From The Mayor's Office

Dear Larkspur Residents:

At the last Larkspur City Council Meeting:

1. Adjournment In Honor of Hal Brown. 

In honor of the decades long service by Supervisor Hal Brown to the Ross Valley and the County, the Council adjourned in his honor after his passing last Friday.

2. Community Facility Parcel Public Hearing—May 16, 2012.

The city manager, Dan Schwarz, announced the public hearing for the council to consider the use of the community parcel at the Rose  Garden site will be on May 16, 2012.  The City will outreach as much as possible to all stakeholders and members of the community. We will likely have the hearing at the Hall Middle School Gym.  Tell a friend, please attend, weigh in, and let the council know your preference for the use of the community parcel.

3. Marin Sanitary Services Rate Increase 4.84.% 

The council approved a rate increase of 4.84%. MSS rates continue to be among the lowest in the county, and very competitive Bay Area wide. With its food waste service, and new state law mandating recycling at multi-family residences, the diversion rate from the land fill is approaching an astounding 90%.

MSS is struggling with the migration of ratepayers switching to small trash can size, resulting in lower revenues yet actually providing more services. The industry methodology to determine rates will likely have to be reconsidered as now instead of a single can, most residences have three cans: trash, recyclables, and garden/food waste. So the volume of material hasn’t gone down — it’s actually increased; the community is doing a very good job of sorting the material so it can be either recycled or converted into topsoil.

4. Vehicle Impact Fee Approved Generating Additional Estimated $389,000 Annually for Road Maintenance.

Last night on a 3-2 vote (Hillmer and Marsh dissenting) the Council approved a vehicle impact fee by resolution. A study has shown that Marin Sanitary Service trucks create approximately 30% of impact, wear and tear on local residential roads that have been determined to be among the worst in the Bay Area. The fee will be imposed on Marin Sanitary Service, who may choose, and likely will so choose, to pass the fee onto rate payers. 

The cost of the fee is approximately 10% of the rates charged by MSS.  Councilmember Hillmer was concerned this fee was not transparent and should be considered by a vote of the residents. An issue was raised by the public last night that we should be seeking a fee against other regular users of Larkspur’s roads as well. Larkspur already charges a fee in construction vehicles through the building permit process.  At present there is no feasible way to impose such a fee, e.g. restaurant delivery trucks, market trucks, overnight delivery trucks.

Bottom line, we are starting to make a dent in our poorly maintained roads by generating the revenue necessary to do so. These funds will be in addition to the $1.3 million Larkspur spends annual to maintain its roads.

As always, call or e-mail if you have questions or comments.

Len Rifkind
Larkspur Mayor