REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
OF THE SONOMA CITY COUNCIL
•CALIFORNIA
City Council Chambers
City Council: 177 First Street West
John Gurney, Mayor Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Patricia Farrar-Rivas, Vice Mayor
Jack Ding
Ron Wellander 6:00 PM Regular Meeting
Sandra Lowe
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 Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
1. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Public comment was moved to the end of the meeting after a caller attempted to give hate speech comments.
2. MEETING DEDICATIONS
Council Member Ding dedicated the meeting to Doctor Laurie Tsuruda. Council Member Wellander dedicated the meeting to Jeanette Evans.
3. COUNCIL MEMBERS' REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Council Member Ding attended a Sonoma County Homelessness Coalition Memorial Ceremony for homelessness. Seek clarification.
Mayor Gurney addressed the State of the Valley on January 5, 2024. He was also able to participate in the monthly meeting of the Sonoma Tourism District on January 11, 2024. Also on that day, Mayor Gurney attended a Sister Cities meeting. On January 16, 2024, Mr. Gurney attended a Shared Services meeting with Sonoma County.
Mayor Gurney shared his 2024 Council Committee Assignments with his co-council members.
4. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
City Manager Guhin reported that the Sonoma County Services Center had its ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Nelson building on Highway 12 this afternoon. They will have an open house on Friday, January 26th, from 3pm to 5pm.
City Manager Guhin shared that the City has provided support to Sonoma County's Route 32 bus shuttle for the period of October through December 2023. This is a free Sonoma Valley bus shuttle that operates up and down Sonoma Valley. During that 3-month timeframe, 3700 adults, 1900 seniors, and 5600 youths utilized this bus.
Mr. Guhin also pointed out that during the upcoming Council goal-setting session on February 2, 2024, public comment will be taken at 10 am.
5. CITY ATTORNEY COMMENTS
None.
6. PRESENTATIONS
None.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR - CITY COUNCIL
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Vice Mayor Farrar-Rivas, to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 7.1: Waive further reading and Authorize Introduction and/or Adoption of Ordinances by Title Only. (Standard procedural action - no backup information provided) Item 7.2: Accept the Expenditure Report for the Month of December 2023 (Chuck McBride, Interim Finance Director)
Action: The expenditure report was accepted.
Item 7.3: Adopt a Resolution Approving the Purchase of Laserfiche Cloud Enterprise Content Management System from MCCi Including a Budget Amendment in the Amount of $38,555 and Authorize the City Manager to Execute Related Agreements (Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk)
Action: Adopted as Resolution #01-2024.
8. PUBLIC HEARING
Public Hearing to Consider an Appeal by the Applicant of the Planning Commission's Decision to Approve the Use Permit, Exception to Development Code Loading Standard Reduction of Residential Component, Design Review, Demolition Permit, and Lot Line Adjustment for the Hotel Project Sonoma (Jennifer Gates, , AICP, Community Development Director)
Action: Adopted as Resolution #02-2024.
Ex-Parte Communications Disclosures: None to report.
Open Public Hearing: 6:30 p.m.
Public Comments: David Morell, Carol Marcus, Mary Martinez, Johanna Petri, Victor Conforti, Tom Conlon, Fred Allebach, Robert Demler, Sedra Nathon, Jim Bohar and David Eichar.
Close Public Hearing: 7:09 p.m.
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Wellander, to Approve the Use Permit, Exception to Development Code Loading Standard, Reduction of Residential Component, Design Review, Demolition Permit, and Lot Line Adjustment for the Hotel Project Sonoma. Motion carried 4-1, with Council Member Wellander, Council Member Lowe, Vice Mayor Farrar-Rivas and Mayor Gurney voting YES, and Council Member Ding voting NO.
Mayor Gurney called for a recess at 7:49pm; Council reconvened at 7:57pm.
9. REGULAR CALENDAR - CITY COUNCIL
Item 9.1: A Resolution Accepting the Climate Action Strategies (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director)
Action: Adopted as Resolution #03-2024.
Public Comment: Robert Demler, Sedra Nathan, Tom Conlon, Fred Allebach, David Morell, Kendall Clemons, Michael Hefler, and Philip Hinerman.
At 8:42 PM, City Manager Guhin announced that Staff was having technical difficulties with regard to bringing in public commentors via Zoom.
Motion by Vice Mayor Farrar-Rivas, seconded by Council Member Lowe, to Adopt a Resolution Accepting the Climate Action Strategies as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 9.2: Resolution Approving the City Council Commission & Committee Appointment Proces nd Introducing an Ordinance Amending SMC Section 2.40.010 - Attendance an Sections 2.48.020, 2.50.020, 2.60.020, and 10.12.080 - Composition (Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk)
Action: Adopted as Resolution #04-2024 and Council introduced an Ordinance amending Sections 2.40.010, 2.44.010, 2.48.020, 2.50.020, 2.56.020, 2.60.020, and
10.12.080 of the Sonoma Municipal Code pertaining to attendance and the composition of the City's commissions.
Motion by Council Member Wellander, seconded by Vice Mayor Gurney, to Adopt a Resolution Approving Revisions to the Council Commission and Committee Appointment Policy with an amendment Commission only. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding, to introduce an Ordinance amending Sections 2.40.010, 2.44.010, 2.48.020, 2.50.020, 2.56.020, 2.60.020, and 10.12.080 of the Sonoma Municipal Code pertaining to attendance and the composition of the City's commissions. Motion carried unanimously.
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Robert Demler provided public comment.
10. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Gurney adjourned the meeting at 9:39 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 7h of February 2024.
Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk