City Council

City Council Interim City Manager Mayor Stephen Zollman Mary Gourley Vice Mayor Jill McLewis mgourley@Cityofsebastopol.gov Councilmember Phill Carter Councilmember Neysa Hinton Councilmember Sandra Maurer CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA Meeting of Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Meeting Start Time: 6:00 pm Meeting to be held in Person and Virtual /Remote Participation In Person: 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472 Zoom Link Below: Zoom Link can be used for providing public comment Vimeo Link Below: Vimeo is utilized for viewing only of meeting City Council is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: City Council Meeting - September 2, 2025 Time: Sep 2, 2025 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82419434406 Meeting ID: 824 1943 4406 Passcode: 894167 --- One tap mobile +16694449171,,82419434406#,,,,*894167# US +16699006833,,82419434406#,,,,*894167# US (San Jose) --- Dial by your location • +1 669 444 9171 US • +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) • +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) • +1 719 359 4580 US Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbYHFonVCw Meeting ID: 824 1943 4406 Passcode: 894167 https://vimeo.com/event/5018243 COUNCIL PROTOCOLS FOR MEETING: This in person and virtual/remote meeting is compliant with the Governor’s Executive Order allowing for a deviation of teleconference rules required by the Brown Act. Traditional Brown Act and AB 2449 requirements can be utilized for all City Council meetings as long as required notice and posting is conducted per the Brown Act. Please Note the presiding member of the legislative body conducting a meeting or their designee may remove, or cause the removal of, an individual for disrupting the meeting. “Disrupting” means engaging in behavior during a meeting of a legislative body that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting. Page 1 of 9  PUBLIC COMMENT Due to the length of recent City Council Meetings, it is strongly encouraged that written comments be submitted to the City Council by sending them by email to: citycouncil@cityofsebastopol.gov with either General Public Comment Written in the Subject Line or the Specific Agenda Item Number or Title Written in the Subject Line. Emails are distributed to the City Council as well as posted to the City Council meeting as public comment. Public Comment questions may be directed to City staff for a response at a later time. CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL SALUTE TO THE FLAG REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED): To consider and take action on any request from a Council Member to participate in a meeting remotely due to Just Cause or Emergency Circumstances pursuant to AB 2449 (Government Code Section 549539(f)). Assembly Bill 2302 (2024) (“AB 2302”) revises rules for when members of local legislative bodies may participate in meetings remotely. Specifically, it amends the number of meetings that may be attended remotely for just cause and under emergency circumstances and clarifies the definition of the term “meeting,” for purposes of remote attendance. AB 2302 caps the number of remote meetings a member can attend each year based on the frequency of a legislative body’s meetings: Five meetings per year for those meeting twice a month. PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS/INTRODUCTIONS: 10 Year of Service Award: Salvador Villanueva Proclamation Proclaiming September 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation Proclaiming International Day of Peace: September 21, 2025 STATEMENTS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Conflicts of interest may arise in situations where a public official deliberating towards a decision, has an actual or potential financial interest in the matter before the Council. In accordance with state law, an actual conflict of interest is one that would be to the private financial benefit of a public official, a relative or a business with which the Councilmember is associated. A potential conflict of interest is one that could be to the private financial benefit of a Councilmember, a relative or a business with which the Councilmember is associated. A Councilmember must publicly announce potential and actual conflicts of interest, and, in the case of actual conflict of interest, must refrain from participating in debate on the issue or from voting on the issue and must remove themselves from the dais. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (FIRST COMMENT PERIOD): Up to Twenty (20) Minute Time Limit (Two Minutes for up to ten speakers). Additional public comment will be held at the end of the discussion and action items for up to an additional twenty (20) minutes. Mayor has discretion to allow for additional time beyond the 20 minutes allocated for public comment dependent upon the subject matter or number of speakers. Process for calling on Speakers: Mayor or designee shall ask for public comment as follows: Speakers to be called on in an alternate manner (One speaker in person to be called on first; then one speaker remote to be called on second with additional speakers to be called on in the same manner) based upon the time limit. CONSENT CALENDAR: The consent agenda consists of items that are routine in nature and do not require additional discussion by the City Council or have been reviewed by the City Council previously. These items may be approved by one motion without discussion unless a member of the City Council requests that the item be taken off the consent calendar. The Mayor will read aloud the title of each consent item (either full agenda title or a simplified version of the agenda title), and ask if a Councilmember wishes to remove one or more items from the consent calendar; and then open public comment to the members of the public in attendance. At this time, a member of the public may speak for up to two (2) minutes on the entire consent calendar and request at that time that an item or items removed for discussion. If an item or items are removed from the consent calendar, the item shall be placed at the end of the regular agenda items unless otherwise determined by the Mayor. Council Members may comment on Consent Calendar items or ask for minor clarifications without the need for pulling the item for separate consideration. Items requiring deliberation should be pulled for separate consideration and shall be placed at the end of the regular agenda items unless otherwise determined by the Mayor. 1. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes of August 5, 2025 Responsible Department: Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 2. Approval of Waiving of Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance: Ordinance 1158 amending the Sebastopol Municipal Code – Reassignment of Director of Emergency Services from Fire Chief to Police Chief Responsible Department: Police/City Attorney Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 3. Approval of Agreement with City of Sebastopol and Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce for Delegation of Certain Duties to the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce for the purposes of specific use of funding received from the Business Improvement District and Repealing Resolutions Inconsistent Therewith. Duties include: A. Acquisition, construction, and/or maintenance of parking facilities for the benefit of the Business Improvement District; B. Decoration of public places within the District; C. Promotion of public events in public spaces within the District; D. Furnishing of music in public spaces within the District; E. Promotion of business activities within the District; and F. Any and all other purposes authorized by law, the ordinance establishing the Business Improvement District, and/or the City Council To ensure continuity, accountability, and representation, the Chamber will be required to form a subcommittee of former SDA-affiliated members. This subcommittee will be responsible for developing and administering an annual budget for the use of BIA funds. The budget will be submitted to the City Council for review and approval to ensure transparency and alignment with the purposes of the Business Improvement Assessment Area. Responsible Department: Interim City Manager/City Attorney/Administrative Services Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 4. Approval of Direction to Staff (City Attorney) to prepare ordinances based upon community concerns. Proposed ordinances to address good neighbor policy to foster positive relationships between homeless service providers and the communities they serve mitigating potential negative impacts on neighborhoods and rebuild trust between residents and service providers; ordinance to address property maintenance and related community impacts; and ordinance to provide standards for public space use and address community safety concerns. Responsible Department: City Attorney/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: It is anticipated that approximately 10 hours to 15 hours and can be accommodated in the general attorney fees budget and if additional hours are needed; City staff will return to Council with an update. 5. Receipt of request from Liz Finn, on behalf of Sebastopol work group: Anita Grant, Susan McDonough, Jane Lawhon for Amendments to City of Sebastopol Communications Protocol: ICE Activity and/or any other Federal Officials engaged in Immigration Enforcement, Notification and Response. City of Sebastopol has current protocols in place and has recommended amendments as listed in protocols. Staff will return to a future publicly noticed Council meeting with additional information related to costs for training and purchase and installation of signage. Requestor: Mayor Zollman Responsible Department: City Attorney/Interim City Manager/Police Chief Fiscal Impact: City staff would need to review costs for City wide staff training and purchase and installation of signage. 6. Approval of Revisions to Purchasing Policy #89; revisions pertaining to Consultant Master Agreements as approved by the City Attorney and Public Works Construction Contracts under the Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Act, and Credit Cards. Changes include:  a. A new Master Agreement form has been approved by the City Attorney with establishment of Task Orders for individual contracts for professional services assignments which is referenced in the Purchasing Policy for clarity. b. Effective January 1, 2025, threshold for informal bid procedures for public projects has been changed and are updated in the Purchasing Policy. c. Credit charge revisions reflect the issuance of credit cards to mid-managers. d. Clarifying language related to cumulative contracts Responsible Department: Public Works/Administrative Services Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 7. Approval to Adopt a resolution approving and authorizing Fehr & Peers, associated project consultant, to prepare and submit invoices to Caltrans for the City for work completed under the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Grant. The City will compile and submit these invoices to Caltrans for processing and reimbursement in accordance with grant requirements. Further, authorize the City Manager to sign an amendment to the contract with Fehr & Peers in an amount not to exceed $24,000 Responsible Department: Community Development Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with this item as the $24,000 is within the grant funding. 8. Award of Landscape Maintenance Services Contract to PJM Yard Maintenance for an amount not to exceed $70,020.00 for service from October 2025 through June 2026 and authorize City Manager to Sign and Execute Contract Responsible Department: Public Works Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with this approval as the landscape maintenance contract is included in the adopted Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget in the Public Works/Parks operating budget. The amount allocated in the FY 25 26 Public Works adopted budget is $72,000 for this contract. 9. Approval of Letter of Support for Application to Sonoma County Department of Health Services for: West County Community Services, Homelessness Street Outreach Funding (Measure O: Behavioral Health & Homelessness Pathways to Sustainability Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Responsible Department: Police/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 10. Approval of Letter of Support for Application to Sonoma County Department of Health Services for: St. Vincent de Paul Society (Gravenstein Commons) (Measure O: Behavioral Health & Homelessness Pathways to Sustainability Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Responsible Department: Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 11. Approval of Application to Sonoma County Department of Health Services for: a. Extension of Heart Personnel beyond the Pilot Program; Request is to extend the HEART pilot program through June 30 2026. b. Funding to support dedicated Mobile Support Teams (MST) for Sebastopol to working collaboration with the City Police Department when responding to mental health situations (Measure O: Behavioral Health & Homelessness Pathways to Sustainability Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Responsible Department: Police/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 12. Approval to remove the requirement for Vimeo (Live Streaming) of the following Committee Meetings: Public Arts Committee; Climate Action Committee; the newly created committees: Oversight Committee for Enterprise Funds; and Sebastopol Commons: Building the Commons Committee. These specific committees will continue to utilize Zoom Virtual Meeting Format and in Person for Public Participation and recordings of the meetings will be posted to the City website as soon as possible after the meeting.  This does not impact Vimeo (Live Streaming) of Regular City Council, Planning Commission or Design Review Board Meetings. It is also recommended that the Council authorize staff to determine use of Vimeo for Special City Council meetings such as those called for an urgency or emergency item, and Town Halls/Study Sessions. Zoom Virtual Meeting Format and in Person for Public Participation and recordings of the meetings would continue to be utilized. Responsible Department: Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: The City will realize an estimated savings of $3,750 annually. 13. Adoption of Resolution: Policy for Flags on City Poles; Process for Flags on City Sidewalks. Policy is to establish guidance for the outdoor display of flags at City Facilities and public streets, including the display of commemorative flags and banners. Responsible Department: Public Works Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. Costs associated with reviewing, approving, or installing banners and flags in accordance with the proposed Policy is subject to fees and charges in the City’s Master Fee Schedule. 14. Approval of Formation and Appointment to the Newly established Sebastopol Commons¨ Building the Commons Committee. The item is to request the following formation and support appointment as recommended by the former ad hoc committee as follows: Initial Appointments: For this newly created meeting, the former ad hoc committee is recommending the following appointments: a. Two members of the City Council i. Mayor Zollman ii. Councilmember Carter b. One representative from each of the organizations listed below: i. Sebastopol Center for the Arts; ii. Senior Center; iii. Community Center; iv. Gravenstein Health Action Coalition; v. Faith Community; vi. Sonoma County Library vii. Sonoma County Library Foundation viii. Community Foundation ix. Gold Ridge Fire Protection District c. Member of the Business Community i. Recommended RM Horrell, Copperfields d. City of Sebastopol Library Commissioner Fred Engbarth e. Representative from Measure W Oversight Committee Sarah Glade Gurney Requestor: Mayor Zollman Responsible Department: Public Works/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item; however, staff time will be required to staff the meetings. 15. Approval of amendment to budget Transferring Funds from the FY 24/25 City Budget Police Endowment Fund to the FY 25 26 Police Department Operating Budget for Purchase of police vehicle and Authorize City Manager to Sign All Documents Related to Purchase of Said Vehicle Responsible Department: Police Fiscal Impact: Approval of $90,000 from Police endowment funds funded in FY 2024/2025 be amended to FY 2025/2026. This does not impact the General Fund.  16. Purchase of Police Vehicle in an amount not to exceed $90,000 and Approval to Authorize City Manager to Sign All Documents Related to Purchase of Said Vehicle. This purchase is in addition to Item #14 above. Responsible Department: Police Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact as $90,000 is allocated in the FY 25 26 Adopted Budget for purchase of an additional police vehicle. 17. Approval of Task Order 2 with GHD for City Engineering Services and the assignment of Mario Landeros as the Interim City Engineer through December 2025. Public Works had released an RFP for city engineering services and received two proposals. Based upon the assessment of the proposals and interviews conducted, City staff is recommending the assignment of the Interim City Engineer Consultant to GHD based on the most qualified Consultant for the work from the RFPs for amount not to exceed $30,000 through December 2025 while the City conducts a formal request for proposal. Responsible Department: Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact as the $30,000 amount is allocated and budgeted in the FY 2025- 26 Public Works/Engineering operating budget. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/PRESENTATIONS: Informational Items or Presentations are items that are informational only and do not require action by the City Council. Presentations shall be scheduled as necessary for the promotion of an event or service or general information items to the Council and should be limited to ten (10) minutes total in length of item (total length includes questions of Council to presenter and public comment). 18. Informational Presentation from SVDP on Gravenstein Commons. Presentation from Jack Tibbett. Responsible Department: Interim City Manager/City Attorney Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with receipt of this item. PUBLIC HEARING(s): NONE REGULAR CALENDAR AGENDA ITEMS (DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION): 19. Approval of City of Sebastopol Response to Grand Jury Report and Authorize for Mayor to Sign Letter to the Grand Jury and Discussion/Action for Contract for Animal Control Services Responsible Department: City Attorney/Police Chief Fiscal Impact: Funding for animal control services is funded in the police department budget for $25,000 ($20,000 for the actual contract and $5000 for Request for Proposals. (NBAS has been providing services for July and August for approximately $1500 per month. Therefore approximately $17,000 is remaining in the approved budget for contracted services. 20. Business Economic Gardening Initiative – Listening Session: Consideration to conduct: a. Either Special City Council Meeting (Town Hall Format Listening Session); or b. Authorize Councilmember Carter to conduct Listening Session of Businesses as part of the Economic Gardening Initiative and provide report back to the City Council on results of listening session and next steps Requestor: Councilmember Carter Responsible Department: Community Development/Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: The FY 25 26 City Budget contains funding in the amount of $3000 for this event. 21. Approval of Master Agreement Consultant Services with 4Leaf Inc for On Call Planning Services Responsible Department: Interim City Manager/Human Resources Fiscal Impact: The contract is not to exceed $87,408 for four months, there is no fiscal impact with approval of this contract; savings from the absence in the current position will be utilized for payment of  contractual services. It is anticipated that the contract will be for $21,852 monthly for Planner and Associate Planner Services as well as contract to be paid through deposit accounts for work done on projects that have provided deposits for review of their applications. 22. Adoption of Budget Amendment Resolution and Addition of New CIP Project for the Repair of Calder Creek Storm Drain Pipe at Ives Park Responsible Department: Public Works Fiscal Impact: New CIP project for $64,400 from Bldg/Fac/Infra Reserve Fund 103 23. City Council and City Staff Committee Assignment Amendment: a. Approve the amended committee assignments and authorize the recommended interim assignments until such time as the vacant City staff positions are filled; and b. Approve the recommendations for removal of committees no longer needed due to completion of duties. c. Discussion of Alternate Appointment to MSMVCD Board Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District Due to Resignation Responsible Department: Interim City Manager Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. 24. Discussion and Consideration of Land Acknowledgement Language to be Included onto Agendas and City Web Site Responsible Department: Interim City Manager/City Attorney Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact with approval of this item. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: Two minutes per speaker for up to twenty (20) minutes total for public comments but can be reduced at Mayor’s discretion depending upon the number of speakers or Mayor has discretion to allow for additional time beyond the 20 minutes allocated for public comment dependent upon the subject matter or number of speakers. COUNCILMEMBER(S) REQUESTS FOR FUTURE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS CITY COUNCIL/CITY STAFF REPORTS/COMMUNICATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/FUTURE MEETINGS: 25. City Manager and/or City Clerk Reports: (This will be either verbal reports at the meeting, or written reports provided at or prior to the meeting) a. July 2025 Departmental Reports 26. City Council Reports/Committee/Sub-Committee Meeting Reports: (Reports by Mayor/City Councilmembers Regarding Various Agency Meetings/Committee Meetings/Sub-Committee Meeting /Conferences Attended and Possible Direction to its Representatives (If Needed) on Pending issues before such Boards. ((This will be either verbal reports at the meeting, or written reports provided at or prior to the meeting) 27. Council Communications Received (Information/Meetings/Correspondence Received from the General Public to Councilmembers) CLOSED SESSION: NONE ADJOURNMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING September 2, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting will be adjourned to the next Regular City Council Meeting of Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 6:00 pm, Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA. American Disability Act Accommodations/Accessibility: A request can be made orally or in writing, and submitted to the ADA Coordinator by email: building@cityofsebastopol.org or to the City Clerk’s Office so as to avoid delay in reviewing and processing the request. Requests can be made by contacting the ADA Coordinator’s Office at (707) 823-8597, via email at building@cityofsebastopol.org or by mailing such a request to the ADA Coordinator’s Office located at 7425 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol, CA. Note that if you contact the ADA Coordinators Office, via mail, you need to make the request early enough that a response can be timely provided. NOTICE: All Resolutions and Ordinances introduced and/or adopted under this agenda are waived of all reading of entire resolution(s) and ordinance(s). The City of Sebastopol is a general law city formed under the laws of the State of California. With respect to adoption of ordinances and resolutions, the City adheres to the requirements set forth in the Government Code. Unless otherwise required, the full reading of the text of standard ordinances and resolutions is waived. SB 751 Legislative bodies of local agencies must publicly report: (1) any action taken and (2) the vote or abstention on each action taken by each member present for the action at a meeting. If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact the City at Email: info@cityofsebastopol.org or citycouncil@cityofsebastopol.org or please call: 707-823-1153. The public is advised that pursuant to Government Code section 54957.5 all writings submitted to the City Council are public records and will be made available for review at City Hall during normal business hours. The Sebastopol City Council welcomes you in person or remotely to its meetings that are generally scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month. Your interest and participation are encouraged and appreciated. Government Code Section 54953. (a) All meetings of the legislative body of a local agency shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of the legislative body of a local agency, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. (b) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the legislative body of a local agency may use teleconferencing for the benefit of the public and the legislative body of a local agency in connection with any meeting or proceeding authorized by law. The teleconferenced meeting or proceeding shall comply with all requirements of this chapter and all otherwise applicable provisions of law relating to a specific type of meeting or proceeding. (2) Teleconferencing, as authorized by this section, may be used for all purposes in connection with any meeting within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body. All votes taken during a teleconferenced meeting shall be by rollcall. There are times that the City Council open meetings may not be live streamed due to technical issues; if that is the case, the meeting will be video-taped and uploaded as soon as possible to the City Web Site. In the event of a disruption that prevents the legislative body from broadcasting the meeting to members of the public using the call-in option or internet-based service option, or in the event of a disruption within the local agency’s control that prevents members of the public from offering public comments using the call-in option or internet-based service option, the legislative body shall take no further action on items appearing on the meeting agenda until public access to the meeting via the call-in option or internet-based service option is restored. Actions taken on agenda items during a disruption that prevents the legislative body from broadcasting the meeting may be challenged pursuant to Section 54960.1. COUNCIL PROTOCOLS FOR MEETING RESTATED: This in person and virtual/remote meeting is compliant with the Governor’s Executive Order allowing for a deviation of teleconference rules required by the Brown Act. Traditional Brown Act and AB 2449 requirements can be utilized for all City Council meetings as long as required notice and posting is conducted per the Brown Act. Please Note the presiding member of the legislative body conducting a meeting or their designee may remove, or cause the removal of, an individual for disrupting the meeting. Prior to removing an individual, the presiding member or their designee shall warn the individual that their behavior is disrupting the meeting and that their failure to cease their behavior may result in their removal. The presiding member or their designee may then remove the individual if they do not promptly cease their disruptive behavior. This paragraph does not apply to any behavior described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). (b) As used in this section: (1) “Disrupting” means engaging in behavior during a meeting of a legislative body that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting and includes, but is not limited to, one of the following: (A) A failure to comply with reasonable and lawful regulations adopted by a legislative body pursuant to Section 54954.3 or any other law. (B) Engaging in behavior that constitutes use of force or a true threat of force. (2) “True threat of force” means a threat that has sufficient indicia of intent and seriousness, that a reasonable observer would perceive it to be an actual threat to use force by the person making the threat. How can I provide Public Comment on Zoom? The Mayor will request public comment during the Public Comment period on the agenda and during each Public Hearing and Regular Calendar Item. Once the Mayor has announced the public comment period, please do one of the following. USING A COMPUTER OR SMART PHONE: • Click on the “Raise Hand” feature in the webinar controls. This will notify City staff that you have raised your hand and you would like to speak. • City staff will unmute your microphone when it is your turn to provide public comment. • A prompt will appear to confirm you would like to be unmuted. Once you accept the prompt, you will have two minutes to provide public comment. • Once your public comment has ended, you will be muted again. USING A REGULAR PHONE: • Dial *9 (star 9), this will notify City staff that you have “raised your hand” for public comment. • City staff will unmute your microphone when it is your turn to provide public comment. *6 (star 6) is used to mute/unmute. • You will hear “you are unmuted” and then you will have two minutes to provide public comment. • Once your public comment has ended, you will be muted again