Subscribe to Snapshot and have this bi-monthly newsletter delivered directly to your email.
Community Survey
Just a quick reminder - we are conducting a community survey until the end of this month to better understand how we can engage with our residents. Please take 3 minutes to complete the survey and spread the word to your neighbors, coworkers, and friends. The survey is available in English and Spanish. Hard copies are available in the City Manager’s Office at City Hall as well as the Downtown and Pickleweed Libraries. Deadline is May 31. This survey is a vital step towards better communication and we appreciate your help.
Find out what's happening in San Rafaelfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
It’s Fire Season
Fire Chief Gray would like to remind us that our best efforts to combat a wildfire are before it ever occurs. Due to the extended drought, the fire season in 2014 is expected to come early and be severe. Residents play an important role in the safety of homes and neighborhoods. Ready, Set, Go! is a wildfire action plan developed for residents that we have adopted in San Rafael and Marin County. It provides information about ways to prepare homes and property in order to prevent fires. The Fire Department is available to visit neighborhood groups to discuss wildfire safety and help your neighborhood become prepared. Contact your local fire station for more information.
Find out what's happening in San Rafaelfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
City Council Goals
Curious about what the City Council and staff are up to? Click here for a summary of the citywide goals and strategies for the next fiscal year. The City Council has several subcommittees designed to address key issues that the community is facing, including homelessness, pensions, community engagement, SMART, economic development, sustainability, City finances, and facilities. To learn more about the work these subcommittees are doing, click here.
There’s an App for That
Technology just keeps making our lives easier. Soon you may be able to add money to your parking meter with your smartphone! On Monday night at their 7 p.m. meeting, the City Council will consider seeking proposals for this service. Click here for the staff report. By the way, have you seen “Firefly,” our new 100% electric parking enforcement vehicle quietly zipping around our streets lately? Costing roughly the same as its gasoline-powered counterpart, this new zero emission vehicle has an overall operational cost savings of more than 85%.
Summer Jobs
Get your kids off the couch because we’re hiring! We are looking for fun, energetic, dedicated, responsible individuals to staff our summer camps, working with children ages 3-12. Click here for job descriptions and online applications for part-time, seasonal openings including Camp Counselor, Lifeguard, and Camp Director among others.
Volunteer Voice
Check out the recent edition of the Volunteer Voice, a monthly newsletter from the City’s Volunteer Program. This issue features articles about Earth Day, Planning Commissioner Larry Paul, City Planning Manager Raffi Boloyan, Library volunteer Pam Dixon, and a student restoration project at Pickleweed Park.
EVENTS
May Madness Classic Car Parade
May Madness is the longest running car parade in Northern California. On Saturday, May 31, hundreds of vehicles of all types, including classic cars, hot rods and customs line the streets of Downtown San Rafael. Featuring live music by Reckless in Vegas, the Fenix House Band, the HeadsUp Battle of the Bands winner, and the Davidson Middle School Marching Band! Click here for more event information.
La Placita Community Market
La Placita is a community market in the Canal neighborhood every other Sunday starting May 18 and running until October on Belvedere and Alto Streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market features live entertainment, local produce stands and food vendors, the talents of community artists and craft makers, kid’s zone and the presentation of new Canal community entrepreneurs. Click here for more information.
An Author on a Journey with a Mission
The courage and compassion to do the right thing - that’s a major theme that resonates with audiences when they hear author Marty Brounstein talk on his book Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust. On Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m., Brounstein will talk about the remarkable true story of a couple in the Netherlands who, despite great risk and danger, helped save the lives of over two dozen Jews from certain death during World War II and the Holocaust. This free event will take place at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer at 123 Knight Drive.
The Honeybee Super-Organism
Bees are highly industrious dance fanatics who have a knack for mathematics and are obsessed with pleasing their queen. These goddesses of the garden have helped humans for thousands of years make candles, get drunk, sweeten our lives, and most importantly: put food on our plates. Join us at the Downtown Library on May 22 at 7 p.m. for a talk about honeybees by Dr. Ryan Smith, a laser physicist, musician, and seasoned beekeeper.
