Finance Subcommittee 10/13/2026

The City of San Rafael Finance Subcommittee met on October 13, 2026. It approved the June 9 subcommittee minutes. On Marin Sanitary Service’s 2027 franchise-rate adjustment, staff reported a preliminary base increase of 6.82%, driven in part by landfill tipping and organics-processing costs. The City is considering reinstating its suspended vehicle impact fee, which supports roadway and pavement maintenance and represents roughly $1.5 million annually. The consultant recommended a forward-looking, phased reinstatement rather than a retroactive catch-up; the first phase would add about 1.57 percentage points to the rate. Staff requested feedback for a future Council discussion; no rate or fee action was taken at this meeting.

The subcommittee also discussed a draft policy to waive City development impact fees for 100%-affordable housing projects, with proposed rental affordability criteria averaging 60% of area median income and no units above 80%. The policy would cover park and transportation fees, not planning/building review or non-City fees, and received public support; no policy vote was taken. Separately, staff recommended approximately $50,000 in fee relief for Homeward Bound’s proposed 28-unit supportive housing conversion, including waiving planning and administrative fees but not outsourced building-review costs; the subcommittee discussed clarifying the City’s older waiver resolution. Finally, staff presented the draft storm drain master plan: it estimates $42.3 million to address remaining corrugated metal pipe replacement over 30 years and identifies a $4.4 million staffing request, an estimated $5.5 million funding shortfall, and potentially $14 million in annual needs under a 5% yearly cost-escalation assumption. These were discussion items, not approved procurements or expenditures.