Santa Rosa City Council Regular Meeting – February 28, 2023: Hearn Hub, Park Plans, and Wellness Initiatives
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Santa Rosa City Council Regular Meeting – February 28, 2023
The Santa Rosa City Council met on February 28, 2023, in a hybrid format (in-person and via Zoom) starting with a closed session at 1:30 PM, a study session at 3:00 PM, and the regular session at 4:00 PM. The meeting included a proclamation for Black History Month, a wellness study session, approval of consent items, public hearings on the South Davis Neighborhood Park Master Plan Amendment and the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, and extended discussion on the Hearn Community Hub professional services agreement.
Consent Calendar
- Items 12.1–12.4 and 12.6 were adopted unanimously (7-0):
- Resolution authorizing a matching grant application to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District for Lower Colgan Creek Neighborhood Park improvements ($1,000,000 grant request; total project budget $2,500,000).
- Resolution authorizing application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Prohousing Incentive Pilot Program for up to $1,650,000.
- Resolution approving purchase of ten 2023 Ford Mach‑E battery electric vehicles for a total of $544,688.40.
- Resolution authorizing participation in a joint application to Cycle 6 of the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) for $15,900,000 in transit fleet electrification and passenger amenities.
- Resolution approving a lease agreement between the Housing Authority and the City for property at 983 Sonoma Avenue for use by the inRESPONSE team.
- Item 12.7 (Second Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with Renne Public Law Group LLP) was continued to the March 14, 2023 meeting.
- Item 12.5 (Professional Services Agreement with Kitchell/CEM, Inc. for the Hearn Community Hub) was pulled for separate vote and later adopted (see Discussion Items).
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Item 12.5 (Hearn Community Hub): Several community members spoke, many with the assistance of Spanish interpretation. Speakers expressed strong support for a multicultural community center and requested that ARPA funds allocated for it be replaced if used for project management. They asked for transparency, a copy of the community input report, and equal partnership in planning. Specific requests included artificial turf fields, prioritization of the center, and no delays. Speakers: Manny Morales, Renee Sumner (Raíces Collective), Ofelia, Marisol, Concepción, and Isabel Lopez (Executive Director, Raíces Collective).
- On Non‑Agenda Matters (Item 13): Twelve speakers addressed topics including:
- Need for a crosswalk and sidewalks at Jackson Drive and Montgomery Drive (Erica Bosco, Tyler Croy).
- Lonzo Arterberry, a Cardinal Newman High School football player, described racism at his school and being removed from the team for speaking up; he thanked Mayor Rogers for her example.
- Tom LaPenna, President of Santa Rosa Manufactured Home Owners Association, requested $100,000 from the mediation fund to compensate 487 homes in five parks excluded from rent control, facing 5.7% increases instead of 3.99%.
- Support for Mayor Rogers and concern about racism in Sonoma County (Elias Hinit, Esther Lemus).
- Request for a resolution supporting the right to rescue and non‑violent activists facing prosecution for exposing factory farm conditions (Samantha Eaches, Erik Allen).
- Suggestions on affordable rental housing (Bob Harder).
Discussion Items
- Closed Session (1:30 PM–2:15 PM): The City Attorney reported that Council provided direction on two real property negotiations (470 and 500 Sebastopol Road) but no final action was taken.
- Wellness Study Session (3:00 PM–3:30 PM): Amy Reeve (HR Director), Dominique Blanquie, and Indira Alfaro presented an overview of the city’s wellness programs, including the CONCERN EAP (utilization up from 9.6% to 18.8%), CORTICO app for first responders, and the $500 wellness incentive. Councilmember Stapp noted the impressive correlation between the wellness program and reduced injury costs at the Police Department. No public comment.
- Proclamation – Black History Month (Item 6.1): Mayor Rogers presented the proclamation. Speakers from NAACP, 100 Black Men of Sonoma County, Petaluma Blacks for Community Development, and others thanked the Council and emphasized year‑round recognition.
- City Manager’s/City Attorney’s Reports: City Manager Maraskeshia Smith reminded about the Hopper Avenue Corridor community meeting (March 1). City Attorney Sue Gallagher outlined new Brown Act rules for remote attendance (AB 2449) and reported 31 pending litigation cases, with 5 dismissals, 2 settlements, and 8 upcoming trials.
- Item 12.5 – Hearn Community Hub Professional Services Agreement (Pulled from Consent): Extensive discussion on the $5,812,022 contract with Kitchell/CEM. Councilmember Alvarez pulled the item to address community concerns. Assistant City Manager Jason Nutt and Real Estate Manager Jill Scott clarified that the contract covers project management/construction management for the entire Hearn Community Hub (fire station, library, community cultural center). They stated the city is committed to fully funding all components, with a current funding gap only for the aquatic center. The contract is phased (first 90 days for scope refinement) and does not commit the city to a specific design. The motion to adopt Resolution RES‑2023‑041 passed 7‑0 after further discussion on community engagement.
- Public Hearing – South Davis Neighborhood Park Master Plan Amendment (Item 15.2): Emily Ander and Brianna Morrison presented the updated plan (playground, picnic areas, walking paths, renovated basketball half‑court, fitness stations, native plants, security lighting). The triangular lot east of Highway 101 was removed from the plan. Public comment included concerns about lighting, parking, night activities, and tree preservation, but overall support. Council adopted Resolution RES‑2023‑042 unanimously (7‑0).
- Public Hearing – HOME‑ARP Allocation Plan (Item 15.1): Mark Hughes presented the plan recommending $2,737,433 in supportive services focusing on homelessness prevention, with an RFP process for sub‑recipients. No public comment. Council adopted Resolution RES‑2023‑043 unanimously (7‑0).
Key Outcomes
- Resolutions adopted (all with 7‑0 votes):
- RES‑2023‑036: Lower Colgan Creek Neighborhood Park grant.
- RES‑2023‑037: Prohousing Incentive Pilot Program application.
- RES‑2023‑038: Purchase of ten Ford Mach‑E electric vehicles.
- RES‑2023‑039: TIRCP Cycle 6 application ($15.9M).
- RES‑2023‑040: Lease at 983 Sonoma Avenue (inRESPONSE).
- RES‑2023‑041: Hearn Community Hub professional services agreement with Kitchell/CEM (not to exceed $5,812,022).
- RES‑2023‑042: South Davis Neighborhood Park Master Plan Amendment.
- RES‑2023‑043: HOME‑ARP Allocation Plan submittal and implementation.
- Item 12.7 continued to March 14, 2023.
- Council direction: Staff to work with Council on communication cadence for the Hearn Community Hub project; community engagement to continue through design phases.
- Public safety concerns from non‑agenda comments (crosswalk, racism at Cardinal Newman, rent control) to be followed up by staff.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to ask the interpreter currently in the Spanish channel to commence translation of the meeting. For those just joining the meeting, live translation in Spanish is available and members of the public or staff wishing to listen in Spanish can join the Spanish channel by clicking on the interpretation icon in Zoom toolbar. It looks like a globe. Once you join the Spanish channel, we recommend you shut off the main audio so you only hear the Spanish translation. Interpreter, will you please restate this in Spanish? Councilmember Stapp. Here. Two point one conference with Real Property Negotiator. Madam City Clerk, may you please conduct public comment on this item? We are now taking public comment on item two point one. If you are in the chambers and wish to make a comment and have not provided your name to the administrator at the top of the chamber, please make your way to the podium. Welcome back everyone. We will now reconvene our meeting. Sorry for the delay. Seeing a quorum, Madam City Clerk, can you please call the role? Councilmember Stapp. Yep. Councilmember Rogers. Yep. Councilmember Okropke. Here. Councilmember Fleming. Councilmember Alvarez. Present. Vice Mayor McDonald. Mayor Rogers. Present. Let the record reflect all council members are present with the exception of Vice Mayor McDonald. We will now proceed to item three point one. Madam City Manager. Thank you, Mayor and members of council. Item 3.1 is a wellness study session. Director of Human Resources, Amy Reeve, will lead the discussion. Thank you. And director, could you introduce your team when you get an opportunity? Thank you. My colleagues, Dominique Blanqui, the risk manager, and Indira Alfaro, our principal analyst over benefits and leaves, are joining me this afternoon to answer any questions which may come up after the presentation. This study session will provide a high-level overview of the City of Santa Rosa's wellness program and benefits. On our agenda today, we will be covering what is workplace wellness, the City of Santa Rosa wellness initiatives, and additional wellness initiatives and resources that we're cont continuing to evaluate. And we will also provide an opportunity for questions. So what is a workplace wellness program? A wellness program is a broad term used to describe activities, programs, or policies that the city offers to its workforce as a supplement to traditional benefits like medical, dental, and vision insurance. All wellness benefits are intended to encourage employees to stay healthy or improve their overall health and well-being rather than to treat a specific illness or medical condition. Some common examples of wellness programs include programs that help support and promote physical activity, mental and behavioral health resources, elder care, child care, financial well-being, and general connectedness. So taking a deeper dive into the Concern Employee Assistance Program, the City of Santa Rosa invested in improving our employee assistance program in 2020 and went and changed from MHN to Concern, which is more of a boutique provider of employee resources. Savings from the selection of a new long-term and short-term disability carrier provided reallocated assets to supplement and enhance the wellness program across the city. So the CONCERN EAP is different because, as I mentioned, it's a boutique-style EAP plan. It offers a personalized approach to overall employee health and wellness and has a focus on making the program both accessible and meaningful for all employees. CONCERN also integrated the city's existing first responders network and included preferred providers into the program. This change was meaningful because it included authorizing care through a specialized panel of providers who are culturally competent and experienced in working with our police and fire employees.
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