In Person Only -

Bennett Valley Golf Course

3330 Yulupa Avenue,

Santa Rosa, CA 95405

City of Santa Rosa

City Council

Meeting Minutes - Final

Thursday, March 9, 2023

8:30 AM

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Mayor N. Rogers called the meeting to order at 8:33 a.m.

All Council Members are present with Council Member Alvarez

arriving at 8:45 a.m.

7 -

Present:

Mayor Natalie Rogers, Vice Mayor Dianna MacDonald, Council

Member Eddie Alvarez, Council Member Victoria Fleming, Council

Member Jeff Okrepkie, Council Member Chris Rogers, and Council

Member Mark Stapp

Consultant Presentation (Uploaded 03-08-2023)

Attachments:

2. WELCOME

Mayor N. Rogers welcomed everyone to the meeting and the

importance of the work that goal setting provides the Council.

Nancy Hetrick, Managing Director for Baker Tilly, made opening

comments and introduced Ashley Garcia, Consulting Manager, who

helped facilitate the workshop and served as recorder. Nancy

Hetrick reviewed the day's objectives, ground rules, and agenda.

3. PUBLIC COMMENT

Duane DeWitt spoke on the history of Santa Rosa citizens in the

decision-making process and becoming more inclusive overtime

and continuing this effort.

Bob Gaiser, Southeast Greenway Campaign, confirmed continued

support of the city staff acquiring the Southeast Greenway property

in fiscal year 23-24.

Thea Hensel, Southeast Greenway Campaign, clarified the

acquisition deal must close no later than October 2024 per a

commitment with the Sonoma Land Trust, and expressed

appreciation of staff’s continued efforts.

Jim McAdler, Southeast Greenway Campaign, acknowledged all the

efforts towards the acquisition of the Southeast Greenway property,

and asked for continued support and leadership for this project.

Rick Abbott spoke in support of Homes not Hotels, and that no one

wants to live next to short-term rentals.

Pam Granger, Tobacco Free Sonoma County, spoke in support of

adopting a tobacco retail license ordinance.

Michelle Escobar-McGarry spoke in support of adopting a tobacco

retail license ordinance.

Ken McNab, KMac Advising, LLC, spoke in support on the

annexation benefits for the city.

Nick Caston spoke on economic development and in support of

funding studies related to the beer, wine, cannabis and tech

industries.

Alexa Forrester, Bikeable Santa Rosa, spoke in support of bicycle

safety and development of traffic safety plans to support

multi-modal street design.

Jen Mercado, Bikeable Santa Rosa, spoke in support of bicycle

safety and building safe streets for all.

Cris Eggers, Bikeable Santa Rosa, spoke in support of prioritizing

active transportation development of multi-modal street design.

Chris Guenther, Bikeable Santa Rosa, spoke in support of safer

streets for all to create a safer, more vibrant city, acknowledged that

incremental efforts have been made, but more specific and

ambitious efforts are needed.

Karen Weeks spoke on zoning code revisions clarifying location for

rehabilitation centers, requested a review of the cannabis ordinance

for revisions, requested bringing back the neighborhood

revitalization program, and willingness to review the origins of the

Open Government Task Force and its initial recommendations and

goals.

Bernadette Burrell spoke in opposition to short-term rentals that are

non-hosted, and stated the existing ordinance is not being enforced.

Barbara Wilson spoke in opposition to the mobile home rental rate

increase, requested fixing of the mobile home rent control ordinance

on behalf of the senior mobile home community to 3.99% like the

other parks.

Kristel England-Keefe spoke in support of school crosswalk safety

and the need for additional safety efforts for student and pedestrian

safety in front of schools.

Joshua Keefe spoke in support of increased safety efforts at

crosswalks, not just in front of schools but across Santa Rosa.

Christina Panza, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, spoke in support

of Safe Routes to School Santa Rosa, and the need of increased

safety efforts related to Vision Zero goals.

Emily Shartin, Sonoma County Bike Coalition, spoke in support of

additional development of safe cycling needs including low-stress

routes, bike parking, and full implementation of Vision Zero Goals.

Roger McConnell, Santa Rosa Mobile Homeowner’s Association,

spoke in support of an emergency ordinance related to mobile

home rental rate increases.

Tom LaPenna, Santa Rosa Manufactured Homeowner’s Association

President, spoke in opposition to the mobile home rental rate

increase and asked for immediate attention on the matter.

Sandra Valencia, 4C’s, spoke in support of early education and

additional efforts on the infrastructure for childcare.

John Haveman, Econ Forensics and Analytics, spoke in support of

the annexation considerations being discussed and the impacts on

the economy in Santa Rosa.

Ananda Sweet, Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, spoke in support of

economic and business support, housing opportunities, pro-housing

policy, homeless considerations, minimizing fires, support of

downtown businesses, enhanced infrastructure, return on the

square, and early education and childcare support.

3.1

ADVANCED PUBLIC COMMENT RECEIVED.

Advanced Public Comment (Uploaded 03-08-2023)

Late Correspondence (Uploaded 03-13-2023)

Attachments:

4. CITY MANAGER'S OPENING REMARKS

City Manager Maraskeshia Smith thanked everyone for attending,

expressed appreciation for the work that staff has done this past

year, and outlined expectations for this 2-day goal setting session.

5. FISCAL UPDATE

Scott Wagner, Deputy Director - Finance, and Veronica Conner,

Budget and Financial Analysis Manager, presented a fiscal update

including a financial outlook, budget overview, review of citywide

expenditures, revenues and overall guiding principles, and a

long-range financial forecast and answered questions from Council.

Assistant City Manager Daryel Dunston presented an update on

ARPA funding, and Assistant City Manager Jason Nutt presented

an update on PG&E funding, CIP, infrastructure, and citywide

assets. Clare Hartman, Director of Planning and Economic

Development presented on an annexation opportunity.

6. DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS ON STRATEGIC GOALS

Department directors presented updates based on the 2022-23

strategic goals.

7. CELEBRATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Department directors and staff highlighted accomplishments from

the past year.

8. DISCUSS WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE RESULTS

Nancy Hetrick, Baker Tilly, led a discussion on good governance,

effective decision making, and effective use of Ad-Hoc and

Subcommittees. The discussion highlighted: unity of purpose; clear

roles and responsibilities; positive governance environment; and

norms, protocols, and policies.

9. PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES DISCUSSION

Nancy Hetrick, Baker Tilly, initiated discussion on priorities and

strategies, outlining themes heard from City Council member

interviews, moving to review and discussion of previously

established goals.

Additional discussion continued on strategies for each goal area

adopted last year, and potentially amending goals to continue for the

next year.

10. WRAP UP

Nancy Hetrick, Baker Tilly, summarized accomplishments of the day

and framed the tasks for the remainder of the goal setting set to

reconvene the following day.

11. COUNCIL WILL RECESS TO 9:00 A.M. ON FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023, AT

WHICH TIME THE MEETING WILL RECONVENE

Mayor N. Rogers recessed the meeting at 4:55 p.m. and will

reconvene on Friday, March 10, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

12. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Mayor N. Rogers reconvened the meeting at 9:05 a.m. All Council

Members were present with the exception of Council Member

Fleming, who joined the meeting at 9:42 a.m.

7 -

Present:

Mayor Natalie Rogers, Vice Mayor Dianna MacDonald, Council

Member Eddie Alvarez, Council Member Victoria Fleming, Council

Member Jeff Okrepkie, Council Member Chris Rogers, and Council

Member Mark Stapp

13. RE-CAP OF PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES

Nancy Hetrick, Baker Tilly, re-capped the first day goal-setting

accomplishments on goals and facilitated additional amendments of

existing goal language.

14. WRAP UP AND NEXT STEPS

Council Member Stapp left the meeting at 11:30 a.m.

Nancy Hetrick, Baker Tilly, facilitated a discussion emphasizing the

need for goals to be multi-year to see progress and that strategy

prioritization will occur when staff brings her report to Council later in

the year for adoption of the strategic goals.

15. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING

Mayor N. Rogers adjourned the meeting at 11:53 a.m.

Approved on: May 9, 2023

/s/ Dina Manis, Interim City Clerk