July 12, 2024

Creekside is Tonight!

Come on down and enjoy a fun evening with your friends and neighbors! The Fog City Swampers are back to entertain us. FireSafe Marin and Xtracycle will be here to share all the great things they are up to and more!

See more about our Wastewater Budget below as embark on a new fiscal year.

Join us for the next in our Tam Valley Speaker Series on July 24th: "Basics on Writing" with local author and PARC member Michael Wisner. Read all about it below and save your seat here!

Wishing you a beautiful weekend and hope everyone is really diving into summer fun!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Highlights of the July 10, 2024 Board Meeting 

The Board held a joint meeting with the Parks & Recreation Commission (PARC) to discuss goals and priorities and working relationships between the two bodies as well as other issues of mutual interest.

At the regular Board meeting, which followed the joint meeting, the Board took the following actions of note:

a) received a presentation from Flood Control Zone 3 staff regarding upcoming projects and maintenance activities affecting Tam Valley.

Click here for the pdf of the presentation.

b) approved a revised revenue sharing policy of 70/30 for instructors using TCSD facilities and a 75/25 split for pickleball instructors.

c) approved an additional $15,000 for project contingency reserves for the corporation yard restroom and shower remodel project to address unforeseen field conditions.

d) received an update on the status of the Board’s 2024 goals and priorities

e) discussed future topics for work session meetings

f) continued the emergency action for sewer line repair located at approx. 354 Pine Hill Road.

Click here for the agenda packet.

FY24-25 Adopted Wastewater Budget

This week the focus is on the Adopted FY24-25 Wastewater budget.

TCSD is responsible for the maintenance and management of the wastewater collection system within the District. We have approximately 30 miles of sewer mainline pipeline and several pump stations to maintain. Over 90% of the wastewater collected goes to the Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District’s (SMCSD) treatment facility in southern Marin. The balance (less than 10%) of our wastewater goes to the Sewage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM) treatment facility in Mill Valley.  Sewer treatment expenses represent approximately 50% of the Wastewater budget.

Revenue increases reflect an annual increase of 4% in service charges and a 2.4% increase in fees for service.

The net revenue (surplus) goes to fund operating and capital reserves. Capital reserves are used to fund Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects. The Chart below shows that approx. 96% of Wastewater revenues come from the base sewer system charge (per equivalent dwelling unit) and usage charge (based on customers’ winter water usage per Marin Water) that residents/owners pay on their property taxes.

The Adopted FY24-25 Wastewater Operational Budget is approximately $5,140,000. Overall, net expenditures are less than 1% higher than the adopted FY23-24 budget. While the proposed budget does reflect COLA’s, CPI (Bay Area consumer price index) increases, and a significant rise in health care costs, the increases were offset by reductions in maintenance, repair, and supply costs. Wastewater treatment costs (approx. $2,625,000) and debt payments (approx. $1,320,000) for long-term financing (Certificates of Participation’s ) represent over 75% of operating budget expenses. The other 25% is for personnel, maintenance and emergency response, supply and materials, and general overhead costs such as insurance and fuel. 

The FY24-25 CIP budget for Wastewater projects is $1,860,000 for the following capital improvement projects: a) $150,000 for on-going design costs for the replacement of the Bell Lane Pump Station and Bell Lane force main, b) $1,300,000 for Phase E- replacement of sewer mainline pipeline in various location, and c) $410,000 combined for pipe culvert replacement and potential emergency capital repairs for sewer main lines which were previously charged to the operating budget.

Phase E replaces an additional 2,700 linear feet of sewer main. Since 2015, the District has replaced approximately 31,300 linear feet or 5.9 miles of sewer main line. The 5.9 miles of replacement pipe represents approximately 20% of the sewer main pipelines within the District. These improvements were needed in order to comply with a 2008 EPA Administrative Order (Order) requiring reductions in the frequency and volume of sewer spills, proactive cleaning and maintenance schedules, and capital improvements to replace sewer main lines. Recently, EPA staff has indicated that they believe TCSD as well as other Marin sanitary districts have sufficiently met the requirements of the Order and that EPA staff would support a petition to request termination of the Order. TCSD has submitted the required petition to the EPA for consideration.

Click here to see the the adopted FY24-25 budget on our website.

Batteries and More

A friendly reminder that TCSD does have a battery bucket outside the office during business hours. Please feel free to place your batteries in the bucket.

Also, remember no CFL/LED bulbs should be placed in the battery bucket because dumping batteries on top of CFL/LED bulbs has a tendency to break them (who knew?). When that happens the CFL/LED bulbs are no longer recyclable, plus it creates a hazard to separate glass from the batteries. During business hours just open the main office front door and you can drop off your CFL/Bulbs inside. 

Unfortunately, the old incandescent bulbs (i.e., bulbs with filaments) are NOT recyclable. Please place them in your trash container. Thanks for the help.

Creekside Fridays

5:30-8pm

Tam Valley Community Center

July 12th - Fog City Swampers

July 26th - Juke Joint

August 9th - Marble Party

Tam Valley Speaker Series

Basics On Writing with Local Writer Michael Wisner

July 24th at 7pm

Tam Valley Community Center

Free!

Whether you’re writing emails, letters, websites, diaries, Social Media posts, speeches, short stories, novels, poetry, or screenplays, all can be enhanced with the Basics on Writing. Attendees are welcome to bring writing samples to discuss. Michael will provide all attendees an extensive Reference Sheet of collected works on writing.

Michael Wisner is an author and screenplay writer. He has four major screenplays in development. Recently, he wrote with Alexandra Duparc, the screenplay for the upcoming movie, Monsanto, Directed by John Lee Hancock (Blindside). It is the true David v. Goliath story of a young attorney who took on Monsanto and its toxic pesticide, Round Up.

Reserve your spot and find out more here...

PLAY Theater Company Classes - Coming Soon!

Mondays and Wednesdays

3:00-4:30pm,

September 9-November 16 

Tam Valley Community Center

Join us to “seize the day” and make some musical theatre magic while making new friends and learning how to shine on stage! At PLAY Theatre Company, we think theatre should be fun and theatre is for everyone. No matter what your ability or experience, we invite you to join us and experience “PLAY”. This class is best suited for young actors ages 8-14. 

Register today at www.playtheatreco.org/classes/fall2024

Southern Marin Fire Update



Alert Marin Sign Up Reminder

Did you know that less than 40% of Southern Marin residents are properly registered to receive an emergency notification through Alert Marin? All who work or live in Marin should register for local emergency alerts through AlertMarin.org 

Emergency officials use the AlertMarin Emergency Notification System to provide you with critical information and potentially life-saving instruction. Those registered will receive the notification if they have been determined to be within the precise geographic area(s) affected. An AlertMarin notification will provide timely, clear, and accurate instruction in the form of a call, text, or email. Emergency situations may include: - Flooding, wildfires, and evacuations. - Shelters, transportation, or supplies.

Marin Wildfire Chipper Day Program

The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority is proud to sponsor the Chipping Program! The program provides for the curbside pickup, chipping, and disposal of vegetation material from residential properties.

Click here for more information.