It is beginning to look and feel a lot like summer! The days are getting longer, the weather is warming up, graduations are in full swing, and community events are being announced!  

While there are so many great events to look forward to this summer, I want to highlight the big one at the County, the Marin County Fair! 

June 30 through July 4, 2023, the Marin County Fair will return in full (indoors and outdoors) for the first time since 2019. The theme Electrifying! - will celebrate all things electric and solar and will be charged with excitement. 

Attendees will enjoy headline concerts, carnival rides, a petting zoo, competitive art and photography exhibits, and a fantastic fireworks show every night! 

Everything you need to know can be found on the Marin County Fair website, including the concert line-up, information on how to enter a competitive exhibit (the deadline for most categories is June 5), and the ability to purchase advance discount tickets. Reminder, children under four and active-duty military are free every day. On Opening Day, June 30, kids 12 and under, adults 65 and older, and Veterans enjoy free admission. I hope to see you at the Fair!  

Bike to Work Day
I had an opportunity to take advantage of the early sunrise and great weather earlier this month on Bike to Work Day. I joined my colleagues Supervisors Moulton-Peters, Rice, and Sackett, along with several other county employees, in getting out of our cars and finding alternative ways to commute to and from work. A little exercise and fresh air proved to be a great way to start the day! 

Are you looking for an opportunity to share your ideas and opinions to County government? The 2023 Marin County Community Survey is online and open to all people who live in Marin County through Friday, June 9.   

The survey, which takes about 15 minutes, includes questions about general quality of life, local policies, demographics, and rating of local government services. Survey results will be compared to those from the 2019 community survey and to other communities nationwide.  

Survey results will be available late summer via the County’s website and will be presented to the Board of Supervisors. Your feedback is key to ensuring our programs and policies reflect the priorities of our community. 

In addition to serving on the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I also serve on the SMART Board, where I am currently Chair. There are two exciting opportunities I wanted to share: evening weekend service and free summer youth rides.   

Earlier this month, SMART launched the Starlighter train. The Starlighter train extends evening service on Fridays and Saturdays providing Marin and Sonoma residents additional opportunities to get out and enjoy dining and entertainment in the North Bay. For those looking to venture into San Franciso, the Starlighter connects with the last Golden Gate Ferry arriving in Larkspur on Friday and Saturday nights. Visit the SMART website to view the schedule.  

I am also excited to help spread the word about the Summer Youth Ride Free Program. SMART, Marin Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, and Petaluma Transit are offering free rides for K-12 youth throughout the summer (June-August).   

Here’s how it works: no passes are necessary to ride - youth must simply show a valid K-12 school or government-issued ID when boarding. Youth grades 9-12 may use a school ID from the Spring 2023 semester. If asked, youth grades 8 and under may present a school ID, or simply tell the conductor their grade and which school they attend. Younger children, under age five, also ride for free but must be accompanied by an adult.  

I hope this provides an opportunity to introduce more youth and families to the benefits of public transit - and that they find it’s an easy, fun, and eco-friendly way to get around!  

Marin Transit will implement changes to bus routes and schedules on June 11, 2023. These changes are intended to better align service with current ridership demands and improve service reliability. Riders should be aware that while most trips should remain feasible, some adjustments may need to be made to routes taken, travel times, or transfers between routes to reach their intended destination. Visit the Marin Transit website for details.  

Marin Transit will also make changes to select Marin Access programs on July 1, 2023. These changes are intended to stabilize the ADA-mandated paratransit program, focus programs and services on the populations most in need, improve service reliability and legibility for Marin Access riders, and improve the rider experience. Complete details can be found on the Marin Transit website.   

And, in case you missed it in the SMART segment, Marin Transit is also participating in the Summer Youth Ride Free Program. Kids and teens can enjoy free rides on Marin Transit buses from June 12 through August 14.  

I had the pleasure of attending a North Bay Children’s Center (NBCC) event, celebrating the launch of phase three of construction for their new childcare facility in Novato. 

Once complete, the project will include a new 19,824 sf building that will house NBCC early education classrooms, childcare facilities, and administrative offices. Improvements to the grounds include an expanded Garden of Eatin’ outdoor learning lab and tasting garden, outdoor playgrounds and play spaces, a community teaching garden, enhanced teacher training facilities, and family gathering areas. And, perhaps the most exciting part, NBCC’s childcare capacity will increase from 72 to 176 children. In concert with their 12 satellite sites in the North Bay, they will be able to annually deliver early childhood education to more than 800 low-income children! 

While celebrating this milestone was an exciting day, there is still work to do and additional funds are needed to complete the project. Visit the NBCC website to see how you can help bring this project over the finish line. 

Thank you to NBCC President & CEO Susan Gilmore for your leadership, innovation, and unwavering persistence. Susan has been championing this capital project for 11 years and is truly an inspiration for good.  

As your Supervisor, I welcome and encourage you to connect, share your concerns, and your ideas. We want to hear from you! Please use the contact information below to reach out to the District 5 Team. A reply to this email doesn’t come directly to my office, and I’d like to respond to you in a timely manner. 

Supervisor Eric Lucan 
(415) 473-7331  
ELucan@marincounty.org    

District Staff: Tanya Albert  
(415) 473-7371  
TAlbert@marincounty.org   

District Staff: Leslie Weber  
(415) 473-7395  
LWeber@marincounty.org