City of Santa Rosa

CITY CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA AND

SUMMARY REPORT

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

5:00 P.M. - (VIA ZOOM)

PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54953(e) AND THE

RECOMMENDATION OF THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF

SONOMA, THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING BY

VISITING HTTPS://SRCITY-ORG.ZOOM.US/J/89593044436

BY DIALING 877-853-5257 AND ENTER WEBINAR ID: 895 9304 4436

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL E-MAILS SENT TO THE CITY CHARTER

REVIEW COMMITTEE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE PUBLIC RECORDS AND

SUBJECT TO DISCLOSURE UNDER THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS

ACT.

DEADLINES AND ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

ARE SET FORTH BELOW.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Public Comments can be made live during the meeting OR in advance of

the meeting if unable to attend via Zoom or telephone.

Live Public Comment: Members of the public can provide comment on an

Agenda Item by accessing the meeting through the Zoom link, or by dial-in

at the time the Agenda Item is discussed. Go to

https://srcity.org/virtualparticipation for more information.

Advanced Public Comment:

E-mail Public Comment: To submit an e-mailed public comment to the

Charter Review Committee, please send to: charterreview@srcity.org by

8:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 2. Identify in the subject line of your

e-mail the CRC Agenda Item Number on which you wish to comment,

provide your name in the body of the e-mail and your comment. Please

limit your e-mail to approximately 400 words (which is a speaking rate of

133 words per minute).

E-mail public comments received by the deadline will be distributed to

Charter Review Committee members and uploaded to the agenda prior to

the start of the meeting for public access.

5:00 P.M. - (VIA ZOOM)

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

2. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS

This is the time when any person may address matters not listed on this

agenda, but which are within the subject matter of the jurisdiction. The public

may comment on agenda items when the item is called. Each speaker is

allowed three minutes.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - NONE.

4. SCHEDULED ITEMS

4.1

EQUITY PRINCIPLES

The principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging remain in the

forefront of the Charter review process. This standing agenda item

provides the Committee with the opportunity, at the outset of each of its

meetings, to refine, reaffirm and recommit to its Statement of Principles.

The Statement of Principles regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and

belonging provides a procedural and substantive lens through which

the Committee undertakes all of its work.

Attachment 1 - Updated Equity Principles

Attachments:

Attachment 2 - Equity Priority Areas with Council Districts

Attachment 3 - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Def

4.2

DIRECT ELECT AT-LARGE MAYOR

The City Council has recommended that, among other topics, the

Committee research and consider preparing a Charter amendment to

establish the position of an elected at-large Mayor, a Mayor elected by

the voters in a City-wide vote.

Currently, the City Council is comprised of seven Council members,

each elected by district. After each Council election, the Council itself

selects one of its members to serve as Mayor for a two year term. The

Mayor serves at the pleasure of the Council and can be removed from

the Mayorship by a vote of the Council.

Under this proposal, the City Charter would be revised to create the

new position of an elected at-large Mayor. The City Council would be

reconfigured to accommodate the new position. Several options for

reconfiguration might be considered, including: (a) restructuring the

Council such that six Council members are elected by district and the

Mayor is elected by a single City-wide vote (under this scenario, the

current seven Council districts would be reduced and realigned into six

districts); or (b) retaining all seven district Council members and adding

the at-large Mayor as an eighth member of the City Council.

This agenda item will outline the steps entailed in moving to a directly

elected at-large Mayor, the pros and cons of having a directly elected

Mayor, the possible roles and responsibilities of a directly elected

Mayor, and the legal limitations on Council reconfiguration.

Attachment 1 - NLC - Cities 101 - At-Large and District Elec

Attachment 2 - Editorial - An at-large San Mateo mayor wor

Attachment 3 - California Voting Rights Act - M.Leoni Prese

Attachment 4 - Ballotpedia - Laws permitting noncitizens to

Presentation

Attachments:

5. COMMITTEE CHAIR'S/CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORTS

6. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS - NONE.

7. WRITTEN AND/OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - NONE.

8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

This schedule is tentative and subject to change pending final publication and

posting of the Meeting Agenda. This time is reserved for discussion whether

to place matters on a future agenda for further discussion.

9. ADJOURNMENT

The City of Santa Rosa does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admissions or access to, or treatment of or

employment in, its programs or activities. Disability-related aids or services, including printed information in alternate formats, to

enable persons with disabilities to participate in public meetings are available by calling (707) 543-3015 one week prior to the

meeting. (TTY Relay at 711).

Any writings or documents provided to a majority of this meeting body prior to this meeting regarding any item on this agenda

are available for public review in the City Clerk's Office, Room 10, City Hall, 100 Santa Rosa Ave, during normal business

hours.