Santa Rosa City Council Regular Meeting Summary - February 25, 2025

The Santa Rosa City Council held a regular meeting on February 25, 2025, beginning at 2:30 PM with a closed session, followed by interviews for Personnel Board vacancies at 3:30 PM, and the regular session at 4:00 PM. The meeting adjourned at 5:40 PM. Council Members Mark Stapp, Eddie Alvarez, Caroline Bañuelos, Victoria Fleming, and Natalie Rogers were present; Council Members Dianna MacDonald and Jeff Okrepkie were absent. The council approved numerous consent items, received staff briefings, and accepted the fourth annual Community Wildfire Protection Plan report.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution RES-2025-023: Approved submittal of a $5,000,000 CalHome grant application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for downpayment assistance and housing rehabilitation loans.
• Resolution RES-2025-024: Acknowledged receipt of the Fire Chief's compliance report for California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 for calendar years 2022, 2023, and 2024.
• Resolutions RES-2025-025 and RES-2025-026: Approved two General Services Agreements for grazing services: $125,000 to Capra Environmental Services, Corp, and $125,000 to Therese Oyarzun dba Goats R Us, for a total not to exceed $250,000.
• Resolution RES-2025-027: Approved General Services Agreement F002957 with Matrix HG, Inc. for HVAC maintenance and repair services for two years with three one-year renewal options, not to exceed $132,930, plus a $300,000 repair service contingency.
• Resolution RES-2025-028: Approved Cooperative Agreement 04-3020 with Caltrans for quality management assessment of construction activities for the Highway 101 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing project.
• Resolution RES-2025-029: Authorized a $10,600,000 Regional Measure 3 grant allocation request to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the same overcrossing.
• Resolution RES-2025-030: Authorized a $12,000,000 Active Transportation Program grant and $1,292,000 Housing Incentive Pool grant allocation request to the California Transportation Commission and Caltrans for the overcrossing.
• Ordinance ORD-2025-003 (second reading): Amended Titles 10, 17, 19, 20, and 21 of the Municipal Code to streamline the Landmark Alteration Permit process and consolidate the Cultural Heritage Board and Design Review Board into a single Design Review and Preservation Board. This ordinance was introduced on February 4, 2025, by a 6-0-1-0 vote (Alvarez absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Duane De Witt (Roseland resident) spoke on consent items 14.1, 14.3, 14.5, 14.6, and 14.7, suggesting cost reductions for the Highway 101 overcrossing and expressing concerns about usage of the Armory Drive bike path. He also commented on the EPIC trash pilot, recommending Roseland school children provide artwork and noting the need for regular cleaning of solar trash cans. During non-agenda public comment (Item 15), he suggested discontinuing the Art in Public Places Committee and Community Advisory Board to cut costs, and criticized the Design Review Board's meeting on February 6, 2025, for making Roseland residents wait over two hours for a public hearing.
• Drew Weigl (Design Review Board member) spoke in support of Item 14.8 (ordinance consolidation), stating he fully supports the ordinance and noted the board's positive track record of working with applicants.
• Karen Squaglia (President, Valley Vista I and II Homeowner Association) advocated for urgent repair of city-maintained streets in her senior development, citing a Pavement Condition Index of 28–37 (poor condition) as a safety hazard for residents, 90.1% of whom are aged 60 or older.
• Lola Johnson (Santa Rosa resident) during the final public comment period (Item 19) asked the council to consider more discretionary enforcement of leash laws at parks, after being ticketed at Franklin Park while her dog was off-leash in an empty park.

Discussion Items

• Proclamation – American Heart Month (Item 8.1): Council Member Rogers read the proclamation, and Shane Valentine (Community Impact Director, American Heart Association) accepted it, urging residents to learn CPR. The proclamation noted that CPR can double or triple a person's chance of survival, but only about 46% of cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR.
• Staff Briefing – Every Piece Inspires Change (E.P.I.C.) Collaborative (Item 9.1): Nick Sudano (Senior Environmental Specialist) presented a trash pilot study along a 0.75-mile segment of Sebastopol Avenue to comply with the state's 2030 Trash Compliance Amendment, which requires preventing particles 5mm or greater from entering storm drains. The pilot will test three approaches across three segments, including increased street sweeping, four solar-powered Big Belly trash cans (holding 5–10 times more than traditional cans), and a bilingual educational campaign featuring local artwork. The pilot runs April–June 2025. Council members expressed support, with Vice Mayor Alvarez emphasizing outreach to the Roseland business community and Council Member Bañuelos noting the importance of bus stop placement. Public commenter Duane De Witt suggested involving Roseland school children in the art.
• Staff Briefing – Laguna Treatment Plant Disinfection Project Update (Item 9.2): Mike Prinz (Deputy Director of Regional Water Reuse Operations) provided an update on the UV disinfection upgrade, under construction since October 2022. Key statistics: 136 concrete pours, 7,000+ cubic yards of concrete, nearly 40,000 cubic yards of excavation (3,500 truckloads), almost 3 million pounds of rebar, 175,000 labor hours, and 20–30 contractor staff on site daily. Completion was estimated around July 2025, with $55 million spent to date. The new system will restore 70 million gallons per day capacity and save over $400,000 annually in electricity costs. Council Member Rogers thanked staff for their work; public commenter Duane De Witt questioned whether the city receives revenue from water sent to the Geysers geothermal fields.
• City Manager/City Attorney Reports (Item 10): City Manager Maraskeshia Smith reported that the Recreation and Parks Department's "A Start For Your Heart" free class demo day on February 15 drew 159 participants, funded by Measure M. The BlockBlast spring/summer program guide offers low- and no-cost activities for at-risk youth, funded by the Public Safety Prevention Tax. City Attorney Teresa Stricker reported no settlements over $50,000 finalized in January and approximately 30 pending litigation matters, mostly in discovery.
• Mayor/Council Member Reports (Item 12): Council Member Fleming reported on the MTC Wayfinding pilot launch in Santa Rosa. Council Member Bañuelos announced the reappointment of Jeff Nathanson to the Art in Public Places Committee. Council Member Rogers expressed sorrow over recent child deaths and called for community unity and education. Mayor Stapp reported on the February 13 joint city/county meeting and noted that TPW Director Dan Hennessey was named a Forty Under 40 recipient by the North Bay Business Journal.
• Chairperson Appointments (Item 12.2.1): The council approved Mayor Stapp's appointments: Jeff Nathanson (Art in Public Places), Omar Lopez (Board of Community Services), Andrea Rodriguez (Community Advisory Board), Evette Minor (Public Safety and Prevention Tax Citizens' Oversight Committee), and Lisa Maldonado (Personnel Board). Approved 5–0.
• Personnel Board Appointments (Item 12.3.1): After interviews with Deanna Martin, Stacy Spector, and Erika Thibault (incumbent Luana Vaetoe was absent), the council appointed Deanna Martin and Erika Thibault to two at-large vacancies with four-year terms ending December 31, 2028. Approved 5–0.
• Council Liaison Regional Positions (Item 12.4.1): The council approved Mayor Stapp's appointments: Council Member Rogers as ABAG General Assembly alternate, Council Member Bañuelos as Library Advisory Board alternate, replacement of Council Member MacDonald with staff Kelly Kuykendall as Sonoma County Homeless Coalition alternate, and Mayor Stapp as Public Financing Authority alternate. Approved 5–0.
• Alternate to Renewal Enterprise District (Item 12.5.1): Council Member Rogers appointed as alternate. Approved 5–0.
• Minutes Approval (Item 13): January 28, 2025, and February 4, 2025, regular meeting minutes were approved as submitted. Council Member Rogers recused from January 28 minutes (absent); Vice Mayor Alvarez recused from February 4 minutes (absent).
• Report – Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Annual Report (Item 16.1): Interim Deputy Chief Paul Lowenthal presented the fourth annual report of the CWPP, a five-year plan funded initially with $5.25 million. The report covered nine objectives and 46 action items, including vegetation management, evacuation route improvements (with a new vegetation management ordinance), public education (three successful Wildfire Ready events), structural hardening ($2.1 million in home hardening grants), and new grazing services. The council accepted the report by a 5–0 vote. Lowenthal noted that new CalFire high fire hazard severity zone maps were released the day before the meeting, and the city has 120 days to adopt them, with potential modifications to the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) boundaries.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: All eight items (14.1–14.8) were approved unanimously (5–0) with the reading waived.
• Chairperson and Board Appointments: Five chairperson appointments, two Personnel Board appointees (Deanna Martin and Erika Thibault), regional liaison positions, and an alternate to the Renewal Enterprise District were all approved 5–0.
• Minutes: Both sets of minutes approved.
• Community Wildfire Protection Plan Report: Accepted by motion 5–0.
• Note: Two council members (MacDonald and Okrepkie) were absent for all votes. Vice Mayor Alvarez clarified he could vote on Item 14.8 as he viewed the prior discussion via Zoom.