Fairfax Chamber of Commerce
Business Bulletin
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Upcoming Events

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Tuesday December 8th, 6-9pm
YOU'RE INVITED!  RESERVE EARLY!! 
Annual Holiday Party  
& Silent Auction
Held at Deer Park Villa  
with Catering by "A Fork Full of Earth"  
  learn more
  
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Fri-Sat-Sun October 23-24-25
Fairfax Irish Music & Dance Festival
A free event at many venues all over town 
 
Tuesdays Oct 27 & Nov 3, 9am-3pm
Fairfax Gardener's Alliance
Volunteer-based town beautification projects     learn more 

Saturday October 31st, 5pm
Halloween Parade, Haunted Grove & More
Parade starts in front of the Fairfax Theater
at 5pm sharp.


In This Issue
News from Town Hall  
& Local Agencies  
   
Sidewalk Repair  
The Town Council recently approved a program which "waives" the encroachment permit fee (approx. $500) and provides a 50/50 matching grant of up to $500 for owners wanting to repair their sidewalk.  

Flashing Beacon Systems for Crosswalks 
A new system has been ordered for the Taylor and Sir Francis Drake intersection. We anticipate that the delivery and installation of that system will take 10-12 weeks.

Solar Panel Installations 
Permit fees have been waived by the Town, and the Planning Commission process has been streamlined for small solar panel installations.

New Trash Receptacles 
New trash receptacles are coming to downtown. Trash and recycling collections will be made on a routine basis by Marin Sanitary Service. 

Public Forum on Changes Town Code 
The Town Council is conducting a Town Forum on the policy considerations of changing Town Code to allow second story residential units in the downtown (rezone Highway Commercial to Central Commercial) without a use permit. All projects would still be subject to design review and other applicable Town Code. The forum is scheduled for Thursday, 10/29 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Women's Club (46 Park Rd).

town newsletter or website for more info on most of these topics 
 
Ross Valley Sanitary District 
Sewer Lateral Replacement Grants 
The RVSD has allocated $700K to the LRGP for the 2015/16 fiscal year for  qualified applicants to receive 50% of the lateral replacement cost,up to $2,000. 
view details .

Waste Water Reduction and Water Conservation 
The RVSD has a "wastewater reduction & water conservation" program  to reduce sewer flows through installation of waterless urinals in restrooms of public buildings and businesses open to the public. The estimated costs to replace an old urinal with the new state of the art waterless urinal is $400-$500, including installation. One waterless urinal can save 40,000 gallons of water a year and reduce water bills a little.

To learn more, please contact Ross Valley Sanitary District director Frank Egger by email fegger@pacbell.net or by phone, 415.456.6356.  

ZeroWaste Marin 
Marin County, it's time to lose a pound of waste per person each day! Zero Waste Marin is asking businesses to lead the charge in keeping waste out of the landfill by composting and recycling in the workplace and at home.
learn more



Meeting El Nino This Winter
Are You Prepared?
Some great advice on how to get ready, from Augie Venezia of Fairfax Lumber and Hardware - click here.

2015 Spirit of Marin Award Winner is:   
Sustainable Fairfax  

(l-to-r)  Renee Goddard, Jennifer Hammond, Elizabeth Baker
 
Sustainable Fairfax is this year's winner of the Spirit Of Marin Award for Fairfax. The organization's contributions to the awareness and practice of sustainable and healthy choices for our town, its residents, and beyond were recognized at the Awards Luncheon held in September.  Approximately 500 people from across Marin attended the event.   
 
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Take The Survey!  
Streets For People 
August 2015 Event 
  
Did you participate in Streets for People? As a participant?  As a merchant or vendor?

Please let us know your thoughts about how to improve the event next year.
Thank you.

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Chamber Seeks
New Executive Director   
 

Bob Kopelman is retiring as Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce after serving almost 3 years in the position. 
The Chamber is seeking a new E.D.  Bob will help during the transition until a new E.D. comes onboard.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in the position, have them email their resume and cover letter to David Smadbeck.
For a detail job description, click here.