In Your Town for Nov. 22, 2024

ROSS VALLEY

Suspect accused of
theft at open homes

Marin County sheriff’s investigators arrested a man who allegedly posed as a real estate agent and stole property during open-house tours.

Authorities determined that the suspect recently used the method to take about $15,000 in jewelry from a home in Sleepy Hollow and $10,000 worth of jewelry and checks from a home in the Kent Woodlands neighborhood, sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn said.

Detectives identified the suspect as Joshua Lamont, 50, of San Diego and arrested him at a Walnut Creek hotel on Wednesday. Authorities found evidence from the Kent Woodlands crime as well as pawn shop receipts, Schermerhorn said. The sheriff’s office alleges that Lamont has a history of similar crimes in the state.

Lamont was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of burglary and for two arrest warrants from San Diego and Santa Barbara counties. His bail amount was set at $400,000.

WEATHER

More rain in forecast
before storm relents

The storm drenching Marin County is predicted to continue doing so through Saturday morning before calming down during the rest of the weekend.

The National Weather Service forecast 2 to 3 inches of rain in the county between Thursday and Saturday morning, meteorologist Brayden Murdock said Thursday afternoon.

“As we go into early tomorrow we’ll see the rain pick up again, and this is going to be a shorter-lived rain session, but there will be elevated rain rates,” he said.

Winds will reach 15 to 30 mph with possible 40 mph gusts on Friday, Murdock said.

Chances of rain will begin declining on Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service predicts.

“On Saturday night going into a good portion of next week, we’ll have off-and-on showers,” Murdock said.

The storm arrived in Marin on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, Murdock said, 6.58 inches had fallen on Mount Tamalpais, 6.13 inches in San Rafael, 4.41 inches in Novato and 4.13 inches in Point Reyes Station.

NOVATO

Bahia lighting project
reaches bidding stage

The city is preparing to replace 60 wooden streetlight poles in the Bahia neighborhood.

The work is part of a plan to replace hundreds of poles citywide. The estimated cost is about $8,000 per pole, and the city will order the work over a period of years, according to a report by Manijeh Larizadeh, a city engineer. The city has forecast expenditures of $250,000 year through the 2027-28 fiscal year.

The city chose the Bahia area for the first neighborhood project because it has had “a higher concentration rate of service calls and needs,” Larizadeh wrote.

The City Council approved a resolution Tuesday authorizing officials to seek bids for the work.

CORTE MADERA

Consultant to provide
administrative work

The Town Council has approved a plan to hire a contractor for personnel administration services.

The three-year agreement will cost up to $405,000, according to a staff report by Rebecca Vaughn, assistant town manager. The consultant will handle services for both the town and the Central Marin Fire Department.

Since 2018, the town, the fire department, Larkspur and the Central Marin Police Authority have shared an employment director, Vaughn wrote. The director, Janet Thiessen, plans to retire at the end of the year. Larkspur created a new position to handle its share of the work. Corte Madera decided to engage a consulting firm.

The council voted Tuesday to authorize the town manager to execute the agreement with CPS HR Consulting, which is based in Sacramento.