We've had quite a bit of heavy weather over the last couple of weeks, and our Public Safety and Public Works staff have responded to dozens of calls for service, including issues related to mudslides, trees down and road closures. I want to complement our Public Works, Fire and Police staff for their excellent preparedness and responses to the recent storms. Our personnel stand ready to serve their community night and day, they work very hard for the safety of our residents and businesses. They are capable professionals, and we here in Mill Valley are in very good hands because we have them looking out for us.

I also want to thank the folks who assist with communications before and during these storm events. They have done a remarkable job, and I want to appreciate them for their work at all hours of the day to keep us informed. That work, both the preparation before and their updates during the storm, has been recognized by several of our residents who have expressed their appreciation of our efforts in this area.

I'd also like to thank the community for your role in preparing for storms and other emergencies. It helps us to be able to respond when folks are paying attention and all participating in our various alert systems.

The winter is not yet over, but we hope that we will continue to dodge the bullets, and if a big storm is imminent, we appreciate residents taking the time to prepare their home, business, and family for whatever may come. So far, things have been wet but generally cooperative and we hope it continues in that fashion.

In an emergency, communication is crucial to the safety of all residents and businesses. Please bookmark or sign up for the communications methods listed below. 

• Alert Marin - Enter your telephone number and email address and this County-wide program will give you a call, text, or email if there is an emergency in our area.
• Nixle - The Mill Valley Police Department uses Nixle to send timely public safety alerts to your phone or email. 
• NextDoor - The City regularly provides updates to this private, neighborhood-based social network. The City can issue emergency alerts that will go directly to your email inbox.
• Facebook - The City provides regular updates to Facebook including emergency preparedness news.
• City Twitter - Check the City of Mill Valley Twitter account for real-time updates. 
• MVPD Twitter - The Mill Valley Police Department is often first on-scene and updates their Twitter feed with real-time information.
• Sign up for MyCity eNotifications - You MyCity account allows you to manage email notifications from our website including Emergency Preparedness updates from the Fire Department and Weekly Road Closures from Public Works.

The Code Enforcement Office at the City of Mill Valley has been busy in recent weeks following up on 18 formal complaints regarding encroachments onto Steps, Lanes, and Paths. We have cleared and finalized 9 of these complaints and are in the process of addressing the balance of them directly with the adjacent property owners.   

For more information on the City's response to community concerns about Steps, Lanes, and Paths click here.

Over the course of the next few months we will be updating our Communications Plan and evaluating all of the tools we use to engage with the community. MVConnect has become an important part of public engagement, and we invite you to share your thoughts with us - what you like, and how we can make it better.

Click here to take our MVConnect survey

Mill Valley Recreation and Community Center's inaugural Marin Wedding Fair was a fabulous success with a diverse group of over 60 Northern California vendors participating (15 of which were Mill Valley based).  The fair included live music, amazing food and attracted over 500 guests in attendance. 

  See pictures from the wedding fair  |   Watch a video of the fair

Join our team at Mill Valley Recreation.

The City of Mill Valley is currently recruiting for multiple positions including:

Engineering Manager

Project Manager

Recreation:

KidzWatch Staff

Lifeguard

Click here to view all employment opportunities. 

The community and City Council has raised concerns over the announcement to remove three redwood trees on Miller Avenue. City staff has taken a closer look at the issue.

The overarching goal of the Miller Avenue Streetscape project is to improve the deteriorated infrastructure, increase safety and maintain our unique City identity. The design planned to retain the three redwood trees, but a final determination was not feasible until portions of the roadway and landscaping area were removed to fully assess the health of the trees and their root systems. This exploration is what is taking place now.

Sunday, February 26 at 11:00am
Mill Valley Community Center
$8 each, children 3 & under are FREE!  

Bob's combination of magic, juggling and tongue twisting will have everyone in the audience laughing and quite impressed. Tickets are on sale at the Community and Aquatics/Fitness Centers - 180 Camino Alto.

  

Upcoming performances:
March 26th - Timothy James - Magician
April 23rd - Unique Derique - Body percussion and juggling comedy

Jazz Hudson emcees as teens compete in an event that is part performance, part spoken word. Contestants often draw upon racial and/or economic themes, gender injustices, and current events for subject matter.

For adults and high school students only. Registration required. 

For 2017-2018 Gallery Shows at Mill Valley City Hall and the Community Center venues 

The Mill Valley Arts Commission is now accepting 2D artwork (sorry, we cannot accommodate 3D art or jewelry) from artists and/or guest curators in the greater Bay Area to be considered for a show in the City Hall Council Chambers or Mill Valley Community Center. Some of the shows may include more than one artist. Shows are hung for one month; opening receptions are held on the first Tuesday of the month, and are part of the monthly Mill Valley gallery ArtWalks.

Click here to learn more.

All interested musical artists are encouraged to apply. Please note that in order to provide the widest opportunity for local musicians, those performers who participated in the 2016 Concerts on the Plaza will not be eligible for the 2017 series.

Click here for more information

From 1896 to 1930, Mill Valley was home to the "Crookedest Railroad in the World" when the Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway carried passengers from downtown Mill Valley to Mt. Tam's picturesque east peak and into Muir Woods.

Join us for an invigorating ride through Mill Valley's unique past as author, historian, archivist, and scenic railroad enthusiast, Fred Runner, talks about the railroad and Howard Folker's carefully hand crafted "1915" model of the Tamalpais (Shay) engine, now on display in the Mill Valley Library's Lucretia Little History Room through May. Fred will be joined by Dore Coller and the Millbillies who will perform their new hit song The Old Railroad Grade.

Registration recommended. Click here to register.

Do you want to save water? Are you ready to replace your lawn? In this class, Marin Master Gardener Laura Nicoletti, will cover how to replace your lawn and save water while creating a diverse habitat attractive to bees and butterflies. Participants will learn how to remove (or replace) turf without using chemicals, build healthy soil, select drought tolerant plants, install sheet-mulching, and generally create a beautiful and sustainable landscape or garden that pollinators will love to visit.

Registration recommended. Click here to register.

This unique six-week program consists of skill-building sessions on Wednesdays and league games on Saturdays. Spring Soccer 2017 will be structured like the Winter Indoor Soccer  League, with coaches entering teams, and players being able to register as confirmed team members or as unaffiliated players to be placed on teams. 

Register by March 17, 2017 - Players registering after 3/17/17 are automatically placed on a wait list and added on a space-available basis. 

  Click here for more information