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City Council Interim City Manager
Mayor Jill McLewis Mary Gourley
Vice Mayor Sandra Maurer [email protected]
Councilmember Phill Carter
Councilmember Neysa Hinton
Councilmember Stephen Zollman
CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
MINUTES FOR MEETING OF May 5, 2026
As Approved by the City Council at their regular meeting of May 19, 2026.
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor McLewis called the meeting to order 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Mayor Jill McLewis
Vice Mayor Sandra Maurer
Councilmember Phill Carter
Councilmember Neysa Hinton Arrived 6:05 pm
Councilmember Stephen Zollman
Absent: None
Staff: Interim City Manager Mary Gourley
Alex Mog, City Attorney, Redwood Public Law
Administrative Services Director Kwong
Interim Planning Director, 4Leaf
Police Chief McDonagh
Public Works Director Hart
SALUTE TO THE FLAG: Mayor McLewis led the 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. None.
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.
REMEMBERING THE HISTORY OF SEBASTOPOL: Mayor McLewis provided history of Sebastopol events.
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS/INTRODUCTIONS:
Councilmember Zollman provide a comment related to the Jewish Heritage Month Proclamation.
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The following were presented:
• Bike Month and Bike to Work Proclamation
• Jewish American Heritage Month
Reference Order Number: 2026-119
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.
The following member(s) of the public spoke during public comment for items not on the agenda:
Larry
Alexis
Meghan
Kim
Emily
Jason
Kip
Ben
Megan
Deborah
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
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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.
Mayor McLewis read the consent calendar.
Mayor McLewis asked if any Councilmember wanted to remove a consent calendar item. There were no requests.
Mayor McLewis opened for public comment. The following member(s) of the public spoke during public comment:
None
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Councilmember Zollman moved and Vice Mayor Maurer seconded the motion to approve consent calendar items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Mayor McLewis Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
1. Approval of City Council Meeting - Goals and Priority Workshop - Meeting of April 14, 2026 Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the minutes is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: None
City Council Action: Approved City Council Meeting - Goals and Priority Workshop - Meeting of April 14, 2026 Minute Order Number: 2026-120
2. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes of April 21, 2026 Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the minutes is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: None
City Council Action: Approved City Council Meeting Minutes of April 21, 2026 Minute Order Number: 2026-121
3. Approval of Extension of Building the Commons; Sebastopol Commons Committee. The current committee terms per the City Council resolution ends June 30, 2026 or upon termination of the Committee whichever is earlier. The Committed members were selected September 2025. It is requested that the committee continue through September 30, 2026 and be disbanded at that time.
This will allow the committee a full year of meeting and to provide a full report to the City Council.
Responsible Department: Public Works Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the minutes is covered within existing budgeted salaries.
Additional Fiscal Impact: This would require three additional meetings to complete the scope of work as proposed in the committee duties and preparation of final reports. Meetings are typically two hours each. Once final report is provided, it is proposed that the committee be disbanded.
City Council Action: Approved Extension of Building the Commons; Sebastopol Commons Committee. The current committee terms per the City Council resolution ends June 30, 2026 or upon termination of the Committee whichever
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is earlier. The Committed members were selected September 2025. It is requested that the committee continue through September 30, 2026 and be disbanded at that time.
This will allow the committee a full year of meeting and to provide a full report to the City Council.
Minute Order Number: 2026-122
4. Approval of Amendment to Flag Policy. This amendment is to approve placement of United States Flags to be placed and displayed by the Scouts or other non-profit organization for certain holidays as noted. The Scouts have requested the following days for flag display:
Martin Luther King Junior Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Women’s Equality Day, Labor Day, Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Veterans Day.
Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the minutes is covered within existing budgeted salaries.
Additional Fiscal Impact: None; Scouts would be responsible for installing and removing flags placed in the public right of way.
City Council Action: Approved Amendment to Flag Policy. This amendment is to approve placement of United States Flags to be placed and displayed by the Scouts or other non-profit organization for certain holidays as noted. The Scouts have requested the following days for flag display:
Martin Luther King Junior Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Women’s Equality Day, Labor Day, Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Veterans Day.
Minute Order Number: 2026-123
Resolution Number: 6754-2026
5. Approval of Direction to Voting Delegate for Appointment to the Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers City Selection Committee.
a. Appointment: Airport Land Use Commission - 1 seat (to fill the expiring term of Todd Lands of Cloverdale). 4 year term with expiration in May.
i. Airport Land Use Commission vacancy: one letter of interest has now been received by Ariel Kelley of Healdsburg.
Responsible Department: Interim City Manager
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: There is no additional fiscal impact.
City Council Action: Approved Direction to Voting Delegate for Appointment to the Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers City Selection Committee.
a. Appointment: Airport Land Use Commission - 1 seat (to fill the expiring term of Todd Lands of Cloverdale). 4 year term with expiration in May.
i. Airport Land Use Commission vacancy: one letter of interest has now been received by Ariel Kelley of Healdsburg.
Minute Order Number: 2026-124
6. Approval of Resolution Continuing Participation as a part of the “Urban County” for purposes of qualifying for HUD monies including CDBG, and Emergency Solutions Grants.
Responsible Department: Planning
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to draft this report Additional Fiscal Impact: None
City Council Action: Approved Resolution Continuing Participation as a part of the “Urban County” for purposes of qualifying for HUD monies including CDBG, and Emergency Solutions Grants.
Minute Order Number: 2026-125
Resolution Number: 6755-2026
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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).
7. Receipt of Information/Update of Programs for Sebastopol Police Department (request from Jan 6th 2026 City Council Meeting) such as Police Explorer Program; CSV; Citizens Academy; Horse Mounted Unit Responsible Department: Police
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries.
Additional Fiscal Impact: There is no additional fiscal impact with receipt of this item; however, implementation of programs will require budget considerations. It is unknown at this time costs to implement programs. Staff will be reviewing costs as part of the Priorities for FY 26-27.
Chief McDonagh presented the agenda item.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public comment period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:
Member of the public
Kyle
Laura
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
No action required. Informational item only.
City Council Action: None required. Informational item only.
Minute Order Number: 2026-126
8. FY25-26 Quarter 3 (Jan-Mar 2026) Financial Update : General Fund and Enterprise Fund. The Sebastopol City Council receive year-to-date financial information for the General Fund and Enterprise Fund.
Responsible Department: Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries.
Additional Fiscal Impact: None
Administrative Services Director presented the agenda item.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public comment period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:
Kyle
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City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
No action required. Informational item only.
City Council Action: None required. Informational item only.
Minute Order Number: 2026-127
PUBLIC HEARING(s):
9. Public Hearing: To conduct a Public Hearing to consider approval for a Tentative Map at 7983 Covert Lane to create a new undeveloped parcel with a remaining developed parcel and review the Tentative Map recommendation from the Planning Commission to allow the creation of a new parcel and remaining parcel.
Responsible Department: Interim Planning Director Jane Riley (Consultant, 4 Leaf) Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: None. Staff and consultant time reimbursed through deposit account for this project for cost recovery.
Interim Planning Director, Consultant Jane Riley, 4 Leaf, presented the agenda item recommending the City Council consider approval for a Tentative Map at 7983 Covert Lane to create a new undeveloped parcel with a remaining developed parcel and review the Tentative Map recommendation from the Planning Commission to allow the creation of a new parcel and remaining parcel.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public hearing period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public hearing period:
Shawn
Hearing no further comments, Mayor McLewis closed the public hearing.
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Councilmember Carter moved and Councilmember Hinton seconded the motion to adopt a resolution finding the minor subdivision exempt from CEQA and approving a Tentative Map to provide for a two-way lot split at 7983 Covert Lane.
Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Mayor McLewis Noes: None
Absent: None
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Abstain: None
City Council Action: Approved a resolution finding the minor subdivision exempt from CEQA and approving a Tentative Map to provide for a two-way lot split at 7983 Covert Lane.
Minute Order Number: 2026-128
Resolution Number: 6756-2026
10. Public Hearing: Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance for Purchase of Cameras for the Sebastopol Police Station/ Amendment for Safe House Security System to be paid for from the Police Endowment Fund. This item was continued from the April 21st 2026 City Council Meeting.
Responsible Department: Police/City Attorney Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: Costs for Cameras are covered by endowment fund in the amount of $13,875.
Chief McDonagh presented the agenda item recommending the City Council approve the first reading and introduction of ordinance for Purchase of Cameras for the Sebastopol Police Station/ Amendment for Safe House Security System to be paid for from the Police Endowment Fund.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public hearing period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public hearing period:
Kyle
Oliver
Hearing no further comments, Mayor McLewis closed the public hearing.
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Mayor McLewis moved and Councilmember Carter seconded the motion to approve the first reading and introduction of ordinance for Purchase of Cameras for the Sebastopol Police Station/ Amendment for Safe House Security System to be paid for from the Police Endowment Fund.
Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Mayor McLewis Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
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City Council Action: Approved the first reading and introduction of ordinance for Purchase of Cameras for the Sebastopol Police Station/ Amendment for Safe House Security System to be paid for from the Police Endowment Fund.
Minute Order Number: 2026-129
Ordinance Number: 1165
Resolution Number: 6757-2026
REGULAR CALENDAR AGENDA ITEMS (DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION):
11. Consideration of Receipt of Water Master Plan
Responsible Department: Public Works
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the minutes is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with receiving and filing the Water Master Plan Update (CIP #0821-23.09). The Plan identifies approximately $10.8 million in capital improvements over the next 5–10 years.
These unfunded projects will be prioritized through future CIP budgets and are expected to be funded by the Water Capital Fund and adopted water rate increases, as outlined in the Water Master Plan.
Director Hart presented the agenda item recommending the City Council receive and file the final draft Water Master Plan Update (CIP #0821-23.09) and provide any comments prior to finalization.
GHD presented the water plan.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public hearing period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:
Kyle
Lee
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Vice Mayor Maurer moved and Councilmember Carter to receive and file the final draft Water Master Plan Update (CIP #0821-23.09).
Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Mayor McLewis Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Received and filed the final draft Water Master Plan Update (CIP #0821-23.09).
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Minute Order Number: 2026-130
12. Cost Allocation Methodology. This item is for Direction to Staff on Cost Allocation Methodology for the upcoming FY 26 27 City Budget. This item will include the Consultant Clear Source providing an overview of the recommended approach and its impact on the budget. The Budget Committee and Enterprise Oversight Committee received presentations on the recommended approaches and supported a placeholder of Option A until full Council discussion.
Responsible Department: Administrative Services
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: The current FY25-26 allocated $6000 for update to the Cost Allocation Plan. Additional fiscal impacts are noted below dependent upon the approved Plan to be discussed at this meeting.
Option 1: an increase in GF reimbursement of $44,908
Option 2: A decrease in GF reimbursement of $93,971
Option 3: A decrease in GF reimbursement of $303,033
Option A: a decrease in GF reimbursement of $209,048
Option B: a decrease in GF reimbursement of $323,263
Director Kwong presented the agenda item recommending the City Council discuss and provide recommendation on the Cost Allocation Methodology for the upcoming FY 26 27 City Budget. The Budget Committee and Enterprise Oversight Committee received presentations on the recommended approaches and supported a placeholder of Option A until full Council discussion.
Clear Source provided a presentation.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public hearing period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:
Kyle
Lee
Oliver
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Councilmember Hinton moved and Councilmember Zollman second the motion to provide the following option for the Cost Allocation Methodology for the upcoming FY 26 27 City Budget:
Scenario A
CAP-Based Charge in FY 2026-27
Use of Prior Year Actual Expenditures
Excluding City Attorney $ 770,772 $ 816,504 $ (209,047) Inflation factor of 2.5%
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Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, and Vice Mayor Maurer Noes: Mayor McLewis
Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Approved Scenario A
CAP-Based Charge in FY 2026-27
Use of Prior Year Actual Expenditures
Excluding City Attorney $ 770,772 $ 816,504 $ (209,047) Inflation factor of 2.5%
Minute Order Number: 2026-131
13. Approval of Resolution of Compensation of 3% for Cost of Living Adjustment for Management and Mid Management Employees
Responsible Department: Human Resources/Personnel Attorney/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: The proposed cost-of-living adjustment for the Management and Mid-Management groups includes $29,500 for salary adjustments and $4,650 for associated workers’ compensation and general liability costs. This fiscal impact is incorporated into the FY 2026–27 Proposed Budget, for a total estimated cost of $34,150 for the upcoming fiscal year.
Deborah Muchmore presented the agenda item.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public hearing period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:
Kyle
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Councilmember Zollman moved and Vice Mayor Maurer second the motion to Approve Resolution of Compensation of 3% for Cost of Living Adjustment for Management and Mid Management Employees Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Mayor McLewis Noes: None
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Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Approved Resolution of Compensation of 3% for Cost of Living Adjustment for Management and Mid Management Employees
Minute Order Number: 2026-132
Resolution Number: 6758-2026
14. Approval of Amendment of Contract for Police Chief for Compensation of 3% for Cost of Living Adjustment Responsible Department: Human Resources/Personnel Attorney/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: The proposed cost-of-living adjustment for Police Chief position includes $6,280 for salary adjustments and $925 for associated workers’ compensation and general liability costs. This fiscal impact is incorporated into the FY 2026–27 Proposed Budget, for a total estimated cost of $7,200 for the upcoming fiscal year.
Deborah Muchmore presented the agenda item.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.
Mayor McLewis opened the public hearing period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:
None
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Councilmember Zollman moved and Vice Mayor Maurer second the motion to Approval of Resolution of Compensation of 3% for Cost of Living Adjustment for Management and Mid Management Employees Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Mayor McLewis Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Approved Resolution of Compensation of 3% for Cost of Living Adjustment for Management and Mid Management Employees
Minute Order Number: 2026-133
Resolution Number: 6759-2026
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15. Approval of Award of Contract for City Manager. Item is to appoint Interim City Manager Mary Gourley to City Manager
Responsible Department: Human Resources/Personnel Attorney Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries. Additional Fiscal Impact: The estimated fiscal impact of the proposed contract consists of $10,630 for salary costs and $1,785 for associated workers’ compensation and general liability expenses, for a total estimated cost of $12,415.
Kerrie McNally, City Personnel Attorney, presented the agenda item.
Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. None.
Mayor McLewis opened the public hearing period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:
Kyle
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:
Council continued discussion of the item.
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.
MOTION:
Mayor McLewis moved and Vice Mayor Maurer second the appoint Mary Gourley to City Manager/Approved Resolution (Employer Hiring Authority: City Council) Employment Contract – Mary Gourley – City Manager Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.
VOTE:
Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Mayor McLewis Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
City Council Action: Approved appointment of Mary Gourley to City Manager Minute Order Number: 2026-134
Resolution Number: 6760-2026
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.
Oliver
Kyle
COUNCILMEMBER(S) REQUESTS FOR FUTURE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS None
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CITY COUNCIL/CITY STAFF REPORTS/COMMUNICATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/FUTURE MEETINGS:
16. 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)
17. 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)
18. Council Communications Received (Information/Meetings/Correspondence Received from the General Public to Councilmembers)
CLOSED SESSION: NONE
ADJOURNMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 5, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting was adjourned by Mayor McLewis at 9:32 pm to the next Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 6:00 pm, Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA.
Respectfully submitted:
Mary C. Gourley
Interim City Manager
Attachment 1: ZOOM Raw Minutes
Attachment 2: VITAC Real Time Transcription Minutes
WEBVTT
1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.230
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Mary, do you know… 2 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:50.479
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Before you go forward, Steven, are we ready to start the meeting?
3 00:00:52.730 --> 00:00:53.530
City Council: We're ready.
4 00:00:54.050 --> 00:00:55.630
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Cody, are you ready? 5 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:10.449
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Does that mean we're ready, or… 6 00:01:13.230 --> 00:01:14.230
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Related.
00:01:14.340 --> 00:01:15.990
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We're ready to start, right, Cody? 8 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:19.439
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes. Yes. Yes, we're ready to start the meeting. 9 00:01:20.430 --> 00:01:21.430
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright.
10 00:01:23.670 --> 00:01:31.159
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Let's see, good evening, everyone. We are starting the meeting just a couple minutes after 6. Mary, if you want to do the roll call? 11 00:01:31.260 --> 00:01:35.320
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Wonderful. Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Carter?
12 00:01:36.710 --> 00:01:45.690
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Here. Councilmember Zolman? Present. Vice Mayor Maurer? Here. Mayor McLewis? Here. And Councilmember Hinton is not in attendance yet.
13 00:01:45.860 --> 00:01:52.700
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you very much. So, let's see, we will go immediately to Salute to the flag, if everyone would like to standwith me. 14 00:02:12.020 --> 00:02:13.090
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright.
15 00:02:13.970 --> 00:02:21.509
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And at every meeting, we do, a land acknowledgement, which I'm going to read here in just a moment. Let me get my papers in order here, so…
16 00:02:21.590 --> 00:02:36.419
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 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 Grayton Rancheria. 17 00:02:36.720 --> 00:02:52.449
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And as part of my year of being mayor, I consistently like to, at each meeting, remember some history of Sebastopol, which I believe Mary's gonna pull up for me. And I do this, in conjunction with Teresa Raimondo and our West County Museum.
18 00:02:52.450 --> 00:02:59.969
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And this week, you can see on the screen there, she and I have been talking about Morris Street, and a bit of the history about Morris Street. 19 00:02:59.980 --> 00:03:09.189
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And so, I'm just gonna read this very quickly. Harry Morris, son of early Sebastopol settler and town founder Joseph H. P. Morris. 20 00:03:09.190 --> 00:03:20.680
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: was the head of the first board of trustees of the newly incorporated city of Sebastopol, and he bore the title of President instead of Mayor, and this was in 1902. So these pictures there…
21 00:03:20.910 --> 00:03:36.090
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: are of him. And then, the Morris family, was associated with the early development of the town, which, saw growth in the 1850s, and it is reported, according to the History Museum, that they, resided at the home. 22 00:03:36.090 --> 00:03:42.349
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: at their home in 1875 at 171 High Street, which was actually next door to the Senior Center.
23 00:03:42.350 --> 00:03:56.260
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then we were discussing the history of Morris Street, and we were just pulling up a few of the old pictures and chose these two, just some historical… in 1951, a flood that happened along Morris Street there, and then also just, 24 00:03:56.460 --> 00:04:09.960
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Row of Palms along Sevaswell Avenue and Morris Street, 1979 and 1980. It's just my hope that as we go forward, we can all appreciate the history, because sometimes we discuss items here,
25 00:04:09.990 --> 00:04:20.190
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That seem a little repetitive for those who have lived here a long time, so it's just good for those of us who haven't lived here our entire life to… to better understand and appreciate the history, so… 26 00:04:20.350 --> 00:04:24.890
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's just what I like to do, so I appreciate everyone for indulging me with that.
27 00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:28.850
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And now, we have proclamations, we have two of them.
28 00:04:29.230 --> 00:04:30.010
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead.
29 00:04:30.550 --> 00:04:38.650
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Madam Mayor, and I would like to make a comment at some time… at some point about the proclamations, either before or after, thanks. Which, you can go ahead now, if you'd like. 30 00:04:38.650 --> 00:04:52.919
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: One of the proclamations, I just hope, is not viewed as being divisive, especially with everything that's going on with the Middle East, and I hope it doesn't send a message to our other brothers and sisters, especially those in Palestine,
31 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:57.759
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That might take this in a different, different direction, so thank you. Okay.
32 00:04:58.070 --> 00:05:11.669
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we have… excuse me, we have our Bike Month proclamation, and our Councilmember Carter has graciously agreed to read that, if you'd like to go ahead, and then Oriana is going to accept that, just so that you know, from Public Works, is my understanding.
33 00:05:12.630 --> 00:05:13.400
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good.
34 00:05:14.550 --> 00:05:24.149
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This is one that speaks to my heart. As a bicyclist, May 2026 as Bike Month, and May 14th, 2026 as Bike to Work Day! 35 00:05:25.710 --> 00:05:27.450
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Few, few days from now. 36 00:05:27.510 --> 00:05:38.860
SebastopolCommunityCulturalCenter:Whereasbicyclingisa healthy,affordable,and environmentally sustainable way to get around, while also supporting recreation and connection to Sebastopol's neighborhoods and natural beauty. 37 00:05:38.860 --> 00:05:48.540
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And whereas safe, accessible streets benefit everyone, whether walking, biking, driving, or rolling, and contribute to a stronger, more vibrant community.
38 00:05:48.570 --> 00:05:57.849
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And whereas the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition has, since 2001, worked to make Sonoma County a safer and more accessible 39 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:04.140
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Place for people who bike through education, advocacy, and community-based programs.
40 00:06:04.350 --> 00:06:14.380
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And whereas these programs reach thousands of localstudentseach year,helpingbuild confidence,improvesafety,and encouraging lifelong, healthy transportation habits, and…
41 00:06:14.620 --> 00:06:20.199
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Whereas during the month of May, residents and visitors are encouraged to participate in events.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and activities that promote safe bicycling awareness and shared responsibility on the roads. Now, therefore, be it resolved that Mayor Jill McLewis do hereby recognize the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and commends the institution
43 00:06:36.070 --> 00:06:39.380
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For its constant contributions to the community. 44 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:43.920
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And witness thereof, Congratulate, 45 00:06:44.550 --> 00:06:49.870
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oriana's going to accept. Okay, we have an acceptance. Oh, we have some updates. Oh, we have…
46 00:06:50.250 --> 00:06:54.289
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We have actually a member of the, Bicycle Coalition.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sorry about that, I didn't know you were here.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we usually just have you come accept it, and… Oh, okay.
49 00:07:01.930 --> 00:07:05.779
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We just… yeah.
50 00:07:08.080 --> 00:07:17.389
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We don't usually do that, but thank you. 51 00:07:19.540 --> 00:07:29.419
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, sorry, we're just following our process here, but at the public comment, when it starts here in a couple minutes, then we invite people to come up and, you know, say what they'd like to say. 52 00:07:29.520 --> 00:07:48.339
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In those two minutes. So, I'm gonna go ahead and read the city, our proclamation, proclaiming Jewish American Heritage Month in Sebastopol in May 2026. Whereas Jewish Americans have been an important part of American… of the American story and have greatly contributed to all areas of American life and culture since our nation's earliest days.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And whereas on April 20th, 2006, the federal government first proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month, stating. 54 00:07:55.640 --> 00:08:08.890
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As a nation of immigrants, the United States is better and stronger because Jewish people from all over the world have chosen to become American citizens, and whereas Jewish Americans connect to their Jewish identity in many ways, including culturally
55 00:08:08.900 --> 00:08:26.349
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: ethnically, religiously, and through Jewish ethics and values, creating a community that is racially, socially, politically, and economically diverse. And whereas we recognize Jewish-American commitment to civic engagement, therefore be it resolved that I, Mayor Jill McLewis, on behalf of the City of Sebastopol. 56 00:08:26.350 --> 00:08:40.969
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hereby declare the month of May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month in appreciation of the achievements and contributions made by members of our Jewish American community, and therefore be it further resolved that Sebastopo will continue
57 00:08:40.970 --> 00:08:54.039
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Efforts to confront anti-Semitism and hate impacting the Jewish community, support education about the diversity of our Jewish
American community, and integrate Jewish American culture into our year-round programs, activities, and ceremonies.
58 00:08:54.540 --> 00:09:05.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then it just says, I witness whereof I have hereunto set my handat thegreat sealof theCity ofBasketball, the fifth day of May. And I know that we have someone here to accept that, Alexis Bhutan? 59 00:09:23.220 --> 00:09:41.499
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you all very much, and again, please feel free to come up at your… at the, public comment here in just a minute, and you can, you know, have your two minutes to say what you would like to say. So, the next thing I wanted to move on to is to ask if anyone has any statements of conflict of interest? 60 00:09:42.730 --> 00:09:48.879
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No? Okay. No com… noconflicts of interest, so Mary, we'll go ahead and go on with public comment.
61 00:09:49.810 --> 00:10:08.159
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is a public comment period. It is… there are two public comment periods, one at the beginning of the meeting, one at the very end. It is a 20-minute time limit. It is 2 minutes per speaker, and we do inchambers first, and then go out to Zoom, backto chambers, back to Zoom. So it is a, about
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 10 speakers. So, I will call on Chambers if there's anyone in Chambers that would like to make a public comment for an item not on the agenda.
63 00:10:16.020 --> 00:10:24.079
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, you might want to raise hands to see how many we may have. Okay, because I want to make sure that… yeah, so we have what? 64 00:10:24.350 --> 00:10:35.160
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 1, 2, 3, 4… Is that, like, 8? There's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 in…
65 00:10:35.750 --> 00:10:42.409
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: in-house in chambers, and I don't see any yet on Zoom, but, typically we do, so…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. So, I will go ahead and start the… I will come… Larry, do you want tocome up and make comment first, please? 67 00:10:50.420 --> 00:10:52.240
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mary.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor McLewis and Council Members.
My name is Larry Robinson, 460 Eleanor Avenue, and I want to speak about 69 00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:05.679
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: clean air.
70 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:16.329
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In 2005, it was my honor to serve as mayor of Sebastopol, and in that year, we adopted our
71 00:11:18.580 --> 00:11:25.510
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Smoke-free ordinance, wood smoke ordinance, because
72 00:11:26.040 --> 00:11:33.049
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Clean air was a high priority for this community, and it still is. And…
73 00:11:34.210 --> 00:11:44.219
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: At that time, many of us were still heating our homes with wood, and we realized that we had to make that transition to cleaner. 74 00:11:44.330 --> 00:11:52.609
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Cleaner ways of heating, and Because some people were still using barbecues, we made an exception. 75 00:11:52.800 --> 00:12:06.459
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for barbecues, in backyard barbecues, to our smoke, wood smoke ordinance. We never intended that to be an exemption for an industrial level
76 00:12:07.070 --> 00:12:13.400
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Smoker. So, I know that you're considering 77 00:12:16.090 --> 00:12:26.009
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: requiring A&MBarbecue to put filters on their, on their smoker, so I encourage you to move ahead with that. 78 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:27.899
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We love…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: their food, we love having them in the neighborhood, but we don't love having smoke in our neighborhood. Thank you. Thank you, Larry, for your public comment. Next, I'll go out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment for an item not on the agenda, please raise your hand virtually.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers. 81 00:12:55.670 --> 00:13:08.859
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hi, I'm Alexis Bhutan, and I requested that the Proclamation for Jewish American Heritage Month be put on the agenda, so I just wanted to thank the City Council members and Mayor McLewis for the recognition and the opportunity for our community to be here today.
82 00:13:08.950 --> 00:13:26.079
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In places like Sebastopol, where Jewish identity thrives, but is not always as visible, this type of recognition is even more important. Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity for everyone to learn that Jews are a unique group of people, with a 3,000-year history that includes, but is certainly not defined by, religion.
83 00:13:26.210 --> 00:13:37.869
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This month also celebrates many important people from the past, but isn't only about looking back. It's about honoring today's Jews, Americans who, like each of you, are committed to our communities and the ideals of our country.
84 00:13:37.870 --> 00:13:47.340
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sebastopol's Jewish-American residents, like our town's many other multicultural communities, have long been part of its civic, cultural, and economic life, not apart from it, but woven into it.
85 00:13:47.340 --> 00:14:06.309
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As evidenced by the long-standing Jewish Film Festival at the Rialto, all the way up to the new Macomb Shalom Forest Synagogue just to our west. So declaring May as Jewish American Heritage Month in Sebastopol tells our community that you see us, and that we belong here. And in a time of extraordinary polarization that too often leads into anti-Semitism.
86 00:14:06.310 --> 00:14:10.869
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Knowing that we belong here and that you will stand by us means the world to us.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And to Councilmember Zolman's previous, comment, I would just say that any group is welcome to request such a proclamation recognizing Heritage Month.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If other groups would like to do that, so hopefully his comment is of no further concern.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you Thank you for your public comment.
Next, I will go out.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Next, I'll go out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment for an item not on the agenda, please raise your hand.
91 00:14:38.780 --> 00:14:41.019
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers. 92 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:42.410
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If you… please?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hello, Mayor McLewis and members of the Council. My name is Megan Cowan, I live on Eleanor Avenue, and because all of my neighbors may not be able to speak this evening, I just want to invite you all to raise your hand, of those who've shown up.
94 00:14:58.180 --> 00:15:01.800
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: From Eleanor Avenue. So, we're here to 95 00:15:01.800 --> 00:15:19.459
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: speak up about the A&M barbecue situation.
When they first openedwith the two small smokers, that was completely acceptable, but when they rolled out the two identical large commercial smokers with the large smokestacks, air quality in our neighborhood became untenable. 96 00:15:19.460 --> 00:15:32.019
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So the smokestacks bring the smoke directly up into our neighborhood, which is uphill of A&M Barbecue, and it creates this very toxic situation that has been captured in the PM2.5 meters on purple air. 97 00:15:32.020 --> 00:15:40.110
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I've been working with the City of Sebastopol since last fall, and I just want tothank your staff. They've been amazing to monitor the situation and to see what's been going on.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And it's really been showing a steady, elevated PM2.5 right in our neighborhood. And I'll just say, just as recent as yesterday, even with the one smoker in operation, the PM2.5 just in our neighborhood went up to 75, and… 99 00:15:53.550 --> 00:16:04.100
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the rest of the day when the smoker was not in operation, the PM2.5 was zero. So this is creating avery, difficult situation in our neighborhood because of this barbecue place.
100
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'll also mention that it's unfortunate that the barbecue place has not been honest with the city. So, for example, they said that they would only operate their smokers from Tuesday to Saturday to be good neighbors. 101
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But clearly, again, they were operating earlier this week, which was not, part of the agreement with the city. 102
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't want to see this business go out of business, but really, they're refusing to put the old smokers that were appropriate back online. Megan, you have about 20 seconds. Thank you. And I just… I really just want to ask you to enforce the cease and desist that went out on April 8th and has not been enforced yet,becauseairqualityin ourneighborhood isreallysuffering.Thankyouverymuch.Thank you, Megan, for your public comment. Next, I'll go out to Zoom if there's anyone on
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Zoom that would like to make a public comment for an item not on the agenda, to please raise your hand virtually. 104
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers. 105
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, good, good evening. My name is Kim Keller.
I, also live on Eleanor Avenue, 477 Eleanor Avenue, and I totally support what Megan reported. She's been really working hard trying to get the data on this. It's, which we have. 106
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And just… I just wanted to… my personal experience withthe smoke is what I wanted tobriefly talk about. So, I like to… I like to sleep with my window open, and there have been a couple occasions where I've… I've… it's… the smoke has… has awakened me.
107
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that never happened before, you know, before the business opened. And then, I also am a runner. I get up very early, and I do, not… I know most people would call it a jog, but for me, it's a jog. It's very slow.
00:17:42.320 --> 00:17:54.209
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: everymorning,almost everymorning,and I find myself now, rather than taking my usual route, I go way around to avoid the smoke. It's not every morning, but some mornings the smoke.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: is really, really bad. I could smell it from my house, you know, so it's impacted me personally in afairly significant way. 110
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And, you know, I support local business, I don't want to hurt this person's livelihood, but I do think something needs to be… a reasonable accommodation needs to be made to those of us who have to live. 111
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In that area. Thanks! 112
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kim, for your public comment. Next, I'll go out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment, to please raise your hand virtually.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers. 114
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hi, thanks, Emily Sharten, I'm with the Tsunami County Bicycle Coalition. And I just wanted to say thank you very much for, recognizing Bike Month.
115
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Bike Coalition, as I think you know, is an advocacy and education organization. We are, our goal is a safe, connected network. 116
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for riders of all ages and abilities, and safer streets for all users. That's work that we do year-round, and we appreciate very much being able to work with the city, towards that goal. It's an ongoing goal. There's always more work to do.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: May is Bike Month. It's a time when we celebrate cycling as a practical and sustainable and fun way to get around. We have a lot of events coming up. Bike to Work Day was mentioned. That will be next Thursday, May 14th.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that is the day that we encourage, bike commuting across the county. We welcome seasoned bike commuters, as well as folks who are new to using their bike for commuting. We will have Energizer stations across the countyofferingsnacksand swagand encouragement.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: During the morning commute, we have two in Sebastopol, one at Community Market, and one, on the Rodota Trail at Petaluma Avenue, put on by, West County Health Centers.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The following week, Wednesday, May 20th, we have, a bike film festival at the Rialto, and that's gonna be featuring, three short films about cycling, and we'll also have, tri-straw rides there for folks who are interested in 121
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: checking that out. And then, lastly, on Sunday, May 31st, we will have, our Pedal Fest event, which is
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Bike Expo, street fair, we'll have… Emily, about 10 seconds. Bike demos, vendors, contests, a community ride, and that will be from 11 to 4 at Somo Village in Roaner Park. So we hope to see you there. Thanks very much. Thank you for
your public comment. Next, I'll go out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment for an item not on the agenda.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers. 124
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening, I'm Jason Tarmino, I'm your Government Affairs Rep for PG&E, and a couple times ayear, I like to come just to reintroduce myself, as I'm the person that all ofmy elected officials in Sonoma County and Lake County call, and our senior staff members call. Tonight, I wantedto talk about something specific, which was, I'm asking for all of my elected officialsto weigh in on the wildfire victims first.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Legislation that was passed last year in the legislature.
126
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: where the California Earthquake Authority was to come up with plans sowe can reform our wildfire insurancesystem so that victims of wildfires,
127
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: are able to have enough money to rebuild after wildfires. I'll, ofcourse, follow up with an email, but I want everybody in the community and all my elected officials to know that reaching out to our state officials and telling them that we need reform is really important. The FAIR plan is under pressure. 128
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Tens of thousands of homeowners are being dropped fromtheirinsurance,and weneed an affordablesolutionthatmakessure,first and foremost, the victims of wildfires aremade whole. So I'll be following up with allof you about that, but I want
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: all ofmy elected officials and all the public to understand that we have an opportunitythis year at our state legislature to, fix this problem. So, thank you very much, and have a wonderful evening. 130
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Jason. Next, I'll go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on an item not on the agenda, to please raise your hand.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers.
00:22:18.230 --> 00:22:28.909
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hello, my name is Kit Keller. I'm also an Eleanor Avenue resident, but I wanted to mention that I'm a retired PhD-level toxicologist. 133
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And there is no safe level of Inhalation of these particulates.
134
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The particulates we're talking about and measuring are the particularly dangerous type that get deep in your lung. 135
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, I'm just supporting… 136
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what they're saying. But I also wanted to ask about the abandoned, burned-out house at Walker and Petaluma Avenue. 137
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's been, I don't know, 3 or 4 years now.
00:22:57.170 --> 00:23:02.370
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And there's been no activity in it, it's… crumbling more.
139
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: people are using their backyard as a parking lot. I mean, it's…
140
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I can't get any information from City Hall about what the status of
141
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Of that is with my emails, so… Just wanted to ask. 142
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment. Next I will go back out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment for an item not on the agenda. Seeing none, I will come back into chambers, and before you start, can I see how many additional members of the public are wishing to speak for items not on the agenda?
00:23:34.810 --> 00:23:35.600
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, Nick, please go ahead with your public comment.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening. My name is Ben Cowan. I live also on Eleanor Avenue, and also speaking on the topic of the A&M Barbecue. 146
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: A lot has been said. It's been very valuable tonight. A couple…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: points from my personal experience. This smoking is happening… first of all, these commercial-grade smokers are gigantic. If you haven't seen them, they're about the size of a… they look like locomotive engines, and they run them overnight, so they typically start smoking at…
148
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't know, when it gets dark, and then they run all the way until the morning. So, on the topic of…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, ingress into homes overnight. This is what we're talking about every night, and it really just depends on the prevailing wind. So I've also experienced this, full… full house full of smoke. 150
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, at the time when you want to have your… your doors or your windows, open for the breeze, and… and also just, you know, early… early morning exercise, too, is…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: greatly affected. So, thank you forconsideringthis issue and enforcing the rules in the City of Sebastopol. Thank you. Thank you for your public comment. Next, I'll go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment, to please raise your hand virtually. 152
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers. If there's anyone
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hello, good evening. My name's Megan, and I'm a Sevastable resident. I'm here because I'm concerned about the air quality in our community.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Two businesses within a few blocks of the Joe Rodota Trail are generating emissions that I believe warrant closer scrutiny. 155
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The first is GNC Auto Body onGravenstein Highway. Auto body shops emit isocyanates
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: toluene and heavy metals from sanding, welding, and spray painting. I run along the Joe Rodota Trail regularly, and I've noticed noxious odors coming from that shop at various times of day.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I cover my nose instinctively. That trail is heavily used by cyclists, walkers, runners, and many of them seniors. The second is A&M Barbecue.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Their commercial-gradegrillsproducesignificant PM2.4 particulate matter, that's the fine particle pollution most associated with respiratory disease, and according to growing research, long-term cognitive decline. Which brings me to this
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Next comment. Approximately 41% of Sebastopol residents are 55 or older.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We are a retirement destination, that's something to be proud of, and something to protect. The research linking chronic PM2.5 exposure to Alzheimer's and dementia is serious and growing.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm not here to…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: asks you to shut down the businesses. I'm asking the Council to investigate whether both GNC and A&M are operating within current air quality and fire code regulations, and whetheradditional mitigation measures are warranted. Sevasible's identity is tied to its environment. Let's make sure we're living up to that.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Thank you, Megan, for your public comment. Next, I will go back out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For items not on the agenda. Seeing none, I will come back into chambers, and this is our last speaker.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For our protocols. 166
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hi, my name is Debra Newbern. I moved to… I live on French Lane, I moved to Sebastopol two years ago, and I just want to speak, in gratitude for the proclamation that you made for the Jewish community. I'm a rabbi, I'm the daughter of Holocaust survivors.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And the anti-Semitism in our country has gone up more than 400%.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In the last, last couple of years, and I, I do want to commend the city
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: At a time when the world feels less safe to be Jewish, it is a comfort to live in this community with a proclamation like this. Thank you. 170
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment. That will close the public comment period per our protocols.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright, thank you very much. 172
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Let's see, we are now at the consent calendar, so I'm gonna go ahead and read these items, first off.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And… let's see, number one, approval of City Council meeting minutes, goals, and priority workshop, and I apologize, there was one item that I wanted to…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Pardon me?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I think they've left, so we'll just keep moving on.
So, for now. So, we'll just continue with the consent calendar. Approval of City Council Minutes, Goals and Priority Workshop Meeting of April 14th, 2026. 176
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And number two, approval of City Council meeting minutes of April 21st, 2026.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number 3, approval of extension of Building the Commons, the Sebastopol Commons Committee, the current committee terms per the City Council resolution ends June 30th, 2026, or upon termination of the committee, whichever is earlier.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The committed members were selected September 2025. It is requested that the committee continue through September 30th, 2026, and be disbanded at that time. This will allow the committee a full year of meeting and to provide a full report to the City Council.
00:29:00.990 --> 00:29:06.469
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number 4, approval of amendment to flag policy. This amendment is to approve
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Placement ofUnited States flags to be placedand displayed by the Scouts or other non-profit organization forcertain holidays is noted. The Scouts have requested the following days for flag display. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Women's Equality Day, Labor Day, Columbus Indigenous Peoples Day, and Veterans Day.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number 5, approval of direction to voting delegate for appointment to the Sonoma County Mayor's and Councilmember City Selection Committee. Appointment Airport Land UseCommission, one seat to fill the expiring term of Todd Lands of Cloverdale.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 4-year term with expiration in May. Airport Land Use Commission vacancy, one letter of interest has now been received by Arielle Kelly of Healdsburg.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Approval of resolution… number 6, approval of resolution continuing participation as part of the Urban County for purposes qualifying for HUD monies, includingCDBG and Emergency Solution Grants. So I first want to askif any Councilmember wantsto pull any item off theconsent calendar. 185
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Nope.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. All right, Mary, if you wanna… Thank you, Mayor. So this is the public comment period for the consent calendar items only. If you would like to make a public comment, it again is a two-minute public comment, and we'll go to chambers first, and then go out to Zoom, if there's anyone inchambers. 187
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment for an item on the consent calendar item only.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed for the consent calendar. All right, bringing it back to the dais here, if anyone… 189
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, Vice Mayor. 190
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Excuse me. I just, like to thank staff, especially our interim city manager, Mary Gurley, and our attorney, Alex Mogg, and, for helping with the flag policy. I'm really grateful to have that completed, that amendment totheflag policy, and anyone else who worked on it, I don't know, but thank you. 191
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I'll go ahead and move the consent calendar.
I'll second.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. So moved by Councilmember Zolman, and seconded by Vice Mayor Maurer to approve a consent calendar items 1 through 7.
Councilmember Carter? Here. Councilmember Hinton? Aye. Councilmember Zolman? Yes.
Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you very much. Okay, so we can move on to informational items and presentations.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number 7. Receipt of information update of programs for Sebastopol Police Department, requested from January 6, 2026 City Council meeting, such as Police Explorer Program, CSV, Citizens Academy, Horse Mounted Unit, and this is going to be, I assume, by our Chief.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Chief McDonough, are you planning? You want to come up and… Good evening.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, yeah, this is an informational staff report relating to the volunteer programs.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That, were requested 198
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: To be updated at the January 6th, Council meeting, and then they were further requested for an additional update now. 199
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The situation hasn't really changed at the police department at this point. We're working diligently, and have been since I commenced here at the city about 15 months ago on recruiting, and that's been a really 200
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the primary focus that I've had 201
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: because with the lack of staff that I inherited here. 202
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That means the officers that we do have, they're working additional shifts to cover the shortages that are created by sick report, days off, vacation time.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And with the additional shifts that they then work, they…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: By nature of the beast, acquire additional cases and investigative workload and follow-up that
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: ties them down even more, so it's a bit of a snowball effect. So, our bandwidth to take on additional program areas and do them well is just not there right now.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, all that to say that the situation hasn't really changed at this point intime. But we are looking at being, hopefully, fingers crossed, fully staffed.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In the very near future, with people coming out of backgrounds, with that being the case?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm hoping that… If they progress well through their training phases, that…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In the next, maybe, 6 to 9 months, we'll have some autonomy in those people, where we can actually look at taking on some additional, program areas, or assign program areas to officers that are now no longer burdened with additional shifts, case reports, and
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In overtime.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do I have any questions from the Madias? 212
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, Councilmember. 213
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Chief. So, I'm trying to get a correlation to see if there's a correlation between this ongoing status of not having enough people to actually
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do any of the programs that have been repeatedly requested by at least myself and other members of the public.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is there a correlation between your current status report and what you listed previously when you were at the microphone about the high number of our serious felonies in the city?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Are you suggesting that the high number of felonies that you'reciting is related to a lowerstaff number? Isthat what I'm wondering? No, related to the fact that there is not enough people to do any of the community programs that the community has been asking for.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So just to make sure I understand, are you suggesting that
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: These volunteer programs would help lower 219
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Those felony numbers? Yes, because serious felonies are something that's already happened. These community programs could involve the community to help educate about the issues in the community and be proactive and reduce the felonies, so yes. Okay, now I understand what you're saying. I think the…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In my opinion, I think it's negligible, the impact that that would have in relation to felonies. I think…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sworn police officers is the answer tothat. 222
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And us having the ability to be out Performing more productive patrols, and…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Rather than being more reactive, which is what happens when we're low on numbers.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it doesn't take away from the fact that we just… we just don't have the bandwidth to create a program, to implement the program, to supervise those involved in the program. There's a lot of staff time involved in that,and certainly to do it well.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, I have a follow-up question, but I'll wait. 226
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Does anyone else have… 227
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, again, you spoke here at the podium not too long ago about the fact that the city has a high number of serious felonies. Do you still believe that to be the case?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, I'm not too sure I worded it like that, but we certainly have
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the representation per capita is probably what I was referring to.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Because if people are still asking questions about that, which I have heard that they have, you have to report those to the California DOJ, correct? What they consider to be serious felonies? Correct, and there's reporting that goes on. But then also, through a follow-up email and my request of other 232
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: crimes that have been alleged to have been committed here in the city, you sent a whole laundry list of them, and a lot of them are what apparently your department defines as seriousness. Is that… is that correct? There's actually statutory
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Definitions of that. Okay, and that would include things like vandalism, petty theft, you would still consider… your department still consider those to be serious… The crimes listed in that report fall underneath the definition in the statute?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, but again, it seems like your department is considering, like, a whole long list of other things that are not serious crimes under the Department of Justice.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is that a fair statement or not? I think you're talking apples and oranges here. You're referring to the Department of Justice and what they require us to report to them versus what a statute determines to be a serious crime. 236
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, I have the email, so I'll just leave it at that.
So where… I guess thequestion is to Mary, then, when will they be formally staffed? 237
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: When can we anticipate an update on the status of thesevolunteer programs? So, the… we are in background with twopolice officers, and so by the time they go through background, it takes about three to four months to bring them on. I believe we are fully staffed nowwithdispatching, though, correct me if I'm wrong.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Very close. Yeah, so we're very close to dispatch and being fully staffed. The police department,we still have one frozenposition that is not being recommended being frozen, but we do have two in background, so I would say probably September.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: September-October timeframe is… again, Chief, I'm going to look to you, but that's my understanding. September-October timeframe is when bothof those officers would have… if they passed the background check in the
academy, that that's when they would be coming on board. To provide some context to the individuals in the process, one is shortly coming out of background. 240
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They're then probably a month away from starting, because they still have additional things to take care of in the recruitment process with the city.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But once they start, they have a minimum 4- month
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: field training component to take care of, andthat can be extended if there are any learning delays.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And additional to that, there's time, once you've passed thefield training,whereyouarebasicallyoperatingon yourown,butyou'rebeing shadowed to a degree, where we're watching you. We don't necessarily just send you off and out to pasture to work autonomously. So there's…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: we can't load people up that are freshly out of training with, hey, I need you to oversee this citizen and volunteer program while we're still…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Supervising their development so that they become a great asset to the city.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, bringing this back in September for a status, Mary, is that reasonable? We could provide a status in September. We may not be able to have any additional F8, depending on the backgrounds being passed or not, but yes, we can put this on the forward agenda for a status update. Okay, thank you. I have a question.
And in addition to that, so one of those… sorry, I was trying to explain that, and I digressed. 247
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we've got one person that's coming out of background shortly. They'll go through that four-month training after they start in perhaps a month.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Another one's finishing background shortly, but they have an academy to go to, so they won't be actually coming out of the academy till about December. Then they'll commence the four-month
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: training process, and the additional time on top of that. We have another applicant who, has just completed the academy after transferring in from adifferent state, but they are now lookingat the background process,so that's another two-month process.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Cost the extra month to get them through the remainder of the recruitment process, and the four-month training, and so there's just such a lengthy process.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have a question for you. Yes, ma'am. Can you help me to understand, and the public to understand, with the service volunteer program. 252
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: in detail what it takes in order to do that, because I know we're hearing all this timeline, but I want to better understand, one, who does that program?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And what exactly does it require, and what kind of time, both from the citizens and from you? And I'm talking, like, details, like, to help us better understand the lift there, because
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I get a lot of questions about that as well. People are very interested, so I want us to all understand what it entails, and who would be doing that? You, or one of thestaff members that's coming on? Like, how does all of that work? What are the logistics? It's a great series of questions. 255
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I want to preface that by saying that I… 256
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, I applied for this position with that in mind, that I really value community-based programs, and they are a force multiplier for us, there's no doubt about that.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: as far as… I think there are a couple of questions in there.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: if I'm correct, one of them is, what's the process to get these up and running again? Who does it? Is it you, or who trains? That's one question. Okay, well, the who does it would be yet to be determined. I think in the past, it's been a shared responsibility amongst
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Certain dispatchers who have been with the agency for a very lengthy period of time.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But also shared through some sworn ranks as well.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We haven't really determined who might be the best person for that now, because we've obviously had staff changesover theyears. 262
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: SoI don't know who the best fit might be for that yet. But it's a staff person, it's not you doing it. No. Okay. No. And then, what does that entail from your… from the staff end, as far as, like. 263
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Does it take a month, two months, three months? Like, take us through that course, you know, and then… and then from the citizens who are interested in that, you know, that helps us to better understand what kind of lifted…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, it takes from their side as well. Yeah, 265
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I think the biggest issue for me is, coming in as a new police chief, you know, 15 months ago, is that
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: we've got this defunct program that was taken out back around COVID, and…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: even when it stopped functioning, the documentation and the recruitment process that was involved with that program was very, very archaic.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: no unified process, it was allold paperwork and so forth. So, my intent would be to bring that into the new millennium, and let's make that electronic, like our current police applications are, and… 269
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Make it look more professional to suit the image of the city.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So there's work to be done with that. I don't know exactly how long that would take.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But I could look at that if you'd like me to. 272
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just wanted to understand, because you're saying, you know, we're short-staffed, there's no time to do it, but thenI'm hearing you say you don't even know how long it'll take, so I'm just trying to, like. 273
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Understand the logic in it, and like, what is the… what is the lift for that, and then what, you know, and how can… because I do get asked that question, like I said, so I just think it would be good for everybody to understand better 274
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what it is. So you're saying the process that we had previously was not…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: efficient or correct? Or, like, not up to date now? Yeah, I'm saying it's not up to date now, because it's been defunct for 5 or 6 years. There's been changes in statutory requirements and California Post, and we need to look into those things to make sure that we're doing the right thing and complying with whatever the current regulations are, so there's going to be a research component in that. 276
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Perhaps reaching out to other agencies to find out what they're doing.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But yeah, so there's a… 278
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: there's a process involved in that that'll take time, and I apologize, I can't predict how long that might take to research that and to create new documents and look into how long
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it might take to put people through this process.
What type of backgrounds do we need to do? Is there a current legislative requirement from California Post that's been…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: implemented since this program was shut down.
That requires us to do certain things in the background for a volunteer. So there's all those steps to go through.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But then there's the time involved with having staff actually administer this program and supervise the people involved and assign them tasks and watch them. We can't just have people wandering around the police department with no supervision or tasks.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So are you the one that's putting the program together, and then they'll be the one… the staff will be the one implementing it? I'llcertainly be involved in the process, for sure.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So are you saying that you can't even begin that process until, like, September?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't know, actually, because there's so much… You're saying, is there any front-end work that can be done so that when we actually have
the staff on board, that we can actually move forward with some sortof action versus… because I know I've been on here for
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: this is my fourth year, and we've been talking about this since I got elected, and I understand you've only been here for a short time, but just trying to, like, narrow this down, I mean, and have an action plan, and an understanding, and not just a…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It takes time, it takes time, and then it never happens, because it makes us all look bad. I get the optics of it, but, you know, I've been assigned a full-time position, in addition to being the police chief, to be the Director of Emergency Management, and there's been a huge undertaking with revising the EOP and 287
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: fittingout the EOC, and… 288
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: all the networking and the meetings that go with that. Oh, I get all that. I just wondered from your perspective, if you think you can, you know, is there a way to front-end, you know, start researching this from your position and putting something together sothat when weactually do have staff, that there's actionthat we can actually take toward the end of the year? That's my point by saying I've been juggling two full-time positions.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And the…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Director of the Emergency Management been so, onerous since I started, because it's required to go through everything, and that's taken up all my spare time, is my point. Well, that… but I'm asking now that we're kind of at the end of that, do you have… do you… now that that project is done, do you have time to front-load this?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No, I'm just asking, I mean, I'm just trying to understand. I don't know what your schedule is, I mean, I know that we've had all these projects, I'm not debating any of that. I'm just literally trying to understand for myself and for the public.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Like.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: if you don't have that, then we just need to hear that, versus, like,constantly, like, putting people off and people askingus, what's going on? I don't know. There are so many projects and things that need…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Review and attention in the police department. 295
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'd like to look at it, but I… I can't say I'm going to have all this spare time to front-load it, as you say, and have it ready to go by September, but I'll certainly look at it.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, go ahead, Councilmember. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you earlier. Sorry. Yeah.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Hinton? 298
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We have been talking about this for a while, but what I'm curious about is.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I mean, the EOC project is a big one, and it impacts the whole town.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: if we were to launch this program, do you have any estimate… I mean, people must contact the department and say, I'm interested in this program. Do you have an estimate of how many people might want to participate? Because 301
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: my recollection was it kindofdropped off, and that's why the program dropped. And so, where are we at? 302
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I know a few people have asked about it. 303
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But how many people would want to participate in your estimation if we were to revitalize this program? We received two 304
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: actual applications since I've been here.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: One of them I actually rejected. 306
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Almost immediately, based on some of the conduct that was associated with that applicant.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We did get interest about the volunteer amounted unit, a lot of interest, actually, but there's some challenges we need to work through on that, that will take some time with setting up a 501 and chasing down insurance and so forth, before we can really
308
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Make that a real thing, but… 309
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The regular volunteer unit at the, at the department,
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: just the two applicants since I've been here, but I'm sure if we promote it, we'd get more.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'd love to have it, like I say, be a force multiplier within the building to have people helping us around, but it just requires all that 312
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: additional staff time. 313
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can I ask two more follow-up questions? A followup question would be. 314
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is it similar to what we saw with the volunteer fire department, that people that want to do these programs are looking to get break into police work? That's question one. And number two, the last time I remember this program being active was
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Karnaki participated in it, so it would have at least been around 16. Do you remember what the count was of that program? That's, I believe, the last academy we ran.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't know the details of that. I was just informed that it was basically
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: closed down around COVID for fear of making some of the elderly members of the program unnecessarily sick, or exposing them to sickness. Now, I think the majority of people that do it are retired, or they have a lot of spare time. They're not typically looking for a career in policing. 318
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: At least in my experience. Go ahead. Yeah, so, Mayor, I guess I'm turning to you, because it sounds like from the Chief, he's going to need some staff time to get this up and running. So, can you speak to… 319
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: theamount of staff timeyou think… I guess you would… and your subordinates would need to do to help achieve 320
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Prepare for when we really are… 321
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: fully staffed. And if you can't speak to that,then would the request be for one of us to agendize it at the end of the meeting in order to 322
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: find out about the amount ofstaff time, because I'm kind of with the mayor, we're constantly between a rock and a hard place of, like. 323
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the community is saying that they want this, and then thechief is sayinghe doesn't have enough staff, so… So, I want tosay, I think there's two different issuesthat we're lookingat right now. Number one, there's two different programs that I think are mixed. One is the Community Service Volunteer Program, and the one is the Citizens Academy. So the Community Service Volunteer Program, is the one where the elderly… the… we have
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: members of the community that come in, I believe we have one currently with Dan Potts. I would like to sit down with the chief to see how long it would take to research.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: a program like this, and then bring that item back.
I cannot tellyou right now how much staff timewould be involved as far as researching with other cities.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, their community service volunteer programs, how long it's taken them to put them up, but we could probably do that within a couple hours. I don't think that's going to take a lot of time for… and we can help out with the city… we can help out the police department at City Hall, have some of our staff reach out, and then we could work together to see what that timing is. So I don't need an agenda item to have you direct us to do this. We can work together to bring that back to the Council as far as…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And just for the public that's following along at home, when would they anticipate seeing this on the agenda? What month? Well, we could work with the Agenda Review Committee. So, right now, our agendas would… are looking at July-August time frame.
328
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We have budget…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: massive budget hearings for the next few council meetings, so I would probably please say it would give… and it would give us enough staff
time at City Hall to research, and then bring it forward with the Chief, so I would say probably
330
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: August would be realistic. I have one question that kind of goes in tandem with this, because, reference to applications, you've had applications. Do we currently have an active application on the website? 331
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And if not.
332
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: can we have that, so that we can put that out there, and only… and ask people if this is an interest of theirs to actually do that application, so that we could better understand, to Councilmember Hinton's point, how many people are truly interested? Because I hear people, people say it, but then when people… whether or not people actually take that action to do it is a different story, so is it possible for us to do that, so that we could better understand 333
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: who truly, you know, kind of where the rubber meets the road, kind of, is that active right now on the website? And if so, can we put that out there to the community? With the caveat that we're just… it's basically, like, we're trying to survey how many people are truly interested.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I believe it is on there, because… 335
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm getting applicants sending in an application, and we haven't forwarded that to them.
336
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The other thing to consider would probably be… 337
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: whatever the background process is that we determine, there's a cost associated with that. I mean, we spend about $1,600, $1,700 on a background for a police officer. Idon't… Well, Ithink the question is, isabout, you know, interest, so go ahead, Councilmember Hampton.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I mean… I mean, I know this is just informational priority, but… or presentation, but there's 5 of us sitting at the table. It might not be my highest priority, so I… I just want to say that out loud, because I understand you only have so much time, and then these are two big programs.
00:52:46.240 --> 00:53:03.999
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Does one outweigh the other, and do we want to put staff time and money against this? And so,I'm not… I'm not convinced, and I need to learn more before I could direct staff or make some sort ofvote onthat. So that's just where I sit on this presentation.
340
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
341
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Are there any other questions for the Chief before we go to public comment?
342
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Nope.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. So this is for public comment on the informational item regarding to the volunteer programs. It is a 2-minute time limit, and
again, I will come into chambers first, then go into Zoom. If there's anyone in chambers, please.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening, everybody. I just thought I'd mention, I've had some… a long conversation with Sean over the last 3 or 4 months, and as far as I wasconcerned, he was pretty active intrying to find people. 346
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I was a volunteer policeman in the UK for about 11 years, hence he heard that, so he's been speaking to me about it, and getting as much information as possible.
347
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: quite willing to help the council, or anybody, if you want, to try and put that program together, and help Sean. 348
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: as I see it, it's quite a difficult role to just ask somebody from the public to come forward, because you have to vet them very, very carefully, because people do it for different reasons. You know howhard it is to become a police officer, you haveto have the12 weeks training, and then you have the 349
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is it a year per patient, Sean? Year? Something like that. Yeah, so it's quite difficult. So, to find theright people to do that, 350
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Takes a lot of time, can be dangerous. 351
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Remember, the volunteer police in this country don't have a warrant, either, like they do in the UK, so you dress yourself up like a policeman, somebody comes at you, you can't actually… don't actually have any power, really, to defend yourself, so it's… all I can say, really, is just… it just needs a bit of thinking about before,
352
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Before you do it. 353
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's… yeah, that's just my comment, okay. 354
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment. Next, I'll go out to Zoom. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
00:54:56.470 --> 00:54:57.410
Kyle Falbo: I can.
356
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? 357
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Kyle Falbo: I… that's okay, so I can't, but go ahead and let me know. Go ahead and let me know.
358
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Kyle Falbo: You know, I'm a big history fan. You know, it was actually police oversight that brought me to city council. So, you know, if you're looking for a reason to get rid of me, then this might be the issue that you might want to latch onto. 359
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Kyle Falbo: So let me just remind you a little bit of history. June 30th, 2020, where the City Council establishing a process for reviewing city policies and practices, where there was 360
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Kyle Falbo: approval for consideration of possible models of citizen… civilian oversight, including Citizens Advisory Commission or a Citizens Review Commission. So, these kind of voluntary programs that are being described today, far stretch from what was actually approved back in 2020. But you know what was really funny about that was that it was delayed, and it was stretched out, until suddenly there wasn't as much public activity 361
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Kyle Falbo: At which point, then, they just got to move on and not have to address this, and to the point where we really just, like.
362
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Kyle Falbo: watered down what the actual recommendations, from GRE3 were, and to a point where chiefs were saying, yeah, we're just not gonna do that, and Council didn't actually push back. July 20, 2021, agenda item number 7, informational presentation from the police chief, recommendation status update, October 19th, 2021, agenda item number 7, independent civilian oversight processes.
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Kyle Falbo: So again, like, you guys have been talking about this for a long time, and the process remains the same. You have a chief come up, say, not now, not gonna do it, we need more cops, that's what we need. And there's nothing, there's no pushback, there's no…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle, you have about 25 seconds.
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Kyle Falbo: There's no actual recommendations, there's no carrot, there's no stick. You're just going to continue to have this process of a chief coming up and saying, 366
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Kyle Falbo: We ain't gonna do that, and you're going to do nothing but then give them more raises, give them more budget, and we're gonna be right back where we were in 2020, where more than 50% of the expenditures for this city going to the cops year after year, basically because of overtime.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kyle, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers. Laura?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hi, I just wanted to add some information to this.
When the Chief first joined, there was some thought that they would be starting a volunteer program soon, so we did a little article about it, and we put in… 369
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: a little prompt for people to apply to the police, and I think that's where he got the two applications that he did. So we have 5,000 readers, and only two people responded, so…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I… think that, Council… person Hinton's idea of 371
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do people really want this? Is still an open question.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Laura, for your public comment. Next, I will go out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on this informational presentation.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers, if there's anyone in chambers?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item. All right, thank you. We're back here for any comments. 375
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, Vice Mayor. 376
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
377
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm concerned about a cost of such a volunteer program. I mean, I totally am in support of a volunteer program, but this is the first I've heard that it's $700 for a background check for one person. 378
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then there will… so, yeah, I'm definitely concerned about such cost. But I want to thank the Chief for clarifying 379
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that he's doing a lot right now, in terms of being the police chief, but also running the emergency operations, wearing two hats. And so, appreciate your clarity on that.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And, that's… that's all, yeah.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. Well, I have a comment, if there aren't any others. I personally would like to understand, I hear you on the two applications, but I'd really personally like tosee, before spending staff time on this, is just truly have us put that out there again to the community. That's where I'm at.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Putting it out there to the community, asking people to, you know, to actually
383
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: do the application, and I understand that people need to be vetted, and, you know, I'm not saying that everybody that applies, suddenly you're the volunteer, because everything does need to be vetted, but at the same time, we havenowheretobegin if wedon'teven understand who'sinterested,and wedefinitely don't want to, in my opinion, commit staff timeto it. 384
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: if we don't have enough people that are truly interested. And the only way to do that is to put it out to the community and ask them 385
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: truly, like, if you're interested,fill it out. We need to know so that we can make decisions about finances andmoving forward. That's where I'm
at with it. And again, just to be clear, I'm not expecting everyone that applies to be accepted, because that would be…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: irresponsible. So, that's where I'm at. I don't know if anyone else agrees with me on that, but…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No other comments? 388
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, okay? Yeah, I mean, I would like to at least request that it's just like that somehow, through Mary, the link be sent out again to the public, so that hopefully the public who have been listening will express an interest, and then we'll have a gauge, because otherwise, September will roll around, and we'll be back having the same discussion. So I just want to clarify, this is an info item, so staff has indicated we will be bringing this back, so we will be bringing 389
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: this back, and we will take our, guidance. 390
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And the Chief and I will work together on comments that we've heard from this informational item. 391
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. Well, then we can consider this received, and we'll move on.
392
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Allright, number8, item number 8 is fiscalyear 25-26, order 3, January through March.
393
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 2026 Finance Financial Update, General Fund and Enterprise Fund. The Sebastopol City Council receives year-to-date financial information for the General Fund and Enterprise Fund, and I believe our Director for Administrative Services, Ana, are you doing this? Yes.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Perfect. Thank you, Mayor. Good evening. So, the, 25-26Q3forJanuarythrough MarchisfinancialupdateforGeneralFund and Enterprise Fund.
395
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The action tonight is for Council to receive these reports. This report was, reviewed by the Budgets Committee as of yesterday. 396
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The general fund, the highlight level, which is the, revenue right now, is at 58, 59% as of the adjusted budget. This is primarily related to timing. There's no revenue shortfall that, we can see at this point. 397
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: From quarter to quarter, it is $900,000 more compared last quarter to this quarter. The biggest driver is the sales tax for the Measure U license permit and interest, seeing the slow growth.
398
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: no significant revenue concern are evident at this stage. For the expenditure side, for the general fund, it is at 66% of the adjusted budget, and it is below the 75% benchmark.
399
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And it is because of… largely due to scheduling, payment, and timing, there isn't any budget overrun that we are aware of at this point.
There's a Measure U overview for, Council information.
400
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Measure U is projected to generate about $1.5 million for this current year, and $800,000 has been allocated for infrastructure and, public safety projects.
401
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As of what we know now, only $290,000 will be spent through June, and the rest will be carried over to the next fiscal year. 402
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As for the gen… as for the Enterprise Fund, The revenue is at…
403
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 64%, and the expenditure is at almost 70%, and this is result in a positive net position for the water fund. 404
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the buildings, It's a little under the benchmark because there's 8 months billing versus, 9 months.
405
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The same situation with the, wastewater Fund as well. So, staff continue to monitorthe economic sensitivity for revenue growth, for general
fund, and we are monitoring for enterprise fund as well, alongside with the Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee.
406
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: With that, staff recommendthat theCity Council receive the Q3 January through March report, and if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
407
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any questions here? 408
01:03:52.000 --> 01:03:55.079
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Anyone? If not, we can go to public comment. 409
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is public comment from the informational item on the, Journal and Enterprise Funds. If you would like to make a public comment, and it's a 2-minute time limit,I will come to Chambers first. Seeing none, I will go out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on this informational item. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please? 410
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Kyle Falbo: I can.
01:04:14.840 --> 01:04:17.669
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Go ahead, and I'll jump in when you have about 30 seconds left.
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Kyle Falbo: In someof the most recent, updates that we've had onthefiscal state of our city, the administrative director has taken,
413
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Kyle Falbo: loose, privilege with the way that the numbers had been presented. There was, that was identified.
414
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Kyle Falbo: There was some criticism and there was some guidance to not do that in the future. Basically, things around, using, yearly projected numbers as opposed to actuals, to, you know, making, making,
415
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Kyle Falbo: Allowing for vague numbers to be presented in a way that were…
01:04:52.120 --> 01:04:57.829
Kyle Falbo: Suggesting things that weren't necessarily the reality of the situation. That was called out by,
417
01:04:57.940 --> 01:05:08.809
Kyle Falbo: by council members. There was guidance by those council members, to not have that happen again. And so I'm just wanting to make sure that tonight, our council members, who have
418
01:05:08.910 --> 01:05:11.729
Kyle Falbo: Essentially remained silent, up to this point. 419
01:05:11.730 --> 01:05:35.110
Kyle Falbo: are given the opportunity to ask the questions that are necessary to make sure that we aren't in the same situation that we have been in previous quarters, where the numbers were not actually reflectiveof what the reality of the situation was,and I think it's increasingly important, depending on… considering some of the other agenda items that we have tonight. So I really, really hope that our elected officials who are here tonight 420
01:05:35.120 --> 01:05:50.960
Kyle Falbo: are doing their due diligence to make sure that, although this may just be an informational item, that there's plenty of discussion around our financials and the receiving of thosefinancialsfroma directorwhohashistoricallyused languagethat was
01:05:50.960 --> 01:05:55.729
Kyle Falbo: Painting thepicture ofthe financials of ourcity, and not necessarily themost accurate light.
422
01:05:55.730 --> 01:05:56.450
Kyle Falbo: Thanks.
423
01:05:56.770 --> 01:06:10.969
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kyle, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers, if there's anyone on Chambers that would like to make a public comment. Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on this informational item. Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item.
424
01:06:12.100 --> 01:06:15.690
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you. So we're back here for comments, Vice Mayor?
425
01:06:16.970 --> 01:06:21.699
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just want to clarify that we did review this during budget.
426
01:06:21.940 --> 01:06:30.420
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And we did ask questions, and, I had all my questions answered, as did Councilmember Carter. So, thank you. 427
01:06:31.930 --> 01:06:33.769
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other comments? 428
01:06:34.750 --> 01:06:39.159
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, alright. Well then, I guess that means we'll just accept this.
429
01:06:39.430 --> 01:06:43.890
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And… move on to the next item, Mary? Okay. All right.
430
01:06:45.250 --> 01:07:02.200
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Moving on to our public hearings, item number 9, to conduct… number 9, public hearing, to conduct a public hearing to consider approval for a tentative map at 7983 Covert Lane to create a new, undeveloped parcel with a remaining developed parcel and review the
431
01:07:02.470 --> 01:07:12.690
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the tentative, map recommendation from the Planning Commission to allow the creation of a new parcel and remaining parcel, and I believe this will be done by our…
432
01:07:12.820 --> 01:07:18.430
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Our interim planning director, Jane, are you doing it? Okay. Yes, thank you, Mayor.
433
01:07:18.560 --> 01:07:21.349
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As you noted, this is a two-way lot split. 434
01:07:21.680 --> 01:07:36.919
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 7983 Covert Lane. No development is proposed at this time, it is only the division of the lot. It's the Catholic Church parcel, the church would remain on one parcel, and a vacant 2.46-acre lot would be created. 435
01:07:37.300 --> 01:07:42.330
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Planning Commission did review this a couple weeks ago and recommended approval.
436
01:07:43.110 --> 01:07:58.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The project is consistent with general plan and zoning. It is zoned for high density residential. That's 12.1 to 25 units per acre, so a project
could come in at that density. That is the zoning and the general plan designation for the parcel.
437
01:07:59.990 --> 01:08:03.870
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The project is also consistent with the Subdivision Map Act.
438
01:08:04.070 --> 01:08:12.619
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We are recommending approval, and the resolution that's attached to the staff report contains the findings that you would need to make to approve.
439
01:08:13.150 --> 01:08:14.470
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That'sthe staff report. 440
01:08:15.460 --> 01:08:21.050
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright, thank you. So, questions here? From anyone?
441
01:08:22.700 --> 01:08:37.029
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have a question for our attorney, because I've been reading about this and trying to understand it, and is there any discretion now or in the future? Let me look here, I'm sorry, for my notes here.
01:08:37.149 --> 01:08:39.169
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I made some notes, here it is. 443
01:08:39.700 --> 01:08:49.109
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What, you know, what kind of discretion would the city have in the future for projects on this property, and at any time, you know, what can be…
444
01:08:49.670 --> 01:09:01.480
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: approved, or, you know, not approved. I'm just trying to better understand, because I know we've received letters about it, and right now we're just literally talking about splitting a property, not about anything in particular. 445
01:09:02.300 --> 01:09:09.310
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Excuse me, Mary, sorry. No, go ahead. So, exactly right. Right now, all that is being proposed is the,
446
01:09:10.029 --> 01:09:21.590
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: division of this property, and the city has findings that have to be made in order to do that. Many of them have to do with development for… sometimes you get an application that is both.
01:09:21.710 --> 01:09:32.600
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And ifyou look at the findings, the findings that would still be applicable today are really all about a project meeting the city standards, which this project does.
448
01:09:32.810 --> 01:09:40.590
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And so there's not really a basis under those standards for the division for the project to be
449
01:09:40.910 --> 01:09:55.300
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: denied this particular application. In the future, when there's a proposal to develop the project, that proposal will be reviewed under the city's standards. So if there's some sort of commercial development. 450
01:09:56.030 --> 01:10:02.750
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The city's, you know, has standards if there's residential development. The city has adopted standards in… 451
01:10:02.920 --> 01:10:15.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The project would be reviewed against Lowe's. For a housing, project under state law, the city, has extremely limited ability to deny a,
01:10:15.840 --> 01:10:22.280
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: proposed housing development that is consistent with the city's adopted objective standards.
453
01:10:23.530 --> 01:10:34.110
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, a follow-up question for that is just for myself and for the public to understand. So, say, so tonight, say, you know, it's approved to… to do this division.
454
01:10:34.420 --> 01:10:41.550
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What are the next steps, like, for this property, like, coming up over the next… and when could, you know, if a development came in, at what point
455
01:10:41.700 --> 01:10:50.719
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: could… I just think for the public, the people who have been writing us, it's good for everybody to understand what the steps are. Yeah, that… you know, someone would submit,
456
01:10:51.290 --> 01:11:03.379
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: presumably a preliminary application to the city, Jane. I don't know if you want to talk about that, but at some point, there's a formal application, and that's what the city would act on. It could be…
01:11:03.410 --> 01:11:21.750
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Soon, it could be years from now. You know, the applicants sometimes are interested and then stop, or… so it's hard to know exactly when something would come, but Jane, if you could speak a little bit more about that. Yeah, I think I can add a little more information. This, as you know, is bankruptcy sale, and there was, a
458
01:11:21.810 --> 01:11:33.460
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: bids were accepted, and John Jay and I met with the winning bidder today, and it would not be multifamily, it would be a single-family small lot.
459
01:11:33.460 --> 01:11:45.459
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: subdivision, which subdivisions come all the way back through the City Council, so it would have to go to design review, it would have to go to City Council… to the Planning Commission, it would have to go to City Council. 460
01:11:45.630 --> 01:11:52.760
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And you would need to make findings that the subdivision and its improvements are adequate to service the public health and safety. 461
01:11:52.880 --> 01:11:55.780
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So it would be more,
01:11:55.880 --> 01:11:59.619
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's a market rate subdivision. It would be more… 463
01:12:00.020 --> 01:12:06.849
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You would have more discretion on that type of project, because it involves a subdivision than you would if a high-density, 464
01:12:08.610 --> 01:12:10.739
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Apartment project were to come in. 465
01:12:11.680 --> 01:12:23.350
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So basically what you're saying is that there's… there are a lot of steps along the way that people can… There are multiple steps along the way, there would be many opportunities for public input along the way, yes. Okay, basically.
This could happen soon.
466
01:12:23.640 --> 01:12:24.410
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
467
01:12:24.540 --> 01:12:34.190
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Does the… does this Council have the authority to change the zone from R7 to R4 at this meeting? At this meeting? Yes. No.
01:12:34.370 --> 01:12:35.230
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
469
01:12:35.990 --> 01:12:43.550
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Council has very limited authority to downzone a property under some of the Housing Accountability Act laws. 470
01:12:44.460 --> 01:12:55.009
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Just to provide some more context, that in general, if you are decreasing the density someplace, you would need to increase it someplace else by an equal amount to make up for the lost 471
01:12:55.270 --> 01:12:56.670
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Zone capacity.
472
01:12:57.600 --> 01:13:05.800
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. I think these are important things for the public to understand as, you know, decisions are made and such. So, any other questions from any…
01:13:05.960 --> 01:13:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Anyone?
474
01:13:07.210 --> 01:13:09.220
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have one more. Oh. Oh. 475
01:13:09.390 --> 01:13:19.379
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead. This is exempt from CEQA, because it's a lot split, but when the builders are going to come in, will there be a CEQA review at that time?
476
01:13:20.260 --> 01:13:36.329
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It depends on the nature of what they are proposing. There likely will be, once you see that, there are exemptions, CEQA exemptions, that may apply, but it'shard to say for sure until there is a specificapplication. 477
01:13:36.950 --> 01:13:39.720
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Hinton, did you still… 478
01:13:40.860 --> 01:13:49.149
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, I just thought, Jane, you kind of meant… said, oh, this is a bankruptcy. That's not in our staff report.
01:13:49.640 --> 01:13:51.690
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Did I miss something? 480
01:13:52.080 --> 01:13:55.080
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Did… could we expand on that? Because I'm… 481
01:13:55.650 --> 01:14:11.189
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I mean… No, I don't… I don't know the details, just trying to explain the kind of sale process that the church has gone through to dispose of this part of the church site. It's not…
482
01:14:11.260 --> 01:14:29.980
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: pertinent to the item that's before you, so probably I should have said that. Okay, sorry, I was like… But we're saying… the question I have is, I mean, tonight they're not… this isn't… this isn't, a split with a known development, because you mentioned that you were meeting with them today, but that's not inthe staff report either, so it's not truly a known… 483
01:14:30.250 --> 01:14:43.390
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It is a split with no development at this time.
Right, I'm just clarifying so people understand since the mention of them, of meeting with them, so, just so that we're all clear on that, that is not part of this, so… Okay. Thank you.
01:14:44.070 --> 01:14:47.399
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other questions? Otherwise, we'll go to public comment.
485
01:14:48.000 --> 01:14:59.599
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is for public comment for the public hearing on the minor subdivision application. If you would like to make a public comment, I will go to Chambers first, and then go out to Zoom. Is it a two-minute public comment? Please?
486
01:15:09.290 --> 01:15:10.280
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening.
487
01:15:11.340 --> 01:15:14.509
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And thank you. I just learned some new information before I wrote…
488
01:15:14.730 --> 01:15:28.610
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that changes a little bit what I said, but I still think what I was gonna say tonight is important. I like the idea of possibly decreasing the R-value in this location, but maybe raise it somewhere else that's more appropriate space for R7.
01:15:29.740 --> 01:15:36.389
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What I planned to say tonight was that I asked the Council to please vote no on this item as an R7 property development. 490
01:15:36.620 --> 01:15:42.629
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Currently, the area east of the church to Zimper, and from Valentine to Covert has 56 homes in it.
491
01:15:42.870 --> 01:15:46.119
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: On this block of Valentine, there are currently 6 homes.
492
01:15:46.460 --> 01:15:55.530
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If this were to go through as an R7, a developer could put up to 61 homes in a space that is only double the space that these 6 homes take up now.
493
01:15:56.290 --> 01:16:12.469
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If you include the development down the street, this would be 100 new homes in the neighborhood, destroying the current single-family home neighborhood that exists. This could add up to 150 to 200 cars, 200 new adults, and 200 kids that would overwhelm the surrounding area as far as noise, parking, traffic.
01:16:12.570 --> 01:16:15.959
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The park, drainage into our storm drain and sewer system.
495
01:16:16.020 --> 01:16:33.110
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Parking is already at a premium between Brookhaven and park users and the park's users now. As such a population density, there would not be room for yards in these new homes. People have commented that it would be great to have the park next door. This park currently used… this park currently used near its 496
01:16:33.350 --> 01:16:48.160
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This park's use is currently near its full capacity. It cannot support having an entire new neighborhood crammed into the tight space across the street. To fit 61 homes, they would have tobe taller than the buildingsaround, encroaching on the current neighbors. It would also cover the ground, causing more water runoff.
497
01:16:48.200 --> 01:17:01.379
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The storm trains on Valentine are currently failing, so we'll further tax the system. You have about 20 minutes, or 20 seconds. Recently, Council is asking how to preserve Sebastals Field and how… and keep it inviting. Also, under the general plan rule.
498
01:17:01.940 --> 01:17:10.150
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: B1 states maintain high-quality residential environments and maintain the improvement of the quality of life for existing neighborhoods as a high priority for the City of Spasseno. 499
01:17:10.150 --> 01:17:26.469
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Allowing this property to be sold as an R7 would change the entire neighborhood and the quality of life. That's 2 minutes. Destroying part of what makes Basswell special. As I move to this neighborhood, I ask you to vote no on this.
Thank you very much. Thank you for your public comment. Next, I'll go out to Zoom, if there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on this item. 500
01:17:27.060 --> 01:17:30.259
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll come back into chambers, if there's anyone on chambers.
501
01:17:31.890 --> 01:17:38.979
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, the public hearing is closed for this item. Okay, we're back here for any comments before we make a motion. 502
01:17:39.030 --> 01:18:00.750
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just wanted to say that, you know, I hear the concerns of the people who have sent this to us, and, you know, based on the recommendation of the city, you know, we're very limited in what we can do here. I just want to say publicly that I hope that whomever purchases and has this vision that they do it very thoughtfully when it comes to us, and thoughtful of
01:18:01.080 --> 01:18:07.710
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the neighbors and the infrastructure that we have, so that's all I have to say. So if anyone has a motion they would like to make? 504
01:18:08.080 --> 01:18:11.150
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do we need a motion? Right? Yeah, so… 505
01:18:13.470 --> 01:18:17.510
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: None of us want to make a motion. I'll move for the split.
506
01:18:19.170 --> 01:18:21.680
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, can I get a second, and I'll read the motion? 507
01:18:23.100 --> 01:18:39.080
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sure, I'll second that. Thank you. So, so moved by Councilmember Carter and seconded by Councilmember Hinton to adopt a resolution finding theminor subdivision exempt from CEQA and approving a tentative map to provide for a two-way lot split at 7983 Covert Lane. Councilmember Carter? 508
01:18:39.920 --> 01:18:47.170
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes. Councilmember Hinton? Councilmember Zolman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? Yes. Motion passes unanimously. 509
01:18:47.210 --> 01:19:01.680
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you very much. So that is number 9.
Let me see here. We will move on to item number 10, publichearing, introduction and first reading of ordinance for purchase of cameras for the Sebastopol Police Station. 510
01:19:01.680 --> 01:19:22.120
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: amendment for Safe House Security System to be paid for from the Police Endowment Fund. This item was continued from the April 21st, 2026 City Council meeting, and just to be clear, again, this is covered by Endowment fund in the amount of $13,875, and I'm assuming our police chief, or is it our attorney who's going to kick this off?
511
01:19:23.980 --> 01:19:25.150
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm not sure.
512
01:19:30.230 --> 01:19:33.739
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm not gonna fight the city attorney for the… for the privilege.
513
01:19:34.040 --> 01:19:44.010
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So yeah, this particular agenda item is for the, introduction of the ordinance to adopt a surveillance use policy for an update to the police department security system.
514
01:19:44.230 --> 01:19:51.109
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And a budget amendment, as the Mayor said, for the amount of $13,000, rather, $875.
515
01:19:51.670 --> 01:19:57.350
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So that's the installation cost of the system. The actual system itself was…
516
01:19:57.520 --> 01:20:03.030
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Approved and purchased, in 2025. So this is just an additionalcost to have it fitted.
517
01:20:03.130 --> 01:20:07.220
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That needs approval from the Council. And as I understand it, the…
518
01:20:07.550 --> 01:20:10.520
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The options available to Council are to approve the budget amendment.
01:20:11.460 --> 01:20:19.400
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or to not approve, I should say, the budget amendment, resulting in the delayed installation of the security system and an unreimbursed expense to the general fund.
520
01:20:19.770 --> 01:20:21.490
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And provide otherdirection tostaff. 521
01:20:21.910 --> 01:20:31.420
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And the, the request is that we approve the budget amendment for the police department, authorise expenditures from the Police Endowment fund, and authorise the Interim City Manager
522
01:20:31.710 --> 01:20:34.380
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Signing authority for the related purchase installation.
523
01:20:38.000 --> 01:20:39.500
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, questions?
01:20:41.280 --> 01:20:45.150
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, go ahead, Baseman. Do these cameras have, 525
01:20:45.430 --> 01:20:52.450
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: audio capacity? Can they listen to conversations and record them? I don't believe they have audio.
526
01:20:52.580 --> 01:21:02.210
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The lieutenant's the one who's been dealing with the company about the actual details of what it does, but there have been some questions about its capabilities, retention, and things like that. 527
01:21:02.570 --> 01:21:07.709
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But it had… had no ability, I'm sure, to record audio.
528
01:21:08.030 --> 01:21:13.919
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: To my knowledge. But I can quadruple check that for you. I could actually send a message right now, if that would be helpful. 529
01:21:15.010 --> 01:21:22.690
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, thank you. And so, I just had a quick question, and I think I know the answer, but I'm going to ask it for the public.
01:21:23.590 --> 01:21:26.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Are these flock cameras? No, they are not. 531
01:21:27.020 --> 01:21:30.259
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What cameras, as the Council are aware, we have no…
532
01:21:30.710 --> 01:21:43.509
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: flock cameras in thiscitythatare owned bythe city, or operated by the city, or used by the city, and I'm not aware of any private organizations that have them either. Okay, thank you. Did I see… did someone over here, no?
533
01:21:45.100 --> 01:21:59.379
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, Iwould like clarification,because the way I read the prior staff report for the prior meetingand this one, it had no audio, so now it seems like there's ambiguity. So, I would like that for myself and for the public. 534
01:21:59.450 --> 01:22:05.390
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, if that staff report suggests there's no audio, there is no audio. I just have no recollection ofwhat was inthat staff report.
01:22:08.690 --> 01:22:09.700
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
536
01:22:10.330 --> 01:22:23.839
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just believe it has the capability to actually record the visual component, which the current system does not, so there's no ability for us to use that in an investigation if something were to happen in the police department, as has happened in other departments.
537
01:22:24.160 --> 01:22:26.360
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Huntington, did you… 538
01:22:27.120 --> 01:22:35.789
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, so our current system's 35 years old. Is it even still operating? Yeah, I've seen conflicting information on the actual age of it, and I don't know really how to
539
01:22:35.980 --> 01:22:52.530
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: personally identify that. I've seen information saying it's as old as 1991. Yeah. So it's… it's very old, and it's extremely pixelated, doesn't record, so it's… unless we're watching it, we don't see it, basically. Follow-up question, if we approve this tonight, how quick will the cameras go up?
01:22:52.810 --> 01:22:58.899
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's a great question. I don't know how quickly the company could book us in and get it done. This has become a very protracted 541
01:22:59.100 --> 01:23:04.989
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: matter to actually get it approved, so, I don't know if I can advise. Thank you.
542
01:23:05.750 --> 01:23:07.400
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other questions? 543
01:23:08.110 --> 01:23:13.210
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, then we can go out to public comment, and thank you, Chief. Or did our attorney have something to say? 544
01:23:13.780 --> 01:23:29.320
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You need to turn your mic on. I'll do that. I just want to… there seems to have been a slight error in posting an attachment to the website where the ordinance itself… this item is agendized and properly agendized, but the attachment with the ordinance itself
545
01:23:29.460 --> 01:23:39.019
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: doesn't seem to be on the website. It's the same ordinance that was posted with the packet last week. I'll share it, I'm getting ready to share my screen to just
546
01:23:39.340 --> 01:23:43.200
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: show it to thecouncil so you know confirmation what you are.
547
01:23:43.410 --> 01:23:47.489
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. Approving, and for the public, it's the same item that was on the agenda.
548
01:23:48.030 --> 01:23:53.730
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: last week, and… and can be shown if anyone here wants to… So you're gonna do that now? Yeah.
549
01:23:56.580 --> 01:23:58.770
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Correct. That's me then. 550
01:24:14.580 --> 01:24:16.190
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can you make that bigger?
01:24:35.380 --> 01:24:37.770
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, so this is the ordinance. 552
01:24:40.420 --> 01:24:51.279
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do we need to read it? No, no, we can read it by… by title, and then it just adopts the use policy, which is pretty… because of the… 553
01:24:51.930 --> 01:24:57.170
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, the nature of this purchase, it's a pretty limited policy, this isn't a high-tech…
554
01:24:57.490 --> 01:25:03.460
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: policy, I mean, equipment, so it's a pretty limited policy, just about.
555
01:25:03.690 --> 01:25:06.560
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: yeah.
556
01:25:07.210 --> 01:25:14.229
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the things that are ordinances the Council has to adopt a policy on, so, you know, who, data access, you know, who can access it.
01:25:14.530 --> 01:25:21.820
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: protection, data retention, there's just the information there, and this will be the policy governing the use of lists. 558
01:25:23.150 --> 01:25:28.260
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And this, again, is the same thing that was in the agenda report last week, and then the impact
559
01:25:28.660 --> 01:25:34.789
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: policy. Very similar to the information in the staff report, it's just been incorporated into the ordinance because 560
01:25:35.810 --> 01:25:44.230
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Our surveillance use ordinance requires… Chapter 8.8 of our municipal Code requires that anytime we have new technology. 561
01:25:44.410 --> 01:25:46.070
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We adopt this report. 562
01:25:46.250 --> 01:25:56.019
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Wait, are you able to send that to us, or… I'm just… I just want to ask everyone here, are you comfortable with doing this, or do you want to see it?
563
01:25:56.580 --> 01:26:08.180
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Before you… I just want to know where… I mean, I read it last time, so I'm comfortable. I did as well, but I just want to verify for everyone involved that we're comfortable with.
564
01:26:09.710 --> 01:26:13.859
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: with this, and if you're gonna send it to us. I mean, I did rate it too, but still, I think…
565
01:26:16.390 --> 01:26:17.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
566
01:26:17.900 --> 01:26:22.570
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright, so, I guess, doesthat… That satisfies. 567
01:26:22.750 --> 01:26:33.920
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, and if anyone, you know, members of the public in attendance want to see, I can share my computer with them. Will we be able to attach that, make the update on the website, or maybe it's already done? I know.
01:26:34.120 --> 01:26:35.859
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You're quick about that. 569
01:26:35.920 --> 01:26:54.499
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We'll make sure, we'll pull the, the item from the last… the April 21st meeting, where it was, specificallycontinued to this meeting with… and it was attached tothat staff report, so we'llput that on here as well. Okay, all right, so that'll be available. We've received it, we've all read it, and now… thank you, Chief. And then, now we can go to public comment.
570
01:26:54.760 --> 01:27:06.009
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is for the public hearing for the purchase of cameras for the Spassville Police Station using their endowment funds.
If you would like to make a public comment for this public hearing, I will come to chambers first, for2minutes.
571
01:27:06.150 --> 01:27:09.540
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go out. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
572
01:27:09.540 --> 01:27:10.470
Kyle Falbo: Yes, I can.
01:27:10.840 --> 01:27:12.920
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, go ahead with your public comment, please.
574
01:27:12.920 --> 01:27:20.120
Kyle Falbo: I'm glad to hear that all council members here are in agreement with being able to proceed forward with an improperly noticed item.
575
01:27:20.120 --> 01:27:44.219
Kyle Falbo: that makeschanges to the surveillance policy of ourcity. The staff report states that the new system will include secure digital storage, and that recordings may be retained for approximately 90 to 365 days, depending on the camera. However, the report does not appear to define what secure means. It does not specify which footage will be encrypted, whether access will be logged and audited.
576
01:27:44.290 --> 01:28:07.509
Kyle Falbo: who will have administrative permissions, whether the system is cloud-based or locally stored, whether a vendor will have access, or whether the system is required to meet recognized standards such as CJIS or another law enforcement data security framework. Because it's being adopted under the Savaspil's Surveillance technology ordinance, you know, the city use policy should include more than retention timelines. 577
01:28:07.510 --> 01:28:12.180
Kyle Falbo: It should also clearly define the security standard for storage, access, audibility. 578
01:28:12.180 --> 01:28:20.660
Kyle Falbo: sharing, export, deletion of recorded footage. You may think that this is just simply an update to allow for a more modern system.
579
01:28:20.660 --> 01:28:29.680
Kyle Falbo: on the premises of the police station, but you're modifying the surveillance policy of the city. It's what's to stop us to come around 580
01:28:29.680 --> 01:28:48.909
Kyle Falbo: Two weeks later, to, again, improperly notice the item, fail to include the item in there, and then expand it out to other forms of surveillance, because now the data security is as weak as it is stated in this policy, you're just going to update it to add it for a new piece of technology at a new location, and not actually do the due diligence to make sure that you've got encryption.
581
01:28:48.910 --> 01:28:56.120
Kyle Falbo: policies, security policies, audit policies, all built into your policy that you're developing. It would be great if
582
01:28:56.260 --> 01:29:04.699
Kyle Falbo: You know, maybe the legal element of this was kind of maybe looked at with a finer-tooth comb, rather than just adding in.
583
01:29:04.700 --> 01:29:05.940
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle, you have about 10 seconds. 584
01:29:05.940 --> 01:29:16.309
Kyle Falbo: some very basic language just to adapt it for this particular use case, and instead thinking through, maybe, this is our, you know, surveillance policy for the city.
Thanks.
585
01:29:16.310 --> 01:29:27.440
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kyle, for your public comment. Next, I will come into Chambers. Yeah, I just want to make a quick comment, which is, you know, the earlier agenda item about the community policing and the police not having time to organize that.
586
01:29:27.640 --> 01:29:40.069
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: To me, this helps the police to do their job more efficiently. It's 2026. Replacing a1991system where they have to sit there and look at a monitor the whole time is kind of crazy to me.
587
01:29:40.250 --> 01:29:48.110
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, if this frees up some time for the police department to have more time to do community policing, that seems like a win-win to me. I think we already know that the
588
01:29:48.300 --> 01:29:53.829
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Storage of info… data and so on is very tightly constrained here.
589
01:29:53.960 --> 01:30:11.060
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the whole city's surrounded by cameras. I mean, there's county cameras, you know, right on all of the 12 and 116, just outside the city, but at the moment, we've discussed this before, this is kind of a destination for petty thieves, because they know there's not very good surveillance.
590
01:30:11.330 --> 01:30:24.690
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, we get a lot of drive-by, I know that, particularly on the main road, so I can't… I approve of this, I think it's great. Needs to be watched really carefully legally, obviously, but, to me, it's a win-win. Thank you. 591
01:30:26.680 --> 01:30:36.259
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment. Next, I'll go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on the public hearing for the surveillance cameras at the police station, please raise your hand virtually.
01:30:36.670 --> 01:30:42.160
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll come back into chambers. If there's anyone in chambers. Seeing none, public hearing is closed. 593
01:30:42.290 --> 01:30:45.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you, we're back at the dais for comments, Vice Mayor?
594
01:30:47.530 --> 01:31:04.239
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: there was a public comment that said we're modifying the city's surveillance policy, and I don't think that that's what we're doing tonight. We're just approving the purchase of cameras. Correct. So, Chapter 8.80 is the city's
595
01:31:04.400 --> 01:31:18.590
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, city's surveillance technology and community safety ordinance. That is not changing whatsoever. Oh, thank you. What that ordinance says is for each new technology you adopt, you have to adopt a separate use policy.
596
01:31:18.590 --> 01:31:31.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And if you look at the ordinance here, it applies to this specific safe house security system. It doesn't apply to flock cameras, if thecitywere to adopt that. If thecitycouncil or city decidedthey wanted flock cameras.
01:31:31.720 --> 01:31:39.900
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Our ordinance would require, and not to suggest that's anything the city is considering, just as a hypothetical, that would require that 598
01:31:40.170 --> 01:31:46.699
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Staff to come back with a new ordinanceadopting a new use policy forthat specifictype of
599
01:31:48.960 --> 01:31:54.209
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: surveillance technology. So, Chapter 8.80 is not changing at all.
600
01:31:55.130 --> 01:31:58.510
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you. Any other comments? 601
01:32:00.830 --> 01:32:01.520
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hmm?
602
01:32:01.680 --> 01:32:05.059
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I'll make a motion to approve this.
01:32:05.800 --> 01:32:06.630
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Take it.
604
01:32:09.610 --> 01:32:14.579
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, so moved by Mayor McLewis and seconded by Councilmember McCarter to approve
605
01:32:14.810 --> 01:32:26.799
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The, introduction of ordinance for treating for the purchase of cameras for the Spouseville Police Station, and the resolution for the Safe House Security System to be paid from the Police Endowment Fund. Councilmember Carter?
606
01:32:26.940 --> 01:32:37.289
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes. Councilmember Hinton? Aye.
Councilmember Zolman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? Yes. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Can we take a short break? 607
01:32:37.410 --> 01:32:38.130
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh.
01:32:38.370 --> 01:32:44.609
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sure. Is everyone okay with that? Five minutes? Is that okay, or… Okay, so we'll be back at…
609
01:32:44.760 --> 01:32:49.210
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Let's see, what time is it? So, let's just say 7…
7.40. 610
01:33:08.470 --> 01:33:17.230
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, the next item is the regular calendar agenda item for consideration of receipt of the Water Master Plan. 611
01:33:18.060 --> 01:33:21.429
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And the responsible department is Public Works. 612
01:33:21.590 --> 01:33:22.700
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Orianhart?
613
01:33:22.980 --> 01:33:44.560
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening, Councilmembers. This item is to receive a presentationon the watermaster planning effort that PublicWorks and GHD have been working on for thelast year, and toapprove the final draft of the master plan and the
projects that are coming out of that as recommendations from GHD, and we'll be programming those into our upcoming CIP.
614
01:33:44.560 --> 01:33:47.219
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And we have Matt Kennedy here from GHD to present.
615
01:33:47.280 --> 01:33:49.160
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And Matt, you can go up to the podium. 616
01:33:57.410 --> 01:34:04.270
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And this report is 10 minutes, is that correct? Correct. That is correct. I'll do my best. Thank you. Thank you. 617
01:34:04.960 --> 01:34:13.609
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, great. Well, thank you for the opportunity to be here this evening to present the Water Master Plan update. The City's 618
01:34:13.810 --> 01:34:26.990
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: original master plan was developed in 2005, so this was an important update. It included an evaluation of the city's well water supply, the water storage facilities, and the distribution system. Next slide.
01:34:27.260 --> 01:34:42.039
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We work very closely with CityPublic Works staff to understand and incorporate operation and maintenance needs and other issues. We updated the City's existing hydraulic model and used the model to evaluate the performance of the system.
620
01:34:42.830 --> 01:34:52.970
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We also developed capital improvement projects using the outcome ofthe evaluation, input from city operation andmaintenance staff, and the results of the modeling.
621
01:34:53.590 --> 01:34:57.989
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The projected growth and the water demands to the year 2045.
622
01:34:58.990 --> 01:35:04.199
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The report narrative describes the updates to the water model, updates to water demands.
623
01:35:04.480 --> 01:35:23.489
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: recommended fire hydrant flows based on the 2025 California Fire Code, and storage requirements. Capital improvement projects focus on addressingsystemdeficiencies,replacingaginginfrastructure,and renewingwater system assets that require greater than normal maintenance.
01:35:23.970 --> 01:35:24.840
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Next slide.
625
01:35:28.080 --> 01:35:38.470
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The city is mostly developed within the city limits and the urban growth boundary, and most of anticipated future development is considered infill.
626
01:35:38.820 --> 01:35:45.010
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The city's water system is in good condition and able to support remaining anticipated growth.
627
01:35:45.570 --> 01:35:58.429
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Most system service pressures are within acceptable range to provide good service to customers. There are only a few areas where pressures may fall below recommended minimums.
628
01:35:59.190 --> 01:36:11.759
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Most of the fire hydrants can supply the minimum recommended fire flows. Exceptions include fire hydrants that are located near thecity's water tanks, where pressures are typically lower.
01:36:12.030 --> 01:36:14.410
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And it's sunset on the streets. 630
01:36:15.560 --> 01:36:25.049
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The city has two pressure zones. They're referred to as Zone 1 and Zone 2. At the 2045 planning year, water storage 631
01:36:25.050 --> 01:36:38.169
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for Zone 1 is projected to fall a bit short of the recommended volume by only about 7%, but this is not a concern because the city as a whole has more than adequate water storage
632
01:36:38.420 --> 01:36:51.730
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And there are pressure valves that are located at the boundaries between these two pressurezones that allow water toflow from Zone 1 into Zone… Zone 2 into Zone 1, should there be a shortage in the storage. 633
01:36:53.640 --> 01:36:54.470
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Next slide.
634
01:36:56.980 --> 01:37:08.589
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I apologize, the text is probably not legible, but I'm gonna just cover each of the projects that are included in the recommended CIP, and I'll give a brief description of each one and what it would improve. 635
01:37:08.950 --> 01:37:20.550
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that's what this next series of slides will summarize. They're organized by project priority. The priority is not fixed, and it canchange at the City's discretion and as needs arise.
636
01:37:20.600 --> 01:37:33.880
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The first project, Project 1, is the Well 4 Replacement Project. Well4 was built in 1953 and is at the end of its service life. Replacing Well 4 will renew the reliability of the water supply.
637
01:37:34.470 --> 01:37:38.099
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The design of the replacement of Well 4 is currently ongoing.
638
01:37:39.030 --> 01:37:56.120
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 2 is the Pleasant Hill Loop. This is a new pipeline. The Pleasant Hill tanks feed water into the city system through a single water main on Lynch Road. Should the main go out of service, over 70% of the city's water storage wouldbeoffline.
01:37:56.490 --> 01:38:01.919
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Constructing this redundant water main connecting the Pleasant Hill tanks to Bodega Avenue.
640
01:38:02.440 --> 01:38:07.670
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Improves system reliability, and creates an important supply redundancy.
641
01:38:09.020 --> 01:38:27.220
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The next project, number 3, is to perform a structural assessment of the Pleasant Hill tanks and the First Street tank. These tanks are currently not anchored to their foundations. They were constructed… designed and constructed before the seismic… the current seismic codes, which have changed significantly.
642
01:38:27.250 --> 01:38:32.150
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And they likely… Do not meet the seismic requirements.
643
01:38:32.310 --> 01:38:36.210
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They are operated at reduced capacity as a result. 644
01:38:36.440 --> 01:38:49.890
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The evaluation would result in recommendations for seismic retrofit design of the tanks, which should allow the tanks to be operated at their intended capacity, their original design capacity. Next slide. 645
01:38:51.830 --> 01:39:08.220
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 4 is the design and construction of the seismic retrofit of the Pleasant Hill tanks andthe First Street tank. Implementation ofthis project will bring the tanks into compliance with current seismic requirements and should allow them to operate at their full design capacity.
646
01:39:08.850 --> 01:39:21.089
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 5 replaces existing water services on Gwendolyn Place. The services on Gwendolyn Place have had numerous issues and leaks requiring repairs and replacements, more than normal.
647
01:39:21.270 --> 01:39:25.599
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And replacing them will reduce the risk of future customer service disruptions.
648
01:39:26.500 --> 01:39:34.090
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 6 installs an automated flow meterat the City's Johnson Street Public Works Yard waterfill station. 649
01:39:34.300 --> 01:39:43.670
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This water station is used to track the sale of water to water haulers and contractors. The city would like to improve metering accuracy and documentation.
650
01:39:43.700 --> 01:39:57.719
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The installation ofthe automated flow meter at the yard tower is essential to accurately measure… accurately measure, monitor, and manage water supplied for construction activities, and for water hauled to customers in tankers during the dry season.
651
01:39:58.710 --> 01:40:04.289
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 7 replaces about 215 feet of water main on South Main Street.
652
01:40:04.600 --> 01:40:07.650
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: From Gravenstein Highway to Walker Avenue. 653
01:40:07.750 --> 01:40:17.129
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This section of Maine has had numerous water leaksand repairs,and replacingthemainwillreducemaintenanceeffortsand improve system reliability.
654
01:40:18.420 --> 01:40:19.240
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Next slide.
655
01:40:22.130 --> 01:40:32.560
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 8 replaces the existing pressure valves that I referred to earlier, that interconnect zones 1 and 2. The valves are old. 656
01:40:32.560 --> 01:40:47.460
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and beyond there of service life. The replacement will allow water to flow from Zone 2 into Zone 1as designed forthe City's operation, the water system operation, and maintain proper water service and pressure and supply throughout the city.
657
01:40:47.770 --> 01:41:03.479
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 9 constructs an arsenic treatment system for Well 6, which is located near Fircrest Market. The water produced from Well 6 contains naturally occurring arsenic above the EPA maximum contaminant level. 658
01:41:03.850 --> 01:41:06.920
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The city currently blends the water with 659
01:41:07.190 --> 01:41:15.870
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Blends the water with… from well 6 with water free of arsenic to reduce the concentration below the maximum contaminant level.
01:41:16.170 --> 01:41:29.069
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The design of Well 6' water treatment system was completed about 9 years ago, but the city has not had the funding to construct the system.
With the treatment system in place, the arsenic in Well 6 water 661
01:41:29.380 --> 01:41:34.310
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Will be removed, ensuring public health and increasing the city's available water supply.
662
01:41:35.220 --> 01:41:36.610
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 10.
663
01:41:36.770 --> 01:41:40.699
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Replaces over 90 water services on Valley View Drive.
664
01:41:40.920 --> 01:41:59.399
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The soils in this area are corrosive, and they're causing the service laterals to the customers to fail prematurely by leaks and pinhole leaks in the services. Replacing these service pipes will reduce the risk of future leaks and reduce customer service disruption.
01:42:00.160 --> 01:42:00.950
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Next slide.
666
01:42:03.240 --> 01:42:12.370
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We're getting close, we're almost there. Project 11 replaces the 40-year-old cast iron water main on Covert Lane between Norley Street and Zimfer Drive.
667
01:42:12.500 --> 01:42:26.710
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: with a new water main. Cast iron pipe is brittle, and over time it corrodes on the interior of the pipe, and it reduces the capacity of the pipe, and it makes it susceptible to failure, and it's no longer used in water main construction. 668
01:42:27.140 --> 01:42:33.070
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Replacing this water main will improve the system performanceandtheavailablefiresupply.
669
01:42:33.870 --> 01:42:42.680
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 12, similar to 11, replaces about 200 feet of old, undersized cast iron pipe on Ellis Court with a new water main. 670
01:42:42.810 --> 01:42:56.170
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's undersized, and as I described previously, the cast iron pipe is brittle, and it corrodes, and it has reduced capacity compared to modern pipes. And replacing it will improvesystem performance in the available fire 671
01:42:57.720 --> 01:43:12.830
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Project 13 replaces isolation valves and installs new valves throughout the city's water system. Isolation valves are important in the operationand maintenanceof thewatersystem,and theyenableefficientshutdowns during repair work.
672
01:43:13.010 --> 01:43:25.580
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Replacement of the older valves and installation of additional valves provides greater system control and minimizes larger customer outages when downtime, and downtime when mains do need to be shut down. 673
01:43:26.930 --> 01:43:28.169
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And the next slide. 674
01:43:28.500 --> 01:43:36.470
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The last project, number 14, paints and relines the First Street tank and the Pleasant Hill tanks.
675
01:43:36.620 --> 01:43:48.589
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Inspections of these tanks were performed about 4yearsago,andtheyshowed areasof blisteringand crackson thewallsand floorcoatings, as well as some rust stains on the ceiling.
676
01:43:48.710 --> 01:44:04.830
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Maintaining the coatings on these steel tanks is important to prevent corrosion, preserve the structural integrity, and maintains water quality. And the protective coating also extends the service life of the tank and reduces future maintenance costs.
677
01:44:05.750 --> 01:44:16.780
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that summarizes the… the update of the Master Plan, and most importantly, the capital improvement projects, and I'm happy to entertain any questions that Council may have. Thank you. 678
01:44:17.410 --> 01:44:19.040
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you very much. 679
01:44:19.270 --> 01:44:22.429
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We're back at the dais for people who have questions.
680
01:44:24.100 --> 01:44:35.140
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I… if no one has, I just have one question. Could you reiterate, when you talked about the priorities? Because I'm… I'm looking at all this, we have 8 red high priorities. Did you say that
681
01:44:35.620 --> 01:44:41.800
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right now, they are in order of priority, and that could be changed, or these are just 8, and they're all… 682
01:44:42.070 --> 01:44:49.730
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They are in order of our recommended priority, yes, but they could be changed if by the city, if
683
01:44:50.240 --> 01:44:56.849
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Needs arise, or if there are changes in priority.
Sometimes things happen with the system, and you need to elevate a project. 684
01:44:57.280 --> 01:45:04.099
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that's perfectly fine, but yes. All right, thank you. That was one thing I just wanted to clarify for myself. Go ahead, Vice Mayor. 685
01:45:04.420 --> 01:45:22.710
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, this priority, prioritization list is very helpful, so thank you for arranging it like that and color coding it. We saw this at the Budget
Committee the other day, and we spent quite a bit of time on the 28th. It was actually a joint meeting with the Enterprise Oversight Committee.
686
01:45:22.950 --> 01:45:25.950
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So… Looks good, thank you. 687
01:45:26.180 --> 01:45:33.009
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, and that's something… that's a recorded meeting, right, that people can watch if they… That one… Was that recorded? Yes, it was recorded.
688
01:45:33.300 --> 01:45:38.900
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I thought so, but I just want to say it publicly for people. If they want to see it, it is recorded, and… 689
01:45:39.150 --> 01:45:41.120
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Available at your pleasure. 690
01:45:41.420 --> 01:45:44.250
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other questions?
01:45:44.870 --> 01:45:51.660
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No? Okay, so we'll go out to public comment.
Thank you. Matt, you can sit down during public comment. Oh, sorry, sorry, thank you very much.
692
01:45:52.170 --> 01:46:00.750
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So this is for the public comment period for the Water Master Plan. If you'd like to make a public comment, I do in-chambers first, and then go out to Zoom.
693
01:46:01.020 --> 01:46:03.819
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none in chambers, Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
694
01:46:04.140 --> 01:46:05.059
Kyle Falbo: Yes, I can.
695
01:46:05.060 --> 01:46:07.009
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Go ahead with your public comment, please.
696
01:46:07.360 --> 01:46:28.449
Kyle Falbo: So really, I just want to speak tothe broader fiscal lesson that's embedded in this Water Master Plan.The report identifies, you know, nearly$11 million in recommended water system capital improvements over the next 5 to 10 years, much of it tied to aging infrastructure, water reliability, regulatory compliance, and critical assets like wells, tanks, valves, and distribution lines. But this number did not just appear overnight. 697
01:46:28.480 --> 01:46:41.109
Kyle Falbo: Deferred maintenance is not just the result of old pipes and aging tanks. It's also the result of past financial decisions that failed to fully protect the water and wastewater enterprise funds for their intended purposes. 698
01:46:41.300 --> 01:47:05.270
Kyle Falbo: A primary reason we're facing this level of deferred maintenance is that prior cost allocation plans appear to have improperly shifted or calculated cost in ways that benefited the general fund departments instead of preserving sufficient resources for maintaining the city's water and wastewater infrastructure. In plain terms, rate-payersupported infrastructure costs should not be treated as a backstop for general 699
01:47:05.270 --> 01:47:09.680
Kyle Falbo: municipality operations. When that's happened in the past. 700
01:47:09.680 --> 01:47:13.639
Kyle Falbo: The public eventually, as we're seeing now, pays twice.
01:47:13.640 --> 01:47:26.319
Kyle Falbo: Once through utility rates, and again, through emergency repairs, rate increases, delayed capital projects. So the Council now has the opportunity to make sure that that lapse of judgment does not continue.
702
01:47:26.320 --> 01:47:34.930
Kyle Falbo: So, as you receive this Water Master Plan, I urge you to treat it not only as an engineeringdocument,butasa warningaboutfiscaldiscipline. 703
01:47:35.270 --> 01:47:47.529
Kyle Falbo: Future cost allocation plans need to be transparent, defensible, independently reviewable,and clearlyseparated fromanyefforttobalancethegeneralfund on thebacks of water and wastewater ratepayers.
704
01:47:49.060 --> 01:47:56.530
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kyle, for your public comment. Next, I will go to Chambers. Seeing then, I'll go out to Zoom. Lee, can you unmute yourself, please? 705
01:47:57.810 --> 01:47:58.530
Lee: Miss.
706
01:47:58.530 --> 01:48:00.170
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer?
01:48:00.490 --> 01:48:01.260
Lee: I can.
708
01:48:01.260 --> 01:48:02.460
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great, go ahead, please. 709
01:48:02.950 --> 01:48:20.469
Lee: Yeah, just a couple of comments. I did participate and watched the oversight meeting, and I think that that group is turning out to be… and you know, probably, that I've been a long-time critic of the water and sewer operations here. 710
01:48:20.470 --> 01:48:27.109
Lee: And I think that that group, because they have time, because they have interest, and because they're
711
01:48:27.200 --> 01:48:36.810
Lee: Gaining knowledge of the system, ask really good questions, and are drilling into big issues that, you know, have needed to be addressed for a really long time. 712
01:48:36.910 --> 01:48:48.269
Lee: One of those issues you all should probably be a little bit concerned about, you heard tonight that there's pressure relief valves that are critical to moving water from one side of our system to the other in case there's an issue.
713
01:48:48.390 --> 01:49:07.279
Lee: And you also heard tonight that there's 3 of those valves that don't work, and that they're old, and they haven't been working for quite a while. And I would be concerned, as a council that no one has brought this forward. I mean, even if there isn't money, issues like this need to come forward and be discussed.
714
01:49:07.520 --> 01:49:23.240
Lee: set priorities, so you can understand what's being, you know, not addressed. That's my one concern. The second one is a little different. You all require… recall about a year ago, we learned that there's moderate fire risk along the west, east, and southern portions of the city.
715
01:49:23.240 --> 01:49:33.680
Lee: CAL FIRE gave us that alert. If you lookat the fire hydrants that don't have pressures on the chart, I'm sure you saw it, they line up right along the west side of the city. 716
01:49:33.700 --> 01:49:48.900
Lee: If you look at the water tanks, they're in the southern exposure for wild… moderate wildfire risk. And of course, our wells are on the east side, which is moderate wildfire risk. So, we don't have afirechief here anymore that's sitting in the meeting saying, oh, gee whiz, maybe I should look into this. Hopefully that…
01:49:49.050 --> 01:49:52.750
Lee: crosstalk is taking place, and that people are working on this. Thank you. 718
01:49:53.700 --> 01:50:06.700
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Lee, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers. If there's anyone in chambers that would like to make a public comment. Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on this item, please raise your hand virtually. 719
01:50:06.770 --> 01:50:19.189
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item. Okay, thank you. We're back at the dives. I… I actually have a question, if… if you don't mind me asking a question. I just thought of it as we were… 720
01:50:20.380 --> 01:50:22.140
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Going through public comment. 721
01:50:24.240 --> 01:50:37.739
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Based on your experience, and, you know, and can you tell me what is commonplace for a city? To me, 8 high-priority red items seems high to me, but is that… is that accurate or not? I mean, you're… you're the expert.
01:50:37.740 --> 01:50:47.409
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, I think that the projects are accurate, and they're needed, but as I stated during the presentation, the city water system is in good condition.
723
01:50:47.630 --> 01:51:00.020
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I think it's been well maintained. There are certain practices that we've also recommended in the report for ongoing operation and maintenance, and all city water systems or municipal water systems have 724
01:51:00.280 --> 01:51:05.449
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Repairs, replacements that need to be done over time, because they do have a limited services life.
725
01:51:05.640 --> 01:51:18.990
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I think Sevasopol is not unique in that regard, that there are some projects that need tobe done. But specifically, my question is, is it commonplace for most cities to have this many high-priority, high-ticket items at the same time?
726
01:51:19.110 --> 01:51:34.910
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I think there are cities that have more. Okay.
Based on my experience. Okay, that's what I just wanted to understand for all of us to have context. Okay, thank you so much. I don't know if anyone else has thought of anything before. Okay, thank you very much, appreciate it.
01:51:35.090 --> 01:51:36.740
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other comments? 728
01:51:37.790 --> 01:51:38.670
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead.
729
01:51:40.010 --> 01:51:51.780
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, I very much appreciate the process in having a water master plan and the committee to review this. The time, I think, has been very informative to all of us.
730
01:51:51.890 --> 01:52:08.399
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I also just want to note that I think that this is a manageable set of projects that we have to do. And I, you know, I… I don't know if it's on the Council to keep this, you know, like, at the top of our pinned list of to-do lists, but I'm sure our new,
731
01:52:08.620 --> 01:52:22.899
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: PublicWorks staff and otherscan, you know, keep this, you know, into our budgets every year. But we'll start to see these in the CIP, I believe, or these… yeah, these will be in the CIP, so…
01:52:22.900 --> 01:52:28.679
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We'll try to knock them out in a, or my intention as a person on the board committee.
733
01:52:28.680 --> 01:52:35.840
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is to try to keep them, appropriate to our budget, and… Progressively knocked them out.
734
01:52:39.630 --> 01:52:42.490
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And did you have anything before we wrap this up?
735
01:52:43.060 --> 01:52:56.159
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Nope, I'm just… I was… it's been a pleasure working with GHD and kind of getting to know the system, and it is in pretty good condition, and we're looking forward to getting some of these projects started and going as we move into the next year. Perfect, okay.
736
01:52:56.490 --> 01:53:07.689
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, so I don't know if we have a motion, if no one wants to make a… are we… do we need a motion to accept? So, you should have a motion to receive and file the… this Water Master Plan. So moved.
01:53:08.920 --> 01:53:09.720
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Second.
738
01:53:10.500 --> 01:53:13.239
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, Councilmember Carter, second? 739
01:53:13.600 --> 01:53:22.569
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. So, so moved by Vice Mayor Maurer and seconded by CouncilmemberCarter to receive and file the final draft watermaster plan update. Councilmember Carter?
740
01:53:26.030 --> 01:53:33.789
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes. Councilmember Hinton? Aye.
Councilmember Zolman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.
741
01:53:34.150 --> 01:53:35.510
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you.
742
01:53:37.230 --> 01:53:51.850
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The next item, 12, is the cost allocation methodology. We're talking water tonight. Enterprise. This item is for direction to staff on cost allocationmethodology for the upcomingfiscal year26-27 city budget. 743
01:53:51.870 --> 01:54:00.589
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This item will include the consultant Clear Source providing an overview of the recommended approach and its impact on the budget. The budget committee and…
744
01:54:01.410 --> 01:54:10.840
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Budget Committee and Enterprise Oversight Committee received presentations on the recommended approaches and supported a placeholder of option A until full council discussion.
745
01:54:10.840 --> 01:54:21.810
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And who will be doing this? Is it Ana, or… Yes.
Okay. Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor. I'll introduce this item first, and then, I'll pass it over to ClearSource.
746
01:54:21.810 --> 01:54:35.570
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Jeanette Han is on Zoom, so the item to ask the Council to review the proposed cost plan options and provide directions on how the indirect admin costs should be allocated to the Enterprise Fund for the upcoming budget year.
01:54:35.660 --> 01:54:46.330
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So with that, we have Jeanette Han, who is with ClearSource, and she has a PowerPoint presentation to go through, with the Council. 748
01:54:46.600 --> 01:54:47.390
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Jeanette?
749
01:54:49.320 --> 01:54:50.460
ClearSource: Thank you, Ana.
750
01:54:50.890 --> 01:55:04.649
ClearSource: And I will be referencing slides that are then the agenda packet, and I'm going to go very quickly through them in order to get to your questions and discussion, so I will reference the page numbers that are for this agenda item in your packet. 751
01:55:05.240 --> 01:55:08.159
ClearSource: So, starting on age- page 12,
752
01:55:08.290 --> 01:55:25.499
ClearSource: Just introducing myself, I'm Jeanette Hahn from ClearSource, and I've been working with the City for several years nowon this specific topic. This is our third iteration
of a comprehensive indirect cost allocation plan for the City, which is the technical analysis that is used to
753
01:55:25.500 --> 01:55:36.380
ClearSource:allocateostensiblyoverhead costsof thegeneralfund tobenefiting departments citywide. And this is,
754
01:55:36.710 --> 01:55:52.659
ClearSource: Most critically used by the city to determine an interfund charge for service on its two enterprise funds to reimburse the general fund for those central services that are organized and accounted for in the general fund and otherwise would be tax-supported. 755
01:55:52.940 --> 01:55:59.549
ClearSource: The indirect cost allocation planwas developed, first developed, by us with the city in 2024.
756
01:55:59.920 --> 01:56:16.209
ClearSource: At the time, the City Council, approved the interfund charges that came out of that plan, but then directed a subsequent update in 2025 to the cost allocation plan, with consultant support. That was completed.
757
01:56:16.210 --> 01:56:33.970
ClearSource: At that time, the Council then approved the interfund charges that came out of that 2025 plan, but then directed that the next iteration of the cost allocation plan be, reviewed through its, committee process, through its Budget Committee and Enterprise Oversight Committee.
758
01:56:33.970 --> 01:56:45.640
ClearSource: So this plan has been presented through that committee process and actually reflects somematerialchanges based on direction that wewere given to make changes in the analysis.
759
01:56:45.790 --> 01:56:48.940
ClearSource: So, skipping forward to…
760
01:56:53.370 --> 01:56:55.469
ClearSource: Page number 16.
761
01:56:56.060 --> 01:56:57.749
ClearSource: In your agenda packet.
762
01:56:58.510 --> 01:57:10.730
ClearSource: As a reminder, I know that cost allocation has come to you multiple times, but as a reminder, we're specifically looking at central services organized and accounted for in the general fund that provide benefit to the city's
01:57:10.730 --> 01:57:28.810
ClearSource: outward-facing services. So, all services citywide that are public services, the mission of the city, are supported to various degrees by… by these general government and central services, and in the case of public works, some departmental administration and support.
764
01:57:29.070 --> 01:57:33.150
ClearSource: This list here, on slide…
765
01:57:33.250 --> 01:57:43.759
ClearSource: excuse me, it's referencing your packet. Page 16 in your agenda packet summarizes these programs, which are found in the general fund, and shows you the costs. 766
01:57:43.960 --> 01:57:59.140
ClearSource: That havebeen allocated in the past, in the plan for the current fiscal year, which was looked at last year, and for two scenarios that we ran this year under direction by the city. Scenario A and Scenario B.
767
01:57:59.140 --> 01:58:05.810
ClearSource: Those are lettered scenarios which represent iterations of the large technical analysis that looks at overhead burden.
01:58:05.930 --> 01:58:19.990
ClearSource: The material differences, and just focusing on Scenario Ahere, as it's focused on in the staff report itself, the material changes from the prior plan include the expenditure year basis for the costs that are allocated.
769
01:58:20.060 --> 01:58:30.909
ClearSource: In your prior two plans that we developed with you, we ran the technical analysis based on adopted budgeted expenditures in the year in which the plan was developed.
770
01:58:30.910 --> 01:58:43.749
ClearSource: And based on the discussions in those past iterations, in this current study year, in the plans that you're being presented here, the expenditures that are being allocated are actually
771
01:58:43.810 --> 01:58:53.830
ClearSource: prior year actual audited expenditures for each of these program areas. So that is a material change in the assumptions for the plan that you're looking at. 772
01:58:54.110 --> 01:59:00.730
ClearSource: Additionally, for these two cost allocation plan iterations, Scenario A and Scenario B,
01:59:00.800 --> 01:59:14.799
ClearSource: Certain program areas have been dropped out from consideration for allocation, meaning the costs of those programs are not allocated andnot reflected inthe end interfund charge on the enterprises. In Scenario A, 774
01:59:14.840 --> 01:59:21.360
ClearSource: We have removed the entire program for City Attorney as an eligible cost, allocable cost.
775
01:59:21.490 --> 01:59:35.539
ClearSource: In Scenario B, because we've applied some additional restrictions and made it look more like a traditional federally recognized plan, we've also dropped out some general government and other non-eligible expenses.
776
01:59:35.750 --> 01:59:43.979
ClearSource: When we drop out City Attorney as a program that's being allocated through this plan, I just want to make it clear that
777
01:59:43.990 --> 02:00:03.149
ClearSource: that's being done with the understanding that the city may look for other opportunities for those costs to be accounted for when relevant in the enterprise fund. So, to the degree that acost from that program area could be directly identifiedand directly charged.
02:00:03.150 --> 02:00:15.609
ClearSource: it likely would be. Obviously, that's all part of your budgeting process and the policy direction, but that was the idea behind the development of these scenarios. 779
02:00:17.100 --> 02:00:25.749
ClearSource: So, without belaboring too much into the methodology, you can see it written here and look in the past reports.
780
02:00:25.750 --> 02:00:43.710
ClearSource: Basically, the cost allocation plan looks at this total allocable cost for, general government and centralized support, and in the case of public works, departmental and administration, an allocable cost pool of about $3.6 million. 781
02:00:43.710 --> 02:00:46.600
ClearSource: This is the overall spread among departments. 782
02:00:46.600 --> 02:00:50.339
ClearSource: Or groupings of programs and departments,
783
02:00:50.400 --> 02:01:04.330
ClearSource: Throughout the city. So the cost allocation plan distributes these costs citywide according to a methodology. And at the end of the analysis, you see here that, the water and sewer utilities represent,
784
02:01:04.650 --> 02:01:23.440
ClearSource: each about a fifth of the allocated costs, and then otherdepartments follow, such as police. Now, the reason why, in Sebastopol, you see this outcome here, where the utilities are bearing, each about, again, a fifthof thecosts here, a couple reasons. 785
02:01:23.440 --> 02:01:32.530
ClearSource: The allocated overhead represents, again, departmental administration and also engineering support of the operations of the utility. 786
02:01:32.930 --> 02:01:42.449
ClearSource: And also, we are looking at a retail environment for these utilities, where the operations of that retail, customer service-oriented
787
02:01:42.560 --> 02:01:52.399
ClearSource: programs are actually accounted for in the general fund, so those directly benefit the utility andare material part of theoverall cost allocation. 788
02:01:54.310 --> 02:02:13.999
ClearSource: It's a reasonable question to say, when you look at an interfund charge for service that is found by the plan for these enterprises, what is the composition of that? I just sort of touched on that, these donut charts that you can see on page 24 of your agenda packet.
789
02:02:14.080 --> 02:02:29.029
ClearSource: show you how each of those program areas in the general fund end up in the allocated cost to thesetwo utilities. So finance… the services within finance represent about a third of the costs to each utility.
790
02:02:29.110 --> 02:02:42.040
ClearSource:Publicworksadmin representsabouta fifth.Thatengineeringtechnical support of operations is about 10%. Your general government is another little over 10% of that… of that interfund charge.
791
02:02:44.530 --> 02:02:55.349
ClearSource: how does this compare to your current year budget? So, the cost allocation plan under Scenario A, and I'm looking at page 26 of your agenda packet. 792
02:02:55.930 --> 02:03:08.199
ClearSource: In Scenario A, that cost allocation plan would find, just under $1.6 million in total from the utilities to reimburse the general fund for these allocable costs. 793
02:03:08.340 --> 02:03:11.430
ClearSource: Compared to just under 1.8.
794
02:03:11.810 --> 02:03:28.219
ClearSource: That these utilities are currently being charged, so we made, again, material changes, changing the expenditure year basis, removing legal costs as part of the basis, and obviously updatedother metrics that… that are flowing through the methodology. 795
02:03:28.480 --> 02:03:35.860
ClearSource: So under Scenario A, focusing on that, that would represent, reduced reimbursement to the general fund.
796
02:03:35.860 --> 02:03:55.070
ClearSource: of about $209,000 in the upcoming fiscal year. What that means is the utilities would bear $209,000 less, and the general fund would retain that value. It would need to… it could not rely onthe utilities to findthat general fund resources would be picking up that amount.
797
02:03:55.070 --> 02:03:57.339
ClearSource: Compared to the current fiscalyear.
798
02:03:57.680 --> 02:04:08.910
ClearSource: I do want to point out, because we've been involved with you now for 3 iterations, 3 years of this plan, that these charges, under Scenario A still represent,
02:04:08.910 --> 02:04:19.599
ClearSource: a historical decrease from prior levels of general fund reimbursement of these costs. So the methodology is still sustaining that 800
02:04:19.630 --> 02:04:28.220
ClearSource: that change that was implemented, in 2024 when this methodology went into place. It's still a reduced value.
801
02:04:28.720 --> 02:04:35.779
ClearSource: So, finally, I would just like to provide the summary that's on page 30 of your agenda packet.
802
02:04:36.220 --> 02:04:46.610
ClearSource: And this is sort of a list of paths that you could potentially take. Obviously, there are other paths you could take as well, but for your discussion to get you started. 803
02:04:46.610 --> 02:05:01.830
ClearSource: Scenarios A and B, which are actual iterations of the cost allocation plan, these are updates to the large technical analysis, are sitting here, showing you what the resulting interfund charge is on each of the utilities and the impact to the general fund.
02:05:02.010 --> 02:05:16.319
ClearSource: We were asked to sort of say, what are some other things that the city could do? You could make no change. You have a current charge in place, that's option zero listed here. You can see the current charge on the enterprise funds in the current fiscal year. 805
02:05:17.770 --> 02:05:36.079
ClearSource: It is not necessarily common for a city of your scale and needs to run a comprehensive cost allocation plan every single year. So what do cities do? Well, they often, like you do for all of your fees for service, most of your fees for service. 806
02:05:36.080 --> 02:05:44.940
ClearSource: You could also apply an inflationary adjustment to that interfund charge. It is effective fee onthe enterprise funds.
807
02:05:45.050 --> 02:05:49.529
ClearSource: You could apply an inflationaryfactor to the current charge. 808
02:05:50.930 --> 02:06:08.959
ClearSource: you know, set aside that you've run these iterations, that might be something that you would do in the future when this topic stabilizes for you, where you're running a cost allocation plan every 2, 3, or 4 years. If youapplied inflation to the current charge, it would be a minor increase to the utilities.
02:06:09.080 --> 02:06:12.070
ClearSource: We also wanted to honor the fact that
810
02:06:12.460 --> 02:06:24.049
ClearSource: the allocated legal costs and the current interfund charge are a matter of constant discussion, as well as the inclusion of City Council. 811
02:06:24.100 --> 02:06:33.230
ClearSource: Options 2 and 3, apply that inflationary adjustment tothe current charge, but do drop out the layer.
812
02:06:33.230 --> 02:06:46.699
ClearSource: of the charge that was attributed to, in Option 2, City Attorney, and in Option 3, also City Council. So you can see those progressive impacts on the general fund if those paths were to be chosen.
813
02:06:46.900 --> 02:06:51.030
ClearSource: So with that, I'll stop talking and be available to your questions. 814
02:06:51.650 --> 02:06:56.539
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, excuse me, thank you. Did you have anything more to add before we go ahead?
02:06:56.820 --> 02:07:02.820
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, thanks for the presentation, and, Mary, it was probably you that did the comparisons.
816
02:07:02.820 --> 02:07:18.520
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Because when we're trying to do things right, I don't want to be an outlier. So I saw the memo that you said somebody did comparing us to Cloverdale, or what was going on at Cloverdale, Katati, yada yada. That was you, right? No, that was actually Director Kuang.
817
02:07:18.520 --> 02:07:25.460
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, well, thank you, for doing that. So, everybody seems to be encouraging us to do scenario
818
02:07:25.460 --> 02:07:42.659
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: A. So, if we did Scenario A, and we leave this area today, and we wander out into the world, where would we be in reference to Katahdi, and where would we be in reference to Cloverdale? Because I read the memo, but I'm still not clear. So, can you explain
819
02:07:42.660 --> 02:07:49.440
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Your recommendation in the context of how that positions us with our brothers and sisters just down the road.
02:07:50.200 --> 02:07:56.589
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Cotatiand Covedale, they have their own different method, so…
821
02:07:56.800 --> 02:08:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm not sure how to address where we are compared to our neighboring city.
822
02:08:02.180 --> 02:08:05.720
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Because no cost plan is the same. 823
02:08:05.910 --> 02:08:14.569
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We have our own method, and this method is vetted through the consultant. Option A is using actual expenditure. 824
02:08:14.750 --> 02:08:23.939
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: These are audited numbers, these are not based on budget. Coverdale and Kotati, they established their own in-house method. 825
02:08:24.180 --> 02:08:25.529
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And,
826
02:08:26.640 --> 02:08:34.679
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, I would just leave it at that. Can I ask you a real quick question? Is Zoom working? I just want to make sure, since it just has that screen on there.
827
02:08:34.980 --> 02:08:37.550
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or is that just part of the… okay, I just want to make sure.
828
02:08:38.030 --> 02:08:53.140
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Mary, did you have a follow-up? I was actually just gonna ask you to explain what Cloverdale's was and what Katati's is, where it's different to how Sebastobal does it. In particular, because I ended up setting questions in, and it seems like
829
02:08:53.740 --> 02:08:58.430
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: $100,000 is being attributed to Council. 830
02:08:58.620 --> 02:09:11.860
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And so, even in the staff report, it's not clear tome about why water and sewer people should be charged $100,000 for us. But then, kind of reading it, it's kind of like…
831
02:09:11.860 --> 02:09:19.649
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's the reports for us, for when we sit here and in closed session, etc, etc. Is that a fair statement?
832
02:09:19.940 --> 02:09:43.140
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, that's a fair statement of some of the things that you do. So, when you're reviewing CIP plans that are water or sewer related, you're reviewing rate study studies, or sorry, rate, you know, rate studies, things like that, the $100,000 is tributed on the cost allocation. So, the Council does have an option, if you wanted to do similar to what we do for City Attorney, you could pull that out, and then 833
02:09:43.140 --> 02:09:53.820
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Council would need to determine how many hours they spend on reviewing a report. We can determine what the amount of hours are in a council meeting, but it would be up to the Council at that point, and then we would direct charge
834
02:09:53.920 --> 02:10:12.359
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the enterprise funds based upon that time that you do that, but the $100,000 is the allocation, that's the current allocation method that we currently do right now, so it's based on the allocated budget. This is a minor follow-up with
that. The reason why I was wanting to know about Katati, because what I was reading in your memo, it seems like they broke it up
835
02:10:12.360 --> 02:10:21.249
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for each council member, and considered us to be, what was it, a half-time employee, and they sort of started the analysis with that. Did I understand that right?
836
02:10:22.360 --> 02:10:27.940
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I did not do the analysis of Katati, so I'm going to ask Director Kuang if that is your analysis
837
02:10:28.150 --> 02:10:40.360
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for what City of Catawi is doing? That, that's my understanding. They look at each council members as a HAP FTE. They also take another layer of the,
838
02:10:40.910 --> 02:10:41.650
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Dude.
839
02:10:41.860 --> 02:10:45.769
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Board that you assign to, the amount of,
02:10:46.890 --> 02:10:52.110
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: meetings that you go to those boards. So there's a couple of layers that Katali does.
841
02:10:52.570 --> 02:10:54.819
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As far as Council, 842
02:10:55.860 --> 02:11:05.319
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: allocation, and then from there, they come up with, like, a flat percentage, like 15% forcouncil, I think that I listed here in the memo. 843
02:11:05.470 --> 02:11:15.180
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, they have a completely different method than what we have here in Sevasco. I'll stop asking. So, I have a question, and it's related to council time.
844
02:11:15.590 --> 02:11:22.820
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I really struggle with understanding The amount that's charged with us, because When we just look at…
845
02:11:22.920 --> 02:11:36.730
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: our time, according to what we get paid, is about 10 bucks a day. And then to see that kind of charge for our time there, it just seems very disjointed and disconnected. I mean, we make $300 a month. 846
02:11:36.830 --> 02:11:42.530
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Before taxes, but yet the residents are being charged, you know, this…
847
02:11:42.530 --> 02:12:01.230
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: massive amount of money for our time, but yet it's not really valued that way. So I'm just… it's a real disconnect for me, because how do we evaluate our… the value of our time other than hourly? So if we're making $10 a day, how… how is it that it's figured out that our time is worth somuchmore whenwe're dealingwith water?
848
02:12:01.240 --> 02:12:04.410
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do you know… do you understand what I'm saying? I mean, it just seems like…
849
02:12:04.610 --> 02:12:21.050
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: How does that math work? We're looking at the council budget as a whole. We're not looking at the Council as being paid $300 plus any benefits and anything else. I understand that, but I'm just saying in general purposes, when you're looking at the value of people's time, it just seemed like…
02:12:21.510 --> 02:12:22.790
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What?
851
02:12:24.570 --> 02:12:41.259
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And, and, and, I mean, is that… is this just a commonplace thing that's happened, asking the clear source expert here? I mean, you see just different methodologies with how Council's time is valued and… and… and… 852
02:12:41.260 --> 02:12:46.230
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center:charged against different accounts. It's just varied all over the place.
853
02:12:47.650 --> 02:13:07.380
ClearSource: Well, sure, I mean, so the broad question is, well, the broad answer is that every agency budgets in its city council program differently. So, however, I would… what I want to emphasize here is that the indirect cost allocation plan assumes a full-cost methodology.
854
02:13:07.500 --> 02:13:19.539
ClearSource: So, what that means is that weare not looking at specific hours of time in these general government functions. I mean, that's… it's not something that is known.
02:13:19.650 --> 02:13:30.249
ClearSource: And not something that… certainly not that… that we would assert is reasonably… reasonably attained. Now, technology, I think… I mean, we have active conversations in…
856
02:13:30.320 --> 02:13:42.600
ClearSource: in the industry right now, where, I mean, this could rapidly change, but today, what we have and what we would recommend is using a very standard 857
02:13:42.620 --> 02:13:51.330
ClearSource: tool, technical tool, called an Indirect Cost Allocation plan, which looks at the entirety of the costs
858
02:13:51.580 --> 02:13:56.089
ClearSource: Associated with each program area that provides 859
02:13:56.450 --> 02:14:02.740
ClearSource: centralized oversight, centralized management, or centralized support. You are centralized oversight.
860
02:14:02.770 --> 02:14:16.069
ClearSource: when you open the budget document, there are budgeted costs that include, yes, the nominal pay that is received by those of you who serve on the Council. There are also other budgeted costs
861
02:14:16.070 --> 02:14:24.739
ClearSource: attributed to the Council, and additionally, because this… the concept is full cost, you are supported as well.
862
02:14:24.810 --> 02:14:38.950
ClearSource: by centralized service. You're supported materially by the city clerk. You're supported materiallyby the city manager. There's minor support from finance, minor support from facilities, etc.
863
02:14:39.320 --> 02:14:58.970
ClearSource: those are costs that are loaded into the allocable cost pool for City Council as a service that then gets shared by all departments throughout the city. So that's how the costs come together. It is a very, very typical construction of costs that's reliant on 864
02:14:59.030 --> 02:15:05.209
ClearSource: How you account for costs, how you organize costs, but the development of a cost pool.
865
02:15:05.660 --> 02:15:16.840
ClearSource: you know, looking at labor and non-labor, and your own overhead, and then distributing that. That is a very common technique when you're looking at a full-cost environment.
866
02:15:18.350 --> 02:15:21.490
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you. Vice… I mean, Councilmember Hinton?
867
02:15:22.690 --> 02:15:28.170
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, so I… I understand that, but… 868
02:15:28.410 --> 02:15:34.829
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: we're also talking in, I think, A, about pulling out attorney fees. My question is, we've…
869
02:15:35.710 --> 02:15:51.110
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: been years, we've been advised to put a cost allocation in. Now we're looking at pulling them out completely. What if the water and sewer… what if we needed attorney fees? What if we had a lawsuit down the road? And then, are we just…
870
02:15:51.110 --> 02:15:55.920
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Paying it… adding it back in for that specific year.
02:15:56.430 --> 02:16:01.750
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As we would incur those, instead of doing that cost allocation like we've been doing.
872
02:16:01.920 --> 02:16:13.909
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to me, cost allocation, it's almost like an insurance policy, right? We're allocating a little bit, little bit, when we need it, maybe it's going to go over budget. So, I'm just curious about that. 873
02:16:16.540 --> 02:16:22.170
ClearSource: My understanding, and if… staff,forgive me if I'm jumping onyour, 874
02:16:22.830 --> 02:16:38.100
ClearSource: your area, but, my understanding is that when we pulled it out as an allocable cost layer, particularly city attorney, because you have a contract city attorney, you receive invoicing, your city attorney is set up with,
875
02:16:38.549 --> 02:16:58.109
ClearSource: project cost accounting, timekeeping, things like that, there may be detail within the invoicing that allows you to actually separate out specific costs that you can readily direct charge to the utilities. Now, what that's not going to capture is the fact that the city attorney materially supports
02:16:58.440 --> 02:17:16.539
ClearSource: you, these meetings, general government, HR issues, other issues that really, we would argue as cost of service practitioners in the state, where our role is to establish full costs of service, and then allow you to make your decisions 877
02:17:16.570 --> 02:17:29.099
ClearSource: underneath that ceiling. We would argue that a direct charge approach, even for the situation that you have, with a contract city attorney, will leave 878
02:17:29.320 --> 02:17:33.850
ClearSource: Defensible, allocable costs on the table in the general fund, but that's… 879
02:17:34.020 --> 02:17:42.310
ClearSource: You know, I mean, that's what you're being asked, right? Is that, because of the nature of legal fees in Sebastopol.
880
02:17:42.500 --> 02:17:48.029
ClearSource: I believe there is recurring questioning as to whether, 881
02:17:48.230 --> 02:17:54.259
ClearSource: You know, the level of those costs is truly an ongoing cost of government. 882
02:17:54.799 --> 02:17:58.580
ClearSource: for all services citywide. So, I think…
883
02:17:58.780 --> 02:18:11.490
ClearSource: Pulling it out of the cost allocation plan to allow that… to respect that conversation, and then explore how direct charging of those costs can take place is a reasonable…
884
02:18:11.879 --> 02:18:19.590
ClearSource: it's a reasonable step because of the nature of your legal services. There likely is enough information there tomake some different choices. 885
02:18:21.389 --> 02:18:22.389
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Vice Mayor?
886
02:18:22.509 --> 02:18:34.439
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, so when we reviewed this, I'm pretty sure we set aside, was it $50,000, $25,000 each for the city attorney, and now,
02:18:35.539 --> 02:18:40.789
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, in the agenda packet, On page 9, 888
02:18:40.899 --> 02:18:44.999
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We are being asked to select one of the four options.
889
02:18:45.299 --> 02:18:54.919
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, do these options include the $50,000 that should be Allotted for the attorney.
890
02:18:55.489 --> 02:19:00.209
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So that, yes, so that includes what we… What we en…
891
02:19:00.209 --> 02:19:24.599
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: average for this year. So, in talking with the attorney, we've lookedat how much have we spent so far, specificallyfor enterprise funds, not general funds and hold. So, we have a set-aside in the enterprise fund for 50. Could that amount go up? Yes. Could we have a lawsuit that's related specifically to wateror sewer? Yes. Those costs would go up. But that is what we're averaging for the last year, based upon the invoices that we've asked
02:19:24.599 --> 02:19:32.129
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: our city attorney to provide to us, and yes, that set-aside is $50,000 in there. But if it's more, when do we recoup that? 893
02:19:32.339 --> 02:19:44.749
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it's a direct charge. So it would be charged against those… the enterprise fund. So we're assuming right now the $50,000 is what would be charged to the enterprise fund. Okay. But again, if we have a lawsuit. 894
02:19:44.749 --> 02:19:55.849
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you're gonna see that $50,000 go up, and so we would address it, at that time. Like, if we have a lawsuit, we would, you know, bring it in and have the enterprise fund be re-looked at based upon what those 895
02:19:55.869 --> 02:20:05.509
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: potential nodecost would be.So, in the inflationadjusted charge number 2 on that same page I'm talking about, page 9, 896
02:20:05.569 --> 02:20:10.439
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That includes $50,000 for attorney fees right now.
No. Is that correct?
897
02:20:11.099 --> 02:20:12.159
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No, it doesn't.
898
02:20:12.160 --> 02:20:13.149
ClearSource: No, no.
899
02:20:13.150 --> 02:20:21.460
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The colony is completely removed. And so, at what point will we recoup the, the attorney costs.
900
02:20:22.540 --> 02:20:24.690
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The… the attorney will… 901
02:20:24.760 --> 02:20:42.729
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For the attorney cost, the attorneys send a monthly invoice. Oh, it's going to be direct bill. It'll be a direct bill. Yes, the attorney will separate out what belonged to enterprise and what belonged to general fund. So, that won't reflect in this at all, sowe won't really know how much of an impact we're gonna have. Correct.
902
02:20:42.730 --> 02:20:49.800
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, just a question, because I think this is a complicated issue, trying to recoup
02:20:49.800 --> 02:21:01.300
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the cost of running a water and sewer program, right? So, like, for example, we had union negotiations, and some of those were people who worked on water and sewer. None of that was charged
904
02:21:01.480 --> 02:21:20.749
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to the cost allocation plan, and yet, indirectly, it was going to benefit some of our workers, right? And then, like, tonight, our attorney is to drive here, and a couple items are on the water and sewer, right? So it should mark that time, but does he include
905
02:21:20.880 --> 02:21:40.390
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the portion of the drive, because, you know, it could be a thousand dollars or so to have the attorney come here to a meeting. So how do you… how do you, you know, how do you parse all that out? And I think that's why it's complicated, to try to say, oh, no, you have to just… everybody has to write down all their time and, you know, track everything, because
906
02:21:40.890 --> 02:22:05.400
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: sometimes things fall into a gray area, so… Great question. First, I can assure you the travel time is not $1,000, but I am sitting here tracking the time between these different items, between these different items. It's relatively easy for an agenda item, there's a start and end. I think your example about union negotiations, like.
02:22:05.710 --> 02:22:23.990
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: if Carrie is spending an hour on negotiating with SEIU, like, there's work to figure that out. And how do you really divide that between water and sewer? If you… if we got a lawsuit from, let's say, it's an employee lawsuit, well, then it's like, are you looking to see
908
02:22:24.030 --> 02:22:29.160
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If that employee happened to be someone who worked on water and sewer, is that now 100%?
909
02:22:29.230 --> 02:22:37.280
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: is going to water and sewer, and if they happen to be a different employee in Public Works, it'd be0%. That's sort of what, 910
02:22:37.400 --> 02:22:41.410
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The consultant alluded to that, like, you may be leaving some…
911
02:22:41.710 --> 02:22:56.829
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: defensible, recoverable cost on the table, but I think I can probably speak for Carrie, too. We are certainly doing ourbest effort to capture what we can clearly as enterprise funds, like
02:22:56.960 --> 02:23:00.359
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: individual agenda items that you can very clearly 913
02:23:01.080 --> 02:23:04.159
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Differentiate, one way or another. 914
02:23:04.440 --> 02:23:15.110
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, invite council members. So, Alex, with what you just described about the attorney time, is that the reason why I submitted a question about
915
02:23:15.800 --> 02:23:24.389
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Part of the staff report said you could actually have each department track time, but using your just example, is that the reason why 916
02:23:24.430 --> 02:23:42.760
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: all people that I got the response from via my email was that would be too onerous, because it's hard to parse things out. That'd be a good example ofwhy it would just be too much to have each department staff track things, like mileage and things?
917
02:23:43.200 --> 02:24:00.939
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I mean, it's certainly onerous. I mean, I can speak for lawyers. When people go in-house and stop having to build their time, they rejoice at, you know, not having to track their time anymore. So it certainly is burdensome, to some degree, you know.
918
02:24:02.340 --> 02:24:08.639
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, if that's something that Council is interested in, there's different ways to do it and different levels of… of… 919
02:24:08.930 --> 02:24:15.920
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: detail, right? I… I bill my time, and I believe Carrie, too, like, in 6-minute increments. That's pretty detailed. 920
02:24:16.670 --> 02:24:19.620
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Staff might still be able to track theirtime. 921
02:24:19.880 --> 02:24:25.750
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Without getting that narrow, you know, maybe it's one block increments, or, or, you know… Thanks.
922
02:24:27.490 --> 02:24:34.980
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have a question for, our ClearSource person. I apologize, what was your name? I'm sorry.
02:24:34.980 --> 02:24:36.750
ClearSource: No problem, my name is Jeanette.
924
02:24:36.750 --> 02:24:43.139
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Danette, I have a question regarding just, you know, I'm all about evidence-based
925
02:24:43.250 --> 02:24:48.790
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: decision and data, and I'm just wondering, it sounds like these things are sort of…
926
02:24:48.840 --> 02:25:04.929
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: all over themap, people havedifferent methods, and, you know, coming from a science perspective, and we've talked about this with other decisions at our last meeting, about having data-driven information regarding our streets and everything else, so I'm just wondering, from your perspective with this. 927
02:25:05.030 --> 02:25:24.890
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: is this data-driven? I mean, because if it's different for different people, I mean, data's data. So, how do we reconcile that? Because I personally lean more toward… I'd like us to have our own data, because it sounds like everyone's got their own data. So, from your perspective, how is this evidence-based?
02:25:25.370 --> 02:25:30.500
ClearSource: Oh, sure. A cost allocation plan is a quantitative model. 929
02:25:30.600 --> 02:25:44.809
ClearSource: So, first off, it is math. Secondly, it is rooted in and reconciling toyour actual expenditures. That is actually the single most driving
930
02:25:45.400 --> 02:26:00.500
ClearSource: variable in this analysis is your expenditures. If you organized a department out of the general fund that was providing central service, that would probably be the most significantchangethatwewould seein theplan,asan example. 931
02:26:00.910 --> 02:26:12.719
ClearSource: It's driven off ofthe operating expenses in your departments. It's driven off the size of the workforce inyour departments. It's driven off of the size 932
02:26:12.720 --> 02:26:28.050
ClearSource: of the investment in your infrastructure. Every piece of information that we're… not every… most of the data that we're using is coming from Sebastopol Systems.
Now, it's cost allocation, so there is some…
02:26:28.160 --> 02:26:42.910
ClearSource: subjectivity. So if you had another practitioner come in and say, you know, don't come up with a different method, but give me a different cost allocation plan. Use the same tool, the same
934
02:26:43.480 --> 02:26:58.249
ClearSource: way to size an interfund charge, allocate indirect costs, that other practitioner, based on their body of work and their experiences, may make a few subjective decisions differently. We…
935
02:26:58.350 --> 02:27:05.529
ClearSource: Wouldn't likely be materiallyoff,where we're swinging ityou know. 936
02:27:05.840 --> 02:27:22.189
ClearSource: to massive degrees, I guess, in the interfund Charge, but there may be… we're not going to come up with the exact same, because there are areas where… where we've… we've put some subjectivity. I think a lot of questioning has come in because the, you know, we… we had talked about, in that donut chart.
937
02:27:22.190 --> 02:27:38.999
ClearSource: On… in your agenda packet, which shows you the makeup of the Interfund charge.Iknow a lotof thepastdiscussion hasbeen,youknow,in thefinancesection of that donut, toward the utilities. Now, that is based on a separate process. You don't have timekeeping.
02:27:39.000 --> 02:27:53.010
ClearSource: Nor… and I would assert… I am willing to assert that nor would timekeeping be, achievable in a… in… in most of these central services. You're lucky in the contract… having the contract attorney.
939
02:27:53.080 --> 02:28:00.260
ClearSource: that that's one that you can target. Others, you know, asking a city manager, for example, to keep track of time.
940
02:28:00.290 --> 02:28:15.320
ClearSource: it will beminute levels of direct time that we would find.But in the finance layer,forexample,becausea lothasbeen discussed,wedid haveinterviewswith finance, with the staff, todevelop an FTE spread.
941
02:28:15.710 --> 02:28:25.869
ClearSource: among core functions of service that we wanted to model. And the way that process works is we sit down with, in your case, it's actually an administrative services department.
942
02:28:26.110 --> 02:28:44.880
ClearSource: And we say, here are the 18 different functions wetypically see an administrative servicesdepartment do in acityof your size andorganization. First off, which of these functions are you performing? And we narrow that list down to the list that you see in those donut charts.
02:28:45.180 --> 02:28:51.130
ClearSource: Secondly, we say, okay, person by person, who is assigned to these tasks? 944
02:28:51.410 --> 02:29:06.139
ClearSource: And then we look at that person and we say, great, of your regular routines, how much of your typical week, month, year, average cycle is spent? And we start at the most obvious, say, somebody that's materially doing payroll. 945
02:29:06.870 --> 02:29:24.000
ClearSource: you know, and then we move up to the administrator, where it's a little more difficult, because they're spread, thinly across functions of service. Sothat's how we conduct interviews. We do that for cost allocation plans. We do it across almost all municipal services, where
946
02:29:24.080 --> 02:29:28.580
ClearSource: Time data is not available, so time development 947
02:29:28.910 --> 02:29:34.789
ClearSource: is a practice. It's something that we're used to doing, and we have ways of looking at it and going.
02:29:34.820 --> 02:29:49.420
ClearSource: does this seem reasonable? I see one and a third FTEs assigned to the retail aspect of running a utility. So, your billing, your customer service, your analysis associated with utilities.
949
02:29:49.670 --> 02:30:01.760
ClearSource: It really is not out of the norm of what we end up seeing, particularly, like, in a larger entity where you can assign whole bodies to the function, so it tends to make sense. 950
02:30:01.920 --> 02:30:09.300
ClearSource: Would a different interviewer come up with something different? Maybe, but instead of one and a third, they might come upwith one anda fifth. 951
02:30:10.100 --> 02:30:11.320
ClearSource: You know what I mean?
952
02:30:11.550 --> 02:30:11.960
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
953
02:30:11.960 --> 02:30:14.220
ClearSource: So that's where…
02:30:14.340 --> 02:30:21.840
ClearSource: There is some of that subjectivity, but because it's cost allocation, we're having to, in some places of the analysis.
955
02:30:22.030 --> 02:30:23.770
ClearSource: develop assumptions.
956
02:30:24.630 --> 02:30:37.030
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. I do have one other question, if no one else has one for our city attorney. We've gotten comments, and I'm looking at something right here that was waiting here for me about Prop 218 and our compliance with that. Can you address this?
957
02:30:37.600 --> 02:30:50.079
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Because I need to understand better. Yeah, Prop 218, requires that the fees, the water and sewer fees we charge not exceed the cost of providing those services.
958
02:30:50.370 --> 02:30:57.249
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It can charge for the full cost of providing those services, which would include all of the…
02:30:57.460 --> 02:31:05.199
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, the full overhead of employees, their indirect costs, and all of that can be recovered. And that's part of the 960
02:31:05.730 --> 02:31:16.639
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: cost of performing a service, and so can be part of what a water and sewer rate pays for. That full cost of service, including any indirect costs. 961
02:31:17.810 --> 02:31:26.989
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: When courts have strucken down these kind of transfers to the general fund, at least the published decisions out there, have all been 962
02:31:27.170 --> 02:31:34.130
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Instances where thecity just adopted a flat percentage based on no
963
02:31:34.590 --> 02:31:39.349
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, just said, we want it to be 10%, you know, no, no basis.
964
02:31:39.860 --> 02:31:40.870
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Behind that.
02:31:41.210 --> 02:31:45.939
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And courts, on the other hand, have approved, you know, a wide variety of
966
02:31:46.180 --> 02:31:49.070
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Citiesdoing different types ofcost allocation. 967
02:31:49.210 --> 02:31:52.239
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: There's no one permitted way to do it. 968
02:31:53.590 --> 02:32:03.449
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So with this here, it says, you know, I'm just looking at this, is there a problem with us having contractors and Prop 218, and keeping track of time, and
969
02:32:03.720 --> 02:32:09.640
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, I, I mean… There's, there's not, and, and,
970
02:32:09.770 --> 02:32:17.550
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the… I gave a presentation to the Budget Committee and the Oversight Committee, and… and,
971
02:32:17.830 --> 02:32:23.099
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Pulled an example from a published decision where a case was based just on
972
02:32:23.340 --> 02:32:29.010
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, declarations from a finance director and city manager about their estimated
973
02:32:30.090 --> 02:32:34.650
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Costs for each department, and whether it was used, and the court basically said that's
974
02:32:34.910 --> 02:32:46.099
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: fine. So courts have approveda whole variety of uses, and it includes the full cost of providing the service. It is not just 975
02:32:46.780 --> 02:32:48.550
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: your hourly time.
02:32:48.780 --> 02:32:55.580
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: To provide the service. I mean, that can be reimbursed. It's the full cost of all of the services.
977
02:32:56.330 --> 02:33:03.640
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Got it. Okay. I just wanted to address these things, because we've gotten… and I understand everyone, you know, the committee got the presentation, but…
978
02:33:03.810 --> 02:33:09.130
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, not all of that is in here. Any other questions before we go to public comment?
979
02:33:12.480 --> 02:33:24.799
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we will go to public comment. Thank you, Mayor. So this is for public comment on the presentation of the cost allocation and the options presented. If you would like to makea public comment, Icomeinto chambers first. 980
02:33:25.060 --> 02:33:28.880
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go out to Zoom. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
02:33:29.740 --> 02:33:30.670
Kyle Falbo: I can.
982
02:33:30.670 --> 02:33:32.689
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Go ahead with your public comment, please.
983
02:33:33.160 --> 02:33:45.979
Kyle Falbo: First, I just want to say that, you know, the absence of the actual Oversight Committee's voice on this matter so far is a little shocking, but not too surprising. 984
02:33:46.200 --> 02:33:51.980
Kyle Falbo: I understand this is a necessary tool, right? I understand that it's about… 985
02:33:52.210 --> 02:34:02.420
Kyle Falbo: reimbursement for legitimate support services provided to the water and wastewater utilities. But the issue is not whether cost allocation allowed, it's… the issue is…
986
02:34:02.570 --> 02:34:09.110
Kyle Falbo: Whether this particular allocation istransparent,Proportionate,and sufficiently reviewed.
02:34:09.370 --> 02:34:18.679
Kyle Falbo: So, even under the recommended scenario A, the city would be transferring a significantamountof money,fromthewastewaterand waterfundstothegeneralfund for the next year.
988
02:34:19.180 --> 02:34:29.989
Kyle Falbo: This is a major fiscal policy decision. This is not just a technical accounting update. And what I'm really concerned about is how much the word reasonable is doing in this report.
989
02:34:30.060 --> 02:34:43.790
Kyle Falbo: We're told that the allocation only needs to be reasonable, that the assumptionsarereasonable,and thatindirectcostsaredifficulttoassign with precision, but reasonable is not the same as transparent, documented, or fair. 990
02:34:44.080 --> 02:34:49.360
Kyle Falbo: In public policy, the word reasonable is often lowered… has lowered the burden of proof.
991
02:34:49.470 --> 02:35:07.580
KyleFalbo:Weseethisin contextslikethereasonableperson orreasonableofficer standard, where serious harms can be excused because an action is framed as reasonable
under the circumstances. I'm not comparing cost allocation to those harms, but I'm saying that reasonable can become a shield against accountability. 992
02:35:07.580 --> 02:35:12.219
KyleFalbo:When thepeopleaffected arenotgiven enough information toindependently evaluate the claim.
993
02:35:12.260 --> 02:35:12.780
Kyle Falbo: Here.
994
02:35:12.780 --> 02:35:14.269
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I only have about 20 seconds. 995
02:35:14.270 --> 02:35:30.669
Kyle Falbo: Here, the people affected are utilityratepayers. Given the scrutiny around prior enterprisefund transfers,ratepayersdeservetoknow whetherthesechargesreflectactual utility benefit, or whether they're helping stabilize the general fundthrough assumptions the public can't verify.
996
02:35:31.200 --> 02:35:35.080
Kyle Falbo: Before adopting a especially automatic.
02:35:35.080 --> 02:35:37.190
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle, that's… that's your 2 minutes. 998
02:35:37.190 --> 02:35:37.850
Kyle Falbo: Great.
999
02:35:37.850 --> 02:35:42.680
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment. Next, I'll come back into chambers, if there's anyone in chambers. 1000
02:35:42.780 --> 02:35:45.729
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go out. Lee, can you unmute yourself, please?
1001
02:35:50.330 --> 02:35:52.080
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Lee, there you go. 1002
02:35:52.440 --> 02:35:54.210
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can you see the timer still? 1003
02:35:54.470 --> 02:35:55.170
Lee: Hi, Ken.
1004
02:35:55.170 --> 02:35:55.930
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great, go ahead, please. 1005
02:35:55.930 --> 02:35:58.530
Lee: The,
1006
02:35:59.910 --> 02:36:07.999
Lee: only in 2 minutes, it's hard to address everything that's wrong with this. I, I think that, that maybe first.
1007
02:36:08.280 --> 02:36:14.650
Lee: Full cost doesn't mean that the ratepayer should be paying 41% of the administrative costs of this city.
1008
02:36:14.720 --> 02:36:36.909
Lee: You all zeroed in on $100,000 on the City Council, and you know for a fact that you don't spend that kind of time, and there isn't that kind of money in your budget related to water and sewer that you can say, as Alex suggested, that the charge doesn't exceed the cost of delivering water services. And I think you have to look at some of the other budgets as well, because they're pretty excessive. City Manager.
1009
02:36:36.910 --> 02:36:38.280
Lee: Well, that's…
1010
02:36:38.280 --> 02:36:54.759
Lee: Yeah, city manager's 40… well, city clerk, let's do city clerk. It's about $100,000, too, and thecity clerk, by definition, doesn't have anything inthe job description related to water and sewer. Mary's different, now things are changing, sothat may be a philosophical debate, but, but… but…
1011
02:36:54.810 --> 02:37:06.989
Lee: That's 37% of the city clerk is going to water and sewer. City manager's a special case, 48% there, we can argue, I mean, maybe the city manager spends a lot of time, Mary certainly has been spending a lot of time on this.
1012
02:37:07.070 --> 02:37:25.409
Lee: But that's $286,000 that ratepayers are paying for today because it was in the allocation model. There is no city manager, so there's no oversight. Where does the $286,000 going? What's it paying for? It's paying for general services, it's not paying for the cost of delivering water to your house.
1013
02:37:26.250 --> 02:37:32.309
Lee: And I think that… that's the crux of the problems with… with this model. The model…
1014
02:37:33.430 --> 02:37:49.059
Lee: model is attempting to use last year's budget, or the two years ago actual, to create a number tocharge ratepayers, inflate that number by inflation for the next three years, and that's what ratepayers play. There's never a true-up in this. There's never… 1015
02:37:49.060 --> 02:37:54.660
Lee: a nexus with direct costs in this, if the costs change. So… 1016
02:37:54.660 --> 02:37:57.630
Lee: It's problematic, and there's easier ways to do this. Thank you. 1017
02:37:58.230 --> 02:38:02.459
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Lee, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers. Oliver?
1018
02:38:05.940 --> 02:38:06.990
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can you hear me?
1019
02:38:07.100 --> 02:38:15.900
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, good now. The Enterprise Committee will be, Oversight Committee will be providing written recommendations to the Council. 1020
02:38:15.950 --> 02:38:27.340
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Obviously, this is all very formal, but I, you know, my… this is my personal voice, not that committee, obviously. Two people in the room have been in those meetings, obviously, so they know all about it. 1021
02:38:27.390 --> 02:38:46.960
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I've said in those meetings on a personal level, you know, we're sort of slowly getting through the idea, and all of this is recorded for people to enjoy online if they want, this sort of church and state logic, where the enterprise committee's over here, and the city's budget is over here. 1022
02:38:47.020 --> 02:38:58.259
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we're sort of trying to weed out all of those issues, so I don't really want to say anything more at this point, but there will be more information formally from that committee. Thank you.
1023
02:38:59.710 --> 02:39:08.860
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Oliver, for your public comment. Next, I'll go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment regarding the cost allocation plan, please raise your hand virtually. 1024
02:39:10.840 --> 02:39:14.179
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will come back into chambers, if there's anyone in chambers.
1025
02:39:14.940 --> 02:39:22.089
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item. Okay, thank you, we're back at the dais. I have some comments, but Vice Mayor? 1026
02:39:23.350 --> 02:39:28.099
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So this issue has been vetted pretty thoroughly. 1027
02:39:28.270 --> 02:39:39.520
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And, so the first time, I think it was… it came to the Budget Committee in the fall, and then it went to the Enterprise Oversight Committee next, I think.
1028
02:39:39.870 --> 02:39:43.190
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Help me, help me get this right, okay? And then it came…
1029
02:39:43.250 --> 02:39:55.200
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: back to the Budget Committee, or then it was at the Joint Budget Committee with the Enterprise Oversight Committee, and then it went again to the Enterprise Oversight Committee.
1030
02:39:55.250 --> 02:40:09.410
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And we had, at one point, when we had the joint meeting, we made a placeholder of A, option A, which would have been an escalator, and removing the attorney fees, or direct charging the attorney fees. 1031
02:40:09.470 --> 02:40:15.240
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then I… my understanding is that then it went again to the,
1032
02:40:15.640 --> 02:40:24.609
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the Enterprise Oversight Committee, where they voted to approve it as A. And did I misunderstand something there? 1033
02:40:25.600 --> 02:40:44.310
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It was not unanimous, though. It wasn't unanimous, but it was a majority to go with the placeholder A. Correct, yeah. So, my understanding, it was a move from placeholder into recommendation, and that was the Enterprise Committee with one strong opposition.
1034
02:40:44.750 --> 02:40:47.099
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And one person was absent, too. 1035
02:40:47.560 --> 02:40:48.300
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah.
1036
02:40:49.150 --> 02:40:54.170
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. I have a comment. I just want to say, you know…
1037
02:40:54.650 --> 02:41:01.760
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: this has been a topic for, I guess, since I got elected almost 4 years ago. I mean, this has been something that's been going on, and 1038
02:41:01.880 --> 02:41:11.699
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And in my mind, in feedback that we've received over theyears, I… it's my opinionthat we've lost confidence ofthe public because of… 1039
02:41:11.810 --> 02:41:28.889
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: past practices where this wasn't assessed for so long, or addressed, and now we've lost the confidence of people. And that's unfortunate, and that's why this discussion just continues on and on, and all the water rate changes, and it is my opinion, I personally would like to see
1040
02:41:29.320 --> 02:41:35.850
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, looking at these options where we, remove… where we actually have the… our attorney.
1041
02:41:36.210 --> 02:41:44.670
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: calculate the time, and personally, I'd like to see the councilmembers' time as well, where we calculate that withthe effort of ourcity. 1042
02:41:44.700 --> 02:42:00.710
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: employees to try to keep better track of it, and I understand thechallenges with that. I run an organization, I have staff,I understand all of that stuff, but we've lost theconfidence of thecommunity, and in mymind, the best way to do that is to put forth a good
1043
02:42:00.710 --> 02:42:11.229
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: faith effort to showthat whatwe're doing is actually what needs to be done for the, you know, for the charges for the Enterprise Committee. And perhaps, you know, to the point of
1044
02:42:11.300 --> 02:42:13.160
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: of our,
1045
02:42:13.370 --> 02:42:28.440
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: expert, is it Jeanette? You know, perhaps it will come out to bethat, but I just feel like at this point, I mean, we have so many different people in the community that say, I can't believe you've been doing that, and the only way to do that is for us to put forth… now it's on us to put forth more effort,because we didn't put an effort forth.
1046
02:42:28.660 --> 02:42:41.950
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, or whoever didn't, prior to us, you know, with this study. So I personally would like to see, the attorney and the counsel time, pulled out, and then true time.
1047
02:42:42.030 --> 02:42:55.570
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: charged back to that, and then I would like to see something over time, over maybe… maybe mid-year, like, an estimate from the staff from all the different departments of what…what you think the time is, just for us to show the community and to, like.
1048
02:42:55.980 --> 02:42:56.950
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know…
1049
02:42:57.080 --> 02:43:07.549
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: gaintheir confidence back that what we're doing is actually, you know, what should be done. So, those are my comments. I know Councilmember Hinton looks like she has something she wants to say.
1050
02:43:08.620 --> 02:43:26.069
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I mean, we can't go back and forth, but I'm just curious tonight, the speaker says there's more comments going to be coming from the committee, but then just heard Vice Mayor Maurer go through, say the committee's already reviewed it, that's what the agenda report says, and I believe we're at… 1051
02:43:26.420 --> 02:43:32.930
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: process of agenda item, we're at E, right? We're going to deliberate and make a motion tonight, so…
1052
02:43:33.530 --> 02:43:42.849
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm a little confused by that. I'm hearing they voted, but they're still… they didn't make comments that we're hearing tonight, so… can anybody answer that?
1053
02:43:45.520 --> 02:43:59.710
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm just gonna… you may also want to chime in, but I think the, Enterprise Committee will do more for the following year. I think this year, initially, we need to take baby steps.
1054
02:43:59.710 --> 02:44:10.659
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: this is one way to initiate that process. I see.
Doing something dramatic, going to time and materials, more like Cloverdale initially, would be traumatic.
1055
02:44:10.670 --> 02:44:28.560
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: To staff and to the budget, and it's responsible to, do things methodically and with pace, and clearly, you know, our consultant can prove and has the methodology, exposed and transparent.
1056
02:44:28.610 --> 02:44:43.749
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to understand exactly how we are allocating money. And when we say that, you know, hey, we're $10 a day, but we're attributing seemingly more to that to the enterprise fund, it's because we are not just us. You know, we are…
1057
02:44:43.750 --> 02:45:02.240
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, we are taking up this building, we're taking up the electricityright now, we're takingup staff time, we're doing somuchmore. Yeah, I get it. So, you know, I don't want to wear that one out, but I do want to say that these are baby steps, and that's why Step A is important, you know, to me, just to get 1058
02:45:02.990 --> 02:45:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's where we need to be eventually, and the Oversight Committee is diligently working hardto figure out what that appropriate way is.
1059
02:45:13.020 --> 02:45:32.030
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can I just jump in really quick to the comment from the member of the public that's on the committee? It is the charge of the committee to provide a report to the Council, so that's what they're referring to, is that report that's coming to the Council. Okay, all right, that's clear. So, you're looking for a motion tonight with a recommendation?
1060
02:45:32.870 --> 02:45:50.930
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'll go ahead and make that motion. I'll go ahead and second it. Wait, what motion are we making? Because I had said I wanted something different, so we need to… I'm going to go ahead and move the motion to followthe recommendations of tonight, for the allocation assumption for letter A. 1061
02:45:51.110 --> 02:46:03.479
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, Scenario A. Yes, that's what I was intuiting.
So you won't consider removingthe counciltime, too, and for us, onour own time, figuring out… I mean, it just seems excessive to be charging over the amount that it is for us. 1062
02:46:05.320 --> 02:46:08.370
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, I'm asking right now if people are willing.
I'm… I'm not…
1063
02:46:10.060 --> 02:46:15.200
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You don't, but I'm just asking everybody. I made the motion, I… I think we're worth…
1064
02:46:15.940 --> 02:46:32.879
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Some of us, I didn't, for 6 years, take health insurance, but I currently do, so it's not just about the stipend. I know there's a lot of other costs associated with our budget. I'm not trying to… I just want to just say that I'm not trying to compare apples to apples. I was just trying to make a point that it does seem… 1065
02:46:33.070 --> 02:46:39.229
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can Iclarify that… that option A is the inflationadjusted charge? 1066
02:46:40.400 --> 02:46:41.710
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Agreed.
1067
02:46:41.950 --> 02:46:42.720
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oops.
1068
02:46:42.820 --> 02:46:44.149
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes? Yes. Okay.
1069
02:46:44.150 --> 02:46:44.810
ClearSource: Oops!
1070
02:46:45.230 --> 02:46:59.679
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is that option 1A? I'm trying… I'm looking right here at… Option 2. City Council options. Excluding City Attorney, is that's… that's what we're… I just want to make… Excluding city attorney… oh, well, real-time city attorney fees.
Right. Right.
1071
02:47:00.070 --> 02:47:04.989
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: direct charge. Yes. Which one is that? I'm sorry.
It's Option 2.
1072
02:47:06.900 --> 02:47:17.049
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's on page 9. So option 2, not Option A, but option 2, because option 1 does… It will impact the general fund by a loss of $193. 1073
02:47:17.320 --> 02:47:24.819
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No. Except for the direct charge. The recommendation for the Council is to, go with option A, 1074
02:47:24.830 --> 02:47:33.409
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right. We are using FY2425 actual, excluding the attorney, Withthe inflation of2.5%.
1075
02:47:33.410 --> 02:47:52.509
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can I just point out, there's option one, it says option 1, adoption… Adopt Option A, Scenario A, with CPI-Based Inflation Adjustment Recommended. That's what the staff report says. Is that theone that you're referring to? I just need to be clear, because everyone keeps saying option A, but it's actually Option 1.
Scenario A.
1076
02:47:52.510 --> 02:48:02.710
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Scenario A. I'm sorry, Scenario A. Okay, I just want to be clear, so that we're all on the same page. Are the numbers in the chart below, in the Option 2 chart?
1077
02:48:03.540 --> 02:48:06.609
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So what are the numbers, then, we're talking about?
1078
02:48:07.160 --> 02:48:16.329
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They're not… are they not here? They… there's Scenario A. We have… we have option 0, 1, 2, 3, Scenario A and B. 1079
02:48:16.450 --> 02:48:27.720
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And Scenario A has been as a placeholder through all these meetings with the joint meeting. I understand. I'm just trying to figure out which one… is it a loss of 193?
1080
02:48:28.560 --> 02:48:40.799
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, the 200,000, yeah, approximately 200,000.
Because in here, I mean, you have a chart for option 2, but option 1, scenario A, there isn't a chart, so that's why we're…
1081
02:48:41.940 --> 02:48:46.799
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: There's only a B, and option 2, there's just 0, 1, 2, 3, and then B.
1082
02:48:47.170 --> 02:48:51.099
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What kind of loss are we looking at? That's correct. It's, it's…
1083
02:48:51.540 --> 02:49:02.389
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In here, it said the loss of $209. There was an inflation factor that applied to auction… I'm sorry, to Scenario A, 1084
02:49:02.620 --> 02:49:14.029
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Which is whatever I identify inhere, in the staff report, withthe 2.5 inflation, whichthe loss is not 109. Does that makesense? So it's $193,000 loss.
1085
02:49:15.950 --> 02:49:17.310
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is… is that right? 1086
02:49:19.860 --> 02:49:28.779
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right, the confusion's between the presentation, which is page 30, which is titled A with a loss of $209, 1087
02:49:28.780 --> 02:49:46.919
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 048. Well, here's the thing. Here it is, page 9, it says, these are the Council options, that the Council select the following option. Option 1, adopt option A, Scenario A, with CPI-based inflation adjustment recommended. Under this option, the City would adopt option A,
1088
02:49:46.920 --> 02:49:59.559
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As developed and presented by the consultant.
So, which page is that on for the consult… which applies a full cost allocation methodology using standardized allocation factors consistent with industry practices. 1089
02:49:59.560 --> 02:50:14.789
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The plan would be adjusted using a 2.5% inflation factor based on the CPI to maintain alignment with changing cost levels. Legal fees related to the water and wastewater matters would be directly charged to the enterprise funds, estimated to be $50,000.
1090
02:50:14.790 --> 02:50:23.999
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So that option A from the presentation, where is that on the slides? It's on page 30 of the slides. 30…
1091
02:50:24.130 --> 02:50:28.600
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 30 of 34. Exactly. That's right. It's at the very bottom.
1092
02:50:28.620 --> 02:50:45.679
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, that was what I was referring to in the motion.
Yes, because that's how I read the staff report, so that's why I seconded it. Yeah, and it's just, obviously, it's not completely clear, because when you put there what the Council needs to consider… It's number 2 on page 30.
1093
02:50:45.740 --> 02:50:47.400
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No, it's number…
1094
02:50:47.400 --> 02:50:48.310
ClearSource: No.
1095
02:50:48.310 --> 02:50:57.429
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's A on page 20. It's A, where it says A base charge. Then it would be 209 loss. Right, okay.
1096
02:50:58.610 --> 02:50:59.330
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes.
1097
02:50:59.330 --> 02:51:05.580
ClearSource: It's page… page 5, too, of the agenda packet, the first table, if you look in the staff report.
1098
02:51:05.580 --> 02:51:06.200
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right.
1099
02:51:06.200 --> 02:51:12.520
ClearSource: 5 has all of those that were in the presentation as well, so you can see A.
Forgive me for jumping in.
1100
02:51:13.300 --> 02:51:16.630
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I see it, yeah. Jeanethe 5. I think we got it sorted. 1101
02:51:17.760 --> 02:51:22.579
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just think it's important for us to be accurate, and everybody knows what we're voting on otherwise.
1102
02:51:22.910 --> 02:51:35.649
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Jeanette, can I ask, the scenario A with the 209 difference, is that comparing with the option0?Is that how the209 came about? 1103
02:51:36.070 --> 02:51:37.520
ClearSource: Correct, yes.
1104
02:51:37.820 --> 02:51:41.799
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So… so this is… I think this is where the confusion comes in.
1105
02:51:42.000 --> 02:51:48.719
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the… the Scenario A, I'm sorry, the Scenario A as the joint meeting
1106
02:51:49.140 --> 02:51:52.909
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Use as a placeholder, which is a… 1107
02:51:53.100 --> 02:51:59.189
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: loss of… to General Fund 209, but there's an inflation factor that apply on top ofthat.
1108
02:51:59.500 --> 02:52:00.210
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
1109
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, the loss is not $2.09. 1110
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Let me just do a quick… can you do a quick math? If there is… Scenario A,
1111
02:52:10.860 --> 02:52:20.219
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: is used with the apply of 2.5% inflation. What is that loss compared to option 0?
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ClearSource: Are you asking me, Anna?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, yes.
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ClearSource: Ana, I… forgive me,
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ClearSource: I actually am not following the… is that what… is that… did the committee… was the committee recommending
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ClearSource: So… Yes.
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ClearSource: Because, as presented through the cost allocation plan, Scenario A is a complete thought for the next fiscal year. Because what it's saying is for thenext fiscal year, you would root that charge in prior year actuals and let it stand. 1118
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So what the committee has agreed was to select 1119
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Scenario A, the 2.5% inflationfactor,the loss is not 209, it's 100 and… 69.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Ifyouapply the inflation, As discussed at the joint meeting.
1121
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SebastopolCommunityCulturalCenter:If youdon'tapplytheinflation,becauseScenario A is using actuals.
1122
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: of 24-25.
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02:53:26.140 --> 02:53:39.200
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Now,we do have inflation with all these agreements that we have with the employees, as discussed at the joint meeting, where an inflation factorshould havebeen applied,and thatwasdiscussed.
1124
02:53:39.200 --> 02:53:51.109
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it's fine if you don't want to apply the inflation, and the loss will be 209. If you apply the inflation, the loss will be 169. Does that… doesthat make sense? Thank you so much. I think we have a motion in a second. 1125
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, let me confirm, 1126
02:53:56.510 --> 02:54:06.860
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Imoved it without the inflation factor, and then… then Councilmember Maurer suggested the inflation factor was what was being recommended.
1127
02:54:06.890 --> 02:54:25.569
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It is, and the reason is, is that, you know, these… these rates are based on actual expenses from 2 years ago? Correct. And so we've had… there's been inflation over the last 2 years, so that's why we recommended the,inflation. 1128
02:54:25.730 --> 02:54:38.149
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, so just to be clear, I will change my motion to include the inflation factorof this2.5, nowthat I understand the background, although…
1129
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We'll say it's very confusing. 1130
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I don't know. 1131
02:54:44.070 --> 02:54:55.649
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Zollman is in agreement. Yeah, no, I was following staff recommendation as I understand staff's recommendation. It was, option A,
1132
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: withthe inflationary factor, so that's what I was seconding all along, so… Okay, yeah, so if you want me to repeat that, it is Scenario A, 1133
02:55:05.830 --> 02:55:23.720
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: as recommended, plus 2.5% inflation, sothe loss of the general fund is not 209, it's $169. Is that… is that clear? Yes. Clear. I… are we sure that's a loss? Because I don't see 169 anywhere, I just want to confirm. 1134
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The A in the chart does not show the inflation. 1135
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, Anna did the calculation with that inflation, and that's where you get the… As long as we are clear that that is extremely accurate, otherwise I'm fine approving it with just the 2.5 without havinga total balance,so you guys can figure it out later.
1136
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Did you have anything you want to… 1137
02:55:47.510 --> 02:56:11.639
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No, I was just gonna say, you know, like, leave the general rule, and the specific number might beslightly different, but Ithink the word loss is also confusing, because really, this is the difference between the enterprise fund paying into the general fund with or without, you know, an allocation abstractly for the lawyer, or specificallyforthelawyer.
1138
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I just want to say, I appreciate all this. 1139
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm not going to support the motion, and I just want to say why, because I think that we should be a little… have a few more aggressive baby steps, and actually keep track of what the council time is. I agree with the attorney time, but I would also like to just see us do that with the council time, so that's why I won't support it, but I want people to understand why I'm voting no, because I'd like to see us do a little more, so…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: At that rate, do you want to go ahead, Mary? Thank you, Mayor. So, so moved by Councilmember Hinton and seconded by Councilmember Zollman, to select Scenario Awith the 2.5 inflation. Councilmember Carter?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes. Councilmember Hinton? Aye.
Councilmember Zolman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? No. Motion passes 4 to 1, with Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zolman, and Vice Mayor Maurer in support. Mayor McLewis in opposition.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great, thank you very much. 1143
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Apologies, let me get back to my sheets here.
Number 13, we're going to move on to approval of resolution of compensation of 3% for
cost of living adjustment for management and mid-management employees. And I forgot to say thank you to our consultant that was on Zoom, I apologize. Thank you for, 1144
02:57:24.570 --> 02:57:38.970
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: indulging us and helping us to better understand this. So with, item number 13 that I just read here for the living adjustment for Management and Mid-Management employees, I believe, do we have… is Deborah, are you the one that's doing that item?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for coming tonight. 1146
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening, Mayor, Council Members. So item 13, actually the next two items are very similar. Item 13, provides ex… another year of a resolution for the unrepresented management and mid-management employees. 1147
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They… and it provides a 3% increase, a COLA, to those employees, and that is in line with what we've done with our represented organizations.
1148
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And we're recommending that you approve it. 1149
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, is that…
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any questions here at the diets? Okay, then we'll go to public comment. Thank you, Mayor. So this is for public comment on the compensation increase of 3% for the management and mid-management employees. If you have a publiccomment, I willcome tochambers first. Seeing none, I will go out to Zoom. Guile, can you unmute yourself, please?
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Kyle Falbo: Yeah.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Go ahead with your public comment, please.
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Kyle Falbo: So I think… One of the issues that you have to consider when you're looking at
1154
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Kyle Falbo: Salary increases for management and mid-management, and trying to use comparable, rates to non-management employees is the sheer volume of dollar amounts that 3% represents for management and mid-management.
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Kyle Falbo: And, the, and what that actually ends up doing in terms of your overall budgeting.
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Kyle Falbo: So, remember that 3% is…
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KyleFalbo:a salaryincrease,butthen youalsohavethebenefitincreaseon that.And when we're talking about management, mid-management, especially in the city of Sevastopol, wherewe'veradically,through attrition,inflated thesalariesof managementand midmanagement positions in our city. 1158
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KyleFalbo:Toa pointnow that3%representsa significantincreaseinsalaryin comparison to, the rank-and-fileemployees.
1159