City Council

>> Good afternoon. I'd like ask the interpreter currently on the Spanish Channel to commence translation of the meeting for those just joining the meeting. Live interpretation in Spanish is available and members of the public or staff wishing to listen in Spanish and joined the Spanish channel by clicking on the interpretation icon in the Zoom toolbar, it looks like a glow. If you are on your cell phone or tablet locate the 3 dots kept them lightly and put a check mark on your preferred language. Click done to activate and begin the interpretation. When she joined the Spanish Channel, we recommend you showed up the main audio. So you only hear the Spanish interpretation. Claudia, will you please restate this in Spanish? Yes. >> We that they set, though, those b, many those said, we should think that that this unit ordered next at least 20 beings and nominate asking. We've Wouldn't that do? That is to but at the new taxi. So I we feel this moment his final will not at our q on scene world in Muldoon affect the thing for and thank in Matthew. To put couldn't take or know ev some innate by lunch at tuned in the heat. You might guess pregnant. Couple the U.S. Peak bone. Dennis, spinach, the base. How many do was win protecting coming Look assist. I the whole the with that I would ask you something in works, a many of the shoe guy and will him a lot. Was just one mental with the not CHAIRMAN Video going for your critics point with the huge is going on with that wind up about a case in more. I didn't leak in us Even a mostly silent side. Look at our q a with do public disabled He said this bottle that helps English cease-fire

about heat and Spaniard in Louisville. Immediate that mean the app when the school child they will nominate asking with a man was point that which has asking his special, something. Thank you very much. Back to you. >> Hello and welcome everyone to our SEPTEMBER 10th 2024. Santa Rosa City Council meeting. It is now 12. 0, 2, And we will be starting our meetings. Core, MADAM City Clerk me, please call the roll. Thank you. Mayor Councilmember Rogers Councilmember Okrepkie Councilmember MacDonald here, Councilmember Fleming Councilmember Alvarez present. Vice Mayor step is absent Rodgers hasn't let the record show that all council members are present with the exception Vice Mayor stop. Thank you. Moving on to item 3 are closed session items for today. We have item 3.1 conference with legal council about existing litigation in 3.2 conference with real property negotiators City clerk. Can you please facilitate public comment on these items? Thank you. Mary are now taking public comments on item. 3.1 in 3.2. Mayor. There is no one in council chamber to provide public comment. Think we will now recessed into closed session. Welcome back, everyone to our SEPTEMBER 10th 2024 center of the City Council meeting. It is now to 20 and we will reconvene our meeting. >> Seeing a core MADAM City clerk, can you please call the roll? Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Rogers, Crappie. Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Fleming Air Councilmember over PRESIDENT Councilmember staff for vice mayor step is absent a Mayor. Rogers. PRESIDENT. Let the record show that all council members are present with the exception of Vice Mayor step. Thank you. We will now move on

to item for which are. >> Our interviews for the Santa Rosa tourism business improvement area advisory board and the Board of Building Regulation appeals the council now will conduct interviews to fill those positions. But we will vote on the matter later on in the agenda. >> We will start with us, Stephen boss. Well, for the Santa Rosa tourism business improvement area advisory board, if you can, please. Come down and we will ask you series of questions. Hello, a low. >> if you can just take a minute to tell us why it is that you are interested in this position and what qualifications you have. >> ok, my name is Steven Boswell and I moved here JANUARY of 2024. From Vail, Colorado. I am the area general manager for the Flamingo Resort and Spa and the Sandman I been in the industry for 40 years and I served tourism business development in my career the city Lake Arrowhead, California, Palm Springs, California, Lake Havasu Arizona, and I am have spent approximately 12 years and the capacity of tourism and tourism Departments Chamber of Commerce. So I feel that coming to a city of Saint Rose up California. I bring a lot

of experience in event planning and also qualifying events that time bring tourism dollars to the community. And I feel that's what committee goal is to meet. Councilmember Rogers. So much for being here. >> And your interest in helping out the city. Could you talk a little bit about the demographics of your target audience that you currently market towards or try to appeal towards. We built that we appeal 2 different properties to different. >> Hotels that that I oversee one is the sandman. And that is on weekends. We do families that come in for the advance from at the fairgrounds to the ice. The rain near the museum different wine tasting areas. The flamingo we cater to a little bit of everything, everyone that in the summertime, it's family's swimming pool as their biggest draw and weddings is huge for us. And we draw them and also in the wintertime as we're going into now is groups. We have one of the largest meeting facilities in the in the area and in Sonoma go. We go for after that market is our biggest one specially and also see a Chanel in corporate marketing. Thank you so much.

>> Councilmember MacDonald. >> Thank you, Mayor. I just have a quick question about maybe some of your experience and business improvement area districts. Do you have any experience sitting on boards or committees for business improvement areas are pa's business improvement districts be id's or similar programs. >> Yes, in Lake Arrowhead. I a on the chamber I was the GOD committee chair of the Tourism Department it was had a had a the qline in tourism and we were able to bring advance a new events to the community. It helped in that area increased our tourism almost 30% in 4 years. Also in the Lake we want to change our demographics from being known as the party city in America. Sports related outdoor sports marathons. And we're able to change that and change to correct demographics. And also to improve the overall revenues. >> Great. Could you give us some examples of some contributions are outcomes that you had during that time serving in those. Sessions? Could you repeat the question? Sure. Could you give us some examples and some positive outcomes are anything that you felt you could share with? Those are some of those experiences serving on those different boards. >> Oh, yes, all of most of the the development of the are

those festivals. Those culture advance that comment art events, balloon events and which I've worked with it 3 in 4 different cities that start off with very little dollars. And then I increased doubled. And then at that point time when have reached revenues where they could be on their own. We don't have to give them money every year. And that's that's the balance. And that's what's important for this committee is to want to say and event gets started and they're on their own and you can bring them off money that you donate to them. Thank you. >> Councilmember for would you be willing to talk a little bit about why your interest in the position in why here and why now? >> I feel like that guy being in and the hospitality industry. As long as I have been I can help bring events that I know that will do well for this area, even though I've not lived in this area for a long time. I've experienced event qualified much grow. And I which is a is how I help the hotel industry, which isn't decline frame right >> you met? You haven't been here very long that I'm not really concerned about that. But what have you done to familiarize yourself with area beyond your specific work items they need to do and then have you had a chance to watch videos and meet other board

members. In recordings past meetings >> unfortunately, have I this is my first meeting. That's inside only been here since JANUARY. I've very, very busy restructuring renovating operating 2 hotels that has a been under it. Straight innovation I didn't mean city council meetings. There's no reason to get up to come here to frequently, but I did mean. >> The Business Improvement Association to get a chance to meet those members, attending those meetings to do any of that? No, I haven't okay. We do have time to do that. Know, it absolutely. Our city. Okay. Crafty. >> Thank Sort of a question on a kind of a swot analysis, right? So could you do? Can you tell me what we think are some of the opportunities to capitalize on this area. And then at the same time counter that with some of the issues that we need to counteract or or overcome. Well, ice, I'll start with the opportunity I feel the agriculture area needs to be promoted more then what's out there and what I've seen, I think this area also nice to look at being a meeting place. That's that I can see need some encouragement and need development I think international a good place to start as well for tours I

think what I've seen so far was a decline in the San Francisco tourism has affected this area. What I'm seeing now is people are coming here first and then they're going to the city. So where it used to be the opposite. I noticed that just going through the history of the hotels and the records and looking at those groups that have come through here you're either question was the. Opposite. Opposite so opportunities and challenges. >> Challenges I think all of the limited service hotels that are being built. >> Really is a big concern there's very nice ones that are being built. But there limited service and I just would hate for that to be hurt. This area, which has a lot of opportunity. Councilmember others. They don't are good. >> Discovery passion for tourism and everything that encompasses or tourism. >> Well, I've been 40 years. So I have a lot of passion for it. I love. The development of a my team members that come on board and watch them And I love to have people leave happy and come visit. Come to the community and enjoy it and return have memories when they leave this area is why I moved here because I fell in love with it. And I asked my company to be transfered

almost a year ago and finally was had an opportunity to took over the 2 hotels so that that would be my passion to create jobs that's one of my in the hospitality industry. Make sure that you came of Saint Rose in and you love the place you want to be transferred here. One in particular really just >> set in your heart. And so this is where I want to be. >> Because it's close to the city, but it's not in the city. It's in the country where I was raised office raised on a farm and this reminds me of farm country I love the Russian river and this whole area and the food and beverage is my passion. I went to cia, Culinary Institute this area has. 4 seasons of great from the c 2. To the wine vineyards is is amazing. And that's when I fell in love with. Sounds like you're. >> You're one of the Miami River and the country bumpkin. So I definitely appreciate you for both. Could you describe a perfect event mind? One that would have they're at the Flamingo and the event, an event. >> event would be chefs cook off contest kind of working on that right now and not to or develops very much with Using this area and the reputation that it has being the heir Culture center that it is is to bring chefs and have contest. >> It's a look. You throw on one heck of a party so

hopefully will be inviting council to such and takes? Absolutely we should just definitely would want to replicate station from you guys. Thank >> That was definitely my next question. Do we all get invitations to be judges? Absolutely we would love that there anything else that you would like us to know? >> Well, you have the floor. >> I just would appreciate The Council for using my history and experience in the past from other smaller cities, smaller towns to be able to help improve the tourism industry with events And i appreciate your time. >> Perfect and we thank you for your time and your willingness to serve. Think so. Thank you very much. We will continue our interviews with our next interviewee, which Tony Pace. Tony's interviewing, also for the Santa Rosa tourism business improvement Area advisory board. So, Tony, thank you very much for being here with us today. If you can take a moment, just to tell us a little bit about yourself. >> Well, thank you very much. This a great honor. Its very nerve wracking and nervous here. But I have some recognize some some faces, which which is really nice. I've been in the hotel business all my My father was

in the hotel business. So I guess over 35 years I started out at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan went to p# # # # Vedra Club to 5 Diamond Resort Florida came to California, San Diego. And was front office manager there in San Diego. So I kind of moved back to California and where I met Dan Brown Dan Brown ended up here in Santa Rosa. And so Dan and I kept in contact all those years. And so Dan hey, come on up to Santa Rosa are looking for front office managers. So I came up and I you know, work in the wine country for a year so a lot of line with many events is convention manager many hotels. And one or 2 years ended up as 10 years. I was a front office manager at the Flamingo Hotel for 10 years I left went back, went down to Santa Barbara. I became my general manager role in learned learned that role and came back 3 years ago where I opens Art House hotel and manager Jose Hotel as well as hotel eve for the last 3 years. Thank you. Councilmember riders. Thank you so much. I mean, ask you a similar question. But a little bit different. What do you see as the biggest opportunity in terms >> attracting people to Sonoma County in Santa Rosa.

>> Chris, I the biggest opportunity is really getting everyone from the Bay Area >> Come back. To Santa Rosa. You know, the South Bay Silicon Valley, there's so much down there and we need everyone really to come back it used to very busy here, mostly from the Bay area and that's fallen off because of covid a lot of different things. But we just need to to get to folks to come back. We need the fair to be event where everything is sold out. You know, all the all the hotels are sold out and we just need to get back to that. To that excitement so yeah, there's a lot I guess going in that with wineries and wine tasting, inflation and cost and there's a lot of challenges to, but but we can do that. >> been for MacDonald. >> Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to ask a similar question as i just did is what's your experience serving on either the a's or be ad or any kind of similar programs like that with your vast experience. >> I was on the advisory board and Hugh for trail took over that position and then had to remove himself because he was on on another board. And I guess there was a conflict end. So I guess I'm I'm trying to get my door to pack. >> Mencken to tell some of your successes that you had serving on the previous board We you know, we funded a lot of activities, events courthouse square and we allocated the money. You know, accordingly, I learned a lot. >> Worked with Peter Rummell on that on that board and all the board members and to a lot

of successes. I mean, even the summer. >> Many, many. >> Successfully vents. Just recently the marathon. Thank you. And I'm also on the Sonoma County Tourism Board of directors. >> Okay. Thank you for adding that. Thanks. >> And I'm tourism ambassador to from Sonoma County, Georgia. >> Which I have that here. My question is. You mentioned that we've seen decline in tourism following covid. What strategies would you implement to change that? To turn that around? Because of covid? He following covid there's less tourism. The special out of the Bay Area. Is that you know really, you know, it's going to take marketing dollars. >> To remind everyone about how great. The wine country is in Santa Rosa. I think a lot of the money that's allocated to the groups that are having activities in courthouse square. I you know, I believe it is allocated as a certain amount needs to go to marketing marketing dollars and and those those of the dollars that need to be spent. To promote those activities in the promotes Santa Rosa. Council, member of >> question as prior, if you could describe your passion for tourism, makes a passionate about? >> I think making making people happy creating you know, being passionate about to about where we are. In the, you know, in the moment where we are, what what this area has to offer. Easy to be passionate about it. I mean, making people happy as definitely have to have a passion for that. But people

are here to enjoy this area. It's it's different for them. They're used to being in Texas or Oklahoma. You know. And so introducing them to to everything that Sonoma County has to offer. That's our duty to do that. And the more that we do educate them the you know, the great time that they have and they come back. And that's the true measure that, you know, that they come back. So I mean, I'm I'm passionate about the hotel business all my life. But but we all represent tourism and even people that come from other countries. You know, I believe we represent the United States. So it's it's a bigger picture. >> So if your host for some those individuals from Texas or Oklahoma. >> Well, with that with that, well, with that event, look like for your mind to your mind. >> Well, an event would be really introducing them to what we have to the great wines, though, the winds that they can't get there, the MAY be the winds that it's hard to get here and educating them making them feel important because they're learning about the foods, the history of Sonoma County, but but really kind of the winds, the they feel special being introduced to a restaurant that only the locals go to war winds that you can't get anywhere else. >> All right. So is there anything else you would like to let us know? >> We'll

>> I think, you know, I guess. Being in Santa Rosa and making Santa Rosa my home for guests over a decade 13, 14 years now. You know, I just want to be part of the process the events really they take place right in front of hotel. Ian, we we welcome all of the events. Most of most of the folks there, they use us as a kind of a gathering spot, maybe 2 house folks, while they're, you know, changing rooms or the emergency emergency departments during the marathon and so on and so forth. So we're we're host to anything at all that time that, you know, that happens in courthouse square because we want Santa Rosa to be successful. So I guess that's And also on Fridays at hotel, we have music bingo from 5 until 7. So y'all please come and join us because it's it's a blast. >> I love that. You added that little plug it in before you're denied. You have a that you just prompted. Do you see that there will be any conflicts of interest being as though you said a lot of the things happened in courthouse square where there would be a conflict between the wants desires and needs a hotel >> In us having events are doing things in courthouse know, I think, you know, we we would want events that will really bring the most tax dollars most. >> Visitors and, you know, people most number of people to attract, you know, room

nights. That's what we really want groups that going to attract people to stay overnight Santa Rosa and thus they pay the occupancy tax and all of that. So it's better it's someone coming in just kind of hanging out and then leaving for the day. So we're looking for quality quality events. >> All right. With that, I would like to thank you very much for your time and your willingness to MISTER Continue to serve our community. This was a great. It's great experience. Thank you very much. Thank you. We'll continue interviews but will now shift to. John Gordon, who will be interviewing for the building regulation and appeals. >> Mayer. My apologies. I had sent an email this morning, MR. Gordon is unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, but he hopes that his application can be considered for a point. Appointment too. Florida building regulation appeals perfect. And with that. MADAM City clerk will now hand it off to you for public comment on this item. >> Thank you, mayor. We're now taking public comments on item 4.1. If you are in the chamber and would like to comment but have not yet provided a speaker card or your name, please make your way to the podium. You will have 3 minutes and a countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you choose to do so. Please go ahead. >> Hello. My name is Dwayne Do it. I'm from Roseland. I hope that whichever person you pick

to be on the tourism board remind them that a portion of Rose and is now in the city of Santa Rosa. And you'll do your best to make sure the Rosen is treated equally as other parts of the downtown area that we're in this specific area plan for downtown Santa Rosa. I do believe Roseland can be one of those revenue generators for you. And it can be something that brings people back time and time again. And of course, I'll be back time and time again. Thank you again. >> Thank you, Mayor. Mc no one else a push to put in for public comments. Thank you. >> And with that, we will go ahead move on to item 5, which her study sessions for today and passed to MADAM City manager. >> Thank you, mayor. And good afternoon. Members of council item 5.1 is Metropolitan Transportation Commission Regional Mapping and Wayfinding Project prototype implementation. >> Good afternoon. Mayor Rogers and members of council really excited to be here I'm deputy director of transit. Rachel Lead. Really excited to be here today to share with you. Some updates on Mt. Sees regional mapping and wayfinding program, including a preview of some signage that we're going to see here in Santa Rosa later this year. I'm going to quickly hand things over to the experts here with me is Matt Wilcox or transit planner who sits on the technical advisory Committee for this project and also joining us on Zoom is Gordon Hanson, who is the project manager for the Regional Mapping and Wayfinding program at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Handed over to

Matt to start with a little preamble and then we'll have Gordon's presentation. >> Good afternoon. As Rachel Matthew Wilcox, Transit Planner Center is a city and they sat on the attack for wayfinding project. The extremely exciting project uniter, not a transit nerd. I'm pretty sure like myself Gordon >> and given that we are one of 2 test or a prototype sites is even more exciting for us to keep folks here in Santa Rosa >> the other test site is else we do But with given that. >> Csm are the chosen. We have a unique combination of factors that MAY cause an excellent prototype site. Some are very apparent. It's others, maybe not one of the things that makes us unique is that we prefer by day. Test site for Urban and suburban transit services. We have rail network. We have buses. Another thing that is you need to us is that. The connection between the different modes of rail and bus are currently separated between 2 different hubs. And once again, provides a unique opportunity to test how people navigate between those 2 systems. And right now that disconnect is something that we hear often. And we're hoping that with this wayfinding project that can be something that can remedy and hopefully encourage people to move between the 2 modes more easily. Another part of that, I was fact that have numerous equity priority areas. So we try to breath the demographics to test these different weights finding whether economic language, there's a large group large variety of groups that help determine the

best way forward with these prototypes. And I want to get over to Gordon has a really thorough caught presentation. He's original into the project manager overseen this project, ntc Little more detail about what you can expect to see in the city of Santa Rosa in the near future and around the Bay area. For that matter. Great stuff. Yeah. Thank you so much. >> Matt Rachael for that Fellow transit here I can make in a minute, but I just again, good afternoon. Mayor Rogers and council members thank you so much for the opportunity to to present on. I think what is really interesting groundbreaking projects in the region and we are so happy to including Santa Rosa as a as a major partner. I mean, the early stages of this project. Today I'm going provide a an update for you about several aspects of the regional map and we fund project, including its context goals just to kind of in in why we're doing this and what benefits it can convey and then some me details about some of the designs that we're looking at as well the implementation and then opportunities for engagement with the public, some of which is actually already begun. Next slide. The map. Again, let's just orient in the biggest context, which is what what is wayfinding when we talk about it. So simply put Wayfinding is it's the ways that people orient themselves in physical locations and then navigate from place to place. As part

of this project. Mtc in partnership with our transit agency partners and municipalities. We will develop and evaluate the identity of a regionally coordinated transit network. Core information elements that customers use like maps and diagrams. Directional signs and information about steps. Ways to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of transit travel, which huge piece about this. And then also than that, Roland, potential of digital information tools which are used sporadically in many different ways across the region by individual agencies. And one thing they do want to highlight is this project really deals with existing infrastructure. So we don't include anything that make big changes to the built environment like the locations of elevators, a bus stops that something for transit agency nor do we talk about any changes to transit service. So again, how do we best communicate? What's already out? This project is part of a larger suite of initiatives about improving the customer experience of trance in the Bay area led by the ntc that's known as the Transit Transformation Action Plan. The regional map Wayfinding project is one of many ours is focused on customer information, but there are others out there that my colleagues here at the agency are working on with regard transit service. Priority projects allocating funding for that. I'm improving accessibility across the region simplifying fares and payment structures. Next slide. So the primary goal of this project is to well its to make transit easier to use so

that it is a first option for both regional local travel. Specifically. Our goals include providing consistent information riders that is both dependable as well as familiar. Making it easier for transit operators to provide customer information, reducing the need to design ad hoc signs and maps which takes up a lot of time and effort every time that there is a service change. Ultimately we want to retain existing writers and as best as possible, attract new ones to the system by making it easier to understand. So transit can continue to support the region's sustainability vitality. Sustainable. And so we are currently in the 3rd phase of this project, which will test and refine wayfinding designed to. There's actually quite a lot in that face. Oh, tell you more about that in the next slide. So this current phase is a an interactive and collaborative process that involves the mtc working closely with our transit agency partners, Transit riders and the general public. Right now Matt said we are currently getting ready to install prototype signs are initial draft signage at the Santa Rosa Transit Ball and smart station as well as the else. Rio Del Norte, a Bart station. Closer to the Central Bay Area. And that will be later this fall. Based on agency feedback. We're also going to test some selection of signage at the Powell Street Station in downtown San Francisco. It's not going to be the same level of effort permanence as the prototype scene in Santa Rosa. Where else are do but it is one of the most complex stations in

the region, if not west of the Mississippi. And so it's going to help us develop a new system of wayfinding. That is that works in a variety of transit operating environments from in a vigil bus stops in Guerneville to Santa Rosa. Dan Simon to downtown San Francisco. Thanks. Now back in JANUARY, we introduced one component of this project, which is the regional network identity or as I mentioned at the beginning, the identity of a regionally coordinated trant network. So this is going to provide a consistent look and feel. Or transit in transit wayfinding particular around the region. This includes the colors, gold and yellow. Sky blue and dark which were chosen to stand out in busy environments but also reflect the natural beauty of the Bay area. So I think about a sunset over the Golden Gate, for example, contains a lot of these colors. We're also going to simplify symbols that we use for transit. So this network identity, we are focusing on bus rail and ferry to clearly the availability of public transit in a variety of contexts and busy Now, individual transit operator names and symbols and logos. That's currently what's at the top of signs down? Well, we're going to the prioritize them in favor of what people need most to know about. Is there transit here at all? Is there bus is the rail is their ferry. So agency names and they're they're just the prioritized. We have a new sign family or a family of

signs and maps that is based on this look and feel and will include all types of exterior and interior signs for customer navigation information. And again, that includes individual bus stops. So a bus stop by the side of the road in accidental elevator directories, a complex subway stations. So really the full gamut. Now, this includes a combination replacement of existing signs as well as some new site types. These include some of you might see on the left of this slide, which we call facility beacons. These are actually the largest signs that we have in our side family. They are comparatively pretty huge compared with what's out there now. Those function as their beacons right there to say, hey, there's transit here. So if you're driving down from driving down Pablo Avenue, you know, Serena, you'll be able to see in the distance that there are trains and bus services available else, Rita, down or take you don't necessarily need to know or be in the know to know what the parts and needs to know the chances there. So we'll have signs like that for folks arriving by foot and car and by bike. The system is modeled on this idea of progressive disclosure, which is to say we don't want to overload folks with more cognitive processing, then they can take it a particular decision point. So we want to be really sensitive to the fact that especially folks are there for

the first time, they're going to be confronted with a lot of information. Even at the center is a transit will and especially at a place like l Street station. So want to be really careful about providing the right about a man of information for every decision point that folks have from the street to their transit vehicle. We're coming up with a set wayfinding design guidelines that will be available early next year. That's actually what the prototypes are all about. They're about getting our draft designs out there getting public feedback. And coming up with this new set of design guidelines and that's going to be a product for our transit operator partners that will include the designs for the new signs as well as information for where and why to locate them around transit facilities. Exciting. So lets get into some of the meaty stuff. Some of the fun stuff designs. But we'll start with talking about why why the particular prototype of patients so we've got these 3 locations. They're going to be providing real life tests of our new designs. And what I mean by that, this is not an academic exercise. Actually going to go out and replaced all the signage that out. There are at least quite a bit of it are 3 locations and this is a real test. So anything that people need to be able to navigate to their destination, whether they are a newcomer to transit or an existing writer. We need to understand how they respond in real time to the new site. So that's in Santa Rosa Transom. Own space station. Rated on paperwork. And again, a smaller designed to test how street. And we chose these because these are

really important regional transfer locations. But there also has meant said there are located either within or serve equity Prairie. And as we move into the designs, we are pretty darn close to our final the Knights. But I do want to say that these are close, but they MAY not be completely final. What you see out there, some MAY change is part of our permitting process ease. So just keep that in mind. Next slide, please. So as as Matt said, the Santa Rosa prototype site is a really interesting one because it includes 2 disparate locations that are separated by about a 12 minute walk about half of a mile. So we are going to be providing new signage and information and maps at those 2 locations as well as red from signs for pedestrians, making the trek between those locations. And expect that. So what is some of that pedestrian signage of think? Well, here's what it looks like in So these are cups of of what we expect to have. There will be approximately, I think, 6 or 7 signs that will be located at progressive important points along the journey. That journey is going to be for going from the transit mode to Our station. It's going to take people on 3rd under the Santa Rosa Plaza Mall up to Morgan Street and take a right on Morgan and then take a left And 3rd Street has come 4th street for a more pleasant walking environment down to the Santa downtown station. So we'll have maps that supplement if people are using people might want to directions on this That's fine. But for anyone else want to provide a trust and confidence they're making the right choices on a journey. So

each at each position and we will have a a sign that includes their journey, mapped out diagram as well as some accessibility information. So, for example, will have the grade change that is underneath Santa Rosa Plaza Mall as well as an estimate at each point about how long it's going to take you to get to your destination in minutes and in mines. So these will be primarily posted an existing city sign post. Next slide. Please. Was a transit will. We will have a number of new sign types that will we think change pretty. I was a radically were drastically even. But provided a new look and feel with this. It was a chance of all according to the new network identity, we will have new a new sign type that we call an entrance month. And this is a pretty tall sign. It has the logo of the bus at the top, the symbols of the agency logos onto the bottom of the site as well as critical information about finding your specific bus for your specific West Bay. Those will be placed at each entrance to principal we will also replace the existing street signs that are hanging from the entrance with those of our new Golden design to help identify this is a transit location. And as at our other locations, we will be installing new bus, stop signs, tactile panels and schedule panels and those will be installed each of the bus bays. The tactile panels ones that contain the stop. It in Braille and also tech today's letter to help identify that there at that particular time stop him. And we're also installing what we call system information. It's so those are shown here. I'm in the middle of the graphic. Those will contain new maps for the facility, is the center of

transit. Well, information about how to make the connection to the downtown station as well as our new local transit map. Those will be all installed at this location. Thanks site. At the center was a downtown station. We have a pretty good example of the new types of facility beacons that I talked about for both of these will be what we call the pedestrian beacon. So there are approximately 10 to 12 feet high. So quite quite large with, as you can see, a very clear identifying symbol that says there's rail transit here and then below that, the information about the service, which is smart. Immediately in front of the station entrants. We will also have some more of those assisting information units providing new maps that show how people can get to around the area. Likely. Also at the Santa Rosa down 10 smart station. We highlight some of the new amenities that are provided on a station platform. Not just information about getting to that location. So MAY be a little hard to see. But in the top image, we will have a new but identification site that says the station name. It also has the direction of travel. So if it's going in direction or to the center of the airport getting county airport, it also has the direction of the exit and which right now is presently not something that is present on the space station from. We'll also have a new sign will be placed at the station platform entrance. That marks the edge of the paid fair area. Right now that information is provided with

markings on the ground, which is helpful. But there's additional information that's going to clearly indicate which track is going in, which direction we understand from some of our initial outreach conducted a couple weeks ago that many passengers at that location are still confused about which strains are going, which direction and So we'll have an answer for that. Next slide. Please. So while we're finalizing these designs and moving into implementation, we we're actively working on how to evaluate these new designs with the help of the public so that we can get perspectives from a variety of communities, including the parity. Now there are 3 main categories of our evaluation. One is the effectiveness of the designs themselves. So is the signage, inclusive, accessible and usable? From a customer's perspective and not just regular customers, but also new customers. New writers, a We're also interested in the benefits to travelers as a result of these new signs. Now, this is a little harder to quantify, but we think that it's very important for us to try to get it because the ability to find and make a transfer makes all the difference in the world for people's experience of trance, especially if they're new the first time if they MISS That transfer because signage anything that we have within our purview and we might lose number. I'm forever. So we want to really focus in on what are the ways that we can improve that transfer. And the overall experience of transit and the hope is get into big

hope such a relatively small project. But that is we think that there is the importance of word of mouth constraint. So if somebody feels like they're being taken care of even by the signage around difference and then that will improve their attitude. It MAY encourage them share that attitude with others. There's the operators experience. And so, you know, again, we have a couple partners on the project. One is, but, you know, the main client here are the riding public, but it's also transit operators like city bus because less we make the prototypes cost effective, easy to install and maintain from the agency's perspective. And we're not doing a good job with this project at all. Next slide, please. There's a lot of people that we want to engage with this part of this project because there a variety people to take Prince. Focus on a few hits among Equity We especially want to reach out to and actually say we want to we are in the process of reaching out to folks who MAY have more difficulties, navigating transit environment. So that means people with disabilities, people who are blind or low or who MAY have limited English proficiency. Those are really important folks that we want to engage with this project. As I mentioned before, we're curious about folks who are both frequent and infrequent transit riders. I mention to you that we did get started on some initial outreach. We heard from our consultant doing that work that we were able to talk to. A bunch of folks were heading down to sports event on one of the

days that we did the average. So that's perfect. Exactly the type of people that we want to talk to because we want them to keep coming back. So what works for them? What makes what lowers the barrier to entry to transit that we can help? And then finally can work with operators were engaging with technical and frontline staff. So at the bart station, the station agents in this case, bus operators, and my understanding is that in addition to a survey that we have out to bus operators and at their bus depots. And we also did a number of in-person interviews with operators in the past few weeks, which great. And you see is also set up an accessibility working for the project. And this isn't this is not just about the prototypes, but it's it's important for that. But this will help during the evaluation and then also into our next stage of the project, known as the pilots talk about the second so that we're actively integrating the voices and experiences of people with disabilities. Project, which is critical. Next slide. We are using. I can say we're using several methods to engage with communities for the evaluation of this project. These include cup tester So these are providing folks that in the case of senators and House the past couple of weeks that we reached out to through cbo's community-based organizations. Another stakeholder groups to recruit folks to do those tester knees where we give them a set of instructions and

asked them to complete them moving through station and transit environments. And then we record the qualitative results that followed and I will tell you even the preliminary results from just the past 2 have been illuminating in terms of people's experience Santa Rosa and Serena. We're also going to guided to is for folks with disabilities when we installed the new materials we have done and will continue to do on site. Intercept surveys with travelers. I think we got about 100 intercept surveys across the to Santa Rosa locations 2 weeks ago, which is great. We also plan to do an online survey on Mt. Sees website with a whole host of questions that we can't get to innocent survey, be able to have people respond to various maps and sign designs that will be open to folks around entire region. And as I mentioned, survey efforts have already begun in Santa Rosa we want to get early start as possible because I wanted to get folks. His comments on the transit before it closed for for for construction. So that has completed and we look forward to coming back to Santa Rosa after we install the new signs and maps later this fall. Next slide. Please. Lot of information. Thanks so much for sticking with this. By the way, we're almost where we're close and then we actually take questions. I want to focus the next stage of this project which were actively thinking about even as we're still working on this first stage, which is credit to so. The pilot projects, these are essentially they are expanding the new signs and

maps to more locations around the region. This helps us understand more customers experiences and helps us with increasing the visibility of the project in more places this also helps us test something that we're getting a little bit with the prototypes, but is critical to understand before we expand throughout the region. That is what are the operations and maintenance agreements that we need to between the ntc and operators between operators themselves and anyone else. As I say, this groundbreaking project up until this each individual agency has done their own thing and there is some coordination, but certainly not on the level that we're talking about. For new signs and maps that are intended to show it services together, together. That'll be main focus of these next project. So the first one is going be starting next year late next year. And that is to expand at major transit hubs around the region. So we'll Santa Rosa will get an upgrade. So add more signs and maps as necessary. I'm going to the patients also for you. And then we're gonna have 7 new locations. So we'll have 2 locations Solano County, including a Vallejo and assistant City Larkspur Marin County. How street San Francisco Millbrae and San Mateo County, Dublin Pleasanton Alameda County tentatively San Jose in Santa

Clara County. But it's a lot of construction happening there the next 10 years. So still looking at that one. The state second stage of the slated tentatively to begin in 2026. Is to test the customer experience on a number of into and bus routes and in Solano and Sonoma counts. So that MAY be a selection of city bus routes and so the county transit the key piece for us really is again on operations and maintenance in a new shared which means. A number shared transit stops. With Santa Rosa right now. If it might be a city like poll was a city bus has their site and right below it is Sonoma County's transit and right below that is Golden Gate Transit. Well, our vision is to include all of those services within one sign. These are all services that are parked of a region, important intensive. But how do we do that? Operations and maintenance west? As the question? What was the site responsible for maintaining how do we apportion those responsibilities between the different operators from? That's a huge question. And one that we will look to address in the next stage of the party. And then the other key piece here is that we want to deliver our version. One of the the way finding guidelines, the design guidelines, those we are working as quickly as we can. And in a great feedback on these prototypes so that we can deliver a set of standards and guidelines for folks agencies like City bus. But certainly more and more like agencies like Samtrans that county connection like the sales for transit center. All

these places have projects. It involves signage and they've been waiting for us to finish our work so that they can start so one of our top priorities is delivering that so that we don't hold back water next next. And last line. So major milestones here in the near future. You know, this fall, we will install the prototypes in the $10 ounce for you and will conduct the public. A valuation along the lines of we talk about here. So that we can finalize those standards or design guidelines to share with time with the community and agencies in spring of next year and then into 2025 2026 with a to implement the pilot projects. As I discussed, some of which will be here Santa Rosa and Sonoma County. With that. Thank you so much for your time and attention and happy answer any questions they have or receive any comments. Thank you so much for being with us and being here today, looking the council to see if there any questions. Council member MacDonald. >> Thank you, mayor. And thank you for the presentation. My question was really around lines lie a 7.16 to see. Will there be part of the pilot program to see if we need to have signs both in English and in Spanish? Just so with that, we're looking at language equity throughout the county, making sure that people know the direction ad going. I'm not sure if that was, know, as I saw that it was said on site, including priorities. But it wasn't sure is. We were planning to have everything in both in English and Spanish on the app as well as the signs themselves. >> Yeah, it's it's a it's really important important.

Have it for With the signs I think the it's it remains an open question. Think. >> for now are. And one that actively discussing with our transit agency partners. I can tell you a little bit about some of the places where we intend to include full translations. Most of that is on the printed materials. So we and, you know, we have we have presentation coming up to our regional Network Management Council later this month where we will be introducing our full suite of new maps. But we are introducing 5 new map types in the legends. For those maps we will be including full translations in Spanish and Chinese. And that's something that required by our mtc. And it's something that agencies like ac transit do and they're printed materials with the signs themselves. The focus with it. It's unlikely that we'll have translation across the board, but we do have them in a few critical locations. So one is for the system. Information units where we provide transit information through those signs. It's getting through those maps, the head or for that will say forget I think transit information, public transit information and on that sign because it's a key locus or getting information about travel within the facility and beyond. That's where we have the translation in both Spanish and trainings for all the directional signage. We have considered at least for this prototype. We considered adding by request. In our conversations with smart, there are locations on some of our physical signs that do include translations where

some are already provides them. So I think we have translations for exits. Some of the transit and translations for some of the stations on their diagram showing their services. So at this early stage, again, if there is existing guidance for that. We'll follow it. But it is And we we actually got the question recently from Smart asking us to better understand our plans. And so it's something that we need to have a a conversation with all 27 agencies about so that for regional standard, we can provide the right level of information patient. >> Thank you just just yes. I appreciate that. And just like as a suggested, kind of simple solution to be on the signs, if there's not enough room to provide both English and Spanish, maybe a qr code that if they're using the app, they can easily get to a translated language so that it could. Much easily identify to member whatever language is is their primary language. So just to be kind of sensitive to that, that we have a really great havers community. So I'd like to see is promote as we do new things like that specifically around transportation, several languages. Spanish obviously is our primary one as Thank you. >> thank you. Think that's a great idea. Any additional questions? I just say to piggyback Councilmember MacDonald, I think that's why I like the digital. >> Tools and signs because you can flip between. Languages and things a lot easier when you have those. But I know that's not what we're looking at right now. My MADAM City Clerk, can you please facilitate public comment? Thank you. We are now taking public comments on item 5.1. If you're in the chamber and would like to comment but have

not yet provided a speaker card or your name, please make your way to the podium. >> You'll have 3 minutes and a countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for the public record. If you choose to do so. The first public comment will be from Paris. Ben Duan. Please go ahead. There's the executive director Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. And besides being a bicyclist, I am a >> frequent user of trance particularly smart. So I have comments or thoughts about what's being presented cites the fact that are we finding is good to Smart's been running for 7 years without any way finding in all of this point. So the first one has to do were we finding people to understanding from with the presentation is that we're directing people to the transit centers in from one transit center to another one thing that I hear a lot with that the station down there is because a lot of people come on training with the bicycle and there and you cannot tell how to get onto the bike path from the transit center. So that would be very helpful thing, too, because that is a part of the, you know, multi-modal transportation. That would be very useful to be able to get people to the bike path. Again, this sounds like it's just about wayfinding, but the other thing that I hear from people who are in training help them with at the train station is

not understanding how use the fare machines or having enough of the now their it's better now with the schedule posted but understanding how to use the fare machines and all that sort of stuff. So that is sort of an information, those stations that would be helpful to have. The final thing is I didn't watch all of the exact walking route that you're laying out from smart to the transit center. But I think I heard that it would take 3rd Street down under the law. I have a little bit of concern about that. Great for people who have mobility challenges. And then I also as a woman who travels alone at night on foot, on bike. In other ways, I look for routes that are lit that have good visuals that don't feel closed, am that there can't be somebody hiding and that there are other people around businesses open in all of that. And that under pass under 3rd Street doesn't meet any of those requirements for me when I'm on it now zooming through on a bike. So I'm going quit, but I would never walk under there. So not sure about that route, but I would have to think about what would be a better one, given that there's. >> a lot of weird barriers between the 2 places I think that's it. Thank >> Thank you. The next speaker will be doing. >> Hello. My name is Duane de Wit. I'm from Roselawn. I'm also a transportation nerd and

the public policy geek. It's 22 years ago taking some instruction from. >> The >> University of California Transportation Center at uc Berkeley with picked up an ada whose picture was in one of those slides. He's the wheelchair user. He's got his own. Efforts to make sure there's equity for the differently abled. I'm especially happy to see that you folks recognize the idea of schedule panels actually having the schedule for the bus at each site. If you've ever traveled internationally, especially not understanding language you can at least see a bus schedule that has the times and then you'll know you'll get something. It would be really nice on your direction, finders that you also put North South East West. So people who are familiar with the area will know which way is north or South. Then you talk about the idea of equity priority communities. There's a professor down a Berkeley. Elizabeth deacon. She's deep into these type of things. And the idea of traveler benefits. Having commuted from here to Berkeley by public transit for a number of years. It's very important that you help people make sure not to MISS Any connection. And that they're able to use few seats as possible from here. You had to go to Sandra fell on the Golden Gate Transit switch over on a different one there over to Wall Street on So I'm very familiar with that station. Also. I'm very glad that you folks are doing this and I'm hoping that you'll have an accessibility work

group here in Santa Rosa. We have a very active Bikel bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group. We have a bicycle pedestrian advisory committee. But it's not as tuned in to people who are chair users. We do have a chair user now on the bicycle pedestrian advocacy group. And that's a positive. There is the situation of you because you're from mtc. Well have much more influence than any of us around here talking about this. So please, what you put forward make it happen and get it going. We've been asking about things like this for decades, especially those schedule panels. Every bus stop. It shows you when the bus is coming and when the last one is running because if you're stuck out there and you've already missed the last one. And you don't know. With your help, sir. People know. Thank you for your time. >> Mary c no one else approaching the podium for public comment. Thank you. Bring it back to council to see if there any additional questions or comments. And that's seeing none. Thank you very much for being here for your time. And for the presentation. Thanks so much. MADAM City manager. Item 5.2 update on the state and local ballot measures for NOVEMBER 2024. General election. >> Good afternoon. Council Scott Alonso, government affairs officer. And we're

doing a study session. 5.2 on state and local ballot measures for the NOVEMBER general election. So we wanted to there was discussion earlier this summer just due to the number of ballot measures and hearing from council on if the council could weigh in are not officially. So we wanted to bring. This is an item to get feedback today statewide ballot measures and there's 2 county wide sales tax measures. So we we'll go through them briefly this afternoon really just take the time to hear from all of you. If they're specific direction, you'd like us to bring back at the next council meeting. So we did want to look at what potential impact is on the city for all these ballot measures. Just to remind folks that the council has in the past taken positions on ballot measures. Not only recently on Measure j but over the years and 2020, the council took a position on the Sonoma Transportation tax. There was also some Cal Cities priority resolutions. We took up in 2022. 2023 regarding some statewide ballot measures. So the 2 county sales tax measures. We wanted to talk about The first one is measure. I which is the Sonoma County child Care and Children's Health Initiative sales tax, which was placed on the ballot by signature by a campaign called our Kids. Our future due to the fact that it was a put on the ballot by a voter initiative requires a simple majority to pass. The tax would last until it's repealed by voters. And also the total tax rate is one is a quarter cent sales tax. So

that's measure. I. Measure w is the Sonoma County Library transactions and use tax, which does require a two-thirds vote to pass it's it will last until its repeal live voters and it's a 1, $0.8, sales tax. It was placed on the ballot officially this past JULY by the Sonoma County Library Commission. And then here, all the statewide measures you'll notice props, too, through 6, they were placed on the ballot by the legislature. So that's why they have. I guess, essentially better numbers earlier numbers. The propositions a 30 to 36 work place by initiative. So by signatures gathered by proponents of those measures. So I won't read through all of them. We did highlight a few of the staff report, but happy to talk about any of these 10. The we did highlight in the staff report and in the presentation, some of these they were placed on the ballot by the Legislature, constitutional amendments. So just wanted to flag the importance of of that. And then as I mentioned before, the council has taken prior positions on some of these ballot measures just as recently as a couple weeks ago Measure j. So based on what we looked at and talking with the city manager and we looked at what what ballot measures have specific impacts to city operations or city finances are just your legislative priority. So we came with 5 propositions to kind of sink our teeth into. But again, happy to discuss others that were listed here. The measure

I measure w Proposition 2 proposition for and Proposition 5. And then we can dive into each of those a little bit. So measure I our kids, our future that quarter cent sales tax would be administered by first 5 Sonoma County. Worked that they worked with the campaign for number of years now to develop this measure. And it's really 2 main buckets of funding. The 60% of the revenue that would be generated would go to child care, including new facilities and importantly, rate increases for child care providers. So meaning that you could use the money generated by the measure to pay those teachers or aides more in those eligible facilities, 40% of the generated revenue would go to mental health and children's health. Looking at, you know, trauma informed programs looking says things like that and also how we support the families as well. So that sort of that by 40% funding and that's that's outlined in the measure itself by the proponents of those ratios could not be changed unless they did another initiative. The proponents estimate that it would generate around 30 million dollars a year for those services. The other thing to note is that the Board of Supervisors some county board of supervisors would also have verse basically approve their budget if the tax were to

pass, that would be advisory council appointed help come up with a funding plan. A 5 year action plan for measure. I and that the there would be actually subject to an outside independent audit as well. So those funds would be audited and then ultimately approved by the Board of Supervisors. Next, we have measured w and that's the permanent extension of the sales tax for local library services. You MAY be familiar with this This is related to measure why that was passed by the electorate in 2016 measure y out was a 1, 8 sales tax. But with a 10 year lifespan. So there was that specific time frame there. The difference with Measure w now is that there would be no time frame. It would be improper to a according to measure, why Oversight the library has received 64 million dollars for the local library system. And then also to note, just some highlights about measure It I've why funding is You know, the library is now open. 7 days a week. They've expanded hours. You MAY have noticed. There's also some really innovative libraries been able to run like the Big Leo bus, which goes around the community and visits schools and child care centers and gives out free books with their mobile van. So a bus is funded with those measure y dollars. And another interesting thing just for our purposes of the 4 branches in Santa Rosa exceed all the use

the county combined. So the 4 branches yard by far the most used and most popular. And then the last fiscal year the library reported the highest ever items of circulation at 4 point 4 million items checked out. So just an impressive number there for the the library system, way our library system is structured some of the funding boost a county wide services. So sometimes a little hard to track, like specific numbers for particular branch, like let's say in Santa Rosa just because of how services are shared are paid for across the entire system. So just one of the to flag Any questions on the local measures before move on to the state. Real quick. So some of the statewide propositions we we were focused on. Proposition 2 is Well, let me back up real quick. The legislature and the governor hadn't months of negotiations over what statewide bond measures would ultimately face the voters. There were a lot of negotiations and a lots of potential proposals from housing to climate education. Ultimately the legislature and the governor agreed that there would be 2 measures totaling 20 billion dollars total. The governor was insistent that that would be the cap essentially on what the bond measures would be. So proposition 2 would be a 10 million dollar. Excuse me, 10 billion dollar bond to support k through 12 educational facilities and also go to community colleges. But the way the funding is broken down is 85% would go to

the k through 12 schools. 15% would go to community colleges. 2 things to note for our teacher, 12 system. Is that the funding to be used for transitional kindergarten to adjust for that ongoing transition and also for an ongoing issue of led remediation. So schools are facing issues with the lead, they could. 115 million dollars is reserved as part of the bond for that type of remediation. The way the funding is selected as a little bit different as it's on a first come first serve basis for the k through 12, they would apply for the funding essentially like a grant. There was there would be a match requirement that those districts would face. And the community college system would essentially prioritize their list and actually the legislature, the governor would have to approve prove that. So if they're eligible for that. The other it's on our statewide ballot is the proposition for which one we refer to as the climate bond. It's a 10 billion dollar bonds. There's a ton of different funding buckets I'll just there's actually 8 different funding streams of go-to saw. Just read off real quick. There's money for drought, water supply and flooding. Wildfire prevention money to address sea level rise land conservation renewal, energy projects, parts extreme heat mitigation and then agriculture and farm. So it's a very comprehensive

list of potential funding uses. But the about half of the for almost about half of the funding is focused on water and drought prevention. Something for our purposes on the parkside is a 200 million dollars of the van would be available for local governments to apply for for new parts and that money is also risen. There's also reserved for local governments for water, reuse or water, recycling It's a a lot of different funding possibilities there and just some other things to highlight. There's also money arc want groundwater, recharge and storage programs through r-ga saying that. Could be part of the bond if it's passed. Another grant, it we've looked at as a city currently as the transformative climate communities grant opportunity. If Proposition 4 passes that grant, the tcc grant would see additional 150 million dollars pumped into that grant program right now. Actually, the tcc program is not funded for future years. And so we've the city's looked at that. And so we be excited Prop forward a pass because and we could potentially look at that as a future funding source. There's 60 million dollars as part of this proposition for for community resilience centers. So what we call a crc also, that's the current state grant program. We've seen some local nonprofits actually get crc money, which has been great. The child parent Institute just was awarded a 5 million dollar crc Grant the series

project was also ordered. The crc again, if Prop forward pass would see additional grant opportunities there. And then last one on the statewide list that we wanted the flag for council consideration housing-related, which is Proposition 5, which is a constitutional amendment that would allow local bonds for affordable housing or public infrastructure to be approved at 55% approval ratings just like a school bond is rather than what the current threshold is, which is two-thirds and folks remember in 2018, the city considered measure an as a housing bond and that was unsuccessful or did not get the two-thirds vote. But Proposition 5 would have been in effect back then measure and would have passed as I got 61, almost 62% of the vote. This it is very important that we start discussions around you know them tc around city actually previously supported ca one, which was something over Curry's legislation that put this on the ballot. So really just something we've been monitoring for a long time now with our other local government partners to lower the threshold. The one thing to note is the city did send a comment letter earlier this summer Arounds. What how we define public infrastructure. So the the measure was amended and so added that term. And so there is some ambiguity in concerns we had on what would be considered public infrastructure. But

ultimately. We support the intent of what it's trying to do in terms of the affordable housing side for those affordable housing bond so this afternoon, we just wanted to present this information to you in really take feedback. So we could if we hear consensus, then we could bring us back on SEPTEMBER twenty-fourth for any formal motions resolutions you'd like to make then so ultimately it like to turn it back over to the mayor answer any questions or here in the comments. Thank you very much for the presentation looking to council to see if there any questions. And we'll start with Councilmember Craig d. >> Thanks so much. Scott really appreciated. Just one quick question on the county Is there any impact of any kind our tax cap if either of those passes or any current taxes the city has in place. >> So measure eye passes will be, I think right up against that app. So, yeah, we will have to. Keep that in mind as the city considers future tax measures and with our current sales taxes in place. So, yeah, we would need to continue to monitor that. We had discussions. A little bit last year with Senator Maguire's office on that. So, yeah, it will need to continue to monitor that. >> Any additional questions? Council member MacDonald? >> Just for clarification on that, Scott did. So we would just need to go to the legislature to raise up our cap if we felt that we needed to have a higher sales tax because this would help close that gap significantly. >> Yes, certain jurisdictions across the state routinely go to their specific legislator

to ask for an exemption under state law to go above the cap. So it's something that we could pursue something number. Jim Wood had a bill for the county humble recently on that issue. So it's something that has been at the table and certainly we could see that it's needed. >> And we look at measure. I'm obviously personally in favor of it and think it's a very smart, important thing for us to do for children in our community. The vast majority of children. City do those children live in mostly that this will impact? >> So the proponents don't have a specific breakdown, but based on population and most likely be within the city of Santa Rosa. So I think it's just fair to say that's a rhetorical question. But thank you for that. I just want to make sure that we're clear on where the impact will be specifically a measure I and >> as you said on Measure w for the county tax for the library's, the foremost, if I'm remembering a presentation, the foremost use libraries or city of Santa Rosa, one set correct? Yes, that's correct. Thank you. >> Look at council to see if there any additional questions. Seeing now handed over to Mountain City clerk to facilitate public comment. I'm sorry. I'm going to hand it over to Clerk to facilitate public comment. Thank you. We are now taking public comment on item. 5.2, if you are in the council chamber and would like to comment. >> But have not yet provided a speaker card or your name. Please make your way to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes and a countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you choose

to do so. The first public speaker will be Dwayne. >> Hello, my name is doing the with. I'm from Roseland. I hope you read the recent letter to the editor from MR. Drummond, the head of the Sonoma County Taxpayers Association. And he basically pointed out. The Proposition 5 approach is something that people might not be supportive of because undermines a lot of folks here in our state, believe is important when went for the two-thirds majority as being the main way to go with things. Personally, I feel we're already overtaxed. When you talk about we'll going above the cap of $0.10 per dollar. This is getting really high. I don't know of any of you are here in 1978, when Howard Jarvis and Paul again had Proposition 13, he wrote a book. It's called Mad As h# # # . You really either read that book by our Jarvis really understand with the bases was back then when our tax was only 4 cents on the dollar. And how property taxes and other things are also such a major concern. As you look at these things, you basically. Should go out and talk to folks in the community, not just what you hear in the chambers. What I hear in various places, people are tired tax tax tax, always more taxes. Business people are tired of the taxes that they have to pay. The customers are tired of what they have to pay

in sales tax were essentially at $0.10 on the dollar. Now, know, they say it's 9 and a half cents. It's the kind of thing where you folks, we'll go forward. Really having. Surveyed the community, if you will. And that's something that really would be helpful to reach out to the community members, not just the folks you see is stakeholders. People in the Chamber of commerce, people that supportive of your political positions. Reach out to the regular folks. Parents trying to raise children, the people trying to deal with the taxes as they are and see how things go last but not least on the library. I really like the library, but I believe you should charge to customers for things. Libraries in Europe charge you to use the Internet. They charge you to make copies. We have people that essentially live in the Santa Rosa Central Library or on those computers all day long for free print, not all kinds of stuff for free it costs a lot of money. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Mayor. Mc no one else approach to Putin for public comment on this item. Thank you. Bringing it back to council to see if there any additional questions or comments and we'll start off with Councilmember Rogers. >> Thank you, First of all, Scott, I want to thank you for putting together all of the information. I know, especially since the Legislature has moved most of the ballot measures to NOVEMBER elections for the

generals that it it creates a long list of many different items for us to piece through. And I can appreciate for sure challenge of figuring out how and where to decide which ones impact the city of Santa Rosa. The most I think the 5 that you've highlighted are 5 good ones and I'd be supportive of each of those ones that you brought forward as well. I hear the concerns on the tax rates. I feel the concerns on tax rates and what we've systematically done in California shift the tax burden on to poor people through sales taxes. But at the same time we have critical services that we're trying to provide that are helping some of those same people. So I'll be supportive of all 5 of those. I did also want to add in Prop 3. You lost over it a little bit. And I know there isn't always a direct tie. And as I said, you could probably make case for each of them that they impact the city of Santa Rosa. But Prop 3 and does the terrible vote. The California did on Prop 8 removing the right for people to marry the person that they love. That obviously the courts of taking care of that. This is clean up language that takes it out of our constitution. Our state constitution and this council has repeatedly supported at embracing folks within our community to make sure that they understand that they are welcome and wanted and I'd love to see Santa Rosa on the list as a supporter of Prop 3 as well. >> Councilmember MacDonald. Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to go ahead and just echo everything that Councilmember Rogers said is, well, I like the addition of the Proposition 3, that center be

in support of that as well. >> I am a strong supporter of as measure. I and think and measure w as well. But measure eyes a critical tax that we can pass to support children in our community with the greatest number of children, not are in Santa Rosa. And the reason I think it's so important for us to support this one is it's an economic issues. Well, we've seen not enough people going into the childcare industry. So there's no one to watch the children so people can get back to work or be able to work. So I think from that perspective, not just doing the right thing for children to make sure they have quality access to care. I'm very comfortable moving this forward. So I'm not sure weighing in on this state propositions other than the ones that you have propose here. But but for those ones that Chris mention or pardon me, Councilmember Rogers mentioned, I'm I'm very, very confident in moving forward with a yes on on those. But adding pop through as well. >> Any additional comments from council members? >> I would like to echo what both of my colleagues have Prop 3 makes a lot of Why would want to add that? >> And in addition, when we're talking about I I think people don't understand always like, oh, I don't have children early. Doesn't affect me. But this is definitely supporting extreme investments into our community. If people don't have childcare, they can't go to work. It's not until you're children have children that you realize they won't be able to work if they can't afford childcare have good childcare to son there. Their children,

too. And then the other areas in which this would support our community, I think is very great. So this is time for us to stop that. Practice what we preach far as our upstream investments. This will be a great way. So we're just asking to go ahead and say that we will support its. I think that that is a great thing. But seeing no additional point of clarification, mayor, I think. >> Scott needs to hear from 4 council members to be able to have some direction to bring something back setting up. There's one other councilmembers councilmember over us. >> I love what you're doing you have a for the city. One thing that we always I take pride in is it was as we actually hired lobbyist team, the amount of of of funding that we've been able to acquire tuition at the services. We will offer to our citizens. Is there a work stepping up initiative? I support everything. Does. >> Thank you. Mayor and council will bring this for SEPTEMBER 24th. Council member akp or plumbing different. So now we're over. There you go. >> All right. Thank you very much for that presentation. Thank you, MR. Watson, thank you for all the work that you do on behalf of the city center of >> Matter city manager. Item 5.3 city count of City Council voting process. >> For certain appointed positions.

MADAM City attorney, the floors, yours when you are ready. Thank you, MADAM Mayor Councilmembers to recess Stricker City attorney. This item is coming to you at the request of council, as you MAY recall, MAY of this year, council requested that staff come forward with an to discuss potential options to improve the process that the council currently has for voting the dais, essentially for certain types of appointed counsel appointed positions. This study session goes through each of the categories that the council wanted to hear about First, I'm going to talk about what your process currently is and then will provide recommended options. Should the council wish to change those processees? So with that, I will get started. Okay. One of the areas where council requested that we look out what some options could be would be the process that the city council uses to fill council vacancy. And so under the city charter, if there is a vacancy at on the City Council, the council has a choice. The council can fill that vacancy by appointing an individual to the council or the council can call a special elections so that the electorate decide who will fill that vacancy. There is a time period by which if the council is going to appoint it has to do so. Otherwise. A special election has to be called. Where Council chooses point to I'm to appoint an

individual to fill that vacancy. Council policy. 0, 0, 0. 23 provides there's an application process and an interview process. Once those 2 processees have been completed >> the policy does not delineate how what what the voting process would be. So the council can among the individuals who were. >> Who applied and were interviewed. And and so simply it's as if a majority of the council cannot agree on the appointment of one of the applicants. The council MAY adopt such other procedures to fill the vacancy as it deems appropriate. And so I think this item is really to talk about a little bit about what are some possibilities for establishing ahead of time, how that voting would happen. The second area where council requested that we take a look maybe some additional options concerns. Appointments made by the full Council to certain boards, commissions and committees. As you all know, some positions are appointed individually by council members. Others are appointed by the full council. So this item is really addressing the subset of boards, commissions and committees that the full council makes the appointment the appointment 2 an currently. Those are the personnel board, the building regulations and appeals the Housing Authority Santa Rosa Tourism. Business improvement area advisory board, as you

well know, after sitting through the interview today. The Waterways Advisory board and 2 members of the bicycle and pedestrian advisory board. The process for your your current rules and regulations provide that there is a process for making those kinds of appointments. The rule provides that the appointments MAY be made by either a process of elimination or by motion. So the council can choose which. And if the process is by elimination, the rule outlines a successive round of voting where the council members are with each round voting for one fewer number of candidates until you end up with a majority vote. The rule talks about that. You have that the council member, first of the council members first vote for 2 more than the number of seats to be appointed. If if that doesn't work, the rule provides that the city attorney will provide some guidance that effectively will get you to the result of having successive rounds motions with the process of elimination until you get to a majority. The the applicants are, any trial and eliminated. So you have fewer and fewer to pick from. Then the last area where the council asked for discussion of options, concerns when the council is appointing from among the council members, a new mayor and new vice mayor. And as you all know, our charter provides that the council elects from one of its members. A member to serve a two-year term as

mayor. And that occurs following the swearing-in of a new council member. And and and then every year the council elects one of its members to serve as vice mayor for a one-year term. Council rules and protocols sets forth a hot what process will be used. It's the same process for both the mayor and the vice mayor. And it's a rather detailed rule. Essentially the presiding officer calls for nominations. Each nomination requires a second must be accepted by the nominee. If only want nominee is seconded accept than the presiding officer declares that individual to be. Either the mayor or the vice mayor, depending on what you all are doing at the time by unanimous consent. And if there are 2 nominees who have been seconded, seconded and accepted. Then you go through similar type of process of elimination that we just talked about when it comes to appointing members of certain boards, commissions and committees. And so the rule has a detailed process for that. But it's essentially the same process. So what what are some recommended changes? I think there was a desire to maybe make some clear rules so that when you all get stuck either with a tie or in a scenario where you don't have a process, you have a process to fall back on so that you aren't feeling like you perhaps are making it and on the fly is was my sense of the concern that said I I certainly when we get to comments would welcome each of you that were supportive of

having the come forward to really articulate what you see as the difficulty with the system as you have it. So in terms of if you desire to make a change, what can you do? What kinds of options do you have? So so I'm going first talk about the situation where you all have decided that you are going to a point and individual. To fill a vacant council seat. So again, as we talked about, you have options before you get there to decide whether to call a special election. But this really is talking about when you decided you're going to go ahead and appoint. You've had applicants apply done around of interviewing what happens then? Well, the recommendation is. That that you go through kind of a similar process, at least initially as as the situation when if you are calling for nominations for mayor vice mayor. So having the presiding officer called for nominations in seconds. If only one applicant is nominated with the sec and the presiding officer would declare that person to be appointed by unanimous consent. If you have more than one candidate who is nominated with the second and then council would have some options about potential ways too. Really adopt a process that MAY work for you rather a rule that says that you all just need to figure it out. So what are those options? What we've come up with 3, there MAY be more out there, but

we've come up with 3 and the first is ranked choice voting out. Explained what that is in just a minute. The second is process of elimination, which is something that we've talked about that applies elsewhere except with a little bit of a twist to have tied votes to cited by lot. Explain what that means. But by law sort of an old-fashioned fancy way used in your own ship your own charter and under the elections code for just random selection. But I think our tradition here involves an Uncle Sam hat and the clerk. I don't know if all of you have been through that process. I can't wait. And then the 3rd option would by motion motion by motion and to take them in the reverse order of nomination. And so rather than calling from nominations that once the nominations are taken, one of time by motion. So let me walk through those options a little bit. So let's first talk about ranked choice voting. What is ranked choice voting this is a process that there are number of jurisdictions that use this. And in lieu of having a runoff election when we have candidates that are being voted for by the voters. So at the polls, so voters essentially go to the poll and they rank. A certain number of choices. They vote one time rank their choices. And then there is a process of elimination that happens if one applicant does not have a majority vote as the first choice, then the applicants with the lowest votes are eliminated. Second choices in the case of council borrowing this process. The second choices of the council members who voted for the eliminated

candidates would be reallocated to the tallies of the remaining applicants. So those council members, second choices would then get the votes of the eliminated council members. And then this process of elimination from the bottom of the lowest and re tallying continues until one candidate ends up with a majority vote. Now this process and I'm going to show you a little depiction we have overpowering choice. Voting works would require and the city's it department to spend a little time to develop a systematic way to facilitate a very transparent. Real-time ranked choice voting process. So that council and members of the public could see how the votes are being, how the elimination is happening and those votes are being re tallied. We certainly wouldn't want you to adopt a pro program where a staff member has to go sit down and do it and just come back with an answer. We would want everyone to be able to see how we got there. Both all of you staff and members of the public. So I'm gonna show little diagram here. And this was in your staff materials that really depicts how ranked choice voting works. And again, this diagram sort of assumes it's happening at the ballot box with the voters. But in much more simplified, straightforward process could happen here. Staff is unaware of any councils that use this for their own sort of voting

and the dance, but certainly the process could be used. So again, it depicts in this situation. You voters rank their You see and then the candidates see has the fewest number of votes in step one. You'll see they have 23%. So candidates see gets eliminated. The voters that voted for candidates see is their first choice would have their second choice received those votes and the process keeps happening. Intel one of the candidate gets to a majority, which, of course, is just above the 50%. Mark. So again, that's how it would work. We would work with it we've had a couple of preliminary, very preliminary conversations. Don't want to get them down the road too far because we didn't know if you all are even interested in this. So they think they could probably develop something I and if we need more information about what that is, certainly depending on the direction you give, we can come back and find out how involved that process would be. Ok, the second option. And again, we're talking about the situation where you all are an individual to become to fill a vacant council seat with the process of elimination. I get with Tide votes being decided by lots. This again requires successive rounds of voting by council very different than ranked choice voting where you have one round of voting and you all don't vote again. Elimination would require successive rounds of voting

with members when there are multiple applicants with one applicant eliminated each time until a winner is selected by a majority. And again, if council is going to go down this road, particularly in a case of where you have a vacancy, you you only have at most a 6 of you voting. You could end up with that high. And so how do you break the tie? And so one way to break the tie would be to bake under the rule that if there is a tie to take the same approach that your charter and by the way, the elections code gives options to cities, general, all cities that don't have this don't have a charter. Don't have this in their charter. To do this as well. But our charter says that in the case of a tied vote for candidates by the electorate. And this is this is truly a tie. The person elected to council shall be decided by lot. And again, that's a fancy word for random selection. So that would be the second option process of elimination with the tie votes decided by lot. Okay. And then the 3rd option. Again, this is selecting a council member to fill a vacancy. Would be simply to do it by motion. And to take the motions one at a time nominee by nominee some jurisdictions do that this approach and they follow Rosenberg's rules of order which says that when you're nominating individuals, you should take them in the reverse order. Nominations

were received. So. Whoever makes the first nomination month nomination with a second. That motion would go last. If you make the second nomination. And it gets a second. That would go second to last and so on. Other jurisdictions, take the motions in the order in which they're received staff's recommendation. If you decide to go this route would to be to follow Rosenberg's approach them in the reverse order. But either way it can be done. Okay. We're going to move on now to what are the options that staff has come up with for appointments to boards, commissions and committees that are appointed. Again. These are only the ones that are appointed by the full Council. And our current process under current rule is that you can choose to do it by either motion or by elimination. Should council wish to modify that process. Council MAY consider to established if you're going to use elimination to go ahead and establish tide votes following a process of elimination will be decided by lot. That eliminates the time problem. You could establish that motions are taking in the reverse order of a nomination or in the order of the nomination. Again, staff would recommend following Rosenberg's approach and doing them in reverse. Or you could change to ranked choice voting for this as well. And it would work the same way at that. We just talked about. Okay. And then the last type of voting that you asked us to discuss. Is your appointment process

for mayor and Vice mayor and again, the current process is if you have more than one nominee with a second and the person next steps. The process is for voting by elimination, which again is successive rounds of voting. During each round, one candidate is eliminated. If you want to change that process. Staff's recommendation is really the same that you have just heard from me, which is to make it elimination. But added that tie votes will be decided by lot. By motion. And Ed, the motions will be taken in the reverse order of nomination. Or once again, you could do this by ranked choice voting. And so that is the end of my presentation. I would welcome any questions. Comments for how you got here and the problems you're trying to solve and any feedback you can give in terms of items he would like to come back. Thank you for that presentation. Looking to council to if there are any. Councilmember crappie. Thank you, MADAM Mayor. The only one that I think I'm the only one on this day is that has not been a part of a council appointed process, but I have watched them on tv. So >> I think when it comes to a council point process. Tougher vacancy. Excuse what I've noticed is that there's far more people that are willing to go through that and do an actual election some MAY view it as an easier path to to get on council since they don't have to raise money and do all the interviews and whatever else that all of a But I think

because of that, I would. A number. Even when I was district 3, there are 6 applicants. They went through the process. Trying to remember how many were there for d# # # doubts positions. 7, 17 and for that, I would I would really highly suggest that want to go through rank choice, voting on that to get down to a top 3. If there's I don't know what the number is where it's like, hey, we'll take it one vote. And whoever comes out, number one is number brings it down to 3, right? I mean, 17, I want to go to 3 cause. Those votes could be all over the place but I think ranked choice voting for City Council vacancy makes it I understand the burden and it makes it a little bit of a simple process a little bit more. You know, especially since it gets down it. Has has happened before. Ends up being 3, 3 and then there's a discussion and I don't think, you know, and appropriate process when it gets down to 2. It's just chance. I think if we have 3 and then we can rank a mandate, it's a much more. It's a middle ground. I think, you know, okay, you know, using a point system, basically, we've all determined that this is it on average. This is the best individual for this position. I think that's the only one that I really feel strongly about right now. Appointees to boards, commissions and committees. I don't know. And these my time out. And there's any been any real issues, I know that our institutional knowledge expert down the this year MAY have some more historical, a reflection on that. But I don't know if we need exactly alter that because I don't know if it's

gone. If it ever gone awry, so to speak or had 17 applicants. So those are the ones that i the that's the feedback that I have right now. MAY I ask a follow-up question to the mayor. Yes. So when you said ranked choice voting to get to the top 3. And then what would you do once you got to the top 3? So if you had said range be ranked choice voting again, so you would do 2 rounds of bank just one round. Yeah. Because going from 17 to one, I don't. I mean, I don't even if we could all essentially have a different ranking, right? So but if you get pop to get down to a top 3, then we're all voting on the same 3 people to see who would be number one. Councilmember Rogers, can you weigh in on I appreciate So I threw out the ranked choice voting. I think that in general, it's a better system overall. >> The thing that I really was interested solving was the very last part of this process where it says, especially when you get stuck, you make it up. And we've seen on some appointments, but especially on councilmember appointments. That process then becomes. The murky at best. It's not transparent for the public. It doesn't look patently fair at the end of it. And so prefer ranked choice voting. I actually think that it's much simpler for us to just saw that last peace, even even to the city attorneys point, if all it said in the city code was if the council deems itself stuck after multiple rounds of voting on final final 2 or whatever you draw lots at least there's some clear process for the public

to understand right? I love ranked choice voting. I do. I don't know that it even solve that problem because there's a scenario where when you have 6 councilmembers appointing somebody ranked choice, voting takes 2 to 3 to 3 and then that next provision is still and then you make it up. Right? So. A good. If we want talk about ranked choice voting. But but for me like that's the specific thing. Welcome back on the mayor and vice mayor appointment for discussion later. But I think if we can come up with a viable, even if it's not one that we all love, even if it's a viable. One of how you break a tie. Some cities say it's by lots. Some cities say the mayor breaks the tie. There's a number of different ways. I just care that it's very clear to the public what it when they go into it. >> That's member funding. Thank you. >> originally actually had a clarifying question. >> Which I understand embers rules. We take motions in reverse order of. Making the motion is that the same logic? Is there no logic except that we do it in Rosenberg is that we go backwards. >> I can give you my theory. Didn't look at the logic, but my view. I could imagine there might be some strategy going in to the process that would have all of you sitting there not wanting to. Make your nomination until everybody else made their nomination and nobody would make a nomination and then we be stuck. Where is it? Where is if you do in in the reverse order than the person who got their nomination out? First with a second. Might feel they have.

A better position to be and whether it is truly better or not is I I could see it going both ways. I but I could see a world in which. All of you nobody want. Everyone has a nomination to make a no one wants to do it first because of some perceived benefit and then I don't know what you do with that until we all get to hungry in somebody's caves. I don't know. So that that would be the reason. I also think Because, you know, there is a process under a rule of order that it is sort of an accepted way to go and not just the city attorney telling you how she would do this if there wasn't a path we have adopted Rosenberg's rules here. So even if you didn't. Specified that, that where your rules don't provide. Otherwise we you. I'll fill in as to Rosenbergs, you know, so it isn't technically necessary for us to do that. That would be. If you're following Rosenberg's rules, what if the situation came up tomorrow? And we didn't have a real change. I would suggest that you follow Rosenberg's rules because you opted them and that's what that role provides. Thank you. Going back to what council members, Roger, no words discussing. >> having about rain choice for says pic figuring out how to get to the very end I'm not opposed to getting choice to the point of getting to the end. But there because it's 6 members choosing for a 7th member. You could have it be that 3 people rain, one person hired, prepare people read the other person there's no amount of rain choice. It's going to so all that having seen how it gets in and near exhausted and

it's been long couple of days. I think that putting the mayor and position of picking Is it? It's a lot it's potentially could create some difficult dynamics going forward for the council. I as much as you know, we like to make decisions. There's something about making a decision when it's not hot like right now. Are thinking about making decision versus in that moment? And that's why I'm in support choosing a by I think that we need to. Have a harmonious and calm, clear way of making the decision of 3 members think someone is really good and 3 members think another person is really good. We're likely to get somebody that at the council things is really good, which is about all you can ask for that situation without having the council be frustrated with the mayor. I would suggest this is a little bit in the drafting that if you do decide to do anything by lot of particularly this one. >> the rule provide that once you've drawn by a lot and you have a and that the council make a motion to accept. What basically just happen by random choice. If if that is the way you decide to go with us, that's probably what you will see coming back for me is just to go ahead and have you all. Adopt the the random choice so that you have a vote and a majority. >> That's where MacDonald. Thank you, mayor. >> So I think looking at this, if I'm looking at the most fair process, I have to be honest, my motion in reverse order of nomination, can kind of be dictated or look like it could be dictated based upon the presiding chair and who they called for the nominations first or last. So we do want to put our mayor and that position. I think just for looking at chances, Aaron c from the dais on on

any of the choices, whether it be for the mayor position. Vice mayor position or for looking for an appointment. I've been in both seats and seeing how the voting is gone. And it's very confusing not just to those of us are here on the dais, but to the public as well. If I'm looking at process of elation, elimination would tie those decided by a lot. I don't think that drying a rock out of a bag should choose who another councilmember is to see who's going to be filling the seat. And so I'm looking at the rain choice voting because they think it gives us an option as to who would be first and second choice on the dias or in any of the positions of its to fill position. If you had 17 people that applied for it or even 6 people, you can go through the rounds quicker and it makes it much more clear. You vote one time. What I'm hearing with the it Department, there's a way for us to vote one time and then the process is sort of figure it out. My question on ranked choice voting is if you only have 2 people, what do we do then and ranked choice voting? It's just a regular vote. Isn't that correct? >> Where you would each if if you adopted a ranked choice voting, you had 2 applicants. Each of you would would rank your choices. So some of you MAY rank them first. And the second some of you MAY rank the first in a second. And so then it would be pretty straightforward. I don't. I and I did. And if you have

that high other than you had a tie. The clarification on the language on ring trace voting needs to be clarified. I believe so. If you only have 2 people that are nominated that accept the offer. >> And a nation, I think that you have to look at who breaks that tie. Is it a choice by lot, which I don't agree with or is it the presiding chair at the mayor that breaks a that high in in a ranked choice voting. If you have 2 people and I think that's the part that's not clear on any of these is what do you do if you only had to 3? It's pretty clear how ranked choice voting let go. But I don't see how you make it clear without that. If you end up with a tie again, well, it's it's possible that you end up with that high income mathematically possible that you would end up in a >> High depending on how you all voted to even if you had said as it should be for 3, should be automatically. If you only choose one in a seven-member. But if does it mean that every person must vote for one. >> Well, so there's 7 of us. So should never be a tie in less. Somebody is absent. If we're going to that vote so that that's what I worry about, more than anything is what if we're not all here, what happens? And we only have 6 or because that's not clear in the language. >> Or if we are, although Ting, we must all vote one. If there's only 2 positions, I just think that for clarification in the language. >> On ranked choice voting, all of those scenarios have to

be spelled out so that it's very clear to us as the voting or to the public on how we're doing the process because that's where it gets so muddied. So if there's only 6. Who breaks the vote then or how do you do it? If there's 7, everybody must vote one. If there's only 2. And then I think that would be clear enough if I'm doing it right in my head right now, Chris. Councilmember Rogers, thank you. I I think because this is a study session. I think there's a lot of >> weeds that we can get into. And I do want to hear from the public as well. But just for me, I think the easiest way for us to fix this Shelve the ranked choice conversation for now. If we want to bring it back, fine but addressed the last point which is the make it up right? And I think that what could work and I'd love to hear from the public every member is required to vote so that whether it's 7 weather at 6, they're required to cast a vote for one of the candidates. The mayor can call for the vote. But at any point, if a majority of council members declare impasse. So if you're stuck 3 to 3, we've had multiple votes and nobody is budging. The of 4 council members that they were clearly at an impasse. You draw lots that way. It gives council the opportunity to be the adult in the room and compromise. And if there is no compromise to be had you declare impasse. You can even write in there. You have the option to see if there's a majority of council members who would prefer to send it for the for the appointment to send it to a special election, which you've already had one

option for that off-ramp. You could say if there's an impasse, council can see it. There is a majority vote to send to a special election. And if not dry rocks. At that would be my suggestion by love to hear the public way in. Councilmember Alvarez. I do. I do understand what you're saying, Chris. And in fact. >> a little confused by hearing my colleges. It seemed as though every different situation where there is using Mayor Vice mayor or board or commission member kind of. Require different style voting. For example, if we were going for mayor, our vice mayor, there should be 7 was present on the guys and well, if we should have to work and and during normal election, such as we had. Correct. Right NOVEMBER 5th, we should have So most of So this should be so nervous. Your PRESIDENT Voting for next mayor. If we all have to vote, if we all have to vote for one. But that is. We write. But if we if right on As travel yeah, the song. Yeah, but nope. I'm thinking and thinking that case scenario where we have 7 members were present. And we're all vulnerable for one. 3 of us. But for one, the other 3 vote for the one. There you have a tie. So it'll be one outstanding right? 3, 3, want. On scenario. We will vote for the 2, 3, of the 3 3, we have 7 members. It impossible for us to have a tie in that scenario. But I do understand what you're saying. If if the singer was it was a 3, 3, What is impasse? And I do agree with you of a lot with this be coin drink glass

of one of the fastest and whatever. Maybe I do understand your purpose of once we get to that point, the shifty, yes, Mike samples are great. Every time. Know, should be a way to formally that. But in regards having 17 or 7 member or 17 applicants for position. I let's bring up the rent choice. But I do see the point of it in regards to nominations for for the mayorship or vice Mayor ship 5 full accounting principle. First in first out. I definitely like that option because of the situation has been presented. That also in someone's gonna be wave when for another person to nominate and it's going to can hold up the longest. I definitely do see that strategy being being forthcoming and I would want to see that happened. Just, you know, who's got the best game face opposed to just take months come. First nomination comes in first will come out. But I do. I do agree with the part of the lot. And I do see the purpose of you having brought this forward. And I do see why the soupy addressed. >> Thank you. I do have a question. If we're taking nominations in the order that they are received. >> Most of the time we have nomination or a motion on the table. We take that one. We don't even entertain their being. Another one. So then how is everyone to me? That's the reason why you do it in reverse because you let everyone get there their nominations out because normally if you if you make a motion, then you take that motion, you don't even listen. To the other people. >> So rose and birds deals with nominations a little

differently than just a regular motion. So nominations basically and and your process deals with nominations differently. So there's an opportunity for. Ok now we're going to take nominations who has it? And each one, you know, typically requires a second requires the person when you're voting among yourselves to accept the nomination. And and so you collect all your nominations until that process is finished or the mayor decides that that we're aware moving on from that. So now, you know, you either have one nominee you have 2, 3, 4. We have, however, depending on the circumstance, how many you could have? So when you're talking about taking him in order in which they received, it's because you're not making a motion. You're basically you're basically nominating and the nomination gets a second. It's not actually a motion. You would then take them. By motion wanted to time. So in this situation where you had 3 nominees, they all had seconds. And those individuals excepted, he would take them by motion. And if you did them in the order in which they were nominated. The whoever made the first nomination, that would be the first motion. Whoever made the second nomination that would become the second motion. And so on. If you take them in reverse order, it would be the opposite of what I just said. The last nomination. Would go first. And the first nomination would go last. >> Okay. And then another question I had is. Even if we. >> Rock out of the bag. At the end, do I still get the opportunity to vote on that rock? So like if unc n?

>> Are tied. Put you in the bag. We pull out. You do. I still get the opportunity as a council member to vote or not? Or is it by default just because of the rules. Now I have voted for you because what if I really don't want you? I still love the opportunity to say. I am not voting for. >> And so I'm assuming when you used the cm and myself as an example, that was just a random example because none of this deals with how you would appoint city attorney or no, okay. I just want to make sure that that was just, you know. I don't know where Mickey Mouse and goofy here. And so you can tell me which one you are city manager now other one. Okay. Get my long years going So I just wanted to clarify that mostly for the public. But I was assuming that with that we were just using that as an example. So and I I would suggest certainly when it comes to picking a council member of council, if you're appointing, you all are picking someone. As I had mentioned before, I would suggest after you do the draw lots that then the your process says that you that there would then be an opportunity for a motion and a second vote on the person who was selected by lot. You could certainly the draft that into we could drop that into whatever process you use for mayor and vice mayor and frankly, for appointments. If you're going to go in that direction. You know, you MAY get in a situation where you draw lots and you vote and you end up with that high again,

right? You could end up with a tie again. If you do that. So that would be the risk. Is that nobody wants to accept the role that you drive that you drop by lot. So. That would be the downside. I think the upside is is that if people respect that you are truly at impasse and that you. Had adopted a rule that said you do it by lot. And that we take a motion that you MAY end up with some folks who feel like, well, they would rather the other candidate they need to respect the process. So I'm not sure that would happen every time. So it's theoretically possible. I don't know. I don't know how any particular councilmember would deal with that particular situation. >> Looking to council to make sure it's okay that we can go to public comment and then come back for further discussion after we hear what the public has to say. So with city clerk, MAY please And a public comment. Thank you, Mayor. We are now taking public comment on item 5.3. If you are in council chambers would like to comment. >> But have not yet provided a speaker card or your name. Please make your way to podium. You have 3 minutes and a countdown. Timer will alert at the end of that poll period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you choose to do so. The first public comment will be from Dwayne. >> My name is Duane de Wit. I'm from Roseland. This is a letter I received close to 5 years ago when 19 people applied for a vacancy on the city council. That was before

districts were in place. I believe the most fair process for the taxpayers and the voters is to have an election of the electorate direct electorate to vote for the position that needs to be filled and whatever district a member has resigned from or left due to health reasons. I don't think you'll get more than a few candidates any given time for those elections in the past. The rationale to not do that, he's been well, it costs money. That's the point of government for the taxpayers to be able to decide how the money is going to be spent. It's the best thing to let them be the ones who elect the representative for their district with that in mind. The other approaches. Ranked choice voting for filling other positions is one of the better approach is to take because you can definitely show the transparency. Sure everybody what's occurring and make it continue to happen through the process. I'll tell you my personal preferences. We should have a direct elected mayor and it should be for 4 years. And then we should have the vice mayor's be elected. The typical way you're doing now. I would also state that I feel it's best to really involved the public as

much as possible in the choosing of what are known by you. As our leaders. So the public should be the ones making that choice in a direct election. It's only 60 days from their vacancy. A rising when you go for the election. And that's not going to be that much time for the district to be out without a representative. This will be the best way to do it, even though it might be a little bit more costly. One of the main things that always comes up when you hear about these things is what we have to get the best representative. Well, hear who you got. You've got old school city Hall insider, a good old boy, old white guy. Who was in that position for a while. Richard down. Nice guy. But I'm pretty much tired old white guys being in charge everything. And I don't want to be that guy. That's going to go there. So, you know, I'm not going to be coming down here to try to get on the council. I'll let you know that all my comments have been said so that we can get young people, a very diverse nature to be leading our government here in Santa Rosa, which is far more diverse than our council is. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mayor. Mc no one else approach the podium for public comment on this item. Bringing it back to council will start with councilmember out for us. >> I think all reiterate the part of the lot, our purpose of our conversation today is to figure out what happened, what we just tell me. The lot seems to be the solution that I've heard. Presented. It makes the most sense. I do understand the part of the

elections. Special election. And I believe there's a certain time. Frame with then election cycle that, well, what I should be an option for us, isn't it? Or 60 days from the comments. But is there Mondays? >> So the and I do want to clarify this 60 days under our charter is the amount of time you have you have to appoint if you don't appoint within 60 days, then you are obligated to call a special election. That doesn't mean the a special election would actually happening within 60 days. And I'm quite sure that it would. And that's not really enough time for the whole process to occur. I can. Maybe the clerk can tell me off the top of her head. I don't have the elections code in front of me. How long the minimum amount we would need for a special election. But I think you're probably looking at least 88 days if not more than that, and that would mean. That we would have to bring the resolution draft and bring a resolution in front of you call the special elections. So I you know, we if we were going down and interview route, we probably wouldn't also want to be going down. You know, draft and bring everything in case you all decided to go a special election. I would say if if we go the interview route, then directing us to call a special election. If you reach an impasse and then we would bring that item back to you is probably the way to go. Otherwise you are probably going to be using a quite a bit of staff resources and its staff is doing that. They're probably not getting something

else done. So I can see a scenario where I have seen in my experience council see this question differently about whether to appoint or call a special election. Some of that is the expense. Some of it MAY be. How much of the council member who vacated Sturm is left. So in this case, we do have an election coming up in NOVEMBER. And if we backed up a little bit right, if we backed up a little bit say to JUNE 8th, Ave one of the council members. Isn't up for election needed or wanted to vacate their office. This is decision of the council MAY look very different if we've already having an election and you could add that basically on top of an election, you already have. It MAY look different the council member who vacated had only a small portion of their term left. And so the appointment would only be for a short period of time. And so I have seen councils really look at specifics of the situation. How long the appointment would last one is our next election. How much is it going to cost to do this and really weigh all of those factors? So I think there might be situations where calling an election MAY feel like not the right solution. And even if generally speaking, that would be your overall preference. So so I would caution you to sort of think about how those

factors MAY set before you a stab Lejeune that says every time are always going to call a special election. >> And with that in mind, what is the difference of cost? With calling a special election opposed to the cost of resources to set up a a special voting by council. >> It's it's absolutely not comparable. I mean, I think you're probably looking at a couple of days of it time. I mean, if it's a week, I would be very surprised it if I don't know if it folks are here, but I think it's a couple of days of time. Elections can be quite expensive. If you are in the fortunate position to be able to tag on to an election that is already happening. Like you are called a special election here. For valid measures and it's being consolidated with our general election and our election, the statewide election. That is the cheapest way to go. But even that is tens of thousands of dollars and the clerk might be able to do a little better. We would not be talking about that much staff time. If you are having a special election that's not on cycle with any other election. It is very expensive because I I don't know whether you're looking at. I don't want to venture to guess, but I think it's many multiples of. That figure. I just threw and the voter turnout tends to be. Can't speak to what it would be in Santa Rosa, but the voter turnout on those kinds of special elections tends to be. Not terrific because people typically go to

the polls when there's a lot more to be voted on than a one-off special election. And so sometimes you feel like you're allowing the voters to vote and that when you look at how many people showed up at the polls, you might think that maybe this isn't as much of a choice of the electorate as you had in mind. So MADAM City, attorney? >> Can we looked to MADAM City clerk to give us a minimal out approximate. Approximately We would I don't have a dollar amount. But the city, if we are not consolidating with any other election, we bear the burden of all printed materials. Populating the vote center staff. All the time that they via the Registrar of Voters Office has to put into holding a special election. The city would bear that burden entirely. It's not distributed across other counties. Are other city agencies that are holding an election. Thank you. Creepy. Councilmember Rogers. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. Nothing that we're suggesting is going to preclude the ability of the council to call a special election. That's that's not the intention. So just want to keep us from going too far down that rabbit hole that will still be an option. My suggestion and I be interesting to see if council members are interested in it. And obviously anything that you bring back. We have to approve in an open hearing or an item. But my suggestion would be that we establish ranked choice voting where you have the top rank, your top 3

out of the eligible candidates. So for an appointment, whether it's to a council seat or to a board or commission eligible people are people who applied. For mayor Vice mayor. You ask if somebody is willing to accept a nomination. So top 3 out of council members who are willing to accept a nomination for Mayor Vice mayor ranked choice voting and then all of those circumstances, if you reach impasse, if we cannot reach agreement, a majority of council members can declare impasse and instead Dropbox. So was that ranked choice voting? If you have 2 or more? So if you have to, it's a straight up vote. I mean, that's that's the answer. You don't. New ranked choice voting if you only have 2 candidates. You just 3 or more. Yeah. So ranked choice for 3 or more qualified are eligible candidates. >> All right. Any other comments? >> And this for clarification, could Chris. Chris, the do see some of the Tricia might arise. And U.S. Voting for mayor being similar to the situation that might arise. War or commission or there's a difference between possibly 7 people be nominated for Mayor. Soon to people being. Looking for position on the board or commission because I feel like like one definitely merits the rent ranked choice voting. But as council members. I almost feel like we've done a good job of. Taking the first to 4 are the or down within 3 votes. I'm wondering if. The

ultimate intent is still. AUGUST. Intent is one. But if path to get there as efficient. With the right voice right choice. Well, those are just going to votes. >> I think 2 things, one, it certainly cleaner than our current process, which looks better to the public. And 2, there's quite a bit of discussion or evidence that ranked choice voting ends up with more people feeling satisfied with the outcome, right? It doesn't. It's not. First past the post where you have, you know, it's my way or the highway. It's there's compromise that allowed or at some consensus building. That's why I'm interested in it. And you are guaranteed in Santa Rosa to never have more than 6. I guess that's not true. If the if the mayor leaves, you could theoretically have a new person come in and be eligible suit have 7. But for the most part, for all practical purposes, you have at most 6 council members who eligible to serve as the next mayor. And are crafty. Yeah. Just for the sake expediency backup Councilmember Rogers and proposing. For the first portions of council vacancies and council boards or commissions appointments. I'm in agreement. A problem still need some convincing on the other on the 3rd with mayor and vice mayor. But I'm not opposed to bring it back at a later date. We have to vote on it anyways or not, is it anything right now? So I'm good with it. I would like to bring it back, but I do not want to do rank choice voting for the mayor. >> Vice Mayor. So. I'm okay

with the first 2. 3rd one I don't want to do ranked choice voting. I don't think there's enough the best and I think we should. We can come up with a consensus who we have serve as our. Mayor and vice Mayor Councilmember MacDonald. >> I think for clarification on the ranked choice voting for that the appointments, even as the bank council member and see that would be something I think is still a good way to go from this perspective. Cause you actually do have only 6 when you're making the appointment. So you have a better chance of having a tie. And that's specific circumstance when we're trying to make an appointment. I'm not interested in doing a special election. If you have a short-term, the current language think it's as you serve out the rest of that term and then you must run in the following terms. So we'll just use me for an example. I was only councilmember for 8 months before I had to run a true election to be seated for the short term. We don't even allow the full 4 years after that. So I think that that's good way to go. The special elections for my understanding could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. So I would not be interested incurring that cost. Well, I think it's important to have representation from each district. I just want to be clear on that specific cost to us. And I'm I'm comfortable doing ranked choice voting for any of the seats that were doing because you could end up having 6 people nominated and accept a nomination for mayor or vice mayor. And I think for

us to be able to eliminate 3 right out of the gate or doing being able to do it that way just makes it so that it's us with your process. Thanks. >> Member Plumbing, thank you. I support everything that Councilmember Rogers said. I would also add But the mayor suggested about. Not applying right choice boating to the mayor. Vice mayor thing. That doesn't make a lot of sense when there's not a lot of candidates event. That's just not that complex. And then I would just suggest something for the council to consider when we hear this item MAY be putting in there because to Councilmember Rogers Point where we're trying to reduce friction amongst the council were trying to create consensus with the community. We're trying to be really transparent. So I think that and these decisions are really difficult. They're really fraught and they do the opposite of all those goals. So in order to reduce that, I would consider asked the council to consider saying that if if a person resigns with in 180 days of the NOVEMBER election that automatically it goes to the people. So that gives us a, you know, not a lot of it. Opportunity. I mean, it's totally possible that it's less likely that the council be put in the position of picking. Those are my thought. >> Your people 180 days essentially. I'm saying that if let's say use councilmember Crappie, quit last month. The council wouldn't take up this issue. This council. It's a there's a NOVEMBER election in his district can choose in NOVEMBER. We're not going to get in the middle of this one. Well, as long as there's enough time to get on the ballot, of course, it has to be 90 days out. But I'm gonna

call Councilmember to say the only thing that I think is a problem with that. >> Is that for that 180 days, your district will have a representative essentially like they just don't have anyone. I mean, we're all going represent because where a vote, but they won't have a representative in I see that there could be a problem with that. If we're looking at issue for a specific district in that district doesn't even have a representative. Hear you. The reason I'm suggesting it, though, is because when the council picks the council heavily weighs in and tips the scale and it's the person who we choose then has the power of the incumbency rather than the people getting to that. Still the people, if they have more name recognition, more experience. I think that. It's always better for the people to pick one. We don't have to get in the middle of it. Councilmember Rogers. Yeah, I'm just gonna reiterate. I think that that's a rabbit hole that we don't need to go down. The issue that we're trying to solve is not whether or not the council should call a special election or doing appointment. >> I suggest not changing that portion and tying the council's and but let the people who are sitting there at the time that they have to make a decision make an informed decision based on the information of the circumstances that arise. I'm not sure if I heard for people interested in ranked choice voting for the mayor, if not the other thing that I would suggest that would make the process much cleaner is that council members. Cannot make a motion or second themselves. It can only make one motion or second. And the reason being for all practical purposes at the end of the motion period

you can at best have 2 candidates that then it becomes a straight up and down vote and whoever gets the most votes it looks cleaner to the public to do that, which again is what I'm trying to do is make sure that there's a transparent process. We're at the end of it. People understand how the mayor vice mayor is being selected. And so if ranked choice isn't the path the council wants to go, that is another path that we could go that make sure that we end up with 2 nominees essentially at most for mayor and a straight up and down vote. The majority going forward rather than sort of a long drawn out process. >> ask a question. Number for can you walk me through? How it's only possible that there would be 2 nominees for mayor. I see that scenario laid out that there could be 3. >> So you same for all practical purposes. So if you are somebody who is accepting nomination but can't make a second and can't make a motion for yourself. That puts 3 people in one camp for lack of a better way to put it. 3 people in another that makes it challenging, especially if you could only make one motion or 0nd, end up. At most having 3, 3, with one person sort of has that floater, if you did not say if basically current process where you can make as many motions as you want, make as many seconds as you want, then you can have as many candidates as you have council members. But by saying you can only do one, you have to pick one from ocean and that you cannot make a motion or second yourself. The only way that you'd end up with 3 is if the person who has a motion a second decides to be nice to

make a motion and then the other person has a motion and a second decides to be nice and make a second. Then you could theoretically end up with 3. But like I said, for all practical purposes, if you're accepting the nomination, you have a motion and a second, you're probably not going to be making an extra motion to put in a 3rd candidate. I didn't. Thank you. Has been broken. People. >> I'm going bring that option back of to discuss it later, date. Number of arrests just Councilmember Rogers brought this idea. I do want to know reiterate the part of the 5, 0, first nomination and for some a nation out. So we're now if there's a 3, 3, camp, we're not waiting to see nominees for some other when passed and make their nomination. Thank you. >> One more thing data as well. The other thing that I hate about our process that would love an opportunity is the way that we do the discussion, the motions. There's no real discussion. You have public comment and you make motions and so making sure that it's clear in the process, the council members have an opportunity to actually discuss before they make motions. City attorney. >> So I I would like maybe a little more clarity as to I think I'm very clear about what you'd like to see. Come back when everything except your mayor and vice mayor are you? I think Councilmember Okrepkie said you'd like to see something come back for further discussion. Is that are you asking for another study session or you asking for us to? Bring an item for you to talk about bring you options. Bring U.S. Options. Presumably would have a discussion with these options abroad for sure. So the option I have is there's ranked choice voting for Mayor. I'm kind of hearing that's not

really where you want to go. We have the option that Councilmember Rodgers just pose, which would Council members Tuohy making one motion or one second, but not one of each. For mayor and vice mayor process. And is there and and can't make a motion or second for yourself. And the options we are talking about here did eliminate in any way the option to for council to decide to call a special election where there is a vacancy. And if you adopted a rule that was along the lines of the one that was just discussed, which said in advance parameters about time frames when you absolutely call a special election and you put that in your rules. Your next council is free to take a vote and do something other than that. You aren't going to be able to. Bind. Another council to that approach. If another council sees it differently. So I just wanted to let you know that there's nothing we're doing today or this conversation that with any way limit the choice to call a special election. We're really just talking about. What you do when you get here on the dias, you've decided to appoint and you've got stuck. >> Due to the Brown Act. I do not agree with the not being able to nominate or second. It. You're still one of 7. We still have a vote. So I'll just put that out because you're only able to speak to so many people to begin with. I don't think that it would be a problem. To nominate

yourself or to second Although I don't really know who nominates themselves, but I don't think they should be a problem to nominate or second yourself. But that's just my. My $0.2. >> Alright, look at council to see if there any additional comments and seeing Thank you. Very >> Because we are after 04:00pm. >> We're going to begin our regular. >> City clerk, did you need any time in between? So we can just roll All right. Perfect. So we're going to go ahead go to item 7, which is our report. Study in closed sessions. So MADAM City attorney and city manager. >> Thank you, MADAM You just held 3 closed sessions. It's the 3 listed on your agenda and we just now completed them in terms of in terms of the closed sessions going in reverse order here. We had 2 closed sessions that there's no reportable action from closed session. >> MADAM City Clerk, can you please facilitate public comment? Thank you, mayor. My apologies. We are now taking public comment on item 7. If you wish to provide public comment and have provided a speaker card, please make your way to the podium. You have 3 minutes and a countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for the public record. If you choose to do so. Seeing no one approached the podium. Thank you. Will now proceed to item 8, which is our proclamation for this afternoon, which I have the privilege. >> As throughout the United States the week starting on the 3rd Monday of SEPTEMBER is recognized as national

pollution prevention week. And whereas throughout much of California cities, counties and other stewardship organizations are recognizing the 3rd week of SEPTEMBER as Creek Week. And we're at that 238 creek sent approximately 3500 residents of the Russian River watershed are connected to mutually support each other, making the Russian River along with it. Tributaries and associated features important resources to the people of Sonoma and Mendocino counties and were asked pollution in the form of trash and debris, chemicals from industry in everyday living and sediment from construction. Many land uses and activities all have the potential to degrade the quality of and the quality resources within the Russian River watershed. And whereas. The city of Santa Rosa strives to protect our land and waterways through ongoing pollution prevention outreach to raise awareness of the harmful effects of pollutants to our natural system. Now, therefore, it. Natalie Rogers, myself, mayor of the city of Santa Rosa on behalf of the entire city Council recognizes SEPTEMBER 16th through SEPTEMBER 22nd 2024. As pollution prevention week. And proclaims SEPTEMBER 15th through SEPTEMBER 20, 0st 2024 as Creek Week in the city of Santa Rosa and asked all members of our community to

support efforts to protect our watershed health by participating in the Mini Creek Week activities and to take steps to reduce pollution care for our environment throughout the year. All right. So I will ask whoever is accepting this proclamation. You MAY make a comment at this time in following that. MADAM. >> City clerk, if you can facilitate public comment. >> Good afternoon. Thank you. Mayor Rogers and members of the Council. My name is Michael Scenery, knee natural resource specialist when the water Department storm water in creek steam. Creek Week is an annual celebration of our creeks watersheds in the oceans with many stewardship organizations throughout California, hosting events to help raise awareness of the harmful effects of pollutants to our natural systems for over a decade. Creek Week has offered. On educational events and volunteer creek cleanups to the residents of Santa Rosa. To kick Off Creek Week. This year will be leading guided nature walk along Santa Rosa Creek beginning at Flat Rock Park on Sunday, SEPTEMBER 15. In more recent years. The downtown Underground tours have kind of become the highlight of our creek weeks to further increase our capacity for these events. We decided to host to open House style underground tours this year on Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 17 and Thursday, SEPTEMBER 19. Residents are welcome to come. Explore the culverts that run beneath City Hall any time from 04:00pm to 06:00pm on those days. On Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 18 city staff will

compete for a chance to earn the coveted Trash Cup trophy. We will have cleanup stations with supplies staged near municipal buildings. Downtown along center is a pre cut. Prince Moral Greenway and Stony Point Road as well as a lot the unit. Just Santa Rosa's gonna treatment plant. Finally will be capping off week on Saturday, SEPTEMBER. 21st. But the cleanup along the Prince Morial Greenway on Santa Rosa Creek. We do ask that anyone who is interested in attending one of these events to please visit our website. >> As our City Dot Org, Slash Creek week to register for anyone that cannot attend one of our in-person events. We have several at-home activities listed on our website for you to participate from home as well. Thank you for your time. We hope to see what one of our vets. >> Thank you. We are now taking public comments on item 8.1. If you are in the council chamber him and like to comment but have not yet provided a speaker card or your name. Please make your way to the podium again. You'll have 3 minutes in the countdown. Timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for public record. If you choose to do so. The first public comment will be from. >> Hello, my name is doing win and I want to thank the staff for doing these creek weeks, especially appreciative how they've been able to do this for longer than just one time. We also need to give some props to the parks department. The people that are also going out there and picking up the trash in the debris that's left by transient vagrants who are camping along creeks and in parks. Youve got city staff are very dedicated to doing this. Unfortunately, once they've finished doing these

good works frequently. Those irresponsible trance invaders come back Start throwing the pollution down. I hope you're looking to doing some of trash cup competition at Roseland Creek where Saint Rose of water did a clearing of the. Underbrush and the under story along the creek, Ed McMahon Avenue, Burbank Avenue area. Very important. These really nice people and it's so good for all they're doing. Thank you. And I'm glad you're getting this proclamation. >> Thank you, Mayor. Mc no one else approach the podium for public comment on this item. Thank you very much. I would like to welcome those receiving the proclamation today down. To take a picture with the council. If you wish to do so. >> It will now continue on to item 9, which are staff briefings for today. MADAM City manager. >> Item 9.1 summer 2024. Update from the recreation and Parks Department. Readings mayor and council. >> I'm happy to have this opportunity to provide an update regarding our spring and summer activities. Dante Watson, your recreation and parks director for the city of Santa Rosa, Recreation and parks. Usually the line. I'm gonna jump straight into talking about bpp. I know this is very brief. I want to acknowledge the work of Daniel Garden knows in the chambers as well it team and some of the talk about the 3 bullets you see here. Give me ever guiding people successfully program. Which currently has 193 actor referrals. 41 of

those which we receive from probation received over 150 from 9 from Asian sources, primarily our neighborhood services program staff as well as our partners in the Violence Prevention Partnership of the numbers that I've mentioned. We received 7 new referral since the beginning of the fiscal year. Also want to talk about points of contact for v p p relative to their intervention activities. They've had 316 points of contact. And typically these include I even and circle that school's field trips as well as campus visits. Other milestones to highlight in relation to the safe Campus Intervention program. We close the school year last year with 44 responses to schools, staffed and respond based upon a tiered response system. The first year being rumor control second tier being incident. I assume potential incident response and the last being actual incident response of the 44 visits. 33 of them are actually tier one and 2. So they were prior to enact an incident actually occurring. Additionally the bp was awarded 2 grants from Sonoma County, one in the amount of $21,000 to expand the youth empowerment circles on campus. And also $25,000 to bolster the tattoo removal program. And then lastly, in terms of thing, this coming up for bpp, we have the choice cycle, 12 funding recommendations will be coming for you the next meeting. And also we have a current rfp for street outreach in crisis response which intend collect the wrist results of that at the end of the month and review and move

forward with that process. Please move on to the next slide. You see all of these different working groups here are folks who work in our different units that are that are listed here. And really this next story is a story of passion. It and committed. Professionals. For me is is great to go around to as I moved around in the summer and went to the various locations. I see a level of synergy that's taking place. I see folks again that are passing it and prideful about giving back. I see a lot of our young people out in the parks who actually many of them were participants. And now they're have become young staff and they're able to intern kind of pay it forward, so to speak and give younger kids, the experiences that they were able to have. So our again, the story really here is about the messaging of the department, but I will give you some stats and then I'll kind of give you 3 anecdotes. The county encapsulate overall. What what is that? We're trying to convey. So obviously, you know, we were super busy. For this spring and summer season. We had nearly 13,000 red registration for a variety of different programs. As you can see, whether camps are enrichment programs are quite And so for. We had nearly 30,000 hours of volunteer service from Santa Rosa teens. Through our work experience program. We had another 1300 volunteers contributing to approximately 10,000 hours of volunteer service through our volunteer program and over $45,000, hours of permit rouse and our parks and recreation centers for events and activities. We had additional approximately 200,000 dropping news is that our pools, senior centers and are Howard Park attractions? Clearly, as I stated all the

above, it is not possible without the dedication, hard work and the collaboration of our administrative staff, our maintenance staff who see some of them in here today. Thank you for joining us. I see MISTER Castro as well. Appreciate you. Superintendent Castro, our maintenance program, staff. And as I mentioned, are season lows down. We can't expand our reach and serve the hundreds or even thousands folks that we serve in the summer. If we don't have our seasonal staff as a significant contributing piece of that. So as I say, I want to give 3 quick anecdotes. I'm gonna talk about Powers Park so far this season, Howard Park has sold over 76,000 tickets to the trained the Carousel. Animal Barn and down over 2500 boat rentals. And so one was to go out to the park. You would see our coordinator there, Leah Stewart, as well as her temporary staff are skewed near seasonal staff. Doing a great job running the park. What one? What one MAY not is the support that they receive from our administrative staff, paying the invoices and doing the business on the back and forth. Also what one would and sees the hundreds of hours spent. Byron maintenance staff cleaning the restroom, repairing crucial equipment. The animal barn conducting state required inspections and so regular maintenance and so on and so forth. So obviously, because of all this collaborative effort, that's why Howard Park is certainly one of the jewels of our system and additional anecdote I want to share obviously you you all I'm sure are aware. You MAY not be aware, but we have obviously one of the largest softball leagues in Northern California. This this past summer was a great

success, was no different in that. We had 130 teams represent approximately 2000 players participating in over 500 games and play to 6 ball fields across our city. So again, we have our staff can trick contributing at every level. We have a recreation staff are coordinating registration. The schedules keeping staff that scorekeepers. We have our administrative staff, securing contracts for umpires come out and facilitate the games and activities. And then obviously we have our parks, maintenance spend their hot days, preparing the field and not to mention after our rainy season, they span approximately 250 hours just recovering those spaces from the winner and getting it ready for the summit, even be ready host all of aforementioned. And then lastly, I want to highlight our of our volunteer program. A one of a excuse me highlight park a month park a month is really just a big work party. As I've had my own recent experience. I don't know if you know, our city manager went viral at the most recent work party so you MAY have MAY or MAY not have seen that video, but even my 14 year-old son, I was very impressed and enjoy the park in mind. It's just like I said, it's a work parties and a great opportunity to allow members of the community to engage with Park staff that maybe have a snow cone here. A little bit of music just really contribute back to to our parks and so want to talk a little bit about that. Things that were accomplished through a park in my program. I'm giving them a step back. I want to talk about the collaborative effort that brings out about and then to

give you some stats. So as I indicated, our team of apartment is a monthly program. Our team is preparing on a weekly basis discussing in preparing for the next go around. So and then that different parts of our team again is not just our park maintenance staff who obviously will be front and center at the star of the show related the part Park Park a month. But there's a lot of other folks behind the scenes are recreation staff are doing things like promoting overseeing the registration there there the they're capturing the volunteers so we relay information just like laying here to you today about the things that we're accomplishing at. How many folks were coming out. We saw this past year, 320 volunteers provide nearly 1000 hours of volunteer work that included things like removal of 60 yards of weeds. 58 trees were planted. We have 50 yards of mold spread. We had 6 yards of litter that was picked up and we have 40 gallons of paint that was used to be to fire I mean, these 3 examples. I just, you know, they just kind of speak to what I said in the beginning is just what I see when I'm very pleased with is our team is just really coming together as truly as a unit as one department and truly working together and collaborating and displaying a level teamwork that I'm certainly very pleased about. I move on to the next side. Alright, started show Cip. I'm gonna talk about our current projects for someone to start with the Luther Burbank, home and Garden just across the street. There, which I want to say about 98 99% complete say

for a few items to still be complete punch list items, if you will. Also have our family Aquatic Center, which the spray ground is still in the process of being completely expect that to be complete next month. And both of those projects together combined represent about 7 million dollars. Now as we move on to a 2025 projects. So we have 6 projects under construction. Aren't excuse me under construction are planning in the coming year with estimated combined total value of 13 million plus, these will be funded from a combination of park development, impact fees. Ada finds parks for all tax measure measure Ham and grant funds. To the both of the first to use or not the first to see, but that floor and also South Davis, a neighborhood part both of these are playground replacement. And so as far as timeline, we we have respectively 100% and 90% plans on those 2 projects. We have bid target days of this month for the former and it's NOVEMBER for the latter for south us. Part. And we're anticipating construction to begin in spring of 25, 2025. For both of those projects. Also, we have our Cohen, a springs community Park Garden project that will provide a much anticipated additional community Garden. For that one. We currently have 100% plans. We have a big target date of OCTOBER of this year and we can. Unanticipated construction began in the spring also of 2025, we're going to be busy in spring of

2025. As we next. These projects along we have our how Earth and Galvin tennis court slash pickleball, which is becoming forward currently we have the 40% plans. There is some subterranean things going on there. So we're trying to work through that and move that project along our bid. Target date for that one JANUARY of 2025. And we have construction anticipated to begin also in the spring. So we have the next project going to talk about his are Bennett Valley, Golf course. This is a project that we also have 40% plans target date of JANUARY 2025. And kind construction. The certainly anticipated for the fall of 2025. As well. And lastly, but certainly not least we have the Southeast Greenway Master planning project that will kick off with a request for proposals. Rfp is to go out early 2025. For the master planning process. There. Now turn to 2026. Their projects get the skinny there. 3 projects, as you can see that are scheduled to be under construction with a combined estimated value about 15 million plus funding from a combination of park development impact fees, parks for all tax measure as well grant funds. For this project will obviously develop a brand new community park and in conjunction with the Garden will certainly create a large swath of natural space, area that will provide greater access and really kind of meet some of our general plan goes relative to access to parks and for sanity, especially as we have a lot of development down in this southeast and south western portions of the city. So and not excuse me, ok? Springs, I mentioned that

big will be coming forward. Additionally in 2026, we have a mlk part being totally re envision. We're going to be replacing a playground there. We're going to be updating a sports field there. And we're currently in the process of engaging with community to try to get the feedback to to understand exactly that many of like to see the style and we look forward to also improving the adjacent trail with better lighting and such. And we were able to do this. Thanks to a landfill structure Grant were able to re. Imagine most of the of this part. And then lastly, I want to talk about of Fremont Park. Were here at culture Heritage Board not long ago as we understood, we want to maintain the integrity of kind of the history city of the part. But at the same time, we did want to modernize apart, want to improve safety. There. And we also want to add some amenities per feedback that hearing from the community. So the final plan is pending on that one as we can still undertaken engagement. But we are looking forward to move that process forward and establish a design and so on and so forth. I would just conclude was saying I have Austin teen. Guys are great. This is a great bunch of dedicated, passionate collaborative and team oriented professionals. And I'm happy and glad to lead this department. And I will yield an open for questions and comments at this time. Thank you. Look at the council to see if there any questions. Council member MacDonald. >> Just thank you for the presentation. I do have a

couple of questions. I know we have a specific camp that we run through recreations. It's cam. >> And I always ring, is it wrong? Is that What? Okay? Why do we not make more of those camps? Because it sells out in just a few mint minutes and we have this conversation every single year. And I think I keep telling you, you need to do more of these camps. Weather, you offer more slots or we offer it at different places around the city. But Im pretty sure Howard Park is big enough that we should be able to expand that program. And it's just so wildly popular that I get constant comments from constituents and community members that we need to have more about specific program because it helps with day care. I believe that the volunteers that are able to to be the camp counselors are so much good that comes around that particular program. So so that's something I'd be interested in seeing brought back to us in the future. But you mentioned a couple things director about measure and funds. And I just wanted to ask for clarification on that. You said and some of the measure and funds that some of that can be used for maintenance and not just new park development. My question to you is because we look around the city, a lot of our parks need new playground equipment. We look at some of the things that are and how Earth Park, how much of that measure and funds is appropriated for renovations on our current parks and maintaining our current parks, whether they need. A grass or

if they need replacement of am what system? Not just park, but what do they put under? That's kind of like spongy for them to play plan the mold. I don't know what it's called, but it's something. So if they fall down, they don't hurt themselves. How much a measure and funds are used for that versus just the development of new parks. >> Some of answer hopefully in general and then hopefully suffice. Can you speak closer my sorry? I'm going to provide an answer. But then I'm not at adequate, my answer, I'll I'll turn to my right to the deputy director sent off. So generally speaking as far as measure am my understanding is that measure am was set up for the purposes of generating aggregation of resources to purchase land so that you can in turn developed additional parks. Again, I talked about our alluded to the general plan goals and there are goals to have parks kind of within a certain distance based on the neighbor, you and your aunt. You certainly can also use those funds for maintenance purposes our parks. And then also you can even be used for things like fire abatement. But again, that the primary intent for those resources is to try to acquire and build new parks. >> I think just because we looking at budget constraints moving forward, I'd be interested in having that break down. Brought back to council so that we really can narrow down how much money we're being able to spend because if you're in the neighborhood park certainly wonderful that we're acquiring new parks. We want to develop new parks. But if you have nobody maintain those parks and you have nobody to take

care of them or in fact, if your current neighborhood park need some extra help and attention the I think taxpayers want to know where that money's going to. So I know we have an oversight committee and I I appreciate that work. But I don't know that that's been brought back to council side. Be interested and seeing that and as far as the presentation on what's coming forward in 2025. Is there a way for us to get more narrow timeline so that we know when these projects might be doing some grant groundbreaking. I know one that I get constantly or the tennis courts at how Earth Park. And so it looks like these are fully funded based on the 15 million dollars that you have here, however, with projects that are going out 3 to 5 years, I'd still be interested in having that money appropriated to make sure that we're actually not only starting these projects but finishing them and not trying to continuously earmark money for the next 15 years. >> Certainly our intent to move forward and accomplish exactly what I showed you here where we don't have any other intentions to try to. We're going to move forward. And and here to the plan that that you saw But I certainly can can provide information as we go along has to come status updates and where we are at any particular juncture as really part of the reason why I came in today. I want to give you all update and let you know that we certainly are moving forward and carrying out the things that charged with. When I came here. And that's certainly our intent. >> I think our community get so excited when we actually

are doing these being able to communicate kind of breakdown. That timeline is helpful. We see the excitement as we do our new roads. But I think in the Parks Department, in particular, and that's the one that really can help us tell them what we have going on. So what if I MAY? >> We'll definitely provide information via 0 as some of these developments occur. And there's other means by which we can alert council or parties to make make you aware of how moving along. >> there any additional comments or questions from council? Seeing none. Thank you very much for the present. Thank you for the opportunity meeting. >> City manager. Item 9.2. Investing now to secure our water future education and outreach campaign. I sorry. Thank you very much for being here. You can proceed. Already are. Good afternoon. Mayor Rogers and members of the council. I'm Alice Miller, Communications coordinator with Santa Rosa Water. And here with me today is. >> Director of Santa Rosa Water, Jennifer Burke. So today I will be discussing the value of water. The need to perpetually invest in our water infrastructure and the importance of the setting, appropriate water and sewer rates to secure reliable water future for our community. So just start, I want to introduce you to the Santa Rosa Water team pictured here. This is a group of professionals committed to delivering quality service and protecting Santa Rosa Waters. Future. 24 7, 365 days out of the year. This team is monitoring maintaining and improving the reliability and resiliency of our water system.

Not count. We're going continue. Thank you very Rates. >> So this is our Santa Rosa Water team. >> And and >> they are monitoring maintaining and improving other about liability and resiliency of our public water system while also adhering to strict regulatory requirements. And every year this team consistently delivers billions of gallons of locally sourced drinking water to Santa Rosa's taps. They collect street and recycle wastewater to protect your health and the environment. And they accomplish all this as they work to safeguard our watershed and take steps to address the impacts of climate change. As a public water, utilities, Santa Rosa water retains no profit. Our rates reflect the true costs of operating and maintaining Santa Rosa's complex water and sewer systems. With all the proceeds being reinvested, these rates for service currently equate to less than one penny per gallon for drinking water and less than $0.3 per gallon for wastewater collection and treatment and reuse. When customers pay their water and sewer bills, their funding, these essential services, key infrastructure improvements and our team of highly trained and skilled employees. In an effort to highlight the services that Santa Rosa Water provide star community on a daily basis. Our team relaunched our Value of water campaign in MAY to share stories about our water system. Introduce you to the people behind the pipe. And highlight ongoing investments in key infrastructure that are necessary to secure reliable

water future. About 90% of our water infrastructure is underground. Sharing this information with the community, the goals that they'll have a better understanding of the magnitude of essential infrastructure that connects our entire city. All 54,000 customers to water and sewer service. This mostly digital campaign leverages our website or city newsletter and our social media accounts to share these stories. In a share, a couple of examples of the post that we're sharing as part of this campaign are using the tagline always on meaning rain or shine. Our team is always on. So you're waters there when you need it. On the right. You'll see a Social post featuring our water operations team out in the field making a repair. We're also using the tagline investing now to secure water future. Highlighting the strategic investments we're making to improve the reliability of this critical water infrastructure. On the right is an image of our groundbreaking ceremony over 68 Million dollar uv disinfection Project. Out at are a key component of our lagoon. A treatment plant. And on the left were showing the replacement of water pipe in a neighborhood to improve the system. So to me, you more of this campaign, I encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and like ensure these post also prepared a social media tool kit for council that all share through the appropriate channels after this meeting. So why is this education campaign so important? Our health, the economy and the environment, all depend on reliable water Service and Santa Rosa water is committed to provide quality water and sewer

services. But we're facing some real challenge is related to increasing costs, new and more stringent regulations, climate change and extreme weather think floods fires, droughts and a rapidly aging infrastructure. Senator address these challenges we need to make some fiscally responsible investments in our water systems. Like much of the water infrastructure across the state, in our nation. Our water system is rapidly aging. Many parts of Santa Rosa's water and sewer systems. Including the league on a treatment plan or well over 50 years old. And based on Santa Rosa Waters, latest infrastructure report card prepared by the city's asset Management team, our water, sewer and regional water reuse system states significant capital investments ensure the reliability and resiliency. So here's our report card. This is a high level assessment of the condition of our public water system. And I just want to be clear that these grades are solely based on the physical condition of our system. This is not a reflection of our customer service or ability to operate the system. So for the water distribution system, we received a b grade, meaning it's adequate for now, but notes that an additional 20 million dollars is needed to address priority projects like water main replacements, seismic retrofits of our water tanks, the rehabilitation of groundwater Wells and pump station upgrades. For sewer collection system. We received a c plus, meaning it requires

attention and additional investment of 29 million dollars is needed to address priority projects like sewer main replacements, rehabilitation of large diameter, sewer trunk lines and lift station upgrades. The regional water reuse system that includes the Laguna treatment plant received a d plus. Meaning it's at risk and is indeed in need of an additional 15 million dollars per year for the modernization of infrastructure. And priority projects include most of the major components of that treatment plant, including a 35 million dollar investment to upgrade the electrical infrastructure at the plant. So ease the financial burden on our customers. The city is working closely with our state and federal partners. For example, Santa Rosa received a 19.1 million dollar word authorization. And is working to get approved the working to get funding appropriated. For critical Stewart trunk lining project. The project is estimated at 77 million dollars and would replace 9 miles of deteriorating trunk line that delivers the region's wastewater to the look on a treatment plant. If the trunk liner were to fail, it would not only have catastrophic impacts for community, but also the environment but additional local investments are needed to bridge the funding gap in order to prevent breaks and service disruptions. Ensure water quality and prove or seismic safety enhanced climate resiliency protector,

watershed and improve water supply, reliability and harden our infrastructure against the threat of wildfires and floods. So most of our public water systems, operation and maintenance and investment in our infrastructure or paid for by water and sewer rates. And every few years, Santa Rosa water undergoes water and sewer rate studies to ensure the rates customers are charged, reflect the true cost of providing that service. So we're in the last year of our current rate schedule. And Santa Rosa has contracted with an independent rate consultant. To complete a cost of service study and propose water and sewer rates for 2025. Through 2030, we do not know yet what those proposed rates are, but they were to take effect each year on JULY one 2025. Through 2029, if approved. So here's an overview of the process that we're undertaking for rate setting. The re consultant is currently working on water and sewer rates. Sundays and working with the internal rate task force made up of city staff on the data analysis. Initial information will be brought to the Board of Public Utilities, Budget Subcommittee and staff will work with a stub committee to develop a recommendation. That recommendation will be taken to the full board. And once recommendation is found, that recommendation will be shared with the city Council in a study session. And based on counsel's direction, a public hearing will be scheduled for the adoption of the proposed water and sewer rates. But before that public hearing customers will receive a prop to 18 notice in the mail with

those proposed rates. If to if adopted the new rate schedule would take effect on or about JULY one 2025. So to keep our customers informed throughout the process and rows of water will provide updates via our website as our city Dot org forward slash water rates through our city connection, newsletter that has over 100,000 subscribers through water bills and our social media accounts, traditional advertising and public meetings and community events. As part of our outreach to customers will share all the ways we're here to help our customers manage their bills. We have a customer service team that's available. That's the answer questions and connect customers to resources. We have our water summer portal which provides near real-time water usage data so customers can understand how and when they're using water. We have our water smart programs. Offer free devices like high efficiency. Shower heads the narrator's we provide free water, smart, in-person watersmart checkups and will create customized recommendations for customers on how they can save water. And we have a variety of rebates that are available. We also over help to others Water Bill Assistance Program which provides a discount on our water bill to income qualifying customers. So to learn more about the value of water and the rate setting process visit us or city dot org forward slash value of water. And with that, I'm happy to take any questions. Thank you very Looking to council to see if there any questions or comments in seeing Thank you very much for the presentation. Next. >> Moving on to item 9.3 City manager. >> Item 9.3 community

Empowerment Plan update. >> Good afternoon. Mayor vice mayor says City Council order that community engagement manager with the communications and Intergovernmental Relations Office also known as ceo. Today We be providing you with the community Empowerment Plan update for the month of AUGUST. SEPTEMBER. 4th, the senator is a fire department hosted the bilingual firefighter story. Rowson Regional Library. They will host a second firefighter story hour on Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 18 at Northwest Center, a celebrity from 10, 30 to 11:30am. On SEPTEMBER 14 Senator Joseph. I department. The senator was a police department, the re creation and parts apartment in Co would be tabling at the South Park Summer Day and night Festival. And my thing with a junior Memorial Park from one to 08:00pm. The festival assigned to build knowledge to cutting the public, bring in resources to the community and celebrating the South neighborhood. Well, the SEPTEMBER 15, the violence Prevention partnership. We'll bring the man knew too few civilian at the Burbank Center for the Arts from one to 07:00pm. These free community event celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, but honoring that in American countries that recognize independence doing month. On Thursday, SEPTEMBER. 26, the Violence Prevention Pregnancy Partnership in Association with Bill the Union School district will be hosting in gain. One is for the engine presentation Meadow View

Elementary School at 06:00pm. The presentation will be in English would seem will new suspension to predation accompanying the presentation will be a resource fairs doing which community-based organizations will offer information and supportive services to attendees. SEPTEMBER 28th Violence Prevention, Partnership and cereal. We participate in the 9th Best Harvest Festival at Bay to farm from 10:00am to 02:00pm. This is a community engagement with partner organizations, performances, garden tunes on workshop, art and storytelling for Children. Also on this day Santa Rosa, Fire Department would be assistance. Center a high school program with urban search and rescue education of the senators have fire training tower from city to city 05:00pm. Finally on the wildfire researchers fair, what's a grey success with an estimated 400 to 500 people attending. And 24 agencies, Oregon is an organization's all city emergency. Go back worships where attendant at capacity and they decay shuttle seminars would also it could turn out. And that concludes the community empowerment Plan. Thank Update. Thanks. Thank you very much for that presentation. Looking to council to see if there any questions seeing We will take public comment all 3 items city clerk. >> Thank you. Are now taking public comment on items. 9.1 through 9.3, if you're in the council chamber would like to comment but have not yet provided a speaker card or your name. Please make your way to the podium. You have 3 minutes and a countdown. Timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you choose

to do so. The first public comment will be from Dwayne. We're ready. Yes, sir. >> Hello. My name is doing to it. I'm from Rose and I want to thank the staff, especially the park's and rec people MR. Watson, MR. Castro, they were out there on JUNE. 11th Southwest Community Park and doing a really good job along with the city manager, Ms Smith, making good things happen. It's really wonderful to see that we're getting this team together. You're doing wonderful things. There. You can link that it was secure our water future. We have parks that are near creeks and creeks are spot where you can have storm water, retention. If you take good care of the creeks, you'll be helping to secure water future. You'll be ensuring that reliable water future that you want and also showing the value of water to youngsters. I'm very hopeful that our community engagement also begin to work with getting the youngsters out to the creeks. Out to the parks and getting them to see nature as a very positive thing, MR. Watson son, 14 year-old son walked down and saw some nature. They're in the Roseland area. There's not much left, but people are trying to save it and young people like that. So I do hope that you folks, we'll keep in mind Measure m was put together for the acquisition for the purchase of land. We need our parks out there in Roseland more sites, not just one big site, more smaller sites. That's what Rosen was promised years ago. General plan maps that we've seen over the last 3 decades, Diana's there will be more parks out there. And unfortunately, what's been happening, perhaps

due to budget constraints. There's been an idea of like we'll just do one big one. It would be one and done and that's not how it should be. It should be that you get those small parks throughout that neighborhood of Roseland, which typically from what the census might have anywhere from 14 to 16,000 people. And that 1.2 square mile area. It's really important that they get more parks, smaller parks and they be good. Pocket parks. Those work well, unfortunately tore out pocket parks here in downtown courthouse square to put parking lots. It hasn't really made things better. Look at it like nature, trees, parks, storm, water, retention. Really good things can happen with this good team. We have working now. I'm just so so happy that the parks maintenance people been able to come out there more and do more good things. And I was just informed by one person from the water department that they expect to have another Roselyn Creek cleanup a week after creeks week. So thank you so much for all of this. >> Thank you, Mayor. I'm not seeing anyone else approach the podium on staff briefing public comments. Thank you very Moving Thank you. Honor. For your update. Moving on to item to city manager and city attorney report. And we'll go ahead and start with city manager. >> Thank you. Have no updates this evening. And I have no

further updates. Thank you. Because there are no update. I do not have to do a public comment. Thank you very much. Moving on to item 11, the statements of abstention by council members are there councilmember crafty? >> Yes, your kids, item 14.1 because perceived financial conflict. >> Are there any additional extensions? All right, seeing none. We will move to >> 12 which are are mayor and council member reports. Are there any need to be given today and we'll go ahead and start with Councilmember Rogers. >> a quick report out from yesterday is cta. Our cpa meeting that I attended because councilmember curfew had a different meeting. So I was like when council members missing meeting because they have a meeting, the primary discussion was really around a strategic plan that snow McLean power put together on their implementation and especially the way that it pertains to transit recommends to the council. Both has the sep rep through having sat through the presentation, there are 3 different plans that some clean power has put forward. All of them will better inform what types of infrastructure we need to develop as we electrify everything. In particular transportation. So want to put that on folks radar. The second item is an ongoing conversation that I know Crappie has been very involved in. That's related agreement that at this point is 30 years old between Golden Gate Transit and Sonoma counties, transit operators that guarantees them a percentage of our tva are finding that we have for transit and a broader

push from our local operators to better understand the service that we are getting as a result of those dollars from gb. So it's an ongoing conversation. But the challenge is a 30 year-old contract that has a requirement that all parties to the contracting to agree to open it up for discussion. So I know Councilmember Crappie is working on it. I know Councilmember Fleming is working on a 3 m t c I just want to keep folks in the loop that that was part of the discussion. >> Thank you very much, councilmember me. Yeah. Councilmember Rogers and I met at the climate subcommittee last week and were given a comprehensive >> presentation on turf. I believe our comments. Pretty well captured by the press Democrat. But that item will be coming back to the council in the future. And I hope that everybody has a chance to look at the presentation become more familiar with the issue. Councilmember Crappie. >> Thank you very much. Has just advised by the city attorney to give a little bit more detail as to want to refuse myself. 14.1 green line landscaping is according lines. So I'll be recusing myself from that one of the things to touch is early this morning. We had the economic development subcommittee. First and foremost, I want welcome Scott Adair, who's our new economic development director. He's come down from humble. We're excited to have him. He's very well regarded as well as qualified to take on the position. We're excited to Also thank you to Joe Scott

for filling in between our full-time directors as an she did a great job splitting the responsibility between her own full-time responsibilities and taking on others. He's never needed as what she did. A great job. We received f enhance it. Financing district and downtown action organization updates as well as event. Updates of stuff going on on the But we had a larger discussion on the key performance indicators that we're going to be using to track economic development as well as at how they apply to our economic development subcommittee and and they're going pose strategic plan. Excuse me. And then got an update on the U.S. Out town, which is we are being told, will start construction of instill their start. The insulation in late q 4 of this year and into early key one of next year calendar, calendar year. So DECEMBER or JANUARY is the target for that? And it is sorely missed by many of members of this community. So we're excited to have it back. >> Councilmember MacDonald. Thank you, mayor. At a few things to report out since the last time I was here in Person. >> Sky Hawk United Community event held in a park event a while ago that had entertainment as well as it was a great we for the community to gather and this Saturday from 9 to 11, the group of be volunteering to clean the Sky Hawk Community Park. So I just want to announce that. I was really pleased to be able to go to that as rgc PRESIDENT's address this past week and

want to congratulate doctor Frank Chae on for receiving the PRESIDENT's men dying in a very well-deserved a war that he received. And he's and years and years of service for education and for the communities. I just want to congratulate him. I attended the park a month of him at all of the park. >> And and walk down along the Prince Memorial. Greenland, I just want to do is shout out. There's a large group of volunteers that take care of the Greenway and it was so clean. I could only find like a couple of cigarette butts and a lighter and I was looking for a garbage. So I want to say thank you to the staff that was there. Thank you to all the volunteers that continue to go and clean up and as MISTER Dewitte says, they can clean up one day and go back and they're still a lot of debris. And so I just want to thank them for always being so diligent along that creek. I attended the North Bay leadership are leaders. I'm sorry in North Bay. Healthy saying no, no, No Labor Council. Sorry. North Bay Labor Council breakfast and that was to celebrate all of our labor workforce. I just want to say thank you to them for hosting it. And I have a couple more things they are going to have a Santa Rosa reuse bizarre. It's on 9.28. At Findlay Park. And it's a way for people to drop off items and for people to shop for items for free. And the goal of this is to keep out useful items out of the landfill and put them back in the hands of people who need them. Instead. So it helps conserve resources as well. So if you have anything that you need to drop off it, then Leon, 9.20, you can drop off

from 9 to 12. And if you want to go shop for free from 10 to 2 on items, you might need go to Findlay Park. They said that Recology is doing this with city staff. Use the Lions the conservative court corpse North Bay. So I just want to say thank you to them for doing this great event. >> Thank you >> For my report on og 21st travel to Sacramento account city's North Bay delegation meet with legislators such as acquire Assembly member Connelly, an assembly member would to advocate for the needs of the city and also establish strengthen relationships. On AUGUST. 26, there was a police wearing in a ceremony where we welcome 3 additional officers to our department. Promote it. Sergeant Kelly Preston. Congratulations, Kelly. I will add that the department has a goal of 30 female officers by 2030 and we are currently at 28. >> In this is the most the department has ever had. Thank you to Achieve Creek in the department for all your hard work. On AUGUST 28. Coc Sonoma County Homeless coalition. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Hud has released the annual notice of funding opportunity know for the continuum of care funds which will provide up to 5.5 million to the Sonoma County

Homeless coalition the funds are prioritized for permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing coordinated entry in homeless management. Information systems. I would also like to report that coming up. On SEPTEMBER 16th at 07:00pm in. We will have the cities. >> 2024 Merit Awards ceremony. We're 11 of Santa Rosa's. Most outstanding community volunteers will be celebrated. >> So I know a lot of a lot of council members to attend that and it is open to the public. So it just really gives us the opportunity to really celebrate. >> The volunteers and we know that there are more than 11, but we are very thankful for the volunteers that we do have within our our city in our region. So for more information, you can check out. Mean, go to Santa Rosa City Dot org to receive more information. The merit awards. And with that, MADAM City Clerk, me, please so take public comment. >> Thank you, Mayor. We are now taking public comments on item the 12.1, if you are in the chamber would like to provide comment but have not yet provided a speaker card or your name. Please make your way to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes and a countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you choose to do so. An approach to Putin's for public comment. >> Thank you very much. We will go to item 12.2. Which is our board commission and committee. >> We've been it's. >> Earlier in the agenda, we have >> 3 interviews for 2.

>> 2 positions that we can actually appoint. There is a vacancy for. Hotel. When you cut the. The full name. So it is for the Santa Rosa tourism business improvement area advisory board. So there's one they can see. And we had 2 people interview for that position and we had one person interview for the Board of Building Regulations and Appeals. So we already heard those interviews and now is the time for council to choose who they will appoint Those positions. So with that MADAM City clerk, can you please with bullet a public comment on this item? >> Thank you, mayor. We are now taking public comments on item 2012.1. If you're in the chamber would like to provide public comment but have not yet provided a speaker card or your name. Please make your way to the podium. You will have 3 minutes and a countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. Marion, see no one approached the podium for public comment on 2012.1. Thank you all. Bring it back to council to see is anyone would like. >> To make a motion. >> For either both appointments. So there's 3 vacancies for the Board of building regulation. And there is one vacancy. But 2 people. For the other. So Councilmember >> Yeah. Move to approve Steven Boswell to the center of the Tourism Business Improvement Area Advisory Board. And John Gordon to the board building regulation

appeals Saint. >> We have a motion in a second. Is there any discussion from council? Seeing none? MADAM City clerk me please call the vote. >> Thank you, Mayor Councilmember Rogers know. Crappie. Councilor MacDonald. I Councilmember Fleming. Councilmember Alvarez, Councilmember staff is absent. Mayor Rogers. I don't know. Let the record show this motion fails due to a split vote with council members. >> Alvarez MacDonald creepy voting. Yes, councilmember years. Chris Rogers, Councilmember Fleming and Mary Rogers voting no. Part Adams, a clerk. I believe I voted yes as well. My apologies for the record. Councilmember McConnell voted yes as well. Make a motion. >> All nominate Stephen Boswell for the U.S. Are dba. You've nominated too. >> second the motion. Keep I'm gonna by for hate them. I second COUNCILWOMAN Councilmember Fleming's motion. >> It's the same motion. Crappie made with the xfl in without the second. So are we so are you not wanting to nominate anyone for the Board of Building Regulation and appeals. >> My issue is that I don't think we should nominate someone who didn't get to hear from today. I'm comfortable making a choice on as their d b a. We have a second. I it's absolute think you're right. Any discussion. MADAM City

clerk, the clues. Take the vote. Just to confirm that was a motion by Councilmember Fleming second by Councilmember Alvarez. >> To appoint Steven Boswell for the srt be a full council. Full service hotel operator vacancy. Thank you. Councilmember Rogers, no Councilmember Okrepkie. Councilmember I. Councilmember Fleming. Yes. Bres art. Kind of a smear step is absent. Mayor Rogers, But the records show this passes with 4 affirmative votes with Mayor Rogers and Chris Rogers Councilmember Chris Rogers voting no. >> Thank you. Moving on to item 13 approval of the minutes. We have one set of minutes before dated AUGUST, 20th 2024 counselor there. Any correction. Want to go? All right. We're going to go back. >> Clarification. We voted on one. I believe we have a vote the second position. >> Voting on second position because we only had. We can separate. >> That's what I believe okay. So would you like to make emotional now? I just want open for for conversation because of my question is if you don't vote for anybody over the process moving forward and how long can remain open for there's any timeline which we had a full deposition for. >> We'll still have 3 vacancies because this was only one person applying for 3 vacancies. So we would still have 3 vacancies.

>> my question. Would you like to make a motion? No. Council >> Thank you. Mayor Rogers like to make a motion to appoint John Gordon to the Board of building regulation pills. And like to speak to my motion if I MAY. Thank you. This gentleman that applied well, he had unforeseen circumstance that he couldn't come to. This meeting has decades of construction business and he's a general contractor worked for cutting construction is retired is willing to do a position that we have 3 vacancies for right now. So I'd like to move this forward so we don't have a delay and we can work on getting the other 2 vacancies to fill. >> Is there any additional discussion? That's when real quick, you know, just point out that one of the things on his >> on his resume, Zara of cotton construction for those don't know what it's the responsible member of the organization, which means they have to have the experience to carry the contractors. State license board license. It very difficult to qualify for, especially when you're somebody that is dealing with some of the size of cutting construction, it in my opinion, a very impressive thing to have. >> Is there any additional discussion? All right. We have a motion made by Councilmember MacDonald in a sec it by Councilmember Okrepkie. MADAM City Clerk me please call the Thank you. Council member Chris Rogers. I Councilmember Okrepkie I Councilmember MacDonald. I Councilmember Fleming. I. Councilmember Alvarez. I. Based near step is absent Council member Mary Rogers. But the records show this passes 6 affirmative

votes. All right. Thank you very much. We will now continue to item 13 approval of minutes. We have one set of minutes. Dated AUGUST, 20th 2024 counts. Are there any corrections to the minutes? Councilmember MacDonald a correction to the minutes. I just want on the record that I'm staying. >> MADAM City clerk, can you please facilitate public comment on this item? Thank you. We are now taking public comments on item 13.1. If you are in the council chamber like to provide comment, please make your way to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes in a countdown. Timer will alert at the end of that period. And approach the podium for public comment. Thank you very much. We will adopt the minutes as presented with one. Tension from Councilmember MacDonald. >> Moving on to our consent items. MADAM City, clear me, please read the consent items. >> Thank you, Mayor item 14.1. Resolutions split toward General Services agreement for city by landscape services. Item. 14.2. Resolution approving this year. Issuance of a purchase order to Motorola Solutions Incorporated for police, radio equipment. Item. 14.3. Resolution abandoned vehicle abatement program extension. Item 14.4. Resolution, acceptance of revised toward of additional ccm Hugh Grant funds. 14.5. Resolution, acceptance and appropriation of grant funds from the burned discretionary grants program. 14.6 resolutions, Second Amendment to the professional services agreement number s

200-2053, with Clemente Clemente Ph d. Item. 14.7 resolutions city of Santa Rosa and Oakmont Village Association. Second Amendment for city bus route 16. 14.8 resolution extension, a proclamation of local homeless emergency. Thank you. Bringing it back to council to see if there any questions on any of the items with them. >> Councilmember o k t. Abstaining from 14 point All right. I see no questions from other council members, but I would like to ask questions for 14.1. Good evening. Mayor Rogers faced well, vice mayor And council members Jen Center study director for Parks happy to. Help answer some questions. Thank you. >> I have a >> multiple questions. I'll just ask them all and see if we can get an answer. The first city has made great strides in maintaining the medians that we have throughout the city. So while reviewing the bids that were brought before us, I do not see any roadside landscaping. I want to know one did I miss it? Because sometimes there's some late nights and if not, how will the city maintain the 400 plus roadside sites? I believe, which is what the number that was given to us at a previous presentation. How we maintain those. Are you coming back to council in the future and these items or this portion. >> Because I would hate for the medians in the roadsides to have that are as tall as

me, which is what we had a little more than year ago. So questions. >> I appreciate the questions and yes, we do plan to come back with a more comprehensive plan of what the sorry. Yeah. Director center we asked you to that? >> Pause for one moment and we will hand it over to councilmember make do. >> Thank you, mayor. And many need to recuse myself on item 14 point when due to a personal relationship. We can continue. Thank you. Thank >> Thank you. So yes, we are planning to come back. With a more comprehensive plan of how we plan to address the roadside landscaping before you tonight are the other 2 contracts, one for mowing of all of the park sites in the city and civic sites as well as landscape maintenance for tax district funded areas and the roadside part of that reasoning is that the the funding we had was one time for those rents side landscaping. So we're looking at what our options are working with our city partners and public works as well as finance to find out how can we structure an option to come back? What we're target is is to make sure we have something in place prior to, you know, the U.S. Spring Bloom of weeds we're rolling into the winter season with this. We're in good shape. We really want to make sure we're coming back in and providing something for council to act on before that or at least an update with our

internal plant. Do these contracts need to be approved today? The contracts do not expire until the end of Nov NOVEMBER that we currently have. So we would also they don't need to be approved today that we like to give some time to our contractors to build up and be ready for those. Contracts to start and DECEMBER. 1st. >> I think that on to that sorry, Alan, Alton chief financial officer the best bet right now would be to. Approve the contracts or an option for you would be to approve the contracts. That are currently in front of you. Allow the department to go back. >> come up with the requisite funding that would be needed for the roadside work in medians. And then we could either come back as part of the meteor budget. >> With that with the ability to pay for that or put that is part of the the 25 26 budget. Any any way we would need to at this stage we would need to rebid. >> roadside median part anyway. But depending on how those beats work out, we would either come back with a stand-alone contract for that or simply amend the contract that that's in front of you today. >> So then why can't we just wait instead of amending a contract like it? You figure out how the roadside work is going to be done and bring it

all back to ensure that all of is actually done and that we don't bring it up here in this meeting. Anything. >> reason why would be because you would lose these 2 contracts. You have a continuity of service. There's no way that that the the the work that we're talking about, the median work would be. >> Around a million dollars. So we need to cut a million dollars and there isn't time to come back between now and NOVEMBER to cut a million dollars. A budget to be able to come back with that with that. So if you approve these now you allow us to continue the service of the contracts that we currently have and then sets the department forward to come back with the cuts in place and the ability to maintain or to find the new service. >> So I will say that a lot of compliments that I have received is the fact that the city has been able to do the roadside maintenance. So I don't know. It's sad is the right term. But it disappoints me to know that this is not something that we were looking at are going to to push forward being as though receive so much praise from our constituents. This is something that they see every day when they're on the road size is something that we see every day. And it's also something that our visitors see. So when we're talking about people coming to the city of Santa Rosa to visit,

we want them to have a pleasant place to visit by sight, right? Not just a pleasant experience and so I won't push on the other 2 contracts, although I guess the way MR. Johnson explained it is. That we need to go ahead and approve these. But I do not want this to fall by the wayside for us not to come back to address this issue will be very disappointed even more so than I am right now. Seeing as though it is not being presented with the other 2. With that. Go ahead and pass it to. >> MADAM Councilmember over us. >> I'm wondering where we're currently at with keep if we're looking into contracts and and making sure that there's not a lapse in one from James, if you could answer that question. Mayor, it will concern is a lapse in service where we're getting ahead of the weeds. And then fall back into. Like a service that we concerns. >> My concern is that we're going to go back to where we were about a year and a half ago in the weeds are going to be as tall as me in. Additionally, my concern is that we do not have enough park staff in maintenance and I love our our love. Our park staff. But we do not have enough of to maintain 400. Plus, what is the number? I keep saying 400 >> I think you're really to the accurate. Do you have an

exact number, James? >> And James, along with question, where are we now and where we for being if there were to be a lapse in service or if we don't follow up with a contract at time. >> Hello, Mayor Rogers and council members, James Castro Park Superintendent. Gonna make sure I understand your question correctly. First of all, it's 475 separate locations across the city. You're asking where we are now and where we will be correct regards to the means of of our our roadside means not so much how tall grasses now, but as staffing is as as being proactive and addressing the situation. So we don't have the appearance for those to come. Visit us. Where are we now in Garner staffing and and the system that we developed to see Rosa to make sure that we don't fall back into year and a half prior. Well, commend all of you right now because just having this conversation is ensuring that we're not gonna go backwards right? So when we look at the roadside landscaping, we're looking at approximately 20% of our staff time for 23 employees. So simple math, it's approximately 200 hours a week that we would take out of parks and that would primarily be reflected on our a static weeds and the amount of service that our sports fields and restrooms Kent. Which we have made significant strides to improve over the last year. And I think it was about a year and a half ago when asked the question of why is it that we actually to outsourcing? It was pretty much because it was a seasonal We go in the winter such as they do now in the spring summer and part of the fall, correct? I'm not. I'm not sure that's completely accurate. The parks. I mean, the bottom line is the parks

will suffer if if we don't. Find a contract to take care of this. So it's it's approximately 10,000 hours a year that staff would have to put out into the streets. So really is an issue of look the product of of the situation. Well, the issue consent, I mean, we would we would love to be able to bring all these services and house. But clearly the state of where we're at right now, that's not even a conversation. So with our current staffing levels, we cannot do medians at the way that they're being performed right now. So especially to the continuity of services come NOVEMBER. The continuity of the roadside landscaping will stop. Without bringing this back to I appreciate incident. >> Are there options to reduce some of the work that parks has to do now in order 2. Do the meetings to make me happy. >> It's always an option to pull park maintenance staff out of parks. Was 23 staff and 1100 acres to maintain. We're already been 3rd of the national average of acres per employee. The answer is yes. Whatever council desires. But over the last couple years council's desire clean up the city. And I think we've all done a great job of that. >> I would concur. I think you've done a great job with that. Thank you using toasted. You have. >> And I just wanted to add we are we are looking at ways like James said, we are. Working with our partners in public. Works similar to what we did before. We had the one-time funds in the roadway. To try to find those creative ways make sure that the

roadside areas are safe. And well maintained. And then we do is best job as we can given the resources to maintain continuity and again with our public works team. We do already a lot of team work out there. You might see us working together a lot and the roadside. And so we plan to do a little bit more of that as well. Look what our options are for funding sources to try to bring that back before you. Thank you. So because both Councilmember MacDonald and Council member. >> Crappie have they can't vote on this. Can I go ahead and pull this item? For me with the recommendation that we do not move forward with this item, but that we see what we can do contracts because we have to contracts. But who's to say that we one of these contracts without doing an amendment because that seems cost more costly to me. But to move around and kind see exactly what we're asking them to do in the the current contracts. Also just want know that, you know. >> The tube is we have right now approve or deny. Take a bit. It's a low beating situation. So in order to look at what we can and can't do with the existing 2 bids we have before us would have to deny those bids and rebuild them, which will put us as Allan said in jeopardy of continuity any sort of service for for mowing attacks districts. So we want to be careful with with that

process. Councilmember Rogers. >> Yeah, I was going to be my question for the city attorney given that we've gone through an rfp process and brought in these bids, if we were to deny. Selected contract that met the qualifications of what we put out there we're looking for. Does that open the city up to any legal? >> Typically beds that go out. I haven't looked at this one, but I would be surprised if it doesn't give the city MAY clear the city has the right to reject any and all bids for any reason. So you could technically do that. There's there would be no leg to stand on to challenge the city. The practical problem is that you can't possibly put out another round 4. A different scope of work, get proposals in and get a contract. In front of council to be approved in the amount of time you need for your existing contract lapses, which means that you will, by definition, I have no services for some period of time. And I think that was the point that the cfo is making. So if what you really want to do is provide these services, but you would like an expanded scope. My recommendation would be to go ahead and approve these contracts. So you have a continuity of services and then you can address whether you want to go through an additional rfp process for the additional scope, which depending on what happens, could end up with an amendment to this contract or a new contract with a different entity. I still want to put the item. We have to pull it

anyway. >> What we have to play them to. Well, can't they vote on the other items on consent? >> When you say people, you don't mean continued. You mean you're going pull the item off consent? Yes, the 2 council members that recused to recuse from this item. They are not recused from the balance of the consent calendar. So if you want to separate this item from the consent calendar. If you're dealing with this item first, then you can go forward if you are dealing with the balance of the consent calendar, we would need to invite the 2 council members back in the room so that they could participate. >> And what is the time frame to bring the other item back if this item? Is approved? >> Our goal is to have that conversation with our internal team as soon as possible with the goal of having something in place prior to spring. So we have a temporary plan to I work amongst ourselves over the winter. Why it's raining and we want to have a goal of making sure we have something in place, a plan that you've looked at an approved prior to spring. So before the end of the year are in JANUARY for the plan, but we will work internally with our teams right away. And we haven't. So the roadways do not. >> Grow >> we sort anything during the winter. But this. Clarification. >> Yes, there are some weeds are very, very reduced. So the and need for additional staff time during the winter when it

is raining, especially for rainy season, like last time opens up opportunities for staff to shift their time over there. We have rainy seasons to address and he sort of needs to keep the roadways safe and open to keep the pedestrian pathway safe and open as well. So we do have capacity in the winter months, especially we had the same thing happening in our parks. So we have additional capacity. Yes. So you're saying that the weeds to grow, but that we have staffing. >> To take care of that during the winter months. >> Yeah, I'll clarify. There's there are a very, very small amount of growth of weeds we're looking at. The springtime bloom is what we're starting to see those. We that you're talking about before we had the big giant. We do not going to see that in winter. Typically unless we have a very light. A rainy season and then we shift accordingly. Typically the last few years have been very rainy. And we're looking at that again this year. And there is there is when it is raining like that and cold significant, a significant reduction in we growth until the springtime. It is there. This my last question are promised. >> Is there also is significant reduction in Gress. Growth the need to have the mowing. >> Grant grasses typically mode for the benefit of the recreational services we provide. So it is growing slower. Yes. But grows faster in the spring. So there's a balance of service is happening with the contracted services. So be a little bit less in spring winter if they can't. Mo, we way. But they because we want to make sure that we prepare this fields. And for our sports teams that are playing out there on those

on those fields. City clerk councilmember overs. >> If we can't go forward with fortune for one. Today out. Us ask what options we have. And I guess this will be for purchasing director. Specifically, I mean, is is. I mean, the purpose of this is not going back you and a half ago, if the weeds growing must cut the wondering what? What's Plan b? So. >> Let me let me take a stab at this. And Jennifer Miles, who's are acting purchasing agent can step in again. You have. You have a moan blow. Service is going stop NOVEMBER because the contract expires in NOVEMBER. He have a way of paying for that. Now he also have a way of paying for the tax districts she can maintain that by taking action that's in front of you tonight. The there's probably a reasonable scope of service and their need to be some work on that for the median work. You could directed department to go back in, create the scope of service for the median work. And find a way to pay for it. And then we can go out in and bid for it and come back probably in the. Early early winter. That that time frame. So before the spring bloom that we're talking about with either a stand-alone contract for the for the median services or an amendment to this contract that you have in

front of you now. If if you're asking where I see the pass going, that's it. You keep your main service going. You find a way to pay for the enhanced service. We all agree that we need, but we have to find a way to pay for it. This provides the time to get this scope for that. But and out the funding for it buttoned up. And then go out to bid and then you're back before you need to really get going on it in the spring. >> For a person directors, anything that you want it to that. >> afternoon Mayor Rogers and members of the council. >> This process took us quite a few months. I would say over 6 months to prepare the invitation for bid. >> It also included a lot time on behalf of the participants for the vendors responding. We had site visits. We had all kinds of information. So there's real a lot of work that goes into a bit process. And when this bid closed and the numbers were released. Basically they looked at it so well. I mean, we're we're just we're not really set up for section number 2. So having that discussion ahead of time. The Reccomendation was if you're unsure of the funding or the ability, let's separated out into sections so we can ward on a on a multiple award basis it's also resulting in a cost savings well, as well as stead of doing an all or award. So it was decided and we had discussed that they would go back and revise the scope of work for Section 2 and we would read it it immediately.

So. Procurement, it's basically waiting for recreation and parks to get that information to us soon. As we get that, we can flip out a bid a lot easier in preparation of what we just currently went through. So my recommendation would be to continue with this award for these contracts and we will approaching get the other one moving as quickly as possible. Once there it is as a decision by recreation and parks on the funding source and how the scope of that would look, we can turn it over pretty quickly. I imagine that offering. Bulls a one year makes no sense of the company that word contracting with. I mean, are there more the year for them to be for her? To me. >> Feasible or logical for them, too. In terms of such a contract. >> To a multi-year contract. Yes, yes, a lot of times. It's more advantageous for the vendor to have a longer-term agreement which could result a better cost associated for the agreement because it's a guarantee for them because they have to set up prepare and get staffed up and everything. So it's it's an investment for them as well. So the longer the contract, which we're kind of looking at now, the better of the situation is for both the city. Not only in better costs, but a longer-term Kurt Agreement for the vendor. >> Appreciate Councilmember Rogers. >> Yeah, just got your. I'm just a little bit frustrated. There were so many different opportunities for us to have this conversation, whether it's when we were first talking about the plan in the budget when the rfp was made,

when the responses came back to your point, people have spent months writing this. We've had the city attorney's office that has been having to go through the contracts and approve this. A lot of staff time in probably 8 different touch points where we could have talked about this. And now we're going to look like terrible partners for people who are responding back to rfp is wondering why would I bother to put in a bunch of work on a proposal com do site visits price out our equipment to try to meet the need if the council is going to pull out the rug on consent at the last minute and then not have continuity of services. To me, that's not being a good partner to do business with. I'd like to see is approved this contract tonight. And if we want additional things outside of what the scope was, there is a process for us to do that. But for me going back to the drawing board and starting over on this. It because quite frankly, we have missed the discussion up here, not because staff were given different direction that didn't come forward are that people didn't respond appropriately to the rfp. That just to be is unacceptable. So I'm hoping we can approve this tonight and then deal with what's missing going forward. So we're going to. >> Pull this item. And city me, please can that public comment on item? 14.1. Thank you, Mayor. We are not taking public comment on consent item. 14.1 only if you are in the council chamber, I would like to provide comment but have not created a speaker card on 14.1. >> Please make your way to the podium. 3 minutes and a

countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. As you approach the podium, please state your name for public record. If you choose to do so. The first public comment will be from Dwayne. >> Hello, My name is doing to it. I'm from Rosalynn and I have appreciated how the Parks department has stepped up and made things nicer. Now and they have been in the past even though they have so short staffed. Do have? 23 staff are 1100 acres. One-third of the national average. She shows how extraordinary it is our staff people are stepping up to do their best to make sure that our roadways in our medians look good for the visitors that do come to our area with that in mind, perhaps you could begin to also use the Sonoma County probation workers, even more get them out there during this time frame and which are bit uncertain as to what will happen next. I and a bit confused when you say pulled the item. Doesn't mean you're not acting on it tonight. We're that we're having this conversation. Word for word tonight and different than tabling. It different. Continue it. There's different get used by you, folks there. The dias. So I want to know the specific outcome what's going to happen tonight. And I personally recommend that you go for it, get this done. Keep what you got in place and then

try to find the extra money to go for the next situation. Dilemma that you face all the time. Is you might not get the same bids next time. The folks that I come back, I say we want more. So you got it here in place now in front of you what you want. Take it or leave it. If you leave it, we MAY end up with worse situation. Not just in weeds. That's just in bad appearances. Partners or whatever, but just might have to pay more cash down the road. And that's not where you want to be. You want pay for what you've already negotiated for, get it as best you can. And then we'll be out there volunteering as usual to do what we do. Try to help in our areas you get that for free from us. So. And no, I just I get frustrated. Sometimes try to be helpful person because I know that MR. Castro's trying to do his best. The Santos and I know MISTER Watson who just got here's going like, yeah, that's good balance. Work forward. So lets not vacillate. Let's just do Thank you. >> Thank you, Mayor. Mc no one else approach Putin's for public comment on item 14.1. Seeing no additional public comment. Councilmember Alvarez, can you please make a motion for 14.1? >> I move item 14.1 and wait a second. >> We have a motion made by Councilmember Alvarez and a second by Councilmember Rogers. MADAM City Clerk me please call the vote. Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Rogers, I Councilmember Okrepkie has abstained are pregnant, recused. Councilmember MacDonald also

recused Councilmember Fleming. Yes. Councilmember Alvarez. I. Vice mayor step is absent. Mayor Rogers. MADAM City attorney, just because this does not go through tonight, it doesn't mean that we have to go through the rfp process again. >> means that they would bring all 3 contracts that one time, correct? >> If you want to see these 2 contracts come back to you with. A new contract that we have not put out for bid. It is not going to come back to you before your existing contracts for the scope of work that the 2 items in front of you would cover and provide seamless coverage. We would be coming back. Probably. JANUARY at the earliest and probably longer than that, I don't see it coming back any sooner than that. Which means that the coverage, the services you have now that expire the beginning of NOVEMBER would expire. There would be no coverage for those services. These bidders MAY or MAY not stick around. Which MAY mean you have to then put. This out to bid again and see what you get. >> I don't feel like staff had the intention of even going back with the contract for the medians. I think it looks good what you guys are saying, but I don't think that you have the intention of going back because of monetary reasons. And it wasn't even going to be brought 2 council had I not

brought it at. Because I value the process. And I know that it has taken a long time in order to get here and a ours that have been put into this. I will. Approve it. But I just think that we should have done something differently. And I really do want to find a way to get that 3rd contract back before council and allow us to make the decision about whether or not we're going to approve the 3rd contract because I do not think that our park staff and I'll say it again. Can maintain it the way that it should be maintain in. This is something that we all see every single day. So with that, I but I am. Anticipating eagerly anticipating the contract for someone to do the medians. That's very important. Thank you. This motion passes with 4 affirmative votes and council member vice mayor step absent and >> council members, MacDonald and Okra key work using. >> And as councilmembers MacDonald and Okrepkie to return. >> And with that >> is there any discussion 14 point 2 to 14.8. From councils seeing none. MADAM City clerk me please facilitate public comment on those items. Thank you. Mary are now taking public comment on item 14.8 through 14. Point say 14.2 through 14.8 on the consent calendar. If you're in the chamber would like to comment but have not yet provided. It's your speaker card or your name. Please make your way to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes and a countdown. Timer will alert at the end of that

period. The first public comment will be from doing. >> Hello. My name is doing to it or not from Roseland today over at 2 of the county Board of Supervisors meeting, it was pointed out that population of Sonoma County has been decreasing. Our homeless population has been increasing. And 14 you're extending that homeless emergency. The number of homeless veterans is also increased. This is an important time for you folks to take the time to look into the state's funding under proposition one which offers opportunities to get funding to provide housing for veterans. It might seem like it's just a small amount. But there are large amounts of money involved with Proposition one. And I do believe we could begin to work together to actually and the homeless emergency. This situation has been going on for so many years. People MAY have become complacent, but the veterans that I talked with are becoming more frustrated, especially the ones who came back from Iraq and Afghanistan are faced with these difficulties. I guess you might say almost. Overwhelming. Harsh real estate market here to rent just a room. Not long ago. You could have an entire one-bedroom apartment for $1000. Now you can even find a room for that price. And many of these people are just struggling out here trying to do the best they can. I know that you folks are so busy with so many other things. Please take the time to look

into Proposition one funding. Sources and the opportunity for what's called permanent supportive housing for Veterans. Recently in the news it was announced that nation's finest had to close site and Sebastien Pool and those people. Basically left on the streets. There's opportunity because nation's finest is based here in Santa Rosa. Were you folks could be helping them to get some of these larger buildings that were convalescent homes or group homes purchased and put into play and homelessness for veterans. At least I apologize if it seems like I'm only focusing on veterans, but I know that they're hurting right now. So much. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Mayor. Mc no one else approach the podium for public comment on this item. Within council does the if there's any comment seeing none. MADAM City clerk me, please call the vote on these items. We need to put on the floor. You need a motion. Go for it. Thank you, I move items for point. >> 2 threw for point. Sorry, I move. I was 14.2 to 14.8 and the wait a second. >> Motion made by councilmember out for a second by Councilmember MacDonald. MADAM City Clerk MAY please call that. Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember Okrepkie. I Councilmember I Councilmember Fleming. Yes, Councilmember vice mayor step is absent. Mayor Rogers, I let the record show this past the 6 affirmative votes. Thank you. We'll now take item 15 public comment on non agenda matters there anyone in the public that is wishing to give a comment? Speaker. Go ahead. Please identify yourself for public record if you choose to

do so. You know, if you can even see me. >> I'm Abigail is over. I'm an instructor. Senators junior college and I'm here to invite you participate in the nationwide event. >> Called a week without driving. It's the first week in OCTOBER. It started as a disability rights movement and is now grown. It is done by 41 states and 142 agencies across those states. And every single member of the Senate. Every single member of the city council's here in Sonoma County have been invited do so. The centers, the Transportation Department is participating this year and as rj sees student government is also going to be participating. >> And the goal of this is to get you our elected leaders to go a week without driving. So that you can see what it's like for Earth around a 3rd of American population. Adult population can't drive for one reason another. And if we're all really lucky, get old enough that we can't drive ourselves. So. Might seem impossible. Just the fact that it seems impossible to. He's a super important point to make because many people don't can't afford a car. They physically can't drive a car. They're too old to drive a car. They're too young to drive a car and they have business important business to do here in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County. So the first choices go week about driving. The second choice is to try to go a week without driving and every day that you can't to think about. What are the

changes that you could make? As our leaders to make that better for people who have no other choices. So thank you very much. I look forward to sting. You on the bus run by our fabulous Sanders, a city bus people. Thank u next speaker. Please go ahead. Lane. >> Yes, I'd like to use the overhead. I'm hoping this is going to work. It's too bright, a light. Maybe. >> Hello. My name is doing to it on from Roseland. What I want to show you is that tomorrow, which is SEPTEMBER, 11th, the 23rd anniversary of one of the biggest tragedies in America. It's now known as Patriots Day and at 09:30am, in the morning at 11, the address of 11, 50 Saint Rose Avenue with William Byrd's restaurant was there's going to be an event held by Disabled American Veterans Post. 48 starting at 9.30, with music and speakers. And we just want everyone to have a chance to come out there and talk with younger veterans about what they've been through, especially what's called post 9.11 veterans. Those who volunteer to go and fight and what many feel is a very difficult environment of the Middle East. There's never a winner and were actually so I do hope some of you can make it there. It's from 9.30, to 11 at that address. I'm going to show you something from a few years ago, actually, this is from 7 years ago. One of the volunteers working on the Roseland factions trail effort along Roselyn Creek is a pomo Indian. And he'd volunteering

to help because we originally star effort 30 years ago with Pomo Indians helping us to try to save that acreage along roads and create the last natural areas in Roseland. Veterans gave their lives during Vietnam. One of the things that happened since this has all been going on is more poll elders have passed away. He originally turned in his first statement to Parks and Rec department people in 2015 and said let us work with you. He came back and gave again in 2017 and no one's reached out to him again. And it's really saddening because we know that we could do a Pomona park me Walk park down novato. If you haven't seen it, you should go. It's a lovely spot and it really shows how we can work to save our heritage for the people who were here first before the American settlers. The Europeans came in the 18 50's with that in mind. You know, the I'm very appreciative of the fact that you have all volunteered your time to give try to be helping our community be a better place. And it's always a good thing to see that we've appreciated our staff of the city tonight and that you said to them, they do good work, especially the Parks department, which is so underfunded. So we'll try to be helpful to them. The future. One last thing, it was only when I saw the city manager on overhead that I saw her glasses, master jacket, way coolness. >> Thank you, Mary. See no one else approaching the Putin's for public comment. And with that, we'll adjourn the

meeting. Thank you. 18.1. I'm sorry. Was there? Written communications? Written communications? MAY we public comment and that item. Thank you. If you'd like to provide public comment on item 18.1 written communications, please make your way to the podium. Mariam. See no one approach. The podium. This item. >> There are no additional members of the public. So we will ahead and adjourn the meeting. Thank you.