Blog #74 Ice Skating at Pavilion

Come join us the weekend of January 8 & 9, 2011 for family ice skating in the Pavilion hosted by Park & Rec. An 1800 foot synthetic ice rink will be set up for entertainment & fun. Skating times run from noon to 5 p.m. on both days. A flat rate of $4 buys you 30 minutes of ice skating and includes the rental of the skates. This year, we will provide a bounce house for kids under 5 who are too young to skate. A small fee will be charged. Additionally, a concession stand will offer hot dogs, chips, sodas, popcorn, cookies, hot cocoa & coffee for sale.

Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 8th for ticket sales. Don’t delay, as this event has been known to sell out! All proceeds benefit Park & Rec. For more info, call 456-5652.

Blog #73 - Year in Review for 2010 - Town Accomplishments

Another year has gone by in our great Town and you may wonder what has the Town accomplished this year? Here is a list of some of the highlights of 2010 in chronological order:

JANUARY- MARCH 2010

Ross Valley School Bond: This year started with the the Ross Valley School District holding community meetings to discuss the siting of a new K-5 school in several possible locations in Fairfax. The Deer Park residents and others came to the Town Council asking for assistance from the Town Council. The Deer Park and Town and Country Club proposed sites garnered much discussion at many community meetings, including two well organized charrettes in Fairfax. After all of these meetings the Town Council worked with the school district and the community to get a bond measure passed in November 2010 that did not include a new school site in Fairfax.

Marin Energy Authority: The Town Council unanimously chose the “Dark Green” option with the Marin Clean Energy (MCE) program. The “Dark Green” option uses 100% renewable energy. The other option with MCE was a “Light Green” option which uses about 50% renewable energy. The Town’s solar panels on the Pavilion are powering most of the Town’s energy needs thus the “dark green” option will essentially be cost neutral for the Town.

APRIL-JUNE 2010

Hazardous Fuel Reduction Grant: The Town was granted $168,831 in funding from the USDA Forest Service! Our Fire Hazardous Fuel Reduction grant proposal was one of 397 grant proposals this year requesting a total of $70 million. The grant covers environmental consultation, photo monitoring, and contract administration. One major item of the grant requires the hiring of qualified contractors to perform primarily brush clearing and tree trimming services.

Camp Fairfax: Expanded Camp Fairfax from one week to three weeks in 2010 due to the popularity of the one week offer on 2009, the first year of the Camp. The FOCUS program will consider even more Camp Fairfax weeks in 2011! Thanks to all the residents and staff in Fairfax and beyond who made this a great day camp experience for our youth.

The General Plan: In May the Council began the process of reviewing the first of many general plan elements - the Safety Element. Over the next seven months the Council reviewed all the elements of the General Plan culminating in the acceptance of the draft General Plan in December 2010. The next step is to have the environmental review of the plan started in January 2011.

SMART METERS: The Fairfax Town Council wrote a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission requesting that they investigate SMART Meters for a variety of issues related to the accuracy of the meters, possible health hazards, and privacy issues.

Ross Valley Fire JPA: The Town Council unanimously voted to amend the Ross Valley Fire Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Agreement to include Sleepy Hollow as a full voting member of the JPA at a Special Town Council meeting on Saturday, June 5, 2010

Second Unit Amnesty Program: Adopted Ordinance 751 amending the second unit amnesty program to eliminate the requirement for fire suppression sprinklers for existing second units qualifying for legalization.

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2010

FOCAS Program: Approved an Agreement with Camille Esposito to provide Youth Services as part of the FOCAS (Fairfax Open Circle Arts). The Youth Services budget ($18,000 per year) is part of the Measure I funds voters approved in November 2009.

More SMART Meter Actions: Agreed to intervene in the City and County of San Francisco motion at the California Public Utilities Commission to suspend deployment of Smart Meters and agreed to have staff bring back a draft ordinance at the next meeting banning the installation of Smart Meters in Fairfax

Town Hires New Police Chief: The Town Council, in a unanimous vote, hired Chris Morin as the new Police Chief. Ken Hughes retired after nearly 40 years of service to the Town. Chief Morin brings more than 20 years of experience to the job.

Smart Meter Moratorium: The Town Council unanimously passed an urgency ordinance on August 4, 2010 that places a one year moratorium on the deployment of smart meters in Fairfax. PG&E representatives were also present at the Council meeting and told the Council that they would voluntarily halt the deployment of the controversial smart meters in Fairfax immediately. PG&E also promised to hold several community meetings so that they could hear the concerns and questions from residents and businesses and then respond to those questions and concerns. To date there have been three Special Council meetings with PG&E to hear the concerns of the residents and to receive answers from PG&E on privacy, health and accuracy of the meters.

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2010

Town Budget Adopted: The Town Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2010/11 Operating and Capital Budgets on October 6, 2010. The budget adoption was later than usual in part because the Council had to balance the $205,000 deficit. The General Fund Operating budget is $6.901 million down from $6.988 million the prior year. Estimated revenues for property taxes are 2% less than last year and have been flat or lower than previous years for the last three years. This loss coupled with sales tax losses amounts to a loss of about $125,000 in revenue just over last fiscal year.

To balance the FY 2010/11 several vacant positions were left unfilled for several extra months to save money. For the second straight year, employees throughout the Town did not receive any cost of living adjustments. Most employees have lost compensation as they are paying a portion of their retirement costs out of their pocket which started over a year ago. All operating budgets (materials and supplies) in the Town have been cut 4% over the last two years as another necessary measure to balance the budget.

New Master Fees Adopted: The Town Council adopted a resolution revising the Master Fee schedule on October 6, 2010. New fees will take effect on November 8, 2010. New Fees are posted at the Town’s website www.townoffairfax.org in the agenda packet for the October 6th meeting as Item 17.

New Start Time for Council Meetings: The Council adopted Ordinance 755 changing the regular time of the Town Council meetings from 7:30 PM to 7:00 PM.

Fiscal Sustainability Workshop Held: The Town Council held a Fiscal Sustainability Workshop on November 17, 2010 to discuss eliminating the structural deficit in the budget which will include further cuts to the budget through a reorganization of the Town staff. This Council Workshop included a discussion of escalating retirement and health care costs and the possibility of a further partnership with employees to share the burden with the Town to pay for these escalating costs. A discussion of new revenue sources will also factor into the five year fiscal sustainability plan. This workshop was informational only and no policy decisions were made by the Council.

Good Earth Signs Lease Agreement to move to Old Albertson's building: After many years of speculation and wishful thinking from Fairfax residents, the closed Albertson's at Fair-Anselm Plaza is finally getting a new tenant. Good Earth announced on November 30, 2010, it is signing a long-term lease with LRG Capital to occupy the 23,000 square foot space that has stood empty since Albertson's shut a number of its Northern California stores in 2006.

The long-term lease and move to Fair-Anselm includes an expansive remodel, something Good Earth partners Mark Squire and Baylacq both say includes environmentally-friendly renovations to cut down on energy use and make the building more sustainable.

Renovations include large windows to capitalize on natural light, construction of a clerestory, a grey water system, permeable asphalt, and solar panels. Both the Good Earth partners and LRG Capital will work with design teams on the total overhaul of the building. Baylacq said they've been working on designs for the last four months, which have to be approved by the Town of Fairfax. The renovations are expected to be complete and the new store opened in October 2011.

New Mayor and Vice Mayor selected: Larry Bragman as the next Mayor and Pam Hartwell-Herrero as the next Vice Mayor. Both will serve one year terms and both were unanimous votes of the Town Council. Newly appointed Mayor Bragman commented on some major themes that the Council will have to tackle in the next year. The contracting economy continues and it is affecting the public sector more than any other. Mayor Bragman stated we need a vital public sector, and we need to continue to improve efficiencies and maintain humanity and civility as the challenge of balancing the Town budget continues. Volunteer Boards and Commissions will play a key role in assisting the Town with all of the activities it needs to accomplish.

Blog #72 - Holiday Schedule at Town Hall

Holiday Greetings to all Fairfaxians!!

Town Hall will be closed December 23, 2010- January 2, 2011. So far the rain is steady and with dry periods in between each storm. There has been thunder and lightning so please be careful outdoors.

Please be sure to remove all leaves and mud from your rain gutters so that the water may drain as normally as possible.

Have a great holiday season!!

Blog #71 - New Year's Eve Ball

Fairfax Artists in Residence Sponsor the Fifth New Year's Eve Ball. December 31, 2010 8 PM-1:00 AM at the Pavilion. $12 at the door. Seniors and Students $10 - Kids under 5 are free!!
See flyer above for more information:

Blog #69 Fairfax Volunteers Holiday Caroling and Potluck-December 12th

The annual Fairfax Volunteers Holiday Caroling and Potluck is almost upon us. See attached flyer for all the details.

Blog #70 - FOCUS PROGRAMS - Winter Newsletter

The Newsletter below was written by Camille Esposito who runs the FOCUS Programs. There is a lot of recreational activities for all ages. Please take a look at all the new programs the Town has to offer!! Great job Camille for vastly improving the FOCUS programs!

Winter Newsletter December 1st, 2010

Greetings!

A chill is in the air and we are working on lots of fun things to do inside this Winter. Come join us for some fun!

Winter Birthdays
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What do you do when the weather is cold and rainy and you need to celebrate a
Winter birthday? Come celebrate in the Pavilion! There is tons of room for fun activities - treasure hunts, sports and even a jumpy! You can rent the space and bring your own activity or you can have us set up all the play equipment from our playgroup.

We are also offering music and art parties - check our website for rates and details.

Pavilion Playgroup
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We are getting all set up for the Playgroup to start. The first day we will be open is Wednesday December 8th - your cards from last season will be good thru the end of the calendar year so come down and have some fun! We refreshed the Pavilion this Fall, the stage and benches have been painted, it looks great and is ready for a fun season of play.


Family Fun Nights at the Pavilion
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We are thrilled to announce that every Friday we are hosting Family Fun Night at the Pavilion. This is a great opportunity to get out and have some fun on a Friday night with the whole family. Adults get to play games - handball, foursquare, dodgeball and more - while the kids play on riding toys and mats! $5 per adult, kids are FREE.

Most Friday evenings 5:30-7:30pm Fairfax Pavilion
Check our online calendar for schedule or find us on Facebook Fairfax Fun Fridays


Quick Links...
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www.fairfaxfocas.com

Volunteer to help out at the Craft Faire
Winter Birthday Party Info


Contact Information
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phone: 415.256.9207 email: fairfaxfocas@yahoo.com

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FOCAS 142 Bolinas Ave Fairfax CA 94930

Blog #68 Horse and Carriage Rides with Santa Claus in Downtown Fairfax

On December 12, 2010 the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce is offering free horse and carriage rides with Santa Claus in Downtown Fairfax. See flyer below for all the details:

Blog #67 - General Plan Accepted, New Mayor and Vice Mayor Selected

The Town Council had a busy meeting on December 1, 2010 beginning the meeting by appointing Larry Bragman as the next Mayor and Pam Hartwell-Herrero as the next Vice Mayor. Both will serve one year terms and both were unanimous votes of the Town Council. Newly appointed Mayor Bragman commented on some major themes that the Council will have to tackle in the next year. The contracting economy continues and it is affecting the public sector more than any other. Mayor Bragman stated we need a vital public sector, and we need to continue to improve efficiencies and maintain humanity and civility as the challenge of balancing the Town budget continues. Volunteer Boards and Commissions will play a key role in assisting the Town with all of the activities it needs to accomplish.

After more than ten years of drafting various elements of the General Plan the final draft was accepted by the Town Council and staff was directed to begin the environmental review process. A debt of gratitude goes out to the General Plan Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission, the Design Review Board, the Super Committee, and our indispensable consultant Larry Kennings. Our planning director Jim Moore warrants special mention as he worked for the last year and a half compiling all the comments and edits and crafted the final draft. Thank you Jim Moore for your tremendous leadership working with the grass roots committees on completing, for the first time in Town history, a fully updated final draft General Plan. Outgoing Mayor Lew Tremaine commented that bringing to fruition a final draft General Plan and serving on the Super Committee was an honor and a privilege and the major accomplishment during his tenure as Mayor.

Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on December 1, 2010:

• Adopted a Resolution approving the negotiated Memorandum of Understanding with the Fairfax Police Officers Association for the period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The MOU has no financial implications for the Town and POA employees will receive no cost of living or benefit increases of any kind.

• Adopted a Resolution in Appreciation of the contributions of Ingrid Weiss to the Town as the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce

• Adopted an Urgency Ordinance No. 756-U adopting 2011 Building Codes

• Discussed Fire Code updates and will meet on December 15, 2010 to adopt updated Fire Codes

Other notes and announcements:

• The Town Council will hold a Special Town Council meeting on December 15, 2010 to further discuss the Fire Code Updates.

• Future regular meetings of the Town Council will begin at 7:00 p.m. starting January 12, 2011

• Sustainable Fairfax/FOCAS Holiday Craft Fair, December 11th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pavilion

• Annual Holiday Caroling, Wreath Making and Potluck sponsored by the Fairfax Volunteers on December 12th, 3 to 6 p.m. at the Women’s Club

• Ice Skating at the Pavilion January 8 and 9, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Commission
• Vacancy on the Design Review Board for an unexpired term to January 31, 2011

• Two vacancies on the Planning Commission for full four-year terms to December 31, 2014

• Town Hall will be closed for regular business from December 23-31, 2010 due to the holiday schedule. Police services are open 24/7 every day of the year.

Blog #66 - Good Earth Signs Lease to move to old Alberstson's site

Parts of the article below were excerpted from an article that appeared in Patch News as written by Kelly Dunleavy on November 30, 2010:


After many years of speculation and wishful thinking from Fairfax residents, the closed Albertson's at Fair-Anselm Plaza is finally getting a new tenant.

Good Earth announced on November 30, 2010, it is signing a long-term lease with LRG Capital to occupy the 23,000 square foot space that has stood empty since Albertson's shut a number of its Northern California stores in 2006.

"It's the perfect fit for that building," said Town Manager Michael Rock. "It'll be good for the town in the long run, good for Good Earth, and good for the community."

The natural food store, at its current location since 2000, has been looking to expand, even considering a move to the Home Depot/Yard Birds location in San Rafael or the Delano's Market at various points in the past few years. The possibility of expanding to two or three stores in Marin is also still on the table, said Good Earth partner Al Baylacq.

"We know there's a lot riding on this," said Baylacq, pointing out that it'll help enhance the business community, revamp the entrance to town, and provide more opportunities to residents. "It's a win-win-win-win."

The long-term lease and move to Fair-Anselm includes an expansive remodel, something Good Earth partners Mark Squire and Baylacq both say includes environmentally-friendly renovations to cut down on energy use and make the building more sustainable.

"Our products have always been the greenest so our building will naturally be the greenest as well," said Squire in a statement.

Renovations include large windows to capitalize on natural light, construction of a clerestory, a grey water system, permeable asphalt, and solar panels. Both the Good Earth partners and LRG Capital will work with design teams on the total overhaul of the building. Baylacq said they've been working on designs for the last four months, which have to be approved by the Town of Fairfax.

The renovations are expected to be complete and the new store opened in October 2011.

For a grocery store that started in a tiny space on Bolinas Avenue in 1969, the growing demand for natural and organic products has meant the need for a bigger location. The new site will also include an expanded prepared foods, deli, and bakery section – a favorite among many locals.

"The Good Earth lease is an important step to revitalizing the Fairfax property," said Geoffrey Koblick, one of the managers of the LRG Capital Real Estate Fund, in a prepared statement.

Though the revitalization of one of the town's biggest empty storefronts is a boon for Fairfax, Good Earth still must go through the permitting process, needing to address traffic flow and submit to an environmental review. The parking lot is heavily used on weekends by cyclists who park and meet for rides in the hills above Fairfax or into West Marin. Those spaces will likely no longer to available with the lot in use by Fair-Anselm and Good Earth customers, an issue that will be addressed over the next year.

Hopefully, said Rock, those are the same people that enjoy shopping at Good Earth and will stick around town.

"I don't think a deal like this comes around very often in a small town," said Baylacq.

And though the move fills one empty storefront, it does leave another in its wake for residents to begin a new wishing game: what will go in the current Good Earth space on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard?

Baylacq said there are currently negotiations between the town and Chase Bank for the bank to move into the parking lot property. The Good Earth building, though, will remain under Squire's ownership and be leased out — with the possibility that Good Earth may move its lunch program's kitchen from Novato to the back of the building.