Mayor’s Monthly - December

On my Mind (a few random thoughts)

I trust everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family, friends, and loved ones. Also, hope you managed to stay dry this weekend. Our Turkey Day this year was extra special because it also happened to be Noah’s 1st Birthday so we had plenty to be thankful for. It is amazing how fast this year has flown by.

As this year starts to wrap up, it also means that we will be selecting a new Mayor. That might sound confusing since we just had an election, but in Novato we only elect council members and then the council selects a Mayor. The Novato City Council is scheduled to do this on Tuesday, December 10th. Also, the two newly elected council members will be sworn in on that day as well. We top it all off with some cake so it usually ends up being the shortest (and sweetest) council meeting of the year. Of course, the community is invited and hope that you can all make it.

As a result of the mayoral rotation, this will also be my last monthly blog. I will continue to post city updates and happenings through my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/ericlucan and hope you follow me there. It has been a tremendous honor to serve on the city council these past 8 years as well as this past year as Mayor, and I am grateful to the voters for selecting me to serve for another term.

Although I am definitely biased, I am very optimistic for our community as we wrap up 2019 and head into the next decade. While we have definitely seen some shifts at the council and staff level with two new council members and a new city manager, the change also presents opportunity as it is very rare for any city to experience that in a short window of time. We have an experienced staff, engaged residents, and a passionate council and it us up to all of us to work together for the best interests of the greater Novato community.

Around Town (happenings in Novato)

Check out what’s coming up in December:

Calling all Veterans
The City of Novato is #NovatoProud of our local veterans and would like to honor our hometown heroes by featuring them on the Novato Proud section of the City's website at novato.org/novatoproud. We will be taking photos of our veterans on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. Sessions are by appointment only. Click here for more information.

Holiday Crafts Faire - December 6th and 7th
Novato Parks, Recreation and Community Services will be holding its annual Holiday Crafts Faire on Friday, December 6th, 6pm-9pm, and Saturday, December 7th, 10am-4pm at the Margaret Todd Senior Center. More Information

Holiday Tree Lighting in Downtown Novato - Saturday, December 7th
Join us for Novato's Annual Community Tree Lighting on Saturday, December 7 from 4-8pm at City Hall, 901 Sherman Avenue. Enjoy special holiday performances, food and hot drinks, crafts, and activities for children. More Information

Holiday Double Feature: Magic and Movie - Friday, December 14th
Gather your friends & family, bring your low-back lawn chairs and/or blankets and pack a picnic for a free magic show featuring Mike Della Penna and a movie inside the Downtown Recreation Center at 5PM. More Information

Bouncy Ball New Year - Tuesday, December 31st
Kids of all ages are invited to Downtown Novato to see what happens when 20,000 (celebrating 2020) small bouncy balls are dropped onto the street from a ladder truck 40 feet in the air! See all the details here.

On the Agenda (upcoming at the City Council)

Below are a few key items and updates that are coming up at a future council meeting in December. Because dates tend to change, be sure to check the City Council agendas here (https://novato.org/government/city-council/agendas-minutes).

In December, we will meet on Tuesday, December 10th and Tuesday, December 17th.

Council Re-org & Swearing In
As mentioned above, on Tuesday, December 10th the council members who were recently elected will be officially sworn in and we will select a new Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem

Redwood Blvd Residences
On December 17th, we are scheduled to to weigh in on the development of a 4-acre site at 7711 Redwood Blvd for 80 for sale residential units. For more details, visit novato.org/7711Redwood