MMWD Workshop on Water Supply and Desalination

Message from the Marin Municipal Water District:

The Marin Municipal Water District will be holding a workshop on water supply and demand and the desalination option on January 10, 2008. The workshop will be held from 6:30 pm until 9:30 pm in Olney Hall at the College of Marin Kentfield Campus.
The workshop will consist of four concurrent sessions to allow participants to get their questions answered by MMWD experts. The workshop will cover the topics of water supply and demand, quality of water produced by desalination, San Francisco Bay ecosystem and energy use/cost of desalination. MMWD customers and other interested parties are urged to come to this workshop to have a dialogue with MMWD Board members and staff on this important topic.

Shop Locally – Save Gas – Help our Merchants

Hit the brakes before you take Drake to that big box!

As you look to do your holiday shopping, please first consider shopping locally. Shopping in town is a tangible way you can help our merchants and support our local economy. Did you know that one cent (1¢) of every dollar you spend purchasing taxable merchandise at Fairfax businesses makes its way back to the Town into our General Fund, the fund from which we finance most Town services? The rise in internet shopping is not good news for city governments and local economies since many internet sales transactions do not charge local sales tax, and moreover, the small, locally owned shops that make up the heart of most downtowns miss out on critical sales. Thank you for helping our local, unique Fairfax businesses survive and thrive.

Dec. 19th Council meeting

The agenda packet for the Dec. 19th special meeting of the City Council is posted here http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/

Teen Event - "Poetry Slam & Open Mic Night"

Click the flyer to read about the December 21st event for teens age 14-19, sponsored by the Fairfax Youth Commission.

Spare the Air Tonight

The Air District advises everyone in the San Francisco Bay Area to avoid burning wood tonight, and to drive less, as air quality is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Wood burning and driving are the major winter sources of particulate pollution.

This is one of our two signs to advise residents to skip the woodburning on Spare the Air nights.

Ice Skating at the Pavilion

Yes, you read that right! We will have ice skating right here in Fairfax on Saturday, Jan. 5th from 2-5 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 6th from Noon-5 p.m. at the Pavilion. This is the last weekend of Winter break for the Ross Valley School District, so this should be an extra special way to celebrate before the kids return to school.

BH Skating will set up an 1,800 square foot rink made of recycled synthetic material, i.e. the "ice," an eco-friendly process which requires no refrigeration or electricity. Skates will be provided. We will also have family board games and hot cocoa.

Bring the kids and try out the ice!! This is a free event sponsored by the Fairfax Parks and Recreation Commission.

Council accepting applications for Town Treasurer

Click to read the press release.

Job Announcement

Management Analyst

Part-time, limited term (one year)

The Town of Fairfax is seeking a self-directed professional to assist the Town with a variety of complex, professional administrative duties. Primary job duties will center on tracking and organizing all federal and state disaster recovery information for reimbursement by FEMA and writing and administering state and federal grants for flood recovery and other public works projects, as well as coordinating a flood gate grant program.

Education and experience expected is a bachelor’s degree in public or business administration or related field and four years of experience in program administration or any combination of education and experience that would provide the requisite skills and experience necessary to carry out the position responsibilities.

Compensation is $35-$40/hour (no benefits), approximately 20 hours per week. The limited term is one year. The position is being funded through one-time SB418 (Sen. Migden) funding.

Resumes accepted on a continuous basis with the first review of resumes by December 21, 2007. Submit resumes to publicworks@townoffairfax.org.Finalist candidates will be asked to submit of a Town of Fairfax Application for Employment. For further information, please contact Public Works Director Michael Rock at 453-0291. EOE.

New Year's Eve Costume Arts Ball

Mark your calendar for Dec. 31st as the Fairfax Artist in Residence Shoshanna Parry, in conjunction with the Fairfax Parks and Recreation Commission, invites you to a New Year's Eve party that is not to be missed! The event will be held at the Pavilion from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. and promises fun for the entire family.

Agenda packet for Dec. 5th posted

The Council's next regular meeting is Wednesday, Dec. 5th at 7:30 p.m. The agenda packet is posted here http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/.

Voluneers to host Holiday Potluck Party

The Fairfax Volunteers are hosting a wonderful Holiday Potluck Party on Sunday, December 16th from 3-7 p.m. in the Pavilion. Santa will be arriving at 3 p.m. sharp, and there will be sing-alongs, wreath-making, art projects using recycled materials, and information about sustainable gift-giving. Bring a dish to share and evergreen clippings if you'd like to make wreaths. For more information, call Community Resources Coordinator Maria Baird at 456-5652.

Announcement

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I have accepted the position of City Manager of Sonoma. I will be leaving the Town of Fairfax in mid-January. I have appreciated and been honored by the strong support of the Fairfax Town Council and the able assistance of an excellent staff, each and every one giving 110% to continue to deliver community services on a very limited budget. I have been inspired, encouraged, and have learned a great deal from our elected officials and residents. I’ve been challenged and enlightened by different viewpoints that have enlarged my perspective and that have enriched me personally as a human being. It’s been a privilege to see visions shared, people coming together - young and old, long-time residents and newcomers - all treasuring and caring about the unique community that makes being in Fairfax a rich experience.

Over the last two years the Council and staff have endured a very trying time with the flood recovery; our administrative and planning staff worked out of a portable trailer for 18 months. I’ve appreciated the Council, volunteers, and staff pulling together and succeeding in serving our residents despite these obstacles. There were many lessons learned through the disaster that have now become a part of the community’s collective consciousness.

Thanks to Senator Migden’s efforts with the SB418 ERAF funding, I am finally able to propose to the Council next week the hiring of a part-time employee to take over the FEMA paperwork and disaster mitigation process, which the Public Works Director and I have been handling. It is essential for the Town to continue tracking that process so that every dime owed to the Town is secured.

I am very proud of what our Council has been able to accomplish over the past two years. It was my privilege to support them through a strategic planning process - we opened dialogue on a number of critical issues, and the Council is working effectively together in leading this community. I think the Town is strongly poised to study its options even further as we move into the future.

New Mayor and Vice Mayor

At a special meeting held on November 28th, Council Members selected Mary Ann Maggiore to serve as Mayor and David Weinsoff to serve as Vice Mayor, each for one-year terms. Re-elected Council Members Larry Bragman and Lew Tremaine also took the oath of office.

Congratulations to Mayor Mary Ann Maggiore, Vice Mayor David Weinsoff and re-elected Council Members Bragman and Tremaine!

In Memoriam - Edward J. Kelly

It is with much sadness that the Town of Fairfax and Ross Valley Fire announce the passing of Retired Fire Captain Ed Kelly, who also served as Town Treasurer of Fairfax. Ed passed away last evening following a 4-year battle with bone cancer.

Memorial services will be handled by Marin Professional Firefighters Local 1775. Please check www.iaff1775.org for updated funeral information.

Special Council Meeting, Wed., Nov. 28th

Click to view the meeting agenda.

New Wintertime Spare the Air public notification program

The Town of Fairfax has begun to notify residents of unhealthy air quality nights and to advise them not to build fires in their fireplaces and to drive as little as possible on these nights especially. This effort is in support of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) “Spare the Air Tonight” program and is mandated by the passage of Fairfax Ordinance No. 720 (2007) which in part provides, “The Town shall endeavor to provide public notification requesting that residents curtail the burning of wood during poor air quality episodes as determined by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District…” “Spare the Air” banners have been produced that will be posted at the entrance to Fairfax on Sir Francis Drake and at Bolinas Park on the days designated by BAAQMD from November through February. The Town of Fairfax and BAAQMD ask residents to refrain from burning wood in their fireplaces and to drive less for 24 hours from the declaration of a “Spare the Air” night. To add your name to the BAAQMD email notification list for the Spare the Air Tonight alerts to help reduce winter air pollution, you may sign up at www.baaqmd.gov by clicking on the “E-Mail Sign-up” section of their home page.

Town joins Mayors for Peace

The Town recently joined an international effort called Mayors for Peace. This is from their website:

What is the Mayors for Peace? In August 1945, atomic bombs instantaneously reduced the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to rubble, taking hundreds of thousands of precious lives. Today, more than fifty years after the war, thousands of citizens still suffer the devastating aftereffects of radiation and unfathomable emotional pain. To prevent any repetition of the A-bomb tragedy, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have continually sought to tell the world about the inhumane cruelty of nuclear weapons and have consistently urged that nuclear weapons be abolished. On June 24, 1982, at the 2nd UN Special Session on Disarmament held at UN Headquarters in New York, then Mayor Takeshi Araki of Hiroshima proposed a new Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. This proposal offered cities a way to transcend national borders and work together to press for nuclear abolition. Subsequently, the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki called on mayors around the world to support this program. The Mayors for Peace is composed of cities around the world that have formally expressed support for the program Mayor Araki announced in 1982. As of November 1, 2007, membership stood at 1,828 cities in 122 countries and regions. In March 1990, the Mayors Conference was officially registered as a UN NGO related to the Department of Public Information. In May 1991, it became a Category II NGO(currently called a NGO in "Special Consultative Status") registered with the Economic and Social Council. http://www.mayorsforpeace.org/

MMWD Volunteer campaign

The Marin Municipal Water District wishes to get the word out on their enhanced volunteer effort as part of their "Everything starts with water - everything starts with you" campaign. Volunteer opportunities and events are posted on their web page here http://www.marinwater.org/controller?action=menuclick&id=253

MMWD Board President Cynthia Koehler has stated that many residents of Fairfax have been among the most active participants in the dialogue surrounding weed control options on Mt. Tamalpais. They have urged the District to avoid the use of all herbicides, and many have encouraged the District to look to volunteers as a means of cultivating a sustainable weed control program.

MMWD is recruiting volunteers to partner with them in the hands-on work of habitat restoration. Visit the link above for more information about how to become involved.

Holiday office hours

Town Hall administrative and Public Works offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and the day after, Nov. 22 & 23. We will reopen on Monday, Nov. 26th. I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe holiday weekend.

Snow in Fairfax?

Manor School put on an awesome Winter Faire today, and thanks to the volunteers' dedication and creativity, real snow came to Fairfax!