728ab8bd-430-redacted — San Rafael City Council, November 17, 2025

From: Anne Graham
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 3:54 PM
To: End Homelessness <[email protected]> Subject: I support

The Merrydale project to house the homeless. I am a St Vincent volunteer who works hard to prevent homelessness. But I know there are so many homeless folks who need help. Please consider the importance of this project. And say yes to it.

Sincerely,
Anne Graham
Mill Valley resident
Sent from my iPhone
From: Betty Shea
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 3:20 PM
To: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; Maika Llorens Gulati <[email protected]> Cc: Lindsay Lara <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Post to Public Record Council Meeting Agenda Nov. 17 2025

Dear Mayor Colin and Members of the San Rafael City Council, You have eroded our trust in our city government through a lack of transparency in developing the proposed homeless shelter plan—revealing it to the community only four weeks before the scheduled decision.

I am asking you to pause all action on the proposed homeless shelter project at 350 Merrydale Road. The issue here is not homelessness or housing; it is the failure to conduct a transparent, inclusive, and good-faith public process. The City has not meaningfully considered concerns regarding the suitability of the location or the severe impacts this project would have on the surrounding neighborhoods.

Residents did not learn of the project until the October 15 press event, even though a “tentative agreement” had reportedly been reached in closed session weeks earlier, with no public reporting. Announcing the project before the purchase agreement is even scheduled for Council consideration makes it appear that key decisions were made first, and the public was informed only after the fact.

Inviting community feedback after a public rollout is not meaningful engagement. The neighborhoods most affected were never notified, consulted, or included in early discussions regarding site selection, planning, or alternatives. This process undermines trust and makes the project feel imposed rather than collaboratively developed.

To restore confidence, the City should:
• Pause the project
• Release a clear, complete timeline of decisions and approvals • Hold open, well-publicized meetings before any further commitments are made
San Rafael can address homelessness with compassion while still upholding the principles of open and transparent government. But doing so requires a reset. The community deserves honesty, participation, and true engagement on a decision of this magnitude.

Sincerely,
Betty Shea
San Rafael Meadows Resident
POST THIS LETTER IN THE PUBLIC RECORD COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA NOV. 17, 2025 From: Betty Shea
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 3:32 PM
To: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; Maika Llorens Gulati <[email protected]> Cc: Lindsay Lara <[email protected]>
Subject: Post to Public Record Council Meeting Agenda Nov. 17 2025

Dear Mayor Colin and Members of the San Rafael City Council, I am writing to express serious concerns regarding the City’s proposed homeless transitional facility at 350 Merrydale and to urge a more thoughtful and effective approach that meets real homeless needs while respecting and protecting San Rafael neighborhoods.

Homeless services must be located where they cause minimal disruption and have the best chance of success. Forcing a transitional village into an established neighborhood without transparency, notice, or community input is irresponsible and unfair to both residents and the unhoused.

Our elected officials, Mayor Kate Colin, Councilmembers Maribeth Bushey, Rachel Kertz, Maika Lloren Gulati, Eli Hill and Supervisor Mary Sackett, should have communicated openly as this plan developed. Residents have a right to be involved in decisions that directly affect their communities. Unfortunately, this did not occur, leaving residents feeling blindsided and unheard.

Relocating people from one part of San Rafael to another does not solve homelessness; it merely shifts the problem. Many unhoused individuals could be successfully supported today if funds were redirected toward permanent housing and essential services.

The City’s plan to spend $8 million on a homeless transitional shelter is misguided and wasteful. Those funds could be far better spent. For example, rent vouchers that quickly provide real housing stability, rather than on temporary “tiny sheds” or encampments.

Remaining funds should support essential services such as mental health care and addiction recovery to address the root causes of homelessness and promote lasting recovery.

To restore confidence, the city should:
• Pause the project
• Release the records showing the clear timeline of decisions and approvals • Include the community especially the ones most impacted, in the decisions moving forward.

San Rafael residents are ready to collaborate on lasting, effective solutions, but we need leadership that prioritizes real housing, fiscal responsibility, and neighborhood integrity.

Sincerely,
Betty Shea
San Rafael Meadows Resident
POST THIS LETTER IN THE PUBLIC RECORD COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA NOV. 17, 2025 November 13, 2025
San Rafael City Council
Mayor Kate Colin
Councilmember Maika Llorens Gulati
Councilmember Eli Hill
Councilmember Maribeth Bushey
Councilmember Rachel Kertz
RE: Support for 350 Merrydale Road: interim shelter/permanent affordable housing Dear Council Members:

Community Action Marin strongly supports the 350 Merrydale project for the immediate as well as long-term benefits it will provide in our community.

Our agency is the largest nonprofit human services provider in Marin County serving over 5,000 households each year with housing and safety-net services, early childhood education, and economic supports. We serve hundreds of families with young children here in San Rafael and across the county. We also work with people who are unhoused.

The common need across all populations we work with – Marin’s extreme lack of affordable housing options.

In the immediate – The provision of 65 private cabins of temporary shelter plus on-site services at Merrydale will give 65 unhoused individuals the dignity, security, and case management they need to achieve long-term stability.
• This proposal fills a critical gap: on any given night, over 1,100 Marin residents experience homelessness, yet only 1 in 4 has any shelter at all. We know that housing is foundational for people to achieve well-being, economic stability, and ultimately to exit homelessness.
• The community’s questions around safety and community impact at the Merrydale site are understandable. And this proposal addresses those concerns with plans for 24/7 professional staffing, management, and security as well as a code of conduct for participants to maintain safety and cleanliness for residents and neighbors alike.
• This plan builds on the successful approach utilized at Mahon Creek Path, which reduced unsanctioned encampments by 80%, reduced local calls for emergency assistance services near the camp, and moved 68% of participants to permanent housing within one year.

In the long-term – The projects plan to build 80+ affordable homes which directly addresses Marin’s 11,000-unit affordable-housing shortfall. • Every new unit keeps essential workers housed, prevents family separations, and strengthens our shared community.
• The Merrydale site is a great location for affordable housing and helps activate an underused property – it is close to transit, health, and social services for residents. Redwood Highway is already a mixed-use area with multifamily housing, light commercial use, and community services.

Community Action Marin is dedicated to advancing safe, stable, and affordable housing for all in our community and we will continue to partner with the City, County, fellow community-based providers, and others to achieve this goal.

Thank you for this opportunity to provide public input on such an important issue and we encourage your approval of the 350 Merrydale Road project. Thank you.

Chandra Alexandre
CEO
[email protected]
cc: Cristine Allilovich
From: Garrett Grialou
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 4:00 PM
To: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; Maika Llorens Gulati <[email protected]>; Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: 350 Merrydale Project 11/17

PLEASE POST IN THE PUBLIC RECORD
Dear Mayor Colin and Members of the San Rafael City Council, I am writing to urge you to pause all actions related to the proposed “tiny homes” project at 350 Merrydale Road until your offices can clearly and publicly explain the decisionmaking process that led to its announcement.

Across multiple neighborhoods, residents have expressed the same concern: this project was advanced through a process that bypassed the very public you are elected to serve. This is not about opposing solutions to homelessness. It is about opposing a breakdown in transparent governance.

This sequence of events strongly suggests that the public rollout was timed to present the project as a foregone conclusion rather than the beginning of a community conversation.

Inviting residents to “give feedback” only after major decisions have already been made is not public engagement — it is damage control. Neighborhoods were blindsided; no proactive outreach occurred; and the people most directly impacted were not even informed that the site was under consideration.
• This is not how San Rafael handles multimillion-dollar land acquisitions. • This is not how a city builds trust around an issue as sensitive and consequential as homelessness.
• And this is not the standard of governance this community expects or deserves.

Even those who support the concept of interim housing have raised serious questions about the process:
• Why was the initial site selection conducted in closed session without transparent reporting?
• Why were state, county, and city officials mobilized for a public announcement before residents had even heard of the project?
• Why was there no early-stage outreach, no public workshops, no neighborhood meetings, and no opportunity for community-based problem-solving before the city moved forward?
When the public is treated as an obstacle rather than a partner, it erodes confidence in the project and in the institutions behind it. The criticism you are hearing is not about “not in my backyard.” It is about “why were we deliberately kept out of the process?” To rebuild trust, I ask the city to take the following steps:
• Pause all actions related to site acquisition and development. • Release a full and chronological account of how this site was selected, who approved each step, and when.
• Hold transparent, well-publicized public meetings before any further decisions are made.
• Allow genuine input — not after-the-fact commentary — to shape the project’s direction, design, and location.

Homelessness is a serious challenge that demands serious, public-centered planning.

Decisions of this magnitude must be made with the community, not to the community.

I urge you to restore public trust by resetting this process and giving residents the transparency, honesty, and involvement they were owed from the beginning.

Sincerely,
Garrett Grialou
San Rafael
From: Jeff Ryan
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 3:57 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Cc: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; Maika Llorens Gulati <[email protected]> Subject: 50 Merrydale Project - November 17 Public Hearing Comments

PLEASE POST IN THE PUBLIC RECORD
Dear Mayor Colin and Members of the San Rafael City Council:

Please pause all action on the proposed tiny-homes project at 350 Merrydale Road. The issue is not homelessness or housing — it is the failure of a transparent and inclusive public process. A number of us met with Maribeth Bushey yesterday to make our feelings known to our specific representative, and while we're appreciative of her showing up to talk with us, her handling of the issues mostly ranged between condescending and dismissive. We need you to pay attention to our needs, and maybe our Rep will jump on board with you.

We residents learned of this project only after an Oct. 15 press event, despite the fact that a “tentative agreement” had been reached in closed session weeks earlier with no public reporting. Announcing the project before the purchase agreement is even scheduled for council consideration makes it appear that the major decisions were made first and the public was informed only afterward. We still don't know why other sites - apparently you had close to 20 of them in mind - were not chosen for this; rather than locate this population somewhere with better access to services and a commercial or industrial "buffer zone" between them and youthful or elderly constituents, somehow you've chosen to disrupt our neighborhood - without ever (until mere weeks ago) telling us! Inviting community feedback after a public rollout is not meaningful engagement.

Neighborhoods most affected were never notified, consulted, or included in early discussions on site selection, planning or alternatives. This approach undermines trust and makes the project feel imposed rather than collaboratively developed.

To restore confidence, the city should:
• Pause the project
• Release a clear timeline of decisions and approvals
• Hold open, well-publicized meetings before any further commitments are made.

San Rafael can address homelessness compassionately while still upholding open government. But that requires a reset. The community deserves transparency, honesty, and a real role in shaping decisions of this scale.

Sincerely,
Jeff Ryan
San Rafael, CA

PLEASE POST IN THE PUBLIC RECORD
From: Janet Shirley
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 2:36 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Cc: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; Maika Llorens Gulati <[email protected]> Subject: 350 Merrydale project
Subject: 50 Merrydale Project – November 17 Public Hearing Comments

PLEASE POST IN THE PUBLIC RECORD
Dear Mayor Colin and Members of the San Rafael City Council, I am writing to insist that the City immediately halt all actions related to the proposed “tiny homes” project at 350 Merrydale Road until you can provide a clear, public, and comprehensive explanation of the decision-making process that led to this proposal.

Across multiple neighborhoods, residents are raising the same alarm: this project was moved forward through a process that excluded the very public you are responsible for representing. This is not a dispute about addressing homelessness. It is a dispute about the absence of transparent and accountable governance.

Residents first learned about this proposal through an Oct. 15 press event — before the purchase agreement was scheduled for council consideration and after a closed-session “tentative agreement” was apparently reached with no public reporting. The sequence of events suggests the rollout was deliberately structured to present the project as settled fact rather than the beginning of a legitimate public dialogue.

Calling for community “feedback” only after major decisions have already been made is not public engagement — it is an attempt to manage the fallout of excluding the public in the first place. Neighborhoods were blindsided. No proactive outreach occurred. The residents most directly affected were never informed that this site was even under evaluation.

This is not how San Rafael conducts multimillion-dollar land acquisitions.

This is not how trust is built around an issue as complex as homelessness.

And this falls far short of the standard of governance this community has every right to expect.

Even supporters of interim housing are questioning the integrity of this process:
• Why was the initial site selection handled in closed session without transparent reporting? • Why were state, county, and city officials assembled for a public announcement before residents were even aware a project existed?
• Why was there no early outreach, no public workshops, no neighborhood meetings, and no opportunity for genuine community-based planning before advancing the project? When the public is treated as an obstacle instead of a partner, confidence in both the project and the institutions behind it deteriorates. The concern you are hearing is not “not in my backyard” — it is “why were we shut out from the start?” To begin repairing trust, the City must take the following steps immediately:

1. Pause all actions related to site acquisition and development.

2. Publish a full chronological account of how this site was chosen, who authorized each stage, and when those decisions were made.

3. Hold truly transparent, widely noticed public meetings before any further steps are taken.

4. Allow the community meaningful influence — not post hoc commentary — in determining the project’s direction, design, and appropriateness of location.

Homelessness requires thoughtful, collaborative planning rooted in public participation.

Decisions of this magnitude must be made with the community — not imposed on it.

I urge you to reset this process immediately and provide the transparency, honesty, and respect for public involvement that should have been present from the outset.

Sincerely,
Janet Shirley
San Rafael Meadows
From: Ken Casey
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 4:21 PM
To: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maika Llorens Gulati <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Pause 350 Merrydale Homeless Shelter
Dear City Council,

I am writing to you on behalf of the adjacent communities and businesses to your proposed homeless site, as referenced above.

First and foremost, I demand that this item be continued from any City Council action, since you have failed as the City Council elected to represent us, the taxpayers. This is a clear dereliction of your duties; you have ZERO support for this project and you have been unfaithful to your office and your oath by operating in secret and without input. Specifically, this site is a published housing opportunity site that has been confirmed and certified by the State. I demand you reveal when this site was reconsidered for a homeless shelter and when.

You have demonstrated that you have ZERO regard for solving homelessness. 350 Merrydale is likely the worst possible site to consider to address the real needs of the homeless population and it is not a viable or resilient solution in large part to your very own published constraints of the site. This is remarkably incompetent and callous.

Do you really want to create another Ritter Center? Have you failed to learn from your previous disasters?

You have eroded the public’s trust. Remove this item from any further consideration and cease from any further attempts to bamboozle your constituents.

Sincerely,
Ken Casey

Sent from Outlook
From:

Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 1:42 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Cc: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; Maika Llorens Gulati <[email protected]> Subject: 350 Merrydale Project - November 17 Public Hearing Comments

PLEASE POST IN THE PUBLIC RECORD
Dear Mayor Colin and Members of the San Rafael City Council, I am writing to urge you to PAUSE all actions related to the proposed “tiny homes” project at 350 Merrydale Road until your offices can clearly and publicly explain the decision-making process that led to its announcement.

This sequence of events strongly suggests that the public rollout was timed to present the project as a foregone conclusion rather than the beginning of a community conversation.

This is not how San Rafael handles multimillion-dollar land acquisitions.

This is not how a city builds trust around an issue as sensitive and consequential as homelessness.

And this is not the standard of governance this community expects or deserves.

Even those who support the concept of interim housing have raised serious questions about the process:
• Why was the initial site selection conducted in closed session without transparent reporting?
• Why were state, county, and city officials mobilized for a public announcement before residents had even heard of the project?
• Why was there no early-stage outreach, no public workshops, no neighborhood meetings, and no opportunity for community-based problem-solving before the city moved forward?
When the public is treated as an obstacle rather than a partner, it erodes confidence in the project and in the institutions behind it. The criticism you are hearing is not about “not in my backyard.” It is about “why were we deliberately kept out of the process?”
To rebuild trust, I ask the city to take the following steps:
• Pause all actions related to site acquisition and development. • Release a full and chronological account of how this site was selected, who approved each step, and when.
• Hold transparent, well-publicized public meetings before any further decisions are made.
• Allow genuine input — not after-the-fact commentary — to shape the project’s direction, design, and location.

Homelessness is a serious challenge that demands serious, public-centered planning.

Decisions of this magnitude must be made with the community, not to the community.

I urge you to restore public trust by resetting this process and giving residents the transparency, honesty, and involvement they were owed from the beginning.

Sincerely,
Ken Dickinson
San Rafael, CA
The Brown Act
Source: California Gov. Code Section 54950
This chapter shall be known as the Ralph M. Brown Act.
“The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them.

The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.”

PLEASE POST IN THE PUBLIC RECORD
From: Louise Chambers
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 2:45 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject:

Dear Mayor Colin and Members of the San Rafael City Council, I am writing to urge you to pause all actions related to the proposed “tiny homes” project at 350 Merrydale Road until your offices can clearly and publicly explain the decision-making process that led to its announcement.

Residents learned about this proposal through an Oct. 15 press event — before the purchase agreement is even scheduled for council consideration, and long after a closed-session “tentative agreement” was apparently reached with no public reporting. This sequence of events strongly suggests that the public rollout was timed to present the project as a foregone conclusion rather than the beginning of a community conversation.

This is not how San Rafael handles multimillion-dollar land acquisitions.

This is not how a city builds trust around an issue as sensitive and consequential as homelessness.

And this is not the standard of governance this community expects or deserves.

Even those who support the concept of interim housing have raised serious questions about the process:

Why was the initial site selection conducted in closed session without transparent reporting? Why were state, county, and city officials mobilized for a public announcement before residents had even heard of the project?
Why was there no early-stage outreach, no public workshops, no neighborhood meetings, and no opportunity for community-based problem-solving before the city moved forward? When the public is treated as an obstacle rather than a partner, it erodes confidence in the project and in the institutions behind it. The criticism you are hearing is not about “not in my backyard.” It is about “why were we deliberately kept out of the process?” To rebuild trust, I ask the city to take the following steps:

Pause all actions related to site acquisition and development.

Release a full and chronological account of how this site was selected, who approved each step, and when.

Hold transparent, well-publicized public meetings before any further decisions are made.

Allow genuine input — not after-the-fact commentary — to shape the project’s direction, design, and location.

Homelessness is a serious challenge that demands serious, public-centered planning. Decisions of this magnitude must be made with the community, not to the community.

I urge you to restore public trust by resetting this process and giving residents the transparency, honesty, and involvement they were owed from the beginning.

From: Michele Chambers
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 2:43 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: