REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
OF THE SONOMA CITY COUNCIL
City Council Chambers
cry Council: 177 First Street West
Patricia Farrar—Rivas, Mayor Wednesday November 19, 2025 Ron Wellander, Vice Mayor ’
Sandra Lowe
John Gurney 6:00 PM Regular Meeting
Jack Ding
REGULAR MEETING
CONVENE, CALL TO ORDER, & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Farrar-Rivas called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.
ROLL CALL:
PRESENT: Mayor Farrar—Rivas, Vice Mayor Wellander, Council Member Lowe, Council Member Gurney, and Council Member Ding
REPORT ON CLOSED SESSION
There was no Closed Session held.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Gurney, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
1. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Bonnie Joy Kaslan, Edith Cortez, Karen Placencia, John Kyle, Ken Stokes, and Loretta Carr provided public comments.
2. MEETING DEDICATIONS
Council Member Ding dedicated the meeting to Edward Denali.
3. COUNCILMEMBERS’REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Council Member Lowe visited Cogir of Sonoma since the last meeting and encouraged other Council Members to do the same.
Council Member Gurney attended a Library Advisory Committee Board meeting on November 13, 2025.
Council Member Ding attended the Redwood Empire Food Bank Fundraising event at the Plaza on November 14, 2025.
On November 6, 2025, Vice Mayor Wellander attended both the Art Walk and the “Youth of the Year Award" ceremony at the Boys and Girls Club. The following day, November 7, 2025, he took part in a North Bay Watershed Association meeting. On November 8, 2025, he joined volunteers at the Cemetery Clean-Up Day held at both Mountain and Veterans Cemeteries. He also attended the annual Veterans Day Service on November 11, 2025, and on November 12, 2025, he attended a reception celebrating Sonoma Family Meals‘ transition into managing Unity Kitchen.
Mayor Farrar-Rivas attended a Sonoma Clean Power Board meeting on November 6, 2025. On November 15, 2025, she participated in a Wake Up Sonoma gathering, followed later that day by the 175th Anniversary celebration of the Sonoma Free Masons. On November 17, 2025, she attended the Sonoma Valley Community Advisory Commission (SVCAC) meeting. And on November 18, 2025, Mayor Farrar-Rivas—along with City Manager Guhin, Community Development Director Gates, and Associate Planner Dunn—took part in the Charging Smart event, where the City of Sonoma received a “Charging Smart" Silver designation from the U.S. Department of Energy.
4. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
City Manager Guhin reported that the Redwood Empire Food and Funds Drive collected more than 1,300 pounds of food and $1,500 in donations. He also provided an update on the upcoming minimum wage increase.
Mr. Guhin highlighted several upcoming community events, including the Lighting of the Plaza on November 22, 2025, and the Lighted Tractor Parade on November 29, 2025. He reminded everyone that City Offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 27, 2025, and Friday, November 28, 2025. Lastly, he shared the latest progress on the Spain Street Paving Project.
5. CITY ATTORNEY COMMENTS
None.
6. PRESENTATIONS
Regular Meeting Minutes, November 19, 2025
Item 6.1: "Celebrate Sonoma" — Presentation of Certificate of Recognition in Honor of Phil Coturri
7. CONSENT CALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
Motion by Council Member Ding, seconded by Council Member Lowe, to approve the consent calendar as presented. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
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: Receive Minutes from the Regular Meeting of November 5, 2025 (Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk) Action: The minutes were received.
Item 7.3: Accept the Expenditure Report for the Month of October 2025 (Prapti Aryal, Finance Director)
Action: The expenditure report was accepted.
Item 7.4: Adopt a Resolution of the City of Sonoma City Council Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract with R&R Maher in the Amount Not to Exceed $75,000 to Provide On- Call Concrete Services as Needed. (Mike Berger, Public Works Director) Action: Adopted as Resolution 64-2025.
Item 7.5: Adopt a Resolution Accepting the Public Improvements Installed under the Subdivision Improvement Agreement for the Hummingbird Subdivision. (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: Adopted as Resolution 65-2025.
Item 7.6: Adopt a Resolution of the City of Sonoma City Council Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract with MCE Corporation for $34,294.20 for Paving at Third Street East (Mike Berger, Public Works Director & Ashley Cotter, Public Works Admin & Project Manager) Action: Adopted as Resolution 66-2025.
8. PUBLIC HEARING
Item 8.1: Discussion, Consideration and Possible Action to Introduce an Ordinance Repealing Chapter 14.10 of the Sonoma Municipal Code and Reenacting a New Chapter 14.10 Adopting New Administrative Provisions and Adopting by Reference Parts 1 through12 of the 2025 California Building Standards Code and local Amendments.
Action: The ordinance was introduced, and the public hearing was scheduled for December 3, 2025.
Public Hearing Open: 6:43 pm.
Public Comments: Tom Conlon and Julian Mackie.
Public Hearing Closed: 7:16 pm.
Mayor Farrar-Rivas, seconded by Council Member Lowe, to Introduce an Ordinance Repealing Chapter 14. 10 of the Sonoma Municipal Code and Reenacting a New Chapter 14. 10 Adopting NewAdministrative Provisions and Adopting by Reference Parts 1 through 12 of the 2025 California Building Standards Code and local Amendments and scheduling the next public hearing for December 3, 2025. Motion carried unanimously.
9. REGULAR CALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
None.
10. SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT(ONLY REQUIRED IF PUBLIC SPEAKERS REMAINFROM ITEM2.0) None.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Farrar—Rivasadjourned the meeting at 7:18 pm.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly received at a regular meeting of th Sono a City Council on the 3" of December 2025.
Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk
Regular Meeting Minutes, November 19, 2025