On the weekend of May 17--with warm temps and lots of sunshine--we launched the swim season for 2013 and welcomed nearly 800 patrons who splashed and swam in the heated waters of Hamilton Pool. More than 35,000 people utilized the pool last year, and to ensure that our residents continue to have access to this community asset, we partner with the City of San Rafael to assists us with the operations such as providing lessons, classes, special events, and coordinating rentals, while we continue to maintain the pool and facilities. A cost-effective and efficient solution that benefits our community!
 

Whether its the operation and maintenance of our community facilities or the hundreds of services we provide, we are always balancing the needs of our residents with the costs associated with providing those amenities and services. To better understand your needs and overall satisfaction, we recently conducted a survey of the community and will be reporting on the results at the June 11 City Council meeting. This information is integral as we develop our budget and long-term financial plan. To learn more about our fiscal sustainability efforts, sign up for our e-notify service and check "budget meetings" under the events calendar and/or "budget updates" in the news section.

So check out our pool schedule, our many parks and camp programs for kids (see article in this issue), and the fun festivals and celebrations we have going on this summer--Novato is a great place to stay LOCAL!

Preparing budgets for the next year, developing long-term financial plans to ensure our fiscal health, and fighting to keep our money local are just some of the things we've been working on.

This month, we will be holding town hall meetings to discuss options for fiscal sustainability and on June 25, the Council will consider adopting the FY13-14 budget.   

In other City news:

The Novato Police Department is partnering with Novato Unified School District to reach out to students and provide drug and alcohol education and intervention. More folks are now receiving alerts from the NPD via Nixel for news and alerts--sign up today--its quick and easy!

The City hosted a "tabletop" disaster exercise and was joined by the Water, Fire, Sanitary and School Districts, Novato Community Hospital, and the Chamber of Commerce. The group worked through a 7.9 magnitude earthquake scenario and all the challenges therein: how and where to get resources for the community, succession planning of elected and professional staff, and communication protocols and challenges. The exercise was based on training designed by the California Emergency Management Agency to assist communities with disaster preparedness. Are you prepared? Sign up for our free, two-hour, 'Get Ready' Community Disaster Preparedness course that is offered regularly.

The City Council received the results of a citywide retail market analysis, approved a ban of polystrene containers which will take effect the first of next year, and enacted a moratorium on development for North Redwood Blvd Corridor to allow for more thorough study and community feedback on the possibilities for this key commercial corridor in our City.