REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
OF THE SONOMA CITY COUNCIL
City Council Chambers
cig Council: 177 First Street West
33”“ '-°""ex MaV°’ Wednesday, October 18, 2023
John Gurney, Vice Mayor
Jack Ding
Patricia Farrar—Rivas
Ron Wellander
6:00 PM Regular Meeting
6:00 P.M. — REGULAR MEETING
CONVENE, CALL TO ORDER, & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Lowe called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS FOR ZOOM ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS
Public Comment Process for ZOOM Attendance at Meetings
ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Vice Mayor Gurney, Council Member Farrar—Rivas, Council Member Wellander, Council Member Ding, and Mayor Lowe
REPORT ON CLOSED SESSION
There was no Closed Session held.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Motion by Council Member Farrar—Rivas,seconded by Council Member Ding, to approve the agenda with Item 3.0 being moved before Item 1.0. Motion carried unanimously.
1. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Josette Brose-Eichar, Gil Latimer, and David Eichar provided public comments.
2. MEETING DEDICATIONS
None.
3. COUNCIL MEMBERS’ REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Council Member Ding attended a Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting on October 10, 2023.
Council Member Farrar—Rivas attended a Sonoma Clean Power Authority meeting on October 5, 2023. On October 11, 2023, she attended a joint special meeting between the City Council and Planning Commission to kick off the General Plan Update. Council Member Farrar—Rivas stated she met with her Design Review & Historical Preservation Commission direct appointee — Toni Thompson — last week. Mrs. Thompson sent in her resignation letter today.
Vice Mayor Gurney attended the Mountain Cemetery clean-up day held on October 7, 2023, along with Council Member Wellander. Vice Mayor Gurney then participated in a meeting with Sonoma County regarding shared services on October 11, 2023, along with attending the joint special meeting between the City Council and Planning Commission to kick off the General Plan Update.
On October 12, 2023, he attended a Sonoma Tourism Improvement District meeting. Mr. Gurney also attended Eraldi’s 100“ Year Anniversary celebration on October 16, 2023.
Council Member Wellander attended the grand opening of MacArthur Place on October 17, 2023.
Mr. Wellander also made time to meet with Dave Kiff,Department of Health Services Homelessness Services Division Director, regarding homelessness in Sonoma Valley.
Mayor Lowe attended a Sonoma County Transportation Authority meeting on October 9, 2023. She and her fellow council members attended a reception to honor Suzanne Smith, former Executive Director of Sonoma County Transportation Authority, in addition to attending the grand opening reception for MacArthur Place on October 17, 2023.
4. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
City Manager Guhin provided an update on the clean-up efforts at the City cemeteries. The City has held two volunteer days so far, and another one is scheduled for November 4, 2023. Mr. Guhin shared that the city currently has a few open positions: a senior planner, a finance director, and a building official. City Manager Guhin shared that the City Council and Planning Commission held a joint special meeting to kick off the General Plan Update. There are two community workshop meetings scheduled on November 2"“and 13”‘at the Vintage House starting at 6:00 p.m.
5. CITY ATTORNEY COMMENTS
None.
6. PRESENTATIONS
Item 6.1: Recognition of Maricarmen Reyes in Honor of her Receiving the Puente y Ganas Award from Los Cien
Item 6.2: Recognition of John Donnelly on the Occasion of his Retirement from the Sonoma Overlook Trail Stewards
7. CONSENT CALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
Motion by Council Member We/lander, seconded by Council Member Farrar-Rivas, to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 7.1: Waive further reading and Authorize Introduction andlor Adoption of Ordinances by Title Only. (Standard procedural action - no backup information provided)
Item 7.2: Receive Minutes of the Regular Meeting of October 4, 2023 (Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk)
Action: Minutes were received.
Item 7.3: Accept the Expenditure Report for the Month of September 2023 (Chuck McBride, Interim Finance Director)
Action: Expenditure report was accepted.
Item 7.4: Adopt a Resolution Designating Signatories on City of Sonoma Financial Institution Accounts (Chuck McBride, Interim Finance Director)
Action: Adopted as Resolution 67-2023.
Item 7.5: Adopt a Resolution to Approve a Permanent Lighting Installation on the Canary Island Palm Located on the Front Historic Lawn of the Sonoma Plaza and to Accept a Monetary Donation From Rotary Club Sonoma Sunrise to Cover Expenses Associated with the Requested Installation of Permanent Lights (Lisa Janson, Senior Management Analyst)
Action: Adopted as Resolution 68-2023.
Item 7.6: Creation of an General Plan Update Task Force (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director)
Action: Council appointed seven members to the General Plan Update Task Force, as presented.
8. PUBLIC HEARING
None.
9. REGULAR CALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
Item 9.1: An Ordinance Adding Chapter 9.93 to Title 9 of the Sonoma Municipal Code Regulating the Safe and Secure Storage of Firearms (Brandon Cutting, Police Chief) Action: Ordinance was introduced.
Public Comment: Beth Hadley, Anne Chang, and Anna Chouteau.
Motion by Vice Mayor Gurney, seconded by Council Member Ding, to introduce the Ordinance Adding Chapter 9.93 to Title 9 of the Sonoma Municipal Code Regulating the Safe and Secure Storage of Firearms. Motion carried unanimously.
10. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Lowe adjourned the meeting at 7:31 p.m.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly adopted at a regular meeting of the Sonoma City Council on the 1st day of November 2023. éebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk