City Council

Good afternoon. I'd like to ask interpreter currently on the Spanish Channel to commence interpretation of the meeting for those of us joining the meeting, live interpretation in Spanish. Is available and members of the public or staff wishing to listen in. Spanish can join the Spanish channel by clicking on interpretation icon and the zoom toolbar. It looks like a close. If you're on your cell phone or tablet locate the 3 dots tap to lightly and put a check mark on your preferred language. Click done to activate and begin the interpretation. When she joined the Spanish Channel, we recommend you shut off the main audio. So you only hear the Spanish interpretation interpreter replete restate this in Spanish. When I started set those we many of to be shows pepper to what kind spying on a bye. Next. Least one the only then will nominate a you. >> But I think Texas instead be still a public inquiry. Set up with vacuum partaking pretty on this And thank now in menu and up on that yet when sa peak border be in the heat your mind, the Spaniard. This was a within Cecil died in a Already. He meant I would ask you assist Anthony Duk say so I stuck top of me to send >> One many of the beat that Infosys put in a county said that would boost in effect a super hero this And thank I know that each app full-time union pretty or a minority chair the nose. Final thought on a pond at a case more peak, you know, Wilson is one downside in a look at our cue the any heat your mind, the Spaniard. Coming in unit done a few 90 seconds to come up by switching put funded the water like that. But this year, which he system most actually sort of Thank you very much.

Back to you. >> Welcome everyone. The time is 12. 0, 2, will call this meeting to order. MADAM City Clerk. >> Thank you, Mayor Councilmember Rogers, PRESIDENT Councilmember Okrepkie. Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Fleming. Councilmember Ben Willows air. Vice Mayor Alvarez, PRESIDENT Mayor step here. Let the record show that all councilmembers are present. >> Thank you very much. We will do a quick fix. Planetary explanatory note about remote participation under ab 2, 4, 4, 9, MADAM. MADAM City, Attorney. >> Yes, we do have a council member who is participating under ab 2, 4, 4, 9 and I will hand it off to the clerk because this is a a new meeting from this morning so that she can facilitate the information we need from the council member and as I'm understanding once we get the on that based on what I understand, they're the reason is for remote participation, we would be we will be taking public comment by zoom and for the duration of this meeting with the council member present on Zoom, handed off to the clerk to facilitate. Having the council member. Explain and provide the disclosures that he's required to provide under the statute. >> Use City Councilmember

Cookie. Can you please state the provision under ab 2, 4, 4, 9 of the Brown Act under which you are participating today either just cause or emergency provisions. >> Yeah, I will be attending this meeting remotely under ab 2, 4, 4, 9, applying the just cause provision because I have a contagious illness and cannot attend in person participate with both audio and video turned on throughout the meeting in this room. I'm accompanied by no one over the age of 18. >> With that mayor, we can proceed. Thank you. We have no closed session items for the session. Our front door on this afternoon, rather. I want to item 4.1, our review of fiscal year 2025 2026 operations and maintenance budget and Capital Improvement program. Budget. And with that, I'll turn it over to MADAM City manager. >> Thank you, Mayor. Good afternoon. Mayor Vice mayor and Councilmembers. So today we weaken day one, the budget presentations. So you'll hear from various departments. Beginning for finance to to discuss ongoing budget reductions. What is going to be important by the conclusion of this meeting is we would like clear direction on budget cuts that council would like to implement. While several options have actually been presented to you. Some of these options actually necessitate further conversations with labor to discuss a potential impacts. So want to make it clear that if there is direction, there will still need to be some ongoing discussions with our labor representatives today. Staff. We have each department and some additional staff

members in the chambers that are available to answer your questions. Just like we've done in previous years. Questions that do not have immediate answers. We will come pow and send you put on the website and counsel fy to provide you some further information so that you're able to make the best decision possible for for this budget. I would like to express my appreciation to the staff and everyone involved and compelling the budget actually want to also express my appreciation to the labor unions who have reached out and continue to have ongoing discussions regarding some of the budget reductions. We know this is not an easy challenge in. We appreciate the ongoing dialogue that continues to happen. So with that, I'm gonna turn it over to Veronica to start the presentations. Thank you. Actually. One other housekeeping note. MISS MacDonald. As a note on recusal before we begin. >> Thank you, mayor. Out of an abundance of caution, all be recusing myself from certain parts of the park and recs and cpi and as well as the entire presentation of parks and rec on the second day of our budget study session due to a personal relationship. Thank you. The floor is yours. >> Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. MADAM City manager. Going to start our discussion today on the fiscal year. 25 26 city of Santa Rosa budget by just taking a snapshot. Look at our general fund for bringing forward today. A proposed budget that has 217 and a half million of revenues and transfers and 224.2 million of expenditures and transfers out this results in a 6.7 million dollar deficit. This deficit does include all items that

were considered at the APRIL 15 study session that we received direction at that time to continue moving forward with those items. So they have been built into this budget. They're no longer estimates. They're formally built into our system. And the final results are here for you today. So taking a step back from the general fund are citywide revenues represented on this slide. This includes all funds, all entities, the top line of general fund. This is our largest fund, a 215 million dollars. We will cover this in depth in the next section. Some not going to spend much time on this here. But moving down the line, our enterprise funds have an increase of 13 million dollars. This is mostly due to our water enterprise funds per their rate study. We are anticipating increases in the water and wastewater funds. Our special revenue funds have a large increase of 33% or 11.3 million. This is largely due to our new fund for the fire measure. 8 revenue this as revenue collected from the new tax measure. And just the first year we have this included in our annual budget. So we see an increase. Of 8.8 million dollars in that line item for anticipated revenue. On the other funds line item. We see a significant decrease of 4.7 million, which is nearly 90% of that category. This is an item that will pop up a few times throughout this presentation and represents our pension obligation, bond that was paid off last fall. We're no longer needing to collect revenue for this pond, which we did so through payroll or make the expenditures. So from time to time, you will see this item show up as a variance. But that's just representative of the debt service being complete. Our housing authority budget will be

discussed in the housing and Community Services Department section and they have a modest increase of 4.6 million dollars in revenue and are successor agency, which is our debt service paid on the redeveloped. Former redevelopment agency has no significant changes. So all told the 517.7 million dollars represents the resources that run the city. So looking at the expenditure side of all funds, all departments, all entities for the city. Again, the general fund is our largest spending source which will cover in the next section. Our Enterprise operating budget increased by about 12 or 13 Million. That's 8.1%, mostly due to personnel costs salary and benefits. Well, we are looking at reductions in the general fund or enterprise funds have their own funding sources. So they were not held to the same reduction strategies that we've been looking at in the general fund. Our enterprise and non enterprise Cip. That's our Capital improvement program. That will be covered in detail. The very end of this presentation tomorrow. But they have both seen increases as we are budgeting, resources we have to put towards projects that are needed. The special revenue line item increased by 53.8% or 10 million dollars. Again, that is the fire measure h funds that's new this year. So I leave 6 6.8 million dollars in expenditures driving the majority of that variance. The other funds line similar to the slide before that major variances from the pension obligation, bond being paid off and housing authority successor agency have no significant changes. And this pie chart is just an

illustration of the previous slide that shows all of our funds here at the city, all entities. As I mentioned, the general fund at 39% is our largest operating source, followed by our Enterprise operating budget. So moving into the general fund discussion. This pie chart is an illustration of all general fund revenues. These are the resources that allow us to fund our operations sales tax and property tax or 2 largest sources. They make up over 50% of the general fund available resources followed by other taxes at 15%. So this table is the same data as the previous slide. We just saw the picture. But this is just broken out in table form. So the highlighted column down the middle as our 25 26 proposed general fund budget world for revenues. We're looking at 215 million dollars of projected revenues for next year. This is a 2 million dollar increase are just one percent over the previous year, which is not a typical year of increases. We usually see a year-over-year increase of more. When we look at our revenues in the general fund. Driving this very small increases, our sales tax line item. We have discussed council before another finance subcommittee that we have reduced our sales tax budget this year to be more in line with expert predictions. We've had a very high sales tax number for the last few years, hoping that the market would turn and our actual as we start to trend higher and meet where budget was. But it's not have winning. And in order to be. Correct in our budgeting and to have this practices. We needed to drop that amount down by 5.5 million dollars. The first line property tax

shows growth of 6.2% or 2.4 million dollars. Property tax continues to be strong in Santa Rosa. Or utility users. Tax is growing modestly at about one percent. We have growth and utility users tax for energy costs. But this is offset by decreases. And you ut for both telephones and cables. There's competing factors in that line item. Our vehicle license fees tends to grow in line with property tax, which is why we see strong growth there. And other taxes. We have an increase of 11%. That's indicative of those 2 tax measures that went to vote went to the ballot last fall business tax as well as t o t we have about 3 million dollars of increases between those 2 items in that line item which helps our general fund. Permits, fines and charges has a very slight decrease. This is mostly are ped revenues had had a new fee schedule come on board. But what we found is that as permits are making their way through the process, that can be a very long process. And many of the permit fees that we are realizing at this time are still grandfathered in under the old fee schedule. So we had to back off some of our projections for the year while we are waiting for those older permit fee costs to make their way out of the system. And we will see that line item increase in future years. Inter fun charges. That is the cost of getting reimbursement from other funds for a general fund overhead costs. Our recreation revenues also are decreasing just slightly. This is as a result of council action taken back in JANUARY to discontinue the concessions at some of our city of Santa Rosa Recreation sites as well as the Pony Express contract that we have a powers Park.

And then moving on to the expenditure discussion. This pie chart is an illustration of the expenditures in the general fund. Salaries and benefits are the largest they make up that 77% of our general fund budget. We are a public safety city here. So that is personnel costs. Administration. So are smaller. 23% piece of the pie. There is all of our service and supplies costs. And this table is a more detailed look at the picture on the previous slide. So we're still talking about expenditures. The highlighted column for the 25 26 proposed budget expenditures is 213.5 million. We are decreasing overall from the previous year. Again, we have built and all of the reductions that we brought to counsel at our study session in APRIL. And as a result of removing all of those items are budget has decreased by 6.7 million or 3.1%. Most of these decreases are occurring in salary and benefits between the 2 of those. That's 5 million dollars of the decrease that represents. 58.9 Ft. Eason, the general fund that we are removing. Those are offset by costs that are rising in our Calpers. You a l our healthcare workers comp. We also have a 4% cola built in indicated by our labor agreements as well as a 5% equity adjustment. So those are significant increases that have offset very significant decrease in staffing. All of our other services and supplies from professional services on down departments have made every effort to reduce where they Some of these are formal reductions that we will cover and the future slide. Some are just trying to conserve where we

can are truly evaluate our budget. But overall, we're looking at a 6.7 million dollar decrease as compared to last year. And so this pie chart, this represents the same cost as on the previous slide. But instead of broken out by category, we're now looking at it by department. So police and fire are 2 largest departments they make 63.8% of general fund expenditures. We are very large public safety organization here. Followed by our administration at 10%. And we also have our rec and parks public works planning departments and a very small piece of Santa Rosa Water. Our expenditures by department are broken out on the slide administration makes up 11 million dollars, which is a decrease of 4.2 million from the previous year. Part of that 4.2 million is a place holder for for low costs. If furloughs went forward, that would be distributed throughout all departments. So right now we just have it as a place holder. So it looks a little artificially impacting the administration department, but it would impact other departments as well. Housing and community services has a very small general fund piece of their budget. This is not our homeless services or housing authority. I want to make that clear when we show $0 of budget for 25. 26. That is because we've removed a couple contracts will be presented to con to council back in APRIL for legal aid and Secure Families. Fund. So our homeless services budget is still robust and still intact, which will be covered and future slides as well. But overall, we are seeing decreases in all of our departments with the exception of police and tp w. And that's just because we have tried to

distribute these cuts as evenly as we can. It's not a perfect science. And there are competing increase in costs that are reducing the effect of those decreases in other departments. Transfers out not to be overlooked. Sometimes a confusing subject that also are contributing to our deficit in the general fund transfers out are not department specific and they are not a salary benefit service and supplies its funds that we transfer to other funds where the spending occurs there or to agencies or resources. So the top line, Bennett Valley, Golf Course, we have been transferring $500,000 each year to help the Bennett Valley Golf Course with their operations. We also transfer 1.9 million to our capital improvement program every year. 1.2 of that is for ada projects and about 660,000 of that is just past through of revenue we receive from the county for the Rosen annexations. That goes to our cip projects as well. Are parking fund. We transfer 1.6 million to them for the cost of parking enforcement. That's because we receive our parking violations revenue in the general fund. So we received the revenue and then pass on that benefit to parking fund to be able to pay for the operations. Are ptt. I apologize. There's an error on the slide that I need to speak to. Last year we transferred per council policy. 2.2 million dollars of our ptt and this year. And 25 26. We say 1.1 million that should actually read to point to that amount should stay flat. So our council policy requires that we increase slightly more each year of our ptt, but our real property transfer tax revenue is actually

decreasing. So as the revenue decreases, but the portion required to transfer increases, it's remained flat. And we do have an error here. So I just want to make it clear that we are not decreasing our ptt transfer. The next line down homeless services. We are honestly put the 1.1 million in there. So we have. Transferred 1.5 million of general fund resources to homeless services for 24. 25. 25 26 will be transferring 3.6 million. That's an increase of 2.1. The reason we have such a jump is because in 24 25 arpa funds were still paying for part of homeless services. So with the expiration of those funds, we had to increase our general fund transfer. So I apologize for the confusion on that one. We just got 1.1 million in the wrong line item and caught it too late. The bottom line total is correct. That 10.6 million is being transferred out of the general fund and that is also contributing factor to our deficit. And I will mention our miscellaneous line item. Those are small things such we transfer funds to our transit, fun for free rides for veterans. We also have to transfer a small amount to our fund. It's a trap. Public safety and prevention tax has a very clear baseline ordinance in there that requires us to keep our general fund police fire and violence prevention programs above a certain funding level. So this represents general fund dollars. The top line shows

what we have budgeted in fiscal year. 25 26 the baseline calculation shows what we are required to budget per the baseline requirement. And bottom line shows that we are well over baseline for all of these. We are funding in accordance with what we need to. And then taking a look at our long-range forecast. The red boxes fiscal year. 25 26. We saw this figure on earlier slide that we are proposing today. A 6.7 million dollar deficit. This is inclusive of all those reductions from the APRIL 15th Council meeting. And we do see the for one year. We are trending in the right direction with revenues increasing and expenditures decreasing and that overall deficit decreasing. But we can also see in the out years of that deficit continues to grow. So while we're trying to make measures to correct this year and close that deficit as much as we can the out years still remain a major consideration. So the next section is going to talk about the proposed reductions that we have built into this budget. We're going to discuss all departments reductions all at once here at the beginning section of this presentation to have kind of a concise discussion around it. And most of these were already looked at in APRIL. But I will call out the areas where we have differences. So in APRIL, we brought forward 13.1 million dollars of reductions possible reductions to move forward with that final column. That's green. This is proposed reductions totals just about 13.4. We had a couple small changes and also when we put things into our actual system, some numbers bounced around a bit. So I will call those out.

I do want to mention and the following slides. So one change we are showing in this presentation is all of our field positions that we are proposing to eliminate are named at APRIL. They were asterisk. They were considered confidential. So there is a process that goes along with eliminating filled positions for our city policies per the labor unions. We are following that process. Hr is taking all the necessary steps and they're here today to answer any questions on that. If need be at the end of the presentation. Couple changes just to call out and we'll get into the slides as we move forward. And tp w and police. Well, look at those in the coming slides. Sorry. And then finally on the furlough line item, I want to mention that staff has been looking into furloughs. At this time. It's unclear if that's something that can be implemented in the coming year or not. But we do have 1.4 million dollars of savings built into this budget. South Council would like to keep that savings and they're our deficit will stay where it is. But not knowing the future of that. If it were to be removed, that 6.7 million dollar deficit is going to be increased. By leaving it in there. We could keep our deficit where it is and continue to monitor our situation as the year goes on for lows, come to fruition, then that savings could be realized if they don't, then we would have to monitor our payroll monthly to be sure that we are putting ourselves in a bad position. So as we move through the slides, I won't be reading off line for line because we've covered most of these in APRIL. But I just want to be clear. I've said it before and I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself, but I just don't want any details to fall through. These are all built into our budget that we

are presenting. So if council wants to change direction on any of these that is going to increase that 6.7 million dollar deficit that we have. So in the city manager's office and city attorneys, office and finance, there has been no change since what we looked at in APRIL. And same with our planning and economic development department. We do have the positions named here, but the impacts and the items in the costs of all remain the same of what we saw last month. Same with the slide. There's been no change to any of our other pet proposals. And rec and parks nhts. We have not had any changes and tp w Rtw Department was able to identify funding for the materials lab, your gas tax. And so they're proposing to take that funding source to offset materials lab costs instead of an additional field position. In APRIL, there was one more field position that we have taken off the list and replaced with this other item. And the fire department. We have not had any changes since APRIL council did have hesitation over moving forward with the blackout of the truck company. And we did hear that. So in the coming slides, we do have some alternatives to propose if a brown was a more favorable option where we could still be able to hit this dollar target. But at this time, we have built in the blackout of the company into the budget numbers you'll see today. And police these top 3 positions, the field, an evidence tech, the police tech and the communications dispatcher. These were not presented in APRIL. We have added these instead of a record supervisor and a communications supervisor. The position shown in APRIL in the position show now are all non-sworn and they are all

vacant. Police just felt this are optimal for them to propose eliminating these instead of the record supervisor in the communications supervisor presented last month. And the remainder of the police were in positions have had no change. So in the next few slides, we do have some additional considerations of reductions for council to consider. So again, to be clear, the previous slides are already in the budget numbers and changing. Those will increase our deficit. The next few slides that I show you, these are not built into our budget. These are additional items for counsel to look at to ask questions about. And if council wants to move forward with any of these these wood decrease our budget. So the first few items an hr, there's a position that could be proposed to eliminate the dei in Iau officer. The 2 programs, the pg e funded dei and seat equity plan programs. These are one-time savings. So these would not reduce our deficit. But these would increase our reserves. And these projects could be released back into our reserve balance. And Ciro. A community engagement manager has been identified and fire deputy fire chief and police, a police lieutenant and then in all departments, it's been proposed to forgo the equity compensation for execs staff. Altogether. The total is 1.2 million of these options of ongoing costs that could reduce our deficit. And are homeless services program are homeless services team has identified some areas to reduce their programming. And I believe Megan going to. Come

down and queue. Thank you, Megan. I'm the director passenger will be here to explain the impacts of these items if we were to move forward with them. Good afternoon. I'm Megan passenger, director of housing and Community services. So as we were looking at the expenses associated with homeless services and the roughly 2.6 million in general fund that Veronica highlighted in prior slides. We're looking for areas where we reduce or eliminate contracts to achieve additional savings for the general fund. So some of the product programs that we identified were eliminating the city's funding for the ywca. This is a $50,000 annual contribution that we give to the ywca. Eliminates 60,000 for the season's of sharing fund. This is a program operated by can cinema. It provides tenant assistance for renters. Eliminate funding for the warming center. This was a recent addition to the homeless services budget. It provides funds as needed to activate a warming center at the carriage last drop in. Reducing the host's contract by 500,000. It's currently identified as a 1 million 35 thousand dollar contract. And then we go through reducing funding for the family support center. This item along with the drop-in center are coupled with federal funds that we used to assist Catholic charities in the operation of the Family Support Center and the drop-in center both located a center. Reducing the Sam Jones Hall operating funding by $100,000. It's a little over 2 million dollar program budget that does also receive funding from the county of Sonoma Community

Foundation of Sonoma County. And again, this is a city owned and then we contract directly with Catholic Charities for operation of this 200 plus bed facility. And then finally closing safe parking at the end of the grant, the city received an encampment resolution fund grant. We have approximately $500,000 left and we think we can operate through DECEMBER previously. We had proposed $500,000 in general fund to provide us with a year of service through JUNE, JUNE 30, 2026. Thank you, director passenger and we will be able to take questions on any of these proposed reductions at the end of this section. So again, this 1.4, 6 million. Coupled with the 1.2 million on the previous slides are options for counts to consider to move forward with, which will continue to close our deficit or move forward with in place of any other items that are already in the budget that they MAY want MAY want to pull back finally, we are identifying some recreation him, parks recreation programs that do have an impact on our general fund. The final column in Green is the net budget impact. That is the final cost. When you consider revenues minus the expenditures that it cost to run these programs and the staffing associated. So these are subsidized by the general funds on the swim center sports programs and how Earth Park. As well as contracted classes, the person senior wing, the Family Center in traditional day camps altogether. This represents about $927,000 of general fund resources that is contributing to our deficit. There is a potential here for of council wants to direct staff to look into increasing fees to make

these budget neutral or cover the costs. We wanted to identify some places within the recreation programs that could possibly help to close that deficit. So our final section today is the staffing summary. This is a summary of all staffing changes in all funds between last year and this year. So you'll see items in the coming slides of things that have already been acted on at mid-year. That is because that mid-year we took an action forward to reduce the budget. But here with our actual budget adoption, we are changing the salary and classification plan. There are also several other changes that will highlight for you that are separate from the budget reductions. The council has already considered. Citywide. We're looking at eliminating 38.9 Ft ease that covers all funds and all departments and the details and the following slide. I won't read through these line for line. I will highlight anything that hasn't been covered either at mid-year APRIL. 15th. Particularly and city attorneys office. We are increasing a paralegal position that for many years has just been 0.9 and where increasing it to a full-time position to be able to help with recruitment. And the fire department. We are replacing a building plans examiner with the fire protection engineer. This has been a long-running under feel that we are just making a correction of here in our salary plan. All other positions. Here were the 4 firefighters at the very top are acted on mid-year and everything else is part of our budget reductions. There's been no changes here. Aside from occurred at mid-year and our budget reductions, there

is a number of tbwa positions that were eliminated. Mintier has shown. And then the positions on this slide as well part of the budget reductions that we went over in APRIL. So in total, we're looking at 58.9 positions to be eliminated from the general fund. Some summary numbers for you is that of those 58.9 16 are sworn in. The fire department, although 4 of those occurred mid-year. So we're looking at 12 to sworn positions in the fire department, 9 sworn positions and police. So in total, that's 25 sworn positions. And 33.9 non-sworn. 14 positions of these 58.9 were already acted on at mid-year. And 21 positions are filled. So in total again, this is just within the general fund. Our only non general fund position changes are occurring in the fire Measure h Fund which I've mentioned a couple times now that we have tax revenue coming in for its on funding source. We are adding 20 positions in the fire department to be funded by that Measure. H tax revenue. So the 20 positions and measure h. Coupled with the 58.9 reduction in the general fund altogether brings us to a total citywide reduction of 38.9 positions. So that concludes the citywide presentation. The next section covers all the department enterprise funds and there is no new information. And the Department of Enterprise Fund sections regarding any reductions. We've covered

everything. There is. I'm including the APRIL 15th and any additional considerations for council. So this is a good stopping point for counsel at this time to ask any questions about the previous slide. We do have all department heads here to answer any questions and what we would like to know from council is what are we moving forward with with these reductions as everything from APRIL 15th still on the table, if not specifically, what should we take out and of those additional considerations? Are we moving forward with any of those? And if so, which ones? We will come back in JUNE with a final budget to adopt. But per council or sorry per city Charter. We do have to have a draft of our budget published by JUNE first. So we have to have our numbers wrapped up sooner rather than later to give us time to get that draft out to the public and to council to meet that charter requirement. So today we are hoping council has the opportunity to ask any questions they need and can provide staff direction on how to move forward. It's Connor, thank you very much. All right. Thanks to the entire finance team. And it's been many months of work on prevent you presented are are situation very clearly and very succinctly. >> And with that, bring it back to council for questions. We'll start with MISTER Donald. Quite a few questions for you, Veronica. But I'll just go to the last slide. Can you explain? >> The last item how fire is are they reducing the 20 positions but then having them funded under measure age and not clear how that reads. Measure h is its own funding source and requires us to bring in additional funding to hire additional staff. Deputy director is going to chime in

on this one for me. Thank you. >> Scott Wagner, deputy director finance for the record Councilmember Donald, thank you for your question. I would say one of our challenges here is is on boarding a tax measure. At the same time we were doing citywide reductions. Our process through that through collaboration with the fire Department manager's office and finance, first and foremost is to follow in accordance with the measure of what the city legally needs to be required. Secondly, we have developed a plan to implement measure h independently of the general fund by locating it. It own special Revenue fund so it lives and it's on its own. I think a good characterization of how we've developed. That is it's almost it's own little firefighting unit outside of the general fund. I would also say that. How that is going to be action. Eyes from an employee standpoint has not been fully developed. I think we all recognize that there needs to be a lot of consideration need towards potentially cutting firefighters from the general fund ball on boarding additional positions as well. Does that help? I really. >> let me let me ask it MAY be a different way. The 20 positions that you're proposing to cut right now currently being funded out of Measure h money. So why? Why are they listed under Measure h in this slide? I'm curious how this is. How are making a cut to something that isn't currently funded and or something. >> So Veronica can pull the slide back up for us. I think that might be helpful. But that slide specifically is showing us adding the 20 positions for measure age. So yes, sorry to interrupt slide here. This is a reduction of

18 positions. >> 4 of those were already voted on at mid-year. Several are non-sworn and 12 of them are associated with blacking out a fire station. So those are separate from onboarding. A new fire station. That we show here. Being different positions that would be added a need to be recruited for so that are funded by that tax measure. >> Yeah. Let me see if I can make this a little more clear part of the budget process in order to at positions we have to have direction from council. So. >> Normally mid-year, we would bring you a recommendation to add positions to the table organization, organization. >> So this chart here just shows the 20 employees that the fire department and city managers office have agreed along with the union to add to the table of organization. So what you're seeing here are the 20 employees that we have agreed to add to next year's budget. Now you see the reduction because we're just taking it from the total of employees that are being reduced citywide. So if you were to make a recommendation to add the 20 measure h employees, then our total reduction would be 38. Helpful. Thank you. I apologize. Is a really blonde moment. So. >> Okay. Have a couple more questions on this. Can you walk me through the reserves growth budget. I think that that's really confusing for me when I'm seeing near every year that we reserves growth

and long-term projections that are growing. But we're we're saying that we're continuing to Can you tell me why are reserves budget is so highs still in continues to grow, win. When we're asking for all these reductions. Thank you for your question. What we would like to do and finances give a more thorough answer towards the recent you know, medium term history of the city's reserves. >> That's not presented here within the slides and we'd like to do so and give a thorough presentation and report back to council. But what I would say is this. It is it is an absolute fact that we have experienced over the past decade periods of the general fund outperforming our revenue and or and or spending with our expenditures. That is something that the finance Department has brought to council council has acted on those surpluses over the last 10 years by appropriating mid-year surpluses. So it is an absolute fact that that has happened here within the past 10 years. What is also happening that is as of the last year of close in our books are reserve balances have gone down. That is a fact. We had a total reserve number of roughly 88 million dollars as of the end of 23 as of the end of 24, which is what we reported to council as part. Alas Council item was around. 68. So our reserves are going down. But again, I think I'd like to have more thorough, detailed response to kind of address some of the certain details that have been

questions. >> Can you tell me how the long-term liability gets calculated in the reserves budget as well? >> Councilmember when you say long-term liability, are you speaking to Calpers? Absolutely. So we get an annual bill from Calpers for long term, for our long-term liability payment. It's a fixed amount. Those of us have been here for a while. Can remember a time when Calpers used just give us a percentage of payroll that was associated with our long-term liability payment. Now just a fixed amount. And how that's incorporated nor budget is with every single employee in the city. They carry a burden of that unfunded liability. That is a standard and best practice throughout California frankly, nationwide towards budgeting to have unfunded amount tied to an employee. Fundamentally, there is a nexus between any employee in the city and they're benefited retirement to for them to receive a retirement. We need to pay down our unfunded liability. >> How many vacant positions do we have citywide? All right, Dominique, on key human resources director. >> So currently. We have about 61 positions that are held that are vacant overall, the kind of have a vacancy report, but it's kind of ever moving and shifting. So there's 138 positions within that vacancy report. 42 of those are on various status of being filled or in recruitment backgrounds. And 17, about one, 38 are currently defunded from the

mid-year. >> If I heard you correctly, I apologize. You're telling me there's 61 vacancies currently citywide, correct. And in our long-term projections and our deficit. Are you projecting that long-term liability if those 61 seats were actually filled? >> That's a great question. And that's one of the challenges of the Calpers is that if we had 0 city employees. >> Our payment to Calpers for unfunded liabilities going to be exactly the same. It is a fixed amount. It's is seen as a as a mortgage amortization. We are on schedule with them. >> So when we hear that the term our long-term liability, I'm just trying to get to this on Calpers. It doesn't change at all for our deficit. When we're looking at layoffs. Is that what you're telling me? That's 6 to mount of 61 more. It doesn't go up currently at 61 viewer doesn't go down. Correct? That's interesting. It's very challenging for the city. I could see that would be because it doesn't make any mathematical sense at all. To me. Yes, and unfortunately with. >> All all areas that are challenging and frustrating for the city with Calpers. That's got to be one are these are decisions that the city was not party to to make. They were enforced upon us. >> Okay. Can you go back to the slide where we're talking about blacking out the fire department and that recommendation that I guess was taken from the APRIL 15th meeting. Is that calculated in this current projection that you automatically were blocking that out and then

that would take a reverse decision over the next 2 days from council to not have a black out versus up Maybe you could answer the differences in those and how that affects us. Said the city. So yes, the 3.0, 5, 8, 2 million dollar benefit of blacking out a fire station is built into these budget numbers. So that 6.7 million dollar deficit. >> Is a result of closing a fire station and blocking it out. If council does not want to block out the fire station. That's what we're asking for direction on today. And if the option is to increase Ted Brown out a fire station, the cost of Browning out a fire station, I believe was around $950,000. So that would be so the difference there would be something that would impact our bottom line. It would increase the deficit unless council wanted to move forward with other proposed reductions. Thank you for that answer for Bennett Valley. Golf Course is, is it going in and little different direction? We are transferring out money. But I know there's an item coming later on the agenda tonight about that. >> Can you tell me about how much those create fees would have to increase? Have a flat budget. >> We're we're going to work with the consultant to try to come up with I think of a break-even rate to just understand what would be the rate impact of $500,000 gap. That we're working on that we really need to work with them to do so. They've been the very engaged. Partner in us, raising our rates in a way

that we've been more aggressive. Then in the past. And yeah, we can. We can come back with an understanding of how high would need to go like any market. There is a break breaking point in what the market is going to bear towards the sudden dramatic increase in rates where like any economics once you can't just on the leave raise rates because it will hurt total revenue coming in. Course. But yes, I it's wise of the city to understand what that market can bear in this given our total circumstance. >> All right. Looking for that at budgeting and things like this. When we're looking at cuts to employees versus funding golf courses and recreation activities, there's a lot around recreation. What my my question is specifically around recreation is what do we have income from our rec's department versus outgoing and this reflective of money that's going out to cover the expenses of the rec department and where? Where is that savings? >> So what? Veronica's presented is essentially a net number. So any of the programs listed here? >> Show an offset to revenue, which is the net. Loss of those programs MAY be one way to put it on what the the general fund sub city net amount is going towards them. That can be something that we can bring back to council to have a general understanding of of all of our rec programs. How much for a dollar we spend much to bring in revenue, but that those are specific to great programs. That camp is that watch time. >> I want whatever when that one is, I just know it like

sells out instantly for parents. So when it showed a deficit, I was curious, is it really running into a deficit or is that a flat? Probably either. Jackie, our deputy director, if you want to come down and speak to this number. >> Good Jeff, to its director with recreation and Parks Jackie him in our area. So is with me. While she digs through her notes, just a generally address. The question. So, yeah, these are reflective of >> what? We're not recovering through fees. So each area does reflect where there is some loss or subsidy provided from the General Fund for the program. We've taken a brief dive into some of the aspects in terms of like fee increases and some. But some of those things are that are capable. And I know Jack is a little more detail that I know you asked about the camp one. We do have a figure for the amount that would be needed to raise that cap of of increase in fees to make it more flat. Correct. Great. Thank you for explaining that and letting us know that we have an option to raise those fees to make a tough spot. >> Program budget for us. So it's that at least break even for us. And again, just to clarify, that's going to be different in each area, right? Some areas. It's not going to be attainable because >> you're gonna reach a point. Think people out and then it gets into the strategy. Also of. You know, we have a subsidy program and we're also having conversations. How do build on that subsidy program? The subsidy programs often leave. Portion of your population out as well, right, that that more middle income area where they're not eligible for subsidies and we start pricing them out. Just a note on that. There is a new financial sustainability

program offered training program and kind of philosophy for explicitly for recreation and parks offer to the California Parks and Recreation society. Some of our neighboring cities of in participating in it and conversations with them. They're kind of adjusting their whole philosophy around fee collection and recreation. So we've had conversations with them and we're looking into upcoming options for that to participate as well too. And the future bring you potentially whole new kind of recreating what the fee model is for recreation and the goals and kind of setting Koster cover eagles and all those types of things by different program areas. >> Thank you for the explanation. I just have. I think one more question for now. Thanks, Mayor. Could you tell me how the parking fund works when we are running money out of General Fund for Enterprise district, you probably can't things. Sure. So the parking fund for parking operations, they received their own revenues through metered parking in garages, etc. For parking enforcement, our ticketing operation. We received the revenue for parking tickets in the General fund and then we transfer the resources to pay for parking enforcement into the parking fund. It's usually a wash some years. The general fund comes out a little bit ahead. Some years. We come out a little bit behind. But overall, it's >> one for one in the grand scheme of things as helpful. Thank I think that's it for now. Thank you, MR. Donald, flooding. >> Most my questions are answered. But probably should

have kept MR. Tibbetts down here to talk to get a little bit more about how we could manager fee schedules. With the parks and recreation services. Interested hear that you some some potential source of information about how to manage these fees. But I'm just curious to know what sort of philosophy we would bring to adjusting that the schedule. So having not gone through the full program. >> You know, one of the examples that other city issues with me is often times you look at programming like senior center programming and that's kind of how we categorize things, right. Aquatic senior center's youth programs and then your your cost recovery go kind of goes based more off of the recipient instead of off of the program that's being offered. Whereas if you looked at like lifelong learning or talk development or those types of things, so it kind of flipping the philosophy is to flip that and to look at more of the service than the recipient, because often what happens and senior programs, again, an example it's often used is we know there are many seniors in our community who need subsidies because of their impacted, you know, budgets. And so. When we look at it as a program, we program it with a certain subsidy model in mind. Whereas if you look at there could be participants that wouldn't necessarily need that So we're subsidizing for the lowest level recipient of the service and then and those cases. And you're missing opportunity to recover some revenue. So the new model would then be to try to recover as much revenue as possible. >> The new model could be developed. It's it's really again, having gone through the full training, its four-day

training so certainly a lot to learn on it. But the idea is you start, you know, we would be able to bring different options to this council to say, hey, this area of programming. What would be the subsidy goal? And then looking at those overall cost again, because a lot of times historically and recreation looks at recovery. It looks at the direct cost of the program. So how much are you paying the camp counselors? How much are you spending on the art supplies? How much he's spending on field trips and it leaves out some of those other citywide. And that's just kind of in the built-in subsidy is the coordinator to oversee the program and the infrastructure of the department is always kind of not always been calculated as part of that. So this is a whole different philosophy. 2 approached all think differently and work with your local council to decide. Where our priorities and what is our intended recovery in each of these. And then as those chain as those costs change in the future, it's a formula that we're bringing to you says, hey, based off of this formula, this is what the new fee should be. Okay. Well, it sounds like it's complex and I certainly don't understand all that well, at this point. >> But I just would add you know, going forward, the idea that I would come. But with his, you know, if we can maintain the programs during difficult period of time through whatever means necessary. >> In terms of increases and that way, when times are better, we have. And for this, the the human resources, infrastructure and the programming infrastructure able to to come in, where is if we let them do you know, it's a lot more to spin them

back up. >> thank you. I think that my last question >> is first. I Would you just remind is Donald talk a little bit about the reserves. Would remind is what percentage of our general fund budget is required to be in our reserves. I thank you for your question. >> Council members. So our council mandated policy is 15 to 17% and when we looked at that in our prior meeting the right around 35 million dollars and all all ad as a frequent talking point towards that is that the purpose of that money is too. Create a fund for the city to operate during unforeseen circumstances, most commonly as disaster. Appreciate it. I just want to get that. You've got a number of things. You okay. So we have our 15 to 17% in right there. And you said that it has been declining. >> In the last year as a percentage of the general fund. You have like a 3 year. And if okay do, but just what what it's been at in terms of the the decline. Yeah, I let me I don't have that right up to tip my fingers. I probably have it for the end of this meeting. I'll try to if not, what we can do is we can provide just history >> of that number. I think that would be helpful for everyone. >> Okay. And I think that because it's easy target to look at is a part of money during really difficult times. It might be helpful since many of us were not here in the reconstruction immediately following the Tubbs fire to take to do a little walk down history lane about what happened with that fun and

what what kinds of uses. It was put so great. It could just be a few minutes conversation later on down. When you have the the projections of how it's been going. Thank you for that direction. Thank you. >> Thank you. Were to go to our online colleague next, MR. Okrepkie if we could. I came in. Thank you, MR. Mayor of a couple questions just to refresh my memory. So when it comes to homeless services. We started Sam Jones Hall in 2002 and then ramp up the rest until 2018 issues. That correct? Thank you for your question. Sam Jones Hall was opened in 2005, but the city did have another homeless shelter. >> That was open in about the year 2000. The Brookwood, Homeless shelter by the police station. We started the host services, I believe is around 2016, 17. And since then, as we saw an increase in the visibility of encampments and homelessness, we've added safe parking and additional services which include the warming center. I would like to note that the city ports, the family support center and the Homeless Services Center goes back into the early 2. Thousands, if not late, 1990's. >> Okay. And >> how are all of those services originally funded was always out of the general fund. >> When Brookwood homeless shelter in Saint John's Hall were initially acquired and started. They were acquired Cdbg resources for Brookwood,

funded by the General fund. Sam Jones Hall was acquired with a state grant and then funded with the general fund primarily, although it is offset by funding from the Community Foundation and from the county of Sonoma and that model, that financing model has not changed over the last 20 years host was started as a general fund program. As for Annika noted, in her presentation, it was offset by arpa funding for the last few years, which is why we're seeing slightly dramatic increase in general fund spending. >> Sorry, I'm trying to scan through presentation. So boat. So the ywca seasons of sharing. >> All those. How are There's always been funded by the General Fund. >> ywca is a general fund program and that was added within the last say 5 years or council direction season of sharing is a program that was recently added, but that was to replace a nother program that snow McCAnn offered. And that has been in place for it. At least 15 to 20 years, if not longer. And that has been traditionally a general fund contribution. Historically, we have offset some of these expenditures with our community development block grant and we pivot between Cdbg and General Fund to assist these programs. >> Thank >> most of my questions for recreation already answered. I'll just reiterate will. So my colleagues already said that I'm in favor of looking to increase fees to cover some of those costs versus cutting those programs wherever possible. >> And

>> And the fire department. Already talk that measure age to Measure h we can't. Cannot supplant correct. >> Good afternoon. Council's cholesterol. Fire chief for the city of Santa Rosa Council. Member happy to answer your Measure h and hands not supplant sales tax, meaning that we can supplant general fund expenditures with Measure h funds like MR. Wagner said it's in addition to what we currently have and we have to live within a baseline and the maintenance of effort with Measure h through a county coc. So we cannot supplant general fund with measure h positions. If that answers your question wherever you are. >> To >> let's okay. So. If we were to black out of station, we lose our savers grant and that would mean our squads. That correct. >> So, yeah, I just want to Councilmember MacDonald asked the question earlier and I just wanted to be very, very clear that the difference between a brown out and a blackout is what we do with the people. It is a station closure company closure one way or the other. With a blackout. We would lay off the personnel and they would, you know, we could technically rolled into other roles. But with the Brown out there rolled into suppression, the savings come this actually savings in our expenditures non-contract overtime. So either way, it's a station were company closure. Your question is in regards to safer is tied directly to that in that safer is tied to a staffing maintenance level and safer was. Here is a grant

that we received from the federal government for 2.9, 3 million dollars a year. And it's 12 per stellar tied to that. And they are on advanced life support squad. So our staffing maintenance level should drop below a particular number. We're going to have to go in and work with fema on a waiver. And as we discussed last time, it is feasible. However, it is working with different administration of the federal government to try to maintain federal staffing for firefighters. So I would say it's an uphill battle to do it. And that would happen through a blackout. If it's a brown out, our staffing main was level remains the same. That answers your question. >> It does. So just to summarize that if we were to black out of station, we would have to rely on the federal government and their good graces to keep our safer grant correct. >> Okay. So the so the threat there is obviously that we could close a company can lose both squads. So nothing would be a reduction of one resource of the reduction of 3. If the federal government didn't sign off on our waiver. >> Well, it seems so efficient so far my next question is one of the things that was on the alternatives was. >> deputy chief. >> We always had 2 deputy chiefs. >> So we have not always had 2 Deputy chiefs. We had 2 deputy chiefs prior to the recession in. 0, 708, and a lot of what we're talking about here is work that we've collectively done over the last 2 decades to come out of the recession. And then of course, we have the Tubbs fire in the end

covid. So we had 2 deputy chiefs in 2022, we did a re org in which it which time what we did was we gave up our a s own research and program coordinator and brought in a second deputy chief into That's how we created it was in 2022. Based on the size of the organization, the workload, how we're trying to grow. We brought the second deputy chief in and it's been very, very effective. So currently we have a deputy Chief of administration which oversees emergency management fire prevention and Fire administration and a deputy chief of operations who receives suppression, training, ems and support services. >> All right. Thank you. And then I'll start with you. That's probably chief Cregan as well. With some of the cuts that are proposed and that to get into specifics. But I know for succession planning strategic, go enforce strategically fire. Police have very open discussions about retirements expected retire one period. >> So my question for you and it's gonna same for Chief Cregan is some of these cuts be achieved via retirements. And I don't mean on JULY one. Exactly. But over course of the next couple months. >> So for the fire department, it's a little bit different. We've been talking about this since budget reduction scenario meeting is the fire service has a very different culture. That's that's information that's typically closed, kept very close to the vest. So we have a prediction based on and tenure in the department are tenure in the

purse program. Could see 5 retirements in the next year or so. But we don't have right now. We don't have any official notifications of any retirements between now and the the end of the fiscal year or the end of the calendar year. >> Thanks you for trip 3 in. Same question to you. But John Cregan, our chief of police and thanks customer Okrepkie for the question. So for us, we have had very candid conversations with our labor groups on this. As we've been preparing for the last couple months of the upcoming cuts and we had in addition, officer retire on Thursday. So as of now we have 6 Warren positions that are vacant with that. And we're estimating by the end of the year that will potentially have 5 to 6 other ones, even by the end of the summer. That will have additional 4 officers. So we have several we lose through attrition. We average 8 to 10 officer the years to retirement through medical few moving on to other organizations. So that's our average of 8 to 10 officers a year and right now we're having those conversations. I wholeheartedly expect that we'll have at least 5 more retirements within the next 6 months of our sworn staff. I guess. My next question would be for a combination of the city manager and finance. >> In general with some of these positions specific as we just talked about public safety. Instead of cutting JULY one of the beginning of fiscal years there. Is there an appetite or are you okay with say, you know, one of the officers were officer positions is retiring in OCTOBER, for example, to be waiting talked over for that to be taken care of the attrition versus a cut JULY

one. >> Yeah, thank you for the question. You know, over our goal is to make certain that. You we really would prefer layoffs not to happen. So we would definitely consider it and be agreeable to making certain that. We replace people, whether it's retirement are some form of attrition. >> That's all my questions. If life were ok, given direction now I I'd say that my directions for be personally. >> Would >> In all departments to look for any cuts that could be having 3 to 3 tyrants. First. When it comes to by opposed to a blackout. And am very hesitant. Brownouts. >> I would also say that Meyer has already said when it comes to recreation, increase the fees. >> To to try to get to. >> That neutral on on. Those is my preference. And then I guess. Part of my direction question would also again, go to the city manager, which would be I know. In these kind of times. Creativity comes from, you know, need right when like this are faced or propose that there's a level of creativity. It comes. Would it be possible to? >> maybe. >> After JULY one back what's called q to Begin q to OCTOBER. 1st with a proposal that MAY come for possible further revenue. Increases departments that MAY have new ideas to help offset some of the cuts that that they're being proposed is that a possibility? >> Yeah, that's a possibility. And we actually have some departments working on some

revenue measures. Now fire is working with a consultant right now and they have some other ideas that I believe are a potential revenue measures that will be brought forward. And I've been working with finances well on some additional revenue measures and we can work to bring those forward as quickly as possible. >> Thank you. City manager. Yeah, I guess. This is this is going to continue to be a fluid situation. And so I want to be nimble as possible on this and not to be too draconian. 2 quick. So with that, I'll turn it back over the mayor. Thank you. >> Thank you. Just a note on process here, we have an unusual in the complex discussion today. Going to limit this stage 2 questions. But then at the end, we will come back for preliminary guidance. And we do have some conflicts here on the dais will have to handle those and those those conflicts in different ways. Right now, it's limit ourselves to questions. And with that over to you, MR. Rogers. >> I wanted to ask a few more questions about fire. The process. Second, better clarification my first question lawyer coming down is brownouts. >> It's a rotating of different stations that we have in. Are we taking into account when we have those brownouts >> the service areas that they are servicing. >> So that's been sort of the pressing question of if we have a station closure or company closure, which company would it be? We're committed to working with our labor group and with our own team to figure out through a data-driven analysis, whether it should be a rotating type

of situation. Where would impact everybody the same throughout throughout the city where if it would be one particular station coming out of the hose a recession. We did rotating grant of 2 different stations station 11 in the Junior College District in station 10 in the southwest and are rotated between those 2 stations, which was a ground out on a particular tour, regardless of what station it is, there is going to be a very significant system wide impact with a brown namely because it engine is 10% of your effective firefighting force. The last time that we had a new station or if we close station there closed an engine company. We're sitting back to service on those were at an OCTOBER of 2007. That time we were responding to 18,761 calls for service and a popular population base of 155,000 last year. Last count Iran over 28,000 calls for service and a population base of 178,000. So in that time since we were at those levels at engine companies, we've seen a 51% increase in call volume and a 14% increase. Population. Associate of Lee with the truck company. If we are too Browne, outer clothes, a truck company. The last time that we had one truck company was 2001 and using sort of commensurate statistics there. We've seen a 73% increase in call volume since then, a 17% increase in call volume. There is a very significant system

wide impact to any station closure at all. Truck company. Okay. So typically what we operate on a day-to-day basis is we have. 10 fire engines, which is the small pumping engines like engine one that drives by here all the time. In fact, it's right there. But it's a small pumping engine. It's staffed with 3 people. We have 2 ladder trucks which are 17507 foot articulating Ariel. So it's the fire trucks to see what to drivers on the front and the back. We have to those in town when you're downtown one on the on the West side. And then we have the 2 advanced life support squad. On a day-to-day basis, this community is protected by 10 fire engines, 2 ladder trucks and 2 squads. There's difference. There's a difference in what they do on a day-to-day basis, particularly in special events, such as structure, fires, vegetation, fires, extra patients. We have a very sound and solid operation on each position on those resources knows exactly what to do on those incidents. The engines are 3 person. The trucks are 4 person, the squads or 2, but the trucks, a very specific functions. They they don't have hoses, but they have chainsaws. Extrication tools, rescue equipment, things like that. >> Okay. >> I just want to say 10 is in my district. With a verbally tweets that so layoffs. >> Personnel >> What our current response time with the stations that we have open or does it depend on where we're at in the city? >> So council a response and

go for the fire Department 5 minutes from dispatch to arrival 90% of the time. And to give you sort of litmus test here of where we're at in 2014. Our chief into the school is 76.5, 1% of the time. 2024, it was 60 point. Hey, one. So conceivably I do believe this is very much the case that we've had an increase demand for service with the without the commensurate growth in our resources are organization. In other words, we're running more calls with the same matter resources we were in 2014. We've just so, you know, and I just want to make sure that I'm giving you all the information is we didn't internal response to an analysis looking at our current deployment. What we have all the factors that we could come up with to determine what factors we can mitigate aside from adding additional resources. So we did this analysis and we've instituted all those changes. So things like technology upgrades traffic patterns training, monitoring and accountability. So we've done everything that we can do to take away those seconds to counter that towards that compliance. But going back in time as does just gonna make that worse. Quite frankly. >> What I mean, I know you don't no, but what would you propose? Think that the increase in time would be for a response. >> Well, it would be ems calls, which is largely about 70% of what we do would be an 8% reduction in resources, available there be a commencement 8 to 10% raise response times again, it's very, very hard to predict because the closure of one company impacts the

surrounding you know, if engine 10 tree or example, I'm not saying this is the case of engine 10 is closed immediately engine Roseland engine to in Stony Point Road. And downtown, it's going to draw those resources away from their first 2 areas. So that's why I'm saying the one closure is going to have a domino effect on the rest of the system and the rest of the city. >> And all my questions for. >> fire had another one. If I remember. Okay, I'm here. All right. Thanks. I think this is for finance. Is it Is it a coincidence that the co Liz are very close to what we're asking for? >> The reduction this came up. And so I was like, oh, I never thought of it that way. But is it a coincidence or It's a coincidence that the ef 4% plus 5% is 9%. And we estimating roughly a 78% cut. >> So yes. >> All right. And we're not giving. The rest. So those are my questions. Not quite yet. We'll come back to that. Thank you. Thank you. Ben Willows. >> I wondering if the fire chief could come more. Please. I know we've we've talked a lot about Measure h. And i just want to say just so folks understand We've had like over 1000 inquiries about measure So I want for the purpose of the public, especially even more than myself and the rest of the council. Would you talk about? How Measure h applies to the city of Santa Rosa. And if there any restrictions as

how it can be utilized. Absolutely. So. >> Some history on Measure h is actually in 2023. There is a sales tax measure flow to do is measure g going forward and it failed by 1.7% at this 66% margin. So we went back to the drawing board and start over as the snowy County Fire Chiefs Association working with our labor Partners and partnership the county to develop Measure h Measure h is a half-cent general sales tax that supports and strictly the fire service throughout Sonoma County. So through the allocation of that sales tax, the city receives 14.4% of the sales tax and direct costs. The initial plan when Measure h was built in 21. 22 was for it to pay for salaries, benefits and infrastructure. The original plan and the plan still today is to build 3 stations at 35 personnel and 3 new companies. So that was the intent over the course of the last couple years. Things have changed namely it's been there's increase across the board. It's not just Santa Rosa, but everybody's feeling at the increase in personnel costs the increase in infrastructure. All of that's gone up coupled with the fact that after the fact and how was costed, there was precedent set by attorney that Measure h we spent on anything. So while we only cost people and infrastructure now as Mr, Wagner stated it's so little fire department and lives within its own funding mechanism. So things like like the fire engine for the new resources turnouts uniforms, overtime administration. All those fees are in there. So what you saw on the slide up there, the 20 people that's where we had to essentially

stretch that those dollars out to try to make that fund solvent in and of itself for at least 10 years because the general fund is not a position to augment measure h so as we were has also stated Measure h is enhanced nasa plan tax, that we have to be very cautious with that. There is a county citizen Oversight committee. There'll be much larger than peace out. But we're gonna have to go in and just a fire dollars, spend making sure within were in guidelines of the we're still there. Still a lot of flexibility and we have agreement with the city manager with finance with our labor group that were for fluid and flexible of what we do with those positions. But the end goal is to continued at fire resources to the city of Santa Rosa. There's a subset to that in that that's the direct funding. There's also in direct funding in that our dispatch fees are now covered through measure h so used to be a 1.5 million dollar allocation of the general fund. He's now covered by Measure h and the funding going to Sonoma County Fire chief state. They pass through those dollars for us. Our Alexa pool fees which are about $25,000 a year. Those are in direct costs that we're saving because that bill is now being paid by the sales tax training and technology is also in there as well. So there's a lot of benefit. It's not what we thought it was going to be in, at least from from my personal take is the fire chief. I wanted it done now. I wanted to build right now because we we have studies going back, you know, with a grand jury report in 2004, our

strategic centers are covered 6.16, in our current one all show that we need to grow. You all know we need to grow. And so that was our catalyst to grow. And so now we're in this this difficult place of the general fund. We're looking one way and and measure h we're looking the other way. So I don't want to be taken as a failsafe. It was meant to grow Honda. What we had my fear is that we're going put a net 0 at the end of the day. The measure h does give us the ability to continue to add resources is just not going to be as fast as we all Was that helpful? Barry, thank you. You bet. >> So thank you. That was really that was very, very helpful. >> So in terms of the blackout in the Brown out first, I want to see just with all due respect to that finance team, I think if I recall the majority of the council, we didn't take a vote or anything. We're leaning toward brownouts. I don't think anybody was in favor of blackout. So it's kind of surprised to see it on on this presentation. But even beyond that. What I'm hearing in the community is that there's not a whole lot of difference between a blackout in a brown out. And I wonder what your feeling about this chief that if that is the case. If it were up to you, what would you rather see? I'm I'm really not in favor of a blackout, but is there much difference in brown out? >> operationally between a blackout a brown out, there is no difference. It's the closure of a company. Like I said, it's what we do with people yeah, absolutely. I'd I'd rather maintain the 12 positions and be able to put them in suppression because on top of, you know, the litany

of impacts that I have listed here. One of the big ones is our ability to recall personnel or hold personnel over in case of major disaster. If you look at our history with that in 2017, we did a full de pere recall twice for the Tubbs Fire and then for the Oakmont Fire. On the 14th. We did a once in 2019 for the Kincade Fire. We did it twice in 2020 and we just saw what happen with la with their ability to recall or hold over staffing. So so we've learned a lot since 17 and we have staff. So it gives us more bodies to be able to upset to gives us more resources to be able to put on the road. So. Being able to retain those employees is priority priority. In these are interchangeable. Does not change or a level of service to the community. We're already lower than we should be. We need to you know, the change in threat matrix, the change in infill housing, the change in our population. Always the fact that we need to grow so leave you with this is the fire department understands the financial situation. The city is You have a very difficult decision to make we are willing to work with you and work with the city manager and finance under labor group to find ways that we can maintain our level of service. There is going to be impact somewhere but maintain or operational level of service and still give what needs to be given to make sure that we're being good partners good fiduciary responsible employees at the city. So we have some ideas that we need to vent through the city manager. But, you know, we're kind of waiting to see where these presentations go. But we

have been brainstorming could collectively as a department and as a labor management group on ways we could find other areas to cut the other could be a reduction in service on the customer service side in admin. You know, they they're very small staff of really it's only about 4 in admin that hand all the customer service permitting plan, review all those things. Could be an emergency management. You know, there's an emergency manager on there that takes where redundancy and emergency management and her ability to do alert warning notifications, evacuations, things like that. So being given the direction to focus on core services, my my prom with that and I always kind of. Laugh with the city manager, like I think everything we do has a core service, every person or 165 of us have some mission, of course, service and we all share the same mission to serve the city. So we have some ideas. But I just I want you to understand that the way that our budget set up, where like 85 to 87% salaries and benefits as we go through this exercise and we start looking a big number somewhere, there will be a service impact. And we just have to balance what that means that we're willing to help are willing to find alternative ways working with my boss and him with finance. Thank you. >> I think next question I have actually for Megan and I their shoes. Thank you. Chief. You're there so quickly. I'm looking for the slide on the homeless reductions. Can find

it really quick. I found it. I. Think my main concern, I mean, I'm looking at this it's alarming. But I'm wondering about impacts. Overall. What do you some of these? Making these kind of cuts on these programs what kind of impact that's going to have on the program or some of them just going to go away altogether like him looking at the safe parking in particular, but some of the others as well. So I think we have to have a little bit of a recusal here on part of this conversation. As I'm understanding, we have a council member who sits on the board of directors of is it is it con MAY be saying it incorrectly which impacts a seasons of sharing. So that. >> I like recuse with late after accuse the entire conversation. And we're just at what I'm going to suggest to the only the only issue she's an member. There's still a conflict. It's not a conflict under the Political Reform Act because she doesn't a financial interest as a different kind of conflict. And so what I'm going to suggest here is that the council member recuse that she listen to this conversation and then she can come back with any questions or items that pertain to any of the items on the list other than the Seasons of sharing, which is the one where she has a conflict. So maybe we can just take a brief pause and give her a moment, too, right up the steps. So she doesn't MISS Out on this part of the conversation. Thank you, MR. Rogers and been with We're

back to you. Okay. Saw just go through the list as presented on the slide. So again, this is the $50,000 contribution for the ywca. We are a portion of their operational budget I know the ywca will be making public comments when that is open tomorrow. But I would anticipate they are still able to operate. Their facility would be a budgetary They could address that with seasons of sharing. This is a new contribution to this particular program. We support the administration of what is a fundraising campaign that is done annually to provide tenant assistance. It likely will impact the the program. But it is again, a small component of of their overall program. Yesterday services manager Kuykendahl and I met with genuine homes. The ceo of Catholic Charities to walk through impacts Catholic Charities programs. So specifically on the next the remainder of the slides with the warming center. We could eliminate this aspect of the contract. It's essentially can on-demand service. There would be the we would eliminate the ability to stand up a warming center when our weather dictates. So there would be an impact to our homeless population, but they still would have access. 2 are homeless shelter and Associated Services. If they she's too engaged in the U.S. The most significant impact would be to the host program and this 500,000 could. Compromise our ability to continue to make progress

progress on homelessness and we have made significant progress over the last few years and our upcoming homeless count is going to indicate that we've made even more progress over course of the last year achieving a drop of in excess of 15%. So this would be half of the city's contribution. These are the individuals that are out there engaging with the homeless population, trying to bring them into services. Additionally with cuts that the police department is incorporating for dt. This will have more of an impact and that there's fewer individuals that are out there engaging and trying to entice individuals to access services. The support from the Family Support Center. Again, this is when the Catholic Charities feels they could absorb. Family support center does have other aspects of funding could accommodate this $100,000 cad. The drop-in center again is is one of the areas where did give Catholic charities pause in that this is the facility located in downtown Santa Rosa that is open to the homeless population, provides them with a place to coming off the streets, access services engage with housing counselors. It also could create through this reduction additional impacts to our downtown businesses. So I anticipate we might hear concerns expressed from from those organizations if this one was to proceed. The reduction to Sam Jones Hall, we believe that can be absorbed. So this is one that we could certainly proceed with. Today in to sup 8, there would be minimal impacts to the overall program. And then finally with closing safe parking. As I noted earlier, we do have grant funds

available to take us at least through DECEMBER 2025. We plan on looking for additional funding sources. If the state was to reopen the encampment resolution funding, which they've indicated they will. We will pursue that to try and continue the operation of this facility. Again, this is located on city property and has proven to be a valuable resource for reducing vehicle encampments throughout Santa Rosa. Then the associated impacts on the residents and neighborhoods. Be happy to answer any other questions. Thank you. I think that's really helpful. Thank Megan. I think my last question was around for lows. And I don't know who maybe. Yeah. H r. Just. >> In looking at the way it's listed. One of our charts going to try and find it right now. I'm wondering. Since a thing for lows MAY not be appropriate for certain within our employees. I'm wondering. You know, to the finance team, if realistic to have him out there right now. Or maybe you can address that. Coming funky human resources director feel free to cut in finance. >> The furlough number was based off of just general fund Didn't include enterprise or a sworn positions and it was more or less just kind of give council ballpark of an option again, furloughs. That's not something that we can impose on to the unions or their membership. So it's something that as an option they could discuss with us. But it's not

something that we can enforce. That's what I thought. Thank you. I think that's it for now. Thank you. Thank you, MR. Donald, give a clarifying question. >> Thank you, mayor. My questions specific for put the sand and fire. So I apologize they should or your running shoes. So I have a question on the cost for staffing specifically police or firefighter. What's the timeline chief or what's the cost to the city when we hire somebody out of the academy and how long does it take to get them actually in their own patrol car? And what's that investment? >> And for the police department speak specifically, it's a long process. So we have about a 4 month background process where you're going to have a dedicated background investigator. They're going to Ng doing a comprehensive review of that person's background that we have a series of tests of a or a board and then a physical test site test a lie detector test. The Chiefs interview. So that's about 4 months of staff time. That's going to in kind services. Then we go to the 20 week police academy to the junior college in with salary benefits, equipment uniforms. It's $87,000 for them that we're is our total commitment for that 20 week academy with everything included. Then they finished the 20 week academy and we do a 22 week field training program internally where we have a senior officer training with them. So adding

like that. So it's over a year process. So all that combined with staff time and there were looking just over $200,000 that we putting of internal staff time with a dedicated direct Spence of $87,000 that we're putting for that trainees are pretty significant investment from that from the time they start their application to their driving a patrol car by themselves. >> So the investment just to get an officer ready to go out. There are several $100,000 just based on how long it takes. And the reason I bring this up specifically is the difference it MAY be is for staffing, firefighter or police officer versus maybe somebody else in the city because of the long term investment we've made on current officers and separate. >> Yes. And for the officers, it's mandated by posed by the California post like that, that's the police officer standards and training with that has those mandates not only in the background process and the academy has mandated. The 20 week says just over 768 hours and then through the field training program, those are all state mandated programs are very rigid with the guidelines that we must follow. >> Same question for you, But Chief Korean, we stay here. I have a question for you as well. >> So for the fire department, it's it's a little bit different. We are prerequisites for even accept an application. You have to have the basic level of certification and training before you apply. Meaning you have a general education background the fire service. So when we get somebody conditional job offer, they go through very much a similar

background process, physical psych polygraph, all those things that runs us between 3 $5,000 per employee to go through that and the entirety of that process because of where we've been with staffing. We have that timeline whittled down to about 6 weeks. So it's pretty quick to get them through background process versus it was 6 months a few years ago just because of the impact that we had with hiring that. On top of that, we have to equip them Muncy get through all that stuff. An unconditional offer. We have to equip them with new turnout. Switcher, said boots, uniforms, things like that. So there is a front in investment and then they go into an academy for us in the academy. Is they have a general background education. They MAY work somewhere else. But the 12 week Adam is teaching the center is a way. So when they hit the floor, they're ready to go right to work. So our process a little bit shorter, a little bit less expensive because we require that academy before they come into the fire department. >> Okay. And this is a general question but related to this. If you guys could just stay there, do we have any other employees in the city that take this same type of like psych evaluations are and additional classes that have be MAY be paid for by the city just that answer. As far as some of the considerations I see on the proposed budget just to go back on the browning out there. Are actually skews me. Let's go to sites 17 where it talks specifically about the the

minimum baseline calculation. What does that mean exactly on baseline calculation versus us being over. So baseline calculation is written to into our ordinance for the Public Safety and prevention tax. That's a quarter cent tax that we get on all spending in Santa Rosa goes to public safety to police, fire and violence prevention. >> That ordinance requires that the police department, regardless of the year funding General Fund Police Department budget is at least 34.3% of our total General fund budget. It requires that the fire department is at least 23.7% of our general fund budget. And the violence prevention is at least 4% of our general fund budget. We have to maintain those funding levels even if we reduce our general fund or whatever else happens, we have to maintain those funding levels in the general nothing to do with how many community members they serve, how many calls they go out on how many people that were growing this city by. It's just based on language and that measure. This is based on language in the measure that was at the time. This was where the funding stood. The police department at that year was 33.3% of general fund. So the assumption was as things grow and change. We do not want these funding levels to drop a nice that and perhaps be relying more on this public safety and prevention tax. The general fund was originally in my brain. It was just a little misleading. It felt like it was saying this is what we have to do. But we're doing more than that. I just want to

be clear to the community that that's not the case. >> That we do more because we have more to serve and we haven't actually stopped more in police or fire if I'm correct since we've grown this city, I just want to know how many firefighters or police have grown over the last 8, 5, 6, years as we as the city grows. >> So real quick, just because it helps cement me wrap my brain around this because it's always baselines. Always very confusing. This maintenance of effort number is to make sure that peace tap is not being used to supplant the general fund. So that's that's where the bar is set. If we dip down below that bar now we are supplanting so that's how it always makes sense to me because it confusing. You so for the fire department. And the question was how many employees if we had id in totality? Or how many people we hired because it's sort of 2 different numbers there. >> How many have you hired to in addition to what you had the last 5 years? >> So really the only additional bodies that we better that well, for the safer grant, cracks or our staffing has been the same really since the Tubbs Fire. Honestly, it's really been her operational staff been the same since 2007. So it has really changed in for was the first time or the squads. For the first time we have added additional resources additional personnel to our operations staff. >> Same ut Korean. For the

police department. We've seen highs and lows and women studying this. I did a 35 year analysis of the last 35 years of. >> What are sworn staffing was our civilian staffing at our base community population and it's gone high and low. Our peak staffing. Riverhead in our department's history was in 2006 and that was with 190 sworn and 91 civilians. I was our peak today. We're at 184 sworn so we're 6 below. And that was before next Roseland with that. So we're 6 below that. And our civilian staff is that 78. So that's come down more substantially with that with these new staffing will go back to where we were to do. The tents were in cuts and the 4 civilian cuts. We would go back to. 1998. Is what our staffing would be with it. So we have at the time, obviously was a much smaller population. So we had a population of 136,000. So that, but is that 174 sworn and 74 civilians, if we make the cuts that are proposed here today. So that does put it in perspective with its what's going on. But that's our management team. We've had some talk about adding this lieutenant position. That's 1, 2 that has some concerns with our last staffing study had in 2021, we did our last outing study and called out our lieutenant, which is our patrol watch commanders and they are the managers of managing these more critical incident. So we happened making sure that we reduced the liability for city and properly manage those incidents. Currently, we don't have graveyard patrol watch. Commanders MAY called us out

saying, hey, that's when you're most junior least. Experience sergeants are working with some of the more volatile calls and you don't have that. So by losing that position, we be taking another step back from with our patrol watch commanders. >> Just based on the recommendations right now for both of you, which I am not favor of, by the way, but based on those recommendations, how with that increase the time on priority one calls, which are most, you know, critical calls to get to for you, Chief Cregan and then same for the response. I think Councilmember Rogers address at a little bit with the fire department. But I just want to make sure that that's really clear if we make these recommendation recommended cuts, what that would how that would impact safety of the community. >> Absolutely. For the priority. One something we very closely track. So every month I get where we're at with our priority. One calls when I stepped into the role of chief, it was 3 years ago this week with that, we're at 7 minutes and 7 seconds for a priority. One call that was the highest we've ever had and our department's history. So we really work toward building up the staffing. And finally in 2024, we are able to not only have full staffing of are sworn but maintain it for the year with that. And we saw some of the direct result of that is that we saw. Our priority. One response time dip down into the 6 twenty-seven's and then for the actually the first 3 months of this year, we've been right at 6 minutes. So you're going to see that go back up about one minute back to low sevens that you're going to see with that and the priority. One is just one of the things are diseases, a reduction in some of the things that we've outlined

where 8 all 8 of those officers come to him. So you'll see some of the impacts with will go back to 600 downtown enforcement team. With that, we're going to lose one of our motor officers or motorcycle traffic officers. We're really is one of our k 9 officers will lose 2 out of patrol. With that, we'll lose our background and bettors best. A gator position. We're going to lose one of our detective positions. Preliminary right now at our domestic violence, sexual assault team. So those are ones each one of those teams are going to feel some, in fact with it. And that's where weighing internally like, what are the impacts? How can we come up with strategies to mitigate some of those things? The same with our civilian positions, the dispatcher position last year in 2024. Our dispatchers took in just over 183,000 calls came into our 9-1-1 dispatch center. That's an average of 502 calls for assistance today that are coming into that dispatch center with that. So they're going to be impacted. Our police technicians are running the front counter processing the thousands of police report citations. They actually take police reports themselves for things like missing persons and stolen vehicles, things like that. So we'll see a reduction in our lobby hours with that that are obvious open to the community with that and then the same with our field evidence technician in our community service officers. Those both are assisting officers with taking more low-level reports of like the collision reports. No suspect in show burglaries. And that helped us with our priority. One response when officers are available are filled. Evidence technicians play another crucial role which is processing any crime scene that we have in the city

of Santa Rosa. So many shootings, homicides, fatal collisions, sexual assaults. They come out and process and have the expertise to do that and make sure that it's properly documented for court and they can go to court and provide their level of expertise with Weatherby dna collection, where fingerprint analysis, Weatherby photos are 3 d printing crime scenes. All those things like that. So understandably there's going to be impacts right across the organization. >> Thank you. Go ahead, Scott. I have the same question for me. Yeah. Okay. >> So for us regardless of how you cut it, reduction of one units, an 8% reduction forces on the road today. If his engine company, it's 10% of the effect of firefighting force of truck company. It's 50% of the truck companies that we have. It's it's one out of the 2. So across the board, there's going to be an increase response times. All events last year, last calendar in just under 30,000 calls, a year for That's incidents, but it was over. 35,000 universe Ponce is meeting. Structure, fires one incident, but 5 resources go to it. So. So, you know, truck companies go tall, structure, fires, engine companies going to structure fire. So we have to look at those 2 numbers. So there is going to be an impact, particularly considering? We've been talking about where we have an added resources and so long and where we've grown and where we need to go. I would reasonably predict there's going to be an 8 to 10% impact to response times. Whether you're looking at decreasing compliance or increasing response, I'm there's going to be a significant impact. The loss of the truck company also is that specialty government, somebody strapped in their car during a car crash. It's going to take longer for us to get jaws of life there to extract somebody. It's going to take longer to put a hole into a

roof during a structure fire. It's going to take longer for us to set up technical or higher low angle rescue with the special resource of the truck. So it's not just the response time. It's the response time to certain things that we do as part of an all risk organization. >> Just to follow up on that about how many of your calls a year or systems with medical calls. >> It's about we run about 16 will act in 2024 with 69%. So almost 19,000 calls here for service where emergency medical service related. >> My understanding is firearm to get Sarah prior to ambulance. Correct. >> We have more resources on the road. More more strategically located, meaning that we don't use dynamic deployment. And we actually part of our part of our own responsibility in the ether is that we have a first less contract with the current ground ambulance provider, meaning that we stop the clock for them and a reset the clock for them in some cases. So were used for that were paid for that. We bring in revenue for that. From the standpoint of that, we're providing that service to them, but also from our mission our mission set, we're providing better service, the community. And right now all of our resources have at least one per minute. And paramedic acquitted on every one of our 14 resources deployed on a daily basis. Thank you both. >> This next question actually for city manager. I see and are additional considerations is about 3.5 million dollars that we could potentially have other cuts are to be able to

id, make some different decisions. Would there be a part potential to bring back any other additional cuts? By tomorrow for consideration from council so that we for lack of a better term, sort of pick from a menu of what we feel would be the least impact on the community versus things. We feel it have a higher impact. Yeah, I can work with the department see if we can bring back some additional recommendations. >> Thank you both. Vice Mayor Alvarez. Thank you. Mayor. >> Just I don't have my laptop information available to see presentation. But at the beginning of your presentation, he spoke about even if we were to balance the budget this year. Looking forward there be. And increase year after year. >> And >> Thank you, sir. All. Pj team. Could you elaborate on what 3 incurring costs that you foresee making this budget gap increase. >> The reoccurring costs are largely driven on the expenditure line item by salary and benefits. We have a 4% cost of living increase Bilton for fiscal year 26, 27, which is in accordance with our labor contracts and then 3% assumed for salaries in the out years, which is just guess at this point. And in our revenue line item. Our sales tax does not grow at a rate. Measure with salaries and sales tax being the largest source of revenue in the general fund. What we see is our expenditures as a whole are just outpacing our

revenues. >> I appreciate that. Thank you. My thanks to my colleagues for doing a deep dive into these into this presentation of these Most most of my questions have been answered by few others starting with the slide Vice Mayor Alvarez very high, very helpfully highlighted. I think the point that I want the general public or do we want the general public to be aware is that? As you can see from this conversation, the city is very much sharpening its pencils. I think people have a sense for the difficulty of the tradeoffs that we're evaluating this year. As my colleague just highlighted, we've got a few more years of this. So even if we make all the cuts that we're discussing today, we're going to back here in 12 months trying to close a 50 million dollar deficit. Some sort some additional source of revenue is up here. So unfortunately, we're not in a situation of making these difficult decisions today and then being able to walk away and have smooth sailing in the years to come. We're going to have even more just more difficult decision the next year. I want to make sure that the public has that in their heads as context for the discussions we're having today for just how challenging the environment is right now. It's certainly not just us as we look around the community, whether talking private sector, whether talking our public schools or universities, we see so many other organizations are going through this issues. So there's a lot of solidarity right now. But certainly the city is in that mix. With respect to a couple of other questions. I'm glad that my colleagues brought up the issue of surplus funds. We discussed that at length during our last city council meeting under a long-term

finance meetings. We've we've certainly had discussions as well. Scott died tonight and hear you correctly that whether it's this afternoon or maybe tomorrow at some point in the in the near future, we could review those surplus funds number numbers again. Absolutely. And what we plan to do is to come back as early as tomorrow with history of. >> Essentially the reserve balance of the city over the past 10 to 20 years. As far as we can go back quickly as we can. But what that will show is it'll show periods of surplus. It'll show periods of deficit. Our current period is that of a deficit reserves have decreased. >> Understood. And part of our challenge today are, as we're passing this budget is to figure out how we give ourselves the best wide path the gentlest glide path to getting ourselves onto a stable fiscal footing. And with the cuts that we discussed at our last council meeting and are discussing right now, as do I recall correctly that this potentially buys us another year where we can use those surplus funds that we have and give ourselves 3 years, was it was it 3 or 4 years with the with the proposed cuts to ultimately bring ourselves onto a stable footing? I thank you, mayor. Yes. So at the that staff has brought forward to get to a 6.7 million dollar deficit. >> That would essentially keep the council's mandated reserve level for this coming budget adopted year. It's the as as what has been widely brought

up by council. Our focus, though, is not just on this year's the fact that we have an extremely large but budget deficit coming next year after and so yes. Were challenged in that. We've had periods of surplus in the past. Our concern is what we're experiencing this last year, along with the current year that we're currently in and those giant red numbers in front of us. As I've mentioned prior. There's just no level of reserve that can balance those levels of deficit on a short-term basis. But yes. Understood. Thank you. I have 2 questions. 3 questions left excuse can we cut to the slide detailed some of the homeless to services costs? >> Megan, I had to do this. You one more time. The questions are easy. I can offer you that much. So this slide helpfully details. Some of the homelessness services cuts to that we and the community can potentially absorb. And Megan, you were very you're very helpful and how you talked about the impacts of these cuts. And I'm glad you underlined the success of our homelessness services program and a sitting how we've seen a decline. Homelessness services numbers. How the unhoused population has received better services from the city. Our residents have noticed it. Our business by business. People noticed it. The city has done really good work. But of course, now we're looking at really, again sharpen our pencils, trying to figure out what we could afford. To put the number on this on the slide of the 1.4, 6 million number into context. Could you do You detail the total amount that the city is putting forward putting forth to homelessness services programs from the General Fund. >> So the amount from the general fund and I believe this was highlighted on one of the earlier slides is

approximately 3.6 million. It's offset by funds from the real property transfer tax transfer that Veronica highlighted early on in the presentation we received contributions from the county of Sonoma Community Foundation. Sonoma County. And then we also have a pilot program where we are receiving revenue from the county of Sonoma and city of Petaluma for the key people, how Sonoma County. So we are simply a conduit for those funds. >> Another very successful initiative to keep people housed program. >> And it started left off. Key point about that program is also funded with rather significant grant from all home, which is a Bay area nonprofit. Absolutely. And that those numbers don't include necessarily all personnel or indirect costs. Is that correct? >> That is correct. Because a key piece of our success with reducing homelessness and its impacts on the community have been our encampment team. And this is a group goes out weekly on Wednesdays. It's comprised of staff from police fire, code enforcement tp w says debris response team and those costs are carried within those departments and they all are addressing in the field. I can't encampments and helping them from growing and becoming more of an issue within our community, which ultimately results in enforcement from the police and fire departments. When we have small fires and then we have to locate an address of public safety issues that occur. All the ancillary costs.

Absolutely. And those not the numbers were discussing, don't include the in response program. >> Correct. Because that's being funded. So with pg e money, money. >> Finance can speak to how it's being funded. That correct? This does not include in response. The common response team also does not include the in response. >> And the point I'm trying to underline here, I'd like to underline is how robust the city the city's programs are, and that what we're talking about, 1.4, 6 million. If that is a subset of the overall homelessness service program services programs within the city and an ongoing conversation right now that this council discussed at length during the last council meeting is our discussions with the county that we're having along with the other 8 cities in Sonoma County about how cities including Santa Rosa maintain these programs, maintain the services that we're providing for the good of the community, even though most of the cities in the county are going through budget situations similar to Santa Rosa, there is a very lively conversation with the Department of Health Services at the counting. They've been good partners and we have some hope that the county speaking broadly, the county in all the cities can come to a new resolution for how we provide these services but do so in a way that aren't so taxing on the individual city budgets. So there is some hope as we look forward over the next 12 months that there might be a resolution there that that again allows us to provide these services which are needed, but do so in a more

financially sustainable way. And 2 questions left. And I'm going to put Megan, thank you very much. I'm going to put the city manager and maybe a couple other teams on the spot. If you don't mind. There was the mention of at least examining fee increases in Parks and rec to see if there is some way of recovering additional costs. And I think my colleague MISS Fleming for. Encouraging encouraging the city very sensitive about how look at look at those fee increases because these programs are so important to families in the community. But I don't think I heard even a rough estimate of what of how much revenue some sensitive of additional free in fee increase could bring in MADAM City manager. Would there be it back of the envelope number, just to put things in context for for us. We think we could get to that 300,000 mark. And that is not just fees with. That's also making some internal adjustments with staff as well. We do want to deputy director too. >> Make certain that he is looking at these fees with families in mind. We know costs have gone up across the board for families across the city across the nation. So we do want to make certain that people can participate, but we believe we can make some adjustments internally and kind of get to the Savings. Mark. Thank you for that. I wouldn't I do want to clarify. We wouldn't realize, saving this fiscal years. So it would not take effect until was approved by councils. Take any revenues you can find for the next several years. Thank >> Additional question. I

guess parking is a perennial issue of interest in the city and it has come up and it has been asked in the past well, what if the city handle parking differently? What if perhaps it outsourced parking? If we chose to do that? What kind estimated effect would that have on the city's bottom line? Have an answer to the question. I do think do want to come Thank you, Alan Alton, the chief financial officer. >> So if I'm understanding the question, you're saying that if we if we outsource to parking operation. What impact would that have on on the general fund? Correct? I think we have some. I think we have 1.6 million transfers out at the moment. >> So I I would imagine that Remember the the well, let me put it a couple of different ways. The bulk of the parking operation. Is funded in outside of the general fund through Through parking enterprise. So it's through their own fees in that structure. So from that standpoint, would not. Would not benefit the general fund at all. Parking enforcement. Know, the parking enforcement is kind of like a a middle ground between going out and writing tickets and getting that citation revenue. And that just goes directly into the general fund. So, yes, that was done a different way you know, you would want to make sure that the general fund is still picking up the citation revenue. The the comes in whether that that meant enforcement lived in a different department or a different whatever that MAY

look like. But overall the parking fund generally does not help the general fund. When you're looking doing it differently. >> But I think there's some opportunities. We have long-term absences in the department. We can definitely make certain that we MAY be on board or contractor MAY be temporarily to see if actual savings are revenue that has brought in from that. So. You know, we could do maybe a year contracted. Bring that recommendation back to council. >> So MAY I add that that's an excellent point. And and she's bringing up a a great point that I left off and what we see in the general fund revenue is actually down in parking citation. The revenue that goes into the general fund is down about $200,000. I think maybe even 2.50, and and that's pretty much a a a factor of us being short-handed in our enforcement area. So it does have have that impact there. So yes, if we were able to shore up our enforcement that allows for more revenue to come in to the general fund just for the out that area of the parking fund. Thank you for And again, the context as I suspect people in the audience picked up as they have seen frantically scribbling numbers. >> Is folks in the day are trying are adding together different combinations to see what adds up to 3.5, 8, 2 million dollars, which is, of course, the the fire team. So having again back to parking, having another potential option that we can least examined to see if we can, if we can get to that

number and first protect our public safety departments. Fire police, which has has has been thoroughly emphasizing this discussion are important. The that is that is helpful. With that. I'm gonna close MR. Rogers, another question for you. Yes, sorry. >> so. >> Chief in chief. Ari. I mean, the question should be how many steps have you guys gotten in today? So all start with the questions. One I wanted to chief. How do you lose a canine position and what happens to the animal and how much do we pay to get training in great pain? The animal. Right now we have the 49 position is vacant because >> we knew cuts were coming with that. So I've kept really kept at bay cut like that. So wouldn't be actually cutting a dog. There will be impacts those dogs. Now we're training our dogs to locate firearms. And in addition to narcotics. So what we're seeing is last year we 390 illegal firearms off the streets of Santa Rosa. Unfortunately, many of those results and vehicle pursuits where the firearm thrown from the window while we're chasing the vehicle because they're worried about getting arrested for the gun. It's difficult when we see this skipping down the road that goes in the bushes of finding that going in. So we used the dogs to go out to find the done on the sidewalk or the Bush's lieu of someone next morning, worst-case scenario, kid walking to school finds that time. So they'll be some impacts with that. Also, use them operationally for burglaries when suspects are hiding in house and for officer protection. And for narcotic detection. With that serves a host of those things

that we'll lose some of those capacities. But we want directly be like basically laying off a canine. Okay, perfect. And just, you know, I saw ghost in action. >> Finding a gun shows actually it was pretty cool. He's impressive you guys are any mention staffing, how it's changed over the years. Maybe said it and I didn't catch it. But what is the minimum cause? I know like the state. >> Has a minimum rate of the staffing that we have to have for both police and I mistaken. >> So there's there's guidelines on which we need to adhere to primarily for us. It's the National Fire Protection Association and they call for a full-time professional fire department. We ship 3%. Company's foreperson truck companies. So currently we are minimum staffing. So we have a daily roster of 43, if you include the squads and that is our minimum daily staffing. There's other metrics that measure here effective firefighting force and in 2017, during our staffing study, we found that the the firefighter per capita was already extremely low. It's like one to 1700. If I recall. And so obviously the community grown since then. And our threat Matrix has changed since then. So if we're looking at metrics that are used to measure your effectiveness is a fire department. We're already pretty behind the curve.

>> chief. Yeah. So there's no state mandate by California about you have to have this. There's general guidelines so there's a national standard. It's been for many years saying, hey, to provide a base level and that's similar to what fire Chief Lester said. A base level as one officer per that One-thousand residents is the base level of why you can provide. But also put the contacts. You're going to get a base level service. You're not getting responding to collisions are going to burglar alarms are doing actual follow-up in homicides and things like that 2. So that's but there's no national standard to say you have to be at this point. Okay. Thank you. >> then I wanted Asked about. >> She pushed her out for other ways of getting revenue I not recently. But I heard a lot about responding to. >> Like Facilities because they don't have their correct staffing. And so that's something that we have say. We as if I'm doing it. I know I'm not. But that's something we have to do. So we have to go out and take people off of the toilet or when they have a fall or transfer people. Is there any way that because its due to their lack of staffing, we can build. >> There the city for us this currently we have a under contract. He's going to help us build some different ideas and different options for a fee for service, particular of all during our ems. The initial intent of that was to pay for the squad personnel in perpetuity wants the period of performance ends on the safer

grant. But we think there's other opportunities that exist in these are as well that we could look at through this consulting firm. So once we're done with the work working through the city manager and city attorney, obviously we'll bring it back to council on different options we have for revenue streams. They could be the result of where we're at with our emergency medical services were more public system. Responses. >> Thank u >> Is it possible to change our ems contract? >> To help that. We can respond to. >> Fire structure, fires in different cause that we have to go to faster and not sit at the scene for. >> Waiting on ems to asking I think I'm asking the right question. Think I'm picking up what what you're So >> you know, when we moved into this new era, the new ground ambulance provider, one of the main things that we said was not only was it a new grand ambulance provider is also home response Matrix, including Bill s ambulances, tiered response. There were there was a bunch of different things that the county did, all the ones that impacted us. And our statement from the get-go, as number one, patient or customer service to the end user. He's not going to change or is going to get better and it cannot impact center is operations, meaning to your point that we're not going to have an engine sitting on scene waiting for an ambulance show up for x number of time. More than we already are. So it's something we're continue

to work on. We're just now seeing the first compliance data coming out of the system operating area. That includes Santa Rosa. Next week. In fact, Summit County Fire District ems will be presenting to you during his staff briefing on the first look at that compliance data. With that we are. We're doing our own analysis and has be Han tabulated, unfortunately, because we switch systems midstream to figure out what are on scene times look like. So we're we're actually right now in the middle of analyzing that to figure out. We're going to we're going to see what the customer service it is. And we're going to see what are on scene times are. So we're evaluating this 2 things. And then, of course, there's the anecdotal peas are firefighters and personnel are seeing on the We'll continue to roll that information out to you. But it's something that we work on typically on a day-to-day basis. Lilly has spreadsheets and numbers but we are continuing to work on that with our ems division. >> When we look at our building permits. >> And you know, you get in the elevator and it says is that fire does that are now? >> The inspections the inspections are done by a 3rd party entity. Just like your fire alarm. It's it's affecting some but a contractor, correct? Okay. >> And then my last one. And it MAY not. The relevant. I just thought about this, though, but what is the impact on insurance rates? Because we are our residents lose insurance. >> Will there be an impact if we decrease? >> The response time for services. Great question. And the short answer is yes, we

very up very much potentially could see an impact to the end user >> any business or resident had that has fire insurance. We definitely could. So councilmember crappie like this, but just real quick background on on where we're at. CHAIRMAN Via the insurance Service office has rating. It's a system developed to assess the community's fire protection capabilities. Alright, so rating is based on several factors, including our station coverage, water supply, firefighting equipment, training, community outreach, dispatch, etc. Currently the center is a fire department has iso class rating of one. We are one of 498 fire departments nationwide that are a class. One fire department. We achieve this rating in DECEMBER of 2016 after previously holding a class 3 rating. And the big thing is is that we're currently under tenure review for iso rating right now. So Winter iso rating is set. You have a for a decade. Brown died or a blackout could impact or iso rating with what the fire fire department. The Department of Insurance, rather for us to his risk location score. Maintaining the strongest fire protection class possible is the key driver of insurance rate for fire coverage for any given location is ultimately based on the lost history at that location. Those losses can include historic catastrophic fires, which MAY be on beyond the control of the given fire department. But those losses definitely include a loss history that comes from more common structure, fires, kitchen, garage, fires, etc, and vegetation. Fires. That results in the most common that ensures make for fire damage claims. These are the fires. They were well equipped. Well, Stafford makes

a huge difference in terms of overall response to quality of the response to limit the damage. So per the iso and I took a direct quote and doing research on this, the overall quality response in reducing losses directly impacts, homeowners and business insurance in that 10 were in that review right an impact to our operational capabilities could have an impact on the end user worth it. The consumer of insurance fire insurance in our community. >> Is there a difference between a blackout in a brown out? When you look at because they can pinpoint where sorry, I know it's pretty technical, but they can't pinpoint where exactly the response time would increase if it's a brown out. >> Right. They're going to look at our total number of personnel and firefighter per capita, but they're also going to look at our entire response You know, a Brown definitely could have an effect to block. I would have a deeper effect. >> Thank you both for answering all my questions. Thank you. Are there any final questions from council? So the next step in this conversation is we're going to provide very preliminary there and emphasis on the word preliminary. So for those of you in the audience, those us new online. Tomorrow, we're going to public comment we've entire other day of budget hearings. But for the sake of staff so that way so that they can correctly aggregate the feedback that we have potentially polish up some of the numbers for discussion tomorrow and for the final budget in 3 weeks, we're going to provide feedback here. But again, this is this is preliminary tomorrow. We will have a we will have additional feedback, final feedback as well as public comment. So with that, we've got some tradeoffs in front of us are some potential tradeoffs. This is the point of this study session is that we're having a back and forth. We've done this now for 2 hours. With

respect to our to our questions, let's give staff are concerns, give staff our ideas with the options that are presented to us who would like to start MR. Rogers? >> There have really have a question for city attorney >> because seasons of sharing MAY come up. I would point to a half 2. I'm going to recommend maybe we buy for Kate this. So we take the seasons. We take basically the homeless services conversation first from council. >> Councilmember Rogers can step out when that happens. Not just yet. When she comes back. She could certainly weigh in on the balance, not the seasons of sharing item, but the balance of it. And then and you can go forward with the rest of your conversation. Understood, is it is it easy as perhaps Ms Rogers, if you want kick off our feedback discussion? >> To just in case, know, okay, we'll wait for she would need. She would need to recuse for some. Have you do that part first and then come back. That's that's the way the process has to Is funding. >> wondering just a friendly suggestion here. We do take this section by section and instead each council member saying what they think about all of them, we could take homeless services and and so that we can because I think that there's a tendency, at least for me to just sort of do the top lines. But if we have one of the discussion. And when if you guide us through that way. >> Sure. Let's let's try that. I wonder I wonder if they're if they're intertwined enough that it can be hard to stick to a particular conversation. It MAY but we can give that a try any interest kicking us off. >> Well, what that's the thing is that which which one you

want to start with? >> How about the additional considerations? Again, the the implied tradeoff here is that baked into This budget draft is the blackout of a fire company. And so the additional considerations were all presented as possible. Tradeoffs. If you add up those additional considerations, all of them, including including recreation, homeless services and personnel pieces. They add up to roughly the the the costs of locking up blocking fire con company. Okay. So I just it's implicit that as we're looking at costs. And again, I think it has been implied here in the day as there's there's some interest in examining what the other options are besides blocking off blocking a fire company. >> Yeah. And when I look at additional cost considerations, the one thing I I do have a question sorry for not asking center of the city manager, which is the compensation for executive staff. Do you Does the council have the authority in this action to change our equity? Okay. >> You can't. You can't do it today. We would have to bring an item forward to make a change. But you can give that feedback so that we know that that to add that into the budget and also bring the appropriate item to do that. >> ok, none of these are great things to reduce. And I think that applies everything that will be reducing. I'm I'm fine. Taking all the suggestions off of the additional considerations list. >> Thank you. And one point to highlight there with the equity company or the Equity compensation for executive staff the executive, the executive team for the city and I particular reference the city manager in the city

attorney. Have as has been emphasized in previous meetings, really shown excellent leadership in unusual generosity in decide and taking themselves out of consideration voluntarily, giving out there that the pay increases that are contractually, guaranteed. I would include the rest of the executive team in this as well. It's a very it's a it's a noble and generous gesture during this time showing how how personal the discussions are to the executive team as well as all the members of the of the city staff. This flooding. Thank you for for those comments who also would like to make a mention of additional considerations. Spend Thank you, Mayor. >> I think. I'm probably not thrilled that I'm okay with most of the things on the additional considerations except I wouldn't not like to see the elimination of community engagement. And I just you know, as as all of us, I'm out in the community all the time. And I it's such excellent feedback about our community engagement. Program. And I think for any city, I think it's one of the most important things you can do is engage the community and I would really I don't know how long it would be before we could bring someone like that back and not even just talking about the individual. It just in general. I think it's a very important part of what city does. Otherwise, flip side of this is what I heard years prior where, you know, the city is not communicating with us are not letting us know what's going on you know, they don't care about what we

think. You know, all those things happen when you don't have representation on the community. So I would I think it's a small amount overall and I would rather not see that in there. So I'll just say that. Thank >> I made a note of We're going go right down the list here a minute. Let's go MR. Crappie online to get his thoughts. >> Thank you, MR. Mayor, just for clarification. We talked about all 4 slides of additional considerations. We're just doing that. We're doing the first one. A personal considerations. >> You know, I would I >> Council ran well as comments as well. The one thing would say is based on Chief Cregan has we've already been doing for not having enough tenants >> oversight on our overnight So I would be concerned about getting rid of a of the police lieutenant. But if I recall correctly. Chief Cregan also said that that cost could be made up through other retirements that are in process. So that is the case might be ok with taking the police attended off the list. Because those expenses can be made elsewhere. >> Thank you. MISS Rogers. >> City manager. When we look at these additional considerations, are they still keeping within the framework of like hr or fire or police being in that 8% framework or with this take in. Over the 8%. >> I did not look at it and relation to percent because police was far away from percent. So I was just looking

at services that could be immediately reduced. What about fire? Fire? It says either or I mean, I'm just bringing additional rec additional recommendations as this body is not, does not want to move forward with the blackout and >> think we can all agree I can agree with myself that police and fire are. >> Definitely a part of our core services. And I think we can see that because we received. I don't even know how many e-mails letting us know that and I don't want to. Put more on one department. It. And if there I know we cannot treat them on equal. I know that part, but I don't want to put more when departments. I really am interested to know like if fire was already closer at the percent. Are swapping this for the blackouts? >> This is a recommendation that I'm looking for. A recommendation council. So I think that I would be ok with all of I do think that we need the community. >> Engagement. That's a big. Big part of what we're doing in engaging with the community and in that department makes it a lot easier for us to do so and be that liaison and not just well, I guess that is community engagement. Our boards or commissions everything that we're doing. So they are helping do our job. So I would go with everything except for the. Community engagement. Manager. But if I had to I mean, we would have to do that, too. I know we have to make some some tough. That decision. Thank you. Vice Mayor. >> From from herself. I do agree with the list and a

recognizing the situation that wherefore seeing. But if there's wiggle room. At the end of all the cuts. I would love to see the community engagement being replaced. Thank >> Thank you. And I concur with the with the comments of my colleagues. I think that community engagement positions important and it's unnecessary over the next few years, especially as we have more conversations like this one and MR. Crappie, thank you for clarifying other possibilities around the police. Lieutenant as our as police and fire evaluate retirements in the near future. Whatever we can do to make this to make glide path more gradual, more gentle, we should. We should look at. Let's move on to the next line. This is the additional considerations for homelessness services. MISTER Rogers. I think you have to recuse yourself first. A point for this one will welcome you back in a few minutes. Can I get clarification on the slide before? So please looks like I want to bring back alternative position. For community engagement. Police lieutenant. Yeah, I mean, I think we're going to look at. Replacing some positions through attrition, but I need and yes or no what you would like for me to do on the police. Lieutenant. MR. Rogers. >> And if what Councilmember Okrepkie said was. Correct. That chief has workaround for that is what if there's going to retirement among said. Classification chief, can you clarify? >> Yes, for clarity on that, you could ask if you want more

specifics. We have no tenants retiring. So will be demoting if this happens with that and then demoting sergeant backed officer with that, we have noted that that are retiring for at least over a year. The next dissipate want to have is JULY of 2026. With that. They will have so that would result the motion a result just one watch commander for the entire weekend chef. So the majority and we can do not have a watch commander. >> Know how many right along sleeve gone on. I don't know that we can have one lieutenant for the entire week in one things that maybe the calls are increasing Thursday, increasing alcohol hanging out I'm sure domestic violence during the week. And so. Think that that's a good idea it. >> For my part, I defer to the city manager and to the police chief of these cuts were vetted operationally. And if the city feels like they're they're viable Constand, given the budget situation that we're in, I would I would support these if as we go through, as we talk about some of the other options that we discussed today and every com, other cuts in other areas, I think that at least for my part, I just want to highlight that I'm open 2. Re looking at some of these. Is that is that clarification enough? It actually So. I mean, I want to be clear. So. Fire has come to the table and I know we're going to look at additional revenue measures in the future. So I want to thank the union for coming to the table. That is long term. If we are not in fact going to black out fire station, we have to make hard choices. I don't want anybody to go home. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my career. I have to look at these people

every day I want us to find solutions that get us to next year so we can sit down and have a larger conversation. So it is a tough choice. Would like to say no to all of these, but I need to a governing body that is going to tell me the direction to go. It is true. If we block out a fire station, we are looking at what we're going to do is safer. I think the squads have been a good addition and I think they're going to come to the table to figure out how we move forward. They have not said to me that, you know, no, we don't want to make any cuts. There's not been any union that this is no, we do not want to make any cuts. They understand the situation that we're in. But today we have to make some hard choices. So I need a yes or no on how we would organ in this governing body would like for me to move forward. In that context, I support the cuts as listed. It's stepped away. >> Fly, but we're not done. We're going to go back and we'll see what it all adds up to what we feel comfortable doing. So I don't want to say yes, I want to get rid of the. Police lieutenant right now when I might be able to make cuts. Somewhere else. That's where I'm at. Okay. Now I'm done. >> I liked we've had theatrical aspect to our meeting today. We should. We should use more of the space. All right. Let's move on to MR. >> city manager have for direction on that count. >> At this time, I'm gonna

move forward with the police lieutenant. I would I will be having a conversation with the chief. You know, they do have to do the work. They MAY present me with additional tradeoffs. At the end of the day, my goal is to get to the number. Thank you. And we support you in that goal. Many conversations to come. >> They are step Cookie has his hand raised in on him. Her fact MR. Craig, >> Thank you, MR. Mair. Yeah, I think my my comment was not necessarily classification comment one to 10 of retiring but more of other retirements that could cover the cost of having that. That ended on. So to your point, city manager, yes, exploring those tradeoffs in conversations with the chief would be my preference first. Just a blanket. Get rid of one of those classifications. >> Thank you, MR. Okrepkie. MADAM City manager, any response or that? Know that he's made direction. I will work with staff tomorrow to figure out how we can plug the replacement for the community engagement position as well. Thank you very much. I think we're ready to go to the next slide will head to the next slide. This is the additional considerations around homelessness services. And again, all right, on the line as flooding. >> The these are all just such. Good, just difficult ones because we know that when we we close these, we're going to have great impacts across the city. But I don't see how we we keep any of these services. Available if there, if there was going to be something that after all is said and done and we have a little bit of wiggle room, I would talk about the warming center because that's a matter of life and death. >> For for many people, although I know it's not really widely I do think that, you know, for part of the city

to sleep at night. We want to know that people are going to be freezing or or freezing to death on the streets, which we know does happen but the other thing is, you know, hopefully that we can get the county to see that when we closed the services that we have been providing something which is squarely within within their scope. And while we're happy to do what we can, we just no longer can can do that. Thank you. Vice Mayor. >> Just repeating what my fellow council person said. The reality is that would be able to sleep night knowing that. So that's the freezing to death. Thank you. Ben >> I hate to look at any cuts in and in this area at all I think again, I feel comfortable think them, but I know we have to do it. And I think what I'm hoping is that this will help prop the county with our sheriff money that's So I'm going to say at this point, really hesitant, but I'm comfortable with this. Knowing, you know, when Megan talked about the the impacts I've felt better about it. So yeah. That's fine. >> We still my thoughts are with those. I support this as well. And I say that knowing the genuine Chamberlain, the executive director of Catholic Charities is in the audience, which is done such great work for the city and county. I am going to take part or have faith in the fact that there are so many conversations with our county partners and our other city partners right now that the county of Sonoma, including Santa Rosa all the cities are going to find ways to continue this work in a in a more efficient and more economically sustainable way. And I'm sure I speak for all of us and saying that we are going to be a part of those conversations and pushing them

forward. That's I think it for that slide. MADAM City manager, do you need? Oh, I'm sorry. MISTER Crappie. >> You're half or so. It's fine. But yeah, I agree. >> Thank you, MR. Crappie and I think we can call this Rodgers back in to give give her thoughts on this item is can give her thoughts on that item. I'm skipping over seasons of sharing. We'll give Ms Rogers them into back of the room. To clarify a couple points on the warming center. How many times do we activate the warming center this this winter? >> Good afternoon, Kelly. Kuykendall housing income, you services manager. Thank you for the question. So this winter, we activated one time for 3 nights and served 137 individuals. It really depends on the severity of the, you know, the winter that we're having in whether or not it meets our extreme weather warming policy. Thank you. >> Thank you for that clarification. I think I think I misspoke your name. Jenny Lynn, 21 homes, of course. MISTER Rogers and you can be the final comment for additional considerations and homeless services. >> So I you guys pretty much said it. And I know I have to eliminate seasons of sharing, but I'm fine with all of Are up there. I know we have to make some tough decisions. So I would like to keep the family support. Now the drop-in center. I'm sorry. If we can. And that's because it's a resource center. So it helps it's not just one program, but it helps people get connected. >> To programs that they need

to be successful. >> So that would be my only if we can nowhere picking and choosing moving around. So >> point taken, MADAM City manager, any additional clarification needed. No, we will work to keep the warming again that require some additional conversations with the county and if I have to be honest, I I think the county needs to step up and what they've been mandated to do with the money that they get from the state. So I'll leave that Thank you. MADAM City manager. >> Let's move on to our last set of sly less additional considerations. This is around Parks and rec. MR. Rogers go right down the line. What's your what's your sense of these programs? >> Marriages can lead to seconds from sorry. I just ran back in here just for the fun out for 2 seconds. I Fleming. You want to start us off? Thank you, Mayor. >> I'm in favor of. All of the suggestions with the cabbie out that rather closures of programs. I think we should have full cost recovery. And while it MAY be significantly more expensive, it will give us if the couple of things. One is that it won't collapse. The infrastructure around those programs and the people and people can continue to keep their jobs. And the other is it'll give us actual honest assessment of how much these programs due process and how much demand in on. I mean it in government. We're not in the business of running business. We're in the business of helping the community, but it is sometimes helpful to understand what true market conditions are. And this is an unfortunate

opportunity to do that assessment. Thank you. Vice Mayor. >> I do agree with that. And actually I would take one step further in saying that all enterprise. Agency We will probably get veterans or eyes adjust that we look at them in the same fashion cost recovery. As Ben >> I like the idea of full costs recovery. I think that's a really ideal situation. I don't want to see more folks losing their jobs. And I think it is true or not in the business of making money, but we are in the business hopefully of breaking even. And that's the way we would do that. So I would be in favor of that. Thank you, MR. Rogers. >> I'm in favor of a full cost recovery, but I'm also in favor of having an option when people register that they can give a little bit more maybe to supplement or to give to someone they cannot afford it because I don't really don't want to be the have and the have nots. And that is my concern is we have some great programming in. I don't want it to be only available to those that can financially pay for it. So if we can implement that, I would be finer finding other ways of getting supplemental moneys for people that cannot afford to pay full cost. >> Thank you, MR. Okrepkie online. >> Yes, I meant I'm in favor my colleagues have you know, increasing fees to try to get to net neutral area. But, you know, make cuts if we have to,

if it doesn't work out, I will say it's also an opportunity to plug the need for our Parks Foundation which hasn't been around for a few years. They can help offset some of these things. So there's going to be the committee out there that like to take that Please do so. >> Excellent point. And I will concur with what some said my colleagues. Let's see if we get if we can keep these programs in operation by increasing fees. And that concludes the review of the slides. Again, this is very preliminary discussion for all the way for those of you entered the room recently. Others me more conversation tomorrow, but the council wanted to give preliminary feedback to staff based on the report given based on our budget situation so that staff can begin again Re doing some of the numbers. In that light. MADAM City manager, do you have the information that you need? I do. Are we going to come back tomorrow and talk about some of the proposed flied to 20? Say that one more time we're going to discuss led 20 at all. I know most you were gave the go ahead on. I think we're still their questions on. Fire and police on the propose reductions. So those are the 2 columns that we probably need to. Make adjustments to. And we could have those discussions tomorrow but what I'm gonna do is kind put a pin in police. A

buyer. Update. The additional. Suggestions and then see where we are from there. Because I know we have not talked about for Lozano furloughs were actually on the table. I know that requires a longer conversation. So probably maybe need some direction to either remove that. And have additional discussions with flavor. And bring that back at a later date. And that can be part of the city manager's kitchen. >> As I have conversations the labor. >> So as as has been talked about a little bit on the furloughs is to some extent a place holder right now because we're not sure the extent to which those are viable. Are you okay? Leaving that here as a place holder for now knowing that we're going to have to come back and confirm whether or not it's viable, what that number actually is. >> Yeah, I'm comfortable with that. I just want make certain that labor understands that we're not imposing this on their members. >> Perfect. We do want to make that very clear. That has to be done in negotiation. Any booking my council colleagues on that particular point, the furloughs point, any additional comments or clarification? Any anything else the staff right now at a city manager? Okay. Then we can move on to the next part of our discussion. Which is site's growth mice lines. MISS Conner. We got you. >> Our next section is the department and enterprise funds. So this is where you no longer have to hear from me for a little while and a turnover to the departments to come down and go through starting with City Council and city manager. Thank you. Thank you. Thank Good afternoon. Mayor staff Councilmembers,

city manager Smith, respected staff and community members. My name is Lindsay Doherty and the administrative supervisor for the city manager's office. I'm here today with Dina Amazing city clerk to present for your consideration. The fiscal year. 25 26 budgets for. >> City council and city managers office. So let's dive in. Okay. This is just the basic layout of the city council. All being represented equally can move forward. Here's a breakdown of city council by program. The slide presents the proposed budgetary allocations for city Council in fiscal year. 25 26 as compared to fiscal year. 24 25 in the coming year. The administration budget shows a slight increase of 0.7%. So rising to $964,904 while the elections budget can be significantly reduced to $0 because it's not and elections here so we can put the $600,000 back into the general fund, which is wonderful. Overall, the total expenditures for city council decrease to decreased by 38.1% fun for men. Moving right along to the city manager's office. Here's a basic breakdown of positions in our office after cuts that were made it made year. And here's a breakdown of city managers office by program. So there are 2 departments being shown here and this slide outlines the proposed budget for the city manager's office for fiscal year. 25 26 as compared to 24. 25 city Clerk in General Administration Representatives to separate

programs here. The proposed city clerk budget remains unchanged. So bring in a flat budget $81,256. While the general administration budgets diff date decreases significantly to 2 million, 673,517 dollars. Consequently, the total budget for the city manager's office across the program sees a reduction of 18.7%. And this is despite rising costs across the board for membership goods and services that we've seen here. And, you know, across departments. I will note that the city clerk's office. Salary and benefits rose up into that General administration budget. And we did reduce our fte by one in JANUARY. >> Okay. So it's going move on to the next slide. Okay. So here we have some operational highlights for the city manager's office this year. Emphasize does the strategy to address the city budget deficit? Course, the transition to a 0 based budgeting model. The adoption of a data-driven approach for a more effective strategic plan. And some of our key initiatives include the launch of the Santa Rosa Insights. Public Open data portal in dashboard processing a high volume of public records requests. And, you know, we'll dive into a little bit more later and conducting a community survey to assess public budget priorities. The site also notes collaboration with state and federal law

obvious navigating. For legislative, not navigation and grant writing as well as restructuring of the community Advisory board, which also dive into later. So we'll move on from here next slide. And then here we some accomplishments from the city manager's office this this last year. And again, you know, these men. Most of these accomplishments are shared across departments or not. As you can see, specific to the city manager's office. So we have from highlighted significant com plus months, including the successful advancement of ballot measures. E and f f the acquisition of a Stubbs, substantial property for public use and securing over 17 million 1 1 million dollars in grants for city projects. No worthy projects currently under development include the Hearn Avenue interchange and various recovery efforts from the Tubbs Fire. Additionally, the slide points to ongoing developments and affordable housing in mutual aid provided to other jurisdictions affected by natural disasters showcasing a commitment to community resilience and growth. And then moving on from here. I'm gonna pass over to Dina. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council members. Thank you for having me. Present the city clerk's accomplishments for most recent year. It is especially fitting during the 56th annual municipal Clerks Week as recognized by the International Institute of Municipal Clerics. I will note that both Ron and I are certified municipal clerks through that at association. As political scientist Professor William Bennett. Monroe stated on the breath of

the city clerk's work, quote, No other office and municipal Service has so many contracts. It serves the mayor, the city council, the city manager in all departments without exception. All of them call upon it almost daily for some service or information. Its work is not spectacular, but it demands versatility alertness, accuracy and no into patients. The public does not necessarily recognize how many loosens of city administration this office pulls together. In this code was written nearly a century ago and it still holds true. And so this is a great transition into the city clerk's operational highlights. So as you can see before you, we support the council on our legislative management. We have facilitated and publish no less than 24 regular council meetings and English and Spanish. And we reviewed over 500 agenda items for last year. That means you also have reviewed over 400 agenda items that have come before you and city manager and city attorneys office has reviewed over. 500 unique items. At the city clerk's office is also responsible for the publishing of 28 public hearing notices 16 ordinances all in compliance with state and local laws. And ensure that those meetings and agendas and minutes are complying with our Brown Act in open government codes and state statutes. The city clerk's office has also been a part of boards and commissions support. We've led recruitments interviews, onboarding and trainings for upwards of 45 new board and commission members. We've

assisted in the restructuring of I think 3 different boards and commissions over the course of the last year. Our city clerk, our deputy city clerk, has expanded outreach to 45 plus community partners advertise in multiple publications. We maintain compliance with the Mattie Act, which is the access to information laws regarding boards and commissions, vacancies. Personally through my association with the California Municipal Clerks Association. I continue to track sb 239, which is the future teleconference seen or that has the possibility for future teleconferencing, flexibility for subsidiary bodies, which MAY contribute to a broader participation from previously under represented segments of our community who might be otherwise able to serve on our boards and commissions. I too had my hand in our elections as your elections official. I successfully administered the elections for districts. 1, 3, 5, 7, and measure c e and f f I didn't do it alone. My deputy city clerk and administrative staff in both the city manager's office and the rest of my team we're down to one other person. Lauren help facilitate a successful election cycle. And the city deputy city clerk I developed an onboarding process for newly elected council members. So there's an easier runway. 4 council members to get up to speed. In 2024, we responded to over 1500 public Records Act requests, including 70 that included the luminous email requests. Discoveries and for 2025 thus far, we're

on pace to exceed 1625 public records request. Our administrative technician and Luke Phaser from our city manager's office also worked with our Siro team to revamp the public records Web page to improve accessibility for members of the public. Other items of note, we completed our bay by annual update to a conflict of interest code per the Political Reform Act, which are the safeguard laws that protect against personal financial gain for officials. We achieved 90 97% on time filing for fppc file form 700 filers for the annual deadline in APRIL. One that was a concerted effort by both by staff and board members alike to reach that number. I had to review 20% of all on time filers as required by the fppc in 100% of all late filers this part. We've facilitated over a dozen trainings on all of these topics you see before you today in one form or another in-person trainings teams, trainings videos that we've created to make these processes easier for staff and the community. And lastly, I just wanted >> In light of it, the municipal clerks week, I wanted to highlight the city clerk's office staff deputy city clerk run double up in administrative technician alluring Wiley. Clerk work. It's not without challenge changing laws, limited resources and staff reductions and the growing demand for transparency in a digital age. Make the work that much more complex. And yet those to show up every day. They embody not

only that, the traits that Monroe quoted earlier that I quoted earlier from Monroe. Versatility, alertness, accuracy in patients, but they also show up with Grace. With a firm understanding on governmental deadlines. Most definitely a sense of humor. And mostly with a deep commitment to their work. In their community and the success of our co-workers. So thank you, Rhonda and Lauren and for the spirit and heart, you bring to my office and to city Hall. Concludes my presentation. >> Thank you so much. MADAM City clerk. Any questions at this time? Or just are unanimous. Thanks for all the work that you do your right to praise your team and the work that you do personally. All of us on the dais recognize that. So thank you for highlighting highlighting in this presentation. MADAM City, Attorney, welcome the floor is yours. >> Thank you, MR. Mayor Theresa Stricker City attorney, I'm here to has a department head to present. The presentation for the budget of the city attorney's office. We have a relatively small department am going move forward here. This this is showing what we currently budget reductions will make a change to this. So currently we have a department 15.9. We do have one paralegal that has been 0.9, 4. More than a decade. It MAY be closer to 2 And so one of the additions and that is happening in our department is we are going to be moving that position to a full-time position and early going to dissipate retiring and so that will change once

the paralegal retires, our administrative staff is being reduced by one full-time position and that is the bacon legal secretary position and that we have determined that week haven't we can have and will be processed improving around that. They can see so this is a very high-level at our our program in our department. As you can see, we currently have proposed overall budget of about 4 point 3 million dollars. And that is a slight reduction about a $12,000 for reduction from last year. And those numbers bacon, the reductions that you saw earlier reducing one position one day. Can legal secretary position as well as cutting our professional services budget that is in our operating budget by little more than two-thirds. So it would be down from 271,000 down to approximately. I think it's 80, 80,000 or 85,000. I wanted to just highlight what our what what our budget comprises and why even with the addition of those reductions which feel quite substantial, we only have a 0.3% change. And that's truly because our budget is almost almost exclusively in salaries. And it's it's the people. Our resource is primarily the people. And so we have had an increase anticipated salaries with the equity adjustment and the

cause as well as increases in a few items like Pardew's and excuse me, it costs all departments are looking at. And so we tried to keep a flat budget. We made some reductions, but with the increases in salary, the reduction the 0.3% rate. So you can visualize that I wanted to say of our 4.3 million dollar budget, million and 1000 is salary and benefit costs. Last year and our operating budget was 476,000 this year with the proposed budget budget. Our operating costs would be 298,000. So just wanted you to see that really what paying for here is primarily people. So what is it that we do? And will the city attorney is as I have explained before and our last budget studies out that your last reduction study session. Explain that we are truly an internal service department. You have multiple internal services departments here. They're finance. There's it. There's h r and you know, to some extent you have the city manager's office that can sometimes be internal and sometimes be external. So really, we we are involved in much of what you see that comes before you we need to work. We do are really is really on behalf of our client. Our client is the city is an entity. But on a day-to-day basis, our clients

are really the departments. And so at the role that we feel is to provide legal advice to all of the city departments to the board's the commissions, the staff and the officials about the work of the city. Additionally, we also represent the city and litigation and administrative proceedings and other types of proceedings. And to really our work behalf the clients. And so the your investment in us is an investment in the clients in the departments and in the projects that you really want to see completed. We provide advice to every department we provide to public safety, police and fire. We provide to it to to hr. We provide to planning and economic development. We provide Ted tp w we provide housing and community services. We provide to recreation and parks we provide. I have left someone off the list, embarrassingly, but it's everyone. So here's some operational highlights. Really? We have 3 prime functions. We have an advisory transactional function. We regularly advise on and I'm not going to read this long list. It's all of the usual suspects and laws that we encounter and in providing the kind of work that we do. Some of that is procedural. Some of that is very subject matter oriented. And we provide advice on those areas literally on a daily basis. We drafted review ordinances, resolutions, policies and procedures. We review and it

sometimes negotiate and draft all contracts citywide and other types of legal instruments. And I'm not going to bore you with the names of all of those instruments. We provide a risk analysis and options to minimize risk those conversations happened with all of our team members on a daily basis and we provide trainings to staff officials, staff and and officials. Some of you MAY have been to some other trainings. The second function that we provide in our office is really a legislative support function. You see me here sitting at the dice with all of you. I am here to provide advice. We have lawyers providing advice to a variety of different boards and commissions live in on the spot and during public meetings. We also provide advice review of agenda. Staff reports and all of the other items that come to you in your packets. And and we do have folks who sit regularly with many or most of your brown act bodies, the ones that I've listed here is certainly not all of them. But that's the planning Commission. The housing, the Housing Authority, your Board of Public Utilities and all of your other Brown act bodies. We don't always staff every single one of every brown, body. But it is a goal to try to do as many if not all of them when possible. And then we have the litigation function. We represent the city in civil litigation. We address claims which is sort of the stage before litigation. We represent the city and administrative hearings pitches motions and in connection with third-party subpoenas. Prosecute code enforcement matters. Weapons, confiscation, petitions, gun violence, restraining orders,

dangerous animal conditions as well as environmental and has met violations. We also advise provide advice to code enforcement staff during their administrative proceedings. So I'm going name a few highlights from the city attorney's office. This is really not intended to list everything that we've done. But I'm just going to give you a little bit of a flavor, but really everything that comes to you, every project, every program. And that is on your counsel priority list as well as all of the day-to-day work that isn't really listed on your counsel priority work because it's just the core work we have to get done here at the city. Involves city attorney's office. We are either behind the scenes sometimes at the table with our client apartments. So here's some of the highlights from their office. And truly, you'll see that these are the highlights that you're going to be hearing about from all of the departments here over the next course of the next day. So ballot Measure z n a p e and f Roseland Park master plan and the Environmental Impact report. Impact fees and affordable housing waivers. The Southeast Greenway. The acquisition, the conservation easement, which preserves it as a park into perpetuity an easement with Sonoma water to ensure that water. We have water supply resiliency. Just recently you adopted a massage ordinance. This year we adopted a tobacco retailer ordinance and set fees for that ordinance. We adopted permanent Resilient City ordinance. We've had a zoning code revisions to streamline your landmark alteration

permits and create a new combined design review and preservation board. We have assisted in been involved great deal with updates to city to city zoning code amendments to implement, implement state housing legislation. We have helped with implementation of wastewater. And and water cost of service and new rates. We were involved in restructuring your cab. The stays one permanent financing for affordable housing development involved. Our team. And just coming up on your agenda the work has been done. But you all haven't seen it yet. Is the general Plan Amendment and environmental impact report including. A reduction of ght and as well as zoning code amendments, including addressing that missing middle where you're trying to target to implement the general plan. We've had representation successes. We've successfully represented and defended the city against lawsuits and claims, including those involving catastrophic injuries and civil rights allegations. Representing the city and all of the different things that I have mentioned earlier in this presentation. We've manage receiver ships, a nuisance abatements. We've successfully enforced municipal code violations, including short-term rental regulations, vacant building and lot program and other code enforcement efforts. Advice on potential contract disputes and reduce liability risks with their work with your your staff and your team. So that is the end of my presentation.

If you have any questions, I'm happy to address them. It's been a busy year due to the city attorney's office. Any questions from council? >> Thank you, MADAM Secretary, thank you to you and your team, especially in the litigation side. It's been nonstop. Thanks for your work. >> Well, we are busy office and I thank you. And I will certainly let them now. Thank you. And are we reckon welcoming assistant city manager not to the to the dance to the table. >> Good afternoon, mayor and Jason, that assistant city manager. I'm here representing the communications and intergovernmental Relations office. The city attorney said there are some small departments. We are one of those. We have a total of. 8 full-time equivalent employees within the department right now, there are 3 communications coordinators. There's one community outreach specialist. There is legislative legislative support member. There's an administrative secretary and there's a community engagement manager based on the conversation we had earlier. Those numbers are likely to change as we move forward. In addition, I just also want to say there are 2 positions that exist as part of this team that exist in the center of Water communications coordinator and community outreach specialist the sport predominantly the water function. We're about a 1.6 million dollar program to accommodate mostly staff time and services related to advertising all of our programs and activities. We are taking reductions this year relating to professional services are Prince Services

and then there is currently in fte in the list for future reduction. There was a prior reduction at mid-year, which was an fte communications coordinator position, which is why you see the signal 17 and a half percent reduction in our total budget between fiscal years. It's a very busy Small group of individuals spend quite a bit of time making sure that that our services that are work and our efforts are shown within the public they manage all of the citywide communications with the exception of the police and fire departments that each have communication and public information officers within their own departments and they have protocols for how they put those out. We have protocols within the communications team for all other aspects of of work and they spend an awful lot of time. We're also working to Handel and address all of our state and federal grants our legislation activities. We do our best to monitor all of legislation that works its way forward, utilizing our outside lobbyists that help us keep track of important things as they move through the both state and federal side of the House. We're responsible for community engagement activities and working with our community partners. And that's that of community engagement function and we've been spending a lot of time over the last year, really looking at how we can enhance encourage more of that with an r within our community. So just wandering through some of the accomplishments we do put out a weekly newsletter. That weekly newsletter is a collaboration among all the departments the for communications coordinators that are currently working on this spent an enormous amount of time ensuring that that

data that those articles are well prepared, written properly and provide enough information the community. Gets excited about becoming part of the Santa Rosa's activities. They're 51 that we put out during the course of the year. We usually take a break either Christmas or Thanksgiving time. And there's roughly about 115,000 subscribers to our social media platforms. We also are responsible for being the primary point of contact for all media connections. Be print social media, both regional, local and national media they this team evaluates all of the requests that come in. They evaluate the comments posted on social media and we look for and create responses to all of those activities so that the city is properly and represented in our responses. 4, the public. We coordinated the launch of a brand new website, a brand-new the platform is entire is is different than the platform that was there previously. And that took quite us quite an amount of effort to reconstruct and recreate. The teams are still actively working to ensure that the content is fresh. It's new. It's up to date. It represent each of the departments within the city in an accurate and definitive way. I provides links that work we're working right now, for example, with the it Department. And I'm sure you'll hear more from director Tickner in little bit later, we're working on how to even enhance the experience further so that individuals coming to our website can actually find what it is. They're looking for in a much simpler, easier way. And communications team has been instrumental in a supporting

it and making some of those activities happen. We reform out of the connected City connections newsletter to mirror and match the format of the website and then created a brand book which will be seeing later this summer. That will establish our brand each of those products that are put out into the social into the Social World, social media or website all have a branding for the city of Santa Rosa. And it's incumbent on this community communications team to ensure that the branding stays in tact that we're utilizing the same products and have same look and feel so that when someone get something in the mail or social media, they recognize it is without even having to see the city's name on it. Just to give you a list of some of the events that they supported through the course of the year. I want want you know, go through this whole list. But there's a substantial number of activities that they're related and not just in producing the media for going into our social media are print media out in our news letters but also being present at the sites to ensure that each of that the tabling at these locations really is engaging to the public. From a community engagement front. That team that team is a small and mighty team has been very, very busy worked to create a community engagement work plan with each other departments to try to understand how does that particular portion of this department work to make sure that the departments are

are really reaching the public, that they need to reach. And that's working collaboration with the communications coordinators to make sure that the information is properly dispersed. They created a community engagement plan this last year, they established a master calendar of events and they created a rubric for for assessing the events on when we should and shouldn't be participating. We worked with the city manager's office on the creation of a public survey looking at budget priorities. And there was an evaluation associated with that budget priorities. They finalize the community advisory boards, work plan. This was as councils direction was a re creation under redevelopment of the community Advisory Board, which pretty much broke it down to its base to its base level and require that we recreate what the work plan could look like and how that body is going to act moving forward in that process they developed, they delivered. I've got 11 community improvement grants up here on the screen since this was actually produced and provided number has almost doubled through the community advisory board. In addition, the community advisory or that community engagement manager actively worked with the mayor and city manager and the vice mayor and the creation of the community town hall meetings that were recently out and about. And if those turned out to be great activities in great events producing a lot of feedback for the city council and the city manager's office and community engagement manager was instrumental in trying to organize all various

components of that and you'll see a few other projects up here that they've been active with. And with that, that is the community, our the communications and intergovernmental Relations Office in a nutshell. And I'm happy to answer any additional questions. Bringing back to council any questions. Compliments for the work that both officers as Ben Thank you. Just wanted >> Ask about the >> elimination of your AmeriCorps members just. I know for many in my nonprofit partners out in the community, they've been devastated by it. And I just wondered how you all were impacted as well. >> So I'll start. And then the city manager MAY MAY chime in that neighbor to neighbor program was something we were just launching when an effort to really try to create a much more enhanced engagement with our neighborhood communities and not just the community based organizations. And so the loss of those to imply to folks really is going to limit our ability to be a little to be more micro oriented in the neighborhoods, city manager, anything to add. >> Thank you. And and compliments everywhere. I met your AmeriCorps members and they were so excited to be working with you all when we were at the substation over at the mall. And, you know, I think a week later they were let go by the federal government, not by us. Just and just the work that you're doing in general, thank you so much and into your team as well. Thank you for question.

And on the stat. >> Again, my compliments. It's a small group, but the long of accomplishments speaks for itself. As does the council support during budget negotiations. We we and the community see the work that your team is doing. So thank you very much. Next, we have human resources. Welcome to you both. >> Good afternoon, mayor. Stop members of the council. I'm Dominique Blanc, a human resources director. And this is my deputy director governor, this a man to present our a proposed budget for fiscal year. 25 26. So this is our overview of our department and our positions. And this is our hr bike Risk Management Fund. And you'll see some slight changes in percentages. That kind of attributes to a realignment of positions within hr and risk one's overseeing benefits or moved into the risk budget. And then we also had a mid-year reduction of our organizational development and training position. So that was also a part of that reduction. Again, you'll see fiscal year of our fiscal year. The change in the percentage is we'll get into a slide here in a minute on the risk management side of where those increases are. So risk management programs and they oversee the liability insurance for the city of the property and oversees workers. Compensation and also oversees all the citywide benefits for the city. Year over year changes. We're seeing an

increase in purrs. There's also an increse and other benefits, which was the implementation of the paid family leave. Liability insurance. The market on that. We participate in a joint powers authority and that has increased with just a losses across the board and kind of the astronomical settlements that were seen. And so that kind of sums up. >> The year-over-year. >> On the budget for the risk management side. And then I'm gonna swap over to Good afternoon. Mayor and council members called Duke a semi hr deputy director. Some of our operational highlights on the side before you include continuing conversations regarding our costs and compensation projects that was begun by Gallagher. And that is an ongoing project. We have our employees service awards celebrating employees with years of service as well as our benefits. Aaron Luncheon. We have reduced our workers compensation hours returning employees back to work sooner, which is a benefit to the city. We facilitated leadership quarterly development as well as additional workaround policies that has begun and is also ongoing. Some of our accomplishments include finalizing in closing the 12 bargaining tables that encompasses 15 represented units we have implemented are paid family leave program successfully. And that is an ongoing program. We have stabilized our staffing and turnover rates in our department after many years of challenges. So that is a big success for us. We included some supervisory training on covert one and will be launching Co her too soon. Despite the reduction of our od in training manager

position, we have also brought our city into compliance with our harassment prevention training. That is a completed project. We finalized our presentation of our city equity plan as well. Are there any questions? Bringing back to council? Spend less. I just had one question around classifications. How are you all doing in that >> That there was some kind of a report that was supposed to be coming out at some point. I know you're short-staffed, but I just wondered what, what what the status is, what progress has been made. >> We have held 25 meetings employees and their labor representatives on the classifications. And we continue to have those meetings. Those are ongoing conversations to able to implement that The project is continue to move forward. >> Just to follow up, do you have any ideas about when it might be? Completed or or do you have some timeline in place? >> It's difficult to define a timeline on on classification implementation because there's so many variables. It play into the classification concepts, which is changing in terms of budget in terms of operations. So there's a lot more discussions to be held to move those classifications forward, which we are working on. >> It's been 18 months of non-stop negotiations or budget preparations. I know you're exhausted. Thank you for all the I mean, we saw the fruits of it today. Thank you for everything you're doing your office. Director Scott. You're next. Mayor, stop. >> Members of the council, there's nothing like a warm room in a long beating to have

the finance guys come up Talk? So keep my comments pretty brief here. The finance Department has 2 major funding components to it. We have a general fund and the parking fund and then we have some smaller other funds there we have about 62 employees with about 30. A 32 or so in the in the general fund and then another 20. My mask off. But 20 something in 28 in the parking fund. And as you can see not a lot of of real kind of go over a couple of things to talk about in our general fund area. This is reflective of going down to positions we. Make as many cats as possible to our services and supplies both mid-year. And then for this budget as well. I would say that we probably cut. That part of our budget as as far as we could and maybe over cut time. Sure that a lot of my my department colleagues would say the same thing. That's kind of where we're in the the state that we are now and looking beyond those smaller cuts. We do have a parking district fund these increases are do to really salary and benefits. They do want to point out that your salary and benefit costs would be. You would see a much bigger increase there. However, even though they are an enterprise fund. They have been very cost conscious and trying to keep their costs down. Understanding what their their fund totals look like. We have a pool investment fund. The the amount so you see here,

just the cars that we pay manage our investment portfolio. We do have an outside firm that works on that for us. And then finally, we have a the successor agency redevelopment obligation that we have this is we are. Just in the in the role of retiring old redevelopment debt. There was some admin costs that we used to have. We will not have that going forward. So we were able to recognize a savings on that part. So by program I had mentioned already that that you can see the reduction in General administration that is coming from the reductions of the 2 positions that I mentioned, the excess or agency cause talked about I do want to mention that in financial services. There is increase, even though we did cut our services and supplies throughout. Are the general fund part? Well, actually, throughout the whole department, we did need to increase our audit contract. The amount we budget for that that is because they're going to need to do additional testing going forward. And that has a cost. Because with that, so we seeing some of that increase there and with that, we're looking at me mostly Jess Cola and then net offsets of that from the reductions in our services and supplies. So our operational highlights. Like I said, we have a number of. Operating centers within the finance Department. We have an accounts payable area that make sure that all of our vendors are paid. We have

apparel and benefits group that make sure all of our people are paid a bunch of other things are they're throwing stuff at their screens right now because I'm I'm not giving them their full do of all the stuff that they do. But we we deal with the budget and forecasting in investing funds a lot of which is topic of concern right now. We have a purchasing procurement area. This is one of the ways and were able to really minimize the risk that the city has through our procurement standards and our policies. We negotiate. That's value. We keep a well-stocked warehouse and and feel area we have a financial reporting, group that's where our our financial statements come from and the work that we do there helps keep us line, too. Have a good credit rating and be able to b a well fiscally managed city and then like I said, we have a department is under us. Their own enterprise fund were they maintain the district to maintain the assets within the district. They are also ambassadors to the downtown where the district is located. So if you accomplishments that I do want to go over and there's a couple of ones that I want to point You know, part of what we do here is is a move through the task that have

existed for, you know, e On's. But we also try to be creative as as possible. One of the things that we did was we created a one 15 trust a different one. 15 trust to the ones that we created couple years ago. But this one deals with with our pen which of course I am blanking on the acronym for that. But it's basically it's our public safety public employee health Care Act. Something like that. It deals with health care liability that we have for public safety. Employees are the only ones that that get that. Creating distrust. Allowed us the opportunity to actually lower or unfunded a liability for that on our on our books. And as a result, we were actually able to generate about 1.5 million dollars of savings. That's that's a big deal for a department that debt of those just a big deal. We we too, put out a good budget that is best practice. We receive an award for it. We also pay for that award. But we still receive the award. We wouldn't get the get kiddos on it if we did not have if we didn't put together a publication, we have a a purchasing agent and one of the first things that she did was input more training for the organization. We've started a our procurement card reconciliation training, a video training and and the like we assisted with negotiating and causing all of

the interviews that were recently pass and as we go do that, then we need to go and actually make em a huge changes in our peril system, which was quite and in Denver at itself. Going on to the parking side, few things that you know, one of the things, as I mentioned, Chad heads our parking manager is good cutting costs within his department, but also going out and finding grants that will help us move initiative forward within a parking fund that has very, very limited resources. So one of the things that that we have been doing is we've been working with our housing developers in the downtown to find to provide parking permits for them and at a cost, of course. But we negotiate those parking permits for them as we are finding out that there is a increase parking need with the developments that are going up. We are looking at ways to have a a more cost efficient and sustainable parking fund. Part of that is through some of the studies that we were able to get through grants through mtc and we should start being able to report out on those. Hopefully summer and then we also adjusted our operational hours to help reduce staff time. Kind of worked on cutting costs and creating a better environment for those employees. And finally, just a couple of things to point out with some of the work that we're doing

with the ev Chargers we yeah, we will have ev Chargers going into lot 10. The construction on that should start in AUGUST with completion by the end of the calendar year. We are putting ev Chargers in 2 garage 9, which is the one on the street. So the district, which are a garage will have ev Chargers and these were done at a much lower cost or completely paid for through pg e through some of the grant process and we're going through the garage. 9 That work should begin in JULY and be done. I believe OCTOBER we did also create fix, a major elevator issue and garage 12, which good thing as well. And mentioned before, we do have parking Enterprise fund that this is the fun summary for it. We are still having to use reserves in order to balance the budget. However, we like I said, we're doing everything that we can do keep our costs as low as possible and are looking ways to increase revenue in there as well. While working with the downtown community to kind of figure out what will work for both and then. Before I get into non departmental, I do want to say one thing. One of the things that I've tried to do in the department is to create a leadership team put people in there that are the right people to meet the challenges that we have going forward. And that will also hire the staff below them. So

we'll be able to come up and meet the future challenges after they're gone. And so you've seen Scott Veronica's ar big part of that that group. But I also have all of my leadership team members that are there as well. And then the supervisors that they're over or the lead workers. All of this is a culture that we're trying to build within the finance department that will create succession planning. And it's something that I'm very proud about proud of as an internal department. We're not really. The lights, not on us too much, that is something that I think a lot of the departments are going along the same route, too. Moving into non departmental. I drew the short straw on this one part mental is basically the department that we use for everything that. Doesn't fit in a particular department. It has a general fund area that it also has our pension obligation. Our to our debt service is comes out of it as well. So going through this spy program this is again, I think the main thing to to hit on you'll see general fund administrative cost plan. This was something that we started doing. I don't know around 10 years ago. Where we show what the cost of service, the the that almost cost allocation to the other general fund operating departments Bears the cost of the admin group. So you see a big negative there. It's a it's kind of a meaningless number. There's a corresponding revenue amounts. It all adds 0, but it's there. It looks weird. So we should probably talk about it if it

comes up. We have our our our non program costs. Those are things where we do have our vacancy credit that we that we use for what we project to be vacancies. We don't want to over over count our expenditures. So we use a vacancy credit to try to offset down a little bit and make it more realistic number jet that a line also has a place holder for the furloughs that were talked about before. With that hi, that concludes my. Summary. My report. And information technology is next. Unless you have any questions for me. Thanks to both of you. Bring it back to council. Any questions. Again, just thanks for a lot of work. 3 of in fact, we have including Jeff Online. We have the pleasure sitting in a long-term finance committee and getting a chance on a regular basis to see the the the the work in the planning that that your team does. >> And again, it's right in center of what we're doing right now. And for the next years to come. So thank you for having a great team and thank you for all the work. >> Good afternoon, Mayor Vice Mayor Alvarez members of City Council. Thank you for the opportunity present our it budget propose it budget for fiscal year. 25 26. My name's frantic term. The chief information officer here. Surfer side. Goes through our org chart within it. And we currently have 33 ft East, which current as well as proposed for next year. You'll notice on the top, right? We have a cyber security managers. The last time we talked was a kind of a dream that we were hoping to be able to fill. Thanks to guys us hope we fill that position

back NOVEMBER of last year. And we've been making some really good strides there. On the left side. We have our it operations and customer support group. The focus is on it operations in terms of our network systems, analysts and our we have one senior technician that focuses on really our it infrastructure servers and the Internet network, connections, Wi-Fi, and so forth. We have our media services Year cause are quite familiar with probably Brandon Bryson who are in charge of making sure that our public meetings happen and that we can broadcast or our public channel on the tv they also support our internal meeting rooms in the technology within those amongst many other things. The next group that we have our help desk and field services. We have a supervisor and really to people who are dedicated to our help desk. But really, everybody on this entire chart helps out within the helped U.S. Function for this for the city and for it, we have 3 it technicians. Field technicians said that once downtown tour across town to support the different departments for physical like hardware, PCs, different things like that. And then we have our pc replacement technician. Over on the application services side. We have our software developers as well as our what we call technology application

specialists. The application specialist Focus on our our large third-party enterprise products like are. Hr payroll finance system. We have 2 people sporting that. We have to support in our permitting and inspections system. Code enforcement systems and then one sporting see isr water billing system and then one that helps support the technologies within the fire department. And then we have GIs team that also has, which is geographic information systems and a programmer analyst there. That helps on the website and our internal I sites. In terms our budget. So as a reminder, it operates as an internal services funded based on cost recovery of And we charge that the department's for the services and the software licenses and and the equipment each department uses. There's actually 2 funds within it. One is the Information Technology Fund. One is the technology replacement fund looking at second one. First, the technology replacement fund is really. Dedicated to replacing PCs, laptops and tablets here in the city and about 500,000 of that 733,000 number is dedicated to the equipment itself. The rest to surround the salaries and really operating tools for that group. And then we have a change of approximately $64,000 reduction this year. That is a result of us extending this pc replacement program where today we have PCs supported up to 5 years. We're extending that up to 6 years and we're extending our laptops and tablets support

from 4 years to 5 years. By extending that out, we're able to a savings about $64,000. There. The on the impression technologies. A 6.2% change is almost entirely salaries and benefits related to use as well as merit increases. Potential merit increases coming up for staff. That the site kind of goes into it in a little more detail this this combines those 2 funds into one view here, but that $562,000 change is once again. So mostly salaries and that actually over 579,000 are specifically routes hours. And so we try to reduce in other areas be able to lower that as much as we could. And so we did things like looking at all of our software packages we have for 33 third-party software packages we renegotiate. If you contracts, we eliminated licenses where we could. We eliminated phone lines where we could. We cut back on cellular services. We really through the budget every where we could to try to reduce in every aspect that was possible. The 1.7 reduction for our cip for it. Our cip programs are really around technology upgrade. We have about 200,000 there as well as aerials we have somebody fly the city every 2 years to take. GIs are pictures, images that are used for GIs systems and we have a pc purchases for about a half million that I mentioned before is in that budget line item as well as our peco projects, our public education and government projects. And

unfortunately, those revenues we get from our cable providers and those revenues are reduced this year. And therefore, the reduction here is a reduction in the corresponding expenditures due to that. I'll also point out in it development the 4 plus million of that 4 plus million. There's over 2 million of that is for these third-party. These 33 or so 3rd party software products and software subscriptions. And that was a tough one for us to to manage from the standpoint that most vendors require anywhere from 4 to 5% annual escalator on on all of this. And so it's, you constantly trying to fight a there increased prices. And so we're trying to do what we can to mitigate that. This slide many of you have seen before. It's our summary of our it strategic plan that we developed in 2022 as a four-year plan. So good news there on your 4 of 4 for this plan. And we've made some really nice progress here. The areas in green or how it relates to the current fiscal Year's Council goals. Digital Services is really around our software applications and other data related technologies are our dashboard sites and so forth. Security includes both physical security as well as cyber security. Hybrid services is really to help our workforce. Be able to work remote. And as you know, coming out of going into covid in especially coming out of covid those big challenge and made a lot of progress there and also allows of poor things like these hybrid meetings we're having today. Sport and maintenance is really where we spend the vast majority of our time within it. It's really supporting maintaining keeping the lights on, so to speak with our networks and keeping

PCs running and keeping applications running. People and processes really focused around our staffing and organizational needs and policies and then governance and accountability. We added that as an item, 2 help really add More focus on it initiatives to wear. We have it advisory committee that reviews things before, before we implement them for large projects, for example, just as a double check to make sure that we're spending our it funds wisely. This next slide. I really like from the standpoint that it really lets us look at our budget from a different perspective. And I know that's labeled spy service area to me. I would call it really it's by program for what we see is our core 14 services that we from the city. And 100% of our budget is really tied up in these 14 programs. Our biggest ones, as you can see there and the really the royal blue in the dark blue that are almost equal amount and percentage about 1.8 million each. Our coach, communications and infrastructure. So once again, keep the lights on, keeping the servers upgraded updated and some of our cloud presence. Costs are in there, backups phones really everything that makes up network infrastructure, Internet structure, and then the dark blue there with our help desk and technical support and really for it, that's really the heart of what we do. That's the kind of

the customer facing piece that interact the most with with our help desk and technical support. As I mentioned earlier, really the way we're structured is 100% of our people to on helped us can technical support depending on what the issues are, which lets us really kind of run a little more lean from that perspective. But it definitely has its challenges when you're trying to manage projects and you need pull people in to help with support. But the team does a great job without all of that. And just for the sake of time on go through everything on the wheel here. But just point out one, for example, like the Green there finance hr payroll. So this is a system called one solution. That's you citywide. But it's, you know, focused on the payroll hr you know, accounts, payable accounts, receivable and so forth. For that, we can see here total total cost for us for this next year will be about 933,000 and based on that table there on the right. We kind of have the breakdown. And so well, we can also see from that is hardware and equipment at a million internal labor salary and benefits is about 6.9 million and software and sas, which is software as a service subscriptions. Basically makes up about 10 Million. So those 3, 3, areas for it, hardware and equipment, labor and overhead makes not overhead software and makes up about 88% of our budget. This a view of our tickets over the last 5 years or so. Our tickets being helped us tickets as people within department's request assistance from it. They're asked to put in a ticket or it put one in on their behalf. And you can see that this

continues of climbed. 23, 20. 22 23. Don't know how that could possibly happen out of 10,000 tickets, but we had the exact same number of those 2 years. But then it's increased by another 800 or so this year. And this slide was generated about a month ago we were at 3,000 this year. So we're really on track for probably even more. This next year is about 12,000 tickets. Some other highlights here. So in addition to tickets, we do. What we call as projects and projects for us or really anything over about 40 hours worth of work. That could be hundreds of hours. It could be thousands of hours. And so we have 11 projects currently in with another, you know, 30 plus that in different states of moving forward when as resources allow time allows as we do some additional research and so forth. But this reflects really our project dashboard on what we're doing with projects. And then these last 2 slides around some accomplishments that Creen notes how it corresponds to the current city council goals. I mentioned the nearly 12,000. It service requests. We've made a lot of great headway with our cybersecurity program this last year hiring the new cybersecurity manager has done a great job assume which is security information and event management system, vulnerability scanning doing additional training, switcher, citywide and work on response plans for that. As noted earlier, the center insights dashboard that's on the city managers. Homepage can be

launched from there. We worked on this last year. We've also taken quite a few strides in a good way with ai artificial intelligence city manager, assistant city manager noted some enhancements coming soon around our Web site were actually using some ai technology. There that we're planning on piloting later this month to our main sr City Dot Org website that has ai technology to better find. And summarize information for the public. So we're excited about getting that one rolled out soon. We completed the city Hall campus security camera deployment project that has been a year. In the making. But we if MAY have noticed have cameras now all around our downtown buildings. Thanks. Also big help from the facilities group and our electricians here in town here with the city that really helped us bill to get that done. And we've actually and talking with our risk manager. Starting probably not 100% due to this, but we have seen some declines in some of the incidents that have been happening around our campus. We've been noticing that over the last several months. So that's been great there. Complete rfp process for the cloud-based permitting system great news there is when the slide was put together, we are nearing completion and I didn't want to hedge my bets on that. And but the the everything went really well actually live on that as of last Monday. So we've been running on the new permitting system for a week. Plus, now of the really fabulous job to team and our team in fire. Our

it team other departments who helped get live. And then the last This the first one, unfortunately, used the wrong word is optimistic for weeks ago when we put this one together but received unfortunately that grand we've been notified. We've been awarded 7 straight Graham, but due to the federal the freezes at the federal level there, frozen right now. We're told that they're still working h# # # o# it been taken away is just frozen right now. So haven't actually received that money. We have a lot of need for it. We're still hoping to receive that soon. We have been told we one of the awardees for it. We've updated replace, maintain a lot of our city infrastructure. It infrastructure. One of the things the next one, their upgraded the broadcast Sunday, the system that the ufo conference rooms, which is also has a media room there for our backup facility for City Council and other public meetings to be able to broadcast from. Well, we want government experience award for in-house develop system for storm water. One of our program or Shawn Moore lead that along with team from water. So storm water group. And we've also developed a system called aware, working with the fire department, Chris, to bouts in particular. And Paul Don Paul this system, which actually is one of the most frequently systems on our sr City dot Org site and its the one site where people spend the most time when they

come to our website. So it's gotten some really positive reviews on that. Shawn Moore was also the lead on that. We also have developed a system for tracking employee injury reports. The replay still really archaic system that we've had around for years now. And Debbie Purdy programmer analyst lead that along with Jake Bayliss and that went live last week. And then we've also in the last several months ago developed a system for code enforcement to track vacant buildings and lots and those are the slides ahead. And if there are any questions, happy to answer. Director Tickner, thank you. Bring it back to council for questions. >> I do want to let it escape without one question because as you can see from those slight. So there's there's a ton of work that goes on in your department and like the city attorney's office like the city. The city clerk's office off of that work it's behind the scenes. It's it's never it's never promoted. But it's it's integral to keeping that the city in the community running. Could you just see a few more words about where weather system? It's just an interesting interesting collaboration with the fire department and weather reporting stations. >> Exactly. So that one there is one where there are. Systems that collect weather information across town. Fire department has deployed and they are just bringing in. A lot of data every couple of minutes. It's checking and on precipitation whether you're wind condition, different conditions. He conditions

different conditions there. And one of the challenges we had with the is ultimately there becomes literally millions of data points that is just too much to make any sense out of. And so it was difficult to kind of comb through all that data. And so with our program are working with the fire department, they're able to come up with a system to build out house built system that allows really residents around town to kind of get microclimates on based on where they live. So you don't just get, you know, the weather at the airport kind of thing. You get weather in your neighborhood or in your area of town based all of that information that's being collected, including fuel moisture levels virus, you and your right fuel moistures a big one. Really grand. Your levels are on fire safety vegetation management. You know. >> Then it also has historical data to. So it's not just, you know, looking out your window it so you can look back for historical data and see different trends, which is really interesting to around fuel moistures a big one. >> good example of all the important things that it gets his hands into aside from laptops. And cybersecurity. Thank you for highlighting the fact we now have somebody running point on cyber security for the city making that that persons full-time job that's critical. So thank you very much for that great report. All right. Thank you. And with that turned over to housing and Community Services. Director passenger. And just for for those of you who are joining us from the from from the community were to go through this report and they're going to take a 10 minute break and then going to our general meeting. We're we're going to push the fire

and police reports until tomorrow. We have a as many of you know, we've got another half day of a budget study study session tomorrow. We'll do police and fire than well. And with housing and community services here again, take a take a 10 minute break or so and come back and go into our general meeting. >> Good afternoon. Mayor staff and members of council. I'm Megan passenger, director of housing and Community services. And with me is k cold for the department. So to start with an organizational chart, as you can see where rather small group we have 27 Ft ease split among 4 program areas. Homeless services, we just wanted to much discussion about the and MISTER, the homeless contracts for the city of Santa Rosa and coordinate with the county and other entities. I community services which provide services such as fair housing and that is federally mandated and will continue in the upcoming fiscal year rental assistance. This is our Section 8 housing choice voucher program. And then Associated Services with that program that will get more into program as the presentation goes on. And then the housing trust and this group administers federal grants, Cdbg home state grants and then provides loans to our affordable housing developers, which we then see come to fruition as new affordable housing complexes. Also as noted, administer the mobile home Rent Control ordinance for the city. Some turn it over to Kate who will be walking through. I >> I'm afternoon. Mayor, vice mayor and council members, as Megan said, I am k gold that define administrative services

officer for housing and community services. Already the expenditure slides and then pass it back to Megan to go through our highlights and accomplishments. So this is housing and community services by fund. We are looking at a 62.3 million dollar budget this year, which is an increase of nearly 7 million over the current year. We're going to start with the general fund. We had 2 programs there which were eliminated in the APRIL budget study Sessions. That was the legal aid contract and the Secure Families Collaborative grant moving onto mobile home, rent stabilization. That is funded by a fee which allows the city to administer the mobile home Rent Control ordinance. It to contracted salary and benefit increases and citywide overhead cost increases. Moving on to homeless services operations. That's does not includes that does not include the reductions that we just talked about. It is funded currently as she is shown on the pie chart in the top right there. The reason for the increase is wholly based on that. It was funded by one time arpa funding last year and that moved back to the General fund this year. An admin. That is primarily citywide overhead. Information. Technology charges and liability insurance for the department. It is also a very small admin services and supplies budget. And a small admin staff budget that decreased overall while city overhead charges increased overall. Going down the line in our rental

assistance programs. This is the department's by far the department's largest budget. It is wholly federally funded. It is our housing choice voucher program and our emergency housing choice voucher program. We've not yet received our final federal allocations for those yet. We're currently budgeting for an 11% increase in per unit costs, which is based on what we've seen over the last few years. Currently, hud is funding us on a monthly basis and continues to fund us at our sustainable rate as of right now, we don't know what's coming in the future right now. Finally, the housing trust, the final line item there that's made up of 15 different federal, state and local funds. And we have also not yet received our federal allocations. There is making just mentioned of community development block grant or home funding the increase in expenditures. There is due to an increase in revenue in local funding sources. Last year we received more loan repayments and higher impact fees than we were budgeting. We used to cover We used to come. We use that revenue to cover salary and benefits costs and then use the rest for new loans. Next slide. This slide shows housing and Community Services by program. And many of these are a one to one match with our funding. But some aren't so mobile home. Rent control is a one to one match. I just discussed that the housing trust is nearly a one to one match. There is there are 2

operations and maintenance projects down in the bottom line. The increase you see there is due to the increase in revenue that's going towards primarily towards more loan product, which will loom to developers. And admin is a one to one match just discussed below community services as shown. Here is the legal for the legal aid contracts which was eliminated in the APRIL reductions, rental assistance programs here, Ari, One to one match, homeless shelter operations are nearly the same. There is Nn project in the last line item. The difference between between homeless services here and cip projects is is that so housing and community services doesn't have cip projects. We have a few onn projects. One is our public services funding cbg public services. That is our federal portion that's used towards homeless services. We have one housing grant, one state housing grant and then we have one time funding for homeless services of 500,000. So I'm happy to answer questions or can turn it over to Megan. Any questions at this time? Will continue the presentation. All right, seeing none. We'll move on to the operational highlights. >> So first, we'll touch on the rental assistance division. And again, these are the housing choice vouchers that administered for low-income households within the city of Santa Rosa. We're currently managing over. 25 100 vouchers. This is our traditional voucher vash, which is a veterans affairs, supportive housing voucher. We have project based vouchers which are site specific and those are assigned to

developments. We also have a cup ordinances is when individuals from other housing authorities move into Santa Rosa and then we work with that other housing authority to administer the voucher tenant based rental assistance, which is to crack. This is a program that we carved out of some of our federal resources during covid to provide additional housing assistance to residents against federally funded and then finally, the emergency housing vouchers and these again, we're a covid era American rescue plan program. The city was provided 131 emergency housing vouchers for homeless individuals. So we administer those. On a monthly basis. We move 2.7 million dollars in rental payments to landlords that are working within our community. So the program not only is benefiting those residents, but also the individuals and entities that own those complex us. We perform reexamination. So in order to remain qualified for the programs you need to demonstrate that you still meet the income requirements and that you are complying with various program aspects. So our staff does that on a monthly basis we also perform inspections of the units. Residents cannot move into the units in till those are inspected to make sure that they meet housing quality standards. So every time someone moves or enters the program, our staff is out inspecting those units. We also administer the family self-sufficiency program. And this is a component of housing choice vouchers that helps individuals who long-term educational financial goals, work through those. And as the increase their income, they're able to create a savings

account. So it's very unique aspect of housing choice vouchers that with the ultimate goal of helping people move to self-sufficiency. So we have 44 families that are in that program also increase the funding think it's $140,000. But it does. I greatly assist with staffing costs. Finally, our reporting requirements to hide are quite robust. So we are reporting on. Weekly daily monthly and we get audited frequently by had. So we work hard to make sure that we remain in good standing with the the federal government. And for all of those components, we have a waiting list of over 4800 individuals who would like to have access to the program. So we do have to keep waiting list up to date help those individuals achieve housing. We also have a very active public counter. So in the city Hall annex, we have a dedicated staff person who works at the front counter providing public information Monday through Friday. As you can see, they've interactive with over 5500 people in person and feel that in excess of 8700 phone calls for individuals who are seeking housing clarification on their housing assistance. So it's a vital component of what what we're doing. Housing and community services. A touch on homeless services which we did discuss a great link this afternoon. What you can see on the right side of the screen is our encampment map. And so this is something we've worked very hard citywide. And this is our encampment team that has touched on that has representatives from police

fire code enforcement, response team who are out in the field weekly addressing the issues associated with encampments and working with our host contractor to bring those individuals into services and housing. So we have over 100 contacts each month we've resolved. 5th. We generally result 15 encampments a week through those contacts and about 40 of months staff also is on the by names. Listen, this is a county wide effort and there's a subgroup that specific to Santa Rosa that works with homeless service providers and drills down to it name level for individuals to help them seek housing he's proven rather successful. As noted here we had over 15, sorry, 16 nonprofit contracts and then we participate in regional efforts to address homelessness. The housing trust is our 3rd major division. This is the group that provides affordable housing ministers, federal and state grants and provide performs compliance monitoring. So the map that you can see on the right side of the provides an overview of the affordable housing complexes throughout the city. The orange dots are the multi-family complexes. You can see through the blue purple. We have senior citizen complex is we also have some properties that are set aside for individuals special needs, whether physical disabilities, mental health issues. And then finally, the 3rd are the mobile home parks that are subject to the city's ordinance. So the housing trust has a loan portfolio has reached. Value of over 200 million dollars. It's

comprised 500 plus loans. We monitor that on a regular basis. Over 6200 units are monitored for compliance. And this is making sure that the individuals who move into those units meet the income qualifications r and r in size, appropriate units and then on annual basis that those individuals still are complying with the income requirements of that particular complex. As I noted, we managed state in federal grants from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. One of those showed up in our cip line item that is permanent local housing allocation grants. And then we put all of those funds and resources which Kate noted that come from loan repayments towards new construction and rehabilitation. So in recent years we've completed over 547 units. We have 156 that are currently under construction. We also ownership units where we provide silent seconds. So that is a loan that's recorded against the property and will be repaid. Either at refinancing or a sale of the unit and then we continue to work with developers to preserve or rehabilitate existing affordable housing units. So touch quickly on our accomplishments. In our services team, we launched the keeps know my house. Key people has Sonoma. I'm pilot program. This is with all home cinema. And the city of Petaluma County Cinema. We also continue to implement 2.3

million Arpa era funding that was provided continue rental assistance and services for homeless individuals. And that is I know that there. We have our encampment resolution funds and that we touched on earlier goes towards safe parking and Associated Services. And that's through the state of California. This fiscal year, we awarded 3.1 million dollars to affordable housing complexes. That's creating 130 new affordable units and then working to rehab 40 existing units. In the Roseland areas, the rehab project. We continue to monitor mobile home rent control ordinance. And as I noted, perform compliance monitoring and over 6200 units. With the Down Payment Assistance Program that was launched a couple years ago. We were able to provide 9 loans to individuals. Again, those loans are secured against the property. So when they are repaid in the event of resale, refinance will be able to recapture turn those funds back around to another household. Have the family self-sufficiency program. So as I know to be a 44 active participants, we were able to bring 20 new individuals into the program. So that was quite an accomplishment and helps keep that program moving forward. And then we've recently had the completion of 3 affordable housing complexes that were several years in the making. We have a Glenn, which is located in Rincon Valley on Calistoga Road Highway 12. We have the Cannery row Boat Square which just had its grand opening celebration last week. And that was nearly 20 years in the making to get

that project to fruition. And then we have South Park comments, which is the site of the former Bennett Valley senior Center property, which was recently completed and is leasing And so those 3 projects alone, providing over 290 new units, 63 of which have units that are set aside for formerly homeless individuals. So that concludes my presentation. I can I be happy to answer any questions Jeremy ended on a high note with the mention of all those units coming out of online. Thank you for that work. >> Welcome to my colleagues are questions. It's been winless. Just clarification. Thank you for your report. By the way, I know you've been up here several times. Appreciate it. >> heard in your presentation the legal aid had been caught. And I just wanted clarify that we haven't voted on anything. On the table, so to speak. And just don't want the public to be confused. You know, so I know that they're there and that it's a possibility, but has not happened yet. So that's all I just want to make that point. Thank you. Sorry, Mayor. It's it's not a question. It's a comment. I just want to say to all the prisoners are silence is not because we are not very, very thankful for all the work. >> That you do. We just know that we have to get through all the departments because we I'm sitting here with so much gratitude and very, very thankful for all the work that you're doing and the community as well as I know, my colleagues are. So I just wanted to say that because it seem like we're just sitting of her silent. But we are hearing it and we do see and

hear all the work that you're doing in the community. So thank you. >> And on that note, I completely agree. Thank you. Thank you for all the great work. And with as I mentioned, going take a short break. I said 10 minutes earlier, but let's make it 15 will reconvene here at 4.40, thanks to everyone for their patients. See you in 15 minutes. Thank you for your patience. Everyone. It's been a long day so far going to bring us back into session. Now. MADAM City clerk MAY be please have a role. >> Thank you. Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember Okrepkie is absent Councilmember MacDonald is absent. Councilmember Fleming. Councilmember Ben Vice Mayor Alvarez present Mayor step here. Let the record show that all councilmembers are present with the exception of council members. MacDonald an okapi. >> Thank you very much. On to item 6, which is our report on our study session. MADAM City, Attorney. We just held a link. The part one to our study session and it just ended about 20 minutes and pick up tomorrow morning 9 o'clock. >> Thank you very much. Yes, it has been busy day so far, but now we items 7.1 7.2, we can we can take a breath. >> We have a couple proclamations on the agenda starting with park with item 7.1, a proclamation pertaining to affordable Housing month. As for >> thank you, Mayor. Just want to make sure we have our notes here. Whereas housing is a human right thousands of Saint Rose and struggled to find affordable home. And whereas

Santa Rosa must continue to put the need for new affordable housing development as well as the preservation and rehabilitation of existing affordable homes at the forefront to promote the stability of the community and whereas the city it and housing authority. And taking meaningful actions to meet the need by providing financing, unaffordable monitoring for over 6500 unit overseeing 199 million dollars loan portfolio and ministry more than 2000 housing housing choice vouchers, as we just heard. And whereas this fiscal year, the Housing Authority awarded 3.1 million dollars to develop and rehabilitate 170. Affordable housing units. And whereas the city and Housing Authority want to highlight the completion of South Park 62 unit affordable housing complex that located on a surplus city property provided 5.8 million dollars and 30 project base vouchers to ensure the long-term financial sustainability and affordability of the project. And whereas the Department of Housing and Community Services works of many organizations to pride, safe, stable and affordable housing and whereas Affordable Housing month is a time to recommit to our mission, to promote awareness, fairness, including and just housing. Now, therefore, be it resolved that Mayor Mark Stapp of the city of Santa Rosa on behalf of the entire council, recognize our community here by proclaims MAY to be affordable housing month and calls upon our community to support affordable housing solutions >> I am. I if I MAY make a couple of remarks promoting the building of of housing, both affordable and otherwise

has been one of the great endeavors of my time serving the people of Santa Rosa and what this proclamation does that I think is really important is at the end, it calls upon the community to support affordable housing in, you know, MAY seem that what can any one of us But when there is a project in your neighborhood one year, neighbors are talking about it to say, you know, that you support affordable housing in that people who live in affordable housing or regular people like you and is is really important. And that builds the momentum in the movement which gets us closer to a community where everybody can call a safe, affordable place home. So with that, I'll turn back over to the mayor. But I think we have a note here and and I can't I can't read from here, but what well said. >> You need your cheaters, don't you? >> It's getting old sitting 20 feet away trying to read size 10 fought. What I will read that. Well, we turn this or turn it over to. I believe it's Robin is simpler. Is that it's about more and o Lord Carter show for So welcome. I did. I did need to read the shade. So Lauren, Thank you for being here. The floor is yours. >> And hello, everyone. My name is Lauren Cutting sober. I'm here from a boat services and also on behalf of the vote, housing development, along with Free Bird development. I just want to say couple things about South Park Commons to 62 in a complex. We have >> have 40 have formerly unhoused individuals and 50%

families. We are almost Lee's that almost they're super exciting for the community. We especially want to think the South Park Coalition for supporting us throughout the whole process, especially now that we are in operations. Because of these collaboration efforts, the former vacant city-owned property is now a wonderful, vibrant community to the previously unhoused. I do just want to say from the services side were on site. Now we're in Operation 13. Fully in effect. And I can say that we've officially had our first South Park Commons, baby, and she was born to the first resident that moved in and to the complex. So I think that's a big milestone for us. And we just look forward to collaborating with the community just seeing this community thrive. So thank you. >> Lauren, thank you very much. And we want to do a photo in just a minute, but first, we're going to open it up to public comment. Are there any members of the public would like to speak on this item? Of course, we welcome generation ages always. >> Good evening. Mayor's staff, councilmembers and staff. My name is Omar Lopez. I'm the senior program associate generation housing. We want to thank you for proclaiming MAY. It's Affordable Housing Month and for your continued recognition that housing is foundational to the health equity and resilience of our community. We are especially grateful the city's ongoing commitment to housing as a central priority. One that affects everything from work for stability, into racial equity to our climate and economic future. Santa Rosa has demonstrated that

it's not let it not just understands the complexity of the housing crisis, but also the urgency of taking action. From your support of affordable housing production to your work on sending reform and the recent impact fee reform. You saw the real willingness to leave. As a proclamation reflects solving the housing crisis requires not just policy change, but collaboration across sectors, agencies and communities. Generation housing is proud to be one of the many partners working alongside the city and others to move old lasting solutions forward. Thank you again for your leadership and for recognizing that housing is not just the but I shared responsibility. That the find strength and future of Santa Rosa, thank you. Thank you. All are. Are there any other members of the public would like to speak? >> Is there anyone online who has a question or would like to speak? >> If there's anyone now wishing to provide public comment on please raise your hand. This is being activated due to the remote participation of crappie earlier in today's agenda. Mary c no hands being raised via zoom. >> Thank you. Van Lauren will invite you down front take a photo. We'll move on to item 7 point to another proclamation for bike to work month. And a MISS Been winless. >> Be my honor. Whereas the bicycle is a healthy, convenient financially and environmentally sound form of transportation and an excellent tool for recreation and enjoyment of Santa Rosa. Scenic beauty, local attractions and friendly neighborhoods. And where is Santa Rosa? Streets and trails

attract bicyclists each year providing economic health transportation, tourism and scenic benefits and whereas creating a bicycle bicycling free friendly community has been shown to improve citizens. Health. Well-being and quality of life growing the economy and attracting tourism, improving safety, supporting student learning and reducing pollution congestion and wear and tear on our streets and roads. And whereas since 2001. The Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition has been promoting bicycling for transportation and recreation through education, encouragement and AUGUST advocacy. And whereas the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, the League of American Bicyclists by 6 bicyclists, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and jurisdictions throughout the Bay area will be promoting bicycling during the month of MAY 2025 and whereas throughout the month of the residents of Santa Rosa and its visitors can experience the joys a bicycling through free educational programs, challenging challenges and events organized by these groups. Now, therefore, maybe resolve to that Mark Stapp mayor the city of Santa Rosa and on behalf of the entire city council in recognition of our community do hereby proclaim MAY 2025 as by to work month. 5/15/2025. Is bike to work day and senators and urge all residents to participate in this special observance. And I think we have regular attendee air as we were here to do except the word heiress to floor is yours. >> Thank you. Is Weaver, executive director of the

Sonoma County Bicycle coalition. 25 years ago, members of a local cycling club channel to their frustration, their anger, their fear and their sorrow. The challenges that they were facing on the streets with several high-profile deaths of cyclists struck by cars and eventually that group became the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. Since then, we have seen a lot of changes we have. And Santa Rosa is really leading the way here in Sonoma County. We have protected bike lanes. We have more bike parking. We have more separated bike paths being built. And what I almost feel as important if not more important is I get this sense that within the greater community there is a higher proportion of people. Who are with us who can see that making our streets safer so that more people can choose to walk to ride a bike to take the bus. Is it just an inconvenience for them? But that it makes everything safer and improves the quality of life for everyone in the community. I gave a talk to a business group the other day and I started out with saying, ok, here's my hypothesis. Bikes are good for business. True or false. And every hand went up true, which I hadn't quite expected. So that is just to mark of what's going on here. We've had a lot of great stuff going on here in Santa Rosa. And we have a whole lot of different events happening over the next several weeks this Saturday is

the city and Bikeable Santa Rosa and the by coalition or altogether putting on bike block party on 4th Street. Tomorrow is walk and roll to school day. So be prepared for seeing a lot of kids, including some doing bike trains on their way to school. And of course, MAY 15th is bike to work day. Where will be set up in a variety of places handing out swag and snacks to support people that making the choice to get to work in a different way. Whenever I think about You know, the messaging that we put out there in promoting cycling. It's so easy kind of get into the way. It's good for Great. It's good for your health. It's good for your mental health. It's good for the environment. >> It also creates community if you've ever gone taco Tuesday, you've seen have just a bunch of people with bikes and tacos create a community and it creates joy every morning on my commute to work. I get to experience joy. Do you experience that on the freeway? I had to drive to Hillsborough yesterday. Let me tell you, I did not experience joy in endeavor. So thank you for this proclamation. You all can find more information about what happening this month that our Web site bikes about word. And I hope to see you all on your bikes sometime this week. Thank you. Thank Russ. >> Applause. Applause. We're worthy. Certainly any other members of the public in attendance today was to speak. Alright, well, we'll hold that comment. It looks like MADAM City Clerk, anything online. >> If you would like to

provide public comment on this proclamation via zoom, please raise your hand. The zoom. I see no hands being raised. Mayor. >> you're you're next. >> been a minute since I've been here, Callan PRESIDENT Jc neighborhood and also a board member with the Summit County Bicycle Coalition. Today. I walked here because, you know, I very much for me live by the creed of, you know, try to live where you work, we live. The only way we can really create a sustainable future is if everyone can find a safe place our safe, stable and affordable home in that and safe streets that they can transit to their their place of work. And so I just like to to echo, you know, the comments of Paris. I think you guys have been doing a wonderful job. I'm really appreciative of gantry. None and the rest of crew for all the work that they have and continue to be doing in our community. And, yes, we have some tough headwinds coming our way. But I firmly believe we are very resilient community. We've been through a lot. And we can handle this as well. Tell thank you very much again for all your hard work. And I really look and on Saturday I will be doing to our the contraption from 4 to 7 at the bike block parties. So you want me to help you land a smoothie. >> I encourage you to show up. I will be there with a smiling face and lots of fruit. Come on by and come say hi, thank you. Thank you, Cal. Would any other members of the public like to speak on this proclamation? >> And a name is shooting the little and I've been bicycling for decades and I was so grateful and so much joy that I can bicycle. On bus the smart Braille on the trails.

And I'm so joyful floor. The new bike lanes that we have all the availability of where right we can park our bikes because it used to tie 2 trees and things like that. And so i'm just totally grateful for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and for all the support that more and more people are out, enjoying a bicycle said it's wonderful community. Thank you. Thank you for those comments. >> Are there any other members of the public who wish to speak on this item? Janice, are you walking to the podium? All right. And so this is for this is for the proclamation. 7.2, Janice. >> Proclamations. I'm not. I'm not familiar know. I know that the bikes but >> all right. Well, we'll we'll get to shortly. Janice, with that will close public comment Eris, let's take a phone or on front. All right. So because of the budget study session this morning, we got started with their with our our general meeting a little bit late. As a result, we're going move things around a bit. We're gonna go first or next to our public comment on non agenda matters. So this is for members of the public wish to comment on items, not listed on the agenda. If you're here, as I suspect suspect to some of you are to make comments on the budget study session this morning. The city's today discussion of the budget public comment for that will actually take place tomorrow after the conclusion of the study session. So this is public comment period right here is just for items not listed on the agenda and with that, we'll open it Are there members of the public who

would like to speak? Janice, you have the floor. Thank you. >> I just wanted to say that on Friday I was really surprised to look at the paper and see that the marble sculpture was being removed the mall. So I was trying to find out something about it. I was ending up with dead-ends. I went to the public places meeting last night. >> And is disappointing at this point. But I'm not sure what I say. Sometimes you lose that battle, but you MAY win the war. And I'm hoping that it's not gone for good. This was a built Marvel sculpture placed in 1996. It's one of sculptures that we have here in Santa Rosa. Kids are not getting art and music sports. Pretty good right now. But things in school and appreciation for art has suffered greatly. And this is something that had Santa Rosa in Spirit and soul and it was It was made from Santa Rosa. It should be here. And the reason why we don't have it is because it was not money to ask abated and take it away from the sidewalk. As I'm being told. So that said, I'm very disappointed that we didn't know because it was city considered. City aren't even though was before the public art proclamation. So I think that had we known we could have raised money for it to keep and have it here. But I don't know that it's impasse ability at this point to get it back. And there seems to be no, I designation far as where to put it. So I think could

even be something that was like a competition with the city of where do we put the hand now that we have it back? And it's something that people come from far away. They want to see that hand and to have a marble sculpture of that quality is a very unique and it's like something from Griese. And if you know, it's happened too. Midcentury any other kind of Middle Eastern Much of it has been destroyed. So anyway, it's just for your awareness. And I hope that possibly we haven't in in road to get the hand back in Santa Rosa where I feel it belongs. Thank you, Janice. >> What any other members of the public like to speak? Absolutely. In I've got names in front of a is a dog. Let's go dog, Matt and Sarah. >> Excuse me. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to make sure that you're ok with me. Speaking today. However, this is somewhat related to the budget issue. And the reason I would like to speak today, it's because I'm actually working on the piece equipment. You're requesting to down staff >> as a firefighter for you and the city of Santa Rosa. I'm writing, I'm writing to express my deep concern, professional opposition to the current budget proposal. Eliminate one of your 2 truck companies dog and just 4 fortunate. We can't take public comment on that item. We do have to reserve. We do have to push that until after the study after the rain or the study session, I will not be available tomorrow. I'll be working. 24 hours on that piece of equipment, I won't be able to participate in this particular thing. I do happen

to be off today and available to make comment right for sure. Can't make an exception for that case yet. And great, ok, you can provide a written public comment. >> To the com and e-mail address. It is located on the agenda and it will be posted online post meeting the Council for consideration. You also could ask friend or read it for you. Ok? Thank you very much. Yes. Thank you. That will go to Matt Sarah and Carl. >> And we can use both luck. Turns just to keep ourselves on track. Can you guys hear me? We can. We can hear you. Go ahead, Matt. Ok? >> Good evening. Council city, city manager, mayor, my name is Matt Finn. Again, I've been one of the teamster representatives representing close to 5 over 500 of your employees for the last 10, 12, 15 years. What what I want to inform you about today is some of the history. On how labor relations and the council making drastic decisions with funding has happened in the past. Going back 8 or 10 years ago, routinely had financial check ins with the city. And if there was issues the city would bring them to us prior to whatever this this decision-making process is. The study sessions and whatnot. >> met with apologies. I think we have to. I think we can take this comment right now. >> Well, so I I think you can because I'm not cause you don't have anything on the agenda about union relationships and the process

and how we got here. And I think you need to if I'm if I'm reading my our city attorneys logic correctly, I think it's because it. The whole point of the budget study session with because it was a negotiation with labor groups. >> And that's that's the part of the public comment. We have to push a tomorrow ready by city. Attorney is not my point. My point is we have been excluded from the discussion and now you're doing that exact. >> Same thing. >> So that employees have shown here to you down. >> They need to be involved in the process. And 2. I'm going die >> Mayor, >> I'm going suggest we take a brief recess. >> So let's let's take a recess of 5 minutes. I can I can assure everyone in the audience that members of council are very interested in this discussion. But we've got to take it tomorrow. So the budget study session begins at 09:00am. So at the at the end All right, folks, welcome back. So the situation is as it was before we took the recess. We aren't able to take public comment on the study session that will take place after tomorrow morning's discussion, which starts at 9, probably will go to something like noon. This was noticed ahead of time. But obviously creates inconvenience for many. That's why many of you are here tonight. As I mentioned, every member, every person on this dais, including executive staff of the city. Want to hear the words that you came with? The 2 options in our present circumstances are for you to submit them in writing. And those we read. Or to have somebody appear here in council tomorrow and read it. Read your statement for you or to appear by zoom because we will have zoom

comments actor tomorrow. Those are those are the 3 ways that you can be heard again tomorrow. But we can't take that. We can't take the comments right now. And I am aware we are aware that there are. Hard feelings about that. We acknowledge that it's something that we're gonna take into consideration in future meetings. But that's the way that it has to work at this point. So we're gonna go back to public comment on non agenda matters. Anything retaining the study session. But by just a session from this morning are work or for tomorrow is off limits. But any other items not on the agenda. Are fair game. Having said that, are there any members of the public who wish to speak? And I see we still have Karl Edina and Jeff listed. Let's let's use both podiums. Carl's that you speak. Karl go for it. All right, Karl Car, a business agent with operating engineers. Local 3 represent units, 3, 13 16 here in the city. >> I want to discuss tonight, just the process of informing the public and the media and the affected employees before they notified the unions about what's going on with furloughs and layoffs. It's something that so should be letting us know. We should be partners in trying to figure out what the answer is going to be. And we're not being allowed Caron. Sorry, got we got it. We got to stop this. Thank Thank you. That's what tomorrow's public comments gonna be all about. >> appreciate the passion. Edina. >> Good Evening Council. My heart goes out to individuals that here this evening and cannot be heard because I'm

also a former government employee who no longer is employed because of the same reason. And being said, I think there is is that this council is not aware of that are coming down the pipeline drastically. I know that COUNCILWOMAN Rodgers, who is running for Senate has expressed interest in learning more about this matter because it is so critical. So we are about to lose approximately 26 billion gallons of water due to the pot-bellied and decommissioning and the lack of diversions. And so the Cloverdale Council has been very outspoken about this. I was, however, neighboring partners in Lee County. And so because diversions going to affect not only punter volleyball all the way through Santa Rosa and so when we plotting our firefighters, you know, over the past few years for saving during these troublesome times, I don't think that a lack of water will be productive for our community. Norwell a staff shortage within the fire department. So my heart does stand with your fire department. I really hope that you can do the right thing. Thank you. And GOD bless you. >> Thank you, MR. Flores, Jeff, that yes. Jeff, are you here? And still, Anderson, speaking. Thank you. Good evening. Councilmembers. My name is Jeff Bittner on from the Laguna Treatment plant as one of the mechanics. I'm here. I want to talk about the alarming condition. Of the maintenance and mechanical stuff out of Laguna treatment plant. I haven't seen the council member out there and I believe that all of you guys, if you come out for a tour, you might be surprised at how alarming the condition of the

places we have not been the priority for quite some time. And if you look at what's going on out there, you're going to find out. We need to be the priority or has it breaks? It will become the priority. We have lost. More than 6. >> Key people. >> In the last 6 months and yet to hire any of those positions back. We have lost many, many people with the institutional knowledge that you we'll never get back. And if you continue this behavior, all just retire. It doesn't matter. I'm old enough. But what I can tell you is when sewer is running down Main Street, you'll start listening. Thank you. Thank you, Jeff. Are there any other members of the public would like to speak? The floor is yours. >> Hello. Can you hear We can. My name is Challenger I am the director of operations and fundraising for the Sonoma County. A secure families collaborative which was mentioned earlier as potentially receiving budget cuts during the Human Services section. And I would just like to encourage the city council to please reconsider this potential budget cut more than 20% of Santa Rosa residents are immigrants and then only counts for the portion of the population that is officially counted by the census. That doesn't account for undocumented people nor does account for mixed status families or those living with immigrants. So we've been estimate that more than one in 3 Santa Rosa residents are

either immigrants were live with an immigrant in this We're requesting $50,000, which was the same amount support we have received in the past and which as you've noticed from of that. >> With with apologies, this does pertain to our budget discussion tomorrow as well. Okay. Apologies. Thank you. Thank you for speaking again to its. It will have public comment tomorrow. Are there any other members of the public who wish to speak? Seeing none PRESIDENT? Do we have any online? >> If you'd like to provide public comment via zoom on non agenda matters, please raise your hand. Seeing no hands be raised. There. >> All right. We'll conclude this part of public will conclude this iteration of public comment for Non-agenda matters and ready to go next to our public hearing. Is item regarding the Bennett Valley Golf course. Fees. Thank you all for being here. >> Good evening. Mayor staff and members of the council. I'm Santas the park's deputy director. And with me tonight, I have members from our operating our Gulf Operating management company, Touchstone James Burch. All vice PRESIDENT To Stone and great Anderson, our general manager out at Bennett Valley Golf course. And so tonight we're going to talk about raising fees as we've done each year for the past few years. And as part of our regular attempt to meet to bring our fees up to current market. Can market rates and be competitive in the market rate. We do

understand There is an interest in from the council potentially or the community from potentially seeing. Higher rates of fees are different fee structure and where available to have that discussion as well. Urgent to listen to the questions. We do have an opportunity one more time to return to council. If that is the designer, the council as well. But tonight we're gonna go through representation to show you what this with the recommendations for the fees are too meet our budget goals then we'll go from there. So just a reminder for us all I know we are pretty familiar with the golf course, but this and it is an 18 hole golf course. Driving range and also a restaurant and event center being run by touchstone before turn it over to touch. And I just wanted to add that they are doing an excellent job. They're very very, very good with fiscal transparency, with fiscal responsibility. They're very much an extension of city staff. They are making really sound decisions when it comes to what should we updated the golf course. And this updates are usually related to how can we increase revenue at the golf course? What can we do to make it better for golfers to come to the golf course for people to enjoy the restaurant and for people to have events of the golf course. With that, I'll turn it over to our touchstone team. Thank you, Jenna. Members of the council and mayor stopped. Thank you very much. >> I'm James Virtual vice-PRESIDENT Operation for touched on golf. We wanted to just remind everybody of the fees structure that has been in place that Bennett Valley in from 2011 to 2022, they're only 3 minor fee increases over that time span when touched on golf came on board

in 2022, we quickly analyzed competitive market and looked at the structure of the fees that Bennett Valley and recommended to council and staff that we start increasing to get closer to market value, improve the financial stability of the golf course. The first year that we did that was in 2023 of an average rate of about 10% across the board, which was still below the market value but really helped us position the golf course as the best value golf course in Sonoma County. And the results were good. We an increase of our of about $100,000 over the first year from those increase We did get feedback about doing a study on how many residents and non-residents played the golf course and due to the fee structure. We could not do a great analysis at that point. So our next recommendation that came was to structure a resident and nonresident fee structure and that went into place this fiscal year. But we have found is that about 65% of the rounds played our residents from Santa Rosa. So our residents, your residents are utilizing the golf course very significantly. 35% right now are non resident plane. And so with that new fee structure that went into place, we did to a fee increase but also saw another $100,000 increase in our green fee revenue year over year with the new structure. So what we are proposing in 2025 is to continue position the golf course as the best value

golf course and the Sonoma County, this is has rate increases of about 2 to 4%, maybe 5% with a specific rate category. But that's for a nonresident rate. These rate increases are really significantly helping the financial performance of the golf course. And the more self-sustainable. On the next slide is just our sample of a of a snippet of our fee structure compared to the competitive market set. And we are asking again from about a 2 and a half to 5% increase specific types of categories. And this is on our weekday play. We also have Friday and weekend rates available and the packets that you received as well as our membership program. Doing a 15% increase for the membership rates. We also have a proposal for the next fiscal year. The keeping up with cpi index is in keeping the golf course sustainable profitability growing year over year. What we wanted to show here is just the rounds performance of this happened over the last 10 years. When you can see in 2020 2021, the significant rounds growth that happen from covid-19. And then our involvement started in 2022. Where we did Browns did decline. We did experience significant weather impact in the first 2 years of our involvement at the golf course of 3 to 55 54,000 rounds during those winter months, there were times when we only could do Greg, 10 rounds a day when our average is normally over 100. The 24 25 projected number one we present put presentation together. We

thought going to be 54,000 right now trending to almost 56,000. We've had very mild winter this year, which has helped our rounds growth. And we're continuing to see that for these next 2 months, which is the prime time of golf season is this spring? So we're really excited about the 24 25 season. Some highlights that since the last time we've been out here, that Bennett Valley has been awarded the press Democrat in Bennett Valley Golf Course was a war. Didn't golf course of the year for the county and just this year in 2025 North Bay. But in voted Bennett Valley, the best golf course in the county. We're super excited. The programming and the team has done just a phenomenal job of bringing recognition to your golf course. We also don't know, just guys, the voting ended yet. Not yet. So there's still time to vote for 2025. For the press Democrat. So please take a look at that as well. We did establish the resident and nonresident fees as was suggested by council and by the community. So the residents are now getting the best rate at their local golf course. The competitive said, as I has done wonderful job for revenue growth and we are on track track right now through this fiscal year to be had a prior year with our red or green fee revenues with this established resident and nonresident rate. We did invest in a new golf cart fleet which has helped us with our tournaments and fundraising efforts for golfers. We now have a full fleet makes revenues generation as well. We 30,000 over prior year. Revenues with cart a golf cart. Revenues. The programming at Bennett

Valley from golf to non golf events is barn on the team. Just does a wonderful job between our golf ops. 36 programs for adults to learn the game of golf to juniors plane. We've built a great relationship with the boys and Girls Club in the county and bring in younger youth to the golf course that have never played golf before. And then I can't go without saying the food and Beverage Department is done a phenomenal job of bringing people to the golf course this holiday season. We had a tensile takeover of our restaurant that was fully decorated in holiday decor. And we people from the public from the county throughout the Bay area coming to experience the amazing drink menu that we had the food service that we do and we booked a number of events from that of bet that we did over the holiday seasons. We just finished Easter brunch and we had kids youth air over 200 people came from the community to have brunch at the golf course at the restaurant. And we have about 175 for this Sunday for Mother's Day brunch as well. So it continues to be a valuable asset in the community. Our junior golf programs is taking chase our instructors to in a phenomenal job with junior golf programs and camps and through last summer to this summer, we're expecting to have over 100 kids go through the program. So we're really excited about the junior golf programs at Bennett Valley. And one last highlight. And I think Doug is in the audience as Our great Superintendent workers not only is just done a phenomenal job with the maintenance of the golf course maintaining the budget of the maintenance

department and keeping excellent golf course conditions. But he is really great leader for us. And for his team. And he was awarded the superintendent of the Year for Touchstone golf out of all our facilities. And so we're very proud to have him on our team. Bennett Valley Golf course. So just to review. The review of the proposed updates and rates. We need to continue to put upward pressure on the rate structure. We have to continue to keep up with the market and offset increased expenses between wages, utilities and just general operating expenses. What we've seen from these rate structures and the rate increase is is that we have not seen any decline usage of the golf course. And in fact, we hope we are seeing this year probably increase usage. The revenues continue to increase to help the golf course become self sustained and pay for its operating expenses. We are and full agreement that we can do more and want to do more but want to make sure that the golf course doesn't lose its position in the market. We are bringing more people here because it is the best value golf course and the community is using it. Non-residents are using it and it continues to be the best value. So we're very proud of what we've been able to do in these first 3 years. I will turn it over to 10 to finish it up. >> Thank you. James said with that, it is recommended by the recreation and Parks department that the council held a public hearing to discuss increasing Gulf fees and by resolution approved revised Bennett Valley Golf course fees to supersede and replace the Bennett Valley Golf course. Fees requirements

set forth in resolution number are yes, 2024, 0, 6, 2, effective on JULY. First 2025 for the Bennett Valley Golf Course. With that myself and the experts here with me are available for questions. >> Thank you all. Remember to council for questions looking at my colleagues. All all ask one at least I so I was glad to see that in spite of the increases that the Bennett Valley Golf Course is still below market with respect to its its peer competitors. Is that right? >> We are on par. Just a few of our rates are below. But yes, we are still slightly below some of our competitors. >> And it is a beautiful golf course. I have a cop question, but I would comment. I have I have one more question if go right to go right ahead. >> I just want to say that I have had a good experience out there. It's really nice. And you're a golfer is really good with kids. So thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you for that comment. Back to the fees which if you've been paying attention, today's meeting, you know, it's been it's been a hot topic for us. We're obviously looking at all revenue sources. Is it? Is there estimated amount of money that the existing I fear that these increases are expected to bring in for the course. >> Just these fee increases. It's it's around $150,000 over per year. >> Interesting. And that is that in including the estimates are that the estimated 56,000 rounds of golf, that's nice to hear that that were coming in above expectations. >> It wasn't in our plan because we were taking the data from every year that

we've been in operation from around performance. And so our budget is a little more conservative for the 25 26 year because of the historical rain that we've had in the winter months. We didn't want to put to a budget that was overinflated and not be able to to obtain. It is more of a normalized winter, whether that we budgeted for. So there's opportunity for growth. But if it's bad, weather could be worse. So we went right in the middle of our plant for our budget cycle. >> That makes sense. And thank you for that. That ballpark estimate for amount of revenue that these fees will generate. That's that's good news. No further questions for me. With that. We'll open up public comment or bar the public hearing rather. Are there any members of the public? Would like to speak on this item. 1, 1, half which there we go. >> Catherine Conrado. I would just like to say that in a past life, I also lost my job during hard budget time. So I I understand how that feels, but I'm I'm retired. >> And I have. >> Lived here for about 15 years. I've played all the public golf courses around because it's private golf courses are not an option for me. They're not in my budget and I trust the management to have made good decisions about. Fees and I'm willing to sacrifice. Can't believe I'm saying ok on a budget increase. But I fee increase. But I'm willing to do that for the sake of the continuance of the golf course I've seen it over the year the last few years. And this is the first time that sometimes I have trouble finding a place to

park. So I know that there's a lot of activity and a lot of events and they work very h# # # o# our behalf. And I appreciate Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Any other members of the public wish to speak? Janice hands. >> I grew up the Bennett Golf course. >> replacing the dairy essentially in that area and Gulf there once when I was a kid. But I had brothers and the father that their often and my dad was always involve the Kiwanis Club in of the things in the city. It is a beautiful golf course. And about 4 years ago, I was taking my mother every week out to lunch. Sometimes I'd make food. Some tend take it to a restaurant. And we often went here even during covid. And it was just beautiful. And it's still just as nice as I remember it and improved as well. You know, I think it's great. I think it's terrific. That's really going as well as the And that's going to say I support it. But I also think that there should be some help when we have residents that are like when was speaking and maybe a senior discount for people that are in a certain level or something like that just to be able to have a broader base of participation. Thank you or other members of the public hearing chamber. >> Seeing none better city clerk. Do we have any online questions? >> Now is the time on zoom to raise your hand. If you'd like to provide public comment for the public hearing on the Bennett Valley in a Valley golf course, fee increases.

See no hands raised via zoom. Thank close the public hearing. Bringing back to council for any final comments or discussion. Or a motion for Mis Rogers. Been winless. Apologies. Thank you, Just a quick question. There are discounts for seniors is what I'm saying. So, yeah, okay. Just wanted to clarify We have senior resident and nonresident right. And in fact, you have several different levels which really So, yeah, this sounds great. Thank you. Thank you, MR. Rogers. Just want to say congratulations on the best of awards. That's really awesome. Congratulations. In also the Mother's Day brunch is that closed right? >> We could get a few more in MAY be a factor. So I wanted to encourage people to go to the website and sign up for the e-mails because it really You guys have a lot of programming in things that are going on at the golf course and >> you won't really know if you don't get the e-mails. So also really wanted to point out, too, that the moms can for free if they have the pain, another paying person that accompanies them. So it's a way to get more people. Just a look at often see if it's something that they like because for the moms is free so they can go do it for free. And with that, I would like to adopt resolution entitle resolution of that Council of the City of Santa Rosa approving revise Bennett Valley. Golf course fees and wait for the reading of Thank you to have a second. >> Have a motion and a second

by vice mayor city clerk. Whenever you're ready. >> You Councilmember Rogers. Council members Okrepkie and MacDonald's are absent. Councilmember Fleming. Yes, Councilmember Ben Willows, yes, Vice Mayor Alvarez. All right. Mayor step. Let the record show this passes. The 5 affirmative votes. >> Thank you very much. And and crew. You have some golf course. Fans on the council. Thank you. Thank you very much for making for for this Mosher for this resolution and for being here tonight. And with that, we're going to cut back to our regularly scheduled meeting. Item. 8.1, our community empowerment Plan update. I'm assuming this >> good afternoon, Mayor Vice mayor and city council and an art that community engagement manager with the communications and in total agreement, though, relations office and now we'll be presenting that community Empowerment Plan update. Yes, today MAY 5th, several city departments participated and table at the Roast and Cinco De Mayo Festival. The safe family friendly event was to great success. A new vibrant celebration of the Latino culture. The center is a fire department will be participating in several community events this month. One main 7 they will attend De Santa Rosa Junior College Public Safety Training Center fire and Emergency Medical Service. Job fair. At 5, 7, 4, 3 Skyline Boulevard and when from 11:00am to 02:00pm on MAY 12th, they will host a community presentation, Sequoia Gardens, H.O.A. 4.33. Fulton Road from 06:00pm to 07:00pm on MAY 15, they will host another community presentation Valley of the move Water e 7, 9, 0, 2, open drive from 8.30, to 09:30am. And on MAY 28th they will attend the real Slim

University. Pray full-year day. Rosen University Brett? 1, 9, 31 I want to drive from 08:30am, to one, 30 pm. On MAY. 17 recreation and parks will celebrate kids to Parks day with a self-directed scavenger hunt at how with the Park 6 threes. You know, someone feel road the couple. The scavenger hunt instructions near how with park snack bar that day between 11:00am and 02:00pm. Also on MAY 17, the city will be participating in the Rose Parade and festival. The parade begins at 10 in the morning on 4th Street marching from e-street to be street. The parade will be immediately followed by the festival at Old Courthouse Square until 04:00pm. On MAY. 21st attend the Santa Rosa City Works festival to celebrate. Public Works week and then how our infrastructure supports the life in Santa Rosa. The festival will be held at Old Courthouse Square from 5 to 08:30pm. Finally on MAY 31st. Seal Santa Rosa Fire Department and other city departments will be table in at the Sonoma County Pride Festival Hilde on Old Courthouse Square. 50 square from 11 in the morning to 05:00pm. And that concludes the community Empowerment Plan. Update for Thank you. Thank you bring it back to council any questions or comments. It's been winless. Anything. Let's see open to public comment. First. Anyone

chambers seeing none anyone online. MADAM City clerk. If there's anyone on zoom wishing to provide public comment on the community empowerment plan, please raise your hand. See no hands raised. Mayor. All right. Well, just mention Thank you again and see you have a busy agenda every time you're here with great community events and we'll see you out there all the time. So thank you for all the work. >> We're on to item 9. Our city manager and city attorneys reports MADAM City manager. Thank you, mayor. The city is joining the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in all jurisdictions >> and the 9 Bay Area counties in celebrating the month of MAY is bike to work month where we challenge each other and bike to wherever. And this celebration started in 1994 to celebrate. Biking is a fun and healthy commute. Option and recreation activity. Each year the celebrations get bigger, more fun. This year, the city will host the second annual Bike and Block party in partnership with Bikeable Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition feel free to stop by with some free family. Fun on MAY. The 10th from 2 to 7. The event will be held at Forest Street between be Street and Mendocino Avenue in Courthouse Square. And you can also participate in the Bay area by to wear every day by pledging to ride your bike city staff will be celebrating this day with an energized station and Dan, you have to tell us where the station is on the Prince Memorial Greenway near Santa Rosa

Avenue. Thank you. Thank you. MADAM City, Attorney. I have no report this evening. Thank On to item 10 statements statements of abstention or recusal. But council members. >> Any additional statements of recusal or abstention seeing none there. >> Respectfully, can we open it up for public comment on the city manager's Of course. Apologies. All right. Back to our city manager and city attorney reports any members of public wish to speak. >> Anybody online. I see no hands being raised to be a zoom air. All right. No one here. No one online. Thank you very much for that All right. So we're back sea. >> I got off my. Statements of abstention recusal. There were no statements of abstention or recusal. So we will move on to item 11 mayors and Councilmembers reports. Are there any reports this evening for members of council? But MR. Rogers? >> Thank you. So just wanted to say that I have had the privilege of attending the cows cities, the city leaders summit at the end of APRIL were was able to meet advocate with our current One of our own Chris Rogers. And Senator Pro 10 Mike McGuire and I was also able to meet listen. So yeah, killer Curry. Just to advocate for the things that we need in Santa Rosa in how we can work collaboratively to make it happen. It looks like we're all having some some budget shortfalls on APRIL. 26, I was able to stop by the

Santa Rosa Earth Day on the square Earth Day on the greenway, which was a creek cleanup, attend the rights of passage. And along with Mayor 10, the Sikh temple opening week in which was a lot of Very enlightening for me because I had never been and a Sikh temple. So that was great. Yesterday MAY 5th, the whack tech. Met the water the water, the Sonoma Water provide it. Water supply update and discuss the benefits of forecast informed reservoir operations which allows for more water to be stored in both Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma. As a result of this groundbreaking work significantly, more water can be stored in both reservoirs and Lake Mendocino is at the highest records storage for this time of year. Within the last 20 years of data collected. So that's pretty exciting when we just came out of a drought Sonoma Water provided update on the Sonoma-marin Saving Water Partnership activities and on MAY 10th from 10 to 4. They will be hosting the annual eco-friendly Garden tour showcasing local gardens unsustainable landscaping practices throughout Sonoma and Marin counties. There will be 19 locations in 7 of which are in the city of Santa Rosa. So you can to find out more information. You can go to saving water partnership, Dot Org and register for these events. Sonoma water, that Sonoma Water also noted that

the new biological opinion for the Russian River was issued on APRIL 29th. This regulatory document will allow the arming courts the and Sonoma water to continue to operate both reservoirs while maintaining compliance with the Endangered Species Act. There's a lot. More information of the new requirements will be provided by Sonoma Water at a future meeting. They also provided a federal affairs update and noted that the Trump administration is proposing to cut funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon recovery fund in cause staffing support for the California Nevada River for passenger states are looking at options to continue these programs and technical resources. The staff noted that they Arsene proposals for the upcoming budget next year. That include 300 million in cuts to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. And 1.4 billion in cuts for the Army Corps. So respectively. For the next few with our current administration. It looks like we'll be having a lot of cuts coming up. That will definitely impact the work that we have been doing in this area. But all over the nation prepare for And that concludes my report. Thank you. Thank you. MISS Been Thank you, mayor. Let's It ended. The Sonoma County Homeless coalition meeting at the was a couple weeks ago and just had one thing to report out from that. And that was. >> That the coalition approved 6 million and homeless

services funding for the upcoming fiscal 2025. 2026 year as part of its annual local notice of funding availability know fa and this year's know for had approximately 1.7 million lesson funding available compared to the fiscal year 2024. 2025 know for resulting in funding reductions across the continuum, which is unfortunate. But on a better just wanted to mention that I attended the. >> Opening or have the cannery. Which many of you all were there, many of the staff and I have to say it was really it brought back memories seeing folks from my days as a planning commissioner, people like Chuck Regalia and win gold. >> I was like Yeah. Like a really old. I remember those but it was fun to see everyone. And it was really quite a nice event. And I'm I'm hoping. >> Vice mayor talks about a little bit, too, because he gave a great speech. And then finally, I just wanted to mention single them out yesterday. Thank you, Anna, for being there. She she was great and thank you to it all. The city staff and everyone that helped us put that all together was great success. Want to thank the mayor and the vice mayor for being there yesterday. And and speaking to the crowd you both really And overall, we're really pleased with how it went. So thank you. Thank you. MISS Fleming. Thank you. I wish I could have been there. I had a work conflict for that for the opening. It can rebut what a big deal that is at any rate. i have been really busy

traveling to and went to Petaluma last Friday. >> To work on the integration of mascots, which is. Coordinating 101, service between Golden Gate Sonoma-marin area rail transit Petaluma Sonoma and Santa Rosa City buses. And it looks like we're pretty close on really improving options for people along the corridor. We're a little bit fun. Funding is tight, but we think we can do it and this is going to make it a lot easier. Additionally, smarts going to pick up a bunch of daytime route. So if you're like many going to the city for mtc in the morning, you can't get back in the afternoon unless you take a 2 hour bus. It's not great, but that's going change the next year and will build the get down to the city and get back any time a day, which I'm really looking forward to. And then yesterday I went over to Napa to meet with the commissioners, our new chair, Sue Nowak and our Vice chair. Stephanie Morton Peters came up here to do every tunnel meeting. We talk about our local projects like our current over across or bike ped over cross. >> stations that are going to go into Hillsborough in north for smart. So lots happening on the transit front. It's really pretty exciting. Thank you. Vice Mayor. Thank you, Mayor. >> Before I begin, want to congratulate councilmember many levels for great event yesterday, along with your team. Know that everybody put in the work and made it

happen. And Rosen definitely appreciates the love. Over 16 years of so the brain simple miles and then rose. And so I do appreciate it. On behalf of every person from Rosen for myself. I just want to report out that I had to both the privilege and honor to represent us as a city of Santa Rosa at 2 groundbreaking events. One being the cannery and the other one being people that was us. They're in Rosen as well. And it's great to see all these homes coming on line and look forward to seeing many more in the future. Thank you. And on my part, mentioned just 3 quick events on the 23rd. We have the engineering Contractors Association, public officials night. >> That several of us attended. It was Santa Rosa, as always, is. Representative that room, the one would might like to like to add the songs. They have the city manager and Dan Hennessy and Jason not present is that I'm tired of city seeing other cities when big win, the big award. Alright, tiny bridges in the town of Sonoma should not compete with the capital projects that we have under way here. And in 2020 for 2026, I would like to see us put a better foot forward. That is my request made here in public. On the 26th. We had Earth day. So thank you very much. The city staff attend a downtown. Thank you for all the boos. Now I'm sorry that on is not here to to accept a praise. Jerry's is a great job. And then I just wanted to add my appreciation and compliments to Councilmember Ben, we los for Cinco de Mayo.

It's an Inter city partnership with that would still be Lemus and the city of Cotati. Obviously there's a lot city of Santa Rosa assistance with that event brings out a huge number of people. It was so much fun to be there. So thank you for all the years that you spent helping to build that much obliged. And with that, go to public comment. Any members of the public in present in chambers to make comment? Seeing none. Any members online. MADAM City Clerk. >> Not seeing any hands be raised via zoom for public comment on the Marin County members reports. >> All right. Now that will move on to item 11.2, chairperson appointments for boards, commissions and committees. I have I have the pleasure to make one announcement for a chairperson for the design review and Preservation Board. And I'm hoping that the council by motion will approve the selection. My nomination is for Adam Sharon to chair the board of full board designer Design Review and Preservation. I had the pleasure of serving with him on the design review board years ago, along with dry And so I I think that as we start that group, he's going to be as we try blend together. The technical means of that group and also the community import that he's going to a good person. Help do that. And before asking asking the council for approval. I wanted one open us up to public comment. MR. Rogers. Sir, I saw. I saw I saw laughter. >> Oh, yeah, because you open

it up for public comment. >> So I think we public comment and bring it back official motion. Is that correct? No one in Chambers, MADAM City clerk, anyone online. >> I see no one raised her hands via zoom for public comment on 2011.1. Lingering for a moment. On the hand, Senate cnn, thank you. >> All right. It's and I'm going to bring it back to council preferably Ms Rogers and she throughout throughout game get a motion. >> That are really. I want to make a motion. >> For Adam Sharon. >> Can you make your I want to make a motion for I can make it. I want to make a motion for Adam sharing to become the chair has such a store has recommended by Mayor step. >> Thank you very much. As their second. All right. I was I second. All right. We have a motion in the vice mayor. Seconded. >> Like to make it another motion. Please Adam is great. He's wonderful. I was the first person to appoint him. Melanie joins Carter has been the current chair and I think she does a great job. And I think that given all that the board has been through that we could be some continuity. And it typically this is within the purview of the mayor's office. That since that we all appointed together the board, I figured it was worth chiming. And I didn't know. I'm sorry to cut you off guard that you are going to make that emotion. But Melanie been doing this and I think doing it well. And also, I think that she brings it a different perspective to it. And that unusual to have a woman of

color in charge of design review board I'd like to make that Substitute motion are from, but isn't Friendly? It's not a friendly amendment. It's a it's a substitute motion. >> It's a substitute motion at this point. Some of floors, their second. Interesting, more more drama than expected. So you made that you do make a compelling argument so for in in the interest of full disclosure, Drew and Melanie and Adam all put their names forward and I have no objections to any of them. Frankly, the concern I have with this board is that this board is suddenly a more technical board, really either that either the 2 boys before it. And so you've got this mix of community voices that are passionate, but not necessarily train in particular areas. They've got these highly technical voices. And so my sense is that as a council and as a city as we get this off the ground. It will be helpful to have somebody who has both a lot of technical experience, but also is a good good diplomat. Can bring together, can include voices that are not not from the technical side of things that in my experience working with Adam, he brought that to the table. But obviously we have multiple voices on that board that would do a nice job. So I'm certainly not advocating would be of find toys. I think that Melanie, what I like about Melanie is that she has. >> Decades of business leadership experience and has been doing this job now for the last 2 years. >> So I figure if she's doing, she wasn't doing a good job.

We'd know about it and it would have come up to our desk. But she's pretty good at bringing folks together and no, she does not have the technical expertise at this. But clearly that hasn't been an issue so far so far. >> I defer to councils Rogers. >> I just want to make a comment. And I had I appointed know any as the chair She did a great job and she attended all the meetings and received praise from all the people that were on there with But she is very engaged, very, very I deferring to the mayor making the recommendation because I feel like that is what I should do is support making the recommendation. But I would not be of said it all. If Melanie was the chair. I don't any of us would So this this board, all of us have a vested interest in seeing this board 6, 8 and councils, if the majority of council things that somebody else to be chair, then let's let's have that vote. >> Mayor for clarification, council policy dictates that the Point Council approved the appointment of the chairs for boards and commissions. >> So in a situation like this, what's the what's the process? You would, you would either need to suspend your rules, which requires a majority vote. And then whatever motion is on the floor. >> Currently, the substitute motion. Or the mayor needs to make a nomination. That council can vote on that nomination. >> If I were the mayor, I would take a straw poll and then nominate that person and I would buy my thoughts. Exactly. Alright struck Straw

poll for Adam to start. The shop will for Adam. Alright, straw poll for Melanie. There we go. All right. So I will withdraw my original nomination now replaced my nomination. Adam, with a nomination for Melanie, again, to be clear, just in case she's watching. I am poll partly in support of. So and with that MAY I have where we have a we do. We need motion with the existing? What we do me a second motion right? Yeah. All right. Lenny Curry, Fresh Motion. >> So I would like to make a motion. >> At the request Councilmember Fleming at the request of the mayor you on this one. >> I would like to make a motion to a plate. Melanie Jones, Carter as the >> chair. All right. We have a motion. We have a second. For clarification. City attorney. >> Per the charter per the Council policy. It says Mayor appoints Council approves so should the language state. The mayor or Councilmember Rogers approves mayor steps selection of Melanie Jones, Carter to serve as chair of the design Review and Preservation Board with a second by I believe I just heard Alvarez or Fleming. Part me. Is there a way for reading of the text? >> It would be a motion to approve the nomination made by the mayor. You would be making a motion to approve, say that you can just say yes. I said that's okay. Okay. So that's the motion on the floor and the second still have a second. Yes, we saw the same. >> So MADAM City, we have a motion a second in a city clerk. We please call the vote. >> Thank you. Councilmember Rogers, I council kept Ken MacDonald are absent

councilmember Fleming. Yes, Councilmember Ben. Well, ocs vice-mayor of are Mayor step. I let the record show this passes. 5 affirmative votes. >> I like that. Our group net drama even to expected be dry items. All right. So we're gonna move on now. This is perfect for Move on to item 3011.1. A letter of support for hr 2, 2, 6, 9, So I thought this was a hazing ritual or when I first read about it. In our legislative platform, there is currently not sufficient direction to authorize our advocates to authorize me to sign and a letter that pertains to the policy issue around Flushing wet wipes down the toilet and the long-term effects on our sewer systems. So I'm here tonight and I just want to make sure that the press Democrat understands that we this is what we're doing I'm assuming they're online that I'm asking for permission from my colleagues to send a letter of advocacy pertaining to wet wipes being flushed down the toilet. And now I'm gonna call for public comment. Janice, you're not going you're not going to speak on on this item. All right. Anything online. MADAM City Clerk. That I'm gonna bring it back to council for. Well, that's good. You think it think it over, Janice. Make sure you don't let this one slip. Slip by. All right. I'm going to bring it back to council for a motion. Okay. Get a good one. Make it a good once. I want to say, I support hr 2, 2, 6, 9, >> Because consumers deserve transparency. When it comes to the products they use every day. Andrew second. This

legislation ensures that packages are appropriately labeled and not misleading, especially when it comes to items like wipes. That can have serious environmental and infrastructure impacts. It's really real when you have to clean out your septic or do something like that because your kids or someone else read that they're flushable cause they are not. >> Clear labeling. >> Is a common sense step towards protecting our communities and empowering consumers to make informed choices when they buy a product. And with that, I would like to make a motion to approve the letter of support for h r 2, 2, 6, Thank you. Please tell me there's a second. Also, second that it's a number 2. Is that a This is not been one of my favorite council meetings. I want that record in the minutes. >> MADAM City clerk, we have a motion. We have a second. >> Thank you. Mayor Councilmember Rogers, I Cookie and MacDonald's are absent. Councilmember Fleming. Yes, Councilmember Ben Willows. Yes, Vice Mayor Alvarez. I mayor step. Let the record show this passes. The 5 affirmative votes. >> Thank you so much. We will move on to the approval of minutes. Are there any adjustments to the minutes? >> Yes, yes, I'm over here. Been a long day. I know. I just want to say I was absent on APRIL 1st, but I was able to listen to the meeting as it was going on. So I will be voting on this item. >> Thank you very much. If there other changes will call for public comment on this item. Any members of the

public in chambers. Are there any members of the public online who wish to comment? Seeing no hands, the race, mayor? All right. Then we will adopt the minutes as submitted. Will move on to consent. MADAM City Clerk. >> Thank you, Mayor item 13.1 motion contract award. The street and 3rd Street right hand turn pocket improvements. Item 13.2 resolution approval in issuance of a purchase order for the purchase of Toyota Tacoma, Sr pickups utilizing the pricing from California state right fleet vehicle contract. Item. 13.3. Resolution, California hybrid and 0 emission truck. And best voucher incentive. Project applications. Item 13.4 resolution declaration of 0 Coffee Lane Apn 0, 5, 8, Dash, 0, 3, 3 Dash, 0, 1, 4, as surplus. Item. 13.5 resolution approval of memorandum of understanding with the county of Sonoma Probation Department for extension of the Violence Prevention partnership Skating People successfully program. Item 13.6 resolution except grant a public sanitary sewer easement over public sewer main at 5, 1, 0, 7, Middlebrook court can approve summary vacation of existing public sanitary sewer easement. Thank you. Any questions from council. Do any members of the public wish to comment? >> Seeing no one in chambers, anyone online. Clark. >> hands be raised via zoom. All right. Bring it back to council for Motion. Vice

Mayor. >> I like to move items. 13.1 through 13.6 and wait for the reading of the 10 second, we have a motion a second for MISS Rogers. MADAM City clerk. When you're ready. Thank you. Councilmember Rogers. Kemper Council Crappie a MacDonald are absent councilmember Fleming. Yes, Councilmember Ben Willows. Yes, Vice Mayor Alvarez. >> I mean, your step. I let the record show these resolutions passes pass with 5 affirmative votes. >> Thank you. All right. Now, ready jump back to or jump ahead to item 17. We have a number of written communications listed. And will open up public comment on non agenda matters or second. Public comment non agenda matters for the evening. And are there any members of the public here who wish to make a comment? Seeing none in chambers, anyone in a city clerk know. Thank you. And we're officially adjourned. Thank you, everyone.