Town Council Meeting Notes, Possible Medicare Fraud, Library Parcel Tax Oversight Committee

Town Council Meeting Notes

At the meeting of Tuesday, November 12th, the Town Council took the following actions:

• Approved a resolution re-establishing the parameters of the Parks and Recreation Commission.
• Approved a resolution authorizing the Town Manager to file an application for funding to Metropolitan Transportation Commission to complete the Sunny Hills Ridge and Red Hill Trails Project.
• Approved a resolution finding certain units within the Robson Harrington House and Isabel Cook Complex unnecessary for Town purposes and authorizing the Town Manager to negotiate and execute leases for those units.  Such a resolution is required when renting out public property.
• Approved a resolution establishing the salary for the Senior Civil Engineer position effective November 25, 2013.
• Appointed members to Town Boards and Commissions.  Congratulations to Katie Rice Jones and Jo Ann Hartley on their reappointment to the Arts Commission; Bob Lewis and Martin Chourre on their appointment to the Flood Committee; and Susan Cronk and Kim Pipkin on their appointment to the Planning Commission.
• Received the annual report from the Library Parcel Tax Oversight Committee.  More information on this item below.
• Approved the request for a fee waiver from the Ross Valley Ecumenical Housing Association for fees associated with maintenance and repair of a deck and ramp for the Tam House at 34 Tamalpais Avenue in the amount of $706.42.
• Received the report on options for the work plan for the Town’s first allotment of Measure A (Marin Parks, Open Space, and Farmland preservation Transactions and Use Tax) funds.  The Council directed staff to submit the work plan committing the current funding of $36,000 to be allocated toward the possible purchase of an open space property called Sky Ranch.
• Introduced an ordinance adopting by reference the 2013 Edition of the California Fire Code, 2012 International Fire Code and Appendix A of the International Wildland Urban Interface Code, with certain local amendments.  For more information on this item, the staff report is located at http://www.townofsananselmo.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3829.
• Introduced an ordinance amending Title 9, Chapters 1 and 4 of the San Anselmo Municipal Code to adopt by reference the 2013 California Building Standards Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24), which includes the California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Historical Building, and Green Building Standards, and the 2012 Edition of the International Property Maintenance Code, with certain local amendments.  For more information on this item, the staff report is located at http://www.townofsananselmo.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3830.

The staff reports for the meeting are located at http://www.townofsananselmo.org/index.aspx?NID=449.

Possible Medicare Fraud Alert

The Central Marin Police Authority would like to advise community members that we have been receiving several complaints of door-to-door, phone, and email solicitations of possible fraud and scam activity relating to Medicare. You should never release your personal information to anyone who comes to your door, calls, or emails you requesting this information.

Please call the Central Marin Police Authority Dispatch Center at 415-927-5150, should you experience this sort of activity.

For more information about protecting yourself against fraud and scams, please visit the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice’s, “Stop Medicare Fraud” website page by using the internet link below:

http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/preventfraud/scams-identity-theft/

Library Parcel Tax Oversight Committee

Ted Freeman, one of the members of the Library Parcel Tax Oversight Committee, gave the Committee’s annual report to the Town Council on Tuesday, November 12.  He reported on the accomplishments made since the tax was passed in June of 2010:

• Library open hours have increased from 36 to 46 per week.
• A full-time Children’s Librarian was hired.
• New or enhanced children’s services include 21 programs for pre-school through teens, such as toddler and pre-school storytimes, French story time, middle school book club, poetry club, teen summer reading and book club meeting. 
• Curb service book return was installed on Library Place.
• Zinio online magazine collection was added.
• Discover and Go museum passes are available.
• Library garden and garden programs instituted.
• eBook collections for adults and children.
• Saturday lectures on a variety of topics.
• E-Readers purchased for checkout by San Anselmo residents.
• Circulation figures increased in the last three years from 135,000 to 165,000.
• Walk-ins over the past three years increased from 45,000 to 112,500.
• Attendance at children’s programs over the last three years increased from 3,600 to 11,600.

Many thanks to San Anselmo voters for devoting precious tax money to the Library, and to the Library staff for a job well done!