Saturday, October 17, 2020
David P. Donery, Town Manager

Vote by Ballot Box

Marin County voters may drop their ballots off at one of several drop boxes located throughout the county. San Anselmo is hosting a secure ballot drop box in the Town Plaza in front of Town Hall and the Police Station. Voters can also drop their ballots off at any polling place starting on October 31 or you can still mail in your ballot. A list of drop boxes is printed in the voter information guide, which is included with the ballot packet and is posted at www.marinvotes.org. Ballots returned at a secure ballot box must be deposited by 8pm on Tuesday, November 3.

Upcoming Road Project

The Town of San Anselmo is pleased to announce that the 2020 Slurry Seal Project will start next week. The Project will begin on Sunday, October 25th and end on Tuesday, October 27th. The Slurry Seal program is part of the Town’s commitment to keeping the Town’s streets in a safe and functional condition.

The Project involves night work on Sir Francis Drake Blvd (at Butterfield Rd) and Greenfield Ave on 10/25, while other streets will be done during the day on 10/27.
Streets will be closed to traffic from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm for day work and night work will involve traffic control and intermittent lane closures from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am or until it has been determined by personnel that the streets are safe to drive on. Any unexpected traffic during the slurry application can be dangerous and it is vital for everyone’s safety that you do not drive, walk (including your pets) or bicycle on the wet slurry.

Each affected residence and business will be notified by a contractor at least 72 hours in advance, along with the posted “no parking” signs. Neighborhood specific notices were also mailed out by the Town.

For updates on current projects visit https://www.townofsananselmo.org/289/Current-Projects.

Playgrounds Reopen

Playgrounds around the county are reopening as the State updates COVID-19 guidance on their usage. As of yesterday, Memorial Park's Millennium Playgrounds along with the playground at Lansdale Park are open for public use. Each facility has a maximum capacity which is posted at the playgrounds, along with a list of rules and guidelines. To view these rules, published by the State of California's Department of Public Health, CLICK HERE.

Gyms & Fitness Studios

Gyms and Fitness Studios have been given the green light to operate indoors at a maximum of 10% capacity. These include:

Athletic Club Fitness Centers
Country Clubs with Indoor Fitness Facilities
Cross Fit & High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Facilities
Dance Studios
Pilates Studios
Spin / Cycling Studio
Yoga Studios
Other indoor aerobic activities (e.g., Kickboxing, Zumba, Step, etc)

Unfortunately, the following businesses and fitness operations are still prohibited from operating and should remain closed:

Saunas
Steam Rooms

If you are participating in indoor exercise please be mindful that exercising increases rate and intensity of exhalation and the risk of viral transmission. Indoor activities with people outside of your household have a much higher risk of COVID-19 transmission to you and your community than outdoor activities. Please consider the impact of this increased risk on yourself and your community and practice safe habits while exercising. Physical distancing, face coverings, and disinfection of the physical space and hands are critical to slowing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 – especially in higher risk settings and situations such as indoor gyms and fitness centers where people are breathing more heavily.

Halloween at Home!

Join the San Anselmo Recreation Department and San Anselmo Public Library by celebrating Halloween at Home all week long from 10/26-10/31!!

Monday 10/26 – Haunted Houses

Share your favorite Halloween decorations by tagging @sananselmorec on Instagram or e-mail your photos to kmacleod@townofsanaselmo.org to have them displayed on the San Anselmo Recreation website!

Tuesday 10/27 – Scary Story Competition

Submit a short scary story to the San Anselmo Public library at library@townofsananselmo.org. All stories should be 1-5 pages in length. All submissions become the property of the library and the author agrees that their story may be used in the library’s social media, website and all other means of promotion.

Wednesday 10/28 – Pumpkin Carving Competition

Share your best Pumpkin carving by tagging @sananselmorec on Instagram or e-mail your photos to kmacleod@townofsanaselmo.org to have them displayed on the San Anselmo Recreation website!

Thursday 10/29 – Spooky Drawing Competition

Send in your best Halloween themed artwork (paint, drawing, all medias accepted) to kmacleod@townofsananselmo.org or drop them off at the Recreation office (1000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Suite 14) before 10/27. One winner will be chosen per age group, each winner will receive a Halloween themed goody bag! All work will be displayed on the San Anselmo Recreation webpage

Friday 10/30 – Scary Film Friday with your Favorite Popcorn Recipe

Tag @sananselmorec on Instagram with pictures of your favorite scary movies and share your favorite popcorn recipe in the caption!

Saturday 10/31 – Happy Halloween!! Costume contest for you and your pets

Everyone needs to show off their Halloween costume and we want to help get your costume out there! Share your costumes by tagging @sananselmorec or e-mail your photos to kmacleod@townofsananselmo.org All costumes (and pet costumes) will be shared on the Recreation webpage and participants with our favorite costumes will receive a Halloween themed goody bag!

Visit Halloween IS Happening for more info!!

Treat Your Family to Drive-Thru Spooktacular

Local families can safely celebrate the spookiest of holidays by planning to visit the Halloween Fair Food Drive-Thru Spooktacular at Marin Center in San Rafael.

Between October 23 and November 1, adults and kids may don their costumes and prepare to be spooked with family-friendly haunted surprises and activities while staying inside their cars as a precaution against the contagious COVID-19 coronavirus. The event is presented by the Marin County Department of Cultural Services and endorsed as a fun holiday alternative by doctors from the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Admission to the Spooktacular is $10 per car.

At the Spooktacular, festive treats will range from drive-thru Halloween-themed Fair food including pumpkin and ghost candy apples, black-and-orange cotton candy, giant corndogs, giant turkey legs, funnel cake, churros, kettle corn, caramel corn, and strawberry lemonade, to name a few items. Also added to the menu are Greek gyros, tri-tip sandwiches, ribs, and deep-fried Oreos. A selection of holiday-themed adult beverages will also be on offer.

Attendees will drive through a series of Spooktacular “lands” featuring animatronic dinosaurs, skeletons, Halloween favorites, and much more.

From 3-6 p.m. October 31, the drive-thru will also feature live entertainment by the Las Gallinas Sanitary District Non-Marching Band, aka The Sewer Band, performing Halloween and spooky tunes at the fairgrounds. The Marin County Free Library will give out free mini activity books, bookmarks, stickers, and pencils from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
October 31 and November 1.Those events do not have a separate entry fee. Attendees can also download the Spooktacular Drive-Thru Tunes playlist on Spotify to play in their cars.

Operated by the same team that presents the Marin County Fair each year, the Spooktacular will prioritize the safety of its guests and vendors. All event personnel will wear face coverings and gloves and will sanitize surfaces frequently as they deliver properly packaged food.

Thanksgiving Camp

We know times have changed but we are still here for our families! Our Back 2 Basics School Break Camps offer a safe space for children to get creative while enjoying time with friends. We will spend our time together doing projects and enjoying the outdoors as much as possible.
Care is available from 9am-4pm. Space is limited so sign up today!

The State of California and Marin County have provided guidelines for safely reopening youth activity programs as part of its response to COVID-19 emergency. As the Town of San Anselmo works to develop and operate its recreation programs in compliance with these guidelines, some programs may be restructured or cancelled. The Department will implement social distancing and mask wearing in all of our programs.

Please check the San Anselmo Recreation Department website (https://www.townofsananselmo.org/305/Recreation) for the most up-to-date information about our programs. Thank you!

Help Marin Avoid the Flu-COVID ‘Twindemic’

Marin County Public Health officials are urging Marin residents to get a flu shot this season.

There is no vaccination for the COVID-19 coronavirus yet, but there is one for the seasonal influenza. Doctors with Marin County Public Health are working to prevent a local “twindemic” of COVID-19 and regular flu cases by urging everyone to take necessary precautions and get vaccinated.

The flu shot recommendation is more urgent than in past years – especially as Marin and other Bay Area counties settle into gradual and cautious reopening plans that result in more human mingling.

The typical flu season is between October and May. Marin County Public Health tracks flu activity by analyzing laboratory testing data and visits to local emergency departments for flu-like illness. The team produces a monthly influenza surveillance report that summarizes local activity and has links to statewide and national flu activity.

This year the percentage of children up-to-date on immunizations has fallen statewide as parents delay routine visits to pediatricians during the pandemic. Marin County Public Health regularly communicates with parents of school-aged children about keeping students current with immunizations, which are required for school attendance. As for COVID-19 and classroom instruction, Marin County Public Health offers more guidance and resources online.

Flu activity usually increases in late November and December in California. It takes a couple of weeks after a flu shot for the body to build an immunity, which is why September through early November is a critical period for seasonal flu vaccinations.

The seasonal flu and COVID-19 can exhibit some of the same symptoms, including fever, cough, body aches, chills. Besides getting immunized, residents should take the following preventive actions to stop the spread of germs:

Wear a face covering.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay away from people who are sick.
Stay home when you or your child are sick for at least 24 hours after symptoms go away.
Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water.
When washing hands isn’t an option, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Cough or sneeze into a tissue or, if one isn’t available, into your elbow.
Use hand sanitizer or wash hands after coughing or sneezing.

For those with medical insurance, flu shots are free as a preventive service at doctor’s offices and most retail pharmacies (e.g., Costco, CVS, RiteAid, Safeway, Walgreens). Those without health insurance can obtain free or low-cost flu shots through local community clinics.

ADU Webinar

Several new tools are now available for homeowners interested in building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), also known as a second unit, a granny flat, an in-law unit, or a converted garage. Help is available whether a property owner wants to generate extra income, create more housing for the local workforce, or house more family members. ADU Marin is a new partnership between 10 local cities and towns and the County of Marin. The group launched a step-by-step website and workbook along with a webinar series to guide people through the process of building an ADU. The website covers each step of the process, from thinking about building to permits and construction. It features stories from homeowners who have built an ADU and renters now living and working in Marin, along with more than a dozen floorplans. Plus, there is a calculator to figure out what it might cost and what rent could be. The workbook goes deeper into the process and is full of exercises, checklists, and activities. Whether a homeowner needs to brainstorm ideas, choose a contractor or rent their finished ADU, they will find answers each step of the way.

To introduce the new tools, a webinar will be held
Thursday, 10/29: 6:30 pm
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZaVSkhzXQtug9991DJJwLg

Public Composting at Creek Park!

Marin Sanitary Service has been working with the Town and the SA Sustainability Commission to establish a system for public composting and recycling in Creek Park. Green carts are available for composting (food scraps, soiled paper, but never any plastic!) and you can place bottles and cans into the brown metal cans for recycling. We are also working with the local pizza restaurants such as Creekside Pizza to pass out reminders to always place pizza boxes in the compost carts! Thank you for doing your part to help San Anselmo reduce its waste!

Slow Streets

The Slow Streets program is intended to support safe, essential physical activity by creating more space for social distancing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program discourages residents and visitors from driving on all “Slow Streets” unless they are necessary to reach your final destination.

The Town of San Anselmo is responding to the increased demand for pedestrian street usage during COVID-19 pandemic by implementing a concept of "Slow Streets" throughout the Town where appropriate. Many cities around California and other states are adopting similar approaches, aimed at increasing the usability of the streets for pedestrians with social distancing in mind. There are many different approaches to this concept, many of which are aimed at reducing and slowing down vehicular traffic on neighborhood streets so that they are not used as shortcuts or detours.

Additional information on the subject, as well as some examples of other cities' slow streets programs are below:

Participating Streets

Caleta Ave
Sycamore Ave

Reporting Shelter-in-Place Violations

To expedite the process for resolving business violations of the Shelter-in-Place (SIP) Public Health Orders, each jurisdiction has set-up a way to report these violations, instead of being triaged by the County. This will allow cities and towns to respond faster to the complaints.

To report a business violation in San Anselmo, please email SIPviolations@townofsananselmo.org and include the following information:

Business name
Address
As much detail as possible regarding the perceived health order violation

Organic Waste Program for 2020

Residents of incorporated San Anselmo can opt to receive a second or third green waste cart as part of their basic bundled service package with Marin Sanitary Service (MSS). Customers who want the third green waste cart must make the request by December 31, 2020 to be able to have the third cart as part of their basic bundled service. After that date, customers will be entitled to two green waste carts as part of the bundled service, and will be able to rent additional carts (up to 4).

In summary, customers who have secured up to three (3) total green waste carts before December 31, 2020, will keep this secured level of service at no additional cost until the customer terminates service with the Marin Sanitary Service. This change is part of the new program for the collection of organic waste (food and yard waste). Beginning in 2020, Marin Sanitary will no longer collect organic waste from customer-owned cans. You will be receiving more information from MSS and the Town throughout 2020 on this program change.

It is important to note that these changes are for customers in the incorporated town of San Anselmo. This does not apply to customers who may have a San Anselmo address but reside in unincorporated Marin County, such as residents of Sleepy Hollow.

For additional information, click here.

Town Hall Office Hours

Town Hall is open for in-person services. Permits, Planning and Business Licenses are available from 8:30 am - 12 pm Mondays and Wednesdays. Social distancing and masks will be required while in the building.

Saturday, October 17, 2020 David P. Donery, Town Manager