Category: From the City Manager’s Desk

On August 31, Lieutenant Raffaello “Ralph” Pata retired after 34 years of service to the City of San Rafael. Ralph was born and raised in San Rafael, attending St. Raphael’s School and San Rafael High School. He began his service to the City as a dispatcher for the San Rafael Fire Department. Two years later, … Continued

Our 3D printers at both the Downtown and Pickleweed libraries are working hard everyday, printing out adorable and practical things. We also have Oculus Go and Vive virtual reality systems. With Vive, you can experience painting in 3D using Tilt Brush, an immersive painting program. Come by and check them out! On Wednesday afternoons at … Continued

Over the past several meetings, the City Council has discussed and approved several employee labor agreements with various bargaining groups. At Monday night’s meeting, the City Council will discuss a proposed employee labor agreement with the San Rafael Firefighters’ Association (SRFA), which represents 67 employees in the San Rafael Fire Department, including safety and non-safety … Continued

Kaiser Permanente has proposed to convert an existing, 148,000 square-foot office building at 1650 Los Gamos Drive to medical office uses, as well as the construction of a new 433‐space, three-level parking structure. The current regulations do not allow medical office uses, so Kaiser has requested a rezoning and permit amendment. This project is consistent … Continued

In early 2017, the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge was launched as a collaborative research and design project to initiate innovative solutions brought on by climate change. Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, this Bay Area adaptation design competition focuses specifically on sea level rise. The competition was set-up to select ten site areas in … Continued

The first day for students in the San Rafael City Schools District and the Dixie School District is next Thursday, August 23. You may see an increase in traffic congestion around the City–and it won’t be just commuters trying to get to work; you’ll likely see parents dropping off their students, school buses driving through … Continued

Also on Monday, the City’s Community Development Director will give a brief presentation on various housing topics: state-mandated housing laws; current City housing policies and regulations; the City’s current housing stock, including our affordable housing inventory; accessory dwelling units; current housing development activity; short-term residential rentals; and the current rental housing market. This report will … Continued

On Monday evening, the City Council will consider a response to the recently released Grand Jury report, Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief. In their report, the Grand Jury examined yellow school bus (YSB) programs in Marin County and found that these programs were developed in a varied district-by-district approach that lacks coordination and consistent funding that … Continued

Over the past several meetings, the City Council has discussed and approved several employee labor agreements with various bargaining groups. On Monday evening, the City Council will discuss a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the San Rafael Police Association. At the City Council’s direction, this MOU would be brought back for final consideration in September. … Continued