City Council
Mayor Neysa Hinton
Vice Mayor Diana Rich
Sandra Maurer
Jill McLewis
Stephen Zollman
City Manager
Larry McLaughlin
[email protected]
Assistant City Manager/City Clerk, MMC
Mary Gourley
[email protected]
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
MINUTES FOR Regular City Council Meeting of May 2, 2023 As Approved by the City Council at their regular meeting of May 16, 2023
Please note that minutes of meetings are not meant to be verbatim minutes and are meant to be the City’s record of a summary of actions that took place at the meeting. The vote/action is the required information of the meeting actions that took place. Approved minutes are available on the City Council Meetings page. https://www.ci.sebastopol.ca.us/Meeting-Event.aspx
6:00 pm City Council Regular Meeting
In Person Location: Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472 Remote/Virtual Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87093104768?pwd=djUzYmVYWWdwN1RjVm9lYUZ2emdLUT 09 Meeting ID: 870 9310 4768
Passcode: 210728
Call to Order: Mayor Hinton called the Regular Meeting to Order at 6:12 p.m.
Roll Call:
Present: Mayor Neysa Hinton
Vice Mayor Diana Gardner Rich
Councilmember Sandra Maurer
Councilmember Jill McLewis
Councilmember Stephen Zollman
Absent: None
Staff: City Manager/City Attorney Larry McLaughlin
Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Mary Gourley
Administrative Services Director Ana Kwong
Police Chief Ron Nelson
SALUTE TO THE FLAG: Mayor Hinton led the salute to the flag.
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
The following were presented:
• Proclamation Declaring May as Bike To Work Month and Proclaiming May 18th 2023 as Bike to Work Day • Proclamation Recognizing National Police Week - May 14-20, 2023 • Proclamation Declaring May 21-27, 2023 as National Public Works Week • Proclamation Declaring May 2023 as Building Safety Month • Proclamation Declaring May 2023 as Drowning Prevention Month in the City of Sebastopol • Proclamation Declaring May 2023 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month • Proclamation Declaring May 2023 as Mental Health Awareness Month • Proclamation Declaring May 2023 as Asian American Pacific Islander Month • Proclamation Declaring May 2023 as Jewish American Heritage Month Reference Order Number: 2023-113
STATEMENTS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Conflicts of interest may arise in situations where a public official deliberating towards a decision, has an actual or potential financial interest in the matter before the Council. In accordance with state law, an actual conflict of interest is one that would be to the private financial benefit of a public official, a relative or a business with which the Councilmember is associated. A potential conflict of interest is one that could be to the private financial benefit of a Councilmember, a relative or a business with which the Councilmember is associated. A Councilmember must publicly announce potential and actual conflicts of interest, and, in the case of actual conflict of interest, must refrain from participating in debate on the issue or from voting on the issue and must remove themselves from the dais.
There were no conflicts of interest stated for this meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (FIRST COMMENT PERIOD):
Up to Twenty (20) Minute Time Limit (Two Minutes for up to ten speakers). Additional public comment will be held at the end of the discussion and action items for up to an additional twenty (20) minutes. Mayor has discretion to allow for additional time beyond the 20 minutes allocated for public comment dependent upon the subject matter or number of speakers.
Process for calling on Speakers: Mayor or designee shall ask for public comment as follows: Speakers to be called on in an alternate manner (One speaker in person to be called on first; then one speaker remote to be called on second with additional speakers to be called on in the same manner) based upon the time limit.
Kate Haug commented as follows:
• My public comment for tonight reiterates my public comment from last week having to do with the city budget.
• I know we're in about a $2.6 million deficit for our city budget, which represents roughly 25% of our budget from last year which was around $11 million.
• Given this financial crisis I realized that there will be lots of cuts to our city services. • It looks like our police service is proposed to have over $600,000 worth of cuts, which I disagree with. • There are several reasons why I think we need to fully staff and fund our police and fire departments.
First off, our police department has been noted to be understaffed by all the analysis that has been given to the department. So at any rate, we should actually be adding staffing instead of cutting it down. • In light of that, we have many schools in our community Parkside, Brookhaven, Analy, Sunridge and the Sebastopol charter. This is about 2000 students who are in our community on a daily basis during the school year. Sadly, schools have become targets of violence, which is, of course, a terrible and tragic, recent phenomenon of contemporary society. But nonetheless, we need to have a police department that is fully staffed and also familiar with our schools, campuses and our administrators. Because if we have a tragic event, we need to make sure that we have law enforcement on the ground that can help our schools also have big events.
• We have the busiest intersection in Sonoma County at Highway 12 and 116. • Sebastopol also has large events like Peace Town and the recent Apple Blossom parade. • We are in a wildfire and flood zone. So we also have many emergency situations.
Linda commented as follows:
• I appreciate and thank you for putting the Lyme thing awareness thing on the thing. But you know, for the last eight or seven or eight years that I'm the one who has been very active, in Lyme stuff. • I'm going to talk about the wireless meter fiasco.
• On behalf of all those who profit and benefit from our current leaders that the Mayor and Vice Mayor who are ill-advised , and some stupid decisions and I want to thank you from the trillion dollar telecom industry, whose profits depend on keeping the public clueless about wireless how it works, and the safety of it and what the biological, environmental and political consequences are of the widespread and expanding use of manmade pulsed electromagnetic frequencies and radiate radiation • I want to thank Diane and Neysa on behalf of the trillion dollar cancer industry and Big Pharma. Big Pharma whose profits come from treating cancer with drugs and more poison. • I want to thank you on behalf of Big Oil thank you for mandating the installation of 3002 wireless water meters made from short lived five years non-recyclable plastic derived from fossil fuel oil this planet • I want to thank you on behalf of the planet and destroying mining industry for your use of 3002 unrecyclable lithium batteries as the power source in the smart water meters. • Last but not least, I want to thank you on behalf of the Chinese government. Thank you for paying for these Chinese made plastic pieces of jewels which are hackable and then provide surveillance and provide the Chinese government with a foot up in their race for cyber control of the planet.
Kyle commented as follows:
• At our last City Council meeting, our council decided to rather than go through their codified RFP process for acquiring contractors for our waste management services in this city to instead extend the contract as it currently exists with our current vendor for an additional year. • What this does is allows both that vendor in our city to negotiate outside of the public realm for a contract that is beneficial to the vendor as well as the city. • At that time, I mentioned it via public comment in a letter to the city about the opportunity to increase our franchise fees to our potential garbage vendor, as a direct result of the damage to our roadways, that these large, massive overweight vehicles are having no real response to that was given either by Council or in the council meeting,
• I additionally followed up with at least one City Councilmember with the most recent decision by the City of Berkeley to implement $7 million in direct franchise fees directly related to the damage to pavement as a result of those waste management vehicles.
• So it is my hope that the Councilmembers that I did reach out to at least acknowledge receipt of that communication, if nothing else, but to pass that information on to whoever is and likely private, making the negotiating decisions with our waste management contracted vendor to increase the franchise fees to compensate our city for the damage to our roads as a result of those vehicles.
Mayor Hinton responded to public comment as follows:
• When people are speaking at a public comment, even if you do not agree with their speech or their decisions, we all have an obligation to hear them out in a polite and respectful way. • I do want to address one of the public speakers that discussed a decision that was she's referring to regarding our water meters aimed at myself and the vice Mayor • That decision was voted on by the last entire council, five member council. It is not something that the vice Mayor and I are solely responsible for that decision and following all protocols. • I just want to make that comment that. That it is not a personal decision that was made by myself and the vice Mayor.
• Regarding the other speaker will acknowledge I did receive that letter. Having participated in the last Council meeting and that agenda item, it is not just about a year extension, it is about also negotiating a new contract in that period of time.
• I'm sure all public comments and information that we receive will be reviewed by our City Manager and the team that will be working on our new garbage contract and that negotiation.
City Manager/Attorney McLaughlin commented I completely agree with what you said.
CONSENT CALENDAR: The consent agenda consists of items that are routine in nature and do not require additional discussion by the City Council or have been reviewed by the City Council previously. These items may be approved by one motion without discussion unless a member of the City Council requests that the item be taken off the consent calendar.
The Mayor will read the consent calendar items; ask if a Councilmember wishes to remove one or more items from the consent calendar; and then open public comment to the members of the public in attendance. At this time, a member of the public may speak for up to three minutes on the entire consent calendar and request at that time that an agenda item or items be removed for discussion.
If an item or items are removed from the consent calendar, the item shall be placed at the end of the regular agenda items unless otherwise determined by the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tern.
Councilmembers may comment on Consent Calendar items or ask for minor clarifications without the need for pulling the item for separate consideration. Items requiring deliberation should be pulled for separate consideration and shall be placed at the end of the regular agenda items unless otherwise determined by the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem.
Mayor Hinton read the consent calendar.
Mayor Hinton asked if any Councilmember wanted to remove a consent calendar item.
Councilmember’s Request(s): There were no requests for removal of any consent calendar item.
City staff noted minor edits to Minutes of April 18, 2023 Council meeting noting correction to speaker name.
Mayor Hinton opened for public comment on consent calendar items only.
Linda commented as follows:
• I'd like to know what item two is about
• I am computer free cell phone free TV free etcetera, etcetera. • I would like to know what the subject matter of that closed session was and the resolution of whatever it was.
• Also, I'd like to have three removed and for discussion, so that we, the public knows a little bit more about what that is.
Kyle commented as follows:
• Relaunch Sebastopol has been a quite controversial issue in our city for a number of years • The massive amounts of money that we've been spending on this initiative, and the lackluster quality of results that we've received as a result of those contracts, has really been undersold in terms of its public presentation.
• A good example of this was this atrocious survey that had such terrible demographics that didn't really little to no representation on our city, that somehow was then going to be made as to further decisions as to where we would be putting our efforts. Luckily, the council at that time recognized how atrocious of a survey that was.
• Now, that was a previous contract with this current contractor, we've seen little to no results, little to no agendized time to that initiative.
• Here we see a reduction, but yet no real substance or no real community outreach or discussion as to what the actual results of that work.
• I called previously, for some metrics to be measuring the results of this, and how that would tie to financial gain to the city, if we're going to be investing our money into our community, we should be seeing some sort of reward.
• I would expect at some point for us to actually have an analysis of Relaunch Sebastopol as a whole and how much gain has actually come from that.
• To further this, I think it's really important that we even look at other initiatives such as loaning out thousands of dollars during the pandemic to local businesses, yet, I don't know how much of those businesses have paid back those loans. Those loans were interest free, meaning that the city was paying the interest on these loans to these local businesses. We've heard nothing in terms of the results of that.
Mayor Hinton responded to public comment as follows:
• I want to address the member of the public on Item agenda item on consent to the subject of that was closed session was public employment for a City Manager conference with labor negotiators. • Just to clarify, since she did not have access to that calendar item.
Councilmember Maurer commented as follows:
• I would just like to make a quick comment about the Relaunch contract. • I was a member of that ad hoc committee, as was Mayor Hinton, as was our City Manager and Assistant City Manager
• This was a mutual decision to end that contract based on the budget and based on the contractors wishes to and I remember we asked for a report out we don't have that for you tonight, but I'm hoping that in the future we can have a report from the Relaunch contractor to wrap it up and let us know what the benefits were like that.
Mayor Hinton commented as follows:
• I might point out that Councilmember Maurer and I just became appointed to that committee this year. • When we were appointed to the committee, most of the budget and the work had already been done, and was overseen by another subcommittee of former Councilmembers.
MOTION:
Councilmember Zollman moved and Councilmember Maurer seconded the motion to approve Consent Calendar Items 1, 2, and 3.
Discussion:
Vice Mayor Rich commented I'd simply like to know what the date is for the completion of the relaunch contract, when is it ending?
Mayor Hinton commented there will be a little bit more work keeping the community calendar up through the end of the fiscal year. That's why we downscaled the work, and are making this recommendation.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• So the community calendar will be supported, at least through the end of the year. • I heard from Councilmember Maurer that there was an expression of interest in a final report, I'd like to require that there'll be a final report.
• If that needs if there needs to be that item pulled from the consent calendar in order to do that, that's fine, but I'm hoping I just can communicate that as a Councilmember to the relaunch committee, ad hoc committee members.
Mayor Hinton commented there is an expectation to have a final report. I don't know if the word required is attached to it, but that is our expectation and we have asked the vendor for that.
Mayor Hinton called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Maurer, McLewis, Zollman, Vice Mayor Rich and Mayor Hinton Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
1. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes for Meeting of April 18, 2023 (Responsible Department: City Administration)
City Council Action: Approved City Council Meeting Minutes for Meeting of April 18, 2023 Minute Order Number: 2023-114
2. Approval of City Council Special Meeting Closed Session Meeting of April 24, 2023 (Responsible Department: City Administration)
City Council Action: Approved City Council Special Meeting Closed Session Meeting of April 24, 2023 Minute Order Number: 2023-115
3. Approval of Budget Amendment for Relaunch Sebastopol Contract (Townie Media). Budget Amendment Request is to Reduce Budget of Contract and Scope of Work from $146,000 to $118,500 (A Reduction Amount of $27,500. This amount is in response to reduced scope of work. (Responsible Department: Ad Hoc Committee Relaunch Sebastopol)
City Council Action: Approved Budget Amendment for Relaunch Sebastopol Contract (Townie Media).
Budget Amendment Request is to Reduce Budget of Contract and Scope of Work from $146,000 to $118,500 (A Reduction Amount of $27,500. This amount is in response to reduced scope of work Minute Order Number: 2023-116
Resolution Number: 6527-2023
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/PRESENTATIONS:
4. Presentation: Ives Pool Yearly Presentation to the City Council (Requestor: Ives Pool) Ricardo Freitas and Milo Zarakov, Ives Pool, provided a presentation to the City Council.
Mayor Hinton opened for questions from Council.
Councilmember Zollman commented as follows:
• Thank you and thank you to the other representative for all your ongoing work for the city. • I asked this question before and I don't think I've received a response since you provide services and I'm assuming you have awareness of what other swimming utilities are, and pools are available in our area. • My understanding is that there is a pool that's accessible to the public out at Rio Nido. Is that your understanding as well?
Ives Pool representatives commented there is a very small pool; 15 meters and my understanding they didn't have any swim lessons on the last four or five years.
Councilmember Zollman commented but is still open to the public now.
Ives Pool representatives commented as follows:
• I don't think last year they were open
• I know some people from that area they came to Ives Pool • I've spoken to the aqua aerobics classes that are at Ives Pool when they're not available there.
Councilmember Maurer commented as follows:
• Thank you for your report.
• I'm a proud sea serpent parent. My husband and I have three kids that went through the sea serpents and Analy high.
• Does the county contribute at all to Ives pool? Because you're really serving not just Sebastopol but West County as well.
Ives Pool representatives commented as follows:
• On my budget, we don't have any money from the county • We do have successful programs
• Discuss discounted costs for lessons
• We receive no direct subsidy from the county
Councilmember McLewis commented as follows:
• First of all, my son went through the second grade swim lessons and I volunteered so I think it's a wonderful program
• When people are asking you about funding and everything, I think it's important for people to understand that you do a lot
• You're self-sustaining with your funding the majority of it, is that not correct? • I just want to make sure everybody understands that it's not just the city funding everything that you do Ives Pool representatives commented as follows:
• Our budget is close to $400,000.
• We pay for the electricity, the power of the facility, we pay for the staff. We pay for the janitorial. • Many times we help the city for some needs
• We started the process of solar panels. At that time the cost was $2,000, which was the was the rebate the city got for the solar panels.
• That is how our panels gave us more than 500,000 kilowatts doing this 17 years of work. • We had the fortune and not fortunate enough to have BP solar panels and they had a big lawsuit and they gave us all new solar panels on the end of our on the end of our life of the solar panels gave us all new solar panels.
• This was just before the pandemic. These solar panels we put just before the pandemic, they are much more efficient than the ones we had before.
• They also since they are smaller, and they do the same work with smaller solar panels. We have more solar panels than before.
• We are open average 1516 hours a day. But we are working the pumps, the electricity 24/7 Councilmember McLewis commented just on the mention of the shortage of lifeguards. I know we spoke recently and you were said you were still looking for lifeguards. Is that still the case? Ives Pool representatives commented as follows:
• Yes Just want to make sure that that's where we feel we need lifeboats • Is very important to think about lifeboats
• We need bodies. We need people to come to the pool to help us out.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• Love the pool and your longtime commitment to the pool. • The nonprofit entity that is involved with the pool supporting the pool is the Western Sonoma County swimmers.
Ives Pool stated that is correct.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• That group then raises funds for operations.
• Then the city's involvement is the city owns the building, and the city maintains and spends money on the building and the equipment. Is that accurate?
Ives Pool representatives commented as follows:
• We have a very successful partnership with the city. We work very well together. • We try our best to keep going without spending too much money Mayor Hinton commented as follows:
• I'm partial to the pool.
• I taught learn to swim for rotary for six years, including my own children in the pool. But more importantly, it's so great to have sit in the little shallow part when kids are afraid of the water and haven't been in the pool before and inch them in over four weeks so that they get comfortable. • I am not that old, but I love aqua aerobics.
• I've seen what an important part that that is to our community. And my daughter was a sea serpent as well. So for me, the pool is vital. And you guys have done an amazing job running it over the years.
Growing up, well, I raised my kids kind of in the neighborhood, but we don't have a pool. So when it gets hot, that's where you go down to Ise. So it's just a huge community resource. It's great to highlight it every day. And I really appreciate your longevity Ricardo, because you're always there and operating it in a really professional way. So thank you very much. And thank you for the presentation tonight. I see Greg because you know now he's now he's paying attention. Okay, what do you want to add? Greg Jacobs commented as follows:
• This community all the way to Bodega or Guerneville
• It is not all Sebastopol
• IT is well supported by everybody.
• Our County supervisor swims at our facility
Mayor Hinton thanked the presenters.
City Council Action: None Required. Informational Only.
Reference Order Number: 2023-117
Mayor Hinton called for a break at 7:25 pm and reconvened the meeting at 7:32 pm.
PUBLIC HEARING(s): NONE
REGULAR CALENDAR AGENDA ITEMS (DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION)
5. Discussion and Consideration of Request for City Sponsorship:
a. Sebastopol Regional Library - $5012.50 for waiver of City permit fees for Mobile Showers b. Gravenstein Apple Fair Sponsorship Request for $7500 for Sebastopol Gravenstein Apple Fair (Responsible Department: Administrative Services)
Administrative Services Director Kwong presented the agenda item recommending the City Council consider requests for City Sponsorship.
Mayor Hinton opened for questions from Council.
Councilmember Zollman commented as follows:
• My central questions are in this as in reference to the Sebastopol Library’s request about services that are already available.
• Similar services that are already available in the community • As a former Sebastopol Library Commissioner, I know our branch manager at that time was able to offer passes to those that were unsheltered.
• That perhaps may not have passed the code of conduct, because a shower would have been good and could have allowed them into the library.
• So once upon a time, maybe only two and a half years ago, passes were given from the library to Ives pool.
• I know that you put in the staff report that other agencies in the city also provide showers. • So my question is about duplication of services that are already provided to our unsheltered Director Kwong commented is the question do I know that there's duplicate of services in this area? Because of this request, that there's duplicate efforts in this area for the mobile shower? Councilmember Zollman commented as follows:
• Yes. And if there's anybody on tonight from the library that can answer the question about what used to be the policy of providing vouchers that would allow are in shelter that would need to be able to shower in order to make admission into the library.
• If somebody there could speak to this about whether that's ongoing or whether that was terminated. That would be helpful as well.
Councilmember McLewis commented as follows:
• I took the time to research and the Redwood Gospel Mission, who I believe is the one that's being asked to do this, they already provide showers in our area at the they have it listed on their website • The Sebastopol Christian church also does
• I also researched the Community Church on the north side of town and they also offer showers. • I had the same question. So I just did my own little research Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• I'll confirm I had a conversation with Maria Rico, who is our Sebastopol Homeless Outreach Coordinator today to confirm this but our Sebastopol Christian church provide showers every Monday and Thursday mornings.
• Those are in fact used by the unhoused in our community. • In addition Rico indicated individuals in town do get bus vouchers. • Her experiences that they transport to the Third Street showers in Santa Rosa to the extent that they aren't able or elect not to take advantage of the showers that are available through the Christian church. • I also know that the Community Church offer showers, but the Christian Church is the mainstay in the community for showers.
Councilmember Maurer commented my question is, on what day does the Community Church offer showers? Councilmember McLewis commented the Community Church has historically offered showers on Tuesdays, I wasn't able to confirm that as their website says Saturdays.
Mayor Hinton commented let me ask if the Ives Pool is still doing this program.
City Manager/Attorney McLaughlin commented as follows:
• We're proposing due to the cost to drop that out of the CIP. • It was the outdoor shower.
• We were unable to fund it.
• The old one that was being used previously had many problems, some of which were of a health nature and had to be shut down.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• My primary question, this staff report was a surprise to me. • I am the liaison to service providers for the unhoused. My main question is whether any of our experts, local experts that we rely on in regards to these issues were consulted. Was Maria Rico, for instance, who is our outreach coordinator for the unhoused, was she consulted in terms of the need, the date and time, and the location? Or was Arthur George, who was our local West County homeless services provider consulted? I know I was not engaged in terms of the proposal. Was anyone? I am just wondering whether this is supported by anyone who was involved, who is involved, and is knowledgeable on these issues within our city.
Director Kwong commented as follows:
• No this was not consulted with any of those individuals • This came as a sponsorship.
• The process of the sponsorship as they fill out the application, they submit it through City Hall. • We will figure out when to get it on the calendar to go to the City Council. I was not aware, and I apologize that these were supposed to be vetted through this organization. • It just landed on to this agenda item.
• It was a fee waiver, that is all I have seen, is the fee waiver. • I did not know that there were other connections that would be connected to this shower event that was proposed.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• My second question is this was a request for a fee waiver. • Has this request, the shower, gone through the planning department? • I am unclear of where we are in terms of the process. Has it been approved by our planning department shower building be placed in this parking lot at this time? Director Kwong commented as follows:
• I don't know if it has gone through the planning department. • I don't know if they have submitted the application.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• My final question at this point is can you give us a summary. • This would be relevant to both the sponsorship request. • Could you please outline for us the total sponsorship amount that was allocated this year, for this fiscal year, and how the City Council has allocated those funds so far, to what entities, to what amount, and what amount remains?
Director Kwong commented as follows:
• So, in the current fiscal year 22-23 that we are in right now, there is a budget amount for sponsorship program of $15,000.
• In September of 2022 the payment to Sonoma County farm trail for Gravenstein Apple Fair of $3000 that the Council approved from the previous fiscal year
• In April of 2023 we made a payment of $1500 to the chamber for the holiday lights, and at the same time there was the Rotary club concert that was $6000 that the Council approved. • So that leaves the total from that allotted budget amount, $4500 left in that pot Councilmember McLewis commented as follows:
• Given the location of the request for the showers, the time of day, the time, all of that, I am just wondering if any of the business entities have been consulted with, or if you know of any. I asked that simply because it was requested on Saturday from 11 to noon, which is the busiest day of the week for our businesses downtown, and this is one of the busiest parking lots we have that is always full. I didn't see anything in there, but I am just curious if anyone was consulted regarding that.
City staff commented as follows:
• This is a special event permit application, the permit application goes through the public works department. They review it. And as part of that application they requested a sponsorship application for waiver of fees.
• There are conditions that the applicant would need to meet. Part of those conditions would be to notify residents and businesses adjacent to and across the street of the property. That has not been done yet as of today. So they would not be able to start May 6th even if this was approved today. • They would not be able to start until they met all the conditions of approval and that was one of them.
Councilmember McLewis commented as follows:
• So this is just sending a notice to them, but is there any recourse? • Can they have any input on that given the fact that it could detrimentally affect their business? • I see that it says six parking spots, but there is a litany of questions that I have regarding that, and with our struggling downtown already, budget, and all these different issues, why we would consider giving out this space.
City staff commented as follows:
• The question was asked whether businesses can provide their comments, complaints, or concerns about this happening. Yes, they can.
• That does not necessarily mean the application would be denied from the city. That's why they get a notice. That is why we request that all these things are supposed to be done 10 days before this happens. • That is not been done yet. They would still have to provide that notice and once we get the information that the notices have been provided, we wait for a few days to see if there's any comments from the businesses, residents, or anything, and then we finalize the permit.
Mayor Hinton commented as follows:
• I actually have a question.
• I do you know from the organization application if we turn down their request tonight, in other words, they would have to pay the $5012.50 for a permit fee, whether they have the ability to move forward with this request?
City staff commented we do not know the answer to that.
Vice Mayor Rich commented where does the decision-making authority lie in terms of the special event permit that would allow this mobile unit to be in the parking lot next to the library? City staff commented as follows:
• The applications are routed to all the departments.
• All the departments can see if there any issues with them or not. • I'm going to assume there was not any because they sent it out to us for a conditional approval, assuming all of those conditions were met.
• Public Works, planning, fire, police, all the departments are sent those applications to see if there's any concerns.
Vice Mayor Rich commented in this application for the showers has already gone through that process? City staff commented a conditional process, yes. It has been routed to all the departments. That is my understanding, that is the process.
Mayor Hinton opened for public comment. Library Mobile Shower:
Kate commented as follows:
• I would like to make a public comment that I think that the business community should have input on this use of our city parking lot on a Saturday morning.
• As Kyle mentioned earlier this evening, we have spent a tremendous amount of money trying to revive our downtown because we desperately need the sales tax to fund programs like our swimming pool, which clearly we all love.
• So I think just from a business community, and also honoring our small business, local businesses, people who spend 70, 80 hours a week and their own lifeblood and life force trying to run the small businesses in our town, I think that we should show them the due respect of allowing them to have input on this. • Parking has been a contentious issue on downtown. Any survey that you see with businesses or visitors to downtown quote parking as an issue for them. So removing six spots on a Saturday morning does not seem like a good idea, given the feedback that we have had around parking. • In addition, we do offer showers at other places within our community and have been very supportive of the unhoused community in terms of setting up horizon shined and many other programs. • I think because of the time and location, this particular project needs to kind of go back to the drawing board and receive input from our members of our Chamber of Commerce and our Downtown Association to make sure it is a holistic kind of approach to our city and its resources and its many different members.
Kyle commented as follows:
• Please do not confuse Kate’s reference of my name criticizing the city's decisions on spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in a Revitalize Sebastopol campaign that has failed this particular agenda item, which is looking at providing homeless support services of basic hygiene like showers. • If, as Kate and Councilmember McLewis suggests, that we do reach out to local businesses, it would be my hope that we publicly list all local businesses that claim to deny access to homeless support services such as basic hygiene like showers as somehow being detrimental to their business operations. • Because in my mind those that patronize Sebastopol are those that recognize Sebastopol as a community that supports its residents, including those that don't happen to have shelter. • I would be very hesitant as a local business owner to publicly state that I am not in support of sacrificing the one hour each week a parking space in order to provide shower services to those that need it the most.
• Yes, let's ask the members of our business community, and then let's make publicly available their responses.
Linda commented as follows:
• I would like to lead into this subject with the preface of letting Diana Rich know that the proper pronunciation of the thing she cannot figure out is commonly known as the deer tick. • What this has to do with the shower, let me tell you. The showers for these unhoused people is a perfect place to distribute information about this epidemic that we are going to have like we have never seen before because of all the rain.
• So we are having an explosion of text, which, by the way, is directly connected with financial problems in that ill health is a big burden on the county and the city because these people get really, really sick and are misdiagnosed all the time.
• It makes for more unsheltered people that don't know what they are doing, and I would like to let you know that we just found another body.
• Another woman with another noose around her neck, that is the second one here in this short period of time.
• We need to put signs up throughout the Laguna and stuff about the ticks. There should be no dogs allowed there.
• Especially in unsheltered population they need to take preventative measures. They are living there with the ticks.
• Diana, since you are with Vector Control, we had billboards up about dear ticks and they need to put some radio spots about tick-borne diseases instead of just focusing on mosquitoes. • There are more millions of dollars that are being misspent.
Michael commented as follows:
• I just wanted to go on the record.
• Kyle said what business owners would go on the record and say they don't support this, well, I would go on the record as the Boot Maker in Sebastopol that has been on Main Street for 29 years. • What I have seen in the recent years, as we have added more services, there are more and more people that are homeless walking around the streets, pushing carts, pulling trolleys, yelling at themselves, yelling at other people, causing disturbances.
• Some of them wearing ankle bracelets that are court assigned and are definitely bad actors. • Unlike Kyle, I am downtown seven days a week sometimes for 14 hours a day. • I see what is going on.
• I will go on the record and say I don't support having showers in the middle of our downtown that will bring more homeless people to town.
City Council Discussion and/or Deliberations
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• I am a time-tested, committed supporter of the need to serve the unhoused in our community. • I support all of the various services that we have offered those in our community. • This is a project that I cannot support for a number of reasons. • First, when I look at it I look at it from a budgetary perspective, and yes, I am on the budget committee, and yes we are looking at a $2.6 million gap between projected revenue and projected expenditures. • And yes, we have asked every single department head to dig deep in order to reduce that gap somewhat.
Just $1.5 million. Which is a lot of money for these department heads who have worked really hard to not do big asks. That is the context.
• I look at any expenditure like this and I ask myself is it justified? • I don't yet feel confident that it is justified.
• I did have a conversation with Maria Rico, the Sebastopol outreach coordinator. I did reach out to Arthur George, who is the West County homeless advocate in town. • I am not convinced that there is a need for this shower, that it is the right day and time for this shower, or that it is the right location for this shower. I don't have a sense that it has been vetted correctly. • For instance, Saturdays. Let's talk about the Saturdays quickly. Our churches are amazing, and they rotate Saturday meals for our unhoused. Why would we want to distract from the meals for our unhoused by setting up a competing mobile shower at the library? That is just one little piece of the puzzle. • Do we actually need additional showers? That is unclear to me. • We have wonderful community where the Christian Church is doing showers on Monday and Thursday. It appears from what Councilmember McLewis has looked at the Community Church does showers on Tuesdays and Saturdays. We have an outreach coordinator who has told me that there are free bus vouchers and people do transport to Santa Rosa to the third straight shower there. • So is there a need? That is unclear to me. Is this the right day? That is absolutely unclear to me. Is this the right location? That is unclear, too. Do we want, and this is a question for our advocates and our outreach coordinator. How will our unhoused population feel about having a mobile shower unit in the middle of the very visible parking lot when there are visitors and residents wandering by all the time. I don't know the answer to that question. But it strikes me that it really is an important question of respect. • Then we have the business issues. But if we want our money to be used to meet actual needs then there needs to be a knitting of services and an understanding. • I cannot support this monetary contribution despite my heartfelt support for the unhoused, and I question whether it should even be approved at all.
• Although that is not the question, whether the use should be allowed, that is not before us. But I certainly would not support the sponsorship, unfortunately.
Councilmember Maurer commented as follows:
• I think it is just really unclear who is providing showers when. Is there a Saturday shower that is unclear. • The part I am really uncomfortable with is the use of that particular parking lot for showers, because the parking lot, six parking spaces are going to have to be blocked off for probably the whole morning, because if somebody pulls in their at 10:00 they are going to have to move their car. So it probably has to be barricaded for the whole morning. And then it will be used until from 10:30 to 12:30. • But all these parking spots will be lost for five, six, seven hours. I am really uncomfortable with that. • I think our downtown businesses need those parking spaces. • The money piece is not money the city would be spending, so it would not really be coming out of the city. It is money that wouldn't be paid to the city.
• But my guess is that the Redwood Gospel Mission is not going to pay $5000 to park a mobile shower service anyway.
• So either way, the city won't get the money. So they are not really losing money. • I would be comfortable waiving the fees, but then sending it back to staff to ask for them to explore a different location.
Councilmember McLewis commented as follows:
• As I expressed earlier during questions, I just can't support this for a number of reasons. • My whole reason for becoming a Councilmember is because I am a business owner in town and I do understand the plight of everyone.
• I have run the Chamber of Commerce there, I served on the board for the Sebastopol downtown Association, I speak with business owners every day.
• It is a distinct challenge, especially right now.
• Everything is more expensive, in addition, the possible loss in revenue to our city, losing the spots we blocked off six spots, that is six cars. That is anywhere from 6 to 24 people that don't have access to our downtown during those hours.
• It is the busiest day of the week for our businesses. It is the day they count on. It is when tourists come here.
• We just have to be practical with some of these things. • It does not sound like it was vetted out very well.
• I did spend a great deal of time today trying to research to see what was available, because I wanted to understand, not just say a blanket no, but have that reasoning why. • I did research all the different locations, just if anyone is interested, the daily shower resource that the mission puts out, there is not one place that is in a parking lot anywhere in downtown. They are all at churches or at homeless service centers. I'm sure there is a reason for that, which is exactly why we have concern right now.
• Then I finally wanted to say that I just take umbrage with the idea of the comments are saying that we should shame our business owners, because they would speak out and have issues with this. • Everyone deserves to have an opinion and a thought, and people deserve to be able to say that. And to shame people, what would we do? Make them whereas sash that says that is their belief? • It just does not make sense to me and it is just not appropriate.
Mayor Hinton commented as follows:
• When I first read it, I thought why are they putting it there? Why don't they put it down across from the Center for the arts? That makes so much more sense. It is one block away, it's not in the busiest parking lot in the city.
• I can appreciate that it was not well vetted, because this came through our sponsorship so I hold no blame on the city, and it would probably need a lot more thorough vetting. I can see how it happened. • They probably asked our library and the library lost the old Ives Pool connection. • As it has been pointed out by another Councilmember, it is not necessarily money spent, hard money, but it is not revenue coming in and it is staff hours.
• I can understand that we have the city sponsorship program that looks like it has funds in it, so people are going to ask for it.
• But again, I will not be supporting this tonight. I'm going to keep my comments, all the questions have already been commented. If the redwood gospel mission and the library could come up with the permit fees and possibly that it for a different parking lot, that is something that would be decided by other departments in the city as is appropriate. But I will not be supporting this item tonight.
Councilmember Maurer commented is it possible to have this item be brought back at a different location? Mayor Hinton commented that would require a motion.
City staff commented as follows:
• We don't know if the library would want another location. • They may ask to withdraw their application.
• We can't require them to do that.
• You could direct staff to ask them, to see if they would want to look at another location, but we cannot require them to.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• My question is, this is a sponsorship application.
• If this sponsorship application submitted by the library is denied, does that prevent another entity from later on submitting an application for a sponsorship for a shower in a different location? • I would think it does not prevent it. I want to confirm that.
City Manager/Attorney McLaughlin commented I would not prevent the library from proposing an alternate location.
Vice Mayor Rich commented for example, a church to go ahead and make arrangements, hypothetically, with redwood gospel mission and submit an application to us for waiver of the fees.
City Manager/Attorney McLaughlin commented all that is possible.
MOTION:
Councilmember McLewis moved and Mayor Hinton seconded the motion to deny the request for sponsorship for the Sebastopol Regional Library - $5012.50 for waiver of City permit fees for Mobile Showers.
Mayor Hinton called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Maurer, McLewis, Zollman, Vice Mayor Rich and Mayor Hinton Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Denied the request for sponsorship for the Sebastopol Regional Library - $5012.50 for waiver of City permit fees for Mobile Showers.
Minute Order Number: 2023-118
Gravenstein Apple Fair Request:
Councilmember Maurer commented how much did the city sponsor this, the Gravenstein Apple Fair last year? City staff commented $3000.
Councilmember Maurer commented and the year before?
City staff commented I don't remember the year before except for the police in-kind service.
Councilmember Zollman commented how many past years have the requests been made by the entity? City staff commented I believe they have been to Council twice prior to this.
Carmen commented this is the third request.
Councilmember Zollman commented can you indicate how much cash we have sponsored in the previous two cycles?
Carmen commented as follows:
• Yes. In 2021, actually, for the benefit concert which was a scaled-back event that we produced in lieu of the full Gravenstein Apple Fair , you sponsored $2000 cash plus some in-kind police support. • Last year for the full resurgence of the Gravenstein Apple Fair you sponsored $3000 cash for a much larger event plus the in-kind traffic support.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• Thank you, Carmen, for being here. I see Pam Davis is here, too. Great duo from the Gravenstein Apple Fair.
• As both of you know, fully aware, we are facing some natural challenges the budget committee has been working through.
• I have to ask you the financial question from your perspective, looking at your projected revenue and your projected expenses this year, what do you project as your net? • Give us a sense of numbers, because that will give us a sense of need.
Carmen commented as follows:
• Well, I can tell you that in the application that we submitted we provided some information about potential sponsorships and the asks, and you will see that the total requested came to $130,000. • We have been working on our budget and sponsorships actively for months and months and months. • Today we have $55,000 committed.
• Quite a lot less than we had hoped for and anticipated.
Vice Mayor Rich commented in 2022, what was your revenue, what was your expense? Carmen commented that I don't have those numbers in front of me and I don't want to misrepresent, but I can tell you that are sponsorships for 2022 were over $70,000.
Vice Mayor Rich commented but you don't have the numbers for us that would indicate what sort of profit you made?
Carmen commented as follows:
• I have the questions that you asked for, which were the budget for this year, so I can give you some preliminary rough numbers from that projection.
• The sponsorships are further down, so we are projecting that we will make $500,000 in revenue, and we were projecting that we would spend $358,000. We added 10 to 15% while we were working on projections from inflation, and I can tell you that some of our expenses are coming in even more than projected. One
• major, new expense this year is we are looking at probably $30,000 to rent shade structures because of the way the park has changed, we have lost so much shade. • New expenses, our security contract jumped dramatically. • Less expenses and more income. So that would make the net roughly $150,000 which funds all of our operations for the year and provides the seed money for the next Apple fair.
Councilmember McLewis commented do you receive any funding from the county? Carmen commented as follows:
• Very little. We used to receive close to $50,000 and TOT funding from the transient occupancy tax. • That program has shifted to be an investment fund that is discretionary for each supervisor. • We continue to request and submit applications for this fiscal year • We have received $7000 from the county.
• We just got those numbers like two weeks ago, we just received that information. That seems to be final for the year.
Councilmember Maurer commented I think if I understood you correctly, you put out requests for $130,000 in sponsorship, is that correct?
Carmen stated that is correct.
Councilmember Maurer commented you have received so far $55,000? Carmen commented that is correct.
Councilmember Maurer commented on your budget for 2023 looks like you are hoping for $70,000.
Carmen commented we are still tracking down sponsorships and it is looking like we might not hit our target of $70,000 this year.
Vice Mayor Rich commented so what happens if this $7500 amount is not approved by the City Council tonight? What does that do to the outcome for the Gravenstein Apple Fair? Carmen commented as follows:
• That will not break the bank for us.
• We understand that you have a huge budget constraint. • We are facing an uncertain economic future.
• We are hoping and working very hard to, it is our 50th anniversary celebration. • We hope that we are going to have a wonderful turnout, that will make the biggest difference, honestly, attendance.
• I am sitting here before you, I think that the pitch I would make is that the most significant thing that you could provide for us is the traffic support from the Sebastopol Police Department. • It makes a huge difference to our residents, to the neighbors, to the local businesses to not have a traffic backup in the city, to have support getting people fluidly into rebel Park. • To have the presence of law and order at the gate, which is something that post-Gilroy we are really thinking about. I like having the police there. They are the only people that can waive people through stop signs. So they can facilitate a much more fluid entrance and exit, and a safe entrance and exit. • I will also say that if you could provide any financial support we want to have this logo, which actually came from art Gravenstein Apple Fair artwork, and we are happy to share it with you , and that was Sarah Gurney's original pitch.
• We want to see the City of Sebastopol represented at the Apple fair. It is a quintessential Sebastopol event.
• We understand we are not technically in city lines, but all the visitors who come here, 14,000 people over the course of the weekend, they don't know that. The local businesses benefit from the traffic of the Gravenstein Apple Fair. We see their Facebook posts saying stop by on Main Street, stop by X business on the way to the Apple fair. In fact the development board has realized that the Apple fair is a driver of economic impact and they are conducting an economic impact study on the Apple fair. Next year we will have more metrics to report.
• We think it is very aligned with the City of Sebastopol in terms of community friendly, family-friendly, intergenerational. Over 14% of the total attendees are from Sebastopol, so it is still a local event that also brings in lots of tourists from the Bay Area and beyond and around Sonoma County. • They have a good feeling about Sebastopol from coming to that. Especially from saying our zero waste initiatives, which are mighty impressive. For 14,000 people we generated this year three cubic yards of trash that would fit in the back of a pickup truck. That was a big investment of time and resources, and we are so proud of that. And we think the city should be, too. • I would love to see you all support the shuttles, support all the traffic measures, do the in-kind city banners. If that is not possible, we understand. The most vital need for us is to have the police helping at the entrance. I would think that the police want to be there, too. It is a huge event that takes place in the city and we want their presence and appreciate their presence.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• There are two requests here. There is a $5300 cash request and a $2200 amount which I think is the inkind piece. • Discussed the application for the shower that was a fee waiver. There was not really any money out of pocket.
• The in-kind amount that is being requested here, the $2200 which has to do with the police and the police support, I think, that isn't like a fee waiver. There is out-of-pocket expenses for our police officers. • What is the loss, what is the money out of the pocket for the city for that $2200 in-kind amount? • Is it $2200 that the city would be paying instead of the Gravenstein Apple Fair pain? Or is it different? City staff commented as follows:
• I would need to know from the chief, who is not here, but the number of hours and officers • I believe Gravenstein Apple Fair has met with the Chief about that • Basically it would be covering the overtime for our police officers to be there because we would not be able to have the officers on shift to be out there.
• I don't know the exact amounts, but I am assuming it is similar to that. • That would be whatever the overtime cost would be for those officers. • Carmen may have the answer, I do believe she met with the chief. • I don't know if he gave a figure for those overtime hours.
Carmen commented as follows:
• He gave a rough figures for the minimum, which would be two officers for only six hours. • That is 9-3, the heaviest traffic time.
• It would be approximated, and again, this is not exact but around $2200 • We know the last year the costs were $2000, so we tacked on an extra 10% which is why it is $2200. • That is anticipating that we are going to see increased expenses like we have with the security and the Sheriff's Department, as well.
• We also hired two Sheriff's officers to be inside the park, scanning, at all times. Because they are equipped to carry weapons in case, in the absolute worst-case scenario that there was an incident they could handle it on the spot.
• That is only something, we have never had that before until 2019, right after Gilroy. • We also have the Gold Ridge fire Department providing emergency services within the park. • What we are looking for Sebastopol police support is simply the traffic , in the presence of the gate, which I think sets a good tone.
• We hire a private security firm, also, which we are required to do for our county permit.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• If this request is denied today, does that in any way prevent the sponsorship amount request, decide in any way prevent our police officers from providing the same service but in an arrangement that would have the Gravenstein farm drills pay for those services? • Could they still do the services but farm trails would have to pay for it? City staff commented it would have to be paid for by farm trails, but yes, they could still do it.
Mayor Hinton opened for public comment: Gravenstein Apple Fair Request Kyle commented as follows:
• I just want to write out the gate say I am in support of the Apple fair and it is a wonderful event, it has been, I think, difficult the last few years within the pandemic and I am glad the city has been able to historically support this event throughout the pandemic to get it through to where we are today. • That being said, we definitely have some conversation to be had about our police services. • When I asked our previous Chief Kilgore about why it is that the City of Sebastopol has the highest cost for policing per capita of any municipality in Sonoma County, almost twice Windsor, his response was that we were a destination city.
• Here is an example of how our destination city is causing an increased cost in our police services. • We are being asked by this event organizer to subsidize the cost of overtime to our officers to provide services to this private event.
• Now, that over time, because it has been brought up, openly state what are overtime budgeted amount was for the last fiscal year.
• Because when we hear it, as members of the public, it is astronomical. • I think the time has come for our city to realize that we need to stop supporting subsidizing our police officers to help with events and recognize that it needs to be the burden on our destination city to be supporting those officers and providing the services to our destination city. • Secondly, just to kind of make reference to part a of this agenda item, are we going to reach out to all of those dog owners whose enjoyment of a dog park might be hindered as a result of this event? • Are we going to reach out to all the property owners that are nearby this event? • Because they should have a say as to whether or not their local space is going to be hindered by these other individuals that happen to be here for an event.
Linda commented as follows:
• I have enjoyed the Gravenstein Apple Fair myself, and one of my fondest memories was sitting around the hay bales on one of the stages, there on the music stages, watching Judge Bertolli playing the guitar and knocking out I killed a man in Reno just to watch him die. His wife going nuts in the audience. It was great.
• I am trying to check, you've got three cubic yards of trash • You made the news last year because of a lack of adequate water, with five people becoming dehydrated and one going to the hospital.
• You are playing with legal liability there, you are lucky that you did not get hit with a class-action suit for failure to provide hydration and water. I hope that you are going to do it this year, I'm thinking you are going to have to bite the bullet and provide plastic containers of water. You're going to have to do it one way or another, or else you are going to risk the health effects and legal consequences. • About the cost of our cops, they are just invaluable. • You are telling me that the sheriff's department has a couple of shares deputies there, that's enough to keep me away from that, but our cops, you cannot give them too much support. They are special.
City Council Discussion and/or Deliberations:
Mayor Hinton commented does the Sheriff's Department donate in-kind time? Carmen commented they do not donate. We have had it waived by the county and we will try for a fee waiver again this year.
Mayor Hinton commented last year they waived the fee?
Carmen commented the first year they had it they waived the fee, we were going to approach them for a waiver again this year.
Councilmember Maurer commented about the $5300 cash requested, what was the $400 for? City staff commented that was for the better permit fee to put banners on the downtown city poles. It requires a permit application fee to install those.
Councilmember Maurer commented what is the $700 signage.
Carmen commented that would be to upgrade our directional signs.
Councilmember Maurer commented where would those be posted? Carmen commented as follows:
• Highway 12
• Highway 116
• Directional signs
Councilmember Maurer commented what is the $300 rental for.
Carmen commented the shuttle parking lot rental.
Councilmember Maurer commented if that could be donated.
Carmen commented is it church run and could be asked.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• When you look at the expenses that you have for the Gravenstein Apple Fair , I personally, as you know, feel hesitation about any out-of-pocket expense that the city might agree to. • That makes me very anxious given our budgetary situation. • Are there any truly in-kind, any waiver of permitting fees, any sort of in-kind requests that are included here that would support the program but would not require money out-of-pocket from the City of Sebastopol?
Mayor Hinton commented as follows:
• I'm going to jump in and see, that did I see that that $400 is a permit fee? Is any of the other fee similar? Just that $400? Which I would be, frankly, in favor of supporting. • But when you think you have this request, are there other, I'm assuming you would've included them in your request, but are there other in-kind services that the City of Sebastopol cut off his could offer the Gravenstein Apple Fair to offset this banner permit fee? City staff commented there could not be. It is county land. So there is not any application fees other than the banner permit that the city would require the Gravenstein fair to go to.
Vice Mayor Rich commented what would be the process for getting that approved for off site directional signs City staff commented as follows:
• It would have to go through the planning department, so we don't know what the location is or anything like that.
• We would recommend to go to the planning department. S • o if they come in through that, that would be something they could come back to the council for the waiver or the fees, but it would go to the planning department.
Councilmember McLewis commented as follows:
• I could support what was mentioned with the $400. I just have so much angst over keeping up with the budget, what is going on, you can watch it publicly now. • Any kind of out of pocket for me right now is just kind of like I just don't know how we do that. Given the decisions and the things that I see that we are going to have to cut. I just wanted to express that. • But I also love the Gravenstein Apple Fair and I am a nonprofit, so I understand the challenges from that side, too. But as a City Councilmember sitting here it makes it really hard to support anything that has a cash outlay right now, given the challenges that we have.
Councilmember Maurer commented as follows:
• The Gravenstein Apple Fair is one of the top fairs and festivals in Sebastopol. • I am very much in support of community vitality, and I think a festival like that brings that on in a beautiful way. Sebastopol does benefit from having this fair. People associate this fair with Sebastopol. • You are going to have banners downtown announcing the fair. It is festive. I feel like coming out of the pandemic how important it is to put our finances and put art appreciation towards rebuilding community, because that is where, as a community, we are going to heal from the pandemic. From coming together as a community.
• I am sensitive to the budget. I am sympathetic to the budget. A couple weeks ago I tried to save $90,000 and that did not work, but I attempted it.
• To me, this is a small thousand dollar request, the in-kind request feels like I don't want to nickel and dime you here. Because we don't know what the future holds for our budget. • We could become a very rich little city in a few years. We don't know. • I had a private practice a while, long time ago, and I was struggling with money. • I would actually decide to spend money as an affirmation that more money is coming. • I would be comfortable approving the in-kind request for the police services. I would be comfortable covering the cost of the signage and the permit fee. But in terms of the shuttle cost and the rental for Holy Ghost Hall, I would hope that either O'Reilly or others could cover that cost. So what would that be, that would be a $2200 for the police, and $1100 would be cash.
Mayor Hinton commented as follows:
• This agenda item came forth now is so that we could decide and do what we felt like we could now and not to say later maybe we can come up with some other ideas. • I am going to move that we approve the permit fee for the $400, and that is all I'm able to approve tonight.
• I'm going to throw that motion out on the floor.
• I do recommend that you do bring back a signage proposal to our planning department so that we can offer you additional signs for the event and be as helpful as we can. In light of the deficit that your nonprofit is going to make profit, which of course, everyone needs to operate with something. • You already have $50 something thousand sponsorships in the bank. • What we are facing, it is hard to do it this year. But I have been on the other side where we have supported you for previous years.
Councilmember Zollman seconded the motion.
Councilmember Maurer commented just a point of clarification about the process here. So you have a motion on the floor to provide the $400 waiving of the fee.
Mayor Hinton commented you can put a second motion on the floor, and if you can get a second, that what we do is take roll for the first motion and the second motion. If you have a counterproposal, then go ahead with your motion.
Councilmember Maurer commented I'm not sure how far I will go, but I'm going to make a motion that we provide the $2200 in-kind police services, the $700 for signage, and $400 to wave the banner permit fee.
There was no second.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• I asked about the in-kind piece, but this is directed to staff. • What about, as I think about other things we might be able to do to support this effort, do we have some marketing options for them?
• Can we commit to including E blasts, supporting the Gravenstein Apple Fair? • Can we include this in Facebook postings? Is there anything along those lines that we could offer to the Gravenstein Apple Fair either at this meeting or through some, if this is not the right place for it, some other way?
City staff commented as follows:
• It is my understanding we have done this in the past, where we use their Facebook posts, there event fires and all that and promote it through the city.
• We have done that in the past and we will continue to do that. • If there is something specific you are looking for our normal process would be to help promote them through their advertisement that we promoted through the city.
Councilmember Maurer commented I would like to motion that we offer the $2200 lease in-kind services. Is there a second? There was no second.
Mayor Hinton moved and Councilmember Zollman seconded the motion to approve the sponsorship request for Gravenstein Appel Fair as follows:
$400 waiver of permit fees for banner permit
Mayor Hinton called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Maurer, McLewis, Zollman, Vice Mayor Rich and Mayor Hinton Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Approved Fee Waiver Request for $400 and recommended the applicant submit signage to the Planning Department for review of signage locations.
Minute Order Number: 2023-119
6. Discussion and Consideration of Approval of Resolution In Support Of The Non-Violent Activists Who Attempt To Expose The Conditions Of Animals In Factory Farms (Requestor: Councilmember Zollman/Responsible Department: City Administration). This item was discussed at the April 18, 2023 City Council meeting with requests for amendments to the Resolution.
Councilmember Zollman presented the agenda item recommending the City Council consider approval of Resolution in support of The Non-Violent Activists Who Attempt To Expose The Conditions Of Animals In Factory Farms
• I want to keep this as concise as possible.
• I will just add one comment that I did not mention the first time that this was brought forth, which is it seems like we are all very clear about our concern over the budget and what money we do plan to expend there needs to be a real reason why.
• Part of me putting this forward is to send a message to our district attorney that it is not a great thing to be able to spend money on individual alleged violators of all which they do have a defense for, when you could actually go after the big people which are the big farmers of these particular animals. • I just wanted to throw that out there and thank the Councilmembers as well for their additional time that they took to provide their comments and recommendations, and to keep an unbiased approach. • I want to thank our Assistant City Manager/City Clerk who took the feedback from each of the Councilmembers and actually retyped it herself.
• I want to thank her for taking that time to do that, and also, again, to say thank you for the Councilmembers for continuing to entertain this.
Mayor Hinton opened for questions from Council. There was none at this time.
Mayor Hinton opened for public comment.
Carla commented as follows:
• Thank you so much for listening to me today.
• To be completely honest with you guys I was not sure if any government official would be brave enough to pass this resolution. San Francisco and Berkeley both did, so I started to have a little bit of hope. • To me, there is not even a question that if you find someone in extreme distress who is suffering you should absolutely be able to rescue them and get them the help that they need. • It actually seems horribly neglectful to leave someone in that state. But many good people do so because they just don't want to get involved or they are worried about legal repercussions, which has actually led to some good Samaritan laws on the books.
• I find it actually frightening that we have to beg for the right to help someone without fear of prosecution just because humans unilaterally decided to regulate, to relegate certain other living beings to the level of property.
• I don't know when we are going to learn from history. We have seen countless activists risk their own safety and freedom to challenge industries and government officials who are consumed with greed and power that try to hide what is going on.
• How many vulnerable populations have been and continue to be exploited, abused, and murdered because of the people who could stand for them don't? How long are we going to continue to punish the people who are on the side of truth, equality, and justice? • Times are changing. They just are. They always have. Laws change. But that change really only happens when people in positions of power, like you, take action. • If I see someone, anyone, human or nonhuman suffering and I can help them I am absolutely going to try. • If I have to break a current law to save a life I am going to do so. Today it might be to save a chicken’s life, but tomorrow it could be yours or your child's.
• Do you really want to prosecute me and put me in jail for that? • If not, I urge you to pass this resolution. If you hope that we don't have to end up in jail, passing this resolution is exactly how you make that a reality.
• You hold power, your actions matter more than most, and staying silent speaks volumes.
Allison commented as follows:
• I want to express my thanks to Councilmember Zollman for introducing this resolution and the support from Councilmember Maurer and Vice Mayor Rich.
• Those expressing concern over exploitation, namely what animals endure and the legal repercussions activist face for taking a stand on issues beyond the scope of city policy. • Mayor Hinton said in the last Council meeting that they have the right to protest but I don't think I should be addressing this in City Council. I want to challenge that it is not the role of the City Council to address these issues. There are many examples of when the City Council passed resolutions, even those that are purely symbolic for the greater good of the community and in response to urgent and serious matters, such as the one we are seeing today facing the violence of animals and activists. • One example was in 2018 San Francisco joint Berkeley, Richland, Hayward, and Oakland in declaring a climate emergency. While the resolution did not create any specific policies or programs that serve as a symbolic gesture of the city's commitment to addressing the climate crisis and has since encouraged current action towards a more sustainable future.
• It is important for elected officials to take a proactive stance, especially on the broader issues that affect us all. Beyond violence against animals, animal agriculture facilities also caused significant negative impacts on the environment including the overuse of natural resources, and the spread of diseases. It is important that the city take action on these negative impacts and the resolution to rescue animals from these facilities as a necessary step in the right direction. • You can make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of your constituents and future generations. As martin Luther King Junior once said our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
A member of the audience commented as follows:
• I am a resident of the city of Berkeley.
• I want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to speak to you in support of this resolution, that means a great deal to me.
• I would like to emphasize that we should all be alarmed by the horrific treatment of senti and beings inside the breeding and slaughtering factories, generally ignored by those in charge of enforcing California's anti-cruelty laws and investigating and prosecuting the culprits. • This is how our trust in our institutions erodes. This is why some compassionate individuals risk their emotional and physical well-being to bear witness to the hidden violence committed against the animals inside factory farms. They become messengers of the brutality they document in the hope that the public and our representatives would be outraged enough to demand full transparency and the strengthening and enforcements of the anti-cruelty laws.
• It is shocking that they and not the perpetrators of the ongoing violence get prosecuted on bogus charges of trespassing and theft of sick and dying animals who have no real value to their breeders. • All of them remain committed to nonviolence despite all the backlash they receive. • I urge the council to pass this important resolution, not only to support the individuals who are currently facing years of risen, but also to send a strong message to the factory farm owners and the official that Sebastopol cares about the welfare of animals and support those who brave hardships to document and report cruelty and factory farms. Other towns and small cities will surely follow.
Christina commented as follows:
• My name is Christina Garfunkel and I am a Sonoma County resident. I live just a few moments away and Santa Rosa.
• I am calling for support on the resolution on the agenda today. • It is through work that has been done through previous activists that I myself have learned more about animal agriculture and all of the complex issues that come with it. It is both perplexing and disheartening to see the lack of oversight and laws in place that protect nonhuman animals, whether it is our own dogs and cats or animals on a farm.
• There have been many instances across the nation of people, peaceful, ordinary people just trying to expose the brutality of these facilities and the suffering of these animals. Yet it is often those trying to reduce the suffering that are continuously prosecuted. It is important that we not only allow for but encourage transparency of our local animal agriculture. • It is an industry that is so prevalent and a staple in most residents’ lives, and one that all residents tax dollars help fund. Yet, it is also an industry that is arcane and completely hidden from us. • I see immense value in the City of Sebastopol recognizing the importance of this resolution and sending the message that animal abuse will not be tolerated here and those that are saving animals will not be prosecuted.
• The consequence of not passing this resolution is setting a precedent that abusive behavior will go unnoticed.
• We should safeguard those who are peacefully combating animal cruelty and protect all life, human or not, that lives in our county. Please pass this resolution A member of the audience commented as follows:
• I live in Occidental, a few minutes away.
• I am here to support the resolution supporting the activists, but I want to say this resolution is not even about activists that are on trial here in Sonoma County. It is about standing up against animal cruelty. • These activists are doing what any decent human being would want to do but are unwilling to take those risks, because the law is on the side of animal agriculture, who sees the senti and beings as nothing more than commodities and products for profit.
• Societies deem certain animals for eating and others to be seen as family members. • This determination is arbitrary, but the suffering of all senti and beings, how they feel is not. Dogs, cats, pigs, cows, chickens, et cetera, they feel pain, they feel love, they feel joy, and they deserve a life field free from harm certain leave because they are deemed profitable by a certain segment of society. • The documentation obtained to stop violence against animals was taken by animal advocates. • This resolution is not about a trial, it is about solidarity from all animal advocates facing unjust prosecution for trying to stop violence to others.
• Please take a firm stand against this
• I'm sure Sebastopol believes that it is not wrong and the county should not use tax dollars against it. • I moved here last year to rescue animals that are in the same predicament, and I am hoping that we stop prosecuting these activists, but as long as you are, we are here to take these animals but please be aware of the suffering that goes on behind closed doors.
Linda commented as follows:
• I applaud you all for your passion, your ability to organize, and your activism. • This is a corollary parallel, thing that has happened in San Francisco, and then in Berkeley over the issue of labeling, about the harm and danger of wireless radiation on the cell phone. • By educating yourselves, and I would encourage you to speak up on this topic, which around Sebastopol, proposing the PG&E Smart meters.
• It's the same thing, it's unjust, unfair and cruelty, and it's all about profit, or public health.
A member of the audience commented as follows:
• You may remember me from last week, I spoke in support • I live in Santa Rosa, and I work on a fruit and fiber farm in Sebastopol • Passing this resolution is one of the very first steps in finally ridding Sonoma County, frankly, of the blight of factory farms.
Sarah commented as follows:
• Thank you all for having us back again and continuing to deliberate on this issue. • I wasn't going to present comment tonight, but, I have to, because I need to state for the record that I am almost 52, I know somebody else in this room is 51, there is some gray hair. This is not a youth movement.
• I don't want to undermine the emphasis of what Kyle was saying, because it's very important, I appreciate that support.
• I wanted to make sure that it is clear that we aren't children, we have young folks in our movement, but we had entities like the ASPCA and the Humane Society that are also working very hard to solve this problem.
• It's a global problem when you are talking about 80 billion land animals alone slaughtered every year. • When you talk about methane emissions, and we focus on CO2, there's also methane, that's a greenhouse gas. It's about 85 times more potent than CO2. • This is a government site that talks about this. That's a lot of methane. We have methane hotspots, now, visible from space. I just want to bring this back to the idea that it's not just a youth movement, it's a global movement, it's a global phenomenon, and it affects every single one of us.
Kate commented as follows:
• I want to say, of course I support activism, I support the democratic process • I'm here tonight, like we are democratic process, I've participated in many marches • I just want to say, this is much more about our trespassing laws, they protect the activists here tonight, they protect our Councilmembers, they protect chicken farmers. They protect research labs, they conduct research on animals, they protect abortion providers, and it's very important that the laws guarding against trespass remain intact, because they actually allow this process, the democratic process to function.
• If we start to whittle away and say certain people can trespass, because they feel so passionately about this issue, we won't have much of a chance of holding our democracy, we will end up in dictatorship or anarchy.
• While I am completely sympathetic to the activists, I think that all activists should engage in law-abiding practice, because I think that makes the world better for us in a democracy, if you still want to live in a democracy, and I don't know if the animal rights activists are aware, but the language they use is very similar to the language that is used by antiabortion activists. • They are willing to break the law to save a life, right to rescue is very similar to Operation Rescue which is an antiabortion activist group.
Eric commented as follows:
• I grew up in Sonoma County, I worked five minutes away, Santa Rosa healthcare. • I am speaking my written public comment.
• I think it's relevant, based off the last comment.
• I'm writing a comment to support express, history shows that it is activism that has shaped our America. • Protests gave us the most fundamental rights that we have today. Women's rights, civil rights, LGBT plus rights, all came from having to break unjust laws.
• As Martin Luther King Jr. said, on injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. And those who expose injustice should not face prosecution for doing so. • I'd love to see Sebastopol on the right side of history, because, animal-rights is absolutely another social justice movement.
• Therefore, I encourage the Council to approve this resolution, because for the first time, the city and Sonoma County is considering a resolution based on animal-rights. • I disagree with the written comments, and spoken suggesting that this is any type of agenda, an agenda seeking more lenient sentencing.
• This is about standing up for what's right. Animals shouldn't have to suffer for corporate profit. In fact, it's illegal to deprive them of food and water.
• When a couple farms are exposed for doing so, whistleblowers are being prosecuted. I believe in of a better world for animals is on the horizon, that's the Sebastopol city I know, and stand up for animals. • Perhaps this could be a trigger event for other cities and agriculturally dense communities. • I know what happens here, I know what happens in my town, I've heard it, and I've seen it, enough is enough, it's time for a change.
• We need reform and transportation standards when 20 million dead animals a year is considered acceptable and good practice.
• We need ordinances that protect from retaliatory prosecution for exposing abusive business practices.
We have a resolution, approval is the least we can do.
City Council Discussion and/or Deliberations
Councilmember Maurer commented on the wording in the resolution discussing those facing felony charges are from Sebastopol. I know they are facing felony charges in Sonoma County, but are they from Sebastopol.
Councilmember Zollman stated that fact is not known at this time.
Councilmember Maurer commented as follows:
• If it's not a fact, I would like to delete that so that it says, whereas four of those activists currently face felony charges in Sonoma County
• If that is a fact, I would like to strike that one part. I wanted to be factual. I would make a motion to approve the resolution.
MOTION:
Councilmember Maurer moved and Vice Mayor rich seconded the motion to Approve Resolution in support Of The Non-Violent Activists Who Attempt To Expose The Conditions Of Animals In Factory Farms as amended:
WHEREAS, four of those activists currently face felony charges in Sonoma County in connection with those investigations and rescues, and additional activists face misdemeanor charges for the same.
Discussion:
Councilmember McLewis commented as follows:
I want to, that my opinion from last meeting still stands.
Mayor Hinton commented as follows:
• Like Councilmember McLewis, my opinions from last meeting, I stand behind. • I did hear from public comment tonight that, I feel like it's not my job. • The resolution acknowledges 148 activists were arrested, and that four are going to face some sort of charges, it's not my job to make those decisions.
• Somebody said it's our job as elected officials do not stay silent. Just because I have a different opinion doesn't mean I'm staying silent. I want to say that clearly. I don't think that's a fair statement. • I've also seen in the newspaper, or it's been meet mentioned by a speaker tonight, that because we are voting on this issue, maybe we don't have progressive views. Anybody that's followed by six years and counsel knows that I vote on progressive views, and that's where I lean. • I feel like we all have opinions, and I honor those, I honor the activists who have the right to protest and make decisions.
• I also have the right to weigh in on this. I won't be supporting this resolution, and since we have a first and second on the table, I want to ask a point of order. Since I'm not supporting this resolution, I would like the Mayor part of the resolution struck. This would be a vote by the City Council, of Sebastopol, but throughout the resolution it says the Mayor and the City Council, and I will not be supporting this. I would like that part of the resolution struck. I think I have the right to ask for that. • In the body of the resolution, if it says the Mayor and implies an action then you can strike that. • So with this vote, I would like that struck from throughout the resolution, thank you.
Councilmember Maurer accepted the requested changed and amended the motion and Councilmember Zollman seconded the amended motion.
Vice Mayor Rich commented as follows:
• I have a question regarding whether, in the resolution, it says at the bottom, approved, Neysa Hinton, Mayor
• Can that line be deleted
• Can we just put Sebastopol City Council?
City Manager/Attorney McLaughlin commented somebody would need to sign in and the title would have to be given. It could be signed by the Vice Mayor.
Councilmember Maurer accepted the additional request and amended the motion and Councilmember Zollman seconded the amended motion with the following changes:
WHEREAS, four of those activists currently face felony charges in Sonoma County in connection with those investigations and rescues, and additional activists face misdemeanor charges for the same.
The Mayor and City Council to be replaced with City Council Mayor Hinton called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Maurer, Zollman, and Vice Mayor Rich Noes: Councilmember McLewis and Mayor Hinton
Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Approval of Resolution In Support Of The Non-Violent Activists Who Attempt To Expose The Conditions Of Animals In Factory Farms as amended:
• WHEREAS, four of those activists currently face felony charges in Sonoma County in connection with those investigations and rescues, and additional activists face misdemeanor charges for the same. • The Mayor and City Council to be replaced with City Council Minute Order Number: 2023-120
Resolution Number: 6528-2023
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: Three minutes per speaker for up to twenty (20) minutes total for public comments but can be reduced at Mayor’s discretion depending upon the number of speakers or Mayor has discretion to allow for additional time beyond the 20 minutes allocated for public comment dependent upon the subject matter or number of speakers.
Oliver commented as follows:
• I'm the only person in the room at all.
• All those people who weren't from Sebastopol , what was it, probably an hour and a half of debate about something that has nothing to do with the city at all, absolutely nuts. • An hour from proclamations about stuff which has no bearing on the city. • We've got 2 1/2 million dollar deficit in the budget. • It's crazy. That's all I've got to say.
CITY COUNCIL/CITY STAFF REPORTS/COMMUNICATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/FUTURE MEETINGS:
7. City Manager-Attorney/City Clerk Reports: (This will be either verbal or written reports provided at or prior to the meeting).
City staff reported as follows on upcoming meetings:
• Upcoming Agenda Review Committee
• Upcoming Budget Committee
8. City Council Reports/Committee/Sub-Committee Meeting Reports: (Reports by Mayor/City Councilmembers Regarding Various Agency Meetings/Committee Meetings/Sub-Committee Meeting /Conferences Attended and Possible Direction to its Representatives (If Needed) on Pending issues before such Boards. (This will be either verbal or written reports provided at the meeting) Councilmember Zollman reported as follows:
• I continue to attend the budget hearings that have been referenced throughout the night, and would encourage everybody that still might be wanting to continue to dial in, especially tomorrow morning at 10:00.
• We are having a recap from the department heads, and definitely attend May 10th. • That might be our last budget hearing before we formulate the recommendation. It might be, I don't know, but dial in.
• I attended the Cal Cities Roundtable discussion on City tax and revenue. Discussion to try to figure out ways that we can put more revenue in.
• I was appointed to the policy committee, and I attended a library check in, as I do every month with our library Commissioner and one of the staff employees, there, also attended to talk about a staffing issue, here.
Councilmember McLewis reported as follows:
• I was just going to mention I attended the Sebastopol World Friends celebration, other Councilmembers were there as well.
• It was just a lovely event, the first time I've attended. They had great attendance, and it was nice to be able to connect with the representatives from the sister cities and the Consul General Vice Mayor Rich reported as follows:
• Councilmember McLewis was absolutely fabulous, spoke as the liaison , very engaging, and it was a wonderful event, the Sebastopol World Friends event. Very community oriented, and a wonderful location at Saint Sebastian's.
• I attended, as liaison to meet your neighbor, and Sebastopol neighborhood communications unit, I met with Skip Jarrell, our public information officer, reporting out there, they participated in the great emergency fare, and are now considering joining up to perhaps do a similar emergency fare in Sebastopol, rotating around. They are also talking about posting their map to neighborhoods, and a publicly accessible site, which I think would be very useful. • The budget committee as Councilmember Zollman mentioned, we met on the 20th, the 25th, the 26th, and hours and hours of meetings.
• Tonight with Gravenstein Apple Fair was just a slight sense of what we are going to be facing in decisions later on, it was very painful for me.
• Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Meeting; Dave Kiffin provided a presentation on the status of homelessness in the county. Councilmember Zollman received an appointment at that meeting. • Agenda Review committee meeting tomorrow
• Attended the Senior Center board meeting as the alternate to Councilmember Maurer • They have all sorts of wonderful plans, and from a financial perspective are in really solid shape, which was wonderful to see. And have a very participatory board, are doing some amazing programs for seniors, very impressive expansion.
• The Apple Blossom booth, I helped oversee on the weekend, and a climate action committee was super active at that booth. It was really amazing, a lot of people were present, a lot of engagement, and I now understand why they say that those little buckets that ambrosia hands out; we must've handed out 50 of them, free buckets.
• Zero waste working group, I met with them today, and they are working on eco-stations. There was a pilot program at the community center, and they are going to support the June 3 Rotary concert to do eco-stations there, which was super important, because there's going to be a lot of garbage, and hopefully more compost and recycling then garbage.
• Ambrosia Thompson and Alan Siegel and Shelly Brown are participating and helping facilitate better collection of recycling and compost there.
• They are also working on metrics and trying to provide numbers that will help Sebastopol report out on positive results.
Councilmember Maurer reported as follows:
• I attended the climate change forum over at the Santa Rosa JC, and Stephen was there, and my daughter was doing a presentation on a bill that's coming, where electric cars have to have a battery that goes two ways. So that a car can be used to store energy that can be used in emergencies. That was the bill she was presenting.
• I attended the town hall last night, for Elderberry commons. • The parade was fantastic, and all of us were in the parade, and I just, that was so much fun. It was really fun to throw the candy. I get it, it makes the kids happy, it's so fun. I wanted to thank you all for that, and thank you to the Mayor for organizing that. It was good fun. • The Senior Center, starting a program having lunch with a Councilmember, and I will be first up in May, it will be May 10th, at 12:30
• I will be having a lunch at the Senior Center for whoever wants to join me, and they have a wonderful cafe, delicious food
Mayor Hinton reported as follows:
• First of all, I want to thank my fellow Councilmembers for helping in the Apple Blossom Parade. We painted banners on Friday night at the public works garage, we started outside, and then the wind was blowing, then we were inside and we had a visit from our local police department, just making sure no one was breaking into public works when it was the City Council. • Then we went through the parade, and, I just remember candy as a kid so I can't help myself, and the Sebastopol pail is very good for candy. That was why I brought it. Good for gardening, good for candy. • Anyway, as mentioned already, we had a Mayor and Councilmembers meeting on April 20th that most of us attended.
• There were some appointments, including my name brought forth on the floor for back up to MTC appointment, I will be writing a letter to the Board of Supervisors regarding that. I do have another Mayor and Councilmembers, only for Mayors meeting coming up May 11th, in which case we will be making recommendations about future presentations to the full Mayor and Councilmembers Association. • Councilmember McLewis and I did attend a fire ad hoc committee on April 27th. We do have another one coming up, we are working on our report to the full Council and the public on the work we've been doing on fire ad hoc
• Agenda review meeting
• This Saturday is Sebastopol Walks, iwalks, I eat local, with the Mayor and Councilmember Zollman for the fourth restaurant walk, with Sebastopol walks organization • That's this Saturday, it starts at the Plaza in the town square at 9:00 a.m. sharp, we will be pulling out and doing approximately a four mile hike around town, with food samples, so the hiking, we work off the food samples, everyone is invited, even if you can only do part of the hike, I anticipate the walk to go from 9:00 a.m. till about 12:30 in the afternoon, and last year we had, I believe, 11 restaurants and we are shooting for approximately the same number.
• I like to get final finals before we print the map, but we have a number of old favorites that have committed, and we have some brand-new restaurants in town that are going to be on the walk as well.
9. Council Communications Received (Information/Meetings/Correspondence Received from the General Public to Councilmembers). There were none.
10. Future City Meeting Dates/Events (Informational Only): (See City Web Site for Up-to-Date Meeting Dates/Times)
CLOSED SESSION: NONE
ADJOURNMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 2, 2023 Meeting will be adjourned to the Regular City Council Meeting of May 16, 2023 at 6:00 pm (In Person and Remote/Zoom Virtual Meeting Format)
Mayor Hinton adjourned the City Council Meeting of May 2, 2023 at 9:35 pm to the Regular City Council Meeting of May 16, 2023 at 6:00 pm (In Person and Remote/Zoom Virtual Meeting Format) Submitted respectfully by,
Mary C. Gourley
Assistant City Manager/City Clerk, MMC