CITY OF SEBASTOPOL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM REPORT FOR MEETING OF: September 2, 2025
=========================================================================================== To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Community Development/Interim City Manager Mary Gourley Responsible Department: City Administration
Subject: Approval to remove the requirement for Vimeo (Live Streaming) of the following Committee Meetings: Public Arts Committee; Climate Action Committee; the newly created committees: Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds; and Sebastopol Commons: Building the Commons Committee. These specific committees will continue to utilize Zoom Virtual Meeting Format and in Person for Public Participation and recordings of the meetings will be posted to the City website as soon as possible after the meeting.
This does not impact Vimeo (Live Streaming) of Regular City Council, Planning Commission or Design Review Board Meetings. It is also recommended that the Council authorize staff to determine use of Vimeo for Special City Council meetings such as those called for an urgency or emergency item, and Town Halls/Study Sessions. Zoom Virtual Meeting Format and in Person for Public Participation and recordings of the meetings would continue to be utilized
.=========================================================================================== RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Resolution, approve removing the requirement for Vimeo (Live Streaming) for the following committee meetings:
• Public Arts Committee
• Climate Action Committee
• Newly created committees: Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds and Sebastopol Commons: Building the Commons Committee
These specific committees will continue to use both Zoom and in-person formats for public participation, and recordings of meetings will be posted to the City website as soon as possible after each meeting. This change will not impact Vimeo (Live Streaming) for City Council, Planning Commission, or Design Review Board meetings.
It is also recommended that the Council authorize staff to determine use of Vimeo for Special City Council meetings such as those called for an urgency or emergency item, and Town Halls/Study Sessions. Zoom Virtual Meeting Format and in Person for Public Participation and recordings of the meetings would continue to be utilized.
PROCESS OF AGENDA ITEM:
1. If item remains on consent, no presentation of item is required. Item would be approved as a consent calendar item.
2. If item is removed from the consent calendar; item would be placed at the end of the regular agenda items for discussion following the process below:
a. Presentation of agenda item by Community Development/Interim City Manager b. Questions and discussion from Councilmembers
c. Public comment period
d. Council deliberation and motion
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet of: September 2, 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City currently uses Vimeo to live stream various City Council, Commission, Board, and Committee meetings as part of its commitment to transparency and accessibility. While Vimeo live streaming provides real-time viewing, it also requires staff time, coordination, and additional costs to set up, monitor, and manage during meetings.
For the committees listed above, staff has determined that public participation can continue to be effectively facilitated through the combined use of Zoom and in-person attendance, with recordings posted shortly after meetings. This approach continuesto ensure transparency while focusing resources on the City’s mostwidely attended and highest-impact meetings.
Vimeo live streaming will continue for:
• Regular City Council Meetings
• Planning Commission Meetings
• Design Review Board Meetings
Of Note: The budget committee does not utilize Vimeo (live streaming) and will continue to utilize in person and zoom for that committee meeting and video will be posted on the city website after the meeting.
City Council Closed Session Meetings and Agenda Review Committees are in person meetings only.
BACKGROUND:
Public Arts Committee and Climate Action Committee meetings have consistently seen minimal to no public attendance, either in person or via Zoom. Over the last five meetings, livestream participation has averaged only 0-1 viewers. Newly formed committees, such as the Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds and the Sebastopol Commons: Building the Commons Committee, is not known at this time the anticipated numbers of in person or zoom attendees.
Given these factors, staff recommends streamlining operations by removing Vimeo live streaming for these committees while maintaining hybrid (Zoom + in-person) access and timely posting of recordings to the City website.
DISCUSSION:
Removing Vimeo live streaming for these smaller committees will:
• Streamline meeting management and reduce technical demands • Save costs by eliminating the need for he City’s IT Contractor (PCA) to operate Vimeo for these meetings • Continue meeting public participation and open meeting law requirements via hybrid access There are also occasions when the City must hold Special Council Meetings, Town Halls, or Study Sessions—sometimes at locations other than the Youth Annex—to address urgent or time-sensitive matters or to accommodate larger crowds.
Examplesinclude the recent Fire Ad Hoc Committee Town Hall, which successfully utilized in-person and Zoom participation only. In such cases, eliminating Vimeo live streaming would reduce costs without diminishing public access, as Zoom would remain available.
Recordings of all such meetings would be posted promptly to the City’s website to ensure timely public access.
STAFF (RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT) ANALYSIS:
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet of: September 2, 2025
The Interim City Manager supports this request as a reasonable balance between fiscal responsibility, utilization of staff time, and maintaining public access. This change will allow resources to be allocated for City Council, Planning Commission and Design Review Board meetings, while ensuring participation remains accessible and recordings are available.
Vimeo Live Streaming is a venue where members of the public can view the meetings rather than logging into zoom.
However, based upon the statistics of Vimeo viewers, the cost to maintain Vimeo for these meetings does not justify the number of viewers.
Due to the low number of attendees, staff also recommends that these committee meetings be held at City Hall rather than reserving the Youth Annex, eliminating staff time and expenses associated with the Sebastopol Cultural Community Center.
For the newly created committees, meetings will initially be held at City Hall. If high in-person attendance is observed, future meetings may be relocated to the Youth Annex to accommodate the larger audience.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS/PRIORITIES; AND/OR GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
This agenda item represents the City Council goals/priorities as follows:
Goal 4: HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATION
Restoring public trust
Improve Public Communications
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.
As of the writing of this agenda item report, the City has not received public comment. If staff receives public comments following the publication and distribution of this agenda item report, such comments will be provided to the City Council as supplemental materials before or at the meeting and will be posted to the city website.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Eliminating the Public Arts Committee and Climate Action Committee from the live streaming schedule is estimated to save $3,750 annually.
RESTATED RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Resolution, approve removing the requirement for Vimeo (Live Streaming) for the following committee meetings:
• Public Arts Committee
• Climate Action Committee
• Newly created committees: Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds and Sebastopol Commons: Building the Commons Committee
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet of: September 2, 2025
These specific committees will continue to use both Zoom and in-person formats for public participation, and recordings of meetings will be posted to the City website as soon as possible after each meeting. This change will not impact Vimeo (Live Streaming) for City Council, Planning Commission, or Design Review Board meetings.
It is also recommended that the Council authorize staff to determine use of Vimeo for Special City Council meetings such as those called for an urgency or emergency item, and Town Halls/Study Sessions. Zoom Virtual Meeting Format and in Person for Public Participation and recordings of the meetings would continue to be utilized.
OPTIONS:
The Council can deny the request and require the committees to have in person, zoom and Vimeo access or provide further direction to staff.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
APPROVALS:
Department Head Approval: Approval Date: 8-27-2025
CEQA Determination (Planning): Approval Date: 8-27-2025 The proposed action is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Administrative Services (Financial): Approval Date: 8-27-2025 Costs authorized in City Approved Budget: ☐ Yes ☐ No XX N/A Account Code (f applicable) ___________________________ City Attorney Approval: Approval Date: 8-27-2025
City Manager Approval: Approval Date: 8-27-2025
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet of: September 2, 2025
CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
RESOLUTION NO. XXXX - 2025
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL APPROVING REMOVAL OF THE
REQUIREMENT FOR VIMEO (LIVE STREAMING) FOR SELECT CITY COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND DIRECTING
THAT SUCH MEETINGS CONTINUE TO BE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH ZOOM, IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE, AND
TIMELY POSTING OF RECORDINGS TO THE CITY WEBSITE
WHEREAS, the City of Sebastopol is committed to transparency and accessibility in providing public access to its meetings; and
WHEREAS, the City currently utilizes Vimeo to live stream City Council, Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and various committee meetings; and
WHEREAS, while Vimeo provides real-time viewing, it also requires additional staff time, coordination, and costs to set up, monitor, and manage during meetings; and WHEREAS, the Public Arts Committee, and Climate Action Committee, have historically low, or unknown, levels of live stream participation, averaging 0–1 viewers on Vimeo; and WHEREAS, these committees as well as the Budget Committee and newly created Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds and Sebastopol Commons: Building the Commons Committee will provide hybrid meeting access (Zoom and in-person) and ensure recordings are posted promptly to the City’s website, maintaining transparency and compliance with open meeting law requirements; and WHEREAS, Vimeo live streaming will continue to be utilized for regular City Council Meetings, Planning Commission Meetings, and Design Review Board Meetings, which are the City’s most widely attended and highest-impact public meetings; and
WHEREAS, City Council Closed Session Meetings and Agenda Review Committee Meetings are in-person only; and
WHEREAS, the City Council further desires that City Council Special Meetings (called for urgent or emergency items or deadlines), Town Halls, and Study Sessions may be conducted using Zoom and inperson formats without Vimeo live streaming, with recordings posted to the City’s website as soon as possible following each meeting.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Sebastopol that:
The requirement for Vimeo live streaming is hereby removed for the following committees:
Public Arts Committee
Climate Action Committee
And that these committees listed above as well as the following committees shall conduct meetings in hybrid format (Zoom and in-person), with recordings posted promptly to the City website following each meeting.
Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet of: September 2, 2025
Sebastopol Commons: Building the Commons Committee
Vimeo live streaming shall continue for Regular City Council Meetings, Planning Commission Meetings, and Design Review Board Meetings.
Special City Council Meetings, Town Halls, and Study Sessions may be conducted via Zoom and in-person without Vimeo live streaming, with recordings posted to the City’s website as soon as possible following the meeting.
Committee meetings covered under this resolution shall, whenever feasible, be held at City Hall to reduce costs and streamline operations. Should attendance exceed available capacity, meetings may be relocated to larger venues such as the Youth Annex.
The above and foregoing Resolution was duly passed, approved and adopted at a meeting by the City Council on the 2nd day of September, 2025.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City of Sebastopol City Council by the following vote:
VOTE:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
APPROVED:__________________________
Mayor Stephen Zollman
ATTEST: ______________________________________________________________ Mary Gourley, Interim City Manager/City Clerk, MMC
Approved as to Form: _____________________________________________ Alex Mog, City Attorney
Agenda Item Number: 12 Agenda Item Number: 12
City Council Meeting Packet of: September 2, 2025