Mayor's Weekly (Dec 16 - Dec 29)

It has been just a couple of weeks since I was chosen to serve as Mayor and it is truly an honor, but also quite humbling.  Now that I am in that role, I figured a weekly blog would be very fitting and a great way to share city happenings.  I certainly have to give full credit for his idea to former Mill Valley Mayor Andy Berman who also used to write a weekly blog for the patch—thanks for the idea Andy!  I hope to post weekly (although this one goes back 2 weeks because of the holidays) and to share some city news, events and meetings on the horizon, and on occasion a few spontaneous thoughts… so here goes:

On my Mind
On December 17th, I had my first council meeting in the Mayor’s chair.  Since that time, many have asked how one gets to be Mayor.  In Novato, we never directly a Mayor, but instead the 5 council members vote to choose their Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem amongst themselves.  There is only 1 city in Marin that directly elects their mayor (see if you can guess what city that is).  Historically, the Mayor and Mayor Pro tem are chosen once a year and how they finished in their last election is typically an indicator of who is next in line.  Looking ahead to next year, I hope we can continue to stay focused on our strategic plan and our four main goals.  2014 will be an important year as we plan to address long-term fiscal sustainability, make preliminary decisions on the North Redwood Corridor, and continue working on an updated General Plan.  Beyond those, a few specific items I am focused on include our Downtown Theater and possibly even a downtown multiplex, adoption of a plastic bag ban ordinance, and ongoing efforts to reduce alcohol use amongst youth.

While I was introduced to a new seat on the council, I also said goodbye to an old seat on December 23rd—but this one was at Candlestick Park.  I have many great memories at the Stick where I watched my first live baseball and football games as a kid.  Most recently, I have enjoyed cheering for the Niners and on Monday they certainly gave the fans something to get excited about with Bowman’s dramatic interception near the end of the game.  Farewell Candlestick!

Around Town
Rombeiro Christmas House Lights up Novato – Special thanks to the Rombeiro’s for sharing their Christmas House yet again this year.  Novato truly has an incredible community thanks to individuals like the Rombeiro family who continually go the extra mile.  If you haven’t seen it yet, there is still time.  The Christmas house is open until January 6th.  Visit http://rombeiro-christmas-house.com/ for more information.

My Thai II in Downtown is Staying Busy – Finally got a chance to eat at My Thai II on Grant.  We have always enjoyed My Thai in San Rafael so were very excited to see them in Novato.  If you go, I recommend the Drunken Noodle--I added seafood for just a few bucks more.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday:
Say goodbye to 2013 and don’t forget to make those end of year contributions to your favorite non-profits

Wednesday:
Happy New Year!

Thursday:
Downtown Novato Business Association General Membership Meeting
First meeting of 2014--and Election of the DNBA Board
Date: 1/2/2014 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Trek Winery
1026 Machin Ave, Downtown Novato