News

Apply for the 2018 Learning Lab

Posted on July 16, 2018

The Together San Rafael Learning Lab is a “learn-by-doing” program where cross-departmental teams learn and practice techniques for collaborative problem solving. As a participant, you will be on a team assigned to work on a specific challenge. The program starts mid-August and ends in November. More information about the program is available in the FAQ and schedule. Thank you to everyone who...

Flags to Half-Staff until further notice

Posted on July 15, 2018

Please be advised that San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips and Governor Brown have authorized that the flag of the United States be lowered and flown at half-staff at San Rafael facilities until further notice, in honor and remembrance of Cal Fire Heavy Fire Equipment Operator Braden Varney who was tragically killed while fighting the Ferguson...

Flags at half-staff until sunset (July 3)

Posted on July 3, 2018

While the flags remain at half-staff through today in honor of Fire Capt. David Rosa, the Mayor and President have authorized that the flags continue to be flown at half-staff today, July 3, 2018, as a mark of solemn respect for the victims of the shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, that...

July Health Topic: Sun Safety

Posted on July 1, 2018

Welcome to our health topic for July — Sun Safety. Summer is right around the corner, so if you’re going to be walking on sunshine, you’d better protect your skin. With these sun safety tips, you can enjoy everything from the beach to barbecues and still be safe. Visit the Kaiser website for more stress-fighting...

How do I navigate this site?

Posted on June 11, 2018

That's a GREAT question. Here are a few ways: Search bar. Use the search bar above and enter in terms that describe what you're looking for. Guides. Click through the Guides" buttons below for help on a particular topic. Questions & Answers box. We've got A TON (well, maybe not literally) of common questions--and answers--to help you out....

Team #2 Update

Posted on May 16, 2018

The latest update from the team working on the illegal dumping topic: The city approved moving forward with our proposed plan to address the problem of public dumping through education, prevention and reporting. Seneca Systems revamped Romulus, our web based reporting and tracking software, to better capture and route illegal dumping complaints. ***REPORTING*** PD will...

Connect to Collaborate Update

Posted on May 11, 2018

The Connect to Collaborate Learning Lab team kicked off with an inaugural meeting on May 1. Fifteen people attended and participated in four different activities, while also enjoying lunch. The first exercise was a “getting-to-know-you” process called “Step-In”, followed by a discussion. The attendees then moved to a shared "Yes, and.." demo called “Vacations”, which...

Silo Busters Update

Posted on May 11, 2018

The Silo Busters team from the Learning Lab tackled the struggles of permitting throughout City offices and is working on implementing some of the short term and long term suggestions that came from the learning lab process. Since Demo Day, the implementation team has focused on identifying the top activities / permit types departments get questions about and is then trying to...

Public Service Recognition Week

Posted on May 11, 2018

Before the week ends we would like to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication. City employees help promote the safety of our community through our Police and Fire staff; provide emergency response, maintain our roads, parks and other community assets; keep our downtown clean; provide childcare, recreation and community enrichment; educate...

New Technology Support Services Help Desk

Posted on April 12, 2018

IT is pleased to announce we are migrating to a new and improved help desk ticketing software, called Zendesk, on April 12. The new software has many features (ticketing, knowledgebase, and performance tracking) that will help IT meet its goals of improving efficiency and communication. What's New Zendesk ticketing software (login info below) Easily create tickets...

New Technology Support Help Desk

Posted on April 12, 2018

Microsoft OneDrive

Posted on April 11, 2018

Microsoft OneDrive for Business is a service for hosting files in the "cloud". It offers users a simple way to store, sync, and share all kinds of files with other people and devices (via the Internet) It works very similar to Dropbox and is included with the City's subscription to Microsoft Office 365. OneDrive is...

Save Printing Paper!

Posted on November 15, 2017

Do YOU have a question for the Green Team? Ask us, and we may use it in an upcoming eco-tip! By Thomas Wong, Public Works Department We’ve all heard the message before! Save paper, print less, and recycle. Here are some facts to put paper use and its impact into perspective. The average person in...

2017 Champs- Rick Brown and the FD All Stars- crop.color corrected

Fire Wins Annual Employee Bocce Tournament

Posted on September 7, 2017

Thank you for attending our annual employee event last night. This year, 16 teams competed in the single elimination tournament resulting in the final match between Fire’s “Rick Brown and the FD All Stars” and Community Services’ “Can’t Bocce This”. Congrats to Grant Saysette and his team’s win! They took home a $150 gift certificate...

Google Spent 2 Years Studying 180 Teams. The Most Successful Ones Shared These 5 Traits

Posted on July 24, 2017

Insights from Google's new study could forever change how teams are assembled. by Michael Schneider Over the years, Google has embarked on countless quests, collected endless amounts of data, and spent millions trying to better understand its people. One of the company's most interesting initiatives, Project Aristotle, gathered several of Google's best and brightest to help the organization...

3 Tips for Designing Municipal Tools with Employees in Mind

Posted on June 5, 2017

While many cities offer technical tools to municipal workers, many are not well suited to employees’ needs. A number of years ago, a Midwestern state rolled out a comprehensive procurement system that allowed state employees to identify purchases based on 1,400 different categories. However, despite the specificity built into the system, the state was surprised...

AgileGovCon 2017

Posted on May 24, 2017

*UPDATE: Did you miss any talks from AgileGovCon? Watch the videos and view speaker decks. Public service leaders wanting to learn more about agile project management and its specific applications to government can register (free) for AgileGovCon 2017. The virtual mini-conference, hosted by Agile Government Leadership, is June 1 and is “dedicated to helping people in all levels of government...

Employee-Driven Process Improvements

Posted on May 24, 2017

Cities, counties, and states are increasingly giving employees the tools they need to tap into their ideas and innovate the processes and policies that govern their work. Frontline employees are the ones who often best know how to solve a problem because they live and breathe it in their daily work — theirs is a...

Together San Rafael Meeting Guide for 5-23

Posted on May 23, 2017

Meeting Guide SLIDES Advisory Committee members: Laraine Gittens, Lindsay Lara, Lauren Crandell, DJ Heckler, Pat Nolan, Raffi Boloyan, Ashley Howe, Steve Mason, Lidia Que, Anthoney Heaven, Andrea Gilles, Jason Hatfield, Paul Bowermaster, Cameron Mrsny, Garrett Northern, Kyle Reuter, Trina Vadon, Anthony Alviso, Sylvia Gonzales, Vinh Pham, Mireya Renteria, William Calhoun, Joan Peck, Crystal Marker, Blake...

Innovation You’ve Been Looking For

Posted on May 5, 2017

SPOILER ALERT: IT'S PEOPLE From Slate Communications Slate just returned from the Transforming Local Government conference in Tulsa, OK, hosted by the Alliance for Innovation. The speakers about innovation, the case studies from communities, and of course, the ideas and conversations from fellow attendees have left me inspired and ready to take on challenges with...