Friday, April 28, 2006

Agenda for Council meeting posted

The next regular Town Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:30 p.m. in the Fairfax Women's Club at 46 Park Road. The meeting agenda is now posted on under Town Council Agendas. Click here for the agenda packet.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Attention merchants with sandbags

Since (we hope!) that sandbag season is now behind us, the Fairfax Volunteers have offered to help pick up sandbags from your shops. If you have any sandbags that you'd like removed, the volunteers will be out on Thursday, May 4th between 9 and 10 a.m. picking up sandbags. Please leave the sandbags in a visible location outside of your business. For more information, please call the Fairfax Volunteer Office at 456-5652.

And thank you, Fairfax Volunteers, for this service! You are augmenting Town staff in helping us with this task.

Mosquito breeding season is here

At the Marin County City Managers' meeting I attended this morning, Jim Wanderscheid, General Manager of the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District, asked us to remind our residents that with the heavy rains being over, and the sun shining upon us, it's mosquito breeding season again. Please take time to inspect your property and remove any potential mosquito breeding sites. Standing water is the primary culprit for mosquito breeding: old tires, paint buckets, ditches, non-draining watercourses, etc. Everyone's help is needed to eliminate mosquito breeding sites so that we can reduce the spread of West Nile Virus. Residents and business owners should know about mosquitoes, pesticides, and alternatives to pesticide use. Please check out the Fairfax Open Space Committee's web page for more information. Also visit the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Draft Housing Element on line

The Draft Housing Element is now posted on the Town website in three parts at http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownDepartments/Planning/ Unfortunately, our web software does not let us sort documents posted, so the parts are not in order but it is all there. The Housing Element is one required element of the Town's General Plan, which is currently under review and update. The Housing Element is being moved forward from the General Plan Advisory Committee and Planning Commission to the Town Council. The purpose of the Housing Element is to serve as a blueprint for providing affordable housing opportunities, respond to current and future housing needs, identify development constraints and opportunities, and to meet the requirements of State law.

We will have the first of two required public hearings on the Housing Element at our May 3rd Council meeting. If you have any comments regarding the Housing Element, please come to the May 3rd Town Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Women's Club, or contact Ann Welsh, Planning Director, at planningdirector@town-of-fairfax.org.

Welcome Dawn!


Dawn Barbour started as a new Police Dispatcher on April 21st. Dawn comes to the Town from the Marin County Sheriff's Department where she worked in the dispatch center for three years. Prior to that, she worked for the San Rafael Fire Department handling administrative work and minor dispatching for five years. While with San Rafael, she was named city "Employee of the Year" for 2002. Dawn is a resident of San Rafael. We are fortunate to have Dawn joining the Fairfax Police Department!

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Strategic Planning Workshop this Saturday Morning

This Saturday, April 22nd from 9 a.m. to Noon, we will hold the next in the series of Town Council Strategic Planning Workshops, in the Women's Club. The agenda includes the following topics of discussion:
  • Discussion regarding the future of the Marin Town and Country Club Property
  • Discussion of Public Safety Consolidation opportunities
  • Five Year Financial Plan/Annual Budget Process and Workshops
  • Strategic Planning Goal Ranking/Strategic Planning approach
Don't forget, this Saturday is also our EARTH DAY event starting that same morning. So, you can't go wrong with either event if you'd like to participate in your Town! The Earth Day event details are on our website at http://www.townoffairfax.org/

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

More sand spread in park


This past Saturday the 15th, a group of volunteers spread the new sand in the back portion of the park. This back part of Peri Park is now open again! Once we receive more wood chips, the other back area near the tire swing will be restored. We are still working to bring the park back to its pre-flood state.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Egg Hunt



The Easter Bunny made a visit to Fairfax today at our Easter Egg Hunt! A little misty rain did not dampen the spirits of the couple hundred kids who enjoyed the hunt.

Special thanks to the Fairfax Parks and Recreation Commission, Maria Baird, Community Resources Coordinator, and volunteers who spent hours stuffing the eggs with candy. They were all gone in a matter of minutes!

Friday, April 14, 2006

Blue sky over Fairfax



Okay, maybe I am just tired of this rain, or am getting cabin fever, but I could not resist capturing this afternoon's blue sky over the Fairfax Fire Station. Is it spring yet?

Help spread more playground sand

Not interested in Easter egg hunting? The final pile of sand in the Peri Park playground needs to be moved into place. This has been held up by a variety of factors, from rain to plumbing issues. There's a good chance we can get it done before the next storm comes in Saturday night. Like to help? Please come to the Peri Park Playground tomorrow, Saturday, April 15th at 9 a.m. on. Bring gloves, your favorite shovel, and sturdy shoes. The children will thank you!

CERT Graduates



Fairfax was well represented in the latest Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) classes held on April 1st and 8th. The graduates of CERT include Susan Brandborg (Fairfax Mayor), Maria Baird (Fairfax Community Resources Coordinator), and residents Claire Cumings, Jon Marchant, Teri Meadows. They were trained in hands-on techniques to become self-sufficient for at least 72 hours following a disaster such as an earthquake, flood or wildland fire. The students received a manual, flashlight, helmet, vest and work gloves as part of their preparedness kit. Here are a few photos of the hands-on training.

The next class will be in May; however, since there was a waiting list for the class, Central Marin CERT is contacting the wait list individuals first. If there are still openings, then the class will be opened to the public and I will announce it here.

Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow!

An update on the Fairfax Easter Egg Hunt - if it is sunny, it will be held in Bolinas Park, which is at the corner of Bolinas and Elsie. If it is rainy, it will be held in the Pavilion.

The event is Saturday, April 15th starting at 10 a.m. with entertainment by James K. Visit with the Easter Bunny and hunt for eggs! The event is free of charge.

Kids, please bring your own Easter basket!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Storm Update

Last night, the worst slides in town occurred at the 400 block of Bolinas Road and at 218 Forrest. The Bolinas slide blocked half of the road and is being cleaned up, and Forrest is currently closed due to the size of the slide but will be cleared today.

A flood watch remains in effect until 10 a.m. this morning, and showers are expected on and off for the next three hours. Two more storms are expected this week but they are not supposed to be as heavy.

I would like to thank the Town staff for all their help and the volunteers who readily pitched in yesterday to prepare for what could have been another flooding event. Public Works and Police crews did a great job responding to the slides and other storm-related calls for service.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

National Weather Service seeks volunteer "Storm Spotters"

I found the following on the National Weather Service website this evening and I thought it interesting enough to repeat here.

Contact: David Soroka, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area
PHONE 831-656-1710x223
PUBLIC “STORM SPOTTER” TRAINING SESSION
DATE: Thursday April 27, 2006
TIME: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
PLACE: Marin County Civic Center
3501 Civic Center Drive
Room 266
San Rafael, CA 94903
RSVP: NWS at 831-656-1710x223 or david.soroka@noaa.gov
Formal RSVP not required – but suggested to gauge attendance
Become a new National Weather Service Skywarn Spotter or re-learn your technique! Learn how you can relay local weather information to the National Weather Service, assisting in their mission to save lives and property and help validate their weather warnings. The Skywarn Spotter program is entirely voluntary – but your participation can one day help to save lives. Attending this training session will also help you to prepare for dangerous weather, and better understand the hazards associated with high winds, winter storms, flooding and severe weather.
The United States is the most severe weather prone country on Earth. Each year, we cope with thousands of thunderstorms, hundreds of tornadoes, floods, high winds, extreme heat and cold, as well as winter storms and hurricanes. Locally, strong winter storms batter our coast with heavy rain, high winds and dangerous surf. During the summer and fall, warm and dry weather combined with strong offshore winds also promote dangerous wildfires – threatening many areas.

Spotter trained communities are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through better planning, education, and awareness. No community is storm proof, but spotters can help communities save lives. Attending this training will ensure that you, your family and the Bay Area are better prepared to deal with the ravages of Mother Nature.

Flood Warning continues

The National Weather Service stated that rains may not be as heavy this evening (although it is coming down heavily as I write this), and the Fairfax creek receded to the four foot level almost two hours ago (its highest point was almost five feet). The small stream flood watch continues in effect. We have Public Works crews on standby, and the Ross Valley Fire Service has extra staffing for this evening. The County has its urban search and rescue teams in place, plus extra Public Works staffing in case needed. Again, please contact the Fairfax PD if you witness or experience flooding or landslides tonight, at 453-5330. In a life-threatening emergency, dial 911.

Sandbags and sand are available in the parking lot between the Pavilion and the ballfield, if you need them.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH

A flash flood watch has been in effect for the last hour, with the localized flooding alert in effect through 6 p.m. We have a new supply of sandbags at the parking lot by the Pavilion. If you can pitch in and make sandbags we could use your help NOW. The Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) notice went out starting an hour ago for those residents in the flood plain. If you are in a flood-threatened area, move your outdoor valuables and furnishings to higher ground. If flooding occurs, do not drive through flood waters. Help your neighbors. The creek under town hall is now at 4 feet.

Report any flooding or landslides to the Fairfax PD at 453-5330.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Town Municipal Code Now on-line!

Thanks to the efforts of Town Clerk Judy Anderson, our entire Municipal Code is now on-line! The Code is a compilation of all the ordinances of the Town, codified and indexed, and contains the laws of our municipality. You can access it here on our Town website http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCode/.

Friday, April 07, 2006

New Disaster Preparedness Page created

At Wednesday night's Council meeting, the Town Council directed staff to devote a web page on the Town's site to disaster preparedness. I created the page this morning, so please check it out at http://www.townoffairfax.org/
It is definitely a work in progress and will evolve, so if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. You can find my e-mail link on the upper right on this blog page.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Thank you, Fairfax Lumber!

Maria Baird, our Community Resources Coordinator, informed me today that Fairfax Lumber has agreed to donate 60 pairs of gloves to be used for our Earth Day project. Thank you for your support, Fairfax Lumber!

Monday, April 03, 2006

Fairfax Earth Day Event - April 22, 2006

The Town of Fairfax and the Fairfax Volunteers are sponsoring an Earth Day event on Saturday, April 22nd. See the notice here on our website for more details.

Fairfax Festival Poster contest deadline extended

We are gearing up for the annual Fairfax Festival, which is our biggest annual event in Town. The Festival Committee is now accepting poster artwork through April 17th at 5 p.m. Posters should be turned into Town Hall, temporarily at 14 Park Road. This year's Festival theme is the celebration of the Town's 75th Anniversary and this should be incorporated into poster themes. The Festival Committee will meet on April 18th to pick out a winning poster, and the artist will win a $300 prize!

The 29th Annual Fairfax Festival will be held on June 10th and 11th.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Council Agenda for April 5th meeting

The agenda and packet for the April 5th regular Council meeting have now been posted at http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/
Not all items are available electronically but it is our goal to post as many items electronically as possible for greater public access.