All right.

We will call this meeting to order at two fifty two PM.

Um, Madam Uh Deputy City Clerk, can you take roll, please?

Councilmember Rogers.

Councilmember McDonald.

Here.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Ben Willow?

Here.

Councilmember Alvarez.

Vice Mayor Okke?

Here.

And Mayor Stapp is absent.

Let the re record reflect all council members are present with the exception of Mayor Stapp and Councilmember Fleming.

Yes, uh, today I will be attending this meeting remotely under GC five four nine five three point eight point three.

Applying the just uh just cause provision due to uh contagious illness, and uh we'll be participating with both audio and video turn on throughout the meeting.

And this room, I am by myself another adults or children present.

Um, we will now move on to our announcement of closed session items.

Uh item three point one conference with real property negotiator.

Uh Madam City turn, do I need to read the description as well?

Uh you do not, but you're welcome to do so.

Thank you for making me feel welcome, but I will not.

Seeing nobody move, we will close public comment.

Just a reminder, we'll be taking comment via Zoom.

Um, since we have a participation under the um just cause provision.

panel to comment 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.

If you are on your cell phone or tablet, locate the three dots, tap them lightly and put a check mark on your preferred language.

Thank you very much.

Back to you.

All right.

Uh, and we're back.

Item four study session.

Take roll call.

Oh, roll call, sorry.

Thank you.

Councilmember Rogers.

Present.

Councilmember McDonald.

Here.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Ben Wellos.

Here.

Councilmember Alvarez.

Vice Mayor O'Kropkey.

Here.

And Mayor Stapp is absent.

Let the record reflect all council members are present with the absence of Mayor Stapp and Councilmember Fleming.

Thank you very much.

And do we need to do another disclosure?

We go to the just the one at the top.

Just the one does it.

All right, thank you very much.

Now we will move on to item four study session.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Dina Manis, City Clerk, uh presenting today on the recent updates to the Brown Act under Senate Bill 707.

Joining me today is City Attorney Stricker and Anna Hurta, the community engagement manager.

So today's presentation is going to cover the recent updates to the Brown Act, which was signed by the governor in October of 2025.

And this is the provisions in our government code related to open meeting laws.

707 recasts the existing provisions of the Brown Act and adds new requirements around transparency, diversification of participation methods, and uh new requirements related to outreach efforts for improving public engagement.

Some provisions were operative as of January 1, and others are going to be operative July 1 of 2026.

This presentation is not going to cover the full extent of all 707 provisions, just the key components that have significant council, boards and commissions, and the community and city operations reach.

Staff has compared the new Brown Act amendments against our city council policies, our city code, and the city council manual of procedures and protocols.

Actually, the presentation is going to be broken into four different categories.

The new rules that apply to all Brown Act bodies, additional remote options that council might consider adoption for certain limited advisory bodies or within the Brown Act or within 707 referred to as subsidiary bodies.

So we'll jump right in to the new rules applicable to all Brown Act bodies.

First and foremost, we have new requirements around requiring the Brown Act, full text, and a list of the meeting locations be provided to all elected officials as well as boards and commission members.

And this has been done already.

We did this in December to City Council, and we also sent communications out to all of our boards and commissions.

Additionally, we have now incorporated it into our annual procedures and onboarding procedures for both city council and boards and commissions.

The next provision that was updated that has impact to city council and boards and commissions are the social media provisions in the Brown Act.

Social media communication had a sunset of 2026.

And the social media provisions include, and that their rules are quite simple.

And importantly, this applies even if fewer than a majority of the members engage.

So even a single member reacting to another member's post is prohibited.

Again, this um is going to be incorporated into any of our onboarding for our boards and commissions, and we have sent out notification to our boards and commission staff liaisons and recording secretaries to inform their boards and commissions.

Another provision in the Brown Act that has been updated are the disruptive behavior provisions.

What really changed is what was once only noted in the Brown Act for in-person participation or disruptive behavior.

It now memorializes that Zoom or remote participation behavior issues can be addressed in the same manner as they are if they are heard from council chamber or your meeting location in person.

This means that the presiding officer has the authority to address disruptive behavior by virtual participants using the same means, issuing a warning and limiting their participation or removing them from the meeting if needed.

However, in situations involving violence or threats of violence, the presiding officer is no longer required to issue a warning first.

Next, the Brown Act expanded the prohibition on what can be heard at a special meeting.

As it was previously written, it included that executive compensation cannot be discussed at a special meeting.

Now the provision has been updated to include council compensation.

So those items, this means that any discussion or action related to a council's own compensation cannot occur at a special meeting.

These are going to be the recommendations that we are going to bring forward at a later date.

And in some instances, we will ask for additional direction from council.

So for this instance, staff recommends amendments to the city council manual of procedures and protocols related to the removal procedures and the disruptive behavior language.

In this section of the manual of procedures and protocols, there is a section on decorum and order.

So we just want to update for greater alignment with the Brown Act.

Next, the Brown Act has now codified reasonable accommodations provisions.

So members of a council or board or commission may participate remotely as a reasonable accommodation for a qualifying disability.

When a member needs an accommodation, it now requires city count or a formal city approval.

And once approved, the member must participate with both audio and camera on, unless the accommodation allows for the camera to be off, and must disclose any other adults present at the room or at the remote location.

Their attendance does count as in-person quorum count.

So that is important to note.

So if, for example, if one of you were home participating remotely and we only had four of you at the dais, or three of you at the dais, the person who is participating under a reasonable accommodation request counts as four in the room.

These situations might include a hospitalization, recovery from surgery, or being immunocompromised.

Staff recommends adoption of a reasonable accommodation policy for council and boards and commission members and amendments to Santa Rosa City Code Section 1-10.070 regarding the meeting minutes requirements, so we can make sure we memorialize how to as required under the Brown Act.

Next, we're going to summarize the Brown Act teleconferencing options available for council and our boards and commissions.

The Act remains generally the same with two paths forward, a traditional teleconferencing option, which we are familiar with, and even today we're using the just cause provisions.

It does now outline a third option for certain eligible subsidiary bodies to meet fully remotely, which we'll talk about talk about in further slides or future slides.

But to recap, the traditional teleconferencing stays the same, but it will have a new public comment rule beginning July 1.

Again, we'll talk about that in a few more slides.

And this is only applicable for city council.

It also requires us to note remote members and the legal basis for their participation in the minutes.

The just cause framework has been uh set up a little bit differently.

Um previously, just cause and emergency provisions were separated, but now they have been joined together in one single framework.

And the emergency circumstances are now rolled up under into just cause.

So the personal emergency circumstances we no longer have to take action on to hear, uh, just like we did today.

A member can say uh remote participate due to a variety of reasons, and on the next slide, I'll put that up.

Um actually I'll click over to that real quick.

So now just cause has been expanded also.

You'll see three new items that can qualify, a caregiving need for a qualifying family member, a contagious illness, which we're seeing today, physical or mental condition, which is non-ADA related, official city business travel, not just business, not business for your personal business.

And then the three new categories are care for an immunocompromised family member, physical or family medical emergency, and then military service preventing attendance.

On these provisions, staff recommends amendments to Santa Rosa City Code 1-10 on the within the open government chapter of the city code related to minutes requirements.

Now I'm gonna turn it over to City Attorney Stricker to cover the eligible subsidiary bodies.

Good afternoon, Vice Mayor, Council members, Teresa Stricker, City Attorney.

Um I'm gonna talk a little bit about a new provision that was added to the Brown Act.

Um, this one gives council the option to do something, but not the obligation.

So this will be entirely a policy call for you all whether to move this forward.

Um SB 707, um, there are certain types of subsidiary bodies that are very narrowly defined that um are only advisory bodies and only certain types of advisory bodies that council may decide if it wants to allow to be 100% remote.

And the subsidiary bodies of the council that would be eligible for this are only three.

So it's the bicycle and pedestrian advisory board, um, the um uh board of uh parks and rec and the water is advisory commission.

Excuse me, that is the correct me, I think I mispronounced it's the bicycle and pedestrian advisory commission or is it a board?

It's board.

Okay, so it's those three bodies.

Um this is not a pathway for your council subcommittees to participate remotely because electeds cannot participate under this provision, and so this truly is only for your subsidiary bodies if there is an elected official who happens to be on a subsidiary body, the body could participate, but the elected would have to go back to one of the options we just talked about, the traditional Brown Act or the Just Cause Provision.

So there are some requirements here.

Um the requirements if council chooses to allow it.

Um there would need to be a staffed physical location where members of the public can come and participate.

Um also um it would also require camera on for a remote member.

There are some exceptions.

The exceptions are a little broader than what we talked about with Just Cause.

It does also require remote public participation as an option as well.

So that's two-way audio visual public comment can be by audio only or two-way telephonic and live streaming.

Um next slide, please.

So there is an extra requirement if council chooses to allow a subsidiary body that is eligible for this to be fully remote.

Council um, I'm I'm gonna ask actually that we turn back for just a second.

Um council would need to make certain findings and would have to make those findings every six months, and they pertain to difficulty with getting quorums, et cetera, et cetera.

Um, in addition, the subsidiary body that you've authorized would also have to approve it for themselves.

Um there is an additional requirement, and then I think we can go forward, and that is if we have an approved subsidiary body, and it makes a request to council to present its recommendations.

Staff is recommending that council not authorize any subsidiary bodies to move forward with this.

And it's because of this requirement.

First uh, right now, all of your boards and commissions have an ability to request that council put something on a council agenda.

They they are free to send you a request, and as you know, council currently, under your rules, has an ability for any one council member to go through the two-step process to put something on an agenda.

Um, and so all of your boards and commissions, whether they qualify for this, would have that ability.

The ramification of going forward with this would be there may be instances where we receive a request from uh a body that you've allowed to be fully remote, and we would staff may need to prioritize getting that on your agenda over importants that are coming forward that have are part of your adopted policies without any member of the council reprioritizing the board request over those.

And so for that reason, uh staff is recommending that you not move forward with this.

But please understand all of your boards and commissions currently have an ability to make a request to put something onto your agenda, and each of you have a way to bring that forward to your colleagues to move that forward.

Okay, uh, I'm gonna then hand it back to our clerk.

Thank you.

So now we're gonna move right into the council specific provisions that are going to be effective July 1.

This is the big one.

Council meetings only will now require mandatory remote public participation opportunity for members of the public for all council meetings.

Uh this includes the provision includes participation via a two-way audio visual platform where attendees can see and hear the meeting, or a two-way telephone option paired with a live streaming or a live webcast of meeting.

Remote speakers must receive the same amount of time as in-person speakers, and all remote comment procedures must follow our standard rules for public participation.

Due to the anticipated increase in participation in council meetings, staff recommends updating the city council manual of procedures and protocols to give the presiding officer greater discretion in setting the public comment length.

And in addition, to simplify the minutes provisions in Santa Rosa City Code Section 1-10 in open government section on summary on the requirement for a summary sentence for each speaker requirement.

Finally, council or staff recommends repealing council policy 34, the citizens' appearance and addressing the council policy from 1993.

All of its contents have been incorporated or strengthened in the council manual of procedures and protocols or city code and um in the open government section of city code, and it's really an obsolete policy that has just been dangling and hasn't been up updated since 1993, and we have improved upon it since in those other uh procedures and protocols.

Now I'm gonna turn it back to Teresa.

She's going to cover the disruption of Internet and Telephonic Service.

So because the Brown Act um starting July 1 will require council meetings only to provide public access and public participation remotely.

Uh the legislature did draft in a provision for well, what happens if your internet or telephonic service goes down, then what?

And so the Brown Act will allow will require a recess of uh and any open session that is underway for at least one hour while staff makes good faith attempts to restore the service.

So you would essentially have to recess for a minimum of one hour.

You would have the ability to have staff keep trying, but the minimum requirement would be one hour.

After that one hour or after the mayor decides that it's time to come back, you the council would be allowed to reconvene and proceed with a meeting, but would first need to make very specific findings by motion that there is good cause to proceed.

And if if that motion passed, you would be able to proceed, notwithstanding the fact that we no longer can allow public comment remotely because of the internet failure.

So we will be bringing forward a policy that you're required to adopt to address what what those requirements look like.

And so you will be seeing that coming forward to you.

There is one complication here in Santa Rosa that we are gonna need some direction from you today in order to bring forward the item.

Um, our open government ordinance, we are required to provide Spanish translation, and we do so, and I'm gonna ask the clerk clerk to correct me if I don't have all the technical details correct, but we do so through an internet service so that if there is someone listening, they can dial into the Spanish channel.

They also for folks who are sitting in chambers, they have the ability to plug in on a headset to that same channel.

And so once we are required to have public comment by Zoom, or today, for example, where we are having public comment by Zoom, anyone who wants to be on a Spanish channel is getting Spanish interpretation, which is being provided through an internet service provider.

The complication, and the next page, please, is that if we have an internet disruption, our ability to provide Spanish translation also goes down.

And it goes down not only for those who are participating remotely, it goes down for those who are in the chambers.

And under our current open government ordinance, we would not be able to proceed with the meeting unless we happen to have an employee here available who is qualified to provide that type of service.

Um, and currently we don't have individuals staffing the meetings who can do that.

And so the direction, and we're gonna come back to this at the end.

So I'm gonna just say, you know, what are our options?

One option is for you to make no changes to our open government ordinance, and that would mean that if we had an internet disruption that we couldn't restore, that unless we happen to be able to locate an employee who can come provide the translation services, your meeting cannot proceed.

And even if you have an item that is very urgent, you would not be able to proceed.

So, for example, if we had an item where there was a statutory requirement, a grant funding requirement, or some other urgency, um elections item that we were up against the deadline for, all of those things, you would not be able to proceed with an internet disruption, even though the Brown Act would have allowed you to, and it's because we are we have held ourselves to a higher standard under our open government ordinance.

So, next slide, please.

So, option two is to create an exception in our open government ordinance that really is parallel to the findings requirement that the Brown Act now allows for internet disruptions, where council would be able to make findings and make a determination on a case-by-case basis whether or not to move forward with a meeting or even certain items on your agenda, which would allow you to decide whether the press of business in moving forward under a certain set of circumstances should be prioritized over providing Spanish interpretation within the chambers.

So when we get to the end, I will revisit this when we go through the items where we need specific direction from you in order to move this one forward.

Okay, with that, I'm gonna hand it back to the clerk.

Thank you.

Another new provision in the Brown Act requires city councils of a certain size, which applies to City of Santa Rosa to provide agendas translated in a language, a different language.

So starting in July, City Council agendas must be translated into languages that are spoken by 20% or more of the city's population, and if at least 20% of those speaking the language speak English less than very well.

And this is capped at three three languages in the Brown Act.

However, Santa Rosa City Code on open government exceeds the new Brown Act requirements.

We have been doing this since 2022.

Um we're really proud of that fact.

We have been doing it quite successfully through some digital platforms.

Let's see here.

In addition to our Spanish translation, um, our threshold is set at 5% of our total population and doesn't have that additional of that 5% population, they must speak English less than very well.

We don't have that.

So we are having a far greater reach to our community with setting our provision at 5% of our total population.

Um we have no cap on languages as the ordinance is currently drafted or city code is currently drafted.

We also have closed captioning in English and Spanish for all of our archive videos as well.

So at this time, staff requests council direction on possible amendments to agenda translation requirements within Santa Rosa City Code.

Um, and here are some of the options that staff has put together.

Uh continue or option one might look like continuing to translate city council agendas as currently identified in Santa Rosa City Code, leaving open the possibility that the council may need to translate city council agendas in more than three non-English languages should the population speaking each of those languages exceed five percent of the city's population, or council may retain the city's current 5% population criteria for triggering the city's obligation to provide translation services, but limit the number of non-English agendas to a maximum of three to align closer to the Brown Act, or the third option is another one that council may come up with that we're not presenting today.

Another provision effective July one in the Brown Act is councils are now required to provide reasonable access to translated agendas, agenda requests and interpretation assistance for city council meetings.

This may include arranging for sufficient space, extra time, or use of personal equipment, but it does not require a city to provide interpretation services.

Again, City of Santa Rosa goes farther than the Brown Act requirements.

We currently provide interpretation services in Spanish at all regular city council meetings, and as a matter of practice, staff accommodates language access requests whenever possible.

And it's not just at City Council meetings, as many of our public meetings we provide accommodations or interpreter services, and we do this for some boards and commissions as well.

On this item, staff does not have any recommendations to modify any of our policies because we're exceeding Brown Act uh requirements.

The Brown Act now also memorializes outreach to underrepresented and non-English speaking communities, and it includes reasonable efforts to encourage participation by groups that do not traditionally participate in meetings, and council has broad discretion on how to apply this provision.

It only applies to city council agendas.

Um examples might include uh outreach to non-English speaking communities as well as civic neighborhood and community organizations.

Again, the statute gives broad discretion in deciding how that outreach is carried out.

Um importantly, this only applies to city council, not other boards and commissions.

And joining us today is Ana Horta, our community engagement manager, to share more about the work that we are currently doing in what's planned moving forward.

Good afternoon, Vice Mayor and City Council, Anna Orta, community engagement manager with the communications and intergovernmental relations office.

These slides shows uh a timeline with the policies that the council has adopted throughout the years and that has shape the approach to open government and community engagement.

In 1987, council adopted the city participation policy, which provided general guidance to staff and expected methods of community engagement and involvement.

In 2013, the mayor convened the mayor's open government task force to strengthen openness and transparency in municipal government, setting open and transparent government as a council city goal.

In 2020, the open government ordinance was adopted to establish new local standards to supplement the provisions of the Brown Act and the California Public Records Act and codify certain existing policies and practices that exceeded the state law requirements.

And finally, in 2021, the ordinance was amended.

The effective date was set to January 1st, 2022.

I also want to add that during 2020, that same year, the communications and intergovernmental relations office was created, and the community engagement director was higher.

Next slide, please.

Here we have a summary of the outreach and the engagement activities that we have conducted during 2024 and 2025 throughout the city.

Some of them were city events, but the majority were community events.

28% of those events prioritize underserved communities.

Another 3% on the LGBTQ plus community.

This has allowed us to track engagement on how it's happening across the city and also identify what can be improved.

Thank you.

Next slide, and I'll pass it to Dina.

Thank you, Anna.

So as Anna had mentioned, the city has a long history of making reasonable efforts to expand public participation as the timeline shows.

The creation of CERO gave the city a dedicated staff for this work.

Five years before the Brown Act requirement, the outreach plan that was attached to your agenda packet outlines how staff continues engaging groups that don't traditionally participate.

To those points, staff recommends amendments to the council policy 20 for citizen participation as it hasn't been updated, I think, since 2013.

Um, and just to modernize the language and align it with our current city structure.

And then staff will continue with the provisions outlined within Santa Rosa City Code, the existing policies and the community engagement plan, efforts that already exceed the Brown Act's new outreach requirements.

Is that city council must provide a public location for council agenda translations provided by the public?

This kiosk must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for members of the public to post their translated agenda or our city council agendas translated into a language that they feel is needed.

So as you can see here, we will be purchasing a new kiosk and leaving it unlocked for members of the public to post their agendas to applies to city council agendas only, not boards and commissions, just for clarification.

So the city clerks and the city attorney's office presents a study session to provide the council with an overview of recent Brown Act changes adopted under 707.

Council, there's no action today except to provide direction to staff.

And at this time, there's this item in particular has no impact on the current fiscal year budget.

The following slides, uh, I'm gonna zip through, but we can use as a recap for our discussion after public comment is spoken or heard.

Um with that, I'm happy to take any questions council may have related to the Brown Act changes.

Thank you very much for that presentation.

Really appreciate it.

Are there any questions for my colleagues on the days?

Councilmember Ben Wells.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh thank you for the presentation.

Really, really informative.

Um, and I know we have to follow these rules anyway, so this is very, very helpful.

Um, I just wanted to ask a little bit more about the um remote participation of eligible subsidiary bodies.

Um, and I understand what the recommendation is, and I'm not necessarily in disagreement with it.

I just wondered about it.

Um was did I hear correctly when I think you said um city attorney that um even if they have them remotely, they would have to have a place for someone to go publicly if they wanted to participate in public.

That's correct.

So what it would allow is for the members of that subsidiary body could be fully remote without counting the number of times, without worrying about do we have a quorum in the room, all of the usual things that that you all need to worry about.

So this would be a very special and unique way to participate.

However, the legislature um uh made very clear that there still needs to be a place for members of the public to go in person to participate, and so what that would look like, for example, and it has to be staffed, so it's not just like an empty room with the television monitor.

Um, it would have to be staffed.

So we would have to have a member of city staff be in that room and facilitate any public comment um uh or and facilitate what's happening in that room, whether or not any member of that board decides to also come and be in person.

So it would allow the the members of that board or commission to choose whether to be remote all the time or as needed or every once in a while, but they they too would have the ability to come and be in person if that particular individual did so.

Okay.

So it it is um uh a very different than the rules that would apply to all of the other Brown Act bodies, very, very different.

Um, and so that's that would be what you would be allowing.

Um, but it does come with that requirement that you hear any recommendations on 60 days and there's no flexibility with timing on that.

Okay.

It just seems like a lot of work for everyone.

It's an interesting that they pick these three bodies.

I just I'm just like hmm, and it very interesting.

Um my only other comment is that um I'm wondering about the um Spanish caption.

Um I someone pointed this out to me when I first came on the council.

Um, and we only we only get to see it at the beginning when when we hear the um Spanish interpretation services being offered, but the translation on the caption is all wrong.

It's completely wrong.

And I started looking at it and I'm going, oh my god, it's all wrong.

And so I'm just wondering, are are there not any other companies?

I guess that's one suggestion.

The other thing is I don't know if it's their AI or what it is that they're using for the interpretation, but it's it's it's it's a problem.

I mean, if someone is actually using the captions, uh and you know, I don't know how many people actually use it.

Um so that would just be a suggestion that we look if we could look into that.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Um, what you're seeing here in council chamber, um, the uh in the public might not see this from their um side of the dais or from their side of the room, but there's a ticker that happens on the bottom of this screen here that we use for closed captioning for council members, and when our interpreters are making their Spanish announcement or they're restating how to participate from the Spanish channel in Zoom, the ticker is trying to turn what they're saying in Spanish into an English closed captioning.

The closed captioning feature in YouTube for that takes the Spanish feed is different.

So when people are participating in Zoom, the Spanish uh interpretation is different or translation for the closed captioning is different.

And that feed that's going to Zoom from uh to the Spanish Zoom is Spanish.

Okay.

It's not the 20 or 30 seconds of random characters that's trying to make Spanish words conform to the dictionary, the English dictionary that the closed captioning tool is using in the room.

All right.

So what the public is seeing is different then.

Yes.

Okay.

Good I'm so relieved.

I was looking at it even last week and I was like, what is that?

Short of turning off the closed captioning in the room for that 30-second component of the Spanish interpreter speaking.

Okay.

We haven't found a solution for it.

Okay.

And because it's such a short period.

If it's just for us, then it's fine.

Now that I know, as long as the public is not seeing that, I'm I'm good with that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any further questions, Councilmember McDonald?

Just a point of clarification on the items where we lose Spanish interpretation because our internet goes down and we're not able to connect to the community.

Our rules right now say that we're stopping the meeting and we're not able to fully participate because of that, or is it no matter who's listening in on our um internet or that feed, we stop the meeting because of our go open government.

There's no exception in our open government code at this time that allows for it.

So even if our internet was still okay, but for whatever reason our interpreters who have been very reliable, by the way, they are um amazing interpreters.

Um shout out to the interpreters on today's meeting.

Thank you, you said you're in Claudia.

Um they have been very reliable.

But if for some reason one of them were unable to participate and they couldn't find a replacement in time, or both, in fact, if both of them were unavailable, we would have to find staff who could interpret who are qualified to interpret to the level that is needed for a Spanish interpretation.

Um there's no provision right now as code is currently drafted for an exception to that rule.

So we've only encountered this once where we had an internet service disruption since in the five years since we've adopted the government code.

So that's the good news.

And even since then, um the internet or information technologies department has built in additional um backups.

And so even if it happens again, we're better situated for it, and we you know learned lessons from that one experience.

We have backup connections in place, so we should be able to get things connected and back up to speed faster.

Great.

Just so the Brown Act would allow us actually more flexibility if we had to adopt something that was saying very timely, like a grant or something that had to do with putting something on a ballot.

And so um you're you're looking to just keep it as it is, because we've only had one instance of that happening in the next in the last five years.

We're we have suggested an option that gives you greater flexibility moving forward.

I think it was option two, which gives you to the option to align more with the Brown Act provisions related to the internet disruption services, but have it apply to the Spanish interpretation if it also goes down, or if it goes down because of the internet going down, that we have a a path forward to hear either the entire agenda or you can make it limited in nature to where it just applies for certain um critical items.

But the way we have it drafted on the options page gives a couple of different uh paths forward.

So if the internet went down, whether it's English speaking or Spanish speaking, we would have a different path forward with this new rule to be able to continue on those very timely items if we were to adopt that.

Is that what I'm hearing?

So the um what the Brown Act allows for an internet disruption is after you do that good faith staff tried for an hour.

Um we would come back, explain to you briefly what we did to try.

And then you all are making findings, which is really a balance.

Yeah, that the um the good faith you would be determining that either um we should continue this matter, can either continue to try or continue the entire meeting to another day.

Um that the press of business is such that the the city needs to get its business done and move it forward, and you don't have to point to some extreme urgency to make that finding.

It will really be a call of the council and under the specific circumstances and giving thought to what you have on your agenda and moving forward.

The um the option that we've put forward um and that is the one that I do recommend that you take is to take that similar case-by-case analysis when it comes to weighing whether you should move forward without Spanish um interpretation services in the room.

And you could do that either for the whole meeting, or you could really cherry pick the urgent items off the agenda and move forward with those and then decide to push the other items moving forward.

I think that if you give yourself an out to be able to make that balance, you don't actually have to say we're gonna move forward, but it does empower you to move forward when the consequence of not moving forward may feel quite dire.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, seeing no other questions, we'll go to public comment on this item.

If you would like to speak on item 4.1 regarding SB 707 and the Brown Act, please make your way to a podium.

When you're ready.

Um Vice Mayor Okke, members of the city council.

My name is Gregory Farron.

As you know, I'm an appointee of yours to the housing authority in the city and eligible and governed by the Brown Act.

I'm also a member of the county behavioral health board and measure O oversight.

So I thought I'd give you the perspective on at least one aspect of the Brown Act, which rightfully, Teresa and Dina and Anna have given you the what you can't do, what members of legislative bodies are forbidden from doing, and they're perfectly correct.

But I wanted to give you the perspective of what at least one member myself thinks we can do, and I think it's gonna open up a little more public involvement that social media excuse me, I'm out of breath.

That social media um communication section of the Brown Act allows members of legislative bodies to use social media to communicate with the public to be able to, as they describe, educate, answer questions, and solicit information from the public.

That opens up to all of us the opportunity as long as none of our colleagues respond to it to provide information about what our legislative bodies are up to.

Now I look at that as really, really positive because I've been on those boards for a long time, and as you know, very few people actually either listen to what we're doing or respond to it.

I think by using public media using a social platform as they describe, we can educate to a lot larger degree.

Uh they're going to be, hopefully, if I can be a kind of poster child for it, interacting with me as a member of the body, not the body, not anyone else who's on my uh legislative body.

Uh we're still not going to be doing anything that the Brown Act traditionally prohibits, but it will allow individual members of the legislative bodies to be active on the web talking about what we're having to decide.

I think that will provide a lot more to the public, and I think that will provide a lot more to our legislative bodies and uh ultimately to you.

That's all I wanted to say.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else in the room that would like to comment on this item?

Seeing none, we will move to online.

Is there anybody willing to comment online?

I am seeing no one raising their hand.

All right, with that, we will close public comment on this and close public comment on this item and come back for final comments or direction.

Anyone Rhonda, can you please put the side deck back up?

I think we'll I'll be willing to start and say I agree with all staff recommendations and on the two you're seeking direction from if agreed upon with my colleagues is to move the open government um ordinance to meet the Brown Act with translation online translation, and then leave our agenda um requirements where they are since it exceeds the Brown Act.

I I think that it may be helpful for us to go through the slides.

Um I will try to be really fast just to make sure that we're we're coming back to you with what you would like.

So uh if that's okay, Mr.

Vice Mayor.

Okay, so the first item is the subsidiary body issue.

This is the one where you have the option but not the obligation to allow the three bodies that are listed here on in the bullet points to participate fully remotely.

Again, you you still need to have a physical location, that physical location still needs to be staffed.

Um the requirement the um the 60-day um requirement that council hear um uh any recommendations coming from that body um is uh the reason for staff's recommendation that you not move forward.

And as I explained earlier, it's because it may require staff to prioritize that subsidiary body's recommendation on council's calendar without a majority of the council approving that reprioritization.

And as I said before, right now, without doing this, every single one of your subsidiary bodies, not just the three listed here, but certainly those three as well as others, can uh make a request to council to each of you to all of you to have an item heard on council's agenda, and every one of you have the ability to um go through that your two press two-step process to get it on uh a future agenda.

Um so we would like some feedback on that, and if it's okay, uh Mr.

Vice Mayor, if we do these just quickly one at a time, I think that we'll probably be able to come back to you with what you want us to come back.

Natalie, I agree with staff recommendation of no action.

Councilmember McDonald.

So, Vice Mayor, um, what I'm hearing from council member Rogers is and from you uh city attorney, is that you want us to go one by one and just agree or not agree versus doing what say Vice Mayor said is we agree with all of staff recommendations as a except for these items.

Is that easier?

I I think that would be okay, but I had would have had a few follow-up questions as to um what uh council member O'Krepke meant.

So is you want we can we can do these slide by slide.

There really aren't what do we have about five slides?

So I think we have five slides where we need direction.

All right.

So on this slide, is there anybody that it would like to provide different direction than the staff recommendation?

Okay, nope.

Okay.

Perfect.

Okay.

Next slide is the remote public attendance requirements on just updating the city council manual of procedures and protocols, no less than one minute for public comments in anticipation of increased number of public commenters from online participants, and uh removal of the reference to uh council policy 34 if repealed, and then update the Santa Rosa City Code minutes language in the open government section to simplify public comment summary requirements.

Okay, is there anybody that would like to provide different direction?

Seeing none, we will affirm that one.

Thank you.

The next slide is the internet and telephonic service disruption.

This is the one that we do want a little bit more input on whether or not we want to give uh some flexibility to council as listed under item three, uh pardon me, item two to provide exception to move forward with city council agendas or meetings without Spanish interpretation, uh, and that would be make certain findings of good cause similar to those required for the internet and telephonic service disruption policy to proceed with the item or proceed with the meeting in the entire calendar or limited items as directed.

Okay, is there any direction someone would like to provide council member Alvarez?

I can kind of see you raising your hand up there.

Yeah, I do thank you.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh, just for clarification, uh the the definition that that our city clerk just gave is that is that the case by case uh all the items that we would be looking at.

Yes, it would really mirror what the Brown Act is allowing generally for internet um disruption, and it would apply that in the context of a disruption that impedes our ability to provide Spanish interpretation.

So you would then on a case-by-case basis be able to weigh what you wanted to do with your agenda after we did that one hour of good faith efforts.

Um now, of course, if we have an employee right here who is able to provide the interpretation, we would proceed in that direction.

But that's that's often not going to be the case.

Very well.

Thank you for the explanation.

Okay, is there any direction?

Councilmember McDonald.

I don't know why this is so confusing, but what I'm seeing is slide 13 that says we have a one hour good faith to try to get things back up and running.

Whether it's English or Spanish, my understanding is the current is we have to stop the meeting, no matter if we had timely business because we can't get to the outside, whether it's English or Spanish.

But this provision allows us to continue in English or in Spanish if we had it locally, but because we couldn't get to the outside, the open government task force or those governing um policies don't let us continue because of the Spanish interpretation part of that.

But we could have still continued with the meeting if we weren't able to provide that.

Is that what I'm saying?

Like if there's if you're able to still conduct the meeting here locally but not do an internet, we're still able to do that under the Brown Act.

This just gives us the opportunity that if we aren't connecting to the internet, we could do the meeting moving forward.

So if if it were not for our current open government ordinance requirement that we provide for Spanish translation at every regular meeting, then we could go ahead and bring to you the internet disruption policy and which would allow you to go through that exercise of having staff try for at least an hour, and then if you wanted to, you would make good faith findings, and we could proceed without a broadcast.

Our current open government allows for us to proceed without broadcast if we have a technological disruption.

The rub here is there is no similar exception in our open government ordinance when it comes to Spanish translation.

And because our the our vehicle for providing Spanish translation is dependent on our broadcast, effectively in most circumstances, we would not be able to proceed with a meeting if we have an internet disruption.

So it's the Spanish interpretation piece of our open government ordinance that doesn't have the exception.

And what we're recommending is that you build in that exception and that it really mirror this requirement, the have staff try in good faith for at least an hour, and then you all decide whether to proceed or not.

And again, you could proceed with part of your agenda and not other parts.

That will all be a case-by-case circumstance.

If we implement this, we could basically cherry pick the items that are necessary to do and continue the other items.

Okay.

That is much more clear to me, and I would go with that recommendation then.

All right.

Is there anybody that has a different recommendation or are we good going one?

You're okay with that, Councilmember Rogers.

Okay.

I'm sorry, we can't hear you.

I said I'm okay with the open government the way that it the way that it currently reads, like we have it like that for a reason.

Where we don't cherry pick, because we've had it before where the system has gone down.

And then we just weren't able to continue, correct?

We've had that happen one time, but the system came back up.

And our internet was reconnected, and therefore our interpreters were able to come back online.

Now, if we weren't able to get the internet back up, and we couldn't get staff, we were scrambling that day to get staff here.

It took us about an additional hour and a half beyond time beyond the um the meeting start to find staff who were going to be able, and just as staff were getting here to assist.

They came back up.

Internet came back up.

And so it operationally it's challenging the way our ordinance is written now.

Um if we go with option one, we continue with that path forward, and we'll figure it out in those instances.

Again, it's only happened once.

The alternative is option two, where we do adopt or council adopts an exception to the rule to where they can be selective and move forward with items three, four, and five, but not the full calendar because three, four, and five are sensitive, time sensitive, and want to get across the finish line because of a critical deadline or other determining factors.

And then just a reminder that we do have some rules that we don't start a public hearing after 9 p.m.

And so if we had multiple hours of scrambling and didn't get something started, then we wouldn't be able to start.

And so sometimes we do have public hearings that also have uh a statutory time clock.

Um, and then again, we talked about some other examples where there could be a grant deadline, there could be uh a ballot measure that you have to get it on by a certain date.

Um I there are lots more examples, but those are the a couple of key ones that come to mind.

Um, and so option number two here um simply gives you all at the dais when it's happening, the ability to decide how to balance the particular circumstances against the very important public policy of uh providing interpretation services.

I would just say I would worry because a lot of thought went into the open governance, like the way we do things now, and I never want the public to uh have the impression that we are trying to exclude them from anything, and because this does not happen very often, it would be me that says no, and then it happens tomorrow.

But um, I think that we have the rules for for a reason, and so that would be my only concern.

Um that and we probably shouldn't wait to the last minute to do anything.

I mean, I know that it happens, but we probably should give ourselves enough time.

Vice Mayor, I'm happy to um craft the item to come back with the options.

So at the time that um there is action to be had, uh, we can provide both options at the time um at a future meeting date when we bring this back.

Okay.

Councilmember Alvarez, do you have any opinions on option one or two?

I I do.

I think uh I think one of the things that we've done a really good job of is creating trust between our community and our government, and I would hate to see the situation where we are impeded from helping those who are here to serve uh because of technological issues.

I I think that that the ability for us to cherry pick uh items that are uh time sensitive would contradict our goal to provide policy that actually helps our community.

I do understand council member Rogers' concern of transparency and inclusion, but I think that some things uh are out of our control when it comes to time sensitivity, and they must be addressed now and not later.

And I would hate to see a situation where they are not addressed now.

All right, Vice Mayor Cripping.

May I weigh in here?

Please.

Yes, I think I'd like to work with staff and our HR department to get a list of our bilingual employees that are currently receiving bilingual pay, and at what level of proficiency, so that we can see if there's yet another remedy in order to be able to bridge this gap so that we have the flexibility, but at the same time, in addition to the zoom in or internet-related translation services, we have live bodies that could be on standby or another system where we can have people who would be immediately available to provide translation, given the concern that if the power is down or if the internet's down and it's an emergency, we would be we would need to get that information to everyone in the community in as quick a method as possible.

And so we'll we'll look to see what kind of staff resources we have that are currently receiving bilingual pay for extraordinary circumstances or for consistent translation and see if we could weave that in into a solution that meets all of the needs.

Okay, sounds good.

We'll put that portion aside for right now.

Vice Mayor for the five minutes, sir.

Uh with the comment that I'll just make our city manager, is it allowable for our interpreter of services to uh participate with interpreter services through uh vowel in opposed to Zoom?

As it's um, I'm happy to answer that.

As it stands, the way this council chamber is wired for now, if our internet goes down, our telephone goes down.

Okay.

Thank you for that clarification.

All right.

And we are uh I information technologies is looking into a uh a solution for that.

Um they've also built in some additional backups as I referenced earlier since that experience in November.

So if one internet service provider goes down, we have a backup internet service provider that we can switch over to.

So hopefully restoration happens um far more quickly than we experienced in November.

Okay.

Um have it come back uh with the city manager and staff working to find a uh resolution that's more in the middle.

And then um uh city managers to be clear that um the there are some exceptions to the um requirement for public participation by Zoom when it comes to emergency meetings, those are the ones that are called on really short notice because there is a real emergency.

I don't mean the internet is down emergency, the dam is breaking kind of an emergency.

Um and there are a lot of requirements that are normal requirements in the Brown Act that there's an exception for, so just know that requirement.

And so um we we would uh navigate those issues.

So I just wanted you to be clear that uh when it comes to emergency with a capital E as opposed to emergency, we the grant deadline will be blown.

Um when it's a true life and safety emergency, the Brown Act gives you a little bit more leeway.

All right, thank you.

Um the next item.

The next item is the language access requirements for city council meetings.

Uh this one, we just need clarification on whether or not you want to continue to translate city council agendas as currently identified in Santa Rosa City Code, um, which may mean we have more than three languages of agendas translated, or we move forward with city council's current policy of five percent population criteria for triggering translated agendas, but cap it at three languages for closer alignment to the Brown Act, or any other circumstance that or recommendation council has thought of any direction anyone that would like to offer councilmember McDonald has a question.

We just need to translate the agendas to post those, or would we need to have translation services of over five percent?

I'm curious if you know what the city code currently reads.

So our city code is drafted as such that once a population hits five percent, we would provide um translated agendas as well as internet or interpretation services.

Great.

I would like to stick to that then.

Councilmember Rogers.

I wasn't confused two seconds ago, but now I'm like so um five percent is just for the translation, I think is fine.

I think we can cap it off at three, or we might have like a whole Rolodex of agendas.

Um, and five percent still is pretty low.

So um I'm okay with what my colleagues decide on this one, whether we're gonna stay the way that it is or because five percent is low.

I mean, African Americans are what two point something, and you double that, there's still only a hundred of us.

So I mean five percent is pretty low.

But that's our current policy is five percent, and we translate as many as necessary based on our current policy, so we just stay the same as opposed to capping it at three schools.

I think have to have 15% or more for translation services, so um, unless it's fundamentally funded.

So I'm fine with sticking this, just keeping this one as it is.

Two that be two, Dina.

Uh yes, madam city clerk.

Would that be two?

Okay.

I I actually I'm sorry, it's item one, number one.

Thank you, city attorney.

Is there anybody that uh council member Banwelos or Councilmember Alvarez that is not okay with uh solution one?

You know, I would love to see uh thank you, Vice Mayor.

I would love to see what the regular population with when it comes to demographics, but I believe overall uh councilwoman Rogers made a great point of the two percent to the five percent.

So unless someone hits 20 percent, then I think we should revisit the side.

But until then, I do agree with the recommendation of one.

All right, yeah, I think we'll go with one then.

I think that's a consensus on the on the day is great.

And just so you know, at this time, um, the census data that we are working from shows um there are no other languages at this time that are very close at all to becoming or getting to five percent, let alone 20 percent.

Um five percent of our total population would be about 8400 people, uh members of our uh community, and the next closest category as captured in the census data is other Indo-European languages.

Um Vietnamese is we're at 1400, uh just about 1,500 members of our population that are there.

Um other than that, there are no other languages that are close at all, or even near 8400 at 5%.

That clarification gives me a lot more peace.

So I'll send it to you.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you, Mayor.

I think that is all the oh, one last point.

Outreach efforts.

Um here, we just want to update council policy 20 on citizen participation, and then continue that our outreach efforts as set forth in existing code policies and the community engagement plan.

Is there anybody that has a recommendation differing from that?

Doesn't look like it, so I think we'll affirm that one as well.

And I think that does it for the item.

Thank you very much, Vice.

Thank you, thank all three of you very much.

Really appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right, with that, we will uh move on to item six, um, which is report uh if any on clo on study and closed sessions before you move.

There was no reportable action taken in closed session, and we just did the study session, so I will leave it with that.

All right, thank you very much.

We'll move on to item 7.1, a proclamation for National Surveyors Week.

That will be Councilmember McDonald's.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um whereas surveying has been the essential element in the development of the human environment since the beginning of recorded history, and is the requirement in the planning and execution of nearly every form of construction with its most familiar modern uses in the fields of transport, building and construction, communications, mapping, and the definition of legal boundaries for land ownership.

And whereas to accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements of engineering, physics, mathematics, astronomy, law, and history.

And whereas since the colonel days of the United States, surveyors have been leaders in the community, statesmen, influential citizens, and sharpers of cultural standards.

Former notable surveyors include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone, and Henry David Trudeau, or Toreau, sorry about that, Trudeau, and among many others.

And whereas many services are now provided through the use of sophisticated surveying equipment and techniques, including satellite-born remote sensing devices and automated positioning, measuring, recording, and plotted equipment.

And now, therefore, may it be resolved that Mark Stapp, the mayor of the city of Santa Rosa, on behalf of the entire city council in recognition of our community, do hereby proclaim the week of March 15th through March 21st, 2026 as National Surveyors Week.

All right.

Uh Bruce John is Bruce, John, please uh head up to a microphone if you'd like to give some comments, and then after that we'll take uh anybody who would like to get public comment on this item on this proclamation.

Thank you, Mr.

Vice Mayor and City Council.

On behalf of the Sonoma County chapter of the California Land Surveyors Association, we'd like to thank you for the recognition.

Our group has a lot of hardworking individuals, and any sort of recognition like this means a lot.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Is there anybody who would like to give public comment on this proclamation?

Nobody in the room.

Is there anybody online?

Seeing no hands raised on Zoom.

All right.

Well, I just want to give a personal shout out to surveyors who kind of went unsung after the fires.

When you're trying to find lot lines after uh after a mega fire, it's kind of difficult, um, especially when they were done 30, 40 years ago.

So thank you all for all of your work.

And with that, why don't you go come down and we'll take a picture with you?

And uh thank you.

will take a picture with you and uh thank you okay we will move on to our next proclamation which is item 7.2 uh Luther Burbank Home and Gardens by Councilmember Ben Wales Oh my gosh I see you all are here um and it is with great honor that I do this you all are so fantastic so uh here I go so whereas the Luther Burbank came to Santa Rosa in 1875 at the age of 26 to pursue his dream of making the world a better place by improving food plants flowers and whereas he established himself as a nursery man and purchased property on Santa Rosa Avenue and Tupper Street to devote himself to plant breeding introducing over 800 new varieties during his more than 50 year career including the still popular Santa Rosa plum and Shasta Daisy and whereas the former Burbank Experimental gardens property on Santa Rosa Avenue was gifted to the city of Santa Rosa by Burbank's widow Elizabeth Waters Burbank with the home and garden open to the public for tours since 1979 and whereas Luther Burbank Home and Gardens has been designated a national state and local historic landmark and horticulture landmark and whereas April 1st excuse me April 11th 2026 will be the hundredth anniversary of Luther Burbank's death and in commemoration of the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens association will unveil a new museum and exhibit on April 1st no 11th or maybe I'm not seeing that right I apologize.

And whereas all are invited to visit the gardens which are open daily and to view the exhibit in the carriage house museum during the tour season from April 1st through October 31st now therefore may it be resolved um that mark staff the mayor of the city of Santa Rosa on behalf of the entire city council in recognition of our community do hereby proclaim and acknowledge the ongoing importance of the Luther Birdbank home and gardens to the city as a historical cultural and educational landmark whose volunteers strive to preserve the legacy of the world famous horoculturist all right linda hall if you'd like to speak go ahead and send it you're right there don't bother going up the stairs just come right here right here in front we won't make you trek all the way up there afternoon thank you mr vice mayor and council members we appreciate your proclamation acknowledging the importance of Luther Burbank Killman gardens to the city of Santa Rosa for almost 50 years volunteers have been working hard sharing the legacy of Luther Burbank with the many visitors to his home and gardens from all over the world our 96 volunteers in 2025 contributed a total of nine thousand seventy six point two five hours for an economic value of three hundred sixty four thousand three hundred twenty dollars and sixty eight cents california estimates the value of volunteer hour at 40 and 14 cents these hours are recorded for our gift shop workers our docents and our gardeners all our event planning and preparation and actual working of events and handling our daily operations is not included in that total we estimate it could also be several thousand more hours all hours given by our dedicated volunteers we have some special things planned for 2026 our tour season opens on April 1st excuse me along with a compelling new exhibit showcasing Luther's last year we will hold a gathering in the gardens and we hope you'll join us to commemorate the last year of burbank's life on the hundredth anniversary of his death on Saturday April 11th at 4 p.m

Our tour season opens on April 1st, excuse me, along with a compelling new exhibit showcasing Luther's last year.

We will hold a gathering in the gardens, and we hope you'll join us to commemorate the last year of Burbank's life on the hundredth anniversary of his death on Saturday, April 11th at 4 p.m.

Our annual spring plant sale is April 18 from 10 a.m.

to 4 p.m.

And we'll offer a large selection of plants, including Burbank Tree Varieties from the Luther Burbank Experiment Farm in Sebastopol.

Lastly, we thank the city workers who spent the day in the gardens on March 4th, helping our volunteers make the site look its best.

We appreciate and hope to continue strengthening our long ongoing partnership with the city in the preservation and promotion of this property, also known as the Jewel of Santa Rosa.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I don't know if you saw, but when you announced when the plant sale started, all four of us grabbed our pens and started writing it down.

Is there anybody else that would like to speak on this proclamation?

All right, seeing none in the room, anybody online.

I am seeing no hands raised on Zoom.

All right, with that, we will have a photo opportunity, but we're gonna come to you, so all of you don't have to come down here.

All right, thank you very much.

Should we all stay in the case?

Okay, okay.

All right, that that would be Caroline.

Okay, and now we will move on to our last proclamation number seven point three, Arbor Week.

Councilmember Rogers.

All right, thank you very much.

Councilmember Rogers.

Perfect.

Whereas in 1872, a special day was set aside for the planting of trees, and this holiday called Arbor Day was first observed with the planting of more than one million trees.

Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world.

Since 1909, the state of California officially declared March 7th, Arbor Day, to commemorate the birthday of our very own Luther Burbank.

And whereas in 2026, National Arbor Day falls on Friday, April 24th, and the city celebrates Arbor Day on Saturday, March 14th, with a tree planting event at Finley Community Park as a service to our community and local school programs.

And whereas trees protect our environmental resources, reduce erosion of topsoil, cut heating and cooling costs, moderate the temperature, clean the air, produce oxygen, and provide habitat for wildlife.

And whereas tree support our city's economic development by increasing property values, beautifying our community, and enhancing the vitality of business areas.

And whereas the interest in strengthening community image and sense of place through the preservation of and dedication to Santa Rosa's urban forest has been a major goal and commitment since the city's founding.

Now, therefore, it may be resolved that our mayor, Mark Stapp, on behalf of the entire city council in recognition of our community, do hereby proclaim March 8th through March 14th, 2026 as Harbor Week.

All right, Park Superintendent James Castro.

Vice Mayor Krepke, Council members, my name is James Castro, and I'm the park staffer.

I want to start by saying thank you for this proclamation.

In parks, we are in the business of no news is good news.

So if we're doing a good job, or shall I say when we're doing a good job, we don't typically hear from council or the public.

In addition to over 65,000 trees in the city of Santa Rosa that we have some responsibility for, we are charged with the maintenance of over 1,100 acres of parkland and over 65 acres of roadside landscaping.

In 2008, we did this with 62 full-time employees.

Today we do it with 23.

Rain or shine, holidays or pandemic, park staff is always on call and always shows up when a tree falls in Santa Rosa.

I'm very proud to be part of this small but mighty team, and I'd like park maintenance to stand up and be recognized.

As council member Rogers said, March 14th is our Arbor Day celebration.

We're gonna plant over 40 trees in celebration of Jason Nutt's birthday as well.

So hopefully you can all join us.

Um that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Umgers.

Um, I'll just say really quickly to the public that if you do have the opportunity to come out, I would definitely come out.

Um my family has had the opportunity to participate throughout the years, and we have our trees that are not really our trees, but they are trees that we help to plant throughout the city.

So it definitely brings the community together, and it's a lot of fun, and you can put claim on a tree and watch it grow, which is very beautiful.

So I would participate.

Thank you.

Uh, we'll go to public comment now.

Is there anybody who would like to make public comment here in the room?

Go ahead.

Thank you for moving quickly.

Good afternoon.

My name is Fred Olibach, and I just wanted to draw your attention to that.

There is a uh uh thing called a tree equity score, and I know that Santa Rosa has a lot of disadvantaged communities, and that that the canopy cover frequently is not as great in disadvantaged community areas.

So the tree equity score maps is something that you can use with an overlay and look into where the canopy is in Santa Rosa so that everyone can enjoy trees.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else?

Ms.

Flores Good afternoon, council.

First off, I just wanted to take a moment to thank the park staff.

I know they work tremendously hard, and that is a great resource for the general public to have access to.

When I was out living in Valeo in the crest, we did not have parks like we have here, so the socioeconomic difference is very apparent.

Um I did catch the nod to Luther Burbank mentioned by Councilwoman Rogers.

And so being that the last speaker spoke on equity, that is a very important topic to speak on, especially historically, because Luther Burbank was a eugenicist who was cross-breeding plants because he wanted to eradicate black and brown people.

So to hear a black elected official touting Luther Burbank, that's really upsetting for me.

Like this community is just as racist as it's always been, and we don't do anything about it.

We just virtue signal, so please stop doing that.

God bless.

Seeing none, we'll go online.

I'm seeing no uh public comment online.

All right, with that, we will close public comment and we will have a photo opportunity.

I'm gonna guess Mr.

Castro is gonna require everybody to come down with him.

Is that correct?

All right.

With that, we'll move on to item eight point one staff briefings or community empowerment plan updates.

Ms.

Horta.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Council, Anna Orta, community engagement manager with the communications and intergovernment relations office.

And today I'm presenting you the community empowerment plan update for the month of March and the beginning of April.

San Patrick Day Magic has arrived in Santa Rosa, and leprechauns are popping up in our city parks.

The recreation and parks team has launched a fun family-friendly leprechaun treasure hand running now through March.

Explore participating parks, search for the tiny figures, and claim a golden chocolate treasure if you find one.

It's a playful way to enjoy our parks, get outside, and celebrate the season together.

Learn more and see the list of the parks at srcity.org slash leprechaun treasure hunt.

On March 14, join the annual St.

Patrick Day 5K run walk in Old Courthouse Square, starting at 10 in the morning.

This family-friendly event benefits our recreation and parks scholarship fund, helping more Santa Rosa families access swim lessons and other recreation programs.

There is a post-race celebration with music, activities, giveaways, and of course the festive comes to costume contest.

To learn more and sign up, visit srcd.org slash spd run.

Our annual Arbor Day and Luther Burbank's birthday celebration will take place on March 14th at Finley Community Center.

Sorry, Finley Community Park, 2060 West College Avenue from 9 in the morning to 12 noon.

This is a free family-friendly event where the community can help plant trees, beautify the park, and celebrate what makes Santa Rosa a proud tree city USA.

We will provide the tools, the trees and refreshments, and attendees will even have a chance to win a tree seedling.

Families are encouraged to join join rain or shine.

Visit SRC.org slash volunteer have to sign up.

Sign ups are not necessary but are appreciated.

Santa Rosa Water, host by monthly volunteer cleanups on the first and third Saturday of each month at Princeton Memorial Greenway.

The next cleanup is scheduled for March 21st.

All ages are welcome to participate.

Volunteers meet at Oli Park Footbridge near 1698 Hazel Street at 10 in the morning.

To sign up, visit srcity.org slash calendar.

Next, the Santa Rosa Fire Department is hosting their fifth annual Women in Public Safety Day on March 28th from 10 in the morning to 2 p.m.

The event will take place at the Santa Rosa Fire Department Training Tower on 2126 Wex College Avenue.

This educational career expo is free, open to the public, and offer live at demonstrations and networking opportunities to encourage women and girls to enter the field of public safety.

For more information, call 707-543-3500.

You can also email Santa Rosa Fire Department, Community Outreach at FD Outreach at SRC dot or G.

On April 4th, everyone is invited to our annual Spring Fest at Fillney Community Park to 060 West College Avenue from 10 in the morning to noon.

The event is offered through our neighborhood program service programs, providing recreational activities for underserved youth and families.

It features egg hands, punk eggs, craft, and more.

Pre-registration is required.

To sign up, please go to srcity.org slash register or look for the neighborhood services sections.

You can also call 707-543-3737.

Finally, a group of applicants will soon participate in the community police experience hosted by the Santa Rosa Police Department.

This seven-week program runs from April 8th through May 20th, culminating in a graduation ceremony on May 21st.

To learn more about this program or the application process, please visit srcity.org slash community police experience.

You can also email SRPD admin at srct.org or call at 707-543-3550.

The deadline to apply is March 27th.

And that concludes this month's community empowerment plan update.

Thank you.

And I'm free to take any questions.

Thank you.

Seeing none, we will go to a public comment.

And I have a feeling this is going to be very interesting.

One the first commenter is shenanigans the leprechaun.

Hello, Santa Rosa.

You know it's March, so you know shenanigans the leprechaun is back in town, excited to be here.

Um thank you, Ana Horta for the wonderful community engagement update.

Uh so many wonderful things going on here in Santa Rosa.

But I wanted to talk about a couple of them that I've been helping the Santa Rosa recreation team with.

Uh and first starting with our fifth annual leprechaun hunt in Santa Rosa's Parks.

Uh it's a wonderful event.

It was a fun creative way to get people out of their house during COVID.

And the community loved it so much that when we said it was just a commute uh COVID event, they said no, it's not, it's every year.

And so here we are celebrating five years of doing that great event.

So the weather's beautiful.

I know we gave a shout out to our parks maintenance crew earlier.

I've been running around your parks, hiding my little friends all over the place.

Your parks are beautiful, so thank you to the maintenance team.

Thank you to your incredible recreation team.

They've been incredible to work with.

Thank you to the incredible CERO team getting the word out to everybody.

So shenanigans isn't done at five years.

I'll keep coming back to Santa Rosa because I love Santa Rosa.

Uh and then also really looking forward to Saturday.

Shenanigans will be there.

I hope to see all of you out there for the Santa Rosa 5K, which is the funnest 5K in Santa Rosa all year.

Um, and also collaborates with the recreation department to contribute to the scholarship fund, uh, the the recreation and park scholarship fund, which helps kids have access to our summer camps, to our swim lessons, to our work experience program.

So hope to see everyone out there as well and get out to your parks, find leprechauns, uh, take them back to the Finley Community Center, and you'll get a uh a little bit of my treasure, which counsel you you may have had a hint that I was gonna show up.

You may have found a little bit of my treasure at your desk.

So uh enjoy that and thank you, Santa Rosa, for all you do for the community.

Thank you, Shenanigans.

Thank you for our dinner.

Um is there anybody else in the room that would like to give public comment on this item?

Seeing none, we'll move to online.

I am seeing no hands raised on Zoom.

All right, with that, we will close public comment and come back.

Um is there any final comments from anybody on the dais?

Seeing none, thank you very much.

With that, we'll move on to item nine, city manager and city attorney's reports.

Thank you, Vice Mayor O'Krepke.

I just have a couple of updates for everyone this evening.

First, I'm pleased to report that two of Santa Rosa's most cherished parks have been recognized in the North Bay Bohemians Best of the North Bay awards.

First, the Finlay Aquatic Center has been named best swimming pool in Sonoma County.

And this is a new honor for us and a wonderful reflection of the community's excitement following last year's grand opening of the impressive new Finley Spray Ground.

In addition, Howarth Memorial Park has once again earned the title of Best Place for a Kids Party, an award it has won year after year, and one that speaks to its enduring popularity with Santa Rosa families.

Residents can learn more about both of these outstanding facilities by visiting Santa RosaRec.com and congratulations to the city and our teams that helped to make this possible.

Second, on March 12th, the Santa Rosa Fire Department will be hosting an informational webinar to go over the proposed changes to the wildland urban interface, otherwise known as WIAMAPS.

The meeting will be held via Zoom from 6 30 p.m.

to 8 p.m.

And the link to the meeting can be found at srcity.org slash wildland urban interface.

Feedback, suggestions, and comments can be emailed to Wildfire Ready at SRCity.org.

Next up, March 18th is a National Transit Employee Appreciation Day.

And we're taking a moment to recognize our incredible Santa Rosa, Paratransit and City Bus operators, dispatchers, supervisors, and support staff who keep our community moving each day.

A few fun facts Santa Rosa Transit serves 1.5 million passenger trips and drives, an average of 780,000 miles annually.

Santa Rosa City Bus also transports an average of 2100 student trips to and from school each and every weekday.

We encourage everyone to wave, smile, or share a friendly greeting with our transit team to let them know their service is appreciated.

These small gestures go a long way in recognizing the essential service that they provide to our community.

And please remember that youth college students and veterans always ride City Bus for free.

For transit route information, visit SRCitybus.org.

And the last update is housing related.

Midpen Housing has announced that it will begin accepting rental applications on March 16th for the new apartment homes at Casa Roseland in Southwest Santa Rosa.

This beautiful new community offers affordable one, two, and three bedroom apartments for low-income residents earning between 30 and 60% of the area median median income.

And just for uh those who need the quick math for a family of four, that would be a household that's earning between 45,300 a year to $90,600 a year.

Residents who would like more information can visit midpen-housing.org.

Those are my updates.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any update from the city attorney's office.

Thank you, Mr.

Vice Mayor.

I have no updates this evening.

Thank you.

Any public comment on these items.

Ms.

Flores.

Thank you for being here to lead this lovely city.

I know it's a lot of work and it's not easy, but I wanted to speak to historically the housing in Roseland, which was disastrous for me.

So Generation Housing lobbied all local agencies, including the city of Santa Rosa to waive development fees.

They stacked their board with developers, including Midpen.

So they were pushing through projects to gentrify communities such as Roseland and pushing out the locals who were adamantly against the project.

And to this date, not nonprofit being that they're a project of the Tides Center.

I have not been allowed to see their financials.

There's no record of how much money has come in or how much has been expended.

So it's just extremely concerning.

They actually had the federal government threaten me when I inquired about that.

So Generation Housing is led by Jenny Close, who is my former boss.

She was the board president of Santa Rosa schools when I was the executive assistant to the board.

So these housing projects in theory sound wonderful, but they're absolutely horrific.

I don't believe in gentrifying communities and destroying the culture.

Rosalind was not incorporated into city limits until a few years ago.

And so when I have white women like Jenny Close, who really truly despise, you know, minority people like myself leading housing projects as such.

It's disgusting.

So I encourage those historical discussions to take place.

Thank you, and God bless.

Seeing none, we'll go to Zoom.

I am seeing no one with their hands raised to speak on Zoom.

All right.

With that, we will close this item and move to item 10 statements of abstention and recusal by council members.

Councilmember McDonald.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I will need to recuse from item 13.30.

Seeing no others, we will move on to item 11, Mayors and Councilmembers reports.

Councilmember Rogers will lead off.

I get the look because I told Vice Mayor that I have a really long one, so I'll try to go fast.

On Thursday, February 26th, I attended the water department's recognition and celebration of a huge accomplishment, which is one year and counting of no sanitary sewer overflows.

Say that 10 times.

No SSOs.

The industry standard measuring SSOs is the number of SSOs per 100 miles of pipe per year.

So the sewer agency in the North Coast region averages 15.01 per 100 miles of pipe per year.

And for the entire state, the average is 19.47 per hundred miles of pipe per year.

The local water and sewer operations work very hard cleaning and televising sewer pipe, resulting in this amazing amazing accomplishment.

So I did want to read all that and give a shout out to our water department for an outstanding job.

Um we are still counting, but every day is a good day.

So thank you so much for your hard work.

So that was also very nice.

So thank you to Petaluma Blacks who puts on that annual event.

And on March 5th, I was able to attend Take Me to the Water Histories of Black Pacific at the Sonoma County Museum.

The exhibit centers around the stories of black whalers, shipbuilders, and sailors who help shape the Pacific Coast Front.

Um the 16th century and beyond.

The exhibit will be at Sonoma County Museum through March 22nd.

Um I would like to put a plug in that the Sonoma County Museum has free admission on the second Saturday of each month, which happens to be this coming Saturday.

So if you have some time, I would go um check it out.

And lastly, I also attended on behalf of our violence prevention partnership chair and myself, the Apple Valley Neighborhood Violence Prevention Chair, Councilmember Ben Wellos, and myself, the Apple Valley neighborhood meeting at Apple Valley Children's Center to address the recent incidents of gang violence representatives from the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership.

Santa Rosa Police Department and Community Engagement Team provided attendees with information about how the city is responding to acts of youth and gang violence and what program services and resources are available to address these issues.

Thank you to the residents that spent their evening with us because they could have been at home, snuggled up because it was a little cold.

And thank you to our staff who made the night a success, and a special thank you to Anna Horta who translated the whole the whole thing, and she did a great job.

So let's keep up this community engagement that we have and make sure that our community knows that we care and we are accessible.

Thank you very much, Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ben Wellis.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I just had one item that I wanted to report on.

So yesterday in my district, we had a meeting that the community asked for.

And when I say community, I mean the business community and the residents around homelessness because my district actually consists of six homeless facilities.

So we're a little top-heavy.

But I have to say, you know, after the meeting, I I felt so inspired really by the community because even though we we have a lot of issues in the district, I find that almost all of the folks that were participating have a lot of compassion and understanding for the issue.

I think the biggest one of the biggest takeaways for me was the work that our staff does around this issue.

From uh law enforcement to code enforcement, homeless services.

I mean, we have this fantastic team of people who are working on this issue just about every day.

And uh it was a learning experience for me because I had no idea how much work they were actually doing out there.

I also want to thank Serena, thank you she's here for facilitating Anna Orta, um, Misty, uh, and all of the staff that came.

Um there was lots of staff there, um, Jessica and and Gabe, and just so many people, and of course, our um interim city manager.

So it what it said to me also is how important this issue is, uh, not just to me but and to the people that live in my district, but also to our city staff.

It was uh phenomenal to get the feedback from the community about how they were feeling about a number of different issues and things that they were experiencing, but also I think that some solutions came because homelessness is such a um complex issue.

Um I used to be a service provider, so I have a soft spot in my heart for service providers because I know what the work is and how hard it is to do, and that's why I do a shout out to our staff and also to the providers, but also to my the people in my district, the businesses, everyone that all I think recognize that it's gonna take all of us to address this issue.

And and I just wanted to thank everyone for all the work that they did and for all of their input.

All right, thank you, Councilmember McDonald.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I just have a couple of announcements.

I'd like to thank Nolan Sullivan, the director of the Health Services Agency for the County.

I met with him recently, and he was doing some great um outreach to different members of the community and electeds about the potential of developing the Low Skilico site to meet some services that we think our community needs for senior housing for homeless and some of the other ideas that they have.

But I appreciate being contacted early on before the county was moving forward on plans so that we could do outreach to the greater community.

And so I just wanted to thank him for that meeting.

And then it is with regret that I accept the um resignation of Robin Robin Bartholomew, pardon me, from the Board of Public Utilities.

Um, but I did want to read just a tiny bit of her letter of resignation because I think it speaks so highly of our water department and the chair Dan Galvin of how great of a job he does governing that particular board.

But she says throughout her career, I have yet to meet a more competent professional and knowledgeable team as the outstanding employees of the Santa Rosa Water.

And so I'm sorry to see her have to go due to her work changes, but thanks again.

Seeing none, we will go to Zoom.

Thank you very much.

However, because there's only four of us on the dais, none of us are allowed to leave for any reason or else the meeting stops.

So we're going to take a five minute break before we go into our public hearings.

Um, so that uh we can have uh for better yet lack of a better term, a bio break.

Um, and we'll be back at uh we'll call it five tenure.

Okay.

Madam Deputy City Clerk, can you please call attendance?

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Council Member Rogers.

Council Member McDonald.

Here.

Council Member Fleming is absent.

Council Member Banwellos.

Here.

Council Member Alvarez.

Present.

Vice Mayor O'Krepke.

Here.

And Mayor Stapp is absent.

Let the record reflect all council members are present with the exception of Mayor Stapp and Council Member Fleming.

Uh good evening, Mayor, uh Vice Mayor and Council members.

My name is Shane Weissing.

I'm the president of ATU Local 1575.

I represent all the bus operators of Golden Gate Transit as well.

So excuse me, all the union members at Petaluma Transit.

Um here tonight to talk about mascot's regional transit plan and what that means for the residents of Sonoma County.

Uh let me begin by saying that we support the broader concept of mascots, uh coordinating transit service between agencies and improving regional connections between Sonoma and Marin and San Francisco is a good idea.

Regional cooperation makes sense.

But what is happening after 8 p.m.

after the smart train stops running under the current mascots implementation is simply not acceptable.

For years, the Golden Gate Bridge District has appropriate has received approximately $7.2 million annually from Sonoma County to operate regional bus service connecting Sonoma County residents with Marin County and San Francisco, where many of these riders actually work.

Recently, Sonoma County reduced that funding by 5.5 million dollars, leaving only 1.7 remaining for bus operations in Sonoma County.

That funding reduction has opened the door for Golden Gate Transit to begin dismantling nearly all regional bus service in the county.

Unless something changes as of April 12th, 2026, the regional bus network that has connected Sonoma County, Marin, and San Francisco for decades will disappear.

The most troubling part of the plan is what happens at night.

Under the current mascot service structure, regional transit connection, Sonoma County and Marin County with San Francisco will end at 8 p.m.

And service will not return again until the early morning hours.

That means from roughly 8 p.m.

to about 5 a.m.

There will be no public transit for Sonoma County residents to get to Marin or San Francisco.

In other words, Sonoma County becomes a transit desert every single night.

And that's not theoretical.

By the Golden Gate Bridge's own ridership data, about 45 people on average per weekday and 47 people every weeknight currently rely on these trips between Sonoma, Marin, and San Francisco.

Those riders include hospital workers, restaurant workers, janitors, hotel staff, and other night shift workers who keep the Bay Area running.

But it's not just workers.

Those those routes are also used by residents who want the ability to go to San Francisco for dinner, a show, a concert, or an evening out, and still have a safe and reliable way to get home.

When the buses disappear, those people don't disappear.

They get stranded.

They are forced to rely on expensive ride shares that they can't afford or simply lose the ability to travel from Sonoma County and the rest of the Bay Area.

In one of the most economically advanced regions in the world, we are about to create a transportation blackout between Sonoma County and the rest of the Bay Area.

Thank you.

Next up, Adina, followed by Sean.

Good evening, Council.

In mid-January, Miss Laura Ainsworth, a professor at Santa Rosa Junior College, was arrested by Santa Rosa police.

Around eight officers were sent to her classroom without a warrant.

They seized her property, and she was detained.

She actually had a bailout without any evidence, no probable cause.

Her misdemeanor pending charges were just dismissed last week.

After I was able to prove that the prosecution team was sleeping together, and the judge also, Judge Christine Burke, had the contract simultaneously for indigent services.

So there has been an FPPC case opened.

That is horrific to arrest a domestic violence survivor and innocent civilian with absolutely no probable cause, and so I will be helping her to litigate.

She's not the only one.

Another faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College is being targeted by the City of Santa Rosa's Tanya Potter, the sergeant here.

Her husband, Stephen Potter, who is in charge of the public safety program at Santa Rosa Junior College.

He had a son who attended the Tahoe Academy out in Lake Tahoe area.

And the founding investors for that academy are Kelly and Mike Seacrest.

And so I've been in contact with not only individuals from Sonoma County, but outside of the state, because the founder of that academy, Jamie James, was locked up for raping children.

So all of a sudden, Kelly Seacrest, after her husband passed away again, the investors to epicenter, uh, she didn't want that information to be public and filed a fraudulent restraining order.

They actually called the Santa Rosa Junior College and Lamanto's wife claimed that he shot up a house and SWAT was sent.

So there's no record of bullet shells.

He's not incarcerated.

If somebody shot up a house, they'd be currently incarcerated.

So I've proven time and time again that fraudulent police reports are being filed, yet no actions being taken to rectify the horrific tragedies experienced by innocent innocent civilians being framed for crimes they didn't commit.

I have court tomorrow with Boys and Girls Club because my co-defendant Laura Ainsworth and I are being sued by them, Sonoma Valley Boys and Girls Club, because over 40 Latino children were raped at the club.

They don't want to pay them restitution.

Allegedly, my statements are defamatory, even though the child predator Dwayne Kilgore is doing 150 years in Mule State Prison.

To this date's um Councilman O'Krapkey's colleague Davin Batro from Active 2030 Club, the attorney representing the plaintiffs won't tell me what I said that's allegedly defamatory.

God bless you guys.

Please stop protecting child rapists.

Next up, Sean Evans.

Good evening, and thank you, Council members, for allowing me to speak.

My name is Sean Evans, and I'm a public affairs specialist with the U.S.

Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience.

The SBA's Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience is here helping survivors recover in the aftermath of the tidal flooding and king tides that occurred between December 31st through January 5th and damaged a significant number of local homes and businesses.

Our mission is to help communities affected by disasters better prepare, respond, recover, and mitigate against all types of disasters.

When a disaster occurs, we assist in the economic recovery of communities by providing long-term low interest loans to businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, as well as renters.

I'm here to here tonight to educate the council about the upcoming deadlines for the disaster loan program and the disaster loan outreach centers that are available.

As a reminder, our federal program provides low interest federal disaster loans to assist businesses and residents that are either uninsured or underinsured as a result of the recent king tides and flooding.

Homeowners may apply for disaster loans up to $500,000 to make repairs to their primary residents.

Homeowners and renters may borrow up to 100,000 to replace damaged personal belongings from their homes as well as their cars.

These disaster loans can also be used for relocating and refinancing.

Businesses and nonprofits may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace buildings, equipment, and other assets.

Small businesses and private nonprofits may also apply for economic injury disaster loans to help them recover from financial losses with or without property damage.

Additional funding may be borrowed to cover mitigation costs to protect your property against future damage.

Interest rates range from as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.875% for homeowners and renters.

With terms up to 30 years, interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement.

There is also no cost to apply, no obligation to accept a disaster loan if you are approved.

The application deadline for physical damage is fast approaching on Monday, April 6th.

However, the deadline to apply for an economic injury disaster loan is not until November 3rd, 2026.

There are three ways to apply either online by email, online at lending.sba.gov, email disaster customer service at SBA.gov.

You can call 800 659-2955 or at one of our local uh disaster loan outreach centers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else that would like to give public comment, please?

Good afternoon, uh Fred Olibach again.

And I just wanted to start by saying that I'd notice Einstein's theory of relativity comes in public comment because other people's three minutes seems to last forever while mine vanishes like smoke.

But I just thought I would mention that.

Um I I know that the council has a study session coming up on the South Santa Rosa specific plan.

And I'm kind of new in Santa Rosa, and I'm I'm I'm using the South Santa Rosa specific plan as a way to get to know Santa Rosa by doing a deep dive into all the different policy there.

And so there's likely to be a gentrification and displacement that comes about as a result of the South Santa Rosa specific plan.

And that's shown in all project documents, the city housing element, and also on maps from the Urban Displacement Institute and the Bay Area Equity Act.

Um and so I know that that the uh the planning and economic development department is is spearheading the South Santa Rosa specific plan, and that's basically a land use and zoning plan, sort of like a new urban renewal project, and the city also has housing and community services, which uh deals maybe more with the social impacts of housing.

So when you have your study session, I'm just asking you to consider who who at the city is gonna be responsible for addressing potential displacement of the plan.

And will that be rolled out concurrent when the plan comes out that that these mitigations for displacement will be sitting there on the table right away?

Um that the housing element has affirmatively furthering fair housing quantified goals, and some of those seem more likely than others to uh actually be actionable.

So, what I'd like to suggest in your study session is that you ask staff to to make a list of what the quantified goals are and the possible actions and the likelihood that they'll be effective, or whether they're like they're you know, ones that are less likely to be effective.

So I'll just suggesting that that you think about the potential negative socioeconomic uh effects of the plan as well as the economic revitalization, and so that and that you have those things on the table for this plan when it comes out.

Um I would just like to see that the city walks its talk in terms of the anti-displacement strategy and affirmatively for housing provisions.

And my my three minutes didn't vanish like smoke.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else, please?

Yes, hi, good evening.

Um, I hadn't planned on speaking, but uh my name is Al Erma.

I just wanted to support the gentleman that talked about reinstating funding for Golden Gate Transit in the evening.

I rode that those buses for 12 years back and forth in the city, allowed me to work and uh earn a living.

I would re- or encourage you to reinstate it at night that there's nowhere no way else to get back and forth from San Francisco.

Uh, if you've ever ridden those buses at night, it's really a slice of kind of humanity of our community here.

They're mainly essential workers, retail food, uh construction, et cetera, et cetera.

Uh, and that lifeline to get back and forth is really the only way they can get up and down the 101 corridor.

So please reconsider reinstating that funding.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else here in the room that would like to get public comment on non-agenda matters?

Seeing none, we'll go to Zoom.

We do have one person to comment on Zoom, so I'm gonna turn it over to our Zoom host.

Thank you.

Brandy, I've enabled your speaking permissions.

Please go ahead.

Hi, yeah, I'm Randy.

I'm a new resident, so I'm just uh first agenda meeting that I get to pop in on.

And um I just wanted to echo what the other two uh what the last guy was saying, and the Golden Gate guy before was because that was one of the first things I did when I moved out here was my roommate and I we took the Golden Gate down from the transit mall all the way down to San Francisco just to hang out for a day, explore the area, learn all the new stuff.

So I find it's very important to have you know a good reliable form of public transportation, all forms of hours as I kind of egress into new areas.

And I just um if somebody could let me know, because I'm not a hundred percent sure.

Is there a point where I'll get to uh ask about agenda items that I might have not been able to speak on earlier, or is that what I do now too?

We're not allowed to get back to it back and forth with public comment.

Understand, appreciate you.

So I'll just stop now then.

All right, thank you.

Is there anybody else online?

And no, by the fair, there are no additional hands being raised via Zoom on this item.

All right, with that, we will close out public comment on non-agenda items and move on to our public hearings.

First one item 16.1, the TEFRA public hearing for Del Nito Apartments.

Good afternoon, Vice Mayor and Council members.

My name is Angela Morgan.

Uh, and I'll be presenting uh the item before you uh which is to request uh to request uh a request to hold a public hearing and approve the issuance of bonds for the uh Del Nito Apartments project.

Uh jurisdictions are required to hold a public hearing, receive public comment, and approve bond issuance consistent with the tax equity and fiscal responsibility act and internal revenue code of 1986.

This action will not result uh in any fiscal impact to the general fund, and the financial responsibility shall be of the borrower.

In this case, uh the borrower will be uh new Del Nito LP, and the sponsor for this project is Eden Housing.

On April 16th, 2024, City Council approved the bond issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $55 million for the project.

The prior approval was approved with a plan of finance, and therefore the approval expired after one year.

The request before you today is up to five million of up to five million, is not additional funds, and is within the original $55 million, uh, but a new hearing and approval are required under Section 147 F of the tax code due to the initial uh one year expiration.

The project is an existing affordable housing development uh located at 850 Russell Avenue in the Northwest Santa Rosa area on the corner of Range Avenue and Russell Avenue, and was built in 1971.

It is adjacent to the civil uh and family law courthouse, a local credit union, access to the to access from across from the bicentennial park and on Range Avenue, a convenient distance from uh Cottingtown Mall, and a large variety of nearby businesses.

The project consists of 206 rental units, of which 30 units are targeted to households with incomes up to 30 percent of area median income AMI, eight units targeted to households at 50 percent to AMI, 166 units at 60 percent AMI, and two unrestricted managers units.

The unit makes of the project includes 59 studios and 141, I'm sorry, 145 one-bedroom units.

The housing and community services department recommends that the council one conduct a public hearing under the requirements of the tax equity and fiscal responsibility act and the internal revenue code of 1986 as amended, and two by resolution approve the issuance of uh tax exempt multifamily housing revenue bonds by the California Municipal Finance Authority in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed five million to finance and refinance a portion of the cost of the acquisition construction development and equipping of Del Nito Apartments, 850 Russell Avenue within the City of Santa Rosa.

This item has no impact on current fiscal year budget.

And this concludes the presentation, and in addition to staff, we have uh representatives from Eden Housing and CMFA, who is the bond issuer, uh, to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you very much.

Are there any questions from our council members?

Councilmember Alvarez, any questions?

All right, seeing none, uh we will I will open the public hearing.

That's fine.

Um we'll take public comment on this item.

Is there anybody who would like to speak on this item?

Seeing none, is there any online?

No hands raised on Zoom.

And I will close the public hearing and bring it back for any final comments from council.

Seeing none, I will entertain a motion from Councilmember Rogers.

Thank you.

I would like to make a motion to adopt the resolution as presented by staff and way for the reading of the text.

So we got a motion by Councilmember Rogers, a second by Councilmember Alvarez.

Any final comments seeing none, can you please call the vote?

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Councilmember Rogers.

Aye.

Councilmember McDonald.

Aye.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Ben Willos.

Yes.

Councilmember Alvarez.

Vice Mayor O'Krepke.

Aye.

And Mayor Stapp is absent.

The motion passes with five affirmative votes with Mayor Stapp and Councilmember Fleming absent.

All right, thank you very much.

We will move on to item 16.2, which is another TEFRA public hearing for uh scattered site apartments within Apple Valley.

Uh thank you.

I'll be presenting this item as well.

Angela Morgan, program specialist for the Housing and Community Services Department.

Uh and this item here before you is a request to hold a public hearing and approve issuance for bonds for uh the Apple Valley Scattered Site Apartments Project.

This will sound like a repeat here.

Uh jurisdictions are required to hold a public hearing, receive public comment, and approve bond issuance consistent with the tax equity and fiscal responsibility act and internal revenue code of 1986.

This action will not result in any fiscal impact to the general fund, and the financial responsibility shall be of the borrower.

In this case, the borrower will be Apple Valley Olive Grove LP, and the sponsor for this project is Burbank Housing Development Corporation.

The project is a combination of existing affordable housing developments located at various addresses on Papago Court, West Steel Lane, and Zinfandel Avenue.

The portion of the project on this slide is located in the Northwest Santa Rosa area and was built between 1963 and 1965.

It is conveniently located next to schools, parks, public transit, grocery stores, cutting town mall, and a large variety of nearby businesses.

This project consists of 232 rental units, of which 48 units are targeted to households with incomes up to 30% of area median income income AMI, one unit targeted to households at 35% AMI, one unit at 40% AMI, 63 units at 50% AMI, 115 units at 60% AMI, and four unrestricted manager units.

The unit mix of the project includes four pardon me, uh two four-bedroom units, 45 three-bedroom units, 144 two-bedroom units, 25 one-bedroom units, and 12 studios.

The housing and community services department recommends that the council one conduct a public hearing under the requirements of the tax equity and fiscal responsibility act and the internal revenue code of 1986 as amended, and two by resolution approve the issuance of exempt facility bonds by the California Municipal Finance Authority in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed 40 million to finance or refinance the acquisition, rehabilitation, improvement, and equipping of Apple Valley Scattered Site Apartments, 2820, 2822, 2824, 2826, 2828, 2830, 2832, 2834, 2836, 2838, Popogo Court, 2459, and 2550, 2501, West Steel Lane, 2808, 2809, 2812, 2813, 2816, 2820, 2824, 2828, 2833, 2841, 2852, 2860, 2862, 2866, 2870, 2874, Apple Valley Lane, and 1945 Zinfandel Avenue within the city of Santa Rosa.

This item has no impact on the current fiscal year budget.

And that concludes uh this presentation, and uh again, in in addition to staff, we have representatives from uh Burbank Housing and CMFA uh available to answer any questions that you may have.

And uh again, and in addition to staff, we have representatives from uh Burr Bank Housing and CMFA uh available to answer any questions that you may have.

All right, thank you very much.

Any questions from council?

Seeing none, we will open the public hearing and go to public comment.

Uh we have one person signed up, Lauren.

Hi there.

My name is Lauren Fury.

I'm a senior project manager with Burbank Housing, and I'm working on the Apple Valley Scattered Sites Project.

I just wanted to briefly thank the city staff who have been instrumental in bringing this project to fruition.

Um it's a rehabilitation of buildings that have been only minimally touched since they were built in the 1960s.

Um thank you to all the city staff who have been working closely with us, and thank you to city council for um evaluating this agenda item tonight.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else who would like to speak on this item?

Seeing nobody in the room, we will go to Zoom.

We have no hands raised on Zoom for this item.

Then we will close the public hearing and come back for a motion from Councilmember Ben Wales.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um let's see.

Um I move to adopt resolution as presented by staff and uh waive for the reading of the text.

We've got a motion by Councilmember Van Wales, a second by Councilmember Alvarez.

Any further comments?

Seeing none, we'll go to the vote.

Councilmember Rogers.

Okay.

Councilmember McDonald.

Hi.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Ben Wellos.

Yes.

Councilmember Alvarez.

Councilmember Alvarez.

Hi, I'll try to back down by the call motion.

Vice Mayor O'Krepki.

Hi.

Mayor Staff is absent.

The motion passes with five five affirmative votes with Mayor Stapp and Councilmember Fleming absent.

All right, thank you very much.

Really appreciate it.

Great job.

Uh, we will move on to item 16.3, a public hearing concerning zoning code amendments.

Lou, when you are ready.

With apologies for that brief delay.

Good evening, Vice Mayor O'Krepke, members of the city council.

Um, my name is Lou Kirk.

I am the plan review coordinator for the city, and uh myself and the chief of police are here tonight to talk about some desired changes to our massage ordinance.

And um, to start, I think that the chief is going to uh begin.

Good evening, Chief John Cregan from the police department.

Uh just very briefly going over what got us here and and across the state and the country.

You see many different models for addressing implicit or licit massage uh businesses with it.

You see some that are working directly uh and targeting and doing enforcement efforts uh with uh both the men and the women who are working in these establishments with it.

We've uh gone away from that model and tried to work toward offering services and working on those, the portrayers there at those businesses with it.

Uh with it, you have others who are focusing on the pimping and the pandering, uh both being legally definitions between the two, and some who are quite frankly just ignoring it and seeing a blossom in their communities.

Proud to say that the city of Santa Rosa has taken on this issue head on and really worked with our original ordinance and looking to ways to even refine that uh this week.

Next slide for uh the three-pronged approach that we're really working in.

I sat down with our domestic violence sexual assault team who are really helping lead this from the police department's perspective with it, and and the three areas are really working on.

What first is really working very jointly in a partnership with our code enforcement team and uh planning and economic development, who have been in the lead on creating this ordinance with it.

So it's really about bringing all of us together and addressing what we're seeing across the city of Santa Rosa, meeting together more regularly, coming up with uh plan of action toward addressing some of the nefarious businesses here in our city.

The secondly is really forcing on the criminal enforcement.

Uh we both of our departments came together last year.

We worked with the Family Justice Center and a lot of other providers and did uh a multi-day operation, and we're able to actually uh serve search warrants at three residences of those who were leading with the pimping and pandering uh at these locations with it.

Uh we're able to serve search warrant on three different illicit massage uh parlor businesses here in the city of Santa Rosa made multiple arrests.

That case is still ongoing.

They actually were in court just today uh with it too, and so the next court uh case is gonna be all the way till July because the justice moves slowly here uh in the state of California, but the system is still going through the court process with it, and that was one that we're able to successfully shut down several of the businesses, but bring criminal charges, seizing hundreds of thousands of dollars from accounts uh from uh also some of the those who are running those businesses.

Another more creative way that we're working, both with code enforcement and our team is working with the landlord engagement, and that's actually going to some of the landlords and saying, do you realize what's being run out of your facility here with it, and working with landlords when they see this nefarious activity, withdraw the leases, terminate the leases with it too.

So those are the three areas that we're really focusing.

We actually have a meeting coming up just in two weeks where all of our teams are coming together and are we going to be going through some action items for our next criminal uh apprehension days with it.

So the word is it's gonna be out there.

If you're not following the law, that our teams are working together and we're gonna be holding you accountable, and uh, there's some others that we have in our crosshairs right now.

I'll turn it back over to code enforcement.

Thank you, Chief.

So, as you may recall, about a year ago now, we adopted a new comprehensive massage ordinance.

Um that ordinance required live scan background checks as part of its structure for uh owners and operators that were not otherwise certified through Camtech.

Umce we got into the actual implementation of the ordinance, we found that our expectations did not fully meet reality.

We originally hoped to be able to piggyback on the police department's live scan processes, but we found that there was some obstacles that really got in the way of us doing that effectively.

So, what we did was we started our own path to get our own called an ORI license through the Department of Justice to allow code enforcement staff to conduct those background checks using the live scan technology.

Um we did have some interim solutions.

Code enforcement hit the ground running with this new ordinance, which I'm I'm proud to uh remind you one 2025 city of the year, uh last year uh from Camtech.

Uh so it's been well recognized as an ordinance that's designed for the challenges of the future.

Um we have been processing those applications, we've been issuing them in the absence of conducting those live scan reviews through a general acknowledgement form that we're having the applicants sign.

They understand that once this process becomes active again, they're going to have to come back and go through that process, even though they've already been operating.

And if there's an issue with them failing a background check, that massage establishment certificate would be revoked.

So um just to give you a brief update on where we've been.

Uh so far, 80 applications have been submitted to the city, and we've issued 38 massage establishment certifications.

Forty-two are currently in review.

Uh 33 have had inspections resulting in a past compliance.

There's one active denial in process and several others in line behind it.

Uh, on that note, I know that there are the inevitable questions about neon signs.

Uh, one of the hallmarks of this ordinance is to prohibit massage establishments from regulating uh from displaying rather neon signage or any type of signage outlining the window or outlining the building.

And there are obviously some that are still out there.

The reason for that is what uh really comes down to amount of staffing.

We've been focusing our efforts on processing the applications we've received, getting those good actors um approved and getting their uh certificates out.

And we will, in fact, get to all of these in time.

I know they're out there, so I just wanted to first all any questions that there may be there.

Um so the ordinance really um authorizes us again to apply for applicant agency status with the DOJ to view confidential state and federal records.

Uh this directly links background data to permit eligibility for the reviewing officer, which is in this case is our code enforcement team.

It brings code into alignment with the Federal Ureau of Investigation's public law 92544 criteria, and that is just a prerequisite for sharing criminal records uh with um with this agency.

Forgive me, I've lost my place.

Um meeting the FBI DOJ criteria uh required the addition of several specific definitions added to our code.

Um those definitions will be gone into in in just a uh the next slide or so, but that was really the mainstay of what the DOJ required of us was just to tighten up very specific definitions.

However, we saw an opportunity, since we have to bring this ordinance back for amendment to fine-tune it after its first year in operation.

And so we've taken advantage of that to do that.

And really, what that has come into being is strengthening the nexus between background checks and permit eligibility, simplifying zoning clearance processes for establishments where multiple establishments are sharing one space, and it restores some specific operational requirements that our prior massage ordinance had regarding the storage of liquid screams and preparations.

So, with all of that being said, the proposed amendments add the term owner, ownership, partner, and partnership to the ordinance definitions.

It adds clarifying language percent pertaining to lease agreements, it adds clarifying language pertaining to zoning clearances as they apply to cooperative business situations.

It adds clarifying language pertaining to approval, denial, and revocation of applications.

It adds clarifying language pertaining to registration renewal, and lastly, it adds clarifying language pertaining to general operation requirements.

In closing, excuse me, um, on February 26th, the planning commission heard this item and they did recommend uh all of these changes.

So, in closing, the planning commission and the Department of Planning and Economic Development recommend that the council approve first reading of chapter 2049 amendments and two adopt the live scan resolution.

This concludes staff's presentation, and we are available for any questions you may have at this time.

Thank you so much.

Are there any questions from council?

Seeing none, I'll open the public hearing.

We'll move to public comment on this item.

Seeing none in the room, we'll go to Zoom.

I'm seeing none on Zoom.

And we will close the public hearing and come back for a motion by Councilmember McDonald.

Thank you, Vice Mayor, and thank you for the presentation.

And I'm really proud of the city for continuing to update its ordinances and working with law enforcement to put the bad players away.

So thank you so much for bringing this forward to us.

So at that, I'd like to move approval of the first reading and introduce an ordinance entitled or the ordinance of the council of the city of Santa Rosa, amending title 20 of the Santa Rosa City Code by amending chapter 20 through 49 entitled massage massage regulation and massage establishment registration to amend city code chapter 2249 pertaining to massage massage regulation and massage establishment registration.

That was tough.

And two by resolution authorized adopt the resolution authorize city staff to access summary criminal history information, live scan requests for individuals seeking massage establishment certifications by applying for applicant agency status from the Department of Justice.

These items have no impact on the current fiscal budget, so I would like to move further or way further reading of the text.

Sorry, I read all that, including the last line.

Second.

We have a motion by Councilmember McDonald and a second by Councilmember Ben Wellos.

Any comments?

I'll just say thank you so much.

This is something that was uh very grassroots in this community and uh a real testament, uh, ongoing testament to um public-private policy partnerships.

Um it's been a great job across departments, um, police and planning, as well as uh work within the community.

So thank you so much for that.

And we'll move to take a vote.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Councilmember Rogers.

Aye.

Councilmember McDonald, aye.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Banuelos?

Yes.

Councilmember Alvarez.

Aye.

Uh Vice Mayor O'Krepke.

I.

Mayor Stapp is absent.

Let the record reflect the passes with five affirmative votes with Mayor Stapp and Councilmember Fleming absent.

Thank you very much.

Thank you all.

Really appreciate it.

We'll move on to item 16.4, the public hearing for the housing element implementation and planning application fees for tiny homes on wheels.

Uh good evening, Vice Mayor and Council members.

Uh Tailby going over with you.

Oh.

Thank you.

Good evening, Vice Mayor and members of the council.

I will be going over the housing element implementation project to you today.

So the background for this project is the housing element is a state mandated component of the general plan, and this outlines the city's housing needs, goals, policies, and programs in an eight-year cycle.

We're currently in the sixth cycle.

And this project is focusing on implementing two housing element programs specifically, and then complying with state law.

So these are the four components of the project that we'll be going over today.

So one is housing element program H6 for innovative housing options, and then program 30 H38 for zoning code amendments.

And then we have state law updates for accessory dwelling units and then zoning code consistency to make sure this all goes smoothly.

So here is the timeline for the project so far, or the housing element.

So the housing element was adopted by the city on February 14, 2023.

And then there were some revisions last year with the General Plan 2050 update in June 3rd, 2025.

So the first housing element program going over today is H6.

This is called innovative housing options.

This is focusing on exploring innovative and alternative housing options to provide more flexibility and affordable housing stock in the city.

Two types of housing we're going over today is tiny homes on wheels and housing cooperatives.

The first type is tiny homes on wheels.

This is a new land use being introduced to the city.

These are independent living quarters mounted on a wheel trailer chassis, and that includes a bathroom, kitchen, and a sleeping area.

These are required quite a few different standards as well as a permitting process.

So that process is a minor conditional use permit, and they also are required to get DMV licensing.

These are also required to get specific design standards to look like conventional residential structures, and then they have size requirements.

Only one is allowed per property with an existing single family residence, and this is only in our rural residential single family zoning districts.

And then it is not allowable on properties with a detached ADU, and it also will utilize existing parking from the residents.

And then also tiny homes on permanent foundation are allowed through the building code and building permit process as long as they meet different uh planning standards as well.

Next is housing cooperatives.

These are a housing type and not a land use.

So we are mainly introducing uh several new terms to the glossary and allowing it in which allows it more visible in our single family and multifamily districts.

Um these are to help promote different types of housing ownership and to allow people to be able to afford different types of housing that they may not be able to afford normally.

Um so these are type of corporations that provide housing to members and they'll own a type of share in this corporation, which entitles them to a housing unit.

The next category for the project is housing element program H38.

This is for zoning code amendments.

Uh there's a lot of various different types of zoning code amendments listed in this housing program, and we will be going over quite a few of them that are being implemented today, and goes across quite a different array of land use types.

So the first is farm worker housing.

The agricultural employee housing term is proposed to be updated and aligned further with state law and other jurisdictions as a new land use type and a new zoning code section for farm worker housing.

That zoning code section is updating the temporary housing, sorry, the temporary use permit section to allow temporary and seasonal farm worker housing, and then the definition types were updated for farm worker dwelling unit, which is a single family type of residential use, and then the housing farm worker housing complex is more of a multifamily style, which is considered an agricultural use, but is also allowable in our zoning districts for multifamily types of projects.

It is now switching to the term residential care facility.

Um these are facilities that focus on 24-hour non-medical residential care.

And here are three of the different categories.

So large is for facilities with seven or more patients, six uh, and then small is for six or less, and then unlicensed are facilities that do not require a license to operate, and they also do not have a patient limit.

Going further into types of care that are allowed within this non-medical care framework.

Um this is allowed as what is considered incidental medical services.

This is a term in state law.

This is mainly used by detox facilities.

Um, so they allow this type of non-medical care, which consists of obtaining medical histories, monitoring health patients, the health status of patients, and other detox related and alcohol recovery treatments.

Um, furthermore, there are various subcategories to residential care facilities, license and large.

Um, so some of these categories do not have what is considered an over concentration requirement in state law.

So these facilities typically would require to not be within a certain range of other facilities.

And then these five facilities listed below are considered exempt under state law and have also been defined in the glossary, so it's much more clear for staff to understand when this is applicable.

Um the next type of land use we'll be going into more detail is medical services health care facility.

Uh previously, this was a land use that was also combined with community care facility, and that made it a little difficult at times when dealing with the different intricacies with related to state law between the two types of land uses.

Um this is still pretty much a residential type of facility, but has a much more long-term medical residential care components and requires specific licensing and different programs that they need to coordinate with.

Um the two facility types we are proposing to change to are for a health care facility large and then also small, follows the same pattern of seven or more patients and six or fewer patients.

Similar to the previous land use, there are over concentration requirements for different types of facilities.

So additional facilities were further defined depending on which type of over concentration requirement there is in state law.

So there is a 300-foot over concentration requirement for two of these types that are listed here, and then there's an additional 1,000 square foot, sorry, 1,000 foot over concentration buffer that applies to other facilities as listed.

Um moving on to more land use types that were updated.

So one is reasonable accommodation.

Um, this was updated and proposed to be updated to reduce barriers to housing for persons with disabilities by reducing some of the permitting requirements and expanding on those eligible for the application process.

Uh, next is supportive housing and transitional housing is also included with this.

Uh, there was an update to indicate how use permit and design review requirements are being incorporated in response to state law and how this low-income housing type can be providing services and case management across different types of zones we have in the city.

Um, the next type is low barrier navigation center.

This is a type of emergency shelter land use that originates from state law, and this focuses more on providing resources to people to get permanent housing and employment.

Um, as part of this as well, there are several definition updates to address uh modern-day housing and how people that may live under the same roof may not be related.

And some of these are also to align with state law.

So some of the changes are to family traditional housing, shared living residences, group homes, target populations, and adult day programs.

Um the next category of changes is under accessory dwelling units.

So there are quite a few clarifications that were being done to the number of allowable ADUs that are in single-family zoning, just single family areas and multifamily areas.

And then there are some additional changes to fit meet the requirements for housing ailment program H38, and this allows for ADUs on properties listed on the historic register.

And then there were a few bills that were signed last year by the governor that we are incorporating this year as they have gone into an effect already.

Um the first one is AB462.

So this allows for an ADU to be granted occupancy during a natural disaster prior to a single family dwelling to be constructed.

Previously, this was not allowed.

Um a while back, this is actually something our department was working on allowing as part of our disaster recovery from the wildfires in 2017 and 2020.

Um the next one is SB 543.

So this just updated square footage calculations for ADUs and JADUs and implements new timelines for processes and procedures for appealing application completeness or denials of a building permit.

And these types of appeals would go to our planning commission.

AB 1154 is the removal of the owner occupancy requirement in the G distriction for JADUs, which have their own bathroom facilities.

So many of these different types of changes touched quite a few other sections across the board.

So this is just making sure we are updating every section that is needed, and that is also a required finding for making zoning code amendments.

Other changes include parking table updates, land use table updates for residential commercial, industrial, and special purpose, and our temporary use permit section.

Additionally, there is an amendment for Title 21 of the municipal code to add an inclusionary housing exemption for tiny homes on wheels.

And so far we have not received any public comment at this time.

And then these amendments are statutorily exempt parseco guidelines for amendments that are consistent with the 2050 general plan, which was certified on June 3rd, 2020 2025.

Additionally, the accessory dwelling unit section is statutorily exempt, and other types of other components of this project were reviewed for CEQA section 15061v3 for the common sense exemption, and that the amendments do not have potential to cause a significant effect on the environment, and that future applications for our project will be reviewed in compliance with CECWA.

Now getting to the recommendation, the Planning Commission and the Planning and Economic Development Department recommended that the council approve the first reading and introduce an ordinance and title and ordinance of the city of the Council of the City of Santa Rosa amending Title 20 and Title 21 of the City Code to implement the 2023 to 2031 housing element and state law file number PLN 25 0397.

It is further recommended by the planning and economic development department that the council by resolution establish planning application fees for tiny homes on wheels.

This item has no impact on the current fiscal year budget.

Staff is available for uh questions and comment and my information is also listed here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That is a lot of information to digest.

Um appreciate it though.

Are there any questions for my colleagues?

Councilmember Ben Wellos.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Thank you for the presentation.

That was you did that quite succinctly.

Um love seeing all the different types of housing all the time.

Um my only question uh since this is supposed to be a resolution uh establishing application fees.

Do we have any idea what those fees would be or if there was a range or do we already have some of those in place for tiny homes?

Um sorry, yeah.

Are you referring to the tiny homes application fees that we are looking at applying?

Yes.

Um yeah, we are currently looking at applying existing fees that are already established for uh use permits.

Um, our lowest level fee.

I sorry, I don't have the exhibit was being pulled up what the uh exact amount is, but it is already current fee that we'll just be applying to it.

Thank you.

Councilmember McDonald.

So I see that you have tiny homes on wheels, and I'm absolutely fascinated at the thought of being able to fit in a tiny home, mostly because of my clothes.

So, but I I wanted to know because if they're on wheels, are they able to park them in a dry regular driveway?

Or are you going to have that in the code where they'll have to be parked on a piece of property?

Um, I'm just curious and say are a movable item how that would work.

Uh typically they uh in the code, it's listed, they're typically not allowed on the driveway.

Typically would be want to be in the back and not as visible from the public right-of-way.

And if it is visible, it would be required to have screening of some sort.

All right, any other questions?

Nope, seeing none.

We'll open the public hearing.

Um we have.

Oh, you have the yes, I have one additional um thing.

The uh fee that we are looking at applying is our lowest level minor minor use permit fee, which is 2,885.

And then we do have application intake fee that is applied as well as our advanced planning fee and technology surcharge.

Thank you.

All right, we will reopen the public hearing, and first up is Alfia Larson.

Hi, my name's Alethea Larson.

I'm the it's it's okay, no, it's phonetic.

Um I'm the executive director for the living room.

Oh, thank you.

So short.

The living room has been around over 30 years, and um we have been we are daytime drop-in center for women and children, but we have a substantial housing program.

We house at any time up to 50 women and children in our organization, and without the ability to house some of them in tiny homes, um, ADUs, JDUs, and actually a couple of trailers, we would not be able to make the impact that we do.

Um in a short amount of time in the last four years with two trailers and a tiny home, we have housed 34 individuals who have moved through those units in need of immediate shelter, transitional housing, and then they have moved on into permanent housing from there.

These are vulnerable youth, uh, many of whom came out of SAY, mothers with young children, and senior women.

Um, in addition to that, over the past four years, we have housed 92 women and children as well as their pets.

And I just want to say thank you, first of all, for allowing some innovation around housing after the fires.

I think this came about after Tubbs and in 2017 with the temporary use permits for tiny homes.

However, temporary means that these permits also expire.

The need for housing has surpassed that time limit, and we are really looking forward to some continued innovation around tiny homes, but also those JDUs and ADUs.

We are scattered site housing, meaning we purchase properties with typically a three-bedroom house, convert the garage into a JDU if it's attached, and then we've added a tiny home or trailer in the backyard to maximize density.

We practice good neighbor policies in our neighborhoods where our housing exists, and we want to continue to do that.

So your decisions really impact our ability to drive very positive impact for women and children in in their greatest need, which is when they're outside or in cars or in violent situations.

That's where we come in.

Um so again, I just want to thank you, and I'm really happy to see this on the agenda.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else?

Fred.

Thank you, Fred Olibach again.

Um I just have a comment for your consideration.

I think the city's doing really good work tonight with the uh housing community service and the planning uh department here, and Christian gave a very nice presentation.

Nice job.

Um my comment is about uh like this in in city land use, the city has an urban growth boundary and it has a very high percent of single family zoning or a low density zoning, so that locks up a lot of the land, puts a monopoly on the land use, and then it forces this smaller housing because there's there's no room to go out, and the single family zoned areas aren't are not open to having more housing in them.

So so you you have your housing, the people squeezed into much tinier houses, or they're squeezed onto strips like Santa Rosa Avenue or all main streets in the in the least desirable places in very small units, and and so the ADU and what's typically called affordable by design is about seven or eight hundred square feet.

And so affordable by design, at least in my experience with it with the Sonoma inclusionary ordinance, there's a loophole in the inclusionary ordinance that said if a unit is uh is uh eight hundred square feet or less, then it doesn't count toward the inclusionary ordinance.

So I'm not sure if Santa Rosa has that or not here, but what's happened in Sonoma Valley is that developers use that to make eight hundred square foot condos, and then all those 800 square foot condos don't count towards the inclusionary ordinance.

Um and also in Sonoma Valley, and I would imagine in uh in the nicer parts of or you know, more expensive parts of the city that an ADU is not necessarily affordable housing.

Um at least it wasn't in Sonoma Valley.

So, you know, that get that that this is just a comment really.

I'm not suggesting that that you know there's any changes as um comment based on my experience, and I saw this morning that um the urban displacement um map that I saw there, the arena under production for Santa Rosa from 2015 to 2023 has only built 35 percent of the very low and low-income housing that was allocated by RENA over that period of time.

So I don't think that ADUs and tiny homes are gonna make that up, particularly if they're of questionable affordability.

So this is good stuff, but also need really a lot more of the hundred percent affordable housing, like those projects where you did um pass that unanimously, so that's great, and we need more of those.

So thanks very much.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else in the room that'd like to speak on this item?

Seeing none, we'll move to Zoom.

I am seeing no one with their hand raised in Zoom.

All right, with that, we will close the public hearing on this item and go to as soon as I figure out who it is.

Councilmember Rogers for a motion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I would like to make a motion to adopt resolution and introduce the ordinance as presented by staff and way further reading of the text and it's great presentation.

Thank you.

Second.

All right, we have a motion by council member Rogers, a second by council uh member ban Wellos.

Any final comments from anyone?

Again, thanks so much for getting that all that's a lot of information.

Thanks for distilling that down and doing it so quickly.

Really appreciate it.

Uh with that, we'll go to a vote.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Rogers.

Councilmember McDonald.

Aye.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Banuelos?

Yes.

Councilmember Alvarez.

Vice Mayor O'Krupke.

Aye.

Mayor Stapp is absent.

The motion passes with five affirmative votes with Mayor Stapp and Councilmember Fleming absent.

All right, thank you very much.

Now we're gonna rewind and go all the way back to item 12, the approval of minutes.

Is there any corrections to the minutes?

Yes, Councilmember Rogers.

Sorry, Vice Mayor.

Um I would like to note that uh Kirsten from the NAACP, Santa Rosa was not present for the proclamation, and it states that she was present, or I misread, but she was not present, so that needs to be taken off.

Thank you.

Any other corrections?

Seeing none, we'll uh show those adopted with said corrections, and we'll move on to item 13 consent items.

Real quick, we're gonna have a word from our city attorney on item 13.3.

Thank you, Mr.

Vice Mayor.

Um, item 13.3 is the item that council member McDonald recused from earlier.

Um, with her recusal, um, we only have three council members present in the room.

And while we do have a fourth council member on Zoom, um the method under which he is able to participate under Zoom requires us to have a quorum, which is for council members in the room to proceed.

So on that item we lost our quorum with council member McDonald's recusal.

Um my um recommendation would be to just go ahead and um continue this item to your next regular meeting, which will be the 24th, I believe.

All right, are there any objections to that from council?

All right.

I'm I'm saying you is there any objection to doing a date certain of next meeting?

No, I was just gonna ask, like uh there's it's not pressing, right?

Like it doesn't have to be done tonight, but it doesn't matter anyway, because we can't do it.

The only way I mean, not unless another council member magically appears in the room, um, which I don't think is going to happen.

Um, as I understand it from city manager that um there is not a particular business urgency with SACEN trail.

All right, with that, I will entertain a motion from Councilmember Ban Welos.

You have that all.

I think I've got it.

Um I move to adopt a resolution.

Oh wait, uh I move to adopt consent item 13.1 to 13.2 and then 13.4 to 13.7.

That'd be second.

Second.

All right.

We have a motion by council member ban Welos.

Um we'll call it a second by Councilmember Rogers.

And we'll go to public comment on this.

Is there any public comment on the consent count uh consent items?

Seeing none, any on Zoom?

I'm seeing none on Zoom.

All right, we will close public comment and come back for a vote.

Councilmember Rogers.

Aye.

Councilmember McDonald.

Hi.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Banwellos.

Yes.

Councilmember Alvarez.

All right.

Vice Mayor O'Krepki.

Aye.

Mayor Stapp is absent.

The motion passes with five affirmative votes with Mayor Stapp and Council Member Fleming absent.

All right.

And we will move on to item 15.1, a report item authority to issue design build requests for proposals for Oakmont Pavement Maintenance, Martin Luther King Jr.

Neighborhood Park Sports Field and Bear Park Natural Play Area.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

All right.

Thank you.

Uh Dan Hennessy, Transportation and Public Works Department.

Um we're here today because we want to pursue a design build strategy for three projects.

Um the council in 2014 approved an ordinance requiring us to get your approval before we pursue such a strategy.

Um talk a little bit about why we want to do that for these three, um, and then we'll dive into a little bit more detail following up from last month's uh Martin Luther King Jr.

Neighborhood Park Master Plan review.

Um so why do we want to do design build?

One is that um when we have the um funding in advance for both design and construction, um we can contract with one entity and make the designer and the contractor work together.

Um this leads to accelerated schedules.

We can clearly write in the request for proposals what exactly we want, what we expect, and make them work together to figure out how to produce that.

It also gives us a guaranteed maximum price.

We put that right up front that we're getting design, construction, however, they want to split it up, they can knock themselves out.

Um but here's the price, and please deliver us this project.

Um that probably uh makes sense that it leads to less finger pointing.

Um designer, contractor, us.

There's nobody cares about whose fault anything is.

Um it's fit it's figured out and get it done.

So we get change order uh reductions, and then we also have fewer disputes that we as the city have to get in the middle of MLK Park, um specifically tying back to last uh month's meeting.

In that master plan, we had identified um some uh key desires from the community, including uh athletic field for multiple uses, um, increased durability of that field, and equity in the access to the field.

Um we had evaluated uh different turf types for that uh southern portion of the site where the athletic field would be, uh, including reviews by both our uh parks planning, our parks maintenance, and our recreation division um for maintenance capacity, um hours of use uh and lifecycle costs that I'll share a little bit more in this presentation.

That field would be available like any park for drop and play would also be scheduled for uses by schools or for youth league soccer events, tournaments, things like that.

Um we'll talk a little bit more about how that would happen in just a moment.

Um considering the different types of turf available, natural turf and alter turf alternatives have uh both their advantages and disadvantages for natural turf, the surface is cooler in summer seasons, um, there are no synthetic components to worry about, and the cost to install is much lower up front.

Um the downsides is that you we get to use the field much less, um, partially due to uh weather, but also due to keeping that field healthy.

Um so we do need to have some type of artificial limits on the field to make sure that that it remains healthy.

One of the mechanisms by which we would do that as compared to turf alternatives is uh we typically don't light fields that have natural turf because we don't want people playing at night to help restrict those hours, whereas with artificial turf fields, we were happy to light them because they can they can withstand uh much more significant usage.

Um National Turf, there is potential for fertilizers or pesticides to be used.

Um there is a fairly significant um maintenance requirement as a result of mowing and upkeep.

Uh and then the field can degrade over time as a result of of the use.

For turf alternatives, we can get as much as uh two to three times uh as much use of the field, um, better reliability during differing wedding wet weather conditions, uh far less water is used, no fertilizers, pesticides, obviously.

Um get a predictable playing surface and lower annual uh maintenance labor.

It does cost more.

The surface temperature is higher during uh hot weather.

Um there is a known replacement time, it's typically on the order of 10 years.

And then we can we also got to be very particular about the type of material that we install to make sure that it meets our specific regul uh environmental regulations.

Just talking a little bit about costs.

Um the installation of turf alternatives is roughly twice as much up front, but the um maintenance costs are as little as 20% uh as much over time.

So thinking about that over a 10-year period, you end up with costs that over the time over that lifecycle that are very similar.

But if you think about it in terms of how much use that field gets, um, it's much more cost effective with respect to turf alternatives than natural turf just given the availability of those fields.

There also are implications for the types of funding that pay for each of that.

To replace the field, we have access to capital improvement funds that can be used to do that.

Um it can it's a predictable planned expense.

We can account for it years in advance and make sure that those funds are set aside.

Ongoing maintenance is funded through the general fund.

And you know, this is my I'm in the process of preparing the third budget for the uh the transportation of public works department.

Um all three of those have had major pressures on the general fund.

We've also endured a mid-year reduction through that.

Um pressures on the general fund are probably not going away.

Um so the type of funding also really does matter instead of making this uh park maintenance fund compete with all the other priorities of the city, the capital funds for parks are set aside and dedicated and and programmable and predictable.

Um those maintenance um activities, you know.

Again, you heard Superintendent Castro earlier talk about how much we're doing with fewer resources as compared to years ago.

Um those challenges are only going to get harder, particularly as we continue to expand these facilities and make them better.

The community's expectations for them are going to continue to rise.

So, you know, every time I see us delivering a new park, uh I get excited, but I also think about the expectations from everybody who's going to be using it that it doesn't diminish in quality shortly thereafter.

Um aside from the financial implications there are environmental considerations.

Um there are a number of different materials that are available to use for turf alternatives.

Um this is an evolving area.

Um I know that this council and subcommittee received presentations on this topic a year ago and two years ago.

Things have changed.

Um we're still learning too.

We have done a lot of coordination with different suppliers and manufacturers over the last few months to try to figure out exactly what the different specifications are, what we can require or what we can expect for for different costs.

Um so, like I mentioned earlier, you know, we can, especially through the design build process, we can put requirements in to get exactly the type of material we want with expectations regarding what those potential runoff would be.

Um like I mentioned earlier, there's no irrigation requirements.

There is still some minimal water requirement as a result used to clean the fields, um, but it's not irrigating, and so those water costs are significantly lower as well.

The heat island effect though is real.

This the art of most of the turf alternatives are warmer than grass during summer periods.

You know, we're not talking about Arizona or Texas heat, but we are talking about sustained periods during the summer of real heat, um, and it will be felt by people trying to use the field.

Um we do have options for uh for cooling though, some of that that water usage.

Again, we could we can have we can design irrigation to help cool the field.

Um you saw all the trees that are included in the design of the park last month.

That's challenging in the middle of a soccer field, but um there are uh shade alternatives and shade provided um throughout the the park.

Um keys to this though is dealing with water runoff.

Um in a natural turf scenario, we would essentially treat it like groundwater and uh expect it to run back into the surface of the earth.

Um through this, we can engineer uh runoff systems to catch collect the water, clean the water before it goes back into the rest of the um stormwater system, um, which which reduces or eliminates all of that, not just fertilizer and pesticide runoff from not being included, but any of the plastics or uh or other assorted materials that are included.

Um again, another area that is evolving um does come with costs, but is a way to mitigate those concerns.

Uh and then uh lastly, so all of this becomes much easier to incorporate into a design build because we uh you know, we need to do our due diligence in both the request for the qualifications and the request for proposals to be very clear about the specifications and the standards that we expect.

Um, you know, once we contract, we're essentially we've said, here's what we want you to deliver, and here's how much, and there's a lot of um flexibility for the contractor and the design team to deliver on that.

The more specific that we are up front, um, the less risk we as the city take on in having to try to navigate different proposals that come from the contractor and the design team.

Um so you know, we can incorporate those those items into there to make sure that we've addressed both the uh material aspects but also environmental performance.

Um this also allows us to be very transparent about what we what we are doing.

All the design build teams are on the same playing field as they um consider their proposals.

Um we can require performance warranties, and again, we can have clauses in there that give us the right to reject any alternative to select um any particular um manufactured surface that we might like.

Um there might be cost implications for us, though, if we're not clear in the request for proposals and the design standards that are included that that we might have to mitigate with additional dollars or revisiting some aspects of the contract if we're not clear enough.

On the last slide, I've just summarized a number of items that we've talked about through here.

Um this specifically is perhaps from the perspective of a public works director who needs to maintain this after it gets built.

So it's not you know, you could have uh arguments that some of these highlighted areas perhaps should shift to the other side, or or there's more of a tie between the two than um than I've presenting here.

One area that we hadn't talked about yet that I do want to touch on is uh injuries.

Um we've we've done some research uh in terms of doing a literature review, and really you can find uh anybody to present either side of the issue, and typically what you find is that somebody's got an incentive to do so.

The best we can find is that there's not really clear evidence that there are any more or less injuries as a result of turf alternatives than natural grass.

Um there are some specific examples of certain types of injuries that may show that there are increases more uh like rashes and things like that related to uh uh turf alternatives, but some of those are being mitigated by the new technologies that are available.

Um again, not really anything definitive there, and I think if anybody in good faith could present an argument on either side of that.

Um to us, you know, for me personally, like I I do really want to present this not just as a case of supporting our maintenance staff in terms of um not asking them to do any more than we need that to ask them to do, but also uh for Martin Luther King Park in particular, we have asked this community to do a a lot of engagement.

They clearly told us what they wanted.

Um, and I understand the questions that council has had uh over the last couple years and the uncertainty, but we also didn't have clear policy direction.

Um so there's a there's opportunity to amend that now through any direction that you'd like to give us regarding the specific materials, the requirements that we would include in the RFP.

Um, but I will say that that our project team um and our community is is looking forward to moving forward with some type of turf alternative.

With that, I'll answer any questions.

All right, thank you, Director Hennessey.

I'm sure we do have questions.

Who Councilmember Manuelos, we'll start with you.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um thank you for the presentation and thank you for bringing back all this information.

Really appreciate it.

And I found the same thing too.

I tried to do a lot of some research and I kept getting a lot of biases on each side, so it was really hard to find something that was not biased.

Uh and I tried.

Um the only question I have, I think uh well, I have two questions.

Um the uh PFAS free turf systems.

Can you talk about that a little bit?

And and if if you you say the city can require that, what that would mean?

Yeah.

Um so we can be as specific as we'd like with respect to material selection, we can specifically prohibit that.

We can require that it be at a certain level.

Um I think most people think of turf alternatives as the kind of plasticky green grass with the rubber pellets in it.

Um and that was what was provided for a long time.

There are a number of different systems now that are PFAS free um or that have reduced levels that have different uh materials in there to provide um you know more responsiveness to those growing environmental concerns.

Um so we're we're intending to and exploring exactly what that looks like in our um in our RFP.

Ah, okay, that would be great.

Um and the only thing I was curious about, which I couldn't research thoroughly, was what happens at that, say it at the end of eight years, it's time to replace, assuming it gets used often.

Um what happens to that turf?

Um, not just removing it, but what happens to it?

Yeah, so some of the manufacturers specifically will take back their their used turf.

We have also talked to Recology about disposal of artificial turf, and they have mechanisms and vendors that they can pass it on to to reuse responsibly rather than ending up in a trash pile.

Okay, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Uh we'll go to Councilmember Alvarez.

Oh, well, two of the questions were already asked.

Thank you, uh Councilmember Bunyoles for asking them.

Uh really the important one was what's gonna happen to the field afterwards, and I'm we hear that I'm glad you hear that there's a second life too to the material.

Uh, in respects to to repairs of of artificial turf, uh what would happen in the case if if for someone dug up a piece of the material up, would it be easily replaceable, or what's the process?

Uh it is replaceable.

Depending on the size and scope of the replacement, it could look a little goofy.

Just it's it's done in sizes to yeah, to that makes sense with respect to whatever surface you're surfacing.

Um so if it was a small chunk, we wouldn't want to replace a much bigger surface.

We would want to replace just that little area, but you would uh likely see the seams or even just some discoloration depending on you know what span of the lifecycle we're in.

If we're on year five, we're unlikely to find a replaceable surface that also looks like it's on year five.

And comparable to uh to uh to uh forget I'm sorry, I'm a little bit under the weather.

Uh I keep imagining a groundhog, but uh uh a gopher, a gopher.

If a if a gopher happens to make its presence known on the field, what's what's the time period that we could actually repair the field in that case?

Well, these these are um typically resilient to those types of vermine.

So um, you know, they are thicker in nature, there is some level of um surface beneath the um that that provides that.

So while that could happen, I think that's much more of a concern with the natural turf, uh, frankly, because there's no barrier to that.

And that's that's actually what was a referencing too.

If if on the natural turf uh go for RX's presence, what how would we go about mitigating that situation or repairing that?

And how long do you think that would take?

Yeah, if uh a natural turf is uh you know, chasing them as they come up and we know that they're they're happening, um, you know, the repairs aren't difficult, but they're hard to find.

Um and so we're we're looking at them in all parks all around the city.

Um it is it would probably take longer to repair uh a turf field just because there is a material need rather than just finding some dirt.

Um but once we had the material, I suspect that they're on the same um timeline.

And and this question would be for our city attorney.

Would the city be liable if someone uh busts their ankle on on let's say a golf role?

We we would have to look at the circumstances.

Um, but certainly, you know, our we would need to be uh maintaining uh an appropriate level.

But um not every instance um would result in liability, but it certainly could result in um someone claiming liability.

So we open ourselves for that for that conversation to happen or the possibility of it to happen.

All right, is that all your questions, Councilman?

Oh yes.

Uh actually and and one more.

Uh in regards, you spoke of lighting.

Uh one of the main concerns of our community there in South Park was lighting and having uh areas that are well lit.

Could you repeat uh the information that you gave in respect to lighting of the of the soccer field?

Yeah, the field itself um natural turf fields are challenges to light because they incentivize longer play, um, which is great, but we get to usage that is well beyond what the natural turf can tolerate.

So we typically do not light them unless we are controlling in some other manner, which is gonna be hard to do at a neighborhood park that is intended for drop-in play for tournaments for leagues and for school usage.

Um with the artificial turf, there's no concern about that.

People can play till 10 at night if they'd like, and um the the turf can handle it.

Perfect.

And then the reason that I asked that question is it's it's in my experience that an area that is that has a lot of activity, kind of determines illicit activities.

Uh so I definitely see the benefit of having a weld area on those uh extended hours.

And uh Vice Mayor, that that is all my questions and thank you.

All right, thank you, Councilman Bro Alberez, Councilman McDonald.

Thank you for the presentation.

I have a couple of um maybe technical questions, but um, how many community members did we survey do you know on the development of MLK Park?

Do you have an idea of how many people in the community came out to talk about what they wanted?

Uh sorry, but people at home can't hear you if you're not in talking into a micro.

Thanks, Emily.

Sorry about that.

Um it's a good question.

I know we had 75 individuals attend the third community meeting.

Many of those people came, thanks to Coach Christock.

Um there's sort of their families and children who play for his football club.

Um, but then we we've also you know reached out to the entire Santa Rosa soccer community um throughout the process.

Um I don't know if that helps.

That is helpful.

Thank you.

I think I had about 40 or 50 emails from community members just today.

So um so I'm just was uh kind of seeing if you had an about number of people that came out to speak specifically in favor of the turf.

And I think I've had most of them right to me, but wanted to know if you had a greater number than that that spoke in favor of that.

If I remember right from the presentation last month, there were several hundred people who were touched at different points of the engagement process from both the different um community meetings but also the surveys that were provided.

Right.

And at that time, since we don't have any ban on turf, um, was there any conversation that this could be a potential issue at council or was that ever discussed with community members?

Um I did provide information on the website about what was happening at the climate action subcommittee and encouraged community members to attend those meetings if they were interested.

Great.

Um do you know, do we use gas lawn mowers or gas blowers to take care of our current lawn and sports fields?

Most of our maintenance equipment is gas powered.

Okay.

I just I wanted to to know if we used um anything that beyond that was more um environmentally friendly.

We are transitioning um as things are available and as um pieces of equipment need to be replaced, but the vast majority of maintenance equipment is gas powered.

Yeah, I have an electrical lawnmower too.

Um let's see.

Uh so what's our policy, or do you have any idea what our policy or ordinances are around residential or commercial um lawns being or turf being put in at those?

Do we have anything that bans that or doesn't allow residential commercial lawn?

Sorry, get you an answer from somebody who knows better than I do.

Good afternoon, Vice Mayor, members of the council, Gabe Osburn, director of planning and economic development.

Um currently, as the zoning code is worded, and this information was provided to the the climate action subcommittee previously, is there's not a prohibition on artificial turf in either a residential or a commercial setting.

Um there is language in the landscaping sections of some of our zoning code that that prohibits artificial landscaping.

Um we did a lot of work with our city attorney's office to understand the interpretation of that and the determination that it didn't identify specifically turf.

So it is an allowance.

Um it does actually happen quite often through really a transition of water intensive landscaping to more drought tolerant landscaping.

Um so we see that in both front and backyards and residential settings, um, and we've seen it in commercial applications as well.

Great.

I think that's also important to know that we're allowing it throughout the community and other venues, um, if it's not our sports, but it's it's happening everywhere else we allow it to happen.

And then my last question is do we have any idea how much it costs to water or how much water is used to maintain our grass lawns?

I don't know about the water, but the costs that you saw in terms of uh maintenance did reflect water.

So the vast majority of that cost to maintain turf alternative fields is water, and it's on the order of um you know 10 to 20,000 a year for a multi-use field.

Um it's significantly more for um for natural turf, and you know, to be frank, like looking at the budget for this coming year and seeing just how much we spend on water to maintain parks is like you know, it's not really an optional expense if you want well-maintained parks.

So it's it's significant.

And as the water rates increase, that increases for our departments as well.

Okay, I think that's important to note just as we're looking at the cost that um we don't get water for free, even though it's the city water for all of our city building.

I know, and there's some law around it, which is crazy.

But um, I I uh just think that's important to also note.

So I thank you for answering my questions.

Thank you.

All right, I I have I think just two questions.

Um lines of water, uh, if there is a drought declaration, presumably us watering our fields is going to be one of the first things to go, is that correct?

That's a major use of water within the city, and uh as painful as it might be, it's uh a nice to have, frankly, rather than a need to have.

So, yes, I would agree with that.

So, in theory, we could put in grass now, and then end of summer there's a drought declaration, and then it all dies.

Yes.

Okay.

Um, and then in terms of injuries, um, you said you could find it at both.

I I get what you're arguing.

Um, but as uh Park Supervisor Castro said earlier, and as we've discussed before about the how just how stretched thin and and the the um the tenuous resources we give the parks department to do their job.

Would it be fair to say that those one way or another would be with extremely well-maintained um natural grass fields and not ones with go for holes or anything like that?

I think that is fair to say as a the point of comparison that the research I saw did was not um pointing out fields that are in various stages of disrepair, but comparable playing surfaces, yes.

Okay.

I appreciate that.

Um, those are the all of my questions.

Any more questions before we go to public comment?

All right, we'll go to public comment on this matter.

If you would like to speak on it, please.

Fred, you're ready to go.

Uh Fred Olibach, I recall the uh the last meeting with Martin Luther King Junior Park was up uh for discussion that there was a young man who was, I believe, a coach for the youth soccer league, and he he said that all the all the fields that they move up and play on as they go through high school and college are all turf alternatives.

So he didn't understand why they would have to get stuck with turf at Martin Luther King Park when the whole soccer scene is leading up to playing on on non-turf surfaces.

So of the way I can read the tea leaves here, it seems like that there's that people are kind of leaning to have the turf alternative, and I'd like to add my voice to to those who are thinking that way.

Thank you very much.

My name's Tommy Isaacson.

I'm here tonight, not only as a board member for the Santa Rosa Youth Soccer League, but I'm also someone who has spent a lifetime in this community.

I'm a soccer player, I'm a youth coach, I'm a parent of youth athletes, and I'm a police officer here in the city for the last 25 years.

Across all of those roles, one thing has remained constant.

We need a safe, positive outlets for our youth.

Santa Rosa YSL serves more than 2600 competitive and recreational youth players from every neighborhood in Santa Rosa.

We proudly support Santa Rosa United, Empire Soccer Club in Santa Rosa South.

Programs that collectively reach thousands of families, and we are united tonight voicing our strong support for installing synthetic turf for soccer fields with lighting for our city's youth.

I want to speak plainly about why this matters.

As a career as a police officer, I have personally notified families that were victims of gang violence.

They were severely harmed or they were killed, and I've had to tell families this.

That's one thing families should never have to experience.

But we absolutely can provide more opportunities, real reliable structured spaces for kids to choose a different path.

Lighted year-round fields are not just athletic infrastructure, but they're preventative infrastructure.

Coaches like Chris Doc Camacho of Santa Rosa Park or South Park Football Club have made it clear.

The fields aren't muddy and unsafe, and kids have the predictable supervised activities every week of every year.

That consistency is powerful.

It builds teams, supports families, and keeps kids engaged.

I'm gonna save you the comments on why I believe modern synthetic is better, but truly the risks do not outweigh the benefits.

Mr.

Hennessy provided all the facts that I think we need.

Santa Rosa is currently the only city in Sonoma County without dedicated turf fields with lights for youth soccer.

On behalf of the players, coaches, families of youth, I've served both on the field and in uniform.

At Martin Luther King Park.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else in the room that would like to speak on this?

Seeing none.

Anyone on Zoom?

I'm seeing nowhere there is a hand.

Oh, my apologies.

Council Member Alvarez Alvarez.

I'm seeing no um public comment, but Councilmember Alvarez has his hand raised.

All right, then we'll come back for final comments and we'll lead off with Councilmember Alvarez.

Thank you.

Uh, first of all, thank you too for the service uh of one of our speakers and everything that he's done too, but our community.

Oh and we may have just lost Councilmember Alvarez.

Uh we'll move down the line to Councilmember Rogers in hopes that we can get uh Councilmember Alvarez back at some point.

Thank you.

Um so I I will be supporting turf alternative um tonight because this is what the community has asked for.

Um, and there are multiple reasons why I will be supporting the turf alternative.

Um, but mainly because when we talk about equity, I think that we really need to our actions need to show when we talk about equity.

Um and this is a big one for me.

But I did want to take the opportunity um because it was brought to my attention that last time I made a comment when I said no, that our park staff could not uh maintain the parks.

Um so I wanted to, since I said that publicly, I wanted to publicly apologize to park staff.

When I made the comment regarding um the department being able to maintain a natural turf field, my comment was not to speak negatively about the wonderful work that they are doing to maintain our beautiful parks.

Um it was really to say that we are asking our departments to do more with less, and this was not something I wanted to sign them up for to add an additional project to sign them up for.

Um so that is one of the reasons why I am I will be voting for the alternative turf, but that is not the only reason.

But I did want our park staff to know that I think everyone here on council recognizes the hard work that you do in our community to keep our parks the way that they look now.

Um the spans from you being out on Saturdays dealing with community members for park a month to all the work that you do during the week.

So we appreciate it, and our comment was not directed towards you and the work that you do.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rogers.

Councilmember Alvarez is back.

It looks like from his phone this time, so we'll go to Councilmember Alvarez.

My my thunder will not be stolen.

No.

And again, thank you for the service of the gentleman that spoke.

And and you know when we first started talking about this this project with the residents of South Park, the amount of hope that was in their eyes of being included, not only being included, but being invested into goes way beyond turf or natural.

And I know that the fears from many in the community was what are the consequences, results of having these artificial uh products.

You know, what's the the particles in our water systems?

But from what I've learned from what I've been told from what what what what we've what we've seen with technology is that we've been able to now look at or look beyond artificial.

Now we can look at what methods are we used to or being used to to maintain gas powered, as we heard.

We've heard of the water usage that's being uh that we're being the water that's being saved.

And you made a very great point, uh Vice Mayor of what happens if we do go into a drought ordinance.

What will happen to these fields?

Are we gonna just dangle that carrot in front of our community to say, well, it looked great for one year, but now let us give this field to the gophers.

And we heard about the liability, the possible liability that would happen in in the case of of gopher holes.

So for me, I have made the transition from saying no to artificial and embracing it.

And I'm hoping that many of the community that uh that have that reservation can see the technology uh that has advanced and will also support artificial turf in the field.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Councilmember.

We'll go to uh councilmember Banuelos next.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um my main concern was environmental, and and uh so in that vein, I I just want to say it and give you kind of a heads up, Vice Mayor, uh, that uh when we get to the motion, I would love to um offer a friendly amendment to um require that we uh do the PFAS free turf system that we have include that if that's possible.

Um so anyway, that's kind of the direction I'm going in.

Because that that is my concern, and then also what happens at the end of eight years.

I I I really hope it could be recycled.

Because there are things that we know can't cannot be recycled, and I don't even know what happens to them.

Um, and that's my concern, and and I'm hoping that this is not one of them.

But uh, and and the reason I I want to support our park staff, um, I know that that they are overworked, and I really appreciate you um mentioning that.

Um you know, they were all here today, we were honoring them, and and um I don't I don't want to do anything to put more of a burden on them.

I also know that our community does a lot of work, particularly in my district, they do a lot of work um cleaning up our parks and help and helping in any way that they can.

So within that vein, I I'm gonna support this.

Um, but as I said, I I do want to offer a friendly amendment.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember McDonald.

Yeah, thank you again for the presentation.

I I also agree that when we can look at uh PFOS free and some of the more environmentally friendly opportunity options, I think that's something that we should be looking at.

And even if we had to pay a bit more because it's a one-time cost, um, it's safer for children to play on if we reduce the plastics that are in that, as well as um if we need to add irrigation around the edges so we could cool down the field if that's necessary.

We're lucky in Santa Rosa.

We do get warm here, but it we do have coastal cooling.

Um, of course, with climate change, we we um are seeing far less of that.

But I think anything that we could do that could mitigate some of those concerns that were around safety or the heat for children to play on um safely during the day would would be my preference as well.

I of course it could come back so we understand the cost differences on everything.

I um, but I would be interested in in doing um some of those more environment environmentally friendly um choices.

I feel very strongly about having sports programs for children.

It's proven to reduce um uh crime for children, and it's proven uh they've done lots of different projects in the United Nations, um, which is um an entire study was done from 2016 to 2021 that showed that if they had one of the components that focused on sports, community sports, not just sports during the school day, that the reduction in crime in those communities went down um significantly, and they did this through several different countries and saw quite a difference.

And so when I look at the need to have sports programs and engagement in the community, that's to me what sports is.

It's not just about um if you go to a sports game or you go to a warrior's game, it's about community.

You're all wearing the same t-shirts, you're all cheering for the same team.

And so for me, if I'm cheering for any team, it's gonna be for the kids that are gonna enjoy that park.

And that to me is why we need to put in the artificial turf.

That's what we promised the community and the children that are enjoying it right now.

So I will be supporting that.

Thank you.

Um, as for my comments, I'm gonna add on to Councilmember Rogers' comment because it was um part, yeah.

I was part of that, uh, a party to that as well.

Um talked about the inability of the city to keep up with with our parks, and it was not meant to be a um jab or a comment towards our our great park staff, but more of a um our inability to fund um to give them the tools, no pun intended to take care of the parks um the way that I that they want to.

Um you know, if you go to a parks cleanup with them, they will tell you they do their job the best they can, but they want to do more, but they don't have more hours in the day, they don't have more bodies, they don't have more resources, and so I just want to make sure that uh to be clear that and and apologize for my part in that discussion.

Um secondly, I wanted to thank my my colleagues for keeping us honest on the subject um and and bringing it back for a further discussion.

Um I uh I think it's safe to say that um as weird as it seems that the the discussion at the subcommittee meeting in 2024 was accurate and the discussion today, even contradictory to that is also accurate, but that's because science is evolved is evolving, right?

We're learning new things and and technology is involving uh evolving as well.

So um thank you to staff uh at the subcommittee level and thank you to your staff for doing the the the research on this.

Um I agree with everything that's been said from the environmental concerns to the um community concerns to the equity concerns.

I'm not gonna reiterate those.

Um I will say that you know um if some of this design build would incorporate like Misters on the sidelines for parents, I wouldn't be opposed to that as well.

Um but uh if not we can still move forward.

Um I definitely agree.

I don't know what the motion is gonna say if it's more of a direction to be given, um, but I agree a hundred percent with the PFOS free uh turf.

Um no crumb rubber info basically everything you have on slide nine.

Um I like if if you're comfortable with it, I would ask I we've gotten a clear direction tonight, and we can incorporate that.

And I think if you would leave it to us to craft that language so that we don't restrict ourselves into a box we can't get out of, I would appreciate that.

I we have heard you tonight.

All right, is everybody okay with that?

Great.

So then I won't belabor the point anymore.

I really do appreciate all of your work.

I appreciate you coming back a couple times on this.

Um, and um, I think this is gonna be great for um parents, it's gonna be great for the athletes, and it's gonna be great for that neighborhood.

So um we will move to a vote.

Uh Vice Mayor.

Or we need a motion first.

Well, just one second.

I want to correct something I said last time uh or that was presented last time.

We had presented this as a uh potentially as a phased project and said that that might provide us more time uh in the interim.

We have since figured out how to fund it all.

Oh way to bury the lead.

Um so it it requires some creativity that we will bring forward to you in May for a budget approval.

Um, but that flexibility is expended to us uh within the ordinance approving the uh park development impact fees, and we're taking advantage of it to get more things done.

That was clearly your direction to us, um, figure out how to get things done and and this is a way to do it.

So really appreciate that.

Thank you.

I know um the the neighborhood and council member alvarez more than just the park itself was really concerned about that pathway and the fact that we can get all that done.

Um so that's great news.

Really appreciate that.

So with that, Councilmember McDonald, can you make a motion?

I got it.

I'd like to move um approval of the item as recommended by staff.

Second.

We got a motion by Councilmember McDonald, a second by council member Alvarez.

Can we go to the vote, please?

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh Councilmember Rogers.

I just want to say before I bust out the scenes, your department is amazing.

So thank you very much, and thank you very much to our city manager, because I know she had something to do with it also.

So thank you.

Councilmember Rogers.

Councilmember McDonald.

Aye.

Councilmember Fleming is absent.

Councilmember Banwillos.

Yes.

Uh Councilmember Alvarez.

Before I give my yes vote, I I just want to really uh congratulate the residents of South Park for organizing themselves speaking up, being heard, and congratulations.

And to our staff, you guys are heroes.

Thank you.

And Vice Mayor Okrepki.

I the motion passes with five affirmative votes with Mayor Stapp and Councilmember Fleming absent.

All right, thank you so much.

Thank you, Director Hennessy and team.

Um with that, we will move on to uh all the way back to Ida all the way forward to item 17, which is written communications, which you have none, and then 18, which is a public comment on non-agenda matters for the last time.

Is there anybody that would like to comment on non-agenda matters?

Seeing none, we will move to Zoom.

Anybody on Zoom?

We are seeing no comment on Zoom.

Then we will close public comment.

And at seven oh one, we are adjourned.