Santa Rosa City Council Special Meeting – May 6, 2025: Closed Session on Litigation
Santa Rosa City Council Special Meeting – May 6, 2025
The City Council met in a special closed session on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, convened at 10:04 a.m. and recessed to closed session at 10:06 a.m. The meeting addressed two litigation-related items, with public comment limited to closed session topics. The Council reconvened in open session at 11:19 a.m. and adjourned at 11:21 a.m.
Closed Session Items
- 3.1 Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation: One potential case was discussed under Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(4).
- 3.2 Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation: Discussion of the pending case United States et al. ex rel. John Hendrix v. J-M Manufacturing Company, Inc. d/b/a JM Eagle and Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A. (United States District Court, Central District of California, Case No. 5:06-CV-00055-GW).
Key Outcomes
- Council, by unanimous vote of all seven members present during closed session, authorized the initiation of litigation (defendants and details to be disclosed upon inquiry after action has commenced).
- Both closed session items (3.1 and 3.2) were received and filed.
- No public comments were made during the announcement of closed session items.
- Upon reconvening, five members were present (Mayor Stapp, Vice Mayor Alvarez, Council Members Bañuelos, MacDonald, Rogers); Council Members Fleming and Okrepkie were absent.
- City Attorney Teresa Stricker reported the unanimous vote and the authorization.
Meeting Transcript
Time is ten oh five. Uh Madam City Clerk, will you please call it we'll call this meeting to order? Madam City Clerk, would you please call the rolling? Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Rogers. Present. Councilmember O'Krepke. Here. Councilmember McDonald. Here. Councilmember Fleming. Here. Councilmember Ben Wellos? Here. Vice Mayor Alvarez. Mayor Stepp. Here. Let the record show that all council members are present. Thank you. We'll announce our two closed session session items today. Mayor respectfully we do need to go to item two, the remote participation under AB two four four nine on the agenda. Councilmember O'Krepke has identified a need to participate remotely under the Brown Act provisions under AB two four four nine. Councilmember O'Krepke, can you please identify uh the provision you are participating under? Yes, I request to attend this meeting remotely under AV two four four nine, applying the just cause provision because I have a contagious illness that prevents me from being there in person. I will participate with both audio and video turned on throughout the meeting. In this room, I'm accompanied by no one over the age of eighteen. Yes, of course. So we we are going to have him participate. So just wanted to clarify that it actually isn't a request, it's sort of a statement. Hello, everyone. Welcome back from closed session. Madam City Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember O'Kreepke. Councilmember McDonald? Here. Councilmember Fleming. Councilmember Ben Wells? Here. Vice Mayor Alvarez. Mayor Step. Here let the record show that Councilman, all council members are present with the exception of Councilmembers Fleming and O'Krepke. We'll move on to item five, our report on closed session items.
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