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Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone is enjoying summer and getting outside. I want to share an update on our work to strengthen the local economy while protecting the people, places, and natural resources that define our county.
I serve on the County’s Economic Vitality Subcommittee, which is helping guide the development of a new countywide Economic Vitality Strategic Roadmap. The goal is to create a practical, shared roadmap for a thriving, resilient, and inclusive local economy.
This work is focused on five key areas: 1) Vibrant Places and Cultural Vitality; 2) Innovation and Talent Retention; 3) Workforce and Housing Alignment; 4) Shared Identity and Storytelling; and 5) Regional Coordination.
Learning from California’s Outdoor Economy
I recently attended California’s inaugural Outdoor Economy Summit in Eureka, where counties, agencies, tribal partners, and industry leaders discussed how outdoor recreation, tourism, manufacturing, and stewardship can support local economies.
These conversations are especially relevant for Marin. Our parks, coastlines, open spaces, agricultural lands, and downtowns are all part of our economy. As we develop the Economic Vitality Strategic Roadmap, we must consider how an outdoor economy strategy can support local businesses, Transient Occupancy Tax revenue, workforce pathways, and long-term resilience. Marin's natural resources are integral to our quality of life.
The summit highlighted real-world projects, including the Great Redwood Trail, for which I serve as Chair, that show how economic opportunity and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.
Supporting Marin’s Agricultural Economy
Supervisor Colbert and I traveled to West Marin for an agricultural tour organized with the help of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). We visited three ranches and heard directly from owners and operators about their daily operations, challenges, opportunities, and how the County can better support agriculture.
At Black Mountain Ranch, a 1,192-acre MALT-protected property, we learned about a diverse community of agricultural tenants, including Stemple Creek Ranch, Fibershed, Point Reyes Lavender Co, sheep farming, and vegetable and flower farms. Fibershed and two sheep visited the July 14 Board of Supervisors meeting for Plastic Free July, talking about plastics in clothing and a movement toward wool clothing production in West Marin.
At Millerton Creek Ranch, we met with Mike Giammona and his son, Morgan. We learned about MALT-protected land along Tomales Bay and Tomales Bay Pastures egg production.
We ended at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, where Diana Giacomini Hagan shared how the family business produces award-winning artisan cheeses and uses robotic milking to improve cow welfare and farm efficiency.
Looking Ahead
Marin’s economy is rooted in our people, small businesses, downtowns, agricultural heritage, natural lands, and spirit of innovation. As the economic roadmap moves forward, I will continue working to ensure our economic future reflects resilience, stewardship, inclusion, and opportunity. I invite residents, business owners, workers, educators, and community partners to stay engaged and share your ideas with me as we shape Marin’s Economic Vitality Strategic Roadmap together.
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SMART TRAIN'S IMPACTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE
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The SMART Train Quality of Life & Economic Impact Study highlights the following impacts from the train service:
- For every dollar SMART spends to operate and invest in the system, $1.70 gets generated in local economic impact
- Drivers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36% when taking SMART compared to driving
- SMART pathway trips contribute to improved health outcomes
- People and businesses want to be near SMART for walkable communities
- SMART links opportunity and community by serving folks without vehicles, including people with disabilities and people under age 25
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Even if you don't ride SMART, you benefit from fewer vehicles on the road
You can read the full study . SMART will continue to examine how we can quantify the quality of life and economic impact of the train and the pathways. Importantly, the study looked at 2024 data when SMART carried 850,000 riders. In contrast, SMART is on track to carry 1.7 million riders this year, and new stations and pathway segments have opened since 2024.
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COUNTY RESPONSE TO FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
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My colleagues and I on the Board of Supervisors authorized the County of Marin to join an amicus brief opposing a proposed federal immigration detention facility near Gilroy. The brief, led by the Public Rights Project, supports litigation brought by the California Attorney General and Santa Clara County challenging the facility on the grounds that it required local review and permitting. The amicus brief will support a motion for preliminary injunction and will focus on the laws that have been violated in the development of this facility and the harms that local communities will experience if an ICE detention facility is constructed in the Bay Area.
The Board of Supervisors also formed an ad hoc committee with Supervisor Moulton-Peters and Supervisor Rodoni to review interactions with ICE and other federal agencies engaging in immigration enforcement, including activity on county property, and related policy. The goal is to ensure a consistent and lawful countywide approach that maintains public trust and preserves access to County services by all persons.
The County of Marin is committed to supporting immigrant communities and protecting residents' access to legal rights education, emergency assistance, and coordinated services. In the past two years, our Board has invested $1.5 million to expand legal services, emergency assistance, and rapid response resources for immigrant families. These investments helped create an emergency assistance fund for immigrant families impacted by detention, expanded legal services for immigrants, and deepened the capacity of the Marin Rapid Response Network to make residents aware of their legal rights. The 24-hour rapid response hotline is 415-991-4545. The County maintains a webpage that summarizes local assistance and resources for immigrants.
The Marin County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigations, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies throughout Marin County and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, — an undercover, online-chat operation targeting would-be sexual offenders who were looking to meet minors in person for lewd acts. Multiple arrests were made in connection with the operation. The operation was conducted in response to the growing concern over the online exploitation of children by offenders who use anonymity to target and contact minors. For parents and caregivers, the Marin County Office of Education has . I got some ideas from the 'Modeling Good Habits' webpage.
The Kove is a community health and wellness hub opening inside Northgate Mall (Suite 80) in San Rafael. In partnership with SF-Marin Food Bank, Extra Food, Sutter Health, Marin Community Clinics, and Dominican University of California, The Kove will offer free programming for all ages focused on health education, wellness, and access to essential services.
The Kove will launch “Saturdays at The Kove,” a series of wellness mornings, beginning Saturday, August 1, from 10 AM to 12 PM. At the heart of "Saturdays at the Kove" is The Kove Market, a community food pantry operating in partnership with the SF-Marin Food Bank and ExtraFood. Marin County residents can enroll and receive food in a market-style environment designed to preserve dignity while improving food access.
On Saturday, July 25, from 10 AM to 12 PM, The Kove will host an enrollment day with the SF-Marin Food Bank and other partners. Food distribution will not take place that day, but residents interested in enrolling in the food program are encouraged to stop by, sign up, explore the space, and learn more about available offerings.
Beyond "Saturdays at The Kove", The Kove will serve as a year-round home for educational programming, workforce development, health education, nonprofit collaboration, and community events. For more information, visit thekove.org or email info@thekove.org.
A partnership that includes the Marin County Free Library, First 5 Marin, Friends of the Marin County Free Library, and others has brought Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Marin. Every child in Marin up to age five can receive their own book in the mail each month, fostering a lifelong love of reading. Any parent or caregiver of a child in Marin County can register their child now for the Imagination Library of Marin County, free of charge. Register online or by asking a library staff member at any Marin County Free Library.
Roller Disco Daze - Marin County Fairgrounds
Marin Center presents Roller Disco Daze, a free community roller skating experience on Lagoon Island at the Marin County Fairgrounds. Running Wednesdays through Sundays, July 17 through August 16, the rink is open to all ages and skill levels, with themed nights every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Admission is free. Skate rentals, including kids' sizes, are available on-site for $5. All skaters must sign a waiver; skaters under 18 require a parent or guardian signature.
Don't Miss a Beat: Free Life-Saving Skills Training at Sidewalk CPR
Sidewalk CPR will take place on Saturday, August 15, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, across 13 outdoor locations. This event is free and open to all ages. This county-wide event empowers residents to step in and save lives in an emergency.
In just a few minutes, participants can receive training in:
- Hands-Only CPR
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use
- Stop the Bleed – how to control severe bleeding in emergencies
- Narcan administration – how to reverse an opioid overdose quickly and safely.
Locations:
- Bon Air Shopping Center (Greenbrae)
- Corte Madera Town Center
- Fairfax Fire Station 21
- Marin Country Mart (Larkspur)
- Montecito Plaza (San Rafael)
- Muir Beach Parking Lot
- Sausalito Ferry Terminal
- Stinson Beach Fire Department
- Target (Marin City)
- Tiburon Ferry Terminal
- The Depot (Mill Valley)
- Toby’s Feed Barn (Point Reyes Station)
- Vintage Oaks Shopping Center (Novato)
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Visiting control burn site at St. Vincent's
Supervisors Sackett and Colbert on West Marin Agriculture Tour
Agricultural tour stop at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company
Annual District 1 job shadow day with high school and college students
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Celebrating St. Vincent de Paul's battery storage project with Brian Cardinale, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County Operations Director
Southern Marin County Services Annex ribbon cutting with Supervisors Moulton-Peters, Lucan, and Rodoni
With MALT Executive Director Lily Verdone with fresh eggs from Tomales Bay Pastures
E-bike safety Grand Rounds panel at Kaiser Permanente in San Rafael
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