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Town Manager's Newsletter
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Saturday, April 15, 2023
David P. Donery, Town Manager
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Community Forum
Discussion Topic: Concerns about activities happening at Memorial Park
Saturday, April 22 - 11:00 am
Isabel Cook Community Center - Vista Room
On April 22nd the Town will host a Community Forum to address issues that are being reported at Memorial Park, including e-bike use, and underage drinking and drug use. The purpose of this meeting is to identify the issues that are being reported and bring the stakeholders together to discuss strategies on how to most productively address the issues. Stakeholders include the Town, the Central Marin Police Authority, our local schools, our County partners and most importantly, the community. This meeting will take place at 11:00am in the Vista Room at the Isabel Cook Community Center at 1000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd (next to Parkside Preschool).
The public is invited and encouraged to attend – please bring your questions, comments, and concerns.
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E-bike Use in Memorial Park
Due to an alarming uptick in risky and aggressive behavior by e-bike riders in Memorial Park resulting in safety issues and concerns, the Town has increased enforcement at the park. E-bikes are prohibited from being operated in Town parks. The Town had previously focused on deterring e-bike riders from riding on the newly refurbished playing fields, but due to the recent safety issues related to reckless e-bike use throughout Memorial Park, additional resources will be used on enforcement. The safety and welfare of our entire community is of utmost importance in all Town community public spaces. For more information about increased enforcement, please visit the Electric Bicycles (E-bikes) and Electric Scooters (E-scooters) Road Rules and Laws page on the Town website: HERE Questions – please contact the Town's Community Engagement Coordinator at kwarner@townofsananselmo.org.
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Recap of this Week's
Town Council Meeting
The Town Council discussed the following items at their Council meeting on April 11, 2023:
Council Items included: - Introduction and first reading of Amendments to the San Anselmo Municipal Code to Section 10-3.607, Nonconforming uses and improvements, Section 10-4.206, Nonconforming Structures and Exceptions to standards, and add a Section 10-3.405, Minor Intrusions into Required Development Standards for Residential Properties Table 4B to allow the repair and/or replacement of foundations for legal nonconforming residential structures.
- Adopted the Resolution amending the Town’s Master Fee Schedule to include a Private Parklet Application Fee and a Private Parklet Encroachment User Fee.
- Reviewed and provided feedback on staff’s preliminary fiscal year 2023-2024 Measure J allocation plan.
- Reviewed draft of 2023-24 Town Work Plan and provided feedback.
- Reappointed (3) three incumbents to the Infrastructure and Fiscal Monitoring Committee.
The full agenda and further information can be found on the Town website: HERE Please add your email to receive notifications and agendas for the Town Council meetings or any other Town public meetings: HERE
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SAN ANSELMO'S ANNUAL
TAX REBATE PROGRAM
San Anselmo property owners who have a financial hardship may qualify for the tax rebate for a portion or all of San Anselmo’s Municipal Services (also called “General Purpose”), Pension Override and Library Parcel taxes.
Property owners who satisfy any of the following criteria may be eligible: - Any household that is eligible for Public Assistance and/or Food Stamps from the Health and Human Services Department of the County of Marin.
- Any household whose total income (Line 7b on IRS Form 1040) is equivalent to or less than “very low income” for the number of persons in the household, as shown on the most current Federal Housing and Urban Development Income Limits for Marin County.
- Any household in which the principal wage earner or wage earners have been unemployed for at least 90 days prior to the application date.
The program is a REBATE PROGRAM, so property owners must first pay their taxes, then apply for a rebate in the spring of that year.
The Town of San Anselmo’s Tax Equity Board reviews the applications, which must be filed by May 12, 2023. You can request and be mailed an application for the program in the spring of 2023 or you can print an application form: HERE. For more information please visit the Tax Rebate Program page on the website: HERE
or contact Jeff Zuba: jzuba@townofsananselmo.org or 415-258-4678.
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Please join us for the annual Skate Fest on Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 10:00am to 1:00pm. There will be competitions for youth and young adults of all ages. Food, music & prizes. All proceeds benefit the Memorial Skate Park. The skate park is located next to the Tennis Courts at Memorial Park and right next to Redhill Shopping Center on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. A big THANK YOU to all our wonderful sponsors for helping to support this event: Creekside Pizza, FTC, Live Water, The Hub, and Prooflab. This event is hosted by the Skate Park Steering Committee and the Recreation Department.
For more information call San Anselmo Recreation at (415) 258-4640. |
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San Anselmo Live on The Avenue
Band Interest & Submission Form
Interested in having your band play in San Anselmo this year? All shows on Friday and Saturday evenings from June 9 - September 30, 2023 will be a part of the San Anselmo "Live on The Avenue" music series - where live entertainment coincides with a pedestrian thoroughfare straight through the heart of Town. Concerts will be at both Creek Park and the Town Hall Plaza on Friday and Saturday evenings (set times are 5:30-8:30pm). Please note: Creek Park Plaza is still fenced off, but Creek Park Amphitheater remains open. Bands will be provided a stipend based on fundraising. This is an interest form ONLY and if we are interested in booking you, we will follow up with a confirmation email and contract. Due to the high demand of people wanting to play in this series, we will not be able to accommodate all interested parties. To access the form, please click HERE For more information about Live on the Avenue, please click HERE or
Contact: mogrady@townofsananselmo.org
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Creek Park News:
Town Council received a presentation by the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District on the status of the San Anselmo Flood Risk Reduction (SAFRR) project and the closed plaza at the March 28 Council meeting. For more additional information regarding the closed Creek Park plaza, go to the Building Bridge #2/Creek Park Update page on the Town website, or click HERE For information about the Reimagine Creek Park project - please click: HERE
Please note that Creek Park is still open: This includes the Redwood grove picnic tables. You can access Creek Park via the pedestrian bridge from San Anselmo Avenue or from Center Avenue and Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Additionally, the Town has created a larger parklet with picnic tables in front of the closed plaza, along San Anselmo Avenue. Lights and umbrellas will also be installed soon.
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IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY:There is an interim Youth Commissioner opening on the Arts Commission (serving April 1 - June 30, 2023). Please apply now. The seat will remain open until it is filled. For more information on the Youth Commissioner program & applications: CLICK HERE
For more information on the Arts Commission: CLICK HERE |
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Town Seeking Community Applicantsfor
Boards, Committees and Commissions
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SPOTLIGHT: Mosquito Abatement District Board of Trustees
*San Anselmo Seat is Vacant*Marin IJ headline, April 13, 2023: "Marin’s Wet Season Could Bring More Mosquitoes" The Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District is governed by a Board of Trustees: with one board member representing each of the 20 cities located within the district's service area, and four (two for each county) selected by the county Board of Supervisors to represent the unincorporated and newly annexed portions of the district. The Board helps retain a governmental agency that is highly responsive to the public health and comfort needs of the residents living within the district. The board of trustees is empowered to undertake and carry out a vast number of duties under specific health and safety codes regarding mosquito control and the direct relationship of mosquitoes to the health, comfort and economy of people. If you are interested, we encourage you to submit a completed application and you will be scheduled for an interview with Town Council. Positions will remain open until filled by Town Council. For more information about the Board click: HERE
To submit an Application click: HERE
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There are open seats on a number of the Town's community volunteer
Boards, Committees and Commissions.
You can find more details here:
Boards/Committees/Commissions Information San Anselmo's Boards,Committees and Commissions provide a vital link between Town government and the community for gathering public input, reviewing projects and making recommendations on key issues.
If you are interested, we encourage you to submit a completed application and you will be scheduled for an interview with Town Council. Positions will remain open until filled by Town Council. |
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Launch of Electric Landscape Equipment Rebate Program
The Electric Landscape Equipment Rebate Program has officially launched! San Anselmo residents and commercial landscapers with an active San Anselmo business license are eligible to receive significant rebates on the purchase of new electric landscape equipment. To receive the rebate, you’ll need to fill out a rebate application, trade in your gas-powered equipment, and take the approved rebate application to Jackson’s Hardware in San Rafael to receive the rebate(s). Qualifying equipment includes: - Leaf blowers
- String trimmers
- Hedge trimmers
- Edgers
- Pole saws
- Chainsaws
- Mowers
For more details about the rebate program and to fill out the rebate application, please visit the Landscape Equipment webpage.
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Town Council Discussion of County Foodware Ordinance
At the March 28, 2023 Town Council meeting, staff presented the first reading of a foodware ordinance modeled after the County’s foodware ordinance that was adopted last year. If adopted by the Town Council, the ordinance would replace the Town’s existing foodware ordinance and allow the County to handle the enforcement of the ordinance on behalf of the Town starting on November 10, 2023. The proposed ordinance covers all entities selling prepared food to the public in the Town including restaurants, grocery stores and delis, bakeries, carry-out, quick services, farmers markets, food trucks, and any other business that requires a health permit. For more information about the County’s foodware ordinance, please visit their: Reusable Foodware webpage.
The Town’s current foodware ordinance can also be accessed: Here.
For additional information visit the Single Use Foodware Regulations page: HERE
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Eyes Up, Marin Let’s Make our Streets Safer for Everyone!From April 11 through the end of May, you will once again see bright and colorful banners and lawn signs popping up all over Marin asking people to keep their “Eyes Up” and be alert. These signs will be asking drivers to slow down, watch when turning and look for pedestrians in the crosswalk; bicyclists to yield to pedestrians and to follow the rules of the road; And those walking to pay attention when crossing the street. These messages will also show up in your social media feeds, and you can find them at https://www.tam.ca.gov/streetsmarts/#about.org. Please share with your friends, family and co-workers! To get a free lawn sign for your yard, contact your local municipality.There is a tab on the https://www.tam.ca.gov/streetsmarts/#about website that has this information. The Eyes Up, Marin campaign is part of the Street Smarts Program and Safe Routes to Schools, locally funded programs of the Transportation Authority of Marin.This traffic safety campaign educates drivers, pedestrians and cyclists about safety issues, including distracted driving. The goal is to encourage people to adopt and practice attitudes and behaviors that will reduce the number of traffic-related accidents and make our streets safer for everyone. The program focuses on placing outdoor messaging at “hotspots” throughout Marin County – bold reminders at the locations where traffic problems occur most frequently. The message placement was determined based on findings from the 2018 Marin County Travel Safety Plan as well as analysis of 2016-2020 countywide collision data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Our countywide partners including school districts, jurisdictions, emergency service providers, and community organizations will be sharing the new campaign images and safety messages widely. Please join this important effort to make our streets safer for all! www.streetsmartmarin.org. |
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Landscape Drawing WorkshopTuesday, April 18 at 1:00pm
Library Lawn
Discover and explore the use of line and mark making to replicate textures we see in the landscape in this one-hour drawing workshop with local artist Janet Jacobs. Must we draw absolutely everything that we see in a tree? How can five lines describe the volume of the trunk? How can just a few marks describe the foliage? These are just some of the questions we’ll answer as we warm up with fun and easy exercises to more prolonged studies. Registration is required and all materials will be provided.
Please email library@townofsananselmo.org to register.
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Night of the Poets Returns!Wednesday, April 26 at 7:00pm
Library Reading Room
Summoning word wizards and masters of meter! All ages are welcome to participate as a performer or listener in the San Anselmo Public Library’s 18th annual Night of the Poets!
Join us for a reception with light refreshments and meet your fellow poets after the poetry readings.
Email sleyland@townofsananselmo.org or call 415-258-4656 to sign-up to read a favorite poem or a poem you wrote in two minutes or less.
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William Kent Krueger
author of Fox CreekThursday, April 27 at 5:00pm
You are invited to a riveting hour in this virtual author talk with New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger, as he discusses his numerous works, including the newest book in the Cork O’Connor series Fox Creek.
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LIBRARY NEWS:
CHILDREN/FAMILY EVENTS
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Crafternoon for Kids:
Huichol Ojos de Dios TortugasWednesday, April 19 at 2:30-3:30 pmLibrary Children's Room
Using yarn and popsicle sticks, weave a cute turtle using the God's Eye weaving pattern. All materials are provided.
Please email library@townofsananselmo.org or call 415-258-4656 to register.
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The California Department of Housing & Community Development
Acknowledges Receipt of the Draft Housing Element
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has acknowledged the Town's submittal of the Draft 2023-2031 Housing Element. It was sent to the HCD on January 26, 2023. For more information about the Housing Element and the next steps regarding the HCD staff review, please visit the Housing Element Update webpage on the Town website or click HERE Public comment continues to be vital to the process.
Please direct any comments or questions to:
Heidi Scoble, Planning Director hscoble@townofsananselmo.org
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APRIL: Spring Fire Prevention in Zone "0"
It’s time to prepare for wildfire.The most important thing you can do to protect your home is to clear combustible materials from the first 5 ft around your house.Then, if a wildfire blows burning embers your way, there is nothing next to your home to ignite. This is called Zone 0 and can be part of a beautiful, fire safe yard. Adapting to wildfire means being prepared.
Learn more at: firesafemarin.org Es tiempo de prepararte para los incendios forestales. Lo más importante que puedes hacer para proteger tu hogar es remover materiales combustibles que estén dentro de 5 pies de tu hogar. De esta manera, si un incendio forestal arroja brasas ardientes hacia tu area, no habrá nada alrededor de tu hogar para encenderlo. Esto es llamado Zona 0, y puede ser parte de un jardín hermoso y seguro. La adaptación a incendios forestales requiere estar preparados. Visita firesafemarin.org Video: Zone Zero, Zero Combustibles Educational Video
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Subscribe to the Ross Valley Fire Emergency Preparedness newsletter
Hello Ross Valley! It's so important for us to prepare for emergencies, including wind events, floods, power outages, fires, earthquakes, and more. Sign up to receive regular updates, tips, checklists, and notices of educational events in your inbox. We promise not to overdo it. Subscribe below so you can learn how to keep yourself and your family safe when disasters strike.
Our newsletters are in partnership with Ross Valley Fire, Town of Ross, Town of San Anselmo, Town of Fairfax, and the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District. Subscribe here to receive Emergency Preparedness information direct to your inbox!
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Marin Master Gardener TipsPlan Your Fire-smart Landscape
April 2023
APRIL: It's spring! Assess the fire risk to your property and think lean, clean and green
- Lean: Allow space between individual plants, or plant in small, irregular clusters or islands with non-combustible material pathways.
- Clean: Remove dried grass, weeds, dead branches, and all other dead vegetation. Check gutters, roof, eaves, vents, chimneys, under decks or elevated porches for leaf and needle litter. Thin and reduce interior and exterior tree canopies.
- Green: Properly irrigated plants with healthy soil remain healthy, green, and less prone to fire, summer through fall. Check your irrigation system regularly for leaks or malfunctions. Applying compost and mulches helps stabilize soil temperature and prevent evaporation. Areas 0-5’ from structures, use non-combustible mulches like rock, gravel, and stone. 5-30” from structures, composted wood chips or bark nuggets to a depth of two inches is best. Avoid fine, stringy mulches.
For more Fire-Smart landscaping information visit the: U.C. MARIN MASTER GARDENER website: www.ucanr.edu/ucmarinmgfiresmart
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"Stroll Through San Anselmo’s History"
Walking Tours Return!
The Historical Commission is excited to again sponsor its popular free walking tour through downtown. Travel back in time with Dick Miner and other members of the commission to learn about San Anselmo’s historic Hub, the role the railroad played in the development of the Town, and the changing character of the businesses and architecture on San Anselmo Avenue. Tour dates for 2023: May 13, June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9, & October 14.
Meet Dick at Creek Park at 9:00 a.m.
The tour ends at the Historical Museum for refreshments.
No reservations are required.
Questions? Please contact info@sananselmohistory.org.
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Please Support the Hanging Flower Baskets in
Downtown San AnselmoThis will be our 5th year of enhancing the Avenue with beautiful hanging flower baskets from May - October. The flower basket program is a volunteer effort and relies on donations from the Town, the merchants and the community. Each year these baskets draw such an overwhelmingly positive response that we are committed to keeping them going. We are especially grateful to have Ed Healy (aka "Indy") on our team to water the baskets every day. A special thank you to the Town of San Anselmo and the Chamber of Commerce for their support and donations. And also to the residents and merchants who have supported us for the past four years. We couldn't do it without you!
There are two ways you can contribute: - Donate by visiting the program’s: GO FUND ME PAGE or
- Mail a check payable to:
SA Friends of the Flower Baskets
P.O. Box 2844, San Anselmo, CA 94979
For more information about this project contact: Nancy Altman at nnaltman@me.com
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