On Thursday, September 3, the City removed a mural from the cement wall at the intersection at Freitas Parkway and Las Gallinas. We don’t typically notify the community when we do this type of work, but we think it’s important in this instance to share our reasoning. The mural read “Breonna Taylor was killed 166 days ago and her...
To expedite the process for resolving business violations of the Shelter-in-Place Order, 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 Rafael please email SIPviolations@cityofsanrafael.org and include the following information: Business name Address...
The City of San Rafael (City) hereby requests proposals for janitorial services for City facilities. It is the intent of the City to hire a fully-licensed contractor. Services shall include routine janitorial maintenance for all City facilities, including the Police Department, Library, Recreation Centers, Department of Public Works, and City Hall. Work will include: vacuuming,...
The Sidewalk Repair Program continues to make good progress in East San Rafael. The City and contractor have completed nearly 50 of the 110 properties signed up in the area. Green dots in the image above represent completed projects with blue dots to be completed. An impressive 42 properties on Riviera Drive alone have signed...
Air quality in Marin is fluctuating with the direction of the winds, so continue to keep doors and windows closed when you can, and check AirNow to determine the quality of the air in your zip code. CalFire's website continues to be inundated with visitors, forcing it to crash. Their Facebook page and Twitter remain the best ways to access the most up-to-date information about evacuations and wildfire spread around the greater...
Francisco Boulevard West was recently converted to one-way southbound from Second Street to Rice Drive. This was done to improve safety at the SMART rail crossing at Second Street by diverting northbound traffic to Lindaro. It also allowed us to make room for a two-way protected cycle track on the west side of the street....
Streets crew members Ken Gatlin, Arturo Tinoco and Jeremy Quintal recently conducted the annual cleanup of the Freitas ditch ahead of the rains to come which could potentially clog the drainage ditch with debris or wash it out into the bay. The crews generally tend to haul about 20-30 tons of mostly organic material to the dump...
Maintenance crews were busy Monday after a windy weekend storm brought down numerous trees and branches around the City. Parks Division crew member Trevor Thomas is seen here helping to clear a large branch that was blocking a lane along the Miracle Mile.
This year has been hard on Parking Services buggies. The Vehicle Maintenance Division has had to take many out of service due to parts unavailability and high repair costs. The buggy in this photo has frame damage that cannot be repaired safely and therefor had to be taken out of service. Mechanic Jay Arieta is...
To ensure continued safe disposal of expired and unused medications, Facilities Department crew members Anthoney Heaven and Michael Reiser installed the drug drop off box, which was previously located at the old Police Department, in the lobby of the new Public Safety Center.
Facilities Division crew members Omar Garcia, Michael Reiser, and Anthoney Heaven built and mounted panels to the new Public Safety Center motorcycle parking garage. This will allow Officers to mount all necessary charging devices within easy reach of their motorcycles.
Diane Dillion, Senior Associate Engineer, is retiring after 35 years of service to the City of San Rafael Public Works Department. In her role, Diane oversees citywide Encroachment Permitting (any construction work in the right of way) including approvals and inspections, as well as implementation and participation in the mandated Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention...
San Rafael, CA – With Americans celebrating the warm Labor Day holiday weekend with extra enthusiasm this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to remind everyone about the dangers of drinking and driving. This Labor Day weekend, NHTSA will join with the San Rafael Police Department to spread the word about impaired driving...
On August 17, 2020, the San Rafael Police Department brought proposed changes to the Use of Force Policy (Policy 300 of the Police Procedural Manual) to the City Council. The City Council voted unanimously to accept these changes. Here are a few highlights of the changes: Police Chief Diana Bishop wrote her first Chief’s Preface to the Police Procedural Manual This preface...
Where to begin? Following severe lightning storms, wildfires are active statewide, many with evacuation orders in place. Smoke and ash from the Woodward Fire, Hennessey Fire, and other regional fires have impacted our air quality here in Marin. AirNow provides reports about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI). Search your zip code to see the quality of the...
Parts of San Rafael potentially impacted PG&E let the County of Marin know that during August 18-20, residents will likely experience rolling blackouts of up to 2 hours. The blackouts may occur from 3pm to 11pm today, Wednesday or Thursday. Residents should take prompt action to prepare by charging cell phones and medical devices, signing...
Based on current energy supply forecasts, rotating power outages are likely to occur Monday. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) urges customers to conserve electricity in response to the California Independent System Operator’s (ISO) statewide Flex Alert called for Monday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. CAISO is the organization that manages the state's power grid. Best ways to...
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) released a recent press release of potential outages that could affect parts of California this evening. Stay informed about outages affecting your service by viewing PG&E's outage map. Visit California ISO's (CAISO) web page for information about California's electric grid.
An unexpected heat wave is bringing unusually high temperatures to Marin County. People who are more vulnerable to hot conditions now have an option to escape the heat. Marin Public Health is opening a cooling center Saturday, August 15 through Tuesday, August 18, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Marin Center Exhibit Hall (10 Avenue of...
Earlier this evening, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) implemented a rotating power outage due to a strain on the electrical grid. The power will be turned off in rotating blocks until about 11 p.m. Power could be out for about one hour for each block. Some households in San Rafael have already begun to experience restored...
On Monday, August 17th, the City Council will review recommended changes to the City of San Rafael Police Department’s Use of Force Policy. In June 2020, Mayor Phillips signed President Barack Obama’s “Mayor’s Pledge” to review San Rafael’s use of force policing policies. Additionally, the Mayor assembled a community task force to assist City leaders...
Access to the internet is necessary for so many facets of our lives including getting news and information, participating in civic life, applying for jobs or unemployment, access to education, and more. Residents in San Rafael do not have equal access to the internet and computers at home. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated digital equity...
The City of San Rafael (City) hereby requests proposals for janitorial services for City facilities. It is the intent of the City to hire a fully-licensed contractor. Services shall include routine janitorial maintenance for all City facilities, including the Police Department, Library, Recreation Centers, Department of Public Works, and City Hall. Work will include: vacuuming,...
Throughout the City, our staff have been working hard to update and maintain the marking and signage on the roadways. Recently, our striping contractor has been updating the crosswalks and other various striping along Fifth Avenue to make them safer for pedestrians and visible for motorists. Paint isn’t the only thing that helps with visibility...
Streets crew members Brendan Smith, Trevor Thomas, and Matthew Von Bima were at the new Public Safety Center adding some final touches to the area. This will not only bring a fresh look to the steps, but it will ensure and improve visibility of the steps. The staff were tasked to go around the building...
Arturo Tinoco and Kenny Gaitlin worked with and oversaw Ad-Lite clamming services to remove debris from the Kerner Boulevard ditch. The project happened over the course of three (3) days, and team removed more than 20 tons of vegetation and garbage from the drainage channel. During this time of the year, our crews inspect all...
The Parks Division and AmeriCorps worked together setting up the landscaping of Fire Station 57. Parks crew member Valente Curiel prepped the area by laying down the fabric layer for the group to start putting down the mulch. With the helping hands of AmeriCorps, we were able to complete the work at Fire Station 57...
The Parks Division is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the vegetation along the drainage ditch on Freitas Parkway. When the crews are ready to get to work, they follow the necessary safety protocols by setting up necessary traffic control in the area early in the morning before they commence work. The crews trimmed...
The Parks Division does not only deal with vegetation issues. Parks crew member Jim O’Hagan assists with checking the water quality of the pool. Jim regularly goes to the Terra Linda Community Center to check the pool’s sanitation balance and verify that the water is circulating properly. If there are any issues, Jim will correct...
Construction has started on Francisco Blvd East from Vivian to Grand Avenue. The City has coordinated with the San Rafael Sanitation District to complete a much-anticipated sidewalk widening project with a sewer replacement project. We are taking advantage of the decrease in traffic volume during the COVID pandemic to do construction during the day for...
