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I hope you are enjoying summer and finding time to connect with friends and family!
A big congratulations and kudos to the Marin County Department of Cultural Services staff and volunteers for putting on a truly outstanding fair this year.
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My family really enjoyed our day at the fair – so much so that as we were leaving my four-year-old son commented that it was “more fun than Santa Barbara, Hawaii, and Disneyland!” He hasn’t been to Disneyland yet but has heard stories! We are already looking forward to next year’s fair.
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I have received many inquiries about the vehicle encampment on Binford Road in Novato.
Since taking office in January, I have been to Binford Road weekly. I have spent the past several months meeting with unhoused residents, community members, adjacent businesses, airport users, and county staff to explore opportunities to address community and environmental concerns, while working to connect unhoused residents with services and permanent housing.
It is clear to me from these meetings that we need more communication on this issue. I am committed to sharing information as it becomes available and will include a “Binford Bulletin” in upcoming newsletters as we have updates to share.
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Installed physical barriers in the vacant spaces on Binford, limiting the capacity of total vehicles. As individuals are housed or move on, additional barriers are installed to further reduce and limit the number of vehicles. As numbers decrease, we will begin additional efforts to limit parking near the water.
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The Sheriff assigned a full-time Homeless Liaison focused primarily on Binford Road. Several abandoned vehicles have been removed, and this effort is ongoing.
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Expanded outreach presence on Binford. Outreach workers visit Binford weekly with the goal of connecting people with services including employment, social services, mental health and/or substance abuse and are working to get residents on a pathway to permanent housing. Additionally, we added a monthly service fair on Binford to offer these connections and additional services.
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Approved hiring a full time, senior social service worker who will coordinate staff, programs, and essential services for unhoused individuals, primarily focused on the Binford encampment. The hiring process is underway.
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Added Binford Road to the County’s Data Dashboard that tracks homelessness statistics including the number of individuals and vehicles on Binford, as well as the number of people that have been housed.
In June, the County was awarded $1.6 million in Encampment Resolution Funding from the State for the Binford encampment. Several County departments have been working to create a coordinated action plan to use these funds to connect residents to permanent supportive housing while also reducing the encampment’s environmental impacts. The plan is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Supervisors on August 22. The meeting is open to the public, and I encourage your participation and comments. Please double check the meeting agenda as we get closer to the date to ensure this item has not been moved to a different date (agendas are posted the Thursday afternoon before our Tuesday meetings).
This funding and corresponding plan mark a critical next step in getting our unhoused residents on a path towards housing with additional outreach workers, case management, housing vouchers, and rapid rehousing options (such as first-month's rent, move-in costs, or a security deposit to quickly house someone) - as well as help to address many of the community concerns that have been raised.
This is a complex and complicated issue, and we still have a lot of work to do. As we move forward, my approach will continue to focus on treating people with dignity and respect. Our end-goal is to move people into permanent supportive housing. I understand there are differing views and opinions, and I want to continue to hear from you and work with you. I welcome your suggestions, concerns, and willingness to be part of the solution.
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National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships between law enforcement and community members. The goal is to enhance neighborhood camaraderie, making our neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live. Neighbors across communities from all fifty states will gather tonight. These events are a great opportunity to see friends, neighbors, and meet some of the men and women behind the badge.
There are events planned throughout Marin County - tonight! I would like to highlight the two events happening in Novato. I will be stopping by the event in Bel Marin Keys and hope to see you there!
Marin County Sheriff's Department
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Bel Marin Keys Community Center: 4 Montego Key, Novato
Novato Police Department
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Pocket Park: 950 Seventh St., Novato
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As Chair of the SMART Board, I want to keep you apprised on SMART news and updates. I have a few bits of good news to share this month.
Ridership
Ridership numbers are looking strong! We saw a continued increase in ridership this past month. In fact, ridership totals this June (2023) were higher than what we had in June 2019 (pre-COVID).
A few noteworthy ridership statistics to share:
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On June 30, SMART set an all-time ridership record with 3,598 riders!
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In May, SMART had the highest ridership recovery in the Bay Area for a 3rd month in a row!
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FY 2023 was the second highest ridership year for SMART, carrying 640,099 passengers – equating to over 14 million passenger miles!
If you are interested in keeping up to date on ridership data, you will find a monthly ridership report as part of the SMART Board Agenda.
Windsor and Healdsburg Extensions
In June the California Transportation Commission awarded SMART $30 million in funding. With this funding SMART will be able to complete the rail and bicycle/pedestrian pathway to Windsor! In addition, SMART will be able to begin engineering and construction of critical segments for the Healdsburg extension.
Thirty percent of the Windsor extension has already been completed. Continued construction of the Windsor extension is scheduled to begin in late 2023. The extension to Healdsburg is partially funded with an additional $82.2 million needed to complete the project – and we are working hard to identify and secure this funding.
This is an exciting step towards expanding both passenger rail service and the pathway project, providing new commute and recreational opportunities for both Marin and Sonoma Counties. Ridership models project the Windsor station will yield some of SMART’s highest ridership – so this extension should prove to be a big benefit to the system.
Monthly Pass Cost Reduction
SMART has reduced the cost of its monthly pass by 15% in response to an adjustment in post pandemic work schedules. A survey conducted by the Bay Area Council found that more than half of Bay Area employees are now working a hybrid remote schedule. The 31-Day Pass pricing is based on a hybrid work schedule of a 3-day per week commute but is still valid for unlimited rides during the 31-day period.
A 31-Day Pass now costs $117 for adults and $58.50 for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities. These passes are available with a Clipper Card and can be purchased at Clipper vending machines located on all SMART train station platforms.
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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) 473-7339
ELucan@marincounty.org
District Staff: Tanya Albert
(415) 473-7371
TAlbert@marincounty.org
District Staff: Leslie Weber
(415) 473-7395
LWeber@marincounty.org
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