From the desk of... County of Marin District 1 Newsletter May, 2010

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1 County of Marin May, 2010 From the desk of... Vacancy on CSA 6 May 13 Bike to Work Day McNears Beach Fishing Pier reopening May 1 Eco-friendly garden tours May 15 Parks and Open Space gets a new director Linda Dahl Goatgrass pull May 15 Investing in the protection and restoration of San Francisco Bay The Grady Ranch update Enjoy our open spaces! Budget update Calendar Chance Encounter results in good news From the desk of... The April 24 celebration of Earth Day was a beautiful spring day and a great day for the Marinwood community as the farmers market opened for business in the old Marinwood Plaza. Having the bright flowers and organic fruits and produce there was a welcome breath of life for the site, for the community and for the vendors. Neighbors have a new gathering spot, Saturdays for the market and six days a week at the new coffee cart, with the possibility of expanding market hours on Wednesday evenings in the summer. With enthusiastic support by the community for the farmers market and coffee cart and a new vibrancy to the entrance of the community, we can also feel hope that new interest will sprout interest from a developer for a permanent solution. It s all about life springing anew and neighbors coming together. A special thanks to Kelly Smith and Ron Gradinger, the market developers, for taking a chance on this location, for Helge Helberg for supporting and continuing to work with Kelly and Ron, and to Chris Robb and Carlos Silva for making the coffee cart available and a big thanks to all for working through the details that can make such a big difference. Susan L. Adams Carlos Silva and Chris Robb in the coffee cart on site six days a week Bruce Anderson, Jim Fenton, Kelly Smith, Ron Gradinger, Susan Adams, Bill Hansel, Damon Connelly, Helge Helberg, Lynn Bagley, Jerry Hoytt and Andy Hyman celebrating grand opening of Marinwood Farmers Market

2 2 VACANCY ON THE COUNTY SERVICE AREA #6 ADVISORY BOARD (GALLINAS CREEK) The purpose of this Advisory Board is to advise the Board of Supervisors on all matters relating to projects, programs, and budgets of the Gallinas Creek County Service Area (CSA). Applicants must be residents of the CSA #6 district. Additional information about this Commission is available on the internet at: (type "Commissions" in the search box). Persons interested in applying for this position should contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Room 329, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, California 94903, telephone number , to obtain an application form. Applications can also be downloaded from the internet at the above website. May 13, Bike to Work Day Team Challenge kicks off May 1 It s time to break out your bike, oil the chain and gather your colleagues for Team Bike Challenge 2010! Join hundreds of teams from all over of the Bay Area in a competition to ride their bikes for the most trips to work, school and errands. The Team Bike Challenge kicks off May 1, Earn points for each day any County of Marin employee/team member rides, and compete against teams throughout the Bay Area to win the most points. Points are awarded for riding to work, school, or errands. (Sorry, no points for recreational rides.) The team with the most points at the end of the month wins a grand prize! Here s How it Works: Form a team of 2 5 people. (Each team must have at least one Novice Rider) Sign up your team online Ride your bike and track your points throughout the month of May to win! Get more info and sign up today at

3 3 McNears Beach Fishing Pier opening for business May 1 The Department of Parks and Open Space is very pleased to announce the re-opening of the Don Dimitratos fishing pier at McNears Beach County Park in San Rafael. Supervisor Susan Adams will be on-hand for a Park ranger Kirk Schroeder and some early birds. Photo by Jeanne Mische ribbon cutting at 9:00 a.m. and festivities will continue until 11:00 a.m. Park Rangers will bring along fishing gear for anyone wanting to try their luck on the refurbished pier. Kids playing at McNears Beach

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5 Parks and Open Space has a new director Linda Dahl The Marin County Board of Supervisors has appointed Linda Dahl as the County s new Director of Parks and Open Space. She will oversee a department that has 64 employees and manages four regional parks, 27 other recreation facilities, and 15,000 acres of open space preserves across the County. Dahl brings a wealth of management experience to her new position. Prior to joining Marin County, Dahl spent 18 years with the National Park Service. From , Dahl served as the Chief of the Planning Division for Yosemite National Park, overseeing a $14 million budget dedicated to park planning. Her accomplishments at Yosemite National Park include initiating two wild and scenic river management plans, the park-wide transportation plan, and visitor use plans for iconic destinations throughout the park, including Tenaya Lake. Before working at Yosemite, Dahl led the Florida Everglades ecosystem restoration strategic planning effort. She served the National Park Service in management positions at its offices in Washington, DC; and Denver, Colorado. 5 Prior to her appointment by the Board, Dahl served as the Assistant Director of the Marin County Community Development Agency, where she assisted the director by providing administrative oversight and policy direction for over 13 different divisions of the department including environmental planning, current & community planning, geographic information systems, and environmental health. This work involved substantial operational management for a department with over 90 staff and an operating budget of approximately $16 million. The Board of Supervisors is very pleased to appoint Linda as our Director of Parks and Open Space. We are fortunate to find someone with her professional experience from within the County family. Her leadership abilities and substantial experience will be instrumental in continuing to enhance our parks and open space facilities throughout the County, said Board of Supervisors President Judy Arnold. Submitted by County Administrator s Office Goatgrass Pull Help save Spring Hill in Terra Linda Saturday May 15 9:00 a.m. to noon What is the big deal with goatgrass? It is an invasive weed with barbs that when respirated or ingested by animals gets stuck in their lungs and organs and is fatal. This grass not only threatens wildlife but if it spreads to our agricultural lands, will threaten our grazing livestock and the livelihood of Marin s ranching families. Integrated pest management (IPM) practices include hand pulling using volunteers and Parks and Open Space District staff on the hillsides where this invasive species has spread. Supervisor Adams will again be joining the volunteers and staff for a community meeting and pull. Natural Resources staff will discuss the goatgrass removal project on the Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Preserve, share results of management efforts and explain future plans to address this invasive plant. Following the informational meeting, everyone will roll up their sleeves, slather on sunblock, and fan out to start the pulling process. David Herlocker will lead a short walk to investigate the native plants and animals that live there. Lunch will be provided at noon. IPM practices in action! Where? Take the Freitas Parkway/Terra Linda exit from 101, go west and turn right at Las Pavadas (veers left and becomes Las Collindas Rd) and turn right at Wintergreen Terrace. Gate is at the end of Wintergreen. Goatgrass and volunteer hand pulling

6 6 Investing in San Francisco Bay Marin baylands, wetlands and watershed would benefit In March of this year, Supervisor Adams traveled to Washington D.C. and met with the congressional staff of Congresswoman Jackie Speier, representatives from the Bay Institute, San Francisco Estuary Partnership and other North Bay county supervisors to help craft language that would bring federal funding resources to the North Bay for wetland, bayland and watershed restoration projects. On April 23, Supervisor Adams joined several San Francisco Bay Area dignitaries to demonstrate support for Congresswomen Jackie Speier, as she announced her recent introduction of H.R. 5061; The San Francisco Bay Improvement Act The announcement took place at the South San Francisco Bay shoreline in San Mateo. Congresswoman Speier s bill will amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that will provide assistance for programs and activities to protect the water quality of the San Francisco Bay, and for other purposes. What the bill does: Authorizes $100 million annually for ten years to the U.S. EPA to fund projects, programs, and studies that implement priority objectives of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership s Comprehensive Conservation and management Plan (CCMP). Establishes a San Francisco Bay Program office within Region 9 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and authorizes the EPA Administrator to appoint a Director of that program Office to oversee the funding. Establishes a San Francisco Bay Program Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Administrator on implementing goals and objectives of the CCMP, with representation from appropriate Federal and State departments and agencies, and the Director of the SFEP. Provides that the President s annual budget submission to Congress shall provide information on federal agency expenditures for the protection and restoration of San Francisco Bay. San Francisco Bay is the largest estuary on the West Coast. Prior to the gold rush, S.F Bay was once surrounded by approximately 200,000 acres of wetlands, but due to filling, diking and other forms of development, the number has dramatically dropped to approximately 36,000 acres. Potential funding from Speier s bill will allow about 100,000 acres of publically owned acres to be eventually restored. I am pleased to add my name and support to Congresswoman Speier s important bill, H.R If this critical legislation becomes law, the North Bay and our Marin baylands will experience a dramatic increase in funding that will Photo courtesy of The Bay Institute website greatly enhance our ability to complete our local wetland and watershed restoration projects, said Supervisor Adams. Marin County will benefit in many ways, if H.R becomes law. Needed funding will become available to continue the wetland restoration efforts at the former Hamilton Army Air Field in Novato, which is the largest wetland restoration project ever undertaken on the West Coast. In addition to funding needed wetland restoration projects, the bill will offer money for storm-water filters to remove toxic substances from entering the bay and will also fund the clean up of mercury and PCBs from the bay. Another positive result from Speier s bill would pay for the removal of nonnative plants and animals. This will benefit several endangered species in the North Bay, including the salt harvest mouse and the elusive clapper rail. While protecting and improving Marin s wetlands and baylands, Congresswomen s Speier s bill will help increase the tourism trade, which pumps billions of dollars into the Bay Area s economy. A healthy, productive San Francisco Bay is good for all for creatures, big or small, stated Susan Adams. The additional good news is H.R has been co-sponsored by ten Bay Area members of congress, including Congresswomen Lynn Woolsey. Rick Fraites

7 7 Update on the Grady Ranch Skywalker Properties is continuing its efforts to submit a complete Precise Development Plan application for the Grady Ranch component of the Lucasfilm Master Plan. To date, the Big Rock Ranch campus has been constructed. (A third ranch, Skywalker Ranch, was built under a separate Master Plan.) The current efforts include exploring water sources to serve the development and clarifying various aspects of the development including stream restoration, site grading, and road access. Tom Forster, Director of Community Relations, Skywalker Ranch, is always happy to answer any questions. You can him at Tom.Forster@lucasfilm.com Budget update As all of us in County government continue to address challenges resulting from state budget reductions and the economic downturn, I would like to specifically focus on work we are doing around our pension, and point out some relatively positive news about our budget. Thank you to all members of the public and employees who contributed your suggestions and ideas. Regarding pension and retiree health care benefits, the County is committed to pension reform, and we have taken several steps to put the County in a better fiscal position than most cities and counties; and to working with our unions to negotiate more fiscally sustainable pension plans for new hires. Marin County has adopted statewide reform principles to create standardized benefits that are more sustainable over the longterm, while also fostering a level playing field to ensure that we can still recruit talented employees. The County created a new, less costly retiree health plan for all employees hired after It will save taxpayers tens of million of dollars long-term. Compared with other comparable counties and local cities and towns, Marin s current pension rates ranked as one of the most fiscally conservative of these agencies. In terms of the County budget, while the economic downturn has hit almost all local governments across the country very hard, Marin County though not fully insulated from the impacts, planned for this rainy day. Of 58 counties in California, Marin is among the most fiscally healthy with a AAA+ bond rating, very low debt, healthy capital reserves, healthy back up reserves and among the lowest in per capita spending compared with our 10 comparable counties. Enjoy our open spaces! For schedule of ranger led walks, naturalist led outings and other opportunities to get out in the wide open spaces, go to the online newsletter at: MCOSD/pdf/POS_Newsletter_Spring_2010. pdf By the end of this fiscal year, the County will have downsized by 170 positions and all departments have worked diligently and creatively to redesign their workforce to do more with less. The $20 million deficit has been reduced to $8 million under the leadership and efforts of many, including Joan Brown, the County s volunteer program coordinator, whose volunteers save about $10 million per year in in-kind services. With the opening of the Health and Wellness Campus, the County saves about $1.3 million per year in lease savings and $.5 million per year in staff and administrative costs. Diverting non-violent mentally offenders into treatment instead of jail reduced the recidivism rate by 80% and decreased costs of incarceration. There are many examples of the County working leaner and smarter as we work to live within our means. Susan L. Adams

8 8 BS/main/sups/sdistr1/ index.cfm Calendar May Susan L. Adams, Ph.D., R.N. Supervisor, Board of Supervisors, District 1 Marin County Civic Center 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 329 San Rafael, CA Direct Line: (415) sadams@co.marin.ca.us Board of Supervisors Meetings, May 4, 11, 18, Board of Supervisors Chambers, go to website for starting time and agendas, efiles/bs/agmn/cybagnda.htm Marin Transit District, May 17, 10:00 a.m., BOS Chambers, LAFCO, May 13, 7:30 p.m. San Rafael City Chambers, lafco.marin.org Transit Authority of Marin, May 27, 7:00 p.m., BOS Chambers, tam.marin.org/ Public is always welcome. Check websites to confirm meeting date and time. If you wish to subscribe to the Cyberagenda, there is a link on the Cyberagenda page to do so. This will include notices of Marin Housing Authority meetings, dates for which change each month. If you are a person with a disability and require this document in an alternate format (example: Braille, Large Print, Audiotape, CD-ROM), you may request an alternate format by calling Susannah Clark at , TTY number ) or by at sclark@co.marin.ca.us not less than four days prior to event. Administrative Aides: Rick Fraites Direct Line: (415) rfraites@co.marin.ca.us Susannah Clark Direct Line: (415) sclark@co.marin.ca.us A chance encounter results in good news I was driving near Northgate and saw a man in the median asking for money. I stopped at the light and when he told me he was a veteran, and without shelter, I told him about new Section 8 housing vouchers reserved for homeless veterans. A few weeks later he called my office to thank me as he had called the number I gave him and he was able to get into an apartment. Sometimes all it takes is to look someone in the eye and find out what his or her story is. You may have a piece of the puzzle to offer. Susan L. Adams