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Health & Fitness

The Mayor's Week in Review: April 22-28

Andy Berman, Mill Valley's Mayor, writes his weekly review, with some inside news, reminders and reflections, and whatever else comes to mind.

 

Pacing oneself to go the distance . . . .

Last week was one of those where I had to pace myself to go the distance, as I had a city function every night, Monday to Friday. But it was a good week and there’s some great stuff to share from it too: 

Find out what's happening in Mill Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On Monday we had the annual neighborhood association meeting. It’s nice when we get 20 folks (in this case representing 13 groups) in one room to talk, connect and share concerns / information. Jim McCann and Chief Bernal joined the meeting too – with the chief stealing the show (the room was riveted learning about the 20 pounds of gear he wears on patrol). A few takeaways from the session

  • Chief Bernal offered four basic anti-burglary tips: 
  1. Lock your house and vehicle
  2. Set your alarm
  3. Document your valuables (appraisal, photographs, etc.)
  4. Call 911 if you see anything suspicious

The chief also extended an open invitation to all neighborhood groups to invite the Police Department to their next meeting. He also shared information on “National Night Out,” a program dedicated to the development and promotion of neighborhood crime prevention tools.

Find out what's happening in Mill Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • We spent some time going over the East Blithedale Rehabilitation Project.  Construction will take place from June 24 to August 23 from Elm Avenue/Alta Vista Avenue to Camino Alto. If possible, we encourage you to plan alternate routes to avoid travel on East Blithedale. If you must drive on East Blithedale, add time to your travel estimates and anticipate delays. For more information, click here: Blithedale Road Work
  • We also heard from residents upset with all the construction going on and associated noise. With the advent of warm spring weather, many people are starting construction projects on their homes. We have created a helpful table that outlines what kind of noise is permissible: Noise Info. If you have further questions or concerns, we let folks know they can also contact Code Enforcement Officer Denise Stoneham at 388-4033 x 4813 or dstoneham@cityofmillvalley.org

On Tuesday the City Council held our Annual Retreat. What was particularly unique this year was that nobody from the public came. Where was everyone?  Most of the time was spent getting updates from Chief Bernal (on safety) and a dive into the draft general Plan from Mike Moore, our Planning Director, in preparation for our Community Meeting on May 14. The draft General Plan will be the foundation of the Community Meeting. This is a very important evening and will include both the Council and Planning Commission (and you).

Wednesday was another busy day. 

  • Over the lunch hour two third grade students from Strawberry Point interviewed me: Sophia & Bella Madrica. These nice young women are learning English as a second language and also studying Mill Valley’s history. It’s always nice when young people show such an interest in learning about their community. 
  • Wednesday night was a meeting for all the Marin County Mayor’s and Councilmembers. The evening included a sobering presentation from Mark Brown, Deputy Chief of Marin County Fire, depicting a simulated model of just how devastating a fire in Marin County can be. Deputy Chief Brown’s presentation included, however, a very nice nod to Mill Valley (and Fire Chief Jeff Davidson) as “Role Models” on best practices for implementing emergency preparedness and disaster recovery techniques. Our May 4 Annual Evacuation Drill also got recognized by Deputy Chief Brown on Wednesday night. This year’s Drill is for the Molino-Edgewood Neighborhood. Click here to download the letter sent to residents: Evacuation Letter.

Thursday afternoon included a Ribbon Cutting for the Holiday Inn Express. Later that night, the General Plan Advisory Committee met for 3 hours to begin reviewing the draft General Plan. We actually got through everything except the Housing Element, which we are discussing at our meeting next Thursday, May 2.

Friday was a fantastic culminating event – the 21st Annual “Celebration of Service” Awards at The Redwoods. You can read the list of this year’s recipients here: Service Award Recipients. But what you should really do is flip through the photos included with this article, because between Fire Chief Davidson, to whom I owe many thanks, and Redwoods Board President Sudha Pennathur, and amazing woman I met this year, we have many to share. This is one of the most amazing events in town, and under each photo I have placed some notes about the recipient. I apologize for not having photos of everyone; if you have others – please submit them to The Patch. 

Special thanks for the event go out to:

  • Bob Canepa, the event Founder, for his Award of Honor;
  • Annika Miller, who took over for Bob this year as event Chair;
  • Sudha Pennathur, Barbara Solomon and Jim Sanchez from The Redwoods, for their tireless efforts;
  • Food and drink from Ged Robertson / Small Shed / Shoreline Cafe, Deborah Goldman / Oro Puro Vineyards, and past recipients who made desserts;
  • Joan Bullen, for graphics; and
  • Anna Stearns and Barbara Borden, for the musical entertainment.

What else:

  • Join our Team! The Department of Planning and Building is Hiring a Senior Planner: Job Opening.
  • City of Mill Valley Property Tax Exemptions/Credits: Application forms for the 2013-2014 Senior Exemption to the City of Mill Valley Municipal Service Tax, Mill Valley Library Tax and the Sewer Service Fee Credit will be mailed out April 30, and are also available online: Tax Exemption.
  • Library Awards: The Mill Valley Public Library recently received two “Best of Show” awards from the Library Leadership and Management Association, a division of the American Library Association. This annual award recognizes the best public relations materials produced by libraries in the past year. Over 200 entries were evaluated on content, originality and design. The Library won awards for its program brochure in the Newsletters/Calendars of Events category, and for its “Naked Truth” branding in the Special Program, Exhibits and Events category. HOORAY! for our Library, and particularly for our talented Web Librarian, Sean Mooney, who is responsible for all Library publicity.
  • Prescription drug take-back day: On Saturday April 27, the Mill Valley Police Department participated in the sixth DEA prescription drug take-back day.  The prescription drug take-back days provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposal, in addition to educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications. The previous five take-back events have collected more than 2 million pounds of prescription medication. If you were unable to make this event, the Mill Valley Police have a collection box for prescription medications in the lobby that can be accessed Monday through Friday, from 8AM to 4 PM.
  • I can’t resist:  Happy Birthday to our City Clerk, Kelsey Rogers (May 1), and Assistant to the City Manager, Mary Lansing (May 2)!

About Town:

  • “China's Terracotta Warriors” art lecture: April 29 at 7 PM in the Library’s Creekside Room. David Buchanan, a docent with the Asian Art Museum, will give a presentation examining the life and legacy of China's First Emperor.
  • Parks & Rec Commission Meeting: May 1 at 7 PM at City Hall.
  • Mill Valley Historical Society First Wednesday:  May 1 at 730 PM at the Library’s Creekside Room. Guest Speaker Jack Gibson, District Director of the Marin Municipal Water District, will present the "History of the Marin Municipal Water District."
  • First Thursday – Tamalpais High School Honors Drawing and Painting: An exhibit on May 2 at 7 PM at the Library’s Creekside Room. Come celebrate the talents of Tam High’s Honors Drawing and Painting students as we kick off a month-long Tam High art exhibit.
  • First Friday – San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus:  May 3 at 7 PM in the Library’s Main Reading Room, with a wine reception at 6:30 pm.  Click here to register: Chorus.
  • City Councilmember's Table on the Plaza:  May 4 from 10-Noon.    

**************

A week of safety & service. A nice combination. 

Have a great week, and thank you (as always) for reading.

Andy

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