Politics & Government

Live Updates From the Sonoma City Council Meeting

Check back here to see what's happening live.

Check back here to see what's happening live.

6:03 Council is back from closed session; Councilperson Joanne Sanders is absent.

6:10 Public Comment: Herb Golenpaul says that he wishes that politicians could reach more consensus. 

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6:11 Public Comment: Daniel Sinotte says that the sewer pipe two feet from his property line from a MacArthur development will hurt several trees. He'd like to see the council work to either move the easement, move the pipes, or move the direction of the building process.

6:14 Public Comment: Georgette Maffei is concerned about drainage from the Ledson property; there isn't a drain near her home. "In the first time in my entire life in my property I had to put sandbags up to protect our buildings. It was so soggy back there for so long."

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6:17 Public Comment: Alan Berman is also concerned about the distance between the to-be-dug trench and the trees in the Ledson development. "Most of these redwoods are from 20 to 30 years old...it's a very very serious thing," he said.

6:20 Public Comment: Christin Condon a resident of Malay street urges the council members to come view the "biodiversity" of the area.

6:21 Councilperson Ken Brown attended the Boys and Girls club kickball tournament, and enjoyed the this weekend.

6:23 Councilperson Tom Rouse also attended the half marathon. His two sisters and his wife are both at tonight's meeting. "I want you all to know, this isn't just to get them here, I took them shopping so it's tax dollars they're spending," he said. Laughs. He was at a seminar on how to interview employees last week, and apologizes for missing the meeting.

6:25 Councilperson Steve Barbose was impressed with Ashland this weekend, and was impressed with their 22-mile path. He'd like Sonoma to have something similar.

6:27 Mayor Laurie Gallian wants to draw attention to a bill up for vote on Wednesday, July 20 to retain PACE program. More information can be found via phone (202-224-3121) according to Gallian.

6:31 Gallian also enjoyed attending Sustainability Day at the Ecology Center and last Thursday's Planning Commission meeting, to get an update on the city's Historical Preservation Plan. "It isn't just about having a home on the state's register, it's about things that are significant to us here in Sonoma," she said.

6:33 Gallian also says that over 521 of the marathon participants traveled over 2,000 miles to participate. "I have to say, it's definitely a race in which there's notoriety, but it's not just one, it's plenty," she said.

6:37 Brown also wants to dedicate the council meeting to Warner Jenson and Virgil Frederick Krueger.

6:38 Planning Director David Goodison says that an arbor report from the Ledson project has been included in the project analysis and that an arborist will be on site. They're also looking into changing the plan to push the lines further from the trees, but the city is required to abide by water drainage standards. "I doubt that that effort will result in a modification to those plans, I certainly hope that it does," he said. He hopes to have a further answer later this week.

6:40 City Manager says the August 1 city council meeting is canceled for summer break. The council will meet after that to discuss plans to the "opt-in, opt-out redevelopment" decision. On Tuesday, August 2 Sonoma's committee on big box business will meet at 3 p.m. for the EOC training room in Sonoma Police Department to discuss future mandates. They welcome input from any members of the public.

6:42 Proclamation for Richard Arendt Day Proclamation (July 24), presented to his wife Janis after his passing. "I want to remember my husband as a wonderful husband and a father, but since his passing I realise how much he touched the community," she said.

6:47 Cordel Stillman on Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) which allows cities and counties to use constituents energy purchase for large-scale alternative energy contracts. A feasibility study is currently in the works.  (Customers are allowed to opt out.) Implementation stage would require about $1 - $2 million in start-up costs, and if enough customers opt out, then it can become financially unsustainable. Questions: contact Stillman at cordel@scwa.ca.gov.

7:03 Consent calendar passes, with items 5b, 5h, 5i and 5j removed for discussion.

7:04 Barbose wants to acknowledge Golenpaul's dedication to the city of Sonoma and his appointment to the Traffic Safety Committee (5B). Passes 4-0, with one absent.

7:08 Brown wanted to acknowledge Bill Willards appointment as alternate to the Planning Commission for a two-year term. "It's very important to have the correct person...and I do believe this candidate will," said Gallina.

7:11 Leslie Tippell is appointed as alternate on the Design Review Commission.

7:14 PC Golenpaul says that he doesn't think that the intersection of Leveroni Road and Fifth Street West needs to be fixed. "I'm sure that our public works department could repair those cracks and paint a bicycle stripe without spending $515,000," he said."

7:16 Gallian says she's read a cost-effectiveness study of this intersection.  "It's important if we have the opportunity to do these road improvements, we go ahead," said Gallian. Rouse moves to adopt item 5K.

7:33 Back from break. Status report on the City Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG). The group created a series of goals and objectives in November of 2010 (An 80 percent diversion goal by 2015; evaluate more local governance models.)

7:38 A research committee made up of both elected officials, experts and community members, evaluated the goals, with emphasis on using the existing infrastructure.

7:40 Already Sonoma County diverts 2/3 of waste, so the remaining third is the emphasis. A large percentage of this waste is organics.

7:40 First recommendation: increase waste reduction education through door-to-door education with commercial business owners. They'd also like to create a county ordinance mandating commercial recycling.

7:42 Second: Develop a new composting facility, with a bigger capacity and the ability to handle food waste composting.

7:43 Third: A mixed-waste processing facility will be required to reach a 90 percent goal, the committee found. They'd like to study development of a "Mixed Waste Processing Facility."

7:45 Ideally, local municipalities would go through their own cost-analysis studies to get more targeted estimates of the cost-per residential user of these recommendations.

7:49 Gallian: "I worry that we're doing enough for today, but we're not doing enough for the future."

7:52 Rouse asks for confirmation about what our overall diversion rate is. Answer: 66 percent today, trying to get 80 percent by 2015.

7:55 Will Box, of Sonoma Compost who served on the committee, wants to emphasize that higher diversion means a longer landfill lifetime.

7:57 Barbose motions to proceed with a consultant study. Rouse seconds. Barbose on the diversity of the group: "All of those people are all in the same room, and you think it would be a much more contentious process, and yet they were able to just roll up their sleeves...just remarkable."

7:59 Passes, 4-0.

8:00 Onto creating rules for staff-led agenda items.

8:05 PC David Cook: "You guys have a City Manager, if something is coming really fast at you you don't want to put too many roadblocks to prevent the council. Use the City Manager - she can make the decisions if she needs more time on it."

8:06 Barbose motions to allow staff to take an hour, and if an item needs more time, staff can decide to pursue it further. Rouse seconds. Brown agrees.

8:08 Motion passes 4-0.

8:10 Onto item 7C which deals with more general rules for public council meetings.

8:11 Gallian: "We have had the opportunity to talk to a lot of different cities and hear their procedures and rules - there's nothing that's really standardized from city to city." Now that the council abolished their rules, "I think that having a base or framework to work from would help," she said.

8:16 PC Christine Armstrong: "I believe in the laws, but let's be a little lawless - let's dance when they tell us to dance."

8:16 Brown: "Being one of the ones that pushed for no more rules - it's painful to see this. If you could make this non-laborious I'd be astounded."

8:18 Barbose: "I just shutter to think: the city of Novato has a 77-page manuel. I don't even want to read it." He says it would be alright if Gallian wants to spearhead in her spare time ("Which I know you don't have.")

8:19 Rouse says he won't support it.

8:20 Gallian: "Just a brief comment from our attorney." Laughs.

8:23 Barbose asks what rules would be helpful to have to protect the city from litigation. Answer: an analysis would be required; rules are usually council-driven.

8:24 Brown: "I don't think that's a prudent idea, I can't imagine how much it would cost...If Mr. Rouse wants to tell me the score of the Giant's game and relay it in a quiet electronic definition, I don't really have a problem with it." 

8:26 Onto Brown's additional item: disbanding the Swimming Pool Committee. "We are not moving forward, and the way that it's structured now - as a council committee - is really preventing us from achieving our goal," he said. "I think when we get a lot closer a committee would be a fine thing, and a Brown-act committee especially."

8:33 Rouse: "As a member of that committee, I would agree with council member Brown." "You hear around the country, there's no pool with no funding, but we need to be a bit more innovative where others have tried...we have many residents within the city and the surrounding areas who have a great desire to see a pool put into Sonoma."

8:34 Rouse: "The disbanding of this committee will only help us to get a swimming pool, rather than worry about Brown acting everything."

8:34 Rouse: "Right now, we wanna rent a van and take a bunch of people up to Calistoga to look at models. Right now, we can't do that....Let's just let a few guys who want to move this thing forward move it forward."

8:35 PC Christine Armstrong: "I've spent almost two years in Susanville getting it on the ballot,"

8:38 PC Herb Golenpaul: "If the people on the committee don't want it, we don't need it."

8:38 PC David Cook: "I swim every day at , but $68, for the people who can't afford it, it's sad."

8:39 Rouse moves to disband the pool committee. Brown seconds.

8:40 Motion passes 4-0.

8:40 Onto item 7E, involving Mayor's appointments to the Mayors' and Councilmembers' Association meeting. (On August 11, 2011.)

8:43 Brown: "I'm sorry to see there's only one person, Ms. Renee seems to come up whenever there's an opening for anything and I hear she's contemplated running for Ms. Woolsey's seat. If she's doing this to pound up her resume, I'm not into that by any cost."

8:45 Rouse: "She is on the Golden Gate board, but she's an alternate and she wants a permanent position - I would support her."

8:45 Gallian: "I work with her on ABAG - she's more than qualified to speak on those issues as well, so this would be a vote which would be worthwhile." Motion to support Ms. Renee passes.

8:47 All council members support nominating Gallian for her requested appointment.

8:49 Onto 7F. The Alcalde serves a one year term and is honored with a lunch which costs $3,000. The council is considering lengthening the term to two years to save money. The council could also honor the Alcalde at a reception, or ask all attendees to pay for the cost of the lunch. The $3,000 includes flower cost, subsidising the cost of the lunch, and the cost of a commemorate photograph.

8:52 PC David Cook: "I think we're doing a dis-justice by doing a two-year term...Just figure out how you can get the costs down to a minimum, and I would keep the one year term."

8:54 PC Herb Golenpaul: "Ditto"

8:55 Brown agrees that a one year term with cheaper costs would be preferable. He suggests holding the reception on a free day at the Community Center.

8:56 Gallian: "In defense of one year versus two years, Mary Evelyn felt that a lot of people might be waiting for this opportunity and it would be up to the community to decide."

8:57 Rouse: "The great part of the town is the traditions we have in this town, I know a number of the Alcaldes in the past and there are people who are deserving and waiting." He supports both tightening costs and finding sponsorship.

8:59 Brown suggests putting a $500 limit on what the city can spend each year. Gallian amends to include up to $500 limit.

8:59 This includes both the photograph and the plaque. Rouse says he'll give a months City Council salary ($136.57) every year to the Alcalde event.

8:59 Motion passes 4-0.

9:04 Gallian mentions that the public should learn about the county's pothole report: check it out here

9:09 Final remarks. Brown: "I want to wish City Manager Linda Kelly the most wonderful stay-cation possible."

9:11 Brown: "I will be attending a twelve step program for council members who have withdrawls because meetings are so far apart."

9:11 Gallian: "That's great." Laughs.

9:13 Gallian: Check for Red and White Ball invitations.

9:13 Brown: "City Party is a week from tomorrow, July 26."

9:14 Gallian wants to thank everyone who stepped up to fill all the committee alternate positions. 

9:15 Meeting adjourned.


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