CITY OF SEBASTOPOL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM REPORT FOR MEETING OF: April 1, 2025
=========================================================================================== To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Assistant City Manager/City Clerk
Mayor Zollman
Subject: Consideration and Direction to Mayor or his/her Designated Representative for Voting for Various Boards and Committee Vacancies at the April 10, 2025 City Selection Committee and Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Board Meeting =========================================================================================== RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council provide Direction to Mayor or his/her Designated Representative for Voting for Various Boards and Committee Vacancies at the April 10, 2025 City Selection Committee and Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Board Meeting. City of Sebastopol will be host for the April 10th meeting.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Sonoma County Mayors’ and Councilmembers’ Association Board of Directors and the City Selection Committee is a collaboration of all Sonoma County cities with a goal of creating a united front to represent the strongest voice possible in support of city interests. The City Selection Committee and the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Mayors’ and Councilmembers’ Association and the General Membership conducts meetings bi-monthly. On April 10, 2025, the City Selection Committee and Mayors and Councilmembers Board of Directors will make appointments to upcoming vacancies on various committees.
The Board of Directors of the Association shall be comprised of the Mayors of the member cities and the officers of the Association. The officers of the Association shall have no vote unless they are Mayors. In the event a Mayor is unable to attend a meeting of the Board of Directors, he/she shall designate another member, who must be a regular member of the Association, to serve as the representative, by letter delivered to the Secretary of the Association at the time of such meeting or prior thereto. In lieu of a letter being provided prior to each meeting, cities may instead provide a letter to the Chair City at the beginning of each term designating the approved alternates for their city. By such a letter, a Mayor may designate another councilperson to serve as his/her representative on all occasions when the Mayor is absent, or only for a particular meeting or meetings. The representative shall enjoy the same voting privilege during the Board of Directors’ meeting as would the Mayor he/she represents. In the absence of such a letter, no one shall be entitled to act as the representative of a Mayor. If there are no letters of interest, the by-laws of the Sonoma County Mayors’ and Councilmembers’ Association allows for nominations from the floor at the meeting.
The City Council approved the Designated Voting Delegate and Alternate(s) to Vote in the Mayor's Absence for the 2025 Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers City Selection Committee Meetings and Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Board and General Membership Association Meetings in the order as listed below:
1. Mayor Zollman
1. Vice Mayor Jill McLewis
2. Councilmember Phill Carter
3. Councilmember Neysa Hinton
4. Councilmember Sandra Maurer
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
A letter was submitted to the Chair City indicating the Designated Voting Delegates in accordance with the by laws for the Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Association.
The remaining 2025 General Membership meetings are listed below for information.
April 10
City of Sebastopol
June 12
City of Sonoma
August 14
Town of Windsor
October 9
City of Cloverdale
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
The City Selection Committee and the Mayors and Councilmembers Association, which includes all the SonomaCounty cities, fills vacancies on various local or regional Boards or Commissions when the terms of office expire or upon resignation. The Chair of the City Selection and Mayor and Councilmembers Association requested letters of interest for the openings listed below. Letter(s) of interest submitted are listed under each Opening.
Below is the final count for letters of interest received. The County has determined that the Measure H Oversight Committee appointments will be made by the Board of Directors. The letters will still be reviewed by each City Council and every Mayor will vote for their recommendation at the MCA Board meeting. There are two seats up for appointment. The two seats that are determined by the MCA Board will ultimately be appointed by the BOS. The Council will provide direction for two appointments from the following letters submitted.
Measure H Oversight Committee – 2 Seats. 3-year term starting in May. *Note – you must be an independent County resident; active fire chiefs, active fire directors, County employees, or spouses to any such individuals may not serve on the committee. Meeting schedule details are pending.
Letters Received:
Jeff Okrepkie, Santa Rosa
Evelyn Mitchell, Healdsburg
Sandra Lowe, Sonoma
Neysa Hinton, Sebastopol
Jill McLewis, Sebastopol
OTHER APPOINTMENTS:
North Bay Division LOCC, Executive Board – 2 Seats (to fill expiring terms of Susan Harvey of Cotati and Janice Cader Thompson of Petaluma) 1 primary seat and 1 alternate seat. 2-year term starting in April.
Letters Received:
Susan Harvey, Cotati
Janice Cader Thompson, Petaluma
Stephen Zollman, Sebastopol
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Citizens Advisory Committee – 2 Seats (to fill expiring terms of John Shribbs of Petaluma and Kevin McDonnell of Petaluma). 2-year term starting in April.
Letters Received:
John Shribbs, Petaluma
Marjorie Morgenstern, Cloverdale
Karen Nau, Petaluma
Additional Direction Required:
Recently, on January 31, 2025, the Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers City Selection called a special meeting for voting on an item for the California Coastal Commission for nominations to be submitted to the Senate Rules Committee. Due to the urgency of the special meeting, there was not enough time for the Council to consider direction to the Mayor for this meeting. In instances where there isn’t sufficient time for the City Council to provide direction to the Mayor or Voting Delegate for voting on urgent items, such as was the case with the recent special meeting for the California Coastal Commission nominations, it is recommended that the Council authorize the Voting Delegate or their alternate(s) to have the authority to cast votes at a City Selection or Board Meeting on behalf of the City. However, this should be contingent upon a subsequent report back to the full Council to ensure transparency and accountability on the decisions made. This approach would provide flexibility for voting in time-sensitive situations.
Staff Analysis:
There is no staff analysis for this item. City Council should discuss letters of interest and provide direction.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
This item has been noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to schedule meeting date. The City has also used social media to promote and advertise the City Council Meeting Agenda Items.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with providing direction to the Mayor or Voting Representative.
RESTATED RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council Provide Direction to the Mayor or Voting Representative for Voting at the City Selection Committee Meeting and the Mayors and Councilmembers Board of Directors Meeting of April 10, 2025. It is also recommended that if late nominations are received, that the City Council direct the Mayor or Designated Voting Representative to:
1. Have the authority to vote on these late nominations or recommendations at the City Selection Committee and Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Board of Directors Association Meetings; or
2. Abstain from Vote; or
3. Direct that late nominations be returned to all Cities for review and recommendation to voting designate/alternates.
And
It is also recommended that the Council authorize the Voting Delegate or their alternate(s) to have the authority to cast votes at a City Selection or Board Meeting on behalf of the City in a situation where there is not enough time to allow for Council direction.
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
CITY COUNCIL OPTIONS:
There are no options as the Council has appointed voting representatives for these meetings to vote on items associated with the City Selection, Board and Geneal Membership meetings.
ATTACHMENTS:
Letters of Interest:
APPROVALS:
Department Head Approval: Approval Date 3-24-2025
CEQA Determination (Planning): Approval Date: 3-24-2025 This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines.
Administrative Services (Financial): Approval Date: 3-24-2025 Costs authorized in City Approved Budget: ☐ Yes ☐ No N/A Account Code (f applicable)
City Attorney Approval Approval Date: 3-24-2025
City Manager Approval: Approval Date: 3-24-2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
February 14, 2025
Sonoma County Mayors' & Councilmembers' Association
Re: Measure H Citizen’s Oversight Committee – Letter of Interest Honorable Mayors and Councilmembers,
I am writing to express my strong interest in serving on the Measure H Oversight Committee and to seek your recommendation for this critical role. As someone who has firsthand experience with the devastation of wildfire and has dedicated years to recovery, resiliency and public safety efforts, I believe I am uniquely qualified to provide oversight and strategic guidance for Sonoma County’s fire initiatives.
In the aftermath of the 2017 Tubbs Fire, which destroyed my home and forever changed our community, I cofounded Coffey Strong, a neighborhood-led recovery group that became a model for disaster response across the country. Through this work, I gained extensive experience navigating government processes, advocating for residents, and ensuring that recovery efforts remained transparent, efficient, and community driven. I have traveled the United States sharing this experience from Colorado, Paradise & Oregon to most recently Los Angeles.
Since then, I have continued my commitment to disaster resilience and public service as a Santa Rosa City Council Member, where I serve as Chair of the Public Safety Subcommittee. In this role, I have worked closely with local, state, and federal agencies to secure resources for fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and long-term recovery. I have also been a strong advocate for expanding firefighting resources, improving evacuation planning, and ensuring that communities across Sonoma County have access to critical disaster response funding.
Additionally, I am a founding board member of the Santa Rosa Fire Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting firefighters and enhancing wildfire prevention and emergency response efforts in our region. Through this work, I have gained valuable insight into the challenges facing our fire agencies and the opportunities we have to improve public safety through strategic investment and community collaboration.
My background in both community leadership and public policy equips me with the knowledge and perspective needed to serve effectively on the Measure H Oversight Committee. I understand the importance of responsible fiscal management, clear communication with the public, and ensuring that the investments made through Measure H truly enhance the safety and resilience of our communities.
I would be honored to contribute my experience and leadership to this important committee. I respectfully ask for your recommendation and support as I seek this appointment, and I welcome any opportunity to discuss how we can work together to strengthen Sonoma County’s disaster preparedness and response efforts.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Jeff Okrepkie
Councilmember, City of Santa Rosa
[email protected] | 707.531.0056
CC: Santa Rosa City Council and City Manager
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
February 24, 2025
Clerk of the Board
County of Sonoma, Board of Supervisors
575 Administration Dr., Room 100A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Attn: Kyreen Gonzalez, [email protected] Cc: Lauren Berges, [email protected]
RE: Appointment to the Measure H Oversight Committee
Dear Honorable Mayors and Councilmembers:
I am writing to express my interest and request your support for my appointment to one of the two Measure H Oversight Committee seats appointed by the Sonoma County Mayors & Councilmembers Association.
Measure H has given us an opportunity to make transformational investments in fire prevention and protection. I believe my skills and experience align well with the goals of the Measure H Oversight Committee.
Serving on the Healdsburg City Council for the last six years, a city with its own independent Fire Department, I have developed a keen understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our first responders. I have learned first-hand, through the numerous fires that have affected Healdsburg in the last several years, the toll fires take on a community. My dedication to public service employees and my ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams make me confident I can bring an energetic perspective to the Committee. My goal would be to work in partnership with Sonoma County’s cities and fire districts to ensure they are empowered to develop local and regional strategies to best meet the goals of Measure H and, ultimately, to best enhance the safety of our communities.
As a Finance/Accounting Professional, with over twenty years of experience in finance, I bring a deep understanding and knowledge of what it means to provide transparency and ensure fiscal accountability. These skills will be invaluable when reviewing the receipts and expenditures and the annual reports from each Agency’s use of Measure H.
CITY OF HEALDSBURG
MAYOR EVELYN L. MITCHELL
401 Grove Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448-4723
Phone: (707) 431-3317
Fax: (707) 431-3321
Visit us at www.healdsburg.gov
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
It would be an honor to put my experience to work for you on the Measure H Oversight Committee and I humbly ask for your support.
Sincerely,
Evelyn L. Mitchell, Mayor
City of Healdsburg
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
City of Sonoma
No. 1 The Plaza
Sonoma, California 95476-6618
Phone (707) 938-3681 Fax (707) 938-8775
E-Mail: [email protected]
March 6, 2025
★
Sonoma Sister Cities:
Aswan, Arab Republic of Egypt
Chambolle-Musigny, France
Greve In Chianti, Italy
Kaniv, Ukraine
Patzcuaro, Mexico
Penglai, China
Tokaj, Hungary
Clerk ofthe Board
County ofSonoma, Board ofSupervisors
575 Administration Dr., Room 100A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Attn: Kyreen Gonzalez, [email protected] Dear Board Members:
I respectfully request your supportfor my appointmentto theMeasure H Oversight Committee.
Asa Councilmemberand pastMayor, Ihave had the opportunity towork closely with theSonoma Valley Fire District and ChiefAkre. Sonoma is unique in thatwe contract with the district rather than having a city-run fire department. As we allknow, Sonoma Valley is home to some ofthe most fire-prone areas, as identifiedin the recentCal Fire report. Ensuring strong fireprevention and emergency services remain the top concern of our residents.
For the past two years, I have also had the privilege of serving on the LAFCO Board, where I have been involved in discussions on multiple fire district consolidations. This experience has given me a deep understanding of fire district needs throughoutthe county. Additionally, atthe state level, I have worked alongsidethe California Professional Firefighters on key statewide ballot measures to increase funding forfire districts.
I am confidentthat myexperience atthe local,county, and state levels will allowme to contribute valuable leadership to the Oversight Committee, strengthening our collective efforts to keep Sonoma safe, prepared, and well-funded.
I would sincerely appreciate your support in endorsing mycandidacy. Please feel freeto reach outif you have any questions orwould like to discuss myqualifications further. I can be reached at (707)337-3796 or viaemail at [email protected].
Thankyou foryour time and consideration.I look forward toyour support.
Best regards,
ne Sandra Lowe
Councilmember
c: Lauren Berges, [email protected]
O
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
City Council
Councilmember Neysa Hinton
March 14, 2025
Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmember’s Association
c/o Mary Gourley
Re: Request for Appointment to the Measure H Oversight Committee Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I seek your support for my appointment by the Mayor and Councilmembers of Sonoma County to the Measure H Oversight Commission. It would be my honor to serve and represent our nine cities and our citizens on this oversight committee that has responsibility to review annual audits. These annual reports will include positions, equipment, and facilities funded, including activities related to fire prevention ensuring compliance with requirements of the Measure H sales tax.
I have been an elected councilmember in the City of Sebastopol since 2016. During that time my expertise in budgeting includes having served on my city’s annual in-depth budgeting process for 5+ years. I also have served on various sub-committees related to our fire department over the past eight years as we discussed moving from a city department to joining the neighboring fire district of Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.
Through this process, I have grown in my knowledge related to fire departments and believe this uniquely qualifies me as the right fit for one of the two appointments representing Sonoma County cities on this new oversight position.
I will come to this appointment position with experience in both city managed fire departments as well as a deep understanding of fire districts. The nine Sonoma County cities are almost equally split between the two types of structuring. Currently, the cities of Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa have municipal fire departments, and the cities of Cloverdale, Cotati, Sonoma and Windsor are part of various fire districts. I currently sit on the Sebastopol Fire Sub-Committee and have spent hours in committee working on Sebastopol’s plan to go from a municipal fire department run by City of Sebastopol to becoming part of the Gold Ridge Fire District. Sebastopol is going through the LAFCO process currently hoping to finalize the re-organization process with Gold Ridge Fire District by July 1, 2025.
Measure H funding is so important to our community and effort to increase fire services. Estimated at 62 million each year, annual reporting and oversight of these new dollars is a promise to the community and ourselves. With the past fires we have faced in recent years locally, not to mention throughout the State of California., additional dollars help us fund needed expansion of services due to changing climate conditions. The tax measure revenue with oversight assures funds to vital fire protection services and additional personnel and building upgrades help our community have the funds needed to provide vital fire services.
It would be my honor to have your support for appointment to the Measure H Oversight Committee, and I respectfully ask for your vote.
Sincerely,
Neysa Hinton
Councilmember, City of Sebastopol
[email protected]
(707) 890-1753
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Lauren Berges <[email protected]>
Measure H Oversight Committee
1 message
Jill McLewis <[email protected]> Fri, Mar 14, 2025 at 10:54 PM To: Lauren Berges <[email protected]>, Mary Gourley <[email protected]> Honorable Mayors, Vice Mayors, and Councilmembers:
I’m writing to express my interest in serving on the Measure H Oversight Committee. Working on this committee would be an extension of the work I’ve been doing as a member of the Sebastopol/Gold Ridge ad hoc committee which has been considering and now working toward consolidation after a number of years. This work has allowed me to gain a deep understanding of finances, staffing, equipment, and facility needs of fire departments. I am well-versed in the budgeting process and understand the complexities involved in managing fire districts. Additionally, my familiarity with levels of call service, the safety our community deserves, and the impact of these factors on consumer insurance rates equips me with a comprehensive perspective on the operational and financial challenges facing our fire services.
Moreover, I’ve gained significant experience with the consolidation and LAFCO process.
This experience has really given me a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with merging resources and improving service delivery. I believe this background uniquely positions me to provide valuable oversight and guidance as part of the Measure H Oversight Committee.
I am committed to ensuring that Measure H funds are used effectively and transparently to strengthen our fire services and enhance public safety. It would be an honor to serve and contribute my experience and insights on the committee.
Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Jill McLewis
Vice Mayor
City of Sebastopol
3/16/25, 11:06 AM Gmail - Measure H Oversight Committee https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/?ik=8cbee50ff6&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1826638367924046131&simpl=msg-f:1826638367924046131 1/1 Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025
Agenda Item Number: 6
Agenda Item Number: 6
City Council Meeting Packet of: April 1, 2025