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Dear Neighbors,
The new year is well underway and shaping up to be a busy one. Short term rental regulation, mobile crisis services, and home health care – just a few of the issues before the board of supervisors so far this year.
Transitions
2024 will be a year of transitions. After 22 years as our County Administrator, Matthew Hymel will be retiring at the end of March. His fiscal prudence, policy acumen, people skills and political savvy have been key to successfully guiding the county through two recessions, wildfire, a pandemic and more. Under Matthew’s leadership, Marin County has consistently maintained balanced budgets, avoided lay-offs, expanded social and municipal services and integrated an equity analysis into all county business. We will be appointing our new County Executive, Derek Johnson, at our Board meeting on February 27th.
We also say goodbye to Dr. Benita McLarin, Director of Health and Human Services. In addition to leading the County's pandemic response, Benita has been instrumental in advancing Marin's efforts to highlight and address health and wellness disparities across Marin. She retires after five years with the county and a life-time of service (military and civil) to our country. On board as the new director of HHS is Dr. Lisa Vourhous. My thanks and gratitude to both Matthew and Benita, and a warm welcome to Derek and Lisa!
As you may have heard, this will be my last year serving as County Supervisor. My term doesn’t end until December 31, and I intend to make the most of every day. Working with and for the residents and communities of Marin’s District 2 and the County as a whole has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. Together, we have made progress on our most challenging issues, but there is much more to do. Onward!
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Housing and Homelessness
Housing and homelessness remain top priorities for me. I am proud of Marin’s collective accomplishments to secure housing and support for over 700 homeless individuals since launching our Housing First initiative in 2017. Additionally, millions in County Housing Trust dollars have helped to preserve and create hundreds of units of affordable housing. Continued progress on both homelessness and affordable housing will require ongoing investment, collaboration with Marin’s cities and towns, partnering with housing developers, service providers, and community support. More on Housing and Homelessness here.
Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Marin County has more shoreline than every other county in the Bay Area. While impacts of sea level rise may feel intermittent and isolated, the destructive power of higher tides and more intense storms, is intensified by climate change and felt with increasing frequency along our shoreline. Adapting to sea level rise is going to require local focus and regional collaboration. Building on the foundational work of Baywave, a major focus this year will be on how we organize as a county across jurisdictions and special districts to strategically address and adapt to sea level rise which threatens both critical public infrastructure and private property on our coast and bay shorelines.
The Basics
Addressing lack of affordable housing, homelessness, and climate impacts are of the highest priority, but they do not eclipse new issues that rise up any given year, or the basic functions of county government - such as filling potholes and paving roads, ensuring public safety, improving traffic and transportation, and providing critical safety net services for our must vulnerable. Take a look at the County's 2023/24 "Budget in Brief" for high level descriptions and budgets of various county department responsibilities. The Board will be holding budget workshops in March as we plan for the coming fiscal year.
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The Fairfax San Anselmo Children’s Center, located at the former Deer Park School site in Fairfax has been providing childcare and educational services to families living and/or working in the Ross Valley for over 50 years. High quality early childhood education is one of the most significant and consequential investments we can make for our children and communities. The county’s support for the Center goes back decades. It is one of six programs countywide providing subsidized preschool and affordable childcare for some of our most economically vulnerable families, and is the only provider in the Ross Valley. The Center currently holds 110 of approximately 800 subsidized slots available to Marin County families, and there are currently over 900 children on the County’s waitlist for subsidized childcare.
The Ross Valley School District, owner of the Deer Park site, provided notice to the Center that they would not be extending their lease. While various efforts to negotiate a transfer or sale of the property to the Center have to date not been successful, the County has set aside $500,000 to support the Center in purchasing the property. The County remains committed to providing resources to ensure the critical programming provided by the Center is not lost.
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On January 11, the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District announced that removal of Building Bridge 2 (BB2) in downtown San Anselmo would be delayed. Removal of the bridge will reduce flooding risk for approximately 500 homes upstream of BB2 and in downtown San Anselmo, an area that has historically flooded during major storms. Removal of the bridge and associated creekbank improvements at the site are one element of the three part San Anselmo Flood Risk Reduction project (SAFRR) which also includes a detention basin upstream of Fairfax (completed in 2023), and property mitigation measures.
The District anticipates proceeding with the SAFFR project in 2025. It will continue to coordinate with the Town of San Anselmo and proceed with BB2 removal once mitigations are complete and all requisite agencies have signed off on project. You can find more information on SAFRR as well as other projects and programs underway in Flood Zone 9, at the District’s Ross Valley Watershed website.
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I have been blessed to have outstanding staff for the duration of my time in office. Among them, is Nancy Vernon, who has served as my aide for the past 11 years. During her tenure, Nancy has made an outsized impact across Marin County. She launched and coordinated a student internship program responsible for the countywide "Caring Card" and "Find Your Path" initiatives, was a driving force in the creation of Marin 9-25, and brought the Restrictive Covenant Project into local schools. She has worked on numerous local and neighborhood projects and initiatives, fielded and solved thousands of resident calls for assistance, staffed more committees than can be counted, and left a smile on the face of everyone she interacted with. For all of you who have worked with or interacted with Nancy over the years, you know how incredibly efficient, effective, creative, caring and fun Nancy is – no matter what the issue, how daunting the challenge, how challenging the players! She will be missed by colleagues and staff at the Civic Center, along with residents across the district and county. But all can take comfort knowing Nancy isn’t going far and will continue to be a positive, incredibly productive agent of change for the people and communities of Marin.
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Crystal Martinez joined my team in 2021 and has been an incredible asset to both District 2 and county at large. Crystal is moving out of my office, but not far away as she takes up an opportunity to serve the community she calls home as an aide for District 1’s Supervisor, Mary Sackett. Crystal was an instrumental member of the D2 team, working extensively to support the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center, reengineering the County’s employee recognition program, organizing the Marin Teen Girls Conference, and working each and every day to solve constituent issues. We know she will be an incredibly addition to Supervisor Mary Sackett’s team and look forward to working with her on issues that District 1 and District 2 share.
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The recent string of storms have reminded all of the need to be prepared for emergencies, particularly power outages during extreme weather. I recommend everyone check out and bookmark the County Office of Emergency Management Public Portal, which is a great resource for real time information regarding power outages, road closures, flooding, etc.
Residents should also sign up to receive emergency alerts through both Alert Marin and Nixle. Alert Marin will provide timely, clear, and accurate information through call, text, or email. Sign up for Alert Marin here. Nixle provides information about severe weather, traffic, and other public safety information. Sign up for Nixle alerts by texting your zip code to 888-777.
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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.
As a County resident, you have the power to make a significant impact on your community by actively participating on a Marin County board or commission. With a diverse range of boards and commissions covering various programs and policies, there are several exciting opportunities for you to consider. Highlighted opportunities to serve are listed below. Click here for a complete list of openings. If you have any questions, my staff is more than happy to provide answers and assistance. Your involvement can truly make a difference, so we eagerly await your participation!
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