From: City Council
To: Mary Gourley
Cc: Victoria Henkel; Zulema Higgins; John Jay; Jane Riley Bcc: 1Elected Officials; Alex Mog
Subject: FW: Chain and franchise
Date: Sunday, February 1, 2026 1:10:00 PM
Please see email submitted to the City of Sebastopol.
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City staff who have also received this email are included into the CC as shown above.
Thank you
Mary Gourley
Interim City Manager
-----Original Message-----
From: Edward Meisse <
Sent: Sunday, February 1, 2026 11:52 AM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: Chain and franchise
Sorry for this second email but I have been informed that Tuesday’s meeting is not just about Grocery Outlet but is about allowing chain and franchise businesses in general into Sebastopol. I don’t live in Sebastopol but as I told you in my previous email, I do occasionally work there and I do enjoy a lot of my free time there. My granddaughter and I have always loved Screamin’ Mimis ice cream and the farmer’s market. I also shop at Community Market, Whole Foods, Rosemary’s Garden and Copperfield Books as well as dropping in to places that I can’t remember the names of. I fear for the existence of these places as well as the intimate, homey feel of Sebastopol in general if big chain and franchise stores are allowed in. The town will be ruined. I am hoping more and more that I will be able to get to the meeting but it also looks more and more unlikely. So this is my two cents.
Thanks for reading.