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This morning I had the good fortune to be a part of a tour of Blackie’s Pasture given by Harvey Rogers. Harvey has been the key organizer of more than 30 volunteers that keep Blackie’s Garden beautiful. Annually, the City of Belvedere, Town of Tiburon, and Belvedere and Tiburon Community Foundations support Blackie’s Garden through helping fund plantings and maintenance of the garden located at the entrance to Blackie’s Pasture. The volunteers, coordinated by Harvey, do all the hard work at making the area look so special. Here are a few photographs from the tour. Please contact Harvey (a local Belvedere resident) for more information on the Garden, how you can help, and some special tips on planting for this deer inhabited area.

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MMWD AND PG&E OUTAGE

The power outage from Sunday, December 14 has been repaired and power and water were restored.  However, this morning, a refuse vehicle struck a fire hydrant on Lagoon Road near Maybridge Road.

MMWD and PG&E (as well as local police, public works and fire) have responded to the scene.  Water and power must be shut off to the area as MMWD works on the hydrant.  Power must be shut off as the water connected with the overhead powerlines. 

As this is occurring during the day, City Hall is open to receive residents seeking somewhere to stay warm, if necessary. 

Here are some emergency contact numbers for your reference:

Tiburon Fire Department: 435-7200
Belvedere Police Department: 435-2611
PG&E: 800-743-5000
MMWD:
    Emergencies: 945-1500
    Claims: 238-8767

At approximately 6 a.m. this morning an underground water main maintained by Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) burst and undermined a power pole at the corner of San Rafael Avenue and Beach Boulevard.

PG&E has the pole stabilized and has restored power to the majority of those affected. However, there remains approximately 50 customers (primarily Belvedere Land Company properties along Beach Road and San Rafael Avenue) that remain without power. PG&E must now wait for MMWD repairs on the water main to be completed before they can permanently restore the pole and power. The initial estimate for completion of the work is around 6 a.m. on December 14.

City Hall Community Center/Founder’s Room is open as a warming center/shelter for those in need. It will be staffed until approximately 7 p.m. MMWD has indicated that they would consider claims for shelter if submitted and the local Lodge at Tiburon has offered rooms to those needing assistance at a reduced rate, call first. The American Red Cross can also assist with emergency shelter if necessary.

Here are some emergency contact numbers for your reference:

Tiburon Fire Department: 435-7200
Belvedere Police Department: 435-2611
Lodge at Tiburon: 435-3133
American Red Cross: 721-2365, press 4
Belvedere Land Company: 435-1785
PG&E: 800-743-5000
MMWD:
Emergencies: 945-1500
Claims: 238-8767

For more information and updated information, stay tuned to BEARS 840 AM, contact the Belvedere Police Department, and/or visit the PG&E and MMWD websites.

The Community Center will likely remain open throughout the night. It will be staffed until approximately 7 p.m. After 7 p.m., the Belvedere Police Department will provide periodic visits to the Center for assistance.

At approximately 6 a.m. this morning an underground water main maintained by Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) burst and undermined a power pole at the corner of San Rafael Avenue and Beach Boulevard.

The pole leaned in away from the street toward the immediately adjacent properties, but did not fall. However, the now leaning pole caused significant power outages throughout the community. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and MMWD responded immediately, as well as, Fire and Police personnel. The City’s Building Official, Lee Braun, who lives in the community and was out of power himself, responded to assess the situation. He immediately contacted emergency officials, to include the myself. He opened the Community Center’s Founder’s Room and provided coffee and heat to those interested.

PG&E’s restoration estimate is approximately 2-3 p.m. today. They were able to “jumper” a few wires to another pole on Acacia Avenue and restore power to several areas in the community. Areas along San Rafael Avenue, Windward, Peninsula Road, and Beach had power restored before 8 a.m. Areas up on the island had power restored as well. Power is still being restored in other areas.

Water has been turned off and MMWD has not yet provided an estimated restoration time. At this time, MMWD is waiting on PG&E to stabilize the power pole and address the power restoration prior to excavating the area to work on the water main.

For more information and updated information, stay tuned to BEARS 840 AM, contact the Belvedere Police Department, and/or visit the PG&E and MMWD websites. The Community Center will likely remain open until 2-3 p.m. today, Sunday, December 14.

The City Council met last night at their regular meeting. The Agenda was pretty light but there were three very important issues for the Council to review and approve. The first was the Second Reading and Adoption of the Marin Energy Authority Joint Powers Authority (JPA). The Council approved the first reading of the Ordinance in November and December’s adoption of the Ordinance formalized the City as a member of the JPA. By the end of December, nearly every City in Marin (and the County) will be founding members of the JPA slated to bring Marin energy alternatives over the next several years. There remains a tremendous amount of work to be done as the JPA begins its mission. The City Council tentatively appointed the Mayor and Vice Mayor as representatives to the JPA, but as the JPA evolves the Council may rotate the membership to members that have the time and specific interest in serving on this very important Board.

The second important issue on the Council’s Agenda was the approval of the request for funding for “Walk Your History.” The City of Belvedere, Town of Tiburon, Belvedere-Tiburon Joint Recreation and the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society have all joined forces to present, “Walk Your History.” Walk Your History is to be a FREE community event designed to get our residents out on April 5, 2009 to learn about the fascinating Belvedere and Tiburon history. THere will be three walking loops on the Peninsula dotted with volunteer docents at historic hotspots. The new “Then and New” and “Looking Back at Belvedere” stations in Belvedere and Tiburon will be incorporated into the event as well as historical homes, the Belvedere Fire, the China Cabin, Ark Row, Main Street and the local speakeasy & bootlegger - Sam, the Railroad Depot and so much more. Loops will start and end at the Belvedere Park for the Walk Your History BBQ lunch. Watch for more information on this free community event!

Lastly, the City Council confirmed the nominations of Citizen of the Year and Citizen Emeritus put forth by the Citizen of the Year Committee. The Committee met on December 2 to review the nominations and unanimously recommended Dr. Bruce Sams as the 2008 Belvedere Citizen of the Year and Rita Fink as the 2008 Belvedere Citizen Emeritus. These individuals have made significant contributions to the community over extended periods of time and are more than due for their moment. Congratulations to both! Please plan to attend the Annual Belvedere Town Hall Meeting on January 26, 2009 where both will be recognized for their achievements!

For Audio of last night’s meeting, please visit the City’s RSS Audio Feed at feed://www.cityofbelvedere.org/CityAudio.rss.

Last night’s General Plan Committee Meeting included a healthy discussion of the “opportunity sites” identified through prior community meetings on housing and development. Prior community forums identified 7 potential sites for sustainability and suitability of housing development. These sites were:

1. Properties owned by Belvedere Land Company in the vicinity of San Rafael, Beach, and Teal Roads. Specifically mentioned was the area of carports along Beach Road and other portions of the site(s) that are currently developed with 2-story apartments and duplexes.
2. The Boardwalk Shopping Center (portions in Belvedere).
3. The former Christian Science Reading Room site at the corner of Beach Road and Main Street.
4. City-owned property along Lagoon Road, specifically, the Tennis Court Parking Lot.
5. The City Hall Parking Lot.
6. The Mallard Road development.
7. The San Francisco Yacht Club Parking Lot.

The group analyzed the pros and cons of each site as identified by the community forum members in an attempt to provide the General Plan Consultants with a strategy for prioritizing and/or eliminating any of the sites as potential development opportunity. As you may be aware, the City is tasked by the State with identifying sites for development of 17 new units in Belvedere, some of which must be affordable. The City does not have to build the units; nor does the City have to engage a developer or property owner to develop the units. However, what the City must do is identify those areas where such development might occur and provide the underlying zoning or specific plan development guidelines that would allow that development to occur on the identified sites.

The “opportunity sites” are those areas that were identified by the community as potential sites where such development might occur. Any one site is unlikely to solve the entirety of the City’s housing element issues - i.e. all 17 units - nor would the community be likely to support such a development. Therefore, the General Plan Update Committee is analyzing the pros and cons of each site and tasking the consultants with identifying the acceptable potential of the site that would fit the community’s needs. Additional housing methodologies would also be investigated such as furthering the development of 2nd units.

After much discussion, the Committee identified the top 5 opportunity sites (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 - in no particular priority) on which the consultants should focus for the site’s development potential. The remaining two were placed on the lower end of the spectrum to be investigated further if the others sites become infeasible. To be clear, “development potential” is purely that - potential. There are no identified plans for development. The “potential” of a site would be captured through “up-zoning” the site so that it could accommodate further housing development in the likely form of multi-family development, senior housing, or other similar development potential. The underlying property owner could choose to take advantage of the up-zoining or could leave the property in its current state.

If you would like to be involved in the further refinement of these opportunity sites and/or any phase of the General Plan Update, please stop in for the meetings which are typically held on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. Due to the holiday’s the next meeting is Wednesday, December 17 at 6 p.m. Audio of the meetings is posted on the City’s website and is available via RSS feed. Agendas and staff reports are posted on the City’s website at http://www.belvedere2030.org.

Today, local officials from nearly every Marin community met with Congresswoman Woolsey to discuss the local potential of the proposed $700 billion in economic stimulus to be passed by Congress. I attended as a representative from Belvedere. Congresswoman Woolsey wrote that no one knows more than local government “…how the economic crisis is affecting our local communities…” and that “…the correct approach to fixing the problems that are creating a drag on the economy must come from the bottom-up, not the top-down.

Congresswoman Woolsey’s meeting brought local elected officials together to discuss local needs and how they might be addressed in a federal new ”New Deal.“ The discussion’s intent was not to identify specific local projects, as such, but rather to identify areas where the stimulus package might be directed that would have a direct local impact. The areas identified by the group of elected officials and local leaders included, but were not limited to:

* Green House Gas Emission Reduction Programs
* Clean Energy, generation and distribution
* Doyle Drive
* Local Transportation Infrastructure, such as, busses, ferries, rail, etc.
* Local Commute Infrastructure, such as, streets, roads, bicycle and pedestrian ways
* Sewer Infrastructure Improvement, public as well as private incentives
* Flood Control and Flood Plain Improvement Projects, seawalls, preventative projects, fish ladders, watershed issues
* Green Projects and Incentives, solar, vehicular, facilities
* Auto Dealer Support
* Vegetation Management Programs
* Fire and Earthquake Preparedness Programs
* Communication Issues
* Brownfield Cleanup
* Affordable Housing Assistance
* Residential Solar
* School Modernization
* Prevailing Wage

The ideas were promising and helpful as the Congresswoman returns to Washington to apply pressure where necessary as the stimulus package moves through Congress. While Belvedere continues to be in solid fiscal condition, the gap between revenues and expenditures can continue to close as the housing market slows both in resale and renovation. It is anticipated that if this condition continues for an extended period of time, Belvedere’s fiscal condition will become tighter and capital projects, purchases, and other similar type expenditures will begin to slow in order to keep Belvedere in its fiscally conservative and balanced position.

The Agenda for the December 8, 2008 City Council meeting is relatively light. There is a request for funding for the April 2009 Walk Your History event; a public hearing on changes to the City’s fee resolution - essentially to accommodate a pass-through fee for the State Department of Fish and Game; and appointments to the Marin Energy Joint Powers Authority (primary and alternate).

For staff reports when complete, visit the City’s website at http://www.cityofbelvedere.org/cc_citycouncil.html.

Please plan to attend!

TAM Citizens' Oversight Committee Report

The Transportation Authority of Marin or TAM was created to administer the half-cent Marin County Transportation Sales Tax, approved by voters in 2004 as Measure A.  TAM has also been designated as the County Congestion Management Agency.  The Agency is responsible for transportation programs and projects in Marin County.  The TAM Board includes an elected official from each city and town, plus the five members of the Marin County Board of Supervisors.  The City of Belvedere’s representative on TAM is Councilmember Sandy Donnell.  

The Measure A Expenditure Plan mandates the formation of a Citizens’ Oversight Committee.  The purpose of the Committee is to provide an independent review that Measure A expenditures are spent in accordance with the adopted Expenditure Plan.  The Committee reports its findings annually to the public.  The fourth of these reports, the Fiscal Year 2007-08 Annual Report, is up and ready for public review on the TAM website at http://tam.marin.org.

The four primary strategies of Measure A during Fiscal Year 2007-08 were:

• Maintaining the Local Bus System
• Highway 101 Carpool Lane Gap Closure Project
• Local Transportation Infrastructure
• Reducing School-Related Congestion and Provide Safer Access to Schools

For more information on TAM and/or Measure A projects, visit the TAM website at http://tam.marin.org.

Wood Burning Prohibition

Spare the Air Program

The Winter Spare the Air season runs from November 1, 2008, through February 28, 2009. This winter, for the first time in the Bay Area, it will be illegal to burn wood, pellets, or manufactured fire logs when a Winter Spare the Air Alertis issued.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District finds that in the wintertime, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) becomes the pollutant with the greatest impact on air quality. Fine particulates can bypass the body’s natural defenses, penetrating deeply into the lungs and even passing into the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure to the fine particulates in wood smoke has been linked with aggravated asthma, lung and heart disease, and increased mortality rates. Wood burning in fireplaces and woodstoves creates about one-third of the winter particulate matter air pollution in the Bay Area.

When the morning forecast predicts unhealthy particulate matter concentrations, the Air District will issue a Winter Spare the Air Alert. Winter Spare the Air Alerts will be posted on the Spare the Air home page and on the Air District’swww.baaqmd.gov home page. It will also be recorded at 1-877-4NO-BURN. Residents and businesses can sign up for e-mail AirAlerts and automatic Phone Alerts as well, so they can “check before you burn.”