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Ken Nordhoff - City Manager ken.nordhoff@cityofsanrafael.org

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February 26, 2009
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Thursday, February 26, 2009 February 26, 2009 Posted by: Ken Nordhoff at 11:09:59 PM Good News from the Feds San Rafael will be getting about $1 million in Federal Stimulus dollars to pay for road projects throughout the City. This is the first sign that we are seeing progress in the proposed projects that we asked our congressional leaders to consider when passing the Stimulus bill several months ago. We requested funding in several areas, including road projects, energy improvements, and Canal dredging dollars. As you might imagine, navigating through the maze of logistics involved in applying for these funds is a challenge. I have put in place a team that beginning Monday, March 2^nd, will pour through the complex variety of Stimulus programs, to make sure we are taking advantage of every opportunity to get these dollars in our local economy. We will coordinate and communicate with residents and businesses as we examine how these programs may serve a broader community base. I will continue to keep you updated on our progress. Preparing for Storms, One Drain at a Time With our recent storms, and more to come over the weekend, our street maintenance crews have been out in force, clearing drains to prevent flooding. Did you know the City is divided up into nine storm zones with one worker designated for each zone? Crews are continually clearing storm drains, cleaning ditches, removing debris, and testing the critical flood control pumping stations. This strategy is working since our Public Works Department says that no one has called to report a problem, even during the larger storm that produced over 4½ inches of rain. By taking this proactive approach, we help the community and save dollars by not having to call in workers off hours. By the way, if you do want to report a drainage problem during working hours, you can call the Street Maintenance division at 485-3373 or 485-3000 (nights and weekends). On Track Now that voters have approved the SMART train rail service from Sonoma to Marin, we are gearing up for the eventual construction of two stops that will be located in San Rafael. One of the stations will be built at the Civic Center, the other Downtown, adjacent to the Transit Center. SMART is currently working on the rail line design and City staff are assisting with some of the planning and engineering details as they impact our streets and the flow of traffic. Over the next couple of years, we will be busy looking at the areas around the new stations and planning for bicycle and pedestrian connections to other parts of the City, applying for “Quiet Zones,” and putting plans in place for emergency preparedness. We will also be looking at development opportunities that connect housing, work and transportation. Construction on the SMART line is set to begin in two years, with the train up and running by 2014. For a complete overview of the project, please click here. Booming Business at the Library Our hard economic times are having an impact on our libraries as more people are taking advantage of the resources they offer. City Librarian David Dodd tells me that we’ve seen higher circulation numbers, more library cards, and even more use of our free Internet and wi-fi over the past six months. People use our libraries to help in job searches, to find community resources, and to stock up on books, music, and movies. At the Pickleweed library we’ve seen a 25% rise in circulation over the previous year. At a time when many are suffering economically, it’s good to see that a service can provide such value. Please click here to view the library page. Community Events and Reminders Art Talk on Artistic Luxury Docent and lecturer Kay Payne will give an illustrated talk on the exhibition “Artistic Luxury,” currently on display at the Legion of Honor. She will speak at 1 p.m., Wednesday, March 4, in the San Rafael City Council Chambers, 1400 Fifth Ave. This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the San Rafael Library. For more information, call 485-3321. Hunger Walk Come out with your friends, family and neighbors to raise funds and awareness in response to hunger in the world and our community. On Sunday, March 8, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Individuals or groups are invited to join the walk, a 3-mile loop in downtown San Rafael that begins and ends at the St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room, 820 B Street. Proceeds go to international hunger projects and these local agencies: Marin Community Food Bank, Canal Alliance Food Pantry, Novato Human Needs Center, and the St. Vincent Dining Room. For more information, contact Patty Sanders (515-6127) or pattytri@sbcglobal.net.
Thursday, February 19, 2009 February 19, 2009 Posted by: Ken Nordhoff at 5:52:21 PM Budget Deal Struck It’s finally arrived, a state budget that lawmakers have agreed is the best solution for dealing with a $42 billion deficit. The deal, reached early Thursday morning, includes $12.8 billion in tax increases, $15 billion in spending cuts, and $11.4 billion in borrowing. There are two pieces of good news that comes with this budget in terms of its impact on San Rafael and other cities across California. There will be no borrowing of our local property tax, Proposition 42 local streets and roads money or redevelopment funds. Also, construction projects that would have been suspended can resume and thousands of workers can keep their jobs building our major infrastructure projects. The bad news is that excessive amounts of borrowing and shifting monies from one program to another are strategies that have not worked well in the past, nor will they truly resolve the long-term State problems. This budget package is not dealing with the real issue of solving our State’s structural deficit problem. I believe this deal offers some temporary relief, but the borrowing portion is contingent upon voter approval. In addition, with the continued downturn in the economy, revenue projections the budget is based on now could look very different in a few months. Stay tuned. Federal Stimulation Not a Solution to Local Budget Woes The State will get some relief from the $789.5 billion Federal Stimulation Package which was recently passed by congress. In it there will be money for transportation, education, health care, housing and energy projects. The City is taking a close look at where we might be able to use some of the funds for our services and programs. However, it is important to note that none of the federal money will go toward solving our General Fund budgetary challenges. With the downturn in the economy we have taken a hit to some of our biggest revenue generators, primarily sales tax. As a result, we are currently facing a $2.1 million deficit that could rise to $3 million or more by July 1^st. One bright spot is that we are expecting to get some federal funding for our street resurfacing project and energy efficiency programs. I will keep you posted. Alternative Transportation Projects Get Green light We are moving forward with our plans to build five new bicycle and pedestrian projects around the City after getting the approval from Councilmembers on Tuesday night. We are moving on this right away as time is running out to use our $2.8 federal funding by the December deadline. The Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Project (NTPP) will also include accessibility and safety improvements for those who walk, bike or are disabled. I’m happy to see these projects taking place during these hard economic times, especially with so many positive aspects for the community, including reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging other means of ‘getting around town’. For a full listing of the NTPP projects that will soon be underway, click here. Wet Weather Ahead It’s nice to see the sun shining again after ten days of rain and cold temperatures. However, the wet weather is expected to return over the weekend, giving us even more relief from what was shaping up to be a dismally dry winter. While there are no storm warnings in effect, because the ground is so saturated, some isolated areas may experience some flooding. This is a good time to remind residents and businesses that our Office of Emergency Services division has compiled a list of Winter Preparedness tips. Click here for information that you will need in case of an emergency. Community Events and Reminders Museum Exhibit Opens March 3 "Growing the Future" celebrates the rich heritage of family run farms and ranches in Marin, continuing the legacy of locally produced food. The exhibit is presented in the Marin History Museum's Boyd Gate House galleries at 1125 B Street in San Rafael. For more information, phone (415) 454-8538, or visit online at www.marinhistory.org Exhibit Hours are from 11:00am - 4:00pm, Tuesday - Friday plus 2nd & 3rd Saturdays of the month. Hunger Walk On Sunday, March 8, 2:30 to 4:30, I invite you to join a fun community event to raise funds and awareness in response to hunger in the world and our community. Individuals or groups are invited to join the walk, a 3-mile loop in downtown San Rafael that begins and ends at the St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room, 820 B Street. Proceeds go to international hunger projects and these local agencies: Marin Community Food Bank, Canal Alliance Food Pantry, Novato Human Needs Center, and the St. Vincent Dining Room. For more information, contact Patty Sanders (515-6127) or pattytri@sbcglobal.net. A great way to get up and do something!
Thursday, February 12, 2009 February 12, 2009 Posted by: Ken Nordhoff at 5:59:02 PM Leveraging Resources Makes Good Sense You have heard in recent months about our declining City revenues based on a significant drop in one of our main sources of income, sales tax revenues. The City is now facing a $2 million budget deficit that is expected to grow as our economy continues to sink further into recession. As such, we at the City are in the process of preparing strategies that will help lower our costs while maintaining a level of service our residents and businesses expect. I will be writing more about this in the coming weeks. For now I would like to give you a good example of one of the innovative cost cutting measures that will be considered by the City Council on Tuesday, February 17. Our Fire Chief, Chris Gray has put together a proposal that will consolidate the local dispatch center with the county system, known as the Marin County Public Safety Communications Center (Comm Center). This will centralize the coordination of our fire and medical emergency responses on a regional level, which improves efficiency, reduces costs, not to mention saves lives and property. In making this move, the San Rafael Fire Department will join with 17 other Marin fire and law enforcement agencies that are currently being dispatched by Marin County. In addition, the cost savings to our City budget would be about $225,000 a year. This service option is the kind of strategy that just makes good economic sense, and gives us an opportunity to cooperate with neighboring governmental agencies to consolidate or regionalize services that improve efficiency and save public dollars. In the next edition of Snapshot, I will update you on additional efforts underway at the City to reduce costs. City Council to Vote on Non-Motorized Transportation Plans On Tuesday, February 17, councilmembers will decide on whether to move forward with design plans for alternative modes of transportation projects. It’s called the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Projects (NTPP), and the main purpose is to get more people out of their cars by giving them better access to sidewalks, bike paths and the City’s main transportation hub. There are five projects included in the program which will create miles of new bicycle and walking lanes in the City as early as next December. The projects include: Puerto Suello Path Transit Center Connector, Mahon Creek Path Transit Center Connector; Terra Linda North San Rafael Improvements, Northgate Gap Closure Improvements, and Francisco Boulevard East Improvements. To get more information about this program, please call the Public Works Department at 485-3355. You can also click here on the City’s Current Projects webpage to find out more about the NTPP program. The federal government awarded Marin County $25 million to promote walking and biking county-wide, $2.8 million of that is targeted for San Rafael’s projects. New Marin Vanpools can receive $3,600 The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) and 511 Rideshare are offering financial assistance to new vanpools with a Marin County origin or destination of up to $3,600 in cash. The goal is to motivate Marin County commuters away from solo-driving. With the opening of the new southbound HOV (diamond) lane, commuters who travel in a vanpool, carpool, Marin Transit or Golden Gate Transit bus will save time along Highway 101. People interested in starting or joining a vanpool can call 511 and say “rideshare” and ask for a vanpool specialist. Or, go to 511.org and click “rideshare” for more information. Additionally, people can visit the TAM website at: www.tam.ca.gov for details. Neighborhood Page Are you looking for ways to connect with your neighbors, businesses, schools or other groups in your community? We have just added a Neighborhood page to our website that provides contact information on your neighborhood associations. Many people don’t even know they can get involved in their community through their associations. Please click here to see a listing of the current contact information we have compiled under “Residents” on our City webpage. Community Events and Reminders Master Gardener’s Help Falkirk Bloom Hundreds of hours of volunteer labor by the Marin Master Gardeners have transformed the grounds at Falkirk. The two new gardens are beautiful and have greatly enhanced Falkirk’s entry drive. The lovely Mediterranean garden representing the world’s five Mediterranean climate zones is fully planted with well adapted specimens for Marin County. Please come by to take a look at these wonderful additions to Falkirk Cultural Center or visit the Falkirk website to see Garden Photos. Both gardens feature drought resistant plants and will educate the public to wise-water use. Second Friday Art Walk Art Works Downtown is starting its "Second Friday Art Walk," beginning on February 13, 6 to 8 p.m. This ongoing Walk Downtown features the galleries and many retailers along Fourth Street, which includes new exhibits, receptions, and events. It’s great to see local artists in action. For more information about Art Works Downtown, click here. City Offices Closed All City offices will be closed on Monday, February 16 in observance of President’s Day.
Thursday, February 05, 2009 February 5, 2009 Posted by: Ken Nordhoff at 5:26:08 PM Tossed out Food Creates Renewable Energy Did you know that approximately 50% of the solid waste collected in central Marin County is discarded food? The decomposition of food waste in the landfill creates methane gas that contributes to our carbon footprint. Central Marin Sanitary Agency (CMSA) and Marin Sanitary Services (MSS) are taking a progressive approach to reducing greenhouse gas by turning food into energy. It’s called the Food Waste-to-Energy Program. A recently completed study showed that food waste could supplement the existing biogas used to run the CMSA plant and divert up to 15 tons of food waste per day from the landfill. This renewable source of power could provide enough energy to keep the CMSA treatment plant operating 24 hours a day on biogas. I am happy to see this program move forward as it is directly in line with the City’s proposed Climate Change Action Plan goals to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. To view the Food Waste-to-Energy report, please click here. Northgate Shaping Up It doesn’t seem that long ago that construction got underway on the renovation of the Mall at Northgate. Now, much of the interior work on the east side of the Mall is wrapping up, including the installation of skylights in the center of the Mall, which will give the space an open feel and reduce air conditioning costs during the warmer parts of the year. Next steps include individual tenants submitting building permits to create their storefronts and make interior improvements. I can tell you that Kohl’s plans are moving forward for modifications of the Mervyns store, with the goal of occupying the space by the time the Mall conststruction is completed by Thanksgiving. Hot off the Press Our Critical Facilities Committee is reaching out to the public through a new editorial that appeared in Wednesday’s Marin Independent Journal. We are continuing our efforts to keep residents and businesses informed about the need for updating our essential public buildings. To view the article, click here. Seeking Citizen of the Year Award Nominations There’s still time to nominate a person who has made an exceptional contribution to the City of San Rafael as Citizen of the Year. This award is in honor of the former planning commissioner Richard O’Brien who devoted years of service to making the City a better place to live and work. Anyone may nominate an individual, and more than one nomination for an individual is welcome. Nominations are due Friday, February 13, 2009, by 5:00 p.m to the Community Development Department at City Hall. (P.O. Box 151560, San Rafael, CA 94915-1560 or FAX: 415.485.3184). Nomination forms are available online at www.cityofsanrafael.org. Contact Community Development Director Bob Brown for additional information at 485-3090. Community Events and Reminders City Planning Academy The San Rafael 2009 Planning Academy is almost here. This seven-week course, held on Thursday evenings, starts on Thursday, February 12. You will learn how to improve a proposed development in your neighborhood, and get a good understanding of the design, traffic and housing aspects involved in planning. The first class will be at the San Rafael Corporate Center, 750 Lindaro Lane. You can register online at eplay.livelifelocally.com or through Community Services at 485-3333. Please Click here for a flyer. Join the Get Ready Effort If you’re looking for a good way to help your community prepare for a disaster, you might want to consider becoming a volunteer Get Ready instructor. You have the opportunity to learn and contribute at our next Get Ready Train-the-trainer program on Thursday, February 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at San Rafael City Hall. Our Office of Emergency Services (OES) will be hosting the course where you will learn about the Get Ready program, presentation strategies, and how you will work with OES to host a training. We’ve had requests from Rotary Clubs, Mother’s Clubs, Women’s Groups, church groups, schools, neighborhood associations, running clubs, you name it! The program is largely successful because of an awesome volunteer instructor crew that helps us to continue to bring these trainings to our community. The Get Ready program is presented in a fun, easy-to-embrace way, really showing folks the simple and necessary things they can do to be better prepared in the event of a disaster. If you’re interested in attending the training, please send an email to sanrafaelprepare@cityofsanrafael.org or call OES at 458-5002 to sign-up. Sing to Promote Literacy and Have Fun Tickets are still available, but going fast, for the Third Annual Love of Literacy Movie and Sing-Along at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, Fourth and A Streets in Downtown San Rafael. This event is a benefit for Marin Literacy program. For more information, visit www.marinliteracy.org You can buy your $25 ticket in person at the Downtown library or fill out the Guys and Dolls Order Form and send it in. See you at the movies. Art Walk Gets Underway Art Works Downtown and Artisans are delighted to announce "Second Fridays,” an ongoing Art Walk for Downtown San Rafael. Each month the galleries and many retailers along Fourth Street will host artists and art work, featuring new exhibits, receptions, and related events. The walk takes place the second Friday of every month, starting, Friday, February 13 from 6 to 8 P.M.