the requested Council direction, funding and production concepts, recommendation language, and public-review safeguards. The missing Citizens' Petition wording matters because it states what residents actually petitioned the Council to consider and act upon.

This incomplete posting may cause members of the public to misunderstand the proposal as only a general "banner program" discussion, when the submitted petition actually asked the Council to consider a Fairfax Festival Heritage and Inclusion Banner Framework, a draft proclamation, a draft resolution, and a June downtown banner program.

To avoid any misunderstanding, the Citizens' Petition requested Council consideration of the Fairfax Festival Heritage and Inclusion Banner Framework, including the submitted draft proclamation and draft resolution. The requested action is for the Council to vote on the proclamation and resolution, or substantially similar versions, if legally permissible under the posted agenda item. If the Town Attorney advises that final adoption is not legally permissible tonight because of the way the item was noticed, then I ask the Council to vote to direct staff to place the proclamation and resolution on the next available properly noticed agenda for formal action, with the complete seven-document packet publicly posted.

Because the complete submitted packet was not publicly posted with the agenda materials, the public discussion of Item 7 has been unfairly handicapped. The posted materials do not fully show what residents petitioned for, what Council action was requested, or how the submitted framework includes Pride / LGBTQ+ inclusion, public review, funding concepts, and final Council approval safeguards. This incomplete posting may lead the public and Council to evaluate a narrower or less complete version of the proposal than the one actually submitted.

This concern is compounded by the Town's mostly incomplete response to reasonable advance questions about the rules and procedures for the presentation. On May 21, 2026, I asked 14 specific questions needed to properly prepare the presentation, including the exact agenda title, which documents would be included in the agenda packet, the process for submitting visual aids, protection of the five-minute presentation time, procedures for interruption, recess or adjournment, whether Robert's Rules would be followed, whether Councilmembers could ask questions and make motions, and what procedural rulings would be placed on the record.

The response I received from the Deputy Clerk was that "much of what you are requesting below is at the discretion of the mayor." I later received limited confirmation that a PowerPoint could be used, that it should be submitted by the end of Monday, June 1, and that it should not exceed 5-7 slides because the petitioner would have no more than five minutes. However, the specific questions about the agenda title, packet contents, Council action procedure, presentation protections, meeting rules, and procedural rulings were not answered in detail. I followed up again on June 1, explaining that I was still waiting for official answers so that the presentation could be completed.

I intend to submit a PowerPoint or visual presentation for Item 7 before the meeting. However, even if the Town uses the PowerPoint I submit before tonight's presentation, the presentation has still been prepared under avoidable uncertainty. The petitioner was not given clear answers about the rules, procedure, scope of Council action, or which submitted materials would be publicly posted with the item.

That lack of response has limited the ability to prepare the most accurate, orderly, and useful presentation for the Council and public.

I understand that the Town may choose not to publish private resident names, addresses, or signatures.

However, the actual petition wording and submitted public documents should be available to the public.

If privacy is a concern, the Town can redact names, addresses, and signatures while still posting the petition text and the complete public packet.

Because this item is being heard tonight, the public should not have to evaluate an incomplete or edited version of the residents' submission.

The Town should immediately post the seven documents separately so Councilmembers, public commenters, and residents can all see the same materials that were submitted.

I respectfully request that the Town take the following corrective steps before Agenda Item 7 is heard tonight:

1. Publicly post each of the seven submitted documents separately as Item 7 correspondence or supplemental material.

2. Include the complete "4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework" including pages 2 and 3.

3. Include the actual Citizens' Petition wording, with resident names, addresses, and signatures redacted or omitted if the Town believes that private identifying information should not be published.

4. Provide the complete seven-document packet to each Councilmember before Item 7 is heard.

5. Confirm at the beginning of Item 7 that the complete submitted packet has been added to the public record.

6. Allow the petitioner's presentation and Council discussion to address the complete submitted request, including the Fairfax Festival Heritage and Inclusion Banner Framework, the draft proclamation, the draft resolution, the complete Public Packet, and the Citizens' Petition wording.

7. Ask the Mayor, Town Clerk, or Town Attorney to state clearly on the record the petitioner's presentation time; that the submitted PowerPoint or visual materials will be used; whether the petitioner's time will be protected if interrupted; whether Council may ask questions, deliberate, make motions, and vote or give direction; and what procedure will apply if there is any interruption, recess, adjournment, point of order, or objection while the item is pending.

8. Ask the Town Attorney to state on the record what action the Council may legally take under the posted Item 7 agenda language.

9. If the Town Attorney determines that adoption is legally permissible under the posted agenda language, allow the Council to vote tonight on the submitted proclamation and resolution, or substantially similar versions.

10. If the Town Attorney determines that final adoption is not legally permissible because of the way the item was posted, have the Council vote to direct staff to place the proclamation and resolution on the next available properly noticed Council agenda for formal action, with the complete seven-document packet attached.

For clarity, the seven submitted items were:

1. Petition Cover Letter

2. Residents' Petition Revised

3. Cover Memo

4. Public Packet / "4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework"

5. Exhibit A - Illustrative Banner Concepts

6. Draft Proclamation

7. Draft Resolution
I understand that the 72-hour agenda-posting period has passed and that the Town may not be able to materially amend the published agenda title at this point. I am not asking for an improper agenda amendment. I am asking that the public record for Item 7 be completed by posting the missing submitted materials as supplemental correspondence before the item is heard.

The submitted framework identifies historically grounded community-recognition themes, including Coast Miwok stewardship, the Mexican and Californio era, Mexican American heritage and contributions, Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other documented Fairfax and Ross Valley communities. It also identifies present-day multicultural influences reflected in Fairfax today, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, Swedish, and other international traditions, together with concept banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, shared belonging, and Pride / LGBTQ+ inclusion as part of the broader Town-approved June framework.

Fairfax Festival is when Fairfax presents itself to the whole town and to many visitors. The banners displayed during that period make a lasting impression. The public record and Council discussion should therefore accurately reflect the full proposal residents submitted: a broad, fair, transparent, and inclusive Fairfax Festival Heritage and Inclusion Banner Framework.

The public should not be asked to comment on an incomplete version of a residents' petition packet when the missing pages explain what action residents actually asked the Council to take.

For ease of posting, I am reattaching the seven submitted documents in the order listed above.

Please confirm as soon as possible that each of the seven submitted items will be separately posted publicly prior to tonight's meeting, with any private resident names, addresses, or signatures redacted or omitted as appropriate.

Sincerely,
Todd Greenberg
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Urgent Agenda Item 7 - Request to Post Complete Citizens' Petition Packet Before Tonight's Meeting
Mayor Hellman and Members of the Fairfax Town Council,
Town Attorney Coleson,
Town Manager Abrams,
Town Clerk Kenton, and Deputy Clerk Foster,
I am writing with concern regarding Agenda Item 7 for tonight's June 3, 2026 Town Council meeting:
"Pursuant to Town Code Section 2.08.090, a Residents' Petition was Received Regarding a Banner Program - Petitioner: Todd Greenberg."
The staff report confirms that a residents' petition was submitted, that it contained 35 Fairfax resident signatures, that it exceeded the 25-signature threshold under Fairfax Municipal Code section

2.08.090(C), and that it was accompanied by a cover memo and supporting packet dated April 29, 2026.

For the public's understanding, seven separate documents were submitted for this agenda item. The Town's posted packet appears to include only an incomplete combined version. Upon physical comparison of the documents submitted to the Town against the materials posted online, it appears that the Town has left out parts of the submitted materials.

Most importantly, the Town's posted materials appear to omit:

1. Pages 2 and 3 of "4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx"; and

2. The actual Citizens' Petition wording.

These omissions matter. Pages 2 and 3 of
"4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx" explain the requested Council direction, funding and production concepts, recommendation language, and public-review safeguards.

The missing Citizens' Petition wording matters because it states what residents actually petitioned the Council to consider and act upon.

This incomplete posting may lead the public and Council to evaluate a narrower or less complete version of the proposal than the one actually submitted.

I understand that the Town may choose not to publish private resident names, addresses, or signatures.

However, the actual petition wording and submitted public documents should be available to the public. If privacy is a concern, the Town can redact names, addresses, and signatures while still posting the petition text and the complete public packet.

Because this item is being heard tonight, the public should not have to evaluate an incomplete or edited version of the residents' submission.

The Town should immediately post the seven documents separately so Councilmembers, public commenters, and residents can all see the same materials that were submitted.

I respectfully request that the Town take the following corrective steps before Agenda Item 7 is heard tonight:

1. Publicly post each of the seven submitted documents separately as Item 7 correspondence or supplemental material.

2. Include the complete "4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx," including pages 2 and 3.

3. Include the actual Citizens' Petition wording, with resident names, addresses, and signatures redacted or omitted if the Town believes that private identifying information should not be published.

4. Provide the complete seven-document packet to each Councilmember before Item 7 is heard.

5. Confirm at the beginning of Item 7 that the complete submitted packet has been added to the public record.

8. Ask the Town Attorney to state on the record what action the Council may legally take under the posted Item 7 agenda language.

For clarity, the seven submitted items were:

1. Petition Cover Letter

2. Residents' Petition Revised

3. Cover Memo

4. Public Packet / "4.PublicPacket_Draft_FairfaxFestivalBannerFramework.docx"

5. Exhibit A - Illustrative Banner Concepts

6. Draft Proclamation

The public should not be asked to comment on an incomplete version of a residents' petition packet when the missing pages explain what action residents actually asked the Council to take.

For ease of posting, I am reattaching the seven submitted documents in the order listed above.

Sincerely,
Todd Greenberg
Citizen Petition
For May 6, 2026 Fairfax Town Council Meeting
Agenda Item Request
Subject: May 6, 2026 Agenda item request and residents’ petition under FMC § 2.08.090(C) Agenda item title: Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework; Proclamation and June 2026 Downtown Banner Program
To the Mayor and Members of the Fairfax Town Council:

Attached please find:
1) a residents’ petition signed by 25 or more Fairfax residents pursuant to Fairfax Municipal Code section

2.08.090(C), together with
2) a cover memo, and supporting packet regarding Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework; Proclamation and June 2026 Downtown Banner Program, Exhibit A – Illustrative Banner Concepts for Public Discussion, provided to help clarify the potential banner categories and design approaches under consideration, a Draft Proclamation, and a Draft Resolution.

June already includes multiple nationally recognized observances and commemorations, including Caribbean American Heritage Month, Immigrant Heritage Month, and Juneteenth on June 19, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, which further supports Fairfax’s use of June for broader civic recognition and historical understanding.

The Fairfax Festival provides the clearest civic context for this request, because June is already when Fairfax presents itself most visibly as a welcoming, creative, community-centered destination.

We respectfully request placement on the next timely regular agenda, May 6, 2026, or if not timely then on the next upcoming regular or special meeting agenda, of a discussion and possible action item regarding:

1. the Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework;

2. a proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Month;

3. a June downtown display concept using alternating Fairfax Festival banners and Heritage and Inclusion banners; and

4. public discussion of potential banner categories and illustrative banner concepts, and public review of final banner mockups before production, including historically grounded community-recognition themes; present-day multicultural influences reflected in Fairfax today, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and other international traditions; and concept-type banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, and shared belonging.

The intent is to widen the circle of recognition in June, while continuing to respect communities and observances already recognized in Fairfax.

Production of the Heritage and Inclusion banner series is intended to be supported preferably by private donors or sponsors, with Year 1 Town funding available if private commitments are not secured in time, subject to lawful authorization and available appropriations.

Please confirm receipt.

Sincerely,
Todd Greenberg
Residents’ Petition
RESIDENTS’ PETITION FOR AGENDA ITEM
Pursuant to Fairfax Municipal Code § 2.08.090(C)
To: Mayor and Members of the Fairfax Town Council
Copies to: Linda Kenton, Town Clerk; Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk; Janabai Owens, Deputy Town Clerk
We, the undersigned residents of the Town of Fairfax, pursuant to Fairfax Municipal Code section

2.08.090(C), respectfully petition the Town Council to place on the next timely regular Town Council agenda, or if not timely then on the next upcoming regular or special meeting agenda, a discussion and possible action item regarding Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework; Proclamation and June 2026 Downtown Banner Program.

The requested item would ask the Council to consider a June 2026 downtown display program using alternating Fairfax Festival banners and Heritage and Inclusion banners, together with a proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Month.

The public discussion may include historically grounded community-recognition themes, including Coast Miwok, Mexican and Californio, Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other documented Fairfax and Ross Valley communities; present-day multicultural influences reflected in Fairfax today, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, and other international traditions; and concept-type banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, shared belonging, and related community-centered themes.

This proposal is intended to broaden June recognition in an inclusive and constructive manner, not to diminish Pride recognition or any other community or observance previously recognized by the Town.

Signer lines on this petition page:

No. Printed Name Signature Fairfax Address Date
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
Additional numbered signature sheets may be attached and incorporated into this petition.

Dated: ______________________, 2026
Cover Memo
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Town Council
FROM: Todd Greenberg, Resident
DATE: April 29, 2026
SUBJECT: Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework; Proclamation and June 2026 Downtown Banner Program
Recommended Action
Place on the May 6, 2026 Town Council agenda a discussion and possible action item regarding Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework; Proclamation and June 2026 Downtown Banner Program.

Recommended Agenda Item Title: Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework; Proclamation and June 2026 Downtown Banner Program
Summary
June already includes multiple nationally recognized observances and commemorations, including Caribbean American Heritage Month, Immigrant Heritage Month, and Juneteenth on June 19, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, which further supports Fairfax’s use of June for broader civic recognition and historical understanding.

The intent is to widen the circle of recognition in June, while continuing to respect communities and observances already recognized in Fairfax.

The proposed framework would allow Fairfax’s principal June civic displays to communicate a broader official message of unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, and recognition of the many peoples, communities, traditions, and contributions that have shaped Fairfax past and present.

The Fairfax Festival provides the clearest civic foundation for this framework. As one of the Town’s most visible annual gatherings, it brings the town together, draws visitors, and helps define Fairfax as a music, arts, and community destination. A June banner framework that reflects the many peoples, traditions, and influences that shape Fairfax is therefore a natural companion to the Festival and to the Town’s June civic identity.

This request is also supported by a residents’ petition submitted pursuant to Fairfax Municipal Code section 2.08.090(C).

Potential Banner Categories for Public Discussion
• Historically grounded recognition of Coast Miwok stewardship; the Mexican and Californio era; and the documented contributions of Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other historically grounded Fairfax and Ross Valley communities.
• Present-day multicultural influences reflected in Fairfax today, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and other international traditions. • Concept-type banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, shared belonging, and related community-centered themes.

Also attached is Exhibit A – Illustrative Banner Concepts for Public Discussion, provided to help the Town Council and the public understand the types of banners that may be considered under this framework.

Proposed June Display Structure
• Fairfax Festival banners on approximately half of the downtown light poles. • Heritage and Inclusion banners on the alternating poles. • Public Town Council approval of final banner mockups before production. • Staff limited to fabrication specifications, exact placement, safety review, and installation logistics after Council approval.

Funding Approach
The preferred approach is private donor or sponsor support for production of the Heritage and Inclusion banner series. If timing is too tight to raise funds before production, the Town may fund Year 1 banner production, subject to lawful authorization and available appropriations.

For Year 1 implementation, the Town may consider either custom Town-approved banners or readily available flag or banner formats where appropriate, provided that any such materials are compatible with Town pole hardware, banner-arm requirements, safety standards, and applicable size requirements, and are publicly reviewed and approved by the Town Council before use.

Follow-Up Design Review
A follow-up public meeting for final banner mockups would promote transparency, public confidence, and orderly implementation.

Public Purpose
The framework serves civic purposes of education, community cohesion, cultural understanding, unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, and a fuller civic story. It is intended to complement the broad and welcoming spirit reflected in Fairfax’s Festival season and community life.

Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework and
June 2026 Downtown Fairfax Banner Program
Purpose
This packet proposes a June 2026 Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework that broadens June recognition in an inclusive and constructive manner, not to diminish Pride recognition or any other community or observance previously recognized by the Town.

The framework is intended to recognize the many peoples, communities, traditions, and contributions that have shaped Fairfax past and present, while advancing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, and shared belonging.

Background and Community Context
June is anchored in Fairfax by the Fairfax Festival, one of the Town’s most visible annual civic gatherings. The Festival brings together residents, local businesses, artists, musicians, families, and visitors, and helps present Fairfax as a welcoming, creative, and community-centered destination. That civic and cultural function makes June the natural month for a Heritage and Inclusion display framework that reflects the many peoples, traditions, and influences that shape Fairfax.

Fairfax has also been shaped over time by many people and communities, including Coast Miwok stewardship; the Mexican and Californio era; and the documented contributions of Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other historically grounded Fairfax and Ross Valley communities; together with present-day multicultural community life reflected in small businesses, arts, music, gathering places, and international influences, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and other traditions reflected in Fairfax today.

The Fairfax Festival’s civic and cultural role supports using the June display framework to reflect the many peoples, traditions, and influences that shape Fairfax.

LGBTQ+ residents remain an important part of Fairfax’s community life and of the broader shared story reflected in this framework. Nothing in this framework is intended to separate them from the Town’s broader shared story.

Potential Banner Themes and Categories
For public discussion and Town Council consideration, the Heritage and Inclusion banner series may include historically grounded recognition of Coast Miwok stewardship; the Mexican and Californio era; and the documented contributions of Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other historically grounded Fairfax and Ross Valley communities, together with present-day multicultural influences reflected in Fairfax today, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and other international traditions, as well as concept-type banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, shared belonging, and related community-centered themes.

See Exhibit A – Illustrative Banner Concepts for Public Discussion.

Framework Clarifications
June already includes multiple nationally recognized observances and commemorations, including Caribbean American Heritage Month, Immigrant Heritage Month, and Juneteenth on June 19, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, which further supports Fairfax’s use of June for broader civic recognition and historical understanding.

The intent is to widen the circle of recognition in June, while continuing to respect communities and observances already recognized in Fairfax.

The communities, traditions, influences, and banner concepts referenced in this packet are illustrative rather than exhaustive. They are included to support a fuller and more inclusive civic story and to guide public discussion of potential banner categories.

The Town’s June display program should remain official Town expression, not a public forum, and should remain subject to Town Council approval.

Requested Council Direction for May 6, 2026

1. Approve the Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework for June 2026 and future years.

2. Approve a June downtown display concept using alternating poles for Fairfax Festival banners and Heritage and Inclusion banners.

3. Approve the general thematic categories for the Heritage and Inclusion banner series, including historically grounded community-recognition themes and concept-type banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, and shared belonging.

4. Approve a funding structure under which banner production is preferably supported by private donors or sponsors, with Town funding available in Year 1 if private commitments are not secured in time, subject to lawful authorization and available appropriations.

5. Direct that final banner mockups and exact design concepts be returned to the Town Council for public review and approval at the earliest practicable subsequent public meeting prior to production.

6. Review Exhibit A – Illustrative Banner Concepts for Public Discussion and provide direction regarding which categories and design approaches should return to the Town Council as final mockups.

Funding and Production
The proposed alternating-pole format would place Fairfax Festival banners on approximately half of the downtown poles and Heritage and Inclusion banners on the alternating poles. Based on roughly half of a 30-pole system and prior planning assumptions of about $210 per banner, an initial fundraising goal of approximately $4,000, with flexibility up to roughly $4,500 depending on final design, production, proofing, and contingency needs, is a reasonable target for the Heritage and Inclusion half of the display program.

Production of the Heritage and Inclusion banners may be supported by private donors or sponsors. If timing is too tight to secure private commitments for June 2026, the Town may choose to authorize Year 1 production funding, subject to lawful authorization and available appropriations, while continuing to encourage outside support for future years.

Recommendation
Adopt the proposed June 2026 Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework, direct the alternating-pole Fairfax Festival / Heritage and Inclusion concept to move forward, and schedule prompt public review of final banner mockups before production.

EXHIBIT A

ILLUSTRATIVE BANNER CONCEPTS FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION
Purpose
The concepts shown in this exhibit are illustrative only. They are provided to assist public discussion and Town Council consideration of potential June 2026 Heritage and Inclusion banners. Final banner designs, wording, colors, dimensions, materials, and any use of custom banners, readily available flags, or culturally specific design motifs would remain subject to Town Council review and approval, together with staff confirmation of compatibility with Town pole hardware, safety requirements, and applicable size standards.

General Design Approach
The Town may wish to consider a banner family that is visually coherent across all June 2026 Heritage and Inclusion displays, while still allowing meaningful differences among historically grounded community-recognition banners, present-day multicultural influence banners, and community concept banners. A consistent template, border treatment, typography, and general dimensions may help the full June display program read as one Town-approved civic presentation rather than as unrelated individual displays.

The Town may also consider whether certain banner concepts are best implemented through custom Town-approved designs or through readily available flag or banner formats where appropriate. Any such approach should remain subject to Town Council approval and staff confirmation of compatibility with Town pole hardware, banner-arm requirements, safety standards, and applicable size standards. Culturally specific or national-flag-based approaches, including prayer-flag-inspired or similar formats, should be evaluated carefully to ensure that the final display remains respectful, visually coherent, and appropriate as official Town expression.

Section I
Historically Grounded Community-Recognition Banner Concepts Coast Miwok
Possible wording: Coast Miwok; Honoring Coast Miwok Stewardship; Coast Miwok Heritage.

Possible visual direction: earth tones, blue-green landscape palette, or other nature-based colors; simple landscape or stewardship-inspired design elements; respectful and non-commercial visual treatment.

Mexican / Californio
Possible wording: Mexican and Californio Heritage; Honoring the Mexican and Californio Era; Mexican / Californio Contributions. Possible visual direction: warm earth tones or heritage colors; simple historic-era motifs; restrained design emphasizing history and continuity.

Chinese
Possible wording: Chinese Heritage; Honoring Chinese Contributions; Chinese Community Heritage. Possible visual direction: red and gold palette, or other respectful historic color treatment; geometric or border-based motifs rather than overly ornate imagery; emphasis on dignity and contribution.

Irish
Possible wording: Irish Heritage; Honoring Irish Contributions; Irish Community Heritage.

Possible visual direction: green, cream, and gold palette; subtle Celtic-inspired border or knot motif; simple and civic presentation.

Italian
Possible wording: Italian Heritage; Honoring Italian Contributions; Italian Community Heritage.

Possible visual direction: green, cream, and red or earth-toned palette; simple border, masonry, hospitality, or cultural motifs; elegant, non-commercial visual treatment.

Portuguese
Possible wording: Portuguese Heritage; Honoring Portuguese Contributions; Portuguese Community Heritage. Possible visual direction: blue, gold, or maritime/agricultural color treatments; subtle tile-inspired or coastal motifs; clean civic design.

Section II
Present-Day Multicultural Influence Banner Concepts
Brazilian
Possible wording: Brazilian Influence in Fairfax; Honoring Brazilian Cultural Contributions; Brazilian Community Influence. Possible visual direction: warm and vibrant color palette; abstract celebratory motifs; modern, welcoming design.

French
Possible wording: French Influence in Fairfax; Honoring French Cultural Contributions; French Community Influence. Possible visual direction: blue, cream, and gold or café/cultural palette; refined and understated design; simple civic presentation.

Indian
Possible wording: Indian Influence in Fairfax; Honoring Indian Cultural Contributions; Indian Community Influence. Possible visual direction: jewel tones or warm color palette; subtle textile or geometric motifs; respectful and elegant design treatment.

Irish
Possible wording: Irish Cultural Life in Fairfax; Irish Music and Cultural Influence; Irish Community Influence Today. Possible visual direction: green and gold palette; music- or festival-inspired secondary motifs; modern civic styling.

Italian
Possible wording: Italian Cultural Life in Fairfax; Italian Community Influence Today; Italian Heritage in Fairfax Today. Possible visual direction: green, cream, red, or warm hospitality palette; simple civic design with cultural references kept subtle.

Japanese
Possible wording: Japanese Influence in Fairfax; Honoring Japanese Cultural Contributions; Japanese Community Influence. Possible visual direction: minimalist layout; red, black, cream, or natural palette; clean and restrained visual treatment.

Korean
Possible wording: Korean Influence in Fairfax; Honoring Korean Cultural Contributions; Korean Community Influence. Possible visual direction: modern civic palette; clear geometric layout; simple, respectful design.

Possible wording: Middle Eastern Influence in Fairfax; Honoring Middle Eastern Cultural Contributions; Middle Eastern Community Influence. Possible visual direction: warm earth or jewel-tone palette; geometric or calligraphic-inspired motifs used carefully and respectfully; clean civic presentation.

Middle Eastern
Tibetan
Possible wording: Tibetan Influence in Fairfax; Honoring Tibetan Cultural Contributions; Tibetan Community Influence. Possible visual direction: rich but balanced palette; prayer-flaginspired or mountain-inspired color references may be considered carefully; final design should avoid casual or insensitive use of religious symbolism.

Section III
Community Concept Banner Concepts
Unity
Possible wording: Unity; Fairfax Unity; Unity in Fairfax. Possible visual direction: integrated color bands or linked geometric forms; strong, simple typography; broad civic appeal.

Peace
Possible wording: Peace; Peace in Fairfax; Fairfax for Peace. Possible visual direction: calm color palette; simple peace symbol or abstract peace motif if approved; quiet, balanced design.

Coexist
Possible wording: Coexist; Coexist in Fairfax. Possible visual direction: text-forward banner; simple inclusive symbolism; clean, highly legible design.

Mutual Respect
Possible wording: Mutual Respect; Fairfax Mutual Respect. Possible visual direction:
understated civic palette; text-forward layout; simple geometric support elements.

Shared Belonging
Possible wording: Shared Belonging; Belonging in Fairfax; Fairfax Shared Belonging. Possible visual direction: warm and welcoming palette; linked shapes or community-centered visual forms; soft but clear typography.

Section IV
Additional Inclusion Concept
Pride / LGBTQ+ Inclusion Concept
Possible wording: Pride and Inclusion; LGBTQ+ Community Inclusion; Pride in Fairfax.

Possible visual direction: rainbow-derived but refined civic palette; integrated with the broader Town-approved banner family; should be presented as part of the overall inclusive June framework, not as a separate or competing display program.

Section V
Discussion Options for the Town Council

1. Whether the June 2026 Heritage and Inclusion banner series should focus primarily on historically grounded community-recognition banners, present-day multicultural influence banners, community concept banners, or a balanced combination of all three.

2. Whether one or more concept banners, such as Unity, Peace, Coexist, Mutual Respect, or Shared Belonging, should be included to help unify the overall display program.

3. Whether some banner concepts are better suited to custom Town-approved designs, while others could potentially use readily available flag or banner formats where appropriate.

4. Whether certain culturally specific or national-flag-based approaches should be avoided, limited, or adapted into a more consistent Town-approved banner format.

5. Which categories and design approaches should be returned to the Town Council as final mockups at the earliest practicable subsequent public meeting before production.

Conclusion
This exhibit is intended to help the Town Council and the public understand the range of banner categories and design approaches that may be considered under the Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework. It is not intended to predetermine final banner choices. Final designs and final categories would remain subject to public Town Council review and approval.

Draft Proclamation

PROCLAMATION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX DECLARING JUNE 2026 AS FAIRFAX HERITAGE AND INCLUSION MONTH WHEREAS, the Town of Fairfax values dignity, inclusion, historical understanding, unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, and shared belonging; and
WHEREAS, Fairfax has been shaped by many peoples, communities, traditions, and contributions across time, including Coast Miwok stewardship; the Mexican and Californio era; and the documented contributions of Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other historically grounded Fairfax and Ross Valley communities; and
WHEREAS, Fairfax continues to be enriched by residents, families, workers, artists, entrepreneurs, small businesses, music, arts, gathering places, and present-day multicultural influences reflected in Town life today, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and other international traditions reflected in Fairfax today; and WHEREAS, the Fairfax Festival is one of the Town’s most visible annual civic gatherings, helping bring residents, businesses, artists, families, and visitors together and reinforcing Fairfax’s identity as a welcoming, creative, and community-centered destination; and WHEREAS, June in Fairfax is centered in part around the Fairfax Festival, a longstanding civic gathering that brings people together and reflects the Town’s community, arts, and cultural identity; and WHEREAS, LGBTQ+ residents remain an important part of Fairfax’s community life and of the broader shared story reflected in this framework; and
WHEREAS, this proposal is intended to broaden June recognition in an inclusive and constructive manner, not to diminish Pride recognition or any other community or observance previously recognized by the Town; and
NOW, THEREFORE, the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax does hereby proclaim June 2026 as Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Month and encourages residents, schools, community organizations, historians, artists, businesses, and civic institutions to use the month to recognize and celebrate the many peoples, communities, traditions, and contributions that have shaped Fairfax past and present. __________________________________
Mayor Stephanie Hellman
ATTEST:
__________________________________
Linda Kenton, Town Clerk
__________________________________
Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
Draft Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. 26-__

A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX

ADOPTING THE FAIRFAX HERITAGE AND INCLUSION DISPLAY FRAMEWORK AND AUTHORIZING A JUNE 2026 DOWNTOWN BANNER PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Town of Fairfax has adopted a Flag and Banner Display Policy providing that Town displays constitute official Town expression and are not a public forum; and WHEREAS, the Town may authorize banners on downtown light poles by Town Council action; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council finds that Fairfax’s June civic displays may appropriately reflect the many peoples, communities, traditions, and contributions that have shaped Fairfax past and present; and
WHEREAS, this proposal is intended to broaden June recognition in an inclusive and constructive manner, not to diminish Pride recognition or any other community or observance previously recognized by the Town; and
WHEREAS, LGBTQ+ residents remain an important part of Fairfax’s community life and of the broader shared story reflected in this framework; and
WHEREAS, the Council may appropriately consider historically grounded recognition of Coast Miwok, Mexican and Californio, Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other documented Fairfax and Ross Valley communities, together with present-day multicultural influences reflected in Fairfax today; and
WHEREAS, the Council may also consider concept-type banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, shared belonging, and related community-centered themes, provided that all final designs remain subject to Town approval; and WHEREAS, the Fairfax Festival is one of the Town’s most visible annual civic gatherings, helping bring residents, businesses, artists, families, and visitors together and reinforcing Fairfax’s identity as a welcoming, creative, and community-centered destination; and WHEREAS, the Council finds that the June downtown display program should complement and reinforce that broad civic and cultural function; and
WHEREAS, the Council finds it appropriate to consider a June downtown display program consisting of Fairfax Festival banners on alternating poles and Heritage and Inclusion banners on the alternating poles; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Council adopts the Fairfax Heritage and Inclusion Display Framework for June 2026 and future years; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council authorizes a June 2026 downtown banner program using alternating Fairfax Festival banners and Heritage and Inclusion banners, subject to public Town Council approval of final banner mockups and exact design concepts at the earliest practicable subsequent public meeting prior to production; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the thematic categories for the Heritage and Inclusion banner series may include historically grounded community-recognition themes, including Coast Miwok, Mexican and Californio, Chinese, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, and other documented Fairfax and Ross Valley communities; present-day multicultural influences reflected in Fairfax today, including Brazilian, French, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and other international traditions; and concept-type banners expressing unity, peace, coexistence, mutual respect, and shared belonging; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff shall thereafter be authorized to finalize fabrication specifications, exact placement, safety review, and installation logistics consistent with the Council-approved program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that production of the Heritage and Inclusion banner series should preferably be supported by private donors or sponsors, but the Town may authorize Year 1 production funding if private commitments are not secured in time, subject to lawful authorization and available appropriations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that nothing in this resolution is intended to diminish Pride recognition or any other community or observance previously recognized by the Town.

AYES: ____________________
NOES: ____________________
ABSENT: ____________________
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
__________________________________
Linda Kenton, Town Clerk
__________________________________
Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk

Fairfax City CouncilJune 3, 2026

Fairfax City Council
June 3, 2026