City of Novato

🎉 A New Chapter in Novato’s History Begins! 🎉 Join us as we break ground on the future home of the Novato History Museum! This exciting milestone marks the beginning of a project that will help preserve, celebrate, and share Novato’s history for generations to come. 📅 Tuesday, October 20 🕓 5 - 6pm | Program begins at 5:15pm 📍 917 Sherman Avenue, Downtown Novato We'll be celebrating right in the heart of downtown during the Downtown Novato Farmers Market! Stop by for the ceremony and enjoy the market before or after the festivities. This project is made possible through a collaborative partnership between the City of Novato and The Novato Historical Guild, along with the generous support of community donors. Come celebrate this exciting investment in Novato's history and future with us! ❤️ #NovatoFUN #NovatoHistoryMuseum #NovatoHistoricalGuild #DowntownNovato #NovatoHistory #CommunityPartnerships

Novato businesses, we want to hear from you. 👋 Some of the best stories we share start with a simple connection, a new idea taking shape, a longtime business reaching a milestone, a favorite product, a familiar face, or a moment that shows what makes your business special. Shop Local Novato is here to help more people discover the businesses and people that make our community unique. If there’s something happening at your business that Novato should know about, don’t be shy about putting it on our radar. Swipe through for a few easy ways to connect with us, and help us keep celebrating local. 🔗 shoplocalnovato.com #ShopLocalNovato #SupportLocal #NovatoBusiness #ShopSmall

Last week, members of our Public Works team 🦺 joined local middle school students for Empower Tomorrow, a career exploration day hosted by Novato Unified School District and College of Marin. The event gives eighth graders a chance to explore local career paths through hands-on activities and conversations with professionals in our community. 👷 From learning about the work that keeps Novato running to discovering careers they may not have considered, students got a behind-the-scenes look at the many possibilities ahead. We’re #NovatoProud to be part of helping the next generation explore, imagine and empower their future! 🙌

📢 The City of Novato is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to complete a comprehensive Facilities Condition Assessment Report (FCAR) of the City’s indoor City-owned and operated facilities. The assessment will help guide future maintenance, repair and capital investment decisions. The selected consultant will conduct site visits and building assessments, develop a comprehensive FCAR, and present findings to City staff, commissions, City Council and the community. The final report will help the City prioritize improvements based on facility condition, community needs and cost, organized into short-, mid- and long-term priorities to guide future budget planning. 👉 Interested consultants can review the full RFP and submission guidelines at novato.gov/FCAR 📆 Deadline: 5pm on October 21, 2026 📩 Questions? Contact Katie Gauntlett at kgautlett@novato.gov

Attention Novato business owners & entrepreneurs 📣 Join us for a small business networking event supporting local entrepreneurs and strengthening connections within the business community. This is an opportunity to meet fellow business owners, exchange ideas, learn about local resources and explore opportunities to collaborate. The evening will feature a panel discussion with three local businesses at different phases of their business growth, each with insights to share about building a business and the value of community connection. 📅 Thursday, October 29 🕔 5pm - 7pm 📍 Novato City Hall, 901 Sherman Avenue Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and all are welcome. Reserve your spot: https://lnkd.in/e36sFdiS This event is brought to you by the City of Novato Economic Development Advisory Commission, Novato Chamber, Downtown Novato Business Association and Marin Small Business Development Center.

Novato Adopts First-Ever Economic Development Strategic Plan The Novato City Council has unanimously adopted the City’s first-ever Economic Development Strategic Plan — a 10-year roadmap for a thriving local economy and more opportunities for businesses and residents. Built on economic research and extensive community input, the plan reflects a shared vision for Novato: 🏪 thriving local businesses, 🏙️ vibrant commercial areas, 🧑🤝🧑 Places to gather,🏡 more opportunities to work closer to home, and 🤝 a City that makes it easier to invest and do business. The Plan establishes six goals: ✅ Position Novato as Open for Business ✅ Activate and Revitalize Commercial Centers and Corridors ✅ Support Reinvestment in Key Industrial Areas ✅ Strengthen Downtown as the Economic and Cultural Heart ✅ Facilitate Housing as Economic Infrastructure ✅ Leverage Novato’s Setting, Location and Cultural Resources 📍 This is just the beginning. The plan provides a flexible roadmap to build on what’s working, address challenges and create more vibrant places to work, shop, gather and connect. 🔗 Learn more and explore the Economic Development Strategic Plan: novato.gov/EconomicPlan

Take Our Downtown Parking Survey 🚗🚙 The City of Novato is conducting a Downtown Parking Study, and we want to hear from you! Weigh in on current parking conditions and challenges, potential parking management strategies, and future parking supply options in Downtown Novato. 👉 Share your thoughts by taking our survey at novato.gov/parkingsurvey 📆 Survey closes at 11:59pm on Sunday, September 20 Your input will help inform recommendations that support a vibrant, accessible and economically successful downtown. Questions? 📩 Email econdev@novato.gov.

Interested in serving your community? 👥 Apply for a position on a City Commission, Committee or Board (CCB) today! CCB members are appointed by the City Council and provide important oversight to City operations and the decision-making process. 📆 The application period is currently open and will close on Monday, October 5 at 5pm. Current Openings: ➡️ Complete Streets & Pathways Oversight Committee – 3 regular seats, 2 alternate seats ➡️ Design Review Commission – 1 regular seat, 1 alternate seat ➡️ Economic Development Advisory Commission – 3 regular seats ➡️ Finance Advisory Commission – 4 regular seats ➡️ Housing, Zoning and Building Code Appeals Board – 2 regular seats ➡️ Mosquito and Vector Control District – 1 regular seat ➡️ Multicultural Advisory Commission – 1 regular seat ➡️ Planning Commission – 2 regular seats ➡️ Police Advisory Review Board – 1 regular seat ➡️ Sustainability Commission – 3 regular seats Learn more at novato.gov/ccb or contact the City Clerk at (415) 899-8986 or lmcdowall@novato.gov. _________________________________________ Si le interesa servir a su comunidad, ¡postular a un puesto en una Comisión, Comité o Consejo de la Ciudad es un buen lugar para comenzar! 👥 Miembros de los CCB son nombrados por el Concejo Municipal y aportan supervisión importante a las operaciones y el proceso de toma de decisiones de la Ciudad. 📆 El período de postulaciones está abierto ahora y cerrará el lunes 5 de octubre a las 5pm. Puestos disponibles: ➡️ Comité completo de supervisión de caminos y calles – tres (3) puestos regular y dos (2) puestos de alternos ➡️ Comisión de Revisión de Diseño – uno (1) puestos regulares, (1) puestos de alternos ➡️ Comisión Consultiva de Desarrollo Económico – tres (3) puestos de regulares ➡️ Comisión Consultiva Financiera – cuatro (4) puestos regulares ➡️ Consejo de Apelaciones de Códigos de Vivienda, Zonificación y Construcció – tres (3) puestos regulares, dos (2) puestos de alternos ➡️ Distrito de Control de Mosquitos y Vectores – uno (1) puestos regulares ➡️ Comisión Asesora Multicultural – uno (1) puestos regulares ➡️ Comisión de Planificación – dos (2) puestos regulares ➡️ Junta Asesora y de Revisión Policial – uno (1) puestos regulares ➡️ Comisión de Sostenibilidad – tres (3) puestos regular Aprende mas en novato.gov/ccb o contacte a la secretaria municipal al (415) 899-8986 o lmcdowall@novato.gov.

If you’re from Novato, you already know this city has plenty of history and stories to tell. Here’s one you might not know. Back in the early 90s, a young Elijah Wood came to Novato to film Radio Flyer. 🎥 At the time, the City prepared an official Key to the City for him, but it never made it to Elijah. Instead, it spent the next three decades at City Hall. Then, last month, fate — and a little bit of luck — intervened. A City staffer learned that their son, Malcolm, was attending a Fan Expo where he had scheduled a meet-and-greet with Elijah Wood. We couldn’t let the opportunity pass us by, and thankfully, Malcolm accepted the quest. After more than 30 years, and hours spent waiting in line, the Key was finally delivered. 🗝️ Elijah was genuinely surprised and touched to learn that the City of Novato had held onto the Key all these years. And so, an epic quest came to an end. In true Lord of the Rings fashion, there was a long-awaited journey, but this time, “the precious” was a Key instead of a ring. What makes Novato special isn’t just our history — it’s the people who remember it, share it, and carry it forward. #NovatoProud

New youth-led mural adds color, creativity and community to Pocket Park! 🎨 Last night, we held a ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize the young leaders, volunteers, commissioners, City staff and local artist Heather Phelps who helped bring this mural project to life. Featuring vibrant colors and landscapes, the artwork celebrates unity, diversity, inclusion and representation, adding a welcome artistic element to a well-used community gathering space that serves people of all ages and backgrounds. The mural was brought forward by the Marin County Youth Commission’s Racial Equity Subcommittee and developed in collaboration with the City’s Recreation, Cultural & Community Services Commission. We're #NovatoProud to support projects like this that foster a vibrant, inclusive and connected community through thoughtful public spaces, programs, services and partnerships.