City Hall, Council Chamber
100 Santa Rosa Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
City of Santa Rosa
Public Safety Subcommittee
Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft
9:00 AMTuesday, April 23, 2024
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Cher Okrepkie called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.
Chair Jeff Okrepkie, and Eddie AlvarezPresent: 2 -
Natalie RogersAbsent: 1 -
2. ANNOUNCEMENTS
No announcements were made.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3.1 January 23, 2024, Regular Meeting Minutes.
Approved as submitted.
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS
No public comment was made.
5. NEW BUSINESS
5.1 ILLICIT MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS
The Police Department and Code Enforcement staff will provide a broad overview related to illicit massage establishments in the City of Santa Rosa. Police and Code Enforcement staff will highlight their collaboration with community-based partners to address the concerns.
The overview will include investigative practices into the community complaints and plans for any future changes. The Code Enforcement team will seek feedback to changes on the established city ordinance and discuss the process to change the ordinance.
Dan Marincik, Police Captain, Daniela DeBaca, Senior Code Enforcement Officer, and Lou Kirk, Assistant Chief Building Official, presented and answered questions from the subcommittee
members.
City of Santa Rosa
Regular Meeting Minutes
April 23, 2024Public Safety Subcommittee Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft PUBLIC COMMENT:
Rick McElroy, Director of Law and Code Enforcement Relations of the California Massage Therapy Council, spoke in support of providing more tools for the police and code enforcement to shut establishments down, discussed results from The Network review of illicit massage businesses in the city of Santa Rosa, and advised the California Massage Therapy Council provides a monthly training for police officer and code enforcement officers.
Gina Perine, a massage therapist and new resident, spoke regarding the application process, the safety of massage therapists and finding a correct balance so they can work safely, and addressed the public safety issue of human trafficking and prostitution.
Mark Dixon, Chairman of the Board of California Massage Therapy Council, spoke in support of eliminating illicit business from the massage profession in Santa Rosa and advised they are ready to implement staffing for support.
Patrick Murray spoke regarding illicit businesses and applying federal, state and local laws to address the problem.
Kurtis Bennett spoke in support of accepting assistance from the California Massage Therapy Council, and collaborating with others in the area, and asked if there will be adequate funding to SRPD and Code Enforcement to address the issue, how success will be measured, and the estimated timeline.
Katerina Plskova, a massage therapist in Santa Rosa, spoke about how the illicit businesses are harming established massage businesses and requesting protection for those businesses that have met their legal requirements.
Kristina Sundulage spoke of the 30 businesses in the area there are 14 within a two-mile area and questioned why the city allows City of Santa Rosa
Regular Meeting Minutes
April 23, 2024Public Safety Subcommittee Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft businesses to continue without certification and when they can be notified of the progress being made.
Grace Cheung, a Santa Rosa resident, spoke regarding illicit massage being connected to human trafficking and being located in residential areas, and concern with backlash and victimizing the victim.
Terry Funday spoke regarding his wife's massage therapy business in Santa Rosa, improvement in processes for massage therapist due to the California Massage Therapy Council, and encouragement to use resources from CAMTC.
Brad Childs, a Santa Rosa resident, spoke regarding expiration of fictitious business name permits and questions why there is no follow-up or inspections of businesses and requested the city budget for inspections of these businesses.
Beverly May, Director of Government Affairs and Human Trafficking for the California Massage Therapy Council, spoke regarding using other city and county ordinances and clarified CAMTC as a public benefit regulatory agency functioning under statute with legislative oversight with a mission of public protection that provides no cost services to cities and counties.
Chair Okrepkie recessed the meeting at 10:07 a.m. and reconvened to open session at 10:16 a.m.
Chair Jeff Okrepkie, and Eddie AlvarezPresent: 2 -
Natalie RogersAbsent: 1 -
5.2 FIRE DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
The Fire Department will provide a review of the strategic planning process and the outcomes reflected in the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
This will include an overview of the five strategic goals and the related objectives in the new work plan.
Scott Westrope, Fire Chief, presented and answered questions from the subcommittee members.
City of Santa Rosa
Regular Meeting Minutes
April 23, 2024Public Safety Subcommittee Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft No public comments were made.
6. MATTERS HELD IN COMMITTEE - NONE.
7. DEPARTMENT REPORTS
7.2 FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATE
The Fire Department will provide a high-level overview and update on major programs, projects and initiatives as they related to City Council goals and department operations.
Scott Westrope, Fire Chief, presented and answered questions from the subcommittee members.
No public comments were made.
7.1 POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATE
Chief Cregan will provide a high-level overview and update on major programs, projects, and initiatives as they relate to City Council goals and police department operations. An overview will be provided of the 2023 progress with the inRESPONSE Mental Health Support Team, Traffic Enforcement and Safety, and Violence Reduction Efforts.
John Cregan, Chief of Police, presented and answered questions from the subcommittee members.
No public comments were made.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Okrepkie adjourned the meeting at 11:21 a.m. The next regular meeting will be held on July 23, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
Approved on:
______________________
Rhonda Bolla
Deputy City Clerk