HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Resolution 14978 (Citizen of the Year 2021) Resolution 14978
City of San Rafael
Richard P. O’Brien and Mary Ferrario O’Brien
Citizen of the Year Award for 2021
Presented to
Shirley Fischer
WHEREAS, Shirley Fischer has dedicated her life to civic participation for the greater good of the
community, and since she moved to Terra Linda 40 years ago she has been consistently
active in bringing together community members and organizations to foster
communication between residents and the City, to develop a common vision of
community needs and aspirations, and to advocate for implementation of this common
vision; and
WHEREAS, Shirley was a founder and chairperson of the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents
(1988-2005), an umbrella organization of 13 homeowner and neighborhood associations
which sponsored Candidates’ Nights, community workshops and regular meetings with
City staff and officials to advocate for community needs and views on multiple key
issues; and
WHEREAS, Shirley has participated actively in the development of three San Rafael General
Plans—GP2000, GP2020, and GP2040, and was a key member of the North San Rafael
Vision Committee (1996-1997) and the Vision in Action Committee (1998-2003), helping
facilitate community participation in the development of a common vision for the
future of North San Rafael and the implementation of portions of this vision, such as
gateway beautification on Freitas Parkway and conceptual design of the North San
Rafael Promenade; and
WHEREAS, Shirley has been instrumental in revitalizing the Terra Linda Homeowners
Association’s Community Development Committee and has been a key strategist and
team leader for Responsible Growth in Marin, analyzing General Plan and Priority
Development Area policies and continuing to advocate for the development of a mixed-
use Town Center in North San Rafael; and
WHEREAS, Shirley conceptualized, founded and led the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents to
reinvigorate neighborhood participation and representation in governance, and under
her guidance, the Coalition’s meetings, newsletters, and persistent community
communications nurtured an increasing interest and participation in civic affairs in the
North San Rafael (NSR) community. Her efforts on the NSR Vision Steering Committee
and the Vision in Action Committee encouraged wide participation from residents of
all ages in developing and refining a unified vision including a town center in the
Northgate area and the North San Rafael Promenade to connect Terra Linda to the
Marin Civic Center. Shirley Fischer’s impact on our community has been foundational
and she invigorates community engagement in constructive governance; and
WHEREAS, If you ask Shirley’s family, they will say that her civic and community volunteer
activities have been her job, her identity, and her principal engagement for the last four
decades. Whether Shirley is spending her days counting cars for a traffic study or
spending countless hours researching an upcoming project, she is always involved and
inspiring other community members to participate in the planning of San Rafael’s
future; and
WHEREAS, Shirley has been a dedicated, organized, intelligent, and faithful community volunteer,
with the ability to lead and contribute to complex processes to improve our community
for many decades, and surely for many more years to come;
NOW, THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the San Rafael City Council expresses its appreciation to Shirley
Fischer on behalf of her community and hereby awards her the Richard O’Brien and the Mary Ferrario O’Brien Citizen
of the Year Award for 2021 on Monday, October 4, 2021.
Mayor