Next meeting of Disaster Council

The next meeting of the Fairfax Citizens' Disaster Council will be held on Thursday, August 30 at 4:00 p.m. in the Community Center/Youth Center at 16 Park Road. We will have an update on the Town's flood mitigation planning activities; the Town's budget with respect to disaster recovery and disaster preparedness projects; the installation of the two remaining emergency warning sirens; volunteer training for disasters; CERT; and Flood Zone 9 activities. The meeting is open to the public.

Upcoming Events - Mark your calendar

We have a few community events coming up in Fairfax.

The Good Festival is being held on Saturday, August 25th from Noon to 5 p.m. at Fairfax Park, and is co-sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Commission. The event will feature music, environmental and peace oriented activities for the whole family. The event is being put on by a group of young people associated with the College of Marin.

The Annual Car Show will be held in downtown Fairfax on Sunday, Sept. 9th.

The Annual Town Picnic will be held on Sunday, Sept. 16th from Noon to 5 p.m. at the Central Ballfield.

Flood Mitigation Planning Meeting notes

Notes from the public Flood Mitigation Planning Meeting held on July 27th are now available for viewing at:
http://www.town-of-fairfax.org/DisasterPreparedness/Flood%20mtg%20notes%207-26-07.pdf

Third draft of budget on-line

The 3rd draft of the Fiscal Year 2007-08 Town budget is now posted on this page http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/ and will be considered at the August 15th Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Women's Club.

Compass for local government managers

Many residents may not know of the support systems that local government managers rely on in our profession. I’d like to make you aware of the top professional organization for city and county managers, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), of which I am a member.

Founded in 1914, ICMA’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by advocating and developing the professional management of local government worldwide. In addition to supporting its 8,200 members, ICMA provides publications, data, information, technical assistance, and training and professional development to thousands of city, town, and county experts and other individuals throughout the world. The organization is an internationally recognized publisher of information resources ranging from textbooks and survey data to topical newsletters and e-publications. ICMA provides technical assistance to local governments in emerging democracies, helping them to develop professional practices and ethical, transparent governments. The organization performs a wide range of mission-driven grant and contract-funded work both in the U.S. and internationally.

ICMA members are committed to

• Representative democracy
  

• The highest standards of honesty and integrity in local governance, as expressed through the organization’s Code of Ethics
  

• The value of professional management as an integral component of effective local government
  

• The council-manager form of government as the preferred local government structure
  

• The value of international association, and
  

• Ensuring diversity in local government in the organization.

ICMA members strive to be “leaders at the core of better communities.”

I am reproducing for you here the ICMA Code of Ethics that I subscribe to. I hope it will provide some insight as to the values I strive to uphold in the honorable position I have of being a part of Fairfax’s local system of democratic governance.

ICMA Code of Ethics

ICMA members adhere to the principles of the ICMA Code of Ethics, developed in 1924, as a condition of membership and agree to submit to a peer-to-peer review of their conduct under established enforcement procedures. The mission of ICMA is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional local government management worldwide. To further this mission, certain principles, as enforced by the Rules of Procedure, shall govern the conduct of every member of ICMA, who shall:

Tenet 1: Be dedicated to the concepts of effective and democratic local government by responsible elected officials and believe that professional general management is essential to the achievement of this objective.

Tenet 2: Affirm the dignity and worth of the services rendered by government and maintain a constructive, creative, and practical attitude toward local government affairs and a deep sense of social responsibility as a trusted public servant.

Tenet 3: Be dedicated to the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships in order that the member may merit the respect and confidence of the elected officials, of other officials and employees, and of the public.

Tenet 4: Recognize that the chief function of local government at all times is to serve the best interests of all people.

Tenet 5: Submit policy proposals to elected officials; provide them with facts and advice on matters of policy as a basis for making decisions and setting community goals; and uphold and implement local government policies adopted by elected officials.

Tenet 6: Recognize that elected representatives of the people are entitled to the credit for the establishment of local government policies; responsibility for policy execution rests with the members.

Tenet 7: Refrain from all political activities which undermine public confidence in professional administrators. Refrain from participation in the election of the members of the employing legislative body.

Tenet 8: Make it a duty continually to improve the member's professional ability and to develop the competence of associates in the use of management techniques.

Tenet 9: Keep the community informed on local government affairs; encourage communication between the citizens and all local government officers; emphasize friendly and courteous service to the public; and seek to improve the quality and image of public service.

Tenet 10: Resist any encroachment on professional responsibilities, believing the member should be free to carry out official policies without interference, and handle each problem without discrimination on the basis of principle and justice.

Tenet 11: Handle all matters of personnel on the basis of merit so that fairness and impartiality govern a member's decisions, pertaining to appointments, pay adjustments, promotions, and discipline.

Tenet 12: Seek no favor; believe that personal aggrandizement or profit secured by confidential information or by misuse of public time is dishonest.

Next Council Meeting

Our next Council meeting will be held on Wed., Aug. 15th at 7:30 p.m. in the Women's Club. The subject matter on the agenda will be the adoption of our new fiscal year 2007-08 Town budget.

This week I am out of the office attending a program called the Berkeley Executive Seminar held at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. It is a leadership development program for local government executives, 28 of us in the class from across the state and Oregon. I am fortunate to have received a scholarship to attend. We are working with professors, practitioners and speakers on issues confronting local governments, both specific to our jobs and also wider issues such as developments in Washington and Sacramento that affect us locally. Some of the topics we have covered and will be covering include ethics in government and what does it mean to do the right thing, what is leadership at the local level, budget strategies and equity in resource distribution, the state budget process and potential reforms, negotiation strategies, problem solving in the public arena, sustainable communities, and leadership and visioning to support civic vitality and public engagement.

Annual Report of the Fairfax Citizens' Disaster Council

If you are wondering what the Fairfax Citizens' Disaster Council has been up to over the past year, take a look at their annual report to the Town Council, which is posted here:
http://www.town-of-fairfax.org//News//Disaster_Council_07.pdf
The group has been working to raise awareness of the need for disaster preparedness and has been quite active since their formation in July 2006. Most of their work has been accomplished with no funding or donated funds.

August 1st Council Meeting

Our next regular Council meeting will be held on August 1st at 7:30 p.m. in the Women's Club. Click here to access the agenda packet:

http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/

Community Workshop on Flooding - tonight

Tonight, Thursday July 26th at 7 p.m., in the Fairfax Women's Club, the Town will be holding a Community Workshop on flood hazard mitigation and flood prevention planning. The Town is updating its Flood Mitigation Plan in accordance with FEMA guidelines and is seeking input from community members affected by flooding.

Traffic tie-ups in San Anselmo

If you have ventured East at all, you experienced the challenge of traversing Sir Francis Drake this week. The MMWD is placing this ad in the IJ this weekend. Click to enlarge.

Road Work

We have some Measure K-funded road work taking place to repair our streets. Here is the notice that came from the contractor, Ghillotti Brothers. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we repair our roads so that they will be smoother and in better shape for you. We have to do this work during the sunny, dry season while school is out.
We are the general construction contractor for the Measure “K” Street Overlay Project for the City of Fairfax. The streets scheduled to be paved are Tamalpais and Scenic Drives and the intersections of Broadway to 200 Merwin Ave and Broadway and Bank St.

The general scope of the construction work includes:

• Asphalt Grinding

• Asphalt Paving

Our overall schedule for the construction work is as follows:

• The Broadway intersections will be under construction on 7/19/07 and 7/20/07.

• Tamalpais and Scenic Drives will be under construction on 7/19/07, 7/25/07 and 7/26/07.

Work will take place from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm with no parking being allowed during those hours. We will do our best to minimize your inconvenience during construction, but delays should be expected. Those residents living on Tamalpais and Scenic Drives should expect delays of up to 2 hours on the above dates.

Should you wish to speak to a Ghilotti Bros., Inc. representative concerning private work you would like GBI to complete, please contact Al Dalecio at (415) 454-7011 X 373.

We appreciate your cooperation on this project.

Draft budget posted

The Draft Town budget for Fiscal Year 2007-08 is now posted on the Town's website at http://www.town-of-fairfax.org/TownDepartments/Finance/Draft_FY07-08_Budget_WEB.pdf

The budget will be publicly discussed this Saturday the 21st from 10-Noon in the Women's Club.

Town Council action from July 11th

Town Council Action from July 11^th Council Meeting:

• Council reviewed and approved the traffic study methodology as proposed for a new development in the DeLano’s IGA Market parking lot. The project is for a mixed use development of apartments and retail spaces. The actual project will be coming before the Planning Commission and Council for further input; the traffic study is the first step in the approval process.
• Council adopted the Second Dwelling Unit Amnesty Ordinance, which provides incentives for property owners to legalize second units. The intent of the legislation is to get illegal units on the books, and eliminate health, fire, and safety code violations, to make progress in upgrading our housing stock and increase affordable housing units.
• Council held a revised first reading of the Plastic Bag Ordinance. The ordinance was amended to provide for an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The ordinance would take effect in March 2008 and would require all retail and food establishments in Town to discontinue the use of non-recyclable plastic bags, and provide recycled paper bags instead. Ideally, shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags in order to save our precious natural resources and eliminate one more source of toxic plastic from contaminating our environment.
• Bids for Measure K street overlay projects were awarded to repair the following streets: Tamalpais to Scenic; Azalea, Broadway to Merwin; and Broadway, Bank to Claus.
• Received a storm damage recovery update showing that our disaster fund is currently in the black thanks to recent FEMA reimbursements.
• Authorized the annual charity fundraising Car Show to take place on September 9^th. The show organizers are taking steps to prevent parking encroachment in local merchants’ lots.
• Received a report on the idea of using a portion of Mono Avenue from Bolinas to Bank for a public use seating area. Council decided to further consider the issue of creating public open community gathering space in the downtown, and take no action to implement a specific proposal at this time.
• Received a report from Council Member Brandborg on the Fairfax Shared Services Subcommittee, and appointed an alternate to the committee, Mayor Bragman. The next meeting of the Subcommittee is on Thursday, July 19^th at 6 p.m. in the San Anselmo Town Hall Conference Room. The Subcommittee will hear from the Police Chiefs on cost savings ideas and from the Town Managers on potential financial consultants.
• Received a report from Mayor Bragman and Council Member Weinsoff on the very positive outcome of their facilitation of the Canyon Road Sewer District problems. The District has agreed to refund a $500 fee that had been inconsistently charged to the residents in the District. Further, the Ross Valley Sanitary Board agreed that it would pay the cost of reasonable repair to the properties that did not end up with a gravity flow sewer system as a result of the problems with the new sewer installation. This was a win-win outcome for both the residents and the District, as each were spared costly litigation and delay.
• Adopted a resolution expressing opposition to the use of depleted uranium weaponry and expressing support for medical treatment and monitoring of veterans affected by this toxin.

November Town Election

The Town will hold its regular election on November 6, 2007. The election will take place for two seats on the Town Council, plus for the offices of Town Clerk and Town Treasurer. The nomination period runs from July 16 through August 10, during which time nomination papers may be taken out in person with the Fairfax Town Clerk at Town Hall. Any registered voter seeking to take out nomination papers should make an appointment with Judy Anderson, Town Clerk, at 458-2343.

Budget Workshop coming up

The Town Council will hold a Budget Workshop on Saturday, July 21st from 10 a.m. to Noon in the Fairfax Women's Club. Town staff will present the first draft of the Fiscal Year 07-08 Town budget to the Council and the public. When the draft is ready, we will post it on line and announce it here.

Suggestion from the Suggestion Box

The following anonymous suggestion came in:
"Would it be possible to set up a gift card that works at all or a group of the town's businesses. I get gift certificates for people all the time, and I have to pick the place to get it from. It would be great to buy a Fairfax gift certificate good for a bunch of stores."

This is a nice idea. I have forwarded this suggestion to the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce since this would need to be a joint endeavor between the merchants.

Flood Mitigation Plan Community Workshop

We will be holding a community workshop on flood prevention planning on July 26th. See the flyer for details.

Council Meeting July 11th

Our next regular Council meeting will be held on Wed., July 11th at 7:30 p.m. in the Women's Club. The meeting was postponed one week due to the Independence Day holiday.

The agenda packet the meeting may be viewed here:
http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/

Creek Road Bridge update

One more hurdle is over with respect to the repair of Creek Road Bridge. We received a letter this week stating that the California Regional Water Quality Control Board issued water quality certification for the bank stabilization project at the Creek Road Bridge site. We are still waiting for the FEMA and U.S. Fish and Game environmental issues to be settled.

Outcome of Joint meeting on Police Consolidation

On Saturday, June 23^rd, the Town Councils of Fairfax and San Anselmo held a joint meeting to discuss the issues related to police consolidation. The meeting was facilitated by former San Carlos and San Anselmo town manager Mike Garvey, and was also attended by the Town Managers, Police Chiefs and Police union representatives of both towns. The meeting was an opportunity for both Councils to come to a concurrence on what goals are shared by the Towns with respect to considering sharing services for cost effectiveness in both police departments. The Councils agreed that the four most important issues are:

1. Long-term financial effects
2. Maintain/improve quality of service
3. Buy-in from stakeholders - Council, community, staff, unions
4. Explore sharing Town services, starting with Police.

The Councils then listed all of the components a shared service model must have to be accepted and successful. The following ideas were solicited from individual Councilmembers:

1. Save money and not cost more money

2. Equal to or better than current – If more costly, then must be self-supporting, and identify revenue source

3. Maintain 24/7 facility in each Town

4. Maintain/preserve community policing

5. Reflect common goals and beliefs

6. Allow local control by each Town

7. Have the support of staff

8. Fairfax Measure “F” diligence

9. Analysis of the current ordinances and policies of each Town for conformity/differences

10. Analysis to include cost distribution.

Members of the public added the following must have components to the discussion: (1) incorporate green principles/sustainability; and (2) assurance current community-oriented services will continue.

The Councils then listed the following components that a shared service model must not have, which were two items:

1. Must not cost more money

2. No layoffs.

The meeting concluded with the formation of a Joint Shared Services Subcommittee, made up of the following four Council Members – Fairfax: Susan Brandborg, Lew Tremaine; San Anselmo: Peter Breen, Ted Freeman. The subcommittee’s first charge will be to formulate the parameters for a request for proposals for a consultant to study all possible cost-savings opportunities between the two police departments. The two Councils agreed that any cost-savings model with respect to the police departments could also apply to exploring cost savings through joint ventures between other town departments as well. The first meeting of the subcommittee has been set for Monday, July 2^nd at 5 p.m. at the San Anselmo Town Hall conference room.

Town Flag Resolution

On June 25, 2007, the Fairfax Town Council adopted Resolution No. 2494, petitioning Governor Schwarzenegger to issue a proclamation permitting the Town of Fairfax and all other State, County and Municipal governmental agencies throughout the State of California to display the United States and California State flags at half-staff on each Friday of any week in which a California resident, or a resident of any other state, is killed while serving in the California National Guard or United States Armed Forces in the Iraq or Afghanistan theaters of operation from the date of the proclamation until the cessation of hostilities. The resolution was drafted by Mayor Larry Bragman. See Resolution No. 2494.

Ross Valley Watershed Mail Ballot Process

The deadline to submit property owner ballots for the Ross Valley Watershed Mail Ballot Election is Monday, June 25th. You can call the County Clerk of the Board at 499-7331 if you have not received a ballot or misplaced yours. For more information, visit http://www.rossvalleywatershed.org/

Joint meeting with San Anselmo

This Saturday, June 23rd, at 9 a.m., the Town Councils of Fairfax and San Anselmo will hold a joint meeting with respect to the issue of police consolidation. Click to view the agenda.

3 Upcoming Town Council Meetings

As a follow up to the meeting held earlier this year, the Town Councils of Fairfax and San Anselmo will hold a joint facilitated public meeting to explore the issues related to consolidation of police services. A main objective of this effort is to identify potential cost savings for both towns. The meeting will be held on Saturday, June 23rd from 9 a.m. to Noon in the Fairfax Women's Club.

The Town Council will hold a special meeting on Monday, June 25th at 7:30 p.m. in the Fairfax Women's Club. The agenda will include five items from the June 6th meeting that were not heard due to the lateness of the hour.

The next regular meeting of the Town Council will take place on Wednesday, July 11th at 7:30 p.m. in the Fairfax Women's Club.

Upcoming Plastic Bag Ban

With the growing load of plastic on our streets, in landfills, and in ocean waters, the Town Council has decided to take a leadership role in stemming the tide of pollution here at home, by banning the provision of the ubiquitous plastic shopping bag at our retail establishments.

As you may be aware, petroleum-based plastic bags do not biodegrade, but rather break down into smaller pieces through wear and tear, abrasion, and photo-degradation. Any plastic that does not get stored in landfill ends up eventually in our streams, bays, and oceans. Plastics are entering our food chain as marine animals of all sizes can mistake these plastic bits for food. Plastic ingestion leads not only to discomfort, suffocation, and starvation for the consuming creature, but also to hormonal disruption all along the food chain. Worldwide, plastic bags are proliferating at an alarming rate. Over one million bags are used per minute across the planet, at the cost of over 12 million barrels of oil per year for their manufacture. Californians throw away over one billion plastic bags each year.

The Town Council took the lead 10 years ago when it banned the use of disposable Styrofoam containers for food take-out. Now, as the world’s burden of plastic continues to grow, the Council is working toward a ban on the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags by all stores, vendors, and eating establishments. If adopted, a Town ban on petroleum-based plastic bags would take effect in February 2008. Compostable plastic bags would be allowed for a three-year period to help make the adjustment away from what has, in a few decades, become a deeply entrenched habit of shopping. The Town wishes to encourage the use of recycled and recyclable paper bags, and ideally, the use of reusable cloth bags by patrons to all businesses in Town.

The second reading and adoption of the proposed ordinance is scheduled for the Town Council meeting of Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fairfax Women’s Club at 46 Park Road.

Climate Protection Information

In 2000, the Town of Fairfax adopted Resolution No. 2109, pledging to join with jurisdictions from all over the world in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. We are a member of ICLEI, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. ICLEI recently sent its newsletter, which is filled with many articles and resources on climate change. I've posted the newsletter here, where you can link to the hyperlinks in the document.

Resolution No. 2109 http://www.town-of-fairfax.org/News/ClimateResolution2109.pdf

ICLEI Newsletter - Can be found at the bottom of this page - a Word document. http://www.townoffairfax.org/News/

Peri Park Toy Drive a Success!

A Fairfax resident, Bill Johnston, took the initiative to start a toy drive for Peri Park.

You can read all about the success of the project here:

http://peripark.wordpress.com/

Thank you, Bill, for spearheading this project and the kids I'm sure will be very happy to have new toys to play with!

Fairfax Festival Parade pix

Column preview

Here is a preview of my Ross Valley Reporter column submitted for next week.

Financial Sustainability in a Changing Climate: As part of an executive seminar application, I recently responded to the question, “What do you perceive to be the most important issue facing local governments, and why?” I share my response here.

The most important issue facing local governments is financial sustainability, especially in the wake of a changing global climate and the need to respond to environmental concerns. In 1978, Proposition 13 forever changed the way that cities are funded, and since then, municipalities have responded to the need to maintain services in various ways. Some have seen the “fiscalization of land use” impact the character of their communities as cities chase retail developments in order to gain sales tax revenue. Others, like the Town of Fairfax, with a limited retail base, have had to turn to parcel taxes and ballot measures as a means to augment the general fund.

The threats to our natural environment, brought about more aggressively by the consequences of climate change, will mean that more local financial resources will need to be devoted to disaster preparation and response. As first responders, cities must be prepared to react immediately to disasters such as fire and flood. Ideally, this role requires dedicated funding in order to maximize preparation and response. Like most of the Ross Valley, Fairfax sustained a flood in December 2005 that we are still recovering from. Recent research as printed in the Marin Independent Journal explained evidence that the flood conditions were likely made worse by climate change factors. Continuing to provide the same compliment of services that we currently offer to our residents - while dealing with the looming threat of more and frequent disasters as well as the need to take actions to reduce our energy footprint and hence stem the factors leading to climate change – is a tall order for cities. Maintaining financial stability in the wake of these developments is an enormous challenge.

The Town’s public facilities sustained approximately $1.5 million in damage due to the flood, and many residents and businesses were affected as well. We have worked closely with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency throughout the process, and have done our best to comply with all of their agency regulations. The outcome has been that we are in five appeals regarding our public projects, in those instances where FEMA is not approving funding for various reasons. The situation continues to be unacceptable and is devastating to the Town financially. The lessons learned are that we needed to get our State and Federal elected officials involved earlier in the process and on an ongoing basis, in order to assist us with lobbying for the monies we are owed from the disaster. Seventeen months after the disaster, we are still fighting for funding from FEMA. We understand that FEMA is understaffed, but this is a great burden on a Town that already has a very limited budget with little reserves. I can only imagine the lingering suffering of the Hurricane Katrina victims and municipalities that are having to rebuild.

Ross Valley Senior Club: The Town of San Anselmo and Fairfax have developed a special program for Ross Valley Seniors. Each month a special event is held specifically designed for people age 55 and over. Activities include organized walks, board games, special presentations, guest speakers, bocce ball, luncheons and much more. In less that one year the Ross Valley Seniors have grown to over 80 participants! All seniors are welcome to become members and enjoy meeting new people and participating in many exciting events. Annual membership is only $20. For more information, please call Dana at San Anselmo Recreation, 258-4669. The next Senior Club event will be held on Thursday, June 14 at 11 a.m. in the Fairfax Women’s Club, featuring an “Introduction to Water Color Painting” with San Francisco artist Tina Moylan. Lunch is included for current members, non-members pay $5 per event. RSVP to 258-4669.

FEMA Approves appeal

In a letter just received from FEMA, they accepted our explanation for the emergency contract for street debris and mud removal which took place in the hours after the 12/31/05 3 a.m. flood, and are approving our appeal for $220,245!

The letter says “FEMA has determined that with this additional information, the contracts met the criteria for Federal Time and Material contracts. Therefore, the appeal is approved. FEMA will prepare PW 1845 Version 1 for an additional $220,245 for eligible costs.”

They were questioning our rationale for not going out to public bid on having the mud removed from the streets and we argued that due to the emergency nature of the situation, we had to use the contractor that was available and could do the work immediately. It has taken since August 2006 to resolve this appeal in the Town's favor.

Festival Website is Updated and Live!

I just received an anonymous message in the on-line suggestion box:
"YOUR WEBSITE SUCKS AND HAS DISCOURAGED US ENTIRELY FROM ATTENDING YOUR FESTIVAL. SINCE THE WEBSITE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE LAST YEAR, I'M NOT ANTICIPATING ANY RESPONSE, BUT THANKS FOR ASKING."

Please note that the Festival Website has been updated and was live as of May 18th:
http://www.fairfaxfestival.com/2007/home/

The link from the Town's home page has been live since then too. Much thanks to Steve Wyrostock for a fabulous Festival website!!!

Ross Valley Fire CPR Classes on again!

After a long absence, the Ross Valley Fire Department is pleased to announce that CPR classes are available once again.

The dates for the CPR classes are (Saturdays) 6/16, 8/11, 10/13, 12/15. The cost is $20 and students MUST sign up in person at 777 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo, prior to the date of the class. No phone registrations will be accepted . Each class will be taught at our Fire Station at 10 Park Road, Fairfax and starts at 9 a.m. The class lasts approximately 5 hours (depending on the class). The class taught is titled "HeartSaver CPR" by the American Heart Association. It teaches the student to perform CPR on adults, children and infants. This class is geared toward the "bystander" not the healthcare provider. It also teaches how to relieve airway obstructions/ chocking in the adult, children and infant. After successful completion of the class the student will recieve a CPR card (approximately 2-3 weeks after the class).

Column preview

Here is a preview of my Ross Valley Reporter column submitted for next week.

Thank You Economic Development Advisory Committee: In November 2006, your Town Council decided to enlist the assistance of the business community in reviewing and tackling the issues of how we can foster greater business success, increase revenue to the Town, and enhance economic development activity. To that end, the Town’s first ever Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) was formed. The members of the EDAC include: Jeff Burton, owner of Bath and Beyond; Fred Codoni, retired railroad company manager; Garry Graham, owner of 19 Broadway nightclub; Leah Smith, manager at Marin Farmers Market; Mark Squire, co-owner of Good Earth; and Augie Venezia, co-owner of Fairfax Lumber and Hardware. Over the course of six months of volunteering their time to this endeavor, these businesspeople met several times, reviewed financial data provided by the Town, and provided the Town Council with their suggestions on how the Town can generate more revenue and augment economic development efforts. Their proposal has been posted on the Town website for two months now for all to view at www.townoffairfax.org, click on Strategic Planning, then locate the item, “Final Economic Committee Recommendations.” The list of ideas is long, and I recommend that everyone read through the posted 5-page document. The next step is for the Town Council to make its recommendations regarding the EDAC proposals and to direct staff regarding implementation of the ideas. On behalf of the Mayor and Council, I would like to publicly thank the members of the Economic Development Advisory Committee for their time, thoughtful deliberation, and dedication to helping the Town of Fairfax in this with this critical issue.

FEMA Appeals: I’d like everyone to know that we are in the midst of five appeal processes with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on disaster-related projects from 17 months ago. We are supplying them with additional justification and data that they have asked for, and we are still waiting for responses on these issues while approximately $700,000 due to the Town of Fairfax hangs in the balance. We have enlisted the assistance of our State and Federal elected officials to help with lobbying on behalf of the Town. Regarding the status of Creek Road Bridge, on May 17^th a FEMA Senior Biologist informed us that they obtained concurrence from the National Marine Fisheries Service for us to move forward on the repair. However, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants additional information as they believe there is still potential for red legged frogs to be in the area, even though FEMA found there to be a low potential for the frogs in their environmental review conducted under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. A FEMA representative indicated to me that they are “trying to speed up the process.”

Town Council Meeting: Our next regular Town Council meeting is on June 6^th at 7:30 p.m. in the Women’s Club. Among the items on the agenda will be the introduction of an ordinance establishing a second dwelling unit amnesty program, and an ordinance banning the use of plastic take-out grocery bags by retail stores in town. We will also have a review of a Marin Grand Jury report on retiree health care costs.

Joint Meeting on Police Consolidation: As a follow-up to the joint meeting with San Anselmo with respect to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) study on police consolidation held in January, the Town Councils of Fairfax and San Anselmo are holding a joint meeting to further explore the issues with respect to potential consolidation of police services for cost savings. The public meeting will be held on Saturday, June 23^rd from 9 a.m. to Noon in the Fairfax Women’s Club at 46 Park Road.

Fairfax Festival Update

Here is an overview of the upcoming Fairfax Festival, June 9-10, from Richard Pedemonte, Festival Chairman. There's always an excuse for a party if you live in Fairfax. Last year's festival was a grand celebration of the 75th anniversary of this great town. This year, we're determined to make the 30th anniversary of the festival an even bigger extravaganza.

Starting with the best parade in Marin, the festival kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday and features a stellar music lineup featuring incomparable Tasmanian Devils on Saturday and a rock opera, Bonnie Hayes and her band, and an all-star salute to Chuck Day on Sunday.

History tells us that Fairfaxians have been creating Fairfax festivals in various ways, shapes, and forms since at least 1911. In 1912 Tina Pastori was queen of the Fairfax Moonlight Festival and back in 1929 the volunteer fire department hosted a festival that drew "tens of thousands" of people and featured a "Hose Reel Race" with entries from fire departments from throughout the state. The 1969 Festival was a raucous affair with three stages of rock and roll, huge crowds, and lots of litter. At a subsequent Council meeting the police chief warned that if the festival continues "there's going to be big trouble in Fairfax" and one citizen recommended "outlawing stores such as antique shops and health food markets which attract the wrong element." Subsequently the committee resigned en masse and the festival ceased to exist until 1977. Hence 2007 is the 30th anniversary of the festival... as we know it.

Today the Fairfax Festival has grown into a wonderful community event that expresses the diverse interests and tastes of our great town. While the vibrant music scene that the town is known for is always the big draw, the Festival Committee makes a priority of keeping to our motto of providing "something for everyone" with a colorful flea market, arts and crafts, children’s area, great local food and microbrew, and the ever popular Ecofest. New this year is a teen stage in the Women's Club building. Be sure to check it out.

We are proud to say that that the festival is run totally by volunteers, a dedicated group of a dozen or so dynamic people, including local business owners, professionals, town employees, a council member, and two of our Parks and Recreation Commissioners. The modest profit we hope to make will be used exclusively for improvements to the festival and the grounds.

The Festival will kick-off on Friday, June 8^th with Film Night in the Park, featuring the March of the Penguins at 8:30 p.m. at the Fairfax Ballfield. The EcoFest at the Pavilion will once again feature organic wine and beer tasting, Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10 from 1-6 p.m. A lively collection of musical and art talent will also be featured at the EcoFest. Over 50 eco-friendly organizations and businesses will demonstrate and discuss eco-friendly living at the Pavilion. New this year is a Speakers’ Forum which will be held throughout the event, with speakers on various sustainability issues and ecological topics.

Festival Volunteers are still needed. A face painter is needed for the kids area - contact Yvonne at 847-7691. Volunteers are needed to fill various spots – contact Chris at
457-8687.

Please check out www.fairfaxfestival.com for more information, a marvelous and comprehensive site created by Steve Wyrostok.

Community Office hours coming your way

I am holding my next session of community office hours in the afternoon this time.

Thursday, May 24th 3 - 5 p.m. at BookBeat, 28 Bolinas Road

Please come by if there are any issues you wish to speak with me about regarding Town business. One of my goals is to help make your Town government open, accessible, and responsive, so I am not one to stay holed up in my office if I can help it. Although, there is enough work to keep me there 24/7! I may not be able to solve all of the problems you bring to me, but I will listen and help in any way that I can.

Special Meeting - BPAC and Waste

The special meeting for tomorrow night, Wed. May 23rd, looks like this:

6:30 p.m. - Interviews and appointments to newly-formed Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commitee (BPAC)

7:00 p.m. Workshop on Waste and Recycling Issues

Here is the agenda
http://www.town-of-fairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/5-23-07%20TC%20Agenda.pdf

Want to talk trash?

The Council will be holding a special public workshop on waste and recycling with a presentation by our waste hauler, Marin Sanitary, on Wednesday, May 23^rd at 7 p.m. in the Women’s Club. We will hear all about recycling, how we can increase our recycling, e-waste, and the future of waste management in Marin County. Learn how we can help save our planet and extend the life of our landfills. This will be a an opportunity to gain a practical understanding of the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and rot (compost).

Coffee Roasters changes hands

You may have noticed that our beloved Coffee Roasters closed today. The business was sold to new, local Fairfax based owners. The sign in the window says that within a few weeks the business will re-open, still as a coffee house.

Please don't give up on having your cup of morning java in Fairfax!!! Please visit Java Hut, Fairfix, BookBeat, Fat Angel Bakery, Barefoot Cafe, Amsterdam Cafe and Koffee Klatch. If I left anyone out, it was not intentional.

Please keep caffeining up in Fairfax! Our local businesses need your patronage.

Kick the Plastic Water Bottle Habit

Our waste hauler, Marin Sanitary, recently printed the following reminder in their newsletter regarding the need to reduce the number of water bottles in our waste stream. It is something we all might easily overlook in our desire to reduce waste, so I thought I'd share it here to get the word out.

A movement to eradicate plastic water bottles is making its way around the Bay Area. The City of San Francisco recently decided to eliminate bottled water in all county offices, electing to purchase water filters instead. Other cities are considering similar action to reduce plastic pollution.

You too can join the movement. Stop buying bottled water and consider a water filter for your home or office. Local Marin retailers want to help you. If you mention the Marin Sanitary newsletter article at Green Fusion Design Center in San Anselmo or at U.S. Pure Water-The Water Store in Greenbrae, they will give you a 10% discount on any drinking water system. The Water Store will also give you 10% off of a stainless steel Kleen Kanteen.

Kicking the plastic bottle habit will benefit your health, the environment, and save you money in the long run.

Welcome Sgt. Stuart Baker

Police Sergeant Stuart Baker started with the Town last week. He began his career in public safety in 1986 as a volunteer firefighter serving as an engineer and EMT in Sebastopol.He later received his Associate of Science Degree from Santa Rosa Junior College. In 1996 Stuart began his law enforcement career with the San Anselmo Police Department, where he served as a Field Training Officer, Detective and ultimately was promoted to Corporal. In 2004 Stuart was hired by the Novato Police Department where he has served until coming to Fairfax.

Sergeant Baker is happy to be back in the Ross Valley. Please join me in welcoming him to the Town!

Fat Tire Festival a great event!

Fairfax's celebration of the mountain bike was a success, thanks to the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and Velo Club Fairfax! Here are photos of one of the awesome bands, vintage bikes, and the free bike parking provided by MCBC.

Help BookBeat

I am providing this as a public service to help one of the last independent bookstores in Marin, and a Fairfax cultural landmark, BookBeat. We need to do all we can to help our locally-owned stores. Owner Gary Kleiman wrote the following:

HELP BOOKBEAT

THE TRUTH ABOUT BOOKBEAT BOOKBEAT NEEDS YOUR HELP. Everybody seems to believe that BookBeat is successful. Thriving, and growing richer every day. In some ways it is. It is rich in community. It is rich in it's music scene. It still holds it's own as an independent bookstore and cafe. Financially, however, BookBeat, is not doing well at all. I began BookBeat 8 years ago with the community in mind. I envisioned a place that would be vital to the social, artistic, and literary world in which we reside. A place that would support a 90 year old artist who had lost his memory, or a child with only one parent who could find help when in need. A place to showcase school aged poets and musicians. A place to meet and discuss how we can best live our lives. A place that could become emergency headquarters when we had a devastating flood. A place to show independent films. A place for kids to safely study after school while they wait for their parents. A place for us to meet and get to know the community in which we live. BookBeat has become all of this and more. And there has been much reward for me in this. However......I still have to feed myself and my 2 kids. As BookBeat has become busier, I have had to face the additional cost of more employees and also the rising cost of most goods. I have rarely been able to pay myself anything these past 8 years and in fact have borrowed a great deal of money to keep open the doors. And now I ask for your help. I am so thankful for everybody who already supports BookBeat. If you would like to see BookBeat remain open, here are some things you can do to help. 1. Shop as often as you can at the store. Do you have gifts to buy for others? We have books, hats, ceramics, shirts and sweatshirts, journals, gift certificates, and more. Meet friends there and have breakfast or lunch. Come out to our evening music events and enjoy food and drink. 2. Please, please, please, forward this email to anyone you know in driving distance to BookBeat. Spread the word that one of the last Independent Bookstore/Café/Music Venues is in great need of support. Not many of us want to see this building turned into a nail salon. 3. Sign up for the BookBeat email list so you can know what is happening. 4. Sign up to be on a list of volunteers who could help do things for the store when there isn't money available. (Such as hanging up flyers for upcoming events, painting walls, or even waiting tables during a busy evening). You can email me your contact information and let me know what things you could be called upon to help with. I love BookBeat and I know many of us in this community do also. Please help me keep the doors of BookBeat open. I can't do it without you. Thanks, gary

gary Kleiman BookBeat email: gary@bookbeatfairfax.com phone: 415-256-9060 web: http://www.bookbeatfairfax.com

Farmer's Market Open!

Today is the Fairfax Farmer's Market opening day! The Market will be open in Fairfax Park on Bolinas Road, each Wednesday 4-8 pm, through October. Come out and enjoy!!!

Manor Bridge ribbon-cutting

Today we held the official ribbon-cutting for the new bicycle and pedestrian bridge at Manor and Sir Francis Drake. The photos include Mayor Larry Bragman cutting the ribbon, and Safe Routes to School Director Wendi Kallins encouraging youngsters to bicycle safely to and from school.

Sustainable Fairfax Launches “Green Wednesday” with Reusable Bag Project

Message from Sustainable Fairfax:

Look for the Green Wednesday poster at the Fairfax Farmer’s Market

On May 16th, at the Fairfax Farmers Market, Sustainable Fairfax will be collaborating with The Inconvenient Group in an effort to eliminate plastic bags at the market. The two groups have joined efforts to produce reusable cloth bags that they will be handing out for free to people shopping at the market. Paints will be available for kids and adults to decorate the bags along with a demonstration on how to avoid using plastic bags at the market and in their daily lives.

This event is a kick off for our promotion of Green Wednesday. We will be celebrating the notion that every day is Earth Day by providing local residents with tips on ways they can reduce their environmental footprint throughout the year.

The motivation for the reusable bag project comes from research shared by Green Sangha that shows that plastic has become a monumental source of litter with 86% of ocean debris being plastic. Plastic is endangering wildlife and some studies show it could take up to 1,500 years to break down in a landfill. The EPA declared it a reproductive toxin in California Prop 65.

The Marin farmer’s market is currently working on providing non-plastic bags for all markets. Sustainable Fairfax and The Inconvenient Group are encouraging Marin County to pass an ordinance similar to San Francisco banning plastic bags at all Marin grocery stores.

For more information and to learn more about Sustainable Fairfax, visit www.sustainablefairfax.org.

MMWD Weed Tour

This afternoon, I participated in a 3-hour invasive species "weed tour" of the Marin Municipal Water District's lands around Lake Lagunitas. We learned about the different ways that MMWD has tried over the years to control the growth and spread of non-native species, specifically scotch and french broom. Mike Swezy of MMWD took the small group of 6 of us - including individuals from Corte Madera, Kentfield, San Rafael and Fairfax - on an informative show and tell tour of the watershed with respect to weed-control methods used, some more successful than others.

The following information was provided by MMWD: The District is preparing to update the Vegetation Management Program for the Mt. Tamalpais, Nicasio, and Soulajule Watersheds and is undertaking a study of all available weed control options, including the limited use of specific low-toxicity herbicides. This is a controversial issue, with implications that extend far beyond the limits of the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed or the MMWD service area.

The decision to include the potential use of herbicides in the study has already sparked considerable controversy. MMWD will soon publicize a schedule of public meetings and workshops where Marin residents can contribute to the direction of the study, voice their concerns, and get their questions answered by independent experts in weed management, wild fire risk reduction, environmental toxicology, water quality, organics, integrated pest management and toxics reduction.

MMWD also hosting a series of Mt. Tamalpais Watershed weed tours. The goal is to give community and environmental leaders an opportunity to see first hand the challenge posed by weeds and to learn how MMWD has strived to meet it. The 3 hour tour will depart the from the Sky Oaks Watershed Headquarters, just outside of Fairfax, and will visit a number of experimental weed control sites as well as part of the fuel break system designed to protect homes along the urban wildland interface. Each tour is limited to 9 attendees.

If you are interested in reserving space on one of the tours , please contact Janet Klein at 945-1192 or jklein@marinwater.org .

3rd Annual Fairfax Fat Tire Festival

The 3rd Annual Fairfax Fat Tire Festival will be held on Saturday & Sunday, May 12-13, and is being co-sponsored by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and Velo Club Fairfax. The Festival is held to promote cycling and celebrate Fairfax as the birthplace of the mountain bike. On Saturday, May 12th, the events will be held in and around the Fairfax Women's Club on Park Road. View the Festival events at http://www.town-of-fairfax.org/News/Fat_Tire_Festival07.pdf

New Bridge in Place!

Today, a new foot and bike bridge was installed at Manor Circle and Sir Francis Drake, next to the present vehicular bridge. The prefabricated bridge was delivered and craned into place, an exciting event for the Town! A collaborative effort provided funding for the project. The bridge is a Safe Routes to School (SR2S) project and was paid for through a state grant of $430,000, Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) funding of $160,000 and Town funds of $50,000. The entire project, once completed, will encompass new and improved Golden Gate Transit bus stop shelters on either side of Sir Francis Drake near the bridge, adjacent sidewalks for walkers and bicyclists to access the bridge, new sidewalks from Marin Road to Olema Road which were installed earlier this year, and will include cross-walks and pedestrian activated signals. The goal of the Safe Routes to Schools program is to reduce local congestion around schools by increasing the number of children walking and biking to school. Fairfax was the first community in Marin County to adopt the SR2S program, but the program’s popularity and adoption around the state is growing. The recommendation for the pedestrian/bicycle bridge emerged from community meetings about improving the Town of Fairfax. The SR2S project has organized families and neighbors to walk to school together and has developed educational programs to teach kids to do it safely. Councilmember David Weinsoff is the Town's liaison to the Safe Routes to Schools program.

Congratulations to Public Works Director Debra Sue Johnson for successfully coordinating this exciting project!

Applicants wanted for new Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee

Press Release - May 1, 2007

The Town of Fairfax is forming an ad-hoc Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). The BPAC’s charge will be to assist with coordinating the County-wide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update with respect to Fairfax. In addition, the BPAC will work collaboratively with San Anselmo and San Rafael to ensure a seamless and coordinated East-West corridor plan for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The time commitment to the BPAC will run concurrent with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update, anticipated through December 2007. It is expected that one meeting would be held per month, for approximately two hours in duration.

The BPAC shall consist of five members of the Fairfax community. Applicants should be residents of the Town of Fairfax, registered to vote, and self-identified cyclists and/or pedestrians. Application should be made by completing at Town Commission and Committee application form (available on the Town’s website on the Boards and Commissions page at www.townoffairfax.org) and from the Town Clerk, 458-2343, and submitting it to the Town of Fairfax no later than Friday, May 18, 2007. Appointments will be made by the Town Council on May 23, 2007.

For more information, please contact Debra Sue Johnson, Public Works Director, at 453-0291 or Linda Kelly, Town Manager, at 458-2345.