Politics & Government
City Council Live Blog: Council Approves Moratorium on Group Homes
Check our live updates of the city council meeting tonight.
We'll be posting live updates from tonight's city council meeting. This morning, we that the city council will consider placing a moratorium on all unlicensed group homes in San Rafael, spurred by neighbors' concerns over two sober living facilities in Gerstle Park and Forbes neighborhoods.
The agenda is available to the right. Check back in to see what's going on.
10:23 p.m. - Meeting adjourned.
Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
10:20 p.m. - Council accepts staff report on the budget.
10:05 p.m. - Next meeting, Schutz plans to give a more exact estimate of the deficit the city is facing.
Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
10:01 p.m. - Factors effecting this coming fiscal year include pension costs, "one time" savings, modest revenue growth and low reserves.
9:55 p.m. - Schutz said that there was a 12 percent reduction in staff, which totaled a loss of 100,000 hours of work. State budget will only have a negative impact. "We've been seeing flat sales and property taxes," Schutz said.
9:50 p.m. - Interim City Manager Jim Schutz begins discussion on city's budget process.
9:35 p.m. - Council unanimously approved the moratorium.
9:34 p.m. - Council member Damon Connolly visited the Culloden Park home and was shocked to think of as many as 14 people living in the home.
9:31 p.m. - Council member Brockbank was shocked about the possibility of seven or more people living together in a sober living facility and scared about what that could mean for neighborhoods.
9:25 p.m. - Mayor Albert Boro sees this moratorium as a "time out." "We need to investigate this and we need to understand it," Boro said.
Council member Marc Levine congratulates the effectiveness of neighborhood advocacy can be. It's hard to see these facilities preserving that certain feeling in the neighborhood, Levine said.
9:20 p.m. - Perry Litchfield said that this doesn't have to be an issue of property values or addicts being in the neighborhood. "The issue should be what is the safety for those who are in recovery," he said. Litchfield is under the notion that there are no standards for unlicensed homes, and supports the moratorium because these homes are going to "need to be properly regulated."
9:02 p.m. - Michael Mclain is an outreach counselor and a recovering addict and believes that it is prejudice that is fueling the arguments against the group homes. If a moratorium is approved, he said many in recovery "will come to a standstill. They will be led to a cliff where all they can do is walk over."
9:00 p.m. - Steve Patterson of Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods said "San Rafael is seen as a dumping ground for clean and sober programs. The city has no clue as to how many of these programs even exist in the city."
8:56 p.m. - One neighbor says recovery has to happen in a safe environment. The Culloden and Marin Street properties do not offer this.
8:55 p.m. - George Ford said there are tight guidelines for owning and operating sober living environments. "These are contributing to the recovery of the community."
8:50 p.m. - Council member Greg Brockbank asks about "legal challenge" that Bay Area Sober Living refers to. Epstien explains that the letter is specifically referring to if the city adopts a moratorium. Bay Area Sober Living on 1 Colluden Park Rd.
8:45 p.m. - Unlicensed facilities are not a permitted use, Esptein said. The city is constrained from regulating homes with six or fewer people. He said that it is unlikely that the city will enforce code upon smaller homes of six or fewer people.
8:40 p.m. - Moratorium could last between 45 days to two years, if it extended, according to Epstein. "This is a very complicated issue," he said. Large residential care facilities consist of seven or more people and are licensed by the state.
8:36 p.m. - Epstein says that this issue has been discussed in several cities, including Los Angeles. He received a letter from an owner of Bay Area Sober Living, saying that he would possibly pursue legal action if the city chooses to approve a moratorium of sober living facilities.
8:31 p.m. - City Attorney Rob Epstein explains that "large unlicensed group homes" are not permitted under San Rafael Municipal Code Title 14.
8:30 p.m. - City council members approve the minutes of last meeting minutes.
8:24 p.m. - City council members call the meeting to order. No reportable action was taken in the private meeting.
8:14 p.m. - Approximately 160 people are sitting or standing in city hall.
7:49 p.m. - People are gathering in the city council chambers, waiting for the council members to come out of their private session about labor negotiations.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.