As of the filing deadline for City of San Rafael elected official candidates, only incumbents filed for the seats up for re-election. In this case, the Election Code allows for nominating and appointing incumbents should the City Council wish not to hold an election. An election of this nature would cost from $180,000 to $230,000....
Also on Monday night, the City Council will consider an update on the year-end results of Fiscal Year 2016-17. Property-related taxes ended the year strong, while sales tax revenues ended at the lowest level in three years. General Fund revenues came in $900K short of projections, mostly due to the decline in sales tax and...
The design phase for the new Public Safety Center (future home of Fire Station 51, Police Department and Fire Department Administration) is nearly complete. To prepare the site for construction, demolition and excavation is the next step. This phase also includes salvaging historic and cultural items from Fire Station 51 that will be integrated into...
The City of San Rafael has long operated with an abiding respect for all of our community. We are a city for all of our residents and businesses and are proud of the trust that we have built with our immigrant community. Immigrants are extremely valued and essential members of San Rafael and we are...
The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District announced today that it has received the green light from the Federal Railroad Administration to begin full passenger train service. Service will begin on August 25. “We are proud to say that we are ready to roll,” said SMART Board of Directors Chairwoman Debora Fudge. “This is the...
Andrew Hening, the City of San Rafael's director of homeless planning & outreach, was named a top influencer by the local government association Engaging Local Government Leaders. The list of influencers is dubbed the "Traeger List" in honor of fictional City Manager, Chris Traeger, of the television show Parks & Recreation. The Traeger List is...
Executive Summary In November 2013, Measure E was passed by the voters of San Rafael extending for 20 years an existing 0.5% sales tax and adding 0.25% in an effort to set aside funds to begin to address the aging public safety facilities in San Rafael. In July 2015 the City Council approved a strategic...
Executive Summary In November 2013, Measure E was passed by the voters of San Rafael extending for 20 years an existing 0.5% sales tax and adding 0.25% in an effort to set aside funds to begin to address the aging public safety facilities in San Rafael. In July 2015 the City Council approved a strategic...
Work Completed In Past Three Weeks The City's Contractor, Ghilotti Bros, installed new concrete medians on the north and south legs of Las Gallinas. A portion of the median on the south leg (i.e., the Safeway side) remains to be constructed at a later point in time thus allowing buses and large trucks to turn...
Crews are busily continuing work on the Freitas/Las Gallinas intersection. These updates will improve traffic flow, extend bike lanes, and upgrade the storm drain system among other things. We’ve completed demolition on the west side and will begin reconstruction soon. In tandem, new curb ramps and medians are being installed. Traffic control is in place...
The City of San Rafael is committed to the equitable treatment of all and to fostering a community of inclusion. We embrace the diversity that makes up our great city. This commitment is not new. When someone calls 9-1-1, our police and fire departments are here to help. Our libraries, community centers, parks and childcare...
We are always looking to improve the way we engage and connect with our community. The Grand Jury conducted an assessment of public engagement practices throughout Marin and commended San Rafael for receiving the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership’s highest award for public engagement in 2016. Public engagement is an ongoing process...
The Albert Park Playground could be getting a new look. Community members along with the support of the B Team and the Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association came together to address the needs of a new design for the playground at Albert Park. After many meetings and a lot of public outreach, a new concept has been...
The City of San Rafael has been served with a civil lawsuit that challenges City Council decisions made more than 10 years ago concerning City employee pensions. The complaint, filed by David Brown, concerns the City's adoption of increased employee pension formulas in 2002-2006. The City later adopted reduced pension formulas for employees hired after...
On Tuesday, August 8, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the San Rafael Police Department in partnership with the Asian American Donor Program is hosting a Bone Marrow Donor Drive. The purpose of the donor drive is to help find a match for Officer Matthew Medina, a seven-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police...
It’s one thing to have a strategy, it’s another to implement it. Over the past three newsletters you have learned about the three step approach communities across the country are using to end chronic homelessness. Over the past year the City of San Rafael, the County of Marin and our local service providers have been working...
Over the past year the County of Marin, local service providers, and the City of San Rafael have begun adopting a dramatically new strategy for ending chronic homelessness. This new approach is called “Coordinated Entry,” and it has been pioneered, vetted, and proven successful in communities around the country. This is Part 3 of a three-part series breaking down...
Have you ever wondered what are the ingredients that make downtown San Rafael such an authentic and special place? One answer is that we have an amazingly strong arts and cultural presence. This week, the State of California officially agreed and announced that our downtown was selected as one of only 14 in the State’s...
At their 7 p.m. meeting on Monday evening, the City Council will hold public hearings and consider the following: Formed in 1999, the Baypoint Lagoon Assessment District was formed to remove nonnative plants in the Baypoint (Spinnaker) Lagoon. With landscaping needs now at a minimal level, funds will be directed towards improvements to the Cayes...
On Monday evening, the City Council will consider responses to two recent reports from the Grand Jury related to pensions and retiree health. The Grand Jury released a report in May that discussed the funding of public agency liabilities for retiree health benefits. This report revisits the issues raised in a report prepared four years...
About six months ago, the City Council approved revisions to the City’s Residential Building Resale (RBR) program. On Monday evening, the City Council will review the first progress report since making these changes. The report is generally positive, including encouraging feedback from the real estate community on City staff performance. READ STAFF REPORT
Also, at their Monday meeting, the City Council will consider a special tax for properties at the Village at Loch Lomond Marina to maintain the public marina green, boardwalk playground, roadway and on-site seasonal wetland conservation areas. The tax was authorized back in 2010, but is now going into effect because the public improvements are...
On Monday night, the City Council will consider personnel related changes to create more flexibility within certain classification series, updating the City’s salary schedule to reflect a new classification, and making market rate adjustments to two salary ranges. With these changes, staff believes the City will be able to improve recruitment efforts and keep existing...
You may know that San Rafael’s downtown restaurants are awesome, but did you know they are also trying to reduce waste? The City of San Rafael has teamed up with 17 downtown restaurants in the first ever “Ask First” campaign. Each restaurant has made the commitment to asking customers if they would like disposable utensils...
Work Completed In Past Two Weeks The City's Contractor, Ghilotti Bros, installed new concrete wheelchair ramps, curb, and gutter on the northwest and southwest corners of the intersection. The subcontractor, Valentine Corporation, prepared and poured concrete footings for the new retaining walls to be built adjacent to the left turn lanes on Freitas in both...
Newly launched state designation program celebrates the state’s arts and culture San Rafael has been selected as one of California’s premier state-designated arts and culture districts, the California Arts Council announced today. San Rafael joins 13 other districts in a new program highlighting the state’s unique artistic and cultural communities within California, home to the country’s leading...
Our Lady of Lourdes Convent Our Lady of Lourdes Convent's Story Nestled between redwoods and beautiful gardens, Our Lady Lourdes Convent has served San Rafael for over 50 years caring for aged and infirmed Dominican Sisters . Six months ago the Convent began composting and took extra steps to recycle more. The results have been...
On a chilly, pre-dawn morning back on January 27th, almost 100 community volunteers fanned out across the entire county to participate in Marin's 2017 Homeless Point-in-Time Count (PIT). The Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities across the country to complete a PIT every two years at the end of January. Read more about the PIT...
There is a serious parking crunch in East San Rafael! Densely populated neighborhoods and increased rates of car ownership over the years have led to serious parking issues in the Canal, Spinnaker, and Baypoint neighborhoods. The Mayor, Council and City have heard the community’s concerns, and the City commissioned a study this year to help...
Interested in construction and infrastructure updates in San Rafael? Well, you're dreams have come true because the San Rafael Public Works Department is now on Twitter. Follow their tweets!
