Communications &  
Intergovernmental  
Relations Office  
City of Santa Rosa  
637 First Street  
Santa Rosa, CA 95404  
Community Advisory Board  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Final  
Wednesday, August 23, 2023  
6:00 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL  
Chair Weeks called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.  
10 -  
Present:  
Chair Calum Weeks, Vice Chair Cherie Barnett, Board Member  
Ariana Diaz De Leon, Board Member Amy Holter, Board Member  
Henry Huang, Board Member Jorge Inocencio, Board Member  
Kirstyne Lange, Board Member Steve Rahmn, Board Member Andrea  
Rodriguez, and Board Member Yvonne Sierra  
1 - Board Member Angelina Vasquez  
Excused:  
Absent:  
1 - Board Member David Chen  
2. PUBLIC COMMENT  
Dwayne DeWitt made public comment regarding Roseland Census  
District.  
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
May 24, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes  
Public Comment: None.  
Approved as submitted.  
4. CAB ANNOUNCEMENTS & ISSUES OF CONCERN TO CITY RESIDENTS  
CAB Members may share community news, upcoming community events that may  
be of interest to the CAB and issues of concern for residents. This is also the time  
when CAB Members may announce departure from the meeting early, or any  
other announcement that may affect the meeting.  
Vice Chair Barnett announced Prince Memorial Greenway  
meeting and briefly discussed Wildfire Ready.  
Member Rodriguez announced Creek Week.  
Member Diaz de Leon discussed recent Violence Prevention  
Program wellness pop-up events.  
Member Huang discussed Chanate Project's impact on the  
Chanate Historic Cemetery.  
Chair Weeks welcomed new Administrative Secretary, Caitlin  
Brandon, and announced movie in the park events coming to  
Howarth Park, Oktoberfest and the Merit Award Ceremony.  
Public Comment: None.  
5. STAFF UPDATES  
This time is reserved for City staff to provide a briefing on issues of interest. No  
action will be taken on these matters except to possibly place a particular item on  
a future agenda for consideration.  
Alexa Popplewell, Communications Coordinator, discussed  
the successful Wildfire Ready event.  
Lon Peterson, Director of Communications, Engagement and  
Government Affairs discussed upcoming Town Hall, Fiesta de  
Independencia, and South Park Day and Night Festival.  
Member Holter asked clarifying questions regarding Wildfire  
Ready.  
Public Comment: None.  
This item was received and filed.  
6. SCHEDULED ITEMS  
6.1 2023 Q2 COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT GRANT APPLICATION SELECTION  
REPORT - COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM  
2023 Q2 APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING  
BACKGROUND: On April 1, 2023, the Community Advisory Board (CAB)  
released the 2023 Community Improvement Grant. Application for Quarter 2 to  
the public. The application closed on June 30, 2023. The CAB received five  
applications eligible for funding, totaling $12,067. The projects are as follows:  
AAPIC Community Gathering & AGM  
Sequoia Gardens Community Garden  
Bags of Love Program  
Minor Beats Open Mic  
North Park Community Micro-Restoration, Art Mural & Clean-up Project  
RECOMMENDATION: The Communications, Engagement, and Government  
Affairs Department recommends the CAB discuss the five project applications for  
this grant period.  
Public Comment: None.  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Barnett, seconded by Board  
Member Holter, to approve all second quarter grants as listed on the  
agenda attachments. The motion carried by the following vote:  
8 -  
Yes:  
Chair Weeks, Vice Chair Barnett, Board Member Diaz De  
Leon, Board Member Holter, Board Member Huang, Board  
Member Inocencio, Board Member Lange, and Board  
Member Rodriguez  
1 - Board Member Vasquez  
Excused:  
Absent:  
3 -  
Board Member Chen, Board Member Rahmn, and Board  
Member Sierra  
6.2 CIVICREADY TEST MESSAGE ON MAY 31  
The City of Santa Rosa sent out a test message for the Civic Ready function that  
City offers to residents. During the test, subscribers received a text message (if  
you included your cell phone number) and email (if you included your email  
address). This test was used to help the City evaluate the system's efficiency and  
allowed users to make any necessary tweaks to their subscriptions preferences.  
City staff will go over the test and what we learned from it.  
Visit SRCity.org/CivicReady for more information, to sign up for CivicReady, or to  
modify your existing settings.  
Alexa Popplewell, Communications Coordinator, presented  
information onCivicReady's test event performed on May 31,  
2023, answered questions, and received comments from the  
Board.  
Public Comment: None.  
6.3 CITY OF SANTA ROSA TOWN HALL FRAMEWORK  
Lon Peterson, Director Of Communications, Engagement And Government  
Affairs will provide an overview of the town hall framework developed.  
PRESENTATION - CITY OF SANTA ROSA TOWN HALL  
FRAMEWORK  
Lon Peterson, presented, answered questions and received  
comments from the Board.  
Public Comment: None.  
6.4 CITY'S GENERAL PLAN UPDATE OVERVIEW  
Planning and Economic Development staff will provide an update on the City’s  
General Plan update project (Santa Rosa Forward) and will introduce the draft  
General Plan 2050 which is currently out for public review and feedback. Amy  
Lyle, AICP Supervising Planner- Advance Planning will share information about  
past and future community engagement opportunities around the project.  
PRESENTATION - GENERAL PLAN UPDATE  
Amy Lyle, AICP Supervising Planner - Advance Planning, and  
Shari Meades, Senior Planner presented, answered questions  
and received comments from the Board.  
Public Comment: None.  
6.5 COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD VISION  
This is an opportunity for Community Advisory Board Members to  
participate in an envisioning process to decide the path forward for the  
Community Advisory Board.  
Lon Peterson, Director of Communications, Engagement and  
Government Affairs, presented, and answered questions and  
received feedback from the Board.  
Public Comment: None.  
7. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS  
Member Lange suggested making the next meeting a working  
meeting.  
Vice Chair Barnett suggested Jennielynn Holmes present on the  
homeless count report at the next meeting.  
Member Rodriguez suggested discussing end of year meeting  
schedules at the next meeting.  
Public Comment: None.  
8. ADJOURNMENT  
Chair Weeks adjourned meeting at 7:58 PM.  
Approved on:  
_______________________________  
Dina Manis  
City Clerk