From:
To: Mary Gourley
Cc:
Subject: Agenda item #8
Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 12:57:15 PM
Good evening, City Council members and Attorney Alex Mog, My name is Kari, and I am a tenant at Woodmark Apartments here in Sebastopol. I’m here tonight as a mother, a full-time worker, and a deeply worried member of this community — one of many families facing the fear and heartbreak of losing our homes.
First, I want to thank you for opening your hearts and giving us your time. It means so much to know you’re listening. What we’re asking for tonight isn’t unreasonable — it’s simply fair. We’re urging you to approve an urgent just cause eviction ordinance that takes effect immediately, protecting families like mine from being forced out of our homes without fair cause or adequate support.
This ordinance would begin on day one of tenancy and include three months of market-rate relocation assistance.
The $10,000 we were all offered to leave by October 31st doesn’t equate to what it actually costs to start over — not in today’s housing market, not in this county.
And I want to be very clear: this ordinance will not cost the City of Sebastopol the kind of money that some citizens are claiming it will. The responsibility for relocation assistance falls on the developer, not on the taxpayers. What we’re asking for is accountability from those who caused this hardship — not a financial burden on the city.
I’ve lived in Sebastopol since 2015, and in Sonoma County since 2010, after relocating from Lake Tahoe. My children attend local schools they can walk to from our apartment. I can’t tell you how wonderful that is for a single parent! This community has been a blessing — it’s where I’ve worked hard to build stability for my kids as a single mother.
But my family’s stability, and that of so many others, has been shaken by decisions made by Aperto and Pacific companies — decisions that have left us scared, uncertain, and struggling through no fault of our own. We did everything right. We worked, paid rent, contributed to this community, and believed we were building a home.
Over 60% of the remaining families at Woodmark are headed by single mothers — women doing everything they can to hold their lives together while keeping a roof over their children’s heads. We are not asking for handouts. We are asking for protection, for fairness, and for the chance to stay rooted in the community we’ve helped build.
None of us would have moved into Woodmark had we known we’d be asked to leave after just one year. It’s not just wrong — it’s deeply unfair.
That’s why I’m pleading with you tonight. Please, take immediate action. Pass an urgent just cause eviction ordinance that includes relocation assistance equal to three months of market-rate rent for those being displaced.
Sebastopol has always been a city that stands up for what’s right — a city that values compassion, fairness, and community. This is your chance to show that again. Please stand with us, protect our families, and help us stay in the place we call home.
Thank you for hearing me, and for standing behind what you know is right.
Respectfully,
Kari Snyder