San Anselmo is developing a potential ballot measure for tenant protections to be voted on alongside rent control in this fall. The San Anselmo Town Council heard a presentation from staff and extensive public comment on May 14. The council directed staff to return with a preliminary ordinance, indicating that it plans to refine it in June and place it on the Nov. 5 ballot. The issues discussed included the right to return and first right of refusal, which protects displaced tenants and their occupancy in dwellings. The council also heard information on compensation for no-fault evictions and ..read more

San Anselmo will continue to allow voters to elect a town clerk and treasurer. The Town Council narrowly defeated a resolution at a meeting on May 14 to direct staff to draft a ballot measure that could have enabled the positions to be appointed by the council. Councilmembers Brian Colbert and Tarrell Kullaway voted in support. Mayor Eileen Burke and councilmembers Alexis Fineman and Steve Burdo voted against the resolution. Cecily Wilson is the elected town clerk, but she is not paid and does not carry out any official duties. The responsibilities are handled by Serge Avila, an administrator ..read more

A relatively wet winter combined with last year’s subdued fire season (compared to the previous five years) should not make anyone complacent when it comes to wildfire prevention and mitigation. Climate change is not going away and, according to CalFire, our extraordinarily wet winter could create more vegetation growth and generate more fuel for future fires. Additionally, high winds and/or heat waves are major contributors to wildfires every season. Fortunately, multiple local agencies have been vigilant in mitigating wildfire risk. The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, along with its 17 ..read more

San Domenico School in Sleepy Hollow has filed an application with the county to expand one of its two athletic fields to regulation size. The expansion, tentatively targeted for completion in the 2024-25 school year, will allow the school to hold baseball, softball and soccer games. Lacrosse also may be added later, said Mark Churchill, the school’s athletic director and varsity track and field coach. “Extending the field will allow us to have two fields we can use for practice and games,” Churchill said. “And we won’t have to travel every day for games, like we do now.” The school’s athletic ..read more

Anyone who lives in California knows we pay sky-high electric rates, as well as the highest gasoline prices in the country. High gas prices at least encourage drivers to check out cleaner electric cars for their next purchase. But high electric rates work against climate-friendly technologies. As the Natural Resources Defense Council warned, high rates “discourage customers from electrifying their homes and vehicles, threatening California’s climate progress.” There’s another important reason that California’s climate progress could stall if electric rates remain too high: politics. Just as Ca ..read more

San Anselmo residents could vote in November on whether to keep a new rent control ordinance. A group seeking a referendum on the ordinance has submitted a petition with 1,568 signatures in support of the effort. The ordinance was adopted following a 3-2 vote of the Town Council on April 9. If a minimum 952 signatures are verified, the Town Council will have three options: to repeal the ordinance, to submit the ordinance to the voters for approval on Nov. 5, or schedule a special election to resolve the issue. Marin County Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts said she expects to complete the revi ..read more

Marin restaurateurs Olivier and Susannah Souvestre bring a slice of France to Sausalito’s Bridgeway Promenade with last month’s opening of Suzette Cafe & Bistro, their second restaurant in town and a move that takes them from Caledonia Street out to the waterfront. Chef Souvestre is familiar in local dining circles for his French cuisine at Le Garage in Sausalito that he stepped away from in 2019, San Anselmo’s L’Appart Resto that closed in 2010 and the Frenchified American comfort food at Fast Food Francais (F3) that the couple transitioned to Mediterranean-inspired Zalta in 2021. The Suz ..read more

In recent decades, except for the occasional city and special purpose district brouhaha, Marin’s political life has been stable and predictable. Now, Ross Valley has exploded into political warfare including a potential recall, voter referendum over divisive municipal actions, fiercely contested city council elections and an anomaly, a normal race for county supervisor. It’s only in the campaign for the seat as the District 2 representative for Ross Valley, Larkspur, Kenfield and southern San Rafael that calm prevails. San Anselmo Councilmember Brian Colbert and past Kentfield School District ..read more

A new Marin nonprofit organization is promoting accessible dwelling units as a solution to the state housing shortage. ADU Marin is working with officials in San Anselmo, Mill Valley, Fairfax, Larkspur, Sausalito, Novato, San Rafael, Corte Madera, Ross and the county to provide information on developing the apartments, also known as granny flats or in-law units. The organization launched a website, ADUMarin.org, on April 1. A series of recorded webinars featuring local building and planning officials has been uploaded to the site. “We think ADUs are a really good solution for Marin,” said Scot ..read more

After weeks of talks, the Ross Valley School District has approved a contract with its teachers union for the current school year. Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the one-year agreement, which is retroactive to July 1. The pact, which was ratified last month by the Ross Valley Teachers Association, calls for a 3.85% increase covering both salaries and health benefits. That includes a pay increase of $2,000 per union member, a $500 off-schedule one-time bonus and 100% of health and dental insurance premiums paid by the district for the union members only. The cost of the settle ..read more