REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
OF THE SONOMA CITY COUNCIL
City Council Chambers
City Council: 177 First Street West
R0“ W9"a"der1Mayor Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Sandra Lowe, Vice Mayor
Patricia Farrar—Rivas
John Gurney 6:00 PM Regular Meeting
Jack Ding
REGULARMEETING
CONVENE, CALL TO ORDER, & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Wellander called the meeting to order at 6:02 pm.
ROLL CALL:
PRESENT: Mayor Wellander, Vice Mayor Lowe, Council Member Farrar—Rivas, Council Member Gurney, and Council Member Ding
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 as presented. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
1. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Jan Erickson, Art Grandy, Melissa Bingham, and Caitlin Cornwall provided public comments.
2. MEETING DEDICATIONS
Vice Mayor Lowe dedicated the meeting to Bette Blake.
3. COUNCILMEMBERS’REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Vice Mayor Lowe attended a Sonoma County Transit Authority meeting.
Council Member Gurney attended a Library Advisory Board meeting on March 12, 2026, and provided a few important updates from the meeting.
Council Member Ding attended the Sonoma Community Center's Lunar Year Celebration on March 7, 2026.
Council Member Farrar—Rivas attended a Sonoma Clean Power meeting on March 5, 2026, and provided a few important updates from the meeting.
Mayor Wellander attended the Film Festival’s Film Office ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 10, 2026, and also attended a Catholic Charities fundraiser at HopMonk Tavern. On March 12, 2026, he toured the renovated Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall facility, which has been converted into housing for people experiencing homelessness.
4. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
None.
5. CITY ATTORNEY COMMENTS
City Attorney Ruderman reminded all Section 87200 filers that, beginning January 1, 2026, state law requires them to report any accepted prospective employment arrangement on their Form 700 by April 1s.PRESENTATIONS
None.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
Motion by Vice Mayor Lowe, 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 and/or Adoption of Ordinances by Title Only. (Standard procedural action - no backup information provided) Item 7.2: Receive the Minutes from the Special and Regular Meetings of March 4, 2026 (Monique Saviez Burns, CPMC, CMC, Deputy City Clerk)
Action: The minutes were received.
Regular Meeting Minutes, March 18, 2026
Item 7.3: Accept the Expenditure Report for the Month of February 2026 (Ryan Kodama, Accounting Manager)
Action: The expenditure report was accepted.
Item 7.4: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Mercury Associates, Inc. Not to Exceed $59,925 for Fleet Assessment Consultant Services (Ashley Cotter, PW Admin & Project Manager) Action: Adopted as Resolution 08-2026.
Item 7.5: Adopt a Resolution Adopting the City of Sonoma Credit Card Policy and City Business Expense Reimbursements and Payments Policy (David Guhin, City Manager) Action: Adopted as Resolution 09-2026.
8. PUBLIC HEARING
None.
9. REGULAR CALENDAR — CITY COUNCIL
Item 9.1: 2026 Climate Action Commission Annual Workplan (Antoinette Freeman, Sustainability Coordinator)
Action: The 2026 Climate Action Commission Annual Workplan was approved.
Motion by Council Member Gurney, seconded by Council Member Farrar—Rivas,to approve the 2026 Climate Action Commission Annual Workplan. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 9.2: Accept the City of Sonoma General Plan Annual Progress Report and Direct Staff to Distribute to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) (Jennifer Gates, AICP, Community Development Director)
Action: The City of Sonoma General Plan Annual Progress Report was accepted, and Staff was directed to distribute the report to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI).
Public Comment: Victor Conforti
Motion by Council Member Ding, seconded by Vice Mayor Lowe, to Accept the City of Sonoma General Plan Annual Progress Report and Direct Staff to Distribute to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Of?ce of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI).
Motion carried unanimously.
10. SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT (ONLY REQUIRED IF PUBLIC SPEAKERS REMAINFROM ITEM2.0) None.
11. ADJOURNEMENT
Mayor Wellander adjourned the meeting at 7:09 pm.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly received at a regular meeting of the Sonoma City Council on the 30‘”of March 2026.
Regular Meeting Minutes, March 18, 2026