Name: Santa Rosa City Council meeting, May 15, 2026
Start: 2026-05-15
Location: City of Santa Rosa

City Council

Fri, May 15, 2026

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Agenda items

Vote records

Discussion summary

Transcript

Meeting summaryAI-generated

Santa Rosa City Council — May 15, 2026

This was a special meeting held entirely in closed session to address two confidential personnel matters. The open session portions were brief — limited to roll call and the post-closed-session report-out. No regular business was conducted.

Attendance

All seven councilmembers were present at the start of the meeting. Councilmember Alvarez was absent for the opening roll call but appears to have been present during the closed session deliberations (as reflected by their affirmative vote on Item 3.1). Councilmember Rogers was noted as absent when the Council reconvened in open session at approximately 11:56 a.m.

Item 3.1 — City Attorney Appointment (Closed Session)

The Council considered the appointment of a new City Attorney. Following closed session deliberations, Mayor Stapp announced that Ashley Crocker was appointed to the position of City Attorney, with an effective date of June 3, 2026.

Vote: 5–2 in favor. Voting in the affirmative: Mayor Stapp, Vice Mayor Okrepkie, Councilmember Alvarez, Councilmember Rogers, and Councilmember MacDonald. Voting in the negative: Councilmember Fleming and Councilmember Barnwell (transcribed as "Ben Milos" and "been way lows" — names normalized based on context; exact spelling of dissenting members is unclear from the transcript).

*This is a significant leadership appointment. The City Attorney serves as the chief legal officer for the City of Santa Rosa.*

Item 3.2 — Interim City Manager Appointment (Closed Session)

The Council also considered an appointment to fill the Interim City Manager position. Following closed session, Mayor Stapp announced that Jason Nutt (transcribed as "Jason not" — name normalized based on context) was appointed as Interim City Manager, with an effective date of June 27, 2026.

Vote: Unanimous (7–0).

*The interim designation suggests the City Manager position is currently vacant or in transition, and this appointment provides continuity of executive leadership while a permanent search may proceed.*

Public Comment

No members of the public were present to comment at either the opening or closing of the meeting.

Key Takeaways

Ashley Crocker was appointed as the new City Attorney, effective June 3, 2026, on a 5–2 vote — indicating some division on the Council over the selection.

Jason Nutt was appointed Interim City Manager, effective June 27, 2026, by a unanimous 7–0 vote, signaling broad consensus on interim executive leadership.

Both appointments represent significant changes to Santa Rosa's top city leadership positions taking effect in late June 2026.

The meeting was a closed-session special meeting; no public business, contracts, or policy items were discussed.

The transcript contains several voice-to-text errors (names in particular); residents seeking precise spelling of councilmember names or appointees should consult the official minutes once published.

AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents linked above.

What happened at this meeting

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957(b)(1))

The city council reported on the closed session discussion regarding the City Attorney appointment. Ashley Crocker was appointed to the City Attorney position with an effective date of June 3rd, 2026. The vote was 5-2, with Mayor Stephanpoulos, Vice Mayor Jeff, Councilmember Alvarez, Councilmember Rogers, and Councilmember McDonald voting in the affirmative, while Councilmembers Fleming and Ben Willows voted in the negative.

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957(b)(1))

The city council reported on the closed session discussion regarding the interim City Manager position. Jason Nott was appointed to the interim City Manager position with an effective date of June 27, 2026. The vote was reported as unanimous, and the council expressed congratulations on the appointment.

Agenda items (7)

Procedural (7)

1ProceduralHTTPS://SANTA-ROSA.LEGISTAR.COM/CALENDAR. CLICK ON THE "IN PROGRESS" LINK TO VIEW;

Instructions for viewing the meeting agenda online through the city's Legistar calendar system by clicking the 'In Progress' link.

2ProceduralVIA ZOOM WEBINAR BY VISITING

Instructions for joining the meeting remotely via Zoom webinar.

3ProceduralCOMCAST CHANNEL 28 AT&T U-VERSE CHANNEL 99; AND

Instructions for watching the meeting on cable television through Comcast Channel 28 or AT&T U-verse Channel 99.

4ProceduralVIA YOUTUBE AT HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CITYOFSANTAROSA Public Comment may be made live during the meeting In-Person from Council Chamber or submitted in advance via email at cc-comment@srcity.org by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 15. IN THE EVENT A COUNCIL MEMBER PARTICIPATES REMOTELY BASED ON JUST CAUSE UNDER THE BROWN ACT, THE CITY WILL ALLOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THROUGH THE ZOOM LINK

Instructions for watching the meeting on YouTube and information about how residents can submit public comments in person, by email before 8 a.m. on Friday, May 15, or through Zoom if council members participate remotely.

5ProceduralREPORT ON CLOSED SESSION ITEM(S)

The city council will report publicly on any decisions or actions taken during the closed session meetings.

3.1ProceduralPUBLIC EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957(b)(1))

Discussion of personnel matters related to a city employee or job position, to be held in private closed session.

What happened

3.2ProceduralPUBLIC EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957(b)(1))

Discussion of personnel matters related to a city employee or job position, to be held in private closed session.

What happened

Additional votes recorded in minutes

Appoint Ashley Crocker as City Attorney

aye 5 · nay 2

Alvarezaye

Ben Willowsnay

Flemingnay

MacDonaldaye

Okrepkieaye

Rogersaye

Stappaye

Appoint Jason Not as Interim City Manager

aye 1

voice voteaye

Verbatim transcript available

2 transcript segments indexed

>> Hello, everyone. And the time is 11 o'clock car special meeting to order. MADAM City Clerk, would you please read the roll? >> Thank you. Councilmember Rogers, Councilmember MacDonald here, Councilmember Fleming Councilmember Ben. Councilmember Alvarez. Vice Cup here. Mayor step here. Let the record show that all councilmembers are present with the exception of Councilmember Alvarez. >> Perfect. All right. We're going on to our closed session items for the evening items. 3.0, 1, 3.2, both dealing with confidential personnel matters. Are there any members of the public would like to comment seeing? None attendant will close public comment recess in a closed session. All right. The time is, I what, 11 56 and we can reconvene in open session. MADAM City clerk, would you please call the roll? >> Thank you. Mayor Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember MacDonald here, Councilmember Fleming Councilmember Ben Willows, his councilmember all fronts. Vice Mayor Okrepkie here, Mayor step Let the record show that all councilmembers are present with the exception of Councilmember Rogers. >> Thank you. All right. We'll do our report out from closed session with respect with respect to item 3.1, the city attorney appointment appointed Ashley Crocker with an effective date of JUNE. 3rd, 2026 to the city attorney position. The vote was 5 and i'm just double checking with our city clerk. Do need to

state who how the vote went? Ok? So voting in Fernand in the affirmative were myself. Vice Mayor Jeff MR. Alvarez as Rodgers and MR. Donald and voting in the negative worm is funding and been way lows. For item. 3.2 with the interim city manager vote for the inner inner city manager position. We are pleased to report to appoint MR. Jason, not to the interim city manager position with the effective date of JUNE. 27 to 2027 2026 and also pleased to report that that vote was unanimous. Congratulations. That was the that ends. The report out from closed session. Went to public comment from public comment. Again, seeing the members of the public comment PRESIDENT, we will close public comment