Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Sidewalk Clearance, Office Hours and Flood Horn

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

California has a state law that requires all California homeowners with an attached garage or fossil fuel source to install a carbon monoxide detector. 

According to CalFire, many California homes are without carbon monoxide detectors, a device that saves lives.  Fuel-fired appliances, such as cooking stoves, heaters, and gas dryers can produce this odorless gas without the homeowner knowing it.  When these appliances aren’t working properly, they can give off deadly amounts of carbon monoxide.  Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless, so it’s easy to ignore the warning signs.  Up to 40 California residents die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The law requires that alarm devices, which can cost less than $30, be installed in existing single-family homes that have a fossil-fuel burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage. Owners of multi-family rental properties like apartment buildings will have until January 1st, 2013 to comply.

Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are available at most hardware or drug stores.  It is recommended that they be installed outside each bedroom on every level of the home, including the basement.  And, like smoke detectors, they’re easy to install.

Sidewalk Clearance 

It is important that property owners keep adjacent sidewalk and roadway areas clear to ensure adequate clearance for pedestrian and vehicle passage.  The following guidelines may help identify areas that need attention:

• Flowers, shrubs and other growth (excepting trees) in the parkway area (between the curb and sidewalk) should not exceed 18” in height.
• Tree branches over the sidewalk should clear the full width of the sidewalk at a height of 7 feet.
• Tree branches over the roadway must clear the roadway at a height of 15 feet.
• Flowers, shrubs, hedges and other growth that abuts a sidewalk and/or roadway must be cut back to the edge of the sidewalk and the edge of the curb.

Performing the above gardening duties will ensure that our sidewalks and roads are property cleared for safe pedestrian and vehicle access.

Town Hall Office Hours 

Town Hall is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.  We are closed to the public on Fridays, although we are here working.

There is an important exception to those hours, however.  The Planning, Building and the Public Works Departments are available to the public in the mornings only.  If you need assistance from Planning/Building/Public Works, please come to the offices in the morning. 

The reason for limiting the hours in Planning/Building/Public Works is an important one for everyone to understand.  In those departments, staff members spend virtually all their time in the morning assisting customers at the counter with issues around planning requirements, permit questions, plan review and plan checking. 

Limiting the hours that we are open for these questions allows our staff to spend their time in the afternoon processing the projects that are submitted for approval.  This includes making site visits, writing staff reports, meeting with applicants with special problems and conducting plan reviews. 

The Administration and Finance Department is open to the public in the afternoon to assist customers with business licenses and questions not related to the Planning/Building/Public Works issues. 

We recognize that it may be inconvenient for our customers to limit these hours as we have.  I’m pleased to report, however, that this change has made a considerable difference in our ability to process projects.

Flood Horn 

Recently when testing the Town’s emergency horn, a few people have been caught off guard and startled by the loud blast.  Unfortunately, the horn needs to be tested once a week to ensure its performance during an actual emergency.  

The emergency horn was placed in the downtown by design as it needs to be heard by as many people as possible who live and work in San Anselmo.  

To ensure that the Town’s Flood Horn will always be ready to send out a warning when needed, it is tested by blasting the horn one time each Friday at approximately 12:00 noon.  We have shortened the blast considerably in an attempt to make it less startling. 

Thank you in advance for your understanding and support.

San Anselmo News, published weekly on Fridays, is available at the San Anselmo Town Hall, Library, on the Public Notice Bulletin Board. It is also available on the Town’s website, www.townofsananselmo.org, and by email subscription.