May 16, 2022
Mayor Kate Colin and City Council members
City of San Rafael
1400 Fifth Ave. Room 203
San Rafael, CA. 94901
via email: [email protected], [email protected] CITY COUNCIL Meeting for Monday, May 16, 2022 – comments on Consent Calendar item 5.d.
City of San Rafael 2022 Equity Audit and Agenda Item 8.b. Preliminary Capital Improvement Program.
Honorable Kate Colin and City Council members:
We have the following comments:
1. Agenda item 5.d. City of San Rafael 2022 Equity Audit on the Consent Calendar:
We would like the City to include in this “equity” audit the departmental procedures used by the Public Works department to respond to community complaints about road conditions on specific streets and how the Public Works department determines when specific streets will be repaired, resurfaced, or replaced and what criteria is used to prioritize repairs, resurfacing or replacement of roadways.
Several neighbors have complained about the poor condition of the roadway on Marquard Avenue and Fremont Road, with residents having to pay for frequent car realignment because of the uneven and pitted condition of these City maintained streets. We continue to see a lack of action by the Public Works Department to make necessary repairs or replacement of these roadways. Several months ago, neighbors complained about the pot holes and crumbling asphalt at the steep corner of Fremont Road at Trost and no repairs have been made. We see more wealthy neighborhoods, such as Fairhills and Peacock Gap getting streets resurfaced that are in better shape than our streets. We urge you to review these policies and department procedures that bias street repair and replacement on criteria other than the condition of the street.
2. Agenda item 8.b. Preliminary Capital Improvement Program.
The capital program prepared by Public Works lists projects to be completed through FY 2025. The condition of Marquard Ave and Fremont Road have some of the poorest ratings in the City, yet they are never listed on the CIP for necessary improvements. We have been promised that improvements will be made but it never happens. We request that the necessary repairs, resurfacing and/or replacement of the roadbeds of Marquard Avenue and Fremont Road be listed on the current CIP with the highest priority for completion. In addition, the pot holes and asphalt crumbling at the curve on Fremont Road at Trost needs to be addressed immediately, as this was something brought to the attention of the Public Works department several months ago. We see on the CIP that Fairhills Road rehabilitation is listed and Riviera Drive is scheduled for resurfacing. The current condition of both of these streets is in better condition than either Marquard or Fremont Road which gives the impression that wealthier neighborhoods receive better street maintenance.
Thank you for your serious consideration of our comments.
Sincerely,
Victoria DeWitt, Fremont
Marley Brezzo, Upper Fremont
Maren DeGraff, Fremont
Adam DeGraff, Fremont
Rena Harel, Upper Fremont
Elizabeth Ryan, Marquard
Alex Rockas, Marquard
Toni MacIntyre, Marquard
Tim Bowen, Fremont
Kristen Vyas, Fremont
Sylvia Burgess, Upper Fremont
Anne Bowen, Fremont
Steve Thomson, Fremont
Jasmin Thomson, Fremont