January Update from Supervisor Sackett

JANUARY 2024

2024 ASSIGNMENTS & PRIORITIES 988 - MENTAL HEALTH HELP SHORT TERM RENTALS VETERANS' MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM PROJECT SMART TRAIN WORKSHOPS ELECTRIFICATION RESOURCES CIVIL GRAND JURY HAVE YOU HEARD? WHAT I'M READING

 

Dear Neighbors,

We are a month into the New Year, and there is much to look forward to in 2024. I want to start by thanking the residents of District 1. It is a great privilege to be your representative. Your partnership, support, stories, and feedback were critical to shaping my first year in office. I look forward to another year of learning from the community and working alongside you. Thank you for the opportunity.

District 1 Aide Gustavo Gonçalves has transitioned to a new role in Marin County Health and Human Services as an Administrative Services Manager. Gustavo served as District 1 Aide from April 2020 through my first year in office. Gustavo is loved by the Santa Venetia community and worked closely with the Point San Pedro Road Coalition. He was instrumental in the work on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health. He brought a strong focus on data, health equity, and economic vitality to the office; lessons he taught us that we will carry on. Gustavo is missed on the District 1 Team. We are thrilled that he is staying in the County family, serving residents.

I am excited to welcome Crystal Martinez as my new Aide. Crystal brings a wealth of experience, having served Supervisor Katie Rice as an Aide for three years and beginning her career in the County's pension department. As a 20-year District 1 resident, Crystal has been a dedicated member of our community, notably, she is currently a Trustee on the College of Marin Board and a former Commissioner of the Marin County Women’s Commission. I look forward to introducing you all to Crystal in the coming months. We are fortunate to have a local and experienced Aide joining our team.

My Aides and I are here to serve you. Do not hesitate to reach out, and please stay connected between District 1 newsletters via our Instagram and Facebook.

 

2024 ASSIGNMENTS AND PRIORITIES

 

January 9th we held the first Board meeting of 2024. We thanked Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters for her leadership as Board President in 2023 and congratulated Supervisor Dennis Rodoni on becoming Board President for 2024. As the Vice President of the Board this year, I am excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

In the meeting, we shared our priorities for the year and adopted the County's Legislative Platform.

The priorities I shared at the meeting are:

• Bringing civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office forward this quarter
• Furthering the creation of more affordable housing and permanent supportive housing, as well as strengthening collaborations with cities and towns to provide services to individuals experiencing homelessness
• Supporting the revitalization of Golden Gate Village
• Advocating for an increase to the state match for higher wages for In-Home Supportive Services caregivers
• Creating safer and more interconnected transportation routes and infrastructure
• Bolstering emergency preparedness, including securing funding for the Santa Venetia Flood Wall
• Supporting our County employees with a focus on retention and employee wellness

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2024 Board and Subcommittee Assignments

My subcommittees:

• AB 1185 (civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office)
• Climate Action
• Farmers Market
• Juvenile Justice
• Legislative Advocacy
• Permits and Fees

Supervisors also have assignments representing the County on various boards. My 2024 assignments are:

Local	Regional	National and Statewide
MarinCAN	Association of Bay Area Governments	California State Association of Counties
Marin County Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Committee	Great Redwood Trail Agency	National Association of Counties
Marin Transit, Second Vice President	North Bay Watershed Association
Transportation Authority of Marin	SMART
Marin Housing Authority	Workforce Alliance of the North Bay

 

988 - MENTAL HEALTH HELP

 

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, you can call 988 for help.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. The Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, combining custom local care and resources with national standards and best practices. 

Buckelew Programs serves as the local provider for the Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline. Their dedicated staff promptly assess crisis situations. When receiving 988 calls or text messages, they can deploy trained crisis counselors, including the Marin County Mobile Crisis Response Team. Find further resources for Marin County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services here.

 

SHORT TERM RENTALS

 

The Board of Supervisors approved a countywide ordinance on January 11 to regulate short-term rental properties (STRs) with a focus on coastal communities. The ordinance sets a countywide limit of 1,200 licenses for unincorporated areas of Marin. Cities and towns in Marin have their own regulations.

The ordinance aims to address the shortage of workforce housing in West Marin, reduce neighbor conflicts, and ensure adequate infrastructure. Key points include limiting operators to one STR, biennial license renewals, one-time ownership transfers, and restricting ADUs built after 2020 from being used as STRs.

The ordinance will be considered by the California Coastal Commission later in the year, and after review, the updated ordinance details will be available on the County's short-term rentals webpage and the project-specific ordinance update webpage. Subscribe here for email updates.

 

VETERANS' MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM PROJECT

 

You see the Veterans' Memorial Auditorium (VMA) is torn up. The parking lot work is underway. We recently learned that additional work will be required before reopening. The earliest reopening date is now late 2025. The Department of Public Works and the Department of Cultural Services are working together to ensure the much-needed infrastructure upgrades meet both the functional and aesthetic needs of our iconic County venue.  

You can learn more about this project in this Marin Center Campus Project News Release. Performances, events, and activities are still vibrant at the Marin Center in the Showcase Theater, Exhibit Hall, Bartolini Gallery, and fairgrounds. Visit the calendar of events for more information.

 

SMART TRAIN WORKSHOPS

 

SMART is launching its Strategic Plan update process. The new Strategic Plan will set the course for the agency for 2025 through 2029. Your participation is integral to this planning process as we work together to plan for the future.

We invite you to participate and share your insights to help shape the future of the SMART train. You are encouraged to contribute in two ways:

1. Share your thoughts through the online comment form. 

2. Attend any of the online Community Workshops:
The workshops will be held via Zoom from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. on the following dates:

Date	Topic	Link
Wed., February 7	Ridership	Zoom Mtg.
Wed., February 28	Multiuse Pathway	Zoom Mtg.
Thu., March 14	Railway Extensions	Zoom Mtg.
Wed., March 27	Freight Services	Zoom Mtg.

 

ELECTRIFICATION RESOURCES

 

The Marin County Sustainability Team hosted a Green Home Improvement Webinar Series. Recordings are available on this Learning Resources page. You can also access the videos directly here:

• Heat Pump Water Heaters
• Heat Pump Space Heaters
• Solar and Battery Storage
• Electrification Planning
• Electric Vehicles 101

Thanks to all who attended and gave feedback on webinar topics. If there is a home energy efficiency/electrification topic you'd like us to cover, email the Sustainability Team!

 

The Marin County Civil Grand Jury is accepting applications. The Grand Jury is made up of nineteen members who are appointed annually for a one-year term. The Grand Jury performs an important function in citizen oversight of county government. It investigates, monitors, and reports on the performance of local government entities, including departments of the County of Marin, water districts, school districts, fire districts, and other special districts.

Volunteering as a civil grand juror provides a unique experience. Participants gain insight into local governments, investigate citizen concerns, and publish findings and recommendations. We hope to have a diverse and engaged applicant pool before the April 21st deadline.

 

 

HAVE YOU HEARD?

 

WHAT I'M READING

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin is a chilling memoir tracing her journey from a little league coach in Aptos, California through harrowing phases of opioid addiction and incarceration in Santa Cruz County jail, to healing and becoming a renowned ghostwriter. Hardin provides insight into how our criminal justice system can set tasks, in a convoluted order, with almost impossible “goals” requiring a home, family, money, an education, and a job. Hardin's story gave me insight which I will keep in mind while leading the Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Committee.

To keep up with construction and development projects in Marin, please subscribe to the new and improved Community Development Agency Projects by Geographical Location webpage. These areas are based on townships and their sub-regions identified in the Marin County Townships map. Discretionary Planning applications will be listed by township or sub-region.

If you have previously subscribed, you will need to subscribe to new townships and sub-regions to receive email alerts. To do this, select the township you wish to subscribe to. Open the panel and click the “Subscribe to area” button. Enter your email to subscribe.

For additional assistance, please contact the Planning Customer Service Team at 415-473-6269 or call my office.

 

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If you are interested in local government, 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. I want to hear from you. 

 

Please stay in touch,