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 A message from Jim McCann, City Manager
I am writing to introduce myself to the Mill Valley community, to tell you a bit about my background and to share with you some of my immediate goals.
I served as the City Manager of Calistoga for the past eleven years, with the responsibility of managing Police, Fire, Planning and Building, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Finance and Human Resources.
My accomplishments in Calistoga included initiating a comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan; facilitating the City Council's strategic planning efforts leading to the adoption of short and long term goals and revenue and expense forecasts and planning; serving as the City’s Emergency Services Director; championing the formation of the Calistoga Economic Vitality Group; identifying and advancing critical infrastructure improvement projects; creating and implementing public outreach and communication tools; streamlining land use and building services; and managing the development of “Green Initiatives” and environmental sustainability policies for the City’s Climate Action Plan, while working with the community to protect and enhance the special character of Calistoga (an underlying principle of many matters).
I am a graduate of Tamalpais High School, and graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resources Management (Environmental Sciences and Land Use Law emphasis) and have over twenty-five years of public and private sector experience, much of which has been in the urban planning arena. Prior to working in Calistoga, I worked in the Cities of Petaluma, Napa, and Rancho Mirage, California, and for a private land and environmental planning firm.
I have a passion for the positive effects which local government can bring to a community. I genuinely love my job and enjoy the work of local government. I apply this energy and enthusiasm in seeking innovative solutions to the never-ending list of opportunities and challenges facing the community. I openly seek opinions and input from the community and my staff, and I foster broad, diverse and highly effective partnerships with private and public organizations and agencies to support and supplement City activities and services.
I hope to become familiar with the issues of importance to the City Council and residents of Mill Valley over the next few weeks and to work with the City staff to thoughtfully address these needs.
If you have any comments, suggestions, observations or good ideas you would like to share with me, please call me at 388-4033 or email me at jmccann@cityofmillvalley.org.
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 Curbside Compost Pick-Up Service
On June 29, over 50 people attended a City-sponsored seminar to learn about the new curbside compost pick-up service being offered by Mill Valley Refuse Service. Mayor Stephanie Moulton-Peters opened the seminar by welcoming participants and extending her gratitude to Mill Valley Refuse Service and the Redwood Landfill and Recycling Center for working together to be able to offer this important service to Mill Valley residents.
Carol Misseldine, Mill Valley’s Sustainability Director highlighted some of the environmental benefits of food scrap composting, including the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions and the fact that composting helps us reach our Zero Waste goals.
Jim Iavarone of the Mill Valley Refuse Service helped seminar participants understand the details of the new service, including the following:
- The service will begin August 1, 2010.
- Food scraps can be mixed with green waste in green cans.
- Green cans will be picked up weekly.
- The items that can be picked up for composting include vegetable and fruit scraps, as well as meat, bones and food-soiled paper.
- No glass, plastic, metal, foam, liquids, waxed cardboard, pet waste, or diapers are allowed in the compost program.
- Glass, plastic, metal, and paper should continue to be placed in the blue recycle bins.
- Mill Valley Refuse Service customers can offset the small monthly rate increase to cover the costs of this program by downsizing their trash can from a 45 to a 32 gallon or from a 32 gallon to a 20 gallon bin. Bins are available at local hardware stores. Residents should then call Mill Valley Refuse Service at 457-9760 to notify them of the change.
 Joan Irwin, Marin Master Gardener, highlighted various options for counter-top receptacles which hold food scraps before transporting them to the green can. Many of these counter-top compost holders are available at local hardware and retail stores.
Finally, Jessica Jones of the Redwood Landfill and Recycling Center presented a slide show on the process by which the food scraps are transformed into a nutritive soil amendment. During the Q&A, participants asked many clarifying questions of the speakers. This seminar will be repeated in September or October.
More information about the compost program can be found at Mill Valley Refuse Service website.
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Chipper Program Photo Courtesy
of Mill Valley Patch | Fire Department News
- Vegetation Management: Mill Valley Fire Department and Mill Valley Public Works are working jointly to remove flammable vegetation from the roadsides with hand crews and a tractor-mounted mower. This roadside fuel reduction will not only reduce fire danger, but will also maintain access for residents and emergency vehicles. Fire Department crews have removed brush and dried grasses from Blithedale Ridge and Camino Alto Grade to maintain the fuel breaks that help protect Mill Valley from catastrophic fires.
- Chipper Program: West Blithedale Canyon Neighborhood Association took advantage of the City's free chipper program on June 19 and 20. Residents hauled their brush to a central point on West Blithedale Avenue and removed approximately seven tons of flammable vegetation from Blithedale Canyon. To schedule the chipper to come to your neighborhood, please call 721-4367. Click here for more details.
- Ladder Truck Purchase: A coalition of local fire agencies has pooled resources to purchase a ladder truck. These agencies include the Southern Marin Fire Protection District, Tiburon Fire Protection District, County of Marin, City of Sausalito and City of Mill Valley.
Ladder trucks are used to gain access to fires occurring at height, to force entry into a structure, to ventilate a structure, and to perform search and rescue. Ladder trucks are larger than standard engines and carry a greater amount of equipment, ground ladders and offer an aerial ladder that is 100 feet or longer.
The ladder truck will be housed at Southern Marin Fire Protection District's Station 4 at 309 Poplar Street in Tamalpais Valley. Southern Marin and Sausalito Fire Departments will be responsible for all housing and maintenance of the ladder truck. After minor refurbishing, the ladder truck is scheduled to be in service starting in mid-August. The ladder truck will serve all Southern Marin cities and districts on an automatic aid basis and the rest of Marin County on a mutual aid basis if requested.
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New Juvenile Officer
Detective Ryan Smith |
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New patrol car equipped with
automated license plate reading
system. | Police Department News
- New Juvenile Officer: Detective Ryan Smith was recently selected to fill the position of Juvenile Officer. The Juvenile Officer serves as the Department's liaison to all Mill Valley schools. The Juvenile Officer also investigates serious crimes involving juveniles as either victims or suspects.
- New Automated License Plate Reading System: The Mill Valley Police Department has received the newest addition to our patrol fleet. The vehicle is a Dodge Charger equipped with an automated license plate reading system. The system checks the license plates against a database of stolen vehicles and vehicles associated with serious crimes.
- Officers Receive MADD Award: Two Mill Valley patrol officers, Mario Medeiros and Shaun McCracken, were recently honored along with officers from several other police agencies by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for their efforts in arresting drunk drivers over the past year.
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 Educating the Community about Wastewater
SASM Wastewater Treatment Plant staff offered an interactive display at the Marin County Fair to educate members of the community about wastewater and the environment. As a part of the Public Education Committee of the wastewater treatment agencies of Marin, SASM staff interacted with at least 945 adults and 1564 kids by giving them an “Environmental Quiz,” discussing their answers, and handing out prizes.
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 Steps, Lanes and Paths Improvements
The City received authorization from Caltrans Local Assistance to proceed with the construction of the Steps, Lanes and Paths (SLP) Project. This nearly $1 million project is fully funded by federal money with a Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program Grant. Six Steps, Lanes and Paths will be improved at the locations listed below:
Mirabel Lane (SLP 11)
Molino Way to Florence (SLP 23)
Marion Lane (SLP 33)
Wainwright to Renz (SLP 39)
Alcatraz Lane (SLP 51)
Lyon to Magee (SLP 54)
The paths were selected from a priority list of 25 locations based on their importance for fire evacuation, providing safe routes to schools and alternatives to motorized transportation. Improvements include construction of concrete and wood stairs, drilled piers and erosion control devices. Bids will be opened on August 12, 2010 and construction is anticipated to start in early September.
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What is New at the Library?
 Mt. Tam at Play: Come visit this new exhibit that includes 37 historic photos highlighting recreation on Mt. Tamalpais from the turn of the century to the 1960s, is now on display in the Library’s lower-level galleries. The Library is pleased to help celebrate the centennial of the Dipsea Race by presenting photos from the early 1900s to more recent races. The exhibit also includes a retrospective of the Mountain Play with photos from one of the earliest shows in 1915 to performances in the early 1960s. Other photos include the gravity car and outdoor enthusiasts, including John Muir, enjoying the mountain over the years.
- Catch the Wave: This summer reading program offers over 50 special events through mid-August. The programs promote literacy, the arts, and planet stewardship. This year’s program includes a Tuesday series that promises to “pamper the earth with planet-friendly programs” and includes an appearance by a shark bite survivor who became a peace activist. All programs to date have been well-attended with over 300 participants showing up at the first amphitheater event. Over 400 kids have opted to sign up for one of the Library’s four reading programs, which are carefully designed to appeal to kids of different ages and interests.
- Art Lectures: The Library’s monthly art lectures continue to be very popular. In June, a standing-room only crowd listened to an overview of the “Birth of Impressionism,” the de Young’s latest exhibit covering masterpieces on loan from the Musee d’Orsay. The upcoming July lecture will highlight “The Fisher Collection: Calder to Warhol,” at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art.
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Upcoming Events |
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Miller Avenue Streetscape Planning |
The Miller Avenue Streetscape Design Advisory Committee (DAC) will meet on Thursday, July 29 from 6:00-8:00 PM to discuss streetscape improvements, specifically related to the sidewalk alignment in the "Passage" (Millwood-Sunnyside). The meeting will take place in City Hall Council Chambers at 26 Corte Madera Avenue.
Please click here for more information.
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City Calendar |
Click here for more upcoming events. | |
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Thank you for reading the City Manager's News. If you wish to contact me or comment on any items you have read, please email me at jmccann@cityofmillvalley.org. Jim McCann, City Manager |