City Council

is now 902, seeing a corner and we will be starting our meeting for the day. MADAM City Clerk me please call the roll. Thank you. Mayor Councilmember Chris Rogers there Councilmember Okrepkie Councilmember MacDonald care Councilmember Fleming. Council member Councilmember Vice Mayor step and Mayor Rogers, the PRESIDENT, let the record show that all council members are present with the exception of Councilmember Fleming. Thank you very nice to see everyone in the chamber. Good morning and welcome. I would like to begin our meeting doing. >> a few wonderful house keeping things that we need to do in the first will be to introduce our new public works. Director the Tennessee, so welcomed and to the team he's working. And that's what we pay him to do, but welcomed and to the team also, this is our city Council goal. Setting workshop. And each year the council conduct said setting workshop to review the city's strategic goals and make any necessary adjustments in advance of the that. >> Budget development process >> consistent with the city Charters section last month on. >> JANUARY 9th, we held a public hearing to review. >> Oral in written comments from the public on budget priorities for the upcoming

fiscal year. During our public hearing, 19 members of the public provide input to the city council and the public will have another opportunity today to provide additional input after our consultant presentation. Following public comment. The council adjourned into closed session under government Code Section 5, 4, 9, 5, 7, b, one to solidify goals, objectives, criteria in clear expectations for our city manager's future performance review. This is critical to ensure that the city manager understands the expectation of the council. And projects and programs that we expect the organization to deliver. Our expectations for the city manager as they relate to the performance in goals of the organization will be shared publicly as part of the budget adoption process where the public will once again be able to provide comment and input. I would like to just point out how many times I said the public will be able to provide comment and input. We definitely value your comments and your input. And again, I would like to thank you all for being here. And with that, I now like to introduce Jacob Green from Jacob Green, an associate California, local government consulting firm that will provide a presentation about the priority setting process and provide us insight regarding the municipal best practice. So with that, Jacob, thank you

for being here. >> Good morning, Mayor. Thank you very much for having me. Good morning Council. I'm really excited to be with you here today in the process of developing a strategic plan for your city and your goal setting, which will ultimately lead to your budget. As we start this morning, I do want to introduce a few members of our team. My company is Jacob Green Associates. There are 29 of us. We all specialize in California. Local government. We were primarily with cities, counties and special districts throughout the state providing strategic planning in a variety of other organizational development services behind me on my team. Here is Nicole Beach. She will be working with your staff on the work plans and implementation plans. 4 council and community review consistent with the council's priorities developed in this process. Also not seem to my left, in Spirit is Greg Devereaux who because of the weather this morning was not able to make it in here into the open Component. Greg is a former city manager of 2 cities in California, former county executive of Seminole County. And we'll be working very closely and has been working very closely with the council and staff in this process. The agenda for this presentation. We talk about why priority setting workshop. Talking specifically about the Santa Rosa process. Priority setting fundamentals and best practice as the mayor mentioned in the introduction. And finally, next steps. Like to start by talking a little bit about the why the city of Santa Rosa. There is nothing wrong with the city of Santa

Rosa. We're not here because there's any problems or challenges or issues with the city of Santa Rosa. It's very much like my car. I love my car, but every 3 to 5,000 miles, my car goes into the shop, goes in the shop. We check it out a to z and we make sure that it can be had to fold, change kick the tires, make sure they can get back on the road. It doesn't mean there's a problem with my car. It just means it is best practice to take it off the road so it can continue function in a high capacity. The same for the city of Santa Rosa and every municipality. This is an opportunity for us to take a little time out to take a pause to look at the entire organization and to make sure that it's moving in the direction of the council and the community want the organization to move forward. Ultimately at the end of the day, our strategic planning process is about making a lasting impact. The outcome of this process should be that all of us collectively, the community that's here, the council, your staff feel like we're able to make a positive and lasting impact on the organization. If we are just doing 1000 different projects without really understanding in order and a focus, we're not going to be able to make that sustaining lasting impact that we're all looking for. And at the end of the day, all of you are serving public is here. The staff are here because we want to make a difference together. The Santa Rosa process looks like this wrecking not kicking off the process today. Exactly. Like

the mayor said, you've started last month at step number one with the public hearing for budget priorities. That was the very first opportunity that the public had to provide input to the council in terms of what the community wants has its priorities for the organization that happened in JANUARY 2024, there were 19 speakers we collected all the data and the input and will be presenting that to the council as well. In JANUARY. Also, we had an opportunity to meet with each council member individually to learn a little bit more about the intended vision, the goals and the priorities. From the perspective of each individual council member. And that feedback is being consolidated by our team so that the council has a body can direct the future of the strategic planning process. Today we are at public input. Number 2 opportunity. This is the second time that the public has an opportunity to provide feedback after today's presentation. I'm by myself and your chief financial officer then we will take this information back from open session from the public comment and from our closed session will be focus specifically on the council's expectations for the city manager's performance. Expectations. We'll take all this information back and our team will be facilitating a series of work planning initiatives with your staff so that they take the goals, the priorities, and then all the projects and programs that have been mentioned fit nicely

in those priority buckets. They're outlined and they're ultimately available for public Review council adoption and public feedback at public input. Stop number 3, which is the public input that's provided at the budget review process. Approximately in MAY, where the community will have an opportunity review all the things that I mentioned. And then finally in JUNE, you will have the formal budget adoption. I do want to say that we are up and down the state of California every This is what we do. This is what we love to And I have never walked into a community. Our team is never watching the community with so much work already done in the strategic planning process as a council. As a community as a staff. You already have invested a ton of work last MARCH and throughout the year and flat last many years on the process of strategic planning and goal setting. And you've already heard once already from the public. So we're coming in not to start the process anew. That to start from the ground floor. But really just to find tune as you enter into the budget season. So I really want to commend and thank the council in the community in the staff for all the work that has been done already as a result of the council's direction last year. There are a few goal setting elements that will discuss this morning in order to actually have the conversation and listen to the public's input regarding their

priority projects. The first is to talk about the system of governance by which we operate this system creates a little bit of a difference for those of you that have been through private sector strategic planning, which we also participate in the public sector has a different approach. 2 overall strategic planning because of the system of governance that we operate under. We'll talk about that. We'll talk about how mission vision and values direct the course of our strategic planning process. And we'll talk about the unique role of goals and objectives in strategic planning and goal setting for your community. So first, let's discuss the system. The entire goal of strategic planning in the public sector is to create alignment. Today. You are the 3rd phase in in the process of building alignment. And that alignment is built between your community. It starts with your community. It starts with understanding what the community feels this organization should focus on. And the community elected the city council, the mayor and city Council. To take that vision, solidify that vision moving forward. The city Council then gives goals and objectives to the organization and those goals and objectives translate into the budget. This is an area where a lot of organizations fall into some challenge where there's a lot of great projects and programs talked about. But the budget doesn't end up reflecting those goals and objectives. So we want to do in this process

is make sure that staff take all of this information back with the here today and public comment from the public. What they heard last month that the public hearing from the public. And make sure that budget is designed around those goals and objectives. Again, creating alignment. Then the council with those goals and objectives solidified gives direction to your city manager. That's why we meet in closed session under the exclusion. The Brown Act to allow the council to get very clean, clear performance expectations of your city manager as to what is expected in this process. What goals the city manager needs to carry out. And then the city manager gives those goals and objectives to your executive team. Your executive team gives those marching orders to your staff and your staff focused on the implementation and execution of the process. So everything that we're doing is building alignment. So were on the same sheet of music as we move the great community of Santa Rosa forward. Now, Greg, if you are he would share with you that the key for us is this is a process about evolution, not revolution. And I just want to go back and highlight the fact that you've already done such great work. This is not about changing erasing wiping it away last year. You start that process in MARCH of really trying to focus and think about how to move the community forward today in this process over the next several months is about evolution. Very small, little pivots, maybe little refinements that we need to make not revolution otherwise, we'll be making everybody nauseous and communities that go. 3 goal, setting process.

Our revolutionary. Those are communities don't get a lot done and be tend to really exhaust. And we're out the staff because we're like ping pong balls going all over the place. That's not really what we want for our organization. We want slight improvements and modifications as we move forward in strategic planning. A few system. Goal setting fundamentals that are relevant to this process. The first is that we operate in a council manager of government adopted by the city of Santa Rosa. That means the council sets the policy. The overall vision and objectives for the organization. It is the at a job. The city manager under the and reform of government, which is outline and reinforce in your charter to take that vision and execute and implement. We don't want the reverse. We don't want a situation in which the staff is coming to you and in the community and saying we need to do x, y z billboard program the council has the polls of the community of the organization and we as a staff need to depend on that understanding that you have of what the community needs. And the council has to rely on the expertise and the professionalism and the gifts our our team has been working with your city for the last 9 months. We did a six-month leadership academy for your staff for your executive team. Can tell you without any doubt

being on record, you have an incredible staff teen. You have an incredible organization and you want to keep them in the lane of the pending in relying on their expertise. To implement and execute your vision. The second element is the council versus Councilmember Authority. The reason we are convene today like were convened. And the reason that your budget is adopted as a council is because a single individual council member does not have authority to direct the staff, the city manager or the organization, a single councilmember cannot approach the city manager and say city manager, I want you to make sure that billboard project or that bridge is completed. It takes an action of the entire body of the city council at a duly noticed public meeting in order for any of these items are projects or priorities to be executed. And that's something very important. As we talk today and those we move into a closed session discussion with your city manager regarding the council's expectations. It's very important that today as we set the expectations for the city manager's next performance evaluation and ultimately the organization's priorities. That we do so understanding the city manager can only be evaluated based on what's been adopted and direction given by the entire council at a duly noticed public meeting. 3rd is the district for says citywide responsibilities. This is becoming more and more relevant. As in California, more and more communities going to a district

environment. It's just another reminder that even when elected by a district, it is the council members representative to not only advocate on behalf of the district, but also make sure that the needs of the city as a whole are being looked after. This is not about a comparison of 5 things in this district and only 2 things in this district. It's up to all of us in districts as elected officials to bring forward the needs of our district, but also make sure that concurrently you're looking out for the needs of the entire community that is represented here in Santa Rosa. 4th. In the process of goal setting and strategic planning. It's often a challenge to figure out what types of information so that should a city council member be able to access versus a member of the community? And when can a council member go directly to a staff member and have a conversation about projects and programs and priorities? And best practice is very clear. Any information. That a member of the public is able to access from a staff member. So too, should a member of the council be able to access for months from a staff member. In order to make sure that real role clarity between the council, the staff, however. When those lines start to be broken or tested. There can be complications and challenges with roles. Remember what I said earlier. We want to make sure the council such the vision and the policy and the staff focuses on execution and

implementation. So it's another nice reminder today that any information that you need about anything that we discuss, it's perfectly appropriate to approach a staff member. If. The staff member would be able to provide that same information to a member of the public. If not that information should be routed to the city manager for the city manager to determine how that information can be provided to a council member either in a duly noticed, meeting public meeting or otherwise. And 5, I do need to emphasize again because I did mention it earlier. We're creating alignment. Is that relationship between the goals in the budget? I have you know, once again give mayor and this council so much credit because you're incorporating today, which is what is best practice, which is a look at the financial structure. How your finances and how your budget should your financial health and situation should dictate the way in which you proceed with the budget development process. At your public hearing on JANUARY 9th 2024, as I mentioned, there were 20 sorry, 19 speakers that shared their projects priorities and programs with the city Council. And again, you're going to have another opportunity today to hear from the public and another opportunity before the budget is adopting the budget review process to her for the public and to critically important piece of goal setting in strategic planning to hear from the public. But what we did was we captured the various areas that were mentioned by the public where there was redone comments. We

consolidated that down into these 15 areas and these 15 areas. Really, for the most part, thankfully, are already captured in the work that you've done last year are already captured in the preliminary work planning that your staff is done. But it's really important and good and best practice to hear again from your public. So you keep at your front of mind, what's important as you decide the vision for this community. So I do want to thank the public for providing all this input and information and looking forward to hearing from the public today if there's new information or to reiterate that information for what you want to provide to the city Council. A brief mayor and council at your mission vision values again, already adopted. We're not starting from scratch. That's the good news here. But this is the opportunity where we take a fresh look at the mission Vision and mission vision and values as they influence the goals and objectives for the process. Your mission is to provide high-quality public services and cultivate a vibrant, resilient and livable City and your vision. Santa Rosa leading the North Bay. And in conversations that we had with the city council, each city council member in advance of today, this was a really important guiding Northstar principle for your staff that you want to make sure that your staff is always bringing you the latest. The greatest, the most innovative in the most progressive ways at which to solve complex community challenges and create prosperity for the

community of Santa Rosa. The values that you've adopted already has a city council, our excellence, innovation, teamwork, integrity, inclusiveness, and transparency. Our opinion, as you're facilitators as as your team facilitators. Our opinion is that these values do reflect our conversations. They do reflect. We asked all of you about the values and and sort of the approach. The paradigm they do currently reflect what you're seeking in terms of your staff team. As we discuss goals and objectives and priorities. The number one problem that we run into in working with organizations. I can say this after 18 years myself in working in the public sector and police fire economic development. City management, the number one challenge is this slide. If I had no other slides, this would be the slide that I would bring to Santa Rosa. It's the everything is good challenge. Everything that you hear today from the public likely I why I don't want get too far ahead of myself, but likely will be positive will be about things that could add benefit to the community of Santa Rosa. Everything that the council wants to bring to the table is positive and can bring benefit. I've not been part of the strategic planning process yet where someone bring something forward that would be hurtful or damaging or negative. This tends to be a very positive environment. However. We work with in a system. Were within a structure. Sometimes that system allows us to address

things that are under your jurisdiction. Sometimes there are things that are mentioned and brought up that are not in your jurisdiction. So its important that we understand jurisdictional issues and things that you do not have control over. And it's important to understand the context by what your budget and your available finances does or does not allow everything to be done. And while we recognize and acknowledge that everything is good, we can't possibly as a teen accomplish everything as we move this great community forward, you'll have to do the very difficult work focusing your staff resources and your budget resources. Accordingly. In Santa Rosa, you have a 7 goals. These goals are published on your website. These goals or previously adopted by the City council. They reflect the current goals that the council has identified. In the process of goal setting. There's often a lot of confusion as to what a goal is. Now. There's a lot of different semantics. Every community uses different language, sometimes priorities, sometimes goals. I'll give you a sort the textbook understanding and then whatever Santa Rosa wants to use is certainly great with our team. In general, you have a goal. You have an overarching bucket. It's your priority. Each community generally has somewhere between 3 and 7 for the sake of right now we're going to call them goals or priority areas. Those are a short statement about the desired outcome to be accomplished over a long period of time from vision. So one of the

things that we do that is unique in our strategic planning process. If I bring you back here, whatever the goal is that ultimately adopted by the council based on all the input and discussion today, whatever that goal is, we're going to encourage the council in the coming months to work with our team and to work with staff to develop a description of what the end state is, what that actually looks like that we're heading towards most communities don't do that. They just said this. Nice cool. You know, economic development. We're going to actually talk with the council about what that looks like and what will be adopted as the end state and we're going to develop the work plans, which will develop for the community in the council, the organization. What will be accomplished in the next 12 months. So we're going to further define what a goal looks like. Then there's of the objectives, the objectives of what's the city get actually do to meet those goals that are set by the council and then the strategies. How will each objective be addressed? A lot of things that you saw I'm up on the previous slide are actually strategies. They're projects or programs. And that's great. That's no problem or their objectives. Some urgent objectives that's fantastic. The community has the right and should provide whatever it wants. Goals, objectives, strategies as part of this for consideration by the council and for Solidification by your staff team. This is just a look using your own example here in

Santa Rosa. What a goal looks like currently go. Looks like deliver housing for all objective under that is implemented down payment assistance program and a strategy to get that done is to start by conducting lender meetings, for example, this is just how the process plays out. Again. Once the process of agreeing upon the priorities of the goals are finished by the council at step. Number 2, we move into those work plans. The public reviews again provides input and budget adoption. This city has developed a very comprehensive, any best practice around public input in the strategic planning. At at step number for here. The work plan and Development dashboard. So we'll come out of the meeting today will come out of closed session today. The city manager will have strong performance evaluations. How the city manager of road will be reviewed after future performance evaluation and the staff will get to work on work plans with our team. What does that look like? It looks like this. First of all, we will have a in the top left-hand corner. You have basically a road map. So for each goal, you'll have a road map or basically again chart showing the progress of each of these goals as they fit within your strategic planning timeline. And then the graphic on the bottom right is your work plant and your work plan is where you start to break down those strategies assign people, individuals, departments, deadlines, timelines all within a 12 month period. Now these are drafted by the staff and brought back to the council

for approval. You MAY be thinking why in the world does the council need to see this stat? The seems like it's in the weeds. This seems like it's staff responsibility councils, right? If you're thinking that it is the staff's responsibility that work with us in developing the work plans. But ultimately we want to make sure that there's alignment in those work plans that with the staff says they can accomplish in 12 months is with the council. Feels needs to be accomplished. And when there's missile alignment with the council says when a minute I want something done sooner, we can have that conversation before they're adopted and then the staff of the city manager responsible for implementing based on what is adopted. And in every case that we've ever been a part of, there's always opportunities for adjustment because things will happen. Covid will happen. Horrible storms that prevent our team for being here will happen. Things will happen and will need to come back to the council just as things surface in your community. And as the council determined that there's a need for change. The final piece of this process, by the way, again, I just really can't emphasize this enough. I have to give kudos city manager and your team because they didn't wait for today to get a jump start on work, planning process. They have whole bunch of work planning in general for some of the things that have been recurring projects and issues getting us into into the days a process after the work plans are complete over the next few months. We're also creating a dashboard will be working with your a city team with your city manager to create

dashboard. So there's visibility and you can see the progress being made on these goals and priorities in the organization. Long process. Lots of elements of this process today is just phase 3 in this long process. Again, I want to thank the mayor and the council for having us as part of this process. That concludes my presentation. But now I will turn it over to your chief financial officer who will be giving you the framework by which some of these decisions need to be made. The framework of your city financial health. Thank I am Allen Ault and the city's chief financial officer. >> And I have a few slides here. To provide the context as Jacob discussed. Thanks. In leading up to this process, I looked at. Thought of. >> What are the current issues that we're facing right now? I'm focusing on the general fund specifically that >> that set the context of how we're going forward and our budget process in the years, not only the upcoming year, but the years going forward for the next 5. And so I've listen, I'm out here we we as you've heard me say before we have a general funds, a structural deficit we continue to be in a budgetary structural deficit and I make that distinction because when we adopt our budget, we as we this past this current year, we adopted it with a 3.3 million dollar budget deficit.

But as we know, that ends 2, when we close our books at the end of the year there's. >> There's either excess revenue or turn back coming back from. >> And spend expenditures. That puts us in a in a positive instead of a deficit situation. However, I do see that trend changing in the next few years. And so that's why we're highlighting it now. One of the things that we are, what we're finding is that beginning in 21. 22, we started to we changed our methodology and all get into this a little bit more in future slides. But we change methodology with revenue estimating. So we went from what I would consider pretty conservative methodology to a more realistic some of my colleagues in the finance interceded say aggressive, but I'm going to stick with with realistic the other thing is that we are starting to fill general fund vacancies. Some of the departments and vacancies that we used to count on to be there such as employees and in other departments where we did have large vacancies, the they are now. Police, for example, is fully staffed. And that is something that takes away from the margin of error that we have at the end of the year. So all of those things start to become in issues that we just need to be cognizant of

as we move forward. Deferred simply put. We don't have adequate funding to build our projects or maintain them after they're built. This includes. Facilities like this one road infrastructure, Park's infrastructure historically the general fund contributes virtually nothing to the to cip projects in those long-term projects, meaning that we need to scraped together funding from wherever we can to try to get a project built most of our general fund dollars go to operations. Even with most of them go into operations we have in the past, although we're starting to change this process now. But in the past, we have we we would constructed facility and not include the ongoing maintenance as a part of that cost going forward. So we we put a great effort on on building something and have to try figure out a way to maintain going forward. What one of the things that we are doing in that what you will see and then in the next month or so is that we use our general fund and assigned reserves too. To pay for one time. A critical need projects. That is something get into that a little bit more. But that is our way right now. It's less than ideal, but that is our way of

trying to address critical needs in the community and for our facilities. Going forward using any savings that we MAY have in our reserves. We are. Overextended in underfunded. This is this is my turn of phrase. I apologize for. It is probably inarticulate. But it is one of the things that that I think we know many of our departments that we we tend to start a lot of programs whether they be pilot programs. Or just. Trying to meet the needs of the community. But we just simply are running out of the resources to be able to do that in a sustainable fashion. We're coming up against unintended consequences for some of the things that we do or are mandated to do. We have many unfunded mandates that are that exist. Prime example of that. Our electric vehicles, right? So for example, if we go in and would normally budget to buy combustible engine truck. Now we're going to buy an electric truck. The cost of that purchase is higher. And the cost to maintain that that vehicle is higher and those are things that comes from a good place of having electric vehicles. But it comes with an added cost that we a scramble to try to figure out how to address. Finally we have labor

costs and it's is not just the cost of the labor, but it is our inability to retain employees. And, you know, they eat. It's I don't think this is anecdotal by saying this. We we we are seeing tremendous turnover in the in the organization. I would say that we we currently are not competing well in the labor market. And as a result, we're losing well trained employees must go through the cost of retaining and in some cases certifying those new employees to come in which add to the cost of those of those positions. And then unfortunately we can go through that process and over a short period lose that Nguyen, a employee to another agency. It's just what we're seeing out there. The labor environment has changed. And it's something that we need to be able to adapt to. I think a prime example of this and one I hear often because I speak with Director Burke a lot. But in the last calendar year we had a a 23% turnover water, which is up considerably from the year before where the turnover percentage was in single digits and a lot of those most of those were 3 resignations. What I'm showing you here is a 5 year trend looking back of our general fund expenditures and revenues. And so what I'm trying to do is illustrate for you. What you know what our

budget to actual is? So in this, the adopted the blue field in the background is our adopted revenue and transfers in on the on the revenue side and on the expenditure side, its are adopted to expenditures and transfers out and then the bars represent what our actual expenditures and transfers out or or or revenues and transfers in are. And if we look at at the revenue slide, you can see that right around. 21. 22, that is when we started changing our methodology on estimating and and as such when you get into 20 to 23, you see that that we're much closer in line with our actual revenues at the end of the year. One of the things that that I will say that is a is a slight concern for us. But it's something to focus on. Sales tax is our largest revenue source that we have in the general fund back in it. You know, in in we. We we overestimated revenue for there slightly in a 20 to 23. My guess is from where everything is looking, we're going to MISS Our revenue in that category. Again for this current year that said, we tend to make that up in other areas, right? So that stats, the benefit of having a number of of general fund revenue sources to come in. But that is our largest share of revenue. And when we start a missing are estimates. It just means that our our margin of air strikes. On the

expenditure side. You can see that. That we are getting closer. 2 hitting our budget right on in 20 to 23 we came in our r r adopted was just over our actual expenditures. Which is great. It's always good to to be able to meet our marks. But again, in and looking at margins of air, it's going it is shrinking. Incredibly. And as you know for for this year, we are currently tracking to be on budget with both our revenues and expenditures. So usually it especially on expenditures. We would have a little bit of salary savings would be under our our our budget tracking for that in the general fund for the midway part of the year. We were at 50% and salaries and That trend continues through. We will hit our our expenditure budget straight on. And we're tracking the had our our revenue estimates straight on which is great, except for. We pass this budget into deficit. So what I'm really saying to you is we are on track to in the year in it in a deficit. Yeah. At a 3.3 million dollar deficit. I'm sure that will be made up either through some spend appropriations or maybe some extra revenue that as we get into the next slide, you'll start to see how that compounding of of a structural deficit makes that year and more nerve wracking for somebody in my shoes. Next

slide. So this is a this shows our general fund reserves over the last 5 years. The blue area in the back or are total General Fund reserves. The Orange Bar represents our unassigned reserves and the Gray bar represents the fiscal stability reserves that put into place in a 2021. And we did that through the use of pg any settlement funds. The total amount that we started with was 40 million dollars. Our out is about 24 million and I can go into what we've spent out on just for for note the so whenever we we budget for a project and until we spend it, those those funds are in our in our reserves. Basically. So what you're seeing there is largely made up of project expenditures, some encumber and says things like that and you'll know that and we were we were around the 80 some odd million dollar range in till we got to 2021. That's what we see the key to any settlement funds. That was 95 million dollars to see and around a million dollar jump in our reserves. There. That's just simply from unspent. Project dollars. It. It illustrates that actually pretty well. You also see that where we've had in the past some you know, larger turn back due to covid when we had a lot of vacancies and very conservative revenue estimates

which resulted in large amounts of surplus coming in. You can actually see the spike in our Unassigned General Fund reserves in the Orange Bar. So basically anything we don't spend that isn't already a accounted for in a project or a contractor and something like that is goes into that that orange bar. So you see it growing currently as of the end of fiscal year. 23 are unassigned reserves mounts were or is about 60 million dollars. Which represents 32% of operating expenditures, which is 28 million dollars over the council policy of a 17% reserve amount. So we are currently well reserved. And again, why we will be coming back. And in MARCH 2. To requests appropriations for some critical one-time projects to spend some of those reserve amounts, not all of them not down to our to our out, but some of them to be able to meet those critical needs and still have sufficient reserves. Should there be any emergency that comes up because that is really what our unassigned reserves are for. Therefore. Disasters or emergencies and we expanded to be those critical projects. The intent of the gray bar, the fiscal stability Reserves. The

council put 40 million dollars aside to the first thing that we did was we created Section One, 15 Pinterest, Inc and Stabilization Trust that that becomes our hedge against higher El Coss our strategy and that to try to preserve. Our principal as much as possible. Use a growth in that fund and interest off of that to be able to offset all cars are unfunded liability costs from purrs and and to the greatest extent possible to lessen the impact on general fund operations we talk about best practices. This is one of the best practices that the council has has put forward in a long time because it is a a very future looking proactive a way to address something that we absolutely know is happening. We also use some of those funds to bring a fire apparatus is Whatever day, the plural of apparatuses cues me for After at I guess too, into equipment and replacement fund. The reason why we did that is too better illustrate and in for transparency really what it costs to run a fire department operation. Those vehicles are part of that operation in the past. We would come on one off items to

the council to pull money out of reserves. Now we have it as part of our budgeting moving forward. The other thing that in the remainder of the reserves are there because we knew we were going into deficit territory. We knew that we had certain programs that we're going to come back into the general fund around that time where we created those covid started we were able to take funding like Arpa the American Rescue Plan Act. We took funding from there. We were able to pay for our homeless programs and the homeless it with those fines and take some relief off the general fund. But that was a very short lived process. We knew that that was going to come back in our fiscal stability reserves were designed to provide us that ability to take a planned approach to bring our our General fund budget back into stability to have long seen sustained. Long-term sustained stability for the general fund instead of what we've done in the past, which is reactionary across the board cuts. So we use we will use those great those dollars. And like I there's about 24 million remaining in there. Those will be used to assist us bridging that as we make the critical decisions that we need to in order to bring stability in next slide. So this is our long-range forecast. I'll actually be very short on this because we've we've seen this before. That adoption at the budget study Sessions. This is

I can't stress this enough. This is a very preliminary, a taped on this for this It's our very initial revenue estimates going forward and our expenditures, our budget screens have just opened. We haven't seen what what the budget development will be. I will say that. We said guidelines out that departments are to have a flat budget absorbing all costs within their budget. That means internal service fund costs and all of that, which is going to be a very difficult task for budgets are for departments. We understand that going going into it. But and that's where we need to to start before we can started dressing our our deficit, as you can see in other ways. And this is actually pretty close to what presented back in APRIL and MAY of last year. I believe in. 24 25 last year we were projecting a 6 million dollar deficit. So at 5 to we're we're we're we're pretty close. And like I said, we haven't close the books on our budget development yet. So we'll see where that that goes. But this gives you a good sense of where we're headed again. This, you know, I mentioned sales tax is being something we're looking at are actually holding that flat for 24. 25 allowing the revenues to finally catch up to us. The amount that we have in there

is probably you know, we like I said, we will hopefully hit in. 24 25. But we're keeping that flat. We are growing other areas, property tax. We're growing at about 4% other areas we have are growing in around tuition percent range we are working with planning and economic development, too, have a better >> sense of their revenues moving forward. This we weave in the past been something a place where we've traditionally underestimated our revenues. This will actually get hopefully more in line. And then our We do not include cola increases in that. So no labor costs. If there is a, if we were under contract and there was a contract will call we would put that in. There were currently out of contract are or will be out of contract at JUNE. 30th. We don't have a new contract in place we do is assume a cola in this chart. I believe our salaries grow at a one percent rate and that's just to account for merit increases and things like that. You start to see an increase in our transfers out that those 2 are homeless programs. That is assuming in. 25 26 when arpa funding will run out. We're not assuming any of the other programs funded arpa to go back into they are going to the general fund. That is obviously a council discretion on. Should we do that or not? But things like safe parking or in

response. Those things are currently not in our general fund budget. So let's move on to the next one. So where do we go from here? This is a I think first and foremost, we we need to look at the general fund differently what we've done in the past it, you know, in situations where we are adding budget. For whatever especially an ongoing program. We need to identify the cost offsets to either make the edition costs Newt role or a potentially revenue positive. We need do proper scoping of our projects to be able to plan a little bit better. And that includes our programs, especially as we look at pilot programs that MAY end up coming into the general fund some point, very successful programs. We want to keep those, but we need to have a way of paying for him. And that's what we're what we're struggling with right now. We are going to need to start looking on course services. That's that's you know, we we've >> gone through that exercise in the past a few years in my tenure >> but but were were at that point. Now where we need to focus on what we >> need to do have to do rather than what like to do. We need simply enough. We need to add more revenue. I don't see any way of getting out of

our current situation without not only adding revenue and and probably cutting costs as well. I think from a way of using ours, fiscal stability reserves as >> as a bit of a safety net below will allow us the opportunity to a commit ourselves to adding revenue to the general fund, but also through our core service review eliminating some of the things that we just simply can't afford to do and get us to an area. We where we are a fiscally sustainable. >> And in that goes into reprioritize our our program, funding and again, looking at things like return on investment 8, it Kiwanis liable either. If if if. If by doing in action will lead to additional revenue coming in or other efficiencies. >> We need to be able to show that in see that in a budget in the very short near-term within, like, say, current year, the next year, the year after that as opposed to something that MAY come out in 5 or 6 years or longer than that, we simply are outside of the luxury of being able to invest in things without having a meaningful return on that investment. In the very short term. So how do we get kind of talked about this a

little bit. I've gone over the re year reserves by strategic use of the reserves in bridging our funding gap with fiscal stability reserves. And then when they run out or general fund reserve, so as we again, we is our judicial use of general fund reserves to fund one-time projects. But knowing that it the end of the day, if it takes longer to stabilize our budget, we MAY need to dip into those general fund undersigned reserves. So we always need to be cognizant of that. We need to protect our existing general fund operating revenue. This is something that that we've seen some of the erosion of of that revenue that goes to specific projects within the general fund. The reality of it is general fund revenue that comes in his general fund operating revenue. It serves the whole in the minute we start carving things out for specific projects. It takes away from the hole and we already don't have enough to be able to sustain us on the long term. So we have to be able to to protect that. That pretty much all all costs and looking at the regular growth that we would have in there. That doesn't constant to a new revenue source that growth is generally not in line with the higher growth of expenditures. And what we need to do is is, is we go through budget process. We go through an analytical process through there to be able to come to you with programs that we've added that we know that either

we can sustain them or that we've made other changes within the budget in order to sustain them it's we. We need to go through that process. Adding to the deficit as we did this last this last budget adoption was probably not the way we should have gone through that. It would have been nicer if we could have gone through that vetting process to look and could we reassign officers to the downtown enforcement team. If we could have the whatever we could have done too, to either say no, there's no other way to do this. We do need to add these officers. It is going to be this costs. Here is our plan to offset that cost going forward and that we we need to get back to that part. This initial budget adoption in period budget development, period to do that analysis and and and with the guys toward becoming more sustainable going forward. And with that, that concludes my comments. And a hearty. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Mayor and council also concludes my presentation staff is here to give any additional question. Thank you. Thank you both for the presentation. And I just wanted to invite anyone would like to learn more about the city's financial succumb to our long-term financial policy in audit >> sub committee because I know that it is a lot of information. So it probably has a lot to take on right

now. But we wanted to provide you >> what the basics like a good way to put it. It's a lot more to that. Look to council to see if there questions. Vice Mayor. >> Thank you, Mayor and thank you, Alan, as always. It's a lot of information and complicated information Thank you for for distilling it. So it's a nicely if you could help clarify the near-term financial timeline for how our growing structural deficits are relating to our fiscal fiscal stability reserves over the next so that we have this pool of fiscal stability reserves that over and above the required numbers of reserves of the city. As as we work through the structural deficit. That's what is our timeline before we run out of those fiscal stability reserves. Again, the reserves over and above the requirements for the city. Sure. Vice mayor, thank you for that I I knew answer it with a. >> It depends. >> it if >> We simply Reese relied only on. The fiscal stability reserves >> the 24 Million. You kind of see the out there that that compounds. It's you're looking at probably what, 3, 3 fiscal years before you've you've read that out. Only if we use just that. What I would suggest is that we get into a

point where we are adding revenue making reductions in other and using it the ability to stretch either those processes out and what that ends up doing is at that get you more into kind of the 5 year timeframe, depending on what you're able to do and how ongoing the reductions are and how much additional revenue you're able to put in. You're still going to use some of those reserves. But you could you could put off using them for a number of years and then be able to again address other things that come up right. And again, that's just looking at it from a from base standpoint. I'm I'm I'm not factoring in labor from a new I I wouldn't want to speculate there with that is so just looking from Abe standpoint, that's that's where you're at. I would go on a multi faceted approach to sustainability which is using those reserves judicially 2 plug little gaps as you can and try to trying to squeeze out as long as you can for a number of years. >> Thank you. And understanding your painting, actually something of optimistic picture, correct? I heard you We have we have labor negotiations negotiations under way and we're not going expect we can assume that Labor Cross are going to increase over the coming years. Plus, we have these for these programs have been funded with one-time funds like the safe parking program like being response program and actually several others. City's want is likely

going to want to the and council are likely want to continue to fund. So that's going into those reserves as well. Is that correct? >> That is correct. I I I think folks usually don't. Look at me and say optimistic. I I guess what I'm trying to do is present the facts. As I and and and give you the facts. As you know, it but I would look at that and say, okay, well, just with the facts that that Allen's telling me I've got a deficit. And so it doesn't matter if you know, if the labor costs increase or cost. You you know, 2% 20%, you're going increase at deficit. And if you're going to add in response and safe parking into the general Fund new cars hitting the general fund. That's going to increase it that much more so I can present you with just the facts as I know it. And here's what you have. And you've got a problem just with that. So I look at that is not optimistic, but I'm glad you think it's optimistic that makes me feel good. So that's that's that that's want to remember. There you want my final. My final question is. >> Am I thinking about the way I've been thinking about this is that we've really got about 2 years, a two-year runway. We're thankful because of the financial wisdom, a previous council's. We have it. We have this runway. We can get our we can plan. We we can plan wisely for the financial future. 2 or 3 years. All of us, if we do not take advantage of that runway, all of a sudden we're making decisions that understands that are much more

uncomfortable. Is that an accurate way to think about Yes, yeah. I mean, short answer. Yeah. That's that's where you're headed. >> a part of my work plan is to look at revenue measures and I am planning to bring some forward for the NOVEMBER ballot so if those are successful, that's going extend >> our our problem, it's going to help our problem and extend. >> the cliff, we're hurtling toward. >> I'm a there there's no one way to solve this problem. >> there any additional? Council member for MacDonald? Thank you, Mayor. >> Thank you for the presentation for both of you. I appreciate it. And I appreciate the sort of that we're going to be able to people sitting in the transparent peas of once we set the goals and objectives and actually have our work plan in place. But the actual communities going to be able to see what we're doing sort of on a day-to-day What we're accomplishing. And I think that's that's critical for goals around open government and transparency also so that they're aware of what we're working on. So appreciate that part of the presentation today. Allen have a couple questions for you as far as our deficit goes. And I know at the end of last year we were able to turn back some funds. Can you remind me how much that was?

>> Want to say it was about 6 Million. So about 6 Million. And what we did this year is we actually took money from our I'm assigned and just our unassigned. >> Deficit. What is it and is signed reserves me. The 60 million dollars that we have right now. At the end of this year, we're flat or we have turned back again, do we have a process that allows us to put the money back and that assigned or does that go for one-time projects every single time. And they have a question after that. >> So the way it works is that if we have. Unspent appropriations or revenue. >> In a a. >> Over our assessment. It goes back into the unassigned Fund balance stats. Why it kept growing, right? We had a couple year a couple years ago. We had significant came back after at year. I forget the exact dollar amounts, but they were in the tens of millions of dollars. All of that went in and is part of that 60 million dollars that you have now. So yes, if their unspent dollars beyond the deficit that we budgeted or that we adopted. If we end up with unspent dollars, the comeback, they go into the undersigned reserves. It does not mean that every year we would then take that and use for one-time projects. We we do this every now and then it's because through our normal budget process, we simply don't have the resources to fund these

projects at that time. So we make a strategic choice to wait until that term. That comes in. We go through an analysis process at the staff level to then be able to come to you and say we can address say a x million dollars worth of hvac repairs that are we haven't done in years. We need to do it serves a number of purposes and and here's a funding source to be able to do The result of of these of spending these one-time dollars. We'll drop your reserves down to amount. But it's still in a comfortable level. So that's the analysis you'll get in MARCH and that's how we would do it. But we do not do that. I don't believe we did it the prior year we're doing it this year. I can't guarantee that we would do it next year. Thank you for that clarification. >> And then do we have any growth on unassigned reserves? Do we have about what it is? A percentage of the growth on this? >> I I don't have a growth amount. It really depends on what the of of what our turn back is at the end of each year, which varies from year to year. So there's not. >> a reliable growth pattern to that. In fact, what I would see is on some of those lies that you saw. Where are our trends are now? Where are expenditures are meeting our our our adopted budget, right? We're trending 2 to be closer and like right on budget for that. Same with with revenues.

Obviously, we do our job and get you the most amount of resources in the front during the budget process, which is our whole change in methodology is to be able to provide more resources to departments in the community. What that means is that at the end of of the year, again, if we do right, there's less money that will be turned back. So going forward, I would say that that the way that things appear to be looking is that you're going to see less and less turn back him potentially no turn back because we'll be in a deficit. >> Maybe need to ask it a different way. Is the reserve money invested in any way to have growth or is it sort saving is a cow now we're just says flat. >> All city funds are invested so when they're if they haven't been spent, they are they are. And in our investment portfolio, which is 600 plus million dollars in. And they're they're they're earning the amount of interest that the government can get from it, which is it's conservative and that's it. We're bound California law to be conservative. And that's a very good thing because that's public funds and you want you don't want to lose those. So it grows a small amount. Our section one, 15 is different. We can grow that at a higher now because it's it doesn't exists with the same rules as our normal investment portfolio. So yes, there is growth interest investment growth. That does happen from

our reserves over time. >> Just looking at those projections on the out years to see what we're at. And I'm sure that's been estimated by you and your team, but just wanted to kind of make that clear for everybody in the community as well. >> Right? Yeah. I we. We don't. I'll just frank. We don't count on future investment income as part of of It's just I don't know what my own personal. I hope it's going to have a certain rate of return, but I don't know what it's going to have. So I can count on that rate of return that goes in any any amount >> that that comes from those investments is just that's just the icing on the cake, if you will. >> I preached that. I appreciate that. And as I've said before, hope it's not a strategy. So appreciate you being conservative on those numbers. So the last question have for you is when we look at our deferred maintenance budget and what we need to actually do to make sure that we're addressing the needs of our infrastructure. And what we want to invest in. And we look at the growth perhaps in Iran assigned reserves money. Is there nexus that you've done on? We're losing this much money by not doing these projects and this year because it's going to cost us triple if we do it in 5 years to see that MAY be worth it to actually look at expanding some of that one time reserve. Many that we have a 60 million dollars. >> So, yes, those those now Cesar are done. >> a lot usually our our

public works >> Department does a lot of out for road maintenance for facility, maintenance and yes, the cost of differing maintenance will compound that cost going forward. Something that MAY be cost 10 million dollars 2 address. You know, a couple years ago MAY cost 15 million dollars if we if we put it off a few more years it simply comes down to what we can afford to do that any given time. Know that there are >> its bases, something that always comes to mind >> but there are other needs with it for all of our city facilities. >> The more we push those off, yes, the cost is going to be higher. Not just because >> the the the maintenance that's required is going to be more. >> But also the cost of the supplies and everything goes into that is increasing along with it. Those are things that, again, we chip away the best we can. But we're in a spot right now that we're we're. We're under water in our ability to deal with that. Thank you. That's helpful, especially as we go into goal setting to see if there's something that we needed to prioritize. Not only for the increase calls, if we're looking at the future or if there's something that's a critical need for the community. So I appreciate all the feedback. And again, both presentations. >> cfo, I did have follow-up question from council member MacDonald. So the 6 million

dollar turned that is the correct terminology right >> 3.3 million will be replaced into that fund or it will go into that a sign fund balance because those are >> different. >> So we have a couple of different options with that. And we've talked about this in the in the Finance subcommittee. I think it would be a good practice for us, too. If we if we use fiscal stability reserves, which is what we used to plug that gap, if we do have turn back at the end of the year that that would then go back into that reserve amount. >> That it simply it's all going into the same place. But what we're doing is we assign funds and I'm trying not to get into the sausage-making air. But but the the difference between the unassigned reserves in your fiscal stability, ones is that the only way that we can use the fiscal, the fiscal stability reserves is with council approval, right? I mean, we need to use council approval for a for all appropriations. But those are specific and we need to be able to say to you, this means >> the the goal of of those reserves, right? This addresses >> our our budget deficit in this way. This does this and we have to present that to you. You agree with that. And then weekend we can use those reserves so that I think that it would just be we would go and the sign should we have 3.3 million dollars at the end of this fiscal year. Then we go and take those 3, 3, >> And and and fill that gap

back in. Perfect. I just wanted that clarification. >> Are there any additional comments or questions from councilmember a >> Yeah. Thank you both so much for your All my financial questions have already been asked and answered already. I'm Jacob out. I was hoping you could I know it was 45 minutes ago. So I just need little bit of a refresher. I really appreciate you breaking goals, objectives, strategies, giving examples. And then the delineation responsibilities between council exact staff and staff mentioned that is a part of the council city manager form of Government. I in that? Charter cities are more explicit in delineation. Zach, Correct. Councilmember, you're correct that the charter could add additional definitions and parameters into those relationships. >> a conclusion or perfect. >> All right. So seeing no questions or comments from council members. I will now handed over to City clerk. >> To go ahead and facilitate public comment. Thank you. We are now taking public comment on items. 2.1 4.1 public comment will be limited to the items listed on the special meeting agenda. As I call names from the speaker cards provided please step to the podium. You'll have 3 minutes and a countdown timer will alert at the end of that period. As you begin your comment, please state your name for public record if you choose to do so. The first public comment. Will be from

Tom followed by Gregory. >> Mayor and council city manager Smith. City staff. My comments are going to be like me shortened to the point. First, mayor stab by want to vice mayor stabbed. I got ahead of myself there. I want to thank you for meeting with me. In DECEMBER. We had a good conversation about our senior parks and I thank you. You'll hear others speak after me at some point. And they're going to tell you about issues we face in our senior parks. They'll be factual and the truth. You Margaret, to from legal aid. Speak The submittal she made to the council will assist staff to produce what we're asking for. I want to thank the council and the staff for what you have done. To help us. And the last 24 months. We are asking you now. To finish the job. We just want 2 things. Number one. Please create. A zoning overlay 2 per trip protect senior parks. Number 2. Please lower the in place transfer fee from 10%. To 5%. The county and city ordinances with then match. At 70% of the cpi. With a 4% cap. And a 5% in place transfer fee. 10% is too high and you'll hear why. Santa Rosa must continue to lead the way for affordable housing. You always hear me say by doing the right thing.

And he's smiling. To me. That means Santa Rosa. Leading the North Bay as the gentleman said before. The council has always done that before. You would have done the right thing. I trust you will again. Please keep our homes affordable. We're asking you to act. Thank you. And I know you'll >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Gregory, followed by Roger than Dwyane. Good morning. >> My name is Gregory Fair. And I'm pleased to be following time in a your new chair of the Housing authority because my subject also is housing. Allen told you that cheating all of your goals will take reaching into reserves. Or receiving new funds. I'm here today to urge you to prepare for a new and uncertain revenue source. In NOVEMBER. Bay Area voters will decide. If 121 million to 242 million dollars worth of housing subsidy. We'll come to Santa Rosa for permanent supportive housing and extremely low income housing. Currently your housing department. And the community is nonprofit and profit. Housing developers are beginning to ask themselves. What would we do with that money? And expenditure plan is being developed by the county for its portion. A huge amount. And yours. I urge you to direct your staff to prepare Santa Rosa. To rapidly utilize those funds plan now to accelerate our ability to draw down those funds and

build housing in 2025. Quickly. Hope MAY not be a strategy, but advanced planning for effective implementation is a good investment. >> I encourage us to use both podiums. So as city clerk tells the names if one person is speaking here, if the next person can go to the next podium so that we can keep moving. Thank you. Director. Thank you. The next speaker will be Roger, followed by Dwayne then, Chris, do I have more than a minute? 18 seconds. You do get recent momentarily. >> It's going start and good morning where Rodgers members of the council. >> Roger McConnell with the Rosa manufactured homeowners association. I've been coming here for 18 years to speak to you. People. 5 years ago we went live for one of your goals, over at Fleming. We asked 2 things. Reduced debate about of the Bay Area, cpi and to stop taken out the money that helps control the rent control. We've got part of We got mixed up and some other stuff and asked for those 2 things. In NOVEMBER of 22, were here. You f-king are finally going to Talk about our rent control it really upset parliament way through there. Chris Rogers at that time But the profit margin was for these park. They had no clue. This is what we're here for. This is what we were My little park as 177 units and today's grand. That's a 1 million 700 thousand plus

growth. You would be really, really hard pressed. To come up with $11575,000 for expenses? The park has been paid for many, many, many years. They want to park in 1978. They get Prop 13 taxes. This is the proposition. And then only this last year as he had to go out and hire a firm to actually take care of the day today. This company owns 3 other communities. It's 4 partners staying at a live with partnership. This is the profit they were talking about. And We like you to take a look at this again, please. Getting longer and longer. In place transfer Stop taking the money out. Even owners would love stop paying into that. And lest let's take care of overlay. This saying it's going on down the pedal and with the q thank in the paper history on that, Eleanor, that park down there a few years back. Should the city of Petaluma 6 years in a row trying to break it? That's the kind of money he had to throw at Let's get it done this year. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be 2 Wayne followed by Chris Joanne. Coming right up. >> My name is Dwayne Do from Roseland a member of the Sonoma County housing advocacy group. Please put off using the reserves. Take a hard-headed fiscal oversight approach to what's going to occur in the future. 2 weeks ago, there was an economic forum Sonoma State and they pointed out that they expect growth to keep it mean. Don't

know that for certain. But one thing we do know is that 25 years ago report from the University of California is Institute of Urban and Regional Development pointed out that the economic theory that the private market will ultimately provide housing for everyone through a trickle down process. Lower-income households moved to better homes vacated by higher income households was actually falls. That's not been occurring. And for 25 years renters have definitely been having more problems. So I bring this up because we definitely have some difficulties. I want to make sure that you seek other people's money at the federal and state levels to get affordable rental residential housing for people who are extremely low income, low income for a single person in Sonoma County. Now by your own figures is $70,000. A person. So 50% of that is $35,000. A person. And that's what many senior citizens are trying to live up on. I do hope that you look into possibilities. Of getting more income from the use of your facilities and at the same time, I realize that we have some needs over 20 years ago. Rosen Creek concept plan was put together by the city after $100,000 study was prepared and nothing has gone forward on that yet. Basically land was bought by county taxpayers. 2 provide some sort of a natural preserve area. We rose one call Roselyn neighbor would. We hope that there would be? A bike way in Greenway along the south side

of the creek between Burbank Avenue and in Avenue by now, because those taxpayers monies purchased properties over 12 years ago. The dilemma that we always faces that there's going to be cost concerns. We understand that. One of the things that we don't think is possible, though, as you can reach out to the federal government. 2 different grant programs and get the funding that's necessary to do the things that were already talked about to help Roseland Rosalie streets are supposed to be prepared with funding coming from Sonoma County. That hasn't been working well and that money will be gone for short years. Please help us where you can. >> Thank you. The next public comment will be from. She's Chris followed by Joanne than Callum. >> Mayor Rogers Council first, I want to thank you for all of your work on behalf of our city. I know it's not easy and you've got some challenging decisions to make. I'm likable member and a senior citizen. I've been in Santa Rosa for 35 years. In that time. Not a lot has happened. And with bike infrastructure. But in the last couple of years, a couple of projects are in the works. We have complete protected bike lanes on Armory, Drive. Have Hearne Avenue bike lanes coming up. Santa Rosa Avenue Road Diet near Juilliard Park and a bike and pedestrian overpass in the works. And that is really fantastic. But we don't have is connectivity between those projects. I can't imagine someone would build a road and then just stopping in the middle of a field or in middle of and drivable area. And that's pretty much what the bike infrastructure here is like right now, although it is

getting much better. I want to clear up one misconception about biking. That's a hobby. I rode my bike here. I ride to the store meetings and social events. My bike is a viable means of transportation as environmentally friendly. My friends call me a fearless writer, but I actually ride despite the fear and that's unfortunate on my way here this morning, I I rode my bike through a school zone and I didn't see more than one or 2 children walking to school. It was just car after car dropping off their children. And the reason for that is because it's not likable. There is no safe way for those children to get to school and they don't have the option of driving. So it can just our neighborhood because pollution and it's unsafe. I think seniors and children to be able to ride their bikes I noticed your number 3 goal is to ensure a healthy, safe community for all. And I commend you on that. What we need to do to make that happen is to connect the current bike infrastructure. We have. So that is usable by people who don't drive and by connected and protected bikeways. I mean, bike ways that are separated by some kind of physical barrier, either bollards, cement or what have you so that we are actually writing separate from the cars. Thank you very much for all the work you've done again. And I appreciate. Organs community. Thank you. Thank you. The next public comment will be from Joanne followed by Callum than

Melissa. >> Now, so. >> My name is Joanne Jones, with the Santa Rosa manufactured homeowners Association. I want to thank you for inviting us to the goal setting meeting. I now have a better sense what you guys what you what you have to accomplish. A few weeks ago, I received a call from a Santa Rosa Mobile home resident who wishes remain anonymous to avoid repercussions, telling me that the mobile home park that they live in was sold to a large corporation outside of Santa Rosa knows no notice was given prior to the sale. A few months ago they received a letter with a 26 page contract to be signed by the end of MARCH. Listed in the new contract was a to do list which included having the resident paint homes, remove satellite dishes from their rooms, remove trees planted by previous owners and repair or repay their driveways. Now, the mobile home residency law states that park management shall be solely responsible for trees in the common areas of the mobile home park. With regard to trimming pruning or removal of the tree and the cost. Also, park management shall be solely responsible for the maintenance repair replacement, paving ceiling and expenses for the maintenance of all driveways installed by park management. These are only a few examples, but the list goes on with huge rent increases and the changing of senior parks to always parks. No, I'm asking the council to help tay in our homes by designating

senior parks with zoning Overlays so that they can remain senior parks. What was once an affordable place to live is now making money out of our out making months. He's been making money for out of town. Investors. Corporate landlords are buying up mobile home parks and forcing residents out within reasonable or lawful demands. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. The next speakers Callum followed by Melissa than Bill. >> Good morning. Mayor Rogers Council members and staff name is counting said I'm the policy director generation housing. I'm at this point you're familiar with our north, the acts and north, the next action steps Initiative where we are asking zoning reforms report is the design review process to parking policies and just want give a quick note of appreciation. Gave for his attention to these issues and really look forward to working together throughout the year towards these housing goals, focusing on our our impact fee, relieve action set this Dollar impact the Affordable incentivizing program, rf Reddit, dropping steep financial barriers that in the context of the overarching economic. Climbing are making many housing projects and peaceful and certainly discouraging applications. So as you consider the $0 impact the program, we asked bring your attention the following, that the $0 Impact fee program states that know Nova's our peas, no risk of grants. Developers that end up news. Then that your own economic study. That a program like this can attract developers

right now, gravity to the more urban areas in the bay, especially, you know, especially important that area has about passes that housing is a net gain to the city coffers. In addition to its serving as an economic engine to the community. That impact fees do not have a direct general fund impact. It's an investment potential future revenue. Not a cut from your current budget. And that the economic climate threatens to halt any new housing. So we get have 0 revenue and 0 housing or 0 revenue and lots of new housing. That's what we really look forward to the opportunity for further discussion. The topic of impact fees at the MARCH. 26 meeting and with no small amount of action and adoption of our peoples APRIL 16th meeting certainly daunting challenges require bold solutions. We know you're up to it. We look forward to supporting you and following you on the shared path and really look forward realizing Byron stable future for all of us. So with that, thank you so Always appreciate your leadership in willingness to show up, though, a wonderful day. Thank you. The next speaker will be Melissa followed by building Ananda. >> Good morning, Mayor Natalie Rogers and council members. My name is Melissa Stewart and I'm here today to thank you for your efforts to curb violence in our city through the Violence Protection Prevention program. I'd like to ask for them to continue their impactful work that they are doing in our community. It's obvious to me that this council values safety in Santa Rosa. Our Santa Rosa City schools are facing a major issue with safety. That is why I'm asking for the city to find a safety resource officer program for the Santa Rosa

City School district. I'm sure you would agree that all students deserve to feel safe at school. Maria Korea student entered the Montgomery campus mask and allegedly with a knife. Gratefully crisis was a very good. But what happens next? These incidents are not uncommon and can no longer be ignored. I believe our tax dollars need to be allocated for school safety because it is a community issue. These occurrences do not happen in a vacuum. They are a reflection of our very own community and they require community solutions. Please make safety a high priority in the budget. Thank you. The next speaker will be bill followed by Ananda than Steve. >> Thank you. My name is Bill actually had 2 topics to talk about today. One was the poor condition of the land to city, the parkways, the medians, the street to street trees. But I know you're fully aware of that. And I think you're taking care of that. So I'm going to move on to the second topic, which is the fact 20 years ago in Santa Rosa, the City council's produced a downtown Jim. He's been over 20 million dollars we store Santa Rosa crease the downtown through something called the Prince Memorial Greenway. Prior to that, Santa Rosa Creek was little more than a concrete ditch. I'm running through downtime. 20 million dollars was spent and a beautiful project was developed, however, over time, budget cuts, social problems, security bad press and pandemic created a situation where the city staff assigned to that couldn't keep And the Greenway deteriorated to the

point where it was regarded by many people in the city as a dangerous place to go. You have as many people about the never go there because it's so dangerous and scary. Well, that's not true at this point. But we'd like to do more get things so a new group has developed called the friends of the Prince more. Greenway. And our goal is to help the city maintain and establish new activities in the green way to get more eyes on the Greenway. We're live from the Greenway. Right now include by groups, Santa Rosa, All Railroad Square for Saturday group, Russian River Care Keepers than others. And we're working hard so we would like to request that the City council formally adopt the friends of Prince. More Greenway is a city activity. And as will the city departments to accelerate help in making it a better place to be unlike use example of 30 years ago, we had another gem in the city that was a disaster. There was a Saint Rose Rule cemetery. And at that point, a group organized and has been in operation now for 30 years. And during that time period, they've got a small stipend from the city each year. That's $5,000. Some help from parks and trees do do some major work. But the bulk of the work has been done volunteers. I think something similar to that would be possible with the Friends of Prince Monday morning. A greenway if the city takes us on is legitimate activity. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. I did want to make a brief reminder if you provided written public comments by the deadline on

the agenda yesterday at noon. That is considered public comment and there's no need to provide again. It was made available to the council as well as the members of the public yesterday. Early in the afternoon. The next public comment will be from Ananda followed by Steven Chris. >> Good morning. Mayor Rogers Council members and city staff items and honestly the vp of public policy and workforce development for the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce. We did submit a letter with a request for your attention, the 6 key areas and specific request within each. Just summarize that we focus on these priority areas as those that maximize opportunity to support a healthy economy and a thriving community for all those areas are economic development and business support including policies and investments to grow up business recruitment, retention and entrepreneur and infrastructure investment through tools like an f-ing hands, infrastructure financing districts, housing incentives, and opportunities to create more housing of diverse types, that all market levels and emergency waiver of impact fees for affordable and workforce housing to the crisis level of housing shortages and ongoing housing policies to improve time certainty in cost of housing development. On homelessness. We support policies, partnerships and funding to increase our stock of housing for low and extremely low income individuals and families and interim and long-term shelter solutions and partnerships to support health and other wraparound services minimizing the risk of fires through preparedness and mitigation as an ongoing effort and continued investment in local fire

service capabilities for downtown Santa Rosa support. Our small downtown businesses is critical to economic growth and vibrancy and funding and resources for events and cultural opportunities. Unification, lighting and wayfinding are essential to capture the return of the investment that we've made in courthouse square. Funding to to continue to address public safety and support for the addition of missing components such as grocery options Convention performing Arts and meeting and event. Space are also critical. And the 6 policy area of support is early child care and education as essential infrastructure and critical. The Santa Rosa's workforce today and a crucial investment in Santa Rosa's feature. This important sector is made up of local small business owners on which every other industry depends to support its work force and city policy to help the sector thrive makes a meaningful difference. Well, the first area of focus we shared his traditional economic development, all 6 areas are very much interest, interconnected and instrumental to the success of a traditional economic development plan. Thank you for your time process. And the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber stands ready to work with you to achieve these efforts. Thank you. Thank you. The next public comment will be from Steve followed by Kristen Ryan. >> Good morning. Mayor Rogers Councilmember Steve Rabinowitz Santa Rosa resident. The council today has an opportunity to support 2 key Greenway projects. The principal Mario Greenway and the Southeast Greenway. Both our keys to protect and restore our environment to provide needed the vestry and

paths and bike paths to help deal with climate change and to make our community more attractive to residents and visitors. Both have strong volunteer groups and are willing to work with the city to achieve these goals. The prints Memorial Greenway is Bill Montgomery mentioned was built many years ago and needs more care and maintenance and more events to make it more vital. It needs improvements really cannot wait. If you walk on the greenway, you will realize that there are many areas that need improvement. But we still have time to do that. Businesses in the local area are very concerned about this as well. Residents in the neighborhoods are concerned about it. It needs our attention. It's clearly not. And if an asset in the city's efforts to increase residential development and commercial development downtown and railroad square, it detracts from that goal, but we can turn that around and make it more a place that people want to go. It's not helping our effort on climate change because we don't really people using extensive bike place as much as they might which go Sebastopol in Forest Hill and which will connect to the Southeast Greenway and beyond. Group Friends of principal, Mario Greenways, very active and I hope it will the improvements will occur because the what the city does now will it will be an investment for the future. The Southeast Greenway is owned by this will be owned by the city in the next coming months. And it's a wonderful opportunity. As you know, it's been in existence for many years this group, the Southeast Greenway campaign. It will be, of course, a necessary to provide for the property. But we also want to assist in this volunteer effort to provide

funding for grants that will help the parks master plan development, which is the next major step. Again, the volunteer efforts in this will also help the efforts of the city. Once that master plan is the development of the Greenway and the construction mandible be funded by grants just as the Prince Memorial Greenway was probably 90% of the money or more came from state and from federal grants as well as county funds for the Open Space District. So I ask you to please make it a goal to maintain support and plan our greenways in partnership with community volunteer efforts. It is an investment future and we'll all be proud. Efforts. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next public comment will be from Chris followed by Ryan. Danny Van. >> Morning near Rogers Council staff and members of the public. My name is Chris Gunther and I'm here to represent Michael Santa Rosa. As you mostly we're a grassroots campaign focused on making a little stress bicycle network, a key part of the transportation system in the city. That is linked to a larger vision for a safer denser, more affordable, more sustainable and more vibrant city. This month actually marks the anniversary two-year anniversary of our campaign. In that time. You've heard from us a including, you know, through a wave of written and spoken at the public hearing last month. And thankfully, you've been really responsive and really receptive to her message. And we appreciate that. As a result of all of this, we actually have a number of in place in motion

and working in our favor. We have an engaged public. We have excellent staff members. We've got an ambitious plan from city thread and that process that we went through last year. We have soon to be updated. General plan and active transportation plan. We have compelling research and best practice examples from across the country and around the world. And we as others have noted, increasing prioritization of topics like this through state and federal sources of funding. So the table is really cent, but we need resources, funding staff time strategic focus to follow through on that potential. Are specific. Ask is to increase the share of transportation funding, dedicated bicycle infrastructure to a minimum of 15% on an ongoing basis. Potentially even higher in the short term. This is needed to develop plans for what the complete low-stress bike network will look like and how to maximize its impact on other city priorities to unlock titian additional grant funding through matching funds and through the staff time needed to pursue and administer grants to accelerate implementation of both existing and new plans for infrastructure projects, managing those projects, making sure they stay on track, making sure that they dovetail with other city activities mobilizing and leveraging the knowledge and skills of other city departments. A further developing is knowledge and skills through conferences and of staff with their field so that we can leverage the expertise coming from outside

the community. And finally supporting aficion in ongoing construction and maintenance using city staff and local resources as opposed to just contractors from out of state or out of the city. A fundamental point is that this needs to be a core infrastructure investment, not a nice to have. And I do appreciate that. We've heard the funds are limited. I want to be clear. I think we can reallocate funding that we're spending on transportation projects that are expensive and don't get us where we need to go and make a lot happened really quickly on Thank you so much. >> Thank you. The next public comment will be from Ryan followed by a van and then Joe t. >> I'm here today to ask for to budget for sro's for high schools in Santa Rosa. They're obviously needed Montgomery High School. And the last thing that I want to the say is that I'm sorry, you have to deal with an incompetent school board. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. The next public comment will be from the van. Then Joe t than Karen. >> Hello, my name is Yvonne Good morning to the mayor and the council. Appreciate being here. I am a member of the Saint rose of mobile Mobile Home Owners Association. And I realtor sells homes in the park. I live in. I wanted to share some of the experience I've had in the last year after the 10% in place transfer fee came into existence. >> I have had couple of homes in the last year that were quite affordable in cost to

purchase. Have gone had serveral grows fall apart because the buyers could not qualify for their loan or could not qualify for the. Residential financial requirements to live in the park. >> The increase of the 10% on 2. You know, ongoing increasing rents that have been going on for a long time. Made the debt to income ratio for some of these buyers impossible for them to qualify or that they had to come up with more money for down payment, et cetera. Because the rent costs of living in these parks is part of what is look at 4. Perspective buyers to qualify. It would throw them out of the possibility altogether. Even with buyers are coming with cash. And I've experienced a number of buyers who have cash and can purchase, but again, the income requirements, the financial requirements for those people to be able to qualify to live. There. They could not. So my experience has been that. With this wonderful, affordable housing prospect for people's is becoming less affordable because of the amount of rent that is required to live. There. So I wanted to bring that to your attention and thank you. >> Thank you. The next public comment will be from Joe t followed by Karen than Daniel. >> And good mayors, Council members, city staff. My name is Joe teaching the first of all like to say thank you for all to all the individuals, all the harder it gets to put it in to make a great place. The city as a great place to

live. And I can say that and to do a business, I can say that being a local residents and sent it was a long time and a local business owner today am here on behalf of winds not market to as a board member. I briefly spoke on this issue on the last meeting when spoke on them generation not sing, which is also important organization for our community and where cities the number one goal aligns with their mission statement. And I hope the $0 impact fee They're proposing you could be some homework to it. Back to Wednesday night market Wednesday. Market has been around. 35 it was one of the biggest market Northern California to last couple years. We have been going children shoulder used to it went all the way until the Then it e street got cut down to d and now we only on the square reason being on those is the the bigger market is a big approved. Police service were acquired higher. The or meter parking that are required. It it is important. I want to how important Wednesday night market is for our for our downtown business owners and for communities what we're looking for is is, hey, there's a couple things we could easily worked out. Is that in police service a meter parking? So we don't have to be just on the square so we could be on the streets. Even I have a certain business owner approached. Why Western art market is not on the streets anymore. Reason is the funding since covid. We've

been using our reserve funds so we're available to meet with the city staff. How some of these in kind services could be provided so we can keep this Wednesday night market has bigger market in Northern California rather than just being on square. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Karen followed by Daniel than Rebecca. >> My name is Karen Weeks. And I think you said Karen Wright, the Mets, thank you back in 2014, I was a member of the mayor's Open government task force along with the bridges who's in the audience today every year since 2014, I've been coming to the council during goal setting asking for a complete implementation of the report that was provided to the council in DECEMBER of 2014. Well, there has been some movement on it. There's still a lot to be done. And I really would hope that you would fulfill the promise that was made by the council at the time, not to just have the reports it on the shelf. And also wanted to mention that the last few meetings of the open government, a committee has been counseled and hope that that doesn't occur. In the next couple of months. So anyway, that's it. Thanks. >> Thank you. The next public comment will be from Daniel than Rebecca than Mike. >> Good morning. I want to thank you. Mayor Rogers, vice mayor and council members for your time this morning. My name is Daniel Nelson on the general manager and Santa Rosa Plaza Mall downtown Santa Rosa. First want to thank the city staff and council members for your commitment to the downtown community. The addition of the e t officers resources for Unhoused reinstatement of the Gang

Prevention Task Force and resources dedicated to combat retail theft in crime have contributed to a positive shift. And the downtown area. As you discuss your priorities for the upcoming year. I want to encourage you to consider the following initiatives. I'd like you to consider to adopt and office incentive policy to retain and expand downtown employment, focusing on parking business licenses. Permitting, signed permitting. As we focus and prioritize our economic development strategy. I would like you to conduct a thorough review of the downtown parking strategy overall. Review and assess with that input from the downtown community. The parking garages and their overall infrastructure. I would like you to consider the allocation of this city. Assistant city attorney's time to focus on the misdemeanor enforcements. But also like you to dedicate resources to address the safety issues stemming from our local transit mall and nearby service center's that impact. Not just Santa Rosa Plaza. The downtown community as a whole, including the core of downtown Railroad Square. And lastly, I would like you to consider improving the safety, an attraction of the downtown with enhanced lighting. Replacement of existing vehicle in lighting review of the 3rd Street underpass that I can partner with you. One. The Prince Memorial Greenway that I can also partnered with you one. And improve signage overall. That will allow visitors coming to the downtown area to understand when they exit the property, right when they exit the one-on-one, how to get to downtown or railroad square. Want to thank you for your

support and on behalf of Santa Rosa Plaza board, member of the downtown action organization and board member of Railroad Square. A mother in our community. 3rd generation, Sonoma County rest resident. The group was county in a small town called for I appreciate your time and continued partnership. And I look forward to working with you in the coming Thank you. Thank you. The next public comment will be from Rebecca, followed by Mike. Then Michelle. Good morning. Mayor Rogers, Vice mayor stop City manager Smith and council members. >> My name is Rebecca Sullivan. I'm born and raised in Santa Rosa. This is my home. This is my kids home. And I want to see our home thrive. Has a safe campus alliance number. I am here to ask that you pray prioritize city safety programs and school campus safety in the upcoming annual city budget. Ensuring the safety of our community members, especially our children, should be a top priority for city allocating sufficient funds to city safety programs and enhancing security measures on school campuses. We can create a safer environment for everyone. Sorry, allocating sufficient funds to initiatives will enhance the overall safety infrastructure. These programs, foster collaboration between law enforcement, city leaders and citizens ships creating a proactive approach to crime prevention and rapid response as the Santa Rosa City schools employee. It is clear that our district is not equipped to handle the uptick in violence that has been occurring in our schools. The safety program, specifically the sro program will help the district get a handle on the violence. And it will also keep our putting themselves in harm's way. We're not trained to handle that type of violence we've

been experiencing on our campuses. Our school board has heard are please yet. We are a year later with no real change and the violence continues and is a regular occurrence. Funding has been a big hurdle for any type of safety program, which is why I'm here today to ask you to please help our students and staff feel safer. We understand that the city's mission and goal is to have a thriving livable and safe community. This is imperative that our school communities where we have students, staff and families engaged now that we've seen the long range, that financial plan focusing on core services as part of that plan. Safety is a core service in should be a top priority. Having a safer community is key to attract new families and businesses to the area, bringing more revenue to our city. Thank you. Thank you. The next public comment will be from Mike Michelle and then Mike in. >> Hello, my name Mike Montague. I'm PRESIDENT And the Railroad Square Association. The Parks Department needs more funding for all parks for deferred maintenance and to help also maintain the Prince Memorial Greenway, a city park, the friends of the principal Oriole Greenway Voluntary Group cannot do it alone. The city has helped, but more needs to be done. Large trees, trimmed or removed graffiti abatement repairs of damage structures. Adding more local are to show the history of the area along with organized public activities. This is an important connection between courthouse Square, Simon Mall Railroad Square, smart rain South, a street. Julie, I park

all apart West and and Luther Burbank Gardens not to mention the center point of many bike and pedestrian pathways. The police department also needs more funding to help control the lawyering day and night to help this negative perception of this area. We need to have the city is an active partner to maintain the maintenance and upgrade the Greenway for the betterment of the downtown community. This is a cost-efficient program for connectivity. Downtown on both sides of highway 101. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Michelle followed by Mike c and then Jim. >> everyone. Council members. >> I actually have something prepared, but it decided not to say any of >> I moved to Santa Rosa about 10 years ago from a town called Boulder, Colorado. In Boulder, I used to ride my bike to get to work. Walk downtown. We had a great public transportation system. I understand different place. But the weather here is much better. And I stopped riding my bike completely because I had too many scary incidences. The bicycle lanes come to a complete stop. Super confusing. My my daughter lives about. Under a mile away from school and she can't walk to school safely. Too many scary roads to cross. I hear too many stories about kids getting hit at crosswalks. I I like the city to put money toward fixing connectors at the bike paths. It's really unfortunate that we live in such amazing weather and and people are walking around. And

you talk about why. We wouldn't have to put so much money into fixing roads if we had proper bike thefts. Seniors would be trapped. We could we could have much better place to live if we could put some money and effort into fixing the bike path issue. Adding more crosswalks. I think we can do it. Have hope. I've talked about leaving Santa Rosa. Because my my lifestyles just. Really suffered. Now. I had to join a gym. I I used to be able to exercise every day without having to try and I have to pay join Join a gym to keep in shape. Please put some cross walks in, fix this, fix the bike paths. Thank you. The next speaker will be Mike Cook followed by Jim than Margaret. >> Mike, are you in the room? I will move on to Jim Margaret in Diane. Good morning. >> When it gets jump growth, privileges morning to be able be here representing the Southeast Way campaign and to be able to speak to you as a part of your goal, setting process. Goal setting is an important process for you personally and for your service to Santa Rosa. Serving on the council is a well informed representative of the community requires a lot of time, much of your time and energy devoted to put out fires responding. The individual appeals overseeing the routine city administrative actions. This is the one time when you need to take the time to communicate with one another, regarded your individual visions for the future of the

community. My hope is that you will come to share a common vision in which Senator Rouson is that helps. But the addition of the Southeast Greenway to the amenities that make this community special. There MAY rue the remain many challenges to the final acquisition development of the 47 acres destined to become a part of Santa Rosa. Please give careful consideration to the planning of how you intend to enable the collaboration of the various departments with the many community interest groups that are just really want to contribute to the planning and development of the Greenway. I'm thinking specifically of Bikeable Santa Rosa, Sonoma County Bicycle coalition. So mobile and trust Burbank, housing, of. And importantly the Southeast Green lake, him pain. Specifically. I urge you to make the Southeast Green with a priority goal for the fiscal year. 1920, 24 2025. Please ensure there is adequate staff time mean in the planning and the recreation and parks department to enable collaboration with the Greenway, Kim Pain and are Greenway Partners. We want to actively raise funds for the master planning process in contribute to the planning development and maintenance with full choir staff. Time to helping to coordinate. We have a rare opportunity to work together and create something beautiful. I appreciate your attention. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be market followed by day, excuse me die. And then APRIL. >> I'm just looking for the recent. Okay. Thank you. Hi, everyone. I'm Marta Manteo housing policy attorney with legal aid of Sonoma County. I just want to thank you for bringing the public into your process. I submitted a letter yesterday along with a model

senior mobile home housing overlay ordinance, which quite a mouthful. And appreciate your consideration for goals and priorities. This year, all of the policies we recommends meet your existing priorities, including deliver housing for all reduce homelessness and its impacts. Ensure a healthy and safe community for all and promote economic and community vibrancy. I want to lift up the comments made by others and urge you to consider is 0% impact fee this year as well as the potential revenue of the affordable housing bond, which I want to add includes money for housing displacement, which is generally my focus. I also want to lift up the comments of the mobile home residents who spoke before me, a man who show up again and again because they're simply trying to survive and live free from fear. The 2 fixes they're asking for should substantially address their long-term housing stability. First, we ask that you lower than place transfer fee from 10 to 5% mirroring the county. It's a minor tweak that has long-term impact. On the affordability of Santa Rosa Parks in the previous speaker did a great detailing that. We also urge you to consider adoption of a senior, a mobile home park overlay zone Cotati and Petaluma along with many other municipalities have done this already. What's unique about Santa Rosa's that over 80% of the mobile home parks are designated as a senior. It goes without saying that we have an insufficient supply of housing for seniors. We know that seniors are and are projected to continue to be the largest group experiencing in facing homelessness. This type of protection can keep senior parts for seniors and stop the corporate profit model from destroying the

affordability of our parks at the accent of expense of the most vulnerable. I understand the concerns raised today about funding. I urge you to consider some of the ways to decrease homelessness and increase housing stability that are budget neutral or enforceable through the court example would be a proactive rental inspection program. Switches from a complaint model to a proactive model to ensure that you meet your goals around code enforcement and housing quality, you can pay for itself. There are a lot of models to look at. Additionally, eviction protections such as just cause, which is being considered by the county can be enforced through the court and through legal aid. In conclusion. I just want to say that solving the housing crisis requires a multifaceted approach. It's a lot less expensive to keep people housed and provide services once they become homeless. Thank you. Thank you. The next speaker will be Diane followed by APRIL. Then Jenny. >> Hello and thank you for hearing me. My name is Diane and I live in a senior mobile home park. And I'm here to implore you to protect senior mobile home residents like to be aiding an overlay zone to preserve senior mobile home parks and also to reduce in place transfer fee. Now, did submit a comment with me. So I'm going to try to address new things in what I have to say. Which means I won't get to go by this neat thing that I planned in time. I do want to or did you again to request from time. La Pena fact

package called connecting the dots because everything I'm going to say is backed up by facts and the links in which those facts have come. So we've talked about the huge profits corporations are making from buying mobile home parks that were plenty profitable for individual owners saying they don't make enough profit hugely jacking up grant victim, long-term residents and testing them out into possible homelessness. That's a playbook locally and nationally, part of the play book also includes mandating unnecessary, expensive repairs to push people out. Onerous rent increases of a 10200% and more. Now possibly this is because they want the land from underneath the mobile homes. 2 use for high-end luxury development, possibly. It is to gentrify and upscale to that. A rich or class of people looking for less expensive housing moves in and can pay 1500 a month. Space rant not rent space to rent the land underneath the house that you bought paid for and maintain, ok, those are some of what might be driving them. The other thing that might be driving them, which I found in npr report is you raise the rent. Your property is worth more. Then you borrow on what your property is worth go. Buy

another one and another one and assemble a large portfolio of mobile home parks from what You push out the people who have bought houses there and you render them homeless for whatever reasons it will cost you nothing in your budget to protect us from this and it will save costs because you won't help to help have to Hope House us as homeless people. Thank you for listening. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be APRIL, followed by Jenny. Then Jeremy. >> Hello, my name is APRIL Leggett rents. I'm a parent and a resident of Santa Rosa. As you strategize to accomplish a goal, 3 safe community for all police 0 in on the ongoing safety issues. Happening at your Santa Rosa City schools solutions for which will require funding parents, teachers and students would like to see skew school resource officers return to school campuses. Kids can't learn, of course when they don't feel safe and they are not safe. Teachers and administrators are quitting because of safety issues. Families are also leaving Santa Rosa entirely and search of safe schools. Please come bell the school board to do something. While bringing back school resource officers is not the only solution. It's a strong and a vital start and it needs to be funded. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Jenny followed by Jeremy then Thomas. >> Good morning. Good morning. Mayor Rogers Council members, MADAM City manager and staff in Jenin, close generation housing executive director. 1294 Saracens are houseless

nearly 4,000 family said on affordable housing weightless more than half the city population pays too much for housing to allow them to meet their other basic needs. Our housing crisis is driving out small businesses and working in folks and is a barrier to attracting new industry and high wage jobs. Most of the construction we see now is the result of one-time funds now spent and interest rates are threatening to bring new projects to a halt. But I think, you know, this. And so I anticipate that housing will remain at or near the top of your priority list. Setting goals is a different exercise. And of course, you know that smart goals or actionable and achievable Unmeasurable and that the safe way to be successful in those goals is to make them easy. But in the context of this housing crisis and its impact on our community and community members, we need something else from you as leaders. We need you to face the scope and urgency of housing need with a jfk moon shot mindset, setting goals. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard. We need you to be bold. Doubling production is not enough. We need a six-fold increase and it is possible. We've done it before. Others are doing it now. Sacramento, Minneapolis, Boise, it's happening. You're all thoughtful. People dedicated to our community. And so I know that you've asked yourself before, what kind of leader do I want to be? And so as you start this we request that you ask yourself again, what kind of leader do I want to be in the face of this housing crisis? Do I want to be a leader who sits at safe? Certainly achievable goals or do I want to sit moonshot? Goal is one that require you and this organization to commit to stretch, to perform

at your best goals that have some element of risk, but also have the very greatest reward. We hope and the hospitals and schools who can fill their staffing needs and the family sitting on 4 double waiting housing waiting lists waiting out winter storms on the street and suffering daily from the housing cost burdened need you to be moonshot. Leaders as always, we thank you for your service, which we know is waiting. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Jeremy followed by Thomas and Christopher. >> Good morning, mayor council. Thank you for taking the time and having these opportunities to set goals for our community. My name is Jeremy La Torre numbers need today as a community member, a small business owner. Most importantly, as a husband and father, as we continue to look ahead and set goals for the city. I ask that you consider overall safety. One of the main priorities, obviously none of us can escape the stories and the e-mails. And the message is that we are all receiving uptick of gang activity and violence and most concerning you don't use violence that continue to experience the escalation and the dangerous weapons as made these matters. The most concern. I do appreciate Srpd as return of the game. Crime scene. These are issues that cannot we cannot police out of a loan. So I ask that this council consider funding for continued funding for the violence Prevention partnership and programs to wrap around support and services. 2. The issues and situation says these children

are facing to get through this potential sro program is something that funding should be considered for as that is something that will be looked into and considered for future ideology. I'm a 3rd generation dilatory in the city of Santa Rosa. I was born in Santa Rosa. 46 years ago. I'm proud to say that my daughter is a poor generation who just chose to come home from college and start her teaching career. Put roots in from her home in Santa Rosa. If we can provide overall safety. Return on investment is allowing families an opportunity to be attracted back to the city. And most importantly, long tenured families to retain and stay in the city as a small business owner that opened his business 10 years ago. These are things that are considered every year when I renew my business license as well as other entrepreneurs that work within the city limits on where they want to consider their home base where they want to live, where they want to provide their services and where they want to raise their children. So thank you for your time. Thank you for efforts and look forward to continue to work with you on future endeavors. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Thomas followed by Christopher than Annabel. i don't know if you're ready to start, I guess I don't get a timer. So I hope I can start with 3 minutes comments are regarding Herndon Avenue one thing that I >> I notice is that the emphasis is on the budget and

from the 2006 accounting reforms that require the inclusion of maintenance in the budget. You're still suffering from a disconnect between what is future maintenance. And these are critically important when you're talking about infrastructure. So as well as development, impact fees. One mice, comments are about that. The county's revenue increases 4% per year when we went through new county facility here, there. Finance directors said that increase 4% per year. I want to point out the deferred maintenance increases geometrically that expense. When you deal with strategies, you have. Available to you land lever, capital and coordination. So the land, the leader in the capital are pretty much fixed. And the coordination is the main element examples. Of what I'm talking about are hvac issues that I brought up with regard to the library and the ground source, heat pumps. >> And shade trees can change things. Engineering creates a paradigm shift. Under land labor capital. You have coordination and engineering creates a paradigm shift of all of those expenditures in particular with regard to that people, you have a budget of so many, 200 million dollars. You're you have of 600 million dollars investment portfolio. You have reserves of 60 minutes. My point is the community is expending vastly more than that. And when they spend their time on the roads and can't get anywhere, it's hugely difficult. So when I pointed out to Sonoma County Economic Development plan and created the plan and there were 2, 3 things adopted its

as as you engineering, smart rain in Internet training. The avoided 2 things which was eco tourism in senior housing. That was 1999. The proposal for the 2020 economic development plan. They avoided 2 things Look cool. >> housing. >> Location the year is going to be Christopher followed about, I And Rick. >> Good morning. My name is Christopher Williams. My home was built in 1942. And at that time it was a country house. It's now swallowed up by the city and surrounded by the suburbs. I'm a biker I used by can is transportation. I'm also I call myself a creek troll. I have now had to start cleaning out the creeks of college creek, Steele Creek, Pollen Creek, Pinder Creek, that all feed into Santa Rosa Creek. And I ran into Robert Ash who has the views our founding member of the Friends of the Prince Memorial Greenway. For 5 years. I have been cleaning out the creeks. It never gets better. Not right now we are growing, but we're not maintaining. There are there. The city does help. Don't get me wrong. But I would like to see that you guys care as much as I care. Every day that I take a walk, I can assure you there is trash somewhere no matter what. The principal Morial Greenway, specifically. Is an

issue. It's the reason why Santa Rosa's here. It's the life for But, you know, it's the lifeblood of the city is what brought us here initially. And yet we treat it like a sewer. What I'm hoping is that you will consider the Prince Memorial Greenway. As a vital part of our city. If we make viable. Inviting part of ours. Our city. You will have the all hotels that are on the creek want to use it. You will have the neighbors in the sec in the west part of Santa Rosa. Want to use it. We the west part of Santa Rosa. No longer has any natural spaces. It's all been consumed. And yet every time I go down Santa Rosa Creek, Prince Memorial Greenway, there is trash. There's just trash everywhere. I'm just hoping that you guys will carry a little more, add some more money to the budget. Take a little more effort. I do. Every time I walk, I've got a d# # # picker. I've got bags. I've got gloves and I've got boots that you guys have given me so I can go into the creek and pull out the 4 comforters that I pulled out last weekend. I've already clean that section of the creek already. And yet there we were for bad for for comforters. As a biker as an environmentalist. As a resident of 25 years in my same house, just. Care a little bit more. Help us help

us make this city a viable, credible place. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Annabelle followed by Rick Kayden's. >> Good morning. My name is Anne. Is I'm I'm here asking that you focus on our children a sense, especially since the gang task force has been reinstated and statistically they have racially profiled their children and history shows that. Those affected are children of And why give police officers a title of sro? Who are the resource too because? All I've seen are many of our children being incarcerated. And since we're speaking on how about the roads on Bellevue? And our children who have to walk from more district to Elsie Allen High School. They don't even have sidewalks. In regards to the homeless. The county receives 25 million annually and a majority of that goes to homelessness under so ways. The city also investing into that. Was the organization that has tense over by the county jail receiving $5 $5,000 a month only house wanted to people pretend. And what is the currents that is of the housing Palms on Santa Rosa Avenue? Does that still exist? And and in reference to the slide show that was first the individual spoke on. Let's not focus on what districts have wood and how many the one has versus the other. But i think we really need to look at that. Especially those districts that are of lower income such as Roland South Park the northwest area like Apple Valley, West Elaine you slide also said Evolution, not

revolution, but who is the evolution for for not focused on these areas? I was at a event presented by hosted by the Srpd and the pp where we have focused on >> One Roselyn and one a map of Ali and COUNCILMAN. Jeff, I believe that your what's up with the potholes all up and down that area like our streets are Jack. The can't even drive. You I was scared leaving that plays out. But I'm going to pop a tire. And then back to our children because like, you know, statistically and historically speaking, those of us with melanin in our skin or the ones who are affected. So let's please take a look at that and provide more funding for the ppp so that we can focus children's we'll be in an emotional health. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next speaker will be Rick followed by cadence. And at this time, if there's anyone else wishing to provide public comment that has not provided a speaker card, please make your way to the podium. >> Thank you, mayor and council members. The murder George Floyd exposed some serious systemic flaws policing in this country. But the Santa Rosa School Resource officer program was not one of them. Prior to covid. I training as a volunteer Roseland. University Prep and one of my fellow trainees who is also the and I saw his interactions with all the students. He was the most popular person on campus. He was not a threat. Following George Floyd, you could you occasionally heard defund the police as far as know, no responsible. Government entity, even the most progressive communities took

that seriously. Except for this. And it was a city school board. They defunded the police. And unfortunately there's been a rise in school violence ever since. Some of you are now on the committee with some members of the school board to discuss Unfortunately, of the candidates from the school board, 2 of them with the only to the voted against your community. So you're up against a wall as it is. Please take the safety of ours schools, children for teachers of our staff seriously. This present was a positive And we really like to see you come back. You thank you. >> Thank you. The next public comment will be from Kayden's. >> Good morning. Mayor Rogers, vice mayor staff members of council, MADAM City manager and city staff. My name is Katie clown son and I'm the executive director of the downtown action organization which oversees the downtown Santa Rosa Community benefit District. I want to start by thanking all you for your son port over the past year. The establishment of the efd pfa. The addition of 2. The addition of 2 I I can strike them. >> The addition of 2 d e t officers and the updated camping ordinance have started to make an impact in downtown. And we're excited to continue working together to improve the economic vitality of the area and help downtown become a safe and vibrant place for the whole community. We look forward to the ongoing progress around the ift in downtown park spaces and with the vacancy ordinance, all of

which staff are and continue to effectively move forward. Today, there are 5 key items that the hopes Council will consider as part of their priorities this year. First implementing a multi policy that retention and expansion of downtown employment and office leasing second, a thorough review of the existing part downtown parking strategy and its ability to meet the current and future needs of our community. 3rd, addressing issues of safety around the transit mall which continue to be raised by our community. 4th allocating the time of an assistant city attorney to address ordinance and code violations. Misdemeanor enforcement and finally improving the safety and attraction of downtown by increasing in upgrading our lighting. The downtown is investor. The deo is invested in partnering with the city to continue improving the downtown area and we remain willing partners provide whatever support is necessary to build on our forward momentum. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else in council chamber wishing to provide public comment? >> mayor there is no movement towards a Putin's at this time. Okay. As we complete our public comment, I would just once again like to thank all of you for coming and you're involved it. >> In this process, I know we were taking a lot of notes about the things that you have brought forth and we have received your electronic comments as well. So with that, we will now adjourned into closed session. Thank you very much. Saying a qorum city clerk, please take thank you.

>> Councilmember Chris Rogers Councilmember Okrepkie Councilmember MacDonald. Councilmember Fleming Councilmember over as it vice mayor stop here. Mayor Rogers PRESIDENT, let the record show that all council members are present. Thank you. MADAM City Attorney MAY please give report out. Thank you, MADAM There is no reportable action from today's close Thank you. All right. And with that, we will adjourn the meeting. Thank you so much.