March 2024

Welcome to the City of Novato's monthly newsletter! This issue features information about the upcoming 2024 State of the City Address, how to apply to join a City commission, committee or board, save the date for our Community Budget Workshop, Parks and Recreation events and more!

You can stay up-to-date on City news and events throughout the month by visiting novato.org/connectwithus and signing up for specific topics that are most important to you.

2024 State of the City Address

Presented annually by the Novato Chamber of Commerce, Novato's 2024 State of the City Address will be held in person on Tuesday, March 19, 5pm at Novato City Hall, 901 Sherman Avenue. Discussion will include a look back on 2023 and highlights of upcoming projects and programs for the new year.

Unable to join us in person? You can watch the State of the City live at novato.org/watchmeetings. A recording of the event will also be available. This event is FREE and open to the public. 

Presentado cada ano por la Cámara de Comercio de Novato, el discurso sobre el estado de la ciudad de Novato en 2024 se hará presencialmente en la municipalidad de Novato, 901 Sherman Avenue a las 5pm el 19 de Marzo. El discurso incluirá una mirada para atrás al 2023 y detalles destacados de los próximos proyectos y programas para el año nuevo.

¿No puede asistir en persona? También puede mirar el discurso sobre el estado de la Ciudad en vivo en novato.org/watchmeetings. Una grabación del evento también estará disponible. Este evento es GRATIS y abierto al público.

Property tax revenue is Novato’s primary source of funding. However, of each dollar Novato residents pay in property tax, only 7¢ returns to the city. Novato’s property tax rates were locked in at 7% with the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. At that time, Novato was a much smaller and more rural community. Other neighboring cities like Mill Valley, Larkspur, and San Anselmo receive over 20% of property tax revenue.

Additionally, Novato has a number of special districts that share in local property tax allocations, including Novato Unified School District, Novato Fire District, College of Marin and others. As such, the portion of property tax left to fund services provided by the City — including police patrols and 9-1-1 response, street repair, and park maintenance — is smaller than communities with fewer special districts.

There is no mechanism to change the allocation of property taxes. However, Novato can bring our local sales tax rate in line with neighboring communities, like San Rafael and Petaluma, to generate additional locally controlled revenue that must stay in Novato.

Learn more about the City of Novato’s budget and our efforts to ensure ongoing services, safety, and quality of life at novato.org/localfunding.

Save the Date: Community Budget Workshop

Join our Community Budget Workshop on Thursday, March 28, 6pm at Novato City Hall, 901 Sherman Avenue or virtually via Zoom to help develop the City's budget and fiscal plan for the next year. Whether you join in-person or online, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the City’s budget, ask questions and share your feedback.

Zoom details will be posted online at novato.org/budget prior to the workshop.

Parks Master Plan Update

The City's Draft Parks Master Plan will be presented to the Novato City Council at their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 12. Meeting begins at 6pm at City Hall, 901 Sherman Avenue. 

The Parks Master Plan will serve as a valuable strategic guide and “roadmap” for both current and future parks planning and recreation development. The process includes an assessment of current parks, playgrounds, fields, outdoor courts, trails, picnic areas, and park amenities, and prioritizes the needs and desires for upgrading and improving these sites.

Learn more at novato.org/parksplan.

Summer Activity Guide Coming Soon

Get ready for a summer packed with #NovatoFun! The Novato Parks and Recreation Summer 2024 Activity Guide hits the virtual shelves on Thursday, March 14.

The guide will be overflowing with fun events, camps, classes, and more for the best summer yet. 

Spring Trash to Treasures Flea Market

Make space in your home for the things that matter! The Margaret Todd Senior Center is hosting its Spring "Trash to Treasures" Flea Market on Saturday, March 23, 9am - 2pm. Admission is free! The market is held indoors, rain or shine. The snack bar will feature donations of hot coffee from Peet’s Coffee and many more tasty eats available for purchase. ⁠Come shop for unique second-hand treasures!

Booths are sold out. Please call 415.899.8290 for more information or to be placed on the waitlist.

Spring Magic Show

Join us for an Irish feast at the Margaret Todd Senior Center on March 27 at 12pm. Enjoy corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, salad, and bread catered by Blueberry Hill Catering for $19/person.

Registration deadline is March 19. Secure your spot by signing up at the Margaret Todd Senior Center, 1560 Hill Road.

Call 415.899.8290 for more information.

Novato Police Department Pop-Up Police Station Events

The Novato Police Department (NPD) is hosting a series of new Pop-Up Police Station events at different locations throughout Novato.

Connect with NPD’s chief of police, police officers and dispatchers for an opportunity to learn more about the services they provide. The event will include a short presentation and an opportunity for our community to visit with Novato Police staff members. There will also be a chance to provide feedback to create a more targeted approach in building positive relationships. 

Coming to a location near YOU, in one of our four patrol areas:

• Monday, March 18 | 3pm - 4pm | New Life Church (1370 S. Novato Boulevard)
• Saturday, April 13 | 11am - 1pm | Pioneer Park Ribbon Cutting (1007 Simmons Lane)

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La Policía de Novato (NPD) realizará una serie de nuevos eventos de “estaciones de policía ambulantes” en diferentes ubicaciones de la ciudad. 

Conozca al Jefe de Policía/Oficiales de Policía/Despachadores/etc. para tener la oportunidad de aprender más sobre los servicios que brindamos. El evento incluirá una breve presentación y la oportunidad para que los residentes conozcan a los miembros del personal de la policía de Novato que trabajan en el área. También habrá la oportunidad de brindar comentarios para construir relaciones más positivas con la estación de Policía

Invitamos a los miembros de nuestra comunidad a unirse a nosotros en las siguientes ubicaciones. Próximas fechas en Novato:

• Lunes, 3/18 | 3pm - 4pm | New Life Church (1370 S. Novato Boulevard)
• Sábado, 4/13 | 11am - 1pm | Pioneer Park Ribbon Cutting (1007 Simmons Lane)

Novato Proudly Celebrates Women's History Month

In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, Novato proudly celebrates women's contributions to history, culture and society across the country.

We’re #NovatoProud of the women in Novato and encourage you to nominate a Novatan who has made a positive impact in our community at novatoproud.com.

AlertMarin Test on March 23 / Prueba de AlertMarin el 23 de marzo

AlertMarin is the county's primary system to alert residents of an urgent need to evacuate, shelter in place, or take some other protective action. On Saturday, March 23, the County’s Office of Emergency Management will conduct a countywide test with a 10am notification sent to opted-in cell phones, landlines, and emails of those registered at AlertMarin.org. 

All who live or work in Marin County are encouraged to sign-up to receive emergency alerts ahead of the test. Those already registered are asked to sign-in and manage their account by verifying their contact information is up to date. Once a person registers with AlertMarin, information can be updated at any time about the registrant’s contacts, a child’s school, a workplace, or a relative’s home. 

It only takes about 10 minutes to register for a service that could save yours and your family's life in the event of a major disaster.

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AlertMarin es el sistema principal del condado para alertar a la comunidad de la necesidad urgente de evacuar, refugiarse en el lugar o tomar alguna otra medida de protección. El sábado 23 de marzo, la Oficina de Gestión de Emergencias del Condado llevará a cabo una prueba en todo el condado con una notificación a las 10:00 de la mañana enviada a los teléfonos móviles, teléfonos fijos y correos electrónicos de las personas registradas a AlertMarin.org.

Se aconseja a todos los que viven o trabajan en el condado de Marin que se inscriban para recibir alertas de emergencia antes de la prueba. A las personas ya registradas se les pide que inicien sesión y accedan a su cuenta verificando que su información de contacto esté actualizada. Una vez que una persona se registre para recibir alertas de AlertMarin, podrá actualizar en cualquier momento su información sobre sus contactos, el colegio de sus hijos, su lugar de trabajo o el domicilio de un familiar.

Sólo le tomará unos 10 minutos registrarse en un servicio que podría salvarle la vida a usted y a su familia en caso de emergencia.

Novato Historical Guild: Quarterly Membership Meeting

The Novato Historical Guild's quarterly membership meeting will be held on March 16, 10am-12pm at Novato City Hall, 901 Machin Avenue. Novato resident, Ed Ryken, will be the featured speaker and will present a talk titled "This Old Rock: The 500-year Story of How Alcatraz Transformed the Bay Area and the World." 

Interested in learning more about Novato's history? The Novato Historical Guild operates two museums — Novato History Museum, located in the 1850 Postmaster’s House, 815 DeLong Avenue, and The Hamilton Field History Museum, located in the 1935 Hamilton Firehouse, 555 Hangar Avenue. Both museums are open Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 12-4pm. For more information, please call (415) 382-8614 or go to novatohistory.org.

City of Novato Sustainability

Free Climate Action Workshops

Want to reduce your carbon footprint, but not sure where to start? Become part of the solution by participating in Resilient Neighborhoods free, online workshop series!

You’ll learn how to make smart shopping choices, reduce waste, conserve water and energy, switch to renewable energy sources, save money on utility bills, and prepare for climate-related emergencies. Climate action teams meet five times over ten weeks to learn practical, affordable ways to make a positive environmental impact, while also building community resilience.

Energy Efficiency for Businesses

Are you a Novato business owner interested in completing an energy efficiency project? Incentives are available from BayREN Business for energy efficient HVAC, refrigeration, LED lighting, water heating, envelope improvements, and more. By participating in this program, you can reduce energy consumption, enhance air quality, and improve the comfort of your business. 

The program is accepting applications for businesses that meet the eligibility criteria for participation. 

Survey: Building and Vehicle Electrification

Switching to clean, renewable electricity to power our vehicles, homes, and businesses can significantly reduce the kind of pollution that is causing changes to our climate. 

Over the past year, the County of Marin and the Marin Climate & Energy Partnership have collaborated with community and industry stakeholders, to draft a set of recommended actions to equitably transition Marin’s buildings and vehicles to an all-electric, energy efficient future. They are seeking public feedback on the recommended actions and want to hear from you! Survey closes March 11 at 11:59pm.

Upcoming City Meetings

The City of Novato encourages community participation at our upcoming public meetings. Meeting details, including information on how to participate, are included in each meeting agenda packet. Agendas are posted at least 72 hours prior to each scheduled meeting. To receive meeting agendas via email and/or text, sign-up at novato.org/connectwithus.

March 11 at 7pm | Planning Commission - cancelled

March 12 at 6pm | City Council

March 13 at 5pm | Housing and Homeless Committee

March 14 at 2pm | Zoning Administrator - cancelled

March 14 at 6pm | Recreation, Cultural and Community Services Commission

March 20 at 5:30pm | Complete Streets and Pathways Oversight Committee

March 20 at 7pm | Design Review Commission

March 21 at 6pm | Sustainability Commission

March 25 at 7pm | Planning Commission

March 26 at 6pm | City Council

March 27 at 6pm | Multicultural Advisory Commission

March 28 at 2pm | Zoning Administrator

We're Hiring — Join Our Team!

Interested in a career in local government? Check out some of our current openings:

Please note the following positions will remain open until filled.

Finance

• Deputy Director of Finance (Full Time)

Parks, Recreation and Community Services



• Office Assistant (Part Time)
• Head Lifeguard (Part Time)
• Lifeguard (Part Time)
• Swim Instructor (Part Time)
• Facility Attendant (Part Time)
• Gymnastics Instructor (Part Time)
• Recreation Leader (Part Time)

Police

• Fire Mitigation Ranger (Part Time)
• Police Intern (Part Time)
• Police Officer Trainee (Full Time)
• Police Officer - Lateral/Academy Graduate (Full Time)

Visit novatojobs.org for more information and to apply.

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