Provide Before & After School Daycare Through Parks & Rec - YES
COVID has been incredibly hard for everyone, but perhaps for no group more than working parents—especially families that were already struggling before COVID turned our world upside down. For many families, the pandemic created a multi-dimensional crisis: lost income, and no opportunities for childcare to allow parents to work when work was available. That's why it's so important that Corte Madera now offers through its Parks & Recreation Department before- and after-school c
Contribute $41,500 to County Efforts on Housing the Homeless - YES
Homelessness is a key issue in Marin, where the local homeless population tends to transit between local communities, historically without the support they need get or stay housed. This is a social failure toward our homeless residents that also has negative quality of life impacts for the rest of the community. But in recent years, Marin has made unique progress in addressing the issue. From 2017 to 2019, when many other California counties saw an increase in chronic homeles
Approve Negotiated Pay Raises for Town Employees - YES
As our previous contracts with Town staff governing pay and benefits prepared to expire, we entered into negotiations with our various labor groups (groups of employees at different levels) to draft new MOU's (memorandums of understanding, or compensation contracts). Through extensive but mutually respectful negotiations, the Town and its staff agreed to a new three year contract setting out pay raises of 2% for the next year, and 3% for the two years following. I was happy t
Appoint Amy Ackerman as Town Attorney - YES
The Town Attorney is one of the most critical positions on the Town staff and, along with the Town Manager, is one of just two employees that are hired by and report directly to the Town Council. The Town Attorney is responsible for providing the Town Council and staff with legal advice, crafting ordinances and resolutions, and litigation. When our prior Town Attorney left her position with the Town last October (on good terms, I'm pleased to say), our Assistant Town Attorney
Reform Sanitary District Enforcement Procedures - YES
To me, one of the most gratifying things about being in local government is updating, modernizing, and streamlining our often byzantine regulations and protocols, and this is a classic example of that. I had no idea (fortunately, I guess it hadn't come up as a problem) that until last night, the Town's Sanitary District had only a few—and very draconian—tools for responding to homeowners or contractors who violate the Sanitary District's terms of use or damage sewer infrastru
Award <$2.4M Contract for East Corte Madera Repaving - YES
This is a much-deserved and long-awaited win for bayside residents. On the 2021 Road Rehabilitation Project, which would see numerous critical but ill-maintained east Corte Madera streets repaved, I voted to authorize the Public Works Director to advertise for bids and award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder for an amount not to exceed $2,400,000. This is the Town's marquee roadwork project for 2021 and is expected to be completed before the rainy season starts (we
Create Underground Utilities District at Lower Redwood Ave. - YES
I voted yes to creating a new Undergrounding Utilities District, the first of its kind in Corte Madera, at the base of Christmas Tree Hill. While this exciting initial step costs nothing, it is the result of much advocacy by hillside residents and diligent work by Town staff, who identified a potential opportunity to work with PG&E (including receiving some PG&E funding) to underground power lines and communication infrastructure at a critical choke point in one of Corte Made
Appeal State Housing Construction Mandates for Corte Madera - YES
The State has a program called RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) whereby regions and individual cities are required to provide for the creation of new housing at various income levels. Corte Madera's RHNA numbers for the coming 8-year cycle came in at 725 new units—an outrageous figure that's more than a tenfold increase over last cycle's requirements and, if met, would see Corte Madera's population increase by around 20%. These mandates are part of the State's attempt
Approve $422,000 for Design of Paradise Drive Bike Path - YES
I voted to award a $422,000 contract for public engagement on and design of an important new bike path along Paradise Drive, from Westward Drive to the Town limits. This is a critical piece of our Safe Routes to School strategy, as this stretch of busy roadway is a major car, bike, and pedestrian corridor for children attending three different schools: MCDS, Marin Montessori, and Cove School. Parents and bike/pedestrian advocates alike have been clamoring for years for safety
