Attend San Rafael City Meetings. Help Your Community Thrive.
It’s important that you attend city meetings to stay informed, make comments and help shape the community you want to live in. See highlighted links below for meeting calendars and agendas.
The San Rafael City Council (link) consists of a Mayor, elected at large, and four Councilmembers elected by district. Councilmembers are required to live in the district they represent. The mission of the City of San Rafael is to enhance the quality of life and provide for a safe, healthy, prosperous, and livable environment in partnership with the community.
The Design Review Board (link) consists of design professionals appointed by the City Council to provide advice on new development projects and most exterior changes to existing buildings. The scope of the DRB authority is to review and make recommendations on design matters such as architecture, mass, bulk, site planning, site improvements, color, materials, and landscaping.
The Planning Commission (link) consists of citizen volunteers appointed by the City Council to make decisions or advise the Council on land use and property development issues. The Commission assures that new development is consistent with our long-range General Plan, State laws, and other public policies that advance the interests of our community.
Volunteers
Be a Volunteer
It’s so rewarding to be part of a movement to help our community thrive. RGM is managed completely by volunteers; consider joining one of the teams below that best suits your interests and skills, and the team leader will contact you to discuss volunteer opportunities.
Join a Team
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This team builds relationships with community groups (HOAs, PTAs, Senior Living communities, etc.), local business owners, local and national advocacy organizations to ensure they have factual and current information. We want to collaborate with like-minded advocacy groups to support each other and gain a stronger influence with the City, mall owner and the community to develop a community-driven, sustainable, and profitable solution to make North San Rafael including Northgate Mall a vibrant destination.
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This team evaluates the demographic, infrastructure, economic and site planning factors that support the concept of creating a “Town Center” at North San Rafael including Northgate Mall. This vision is outlined in the San Rafael General Plans 2020 and 2040 and was promised by the current developer/owner. We envision an approach that creates a vibrant and inclusive destination for the immediate neighborhoods and surrounding North Bay communities. A new, forward thinking mixed-use development will establish an exciting, successful and environmentally responsible destination that celebrates and serves a new dynamic community and knits itself seamlessly into the place we call home.
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This team reviews available information on new development proposals in North San Rafael and gathers documents/data on environmental issues (air quality, health risk, greenhouse gas emissions/climate change, noise, traffic, etc.) for similar developments. The team also reviews the City’s staff reports and environmental-review documents for consistency with the California Environmental Quality Act and land use laws, as well as exchanges and coordinates information with the Legal and Research teams.
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This team is responsible for procuring funds from individuals, businesses, and foundations that support RGM’s mission. This team will draft and submit grant applications, create an annual fundraising plan and coordinate with the Marketing & PR team to create direct mail/social media fundraising campaigns. This team will work with the Power in Numbers team to stage events and annual benefit.
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This team advises on future legal steps/actions to be taken at any stage of the Northgate Square redevelopment by monitoring input from other work teams with respect to legal issues; and develops legal points for discussion/distribution. The team prepares Public Records Requests and reviews information provided by the City of San Rafael and in response; coordinates with RGM leadership about outreach to City Council members and Marin County Board of Supervisors, as well as other City and County officials. In the event litigation becomes necessary, the team identifies litigation counsel and in conjunction with Environmental team identifies technical experts. It also advises RGM on appropriate procedures to maintain non-profit status.
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This team, in coordination with other teams, develops marketing strategies and campaigns for RGM to promote the group’s position and vision. It creates content and designs marketing materials that are in line with our goals and educates the community through a variety of platforms including social media and print media. The team also manages the content on the website and across platforms that is consistent and factual and responds as necessary.
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This team is our “boots on the ground” – and we need an army of “PINs!” Prior to the pandemic, this team was instrumental in distributing flyers, setting up tables, and doing all the logistics for RGMs in-person large meetings. Now PINs are RGMs ambassadors sharing RGM’s mission and goals with neighbors, friends, and everyone they encounter. As needed, they attend public meetings, coordinate letter/email writing campaigns to City officials, input data into our database, and take minutes to zoom meetings.
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This team manages the overall RGM organization, mission, and builds relationships and communicates with the City and like-minded organizations. It archives critical documents, sets agendas, manages “All Volunteers” and RGM Supporters meetings as needed, and works with team leaders to provide updates biweekly. Project Management distributes information as necessary and resolves ad hoc issues.
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The Research Team supports other RGM Teams through focused research into discrete issues and document reviews and tracking such topics as how mid-market malls nationwide are adapting to the country’s change in retail habits.
RGM understands the need for additional housing and generally supports projects that are reasonable in size and sympathetic in style to the existing neighborhood. The Research Team will continue to monitor the many complex State housing laws and proposals as well as investigate creative town planning ideas (such as the “missing middle” housing concept) that might be a good fit for Northgate and North San Rafael.
If unable to volunteer, consider donating. Another way to get involved is by discussing RGM’s efforts with friends/neighbors. Attending your city’s public meetings/hearings, submitting comments, and completing city surveys. Civic participation is incredibly gratifying, and you’ll witness firsthand the difference together we can make!
Stay Updated
By joining Responsible Growth in Marin’s list of Supporters you’ll receive complimentary newsletters providing updates on RGMs progress, community updates, invitations to RGM Supporters meetings and special alerts on specific important issues.
We value your privacy so your information will remain confidential, we will not share your information with anyone and/or any other organizations. You may unsubscribe at any time.