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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC Digest 2010-07-30TOWN COUNCIL WEEKLY DIGEST Weeks of July 19 - 30, 2010. Tiburon 1. Letter - PG&E - Smart Meter Installation 2. Information - Various Sources - Smart Meters 3. Report - Institute for Local Government - Climate Protection Staffing: Marin's Collaborative Approach 4. Invitation - Diana Bradley Art Reception - Wed., August 4, 2010, 5-7 p.m. Agendas & Minutes 5. Agenda - Design Review Board - August 5, 2010 6. Meeting Cancellation -Town Council -August 4, 2010 Regional a) Marin Hazardous and Solid Waste Mgmt JPA - Support for AB 1998 - Plastic Bag Ban b) Letter - Sutter Health - Intent and Application of Sutter Health's Financial Practices and Impact on Marin General Hospital c) Letter - Wells Fargo - Highlights of 2010 Community Support d) Letter - Marin Association of Realtors - Update on Role of Realtors e) Save the Date - Angel Is. Immigration Station -100 , Anniversary Events f) Save the Date - "Not a Genuine Black Man" - Starring Brian Copeland - 10/7/10 Agendas & Minutes g) ABAG - Executive Board Meeting - July 29, 2010 * Council Only Pacific Gas and DIGEST Electric Company' July 13, 201_0..__.____ TOWN OF TIBURON 1505 TIBURON BLVD BELVEDERE TIBURON, CA JUL 192010 FINANCE. DE PA-'T M . TOWN OF 11B U P., i Re: Account ID 8600309100 Dear TOWN OF TIBURON: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is excited to inform you that we'll soon be installing SmartMeterTM technology on gas and electric meters in your area. PG&E's SmartMeterTM program will empower you to take greater control of your energy consumption, use less energy, and save money. In the next several weeks, PG&E or our authorized representative (Wellington Energy) will upgrade meter(s) listed on page two for the account shown above. Here's what you can expect when we stop by: • Your meter upgrade will only take place during regular business hours (Monday - Saturday). • We'll attempt to make contact with someone on site before starting the work. • It is not necessary that someone be present as long as we have access to the meter(s). • If no one is present, we'll leave a note following our visit. • Installation is simple and quick. We will replace the existing electric meter with a digital electric meter, and add a small module to the gas meter. With SmartMeterTM automated meter-reading technology, you will no longer have to wait for a monthly bill to know how much energy you use. Once your meter can be read remotely by the SmartMeterTM system, you will be able to log on to www.pge.com/myaccount to see and track your hourly electric and daily gas energy use up to the previous day. Until then a PG&E meter reader will continue to read your meter on a monthly basis just as they do now. Utilities throughout the nation and around the world are using SmartMeterTM technology with great success. At the end of 2009, over 76 million advanced metering devices will be deployed world-wide, and that number is expected to double by 2013. In the long run, the SmartMeterTM program is expected to benefit our environment by decreasing demand on the power grid, better utilizing renewable energy sources and reducing the need for additional fossil-fuel power plants. If you have questions about the SmartMeterTM program, or would like to learn more, visit www.pge.com/smartmeter, or call us at 1-866-743-0263. Sincerely, William F. Devereaux SmartMeterTM Program, Senior Director Pacific Gas and Electric Company MIACOMGENO Para mis informaci6n o Para solicitar estas material en espanol, por favor Ilamar a 1-800-660-6789, o it a pge.com/espanol. he A I c ~F' 1 EJ -.4441-600.893-9555~IWlitp9e.Com/chine e. SmartMeteris a trademark of SmartSyncn, Inc. and is used by permission. -VU&L- reters to Pacific teas and tlectnc Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. 02010 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved. ® Recyc%d Paper 62 1571 (12/09) 30% Post-Consumer Waste Service Agreement # 8600309924 Service Address 00 MAIN ST TIBURON CA 94920 Your Service Agreement Number can be found on your PG&E bill. Para mas informacion o para solicitar estas materias en espanol, por favor Ilamar a 1-800-660-6789, o it a pge.com/espanol. 0i0 ltiWV V EP tH , p9* ffi 1-800-893-9555 ± iA pge. com/ddnese. Following information is from http: //www.teensturninggreen.org/get-in vol ved/say-no-to-smart-meters. html Say No to Smart. Meters! WHY SMART M ETERS ARE DANGEROUS, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY'S HEAI:THI PG&E is installing its wireless so-called "smart meters" (replacing our existing electric and. gas meters) at every single home, business, school, medical clinic, etc, in the Bay Area & elsewhere. It's important that you read. this and tak.e personal action .ASAP, & also spread the word as widely as possible. The meters transmit pulses of microwave ener*, roughly every minute, around the clock, and even repeat the signals from neighboring meters in what's called a "mesh network"; and PG&E is also installing additional anterinas outside on our light and power poles. PG&E's official line is that no customer is allowed to opt out of receiving its wireless meters. This entire system is creating a loorning public health disaster for our families and our communities. T11011gh safer teclin.ologies are readily available to create a smart grid, this one's a sweet financial deal for PG&E. We customers pay all the costs, already $2.2 billion (roughly $250 per meter) bringing PG&E an immediate profit of $300+ million. Arid they create opportunities for PG&E -to soon create even more corporate profit at our expense. PG&E makes phony greenwashirlg claims about the meters encouraging conservation, but (when you factor in the extra energy needed to broadcast all these pulses night and day), the . program will actually likely cause a net increase iii our overall carbori footprint. And the meters aren't bi-directi.onal., so they can't be used for net metering for folks who have their own rooftop solar installations. By now almost everyone's heard about the meters' over- billing problems (more tha1150,000 inaccurate nieters to date) that PG&E's finally being forced to begin acknowledging. But the meters have other major liabilities that most folks haven't heard about yet: There are security & privacy concerns: a top cybersecurity firm. recently tested 5 different brands of smart meters for vulnerabilities, and found that they all could be EASILY hacked into, allowing someone to remotely shut down your power, inflate your bills, tell if you're out-of-town (making you a target for burglary), commit identity theft, or even bring down the whole electricity grid. (For more details, see link. _There also are safety issues, like known cases of the smart meter failing and starting a fire, or exploding. Also, in a recent official filing PG&E confirmed that its smart meters can damage customers' sensitive electronics. Arid the new meter is effectively a remote control device in charge of your house or business, allmN ing .PG&E the option of unilaterally rationing or cutting power to a property when the corporation deems it useful for THEIR purpose. But by far the most dangerous aspect is the way these wireless meters put our health at risk'. This kind of microwave pulsing works differently than more-continuous cell phone radiation, and it's much n ore dangerous. Many scientific studies have verified that this type particularly affects the brain, nervous system and hormones, disrupting the furictioning of many body systems and causing eery serious leakage of our blood-brain barrier, and that low-power broadcasts (such. as from these meters) are even i:nore damaging than higher-power ones. Tv ical acute symptoms include migraine headaches, DIGEST .2-, insomnia, exhaustion, forgetfulness and confusion, tinnitus, tingling, nausea and vomiting, constant thirst., heart palpitations and increased blood pressure, limbic system disturbances such as severe depression or anxiety or crying jags, etc..--and a general reduction from prior levels of functionality. For some, the nervous and endocrine systems go into hyper-arousal (as with severe stress), ultimately leading to the collapse known as „burnout". Careful scientific research has proven that cumulative exposure to this type of radiation also causes more and more DNA breaks, which-if experienced frequently enough--have the potential to be a factor in ultimately causing cancer. Our risk of developing serious symptoms (often referred to as "electrical sensitivity") increases the longer our chronic exposure to this radiation continues-and, with the smart meter system frilly in place, there will be no place to escape it night or day. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those ,-6th pre-existing health problems are particularly vulnerable. `The transmitting smart meters also typically add. additional high frequencies directly onto home and building wiring. This additional high-frequency load is then re-radiated througl:i.out the interior space. Scientific studies are finding that such high freq-ueneies on building wiring are related to a host of health problems, similar to those described above. The Precautionary Principle-which says "Better safe than sorry,"--is official policy ill parts of the Bay Area; "better safe than sorry" should mean no wireless meters iii til it's been independently proven that long-term exposure to them is safe. PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM SMART METERS THROUt:IH AN EVER-CIFROWINCr BOYco,rr--PERSONAL, NEIGHBORHOOD, COMMUNITY, AND MORE Ilow do yor€ begin protecting yourself and your loved ones? To really win this one we're ultimately going to have to build strong collective resistance, beginning with a smart meter boycott that utilizes the power of everyday folks joining together in large numbers and fighting back! P(7&E originally said they would install the smart meters immediately whether you agree or not; but, as more customers began to resist, they started backpedaling and said "you can get a short delay". They ALSO had threatened that, if you absolutely refused the meters, they'd shut off your power; but now they're saying "well, ok, we'll estimate your usage instead, except for the 2 times a year that we come out to read your ureters". (Well, that beats the hell out of having our families and our pets constantly irradiated, and our homes more vulnerable to break-ins.) If only one household had boycotted their meters, it would have been easy for PG&E to make a horrible example of them by shutting off their power. But the corporation will not do that to hundreds or thousands of their customers, because the bad publicity would be too costly! And it's not clear they even have the legal authority to shut off power under those circumstances. Next, because the meters bounce the signals from house to house, just retaining your own old meter isn't sufficient. So, in parts of Oakland, folks have been talking to their neighbors and getting -them to also object to the meters; they'rre calling these neighborhoods "smart meter free zones". You can do the same on your own block, in Fairfax and other parts of Marin. Following information is from Thursday July 15 http://www.pacificsun.com/news/show-story.php?id=1959 Realtors weigh in on Smart Meter debate by Elizabeth C'erma k The Marin Association of Realtors has plugged itself into the Smart Meters controversy with a call this week to a "moratorium" on the new digital power meters being installed this month by PG&E.-The new technology behind this digital alternative to traditional meter involves the transmission of data from each home directly to PG&E, and some opponents of the move are concerned with questions about health risks due to the proximity, length of exposure, and level of wireless radio signals beaming through their residence.-"It is wise and prudent to suspend additional installations until public concerns are fully addressed and issues surrounding the installations are completely resolved," said the Marin Association of Realtors president Bill McKeon in a press release, stating that "during this time-out, the public will have an added opportunity to carefully consider the controversial nature, unanswered questions and series of allegations that opponents to the Smart Meters have raised." These concerns, voiced by Smart Meter opponents, are primarily centered on fears that the new meters may overcharge consumers, resistance from residents feeling forced to make the change, and the possible health risks associated with their wireless transmissions. San Joaquin Valley residents who got Smart Meters installed in late 2009, for instance, have made numerous accusations that they saw a dramatic increase in their electric bills following the istallations. PG&E argued that the increased charges were caused by people's increased use of air conditioners due to hot weather. PG&E has been on the defensive over Smart Meters since installation began locally earlier this summer. The City of San Francisco petitioned its utilities commission to stop the company from installing the meters until a $1.4 million independent investigation of potential health effects has been completed. The Fairfax Town Council, meanwhile, decided to approve an ordinance that will help halt further installation within their borders.- McKeon added that MAR has scheduled "a special meeting of our governmental affairs committee to hear representatives from both sides of this controversial issue." The meeting will take place on July 23 and include representatives from PG&E and selected opponents of the Smart Meters. Both will be given a chance to present their arguments to MAR board members. Other sites of interest httl~.::.`::`.:IY..... ny.[u...1i17 mart:met ;rs:.'.:_1.7t?3()E)G,_htxzt( Fairfax says no to smart meters July 7, 2010 to€1 .:%_A!?i I x:s~l.r c , o€i;; l; c~ is>tµv'?secti~~rr_aae4~ ;7 on VOL11' sidc,.10i1=7555472 "There are now three times more electric meters installed, but SmartMeter disconnections have increased 12 fold in one year." July 14, 2010 ,i.....?tiJ:c. rr.i..... ~ni_r}e tt; , e.. rxi..rt.aE~etcr;.?.1755451 .1Etrr~I SF City Attorney seeks delay in smart meter program June 17, 2010 Marin to PG&E: 'Smart meters' a dumb idea - Marin Independent journal 7121110 9:54 AM _ . < 1° e ~;y I f F ng v ttji t 33r Joi i ~ a lt~rj'tt,~tit an 6 .a rl 't 1~7N R,_:ear he = J"' lt3 tri;t"<. in Help SI„tpr ..rt, ~tl:T tt: > rniazlttI.l'nl, F..jlu}... a Clcrnf~rt-an,i joint= ea -1-E, p " Site Web Search powered by wF.i?CC[ : SEARCH Home Marin News Obituaries Opinion Blogs Sports Lifestyles Business Marin to PG&E: 'Smart meters' a dumb idea Nels Johnson 03:°i4::,... PM PDT The state should shut down Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s "smart meter" program pending completion of a study . . indicating the meters work, and a public hearing should be held on health and safety issues related to the meters, Mann t supervisors declared Tuesday. The county board asked the California Public Utilities Commission to suspend PG&E's $2.2 billion meter program until a commission review now under way is in hand. The board endorsed a letter drafted by supervisors Hal Brown and Judy Arnold, and, bowing to a parade of speakers worried about health implications of electronic emissions from the wireless devices, embraced language offered by Supervisor Charles McGlashan that calls for a state hearing on meter health issues. )odi Ball in l%all, a new SmartMeter on Tuesday in Novato. (l) photo/Robert Tong) "The problem is that they are wireless, and it's a shame," McGlashan said. He added that although the meter program may be helpful in combating global warming as part of a future "smart grid" energy system, people are concerned about electromagnetic fields. "It's legitimate for the public to call for a hearing on the safety issue," he said. McGlashan said he had to stop using cell phones, for example, in light of pain the phones triggered in his neck and ear. "Science evolves, and then we find out later - oops - we should have taken a more precautionary approach," he said. The high-tech devices are supposed to automatically measure energy use, eliminating need for employees walking the streets and reading meters, but complaints about malfunctioning devices and inaccurate measurements began pouring in soon after the program was launched Advertisement in 2009. Supervisor Steve Kinsey called the county letter appropriate but observed that progress poses difficulties. He noted that Marin supervisors in 1906 were 'Wrestling with whether to allow automobiles on county roads because they killed horses." Arnold said it important for the state to weigh in on the controversy and said wrinkles in the program must be ironed out. "I do not want to be paying three times as much because Fresno uses an air conditioner," she said. Brown indicated he could live without the world of high tech. "I don't have a cell phone and don't intend to get one," he said. The county board, with Susan Adams absent, voted 4-0 to dispatch a letter to Michael Peevey, the state utilities commission president, saying in part: "Given the unusually high rate of reported device failures, the cost of installation ($2.2 billion), the concern and uncertainty expressed by the public regarding SmartMeter operational accuracy and the wireless technology employed by the system, it seems not only fiscally prudent but appropriately protective of the public trust to suspend operation of the SmartMeter system until your independent investigation is complete and remedies implemented, if warranted." The board added that the meter program must be "shown to the PUC in a public hearing to protect the health and safety" of residents. The board also sent a letter to colleagues on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, supporting their recent call for a meter moratorium. Fairfax officials are trvino to block the meter orooram in their town. and the Marin Association of West Marin faces 50% fire tax boost Marin to PG&E: 'Smart meters' a dumb idea Wells Fargo, former agents battle over remains of Orion Partners Corte Madera files lawsuit to shut down pot dub Larkspur rejects downtown farmers market in city lot Most Viewed (From the last 12 hours) 1. Couple ID'd in Sari Rafael murder-suicide 2" Teen who died at Muir Beach planned to be doctor 3. Marin to PG&E: 'Smart meters' a dumb idea 4. West Marin faces 50% fire tax boost 5. Corte Madera files lawsuit to shut down pot club 0 *t 00-C w s 11 shim . Get your free Shipping Kit now. 041i ITV5"Ail"S 1,41. fii:A, VICE Optician Food Service Maintenance Storage Clerk Custodian Scales Manager }-louse Cleaners ALL L.zsrxNGs SAN RAFAEL COMMUNITY CENTER IFAME EASY AUTOMOTIVE FJ6LISr+=~ 0:""t'r', ~UiO VIEW MORE s i Nov 2, 2010 CA General Election Enter Your Address Here to Find Yourl Polling Place and See Your Sample http://www.marinij.com/ci-15560963?source=most viewed Page 1 of 2 Marin to PG&E: 'Smart meters' a dumb idea - Marin Independent journal Realtors has called for a moratorium as well. A dozen speakers rose to talk about the meter program, with those opposing it in light of health concerns including a representative of the Marin Health Council. Several meter foes said they were on their way to a protest at PUC offices in San Francisco. Josh Townsend, a spokesman for PG&E, said the utility is embarking on a public relations campaign to explain the meter program and offered to schedule a presentation it is pitching to city councils, including San Anselmo and Belvedere. In addition, "answer centers" will be set up to handle inquiries about the meters, he said. SmartMeters "give customers a way to monitor what they are consuming regarding energy" in real time and online, he said. "It plugs you into the grid." But a Tamalpais Valley man wasn't buying it, calling the program an outrage and demanding that supervisors hold PG&E's feet to the fire. "I don't see myself running up and down the steps looking at a meter," he said. "That's ridiculous." Contact Nels Johnson at ij.civiccenter@gmail.com F;OOKMAPil POST YOUR COMMENTS: Read all 19 comments M Name . (appears on your post) Comments Type in your comments below 7/21/10 9:54 AM oaaot Street Address: Aft I i City: Zip: Go Characters left: 4000 Type the numbers you see in the image on the right Q41 . Post Comment Please note by citcking on "Post Comment" you acknovrtedge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in cnrnptrance kith such terms. Be polite. tnapprPpnate Posts may be removed by the moderator. Send as your feedback. M, Advertise I Contact Us I About our ads I FAOs I Site Map I RSS' ,J I Y aitaru»' I Facebook I Twitter I IJ Outreach I Privacy Policy I MNG Corporate Site Map I Copyright Copyright © 2010. Marin Independent Journal. MediaNews Group. All Rights Reserved. ~~.IlAedl~P~vsGft>vp t ":>'F. Featured Links SOcial c~tirity Disability Datil g Private Jet Sales assisted l.,i~'inf~ (c l~) ra (L~ Springs Team Real Estate Speaker Mount, Payday loans Privacy Policy I 'Terms of Use I MNG Corporate Site Map ~ 'o) right Buy Digital Light Meters Mat-in County Criminal Lawyer Gas Meters Portable light meters, wide range PC or Affordable & Aggressive Criminal Defense Selling Gas Meters, regulators, and parts LUX, Lawyer - Marin and services at w:vw.:eiiability ircctsi'ore.ccm ih'Wi:.LCWeR$teinL]'f.'.COETI r:ortitexasmete:'s'vc.com http://www.marinij.com/ci-15560963?source=most-viewed Page 2 of 2 Page 1 of 2 Peggy Curran From: Townsend, Joshua [JDTO@PGE.COM] Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:39 AM To: Peggy Curran Subject: FW: Smart Meters Peggy, This info may be helpful. RE Frequency PG&E electric SmartMetersTM send and receive data in very short bursts, infrequently and not on a fixed time schedule. Empirical studies show an average residential meter transmits the equivalent of approximately 45 seconds total in each 24-hour period. The meter does not make a single 45-second transmission; rather it makes a number of transmissions, each lasting only milliseconds. Signal Strength The vast majority of our electric SmartMeterTM devices use the same signal strength. The strongest transmission from any PG&E electric SmartMeterTM is 1 watt, while the 24-hour average power level is less than 1 milliwatt (less than 0.001 watt). This is vastly lower than the average power of cell phones (30-10,000 watts). Gas Frequency Transmitter Power Density @ FCC MPE Meter (MHz) Power (watts) 1 foot (µW/cm2) (µW/cm2) Meter 450-470 0.820 0.00166 300 Access 450-470 2 0.000221 300 Point Electric Frequency Transmitter Power Density @ FCC MPE Meter (MHz) Power (watts) 1 foot (µW/cm2) (µW/cm2) Meter 902-928 1 8.8 601 Access 902-928 1 24 601 Point RF Source Power Density (ttW/CM2) Cell phones (at head) [Mantiply, et al. (1997)] 30 - 10,000 Wi-Fi wireless routers, laptop computers, cyber cafes, 10-20 etc., maximum (-1 meter for laptops, 2-5 meters for access points) Foster 2007 7/21/2010 Page 2 of 2 Transmission Range PG&E electric SmartMeterTM devices communicate via a mesh network. That is, each message is routed from meter to meter to the radio network. Many meter routes have short and long hops. Signal Penetration The SmartMeterTm electric device is a solid-state electric meter that includes two low-power RF transmitters. One of the two transmitters uses RF signals (902-928 MHz FCC radio band) to communicate with PG&E over the SmartMeter TM electric mesh network. The other transmitter uses RF signals (2.45 GHz) to communicate with an integrated Home Area Network (HAN) gateway which uses RF signals to allow a customer to communicate with the next generation of home energy management systems and radio-enabled smart appliances. (The HAN will be operational in the future and will allow a customer to automate his or her home energy use to take advantage of a range of new options.) The gas SmartMeterTM technology radios operate in the 450-470 MHz FCC radio band. These signals, like those of cellular telephones in the 800 MHz band, do penetrate non-metallic structures such as lightly-built houses, trees and foliage. Some attachments and three links. -First a SmartMeter toolkit, then four documents concerning Radio Frequency concerns. -Radio Frequency website that talks about the studies performed on Smartmeters http ://www.pge. com/m~yhome/edusafety/systemworks/rfsafety/ -These discuss some of our inaccuracy issues. http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/newsreleases/201.00510%am e Drovides_detailed _reDorts_on_sr http://www.sfg_ate.com/cgi-bin/article.ci?f=/c/a/2010/05/31/MN DIDKFA5.DTL I hope these help. josh 7/21/2010 Climate Protection Staffing: Marin's Collaborative Approach NYSTITUTE FOR. L 0%._4JAL G 0_V' ERNMENT f kt1?'E df. liif t ~9f1 {`Y Level Published on Institute for Local Government (http://www.ca-ilq.orq) Home > Climate Protection Staffing: Marin's Collaborative Approach Climate Protection Staffing: Marin's Collaborative Approach Find this item at: http://www.ca-ilg.org/node/2857 County: Marin Population: 256,500 Summary http://www.ca-ilg.org/print/2857 5's Most local governments in the Bay Area have realized that climate protection is an important new aspect of their work to develop more livable, sustainable communities. There is, however, limited staff time and other resources, especially in small jurisdictions, to launch climate protection efforts on a scale commensurate with the challenge of climate change. The cities and County of Marin have overcome some of these challenges by forming the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership (MCEP) to share resources and expertise, and jointly hire a dedicated staff person to work with jurisdictions on building their in-house climate protection capabilities. Program Highlights • MCEP is a public sector partnership among the 11 Marin cities, Marin County, the Transportation Authority of Marin, and the Marin Municipal Water District. • By working collaboratively MCEP participants have been able to leverage public resources as well as attract additional private funding from the Air District and the Marin Community Foundation. • The Marin General Services Authority, a joint powers authority, acts as the fiscal agent for the MCEP. • To date, the MCEP has worked on construction and demolition waste recycling ordinances, green building ordinances, an electric vehicle transition plan, and energy efficiency retrofits in government buildings. 1 of 4 7/28/2010 3:02 PM Climate Protection Staffing. Marin's Collaborative Approach Lessons Learned http://www.ca-ilg.org/print/2857 • Be patient with GHG inventory and climate action plan development, these often progress slowly, but are none-the-less important tools in keeping the momentum behind local climate protection efforts. • Striking a balance between fast payback measures such as energy efficiency in municipal operations, and larger scale, longer payback, communitywide measures is important to move climate protection efforts forward. • Elected level leadership is essential to drive more politically challenging efforts, like PACE programs and community choice aggregation. Resources To Learn More • Marin GSA page (includes MCEP progress reports) • The Citv of San Rafael's Green Initiatives Paqe (includes qreen building resources [2] The Rest of the Story... With two medium-sized cities and nine small towns, Marin jurisdictions had been struggling for several years to find adequate resources to complete GHG inventories and begin writing climate action plans. The idea of establishing a collaborative network of local governments to help move local climate protection forward in Marin was first conceived in discussions between representatives of the Marin Municipal Water District, the Marin Community Foundation and a private energy/climate consultant. In 2007 the option of joining the MCEP was presented to Marin jurisdictions and resulted in all 11 Marin cities, Marin County, the Transportation Authority of Marin, and the Marin Municipal Water District participating in the partnership. Securing the participation of the Transportation Authority was particularly significant for the group since 62% of countywide GHG emissions in Marin come from the transportation sector, and many of the big options for reducing transportation-related emissions are best served by a regional approach. In 2008, with the help of a $75,000 grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, MCEP took an important step forward by establishing a new dedicated Climate Protection Director position to help assess project priorities and work with partners on an as-needed basis. During the first year of the effort, MCEP participants worked with ICLEI [3] to conduct GHG inventories and came together to develop a set of realistic priorities. In addition to municipal energy efficiency work, the partnership decided to pursue some countywide initiatives like developing an aggressive model green building ordinance to be adopted in each Marin Community, and establishing the development of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure as a component of Marin's transportation planning. The group has also turned its attention to of 4 7/28/2010 3:02 PM Climate Protection Staffing: Marin's Collaborative Approach PACE financing [4], support of Marin Clean Energy [5], environmentally preferable purchasing, and construction and demolition ordinances. http://www.ca-ilg.org/print/2857 The City of San Rafael led the development of the model green building ordinance for the group, and key to that work was the establishment of a high level task force, called Marin Green Building Energy Retrofit and Solar Transformation (Marin Green BERST), made up of elected and appointed officials from each of the MCEP jurisdictions. Currently three of the 11 governments have adopted the green building ordinance and the majority of the remaining jurisdictions are in the process of adopting it. The model green building ordinance is one of the most aggressive ordinances of its kind in the country, and it is significantly more comprehensive than the new statewide CALGreen building standards. Both the green building work and the EV work have led to additional funding for the MCEP from the Marin Community Foundation. Some of the ideas that were initially discussed by the partnership, such as the electric vehicle transition plan, may have been out of reach for individual small local governments, had they not been part of a collaborative effort. Two years later however, with the multijurisdictional approach in place, even Marin's small towns like Belvedere are working to install electric vehicle charging stations. As a participant in MCEP partners agree to pay dues of $2,000 a year, and on a rotating basis provide a staff person to serve as chair of the group. The MCEP Chairperson is a 1-year position, tasked with handling logistics for the monthly meetings and other administrative tasks. Felicia Wheaton, a planner from the City of Belvedere who served as the first MCEP Chairperson, estimated that she spent on average 4-8 hours a month on these tasks in addition to her regular job duties. Ms. Wheaton further reported that participating in the partnership has helped local government staff with no previous climate protection experience gain confidence with some of the technical aspects of climate protection, like GHG accounting, making it easier to report back to council. Currently, MCEP participants are working to complete Climate Action Plans and the group has transitioned its staff position from Climate Protection Director to Sustainability Coordinator, a part time position, with more managerial responsibilities than the previous position. MCEP continues to evolve but ultimately having this collaborative approach in place will make it easier for Marin to fast track big regional efforts that will be necessary to adequately progress in addressing climate change. Case Story provided by BAAQMD, July 2010 Links: [1] http://maringsa.org/activities.cfm [2] http://www.cityofsanrafael.org/Government/Community_Development/Green Initiatives.htm [3] http://www.icleiusa.org [4] http://www.ca-ilg.org/node/2855 of 4 7/28/2010 3:02 PM r ems" r . w Augus~3 u - - e--ate. - - x ;fmr _ +..s+.•^- '."~"A!'.~' -3. Ian wit w~h4ib~""~ ` en t r ~ cry' 1± - c i r..~A 5- TOWN OF TIBURON Regular Meeting Tiburon Town Hall Design Review Board 1505 Tiburon Boulevard August 5, 2010 Tiburon, CA 94920 7:00 P.M. AGENDA . TIBURON DESIGN REVIEW BOARD CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chairman Chong, Vice Chainnan Tollini, Boardmembers Emberson, Kricensky & Weller ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Persons wishing to address the Design Review Board on any subject not on the agenda may do so under this portion of the agenda. Please note that the Design Review Board is not able to undertake extended discussion, or take action on, items that do not appeal- on this agenda. Matters requiring action will be referred to Town Staff for consideration and/or placed on a future Design Review Board agenda. Please limit your comments to no more than three (3) minutes. Any communications regarding an item not on the agenda will not be considered part of the administrative record for that item. STAFF BRIEFING (if any) ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR CONSENT CALENDAR 215 BLACKFIELD DRIVE: File No. 51003; Congregation Kol Shofar, Owner; Sign Permit to install an illuminated directional sign on top of an existing monument sign. The 1.3 square foot wooden sign with the word "'enter" and a directional arrow would be placed on top of an existing 18.75 square foot monument sign indicating the presence of the Congregation Kol Shofar synagogue on the property. A ground-mounted light fixture would face upward to illuminate the face of the proposed sign. APN 038-351-34 [DW] NEW BUSINE 2. 11 RACCOON LANE: File No. 21006; Desmond King and Georgeann Economy, Owners; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of additions to an existing single-family dwelling with a variance for reduced front yard setback and a floor area exception. The applicants propose to construct a 63 square foot addition that would create a new bathroom) closet and storage area on the lower floor of the house. The additions would extend to the front property line, in lieu of the minimum 15 foot front yard setback for this property. The proposed floor area is 2,832 square feet, which would exceed the floor area ratio of 2,081 square feet for this property by 751 square feet. APN 059-052-13 [LT] Design Review Board August 5, 2010 Page 1 3. 55 MT. TIBURON ROAD: File No. 710062; Zach and Annette Faidi, Owners; Walter and Betsy Menzel, Appellants; Appeal of Planning Staff s decision to approve a Site Plan and Architectural Review application for construction of a six foot high (6') deer fence. On June 17, 2010 the Planning Division approved an application for construction of a small retaining wall, a six foot high (6') perimeter deer fence and a vehicle entry gate. The adjacent neighbor has now appealed this decision to the Design Review Board. APN 058-252-14 [LT] 4. 139 LELAND WAY: File No. 21014; Jeffrey and Kate Ratto, Owners; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of a new single-family dwelling with a variance for excess lot coverage. The applicants propose to add onto an existing residence but demolish more than 50% of the existing floor area. A great room and master bedroom suite would be added to the front and existing bedrooms and a garage would be extended toward the front. The roofline would be raised to a maximum height of 17 feet, 6 inches. The additions would increase the lot coverage on the site to 43.6%, in lieu of the maximum 30.0% lot coverage for this property. APN 034-121-12 [DW] MINUTES 5. Regular Meeting of July 15, 2010 ADJOURNMENT 6- NOTICE OF MEETING CANCELLATION The regular Town Council Meeting scheduled for August 4. 2010 has been cancelled. 0 THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING is scheduled for 1,74 WEDNESDAY, August 18, 2010, in the Town Council Chambers located at 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon CA 94920. DIANE CRANE COPT, TOWN CLERK Posted at Town Hall cc: The Ark and Marin Independent Journal D(Gk; MARIN COUNTY HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY Belvedere: George Rodericks Date: July 21, 2010 Corte Madera: To: Senator Julia Brownley RECEIVED David Bracken State Capitol County of Marin: P.O. Box 942849 JUL 2 6 2010 Matthew Hymel Sacramento, CA 94249-0041 TOWN MANAGERS OFFICE Fairfax: Fax: (916) 319-2141 TOWN OF TIBURON Michael Rock Re: Support for AB 1998 - Plastic Bag Ban Larkspur: Dan Schwarz Dear Senator Brownley: Mill Valley: On behalf of the Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Authority (JPA), I write to inform you of our support of AB Novato: 1998, a bill that will ban environmentally-damaging plastic bags. The Michael Frank estimated 19 billion plastic bags that California retailers distribute Ross: annually are a primary source of urban litter and water pollution, and Gary Broad pose a threat to wildlife. San Anselmo: The Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Joint Debbie Stutsman Powers Authority (JPA) is a regional agency formed following AB 939 to ensure proper handling of waste in Marin County. JPA membership San Rafael: Ken Nordhoff includes all of Marin's cities and the County of Marin. Sausalito: Plastic bags are a problem product and litter-prone by design: light, Adam Politzer aerodynamic and easily transported by rain and wind. Plastic bags can become litter even when properly disposed, blowing from trash Tiburon: Margaret Curran receptacles, trucks, transfer stations and disposal facilities. Plastic litter pollution is a serious and growing problem. Plastic bags never biodegrade in the marine environment. Bags pose an ongoing threat to wildlife: causing death to birds, marine turtles and other sensitive species that mistake them for food or become entangled. Even as the bags break apart into smaller plastic particles they pose a threat: attracting ambient toxins and infiltrating the food web. Californians are currently paying for single-use carryout bags twice. First, Californians pay up to $40 per household per year to offset the cost of the nearly 1,000 "free" bags received from grocers. Second, Californians pay up to $200 per household per year in state and local fees and taxes to clean up litter and waste associated with single-use bags. Banning plastic bags will significantly reduce plastic litter pollution and will encourage consumers to switch to reusable bags and other less Marin County Department of Public Works, P.O. Box 4186, San Rafael, CA 94913 Phone: 415/499-6647 - FAX 415/446-7373 a~1 environmentally-damaging bag options. The Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Authority respectfully supports of Assembly Bill 1998. Sincerely, w i n Michael Frost Executive Director Cc: JPA Board Members Senator Mark Leno Attachment F:\Waste\JPA\Legislative Support\AB 1998 Support Letter.doc Sutter Health With You. For Life. 4000 Civic Center Drive San Rafael, CA 94903 August 2010 Dear Community Leader: There has been a significant amount of misinformation about the intent and application of Sutter Health's financial practices and the impact of those practices on Marin General Hospital. In order to allow for thoughtful health care planning and delivery in the near and distant future in Marin, it is important that the community and its leaders be grounded in the facts. By way of background, Sutter Health hospitals routinely pool revenues in excess of their expenses for the benefit of the entire organization. This is a common practice in not-for-profit organizations and is one way we fulfill our not-for-profit mission to enhance the health and well-being of the communities we serve. This practice allows for large strategic investments such as capital projects throughout the system. Importantly, it also provides a safety net to ensure that struggling hospitals throughout our not-for-profit network can keep their doors open and continue to invest in their people or new technology - even during difficult financial times such as periods of decreased patient revenues. When Marin General Hospital affiliated with Sutter Health in 1996, the Marin Healthcare District Board readily approved the adoption of this policy as they sought the strength of partnering with our system to stabilize the hospital. For the past 14 years, this policy has been in place and cash transfers to Sutter Health have been transparently reported on a routine basis. In recent weeks, however, it appears the criticisms of our financial practices have not been focused on their global merits, but their application. Unfortunately, those ill-informed criticisms have been based on erroneous information. Allow us to set the record straight. Here are the facts: • Sutter Health affiliates routinely pool revenues in excess of their expenses for the benefit of the entire organization and to fulfill our not-for-profit mission to enhance the health and well-being of the communities we serve. • Our financial policy of pooling resources did not change during our 14-year tenure at Marin General Hospital and there was no change in the application of the policy to Marin General Hospital after the Settlement and Transfer Agreements were executed. What did change was the improved performance of the hospital resulting from the 0, (over) efforts of new management and clinical teams put in place prior to the Agreements. These changes and operational improvements have better positioned Marin General for continued success under its new leadership. • Sutter Health offered to build a new, seismically safe hospital at no cost to the taxpayers, using funding from these pooled resources. Disappointingly, the Marin Healthcare District rejected that offer and sought to terminate our lease five years early. Contrary to recent misinformation that claimed zero revenues were transferred from California Pacific Medical Center to Sutter Health, several hundred million dollars have been pooled in recent years. The details can be found in the attached document as well as at www.sutterhealth.org/marin. These pooled resources fund our not-for-profit mission including construction projects underway in several communities, such as Santa Rosa, Oakland, Sacramento, and, hopefully, soon in San Francisco. The fact is that the court-sanctioned Transfer and Settlement Agreements, which successfully guided the transfer of hospital ownership, clearly stipulated the amount of cash to remain at MGH. The Agreement specified the capital expenditures required of MGH before the transfer, the amount of cash to be retained by the hospital after the transfer, and Sutter's retention of all excess working capital pre transfer. The District Board agreed to the amount that would remain at MGH. The leadership, operational and clinical changes made at MGH during Sutter Health's tenure have resulted in enhanced access to high-quality services, dramatic improvements in clinical quality, an improved facility, and the recruitment and retention of stellar physicians to serve the community. These changes also resulted in improved financial performance, most notably in the years immediately preceding and following the completion of the Transfer and Settlement Agreements. Fortunately for the community, Marin General Hospital is well positioned to continue to succeed now and in the future. Sincerely, Martin Brotman, MD, President Sutter Health West Bay Region David Bradley, CEO Sutter Health North Bay Hospitals Attachment ti~ Sutter Health With You. For Life. Correcting the Record: Sutter Health's Financial Practices Better Together Sutter Health hospitals routinely pool revenues in excess of their expenses for the benefit of the entire organization. This is a common practice in not-for-profit organizations and is one way we fulfill our not-for-profit mission to enhance the health and well-being of the communities we serve. This practice not only allows for large strategic investments throughout the system, but it provides a safety net to ensure that struggling hospitals throughout our not-for-profit network can keep their doors open and continue to invest in their people or new technology - even during difficult financial times such as periods of decreased patient revenues. Correcting Misinformation Recently, the Marin Healthcare District and some of its allies placed paid advertisements that included blatant misinformation regarding the application of this policy to one of our affiliates, California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). In an effort to create the false impression that the practice of pooling resources was misapplied at Marin General Hospital, the ads falsely claimed that CPMC did not participate in this pooling of resources and that zero dollars have been shared with the system in recent years. The correct detailed information is below: Sutter Health Equity Transfers 1999-2008 Year CPMC 1999 1,987,775 2000 (13,270,000) 2001 (86,910,000) 2002 (105,075,685) 2003 (118,004,866) 2004 6,675,664 2005 (63,879,000) 2006 (63,214,545) 2007 (69,733,369) 2008 (72,300,207) TOTAL (58397249233) Negative numbers represent net transfers to Sutter Health and positive numbers represent net transfers from Sutter Health. August 2010 ASSOCIATION OF BAY AREA GOVERNMENTS Representing City and County Governments of the San Francisco Bay Area 'h ABAG A G E N D A SPECIAL MEETING ABAG EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING NO. 375 Thursday, July 29, 2010, 7:00 PM METROCENTER AUDITORIUM 101 8th Street (at Oak Street) Oakland, California RECEIVED JUL 2 6 2010 TOWN MANAGERS OFFICE TOWN OF TIBURON For additional information, please call: Fred Castro, (510) 464 7913 Agenda and attachments available at: http://www.abag.ca.gov/meetings/ 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. CONSENT CALENDAR ACTION: Unless there is a request by a Board member to take up an item on the consent calendar separately, the calendar will be acted upon in one motion. A. Appointment to Committees President Mark Green requests Board approval of appointments to the following committees: Regional Planning Committee Ross Mirkarimi, Supervisor, City and County of San Francisco Legislation and Governmental Organization Committee Ross Mirkarimi, Supervisor, City and County of San Francisco Please Note: 'The Board may act on any item on this agenda. **Attachment included. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2050 Oakland, California 94604-2050 (510) 464-7900 Fax: (510) 464-7970 info@abag.ca.gov Location: Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter 101 Eighth Street Oakland, California 94607-4756 July 29, 2010, ABAG Executive Board Agenda, Page 2 5. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT CLOSED SESSION: The following item will be discussed in closed session pursuant to the requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act: Public Employee Appointment Title: Executive Director 7. ADJOURNMENT H my L. gardner, Secretary-Treasurer Please Note: The Board may act on any item on this agenda. **Attachment included.