Blog #6 Community Meeting on Fairfax Bike Spine Project

FAIRFAX SCHOOLS BIKE SPINE PROJECT
PUBLIC WORKSHOP
Saturday, March 17, 2012
9:30—11:30 a.m.
Women’s Club, 46 Park Road

Residents of the Fairfax community are encouraged to attend an upcoming workshop to discuss the proposed Schools Bike Spine Project. This past October, the Transportation Authority of Marin granted the Town of Fairfax $110,000 to install signage and street markings for identified bicycle routes to school. The Schools Bike Spine will connect much of Fairfax to three schools—Cascade Canyon, Manor Elementary, and White Hill Middle schools. The overall goal of the project is to improve the safety of the Town’s streets for student bicyclists, as well as increase awareness of motorists who share the road with them.

The first phase of the Fairfax Schools Bike Spine will begin at Bolinas Road to the south, run along Park Road, Arroyo and/or Sequoia roads, Manor Road, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Oak Manor Drive, and end on Glen Drive (see map). A future phase of the project may extend along Olema Road. The intent of the public workshop is to inform the community about the proposed changes and to solicit input prior to finalizing the project. The workshop will consist of a presentation, as well as discussion and input from residents.

To learn more about the project or view a map of the project area please visit www. townoffairfax.org or contact Michael Rock at mrock@townoffairfax.org or call 453-1584.

Blog #5 - Smart Meter Update

The Town Council held a special meeting on February 13th and discussed the recent order by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that requires a one time $75 fee and an ongoing $10/month fee to opt out of the Smart Meter program. There is a second round of hearings scheduled with the CPUC to ocurr in the next five to six weeks to discuss this order and to discuss the possibility of allowing communities to opt out. These Phase 2 hearings could last four to five months.

The Town Council directed the staff to have our pro bono attorney be prepared to file a stay of the order in case it is needed. The Town Council committed to keeping the lines of positive communication open with PG&E and has assurances from PG&E that no smart meters will be installed in Fairfax per the Moratorium Ordinance passed by the Council.

Residents in Fairfax who are on the delay list should have received a letter from PG&E recently asking them to opt out. Twenty-three persons addressed the Council on the Smart Meter issue. The vast majority of those speakers supported the Council's decisions to date on this issue.

Please see the Town's Home Page for much more information about the Smart Meter issue at:

www.townoffairfax.org

Blog #4 Town Council Actions February 1, 2012 Meeting

Council passes resolution objecting to the Military Detention Provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

The Council adopted a resolution objecting to the NDAA over grave concerns about violations within NDAA of several sections of the U.S. Constitution. NDAA could allow for indefinite detention without trial of any person, including US citizens. The FBI Director, the Defense Secretary, the Department of Defense, and many of our nation’s generals, admirals, and service men and women have opposed the NDAA’s detention provisions.

The Town of Fairfax has an extensive history of protecting its residents’ civil rights and liberties embodied in its rejection of the USA PATRIOT Act, which led hundreds of other municipalities across the nation to emulate our example. The NDAA could allow the recurrence of torture in military detention in violation of the Eighth Amendment and could force US military service members to serve as domestic jailers. The Resolution will be sent to our U.S. House and Senate representatives and to the President who signed the NDAA.

Planning Commission and Design Review Board Functions

The Town Council, on a 4-1 vote, (Council Member Bragman dissenting) adopted Ordinance 764 which adds the current functions of the Design Review Board to the Planning Commission. This will allow for the Planning Commission to have a more comprehensive and holistic review that evaluates project design at the same time it evaluates other code requirements thus reviewing all aspects of a project in a more streamlined way. The Town Council gave direction to staff to have the Chair of the Planning Commission report to the Town Council on a regular basis on how the newly constituted Planning Commission is working.

Other actions taken at the Town Council January 11, 2012 meeting:

• Re-appointed Barbara Coler to the Planning Commission;

• Adopted Resolution 12-08, a resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of its 2012 General Obligation Refunding Bonds

• Authorized the Town Manager to apply for the Cal Recycle Beverage Container Annual funding in the amount of $5,000.

• Decided to utilize PEG funds for the purchase of video equipment for the Town Council Chambers for broadcasting and webcasting of Town Council meetings.

• Formed an Ad Hoc Committee of Vice Mayor Reed and Council Member Weinsoff to meet with residents living on Hawthorne Court to discuss the possibility of a pedestrian bridge connecting Hawthorne Court to Sir Francis Drake Blvd. A pedestrian bridge would allow school children to cross Sir Francis Drake at a controlled intersection rather than going all the way through the neighborhood to cross Drake to get to Manor School.

• Continued a public hearing declaring 39 Wood Lane a Public Nuisance. The hearing was continued to allow the property owner more time to abate the nuisance. The owner started clearing the property a few days before the meeting and will have to appear before the Council on March 7th with all items in the abatement notice completed to avoid triggering the abatement process.

• Other notes and announcements:

• Fairfax Food Pantry – Saturdays 9-11AM at the Fairfax Community Church, 2398 Sir Francis Drake Blvd-Volunteers needed!!

• Vacancy on the Fairfax Youth Commission for Ross Valley youth between 14 and 19 years of age

• Vacancy on the Volunteer Board to complete an unexpired term to 12-31-12

• Vacancy for a Youth Commissioner

• Two vacancies for community members on the newly formed Cittaslow Committee

• Jolly Hill Cleanup – Invasive Plant Eradication is scheduled for Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 9:30 AM sponsored by the Open Space Committee in Cooperation with the “Gift of Love” Countywide Event

The next Town Council meeting will be a Special Meeting to discuss the most recent ruling by the CPUC on Smart Meters on February 13, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The next regular meeting will be March 7, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Women’s Club.