Mill Valley is weighing a ban on all tobacco and e-cigarette sales in the city.
The City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing Monday, Sept. 21, on an ordinance that would prohibit the sale of all commercial tobacco products and electronic smoking devices. The hearing is an introduction, or first reading, meaning the council will not take a final vote that night.
The proposed ban would amend Chapter 7.20 of the Mill Valley Municipal Code, which governs smoking prohibitions and tobacco retailing regulations, according to the meeting agenda. No staff report or ordinance text was publicly available as of Thursday, Sept. 17, so details such as the number of affected retailers and any exemptions remain unclear.
Mill Valley's move follows a wave of tobacco restrictions across Marin County. Tiburon, which has no tobacco retailers, banned all sales in November 2025. Corte Madera's Town Council approved a similar ban on first reading in a 3-2 vote on Sept. 1, a step that would make it the first Marin municipality with active retailers to pass an outright sales ban, the Marin Independent Journal reported. A countywide ordinance that took effect Sept. 1 set a $12 minimum retail price for tobacco and nicotine products and banned vaping devices and discount coupons. The push for tighter restrictions has been largely led by local teenagers concerned about youth vaping and tobacco waste, according to the Marin IJ.
Hauke Park softball renovation advances
Also on the Sept. 21 agenda: a consent-calendar resolution to approve plans for the Hauke Park softball field renovation and authorize the city manager to award a construction contract to the lowest qualified bidder.
The council voted in June to commit $100,000 in city funds toward the project through a memorandum of understanding with Mill Valley Softball, a volunteer-run nonprofit. The total estimated cost is $276,400. Mill Valley Softball had raised about $50,000 in private donations as of June, according to Mill Valley Briefing. Planned improvements include new backstop fencing, dugout upgrades, a bullpen, a storage area and bleacher upgrades.
The field had long been stuck. It was governed by the Bayfront Park Master Plan, which blocked improvements for the program's entire history. The council removed those restrictions in November 2024, according to Mill Valley Briefing. Julia Wilhelm, a Mill Valley Softball board member who led the renovation effort, has called it the field's first-ever renovation.
"I want to make sure we are thinking of this less like an amenity and more about what it is … which is remedying structural inequity in our facilities because the girls are getting wet and they have no place to store their things while the boys are playing at Boyle," Councilmember Katherine Jones said at the June 15 meeting when the council approved the funding.
The goal is to finish core improvements before the 2027 softball season opens March 1.
Emergency preparedness and winter outlook
The meeting will also feature a presentation from the Marin County Office of Emergency Management on updates to the countywide Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and disaster preparedness. A separate staff report will cover the 2026-27 winter outlook and severe weather response.
The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 26 Corte Madera Ave. Residents can speak on agenda items for up to three minutes each.
