City Council:
Jack Ding, Mayor
Kelso Barnett, Vice Mayor
Madolyn Agrimonti
Robert Felder
Sandra Lowe
This meeting of the City Council will be conducted in person, and telephonically through Zoom. The City Council will attend the meeting in person. The public is encouraged to attend either in person or remotely through Zoom. Please note that, in accordance with updated guidelines from the State of California and the Order of the Health Officer of the County of Sonoma C19-25, all persons attending the meeting in person are required to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth for the duration of the meeting regardless of vaccination status. Please see the agenda below for information on public participation.
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SONOMA CITY COUNCIL
City Council Chambers, 177 First Street West
Thursday, January 6, 2022
https://zoom.us/j/94943925973
1:00 p.m. Special Meeting
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AGENDA
Be Courteous - TURN OFF your cell phones and pagers while the meeting is in session.
NOTICE: Mayor Jack Ding has called the City Council into a Special Meeting to discuss only the matters stated on the agenda listed below.
PUBLIC COMMENT AT SPECIAL MEETING: Members of the public shall have the opportunity to address the City Council concerning any item listed on the agenda during consideration of that item, when the Mayor opens public comment. No other items may be discussed at this special meeting.
Page
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
2.1: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the Remote Teleconference Meetings of the City Council and All City Commissions and Committees Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e) (City Manager)
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the resolution.
Agenda Report - AB 361 Findings - Pdf
2 - 5
3. ADJOURNMENT
I do hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on the City Hall bulletin board on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk/Executive Assistant. *********************************************************************************************************************************** Copies of all staff reports and documents subject to disclosure that relate to any item of business referred to on the agenda are normally available for public inspection the Wednesday before each regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall, located at No. 1 The Plaza, Sonoma CA. Any documents subject to disclosure that are provided to all, or a majority of all, of the members of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda after the agenda has been distributed will be made available for inspection at the City Clerk’s office, No. 1 The Plaza, Sonoma CA during regular business hours.
If you challenge the action of the City Council in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described on the agenda, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Clerk, at or prior to the public hearing.
MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION: A Council Member voting with the majority on any item appearing on this agenda may move for reconsideration of that vote provided the motion is in conformance with the rules adopted by the Council governing such motions.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk (707) 933-2216. Notification 48-hours before the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
City of Sonoma
Agenda Item Summary
Meeting: Special City Council - 06 Jan
2022
Department
Administration
Staff Contact
Garrett Toy, City Manager
Agenda Item Title
Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the Remote Teleconference Meetings of the City Council and All City Commissions and Committees Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e) Summary
The City Council and all City Commissions and Committees have been holding their meetings in-person while simultaneously using ZOOM for remote public participation since June 7, 2021.
On November 10, 2021, the Governor issued Executive Order N-21-21, which extended the State of Emergency and the timeframes set forth in Executive Orders N-12-21 and N-17-21 until at least March 31, 2022. The Governor's action was primarily in response to a plateau in California's recent record of week- over- week declines in COVID- 19 cases and hospitalizations, which indicates the potential beginning of a new surge in COVID- 19 cases, and the need to protect capacity in and prevent staffing shortages at health care facilities with the onset of the flu season. As a result, the Governor' s proclaimed State of Emergency remains in effect, and State and local officials, including the Sonoma County Health Officer, the California Department of Public Health, and the Department of Industrial Relations, have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing.
Due to the imminent surge in the COVID-19 Omicron Variant, and in an abundance of caution, Staff requests the City Council consider returning to the all-virtual meeting format, which had been in place under the Governor's Executive Orders N29-20 and N-08-21.
On September 16, 2021, Governor Newsome signed Assembly Bill (AB) 361 into law, effective October 1, 2021, to allow agencies to use teleconferencing for public meetings during proclaimed state of emergencies without requiring the teleconference locations to be accessible to the public or a quorum of the members of the legislative body of the agency to participate from locations within the boundaries of the agency’ s
jurisdiction. AB 361 will sunset on January 31, 2024.
As discussed above, state and local officials continue to recommend social distancing.
Government Code section 54953(e), as amended by Assembly Bill No. 361, allows legislative bodies to hold open meetings by teleconference without reference to otherwise applicable requirements in Government Code section 54953(b)(3), so long as the legislative body complies with certain requirements, there exists a declared state of emergency, and one of the following circumstances is met:
• State or local health officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing, or
• The legislative body is holding the meeting for the purpose of determining, by majority vote, whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees, or
Agenda Item #2.1:
• The legislative body finds that meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
To return to a virtual meeting format under AB 361, the City Council now needs to find and declare the circumstances of the state of emergency and either:
1. the state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the members to meet safely in person, or
2. State or local officials continue to impose or recommend measures to promote social distancing.
These finding are required to be reconsidered every 30 days.
With the adoption of this resolution, all City Council and City Commission and Committee meetings would be conducted virtually in January including all the scheduled joint Council meetings with the various City Commissions/Committees. The Housing Element Kick-off meeting would be rescheduled from late January to sometime in late February or March. The Council meeting on February 2nd would also be a virtual meeting. At its February 2nd meeting, the Council would need to reconsider the findings to continue with virtual meetings.
Recommended Council Action
Adopt the resolution.
Alternative Actions
Council discretion.
Financial Impact
N/A
Environmental Review Status
Environmental Impact Report
Negative Declaration
Exempt
Not Applicable
Approved/Certified
No Action Required
Action Requested
Attachments
AB 361 Initial Resolution
Agenda Item #2.1:
City of Sonoma
RESOLUTION # ______ - 2021
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SONOMA AUTHORIZING
REMOTE TELECONFERENCE MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND ALL CITY
COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54953(e)
WHEREAS, Government Code section 54953(e), as amended by Assembly Bill No. 361, allows legislative bodies to hold open meetings by teleconference without reference to otherwise applicable requirements in Government Code section 54953(b)(3), so long as the legislative body complies with certain requirements, there exists a declared state of emergency, and one of the following circumstances is met:
1. State or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing.
2. The legislative body is holding the meeting for the purpose of determining, by majority vote, whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
3. The legislative body has determined, by majority vote, pursuant to option 2, that, as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
WHEREAS, the Governor of California proclaimed a state of emergency pursuant to Government Code section 8625 on March 4, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to hold its public meetings by teleconference consistent with Government Code section 54953(e).
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SONOMA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals. The Recitals set forth above are true and correct and are incorporated into this Resolution by this reference.
Section 2. Conditions are Met. The City Council hereby finds and declares the following, as required by Government Code section 54953(e)(3):
1. The Governor of California proclaimed a state of emergency on March 4, 2020, pursuant to Government Code section 8625, which remains in effect.
2. The following circumstances are met:
a. State or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing.
b. The legislative body is holding the meeting for the purpose of determining whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
Agenda Item #2.1:
c. The legislative body has determined that, as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Sonoma, this 6th day of January 2022 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
_____________________________________
Jack Ding, Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk
Agenda Item #2.1: