City Council
City Council
Tue, September 9, 2025
Agenda items
Vote records
Discussion summary
Transcript
Meeting summaryAI-generated
Santa Rosa City Council — September 9, 2025
This was a regular City Council meeting that included three afternoon study sessions, staff briefings on community programs, a proclamation ceremony, and routine consent calendar action. Councilmembers MacDonald and Rogers arrived late and were absent for the opening closed session and early study session portions.
Closed Session
The Council met briefly in closed session on one item: a conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation. City Attorney Stricker reported no reportable action was taken.
Study Session 4.1 — Temporary Closure of Fourth Street (Pedestrianization)
Planning and Economic Development Director Gave Osborn and Chief Economic Development Officer Scott Adair presented findings from roughly 12 months of community engagement and peer-city research on the possibility of temporarily closing portions of Fourth Street to vehicle traffic — a concept staff framed as "street reactivation" or pedestrianization.
Staff surveyed more than 1,300 residents and 30 businesses over 30 days and reviewed case studies from Grass Valley, San Jose, San Diego, Charlottesville, Buffalo, and Boulder. The central finding: non-business respondents strongly favored walkable downtown spaces; downtown merchants were far more cautious, raising concerns about deliveries, loading zones, customer parking, and whether the activity generated would match their business models. The Downtown Action Organization (DAO) wrote that success would require business buy-in, infrastructure investment (lighting, landscaping, improved trash collection), robust programming, and a clear traffic circulation plan. Santa Rosa Yimby submitted a survey of businesses in Grass Valley and San Jose pedestrian zones, finding that 70% of respondents said street reactivation increased foot traffic and sales despite initial concerns.
An unexpected outcome of the outreach: several community members and businesses suggested piloting closures on Ross Street (backed by three nearby alcohol-centric businesses — a taproom, a brewpub, and a cocktail bar) and at Montgomery Village, where the property ownership group has previously approached the city about closures on Galena and Midway.
Council discussion focused on several themes. Councilmember Okrepkie asked about peer-city investments, business investment, and what a pilot would look like; he supported moving forward with studies but emphasized the city must invest thoughtfully and not "just throw bollards and call it a day." Councilmember Bañuelos expressed long-standing enthusiasm for the concept and stressed the importance of merchant buy-in and logistics management. Vice Mayor Alvarez highlighted the fragility of downtown businesses and expressed support for piloting on Ross Street and Montgomery Village before committing to Fourth Street. Mayor Stapp noted that the downtown's retail/food-and-beverage balance will shift over the next decade and suggested now is the moment to plan — including securing Infrastructure Financing District (IFD) funds — so the city is ready when the time is right.
Direction given to staff (no binding vote): Proceed with feasibility work on Ross Street and Montgomery Village closures in coordination with adjacent businesses. Continue studying Fourth Street, including traffic and parking analysis, operational impacts, potential programming options, cost-revenue analysis, and staffing requirements. Return to Council with a formal recommendation.
Study Session 4.2 — Downtown Santa Rosa Parking and Rate Adjustments
Parking Division Manager Chad Head, Parking Administrative Analyst Tanya Cordova, and consultant David Rohde of TYLin presented results of a nearly two-year study funded by a Metropolitan Transportation Commission grant, along with proposed parking rate and fee changes.
Key findings: free parking in garages has not incentivized garage use over street parking; safety and loitering concerns in garages have grown; revenue has not returned to pre-COVID levels while costs have risen; and new residential development from eliminated parking minimums is increasing demand for permit options. Staff proposed the following changes (all effective January 1, 2026):
Meter rates: Premium on-street meters would rise from $1.50 to $2.50/hour; value meters from $1.00 to $1.50/hour; some outer-area meters would be removed entirely and replaced with free time-limited spaces. Railroad Square lots 13 and 14 (under the freeway) would see no rate increases.
Garages: All garages unified at $1.00/hour (currently varies). All garages free on Sundays (currently inconsistent).
Permits: New part-time permits for hybrid workers at $25/month for 96 hours/week; low-wage permits expanded to all garages at $25/month (down from $31); unreserved permits standardized across garages; new residential development permits at $50–$60/month for projects like the Humbolt and Cannery sites.
Validation program: The existing "first hour free" in garages — which has not driven garage use — would be replaced with a targeted business validation program. Parking staff would set up accounts with downtown merchants, who would fund their own validation offers for customers.
Citation fees: The last citation fee increase was in 2012. Staff proposed a $15 increase on citations currently priced $35–$50 to align with neighboring agencies. Estimated additional revenue: approximately $350,000 annually to the general fund. Total projected new parking revenue: approximately $1.033 million.
Council questions addressed EV space enforcement (Mayor Stapp), the app's grace period inconsistency versus coin meters (Councilmember Okrepkie), ADA placard parking availability near the Central Library (Councilmember Rogers and MacDonald), and staffing impacts on revenue. Councilmember Bañuelos questioned how businesses would be incentivized to participate in validation; staff said they would work directly with merchants through the DAO and Railroad Square Association.
Public comment was supportive. DAO representative Cadence Allen praised the engagement process and asked that the $30/month business discount on validation be made permanent rather than temporary. Historic Railroad Square Association Executive Director Amanda Janice offered the association's full support.
Direction given to staff (no binding vote): Council was broadly supportive. Staff will return in fall 2025 for formal consent-calendar approval of rate changes, with implementation no earlier than January 1, 2026.
Study Session 4.3 — City Council Voting Process for Appointed Positions
City Attorney Alicia Stricker presented an overview of the Council's current processes for three types of appointments made from the dais: filling a vacant council seat (if the Council opts not to hold a special election), appointing members to boards and commissions where the full Council votes, and selecting Mayor and Vice Mayor. She identified the common failure point across all three: no clear rule for what to do when the Council gets stuck at a 3-2 or 3-3 tie.
Stricker presented three options for handling three-or-more-nominee situations: ranked-choice voting (with IT assistance), a process of elimination by ballot, or appointment by motion. She recommended standardizing one process across all three situations to reduce confusion.
Council discussion produced the following general direction:
Boards and commissions: Keep the current approach (by motion or process of elimination); no major changes needed for most situations.
Council vacancies: Use a process of elimination by ballot, voting for one fewer than the number of nominees per round; when genuinely stuck, use a runoff between the two lowest vote-getters, then random selection (drawing from a hat) if a "stubborn tie" remains.
Mayor and Vice Mayor: One council member, one vote per round; runoff if needed; random selection for an unresolvable tie. Councilmember Bañuelos raised the possibility of a rotation system; the City Attorney noted the Charter still requires a vote, and rotations can create difficult dynamics when broken. Councilmember Fleming argued the mayor selection belongs with voters through a charter amendment rather than at the dais, but was willing to apply the one-vote-per-round process in the interim. Mayor Stapp suggested an additional rule: each council member may nominate only one person and may not nominate themselves — a suggestion attributed to former Councilmember Chris Rogers.
Direction given to staff (no binding vote): City Attorney will return in October with draft rule changes incorporating two slightly different processes — one for Mayor/Vice Mayor and one for council vacancies, with boards and commissions largely unchanged — in time for the November Vice Mayor selection.
Proclamation — Creek Week 2025 (Item 7.1)
Councilmember Rogers read a proclamation designating September 20–26, 2025 as Creek Week in Santa Rosa. City water department staff outlined events including a creek cleanup on September 20, underground culvert tours beneath City Hall on September 23 and 25, a staff cleanup competition on September 24, and a creek bike ride on September 26. Multiple members of the Friends of the Prince Memorial Greenway spoke, noting 1,667 volunteer hours logged over the past 12 months. One speaker, Victoria, used the public comment period to raise concerns about houseless residents losing shade from tree removal along the Greenway.
Staff Briefing 8.2 — Violence Prevention Partnership Street Outreach and Crisis Response Team
Community Engagement Manager Danielle Rouse-House and New Hope for Youth President/CEO Philip Rodriguez presented a six-month data report on the Street Outreach and Crisis Response Team, implemented by San Jose-based nonprofit New Hope for Youth under a two-year, $600,000/year contract approved in November 2024. The team became fully operational by the end of February 2025.
In its first six months (January–June 2025), the team: engaged 915 individuals through 124 cold street outreach sessions; conducted 226 neighborhood climate checks; reported 121 instances of graffiti to the city; enrolled 78 youth in case management services with 4,244.5 hours of service; enrolled 60 families with 256 hours of educational workshops; and provided 12 pro-social activities to 259 youth. Demographics: 76.9% Hispanic/Latino; 94% male; concentrated in the 95407 (Roseland/Moorland), 95409 (Rincon Valley), and 95403 (Piner/Fulton) zip codes.
Staff noted that Santa Rosa Police Department reported a significant decrease in youth violence this summer, and juvenile hall populations are declining. Outreach to Memorial Hospital's emergency department has been slower than hoped but is continuing.
No action taken. Councilmember Rogers asked staff to explore adding domestic violence prevention as a topic with youth. Councilmember MacDonald acknowledged the program is funded through the general fund contribution to the Measure O/peace tax fund balance.
Staff Briefing 8.1 — Community Empowerment Plan Update
Community Engagement Manager Anna Tao previewed September events including a FEMA flood map community meeting (September 10), a fire department story hour, the Violence Prevention Partnership's Hispanic Heritage Month event at Luther Burbank Center (September 14), a "Coffee with a Cop" event (September 23), and the first District 5 community meeting of the fall series (September 29, 6:30–8:00 p.m. at the Community Center, 20 West College Avenue).
Consent Calendar (Item 13)
Passed unanimously on a motion by Vice Mayor Alvarez, seconded by Councilmember Rogers.
13.1 – Construction management and inspection contract award for Calistoga Road Reconstruction (Monsanto Boulevard to Highway 12).
13.2 – Resolution declaring surplus the remaining redemption fund balance and approving closeout of the Fountain Grove Parkway Extension Assessment District.
13.3 – Ordinance introduction correcting a clerical error in Ordinance ORD-2025-001.
One member of the public (Janice) asked that a crosswalk be considered in the Calistoga Road/Highway 12 area as part of the reconstruction project.
Vote: 7-0 (all present; MacDonald and Rogers had rejoined by this point).
League of California Cities Voting Delegate (Item 11.2)
Councilmember MacDonald moved to designate Mayor Stapp as the voting delegate and Vice Mayor Alvarez and Councilmember Rogers as alternates for the League of California Cities Annual Conference in Long Beach, October 8–10.
Vote: 7-0 unanimous.
Key Takeaways
Fourth Street pedestrianization is moving forward as a study, not an implementation — staff will analyze costs, infrastructure needs, traffic impacts, and programming for Fourth Street while also exploring near-term pilot opportunities on Ross Street and at Montgomery Village.
Downtown parking rates will increase for the first time since 2017, with changes taking effect January 1, 2026; the "first hour free" garage policy will be replaced by a targeted business validation program, and all garages will be unified at $1.00/hour.
Citation fees will rise by $15 on mid-range violations (last increased in 2012), generating an estimated $350,000 in additional annual general fund revenue — contingent on adequate enforcement staffing.
New Hope for Youth's street outreach team produced strong early results in its first six months, with 78 youth enrolled in case management and a reported significant drop in youth violence and juvenile arrests this summer.
Council voting procedures for mayoral and commission appointments will be overhauled — the City Attorney will return in October with draft rules based on process of elimination by ballot, a one-vote-per-round rule for Mayor/Vice Mayor, and random selection as a last-resort tiebreaker, in time for the November Vice Mayor vote.
AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents linked above.
Agenda items (18)
Procedural (6)
1ProceduralHTTPS://SANTA-ROSA.LEGISTAR.COM/CALENDAR. CLICK ON THE "IN PROGRESS" LINK TO VIEW;
2ProceduralREMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED) To consider and take action on any request from a Council Member to participate in a meeting remotely due to Just Cause or Emergency Circumstances pursuant to AB 2449 (Government Code Section 549539(f)).
3ProceduralCOMCAST CHANNEL 28, AT&T U-VERSE CHANNEL 99; AND
4ProceduralVIA YOUTUBE AT HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CITYOFSANTAROSA Public Comment may be made live during the meeting In-Person from Council Chamber or submitted in advance via email at cc-comment@srcity.org by 5:00 p.m. the Monday before the City Council Meeting. IN THE EVENT A COUNCIL MEMBER PARTICIPATES REMOTELY BASED ON JUST CAUSE OR EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES PURSUANT TO AB 2449, THE CITY WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THROUGH THE ZOOM LINK OR DIAL-IN NUMBER ABOVE.
12.1ProceduralAugust 19, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes.
21.1ProceduralUPCOMING MEETINGS LIST
Closed Session
3.1Closed SessionCONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION (Paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Government Code Section 54956.9) Stillwater Insurance Company v. City of Santa Rosa Sonoma County Superior Court Case No. 25CV01641 RECESS CLOSED SESSION(S) AND RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION IN THE
General Business
4.1General BusinessSTUDY SESSION FOR TEMPORARILY CLOSING PORTIONS OF
4.2General BusinessDOWNTOWN SANTA ROSA PARKING AND RATE ADJUSTMENTS The purpose of this Study Session is to provide a summary of proposed parking rate adjustments and an overview of the study conducted by Sam Schwartz/TYLin for a technical assistance grant awarded to the City of Santa Rosa by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The purpose of the study was to provide information and recommendations on comprehensive parking strategies and the critical need to adjust parking rates.
4.3General BusinessCITY COUNCIL VOTING PROCESS FOR CERTAIN APPOINTED
7.1General BusinessPROCLAMATION - CREEK WEEK 2025
8.1General BusinessCOMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PLAN UPDATE This is a standing item on the agenda. No action will be taken except for possible direction to staff.
8.2General BusinessVIOLENCE PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP STREET OUTREACH AND
11.1General BusinessMAYOR'S/COUNCIL MEMBERS' SUBCOMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS (AND POSSIBLE COUNCIL DIRECTION TO BOARD REPRESENTATIVE ON PENDING ISSUES, IF NEEDED) 11.1.1 Council Subcommittee Reports
11.2General BusinessDESIGNATION OF VOTING DELEGATE/ALTERNATE TO LEAGUE OF
Consent Calendar
13.1Consent CalendarMOTION - CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION CONTRACT AWARD - CALISTOGA ROAD RECONSTRUCTION -
13.2Consent CalendarRESOLUTION - FOUNTAINGROVE PARKWAY EXTENSION
13.3Consent CalendarORDINANCE INTRODUCTION - ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENT - CLERICAL EDIT TO ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATION: The Planning and Economic Development Department recommends that the Council introduce an ordinance to
Additional votes recorded in minutes
Nominate voting delegates to League of California Cities annual conference
aye 6
Alvarezaye
Ben Willowsaye
Flemingaye
MacDonaldaye
Okrepkieaye
Rogersaye
Approve consent calendar (items 13.1, 13.2, 13.3)
aye 6
Alvarezaye
Ben Willowsaye
Flemingaye
MacDonaldaye
Okrepkieaye
Rogersaye
Verbatim transcript available
155 transcript segments indexed
>> Good afternoon. I'd like to ask interpreter currently on the Spanish Channel to commence interpretation of the meeting. For those just joining the meeting, live interpretation, Spanish is available and members of the public or staff wishing to listen in Spanish. Can join the Spanish channel by clicking on the interpretation icon in Zoom Toolbar, it looks like a globe. If you are on your cell phone or tablet locate the 3 dots, tap them lightly and put a check mark on your preferred language click, Dan to activate and begin the interpretation. When join the Spanish we recommend you shut up the main audio. So you only hear the Spanish interpretation he cedro. Will you please restate this in Spanish? The wettest side of this? >> Let on morning. They clue wc Badi the only the inning to put the tissue put, what that man is spending on. But accidents can island expect New Orleans to this front of it. Go into low You in a party that close to put by followed at and estate going onto the splits within the school Spanish police by New York to say this is tenants live nothing that let the centers to spill the discussion in that at the about Jose. I love that each of but they have assume and that's going cut even of it left feeling the need to protect your own peak in the heat my Spanish voice. But your And why we've invested peak in Poli still, he went to student is going in fight. You on this equipment that musket ball, that it cannot be bad but up with this quick. Chad, let answer in Dennis. But, you know, we'll just ask yes, back to you.
>> Welcome to both of you are in attendance today. The time is one 30. We'll call this meeting or MADAM City clerk. >> Thank you, or Councilmember Rogers. Kept key here. Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Fleming Councilmember Ben Willows, Air Vice Mayor Alvarez present Mayor step here. Let the record show that all councilmembers are present with the exception of Councilmember MacDonald and Rogers. >> Thank you. We have one closed session item to announce today 3.1 conference with legal counsel concerning existing mitigation. Are there any members of the public who would like to comment on this item? Seeing none. We'll recess in closed session and expect to be back in 30 minutes. Welcome back, everyone. The time is 2 o'clock on the dot and we will reconvene MADAM City Clerk. Would you please call the roll? >> Thank you, Mayor Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember Okrepkie. Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Fleming Councilmember Ben. Vice Mayor Alvarez PRESIDENT Mayor step here. Let the record show that all councilmembers are present with the exception of Councilmember MacDonald in Rogers. >> Thank you very much. And we will. We will move into our study session portion of the evening. We'll start with item 4.1. Our study session for the temporary for the temporary closure of the 4th street. Think we have Director Osborne, Deputy Director Adair here to present. Welcome gentlemen. Good afternoon. Mayor vice mayor members of
the council gave Osburn director of planning and economic development. Joining here today, it's got to Derrick Chief economic development officer. >> As mentioned in the introduction, the purpose of today's study session is to discuss impacts associated with a temporary closure to portions of 4 street. The item on today's agenda is advancing based on a formal decision by the council back in APRIL of 2024 to add this topic as a future agenda item. So that was moved forward based on that decision. And as part of that action, that was a bit of some different language that was used, the more formal request was to discuss the impacts associated with temporarily vacating portions of 4 street. So Steph has interpreted vacation as closure. There are really 2 different legal means. Vacation is often formal abandonment of a right away in a permanent closure were closure by itself. Give some options to operate the street or not, depending on schedules. So we've made that interpretation. We've also made an interpretation about the able previous discussions with the council really focused on the sections of 4 street were temporary closures occurred as part of a covid response that was typically be 2 d street with areas around the square in the side. Streets open for circulation through Mendocino and Santa Rosa Avenue. So really the areas of focus that we looked at as part of this exercise focused on the street, actually all the way up to the including that as well to understand some of the business concerns up in that
area. Also really what we've interpreters part of this is the benefit of a closure is often reactivation of the space. What we see in a lot of jurisdictions is they're looking at closing streets for other purposes, such as pedestrian and bike circulation. Other reactivation purposes often referred to as pedestrian as a shun that really can be looked at as reactivation. It can be a way to support adjacent businesses. It can really just be used creating a Kansas and the creative space where we can support activity, really create a driver where it becomes a destination. So we use that as part of this process. Really, that was a ton of community engagement in this. And as we move forward, how we actually had a good 12 months of community engagement, a lot of the conversations will be associated with what came out of that really 2 different interests in themes bubbled up this part of that process. There are many members of the community to see the concept of pedestrians. Ation is a good thing for the city and really a beneficial value. Add to a lot of areas because of the flexibility that can provide from an activation. But in some situations when you take that concept and put it to an actual street, it can create impacts to the business either perceived or real. And in this particular case, many members of the community have expressed overall desire to see it. But then also many members of the business community and the direct area have expressed concerns associated with parking really just operational issues, garbage pickup deliveries, many of those things that would occur by not allowing vehicles to occupy that area.
So that was brought into the decision-making process. Really moving forward with the goals for today. Obviously, this is an open conversation. We will talk quite a bit about the feedback that we've received, really what we hope to get is direction from the council moving forward so well. And this presentation with a slide that talks about a few different scenarios on how we can move forward. But that'll help frame how the department treats this topic as of tomorrow and works this into prior to stations and work plans moving forward. So with that, I will hand the presentation over to Scotland there. >> Thank you. Director Osborne and good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is Scott Adair. I'm the chief economic development officer for the city of Santa Rosa just to provide some context before we move forward. This session does align with the economic Development Strategic plan which was adopted by this council in APRIL 2024 specifically, is that plan emphasizes and are taking efforts to bolster downtown and commercial and retail businesses within our community and to support a thriving economy for Santa Rosa I would like to start with a little bit of background for those in the public who MAY not have the history, the origin of this discussion. Traces back to APRIL of 2024 when council requested a future agenda item to consider the impacts of temporarily closing 4th Street Council voted in favor of advancing that discussion. And in response staff was directed to study the issue and return
with further findings. Since that time, the city's economic development and planning teams have taken extensive steps to engage with stakeholders and to review conversations surrounding what is also known in the industry and a term used by other communities as pedestrian dies. Ation or street closures also known as Street activation. And you MAY hear us you some of those terms interchangeably throughout the discussion. Staff also studied peer cities which of piloted it or permanently implemented similar efforts in this regard. To form our work staff examined case studies from a number of cities, including but not limited to Grass Valley. San Jose San Diego and cities outside of California such as Charlottesville, Buffalo, Boulder, Colorado. It rep each of these cities had experimented to some degree or another in closing downtown streets to vehicular traffic for the purpose of creating commerce and other activity. Some efforts from cities that we researched were deemed by those communities to be successes and others were deemed to be failures. The examples that we reviewed made it clear to staff that success in those communities depended heavily on program design and execution. It was found that pedestrian zones thrive when they are thoughtfully programmed actively manage and supported by the community and the business sector importantly, in those areas where there were failures, failures tended to occur when closures were implemented without sufficient planning or when they failed to account
for the community. It resident and business desires and needs in short staff found the through the exploration of other examples in other cities. Street closures or pedestrian was ation efforts are not plug and play concepts. They require careful tailoring to the unique dynamics of the community in the neighborhood as a whole. Really pleased to say that staff made a very significant effort to seek out and hear the community's voice in this conversation. Staff from the economic development team and also from planning and or other partner teams conducted door-to-door outreach along 4th street, engage directly with businesses either in person or by phone or by e-mail, held one-on-one discussions with commercial real estate brokers, other professionals, business support agencies. Staff also communicated with downtown centered organizations such as the downtown action organization and the Reward Square Community Benefit district to capture those perspectives. Additionally, staff convene several community group meetings. These meetings were held at the new one-stop shop business Lounges. City Hall and conducted both resident and business surveys. Staff also brought the discussion to other department and division heads together their input and brought the discussion to the economic Development Subcommittee for formal review. This multi pronged approach was used in an attempt to solicit feedback from a diversity of stakeholders. So the surveys that I just referenced were
developed in close collaboration with our partners on the city's communications team and distributed via Social media newsletter email their work. You are codes, Putin postcards that were handed out more than 1300 individuals. Residents and 30 businesses responded to the surveys over a 30 day period. The feedback was in many respects, very mixed. The majority of residents and non businesses who participated in the survey expressed very strong interest and support for walkable downtown spaces and saw pedestrian was a shun as a way to create cultural vibrancy and enhance quality of life. Our business community, however, we're far more cautious and raised several concerns about logistics, customer access, mobility, parking, drug. The split in these responses to the surveys also was reflected in the conversations that staff was having with the broader public at large and with the business community and seems to indicate that a divide does exist between certain community aspirations for downtown and the operational challenges which are faced by our downtown merchants. This divide underscores the need for council to weigh these perspectives carefully. To ensure that any future steps, balance, community, enthusiasm with the viability of our downtown business ecosystem. So from these analysys, the outreach that we've performed, the surveys, the peer reviews staff have seen 2 very distinct sides of this issue emerge on the opportunity. Side street closures are
pedestrian should have done correctly. And following other successful models is thought by some to create shared community. Outdoor gathering spaces to promote recreation, cultural activities and strengthen community identity, creating outdoor walkable areas of commerce does seem to have some measurable impact in stimulating the economy and creating activity for certain specific types of business sectors, especially those in the hospitality, entertainment, food and beverage sectors, which these sectors also reflect the same sectors where Santa Rosa is currently experiencing a significant leakage in sales and retail activity. On the challenge side, however, pedestrian dies, ation or street closure efforts have a more significant impact on those types of businesses which are not dining food or entertainment related. And even from some of those businesses which do fall in the hospitality and dining category businesses expressed our team legitimate concerns over how street closures might impact deliveries, loading zones, patrons with mobility issues, customers, vendors or suppliers who depend on proximate parking and other. Vehicle access. Some businesses also expressed our team that the type of activity generated through street closures MAY not align with their business models and the type of patrons who frequent some of these activities MAY not be the same patrons who frequent these long established businesses in the downtown. These challenges again highlight that a one-size-fits-all approach
likely does not work. And that careful consideration or perhaps a pilot approach which could be studied and evaluated might be needed before further implementation of a pedestrian is Asian effort. The city also has received feedback from other organizations and groups with regards to this topic, some late correspondence from businesses, residents and organizations like Santa Rosa Yimby. Was received via email or letter and attached the agenda for today's item. Previous correspondence from one of our key downtown partners, the downtown action organization or d a o was also received and shared previously with the city's Economic Development subcommittee. The highlighted the importance of infrastructure improvements, robust programming and careful traffic circulation planning the expressed in their letter that without these street closures for pedestrian eyes, activation would likely not yield the economic vibrancy that some MAY be seeking. The da ozone perspective reinforces what staff observed in the Piers cities that we reviewed that any type of pedestrian is a sinner street closure effort should be paired with active investment programming and community partnership and that without the support mechanisms in place, such an effort could risk producing limited results or perhaps unintended negative impacts. One unexpected in an anticipated outcome that came out of the engagement process was some strong enthusiasm that was expressed by stakeholders for testing closures in areas beyond 4th street. Several participants
in the survey. None outreach process suggested that other locations might serve as a pilot, including Ross Street, Montgomery Village board the depot lot of Railroad Square. These ideas are presented to staff as request from community members, which included some businesses who are interested in alternative or additional pilot locations. Now, this feedback was shared with the Economic Development subcommittee who did note and observe the distinction between evaluating 4th Street, which was the original council direction and exploring other sites. Staff is sharing these unexpected findings with you to give council the full awareness. Should it wish to consider targeted pilots outside of or in addition to 4th Street particular, a pilot closure on Ross Street or did other identified sites could provide a practical low-risk opportunity to test pedestrians. Ation in concept into quite real word, real world data and make adjustments before expanding this program to broader applications. But also like to share that another tool available to the community in the pursuit of creating vibrant outdoor spaces is the potential creation of one or multiple entertainment zones. Senate Bill 969, which was recently passed at the state level, empower cities to establish districts were open container or consumption of alcohol beverages is permitted on public right of ways. It is believed by some of the entertainment zones can be successful. Economic drivers and communities where food beverage and performance space
businesses are concentrated in entertainment zones could be considered either. Is a car compliment. 2 pedestrians, ation effort or a standalone activation strategy. They could provide a mechanism for downtown to feel lively are unappealing without closing streets and or they could create opportunities for business growth in the food dining and hospitality sectors. The potential use adoption of entertainment zones requires further review and exploration staff from the economic development planning public safety and other city teams have been exploring entertainment zone process in further detail. Our team has also been working in close collaboration with the parking division on Placemaking Initiatives which are aimed at improving the economic vitality of our downtown as a whole entertainment zones and or opportunities for economic development, collaboration with other agencies like parking police or others are topics that once vetted and fully understood and studied. We'll come before council at a future date for additional consideration. And to move us forward in the discussion concerning some options and to lead the conversation around where we go from here. I would like to turn it over to Director Osborne from Planning Economic Development Department. Thank you. Thank you, Scott and Mayor. I think this this slide is helpful to the potentially guide the conversation moving forward. So as we move on to the presentation, we're happy to move back to this is we get in the deliberation process. >> But really what we wanted to do is just present a few options. And these aren't necessarily ands or Orr's. There can be a combination of these, but obviously of staff is to continue with the discussion about 4 street.
What would really be helpful to guide that is to have parameters on the boundary. So what areas of Forest retiree specifically looking at and also with a closure? There's quite a bit of flexibility on how a closure can occur. It could occur permanently. It could occur on weekends. It could occur through 3 months during the summer. It could occur during events which happens anyway. So understanding some of those parameters and helps us better understand the impacts and better understand whether those impacts could be mitigated. And the example I can provide if a closure happens during the day, but not at night or different hours during the day. Then parking enforcement can become challenging. We have to account for how garbage is picked We have to account for really the general trend and what we're seeing is more pickup and delivery services. So with, you know, some of the businesses that focus on that, especially in the food industry, we just need to make sure we have locations for that when we're excluding vehicles from a certain area. So as we move forward, that the feedback we would like to receive today is one. Is there really a desire for the council to move forward? And if so, it would be helpful to have parameters. Ultimately the closure will come back to council and Seth can then form a more formal recommendation as we work through all the potential options. Of course, there is always the option of either delaying or abandoning the concept at this point in time that particular case, staff stands on the for street
discussion and it doesn't mean that other pilot programs for other areas will not be entertained and discussed. I think sometimes as as you can see in 3 pursuing pilot programs closures elsewhere, sometimes that organically happens. There's been conversations over the years about Ross Street with some of the adjacent developments. The Montgomery Village ownership group has approached the city on a few occasions discussing closures. So those are really very unique to the specific circumstance. And we want to make sure that we can create a platform where the department can take that in and understand how we move that forward because of the benefits the community season. The pedestrian is ation and this could really be a movement through 4 street as well as looking at a pilot program on Ross or somewhere else. So that's where it becomes an and so understanding Ross Street is really the specific example that MR. Adair provided because it did come up out of the community engagement process. We do have a lot of businesses that are really active in that area and see that as a benefit to their business operations. So do we want to actually move forward with looking at a pilot program on Ross Street based on that? But as MISTER Dare mention that the focus of this conversation is on for street. So that's really where we want to dig in exploring other alternatives. We provide an example of an entertainment district. That is something that the department's moving forward with. We will move that to the council's the study sessions over in the very initial stages of that. Really what this focuses on. Are there other ways to activate the space without physically changing the
operations to it? And entertainment district is an interesting component because it allows people to move through that space with alcohol from an event to a business that MAY not see those dollars being spent and that business can now see that through the and entertainment district. So it creates a different sort of activity and that downtown space that I think really is what the potential that pedestrians ation are reactivation can crea. It creates outdoor space vibrancy and that draws people to that location. There are a number of other alternatives we can look at as far as events that could do the same thing. Temporary closures can occur under events. Concepts where we work with the downtown businesses to see how can you use that outdoor space and how can we present something that would benefit you through that process and do it through more short-term event as a pilot is an option. We currently have those tools in the tool box. Now and it MAY be a good way to work with the business community to understand what those impacts are to try certain things before we move to a more formal closure. And as I mentioned, a combination of all the about fright. So really what we're looking at is areas of focus here and how we would come back with recommendations and form that up to the something that the council can formally decide on. As far as the formal process that we go through as part of this analysis, obviously, any time there's a street closure, there's an infrastructure analysis that goes along with that. We have to ensure fire safety. We have to ensure availability to utilities. That is an internal discussion between the departments to understand what
that would look like. Obviously that would be a traffic and parking study. What we do look at who is part of that is cost revenue analysis and many situations there. There MAY be general fund expenditures that are needed to support this program. So how is that offset by potential revenues that are coming in different ways? And then obviously, if a closure is looking at specific times of the day or the week or the month and it becomes a scheduling analysis to determine how other operations work in relation to the closure. And for example, how does garbage service work with that to make sure we have availability and how do we make sure all critical elements are functioning and everything is scheduled correctly. So those would be the more formal next steps. And as I mentioned, we'll take the feedback we received today move forward. And if that results and direction that would come back to the council, there would be another take it that would be a more formal recommendation. We would be farming up at that point where we'd be asking the council to adopt that or not. That's the general trend. So with that, that concludes our presentation. We're happy to answer any questions. And mayor, as I mentioned, more than happy to slide back to the previous slide. If that's helpful to move the conversation forward. Gavyn Scott, thank you for all the work you've done on this. This has been issue that's been percolating in the city for years now. And so it's nice to nice for it to finally come to counsel ms more formalized way. >> And I like the way you framed in terms of in terms of both the options going forward with the continued emphasis on the underlying goal of activating our downtown space. All right. So with that, I'll turn over Council for
questions, MR. Cracking. Thank you, MR. Mayor. >> So these I have 3 questions in regards to the interactions you had with the example programs and other cities. Did they discuss the first want say is they did they discuss what investment the city itself put into train stations. >> Yes, the cities that we talked with, most of our peers invested in public infrastructure, streetscape Hart's Cape improvements, benches, trash cans, lighting, and then an allocation of staff. Time to assist with programming activities on those spaces. >> Okay. Did they have any comment journey conversations about what investments the businesses along those streets invested. >> Most of the business investments where there was by and in the businesses were proactively part of it. Came in the form of participating in the programming of the spaces so the city could help orchestrate and facilitate, but it was often the businesses who are providing the goods are the services or the entertainment. That was actually out on the street. >> And >> what was implementation process are the best implementation process you found in talking to them. Think one of the best process ease that we were able to evaluate was Grass Valley. >> And we had a conversation with one of their council members who also was a business owner. And it just entailed a lot of communication with the businesses and having them assist with an be part of the programming and design rather than bringing a program designed to the businesses for adoption. Then when it comes
to the outreach. >> Would it be accurate to say that general public non business owners, you interacted were generally supportive and that the business owners, especially those along Fort Street, were mixed many of the current concerns, big logistics. I would say that's accurate. And then my final question is. And looking at other other areas, specifically right across Street. If I recall correctly, there's only 5, 4, 5 businesses on Ross Street, a brewery, a massage parlor plot. The studio in effect, talker for and an Indian restaurant. What kind of activation did they discuss for that? >> The recommendation for activation of Ross Street came from the 3 alcohol centric businesses around the corner. You have flagship tap room and then you have Coop bridge on Ross Street and then you have barrel proof lounge around the other corner. And it was actually those 3 businesses who were fairly. Enthusiastic about. Proposing some sort of closure activation of Ross Street to activate that space with music events. It said rep they also had suggested doing it on off Days Inn on weekend days to offer an alternative to some of the events that happening downtown Friday through Sunday. >> Okay. I'll save my comments until after public comment. Thanks. Thank you. Spend Thank you, Mayor. First of all, thank you so much for the presentation really well done.
I've been waiting for this I know others have been waiting longer, but I've been waiting for this actually for very, very long time. And councilmember, a quickie actually touched on an area that I was interested in that community engagement. And it looks like. You your survey 1300 residents. It's a good number. And I'm just wondering because it I think also in your. Presentation of the outreach piece, it talks about different community groups. And just wondering if you could talk a little bit about who responded if you know any of that and what community groups you talk with, think what I'm concerned about is I know >> as was just discussed, that ad. Some of the business owners, the merchants are a little concerned whether or not this will be beneficial for businesses. But at the same time, I'm interested what the community thinks some of the residents want because if get. Whatever we do needs to be a combination of both. Right. The if the community wants something like this, this is something that can bring them. To downtown, which is what we want. So that's why I'm really interested in the community outreach. >> The engagement and outreach process for this effort occurred over a period many months and it came in variety of formats and through different venues. There were meetings that staff attended out in the public. There are also various meetings that we hosted here at City Hall. I mentioned a few of those in the presentation, but we did talk with leadership the local chamber about this concept. We
had conversations with our local small business development center leadership. Conversations with. Regional tourism partners. Internal conversations with department heads. We had one group that came to the one stop shop Business Lounge at City Hall, which represented. Mothers. It was group of mothers who threw an organization, a front organization, all of on from cat and in conjunction with the local French school and the mothers of students there who came in and had a discussion in our space about outdoor walkable spaces and pedestrians. Ation. We. Brought the item to the Railroad Square Association board had a conversation there. We had a conversation with leadership and they sent us a letter which we shared with the economic Development subcommittee. Really was that. A smattering, a diversity of of groups that we tried to approach and engage with. Certainly we did not engage with them all. 1300 respondents to a survey does seem like a good response. But we have 180,000 residents in Santa Rosa. So I'm sure there's a diversity of opinions out there. But what we can say is from the same that we took, there really was a sort of division between business and non business sentiment that existed in the community over this conversation. >> Thank you. The other thing I think that's a concern I hear for the businesses, of course, is the logistics. A big concern and so I guess the
question that I have having done events with the city. Many of us have. >> Who would be? >> I think technically in charge at for lack of a better word of those things like making sure there was garbage collection, making there was a place for truck unloading all those things that businesses would need 2 buy into this because I think that's part of my concern is that if they don't buy into it, even if it brought hordes of people to its not going to work. If if people are not happy. So. Yes, thank you, councilmember. That's an excellent question. Really? Some of that is related to what the closure looks like and how long the closure lasts. >> So typically under event programming, it's really the pad department in coordination with other departments in the city to manage the logistics of the event. What we saw really with them are longer-term closures that occurred through covid. Then you really run into this longer term. The event is usually 2 to 3 days. So how do you really manage it as the overall city long term? And it really becomes a partnership with the various departments really between fire and transportation. Public works to really understand roles and responsibilities. That would be part of the exercise that we would go through to make sure that the business these really are met for the core infrastructure. The I think important point to this is always that if you create the campus, how are you programming it and really how you program it does somewhat
affect the impacts to it. So as a parallel conversation, as if there's a desire to close the street, understanding how we're going to use that, whether it's going to be live But it's going to be exterior evening facilities. All of that has different operational challenges. So I think it's part of the process. When we do that internal analysis, then it really will daylight the roles and responsibilities impacts the department. Potential costs. But really it it would be planning and economic development taking the lead on the conversation, then ultimately working collaboratively with other departments, understand roles and responsibilities. So to say that >> the city would have ownership of. That's typically how it occurred either through event permit during covid for the core pieces. The city does have to leverage some level of management because it is city property. So it usually does occur under some right, either a permitting or the city except the ownership of some of those challenges. Now, some of it is private on how that handles. So obviously can be a line demarcation there. But overall, much of that would be managed because it is public right of way through the city. Ok, my last you for that. My last question is about if we did a pilot program. >> What do you think that would look like or what do you propose? It would look like. So one of the discussions we had with the pilot program is understanding sort of really a limited timeframe working with the businesses to understand impacts. >> And to understand programming. The challenge with programming is there some businesses that really just do not benefit from the programming either? It's real or perceived. So if we were to close the street having a conversation with the business is to say how would you
benefit from that? From a programming standpoint is a good starting point. And at the end of the conversation, the specific business tight might not benefit from that as MISTER De are mentioned, in most areas where Israeli deemed to be successful, it very heavy with food and beverage because they can use the outdoor space for that purpose. The entertainment district plays a pretty critical piece into that because it addresses some of the abc licensing on how alcohol moves in and out. So what we would normally say is a pilot program is a very limited time. It could be through the summer months. We work with the other businesses to see what it really looks like. You know, there's a lot of off hours, many of the sensitivities that we heard around the to 5 and understanding parking around 8 to 5 and some of the businesses that don't after 5. Are they ok with closures during that period of time? We can figure that into the equation. But what I would normally say is it's working with the business community to understand limited amount of time to understand what it would look like. If you program did and to better understand doesn't act is the destination. Is it drawing people into the downtown? Because I think that's a really critical piece with the absence of the programming under a short window. It might not provide the benefit that it would long term. So really needs a better understanding of the staffing resources in the financial resources that would go into programming it to make it successful. So we have to make sure the pilot window uncovers enough information for us to bring back something to council where they can make an informed decision on that. But I think there would be a lot
of work with the business communities and many of the individuals that have expressed concern about it. Is there an impact that we can mitigate and that through a pilot program and that's what we would want to understand. Thank you so much. >> You know, during that during your presentation that we already do close for street on on any number of occasions now for special events we just did a few weeks ago for the for the center is a marathon. Do we have any with respect to increase foot traffic to our downtown commercial establishments to money, any kind of numbers that come out and that that come out of the the Times that we're currently closing for street. >> With the acquisition of a new mobile analytics platform, which staff was able to procure this year. We are starting to pull data. >> The impacts of events in the downtown. We can pull that data on a per address or per business location. We can also create a a polygon earn area, if you will, and pull the analytics for that particular area for any given day or time. This is something that's still preliminary. We're beginning to explore it. But initial look at those metrics is telling us what we suspected that events seems to be drive driving traffic more toward establishments, which either of the hospitality dining food beverage or entertainment sectors. It's also important to note, too, that many events actually do occur in the evenings or on weekends businesses which do not fall into those categories. Typically don't have powers that extend well into the evening were sometimes on the weekend, but
perhaps a Sunday. So its difficult because those businesses are actually closed to understand engage whether or not those weekend or evening events are having a positive impact on that business immediately, perhaps in general as it's creating more vibrancy in the area, there could be an uptick in sales, but that's something that we would need to review further in collaboration with those businesses who are in the impacted areas. >> Thank you for that. And with respect to Montgomery Village in Ws Development, my understanding is that they do have an active interest in running some kind of pilot along some of the streets and that in that area, including rise in midway and the gallon. Could use a little more about that. >> Yes, so there have been discussions with the new ownership group. Those discussions started when that ownership group took over Montgomery Village and they have been associated with those streets. They've ranged from really more of a seasonal closure and a programming to more of a discussion about a permanent as any commercial operation. It balances out the need for parking with that. So obviously the more short term doesn't necessarily impact the long-term parking where you do have more long-term and understanding how you're pushing vehicles around. Montgomery Village has really evolved the space and I think in many situations as the business owner or the property owner moves forward in these directions and more tenants coming in. A lot of times attendance control that narrative to some extent because of the perceived impacts. The tenants MAY see what the lack of parking. So a lot of time that that does
control it and never moved beyond the conceptual. We staff willing to support that with Montgomery Village. If they wanted to advance that and to work with the internal teams to make that work. But actually, I believe even those conversations happen prior to the ownership group because the streets really create this logical situation where you can close it block to block, still create circulation around the area allow are to more function from a programming standpoint in the center. Thank you for that. Any other questions, MR. Prepping. >> Thanks to follow up on the mayor's previous question about. The analytics of sales and you mentioned that there were businesses that were closed on Sundays are businesses that would and beat the we're not open for let's say the Rose Parade, right? They did not open for that in any of the discussions you had with these other cities. Today discuss or describe any sort of increase in demand for retail space in those areas. Once the closures happened. >> Yes, conversations with our peers in particular cities where these efforts have been deemed successful, it was described to staff that there was increase in back, fill a vacant spaces. >> And new attention into those areas by other retailers, either expanding into the area are looking to open second locations in the area. >> Thank All right. Let's open it up to public comment. You know that we have a few members of the public who wish to speak. Let's start with with Kayden's Bernie and Adrian. Cadence. As you're making your way to the podium. Thanks to all the members of our of our business community took the time to come out
today. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. >> Thank you. Mayor staff. Vice Mayor Alvarez. My name is Katie t# # # # # , Allen And I'm here today on behalf of the downtown action organization. I want to start by when a passerby apologizing say I'm going to be a little bit repetitive echoing some of the things that were shared. By staff. But I want to thank staff for all of their work on this issue. The wants to be an active partner in all potential programming and concept exploration related to downtown. We really appreciate the city's willingness to focus on spurring investment and activity in the area as well as staffs inclusion of the deo's position in their presentation today. To recap, the da believes there are 4 key points that need to be addressed for a successful pedestrians. Ation effort. First ensuring the majority of businesses within the closure area support the concept and are prepared to activate is part of it. Second infrastructure improvements must be made to create and maintain friendly, vibrant and safe space. That means new pedestrian lighting, enhanced landscaping, improve trash collection removal of parking infrastructure and installation of safety infrastructure. The city needs to invest enhance programming for any potential closure area. And finally, the impacts of potential traffic circulation changes need to be fully understood and explain to the community. The da believes all of these elements are crucial to seeing pedestrians. Ation plan succeed and bring the desired positive benefits to Santa Rosa. We look forward to remaining a partner in the
discussion as further exploration occurs and appreciate the time and effort put a gun into the so far. >> Thanks to Cain's burning Europe and then a dream. Good afternoon. In the 45 years, I've been a California luggage on Fore street. I've seen the street. >> Close and I've seen it open. And when their special events that are well programmed and marketed, it works great. And brings a lot of people down. There's been other times when there's been events that have been poorly marketed and it's a ghost town and it's a creepy feeling in the daytime not to really see Most of the people that come downtown over 80% come by car. One of the things that I'm concerned about is that. Grass Valley, which has a population of 14,000 where the biggest city on the coast between San Francisco in port and as such we have been and still are a regional destination for commerce, for services, for culture. I have people coming from Mendocino, Humble Lake County and they come down once in a while. And if they come across orange barricades, they're not going to be able to locate much less access businesses that they haven't been too frequently. And so I don't want to lose track of the fact that we're not a small town. We are regional destination. I also have a concern about what happens at night when we are barricaded isolated downtown and there's no passive surveillance of cars that are driving through. All right. See that we would be vulnerable to an uptick uptick in particularly property crime. And I'm wondering if there's been any discussion with the police
department how they would patrol if they would patrol a dark and downtown center. You know, I kind of feel that. Downtown's are meant to be hubs of activity, the activity that the cars bring, they're the ones that are putting the pedestrians on the street right now. There's no reason to think that taking the cars offer for streets kind spontaneously generate foot traffic. And in fact, the Wednesday market this year initially closed the 600 block of 4th street and put vendors on that Carla Street and by the end of the run, they had to open it up again because the vendors could make any money. There are no people walking in the street. I feel that there's going to be a sacrifice to our seniors, people with mobility issues in our community as well as inconvenience and disincentive to visit Santa Rosa from people out of our community. And so. While I believe in street closures, I'm hoping that you guys will close for Street. Thank you. Thank you. Bernie. Adrian. Good afternoon. Members of the council, Adrian Covert with Santa Rosa Yimby want to thank staff for putting together a great and comprehensive presentation. >> About some of the options facing the city. Let me start if I can, by being a bit. Pedantic. We talked a lot about today about taking a right of way and reactivating. And I think when you take right of way and you're reactivating. >> bring more people through more various means of getting there. >> That's not closing. That's
reopening. So it's talking about these things with the public. I think it can be really confusing. If you're saying on the one hand, we're reactivating the space that we're closing. So I would say the and encourage folks to talk about what this really is. It's closing into street traffic and it's opening it to pedestrian traffic. So reactive is ation. That is think a better way of talking about this opening protest opening streets for pedestrian uses. He's become quite common throughout the United States in California. Staff mentioned a few of the cities that have done it and that have done it successfully. No doubt a lot of Santa Rosa residents have come into contact with these, which is why they're supportive when polled and asked about it through the city survey of 1300 residents or through Santa Rosa's survey, which we conducted throughout Wednesday night markets throughout the summer. And we got over 300 signatures of Santa Rosa residents in support of making it permanent doing it and doing it right. The business concerns are really important because if you're going to do it, it's got to work. Which is why Santa Rosa Yimby. We launched a survey of storefronts affected in the towns of Grass Valley and in San Jose, a much larger city that pedestrian one of its streets to figure out what happened. And we heard heard from them that there are a lot of initial concerns about parking and crime and public safety. And yet 70% of respondents representing almost half 48% of all of the affected businesses who responded to the survey, 70% said this was
this is increased their business foot traffic and resulted in increased business and sales and receipts for their businesses. So this is a good thing. Despite some initial concerns. Are also our survey also showed that ban reinforced staff's message that the importance of infrastructure and programming put most simply the more complete. A street is transformed from car. Use the pedestrian use. The more likely it is to succeed and this presents some challenges with the idea of doing a pilot and a pilot program because in this instance, half a loaf, maybe worse than no loaf at all. As for other streets, I think Ross Street both and that lets to Ross Street sure streets. Only 25% storefronts the rest of its parking and office space. So respectfully encourage the city to be bold. Go for the full loaf. Continue planning pedestrian dies our marquee Street on 4th. Thank you. >> Thank you. Adrianna Center a Are there any of the members of the public would like to Amen to this item. Seeing none. We will close public comment and bring it back to council for final thoughts and direction to staff. MR. Creepy. >> a lead off with one more question. Director Osborne roughly. >> How many units have been permitted in the last 2 years or completed and permitted in the last 2 years in the downtown station area. >> Roughly because I don't have that number off the top
of my heads 500. All right. So a 500 new units that have been either completed or in the process. >> Building permit process or completed. If we look at entitled units, it gets a little higher than that. >> But I think that's a good estimate of the number of units that are potentially being delivered in the downtown core. So I think for me. >> Let's start with Non for street Ross Street. If I mean, I'd be open to entertaining that if they want to do it on off days, you know, temporarily closing that in conjunction with the entertainment zones. The willing to entertain that a Montgomery Village. I mean, if we have business owners MAY and we have property owners that are wanting to do this, I don't see why we would want to study that and see how that works. And when you specifically look at a gallon, I wouldn't really call those areas streets in the traditional sense. They're more like parking through ways I grew up in Bennett Valley air live there. And I don't know anybody that uses. Those is a regular traversed route to get anywhere. Let's not cast aspersions on district 2 right now. Face. I'm trying to get to the point. I don't think it would be sorely missed for our traffic population. Now when it comes to 4th street. Since this is a proposal some of these proposals would be analysis and studies, right? Have to come back to actually implement I think for me the 2 options would be a to look at either permanent or a summer closure. I think doing it for like a month. Wouldn't really give us data that we would need to make a decision. You know, I I am a concerned about the logistics restaurants, getting their you know, whatever deliveries MAY MAY also need to occur. I also want to be very clear that our
investment is a city needs to be said. None of necessarily significant dollars, but significant in pointed and and thoughtful implementation, whether that be time periods, whether that be hartsock a being programming, whatever it might be. We can't just throw bollards call it a day. Because then we're just setting it up to fail ourselves right? And I point to the deo's comments about what they would like to see the city do. And I what you have studied has worked in other areas. So I would like to follow examples that have worked. I would like to do these analysis and studies. I don't think it's worth reading this out right now. If we haven't even over a conversation and we'll call anecdotal thoughts and ideas other than, you know, the large amount of survey I think we should actually need to do the do the hard work in the analysis to figure out what it really means to do something like this. Thank you, MISS Penniless. >> Well, for say want to start by just saying I really like the concept of. However, it's referred to pedestrian is I think it's I think for downtown and I've lived here a long time to really weigh very, very long. And I've seen. Also the streets closed the streets open. I've seen all of that. Like to see our city try something different. And and so with that in mind, I I do agree with Deo's 4 points. I think there that they are areas that we have to address before we do anything but also. Is Councilmember Craig is saying the to continue maybe doing an
analysis that we need to do the infrastructure and houses that you know, all of that. I think I would like to see it happen. I am also very concerned about logistics and also. Merchant by and I I would love to more of the owners of be in favor of this. And and I I know it's for folks. It's going to be a little bit of a risk. And I understand that. And and so that's why I think it is important. I agree that we do thorough study as we can. All these other issues. But I would like to see us move forward. And I mostly focus on Fort Street. I you know, haven't you know, Ross Street would be fine as well. Montgomery Village is an interesting I have thought about that in. And I agree that most of those streets are not really for parking as well. So I think we could certainly look at other streets. Maybe if this doesn't. Pencil out, as they say, but I really would like to see us continue to study the concept of doing it at 4th Street because I think that would be. Something exciting for downtown, which is what I think we need. You know, people are always saying to us, how are you going what are you going to do to improve downtown? I know they say to you as well for this to us all the time. You know, shares hear something. Here's a concept that I think would be new and exciting. And it, you know, it could be a great thing for our businesses, but I know it's needs further study. So that's kind of where it landed. Thank you. This morning. Thank >> You know, the way I look at this is kind of a holistic approach, an All-Star with talking about also withdraw
street. I'm agnostic Montgomery Village. I think it's really good idea and why I think it's a good idea with Montgomery Village is that you have a unifying force with the property owner and the tenants saying that this works. And I think that. Because those things are in place is not just a matter of public opinion, but it leads to a good planning decision when everyone's rowing in the same direction. And with the downtown, we struggle with that because we have, you know, the city that owns the public infrastructure and then the business owners who own their individual businesses and then the property owners who owned the business, the infrastructure, which is businesses are house and then the public who has obviously a lot of sentiment about that in our I will just say that our public is pretty unified in a pedestrian is Asian. From what I've heard from folks, all you never quite get to hearing from everyone. But the the challenge with that is is that I think that MR. Short's makes a really good point that this is a regional landing place for people from all over the North's state and beyond. And that while I'm personally in favor of fully pedestrian dies this what you know, full stop. Fully in favor of it. I wanted to be planned full and I don't think that we should sort of take a half-baked approach to it. I think we ought to wait for the the to come online and we had use those funds to program for our infrastructure needs and we ought to bring folks from our business community along. With that process. And one of the things that sadly going to continue to happen and that this is not a hope that I have. I think
this is just reality. Is as folks continue to go online as ai continues to infiltrate against my my best wishes you know, every facet of what we do. There will be for less retail and there will be more restaurants and dining and it's it saddens me greatly. I think there a ton of the public comments is a tragedy Knox and then we got a fight at every turn. But I believe in 5 to 10, 15 years time that the tension between retail and food and beverage uses in the downtown is going to shift and there will be a tipping point at which the downtown business community can come to us in a more cohesive manner. So I think that all of that stuff leads me to think that now is not the moment to implement. The now is the moment a plan so that when we arrive at that point, we're ready to implement in a way that we have funding from ift. We have buy-in from our business community and the residents needed. We have to communicate with folks about our vision and not just agree with them to the downtown is a difficult place. But help people understand that the downtown as a regional hub that we have challenges that have to do with the multiple stakeholders and then we are going somewhere with this. That leads to a resolution that has a downtown vibrant and effective for all involved. Thank you. Thank you. Vice Mayor. >> Thank you, mayor. Will be forming on council. Isn't something a row was something that was a special. And I thought to myself how we have
the downtown Santa Rosa. The list action. I want to appreciate the the alternative list of Rossi's will as well as Montgomery village because actually. The focus even more so, you know, we are speaking about the likelihood of business owners. We are speaking about how fragile, any, any implementation of policy or change the council makes. To the. The health downtown Santa Rosa. And for myself. And have to support of a broad street one of the pilot programs and seeing what works and what doesn't work there. So with mother, we religion, one of the great things of speaking last on this council as all the way police have already been made. So I will repeat them. For myself. You know, whether it's the luggage or or the Joy store and how they've seen the removal of the connection centers that are doing this. You know, diminish their business. You know, that's something that we have that I have to take into account. Again. Thank you for the alternatives. I would love for us to run with them and learn from them. So do implement that into courthouse square. We come with a program serves all business owners and all residents of Santa Rosa. So I think you for the list. Thank you. All right. For my part, almost echo my colleagues. I would be interested to know what the costs would be to the city to provide the infrastructure improvements along Fort Street that would be required. I do agree again, as my colleague said as the deo nicely highlighted. >> On that, we need to go in this and then we cannot hang hang our local business owner out to dry. All right. So I would be curious to know what kinds improvements would be would be needed and whether the city can afford those as well as the programming that
would that would need to be put into place. How how precisely that would that would operate. All right. So I would be Anderson, that information again, as my colleagues mentioned, Ross Street business owners are interested in being a test case for something like an entertainment zone. That's an interesting place for the city to try. I'm certainly opening to more about that. And then back to Montgomery Village. The reason that am interested in Montgomery Village, in addition to the fact that my wife and I are there are frequently is that Montgomery Village is a healthy mix of both retail and versions. So you've got you've got a lot of stories there. In fact, an increasing number of stores. Our people are going not just a dime, but but the purchase things and district 2 is proud of all of its streets, including including those that some might might cast aspersions on is just being for parking. But actually, I would point out that that makes that an interesting test case for another reason, because if you closed down either McAllen or midway or both, what you are doing is you're forcing people to park their cars further away from the shops and restaurants. They want to visit. Which I think is an interesting test case. Because that that will that that will provide some useful data protect potentially for for street or other spots in the city. To answer the question of whether people are willing to walk from their cars from their parking lot. A little ways to get to the stores. They want to go to. And in my my my mind always goes in these discussions to a common refrain in this area, which is why does downtown Santa Rosa, where White is no place in Santa Rosa? Look like Petaluma
and Healdsburg. And yet people forget that when they go to Hillsborough, going to go to Petaluma, they're almost never parking their cars right in front of the stores or restaurants. They want to visit. They're parking their car at the Kentucky Street Garage in Petaluma and walking multiple blocks down hill to get to really want to go or in Healdsburg their parking a car several blocks away in a kind of nondescript surface lot and then marching themselves over to the square to get to both the merchants and the restaurants that they want to that they wanted visit the difference of get in those towns is that there there are a lot of restaurants and merchants that people want to visit. And we've got those here, too. But with and the for street area and in the Montgomery Village area. So again, coming back to Montgomery Village, I do find out to be an interesting test case for the reasons that that I named that it would be interesting to see how far people are willing to walk for the stories that they clearly want to go to And since Montgomery Village is bustling and as well, what what will the effect be on folks who are or selling goods rather than that rather than just restaurants? Those are the end of my thoughts. Anything else from my colleagues? All right. David Scott, can we provide any other direction are answering answering the questions? I really appreciate the direction that was provided. Mayor, just to summarize really what I heard is that we can move forward at the staff level with requests on Ross, a Montgomery village. >> We will run those through the process and work with those adjacent business owners to see how we can get that to the finish line. Far as the forestry conversation. It sounds like it's a study and come back with information as part of that study. We will look at the staffing impacts. We will look at the operational impacts. We will look at the potential funding sources. We will also overlay the conversation about potential programming options. And I think unless there's any
other direction from council will remain in that. Street to be street corridor, obviously can expand and contract but will use that as our study area. And then we'll just move forward doing the analysis that we had mentioned in the slide deck, which are very traffic parking one initiate that process ultimately come back to council for additional direction. >> Thank you very much. Thank you both. For all the work on this. Thank you for the opportunity. And with that, will move on to item 4.2, which is really a continuation of our discussion on how to activate our downtown area. We've gotten 4 point to our downtown Santa Rosa parking and rate adjustments. The cost of parking in downtown. Could there be a more fraught issue and center is a politics outside of pickleball in versus tennis. Chad and Tanya, thank you for joining us. >> Hello, Mayor Councilmembers. I'm Chad Head parking division manager City Santa Rosa with me is Tanya Cordova. Parking division manager parking Division and certainly. Let's start over. With me is tiny She is the parking administrative analyst and I've got David Rohde for who's with t y Len. Spring of 2023 parking applied for awarded a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Which is the transportation planning financing and coordinating agency for the 9 counties located in San Francisco Bay Area. The downtown Santa Rosa Kerr management access plan
that we started. Came at a time where we saw Railroad Square and downtown going rising garage in lot. Occupancy leveling out. The need for future planning to support the elimination of Parking minimums and to encourage more developments. The outreach and planning that we did included city departments such as Economic Development planning a real estate tp w in transit. Today's study session will cover the outcomes from this nearly two-year study. Unintended impacts from the much-needed downtown developments. And discussing additional mtc grant that was awarded to parking 2. Look at the Santa Rosa North t o Transit-oriented community in conjunction with planning. This presentation. We based on data tracked internally by parking externally by te Wai Lin and industry standards in regard to transportation, demand Management, the empties and ghg reductions. At the end. Tanya David and I would be happy to address any questions. Santa Rosa parking is a is a 24 hour operation on this screen. You'll see some of the issues that we were facing when we applied for this grant and the study for him to see as well what was discovered and know that after this two-year study. First, our free parking has offered in our garages and currently often just has not incentivize garage used over street parking. What was increases in loitering and safety issues in the garages to the communities, our voucher and validation program usage is at an all-time low for the businesses and their employees. The additional real or perceived safety concerns that are happening in the garages require funds and
staffing to address our revenues. Parking in a price on revenues have not returned to the pre-covid levels. Although expenditures have continued to rise. The requests for residential development permit options have increased over the last 2 years to support new developments in the elimination of the parking minimums as well as establishing a family homes that are being impacted by the overflow from the Elimination of Parking Minimums. And then the in increase in requests or enforcement. And our current residential permit areas become difficult due to low staffing that's impacting. But the PRESIDENT Not of support. We can provide. David is going to speak about the next few slides They'll jump back in. And thank you, Chad. >> So to island, conjunction with convey, which is a public outreach we did could extensive public outreach process to really understand what the community needs, where as it relates to parking in the downtown area and through that public outrage process where we've talked to residents, visitors, business owners, business employees other patrons of the downtown area, including those who live and work downtown. >> We we have identified 3 sort of big categories of parking issues that I can go through right here. >> The first one being employee parking you know, for employees of finding affordable long-term parking options during their work day is a challenge some employees try to. Park farther away from work because of the affordability issue. Others might park in front of the business and then, you know, 2
hours or 4 hours later, try to move their car during her lunch break. You know, find, you know, continue to move their cars out today as necessary you know, park on the street. In addition to that, we also have employers sometimes paying high parking costs for their employees. And so, you know, especially and the post covid era, as many people have switched to hybrid work a parking pass that is for an entire month when you're only their 1, 2 days in office doesn't really make sense anymore to be able require those parking passes. And so thinking about how we can address that was part of the study. As Chad mentioned, garage safety concerns about poor relating car break-ins, loitering, particularly in the evening hours. That's something that we heard a lot from the community. And then in terms of other concerns parking availability, obviously, that's always going to be a concern, especially during peak whether that's in the downtown core and the mayor of district. You know, there's certain times a day, particularly in afternoons and evenings when those are very busy. And, you know, we want to make sure that people have a parking options in those areas that in close proximity to those areas to allow for people to want to go downtown and want spend a night enjoy the many restaurants and businesses and that Santa Rosa has to offer. We also heard some concerns about the inconsistency across zones, hours and incentives. And I'll I'll just jump ahead. A couple points here to include signage
in that as well. I know what we're doing. The study, you know, the 3rd Street garage is on 5th Street, heard garage. Number 3 is on Street and garage. Number 5 is on 3rd Street. And, you know, for someone who is not very familiar with the center is that that's something that can really cause confusion and make the park experience less, enjoy So how can we provide that consistency, whether that's, you know, the price to park and a garage or whether that's a naming conventions and other signage that can help facilitate parking. The the high cost for a long stays. This is particularly for its users who are looking to take transit in and out of the You know, there is concerns about parking there and and taking transit. What the cost that parking is and how that can better interact with the transit service. We also heard about businesses, not many businesses are off offering parking validation. And so. We did. A survey said this was this would have been 2024 late 2024 when we conducted the survey and as part of the process of developing this project, we had over almost 1600 responses for the survey. Again reaching every different corner of the business community, residential community visitors. And the top responses really were distanced a destination availability of parking spaces coming and one in 2 and then safety and security and then and then price, whether that's, you know, making sure
that we have an affordable price for parking where and the downtown core areas. So in terms of study recommendations that we have 77 main recommendations that will review if you hear the first one is revising our public parking fee structure. The second one is new residential implementing a new residential Schedule. 3 is construction management and planning amendments. Ford's Wayfinding 5 is garage space allocation for employees working in downtown and railroad Square. 6 is care. Management, including the identification of shared parking spaces for direct delivery drivers and for operators and 7 is ev implementation. And with that, I take it back to Chad here to talk a little bit more about the priorities talk more about the findings. >> And if we go back quick to the so couple of dates. Number 3, the construction management plan, amendments after the start and completion of 4.20 men do we work closely with planning? And we've created new processes so that the contractors and all the subcontractors will now work directly with parking to make sure that the hundreds of contacts we have will go to the garages as opposed to parked on the street all day, having a smaller impact on the business is so planning was a great help on that at number 7 lost art. Number 6, we work with economic development. And just this week, I think we've identified at least the minimum of 4 spaces throughout downtown Rose Square that will be identified as pick-up drop-off Uber Lyft to help support that goal. And number 7, if you haven't seen garage
9, we have the pg e and the contractor installations complete on our 4 new dual port level 2 chargers available for public and fleet use. 2 of those charges are active and ready to use. The other 2 are weighing on. Some parts of it. That charge point forgot to send us. And then we're working on the final application approval. So we should start construction on lot. And we're going to have another 4. Dual port level, 2 chargers available for public use as well as 2 single port, dc fast Chargers available for public use pt funds cover 90 those costs were also awarded funds and grants to Callie v I p and communities in charge which is going to be huge for us. So I'm hoping spring, we should have both projects completely available. So let's start with our parking meter fees as we jump into this. So Santa Rosa and most agencies around the country, especially in the state, try to follow progressive parking model when it comes to paid parking. All right. Our goal and a goal of other cities is to try to keep on street occupancy around orb a little bit below. 85% right? The higher rates in the busy zones. And the lower rates in the and the and less use area. So what we want to do is as the as the occupancy goes higher, 85 90 higher than that. >> Well, what's that doing? That's creating a lot of circling. That's creating a lot of emt's that's creating a lot of ghg emissions. We want to create lower price options. Farther out from the core to allow people to know that they can go here, they can stay for longer terms and avoid the
like. David mentioned, maybe employees parking spot in front of these businesses with the high use spaces so we can keep those spaces open for customers at in and out that in and out again, the reduction ghg emissions. The U.S. Are clean. 100% of the parking fees as it from the Enterprise Fund are invested right back into what we do, whether sir lighting the security that patrols the wayfinding and then the last time we have adjusted our meter rates. I was in 2017. So the map on the screen shows you Railroad Square and central parking. I can see. The in both these maps are taken 01:00pm through dinner Thursday through Saturday in both areas. The red is the peak above 85% occupancy, the bull, the grade. I'm sorry. The green is average. And then the blue is what we're looking at. As far as the below what we want to try to strive for is that we don't have that red high. 95% occupancy, 01:00pm through dinner and Railroad Square to be through dinner and the central parking with that means that folks are not. They're not traveling around their parking and they're leaving their. There's not the open spaces for folks who want to drive up 4 street to street and stopping at a restaurant. So in order to try to accommodate this. We're proposing some changes. And on the screen, we have our current rate as well as our new proposed rate. All right. And it's broken down. Between our premium and our value and we'll go over it and epso are on-street parking. On the first line. The premium in deep a lot. So the premium meters as well as a deep. A lot is what we call we're referring to in this deep. A
lot of consider the premium lot. The current price is one 50 per hour and our proposal is going up to $2 and $0.50 per hour on on the the premium parking Row Square. We've had a lot of conversations with the road square board and we actually adjusted our initial presentation based on suggestions from them too, to support the to 50 per hour on the streets. And as you can see below on the railroad square 13 14, the lot we're not going to raise any prices in there because they. The conversations around as we want to try to get people off the streets and roads square and push into those lots. pushing to the free parking. That's a little bit outside lot, 13, 4 teams a lot underneath the freeway. The value lots and in the areas on the on street, which of the farther out from the map we just saw. We're looking at one dollar to one, 50 proposal increase. And then right there, it says free. What we're also doing in areas farther outside of a premium values, what we're going we're going to remove some meters, try re-create some time limits in areas where we can make that 3rd option. We're gonna try to create more of those spaces, try to support the community if they would, if they're ok with walking a little bit, we're going to create more free spaces the time limits. Premium water. There's lots 10 11 Russian river lot. And then lot 11 is one right behind. Belly will say right now it's a dollar-fifty are proposals to take up to $2. Our value lots that are lots to lot, 4 and lot 7, one dollar to one, 50. And again, we're not making any changes. And 13, 14, a lot in railroad square. And then the garages. As David mentioned, we had currently have different prices in the garages. So what we're going to is we're proposing making all the garages one dollar per hour. So some that way.
There's no confusion over over cost. In regards to permits. We already have or have offered different options for parents to support businesses, employees. And right now we currently offer even employer permit. It's $10 and that's still going to stay, although 03:00pm to 01:00am. There's in time on that on that permitted. Just they can't go into the garage until 03:00pm to be able to get that the employee permit. We're looking at offering discounts for new business accounts. As far as all the new developments are coming in, trying to figure out a way to support the growth in there. We currently have an offer low-wage permits currently right now in garage, one garage, 12 only. So what we're looking to do is expanding that not only to all garages, but also reducing the cost from thirty-one dollars a month to $25 a month. The part-time permits like David again mentioned there's some folks who don't work in the office 5 days a week, but they still want to have that option to pay for permit not to pay every time they come to the garage. So we're also going to create part-time permit. Worst looking right now and having conversations at 96 hours be in the weekly. The weekly cap. And then if they're in their past, 96 hours will display the hourly rate. But we are still having conversations and where we're going to settle on that. But that'll be $25 per month. Our unreserved permits right now in our garages, not counting. Garage. 5 average between $62 and $95 month. We're gonna make all of our permits the same price all the
garages. So they're essentially all going to go in price some more than others our unreserved permit and garage 5 because of our occupancy in garage 5, we have a wait list right now for permits and garage 5. We don't make any changes to that right now. So we're going to keep that at $120 per month. Then a reserve permit and all garages right now. It just means that you can pay the extra fee. It's by choice and you can have a dedicated spot in the first floor of the garage. We're going to offer that, but we're going to bump it up to one 60 across, make all of the same price. What some are right now. One, 60 and again, these are just for folks who are willing to pay extra for that reserve space on the first floor of the garage. You don't have to do it. Some of our proposed our our proposed a lot. Permit fees. Lot to again, we're seeing in our have seen a large increase in permits and that lot. So we're going to keep those permits at the $95 per month lot 6, which is a permit only lot off of the street. That again is is full and we have a we have a wait list. So we're going to keep that at $60. Lot 7. The White House lot. We have some occupancy and they're available. So we're going to drop the prices in that lot from $85 to $70 per month for a permit. Lot. The and so this is important highlight lot, 13 14, again, lots and railroad square under the freeway. They're near capacity and the evening's right. We're focusing h# # # o# some, in order to accommodate the Elimination Parking minimums and provide permits for these residential developments. We were working hard to have better of big, better use of
our shared during that evening in the Times mentioned earlier. It's it's we've got that high occupancy. So we're going to try to do we need to support the cannery sites that have already came to us. I believe we have 33 or 34 permits already issued as we're going to try to make sure we have the permit availability, the space available during the day in early evening for the businesses. But then we're also going to dedicate some areas in lot, 13 for the Kerry site so they can have that park it in the evening. Businesses can hopefully have that. I can see available in the day. We currently and have offered a smart commuter permit. So anybody who can show that they have ridership information, whether it's a clipper card that they can get a commuter permit which allows in the parking lot 14 for $25 per month for $31 per month, which is half the price. And in order to try to encourage actually don't have a lot of usage. We're going to drop it down a little bit more. $25 try to get more people use Martin public transit a little bit more. So here's some new. Permit options. So we we had to adjust our street pricey not only to occupancy, but also to understand that we're going to try to create more permits that are going to support the current need. And a lot of this is going to go back into the system. So right now we have a request and have had a quest to support 8, 8, 8, 4, 3, 8, 9, one, 3rd Street. They don't have room in their garages. So we're looking at a street parking to support that development. So what we're going to do is
we're going to talk about creating on Hope Street, which we have metered spaces creating that area MAY get a permit area residential permit area for the folks in those 2 developments. So they're not parking on the streets on on 3rd Street. The we've already done and we're issuing not even more residential and reserve garage permits for 20 men. Do we have an agreement with already? And we already have folks using it. We've already entered an agreement with the Humble Development. Great Partnership. And we're looking at about 300 and 50 total permits, I think between the 2 developments and in our in our garages. And though those are going to drop to $60 is going to be great to encourage these of these developments. Again, our residential reserve downtown garage permit. But we don't have right now. These will be specific to the residencias. The new residential developments. Again, it's a special considerations. They want a reserve spot on the first floor. We're going to charge premium so they can have that lot 13, which we talked about the kid, the steward cannery development the permits that we're creating an offering up to them. They're gonna be $50 per month and there were going to try to set him up on lot, 14 closest to 3rd Street. So it's hopefully a little bit easier for the tennis to get parked into residents. Our current residential permit program. So our app's owns that. We have throughout all generals and have folks, communities will have to they approach us. Have to do a resolution or and they have to get 60% or more of the community that signs up to join it right now. It's $20 per transaction. So if you come in. And you have 3 vehicles for $20 per year. You can register all 3 vehicles with us and you've got a
permit for the entire year. Well, what we're going to have to do, what we're going to do is we're going to raise it to $30 per vehicle, which is still. Annual charge of yet one vehicle 30 $100 year for that same 3 vehicles is still a very, very cheap price, considered neighboring agencies for the enforcement and patrols. And the sign is that we provide with all of these changes right now, the approximate change in revenue to the parking fine we're looking at and that total about 1 million $33,000. Again, that will go right back into the parking Enterprise fund that we can do increase lighting security patrols, painting projects that we've been working on. So on here, just clarify, we have. Free parking options throughout the city already. So right now, but we have free Sundays. Kens in certain garage is what we're proposing is we're gonna make all garages free on Sundays to match the street parking right. So that so everything will be free. And in Santa Rosa on Sunday or currently, there's a mix of locations and we're going to offer that across the street. We are currently working on a movie meters again throughout the city to try encourage little bit farther of a walk. But for folks won't have to pay. So 600 block of First Street Sonoma, 900 block of 7th Street. Some of these areas have already been taken out. They 100 block of 5th Street and then all the blocks of Morgan in Railroad Square. Including the meters that are here outside on cinema. We're going to take those out to try put into in time limit. Meters. We've already removed or on Riley Street for the for 20 humble where it used to be one with one way announced we
took all those meters up, support a street in front of house to try to support the residential permit that we have there. And then 6 street and railroad Square again to try to encourage more street parking farther outside of the high occupancy zones to support the businesses. And again, the validation and voucher program. The city parking has. We've had it for years and were trying to get more businesses to utilize this this voucher program for guests. So what we're doing is we're gonna replace the first hour free that we have in the garage currently, which has not encourage growth or or more usage. And we're going to start having a targeted incentive to the businesses drive to the businesses were going to offer discounts to businesses who want to sign up for the validation program. Parking staff will go to the businesses, offset the the and set them up with access to the show them how to use it will be available to support him on this. We're working closely with the to help with outreach and set up meetings so we can and we've already done to set up meetings to get more businesses to either start return to using a validation program or learn more about it. With all the steps, the costs of the program to the parking enterprise funds will approximately 54 $100 a year. The validation discount won't be a lifetime discount. It will be to try to get people into encourage growth and then eventually will the discount will go away. The next thing we're going to talk about are the parking citation fees downtown of our Right? So are parking citation team are parking enforcement team, citation fees and Santa Rosa. The last time they've been
increase order in 2012. So again, you $12.50. Surcharge is paid for every citation written in the city Santa Rosa. Regardless of the cost or the amount of the fine that money goes directly to county for fees and court costs that that everyone has to pay. In addition to that, the processing fees that we pay to the company handle all the billing, handle all the mailers is $93,000 a year. So those 2 things combined are hitting the Enterprise fund which in turn hits the general Fund. And we're looking at ways we can. We can address this. So as you can see on the screen. Well, we went from 21. 22 through 23. 24 right. And I think with highlights that you can see the difference in the revenue. Through the different years. And that's directly related to staffing shortages, right? So when we're out are short on parking enforcement, it's it's more about when you see those revenue numbers. I want you to see that there's red curb parking that that can't be addressed. There's ada abuses that can't be addressed. This isn't necessarily about getting more people out there so we can write citations. This is about our lack or our inability to help keep the community safe. And in addition to that, again, the cost stay the same to the revenue goes down in the parking and a price on can't cover these costs. And then that burden will be placed on the on on the general fund. You can see the net revenue and 21 22 was $37,000. We were fully staffed at that point and then it went
down in 20 to 23 down again in 23. 24 new staffing. And then 24 25 is is actually a negative number due to staffing shortages and increasing in cost. Combine. So that example of what we're going propose. And we're only talking about making increases to the citations that are currently between $35 and $50. That's it. And we're doing this to get in line with neighboring agencies. We look at Rohnert Park. We look at Santa Rosa. We looked at nap and Healdsburg our prices. Once we raise them are citation fees are still going to be lower than some. But we're just trying to address that issue of are matching some local agencies, including Sacramento, who they past that citation processing fee that $12 should they pass that on to the citation holder where right now we pay that that county fee. So again, of anything from expired meters all the way down to the $50 white per passenger loading. Those are the only ones we're going to change just a $15 increase. The estimated revenue that will collect from that. That changes was located on the right again, our average yearly collection annually. The number of citations we write compared to the number of citations. We actually get paid for is 86% collection rate. So the current revenue estimation is 1.3 million. The projected revenue with the $15 increase on those citations as 1.6 million. So the additional revenue. So once we parking. They all of costs are
operating cost Enterprise fund the additional revenue of $350,000 would go to the general fund because the way our account set as a general fund gives us money every month to cover our costs. The revenue goes right back into the general. And again, that all of this is a pending on. Staffing. And a lot of folks have said this. But if we're shortly staff which right now we are that all these numbers are going to be lower than what they should be. So in conjunction with the study, we started with mtc nearly 2, 2, years ago into island. We've done in a lot of outreach, tiny and I went down when and then islands. Well, we know business owners. We've met with the downtown action organization. We've had thorough discussions with them. We've met with story one Square Association. Again, numerous, numerous thorough discussions with them. Today we're presenting to council and then we're looking to come back in the fall for approval for the final consent for these items. And then we're not gonna make any changes until JANUARY one of 2026. Through the winter and going forward. We will continue with the free holiday weekends that will not go away, will continue with the meter programs we do over the holidays again, this will start JANUARY one 2026. And then we are available. If there are any questions. Thanks to all of you for the incredible amount of work that went into this. Thank you being willing to tackle head on one of the hot button issues in our in our community. >> And with that, going back
to council for any questions. Welcome to my colleagues. Mr. Donald. >> Thank you, mayor. Sorry for being a little bit late to your presentation. You MAY have covered this in the beginning. My question is around staffing because he said you're short-staffed with the increase of revenue. Does that offset the cost of staffing or does that have to come out of a different pot? >> increase. And so we're not. Specifically regarding enforcement staff were not short staffed right now due to revenue. But because we're short staffed, it's affecting revenue. Does that make sense? >> Yes. So as we increase rabbit, the revenue, are you able to pay for staff with that revenue or does staff get paid out of a different bucket of money pay staff with that revenue and and we can expand our ability to enforce and in areas outside of our current areas as needed. Thank And then I have a question around your permit parking on the streets and residential. Do we just currently not have those streets designated so people can't park on them or is it metered parking? And we're allowing residents to actually buy a permit for that and did not get tickets. So the current to residential parking program is the neighborhoods will come in and they'll have a petition signed and they get 60% of that neighborhood. And then and then we come to council in the of council approves a petition. We go out parking. We put up signage, time limits and then they get permits from us. So as our
cars drive by and read that permitted plate, they disregard the time limits. Okay. The ones the street permits. We're looking at to support some of these residential developments will be different. Does will actually be like a garage permit, but available on the street. >> Great. Thank you it. >> Thank you. One question for me. Do we have a fine structure for parking in ev designated spots? >> Hi, I'm Tanya Cordova analyst. We currently do have a find for an ev space. I often top of my head. I believe it's around $50 and it depends on how it signed. So if it's signed that it's tv only the only person the you can only be using that space. That parking space to be actively charging the vehicle. >> Thank you for I thought I'd well, I thought of mention it first because you're the good news about how the city is putting in more chargers, including fast chargers into its garages. And in in in the spirit of his general hunt for revenue, there are very few fines that you can levy that will meet with a lot of approval and applause from the community. But from the ev community to protect those spaces that are often used by cars that are not ease or sadly shamefully tv's who parking spots. But don't plug in any efforts that the city can maybe make to enforce those spots for not only increase revenues, but needed to happiness among drivers. So thank you for that. >> If I can mention, I think you're referring to the ones in courthouse square in particular. Yes, but think frankly, anywhere. Yeah, and those that those always been
issue. So what we're doing because we're going to have that 10 essential total new port in lot. 10 is we're going to move the charges that are currently in lot. 10 are in courthouse square and they're going to go to law 10 and some of those spots lot. And we're gonna make for the pick-up drop-off. Create additional ada spaces because of the issues we keep having in courthouse square with ev spaces. Perfect summer, awful solution. Any other questions you want asked, MR. Cookie. Thank you, MISTER Mayor, thanks for the presentation. As we talk about citations the increase in citations. >> Is there a standardized grace period for meter expires to win? Citation can be written. So there is a 5 minute grace period that the meter will not. >> The citation will not be written for those for those 5 minutes. We're pushing people to use the app. More often. I've seen the signage for the apt. >> Is there grace period for the app? >> The app does pose a little bit of an issue with grace periods. If essentially, yes, we do have a grace period. But if the app, what we're running into his people, if you do Extend your time on the app, that you're not allowed to start a new session. And so what people find is that they don't essentially don't get a grace period in that situation. If they forget too re up their time before the app actually times out. So in theory, yes, they do have a grace period. But in practice, sometimes if they forget to do that before before their time is up, they can't start another session. And so they end not having a grace period. >> I've also been told, from city staff that. There's no cars specific time or it's whether they're paid or
they're not. It's not when it expires. It's. >> When they come up next, can a car that use the app or enter cards use the app? It's they're paid or they're not. Not that it expired 2 minutes ago that expired 7 minutes ago. Is that true? >> I I'm not the one that issues the tickets, but it my understanding and practice that they are able to look up the expiration time on the app. Okay. My point being is we're pushing people towards the app and we can't have ways to give grace period versus using. >> Coins or credit cards, then it represents little bit of an issue that we're benefiting people. You something that we don't want people to use necessarily versus analyzing people, potentially pin it be for something that we're pushing people to use, especially as we age increase citations. Yeah, no, that's a great point. To repeat what saying. So, yeah, when you it's not a paid or not paid it to your your paid make up the numbers from 1 o'clock. >> To 3 o'clock. And then that the grace period will be in there. There's also a lot of folks who figured out and they know that they can pay on the app and then go out and play on the meter and then they're overstaying those time limits. And so those are some of the safety features in the to try to make sure that we can create that turnaround that we've talked about. And we in the one side you saw maybe was we're implementing also a tax to pay app in conjunction. So we'll have the passport and IPs app. And again, that's so you'll get the automatic alerts to your phone. Folks outside of the city can go to the website and you can put in the directions to to the city or restaurants. And we're looking at conjunction with a tax to pay app to where now? Now you can get business directions or advertising.
It's in a lot of technology involved in there. But there's ever any issues feel free to reach out to us. We can look into. >> If you spend Wilson. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you for the presentation and so, >> I had a question around the proposal of replacing the our free with targeted incentive. >> For people coming to stores, restaurants and businesses. What does that mean exactly? >> great question. So I want to say was 2 years ago we brought forward a proposal and we made the first hour free in every garage, the intention and that and we both councils because we want to try to encourage people to come to the garages first and not automatically. Look for street parking space based on the data that we can track hourly in annually shows that the committee has not to that first hour free and some cases quite the opposite where street parking occupancy has drastically increased. So the validation that we're talking about is it'll be garage only validation. So if you choose to come downtown were working the businesses, they'll be a sign or a sticker on the door. This is we validate your parking. You'll go to the garage. You'll go in and shop and you'll be able to have your your parking validated based on either your license plate number or if you have your ticket with you or a phone number to really convenient process. And so that that should help get folks to stay longer because now they'll park in the garage. They can go to multiple businesses and they
can work through this validation program as opposed to parking on the street short term or long-term leaving employees, especially in their cars. They're there all day. >> So just to follow so. Who will do the validating the city or the businesses that you go to the businesses? Correct? We're gonna work at the businesses. Create accounts for the businesses. They'll fund those accounts and now also advertise validation available. >> If you park in the garages and come down and chop. >> I ask this because I've I've seen conversations just lately on social media about one parking lot across from a city parking lot that belongs to its private. It belongs to the of get a mention it right now. But it's a downtown business. And when folks going to validate the businesses say they don't validate. So I'm just how are we going to incentivize businesses to validate? >> great question. And I do know you're referring to we were closing will continue to work closely with the businesses. And we had our downtown action organization meeting we had. I think doesn't businesses there that we gave this presentation to. And we're going to work directly with the businesses, see the support of road square in da associations again, will go directly to the businesses set up their validation account. Show them how to use it. And we'll work directly with them to make. This as convenient as possible. >> that sounds good. That sounds like a good The only thing I will I want to say is
that I? Did not know that we had the first hour free in our garages. And I think a lot of people don't know that. And I I personally feel that that is the problem. It then why people don't use it. Once I found out just me personally, I use it all the and I see other people using it. So I know it's not like. You know, many, many people are using it. I understand that. But I feel like we're not marketing that. And to me what the problem more than and I'm worried about validation because like, for example, that one business that we just talked about that I think, you know, which one I'm talking I'm just worried that businesses, some businesses MAY not be willing to do that. Thank you. MISS Rogers. Thank you. And thank you for the presentation you are talking about the expansion of aba spaces. >> some lots. >> I have problem in a question about 80 a space right in front of the Central Library. It's something that I have brought up in the past. >> But it has come top of mind watching Lady Circle trying to find a place in front because she would not be able to safely cross the street and there were no spaces in front. So I'm asking again if we can look into that because it is a problem for us to have people that require the ada spaces to get to the library and they're not able to find those in in crossing the street does not
always work for everyone. That's why we have spaces. >> I want enjoy having that conversation. All right. Thank We'll go to public comment. Then cadence Wilson lead off with you. >> Thank you. Mayor staff. Again, keeping clouds and with the downtown action organization. I want to start by saying thank you to the parking district staff for their ongoing engagement and active interest in the needs of the downtown business community, especially to Chad and Tanya, they spend a lot of time engaging with our business owners and talking to our are organization down time downtown. And while the do you acknowledge is that what is presented today isn't the perfect solution to parking in the downtown? I'm not sure anything is. We really do appreciate the parking district tried to balance their fiscal needs without of the downtown business community and the deo supportive of the recommendations today. I will say, though, I hope that the $30 a month program for our businesses to incentivize them to use validation. It's not a temporary one. $5400 does not seem like a big expense to maintain a program encourage people to come downtown. The deo has heard repeatedly from property owners and brokers that the cost of parking as a deterrent to new leases. So we anticipate that the $25 monthly permit for new tenants or I Chad Kuhl the business accounts. Will be a big benefit and I think some of the other permit additions to the decreases and in cost as well as the opportunity for part-time employee permits will all help remove that barrier and bring new business. The downtown. So again, thank you for your work and for taking the time to
engage with everyone to council for taking time to consider these potential changes to >> Thank you Kayden's other other members of the public that would like to speak on this item. Peter, go ahead. For noon. >> Parking making money from parking. Incessantly Nicole and dining the public. Already being nickel and dimed by the dmv. Irs and the Fed. It seems we are permanently parked our minds our capacity think. Into some permanent spectator, not action mode. Has our American spirit been flushed down the commode we're better than I mean, we're sending billions of dollars to Israel. The cia finders, which is run by someone that's not dead. His name is Jeffrey Epstein is an international child Sex Over at the courthouse. People get all day long, including me for doing business over there or making public comment or paying other fines. You get fined for paying fines over at the courthouse. Meanwhile, billions of our dollars go to Israel. The same courthouse that released. Doctor Jeffrey, Make Doctor Maurice Wall and the number one guy that the the tv show to catch a predator ever caught. He has terminated the lives of millions of people and he's been involved and doing things. The kids including murdering them. And this was proven and verified by Ted Gunderson, former head of the fbi, my friend was murdered by the same group of people in 2011 by poisoned. Israel. Yeah, there's some good people there, but they're also the purveyors of the a runner Chrome. They're also the
purveyors of keeping harboring actively organized pedophiles, escaping prosecution from American courts. Had a little poetic fitness to this. A pointed message to Sonoma County land of the Peanuts Gang Burbank's bounty knowledge not found in college for the masses. Truly, truly time to get unruly. Yes, you inmates and slave classes. I was recently chilling with Troubadour. Bob Dylan has we agreed to take the lead and sees the kill? Bob says, Peter, you're the King. A masterpiece theater to be a true servant is indeed a true leader. We both got respect for brother Sonny Barger. He knew true history. The Constitution as a patriotic charger. >> You are in the presence of and surrounded by the later Christ such power and Authority. The world could never heist. And regarding the corrosive corruption of warmongering rich, all who claim concerned, listen, learn discern or burn better simply turn off the switch. We are the most powerful people in the planet. We're the ones that are allowing all this to happen. We got better things to do than a charging people for the money we give away. >> Thank you, Peter. Are there any of the members of the public would like to speak? You have the floor. >> Thank you. My name is Amanda Jenica. I'm the executive director of the Historic Railroad Square Association forgot to sign and sorry I wanted to say thank you to Chad and Tanya to council for hearing about parking. And I just wanted to on behalf of the historic Railroad Square Board, give our support for the changes being proposed here today.
We've talked with Chad and Tanya several times, they've done a tremendous amount of due diligence with speaking with railroad Square and as Cadence mentioned. And we've spoken about all of our concerns. They've all been addressed. And, you know, we are looking forward to clearer more concise signage to help the people who you know are coming in to ride smarter. Want those value parking spots will be a lot easier for people to find those spots, which right now it is a bit confusing. So we've walked our entire district more than once. Looking at how we can make it more accessible to everyone. So I know I and the board are all very appreciative of that. Them taking the time to do that for I'll keep this short on topic. And so barring not being able to offer the same kind of parking advantages that Healdsburg in Petaluma. As you mentioned, mayor, have they have free and Montgomery Village there, free parking and we don't. And so. That's understandable. And having to work with parking fees, we support the the fees changes that are are being requested here today. Thank you. >> Thank And and thanks for your work. Janice. >> I Carmen. I just want to saying I've said it before down calloused of the road. I'm really pleased to see that The road on the agenda today. Janice, this is about downtown parking rate. And, you know, I know, but it's this is
parking. This is parking or I did okay. Late at night, it's been very bunker part highway 12. Those aren't really parking zones. And I just want the city to know about it because these people are coming in from somewhere. Maybe they're sleeping on the floor of the apartments. I I don't know, but it's a parking issue. Thank you. >> Thank you, Janice. Are there any other members of the public would like to speak? Seeing none. We'll close public comment and bring it back to the days for any final thoughts or direction to staff MR. Rogers. >> Thank you. So thank you for listening to my ada request but in addition to that, I really wanted to thank you for the engagement with the community and the rest of the stakeholders, that something that as a council, I think we really pride ourselves on encouraging and supporting the staff in doing so. Thank you for doing that. And then I always have to give a shout out. Parking comes to Chad and Chris. Chris is like one of the most amazing parking enforcement team members in for someone to be able to give you a ticket and you still walk away from that gentleman smiling. I think that that says a lot about the staff that you do have. >> but that comes with great leadership. So thank you so much. And shout out to Chris. >> Thank you, MR. Donald. Yes, have a follow-up question on the ad. A question that Councilmember Rogers Cave to you if there were open spaces
and somebody had placard displayed, are they allowed to park in any of the open spaces and not be charged parking? I just wanted to make sure that that was. Announced today. You are correct. As long as someone has a valid. Probably displayed ada, they can park in any street. >> Or lot space. Some of the issues run into and we're trying really hard is that if the placard falls off the windshield or falls Florida, we can't see it. A citation MAY be issued, but all they have to do is reach out show us that they have about placard will dismiss at on site. >> And I wanted that to be announced as well as if we have metered parking. If there's nothing available, somebody could parking in metered parking in display their placard and it would result in them getting a ticket if any kind. >> Reagan, again, they any street or lot. The garages are different because they're off street gated. But correct, any metered spot you can use your plakon Park. Great. Thank you so much. Thank you. And Willows. Thank you. Just wanted to say thank you again for the report. I really appreciate all the detail. I do support all changes that you need to make except for the funding of the a free in the garages. I think actually think you should keep that. >> But other than that, I think to really necessary thing for us to do at this time. And I understand all the analysis that went into it. I appreciate that. Thank you. MR. Rogers. I just want to say to Councilmember MacDonald, thank you for pointing that out. I realize that but in front of the library, there are never spots available. >> For people that need the ada parking to park. And so
that is what my big thing is is that there are no spots available. I understand that they can park there, but there no spots available both at the time. I wasn't trying to dismiss need for additional parking was more of a question that I get is can you park in metered parking with a ballot Packard? Thank you. >> And I will. I will conclude by again thanking you for all the work that you've done here as well as to all downtown businesses and the Historic Railroad Square Association for lenient on this one coming with a solution that satisfactory for all a fun trivia fact for all Santa Rosa during the during the middle part of the day during that 95 period there about 300,000 people within a within a 10 minute drive of downtown Santa Rosa. We have a ton of people that are in this area and our our city is responsible for figuring out ways to keep them here safely and effectively and also find a way to pay for that. So thank you for all your work in a parking. Do you have any other questions for counsel in either direction? You from us? All right. Thank you all. And we will move on to item 4.3. A little bit less exciting, perhaps but no less important. This is our count City Council voting process for certain appointed positions. This one's going spell Binder says so stick around city to city attorney Stricker. MR. Making ok, thank you. Council members, Stricker City attorney and then realizing this is literally back again to Plano. Same time
as last year, only off by one day. >> This is a study session that the mayor has asked me to bring back. You heard some of this last year. I mean, to give you abbreviated overview I and the aim of this is to provide you with an opportunity to give some direction on potential changes. You MAY want to make to the process by which council appoints individuals for 3 different type of positions. Again, this is when the council acting as a whole as a body is making appointments from the diocese and those 3 different areas situations where there's a council vacancy in the council has made a decision that it is going to appoint rather than calling a special election. The second situation is to fill boards, commissions and committees that the full council appoints. And as you all know, sometimes individual council members get to a plane certain commission members, but there are others where the full body together points and so making that selection process is another situation where all of you make appointments from the diocese and then the 3rd is when you are selecting every 2 years, you're a mayor and every one year your vice mayor, the process that you have for that Simon to do a very brief overview of what the current process has and areas where
you we historically have found that your process doesn't give you a path forward. And so when you get to those places, you MAY get stuck and then I'm going to walk through options and recommendations give you the opportunity to provide some feedback. Okay. So the first area is again in that situation where there is a vacancy on council under our charter. If that happens, the council has a choice. It can either call a special election to fill the vacancy or the council itself can make the appointment if council doesn't make an appointment within 60 days under our charter, the council is required to call a special election. There MAY be lots of reasons why council decides not to call a special election, but oftentimes one of those reasons is the cost associated with calling a special election, which is as significantly greater cost than waiting until a general election. So again, the council, if it happens, always has the choice about which path to take. But if it chooses to fill by appointment, here is the process you currently have. And in that situation there is a required application process, an interview process or rules are pretty good about setting forth what that is. But once you've interviewed the candidates there really is no role and what the rules says that the majority cannot agree on that And then the council really has to adopt some other process. And at that point in time. So this is a situation we really don't have a rule and you end up having to kind of make it up
on the fly and decide really, think in that moment what the process will be. Okay. The second situation where appointments from the Dias Come-up is that situation where the full council is appointing members to boards, commissions or committees. And as you well know, there are some boards where each of you appoint one person. There are other boards where you all have to make a decision collectively as to all of the members of the particular board. And so up on this slide, we've listed those particular boards and commissions where the full council makes that the appointment. Okay. So in those in those situations are all of you have to sort of collectively decide. You your rules set forth and essentially that you can do it in one of 2 ways. You can either do it by motion or you can do it by a process of elimination and so if you'd choose to make these appointments by elimination process set forth in your rules is essentially that each council member is to vote for the number of of applicants, a number of vacant spaces. Plus 2. If there are insufficient to get to that level, then the city attorney is supposed to help you out with with how many to vote for and you do your votes, the applicants that receive either 0 votes or one votes are eliminated and then you keep going through the rounds of voting each time voting for one applicant, fewer than the last time in Till I one applicant has a
majority vote. There are times, however, where you could get and the elimination rules doesn't don't tell you how to get on stock. So, for example, if you had a vote where you had I 3 to 2 vote there is no way in your rules to figure out how to get stock. So that has been a place where questions have arisen about what do we do at that point in time? And then the last area that I'm going to walk through and just explain. The current rules is your selection of your mayor and vice mayor. The process is the same for both of those positions. Again, mayor happens every 2 years. Vice mayor happens every year. For both of those positions. The process is that the presiding officer calls for nomination each nomination requires a second and acceptance. If there's only one nomination, one nominee, then that person is elected by unanimous consent. If you have 2 or more nominees, then again, there is a process of elimination. It looks very similar to the process of elimination. I talked about before. There are some minor differences but essentially you have an elimination process. And once a single nominee receives a majority vote, then that nominee is considered to be elected. And again, this is a place where your process, your procedures don't give you the process to figure out what happens when you get stuck at
it. 3 to 2 vote. And so and that has happened to you in the past. And you have been in the position of having to come up with what is your what your process is going to be to get unstuck at that point? So this this time I wanted to walk through and give you a recommendation again, this is just one way too. If you all want to make a change, you can give direction and we can bring back some real changes. And this is the recommendation that I'm moving forward. But this certainly isn't the only way to handle this. You know this. This is one of those situations where there could be many ways to essentially fry the fish. So here's the recommendation than I am bringing forward to you. If you want to make a change, which is really to adopt one process for all 3 situations so that you all become familiar with that process. The public becomes familiar with that process. And while staff will certainly guide you through it, it won't feel like maybe the hieroglyphics that it sort of feels like now because you're you have different processees. And so the recommendation would be in each of the situation. If you have only one nominee with a second, then the presiding officer declares that person to be selected by unanimous consent. If you have 2 nominees with seconds, then the council votes by ballad. For one of the 2 nominees. And if the council gets stuck at a 3, 3, vote or to 3 vote, then to use random selection. And I would add in that case that you all would need to determine when your stock in
when it's time to sort of discuss it among yourselves to see if you can come up with a vote where you're not stuck. But if you truly end up stuck again, 3, 3, vote where we don't have a council member either because the council member is absent or it's the situation where you have a vacant council seat, you could end up with a 3, 3, vote. You could end up with a 2, 3, vote where you don't have a majority on either side and there's no way to sort of get yourself on stock. And then in the situation where you have 3 or more nominees available, then my recommendation is for you to pick one of the 3 processees to use for each of the situations sermon, a walk-through, those 3 choices. The first one in those of who are on council last year. We do have councilmember we talked about at that point time ranked choice voting ranked choice voting and is a way in which you could select and you you do a vote one time. And then there is a way of doing elimination based on the way each council member voted in rank choice that we can then have you vote once and you re tally the votes as you eliminate folks. So I'm gonna walk through what that looks like a little bit applicants with the lowest votes are eliminated. Second choices of the council members who voted for the eliminated applicants are reapplied to the remaining applicants and then the process of elimination Henry tallying continues into one applicant, has a majority and in a second show you a visual of kind of what that looks like should you decide to use ranked
choice voting I do recommend that the city's it department assists by developing a systematic way to facilitate a real-time rain choice voting process that provides transparency to the public and to the council rather than going old school White Board, which MAY be confusing. And, you know, certainly subject to error. So certainly both the clerk and I would recommend that assist with that. So if you do have questions after the at the end of the presentation brain to who is our director of it is here and he's happy to answer questions about what that might look like. Ok? So this is a visual you saw this last year of ranked choice voting. I will say. That when we looked at this before staff is not aware of any city that uses ranked choice voting for selections made from the diocese ranked choice. Voting has actually used in some jurisdictions for voting by voters at the ballot box. But it's this is I would be a much more simplified version of the same concept. So essentially the voters and in this case it would be all of you rank the candidates. First choice. The last choice. The candidate. That has the fewest votes is eliminated. The it in your case, the council members who had voted for that eliminated candidate as their first choice would have their votes Re tallied for their second choice and we would continue to do this until we got a majority vote. Ranked choice. Voting could
still result in a tide that cannot be resolved through bank choice voting and so free sample. We're going to go back to that 3 to 2 vote. And so. If you choose ranked choice, voting my recommendation is that you also add a process for what happens when you get stock through ranked choice voting to get on stock and then you can go back to ranked choice voting until you get stuck again. If that happens. So the 2 options for what do you do when you get stuck would be to have a runoff vote by ballot. To eliminate one of the lowest vote getters and then proceed with ranked choice voting. You have done you came up, I think several years ago before I join the city that you had a situation where you are stuck at the diocese and you all came up with the process that was really like this. It was runoff. And in the situation, for example, you have a 3 to 2 vote. You have a runoff between the Applicants that are in nominees that are too into the winner of that would then the the loser of that would then fall out and be eliminated and then you can proceed with ranked choice voting here. The other option instead of a runoff vote to eliminate one of the 2 lowest vote-getters would be random selection. Your clerk has an amazing Uncle Sam hat she brought with. With her today that could very easily be the way to facilitate literally names in the hat that random selection would literally be random. And so we would then
be sort giving up to chance how to resolve sort of getting stuck out of 3 to 2. We're still on ranked choice voting. How to break a stubborn tied with the heck is of stubborn tie. Well, 7 tie could happen. If, for example, you only had 6 council members that the diocese, so that will come up every time or you have a vacancy. But it could come out that someone is absent. So what do you do with the 3, 3, We don't have a runoff ability to still be in an endless loop. An endless circle in that situation where you have all decided that you're truly stock in. What I am calling is stubborn tie. My recommendation is your Uncle Sam hat to go to random? The time we have not been able to come up with any other option for that particular problem. But again, we will need you to declare were officially stock before we move on to that. Case, the second option now instead of ranked choice voting, if you decide you don't want to do ranked choice, voting would be a process of elimination. So you have this process in a couple of your rules. Now we would try to simplify as much as possible, but at least he would have won process of elimination and staff can always walk you through it. This is a situation unlike ranked choice voting where you really vote once and then you could the system essentially tallies Henry tallies, the votes. This is a process where? You do several rounds of elimination. I do recommend that you do it by ballad. If you do it by ballot there, you know, you're no one is tipping their hand in the last person who gets to vote, which
traditionally is the mayor. That person is unable to see where the other people are voting. So that is why voting by ballad is often in this situation, what he's done and what I would recommend. So we would do a process of elimination by ballot. I'm just like the ranked choice voting process. However, you could get stuck. Elimination does not resolve with every case. Again, I keep using that 3 to 2 tie. That could fairly easily come up. So what are we doing? Ranked choice. I'm sorry in process of elimination. If there's a tie, it's the same choice that I just gave you before. Just like with ranked choice voting, you could do a runoff vote by ballot to eliminate one of the tied lowest vote getters and then proceed with elimination or you can select by random selection either one. What do you do if you have a stubborn tie again, you could really end up with a stubborn tie when you have 6, only 6 members at the diocese or 4 members of the diocese. If you are in that situation again, when if you really truly stock. At that point, we would go to the Uncle Sam hat. And then the final math and rather the ranked choice voting or process of elimination would to make appointments by motion by ballot. Again, I would recommend by ballot. In this case. Motions are taken wanted to time nominee by nominee under Rosenberg's Rules of Order which he will have adopted to fill in where your rules leave off. Motions are voted on in the reverse. A Porter made. So if you have 3
motions on the floor. You would take the last motion first, the second motion second. And the first motion last. Emotion you could end up in last motions. The last motion is where you have no majority on either side and this could happening once again. If you only have 6 members at the diocese. So, for example, you could have a 3, 3, vote or you could have a 2, 3, vote. In that situation. What do we do? What are your options? My recommended. Option is to go through the same elimination process. We just talked about before. So here is the bottom line. Everything probably a swimming and everyone's head because that's really the problem that I have that feedback I have gotten from all of you. The problem here is there's too many rules, too many options and nobody knows what to do. So I've tried to put it on this chart. This is the place to look at. There are this chart walks through that there are 3 different situations that we talked to again, a vacant council seat when no special election is to be called the boards, commissions and committees that you pointing as a body and then your by your mayor, vice mayor. I have tried to short-handed bit the current process. There is no selection process for the council vacancy and no method to get unstuck for boards and commissions. You can pick on the fly whether you want to do it by motion or process of elimination. But again, no method to get on stock. And for mayor Vice mayor, it is process of elimination by ballot, but no method to get unstuck. This walks through
the recommendation that I made. If one nominee done, that person is appointed, of course, all nominees need to be excepted. And in the case of Mayor Vice mayor, you have to have the nominee has to agree to accept that position. But this is a simplified version. One nominee, that person is appointed 2 nominees. Just do it by motion by ballot. And if you're stuck. With a tiger last motion, use random selection at that point. If you have 3 or more nominees so that could be 3. That could be in the case of perhaps a council vacancy appointment. You could have 15. But if you have 3 or more nominees. Your choices here, I I recommend that you just pick one. Either ranked choice voting place, tie breaking rules. Process of elimination by ballad. Plus tied breaking rules. Or buy or bye motion by ballot. With tie. Breaking rules. And I want to go back real quickly for the motion. The process by motion. There is one I would say the criticism I have heard over time, not from this organization, but others the by motion tends to give whoever is the presiding officer, which typically would be the mayor. And last the mayor is absent. A lot control over the order in which motions are taken. And so it could be seen as giving. The mayor too much power that maybe power the mayor welcomes are not. In fact, I think that there MAY be Mares who don't want that much power over the process. So my recommendation
for that reason is that you not to due process, do it by motion for that very reason. Other than that criticism that I have heard elsewhere. It is certainly a valid way to go. And and he's certainly done in a variety of situations. But just recognize that the order of motions taken could an impact the outcome in that situation? So with that, if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them. I'm also happy to have rain come down and answer any it questions because we all know I should not be answering any it questions. Thank you, MADAM City Attorney thank you advance, MR. Tickner. I'm sure you looking forward to having more application development in in your shop. >> going to counseling here for questions. Vice Mayor. >> Questions and comments are just questions at this time. There. We'll start questions. Your feelings on on by motion used to that. One of the things that you might see is a as benefit to the current mayor is how he or she MAY choose the order of nominations, but I wonder what you're feeling is instead of doing last in first out, if it was actually first in first out. >> In my opinion, you still end up with the same problem because the I think there is way in which and again, I'm not commenting on any particular mayor and certainly not the mayor that you currently have seated, but there could be a strategy both with how quickly you raise your hand as well as who gets recognize first to make the motions and in what order so that could impact the outcome. I don't think it would impact the outcome in every situation. But I could see a world in which that could impact the outcome. So I honestly just wanted to name
it so that if you do select that, you understand there could be a situation where there could be at least an appearance that that was happening, even if it wasn't really happening. So again, just a bit 100% out of transparency. I just wanted to name that out loud, but it is a perfectly valid way to go. It is a way that lots of decisions are made. >> And to your point, I definitely see. And last in first out or or last motion made being the first one addressed where everybody would wait 2 days to make the motion. Wayne everyone also made mission motion first. >> And I think that's probably why Rosenberg has the rule that it does is that the first The first one in is the last motion to be taken either way. It's more of a race to get recognize first, rather than everyone delaying. In hopes that their motion is last. So I would recommend if you go this route, just go ahead and stick with resident bull Berg's, real supporter. I think they were made to promote efficiency and not delay. Been way >> I'm >> would you say that? What we're using now on specially thinking of appointments to boards and commissions is more like a process of elimination right now because I've been just I'm looking back at this and I've only done this a couple times I've been very confused every time we've done because it's been different a little bit different. You know, and I think some of it, obviously the like, for
example, the the new board, the design and preservation, that's so different. And now it's kind of based on special skills, right? So we had to hand a little bit differently as opposed to I can't think any other board right now. That's like that. But it seemed like we did a little bit different each time. And I think that's a good observation that particular go back to the slide so that we actually I'll do the summary slide. >> If you all can see this clearly. For boards, commissions and committees, you actually the rule picks in that you can do it either by motion. Or by elimination. So part of the reason why you do it differently every time is because the rule contemplates that you have 2 choices that look very different, right by motion. Is the mayor collects all the motions or you take one motion at a time if it fails, then there's another motion on the floor or elimination, which is the mayor would collect all of the nominations and the seconds. And once that process is finished, then you you do this elimination process which are successive rounds of voting, eliminating folks until you have a winner or you get stuck and then you have to figure out how to get on stock. With the design review and Preservation Board. For example, we have different seats with different criteria. And you saw this most recently with Housing Authority appointment where you have different qualifications for so many seats are reserved for folks with specialized criteria. And so. For example,
you are that rollback that housing authority you had were feeling different seats with different criteria. So you would have to take those selection process ease as if they were completely separate because they have different criteria that looks different than if you are, for example, filling housing authority seats, multiple ones that all have the same criteria that gets baked into one selection process with the process of elimination. And you're as I'm understanding brain tickner that. If it were creating a ranked choice voting process that allows for. For example, multiple seats that are exactly the same that becomes, I think a more complicated programming exercise. Then the situation where you're just selecting there's one seat and you're selecting for one seat. So, Brian, do you want to just come down to? Maybe talk about that? Because I'm definitely over my skis on that one. Good afternoon, Brian Chicken or chief information Officer. >> Theresa explained in right. But think the with ranked choice voting really it does get exponentially more complex as the number of candidates and the number of seats becomes larger. Right? So if you're just going one council see, and there's to do say 3 candidates. That's one thing. But to develop something in-house to do it, we would have to accommodate all kinds of scenarios so we could have 3 seats on a committee, for example, that are open and 6, 7 candidates. And so with ranked choice voting, each of you would then rank each of 7 candidates. Now we have 7
times. 7 is 49 different combinations that we need to track and then say if there's could be up to 3 who are seated and then doesn't need a majority or does it just need certain number is at the top 3 or does everybody have to have at least 4 as a majority? So it just gets more complicated as as it goes. But it's doable. If we can define the rules up front. >> Okay. Thank One last question I understand the need for kind of standardizing what we're trying to do. But I'm wondering about mayor and vice mayor and the possibility not open up a can of worms of rotation. I just feel like that process it. And you know, going through it myself, but also watching it over the years has been. It hasn't always been the most positive process to watch. And so I'm just wondering about rotation and the possibility of, you know, taking the judgment out of it, taking personalities out of it and just doing rotation in and whether or not that is a possibility or could we study it if if we're actually looking at this process and doing it MAY be a little differently. Typically when you have a rotation and and I have seen this in my career the cities that where they have a rotation practice pattern and practice of having a rotation. You still end up taking a vote. And if you you know, rule that this is sort of our tradition, assuming that. You know, the person wants the who's up next, wants it if you have this tradition, you still end up taking a vote. And so what can happen is that you follow that tradition and you follow that path. But not every council will do it every time. And so sometimes that the fact that
you in a particular case didn't follow, the tradition can become sort of a difficult, difficult dynamic on the council after that vote. And so I would I would say that, you know, your charter requires you all to sort of elected. So if you adopted a rule that we are going to have this tradition, there could be a departure from that tradition from the diocese on a particular occasion. And I would I would just want you all to think through what that might look like. But certainly there are lots of cities out there that have adopted, you know, rules and or practices where they. Go through a rotation and that's certainly something we could bring back to you. And they're relatively easy way. But I would just want some feedback. So the feedback today would really be if you want to rule change. I a would ask you to give me the feedback about which which of these directions he would like to follow. So we can bring you back something that we can then to weaken if needed, but that you would then be able to adopt. Thank you, MR. Donald. Thank you, mayor and a quick question about the ranked choice voting on what would your estimated time to to actually make a program like that. >> And the complexity of having the the larger boards sounds like that. That could be much more time consuming. So if it was just to say for mayor vice mayor, something like that type of program you can you right? So. >> Great question. The as explain the if we go for the
full. The gambit, I guess it definitely would take longer. But we could build a prototype in around 20 to 24 hours of development time and not many be ready by tomorrow at this time. So 20's, 24 hours of development time and as a prototype and then once we have basically work with different stakeholders, do some testing get some feedback and it would take probably another. 20 to 25 hours from there to finalize So looking you know, 40 plus hours of development for it. And then as you said, that it gets more complicated that. Sarah, I meant to a seven-time 7. How do you put 49 names on a on a screen and just kind of you get into the kind of the, you know, the the user interface aspect of it to make it friendly and that meetings it just thinking of that, the say no to that But I am. >> I do have a question on the council member in just said around. And the mayor and the vice mayor rotation. My understanding. And maybe you could give us some feedback on that is that those are traditionally mayor and vice mayor positions that are only one year and in terms and they're smaller councils a lot of times five-member boards. So I have not heard of a larger council that has a type of rotation. It simply because you could be on council for 4 years and you've never make the rotation. If you only did a one-year term. So I'm just more curious because it's it's it's a good question to have. But I don't know that I have enough data around that. Get check in with the clerk who
was able to do a little bit of serving. I'm not sure we have the granular councils where the mayor served 2 two-year term. >> We have known. >> You know that I didn't get to that level of detail on the poll that I asked the Sonoma County clerks. Anecdotally, most of them were five-member bodies. And there were instances on some of the wider responses that I received, that even rotation project or a vote hasten rotation chin process in the event that the council member who is next in the rotation, they have an opt out clause. And so the in the rotation get skewed and you have to build protocols in that instance. So if there work-life does not really allow for them to up their game to step into a vice mayor seat in their year. What does that look like? So it's more than just a simple. This is the rotation. It is what it is. There's always an out 2 are. There's usually an out Ford considerations like that. Anything else was put on him. All right. Thank you. Is falling. >> All right. Thank you. Well, then let's open it up to public comment. Are there any members of the public who would like to weigh in on this item? Peter, we'll start with you. And then we go to Janice. Alright. Janice, you can lead us off. Peter. You could be next. Thank you. >> Janice Karman. Does this mean that you're eliminating running for city council the future that you're just going to have this thing where you come up with people just keep kind circulating around within. >> The city Council, I'm not
clear on that concept. So I just like you to tell me how that's working because I think that it's really important to maintain the city council as the voting public to available to the public to be able to run. >> Thank you. Just to confirm this is for are expected at absences. Everything else remains the same. Peter, go ahead. >> Thank you, What I'm going to now share. I am certain is valid and connected to this discussion and worthy of your attention. And I believe without a doubt that a percentage of honest attorneys will agree with my assessment and hopefully our city attorney as well. Because for me, I believe and I have good feelings. Much more so towards the Santa Rosa City Council as government servants being truly of more so sincere and facilitating the public as opposed to our state and federal government servants that are far too controlled by human compromise and have been for a very long time. If you all took the constitutional oath. That's never been followed. And never been honored. It's no longer acceptable. Specifically. I'm referring to the 13th amendment and there's more than just with the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, which was initially give to those from charcol Eric Lloyd states have no one with the title of nobility MAY hold public office in America and believe me, this is germane to this cause. This discussion. There are no Republicans and Democrats in dc they are
borrow lawyers, British attorney registry that confer upon their workers, the nobility title Esquire, they dominate the House and the Senate. They are not Republicans and Democrats. There are lawyers and service to users, bankers of maintain all wars, foreign and domestic. And it is now upon us to rise and the majestic. California has 90,000 law enforcement. 320,000 bar lawyers at the U.S. Constitution where the law of the land been wished for originally designed to be 90% of our lawyers will be out of work. How seriously how these bar lawyers handcuffed or law enforcement and how many different ways. I submit to you that these bar lawyers that are taking the constitutional oath. They're very positions and licenses from my perspective and perhaps for mothers and simply null and void. There's a reason that Dennis Show Key wrote a book called Above Attorneys Above the law. He focused on that very fact. And it's worth you looking up. It's also worth knowing that I'm concerned that the lawyers are running the show. What they did. And and San Mateo where they decide they can fire a voted in sheriff that's against the Constitution. Again. >> That's totally out of line. And there's a reason that the the devil's advocate was made a lot of sense. And so to the movie Constantine, when the officer says JANUARY's, I don't believe in the devil, he says well, you should because he believes in you. >> Thank you, Peter. Are there any other members of the public that would like to comment on this item? Seeing none. We'll close public comment and bring it back to the council for final comments and direction to staff. Vice
Mayor. >> The mayor city attorney, I think you're looking for direction the thoughts of counts on. Will we see more? What was seen as a work in past voting processes. Well, let me correct assumption. >> Yes, and I'm also hoping to get feedback on if you if you want something to be changed, fixed. What it is you would like. >> They're well, I think first begin by addressing the comment by my colleague regards to the rotation. I think it would be great. As as describe it, if there are 7 of us. A rotation of one of does run again. I think that's where the system will be. Faulty. But I do understand that it can be an ugly process, but it's also beautiful process and that we amongst ourselves are choosing amongst ourselves and then supporting that individual that we that we elect as as our spokesperson says leaders are mayor. So I do see the beauty of that process in regards to the the process that I've seen here in council. I believe that the process of elimination is what I've seen works best where I personally would improve the system would be instead of. Giving each council member one vote less than the total amount candidates would be someone so vote for each candidate for each voter. And what I've seen that does is. Lower the amount of of ballot counts. Because ultimately we're going to decide on one
individual and then that total individual kiss amount of votes. Now in the process of 3, 3, 3 to 2. I can see how there's a differentiation between one of the next. Have seen that when we take the 3 to 2 and put them into a runoff and then put that individual back in the race against the person that got 3 votes. I see that this month. That's much more efficient in regards to where there's a time for the 3, 3, where it's it's an unbreakable tie. I do like the idea of the hat. I do like the idea of rock. Paper, scissors or even a coin flip, even though I do prefer the route paper scissors. And the coin flip much more because at least allows some energy or some effort from the individuals that have something at stake in that race opposed to simply picking the name of that. That rank boys ran choice. I see that process being much more effective in a race where there's 8 or more candidates. As I definitely see that if we doing a process of elimination for for 32 people to race, that would be very painstaking for our city clerk. But nonetheless, the with a out, I don't see ranked voice the ranked choice being something that's very effective in the lower count of candidates. Thank you. >> An eye to the mayor. A mask for just one point of clarification. You said in process of elimination instead voting for. The multiples based on the number of seats.
Plus that you think each council member should just have one vote, correct. And when I said multiple, it's because when we look at if we have, >> 3 candidates were allowed to votes. And then amongst those 3 but recently voted for want to think that hurry up the process I've witnessed or or observed that in the past. Each member ultimately voted again for one of those multiple votes anyways. So if we just up that process I see is being more efficient. And that's that's my observation of the process. So essentially one vote purse open seat. >> that is correct. And the runoff whether it be the mayor or the vice mayor. Thank you. MISTER Creepy. Yeah, I tend to agree with most of what the vice mayor I think my one concern with the one Vo would be if there's 3 individuals. >> And it comes down to a 3 to 2 vote. Majority of the council did not vote for the person that got the 3 votes. Who would then become mayor. That's where I see some inequity in the process. >> I would be completely ok with using the process of elimination. We have now then to get unstuck you know, use your recommendations with runoff and then get go to the whatever random luck probably mean throw darts. I don't care what you know it out of a hat. That's fine. As as far as rain Joyce voting, I just don't see the you know, the the benefit of staff time to do this on a very rare occasion as well as I don't think it really it's a leaves. The possibility that doesn't solve anything so I think that's where my would lie. And thank you, MR. Donald, MR. Mayor, MAY I just clarify real quickly increase knowledge is councilmember. I have the same question when you say process of elimination, do you mean again
with the number of seats-1? >> Or do you mean with one vote per seat as Councilmember Vice Mayor Alvarez? Like I said, I start. I think there's there's structural issues with the one vote where you could get to a majority of the of the council, not wanting whoever gets the 3 votes race you have for voting another way and then voted one way and the 3 winds. I don't think that works, right? So then what I would suggest is what we do now or what we've unofficially do now, which is the runoff of the 2, 2, is the victor of vote goes against the 3 and then you you take the majority unless its a 3, 3. And then we go into the stuck >> I agree with you that if you ended up either because each only had one vote or at the end of a longer elimination with 3 to 2. You're your stack. And so that's when we would pull out one of the to tie breaking mechanisms. So I agree with that. So we would we would never you need. I need a majority of you develop, right? So 3 to 2 doesn't give you a majority anywhere so my question then is, are you suggesting the same idea Vice Mayor Alvarez was suggesting, which is rather than the number of seats? You know, I number of nominees-1. Are we just giving you each one vote? So they you are not you're not getting too with what one vote does is it allows you to vote for your top choice. But it doesn't give you any say others. That you might prefer
is a second or 3rd choice. And so the benefit of the elimination, which takes longer to get Granted, it does is it does give every council member the ability to weigh in. So are you suggesting that we do what the vice mayor is suggesting, which is you've got each each person gets one vote and let's see what happens or you suggesting kind of the process you have now where you all have the number of nominees-1 and we go through multiple rounds. I would suggest whatever my colleagues agree with between either a runoff of the 2 lesser or >> number of nominees-1 k. >> And if through the mayor, if I can clarify my statement to a colleague at what one of my thoughts were is if we do have a 3 to 2 vote as you stated, I want vote for one of the 2 two's that would run of it to run off where you're voting again would be apply to the one of 2 two's, which will also be bringing that winner back against the 3. So if you don't actually eliminate the person that you might want to get, what you definitely bringing back to life for that to to run off, right. Regardless of your voting for one less than exists. And there's only to early voting for one. >> That is true. But you just saved one rough for 1, 1, In my mind, you're saving one ballot count. >> if I'm I think and my question and I just want to make sure that I'm understanding the feedback. Is that any to if you ever end up with 3 to 2, we have to go to one of these options. Whether that's random or are you do
the runoff? You have to. But my question is before you get to the 3 to 2, if you're doing random selection, the vice mayor has suggested every councilmember we get one vote, even if you have 4 nominees, everybody gets one vote because it's only one seat and that see what happens if you end up with a 3 to 2 in that situation, we would have to go the to your tide braking mechanism. My question for that Councilmember Okrepkie is are you suggesting that approach or are you suggesting the we have 4 nominees? So every council member votes for 3. And we eliminate and then go back again and do the success of voting. >> I mean, at. I understand the efficiency of what council Vice Mayor Alvarez is saying. But I also understand the the value in. Saying, all right, there's 4. Here are my top 3. There's 3. Here are my top 2 and going that route. Understand it MAY take longer, but I think it gives you voice on. >> Multiple people. Then just one and see what happens. Thank you both. Let's move on to o'Donnell right now. >> Thank you, Mayor. Thank you for the presentation. So I am for the process of elimination and by ballot. And I think in the case where you have a 3 to 2, something that MAY be able to us to a quicker decision would potentially be that the person that got 3 votes automatically moves forward to the next vote and the 2 that are tied to 2, there is only a vote between those 2 and each
member would get one vote and then that person would move forward. So then that way, you would just be deciding between those 2 people, the person that got 3 votes originally and the person that one between those other bottom that make sense. And then you would have to do just process of elimination. You each choose one and then you move forward. As far as the tie breaker goes, the random selection makes sense to me whether it's pulling it out of the coin toss. I don't like rock paper, scissors. Scissors could have seen people cheat. So I would like to do something that's a little bit more like the coin make sense. We do it in football. That type of things. So but I think that there's a way that we can get to something maybe a bit quicker where I do appreciate the process is when we change the rules on the day is as we're going along. That's when it feels like something's being done inappropriately and whether our mayor would choose to take nominations in order, not I'm not for the by motion simply because of how that can look to the public. I think it's important that we keep the process is clean and simple as we possibly can because there's been confusion not only from us up here, but actually of the public of how we're making the decisions. So as as clearly as we can delineate out, not only the rules of engagement prior to going into the votes, but also how we would treated, you
know, during this. That's the part that I think can get confusing because we actually have the power to continue to change the rules as we go. And that's what I think is important is that when we make the decision today that we keep those rules clean. If I MAY, MISTER Mayor, that the process that you talked about for having a runoff between the. >> 2 two's is and I think you explained it more artfully than I did, but that is what I was suggesting when you get to 3 to 2 is the person who got 3 get set to the side. They're going to go in the final round and then we do a runoff between the 2 katter's. One of those individuals gets eliminated and then you do your continue with elimination with the person who one, the runoff and the person who got 3, 8, in the first instance. >> Correct. And then if you had 4 people are 5 people, then we just have to do the eliminations as Councilmember Okrepkie said, we had one fewer and tell you get to that tie or Intel weary to make that elimination. So I've seen it where we've had a tie seen it where we've had 4 people. So I think it's important that like you're 49 different scenarios. This could actually be some of that where you have to ride it out. If it's 5 people, it goes to this vote. If it's for people that 6 people, could be 7 people to be perfectly honest because somebody could self nominee. So I think it's important to just write that all out so that we have the rules and also the public is informed of how are choosing Mayor Vice mayor or any of the board
members or any of the other positions you're asking for guidance on. Thank you. MISS Been winless. Thank you. I agree with what Councilmember Macdonald us. And I think that's >> For >> the >> council vacancy and the appointments to boards and commissions of that for me. And I would like to see us explore rotation for mayor and Vice Mayor. Thank you. MISS Rogers. So, you know, on rotation. For me, 2 years is a long time >> and then also the I would do the process of elimination by ballot to clarify with MADAM City clerk we had in our ballots, but you'll still say it out loud. What the votes were. That was a not of a yes. And then. >> I think we can eliminate some of the rounds so I wouldn't-1. I would say even if we had 4, we would vote for like 2. But that that's just me because I think we always get there anyway. And I think that would be and I don't really know what to do about it. Hi. Too much chance for me. I don't know what to do about it. Iced. >> Thank you. As funding. Thank you. I've heard a lot of great stuff today and more of these than I care to remember. And I think that there's a bifurcation between boards and commissions and the mayor vote. And I'll talk about boards, commissions and even a council replacement. I think for boards and commissions,
I'm comfortable with the mayor taking emotion and voting on the motion and that seems to be pretty straightforward. I don't know that we need to go through rain. You know, the process of elimination. I think we are pretty good at dealing with that here and not a lot of issues. From that process. I think that for. Council replacements, I like the idea of process of elimination because there's a lot more nuance and texture to that process and a lot less gamesmanship. They can be baked into it in the process in general. However, when it comes to the mayor, it's my experience that there's a kind of gamesmanship that goes on. And when you have the chance to do process of elimination, the you can also do bullet voting and that complicates the whole thing at the dais. And I think that it distorts the will of the council. >> And I actually don't think that this belongs in the bill, the council. And I don't think that these comments blowing in the purview of this discussion. But since the city attorney has not stopped my colleagues from discussing this today, I will say that we are a large city. We're not a large city in terms of a metropolis where large city in terms of cities and cities our size across the nation and beyond do not choose their own mayors and that is belongs. That power in my opinion, belongs with the will of the people. And that decision should be made. And charter review and cannot be made from the dais. And so my opinions on it are really irrelevant. But I and that is the process. But I do hope that we get to the place of our glow of both in our infrastructure and in our process. Ease so And then will just say that I am in favor of using Dean has had. I
don't know what the succession planning for the had as a Dean ever moves We have to have another succession plan. But I do think that ought to be moving away from. >> Anything that opt to Kate's the process from the voters and from the viewers, we need to be really clear about what we're doing be pretty straight forward. So I thing the vice mayor had the best suggestion of one person, one vote when it comes to the mayor. Until we get to the point of hopefully the people of the city of Santa Rosa voting on it, that it should be. You say who you want the mayor to be and you go from there. If you end up with a 3 to 2 or 2 to 2, whatever it is, doesn't really matter. Then you go from from there. That this process of elimination is his two-game me for my taste. Vice mayor. >> City to win through their wooden boat speak about The majority. That we don't need to run off for covering all bases here. If any of the candidates soup and the majority at the beginning, then there will be no need for a runoff. >> That's correct. If anybody gets 4 for Mitt of votes, then they they win. Regardless of what in any of these 3 very different situations. So now I say for affirmative votes, if you are doing a process of elimination where each of you are voting for for people, then it's not just simply for veterans. With the 4 times. The number right. But to simplify if there is a
majority vote. And if each of you are voting for one person for is the majority, regardless of the number of people sitting here, we would need 4 votes so that anybody gets 4, then we don't need to go to a runoff. We don't need to pull out the you've just elected major choice. >> And speaking in 2 and ultimately so and you're right. Senators will get to the point it should be the will of the people. I absolutely with that and to that point, I think. One of the things that have another says. That our mayor is here for 2 years because of the relationships that he or she MAY build with the different departments. And the people Rosa. So therefore, I support that even more giving it even more thought of why the rotation, what actually mp those longer relations. And the fact is of our mayor to do his real her work. Wow. And the to ship a mayor. >> Thank you. Just begin by saying thank you so MADAM. MADAM City, attorney, for all the work you've done on this. I think you've been very successful in helping here on the dais focus. Our unless mistaken. I'm sensing that we are coalescing around. First of all, standing standardizing or process ease. Leaving in place. The what's working mainly that the the motion in the second for appointments for the mayor of vote for really all of our appointments, but then focusing our attention on what sounds to me like process of elimination for when we have 3 or more candidates just in that just in that case, with respect to how we handle that
process of elimination. My preference is that and this gets back Councilmember fundings point that we standardize how the vote takes place and remove whatever, whatever small scale came okay. Can go on at that point. Just everyone comes a day as with a very clear understanding of how many, how many are we voting for? There is clearly perhaps some difference of opinion. There are so many your best recommendation for how we handle the number of votes or than the number of rounds. As long as it standardizes long as as transparent. I'm I'm I'm agnostic. I like I like the solution that we've come to. I have to admit asking Mr, Tickner to go off and do a range choice. Voting software application. That could've in game of find in other fun ways involving graphics and video game. Sounds and to tell and even more drama to the public experience. I mean, there is some there is some attraction for me there, but it does sound like for for our purposes, the process now elimination makes the most sense as long as we just clarify and standardize it. And with that, I will I will turn it back to you. Are there final questions you have for us? There is another for other information. You can send our way. >> Well, I think there are 2. There are 2 issues that would be helpful for me to clarify. And again, this is so I can bring something to you. That kind of it is close to what you want. And hopefully any tweaks can be made at the diocese and part of this is you know, I I my hope would be to bring it to you in the month of OCTOBER so that when you get to your decision in NOVEMBER about your vice
mayor, you have a process in place. So that is Michael with that in mind. I'm going poke at a couple of places where I want to make sure I have some clarity. So one is what I'm hearing is. And if you have 3 or more, are we wanting to have one room 3 or more nominees? Because if you have fewer than that, it's all very clear what to do. But if have 3 or more, are we wanting one process for all 3? I there there seems to be a little bit of a difference of opinion. And I just wanted to got a collective sense of are you is, is the majority of at least at this point giving direction that you'd like to see one process for all 3 of these situations. Quick straw poll just to to standardize to standardize with 3 or more than that in that circumstance. >> Stand among among the 3 different situations where you might have have to be taking this Is there is there a wish to standardize among those 3 situations for when we have 3 or more candidates? Looks like Carolina next year. Standardized for across the 3 different situation that might be trying to. >> Celtic councilmember Fleming, I'm sorry, I can't I can't you. Had the floor. Thank you. >> I think that the mayor vote is so specific because you're voting in your own self-interest rather than the interests of the people. And so I think that we have to treat that differently in order to tighten that process, to better reflect the will of the people and taking out any potential for game of vacation. And that means one council member one vote. It makes it more transparent to
the public. So I'm in favor of doing x amount.-1 4 for its commissions and for for a placement. But I think that for our mayor to really try to just do if we have more than 2 candidates, we had to try to vote for the one we want on one go. So so that would an elimination process where everybody gets one vote. Are you doing? Backed a motion motion by motion. Motion by motion. If you have 3 or more means. So its my understanding that when we get to these situations where we have more than 3 folks that. So let's say there's, you know, council members, a b and c are on the floor. They've all accepted the nomination. So they're essentially have been 3 motions on the floor. That point right? There are 3 nominees on the floor depend in depending on which of these processees you could do. The mayor could collect all of the nominees. You have council members, a b and c who have been nominated for You could either then do an elimination where everybody votes for one. One time or you do it by motion, which would be. So I have seen it done by motion and I've seen it done by nomination collection and it's done by motion. In my experience, when it's there's a coalescence ahead of time. >> From the community around the usually one or 2 people. I've never seen it done by motion without a collection of nominations when there's one of jungle. So given the more political nature of the council after moving to districts, I think that it's essential that we do it by collecting the all nominations and not by motion. Gives everybody who want to participate a fair chance to
have their day at the dais. And then one council member one vote. And if you get to 3 to 2, which is the most common scenario, then you have the 2, 2, one vote and then that whoever prevails from that goes against the person with 3, 1, vote and you know, not very many rounds. I don't think that time. We need to be all that worried about doing it quickly. I think we need to worried about doing it in a way that's understandable and clear. >> I understand what was just presented. I guess the question is, is am I getting? For mayor? This is this is mayor vice Follow-up question for me is the reason we wouldn't apply that to the other 2 situations. It's the it's the issue of standardization here. >> not an a bit. So standardization is not necessarily the highest like thing that is important to me. I think they getting it right is is that my north star here? I think that it's possible to apply it to the other ones. I think that it's just a matter of how much. The council wants to play with that. I'm I'm kind of a nasa about it. If it feels really the council to standardize I'm okay with applying it to those other processes. I don't have a real strong bias against that. I was just trying to say that because it felt it was going the other way. And I I was really trying to fight for what I thought it was the most contentious and important. >> Right now, I take that point. I mentioned, I'm I'm somewhat agnostic on the on the actual mechanics of what is in the in a sense to I an elimination process. But if we think that's the most transparent in the past, but I I can't think reason why would apply to the other 2 and keep it the same. >> the reason why you might consider not applying it to, let's say boarding commission is because you sometimes have so many more seats available
and it might be difficult. 2 for us. And for the public, actually the understand in the process when you're taking lots of different nominations, like let's say, you have 3 people in need be taking Slate's potentially like slate of 3, lots and lots of 3 people were is if you asked Councilmember Rogers to give you a slate of free people, then if we really disagree with that, which we rarely do, then we can get into it. It's just sort of did not make it overly technical when it's not that high stakes. Fair point. >> thoughts. My colleagues >> Yeah. I think this is getting a little bit convoluted because we have like councilmember funding said we have several different things. So as far far boards and commissions goes, I think the way that we've been doing it by motion is is fair and clean. And it's because we're able to say this person who meets that qualification when we have those types of seaside, you have to meet a certain qualification for certain age group in order to represent on that specific board such as the Housing Authority, which we just recently did. But as far as mayor, vice mayor or even the vacant council seat, I think those are the ones that we go back to process of elimination. And so I just want clarification when we have more than 3 people nominated specifically for Mayor Vice mayor. But you could have it for a vacant council seat as well. That's where still think the process is not clean. So if we had 7 people or 6 people that were
nominated for those positions, a process of elimination by one fewer make sense to me. But if you only have the 3 people going back to the 3 to 2, that's a clean and that system with a 3rd, the person that got 3 moves on person that got the to your voting between. Where you've seen it get messy is when we don't have that process. When we've had more than 3 and we have had that happened recently. Even so I think that's where I would like the clarification. And it's because that's where it gets confusing the public. And from us. The other went when it's a smaller nomination. It's not as messy. It's when we get more nominations that I think that needs to be clarified standardize. But mostly with Mayor Vice mayor and even the bank. It council member seat. Which I think I was a last Beacon Council member seat that got filled and it was all so confusing during that time. Funding. >> I think that if you wanted to standardize it in any way, I would apply. The protocols set forth. I still wouldn't do a process of elimination for a council member seat, but I think the could apply the process for the mayor. The same as you could. The process for a council member seat. The chances of us getting more than 7 or 8 applicants from anyone district are pretty low because we're a lot smaller. I think we. Haven't had more than 10 for a single district. They can see what we have had upwards of 20 when it was at large. And so I think that if you wanted to standardize the one council member, one vote
to the applicants for the council seats and for the mayor. It's pretty straightforward and similar. I just would I personally think that the process we use now for the boards and commissions is is pretty good and allows for, you know, more collaborative process. >> And just to be clear, which even suggested we go to the century, drawing out of a hat when we get we could start some of those. >> Let someone wants to arm wrestle me. I think that the had is ok, it Vice Mayor. >> Just clarify and make sure that I understand what's being said. It's unlike a board commissions. In a sense is different from. Council appointed seats. And I do see the senators aspect of even the vacancy. And if there's a 3, 3, vote or lack this, would we that? The process, but I definitely want to reiterate the one can vote process. And to the point that my colleague made even for people running. I believe that count might have been close to enough lot. Imagine the scenario. 3, 2, 1, 1, And what that would do having to recount the ballots. And but I believe the the charter says if you received 2 or more votes, you want to be eliminated up the process for the next round. If kept doing multiple votes. Or one less than the amount of candidates out there. But if we went to the 1, 1, 1, person, one vote, the 1, 1, would be eliminated and the 3, 2, of go into that final run-off with every crack statement to make. >> So are charter doesn't have
the rule about how to eliminate it. Just says you have to do it. You have to vote pack where the rule about eliminating individuals who received 0 votes or one vote lives is in your rules. And so we're talking about what he want to do with those rules. You want to change them or not. So you can get rid of that or we can keep that that anybody who receives either 0 votes, one vote is gone. And and then you would move to the next round you know, when you eliminate. And so when you have that. 3, 2, 1, 1, that would be 7. Yes, 3, 2, 1, 1, The 2 folks who got one votes would be gone. If you are eliminating folks who got one vote or 0 vote and then you would be left with. Person who received 3 and the person you're received 2 and then we would vote again. >> And the that goes to the point I'm the one vote. If we were add or say one less boat in total running. We'll be doing Possibly 3 3 times because we would have 3 votes to different individuals and the county could be 12. 6, 3, 3, >> It could be. Go on for multiple times. I think the other possibility is you could end up with. You could end up with each of you voting for one person and they were different people where you have lots, right. So we could you know, one time 7. So that means, you know, you would all be if you had 7 applicants in each of you voted for a different person. I think you'd have to go back to the drawing board and vote again because they would all be eliminated since they all have one vote. Just to try organize
where we are right now. >> Do I do? I sense a consensus from my colleagues here that for the mayor, vice mayor boat. We don't mind doing the extra rounds. We just want to have that one vote clarity. But for the other 2, there's more there's more of a need for expediency. Want to be transparent, seen semi consistency with the mayor, vice mayor. We don't mind having, you know, eliminating some of the rounds of votes with that with a similar but not exact process. Is that is that a? Is that where we are right now? MADAM City, attorney, that's a precise place to land because that give you enough to come to to, to refine this and to come back to us. Hopefully next month. Yes, I would. I would come back with 2 different processes. One for Mayor, vice mayor, the other one for the other 2. >> we would do the one vote for the mayor, vice mayor. We would have. I've run off if need be. And if you really truly stuck in a stubborn vote because they're only 6 of the with the Dyess, then we would pull out the hat. For the other one. The other 2 processes we would do a process of elimination. Well, you're voting for multiples is what I'm hearing. >> I think you've heard a couple of different things on more than one different thing from the same couple of us up here. I think that it's possible to do this well for let's just take boards and commissions off of this. I think we more or less can are at agreement there. I think the issue here is. >> Do we want to have more than one person? One vote for? Council vacancies. That's really what we're getting at here. And I just if I MAY
through the mayor, look at a straw poll who would like to have a process of elimination. >> We're talking for council vacancies process of elimination vacancies who would like to have? >> One vote. Who would like to have the process of elimination? I I'm somewhat agnostic there me just was asking. So I'm seeing a tacit. Trend towards the process of elimination with get that right. I think that's correct. Okay. So. There you go. You've got 3 slightly different process ease. >> I will. I will add I would mind standardizing 2 of them that you're going to close. They do have to be exact. But at least it's it's still unproven. All we have right now, which is 0 standardization, lots of confusion and rulemaking on the fly on the dais. So we've been we would have taken at least a little step forward with tonight. And if I'm able, I think we'll hear this one more time before we have to. We'll hear this and we take a vote on it or will hear this in a study session I was not planning to bring back another study session. I would bring back in the item now, if you don't like what they bring back, he can tell me to back to the drawing board or if it's to be couple on the fly. We can do that. >> If I'm in one reason I know we're a band and it's dinner time. I would say one more thing because we are all remembering in our most loving senses. Here are your friend in the assembly, Chris Rogers, as we puzzle through this thing that he assigned to us here. >> He did have one brilliant suggestion at the end of last year, which was and I don't know if this falls within the scope of we're doing tonight
or if this would be a charter amendment. But it was an interesting idea that would >> Some of the big MISS That happens with the mayor vote, which is that you could only nominate one person. And you can't nominate yourself, which in most cases where you have a sitting mayor continues on the council means you cannot get more than 3 candidates on the floor, which I think makes it clearer more transparent to the public. I think that that's a pretty reasonable idea. And I'm going to take it as mind since he made us do this. >> I think we can officially a sign that is yours and I can I concur with that suggestion. That's that's a good one. I'm looking right. And looking at the faces of my colleagues. Straw from now on. And just that camera just to clarify, you cannot nominate yourself. >> And that was that what you said right? You can only make one motion for one individual. What sort of a second. >> So so that's a good point that he added one other caveat, which you can only not, you can only make one, you can only participate in one motion. You can only nominate one person. Can't be yourself. You can only second one, so much less gamesmanship around, you know, nominating if you nominate meal, nominate you, >> Looking around. All right. Fleming has had an excellent idea. It will go down in the record is hers. Okay? Meant MR. Mair, we tolerate one more question, please boards, commissions and committees. I Councilmember Fleming suggested and it seemed to
agreement you do boards, commissions and committees by motion near current rule allows for either by motion or process of elimination. >> Are you wanting to eliminate? The option for a process of elimination or keep it as either or thinking that through. But a strong feelings in the Yeah. All right. Me what are they know that you're really at the end of my strong feelings for the day. >> But the thing is, is that >> it's usually ok to have it just be one where the other. But there are rare times when you want it to be flexible. Like if you have a really let's say there's something that comes along. It doesn't happen all that frequently, but where it's a big process and people have a lot of feelings you're going to want to do the process of elimination most of the time. It makes sense the way that you do it now where you assign a motion and we vote on that its business accounted for in the recommendation that the city attorney had. >> The simple cases, all all taken off the top ice, a promotion process to recover. The only thing we're just debating here as we got more when you have 3 or more for the same seat. So again, not not a board where you have multiple seats with different criteria like the Housing Authority, one that you just had. >> But I do think that you should still be able to make motion or ask one of us to make a motion at your discretion. That's my opinion on that matter. >> I'm not opposed, MR. Yeah. I would say if you want to throw in county, it can also say that we're not allowed put forward slates. So there's 3
positions and there's like. >> 7 applicants. You can't make different motions of 3 different individuals rights. You just go see by see, 3 openings. You do one at a time, boom, boom. Instead of saying like I want a and b, she says I want x y z, you know, someone says they want limit know whatever. It's so you don't get into that process. It's just for see who's the first motion. Everybody agree. Yes, no one of the second seat you can put forward slates. Understood. First mayor. Just thinking all possibilities. >> would trigger one needed opposed to triggering the other need to be the process which we move forward with. I think that's why that's where. Maybe having 2 options. We'll have to 30 of why one will be used in one win. >> I think you've you've asked why why and when would it be ideal to use a motion and women to be ideologies elimination? And I think where you have. My recommendation is if you don't have at least 3 caliber of candidates the elimination makes no sense just by motion because you just you have 2 people and you're going to pick one If you have 3 or more. Then elimination of allows you to sort of rank your choices as as a council member and to particularly if you are, you know, we're doing-1 as opposed to one vote per councilmember. If you're doing one vote per councilmember, I think there's probably less of a other than the order in which motions are taken. Do I sense a name? >> Strong opposition to MISS
Fundings idea. So which is to kick, go ahead and essentially tweak the process, but keep it by either motion or process of elimination or to break it depending on the number of nominees. >> I wouldn't break it up. Depending on the nominees. I would just I think the process actually works pretty well as it stands. Does that does that give you enough? >> MADAM City manager, to get as close that once we once we have rested and we see the polished version we can make any final tweaks and then of course it. And of course you can. I think I my sense is that we're very close here and there. And then our had our heads are are swirling a little bit and we close. Are we close enough folks? It is as you have you need to come back with that with a neck strap. I think close enough to work on any final details on when we see it again OCTOBER. I have what I need. Thank you for your patience. Thank. Thank you both. Rhino forward to working with you to future. All right. Thanks. All 1, 1, other little straw poll. Every 4. We continue our their objections to moving on everyone. Good with with with continuing to go. All right. There we go. We're going It's been stay. All right. We're gonna continue to move. Thank you all for sticking with that. Never let it be said that this Santa Rosa City Council does not get its head into the process. Weeds. >> We will move on then let's see our item. Number 6, our report on Stone are closed session. MADAM City attorney, we have a chance to to be settled. We are back to you for closed session report. Thank you, MR. Mayor, there was no reportable action taken during closed session. Thank you. >> Thank you. And now we can move on to a more relaxing but
also a joyous one item. 7.1, our proclamation for Creek Week 2025. >> MISTER Rogers, would you please lead us off? >> Thank you, Mayor. Whereas throughout much of California cities, counties in stewardship organizations recognize Creek Week has an annual celebration of our creeks watersheds in the ocean. And whereas the 238 creeks and approximately 360,000 residents have the Russian River watershed are connected to mutually supported each other. Making the Russian river and its tributaries important resources to the people of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. He and whereas pollution in the form of trash and debris, chemicals, nutrient and sediment have the potential to degrade the quality life in the quality of resources within the Russian River watershed can whereas the city of Santa Rosa strives to protect our lands and waterways through ongoing pollution prevention outreach to raise awareness of the harmful effects of pollutants on our natural systems. Now, therefore, be it resolved that car Mayor Mark Stat, the mayor Santa Rosa on behalf of the entire city council in recognition of our community do hereby proclaim SEPTEMBER 20th through SEPTEMBER. 26 2025 as Creek Week in the city of Santa Rosa and asked all members of our community to protect our watershed, held by
participating in Creek week, activities taking steps to reduce pollution caring for our environment throughout the year. Thank you. Why are you here to say a few words? Good evening. Mayor staff and members of the council. >> My name is Carl environmental specialist with the city's water department. Excited to be here this evening to talk to you about some different events that we have upcoming this year for Creek week. Week is an annual celebration of our creeks and watersheds with many stewardship organizations throughout throughout the state hosting events to help raise awareness of the harmful effects of pollutants on our waterways. To kick off Creek. We can celebrate California's coastal cleanup day will be hosting a cleanup along Santa Rosa Creek on Saturday. SEPTEMBER. 20th. We welcome you to come. Join something incredible volunteer groups that we have here today like the friends of the Prince Memorial Greenway to help make the the Pmg and Santa Rosa Creek clean and welcoming for all. On Sunday SEPTEMBER. 21st, our lead a guided nature walk along Santa Rosa Creek starting at Flat Rock Park. Are popular downtown underground tours will take place on Tuesday. SEPTEMBER 23rd and Thursday, SEPTEMBER twenty-fifth participants are welcome to join this Open House event and explore the culverts beneath City Hall from any time between 04:00pm and 06:00pm on those days. On Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 24th City staff will participate. For a chance to earn the golden Trash Cup. We want to clean up stations with supplies set up near municipal buildings Downtown Prince Gateway Park. Along Santa Rosa Creek. It's
Tony Point Road. And near the Laguna treatment plant along only going to Santa Rosa. Finally, Creek Week will conclude on Friday, SEPTEMBER 26th with a toward Creek bike ride from France, Gateway Park down to side road and back. We asked anyone interested attending one of the events. Please go on to our Creek Week website and Register some of events will reach capacity. Thank you for your time. And we hope to see you at one of our creek with immense. >> Kyle, thank you so much. And thank you to the entire team before invite people down for a photo. Are there any other members of the public would like to speak? Council members? My name is Jack Cabinet. I'm a member of the friends of the Prince Memorial Greenway. And I live close by and the Juilliard Park South, a street area commonly known as so I want to tell you a story about so fun when I moved there. 25 years ago. Was a rough neighborhood. As we all know. I decided to start working on My neighbors joined in. We bought buildings. Investors came The artist came in. And now so is just a really interesting dynamic neighborhood. Then we attacked Juilliard Park. And we have volunteers there that cleanup and ask of a grants not to sleep. There. And now Juilliard Park is populated with dog walkers and children and women. And we feel excited about that. Now, the Prince Greenway. Here's the difference. Sofa is privately owned. The prints greenways publicly owned can go down there and do that much. I do want to tell you that our
group pretty active. We spent 16 1600 something hours last year doing volunteer work with a very dynamic crew. I personally write down in the morning on my bicycle. And the evening, a comeback in my bicycle. I ask of a currents not to sleep there and not to make a mess every couple of call police. The point is it's a public area and we need more help from the city, particularly the police and the parks. Thank you. Thank you, Jack. We're going move on to Steve Bill Robert and then Carol. >> Alright puts both both podiums to be efficient time Councilmember Rabinowitz. Welcome back to City Hall. Thank you. Thank you for doing your work. We're doing ours with the creeks and the trying our best. Thank you, Mayor Steps, Steve Urban, a witch. As you know, our creeks are extremely important in so many ways providing flood control. Ensuring our water quality providing natural habitat for many plants and animals and increasing numbers creek restoration occurs. The creeks are providing public access. They're providing the backbone to or off street bikeway system. And walking trails and providing open space that we know is so vital for our residents. The city's adopted a citywide creek Masterplan to continue to advance these goals and has a waterways advisory committee, I'm a member among others. Which evaluates proposed development along the creeks to make sure that habitats preserved and the creeks continue to provide
important open space to our residents. The Creek stewardship program has involved citizens and the preservation and the maintenance of our creeks. And it provides community ways to get involved in their protection. As we know the contribution, these volunteers is vital to keep our creeks and creekside environment clean and inviting. And the group friends of the Prince Memorial Greenway is doing a tremendous job to do that. The city deserves a tremendous amount of credit for its support of these efforts. Without them, we couldn't. Creek wic provides education support for these programs. And yes, fun. Creek Week. Some wonderful opportunity to celebrate our creeks, the dedicated city workers keep our creeks the way they are and improve creekside environment. I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful event. Thank you. Thank you. Steve will go on to Bill and then Robert Carroll. I just want to talk. I just want to talk, especially about Prince Memorial Greenway. >> We talk about trash and pollutants in there. There's one other problem in the green way that I think through years of work, we have conquered. And that is when the freeway was for sleet out. It was decided that California native plants with that plan along the Greenway at the time of the completion, a small number were planted or you read with jokes things of that sort older trees with hope that creek would bring the seeds and merger drop seeds for the other plants. Again. And indeed that happened. They provided plants and sprout it. What we discovered one of the some of the plants, a spot that we're undesirable exotics. These are plans that we really do want to have want
work with native environment and will spread. And those are primarily to prove tree and the island's history, which is also called the tree of have this country. So for last 15 years we have been systematically a group of about 3 or 4 of us cutting down and trying to remove those trees. And right at this point, I can say that we almost complete, but this is 15 years worth of work. And soon as we let down those trees come back. So please be aware of this. But this promotion, thank you. Thank you, Bill. >> Robert Carroll and then Victoria. >> mayor and city I'd like to thank the city recognizing the importance of creek weekend and our creeks with this proclamation. I could not be more proud or with the city's creeks department and the creeks volunteer program. It has been given me an outlet which I have found a way to give back to my community and ultimately contribute to the health of the creek. I celebrate this proclamation with you and I'm willing to give my time and my support. Thank you. >> Thank you, Robert Carroll. And then Victoria. >> Quant City of Santa Rosa volunteer with Friends of Prince Memorial Greenway. I celebrate with You Creek Week. The Friends of Prince Memorial Green. Celebrate Creek Week every week. Some of the members of the group celebrated literally every day. Park a month starting at 09:00am on Prince Memorial Greenway. This past Saturday. It was a joy to work with so many representatives of the city on all levels. Robert Ashley was the previous
speaker was there at 7.30. In the morning, cleaning up before cleanup. Robert, does this 6 days of the week, every day interacting with the residents of the creek, the guests of the creek. Literally amazing. We want to celebrate our. >> Current partnership with the city. We want to celebrate. >> The strides we can make as volunteers working with the city to keep this. Wonderful long Park. Clean, safe and vibrant. As a closing note. In AUGUST 214 volunteer hours were logged with the Friends of Prince Memorial Greenway. That doesn't include anything. The city did organized or other groups just to print the friends in the dead of winter last NOVEMBER, 106 hours of volunteer work or log on Prince Memorial Greenway in the past 12 months, 1667 volunteer hours were given in service to this city park. I commend all involved and look forward to a closer relationship between the city and you're and our wonderful volunteers. Thank you, Carol. Victoria. Victoria, Jan Image. To one Topper Street. I'm here is a member of homeless action, exclamation point. >> I had planned on commenting on item. People were kind of like should be getting Co, know, calling my neighbor urgent. >> We're talking about. More people the most impoverished. >> our community, they have to sleep outside. Now. I seen the
city cooperate better with these organizations. If you have a human mistake as to where people should go out. When they leave the creek or wherever it is that you want to get him out. We know as h word. I want commend you for not using that word. It's kind of like GOD. Classes term. To be free to hate. So there's already enough oppression going on every day. People don't even congregate anymore. The hiding under Bush's individually because the bushes are being shaken everywhere. You know, about the cutting of the trees along the trail and everything. Those of our houseless, most impoverished cannot even get shade under a tree. I just want that plead with you to please Bash and have somewhere for them to go all. Thank you. Thank you, Victoria. Are there any other members of the public like to speak? Peter, Go ahead. >> Yes, please. And thank I at least to a good >> And then support with Victoria's concerns. I also like to say thank you to all the efforts that are obviously being done to clean and the creeks. Perhaps long overdue, but certainly a wonderful thing to see. It's also true that most all the aquifers and waterways have been poisoned varying degrees. And therefore there it's nothing truly
organic and hasn't been for almost 30 years. This is not just my opinion. It's a fact. Yet here we are in the Luther Burbank where we can grow anything in the world, especially in greenhouses with nice, clean water. It's also true that everything's connected so that no truth be rejected. All these waterways run down to the Bay. They run into the ocean. The ocean brings us to the ports with the traffic women and children. And I know that here efforts have been made are more so being made. But we can still do better on behalf of these children and women. They perhaps not so much is obvious as before here, but they're still here. It's a difficult situation. So what do we do? We free law enforcement to Who they're meant to be. And that's that's by the 40 day shutdown of the system because the system has been corrupted in provided and allowed all these things. I can tell you that I know someone in Napa that press is 10,000 pounds of cactus every month and Mexico and sells it is cactus water in these counties because the water just isn't clean. These plastic bottles, humid, problematic scenarios. Again, I applaud these people that have been doing their efforts, but we all need to do more and better with this regard. Inning regards to these children, the waterways run down there and that he's trafficked women and children and up all over the place. It's been going on for a very
long time. So it's not an easy thing to deal with. And I know that people in the city council have put efforts in arena. And I just applaud you for that. The king of Kings never lies, never dies, suffered the year for alibis and sees all things. And so it is. That a greater effort from the spirit and the soul is required. All these problems because as you do unto the least to me, which is the children in the animals we end up doing unto ourselves and we are in a very blessed place in a very powerful time. Thank you, Are there any other members of the public would like to speak >> there? We MAY have one person making her way to the podium. No, you're not. No 7 apologies. I didn't make had your star turn. Thank for being here. I'm going to close public comment. There are no other members of the public here wishing to speak. If we can invite everyone involved with our water With that with the Memorial Greenway volunteer group come on down to a photo. Thank thank you again to the city water team and to all the volunteers from the Prince Memorial Greenway. Thanks for coming out tonight. No, I know that we've got we've got folks here from new hope for you, including at least one person driving up from San Jose. So thank you for your patience. We're going to our first round of public comment. There are coming. We're coming to you next to get to get you back on the road said that. So thank you again. Let us. Knew our first public comment for the evening. Serena jump ahead to item 14. And this is our first public comment on non agenda
matters. So if you are a member of the public who wishes to comment on item not listed on the agenda, then this is your first opportunity. All right. We'll start with Peter and then Elizabeth. >> Sunrise is common. It is coming all time is now and now is the time I am. Peter. I'm serving to the King of Kings and allies never dies, suffered neither nor alibis. Anyone dares tell me that they serve the later Christ the night. Sure that they have seen or read the scenes gospel up. He's my favorite line. Those of you are flesh and blood on your lips have no capacity to comprehend the kingdom of heaven and no authority to teacher. I am a big fan Zechariah for 6, Jeremiah 29 11 33 3. To remain Newton on action regarding sta sta Trafficking is to support trafficking. The good Reverend James Coffee. Back in the 90's was brave enough to host fbi Chief Ted Gunderson, who clarified. That most all governments, including ours at the highest levels are run by organized pedophiles. That's the cia finders sister Jane Kelly famous in this area for coming down in the Mid 90's and doing her best to challenge a light on. Catholic priest abuse and thievery. Did a wonderful job. She recently passed she again, expose cia finders Jeff Epstein. Kathleen Kane in Pennsylvania, the first attorney woman, General Attorney general, was fired and sent to prison for chic. Got herself involved in the for cases I gave which led to Jeffrey Epstein. The same thing happen. Why the police chief Anne Kirkpatrick of
Oakland was fired. I could Continue list, including the Crump courts here where they released Maurice will and Dr Maurice well in the Shire and pharmaceuticals who had 16 pounds of covid 3 years before you ever heard the word covid did not come from China came from our military and was never airborne. Comes from the vaccines. I but you look up rents re Bullock in search of black assassins and see you. He also speaks about Jeffrey Epstein's connections. All these things. And of course, Jeffrey Epstein is absolutely alive. The switch we control of buy your spirit and soul. The promise Land Sea. Be my goal. She is my goal. >> Beneath our feet is I'm Cactus. Pete is the promise land by the prophetic Command given to Peter from Yeshua, my father, the 40 day for strike be the magical, mystical macmath path freezing the corrupt economy for 40 nights and 40 days, Jimmy, hundreds purple haze. It's a power to from on high. My authority comes from on high and that high. This is in the hearts of all true warriors set free. This is the place. This is the time I said you're here to the so for those of you and the courts. But you look up feature fully informed jury association. If you're a potential juror, thank you. >> Thank you, Peter. Is Elizabeth present. >> We'll put this down a little bit. Yeah, I'm Elizabeth Kneeland somewhere I have my notes here.
>> c I have remained in the United States for 77 years. I have lived in quite a few different states. But I moved to California in 1968 to fight the Vietnam War, which lasted 20 years from 1955. To 1975. I live here in this country to opposing the war machine. The government gives 800 billion dollars. Each year. The current entity. Yeah, Israel is a puppet of the United States War machine. 100 million children in Gaza have been murdered. And 3 million have had an easier arms or blown off. >> c? >> I read a book. Donald Trump's niece Mary Trump who has a Phd in psychology. And the book was called Too much and never enough. She diagnosed Donald Trump with 3 psychos narcissistic character disorder, all 9 rates. Anti social personality disorder and the pendency personality disorder. I only read the book one tonight quickly wrapped it up and gave away. Donald Trump is a psychotic individual with a very low iq. I really don't have any admiration for that, dude. I personally was a raging Sonoma County couple of times a second time I was one of the leaders of the raging Sonoma County. Let's 31 seconds. And just say that com. My brother was in the Air Force. He was born in Toronto, Canada when he got out of the Air option to be ounce Canadian citizenship. And he said, why would I want to do that? And at this point, he's
lived in Canada for 50 years. His forces, your doll live in this country. >> Thank >> Thank you as events. It appears our next speaker is my mom. Sandi stabbed greetings to our regular viewers. Back in Gordon, Wisconsin. All right, mom, you have the floor. >> Is this on? Can you hear me? All right. Make this brief. I'm so pleased to be here tonight. My husband, Bill and I regularly watch your meetings from the wonder you. 2 been live-streaming. And so tonight to be here in person, it's just a pleasure. I want to thank you all for creating this amazing picture of democracy in action. Youve got this terrific staff will comes prepared with all of this information for the community and the board. You have. The place filled with community members that are so dedicated and give up time to sit here and listen and then to bring your concerns and then of course, you have the true Council members city in there, listerine and sharing and trying to do the very best they can to strengthen the community. So Santa Rosa is absolutely awesome. We are cheering for you all the way back in Wisconsin. You faced difficulties and painful situations and you just keep on. I'm doing your work in going forward. So thank you very much. Thank you, mom. >> Victoria, are you speaking? Yes, please. >> All right. You're turning Toria. Thank you. On my. >> And normally a happy person. I was even accused
today of being Why not? But anyway? >> I'm concerned about. Offered the in our community. The >> that is >> criminalized. People are going to jail, you know, hot because they have nowhere to You know, how street event? I I remember. When I was as I would cry, too. Elizabeth, the one who that would Kreider I just wanted to plays to up and to get him in the morning rush hour. Do normal things she would tell me you're not the Earth is your home. That was comforting. But then thanks to the living room. They put me in transitional housing and then they put me in permanent housing. So now I volunteered for the living room. By sea. Everyday people walking with all their belongings. >> They have to keep moving. Now. And I'm just I don't know what's going to happen. When the executive order from number. 47. Goes into fact. I would like to see the city Santa Rosa do something official. To show their compassion for people who have nowhere to live. Inside. Light. Now they're given one warning by the police. And then another warning. And then people are being taken to jail. >> I'm >> going ask for a little
moment of silence year. To remember all the people have nowhere day. That isn't illegal. >> Long live the Reserves >> Thank you, Victoria. Are there any other members of the public could who like to speak? Seeing none. We'll close public And with and apologies to We're going. We're going jump ahead to item or jump back. Actually item 8.2. I know we've got our violence prevention team here, including Daniel and we have New York for Youth. This is a great item. Thank you for coming present. Megan Danielle. Welcome. >> Thank >> Good afternoon, MR. Mayor MISTER Vice members council, I'm Danielle Ron's House and I am the program manager for the Centers of Violence Prevention Partnership. And I am joined here today by our new director making passenger not new to the city, but new to our team. As well as our team from new hope for youth. So we have an audience with us. Philip Rodriguez, who is the PRESIDENT, ceo of New Hope for use. I feel. As well as his team here from San Jose and from Santa Rosa. So thank you very much to them for joining us today. So I'm going to provide 2 with an update on the first 6 months of implementation of the street outreach and Crisis Response team, which is run by new hope for you. Had to cover some background first before diving into the data. The violence Prevention Partnership released a request for proposals last AUGUST seeking.
We are seeking to find a qualified organization to implement our street outreach in Crisis response team that would be focused on serving at-risk high-risk gang impacted and getting intentional youth and young adults as well as their families here in Santa Rosa. And this was identified as a significant knee during our strategic planning process. We base this need for more Pensive street outreach in crisis response services were which were previously conducted by California Youth Outreach which closed their doors in Santa Rosa in 2018. So we had a significant period of time where we did not have the services available here in Santa Rosa. Through the rfp process. We found 3 qualified applicants who submitted proposals and our review team for this process unanimously selected you hope. New hope for youth, which is a San Jose based nonprofit with 20 years of experience running similar programs in Santa Clara County. We came before council on NOVEMBER 19th of last year to approve their two-year contract at $600,000 per year with an option to extend that contract for an additional 3 years. And new hope for youth began implementation of this contract in late JANUARY of this year and and was fully up and operational by the end of FEBRUARY. So with that, I'm going to take you through their services that they offer here in Santa Rosa as well as the data that goes along with their first 6 months of implementation. Under their contracts. New hope for youth provides a variety of
different services using the credible messenger model, which is a model that utilizes individuals with lived experience and case management to case manage youth and families using a trauma informed care approach. No case management services are the core piece of the work that they do. But they also and they do that through a variety of different services here. So these services under their contract include Cold Street hour each neighborhood, climate checks, victim support of services, diversion and reentry services, whole family support and pro social activities. There's a few notes that I'd like to make before diving into the data. One we get asked very frequently how referrals made and how are individuals engaged in their services? So there's several different ways. One Cold Street outreach, their intervention specialists engage youth parents and other community members when they are out conducting outreach in our priority neighborhoods. 2 and probably the most common through referrals one. Through our partnerships, guiding people successfully program as well as directly through probation center as a police department's gang crimes team schools and other community partners if the referral comes through the guiding people successfully program. Our Steph utilizes, our referral system called compile and then a notification is sent directly to new hope for youth. If the referrals come
outside of the ppp, the referring agency reaches out directly to new hope for youth to make that referral themselves. They also engage individuals and services to word of mouth. So this comes directly from individuals. They're already case managing so friends will refer other friends. Family members were for other family members. And so on. And finally direct engagement by the individual themselves, sometimes individuals or reach out directly to new hope for seeking assistance from them or again to a family member that needs help. Another note that I wanted to point out under victim supportive services is hospital outreach. So we had begun engaging Memorial hospital given that their a level 2 trauma center here in Santa Rosa. However, we have been met with some challenges with that outreach. I did speak to their emergency department director provided a presentation on hospital based intervention services and what we were hoping to develop here in Santa Rosa. However, follow-up attempts have been stalled. So a way that we've gone around that is if new hope for you for my team has to go to the hospital to meet victim of a violent crime at the hospital. Our police officers will meet us at the emergency room and we can gain access that way. But we're still we haven't given up on the hospital approach, an engaging hospital staff, which is taking us a little bit longer than we had hoped so worse. Continuing to work on that. And finally, another question that we get asked about new hope for you services if they work directly
with the police department and in particular, they're getting crimes team. The answer is yes and no. It is really important to keep a certain degree of separation between our street outreach team and law enforcement because building trust with the individuals and the families that they work with this incredibly important so they build that trust trusting relationship as well as begin services with individual and their families and a lot of times the individuals enrolled in these services are very wary of law enforcement. And so we want to keep that separate. However, the gang crimes team will reach directly to my team with a referral for specific individuals. And then we'll pass that along to new hope for youth. And there's participation from both agencies that are operational team and they both engage in our monthly climate checks. We're both srpd for youth. Get to share hot spot areas that they're finding when they're out in the community trends, data and specific youth that are need of help. Now I will go ahead and move on to the data. And again, I want to remind everyone this is data from the first 6 months of implementation. So that's from JANUARY through JUNE of this year and and broken out into the different course services that they offer starting with Cold Street outreach before I jump into that, I want to make a note on how hours of service are calculated here. So hours of service is the number of individuals per session multiplied by the number of
hours per session multiplied by the number of sessions. And this is consistent with the hours of service that we calculate for other public safety and prevention funded activities for both the pp and neighborhood Services. So with that Cold Street outreach, 915 individuals rink aged at this time 100 and with 124 instances of cult street outreach occurring which equates to about 31.0, 75 hours of service. Neighborhood, climate checks, new hope for youth conducted 226 neighborhood climate checks and our priority neighborhoods. Without they reported 121 reports of graffiti which was submitted directly to the city and 10 other reports as well submitted to the city. And that could be for things like trash and blight in those neighborhoods. Victim supported services we had during that for 6 months. 2 critical incidents of violence among our youth landed both youth in the emergency room and my team as well as new hope for use, met the families at the emergency room and engage them in services. Diversion and re-entry. So this is where the core piece of their work resides. So during the first 6 months, new hope for youth enrolled 78 youth into their case management services. 21 of those youth were also referred to additional outside services. And this equated to 4,244.5 total hours of service. Hopefully family support. They were also able
to enroll 60 in their services as well developing 51 case management plans for those families which equated to 256 hours of Sorry, 256 hours of educational workshops with those families. And then finally pro-social activities. So ensuring that our youth are kept busy outside of the school day, they provided 12 pro social activities to use 259 news which equated to 614 hours of service. And then the chart on the right hand side here number, I'm just gonna go through numbers of Sessions. They conducted 78 in takes developed 226 case plans spent sorry, 2,250 mentoring Sessions, 550 other sessions which totaled 3,104 sessions total throughout the first 6 months. Just very impressive. Next slide going over some demographic data here with race and ethnicity, the largest demographic group here, 76.9% Hispanic Latino group serving serving those individuals next. Highest Native American followed by both Asian and out our white individuals at 5.1%, each and then 2.6% identified as multiracial and 1.2% Pacific Islander. I do want to make a note again and reiterate. This
is from the first 6 months. So we are aware that within the first 6 months we had a 0 and the other category as well as the black and African-American community. However, since then, there have been individuals in those categories that have been enrolled in their services. So you're going to see some updates to the demographic data when we do another update in the future. In addition to that, when we look at gender. Majority of the youth that are being served through case management services. 94% are male. And then remaining 6% female. And then just a quick note on race and ethnicity. This is for my staff. These are designed to be exhaustive. Well, there is a small number of identities, most notably Middle Eastern and North African, but don't neatly fit into the 7 options that are listed here. Those identity should be covered in the other category. And then areas of service. So again, with the 78 youth engaged in case management services 35.9% come from the 9, 5, 4, 0, 7 area code with the next highest percentage being in our 9, 5, 4, 0, 9, 5, 4, 0, 3, at 19.2%. Each the new flooding in those areas. And then 9, 5, 4, 4, representing 14.1%. And then 9, 5, 4, 0, 5, 9, 4, 5, 4, 0, 9, at 5.1%. Each. So these are just to run down the 9, 5, 4, 0, 3, as the pine or Fulton Fulton Area. 9.4, 0, 1, West, Elaine, Apple Valley and
Valley Oak. I'm 5, 4, 0, 7 Roseland Corby, all of West 3rd and Moreland 9, 5, 4, 0, 9, Rincon Valley area. I'm 5, 4, 0, 5, the Montgomery Slater in. But in Valley area and 9, 5, 4, 4, covers Kiwanis Spring South Park in downtown Santa Rosa. In addition to that, they are engaging servant services are working with youth within some of our school districts here and senators, including Santa Rosa City Schools, Rosalynn charter school Sonoma County Office of Education to their amorous academy and some of our other alternative, smaller alternative schools here in Santa Rosa. And with that, that is my presentation. >> Outstanding. Thank you for the presentation and thank you. Thank you all for all the work. Bring you back to council for questions. Off all thrown a anecdotally, this is made an immediate difference in the city. >> Yes, there is Dave. And as I think everyone is aware in recent years, there was there was an uptick in youth violence. I at least don't hear reports of that as often Do we have any correlating data from srpd or from the schools to release the cement? The notion that this program has made it and made such such an impact. >> We're working on collecting data from both srpd and our criminal justice probation, juvenile as there. So again, anecdotally Srpd reported this summer seeing a drastic decrease in youth violence in our community. So much so that they were able to start focusing on some of the higher level adult offenders in our community as related to gang activity very little youth arrest during the summer as well. I I to believe that it was a so combination of things. But I think a big part of it was our street outreach and crisis response team with
new hope for youth keeping our kids busy with her social activities throughout the summer as well as engaging them in case management services. And we're also hearing from our probation partners that numbers are starting to come down in juvenile hall as well. Excellent. >> Any reports back from the school district's. It's been such an interesting year for our school districts, especially going into the fall. But again, things have been relatively quiet, least in terms of information that that's been coming back to me. What what are you hearing for school district partners about this program? >> They have both Roseland Charter schools and Centers city schools having huge new hopefully for use in animal you process. So they're working use or have already had. Emily is put in place, which will allow their staff on 2 campuses to engage with youth during the school day. Everything's been positive from Arsenal school partners as well and testing make sure this good Let's throw it open to public comment. Other any member of the public would like to comment on this item? >> Seeing none of bring it back to council for any any final discussion of final thoughts Rogers. >> Thank you for the presentation. I know that the good work that you guys are doing and I think we spoke about it before. One of the things that I wanted to point out is that we see uptick domestic violence within our communities. And I know that it starts with our youth and so If you're not already, that might be a touch point just talk about domestic violence to how it can start with our youth in it can start, you
know, maybe like I'm not beat me down with something, but it's the smaller nuanced things that would still go under the umbrella of domestic violence. So I would like to see that to see if we can. Not eliminate it, but to get a hold of that with Thank you. Thank you. Thank Donald. Thank you so much. I had a couple quick questions. One I wanted to to remind us how we funded this because I know council made the decision, but >> I think it's important in light of all of our budget woes that are reminded that this was funded, I believe through a number measures correct. >> Correct. So part of the funding came from our general fund contribution to peace app. So some leftover funds there that we had to work with. And because this was such a great need, we decided to repurpose those funds for this particular team and then the remainder of the contract is funded through the piece tax that we have Our fund balance. >> And think that goes back to the voters saying that this is something that we want to make sure that word attacking is youth violence prevention. And I want to thank you and your team for bringing this forward to for council for putting this in place because it is making an impact can see in 6 short months how much that's impacting our are used in the investment that we're making in a city really has a long-term investment. When we're looking at corrections, we're looking at juvenile hall and the rate recidivism when we can impact or use. I just
want to say thank you. I always tell this such a pleasure to chair this particular committee, but to have data come back to the full council so that they're aware of what we're investing in, what we're doing in this particular area of the city. I just want to say thanks and welcome Akin to the team. Thank you. MISS Ben Willows. Thank you for the presentation and all the work and have to say the numbers of cases in hours and all of the as a very, very impressive. >> I was just wondering, what do you the obstacle is with Memorial? In terms of the outreach that that you all were trying to do, I think it's just by and about the program and not really understanding what we're trying to do. One of the things that I presented to them and provided them were contacts to city of San Jose and city Oakland because they're very successful model models. There. And I want to connect their emergency. Department director to emergency room staff in those cities that have those programs I think it's just it's a very busy person for a that there's a lot going on. So just continue to follow up with with him and his staff is going to be important. Well, thank you. This is like I said, this is very impressive. And thank you for bringing it to us. I think these issues around violence are really, really important. So I thank you for all the work that you're doing. >> And will conclude by just thanks as well. So Daniel, Megan Radio, New Outstanding work. And thanks for your patience tonight should be the
traffic should be a little calmer way So thank you. Thank you very much. All right. We will move back then to item 8.1. Ana, thank you for your patience as well. Sticking with the theme of community empowerment and community engagement >> good evening, Mayor vice mayor and count the City Council community engagement manager on an official proclamation photographer. And with the communications and you to go in totally this and that will sending you today. The community empowerment update an update for the month of SEPTEMBER. Tomorrow's SEPTEMBER 10 join fema and the cd of Centeral 40 told Community meeting addressing fema. U.S. Recently released really mean it flawed. Maps, the city of Centerville, in partnership Sonoma County has invited fema and National Flood Insurance Program, representatives to provide an opportunity for community members to be in form and ask questions about risk and insurance. The meeting will be hosted the assume and will start at 06:00pm for more information and to obtain the Sumi Ink least this our city Dot org for a slash fema flood mapping. On SEPTEMBER 9th and SEPTEMBER 25th. The senator a fire department. We host firefighter story hour at the New Cinema County Library locations. Families invited to join and enjoy these stories read by local firefighters for details. Visit the Sonoma County Library. Event
calendar. On SEPTEMBER 14 violence. Prevention partnership will bring the matter you to Fiesta the inning at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts from one to 07:00pm. These free community event celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. But owner you not an American countries that recognize independence doing month. Also in SEPTEMBER, 20th, the senator also fire department will bring a fire engine to the Harvest festival 2025 a in farm 1, 5, 5, So, you know, with a new from 10 in the morning to 02:00pm. Hi plays cooking demos night performances. Make for the perfect celebration of community culture and nature in the city. One SEPTEMBER 23rd the senators, the police department will be hosting through the with a cop. 2, 7, 7 Stony point road from 5.30, to 07:30pm. Join the Suffolk Police Department important meeting of ice cream conversation and community building. Finally on SEPTEMBER. 29, the city of Santa Rosa would be hosting the first districts series this toothpaste community series join Mayor staff and council member Carolyn. But you know, those and community advisory Glassman, Dell for District, 5 community meeting. The meeting will be held at Community Center to 0 West College Avenue, Cypress Room from 6.30, to 80 pm. Common share ideas. Ask questions learn about projects sheep your neighborhood. These meetings would be held across the city this fall. Details about these 2, 5, community meeting and us well The other
meetings, our own is rc Dot org for was slashed, seek You can also e-mail community engagement, sr City dot org. And that concludes the community empowerment Plan update for SEPTEMBER. Thank you. >> a lot in there once again on thank you very much. Bringing it back to council questions. Been with us. Thank you. Just a quick comment. I just wanted to thank you, Anna, for all the organ organization you doing around. >> These meetings that are coming up really appreciated. Thank you. >> Agreed we'll go to public comment. Are there any members of the public remaining who wish to comment? Seeing none final thoughts, colleagues? Well, I'll just note again that almost every one of those items that you mentioned was a pretty big stream with the fema map, conversations moving out of the district discussions. So thank you so much for all you're doing you, but you have a packed agenda. Much obliged. So we will move on then to to item 9, the city manager and city attorneys reports. All right, Deputy city manager, anything to bring us tonight. Thank you, mayor. Just have a single item to report on the recall. A g you reuse bizarre, which is a clean Santa Rosa event on state occur on Saturday. SEPTEMBER 27th the city is hosting the second annual recology reuse bizarre. A clean Santa Rosa event at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Grace Pavilion in partnership with See where college the Sonoma Marin Conservation Corps, North Bay and the Reuse Alliance Summit. County residents can drop off gently used items such as furniture kitchen items, mattresses,
sporting equipment, and more from 08:00am to 11:00am. And then shop for free from these items from noon to 03:00pm. Attendees can also learn furniture repair tips and other reuse resources. And this event helps keep usable items out of landfills sports, more sustainable community and encourages community engagement around we use and waste reduction for more information. Please go to sr City Dot org forward slash 0 waste. Thank you very much. Concludes my report. Thank you. Assistant city manager city attorney rear end. Thank you, MR. Mayor of new report this evening. Thank you. Any public comment on this item? Seeing none. We want move on then to item 10, not that this is relevant, but we have no statements of abstention refusal. >> It's a few seconds of can be relevant. >> moving on then to item 11.1. Our mayor and Councilmembers reports. Any reports this evening. >> This Rogers. >> Sorry. And it's a long one. Saw go quickly, AUGUST 20 hours of have to be that have to be a long ago. Quick. You just get on my time kid. Go AUGUST I attended the former mayors and Councilmembers luncheon and with our very comedy stand-up from our mayor, which was great. And then I also was able to spend some time with the record at the police department to hear
their concerns. And solutions that we MAY be able to look into in the future. And on the 27. I spent the day in Sacramento with legislators and members of the cow City, North Bay Division advocating for the city of Santa Rosa in legislation that was coming through the pipeline. I also attended at the grand opening Infinity Beauty studio and district one. >> We're always happy to welcome new businesses into the And just so I can point out the mayor was their council member Alvarez. Was there. Councilmember Ben Way looks. We were all there. So that was a exciting time. A 29 myself vice mayor took a bike ride both district one and 7 to look at development projects in areas that the public have brought to our attention with Director Hennessy. I would also like to mention that director Hennessey, Trina and Alexander will be honored by the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition at their Golden spoke awards gala with the Civic Bike leaders of the Year award working overtime to make streets safer for folks on bikes. On SEPTEMBER 3rd, I attended the North Bay Black Chambers of Commerce event and encouraging entrepreneurship in tools for success in SEPTEMBER 6 park the month event. And at all a part where I fell into the creek a little bit. But it was fun. And then finally, on SEPTEMBER 7th, I attended a viewing of a film that was
titled No Place to Grow Old. And it's highlighting the growing population of seniors, quote, unquote, baby boomers that are unhoused, the lack of resources, lack of units available that the average age of our unhoused when they pass away is 49 years old. And if I recall that correctly, and I only recall that because I thought, wow, that's only 5 years from how old I am now. And I consider myself to be pretty So that was a sad for me. And that concludes my report. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Vice Mayor. >> quick set out to for that bike ride. It was absolute phenomenal to drive or ride around district one and see all the great things that we as a council. Have helped create along with community to improve life of district So I just want to say thank you, Dan, thank you, my fellow colleagues for making that happen. >> Thank you. Alright, think there are any other report as Ben >> just something quick. Thank you, Mayor. I'm sorry. Didn't get a chance to sit is actually earlier. But I just wanted to do a shout out to the Friends Prince Memorial Greenway. They just enough. The sweetest most fantastic group I try to go to their meetings. I went to their AUGUST meeting and the amount of volunteer hours that they put in every is amazing and just how much they care about the the Greenway, you know, thanks to, of former council members prevent a witch David Ash who's been honored by I don't know if it's kgo or
whoever it is. Someone in San Francisco because of his volunteerism is just fantastic. And I just can't say enough about the wonderful work that they do and how much they care about the greenway. So I am sorry. I didn't get to see it when they were here. I'm glad that they were all able to make it as well. Thank you. Perfect. Thank you. All right. We'll go to public comment on any members of the public here that wish to comment on this item. >> Seeing none. We will then move on to item 2011.1, which is our delegation of our voting delegates to the ugly of California cities, annual conference. And I will turn it over to MISS MacDonald. Thank you, Mayor. >> I'd like to make a motion to nominate mayor staff to be our designated voting delegates at the upcoming conference as well as the 2 alternates as Vice Mayor Alvarez and if attending Councilmember Rogers. >> All right. We have a motion a second minister parking. MADAM City clerk. Whenever you are ready, take public Yes, we should Is there any public comment on this item? Seeing none. We can go to the vote. Thank you. MADAM City Clerk, thank you. Councilmember Rogers. >> I cookie time Councilmember Macdonald, I councilmember Fleming. Councilmember Ben Willows. I buy some air over Let the record show this passes unanimously. >> Thank you. Item 12.1 approval of minutes. Are there any amendments amendments are added to the minutes minutes? Seeing none. Is there any public comment on the amendment minutes? Again? Seeing none we can adopt the
minutes as submitted. All right now are wrong. We can move on to consent. MADAM City Clerk. >> Thank you, Mayor item 13.1 motion construction management and inspection contract Award. Calistoga Road Reconstruction. Monsanto Boulevard to Highway 12. Item. 13 point 2. Resolution. Entitled Resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Rosa declaring the remaining redemption fund balance to be surplus ordering the disposition of such surplus in approving the closeout analysis report prepared by in b s for the Fountain Grove Parkway Extension Assessment District. Item. 13.3 ordinance introduction. Ordinance entitled Ordinance of the Council, the City of Santa Rosa correcting a clerical error, ordinance or d dash 2, 0, 2, 5, Dash, 0, 0, 1, >> Thank you, council. Are there any questions? Seeing Are there any members of the public that wish to comment on the consent calendar? Janice, go ahead. Cnn's Carmen >> I was really pleased to see that the Muncy avenue and callous to the road was on the agenda today. I just want to ask again, is the 3rd time speaking about it. And really pleased that something's being done about this. And it really needs that crosswalk between where the apartments are and shopping mall is on the other side of the street. And it's right. It's inside intersection beyond the intersection, rather Calistoga Road and Highway 12. And is this a very serious area where
people have shopping carts and they're running across the street in the dark? The children are together. They other skate boards or bicycles and they're coming straight across into the driveway of shopping center. And there there is room It might be a little tricky for the designer, but really think that it's possible. It's really necessary. So I just wanted to request that and I hope it gets included with road being repaired. And then as a ball redone or whatever. >> Thank you, Janice. Alright, bringing back to our vice mayor for motion. >> Thank you. Items through 2.1, 13.2 13.3. And we further. Reading of the ring. >> Second, motion and a second by MISS Rogers. City clerk. Whenever you're ready. >> Thank you. Moment. Councilmember Rogers, I councilmember Okrepkie Councilmember Macdonald. I councilmember Fleming, yes, Councilmember Ben. Well ups. Yes. Vice Mayor We are high. Let the record show this passes unanimously. >> Thank you. All right. Move ahead. The item 18, which is our final public comment on non agenda matters. Are there any members of the public who wish to comment on any items not listed on the agenda? Seeing none. We are adjourned. Thank you, everyone.