City Manager Selection: The most critical issue before the new council will be the selection of a new City Manager following Jim McCann’s retirement. The community will need to be involved in determining the selection criteria, and we will need to come together to support the new manager’s success.
Financial Stability: Our required pension contribution will soon double from $4 million a year to $8 million a year. Since we rely almost exclusively on property taxes, we will have to make some tough budget choices in the years to come. We need to start now by having a community conversation on the possible trade-offs so we can avoid cutting back on essential and quality-of-life services.
Disaster Preparedness: Fire in Mill Valley is not an IF – it’s a WHEN. We have already purchased Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD) sirens, updated our fire codes, and developed new evacuation maps. Now we need to establish and support Neighborhood Response Groups to ensure people can support each other in a disaster. We also need to educate the public about our new evacuation methods and learning from the North Bay and Paradise fires.
I toured both Santa Rosa and Paradise after the fires, and I deployed as a CERT in Butte County to help the fire victims. We need to do everything we can to save lives here in Mill Valley.
As chair of the Marin County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), I led the commission to approve work on a countywide fire services study, the first of its kind here in Marin. This will be a comprehensive overview of the fire services and agencies in the county, ensuring efficient service delivery throughout the county.
Work with the Schools: As liaison to the school board, I have worked to continue the yellow school bus program as a traffic congestion reduction measure. The relationships we have built with the new superintendent and board members will serve us well as we work together to serve our joint constituents. We are planning a joint public meeting as a start to future partnerships.