Santa Rosa City Council Study Session on FY 2023-24 Budget and Regular Meeting – May 9, 2023
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Santa Rosa City Council Study Session on FY 2023-24 Budget and Regular Meeting – May 9, 2023
The Santa Rosa City Council held a two‑day study session beginning May 9, 2023, to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2023‑24 Operations and Maintenance Budget and Capital Improvement Program Budget. The session covered a citywide overview, General Fund segment, and administrative departments. The regular session that afternoon included proclamations, staff briefings, approval of minutes, unanimous consent items, and public comment on non‑agenda matters.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution 12.1 – Approved the SB1 State of Good Repair Project List and authorized filing a funding claim for an estimated $27,383 from Caltrans for FY 2023‑24. Adopted unanimously (RES‑2023‑079).
- Resolution 12.2 – Authorized filing a claim for Transportation Development Act Article IV and State Transit Assistance funds of approximately $12,255,165 for transit operations and capital needs. Adopted unanimously (RES‑2023‑080).
- Resolution 12.3 – Approved a split bid award for chemicals for city swimming pools: liquid carbon dioxide from Knorr Systems Int’l, LLC (up to $26,984.76) and liquid chlorine from SCP Distributors LLC dba Lincoln Aquatics (up to $88,033.66), total not to exceed $115,018.42. Adopted unanimously (RES‑2023‑081).
- Resolution 12.4 – Expressed support for Senate Bill 55 (Umberg), which would require car dealers to etch the VIN on catalytic converters of vehicles listed for sale. Adopted unanimously (RES‑2023‑082).
- Resolution 12.5 – Approved an extension of the proclamation of a local homeless emergency (Resolution No. 28839). Adopted unanimously (RES‑2023‑083).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Study Session (public comment deferred to May 10): No public comment was taken on the budget study session during the May 9 meeting.
- Proclamations (6.1 & 6.2): Duane DeWitt (Sonoma County Housing Advocacy Group) spoke in support of Affordable Housing Month, emphasizing that residential rentals are key to solving the housing crisis. Eris Weaver (Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition) spoke on the importance and joy of bicycling.
- Community Empowerment Plan Update (7.1): Duane DeWitt thanked staff for graffiti‑removal assistance, suggested moving future Cinco de Mayo celebrations to Courthouse Square, and provided historical context on the cruising ordinance.
- Consent Items (12): Duane DeWitt suggested partnering with faith‑based organizations to provide safe parking and tiny homes for homeless individuals.
- Non‑agenda Matters (13): Multiple speakers addressed the council:
- Alexa Forrester (Bikeable Santa Rosa) presented a mural with over 100 resident comments urging safer, low‑stress bike infrastructure.
- Duane DeWitt supported keeping hybrid meetings and urged council to engage with younger residents.
- Micah Reyes and Isabella Barnard spoke in favor of investing in protected bike routes for safety and health.
- Bernadette Burrell, Nancy Wang, and Jose Ibarra spoke in opposition to non‑hosted short‑term rentals in residential neighborhoods, citing noise, safety, and enforcement failures.
Discussion Items
- Study Session – FY 2023‑24 Budget Review (Item 3.1): Staff presented a $2.5 million General Fund deficit, addressed through fiscal stability reserves. Citywide revenues budgeted at $503.2 million and expenditures at $534 million. Administrative departments (City Council, City Manager, City Attorney, Communications, Human Resources, Finance, IT, Housing & Community Services) presented their budgets. Key challenges include leveling sales tax, rising benefit costs, labor negotiations, and grant management. Council asked questions about PERS rates, unfunded actuarial liability, parking fund deficits, and reorganization of community engagement into the Communications department.
- Proclamations (Items 6.1 & 6.2): Council proclaimed May as Affordable Housing Month and May 2023 as Bike to Work Month & Day.
- Community Empowerment Plan Update (Item 7.1): Danielle Garduno reported on a successful Cinco de Mayo event in Roseland (est. 2,000 attendees), planned repeal of the cruising ordinance on May 23, and recruitment for a community engagement coordinator.
- Council Member Reports (Item 10): Reports included updates from the Sonoma Clean Power Authority, SCTA/RCPA budget discussions, the Renewal Enterprise District, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission appointment, and local community events.
- Approval of Minutes (Item 11.1): Minutes of the March 9‑10, 2023 regular meeting were approved as submitted.
- Written Communication (Item 16.1): Notice of Final Map for Stonebridge Subdivision Phase 1 was received and filed; Vice Mayor MacDonald abstained due to property proximity.
Key Outcomes
- All five consent resolutions were adopted unanimously (7‑0).
- The minutes of the March 9‑10 regular meeting were approved.
- The study session was recessed to May 10 at 9:00 AM to continue with Fire, Police, Planning & Economic Development, Parks & Recreation, Transportation & Public Works, Water, and Capital Improvement Program budgets.
- Council provided direction to staff on budget questions; a formal response document will be compiled before final adoption in June.
- The proclamation of local homeless emergency was extended; the cruising ordinance repeal is scheduled for May 23.
- Public comment on short‑term rentals highlighted strong resident opposition to non‑hosted properties; no formal action taken.
- The meeting adjourned at 5:20 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. I'd like to ask the interpreter currently on the Spanish channel to commence translation of the meeting. It looks like a globe. Interpreter, will you please restate this in Spanish? Welcome Madam Madam City Attorney is coming down. Welcome, Madam City Attorney, and welcome Madam Madam City Manager and fellow council members. Sing a quorum. Madam City Clerk, may you please call the role? Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Stapp. Here. Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember O'Krepke. Here. Councilmember Fleming. Here. Councilmember Alvarez. Vice Mayor McDonald. Here. Mayor Rogers. Present. Let the record show that all council members are present with the exception of Councilmember Chris Rogers and Councilmember Alvarez. And I would like to through the mayor ask Councilmember Fleming to make the statement regarding participating via AB 2449 remote participation. Yes, thank you. Thank you. Hello. Um I'm requesting to participate remotely for reasons of child care. Can you please read through the statement that was provided regarding participation remotely on members of the public with you in the room over 18 and the additional statement? Uh yes, hold on, let me hold that up the statement, please. Um I request to attend this meeting remotely under AD 2449, applying the just cause for the end in order to provide child care. I will participate both audio and video turned on throughout the meeting. In this room, I am accompanied by nobody over the age of 18. Thank you, Councilmember. Thank you. So we have no closed uh session items today, so we will go on to item three, and that is our study sessions. Um I'd like to remind everyone that public comment will be taken on this item uh tomorrow, May 10th, after all departments have had um their opportunity to make their presentations. So if you would like to make a public comment, please know that it will not be heard until tomorrow. Madam City Manager, take it away. Thank you, Mayor. Item 3.1 is a review of fiscal year 2023-2024 operations and maintenance and capital improvement budget. I'll turn it over to budget director Veronica Connor. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council members. My name is Veronica Connor, and I'm here to introduce our to introduce our fiscal year 2324 budget study session item. Um this is our opportunity to present a deep dive into our fiscal year 2324 proposed budget. We're looking for feedback from council, questions from council before we we return in June with a proposed budget for adoption. So today I'm going to turn it over shortly to both Marakisha Smith and Alan Alton for some opening comments. We'll then come back to me for a citywide budget overview and a general fund budget overview, as well as a staffing summary. And today we're hoping to get through all of our administrative department budgets as well as information technology and housing and community services. And tomorrow we will come back here to go through fire department, police department, planning and economic development, parks and recreation, TBW, water, as well as our capital improvement program.
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