Agenda Item #13.4
For Council Meeting of: December 2, 2025
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: DAN HENNESSEY, DIRECTOR OF
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS
SUBJECT: ORDINANCE INTRODUCTION – ORDINANCE ENTITLED: ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA AMENDING CHAPTERS 11-08 AND 11-20 OF THE SANTA ROSA CITY CODE TO UPDATE STAFF DELEGATIONS AND TITLES AND REMOVE REQUIREMENT OF COUNCIL APPROVAL TO INSTALL MIDBLOCK CROSSWALKS, ROAD UNDULATIONS AND OTHER TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES AGENDA ACTION: ORDINANCE INTRODUCTION AND MOTION
RECOMMENDATION
The Transportation and Public Works Department recommends that the Council: 1) introduce an ordinance revising staff delegations entitled Chapter 11-08 and Chapter 11-20 of the City Code; and 2) approve a motion to rescind Council Policy Number 000-14, Policy of the City of Santa Rosa Relative to the Use of Road Undulations for Traffic Control. This item has no impact on the fiscal year budget.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To provide a more expedient response to the citizens of the City of Santa Rosa, the Transportation and Public Works Department is proposing to modify the City Code Chapter 11-08 rescinding the requirement for Council to approve the installation of midblock crosswalks, road undulations and other traffic calming measures. Section 11-08.050 identifies duties of the Director of Transit and Parking that need to be removed as the position no longer exists. Two other sections in Chapter 11-20 of the City Code reference the Director of Transit and Parking and need to be updated to identify the City Parking Manager as the position responsible for those duties.
Portions of Chapter 11 refer to the Director of Public Works, which needs to be updated to the Director of Transportation and Public Works.
Additionally, the Council Policy 000-14 “Policy of the City of Santa Rosa Relative to the use of Road Undulations for Traffic Control” would be rescinded and provide the City Traffic Engineer and Director of Transportation and Public Works, in consultation with the Police and Fire Departments, the ability to install raised crosswalks, speed tables, or speed cushions as tools to address traffic calming without final approval of Council. The policy was originally adopted in 1991, and much has changed with respect to community outreach, transportation planning and traffic engineering best practices, and regulatory standards for traffic calming and speed control.
GOAL
This item relates to Council Goal #2: Invest in the Development and Maintenance of City Infrastructure by streamlining the process for implementation of Road Undulations and updating City Code Chapter 11 to reflect current position titles and duties.
BACKGROUND/PRIOR COUNCIL REVIEW
Chapter 11-08 was last updated in April of 2010, under Ordinance 3940, following budget cuts that removed the Deputy Director of Public Works – Traffic position and transferred some of those responsibilities to the City Traffic Engineer, which at the time was a Supervising Engineer.
In consultation with the Parking Division in the Finance Department, several code sections in Chapter 11 would replace the Director of Transit and Parking, which no longer exists, with the City Parking Manager.
The Council Policy 000-14, Policy of the City of Santa Rosa Relative to the use of Road Undulations for Traffic Control was established in April of 1991 and has been in place since then. The policy is over 30 years old and has less relevance to how staff looks at traffic calming today. Additionally, it stipulates that staff receives approval from Council prior to any road undulation installations.
ANALYSIS
To increase responsiveness to the community and provide flexibility to install road undulations, midblock crosswalks, and other traffic calming measures, the Transportation and Public Works Department is requesting to decide if and where these measures should be installed. Over the past 25 years, none of the road undulations or midblock crosswalks that have been presented to Council for approval have been denied. This is due to Traffic Engineering’s thorough outreach with the community and collaboration with the Santa Rosa Police and Fire Departments before considering taking the item to Council. This front-end work to establish the need, location, and collaboration with Police and Fire Departments will not change with the City Code modifications and rescission of Council Policy 000-14. The adoption of the Active Transportation Plan in June 2025, as well as additional safety improvements made with respect to speed limit reductions and grant funding from the United States Department of Transportation indicate Council’s support for these treatments.
Additional modifications to remove section 11-08.050 and all references to the Director of Transit and Parking in Chapter 11 shall be modified to identify the City Parking Manager as the responsible party.
FISCAL IMPACT
The anticipated fiscal impact with this proposal would be to lessen the burden and administrative cost involved with the preparation of Council items for approval. This would include the staff preparing the item along with the staff in the City Manager’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, and City Attorney’s Office who process each item.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, the recommended action is not a “project” subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it does not have a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. In the alternative, the recommended action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the recommended action may have a significant effect on the environment.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Proposed Redlined Changes to Chapter 11
Attachment 2 – Council Policy 000-14
Ordinance
PRESENTER(S)
Dan Hennessey, Director of Transportation and Public Works REVISIONS TO CITY CODE CHAPTER 11 - VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC AND RESCISSION OF COUNCIL POLICY NUMBER 000-14 PAGE 3 OF 3