Here are some volunteer needs in the community right now. Please note that you should always bring your own face covering with you and maintain the physical distancing recommended by the Health Department. Also, these organizations are really struggling to meet the huge demand for food and other services. In an attempt to make things...
Have you been interested in running for office but you didn’t know where to start? Well the City of San Rafael and San Rafael City Schools have open Offices up for election in the November 3, 2020 General Municipal Election. The open offices include: Mayor (at-large) Councilmember, District 1 Councilmember, District 4 City Attorney (Part-time) City Clerk and Assessor ...
The City of San Rafael is excited to announce that, following the County’s updated Public Health Order, we will be opening the Terra Linda Community Pool on July 6. The Health Order lays out specific guidelines for pool capacity and safe operations, which will impact the programs that the City is able to offer this...
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...
Need more activities during your shelter-in-place life? Do you want to reduce your impact on the planet? Take part in the virtual Sustainability Scavenger Hunt organized with some of our community partners to learn strategies for living more sustainably while connecting with local climate action organizations. This online contest starts June 15th and ends July...
One of the action items identified in the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan is to “explore and gauge community interest in other revenue generating possibilities.” The City recently worked with a third-party to conduct a survey of local voters to determine community sentiment for a potential ballot measure to increase the local sales tax rate. On Monday evening, the...
At their May 18 meeting, the City Council provided direction to staff to get community feedback and initiate a letter of interest for two “priority development areas” (PDA) in San Rafael. Since then, City staff created a webpage with an online engagement platform to collect comments and held seven virtual community meetings. The meetings provided an opportunity for participants to get a better understanding of PDAs, the current thinking and recommendations, ask...
The past few months have brought a number of unprecedented challenges to our local system of care. This newsletter will provide an overview of six of the most significant ways in which the City, the County, and our local homeless service providers are responding to the COVID-19 crisis. If you or someone you know is...
Celebrate World Oceans Day with us by pledging to make a change in your life that will benefit our Oceans. You can say no to plastic straws and replace them with bamboo or stainless steel, pack your reusable cups/food containers instead of plastic water bottles and plastic baggies that end up in our Ocean. Color...
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...
At the June 1, 2020 City Council meeting, Chief of Police Diana Bishop commented on the death of George Floyd. Watch this video to hear her full comments.
The Sidewalk Repair Program, like most construction in the State stopped and took a pause in March and April. With the amendments to the Shelter in Place order allowing construction to resume, the City and contractor, Van Midde and Son concrete have slowly started repairing sidewalk again. Additional protective and preventative measures are being taken...
The death of George Floyd is appalling and unacceptable. We in law enforcement must continue to improve and hold ourselves to a higher standard. The men and women of the San Rafael Police Department (SRPD) strive to reach that higher standard every day and are committed to providing professional, fair, compassionate, and dedicated law enforcement...
With Shelter in Place, there has been a surge in illegal dumping around the City. Maintenance crews have been busy responding and notify adjacent property owners accordingly. The issue has been particularly worrisome as there are more people out than ever using sidewalks for their Shelter-in-Place walks – and they do not want to have...
The Shelter-in-Place order has been in effect for two months now. The State has issued a four-phase plan for counties and cities for businesses to reopen especially the ones that can operate outdoors like car washes, golf courses, constructions, etc. In San Rafael, the impact of the modified restrictions showed a slight increase in traffic. ...
The installation of a cycle track, flatwork, streetlight installation, traffic signal work, striping, sheet pile installation, creek work, and landscape with an irrigation main. There will be both day and night work components to this project. For more information, please click here. List of Bids
The project is located at 5th Avenue between A Street and the Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery, D Street between 5th Avenue and 4th Street, C Street between Mission Avenue and 4th Street, and Via Sessi from D Street to the end of the road, and is described as follows: Pavement resurfacing Slurry seal Grind and overlay...
Happy Friday San Rafael! This is week four of tackling one fire safe tip per week to make your home, drum roll please, more fire safe! This week we'll be working on how to choose fire safe landscaping while maintaining your defensible space. We aren’t looking to get rid of all plants, don’t be crazy! The goal is to identify landscaping that...
At the last City Council meeting, staff presented a report on preliminary financial impacts that projects revenue losses of almost $12M through July 2021. The City Council also took several actions to curb expenses including voluntary retirement and work hour reduction programs as well as mandatory furloughs. On Monday night’s meeting, the City Council will review a...
Also on Monday, the City Council will hold a public hearing to review an annual housing report required by the State. The report must include data on housing development applications submitted, approved units, building permits issues, built units, etc. Since January 2020, the City Council has approved four development projects that total 150 units, and...
On Monday evening, City Council will receive a two-part report from City staff: the preliminary Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the Measure A – Open Space Work Plan. The CIP is a planning document that summarizes the City’s planned capital and infrastructure improvement projects. Measure A, a tax passed in 2013, is used to preserve...
It’s hard not to notice the amazing progress of the construction at the Public Safety Center (PSC). In the next few weeks, we plan to finish the site walls, brick stairs, and landscaping around the building. Interior finishes, such as: carpet, wall panels, whiteboards, and countertops are currently being installed; additionally, audiovisual, fire alerting, surveillance and other integral systems are being finalized. Solar...
The Parks Department completed vegetation management projects around the City this week. The areas included the sides of Oakwood and Maywood Drive in the Sun Valley neighborhood well as a stretch of medians out on Point San Pedro Road.
With the nicer weather and shelter in place, Paint & Sign crews have been able to catch up on some much-needed work on faded stops/crosswalks. With less traffic, it's easier to set up traffic control in various areas. Crews have also been able to stripe the roadways that have been faded including Biscayne, 3rd Street...
The construction team is working hard to meet the anticipated completion date. Interior finishes such as carpet, wall panels, whiteboards, and counter tops are currently being installed. Additionally, audiovisual, fire alerting, surveillance and other integral systems are being completed. In the next few weeks, we plan on finishing the site walls, brick stairs and planting....
Staff reported late last year on the funding by Transportation Authority of Marin to install a signalized crosswalk on Third Street in front of San Rafael High School. We are glad to report the design plans are at 95% complete and the project will soon be sent out for bids. The crosswalk will bring safety...
Public Works is making the necessary repairs to modular during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of our city staff. Water damage in subfloor was detected under this window. All of the compromised areas were removed, replaced and made safe and solid. Exterior siding was removed and an area where water had penetrated was...
