Recap of the Dec. 16 Sebastopol City Council meeting
The city council hears an update on the city's Emergency Operations Plan and a presentation on the progress made toward meeting the city council goals and priorities for the year
This brief city council meeting, the last one of the year, lasted roughly an hour and a half. There were a few interesting points, including the launch of a three-month homeless services pilot program with the county and progress on the city’s Emergency Operations Plan. Mayor Jill McLewis said she was committed to following in former Mayor Stephen Zollman’s footsteps in terms of running a tight meeting, and she did so.
Vice Mayor Sandra Maurer, Councilmember Phill Carter, Councilmember Neysa Hinton, and Councilmember Stephen Zollman were present in chambers for the Dec. 16 Sebastopol City Council meeting. Mayor Jill McLewis, who attended via Zoom, ran the meeting.
Public Works shows up for Public Comment
Public Works employees, in their fluorescent yellow vests, showed up for public comment. Their union is currently in negotiations with the city for a new contract. Speakers highlighted the need for “non-competitive advancement for our employees” which one speaker said “would create a clear, predictable path for career growth based on experience, demonstrated competency and time of service.” (Non-competitive advancement is promotion from within the organization without having to advertise the position publicly.)
Another Public Works employee discussed the need for increased standby pay. He said, “Standby duty is not simply being available, it’s a constant state of readiness that affects every part of our lives. When we’re on standby, we can’t leave town, make real plans with our families or fully disconnect. Weekends and holidays are spent on alert. Unlike most other municipalities, our standby employees are required to be available 24 hours a day for seven days straight. That constant alertness takes a real toll on our small pool of employees. You never fully rest, and over time, the stress becomes chronic, leading to burnout, anxiety and fatigue. Fatigue slows reaction time, impairs judgment and increases safety risks for both employees and the public.”
Consent Calendar
The consent calendar consists of items that are routine in nature or don’t require additional discussion, often because they’ve been discussed extensively at a previous council meeting.
In addition to approving the minutes of previous meetings, the city council also unanimously approved the following items:
The council approved the receipt of the Local Appointments List. As required by state law, this is a current list of all the members on city commissions, boards and committees. If you’re wondering who’s serving on the Planning Commission, Design Review Board, Public Arts Committee, Climate Action Committee, the Committee to Build the Commons or the Enterprise Funds Oversight Committee, find out here.
The council approved the award of a contract for construction management and inspection services to GHD Inc. for the Bodega Avenue Bike Lanes and Pavement Rehabilitation Phase 2 Project. The actual work for this project will be performed by Team Ghilotti. According to the staff report, that work consists of “installing bike lanes and repaving Bodega Avenue from Nelson Way to Pleasant Hill Road, and adjusting utility boxes to new elevation grade, removal and reconstruction of accessible ramps, sidewalk, curb and gutter, restriping and remarking the finished paved surface, and other associated work and includes two alternate bid items for paving approximately 500 feet of Bodega Avenue near the Atascadero Creek bridge and a new retaining wall near the cemetery.”
The council approved a memorandum of understanding with the County of Sonoma to provide one senior client support specialist from the County’s Homeless Encampment Assistance and Resource Team (HEART) to operate within the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Sebastopol. The HEART program, managed by Sonoma County’s Department of Health Services’ Homelessness Division, provides outreach, case management, and connection to housing and supportive services for unsheltered individuals. The County is providing HEART personnel at no cost to the City of Sebastopol as part of a three-month pilot program.
Informational presentation
Interim City Manager Mary Gourley gave a quarterly update on the progress the city was making toward meeting the City Council’s goals and priorities. Out of 59 goals and priorities identified by the council last spring, city staff has completed 22, is working on 31 others, and has put six on hold for budgetary reasons. Gourley highlighted the following items—some of which have been completed:
Adding lighting to the gazebo in the downtown plaza.
Halloween and the holiday decorations in the plaza.
A deal with the county for the HEART program, mentioned above.
Rebuilding of the Sebastopol Teen Labyrinth of Life
City staff is currently working on blight ordinances and good neighbor policies to bring back to the council in 2026.
Updating the Emergency Operations Center at the police department, including the replacement of the generator and other equipment, as well as the updating of the Emergency Operations Plan.
The release of RFPs for the replacement of Well 4.
Continuation of work on the sewer master plan and our flood resiliency plan.
She also noted that the city is getting fully staffed, after working with a skeleton crew for quite a while. “We just hired two additional administrative staff. I just conducted interviews today for the planning director recruitment. Public Works director recruitment is still out on offer right now.”
She finished by saying, “We are on track for our financials right now. We’re not going overboard. We are making sure that we’re coming in monthly under budget right now. So that is a good sign.”
Her report was followed by many kudos from councilmembers for Gourley’s hard work and the hard work of city staff, particularly Public Works.
Regular Agenda
Developer Impact Fee Report
Administrative Service Director Ana Kwong gave the state-mandated report on Developer Impact Fees. According to Kwong, “These reports detail the beginning and ending balances of fee accounts and fees collected and how those funds were spent on public facilities related to development projects such as new infrastructure and public services.” The council unanimously adopted the report.
Status of the Emergency Operations Plan
Sebastopol Chief of Police Sean McDonagh has been working with County Emergency Services for several months updating the city’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). This entailed cutting down an unwieldly 224-page document into a more usable 20-page document, or, as McDonagh said, “Something that we would actually refer to in an emergency and be able to digest.”
In response to questions from Zollman and Maurer, McDonagh confirmed that the new, shorter report had been blessed by the county. He said he expected to have the final report before the council in February.
Councilmember Hinton and Mayor McLewis noted an obvious omission in the new plan: the role of the Gold Ridge Fire Department. Both wanted to see the fire department’s emergency duties in Sebastopol spelled out in the new document.
Hinton also noted that the Mayor and Vice Mayor should be among the personnel allowed into the Emergency Operations Center.
See the draft plan in the staff report. (Note that the new draft plan is located way at the end of the document, after the 224-page old plan.)
News from the City Manager’s Report
During her City Manager’s report, Gourley said she had received confirmation that St. Vincent de Paul, the developer of Gravenstein Commons, the permanent supportive housing complex currently under construction in north Sebastopol, had moved closer to receiving the promised $1 million in additional funding from the County of Sonoma. The city received a Notice of Intent to award $1,000,000 to St. Vincent de Paul from the County’s Measure O Behavioral Health and Homelessness Pathways to Sustainability grant program.
She also noted that city offices would be closed on Dec. 24, 25, and 26.
What does noncompetitive advancement mean. Does it mean how do pay scales in Sebastopol compare with other cities or does it mean if you've worked a certain number of hours you will get a raise?