City Council
Sean McGrew, One of the Most Impactful Figures in Recent Mill Valley History, Passed Away in Late February – He Will Be Deeply Missed – a GoFundMe Seeks Contributions Toward Memorial Benches in Both San Francisco and Mill Valley
With very heavy hearts, we announce the tragic loss of our brother and dear friend, Sean McGrew. Sean passed away suddenly, tragically, but peacefully on Friday, February 28th. Sean was born and raised in San Francisco and had long career in Recreation and Parks. Contributions are much appreciated and will go towards Memorial Benches in both San Francisco and Mill Valley.
Read MoreAfter a Hugely Successful Ballot Measure L in 2024 to Address Massive Infrastructure Needs of $150 Million to $180 Million in the Next 10-15 Years, City Officials Now Look to Implement the 1% Sales Tax Hike, Effective April 1st
Effective April 1, 2025, the sales tax rate for the City of Mill Valley will increase from 8.25% to 9.25% All taxpayers will receive a special notice regarding new sales and use tax rates effective April 1, 2025, 30 days before the new rates start either via e-notice or a letter format that has a “Special Notice” on the top. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration will post the notice on their Special Notices and Notification Letters website. https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/news/special-notices-and-notification-letters.htm. Approved by Mill Valley voters with the passage of Measure L in November 2024, this local sales tax increase of 1% is estimated to bring our community an additional $4.2 million in revenue per year. The City will begin receiving funds in June 2025 to directly support community identified priorities such as wildfire prevention, roads, bridges, emergency routes, flood mitigation, hillside stabilization, and repairing City facilities like the Public Safety Building, Community Center, Library, as well as City playgrounds and fields.
Read MorePaula Reynolds, Advocating for Mill Valley, For Decades, Has Been a Force of Nature for Good in Every Aspect Within Her Beloved Mill Valley Community and Beyond, Raising Children, Supporting an Ever-Growing Brood of Grandchildren and Relentlessly Calling for Vitality in the 94941!
Over the past several months, the City of Mill Valley has made a point to highlight some of the legions of local volunteers who have made an ongoing positive impact to the community. That has included longtime Mill Valley resident Joan Murray, multi-faceted arts patron Vera Meislin and the remarkable contributions of Hugh Kuhn. In March, Paula Reynolds is an oh-so-worthy honoree.
Read MoreMarin IJ: Bay Area Health Leaders Reflect on COVID’s 5-Year Mark
But what was supposed to be a three-week pause on normal life to relieve crowded emergency rooms stretched to a months-long slog of restrictions that lasted into June 2021, six months after vaccines became available, with mask and vaccine mandates stretching well into 2022, longer than in other states. “The later decisions about when and how to reopen,” Cody conceded, “those were much more complicated.” Her former counterpart in Marin County, Dr. Matt Willis, went a step further. “A lot of our early thinking was organized almost purely around preventing transmission,” said Willis, who retired last year. “But I think we could have been more tolerant of certain forms of gatherings earlier on if we had recognized the benefits of those things.”
Read MoreGoodman Building Supply, Owned by President Zviki Govrin and Operated by a Stellar Group of Longtime Employees, Celebrates Its 70th Year in Business on Wednesday, July 9th, 6:45am-7pm!!
“The reason Goodman’s has lasted 70 years in this age of bigger and bigger big-box stores is our biggest commitment is in our dedication to customer service to the almost half-million people in the community that through our doors each year,” Govrin said. Govrin said that in addition to the store continued deep ties to organizations like Kiddo! and the Tam High Foundation, Goodman’s has made great strides in recent years to go green, getting honored in 2008 by the Marin County Board of Supervisors as a certified Green Business, then the county’s first hardware store to do so. The store now boasts nearly 7,500 green products.
Read MoreNominations Are Now Open for the 2025 Milley Awards for Creative Achievement – This 33-Year-Old Mill Valley Gala Sponsored by the MV Arts Commission & Volunteer Committee Honors Local Artists in a Variety of Categories & Who Have Contributed Greatly to the Arts Community of Mill Valley
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Milley Awards for Creative Achievement. This 33-year-old Mill Valley gala event sponsored by the Mill Valley Arts Commission and the volunteer Milley Executive Committee, honors local artists in the literary, visual, musical, and performance arts as well as those who have contributed greatly to the arts community of Mill Valley. Nominations with a maximum of 10 pages of supporting materials for each candidate are due at Mill Valley City Hall no later than noon on Thursday, April 17. To download the 2025 Nomination Brochure and Form, go to https://milleyawards.org/nominations/. The 2025 Milley Awards dinner and ceremony will be held at the Mill Valley Community Center from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, October 26, 2025. Save the date!
Read MoreIslands: One Of California’s Friendliest Cities Is An Artsy, Bustling Gem That Resembles A European Village – You Only Get One Guess!
No matter the time of year, Mill Valley is buzzing with activity. The small, yet vibrant town is a paradise for artsy souls, from film fanatics to theater lovers. In fact, the town hosts an array of annual artsy events like the Mill Valley Film Festival. Taking place each October, this 11-day event draws in thousands of cinephiles, screening creations from over 200 filmmakers in the town’s local theaters. Furthermore, if you visit during the summer, you can catch the Mountain Play, an outdoor musical production put on by the local theater troupe. This annual play is set on the Cushing Memorial Amphitheater stage against a breathtaking mountain backdrop.
Read MoreMill Valley Celebrates 125 – Save the Date for the 125th Anniversary Celebration!!
Our intent for the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the City of Mill Valley is to bring our community together for a common awareness and commitment to this special town and surrounding community. As part of that effort, the Mill Valley 125th Anniversary Committee is sponsoring a series of articles by noted local historian and author Joyce Kleiner. These articles are intended to foster understanding, and pride, in Mill Valley’s history, and will focus on some of the people and events that shaped Mill Valley’s spirit of stewardship, volunteerism, and community involvement. Our efforts will culminate in a wide range events on Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 2025, including an historically-themed parade, live music, an ice cream social, screenings of historical videos, and tours of the Old Mill.
Read MoreNew Bay Area Fire-Hazard Maps: Is Your City Among Those Seeing Striking Increases? ‘Zone 0’ Regulations Coming for Highest-Severity Level
On the heels of former Mayor John McCauley and a number of figures within Mill Valley and beyond concerned about fire danger as city and county officials seeks to build more housing, word came this week about new Bay Area fire-hazard maps, with the obvious question being: Is your city among those seeing striking increases? Cal Fire’s Fire Hazard Severity maps for local jurisdictions, issued in 2011, are being updated, with Bay Area maps released Monday. While the old maps showed only areas deemed “very high” hazard, the new ones show that category, with “high” and “moderate” below it. Homeowners who live in areas now deemed at very high hazard on the maps will have to comply with “Zone 0” regulations expected to take effect at the start of next year that include a mandated five-foot zone around every house free of flammable materials vulnerable to flying embers.
Read MoreRoCo Dance and Studios’ “Classes with Mary” Kick Off in March, with Pilates, Sculates, Stretch & Refresh and More!
One of the many performers who helped make it such a beautiful success was, as has long been the case, was Roco Dance & Fitness. As you likely know, Roco Dance & Fitness does much more throughout the year than just participate in Winterfest. That includes “Classes with Mary.” “Mary has been teaching at RoCo Dance for 20+ years,” says RoCo Dance Artistic Director Sadie Carhart.” “She is an incredible instructor and human.”
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