2019 GPNA Annual Meeting Recap

 Thanks to all who renewed their membership and showed up to our annual meeting last night (for those that still need to renew, you can do it here ;-)). It was a success! The GPNA board gave an update on all our past activities, outlined what to expect in 2019, and debuted our 2018 slideshow. Thanks to Mayor Phillips, the SRPD and SRFD for spending your evening with us.

Above is the full presentation, but if you want the highlights, here you go:

• We voted in two new board members, Odessa Shekar and Jennifer Horta. Congrats and welcome!
• Thanks to the Hugo Landecker Estate Donation of $10,000 and our annual Paramount/Netflix donation ($3.5K), the GPNA has an amazing balance sheet! This gives us runway to continue putting on great events and reinvesting in the community. 
  • With the Paramount funds we intend to partner with the City to refurbish the tennis court in Gerstle Park. 
• The City will break ground on fixing Gerstle Park sidewalks in March, and will invite additional homeowners to participate in the San Rafael Sidewalk Repair Program in March (visit their website for more details).
• Since PorchFest 2018 was such a success, The GPNA plans to host PorchFest 2019 in Sept. Stay tuned for more details, and if you're interested in volunteering, email sanrafaelporchfest@gmail.com. 
• Construction on the new Albert Park started, and it should reopen in April! Be on the lookout for details about the park ribbon-cutting ceremony that should take place in late April. 
• The Marin Sustainability team came out to talk about all the programs we can take advantage of to make our homes more energy efficient. If you'd like a FREE, third-party, home energy advisor to help you figure out how you can make your home more energy efficient, call: (866) 878-6008. Visit www.BayRENResidential.org to see if you qualify for any energy rebates.

After what happened in Paradise, fire safety is top of mind for everyone. The Mayor mentioned the City is considering a parcel tax to increase funds to ensure we can do EVERYTHING recommended to keep us safe. Quinn Gardner, Emergency Planner, walked through what the San Rafael Fire Department does daily to keep our community safe from fires, and she outlined the city's "Wildfire Action Plan," sharing what elements of the plan currently have funding/resources and what don't.  As we all know, nothing is fireproof, but there is a lot we all can do to make us safer ---  visit cityofsanrafael.org/wildfire-action-plan to learn more. 

Mayor Phillips gave a quick overview about the 2040 plan and how the city is doing tackling the homeless problem.  The good news: homelessness was down the past couple years, and they anticipate the trend to continue this year.   And, Captain McElderry from the SRPD spoke about how crime stats in our neighborhood are down, and highlighted some of the great work our police officers do day-to-day.

Thanks for all those who came! See you around the neighborhood.