Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin, Goblin Parade, and Off-Leash Dogs

Town Council Meeting Notes

At the regular meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 11, the Town Council took the following actions:

• Presented the for building trails and pulling invasive broom at both and . Congratulations Brian and thanks for your hard work!
• Approved the application from the San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce for the Annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3, beginning at 5 p.m.
• Appointed René Voss to the Open Space Committee and re-appointed Matthew Brasler and Danny Krebs to the Planning Commission.
• Received an update report from representatives of the regarding the operation of the Rolling Winter Shelter this year. The dates of operation will be extended in deference to the longer cold and rainy winters that we’ve been experiencing. First Presbyterian Church will be hosting the shelter on Friday evenings and St. Anselm’s will hosting Saturday evenings, all at the First Presbyterian site. The first night will be Friday, Nov. 18 and the program will end April 15.
• Received considerable public input on off-leash hours for dogs at and .  Each park was discussed separately.
  • Memorial Park:
    • Monday through Friday:          Before 8:00 a.m.
    • Saturday and Sunday:            Before 9:00 a.m.
    • Daily:                                    One hour before sunset
    • No off-leash dogs are allowed in the picnic and upper lawn areas, no dogs may be on the turf areas during organized sports or group activities and dog owners must clean up after the dog.
  • Robson Harrington Park: The council voted to change the rules at Robson to allow no off-leash dog use at the park, citing the fact that Robson is a small, neighborhood park, this is a quality of life issue for park neighbors and it has been contentious issue for some time.

• Discussed the need for a uniform property disposition policy for the town in order to ensure that the exchange or sale of public property is done in a consistent manner with a defensible purchase price. The property to be sold or exchanged may be a minor lot line adjustment to correct historical errors, but may also be as significant as the purchase of a town-owned lot or a portion of a own-owned lot. Council directed staff to require that an appraisal be obtained (to be paid for by the purchaser) to use as one of several tools to value the town property that is in question.  All such property sales must be approved by the Town Council at a noticed public meeting.

Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin

Have you seen the giant white pumpkin out in front of Town Hall? This incredible pumpkin was grown by our own Rick Franco, a member of the town’s Public Works crew. Rick donated the pumpkin to the town and, as you can imagine, even getting it here was no easy task because it is heavy! 

So heavy, in fact, that we are having a contest to guess the weight of the Great Pumpkin. Entry forms are available right in front of Town Hall. The person who guesses the weight closest to the pumpkin’s actual weight will receive four tickets to our Breakfast with Santa event, along with other goodies.

Entry forms are available by the pumpkin near the front door of Town Hall, next to the Police Station. The winner will be selected on Thursday, Oct. 27, the day of the .

Goblins' Parade

Join us for this year’s Goblins’ Parade on Thursday, Oct. 27, beginning at 5 p.m.  Goblins, ages 0 to 7, are invited to meet at the U.S. Bank beginning at 5 p.m. to join the parade down San Anselmo Avenue. The parade will end at the downtown fire station for cookies and juice!

This event is sponsored by the San Anselmo Recreation Department, Library, Police and Fire Departments. Many thanks to and the San Anselmo downtown merchants for their contributions.

Dog Park Steering Committee 

The Parks and Recreation Commission is soliciting applications for the Dog Park Steering Committee, which meets bi-monthly on the fourth Monday.  The next meeting is Monday, Nov. 28 at 5 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers and the public is welcome to attend.

The purpose of the Dog Park Steering Committee is to provide input to the town regarding the ongoing operation of the Red Hill Dog Park, and to serve in an advisory capacity to the town regarding dog use issues at other town parks. The committee consists of seven community representatives. Members must have an interest in and commitment to the importance and value of the Red Hill Dog Park and other authorized dog play areas in San Anselmo.

Get more information and the application form online. Completed applications should be submitted at Town Hall by Friday, Nov. 4.