CITY OF SEBASTOPOL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM REPORT FOR MEETING OF: April 15, 2025
=========================================================================================== To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Councilmember Neysa Hinton
Subject: Appointment to Climate Directors Coordination Meeting. =========================================================================================== RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council consider appointment from either the Climate Action Committee or provide direction to City Manager to appoint the Community Development Director to be part of an informal Climate Directors Coordination Meeting.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In February 2025, SCTCA Executive Director James Cameron asked for the City for an appointment of City staff to be a part of an informal Climate Directors Coordination Meeting. Per Mr. Cameron, “RCPA facilitates a bi-monthly Members and Partners meeting with staff representation from each jurisdiction. These meetings are effective for sharing information and facilitating collaboration on climate action but lack decision makers for real time action.
The Climate Directors Meeting frequency is TBD, but somewhere between monthly and quarterly. This model has been effective on the transportation side of the house with the monthly Public Works Directors meeting. Ideal candidates are Assistant City Managers, Directors, and Deputy Directors.” SCTCA did also state that if our small jurisdiction does not have capacity to participate that is ok. Regardless of attendees SCTCA would make sure key staff are included and informed through direct follow up, as well as the RCPA Members and Partners meeting.
DISCUSSION:
A small group of public sector decision makers collaborating on Climate projects and programs will reduce in county competition for the same funds and make us more competitive countywide for Regional, State and Federal funding. There still are federal opportunities that won’t be called climate or equity but align with our shared climate and equity goals.
Agendas for these Climate Directors meetings will be driven by attendees’ topics they bring to the table. The first meeting topics were:
• Climate Bond (Prop 4) Update and Sonoma County Strategy. • Federal Impacts and Strategy
• Multi-Jurisdictional Grant opportunities with increased County-wide Collaboration.
Per James R. Cameron, Executive Director, Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities (Formally:
Sonoma County Transportation Authority/Regional Climate Protection Authority) states that the SCTCA Climate Directors meeting focus will be:
1. Decision makers to complement existing meetings, not add redundancy.
2. Countywide Collaboration, including strategy around Prop 4 Climate Bond and Multi Jurisdictional Grant applications.
3. Legislative Advocacy – State and Federal
4. Ad Hoc Agendas formed by those in attendance – mirror the SCTA Public Works Director Meeting with optional attendance.
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet for Meeting of: April 15, 2025
ROSTER: SCTCA Climate Directors Coordination 2025
Cloverdale:
• Derrick Montanye, Public Works Director [email protected] Cotati:
• Damien O’Bid, City Manager Damien [email protected] Healdsburg:
• Terra Sampson, Utility Conservation Analyst, [email protected] • Vacant, Assistant City Manager
Petaluma:
• Deb Fox, Climate Manager, [email protected]
• Paul Kaushal, Public Works Director, [email protected] Rohnert Park:
• Alicia Giudice, Director of Development Services, [email protected] Santa Rosa:
• Jason Nutt, Assistant City Manager, [email protected]
Sebastopol:
• Emi Theriault, Community Development Director, [email protected] Sonoma:
• Jennifer Gates, Community Development Director, [email protected] Windsor:
• Shannon Cotulla Public Works Director, [email protected] • Cristina Goulart, Environmental Programs Manager, [email protected] County of Sonoma:
• Christel Querijero, Deputy County Administrator, the Climate executive-lead supporting the Board of Supervisors climate related policies, [email protected] • Andrew Sturmfels, Assistant CAO, [email protected] Sonoma Water:
• Dale Roberts, Principal Engineer, [email protected] • Molly Oshun, Climate Resiliency Engineer, [email protected] • Sasha Ponomareva, Department Program Manager, [email protected] Ag+Open Space
• Sheri Emerson, Stewardship Manager, [email protected] • Amy Ricard, Community Resources Manager, [email protected] The first meeting happened on April 1st at noon and the City of Sebastopol had the Interim Associate Planner attend this meeting.
Also, the meeting will happen once a month in hybrid format so the city can attend in person or via Zoom.
Lastly, the meeting will be on a regular series basis with meetings on 4th Thursday of each month from 10am11am.
Staff Analysis:
Currently, the Community Development Director is the assigned City staff. However due to other priorities, City staff may not be able to attend these meetings. Based on comments from the SCTCA Director, staff are confident Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet for Meeting of: April 15, 2025
that there will be opportunities for Sebastopol to participate in decision-making even if staff are unable to attend these meetings.
Staff are concerned with the Council setting this role as a priority outside of the context of the many other priorities under consideration. Also, based on our last communication with the SCTCA Director, having representatives who are not staff would be problematic. There is no other body that we are aware of that allow substitutes for staff.
Councilmember Request:
That the City Council consider appointment from either the Climate Action Committee or direct appointment of the Community Development Director to be part of an informal Climate Directors Coordination Meeting.
Understanding that SCTCA Executive Director is not supportive of a member of the public being appointed to this staff committee; I am recommending the City Council provide direction to the City Manager to have the Community Development Director appointed to attend these informal meetings; these meetings are similar to the regional staff meetings attended by the City Engineer/Public Works Director. Although Sebastopol is small in staff, this is a key meeting where key staff are collaborating on Climate projects and programs which will reduce competition for the same funds and make us more competitive countywide for Regional, State and Federal funding.
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 appointment to this Committee other than staff time to create an agenda item for the Climate Action committee for appointment; or City staff time if a city staff member will be attending these meetings.
RESTATED RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council consider appointment from either the Climate Action Committee or provide direction to the City Manager to appoint the Community Development Director to be part of an informal Climate Directors Coordination Meeting.
CITY COUNCIL OPTIONS:
That the Council not appoint the Community Development Director to the SCTCA climate directors coordination meeting.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet for Meeting of: April 15, 2025