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, October 7, 2025
INTERVIEWS FOR CLIMATE ACTION COMMITTEE WILL BEGIN AT 6:00 PM FOLLOWED BY REMAINING AGENDA ITEMS
Meeting to be held in Person and Virtual /Remote Participation In Person: 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Topic: City Council Meeting - October 7, 2025
Time: Oct 7, 2025 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84427167857
Meeting ID: 844 2716 7857
Passcode: 493156
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Meeting ID: 844 2716 7857
Passcode: 493156
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbZR4XUysA https://vimeo.com/event/5018271
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.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The City of Sebastopol acknowledges that we live and work within the unceded ancestral homelands of the Southern Pomo and the Coast Miwok people. We pay our respect to the past, present, and future generations of these peoples, including the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
1. INTERVIEWS FOR OPENING ON THE CLIMATE ACTION COMMITTEE: (One Vacancy) Responsible Department: Planning Department/ Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact
6:00 pm : It is anticipated that interviews will take 15 minutes (however, the second interview will start immediately after the finalization of the first interview if the first interview concludes sooner than the anticipated 15 minutes.
Olivia House (Youth Applicant); followed by: Sunny Galbraith
2. APPOINTMENT TO THE CLIMATE ACTION COMMITTEE
Responsible Department: Planning Department/ Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS/INTRODUCTIONS:
• Proclamation: Recognizing Survivors & Pets for Domestic Violence Awareness Month • Proclamation: Proclaiming October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Recognizing the YWCA Sonoma County for providing vital resources for local residents experiencing domestic violence
• Proclamation: Proclaiming Zero Waste Week October 11-18 • Proclamation: Recognizing October Breast Cancer Awareness Month 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.
3. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes of September 16, 2025 Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item.
4. Resolution authorizing MuniServices LLC to Audit Sales Tax Receipts for the new Measure U Local Transaction and Use Tax. Muniservices LLC has a contract to audit the reports on the City’s sales tax collections from the CDTFA. With the recent passage of the Sebastopol Measure U, the City must amend their contract with MuniServices to include the receipts for the new 1/2 cent transaction and use tax, which becomes effective April 1, 2025.
Responsible Department: Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: There no fiscal impact with the approval of this item
5. Receipt of Results from the Request for Proposals for City IT Assessment Audit and Rejection of Bids. In June 2025, City staff issued an RFP for IT audit assessment to 9 IT companies. The City only received one response.
Responsible Department: Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. Staff is recommending rejection of the proposal.
6. Request from Climate Action Committee for Letters of Support for the California Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Assembly Bill 1243 (Addis, coauthored by Damon Connolly and Chris Rogers) and Senate Bill 684 (Menjivar).
Requestor: Climate Action Committee
Responsible Department: Planning Department/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. Staff is recommending not to support the request at this time and reconsider if the bill is taken up again by the Legislature. Per the Leage of CA Cities, Cal Cities does not have a position. These two bills did not get through the second house policy committees so they will not be moving this year– they can be reconsidered in January when the Legislature returns back to start the New Session of 2026
7. Authorization for the Mayor to Sign onto the “Mayors for Equal Rights Amendment “ERA” Petition.
California NOW (CA NOW), which has been working on a statewide effort to advance the Equal Rights Amendment is reaching out to Democratic House Members to co-sponsor House Joint Resolution 80, and is also mobilizing support from local governments. Approval would authorize the Mayor to sign onto the “Mayors for ERA” petition in support of recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
Requestor: Mayor Zollman
Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact.
8. Adoption of Resolution approving Quitclaim Deed for Public Landscape Easement at 6921 Bodega Avenue. City owns a public landscape easement located on private property and the property owner is requesting that the City abandon this easement at the corner of Bodega Avenue and Petaluma Ave. (SR 12).
Responsible Department: City Engineer
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact.
9. Approval of Amendment to Flag Policy. Policy is to Amend the recently approved flag policy to list specific banners on poles and Council Policy on discussion of Presidential Directives Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact.
10. Receipt of Presentation by Zero Waste Sonoma re. Zero Waste Week October 11-18 Requestor: Zero Waste Sonoma
Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
11. Receipt of FY25-26 Budget at a Glance Format. To receive the informational item for "Budget at a Glance" which is a summary document that presents key financial information from a larger, more detailed budget in a simple, easy-to-understand format.
Responsible Department: Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
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).
12. Informational Presentation: Presentation from Hunter Scott, HomeFirst, on Coordinated Entry Requestor: Mayor Zollman
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
13. Informational Presentation: Presentation from Wendy Tappon – Mobile Crisis Team Manager and Dr. Jan Cobaleda-Kegler – County Behavioral Health Director, on Mobile Support Team/Sonoma County Mobile Crisis Services Continuum Update
Requestor: Mayor Zollman
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
14. Informational Presentation – Police Statistics/Report on Crime Statistics for last 5-10 years Requestor: Councilmember Carter and Vice Mayor McLewis
Responsible Department: Police
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
15. Informational Presentation from Gold Ridge Fire Department on First Quarter Statistics/Volunteer Participation: Presenters: Fire Chief Shepley Schroth-Cary and Deputy Chief Dave Bray Requestor: Former Fire Ad Hoc Committee (Part of Commitment from Gold Ridge to Provide Reports) Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
16. FY24-25 Quarter 4 Financial Update for Enterprise Funds Responsible Department: Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
17. FY24-25 Quarter 4 Financial Update for General Fund (Item will include update as to use of Measure U funds)
Responsible Department: Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact. This is an informational item.
PUBLIC HEARING(s): NONE
REGULAR CALENDAR AGENDA ITEMS (DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION):
18. Consideration and Approval of Direction to the City Attorney to Research Options Available to the City Regarding Woodmark Apartments. The City has received inquiries and concerns regarding the displacement of tenants at Woodmark Apartments. At this time, there is uncertainty as to what actions, if any, the City may take within the scope of its legal authority. This item is to request the City Council approve direction to the City Attorney to research and advise on potential options, if any.
Requestor: Mayor Zollman/Councilmember Carter
Responsible Department: City Attorney
Fiscal Impact: It will take approximately 10 hours of City Attorney time to research and analyze the options for the City to address the situation described above. It is anticipated those costs could be included within the existing City Attorney budget for general services. If the City Council decides to move forward with any of the identified options, there would be additional costs (such as for the preparation of an ordinance)
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:
19. 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)
20. 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)
21. Council Communications Received (Information/Meetings/Correspondence Received from the General Public to Councilmembers)
CLOSED SESSION: NONE
ADJOURNMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING
October 7, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting will be adjourned to the next Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 6:00 pm, Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA.
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