📸 Snapshot: City Council meeting agenda, unpermitted food vending, LGBTQ+ Pride month, and more!

This Monday, the San Rafael City Council will review a new three-year Strategic Plan that outlines the City’s priorities, goals, and objectives.

Why it matters:
The Strategic Plan serves as a guiding framework for the City’s decisions, budgets, and programs. It ensures we concentrate on the initiatives that are most important to our community, while effectively aligning staff efforts and resources.

What’s in the plan:
The 2025–2028 Strategic Plan includes over 100 specific objectives across seven priority areas:

• Economic Development & Neighborhood Vitality

• Mobility & Infrastructure

• Sustainability & Resilience

• Housing & Homelessness

• Quality of Life: Safety & Wellbeing

• High Performing Government

• Equity, Access, Belonging & Opportunity for All

The plan also highlights a renewed commitment to core City services, such as emergency response, infrastructure maintenance, code enforcement, parks and libraries, and community programming.

What’s next:
Once adopted, City departments will begin translating the plan into detailed workplans and budgets. Progress will be tracked and shared with the public through annual updates and the City’s online performance dashboard.

On May 13, the San Rafael Planning Commission approved a proposal to build 210 new apartments at 930 Irwin Street, located at the corner of 4th and Irwin in Downtown San Rafael.

About the project:
Mill Creek Residential plans to construct an 8-story building that will replace three existing commercial buildings. The project includes:

• 18 apartments set aside for low-income households

• On-site amenities including a fitness room, coworking space, rooftop terrace, and outdoor pool

• Parking for 222 vehicles and 342 bicycles

The applicant also requested design review and permission to merge three parcels into one development site.

To learn more about the 930 Irwin St project and other planning projects submitted to the City for review, visit the Planning Division website.

The City of San Rafael is ramping up enforcement of unpermitted food vending to address public health and safety concerns. The City is working closely with County of Marin Environmental Health Services, the agency responsible for licensing and regulating food vendors throughout Marin.

Why it matters:
Unpermitted food vending operates outside health and safety regulations and creates an uneven playing field for businesses that follow the rules. The City is prioritizing a fair and safe approach—combining enforcement with education and support for vendors to become permitted.

What’s happening:

• The San Rafael Police Department is regularly patrolling high-activity areas with Spanish-speaking officers.

• Officers will distribute information on how to obtain proper permits while addressing illegal vending activity.

Looking ahead: These efforts are part of a broader City goal to foster fair, safe, and legal business practices—while exploring longer-term solutions that promote economic opportunity for food vendors.

Join the San Rafael City Council and staff as we raise the Pride Flag at City Hall to kick off LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

The event will include brief remarks from Mayor Kate Colin and Rev. Dr. Janie Spahr — longtime advocate, former SF Pride Parade Community Grand Marshal, and co-founder of Marin’s LGBTQ+ Community Center.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Monday, June 2
🕛 Time: Promptly at 5:45 p.m., before the City Council meeting
📍 Location: San Rafael City Hall, 1400 Fifth Ave.

All are welcome as we mark the beginning of Pride Month and celebrate San Rafael’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community.

Have a lamp, small appliance, textile, or bike in need of repair? Don’t toss it — bring it to the Repair Fair and give it a second life!

How it works:
Skilled volunteers and repair professionals will be on-site to help fix your broken items for free. If you can carry the item in – the team will try to fix it! You’ll stay with your item during the repair, so you can learn how to maintain and troubleshoot your item.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Saturday, May 31
🕛 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., first come, first served
📍 Location: Pickleweed Library, 50 Canal Street

Want to bring something?
Please pre-register your item here — it helps us make sure the right tools and volunteers are available.

This is a free public event and all are welcome. This event is hosted in partnership with The Reuse Alliance and Zero Waste Marin as part of our shared commitment to sustainability and community resilience.

The San Rafael City Council will be adjusting its regular meeting schedule during the summer months. Instead of meeting on the first and third Mondays of each month, Council will meet on the following dates:

Summer 2025 Council Meeting Dates:

• Monday, June 2

• Monday, June 23 (Special Meeting)

• Monday, July 21

• Monday, August 18

There will be no Council meetings on:

• June 16

• July 7

• August 4

As always, agendas and meeting links will be posted in advance at www.cityofsanrafael.org/city-council-meetings.

The City of San Rafael is looking for talented people to join our team! Please click the links below for more information about our open positions.

• Communications Intern

• Wildfire Defensible Space Inspector

Have questions about working for the City? Please reach out to human.resources@cityofsanrafael.org.

Join us for these upcoming events in San Rafael:

• June 1-20: Downtown San Rafael Pride Art Walk. Location: Downtown San Rafael businesses.

• Saturday, June 7, 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.: San Rafael Local Vendor Market. Location: Canal Alliance, 711 Grand Avenue.

• June 12-15: CAFILM Pride Program. Location: Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 4th St.

• June 13, 5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.: Downtown San Rafael Summer Farmers Market. Location: Fourth Street, between A and Lootens.

• Every Second Friday, 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.: Downtown San Rafael Art Walk. Location: Art galleries throughout Downtown San Rafael.

• Every Sunday and Thursday, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Agricultural Institute of Marin Farmers’ Market. Locations: Sundays at 2501 Civic Center Drive, Thursdays at 10 Avenue of the Flags.

• Plus, there’s always something happening at the library! Check out the San Rafael Library event calendar!