December 27, 2022
The City of Mill Valley commits to act and encourage community action towards eliminating racial disparities, both inside government and in the community. The City Council has identified Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives as their top priority, and staff provides regular updates to the City Council and community on activities in Mill Valley and around Marin County on a regular basis.
City Manager
- City Manager Working Group - The City Manager and staff met on Monday, December 12 with members of the community to discuss City services and practices with a focus on DEI. The group discussed the Draft Housing Element, Bias by Proxy outreach campaign, flag policy, a shared DEI content calendar and diversity hiring policy.
Planning & Building
- 1 Hamilton Scoping Meeting - Planning staff will host a scoping meeting to provide the community an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions regarding the proposed 1 Hamilton project description and scope of the environmental review, as required under the California Environmental Quality Act. Mark your calendars for January 12, 2023, Mill Valley City Hall, 26 Corte Madera Avenue, Mill Valley, at 6:30pm. Download the Notice of Preparation (PDF).
- 575 East Blithedale/Richardson Terrace - The Planning Commission held a Public Hearing to consider the Richardson Terrace project and CEQA Exemption on November 17, 2022 at the Mill Valley Community Center. Meeting Agenda. Meeting recording.
On January 10, 2023, the Planning Commission will resume the November 17, 2022 hearing to consider the project. The meeting will be held at the Mill Valley Community Center, Cascade Room, 180 Camino Alto, starting at 6:30 pm. Click here to access the latest news item for the project.
- House Mill Valley - Home Match Program - Be a part of helping Mill Valley house its local community members and workforce! Do you own a home with extra room? Or, do you know of a local community member making less than $100k looking for housing? Visit the City's Home Match page for more information.
Recreation & Arts
- JEDI Update - At their December 7, 2022 meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission received an update on the work of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee. Recreation and Arts Director Sean McGrew shared the recent screening of “Our America: Lowballed” at the Community Center is a great example of the City partnering with the School District to provide a venue for educational events and community dialog. View “Our America: Lowballed” here.
- Collaboration Across Departments: Youth & Teen Supervisor Yukie Sano was accepted on to the Youth Advisory Committee as an co-advisor, joining John Lovos, Detective and School Resource Officer from Mill Valley Police Department and offered staff connections and resources including the City’s DEI Core Team and the Parks & Recreation Commission’s JEDI committee.
Library
- Queer Book Club Online - Looking for a safe space to read and discuss books about the LGBTQIA+ community? You've found us! In this monthly book club we'll read both fiction and nonfiction books about the queer experience, the intersectionality of queerness, class, religion, and race, and discuss the ways in which things have changed, remained the same, or ways we can affect the change we want to see. This book club is open to anyone who identifies as being part of or is supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community. This month we'll be discussing Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023 from 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Online | Learn more and register here.
- Online Author Talk: Namina Forna, author of The Gilded Ones - Join us for an action-packed online conversation with New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Ones Series in a discussion about her second installment in the series, The Merciless Ones.
Thursday, January 12, 2023 from 11:00am - 12:00pm | Learn more and register here.
Police
- Bias By Proxy - The Police Department has recently posted its “Bias By Proxy” policy to the City website, and is working with community members on an education campaign scheduled to kick off in January 2023. “Bias by Proxy” is when an individual calls the police and makes false or ill-informed claims of misconduct about persons they dislike or are biased against (either implicit or explicit bias).
Fire
- FIRE Foundry Seeks Recruits - Applications are being accepted for the county’s FIRE Foundry program beginning in January. The Fire Innovation, Recruitment & Education (FIRE) Foundry, launched in October 2020, aims to reduce wildfire fuels and develop skills of traditionally underrepresented groups in the fire service. Recruits are paid and receive career mentoring. Applications are available at firefoundry.org.
- DEI Initiatives - Southern Marin Fire District staff continue to make progress on developing career pathways and resources to encourage a diverse and inclusive workforce. Please find the report at this link, and go to page 93 for the DEI update.
Other Community Partners
County of Marin
Civilian Oversight of Sheriff’s Office - Building on community input and engagement, the Board of Supervisors will establish an independent civilian oversight structure for the Sheriff’s Office, with the goal of cultivating trust, transparency and accountability. They have launched a community engagement process to understand community intentions and priorities for civilian oversight.
At the Sheriff's Oversight Committee website you can:
- Take their brief Community Survey (available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese)
- Join an upcoming focus group in January 2023.
- Check out the recordings of the Community Conversations on civilian oversight in November.
- And more!
Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership: MLK Day Of Service
Mark your calendar for Monday, January 16, 2023
As our nation continues to grapple with climate change, racial injustice and political polarization, this year’s theme is a clear assignment to each of us. Treat this MLK Jr. Day of Service as a "day on" and not a day off. Volunteer in your community and help create the Beloved Community. Click here to view volunteer opportunities.
Learn more: