City Council
Mayor Stephen Zollman
Vice Mayor Jill McLewis
Councilmember Phill Carter
Councilmember Neysa Hinton
Councilmember Sandra Maurer
Interim City Manager
Mary Gourley
[email protected]
CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA
Meeting of Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Meeting Start Time: 6:00 pm
Meeting to be held in Person and Virtual /Remote Participation In Person: 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Zoom Link Below: Zoom Link can be used for providing public comment/ Vimeo) is utilized for viewing only of meeting
City Council is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: City Council Meeting - August 5, 2025
Time: Aug 5, 2025 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81471185970
Meeting ID: 814 7118 5970
Passcode: 877947
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https://vimeo.com/event/5018232
Meeting ID: 814 7118 5970
Passcode: 877947
COUNCIL PROTOCOLS FOR MEETING:
This in person and virtual/remote meeting is compliant with the Governor’s Executive Order allowing for a deviation of teleconference rules required by the Brown Act. Traditional Brown Act and AB 2449 requirements can be utilized for all City Council meetings as long as required notice and posting is conducted per the Brown Act.
Please Note the presiding member of the legislative body conducting a meeting or their designee may remove, or cause the removal of, an individual for disrupting the meeting. “Disrupting” means engaging in behavior during a meeting of a legislative body that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Due to the length of recent City Council Meetings, it is strongly encouraged that written comments be submitted to the City Council by sending them by email to: [email protected] with either General Public Comment Written in the Subject Line or the Specific Agenda Item Number or Title Written in the Subject Line. Emails are distributed to the City Council as well as posted to the City Council meeting as public comment. Public Comment questions may be directed to City staff for a response at a later time.
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED): To consider and take action on any request from a Council Member to participate in a meeting remotely due to Just Cause or Emergency Circumstances pursuant to AB 2449 (Government Code Section 549539(f)). Assembly Bill 2302 (2024) (“AB 2302”) revises rules for when members of local legislative bodies may participate in meetings remotely. Specifically, it amends the number of meetings that may be attended remotely for just cause and under emergency circumstances and clarifies the definition of the term “meeting,” for purposes of remote attendance. AB 2302 caps the number of remote meetings a member can attend each year based on the frequency of a legislative body’s meetings: Five meetings per year for those meeting twice a month.
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS/INTRODUCTIONS:
Proclamation Proclaiming Women’s Equality Day – August 26, 2025
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.
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.
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 aloud the title of each consent item (either full agenda title or a simplified version of the agenda title), and 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 two (2) minutes on the entire consent calendar and request at that time that an item or items 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. Council Members 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.
1. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes of July 15, 2025 Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item.
2. Approval of Amendment to City Council Protocols:
Policy Number 6 - Agenda Review Committee/Agenda Preparation/Placement of Items onto an Agenda
Policy Number 7 - Rules for the Conduct of its Meetings, Proceedings and City Business Responsible Department: City Attorney/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item.
3. Approval of First Reading and Introduction of Ordinance for Amendment to Sebastopol Municipal Code
2.36.050 to designate the Police Chief as the Director of Emergency Services due to Reorganization of Fire Department to the Gold Ridge Fire District
Responsible Department: Police
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item.
4. Approval of Request or Proposals for Recruitment Firms for Recruitment for City Manager Position and Authorization to Release Requests for Proposal
Responsible Department: Human Resources Consultant/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. $35,000 has been allocated in the FY 25 26 Budget for recruitment for City Manager Position.
5. Approval of Authorization for Staff Coordination with Sebastopol Neighborhood Communications Unit (SNCU) Regarding Community-Based Emergency Communications Proposal Requestor: Mayor Zollman/Responsible Department: Police Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item other than staff time. Any requests for budget will be proposed to the budget committee followed by consideration of the City Council at a publicly noticed City Council meeting.
6. Approval of Amendment to Administrative Technician Job Description to include “May be tasked supervisory lead” duties as needed.
Responsible Department: Human Resources Consultant/Administrative Services Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item.
7. Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the City Engineer Consultant to Sign Forms and Documents Pertaining to Caltrans and Transportation Grants. With the retirement of the Current Public Works Director/City Engineer, effective August 10, 2025, a new assignment for Contract City Engineer is required by Caltrans for signing authority for transportation grant projects.
Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: There is no additional fiscal impact with approval of this item. Funding has been allocated in the FY 25 26 budget for City Engineer Services in the amount of $50,000. City will be conducting a recruitment in the future for this department vacancy.
8. Approval of Annual Peace Wall Honorees. Council accept the Peace Wall Honorees as nominated by the Sebastopol Living Peace Wall Selection Committee. The persons proposed to be honored on the Peace Wall are required to be reviewed by the City Council, since the Wall is located on public property. Upon Council approval their names will be inscribed onto the Living Peace Wall.
Responsible Department: Community Development
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. At the last City Council meeting, the Council approved wavier of fees for this event in the amount of $450.00.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/PRESENTATIONS: Informational Items or Presentations are items that are informational only and do not require action by the City Council. Presentations shall be scheduled as necessary for the promotion of an event or service or general information items to the Council and should be limited to ten (10) minutes total in length of item (total length includes questions of Council to presenter and public comment).
9. Informational Presentation: The “Hotel Sebastopol” development Update. This is a requirement for the applicant to return annually for update on the status of the project. This item was rescheduled from the July 15th City Council Meeting
Responsible Department: Community Development
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with receipt of this item.
10. Informational Presentation: State of Department of Health Services Behavioral Division/Presenter Nolan Sullivan, Director
Requestor: Mayor Zollman/Responsible Department: Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with receipt of this item.
PUBLIC HEARING(s): NONE
REGULAR CALENDAR AGENDA ITEMS (DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION):
11. Consideration of Creation of Standing Committee for Water/Sewer Fund Oversight; Item was continued from July 1st City Council Meeting
Requestor: Councilmember Carter/Responsible Department: Public Works/Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal (dollar) impact with approval of this item; however, staff time will be required to staff this committee.
12. Review of State of California Invitation to Apply for a Cultural District Designation and Request to approve for staff to prepare and submit an application. This item is related to a State designation granted by the State of California Arts Council to a small percentage of cities in the state.
Selection of the City for a Cultural District Designation would include State funded marketing of the City via the State’s tourism website, welcome centers, and funding to support both tourism and public art programming.
Responsible Department: Community Development Director/Interim Consultant 4Leaf Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item to submit the grant application.
13. Consideration / Discussion of Homeless Outreach Services Contract. As discussed at the July 1st Council meeting, staff was directed to work with WCCS on deliverables within the $40,000 fund allocation (minus $3350 for month of July already approved) Responsible Department: Police
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. Funding has been budgeted in the FY 25 26 budget for $40,000 for homeless outreach services.
14. Consideration of Request from Sebastopol Senior Center for funding to conduct an appraisal of the Senior Center Building located at 167 North High Street Requestor: Mayor Zollman/Responsible Department: Public Works/Engineering Fiscal Impact: There will be a fiscal impact with this item if approved. The cost of an appraisal can range from $1000 - $5000. This item was discussed at the budget committee and not recommended for funding at that meeting. Budget Committees expressed that pursuing an appraisal at this stage is premature.
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: Two 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.
COUNCILMEMBER(S) REQUESTS FOR FUTURE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS CITY COUNCIL/CITY STAFF REPORTS/COMMUNICATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/FUTURE MEETINGS:
15. City Manager and/or City Clerk Reports: (This will be either verbal reports at the meeting, or written reports provided at or prior to the meeting)
16. 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 reports at the meeting, or written reports provided at or prior to the meeting)
17. Council Communications Received (Information/Meetings/Correspondence Received from the General Public to Councilmembers)
CLOSED SESSION: NONE
ADJOURNMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING
August 5, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting will be adjourned to the next Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 6:00 pm, Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA. The regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, August 19th, 2025 has been cancelled.
American Disability Act Accommodations/Accessibility: A request can be made orally or in writing, and submitted to the ADA Coordinator by email: [email protected] or to the City Clerk’s Office so as to avoid delay in reviewing and processing the request. Requests can be made by contacting the ADA Coordinator’s Office at (707) 823-8597, via email at [email protected] or by mailing such a request to the ADA Coordinator’s Office located at 7425 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol, CA. Note that if you contact the ADA Coordinators Office, via mail, you need to make the request early enough that a response can be timely provided.
NOTICE: All Resolutions and Ordinances introduced and/or adopted under this agenda are waived of all reading of entire resolution(s) and ordinance(s). The City of Sebastopol is a general law city formed under the laws of the State of California. With respect to adoption of ordinances and resolutions, the City adheres to the requirements set forth in the Government Code. Unless otherwise required, the full reading of the text of standard ordinances and resolutions is waived.
SB 751 Legislative bodies of local agencies must publicly report: (1) any action taken and (2) the vote or abstention on each action taken by each member present for the action at a meeting.
If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact the City at Email: [email protected] or [email protected] or please call: 707-823-1153. The public is advised that pursuant to Government Code section 54957.5 all writings submitted to the City Council are public records and will be made available for review at City Hall during normal business hours. The Sebastopol City Council welcomes you in person or remotely to its meetings that are generally scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month. Your interest and participation are encouraged and appreciated.
Government Code Section 54953.
(a) All meetings of the legislative body of a local agency shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of the legislative body of a local agency, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b)
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the legislative body of a local agency may use teleconferencing for the benefit of the public and the legislative body of a local agency in connection with any meeting or proceeding authorized by law. The teleconferenced meeting or proceeding shall comply with all requirements of this chapter and all otherwise applicable provisions of law relating to a specific type of meeting or proceeding. (2) Teleconferencing, as authorized by this section, may be used for all purposes in connection with any meeting within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body. All votes taken during a teleconferenced meeting shall be by rollcall.
There are times that the City Council open meetings may not be live streamed due to technical issues; if that is the case, the meeting will be video-taped and uploaded as soon as possible to the City Web Site. In the event of a disruption that prevents the legislative body from broadcasting the meeting to members of the public using the call-in option or internet-based service option, or in the event of a disruption within the local agency’s control that prevents members of the public from offering public comments using the call-in option or internet-based service option, the legislative body shall take no further action on items appearing on the meeting agenda until public access to the meeting via the call-in option or internet-based service option is restored. Actions taken on agenda items during a disruption that prevents the legislative body from broadcasting the meeting may be challenged pursuant to Section 54960.1.
COUNCIL PROTOCOLS FOR MEETING RESTATED:
This in person and virtual/remote meeting is compliant with the Governor’s Executive Order allowing for a deviation of teleconference rules required by the Brown Act. Traditional Brown Act and AB 2449 requirements can be utilized for all City Council meetings as long as required notice and posting is conducted per the Brown Act.
Please Note the presiding member of the legislative body conducting a meeting or their designee may remove, or cause the removal of, an individual for disrupting the meeting.
Prior to removing an individual, the presiding member or their designee shall warn the individual that their behavior is disrupting the meeting and that their failure to cease their behavior may result in their removal. The presiding member or their designee may then remove the individual if they do not promptly cease their disruptive behavior. This paragraph does not apply to any behavior described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).
(b) As used in this section:
(1) “Disrupting” means engaging in behavior during a meeting of a legislative body that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting and includes, but is not limited to, one of the following:
(A) A failure to comply with reasonable and lawful regulations adopted by a legislative body pursuant to Section 54954.3 or any other law.
(B) Engaging in behavior that constitutes use of force or a true threat of force. (2) “True threat of force” means a threat that has sufficient indicia of intent and seriousness, that a reasonable observer would perceive it to be an actual threat to use force by the person making the threat.
How can I provide Public Comment on Zoom?
The Mayor will request public comment during the Public Comment period on the agenda and during each Public Hearing and Regular Calendar Item. Once the Mayor has announced the public comment period, please do one of the following.
USING A COMPUTER OR SMART PHONE:
• Click on the “Raise Hand” feature in the webinar controls. This will notify City staff that you have raised your hand and you would like to speak.
• City staff will unmute your microphone when it is your turn to provide public comment. • A prompt will appear to confirm you would like to be unmuted. Once you accept the prompt, you will have two minutes to provide public comment.
• Once your public comment has ended, you will be muted again.
USING A REGULAR PHONE:
• Dial *9 (star 9), this will notify City staff that you have “raised your hand” for public comment. • City staff will unmute your microphone when it is your turn to provide public comment. *6 (star 6) is used to mute/unmute.
• You will hear “you are unmuted” and then you will have two minutes to provide public comment. • Once your public comment has ended, you will be muted again