Santa Rosa City Council Regular Meeting - March 4, 2025
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Santa Rosa City Council Regular Meeting - March 4, 2025
The Santa Rosa City Council held a regular meeting on March 4, 2025, beginning with a closed session at 2:30 PM to evaluate the City Attorney's performance, followed by the regular session at 4:14 PM. The meeting included proclamations, staff briefings, consent items, public hearings, and a police military equipment report. All seven council members were present. The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Item 13.1: Accepted the 2024 Annual Public Records Requests Report. Approved 7-0.
- Item 13.2: Authorized an additional $2,000,000 in contingency funds for the Coffey Park and Fountaingrove Neighborhood Roads Disaster Recovery Project, increasing the total contract to $22,031,245.97. Approved 7-0.
- Item 13.3: Adopted Resolution RES-2025-031 authorizing submission of a Homekey+ grant application for Caritas Homes Phase II for up to $13.95 million. Approved 7-0.
- Item 13.4: Adopted Resolution RES-2025-032 authorizing a matching grant application for the Lower Colgan Creek Neighborhood Park Improvement Project for $1,600,000 (19% of $8,365,495 total). Approved 7-0.
- Item 13.5: Adopted Resolution RES-2025-033 approving a service contract with Santa Rosa City School District for summer youth programs. Approved 7-0.
- Item 13.6: Adopted Resolution RES-2025-034 authorizing the Mayor to sign a letter agreeing to transfer 641 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) units from Sonoma County to Santa Rosa after annexation of 34.93 acres. Approved 7-0.
- Item 13.7: Adopted Resolution RES-2025-035 approving a Professional Services Agreement with Dyett & Bhatia for the South Santa Rosa Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report for up to $765,272. Approved 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Duane DeWitt (Roseland resident, Sonoma County Housing Advocacy Group) spoke on several items: he supported the Arbor Week proclamation and praised Parks staff; he expressed concern about Item 13.4 (Lower Colgan Creek park) noting that developers should bear park costs rather than taxpayers; he also commented on Item 13.6 (RHNA transfer) urging that the transfer include enforceable timelines for housing unit construction. During non-agenda public comment, he raised concerns about Burbank Housing Development Corporation converting affordable rental units to ownership, and urged the city to oppose federal cuts to HUD housing vouchers.
- Adina Flores (public comment on non-agenda) raised potential conflict of interest concerns regarding Council Member Okrepkie's employment at George Peterson Insurance Agency and his clients in construction, requesting disclosure.
- Stephanie Bower (Generation Housing Deputy Director) spoke in support of the Renewal Enterprise District (RED), praising its collaborative financing model for housing.
- Duane DeWitt (during RED presentation) expressed support but requested more robust community outreach, especially in Roseland.
- Duane DeWitt (on City Manager report) advocated for a bikeway/greenway along Roseland Creek in the Active Transportation Plan.
- Public Hearing on Massage Ordinance (Item 16.1):
- Curtis Bennett spoke in support, noting the link between illicit massage businesses and human trafficking.
- Patrick Murray spoke in support, praising the balanced approach.
- Mark Dixon (Chair, California Massage Therapy Council) spoke in support, requesting consideration of later operating hours.
- Laurie Fong (Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of North Bay) spoke in support, emphasizing victim-centered enforcement.
- Brad Childs spoke in support, noting challenges with fictitious business name filings.
- No public comments were made on the Police Military Equipment report.
Discussion Items
- Item 7.1 & 7.2 Proclamations: Council presented proclamations for Red Cross Month and Arbor Week. Red Cross volunteer Andy Witthohn and Parks Superintendent James Castro spoke. Public comment by Duane DeWitt supported the Parks team.
- Item 8.1 Renewal Enterprise District (RED) Overview: Robin Stefani (Executive Director) and Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Coursey presented. The RED, formed in 2018, has facilitated over 630 housing units in Santa Rosa through $20 million in city/county contributions plus leveraged funds. Projects highlighted: Pullman Lofts (114 market-rate units), Corazone (77 affordable units), Aviara (136 affordable units), South Park Commons (75 affordable units), 420 Mendocino (168 market-rate units), and Casa Roseland (affordable, under construction). Council member questions focused on available loan amounts ($2.3 million currently, with potential $7 million from 420 Mendocino maturity). Public comment supported the RED but requested outreach improvements.
- Item 8.2 Community Empowerment Plan Update: Presented by Ana Horta (Community Engagement Manager). Upcoming events included a Leprechaun Treasure Hunt in parks. Mayor Stapp highlighted ongoing city-school collaboration on violence prevention and school safety, referencing the 3x3 committee.
- Item 16.1 Public Hearing - Massage Ordinance and Adult Entertainment Zoning: Staff (Gabe Osburn, Lou Kirk, Jessica Jones) presented the proposed comprehensive replacement ordinance to regulate massage establishments (certification, hours, enforcement) and a separate zoning amendment for adult entertainment businesses (requiring major conditional use permit). Key features: 180-day compliance period, certificate fees ($200 new, $150 renewal with no violations, $330 with violations), administrative adjustments, and restrictions on illicit businesses (e.g., immediate closure for gross violations). Police Chief John Cregan and Detective Tim Raymond outlined a victim-centered enforcement approach, coordinating with code enforcement and victim advocates. Council discussion covered staffing, enforcement, human trafficking victim support, and regional cooperation. The public hearing opened and closed with multiple speakers in support.
- Item 15.1 Police Department Annual Military Equipment Report (AB 481): Presented by Chief Cregan and Lieutenant Christopher Mahurin. The report covered eight categories of military equipment held (none obtained from military). Use in 2024 was limited: 40mm launchers used to break vehicle windows (0 uses on persons), chemical agents used in three incidents without additional force, drones used for de-escalation and search. Requests for future purchases include ammunition and equipment, but no funding was requested. Council members expressed support; Council Member Bañuelos abstained on the final vote.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Items: All seven items approved unanimously (7-0).
- Massage Ordinance (Ordinance 1): Introduced by motion (Okrepkie/Fleming) and passed 7-0. The ordinance repeals Chapter 6-32, adds new Chapter 20-49, and amends zoning sections to regulate massage establishments.
- Adult Entertainment Zoning (Ordinance 2): Introduced by motion (Flemming) and passed 7-0. The ordinance amends Title 20 to require a major conditional use permit for adult entertainment businesses.
- Massage Certification Fees (Resolution): Adopted 7-0, establishing fees for certifications, renewals, administrative adjustments, and inspections.
- Police Military Equipment Report and Ordinance Renewal: Approved by motion (MacDonald/Alvarez) with a 6-0-1 vote (Bañuelos abstaining). Resolution RES-2025-037 approved the report and renewed Ordinance ORD-2022-007.
- Future Agenda Items: Council Member Rogers requested two future items: (1) revisit downtown cannabis dispensary operations (narrowed to downtown focus by friendly amendment), and (2) develop a solar ordinance requiring disclosure of solar output to homeowners. Both were seconded and will be agendized separately.
- Appointments: Council Member MacDonald appointed Kathryn Kelly to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and Omar Lopez to the Board of Community Services.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. I'd like to ask the interpreter currently on the Spanish channel to commence interpretation of the meeting. For those just joining the meeting, live interpretation 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 the Zoom toolbar. It looks like a globe. Thank you for your patience, everyone. We're back. Madam City Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember O'Krepke. Here. Councilmember MacDonald. Here. Councilmember Fleming? Councilmember Ben Welluth. Here. Vice Mayor Alvarez? Present. Mayor Stepp. Here. Let the record show all council members are present. Thank you. Move on to item six, our uh report on closed session. I never get to do the report, so I'll get but I'm glad to do it today. Uh there's no report. No deserter no reportable action from closed session. Uh item seven point one. We're gonna do a proclamation for Red Cross Month. Miss Ben Wellos. Okay. It is my honor. Let's see. Um, whereas we celebrate American Red Cross Month by recognizing the compassionate acts of people in Santa Rosa and by renewing our commitment to lend a helping hand to our neighbors in need, and whereas since Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, generation after generation has stepped up to deliver relief and care across the the country, our country, and around the world. Volunteers who give back through the Sonoma Napa chapter of the American Red Cross remain unwavering in their commitment to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of today's emergencies. Uh we also want to thank you for your service as City Council members, especially tonight, giving up the opportunity to watch the State of the Union by sitting here doing city business. That's really good of you. Um Red Cross does a lot of work in uh in the community. Uh we have our blue sky and our gray sky activity. Uh gray sky is when we respond to disasters like the Tubbs Fire and the Kincaid fire that were in this neighborhood, and hundreds of volunteers showed up to help community members who lost their homes and had to be in shelters. Uh we had a shelter at the Vetz Building, as you're well aware. We've also had shelters uh at the fairgrounds. Um our blue sky activities are a little broader. We respond, we do trainings in um CPR and first aid. Uh we install smoke alarms, we've installed smoke alarms at five or six different mobile home parks in Santa Rosa, hundreds of smoke alarms in the homes of of elderly folks who now are safer because they will know if there's a fire in their home. Um we also uh try our best to do some education of young children. We uh have two programs. Well, we used to have two programs, now we have one called Prepare with Pedro. It's a program we do in the schools for kindergarten through second graders to prepare them for how to deal with a home fire that might happen in their homes. Um we have dat responders, uh disaster assistance team who go out in Santa Rosa Fire Department or Healdsburg Fire Department or Roanoke Fire Department, call Red Cross and say we've had a home fire. Would you please come and provide assistance to the residents?
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