S.R. City Council Agenda, Tuesday, September 27th

Greetings!

We thank our friend, Anne Seeley, of Concerned Citizens For Santa Rosa, for her analysis of this week's City Council Agenda:

Friends:   There is no study session before this 4PM meeting.

10. 2 Matters from Council re Future Agenda Items

10.2.1 On 9/20/16 Council member Wysocky asked that Measure Y be considered for Council Endorsement. This concerns  Voter Support for a Library Tax.

10.2.2 On 9/20/16 Vice Mayor Schwedhelm asked for Council consideration of State Proposition 52, which concerns fees charged to hospitals to access MediCal payments.

Report

14.1 Sonoma County Voter Approved Protection for 'Community Separators' Measure K. The Council will decide whether to endorse Measure K.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4693170&GUID=D490CD85-AE2D-4273-9FF5-488DF75ABAF8 Measure K

14.4 SMART Preparedness Update and Notice of Intent to Establish 24 hour Quiet Zones

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4694617&GUID=043CABFF-C866-4838-9B3C-399D56EF049E SMART Quiet Zones

Public Hearings

15.1 The 2016-2025 Short Range Transit Plan Presentation and Possible Adoption.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4692585&GUID=000900A6-425C-4433-82B9-7F3E26A5BF38 Transit Plan

20.1 Upcoming meetings

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4690838&GUID=F0B3AE8F-161B-4183-AAFB-1C99AA1A971D Upcoming Meetings

I'll see you there!

Anne

S.R. City Council Agenda, Tuesday, August 16th

Greetings!

Here is an analysis of this Tuesday's Council agenda, thanks to our friend Anne Seeley, of Concerned Citizens For Santa Rosa:

Friends:   This is an important meeting, with votes that should be watched.

There is no Study Session.

4PM

Consent

11.2 Resolution to Add 1.25 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) positions to the Code Enforcement Division of the Housing and Community Services Department.  There has been a chronic backlog in code enforcement due to reduced staffing and a recent focus on this with discovery of many cases of sub-standard rental housing.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4618274&GUID=96A6BF81-44DC-494E-B77C-66BC3F15586F Code Enforcement

Report

13.1 Consideration for Adoption of an Ordinance ... Regarding 1)Rent Stabilization and  Other Tenant Protections for Certain Rental Units; 2) A Resolution Adopting a Policy Regarding Capital Improvement Plans for Certain Rental Units (for landlord-proposed improvements and cost recovery for them) and 3) Review of Preliminary Cost Estimates for Program Administration  through June 30, 2017.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4619971&GUID=CB06CD21-3903-4367-88C8-DC062A6E7A8A Rent Stabilization

13.2 Ordinance Adoption Requiring Just Cause for Tenant Evictions.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4610769&GUID=19B89BC5-F35E-4772-830D-9906E6266C94 Just Cause Eviction

15  Written Communications

15.1 Request for a Gubernatorial Declaration of Homeless Emergency.  This is one of three types of Declarations approved by the Council last week.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4620024&GUID=F8B8743B-315F-4817-839A-A9BE2D62C675  Letter to the Governor

19.1 Upcoming Meetings

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4619388&GUID=4DE90D47-2DB0-4853-B8A8-75F2BDE6B623  Upcoming Meetings

I will see you there!  Anne

S.R. City Council Agenda, Aug 2nd

Greetings!

Thanks again to our friend, Anne Seeley, of Concerned Citizens For Santa Rosa, for her analysis of this week's City Council agenda:

Friends:   This is an important meeting, when a crucial decision on Just Cause Eviction will be finalized and a decision made on how to place ballot measures for City taxes on the November ballot.

There is no study session before the 4 PM meeting

Consent: 

12.6 Ordinance Adoption - An Ordinance of the City of Santa Rosa Requiring Just Cause for Evictions (JCE) in the City of Santa Rosa.  The initial vote on July 19 of this year was 4-2-0-1, with Vice Mayor Schwedhelm and Council member Olivares voting 'No' and Mayor Sawyer absent/recused.   This vote will be significant in the reelection campaigns later this year of Julie Combs, Gary Wysocky and Ernesto Olivares.  

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4578048&GUID=6FF9B7B9-23AB-4D45-A52E-8D01FF1F205F Just Cause

Report

14.1 Ordinance Introduction Approving Ordinances to 1) Amend Measure O (adopted by City voters in 2204) to change the level of funding required to be dedicated to certain Public Safety purposes and 2) Amend Measure P (adopted by City voters in 2010) to extend for 8 years a quarter-cent General Transaction and Use Tax.

At the July 19, 2016 Council meeting, the Council agreed to study possibly combining the measures on the ballot.   The City Manager and the Finance Department recommend that the Council 1) receive the polling results done recently (see the link below) ; and 2) Approve one or more measures to a) amend Measure O to modify the the baseline spending on certain public safety purposes; and b) amend Measure P to extend the quarter cent 8 more years beyond its 2018 sunset date.

From my point of view, the problem is this:  a public safety union is thought to already have plans to try to kill the amendment of Measure O and support the extension of Measure P.  If they appear on the ballot together, that effort would backfire.  This opposition to amending the baseline formula for public safety funding has been constant; the change proposed is from the now-unrealistic, pre-recession 2004 budget funding level  (Plus addition of the equivalent of the CPI) to, instead, a constant percentage based on the Fiscal Year 2015/16 budget ( a very generous 57%).  If the extension of Measure P passes without an amendment of Measure O, the public will continue to see further erosion of funding for City Services other than public safety in each budget year.

   

***Please send emails to the Council  (citycouncil@srcity.org)   asking them to combine the measures on the ballot, or come to the Council meeting to say the same. 

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4604071&GUID=60B68C42-AC58-41C4-BFF7-53F78C1648F3 Amending Measures O and P

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4606475&GUID=3500B9C7-5E3A-4C43-BF75-6E5344678254 Polling Results

14.4 Zoning Code Interpretation To Allow Cannibis Support Uses- (non-volatile) Manufacturing, Distribution and Processing.  The Council wants to assert their right to make decisions on these matters. More below:

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4583201&GUID=C1D9DA91-AADC-426F-99D4-507DC2A7154D Medical cannibis

20.1 Upcoming meetings

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4602539&GUID=902BA38A-7F52-44F9-A384-07009404F1C3 Upcoming Meetings

I'll see you there!

Anne

Santa Rosa City Council, July 26th

Greetings!

Much thanks to Anne Seeley, of Concerned Citizens For Santa Rosa, for her analysis of this week's City Council Agenda.

Friends:

After last week's meeting (ending at 11:15PM) when the Council hashed out their planned actions regarding homelessness, the urgency of a Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance and considered which tax measures it will place on the November ballot, this will be a relatively straightforward meeting.

There is no Study Session.

4PM Meeting

Consent

11.2  City of Santa Rosa and Oakmont Village Association Agreement to provide a deviated fixed route bus service.   This is a continuation of that contract. 

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4572123&GUID=5707BE93-C940-4729-A962-6F3951A764E0

Oakmont Village Bus Service

11.4 Ordinance Adoption - Requiring Just Cause Evictions in the City of Santa Rosa.  There was an attempt last week to pass this as an Urgency Ordinance, which failed, so it returns as a regular ordinance  This is a Bandaid for the renting public`to prevent them from being evicted unjustly while the City staff prepare the Rent Stabilization Ordinance for the Council. (Around me in Council Chambers last Tuesday, I heard 'suits' saying, "They wouldn't have this problem if they hadn't announced their Rent Stabilization plans.")  The standard, and understandable reasons for eviction will remain - failure to pay rent, violation of apartment safety rules, etc.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4578048&GUID=6FF9B7B9-23AB-4D45-A52E-8D01FF1F205F Just Cause Evictions

Report

13.1 Certificates of Participation - Courthouse Square Project and 2007 Lease Refinancing.  This refinancing is explained in the report below.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4578144&GUID=B9E62836-EF49-4B20-BEB9-A38B50D5D438 Financing for Courthouse Square

13.2 Labor Agreement with unions for Firefighters, some Police, Bus Operators and City Attorneys

   A 2.5% Salary Increase across the board. Cost of the contract: $1,757,798, of which $1,118, 584 is a General Fund cost.  Where does the rest come from?

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4578147&GUID=A33FE515-A1FD-4DCB-AFA8-6896EE023E6F Labor Contract

13.3 Labor Contract for Santa Rosa's Unit 10 - Executive Management. Again, a 2.5% salary increase.

13.4 Labor contract for Santa Rosa's Unit 11-Middle Management. Cost: $93,780, of which $79, 411 is a General Fund cost.

13.5 Amendment to Anti-harassment, Anti-Descrimination and Anti-Retaliation Council Policy.  This adds classes of 'protected persons' - City Volunteers and Unpaid City Interns. It also changes the reporting procedure if a Council member is involved.  The complaint would now go to the City Manager.

13.6 Emergency Declaration Concerning Homelessness. Last week the Council asked staff to prepare all 3 types of declarations.  Each has its benefits and restrictions.  The hope, according to Council member Tom Schwedhelm, is to reduce the number and rate to "functional zero."

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4579139&GUID=C37F9E89-1411-4B46-950B-87BFBF9BD138 ˙Homelessness Declarations

See you there!

Anne

Santa Rosa's State of Homeless Emergency, Tuesday, July 19th, 2016

Greetings!

I wanted to share a special six and a half minutes of Santa Rosa City Council time where, as Mayor John Sawyer said, the "hearts" of our city's leaders were on display.

Friday, July 22nd, Santa Rosa Courthouse Square Reunification

Greetings!

I had some extra time this morning while Pat pitched the Library Tax Campaign to a donor, so I went downtown to see what the progress there has been on the reunification of Old Courthouse Square.

It was a sunny day, which reminded me of how dearly we will pay for the loss of trees and shade when it is completed.  Just in time for the winter cold and rain, this outdoor mall may become a desert of concrete.

Here is a link to the photos of work being done. 

Santa Rosa City Council Agenda - July 12th

Greetings!

Thanks to our friend, Anne Seeley, of Concerned Citizens For Santa Rosa, for her analysis:

There's no study session before the 4PM meeting

There are 2 Proclamations for retirements:   for Chuck Regalia, the City's Assistant City Manager and for Ruben Arminana of SSU.

Consent

12.2 Reauthorization of Over Hire of Up to 6.0 Positions in the Police Department.  This is presented as a way to phase in new hires with necessary training to avoid gaps in staffing.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4534897&GUID=D810C0BB-4C86-49CA-A031-19ED8B8E7EC3 Police Over Hire

Report

14.1 Community Advisory Board Work Plan Presentation for 2016/17.   More explanation below:

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4550984&GUID=C1BCEBDC-9B6C-41EF-951A-CD0420A9B682 CAB Work Plan

14.2  R3 Consulting Group Review of North Bay Corporation Performance.  North Bay is the City's franchise waste hauler.  The City contracted with R3 to evaluate North Bay's adherence to its franchise contract.  They have found gaps and poor performance in several areas.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4554611&GUID=8F80E8E2-06EA-4952-B693-07237E2C00D1 North Bay

14.3 Courthouse Square Reunification Update on Costs So Far.

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4553900&GUID=325C2DFE-EB6F-479C-9523-1FBBB1BEE2EF CHSR 

20.1 Upcoming Meetings

https://santa-rosa.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4552625&GUID=74854D0D-3BEC-4BF6-BCD8-2D2A9617DFF0 Upcoming meetings

  The very significant things coming up at the Council's next 2 meetings are a report on the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, A Declaration of Homelessness Emergency and Ordinances for Ballot Measures for the November Election.

See you there!   Anne

Anne Seeley

aeseeley@sonic.net

526-3925

484-8722 (cell)