The San Rafael Library has curated a list of recommended books, websites, movies, podcasts, and videos that explore issues surrounding race and social equity. Communities across the U.S. are finally waking up to systemic racism against BIPOC, and in particular anti-Black racism. More than ever, white people and other allies are showing up, listening and...
The coronavirus pandemic is not a wildfire, it’s incomparable to a natural disaster confined in time and space; it has affected many aspects of our daily lives, including turning a simple task like going to the grocery store into a possibly nerve-wracking experience for some and simply unsafe for the more vulnerable members of our community (this includes anyone over the...
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) created a “watch list” for counties whose COVID-19 data has raised concerns regarding spikes in COVID-19 cases within their communities. Indicators raising concern are things like, community spread, increased hospitalization, and limited hospital capacity. Marin County was added to the State’s watch list for all three indicators on July 3rd. The State recommends the following actions to address the drivers that originally placed Marin on this watch list: ...
As our Facility staff were inspecting the Public Safety Center, they found two safety risks. They wanted to tackle these issues immediately before anyone got hurt! On the backside of the building, there was a 4 foot drop with no indication of elevation change. We installed temporary railing to ensure safety of our staff and...
The San Rafael Police Department is dedicated to helping at-risk youth create better opportunities for themselves and help set them on a positive path forward. One of our most influential programs is Camp Chance, a program designed to offer under-served kids an opportunity to experience traditional summer camp, as well as interact and build rapport with police officers. At the forefront of this program was Rebecca Kuga. Earlier this month, Rebecca lost a...
Here are some volunteer needs in the community right now. Please note that you should always bring your own face covering with you and maintain the physical distancing recommended by the Health Department. Also, these organizations are really struggling to meet the huge demand for food and other services. In an attempt to make things...
Have you been interested in running for office but you didn’t know where to start? Well the City of San Rafael and San Rafael City Schools have open Offices up for election in the November 3, 2020 General Municipal Election. The open offices include: Mayor (at-large) Councilmember, District 1 Councilmember, District 4 City Attorney (Part-time) City Clerk and Assessor ...
We are seeing a sharp rise in cases of COVID-19 in Marin. With the 4th of July right around the corner, COVID-19 has altered many plans from travel, to family gatherings, to firework shows. Many local shows, events, and parades have been cancelled to avoid large group gatherings. Local first responders are planning for a potential influx of visitors, especially to Marin’s coastal communities. Get creative this...
The County of Marin has decided to suspend many of the reopening guidelines for the June 29th reopening because of the recent spike in COVID-19 positive cases. According to the testing data on Marin Health and Human Services data and surveillance page, Marin County has seen a spike in cases, currently with 12 hospitalizations. Industries still permitted to open June 29th : Hair Salons / Barber...
Starting tomorrow evening, Thursday from 5—9 p.m., “Dining Under the Lights” will begin, sponsored by the Downtown Business Improvement District as a way to support our local restaurants and help people get back to work. An on-street, socially distanced dining experience, the program will take place every Thursday this summer. If you decide to head out to Fourth Street...
Welcome back to another week, we hope you were able to enjoy your weekend. Last Friday, the County of Marin issued a press about Social Bubbles, as well as, additional reopening guidelines that will go into effect on Monday June 29th. With the completion of and compliance with a Site-Specific Protection Plan, many more of our businesses will be able to reopen and restaurants can offer indoor seating (at reduced occupancies), which...
Have you heard? Marin County Schools will be back in session for Fall 2020. On Thursday, June 18th the County of Marin released the news with details for a safe return to in-classroom learning. Through a collaboration between Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health and Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools, a 30-point safety protocol structure was created. The Marin Office of Education (MCOE) created a...
Due to the lingering effects of Covid-19, the Downtown Summer San Rafael Farmers Market held on Fourth Street will not be occurring this Summer. The City of San Rafael and the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM) look forward to resuming the market in 2021. We will miss seeing everyone’s smiling (masked) faces this summer! However,...
The City of San Rafael is excited to announce that, following the County’s updated Public Health Order, we will be opening the Terra Linda Community Pool on July 6. The Health Order lays out specific guidelines for pool capacity and safe operations, which will impact the programs that the City is able to offer this...
At the June 15, 2020 City Council meeting, City Manager Jim Schutz and Chief of Police Diana Bishop made comments about racial justice. Watch this video to see their full remarks. Full transcript: City Manager Jim Schutz Thank you Mayor and Council. As you know, this is the time on our agenda when I typically...
Shops and restaurants are expanding their operations to offer indoor retail (starting today) and outdoor dining on sidewalks and parking spaces. If you don’t have any plans this weekend, consider taking a stroll downtown to experience new shopping and dining options and support our San Rafael businesses. Many of the products you need can be purchased right here in San Rafael. We recently installed more bike racks throughout...
Need more activities during your shelter-in-place life? Do you want to reduce your impact on the planet? Take part in the virtual Sustainability Scavenger Hunt organized with some of our community partners to learn strategies for living more sustainably while connecting with local climate action organizations. This online contest starts June 15th and ends July...
One of the action items identified in the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan is to “explore and gauge community interest in other revenue generating possibilities.” The City recently worked with a third-party to conduct a survey of local voters to determine community sentiment for a potential ballot measure to increase the local sales tax rate. On Monday evening, the...
At their May 18 meeting, the City Council provided direction to staff to get community feedback and initiate a letter of interest for two “priority development areas” (PDA) in San Rafael. Since then, City staff created a webpage with an online engagement platform to collect comments and held seven virtual community meetings. The meetings provided an opportunity for participants to get a better understanding of PDAs, the current thinking and recommendations, ask...
WATCH VIDEO San Rafael restaurants are excited to bring more outdoor dining to the community and we’re excited to be helping them hit the ground running! We created new, free permit types to accommodate businesses who want to use the sidewalk, plaza, or parking space in front of their business for outdoor dining and retail. Interested in dining outside at one of your favorite San Rafael restaurants? Not...
The past few months have brought a number of unprecedented challenges to our local system of care. This newsletter will provide an overview of six of the most significant ways in which the City, the County, and our local homeless service providers are responding to the COVID-19 crisis. If you or someone you know is...
Celebrate World Oceans Day with us by pledging to make a change in your life that will benefit our Oceans. You can say no to plastic straws and replace them with bamboo or stainless steel, pack your reusable cups/food containers instead of plastic water bottles and plastic baggies that end up in our Ocean. Color...
This week, we worked with various City departments to create a free and automatic temporary encroachment permit that will allow businesses to use the sidewalk or plaza space in front of their business for outdoor dining or retail. Next week we plan to offer businesses the option to use parking spaces in front of their businesses as an additional outdoor dining location option. In addition, we’re building a crowd-sourced restaurant map so diners can easily find...
From your Mayor & City Council We stand with everyone in our community and across the nation against systemic racism. Enough is enough. Our communities are demanding change that is deserved and past due. It’s time for all leaders to listen and do more to support our black community. And we won’t stop there. We...
At the June 1, 2020 City Council meeting, Chief of Police Diana Bishop commented on the death of George Floyd. Watch this video to hear her full comments.
The Sidewalk Repair Program, like most construction in the State stopped and took a pause in March and April. With the amendments to the Shelter in Place order allowing construction to resume, the City and contractor, Van Midde and Son concrete have slowly started repairing sidewalk again. Additional protective and preventative measures are being taken...
We know how important it is for our San Rafael Businesses to reopen, so we’ve partnered with the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Improvement District to support our incredible business community as best as possible. Over the weekend we created a free and automatic temporary permit process for businesses to use the sidewalk space in front of their...
We are partnering with the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Improvement District to support our incredible business community as best as possible. Starting next week, the latest Marin County Public Health order will allow outdoor dining and retail based on the following guidelines: Guidelines for retail Guidelines for restaurants To facilitate outdoor dining...
Progress continues! New guidelines have been posted to Marin Recovers allowing additional businesses (that follow specific criteria) to reopen Monday, June 1, 2020, including, outdoor retail, office space, outdoor dining, and curbside library services. We'll be working to open our Downtown and Pickleweed libraries for curbside pickup beginning Wednesday, June 3rd - stay tuned! Additionally, more parks and beaches will be opening up to motorized access on June 1st. Marin County Parks has curated...
The death of George Floyd is appalling and unacceptable. We in law enforcement must continue to improve and hold ourselves to a higher standard. The men and women of the San Rafael Police Department (SRPD) strive to reach that higher standard every day and are committed to providing professional, fair, compassionate, and dedicated law enforcement...
