New Disaster Preparedness Program - Get Ready

Please click to view the announcement about the new "Get Ready - Ross Valley" two-hour disaster preparedness program for residents of the Ross Valley.

Geomorphic Assessment of Fairfax Creeks

Please see this flyer for a presentation coming up in November on our creeks.

Annual Volunteer Creek Clean-up

Fairfax Volunteers will be once again be coordinating our annual creek clean-up on Sunday, Oct. 14^th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the Youth Center at 16 Park Road that morning, and then be sent out to the areas of the creek that need attention. Volunteers will enjoy coffee and scones donated by Chad’s Grill the morning of the event, and pizza and sodas donated by Ghiringhelli’s following the event at 1:00 p.m.

Open Space Committee Fundraiser

Here's a press release from the Fairfax Open Space Committee:

Contact: Jack Judkins at: 415-456-5503 or jbjudkins@comcast.net

Who: Fairfax Open Space Committee

What: FAMILIES FLIPPING FLAPJACKS FOR FAIRFAX OPEN SPACE, an Organic Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser

Where: Fairfax Women's Club, 46 Park Road, Fairfax

Why: Raise funds to purchase and preserve open space in Fairfax

When: Saturday, October 13th from 9:30am to 12:30pm

Delicious organic pancake breakfast

Music: Miss Kitty (10 am-11 am)

Native American Drummers

Raffle for a bicycle

Tickets at the door:

$10 adults

$4 children under age 12

$20 family of four

The Fairfax Open Space Committee was founded three years ago to preserve open space in and around Fairfax. The committee was key in acquiring a pristine nine-acre redwood grove, home to spotted owls, in Cascade Canyon.

The Committee’s goals include saving natural lands for recreation and wildlife corridors and linking our town’s open spaces with existing Marin open spaces wherever possible. We are working in collaboration with other groups in an effort to acquire additional properties that will preserve the beautiful ridgelines and open space located in and around our town.

Families Flipping Flapjacks for Fairfax Open Space, an Organic Pancake Breakfast, is to help raise awareness and funds for these projects, which will preserve our beautiful natural environment for future generations.

Town Hall Flag Display

At the September 19th Council meeting, the Council directed staff to fly the Town Hall Flag at half-staff each Friday until directed otherwise by Council.

The vote on the motion was:
Ayes: Maggiore, Tremaine, Weinsoff
Noes: None
Absent: Brandborg
Abstain: Bragman

Council Members wished to explain their votes publicly as follows:

“The flying of our federal and California state flags at half-staff provides a daily reminder to us all of the service men and women who have sacrificed their lives in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
David Weinsoff, Council Member

"I am a mother. I believe that every child is my child. The deaths of these young men and women in this dreadful war upsets me deeply. We as peace activists continue struggle to end this wretched conflict. Everything we gesture we can make to stop the agony, for us and for the Iraqi people, we must do."
Mary Ann Maggiore, Vice Mayor

“While I abhor the war, I abstained from the Council's decision to display the flag at half mast every week. The display of the flag is controlled under the United States Code which requires a proclamation from the Governor. Governor Schwarzenegger declined to issue such a proclamation in spite of this council's request.

Governor Schwarzenegger, himself, lowers the flag to half staff to commemorate the death of each day that a Californian killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. I believe the Town of Fairfax is legally entitled to do the same thing but I do not believe that it has the legal authority to go beyond that.

The United States flag stands for the rule under law and I do not wish to inadvertently offend the family or friends of the volunteers who have sacrificed their lives to uphold those values.”

Larry Bragman, Mayor

Sept. 19th Council meeting actions

The Town Council held its second meeting of the month on Wednesday, September 19^th and took the following actions:

· Appeal: Council heard an appeal on 183 Frustuck Avenue and decided to continue the matter to the second Council meeting in October to allow the applicant time to prepare and explain the design elements of the planned house.

· Council authorized the Town Manager and Council Member Weinsoff to request the University of California Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy to undertake a project relating to the Town’s current economic challenges and provide recommendations on revenue enhancement.

· Council approved a Proclamation commending the newly-formed Northern California Girl Scouts, at the request of Vice Mayor Maggiore, who serves as the Director of Girl Scouts Save the Bay.

· At the request of Vice Mayor Maggiore, Council adopted a resolution urging the Transportation Authority of Marin to persuade employers to implement telecommuting and flex time in order to lessen peak traffic.

· Council discussed a social host liability ordinance to address the problem of underage drinking parties. Council directed staff to draft a civil penalty enforcement ordinance, find out if Council members can act as administrative hearing officers, and whether the Town can use small claims court as a venue for the hearings.

· Vice Mayor Maggiore presented an update on Ross Valley Fire negotiations with neighboring agencies. The Town of Ross has decided to enter into a joint powers agreement discussion with the City of Larkspur, and Ross Valley Fire has now entered into discussions with the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District regarding full voting membership in Ross Valley Fire. Council concurred that the discussions with Sleepy Hollow should continue.

· After deliberation on the issue of the American flag display in front of Town Hall, which was an item requested by Council Member Weinsoff, Council directed staff to fly the flag in front of Town Hall at half-staff every Friday. (See next post for explanation)

· At the request of Council Member Weinsoff, Council discussed a proposal to put into place formal rules for selecting the Mayor and Vice Mayor. Council decided to take up this matter again in December.

· Council engaged in a discussion requested by Council Member Weinsoff regarding potential consolidation of public works management with San Anselmo, and decided to take no action on the issue.

· Council carried forward the following items to the next meeting: First reading of an ordinance permitting the use of tandem parking for the second dwelling unit amnesty program (Brandborg); Report from Joint Fairfax-San Anselmo shared services subcommittee (Brandborg/Tremaine); Discussion and consideration of first reading of an ordinance restricting residential car washing to prevent polluting runoff into the storm drains (Brandborg); Discussion and consideration of an ordinance restricting the use of leaf blowers (Maggiore).

· The award of bid for the lighted pedestrian crosswalk project on Sir Francis Drake at Oak Tree Lane will be made at the October 3^rd meeting due to the bid date being changed to September 26^th.

Meeting on Emergency Warning Siren

In order to address community disaster preparedness needs, including early warning systems for fire and flood, the Town has proposed the installation of a three-siren emergency warning system. As part of this effort, the Town is holding a neighborhood meeting to discuss the installation of an emergency warning siren for the Cascade Canyon area. We are seeking resident input to determine an optimal location. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 24th, 7:00 p.m., Fairfax Women’s Club, 46 Park Road.

Resolution urging creation of a bus pass system

At the Sept. 5th Council meeting, at the request of Council Member Lew Tremaine, the Town Council adopted the attached resolution, requesting the Marin County Transit District to begin a monthly bus pass fare system. Such a system could encourage the use of public transit and in turn take more vehicles off of the road, helping to provide relief to our crowded roadways. Click the image to enlarge.

Additional report available

Item #5, the Financial Report for July-August 2007, was not ready for the Sept. 19th Council agenda packet on Friday and it has now been posted here.
http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/

Town Council Meeting Sept. 19th

The packet for the next Council meeting is now available at this link:
http://www.townoffairfax.org/TownCouncil/TownCouncilPacket/

Town Council actions

Council Action: The Town Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, September 5^th and took the following actions:

• Youth Commission: Council interviewed and appointed Jacob Mooney to serve on the Fairfax Youth Commission.
• Appeal: Council heard an appeal on 75 Rocca Drive, and upheld the decision of the Planning Commission to require the applicant to comply with the conditions to require two off-street parking spaces before an occupancy permit is granted, and to require review of the project by the Design Review Board.
• Bus Passes: At the request of Council Member Tremaine, Council adopted a resolution requesting that Marin County Transit District begin a monthly bus pass fare system as expeditiously as possible.
• Creek Road Bridge: Council heard a status report on the repair of Creek Road Bridge. The repair has been delayed while the Town receives the necessary environmental permitting documentation and approval from the State. Once the State signs off on the project, the bridge will be repaired to its pre-flood condition and will be open to all vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian use. The Council heard from many people who would like the bridge to remain closed to vehicles on a permanent basis in order to lessen traffic in the area, as well as from those who would like the bridge re-opened as soon as possible. The Town, in order to qualify for the repair funding of $500,000+, must repair and re-open the bridge to its pre-flood use. The issue of traffic calming in the area of Creek Road will be taken up separately by a subcommittee of Council Members Susan Brandborg and Lew Tremaine.
• Countywide Plan: At the request of Mayor Bragman, the Council adopted a resolution supporting the strongest proposed environmental protections for stream conservation areas and the Baylands Corridor under the Marin Countywide Plan.
• 300 Olema Flood project: Council heard an update on the 300 Olema flood mitigation project which is currently at a standstill while the Town further negotiates with the property owner on the project’s impacts.
• Impervious Surface Runoff: At the request of Mayor Bragman, Council directed staff to formulate amendments to the Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program ordinance and the Zoning Code to encourage the use of permeable surfaces to decrease runoff into creeks and storm water drainage channels, in order to decrease the contribution to flooding.
• Residential car washing: At the request of Council Member Brandborg, Council directed staff to draft an ordinance which would not allow residential car washing in the street or in driveways if the runoff would flow into storm drainage channels leading to the creek.

Due to the lateness of the hour, the following three items were carried over to our second meeting of the month on September 19^th:

• Adoption of Resolution No. 2499, a resolution of the Town Council outlining the policy for the selection of the Mayor and Vice Mayor by the Town Council, Weinsoff
• Introduction and first reading of Ordinance No. 723 amending Ordinance No. 721 to permit the use of tandem parking in the residential second unit amnesty program, Brandborg
• Update on Ross Valley Fire Board discussions with neighboring agencies, Maggiore

Townwide Picnic Sept. 16th!

The Fairfax Volunteers are happy to announce that the second annual Townwide Picnic will be held on Sunday, September 16th from Noon to 5 p.m. at the Fairfax Ballfield. The event is a day of family-oriented events, a tasty community potluck (don’t forget to bring a dish!), games and activities, local art in the making, and more! The event admission is free, and food will also be available for purchase (aside from the free potluck). Music will feature the Liddypudlians with a Beatles salute. The Volunteers are seeking sponsors and volunteers. See http://www.fairfaxvolunteers.org/celebrate.htm

Fairfax makes news in solar

Northern California Solar Energy Association recently ranked Fairfax in the top 10 for number of solar projects for small cities (less than 10,000 population) in the Bay Area. See this link:

http://www.norcalsolar.org/local-activism/bay-area-solar-installs-2007-6.html#top10system

Sierra Club's Solar Permit Fee Study recently noted Fairfax as one of the "20 least expensive" permit fees for solar installation, citing our "$0" fee. See this link:

http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/global_warming/fee_study.htm

Town Council Meeting Sept. 5th

Here is the agenda for our next Town Council meeting on Wed., Sept. 5th at 7:30 p.m. (Sorry, this program doesn't allow me to sort these pages in the right order.)

Creek Road Bridge Repair Update

After many months of delay, on August 16^th, the Town received notice from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the biological opinion on the Creek Road Bridge repair project has been completed. The opinion is required for compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

Creek Road Bridge in Fairfax was damaged by the flood waters of the December 31, 2005 disaster. The bridge was initially closed then reopened to foot and bicycle traffic only, and then when engineers detected movement of the bridge in December 2006, the bridge was closed to all use and has been closed since, pending the environmental permitting process. The bridge is a FEMA project as a result of the disaster, and all repairs and work must be completed in accordance with Federal and State regulations.

The proposed work is to repair approximately 130 feet of bridge embankment damaged by the high stream flow, to prevent further erosion of the stream bank which supports the bridge. Temporary fill needs to be removed and fill material will be placed and compacted as a backfill.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued 7 conservation measures and 19 terms and conditions in order for the Town to be in compliance with the Endangered Species Act. As such, the Town will need to take various measures to protect red legged frogs and their habitat, and well as protect any bats, pond turtles, and any other native reptiles and amphibians found during the course of the bridge repair.

The Town is working to expedite the next step of approval from the State Office of Emergency Services (OES) in order that the Town can bid for the project work. It is anticipated that if OES approval is received soon, the Town will be able to have the work completed prior to the 2007 rainy season. Once the repair is complete, Creek Road Bridge would return to full capacity for use by vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

A status report on Creek Road Bridge is slated for the Town Council meeting of September 5^th. We are aware that the bridge and its usage has become a controversial issue, with advocates asking that we keep it closed to vehicles on a permanent basis. We have received many emails and we received petitions last year on this issue. In my opinion, the larger issue that we need to discuss is traffic calming in the area of Creek Road. The bridge closure has given the neighborhood the experience of lessened traffic, and we all like that effect for our own neighborhoods. This was an unintended, but I understand welcome, effect of the flood damage. The Town needs to follow State and Federal guidelines and repair the bridge to its pre-flood state, else we will risk the funding for this project. We also need to ensure swift police and fire access during emergencies. I invite us to have a larger community conversation on traffic calming and making the area safer for the residents of the affected streets, and I will be asking the Town Council to address this issue.

Joint meeting on planning issues

The Town Council is holding a joint meeting with the Planning Commission and General Plan Advisory Committee on Thursday, September 6^th at 7:00 p.m. in the Women’s Club to discuss the following issues:

• Status of Mixed Use Overlay Zone Ordinance
• Status of General Plan Elements
• Pending Ordinances under review by Planning Commission

The meeting is open to the public.

Power Demand Alert

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), charged with managing the electricity grid in California, has issued a Flex Alert for both Wednesday, August 29th and Thursday, August 30th.

Due to the current hot weather, the demand for electricity is approaching capacity. As a result, state officials have called a Flex Alert. It's urgent that you:

- Turn off all unnecessary lights
- If you must use an air conditioner, turn it up to 78 degrees or higher
- Postpone using major appliances until after 7:00 PM

For updates, please visit www.FlexYourPower.org.

New Crosswalk at Manor School

As part of the "Safe Routes to Schools" program, a new crosswalk was installed on Oak Manor Drive at Manor School to improve pedestrian safety. The attached letter was recently mailed from County Supervisor Hal Brown to Manor Elementary School families.

Committee Meetings

Our citizen committees are at the core of how we integrate the ideas and energies of the community in the process of planning, programs and services. Next week, the Volunteer Board, Tree Committee, Open Space Committee, Citizens' Disaster Council, and General Plan Advisory Committee all hold their regular meetings.

To keep up to date on Town meetings, please visit our Calendar on the Town website at http://www.townoffairfax.org/Calendar/.

Debra Sue Johnson Leaves for Corte Madera

We are saddened to announce that Debra Sue Johnson, Public Works Director, has accepted the Public Works Manager position with the Town of Corte Madera. Debra Sue previously worked as a consultant for Corte Madera for 12 years before joining Fairfax. She is returning to fill a very important role for their town and will be working for Corte Madera Town Manager Dave Bracken, formerly their Public Works Director, and mentor to Debra Sue.

Debra Sue joined the Town of Fairfax in 2005 and seven months later, the flood hit. Immediately she was on the scene mobilizing staff and resources to restore safety to our roads and to assess the damage. She navigated the Town through a very trying period of time with our FEMA projects and secured funding for several grant funded public works projects. During this time, Debra Sue also made time to study and complete her Bachelor’s degree. We all benefited from Debra Sue’s talent and dedication, and we wish her the best of success in Corte Madera. Her last day with the Town of Fairfax will be Sept. 7th.