City Council

>> I'd like to ask interpreter currently on the Spanish Channel to commence interpretation of the meeting for those just joining the meeting, live interpretation and Spanish is available. The members of the public or stop wishing to listen. Listen in. Spanish can join the Spanish channel by clicking on the interpretation icon in toolbar. It looks like a club. If you're 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. Won't you join the Spanish Channel? We recommend you shut off the main audio. So you only hear the Spanish interpretation. Interpreter. Claudio, will you please restate this in Spanish? Yes. That is supposed many of those. >> You know, said we should think that's but no one stop the spill need this. The women ate asking we've done the app but But at the new Texas, so I we should on moment doses to die in the part of the contributors. Toobin, thank out when look at our q Ocean where to Saddle Creek and it's a condo, he by proportion of adults in the heat. And, you know, my English was minor board the heat and the amount they spend your immediate them into plan these from of the finding the money. That's I to something in dark suits was to hold up with many of loans a ladder not that late. That aipac, which is about looked point most part, the superior month, a minority Well, I think your commute spoonful. First, he's battle, not another deputy. Last on more

petition will even though side little bit better, accurate with pick, the pub order the in the heat. Your mind, the Spaniard, you might established sort things. Thank you very much. Back to you. >> On the time is 2.31 will call this meeting to order. MADAM Clerk, would you please call the roll? >> Thank you, Mayor Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Rogers, PRESIDENT Councilmember Okrepkie here. Councilmember Fleming Councilmember Ben Willows. Council, vice for us present Mayor step here. Let the record show that all council members are present. >> Thank you. We have no closed session items today somewhere on to item 4.1 city manager. Thank you, Mayor Stapp Greetings Council and Happy New Year. So we will begin with study session item. 4.1 comprehensive water and wastewater rate study report and proposed fiscal year 2025. 2026 through fiscal year, 2029 through 2030 rate schedule and I'll turn it over to Director Bert. Thank you. City manager Smith and >> good afternoon. Mayor Stapp vice mayor over as many members of council and as was stated, Happy New Year. We're pleased to be in front of you today with a pretty important a study session for the council. Before I get started, I'd like to just note that we had sent an updated power point that was supposed to have a revision on slide. 57 that was supposed to change

the date from FEBRUARY. 28 to MARCH 5th. If you'll notice the revised her point had the exact same date. So that was my mistake. Accidently sent the wrong power point again, the clerk will fix that after the study session today. And we will make sure and note that verbally when we get to that slight. So that was the only thing that was changing between those 2 versions. >> So my name is Jennifer Burke and I am the director of the Water Department. I have with me today, Mark Hildebrand who's with brand consulting his our rate consultant. We also have virtually Dustin Cooper who's our intern assistant city attorney with men as long he is also going to be presenting as part of this presentation today. And then I have in the audience, some staff m# # # Harvey, our deputy director of administration, as well as Alice Miller, Communications coordinator who are available. Should you have any additional questions during this study session? I did want to take a moment to let the council know that your board of public utilities did a tremendous amount of work on the product that you see in front of you today we met with the bp Budget subcommittee and then we met with them and study session. We incorporated their feedback which resulted in our ability to reduce the water rate recommendation. That's before you today. And still at the staff level, feel comfortable that would we would meet our reserve requirements going forward. So on DECEMBER 19th, the Board of Public Utilities did unanimously recommend the report and the rate schedule

that is before you today. And again, I just want to take a moment to thank them for all their work. They really did put in a ton of hours to get us to where we are today. Our agenda today will go over our objectives and generate studying. We'll talk about the water financial plan. Our recommendation on the water side. We'll talk about the wastewater financial plan. Our recommendation on the wastewater side. We'll talk about capital delivery. We'll talk about how we've been putting this information out to our water and wastewater rate pairs and then we will talk about some new prop to 18 procedures that are available that will help us as we go through this rate setting process and then we'll go to next steps, MR. Mayor, it's up to you. If you want to stop us along the way with questions. Otherwise our plan was to run through the presentation. Into the discussion. My colleagues questions on the way. >> Perfect. Thank >> Great. So I'm going to turn it over to mark the ram and away. We go. Thank you, MR. Mayor and council members, thank you for having me this afternoon. And I see everybody when it was Mark Hiller, Brandon, with a have over 20 years of futility. >> Rate consulting experience in California and I have specifically been working with center is a water for over 6 years now. When go ahead and go through the agenda that Director Burke just covered for covering the race, saying objectives, one of the objectives that we had when from this project and the most important objective, obviously is that were legally compliant. And I will cover that in a little bit more detail and they'll be more a longer explanation at the end

of the presentation. But there is a lot of legal precedent to how rates need to be set in California and one of my primary job says your re consultant is to make sure that your rates are fully compliant with those requirements. We also want to ensure that the utilities are both the water and wastewater utilities financially sufficient and sustainable, that we minimize or rate increases rate payers that your public understands the bill when they look at their bill that they understand what they're paying for. And we want to make sure that the rates remain affordable. So covering legal requirement in California, the applicable law is called proposition to 18. It's part of the California Constitution. We will go all over all the details of that law. But the basic premise is that you can charge customers more than the cost of providing service. And there is a process by which you have to follow to raise race when you do raise rates and you have to give your repairs the opportunity to protest against the rates if they wish to do so. So. The law, those are the basic premise of the law. There's a lot of case law has gone into shaping how the rates need to look and it's changed a lot over the last 15 years. And we are complaint with all those requirements. Next slide. High-level overview of how rates are races are conducted. There's 3 general steps. First, we do the revenue requirements, which is a financial plan. We look at all the revenues coming into the utilities and all the expenses going out and we develop a 10 year forecast of how much rate revenue is

needed in order to pay for critical operations and capital spending over the next 10 years. Sometimes that involves. But that strategy as well. Once we understand the revenue requirements that need to recovered from your rate payers, we do. The cost service analysis, cost of services. When we look at specific customers and you different types of customers where their residential customers, a commercial customers, how they use the much water. They're using the size of their meters. We allocate cost responsibilities to those different customer class is based on how they use the system. And finally, in the rate design want to understand how much revenue we want to recover from a different customer classes. So I I should speak slower for the okay before the interpreter. I understood that I supposed to speak. I'll try to find the balance. Rate design is what the bill looks like when your customers received the bill. So how much of the Rev, how much of their rates are being paid to the fixed costs? How much of their bills going to be paid based on their water usage, those sorts of decisions. So those are the 3 general steps next time. This is a simplified schematic of the cash flow that occurs for your to our utilities for water and sewer on the left side and green. You see the different types of revenue that are received in the middle blue. Those are the funds that the roads ready go into. And then the orange on the right are the different types of expenses that are incurred. So the operating fund does include 3 different reserves that have specific

purposes. And we'll talk about the level that we want to keep those reserves at later in the presentation. Next slide. So some some highlights for the project before we start getting into the details. First, we want to point out that the capital appropriations goal, so the money that is being designated to be spent on capital spending is based on recommendations from the most recent infrastructure Card report card. The cost of service analysis of that second step that I mentioned for the rights to due process that has been updated with new numbers because it's been 5 years since the last time it was conducted. But there's no bait. There's no changes to the basic rate structure. So the the bill that your customers receive is generally going to look the same. The numbers have simply been updated. We do with the the one major recommendation that's being made is that we do recommend are reinstating the automatic pass through of Sonoma water rate changes that will cover that in a bit. More detail later on. But short, Sonoma water rates, the the the rate you pay to purchase or wholesale water. Is chilly outside of Santa Rosa Waters control and it's the single largest expense. And so there is an opportunity for the city to simply pass on the changes in the cost to ratepayers to in order to ensure that both sides are protected and we'll cover that in more detail. Next slide. So jumping into the water utility. Here's primary inputs. So the >> beginning point of the model in terms of the starting reserves, we use the reserve

balances as of JUNE 30 2023. We are using the 2024. 24. 25 budgeted revenues and expenses are starting point for the 10 year projection. So we take those numbers and then we project 10 years out based on inflation assumptions. We are using existing debt service schedules and then in terms of customer behavior and how they're using water and sewer. Well, water in this case, we're using the 24 23. 24 billing data so that feature that helps us understand how your customers are currently using the water. So here's some of the inflation assumptions. We mean that we don't have a crystal ball. Obviously, we do our best to try to make educated guess on what's going to happen over the next 10 years because we have to set rates in advance and that is going to be the chair is going to be based on higher costs, change over that period. So you're selling costs. We have we assume are going to increase next year at 9%. And then 4% the year after that and 3% for the remaining 10 years for in 8 years benefits at 3.6, 1.62% chemicals, utility of 4% from 4.5% per year. Pretty much everything else that 3% per year. The 3% for years, probably pretty optimistic. You know, that's not what has been happening recently. But without any specific information telling us otherwise, we have to just go with long-term historical inflation numbers, which is has been 3% over the last 100 years or We did not make an attempt to us to determine what's normal water inflation's going to be because we don't need to because of the past through with them when they explain. Interest earnings on your reserve balance, that one percent in growth. That 1.1%. And then we'd assume that folks demand for water per

capita. Demand is not going to change over the next 10 years. So here's a snapshot just to give you a picture of one-year picture of what your revenue looks like on the water utility. You can see the vast majority of your revenue comes from rates from your customers and was 90%. There are some other miscellaneous revenues. The demand fees are the fees that you get from developers when they joined the system. That's inherently volatile source of revenue. But it was 2 million dollars budgeted for this year. On the other side. One thing that's important to know if you're comparing the 2 numbers, the 2 bottom line numbers that this does not include capital appropriations. This is just your operating expense and your debt. And so you can see the wider purchases that 42% is the largest single line item. It's again, completely out of Santa Rosa Waters control. And so that's the line item that we're proposing to pass through in terms of how that cost changes over time. Next. Slide. In terms of the reserve targets. We need to keep a certain amount of money in the bank to protect the utility for in the event of unintended or an unforeseen circumstances. So the operating reserve is a policy that's existed previously. It's 15% of your annual operating costs, which is about 6 million currently. Then the cast traffic Reserve. It protects you against. Natural disasters or any catastrophic failure of your infrastructure. Currently, it's at almost 6 million dollars. And we are this based

on engineering report. We are recommending that that target be increased to 17.5 million. So the total reserve target is 23.5 million currently. Next slide. So here's a look at the water cap appropriations and this is obviously very significant because as one of the primary drivers for the rate increases that are necessary. Historically, the capital spending has been about almost 14 million dollars per year. You can see in blue on the jar on the graph here. And there has been a target set by the infrastructure report card of 34 million dollars. We are going ramp up the appropriations over the next 10 years. If we tried to achieve that target immediately, the rate increases would be untenable. And so we are proposing to achieve that target by 2035. Next slide. And this graph has a bit more information. Slow down a little This is a 10 year cash flow graph showing the results of the modeling for the financial plan. So the top graph is comparing revenues versus expenses. The revenues in the background in green and the expenses are in the foreground in blue. And we're trying to balance the height of the blue columns with height of the of the background, which you can see happens in most years when the columns are slightly higher than the green. That's a deaths a year where you're drawing down reserves and vice versa. You can see the reserve levels in the middle on the line graph there. The blue line represents the the projected reserve levels, which is starting at about 35 million dollars. 34 million dollars and is being drawn down slightly over the next 10 years. But staying relatively

flat and the Target reserve in the dashed black line. You can see jumps. The reason jumps in 2026. Is because of that increase in the catastrophic reserve from the 5.7 5 up to the 17.5. So in order to achieve this, the overall rate revenue changes that would be needed are showing in the percentage. 3rd, the bottom column, the proposed rate increases would be 6%, 6% 7%, 7%. The next 4, 5, percentage is the 4% or just the forecast. Just to show that we thought about it to show that there's no surprises out in the next 10 years. But by law, you can't raise your rates by more than 5 years. And frankly it the crystal ball gets really fuzzy after that point anyway. So there's not much point in trying to do so. You can see the cap appropriations summarize at the bottom and your debt coverage ratio is is very healthy. That's a measure of how easily the till can afford its debt and it easily industry standards. There. So switching gears, that was the financial plan. And so the the the conclusion of the financial plan is that no debt is necessary and will need those rate revenue increases that I just showed. Switching gears to the cost of service analysis. We go through the till these costs and we put the cost in 2 different buckets. There's customer costs which are driven by the existence of accounts. This capacity cost, which are driven by the size of the infrastructure and he's come. It costs which are driven by the amount of water that is sold. And so we allocate costs within the utility to those 3 different buckets. Next slide. And you can see that this is how the numbers panned out. So the customer costs and the capacity, Carson Orange, our recovery through your fixed

revenue. So that's about 26% of your revenue will be fix. They'll be recovery based on the size of folks meter. That's part of the bill that they can't change just based on the size of the meter and in the blue part of the pie chart shows the cost that will be recovered through the use revenue based on folks, water usage. And again, you can see some water purchased cars being a big part of that pie. This is a summary of the justification for the type of rates that you charge your customers. So the Santa Rosa water charges, tiered rates to its single-family customers, which means that a certain portion of its water at a lower rate until a certain point. And then it pays a higher rate that here to rate irrigation customers have the same system where they peers paid 2 tiered rates, multi-family and commercial pay a uniform rate, which means that all of their water is the same the first gallon in their last count cost the same. The average. Cost per gallon for all these customers is the same. If you look at the customer classes, so there's equity between the customers, not one customer group that's paying more per gallon. Then another customer group. They're all pain. Exactly. The same per gallon is just distribute it slightly differently. Based on the logic that you can see here and what drives the tier 2 rates for both single-family tier 2 for irrigation is that we assign some slightly higher water supply cost a tear to the marginal cost of waters slightly more expensive for them. And then we also assigned the water conservation cost of that here to customers because here to customers are the ones that driving the need for the

conservation program. This is a summary much of numbers, but it shows your current rates within the structure of your existing rate structure of your existing rates. And the proposed rates start in JULY 2025. For year one. You can see the change both in dollars and as a percentage. One thing that you'll notice is that the percent change there is not 6%. I previously mentioned that the year one rate increase was going to be 6%. If you take the weighted average of all those numbers than it is 6% of the overall revenue that's going to be recovered in year. One does increased by 6%, but because we updated the cost service analysis, the numbers shift around between the different categories. And so you get different results for different components of the rates. Namely you can see that the usage rates are increasing by more than the 6% and the service charges increasing by a bit less than 6%. But again, if you take the average of all that revenue, it is a 6% rate increase across all your customers. So here's the slide. I mentioned earlier about the pass through provision. So some of these words are repeating what I said earlier the here you can see in the graft on their the single-family usage rate. You have the tear one rates and the tier 2 rates. A portion of those tiered rates is driven by your Sonoma water costs. That portion of their rates will be increased or adjusted based on what Sonoma Water actually does. So in other words, that blue portion of the graph, if Sonoma water rate increase of the race by 12% in blue portion of their

rates will increase by 12% as well. The red portion will go up by the 6% that I mentions is that is applicable to the rest of us. Normal water. Santa rates. But the blue Porsche will go up by whatever Sonoma water does. So if where, for whatever reason, some water race is the race by less than we expected, which, you know, one percent or 2%. For example, then repairs will actually see the benefit of that portion of their rates, not increasing by as much so this policy protects both the city and you're a peers because if we didn't use this policy, we would have to guess what Sonoma Water's going to do over the next 5 years over the last couple years, they've been raising their rates by 11, 12, 13% in that range. So we would have to assume that they would continue to do that. If they didn't end up doing that. Only raising the race by 6% and we assume that they didn't. We didn't overcharging your customers. And so this is predicting both the city by making sure that we recover all of our costs and is also protecting your ratepayers by making sure that we don't overcharge them for a rate increase that MAY or MAY not happen. This is table that shows the math of how, for example. Senator Santa Rosa water rates in 2027 are proposed go up by 6 per cent. Say Senate Sonoma County increases the rates by 10%. And this is how the math would work out. And I won't go through all the numbers, but you can see the final column there is basically the weighted average between the 6% in the 10%. The 8.2% in tier one for single-family on the right side. That's the weighted average of the effect of those rates and slightly different for the different race because the rate structure is slightly

different for each of them. And and in the interest of equity and being fair in complying with the law. We need to make it a little bit complicated than maybe understandable at first glance. But this is the the fairest way to do it. The these these calculations, protect all your customers, evil. Here is a survey of Santa Rosa's rates compared to other regional utilities. And you can see that's currently Santa Rosa has the 3rd lowest rates. This is for a single-family home with a 3 quarter inch meter. An average water use. You can see that their current rate is the 3rd lowest in the region and the year one increase would. Move them up by one spot so that you'd still be fourth-lowest in the region. So this is a great spot to towards the bottom. To be honest, you don't want necessarily be at the bottom. Not. Making any comments on the utilities that are on this survey. But in my 20 years of experience, I can tell you that while 2 utilities are at the bottom are the ones that are deferring capital. They're kicking the can down the road. They're not making the tough decisions in order to protect their utility and they're going to be facing some really tough decisions in the future when when that infrastructure starts to fail and they have to play catch-up. So being at the bottom is not the goal of the exercise. And I mean, you can't base rates on on this anyways, but it isn't a good indication when you're at the bottom. That's what I'm trying to say. So switching to the wastewater utility. Here's that snapshot of revenue. So

the rate revenues just over 91% there. And again, you can see the demand fees in this particularly year are 5%. But that MAY change, quite dramatically, depending how growth actually behave. So for next few years. On the expense side, you can see that more than half of your expense is the regional on them. So for those of you who are not familiar, the way that waste water works, is that there 2 components to the wastewater system. There's local what's called local wastewater, which is the part of the utility that collects wastewater. It manages all of the pipes that. Collect the waste water and send it to the wastewater treatment system. That's a big part of the operations as just making sure that we can collect that waste water and then once you've collected and sent to the treatment center that's called the the regional operation. And that treatment, plan is actually shared with 4 other utilities in the region. And so there's a lot of efficiencies are gained by having one large plant that treats all the waste water in the region. And you can see that that cost of running that plant is the 51.5%. There. On the reserve There's the operating reserve again, a 15% or 2.1 million dollars currently, the catastrophic reserve is preparing proposed to increase from 6.8% to 21.5% based on the engineering report. I mentioned earlier and we utility does have a re sables Ation Reserve, which helps ensure that the utility can meet its debt obligations and that current targets at 1 million dollars for a total of 24.6. Here's the same general idea for the capital appropriations. Again, the infrastructure report card identified a target of this

case. 42 million dollars per year. As we do with water will try to achieve that target over the course of the next 10 years. So achieving that target by 2035. Currently the average has been about 14 million per year. On the so that was for the local wastewater on regional side. And that's capital associated with the treatment plant. There's also an increase in the appropriate the annual appropriations going to 21 million dollars per year by 2035. But on top of that, there is large projects that's being that just was completed for 70 million dollars in debt. And a new day issue of 35 million dollars that is being proposed for next year. Just a cash flow graph for local wastewater over the next 10 years. A similar picture where the reserve targets jump. And the reason that the proposed or the projected reserve levels drop a little bit but remain pretty flat over the course of the next 10 years. And the rate increases in this case or 5% per year for the next 5 years. And then 5 percent for 3 more years and 3% after that point. The cost allocation to the cost service is done in a very similar way. Customer cost capacity cost on the the eu says side, the treatment costs. Alright, look a little bit differently because in this case is that its base post on flow. But it's also based on strength. So some customers produce higher stray sewage. And so we allocate more cost of those customers because it cost more treat higher string sewage. Next slide. And that same pie chart. So you can see the fixed revenue is targeting about 30% in your usage

revenue based on estimated indoor water usage that gets sent to the switch. Plan is about 70%. Next slide. And so here the here's the race schedule. The percent increases on the right being a different from the general rate increases. But overall achieving the rate increase that is being proposed. On the survey. In this case, the Santa Rosa Waters or wastewater is more in the middle of the pack. And the year one rate increase will increase that ring by one, but still remaining pretty much in the middle of the pack. Explain. And this is a combined survey of the 2 utilities showing that when you combine the water bill in the sewer bill, you are middle of the pack as well. This is a bill impacting also the all those numbers are to make your head spin you if you're not really sure what you're looking This graph actually, despite all the numbers, help simplify a bid. This is an example that each one of these row show an example bill for different types of customers. So, for example, in the first row, it shows a single-family home. He's low amount of water. So 4,000 gallons per month in water, it shows their current bill. With the current rates. The bill with the proposed rates and how much that bill will change in a Both for the dollars and the percent. So the low water, single-family home, their total combined bill will increase by 6, $7.63, or 5.7%. So you can look down this list that type of particular customer that MAY be of interest and we'll help you

understand the financial impact that these proposed rate increases will have on that specific type of account. And here's a again, a summary of the proposed rate increases that that we presented today. So 6% per year for 3 years for water than 7% for 2 years and 5% per year for wastewater. And that concludes my presentation. I appreciate. Your audience. Thank you, So I am going to take over the wound. The presentation from here MAY be more to go. >> talk about Capital project delivery and as was mentioned, and I know we've been in front of the council before and you are aware we are under investing in our infrastructure and for both the water wastewater and the regional system, it's about more than half of what we should be investing year-over-year. So we looked at various ways that we could start increasing that investment. And one of those was to do this over a ten-year period. And part of that is to give us time to figure out how we're really going focus on capital project delivery. So I'm actually filling in for t b w Director Dan Hennessey. He and I have talked quite a bit about how we're going to work together to increase project delivery and new revenue. We know that project delivery is going to have to change. This table in front of you provides a look back of the existing capital funding that has been able to be spent as rapidly as we like the first table shows. And this is all just for the water department at the first table shows the water cip budgeted expenditures versus

realized expenditures. >> For the last 5 years this is combined for water wastewater and regional. Basically what this shows is that we have quite a bit of a backlog and our capacity for project delivery is pretty much somewhere between 31 to 33 million dollars per year. And and so instead of actually spending down the we've been investing over the last 5 years, you've seen that backlog kind of grow and it really just shows us what we can do with our current delivery method. If we were to look at the projected balances, given the estimated revenues and budgeted capital expenditures with the new rates versus the current capacity. We would continue to see that backlog grow. So we didn't do anything different, we would see quite a bit more dollars sitting there waiting to be spent. So in talking with our new tw we've talked about how are we going to do this with this new injection of capital coming forward? Again, we're giving ourselves a couple years to get this in place. But what we're really going to do we're going to look to get consultants on board to help us with the project management. And talking with Dan. If we were to do this and house, he would be asking for 3 additional capital projects teams. Currently, we only have 2 capital projects teams working on Santa Rosa's capital. And that doesn't seem reasonable. So we really think the best way to go forward is to use consultants to do the project management. We would focus on developing a master

professional services agreement for Project management and what Dan's been talking to consultants out there to see what they'd be interested. They really are interested in getting bigger chunks of funding. 4 massive amounts of projects in the project management space. So he's proposing that he would issue a project management rfp at the end of this fiscal year based on if this rate process goes forward as presented and then once that's in place, they would assist us with developing a design services request for proposal that would give us a master list of consultants available for design. And then consulting team would manage those consultants that would be doing the design. And as Dan says, he's very number heaviest. So these next lights, a pretty number heavy. But the net effect is really decreasing the balance. That would be in the backlog while increasing the project delivery. So what he envisions is that we'd be spending about 4 times what we currently spend in the water and sewer on an annual basis on our cip and 2 times what we spend on the regional system. So here's an example of the water system and you could see at the end of the 10 years if we put it out in the sort of 3 year cycles of bundles of projects. We would have down to about a year's worth of what should be in the cip. By putting this out for this project management proposal. So this

is an example of what that table is showing from a graphic perspective. So we'd be able to continue to invest more, spend more and deliver more without seeing that darker green mine, which would show in the backlog increasing. And then he put the same information together. Also for this is particularly for the sewer system. And again, a graphic representation of being able to deliver more projects and get more capital spent. And then lastly, on the regional system because the system is owned not only by Santa Rosa, but our partners are part of this where really honoring the 1 million dollar per year increase. Plus, looking at some debt service MR. Hildebrand mentioned and so we're building that again. This will allow us to get a lot of projects to now that the regional system and this graphically shows that it would allow us to increase the amount of projects delivered, but really keeping us down to a a project backlog that should be what we should have right now. A reasonable amount on a year-over-year basis. So that's how we plan to work together to get more of this capital completed and projects delivered. In addition to looking at how we can do our capital investment more efficiently. We're also looking at how can we keep costs as minimal as possible to our rate pairs. And in addition to trying to keep our assumptions as reasonable as

possible, but still capturing what we think is going to be coming forward. You MAY recall that for this fiscal year for the first time in a number of years, we actually produced a balanced budget for the water department. We didn't have a deficit budget and then we also have been exploring and continuing to apply for as much outside funding as possible. So this table in front of you today is the grants that we have received over the last 3, 4 years. Sorry, 2021 through 2024. We've received about 15 million dollars in grant funding from various sources. This is only water, sewer and regional. So that's all we're focusing on. We do have some additional grants we've gotten for storm water and creeks teams. But this is just for the water and sewer and regional system which is impacted by these rate proposals in front of you. In addition to the 15 million we have already received the last couple of years. We have also applied for about 40 million dollars worth of additional grant funding. Some of that. We know we've already been told we're going to get it. And so we're waiting to get that money into our accounts. Some of we've applied for. We are under the understanding. We're in pretty good contention and we're really hopeful. We'll be getting it. And some of you know, we just weren't successful. Even though we applied for and we're going to continue to look at all opportunities to reduce costs through, applying for outside funding, whether it's grant funding, whether it's low interest loans, whatever we can look at in ways that we can really help to reduce the impact to our

customers. Now, I want to talk a little bit about the outreach that we have been doing to really make sure that. Our rate pairs understand that this is their system. This is the public's water system. The plight public sewer system, the public's wastewater treatment plant. And so it's really important just like a home. Just like a car. You need to invest in those systems. So we're really focusing on the value of water, the value of water campaign was launched in MAY of last year. Now, actually MAY of 2024. And we have been really focusing on investing now to secure our water feature. So not only for today, but further community for the future. We've been focusing on the value of water MAY through NOVEMBER. And we are really now turning our attention to making sure that we are supplementing outreach with our water rate proposal as well. The value of water campaign has utilized for variety of outreach channels. So we have our website. We have our city connections newsletter. We actually partnered with the Association of California Water Agencies to take advantage of their quench California campaign to get information out through their various channels. We use our water bills. We use our bill inserts. We've done digital print radio and social media. So we really continue to get the word trying to make sure that we're at any event or any outreach we can And we're happy to go to any event to continue to let the public

know the importance of the systems that they they own their their systems. So in terms of some of the information on how those campaigns have been doing, we have a over just about 560,000 impressions from the digital campaign that we did with our Google ads with a little over 11,000. Click through to better understand the value of water in the campaign's we provide and then our social media campaign. We had 101,000 impressions and looking at both of these approaches, we've had just about over 650,000 impressions. So we feel like this has been a good way to get the word out to our rate pairs to our customers, to the public. And we're going continue to focus on this going forward as we are going through the right process. So with that, I'm going to turn it over to Destin Cooper, whose our interim assistant city attorney and he is going to talk about a couple new prop to 18 procedures that are now available to us. That will us go through the rate setting process. So Dustin, I'm gonna go ahead to slide. 54. Thank you. And good afternoon. Director book. I have not seen this like that. So I'm just if I get out of sequence with the slide that maybe you could just interrupt man correct me. >> Yes, just let me know when you want me to move on to the next slide. Proposition 2.18, we as California voters approved back in 1996. And what you see here is a summary of some of the key provisions

of Proposition 2.18. And it seems fairly straightforward on paper. You know, for example, revenues will not exceed the cost of service. But in practice, proposition to 18 has led to a significant amount of litigation. And in particular over the last 5 to 10 years, there has been an exponential amount of litigation. I'm merrily because some plan to firms in California. Have in my opinion, you this as a business opportunity. And some courts have allowed class action lawsuits against the city or the public agency providing water and sewer services. So there's been a significant amount of litigation around proposition to 18, and that is actually increased virtue of these class action lawsuits recent history. Next slide. So this is the Legislature's recent response over the last couple years. In light of this emerging legal threat to cities and and water and sewer providers. And the legislature has enacted 2 separate optional procedures to help bolster defense of rate setting process ease. First is a statute of limitations. And this really it's optional, but it really is a no-brainer that we would include language in the notice that would go to customers and landowners that there's 120 days statue limitations, period. The second law is actually brand new. It's effective JANUARY. First of this year. So we will be one of the first cities in California attentional utilizing this optional

procedure. But it establishes an exhaustion of administrative remedies requirement. And discuss that more in the next slide. So exact. Jen is not new legal concept. In general. Under California law, it does exist in other areas of the law, such as the California Environmental Quality Act. However, it is new to proposition to 18. First. What is an exhaustion requirement? It basically just requires. Prospective lit against 2 outline their legal objections to your rate setting process. And the the benefits to the city. What you were to utilize optional procedure is that we get advance preview of that legal objection. So we will that have an option opportunity to make amendments or to bolster the rationale for the proposed rate change. So there's considerable benefits associated with this optional procedure. There are, however, some concerns or MAY be drawbacks. Couple of those relate to the time because it adds time to proposition to 18 process. It will also potentially add cost because there's a response the city must undertake to every written objection that MAY be received. I think those 2 downsides are pretty manageable. The one I really want to highlight What I think is the biggest downside. And that is a communication challenge. And since this is a new law, effective JANUARY, one of this year. Were among the first to try to tackle

this communication challenge and what that communication challenges is differentiating for customers and landowners. The difference between this written objection would satisfy the exhaustion requirement. And then separate from written protest. Would you go to next slide? Please? So let's dig into that a little more. And by the way, this is the slide that Director Burke noted at the outset where there was a typo the correct date is MARCH 5th 2025 not FEBRUARY 28th. The exhaustion of administrative remedies requirement sets And in turn, 45 day deadline. And in your case we would send out notices to the public. Those notices would. Clearly articulate the differences in the front deadlines between exhaustion protest. But there would be and and initial deadline for written objection set for MARCH 5th 2025. That would be the period by which customers that wish to actually preserved. Litigation argument would have to file a written objection. We would then review those written objections. And as I said, we make amendments to be rate setting process or at a minimum respond and bolster the reasons why we think our our process complies with proposition to 18. We would then come back to the City Council on APRIL. First as a separate agenda item, we're we would present to you that response to any objections we have received. After that item on APRIL. 1st dealing with written objections, we would then separately conduct public hearing. The public hearing is where that's the last

opportunity where the public and submit written protests. And as a reminder, the proposition 2.18 protest process, it functions like a veto. It's not like an affirmative vote where customers are from a deadly boating for the rate change rather. It's more can to where if a majority of customers protest in writing, then the proposed rate change cannot forward. Again. There's communication challenge with this new exhaustion requirement. But when we review this bp, you it was part of their unanimous recommendation to you to move forward by utilizing both the statute limitations and the exhaustion requirement in the city's notice. And in addition to that, I hope I'm not speaking for Director Burke, but both. And city attorneys office are recommending that we utilize both of optional procedures as well. So with that, I believe I will turn it back over to Director Burke. Thank you. >> So where we're at today? I know this was a long, very number filled asset study session. But we have completed all of our work with the board of Public Utilities. They have made a unanimous recommendation to you all today to consider that this rate study is comprehensive and meets all requirements and should be adopted. Once we go through the public hearing later this year. And recommended this rate schedule that's in front of you. We are in study session today to get any feedback from the council

answer any questions you might have if you are supportive of us moving forward, we have the prop to 18 notice. Ready to go. And that will be mailed out within the coming week. And that will allow us to meet our deadlines of the objection date for MARCH. 5th and then the public hearing we'd be back in front of you on APRIL. 1st with a much shorter presentation. And with that, we are happy to answer any questions that you might have. And thank you so much for your time. >> Jennifer Mark, thank you very much. And I'm I'm glad you showers some praise and ppe you as well because there was a tremendous amount work that went into this. Let's bring it back to council for questions right now with the comments Alright, Councilmember Okrepkie. Thank you. >> Just real is Is there a better they had a better? Is there a more efficient way for us to base our rates make more stable, help stabilize them? >> He ate. I guess. Can you help me understand what you're asking? I mean, is there a way to? Minimize rate increases over time? >> Or are you asking making our revenue more stable one of the ways? >> You can do that is to have higher fixed costs. But then that gives less control to our customers in terms of their water usage. But I just can you give me a little clarity on what you're asking? Yeah, the stabilization of race not necessarily are in the >> Just yet. But is there a

better way to stabilize the rates overall so that they don't fluctuate as much? >> You want to? Go ahead. Good luck. >> The primary way that rates are volatile. The way that you you get spikes in your rates will be catastrophic events for capital again, kicking the can down the road and whatnot. There's no way to avoid inflationary pressures on the utility in terms of the cost of operating. They live in same environment through the rest of the economy. So it's when you'll never be able escape inflation and inflation is pretty close to rates that are being proposed today. Maybe these rates are a little bit higher because of the increase in capital appropriations. But when I see a rate structure really double-digit rate increases. It's because utility has gotten to a point a breaking point where they need to address capital spending and they've the belated and so the context of what's happening in California and all the other studies that I'm doing to be 5, 6%, rate increases the wind right now. >> And I will add if I could councilmember Okrepkie. Well, you know, one of the things we are still dealing with is the last 2 years of Sonoma water's much higher rate increase than we anticipated. So we are having to do some catch-up. Based on that. And so you're seeing that in the rate increase here today. And I

think by putting the past through back into a fact, that is also going to help us with some stabilization going forward on the water side. >> Councilmember Ben Willows. Just a quick question. First off, thank you so much to staff bp you for all the work that you've done this really excellent I was just given that there's been some >> public work >> the possible rate increases and things of that nature. If you've gotten any other public feedback at this point, especially since you've been doing the value of water campaign in all of this emphasis on water, which is excellent. >> Thank you. At this point, we you know, we've met in public meetings with bp you through Budget Subcommittee study Session. Recommendation. We did not have any input from the public in that process. I think we've had a little bit of comments through our social media process and we've responded to those. But we really have not seen a lot of. Feedback at this point in time on what's been put forward, I would if this, you know, if council supports going forward, you know, we'll start to see more because we will be sending out a mailing to every single property owner and customer within the city of Santa Rosa City manager. Yeah, thank you, director. I will say while this not part of >> Jennifer's presentation, we released a community survey around the budget and we have been receiving a lot of comments about the importance of water and taking care of our water and waterways. So we are receiving high level feedback from our constituents

regarding. Councilmember Donald. >> Thank you. And thank you for the presentation. I do have a couple questions on side See if I'm reading this correctly that 38.9% of it of what we charged repairs goes to Sonoma Water. Is that correct? >> Yes, I just want to make think of the right slide. That is that is correct. Great. >> And then when we said our rates, Jennifer, could you remind me, do we do about a 5 year projection of what we want to do for rate increases. i can't recall heard that in this. I apologize if I missed it. >> So we have taken advantage of having a multi-year rate We the last rate increase. We did. We adopted in 2020 and that was a 4 year rate increase. And that's finishing up fiscal year. And so we're proposing in front of you today to do a 5 year rate increase, which is the maximum amount of years that we can do. And I appreciate that for budgeting purposes for households that use the water. >> Can you tell me how many year projections we get from Sonoma Water when they're doing their rate increases. >> so Sonoma water, we have pushing on them to give us forecasting, but they they do a year by year. So year-over-year rate setting. They have been giving us a little bit more information and they have anticipated over the next few years that they are going to be looking at some double-digit rate increases. So I think it's going to be continue to be

very important that we continue to work with them and provide feedback and ask questions about ways they can minimize their rate increases as much as possible since they're next. All save some of those questions for them. >> But I did want to just note that those multi year projections because the bill comes from Santa Rosa oftentimes rate pairs believe it's a Have these large increases. So I just want to be very clear that we have another entity that we pay 2. And now with the pass through, even though they're going to see a large jump, it's actually not just our increase. It actually could be on Sonoma water. So I just want to make sure that whomever is one charging the larger rates is the one that actually gets the credit for that. And I think that was pretty much it other than just kudos to being the 3rd lowest in the region. I heard what you said about Cip not wanting to be at the very bottom, but I think that just how much we're doing right now on our increases over time seems to be great as well as the extra spending on c ap project projects and infrastructure. We know that the longer we do kick those Kansas going to costs is astronomically more money. So I appreciate that. There's a new spending plan to get a lot of those things that we put on for some time done now. Other than that, I just want to say thank you for all your work and to the entire water department. Thanks. Excellent. Just one question for me. >> There's a good news story here, which which you emphasized about the the increase in capital projects, an increase in capital spending. That's coming up as part of the pr campaign. You mentioned in terms of general

water issues the will the capital increase capital spending, the part of that pr campaign some point? >> Yes, we're definitely focusing on what a lot of the reasons why we are doing this is to increase investment in our capital to prepare our systems for natural disasters to prepare for impacts from climate change and other variability. So really it is about investing in our systems that is the key message that we've been putting out will continue to put out going forward. >> Thank you. And if there are no further questions from council and we will move on to public comment. If there's anyone the chamber who would like to make a comment but has not yet provided a speaker with a card, MAY grab a cart at the table and make your way to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes. And as you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you choose to do so. Anyone in council chamber looking to make public comment. Seeing no one will bring it back to record council. Any final comments from my colleagues? Councilmember Rogers. >> I would just like to say thank you to the board of Utilities. Thank you to the water staff for doing this. I know it was pretty difficult the past couple of years with the rate increase from Sonoma Water and us having a forecast that there wouldn't be that increase but I think you guys handled it with Grace. Were able to come up with something that, you know, our rate pairs hopefully can can live within. It doesn't cause too much of an issue for them. So thank you all very much for all the

work. Councilmember funding. Thank you and well done. Just repeat the the thanks to my colleagues. Let me. >> But let me just confirm the message that I received today. We are keeping ourselves in the lower half of our water and wastewater rates. We are raising those rates, but that money is going to go to significantly increase capital spending, which is going to keep our water system stable for decades to come. I think that's the main message. And folks in the community we hearing more about that will have a chance to weigh in and near future. And as far as direction thanks to my Councilmember Crappie, we needed to confirm how we want for a prop. 22 18, is that correct? >> I And and all the for to city attorney's office if they think differently. But because this is study session, if you all are telling us to move forward, that is what we need from the majority of the council. And then we will put the proper to 18 notice out. And that starts the whole process. >> certainly in favor of moving forward. Anyone, anyone council think differently. All right. You've got your direction. Thank you very much for that presentation. Thank you so much. Thank you. With that happened on to item 5, our interviews for boards, commissions and committees. We have a few members of the public you who are here who previously applied to be on a couple of our committees are housing authority and our housing authority warned particular is Claudia Caprio in the audience? Claudia, if you would make your way down to the podium. Chance to say a

few words. What you We can see a little bit easier down here. Wanted come to the podium at that with that works. Thank you. MADAM City Clerk. Claudia, thank you. Thank you again for applying. If you could take a minute, just introduce yourself and say a few words about why you why you put your name into this position. Sure. >> I am new resident of Santa Rosa. Your beautiful city. And I am interested in. Redeployment because of the potential changes that MAY occur in the next couple of years in Washington. So with that, I thought that my knowledge and experience in housing. Do with it a lot in my career would help make responses to those potential changes. Were thoughtful and we have to be doubly and Tripoli, thoughtful, think. Thank if what you think is the biggest challenge for not facing the housing authority currently. >> It all boils down to following the money. >> We you know for Washington has been. Creative, but not enough money. When the federal level on the state level there's band some great increases and its all making sense of that in the context of responding to real needs in the community. >> And a lower open up to my colleagues if they have any questions. >> You notice Houston that you work with both local and state agencies. What one of the largest obstacles that you've experienced. Having worked with both of those injuries. >> The majority of my career was it at the local level. So I was in planning and development. With a side of housing because a lot of the

projects that we pushed through were affordable housing projects. On the local level. There's always again, the funding question, the amount of subsidy, the combination of debt, equity and subsidy that you need in order to pull something off. So I'd say the delays were really good hard because of the funding situation of projects in the ready to go and the funding wouldn't be quite there at the state. My biggest challenge was one eye. Took over the leadership of the California Housing Finance Agency. The bond, the mortgage revenue bonds close to junk. And we have been deeply affected by the mortgage crisis and we had to pull ourselves out. I always I thought maybe I pull it out. And if not, I close it up. And we were lucky enough that the market improved so that we were able to get ourselves out of that hole. Any additional questions Councilmember Donald. Thank you and thank you for your application in for your involvement in Oakmont. And emergency preparedness says, well, I appreciate And I also wanted to just ask, could you tell us what a housing fellow and >> uc Berkeley, what that was you noted in your application? Yes, when I first retired from Oakland, I was asked to be a fellow, which means that I would be available for consultation or assistance with people doing research and there are a number of Phd candidate. So basically I had a lot of practical, on-the-ground experience and people would call on me saying. Where, what part of the budget you a look at or or how do you put something like

of an affordable housing project together? So I was of assistance to students and faculty. Thank you. I appreciate that. Additional questions. Claudia, thank you. Again, reporting name forward and for spending the time to be with us today. >> Thank you. Council. Have a good afternoon. Thank you. To is Dougherty council chambers. Alright, is Wayne Downey here. Wayne, is it easiest for you to speak at the podium? Preferable. And then by all means one want to take the elevator down thank you, Dana. Thank you for your patience, MR. Downey. MR. Downey, thank. Thank you for your service on the Housing authority and thank you for being willing to serve again are spending time with us today. Would you take a few minutes to talk about your your background injured in interest in the housing authority? >> and in education and I have a business in Santa Rosa. In graduate school, one-on-one mentors. Ask me. Beyond looking for a job. What are you going do for your community? And to question very seriously. And nationally housing came to mind because housing is it's a fundamental necessity that all people need to have. You know it regardless of wealth or situation. And this has been

something that I've had the food too of working on for a as I said, for 80 years. In addition to I've had to. Gone 2 fires, a pandemic. I had to interact with the Department of Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development. Good to do in few federal agencies spelling out specific housing needs the city of It was just the cookie cutter community. And nationally. I was I wasn't afraid to approach people and ask specific questions. I specifically fema. Do do? And I was delighted that they were willing to engage me. Some of them were a little shocked, but I wanted to get some information that I knew was going to be difficult get through phone call or an email. >> Thank you. And you speak with experience here. But in in your in your experience was the biggest challenge facing the housing authority right now. >> The biggest challenge how and the extremely fluid. And the words you could come up the best plans. I'm even though I had the best. The plans and my as a result of my friends, the housing challenge that we have would go away. And the reality is, is. I'm best charge is to make it a little bit better food in crew of people that are going to

come in and and run city tenor of the housing authority. >> Thank you. I'm looking to my colleagues for additional questions. Seeing We'll thank you again for your service on on the housing authority and for taking the time to with us today. >> Thank Thank you. Assistant city manager Myles Horton. MR. Horton. Thank you, MISTER Mayor Councilmembers. It will extend our our thanks as well. Reporting a name for for taking time to be here today. It's energy to talk about your background and what makes makes you Tristan Housing Authority. >> Yeah, thank you so Skews me. So my name is miles or not work as the legislative policy and community engagement manager at Sonoma, Clean Power prior to that pride moving to Santa Rosa. I actually worked in the state Capitol is made to assembly Speaker Ms and Senator Scott Wiener. I worked on a number of housing policies impacting local governments. Backing up. The reason I'm really passionate about housing unite. I hail from San Francisco originally, which is a city that's dealing with a severe housing shortage that's affecting the kind of younger generation. The most. And I you know, I think I've seen the results of what you know, misguided policy can do or a lack of that. The appropriate policy right? So it's an issue that I'm very passionate about. I think we saw in the last election that cost of living is just foundational everything we do. And so I'd be excited to serve on the housing authority to really, you know, I think take a pragmatic approach and just try to keep moving this city forward. I think some of the

things that I bring to the table for my you know, my day job and previously in the political realm, you know, I think I'm really able to work with all stakeholders even when we disagree. I think able to, you know, I'm not dogmatic. I'm able to look at issue on the merits. Really keep an open mind. That's why applied. And then just I should say, full disclosure. I did also, you know this. Like I said, this is my passions. I played for the planning commission and it beat with that Councilmember Ben Willows about her. They can see they're just full disclosure. >> Thank you, MR. Horton toss you the same question and that we toss to the other other applicants. Think is the biggest challenge facing the housing authority right now. >> Yeah, thanks. I think You know, just at a kind of meta level. I think the biggest challenge probably the same one. It's always been which is, you know, the whole goal of the housing Authority's pride services to some of the populations that are hardest to reach and most difficult to serve right. And so, you know, I was just actually the spy speaks to another issue, isis and then over the other day, taking an Uber to the bus. Stop and I had to go to the airport and I talked to the driver and he had, you know, I don't know if you live in Santa Rosa or not, but he had been, you know, waiting for affordable housing many months, right? So in an era where, you know, I think one of the previous speakers mentioned, you know, we're dealing with these natural disasters and disruptions for my climate change. We're still coming out of the pandemic. You know, there's all these disrupters. How do we, you know, deal with that and then become even more effective

going forward? >> Thank you. Looking to my colleagues for any additional questions. Well, whole thing Will thank you for your time and thank you your name forward. >> Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Joseph Moriarty council chambers. Joseph. I'll try one more time for Doherty. To hear. All right. Well, that concludes our interview, our interviews for the housing authority will not go to public comment. As we mentioned before, if you're in council chamber would like to comment this item but have not yet provided a speaker for a speaker card. You can make your way to the table and then on and then to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes. And as you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you choose to do so. Anyone in Cannes Council Chamber wish to make comment and are on item 5.1. Seeing none. We'll bring it back to council. And we will move on. Actually to item a tent. I do want to do want. One moment. If folks want to take a 10 minute recess. Actually, no, we're not going to that. No. Hold on a new at this. Give me give me a second. We are going to. We can. All right. We are taking a 10 minute recess. Things are everyone whole on? We've it will back in a few minutes. Thank you. Thank you for your patience. Everyone. It is after 4 o'clock, we're able to reconvene. MADAM Do we need to do roll call? All right. I think we're ready to

go. Councilmember MacDonald, your council Rodgers as council member crappie here, Councilmember Fleming Councilmember Ben, with those vice mayor all for us. >> Present and they are step here. Let the record show all council members are present. >> All right. Well, thank you again. Now ready to move forward with the item. 8.1 are proclamation and Arnold to my my councilmember Carolyn been we los to read this proclamation for the group. >> Well, it is an honor to read this proclamation. Whereas we recognize the importance of fostering inclusivity and unity with our community. And whereas it is essential to break down barriers of discomfort and fear to bridge gaps between individuals of diverse backgrounds and where is engaging with others and extending simple greetings can lead to greater understanding and acceptance now, therefore, maybe be resolved that I mark Stapp, mayor of this city of Santa Rosa on behalf of the entire city council in recognition of our community, encourage all members of our community to step out of their comfort zones and take the initiative to say hello to those they perceive is different from themselves. Be it further resolved that this act of kindness and openness will contribute to a more connected, compassionate and United Community where everyone feels valued. Understood by the mayor stepped on the stage JANUARY 7, 2025. Thank you everyone for coming Missile weary. If you have a few words you'd like to say when she step in the podium. There. >> Go anywhere without my little barnacle. So she's here. Thank you so very much

for recognizing this important day here in Santa Rosa as a born and raised citizen who had a child who are world perceives to be as difference. It is an honor to stand in front of our city council who recognizes the importance of difference and the importance of just saying hi Common Ground Society is a nonprofit that was started out of a need in our community. We support our local families with many different family events each month we do hospital support. That's in grief, support backs for families who lose their loved ones. Earlier the nation. We also do presentations in the community about acceptance and inclusion and help teach our community all of the different things that I wish I had known before. Having. My child my daughter JUNE Bell and my son, James, right over there. James, you want to say hi. Various. Thank you so much for showing our community, the importance that everyone deserves to long and we appreciate it. >> Well, the city things common ground for the advocacy that you're doing for different lands, the new land you're giving us, especially as we look at new parks in the city. Are there others from group voice to speak with a public comment? If there's any in the chamber who'd like to say a few words in this item, by all means make your way to the podium. MR. Sanders, you have the MR. Centers not speaking any any other members of the group that >> Share? Can you ask the speaker to use a hand-held mike in shift to the right of the lectern? So we can capture her on our video feed. Please. To the right back. We're thank

you. Stage. Perfect. Thank you very much. Out now. The Okay. >> Hi, my name's Olivia. I was I grew up in Sonoma County. And iPad disability. My whole life. What this means is as a kid, my parents or my advocate >> trying to pave the way for up have ever families who have children disabilities are kind of. Travel. Now, partly though, my parents had to be down path. Because 3 for Vince are not as available if they are today. Also, it was for me to find a place for a pardon. And continued hi all. And in high school, no one ever mean to me and said student reaction and I will tear up just to never say anything. So led to me being I myself, both Dave and feeling very isolated and alone. I can only think now that it was they find common ground had been around. It would make such a positive difference for both me and my parents. That's why I'm so thankful to be part of common ground now have a 30 year-old adult and I'm very thankful to speak with you today. Lastly, I just want say thank you for recognizing proclamation, encouraging everyone in the community to just say hi. You really don't realize how simple. And how much of an impact I can make and told no one fair to to you. Thank you. >> Olivia, thank you so much. Are there any other members of the public about to speak? Mr? Sanders, the changes mind. Can you hear this? >> Happy New year to everyone in the gallery and to the council. Congratulations our

new mayor. Thank you, Mark. Congratulations. Our new vice you to both working together sort of epitomizes the concept of keeping the really getting done. So I'm really looking forward to seeing the work that you guys do. I'm Terry Sanders. I'm here today. My capacity as the chair of the Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival and I had a chance to meet Larkin through Leadership. Santa Rosa Class, 40 best class Thank you. She gave me a world-class education on how important the work the common ground does for folks, not just those who MAY be but and it was interesting because we end up working together on the roads. Read in the festival, had what I call a chill-out tent. I'm sure Larkin can give them or Cambridge language for that. But that's what I call. It was such a long time. And what I didn't realize was many people use that space, not just someone who MAY or MAY not be new road diverse, but anyone who needed some time to decompress. Find your center and re-engage. I had one woman come to me and say thank you so much for including this because what I do for my family wasn't I didn't have to have an escape plan. Before I showed up to the event, what I had was ability to when things got difficult for my child. I had a place to go. That wasn't my car and leaving the event and going home. They were able to give the tent. Ground themselves and be right back out for the pie eating contest. So want to share just a couple other things that reported to me. In

relationship 2, chill out One person was saying it was really nice to have a place to change an adult diaper. Another said it was nice to have a place to change my child without having to leave them on the floor. Father son duo came and he the inclusive space items that we had in the tent and was it really isn't he help his own anxiety in that moment. So it just taught me that, you know. That effort and served everyone, not just a small group. And we're talking about inclusion and we talk about as a buzz phrase. But you know what common ground as they actually do the and inclusion to my estimation is an action item. When you are inclusive, the result is diversity. So I want to thank Larkin common ground and also announce and really excited that common ground and now sits on the organizing committee for the Rose Parade. Thank Thank you, Terry. MR. Do >> Hello, my name is doing to it. I'm from Rosen and thank you very much for having this. Item about belonging. Decades ago, working as a respiratory therapist with chair users, many of whom are on ventilators. We came up with the term differently. Abled. As a way to talk about how these people are doing different things and we don't think they're disabled So it's wonderful that you've done this proclamation today and I'd like to encourage every one of those children over there to understand. But now the University of California at Berkeley actually has a department of belonging and

other and they offer a degree in that field. So I do hope that all of you will understand that everybody in our community is a part of it. If we let them be. Part of it and not keep them to the side. And, you know, this will probably surprise, but was a Republican PRESIDENT Over 30 years ago, George Bush, the first one h w. Who passed the American Disabilities Act and brought it forward that we should be doing this, not just in our communities, but nationwide. And so when you hear people talk they think that's something too onerous. I think they need to sit in a wheelchair themselves and power themselves around for a while and figure out how this really works. So I just wanted to say once again, thank you for doing this. Thank you for those people for coming here today and especially to find out about the chill tenders. I'm con it. It's a good spot for folks all the way around. And we do hope that we will do more of these types of activities, especially on Earth Day down here in the city is hosting that. Thank you kindly for your time. And you do. Wayne. >> And any other members of the public. To speak. Seeing buyout by all means State State. Your name? The podium is yours. >> I'm Jenna Adams and I'm PRESIDENT Of the Board of Common Ground Society. And I just wanted to stand up here and just get my gratitude for this proclamation and for the support that we've been receiving through the community, not only through the city, back through

different companies impact that it is had on my self and my family's. The situation. I have a daughter with disabilities. She's 11. She has. Intractable seizures wheelchair stroller, type deal and so she's got the cognitive delays as well. And so their son, there's different disabilities for different people and finding your tribe, as you say, makes a really big impact because feeling isolated a lot of times because you can't go and certain things she has. She can't go out and heat. So there's a lot of activities that we can't participate in. But knowing that we can go to some of those meet ups for caregivers or for families, it gives us a place to feel belonging. And then just having the community to reach out to to her myself for so many. My family. It really makes us feel like we're part of the community as much as we can. So we appreciate you. >> Thank you, Jenna. Thank you for your work. Are there any other members of the public who wish to speak? All right. We've got one final item for one final. I tasked decided not to take a photo. >> And I think with this group is going make the most sense to take it near the top of the of stairs right there. If that works, the council members will come around and will align ourselves somewhere to the top. So we get everyone's face and again, thank you for coming out tonight. Comes short. Again. Thanks to common ground. Thank you, everyone for coming out tonight. We're going to move on to item 8.2, we have a presentation from Sonoma

Water. Water transmission system, capital projects. Update. The floor is yours. >> I see a green area. Everything. Perfect. Thank you. My presentations up so great. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. Mayor staff and members of the council. I'm Kent can't kill fee and director engineering with Sonoma Water. I'm joined by a couple of my colleagues and some of the storm waters leadership Ercis in general manager Brad Sherwood over business services and external affairs is also here today. The audience in the gallery out. Along with Andrea Rodriguez are communications manager. Really appreciate the opportunity be here today and build a present. We appreciate the city's. Leadership and partnership with Sonoma Water in water supply issues, particularly want to express appreciation. Councilmember Rogers and sharing our whack Jennifer Burke and turning our tac for those in in the room that MAY be a little less familiar with Sonoma water and our role. We are wholesale water supplier of some 600,000 plus residents in Sonoma and Marin counties. Our direct customers are the retail water suppliers for our water contractors, which are many of the cities and water districts that supply directly to individual individual homes and businesses within our service area, including Santa Rosa. Of course. Our primary source of water is the Russian river aided by 2 federally sponsored storage projects at Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma. We divert water from the river and are pumping production facilities at era bound near Forest Film. And into our water transmission system. That'll be the focus

of my presentation today. In addition, water supply, some water operates. County sanitation, district zones and provides flood management service is an extensive environmental stewardship services as well. But for water supply, our primary means of coordination with our water contractors is through the whack the water Advisory Committee and The Associated Technical Advisory Committee or attack consisting of elected in staff officials of each of our water contractors respectively. The whack meets quarterly and the tech meets monthly. It's this time of year that some waters typically preparing for. Upcoming budget and rate discussions with the attack in the weeks ahead to that end, our finance folks are currently working to compile necessary financial information to determine next year's recommended rates and provide that information to the tax Finance subcommittee couple weeks here, mid JANUARY to begin those discussions. And as in past years, we do anticipate then in MARCH time for bill to present to any of our interest water conductor boards and councils. Some of that financial data and rate recommendations. Ahead of those discussions today, though, it's our hope that we can just take this opportunity now to share with any of the interest in water, conductors and boards and councils. Some of waters, current activities that we're pursuing with our water transmission system provide update as to status on those. So in in the process also highlight some of the ways that snow water is continuing efforts to maintain

the reliability and resiliency of our water transmission system that is serving your your community. So again, thank you very much for the opportunity. So I'm going to touch on some of our capital improvement projects as well. Some of our maintenance and planning efforts not covering projects and a lot of detail. Just a brief description of background kind of status of where those are at and with projects that are in various stages of construction or recently completed. So work is continuing on rehabilitating are 3 production wells in the Santa Rosa Plain. These wells are not routinely used in our system except in times of special needs such during a drought. However, due to some changed regulatory requirements associate with clearing contact time. These wells were not in production ahead of the last drought. And we did find ourselves needing to rehabilitate them. So we were able to get that hot road. Well, back in production during the drought and at the same time, we also able to secure a 6.9 million dollar drought resiliency grant to help rehabilitate the other wells. So but rehabilitate them not only just for for production purposes, but also to include the capability to recharge groundwater with those wells as part of a future proposed for storage and recovery program to build a store available winter water for later in later years. So I talked to them a road. Well, we have completed the installation of a new well at that site. It's intended to improve the water, quality issues and sanding conditions

compared to that of the existing. Well, the design, however, for the top side elements of that for them, the pumping the associated pumping in piping electrical instrumentation and controls that is currently out for advertisement for construction and that bids actually a week from today. For construction commencing in 2025. The second part of that, that's a passable road. Probably gets further along on this project is under construction. We can. We did complete a portion of the construction of the emergency contractor during under emergency contracting during the drought proclamation until a drought emergency ended and then we have to step back and prepare complete engineering and contract documents to bid the remaining work. We did lose a month or 2. Unfortunately, the summer due to a damaged existing valve on the aqueduct turnouts and that required in urgent an unplanned shutdown of the 48 inch aqua duck. So we did lose a couple months. So now we find ourselves wrangling against the weather to try to keep the project on schedule. But currently we still do expect by next summer, too, have the production capabilities of that river. Well, ready and to be commencing the pilot testing for the restored recovery permitting that will be necessary. Most recently did receive some guidance from the state Water Board on how to seek little water rights necessary permitting for for storage and recovery purposes. So that's really helpful. We

do appreciate the city's role and helping us navigate and acquire temporary construction easement end connection in use of the recent cities. Recycle water line for the purpose of that project. So one of our more significant projects or programs is that our tank real rehabilitation program is currently underway. It's a 10 year 18 million Dollar program addressing some long overdue. Recording of our 18 storage tanks that are within our water transmission system representing some 128 million gallons of storage. With this project. We are also replacing associated public protection systems evaluating size conditions on those tanks and making other minor modifications as needed. The coast. And your tank is a 12 million gallon tank. The southernmost portion of our system since a southern We recently completed that one and returned service in SEPTEMBER. This tank was particularly satisfying for us to complete as it did represent the removal of our last coal tar lined tank in our system now interior lined with and a proxy proxy coating. Under that same Conner. Greene also most recently completed the rehabilitation or 6 million gallon cotati one tank. And that is now back in service as of NOVEMBER. One of the 2 largest tanks in our system of their can tie 3 tank is an 18 million gallon 18 million gallons capacity. We did recently opened bids on that contract and we expect a war that also next week expect to have it out of service for much of 2025 for recruiting purposes. So in addition to the interior and exterior coating work. The replacement provide protection of those tanks and other minor

apartments modification such as letters and then sun overflows will be retrofitting the foundation of this tank as we found it to address a seismic deficiency with the tank. We have found it to be loaded, eccentric eccentric Leon. The on the foundation to will be Whiting widening that foundation be that detail up there on that thing. Showing it is incidental work for this relative to the Ricoh work. But it's a rather large tank with the diameter nearly the size, length of a football field at 280 feet. So it is fairly significant incidental work to this recording project. So moving off tanks and wells. Talk more about our aqua Thought protection. Products were constructed many decades ago with passive the thought of protection systems were corrosion protection systems, those of reach the end of their life. And we are replacing them with in press to current system, installing wrecked the fires along the system, too. Part of small current to prevent corrosion. Following some prior cut out of protection. Corrosion conversions are snowmen conducts here currently and dancing efforts for the Santa Rosa Aqua Duck and our Russian River Cotati in or tie. Split that effort into 2 2 with smaller phase one targeted advertising originally in FEBRUARY. Looks like might be MARCH. Now and phase 2. A year later, this fit with the phase 2 sides having more significant right away and permitting efforts associated with them. Do appreciate appreciate also cities coordination with us on right away and encroachment permits for that project. Will for booster station. It's located store located along our panel.

The panel amaka tucked in Rohnert Park. We are updating the outdated electrical equipment addressing seismic vulnerabilities and installing redundant pump set for resiliency that Saint. Well, this pump station when it's normally operated, would generally comes to the southern portion of our system. It does have a unique and vital role in being able to be our only pump station. That also allows us to the pump north into the Santa Rosa area from the south. Has been essential for us under certain conditions such as when we've had portions of aqueduct shut down for construction or repair purposes. So it's a valued facility in that regard for this project. We have pre purchase equipment in JUNE of this year. And this project is scheduled to advertise in MAY for construction. One slide that do not have is for are you a booster pump station? Under come. It's been under contract for construction for more than 2 years, but we have not been able to break ground on that project yet due to procurement of electrical gear and delays associated therewith. We are now expecting electrical year to arrive this spring. It is a fema funded resiliency project to replace electrical year and protected from flooding near Ely Road in the Pender of Petaluma area. And I mentioned this project primarily only to highlight one of the challenges that we and imagine others of our water condors are continue to face and procuring electrical year. So some supply chain challenges still remain for some equipment and particularly that electrical here. And it's

not the only product that has suffered that fate. So some of the other capital projects that are in design included are going to rally for crossing where our conducting pond pipeline traverse Valley Fault Zone along Montgomery Drive near Spring Lake images appear on the slide. Just show the general location there along Montgomery Drive at the base of the main dam of Spring Lake, along with cross section there, Gia Physical Cross section that depicts the fault races that this project would traverse. So another means by which we've been addressing seismic resiliency in the largest mission systems by retrofitting Aqua Ducks. Normal fall and stream crossings such as where we've completed recent projects, the Rogers Creek Fault Crossing Down and Sonoma Avenue here as well as more recently the Russian River crossing and our Mark West Creek crossing projects. We received fema funding for all 3 of those projects to get those done. Then a belly full crossing is currently a 30% design with the intent to advertise that construction at such point he was going to err on target to be a the summer. We think at this point we're going to try to delay that to see if find some fema funding help with the construction costs. We've also recently completed a feasibility study looking to address our outdated chlorine and ph treatment systems with a modernization project. So we're kicking off the design of a multi phase to water treatment system, modernization project to implement upgrades the saysit aided by the aging infrastructure and some operational and infrastructure changes over the years that have occurred out our war Mirabal these are our pumping production facilities along

the river as well as some newer regulatory compliance requirements and also to address the safety of in converting from chlorine gas hypochlorite him. In tandem of that. We will be addressing the high vulnerability we have are 12 k electric system that. Powers are pumping facilities there, vulnerable of us, too. Fire flood seismic conditions out there. So this is a significant project for us in both scope and cost. Constructing new soap sodium hypochlorite facilities, both that Waller and at Meribel as well as new hypochlorite facility ph control facility a row. River road facility and associated electrical redundancy issues. We have offered towards the many end boards and councils in the past at this some of these facilities out there, you MAY have observed issue for to seeing those observed some of our dated systems out there. Some of them being built as late long ago as the early 50's and some of the challenges associate their with would certainly remains a standing offer to any council members that MAY wish to participate in a tour such as that of those facilities. Just system is heavily rely reliant on on our water, our ability to provide that water. With that. Mentioned here. Next project is that the Willard to move the project. It's a new emergency inventory storage facility to address inventory deficiencies for equipment and supplies that are needed to support emergency repairs following damage from major hazard events such as an earthquake, possibly flood fire. This project is intended more directly to be responsive to the related

recommendations. The 2018, 2019, grand report. Will there be water after an earthquake that snow water along all the water? Contractors responded to designed for this project is targeted is it has been initiated and targeting summer of 26 for advertisement about project. Phase one of our Fien Sonoma Booster Station pipeline represent a small northern portion of our larger corner of that's bs pipeline. It goes for quantitative Cohen, a tank and Southwest Santa Rosa to our Ralphie in tanks Spring Lake Phase one will just replace the existing portion, the conduct between the roofing tanks at Spring Lake and the service or stations. Also near Spring-like, it's only a couple 1000 feet of pipe, but this phase is being advanced. The head of the larger larger pop pipeline project to address vulnerabilities of the 66 year old pipe. The crosses beneath a portion of spring Lake and also very deeply buried. Week. Below a port of the main damage of Spring Lake. This is also being with that concurrent with other planning efforts that were engaged in in rehabilitation Central watershed project which Spring lake Matanzas Reservoir and other reservoirs are apart as a flood control project and looking at those for seismic and hydraulic performance issues and trying to plan those efforts together. Phase 2 of the larger pipeline project is still several years out. But we did just recently acquired significant portion of the needed right away by way of easement for that second phase, partnering with the city as part of the Southeast Greenway acquisition recently closed. We certainly appreciate the city's work with us on that easement and

commend the city and the Greenway Partnership on the position of that former Caltrans right away. On the move was I can sing slides inadvertently if I was On the maintenance side of things. Back to tanks briefly, we have completing washout inspections of our tanks, including complete draining and cleaning of the tanks along with other minor repairs as needed. So in addition to the general maintenance benefits of this work. They're also beneficial, probably decide identify the appropriate prioritization and scheduling of the tanks for that bigger tank rehabilitation program that I spoke to earlier. So over the last couple of years, we've completed 9 tanks in shown in the first few bullets here currently Arco on a one tank is out of service but returning to very soon. I think in the days ahead here and are cotati to tank is now out of service for that for that purpose. So this summer, it just shows quickly that the various tasks that have been completed under that maintenance plan for the last 2 fiscal years there in the first 2 columns and those those tasks that are planned in blue there for of the cup, current and future fiscal years. On the planning front, we are in the process of developing a comprehensive master plan for the water transmission system. It is a multi-year effort and our consultant Carollo engineers has completed the first task looking at baseline conditions evaluating facility information, looking at water supply agreements, condition assessments, long-range financial plans and Ken capital improvement plans in the current fiscal year will be working with the water

contractors and looking at water demand projections. Consulting also be developing basis of cost information and project prioritization methodology, actual project identification and development will be the focus of next fiscal year. Other currently active planning efforts also be used to inform the plan. One of those is our current seismic resilience, planning with our consultant in for Tara, assessing service interruption, potential and the various mitigation needs and strategies in our aqua storage facilities and are collector wells. That study recently completed more than 50 geotechnical concentration test across our aqua Duck system to try to better understand the potential damaging effects of liquefaction rising from major earthquake and where that could move more most likely occur. Master plan will also incorporate applicable recommended actions that are coming out. The regional resiliency study the is wrapping up with Jacobs. Engineering. Looking moving into Don Discussed that's been assessing the resiliency of our combined systems of all the water contractors in our system as a regional system of an array of hazards that could threaten water supplies. So the cover as a master plan, your schedule to be completed in fiscal year 26. 27 and is intended to build. Help us better identify project project of our infrastructure in into the future. Effort is along with the various projects have been discussing is very much in line with our planning and infrastructure goal of some waters currents, strategic plan. And lastly, I we're just want to report out that we did recently received Department of Drinking Waters findings in OCTOBER from a comprehensive to date Sanitary

survey inspection of our water supply infrastructure. It was conducted in late SEPTEMBER where 10 ddw department drinking water staff members along with our staff and inspected array of our facilities, including our operations room, our scada systems, all 6 of our collector wells, all 18 of our storage tanks are disinfection, encouraging facilities. Our Todd Road well and to boost pump stations we were pleased to see no deficiency findings on any areas pumps. System management in operation monitoring and reporting or operator compliance with state requirements and they're only a few minor deficiencies findings on a few of the items shown here in the second to the last bullet that we will be addressing. So we need that as a as a favorable, a good report. That concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. Pleased to answer any questions. >> Thank you so much director Council for questions. That Donald. >> Thank you. And thank you for your presentation. Do have a couple of questions do you know approximately? I these are start over. Sorry about that. When they added that the rate increase from Sonoma Water for the last 2 years, it equal. 29.4, 4% from Sonoma Water. And I understand that you give us a budget for one year at a time for city of Santa Rosa for rate pairs. Do you have any plans increase that so that we understand the amount of increase and to your rate more than one year at a time. >> I don't think would necessarily be opposed to the concept under the recurrent restructured agreement. I

think we'd have limitations in our ability to do that. So I don't think that would be off the table for concern for considering I think our current structure would be would would make that difficult. >> Would you be willing to change your current structure so that we would be able project for their for the city of Santa Rosa rate payers. >> I believe we would. That would get into the researchers agreement some water is open to open. >> Of that 20.0, 4, 4%. Do you have any idea in your budget? How much that brings into your budget or the or your overall. I know it takes 40% of our money too. Of our water bills. Go to you guys. But you have any idea how much comes in from city of Santa Rosa rate pairs. >> I'm afraid I do not have that information. Mean, things for us to know. And then in the ad how we're spending on infrastructure projects that directly Impact. >> Santa Rosa Water users. >> Yeah, I've mentioned that. I mentioned a number of the projects do do involve. I mean, number of the ones I did mention are in Santa Rosa area and even some of the ones that aren't in the Sierras to the extent of the benefiting the reliability, the overall system. >> It's what I like to say, things for bringing what you're doing in capital improvement projects so that we have an idea. But I think for me in the future, if you could consider putting what we're doing directly in the city of Santa Rosa said that our rate pairs who are painting this increase each year know what is directly affecting them. As far as the proof that program improvements that you're doing or the capital improvements

that you're doing. And the reason I say all this is a lot of times it feels a little bit like we're a donor city sort of like the irs does to the state of California. We continue to give a lot of money and not maybe get as much back as we should honor infrastructure. Not that all the other infrastructure is an important and water is important in the entire county. But I think it's important for us to be able to tell our repairs who are paying 40% of their water bill to Sonoma Water. What exactly we're doing with that money. And as far as that goes, if you could share 5 years cip plan with us as well. I think that would be something that helps us know where we need to focus our infrastructure. Do you have any plans to do like a longer-range? I know you're working on a master plan right now. That was helpful to see. But to have any strict strategic long-term cip plans. >> Yes, thank you. So orders issue of a cip on annual on annual basis. We do that in coordination with the county for all our core function, areas specifically the large transmission system. We do provide the budget Finance subcommittee every year. The long-range financial plan that lays out what projects we have a vision for at that time. The 5 year vision pretty well populated. That kind of longer range vision that we're really more wrestling with. And that with that, we expect that the watersheds missions that I mean, that the master plan that we develop will help us to better better project >> thank you so much. Preached sorry to hammer you with some of these questions. But I think it's important when we to see such a high increase in the rate of 20% over the last 2 years. And and that's it Santa Rosa repairs. Have an

understanding of what what's going on with their money that they're sending to you. >> Understood. Appreciate that. Appreciate the feedback to Aye. We've come. Although although you water users is hard part of that, I know that we hear regularly hard part is that we ask people to conserve water and people are doing a great job. Doing that. And yet that translates to reduced revenues for us. Leaves us. Challenge to meet certain fixed costs that we incur and one of the difficulties particular with the restructuring agreement. The way it is right now is that we're we're compensated to cover those costs. I fully volumetric basis of the more we can serve higher. That rate has to be to cover those certain costs weird. >> Yeah, we would love to able to cut water and then we charging more for not using that water. So it's backwards. We would love to reconsider Thank you so much. And then my last question is, do you share with city of Santa Rosa? Skews me. Your budget to actuals. Are your budget to cost projections? >> Yes, an annual basis. And you should see sorry. We I think particularly presenting in front of Santa Rosa, be for your annual basis when the budget and the rate increases come around. And we do typically show what our budgets and our actual are in those in those presentations. >> Budget to actual can be different than budget to cost to. As far as the water rates go. So I'm just curious. I mean, it sounds like budget to actuals. If that's sufficient for the water department. I think I just would like to make sure that we're getting the actual cost of what things

are costing us. >> Yeah, that's what I'm intending to say by the actuals that cause we've actually incurred to date on project. Okay. >> I'm probably not saying it well. So I apologize for that. I think that someone question, thanks. Thank you. Will open up to public comment. Is there anyone in the chamber who would like to make public comment on this item? Seeing none. I'll bring it back to council for any final comments. All make just couple of remarks. I like the fact that again focusing infrastructure here? We heard it from the city's presentation earlier now we're hearing from the county. We know it's a county wide story that we underinvested in our in our infrastructure maintenance for decades. And now it seems like we're turning the tide on that. Thank you for letting the city of Santa Rosa give gives no water a hard time. It's kind of a it's kind of support for us. Jennifer Burke has has trained as well and and grant Davis to be very proud of the way the you slipped in the offer to renegotiate going about their pricing. So compliment him on your behalf. With that, thank you very much for that presentation. Thank you. Apologies. We do have one Councilmember Rogers. >> I just wanted to say thank you very much for being here, but also just pointing out like when we make amendments and changes to the agreement that it would be nice if we were able to be present when those amendments were made, not and formed after the decisions have been made. >> I would I would absolutely agree with concerning to me. What concerns you on that that that would happen we can definitely talk. Yeah. Okay.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Can't thanks again. >> And with that went on to item 9.1 man, a city manager. I have no up to staff briefings. And 909 0.1 as the community Empowerment Plan update. >> Good afternoon. Mayor Vice mayor and city Council. I'm on out that community engagement manager with communications and intergovernmental Relations Office and I will be presenting the community Empowerment Plan. Update when JANUARY 22nd join members of the Rosa Police Department as they discuss community safety through innovation. More policy. Police seen. Policing initiatives and can see there the possibility of the drone Spurs to spawn the program. The meeting will be held at the lease kill Operation Building. 35 Stony Point Road from 6 to 08:00pm. On JANUARY. 27 ce the city of Centerville. So would be hosting a community meeting at few nice end to 2, 0, West College Avenue starting at 06:00pm. The meeting will often develop new opportunity for the community to share feedback and connect newly with the newly appointed mayor and vice Mayor. On a number of topics, including budget priorities, council prepares upcoming goal setting and update discussions. During the month of JANUARY. Senator Fire Department, ems, division and community outreach in collaboration with Santa Rosa City. Middle schools are safe community and say fled Sonoma would be hosting a series of hands-on cpr, aed classes for

7th graders for more information about the program. Please email the ems Division Chief Matthew Club dinner Glow can are. That is our That concludes the community Empowerment Plan update for JANUARY. Thank you. >> Thank Any questions or comments from council? We'll open up the public comment. MR. Do 3 minutes. >> That all of you saw the article in the newspaper. About daylight in the state law that's now come into effect. To make safety at intersections and road corners throughout the city. I have a wonderful idea for community empowerment. How about a red curve patrol where we go paint red curb. Starting over in Roseland. >> This would be a wonderful thing to do without you having to spend any money except for the red paint and we could get out there and start making those corners safe, especially near the schools. We have 4 major schools in Roseland now we have thousands more people there than and the day I was growing up in people now very dangerous when they drive, especially when they get to the corner, even bother stop a lot of times. So if we get at least they like those corners, those intersections as the state law now says we're supposed to be doing. And have that be a community empowerment effort. Have it be something where we come together with the community. What are council member MAY be the mayor. Anybody else wants to come along. I know I can sling a paint brush and we could be out there doing this and getting this done. If you

folks are just give us go ahead as it's called and some red paint, we can actually get some back in the day. We used to have the Roseland Payne. Stuart, donate the paint to us and we were going over the paint graffiti on the fences. Fee abatement program came along roads and paint store is not around. We could be doing this stuff. Let's let community empowerment actually start right now. Come alive in 2025. Starting in roselawn paying the curbs read. I don't know if any of you are old enough to remember the old term paint the city red. Do not paint the town red. Old folks used to say that back in the day in Roselawn at 11 bars along Sebastopol Road back in the day. >> It was the fund is part town, but now they're all gone. So let's make fun with painting the curves on the corners, the red Daylighting intersection. If you haven't seen law, go ahead and look it up on the Internet. California daylighting law at intersections. Wholeheartedly volunteer right here publicly. So I brought it up and I'll let my actions speak louder than my words. Thank you kindly for community in power. >> Thank you to Wayne. Any other members of the public wish to speak. Then move on to item 10 city managers and city attorneys reports MADAM City manager. Thank you, mayor have no updates this evening. City attorney. Thank you, Mayor. I also have no update this evening. Thank you both item 11 statements of abstention, a recusal by council members. Are there any stations, statements of abstention or

recusal tonight? Seeing none. Item 12 mayors and Councilmembers reports. Are there any members of council would like to make a report this evening? Council councilmember flooding. Thank you, Mayor. >> Went to the show made I are scoping meeting last night. I want to thank the community members for coming out and sharing their perspectives on this on The Woodlands. It's neat project as well as our staff are doing an excellent job of conducting was a challenging meeting. Thank you. I'm going to be at Milan to the board of Public Utilities. I'm going to putting their Knowles to the community advisory board. Thank you. >> Thank Councilmember MacDonald. >> Thank you, mayor. Just 2 quick appointments for me tonight. I'd like to reappoint Terry Sanders to the Planning Commission and thank him for his last 2 years of service. And thank you for being willing to take on another 4 years and that role. So so thank you. Did Terry Sanders for continuing his work? And I'd like to reappoint Andrea, Andrea Rodriguez to community advisory board as well. >> Thank you. Vice mayor overruns. Thank you, Mayor. I want to point out that I did graduation from our trades unions over 20 individuals celebrated graduated the program and moving on to. There are new career and get experience. And for me, it was significant because I could see the change happening within our community. Come from a strong labor force community really empowered and only themselves but

generational betterment. >> And that that their children watch, you have the foundation that experience before them. So that was really good to see. So I don't want to congratulate all the labor folks. Michael Allen, Checkbook, Corn Lee and other teachers out there for really just. Make our community better so high are local as what I want to and that with also, I did attend actually tenant as well and of course, square. We had always, miles, which is the wise men. And this is the day that America we give toys to our children. It was great to see the community as cold as it was coming out dancing until right before curfew. All say that it was also good. And I I don't know to be history or facts. But in my. Recollection, it's the first time they've ever nothing yet in the courthouse square. And I that was there one. But I believe there's 3 total and it was great to see the children out there and the songs being sung and people being brought to tears. So this is what reminds me of my hometown and for it to be welcomed in the heart of Santa Rosa was spectacular to see. And that's that's it with that. Thank you. Thank you again, vice mayor for helping to make that impossible. Any other Councilmember reports. >> All right. Move on to item 12.2 point point to our board commission committee appointments. We have the opportunity to appoint members

to 2 different committees and boards tonight. We have a one that's fairly straight forward look to council Councilmember Fleming for a board of Building and Regulation Board of Building Regulation. Appeals appointment. >> Thank you, mayor. All move to appoint David Cooper and Craig Lausane both incumbents for reappointment second. Motion a second. >> recall Rick Greene called for a vote. Neither time serving in public comment. First, any members of the public wish to comment on item. 2012.1. Jenna, is that yes, Greg. All right. You want to the podium. All right with that. And we call for the vote. >> Thank you, Mayor. Step Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Rogers. Councilmember Okrepkie. I councilmember Fleming. I Councilmember Ben I Vice Mayor Alvarez. I mayor stop. I let the record show that passes unanimously. >> Thank you. And now we have a chance to a point to 2 individuals to the bacon's vacancies on the housing authority. We heard interviews earlier this evening. I will look to my colleagues for a motion on this item. We have multiple motions, councilmember funding. >> I thought that all of the people came before us and interviewed were really talented MR. Horton is looking for a position on the planning commission. I thought would be appropriate to nominate Kathi Lynn Downey. I'll second.

Motion a second. Take public comment on this item. Any members of the public wish to wish to speak. And will call for the vote. And a city clerk. COUNCILMAN MacDonald. I Councilmember Rogers. Crappie, councilmember Fleming, I Councilmember Ben Willows. Vice Mayor Alvarez. I mayor stopped. I let the record show this passes unanimously. Thank you. Want a items. 13.1, 13.2 13.3. These are the approval of 3 different sets of minutes. Are there any adjustments to the minutes from fellow council members? >> Mayor arrived council Councilmember Air Meredith Rogers. >> Just want to and and DECEMBER 17th, 18.3 Andres name is build a u n the r a y not in Dre. >> Excellent catch. We can make that adjustment. It will be approved as submitter as amended when you make the statement. >> And yes, I Ammend. Thank you. Any MADAM C turning the s? Just think that we have a council member that would like to speak on this item before do many holidays. Counselor been winless. >> Thank you, mayor just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be abstaining on 13.1 in 13.2. >> Thank you, Brady with we're glad you're with us now, though, Councilmember MacDonald. >> And I will be abstaining from 13.1 you to being absent. >> Thank Any other abstentions or at its on these minutes? All right. With the with the and it's noted able to approve

the minutes. And let's take public comment. On the minutes. Any member the public wish to speak on this item? All right. Then the we will adopt the minutes adopted minutes with the amendments noted. And move on to item 14 Clark. >> Thank you. Item 14.1. Resolution appropriation of the additional cell tower least revenues for the help to others program. Item 14.2. Resolution approval, 8th Amendment to General Services agreement number Ff 0, 0, 1, 8, 5, 2, smile, Business products incorporated. Item. 14.3 resolution agreement with the Remix Technologies, llc for Transit, scheduling and planning software. Item. 14.4 has been continued to a date and certain and will not be voted upon tonight. Thank >> Any public comment on the consent items? MR. Do it low doing to it from Roseland. I am so glad you folks let us ride the bus for free. >> Old folks get to get on that bus and we get to ride it. But one of the drawbacks is the scheduling changes. And I see here you're going to spend some money with some folks for 5 years into the future and you've got this idea about how to do stuff about simplifying it by stop making so many changes to the schedule. I mean, it's just stunning to some of the people that use the buses out there at the Southwest Transit Center. As you call it there at Southwest Community Park. Get a set schedule that used to be on the half-hour. You knew to get me get on the bus and away. You go every half

hour. Things get You got the system or you don't even put up a schedule at the bus. Stop. And so people who aren't from around there don't know how to find that information. So you got to use the little phone approach and then you put out a a printed schedule every time you make changes. Let's save some money. It's talk with these guys and say, look, let's make a plan and stay with it for 5 years. So we don't have to do this over and over. It's I should clarify, not a lot of people ride the bus. Let's get real about it. Ok? I write it because easier way to get into town inexpensively to get to other situations. Most folks that I see out there where I live there using cars and that bus runs by my house and out day in day Almost empty. If you can get 4, 5, people on a bus. That would be really good thing. Put a lot of effort forward on the public transit. I think unfortunately, the federal government, the new administration that's going to come in, they're not going to be as friendly towards this. Called smart growth. He's got transit oriented development. Lot of things like that. I think these new oligarchs and plutocrats that are going to take over at the federal level. Basically gonna rain on the parade and make it more difficult to get the funding, especially for the folks that are older and just need to look at. This is frugally as possible. Prudently. And have some hard a fiscal oversight and say, ok, we're giving these people hundreds of thousands of dollars for 5 years in the future. For some, the doesn't need to be changed that much. Thank you kindly

for your time. >> Thank you to Wayne. Any other public comment on item 14? Any final questions or comments from council? Vice mayor all resident or a promotion? Thank you, mayor. I would like to move items. 14.1 14.2, 14.3 with the exclusion. 14.4 as it has been removed from a counter and wait for the reading of the tax. Okay. We have motion a city clerk or any of the vote. >> Thank you. Councilmember MacDonald. I Councilmember Rogers, I Crappie. I councilmember Fleming. I Councilmember Ben Willows. I Vice Mayor Alvarez. I mayor stop. I let the record show this passes unanimously. >> Thank you, MADAM City More on to item 15. This is this is the first public comment on non agenda matters. If there any member of the public in council chambers, he wishes to speak. You can make your way to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes. >> Hello, my name is Duane de from Roseland. Good New Year to you all. Thank you so much. All of you for volunteering for these positions and to the city manager, the city attorney clerk, all the good folks that are doing all the good things that you do. I want everything to be wonderful. This year's special for the assistant city managers, all the department heads, all the folks that are going to have to deal with the fact we're going to go into headwinds. Those headwinds are going to come from the new federal administration. That's going to be a little bit one might say less than accommodating way we here in Sonoma County. Look at our approaches to life. Last

meeting that I was here, I was really excited because I was thinking we were going to have the very first historic mayor of Santa Rosa from Roseland. We didn't get it though, but I would never say die guy. And I hope you're the same way. MISTER Alvarez and you'll come back and you'll be the next Mayor. Santa Rosa Cause Rosalynn deserves to have a mayor some time. I'd like to see it in my lifetime. So we've got another 30 years. But I'm getting a bit impatient. You know, I got to thinking how we can bring some more money to you, folks. And it does fit in with something you're already doing. Earlier, a man from the county was talking about water and he said, you know, we got that partnership with the Southeast Greenway, folks. I think you need to make a partnership with the Southwest Greenway. Also. That Rosalynn Creek Greenway that we've been working on. Decades could actually get funding, even though we know the federal government is going to try to end perhaps the U.S. Epa and other agencies, there's going to be funding out there. And if you follow that same model used with the folks from the Southeast Greenway, I did a partnership. You can get the funding for the Southwest Green way to go forward. You're building a lot of houses out there, not you per se, but the developers with your permission. And houses are being built within like 300 feet of that Rosen Creek Greenway that we've been waiting for for decades. And I heard tell from somebody that, you know what? The park's fees for that development won't be specifically directed towards that Southwest Greenway over

there, they go into a pot could be used all over the city. We used to have a dedicated impact fee for the South. West redevelopment was going on. They called the Southwest area plan, the southwest fees and then the former mayor before this last one Ms Rogers that other Rogers, he basically pulled the carpet out from under us and said, no, we're going to change that up and you can't use those fees over there and that Southwest area. We need that. We are struggling over there. Overpopulated the roads, overused and the infrastructure falling apart. Southwest Freeway partnership. Here we come. >> Thank you, Katie. >> Thanks, Dwyane. Any of the members of the public in council chambers wish to speak. So on to the podium is yours. >> Janice Karman City of Santa Rosa. I would like to see a drone. Go over all of Santa Rosa and Map Santa Rosa by so that you could see what is there because we've lost so much with at least 2 fires. I've kind of lost track at this point. I didn't lose everything myself that I was evacuated twice spent 2 weeks in the. Shelter I have a project going on right now that I've a lot of difficulty with. It's not my project, but it's a project that I came home to have to bake Asian and it was clear, people are clear cutting the trees and it was 2 acres at that point. Today they're cutting more trees. And I was going to go see planning. >> I don't want to be nag about things, but I don't see

a lot of >> inspection going on or follow up. And this is the point that the people that are doing this, they've had consistently 45 cars part of their One house single residential property on a One-block street. They're now supposed to be building 3 houses. And I'm very concerned because it's been a quiet street. It's been a lovely area to live in. That was a habitat deer, raccoons, foxes, etc. There doesn't seem to have been in the ir, but I'm unclear about it. Traffic problem is enormous. And during that time, in fact, I MISS The city meeting that was supposed to go too well and he's running for city council because I couldn't get out of my driveway and I going shopping buy clothes, etc. They are always, you know, in the street with the equipment and things that I was willing to look over. But it was reaching the point where they were going over this medal that meeting in the center was supposed to having asphalt on it and it was bouncing and making our house. Vibrate and the doctor next to me complained about the same thing. So these things are getting overlooked and the people should not be expected to lead their piece. And they're in there into Edmond of Life. >> The interfered with industry Matic way and the cars. I'm very concerned with 3 houses going up in this small area. How many cars are they going to have up at the top of the block? They have 4, 5, and at the bottom of the block in the House, they have

down there. They have at least 3 that I see. Plus they rent some kind of a trailer and put one of these desert things on it. >> So I'm just saying that I'm looking here and accessory dwelling dense. Thank you, Janice. >> Any other members of the public and council chamber wish to speak? Seeing none. We're going to hold on item 16 for the moment and move on to item 17. Our public hearing. This in regard to the state legislation, zoning code text Amendment Monet. Are you ready? Thank you all. Come on down. While staff gets ready to present their presentation. >> If you take a look at the staff report presentation mode, a Monet did excellent job making a very cumbersome topic. Very easy to understand. So just want to say thank you for a job. Well done. I'll second that the whole team. Thank you, everyone. Good afternoon, MISS Me. With afternoon mayor and members of the council, the item before you today is a state legislation. >> Sony intake of soy ink with takes amendment to incorporate some recent legislation rezoning court. So as you MAY know, each year a state introduces new planning and zoning laws we have to incorporate those laws into zoning ordinance to seek assistance. But this law, some of the laws of your incorporating into zoning code to the include density bonus zone. Again, general plan consistency shared parking and Texas City dwelling units. And

we are also proposing and optional modification to our Texas City dwelling. You needs to regulate the number of Texas City dwelling in other a lot properties that are created through Senate bill. Number 9. And here are the Senate bills that we are going to go over them today. I will give you a brief summary of this each of these bills. Okay. So there are tree ad you bills that have been passed and the are in effect as of JANUARY of this year. The first bill permanently removes the owner occupancy deed restriction years ago. The law requires that if you have a single family home and you have accessory dwelling unit, one of those you needs need to be occupied by the owner. This bill does require money's being eliminated. And the second building choirs that existing of extends the existing unpermitted ad use to continue with the permit process and become a legalize and this permit. Basically this bill, basically all prohibits local agencies from denying an ad up meat on listed while Ation is one of organization that has in the section in this specific section from the Health and safety code. And the last Bill for ad uses related to. Accessory dwelling unit to the east bill allows up to a Texas cities willing you needs for properties that have multi-family residential in the past. It was only 4 to your needs. But this new one allows up to a 2 units, but also this a few nice deep and see if your property is only

has 5, you needs, you can only have up to 5 accessory dwelling units and also this bill eliminates the requirement to replace the uncovered parking space if those uncovered parking spaces are being used for creation new ad used. And here you have 2 new bills that have been effective since last year. Related to the density bonus. This law has been in effect since 1970's and basically the goal of this law was to promote creation of affordable. Have zinc. So if a developer wanted to have more units and a lot of they are restricted by the number density alive. Spread the general plan land use the developer, come for white, affordable housing and get additional you need splitting exchange. Do is you need to for w needs needs to restricted. So this heat to new laws in effect made some minor changes or revisions to some of the definitions into state law into phoenicians and one of basically provides additional options too qualify for 100% density bonus. So as of this year, if the project gets up me to it for affordable, have seen it does require to be 100% affordable to meet for qualify for the 100% density. And last last 2 bills are related to shared parking current zoning could alter the allows for shared parking with only 4 few circumstances with this new law. There are more circumstances there to see he can allow share parking and to assure parking agreement. So if an applicant submit the application, traffic, so the prepared by a professional the city can allow for shared parking true and when they're

conditional use permit, very this agreement can get the record it against the property for shooting the parking the sick and the bill is related to general plan and zoning consistency. As we know the general plan is along ranch policy for future developments throughout the city its guards. All the developments within the city. If there is a project that is in constant city, the general plan, causes does on in court. Job land rule the general plan sort this project. So this bill basically wants to ensure that meant that the commission gets up me through it and eats school. Look, it's constant the overall vision of general plan. The city should process the application regardless of inconsistency in his own I'm going to Hunt who and Nicholson rest of presentation. Thank you. Misha Cali and good evening, mayor stop and members of the council. >> I'm going to walk through a few slides which discussed at an optional amendment to the city's accessory dwelling unit ordinance. And this is based on Senate Bill 9, which is a bill that's been effective since JANUARY of 2022. So during that period of time, City staff has process numerous Senate bill, 9 applications. The recommendation before you is based on that experience. So just a little bit of background on Senate Bill mine. This is really to allow for additional development within single family neighborhoods. It does this in 2 ways. One is to allow to lot Subdivision, also called an urban lot split. And the other is to allow for the construction of 2 primary

units on a lot. And this is also called the 2 unit development. Pursuant to this law, local governments are required to approve these projects that meet the city's objective standards. And there are no public hearings as a part of this process. So on the slide here, you can see a few different examples are configurations of water. Property owner MAY propose and have approved under the Senate bill. Someone has the option to just do one or the other. But they can also do both. And so in cases where property owner developed under both provisions of Senate Bill 9, they would be able to have a total of 4 primary units and up to 6 accessory dwelling unit junior accessory dwelling unit for a total of 10 units on a single family lot. So amended language before you is to limit or prohibit the construction of accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units cases where a property owner is taking advantage of both of these sections of Senate Bill 9. So when 4 units are on a single family lot, there would be limitations regarding the number to use and jt use that would be allowed. This is being recommended again based on staff's experience working with the community as well as processing these applications we are recommending this amendment to really mitigate safety and logistical challenges. I will add that we also have fire Marshal Paulo

involved present as well. So we can certainly go to him with any questions. But the graphic here on the slide is showing the Wild land, urban interface, areas of the city where staff is recommending no. User jt use property owner constructs for units under Senate Bill 9. And then this limitation or prohibition also apply outside of the Wild Land Urban interface in cases where streets do not meet a minimum street with to alleviate concerns related to available parking and emergency vehicle access. In cases where properties develop under both sections of Senate Bill 9. But the street is about quit within outside of the Wild Land, Urban interface, staff is recommending to limit. The property to one ad you and one jd o. So that would be one less atu than would typically be allowed under state law. And I realize I just said a lot of numbers. And so this slide here shows a variety of different options that the council might wish to consider each of these options is consistent with state law. And so I'm going to read from Page 8 of the staff report just to go through. These options and be really clear about what the results would be. And then at the conclusion of this presentation, we're happy to pull back at this slide and talk. Talk us through further. So the first is staff's recommendation, which would be to permit up to one 81 jd u on properties developed under

both provisions of Senate Bill 9, but only outside of the Wild Land, urban interface and in cases when minimum street with requirements are met. This option would allow up to 8 residential units, 4 of which are 80 use and jt use on single-family. Lots outside of the wildland-urban interface and with adequate street with and up to 4 residential units. Otherwise. The second option is essentially what's in place now because the city does not have a provision addressing these properties in the accessory dwelling unit ordinance. And so at status quo is permitting up to 2.80, use and one jt you on properties developed under both provisions of sb 9 regardless of location. Within that Louis or also regardless of street with this option would allow up to 10 residential units on a single family lot, 6 of which to use or jb use. Another option would be to limit the number to use and jd use on properties developed under both provisions of sb 9, regardless location within the movie or the street with. And so this option would allow between 6 and 8 residential units on a single family lot. A 4th option would be to permit up to 2.80 use. And one jt you on properties developed under both provisions of sb 9 but only outside of the Louis and in cases where minimum street with the requirements are met. So this would allow for up to 10 units. On a single family lot. But again, only outside of the Louis and where street meet some minimum with. And the last option would be just entirely to use.

And jt use citywide when somebody has developed under sb 9. So this entire zoning code text amendment package has been found consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act and the various sections are shown here on the slide. This item was notice as required by state law, including a publication in the press, Democrat the city's website. In addition to an email distributed to its subscribers, we have received one letter based on the public notice saying for this text amendment, was included in council's packet. It is want to make sure to get this name correctly. It's really addressing this city's accessory dwelling unit ordinance in entirety. The letter is from the California Housing Defense Fund. And we did review the letter and none of the proposed amendments before you relate to what was outlined in that letter. However, we are working with Hcd to ensure that our ordinance is consistent with state law. And so after council takes action on this, we will be submitting the revised ordinance to ensure that we're meeting all the requirements of the law. So it is with the planning Commission and the planning and Economic Development Department recommending that council introduced an ordinance. To amend title. 20 of the Center is a city code and we're happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Thank you so much of right to council for questions. I know

we have one councilmember >> Thank It's been a while coming to get our sb 9 rules on the books here. >> I do have some questions what is adequate street with? >> I am going to pull up the language in the ordinance and thank you for the question. Okay. So it is described Adequate street with is described as a street. That is at least 36 feet wide when there's parking provided on both sides or at least 30 feet wide. When parking is limited to one side of the street. And I think our fire marshal can add to it. Thank you. >> Good evening, Mayor. Vice mayor members, the COUNCILMAN's Paul Lowenthal Division, Chief Fire marshal, thank you for the questions. So the 16 feet total to get to that. 36 feet addresses the parking. So years ago the city was at 36 feet. And we're finding that that was not able to accommodate both the parking as well as to a traffic in a number of our Engines are actually getting stuck out emergency responses. So working the fire department with our traffic engineers are planning department moved a number of years ago to 38 feet. So the 36 feet total gives the 8 parking on both sides with clear unobstructed with and the 20 feet of traveling. >> We certainly want your equipment building get to emergencies about getting stuck. Can you explain what that has to do with how many units we build on property?

>> Yes, so specific to the wildland urban interface. The concerns that were from a deputy director Rob Sprinkle who couldn't be here tonight. But his concerns were within the while interface. A lot of our streets are below street, existing street with us because there's a lack of transportation. A number of those or is it requires a lot more street parking and we're out of conformance with parking. So that was his rationale for those specific areas outside of the while interface. We are both the fire department police as well as traffic engineering are dealing with a number of issues right now where when we're putting more units in 2 locations that don't have enough street with existing parking, it's creating concerns with responses as well as just normal congestion and flow for police fire and general traffic. So the concern from his standpoint, my standpoint was were essentially adding to the issues and some of those specific areas with more more vehicles. >> And has that line of thinking been applied, all of the high density housing that we're putting in our communities as well or is it just >> being applied to the 80 use? >> And this sb 9 issue because it's it's in single family neighborhoods rather than in the and typically multifamily areas. >> Yeah, I can tell you from the fire department standpoint. Working a traffic engineer that has been a concern of ours. Is that a lot of the high-density projects there are. >> Limitations. And some >> Ability to move forward without enough parking units port for the overall projects,

not just in line with the ordinance as well as state law. And we do find that a number of those projects that we lack the parking and the congestion spills out into neighborhoods that don't have existing street with us. But we don't have not had a mechanism to address some of those in the past right? >> Yeah, all save my comments. But what I'll leave the last question is, is I'm wondering where consistency comes in on this. When we look at permitting are allowing this sb 9 implementation and how we address the street within the parking for that versus our broader council. Goals and plans around building all these high density housing and and why here? Why now with this? Not about the safety piece, but just the consistency, peace. So maybe I'm missing it and this would be a good time to to let me know if I'm if I'm getting Iran. >> I might add that in this particular case, the general of the single-family lots were analyzed through the general plan process to have a certain number of units and then. >> As state law related Texas redrawing, it says those units don't count toward density and not something that the city has been in place for a number decades within the city with Senate Bill 9. There's now the ability for 3 additional units that have not been analyzed under the general plan. And I think that. There is a concern that we're not. More intense residential development wasn't and analyzed are anticipated on these lots were as a lot of

the lots that are multi-family. They were. Envision to have more high-density development as a part of the comprehensive planning process okay. >> And the other the last question I have is how many sb 9, lots floods or inquiries have we had in the lead in the 2 years since the law has been on the books. >> Have that date and I can pull it up on my laptop. I can tell you that there's been 3 applications that have taken advantage of both provisions, but we have many more that have just done one or the other. And I that number in the next few minutes, really, really curious to know about that, ok? Thanks. >> Thank you. Councilmember Crappie. Thank you, MR. >> Can you talk little bit about the Louis and how we're going to keep up with this process with this process. We had sb 610, that was proposed. We have asked the 6.10 that was proposed last year was gonna leave it up to the state fire marshal to develop fire severity zones. How are we going to keep up with it as it changes and shifts? >> So right now, the existing wildland-urban interface has been in place since 2007 here locally. We did receive notice about a month ago so that the state fire marshal intends to release the new maps. >> For our local responsibility area to receive our new high and very high fire severity zones. There's a process under way between our department and ped right now

to be prepared to receive that information. We'll go through the state law to have the public hearings go through, reviewing in adopting the recommendations from the state law. There is the potential that whether or not the high or very high fire severity zones impact the city limits. There's a potential that some of the recommendations around the city limits could affect our own wildland interface. So regardless of whether it comes from the recommendation of the state or our own recommendations based on what we see immediately around the city limits, we would take that before you before council make are recommendations to modify the wildland interface. And that would essentially live is as to get technical of shape filed within GIs. So that anybody it's applying. As an applicant or when a ped receives out applications similar to what they do now to win and force chapter or chapter 13 of the fire building code. They know which properties apply to those specific requirements based on their geographical location within the city. >> Okay. And then in the hypothetical that someone puts application, it's under review. The fire marshals, new fire severity zone is come out. It ends up being in the week. Is that grandfathered in? Is that automatically rejected? How how are we going to treat that process? If there's a change? I apologize. I want to make sure understand the question. So. >> In the event that there's a change to the the properties which are considered in the Wild land, urban interface. How do we apply the zoning code standards for accessory dwelling units for sb 9

projects. Yes, that are already submitted that already applied for. So obviously changes and there's not occasion that it gets rejected. >> but just say on on today, somebody puts it in tomorrow. It changes. Does that get grandfathered in or does that get rejected? Because it hasn't been shovel ready. >> Sure. So there there's a provision in the zoning code that relates to. Effects changes that are adopted while project is in process. And so we do have requirement. I would need to look it up. But essentially somebody if they are deemed complete. So the application is come in this team to complete. If there is a change that goes into effect, they can request to be reviewed under the previous version of the zoning code. So that would be what we would look to unless the council wants a different requirement for this case. >> that an administrative process within the department or that go to like a planning commission? That's an administrative process. >> And I will add that would be consistent with like a building code or a fire code where the the application that submitted is good at that time. The most current ordinances in place. So we get that a lot with projects will is submit before the noaa nuke ordinances coming out to try and get included underneath the existing non would become nonconforming ordinance. >> Councilmember Ben Just looking at first of all. Thank you for all your work on this and and as well as the planning commission. Just wondering looking at the proposed amendments. In

options, if you will. Why would the status quo option? If we were to suggest to go in that direction and assuming it's in compliance with the law, how would that look, if we kept the status quo as opposed to? Say that staff's recommendation terms. I know we need to look at safety and all of those things been just wondering. How that would look your view. >> Thank you for the question. And I'm not sure if I'm answering your question right? Really? The difference would be the the number of units that would be allowed on properties that develop under both provisions of Senate Bill 9. So >> the reality is citywide. We're not talking about hundreds or thousands of parcels. We are. And I'm still trying to find that the number, but I wouldn't I believe it's. 20 or fewer properties. This bill, you know, it's still in effect. So over the years that that number will change. But that the difference would be for for those properties that take advantage of both provisions of the Senate bill. They could have. For additional units then would be allowed under staff's recommendation. >> Councilmember MacDonald. Thank you. I have a couple different questions for you. Is there any consideration in the current ordinance that says the lot size has to do with how many, 80 use they can put on there as that is part of planning and how that goes. If it's. 10 acres, do they get to have the maximum amount? What's the current ordinance allow? Thank you, councilmember for the

question. >> To clarify the current Atu ordinance or sb 9 regulations. So under the city's accessory dwelling unit ordinance, which is consistent with state law, any single family property can have up to 2 accessory dwelling units and one junior accessory dwelling unit. One of the accessory dwelling units must be an internal conversion. The junior accessory dwelling unit is also an internal conversion. Say you can have one new construction atu and then if if it works for your situation, you could have additional aid you in a jd. And that's true. Regardless of lot size for these are single family properties, specifically you can have additional on multifamily properties. And the reason I ask this question is because if the concern is on parking, but you have a large >> piece of property that could actually sustain additional parking on it when this ordinance limit even those size properties, if use say had 3 or 4 acres and wanted to have the maximum amount of ad use in the we are not the parking was the concern as far as public getting. Getting our vehicle, could certainly add that in as an option that the council wishes to. >> if if that addresses all of the concerns, Florida public safety confirmed it would address at least the public safety concern of if you have a certain side law and you can offer parking. >> On your lot or, you know, with in your area. And that seems to me that that would be more reasonable instead of

saying you can't build any more, even though you have all this extra land when one of our main goals is to make sure we are increasing housing. The other question I have is around insurance. So we know it specifically in my district, which is really covered a lot in the Louis. And I've been very concerned about overreach building too many houses. Apartment complex is large subdivisions. That's where I think we see a lot of concern with people as opposed to one 80 you or not. But what concerns me on this policy is could we be flagging a certain area of Santa Rosa, where already very hard for them to get homeowners insurance by saying we're not even going allow them to build anything in this area because it's so dangerous to us that we are going allow this to me. I think there's maybe an unintended consequence already. We're seeing difficulty for people to get homeowners insurance in the in the Louis and having to pay more than double what everybody else in Santa Rosa does. So could this potential policy by calling out specific areas in Santa Rosa be harmful in that regard. Ing and has that been discussed? >> I don't know. Just so I don't know specifically that the answer the question, I'm happy to look into it talk to United policyholders group and see what their thoughts are. They have a working group that I'm part of that addresses a lot of these concerns and questions. So I'm happy to have those discussion with them and bring it back to planning staff. One of the other factors that we looked at 2 is the total number of unit counts on some of these

areas. So it's there's a lot of factors that go into it. There's the concerns with the street with there's the concerns with that being in the wildland interface. But regardless of whether it's in the wildland urban interface, the concern with existing non-conforming streets is that there's also challenges with bringing additional units in 2 areas that don't have the routes for the total number of units that we could potentially be pushing to write. So sometimes these developments going and they hold themselves right at 48 49 because they know if they would have gone to 50, they'd have to build a second way out to address evacuations, to address address second second ways out. So that factored into it as well that it wasn't just the parking, but it's the parking and the potentially tipping the scale, putting in some cases potentially up to 10 additional housing units on one particular part parcel that would then be negatively impacting the entire area for traffic so far. Marshall just to follow up on that than if we were able to limit. >> The amount of 80 use even within that Louis, with that address, that concern where we weren't going to say 10, no matter how big the lot size was or how many acres it was due to the concern on how many people that will push it to the limit on that. If we were, if there was some language that still allowed an ad, you are jt you to be put on there. But but didn't. Did it address. What you're saying is that they go all the way to the very limit to be able to

increase housing. But is there a way in the we specifically today that would address that concern? Why not buy not disallowing it but by limiting it. >> Yeah, I'm not sure. I'm Completed to be on so much following the question. So that right >> time Titan items so so if we right now is saying you're excluding the we completely based on staff recommendations, if we limited how many they could do in the Louis with that address, the concern of public safety so that we didn't have too many kids. You're saying. That in these maximum areas, they're putting all the way to the very limit or you've fallen. What I'm saying right now, ok, maybe it MAY be the answer doesn't go to fire marshal. Maybe it goes just Instead of excluding the language. Could we limit? I'm going to repeat what I understand to make sure that I'm I'm understanding. So. >> Right now state law says you could have to use and one jd u and then the 4 primary units on these lots. Do we have the option to say instead of allowing to use and one jta, maybe we say one ad you or jt you within the worry. Is that the question? Right? My question, yes, yes, we have the option to kind of have a middle ground there within the wildland-urban interface. Okay. I got lost when you start talking about having 49 people instead of 50. >> to not create. So I I didn't realize that there was that many that could get Putin 3.80, use. >> Know the concern that we're that we had. That was I think

going back to council are Fleming's question tied to street with also. And we're we're trying to minimize how many additional units we have not just in the wildland interface, but existing non-conforming streets outside the wildland urban interface. So no matter where you are in the city, there's requirements that say based on the total number of unique counts, what you have to have for different points of access into those neighborhoods. I see. That is our policy. >> Just address is not allowing 80's in the Louis, even though there's a concern to public safety and street was throughout the entire city. This policy would still allow ad use and those other parts of the other streets that have not been addressed for safety. Is that what you're saying? To policy is is very narrow because it only impact. >> Properties that develop under both provisions of sb 9 and they're either located within the Willie or they are not fronting on a street. That means that minimum threshold. >> And so otherwise, a user allowed Jay tease are allowed in the Willie. It's just when there's that too provisions of sb 9 that are invoked as a part of development. Not sure if that interest and that MAY be more confused. I'm sorry. So. >> just second. >> have a clarifying question from Councilmember Rogers. >> if you look on 7, if on correct, if you look on 7, they're saying that someone would want have to do both of these. That's when the so I think if you look at 7, then it will help you to know what

they're talking about. They're not talking about developing. They're talking about using both. Where you split the lot and were you? No, that's not what I was talking about. But that I did see that one, too. But thank you that mine is more around. If the concern is street with. Does this reccomendation only exclude Louis, even though we have street with issues throughout the city of Santa Rosa. >> I I'm sorry. Can you repeat that one more time, sir? Okay. So Paul, you are saying that the street with is part of the issue here, right? This 38 or 36 necessary. >> In the language that I read, it's excluding 80 use from being within the Rui. So a lot of parts my district latter parts, probably injustice trick. In the other parts of Santa Rosa. We'd allow ad use. Do we have streets that still would not meet those safety requirements that we'd still allow ad use in versus these other 2 little areas that have the street concern. But they're in the Louis. So does a policy exclude them because they're in the Louis and him street concerns. But we'll allow 80 use in the other parts of Santa Rosa who aren't in the Louis, but still have street concerns. >> other clarifying question here, sir, interrupt Vice mayor over us. And just to to to gears a little bit on that one is is adding other limitations that might present

themselves. My question to staff is are the other limitations that might present completely impede these projects. And what comes to mind is a sequel. If for speaking of a larger property, lots. And we're speaking of parking been necessary when a sequel override the state's order or with right that as well. Ultimately asking are the other implications present themselves? >> Thank you for the question. Vice mayor. So in both cases of accessory dwelling unit and development under Senate Bill 9, they're exempt from the provisions of seek. And that's written into the statutes just because they're considered ministerial projects. And so What does does not come into play. So going back to council member. >> Galls statement? It sounds like. Weather is so we are not. The state mandate will be to over ride those concerns even at the city level. >> I'm gonna add information. Hopefully it's helpful. So the state law requires that any property regardless of street with or location within the will. We is entitled to have to accessory dwelling unit. One junior accessory dwelling in a single family residential property. This this. Amendment has the kind of a two-part test. So if you are developing under Senate bill 9 to your single-family home owner, have one house, but now you subdivide and develop under Senate Bill 9 tonight. You have 4 primary units where you once had one. State law says jurisdictions can stop there.

They can say this. This meets the requirements of Senate Bill 9. You don't have to permit anything else. Jt use 80 years, but you can. And so in this case, the where ordinance is written now, you could have. 4 to use and 2 additional jd use or not additional but for to use and to jd is on that property that gives you 10 where many people would expect one or one primary unit and one a d u. This amendment says in cases where you've done not subdivision and you've got those 3 extra primary units. If you are not allowed to build an ad or jd u if either you're in the Louis or you don't front on a street that meets that minimum wet. So you could be on that West side of not within. That will But if your street is only 28 feet wide, then you would not be able to to build an 80 or jade. You only in cases where you've developed under Senate Bill 9. Now otherwise the state says those 80's and jb use must be allowed. >> And can you clarify if that is our rule that we're proposing are is that the world? When you talk about we and we talk about the streets are. >> So the amendment, which includes the Willie and the street with is a staff proposed addition to our accessory dwelling unit ordinance that is not within state law. What state law says is jurisdictions have the flexibility to limit or prohibit it. The number of

units in cases where. Somebody develops under both provisions of sb 9. So that's really the only place where the city is flexibility is if someone develops those 4 units. Then the city is able to to limited to 4, but they certainly do not have to and they can develop their own criteria. For limiting or prohibiting if desired. >> That does help and it helped. Thank you city manager for the language on this is just our law, not the law. So that's to me. That's really critical to know. And then recalling out specific parts of Santa Rosa that would still be allowed to do building, but not the Louis and the unintended consequences of around insurance. I think Vermeer concerning and and potentially an overreach of what the law intends for us to do. >> That was a riposte conversation to go to councilmember funding. >> All right. Thank you for bearing with us. This is complex and I think that what we're dealing with is that the state is is passed on a fairly blanket. Lot that we're trying to make fit our community with limited tools to adjust it. I have 2 small questions. One is with additional units that are built under sb 9 count towards Arena goals are market rate arena. Assuming they're built for market market rate. The other question is we talk about a building, a parcel fronting on a street. That's 36 or 38 feet. Is there any discretion for the fire department to make allowance like let's say the home was on a corner, which is on a street that one of the street is

large that 38 feet or above and then other street is is not so much. But it has really good access. Could the fire department say that's ok? Do both sides of the quarter have to be 30 feet? >> I think if we thank you for the question. I think if we were asked by pad whether or not we feel that that would be in conformance. So let's say the actual physical address of the property was on a street. But the coroner property that was in compliance is on the street I would have to have a conversation with the director pad, but I think we would be supportive of that. And that particular case. >> Okay. I think that that might be helpful to this conversation. I don't have any more questions at this time. >> Thank you. Are there are there any other questions from council? Open the public hearing permit. I just approached Please go ahead. Councilmember Fleming asked for a number speed 9 per month. So I had to do quicker on I'm way for mission. According I was able to find 13 per means having so far submitted. >> 8, 8 of them are approved to redraw one. Incomplete and 2 are pending. Duos, 8 permits other approved 6. Our urban lost sleep and 2 are just 2 unique developments. Would you apologize would use the z 6 or urban. So 6 are lot split. Get for you needs. And 2 are just 2 units. There's that will give couple questions about that. MR. Do it will ask your patients so with those have how many of those have been in the my questions would be. We've had lot has been on the

books for 2 years. We've had 8 requests. We don't know how many are in the I'd like to know how many said Amy in their original presentation. >> That there were safety concerns about these properties. I'd like to know what kinds of concerns of come up because we're making it a big rule based at a pretty relatively small sample size. We started when they return. Any anecdotes MAY be helpful for because if you look for do 6, you needs to see right given a pass on making you do more work now. But I just think it's helpful to know that it's a pretty small sample Thank you. >> Are there any any additional follow-up questions? Alright, of like the way this conversation is gone been engaging. So with that officially we're going we're going to open its public hearing, MR. Do it. You have 3 minutes. >> from Roseland on MISS Fleming as MacDonald further astute observations on what's occurring here. I think what would be really helpful is a few to actually define the size of a single family lot. Back in the day decades ago was considered 6,000 square feet. The developers came forward and said, well, in order to get more affordable, housing would like to do small lot subdivisions and they made them. 4,000 Square feet. 5 remember correctly. And you can now actually get stuff on a 3,000 square-foot lot. So one of the things that would have been helpful over in Roseland where we have deep a lot. We have lots of area to use can go in. But nobody's been putting them in yet because they can't afford them to put it together. The package and then our roads are very narrow. So we're in this situation where what's happening is most of the housing that's getting built is coming from developers

putting in. Large >> some might say overly large developments on rural small roads. Don't you ever seen for Burbank? You guys might even know about that. Stockade. It's out there off of what's now called south that stimulus south to announce called that Meadow. Three-story units. Really tightly packed in. Narrow streets full of cars. Just right across from on the Bellevue Ranch, subdivisions and all that stuff that went We're always going to have lots of cars. Tonight's been well about the Louis and getting to where fire stuff is at. But also we have to look at this perspective how we're going to get the housing we need with Senate Bill 9 in a positive way in areas where it could be beneficial. Not just in the small numbers that have been talked about, MR. MR. Fleming correctly points out the sample sizes too small right now. Still. So if you're making decision a sense, it's a shot in the dark, you know, have to come back and perhaps amend this in the future. You want to get the best thing you can to get the actual amount of housing units in with the minimal amount of. Hassell and problems in the future. I really wish you the best of luck on I think this is a great opportunity of undertaking here and if it's a 6,000 square-foot lot to get 10 units on it is just like wow, that's a big wow. And then we also. Thank you for your time. I can stay for the rest of the deliberations. Your legislative platform at the federal level might want

to talk about these things. Also, you have a wonderful new year. A good new year to all of you. >> Thank you. Get into Wayne, any of the members the public wish to speak. Thank you. Reporting was yours. >> Hi, my name is still on the Gallup as is my first time here. And I came because of the atu in coffee part. There's currently a request for. One 8 acre to have. 14 homes. 2 story. Plus ad you on the 3rd story. With minimal Park. And on the street on coffee, which is close to them, you can only part one side of the road. So where those people in park. And that's at 37, 90 coffee. Lee. And then on 3800 coffee lane, they're putting in 10. Plexus with one a b u. So that's 15. And there's no parking there there. There's a culvert. So I just want you guys to keep that in mind. What's not? >> Thank Rhonda. Any of the members of the public wish to speak? Then we seeing none. We'll close the public hearing and bring it back to council for final comments. Any final comments from the dance Council Councilmember Fleming. >> I want thank staff for trying to tackle a pretty complex issue with relatively few tools. As I mentioned earlier, while trying to maintain public safety. I'm all for restricting development in the wildland urban interface. If I could not have us build, you know,

any more units under sb 9 there. I think that that would be wise. Unfortunately, our hands are tied on that count. I'm not sure I see the wisdom in prematurely implementing these rules outside of the wild in their urban interface at this point in time. I think that what we ought do, ought to let sb 9 fully play out for maybe a year and then see how or ceramic and making eye contact the decorum here is really not up to s# # # # . I just want to say and it's, you know, really changed in the last week or 2. I don't what and what is going on. Folks at any rate. I like to sit next to some other folks. So what I think we ought to do because we have a pretty small sample sample size and we don't know how it's going to play out yet is that we ought to wait. And the reason why would why way is because we don't yet know how this is going to play out and perhaps we have some actual evidence about this creating safety hazards. But the other safety hazard we have is is and I don't mean to be hyperbolic, but we do have a real lack of housing and over and over and over again. We say this our top priority. This is a way for us to achieve some some housing for the missing middle, which is really difficult to achieve because we don't get any subsidies to build low income market rate housing and it's my perspective that in all likelihood we're not going to see tons of units being built and that the market for this is going to sort itself out and that the scales of economy will work themselves out. And we're not going to have crazy situations. If it's the case that we do have safety issues, I would Invite you to come back and to have some of these

rules around parking it in street. What in the flat. But until then, I'd really like to see us go forward with your recommendations in that we and and not in the flat. COUNCILMAN Rogers. I just wanted to thank you for coming. And then also to say that we do need housing, but I don't want it to be the expense of. >> Our resident safety. In addition to that, I think that the state does make laws that they don't really Ali's no way goes on an individual jurisdictions. The laws are meant to help, but sometimes they do not. And we have to put additional restrictions We'll tell you some things that I don't like. I don't like it a state law takes the discussion away from the cities who know their jurisdiction best. I am worried about parking and congestion even when it's not in the Louis because I'm getting a lot complaints about that. And the impact it will have on residents in quality of life. If we're putting if I thought I buy a house that was in a development that had 43 parcels in 43 units. And then all of this Really all of the parcels can develop and what that will look like. And I know it's not going to happen right now, but it could happen over time. And so just a preserving. The neighborhoods that we have and what that looks like. And if we can find the ballots to do so and then also when you are talking about public hearings, MAY be

something that I mis interpreted, but I don't like that. Residents are not able to say like you have these laws and ordinance, but they don't fit where we are right now because we don't know all of the neighborhoods and they're not able to bring it to us to get that. Get that herd. So those are just some concerns that I have with not the presentation, but with the content of the presentations. Thank you very much. Thank you. Councilmember Ben Willows. Thank you. I again, I I really appreciate all the work that went into this. I all south think this is very complex and so I've been trying to wrap my head are at it for a but I will say I have the concerns that I have. >> Courser about parking traffic. Those some of the big complaints that I get about my district. So in the long term, I'm always concerned about those. I agree with Councilmember Rogers. Especially being in education. I see a lot of things come down from the state that affect us directly. That really folks don't really understand the full consequences of what with the those changes MAY mean. So I I also concur with council member Fleming that maybe it's best to just see how this does play out and move forward and then see if we do need t have you all come back and make any adjustments if necessary so that that's kind of the way I'm looking at this right now. Thank you. Councilmember Donald. So. I think I would be

more comfortable with limiting 80 use or the amount that can be built in the for public safety. >> And as far as the streets and roads are concerned, I think that and what Councilmember Fleming said, let's let this play out. We haven't had, you know, hundreds of people trying to put 80 use on their properties. Our number one goal is housing. And that concern that I have specifically in my area is. Say I bought a piece of property and I have an aging parent and I need to build something on my property. But I'm in the Louis. If I can get homeowners insurance and I can get coverage for that. I'm not sure it's the city's jurisdiction to limit what I could do on my own property. Even if it's in the week. So I'm I'm not comfortable with not allowing at least some housing in the It needs some of the other requirements and still not super clear on how the roads play into account when it comes to this particular ordinance or this particular recommendation because it seems to me that that hasn't been a consideration in the past. So it feels like I'm moving forward. But how do you go back and fix all the other places that we've allowed prior to this conversation? So and I understand the concern of impact of parking in some of the other districts because they already have smaller lots. But in in my district where they actually have larger properties that might not actually be the problem that the street might not be as wide. So I tend to want to go with what Councilmember Fleming is saying as well. Let's let this play out for now and then come back of it

does become a concern or we're seeing massive amounts of aid eu's go in and I'm not sure I didn't hear what you said. I apologize. Councilmember Fleming on excluding excluding the Rui from allowing a user allowing them. I apologize. It's I think that then to find is generally dangerous. But I understand that we are >> going to do so under sb 9. I just I think that we're saying the same thing in practical terms here. Great. So I would probably let it be status quo for now and come back and see where we're at another year. Councilmember Rogers. I have a question because councilmember MacDonald's just said, >> I can still build an ad you for my parents. I just can't subdivide my a lot. And then bit. I mean, do both of what the sb 9. And I think that's what I was trying to explain as you can still build ad you for your parents. If I if I'm understanding it correctly, you just can't and developed on then 2 parcels, right? It would be 2 parcels. You can't do that. >> That's correct. Yes, except for with the recommendation. It's not allowing any ad use is how I read the recommendation from staff. >> It does not allow any ad use or jt use if you develop under both provisions of sb 9. So first you have to subdivide under sb 9 and then build 2 units or have 2 units on each of those new lots. In that case, you would no longer be able to construct an 80 or okay. Otherwise you still cannot tuna to use. And one jt even in the You just had your

one house. You can still just build one 80. You even in the >> Correct. Okay. While to use and one jt. But yes, even in the >> Thank you for that clarification. Vice mayor over us. Whatever want to say has been says all just reiterate whatever tonight. And you know, pretty much comes down to this is a case by case. Where with in my district, I can see properties also best road having the width of the street and qualify. And I can see the same in other parts of the city. So for me, I do support the project moving forward, but I definitely will reiterate the part of revisiting in the future and seeing how that actually plays out so we can receive information. The council member Fleming ask for such as how many applications have been put forth and how been successful and their applications. Thank you. >> Verify me. >> Customer Just to be super clear. I'm I'm in favor of adopting your recommendations in the Willie. >> And I'm in favor of status quo outside of the bully. >> Can I mention something? I heard the confusion and model y streets are becoming more important to park It's been 9 only elapsed, one off-street parking for each car whereas a regular single families to quiet for one has to be covered. Still for you needs for sb. 9 required to provide one covered parking or one parking for each one views are exempt from parking. So why the parking is becoming concerned? Is because lack on-site parking for all this. You need something, create it. So just want make sure your having concerns about parking and the streets. >> Saban and going to start all over again. >> do think that we should let it play and see because of our housing goals. And then if in

6 months or year we're having a bumper crop of these, we can revisit that. >> For my comments, I just want to thank my colleagues, the and the the level of expertise tonight was impressive as was the the level of concern and the bill and the interest in the ability to wait in the details. All right. On a complicated issue, I think that our city manager got it right off the bat when she complimented city staff. This is an incredibly technical complicated subject. It's also very tedious. It's the kind of thing that's very easy to overlook or not not do the kind of thorough investigation that you did. Thank you very much and thank you for your patience. As you walk Council to this issue. And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Councilmember Okrepkie for final comments and emotion. Best wishes. Thank you, MR. Mayor thank you so much for this presentation. I really do appreciate all the work went into I appreciate all the work you department put into getting pro housing designation through the state. If I recall out of the hundreds of municipalities, counties and cities? Well, we were one of I think it's 23 the received the designation, something around that and of those. 23 were. And I recall correctly top 5 in scoring and we were thanked by that by getting more state laws that tell us how to do our own housing in our own cities and lots of local control. So as I step off my soapbox because of that, I do want to say thank you guys have done and you all done tremendous work. And I really do appreciate that. Couple things as far as the comet or the talk about coffee lane. This won't affect that. That's a separate set of other

state laws that have been put into action. >> That that's being proposed under and staff can help you get more information on that. And to my colleague far as insurance, this isn't matter. They have their own catastrophe contests remodeling that they use fire severity zones. Louis, I mean, use Google Earth. I mean, it literally just Google Earth and address and say yes or no. So this isn't they don't care about local ordinances. Before I make this a motion as want verify that the suggested action that I have is does include the staff's recommendation. Number one, is that correct? You clear a fire question, I'm sorry, the suggested action that we have in to read. Does that include staff's recommendation? Number one provided was the ordinance title. Ordinance of the council, the city of Santa Rosa amending title 20 except for the full title that was on the ordinance. >> ordinance that was attached with the staff materials include staff recommendation. Thank you. >> All right. So with that, propose an ordinance to the council, the city of Santa Rosa, amending title 20 of the Center of the City Code to modify zoning chapter 20 dash. 31 section 20 dash, 12.0 2, 0, section 20 dash. 36.0 5, 0, and section 20 dash. 42.1, 3, 1, found number are easy to 4 Dash 0, 0, 4. And we for the reading of the text check it. All right. Got a motion by Councilmember Crappie and we're going to give the second to COUNCILMAN Rogers. With that. Ready to call for the vote. Know, we got to do I just want to clarify that. And they you are the motion is to adopt. All right. Actually, to introduce this is an

ordinance. So we do to step so introduce. >> The ordinance as proposed by staff. Do you want your thing over again? You know, I don't I just want to clarify that. I think I think that's the motion you've made. But I want to be clear. Thank you for that clarification. And with that, I think we're ready to call for the vote. Let's back to council member Fleming for an additional clarification. >> I would like to make offer friendly amendment to what I had suggested, which is staff's recommendation in the Louis and status quo outside the Louis and see if I can have that accepted. I want to see the status in the. I agree with that. You ok, I'm happy I've sort of done some advance surgery to help you out. And I'm happy to to walk. >> To walk through what that would look like. And when we through it just to make sure we're all on the same page in this one. So Page 7 of the proposed ordinance, which is attached subsection e at the middle of the page, that would be section 18 subsection e that's the provision that talks about. >> The exception for the Louis as well as the exception for any area anywhere in this city that where the street is not at least 36 feet wide. So I think what I'm hearing would be to the subsection 3 there where it says the street to access the parcel is at least 36 feet wide with parking provided on both sides are at least 30 feet wide with parking, limited to one side of the street. We'd be getting rid of that entirely. In addition, we would have to change. And the language in the sentence prior to that so that it. Reads that the and provided the following

requirement is met because it currently reads provided the 2 following requirements are met. And then in addition to that, I think we want to remove from the beginning of the ordinance in the. Page. One, the second to last, whereas cause on that page. I think we want to remove language at the end that says or along streets with limited wet. I believe I have caught everything staff. Is there anything else that you think we would need to remove from this in order to effectuate the friendly amendment which was accepted. >> I think you I I believe we would also need to there's very similar language in section. 21 of the ordinance of this relates to jd use. So I think we would. Just state that provided that the parcel is located outside of the city while urban interface and strike the language related to street with. >> That language is that very top of Page 8? That's impressive editing on the fly is that does that address all of our concerns? I'm looking for looking towards council. Also a Rogers. >> If we don't think this applies to very many people, is it possible to go ahead and pass it the way it is and allow people the opportunity to come to council if they think that it should not apply to them. And I know it's another step, but I also know that I recently lived in a subdivision where the streets were very narrow and you could barely get through the streets when they were people parked on both sides. So I can't even

imagine putting Moore >> more units into that subdivision and how it would impact the streets and people safety. And I think the part that we're taking out. Is an additional part that's put for someone's safety. If you live in a neighborhood where they have wide streets, it probably doesn't apply to you very much. But when you live in the subdivisions that are newer, that don't have wider streets, it does apply. And it is very dangerous. So that is why I like the the second part. That was introduced by staff. And that's just my and this is in Southwest Santa Rosa, where I feel like sometimes streets are very, very narrow. >> So do we have a competing motion on the floor to read a vote on that first motion? >> If if I what I really think we should do, which is much more complex than we have time for tonight is we should come back with something like this. That's based on the size of the lot. And the amount of frontage because the amount of frontage, if you have a really wide lot on, you're gonna have a lot of Park Street parking available and that would then address some of the concerns around congestion for parking and safety for vehicles. We can't do that tonight. But if you have a really large plot of land that's really narrow, doesn't have much frontage. You're going to still have the same problem. And so I think that it is really difficult to

say in areas like Councilmember Rogers is talking about where would be a real burden or in areas in some of the places where I've representative huge lots and really depriving people of property rights here. And that's kind of where I want to meet housing goals and I don't want to take people's property rights away. I also don't want to impact people safety or make cause anybody. Any hazards. I still think that we should come back to this. Lens for for lot size and frontage that address this more safely. And so the reason why I'm reluctant to adopt these rules now is because we actually never go the other way and and more easily make it or not never. It's really rare that we and do something. And it's it's a lot effort for staff. And so I'm that's the will of the council. I'll do that. And I just don't think it's a very scientific approach. I understand why we got here today. And I think that this is it a reasonable? Approaches is not the best that I think we can do. If we give it a little more time. >> back back to the motion in the friendly amendment there on the table right now. Kuzma competing notion motion and then councilmember funding it needed a motion amendment a friendly amendment that was accepted. Is are we voting on that in our customer Rogers? Is there some kind of adjustment? So? I was confused as to what the friendly amendment was, ok, so I don't agree that friendly amendment. I think that we should just go staff recommendation for right now. I do agree that we should bring it back. >> To get a little bit more detail about think right now is the time to do that and start doing surgery on on the

ordinance. All right. So we had a motion on the table and a second. I think we go to a vote on that motion and on that, we've got more more commentary. Councilmember Donald. >> I guess my question is if we reject recommendations, is there any part of the zoning ordinances that needed to be passed based on the current state law and otherwise? Could we actually just table the entire? Thing tonight? I'm just wondering if there was something timely that had to be done for ordinances. I mean, for the zoning ordinance. The majority of the amendments to the accessory dwelling in a ordinance are required by state law. And so because those laws went into effect, JANUARY one of this year, Boyd's the city's local 80 ordinance. Intel. We come in to conformance with state law. So we would run the risk of just a longer period of time of having to defer to state law for atu regulations. Thank you for the clarification. >> Look at at our city attorney for the moment. We best off it. We have a moment of his a motion a second. It's on the table right now is our best course of action to to vote on that motion. Second second, see where we are and then that include or get the rest of the discussion. >> really, that is the next step. Unless you have the motion maker who withdraws his motion. Can I call the question? So we vote. They're so we had. All right. So let's let's go ahead with the vote

that. Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Rogers, I Councilmember Okrepkie. I. Councilmember Fleming now. Councilmember Ben, most no. Vice mayor of arrests. Let the record show this passes. The 4 affirmative votes. All right. Thank you very much. That was an interesting one. Let's go back to item 16.1, our federal legislative platform. >> And I think thank you once again to our staff. Worked overtime on that one. Assistant city manager. Not welcome. We have we have Kerry are crossing the line here I'm guessing. And John. >> All right. Good evening, Mayor Stapp council members. I'm Jason Adam Houston City manager. >> I am filling in for individuals who have recently departed the city to greener pastures. And so. >> I'm excited too. Fill in that role and participate as part of this year's 2025. Federal legislative platform. I'm going to be joined by and predominantly passing the baton to our friends and partners at animal partner, at Partners Kerry office. But on us and John o'Donnell and they will be working our way through the legislative platform this year. I just want to start and say that I know the legislative team spent quite a bit of time working with each of to craft of the legislative platform

for this year. They also spent time working with each of the department heads and divisions in an effort identify additional areas that we want to consider. As we start looking toward what we're going to be doing with our federal partners throughout the course of this next year. And so I'm excited to have to invite carry out And John, too the screen and be able to walk us through this year's federal platform. >> MR. No, thank you for that dinner. He's been that introduction good evening, mayor and members of the council Kerry accident like to start by congratulating councilmembers. McDowell Rogers and they offer is on their re-election and welcome counselor one-way lows. To the council, look forward to working with her. Also want to congratulate councilor staff and counselor Alvarez on there role now as mayor and vice mayor respectively. And also to counselor Rogers for her work with us while she was mayor. I think we had a very successful year reactors will talk more about that met. Don't review with you before about the federal legislative platform and really the platform is is a road It's it's identifies the city's federal policy. >> project priorities for the public for the Congressional California delegation. For members of Congress and committees and for federal agencies. And then it's used by use it locally for guidance with staff about what you're federal effort ought to be and

we use it here in our work with congressional staff members and federal agency, folks. And I want react say we're talking about this earlier today. I think this is why these legislative platforms are so critical because of this sort of circumstances that we face now in Washington, which are not that old different from any other time. But because of the change administration because of new members on the Hill. Change committing staffs and then the addition of many new congressional staffers working for new members and members who have have staff changes in their offices. This kind of document in platform really is an anchor for us in the work that we do. And I think I ask react is to talk about how that direction that we use from this platform leads us to the kind of accomplishments that I think he will address. >> Thanks, John. Next slide, Jason. Mayor Councilmembers shouldn't Thank you for the opportunity. One of just as John talk a little bit about the highlands 2024. Work that we've been doing with you all but really point out that, you know, these accomplishments and the numbers that you see on the next couple of slides here really represent a team effort and it starts with the mayor and council taking the steps that John just outlined, which is to shout, wish a federal policy form that gives us direction and also want to acknowledge that lot of most of this would not possible

without the hard work of your and the direction from the city manager. And I certainly last, but certainly not least the work that the delegation doesn't your behalf to to really carry out. Some of these are questions that are put forward. So with I wanted kind of run through these these slides. And first off, talk about the top line number that you see there, the total funding represents funding. That's been announced and awarded various programs that we see here. And I won't go through every every item, you'll see more funding on the next few screens that better in total funding represented. And that's because there are certain projects that are still pending before Congress and certain projects that still working their way through all departments that funding. So. And are housing and homelessness. You'll see that most of the funding there, formula funding white 24 funding for home housing choice vouchers, the homeless center was kind of a oc money that you see there is done regionally. And so some of that funding is you know, spread out throughout the county. So that number 4.5 million is not necessarily represent told bigger under surface transportation. You'll see urbanized area Formula. Grant 2.7 million. The city competitively went after technical assistance Grant called thriving communities they want the city was awarded funding 2 technical assistance to work development of the shouting Stream way area know recently acquired. So the city staff are working through that process. And I want to acknowledge the hard work that Tw did. Put that together? I know recently councilmember of

crafting the came to Washington technical Assistance roundtable with dot on that that grant so that that's working its way through and hopefully by the end of that process and depending on where you are with your planning, there MAY be an opportunity to federal funding future. The last the last project on on this Transportation is a multi-jurisdictional project that was awarded through our cta of the city was awarded. 1.0, 75 million. And that is for various safety improvements various streets throughout the city. And that was awarded few weeks ago and being told that agreement with dot as it is right at the final finish line. And hopefully that will be in the next week or so. Next slide, please. Wildfire public safety back in MARCH, the PRESIDENT Signed Fy 20 work operations Bill included a community project funding request for the Santa Rosa Police Department. 890,000, which was again signed into law back in MARCH. The police department is working and has worked with bj to finalize the agreement on that. And that project was supported and requested by Representative Thompson. The cops office awarded the city $166,875 or a recruitment retention cpe grant. And that was awarded few months ago. Also under this category was a piece of legislation that was supported city's 2024 platform by the Chicks. 3 Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act which I know Representative a we sponsors on on that provide tax relief for wildfire And so that was signed into law here

last session of Congress. Water and energy resiliency. >> The electric vehicle and infrastructure Masterplan was a form of the grant that was provided under the island ga Bill send using together. A master plan for needy infrastructure. The Corps of Engineers is working with the city and providing technical assistance to do flood evacuation mapping throughout the city and the Fy 25 community Project funding request that is still pending for Congress and will not be finalized until sometime in MARCH. We've removed. There's a lot of 21 for 1.0, 7, 3, 4 Million. I want to point out on that particular request of the city was successful couple years ago getting word authorization for about 20 million dollars and that often relations lead to funding allocation the energy and water appropriations bill sponsored by Representative Huffman. Again, this is one of those projects where, as I said earlier, team approach, you know the mayor, mayor staff, I came to Washington, D.C., along with city manager director Burke and really pressed pressed for funding, met with the Corps of Engineers with delegation and I was included in the bill. And so again, while we're not over the finish line where pretty close to that and just wanted to acknowledge the work that was done to get to where we are. Mission will plant a jump up project 14, a half million that's still pending environmental 13 back. So that's still one of those 1, One of those projects that its side near the finish line, but not yet over. And during economic development, Economic development, Reauthorization

Act was signed into law end year that includes a couple requests made by the city, both previous Mayor Chris Rogers and the Mayor Rogers, post wildfire assistance of the bill includes 100% cost share for disaster recovery areas. And then it also increases the local cost share from 50% increase the federal cost share, should from 50% to 60%. And that dovetails into next project. That's on the list here, which is a need to be a grant to expand business development opportunities in the Roseland area. That project is being worked on currently by staff and eta. Again, that increase the cost share will no increase the amount of federal funding that goes toward improvements and expansion in that area. Next slide, please. I want to talk about going. That was sort of a look now talking about looking forward for 2025, I think it's Jason mentioned we met most of the council members before putting this together one meeting with department staff certainly getting some from from our carryover proposals from last year. Next slide. Jason. So while fire prevention resiliency and just to point out there, sort of project subject categories here. Wildfire prevention is the first. Again. This is Kerry language from the previous year, which really talks about providing support and requesting federal assistance under various programs,

including the bric program we're service program committee. Lot our defense grants which provides funding for you all to update your offer wildfire protection plan and also do some implementation projects that are on the plan that funded through the I j a. The next point on this slide is to support community development block Grant. Disaster recovery program which shouldn't get use back in 2017, 2018 to build a new affordable housing all posts wildfire. And then advocating for funding for the ipaws next slide. Surface. Transportation is ongoing requests to support future funding for programs authorized under I I j including projects for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, vision 0. And then obviously public transit investments investments to electrify your fleet and then support active transportation, complete streets and safe routes to schools. Looks like least. Underwater energy resiliency. Again, this is just a snapshot of what's in the actual platform. I won't read verbatim. So under water and energy efficiencies continue to support inflation Reduction programs, Water Resources, Development Act clean water and water state revolving loan Mitigation measures to reduce emissions limit effects of climate change. Support Pacteau practical approach to assessing mitigating. Is There has been some legislation that was introduced last session of Congress. Expected next

administration probably too take some action on the regulatory side on this issue. So we're going to be watching that closely and then advocating supporting to continue operations and version facilities at the Potter Valley Project. Our next slide, please. Climate change and sustainability supporting the city's long-term commitment to implementing programs to improve energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And then also supporting the energy efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. As I mentioned previously, the city received 210,000 through that program. That was funded through I or expecting future mining to be associated with and conservation block grant. But there will be a push to get more funding for that program. Advocating for funding to convert the city's Muslim liters. 0 emissions. Next slide. Housing and homelessness and economic development, increased funding federal and senators to address affordable housing care, emergency food and shelter, housing choice vouchers, all programs reduced funding for the city city residents then expanding affordable housing credits through the low-income housing tax credit. That's certainly going to be on the agenda this year when Congress looks extending the 2017 tax cuts, there will be an effort to increased like tack tax municipal government use. West

next slide. Please again, housing, homelessness, advocate funding for or lpg outdoor Recreational Legacy Partnership program. It's really the only program that provides funding to revamp and and update parks at the end of this session of Congress. There was a bill that was signed into law by the PRESIDENT Called the Explorer Act, which codified this program. So it's now in law. And again, this program, the funding through trust every year for about 125 Million. Next program. Next slide. Please. Under public safety advocating for legislate for that supports public safety improvements and emergency response operations advocating for funding for community violence and gun violence prevention programs and initiatives including policies related to ghost guns. Again, that your mark that we played out earlier was to technology at the police department to help. I, you know, disrupt violence in the city seeking funding for public safety, infrastructure and brooding regional community safety training and regional communications infrastructure. And also on the next slide, the city calls for supporting the stock program for School Violence Prevention. Next slide. Please. Education families and children on this slide. I think change that seeing here, it's really sort the category side. We knew there was families and

children added and really to reflect the council's interest in supporting early childhood education, child care workforce development programs, and then to advocate for an extension of the child Tax credit, which again will be for consideration this year when Congress deals with all the tax policies. And then also supporting funding for child and adult care program. Summer Food services and a national one programs for children. I will turn it back over to Jason. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. John cause I want to take this opportunity to make a recommendation that council approve and adopt the 2025 federal legislative platform. And we are here to answer additional questions. Should you have any? >> All right. Thank you, Jason. And thank you, Kerri, our cousin John. We did not intend to keep you up quite so late. It's approaching 10 year time, but it will bring to council for questions. Let's start council-run Councilmember Ben, we los. >> I was just wondering since I'm coming in at that and of this process, if it's too late to add something to the legislative platform. >> so Councilmember Ben Willows would be interested in understanding what what questions you have. There MAY be opportunity already existing within platform itself, but but please would be interested in hearing what? What? I'm ya. >> I was looking at the Edge excuse me, the economic development. Just trying to find it really quick. Its housing and homelessness and

economic development. And I was interested possible. Like I said, if it's not too late or if it's appropriate. Also to add something about immigration policy. And so I'll just read you something that I've written in them yeah. And if it's not appropriate for here or if it's appropriate somewhere else, that's totally fine or needs wordsmith thing. Whatever. Something along the lines advocate for economic development policies that provide a predictable and stable workforce by supporting a balanced immigration policy. This is our legislative platform. Just wanted to see if we could include something about immigration. Since that is on agenda for the new administration. >> I'm going ask Kerry, aka site. I know that there's some language in the platform that talks about. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within the economic development platform. Bikes to Councilmember Ben Willows says question it does our existing platform have the flexibility to incorporate that? >> mayor Councilmember Ben thanks for the question. I believe the city did take up a resolution number of years 3, I think first Trump administration, the deal with some of the immigration policies that coming out of the administration at that time. I don't know if that resolution perhaps answers the question or addresses your concerns, councilmember. But seems to me that language is

suitable to your colleagues, don't see an issue with necessarily, including it just maybe something the current resolution that's been adopted already sort of addresses issue. Do think when you talk about workforce development her platform. >> Councilmember Donald Junior speak to that. >> Thank you, Mayor. I had that same concern earlier. And so I reached out to cause and and talk to him about adding some language around immigration policy and so has suggested amendment to the policy could read monitor immigration policy and take action to ensure federal legislation and regulatory actions at a line within support the city of Santa Rosa and a visible city resolution. And then we had the resolution number is 2018 dash, 1, 9, 9, which was adopted in JULY. 26 JULY, 17th 2018. And the reason that language would maybe cover the concerns that you're talking about is because our resolution actually delineates out what kind of city we are living in. It doesn't explicitly say, i think around economic development, but it talks around talks about our community feeling safe right now. And so I think that to added to our legislative platform is appropriate. And if that suffice for what you are looking for. A council member. >> Sure, I you know, I was thinking about something along the lines of you know, this county the city relies on obviously the immigrant population a lot of the times to do, you know, to be active in the workforce. And if that

were to go away, that would definitely affect our economic development. So that's why I Thinking that we could put it in there. If that was acceptable. But we're proposing and I was aware of the resolutions. I hope very the previously done. Which I think really appropriate. But what you're talking about, I kind of like that as well. I mean, I would be open to that. Cars are flying. >> Yeah, I think that they both have a place in the platform. I have concerns about the incoming administration caring much about as being an indivisible city or about diversity. Equity inclusion are belonging. So I think that if we talk about it in terms of economic development, economic stability, that that's a way to get across what we care about in a way is a bridge to the incoming administration. >> Looking further questions from council. 1, One clarifying question for Obviously our legislative platform lays out a set of values and it's right in the heading here tonight, the underlying purpose of this and least with respect to our discussion tonight is to clarify what kinds of projects we're looking forward to have funded and what kinds of funding opportunities they are as opposed to broader legislative efforts. Is that is is that an accurate statement? >> Mayor if directed the time, I would answer it this way. I think that the platform allows itself to be a policy document as well ones itself, you know,

pursuing projects that meet policy objectives and in the platform. >> their clarification. If there are no other questions for counsel will open up to public comment. Anyone, any members of the public here? Seeing none to bring you back to council for final comments. Council Donald. >> Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to just offer to more considerations. If there's concern over adding language around monitoring monitoring immigration policy, taking action to ensure federal legislation and regulatory actions align with this with our resolution I I still think it's important for us to call it For our community members. But in addition to that, I'd like to also add protect and support entitlement funding, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or snap Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and veteran benefits and child nutrition to the platform. Also support the highest level of year 2026 funding for k 12 education programs including Special Education Services. And I think that with those 3 things added, I would move forward with the adoption of the policy as amended. Comments from council. That's a number Rogers. It's not about what you said, although it likely he said. >> I just wanted to express my gratitude to both carry is in John. For your passion and for your drive and helping us to achieve her goals here at the city and for always making when I was the mayor making us

feel as if we are your only clients. When I do understand that we are not your only clients, but when we are with you and you are working towards what it is that we want honestly feel like we are your only clients. So thank you. And I look forward to our continued work together. >> And also we second that as well. So it's been a pleasure to work with your firm and you've done great things for the city. And with that, I want to look for we've had we had we some comments put on the table as far as additions councilmember looks you for a motion. >> Thank you, I'd like to recommend by and are part me. Suggested. I'm sorry. I apologize. I was looking at. My language. I'd like to propose an adoption of the resolution of the Council of the City of Santa Rosa to adopt the 2025. City of Santa Rosa. Fragile federal legislative platforms as amended. And wait for the reading reading of the text. Second, it. >> MADAM City attorney, just to clarify the motion is to adopt the resolution with the 3 amendments that you've proposed just a minute ago. Is that correct? >> I repeat that. Councilmember Ben also added some language around the importance of immigration. Are around economic development. And if there's a way to finesse that and added into the policy as well like those informant for amendments to be Thank you for clarifying. >> So we have a motion. We have a second. Under city clerk. Not a city attorney. I just want to make clear that our consultants have enough clarity with. >> The for policy, the

verbiage for the for policies. That was my only question. Thank you. I was a good one. Thank you for checking a city clerk with students who to vote. >> Thank you. Councilmember MacDonald. I councilmember wrote Rogers, I Councilmember Okrepkie I Councilmember Fleming. I Councilmember Ben Willows. I vice for Mayor, stop. I this passes unanimously. >> I thank you. And with that, we're gonna move on to. Item 18 or any communications. Item. 19, a final public comment on non agenda matters. And there any members of public wish to comment. Seeing We will go. We will move to item. 21 adjournment.