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Southern Marin Scoop - April 2023 |
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Dear Friends and Neighbors in Southern Marin,
Spring has sprung and April is here, which means Earth Day is around the corner. There are so many events happening across the County this weekend. I hope you will take family and friends and get out to one of these to learn what you can do to be part of the climate solution.
You can join me on Saturday morning in Marin City for the Earth Day Community Clean Up, as well as on Sunday afternoon at Earth Day Marin at the Mill Valley Community Center. It was working at an Earth Day event in high school when I decided that caring for people and the planet was the work I wanted to do, and I’ve been at it ever since.
Below you’ll find a list of local Earth Day events, a request for your feedback in our County surveys, and your participation in County Boards and Commissions. I’ve also included a recap of highlights from our recent Budget Workshops, along with other County news, and also offer some important Spring cleaning tips from Southern Marin Fire to prepare our homes for wildfires.
I hope you enjoy this issue of the Southern Marin Scoop, and please let us how we can best serve you.
All the Best,
Stephanie |
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Earth Day Resolution
Earth Day is recognized every year as a reminder of our responsibility as individuals, businesses, community, and society, to protect our planet and steward the natural environment. The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest in Our Planet” which highlights the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy to solving climate change and other environmental issues. At the Board of Supervisors meeting on April 18, 2023, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Marin passed a resolution proclaiming April 22, 2023 to be “Earth Day in Marin County”, and joins individuals and organizations throughout our community, nation, and world, in celebrating all that has been accomplished, and recommit to protect the environment, planet health, and a sustainable future for all living creatures not just on Earth Day, but every day. RESOLUTION
Local Events
Earth Day Marin: Create a Better World
Sunday, April 23
1-5 p.m.
Mill Valley Community Center
Earth Day Clean-Up - Sausalito
Sunday, April 23
9–10:30 a.m., 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1–2:30 p.m.
Gabrielson Park, Sausalito
Clean Marin has an extensive list of opportunities to participate in local Earth Day events in Marin County.
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Marin Teens Are Walking and Rolling to School
Marin County Teens have great concern for the environment, particularly global warming. This concern is translating into action: this Spring, 43 percent of middle schoolers opted for a active way to school (61% green trips). That means that they either walked, rode a bike, scooted, skateboarded, took the bus, or carpooled. That number is a stark contrast to the only 15 percent of students nationwide who walk or roll on their way to class, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Safe Routes is currently serving nine Marin County public middle schools, where 6,387 students receive the benefits of the Teen Program through encouragement to choose active travel over the family car or receive pedestrian and biking safety classes.
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Your Voice Matters! Community Survey on the Way
The County of Marin wants to hear from the community about whether delivery of needed services is meeting expectations, and to help the Board of Supervisors determine the most important priorities for the next five years.
County government will mail 4,500 surveys to randomly selected households in mid-April. To ensure everyone has a chance to take part, the survey will be available online to all Marin County residents later in mid-May. For more information, visit MarinCounty.org/CommunitySurvey.
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Marin County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Survey
The various communities within Marin County are working together to update Marin County’s Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. As part of this community planning process, we are asking for community input to ensure that the proposed mitigation projects and vulnerabilities have alignment with the community’s existing perceptions and expectations.
What is Hazard Mitigation? Hazard Mitigation is the effort to reduce the loss of life and damage to property and the environment by lessening the impact of natural hazards on the community. By understanding what natural hazards we face in Marin County, and how those hazards may impact our communities either by injuring people, damaging or destroying property, or impacting the environment; we reference this document to seek ways to protect people, property, and the environment from the impact of these hazards.
There are two initial ways to give us your thoughts and priorities:
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Marin County Short Term Rental Survey
The County of Marin is currently preparing to update our Short Term Rental Ordinance. To help guide the direction of Short Term Rental regulations, we ask that you complete a quick five to ten minute survey. The survey will be open until 5 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2023.
In addition to this survey, the County will develop stakeholder focus groups to further discuss potential regulations. These focus groups will contain 6-10 people and will meet at least once before the end of May 2023. If you would like to be considered for a focus group, please fill out the survey and provide your email when prompted; or email str@marincounty.org if you would be interested in participating in a focus group.
Library Commission Opening
If you are a resident of Marin County, you have an opportunity to make a difference in your community through active participation in local government. The Board of Supervisors is always searching for innovative, creative thinkers who are enthusiastic about volunteer work and are committed to delivering excellence and the support of diversity in serving the constituents of Marin. If you would like to be a part of our volunteer team, please consider one of the exciting District 3 board or commission opportunities including a current opening on the Library Commission.
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Fire Safe Marin Monthly Safety Message: Spring Cleaning
It’s time to prepare for wildfire. The most important thing you can do to protect your home is to clear combustible materials from the first five (5) feet around your house. Then, if a wildfire blows burning embers your way, there is nothing next to your home to ignite. This is called Zone 0 and can be part of a beautiful, fire safe yard.
Adapting to wildfire means being prepared. Learn more @firesafemarin.org
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Southern Marin Fire District Presents Mill Valley Neighborfest
The inaugural Mill Valley Neighborfest will launch this May throughout various communities in Mill Valley encouraging residents to get to know their neighbors. The Mill Valley Neighborfest is presented by the Southern Marin Fire District in partnership with the Southern Marin Neighborhood Response Groups program in an effort to help build connections and trust between neighbors.
Knowing your neighbors is proven to boost health, happiness and longevity of communities. May 2023 is the inaugural Mill Valley Neighborfest and sign ups are open. Communities in Mill Valley will be coming together to get to know each other and have some fun!
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Ember Stomp - Save the Date: Saturday, May 20
Join us for Marin’s second annual wildfire prevention festival, Ember Stomp at the Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds from 11a.m-5 p.m.
We are all in this together! Ember Stomp invites residents to learn their role in being part of a fire-adapted community and how we can all prepare for wildfire. This year offers a bigger space with new music, entertainment, exhibits, vendors and a live burn demonstration. This FREE event is fun for the whole family.
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Earth Day Tip
This Earth Day, take some time to assess the fire risk on your property and think lean, clean and green.
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Lean: Allow space between individual plants, or plant in small, irregular clusters or islands with non-combustible material pathways.
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Clean: Remove dried grass, weeds, dead branches, and other dead vegetation. Check gutters, roof, eaves, vents, chimneys, under decks or elevated porches for leaf and needle litter. Thin and reduce tree canopies.
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Green: Properly irrigated plants with healthy soil remain healthy, green, and less prone to fire, summer through fall. Check your irrigation system regularly for leaks or malfunctions. Applying compost and mulches helps stabilize soil temperature and prevent evaporation. Areas 0-5’ from structures, use non-combustible mulches like rock, gravel, and stone. 5-30” from structures, composted woodchips or bark nuggets to a depth of two inches is best. Avoid fine, stringy mulches. READ MORE
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March Budget Workshops Review
Equity projects were a major part of the County’s recent budget workshops. The three-day session was designed to set the table for final springtime decisions on the 2023-2024 budget. A final proposed budget will be presented to the Board in late June.
The County projects a balanced budget for the next fiscal year, reflecting moderate economic growth given the economic headwinds at the national and state level. Budget Manager Josh Swedberg said no cuts to public services are expected in the 2023-24 budget, which goes into effect July 1.
Providing services to community members who need them the most – or equity, in short – remains at the forefront of County and Board priorities. The disparities of Marin’s collective health, wealth, and quality of life are the greatest when measured by race. Marin continues to be one of the most racial disparate counties in California. Approaching the budget process with an equity lens encourages community involvement in reaching goals. Every budget proposal will include an evaluation of whether a change benefits or burdens communities of color.
Examples of how the equity lens is working:
- The Marin County Free Library plans to increase early literacy programs at branches that serve higher concentrations of patrons from lower-income households, newer immigrants, and people of color. MCFL also plans to design a build a new mobile outreach vehicle to enhance programming in rural West Marin.
- Marin County Parks is reducing barriers for visitation at its facilities and taking steps toward eliminating entry fees for its parks.
- Public Works will prioritize benefits to underserved communities when developing its annual road paving and safety improvement plans, considering neighborhood-scale demographics such as per capita rates of disabled residents, older adults, and families with young children.
- Community Development will address barriers to home ownership, business ownership, permitting, and inspections.
- The County’s new website, to be launched gradually in the coming months, will be more equitable, accessible, and customer-oriented.
In addition to equity programs, the County staff touched on cross-departmental initiatives such affordable housing, homelessness, and adaptation to climate change.
Given a predicted state budget shortfall, there are concerns about the reliability of revenues that fund vital safety net services over the next few years. The budget staff logged feedback from the Supervisors and the public that will be considered following the State of California’s budget revisions that are expected in May.
During the informational sessions, budget staff provided an overview of stated top priorities from the community, department workplans, and emerging budget issues such as slowing property tax revenues, higher interest rates, and the need for investments in County facilities and infrastructure.
In June 2022, the Board adopted a $716 million budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year. The largest sources of income were property taxes (40%) and the state and federal governments (34%). The largest expenditures were for the County workforce’s salaries and benefits (57%) and public services and supplies (31%). Roughly 72% of the County budget was for mandated programs such as public health, public safety, and municipal court-related services.
Watch the full budget hearings online:
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March 27: Budget overview, racial equity efforts, community survey, continuous improvement efforts, climate change and sustainability efforts.
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March 28: Affordable/workforce housing update, homelessness/permanent supportive housing update.
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March 29: Library continuous improvement initiative, Parks fee reduction program, Health and Human Services workplan, Fire workplan, development of new County website, Supervisor remarks.
Marin County Board of Supervisors Unanimously Approves
$2 Million Resident Investment Fund for Golden Gate Village
 A $2 million Resident Investment Fund for Golden Gate Village—which could be used to support pathways to home ownership, credit repair, job training and education programs—was unanimously approved by the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
The investment fund is a key component of a $330 million plan to renovate, restore, rehabilitate and preserve Golden Gate Village as a historic district and as a vital component to the continuum of affordable rental housing to Marin County.
The MHA understands that the most impactful way to serve vulnerable populations is to empower those communities by giving them a voice in designing solutions specific to their diverse needs and perspectives. As such, the MHA is hosting resident listening session workshops in GGV at a newly established community space onsite.
Residents have already been actively taking part in discussions on potential ideas for the fund, which include assistance for home ownership programs, credit building and repair, funding to match escrow funds from HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, small business development grants, tuition reimbursement, and training in the arts and entertainment fields, among other alternatives. READ MORE
Marin County Fair Theme: ‘Electrifying!’
From June 30 through July 4, 2023, the Marin County Fair will return in full for the first time since 2019. With the theme Electrifying!, this year’s fair will celebrate all things electric, solar, and charged with excitement.
The 2023 fair will include favorites such as the juried fine arts and photography exhibit, headline concerts, carnival rides, sheepdog trials, a petting zoo, fireworks every night, and much more.
The popular competitive exhibits program will take place in person and celebrate talented and creative community members. READ MORE
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13% of County Roads Improved During Fiscal Year
The 422 miles of roads maintained by the County of Marin are crucial infrastructure that people rely on daily to conduct their business, connect with surrounding communities, visit popular attractions, explore Marin’s beauty, and live their diverse lives. Additionally, emergency services and law enforcement agencies rely on a quality road network to serve our community and keep Marin safe in times of need.
Improvements and ongoing maintenance of the road network is a major responsibility for the Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) and a commitment that requires significant planning and funding to undertake.
During this fiscal year, which is from July 2022 through June 2023, DPW will have spent roughly $12 million on construction and construction management contracts to improve 56.8 miles of road through various pavement preservation and roadway rehabilitation projects. That covers about 13% of the total road miles maintained by the County. Head to the Marin County Public Works site to see the list of current road improvement and paving projects. READ MORE
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Marin Ranked Healthiest County in State
Marin County again has been ranked the healthiest of California’s 58 counties because of its relatively low burden of premature deaths, high scores in quality of life, clinical care, and social and economic factors, according to the 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps[External] released March 29.
The rankings, released annually by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, allows counties across the nation to measure community health and well-being over time. Marin has been ranked No. 1 for 13 of the 14 years the rankings have been compiled.
Although Marin is consistently ranked among the healthiest counties in California, health outcomes are not the same across the County. Marin County Public Health is determined to improve health for all and reduce disparities. READ MORE
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Recruitment Opens for County Vocational Internships
Recruitment has just opened for the Marin County Career Explorer Program, a popular vocational skills internship opportunity for those between the ages of 15 and 22 funded by the Marin County Probation Department.
Young people curious about public service careers get a chance to work with County of Marin departments while gaining exclusive experience. The program runs from June 12 through August 4. Participants are paid $17.50 per hour during their internship. Applications are available online in English and Spanish and may be turned in through May 31.
Manpreet Kaur of Marin City, a 2022 participant, spent time learning about the Marin County Public Defender’s Office from mentor attorney La Dell Dangerfield. She subsequently connected with the Marin Teen Girl Conference, the Marin 9 to 25 Initiative, and an internship with the nonprofit Bloom Marin. Kaur was the recipient of the 2022 Dan Daniels Spirit of Service Award, which goes to an intern who demonstrates a passion for serving clients, coworkers, and community partners. READ MORE
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Marin County Parks Grants Focus on Key Barriers to Parks
Over the next few months, up to $200,000 will be awarded to Marin County community-based organizations to help overcome barriers and connect communities to parks. The maximum grant is $8,000 per applicant.
Eliminating those barriers is a longstanding commitment for Marin County Parks. In 2021, its representatives joined Marin’s leaders and local partnering organizations to work toward equitable park access through a new Parks Equity Roundtable. Over the past year, the group has convened to build community, share resources, and overcome structural barriers preventing Marin’s communities of color and other groups from enjoying parks and recreational opportunities.
Parks will consider funding projects or programs that support an underserved community as long as that community is adequately described in relation to the Breathe/Respira program. Proposals will be reviewed after the June 2 application deadline, and grants will be recommended in July in partnership with the Parks and Open Space Commission. They will be announced in August following approval of grant agreements by the Board of Supervisors. READ MORE
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New Accessory Dwelling Unit Technical Assistance Pilot Program
The County of Marin has launched its new Accessory Dwelling Unit Technical Assistance Pilot program helping homeowners in the Unincorporated Areas navigate the process of adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) or a Junior ADU (JADU) to their homes. Hello Housing is excited to announce HelloADU, a new ADU/JADU technical assistance program in Marin County for homeowners who are motivated to move their projects forward but could benefit from free customized project management support to do so. I am reaching out with the hope that you can help us spread the word about this great, but limited opportunity. Applying is free and simple.
Here is a snapshot of the opportunity:
Program: Marin County’s HelloADU Program – Free Technical Assistance support to homeowners seeking to build an ADU or a JADU on their properties.
What: Participating homeowners receive free feasibility and project management support from nonprofit Hello Housing to help them move their projects forward. This includes initial site feasibility reviews, identification and vetting of professionals to work with, design guidance, and permitting support.
When: An online application period is now open on a rolling basis – spaces are limited so apply now: https://www.helloadu.org/free-marin-county-services
Where: Eligible projects must be located in the Unincorporated Area of the County
How: Learn more about the program, see if you are eligible, and apply online: https://www.helloadu.org/free-service-eligibility
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 Let’s Make our Streets Safer for Everyone!
From April 11 through the end of May, you will again see bright and colorful banners and lawn signs popping up all over Marin asking people to keep their “Eyes Up” and be alert. These signs will be asking drivers to slow down, watch when turning and look for pedestrians in the crosswalk; bicyclists to yield to pedestrians and to follow the rules of the road; And those walking to pay attention when crossing the street.
The Eyes Up, Marin Campaign is part of the Street Smarts Program and Safe Routes to Schools, locally funded programs of the Transportation Authority of Marin.
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