Indoor Face Covering Mandate Update
Marin has reached an important milestone: Effective at noon Monday November 1, Marin County Public Health lifted a local mask mandate, which required everyone to wear face coverings in indoor public places.
This mandate has been in effect since August 2 and was part of part of a Bay Area-wide public health response to combat the surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.
Marin County met all three of the criteria today, October 29:
- Marin’s overall vaccination rate is above 80%.
- Hospitalizations have declined and remained low.
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Marin has maintained 21 consecutive days of moderate (“yellow”) level data on the CDC’s Community Transmission Tracker.
Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said he will continue to strongly urge residents to keep wearing masks indoors.
“Face covering has been and will remain a critical tool for preventing spread of the virus,” Willis said. “The mandate helped get us through the fourth wave, but as the local picture improves, we’re shifting from a legal mandate to local recommendation. This is part of the process of tiptoeing back toward normalcy.”
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Highlights of the Upcoming November 3rd Town Council Meeting
- The Council will receive two presentations: A Collaborative Approach: Ending Chronic Homelessness in Marin and Marin County Mobile Crisis Continuum Teams
- There will be a discussion regarding the Safety Element progress including potential changes to the text, policies, programs, and graphics; the development of new wildfire safety programs, recognition of the efforts of FireSafe Marin, Neighborhood Response Groups, and the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority; and compliance with SB 379 (2015) to address climate adaptation and resiliency.
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Public Works Update
The Fairfax Department of Public Works is continuing to clean up from the intense rainfall of Sunday, October 24th. In addition to being grateful for very effective collaboration with the Fairfax Police Department field personnel and dispatchers, the Ross Valley Fire Department, and other Town Staff and Councilmembers, we’d like to acknowledge the community spirit and collaboration we observed among members of the community during a near disaster. People clearing drain inlets, filling and placing sandbags for others, clearing their neighbor’s street gutters and roof gutters -- those are wonderful, positive attributes of an effective and resilient community. The rainfall intensities we experienced were rare and most of our infrastructure (gutters, drain inlets, culverts and storm drains) was not designed to handle so much water so fast. As we all continue to dry out and clean up from that event, please take a moment to develop a plan for how you can be better prepared for the next one – how you can collaborate with one another and the Town to stage filled bags in places where you needed more last time, remove debris blocking private drainage facilities, clear roof gutters, have the things you need in quantity when the grid power is off for hours at a time, have an emergency plan with your family and practice it, create a “Go” bag in case you need to evacuate on short notice (and plan your route to avoid getting stuck), and sign up for Alert Marin to receive emergency alerts by cellular phone call, text message, or email.
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Road and Tree Work
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The Town of San Anselmo is closing Center Boulevard between Saunders and Madrone from 8 am to 5 pm next Monday and Tuesday, November 1st and 2nd for an emergency tree removal. Local traffic in Fairfax and San Anselmo on Center between Pastori and Saunders will have access during those hours. Through traffic is advised to use Sir Francis Drake.
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Ross Valley Fire Department recently conducted an evacuation/safe access route evaluation of Fairfax neighborhoods. During the evaluation, several violations of the Fairfax Fire Code were identified and need immediate abatement to ensure safe routes of travel during the event of an emergency. The Fire Department will be conducting road side clearance In the areas of: Ridge Rd, Park Ln, Scenic Rd, Tamalpais Rd, and Mountain View Rd within the town limits of Fairfax. Work is scheduled to begin in the areas listed during the week of November 8th. Crews will be removing hazardous vegetation within 10 feet of the edge of pavement and raising trees a minimum of 14 feet above road ways.
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What is a Housing Element?
A state-mandated policy document updated every eight years that identifies where and how Fairfax will accommodate existing and projected future housing needs for people of all income groups. In the 2023-2031 6th Cycle Housing Element Update, the Town will need to plan for an additional 490 new housing units.
Is Fairfax required to build the housing assigned?
Under current state law, cities and towns are not required to build housing units. Housing construction is still driven by the private market. Instead, Fairfax is required to ensure that sufficient lands are available to accommodate all assigned units ‘by right.’ To do so, Fairfax must determine whether enough land is available to accommodate its assigned 490 housing units. If not, then Fairfax is required to designate new sites for this purpose – usually through amending the General Plan and Zoning designation to allow for multifamily housing development.
Want to learn more?
Attend our Community Workshop on Saturday November 20th from 2-6pm! Further details will be posted soon on the Fairfax Speaks site. The site also has plenty of ways for you to provide feedback and learn about the Housing Element Update process. In the coming weeks, the website will be refreshed with new opportunities to engage and share your unique story of how Fairfax became “home” for you.
Attend the November 3rd Town Council meeting to hear about the proposed changes to the Safety Element. The Safety Element is one of the General Plan elements required by State Planning Law, and is included in the Town's 2010 - 2030 General Plan. Legislation passed since the Town adopted the General Plan requires the Town's Safety Element to be revised concurrently with the Housing Element Update.
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Wonderfully Wild Marin: A Calendar and Online Fundraiser for Open Space
Want to help protect local open spaces during these trying times and get some amazing artwork as part of the donation thank-you gifts? Here’s how!
The Fairfax Open Space Committee along with The San Anselmo Open Space Committee have been collaborating together to create an informationally rich and stunningly beautiful Calendar for 2022 called Wonderfully Wild Marin. The calendar notes astrological events, holidays from diverse cultures and religions, seasonal, cultural, and historical information about our natural surroundings along with outstanding vistas by talented local photographers.
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Upcoming Meetings & Events |
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Town Council Meeting
November 3 - 7pm
Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
November 8 - 7pm
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Please notewe are proceeding with all events as planned but they may
need to be cancelled due to County or State Health orders.
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Artist in Residence Photography Show at the Library
November 1-30th
Reception: November 20th
2-4pm
Fairfax Library
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During this past year, Stephanie Mohan, local photographer and Fairfax Artist in Residence, has been using this time to document the historic events of various protests and the movements for social and racial equity that have emerged. Her photographs are raw, real, and passionate, hitting at the core of human truths.
Please join us Saturday, November 20th from 2-4pm for a stimulating and provocative show with lively discussion and food at a reception area out of doors in front of the Library.
Sponsored by Fairfax Artists in Residence, Fairfax Park and Rec., and the Fairfax Library.
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Fairfax Craft Faire - Mark Your Calendars!
Saturday, December 11th from 11am – 5pm
We are looking forward to RE-gathering again for this lovely Fairfax tradition.
We are calling for ALL vendors to apply with an aim at expanding
our diversity in crafters, artisans, musicians, food/coffee vendors, and kids art crafting.
This is a fundraising event for Fairfax Recreation and all proceeds will go to help support our programming and scholarship fund.
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After School Skate Club
Fairfax Community Skate Park
Steven Teijeiro
Grades K-6
Tuesday/Thursday
November 9 – January 20
3:30 – 5:30pm
We are excited to offer a new session of our afterschool Skate Club! Club members will be instructed in the basic fundamentals of skateboarding. The primary focus will be to get kids comfortable riding and performing flat ground maneuvers, and small skate park obstacles. Helmet and pads a requirement. We will follow the Covid protocols suggested during this time.
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In Person Yoga with Veronica
Mondays from 4-5pm - ongoing
Fairfax Women's Club - 46 Park Road
Yoga is moving inside for the winter! Join Veronica in the Women's Club for a free community class and keep your practice going even as the wet weather rolls in.
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Other Town and County News |
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Age Friendly Fairfax Will Honor Our Residents 90+ Years Old
On November 13th, Age Friendly Fairfax will hold the 4th Annual Celebration of Fairfax residents 90 years of age and over. At midday on Saturday the 13th, volunteers will deliver baskets to participants which will include a certificate from the Town of Fairfax honoring each person.
If you know of someone in Fairfax who is 90 or over, please help us update our list so that all will be included. Email Anne Mannes at amannes@townoffairfax.org. We will need a name, address and a telephone number.
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Call for Applications!
The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority is seeking representatives from West Marin, Central Marin, and civic organizations for a three-year term to the MWPA Citizens Oversight Committee (COC). Applications are due by Tuesday, November 30, 2021. Find out more and apply here.
The newly established Fairfax Community Emergency Preparedness Committee is being formed to support and help coordinate collaborative town-wide efforts to prepare residents to respond to emergencies of all kinds. Check out the Committee’s webpage for details. The Town is seeking members to represent various stakeholders, including the community at large, CERTs, Firewise communities, and NRGs. Fairfax residents are encouraged to apply.
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Want to Get Involved? Join a Board or Commission!
Do you want to make a real difference in 2021? Consider joining a board or commission for the Town of Fairfax. There are openings on several boards and commissions. Click here to see the current vacancies.
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Even with the Recent Rainfall Drought Water Restrictions are Still in Effect for All of Marin County |
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Marin Water Storage Update - Post storm. In the past week, storage increased by 14,400 AF, which is 18% of total capacity. It's a welcome sight to see our reservoirs spilling over. However, this doesn't mean we're out of the drought just yet. Let's celebrate the recent rain by using it wisely and saving water.
As water continues to flow into the reservoirs, it's typical to see storage levels increase. Stay up to date by visiting: MarinWater.org/water-watch
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Countywide Fair Housing Initiatives and Restrictive Covenant Presentation
At the October 20th Town Council meeting the Council received a report from the County on restrictive covenants and their history in Marin County. To watch the presentation and to learn more about how you can check your deed and participate in the process of revisions click here.
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COVID-19 Updates & Programs
If you are experiencing financial difficulties due to COVID-19, please visit our Town of Fairfax Coronavirus Resource page for rental assistance, utility bill help and more.
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Spread the Word
We want to share the Town News with our whole community. If you know someone who would like to receive this weekly update, let them know they can subscribe here.
You can also share the link on your social media which will reach your whole network. Together, we can help keep everyone informed about upcoming meetings, events and more!
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Town of Fairfax sitio web se puede traducir al español
El sitio web se puede traducir al español usando el ícono del globo que se encuentra en la barra verde de cada página.
Our website can now be translated into Spanish (and other languages) using the globe icon found on the green bar at the top of each page.
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