Highlights of the March 23, 2021 Council Agenda

• Appoint members to the Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee.
• Consider resolution to amend Wireless Communication Facilities Policy 6-1 and approve changes to wireless application checklist.
• Receive report on the 2021-22 Work Plan and provide direction to staff.
• Consider approval of Memorial Park Skate Park renovation and allocate up to $5,000 for a contingency budget.
• Receive report on the Millennium Playground Restoration Project and consider approval of funding for assessment, planning, coordination, materials, and outside services not to exceed $40,000.
• Authorize the Town Manager to sign an agreement with RHAA Landscape, Architecture and Planning (RHAA) for the Reimagine Creek Park Project.
• Consider proposal by Noah Tyler, Eagle Scout Candidate, to install three wood benches on Red Hill.

The full agenda for the next Council meeting has been posted here including a link to attend the meeting.

Digital Marin seeks feedback from the community about internet access

Digital Marin is a cross-sector collaboration between residents and government, education, nonprofit, business, and other sectors to develop a countywide roadmap for achieving these goals:

• Everyone in Marin has access to high quality, affordable internet and knows how to use it.
• Our networks and connections can survive a disaster.
• Communities are better served through data sharing and collaborative services.
• Online services are easy to use and work for people.

As part of a robust community outreach and data collection effort, the Digital Marin project is seeking feedback from residents via an online survey that asks questions about access, quality, affordability, and use of the internet. Responses will help identify potential projects and priorities for the roadmap.

Please take the survey and also share it widely with your friends, family, and coworkers here in Marin. The survey takes 10 minutes to complete and responses are anonymous. The survey can be taken in English or Spanish. In addition to this survey, the Digital Marin project is also conducting a series of focus groups, interviews, and sector-specific surveys with various stakeholder groups in the Marin.

Doors to All Marin Schools Have Reopened to Students

As of Tuesday, March 16, all Marin County schools reopened for some degree of in-person learning as the COVID-19 pandemic shows more signs of easing.
Following a concerted drive to vaccinate educators and school staff across the county, The Marin County Office of Education estimated 9,000 educators and school staff members in Marin have had the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as of March 13.

As Marin schools have returned to in-person learning either full time or in a hybrid model, they are now planning for expanding in-person learning time, for summer programs, and for the anticipated full opening of schools for the 2021-2022 school year with guidance provided by Marin County Public Health.

Under the leadership of Marin County Public Health and in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, MarinHealth, and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, vaccinations were first administered at point-of-dissemination (POD) vaccination clinics for educators at the Marin Center on January 17 and February 7 to the highest-priority school staff including custodians, food service workers, special day class teachers, paraeducators, one-to-one aids and any educator over the age of 65.

PODs on March 6 and March 13 were offered for the remainder of educators and school staff, with more than 4,000 doses administered. Second doses for those recipients are scheduled for March 27 and April 3 so that educators can be fully vaccinated after the return from spring break on April 12. Almost 400 volunteers from all of Marin schools have joined reassigned County disaster service workers (DSWs) in staffing the vaccination events with medical professionals.

County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke said MCOE is immensely grateful to partners at the County of Marin, Kaiser Permanente, and MarinHealth for reaching this point.

Phone Line to Aid with Vaccination Appointments

Marin County residents who have been unable to make their own COVID-19 vaccination appointments via the internet can call a new Access Service Center at 833-641-1988 to get assistance from a real live human being.
The Marin Access Service Call-Center is intended for local residents without internet service who need assistance with registration, transportation, and communication related to the vaccination process.  Those eligible to receive call center assistance are:

• age 65 or older
• living with disabilities (all ages)
• in need of home care or personal assistance
• need language interpretation (including ASL)
• have limited or no internet access
• need help arranging transportation to and from an appointment

The Access Service Call Center is a collaboration between the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Vivalon, the San Rafael-based nonprofit, formerly known as Whistlestop. Staff members from County HHS, Vivalon, the all-volunteer Marin Medical Reserve Corps and disaster service workers (DSW) from the both the State and County of Marin employee ranks will assist callers from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday until the pandemic subsides.

A second appointment hotline for eligible vaccine residents of all ages is offered through the State of California at (833) 422-4255.

Upcoming Meeting - Sir Francis Drake Blvd Rehabilitation Project

7:30PM-8:30PM Wednesday March 24, 2021
via Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84188659293?pwd=Snh0K1o1eE1MWlN3cXBscjZoaFVkdz09
Webinar ID: 841 8865 9293
Passcode: 376448
Telephone: (669) 900 6833

The public is invited to provide input public input and ask questions regarding the proposed rehabilitation project. The project consists of pavement overlay on Sir Francis Drake Blvd between the Hub and Bolinas Ave with bicycle and pedestrian improvements such as ADA ramps and bike sharrows.

This federal project is funded by the One Bay Grant 2 program (OBAG2) through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM). The grant application for the competitive federal funding was successfully obtained in 2016.

For project information and draft project plans please visit the Current Projects section on the Town website: https://www.townofsananselmo.org/289/Current-Projects
Construction is planned for summer 2021.

For questions, please contact project manager Scott Schneider - sschneider@townofsananselmo.org or 415-258-4653.

Off-Ramp Closure on 101

There will be an upcoming off-ramp closure on Northbound US 101 in San Rafael. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will begin the first of three 55-hour weekend closures for the 101 NB Central San Rafael Off-Ramp Bridge Replacement project. The first closure started on Friday, March 19 at 10:00 PM and will reopen on Monday, March 22 at 5:00 AM.
 
Detours will be in place to assist motorists traveling in the area. Additionally, all roadway detours can be found on the Caltrans project website. Motorists are advised to drive with caution and follow all posted directional signs. 

For any inquiries or concerns, please contact Caltrans project manager RocQuel Johnson at  rocquel.johnson@dot.ca.gov.

Think Lean, Clean, and Green  

   
Here’s a fire-smart landscaping tip from UC Marin Master Gardeners.  Spring is the time to make your garden lean, clean, and green, and create a well maintained and defensible space around your property.  

• Lean: Keep plants thinned, pruned, and low growing. Have space between individual plants, or plant in small, irregular clusters or islands. Space trees so that at maturity the crowns are 10 feet apart or more.
• Clean: Remove fallen leaves and needles, dried grass, weeds, dead branches, and other dead vegetation. Check gutters, roof, eaves, vents and chimney for leaf and needle litter.  Rake fallen leaves, then compost or remove.  
• Green:  Properly irrigated plants remain healthy and green summer through fall.  Check your irrigation system regularly for leaks or malfunctions.

Before each fire season, re-evaluate your lean, clean and green landscape. For more information on fire-smart landscaping see:  http://marinmg.ucanr.edu/Fire-smart_Landscaping/

ART ON THE AVENUE

The San Anselmo Arts Commission is proud to be sponsoring this art exhibit at 538 San Anselmo Avenue. This month features four students from Michael Feldman Art Gallery will be featured. 

This exhibit will run through the month of March. For more information about the Arts Commission please visit. http://sananselmoarts.org/  

Night of the Poets

Wednesday, April 28
7pm on Zoom

Summoning word wizards and masters of meter! All ages are welcome to participate and attend the San Anselmo Library’s first (and maybe only) virtual Night of the Poets. Come one come all to read or listen.  Celebrate poetry during a pandemic with your library and community.

Contact sleyland@townofsananselmo.org to read an original or favorite poem or to attend the event. 

NOW OPEN THREE DAYS A WEEK

HOURS: Wednesday, FRIDAY, Saturday: 10 – 4

DONATIONS: Mondays, 1 - 4 and Fridays, 11 - 2

Our wonderful volunteers are once again stepping up and we are now open on FRIDAY, as well as Wednesday and Saturday. The store is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized and you must wear a mask at all times. There are also hand-sanitizing facilities. We still have a limited number of shoppers at any given time, and we have a plexiglass divider at our counter. We accept cash and checks, but no credit cards.

DONATIONS are being accepted. Please bring donations only on the days and hours listed above. Because of health guidelines, our donations are quarantined for 72 hours, and we accept individual donations up to 3 boxes/bags per household with a daily limit of 20 because of space restrictions. Volunteers will accept donations in the parking lot.

For more information, call 415-526-3791 or go to townbooks.org. Proceeds go
to the San Anselmo Public Library.

Summer is Almost Here!!!

We all know what that means; time to stare at a confusing summer camp grid and hopefully select the right camps for the right weeks for your family. Yikes!!! Well good news for you, San Anselmo Recreation is here to help with an all-new virtual guide for 2021, complete with hyperlinked titles for each class, a nifty table of contents with links to the correct pages, and a simplified camp snapshot that won’t give you nightmares! Spaces are filling fast so sign up now!

CLICK HERE to view the all-new summer activity guide!!

This community-based art project in Imagination Park, started on March 17th, 2021, by Cedars, Age Friendly San Anselmo, and the San Anselmo Recreation Department will acknowledge the resilience it has taken all of us to get this far during the pandemic.

The ornaments and artwork commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Shelter in Place Mandate and we encourage EVERYONE in the community to decorate a star and share your expression of hope and resilience alongside the Cedars art!
Check out the photos below and head to Imagination Park to add your own ornament using the supplies underneath the tree!

Applications Sought for Economic Development Committee

The Committee’s charge is to work with local businesses and the community at large toward a vibrant and successful local economy that meets the needs of the residents and visitors of San Anselmo.  The Committee has seven members and meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 8:45 a.m. in the Town Council Chambers.  There are three seats available. Apply here: 

Help Keep the Flower Baskets In Downtown San Anselmo

Donations are being accepted to help fund this annual community effort

The San Anselmo Beautification Committee has launched its 2021 fundraising campaign to raise funds for the annual hanging flower basket program in the downtown.

There are two ways you can contribute:

1. Donate by visiting the program's GO FUND ME PAGE, or

2.  Mail a check to:

San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 2844, San Anselmo, CA 94979
(please mark check for “baskets”)

For more information about the project, contact Nancy Altman at nnaltman@me.com