October Update from Supervisor Sackett

October 2023

E-BIKE SAFETY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PRESCRIBED BURN: CHINA CAMP AGE FORWARD REPORT INSTANT ONLINE BUILDING PERMITS MARIN TRANSIT SURVEY EMERGENCY RIDE HOME INTERN HIGHLIGHT: ALEX MORALES JOIN A BOARD OR COMMISSION HAVE YOU HEARD? WHAT I'M READING

 

Dear Neighbors,

Halloween and Día de los Muertos are just around the corner! I love this time of year. People come together to remember loved ones and celebrate community. Here are some upcoming events to greet new neighbors and reconnect with old friends.

Marinwood Halloween Harvest Fest
Marinwood Park - San Rafael
Friday, October 13, 5 - 6:30 pm

Día de los Muertos Car Procession
Downtown San Rafael
Saturday, October 21, 3 pm

Terra Linda Floating Pumpkin Patch 
(Registration required)
Terra Linda Community Pool
Sunday, October 22, 1pm - 3pm

Trick or Treat on Fourth Street & Pet Costume Contest
Downtown San Rafael - San Rafael
Saturday, October 28, 1 - 3 pm

Santa Venetia Halloween Block Party
Santa Venetia - San Rafael
Saturday, October 28, 6 - 8 pm

Annual Día de los Muertos Event
Al Boro Community Center - San Rafael
Saturday, November 4, 3 - 9 pm

2022 Día de los Muertos at Al Boro Community Center.

Stay connected between District 1 newsletters via our District 1 Instagram and Facebook.

 

E-BIKE SAFETY

 

While I love to ride my e-bike to meetings, we are hearing about an uptick of serious injuries. Riding a bike takes skill. It’s something you develop over time and most of us pick up scrapes and bruises along the way. With more power behind the pedal, accidents are more serious. 

Here is what every rider needs to know:

• Any bicyclist under 18 years of age is required to wear a helmet when riding.
  
  
• You must be at least 16 years of age to operate a class 3 e-bike. 
  
  
• Riders must obey all traffic laws and lights.

We are all responsible for our safety and the safety of others. Next time you hop on your e-bike make sure you have your helmet. The Marin County Bicycle Coalition offers educational opportunities, check out E-Bike Smart Marin classes. The California Highway Patrol offers an online safety course. And, Marin Safe Routes to Schools has developed two resource guides for parents: (1) 'E-bikes Are Electrifying the Future, What Parents Should Know' and (2) 'Parental Considerations - CHP E-bike Education Except'.

 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

 

If our community is prepared and connected to emergency alert systems (phone, email, radio), we will be better able to respond to an emergency. Here are some resources to help you prepare.

1. Sign up for Nixle and Alert Marin 
   
2. Prepare a Go Bag
3. Make a Plan
4. Get to Know Your Neighbors

Every emergency is unique, and our first responders will work to assess the on-the-ground realities and respond. If you are thinking about how to prepare yourself, chances are there's someone in your neighborhood who is also interested. Consider a Neighborhood Response Group. Ready Marin has resources available to help you get started. 

On October 20th at 9:30 am, First 5 Marin will be holding a free community forum on Emergency Preparedness at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael. Learn how you can prepare, at home, at work, and how your child can be prepared at school or child care. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Michelle@First5Marin.org. 

 

PRESCRIBED BURN: CHINA CAMP

 

On October 18 the Marin County Fire Department, in partnership with California State Parks, will be conducting a prescribed burn in the China Camp region of San Rafael. People traveling near the park, Santa Venetia, and in eastern San Rafael may see smoke from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Community members are asked not to call 911 to report smoke from the prescribed burn.

Portions of the McNears Fire Trail and Oak Ridge Trail may be temporarily closed on the day of the burn and for one to three days thereafter, depending on conditions. 

AGE FORWARD 2018-2023 REPORT

 

Last month, the County received its five-year Age Forward Report. The report marks an important milestone in getting to know the issues affecting older adults and whether our strategies have helped to move the needle in six domains: housing, mobility, community services, disaster preparedness, social connection, and unincorporated areas.

Age-friendly planning brings together government and educational leaders, community-based organizations, and residents to collaborate on what is needed to make our community livable for all ages. This report signifies an exciting benchmark for the County of Marin. Departments have accomplished a great deal as we work to incorporate an age-friendly lens into day-to-day operations. However, there is more work to do to equitably meet the needs of residents.

 

INSTANT ONLINE BUILDING PERMITS

 

Marin County residents can instantly pull online building permits for minor non-structural remodeling of kitchens and bathrooms. The goal is to make it easier for homeowners. The instant online permitting system is available kitchen and bathroom permits must be for projects of 400 square feet or less. The total of a home’s remodeling projects within a 36-month span must also be 40% or less of the total floor area of the dwelling. 

The online building permit portal began in 2016, helping residents with minor residential improvements like re-roofing, window replacement, re-siding, rooftop solar arrays, battery storage systems, and limited maintenance upgrades on single-family homes. Online permitting makes up 80% of the total number of permits issued in a year. The easier it is to pull permits, the easier it is for trained staff to ensure that our community is built to code and that our neighborhoods are safe. 

 

MARIN TRANSIT SURVEY

 

As Marin Transit begins planning for a new fare collection system, your input will help Marin Transit better understand your payment preferences. Next year, big upgrades are coming to the Clipper system that will improve the experience for those who use Clipper to pay their fare. The cash boxes we currently use to collect cash and process passes are going out of production. We will also reconsider our fare policies including discounts and passes. 

Please take the brief survey to help Marin Transit better understand your payment preferences. Complete the survey by October 27 to be entered to win $50 in transit fare. For more information or assistance, call (415) 226-0855.

 

EMERGENCY RIDE HOME

 

If you're using a form of transportation like carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, bicycling, or walking and you need an emergency ride home, the Transportation Authority of Marin can reimburse you up to $125 per ride and $500 per year. Next time you get a flat tire, your child is sick, a carpool partner has to leave early, or you need to work late you can be reimbursed for a ride home, via taxi, Uber, Lyft, or a similar trip home. Check out the Transportation Authority of Marin's Emergency Ride Home Program.

 

INTERN HIGHLIGHT: ALEX MORALES

 

Alex Morales

This summer we had Alex Morales, a Santa Venetia resident, intern with the District 1 office. Alex is attending American University and has started his own Latino consulting business, Latino Linked Consulting. Having interns in the office is one of the best parts of the job. I am impressed by the innovation and drive they bring to the office every day. The future is looking bright! 

"Throughout this engaging internship, I had the opportunity to work on a public information campaign to inform property owners about the ongoing work of the Marin Restrictive Covenant Project. Additionally, I worked with the Marin Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Committee to explore a sequential intercept model that maps out the available mental health resources and gaps within our criminal justice system. Both of these opportunities allowed me to gain a better understanding of some of the challenging issues facing the County and some of the great work Marin County is doing to build proactive solutions to these problems.

The highlight of my internship was being involved in conversations surrounding Marin’s Economic Vitality Strategic Plan. Throughout the course of my internship, I was building up my business marketing and consulting firm, which I hope to use to empower Latino business owners and promote Latino entrepreneurship across many communities. As I go into my final year at American University, I’m excited to continue the work of Marin’s Economic Vitality Plan through building an entrepreneurial pipeline in Marin that expands access to financial literacy in schools, and catalyzes the growth of Marin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. I am truly grateful for the exceptional opportunity provided by Supervisor Mary Sackett's office, and I commend Gustavo Goncalves and the D1 team for their outstanding dedication to serving the residents of Marin County."

 

JOIN A BOARD OR COMMISSION

 

Our boards and commissions rely on civic-minded residents to help guide and shape our policies. All current openings can be found here. If you are thinking about getting involved and aren't sure, I invite you to reach out to my office. My aides would be happy to connect you with opportunities.

 

HAVE YOU HEARD?

 

WHAT I'M READING Las Madres by Esmeralda Santiago focuses on the story of a Puerto Rican woman, Luz Peña Fuentes, who left Puerto Rico as a teenager and now struggles to connect with her daughter as she tries to remember and reflect on her life.

'One-on-One Tech Help' helps community members learn how to navigate their laptop, tablet, or smartphone and get to know programs, apps, and digital library services available to help them in their everyday lives. You can reserve a one-on-one, 30-minute session with a Library staff member to receive tech help. This resource is available by appointment every Wednesday at the Marin County Civic Center Library. You can sign up in person at the Civic Center Library main desk or call 415-473-6057.

 

 

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If you want to talk about the issues or touch base on some of the work you or your organization are doing, I encourage you to reach out. 

Please stay in touch,