Let’s Talk Marin
The annual Let’s Talk and Let’s Start Talking toolkit is now available for parents and caregivers of Marin County students entering sixth and ninth grades. This essential resource helps navigate the challenges teens and families face, promoting open communication on topics like peer pressure, substance use, and mental health. It also offers parents and caregivers guidance on positive communication and active listening. For more information or to join a community discussion, visit the Let’s Talk Marin website. 

Take Marin Transit to School
Marin Transit provides transit options for students countywide, including routes that serve the College of Marin, Dominican University, and most high schools and middle schools in Marin County. Visit the Marin Transit schools page to find which route serves your school. Learn more about the different payment options available for students including cash, Youth Transit Pass, or Clipper.  

E-Bike Safety
Biking to and from school is a great option for our kids, providing exercise and healthy habits – and helping reduce cars on our roads! E-bikes are becoming increasingly popular and with that we are seeing an increase of injuries among our youth. Marin youth ages 10-15 years old are at five times higher risk of serious e-bike injury than any other age group. The Transportation Authority of Marin has put together a handy guide for parents of E-bike users with tips for staying safe and guidance for purchasing an E-bike. 

 

Thank you to our outstanding first responders for their effective response to several fires in Marin County last week. These incidents underscored the importance of emergency communications.

Our first responders want to keep you safe and informed in the event of an emergency. Sign up for Alert Marin to get emergency alerts sent directly to your cell phone or mobile device, landline, or email. You can visit AlertMarin.org to verify your registration, login ability, and/or update your contact information.   

Are Your Emergency Notifications Silenced?
You’re signed up for Alert Marin, but will you get the notification when you need it most? Many of us put our phones on do not disturb at night. Unless you take the necessary steps to allow Alert Marin notifications to bypass the do not disturb settings on your phone, your phone will not ring, ding, or make the necessary noise to wake you during the night – to alert you of emergency life threating situations. Visit the Alert Marin Website for instructions on how to set up these important settings.   

Alert Marin vs Nixle
It is important to note that Alert Marin and Nixle are two different notifications systems that each serve a different purpose. Both require separate registrations: Alert Marin and Nixle.  

The County of Marin is participating in Rooted in Marin, a community-centered outreach and education effort to understand housing and displacement in Marin County. Led by the cities and towns and County of Marin, we are crafting tools and resources for local communities affected by displacement - when current residents have to involuntarily move from their homes or neighborhoods (such as eviction, demolition, and extreme rent increase).   

We want to learn more from the community. Please help by completing and sharing this community survey. Deadline to participate is September 9, 2024. Participants who complete the survey and provide their contact information will be eligible to win a gift card in a raffle. 

Another opportunity to participate, is at our virtual community workshop on Thursday, September 12th, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Register to receive the zoom link.

Visit the Rooted in Marin Website for more information about this initiative and to sign up for updates. 

Interested in doing your part for the planet but not sure where to start? Join a free Marin Resilient Neighborhoods Climate Action Workshop for community support and practical advice on tackling climate change. You'll learn easy and budget-friendly ways to shrink your carbon footprint, create resilient homes and communities, and prepare for climate-related emergencies.   

This workshop series includes five online meetings over a ten-week period. By the end, you will have your own Climate Action Plan and all the help you need to make it happen. Choose between two groups starting on Thursday, September 12 at 4:00 pm or Wednesday, September 18 at 6:30 pm. Sign up today to get started!

The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) has removed a $20 billion bond measure for affordable housing from the November 5 general election ballot. The measure, aimed at easing the housing affordability crisis in the Bay Area, would have impacted all nine counties in the region. If voters had approved the measure, Marin County would have received roughly $699 million in funding.  

Marin County launched a survey and scheduled a series of listening sessions to engage the community in planning for the expenditure of these funds should the measure pass. We initiated these efforts in advance of the election to ensure time for robust community engagement and input. The County has canceled the remainder of the scheduled listening sessions given BAHFA’s decision but remains committed to engaging with the community on housing issues and will provide updates on future opportunities for public involvement.  

Our County Board of Supervisors has committed $25 million over the next five years to help with housing affordability. There are several ongoing housing projects that will not be affected by BAHFA’s decision. 

For more information about BAHFA’s decision, read the press release.  

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.  

**Please note, our email addresses have changed**