Public Hearing on Housing, Study Session, March 31, 2015 at 5pm

Greetings!

JOINT STUDY SESSION - ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE GENERAL PLAN AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND HOUSING ALLOCATION PLAN ORDINANCES
Each year, the Planning Commission and City Council review the General Plan, consistent with state planning and zoning law. The study session will allow time to cover General Plan actions in 2014, housing needs information, as well as to review the operation of the Growth Management program and the Housing Allocation Plan over the last year.  Click for Agenda. 

SRT Steering Committee Meeting Notes, Thursday, March 19th

Greetings!

Today's meeting of the SRT Steering Committee focused on the important meetings and community engagement opportunities which will occur over the next two months.  The hiring of two senior City staff members (Police Chief and Director of Engagement and Communication) offers us the chance to participate in the selection of key members of our City's community resources.  The announcement of a public forum on March 30th to meet the candidates for Police Chief, and the offer to include community representatives in the development of the job description for the new Director of Engagement and Communication, demonstrate the City's willingness to embrace new partnerships with the community.  Hank and Renee are meeting with City staff next Tuesday to suggest changes to the City's proposed job description.

Two additional opportunities to become involved in the work of changing city operations are the planning processes being undertaken to "Reimagining CityBus" and the modifications to the City's Website.  SRT will be forming and supporting committees for those interested in this work, and you can learn more by clicking on SRT Committee tabs just below the bottom edge of this blog's calendar above.  Mike reported that a meeting is being held with the City on April 16th at the Finley Center concerning the "Reimagining CityBus" campaign.  Gregory reported that recruitment has begun among digital social media and website design groups for the second committee.  Jon Udell, guest "Close to Home" columnist in today's Press Democrat (Open Government is a Two-Way Street), has agreed to serve. Contacts are also being made to SSU and SRJC Digital Media Department staff.

Our Annexation Outreach/Roseland Specific Area Plan Committee reported that they are meeting with City staff next Wednesday to hear a report on the progress of the recruitment of the Project Steering Committee, and to plan for a robust community engagement implementation.  The Annexation Outreach Committee is meeting on Tuesday at noon to coordinate our participation, and will coordinate our ideas with Health Action Coalition prior to the meeting.

Our Open Government Committee reported that co-chairs Tanya Narath and Helga Lemke are recruiting members of the the City's Open Government Task Force to join the Committee to further advise the City in its ongoing work implementing the Task Force recommendations.

Hank and Gregory reported on actions of the Youth/Schools Committee to recruit key staff from school districts to investigate how they can improve support for community engagement education.  SRT will work with teachers and staff who believe that students should receive opportunities to learn more about how they can participate in the decisions of local government.   The LCAF Core Curriculum Plans offer us an excellent chance to place these experiences into the lives of our students.

Finally, the Steering Committee discussed our plans to continue our Speakers Bureau activities. Gloria Rubio Cortez, long-time President of the National Civic League, has indicated her interest in participating, and we will be determining soon how feasible it is to schedule her into our proposed May Speaker Event.

Next Meeting of the Steering Committee is Thursday, April 2nd at 3pm at Lawrence's office (2240 Professional Drive).
  

Santa Rosa City Council Meeting, Tuesday, March 10th

Greetings!

Next Tuesday (3/10), the Santa Rosa City Council's agenda contains a report from the City Manager which requests their discussion and direction to him on the Open Government Task Force Report.  The Report, which was delivered to and accepted by the Council last December, has not been discussed yet.   Item 12.1 on Tuesday's agenda offers them a chance to respond to the recommendations, and give the City Manager direction on the variety of issues raised.  The item is located toward the end of the agenda.  Below is the summary from the staff report .


12.1
ANALYSIS
The recommendations of the Open Government Task Force fall into the following four groups:
1. Immediate Actions for Council
    1.1 Set a Council goal of “Open and Transparent Government”
    1.2 Set three strategic objectives for the organization
           Hire a communications director
           Adopt a sunshine ordinance based on Task Force recommendations
           Create a City mission statement which embraces community engagement
2. Develop a Culture that Values Public Engagement
3. Develop a Culture Focused on Communication
4. Develop Policies that Promote Openness Open Government Task Force Report Recommendations 

Staff seeks Council direction regarding implementation of these recommendations. Council may also wish to direct staff to provide additional information regarding proposed timelines and/or cost and resource impacts related to specific recommendations.

Santa Rosa City Council Meeting, Tuesday, March 3rd

Greetings!

Anne Seeley provides us the following look at what's coming up at tomorrow's City Council meeting:

Dear friends:

As you read in today's paper, starting with Tuesday's Council meeting, you will be able to speak to the Council at 2 times on matters not on the agenda (those on the agenda are open already to public comment).  The first is as close to 5 PM as possible after Consent items have been heard. If they're in the middle of this part of the agenda, the Mayor will stop Consent discussion and hear 30 minutes of public comment.

Later, after Report items, there will be another chance.   So lots of time.

History:   Public Appearances were long held at the beginning of the meeting, but in recent years, the time was hijacked by a persistent group of people with complaints to the Council about nation-wide questions such as demanding that the Council write to Congress to revoke the legislation that allowed the invasion of Iraq.   The Council responded by moving the public speaking time to the end of the agenda, which worked strongly against local people being able to speak to the Council at a reasonable time.

This timing of Public Appearances is provisional; they are going to try it.  

4PM

Study Session on Taxicab Driver Requirements.  This is mainly about requirements for controlled substance testing.   There are currently 23 franchises, 53 approved vehicles and 119 approved drivers in Santa Rosa.

7.1 Proclamation: Women's History Month

10.3 Mayor's and Council members's reports 

  10.3.1 The Council may vote to appoint new members of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and the Board of Regulations Appeals.

Consent.  There are 2 items.

Public Appearances.

No Report items

5PM Public Hearing

15.1 Smith Village/Pantoja Lane Rezoning.   This is at the west end of Sebastopol Road.  The request is to remove requirements for mixed use on the northern edge and elimination of 34 of 40 Second Unit dwellings (Granny units).  They propose instead that granny units be built over garages.

See you there!         Anne