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
Regular Meeting of Tuesday, November 18, 2025
6:00 pm Start Time
Meeting to be held in Person and Virtual /Remote Participation In Person Location: 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472 Topic: City Council Meeting - November 18, 2025
Time: Nov 18, 2025 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 834 9518 0973
Passcode: 006145
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Meeting ID: 834 9518 0973
Passcode: 006145
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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.
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS/INTRODUCTIONS:
• Signing of California Now Petition (Ceremonial Only as Official Council action was approved at previous Council Meeting)
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 November 4, 2025 Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the minutes is covered within existing budgeted salaries. No additional financial impact is anticipated with approval of this item.
2. Approval of Resolution setting a time and place for a public hearing for the proposed adoption by reference of portions of the 2025 Building Code with Local Amendments ad Administrative Changes. The Building Department recommend that the Council: 1) introduce an ordinance adopting by reference the
2025 edition of the California Building Code as adopted and amended by the State of California, repeal existing sections not applicable to new codes and modify Chapters 15.04-15.08 of the City of Sebastopol City Municipal Code to reflect the new model code; and 2) adopt a resolution setting a public hearing on December 2, 2025 for adoption of the ordinance. Upon Council approval of resolution, the public hearing for the adoption of the ordinances is scheduled for December 2, 2025, and related public hearing notices will publish on November 18, 2025 and November 25, 2025.
Responsible Department: Building
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries: Costs for Purchasing a Building Code book set is $1,544, (two are required: one for the Building Department and another for the Sebastopol Regional Library) . Expenses are included in the adopted FY 2025–2026 budget with no additional fiscal impact
3. Amendment to Composition of Commons Committee to remove the Community Foundation, Sebastopol Cultural Community Center and Sebastopol Center for the Arts as representatives per their request. Organizations unable to have a representative attend or participate in meeting at this time due to time constraints.
Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report and to staff meetings is covered within existing budgeted salaries
4. Award of Construction Contract to Team Ghilotti, Inc. for the Bodega Avenue Bike Lanes and Rehab Phase 2 Project (CIP #0514-22.06) for a Total Contract Award of $1,873,601.00. Award of construction contract of this project is included in the adopted FY 25/26 CIP budget. This project is largely funded by Go Sonoma grant fund.
Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries. The adopted FY 2025-26 CIP budget for the Project is $2,576,000 and the total project cost including contingency and construction support is $2,445,961.
5. Award of construction contract for the Burbank Farm ADA Restroom and Path Project to Cestarallo Construction LLC for the Total Contract Award of $243,781.05. Project is partially funded with CDBG grant fund. Funding sources are modified to use more Measure M Parks Fund versus Park in-lieu fees. No change to total budget.
Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries.The adopted FY 2025-26 CIP budget for the Project is $480,000 and the total project cost including contingency and construction support is $332,330.
6. Approval of Draft surveillance use policy/ surveillance impact report. This report needs to be submitted to the City Council on consent at least 45 days before the public hearing. A Public Hearing will be scheduled January 2026 for Introduction of Ordinance. A Budget Amendment for Safe House Security System to be paid for from the Police Endowment Fund and for the Interim City Manager to have signing authority for related purchase and installation will also be considered at that time. This item is to submit the “Surveillance Impact Report” under Section 8.80.050.
Responsible Department: Police
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries . No fiscal impact on approval of impact report
7. Approval of Amendment to Contract with Lauren Berges for Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Association Meetings/Clerk of the Board
Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Approving this item will not have any fiscal impact on the City’s budget. Each participating agency has already been billed for its share of the annual costs, and any attorney expenses that come up will be paid from a designated holding account from Mayors and Councilmembers Association Cities annual costs. For Sebastopol, our portion of the annual amount has already been included and approved in the City Council’s budget for fiscal year 2025-
26. This means there are no new or unexpected costs associated with this approval.
8. Approval of Letter to Caltrans requesting improvements at various locations on State Highways in Sebastopol and authorizing the Mayor to sign the letter on behalf of the Council.
Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries. The costs of the improvements would be borne by Caltrans.
9. Approval of Resolution Establishing Utility Payment Relief for Unpaid Federal Workers. This item proposes the adoption of a resolution to establish a temporary utility payment relief program for Sebastopol residents who are unpaid federal employees during a government shutdown. The program is designed to provide financial flexibility by allowing deferred payment of water and sewer utility bills, while ensuring uninterrupted access to essential services.
The relief program is structured to maintain regular billing cycles, with residents continuing to receive their utility bills as scheduled. However, qualified participants will be exempt from immediate payment obligations, late fees, and service disconnections during the unpaid period. Verification of federal employment and upaid status is required, and the application process is intentionally streamlined to ensure accessibility. Once the federal government resumes operations and affected workers receive their regular pay and backpay, participants will be granted a two-month grace period to bring their accounts current. Any outstanding balances after this period will be subject to standard late fees and collection procedures.
Responsible Department: Administrative Services/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries. The program may result in temporary delays in utility cash collection, but balances will be recovered through repayment plans.
10. Approval of Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance to Add Chapter 9.36, Just Cause Eviction and Tenant Relocation, to the Sebastopol Municipal Code Regarding Regulated Units.
Responsible Department: City Attorney
Fiscal Impact: There are no direct fiscal costs associated with adoption of the proposed ordinance.
However, adoption of the ordinance may result in receipt of questions from tenants and property owners, and responding to those questions will require staff time. In an effort to provide good customer service, the City’s practice is to respond to questions from the public, but to do so as efficiently as possible. Staff will return to the City Council if the amount of staff time dedicated to this ordinance is substantial.
11. Approval of Authorization for the Mayor to Sign a Letter to Woodmark Apartments Requesting a Delay of Evictions, Tenant Information, and a Request for the Property Owner to File a Waiver with the USDA Requestors: Councilmember Maurer and Councilmember Carter Responsible Department: City Attorney/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Staff time may be required for any meetings scheduled with Woodmark owners/property management.
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. Sebastopol World Friends Open World Delegation Presentation Responsible Department: Sebastopol World Friends Liaison Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with receipt of this presentation.
PUBLIC HEARING(s): NONE
REGULAR CALENDAR AGENDA ITEMS (DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION):
13. Award of Contract – Animal Control Services. Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Resolution and Award the Contract to North Bay Animal Services (NBAS) based upon the response to Request for Proposals.
Responsible Department: Police
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Contracted Services for animal control services is approved in the FY budget of $20,000
14. Discussion of Update of the City of Sebastopol Revised Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
Responsible Department: Police
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries.
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)
a. Departmental Reports for Month of October 2025 (All Departments) b. October Inspection Report; North Bay Animal Services (Police)
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
November 18, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting will be adjourned to the next Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, December 2, 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