The City Hall building will be closed to the general public on Fridays from June 6, 2025 through August 29, 2025. San Rafael Community Centers, Libraries, Al Boro Parking Services, and all Public Safety services will remain open and maintain normal Friday hours.
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PG&E’s subcontractor, Pinnacle Power Services Inc., will be performing electrical utility work by 46 Castro Ave on Saturday, 1/28 from approximately 10 P.M to 6 A.M. The work requires the power to be turned off in the area so work is happening at night to minimize impacts to the neighboring businesses. The road will not...
As powerful storms and atmospheric rivers poured across the Bay Area in recent weeks, Public Works Maintenance crews have been working around the clock to respond to weather related emergencies throughout the City of San Rafael. DPW maintenance crews worked double shifts to respond to a variety of storm related emergency issues, ranging from flooding...
A second round of parking clarifications in the Gerstle Park, Fair Hills, and West End Neighborhoods are scheduled to be installed in February to help improve emergency access and egress. After the installation of new signage last year, there was an adjustment period where staff worked closely with residents in these neighborhoods to make any...
The City has been working hard with PG&E to get lights installed on locations identified from the Canal Community Based Transportation Plan. Last spring, City staff identified 42 locations where PG&E had existing poles, but no lights. In June 2022 PG&E met with the City about the project and the strong need to provide lighting...
The City is looking for a service provider with a history of implementing successful field‐based programs and mental health services to operate an Alternative Response Team (ART) that would serve as a first response team to a variety of requests for service, to include individuals in crisis. Experience with crisis response is preferred. The...
The City of San Rafael Department of Public Works is considering converting Embarcadero Way to one-way eastbound (inbound to the neighborhood), from Marina Court Drive to Marina Court. Embarcadero Way will remain two-way from Third Street to Marina Court Drive. There is a steep drop-off next to Embarcadero Way from Marina Court Drive to the...
Samantha Ramirez is committed to uplifting the community in which she resides, both in her work and her extracurricular activities. As a bilingual and bicultural community member with family from El Salvador and Honduras, she has worked hard to be a powerful bridge between the LatinX communities in San Rafael and the bodies that govern...
Embarcadero Way from Marina Court Drive to Sea View Avenue is narrow with a steep drop and does not accommodate two-way traffic very well. There also is no room to pull over to allow another vehicle to pass. In collaboration with the County, the City is collecting volumes on all streets that meet at the...
Shirley Fischer has dedicated her life to civic participation for the greater good of the community, and since she moved to Terra Linda 40 years ago she has been consistently active in bringing together community members and organizations to foster communication between residents and the City, to develop a common vision of community needs and...
This week the San Rafael Public Library launched “Book to Action,” a community-wide program from the California Center for the Book to Read/Discuss/Act during the months of March-June. Supervising Librarian Jill Harris and Librarians Bonnie Groshong and Margaret Stawowy have been leading the effort, with support from many other library staff. This series is centered around The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, as well as the themes brought...
On Thursday October 1, Lorenzo Jones, who previously helped the City with the #8cantwait task force meetings, facilitated a community conversation with 12 members of the community. City employees Cristine Alilovich, Talia Smith, and Iman Kayani also participated in the meeting. The purpose of the discussion was to hear feedback from those who have expressed...
The City of San Rafael is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to develop a Conceptual Design Option for a combined library and community center of approximately 43,700 square feet in San Rafael, California. The Project will build upon the results of the San Rafael Public Library Facilities Planning Study completed in August 2019. Additional information regarding...
On Monday evening, City Attorney Rob Epstein provided the City Council and the community with a description of an event that recently occurred involving a high-risk traffic stop. Watch the video: Transcript of Mr. Epstein’s comments: I am going to offer some remarks on an incident that occurred last month. It was an incident involving...
On August 17, 2020, the San Rafael Police Department brought proposed changes to the Use of Force Policy (Policy 300 of the Police Procedural Manual) to the City Council. The City Council voted unanimously to accept these changes. Here are a few highlights of the changes: Police Chief Diana Bishop wrote her first Chief’s Preface to the Police Procedural Manual This preface...
The San Rafael Library has curated a list of recommended books, websites, movies, podcasts, and videos that explore issues surrounding race and social equity. Communities across the U.S. are finally waking up to systemic racism against BIPOC, and in particular anti-Black racism. More than ever, white people and other allies are showing up, listening and...
At the June 15, 2020 City Council meeting, City Manager Jim Schutz and Chief of Police Diana Bishop made comments about racial justice. Watch this video to see their full remarks. Full transcript: City Manager Jim Schutz Thank you Mayor and Council. As you know, this is the time on our agenda when I typically...
From your Mayor & City Council We stand with everyone in our community and across the nation against systemic racism. Enough is enough. Our communities are demanding change that is deserved and past due. It’s time for all leaders to listen and do more to support our black community. And we won’t stop there. We...
The Dominican Sisters of San Rafael have had an unparalleled impact on the community in the areas of education, social justice and health care. For more than 100 years, the Sisters have provided uncompromising leadership in the community through their extensive education mission at Dominican University, The Garden School, San Domenico School, and the Osher...
Jeff Craemer is a long-time resident of San Rafael who is well known for his community and civic involvement. As a San Rafael Fire Foundation Board Member and a Marin History Museum advocate, Jeff has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy into making San Rafael a great place to live and work. In...
Andy Bachich is a long-time resident of and business owner in San Rafael who is well known for his entrepreneurship, as well as his community and civic involvement. As a San Rafael High School student, Andy started with a good, hard-work ethic and a love for the San Rafael community. In 2006, the days were...
Tamra Peters & Bill Carney's commitment and passion for San Rafael's future is unwavering. Tamra & Bill have devoted countless hours to help educate and advocate for a more sustainable San Rafael community and planet. They have volunteered an estimated 60 hours per week to the San Rafael community, benefiting our parks, open space and numerous City committees and...
David Haydon's dedication and passion for the San Rafael community is authentic and tireless. He founded II Davide Restaurant, 20 years ago, and built a successful business through challenging economic times. In addition to running one of the top restaurants in San Rafael and indeed Marin County, he strives to give back to the San Rafael...
Diane Henderson is a Marin County native and a 25 -year resident of San Rafael who is well known for her volunteer work and civic involvement in the community. While known to be a passionate resident, Diane has had a "quiet touch" in her involvement with and contribution to many of the City's most respected...
Hugo Landecker is a 45 -year resident of San Rafael that is well known for his community activism and passion for protecting San Rafael neighborhoods. As a long-standing resident of Gerstle Park, in 1973, Hugo helped form the Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association so that neighbors could work in a unified way with the City of...
Patricia (Pat) Kendall is a long-time resident of San Rafael well known for her community and civic involvement. Trained as an emergency room nurse, Pat's community service began 35 years ago when she participated in the formation of Marin County's "911 Paramedic Program." Through these many years, Pat has continued to support this program as...
For more than 4 decades, Albert J. Boro served his community tirelessly, with distinction and unmistakable flair. From 1971 until his retirement in 2011, Al spent 16 years on the San Rafael Planning Commission, 4 years on the City Council, finally graduating to Mayor in 1991. He was consistently listed as one of the "top...
Carolyn Lenert has been selected as the Citizen of the Year due to her community involvement. Carolyn is a well-known community builder and leader. Carolyn has provided an effective presence as a key representative to the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents and as President of the Santa Margarita Neighborhood Association. Carolyn has contributed countless hours coordinating outreach, sharing resources...
Margie Belrose has been selected as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award due to her lifelong accomplishments in promoting a vibrant presence of the theatre, entertainment and education in Downtown San Rafael. Margie's community contributions began in 1954 when she and her husband David opened their business to teach students the art...
Phyllis & Max Thelen have been selected as the Citizens of the Year award due to their community involvements and accomplishments promoting arts, culture and education. The Thelen’s community contributions began in 1963 with their founding of Marin Ballet which, over the years, has trained thousands of Marin children in ballet and dance arts. They...
