CITY OF SEBASTOPOL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM REPORT FOR MEETING OF: October 20, 2026
============================================================================================== To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Councilmember Hinton and Councilmember Carter
Responsible
Department:
City Manager's Office
Subject: Cancellation of the November 3, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting Due to the Statewide General Election and Sebastopol City Council Election ============================================================================================== RECOMMENDATION(s):
That the City Council, by motion, cancel the Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, November 3, 2026, due to the Statewide General Election and the Sebastopol City Council Election, and direct the City Clerk to post a notice of cancellation at City Hall and on the City website.
PROCESS OF AGENDA ITEM:
1. Presentation by Councilmember Hinton and Councilmember Carter
2. Council questions and discussion
3. Public comment
4. Council deliberation and action
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Councilmember Hinton and Councilmember Carter have requested that the City Council cancel its Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, November 3, 2026, which falls on the date of the Statewide General Election, when Sebastopol City Council seats are also on the ballot. Items that would otherwise have been scheduled for November 3 would be moved to the next Regular City Council Meeting on Tuesday, November 17, 2026 or future meetings depending upon the item. Should an urgent matter arise, a special meeting may be called in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council holds its regular meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In 2026, the first Tuesday in November falls on November 3, which is Election Day for the Statewide General Election. Sebastopol City Council seats are also on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Councilmember Hinton and Councilmember Carter at the October 6th City Council meeting brought forward a request to ask that the Council consider canceling the November 3, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting. Because the meeting date is before the Council's next scheduled opportunity to act, Council action is needed at the October 20, 2026 meeting.
DISCUSSION:
Councilmember Hinton and Councilmember Carter are requesting that the Council cancel the November 3, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting for the following reasons:
1. Councilmembers who are candidates, or who are supporting the election, should be available on Election Night.
2. Residents' attention will be on voting and election results. Attendance and public comment at a Council meeting would likely be lower than usual, which reduces transparency and community input.
Agenda Item Number 8
Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026
3. Items can be heard at the November 17, 2026 regular meeting or a future City Council meeting dependent on the item(s), and a special meeting such as on a different date may be called if an urgent matter arises.
If approved, the City Clerk will post a notice of cancellation at City Hall and on the City website.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
Implementing this item would require minimal staff time. City Clerk staff would prepare and post the notice of cancellation. Items tentatively scheduled for the November 3, 2026 meeting would be moved to the November 17, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting or a future City Council meeting. No additional staff research is required. DRAFT Agendas were reviewed by the Agenda Review Committee and provided to the City Council that provide information on tentative agenda items for upcoming Council Meetings. Staff does not believe there would be any negative impacts from moving the items currently scheduled for November 3 to November 17 or a later day.
City staff also reached out to other cities that hold meetings on the First Tuesday. Sebastopol and Santa Rosa are the only cities that hold City Council Meetings on the first Tuesday.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS/PRIORITIES AND GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
This agenda item represents the City Council goals/priorities as follows:
Goal: Good Governance, Transparency and Public Participation PUBLIC COMMENT:
As of the writing of this staff report, the City has not received any public comment. However, if staff receives public comment from interested parties following the publication and distribution of this staff report, such comments will be provided to the City Council as supplemental materials before or at the meeting. In addition, public comments may be offered during the public comment portion of the agenda item.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
This item was noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional fiscal impact associated with canceling the meeting. Cancellation would save approximately $1,070 in audiovisual and closed-captioning costs. Any additional savings related to consultant, contract, or staff time would depend on the meeting agenda and cannot be quantified at this time. The minimal staff time required to prepare and post a cancellation notice would be absorbed within existing City Clerk resources.
RESTATED RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by motion, cancel the Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, November 3, 2026, due to the Statewide General Election and the Sebastopol City Council Election, and direct the City Clerk to post a notice of cancellation at City Hall and on the City website.
CITY COUNCIL OPTIONS:
1. Reschedule rather than cancel: Move the November 3, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting to an alternate date selected by the Council, and direct staff to notice it accordingly. Moving the meeting to a night other than a Tuesday would require availability of the meeting room, availability of IT, and availability of the City Attorney and consultants if needed. The City Attorney is not available for a special meeting on November 10.
2. Take no action, and the November 3, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting will proceed as scheduled.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Agenda Item Number 8
Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026
APPROVALS:
Department Head Approval: Approval Date: ______________ CEQA Determination (Planning): Approval Date: ______________ The proposed action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Administrative Services (Financial) Approval Date: ______________ Costs authorized in City Approved Budget: N/A – no cost associated with this action City Attorney Approval: Approval Date: ______________
City Manager Approval: Approval Date: ______________
Agenda Item Number 8
Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet for October 20, 2026