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this supposed be in. But
those.
>> Let's we should that. But
this unit is pregnant. I
started the sporting will
nominate a scene with that.
But at the Texas choice to
beside a small step in
Republican open in about the
inferior to the Soufan. In
Mineola tag at but I'm a
fighter and she would on look
at She put us picking this
week on a follow-up. So for
this said, Lopes sealed and
the heat place will explain
your public daily heat. Any
deal Monday, spying on maybe a
thumbing through stoush punish
school. Chad. I think that
that didn't stop to put. That
is to and it actually worked
out as the went from Mitchell,
Senator Lott, iPad or tablet
that is going on with that and
about these videos on 50 over
the South I yeah, know that a
check local officials to is
with Decker, the mice old mark
with a nice little kick in the
yeah. Even most violent
Saturday look You look at a If
aboard Heat, might be spy. You
can kind deal. Might expect
North of the done all that. I
mean, not but I could some
ended up with that. It's quick
check Septima incident which
could ask a system Thank you
very much. Back to you.
>> Welcome everyone. The Times
to 30, call this meeting to
order. Clark, would you please
call the roll?
>> Thank you. Councilmember
Rogers. Cookie here,
Councilmember MacDonald.
Councilmember Fleming.
Councilmember Ben Willis here,
Vice Mayor Alvarez resident
Mayer step here. Let the
record show that all
councilmembers are present
with the exception of
Councilmember Rogers.
>> Thank you. We will move on
to item 3 are announcing a
closed session items we have
today and a 3.1 and evaluation
of performance for public
employee and an item, 3.2
conference with labor
negotiators with that we'll
recess recession to come into
closed session. Yes, as Prep
your money. We do need to take
public comment. But seeing we
were we will now recess in a
closed session. Thank you,
Jeff.
Thank you for your
patience. Everyone will
reconvene after Publix after I
closed session. MADAM Speaker,
please call the roll.
>> Thank you. Mayor
Councilmember Rogers is absent
Cookie Councilmember MacDonald
Councilmember Fleming
Councilmember Ben Willows
here. Vice Mayor Alvarez
present Mayor step here. Let
the record show that all
councilmembers are present
with the exception of
Councilmember Rogers.
>> Thank you. On to item 6. A
new report out on closed
session. During closed
session. The City Council
adopted a motion with 6
affirmative votes and with
Councilmember Rogers absent
when when one counselor absent
we, we will disclose the
following information from
closed session. The city
manager has requested that the
City Council for use her
salary and cost of living
adjustments. I want to
reiterate that portion of it.
This request is coming
directly from the city manager
in another another show, the
leadership to which we've
become accustomed from her.
She's requested. They be
frozen for the next 2 years as
part of a broader commitment
to financial responsibility.
This is a temporary measure
taken in the interest and
understanding for the city's
current economic outlook. The
council instructed staff to
prepare an item for the
upcoming council meeting that
would allow the council to
consider approving the council
managers request. We want to
thank city manager for her
leadership in this aspect.
Otherwise there is no
additional reportable action
from closed session this
afternoon. Onto. Item 8.1, our
Capital Improvement program
status update, MR. Hennessey.
Welcome. The floor is yours.
>> Thank you, Mayor Vice Mayor
Council. As soon as I find the
correct file, I will start.
Mayor weather. No reportable
actions from the Cip update.
>> If there are some changes
that you all would like to see
as we bring forth the budget,
we can kind of take those and
some of our one-on-one
discussion so we can be
prepared to move those forward
and make. Thank you again. I
think the last time I was here
was maybe in DECEMBER for the
last update. We talking about
priorities and went over a few
projects in particular about
how those would be affected by
that privatization process.
>> This afternoon's update is
about really trying to shorten
MAY's budget study session. So
that can be explicitly about
budget. And tonight I can
answer questions about the
status of any projects.
>> For tonight, we have a
review of parks and there I'm
going happen from the program.
Water and transportation
public works. And then a few
specific city facilities that
will be of interest to folks
at the end. The specific to
parks. And there's little over
56 million dollars in current
capital improvement funds for
parks, capital planning. More
than 30 million dollars of
that is for projects that are
currently in design with the
vast majority of that
anticipated to be delivered
next fiscal You can see here
on this table essentially
those first 5 projects are all
for delivery. And then the mlk
Neighborhood Park renovation
is for environmental review
and clearance of that. So we
expect to deliver all 5 of
those projects beginning this
coming fiscal year. Can
specifically say that the
South Davis and Kiwanis
Springs projects there are
written need one additional
approval and then we'll put
those out to bid.
>> Similar for the Howard
Coffin Park projects where
very close to putting that to
bed.
>> I've also included the
Valley golf course irrigation
pond on the slide that just
went through 75% design review
and again is on track to be
later right now. That's of
interest to everybody. And
talk about that again a little
bit later. And Morgantown, one
other project I wanted to
highlight on this slide is the
Roseland Creek Park. While
though Park design is I'm
going, we will be building a
path and a crossing to present
a column entry school this
coming summer. And we intend
to have that opened before
school starts next year. So I
know that's a key connection
through that. If you've been
by that park, you see the goat
trails of people walking
through it, but providing that
connection to the school and
formal crossing. I think we'll
be of great benefit to that
area and particularly to
students at that school.
There's another on nearly
22 million dollars for
projects that are in planning
and design. And that bottom
table, we are looking for ways
to kind of rearrange the money
based on timing of specific
projects and see if anything
can be advanced quickly.
There's a certain amount of
that money that is measure and
money and looking for those 11
projects at the bottom there
to see if if any of those are
solely funding constrained or
if there are design and
permitting questions that
relate to those. But
essentially we've done an
audit of every dollar the
Parks department has available
to it to deliver capital
projects. You see all of those
dollars on this on these 2
sides here and the tables. And
so provide an opportunity for
review and suggestions for
budgets a session or any
questions back to me or to
park staff about where those
dollars are are headed in the
future. And with anticipated
delivery dates for each of
those projects, too. Directed
him see before you go on, I
want to draw your attention.
To the Ml King Junior
neighborhood Park you'll
notice on the sheet. It says
2 million dollars remaining.
What I have asked staff to
most of the planning came from
the community.
>> What I've asked them to do
is we need to make certain
that we spend this infill
infrastructure grant. We want
to make certain that we're
getting the funding out the
door. So we need to go back to
the community and put this in
phases. Go ahead pared down a
little bit to the amount of
funding that we do have. And
in the event we do get extra
funding MAY be for the
2 million dollars. We can put
it in phases. So staff is
prepared enough. Had this
conversation with the director
Hennessy as well to go ahead
and get the funding out the
door for phase one. Thank you
for that city manager.
>> Moving forward to water
cip. There's nearly
150 million dollars in those
accounts, almost 50 million
dollars of that is currently
encumbered either through
design or construction
contracts have just over
100 million dollars available.
And more than 90 million
dollars of that is either for
projects that are currently in
design or are ready for
design. Speak specifically
that's across all 3 funding
sources for water speak
specifically to those projects
over the next couple slides
for sewer in particular.
There's 44 million dollars
available, we have 32 million
dollars of that is anticipated
for projects that are
anticipated to be in the next
fiscal year. So you'll also
notice that put in here on the
table with the remaining need
is for any of those projects.
We are moving forward. And I
with discussion we just had
about funding projects that
are ready to go and moving
funds around for delivery. We
have no remaining need
identified right now based on
our expectations for the
majority of those projects. We
have one that we've actually
moved up. We think that we can
get that done faster. And so
that's why it's not programmed
for full funding this year. As
of right now. But there is
funding available to and
center of water to move that
around if we need to. And if
we're able to deliver that as
quickly as we think we can.
There is there is remaining
need for projects that are
farther out. But we've started
funding those for design
permitting activities again
facing those in overtime while
not committing full
construction funds to any of
those until those funds are
necessary.
>> Similar story for the Water
Fund. A dozen projects
anticipated for the remainder
of this fiscal year and fiscal
year. 25 26. And that would be
more than 30 million dollars
worth of capital project
delivery with no remaining
need identified for any of
those projects. Leslie of 4
out of the plant and
supporting regional
infrastructure. We have a half
dozen projects.
>> there are ongoing or
anticipated to be let sometime
in the next 12 months.
>> mostly full, fully funded.
And when there's contingencies
available to to fund those
projects. Highlight those to
notice that across the 3 water
funding sources, we have
almost 30 projects that we
anticipate to be in the next
12 to 15 months totaling just
over 100 million dollars. So
you see 100 150 million
dollars available. That's a
lot that they've been a lot of
backlog. But we've really
focus the last 6 months or so
on getting them to the point
where they're deliverable,
expect to be able to do that.
So expect some of numbers in
terms of the dollar amount
available to us to go down in
the next 12 to 18 months as we
begin delivering some of these
improvements and a lot of
these water improvements,
especially the ones out of the
plant community will never see
some of the other ones are
buried under asphalt and our
our list stations or than a
complimentary of auxiliary
facilities that are vital to
the water infrastructure. But
again, the community will only
notice if they don't work.
Moving to transportation.
Public works. We have a number
of projects ongoing
construction right now. More
than 20 million dollars of our
funds are for projects that
are currently in construction.
Those include the Interchange
Coffey Park and found Grove
paving project section of
Sonoma Avenue from the street
to buy the lane. Center is
Avenue and preparatory work
for the bicycle pedestrian
overcrossing where we moved a
storm drain and the last
couple months on the east side
of the freeway from where the
landing spot will be. So all
of that work is either ongoing
or completed. But that
accounts for nearly 19 million
dollars of the available
funding. Of the 39 million
dollars that we have for
projects that are in design
oops. More than 27 million
dollars of that is for
projects that we will be
delivering by MARCH of 2026.
There are 3 traffic signals on
here. A half-dozen paving
projects. A couple obviously
the big one for everyone to
take note of is the bicycle
pedestrian overcrossing when
the current status on that is
that we are waiting one
approval from Caltrans. We're
waiting, won approval from pg
e at which point we can go to
ntc and California
Transportation Commission and
asked them to give us the
money that they promised So
those are really the 4 steps.
And then we will have a
project that we can bit. Down
to 4 steps. It's nice to have
a short There's still a lot of
work to and we're working
specifically with pg and
Caltrans to get those purples.
Those are really the biggest
hurdles. The rest is
administrative and just kind
Time Sox into in terms of the
schedule. But they need to
happen. Similarly for the
others, we have moved funds
around significantly so that
we have no remaining need on
any of these projects based
engineers estimates we have
completely funded every
project. You see a number of
projects on here that have
been on on capital improvement
lists for the last several
years. We're fully confident
that all of these can move
forward. We'll have a number
of projects opening bids in
the next couple weeks. We'll
have a couple of them more
releasing bit opportunities in
the next couple weeks. We've
been sharing those
opportunities and the
anticipation of those
opportunities with contractor
community and they're
increasingly excited about
working with city of Santa
Rosa making sure that they
have capacity to deliver these
for us. For close. I want to
highlight just a couple of
specific, a specific interest
to this council. Again, I
mentioned that nfl a golf
course earlier, but we're
really excited to be able
follow through on that promise
her community have we talked
NOVEMBER? I believe about
issuing word of contract we
have since awarded the are
issued a notice to proceed for
that design. The design
portion of the design build to
continue and working with our
contractor team. It's win or
10 and they're consulting
team. Things are going well so
far I really confident about
where site layout is and where
the fire station is. And then
lastly, as of 2 hours ago, we
close to bin Opportunity for
the garage and improved wastes
for that that this council
helped fund a couple years ago
when I sat back down, I hope
to have an e-mail showing me
the results of that that
opportunity. But just letting
everyone know that did come to
fruition the 26 people in the
fleet, division are very
excited about it as are a
number of their clients hoping
for improved and more quicker
service as a result of that
improve facility. Well, that's
again will be back in MAY to
talk about budget for fiscal
year. 25 26. But a preview is
that we funded most of the
stuff that we're currently
working on anticipate
delivering quite a bit to the
rest of this fiscal year and
into next. Quietly. A very
exciting report, MR. Hennessy,
thank you. Turning to council
questions. I'm working on this
cookies. I was hoping to not
have to go first, but I didn't
see anybody else clamoring for
me to buy you time All right.
I mean, right, let me buy a
little time.
>> Dan, you hinted at this in
your report, but can you just
I know that a big point
emphasis for keeping w has
been to increase the momentum
of getting projects out the
door and were clearly making
making are making progress in
that direction. Do you have a
sense that we're gonna be able
to maintain this increased
even even unanswered the years
to come? What's your sense?
Yes, with one caveat we have
had increased sources of
funding from.
>> Federal recovery from state
recovery sources. And so the
number of projects that we've
had has been very high as a
result of those recovery
efforts. They've also dragging
on a long time because of the
complications from
coordinating federal and state
grants or says. And and
maintaining the existing funds
that we typically get through
capital improvements or gas
taxes and things like that. On
top of that load. So there
will be that pressure on the
recovery portion of this will
be removed in the next 18
months or so as we complete
some of those projects that
are on this list. And so we'll
be able to get to the kind
kind bread and butter stuff
that I've been talking about
for the last few months and
more tune to pavement
maintenance and making sure
that the resources that we
have that we expect to have in
our part of a typical delivery
program. I'm actually are
programmed annually and we can
deliver improvements for the
community. So in answer to say
yes, excellent and related
question. I think I heard you
say that you are. You have
been in touch with contractors
to determine whether they have
the capacity to deal with
that. We to deal with some or
upcoming projects.
>> Have we really had
conversations asking asking
firms or they can keep up with
the city in the months to
come.
>> Yemen and maybe that a
little tongue in cheek. Some
of what I've heard in the last
12 months or so is that
contractors can be a little
bit blindsided by our
opportunities when they're not
anticipating them. And I don't
want a lack of bids because
they weren't anticipating
them. So I've been sharing
schedule, not dissimilar from
this one with them. So that
they can plan make they can
spread through the
engineering. Contractors
associations are the builders
exchange or others. It
changes. They know that, but
at least they can have some
anticipation of when different
opportunities might be
available to them. Excellent
once again this morning.
>> That's a great approach. I
like that. I'm going to ask
you probably predictably about
the over cross its hard to
hear that it's caltrain pg and
e that is it just isn't lost
and their administrative not
lost. But is it stuck in most
places?
>> done a lot of work with
Caltrans last few months to
narrow the scope of this final
review that we need. I think
we've gotten to a pretty good
place with them. And I'm
fairly optimistic about where
we are with Caltrans. Pg. E is
a different story. He's
Administrative hurdles and
changing stories and
uncertainty about exactly what
level of agreement, what level
of design review that they've
had. Again, we inch closer
every day but if you asked me
what we needed to do 2 months
ago, it would be different
than what I would tell you
today because of what pg e is
required of Cautiously
optimistic, but also very much
paying attention to everything
that happens on that front to
know. How the winds turn on
any given day. Director him
ec. I will add the pga contact
has been elevated to the city
manager's office. So we have.
>> Made a call to meet with
pga need to talk about what we
need to do to move the project
forward.
>> Thank you. And with that,
we go to public comment, MR.
Do it. Apologies, MR. Do it.
We have we had did have one of
the question for council.
Actually, we have to now
there. Popping up like
wildflowers as Ben Thank you,
Mayor. I just had a question.
Thank you for presentation
directed him see. And I really
excited that many of these
projects are.
>> You know, they're funded
and they're going to go
forward. I was just curious be
remiss if I did not ask you
about. Tp w Cip I don't know
what pitch of is. I apologize.
The North Dayton Avenue, Road
Diet and pedestrian
improvement. It just a few
talk about that a little bit.
>> Now one of North Avenue is
on our Eye Injury Network,
which indicates history of
severe injury or fatal
collisions.
>> It's also on our bicycle
plan through our traffic
engineering team, there is
excess capacity for vehicles
on that road. North of 3rd
Street. So one of the things
we're considering is narrowing
that section to make a
protected by connection to
improve the safety. There are
a number of ways to do that.
We have some funding set aside
to do so. We have chased
grandson successfully so far
again, wherever struggling
with the grant issue right
now, especially in the safety
round because our streets are
safe. Are safer than a lot of
our comparable agencies around
U.S. Particularly around the
Bay area. But we want to be
better. And so we're moving
that forward. There are ways
to do that that are
essentially striping on Lee
could be done essentially by
our crews. Also looking at
some of the intersections
north of there such as at 9th
Street for alternative
configurations that might
allow us to better utilize
that infrastructure. I think
what's going to happen is some
kind of phased approach to
that and include some
community engagement. And
that's why we're pushing it
forward right now. Has a
project that we're confident
will happen. What form it
takes? I think we'll still
have discussion around it. I'm
happy to talk more about that
and we can talk more about
that at the Budget study
session. Also that project
will get some funding from
first proposed to get funding
for fiscal year. 25 26. MR.
Donald.
>> Thank you, Mayor. Thank you
for the presentation. One I
want to call out your color
coordinated charts. So thank
you. I appreciate that. It's
not quite the red yellow green
that I desire so much from cip
projects. But you're getting
there. So I appreciate that
very much. Some of question
goes around see that you have
about 5 years. Snapshot on
these projects and then
there's funding that's in my
car fifth-year. And yet you
have projects that were
supposed to complete in the
next year that aren't quite
funded. I'm not sure pass that
5 years. Do you have master
plans or where money is being
earmarked in those 5, 10, 15
years out year projects. And
if we've considered
reallocating some of those
moneys for any of the cip
projects, whether it's parts
Ptp w simply it's because the
increase of cost in
construction that I'm very
concerned about. And hearing
that is going to go up about
25% more on some of the
materials in the next year or
so. So I I have concerns
again, even on a five-year
plan where we have these out
your plans for that. We're
never going to quite get to
these projects because we're
not pushing some of them
through right now. Yeah, this
to with the mayor's question
earlier
>> remaining need and timing
the projects. But I think what
we're intending to do is
getting as much done now as we
can within our ability to pay
for it and to deliver it. And
I think part of the situation
that we find ourselves in is
that we've have funded a lot
of projects for a number of
years. And so that ends up
with us working on twice as
many projects that have half
as much funding instead of.
Happens. Many projects with
full funding and that leads to
staff constraints to I can
speak specifically to
transportation. Public works
that, yes, that is an issue. I
know center of the water is
looking at it and city manager
said earlier she's encouraged
us to look at that for the
Parks Department. Also and see
if we can bump up some of
those funds to deliver more
while things are cheaper
before we end up even more to
deliver the same. Thank you.
That will public comment, MR.
Do it. Thank you for your
patience.
>> Wanted to say thank you to
the city manager. This truly
one of the most astounding
things I've ever heard in a
Santa Rosa City Council
meeting.
>> I've been coming for 30
years. Can black man and
nobody along the way ever did
anything as Magna many is is
that so? On this item
specifically, it's wonderful
to hear that the possibility
of the Roseland Creek Park
having its bikeway the put
together summer. If all goes
well and having it ready for
the school year. Of other
importance is also that the
Burbank Avenue and Hearne
Avenue traffic signal get
moved forward as soon as
possible. It's becoming very
dangerous. There. In the past,
I mentioned the idea of the
speed limit indicator. There's
one over at 909 Humboldt
Street that just sits there on
a tree on a pole. Excuse me
behind a tree and you can't
really see it. That could be
helpful to us over on Herndon
Avenue, the community having
fire station. There's a number
of people concerned about how
that library is going to be
financed. Will the city be
putting forward a large
portion of money to get that
library? Build? And then last
but not least doing
overcrossing on highway 101.
There MAY be financial
problems in the future fiscal
constraints that we don't see
because our economy MAY be
going into recession. And the
difficulties that lie ahead of
us MAY require us to look at
where we can save money. A
number of people have pointed
out you can save money, but
different design of the bridge
that would be used over 101.
There are different types.
There are millions of dollars
less expensive than that one
that's being chosen now, which
is more for and it's that exit
shun. Then a functional
approach. We need to save
money. Obviously, it's great
to see that you'll be spending
money in the southwest area.
Santa Rosa's Roseland District
and so wonderful thing all the
way around. And once again, I
just have to say thank you,
city manager for doing this
Friess for not just one year.
Sounded like 2 full years.
That's a stunning thing to
have happened. Never before in
the history of Santa Rosa
City, administrative policies
as administrator taking that
type of lead. And I really
think that's a wonderful
thing. I don't know how you
folks feel about it. But and
she had to get one of those
city proclamations. You give
out. Thank you so much. Thank
you to Wayne. When any of the
members of the public like to
speak.
>> All Bring it back to
council for any final
comments. Vice Mayor.
>> Are there any eyes looking
at South Street which connects
Dunn Avenue West Avenue when
chance. And with our
sidewalks.
>> Yeah. So it's part of our
that transportation that's
been identified for sidewalks
as being prioritized amongst a
number of needs. You'll see
that plan finalized and
believe in JUNE. Have one of
your JUNE meetings all
approved carry-on have
averaging approve that plan.
And then. Transportation team
has funding to begin, sir,
addressing those be very clear
and say that they far away our
resources to address them. But
we will start. And so that's
the opportunity for us to do
that. Appreciate that there.
In the view.
>> And if I can make a
comment, it's really
appreciated. Now staff is
looking at how and you said
earlier how to fully fund half
the project. So the committee
sees that there are changes
being made within the
community gone so long without
resources. So it goes without
saying that those efforts are
her definitely noticed and
we're very grateful for them.
Thank
>> The green and Dan, just
I'll just call back to a
statement that you made where
you pointed out that with some
of the projects wastewater
infrastructure, et people
might not notice those
projects going on, but they
will notice the economic
multiplier effect of eyes of
the city pushing 100 million
dollars. Plus out the door to
get these projects going. And
this and in parks parks a
whole separate topic. These
projects these projects make a
difference economically and a
lot of them do get noticed.
And especially when we're in
an era where our budgets are
going to be tight and there is
not going motion in some other
aspects of the of the city to
have these kinds of projects
out there this. But people can
see what the city is doing to
make life better in the
community. They're invaluable.
So thank you very much. And
with that move on to item a
point to our community
empowerment plan, update as
Florida.
Good afternoon.
>> Mayor Vice mayor city
Council community engagement
manager with the
communications and
Intergovernmental Relations
Office. And I will be
presenting the community
Empowerment Plan. Update. On
APRIL second, the Violence
Prevention partnership. We
supporting it again and
representation chops teens
Club 509, Adams Street at
05:30pm. This event is
presented by Senator Jose
Police Department and said
over the city schools and
marks the 6th and final
presentation of the serious.
On APRIL 5th. The senator was
the fire department and the
Santa Rosa Police Department
and hosting we many public
safety at the Santa Rosa Fire
Department training Tower. 2,
1, 2, 6, West College Avenue
from 10:00am to 02:00pm. The
syndication All Expo will live
demonstrations and networking
opportunities to encourage
when women and girls to enter
the field of public safety. On
APRIL 7 Mayor Mike staff and
Vice Alvarez will be hosting
the virtual community meeting
via zoom, starting at 06:00pm.
The meeting will follow a
webinar format. Allowing
participants to type questions
in the nicu any section
questions can also be
submitted by emailing
community engagement is our
study. Don't court community
members can visit. Is our city
or slash calendar to obtain
more information about the
meeting? On APRIL 10th. The
Violence Prevention Initiative
will partnering would be
participating at that youth
employment and opportunity.
Held a juvenile hold providing
employment resources justice
in bold youth incarcerated in
the facility. On APRIL. 2nd.
Community members can join the
rules and community cleanup
spot of every piece inspire
change program to beautify
Sebastopol Avenue, protect
rules and Creek. The meeting
point is that no less market
parking lot, 4, 4, 0, that
avenue from 9 to 11:00am trash
because trash bags and gloves
will be provided for more
information. Community members
can visit Www Dot Street to so
he struck 2 creeks to local,
edgy. On APRIL. 26 join the
center. Also water Department
for day festival idol
courthouse Square feet. The
full course clear hats,
courthouse square from noon to
04:00pm. These free
family-friendly Syria Ways
Festival brings the community
together through fun
activities like performing
arts, great food. And in spite
Nick say that it's that raise
environmental awareness.
Additionally, the Clean Slate
Tattoo removal program
continues to accepting new
clients. Community members,
interest costs, removal of
their baseball again. Hate
trafficking related tattoos
shoot email center. Rules of
Partnership is rc. Don't Board
or call 7, 0, 7, 5, 4, 3, for
8, a 6. Finally, I would like
to mention the neighbor to
neighbor program and now new
medical blunders, get Sally to
pet date an and Ali, program
is a partnership between
AmeriCorps and the city of
Santa Rosa. 2 can community
engagement at the neighborhood
level a goal of creating
connections, building
collaboration and full student
civic engagement. Ally and
Emily are fundamental to the
implementation of the program
and you will be seeing them
out there in the community.
And that concludes the
community Empowerment Plan.
Update for Thank you. Thank
you. Questions from Council.
>> Thank you. Could clarify
the address for the rose and
cleanup? Did you say, Sir,
Possible Avenue or Sebastopol
Road?
>> It aims owns is going to be
on Sebastopol Road. But
meeting point it is no less
market parking lot. 4, 4, 0
Dutton Avenue.
>> Condon have. That's what
they're going to be ok, but
ultimately it will be some
possible avenue for the
Rosalynn Creek. Perfect. Just
want to clarify. Think. Other
questions for counsel. But
we'll put it up for public
comment. MR. Do it.
>> Yes, thank you. My name
doing to it on from Rosen. And
I'm glad to hear of the
activities that are occurring,
especially the APRIL 7th
virtual zoom with the mayor
and Vice mayor.
>> There's a concern, though,
from people over a rose and a
lot we don't use the Internet.
>> People are older and they
still read paper and actually
would hope that perhaps
there's an opportunity they
could be there in person.
Could somehow come to where
you folks are being online.
Participate that way. It's
really great to hear about the
streets to creep effort that's
occurring for the rose
cleanup. I was uncertain of
the actual timing and the
meeting places. On 19th APRIL,
which is this Saturday 10 in
the morning. Many roads and
residents are gathering of
Rosen Creek Park for what they
call their birthing effort.
Hoping there's a way that we
can talk more with the
streets. Decrease people. Much
from them that a information I
was just giving now from what
we've heard here. We're going
to meet Lawless parking lot on
Sebastopol Road at what Dayton
time. I'd like to find out.
And then. Rosen Creek was
mentioned. So where they going
on the creek. It runs from
Sebastopol Road out, too. All
the way of a Santa Rosa. So
just to get clarifications,
please. Thank you once again
for all the work that they're
and are taking. Thank you, MR.
Do any other members of the
public who wish to speak.
>> And we'll bring it back to
council. And I'll begin with
just a quick point of
information. The vice mayor 9
did hold a town hall, which it
was the first in a series on
JANUARY. 27th. This is the
second iteration of the
series. We're expecting to
hold a couple of others. We
would have a mix of both
in-person and virtual just
because the people find it
easier to access using using
different methods. So always
be doing next. We do hope that
we get a good turnout in APRIL
7th. It was a robust
conversation the first time
around looking council for any
final comments. All right.
Well, just note that our
community engagement team has
a full agenda every time they
come to counsel, you have a
very busy crew and it gets
noticed by the community.
Thank you so much for all your
work. Move on to item 9. Our
city managers and city
attorneys reports MADAM City
manager. Thank you, mayor that
evening. Members of council
have no update this evening.
Our assistant city manager,
anything from you. Attorney
rather excuse Thank you,
Mayor. No, I have no reports
this evening. Thank you. Both
went on to item 10 statements
of abstention or recuse away
council members. Are there any
statements of abstention
extension recusal this
evening? MR. Thank you, And
Abstain from item 12.1 because
I was not at that meeting.
>> Thank you. Moving on to
item 11 mayors and
Councilmembers reports. Are
there any reports this
evening? MISS Manuel U.S..
Thank you, mayor. Just a
really quick
>> report. Attended the West
and as neighborhood
Association meeting last week.
And I just wanted thank staff
for coming. I did not ask them
to come. I think it was it at
the request of the association
and it was a parking staff as
well Rec and park. And it
wonderful for them to come
because many neighbors in the
West and are really concerned
about parking right now with
all the building that has been
done, which excellent. But now
that many of the residents
don't have place to park. So
they were trying to answer
their questions and address
some of the issues that they
were raising. And then some of
the changes with rec and park,
especially with. What you
going forward being able to,
for example, ran out the demeo
around barn a detour excuse
me. Round barn. Things of that
nature. So Israeli and also
center as a police were also
there. So it's really good
meeting. I just wanted to
thank staff again for coming
out because I think the
residents really, really
appreciated it. Thank Thank
you, MR. Donald. Thank you,
Mayor. I have a couple things
to report out on tonight. Just
want to say congratulations to
all of the city staff that
received.
>> Continuing service awards
for either being here for 5
years, 10 years to mark there.
Their parents. What I want to
say, we know what they They're
getting in a word for sticking
with us for some.
>> thank you to all of them
received an award. I was
honored to be part of that
evening along with several of
my other council members.
>> And then I just have a
quick report out on 11.1
points, 7 for 0 waste. Would
you like me do that now? These
thank you, Mayor. So I do want
to say thank you to Sean
Curran, who is a 0 waste
representative for the city of
Santa Rosa who provides me
with excellent notes. I would
not be nearly as good at this
representation of it was not
for her. So a couple of
things. We had a presentation
on 0 waste for the work Plan.
Program's Progress report.
Some of the highlights in an
included that 6 solar panel
recycling collection events
were held throughout Sonoma
County and 453 were collected
415 were recycled. And 38 were
reused a total of 50,000
little over 50,000 pounds of
eu waste was collected in
Santa Rosa through the eu
waste collection events. Over
a million pounds of home
hazardous waste was collected
in Sonoma County. And Santa
Rosa had 13 different events
with over 1000 participants.
We had 455 mattresses
collected for recycling
throughout Sonoma County and
stated that they'd be happy to
give presentations regarding
there's incentive programs to
groups such as City Council
are nonprofits or other
interested parties. And I'm
not sure if that includes
going to schools to do
presentations as well. But I
can talk to them about that.
And so if there are any other
questions, please let me know.
I will get the answers from
Sean, but that concludes my
report for this month. Thank
you, MR. Creepy. Thank you,
They have to report for this
month took a vacation with my
family Mexico to the and in
true elected fashion cannot
escape government. As a matter
of fact, the person that
picking up from the airport
was the economic development
director of the city of de
Lisi, U.S. And Mexico.
>> And he proceeded to give us
a tour of the state Congress
and city hall of the city of
Chihuahua. And then we spent
time in see us with the mayor
was a personal friend of mine
and discuss everything from
water to agriculture. A lot of
cattle, pecans and now wind
grapes in that area and
further discuss any
partnerships we MAY have,
which sort of a driven me to
look to undertake more. Direct
approach to our sister cities
initiatives many formalizing a
little bit more going forward
and seeing what we can do,
whether that be student
exchanges or anything else
like that. Thank you as fun.
>> I love that report. That's
great. I love when you go to
another city you find the city
hall and you look at what
makes each place, take it so
fun. Love the idea of stronger
sister cities, but my life has
not been as exciting as MISTER
Prep season last couple of
weeks. I did want to touch a
little bit on what
Councilmember MacDonald
mentioned about the marital
the service awards. We have
merit a worthy of service
awards. And you know it for
from my perspective, they're
both really important that the
thing that really stuck out to
me about the service awards,
which, you know, we get put
different employees on the hot
seat for who've served for 20
years. They get a speech by
their director. Some of you
are in this room looking down
at your laptops. The point is
the head.
>> That our employees are the
we people, the people who show
up and take care of this city
and take of our community with
a true passion. That is not
really in line with being
pulled out and had having the
spotlight shown up on them.
They're people who do the work
because that's where their
hearts are. And that just
shown through show through. So
clearly. And it was really
touching to me to see not just
how dedicated you all are, but
also how much year your
co-workers and your your
directors notice benefit from
that and how that just flows
out of the city. And I was
just really touched by it. And
I wanted to know that. I
wasn't here last week or 2
weeks ago. It because I was in
Sacramento lobbying for mtc. I
know we MAY feel a little
isolated from the impending
crash or fiscal cliff rather.
That is coming for our Bay
Area. Transit system. But
we're really all that
isolated. And so we are
working on trying to shore up
support for sb 63, which will
not be on our ballot here. But
I think is color attention to
how interconnected we are in
that apart. And Caltrans do
fail. We will feel the
economic reverberations here
in the North Bay and that if
you know, people who live in
the southern counties in the
Southern 5 counties in the Bay
area that to show your support
for keeping our systems going
in and understanding how being
regional it really matters to
our local economy here. Always
excited to talk about that
offline. And then another mtc
moment. I'm really pleased to
announce that I was named the
chair of the program and
Allocations Committee, which
has a lot influence over
programming allocations. So
look forward to working with
you on getting your projects
through mtc and being of
service to in that way. Thank
you very much.
>> Excellent Vice Mayor. Thank
you. Mayor. I actually don't
might might have down so you
have to excuse if I do not
know the dates that these
events happened or about to
happen. But we did receive the
mayor, vice mayor and council
members from sequel might be
truck on Mexico who came to
visit us with the intent of
sharing culture ideas and
wanting to become our sister
city. And I have to tell you,
I was pleasantly surprised at
the level of both the speaking
and understanding level of our
mayor. I was very impressed,
says I thought was going to
have to interpret yet. He was
holding his own. So
congratulations are absent.
Know for that. But
nonetheless, it was a great
exchange of of of ideas and
wants and shared vision of
what we want to see in our
city, which is first safety.
And secondly, economic growth
and we're seeing how we can
collaborate with each other
and doing so. And secondly, I
visited child's museum here in
Saint Rose off of West Elaine.
And I had a lot of fun,
whether it's a big building
blocks, the oversized blue in
blocks. But I want to let you
know that they're about to
have a fundraising campaign
effort and hoping they keep
your eyes and ears open for
that as they serve a multitude
of children away from
Mendocino County to San Jose
or Santa Clara County. So
that's one port for now. Thank
you. And on the subject
hosting international
visitors, all just a mention
only that we did host a
representative from the
Japanese Consulate office in
San Francisco. The Vice consul
came to discuss matters
pertaining to the city.
>> And also take a photo with
our can I not a solid statue
back here which attracting a
lot of visitors lately.
Actually. With that, I'll turn
it over to Councilmember
Donald for one final
announcement. I believe
regarding and 12.1.
>> Thank you, mayor. Apologize
for that. I'll be abstaining
from the minutes of FEBRUARY.
25th as I was not at that
meeting.
>> Thank you. And now will
open up to for public comment
on item 11. Are there any
members of the public who wish
to comment? Seeing none? We'll
move on to item 11.2, the
Sonoma County Mayors and
Councilmembers Association
appointments. And with that,
gonna bring it back to council
member Donald for possible
motion or discussion.
>> Thank you, Mayor. Would you
like me to do a motion at a
time or what is the will of
the council? So start Measure
h Oversight put a motion on
the floor. I'd like to
nominate or move that I I
apologize. I like to move that
we appoint Jeff Okrepkie from
Santa Rosa and Sandra Love
from Sonoma so they can.
>> a motion and a second by
the vice mayor. City clerk to
open it up for public Of
course. Apologies and any any
public comment on this item?
Seeing none. All right. Let's
bring it to council for
discussion. First before we go
to a vote, any thoughts on
that this? On this item? For
item, are particular
nomination? Seeing MADAM City
clerk to call the vote.
Councilmember Rogers is absent
Crappie.
>> I Councilmember Macdonald,
I councilmember Fleming. Yes,
Councilmember Ben Wallace. I
Mayor Alvarez. Mayor step. Let
the record show motion passes
with 6 affirmative votes and
Councilmember Rogers, absent.
Thank you.
>> Moving on to the second
nomination the evening. Thank
you, Mayor. Like to move that
we appoint Susan Harvey from
Cotati and Jen, a skater
Thompson from Petaluma for
these seats to the North Bay
Division l occ.
>> So
>> All right. We have a motion
and again, a second by vice
mayor. Any any comments from
the public? All right. Bring
it back to council for
discussion. Seeing none. MADAM
City clerk, would you please
call the vote?
>> Gets Councilmember Rogers
is absent councilmember
Okrepkie. Councilmember
Macdonald. I councilmember
Fleming. Yes, Councilmember
Ben Willows. I Vice Mayor
Alvarez fight. Mayor step. I
lets records show this passes
the 6 affirmative votes and
Councilmember Rogers absent.
>> Thank you for a 3rd
nomination of the evening.
Thank you, mayor. For the
snowmen County, agriculture
and preservation Open space
district citizens of right is
right advisory committee. I'd
like to recommend that we
appoint John of Petaluma. And
Karen now a Petaluma.
>> All right. We have a motion
and a second by MISS Fleming.
Looking to the public to see
if there are any members of
the public who wish to
comment. Seeing none. Bring it
back to council for
discussion. Seeing none. MADAM
City clerk think you
Councilmember Rogers is absent
councilmember Okrepkie.
Councilmember Macdonald. I
councilmember Fleming. Yes.
>> Councilmember Ben Wallace.
I buy some air over Mayor
step. Let the record show this
passes 6 affirmative votes and
Councilmember Rogers absent.
Thank you.
>> All right. Move on to item
12, 2.0. 1, 2, 0.2. We have 2
members of standing firm item,
12.1.
>> Through with respect, Mayor
step, there was an additional
action. To be heard for
council to authorize the mayor
or their designee designated
representative. To vote on any
late nominations are
recommendations at the board
meeting.
>> Oh, yes, I skipped right
over that. All right. Back to
back to council member Don.
>> Like to make a
recommendation that we allow
the mayor or their designee to
represent us and and give them
the authority to vote
nominations are
recommendations that come
forward and to the association
board meetings. So
>> All right. We have a motion
and a second. Looking to the
public for any comment seeing
none. MADAM City clerk.
>> Thank you. Mayor
Councilmember Rogers is absent
councilmember Okrepkie. I
Councilmember Macdonald. I
councilmember Fleming. Yes,
Councilmember Ben I vice Mayor
Mayor, stop. Let the record
show this past the 6
affirmative votes in
Councilmember Rogers, absent.
Thank you.
>> All right, now we can move
on to item 12 approval of
minutes. So 2 members are
abstaining from item to any
other members have any edits
or adjustments. They like to
make 2 on the either the
FEBRUARY 25th 2025. Minutes of
the 3/4/2025. Minutes. Seeing
we can. We can approve them as
they stand.
All we need to call for public
comment. First, any any public
comment on this item? Racing
right through? All right. See
no public comment. We can
adopt the minutes as
submitted. Moving on. Then to
item 13 consent. MADAM City
clerk.
>> Respectfully mayor, did you
call item that whole point to
MARCH 4th, 2025 regular city
Council meeting minutes.
>> I read it out quickly. Read
both those items again. Just
12 point point 12.2 MARCH 4th,
2025. The regular meeting
minutes we can for both as as
submitted. All right. Thank
you. And with that, we can
move on to item 13 consent.
MADAM City clerk.
>> Thank you, Mayor item 13.1
resolution approval of 2025.
Update to Santa Rosa City.
Best title 6 program. Item.
13.2 resolution grant
application to the California
governor's Office of Emergency
Services for $250,000 under
the state and local cyber
security grant program. Item
13.3 resolution acceptance, an
appropriation of grant funds
from the city and county of
San Francisco for the fiscal
year 2024 urban Area Security
Initiative Grant program
funds. Item 13.4 resolution.
It ratification of blanket
purchase orders. 1, 4, 9, 4,
7, 817-1685, and approval of a
five-year extension of blanket
purchase order. 1, 7, 1, 6, 8,
8, 5, with increasing
compensation for records.
Management services. Item 13.5
resolution approval of Second
Amendment to blanket purchase
order 1, 6, 8, 9, 6, 9, to
extend the term and increased
compensation was superior
supplies. Item 13.6 resolution
approval of Second Amendment
to blanket purchase order 1,
7, 2, 1, 3, 9, to increased
compensation with Creams,
towing incorporated. Item,
13.7 resolution extension, a
proclamation of local homeless
emergency. Item. 13.8.
Ordinance adoptions. Second
reading ordinance of the
Council of the City of Santa
Rosa to designate fire Hazard
severity zones and amends
section 18 dash. 44.4, 9, 0,
7, one of Chapter 18 dash. 44
of the Santa Rosa City code to
include the newly designated
high zone reference.
>> Thank you. Looking to
council, see if there any
questions. Seeing none. Let's
open up the public comment,
MR. Do it.
>> On 13.1, it's very
important to abide by what was
once called the Civil Rights
Act. The title 6 program is
very important as a person
that rides the bus off. And I
would hope that you could do
something with today's agenda
were you will help with the
transit mall. The site for the
people who write out to
Roseland on buses to to be and
12 are not protected from the
rain when they did the repairs
over at the transit mall, they
didn't put any type of an
awning to protect the seats
from that area from the rain.
So today you're getting
$39,000 from San Francisco and
it's not a pro. Excuse me,
it's not okay to yet. Says
here that the funds will go
into a project. Key to be
established by the chief
financial officer budget. Put
that $39,000 putting up rain
on Protection for the bus
riders for Roseland that go
out there and now have to
stand in the rain and wait for
the bus. Where is everyone
else that the transit mall
doesn't have to? Then The
matter of the homeless. The
proclamation being extended
its very nice that we're doing
that. There's still homeless
people sleeping under the
overpasses. Invested all kinds
of money to try to help
Catholic charities. Were there
Cara Times project and got
lots of things going on and
yet. Yesterday during the
ring, there are people out
there under the overpass on
9th Street and 6th Street
during the night sleeping
outside. We're trying to sleep
perhaps very difficult
situation. And I'm hoping that
we can find a way to resolve
it. So that everyone,
especially those using
wheelchairs, those who are
disabled can get in out of the
weather. We MAY have a longer
wet spring and then last but
not least it's great that
you're doing these fire hazard
severity zones. It's really
important that we have them.
People mentioned years ago
when the Fountain Grove
overpass skews me when the
founder of bypass is being put
together, that that was
through high fire area. We're
the only fired in 1964. It's
really important that we keep
the history of where fires
have been. And we make a point
of knowing where there might
be even further hazards and
example is over the Rosen
Creek Park. It backs up to
people's yards. It has a lot
of underbrush as campers,
transit vagrants that come in
there and start fires and
basically had to call the fire
department numerous times for
them to come in and take care
of fires. There. That is some
sort of his own that should be
looked at. Also, it's not in
your current situation, but
these are where those fires
can spread to those homes and
then the city would be
responsible through vicarious
liability. You know, this
dangerous area and the people
catch on fire, they're going
to come back and look at you.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. To Wayne. Would
any other members of the
public like to speak? Seeing
none bringing it back to Vice
Mayor Alvarez for Motion. I
like to move items through 2.1
through 13.8 and wait for the
reading of the text. We have a
motion and a second MR.
Crappie. MADAM City Clerk.
>> Thank you. Mayor
Councilmember Rogers is absent
councilmember Okrepkie. I
Councilmember Macdonald. I
councilmember Fleming. Yes,
Councilmember Ben Willows. I
Vice Mayor Alvarez. I Mayor
step. Let the record show this
past the 6 affirmative votes
with Councilmember Rogers.
Absent.
>> Thank you very much. And we
are very close to being on
time here. Move on to item 14.
Our public comment non agenda
matters. This is for public
comment on items that are not
on the agenda. Are there any
members of the public who
would like to speak on any
member matters not currently
used on the agenda, MR. Do it.
>> From Roseland that wanted
to invite you and everybody
else here to Roseland Earth
Day efforts which are on
Saturday. The 19th of APRIL at
10 in the morning at the
Roseland Creek. We call it the
neighbor. Would the city has
an official name of a park?
The folks out there have been
doing this for decades and
we're so glad that for the
last 2 years we've had the
city's mayor and our
Councilmember Eddie Alvarez
came out there. We're hoping
also last year, MR. Stabbing
Ms McDonald were there to to
visit for short time. Hoping
that you folks will come on
out there and see what we're
up to again, there's good
things that are happening.
It's one of these situations
where we have to never say die
and just keep trying. We know
it's a difficult time
financially. We know you might
not be able to do as much as
we would like. But the people
in the community know when
you're paying attention and
things will get better. We're
actually working up a bit of a
team effort to do some pruning
in limine of the underbrush
and the things that are next
to sir the street on Burbank
Avenue. So they'll be. Avenue
of sight. I was told by a
planner so they'll be able to
look right in there from the
school across the street and
see if any of those transient
vagrants are camping in there
where they want to walk
through because many of the
children are frightened by
that stuff. Are doing our
best. Try to keep it as nice
as possible. And we do believe
we can make it even better.
We'll bring a flare to you
folks in the future. So you'll
be able to remember the exact
time of 10 in the morning
Saturday. The 19th of APRIL
for Rosalynn Earth Day. We do
Earth Day. Nature's way we go
out and get in nature and do
good stuff in the city manager
was out there doing that with
this in the past. Also. As
wonderful. Her and former
Mayor Rogers wanted to see
more of the problems. But
there's poison oak out there
and they didn't want to walk
into the poison Oak area. Were
the transit vagrants go
because they know people will
walk in there. So we got to
figure it out so they can see
what's going on. Last but not
least. Less than a week ago.
The city along with 2 officers
from the police Department.
Officer Klein and officer the
Rhone had a team from the
probation department out there
who helped clean up the area
and pulled out a couple debris
boxes full of a just trash. I
mean, it's amazing. Was get
put out there by people who
come passing through. So we
think the city many times over
and we hope you'll be there
because we're going to keep on
keeping on. And then we'll be
there for your Thursday event
on that Thank you so much from
Rosen.
>> Dwayne, Thank you very Are
there any other members of the
public would like to speak on
item is not listed on the
agenda? With that, then we're
gonna go to item. See if item,
15.1. It's the first item of a
busy night for Ms Burke. Come
on down. This is this will be
a report. On the summary on
response to written objections
received pursuant to state
Bill ab 2020 2022. 57
recurrent requiring would-be
challengers to exhaust
administrative remedies with
respect to propose water and
wastewater rates for fiscal
years. Beginning JULY first
2025 through 2029 by time we
find by timely filing written
objections prior to initiating
litigation challenging
proposed water and wastewater
rates. All right.
>> Good afternoon, mayor stop
and members of the council. My
name is Jennifer Burke. I'm
the director of the Water
Department. And as the mayor
noted, we are here to discuss
this item related to our
proposed water and wastewater
rates. I'm joined today by are
in term Assistant City
Attorney, Dustin Cooper. He's
been helping the water
department for the last few
months and has been our main
attorney through this process.
I'm actually gonna turn it
over to Destin. He's going to
remind the council about the
new legislation that was
approved earlier this year, a
b, 2, 2, 5, 7, that the
council directed us to include
an our prop to 18 notice. And
he's going to walk you through
that as well as the objections
and are written response. The
Good afternoon.
>> Just a reminder, I was
before you in JANUARY where we
discuss this. So this will be
a a reminder of of an optional
process that the council
agreed to implement. Over the
last 5 to 7 years or so.
There's been a significant
uptick in litigation,
challenging cities and public
agencies regarding that rate
setting process ease. And in
response, the Legislature has
done a couple of things. One
of which is a b, 2, 2, 5, 7,
that allows agencies such as
the city implement an
exhaustion of administrative
remedies requirement. We
included that in our notices
that went out to the public on
JANUARY. 15th, there was an
interim deadline of MARCH 5th
for folks to provide a written
objection. And failure to
provide a written objection
means that those parties
cannot file suit challenging
the right change. Let me
before I go further, take a
step back and maybe provide
some further context. This is
a quite narrow item that is
before the council. This is
just responding to the 10
objections that we received
later on in the agenda. We
will have the protest hearing
where any interested member of
the public will have
opportunity to comments and
provide an objection or excuse
me, a protest to the proposed
rate changes. So are task
tonight for us. The City
Council is to respond in
writing to each of those 10
timely submitted objections.
We have to explain her
rationale as to why we're
retaining or altering the
proposed fee. Our case, we are
recommending that we retain
our proposed And then lastly,
we present written responses
to the City Council for
consideration prior to the
protest hearing. That's why it
was important that we're
having this item before we
conduct a protester. You have
4 options and responding to
written objections. We can
clarify our proposed rate
change. We can reduce the
proposed rate change, weaken
table the item for further
consideration at a future
meeting or we can proceed to
the protest hearing. So as I
mentioned, we receive 10
timely written objections. You
have a resolution before you
and the structure of the
resolution is such where those
10 objections are included in
exhibit a 2. The resolution
before you. They have been
redacted. So removes the first
name address signature and so
on. But the content of the
objection is still there. And
then Exhibit b is our
recommended responses to each
objection. Most of the
objections that we received
Rays policy arguments. You
know, folks just saying I
don't want to see this
proposed increase, go through.
They did not articulate a
specific legal basis for
rejecting or modifying the
proposed rate change. A few of
the objections. Do raise legal
arguments and we responded in
some cases we clarified
without making proposed
amendments to the rate change.
And in other cases, it just
gave us an opportunity to
provide a more comprehensive
response. As to all 10
objections. We are
recommending that you proceed
to the protest hearing which
will occur later tonight. And
that is our recommendation
that you adopt the resolution
respond to the 10 timely
received objections conclude
that the objections do not
result in any amendments to
the proposed rates and then
proceed to the 2.18 hearing.
>> Thank you. Bring it back to
council for questions. Just
just want to make sure I
understood clearly. So we're
going to be going through this
rather narrow legal item right
immediately after this. We're
gonna go the full public
hearing on the water and
wastewater rates. I know that
we have some people here in
chambers who are interested in
making comment tonight that I
understand correctly that the
public comment on this
particular item is best
focused on these very narrow
range of of legal issues that
you're that you highlight in
your slides. And for those who
are interested in commenting
more broadly on whether the
policy is wiser giving
thoughts on the policy, those
comments might be better saved
for item. 16.1 which will get
to immediately after meeting
the following. This one that I
understand it correctly, that
that's absolutely correct. All
right. Thank you. There are
other questions from council
was opened up to public
comment, MR. Do it.
>> My name is Dwayne De Wit.
I'm from Roseland. Legal
counsel for the city has
recommended to me that I
mentioned I've been appointed
to the board of Public
Utilities by MISTER Eddie
Alvarez, who Kylie thought of
me being on that board. My
comments tonight and no way,
shape or form reflect anything
that the city has a policy.
They're just my private views.
Having discussed matters such
as this with people in the
community for 3 decades. This
is a very narrow situation
tonight where you needed to
have specific legal citations
or arguments. As I stand here
tonight, there's nothing here
for me to see on this table
about this item in any way,
shape or form is a member of
the public. No examples of the
10 protests that were turned
in and there are no examples
of the responses city has to
the 10 items. In the past. The
city used to have a binder
here. When you came to this
meeting, you got to see what
was happening and there was
all of the items. Each number
there for us to see in the
binder to understand what was
happening for the public to
know what's being talked
about. Exactly. A typical
member of the community who is
not an attorney. Well not know
where to find legal citations
or arguments to bolster their
opinion that what's occurring
is basically a loss of rights
for the public members. You
see this as narrowing the
situation to what are called
exhausting administrative
remedies. Rate payers and
members of the public. See,
this is like, well, they're
making even harder to try to
participate and the discussion
as to why we have to keep
increasing our water rates
even as we do better water
conservation. Most of the
folks I know doing that again
to save more water, especially
the farmers and the rural
folks Santa Rosa City limits.
Water rates always go up.
>> Up up up. Over in Roseland
people are on wells. A lot of
them and they're glad to avoid
the use of Santa Rosa City
water. My concerns tonight or
that you should be providing
to the public. The actual
examples. What's being
referenced here as decision is
being made by you. No member
of the public can see it here.
And it's just to me, not fair.
And I do believe you can make
things more fair by your
stipulations to make these
items available to the public,
to be able to see them before
you make your decision. Thank
you.
>> Thank you to Wayne. Would
any other members of the
public like to speak? Seeing
none? I'll bring it back to
MR. Creepy. Thank you, MR.
Mayor all move to adopt a
resolution entitled resolution
of the Council of the City of
Santa Rosa responding to
timely filed a written
objections to the proposed
increases in water and
wastewater rate pursuant to
requirements of state
Assembly. Bill. 2, 2, 5, 7,
>> We have a motion and a
second by MISS Funding. MADAM
City clerk, you can call the
vote whenever you're ready.
>> Thank you. Councilmember
Rogers is absent councilmember
Okrepkie. I Councilmember
Macdonald. I councilmember
Fleming. Yes, Councilmember
Ben, most. Yes, vice mayor for
us. Mayor Air stop. I let the
record show this past of the 6
affirmative votes in
Councilmember Rogers. Absent.
>> Thank Right now to stay on
topic and to save our water
team. Some steps we're going
to we're going to cut over to
item 16.1, which will be our
public hearing on the
consideration of the 2024
water and wastewater cost of
service study adoption of the
proposed fiscal year. 25 26
through fiscal year 2029, 2030
rate schedule amendments to
center of the city code title
14, portable and recycled
water. Thank you. And I
should. I didn't I neglected
think both of you your
presentation. The previous
item. Thank you again. The
floors to yours.
>> Thank you. Mayor staff and
members of the council. Again,
my name is Jennifer Burke. I'm
the director of the Santa Rosa
Water Department. I have again
with me. Dustin Cooper are in
term Assistant city attorney
who's helping us with the
rate, study and rate adoption.
And then we also are killed
Graham here withheld a brand
consulting who is our right
consultant that we have in
place. Heat between the 3 of
us. We're all going to be
doing parts of this
presentation this evening. We
also have other members of
staff in the audience in case
there's any specific questions
we can't answer. So with that
we are going to go through
tonight. Quick reminder of the
objection. Objection,
objectives. Pardon me. The
objectives and general rate
setting. We are also going to
go through our rate
recommendations and then we
will talk a little bit about
cip delivery value of water
campaign and how we've been
providing information. Prop
2.18, procedures and then we
will have a recommendation and
open the protest hearing. I do
know that mayor, I believe you
have this recommendation to
remind the public, but I also
wanted to remind the public on
the outset now is the time
between now and when the
public hearing closes. Anyone
wants to submit an additional
protest, they can do so and
need to do so in writing. And
there are forms available up
at the table here tonight. So
with that, I'm going to turn
it over to mark and he's going
to go through some of these
flights. Great. Thank you,
Director Burke good evening,
MR. Mayor and council members.
>> Thank you for having me
again this evening. I'll go
over this presentation which I
have presented to council
previously saw. Keep it brief
when we do a rate study for
water and sewer, we do start
with a certain objectives and
we have a list here of the
objectives that we had at the
outset. You will notice that
legal compliance is at the top
of the list because one of the
most important part of my job
is to make sure that the rates
that are being proposed are
compliant with proposition to
18 and the California
Constitution and I can
validate that. We also want to
make sure that we protect the
both utilities, the water and
wastewater utilities that
they're financially stable and
that you have sufficient
revenue while minimizing rate
increases to your customers,
making sure customers
understand the race that their
pain and keeping the rates as
affordable as possible. When
we do a rate study, there's 3
general steps that we cover.
The first is we call revenue
requirements. You can also
think of this is a financial
plan. Where are we evaluate
all of the existing revenue
and the forecasted expenses
over the next 10 years. And we
develop a financial plan for
how much rate revenue needs to
be adjusted in weather. Debt
needs to be issued. Those
types of kind of larger
picture decisions. Once we
understand much rate revenue
needs to be generated, we do
it. What's called the cost
service analysis rate design,
which is the portion of the
study where we make sure that
everybody is pain and
equitable portion of the rates
that everybody's Payne
relative to the cost of there
imposing on the system and
that were being equitable and
how we charge rates. So
jumping into the
recommendations are first
light. Here is a summary of
the recommendations and the
the overall rate revenue
increases that are being
proposed over the next 5 years
in the first column you see
that the water rates, the
overall rate rate revenue is
proposed to increase by 6%
over the next 3 years. And
then 7% for 2 years for
wastewater is 5% per year for
5 years. And then the last we
have just an example of what a
typical single-family, silly
but utility bill would how it
would be impacted between both
the water and wastewater rate
adjustments. So you can see a
sort of the midpoint between 6
and 5%, but not exactly
because it's a weighted
average. Here's pitchers. Got
a lot of information on it.
This is the final
recommendation and financial
forecast for the water
utility. The top graph is
comparing revenues versus
expenses. The green area graph
in the background represents
revenue and the blue columns
and the 4 grand represents
expenses. And in a year where
you see the columns are higher
than the background. That's a
deaths a year where you're
drawing down reserves. But
generally speaking, you can
see that the columns and that
background green are at the
same level. And so that's a
year where the budgets
balanced. We are drawing down
a bit on reserves over the
next 10 years. You can see in
the line graph in the middle
of the blue line is dropping a
bit from about 30 million
dollars. I to a bit lower. We
lost the But we are despite
the rate increases, reserves
will get drawn down to some
degree because of a pretty
intensive effort to increase
capital spending. And I'll
show you those numbers here in
a moment.
>> think we can see that the
on the bottom row. There you
see capital appropriations
currently.
>> Are about 9.5 million
dollars. And you can see by
2035 this cap appropriations
are going to 34 million
dollars. That is one of the
city's initiatives is to
increase capital
appropriations and so we are.
We do have a plan to deliver
on that over the next 10
years. For when we do the cost
to cut cost of service and
rate design. The general
philosophy is that we identify
different buckets for
allocating costs. Here you can
see we identify customer
costs, which are cars driven
by the existence of accounts
capacity costs, which are
driven by the size of the
system and commodity costs,
which are driven by the sale
of actual water. And so we
designed the race based on
these 3 3 categories. And you
can see a little bit more
detail in there. The blue
represents those commodity
costs, which we recover
through your use revenue.
That's your variable revenue
that will increase and
decrease depending on how much
water folks use any given year
and the red categories or as
your fixed revenue, which is
going to remain fixed every
year, regardless of much water
as you. So you can see that
about. 26% of your revenues
fix 74% is variable. And here
is a table that shows your
current rates. The proposed
rates for JULY 2025. So these
are the proposed rates in
year. One and then the change
to those rates. Both expresses
dollars as percentages. And
you can see those percentages
are not exactly the 6% that
was described earlier. And
that's because of the rate
design. When you do Casa
Service resigned. Update. As I
mentioned, those buckets
receive different costs are
updated numbers and so
different parts of your rate
structure will be affected
differently. And so that's why
this percentages are all the
different. It is important to
note year to everybody's rates
will go up exactly the same.
It's just in your one. We make
this adjustment to account for
the cost service. Update. On a
slightly different topic. What
is being proposed is to
reinstate the Sonoma County
Water Agency passed through
and so we did. We didn't
include this slide, but it's
number county water purchases.
That's a wholesale water
agency. The purchases of this
water is a very significant
part of the cost to Santa Rosa
Water and the rate increases
that we've been experiencing
from Sonoma County recently
have been that higher than
previously anticipated and
also a bit hard to predict
they're they're not able to
give a very reliable forecast
on what their rates are going
to do over the next 5 years.
So rather than try to guess at
what Sonoma County is going to
do with the rates over the
next 5 years. We're proposing
to implement pass through
provision which basically
waits to find out what they
actually adopt. And then apply
those costs changes to their
rates directly. It benefits
both parties. Your rate pairs
won't accidentally pay too
much. If we guess too high. If
we were to try to guess and
we're gets too high, then your
repairs within over pain in
place for us. If we if we
guess too low, then the
utility would would suffer
financially. So the pass
through provision is
essentially protecting both
sides by making sure that the
cost of their charges are
aligned with the costs are
incurred by Senator was a
water. And there's some
details on here that it's a
little bit complicated because
each tier is made up of a
different amount of cars. But
the basic picture is that
about half of tiered rates is
made up of Sonoma wine costs.
And that's the portion of the
rate that will be adjusted by
Sonoma Water rate increases
and the other half are Santa
Rosa cost, which will be
adjusted by the proposed rate
increases that were mentioned
earlier. We have another slide
here that goes into more
detail. That sort of takes you
through the math and explains
this in this particular
example of the type you can
see that 2027, Santa Rosa is
proposing raise its rates by
6% and if in the event center
send the count. Santa Claire.
Certainly it. Sonoma County,
sorry, 5 misspeak in. So the
only county they were to raise
their rates by 10%. This is
the how the math would play
and for any given scenario,
the math will be run. And then
the those numbers will taken
to council and council will
then adopt the rates that are
being passed through. On the
other utility for local
wastewater. This is that same
general graphic. We're showing
10 years of financial
forecasts of cash flow and to
general picture where you see
the reserves are being drawn
down that middle graph with
the blue line shows that
reserves are starting at
40 million dollars and they'll
end up about 32 million
dollars started to about
25 million dollars by the end
of 10 years, despite the fact
that we are raising rates and
that is attributed to the fact
that capital spending going to
increase pretty significantly
local at the bottom. You can
see the local wastewater
capital spending this year was
3.3 million dollars next year
going to 14 million dollars.
And by 2035, we are planning
to appropriate 42 million
dollars after that ramp up in
capital appropriations and the
same general idea for the
regional capital spending
increasing from about
8 million dollars of the 14,
15 million dollars after 10
years. And we have the same
general cost allocation
principles for wastewater
customer cost capacity. Casa
wastewater treatment costs.
The only difference here is
that for wastewater, there is
a strength component. And so
we do consider the strength of
different commercial customers
because it is more expensive
to treat higher strength,
sewage. Here's the fix for
says variable components for
wastewater. And you can see
that 30% of your revenue they
recover through wastewater
rates is is for through fix
revenue. Hear the race for
wastewater the current rates,
the proposed raise for JULY
and the change. And again,
that percent changes is
different from the percent.
The overall rate revenue
increase for year one because
of the updates to the cost of
service analysis. But in
years, 2, 3, 4, 5, every base
rates will go up because
exactly the same amount. And
this final table is actually
MAY be more helpful than it
might appear on the surface
because there's so many
numbers. But this is a bill
impact analysis which allows
you to look up any kind of
rate type of customer that
might be of interest to you to
see exactly what their bill
we'll any year one. So you can
see at the very top, for
example, we show a
single-family home with a low
water usage currently pays a
combined. The bill $133.80
with the proposed rate
increases near one that can
buy and build will go to $141
and $0.43, which was I the
combined increase of $7 and
$0.63 or a 5.7% increase. And
you can go through this table
and and find different types
of customers to see how they
will be impacted. Now,
obviously there's tens of
thousands of customers and
they all have different
characteristics, meter sizes,
water usage. And so we can
capture it all here. But this
is simply to give ache a cross
section to help give give you
a picture of how folks will be
affected. And here is a survey
that shows the combines bill
for various utilities in your
region. You can see the
current rates right now.
You're 6 from the bottom. And
with the proposed rate
increases, you'll leapfrog one
other utility region. We don't
set rates based on what other
folks charge. You're not
allowed to charge them that
way. This is simply a data
point to give you a sense of
where you stand in the region
relative to their costs. And
once again, this slide we
showed earlier, just a recap
of the rate increases that are
being proposed over the next 5
years for water and
wastewater.
>> So now all talk quickly
about Capital project delivery
as MR. Hildebrand noted we are
looking to invest quite a bit
more and the infrastructure on
the water wastewater and
regional system. The numbers
we are aiming to get to over
the next 10 years are what we
should be investing today. So
that will get us closer and
we'll have to revisit as we go
forward. But these rates are
really looking to do that. As
was noted earlier by director
and the Sea. We are looking at
ways working together on how
we can get more capital
project delivery. One of the
things we're looking to also
do with this ramp up and
increased investment is to
look at issuing a request for
proposals to get a consulting
firm on board to help us with
project management assist with
getting more projects out than
what the current capacity as
with capital projects teams.
So we're continuing to work
together on that and looking
to put that out so that we can
have additional water
projects. Delivered. Talking
quickly about the outreach. In
addition to what is required
through prop to 18 and sending
out our notice is that we
after the council study
session in JANUARY. We have
really been doing a lot of
outreach related to our value
of water campaign, really
focusing on the importance to
the community of investing in
their water systems. These
systems are owned by the
public. We are here to steward
their dollars and make sure
the systems continue to run.
And so we really want to put
that message out that it's
important just like
maintaining a house or car.
You need to invest in these
systems to keep them running.
So that was our focus from MAY
through NOVEMBER of last year.
And then we really started
getting into the nitty-gritty
of what the rate proposal
would be and focusing on that.
We advertised and and every
which way that we could think
of whether it was through our
newsletter through different
campaigns that we participated
in to our water bills and also
taking advantage of digital
print and radio. In terms of
the numbers you can see that
using the Google ads we re
screeched about 2.4, 8 million
impressions reach folks that
way. And there are about
50,000 clicks through to our
value of water campaign and
information on our website
through our social media
campaign. We received 110,000
impressions and 4,000
collectors to our information.
So we really try to leverage
lots of different media,
whether it was print radio
electronic. So I am now going
to turn it over to Destin
Uber. And he's going remind
everyone about the prop to 18
procedures for this protest
hearing.
>> Okay. Good afternoon again.
So there are a host of legal
requirements, both in terms of
process and substance that we
need to comply with. I want to
drill down on the last bullet
point, the formal proposition
to 18 process started on
JANUARY. 15th. That's when
58,470 notices were mailed to
landowners and water and
wastewater users here in the
city. If there's a minimum 45
day, public review process
were actually day. 76 of my
math is correct. So we went
beyond that minimum. 45 day
period. This is a majority
protest. Law. And so unlike an
affirmative vote, a majority
protest functions more like a
veto. So has Director Burke
mentioned earlier, folks have
opportunity to provide a
written protest up until the
close of the public hearing
that would be conducted
shortly. We do. The clerk has
printed forms of the protest.
Folks would like a copy, we
have them available. The
majority number is 29,236.
That would constitute a
majority as of the start of
this meeting, we received 156
so were substantially less
than a majority. In fact,
that's point to 6%. Again,
that number is likely going to
change. Voting so to speak is
still open. Protests can still
be submitted, but they have to
be submitted in writing or a
protest. Do not count. We've
already covered this just
briefly. We've already
dispense with the written
objection item earlier. The
other optional procedure that
the city implemented was to
incorporate a 120 day statute
limitations, period. That was
included in the 58,000. Some
odd notices that went out. It
was prominently displayed and
that notice. Next slide. And I
believe I'm turning it back to
you. Director Burke.
>> The other item that is
before you is an amendment to
city code title 14, you MAY
recall and previous rate
setting that we would set the
water rates by ordinance and
change to city code and the
wastewater rates by
resolution. We did a lot
research and try to understand
why we sent one by ordinance
and one by resolution
conferred with city attorneys
office and after a lot of
research and determination
really did not find why one is
by ordinance. And one is by
resolution. And then checking
with other entities, typically
water and wastewater rates are
set by resolution. So the
amendments to the city code
before you would actually
change it so that we would
mimic how the wastewater rates
are set. So going forward, we
would have both water and
wastewater rates set by
council by resolution. This is
allowed for in the city
charter. And again, it's just
unclear as to why we picked
one by a one vehicle and one
by the other. So we're we're
recommending that we sent both
going forward by resolution.
So that is the item that is
part of this. Public hearing
tonight.
>> So with that. We did take
this to your board of public
utilities and they unanimously
recommended what's before you
today. And that is that after
conducting a protest hearing
pursuant to pop to 18 by
resolution approved 5 years of
the water or recycled water
and wastewater fixed and usage
charge rate increases, which
would go into effect JULY
first each year from 2025. To
2029 introduce an ordinance
amending title 14 of the city
code to allow that water
rates. Pete be established by
resolution going forward. And
then we also are recommending
that you open the public
hearing to allow for the
protest hearing as required by
prop to 18. And with that,
we're happy to answer any
questions that the council MAY
have. And thank you so much.
>> Thanks to all of you. What
a lot of work. Bring you back
to council any any questions
on this item? MR. Craig t.
>> Yeah. Just real quick on
slide 17. The table on slide.
17 obviously that's a those
are averages, right. And it
would be safe to say that
anybody who's using modern
building code requirements
Raiders irrigation sensors,
tankless water heaters. Those
things would be probably under
those those numbers.
>> For the for the which
single family residential. For
I would say the median water
someone who is following all
those coats would be probably
below the median. I agree with
ok? Thank you.
>> MR.
>> Just a quick question. I
think thank you for the
presentation. By the way, it
is great. Just curious about
are it early on either in the
staff report or maybe it was
in this presentation that on
average the increase for
repairs would be about $11.
And I know that. Some people
use more water. Some people
use less and different size
households and all of that.
But that's that's the average
today read that correctly.
Yet, according to this table,
yes, $10.69 would be the
median, which is about the
average. Okay.
>> and then.
>> You know, I I understand
why we need to do Of course,
we need invest in r
infrastructure in and it's not
just about what's happening
right now, but the future. For
those of us, you know, MAY not
be here in 20 years, but
what's going to happen and how
we're going to our services.
I'm just a little bit worried
about folks who are on fixed
incomes because even though
that doesn't seem like a lot
of money for some folks, it
is. So so that's my only
concern. So that's why I
wanted to clarify that. And
does that include or might not
understanding this correctly?
The rate passed through as
well. And that.
>> this in this particular
scenario, we're assuming that
the pass through would be 6%
so we're still waiting to see
what Sonoma County is going to
do with their rates and we
don't know. And do they
generally raise their rates
every year or every fiscal
year? Believe the announce it
coming up pretty soon. Thank
councilmember, while
clarification for coming.
>> Fiscal year. 25 26. We've
already included a rate
increase for Sonoma water. So
there will be no Okay. So the
numbers you're seeing before
would are basically including
what we anticipate. Sonoma
Water's rate increased to be.
You saw that at your last
council meeting which was 8.6,
8%. We have that included in
this next fiscal year. Budget
going forward for fiscal
years, 26 through 27. Then we
will now when bring their a
proposal forward every year,
that would be the rate that
would win would be when we
would start pass through. And
and to your point, I think we
are very cognizant and
sensitive to, you know, the
rate increases and the
impacts. There's a couple ways
that through the water
department, we try really hard
to assist. One is we have very
robust water conservation
program. So if there's many
programs and assistance that's
free. Call send us an e-mail.
Let us know that you would
like an audit will come out
and do a free audit and help.
If there's any way we can help
you reduce your water use,
which would then reduce your
bill. We're there for you to
help you do that. We also have
our h 2 a program. It's our
health help to others program,
which is also available for
those with certain income
requirements. And that is
available to help assist our
customers as was laid out by
before by Prop to a team. We
are unable to actually truly
print tap, propose a lifeline
rate. But what we can do is
through using our revenue that
we generate through cell phone
cell phone towers. We are able
to offer great assistance to
those that qualify through
that program. So both of those
are things that we do to
provide to our customers so
that we can help them as much
as possible with their rates.
Because we understand that any
increase is an impact. All
right. Thank you so much.
>> and at the risk of being
repetitive because you
mentioned it multiple times in
your presentation and it's
come up on the dance as well.
Could, but because it's a
common question because we're
gonna be having this
discussion for the next
several years as rates
continue to climb in fact, it
was public comment. I think
it's worth speaking to why it
is that we rates go up. Even
when people use less water. My
understanding, correct that it
is because we have this giant
physical plant throughout
Sonoma County and the city of
Santa Rosa. We've got to see
huge physical infrastructure
that provides water and that
has to be maintained. And in
essence, what people are
paying for when they pay water
bills is not for the water
itself. It's for the
maintenance of that plant.
>> Thank you, Mayor Sapp.
That's a great question. And
and and it is one of the most
difficult with trying to make
sure Iran educate and provide
information related to water.
Use efficiency and why we do
it versus when you sell less
water. I think I think water
agencies are in the on the
only business that I know of
that actually are encouraging
their customers to use less of
their product. And and we
continue to have cost and cost
and increase. And the reason
why we do that is because we
really look at water use
efficiency as a water supply
perspective. And so if we were
not implementing water, use
efficiency programs, not only
would we have to maintain the
system that we're currently
maintaining right now, but it
would be even more expensive
rates would be incredibly
higher because we'd have to be
building more water supply and
more waste, water capacity.
And so by not doing that by
offering programs that more
cost effective than what it
costs St, they're purchased
the lot next. Increment of
water supply or build the next
increment of wastewater
capacity. Water use
efficiency, reduces both of
those. So it actually in the
long term makes the rates much
less expensive than if we
weren't implementing water.
Use efficiency. So we
understand that that
short-term impact does happen
by reducing water use. We we
still have our same fixed
costs. But in the long term,
it's keeping the rates much
less than they would be if we
weren't implementing water,
use efficiency.
>> Thank you my recalling
correctly that one of the
slides showed that even with
these increases, we are still
in the bottom half of the
regional water, water rates.
>> Yes, we did work MR.
Hildebrand, he analysis. And
as you can see, we are still
on the lower half rates in
this area. And again, we
don't. As was pointed out
before, it is a data point.
It's not what drives our
rates, but it does just show
you where we stack up compared
to others.
>> And then you also mentioned
the value of water campaign.
And that's why that campaign
is so important as well as
This conversation right here
because people have already
people in recent years have
been hearing about the
increase in water rates and
the wastewater rates.
Unfortunately, they're gonna
continue to hear that
conversation in the in the
years to come. But the context
is that the rates are low from
a regional perspective and
they could be a lot higher if
the city and the county we're
taking the steps they are
right now to make sure that
maintaining our physical plant
and delivering water with the
infrastructure that we have.
That is correct. Well, spent.
Thank you. And with that,
we're going to officially open
our public hearing. Our public
protest hearing. And that
requires me to read a little
bit of a statement before we
actually start public comment
because we are going public
comment. But I do want to
remind everyone as as Ms Burke
did not too long ago that
there's still time to file a
written protest against the
proposed increases to potable
water or recycled water and
waste raise water rates. But
you must deliver your written
protest. Emphasis on written
to the city clerk before the
close of this public hearing
only written protests not or
oral comments to meet the
requirements for a valid
written protest to be
considered as part of the
written protest to count. And
let's see. At looking at
Assistant City attorney. Do
need to read the end of the
specifics as well? Or was that
sufficient?
>> you could please provide
the specific so that
everyone's 100% clear.
>> All right. We're gonna go
for to do Stay with me. The
requirements for a valid
written protest under pro prop
addition to 18 were mailed to
all the city's utility
customers customers in
JANUARY. There are additional
copies of that notice
available on the city's
website at sr City Dot Org.
Backslash water rates 2025.
Only written protests which
include the assessor's parcel
number or street address of
the property receiving water
or cities or or sewer service.
Are signed by the property
owners or tenants and received
by the clerk before the close
of the public hearing will be
counted to determine whether
or not there is a majority
protest. The proposed proposed
rate increases. A majority
protest under proposition to
18 recur. If 29,236 valid
written protest are filed with
the clerk before the close of
the public hearing. In
addition, public hearings also
for any comments on the
introduction of the ordinance
amending title 14 of the
Center City Code. With that,
we will now open. The public
hearing will do this again.
Just for good measure. And
Dwayne, you are up.
>> Hello, my name is Dwayne
Wit. I'm from Roseland once
again. I caution that I'm a
member of the Board of Public
Utilities and my comments made
tonight are my own personal
private view after discussion
with Santa Rosa attorney to
make sure I handle it
correctly. And also to
represent people in my
community that I've talked
with about this. A concern. If
you go back to slide 17 18 and
put that. People in my
community. Ask me. Are these
discussions about our monthly
rates? Annual rates because
it's not on what they could
see. I am a renter. And it's
factored into my rent. So I'm
hoping that you will. Clarify
whether that impact analysis
and those totals. And that a
person, low water use rain.
He's only spending 133,000.
Give me $133. Per year month.
I basically. Wanted to thank
Mayer staff. Clarified this
issue of even though we'll
keep conserving. And even
though will keep using less.
We'll keep a more. And that's
just the nature of the game.
According to the staff for
Santa Rosa Water that the
costs will continue to go up.
And hopefully find ways to.
Decrease the amount of water
that is used. This is a good
water year. We've got lots of
extra water and I do hope that
will find ways in which we can
save more of the water. So
there will be available to us
during the dry years. Folks
will be speaking today. Thank
you for your time. Thank you,
MR. Do it.
>> Quick point of
clarification there. That is.
That is something that that
the the audience should know
where the figures we're
looking at with a monthly or
annual.
>> their monthly. So it's per
billing, period.
>> Perfect. All right. So just
to reiterate that we're
looking at increases of summer
in $7.24 dollars per for
residential users, depending
on what kind of water they had
both for water and wastewater
rates.
>> is correct that it's per
per billing period. In monthly
bill. Yes, perfect. Thank you
for that clarification.
Looking into the public, are
there any other members of the
public who would like to make
comment on this item?
>> Seeing none. Close the
public hearing. The public
hearing is now closed. Thanks
to everyone for their
participation. MADAM City
clerk, can you tell us if
there is a majority protest
against the proposed increases
and do we need a brief recess
to determine that?
>> I can just confirm with our
administrator, the top of the
well, have we received any
additional protests since you
had to me the folder with the
remaining protests? Thank you.
Chair. So mayor, the city
clerk's office has received
163 written protest with
regard to the proposed rate
increases by the close of the
public meeting or the public
hearing. Which appear to be
valid written protest because
there are 58,470 parcel
subject to the proposed rate
increases. It can be clearly
seen that the number of
protests received is less than
a majority of the parcels.
That would be subject to the
proposed rate increases,
therefore, a majority protest
has not been filed in the
council MAY consider adoption
of the proposed rate changes.
>> Thank you bringing it back
to council for final comments.
Seeing none MISS Fleming.
>> There's 2 actions here. So
go with the first one and move
a resolution of the council,
the city of Santa Rosa Loving
and assessing water and
wastewater rates charge for
service in repealing
resolution. Number r e s dash
2, 0, 2, one Dash, 0, 8, 7,
way for the reading of the
text.
>> Thank you. We have motion
and a second booster Crappie.
Madam City clerk. Whenever
you're ready.
>> Thank you. Councilmember
Rogers is absent Councilmember
Okrepkie. Councilmember
Macdonald. I councilmember
Fleming, yes, Councilmember
Ben. Well lows. Vice Mayor
Alvarez Mayor stop. I let the
record show this resolution
passes the 6 affirmative
votes. Thank you. Want to and
I'll bring the next one. But I
just wanted to say briefly
ahead of that, you know, is
not lost on me. And I don't
think is lost on any of us
that these are hard times and
that I wouldn't be bringing
this forward if I.
>> didn't think it was
absolutely necessary and well
thought out. So with that,
I'll bring an ordinance of the
council, the city of Santa
Rosa amending section 14, Dash
0, 4, 0, 9, 0 of chapter 14,
Dash 0, 4 and amending chapter
14 Dash 0, 8, to allow fixed
monthly service charges.
Notable and recycled water
service and delivery charges
and charges for city maintain
meters on private systems to
be established by resolution
of the city council and
establish potable water and
recycled water rates and
charges policy establishment
of rates and charges and rules
and standards in way for the
reading of the text.
>> We have a motion and a
second by MISS McDonald.
>> Thank you. Councilmember
Rogers is absent Cookie. I
Councilmember Macdonald. I
councilmember Fleming. Yes,
Councilmember Ben Willows.
Yes. Vice Mayor Alvarez Mayer
step. I let the record show
ordinance is introduced with 6
affirmative votes in
Councilmember Rogers. Absent.
Thank And thanks to all
members of the public who
participated. By the way, I'm
not sure if anyone is left in
the room,
>> thank you. Thank you for
submitting that. Those those
wouldn't written statements
with that. Move on to item 16
point to our second public
hearing of the evening. We
title Ling and amending a
Santa Rosa Municipal Code.
Chapter 2 dash. 0, 4, Board of
Community Services. Santos.
>> Good evening. Good evening.
>> Mayor stabbed Vice Mayor
Alvarez and members of the
council. I'm Santa's the
park's deputy director for
recreation and Parks
Department. We r I have Emily
and are here with me tonight.
He's either assistant part
planner and Chilliness through
our presentation tonight. And
I'm just going to check to see
if our board chair was able to
make it tonight. He was
planning on attending tonight
from the Board of Community
Services as well. But we are
very excited to finally be in
front of you to bring forward
this ordinance and resolution
that provides an update to
chapter 2 point 2 Dash 4. And
city chapter code and council
policy. 6 to rename the Board
of Community Services to the
recreation and Parks board.
And we have other
administrative updates will be
presenting tonight as well.
And just to back up a bit, we
started this journey with one
seemingly simple question.
White is a seven-member board,
you know, five-member court.
And with that, I'll turn it
over, Emily. She's going to
tell you what the answer is
and what our proposal is for
recommended updates. Thank
you, Jen. Good evening. Mayor
says. There are
councilmembers. I'm Emily and
assistant parks planner with
the recreation and Parks
Department.
>> And I'm here today to
present administrative changes
to city Code. Chapter 2 Dash 4
Board of Community Services.
In 1976. City Council adopt
did ordinance 18. 32
establishing the Board of
Community Services to advise
Council and every aspect of
the delivery of services to
the citizens of Santa Rosa.
Council did this by
consolidating 2 advisory
bodies. The Recreation and
Parks Commission and the
Community Relations Commission
as well as their missions
roles and powers and duties
into one advisory body. There
have been, as you can see,
appear for amendments to city
Code. Chapter 2, Dash 4 since
1976. The one that brings me
or us before you today is
ordinance. 35 79 past in 2002.
In 2002, there are too high
quality candidates who applied
for one vacancy on the board
of Community Services. And
Council chose to appoint both
of those candidates and amend
the city code to increase the
number of board members from 7
to 8 also to increase the
number of members needed to
achieve a quorum from 5.45?
The board had 8 serving
members for 4 years from 2002
to 2006. In 2006, 1 of those
members resigned leaving the
board of the 7 members. The
board has functioned with 7
appointed members 5 needed for
a quorum for the past 19
years. So the current city
code requires that the Board
of Community Services have 8
members with each member
appointed by the full Council.
5 members again, are required
to constitute a quorum. Board
members serve for four-year
terms irrespective of their
appointing counsel members
term. And board members can be
removed by 4 affirmative votes
Council. This is what the code
says, but this is not how the
board functions. And that is
because the requirements of
city code do not align with
either the city charter or
with council policy. 6
appointments to boards,
commissions and committees.
Needing to have 5 of 7 board
members present places, a
higher burden on each of your
appointees to attend each and
every meeting in order to
achieve that And often results
in meeting cancellation and or
not being able to get through
the full agenda because of the
lack of quorum. It also places
a higher burden on staff who
poured an 8 organize and
participate in these monthly
meetings. For these reasons,
staff recommended to the board
that they form a subcommittee
to address these
discrepancies. The board
formed a three-member
ordinance Sub committee which
met 8 times over the course of
2 years. They created
recommendations to update
their ordinance as well as
their bylaws. So were here
before you to accomplish 3
things. The first is to re
title City Code. Chapter 2
Dash 4 from Board of Community
Services to the Recreation and
Parks board. Second is to
amend the city code to align
with city Charter council
policy. 6. And 3rd is replace
the name Board of Community
Services with Recreation and
Parks Board in Council policy.
6. So there are 7 areas of
change that need to happen or
proposed to happen. The city
code which in Milwaukee
through quickly. The first is
on the board is recommending
changing their name from the
Board of Community Services to
the Recreation and Parks board
with the intent of having a
name reflects the name of body
that they the department, they
advise but also to make the
name more applicable to the
public and accessible to the
public. Second, the board
recommends reducing the number
of members from 8 to 7 to
align with the number of
council members as well as
what state and in the Charter
and council policy. 6. 3rd,
the board recommends reduced
changing the way members are
appointed from full council
appointment to individual
council appointments again in
alignment with the city
Charter and council policy. 6.
The board recommends changing
the way that numbers are
unmoved from 4 affirmative
council votes to serving at
the pleasure of their
appointing councilmember in
alignment with council policy.
6. The board drafted a new
purpose statement to better
reflect what it does. The
purpose goes beyond the old
purpose to incorporate the
board's role in public
engagement as well as
communication between the
public the Department and
council. Related to recreation
and parks. 6, the board
recommends reducing the number
of members needed to achieve
quorum from 5 to 4. And number
7, the board recommends
updating and changing some of
their powers and duties. So
focus their work Holy on parks
and recreation and away from
community beautification. To
specify the board's areas of
oversight to advise and make
recommendations to council. To
actively engage with
residents. And they're
pointing councilmember. To
support the recreation and
Parks department with its
engagement and education and
promotion. To ensure that that
maintenance of Sanders's parks
and recreation facilities is
an of responsibility of the
board. Finally, to provide the
board with the ability to add
one non-voting youth member to
represent the interests of
Santa Rosa's youth and
recreation and parks issues.
So with presenter, lengthy
recommendation. It is
recommended by the recreation
and Parks Department as well
as the board of Community
Service. Is that the council
by one ordinance and one
resolution, introduce an
ordinance to re title and
amend City Code. Chapter 2
Dash 4 to change the name of
the advisory body from the
board of Community Services to
Recreation and Parks. Update
the board statement of Purpose
Update the board's powers and
duties to reflect their
current role. Line. The number
of members with a number of
city council members reduce
the number of members needed
to achieve a quorum. Line
members terms to coincide with
the term of their appointing
councilmember. Update the
process for member appointment
to and member removal from the
board act to accurately
reflect city charter Section
11 participation and diversity
and boards and commissions as
well as city Council policy. 6
appointments to boards,
commissions committees. And to
to adopt a resolution to amend
Council policy. 6 to replace
occurrences of board of
Community Services with
Recreation and Parks board.
With that, I'd like it to turn
it back to you for questions
and discussion. And I very
much appreciate your time.
>> Thank you both. Bring about
accounts of the questions. Ms
MacDonald.
>> I have a pretty easy
question for you. I wanted to
know why you didn't call it
the Parks and Recreation
board. So it was phonetically
and mine and more consistent
with what we all know that to
be. So I'm just curious why
you decided to flip it.
>> went to align with the name
of the department and I think
that was a discussion the
department was being
reorganized back as a
recreation and parks out of
transportation and public
works. And community planning
a So it's just an alignment of
pure and simple for
consistency.
>> That alignment, I'm sorry
with what we call it in. Our
departments are in alignment
with How would he I'm sorry.
Can you tell me we call
ourselves to just just still
doesn't make sense to me. I
want to switch it. To be like
the tv show. Yes, exactly.
>> I am Leslie Knope. I just
want it for the It's too
aligned with the what Santa
Rosa Cause, the recreation and
parks department. Thank you
for And all just add also the
Board of Community Services,
Rick.
>> Desired to align with the
department as well. So that
for consistent the consistency
throughout the community, when
we have conversations. Thank
you so much.
>> Thank you. Any other
questions you counsel? Seeing
none. We'll open it up to
public comment. Are there any
members of the public would
like to comment on this item?
Seeing none. I'll bring it
back to ms lotion, admit is
forming from ocean.
>> All right. Thank you very
much, Mayor. Thank you to
staff or your work. I'm
looking forward to the board
Community Services having
greater functionality with
their new and improved Corman
ratio to board members. Thing
that'll be good. So move item
16.2. Every title Ling and
amending center is a municipal
code. Chapter 2 Dash, 0, 4, 4
community services and excuse
me, I was reading the wrong
thing. All introduce an
ordinance to the council, the
city of Santa Rosa. Retailing.
Amending chapter 2 Dash, 0, 4,
I'm sorry. I'm using this new
interface and moved around.
One last time ordinance of the
council, the city of Santa
Rosa Retailing, amending
chapter 2 Dash, 0, 4, Board of
Community Services of the
center is a city code and way
for the reading of text.
>> I was close I want to MISS
McDonald, though, with the
motion of this funding. MADAM
City Clerk.
>> Thank you. Councilmember
Rogers is absent Councilmember
Okrepkie. I Councilmember
Macdonald. I councilmember
Fleming. I councilmember Ben
Willows. I Vice Mayor Alvarez.
They're step I let the record
show this. Ordinance was
introduced with 6 affirmative
votes in Councilmember Rogers.
Absent. Thank to MISS Fleming.
Resolution of the council, the
city of centers that. Amending
council policy number 0, 0, 0
Dash, 0, 6 appointments to
boards, commissions
committees.
>> To remove references to the
Board of Community Services
and replace with the
Department of Parks and
Recreation.
>> We have a motion and a
second booster Crappie. For
Believe the ordinance or the
board of Community Services
should be replaced with the
recreation and parks board.
Yeah, I was I was intentional.
Thank you for the Yes. We
filming a parks and rec
episode right I reminded City
Clerk, do we have we We need
clarification on the naming.
What can you please clarify
the naming convention you
would want reflected on the
resolution, the Department of
Parks and Recreation. I guess
that's what we're doing. Can I
get a second? Oh, great. MR.
Donald offered a 3rd. City
clerk or aided river ready for
the vote. With apologies,
mayor and vice mayor mean, I
apologize. I was expecting
resolution to amend.
>> The naming convention on
council policy. 0, 6, Can you
please restate the motion on
the floor?
>> Can you clarify was their
problem I read it the first
time. Or is it ok, I just want
to make sure do it All right.
Resolution of the Council of
the City of Center is amending
council policy. Number 0, 0, 0
Dash, 0, 6 appointments to
boards and commissions
committees.
>> To remove references to the
Board of Community Services
and replace with the board of
Parks and Recreation. Second.
>> We'll give this one a MISS.
MISS McDonald. Is the most
appropriate motion. And
second.
>> Can I just interject one
thing? Sorry to confuse this
is is like a taping parks and
recreation. Just to clarify is
at the Parks and Recreation
Board or the board of Parks
and Recreation because a lot
of conversation about that's
for yeah, it will call the
Board of Parks and
Recreation's and try to.
>> Thank you. And we worked
with more from the Absent. I
don't want to stand that I
have board of parks, parks and
recreation. If I MAY ordinance
that was just introduced. Was
changing the name of the
advisory board to the
recreation and Parks board. So
the resolution that follows to
change the council policy
should also reflect the change
to the recreation and parks
port. As you wish. Thank you
can the minutes reflect that.
This all began with a joke by
Councilmember And thank you,
MISTER Court. That.
>> I just want to say I have
an extensive history in comedy
and you guys are the worst
audience I ever worked in
front of. We have the vote.
Please.
>> So we have a question. We
have a question as to whether
we need to open this up for
discussion, which sincerely
hoping we might.
>> I withdraw the motion luge
for rated as the text is,
isn't there?
>> I'm I'm going to follow you
on this journey. Oh, my gosh.
All right. We really haven't.
We really have an issue with
our with our semantics here.
Do we need to do we need
revert to their original form?
>> I will defer to the chair
on this pardon me, department
head or deputy director.
>> Actually, there was quite a
bit of conversation at the
Board of Community Services on
how it was a. How it would
read. They originally wanted
thinking of parks and
recreation board. And when the
department kept its name, they
decided to make this alignment
and they prefer that it would
be recreation and parks board
or the Parks and Recreation
board clarification would be
appreciated. So we can clarify
for our board members with
respect to them. We're going
to go with the Parks and
Recreation board.
>> That acceptable everybody
here?
>> Yes, we just need to make
certain the ordinance in the
council policy match.
>> a great.
Hear you. That's
what are.
>> So if if I'm keeping track
and I don't know that I am.
There is there was had a
motion and a second. And we
have parks and recreation. I
don't really remember that
part. At this point. Average
today last captured was
>> resolution of the Council
of the City of Santa Rosa
admitting council policy. 0,
0, 0 Dash, 0, 6 appointments
to boards, commissions
committees to remove
references to the Board of
Community Services and replace
with Parks and Recreation's
board. However, that now does
not align with the ordinance
that was previously
introduced. That was changing
the name of the book Board,
too. The Recreation Parks
board. So we we have to go
back I don't know that we need
to redo that. That first
ordinance to eat it. If you
host out how strongly feel
about this online game change
about it at all.
>> just supposed to a part of
me that wants to you but out
of concern things. It. Yeah,
she returned. Retreat advert
to ordinance as originally
written. To the resolutions
originally written. Yes,
that's find out, ok, you can
withdraw your dropped on the
resolution make a new one.
Yes, thank you. Resolution of
the council, the City of
Center is amending council
policy number 0, 0, 0 Dash, 0,
6 appointments to boards and
commissions.
>> Committees to remove
references the board of
Community Services and replace
it with the board of Parks and
Recreation. That's what's in
front of me. I'm reading the
text in front of me.
>> I'm totally seconding that.
>> If you want me to read that
other language that was
originally posted on the unit
on Screams.
>> MR. Donald, you really want
to make it from him then
missed? Because I have
something different in front
of me on the resolution in the
packet. Not to make amendment
that the board of Community
Service as far as the
resolution that's included in
our pocket, be replaced with
the Parks and Recreation board
as opposed to what's in the
packet, which is with
recreation and parks board.
Amending the resolution. I'm
not sure what MISS Fleming is
reading from from where she
got her information. I have it
something separate in here and
I'm trying to go back in with
I withdraw my motion. I'm just
waiting for original text to
come up. And we can all forget
the last 10 minutes. Hopefully
we know or done under our gift
ever. So this finding red, the
original ordinance just now
correct. And I seconded that
original ordinance. So with
respect to the friendly
amendment, I think that's not
necessary unless our assistant
city attorney says that is our
city clerk.
>> MR. Mayor, I did not read
the original ordinance. I the
clerk and put in my and I was
rereading that there we I mail
read their original ordinance
as suggested by staff. Which
is a resolution of the
council, the City of Center is
amending council policy.
Number 0, 0, 0, Dash, 0, 6,
appointments boards,
commissions committees.
>> To remove references to the
Board of Community Services
that are in place with.
Recreation and parks board.
Wait for the reading of the
text.
>> All second that assuming
that.
>> Are good with that?
>> Yes, she went to her first
motion and so that was the
correct motion that follows
the language that's here on
the resolution before us. And
so a motion and second, we can
vote on that. Thank heavens,
man, city clerk. Councilmember
Rogers is absent councilmember
Okrepkie Councilmember
MacDonald. Councilmember
Fleming. Councilmember Ben
Willows. Vice Mayor Alvarez.
I.
>> But the records show this
passes with 5 affirmative
votes.
>> And Councilmember MacDonald
voting no. And Councilmember
Rogers absent.
>> Thank you all. I'm going to
cherish that memory for my
time as Mayor. We're going to
go back now to item 15.2. Our
report on the 2024 general
plan, inclusionary housing and
Growth Management annual
review report. And I believe
that is as well as key.
>> Good evening, mayor and
members of the council. My
name is Amy Nicholson and I am
the supervising planner for
the Advanced Planning Section
and she'll will ski city
planner will be giving the
presentation.
Okay. Good
evening, mayor. Stop and
members of the council. My
name is Sheila lost. Can a
city planner with the planning
and economic Development
department and the item before
you right now is the 2024
general plan inclusion or
housing and growth Management
annual review report. This is
our opportunity to provide the
council. We also did this with
the commission, a review of
calendar year 2024. And how
the various departments and
divisions their work, how it
the goals and the policies of
the general plan on.
>> Following review and
acceptance of the report
tonight, staff will submit
those to the state Office of
Land use and climate
innovation. And just to let
you know, the planning
commission recently reviewed
this report at their MARCH
27th meeting and recommended
it be forwarded to council.
The first element will look at
is the economic vitality
element. This speaks to
policies are prioritized
economic sustain of the
sustainability and development
in the city of Santa Rosa. And
some of these efforts are
included on this slide in the
top left corner is the cover
sheet for the city's economic
development strategy, which
was adopted in 2024. This
strategy addresses principles
of innovation, sustainability
and inclusivity through
business growth adopt ability
to economic conditions and
community investment. In that
same vein city staff worked
over the year to create what's
called the business concierge
program, which is meant to
provide advising and
consulting services for the
community. In the upper right
hand corner. You'll see this
room with the couches that's
now at City Hall. It's called
Work Cafe and that's where
current business operators and
prospective business operators
can come to city hall and meat
and a nice environment and
advice from city staff about
permitting needs and whatever
else they MAY need. Bottom
left hand corner just a view
of Montgomery Village staff
has been working with the
newer owners of the shopping
center on design, review and
building permits needed and we
continue to see ongoing
investment in that shopping
center. Additionally city has
begun efforts to coordinate
with landlords of empty
storefronts and potential
business operators to allow
for a pop-up business
opportunity. This would be for
vacant storefronts in the
downtown and the goal of this
is to. Get willing landlords
who are willing and able to do
shorter term leases to let
some business operators try
out of space for less cost in
the downtown. Continuing in
the same economic vitality
element is a category in the
report called downtown. And so
we'd like to focus on the
slide on some of the things
that are happening in downtown
to encourage economic
vitality. There. One of those
things that concerns are
parking garages, city parking
garages where they offer first
are free to park and also of
the program called Free Garage
Holiday weekends where parking
garages are free every weekend
from Thanksgiving through
JANUARY. 1st. In the upper
right hand corner, we see a
project that was brought to
the city by the Railroad
Square Association where they
propose to style string lights
and these have already been
installed. That photo is was
taken a few weeks ago. That is
4th street going from the
Smart Depots station to the
highway. Underpass. Progress
was also made by public art
staff, too. Create a program
called as our public art walk.
And this is really supposed to
be creating temporary art
outdoor galleries for people
who live here and want to
visit the downtown to see new
and ever changing our pieces
in the downtown. And I believe
the call went out called for
went out in JANUARY. So that's
that's moving right now. Also
Santa Rosa and was selected as
one of 2 cities in the Bay
Area to test out these pilots
Santa Rosa. Well, this one
says Santa Rosa downtown
station, but these transit hub
signs that mtc would like to
implement. In all of the Bay
area. So there's consistent
signage whenever you go to a
smart station, the same as it
would be a Bart caltrain. So
there's a consistent message
in theme. Next railroad
square. There was a pilot
wayfinding sign program that
in 2024 became permanent. So
no businesses have the
opportunity to provide some
way finding to their to their
businesses. And then finally
on the slide, city staff are
approached by Dave and
Busters, which is a restaurant
and indoor entertainment
business about re tenant
seeing fairly large space in
the Santa Rosa Also states the
staff have been working with
them to determine any
permitting needs. They MAY
have. Another element in the
general plan is the housing
element and that was adopted
in FEBRUARY 2023, it's an 8
year cycles. So the end of the
cycle, we'll be 2031 housing
element looks at residential
units have planning
entitlements and that could be
a use permit or design review.
And it also looks at those
projects to have building
permits issued that MAY
already be under construction,
as you can see from the chart
in the upper left, this goes
back a few years. This gives
us information residential
units issued in the last year.
So in 2024, that was 297
residential building permits.
And as you can see, 2021
through 2023 were pretty
banner years. The photos on
the slide to pick the fruits
of our labors and demonstrate
the significant number of
building permits issued in not
three-year period of 2021.
Through 2023. These projects
on the slider currently under
construction or have completed
construction in 2024. In the
upper right hand, that row
that project Hony a Glenn
Project, which is located
Calistoga Road and Highway 12
99 unit affordable project
that includes dedicated
farmworker housing. These
apartments are now being
released and the project was
process under sb. 35 or Senate
Bill. 35 and that bill was
designed to streamline
multifamily projects that meet
the city's objective standards
for by right housing. Just
below the building permit
chart is South Park Commons,
which is located at the former
senior center site, which is
Bennett Valley in Rutledge
Avenue. 62 unit, multifamily
project, also affordable and
also took advantage of Senate
Bill. 35 for processing. On
the middle far right is for 20
Mendocino Project. This is 8
stories and wraps around
Mendocino Avenue and Riley's
Street. This project is almost
finished construction and
based on a site visit. It's
now being marketed released as
few links. If you're
interested. I did skip the
middle slide is the cannery
project. And that is located
right next to Santa Rosa Creek
also affordable project. And
finally, the bottom 2 pictures
or the founder of Apartments.
And this project includes 239
units spread out over 6
buildings that range in height
from 3 to 5 stories. And this
project is almost finished
with construction. As I
mentioned, the housing element
also looks at projects that
have approved planning
entitlements and are waiting
to pull permits to construct.
On the top row. Going left to
right. That is the cornerstone
project in the downtown that
was approved for 114 units.
The Middle Row is the Cherry
Project that's located on
Fresno Avenue and it's
approved for 67 units and then
the bottom row. We have the
land strive project and that's
in the city's north. What
northwest quadrant. It's
approved for 672 units of
multifamily housing. 98 small
lot. Single-family dwellings
and 4800 square feet of
community serving retail and
outdoor Plaza. The regional
housing needs allocation is
part of the housing element
California. Mandates each
jurisdiction creates fair
share of housing, called the
regional housing needs
allocation or arena. The
California Department of
Housing and Community
Development Hcd determines the
total number of new homes. The
Bay Area needs to build and
how affordable those homes
need to build in order to meet
the housing demands of people
at all income levels after
that, the Association of Bay
Area governments or a bad been
distributes a share of the
region's housing needs to each
city and county in the region.
The table on this slide
compares reena numbers for
Santa Rosa with building
permit issuance by income
category to illustrate the
remaining need at the end of
the cycle, which again is
2031. The top row that's been
populated with numbers. And
it's listed as the a baggy
green objectives is the number
of Reno units and income
categories required by the
city for this 8 year cycle.
Skip ahead a little bit. The
2023 issued role really just
gives you a comparison of what
happened. The previous
calendar year. And then we're
at 2024. And that shows you
that 297 units of above
moderate units have building
permits issued in this last
calendar year. The row at the
bottom, the remaining need by
2031 gives you a breakdown of
the income categories in total
number of units. But the city
needs to to provide by the end
of the cycle. Again, 2031.
Land use and urban design
element is combined on this
slide and we typically go
through and show you some of
the things that the city has
either approved permits for is
considered concept. Design
real props for projects in the
city. Upper left is the zones
which some of you MAY know is
the boys and Girls Club that
converted to the zones does
similar things. They had a
design review project for
interior and exterior. All of
their building permits are
final in calendar year 2024.
The 2 top right slides are
canine companions and that's
their facility on Avenue. And
they also had a design review
project finance finish
building permit for the got
their building permits finals
in 2024. For a veterinary
hospital, a canine health and
wellness facility. And that
awesome water feature the
middle slide Something that's
not yet approved. But
something that the city has
been considering as a design
review application, it would
be an expansion of the
Spring-like village retirement
community and they're
proposing 32 units. This is
located roughly between Los
Alamos and Montgomery Drive
the bottom right picture in
blue. That was a concept
design review elevation for
the Hansel Ford Commercial
Truck Service building on
Welton Court. And the bottom
right is concept design review
elevation for events and
conference center at 3rd
Street in the downtown. The
transportation element is
next. The general plan
includes goals and policies in
this section about creating
improve transportation options
and collaborating with
regional partners. And you've
probably seen many of these
improvements that took place
in calendar year 2024. Top
left. We have the class to
bike lane that was installed
at 4th Street. And the view
here is right before the merge
to College. Ave now the middle
top slide is a class for bike
lane that was installed right
out here. Santa Rosa Avenue
between first and Sonoma and
then the middle slide rfp. A
lot of these were installed,
rapid rectangular flashing
beacons and these were
installed in several
crosswalks in calendar year
2024. To increase pedestrian
visibility. The transit
division worked closely with
the regional transit agencies
to coordinate efforts and
schedules. And one of these
efforts is called mascots or
the Marine Sonoma Coordinated
Transit service plan in this
particular plan is really
looking at analyzing the
highway 101, corridor to
determine if there are
efficiencies that can be made
all of the transit partners
that service that corridor.
One thing I'd really like to
highlight is the youth
unlimited rides program, which
allows a youth in the city of
Santa Rosa to Ride City bus
for free any time and anywhere
that city bus is operating.
And this program is vastly
exceeded expectations prior to
the initiation of this program
in 2021. Youth accounted for
198,000 rides per year in this
last year. Figure was 456,000,
867 writes. Now we're on to
the public services facilities
element which deals with goals
and policies surrounding
acquisition and development of
park facilities, police and
fire services air and water
supply. First, the fire
protection section calls for
collaboration with other
jurisdictions for fire
services, which the fire
department engages in with
auto aid agreements with
Sonoma County Fire District
Sonoma Valley Protection
District. They also do this
with these sr mutual threat
zone operating plan. Which is
in partnership with Sonoma
County for District in Cal
Fire and covers specific wild
land, urban interface, areas.
In 2024. Fire department
received 28,358 calls for
service. 69% of which were for
emergency medical incidents in
a total of 135 fires resulted
in approximately 10.5 million
dollars in for losses. Now on
to please use services skews
me this section also includes
collaboration with other
agencies and organizations
which the police department
doesn't. Several I think you
heard tonight about the
violence prevention
partnership, our police
Department partners with them
as well as regional and
federal task force is to
reduce violence in the
community and tried to address
the opioid crisis in Sonoma
County. During Twenty-twenty
for police responded to
117,848 calls for service over
390 firearms were seized in
criminal investigations. 124
of these were manufactured
firearms are ghost guns. And
that's a 20 125% increase from
last year. In the same
element, we have a section on
water supply and that deals
with goals and policies to
ensure we have adequate water
supply available for existing
and future needs of the city
and the city's water supply is
primarily furnished through
the Russian And as Jennifer
Burke mentioned earlier, there
are several programs that the
city offers too reduce your
water bill to do rain, water,
harvesting rebates and things
like that. The city plans for
projected water demand water
supply and water supply
reliability through its urban
water management plan that was
adopted by the State
Department of Water Resources
in 2021. And they also a
document called the water
Shortage, contingency plan
that describes how the city
will respond during times of
drought supply reductions in
emergencies. Parks is also in
this section. They have
several projects going on. I
only have 2 listed on the
slide. First is bottom left
the Southeast Greenway
Project. This is a live near
area running from Farmers.
Lane past summer. Feel road
and connecting to Spring
Regional Park. The acquisition
process for this began in 2016
in the sale was finalized in
calendar year 2024. Funds from
a priority conservation area.
Grant are expected to help
with the planning process and
at minimum, its proposed have
a multi-use path in park area.
The right hand corner is the
much anticipated sprayed
around and at the Family
Aquatic Center, which was
nearing completion in 2024.
And that will provide 15
interactive spray features in
2 areas that have tables and
people can reserve for parties
and things like that.
Birthdays. We're now at the
open space in conservation
elements this part of the
general plan speaks to goals
related to open resource
conservation and in the
section or updates on the
city's Creek stewardship
program. This includes
outreach, Education, Volunteer
Creek, stewards maintenance
and enhancement days. And last
fiscal year, almost 10,000
residents participated in
these programs. Henry moved
over 1100 cubic yards of trash
and debris from our waterways.
The multi-phase lower Colgan
Creek, a project continues so
much finish will provide field
base, education programming.
Student-led science projects,
Volunteer Creek cleanups
Community Art, Project
Opportunities in volunteer
planting days. The settlement
also includes a section ways
reduction, recycling and
composting. And in this vein,
the city's 0 Waste Coordinator
works with where works with
the community towards
implementing the cities are
always foodware ordinance
which was adopted in 2021. And
the city's solid waste
franchisee also works towards
us by providing waste audits
and waste reduction education
at Santa Rosa, schools and
businesses and during
Twenty-twenty for this team
provided over 1100 site visits
187 trainings, recycling
efforts initiated it. 40 new
establishments and composting
programs were initiated for
166 accounts. The section also
includes efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. The
city's draft community. Why
greenhouse gas reduction
strategy has been prepared as
part of the Comprehensive
General Plan. Update. It will
be considered for approval in
the next couple months. The
stalking it will replace the
city's current community,
climate action plan and
incorporate many of the
elements of the municipal
operations, climate action
plan. Going for the greenhouse
gas reduction strategy will be
the one document measuring
progress towards Santa Rosa
climate neutrality by 2045,
which is in accordance with
state mandate. Now we're on to
the youth and family elements
and this looks a policies and
goals to promote health,
safety and welfare for all
members of the community. Many
city programs touch on this,
including this city youth.
Unlimited rides program and
some other programs are
highlighted on the slider
efforts from the city's
violence Prevention
partnership work by the
partnership. In on a
mentioned, a few of these
things earlier. This includes
Safe Campus Intervention
program. The Clean Slate
Tattoo removal program and
street outreach in Crisis
Response team which started in
JANUARY 2025. In addition to
the park's updates provided in
the public facilities element,
the recreation and parks team
continues to publish activity
guides twice per year offering
camps training classes
classes. I think I already
mentioned that. And to members
of the community and in 2020
for the city's work
experience, program for teens
had 256 participants. He
logged 25,000 hours of
community service in 12
different volunteer program.
Areas. This annual report also
includes an update on the
city's growth management
ordinance that was adopted in
1992. In response to record
growth the Mid 1980's and
concern regarding the city's
ability to provide adequate
services. Growth management
was added to the Santa Rosa
General plan as a separate
optional element. And the
city's growth management
ordinance regulates
residential growth by allowing
800 new residential allotments
per year anticipates this
development pace would result
in the population for Santa
Rosa of 237,000 people by the
year 2035. And as a came
earlier in the report, the
Department of Finance most
recent population estimate for
Santa Rosa is 174,890
residents. Growth Management
allotments are available from
2 reserves. They're called and
reserve be and they each get
400 new allotments per year.
The allotments are for housing
products such as accessory
dwelling units mixed use
multifamily and smaller
single-family under 12, 50
square feet. Reserve be are
for single-family units that
are over that square footage.
So in 2024, as we reviewed
earlier, 297 residential
building permits were issued.
And of these permits 156 were
reserved a qualifying units
and 141 were reserved. Be. The
number of entitled units,
those residential projects
that received planning
approvals but did not have
permits issued yet was 699 and
the reserve a category and 6
in the reserve be category.
Now we're on to the review of
inclusionary housing.
Inclusionary housing requires
that housing projects include
on-site affordable units or
the payment of inlude fees.
Al-Qaida units are for nearly
construction for rent or for
sale units which are made
available in occupied by
household of lower moderate
income. Types of units are
also subject to occupancy and
affordable rent or sales price
controls for a minimum of. 55
years. When the city receives
housing impact fees, money
collected from the
inclusionary housing ordinance
is directed to the city's
Housing Authority which
administers these funds during
Twenty-twenty for all 297
units were market rate.
However, that generated in
live funds in the amount of
1.5, 2 million dollars.
Collected to support
affordable housing in the
city. These funds will be used
for the recently completed
Stony Point Flats Project and
for the future development of
to affordable housing
complexes and the pictures on
these slides just a packed
existing affordable housing
projects in the city of Santa
Rosa. For the environmental
piece of general plan, annual
review report is not a project
which has the potential for
resulting in either a direct
physical change in the
environment. We're reasonably
foreseeable in direct physical
change in the environment.
Pursuant to sequel guidelines
Section 1, 5, 3, 7, 8, And
before I conclude with the
recommendation, I would just
like to make a pitch for
anyone who's listening or not
already signed up for the city
connections, newsletter. It's
a free newsletter. It goes out
once or twice a month and has
a lot of the same information
that I've provided tonight as
well as opportunities to
engage and community events.
And the part of those 10,000
people who perhaps help clean
up the creek. And with that,
it's recommended by the
planning and economic
development department that
the council by Motion Rivian
except the 2024 general plan,
inclusionary housing and
Growth Management annual
review report. This is my
contact information. I'm here
as well as supervising planner
Amy Nicholson and we have
several members of staff from
various departments who will
be available to answer
questions. Thank you. Thank
you. For anybody. You ask
themselves the question, what
kinds of things to do? City
staff do to make the quality
of life in the city better?
Well, there's answer right
there.
>> Bring it back to council
for questions. Been us. Thank
you for the presentation.
>> Just a quick question about
I was looking at the annual
report. I saw the term the
missing middle. And I've been
hearing a lot about that out
in the community. And I would
if you would talk them that
there was an ordinance coming,
I guess I would if you would
talk about that for a moment.
>> Yeah. That's one of missing
middle ordinance is something
that's been contemplated by
the city for quite some time.
The city through the general
plan update is proposing to
include dot really to explain
it briefly, it's to brought
provide for gentle density.
Where it's not this massive
building. It looks more like a
house. It at that, you know,
maybe 2 and a half 3 stories,
something that blends in
provides more units and these
missing properties would be
located in areas that are
walkable to services said the
parking needs should not be as
great as you know, if it on
the outskirts of town Amy
chime in. If she has anything
else to say. Thank you,
councilmember for the
question. So it everything
that Sheila mentioned is is
accurate. We are moving
forward with this missing
middle housing initiative.
>> We well be.
>> Talking about it just
briefly as a part of our
General Plan update
presentation because the
general plan update does
really set the scene for
missing middle housing to be
allowed within the city.
That's analyzed in the
environmental Impact report as
well. And so several months
following the council's action
on our General Plan update
will be bringing forward the
missing middle housing
ordinance. And so you'll
receive a full a presentation
on that project later on in
the summer.
>> MR. Donald. Thank you,
Mayor, thank you for your
presentation. And and just
your thorough job of taking us
through. This just well done
tonight. I did quick question
on the arena numbers. And
understand those numbers are
set for Monday, different
entity, but because of the
high cost of construction
right now on the impending
potential of the increase of
another, maybe 2025%. And in
and construction. Do we have
any concerns that perhaps
we're not gonna be able to
make those numbers simply
because developers and
builders are being priced out
of the market to be able to
qualify for some of our
affordable housing.
>> Yeah, that's a really tough
question because the city is
not a developer. We rely on
the development community to
come to us with their projects
so we can process them. We're
doing actually. Pretty well
with above moderate. But even
if we got access units beyond
what's required by the state,
it doesn't count towards any
of our arena. So
>> Megan. Do have those? And
just the you know, do they
make those adjustments? Megan
has received like a reduction
because it just looking at the
numbers from.
>> Your prior to this year
2024, it was quite shift. I
have not seen an adjustment in
prior years. It's it's part of
our buildings cycle that we go
through. And as say that in
addition to what we've seen in
the permitting, we're also
going to experience a decrease
in funding for the past years.
We've had an unprecedented
resources that have come to us
through the disaster recovery
money through additional tax
credits, robust money at the
state. So we're going to see
some of that will become more
difficult to build units. But
we do have several projects
that are currently in our
pipeline that the housing
Authority has provided
pre-development funding for
are actively competing for
funding and they also have
resources that are available
through the red that they can
Were. We're going to keep
pushing on the affordable
projects and hope that we can
get some better competitive at
the state level for funding
through hcd tax credits Ponce.
Thank you so much. I
appreciate that. And again,
the for the presentation and
night.
>> That will open up the
public comment. Are there any
members of the public here was
make public comment? Seeing
none that bring about council
for any any final Ocean. City
manager, mayor packages have
some clarification. Sheila and
Amy, thank you for a job. Well
Director and city attorneys
office. Thank you for a job.
Well done as we move to an
update on the general plan.
But oftentimes when we talk
about the missing middle, I
believe some people. When a
am. I were talking about 120
are 140 percent. Am I so Amy,
can you provide just a little
bit more clarification on what
actually the definition of
missing middle is. Sure. Thank
you very much for the
question.
>> And that is true that there
are some conversations that
convey that missing middle
housing might relate to
affordability or deed
restricted affordability. And
that is not the case for what
the city has been working on.
It oftentimes because missing
middle housing units are
smaller in size. I think they
typically average around 1000
square feet. They MAY be more
affordable to additional
households, but they're not
required by any sort of local
or state agreement to be
restricted to affordable
household.
>> Thank you. The
clarification. Any other final
comments, MR. Thank you, MR.
Mayor, that the Spurs kind of
question in my mind would
missing middle also include
any sort of incentives to
build condos or townhomes to
create some sort of ownership
latter. So you're not going
from renting.
>> To a single-family detached
home. But there's somewhere in
between as well as a step down
the ladder not to go from.
>> Only a single-family
detached home down to renting,
but something smaller that you
can still maintain yourself.
>> Thank you for the question.
And this is actually a
question that we've heard from
our community recently as
well. The missing middle
housing ordinance does include
an option for townhomes, but
it doesn't speak to ownership
specifically. And so in order
for if if we were looking at
condominiums, for example, the
process to subdivided have a
condo is it said a separate
process from what the missing
middle housing ordinance would
approve, which is essentially
a planning approval. So that
specifically is not considered
in the ordinance, but again,
the ordinance would allow for
townhomes. That would be like
a single unit and it could be
attached on smaller lots. And
so the incentive is that the
process is streamlined and
you're also able to build out
a higher density than you
would otherwise be allowed to
if you are not following this
missing middle housing
standard or set of standards.
>> All right. I just add my
thanks as well. This is
enormous amount of information
very, very simply presented.
And it really did speak to the
incredible range of activities
that city staff is involved
Thank you for late. Think
thank you for presenting thank
you for laying it out in this
way. And with that been with
are the great promotion.
>> I move a motion to accept
the 2024 general plan,
inclusionary housing and
growth management.
>> Annual review report and
reading of the tax.
>> Second. We have a motion
and a second for MISS
McDonald. Thank you.
Councilmember Rogers is absent
Councilmember Okrepkie. I
Councilmember I councilmember
Fleming.
>> Councilmember Ben, most
yes, Vice Mayor Alvarez. I
they are stopped. Let the
record show this past of the 6
affirmative votes.
>> Thank you very much. All
right. We'll jump to item 17.
We have no written
communications item, 18 public
comment on non agenda matters.
Are there any members of the
public who wish to comment on
any items, not the agenda,
seeing none. We are adjourned.
Thank you, everyone.