The Importance of Roadway Clearance 

Ross Valley Fire Department operates specialized fire apparatus that can navigate the narrow streets and hills of our community. Even with these state‐of‐the‐art fire engines, the fire department depends on having roadways clear of obstructions and overgrown vegetation in order to access neighborhoods safely and quickly during emergencies. 

Cooperation and involvement from homeowners in each hillside neighborhood is critical to prevent obstructions, like illegally parked cars and overgrown vegetation, that impede our access and residents’ safe escape in the event of a wildfire. Survival during a fast spreading wildfire may depend on vegetation clearance work completed months earlier. 

Leaf Blowing 

San Anselmo has an ordinance that restricts the operation of motorized leafblowers in the town to 1 to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for periods not to exceed thirty minutes at a time per property. 

The ordinance applies to anyone who operates a motorized leafblower in town. This includes property owners, their employees, tenants, and landscape contractors. 

The leaf blower ordinance was enacted to prevent continuous and unreasonable disruption of households caused by the operation of motorized leaf blowers. In adopting the ordinance, the town sought to balance environmental and life quality issues with the need for property owners to maintain their properties. 

The leafblower ordinance was the result of six months of public discussion and a six month trial period before it was finally adopted in April 1994. 

Get Ready 

The goal of the Get Ready program is to prepare 100 percent of households in Marin County with the necessary skills and information to survive and cope with a disaster for five to seven days. The next class will be held on Monday, April 25, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers. For more information, please go to getreadyrossvalley.org or call (415) 453‐1289, x. 30. 

News from the Marin Humane Society 

The Marin Humane Society wants to update us about coyotes living in areas of San Anselmo, in the hope that the information will help us coexist with this adaptable species. 

As you may know, coyotes are part of the natural landscape of Marin County. During the summer, coyotes take advantage of opportunities within residential neighborhoods. In addition, coyotes may be more defensive this time of year if they are rearing pups. 

It is not uncommon for coyotes to be seen in urban areas, especially those areas that adjoin open space. There are a number of things that you and your neighbors can do to ensure that these animals stay wild and neighborly. 

• Never intentionally or unintentionally leave a food or water source on your property (don’t leave or store pet food outside). 

• Admire coyotes as wild creatures; don’t attempt to approach them or make friends with them. 

• Make coyotes visiting your property feel unwelcome: shout at them, make loud unusual noises, spray them with a garden hose, and throw small objects toward them. These are all “vexing” techniques.  

• Keep companion animals safe with proper supervision and confinement especially at dawn and after dusk. 

• Walk your dog on a leash in areas where coyotes have been sighted. 

• Make your yard “coyote proof.” Remove attractants (such as bushes next to home walls), enclose decks and staircases, reduce rodent populations, contain all waste and compost, and remove ripe and fallen tree fruit. 

• Report all sightings to the Marin Humane Society at 883‐4621. 

Coyotes play an important role in our local ecosystem and it is vital that we learn to live with them. An agency coalition has been formed to monitor coyotes in certain neighborhoods. The Marin Humane Society is available to offer help and advice. 

San Anselmo News, published weekly on Fridays, is available at the San Anselmo Town Hall, Library, on the Public Notice Bulletin Board, and in the Ross Valley Reporter. It is also available on the town’s websiteand by email subscription.