What is the Ritter Center?
The Ritter Center was established in 1980 to respond to the needs of Marin County’s low-income residents. All agency programs focus on providing highly professional services with respect and compassion. The agency employs a comprehensive case management model to assess each client’s immediate and long-term needs. A case plan is then developed to help stabilize clients and lead them back towards self-sufficiency. Ritter Center’s main outcomes are transitioning people into housing, employment, and health, mental health and substance abuse treatment as well as improving people’s day to day living conditions.
Donate a Turkey to a needy family for Thanksgiving
The Ritter Center holds an annual “Thanksgiving Turkey Drive”. This year is particularly difficult with the economy and number of jobless and homeless families. Currently there are 191 families down on their luck hoping for a Thanksgiving Turkey, but The Ritter Center has only received 22 turkeys to fill the need so far. Turkeys normally run $8.00 - $10.00 each depending upon the size of the bird at Safeway.
Your gift of a turkey or gift cards from grocery stores and department stores will help make this program a success. Please bring your donations to Ritter Center between November 11 and November 22, 2010; Ritter Center is open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm to accept these donations at:
16 Ritter St, PO Box 3517, San Rafael 94912 - 415.457.8182
Many thanks for all your support!
The Ritter Center has done some great work for the needy here in Marin County for many years, providing food, clothing and shelter for literally thousands of people. I think our holiday meal may taste just a little bit better knowing we were generous and compassionate with our less fortunate families here in Marin.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Blog # 64 - Fiscal Sustainability Workshop-Special Council Meeting on Wednesday, November 17th
The Town Council will meet this Wednesday, November 17th to discuss the long term fiscal sustainability of the Town. With the slowdown in the economy and a very slow recovery period expected, the Town will have to continue to reduce expenditures and look for new revenues to tackle the structural deficit that has developed over the last several years. See the agenda below and to read all the agenda items click this link: http://town-of-fairfax.org/html/council_packet.html
Monday, November 08, 2010
Blog #63 Council Actions from November 3, 2010 Meeting
The Town Council after interviewing four applicants for one position appointed Morgan Hall (Architect, President of the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Design Review Board) to the Planning Commission. After more than one hour of interviewing the four applicants the Council collectively agreed it was a difficult decision based on the high caliber of applicants. One of the applicants for the Planning Commission, Roxanne Ezzet-Lofstrom, was appointed to the Affordable Housing Committee. She had applied for both positions. The other candidates were Ryan O’Neil and Barbara Coler.
Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on November 3, 2010:
• Accepted the Quarterly Report from the Town Treasurer, Barbara Petty.
• Adopted a Resolution creating a Town Theater Director and appointing Sam Parry to the position.
• Approved changing the regular Town Council meeting date to January 12, 2011.
• Adopted a Resolution to allocate funds ($100,000) for the Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) Program for 2010-11.
• Agreed to an amendment to the contract between the County of Marin and the Marin Human Society to forgo the scheduled four percent increase to the contract for the 2010-11 fiscal year and to extend the current contract to June 30, 2012 and to provide a two percent contract increase in fiscal year 2011-12.
• Adopted Ordinance 755 changing the regular time of the Town Council meetings from 7:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
• Directed staff to work with Marin Community Food Bank and the San Geronimo Community Center on locating a food pantry in Fairfax.
• Approved a resolution to send a letter to the five major banks in the United States requesting mortgage lenders to amend their home loan modification programs to better serve Fairfax homeowners
The Town Council will be holding 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 will include 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.
Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on November 3, 2010:
• Accepted the Quarterly Report from the Town Treasurer, Barbara Petty.
• Adopted a Resolution creating a Town Theater Director and appointing Sam Parry to the position.
• Approved changing the regular Town Council meeting date to January 12, 2011.
• Adopted a Resolution to allocate funds ($100,000) for the Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) Program for 2010-11.
• Agreed to an amendment to the contract between the County of Marin and the Marin Human Society to forgo the scheduled four percent increase to the contract for the 2010-11 fiscal year and to extend the current contract to June 30, 2012 and to provide a two percent contract increase in fiscal year 2011-12.
• Adopted Ordinance 755 changing the regular time of the Town Council meetings from 7:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
• Directed staff to work with Marin Community Food Bank and the San Geronimo Community Center on locating a food pantry in Fairfax.
• Approved a resolution to send a letter to the five major banks in the United States requesting mortgage lenders to amend their home loan modification programs to better serve Fairfax homeowners
The Town Council will be holding 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 will include 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.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Blog #62 - How to Design and Build a Rain Garden
SPAWN and MMWD in collaboration with Sustainable Fairfax are hosting a hands-on workshop on November 7, 2010 exploring the principles of harvesting and storing rainwater to disconnect from the storm drains and protect precious water resources! See detailed information below:
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Blog #61 - Smart Meter Meeting #3 - November 30, 2010
The Town and PG&E are holding a third community meeting on November 30, 2010 to address the questions and concerns raised by residents at the first meeting on September 15th and the second meeting held on September 29th. At this third meeting PG&E will provide information on the following topics:
a. Security Issues
b. Billing Accuracy
c. Other Issues raised at prior meetings (RF/Health Concerns)
A full agenda will be provided in a future Blog.
a. Security Issues
b. Billing Accuracy
c. Other Issues raised at prior meetings (RF/Health Concerns)
A full agenda will be provided in a future Blog.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Blog #60 - Halloween Parade - October 31st
The Annual Downtown Fairfax Halloween Parade sponsored by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce is on Halloween, Sunday, October 31st starting at 5 PM. This is an event more than worth seeing as there are some really fantastic costumes worn by children and adults.
There are costume prizes. See the detailed information below:
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Blog #59 - Pavilion Clean-Up Day - Sunday, October 17, 2010
Please join us in cleaning up the Pavilion on Sunday, October 17, 2010. The Town Council and staff appreciates and values the volunteers in Town and is asking for help from contractors and painters.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Blog #58 - Biketoberfest, Saturday October 16, 2010
The Biketoberfest is coming this Saturday, October 16th at FairAnselm Plaza, 765 Center Blvd. in Fairfax!!! Click on the image for all the details!
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Blog #57 Town Council Adopts FY 2010/11 Budget
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.
The Council will be holding 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 will include 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.
Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on October 6, 2010:
• Accepted the audit of the FY 2008/09 financial statements.
• Heard a presentation from Rachel DeMicco of Sustainable Fairfax on the concept of installing a rain garden for Town Hall. Council directed staff to work with Sustainable Fairfax on creating a rain garden next to Town Hall.
• Received an update on the Marin County 680 Trail from Chris Bramham, Superintendent Capital Projects, Parks and Open Space Department of Marin County. The project is in environmental review.
• Appointed Jacob Feickert and Jolie Egert to the Open Space Committee.
• Appointed Megan Cohen to the Volunteer Board.
• Adopted resolutions supporting Measure A (Local Quality Education School Measure), Measure B (Ten Dollar Vehicle Registration Fee for Transportation Improvements), Measure D (Continuation of the Paramedic Authority Special Tax), and Proposition 19 (Regulate, Control and Tax Cannibas Act of 2010).
• Adopted a resolution supporting funding for preliminary engineering study for the East-West (Cross Marin) Bicycle Corridor.
• Adopted a resolution revising the Master Fee schedule. 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.
• Adopted an ordinance implementing a temporary moratorium on the establishment of marijuana dispensaries within the Town of Fairfax. This ordinance is in effect for 45 days and will return to the Council at the November 3, 2010 meeting for consideration to extend the moratorium. The Town Council directed staff to develop proper criteria for evaluating proposed dispensaries and bring this newly developed criteria to Council for consideration.
• Conducted a first reading of Ordinance 755, changing the regular Council meeting time from 7:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A second reading and adoption of the ordinance will be considered on November 3, 2010.
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.
The Council will be holding 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 will include 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.
Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on October 6, 2010:
• Accepted the audit of the FY 2008/09 financial statements.
• Heard a presentation from Rachel DeMicco of Sustainable Fairfax on the concept of installing a rain garden for Town Hall. Council directed staff to work with Sustainable Fairfax on creating a rain garden next to Town Hall.
• Received an update on the Marin County 680 Trail from Chris Bramham, Superintendent Capital Projects, Parks and Open Space Department of Marin County. The project is in environmental review.
• Appointed Jacob Feickert and Jolie Egert to the Open Space Committee.
• Appointed Megan Cohen to the Volunteer Board.
• Adopted resolutions supporting Measure A (Local Quality Education School Measure), Measure B (Ten Dollar Vehicle Registration Fee for Transportation Improvements), Measure D (Continuation of the Paramedic Authority Special Tax), and Proposition 19 (Regulate, Control and Tax Cannibas Act of 2010).
• Adopted a resolution supporting funding for preliminary engineering study for the East-West (Cross Marin) Bicycle Corridor.
• Adopted a resolution revising the Master Fee schedule. 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.
• Adopted an ordinance implementing a temporary moratorium on the establishment of marijuana dispensaries within the Town of Fairfax. This ordinance is in effect for 45 days and will return to the Council at the November 3, 2010 meeting for consideration to extend the moratorium. The Town Council directed staff to develop proper criteria for evaluating proposed dispensaries and bring this newly developed criteria to Council for consideration.
• Conducted a first reading of Ordinance 755, changing the regular Council meeting time from 7:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A second reading and adoption of the ordinance will be considered on November 3, 2010.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Blog #56 - Town Council Meeting October 6, 2010
The Town Council will meet to discuss adopting the FY 2010/11 Town operating and capital budgets and to conduct a second reading of an ordinance to adopt an interim moratorium on the siting of any new marijuana dispensaries. Other items include resolutions supporting local Measures A, B, D and state Proposition 19. See full agenda below:
Friday, September 24, 2010
Blog #55 - Body and Soul Festival, Saturday, September 25, 2010
Fairfax Body and Soul is a festival for the whole person, whole family and whole community. Nourish your Body & Soul, under the shade of the redwoods in beautiful downtown Peri Park, with experiences, flavors, workshops and demonstrations representing the leading edge of health, wellness, organics & sustainability.
* Live Music * Health & Healing * Kidville Fun * Free Outdoor Classes * Speakers * Culinary Demos * Organic Food * Holistic Products *
Don't miss:
Sacred Music & Yoga taught under the redwoods at mainstage by Sienna Smith of Yoga Mountain accompanied by Todd Boston (As seen at Earthdance & Wanderlust festivals & heard on NPR)
Solstice: A female vocal ensemble, the national top three award-winning acapella sensation on center stage
Fairfax All-Stars including members of Tom Finch Group and Big Brother and the Holding Company will close the day with an outdoor dance party!
Jim Talley of Tres Mojo as seen with Vinyl, Franti and Kimock
Liz Stires (Jerry Garcia Band, Huey Lewis) & a Kettle of Fish
AND internationally-known comedian Swami Beyondananda & Steve Bhaerman
co-author (with Bruce Lipton) of Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future
(and a Way to Get There from Here)
For more information visit the official website for the Body and Soul Festival at: http://www.fairfaxbodyandsoul.com/
* Live Music * Health & Healing * Kidville Fun * Free Outdoor Classes * Speakers * Culinary Demos * Organic Food * Holistic Products *
Don't miss:
Sacred Music & Yoga taught under the redwoods at mainstage by Sienna Smith of Yoga Mountain accompanied by Todd Boston (As seen at Earthdance & Wanderlust festivals & heard on NPR)
Solstice: A female vocal ensemble, the national top three award-winning acapella sensation on center stage
Fairfax All-Stars including members of Tom Finch Group and Big Brother and the Holding Company will close the day with an outdoor dance party!
Jim Talley of Tres Mojo as seen with Vinyl, Franti and Kimock
Liz Stires (Jerry Garcia Band, Huey Lewis) & a Kettle of Fish
AND internationally-known comedian Swami Beyondananda & Steve Bhaerman
co-author (with Bruce Lipton) of Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future
(and a Way to Get There from Here)
For more information visit the official website for the Body and Soul Festival at: http://www.fairfaxbodyandsoul.com/
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Blog #54 - Smart Meter Community Meeting #2 - September 29, 2010
The Town and PG&E are holding a second community meeting on September 29th to address the questions and concerns raised by residents at the first meeting on September 15th. This second meeting will address the following topics:
Installation Process and procedure
RF/Health Concerns
A third meeting tentatively scheduled for October 13th will address security, billing accuracy, and other issues. Please see agenda below for the second meeting on September 29th.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Blog #53 - The 3/50 Project - Save Your Local Economy
The 3/50 Project is designed to save the bricks and mortars our nation is built on through purchasing goods and services locally.
3 Think about which three independently owned businesses you would miss most if they were gone. Stop in and say hello. Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Your contribution is what keeps those businesses around.
50 If just half the employed U.S. population spent $50 each month in independently owned businesses, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.* Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that.
68 For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.
1 The number of people it takes to start a trend...you
Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy.
Visit the 350project.net
*Employment statistics courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from February 2009
3 Think about which three independently owned businesses you would miss most if they were gone. Stop in and say hello. Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Your contribution is what keeps those businesses around.
50 If just half the employed U.S. population spent $50 each month in independently owned businesses, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.* Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that.
68 For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.
1 The number of people it takes to start a trend...you
Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy.
Visit the 350project.net
*Employment statistics courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from February 2009
Monday, September 13, 2010
Blog #52 - Moratorium on Deployment of Smart Meters and a No Smart Meter Zone
On August 4, 2010, the Town Council passed an urgency ordinance placing a one year moratorium on the deployment of smart meters in Fairfax. Town residents and businesses should not be receiving any smart meters during the moratorium as PG&E pledged at the August 4th Town Council meeting to honor the moratorium.
However, some residents have informed the Town that PG&E has installed smart meters or is planning to stay on their deployment schedule for this area. Old meters that no longer are operable will be replaced by a digital meter that at a future date with the proper wireless device attached to the meter and wireless antennas on utility poles activated can then become an operating smart meter.
At the current time PG&E is replacing very old copper gas lines with new plastic gas lines throughout Fairfax. PG&E workers are replacing the gas lines.
If you are a resident in Fairfax who does not want a smart meter installed for any reason you can get information about the smart meter and a sign you can post on your house from the following website:
http://www.turn.org/downloads/NO-SMART-METER-WINDOW-SIGN.pdf
You can also get information about smart meters and utility companies from the following site:
www.turn.org, for a utility reform group’s point of view.
The fist of two community meetings with PG&E will begin this Wednesday, September 15th at 7 PM at the Women's Club. The first meeting will be a listening session. See agenda below:
However, some residents have informed the Town that PG&E has installed smart meters or is planning to stay on their deployment schedule for this area. Old meters that no longer are operable will be replaced by a digital meter that at a future date with the proper wireless device attached to the meter and wireless antennas on utility poles activated can then become an operating smart meter.
At the current time PG&E is replacing very old copper gas lines with new plastic gas lines throughout Fairfax. PG&E workers are replacing the gas lines.
If you are a resident in Fairfax who does not want a smart meter installed for any reason you can get information about the smart meter and a sign you can post on your house from the following website:
http://www.turn.org/downloads/NO-SMART-METER-WINDOW-SIGN.pdf
You can also get information about smart meters and utility companies from the following site:
www.turn.org, for a utility reform group’s point of view.
The fist of two community meetings with PG&E will begin this Wednesday, September 15th at 7 PM at the Women's Club. The first meeting will be a listening session. See agenda below:
Friday, September 10, 2010
Blog #51 - TOP 20 SALES TAX GENERATORS IN FAIRFAX
Congratulations to all of the top 20 sales tax generators for the first quarter of 2010!!
The Top 10 in alphabetical order are:
Deer Park Villa
Delano IGA Market
Fairfax Lumber
Ferraro Service Stations
Good Earth Natural Foods
The Graphic Source
Iron Springs Pub and Brewery
Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana
7-11 Food Stores
Sunshine Bicycle Center
11-20 Sales Tax Generators
Don's Market
Fairfax Cyclery
Fradelizio's Ristorante
Ghringhelli's Pizzeria
Grilly's
Jennifer Robin Interiors
M&G Burgers and Beverages
19 Broadway
Pancho Villas
Peri's Silver Dollar Bar
The exact order is confidential information and thus they are presented in alphabetical order.
Congratulations to all 20 businesses for making Fairfax the great place to live, shop, dine, recreate and be entertained. The Town receives about 14% of all sales tax revenue collected in Fairfax.
Please support local businesses and the Town by shopping locally!!!
The Top 10 in alphabetical order are:
Deer Park Villa
Delano IGA Market
Fairfax Lumber
Ferraro Service Stations
Good Earth Natural Foods
The Graphic Source
Iron Springs Pub and Brewery
Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana
7-11 Food Stores
Sunshine Bicycle Center
11-20 Sales Tax Generators
Don's Market
Fairfax Cyclery
Fradelizio's Ristorante
Ghringhelli's Pizzeria
Grilly's
Jennifer Robin Interiors
M&G Burgers and Beverages
19 Broadway
Pancho Villas
Peri's Silver Dollar Bar
The exact order is confidential information and thus they are presented in alphabetical order.
Congratulations to all 20 businesses for making Fairfax the great place to live, shop, dine, recreate and be entertained. The Town receives about 14% of all sales tax revenue collected in Fairfax.
Please support local businesses and the Town by shopping locally!!!
Friday, September 03, 2010
Blog #50 - Smart Meter Community Meeting -September 15, 2010
The Town of Fairfax, in cooperation with PG&E officials will be holding a “Listening Session” on September 15, 2010. The purpose of the “Listening Session” is for PG&E officials to hear from the public any questions or concerns regarding the Smart Meter program. This meeting will be a “Listening Session” only.
A second meeting will be held in late September. Questions or concerns from the “Listening Session” will be answered by PG&E officials. Any requested information from the public that can be provided will be available at the second meeting.
Members of the community will have three minutes to speak and five minutes if representing a group.
The “Listening Session” meeting will be held at 7:00 PM at the Women’s Club on 46 Park Road in Fairfax.
The "Listening Session" is being held to address concerns from residents about the possible negative health effects of EMF exposure, the inaccuracies of some of the smart meters, and issues surrounding the sharing of data with other businesses, and the concern over the security of the data and making sure that it does not get into the wrong hands.
Mayor Lew Tremaine commented “I am looking forward to the “Listening Session” as a way to lay out all the possible questions and concerns the community may have regarding the Smart Meter program".
A second meeting will be held in late September. Questions or concerns from the “Listening Session” will be answered by PG&E officials. Any requested information from the public that can be provided will be available at the second meeting.
Members of the community will have three minutes to speak and five minutes if representing a group.
The “Listening Session” meeting will be held at 7:00 PM at the Women’s Club on 46 Park Road in Fairfax.
The "Listening Session" is being held to address concerns from residents about the possible negative health effects of EMF exposure, the inaccuracies of some of the smart meters, and issues surrounding the sharing of data with other businesses, and the concern over the security of the data and making sure that it does not get into the wrong hands.
Mayor Lew Tremaine commented “I am looking forward to the “Listening Session” as a way to lay out all the possible questions and concerns the community may have regarding the Smart Meter program".
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Blog #49 - Town Council Actions from September 1, 2010 meeting
Fairfax Town Council Conducts First Reading for a Moratorium on Marijuana Dispensaries
After considerable discussion and public testimony the Town Council heard a first reading on an ordinance that places a moratorium on any new applications for a marijuana dispensary in the Town of Fairfax for a minimum of forty-five days. The Town Council can extend the moratorium for a period of no more than 24 months in total. Mayor Lew Tremaine explained the reason for the moratorium, “If the ballot measure legalizing and taxing marijuana passes statewide, the entire terrain is going to shift. We are going to have a whole lot to deal with in terms of how the new law is implemented in town and how it impacts the existing medical marijuana facility. So it doesn’t make sense to me to be entertaining any more of them until we know what things will look like if it comes to pass.”
Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on September 1, 2010:
• Heard a presentation from Ross Valley Superintendent Eileen Rohan who introduced herself to the Town Council and spoke about the upcoming Ross Valley school bond initiative.
• Heard a presentation from Dave Cort, Executive Director of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center on the Marin Food Bank program.
• Heard a presentation from Mimi Newton on the Fairfax Open Space Committee annual report.
• Appointed Linda Novy to the Fairfax Open Space Committee for a four year term.
• Appointed Merrell Maschino to the Volunteer Board for a
• Awarded the low bid to Maggiora & Ghilotti for the Tennis Court Bank Stabilization Project and Peri Park Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project in the amount of $477,774.
• Adopted a Proclamation declaring September 2010 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
• Authorized temporary closure to Glen Drive for a bike race fund raiser on October 16, 2010.
• Discussed the Master Fee Schedule. This item will return to the Council on October 6th for adoption of the new fees. New fee schedule begins 30 days after the adoption.
• Introduced an ordinance amending the Town’s smoking ordinance to provide clean indoor air and health protection including the regulation of the exposure to smoke in multi-unit apartment buildings. After some discussion and public input the Council agreed that the Mayor and Vice Mayor will review the ordinance with a fine tooth comb and return at the October 6th meeting with a revised
version for the first reading of the ordinance.
• Reviewed and discussed the draft conservation and housing elements of the general plan
The Council will hold a Special Meeting on September 11, 2010 from 9 AM -12 NOON to discuss the FY 2010/11 Town Budget and the Town Strategic Plan
After considerable discussion and public testimony the Town Council heard a first reading on an ordinance that places a moratorium on any new applications for a marijuana dispensary in the Town of Fairfax for a minimum of forty-five days. The Town Council can extend the moratorium for a period of no more than 24 months in total. Mayor Lew Tremaine explained the reason for the moratorium, “If the ballot measure legalizing and taxing marijuana passes statewide, the entire terrain is going to shift. We are going to have a whole lot to deal with in terms of how the new law is implemented in town and how it impacts the existing medical marijuana facility. So it doesn’t make sense to me to be entertaining any more of them until we know what things will look like if it comes to pass.”
Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on September 1, 2010:
• Heard a presentation from Ross Valley Superintendent Eileen Rohan who introduced herself to the Town Council and spoke about the upcoming Ross Valley school bond initiative.
• Heard a presentation from Dave Cort, Executive Director of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center on the Marin Food Bank program.
• Heard a presentation from Mimi Newton on the Fairfax Open Space Committee annual report.
• Appointed Linda Novy to the Fairfax Open Space Committee for a four year term.
• Appointed Merrell Maschino to the Volunteer Board for a
• Awarded the low bid to Maggiora & Ghilotti for the Tennis Court Bank Stabilization Project and Peri Park Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project in the amount of $477,774.
• Adopted a Proclamation declaring September 2010 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
• Authorized temporary closure to Glen Drive for a bike race fund raiser on October 16, 2010.
• Discussed the Master Fee Schedule. This item will return to the Council on October 6th for adoption of the new fees. New fee schedule begins 30 days after the adoption.
• Introduced an ordinance amending the Town’s smoking ordinance to provide clean indoor air and health protection including the regulation of the exposure to smoke in multi-unit apartment buildings. After some discussion and public input the Council agreed that the Mayor and Vice Mayor will review the ordinance with a fine tooth comb and return at the October 6th meeting with a revised
version for the first reading of the ordinance.
• Reviewed and discussed the draft conservation and housing elements of the general plan
The Council will hold a Special Meeting on September 11, 2010 from 9 AM -12 NOON to discuss the FY 2010/11 Town Budget and the Town Strategic Plan
Monday, August 23, 2010
Blog #48 - Draft Housing Element-Public Meeting August 26, 2010
The Town of Fairfax is holding a public meeting on Thursday, August 26, 2010 from 7:00 PM-9:00 PM at the Women's Club to discuss the draft Housing Element of the General Plan. The joint meeting of the Planning Commission, General Plan Advisory Committee and the Affordable Housing Committee will “roll out” the draft 2010 Housing Element.
The agenda for this meeting is up on the Town’s web page. Town staff & its consultant will be presenting the draft 2010 Housing Element document; i.e., how it is organized - along with the major opportunity sites and the strategy for meeting the Town’s fair share of 108 affordable housing units over the next five years. In addition, we will be presenting the recommendations for which zones in Town should allow emergency homeless shelters “by-right” (per SB 2).
The major opportunity sites and/or zoning changes that we will be covering at Thursday night’s public meeting are as follows:
Rezoning the Lutheran Church property at 2626 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from Upland Residential 7 du/acre (UR -7) to Planned District Development (PDD) and thereby making it possible to accommodate forty (40) units of “senior housing”;
Rezoning the “Olema/Mandarin Garden” property at 2170 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from Light Commercial (CL) to Planning District Development and thereby making it possible to accommodate twenty (20) units of “work-force” housing;
Rezoning School Street Plaza from Light Commercial (CL) to Planned District Development (PDD); thereby making it possible to accommodate a mix of uses including housing and/or a new school at this site;
Rezoning all Highway Commercial (CH) to Central Commercial (CC), which will allow housing on second floors “by right” instead of requiring “conditional use permits” thereby making it possible to accommodating at least twenty one (21) units of affordable housing spread out over multiple properties and acres – and within a mixed-income range of housing;
Rolling over the Second Unit Amnesty Ordinance without the requirement of fire suppression sprinkler systems, thereby incentivizing for formalization of at least twenty seven (27) second units (i.e., the 25% maximum allowable credit for second units to be counted as part of the State mandated 108 unit share of affordable housing for the Town of Fairfax); and
Allowing Emergency Homeless Shelters within the Central Commercial (CC) zone, and on public and quasi public properties “by right”; thereby meeting the new State requirement to specifically allow shelters “by right” in at least one zone within the Town of Fairfax (per SB 2).
Please note that in addition to the “roll out” of the draft 2010 Housing Element this Thursday evening, the public will have another chance to comment on the draft 2010 Housing Element at the Council’s September 1, 2010 meeting - as part of the General Plan update report. And likewise, the public will have still another chance to comment when the “packaged” General Plan is presented to Council for adoption (pending environmental review) – after the “Super Committee” completes its final review of the entire 2010 General Plan in the fall.
The agenda for this meeting is up on the Town’s web page. Town staff & its consultant will be presenting the draft 2010 Housing Element document; i.e., how it is organized - along with the major opportunity sites and the strategy for meeting the Town’s fair share of 108 affordable housing units over the next five years. In addition, we will be presenting the recommendations for which zones in Town should allow emergency homeless shelters “by-right” (per SB 2).
The major opportunity sites and/or zoning changes that we will be covering at Thursday night’s public meeting are as follows:
Rezoning the Lutheran Church property at 2626 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from Upland Residential 7 du/acre (UR -7) to Planned District Development (PDD) and thereby making it possible to accommodate forty (40) units of “senior housing”;
Rezoning the “Olema/Mandarin Garden” property at 2170 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from Light Commercial (CL) to Planning District Development and thereby making it possible to accommodate twenty (20) units of “work-force” housing;
Rezoning School Street Plaza from Light Commercial (CL) to Planned District Development (PDD); thereby making it possible to accommodate a mix of uses including housing and/or a new school at this site;
Rezoning all Highway Commercial (CH) to Central Commercial (CC), which will allow housing on second floors “by right” instead of requiring “conditional use permits” thereby making it possible to accommodating at least twenty one (21) units of affordable housing spread out over multiple properties and acres – and within a mixed-income range of housing;
Rolling over the Second Unit Amnesty Ordinance without the requirement of fire suppression sprinkler systems, thereby incentivizing for formalization of at least twenty seven (27) second units (i.e., the 25% maximum allowable credit for second units to be counted as part of the State mandated 108 unit share of affordable housing for the Town of Fairfax); and
Allowing Emergency Homeless Shelters within the Central Commercial (CC) zone, and on public and quasi public properties “by right”; thereby meeting the new State requirement to specifically allow shelters “by right” in at least one zone within the Town of Fairfax (per SB 2).
Please note that in addition to the “roll out” of the draft 2010 Housing Element this Thursday evening, the public will have another chance to comment on the draft 2010 Housing Element at the Council’s September 1, 2010 meeting - as part of the General Plan update report. And likewise, the public will have still another chance to comment when the “packaged” General Plan is presented to Council for adoption (pending environmental review) – after the “Super Committee” completes its final review of the entire 2010 General Plan in the fall.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Blog #47-Marin Climate and Energy Partnership
The following article appeared in the July 2010 issue of the Institute for Local Government on-line magazine:
Climate Protection Staffing: Marin’s Collaborative Approach
County: Marin
Population: 256,500
Summary
Most local governments in the Bay Area have realized that climate protection is an important new aspect of their work to develop more livable, sustainable communities. There is, however, limited staff time and other resources, especially in small jurisdictions, to launch climate protection efforts on a scale commensurate with the challenge of climate change. The cities and County of Marin have overcome some of these challenges by forming the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership (MCEP) to share resources and expertise, and jointly hire a dedicated staff person to work with jurisdictions on building their in-house climate protection capabilities.
Program Highlights
* MCEP is a public sector partnership among the 11 Marin cities, Marin County, the Transportation Authority of Marin, and the Marin Municipal Water District.
* By working collaboratively MCEP participants have been able to leverage public resources as well as attract additional private funding from the Air District and the Marin Community Foundation.
* The Marin General Services Authority, a joint powers authority, acts as the fiscal agent for the MCEP.
* To date, the MCEP has worked on construction and demolition waste recycling ordinances, green building ordinances, an electric vehicle transition plan, and energy efficiency retrofits in government buildings.
Lessons Learned
* Be patient with GHG inventory and climate action plan development, these often progress slowly, but are none-the-less important tools in keeping the momentum behind local climate protection efforts.
* Striking a balance between fast payback measures such as energy efficiency in municipal operations, and larger scale, longer payback, community wide measures is important to move climate protection efforts forward.
* Elected level leadership is essential to drive more politically challenging efforts, like PACE programs and community choice aggregation.
Resources To Learn More
* Marin GSA page (includes MCEP progress reports)
* The City of San Rafael’s Green Initiatives Page (includes green building resources)
The Rest of the Story…
With two medium-sized cities and nine small towns, Marin jurisdictions had been struggling for several years to find adequate resources to complete GHG inventories and begin writing climate action plans. The idea of establishing a collaborative network of local governments to help move local climate protection forward in Marin was first conceived in discussions between representatives of the Marin Municipal Water District, the Marin Community Foundation and a private energy/climate consultant.
In 2007 the option of joining the MCEP was presented to Marin jurisdictions and resulted in all 11 Marin cities, Marin County, the Transportation Authority of Marin, and the Marin Municipal Water District participating in the partnership. Securing the participation of the Transportation Authority was particularly significant for the group since 62% of countywide GHG emissions in Marin come from the transportation sector, and many of the big options for reducing transportation-related emissions are best served by a regional approach.
In 2008, with the help of a $75,000 grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, MCEP took an important step forward by establishing a new dedicated Climate Protection Director position to help assess project priorities and work with partners on an as-needed basis. During the first year of the effort, MCEP participants worked with ICLEI to conduct GHG inventories and came together to develop a set of realistic priorities.
In addition to municipal energy efficiency work, the partnership decided to pursue some countywide initiatives like developing an aggressive model green building ordinance to be adopted in each Marin Community, and establishing the development of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure as a component of Marin’s transportation planning. The group has also turned its attention to PACE financing, support of Marin Clean Energy, environmentally preferable purchasing, and construction and demolition ordinances.
The City of San Rafael led the development of the model green building ordinance for the group, and key to that work was the establishment of a high level task force, called Marin Green Building Energy Retrofit and Solar Transformation (Marin Green BERST), made up of elected and appointed officials from each of the MCEP jurisdictions. Currently three of the 11 governments have adopted the green building ordinance and the majority of the remaining jurisdictions are in the process of adopting it. The model green building ordinance is one of the most aggressive ordinances of its kind in the country, and it is significantly more comprehensive than the new statewide CALGreen building standards. Both the green building work and the EV work have led to additional funding for the MCEP from the Marin Community Foundation.
Some of the ideas that were initially discussed by the partnership, such as the electric vehicle transition plan, may have been out of reach for individual small local governments, had they not been part of a collaborative effort. Two years later however, with the multi-jurisdictional approach in place, even Marin’s small towns like Belvedere are working to install electric vehicle charging stations.
As a participant in MCEP partners agree to pay dues of $2,000 a year, and on a rotating basis provide a staff person to serve as chair of the group. The MCEP Chairperson is a 1-year position, tasked with handling logistics for the monthly meetings and other administrative tasks. Felicia Wheaton, a planner from the City of Belvedere who served as the first MCEP Chairperson, estimated that she spent on average 4-8 hours a month on these tasks in addition to her regular job duties. Ms. Wheaton further reported that participating in the partnership has helped local government staff with no previous climate protection experience gain confidence with some of the technical aspects of climate protection, like GHG accounting, making it easier to report back to council.
Currently, MCEP participants are working to complete Climate Action Plans and the group has transitioned its staff position from Climate Protection Director to Sustainability Coordinator, a part time position, with more managerial responsibilities than the previous position. MCEP continues to evolve but ultimately having this collaborative approach in place will make it easier for Marin to fast track big regional efforts that will be necessary to adequately progress in addressing climate change.
Case Story provided by BAAQMD, July 2010
Climate Protection Staffing: Marin’s Collaborative Approach
County: Marin
Population: 256,500
Summary
Most local governments in the Bay Area have realized that climate protection is an important new aspect of their work to develop more livable, sustainable communities. There is, however, limited staff time and other resources, especially in small jurisdictions, to launch climate protection efforts on a scale commensurate with the challenge of climate change. The cities and County of Marin have overcome some of these challenges by forming the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership (MCEP) to share resources and expertise, and jointly hire a dedicated staff person to work with jurisdictions on building their in-house climate protection capabilities.
Program Highlights
* MCEP is a public sector partnership among the 11 Marin cities, Marin County, the Transportation Authority of Marin, and the Marin Municipal Water District.
* By working collaboratively MCEP participants have been able to leverage public resources as well as attract additional private funding from the Air District and the Marin Community Foundation.
* The Marin General Services Authority, a joint powers authority, acts as the fiscal agent for the MCEP.
* To date, the MCEP has worked on construction and demolition waste recycling ordinances, green building ordinances, an electric vehicle transition plan, and energy efficiency retrofits in government buildings.
Lessons Learned
* Be patient with GHG inventory and climate action plan development, these often progress slowly, but are none-the-less important tools in keeping the momentum behind local climate protection efforts.
* Striking a balance between fast payback measures such as energy efficiency in municipal operations, and larger scale, longer payback, community wide measures is important to move climate protection efforts forward.
* Elected level leadership is essential to drive more politically challenging efforts, like PACE programs and community choice aggregation.
Resources To Learn More
* Marin GSA page (includes MCEP progress reports)
* The City of San Rafael’s Green Initiatives Page (includes green building resources)
The Rest of the Story…
With two medium-sized cities and nine small towns, Marin jurisdictions had been struggling for several years to find adequate resources to complete GHG inventories and begin writing climate action plans. The idea of establishing a collaborative network of local governments to help move local climate protection forward in Marin was first conceived in discussions between representatives of the Marin Municipal Water District, the Marin Community Foundation and a private energy/climate consultant.
In 2007 the option of joining the MCEP was presented to Marin jurisdictions and resulted in all 11 Marin cities, Marin County, the Transportation Authority of Marin, and the Marin Municipal Water District participating in the partnership. Securing the participation of the Transportation Authority was particularly significant for the group since 62% of countywide GHG emissions in Marin come from the transportation sector, and many of the big options for reducing transportation-related emissions are best served by a regional approach.
In 2008, with the help of a $75,000 grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, MCEP took an important step forward by establishing a new dedicated Climate Protection Director position to help assess project priorities and work with partners on an as-needed basis. During the first year of the effort, MCEP participants worked with ICLEI to conduct GHG inventories and came together to develop a set of realistic priorities.
In addition to municipal energy efficiency work, the partnership decided to pursue some countywide initiatives like developing an aggressive model green building ordinance to be adopted in each Marin Community, and establishing the development of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure as a component of Marin’s transportation planning. The group has also turned its attention to PACE financing, support of Marin Clean Energy, environmentally preferable purchasing, and construction and demolition ordinances.
The City of San Rafael led the development of the model green building ordinance for the group, and key to that work was the establishment of a high level task force, called Marin Green Building Energy Retrofit and Solar Transformation (Marin Green BERST), made up of elected and appointed officials from each of the MCEP jurisdictions. Currently three of the 11 governments have adopted the green building ordinance and the majority of the remaining jurisdictions are in the process of adopting it. The model green building ordinance is one of the most aggressive ordinances of its kind in the country, and it is significantly more comprehensive than the new statewide CALGreen building standards. Both the green building work and the EV work have led to additional funding for the MCEP from the Marin Community Foundation.
Some of the ideas that were initially discussed by the partnership, such as the electric vehicle transition plan, may have been out of reach for individual small local governments, had they not been part of a collaborative effort. Two years later however, with the multi-jurisdictional approach in place, even Marin’s small towns like Belvedere are working to install electric vehicle charging stations.
As a participant in MCEP partners agree to pay dues of $2,000 a year, and on a rotating basis provide a staff person to serve as chair of the group. The MCEP Chairperson is a 1-year position, tasked with handling logistics for the monthly meetings and other administrative tasks. Felicia Wheaton, a planner from the City of Belvedere who served as the first MCEP Chairperson, estimated that she spent on average 4-8 hours a month on these tasks in addition to her regular job duties. Ms. Wheaton further reported that participating in the partnership has helped local government staff with no previous climate protection experience gain confidence with some of the technical aspects of climate protection, like GHG accounting, making it easier to report back to council.
Currently, MCEP participants are working to complete Climate Action Plans and the group has transitioned its staff position from Climate Protection Director to Sustainability Coordinator, a part time position, with more managerial responsibilities than the previous position. MCEP continues to evolve but ultimately having this collaborative approach in place will make it easier for Marin to fast track big regional efforts that will be necessary to adequately progress in addressing climate change.
Case Story provided by BAAQMD, July 2010
Friday, August 06, 2010
Blog #46 Marin Clean Energy Recognized by the EPA
The following press release was released by Mary Simms of the U.S. EPA:
San Francisco Bay Area Municipalities Get Thumbs Up from the
Federal Government for Fighting Climate Change
U.S. EPA recognizes Marin, Santa Cruz for nearly
50 Million hours of green power use
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that Northern California based Marin Energy Authority will for the first time appear on EPA’s Top 20 list of the largest local government green power purchasers nationwide (ranked as No. 13). Equally impressive, the City of Santa Cruz’s Wastewater Treatment Facility will for the first time appear on EPA’s Top 20 list of partners generating and consuming the most green power on-site (ranked as No. 17).
Green power is generated from a subset of renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Green power sources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies and produce no human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Purchases of green power also help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.
“EPA’s announcement underscores the vital local efforts to move beyond traditional sources of electricity generation in order to fight climate change and support clean energy alternatives,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. “By using and purchasing green power, these leaders are expanding America’s renewable energy portfolio while significantly benefiting the environment.”
The Marin Energy Authority is purchasing more than 42 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually from Shell Energy North America, enough to meet 25 percent of the electricity use for its communities in Marin County. This is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 6,000 passenger vehicles per year or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of nearly 4,000 average American homes annually.
The City of Santa Cruz’s wastewater treatment facility is generating nearly 5 million kWh of green power annually from an on-site solar and biogas system, which is enough green power to meet 39 percent of the organization's electricity use. On-site green power is deployed directly on energy users’ facilities rather than at central power plants. This is equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions of more than 600 passenger vehicles per year or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of more than 400 average American homes annually.
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,200 Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit: www.epa.gov/greenpower.
San Francisco Bay Area Municipalities Get Thumbs Up from the
Federal Government for Fighting Climate Change
U.S. EPA recognizes Marin, Santa Cruz for nearly
50 Million hours of green power use
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that Northern California based Marin Energy Authority will for the first time appear on EPA’s Top 20 list of the largest local government green power purchasers nationwide (ranked as No. 13). Equally impressive, the City of Santa Cruz’s Wastewater Treatment Facility will for the first time appear on EPA’s Top 20 list of partners generating and consuming the most green power on-site (ranked as No. 17).
Green power is generated from a subset of renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Green power sources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies and produce no human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Purchases of green power also help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.
“EPA’s announcement underscores the vital local efforts to move beyond traditional sources of electricity generation in order to fight climate change and support clean energy alternatives,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. “By using and purchasing green power, these leaders are expanding America’s renewable energy portfolio while significantly benefiting the environment.”
The Marin Energy Authority is purchasing more than 42 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually from Shell Energy North America, enough to meet 25 percent of the electricity use for its communities in Marin County. This is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 6,000 passenger vehicles per year or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of nearly 4,000 average American homes annually.
The City of Santa Cruz’s wastewater treatment facility is generating nearly 5 million kWh of green power annually from an on-site solar and biogas system, which is enough green power to meet 39 percent of the organization's electricity use. On-site green power is deployed directly on energy users’ facilities rather than at central power plants. This is equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions of more than 600 passenger vehicles per year or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of more than 400 average American homes annually.
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,200 Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit: www.epa.gov/greenpower.
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