REGULARMEETINGMINUTES
OF THESONOMACITYCOUNCIL
City CouncilChambers
cry Council: 177 First Street West
Patricia Farrar—Rivas,Mayor Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Ron Wellander, Vice Mayor
Sandra Lowe
John Gurney 6:00 PM Regular Meeting
Jack Ding
REGULARMEETING
CONVENE, CALLTO ORDER, & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Farrar—Rivascalled the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.
ROLL CALL: _ _ PRESENT: Vice Mayor Wellander, Council Member Lowe, Mayor Farrar—Rivas, Councrl Member Gurney, and CouncilMember Ding
REPORT ON CLOSEDSESSION
There was no Closed Session held.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Motion by Council Member Ding, seconded by CouncilMember Lowe, to approve the agenda as presented. Motioncarried unanimously.
1. COMMENTSFROMTHEPUBLIC
Madolyn Agrimonti, Janet Boyle, Graham Bennett, Charleston Treadle, Stefanie Sada, Paty Marken, Carrie Atwood,Carrie Gerster, Claudia Raniker, and Robert Demler provided public comments.
2. MEETINGDEDlCATIONS
Council Member Lowe dedicated the meeting to AliceWaco.
3. COUNCILMEMBERS’REPORTS ANDCOMMENTS
Council Member Ding attended several meetings since the last City Council meeting including a Zero Waste Sonoma meeting on June 19, 2025, a Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Association Legislation Committee meeting, and a Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Committee meeting on June 23, 2025.
Vice Mayor Wellander attended a ribboncutting ceremony for The French Florist on July 11, 2025.
Council Member Lowe attended a Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority (SCTCA) meeting on July 14, 2025.
Mayor Farrar—Rivasattended a number of meetings since the last City Council meeting including an Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) meeting on June 20, 2025, a Climate Safe Tourism meeting on June 30, 2025, the annual Fourth ofJuly Parade on July 4,2025, and a Sonoma Community Housing Corporations Board of Directorsmeeting, along withVice MayorWellander, on July 7, 2025.
4. CITYMANAGERCOMMENTSANDANNOUNCMENTS
City Manager Guhin provided an update on the Cultural Asset Inventory currently underway, directing everyone to the City’s website for more information and welcoming feedback. He also shared a few updates: the new Parks Directorwillbe announced next week; the annual Fourth of July Parade and festivities went very well;the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Book willbe published online soon; the annual 5k Rose HalfMarathon is scheduled for June 19, 2025; and this year marks the Valley’s 200th Harvest, with events happening throughout the year to celebrate.
5. CITYATTORNEYCOMMENTS
6. PRESENTATIONS
Item 6.1: Recognition of Enclos Sonoma in Honor of its Prestigious Award of two Michelinstars, a Rare and Signi?cant Achievement Reflecting Culinary Excellence and Bringing Distinctionto the City of Sonoma
Item 6.2: Presentation by MarinMunicipalWater District(MMWD)Staff on the Proposed Sonoma County Water Agency/MMWDWater Supply Agreement (WSA) and Provide Direction to the City‘sWater AdvisoryCommittee (WAC) Representative (Vice Mayor Wellander) on Howto Vote forthe WSAat the UpcomingAugust 4th WAC Meeting (Michael Berger, PublicWorks Director)
7. CONSENTCALENDAR— CITYCOUNCIL
Regular Meeting Minutes, July 16, 2025
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Gurney, to approve the Consent Calendar, noting that there was a change in the “notto exceed” amount in the Sonoma Ecology Center agreements as made available to the City Council and Public. Motioncarried unanimously by vorce vote.
Mayor Farrar-Rivas disclosed that she was an uncompensated o?‘icer of Sonoma Ecology Center, whichis a non-pro?t and which as one of its primary purposes supports the functions of the City.
Item 7.1: Waive further reading and Authorize Introduction and/or Adoption of Ordinances by Title Only. (Standard procedural action - no backup informationprovided) Item 7.2: Adopt a Resolution Amending the FY25-26 Budget and Allocate $25,454 Within Fund 731 Senior Housing (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: Adopted as Resolution 43-2023.
Item 7.3: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Agreements with Sonoma Ecology Center, Olaunu, Inc, and Two Lynchpin Road and Amendments with R3, Inc. and Sonoma Community Center for Services Rendered Throughout the 25—26Fiscal Year (Rebekah Barr, MMC,City Clerk &Ashley Cotter, PW Admin& Project Manager) Action: Adopted as Resolution 44-2025.
Item 7.4: Adopt a Resolution to Approve the Allocationof $5,000 in Discretionary Community Funding to Secure Families Collaborative (DavidGuhin, City Manager) Action: Adopted as Resolution 45-2025.
8. PUBLIC HEARING
Item 8.1: An Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Chapter 7.40, Permits for Motion Picture and Television Production and adding Chapter 7.42, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, of the Sonoma Municipal Code and Finding the Ordinance Exempt from the California Environmental Act (CEQA)Pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) - General Rule - ofthe CEQA Guidelines (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: The ordinance was introduced.
Open Public Hearing: 7:18 pm
Public Comment: Richard Dale
Closed Public Comment: 7:19 pm
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding, to Introduce An Ordinance as amended, Repealing and Replacing Chapter 7.40, Permits for Motion Picture and Television Production and Adding Chapter 7.42, Unmanned AircraftSystems, of the Sonoma Municipal Code and Finding the Ordinance Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) — General Rule — of the CEQAGuidelines. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 8.2: Ordinances Amending Sonoma Municipal Code to Clarify the Responsibilities of the Review Authorities and Modify Regulations Pertaining to Design Review to Further Streamline City Entitlement Process, and Finding the Ordinances are Exempt from the CaliforniaEnvironmentalAct (CEQA) Pursuant to Section 15061 (b)(3) - General Rule - of the CEQA Guidelines (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: The ordinances were introduced.
Open Public Hearing: 7:31 pm
Public Comment: Robert Demler and Omar Lopez
Closed Public Comment: 7:35 pm
Motionby Council Member Ding, seconded by Council Member Gurney, to Introduce an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sonoma Amending Provisions of Title 19 of the Sonoma Municipal Code to Clarify the Responsibilities of the Review Authorities and ModifyRegulations Pertaining to Design Review to Further Streamline City Entitlement Process. Motion carried unanimously.
Motionby CouncilMember Lowe, seconded by Vice Mayor Wellander, to Introduce an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sonoma Amending Provisions of Chapters 2.60, 12.04, 12.08, 12.12, and 14.24 of the Sonoma MunicipalCode to Clarifythe Responsibilities of the Review Authorities and Modify Regulations Pertaining to Design Review to Further Streamline City Entitlement Process.
Motioncarried unanimously.
9. REGULARCALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
Item 9.1: A Resolutionto Approve the 9/11 Memorial PublicArt Installation at Sonoma Valley Fire District Station 1 (Sarah Tracy, PIO/Senior Management Analyst) Action: Adopted as Resolution 46-2025.
Public Comment: Robert Demler
Regular Meeting Minutes, July 16, 2025
Motionby CouncilMemberLowe,seconded by CouncilMemberDing, to Adopt a Resolutionto Approve the 9/11 Memorial Public Art Installation at Sonoma Valley Fire District Sttion 1. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
Item 9.2: Resolution Approving the First Amendment to the Agreement for Law Enforcement Services between the County of Sonoma and the City of Sonoma, and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Amendment (David Guhin, City Manager &Brandon Cutting, Chief of Police)
Action: Adopted as Resolution 47-2025.
Motion by Council Member Gurney, seconded by Council Member Ding, to Adopt a Resolution Approving the First Amendment to the Agreement for Law Enforcement Services between the County of Sonoma and the City of Sonoma, and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Amendment.
Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
Item 9.3: A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Burbank Housing for an Affordable Housing Grant and Associated Budget Transfer of $250,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the Purchase of 18 Units in the City of Sonoma for the Preservation of Existing Affordable Housing (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director)
Action: Adopted as Resolution 48-2025.
Public Comment: Caitlyn Cornwall,Robert Demler and Rich Wallick.
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding, to Adopt a Resolution, as amended, Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Burbank Housing for an Affordable Housing Grant and Associated Budget Transfer of $250,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the Purchase of 18 Unitsin the Cityof Sonoma forthe Presen/ation ofExistingAffordable Housing. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
Item 9.4: Priority Projects for Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities (SCTCA) Funding Program Cycle 2 Call for Projects (Michael Berger, Public Works Director) Action: Council provided feedback to Staff.
Public Comment: Eris Weaver
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Vice Mayor Wellander, to Approve the Priority Projects for Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities (SCTCA) Funding Program Cycle 2 Call for Projects. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
10. SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT (ONLY REQUIREDIF PUBLIC SPEAKERS REMAINFROM ITEM2.0) None.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Farrar—Rivasadjourned the meeting at 8:50 pm.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly received at a regular meeting of th Sonom City Council on the 6’”of August 2025. éeka; Barr,$71756, City Clerk Regular Meeting Minutes, July 16, 2025