Next Meeting: 3rd Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 7:30 p.m.

Present: Elizabeth Moody, chair; Janet Coe, Marna Cohen, Dennis Klein, David Levin, Phil Richardson

Tag-Line and Car Sign for Parade

Elizabeth Moody showed the red, white and blue "Action Coalition for Equity" sign that Larry Bryson of Novato had e-mailed, as an example of a good design idea for our modeling. It gave Dennis Klein the idea we might create a parade banner stating "Take Action for Equity." In discussing further tag-lines for MVAHC, Dennis humorously suggested,
Here to care about one another? OR, I've got Mine. Why should I care about you.
Even though humorous, it could draw attention in the annual May parade.

City Housing Element|
David Levin read the letter from response by Planning and Building Director, Mike Moore, to the letter he sent February 6th asking for the City's schedule information for the housing element work. Moore wrote they were still working out "the specific details of the timing and work effort for the General Plan and Housing Element updates . . . with having an adopted General Plan and Housing Element by mid-2013." He mentioned 3 "Working Groups": Land Use and Mobility, Natural Environment and Community Vitality, to be selected from applications by mid-March, to work along with the General Plan Advisory Committee, and beginning meetings in mid-April. These would be working to provide policy and a program framework that will allow drafting the General Plan, including the Housing Element, to be presented for public hearings before the Planning Commission in early 2013. He mentioned getting regular information and updates through e-news on the City web site. Elizabeth Moody, with agreement from Phil Richardson, said that the current trying to get information or be able to respond to new website www.MV2040.org was difficult and extremely complicated.

Mike Moore offered to meet further with our group, and Dennis Klein wanted to invite his attending our next meeting. Whether he would have time for the night meeting was questioned, and Dennis Klein volunteered to write a letter that would ask for more specific program details and timelines. Dennis talked about the importance of Sustainability to planning with its coordination and relationships within the three E's: Economics, Equity, and Environment.

The recently organized ACE (Action Coalition for Equity) was mentioned by Elizabeth, with its make up of a majority of racially black members, some Hispanics and an Asian, recognized by the Board of Supervisors and providing its comments on the County's, with city Cooperative Agreements, to the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing. They are also working with HUD on Title VI issues. Kevin Casey, employee of The Redwoods, happened to come in and agreed with Elizabeth that with 165 employees for The Redwoods'330 residents, a majority are black plus many Hispanics, with only one black employee living in the next door affordable Pickleweed Apartments. 65 employees live out of the County, with Kevin saying quite a few coming from Vallejo. David Levin says he often rides his bike or takes the bus to work, and at the early morning San Rafael station, there is always a long line of Hispanics heading for work.

Sites for building affordable housing remain a tremendous problem, with the group wondering if any sites might be addressed with owners for cooperating with an organization like EAH for building affordable housing. MCF might assist as well. We were sorry Larry Davis was not with us to follow up on rehabilitating older existing apartments and condominiums. Dennis Klein said that we need a land inventory, looking at every building in town, along with maps. We need to convince the town regarding the need and compatibility of added density with what is expressed as town core values. David Levin said there is legal requirement for the city to identify 296 units that it has not addressed at all.

This led to stressing the need for our members to write more Letters to Editors and finding ways to reach out to Friends of Mill Valley. We need to produce and distribute, along with the City, fine examples in architectural design that give residents models they can approve, with energy efficient, mixed units allowing residents to walk for shopping and jobs locally and house our aging not choosing to continue homes in hillside living. Dennis Klein said we must move away from fortune "homes flipping" that are built larger and continue sprawl. Importance and helpfulness was indicated regarding Robert Silvestri's proposal to the town in early January on developing and utilizing a site criteria analysis that would list a series of points for rating development. This would be very helpful for community information and planning hearings that could ease proposal acceptances. We discussed briefly Phil Richardson's current site at Blithedale near Camino Alto, coming up for EIR hearings. He will discuss this more at our next meeting.

We want to address that people do not want development "destroying Mill Valley." Rentals are too high and much needed. We can improve the town with good rehab encouraged.

Thank You Letter to MCF

Elizabeth Moody distributed and read a letter to Dr. Tom Peters of MCF, commending and thanking him and MCF for the work of MCHAI staff, including the work of Robert Hickey with hope of replacing him from NPH on his leaving for Washington, D.C., and continuing of the work of MCHAI. The letter was praised and unanimously approved for mailing from MVAHC.

The meeting ended at 8:45 p.m. and next meeting was set for 3rd Wednesday , March 21, 2012.