____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting:
Disposition:
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager, Sustainability Division
Prepared by: Cory Bytof
Sustainability Program Manager
City Manager Approval: ___
TOPIC: ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FROM MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SUBJECT: RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE GRANT OF
FUNDS FROM THE MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO EXTEND THE CLIMATE
JUSTICE AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER POSITION, EXECUTE ANY OTHER
DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND INCIDENTAL TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GRANT, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $75,000 IN THE CITY’S GRANT FUND (FUND 283) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 PROJECT # G142117310 RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the award of grant funding from the Marin Community Foundation and appropriating funds in the amount of $75,000 in the City’s Grant Fund (Fund 283) for Project # G142117310 for fiscal year 2026-27 to extend the term of the City’s Climate Justice and Engagement Manager.
BACKGROUND:
The City of San Rafael was awarded a $297,960 grant from the Marin Community Foundation in June 2024 to hire a Climate Justice and Engagement Manager. The City hired Kerry Fugett to fill the role in January 2025. Since then, Kerry has led, managed, and completed the Collective Plans in Action project, has helped to develop systems for coordinated engagement across departments, and has drafted materials and process flows to begin to integrate a climate justice lens throughout City functions and activities. She’s also served as the City’s liaison to the Marin Promise and Marin Transit projects and has conducted significant coordination with Canal Alliance and the Nuestro Canal Nuestro Futuro project.
ANALYSIS:
Staff met with the Marin Community Foundation in April of this year to review the intentions of the grant, the work completed, and desired outcomes. The Marin Community Foundation then invited the City to request an extension and increase of funds to allow for more time for integration of the work. The City was approved for an additional $75,000 on May 12, 2026.
If accepted, these funds will allow Kerry to extend her time with the City through June 30, 2027, and work with departments to integrate, test, and iterate on inclusion of the use of data and mapping tools, climate justice policy frameworks, and procedural changes in Citywide and department-specific processes.
Current areas under review include the staff report process, building and facilities plan, General Plan consistency assessments, and City staff trainings.
The work of the Climate Justice and Engagement Manager advances several objectives under Priority Areas C (Sustainability and Resilience), F (High Performing Government), and G (Equity, Access, and Agenda Item No: 2.l
Meeting Date: July 20, 2026
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
Opportunity for All) of the City Council’s Three-Year Strategic Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If the grant is accepted, funds would be appropriated in the City’s Grant Fund (283) for Project # G142117310 in the amount of $75,000, with an offsetting increase in grant revenue from the Marin Community Foundation.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider relating to this item:
1. Adopt the resolution as presented.
2. Adopt the resolution with amendments.
3. Direct staff to return with additional information.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the award of grant funding from the Marin Community Foundation and appropriating funds in the amount of $75,000 in the City’s Grant Fund (Fund 283) for Project # G142117310 for fiscal year 2026-27 to extend the term of the City’s Climate Justice and Engagement Manager.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. MCF Grant Agreement
3. MCF Grant Amendment
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE GRANT OF FUNDS
FROM THE MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO EXTEND THE CLIMATE JUSTICE AND
ENGAGEMENT MANAGER POSITION, EXECUTE ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND
INCIDENTAL TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GRANT, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $75,000 IN THE CITY’S GRANT FUND (FUND 283) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 FOR PROJECT # G142117310
WHEREAS, the Marin Community Foundation is currently providing grant funding to the City of San Rafael through their Climate Justice Initiative for Advancing Equitable and Just Climate Resilience in Marin County to fund a Climate Justice and Engagement Manager; and WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael applied for and was notified on May 12, 2026, that it had been approved to receive additional grant funds in the amount of $75,000 in order to extend the Climate Justice and Engagement Manager position five more months through June 30, 2027; and WHEREAS, this grant funding will allow the City’s Climate Justice and Engagement Manager to conduct staff training and integrate the work related to sustainability, social equity, community resilience, and workforce development into City policies and procedures.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby authorizes the City Manager to accept the award of grant funding from the Marin Community Foundation to extend the term of the two-year Climate Justice and Engagement Manager to June 30, 2027, to execute any other documents necessary and incidental to the grant; and appropriates funds in the amount of $75,000 in the City’s Grant Fund (283) for Project # G142117310 to be spent on the grant work plan.
I, LINDSAY LARA, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Rafael, held on Monday, the 20th day of July 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers:
NOES: Councilmembers:
ABSENT: Councilmembers:
Lindsay Lara, City Clerk
June 26, 2024
Cristine Alilovich
City Manager
City of San Rafael
1400 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
Re: Grant # 2024-06085 (Buck Family Fund of MCF)
Dear Cristine:
I am pleased to inform you that a grant in the amount of $297,960 to City of San Rafael has been approved to create a fixed term Climate Justice and Engagement Manager position to manage community projects involving the Canal neighborhood and other priority areas. The period of this grant is 24 months, from June 1, 2024 through October 31, 2026.
Initiation of payment(s) is contingent on applicable terms and conditions as stated in this agreement.
To confirm your formal acceptance, please accept the terms and requirements listed below by checking the box at the base of this page and clicking the Submit button.
If you have any questions about the implementation of this grant or about MCF procedures, please feel free to contact Patti Juachon, the Senior Program Director responsible for overseeing this grant.
We greatly value your partnership in helping to create equity of opportunity for every resident of Marin.
Sincerely,
Rhea Suh,
President & CEO
5 Hamilton Landing, Ste. 200 | Novato CA 94949 | ph: 415.464.2500 | fax: 415.464.2555 | www.marincf.org Attachment 2
Terms
1. As a condition of the grant, you are committing to report on the specified dates regarding your organization's progress relative to the metrics listed in this agreement. (Please note that any payments scheduled for release after the due date of a progress report will be held by the Foundation until the report has been submitted.)
2. It is important to note that funding from this grant and any accrued interest may be used only to carry out activities in and/or for the benefit of Marin County residents, and only for the charitable purposes and activities set forth in this document.
3. Funds not used for the charitable purposes of the grant, including any unspent balance of greater than $5,000 at the conclusion of the grant period, must be returned to the Foundation.
4. If you would like assistance when referencing this grant from the Foundation in any of your publications or releases, please feel free to call upon our Director of Communications.
5. In accepting this grant, you are agreeing that your organization will maintain accurate financial and operational records regarding your use of grant funds and that you will make those records available to the Foundation promptly upon request for the Foundation's review, except to the extent prohibited by applicable law.
6. In accepting this grant, you are agreeing that your organization does not discriminate against employees, volunteers, vendors, or any members, clients or students it serves, on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, medical condition, veteran status, economic status, disability, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, and beyond these, any other characteristic protected by law.
7. Finally, you are agreeing to make any publications, media presentations, studies, or research funded by this grant available to the public in a manner acceptable to the Foundation. Any tangible or intangible property, including copyrights obtained or created by your organization with funding from this grant, shall remain the property of your organization, but your organization agrees to grant the Foundation a royalty-free license to use, reprint, or distribute any such copyrighted materials for informational or promotional purposes that do not conflict with your organization's charitable purposes.
8. The terms of this Agreement may be revised or modified only with the prior written consent of both the Foundation and your organization.
Reporting Requirements & Due Dates
Climate Justice - $297,960
Condition(s)
Organization Payment Holds:
Due: 6/30/2025
Condition: By signing this grant agreement, I agree to any third party evaluation requested by MCF that may require my or other staff participation in focus groups, surveys, interviews or other data collection methods. I understand that stipends to offset staff time would be offered as part of any such request.
Report Due Date(s)
1st Report: 6/30/2025 covering 6/1/2024 - 5/31/2025
Question(s):
1. Please provide an update on your progress made to date toward your grant objectives.
2. A financial report showing budget to actuals for the reporting period has been uploaded to the Additional Documents section.
3. What else would you like us to know?
Final Report: 11/30/2026 covering 6/1/2025 - 10/31/2026 Question(s):
1. What was accomplished in connection with this project? Please address each stated objective, and use any available data and/or stories to help describe these accomplishments. If any project objectives changed, please explain the circumstances leading to their modification.
Payment Schedule
June 1, 2024: $297,960
Attachment 3
I MENU I MARIN{}
COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
Organization Name
Original Grant: 2025-03696
Grant: 2026-07044
Organization: City of San Rafael
Grant No. Staff
Project: Climate Justice and Engagement Manager
Purpose: To provide a final grant under the initial phase of the Building Resilient Communities Initiative.
Fund: Buck Family Fund
Amended Terms of Agreement
1. Original grant amount of $0 is being increased by $75,000:
• Building Resilient Communities - $75,000
2. The grant period end date has been extended to July 31, 2027.
3. 2nd Report due June 30, 2026 has been added.
4. Final Report due date has been extended to August 31, 2027.
All other articles and provisions shall remain in effect.
MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
APPROVED BY:
Rhea S. Suh
President & CEO
Date: May 01, 2026
Reporting Requirements & Due Dates
Building Resilient Communities - $75,000
Report Due Date(s)
2nd Report: 6/30/2026 covering 12/1/2025 - 5/31/2026
.Question(s).
1. What was accomplished in connection with this
project? Please address each stated objective, and
use any available data and/or stories to help describe
these accomplishments. If any project objectives
changed, please explain the circumstances leading to
their modification.
2. What challenges did you face in connection with this project? How did you address those challenges?
3. Since receiving the grant, how has your organization's vision and capacity evolved regarding its role in
advancing climate resilience in Marin County?
4. What else would you like us to know?
Final Report: 8/31/2027 covering 12/1/2025 - 7/31/2027
.Question(s).
1. A financial report showing budget to actuals for the reporting period has been uploaded.
Payment Schedule
May 31, 2026: $75,000
Building Resilient Communities: $75,000
ACCEPTANCE: On behalf of City of San Rafael, I hereby accept and agree to the terms of grant #2026-07044 as set forth in this grant amendment.