When it comes to sustainability, there's the carrot and the stick.
​The carrot is a series of cost-saving steps you can take for your business, while the stick is avoiding sustainability consequences – the Foodware Ordinance is now in effect and enforcement begins Nov. 10th. 
The free seminar featured Green Business Coordinator Mark Chhabria and Danielle Staude, the City of MV's sustainability coordinator. FULL STORY.

MORE INFO.

For City of Mill Valley questions, email Sustainability Coordinator Grace Ledwith here.
​For Foodware Ordinance questions outside City Limits,  GO HERE.
​For Green Business Program questions, email manager Mark Chhabria here.

​Some key slides from the seminar:

​Green Business Program

City of Mill Valley officials recently hired Grace Ledwith as its first New Climate Action/ Sustainability Coordinator, a brand new position for the City that couldn't come at a more opportune moment.

Ledwith's hiring is unique in that it her role will support sustainability for both Mill Valley and Tiburon as part of an effort to showcase the City's "shared dedication to a greener future.  

Ledwith brings more than four years in environmental education and outreach, with a strong focus on sustainability and conservation in the Bay Area. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Economics and Policy from UC Berkeley, and her journey includes leading campaigns to bridge communities with local sustainability issues during her tenure at University of California and the East Bay Regional Parks District. Beyond that, her expertise extends to policy work involving natural resource supply chains and research on local climate policies.

Grace will play a pivotal role as the sustainability coordinator to provide information and connect with various members of the community and city staff as the city works to address state and local sustainability initiatives.

​Of note will be her involvement in the Reusable Foodware Ordinance, led by Marin County. This forward-looking ordinance is set to revolutionize how food vendors operate by making compostable alternatives the new standard, reducing single-use food accessories, and promoting a more zero-waste approach.

If you have questions about the Foodware ordinance or any other sustainability-related concerns, reach out to Grace at 628.226.9907 or gledwith@cityofmillvalley.org.

Additional questions? Email us here.

In January, City of Mill Valley officials rolled out a four-page guide for new and seasoned employees in businesses and organizations throughout Mill Valley. The preparedness guide shined a spotlight on the possible disasters that might confront employees during their workday and teaches those who work in Mill Valley how to prepare for and to stay safe during a variety of emergencies. NOTE: YOU CAN VIEW AND PRINT THAT GUIDE HERE or click on the individual panels below to get full-page views of each slide below.  

This month, City officials are unveiling a preparedness guide specifically for Emergency Preparedness Guide for Leaders, under the auspices of the County of Marin's Office of Emergency Management. YOU CAN VIEW AND PRINT THE LATEST GUIDE HERE or click on the individual panels below to get full-page views of each slide below.

If you are interested in receiving more info about emergency preparedness and businesses/organizations, reach out to Michelle Terrell, Community Engagement Coordinator, at mterrell@cityofmillvalley.org.

As we head into summer, now is a great time to invest in your business via the county's Marin Green Business Program. 

It's a free, voluntary certification program that recognizes and promotes businesses committed to sustainable practices. 
​But most importantly, the program provides streamlined environmental assistance, improved operations through innovations and a wide range of money-saving opportunities, including:

• Demonstrate continuous compliance with applicable environmental regulations
• Conserve energy, water, and other materials
• Implement sound environmental practices that prevent pollution and waste generation
• Share environmentally responsible practices with other businesses in our community​

Take Tam Junction's Good Earth Natural Foods as an example. The store is widely known for 
its inventory of more than 95% of their groceries being organic. 

But when they built Good Earth in Tam Junction, the owners achieved an overall recyclable diversion (waste) rate of 80% (Marin county requires 50%). All of the tile used in the store is 70% recycled, locally sourced clay materials with over 50% post consumer waste. All lighting in the store uses a control system that utilizes day lighting zones and motion detectors. All light fixtures in the store are LED controllable through an energy management system. 

The county's program provides technical assistance and resources to help you implement sustainable practices that will reduce waste, conserve energy and water, improve air quality, and enhance your overall operational efficiency.

Businesses in more than 20 different industries, including auto repair shops, printers, hotels, restaurants, landscapers, wineries, janitorial and laundry services, grocery and retail stores, home remodelers, attorneys, architects, engineers, gift services, and a variety of office and home-based businesses, have successfully met the standards and are now recognized as California Green Businesses. Use the links below to learn more about guidelines for:

• Auto Repair
• Hotels
• Landscapers
• Printers
• Remodelers
• Restaurants
• All Other Businesses

Certified Green Businesses get a listing in the statewide Green Business Directory, as well as access to the program logo and marketing assets, so you can let your community know that you share their concern about the environment.

Since launching in 2002, the program has certified over 400 Marin businesses from a wide range of industries, including retail, restaurants, hospitality, manufacturing, professional services, and even home-based businesses.

Ready to take the next step toward a greener local economy? Register here to get your certification process started today.

There are more than 3,500 certified Green Businesses located in the state.
​CHECK THEM OUT HERE AND JOIN THEM!!

Green Business promotions work! Current and new customers will see your business in an earth-friendly, positive light. The Green Business Program will promote your: Environmental Responsibility, Good Business Practices and Community Concern.

​MORE INFO.

HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED IN 3 EASY STEPS.

Turbulence. Disruption. Tragic levels of revenue loss.

These were the words used to track the years 2020 and 2021, and quite a bit of 2022.
But according to the Marin Economic Forum and specifically the 2022 annual report of the Marin County Visitors Bureau, which promotes tourism in Marin, numbers are looking up, up and away.

According to the data, hotel occupancy increased from 2021 to 2022, averaging 72% occupancy and generating Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) of more than $1.5 million in 2022, up significantly from the almost $1.1 million collected in 2021. More people are staying in Marin, which is a more important metric than people visiting Marin from a revenue perspective, given the average spend of an overnight guest is $147/person compared to just $59/person for day trippers (MEF 2019).

Why the tourism sector is so important for Marin’s future
A recent report commissioned by “Visit California,” the state’s tourism agency, suggests tourism in California is almost to peak levels in 2019 and well on its way to a full recovery. As a $135 billion industry, that is good news for the state and the many businesses and employees that associate with the sector. But what about Marin? How are we doing and what is our outlook?

Marin’s overall tourism performance is impressive, with total travel spending in Marin reported at $852.2 million, surpassing the $832 million reported in 2019, which itself was a seven-year high. These revenues generated over $73 million in state and local taxes, while providing employment to an estimated 5,600 people. According to MEF’s own figures, the number of workers in Marin County that serve the tourism market could be as high as 30,000 - a huge portion of our approximately 120,000 jobs in the county, when occupations at hotels, restaurant, retail and other entertainment is considered.
So, strictly from a numbers perspective, the importance of the tourism sector cannot be understated. Ask local elected leaders of our many cities and towns and they will collectively agree on the important economic opportunities visitors bring their downtowns. But there are reasons beyond local spending why tourism is important in Marin:

1. As an industry, tourism leverages the existing natural beauty resources of the county, and doesn’t require a large footprint of buildings, relative to some other big industries. Marin County has made a tremendous effort over decades to protect open space and coastal areas not only for preservation but so residents (and visitors) can enjoy these spaces with a light footprint. The win-win effect is that we safeguard our environment while creating economic opportunities that are a direct result of the conservation effort.
2. There are low barriers to entry for tourism-related local businesses. While Marin’s economy includes sophisticated sectors like biotech, IT and healthcare, which can require huge amounts of upfront capital to launch, most of the small businesses operating in the tourism sector rely on simple business models and minor capital requirements. From kayak rentals to event planners to charter fishing, tourism entrepreneurs have proven models and more immediate business ownership opportunities.
3. Tourism will always be an important sector in Marin. The Marin economy is diverse, however, over time some industries have come and gone, while new ones (like biotech) were not even considered in Marin just 20 years ago. With protected natural assets, a dynamic regional economy, and always high interest in neighboring wine country or the many sporting and corporate events that draw visitors to the Bay Area, there will always be interest to visit and play in Marin.
4. Tourism leads to growth in additional sectors. Visitors to Marin do not just come for the views. In West Marin, farms and ranches have been hosting tourists for meals and direct to consumer sales, bringing more economic activity to that sector. Most jurisdictions in Marin host some kind of event, be it the Fairfax Festival, the County Fair or otherwise, that rely on local labor, talent and businesses. The direct and indirect spending effects from tourism are among the most important of any sector in Marin.

The most recent data regarding our tourism sector confirms it is on a steady return, on pace to surpass our previous high levels pre-pandemic. The data underlies a sentiment most of us residents already had, that our natural assets, if well managed, can provide economic and social benefits today and for years to come.

The Mill Valley Chamber's collective hearts are as heavy as they can be this week with the tragic loss of James "Tony" Coyle, a longtime Chamber member and Ambassador whose words brought laughter and whose deeds directly impacted the lives of those around him for the better.

Tony has left us at 83 years old.

We'll leave it to some of his Chamber colleagues to express their thoughts and condolences.

But few are more equipped to share their love and loss of Tony than our Lead Ambassador, Phil Garrett. "He was one of the kindest, gentlest, funny and honest people I ever met, all wrapped up in that beautiful accent. He and I walked most days during the worst of Covid and saved each other’s sanity. Hard to realize an Englishman could love an Irishman! He sure will be missed.  He was a treasure of old stories and tales, songs and poetry. The best of friends."

Garrett further formalized his esteem for Tony in the 2020 Enjoy Mill Valley Guide, for which Tony was selected in "Capsules of Joy" as one of the community members who infuse our community with joy, simply by being themselves. Here's what Phil wrote at that time:

"His beautiful big eyes always had a twinkle," says Paula Reynolds, the Chamber's director of operations. We were all blessed to have him in our lives." 

"He will be remembered in our hearts and laughs," says Compass real estate agent Michelle Fallone Nelson.

We'll be having a more formal tribute to Tony at our April 18th EMV After Hours event at WrapManager/Assembly at ​319 Miller Ave., 5:30-7pm.

There's been a ton of discussion in Mill Valley and across the country in recent years about how hard it has been for businesses to bring back their employees and hire new ones.

Despite an unemployment rate of just above 2% here in Mill Valley, the job boards for the 94941 are loaded with postings, primarily for service industry jobs, spanning grocery store, cafe and retail clerks to salon, pet care and real estate office receptionists. As with most issues, the real reasons employers are struggling to fill openings are complex.

​The Youth Job Fair is here to directly address this gap head-on, with a specific wrinkle for employers: the ability to submit your specific job openings whether or not you intend to be an exhibitor at the event itself. This allows job seekers to get a sense of the available opportunities before they arrive on site.
​
Job Seekers: Register to attend in advance here.
​
GO HERE FOR THE EXHIBITOR APPLICATION.
Employers should submit their completed forms by March 10th if possible.

Sign up here to volunteer with the event in preparation or day of.

​Have questions? EMAIL CO-ORGANIZER DANA TUTTLE HERE.

HERE'S THE EXHIBITOR APPLICATION.

Let’s face it: The Blithedale Project, a complete makeover of one of Mill Valley’s two main arterials, is necessary work. But it’s also already been a long slog, and our merchants, restaurants, galleries and nonprofit organizations in the downtown area are still feeling the adverse impact.
We are grateful to city officials for agreeing to do everything possible to avoid construction impacts on the business community in the fourth quarter of 2023, and to avoid all but emergency work during the Thanksgiving and Holiday weeks. The city's assurance of relief for Q4 is welcome news.  

We’re also grateful for the City’s stated strategies to address the impacts of major construction planned for downtown throughout the summer  construction, including:

• Waiving downtown parking meter fees & modifying time limits to help better manage parking.
• Deploying additional signs to inform how to access places during a particular week.
• Opening “Employee Only” parking spots at City Hall to the public.
• Requiring City Hall employees to park outside of the immediate downtown area.
• Limiting contractors to no more than 20 “No Parking” spots within the construction limits.
• Designating construction staging areas away from downtown.
• Reclassifying some downtown “Employee Only” parking to be available for public parking.
• Daily cleaning and sweeping of the project sites.
• Having representatives from the Police and Fire Departments review traffic control plans, construction schedules and attend weekly construction meetings.
• Providing the community and Council with regular project construction progress updates.
• Providing business owners with Construction Tool Kit for Businesses.

We believe that executing the Downtown Project in the midst of the remaining PG&E work on Blithedale and the subsequent paving requires a heightened level of communication, similar to that of the Miller Streetscape Project.  
That project had a dedicated person whose role was to engage with the affected businesses: informing them about upcoming impacts; limitations on access to storefronts; and suggested messages to customers.

Businesses: If you have creative ideas to add to the list above, reach out to us and share here!

Birthed from the Marin Energy Authority’s hard-fought launch of Marin Clean Energy in May 2010, MCE is a not-for-profit public agency that has set the standard for clean energy in our communities. 
MCE offers more renewable power at stable rates, significantly reducing energy-related greenhouse emissions and reinvesting millions of dollars in local energy programs.
But while you might glance regularly at your energy bills, you're likely unaware of the broad range of MCE's platform. In advance of MCE hosting our Feb. 15th After Hours at the Mill Valley Community Center, we're spotlighting a trio of MCE's components that will open your eyes to the possibilities. Click on the links below for an array of critical important information for you, your home and business.
​MCE’s Pathway to a Clean Energy Future – Dig Into the Agency's Priorities

• MCE is meeting state renewable energy and climate goals light-years ahead of schedule, ensuring grid reliability and resiliency, boosting the green economy, and offering programs that benefit underserved communities. MCE’s Light Green energy service is expected to be 95% greenhouse gas free by 2023 and 85% renewable by 2029.

MCE Marketplace Programs – How MCE Help Prevent Summer Blackouts

• MCE’s suite of Marketplace programs accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient equipment with a focus on peak period demand reduction and energy savings. Programs like Smart meter data measures the amount of energy that is being saved. MCE's new meter-based methodology is more accurate and provides critical insight about when energy savings are occurring. An incentive structure pays premium rates during the summer peak hours, which can exceed 10 times the value of off-peak rates. And Incentives are directed to the installation contractor or equipment provider, referred to as aggregators. Virtually any equipment that produces measurable savings can be included in the program.

“Supplier Diversity” – Small Businesses Can Amplify Their Opportunities

• If you are a small or diverse business owner in California, MCE can help you certify in the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Supplier Diversity program and amplify your business opportunities throughout the state. Stay tuned for details.

MORE INFO ON MCE'S ARRAY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

On the heels of the latest discussion on the proposed countywide Reusable Foodware Ordinance, in which business owners noted the gaps between the ordinances requirements and the lack of product availability with which to comply, County of Marin consultants Jinesse Reynolds and Susan Hopp reached back out to provide some additional context:

1. Compost concern – Mill Valley Refuse. You are required to make sure your compost is not contaminated. If your customers are the problem, you can ask them to put all of the waste in your bus tray and then the person who does the dishes can sort it out correctly in the back.

​2. To-Go Ramekins - That is not on the Exemption list but we can see about getting it added since there is not a replacement that works.

3. Wood-based utensils are required, please check out other ideas if bamboo is not working for you. Here is the link to the Marin County Purchasing Guide. It contains some compost compliant disposable suggestions that may help. It also contains a list of the exempt items. 

4. The County is working on providing signs to help the customer & the employees with the ordinance requirements (8.5" x 5.5" 2 sided postcards, can be displayed at ordering and accessory areas, employees can refer to the backside for info on the ordinances).

5. Please understand this ordinance was adopted because Marin County residents rallied and made it happen. The largest percentage of the population in Marin County are concerned residents that understand using single-use disposable foodware pollutes and is harmful to our bodies and the environment and replacing single-use with reusables is the best way to make the biggest difference. The County has and will continue to work with community stakeholders and businesses to make this work the best it can for all. San Anselmo and Fairfax have been working with their businesses since they implemented it in 2019. Here is a study that was done by ReThink disposables. Comforts is a deli/restaurant in San Anselmo. They have dine-in & take -out.
Questions/Concerns? Email Susan Hopp here.