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Dear Southern Marin Friends and Neighbors,
Fall is here, and as we head into the rainy season, preparing for winter weather is top of mind. In this edition of the Southern Marin Scoop, we’re sharing information about how the County and our local partners are preparing for a potential El Niño, king tides, and winter storms — and, importantly, how you can prepare your household and neighborhood. I hope you’ll join us at one of the upcoming Flood Control Zone meetings or at our Southern Marin El Niño Preparation Town Hall on October 21.
October is also a busy month across District 3, with plenty of opportunities to connect with your community. Upcoming events include fire station open houses in Marin City and the Southern Marin Fire District, an evacuation drill, the Marin City Growing Together Early Childhood Fair, our October 15 Marin Avenue Safety Study meeting, and more.
In District news, we have received many questions and comments about the modular housing taking shape at 156 Shoreline Highway in Tam Valley. We also have updates from the Richardson Bay Regional Agency, which recently announced nearly $5 million in grants for environmental cleanup and restoration, and we welcome Heather Marques as the new Southern Marin Fire District Fire Chief.
At the County level, there are several opportunities for you to make your voice heard — from helping shape Marin County’s priorities for the next six years to sharing ideas for how $2.5 million in participatory budgeting funds should be invested in our communities.
There is a lot happening, so please read on for these updates, upcoming events, and ways to get involved. As always, thank you for staying connected and engaged with our Southern Marin community.
All my best,
Stephanie
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Find below stories about:
Fire House Open Houses, Oct. 4, Marin Avenue Safety Study Meeting, Oct. 15, Southern Marin El Niño Preparation Town Hall, Oct. 21, Marin City Community Open House, Nov. 4, Preparing Together for El Niño, King Tides, and Winter Storms, District 3 News, Board of Supervisors and County News, Contact Us
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Southern Marin Fire District Station Open House, Oct. 4
 Southern Marin Fire District Open House 🚒
Come meet your local firefighters and learn more about fire and life safety at the Southern Marin Fire District’s Annual Open House! Stop by any of the three participating fire stations to explore fire engines and rescue vehicles, see firefighter gear, learn preparedness tips, and enjoy activities for kids.
📅 Sunday, October 4, 2026
⏰ 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
📍 Station 1 – Sausalito | Station 4 – Tam Valley | Station 6 – Mill Valley
More Info - www.smfd.org
The event is free and open to all ages. Kids who wear firefighter gear and bring their Go Bag will receive a special treat!
Marin County Fire Open House
Marin City Fire Station, Oct. 4
 Marin City Fire Station Open House 🚒🔥
Join the Marin County Fire Department for a fun and family-friendly Open House at the Marin City Fire Station! Meet your local firefighters, explore the station, and learn more about fire safety.
📅 Sunday, October 4, 2026
⏰ 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
📍 850 Drake Avenue, Marin City
The event is free and open to all ages. Stop by and get to know the firefighters who serve the Marin City community!
Mill Valley Evacuation Drill, Oct. 3
Scott Valley and Mill Valley Meadows Neighborhoods, Alto and Sutton Manor Neighborhoods and Kite Hill and Overhill/Escalon Neighborhoods
Mill Valley Evacuation Drill – October 3
Be prepared and know what to do in an emergency! Mill Valley residents are encouraged to participate in a community Evacuation Drill on Saturday, October 3 at 9:00 a.m. Participants should register in advance and follow the instructions provided through the alert messaging system.
📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
⏰ 9:00 a.m.
📲 Scan the QR code above or register here.
Stay informed. Be prepared. Take action.
Marin City Growing Together: Early Childhood Fair, Oct. 3
 Marin City Growing Together: Early Childhood Fair 🌱
Marin City families are invited to Growing Together: Early Childhood Fair, a fun-filled day connecting families with local resources and services that support young children. Enjoy hands-on activities, community organizations, ice cream, a bicycle smoothie blender, and a live performance by Jahri’s World!
📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
⏰ 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
📍 George Rocky Graham Park, 850 Drake Avenue, Marin City
Bring the whole family to play, explore, connect with community partners, and learn about resources available to Marin City children and families!
Marin Avenue Safety Study Meeting, Oct. 15
 Help Shape the Future of Marin Avenue
Marin County Public Works invites the Tam Valley community to a public meeting to review updated concepts for future safety improvements along Marin Avenue and share feedback with the project team. The discussion will include a potential sidewalk extension between Spruce and Maple streets, as well as traffic safety concepts for the area between Maple Street and Bell Lane.
📅 Thursday, October 15, 2026
⏰ 6:00 p.m.
📍 Tam Valley Community Center, 203 Marin Avenue
More Info: Publicworks.marincounty.gov/marin-avenue-concepts-phase-2/
Community input will help guide the project team as these concepts are further refined. Please join us and share your feedback!
Southern Marin El Niño Preparation Town Hall, Oct. 21
 Southern Marin Super El Niño Preparedness Town Hall 🌧️
Join us for a Southern Marin Super El Niño Preparedness Town Hall to learn how Marin County is preparing for the possibility of a wet and stormy winter—and what you can do to help prepare your home, family, and neighborhood.
📅 Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 6:30 p.m.
📍 Mill Valley Community Center
County staff will share information about local preparedness efforts, emergency response, and steps residents can take now to be ready. Please join us, ask questions, and get prepared for the winter ahead!
Marin City Community Open House, Nov. 4
 Marin City Community Open House
Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters and County of Marin staff invite you to a community Open House in Marin City! Stop by anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. to meet with the Supervisor and County staff, learn about ongoing and upcoming County projects in Marin City, ask questions, and share your input.
📅 Wednesday, November 4, 2026
⏰ Drop in anytime from 5–7 p.m.
📍 Southern Marin County Services Annex
630 Drake Avenue, Marin City
We hope you’ll stop by, say hello, and join the conversation about what’s happening in your community!
Marin History Museum Hosts Family Keepsake Day
 Ever wondered what that old painting, baseball card, watch, piece of jewelry, or family heirloom might actually be worth? 🔎
Bring it to Family Keepsake Day!
📅 Sunday, October 4
⏰ 1:30–4:30 PM
📍 San Rafael Community Center
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION!
Experts from Michaan's Auctions will offer optional verbal fair market appraisals of up to three items, including fine art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, Asian art, coins, sports memorabilia, and other collectibles.
💰 $20 MHM members | $25 non-members
📌 Advanced registration is required for appraisals.
But you don't need an appraisal to join us!
Admission to Family Keepsake Day is completely FREE, with expert presentations by Carol Acquaviva and Doug DeFors, preservation resources, local conservation vendors, archival supplies, and much more.
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Time to Prepare
Marin County is encouraging residents to take steps now to prepare themselves, their families, and their communities for emergencies.
With El Niño conditions anticipated to influence the upcoming winter season, the County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is emphasizing the importance of preparing for potentially wetter weather, including the possibility of flooding and other storm-related impacts. Visit ReadyMarin to learn more about what you can do to prepare for El Niño.
Through OEM, a division of the Marin County Fire Department, the County works year-round to strengthen emergency preparedness and ensure residents have access to information, resources, and support before, during, and after disasters.
Get Ready with Marin
ReadyMarin, Marin County’s official emergency preparedness program and website, has launched “Get Ready with Marin,” a campaign encouraging residents to take one preparedness step each week.
The campaign highlights five simple actions residents can take to become better prepared:
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Sign up for AlertMarin — The official emergency notification system used by all public safety agencies to issue real-time alerts during disasters or life-threatening events.
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Make a plan — Know how to find and get in touch with your people when an emergency happens. Make a Plan and share it with the people close to you.
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Make a go bag — A backpack or tote that’s large enough to store your essential items. You’ll grab your go-bag if you need to evacuate. Your bag can include medications, extra clothes, water and more.
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Make a stay box — Keep supplies on hand in case you need to shelter at home. Plan for what you and members of your household will need to meet daily needs.
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Connect with your neighbors — Building connections before an emergency makes it easier to support one another. Many localized groups take an active interest in emergency preparedness. Get involved today to help your neighborhood strengthen its resilience.
Residents can follow along with the campaign on ReadyMarin social media [Instagram | Facebook | Nextdoor].
Strengthening Preparedness
Emergency preparedness is one of the Board of Supervisors’s top ongoing priorities and has been consistently among the strongest cited needs in community surveys through the years.
Throughout the month and into the fall, OEM will engage residents through community events and preparedness activities. The County also plans to host community town halls this fall focused on El Niño awareness and severe weather preparedness. Learn about these events and other emergency preparedness efforts through the County’s ReadyMarin Emergency Preparedness Calendar. The County continues to strengthen how it prepares for, responds to, and recovers from emergencies:
Updated Emergency Operations Plan: Earlier this year, the County approved an updated Emergency Operations Plan and two additional annexes. The plan provides a roadmap for how local government, first responders, public agencies, and community partners work together during emergencies.
Expanded AlertMarin Notifications: Based on community feedback, new Notification Groups now provide awareness-based information about significant weather, coastal flooding and King Tides, prescribed burns, and riverine and creek flooding. These topics may not meet the threshold for an emergency alert but help residents stay informed about hazards that could affect their communities.
Greater Accessibility: AlertMarin now includes a fully Spanish sign-up experience, the ability to select a preferred language for alerts, and automated text-to-speech to improve the timeliness and accuracy of emergency notifications in English and Spanish.
As Marin prepares for the upcoming winter season, residents are encouraged to review their emergency plans, prepare for severe weather and flooding, and make sure they can receive emergency information.
Related News: County Approves $3 Million Investment in Winter Storm Preparedness
Upcoming Southern Marin Flood Control Zone Meetings
Community members are invited to attend upcoming Flood Control Zone 3 and Zone 4 meetings to learn more about preparations underway ahead of winter storms, king tides, and potential storm surge. Hear updates from County staff, learn about work being done in your area, and ask questions about winter readiness.
📅 Flood Control Zone 3 (Richardson Bay) – October 13
More Info: About Flood Control Zone 3: Richardson Bay
📅 Flood Control Zone 4 (Bel Aire) – October 27
More Info: About Flood Control Zone 4: Bel Aire
Join us to learn more and help your community prepare for the winter ahead.
Related News:
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Modular Housing Takes Shape at 156 Shoreline Highway
 We have received many questions and comments about the Shoreline Apartments near the Manzanita Park-and-Ride and Highway 101 and want to provide information about this project and will provide additional information in the future. I wanted to share some background about what is being built and how this project came to be.
The five-story Shoreline Apartments project will provide 32 affordable apartments for lower-income households, with a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. The project uses modular construction, meaning the individual housing units were constructed off-site, transported to Tam Valley, and then lifted into place by crane.
The project is connected to a 74-unit affordable housing development originally proposed at 825 Drake Avenue in Marin City. That proposal was later modified, with 42 units remaining at the Drake Avenue site and 32 units moved to the separate 156 Shoreline Highway property. The project was split in response to concerns from Marin City residents about the concentration of affordable housing in Marin City, which is already home to nearly 300 units of family public housing.
The County approved the 156 Shoreline project in 2025 under Senate Bill 35 (SB 35), a 2017 state housing law that established a streamlined approval process for qualifying housing developments. Under SB 35, projects that meet the law’s requirements, including affordability and objective development standards, are not subject to the same discretionary review process that would otherwise apply to many development proposals.
Now that the modular units have been placed, you will continue to see construction activity on the site as work on the building’s exterior, façade, and other improvements take shape. We know this project has generated interest and questions in the Tam Valley community, and I hope this background helps provide some context about what you are seeing along Shoreline Highway.
Related news from Mill Valley Briefing: A 32-unit building is going up at Tam Junction. Here's the story behind it.
Richardson Bay Regional Agency Announces Almost
$5 Million in Grant Awards for Environmental Cleanup and Restoration Efforts
Help Decide Where Housing and Community Funds Should Go in Marin
Marin County seeks residents and workers to volunteer on three committees advising how local, state and federal funds are allocated countywide, specifically in the coast areas.
The County of Marin Community Development Agency (CDA) is recruiting community members to serve on the Countywide Priority Setting Committee (PSC). Committee members will help oversee and decide how key federal and state funds ought to be spent. The application window closes October 23.
The PSC has two openings and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on the distribution of federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Programs (HOME), and state funds through the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA). The committee establishes funding priorities and reviews grant applications from local nonprofit and public agencies for affordable housing, community infrastructure, and services to low- and moderate-income households.
The County seeks new members from two areas:
- Ross Valley area (Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo, and neighboring unincorporated communities).
- Southern Marin (Belvedere, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, and neighboring unincorporated communities, including Marin City, Strawberry and Tam Valley)
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Southern Marin Fire District Welcomes
Fire Chief Heather Marques
Southern Marin Fire District is proud to announce the appointment of Heather Marques as its new Fire Chief. Chief Marques brings extensive fire service leadership, operational, and emergency medical services experience, most recently serving as Division Chief of Medical Services with Alameda County Fire Department.
Throughout her career, she has led complex programs, supported training and professional development, and worked collaboratively with regional partners to strengthen public safety. Her leadership reflects a strong commitment to workforce wellness, organizational excellence, and community-centered service. |
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Southern Marin County Services Annex Open
Accessing County services is now easier than ever for Southern Marin residents. The Southern Marin County Services Annex, located at 630 Drake Avenue in Marin City, is now open and bringing essential County programs and services closer to home. The Annex offers convenient access to services including health and human services, employment and training assistance, behavioral health resources, WIC, and programs for older adults. Whether you need support, information, or help navigating County services, the Southern Marin County Services Annex is here to serve you.
📍 630 Drake Avenue, Marin City
Email: HHSSouthMarinAnnex@marincounty.gov
Phone: (415) 473-5130
Public Defender's Office Clean Slate Program Comes to Southern Marin County Services Annex
The Marin County Public Defender’s Clean Slate Program offers free legal and DMV assistance at the Southern Marin County Services Annex, 630 Drake Avenue in Marin City. Services include help with expungements, sealing arrest records, early termination of probation, immigration relief, DMV documents, and more. Drop-in services are available on the 1st Thursday and 3rd Tuesday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, contact Public Defender Outreach at 415-747-9089 or Defender-Outreach@marincounty.gov.
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Board of Supervisors and County News
 Marin Invites Community to Help Shape County Priorities for Next Six Years
The County of Marin is asking people who live, work, learn, or do business in Marin to help set the priorities that will guide county government over the next six years.
The yearlong strategic planning effort, called Envision Marin, will produce Marin’s first comprehensive Countywide Strategic Plan in more than 25 years. Once adopted, the plan will guide county services, investments, department work plans, capital projects and three consecutive two-year budget cycles.
“We are living through a period of significant change and uncertainty locally, regionally, across California and nationally,” said Board Vice President Stephanie Moulton-Peters. “That makes this an important moment to look ahead, take stock of what matters most to our community and set clear priorities for the future. Envision Marin gives us this opportunity to be intentional about our planning, and I look forward to the community participating in this process with us.”
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Happening now: People can share their ideas through Engage Marin, including what they value most about Marin today, what they would like to improve, protect, create or prioritize, and their big, bold vision for Marin’s future.
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Coming soon: Envision Marin community workshops will be held throughout Marin, giving community members another way to share what matters most to them and help shape priorities for the future. In-person and online options will be available, with language access and accommodations to support broad participation. Dates, locations and registration information will be announced soon.
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County Mails Redesigned Tax Bills to Property Owners
The County of Marin redesigned its secured property tax bill to make information easier to read, navigate, and locate. The refreshed bill features an updated format, font, and layout, with accessibility considerations incorporated to better support taxpayers as they review their bills and make payments.
New Improvements to the Taxpayer Experience
The Marin County Tax Collector’s Office has made several improvements to make it easier for taxpayers to get assistance, understand their property tax bills, and make payments:
- Targeted phone tree for better customer service – Updated phone options help direct taxpayers to the appropriate staff and resources more quickly based on their needs.
- E-check validation to reduce invalid payments – New validation helps identify payment issues before an e-check is submitted, reducing rejected or invalid payments and providing a smoother payment experience.
- Updated property tax bill for improved clarity and accessibility – The secured property tax bill has been refreshed with an updated format, font, and layout to make information easier to read and locate, while incorporating ADA accessibility considerations. A new QR code also provides convenient access to the Tax Collector’s website for online payments.
Taxpayer Resources
To help taxpayers better understand their property taxes and know where to go for assistance, we have also updated and expanded our taxpayer resources:
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State Budget Delivers $19.75 Million for Marin Projects
Marin County communities will receive $19.75 million in state funding for projects ranging from a permanent farmers market on the Marin County Civic Center campus to affordable housing, restoration efforts at the Mount Tamalpais Cemetery, and fire protection in West Marin.
The funding is part of a state budget bill signed into law September 19 by Governor Gavin Newsom. The investments build on the County of Marin's ongoing advocacy in Sacramento for local priorities.
The allotments are included in Assembly Bill 113, which enacts further state appropriations through the 2026–27 state budget package adopted in June. Under this additional appropriations bill, Marin projects receiving funding include:
- Permanent Farmers Market ($13.25 million)
- Marin City Community Services District ($350,000)
- Redwood Bikeshare Pilot ($1 million)
- Mount Tamalpais Cemetery restoration ($1.8 million)
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How would you invest $2.5 million to improve your community?
Marin County has dedicated $2.5 million to Participatory Budgeting (PB), giving residents the opportunity to help shape future community investments.
Community members are invited to submit ideas for projects that improve communities and advance racial equity. Ideas may focus on youth programs, affordable housing, mental health resources, transportation, arts and culture, environmental projects, and more.
If you're 14 or older and live, work, or attend school in Marin County, you can participate.
Community members know best what their communities need. Share your ideas and help shape future investments in Marin County.
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Parks Measure A Community Oversight Committee Recruitment Opportunity
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Do you have experience with financial controls and accounting, parks and open space management, construction, agriculture, or public policy; and you and your business or organization do not receive or plan to apply for Measure A funds?
Apply for the Parks Measure A Community Oversight Committee and join staff at Marin County Parks to ensure this local sales tax continues its record of success by being spent according to the voter-approved expenditure plan. Participate in annual audits and annual report content development, and receive and discuss reports by staff during two public meetings per year.
Follow this link to learn more about the purposes of this committee, and to apply: https://apps.marincounty.gov/BosBoardsCommissions
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