On Monday evening, City staff will present an informational report about new parking time limits in the residential and commercial sections of East San Rafael. These new time limits were developed as part of a parking study in East San Rafael, which was prompted in response to concerns relating to parking availability. The first phase...
On Monday evening, the City Council will consider two items related to cannabis. The first item is whether to place a measure on the June 5, 2018 ballot to levy a “commercial cannabis industry special tax”--a special business tax-- on cannabis businesses in San Rafael. If approved, voters in San Rafael would vote on a...
Also on Monday, the City Council will consider the release of lease revenue bonds, which will be used to fund three public safety facility projects: the rebuilding of Fire Stations 57 and 52, and a new Public Safety Center across the street from City Hall. The proposed bond financing is expected to yield $48.5 million...
On March 5, 2018, the City Council will consider a resolution approving a detailed work program for the General Plan Update, including descriptions of each task to be performed, and a project budget and schedule. The 90-page work program outlines 15 tasks and over 100 sub-tasks to be completed over a three-year period, culminating with...
San Rafael Fire Department's Vegetation Management Division is partnered with Department of Public Works to keep the open spaces of San Rafael safe from fire risk and danger. One of the main ways these large open spaces are kept clean for the wildfire season is with goats. These four legged grazing machines are used...
The benefits of being a police cadet lay the foundation for a long and varied vocation if you are considering a career in law enforcement. The police cadet is a 20-hour/week entry-level police civilian classification that performs all duties required to support police services. The cadet must be proactive as they maintain the police vehicles,...
Great news! The Public Safety Center notice to proceed will be issued next Monday, February 5. The site is completely cleared, the office trailers have been dropped off, and the contractor’s A team is ready to go. The pre-construction meeting took place this week where Police and Fire Chiefs expressed their excitement for this new...
Help the City of San Rafael and the Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP) understand pollution prevention practices by filling out this short survey! Your survey will help MCSTOPPP decide how to direct outreach and education resources to have the biggest impact to prevent pollution from getting into our creeks and the Bay. Thanks...
What makes a great Downtown? On Monday February 5, 2017, the San Rafael City Council received a presentation from Planning Commissioner Larry Paul and a working group of design professionals on Criteria for Good Design in Downtown San Rafael. The working group has been meeting for several months to develop a cohesive design framework for...
For almost three years the City of San Rafael's Police Department has had a dedicated "Downtown Foot Patrol" made up of three sworn officers, one civilian homeless outreach provider, and a supervisor. The Downtown Foot Patrol's primary mission is to work with the community to improve quality of life issues. Sergeant Scott Eberle currently supervises...
In the last several months, the Department of Public Works has been meeting with engaged community members who have offered their input on improving the City’s current policy (last revised in 2014). Their primary focus was on expanded posting of signage where pesticides are being used in addition to increased training and clarification of pesticides...
Project Description: These two projects include installation of hot mix asphalt and/or micro-surfacing treatments at various locations throughout the City. This project also includes installation of American’s With Disability Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps, curb, gutter, and sidewalk. Curb ramps must be installed prior to resurfacing of streets per federal law. Project Status: Below is a list of roads that will potentially be...
Following the retirement of former San Rafael City Clerk Esther Beirne in January, the City Council decided on February 13 to appoint Lindsay Lara to fill the remaining term. She is expected to be sworn in on March 5, 2018. “Lindsay’s track record is impressive and her passion for the community is evident,” said Mayor...
The existing taxi station at the Transit Center will be closed due to construction at the Transit Center beginning February 5 for the SMART rail extension to Larkspur. Taxicab operators expressed concerns at the most recent City Council meeting that without a new cab stand in place, the transit using public and city streets would...
In early January Andersen Drive was closed temporarily as SMART performed rail welding work along the rail line. Starting February 26, the Andersen Drive closure will be reinstated, 24-7 for an estimated three months. SMART will be constructing the actual rail crossing across Andersen Drive and utilities will be performing important work relocating several key...
AlterTheater Ensemble creates pop-up performances with professional artists in storefronts along downtown San Rafael’s pedestrian shopping district. With its award-winning playwright residency program, AlterTheater plays have started on Fourth Street in San Rafael and gone on to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, to New York, to Canada, and more. We hire the same actors as larger...
On Tuesday, City staff hosted a “Demo Day” at the Rafael Theater where cross-departmental teams shared ideas they developed to solve various challenges. This was the culmination of a 3-month long program where City staff learned about human-centered design and how to apply it to their work as public servants. The teams worked on illegal dumping, new...
Business license renewal notices have been distributed to all businesses with active licenses in San Rafael. Each license renewal is due by February 15 and the City accepts cash, checks, money orders, and most major credit cards. Licenses may be renewed online via credit card or eCheck at www.cityofsanrafael.org/businesslicenses. For questions about business licenses, please call...
Marin Clean Energy's newest pilot, the Low-Income Families and Tenants(LIFT) program, offers income-qualified owners and tenants of multi-family properties, such as apartment buildings, an opportunity to save money and electricity while improving quality of life for residents. $1,200 per unit is available to fund energy efficiency improvements and appliances for items such as pipe insulation, more...
The City of San Rafael (City) hereby requests proposals from qualified consultants for the City Hall Accessibility Assessment Study Project for the San Rafael Public Library located at 1400 Fifth Avenue. It is the intent of the City to hire a qualified consultant who can provide project management, preliminary assessments, proposed improvements, estimate of improvements...
What makes a great Downtown? On Monday February 5, 2017, the San Rafael City Council will receive a presentation from Planning Commissioner Larry Paul and a working group of design professionals on Criteria for Good Design in Downtown San Rafael. The working group has been meeting for several months to develop a cohesive design framework...
On December 4, 2017, the City Council appointed a 23-member Steering Committee to guide the 2040 General Plan Update. The Committee represents a diverse range of organizations and interests, including City Commissions, neighborhoods, advocacy groups, and members at-large. Most of the members have a designated alternate, bringing the total number appointees to 45. The Committee...
At the January 16, 2018 meeting, the City Council decided to switch to district-based elections, starting in 2020. This means that the four City Council seats will change from being elected at-large, or citywide, to by district. Each City Council member will represent a particular area of the City. Under this system, the Mayor will...
On Monday night, the City Council will receive an update from Andrew Hening, the City’s Director of Homeless Planning & Outreach. Andrew will share the progress made over the past year. The City of San Rafael and other partners took major, concrete steps towards ending homelessness and improving the quality of life in the community....
This upcoming Monday, February 5, 2018, the City Council will hear from Planning Commissioner Larry Paul and a working group composed of local design professionals and residents about “good design” criteria to guide new development in Downtown San Rafael. The suggested criteria consolidates current City policies, regulations, and guidelines that are contained in a number...
Due to construction and the upcoming SMART connection to Larkspur, the taxis that are ordinarily staged within the Bettini Transportation Center need to be relocated. On Monday evening, the City Council will consider establishing a new taxi stand at Tamalpais Avenue East, between Third and Fourth Streets. Tamalpais East is a one-way street that currently...
On Monday evening, February 5, 2018, the City Council will consider establishing procedures for expedited and streamlined processes for permitting electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to comply with state law. The changes would remove barriers and help promote installation of new charging stations by homeowners and businesses throughout San Rafael. Read the staff report here.
Follow our progress here, as the Vegetation Management Bureau works with the community to modify San Rafael's landscape to become more fire resilient. In 2017, continuous efforts were underway to improve the fire safety of San Rafael's WUI and along the open-spaces of San Rafael. Along with our continued progress in 2018, we want...
Following a nationwide search, the City of San Rafael is pleased to announce Susan Andrade-Wax as the new Community Services Director, effective February 20, 2018. Andrade-Wax comes to San Rafael after serving as the Director of Community Services at the City of Pleasanton. “Susan brings a mix of creativity, new ideas as well as a...
The City of San Rafael (City) hereby requests proposals from qualified consultants for the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Study Project. It is the intent of the City to hire a qualified consultant who can provide project management, assessments, level of concern, potential solution, and estimate of improvements costs. The final product sought is an evaluation...
