REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
OF THE SONOMA CITY COUNCIL
City Council Chambers
oig Council: 177 First Street West
Patricia Farrar—Rivas, Mayor
Ron Wellander, Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Vice Mayor
Sandra Lowe
John Gurney 6:00 PM Regular Meeting
Jack Ding
REGULAR MEETING
CONVENE, CALL TO ORDER, & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Farrar—Rivascalled 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 Ding, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
1. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Stephanie Fine, Tome Graves, and Steve McCroskey provided public comments.
2. MEETING DEDICATIONS
Council Member Lowe dedicated the meeting to the remembrance of those affected by recent tragedies, including individuals observing Hanukkah, students at Brown University, and Rob and Michelle Reiner. Vice Mayor Wellander dedicated the meeting to the Sonoma Valley High School Football Team.
3. COUNCILMEMBERS’REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Vice Mayor Wellander, along with Mayor Farrar-Rivas and Council Member Ding, attended a ribbon- cutting ceremony for Sol Rei Wines on December 11, 2025. On December 17, 2025, he attended a Homeless Coalition Board Meeting.
On December 11, 2025, Council Member Gurney attended a Sonoma Tourism Improvement District meeting.
Mayor Farrar—Rivasattended the Sonoma County Democratic Christmas Party on December 7, 2025, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the cemetery at Sol Rei Wines on December 11, 2025. She also Menorah
attended a Sonoma Clean Power meeting on December 14, 2025, as well as the Lighting of the held in the Plaza’s Amphitheater on December 17, 2025.
4. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
City Manager Guhin provided a weather update and discussed how it may impact upcoming City events. He noted that the Holiday Serenades, scheduled for Sunday, will be relocated to the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art due to weather conditions. He also shared that the nomination period for the 2026 Alcalde is now open and will close at 5:00 pm. on January 7,2026. In addition, Mr. Guhin informed the public that the annual City Council Goal Setting session will be held at the Sonoma Community Center on January 30, 2026. City Manager Guhin took time to acknowledge City staff for their contributions and efforts throughout the past year. He concluded by recapping upcoming dates, including a City Council meeting on Monday, January 26, 2026, the State of the Valley on January 29, 2026, and the Council Goal Setting session on January 30, 2026.
5. CITY ATTORNEY COMMENTS
City Attorney Ruderman provided an update regarding Senate Bill827.
6. PRESENTATIONS
Item 6.1: Presentation to Receive an Update on the 2026 Transcendence Season Public Comment: Tom Graves
7. CONSENT CALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding, to approve the consent calendar as presented, with items 7.7, 7.8, and 7.9 being pulled for separate discussion. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
Regular Meeting Minutes, December 17, 2025
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: Adopt a Resolution Approving the City of Sonoma’s Measure H Maintenance of Effort (MOE) baseline for FY 2021—22 and the MOE and personnel MOE calculations for the FY 2024—25 reporting year, and authorizing the City Manager to submit these values in, and approve, the First Amendment to Measure H Funding Agreement Between the County of Sonoma and the City of Sonoma (David Guhin, City Manager) Action: Adopted as Resolution 67-2025.
Item 7.3: Accept the Expenditure Report for the Month of November 2025 (Prapti AryaI, Finance Director) Action: The expenditure report was accepted.
Item 7.4: Adopt a Resolution to (a) Accept the City’s Annual Report and Findings Regarding Development Impact Fees as Required by the Mitigation Fee Act and the Quimby Act for Fiscal Year 2024-25; and (b) Approve the Reauthorization of the Intended Use of Retained Funds Collected for Improvements that Remain Unspent for More than Five Years (Prapti Aryal, Finance Director and Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: Adopted as Resolution 68-2025.
Item 7.5: Receive the 2026 Annual City Meeting Calendar (Rebekah Barr, MMC,City Clerk) Action: Adopted as Resolution 69-2025.
Item 7.6: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Two Additional Consultant Companies to Provide Plan Check, and Building Inspection Services (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: Adopted as Resolution 70-2025.
Item 7.7: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Page and Turnbull to Complete a Citywide Historic Resource Survey and Historic Context Statements (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: Adopted as Resolution 71 -2025.
Public Comment: Robert DemIer
Motion by Vice Mayor Wellander, seconded by Council Member Lowe, to Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Page and Turnbull to Complete a Citywide Historic Resource Survey and Historic Context Statements. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
Item 7.8: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Architectural Resources Group to Prepare a Historic Landscape Survey Report for the Sonoma Plaza and Amending the FY2025—26Adopted Budget (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: Adopted as Resolution 72-2025.
Public Comment: Robert Demler
Motion by Council Member Ding, seconded by Council Member Lowe, to Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Architectural Resources Group to Prepare a Historic Landscape Sun/ey Report for the Sonoma Plaza and Amending the FY2025—26 Adopted Budget. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
Item 7.9: Receive Report on City Commissions and Committee Attendance (Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk) Action: The report was received.
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding, to Receive Report on City Commissions and Committee Attendance. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
8. PUBLIC HEARING
Item 8.1: Public Hearing to Introduce an Ordinance Amending Sonoma Municipal Code to Implement Housing Element Program 15 and an Ordinance to Implement Housing Element Program 20 and Finding the Ordinances Exempt from the California Environmental Act (CEQA) Pursuant to Section 15061 (b)(3) — General Rule - of the CEQA Guidelines (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director) Action: The ordinances were introduced.
Public Hearing Open: 7:31 pm.
Public Comments: None.
Public Hearing Closed: 7:31 pm.
Regular Meeting Minutes, December 17, 2025
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding to Introduce an Ordinance adopting amendments to Title 19 of the Sonoma Municipal Code to accommodate low barrier navigation centers, supportive housing, transitional housing, residential care facilities, quali?ed employee and agricultural employee housing, single room occupancy, and emergency shelters in compliance with state law. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Council Member Lowe, seconded by Council Member Ding, to Introduce an Ordinance adopting amendments to Title 19 of the Sonoma Municipal Code to allow developments by-right on nonvacant and vacant sites previously identi?ed to accommodate the lower income regional housing needs allocation in compliance with state law. Motioncarried unanimously.
9. REGULAR CALENDAR -— CITY COUNCIL
Item 9.1: A Resolution Approving the Conditions for Operations, Vendor Stall Fee Pricing and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Agreements for the Operation of Sonoma's Tuesday Night Market 2026 Season in Accordance With the Adopted Budget (Lisa Janson, Senior Management Analyst)
Action: Adopted as Resolution 73-2025.
Motion by Council Member Ding, seconded by Council Member Lowe, to Adopt a Resolution Approving the Conditions of Operations, Vendor Stall Fee Pricing and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute AllAgreements for the Operation of Sonoma’s Tuesday Night Market 2026 Season in Accordance With the Adopted Budget. Motion carried unanimously.
10. SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT (ONLY REQUIRED IF PUBLIC SPEAKERS REMAINFROM ITEM2.0) None.
11. COUNCIL REORGANIZATION
Item 11.1 City Council Reorganization
1. Recognition of Outgoing Mayor
2. Selection of Mayor and Vice Mayor for 2026
Council Member Lowe nominated Vice Mayor Wellander for the position of Mayor for 2026.
Council Member Gurney nominated Council Member Lowe for the position of Vice Mayor for 2026.
12. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Wellander adjourned the meeting at 8:31 pm.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly received at a regular meeting of th Sonom ity Council on the 26th of January 2026.
Rebekah Barr, MMC, City Clerk
Regular Meeting Minutes, December 1 7, 2025