Sebastopol City Council
October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1

CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Regular Meeting of Tuesday, October 6, 2026
6:00 pm Start Time
As Approved by the City Council at their regular meeting of October 20, 2026.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor McLewis called the meeting to order 6:01 p.m.

ROLL CALL:

Present: Mayor Jill McLewis
Vice Mayor Sandra Maurer
Councilmember Phill Carter
Councilmember Neysa Hinton
Councilmember Stephen Zollman

Absent: None
Staff: Mary Gourley, City Manager
Alex Mog, City Attorney, Redwood Public Law
Administrative Services Director Ana Kwong
Building Official Steve Brown
Police Chief Sean McDonagh
Public Works Director Oriana Hart
REMOTE PARTICIPATION: None
SALUTE TO THE FLAG Mayor McLewis led the salute to the flag.

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: None
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS/INTRODUCTIONS:

The following were presented:
• Recognition of 5 Years of Service Award – Peter Stinksi • Proclamation: Proclaiming October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Recognizing the YWCA Sonoma County for providing vital resources for local residents experiencing domestic violence. • Proclamation: Proclaiming Zero Waste Week
• Proclamation: Recognizing October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Minute Order Number: 2026-253
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. NONE Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
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:

Shawn Paul Discussed AB 1033
Lee Illegal cost allocations/rate payers paying/refund for City Attorney fees/$5.5 M from grand jury report/rate payers borrowing money
Carrie Domestic Violence Awareness Month Proclamation
Kyle Approach to right the past/none been responsible for brining forward the recommendations of the EFOC; Discussed City charge anther loan to the rate payers CONSENT CALENDAR: The consent agenda consists of items that are routine in nature and do not require additional discussion by the City Council or have been reviewed by the City Council previously. These items may be approved by one motion without discussion unless a member of the City Council requests that the item be taken off the consent calendar.

The Mayor will read aloud the title of each consent item (either full agenda title or a simplified version of the agenda title), and ask if a Councilmember wishes to remove one or more items from the consent calendar; and then open public comment to the members of the public in attendance. At this time, a member of the public may speak for up to two (2) minutes on the entire consent calendar and request at that time that an item or items removed for discussion.

If an item or items are removed from the consent calendar, the item shall be placed at the end of the regular agenda items unless otherwise determined by the Mayor. Council Members may comment on Consent Calendar items or ask for minor clarifications without the need for pulling the item for separate consideration. Items requiring deliberation should be pulled for separate consideration and shall be placed at the end of the regular agenda items unless otherwise determined by the Mayor.

Mayor McLewis read the consent calendar.

Mayor McLewis asked if any Councilmember wanted to remove a consent calendar item.

Mayor McLewis opened for public comment. The following member(s) of the public spoke during public comment:

Lisa Discussed Item Number 5
Member of the public Agenda Item
Kyle Pull Items 3, 5, and 6
Steve Item 5
Lee Grant to look at Pleasant Hill Loop; same way reimagining downtown as worked out Mayor McLewis pulled Item 5 for a separate vote.

Mayor McLewis called for a motion.

MOTION:

Carter moved and McLewis seconded the motion to approve consent calendar items 1, 2, 3, 4, & 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

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
MOTION:

Hinton moved and Zollman seconded the motion to approve consent calendar items 5.

Mayor McLewis called for a roll call vote. City staff conducted a roll call vote.

VOTE:

Ayes: Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer Noes: Mayor McLewis

Absent: None
Abstain: None

1. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes for Special Meeting – Closed Session Meeting of Monday September 14, 2026
Responsible Department: 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 for Closed Session Meeting of September 14, 2026
Minute Order Number: 2026-254

2. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes for Regular Meeting of September 15, 2026 Responsible Department: 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 for Regular Meeting of September 15, 2026 Minute Order Number: 2026-255

3. Annual Planning Report for City of Sebastopol. Receipt of Information on how the City is doing in implementing its General Plan and Housing Element, and in achieving its fair share of housing. Receive and file the 2025 General Plan Implementation Report which summarizes the City’s progress in implementing the General Plan, including the Housing Element, during the 2025 calendar year.

Responsible Department: Planning (City Staff Associate Planner) Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: None.

City Council Action: Approved Annual Planning Report for City of Sebastopol. Receipt of Information on how the City is doing in implementing its General Plan and Housing Element, and in achieving its fair share of housing.

Receive and file the 2025 General Plan Implementation Report which summarizes the City’s progress in implementing the General Plan, including the Housing Element, during the 2025 calendar year.

Minute Order Number: 2026-256

4. Approval of Reducing Age Limit for Youth Representative on the Climate Action Committee from Age 17-23 to Age 15-23
Requestor: Climate Action Committee/Councilmember Carter Responsible Department: Planning (City Staff Associate Planner) Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda items which is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: The cost to publish one (1) vacancy notice in the Press Democrat ranges from $295.00 to $343.00. This amount includes ½ hour of staff time for preparing the notice and posting it to all applicable locations. The expense is currently budgeted in the adopted FY 2026–2027 budget.

City Council Action: Approved Resolution Reducing Age Limit for Youth Representative on the Climate Action Committee from Age 17-23 to Age 15-23
Minute Order Number: 2026-257
Resolution Number: 6799-2026

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1

5. Approval of Resolution Authorizing staff to prepare and submit a grant application to the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program to continue the planning work associated with the Reimagining the Core Project.

Responsible Department : Public Works Director
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda items which is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: Contract with Fehr and Peers in the amount of $5,000 to help prepare the grant application.

City Council Action: Approved Resolution Authorizing staff to prepare and submit a grant application to the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program to continue the planning work associated with the Reimagining the Core Project.

Minute Order Number: 2026-258
Resolution Number: 6800-2026

6. Approval of Amendment No. 1 to Task Order 5 with GHD for Construction Management Service for the Bodega Phase 2 Bike Lane Phase 2 Project.

Responsible Department : Public Works Director
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda items which is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: None, this CIP budget amendment including GHD CCO of $38,750 was approved at the May 19th Council meeting. This request is to have the City Manager authorize the Change Order.

City Council Action: Approved Amendment No. 1 to Task Order 5 with GHD for Construction Management Service for the Bodega Phase 2 Bike Lane Phase 2 Project.

Minute Order Number: 2026-259
Resolution Number: 6801-2026
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).

NONE
PUBLIC HEARING(s): NONE
REGULAR CALENDAR AGENDA ITEMS (DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION):

7. Approval of Amendment to Resolution No. 6713-2025 Establishing a Standing Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee – Addition of a Certified Public Accountant Member Responsible Department: Public Works Director/Administrative Services Director Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda items which is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Committee members serve in a volunteer, advisory capacity and are not compensated. Any incremental staff time associated with supporting one additional committee member is expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing Engineering/Public Works and Administrative Services Department budgets.

Additional Fiscal Impact: The cost to publish one (1) vacancy notice in the Press Democrat ranges from $295.00 to $343.00. This amount includes ½ hour of staff time for preparing the notice and posting it to all applicable locations. Applications if received would be scheduled for interview/appointment at a future City Council Meeting.

Public Works Director Hart presented the Agenda item recommending the City Council adopt a resolution temporarily increasing the maximum membership of the Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee from five (5) to six (6) members, and add a new qualification category requiring that at least one member be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Mayor McLewis opened for questions of staff. The Council asked various questions of City staff.

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City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Mayor McLewis opened the public comment period. The following member(s) of the public spoke during the public comment period:

Kyle Support/Be precise; three recommendations; agenda item addresses third recommendation Mary CPA/Glenn Minnervini
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:

Council continued discussion of the item.

Mayor McLewis called for a motion.

MOTION:

Councilmember Zollman moved and Mayor McLewis seconded the motion to approve Amendment to Resolution No. 6713-2025 Establishing a Standing Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee – Addition of a Certified Public Accountant Member
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 Amendment to Resolution No. 6713-2025 Establishing a Standing Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee – Addition of a Certified Public Accountant Member Minute Order Number: 2026-260
Resolution Number: 6802-2026

8. Request of Receipt of Informational Report from Chief of Police on exigent use of surveillance cameras.

This report is provided pursuant to SMC 8.80.040, to advise the Sebastopol City Council about the temporary exigent use of surveillance technology, which occurred on Thursday, July 30, 2026. Ordinance SMC 8.80.040 requires a report to the City Council within 60 days of any exigent use of certain surveillance technologies, including Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs). Item Continued from September 15, 2026 City Council Meeting.

Responsible Department: Police Chief
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: None
Police Chief McDonagh presented the Agenda item recommending the City Council receive and file this report regarding the Sebastopol Police Department's exigent use of surveillance technology (Automated License Plate Reader data) on July 30, 2026, submitted pursuant to Sebastopol Municipal Code (SMC) Section 8.80.040.

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:

Magick Cameras in general not something want
Kyle Reason in report why this exists; understand why police acted; report raises concern of flock data at all for mutual aid
Shaun Paul In this situation how hard t get information from dispatch and get officers moving; Sebastopol did great job

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Lee Cannot believe Councilmember ignore a woman in immortal danger; flock camera used for this purpose should be encouraged
Doug Discussed residual inforati9n existing is relevant June Where date is afterwards; in this case not what led to contact with person; starter with request to sheriff office was use of camera; how many times Chief contacts Sheriff Cynthia Flock cameras is a private corporation and can share and give information to anyone Mary What tell girls in juvenile hall; somewhere else in County if need help but not in Sebastopol Rob Conflating different issues
Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:

Council continued discussion of the item.

Mayor McLewis called for a motion.

MOTION:

Mayor McLewis moved and Vice Mayor Maurer seconded the motion to receive and file this report regarding the Police Department's exigent use of surveillance technology (Automated License Plate Reader data) on July 30, 2026, submitted pursuant to SMC Section 8.80.040.

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 receive and file this report regarding the Police Department's exigent use of surveillance technology (Automated License Plate Reader data) on July 30, 2026, submitted pursuant to SMC Section 8.80.040.

Minute Order Number: 2026-261

9. Request of Receipt of Budget at a Glance Format and Authorize Staff to Post Such Document on the City Website. Item Continued from September 15, 2026 City Council Meeting.

Responsible Department: Administrative Services Director Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: None
Administrative Services Director Kwong presented the Agenda item recommending the City Council receive the FY 2026-27 Budget at a Glance and authorize staff to publish the document on the City’s official website. The summary is intended to make the adopted budget easier for residents, businesses, and other interested parties to understand.

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
Lee
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:

Council continued discussion of the item.

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City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.

MOTION:

Mayor McLewis moved and Councilmember Zollman seconded the motion to approve Receipt of Budget at a Glance Format and Authorize Staff to Post Such Document on the City Website.

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 Receipt of Budget at a Glance Format and Authorize Staff to Post Such Document on the City Website.

Minute Order Number: 2026-262

10. Commission and Committee Work Plans. Review and Consideration of the 26/27 Work Plans for the Planning Commission, Design Review Board/Tree Board, Climate Action Committee, and Public Arts Committee (This item was scheduled for the July 21st City Council Meeting; but was not heard due to adjournment of the meeting per Council protocols). Note: In conjunction with the proposed Work Plans, the Public Arts Committee has requested a return to a monthly meeting schedule. The Committee currently meets for two hours on the fourth Thursday of every other month and has determined that monthly meetings would improve their ability to advance projects and accomplish Work Plan objectives in a timely manner. The Design Review/Tree Board has requested a return to meeting twice per month. The Board currently meets once a month for two hours on the fourth Tuesday. Under the proposed schedule, the Board would continue its regular monthly meeting for project and permit review and hold a second monthly meeting for 90 minutes dedicated solely to Work Plan implementation and long-range planning efforts.

Item Continued from September 15, 2026 City Council Meeting.

Responsible Department: Planning (City Staff Associate Planner) Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: If approved by Council, the estimated fiscal impact of adding an additional PAC meeting would be $5,376 to $8,064 in staff hours, and the estimated total annual fiscal impact of adding an additional DRB meeting would be $7,152 to $11,448 in staff hours.

Eli Arreola presented the Agenda item recommending the City Council receive the presentation, review the Work Plans, provide any input, and approve the Work Plans.

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:

Kirstin
Melissa
Rob
June
Lee
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:

Council continued discussion of the item.

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City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.

MOTION:

Vice Mayor Maurer moved and Councilmember Carter seconded the motion to approve the 26/27 Work Plans for:

Planning Commission & Design Review Board/Tree Board, with updated websites for both included in approved work plan; Climate Action Committee; and Public Arts Committee, with Charles Schultz 95472 mural included in approved work plan; and to bring back in January a review for additional meetings for the mid-year budget review.

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 the 26/27 Work plans as amended, adding the website updates for PC and DRB to be done now, adding the 95472 Charles Schultz Mural into approved work plan, and bringing back in January a review for additional meetings for mid-year budget review.

Reference Order Number: 2026-263

11. Discussion and Considerations of Options for Rezone/Text Amendment for Outdoor Commercial Barbeques Responsible Department: City Attorney
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: Anticipated fiscal impact is approximately $5,250 in staff and consultant hours to prepare the zoning text amendment and accompanying Mitigated Negative Declaration.

City Attorney Alex Mog presented the Agenda item recommending the City Council providing direction to staff.

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:

Doug Too long; El Coronel not work
Kyle Staff accountability
Kim Harm from smoke
Sarah A&M being pushed out of town
Kit Breathing smoke for year; go fund me for filters
Rob Conversations indicative of Sebastopol mentality; NIMBY Kirstin Can meet business needs and residents
Oliver Move to area zoned for BBQs
Linda Missing elephant in room; real issue is smoke kills people Ruby Work at A&M; negative comments interesting
Ben Health impacts; nuisance impacts; timeline; City made aware of a year ago; violations; enforcement stopped; no justification; health issues
June Law on books not to have there
Finn Path forward; grey area; Use permit; protect city and neighborhood Woody Public health issue
Katie Support of A&M BBQ
City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:

Council continued discussion of the item.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Mayor McLewis called for a motion.

MOTION:

Councilmember Zollman moved and Councilmember carter seconded the motion to direct staff to not take any rezoning action particular to the subject site or zone. The option would result in the reinitiation of enforcement action.

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: Directed staff to not take any rezoning action particular to the subject site or zone. The option would result in the reinitiation of enforcement action.

Minute Order Number: 2026-264

12. Consideration of Authorization for approval of City Attorney Hours to Review and Provide information on City Lexipol Policies; CIRA Law Enforcement Trainings; Law Enforcement Practices Regarding Collaboration with ICE; Youth diversion/restorative justice information; and review of recommendations from Gault Center.

Requestor: Councilmember Zollman
Responsible Department: City Attorney
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda report is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: City Attorney time estimated at 10 hours City Council Action: Item continued to the October 20th City Council Meeting at or after 6:00 pm at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425, Morris Street.

Minute Order Number: 2026-265

13. Creation of Ad Hoc Committee or Council Liaison Regarding Racism, Social Bullying, and Mockery and Direction Regarding Training and Other Options.

That the City Council consider the following options and provide direction:

Option 1 – Create a City Council Ad Hoc Committee
a. Establish a City Council Ad Hoc Committee to Address Racism, Social Bullying, and Mockery in Sebastopol, and appoint two (2) Councilmembers to the Committee; b. Direct the Committee to convene regular meetings with neighbors (including Pitt Avenue residents across from Safeway), school partners (the School Board / Analy High School administration and other local schools as the Committee identifies, including Brook Haven), Safeway management, and other community members and businesses as needed;
c. Direct the Committee to review suggestions from the public received on September 1, 2026, and to provide recommendations to the City Council no later than six (6) months from the initial meeting; and d. Authorize the City Manager to assign a staff liaison and provide administrative support within existing resources.

Option 2 – Council Liaison Leads Community Meetings; Staff Prepares Graffiti Ordinance Direct the existing Council liaison to lead community meetings with neighbors, school partners, Safeway management, and other community members as needed, requesting staff support on an as-needed basis and reporting back to the City Council
Under either option:
a. Staff to include in City protocols CIRA Vector Solutions racial-bias and related courses available to the City as a CIRA member; work with ERMA to receive one complimentary ERMA training; and submit paperwork for the ERMA $2,500 training grant; and

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
b. Staff to utilize funds dedication by Vice Mayor Sandra Maurer and Councilmember Stephen Zollman of their remaining Fiscal Year 2026-27 City Council Conference and Training funds, for training and related costs that CIRA and ERMA do not cover.
c. Direct staff to prepare a draft graffiti ordinance for future Council consideration.

Responsible Department: City Attorney/City Manager
Fiscal Impact: Staff time required to prepare the agenda item is covered within existing budgeted salaries.

Additional Fiscal Impact: It is anticipated that at the minimum one meeting per month (if limited to one hour each) would be 6-12 hours depending on attendance of one or two staff members. This estimate is for meeting attendance only. It is feasible that there may be a need for additional staff time for research and preparation or dependent upon the outcome of the meetings
It is estimated 2-4 hours would be required for City Attorney to draft graffiti ordinance.

City Attorney Alex Mog presented the Agenda item recommending the City Council consider creation of an Ad Hoc Committee or Council Liaison and provide direction on options related to staff & Council training.

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 Six Community Members; deep problem; deep seated racism June Ad Hoc good; not support graffiti ordinance
Gayle Concerning youth following path of racism; get to core of issue; graffiti is oppressive; frightening; offer assistance
Sarah Resident; addressed Safeway letter (false); police upped monitoring; littering; how soon hear back
Kirstin NAACP; not first time issues come up with youth in this community; ten years; discussed Bellflower; not stand up to address racial; opportunity to leverage Safeway
Dena Urge to create standing committee or advisory body Todd Graffiti away from core issue of racism; not trust Safeway; come together as community
Oliver Too small to be taking this on; no meaningful impact; push to County Member of public Small community; deal with issues; small community say not accept racism Shaun Paul Do training; Ad hoc not right choice; community based issue Member of public Community showing up; seeing racism; want it to stop; work with community Lee Important issue; difficult issue; challenge small city know what can control and what not; City not solve the issue
Member of public Training; separate ordinance of graffiti; talking of hate graffiti and crimes Katie Personal perspective
Wendy Go with option 2
Council voted unanimously to continue the meeting beyond 10:30 pm.

City Council Discussion/Deliberations/Comments:

Council continued discussion of the item.

Mayor McLewis called for a motion.

MOTION:

Councilmember Hinton moved and Vice Mayor Maurer seconded the motion to approve a Council liaison; and appointed Councilmember Carter as the Council liaison and :

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City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
• Direct the existing Council liaison to lead community meetings with neighbors, school partners, Safeway management, and other community members as needed, requesting staff support on an as-needed basis and reporting back to the City Council with quarterly reporting • Staff to include in City protocols CIRA Vector Solutions racial-bias and related courses available to the City as a CIRA member; work with ERMA to receive one complimentary ERMA training; and submit paperwork for the ERMA $2,500 training grant; and
• Direct staff to prepare a draft graffiti ordinance for future Council consideration; include hate graffiti.

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 a Council liaison; and appointed Councilmember Carter as the Council liaison and :
• Direct the existing Council liaison to lead community meetings with neighbors, school partners, Safeway management, and other community members as needed, requesting staff support on an as-needed basis and reporting back to the City Council with quarterly reporting • Staff to include in City protocols CIRA Vector Solutions racial-bias and related courses available to the City as a CIRA member; work with ERMA to receive one complimentary ERMA training; and submit paperwork for the ERMA $2,500 training grant; and
• Direct staff to prepare a draft graffiti ordinance for future Council consideration; include hate graffiti.

Minute Order Number: 2026-266
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. None COUNCILMEMBER(S) REQUESTS FOR FUTURE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS:

Councilmember Hinton requested agenda item to cancel Nov 3rd City Council Meeting as it is election day on Oct 20th Meeting
Councilmember Carter supported the request.

CITY COUNCIL/CITY STAFF REPORTS/COMMUNICATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/FUTURE MEETINGS:

13. 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)

14. 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). Councilmembers provided reports.

15. Council Communications Received (Information/Meetings/Correspondence Received from the General Public to Councilmembers)
CLOSED SESSION: NONE

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City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

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ADJOURNMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING
The October 6, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting was adjourned by Mayor McLewis at 10:54pm. The next Regular City Council Meeting is Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 6:00 pm, Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA.

Respectfully submitted:

Mary C. Gourley
City Manager
Attachment 1: ZOOM Raw Minutes
Attachment 2: VITAC Real Time Transcription Minutes

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WEBVTT
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good. Thank you.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Ah, okay.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah. Yeah, maybe just think about it.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That'd be fun.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Test.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It seems like it's working. I'm not going to sing though.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I saw, okay, yeah, so . 00:49:21.000 --> 00:49:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't see my name right again. 00:49:27.000 --> 00:49:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, okay. Oh, nothing. 00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Now I'm happy. Can you do it? Hello. Yeah, we're happy now. Hello.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Bye. Bye.
00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:00.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for checking out. 00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, let's see, because I haven't seen it.
00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We could do that, I think. Invest. 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm trying not to do that. 00:50:11.000 --> 00:50:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's hard not to be distressed. 00:54:39.000 --> 00:54:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No, I'm ready.
00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Are you ready? Everyone ready? Okay.
00:55:11.000 --> 00:55:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right. Welcome everyone to Council Meeting tonight. We're going to go ahead and do a call to order and a roll call.
00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. Uh, Councilmember Carter?
00:55:23.000 --> 00:55:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Here. Councilmember Hinton? Here.

Councilmember Zollman? Present. Vice Mayor Maurer? Here. Mayor McLewis? Here. Please note, all Councilmembers are in attendance. All right, if everyone could join me in doing a salute to the fl.
00:55:54.000 --> 00:56:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you. So let's see, we do a land acknowledgement at the beginning of every meeting, so I'm gonna go ahead and read that right now. The City of Sebastopol acknowledges that we live and work within the unceded ancestral homelands of the Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok people.
00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We pay our respect to the past, present, and future generations of these peoples, including the Federated Indians of Grayton Rancheria.
00:56:18.000 --> 00:56:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And typically, we have a Remembering the History, but I wasn't able to obtain that this week from — so we're going to move on from there, move straight to the Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
proclamations. The first proclamation that we have is recognition of five years of service award for Peter Stinski.
00:56:35.000 --> 00:56:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I've spoken with our Director of Public Works, and Oriana is going to come up for a moment and accept this and give us a few words.
00:56:49.000 --> 00:57:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening, Mayor and Council members. Thank you for letting me spend a moment to talk about Pete. Uh, he's an excellent member of our team. He came to the city in 2021 as a laborer, now our maintenance assistant, and promoted within a year to be a maintenance worker. His primary duties is, uh.
00:57:06.000 --> 00:57:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: working on our infrastructure. But he's the one who troubleshoots your water meters, and he's the one who takes the service calls when people have water issues is one of the things he does a lot of the time with. He's a willing learner and eager to help all the time. One of the things I really love about him is kind of his investment in our park system like he's the one who had the prompted us to repair the split rail.
00:57:29.000 --> 00:57:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: uh, fence over here by the entrance to the Laguna, and he's hoping to do the same thing over here in the spring. So, he's an excellent member of our team, and I'm really happy he's on my staff. So, for Public Works and the City of Spastable, we congratulate Steven, or P. Steve, what is his name? P. And thank you for his five years of service.
00:57:47.000 --> 00:57:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for the city of Spoustable. Thank you so much, and I'll hand this to you.
00:57:56.000 --> 00:58:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, we have additional proclamations. Um, the next one is proclaiming October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and…
00:58:05.000 --> 00:58:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Recognizing the YWCA, and I believe Councilmember Carter, you're going to read that.
00:58:10.000 --> 00:58:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes.
00:58:12.000 --> 00:58:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Whereas the city of Sebastopol hereby recognizes that domestic violence affects one in four families. 00:58:18.000 --> 00:58:27.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that nearly all of us know someone who has been a victim of abuse. The crime of domestic violence violates an individual's privacy, dignity, and security. 00:58:28.000 --> 00:58:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Whereas since 1976, YWCA Sonoma County has been the singular and vital resource for local residents experiencing violence and the place where we should all feel the safest, inside our own homes, we recognize and pay tribute to YWCA's founder, staff.
00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Board of Directors, and Volunteers for their 50th anniversary this year.
00:58:50.000 --> 00:59:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: YWCA operates Sonoma County's only confidential safe house shelter and Sonoma County's only 24-7 domestic violence crisis hotline.
00:59:01.000 --> 00:59:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: YWCA's Counseling Support Services offers trauma…
00:59:07.000 --> 00:59:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Trauma informed individual and support group therapy for victims of trauma and domestic violence. 00:59:14.000 --> 00:59:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Whereas only an informed community can end the cycle of violence, we are encouraged to learn about YWCA's programs.
00:59:23.000 --> 00:59:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and support their vision for every family in Sonoma County to live a healthy, productive life. 00:59:28.000 --> 00:59:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Jill McLewis, Mayor of the City of Sebastopol, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby proclaim on October 26th in Sebastopol as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you. And I believe we have someone here to receive that.
00:59:48.000 --> 00:59:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh.
00:59:51.000 --> 01:00:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, go ahead. Did you have — go ahead. I'm sorry. I received a script, but they told me that there weren't any commentary. Typically, what we do is during the public Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
comment, you can come up and read all of that if you would like. But we'd like to at least hand the certificate to you and shake your hands and everything.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And…
01:00:13.000 --> 01:00:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just wanted to thank you. 01:00:15.000 --> 01:00:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
01:00:16.000 --> 01:00:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Yeah. Okay. 01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's for me as well. Right? This one's okay.
01:00:25.000 --> 01:00:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, we have our next proclamation, which is, um, proclaiming Zero Waste Week. And, um, our Vice Mayor's gonna read that.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: North Bay Zero Waste Week, October 10th through the 17th, 2026, whereas the city of Sebastopol has assumed a leadership role by setting zero waste as a goal and adopting a zero waste resolution and sets a goal of zero waste.
01:00:49.000 --> 01:01:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: By 2030. Whereas each year, Zero Waste Sonoma and community partners host a one-day zero waste symposium.

As a local opportunity for industry and the public to gain insight on zero waste topics trends, share ideas, and network.
01:01:06.000 --> 01:01:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And whereas, since 2022, Zero Waste Sonoma has coordinated and promoted a week of events aimed at educating and empowering various sectors of the public to act toward zero waste. 01:01:19.000 --> 01:01:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And whereas since 2022, Zero Waste Sonoma has collaborated with North Bay groups in Sonoma, Napa, and Marin counties, and volunteers to expand these event offerings, which have included clothing, produce swaps, recycling.
01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: compost and water treatment facility tours, repair and reuse fairs, litter cleanups, food waste, reduction classes, environmental film screenings, and more. And whereas the city of Sebastopol, along with public.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: private, and non-profit organizations and community groups will be hosting zero-waste events through the week of October 10th through 17th.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Now, therefore, it be resolved that our Mayor, on behalf of the entire City Council, hereby proclaims October 10th through 17th Zero Waste Week.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you. And is… 01:02:13.000 --> 01:02:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or, or yeah.
01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oriana, are you the one accepting that, or?
01:02:20.000 --> 01:02:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sorry. We can get up a few times. 01:02:26.000 --> 01:02:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
01:02:27.000 --> 01:02:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, and now we have another proclamation that I'm going to read, and it is recognizing October Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
01:02:36.000 --> 01:02:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, and I'm gonna start reading this, and hopefully I won't cry. Um…
01:02:42.000 --> 01:02:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm already gonna cry. I'm just gonna share with y'all. Exactly a year ago today, I sat here with a bald head because I had breast cancer, and so it's very personal for me. I just… yeah, it's been 14 months of treatment, so anyway, this means a lot to me, so…
01:02:58.000 --> 01:03:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, recognizing October 2026 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, whereas breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, apart from skin cancers, and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, and whereas in 2026, an estimated 321,910 women.
01:03:16.000 --> 01:03:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and an estimated 42,140 women will die from the disease, and whereas breast cancer also affects men with an Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
estimated 2,670 new diagnosis and 530 deaths among men expected this year.
01:03:34.000 --> 01:03:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And whereas the disease touches nearly every family in some way, including our own residents, neighbors, coworkers, and friends here in Sebastopol and throughout Sonoma County, and every story is unique and every journey matters, and each person diagnosed with breast cancer, along with their family and loved ones, deserves compassionate, personalized care and support at every step. 01:03:56.000 --> 01:04:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Whereas about two-thirds of breast cancers are found at a localized stage when the treatment works best. 01:04:01.000 --> 01:04:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: which shows how much regular screening and early detection saves lives and significant disparities persist with black women experiencing the highest breast cancer death rate of any group, underscoring the need for equitable access to screening, diagnosis and care and local healthcare providers, survivors and caregivers, advocates and community organizations work every day to educate, support patients.
01:04:24.000 --> 01:04:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and families in advanced research toward a cure.
01:04:27.000 --> 01:04:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Now, therefore, it be it resolved that I, Jill Mcglosh, Mayor of the City of Sebastopol, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby proclaim October 2026 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Sebastopol, and encourage all residents to learn the risk factors and warning signs, talk with their healthcare providers about screening.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And support those living with breast cancer, the survivors among us, and the families who have lost loved ones.
01:04:51.000 --> 01:05:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I just want to say, just from my own personal experience and going through this and within the community, um, there are many people in this community that I have learned who have gone through this that most of you would be shocked. I was surprised. People that I've known for over a decade, and they've come to me and shared with me their private stories, and I've been very public about mine.
01:05:10.000 --> 01:05:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and I've had so many people come to me and tell me that they've gotten screenings over the year, you know, because of because of the story that I continue to tell. So I just want Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
to encourage everyone, men and women, to get your screenings, and especially women. Get your but your mammograms, and don't be late because it saved my life.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it literally saved my life. I was… yeah, I was 3 months early for it, otherwise I would not… may… may not have, you know, be here in a couple years, they said, so… At any rate, thank you all for indulging me. This is really personal for me. 01:05:40.000 --> 01:05:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um.
01:05:41.000 --> 01:05:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we're going to go ahead and move on.
01:05:44.000 --> 01:05:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I see my husband back there in tears. The family, it's always important for us to recognize our families in all of this, so… because it's a… it's a… it's a long road when you have breast cancer, so…
01:05:55.000 --> 01:05:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And our police chief. 01:05:58.000 --> 01:06:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right.
01:06:00.000 --> 01:06:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I am going to move on to any statements of conflicts of interest.
01:06:05.000 --> 01:06:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Anyone?
01:06:08.000 --> 01:06:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Just statements of conflicts of interest just in general as a whole.
01:06:14.000 --> 01:06:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have met with the neighbors near A&M. I think other people have too, but if that's a conflict, not a conflict.
01:06:22.000 --> 01:06:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't think so. I've met as well, so I think a lot of us have.
01:06:26.000 --> 01:06:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other conflicts? 01:06:28.000 --> 01:06:45.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: OK. All right, then we're going to go ahead and go to public comment. Mary, if you would like to take over.

Thank you, Mayor. So this is the opportunity for public comment for items that are not on tonight's agenda. It is a 20-minute time limit. It is a two-minute time limit per person per speaker.
01:06:45.000 --> 01:06:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We do chambers first, and then go out to Zoom. So again, this is for public comment for items not on tonight's agenda. Is there anyone in chambers that would like to make a public comment for an item not on tonight's agenda?
01:06:57.000 --> 01:06:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, go ahead.
01:07:09.000 --> 01:07:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Read the words now. Remember to speak into the microphone.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I kindly request the council and city explore revoking the adoption of AB 1033 because it was intended abuse by developers. AB 1033 could make sense if the dwellings were constructed following normal building and zoning rules. For example, a standard lot size minimum is 5,000 square feet.
01:07:31.000 --> 01:07:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Adding an ADU for sale on this size of a lot could make sense. Unfortunately, we've recently seen developers getting zoning waivers allowing minimum lot sizes of half the standard size, 2,501 square feet, then adding large ADUs to the lot, essentially adding homes now.
01:07:48.000 --> 01:07:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Two lots are one-fourth the original minimum lot size. This creates unsafe and unfavorable additions to our local community. Thank you.
01:07:56.000 --> 01:08:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

I will go out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment for an item not, Lee, can you unmute yourself, please? 01:08:03.000 --> 01:08:06.000
Lee: I can. Can you hear me?
01:08:04.000 --> 01:08:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I can hear you. Can you see the timer?
01:08:07.000 --> 01:08:09.000
Lee: I can, thank you.
01:08:08.000 --> 01:08:10.000
Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great. Go ahead, please. 01:08:09.000 --> 01:08:31.000
Lee: Yeah, later tonight. I'm not going to talk about it specifically.

But but the Council is going to be asked to give direction to the city attorney to explore some legal issues around something youth and policies in the police department. I'm not going to talk about that. But but I I got other ideas for things that if the Council wants to instruct the city attorney to spend time and money on.
01:08:31.000 --> 01:08:42.000
Lee: might be more productive for the people of Sevastopol, anyway.

Number one is the illegal cost allocation scheme continues. 01:08:42.000 --> 01:08:57.000
Lee: the ratepayers are paying for almost half of tonight's meeting, and yet I don't think there's anything on the agenda, um, and certainly not half the agenda. Uh, city council members and city staff… city staffs, uh, the, um…
01:08:57.000 --> 01:09:12.000
Lee: City clerk and the city manager have similar allocations, and city staff and city council members have admitted publicly that they don't spend that much time on water and sewer, but yet it continues on. Is that a legal liability? Maybe the city attorney should weigh in on that. 01:09:12.000 --> 01:09:25.000
Lee: I think we're moving forward now on the refund for the city attorney fees, $350,000 that was billed to the ratepayers, but never for anything related to water and sewer. Um…
01:09:25.000 --> 01:09:40.000
Lee: But the general manager position, I think it was $280,000 at rate payers paid last year for the city manager position, and it was vacant the entire year. And I think that was supposed to come back to city council, but still hasn't. Is that a liability for the city if somebody wants to sue?
01:09:40.000 --> 01:10:00.000
Lee: What about the — oh, this was a good one. The grand jury report said that the city misallocated $5.5 million. Yesterday, the EFOC was told that the city doesn't have money to do infrastructure projects, the same infrastructure projects in the grand jury report, and that the ratepayers have to borrow $5 million.
01:10:00.000 --> 01:10:08.000
Lee: Hmm, that seems like a straight line for a jury to look at and say, there's some legal liability here. Um, I'm out of time, I've got others, but…
01:10:08.000 --> 01:10:12.000
Lee: Maybe there's better things we can do in terms of analyzing our problems. Thank you.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Lee, for your public comment. Next, I will come back to the chambers. If there's anyone in chambers that would like to make a public comment for an item not on tonight's agenda?
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go out. I'm sorry, go ahead.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your patience. This is my first time here, so I'm getting used to the procedure. 01:10:37.000 --> 01:10:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, when I was originally assigned to come here today, I was advised I wouldn't be speaking, but I feel like it's really important to make this statement today. Um, we are doing these proclamations throughout Sonoma County, and so, um, they're all getting to.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: speak, and I want to make sure that everybody understands how important Domestic Violence Awareness Month is. 01:10:58.000 --> 01:11:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, Honorable Mayor and members of the City Council, my name is Carrie Brown. I am currently the Secretary of the YWCA, Sonoma County. I'm also an attorney here in town, and I represent employers.
01:11:12.000 --> 01:11:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, and have two kids that are going to school at Hillcrest, so I'm a, you know, a community member here. On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and especially the families served by YWCA Sonoma County, thank you for honoring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and noting. 01:11:29.000 --> 01:11:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The 50th anniversary of dedicated service to our community with your proclamation.
01:11:34.000 --> 01:11:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As shared in the reading of the proclamation, established in 1976, YWCA's 24-7 DV crisis hotline, the only one in Sonoma County, is still the most direct path to support for local families in need.
01:11:49.000 --> 01:11:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Our confidential safe house shelter is also the only one in Sonoma County for families seeking refuge from harm.
01:11:57.000 --> 01:12:11.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Safety planning and strategies to ensure relief are at the forefront of every one of the 3,000 calls we received last year. Our client population is 80% female, over 50% identify Hispanic Latinx.
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 13% are children, and 7% are seniors. Carrie, about 20 seconds. The majority are from poverty-level families. Nationally and locally, domestic violence-related homicide and suicide rates are on the rise.
01:12:24.000 --> 01:12:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For YWCA Sonoma County, we remain steadfast and committed to our vital and singular role in Sonoma County. 01:12:31.000 --> 01:12:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In closing, please know that YWCA has been supporting local families for 50 years, and we will continue to be here.
01:12:38.000 --> 01:12:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Going forward. Thank you very much. Thank you for your public comment. Next, I'll go back out to Zoom. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
01:12:45.000 --> 01:12:47.000
Kyle Falbo: I can.
01:12:46.000 --> 01:12:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? 01:12:48.000 --> 01:13:03.000
Kyle Falbo: Um, I can. Um, so I want to ping… I want to ping you back a little bit on, uh, Lee's comment, um, in that, uh, what's really interesting about the approach that the City Council has seemed to take regarding the water and wastewater and the response to the grand jury. 01:12:49.000 --> 01:12:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great. Go ahead.
01:13:03.000 --> 01:13:08.000
Kyle Falbo: Um, happens to be related to, um…
01:13:08.000 --> 01:13:24.000
Kyle Falbo: This accepting of this new information and then making decisions to try to right the past, but what's interesting about it is that none of these actual city council members themselves have been responsible for bringing.
01:13:24.000 --> 01:13:37.000
Kyle Falbo: forward the corrections that have been recommended by the EFOC. And in fact, even though they have made the voting decisions to make some of the recommendations of the EFOC.

Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
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Kyle Falbo: what they've also done is debated and tested the waters on whether or not there was, um, kind of appetite to not pursue some of the, uh, decisions by the EFOC. So, it's not surprising to me. 01:13:53.000 --> 01:14:14.000
Kyle Falbo: to learn that when we come close to this $5 million mark of need for infrastructure projects, that there is now a suggestion that the city is going to charge another loan to the ratepayers for a dollar amount that's so similar to what the grand jury has suggested was misallocated over the last number of years.
01:14:14.000 --> 01:14:27.000
Kyle Falbo: Um, so what I would recommend the public to do is watch Council tonight. Watch the way that they engage with public comment, such as Lee's, or such as that of the EFOC.
01:14:27.000 --> 01:14:44.000
Kyle Falbo: Listen to the way that they consider the interests of the residents and their public commentary on decisions that they make tonight. I think it'll be very telling to see how the interests of the city, meaning the business entity of the city.
01:14:44.000 --> 01:14:53.000
Kyle Falbo: are much stronger. And for those candidates out there, I think it's pretty telling to have your story be somewhat different than what that is.
01:14:53.000 --> 01:15:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kyle, 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 for an item not on the agenda.
01:15:03.000 --> 01:15:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll 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, please raise your hand virtually. 01:15:12.000 --> 01:15:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed.
01:15:14.000 --> 01:15:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right. Thank you. So we're going to move on to our consent calendar. I'm going to go ahead and read those, and then we'll proceed from there. Number one approval of City Council meeting minutes for special meeting closed session. Meeting of Monday, September 14, 2026.
01:15:31.000 --> 01:15:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number 2, approval of City Council Meeting Minutes for Regular Meeting of Tuesday, September 15th, 2026.

Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number 3, annual planning report for City of Sebastopol, receipt of information on how the city is doing in implementing its general plan and housing element, and in achieving its fair share of housing.
01:15:50.000 --> 01:15:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number four, approval of reducing age limit for the, um…
01:15:55.000 --> 01:16:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: youth, representative on Climate Action Committee from age 17 to 23 to age 15 to 23, number 5, approval of resolution authorizing staff to prepare and submit a grant application to the Caltrans sustainable transportation planning grant program. 01:16:11.000 --> 01:16:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to continue the planning work associated with the reimagining the core project. Number six, approval of amendment number one to task order five with GHD for construction management service for the Bodega phase two bike lane phase two project. 01:16:26.000 --> 01:16:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So.
01:16:28.000 --> 01:16:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do any council members want to pool anything?
01:16:33.000 --> 01:16:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just had a quick question, just for, um… just because we received comments on it, and then we received an excellent explanation. Is it okay for me to ask Oriana as far as the explanation for that one item? Yeah, we can have a brief question and keep something on… Yeah, just very brief. You provided a different… an explanation for that one item. I just wondered if you had a… 01:16:52.000 --> 01:16:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Couple sentences on. 01:16:54.000 --> 01:17:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know what I'm talking. Yeah, for the the Stg. Grant. Yes, the request tonight is just to allow us to submit a grant. We're not committing to any particular scope of work or parking studies, and we don't have any specifics yet about what those would look like.
01:17:10.000 --> 01:17:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And, uh, that piece isn't the main focus of the grant. The main focus is to engage with Caltrans and SCTCA to further the study that we did do in reimagining the core. But anything that we would, uh, commit to, including match funds, will come back to Council and the Planning Commission to get further defined before it is officially approved.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
01:17:29.000 --> 01:17:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you. I just thought that would be helpful for some. Okay, so then the next thing we'll do is go out to public comment unless anyone has anything.
01:17:38.000 --> 01:17:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is public comment on the consent calendar items only. Again, if you'd like to make a public comment, it is a 2-minute public comment for the consent calendar. Is there anyone in chambers that would like to make a public comment on the consent calendar items?
01:17:52.000 --> 01:17:57.000
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. 01:17:57.000 --> 01:17:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: On the consent calendar items. 01:17:59.000 --> 01:18:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Lisa, can you unmute yourself, please? Oh, I'm sorry. I will be right there. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Lisa, can you unmute yourself, please?
01:18:12.000 --> 01:18:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: OK, we're having a hard time. I will go ahead for in chambers first. Go ahead with your public comment.

Yeah, my name is Doug Yule. I live on Petaluma Avenue in Sebastop. 01:18:20.000 --> 01:18:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For over a year now, A&M Barbecue has been in violation of their zoning restrictions. Sir, this is just for anything that's on the consent calendar. Oh, I'm sorry. No, that's okay, I just…
01:18:31.000 --> 01:18:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead. Go ahead. Thank you. 01:18:35.000 --> 01:18:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So Lisa, there you go. Can you hear us, Lisa?
01:18:38.000 --> 01:18:41.000
Liselotte’s iPad (2): Yes, I can. Can you hear me?
01:18:40.000 --> 01:18:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I can. Can you see the timer? 01:18:42.000 --> 01:18:45.000
Liselotte’s iPad (2): No, but that's okay.
01:18:45.000 --> 01:18:49.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, go ahead through public. I'll jump in when you have about 30 seconds left.
01:18:48.000 --> 01:19:06.000
Liselotte’s iPad (2): Okay, thanks, Mary. Um, Lisa Pierce, Sebastopol.

I think it's important to understand that item 5 on the consent calendar is a request for funding and grant application to study a problem that we would be creating if we were to go back to a two-way street system downtown.
01:19:06.000 --> 01:19:26.000
Liselotte’s iPad (2): The Y where Main Street and Petaluma Ave come together by the art store works fine now, but it clearly would not work if these streets were two-way. It is clear from the survey done by the consultants and the many comments on the Sebastopol Times and Nextdoor that most people in Sebastopol.
01:19:26.000 --> 01:19:48.000
Liselotte’s iPad (2): don't want us to go back to a two-way system downtown. Once people take a deep dive on this issue, they realize there are many unintended consequences and problems, mainly congestion, that would develop if we were to go back. There are better options for creating wider sidewalks, slowing traffic on Main Street, and creating a safer and more inviting downtown.
01:19:48.000 --> 01:20:08.000
Liselotte’s iPad (2): than changing to a two-way system. In less than one month, our city council will be different. I think that the responsible thing to do before voting to spend more city dollars going down this road would be to wait until the new council is seated, because it may well be that going back to a two-way street system will not be supported.
01:20:08.000 --> 01:20:09.000
Liselotte’s iPad (2): Thank you.
01:20:10.000 --> 01:20:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Lisa, for your public comment. Next, I will come into chambers.
01:20:20.000 --> 01:20:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hi, I'd just like to note that there are no agendas with anything available for me or the public. So I think it's an oversight that needs to be handled. Thanks. 01:20:34.000 --> 01:20:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment. 01:20:36.000 --> 01:20:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Next, we will go back out. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
01:20:40.000 --> 01:20:42.000
Kyle Falbo: And…
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
01:20:41.000 --> 01:20:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? 01:20:43.000 --> 01:20:46.000
Kyle Falbo: Uh, I can't, but that's okay, I'll be.
01:20:44.000 --> 01:20:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great. Great. Go ahead, please. 01:20:47.000 --> 01:21:02.000
Kyle Falbo: So I'm gonna go ahead and ask council to pull items three, five, and six for clarification. First on item three, the general plan report says 79% of the 458 action items are ongoing, in progress, or complete.
01:21:02.000 --> 01:21:17.000
Kyle Falbo: fairly misleading, because what it does is it combines 318 ongoing actions with only 23 in progress, and just 23 completed. That's only 5% that have actually been completed, while 94 actions have not even been started.
01:21:17.000 --> 01:21:36.000
Kyle Falbo: And we're about halfway through a 20-year plan. So why is completed implementation still so low? Direct staff to return with all 94 unstarted actions, ranked by priority, each with a responsible department, target deadline, and estimated staffing or funding need. The public needs an implementation plan.
01:21:36.000 --> 01:21:51.000
Kyle Falbo: Not just a blended percentage. On item 5, the Caltrans grant might be worthwhile, but the process appears rushed. The call was issued August 18th, yet Council is seeing the authorization only 3 days before the October 9th deadline.
01:21:51.000 --> 01:22:07.000
Kyle Falbo: Is the application substantially completed? Did staff attend Caltrans workshops, obtain District 4 feedback, and secure meaningful SCTA participation or a letter of support? Going forward, please require an annual grant calendar.
01:22:07.000 --> 01:22:31.000
Kyle Falbo: So opportunities reach council early enough for real oversight. We might also want to ask Council Member Nisa Hinton whether or not she was in attendance of the SCTA meetings that were related to this grant opportunity. There was a number of absences in the recent record. Item six, the requested GHD amendment lacks basic financial context. What was the original task order five amount? What are the communal amendments?
01:22:31.000 --> 01:22:47.000
Kyle Falbo: Actual expenditures, commitments to date, the contingency remaining after this approval. Please also reconcile the attachment. Its Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
table totals $38,750, but its closing sentence requests $64,656. Please pull these items.
01:22:47.000 --> 01:22:53.000
Kyle Falbo: Require complete decision-ready answers before approval. I'm really…
01:22:50.000 --> 01:22:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle, that's two minutes. 01:22:52.000 --> 01:23:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you 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 on the consent calendar. 01:23:00.000 --> 01:23:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go back out.

Steve, can you unmute yourself, please.
01:23:05.000 --> 01:23:08.000
Steve Pierce: Yes, thank you. I unmuted.
01:23:06.000 --> 01:23:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? 01:23:08.000 --> 01:23:11.000
Steve Pierce: Yeah, thanks. I'll go ahead.
01:23:09.000 --> 01:23:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right. Go ahead, please. 01:23:11.000 --> 01:23:23.000
Steve Pierce: I'm speaking about item five, the Caltrans grant. What would the city do with a parking study, which is included with the grant application to Caltrans?
01:23:23.000 --> 01:23:36.000
Steve Pierce: I think that parking really doesn't need to be studied, because I don't think we need to create more parking downtown, nor do we have the resources to do that. And I don't think we really want to lose parking either.
01:23:36.000 --> 01:23:50.000
Steve Pierce: People complain about parking, but I don't think that would justify building more parking. Unless the city is open to increasing or decreasing parking, why spend our time and money studying it? 01:23:50.000 --> 01:24:00.000
Steve Pierce: My understanding is that when you apply for a grant, and a parking study is part of the grant, then the parking study needs to be done to fulfill the grant.
01:24:00.000 --> 01:24:02.000
Steve Pierce: Because of this, the grant applications.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
01:24:03.000 --> 01:24:06.000
Steve Pierce: should not include a parking study. Thank you. 01:24:07.000 --> 01:24:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Steve, 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 on the consent calendar item?
01:24:08.000 --> 01:24:09.000
Steve Pierce: Thank you, Stephen.
01:24:16.000 --> 01:24:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go back out to Zoom. Lee, can you unmute.
01:24:20.000 --> 01:24:22.000
Lee: Yeah, I.
01:24:21.000 --> 01:24:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you still see the timer?
01:24:23.000 --> 01:24:24.000
Lee: I can.
01:24:24.000 --> 01:24:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great. Go ahead, please. 01:24:25.000 --> 01:24:30.000
Lee: Um, two comments, kind of piggybacking on what Kyle said, the, uh… 01:24:30.000 --> 01:24:31.000
Lee: the.
01:24:31.000 --> 01:24:32.000
Lee: Oh.
01:24:32.000 --> 01:24:36.000
Lee: the grant to look at Pleasant Hill Avenue.
01:24:36.000 --> 01:24:51.000
Lee: is vaguely worded, has no real meat to it. The explanation was, don't worry about it. Once we get the grant, we'll figure out what we're going to do. I think that's the same way that the reimagining downtown started out sort of a nice, easy.
01:24:51.000 --> 01:24:59.000
Lee: to digest name, and it morphed into a two-way street proposal. 01:24:59.000 --> 01:25:15.000
Lee: promoted primarily by 2 or 3 people with some power in the city. And I see this is is another path along another step along that path which Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Okay, it's a grant. The grants of free money.
01:25:15.000 --> 01:25:27.000
Lee: Councilmember Hinton says it all the time. Not really free money, there are tax money. It's the property tax money that goes to the county that's coming back and being spent in the city. Maybe it could be spent somewhere more productively. Um…
01:25:27.000 --> 01:25:41.000
Lee: The housing element, or the general plan report, general plan keeps getting referenced as the reason we do a lot of things. 01:25:41.000 --> 01:25:59.000
Lee: It looks like it goes back to 2016. Maybe something as important as this, it doesn't get talked about very much, should have its own agenda item, and there should be a presentation. What is the plan? What are the priorities at this point? What have we accomplished? All that should be discussed so that people know what the general plan is, and maybe the the.
01:25:59.000 --> 01:26:13.000
Lee: end result of that discussion is, you know what, this digital plan is out of date. The city is changing, our priorities are changing, our needs are changing, and maybe it's time to spend some grant money on fixing that and addressing that instead. Thank you.
01:26:14.000 --> 01:26:21.000
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 on the consent calendar.
01:26:21.000 --> 01:26:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment on a consent calendar, to please raise your hand virtually. 01:26:29.000 --> 01:26:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, consent calendar is closed.
01:26:32.000 --> 01:26:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you. I'm back here at the dais. Um, I would say I… for me, I don't want to pull anything, but I do want to pull five and just vote separately on that, because given my stance from the beginning and how I voted with that. But other than that, does anyone else have anything?
01:26:47.000 --> 01:26:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
01:26:48.000 --> 01:27:06.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright, so can. So I guess what we'll need is a motion for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, and then a separate motion for 5. So I just like to make a comment on 3. Oh, sure. So number 3 is the planning report for the city of Sebastopol.
01:27:06.000 --> 01:27:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And um… I'm sorry that, you know, this is on consent as well. I don't want to pull it, because I know we have a really busy agenda, and it would go last, and we wouldn't even hear it, and it may need to be submitted. So, um… but it had some really good information in it, and anyone who's interested in housing and.
01:27:24.000 --> 01:27:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what the RHNA, those are called RHNA numbers, and the importance of those, because those are statemandated numbers that we have to build. And the interesting thing is, is that the city needs more moderate and above-moderate income housing. 01:27:38.000 --> 01:27:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Umm.
01:27:39.000 --> 01:27:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that's what that report said, plus other things. So, I'm not pulling it, I just want to call it out as a point of interest for the community if they're interested in learning more about how the state… what the state requires in terms of housing and what Sebastopol has already done.
01:27:55.000 --> 01:27:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or is in the process of doing. 01:27:58.000 --> 01:28:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is that okay to say? Okay. 01:28:02.000 --> 01:28:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Anyone else?
01:28:04.000 --> 01:28:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I move that all the consent items except for number five are approved.
01:28:11.000 --> 01:28:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'll second.
01:28:14.000 --> 01:28:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. So moved by Councilmember Carter and seconded by Mayor McLewis to approve consent calendar items 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Councilmember Carter? Yes.

Councilmember Hinton? Aye. Councilmember Zollman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor.
01:28:29.000 --> 01:28:36.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes. Mayor motion, sorry, motion passes unanimously. All right, then we need a motion for number five. 01:28:39.000 --> 01:28:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'll move consent calendar item number five. I'll second.
01:28:46.000 --> 01:29:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. So moved by Councilmember Hinton and seconded by Councilmember Zolman to approve consent calendar item number five. Councilmember Carter? Yes.

Councilmember Hinton? Aye. Councilmember Zolman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? No. Motion passes four to one with Councilmembers Carter, Hinton, Zolman, and Vice Mayor Maurer in support. 01:29:06.000 --> 01:29:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you. So we're going to move on. We have no informational item presentations or public hearings. We're going to go straight into our regular calendar agenda items for discussion and our action.
01:29:18.000 --> 01:29:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Number 7 approval of amendment.

Apologies. I just want to point out that as the room fills, eventually we'll get to a point where we have too many. And one other thing I just want to point out is when it gets full like that, we have to have an aisle down the center per the fire marshal. So I just want to make sure that.
01:29:34.000 --> 01:29:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: just putting that out there as things go progress, and I don't want to have to interrupt in the middle, so if we get more and more, we're gonna have to, like, divide the room like that. Um, so, number 7, approval of amendment to resolution number 6713-2025, establishing a standard enterprise fund oversight committee, addition of a certified public account…
01:29:53.000 --> 01:29:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Manager, and our administrative… who's… is it Anna or Oriana, both?
01:30:01.000 --> 01:30:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I guess it's me, Mayor. Okay. So this item came from a recommendation from the grand jury report that came in May to consider adding a certified public accountant to the Enterprise Oversight Committee. This would be an additional member, would not replace any of the existing members.
01:30:19.000 --> 01:30:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So they would just help us coordinate the financial oversight with a different set of skills. So we're looking for the proposed resolution would add a dedicated seat for a licensed, certified public accountant to temporarily increase the Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
committee's maximum membership from 5 to 6 for one year, so the new seat does not displace any of the committee's existing members. 01:30:40.000 --> 01:30:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And we'll take questions lateral. 01:30:43.000 --> 01:30:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Questions, Councilmember Carter?
01:30:48.000 --> 01:31:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: How big of a burden is it, do you think, to find a CPA, considering that we've tried to find a CPA to sit on the board, and had a difficult time seating the full board anyway? 01:31:05.000 --> 01:31:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We will go out, we'll do recruitment as we do social media outreach, and I'm…
01:31:10.000 --> 01:31:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: assuming that council members and as well as members of the EFOC will also help to reach out to CPAs to get interested parties to apply. And what if we don't find one? 01:31:20.000 --> 01:31:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: then we would not appoint, if we'd have anybody to appoint, the Council can determine not to fill that seat. 01:31:27.000 --> 01:31:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But it'll be okay, the committee will be able to continue. We would still have to have a quorum. 01:31:34.000 --> 01:31:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And it would be missing that one space. You would still… if you have 6 seats, but one is still vacant, it would be still, like, a council if someone's absent, you would still have to have the quorum, so if there… if it's a 6-seat committee, then you would still have to have a…
01:31:48.000 --> 01:31:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Quorum of four. Okay, that'll make it super difficult. Okay.
01:31:52.000 --> 01:32:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Vice Mayor? Yeah, I'm wondering about that composition, because that would create six… a six-member board, and then you're gonna have… you could have split decisions. 01:32:02.000 --> 01:32:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So maybe, I don't know. 01:32:06.000 --> 01:32:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Just, I'm wondering about that, like, maybe the city council member would not get a vote, possibly? Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
01:32:14.000 --> 01:32:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hello.
01:32:15.000 --> 01:32:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We could certainly modify lists to do that.
01:32:20.000 --> 01:32:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I will say that the committee is making recommendations, so the recommendation can just reflect that it was a tie vote. They're not making any final decisions. 01:32:31.000 --> 01:32:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. And we do expect, you know, this is sort of a temporary thing until next year when the existing terms, um, expire, and I think at that point we would bring it. 01:32:44.000 --> 01:33:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: back to 5, and sort of the Council can reevaluate what it wants the membership to be. But the intent here was not to have to take anyone off of the committee who's on it currently, just to add this position, and then line everyone up at the same time next year.
01:33:01.000 --> 01:33:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Some of those people might get reappointed. You might change who you're looking to serve on or not at that time.
01:33:09.000 --> 01:33:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, so…
01:33:11.000 --> 01:33:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So there's one person here who has expertise in accounting, auditing, or another financial field, so would the CPA replace that person if a CPA came on board?
01:33:22.000 --> 01:33:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In the… in the spring? That's a current goal, but as the Council may remember, no one applied who fit into that, so it's empty, so you might decide right in the fall when it comes back.
01:33:34.000 --> 01:33:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that, you know, you're looking for a CPA and eliminating that sort of more general.
01:33:40.000 --> 01:33:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's less, less specific. Thank you. And I had a question. Can you remind me? I was trying to look in here again. I don't recall reading where it said how long this will be out there just to manage expectations for the public. Like, when is this, when is this likely to happen?
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
01:33:55.000 --> 01:34:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: be put out there and open and advertised and closed? So, if the Council approves that tonight, we will start the recruitment tomorrow. It usually goes four to six weeks. We leave it open, and then we'll schedule it before the City Council for an interview. Okay.
01:34:08.000 --> 01:34:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Just for everyone to know. 01:34:10.000 --> 01:34:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
01:34:11.000 --> 01:34:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other questions? 01:34:14.000 --> 01:34:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
01:34:15.000 --> 01:34:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm more like a response to Alex. I mean, we do sit with a budget subcommittee and a lot of our subcommittees with two people, and it reports out if there is a draw or what each person's feedback was, so I'm comfortable with a six.
01:34:33.000 --> 01:34:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead. How much do you think it might cost of staff time and everything to try to get this position filled?
01:34:43.000 --> 01:34:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's minimal. It's to do the display ads, to send out the recruitment social media-wise, and then to receive the applications, do the staff report, and bring it back. So, it's minimal staff time.
01:34:55.000 --> 01:34:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. Any other questions? Otherwise, we'll go to public comment.
01:34:59.000 --> 01:35:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is for public comment on the consideration of adding a CPA seat to the Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee. If you'd like to make a public comment, I come in chambers first.
01:35:12.000 --> 01:35:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go out to Zoom.

Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
01:35:18.000 --> 01:35:19.000
Kyle Falbo: All right.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
01:35:19.000 --> 01:35:37.000
Kyle Falbo: Um, so I absolutely support bringing independent financial expertise into oversight of the enterprise funds, but counsel should be precise about what the grand jury recommended and what remains undone.

The grand jury made three recommendations, all with an October 1st deadline.
01:35:37.000 --> 01:35:52.000
Kyle Falbo: First, the city should commit by conducting cost allocation rate studies at least every 3 to 5 years, and adjust allocations and fees accordingly. Second, the city should reach agreement on the value of the indirect costs that were improperly allocated to the enterprise funds. 01:35:52.000 --> 01:36:12.000
Kyle Falbo: and commit to a repayment schedule. Third, the city should consider adding a CPA to the Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee.

Tonight's agenda item addresses only the third recommendation, and even then, the grand jury did not require an uncompensated sixth committee seat. The city.
01:36:12.000 --> 01:36:33.000
Kyle Falbo: is making that choice. The existing committee structure already required a member with accounting, auditing, or other financial expertise, yet no qualified person applied despite an extended recruitment. Why should council expect that narrowing the requirement to a licensed CPA while offering no compensation.
01:36:33.000 --> 01:36:35.000
Kyle Falbo: will produce a different result.
01:36:35.000 --> 01:36:47.000
Kyle Falbo: Did the City evaluate retaining an independent CPA with defined duties, deliverables, access to records, and responsibility for assisting both the Committee and Council?
01:36:47.000 --> 01:36:57.000
Kyle Falbo: More importantly, has the city complied with Recommendation 2? Has it determined the amount owed to the enterprise funds and adopted the repayment schedule requested by the grand jury?
01:36:57.000 --> 01:37:08.000
Kyle Falbo: Loan forgiveness may be relevant, but it's not necessarily the same as reaching agreement on the misallocated amount and committing to repayment.
01:37:08.000 --> 01:37:23.000
Kyle Falbo: Please require a public status report addressing all three recommendations, their deadlines, responsible departments, and remaining actions. The agenda item tonight should not be presented as completing the grand jury response when the central financial accountability recommendation.
01:37:23.000 --> 01:37:25.000
Kyle Falbo: may remain unresolved.

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Agenda Item Number 1
01:37:25.000 --> 01:37:32.000
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 on this item. 01:37:34.000 --> 01:37:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go back out.

Mary, can you unmute yourself, please?
01:37:37.000 --> 01:37:40.000
marycone: Yep. Uh…
01:37:38.000 --> 01:37:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? 01:37:40.000 --> 01:37:42.000
marycone: Thank you, Damon.
01:37:41.000 --> 01:37:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, please. 01:37:42.000 --> 01:37:56.000
marycone: I have a suggestion. Uh, when we were dealing with Sebastopol Commons, there was a CPA that made a big, long comment. I think his name is Glenn Minervini-Zick.
01:37:56.000 --> 01:38:01.000
marycone: You might reach out to him. Maybe he'd be interested. 01:38:01.000 --> 01:38:02.000
marycone: Thanks.
01:38:02.000 --> 01:38:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you 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 on this item.
01:38:09.000 --> 01:38:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom, please raise your hand virtually. 01:38:14.000 --> 01:38:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item.
01:38:19.000 --> 01:38:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right. Well, we're back here at the dais for any comments. Go ahead, Vice Chair. Just to let the public know, I believe Glenn has been invited to look at this, is that correct? That is correct. I have reached out to him.
01:38:30.000 --> 01:38:35.000
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other comments? Otherwise, we just need a motion.
01:38:35.000 --> 01:38:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'll go ahead and move staff's recommendation.
01:38:38.000 --> 01:38:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'll second it.
01:38:40.000 --> 01:38:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What is staff's recommendation again?
01:38:44.000 --> 01:38:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: is to add the CPA seat to the Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee. Okay. I'm just gonna say something as the founding member of the EFLOC, or whatever the initials are. 01:38:56.000 --> 01:39:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I helped bring it and can't remember it at all. The Enterprise Oversight Committee needs to act, and we sometimes don't have close to a quorum.
01:39:09.000 --> 01:39:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Adding the addition of another person could make our now scantly attended meetings even more difficult because we have such few people like sometimes that's hard. While I'm certainly not opposed to having a CPA, I would love to have one on there. 01:39:25.000 --> 01:39:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We've tried to have one on there, but I do want to make sure that we finish out the year and are able to meet. Without this person, if one doesn't exist, because it was so extremely hard to have one in the first place. In the spring, we're going to be able to add that person, and we can make it a stronger requirement instead of an accounting-based person, a CBA.
01:39:45.000 --> 01:39:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
01:39:47.000 --> 01:39:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: May I just make a comment? I just expect that when people commit, they should actually show up, so… 01:39:53.000 --> 01:39:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: like, we're all here. So, I'm just saying, that's my thought. Um, but anyways, if we want to go on. 01:39:59.000 --> 01:40:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. So, so moved by Councilmember Zollman, and seconded by Mayor McLewis to approve the amendment to the resolution establishing a certified public account member on the Enterprise Fund Oversight Committee. Councilmember Carter? Agenda Item Number 1
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01:40:12.000 --> 01:40:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you, Chris. 01:40:16.000 --> 01:40:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes.
01:40:18.000 --> 01:40:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Hinton? Aye.

Councilmember Zalman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? Yes.

Motion passes unanimously.
01:40:31.000 --> 01:40:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. Go ahead. Okay. All right.

We're going to move on to number eight. Request of receipt of informational report from the chief of police on exigent use of surveillance cameras. This report is provided pursuant to SMC 8.80.040 to advise the Sebastopol City Council.
01:40:48.000 --> 01:41:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: about the temporary exigent use of surveillance technology, which occurred on Thursday, July 30th, 2026. And I believe our police chief is going to take this item, is that correct? Let me see… oh, you're right, sorry. I was looking for you back there. 01:41:03.000 --> 01:41:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I've taken a seat. Thank you. 01:41:05.000 --> 01:41:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So yeah, as you mentioned, this staff report relates to an incident that occurred on the 30th of July at about 3pm. Um, if I could just ask for a point of order, it was on consent, and I pulled it, so I don't really think…
01:41:18.000 --> 01:41:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: from my perspective, we need a report. It's more the concerns of the person who pulled the item. Is that not correct?
01:41:26.000 --> 01:41:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it becomes a discussion item. You know, if the council… the rest of the council doesn't want to hear the, um, report, then that's fine, but when it gets pulled, it becomes an action item.
01:41:37.000 --> 01:41:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
01:41:39.000 --> 01:41:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And you're referring that it was pulled last time, right? Yeah. I just want to make sure everyone understands this was on an agenda previously. Um, but we ran out of time, so…
Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
01:41:49.000 --> 01:41:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
01:41:51.000 --> 01:41:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I believe we should go ahead and let you continue. I'm going to continue.
01:41:55.000 --> 01:42:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: See, as I was saying, there was an incident on the 30th of July at about 3pm.
01:42:02.000 --> 01:42:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the Taco Bell in the north end of town, with a…
01:42:06.000 --> 01:42:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: call received from the Taco Bell that someone had gone through the drive-through in a vehicle. 01:42:12.000 --> 01:42:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And there was a female occupant in the vehicle that had been in distress, was attempting to pass a napkin to, um, one of the workers at the drive-through window. 01:42:22.000 --> 01:42:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And there was some back and forth about that at the time, because there was a misunderstanding with the nature of the napkin, with the drive-through attendant thinking it was trash, but…
01:42:32.000 --> 01:42:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All that to say that once she was able to get that napkin across, it said, help me, and then they left the scene. So that left us in a situation of trying to figure out what we were dealing with. As it turned out.
01:42:45.000 --> 01:42:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We responded very quickly and had an officer.
01:42:49.000 --> 01:42:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: review their internal camera footage. Taco Bell were able to, fortunately, pull a registration plate from that footage.
01:42:59.000 --> 01:43:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, subsequent patrols were unable to locate the vehicle in the city of Sebastopol, so…
01:43:05.000 --> 01:43:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We reached out to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office because we believed exigent circumstances existed for this woman's safety. She'd obviously articulated that she needed help, and then left the scene.

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01:43:17.000 --> 01:43:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We weren't sure if there was a human trafficking situation, or she'd been kidnapped.
01:43:22.000 --> 01:43:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or some sort of, you know, domestic violence situation was occurring here, because there's another male in the vehicle with her. So, uh, we were able to get some information from the Sheriff's Office that the vehicle had been detected on Santa Rosa, I believe Santa Rosa Avenue.
01:43:35.000 --> 01:43:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that was heading towards Roanoke Park. So they notified the city of Santa Rosa and they detected it in Roanoke Park.
01:43:46.000 --> 01:43:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But while all this was occurring, we were actively researching other means to try and reach out to the. 01:43:54.000 --> 01:44:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Uh, who we believed the female to be in the vehicle, and through great investigative work between our dispatchers and our officers, we were able to reach out to a contact of that person, and eventually work through to speaking with her, and she said.
01:44:07.000 --> 01:44:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I've resolved the situation, but it was a DV situation. Um, so…
01:44:11.000 --> 01:44:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Our officers' instincts were correct that it was an exigent situation.
01:44:16.000 --> 01:44:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that we believe warranted the use of that technology.
01:44:22.000 --> 01:44:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: but under the requirements of the Sebastopol Municipal Code 8.80.
01:44:27.000 --> 01:44:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the surveillance technology, we're required to submit a report to Council, so here we are. 01:44:34.000 --> 01:44:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sorry. Any questions? 01:44:37.000 --> 01:44:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I pulled this to ask Alex some questions. So it seems like with the police chief.

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01:44:43.000 --> 01:45:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and his officers did was all under the use of exigent circumstances. So please explain what the legal definition of exigent circumstances are. The code defines that as an emergency involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to any person that requires the immediate use of surveillance technology or the information it provides.
01:45:07.000 --> 01:45:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay? And from.
01:45:10.000 --> 01:45:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: your experience and reviewing statutes.
01:45:15.000 --> 01:45:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it's a it's a from my perspective.

It's a broad definition. Would you disagree with that? Would I agree with that? Yes. Okay, so it's broad. Given this.
01:45:26.000 --> 01:45:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and how broad the exception our officers used to use mutual aid. One would assume that we're going to be getting many more of these reports, because if exigent exigent circumstances is broadly defined.
01:45:41.000 --> 01:45:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: then it's likely that police will use the same method that they used here. Is that a fair assumption? I can't predict how many there be in the future. The ordinance was adopted in 2,022. I don't know if there have been.
01:45:58.000 --> 01:46:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Previous instances, I've been the city attorney for two years. We've never had a report before or use of it before. I don't know if the two years prior to that there had been. 01:46:11.000 --> 01:46:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, okay.
01:46:12.000 --> 01:46:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that I can recall. So I wouldn't, you know, be able to make a prediction about how often it might be used in the future under these circumstances. Okay, I'll ask our police chief about prior incidences in a moment. But as far as how this played out. 01:46:27.000 --> 01:46:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It was essentially from my perspective a work around our ordinance, using mutual aid, and the fact that they had means to not use mutual aid, but they decided to opt for mutual aid, which then basically circumvented our surveillance by using. 01:46:44.000 --> 01:46:50.000
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the camera reads in order to locate the individual. Is that a fair assessment, or no?
01:46:50.000 --> 01:46:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I would not say it's a workaround.

I think the ordinance authorizes.
01:46:57.000 --> 01:47:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: its use in exigent circumstances.

They could not ask for the mutual aid without the emergency circumstances to begin with.
01:47:08.000 --> 01:47:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, as far as your understanding of the data, because what we've been presented with here is that it was just one picture, one picture of a truck, so don't worry about data retention. Is that your reading of this as well? That is my understanding, is that the police department simply got that information and has no other.
01:47:27.000 --> 01:47:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: or never got any other data about other vehicles, or.
01:47:32.000 --> 01:47:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right, but everything that happened from the time that they deployed for mutual aid, there was either emails. 01:47:40.000 --> 01:47:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Dispatching all that data is still somewhere, right?
01:47:44.000 --> 01:48:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I mean, it just they didn't use carrier pigeons. I mean, they yes, correct, right? So the data is somewhere right. But that that data is not surveillance data. An email isn't surveillance or dispatch call. I guess I'm right, but it would still have potential confidential information that is still locked somewhere. Yes, just like all the police department's records are. And as we have another item coming up.
01:48:11.000 --> 01:48:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: other agencies have access to what's in our database, correct? Our police database. It depends on the database and what the request is. You know, state law provides limits on that as well. Okay.
01:48:26.000 --> 01:48:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright, thanks. Um, to the police chief, how many times within the most recent couple of years have your officers, or…
01:48:35.000 --> 01:48:39.000
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Have you discovered using exigent circumstances?
01:48:40.000 --> 01:48:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This is the only example I can refer to. During your time?
01:48:45.000 --> 01:48:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: During my time here, 18 months. 01:48:48.000 --> 01:48:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 18 months. Okay. All right. Thanks.

I don't have anything further. Okay. Any other questions? Otherwise, we'll go to public. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead.
01:48:58.000 --> 01:49:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, so…
01:49:01.000 --> 01:49:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Just heard it was 18 months, but I have never seen a report like this that I can recall coming before City Council. So could the clerk answer that question to her best recollection as well, if we've ever, in at least the last 10 years, had this instance happen in Sebastopol?
01:49:18.000 --> 01:49:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm not aware of that. 01:49:20.000 --> 01:49:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
01:49:22.000 --> 01:49:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, let's go on to public comment.
01:49:26.000 --> 01:49:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is for public comment on the receipt of the informational report from the police chief relating to the extension of certain surveillance technologies, including ALPRs. If you would like to make a public comment on this, again, I go to chambers, two minutes and I go out to Zoom. 01:49:43.000 --> 01:49:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Please?
01:49:47.000 --> 01:50:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The specifics of this are very fuzzy to me, so I certainly acknowledge being ill-informed, but just generally, I wanted to bring forward that cameras in the libraries, cameras in the streets, and cameras in general.
01:50:04.000 --> 01:50:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: are not something that Americans want. There's a huge uprising about the flock.

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01:50:10.000 --> 01:50:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: one specifically and just generally. It's it's not.
01:50:18.000 --> 01:50:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It doesn't agree with the feeling of freedom, the actuality of freedom, and constitutional rights. So I suggest that our little town of Sebastopol, keep that in mind when thinking about any cameras.
01:50:31.000 --> 01:50:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

Next, I'll go out to Zoom. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please? 01:50:37.000 --> 01:50:38.000
Kyle Falbo: I can.
01:50:38.000 --> 01:50:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer still? Thank you. Go ahead, please.
01:50:39.000 --> 01:50:57.000
Kyle Falbo: Yep. So first, I would just want to say that the facts in the report appear to present exactly the kind of emergency for which exigency provision exists. A woman passes a note, I need help, appears distressed, officers can't locate her through ordinary means, have reason to believe she's imminent danger. I understand why our police department acted. 01:50:57.000 --> 01:51:16.000
Kyle Falbo: But this report raises a larger question for me, and about whether Sebastopol should be accessing flock data at all, even through mutual aid. There's an important parallel here to the Supreme Court's decision in Carpenter v. The U.S. Cell phone location data consists of individual observations that, considered alone.
01:51:16.000 --> 01:51:33.000
Kyle Falbo: may seem relatively innocuous, but when those observations are collected, stored, made searchable over time, they can allow the government to reconstruct a person's movements. The Supreme Court ultimately determined that obtaining that kind of historical location information.
01:51:33.000 --> 01:51:50.000
Kyle Falbo: implicates the Fourth Amendment. Automated license plate networks raise a similar, although not yet legally settled, question.

Courts are currently considering where the constitutional line lies as these networks become larger and increasingly interconnected. And that makes me wonder whether Sebastopol should wait.
01:51:50.000 --> 01:52:08.000
Kyle Falbo: for courts to eventually tell us where that line is. Our surveillance ordinance reflects a deliberate choice by this community to place limits on government surveillance. Yet, even though Sebastopol Agenda Item Number 1
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doesn't operate flock cameras, this report demonstrates that we can access the surrounding surveillance network.
01:52:08.000 --> 01:52:21.000
Kyle Falbo: simply by requesting information from another agency. Perhaps the most protective interpretation of our values is that, therefore, a bright line. Sebastopol simply doesn't use flock data, including through mutual aid.
01:52:21.000 --> 01:52:36.000
Kyle Falbo: That might mean occasionally giving up a useful investigative tool, even in compelling circumstances like this one, but constitutional protections are often more meaningful when we establish them before an easy case gradually becomes routine practice.
01:52:38.000 --> 01:52:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kyle, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers, if there's anyone in chambers.
01:52:44.000 --> 01:52:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go back out to Zoom. Leak.
01:52:47.000 --> 01:52:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, I'm sorry, John, go ahead. 01:52:57.000 --> 01:53:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm just learning about this tonight.
01:53:01.000 --> 01:53:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I agree with a lot of the comments about privacy. I don't like cameras.
01:53:04.000 --> 01:53:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't like how they're being used, but in this situation.
01:53:08.000 --> 01:53:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Knowing working as a firefighter in EMS, how hard it is to get from dispatch the information and get things going and get officers moving.
01:53:17.000 --> 01:53:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I really feel like what I've heard tonight is that the Sebastopol Police Department did a great job of. 01:53:22.000 --> 01:53:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Saying someone's in help. How do I get the information? How do I get there? How do I look for this person now in the moment?
01:53:29.000 --> 01:53:43.000
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's what they did. They used a very hard situation, reached out to their neighbors, who had the information to make sure that this woman's safe. Like, we can talk about all the other stuff and not like cameras and stuff like that, but in the moment.
01:53:43.000 --> 01:53:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They made sure a woman was safe.

Isn't that what we're about is keeping people safe. So I commend the department for what they did, and I think that was a great use of a one time situation several years.
01:53:57.000 --> 01:54:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: if it became a habit, I wouldn't support it, but things like this, I do support, so I wanted to say thank you.
01:54:04.000 --> 01:54:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

Next, I'll go back out to Zoom. Lee, can you unmute yourself, please? 01:54:10.000 --> 01:54:12.000
Lee: Yes.
01:54:11.000 --> 01:54:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you still see the timer?
01:54:13.000 --> 01:54:14.000
Lee: Sure.
01:54:14.000 --> 01:54:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great. Go ahead, please. 01:54:15.000 --> 01:54:30.000
Lee: Yeah, I can't believe that Councilmember Zolan would prefer that our police ignored a woman that may have been in mortal danger and her peril because there's a chance that flock hammers might be misused by someone somewhere for something else.
01:54:31.000 --> 01:54:45.000
Lee: For many years our or the ordinance that we're referring to here actually precluded our police from using doorbell camera to identify and prosecute someone that broke into our homes and harmed our families. The city has taken this to a.
01:54:45.000 --> 01:54:48.000
Lee: too far, and.
01:54:48.000 --> 01:54:57.000
Lee: People need to take a breath. I assume that everyone in the room, everyone here that's protesting has a cell phone.
01:54:57.000 --> 01:55:14.000
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Lee: That's tracking and reporting your location activities using your phone widely. You don't know who's getting that information. You can block some of it, not all of it. Everyone using Zoom understands that their web browser is sharing information about what they're doing right now. The problem is much wider than a flock camera.
01:55:14.000 --> 01:55:30.000
Lee: But a flock camera used for this purpose is exactly the use that we should all be encouraging. And at some point in time, somebody in Sebastopol is going to get harmed. We're not going to catch somebody because we didn't have a flock camera. And then we'll have another discussion, I suppose.
01:55:31.000 --> 01:55:33.000
Lee: Thank you.
01:55:33.000 --> 01:55:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you 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.
01:55:43.000 --> 01:55:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I think Doug, you will live on Petaluma Avenue.
01:55:48.000 --> 01:55:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I think Councilmember Zolman's point about the residual information existing.
01:55:55.000 --> 01:56:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: even though the camera information hasn't changed.
01:56:00.000 --> 01:56:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: has been purged or isn't available is relevant. I think that's something we need to consider, and I think that's something that whoever.
01:56:10.000 --> 01:56:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: has…
01:56:12.000 --> 01:56:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: jurisdiction over this information needs to consider.
01:56:16.000 --> 01:56:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
01:56:17.000 --> 01:56:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

Next, I'll go out to Zoom.
01:56:21.000 --> 01:56:24.000
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: June, can you unmute yourself, please?
01:56:24.000 --> 01:56:25.000
June: Yes.
01:56:25.000 --> 01:56:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? 01:56:26.000 --> 01:56:28.000
June: Yes.
01:56:27.000 --> 01:56:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great. Go ahead, please. 01:56:29.000 --> 01:56:45.000
June: Yeah, thank you. Um, yeah, I wanted to make the point about that as well. It's not just the use of this, it's a matter of where the data is afterwards. And I do want to make the point that in this case, the use of the flock system outside of Sebastopol was not actually what. 01:56:45.000 --> 01:56:57.000
June: uh, led to contact with the person. It was other forms of investigation that actually resolved the issue. But what we did learn, that that whole flock system was utilized.
01:56:57.000 --> 01:57:15.000
June: The only reason I believe that we even know that that happened was because the starter for the request to the sheriff's office was a use of a camera, but we don't know, and I really want to get a report on, we don't know how many times the police chief actually contacts the sheriff to use the flock system.
01:57:15.000 --> 01:57:27.000
June: just because maybe they saw a license plate, or they have an idea that they want to put forward. They clearly have a way to contact the sheriff and send a message.
01:57:27.000 --> 01:57:42.000
June: And so I would like the chief to report any time he uses the flock system or ask the sheriff's office for support in a case, and I would hope that we have a record of that.
01:57:42.000 --> 01:57:52.000
June: Because there'd be many cases, maybe, that were you getting our people and Sebastopol's information into that system, uh, where it didn't start out with a camera.
01:57:52.000 --> 01:58:01.000
June: And so, I'd like to have more information on that, and have some, uh, regulation on that, and so we know how that data's being used, what kind of.
01:58:02.000 --> 01:58:09.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
June: requests are being made, and when, to any entity outside of the Sebastopol Police.
01:58:10.000 --> 01:58:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Jane, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers, if there's anyone in chambers.
01:58:23.000 --> 01:58:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Cynthia Bradley, it is my understanding that Flock Cameras… Flock is a private corporation, and they can share and give your information to any agency or anyone that they want to.
01:58:38.000 --> 01:58:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
01:58:39.000 --> 01:58:47.000
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, to please raise your hand virtually. 01:58:47.000 --> 01:58:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Mary, can you unmute yourself, please?
01:58:49.000 --> 01:58:51.000
marycone: Yep.
01:58:50.000 --> 01:58:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you go ahead with your public comment?
01:58:53.000 --> 01:58:55.000
marycone: Yeah, um…
01:58:55.000 --> 01:59:01.000
marycone: So I'm wondering what everybody that is so against this. 01:59:01.000 --> 01:59:04.000
marycone: Would have me do.
01:59:04.000 --> 01:59:11.000
marycone: The next time I'm talking to, uh, girls that are in, uh, juvenile hall.
01:59:12.000 --> 01:59:15.000
marycone: Shall I tell them?
01:59:15.000 --> 01:59:17.000
marycone: that…
01:59:17.000 --> 01:59:20.000
marycone: So if they're somewhere else in the county.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
01:59:20.000 --> 01:59:28.000
marycone: It's fine for them to hold up a card or something if they need help, but not in Sebastopol.
01:59:29.000 --> 01:59:31.000
marycone: Um…
01:59:31.000 --> 01:59:35.000
marycone: My other point is…
01:59:35.000 --> 01:59:38.000
marycone: Uh, let's see, what was it?
01:59:38.000 --> 01:59:43.000
marycone: Oh, um, Sandra brought up at the…
01:59:43.000 --> 01:59:45.000
marycone: Uh, the forum…
01:59:45.000 --> 01:59:53.000
marycone: That a lot of you have, um, you're hooked up to the water and sewer.
01:59:53.000 --> 02:00:02.000
marycone: whatever that thing is. I'm not hooked up to it, but that's… that's collecting information about you all day long, every day. 02:00:03.000 --> 02:00:06.000
marycone: Yeah, that's my comment. Thank you.
02:00:05.000 --> 02:00:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mary, 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 on this item. 02:00:13.000 --> 02:00:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom. Rob, can you unmute yourself, please.
02:00:18.000 --> 02:00:20.000
Rob: Great. Yeah. Hey.
02:00:20.000 --> 02:00:26.000
Rob: I guess I wanted to just say that I think what I'm hearing is a lot of people conflating.
02:00:26.000 --> 02:00:40.000
Rob: Different issues. There's the privacy issue that people don't want to be basically undressed based on the information that can be obtained within a second.
02:00:40.000 --> 02:00:47.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Rob: People also want to be able to be safe and found if they're lost or taken.
02:00:47.000 --> 02:01:01.000
Rob: I don't think that those things are mutually exclusive. I think that… that if block cameras were something like HIPAA, where there's legislation that controls who can see it, when they can see it, and detailed records about it.
02:01:01.000 --> 02:01:04.000
Rob: It would be a different conversation. So I think that. 02:01:04.000 --> 02:01:15.000
Rob: If people were to kind of move a little bit more to the middle from where they are, they would see that they're really wanting some of the same things, safety and.
02:01:15.000 --> 02:01:19.000
Rob: Also transparency and then future safety later.
02:01:19.000 --> 02:01:20.000
Rob: Thank you.
02:01:22.000 --> 02:01:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you 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.
02:01:28.000 --> 02:01:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone in Zoom to please raise your hand virtually. 02:01:35.000 --> 02:01:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item. All right, we're back at the dais here for any comments.
02:01:41.000 --> 02:01:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Looking down to the right and to the left. Go ahead. I'd like to thank the previous council for putting this ordinance that we have in motion, because I think it strikes a good balance. We don't have flock cameras since basketball, but when needed. 02:01:59.000 --> 02:02:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: our police department is able to have access to them and to help people.
02:02:05.000 --> 02:02:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And so I think that strikes a good balance.
02:02:10.000 --> 02:02:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Mary Cohn was mentioning something that I said on candidate form, and and what that was about was the Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
utility meters on your home. Those are collecting data 24, 7, about how you use your home, and all that data is available to can be given from the utilities to the police department, and etc. Government, etc. And they do. They give that. And that's a fact. So.
02:02:31.000 --> 02:02:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, thank you, Chief, for reporting out, because I think that the ordinance, the camera ordinance that we have.
02:02:39.000 --> 02:02:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: provides that transparency that if you do use it, you report out on it. So, to me, that's great, and I appreciate your work on this, so thank you.
02:02:49.000 --> 02:02:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead.
02:02:51.000 --> 02:03:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I think we're talking about two different issues, and I'd like to separate them, because we've taken a clear position in Sebastopol about flock cameras, and this is a separate issue. This is a woman in help who needed help, passed a note, and I think about if it was myself or my daughter who wrote that. 02:03:09.000 --> 02:03:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and passed it to somebody, you're hoping somebody does something. And in Sebastopol.
02:03:17.000 --> 02:03:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I like to think we'd all do something and within our control. And so I'm sure that that went all the way up to the chief and he made the decision. I mean, that would be part of who is making that decision. And somebody in authority would make that policy decision.
02:03:33.000 --> 02:03:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then what is our policy? And we'd use, even if we don't allow cameras here, I mean, we have all kinds of rules in place. Somebody recently mentioned, and maybe it was a forum I was listening to, if a child is lost, right?
02:03:48.000 --> 02:04:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: goes up, and we're all looking, and that sign goes out. So, um, I appreciate the quick work and the report out in full transparency, which is what we asked for. Um… 02:04:02.000 --> 02:04:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I feel like we did the right thing in this instance, and it's a separate issue about what our policy is, which I think we will continue to discuss with flock cameras. Um, but this was a person that needed help, and we acted, and… 02:04:18.000 --> 02:04:27.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't know. I feel good about it, actually. Um, and I have to separate that from the camera issue. And just another thing, I mean.
02:04:27.000 --> 02:04:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If you use ChatGPT or you use Siri or you use all the things that are on our phones, there's so much, even I heard certain TV companies are collecting data about what we use and what we watch and what we look at.
02:04:44.000 --> 02:04:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And so, you know, it is the life we're living today, I believe. So, those are my comments. And I just, I had a comment as well, I mean.
02:04:55.000 --> 02:05:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what do we do with data? I mean, this is an age old thing. I think I got my masters in information systems like 13 years ago, and this was a discussion back then as well. What do we do? Europe's always been ahead of us. The right to be forgotten. Law has been in effect forever in Europe, and we still don't have that here. 02:05:11.000 --> 02:05:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, I mean, in my mind, this is a time where we use data appropriately, and we did the right thing. And… 02:05:18.000 --> 02:05:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just think there's balance.

There's nothing that's black and white, and I will tell you that I've been in some discussions with other North Bay cities who have concerns about Flock, and they're actually exploring other companies and other ways, more reputable companies, so.
02:05:34.000 --> 02:05:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: there's going to be a lot more information, I think, discussed and and shared amongst everyone as this as other cities grapple with this. I mean, we obviously have. You know, we have our ordinance in place. We we don't have flock cameras, but I I do believe that there will be other solutions forthcoming as other cities explore this who do have flock cameras. And it's you know, it's. 02:05:54.000 --> 02:06:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it's a very pertinent issue for them right now. So, in my mind, I think we did the right thing this time, and I'm glad that we could do something to help someone and use it the right way. So…
02:06:06.000 --> 02:06:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, I don't want to speak to the camera issue, but I do want to thank you for going the extra little bit to try to make sure that this person was safe. Thank you. 02:06:15.000 --> 02:06:23.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, so I guess we need a motion, Mary, is that right with this? You can make a motion to receive and file this report.
02:06:23.000 --> 02:06:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, I make a motion to receive and file the report. Second.
02:06:28.000 --> 02:06:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. So moved by Mayor McLewis and seconded by Vice Mayor Maurer to receive and file the report regarding the Police Department accident use of surveillance technology on July 30th. Councilmember Carter? Yes. Councilmember Hinton? Aye.

Councilmember Zolman?
02:06:43.000 --> 02:06:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm seeking clarification. So, the motion is just to receive and file. It's not… if I vote in agreement, it's not to say that I think that the report was fully completed. 02:06:55.000 --> 02:07:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: especially in reference to data collection and the retention of it. Is that correct? That is correct. It is just to receive the report just to receive and file it. That is correct. Then. Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer. Yes. And Mayor Mclus. Yes. Motion passes unanimously.
02:07:11.000 --> 02:07:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alright, thank you. So we will move on to item number 9. Request of receipt of budget at a glance format and authorized staff to post such document on the city website. This would be by our administrative services director, Anna.
02:07:26.000 --> 02:07:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, this item before you is a continuation from, um, September 15 regarding the 26-27 budget at a glance. The purpose of this is to provide concise, public-friendly summary of the adopted budget.
02:07:41.000 --> 02:07:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Budgets Committee has reviewed the original on, um, September 9th, and then they also reviewed the revision on September 28th. Um, following the public comments, staff makes several revisions to the Enterprise Section.
02:07:56.000 --> 02:08:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, the budget at a glance is intended to serve as a high level. There's no other changes it's making to the adopted budget, so with that, staff is recommending that. 02:08:07.000 --> 02:08:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the council receive and approve this document for posting on the website.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
02:08:15.000 --> 02:08:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, thank you. Thank you. 02:08:17.000 --> 02:08:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any questions here? 02:08:20.000 --> 02:08:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No questions on the left here. 02:08:23.000 --> 02:08:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, then we'll go to public comment.
02:08:26.000 --> 02:08:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is public comment for the receipt of the budget at a glance format and authorizing the posting to the City website. If you would like to make a public comment on this item, I will come into chambers first.
02:08:37.000 --> 02:08:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go out to Zoom.

Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
02:08:41.000 --> 02:08:43.000
Kyle Falbo: Yes, I can.
02:08:42.000 --> 02:08:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Go ahead with your public comment, please.
02:08:45.000 --> 02:08:58.000
Kyle Falbo: You know, what's really funny about this agenda item, and it getting pulled, and it being returned, and it being revised, and the language being used, is that the city continues to mask. 02:08:58.000 --> 02:09:06.000
Kyle Falbo: The issues around water, wastewater, enterprise funds, and cost allocation.
02:09:06.000 --> 02:09:11.000
Kyle Falbo: The reason this got pulled, and the updated… 02:09:12.000 --> 02:09:17.000
Kyle Falbo: reflects the need to clearly distinguish.
02:09:17.000 --> 02:09:31.000
Kyle Falbo: enterprise funds from general fund expenditures, which the city didn't do for a very long time, and continues to not do. So the very language that's being used in the agenda, being so generic just to say. 02:09:38.000 --> 02:09:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle, can you still hear us? 02:09:44.000 --> 02:09:46.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle?
02:09:47.000 --> 02:09:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We'll come back. Kyle, if you can hear us, we've lost you there for about 20 seconds.
02:09:47.000 --> 02:09:48.000
Kyle Falbo: Come.
02:09:51.000 --> 02:10:09.000
Kyle Falbo: Okay. I think the message is clear. The city lacks transparency when it comes to being clear about things like misallocation of funds to enterprise and to not include specifically enterprise funds as the justification for pulling this item and revising the budget at a glance.
02:10:09.000 --> 02:10:11.000
Kyle Falbo: continues that narrative.
02:10:13.000 --> 02:10:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Kyle, 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 on this item. 02:10:21.000 --> 02:10:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom. Lee, can you unmute yourself, please?
02:10:26.000 --> 02:10:42.000
Lee: Yeah, yeah, some of the things that Kyle talked about, one of the major things, it looks like it's been adjusted or addressed to a certain extent. I think we're still showing total revenue, total expenses, beginning balance, ending balance at the top.
02:10:27.000 --> 02:10:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
02:10:42.000 --> 02:10:46.000
Lee: Combined water, sewer, and city, which…
02:10:46.000 --> 02:10:49.000
Lee: I don't think you should be doing that, but…
02:10:49.000 --> 02:11:04.000
Lee: you're gonna do it anyway. A couple of issues, though, or questions, and and I don't know if these are right or wrong. I can check it. General fund reserves in the 1st section. I'm not sure what that refers to, but it's only showing like a hundred and.
02:11:04.000 --> 02:11:06.000
Lee: 70…
02:11:06.000 --> 02:11:13.000
Lee: $1,000? That doesn't look right.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
02:11:13.000 --> 02:11:15.000
Lee: And then the.
02:11:16.000 --> 02:11:31.000
Lee: just a heading when you go down to water and wastewater section enterprise section shoot. Where is it? Yeah. Enterprise funds on the left is the Water Fund, I think.
02:11:31.000 --> 02:11:39.000
Lee: And it probably should say Water Fund there. On the right side, it says Wastewater Fund. So I think you're just missing a heading there. 02:11:39.000 --> 02:11:42.000
Lee: That's all I see right now. Thanks.
02:11:42.000 --> 02:11:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Lee, 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 on this item. 02:11:50.000 --> 02:11:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 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.
02:11:57.000 --> 02:12:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item. All right, thank you. Go ahead, Councilmember Zolman.
02:12:03.000 --> 02:12:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I just wanted to ask for clarity. Since members of the public referred to the fact that there were changes since the last time that we saw this, because my recollection was this, too, was on consent. I think our mayor pulled it because there was a public commenter that had expressed some concerns.
02:12:20.000 --> 02:12:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So did staff change it from the last time this was on? And if so, how are we to know that? 02:12:32.000 --> 02:12:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the… I did put the public comment in the public comment session and also address it. What changed was from the pie to the bar chart.
02:12:44.000 --> 02:13:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, the original was combining, uh, revenue and expenditure in one single pie chart, and that was, according to the public comment, it was not very clear. Um, the public made that it should be separated out, uh.
02:13:01.000 --> 02:13:21.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: revenue should be its own, uh, expenses should be its own with categories, and that was change. Okay, just as a comment moving forward, if there's gonna be changes, it would be great if we were flagged on the changes, and whatever got changed is the part that's now circulating out in the public.
02:13:21.000 --> 02:13:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Does it have a revised date at the top of it to let the public know that at one point they looked at something where there were questions raised about this chart, the pie chart, and now changes have been had? How would they know that unless it's clearly indicated at the top?
02:13:38.000 --> 02:13:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Revised on such and such a date. 02:13:41.000 --> 02:13:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They would not. We had the agenda item on the last meeting that had that. This did go to budget committee.

That was another opportunity. And then this is the new revised. So we will make it clear from now on for clarity to make sure that we can show with.
02:13:57.000 --> 02:14:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Changes, red changes, what that looks like moving forward. Okay. For more transparency. My request for today is that when you do the minutes of the meeting is that you say, I'm assuming we'll pass this, that it was passed, revised as a such and such a date.
02:14:13.000 --> 02:14:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 'Cause I…
02:14:14.000 --> 02:14:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: there were a lot of questions the last time that we had this before us, and I want to be able to say it was revised, and we passed the revised version, is my point. Thanks. 02:14:28.000 --> 02:14:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for that comment. I agree.
02:14:32.000 --> 02:14:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Anyone else?
02:14:35.000 --> 02:14:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we just need a motion, Mayor. 02:14:39.000 --> 02:14:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That is correct. It is to receive, and we'll clarify the revised report as of tonight's meeting, to receive the budget at a glance format and authorizing staff to post it to the city website. Okay, so moved. A second.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you so much. Um, so moved by Mayor McLewis and seconded by Councilmember Zolman to receive the revised budget at a glance report as of today's date, and authorize the staff to post the document to the City website. Councilmember Carter? 02:15:10.000 --> 02:15:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes. Councilmember Hinton? Aye.

Councilmember Zollman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? Yes.

Motion passes un.
02:15:19.000 --> 02:15:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
02:15:20.000 --> 02:15:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Moving on to item number 10, Commission and Committee Work Plans Review and Consideration of 2627 Work Plans for the Planning Commission, Design Review Board, Tree Board, Climate Action Committee, and Public Arts Committee. Um, the such item was scheduled for July 21st Council Meeting, but was not heard due to adjournment of the meeting.
02:15:39.000 --> 02:16:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: per council protocols. I am going to not read all of this, but hand it over to, I guess. Who is handling this? Oh, from planning. Oh, I'm sorry. No, that's okay. I was just gonna introduce our new associate planning from our planning department. Eli Eli Ariel will be providing the work plan, and I believe we also have representatives from the committees and commission. If there's any questions for them as well.
02:16:02.000 --> 02:16:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Welcome and nice to meet you. 02:16:05.000 --> 02:16:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
02:16:07.000 --> 02:16:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening, Mayor and Council Members. Once again, my name is Eli Arriola, Staff Associate Planner, and tonight I'll be presenting the proposed fiscal year 26-27 work plans for the Planning Commission, Design Review, Tree Board, Public Arts Comm. 02:16:20.000 --> 02:16:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The city's standing committees developed work plans that lay out their priorities, projects, and objectives for the fiscal year. These plans capture anticipated projects.

They do not include routine ongoing work, such as permit processing and development review, but also take up significant staff time and committee time throughout the year.
02:16:38.000 --> 02:16:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The routine workload can affect how quickly work plan items move forward.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Staff worked with each committee to review and prioritize their proposed items, taking into account regulatory deadlines, grant requirements, council priorities, general plan implementation opportunities, staff capacity, available resources, and ongoing projects.
02:16:58.000 --> 02:17:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In conjunction with the proposed work plans, the Public Arts Committee has requested a return to a monthly meeting schedule. The committee currently meets for two hours on the fourth Thursday of every month in the City Hall conference room, and determined that a return to monthly meetings would improve their. 02:17:13.000 --> 02:17:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Ability to advance projects and accomplish work plan objectives in a timely manner.
02:17:18.000 --> 02:17:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Design Review and Tree Board has also requested an increase.
02:17:23.000 --> 02:17:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: in their meeting frequency to return to meeting twice per month.
02:17:27.000 --> 02:17:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The board currently meets once a month for 2 hours on the 4th Tuesday. The proposed schedule would continue the regular monthly meetings.
02:17:34.000 --> 02:17:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for project and permit review, and hold a second meeting monthly for 90 minutes dedicated solely to work plan objectives. This additional meeting would be held in the City Hall conference room.
02:17:44.000 --> 02:17:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Staff supports this approach. Use of the conference room and staff-managed recording and Zoom services would reduce meeting costs by eliminating the need for outside video production services while maintaining public accessibility and transparency.
02:17:57.000 --> 02:18:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: However, staff recommends that the increased meeting schedule be delayed for now due to current staffing and workload constraints.
02:18:03.000 --> 02:18:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Budget Committee reviewed the Public Arts Committee and DRB requests.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
02:18:08.000 --> 02:18:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for increased meeting frequencies at their September 28th meeting. They were generally supportive of the increased meeting frequency, but directed staff to bring back the request in January or February of 2027 to reassess staff capacity. In the meantime the committee encouraged Public Arts Committee and Design Review Board members.
02:18:25.000 --> 02:18:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: To use properly formed ad hoc subcommittees when appropriate to advance work plan items. 02:18:34.000 --> 02:18:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Staff recommends that the City Council review the four work plans, provide any input, and approve the work plans.
02:18:39.000 --> 02:18:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your time. Happy to address any questions, and as Mary stated, we also have representation from each committee tonight, if you have any specific questions for the group.
02:18:48.000 --> 02:18:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, questions? I don't know who hadn't, who, which of you had your hand up first?
02:18:53.000 --> 02:18:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
02:18:54.000 --> 02:19:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'd like to make an addition to the Planning Commission and the DRB work plan.
02:19:01.000 --> 02:19:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and that is, I noted that the Public Arts Committee and the Climate Action Committee. They are both. 02:19:08.000 --> 02:19:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: updating their websites, and so I want to ask if we could add that for both the planning and the DRB to update the website. Just, you know, go over it, make sure those websites are updated.
02:19:22.000 --> 02:19:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Solomon? 02:19:24.000 --> 02:19:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, and thank you, Eli, for the report and welcome. I have a general question, and you might not be able to answer this. Might turn it over the general manager, or ask the representatives from the various bodies. I'm curious about just the overall process.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
02:19:39.000 --> 02:19:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we're discussing. And these committees have asked us to approve their work plan, which includes staff time overhead. All these other things. I'm still very unclear about how they got to the work plan stage are.
02:19:55.000 --> 02:20:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Are they actually reaching out to the stakeholders in our community to ask them?
02:20:01.000 --> 02:20:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what thoughts they have. 02:20:04.000 --> 02:20:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: about how this body can help them.

Let's take public arts. Are we aware of whether when is the last time they reached out to the center for the arts or any art institution in this county, Charles Schwartz, just pick any one of them. 02:20:19.000 --> 02:20:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right. It's like, how do we know that these folks that we appoint are actually doing what I would assume that they would be doing, which is reaching out to other community stakeholders to help us move ahead and help them move ahead their agenda. 02:20:36.000 --> 02:20:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: how maybe it's too early in your term to speak to it. If it is, I'm sure Mary could jump in. She also attends these, or anybody from the bodies can ask, answer the question.

So, I would say yes, that they do. The Public Arts Committee, I know that they definitely do. When they do the Call for Arts, they have been working with the Center for the Arts.
02:20:54.000 --> 02:20:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: On that, the Center for the Art has been helping them.
02:20:59.000 --> 02:21:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: create the portal for when people vote on Project Arts and things like that. I also know that they have been reaching out to outside agencies related to the Pomo art. I believe they reach out to the Great and Rancheria Federated Indians. So they are reaching out.
02:21:16.000 --> 02:21:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm sure we have someone on the website, I'm sorry, on the call that could also address it probably further, but I would say yes, they are. Okay, so that sounds with the arts. And yes, I would, if the chair is on Zoom or able to comment, I'd like to get the chair's feeling on this too.
02:21:32.000 --> 02:21:39.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But I also, through the other bodies that were asked… were being asked to approve their work plans, I would like to know.
02:21:39.000 --> 02:21:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: From their perspective. 02:21:41.000 --> 02:21:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the outreach that's going on with the stakeholders, because I will say I have heard from people where it's like they serve, and they are not aware of the outreach, and as being. 02:21:53.000 --> 02:22:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the liaison to nonprofits. They don't feel like they're being outreached to either. So I'm wanting to know if we increase the frequency of the meetings, therefore incurring and expending more tax money. What are we getting? What bang of the buck are we really getting from this?
02:22:11.000 --> 02:22:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So that's generally my overall question.
02:22:15.000 --> 02:22:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, Eli, can you check to see if the chairs are on the committee? I'm not seeing…
02:22:21.000 --> 02:22:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, there is… I'm sorry. Melissa, can you unmute yourself? So I do have Melissa Hanley on, so she can address it from her body. Melissa, can.
02:22:29.000 --> 02:22:56.000
Melissa Hanley: I can. Yeah, hopefully you can hear me all right. I'm happy to turn on my camera too. It's like I don't have that availability, but I'm the vice chair of the Design Review Board and here in Lars Langford's stead as he is currently out of town. And I can speak to how we came up with our work plan. So we started out with about two dozen items that were solicited both from the public, from our own experience over the last several years working on this body, things that have routinely come up as problematic.
02:22:30.000 --> 02:22:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you.
02:22:56.000 --> 02:23:12.000
Melissa Hanley: And also feedback from you as the council. I certainly when I was reappointed to this board, I heard from our mayor about the issues around our sign ordinance and concerns around enforcement around the sign ordinance and sort of lack of clarity around what we're looking for in the city of Sebastopol.
02:23:12.000 --> 02:23:32.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Melissa Hanley: So that really helped us to share, or to narrow in on what our subcommittees are doing. So, to date, we've been tackling the sign ordinance, we've been tackling the tree ordinance, which are really the two main things that come before us with great frequency. And I would say the second meeting is something that our board is really enthusiastic about, because.
02:23:32.000 --> 02:23:52.000
Melissa Hanley: working through these, they're incredibly complicated ordinances, and getting a quorum to both work through line by line by line and agree on everything takes time. Both the sign ordinance and the tree ordinance have been on the docket and being worked through for the better part of 8 months, and the reason we can't get this thing across the line and get it back to you is because.
02:23:52.000 --> 02:24:09.000
Melissa Hanley: We have other business that comes before our board and we don't always aren't able always to agendize this and and get it really sorted through. So getting that second meeting where we can work together and really work through the details is just really important for us to be able to get these important projects done.
02:24:09.000 --> 02:24:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Melissa. And we do have Everett on from the Planning Commission. Everett, can you unmute. 02:24:16.000 --> 02:24:18.000
Evert F: Yes, hi, can you hear me okay?
02:24:17.000 --> 02:24:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I can. Can you go ahead with the comment in responding to Councilmember Zellman?
02:24:21.000 --> 02:24:36.000
Evert F: Yeah, so we do something similar where we look at a bunch of different items. We look at the realistic, what resources are available to do those items and what we can accomplish.
02:24:36.000 --> 02:24:51.000
Evert F: Uh, priority goes to, for example, we have a couple items that are dependent on funding, and that have to… we have to take some action, uh, before the end of the year, for example. So we wanna… we make sure that we address those items.
02:24:51.000 --> 02:24:56.000
Evert F: Uh, one is for housing. Street development.
02:24:56.000 --> 02:25:12.000
Evert F: So, we look at that area, and then, uh, we need to look and see what we have still available, and what we might be able to accomplish.

So, and we also, same thing, take direction from Council on, I think, one of the items. For example, the…
02:25:12.000 --> 02:25:29.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Evert F: We're asking, you know, is that something we should be really prioritized or not and get some input from that. One of the items is zoning cleanup and basically it's going through and reviewing a lot of the.
02:25:29.000 --> 02:25:38.000
Evert F: Zoning, and some of it's inconsistent, or it's outdated, and we want to make sure that it's all kind of cleaned up and coordinated. 02:25:38.000 --> 02:25:47.000
Evert F: And on top of that, we serve as the Parks Commission, so I've asked that we at least visit a park a year.
02:25:47.000 --> 02:26:01.000
Evert F: to kind of just evaluate them and what they're doing. Is there any low-hanging fruit type things that we can do to address it? And of course, if we did anything like that, we would take public input as well as staff.
02:26:01.000 --> 02:26:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then public arts were already addressed, and Councilmember Carter, I believe, is going to be addressing the Climate Action Committee.
02:26:11.000 --> 02:26:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We've been quite busy and definitely reaching out to the city more to make sure that we're working together as a team so that we can do things for the city to save at work, and then also reach out to our community through farmers market meetings. 02:26:28.000 --> 02:26:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: presentations through hosting presentations from the RCP.
02:26:35.000 --> 02:26:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: CLAB, That's I don't know what that Sonoma County transit.
02:26:41.000 --> 02:26:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Environmental group. Anyway, one of them, I'm having a hard time with lots of letter soups today. But anyway, yes, the Climate Action Committee is dedicated to making its work plan more useful and not meeting for the sake of meeting, but to actually produce.
02:26:58.000 --> 02:26:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: results.
02:26:59.000 --> 02:27:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you.
02:27:02.000 --> 02:27:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other? Go ahead.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
02:27:06.000 --> 02:27:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, so in reading this, it looks like we have staff time, but since we're talking about fiscal impact, I just don't see any math on here, um, which is frustrating when you're looking at a budget item to not have… to have staff hours indicated. 02:27:21.000 --> 02:27:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But not…
02:27:23.000 --> 02:27:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: how much that really equates when we're still in a fiscal financial emergency. Um, so I… I would like some feedback on that from our, um…
02:27:36.000 --> 02:27:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: from Anna, if, I don't know if she's here, but, um…
02:27:40.000 --> 02:27:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that's that's a little frustrating.

And maybe you guys can put some money against this if the Budget Subcommittee reviewed it. And then I had a question, for I just heard from our planning commission, who said they are looking at priorities, and he used the example, for example, vacation rentals. 02:27:57.000 --> 02:28:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And my question, I guess, would be, are vacation rentals a current issue? Because I haven't heard that's an issue. I know that we passed ordinances, and we've.
02:28:08.000 --> 02:28:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: dealt with that. And and so to spend time to look at something that maybe isn't an issue for us. I would rather have time allocated to things that we hear from our stakeholders that we should be focused on. So.
02:28:23.000 --> 02:28:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's just… Is that an issue? Or who could maybe…
02:28:30.000 --> 02:28:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Chairman of the Planning Commission addressed that. That's my question.
02:28:36.000 --> 02:28:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or how do you prioritize? So we have the question, I don't know, Mary, if you're working on the finance side of it, and then you had the question for…
02:28:44.000 --> 02:28:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, is it?
02:28:46.000 --> 02:28:50.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Who was it? Was it Everett? Everett, yeah. Everett, are you.
02:28:52.000 --> 02:28:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Could we maybe unmute him? 02:28:55.000 --> 02:28:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, just a second. Let me see if I can get him.
02:28:57.000 --> 02:29:00.000
Evert F: Okay. Can you hear me?
02:28:59.000 --> 02:29:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes.
02:29:00.000 --> 02:29:02.000
Evert F: Okay, um…
02:29:02.000 --> 02:29:09.000
Evert F: The reason that that ordinance is on there was in the past, there was some concern about…
02:29:09.000 --> 02:29:26.000
Evert F: not really having any coordinated efforts, uh, you know, as far as rules. We've had some, uh, vacation rental requests come to us, and we're kind of just, like, making stuff, you know, up as we go along, as far as, okay, we're…
02:29:26.000 --> 02:29:33.000
Evert F: You know, how many, uh, how many should we allow in a certain area, or, uh, do we need to have, um.
02:29:33.000 --> 02:29:48.000
Evert F: a limit, or, you know… and it's not necessarily that we've had problems, but it's just in the past, when we've dealt with them, we have come to a realization that we need some more guidelines and rules for that. But again, that's why we're asking.
02:29:48.000 --> 02:29:53.000
Evert F: Council, if it's not something of a top priority, uh… 02:29:53.000 --> 02:29:56.000
Evert F: You know, we don't have to necessarily address it at this point. 02:29:58.000 --> 02:30:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, and then write the finances. Do you need a minute, Mary? We can have… I'm not gonna be able to give you the exact, but… so, if you wanted to add… 02:30:09.000 --> 02:30:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for an additional public arts meeting for 4 to 6 h. It is. It would be staff time for our planning tech Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
and our associate planner. So you're probably looking for that about 6 to $700 a month.
02:30:24.000 --> 02:30:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I mean, I'm sorry, per meeting, which would be the additional one per month. And then… 02:30:29.000 --> 02:30:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: just a little bit less to have the second design review board. These would not be, uh, meetings that are Zoom… they would be Zoom meetings, but they wouldn't be like they are now, the setup that we have. We're requesting that those be at City Hall, so we can do them similar to our budget committee and things like that.

We'll Zoom them, it'll be public input that way, and then we'll post the video at the end.
02:30:47.000 --> 02:30:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, can I just clarify? So, $600 to $700 a month, and currently, the art committee meets quarterly, so that would be…
02:30:57.000 --> 02:31:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 2 additional meetings per quarter for them. I thought it was every other month. I believe the public arts correct me, Eli. I believe the public arts is every other month correct.

They are every other month times 6, and then for the planning commission it would be design review.
02:31:13.000 --> 02:31:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or design review. It would be one per month, would be 12. Okay, thank you.
02:31:18.000 --> 02:31:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, Councilmember Carter, you had a second.
02:31:21.000 --> 02:31:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I was gonna speak to that. If the meetings are held inside City Hall, the additional cost for outside staff isn't there. So this is mostly an opportunity cost with current staff. So it's not like a direct bill. $600. It's more like, what else could they be doing during that hour?
02:31:40.000 --> 02:31:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and you know we have a lot of work to do, so that all I was gonna say is, if we don't have to be in this hall and rent out services. We don't have the same direct cost that, like, say, this meeting is having.
02:31:55.000 --> 02:31:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But Mary's estimate is correct. 02:31:59.000 --> 02:32:06.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah. Thank you. So we're looking at what, like 4 to 5K? Is that my doing?
02:32:07.000 --> 02:32:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Perfect.
02:32:08.000 --> 02:32:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: How many more for climate action? 1,200 for, um, I'm sorry, 3,600 for public arts to add the one, and then I would say probably about 500 for design review, so 5 times 12. 02:32:22.000 --> 02:32:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It'd be 6,000.
02:32:24.000 --> 02:32:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then climate action also. No, the climate action wasn't adding, wasn't. I think he was just saying, giving an example of how we do those at City Hall, and it's less because we don't. We don't have it, and all that involved at that point. Thank you. So question I have is.
02:32:40.000 --> 02:32:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, when we… when we went back and we did this reduction in schedule, it's because we've had this fiscal emergency. So the question I… so I'm glad to have those numbers.

The question I have is, is…
02:32:50.000 --> 02:32:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, I have spoken with some of the members of this, and I understand the importance of it, and, you know, I feel like I have my head wrapped around it more. 02:32:58.000 --> 02:33:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But for the purposes of, you know, justifying this, you know, adding expenses back in that we cut out because of our situation, how can we quantify, you know, if we did make this change, how can we quantify in 6 months.
02:33:12.000 --> 02:33:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: if it's made a difference or not.

Is there… are there any suggestions from our committees? You know, and I'm asking just because we… we did this because there was a reason, because we… we really needed to…
02:33:23.000 --> 02:33:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: tighten the belt. So I'm just, you know. Do you have? Has anyone given any suggestions on how we can see the difference here? Well, I believe, as the Melissa stated, they could probably get the ordinances through faster. I just want to say, as I stated, the Budget Committee.
02:33:41.000 --> 02:34:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I can. At this time we have brand new planning staff on board. I don't think it's the right time to do Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
this. I think we should look at this a few months down the road. Eli is brand new, and we would be, you know. I'm trying to get him up to speed with with, you know, long term planning, short term planning as well as what the you know design review applications. We have some major projects that are coming on as well.
02:34:02.000 --> 02:34:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that will be coming through. That is going to take his attention. So I personally recommended as a city manager that this be postponed for a few months, and that we look at it potentially in January, giving planning staff an opportunity to get up to speed. I see. Okay, well, that's good to hear. Go ahead. Councilmember Zolan. Yeah, based upon what our city manager has said. I would move that we postpone this.
02:34:25.000 --> 02:34:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And when did you suggest it be brought back, Mary? I would say, at least January timeframe we can bring.

We need to take public comment. But I believe he's asking if we can postpone. Yeah, yeah. So we you could postpone the additional meetings at this time, once after you do public comment on that. So one of the options would be to postpone that I'm not saying no to the meetings. I'm just saying right now is not the opportune time to do it when we have brand new staff.
02:34:50.000 --> 02:35:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and we are also now short staff at City Hall, due to another, you know, a medical situation where someone's out on leave. So I am short getting short staffed again. I see. So the question I have just to further that is, after we do public comment, is it possible for us just to take no action and postpone. 02:35:06.000 --> 02:35:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Or what is the best step forward? You know, I'm just asking, like, what are our options?
02:35:13.000 --> 02:35:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For… I'm sorry, for tonight? Yeah. So, go to public comment. Yeah. And then we can come back, and… 02:35:20.000 --> 02:35:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the work plans, I would recommend moving forward on the work plans. I would just not recommend the additional meetings at this time. I see, okay. I just want to understand options as I hear comments, so if there's no other questions, then we can go to public comment.
02:35:35.000 --> 02:35:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is public comment on the work plans proposed for the boards, commission, and committees. If you'd like to make a public comment on this item, um, please, I go to chambers first, and then go out to Zoom. 02:35:46.000 --> 02:35:48.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If there's anyone in chambers. 02:35:52.000 --> 02:36:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Good evening. Kirsten Lange, President of the Santa Rosa Sonoma County Branch of the NAACP. Just feedback for the planning process and the commissioners that are listening online. While there's a lot of talk of outreach, I will say that this jurisdiction is one that has not reached out to our branch at all for any participation, meetings, community gatherings, and we have a number of artists.
02:36:15.000 --> 02:36:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: business owners and contributors who are constantly asking our leadership where our opportunities to get involved and engage in Sebastopol, and that has yet to happen. So perhaps in this re-review of work plans and how we reach out to community as a city that prides itself on equitable engagement. We really think about what that looks like across the board and across organizations that are wanting to be engaged and represented in the in the governing bodies as. 02:36:41.000 --> 02:36:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: especially through your commissions and boards.
02:36:44.000 --> 02:36:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

Next, I will go out to Zoom if there's anyone on Zoom. Melissa, can you unmute yourself, please?
02:36:50.000 --> 02:37:12.000
Melissa Hanley: Yeah, so just a follow up to my comment, I would say, you know, there's two things to consider here. First of all, the return on investment. Yes, we're talking about an hour of staff time and then whatever it takes to publish that Zoom that is being recorded on a laptop. And for that, you're getting anywhere from five to six board members who are giving their time willingly to push significant endeavors across the finish line for this city.
02:37:12.000 --> 02:37:32.000
Melissa Hanley: So I would ask that you encourage each other to vote for this and make it enacted in January. Admittedly, not much is going to happen as the holidays are coming up to the end of the year, but this really should be greenlit for start in January. When we created our work plan, we agreed that we were only going to put things on the work plan that we thought we could do in one year.
02:37:32.000 --> 02:37:49.000
Melissa Hanley: So we are tasked to create a new work plan for every single year, and we don't want to put anything on it that is going to be in the parking lot for years on end and never really get achieved. But the only way that we can achieve this and achieve the things that we've been tasked with correcting in the city is to have a joint commitment. 02:37:49.000 --> 02:38:07.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Melissa Hanley: So you get one hour of staff time to 5 to 6 hours of volunteer time, plus all the time that we meet outside of that when we can only meet one on one. Otherwise we have a quorum. So I'd like you to think about what your return on investment is and and what you're asking people to give up and to try to push forward.
02:38:07.000 --> 02:38:17.000
Melissa Hanley: And again, you know, I was asked point blank by this committee when I was reappointed to this board, what are you doing about signage? Well, this is what we're trying to do, so meet me part way. 02:38:18.000 --> 02:38:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Melissa, 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 on the work plans. 02:38:26.000 --> 02:38:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom. Rob, can you unmute yourself.
02:38:30.000 --> 02:38:40.000
Rob: Hi, thank you. I don't know if this is a comment or much of a question, but as just a person who lived in Sebastopol. 02:38:40.000 --> 02:38:43.000
Rob: I am having trouble understanding.
02:38:43.000 --> 02:38:50.000
Rob: how the commissions and the city council expect to get everything done that, you know.
02:38:50.000 --> 02:39:03.000
Rob: that they seem to want to get done. It feels like things go to you, and then they go to committee, or… and then they go to purchasing, or a organization, um…
02:39:03.000 --> 02:39:05.000
Rob: And I'm wondering…
02:39:05.000 --> 02:39:09.000
Rob: When you mobilize the people, just the people that live here. 02:39:09.000 --> 02:39:10.000
Rob: And.
02:39:11.000 --> 02:39:16.000
Rob: Maybe it's the outreach, and that's just something I haven't seen, but it…
02:39:16.000 --> 02:39:19.000
Rob: I keep thinking about how.
02:39:19.000 --> 02:39:31.000
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Agenda Item Number 1
Rob: You know, 150 years ago, if you wanted to raise a barn, everybody got together and raised the barn. It seems like now it's you want to raise a barn. You go to committee, you get the money, you hire somebody. 02:39:31.000 --> 02:39:33.000
Rob: They build it.
02:39:33.000 --> 02:39:36.000
Rob: The barn is raised. The people never have to be engaged. 02:39:36.000 --> 02:39:41.000
Rob: They never have to do anything. All they have to do is point fingers at you guys for not getting something done.
02:39:42.000 --> 02:39:44.000
Rob: That's it. Thank you.
02:39:44.000 --> 02:39:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Rob, 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.
02:39:50.000 --> 02:39:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go back out to Zoom. June, can you unmute yourself.
02:39:54.000 --> 02:39:55.000
June: Yes!
02:39:55.000 --> 02:40:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? All right, go ahead, please.
02:39:57.000 --> 02:39:59.000
June: Yes, I can.
02:39:59.000 --> 02:40:18.000
June: Yeah, I just wanted to speak to the question about in the work plan around vacation rentals, and yes, that is a big issue, and it does need to be addressed, and I'm glad that that was responded to, because I think there's a thought that from in the past, when a lot of work was done on trying to get an ordinance in place.
02:40:18.000 --> 02:40:35.000
June: that people think that it actually was implemented, but it actually did not, actually, a lot of it was left undone, and COVID happened, and things happened, and so I think, um, that's why we're hearing that they don't have direction in planning, because we actually don't have in place a lot of the work.
02:40:35.000 --> 02:40:51.000
June: And drafts that were drafted up and then stalled out and then moratorium time ran out and other priorities came up. And so if you go Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
back, I often have this conversation with council members that think there is something and then they go and.
02:40:51.000 --> 02:41:11.000
June: check with staff, and they come back and realize there aren't the directions that they thought were in place around vacation rentals. So it is a big issue, an area of uncertainty and unclarity, and it really does need further attention. So I do want to have a vote for keeping that on track, and let us finally actually get.
02:41:11.000 --> 02:41:16.000
June: some clarity on that topic and get an ordinance in place. Thank you.
02:41:16.000 --> 02:41:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Jane, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers if there's anyone in chambers.
02:41:22.000 --> 02:41:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I'll go back onto Zoom. Lee, can you unmute yourself.
02:41:29.000 --> 02:41:31.000
Lee: Yes.
02:41:30.000 --> 02:41:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: There you go. Can you see the timer?
02:41:32.000 --> 02:41:34.000
Lee: Yes, thank you.
02:41:32.000 --> 02:41:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Great. Go ahead, please. 02:41:34.000 --> 02:41:53.000
Lee: Yeah, I think several issues here that are just kind of operational issues that this council is going to change, hopefully, or I don't want to say hopefully, it will change a little bit, but the next council could consider when they start talking about priorities. And I think the first thing that came out of this discussion was who sets the priorities? 02:41:53.000 --> 02:42:07.000
Lee: the Council is seeing different committees with priorities that aren't Council priorities, and wondering how that happened. And I think it happened because the Council hasn't really appeared, doesn't appear to be connected to the committees in terms of.
02:42:07.000 --> 02:42:25.000
Lee: working back and forth about who, you know, what are the priorities? What are the most important things? I put some of that on the committees, because I don't usually see the committee chairpeople. I don't know all Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
the members, but I recognize most of the chairpeople on the Zoom meetings, for example, or in the meeting itself.
02:42:25.000 --> 02:42:42.000
Lee: And I don't hear them making public comments. They have the opportunity to stand up and use two minutes to say, the Planning Commission needs some help from you for this. And that doesn't seem to happen. In fact, sometimes the Planning Commission seems to be out of touch with what the Council's even talking about at the most recent meeting in terms of issues.
02:42:42.000 --> 02:42:46.000
Lee: So that needs to be tightened up somehow. And then… 02:42:46.000 --> 02:42:48.000
Lee: uh…
02:42:48.000 --> 02:42:50.000
Lee: I guess that's it. Thank you.
02:42:50.000 --> 02:42:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Lee, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into chambers, if there's anyone in chambers.
02:42:56.000 --> 02:43:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, I will go back out to Zoom. If there's anyone on Zoom that would like to make a public comment, please raise your hand.
02:43:02.000 --> 02:43:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Seeing none, public comment is closed on this item.
02:43:05.000 --> 02:43:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, I have a question whenever, if you were gonna make a motion.
02:43:10.000 --> 02:43:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, go ahead. Go ahead and then I'll ask.
02:43:14.000 --> 02:43:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, A, I always want to thank all the volunteers for their work. So these are all volunteers on these commissions, and we appoint them, and I appreciate all their work and tackling these.
02:43:30.000 --> 02:43:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: With that said, I have been consistent to say that I want to wait before spending money, um, until mid-year budget review, and this is spending money. In addition to, we've, as pointed out by staff, that we have a brand new person in our planning department.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
02:43:48.000 --> 02:44:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: who's not up to speed yet. So that is priority before, especially before we spend more money. I heard that the work plans are meant for the recommendations of a number of meetings, but I really appreciate that they are prioritized. So I would think that we can.
02:44:07.000 --> 02:44:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: prioritize and follow the in order of priority that each work plan starts and and that.
02:44:14.000 --> 02:44:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: does happen to meet a lot of Council's goals. Centennial Project was on our goals. Transportation grants are on our goals and housing. So when I go down there, I feel like they can get started. We could wait till mid-year budget. 02:44:31.000 --> 02:44:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: we can make a decision at that point if we have the money to add these new frequencies in, and it gives us a chance to get staff up to date. So those are my comments. And I have a clarifying question.
02:44:42.000 --> 02:44:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and I was rereading all of this again, just to make sure I wasn't missing. So, just to clarify what… what…
02:44:49.000 --> 02:44:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: um… the committees are asking is they want to start immediately with… with having the increase in meetings, and the Budget Committee recommended January, February. Is that correct?
02:44:59.000 --> 02:45:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Am I understanding that? 02:45:02.000 --> 02:45:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, after discussion, so the Budget Committee agreed that right now would not be the opportune time to do it because of the staffing situation that we have going on, but they did not say no to… they wanted to look at it in January timeframe. Got it, and that's only a couple months. Um, and then the other question I have is, I know we brought both forth… both committees. 02:45:20.000 --> 02:45:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So in my mind, I'm just trying to figure out like, is there? Is there a partial? Yes, anywhere or not. I mean with both of these committees, I mean, do either of them have like really pressing work that requires increased time right now, based on your assessment, because I you're the expert with this. 02:45:35.000 --> 02:45:49.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, I think for design review, I mean, there are… they're working on the ordinances right now, so I believe that is what their second meeting is for, is that they wanted to work specifically on those ordinances. Like the strategy moving forward.

Right. But because they are public…
02:45:49.000 --> 02:45:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: um, Standing Brown Act meetings, staff does need to be there. Got it. Go ahead.
02:45:55.000 --> 02:46:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, and I just wanted to add to my original comments. I did look at, I believe it is when the art committee meets, and I thought, I think the suggestion was to add another 90 minutes, but we could add another hour. For example, they meet, I believe, one to three right now.
02:46:11.000 --> 02:46:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: they could meet 1 to 4. I just kind of look at how long our meetings go, and we can get a lot done in 3 hours versus 2.
02:46:21.000 --> 02:46:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And it would be like, then they'd have one meeting instead of two separate. It would seem like that might be a suggestion for them to look at instead of, um…
02:46:31.000 --> 02:46:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: an entire additional meeting, per se. That's a good question. Is that… is that something that… I think that was discussed at Public Arts, and their recommendation is that because of the timing in between, they would like to have… not have a month in between to get another project done, or if they had a call for art, so…
02:46:48.000 --> 02:46:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They wanted to see an additional meeting monthly to be able to continue their work.
02:46:53.000 --> 02:46:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Rather than adding an hour. 02:46:55.000 --> 02:47:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, I wanted to look over here real quick. Just council. I mean, vice mayor. Sorry. So let's see. Dark sky was a resident led project, and I just wanted to point that out. I know residents are have been calling for that.
02:47:11.000 --> 02:47:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I'd like to request that the Planning Commission and Drb.
02:47:18.000 --> 02:47:25.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: do city website updates like the PAC and the CAC are doing.
02:47:25.000 --> 02:47:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For the Public Arts Committee, I'd like to ask for them to add the honoring of the Charles Schultz artwork that the council, that was the council goal.
02:47:36.000 --> 02:47:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and I I had done some research on that. There was some feedback from the Council that they didn't want like sculptures like all the other cities have. But I found this character called 9, 5, 4, 7, 2, which is our zip code, and I thought it might be fun to have a mural. So I kind of wanted to have that on there. I didn't see that on their work plan.
02:47:59.000 --> 02:48:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I'd like to see that, so I'm proposing that we add that, if you all are willing to add that to their work plan.
02:48:08.000 --> 02:48:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And the other thing is, on the Climate Action Committee work plan, they are…
02:48:13.000 --> 02:48:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: wanting this city to promote Evs bikes and e-bikes, and I want to be sure that there's safety involved in that education, ie. Safety involved with e-bikes and e-bike promotion. 02:48:29.000 --> 02:48:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, so…
02:48:30.000 --> 02:48:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Because I don't feel like I can, in good conscience, promote e-bikes or EV bikes without.
02:48:38.000 --> 02:48:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: having safety included in that. 02:48:43.000 --> 02:48:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. And regarding the one last thing is regarding the frequency of the meetings. I would like to support their request. I would also like to see us not have to bring it back and discuss it again. It'd be great if we could just.
02:48:59.000 --> 02:49:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: say, okay, either the second meeting in January or the 1st meeting in February. You can return to this to these more frequent meetings rather than having to bring it back and discuss it again. So not sure how you all feel about that. But that would be my proposal.
02:49:15.000 --> 02:49:37.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, I just have a comment. I hear you on these projects. For me, it just feels like if this doesn't get approved tonight, but yet we're adding to the workload, it seems very disjointed, like add to the workload, but we're not giving you the time to do it. I just wondered, I too have been pushing, you know, pushing for things at mid-year. I wonder if there is a compromise, and I want to know from you, Mary, if that.
02:49:37.000 --> 02:49:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that adding an hour now, and then bringing it mid-year, and then, you know, I know it's not the exact solution that everyone's seeking, but trying to find some kind of compromise in between, because I understand the work that needs to be done.
02:49:50.000 --> 02:49:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, and I also understand having new staff, because I'm in the same situation right now, my day job, so… 02:49:56.000 --> 02:50:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is that a compromise that… I'm not going to be able to answer that, because I'm going to need to go back to staff to see what other meetings that they may have after these meetings that may trigger that. So, they're set meetings, and so they may have scheduled other meetings after that, so I can't address that right now.
02:50:12.000 --> 02:50:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I see. Go ahead. So I really have 2 things. I mean the the 1st is just to defend the committee's work plan.

It makes it a work plan. I think sticking to general concepts are the best for the Council to outlay to the committees.
02:50:27.000 --> 02:50:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: because they are, you know, for the 1 or 2 h of staff time does unlock 5 or 6 people who do homework and work outside of the of the meeting itself. So it's really exponential. What these, what these groups get done.
02:50:45.000 --> 02:50:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But I want to echo Vice Mayor Mowers.
02:50:51.000 --> 02:50:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: comment about like, can we just go ahead and act tonight? Say, like on the 1st.
02:50:56.000 --> 02:51:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You can do the schedule that you would like to do.
02:51:03.000 --> 02:51:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That would be up to the will of the Council if the Council wants to. If you have 3 or more votes to bring.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Your biggest concern is bringing on board doing the onboarding. I have new staff right now. Yeah, and we will be. It's part of my committee report, as we'll also be transitioning in.
02:51:21.000 --> 02:51:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: a new planning director to be following up, you know, to take out the new con… the current contract right now for the next few months, so we're going to be transitioning out the current one for a new one, so I have new staff coming on right now, so that is why I'm actually… I'm advocating for not trying to do this right now. But, like, January or February, which one would be… 02:51:39.000 --> 02:51:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If we took our Vice Mayor's suggestion for that, I'm just curious.
02:51:44.000 --> 02:51:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I would probably say with a couple of projects going on, I would be comfortable for February. 02:51:52.000 --> 02:51:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. But that's… 02:51:54.000 --> 02:52:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, just as a reminder, it… with these new projects, or not new projects, but we do have some major projects coming forward from the Planning Commission and Design Review. 02:52:03.000 --> 02:52:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I would say February. Got it. 02:52:09.000 --> 02:52:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I understand the wanting to move it forward, but now we've had suggestions of changing the work plan. 02:52:16.000 --> 02:52:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the staff has clearly got no one to. They feel comfortable to take this work now, and we're talking February, October, November, December. I would like to see this agenda item come back, be corrected.
02:52:32.000 --> 02:52:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it does feel a little just disjointed that the peanuts thing we've discussed at least twice in these council meetings is not on the work plan, and I'd like them to take another look at it and bring us back the work plan that with looking at council goals.
02:52:48.000 --> 02:53:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it doesn't take that long to come back to a meeting and reconsider it. I agree, and then also the options, the options that we talked about extending the one meeting, you know, the long… and I understand, I've spoken with them, and I understand the Agenda Item Number 1
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Agenda Item Number 1
needs for all of this, so I'm just trying to figure out the best way to forward for the city and for the compromise.
02:53:08.000 --> 02:53:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm not sure I'm ready to compromise up until January, but I would like to bring this back at our second January meeting.
02:53:17.000 --> 02:53:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Not to do, but to discuss. You mean as the Budget Committee recommended?
02:53:25.000 --> 02:53:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't know. I'm I'm sorry. Go ahead. Question. If the Council agrees, can items be added like I suggested the website updates and the Charles Schultz mural. Can those be added from us, or does.
02:53:40.000 --> 02:53:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is there a different process? 02:53:42.000 --> 02:53:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The Council is the overall policy setter for the Board's Commission and Committees. Okay. So, if the Council votes majority to add something to the work plan. 02:53:52.000 --> 02:53:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that'd be up to the Council decision tonight. You have… Can I… can I ask for a straw poll, then? 02:53:59.000 --> 02:54:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I can do that? Okay, so I'm gonna ask for a straw poll for the Design Review Board and the Planning Commission to do website updates.
02:54:08.000 --> 02:54:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sure. Yep. Yeah, thank you. And then I want, uh, to know if you would support adding the Honoring Charles Schulz Mural 95472 to the Public Arts Committee.
02:54:22.000 --> 02:54:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I. Wow.
02:54:23.000 --> 02:54:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, I say that, but I… 02:54:26.000 --> 02:54:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: only if we're actually giving them the hours to work because we have workload. But you know, I mean, doesn't feels disingenuous to add more work. Okay? And then hours. The other one is to add safety to the education of on Ev and E by promotion. 02:54:44.000 --> 02:54:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to add safety education as well.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
02:54:48.000 --> 02:54:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Whose responsibility is that? I don't understand. Go at it. It's fine.
02:54:52.000 --> 02:55:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. Wait. Well, that's you.

Everyone else? Anybody else want to weigh in on this?
02:55:01.000 --> 02:55:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: as a as a Climate Action Committee person. I I feel like it for me. That's just a little too much. I need to understand more about like what the intent is, and it feels like a much more. It feels like a whole topic for us to discuss as a council. The the the Ev and ebike ebikes can be quite dangerous.
02:55:19.000 --> 02:55:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I think if the city is having this on a work plan and the city is promoting them, they need to promote safety. For me, that's really important. So I… I would… 02:55:31.000 --> 02:55:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I… But if you don't agree, that's… I'm just doing that straw poll to find out where you stand on this, so… Got it. It's not on the… it's… I mean… I think that I would wait for their recommendation. It's on their work plan to study, and we are their ultimate decision makers, so I wouldn't add it tonight. 02:55:46.000 --> 02:55:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I personally wasn't either tonight.

And then the last one would be to.
02:55:53.000 --> 02:55:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to grant their requests for more frequent meetings starting in the first meeting in February. 02:56:01.000 --> 02:56:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Still looking for a straw poll. 02:56:03.000 --> 02:56:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I feel like that's, we're making a motion or we're not. Okay.
02:56:11.000 --> 02:56:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right, so I will make a motion to approve the work plans.
02:56:17.000 --> 02:56:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: including website updates for the Planning Commission and the Design Review Board, and to add the, um, to the Public Arts Committee, the mural to, uh, the mural 95472 to honor Charles Schultz.
02:56:32.000 --> 02:56:40.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And to bring back the issue of more frequent meetings at mid-year or say in February.
02:56:41.000 --> 02:56:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's my motion. 02:56:44.000 --> 02:57:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Did you say mid-year or February? Because I've heard him. I've heard January. I've heard mid-year. I've heard February. So February. I prefer to bring it back in January so that we could enact it, and they could do start meeting in February. Okay, I'll amend that to make it January.
02:57:02.000 --> 02:57:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Bring it back in January. Then I'll second that.
02:57:07.000 --> 02:57:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I just want to be clear, we're bringing that back for mid-year budget.
02:57:12.000 --> 02:57:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to discuss. We're gonna bring it back in January to discuss the more frequent meetings requested. 02:57:21.000 --> 02:57:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I just want to say for me. 02:57:24.000 --> 02:57:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I am supportive of bringing it back and considering that, you know, having more frequent meetings. I would just like to say, if it is coming back, I'd like to see more detail in this report as far as, like we said, I know you gave us the cost tonight, but costing it out and giving us all the information, because when we cut it, we based it on numbers, so we should look at all of that just for public transparency.
02:57:43.000 --> 02:57:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I understand the work, and I want the people who are listening to know that I do absolutely understand that, but we also have to take the recommendations of what we can do. If we commit to something and then we can't fulfill it because we don't have the staffing, then we've set ourselves up for failure. So it's… 02:57:58.000 --> 02:58:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's a conundrum. So anyone else, I think?
02:58:03.000 --> 02:58:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Hinton. 02:58:06.000 --> 02:58:19.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Uh, can I just ask a clarifying question? When do we expect the mid-year review recommendations to come back to Council? Typically, we don't do those until February. February. 02:58:25.000 --> 02:58:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'd like to see this come back with those. I just need to say that.
02:58:30.000 --> 02:58:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, because this is a request for money, so I'm asking the motion and the seconder if they would consider moving it to the date to come back.
02:58:40.000 --> 02:58:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: with.
02:58:41.000 --> 02:58:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: mid-year budget, all the recommendations, so we can decide about all our demands. 02:58:49.000 --> 02:58:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, okay. I'll move mid your budget.
02:58:52.000 --> 02:58:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So amended.
02:58:59.000 --> 02:59:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can I just get a clarification? We're approving…
02:59:02.000 --> 02:59:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the work plans, but bringing back the items requested for the mid year other than the updating the website, the Charles Schultz, 9, 5, 4, 3, 7, 3 mural. You want to see consideration of the option for extending it for 1 h. I don't know if that was that was discussed, but I just wanted to clarify if that's a part of the motion, and then bringing back the items at mid year. 02:59:26.000 --> 02:59:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Review.
02:59:27.000 --> 02:59:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: just… just to be clear, the request was for the website updates for the Planning Commission and DRB to be added now to the work plan.
02:59:37.000 --> 02:59:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And adding the, uh, honoring Charles Schultz 95472 mural to be added to the work plan now. 02:59:48.000 --> 02:59:58.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and returning with their requests for more meetings in mid-year after budget review, or during budget review. Is that correct? Okay.
03:00:00.000 --> 03:00:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, so moved by Vice Mayor Maurer and seconded by Council Member Carter to approve the 26-27 work plans as amended, updating the websites for PC and DRB to be done now, adding the 95473 Charles Short's mural, and then returning to mid-year budget review the request for the additional meetings.
03:00:18.000 --> 03:00:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 9, 5, 4, 7, 2. Oh, sorry. 9, 5, 4,

7. What did you say? 3. Oh, the post office.
03:00:27.000 --> 03:00:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Carter? 03:00:29.000 --> 03:00:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes.
03:00:30.000 --> 03:00:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Councilmember Hinton? Aye.

Councilmember Zollman? Yes. Vice Mayor Maurer? Yes. Mayor McLewis? Yes.

Motion passes unanimously.
03:00:39.000 --> 03:00:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And now, we are going to take a bio break, because we have the next item, and it's gonna be long, and it would not be good to break in the middle. So, um, let's see, what time is it? It's…
03:00:50.000 --> 03:00:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So we'll be back around. Yeah. 03:00:54.000 --> 03:00:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We have like eight minutes, so 8:15.
03:01:04.000 --> 03:01:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
03:01:08.000 --> 03:01:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
03:01:12.000 --> 03:01:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, yeah, that's right. So. 03:01:17.000 --> 03:01:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I'm happy to see what's going on.
03:01:20.000 --> 03:01:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, he's gone.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:01:23.000 --> 03:01:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We haven't.
03:01:26.000 --> 03:01:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Are you good? Are you good? Okay. 03:01:59.000 --> 03:02:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
03:02:11.000 --> 03:02:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No, no.
03:02:23.000 --> 03:02:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I don't think that one. 03:02:24.000 --> 03:02:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: for left of the afternoon. 03:02:35.000 --> 03:02:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 05.14.25.
03:02:50.000 --> 03:02:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I hope they do, if you want. 03:02:58.000 --> 03:03:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 05.14.25 Yeah, well, I hang on to it.
03:03:53.000 --> 03:04:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I'm like, a greater problem. 03:04:02.000 --> 03:04:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But to actually . 03:04:18.000 --> 03:04:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, fun! Oh my god! 03:04:33.000 --> 03:04:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 05.14.25 That's awesome. Date night with my sweetie, Lily.
03:04:41.000 --> 03:05:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sorry I missed getting together. I had another meeting. I can't even tell you what one it was, but we will have that.
03:05:01.000 --> 03:05:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We are in for a little while. 03:05:05.000 --> 03:05:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and.
03:05:33.000 --> 03:05:53.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I know. I hear you. There's a lot going on. I'm trying to keep it. It's like so much. 03:06:15.000 --> 03:06:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What about me? Oh, no. But also that I'm officially the slowest person.
03:06:24.000 --> 03:06:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I used to be able to, like, not run.
03:06:33.000 --> 03:06:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Different.
03:06:39.000 --> 03:06:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, thank you for doing that.

That's amazing. So are they…
03:06:44.000 --> 03:06:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We're playing in Italy now. I'm always going to keep trying.
03:06:58.000 --> 03:07:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's like $400K, but we need $2.5. 03:07:10.000 --> 03:07:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, they all watch that. Oh, yeah, yes, I watch that all the time. Sometimes I feel just like that.

Yeah, I feel like this.
03:07:26.000 --> 03:07:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm sure your young players might watch it too, but it's good.
03:07:42.000 --> 03:07:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know what's weird is it kind of tracks me too.
03:07:51.000 --> 03:07:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Just wait. Does he get worse than like your dad? It's almost the same time.
03:08:09.000 --> 03:08:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I was going to help you. 03:08:16.000 --> 03:08:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You said grounding, dude. 03:08:22.000 --> 03:08:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And now my now my daughter. 03:08:31.000 --> 03:08:47.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: one of the ball. One of the men's men's coach. Oh, yeah, yeah, he's got this way. Yes, he started doing that.
03:08:47.000 --> 03:09:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I was like, Nope, not not okay. 03:09:02.000 --> 03:09:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's been 10 years. I know it has been.
03:09:12.000 --> 03:09:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For a while. Let me know. Okay. 03:09:22.000 --> 03:09:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have one thing that I'm here to do.
03:09:25.000 --> 03:09:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But you don't actually need to give them anything.
03:09:37.000 --> 03:09:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm the person who comes out of there.
03:09:40.000 --> 03:09:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: all right.
03:09:55.000 --> 03:09:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
03:10:08.000 --> 03:10:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: All right. Are we ready to —. 03:10:14.000 --> 03:10:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm sorry, did you say it was okay back? Yeah, perfect. Mary, are you good?
03:10:19.000 --> 03:10:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay. All right, welcome back, everyone. We are moving on the, um, on, on the agenda. We are on number 11, discussion and considerations of options for rezone, text amendment for outdoor commercial barbecues, and our city attorney is going to do a presentation. Good evening. Thank you, Mayor. Um…
03:10:38.000 --> 03:10:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As the council is aware, this item originates from.
03:10:43.000 --> 03:10:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: concerns regarding A&M Barbecue and complaints the city received. The city has a complaint-based code enforcement process and received complaints regarding.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:10:55.000 --> 03:11:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the operation of A&M Barbecue. It's located at 495 South Main Street, and that property is in the CO zoning district, and within that zoning district, outdoor commercial barbecues are.
03:11:11.000 --> 03:11:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: prohibited.
03:11:12.000 --> 03:11:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They're allowed with a use permit in some of the city's other commercial zoning districts. 03:11:20.000 --> 03:11:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, um, there's been a significant public comment before the Council on a couple occasions regarding this, and on July 7th, uh, Councilmembers Hinton and Carter brought forth. 03:11:31.000 --> 03:11:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: an item.
03:11:33.000 --> 03:11:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: requesting that.
03:11:36.000 --> 03:11:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the Council provide direction to staff to prepare a report on potential zoning options to. 03:11:43.000 --> 03:11:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um…
03:11:45.000 --> 03:11:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: facilitate the continued operation of this business at this particular location.
03:11:52.000 --> 03:12:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And at that time, that was approved by the council, and, you know, with the understanding that no enforcement would occur during that interim period until staff came back. 03:12:03.000 --> 03:12:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As long as communication continued with the business in the city and they stayed in contact. 03:12:10.000 --> 03:12:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, and Mary can provide you more information on that, but that… that did occur. So before you tonight are…
03:12:17.000 --> 03:12:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um.
03:12:18.000 --> 03:12:24.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, two zoning options, uh, to consider if the Council wants to.
03:12:24.000 --> 03:12:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um…
03:12:26.000 --> 03:12:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: commence a rezoning. So the first option is to rezone the single parcel the business is located on, or, you know, any other, you know, specific parcels that.
03:12:39.000 --> 03:12:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Council directs within the CO zoning district.
03:12:43.000 --> 03:12:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Do site-specific zoning changes to allow commercial outdoor.
03:12:48.000 --> 03:13:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: barbecues with a conditional use permit. The other option would be to change the zoning for the entire CO zoning district to allow district-wide outdoor commercial barbecues with a conditional use permit.
03:13:06.000 --> 03:13:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Normally, a conditional use permit goes to the Planning Commission for approval.
03:13:11.000 --> 03:13:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and and they are the decision maker with an appeal possible to the City Council here. If an application was processed concurrently, where the zoning text change is processed concurrently with the.
03:13:26.000 --> 03:13:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: use permit application, those would both come to the City Council for decision. It would go first to the Planning Commission for a recommendation, and then to the City Council for decision, because the City Council is the decision maker on zoning text amendments, and so under our code, when.
03:13:44.000 --> 03:13:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: When there are multiple entitlements, if one of them involves the city council, then the city council is the decision maker for all of the approvals. 03:13:54.000 --> 03:13:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Umm.
03:13:55.000 --> 03:14:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Both of them require, you know, involve approximately the same process, approximately the same costs.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Generally, you know, unless it's in the city-sponsored or initiated change, we require a deposit and then staff bills.
03:14:12.000 --> 03:14:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's time against the deposit for that.
03:14:15.000 --> 03:14:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We estimate either process to take about 120 to 150 days.
03:14:20.000 --> 03:14:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, and, you know, the bulk of that is just the public process, right? We have to…
03:14:25.000 --> 03:14:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: submit.
03:14:27.000 --> 03:14:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Planning Commission. Notice for the Planning Commission has to be published 20 minutes… 20 days before the Public Planning Commission hearing. There then needs to be 10 days between… at least between the Planning Commission hearing and the first City Council meeting. Because an ordinance is involved, there needs to be a second City Council meeting.
03:14:44.000 --> 03:14:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then ordinances under state law don't go into effect for 30 days. So it's really actually only about, you know, 45 days of the staff work.
03:14:55.000 --> 03:14:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Most of it is just the noticing and process.
03:14:59.000 --> 03:15:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, involved.
03:15:01.000 --> 03:15:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And each one of those would involve CEQA review. We anticipate, you know, we would be able to do probably a mitigated negative declaration, but of course, we'd have to go through that process to confirm.
03:15:15.000 --> 03:15:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: As part of the proposals. 03:15:18.000 --> 03:15:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The the city currently does have, you know, some performance standards in the zoning code for. 03:15:29.000 --> 03:15:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Outdoor commercial barbecues.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:15:32.000 --> 03:15:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: For either option, the Council could direct that staff review Lowe's and add additional performance, evaluate, you know.
03:15:41.000 --> 03:15:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: metrics for those, and if the council, you know, adopted those, those would apply to any new commercial barbecues. Any legally operating commercial barbecue that might be in the city would be grandfathered in, but only if there are.
03:15:56.000 --> 03:15:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: a legally operating business. 03:15:59.000 --> 03:16:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, um…
03:16:01.000 --> 03:16:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: With that, I would pause to take any questions. One thing I would note is, you know, there's obviously, you know, a third option, which is for the Council to.
03:16:13.000 --> 03:16:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: uh, direct staff not to proceed with either option. Um…
03:16:18.000 --> 03:16:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: staff has, um, ceased enforcement for the last few months based on the Council's direction, and while this process was ongoing, if the Council decided not to move forward with any. 03:16:30.000 --> 03:16:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: zoning change enforcement would resume.
03:16:34.000 --> 03:16:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Of course, the council could provide direction separate from any of these.
03:16:40.000 --> 03:16:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, so with that, I'll stop and happy to take any questions. Okay, thank you. Councilor Mazzola. 03:16:46.000 --> 03:17:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, thanks, Alex, for the report, and thank you to Staff for doing the question and answer just for members of the public. There were a lot of questions that we all had independently, and Mary did, I'm sure, all the work in trying to get the answers to our questions, and then send it all back out to us. 03:17:04.000 --> 03:17:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What I want to focus in on is the data. So question number 26 was, does the city have air quality data? Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
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Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: there seems to be a big dispute that seems to be happening amongst the residents and the business, as far as the amount of harm that's happening by way of bad air. And there seems to be…
03:17:26.000 --> 03:17:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: something in question number 26 about the BAAQMD, the Bay Area Quality District, and how they measure things. Then we have Goldrich's measuring something. Then we have a resident who used their Purple Air sensor.
03:17:44.000 --> 03:17:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and actually found that there was much more particulate matter than the other sources of data. So which one are we supposed to use in order to resolve this if we're resolving it on a public health type perspective.
03:17:59.000 --> 03:18:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Which — what advice do you — what advice do you have?
03:18:05.000 --> 03:18:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, so you can, um… 03:18:09.000 --> 03:18:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: use whichever ones you want. What I would say is, you know, because you're making your determination about whether to move forward tonight, and you can consider whatever information you think is relevant as to whether or not to do that. 03:18:25.000 --> 03:18:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If the Council decides to move forward with an amendment, one thing you could specify with changes to the existing performance standards are these are, you know, the exact metrics you need to meet under.
03:18:40.000 --> 03:18:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know.
03:18:41.000 --> 03:18:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Maybe it's the Bay Area Air Quality Management District standards.
03:18:46.000 --> 03:19:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Uh, or, you know, whatever standard… it could be City of Sebastopol's own unique standards, and you could establish those and put those into performance standards if these are what you need to meet as part of any CUP that's issued. 03:19:00.000 --> 03:19:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: regardless of what any other agency might say.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:19:05.000 --> 03:19:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thanks. Can I ask, how would we even know what metrics to set? I mean.
03:19:11.000 --> 03:19:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So you could look to what other agencies do. You could also take input from the public. You don't need to make that decision tonight. If you move forward, it could be direction. 03:19:26.000 --> 03:19:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: To staff to come up with that standard as part of an ordinance, and staff can work to try to. 03:19:31.000 --> 03:19:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: come up with something, and then when that comes back as part of the ordinance to the Council, you can decide whether or not.
03:19:39.000 --> 03:19:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you find that standard to be acceptable or not. Okay.
03:19:45.000 --> 03:19:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, go ahead, Vice Mayor. 03:19:47.000 --> 03:20:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, so the BAAQMD said that, um, between 5 and 7, it reached moderate levels at the closest monitor. Um, where is the location for that monitor? Do you know?
03:20:02.000 --> 03:20:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's on Morris Street, isn't it? 03:20:05.000 --> 03:20:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: On Morris Street. That's my understanding, based on what BA and QMD said.
03:20:10.000 --> 03:20:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that's a couple hundred feet away.
03:20:13.000 --> 03:20:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: On Moore Street? More than that.

Yeah, it's more than that. Seems like it's a lot more than that. 03:20:19.000 --> 03:20:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Correct me if I'm wrong, we inquired about if there was the ability to put a different sensor in the city, and the answer was no, right?
03:20:29.000 --> 03:20:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That is correct. That is what Bay area quality said, that they would not install a monitor there. Okay, yeah, cause I had that question. Go ahead. We're in a ping pong around a Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
lot, cause we have a lot of questions. So, Councilmember Zolman, you want to go on. Yeah. And then, just so, people following along question number 4, because.
03:20:46.000 --> 03:21:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I it sounds like many of us have met with neighbors, and for me the question is reasonable enjoyment of their property at the time that they bought it. Question number 4 is, how was this business originally approved? And it states that it seems. 03:21:02.000 --> 03:21:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that it was originally. 03:21:05.000 --> 03:21:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: not what it is now, Alex. Correct me if I'm wrong. It was basically.
03:21:12.000 --> 03:21:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: a small deli that had a very small, single, small cooker, and then somehow it's evolved. But then my interpretation of this is that it sort of evolved.
03:21:25.000 --> 03:21:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But no one really was monitoring it, because, as you started out your presentation, we are a reporting agency like we don't have code enforcement running around checking under tables. We wait for complaints to arise. So is that a fair assessment of what's typed in number 4.
03:21:42.000 --> 03:21:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: About how this all started? Yes, that's correct. There's never any zoning permits issued for this. 03:21:52.000 --> 03:21:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This particular… 03:21:53.000 --> 03:22:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This iteration of the business.

This iteration, but there was one when it was really small, and it was kind of a quasi-deli. Well, and that iteration of the business didn't require a use permit or anything like that, because it didn't qualify as a commercial outdoor.
03:22:10.000 --> 03:22:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, okay. Business. Okay, thanks. 03:22:13.000 --> 03:22:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: so just to clarify, how long has it been functioning the way, you know, from the time, what it was approved for, versus where, how that's functioning now? I'm trying to read through these again here, the dates.
03:22:28.000 --> 03:22:34.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: My understanding is the prior business closed in around February 2025.
03:22:34.000 --> 03:22:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And, um…
03:22:36.000 --> 03:22:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have another question. If go ahead. Yeah. So my understanding is that there were no complaints about the smoke until the 2 large industrial smokers were installed. 03:22:47.000 --> 03:22:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So the smaller smoker didn't really attract complaints. Is that correct?
03:22:53.000 --> 03:22:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's my understanding, yes. 03:22:56.000 --> 03:22:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
03:22:58.000 --> 03:23:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Another question that I have is, in the recommendations, it said it would take 120 to 150 days to process, and the, um, and, you know, the question came about was, and that we've seen comments about, was that, um, could the, you know, if, should that decision be made.
03:23:17.000 --> 03:23:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it's up to the Council whether or not the smokers could continue to be in use during that 120, 150 days.

That's a policy decision. You could certainly direct staff to. 03:23:30.000 --> 03:23:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: recommence enforcement. You know, enforcement decisions are made at the the staff level, you know, based on availability of resources to do inspections and those types of things.

But yes, you could direct.
03:23:45.000 --> 03:23:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Commencement to begin again. 03:23:49.000 --> 03:23:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead, and I have questions too.

Go ahead.
03:23:52.000 --> 03:24:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, um, is one option to allow the restaurant to continue in that location with one small smoker, as long as they move the other industrial-sized smokers off the property? 03:24:06.000 --> 03:24:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Certainly. I mean, if they go back to the one small smoker, then they don't need a conditional use permit Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
that's an allowed business. So no zoning change would be needed? Correct.

No zoning.
03:24:22.000 --> 03:24:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
03:24:24.000 --> 03:24:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And can you reiterate again, if it had remained the way it was, then you just said there were no changes would be needed, but just simply because of the growth. 03:24:35.000 --> 03:24:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In the business. Yes. And the increase in smoking. In the other business.
03:24:40.000 --> 03:24:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, yes. The addition, going from the one small smoker that was part of an operation of a larger deli. 03:24:51.000 --> 03:24:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to a barbecue restaurant that solely serves barbecue and has the two large smoker.
03:24:58.000 --> 03:25:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: changed how it's classified under the code.
03:25:02.000 --> 03:25:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Go ahead. So, in reading the question and answer, and the question that I had sent in is, we could go ahead and condition.
03:25:12.000 --> 03:25:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: its continued business. 03:25:17.000 --> 03:25:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: to just allow the small smoker, and if they wanted to continue doing the business that would require the big smoking thing, we could require that to be done off site and have them cater the food back into the premise. That is one thing we can condition.

If we.
03:25:34.000 --> 03:25:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If we move in that direction. So. 03:25:38.000 --> 03:25:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the… you know, there's not a permit before you today, so what I would suggest is that if the Council is interested in that sort of action, that you decide if you want to move forward with a, um…
03:25:52.000 --> 03:25:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: permit change, you could say we want, you know, let's move forward with option A, but.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:25:57.000 --> 03:26:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: until option a is finalized and permits are issued, you know, commence enforcement, and you know. I don't understand, because if they're keeping what was you just said there wouldn't need to be. There wouldn't. But you you aren't. There's no permit before you. The condition do list. Do that. So you want to know what what our options are. Is that my misunderstanding what you're. 03:26:18.000 --> 03:26:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I think that does incorporate it. So the fact that it's like if we moved in a direction where we don't want to shut down the business, but in order for them to continue to operate under their current business license, if they wanted to smoke to the extent they've been smoking the meat.
03:26:33.000 --> 03:26:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We'd condition it to be off premise.
03:26:35.000 --> 03:26:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That's something we could do. So, there's nothing before you tonight to condition. Right. Right. And so, the direction would be you, you know.
03:26:46.000 --> 03:26:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: do option A, do option B, and then just direction to staff to commence enforcement. And it's to their discretion if they want to… And then staff will determine if a violation… if operations change so that there's no… 03:26:58.000 --> 03:27:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: violation, then no enforcement would occur. So you're saying, like, if that was the case, I mean, we can't tell them that they need to take their smokers and do it somewhere else, but we just say, you know, it has to remain the way it is, and then however they decide to proceed.
03:27:12.000 --> 03:27:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right. I mean, yes, the direction is just to staff to commence enforcement of the code. And then staff will determine if there are violations based on how the business continues to operate.
03:27:26.000 --> 03:27:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Got it. Okay.
03:27:29.000 --> 03:27:33.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Just to clarify, is it… 03:27:33.000 --> 03:27:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: legal for them to have the small smoker there.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:27:37.000 --> 03:27:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yes, that's our determination that it does not qualify as an outdoor commercial business. Okay, thank you.

When there's a small smoker there. And you have the dimensions and all of that already, and no… I do not have the dimensions and… I just wanna make sure we're clear on that if we actually…
03:27:55.000 --> 03:27:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, so it… it… 03:27:58.000 --> 03:28:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, we define… the definition is for a facility that cooks, so our determination is sort of looking at the whole of the business. Um…
03:28:10.000 --> 03:28:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, in the past, you know, as you may know, there are other businesses in Sebastopol that have small smokers as part of a larger operation, and our determination has been those are not facilities. You know, I can't guarantee that in every situation you'd look at a…
03:28:27.000 --> 03:28:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Small Smoker and how it operates as part of the business it's in, and make that same determination about whether or not it's, um…
03:28:37.000 --> 03:28:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: qualifies as a outdoor, you know, facility, which is the word used in the…
03:28:43.000 --> 03:28:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the code, but yes, in general, that would be, you know, my assumption that a small smoker would be… 03:28:49.000 --> 03:28:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: permissible in most scenarios. I see. Okay, because I know some of you have other questions. 03:28:58.000 --> 03:29:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I had a question. I've heard rumors about all different things about what the actual owners are doing with the business and all that, and I just wondered if they wanted to answer any questions for us as far as…
03:29:12.000 --> 03:29:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: because I know I just I've heard a variety of things. I don't know if they're here or not. 03:29:16.000 --> 03:29:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh.
03:29:18.000 --> 03:29:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I see.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:29:19.000 --> 03:29:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You need to come up to the mic if you don't mind.
03:29:31.000 --> 03:29:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hi, thank you. Hello, can you hear me? Yeah, I was just wondering, I've heard, you know, you hear a lot of things in the community, and that you all had another site, another place. I just wondered if there were… if there's anything that, just since you're here, I'd rather hear it from… Sure. …source versus rumors, so I just wondered if you had any…
03:29:50.000 --> 03:29:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, I mean, I have lots of things, and I also have some follow-up questions with some of the things that came up, too, but…
03:29:57.000 --> 03:30:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Uh, what I can share is we've looked at so many properties in the last 3-4 months, including in Sebastopol, including all over Sonoma County.
03:30:06.000 --> 03:30:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: These things take time. It's hard to find a place where we can just move in in a month, right? That would be ideal. And we really tried, really tried to find a place where let's just go there.
03:30:16.000 --> 03:30:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We are currently, I would say, about 95% done with negotiating with the property. Can't share where, who, or the landlord, because that's confidential. Um… 03:30:27.000 --> 03:30:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: But we basically agreed on the LOI, on the lease terms.
03:30:32.000 --> 03:30:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's just this final piece is just signing that lease. We've also spoken with Armando at El Cornell. 03:30:41.000 --> 03:30:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: He runs Mexican street, maybe Mexican restaurant about 5 blocks down, and he had a 1 acre property that his restaurant has where he keeps his food trucks, and there's a section where we think maybe we could fit a smoker there.
03:30:56.000 --> 03:31:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Now, that's also a CO zone, but it's much further away from residential.
03:31:02.000 --> 03:31:14.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, so that's something we've discussed with him. If he's interested in helping us, he's more than happy to help us, um, to basically bring our big smoker over there. My question is.
03:31:14.000 --> 03:31:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what defines small smoker? What defines big smoker, right? This is all very, kind of, gray area. And to be honest, I've been asking from the City Building Department, the first email I wrote was May 21st, what am I in violation of?
03:31:29.000 --> 03:31:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: What do we need to do to correct it?
03:31:32.000 --> 03:31:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I got that information yesterday. 03:31:34.000 --> 03:31:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I emailed five, six, seven times. 03:31:38.000 --> 03:31:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I don't know what decisions we need to make or how to move forward if I don't know from the city. 03:31:44.000 --> 03:31:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what to do. Okay. Right? So that's…
03:31:48.000 --> 03:32:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So the question, what you're saying is is that you are nearly to a point where you you have a lease, and you might be moving. But yet you're exploring other options. I just wanted to understand, because I've heard so much like, I said, because we're gonna have public comment. And you can.
03:32:04.000 --> 03:32:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: into this new location in January.

That was the goal.
03:32:07.000 --> 03:32:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: things come up, there's many people involved, right, you have negotiations, that's getting pushed back a little bit. So what we're trying to do is, while we're negotiating a new permanent home, what can we do temporarily?
03:32:19.000 --> 03:32:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, we've already removed one of the large smokers that we had. We just purchased a new smaller smoker. I don't know if you have all seen it, but it is smaller. But that's my question, then, too, is what defines small and big. What's the I think we probably have. I mean, we we understand that you define it by. Let's ask our city attorney.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:32:39.000 --> 03:32:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Alex? So we don't have a definition of small versus big. We have a — it says like an outdoor. 03:32:48.000 --> 03:32:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Umm.
03:32:49.000 --> 03:32:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Let me pull up the definition. 03:32:52.000 --> 03:32:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Umm.
03:32:56.000 --> 03:33:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Yeah, that's not what I care about. 03:33:01.000 --> 03:33:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And to add to that, too, what defines commercial industrial when it comes to barbecues. Okay. 03:33:08.000 --> 03:33:23.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Does anyone else have any questions? Otherwise, we can go ahead and — I'd just like to ask some questions about the new smoker and the old smoker or something like that.

Did you say the bigger one is the cold smoker? And it does like — Yeah. 03:33:23.000 --> 03:33:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Two smokers for two different purposes, right?
03:33:26.000 --> 03:33:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The smaller smoker, that's the one we use for our service cook, which is Wednesday through Sunday. That's typically used from 3.30 in the morning until 11 in the morning. 03:33:35.000 --> 03:33:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That is gonna run at a higher temperature, where you get that really clean blue smoke, which is almost invisible, and it's considered clean smoke.
03:33:45.000 --> 03:34:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The big smoker, which obviously understandably our neighbors are concerned about, is what we cook all of our briskets on, our beef products. That's Mondays and Tuesdays. Those require a much longer cook. There is a cold smoking process that starts out with, so you are going to see smoke that's.
03:34:02.000 --> 03:34:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: thicker on those cook dates. Our idea is to take that smoker off-site, hopefully all Cornell. 03:34:09.000 --> 03:34:20.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right? So that happened elsewhere.

We would still keep the new smoker we got on-site, which had the clean cooking process, way less smoke, clean smoke. Okay.
03:34:20.000 --> 03:34:22.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Any other? Go ahead. 03:34:23.000 --> 03:34:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: When you came before us at a previous meeting, you mentioned that you had your large smoker offsite, and you had employees driving to retrieve the beef.
03:34:38.000 --> 03:34:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that was a hardship on the business.
03:34:43.000 --> 03:34:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And… but yet, you were doing it, and I'm curious, A, how many miles away it was…
03:34:50.000 --> 03:35:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, I have another question I can't think of right at the moment, but if you can answer that, I'll probably remember the other one. As far as distance, would you know 3 miles? 03:35:01.000 --> 03:35:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 3 miles. And honestly, our team, we were willing to do whatever it took to make it work. The issue was Sonoma County Health Department.
03:35:09.000 --> 03:35:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: found out, and they're like, well, you can't transport meat back and forth. Right? That's why we stopped.

Because now we don't want to get in trouble with Health Department. And in that moment, in that scenario we had to pivot really quickly. In this scenario, if we go to El Cornell, we do a conditional use permit. 03:35:26.000 --> 03:35:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We make Sonoma County aware of the process. It's way closer. It's 5 blocks away. They also have a kitchen downstairs where we can store the meat that we're not transporting meat at the wrong temperature. So now we can cook the meat at El Cornell, cool it down there once it's cooled down.
03:35:41.000 --> 03:35:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Bring it to the restaurant, and then we meet the food safety requirements to do that.
03:35:46.000 --> 03:35:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, so my follow-up question is. 03:35:50.000 --> 03:35:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The start of, you said you're 95%.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:35:56.000 --> 03:36:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I believe, in an agreement with someone.
03:36:00.000 --> 03:36:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that you couldn't mention, but then you've gone on and talked about El Cornell. Mm-hmm.
03:36:06.000 --> 03:36:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So are you 95% in an agreement with somebody completely separate? Because we have all heard a lot of rumors.

I've heard, I've heard you're moving out of town. I've heard, I've heard a lot of stuff. And then now you're talking about El Cornell. 03:36:21.000 --> 03:36:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: That will be a temporary solution while we figure out a permanent solution. Okay, so you're moving out of Sebastopol probably no matter what, but you're proposing. That's not a no matter what. Okay, but you're proposing a temporary solution possibly. 03:36:37.000 --> 03:36:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Avelle Cornell. Yes. 03:36:41.000 --> 03:36:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, thank you.
03:36:43.000 --> 03:36:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I wanted to ask, what if El Cornell doesn't really work out?
03:36:48.000 --> 03:36:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that'll still take, like, a permitting process and everything, so there'll be…
03:36:55.000 --> 03:37:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: it's not zoned right, and so that… that's… that in itself is still an issue, right? Sure. Well, if El Cornell doesn't work out, I guess my question then would be, what would cause it to not work out? Like, what are…
03:37:08.000 --> 03:37:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Well, I'm just saying, like, the time to make…
03:37:13.000 --> 03:37:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: even even this, even if we rezoned yours, would take like 3 3 months, right? So it would take 3 months. And then we're getting close to the time where you might be able to find a different place. And then it costs about. I don't know about $3,000 for the use.
03:37:31.000 --> 03:37:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Conditional use permit? 5,000? 5,000.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:37:34.000 --> 03:37:45.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, if that's acceptable to you, and El Cornell, but we have no guarantees of that, specifically, and if it doesn't work out, then what?
03:37:45.000 --> 03:37:59.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: then we'll have to come up with another solution, right? Or then we don't have a solution, but those are our two options right now. So you're 95% somewhere, but yet maybe a… okay. Um, I have a question just about the, um…
03:37:59.000 --> 03:38:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I lived in Texas for a decade, so very familiar with barbecue.
03:38:03.000 --> 03:38:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: A lot of them have the… 03:38:06.000 --> 03:38:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the words… scrubbers, filters… The filters on it, you go to Austin, you see it all over the place, they're all filtered, and I've talked to some other council members, even locally, in the North Bay, who know… people have… what happened, like, I heard that you had done that, again, rumors and all different things, so, like, what happened with that?
03:38:25.000 --> 03:38:40.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Is there a reason why you can't have them? What are the logistics? Okay, so we've met with, I would say, over 50 different people, whether it's engineers, whether it's contractors, whether it's other barbecue restaurants. We spoke to other barbecue restaurants about their solution.
03:38:40.000 --> 03:38:53.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Problem is, I don't know what the regulation and standard is. We're not going to spend $50,000 to build a nice filtration system, and then potentially learn that that's not the correct one, right?
03:38:53.000 --> 03:39:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And that's why I bring up the fact that I've been asking, think May 21st, what am I violating? What do I need to do to make this right? And I got that information yesterday. 03:39:02.000 --> 03:39:13.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Why does that take 6 months? If I have that information, then I can strategize, okay, here's what we're gonna do, but I'm not willing to commit money into something that doesn't guarantee us.
03:39:13.000 --> 03:39:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: being able to continue business.

Okay, alright. Does anyone else have any other questions otherwise? Oh, Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
for go ahead. Well, yeah. So now it seems like the burden is shifting back on staff the fact that they were negligent and not providing a proper response back. So.
03:39:29.000 --> 03:39:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So what's that? So just go back to the definition. The definition of outdoor barbecue commercial means any outdoor facility for cooking food directly over hot coals, gas, or other meats, smoking food, or other similar methods, and where the food is intended to be sold or distributed for commercial purposes. 03:39:44.000 --> 03:39:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So.
03:39:46.000 --> 03:39:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: First, that definition does not change at all based on whether there's a filtration system or not. 03:39:52.000 --> 03:39:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right, that might be part of a… 03:39:54.000 --> 03:40:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, use permit to require that, but whether or not something is an outdoor barbecue, commercial barbecue, doesn't change that under that definition, whether you have a filtration system or not.
03:40:06.000 --> 03:40:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So that's why there's no answer to you can become legal if you have a filtration system. There might be building code things about… of how that needs to be installed, but not under the zoning code.
03:40:18.000 --> 03:40:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: In there, the definition is any outdoor facility for cooking. How the city has historically interpreted that is that if you are a… have a small…
03:40:31.000 --> 03:40:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Essentially, you're an outdoor facility for cooking, if that's your sole way of preparing food. If you have a small barbecue that is part of another operation where you are preparing foods in other ways on site, like some of the other. 03:40:47.000 --> 03:41:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: restaurants in Sebastopol that have barbecues. There is no… we don't consider you an outdoor facility for cooking food. You happen to have that as an accessory use to your business, but you're not an outdoor facility for cooking food. 03:41:02.000 --> 03:41:19.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So that's why, you know, I spoke earlier about, well, yes, it needs to be small, but it's looked sort of holistically at the whole business. That's how we've done it historically Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
in the city. Certainly, the council, you're providing direction on the zoning change, could provide direction.
03:41:19.000 --> 03:41:25.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You know, to include into this barbecue, you know, the definition.
03:41:25.000 --> 03:41:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know.
03:41:26.000 --> 03:41:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: A small barbecue doesn't qualify as a outdoor barbecue commercial. And small means, you know, X, Y, and Z.

And either direct staff with something specific or direct staff to come up with that definition in the order.
03:41:42.000 --> 03:41:44.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Can I ask a question about that? 03:41:44.000 --> 03:41:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay, so give me one second. So Vice Mayor, you had a question before, did you still?
03:41:54.000 --> 03:42:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I guess I don't understand the viability of moving to Cornell.
03:42:01.000 --> 03:42:10.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If it's gonna take four to five months to get the conditional use permit and you're nearly ready to move forward.
03:42:10.000 --> 03:42:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: sign a lease, you're 95%, you know, ready to sign a lease, so I'm a little confused on that point. 03:42:18.000 --> 03:42:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Uh, to answer that, it's because we don't know how long it's going to take until we can actually start operating there. Just because I sign a lease next month doesn't mean we're moving in next month. There's a build-out process, there's a permitting process, right?
03:42:31.000 --> 03:42:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If people involved, though, if they determine, okay, we'll be ready to go in May.
03:42:36.000 --> 03:42:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Did we shut down for five months? 03:42:39.000 --> 03:42:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right? But what we're trying to do is…
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:42:42.000 --> 03:42:52.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Take time to find a permanent solution. What can we do in the meantime, while that's sorted out at the end of the day. I want to do that more than anything for the neighborhood. Seriously like that's.
03:42:52.000 --> 03:42:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Moving the smoker off the premise is what has to happen, but I can't do that.
03:42:58.000 --> 03:43:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Unless there's a clear understanding of.
03:43:01.000 --> 03:43:05.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: what the regulation around that is and what the expectations are.
03:43:05.000 --> 03:43:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And I've been trying for six months to get that information.
03:43:08.000 --> 03:43:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I see. Okay, other questions. 03:43:13.000 --> 03:43:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: No? Okay.
03:43:16.000 --> 03:43:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm suddenly curious about what the information is that you received the other day, like specifically. So on May 21st, I emailed the city building department because we met with them Right. We got a cease and desist letter.
03:43:31.000 --> 03:43:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Prior to the cease and desist letter.
03:43:34.000 --> 03:43:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Again, I had just joined the company. I don't know what information was shared before then, but I reached out to the building department. Cool. Thank you for the letter.

Appreciate that you're letting us know. Can I please get all the documents?
03:43:50.000 --> 03:43:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: that show what we're in violation of so we can understand what the cease and desist letter is for. 03:43:56.000 --> 03:43:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Now the men.
03:43:58.000 --> 03:44:08.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Whether it's zoning, whether it's… is it the smoker itself? Is it smoke? Is it… we don't know, because there was no information. We weren't told what we were violating. 03:44:10.000 --> 03:44:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Go ahead.
03:44:14.000 --> 03:44:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, I know we're not to comment yet, but we have heard this. You might be new with the company, but there's other people in the room that work for your company that were here at a previous hearing.
03:44:24.000 --> 03:44:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, and I guess it's a little chicken and egg, because at the end of the day, we are the final decision makers to give a zoning.
03:44:32.000 --> 03:44:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Make a zoning change. 03:44:35.000 --> 03:44:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: However…
03:44:38.000 --> 03:44:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I think you also, as a company, have responsibility. Of course.
03:44:43.000 --> 03:44:55.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, not just waiting for a letter from the city, because we clearly stated what the rules were in our last hearing when this was before this body. Mm-hmm.
03:44:55.000 --> 03:45:06.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And maybe you weren't here personally, but it's all recorded for the public. So I just… I think now's the time to say that, because maybe everybody…
03:45:06.000 --> 03:45:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: is missing that point. Sure you're far us by for the second or 3rd time over a number of months. 03:45:14.000 --> 03:45:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Where I heard…
03:45:18.000 --> 03:45:31.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you'd help come up with a solution we could all live with. So I just, I just want to say that because you're standing on public, even though we're still in questions, I, I just want to be fully transparent about.
03:45:31.000 --> 03:45:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you're saying one side, but I view it a bit. I've I've been here for all these meetings. So I just want to Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
say that. Yeah, I appreciate that. And I want to keep this in questions, and we will have public comment where you can answer. So I mean, give your comments. But go ahead for questions.
03:45:47.000 --> 03:45:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I'm just wondering about enforcement. And if there's a progressive level of enforcement like, say, like the the larger trailer moves.
03:45:58.000 --> 03:46:01.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Assume ASAP or whatever. 03:46:02.000 --> 03:46:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And then the second one that's a little bit smaller, you know, they're able to, you know, take, you know, some kind of like reasonable progress, like two weeks or something before enforcement action starts or how, is there some way that we can. 03:46:19.000 --> 03:46:24.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: you know, not cause like immediate trauma.
03:46:24.000 --> 03:46:38.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So, um, city hasn't done enforcement, you know, since it sent out the letters. Enforcement, you know, individual enforcement decisions are left to the discretion of staff, who are the enforcement officers.
03:46:38.000 --> 03:46:43.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: The normal process involves, you know, a leather.
03:46:43.000 --> 03:46:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Stating, you know, to achieve compliance within, you know, 14 days or something like that. 03:46:50.000 --> 03:46:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: There might be a notice of violation after that.
03:46:54.000 --> 03:46:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: There are then penalties. 03:46:57.000 --> 03:47:14.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: possibility for city to impose fines. Those fines are generally up to an amount, and so that, you know, the enforcement officer looks at the situation and determines, you know, based on the circumstance, what's the appropriate level of fine to impose.
03:47:14.000 --> 03:47:16.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: in that situation. 03:47:17.000 --> 03:47:32.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I have a question for clarification, and you can go ahead and sit down. I'm sorry I don't want to make you keep standing there unless anyone else has questions for them. Okay, we're good. Thank you. For city staff. I'm reading in all these FAQs here. It says one of the questions number 43. 03:47:32.000 --> 03:47:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: has staff met with A and M barbecue, and I see that.
03:47:38.000 --> 03:48:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Staff met with the owner in March.

The city manager spoke with Mr. Austin on May 28, th and on June 8, th met with Mr. Austin, the Santa Rosa and the Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Naacp. President, and planning and building staff to discuss compliance issues as noted above A and M. Have stayed in contact with the city and shared operational and long term business plans which include confidential business information.
03:48:00.000 --> 03:48:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I just I feel like we're hearing contradictory information. So I just want to just clarify with this question here.
03:48:07.000 --> 03:48:09.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, for the public. 03:48:11.000 --> 03:48:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I guess I'm unclear what the contradictory information is. So he was. Well, I just heard that you know that they hadn't heard anything since since the letter in May. But here it says you met with them in June, and I don't want to speak for Finn, but I just want to say that per our conversation. What Finn was asking about was a information from the building official related to what the notice of violations was.
03:48:35.000 --> 03:48:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: They have been in contact with staff. It is confidential what they provided to us. I do not have the right to tell, say, what their business plan is, or what… Oh, I'm not asking that. I'm just asking, but they've been in continued contact, but it's just with certain people, certain… Yes, I believe there's two different things that were going on. They have been in contact, providing us information. They had requested.
03:48:54.000 --> 03:49:11.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: other. What the what the current zone, what the zoning violation was is my understanding, and I believe building thought that they had responded, and then it was brought to my attention from Finn that they had not. So I followed up at it at that point. I see. I'm sorry. I just want to understand. I just want to make sure there was. It was 2 different.
03:49:11.000 --> 03:49:18.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: 2 different issues that were. They have been in contact with us continually with that confidential information.
03:49:18.000 --> 03:49:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Got it. Okay.
03:49:20.000 --> 03:49:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Let me see here. Any other questions? I need to look at online here.
03:49:26.000 --> 03:49:28.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Let's see.
03:49:30.000 --> 03:49:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Sorry, I'm just trying to review this really quickly if there's anything else.
03:49:35.000 --> 03:49:37.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, no one else?
03:49:37.000 --> 03:49:39.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: You're good.
03:49:39.000 --> 03:49:41.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Okay.
03:49:41.000 --> 03:49:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
03:49:44.000 --> 03:49:46.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Oh, there's something. 03:49:47.000 --> 03:49:51.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I see. Okay. All right. Well, if we don't have any other…
03:49:55.000 --> 03:50:04.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Always count on you for the comedy release. Like, breaking the moment. Um, okay, so what we're gonna do is go out to public comment.
03:50:04.000 --> 03:50:17.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Mayor. So this is public comment on the discussion of the rezone and use permit for A&M Barbecue.

If you'd like to make a public comment, it is a 2-minute time limit per speaker. I do chambers first, and then go out to Zoom.
03:50:23.000 --> 03:50:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Hi, my name is Doug Yule. I live on Petaluma Avenue.
03:50:27.000 --> 03:50:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, but…
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:50:29.000 --> 03:50:30.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: First of all, just… 03:50:30.000 --> 03:50:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Since listening to the questions. 03:50:32.000 --> 03:50:47.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, El Cornell won't work. You're right across the street from Apple Valley at Post Acute Care. You know, what, are you gonna pump that smoke at those people? And just because they can't complain doesn't mean they're gonna be able to deal with it. 03:50:47.000 --> 03:50:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Secondly.
03:50:49.000 --> 03:50:57.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I appreciate the fact that the council's trying, you know, every member on the council is trying not to hamstring the business.
03:50:57.000 --> 03:51:02.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Please stop hamstringing the residents.
03:51:02.000 --> 03:51:07.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: We need the smoke to stop. We need it to stop now.
03:51:07.000 --> 03:51:08.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: This is…
03:51:08.000 --> 03:51:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: If you're going to kick that can down the road with zoning, we still need enforcement right away. 03:51:15.000 --> 03:51:20.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: It's not something you can just postpone and postpone and postpone.
03:51:20.000 --> 03:51:26.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: the harms have been done. It's been over a year since those, you know, since A&M has been.
03:51:26.000 --> 03:51:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Building smoke.
03:51:27.000 --> 03:51:32.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: blowing smoke, if you will, you know, at us.
03:51:32.000 --> 03:51:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And it's just not acceptable.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:51:35.000 --> 03:51:36.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you.
03:51:36.000 --> 03:51:42.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

Next, I'll go out to Zoom. Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please? 03:51:47.000 --> 03:51:49.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle, can you unmute yourself, please?
03:51:50.000 --> 03:51:52.000
Kyle Falbo: There we go.
03:51:51.000 --> 03:51:54.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you. Can you see the timer? 03:51:53.000 --> 03:51:55.000
Kyle Falbo: I can't.
03:51:54.000 --> 03:51:56.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Right. Go ahead, please. 03:51:56.000 --> 03:52:04.000
Kyle Falbo: So thanks again for the political theater and the unprecedented move of calling the business owner up.
03:52:04.000 --> 03:52:17.000
Kyle Falbo: to have conversation, um, which is, I think, kind of an orthodox approach here, um, we learn that the city's own building department.
03:52:17.000 --> 03:52:24.000
Kyle Falbo: Failed to communicate with the business owner, despite multiple emailed requests.
03:52:24.000 --> 03:52:39.000
Kyle Falbo: And once that was communicated, then suddenly the mayor chose to cut that conversation short, not follow up on that particular information, and then to proceed with other lines of questioning. 03:52:39.000 --> 03:52:44.000
Kyle Falbo: And then, for quite some time, other discussion, but… 03:52:44.000 --> 03:52:51.000
Kyle Falbo: not really addressing this issue. And praise to Mary here for taking accountability.
03:52:51.000 --> 03:53:03.000
Kyle Falbo: for that information, right? We've been at this for months, and the fact that communication is so poor between city officials. 03:53:03.000 --> 03:53:19.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
Kyle Falbo: and business owners on this controversial issue, and that council is in the dark, and then, you know, congrats to Councilmember Hinton to try to suggest that what happens in a public city council meeting.
03:53:19.000 --> 03:53:34.000
Kyle Falbo: constitutes communication in an official capacity outside of the scope of the business… of the planning depart… or the… the building department's official communication, that's interesting too. But I don't expect that you're gonna…
03:53:34.000 --> 03:53:37.000
Kyle Falbo: address this issue, right?
03:53:37.000 --> 03:53:54.000
Kyle Falbo: Mary owned up to it. That's great. Are we going to follow up and see how we do as a city in terms of communicating with businesses, how we do in terms of accountability of our city management to make sure that we don't have these kind of oversights in the future? 03:53:55.000 --> 03:54:01.000
Kyle Falbo: It's not clear, because I've seen city management make mistakes lots, and I don't see a lot of oversight.
03:54:01.000 --> 03:54:03.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Kyle, that's two minutes. 03:54:03.000 --> 03:54:18.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

Next, I'll come back into chambers. Yeah, uh, good, good evening. I'm Kim Keller. I live, um, on Eleanor Avenue, um, and, uh, so, um, I live in a pla- uh, where I live, um.
03:54:18.000 --> 03:54:27.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Walker Avenue kind of funnels the smoke right up our street, and you know, on certain days it's just really unbearable.
03:54:27.000 --> 03:54:35.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: And so for a lot of us in the neighborhood, this is not a complicated issue, it's a public health issue.
03:54:35.000 --> 03:54:50.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: simple, right? It's a public health issue for those of us who are who live there. And so you know, there's lots of options. All I care about is stopping the smoke right? 03:54:50.000 --> 03:55:12.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: and period. And so, you know, after a year of dealing with this smoke, I have all the classic symptoms of wood smoke inhalation almost daily. I've had to adjust my schedule in significant ways in terms of when I'm outside, when I'm not outside, when I have my windows open.

Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026

Agenda Item Number 1
03:55:12.000 --> 03:55:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: I've had to expend $21,000 in order to purchase an air conditioning system so that I don't burn up. 03:55:21.000 --> 03:55:29.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: because I can't open my windows, you know, I've had real harm here.
03:55:29.000 --> 03:55:34.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Something needs to happen. We cannot continue like this. It's not fair.
03:55:34.000 --> 03:55:48.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Um, it's just not. Um, I… just to, um, and just to say, you know, lastly, the new smoker there, it may be a little smaller, but it's big. It's a big…
03:55:48.000 --> 03:56:00.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: industrial commercial smoker, the new one. And I'm sorry, I've done a ton of research on this. I don't believe there's any clean smoke without a good filtration system on it. 03:56:00.000 --> 03:56:15.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: So I also wanna say, I know for a fact that there are people on the city council who have bended over backwards to make this work for the company. Sometimes I feel- In that few minutes. Anyway, thank you.
03:56:15.000 --> 03:56:21.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you for your public comment.

Next I'll go out to Zoom. Sarah, can you unmute yourself please? 03:56:22.000 --> 03:56:34.000
Sarah’s iphone: Hi, um, my name's Sarah, I live in Sebastopol. Um, I'm a huge fan of A&M Barbecue, and the response kind of feels as if… 03:56:34.000 --> 03:56:52.000
Sarah’s iphone: they're kind of getting pushed out of town, and there's not a lot of efforts being made on their part to allow their business to continue functioning or find another way. And I'm just wondering why that's occurring, and I really hope that the business is able to stay in Sebastopol.
03:56:53.000 --> 03:56:54.000
Sarah’s iphone: That's it. Thank you.
03:56:54.000 --> 03:56:58.000
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center: Thank you, Sarah, for your public comment. Next, I will come back into the chambers.
03:56:58.000 --> 03:57:08.000
Agenda Item Number 1
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026