Santa Rosa City Council Regular Meeting - November 12, 2024

The Santa Rosa City Council held a regular meeting on November 12, 2024, beginning at 4:02 p.m. Six council members were present (Mayor Natalie Rogers, Vice Mayor Mark Stapp, Council Members Eddie Alvarez, Victoria Fleming, Dianna MacDonald, and Chris Rogers); Council Member Jeff Okrepkie was absent. The meeting included staff briefings, reports, consent items, two report items, and two public hearings. Key actions included approval of a 3.4% Recology rate increase, adoption of an Affordable Housing Capital Facilities Fee Pilot Program, addition of an annual Tobacco Retail License Fee, and adoption of three ordinances updating the Resilient City zoning measures.

Consent Calendar

• Item 13.1 (Motion): Authorized issuance of a Design-Build RFP for energy conservation and efficiency improvements at municipal facilities (solar, battery storage, efficiency upgrades). Approved unanimously (6-0).
• Item 13.2 (Resolution): Approved a second amendment to Blanket Purchase Order 166149 with Smothers Parts International for automotive parts/supplies, increasing compensation by $150,000 for a total not to exceed $597,000. Adopted (Resolution RES-2024-170).
• Item 13.3 (Resolution): Authorized filing of grant applications for Federal Transit Administration and Surface Transportation Program funds for FY2025 and FY2026, committing up to $5,028,268 in local matching funds. Adopted (RES-2024-171).
• Item 13.4 (Resolution): Approved a second amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Catholic Charities for the inRESPONSE Mental Health Support Team, extending the term to November 1, 2029, and increasing the contract to $4,090,561. Adopted (RES-2024-172).
• Item 13.5 (Resolution): Amended the City Classification and Salary Plan to create the Technical Services Manager classification (salary $115,900–$148,916), add 2.0 FTE Technical Services Managers, and eliminate 1.0 FTE Technical Services Division Manager, 1.0 FTE Community Services Officer, and 1.0 FTE Senior Administrative Assistant. Adopted (RES-2024-173).
• Item 13.6 (Resolution): Approved an amendment to Blanket Purchase Order 164049 with Jet Mulch, Inc. for ASTM-certified engineered wood fiber product supply/installation, increasing compensation by $44,000 for a total not to exceed $113,997.75. Approved 5-0 (Council Member MacDonald recused due to a personal relationship). (RES-2024-174)

Public Comments & Testimony

• On Item 13.4 (inRESPONSE contract): Gregory Fearon questioned the lack of a scope of work in the background materials and urged the Council to consider rigorous performance metrics, noting that the Behavioral Health Board will be scrutinizing funding sources.
• On Item 15.2 (Affordable Housing Fee Pilot):
  • Support: Cliff Whigham, Al Lerma (Sonoma County Hospitality Association), Eris Weaver (Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition), Abby Arnold (Generation Housing/Santa Rosa YIMBY), John Contreras (Providence Hospice), Rich Wallach (Burbank Housing), Imogene Jones, Caitlin Childs, Pat McDonell (Legal Aid Sonoma County), Jen Klose (Generation Housing), Angie Dillon Shore (First 5 Sonoma County), Adrian Covert (Santa Rosa YIMBY), and Octavio Diaz (Mitote Food Park, submitted support via speaker card).
  • Opposition: Duane DeWitt (concerns about developer accountability and need for extremely low-income focus), Adina Flores (alleged conflict of interest and fiscal concerns).
• On Item 16.2 (Resilient City Amendments): Duane DeWitt spoke in support but expressed concerns about enforcement of conditional use permits and developer accountability. Adina Flores raised questions about a potential conflict of interest involving a senior planner and the Cultural Heritage Board.
• On Non-Agenda Matters (Items 14/18): Adina Flores made allegations against Council Member Chris Rogers; Bill Katsaros (Silvermark Construction) complained about building inspection delays (2-week wait times); Duane DeWitt thanked the Council for Veterans Day events and discussed HUD-VASH voucher availability.

Discussion Items

Item 15.1: Recology Rate Increase (3.4% effective January 1, 2025)

Director of Transportation and Public Works Dan Hennessey presented the proposed inflationary adjustment (3.4%, about $1.10–$1.40 per month for residents, billed quarterly). The rate is tied to an industry-specific cost index (RRI) and is consistent with neighboring counties. Council Member Fleming asked about historical rates; staff noted the adjustment is inflationary. No public comments were made. The Council approved the motion 6-0.

Item 15.2: Affordable Housing Capital Facilities Fee Pilot Program

Director of Planning and Economic Development Gabe Osburn presented the program, which sets the Capital Facilities Fee to zero for deed-restricted affordable housing units (very low, low, and moderate income categories) for a limited period (three years or until a new impact fee study is adopted, whichever comes first). The pilot aims to incentivize near-term development to meet Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) targets. Staff estimated a potential reduction in revenue of up to $3 million if 294 projected units move forward. Council discussion included reporting requirements (annual check-ins), triggers for sunsetting the low-income category once RHNA is met, and the impact on Capital Improvement Projects (no immediate impact, potential delay for some future projects). Council Member Fleming noted the importance of flexibility if projects stall. Council approved the resolution 6-0 (RES-2024-175).

Item 16.1: Public Hearing – Annual Tobacco Retail License Fee

Assistant City Manager Jason Nutt presented two options: Option 1 (one compliance visit/year) at an annual fee of $631 (initial 18-month fee: $1,013) and Option 2 (two visits/year) at $828 annual ($1,210 initial). The fee covers costs of compliance monitoring through the County Department of Health Services. Staff recommended Option 1. The public hearing was opened and closed with no public comment. Council Member Alvarez recused himself due to ownership in a cannabis business. Council approved Option 1 via Resolution RES-2024-176 (5-0).

Item 16.2: Public Hearing – Resilient City Municipal Code Text and Zoning Map Amendments

City Planner Christian Candelaria and Senior Planner Amy Nicholson presented three ordinances to replace the temporary Resilient City (-RC) Combining District (set to expire Dec. 31, 2024) with permanent citywide standards, streamline permitting processes, and extend temporary housing provisions for hazard-recovery areas. The ordinances also remove the combining district from 8,383 parcels and memorialize Tubbs/Nuns Fire tentative map extensions. Planning Commission recommended approval. Public comments addressed enforcement concerns and conflicts. Council adopted all three ordinances (4-0; Mayor Rogers and Council Member Alvarez absent, Council Member Okrepkie absent):

• Ordinance 3 (Title 19 amendments for map extensions) – approved.
• Revised Ordinance 1 (new Chapter 20-35 Resilient City Standards and related updates) – approved.
• Ordinance 2 (zoning map amendment reclassifying parcels) – approved.

Key Outcomes

• Recology Rate Increase: Approved 6-0, effective January 1, 2025.
• Affordable Housing Fee Pilot: Adopted (RES-2024-175) 6-0; fee reduced to $0 for deed-restricted affordable units; program term limited to 3 years or until new impact fee study adopted.
• Tobacco Retail License Fee: Added to Fee Schedule as Section 7.07 (Option 1, single compliance visit per year), effective January 1, 2025 (RES-2024-176, 5-0).
• Resilient City Ordinances: All three introduced and adopted (4-0) – codifying permanent standards, removing the combining district, and adding map extensions.
• Appointments & Leave of Absence: Shawn Kara approved as alternate member to Zero Waste Sonoma (6-0); Housing Authority Commissioner Wayne Downey granted leave of absence through December 2024 (6-0).
• Minutes: Approved as submitted.
• Meeting Adjourned: At 6:37 p.m. in memory of Detective Von Andrews, a 20-year veteran of the Santa Rosa Police Department.