FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE September 2, 2026
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Christine Foster, Assistant to the Town Manager/Deputy Town Clerk SUBJECT Receive report on Councilmembers’ assignments, committees, and activities in August 2026.
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 Hellman
August 2 - Meeting with local constituents on town resiliency opportunities.
August 3 August 10 - Weekly touchpoint with town manager Heather Abrams.
August 4-5 - Provided feedback and comments to the Microgrid presentation for Aug 5 council meeting August 5 - Meeting with MMWD board member Ranjiv Khush and staff to better understand Fairfax projects.
August 6 - Met with County Clerk to discuss MCCMC City Select Committee governance and the opportunity to transition to County per California statue. Much work to do to outline a transition plan and action for MCCMC.
August 8 - Attended LaFlor grand opening ribbon cutting.
August 10 - Microgrid meeting with town staff and Bruce Ackerman reviewing council meeting outcome and outlining next steps.
August 11 - Meeting with MCCMC President Gabe Paulson and new Fiscal Agent mgr City Manager Dan Schwarz.
August 17 - Weekly touchpoint with town manager Heather Abrams August 17 Agenda setting meeting with Vice Mayor Egger and staff.
August 19 - Hosted Coffee with the Mayor at BoFax /Amelie. Several community members attended and participated in good discussions.
August 24 - Citizens Disaster Council meeting hosted by Mayor and Town staff with PG&E, RVFD, County Office of Emergency Mgmt, Chamber of Commerce, Cascade Canyon Firewise, Fairfax Library represented. Among key topics are community awareness and readiness for ElNino this year. Also discussed promoting PG&E Regional Town Hall on Thursday 8/27 Community Wildfire Safety Program and local projects. Attendees can ask questions and share feedback. PG&E will provide an update on the 8/15 downtown Fairfax fire.
August 24 - Microgrid working team meeting. Discussed complexity of needs for RFP. Current DPW projects in flight are priority. Bridget Wipler will work with Bruce Ackerman on developing draft requirements/spec for RFP. Next touch point for review and discussion is 9/10.
August 25 - Meeting with Sarah Margulies, Larkspur council member, Eli Beckman, Corte Madera city council member and CMSA (Central Marin Sanitary Agency) board member to discuss recent actions impacting Ross Valley Sanitation customers.
August 26 - Meeting with Ross Valley Sanitation District GM and Clerk regarding recent and historical CMSA (Central Marin Sanitary Agency) actions impacting Ross Valley Sanitation customers.
August 27 Meeting with CMSA (Central Marin Sanitary Agency) General Manager, Jason Dow related to discuss recent actions impacting Ross Valley Sanitation customers. Status of Dispute resolution with RVSD and general governance / operational management questions.
Among the aforementioned CMSA “actions”:
June 2023:
• CMSA revises its sampling locations which changed the data output from RVSD and SRSD interceptors. This occurred without informing CMSA JPA members. This change corrected years of bad sampling data.
• CMSA established new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sampling and lab analysis of strength indicators measuring JPA member loading contributions as part of obtaining state lab certification. This occurred without informing the JPA members.
March 2025
• During a review of CMSA sampling procedures by the JPA managers, it is revealed that CMSA had changed sampling locations “a few years ago”.
Vice Mayor Egger
Fairfax Open Space Committee: A joint meeting with San Anselmo Open Space Committee, Aug. 19, 2026 @ Robson Harrington House in San Anselmo
SPECIAL COMBINED AGENDA hosted by San Anselmo Open Space Committee at 6 p.m. with potluck dinner.
Meeting begins about 6:30 p.m.
1. Call to Order / Roll Call / Approval of Agenda / Appointment of Timekeeper for this meeting – FOSC Chair
Susan Pascal Beran
2. Sky Ranch Knoll Acquisition – SAOSC Co-Chair Jonathan Braun: Total funding met, option to purchase OK'd;
MCBOS approved the ownership acceptance of the "Knoll" Tuesday, Aug. 25th. To be added to Bald Hill/Sky Ranch Open Space Preserve
3. Measure A and Marin Civil Grand Jury Recommendations – FOSC Member Joe Franaszek:
Read the small print as the Recommendation is to drop cities' projects from Measure A funding. Cities & Towns need to oppose the Rec.
4. Rodenticides – SAOSC Members: CA Law prohibits certain Rodenticides, but not all. More to come.
5. Scenic-Redwood Preserve in Fairfax – Rene Voss, also with Western Alliance for Nature: Proposal to purchase a few parcels in Fairfax adjacent to
CAMP TAMARANCHO. Sara Godwin is assisting with the coordination effort.
6. Updates about Fairfax Open Space Preserve – FOSC: The conclusion of the effort to recognize Diane (RIP) & Ted Bright, the Wall Family, MOST,
the Graton Rancheria, CA Coastal Commission, Jamie Redford, Jessica Greene & FOSC Fundraising for the successful community effort to
purchase the Wall property.
7. Open Time for Public Expressions
Ross Valley Flood Zone # 9: We did not meet in August.
We are awaiting the next meeting to discuss what the benefit was to the Ross Valley residents of RVFZ#9. $50 to $80,000 of Tax & Grant Funds,
plus staff time, was spent with very little to show for it. One detention basin West of Fairfax was constructed that has never captured any
Fairfax Creek overflows since being constructed. At best, it will lower flooding in Downtown Fairfax commercial buildings 4 inches, from 18 inches to 14 inches.
The wooden fish ladder below the Ross Post Office that has blocked some salmon fish passage over the years was promised to be removed, but
still stands 20 years later. There are calls for an in depth report on mistakes made and funds wasted.
The biggest beneficiary was the consulting firm hired,
Stetson Engineering.
Purchases: Building bridge #2 with 3 businesses closed down, another building at the end of Center Blvd, to the West of BB2, & Sunnyside Nursery Growing Grounds for the only detention basin built.
Some are calling it a waste of public money & staff time. Others are calling for refunding Ross Valley taxpayers for the taxes paid.
Now we are facing a major El Nino this coming Winter:
The 2026 El Niño could become the strongest in a lifetime 6 days ago NOAA RONI data show that the 2026 El Niño forecast mean of 2.66 would rank as the strongest in the historical record if it is verified.
Councilmember Coler
1. Aug 3- Community Media Center of Marin – Vice Chair Coler and ED Eisenmenger met with an attorney re: retaining nonprofit tax status for building matters LLC. We received approval from Ex Com, Finan Com, and the Bldg Com to hire Paul Kim, Esq.– CMCM Chair Bagnoli signed the engagement letter on 8/13 with Paul Kim.
2. Aug 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 – MCE CEO Search Ad Hoc Committee meeting – mtgs of the 7 member ad hoc.
John McCormick (Lafayette) was chosen as the Chair on Aug 3, the ad hoc will meet every Friday until TBD less frequent mtgs are needed.
3. Aug 3 – MCE Clean Energy Executive Committee mtg – no mtg held in August.
4. Aug 5 – Town Council mtg.
5. Aug 6 –Marin Wildfire (MWPA) Executive Committee meeting – no mtg held in Aug (and no pre-mtg which was to be Aug 5)
6. Aug 8 – Attended ribbon cutting for La Flor.
7. Aug 4, 11, 18, 25 – Mtgs with Town Manager on various Council matters.
8. Aug 12 – Ross Valley Fire Board mtg – no mtg held in August.
9. Aug 13 – Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) – The Commission approved: a resolution annexing of 450 Atherton (Novato Fire District property) into the Novato Sanitary District for a failing septic system; an Interim Executive Officer Agreement with Jeren Batchelder Seibel (for a 6 month period starting July 1- Feb 27, 2027 for an annual $172K – he started in the job July 1); a revision to the Personnel Handbook to add a provision for Acting Appointments for Existing LAFCO employees; adopted the final Special Marin County Fire Services Study. A discussion was had regarding the initial steps to exploration of potential consolidation of Ross Valley Sanitary District, Central Marin Sanitary Agency and Sanitary District 2 into one agency – with this the Commission approved formation of a Brown Act Committee of all that LAFCO will Chair and authorized the EO to issue an RFP for a feasibility study for the consolidation issues. The Commission received an update on CALAFCO Related Matters and appointed a voting delegate and an alternate for their annual Conference. Coler as Chair of the Personnel and Policy Committee provided its decision re: remaining with our current legal services with Malathy Subramanian.
10. Aug 20 - Marin Wildfire (MWPA) Board meeting & premeeting – no meeting or pre-mtg held in August.
11. Aug 20 – Special Town Council meeting.
12. Aug 20 – MCE Clean Energy Board mtg – The Board: approved a co-application with Contra Costa Co. to the Strategic Grown Council’s Project Development Grant opportunity; received an update on the CEO Ad Hoc Search Committee’s progress (issued streamlined RFP to 4 recruitment firms on 8/17); approved MCE’s response to the Marin Civil Grand Jury report developed by the Ad Hoc GJ Response Committee (with some revisions) with assistance from our outside Governance Counsel, Bethany Burgess of Aleshire and Wynder.
13. Aug 24 - Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) Legislative Committee (now being held at the Larkspur Library with zoom available for the public). The Legislature returned from recess August 3rd and had until August 31 to get bills out of both chambers and to the Governor (he will have until Sep 30 to act on bills, sign or veto). The Committee voted to take only one action: allow CALCities to add the MCCMC Logo to their “NASCAR” letter to the Governor which opposes any parts of the Wildfire Liability Reform that would negatively impact local cities and the counties (this Reform being supported by the Governor would be, among other things, another bailout for the Investor Owned Utilities inc. PGE and is currently only in bullet form, it is
expected it would be a budget trailer bill which has limited time to review). A NASCAR letter is one letter with multiple logos – this one has CALCities, the Counties and other organizations on it. Other items discussed include a budget trailer bill to would provide $1.25B to CAP & INVEST $$ to cover the $2B shortfall by C&I based on the changes, which would address some Tier 3 C&I (transit, affordable housing, clean air and some other uses for the Tier 3 $$ which was eliminated by the C&I changes). Some bills we took positions on prior are DEAD or just gutted/amended and changed completely (AB 262, AB 306, AB 1708, AB 2013, SB 866). MCCMC LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SCOPE OF ADVOCACY: Fiscal Protection:
protect city revenues from state. Local Control: support legislation that enhances local control of resources to provide services while supporting regional co-operation. Oppose unfunded mandates and preemption of local authority and control of land use. Transportation Investment: promote stable transportation finance structure for state and local government. Multimodal, enhancing livable communities. Housing/Land use: protect local government land use authority. Oppose punitive housing legislation, and legislation that restricts or reduces local discretion on land use decisions. Other legislation can be recommended to MCCMC at a regular meeting. Coler requested and was approved to follow all wildfire bills as they fit within land use/housing and local control.
14. Aug 24 - MCE Executive Committee prep mtg with Acting CEO.
15. Aug 25 – MCE Clean Energy - Procurement Workshop #3.
16. August 27 – Community Media Center of Marin Board mtg. – mtg held after report submitted (met with potential Board rep for Business prior).
17. Aug 28 - Age Friendly Fairfax mtg – mtg held after report submitted.
18. Aug - Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers (MCCMC) – no mtg until September.
Councilmember Blash
1. 08/04: Met with Town Manager.
2. 08/05: Town Council Closed Session Meeting. Conference with labor negotiators, Conference with legal counsel—existing litigation.
3. 08/05: Regular Town Council Meeting. Linda Neal retirement proclamation, initial pesticide ordinance exemption passed, Microgrid discussion.
4. 08/11: Met with Town Manager.
5. 08/18: Met with Climate Action Committee Interns
6. 08/20: Special Town Council Meeting. Unanimous vote for emergency pesticide application at the temporary fire station.
7. 8/28: Age-Friendly Fairfax Meeting. Attended to solicit feedback on bike/ped issues.
Councilmember Ghiringhelli
Not received in time for publication.