10/5/26, 3:47 PM Inbox - Lindsay Lara - Outlook
Outlook
FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, Open Time for Public Expression
From Janet Shirley
Date Mon 10/5/2026 3:37 PM
To Lindsay Lara <[email protected]>
FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD October 5th, 2026
Open time for public expression
Good evening Mayor and Members of the City Council,
My name is Janet Shirley.
On September 25'h and October 3rª fires broke out at or near the Anderson encampment in San Rafael. Videos of these fires were shared on Next Door San Rafael. Thank goodness no one was hurt.
Last night another fire broke out in our neighborhood... along the footpath of the Merrydale corridor that connects us to SMART. There is a chain link fence there that has a gaping hole in it, allowing the homeless to often camp there. We have brought this problem to your attention for months and nothing has been done.
The epicenter of last night's fire was right where the hole has been cut to allow people to squat there. It took firefighters 40 minutes to put the fire out.
It is the city's responsibility to keep us safe. If there had been a wind last night that fire could have spread rapidly. This morning I walked the area and found charred beer bottles and crutches. The fire reached within inches of the storage facility.
If you want our trust, you must show that you care. Close the Caltrans fence up, give us a patrolled area. Don't leave this to chance. The buck stops with you.
Janet Shirley
San Rafael, CA
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