Town Manager's Blog Discontinued

The Town of Fairfax is pleased to welcome Garrett Toy as the new Town Manager, effective February 4, 2013.  The Town Manager's blog is being discontinued.  Please visit the Town of Fairfax website for recent developments and calendar information.

Town Manager Change

Town Manager Michael Rock has taken a position as City Manager with the City of Lomita effective Monday, June 25th.  Judy Anderson has been appointed as the Interim Town Manager.  She will take over the Town Manager’s Blog soon.  If you have any suggestions for information you would like included in the blog, please contact her at janderson@townoffairfax.org.

Blog #18 - Town Council Actions at June 6, 2012 Meeting

Town to add College of Marin to Police Dispatch Services

The Town Council approved an agreement with the College of Marin (COM) to provide police dispatch services to COM.  The College will take up the matter on June 19, 2012, and if approved by COM Board of Trustees the Town will provide all police dispatch services to COM without the need for any additional staff.  In the first year of the Agreement with COM the Town will receive increased revenue of $3,000 and in the remaining four years will receive increased revenue of $23,000 per year. This is a win-win for the Town and COM.  The Town will secure new revenue and COM will receive excellent dispatch services at a very competitive price. 

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

• Re-appointed Mia Andler, Michael Ardito, Barbara Coler, Ted Bright, Ruth Horn and Susan Adams to the Open Space Committee;
• Re-appointed Sam and Shoshanna Parry as the Town’s Artists in Residence and thank them for six years of service to the Town in their capacity as Artists in Residence and Theater Director; 
• Heard a presentation from Michael Aaronson, the Fairfax Representative to the Marin Commission on Aging regarding the Four-Year Area Plan for Aging;
• Scheduled a Special Council Meeting on July 18, 2012 to approve plans and specifications on several capital improvement projects;
• Instructed property owner at 6 San Gabriel to put his car in the garage per the nuisance abatement discussion from the last Council meeting;
• Adopted Resolution 12-39, approving the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration adopting findings regarding environmental effects and a mitigation monitoring and reporting program for the Pastori Storm Drain Outfall Pipe Project;

Other notes and announcements:

• Fairfax Festival on June 8-10; Family Friendly Film at Contratti Field on Friday June 8 at 8:00 PM;
• Vacancy on the Fairfax Youth Commission for Ross Valley youth between 14 and 19 years of age
• Vacancy for a Youth Commissioner to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission for a 2-year term
• Vacancy for the Fairfax Representative to the Marin Commission on Aging, effective July 1, 2012
• Vacancy for a Community Member to serve on the General Plan Implementation Committee
• Announcement of Flood Control public meeting regarding new FEMA Maps at Sir Francis Drake High School on Thursday, June 28^th at 7:00 p.m.in the Community Room

The next Town Council meeting will be a Budget Workshop Meeting on June 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Women’s Club. A draft Fiscal Year 2012/13 budget will be presented to the Council. Residents are encouraged to attend.   

Blog #17 - Town Manager Resigns

Dear Fairfax Community:

It has been my honor and privilege to serve the Town of Fairfax for more than four and a half years both as the Public Works Director and the Town Manager.

I have accepted employment with the City of Lomita, CA as their next City Manager.  I will be working until June 23, 2012 in Fairfax.    

The Town has accomplished a great deal in the last four and a half years.  The Town has been able to weather the financial storms and balance its budgets despite some daunting shortfalls.  The Town will have nine capital projects underway this summer which are the culmination of years of planning and obtaining grants for projects such as the Fairfax Bike Spine Project, the Pastori Sidewalk Project, the Oak Manor Sidewalk Project, the Sir Francis Drake Bike Lane Striping Project and the Peri Park Walkway Project.  The residents, the staff and the Town Council have much to be proud of and I am grateful that I was able to be a part of all of these amazing accomplishments.  I wish the Town continued success long into the future.

Thank you to all the residents who supported the Town with Measure I (Special Municipal Services Tax) and Measure D (Local Sales Tax).  These two measures were critical to the quality of life in Fairfax.   Thank you to all the fabulous residents and many other community members and business leaders who have supported the Town Council and staff and assisted me in making Fairfax one of the greatest places to live.    

Sincerely,

Michael Rock 

Blog #16 Council Actions from May 16 Meeting

The Town Council met on May 16, 2012 to begin the process of extending the Smart Meter Moratorium for another year.  The Council conducted a public hearing and had the first reading of the Ordinance.  The second reading and adoption of the Ordinance will occur on May 24th in an adjourned meeting of the Town Council. 

This agenda is posted on the Town Home Page at www.townoffairfax.org

Blog #15 - Town Council Actions from May 2, 2012

Town Council Approves adding the Town of Ross as member of the Ross Valley Fire Department 

On May 2, 2012, the Town Council approved amendments to the Ross Valley Fire Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Agreement to expand the JPA to include the Town of Ross. The Town of San Anselmo and the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District must also approve the amendments before Ross may join the JPA. Both governing bodies are expected to take up the matter in the next two weeks. 

In January 2011 discussions began with the Town of Ross and the JPA to explore the possibility of merging the Ross Fire Department with the Ross Valley Fire Department. Following these initial discussions and further discussions over the next several months an Ad Hoc Committee was formed in November 2011 between the JPA and the Town of Ross elected officials. Fairfax Council Member David Weinsoff, San Anselmo Council Member Jeff Kroot, and Rich Shortall from Sleepy Hollow were appointed to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee by the JPA. Ross Town Council Members Scot Hunter and Rupert Russell were appointed to the Ad Hoc Committee by the Ross Town Council. After meeting for several months, in January 2012 presentations were made to the Fairfax and San Anselmo town councils on the history of the two departments, the current staffing, the general operations, the advantages of merging the two agencies, and the basic concepts for a JPA expansion. In February 2012, the Town of Ross held two public workshops to discuss the Town of Ross joining the JPA. 

In April of 2012 the Fairfax Town Council gave preliminary approval to the concept of adding Ross to the JPA. Adding Ross to the JPA will add a fourth fire station and several fire trucks and other equipment to the JPA. This will result in faster response times to emergencies in most cases and will allow for the more efficient use of staff and resources. The Ross Fire Chief is retiring and his position will not be filled saving the JPA this position on an annual basis. Adding Ross will greatly enhance service and control costs for all the members of the JPA into the long term future. To view the staff report and the First Amendment to the Restated JPA please go to:

http://town-of-fairfax.org/pdfs/council/council_packet/2012/050212/Item%2014%20Ross%20Valley%20Fire%20JPA%20with%20Ross.pdf 

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

• Re-appointed Holly Bragman to the Volunteer Committee; 

• Heard a presentation from James Reilly of Stetson Engineering on the status of the Proposed Draft FEMA Flood Map for the Ross Valley and discussion of the long range flood control plans for the Ross Valley; 

• Awarded a construction contract to Fieldstone Construction in the amount of $35,880 for the Oak Manor Sidewalk Project; 

• Approved a letter if support for AJR 20 (Huffman), the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act; 

• Adopted a Proclamation declaring National Bike Month in Fairfax and Bike to Work Day on May 10, 2012; 

• Adopted Resolution 12-27 in support of adoption of The California Public Utilities Commission Community Opt Out for Wireless Smart Meters; 

• Adopted Resolution 12-28 declaring the conditions at 6 San Gabriel Drive a public nuisance and ordered the Town Manager to abate the nuisance within thirty days; 

• Set the schedule for Public Workshops on the Draft Fiscal Year 2012/13 Town Budget to be June 20, July 11, and August 1, 2012. 

Other notes and announcements: 

• Tuesday, May 8th, Poetry Slam, 8 p.m. at Sleeping Lady Café, sponsored by the Fairfax Volunteers 

• May 19th Youth Rock Concert in Peri Park, sponsored by the Youth Commission 

• Fairfax Food Pantry – Saturdays 9-11 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 for a Youth Commissioner to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission for a 2-year term 

• Vacancy for the Fairfax Representative to the Marin Commission on Aging, effective July 1, 2012 

• Vacancy on the Volunteer Board for a full three-year term to May 31, 2015 

• Vacancy for a Community Member to serve on the General Plan Implementation Committee 

• Seven terms on the Open Space Committee expiring June 30th 

• Fairfax Open Space Committee's “Give Back Tuesday” fundraiser at Iron Springs Pub & Brewery on June 12th, 4 to 10 p.m. 

• “Bike to Work Day” on Thursday, May 10, 2012 

The next Town Council meeting will be an adjourned meeting on May 16, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Women’s Club.  

Blog #14 Farmers Market Begins Today

The Fairfax Farmers Market begins today and runs each Wednesday until September 26 from 4-8 PM at Bolinas Park next to Town Hall.  Please support the farmers!!!

Blog #13 - Ross Valley Flood Protection Meeting

The Flood Control District is hosting a community meeting on May 5, 2012 from 10-12 NOON at Sir Francis Drake High School, 1327 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in the Student Union.

This meeting is being held to discuss where we have been, where we are, and where we are headed with flood protection for the entire Ross Valley watershed.  

Copies of the First Annual Report on the Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program will be available at the meeting and also online at http://marinwatersheds.org/index.html. 

The agenda for the meeting can be found at: http://marinwatersheds.org/documents/May5thAgenda.pdf