[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6473822,"mediaKeyId","5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4","parentId",5743389,"title","Votes at a glance: actions and outcomes from Santa Rosa City Council study session, Sept. 9, 2025","audioSeconds",92,"startMs",18326000,"endMs",18418000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4&start=18326&end=18418","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4/thumbnail_18326000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6473822/Santa-Rosa-City/Sonoma-County/California/Votes-at-a-glance-actions-and-outcomes-from-Santa-Rosa-City-Council-study-session-Sept-9-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473822-947c69c4d874905b3b6e4f01f14ffce8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770481651&Signature=EM5gRbgBAQ5LP956arYwK-hNJoXPmkbXzTiYW3GWPbdB2eKoKHJ5vrEvpUhL3PskEO29CEsgn8U-Y44xSxdvaZdsJxYFWS7b-mkn~x4uQUKT6lAtm6YIP1G0IhBGtft3rf64s0cA0nJRlFlZrLL---pJDtobqJJNdbVK-3f~WISKxjNtsJ8J2vFnJ41c9oO0tx3XvIkacUfR~49QLyVcDumLS2oTbd~3PN6RG7k47cWWy0CTqphIA302Xi30~~cwlBtuvHx29SrT3flt~bUwr5DEC0YWsgl0u5PzHEOZJsfGoIz578ya1WBCm~ThIETObw-8YEeJnDCjFH0fFo5ZsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Santa Rosa, CA","date","2025-09-10T01:48:26.187Z","article","The Santa Rosa City Council took the following discrete actions during the Sept. 9 study-session meeting. Most study-session items (Fourth Street pedestrianization, parking/curb-management study, council procedure review and street outreach contract updates) were presented for discussion and direction; no final policy changes were adopted that evening on those study items.

Votes recorded during the session:

- Delegation to League of California Cities annual conference: Council nominated Mayor Mark Stapp as primary voting delegate and Vice Mayor Alvarez and Council Member Rogers as alternates. The motion passed unanimously (Ayes: Rogers; O'Krepkie; McDonald; Fleming; Ben Willows; Vice Mayor Alvarez; Mayor Stapp).

- Consent calendar (items 13.1–13.3): Council approved three consent items including contract award for construction management on Calistoga Road (Montecito Blvd–Highway 12), a resolution declaring a remaining assessment district redemption fund surplus, and introduction of a correcting ordinance. The consent calendar passed unanimously (same roll-call ayes recorded by the clerk).

- Minutes and other procedural housekeeping items: Minutes and routine items were approved without recorded dissent.

Several study-session presentations generated direction to staff but no formal Council ordinances or resolutions were adopted that night. Staff will return to council with formal recommendations and items for adoption at future meetings as noted in the separate study-session presentations.

Recorded vote tallies in the meeting were announced by the city clerk as unanimous on the items taken to vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Santa Rosa Council Meeting September 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved several consent items and appointed its League of California Cities delegates; staff presented multiple study-session items but did not adopt new policies at the meeting.","taxTitle","Santa Rosa City, Sonoma County, California","taxId",3913,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473827,"City attorney to return with standardized rules after council debates appointment and mayor-selection procedures",5248,9261000,14509000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4&start=9261&end=14509","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4/thumbnail_9261000.jpg","/articles/6473827/Santa-Rosa-City/Sonoma-County/California/City-attorney-to-return-with-standardized-rules-after-council-debates-appointment-and-mayor-selection-procedures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473827-ea2281c06376440fd50677684983cda5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770481652&Signature=o8JF4xvc3iqMnb3yVrNpuWSj6Rs~liHHlyyq5Ohjqoh4D0VzLGHhKmTt0HpXY9PdP-hjorcK7sZozSgICMcMaqvAmwQZejI3iGZCrUQxHhF1rJikUx7JpVYniEBimXtwQlrcMTHFWBKEWjpu3DzT4WjNSGflOyYn1wzQIHXFzCFpZsvwnWpKdH5oR1cHDHIFpv5EDoJWmd2QwgRhH0CcwViNWv2LvVHrLxki0UpMMRaqk9PUdtvBxoo0vFUcNsozy4MMd79VUMZMdyueAEK6Zu6APNs1XqVTBPVAT23rz3prlsN5ioyg~6wF~nYP-oBeK-SwXsbGuY9HNraVTE7etw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The city attorney briefed the City Council in a study session Sept. 9 on how the council currently conducts appointments from the dais and on options to standardize and clarify the process when the full council selects members for boards, fills council vacancies by appointment and elects mayor and vice mayor.

City Attorney Theresa Leong described gaps in the existing rules, noting that while the charter requires the council to fill vacancies within 60 days (or call a special election), the council’s procedures do not prescribe a clear, single method for making multi‑candidate selections. “Your rules are pretty good about setting forth” the application and interview steps, she said, “but once you’ve interviewed the candidates there really is no rule” for how to proceed when the council cannot reach agreement.

Leong presented three alternative mechanisms for multi‑candidate selections: ranked‑choice tabulation (staff recommended creating a transparent IT‑assisted tallying tool if chosen), a process‑of‑elimination conducted by ballot and sequential motions by nomination. She warned that motion‑based selections can give an advantage to the presiding officer because of order effects; ranked choice requires more programming when multiple seats and differing eligibility rules exist; and all systems need tie‑breaking rules for the common dead‑end of a split vote (for example a 3–3 split when only six members are present).

Council members debated nuance and tradeoffs. Several members supported a two‑track approach: use a single, simplified one‑vote-per‑member process for mayor/vice‑mayor selection, and a separate process-of-elimination (ballot rounds) for the more complex cases of full‑council board appointments and filling council vacancies. Multiple members suggested adding explicit tie‑breaking rules (random selection such as names drawn from a hat or a coin flip) for “stubborn ties” after a reasonable run of ballots and any runoff attempts.

Council asked the city attorney to return with draft rule changes for council adoption. Leong said she would prepare proposed language and suggested the council decide whether to (a) standardize across all three appointment types or (b) adopt separate procedures for mayor/vice‑mayor and the other two appointment categories. She said she would return with a formal draft in October so the council could consider changes before the next mayor/vice‑mayor selection cycle.

No binding rule change was adopted at the meeting; the session served as direction to the attorney’s office to draft formal amendments and implementation language for council review.","After a study-session review of current rules and alternatives for council appointments and mayor/vice‑mayor selection, council asked staff to draft revised, clearer procedures: one set for mayor/vice‑mayor and a second set for vacancies and full‑council committee appointments, with tie‑breaking protocols and limited nominations.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473832,"New Hope for Youth begins street outreach in Santa Rosa; city reports first six months of enrollments and activity",1413,16443000,17856000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4&start=16443&end=17856","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4/thumbnail_16443000.jpg","/articles/6473832/Santa-Rosa-City/Sonoma-County/California/New-Hope-for-Youth-begins-street-outreach-in-Santa-Rosa-city-reports-first-six-months-of-enrollments-and-activity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473832-3c016b5ceaaa30abb0307818dc7e4898/orig.mp4?Expires=1770481652&Signature=HOPM7kYG7qY6oowkJRvAP78WQdXV4FwquZ1EgRwqbq-aIZR6JAKSnnlzMiMzy25bia1gnfxUfH6Ps1uSjzcrR9l8iwwwAgu5VhVPdblnbQTcQbLg1yYavi-Y1GRvEAO3A7Tz0MWTXB0REMtPmMotZpx36A2Dvp~cEjUfgR7bcII4ZRAbL3SL9w-971185OypPf6NfHRbiUouq0OJLzJ4B2AIrB3Wqe226norAXKtWcOhO~ttVyvk2Fcy7~OLqI11LYVVaXpmyBQwsa05mmOVi2O5xJkSM5B77-wXVsio8EhOIqZ-74ioUxrT0-i0FnFZazYxDRZnCen841T91IoO9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership reported Sept. 9 on the first six months of a newly implemented street outreach and crisis response program managed by New Hope for Youth. The contract, approved by council in November, funds a two-year program (with an option to extend) focused on high‑risk, gang‑impacted youth and their families.

Danielle Ronshausen, the city’s violence‑prevention program manager, told council New Hope for Youth became fully operational in February after being selected through a competitive RFP. The program uses a “credible‑messenger” model that emphasizes trauma‑informed case management by staff with lived experience.

From January through June, staff reported that New Hope for Youth: enrolled 78 youth into case management; enrolled 60 families and produced 51 family case plans; conducted 226 neighborhood climate checks (submitting 121 graffiti reports to the city); and provided 3,104 mentoring and service sessions across 3,104 total sessions and roughly 4,244.5 hours of mentoring and other direct service.

Ronshausen said referrals come from multiple points, including the city’s Guiding People Successfully program, probation, the Santa Rosa Police Department’s gang-crimes team, schools and direct outreach. She said hospital outreach remains a work in progress after initial outreach to the local trauma center; the city and New Hope are pursuing additional entry points to hospital-based intervention.

The city and New Hope stressed the need to keep outreach separate from law enforcement to build trust, while maintaining collaboration for referrals. Ronshausen said the Santa Rosa Police Department and probation participate in regular operational coordination and monthly climate checks to share hot-spot information and referrals.

Council members and staff described early signs of progress. Staff and councilmembers reported anecdotal decreases in youth violence during the summer and noted that probation and juvenile-hall partners were observing fewer youth arrests; Ronshausen said the city is working to obtain corroborating data from SRPD and juvenile-justice partners. Council members called for continued coordination with schools and for attention to domestic-violence indicators among youth and families served.","Under a two-year, $600,000-per-year contract, New Hope for Youth launched a credible-messenger street outreach and crisis response team in February. In its first six months the program enrolled 78 youth in case management, engaged 60 families, conducted 226 neighborhood climate checks and reported more than 3,000 service sessions.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473837,"Santa Rosa staff propose parking rate changes, new permit options and validation program to address downtown demand",4400,3488000,7888000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4&start=3488&end=7888","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4/thumbnail_3488000.jpg","/articles/6473837/Santa-Rosa-City/Sonoma-County/California/Santa-Rosa-staff-propose-parking-rate-changes-new-permit-options-and-validation-program-to-address-downtown-demand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473837-2b086c9cdf5e0eaca8d1f1ec654c7905/orig.mp4?Expires=1770481652&Signature=LLVxbKIFUDy3fKuu7Hb~6~nPlnnc1gqGkMPef2AN~LWQzA6-PKENQCcmwXl0gNbxYFNzBP2ZoJf6y6nHRmkHFsHIdUXw6Af38qdQc4ueBnO6Ms5kEGAoU9qZ2IVZQEpCCHXBs8CXna32x-ddbbfNzCucfTUSauezvHqP43hahb3R5BdOoxCHRx1Lf4tEnr8uZSiDUkYTAzmEX~ZS9QV0Pu0J2-rwm~Vo1ZndWpL7zAjX~5DUs4pVeCZaeq6OIj5CoVRzZypylAYBJSgsOb4tNpRjNgDLCP5yZb3Y7mh1PILr2psvVDwln2u3rijelOwQp18hN-WS0HEuCmwtZkzsAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City parking staff presented a two-year curb‑management and access study Sept. 9 and proposed a series of parking-rate, permit and program changes intended to manage demand, increase garage use and address safety concerns.

Chad Hedge, parking division manager, described issues that prompted the study: “First-hour free parking that was offered in our garages … has not incentivized garage use over street parking, while showing increases in loitering and safety issues in the garages,” Hedge said. The study, funded in part by a Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) grant, combined internal analytics, a public survey (nearly 1,600 responses) and outreach to businesses and district stakeholders.

Key elements of the staff proposal include: raising premium on‑street/depot-meter rates (example: premium meters from $1.50 to $2.50 per hour in Railroad Square), standardizing garage hourly rates to $1 per hour, modest increases to value-lot meter rates, and preserving Lot 13/14 pricing for Railroad Square. Staff also proposed updated permit structures: reduced-cost “low-wage” permits expanded to all garages ($25/month), new part‑time permits (96-hour weekly cap), adjusted unreserved garage permit pricing and special residential permit allocations for new downtown developments (examples: Stewart Cannery tenant permits at $50/month).

On enforcement and revenue, staff proposed modest citation increases for a subset of violations (those currently between $35 and $50) and reported an estimated additional annual revenue of approximately $350,000 (projected total parking revenue rising from about $1.3M to $1.6M on the cited line items). Hedge emphasized the connection between staffing and revenue recovery: enforcement shortfalls had reduced citation collections in recent years and increased operating pressure on the parking enterprise fund.

The plan also includes EV charging expansion funded largely by PG&E and grant sources (new dual-port Level 2 chargers, and future DC fast chargers) and removal of some meters away from the core to create more free, time-limited spaces for longer-stay visitors. Staff proposed to replace the blanket “first-hour free” garage policy with a targeted business validation program — staff estimated the program startup cost to the parking enterprise at about $5,400 per year while continuing selected free-holiday parking. The city will continue Thanksgiving/holiday meter exceptions and would not implement meter and permit changes until Jan. 1, 2026 to allow outreach and transition.

The Downtown Action Organization and the Historic Railroad Square Association both signaled support while urging strong signage, clearer wayfinding, infrastructure improvements and assistance in getting businesses to use validation. Cadence Henkel Allinson of the DAO told council the organization “support[s] the recommendations today” and encouraged the city to make the validation offer durable. Amanda Janek of the Historic Railroad Square Association said improved signage and clearer pricing will help visitors find value lots and garages.

Staff indicated they will return in the fall with an approval item and will delay implementation until Jan. 1, 2026 after continued outreach with downtown businesses and community groups. Council members asked for additional detail on projected staffing costs, enforcement capacity, ADA access and how the proposal will interface with anticipated downtown development and the EIFD funding timeline.","Parking division recommended raising premium meter rates, standardizing garage pricing, expanding permit options, adding EV chargers and replacing first-hour-free garages with a targeted validation program. Staff estimates net parking-enterprise revenue increases and will return with an implementation schedule for Jan. 1, 2026.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6473842,"Santa Rosa council studies temporary Fourth Street closures, asks staff for targeted pilots and analyses",3908,2058000,5966000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4&start=2058&end=5966","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5743389-cb878c8b305e819c53fef87e4e317ab4/thumbnail_2058000.jpg","/articles/6473842/Santa-Rosa-City/Sonoma-County/California/Santa-Rosa-council-studies-temporary-Fourth-Street-closures-asks-staff-for-targeted-pilots-and-analyses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6473842-92c9c2342e92cea912ea7e33750f3390/orig.mp4?Expires=1770481652&Signature=FjN1Jf9TwEg7nXWYf1VPt8WM7u7SvwNckqVr1doQ4qd1ol9AP4zYDhwRyeeDK~f1MhXZ7QSBHIkLzLvP-6aT2ocGujJ3WcsAq3ecb~-bPFj~1fNurgPRpEn493W6NI8~dB~Z8MGfg33silCLpLDR7NKJLA3korSG92cZ7AMR9~iB7zFWfQbilGvNB~5Pozh~QcbsiTKRGOFAIWKhe2na4GyKHmV7MCLay7lgFJV6cL2qPdbM6OVoS80yrxysif3afoK23tJKXK~8W5DxXBnelsxh01qsvPEMlXifRhl4-staersjt6TuHNlQUIEyvhvev8C4RJTpXJfn-wztZliXyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Santa Rosa staff presented a study-session briefing Sept. 9 on options for temporarily closing portions of Fourth Street to vehicle traffic to create pedestrianized space, and council directed staff to continue analysis and return with formal recommendations.

The presentation, led by Gabe Osborne, director of planning and economic development, and Scott Adair, the city’s chief economic development officer, said the work responds to a council request from April 2024 and builds on roughly 12 months of targeted outreach. “The purpose of today’s study session is to discuss impacts associated with a temporary closure to portions of Fourth Street,” Osborne said.

Adair told council staff reviewed peer cities and conducted door-to-door outreach, business surveys and more than 1,300 resident surveys. “The feedback was, in many respects, very mixed,” he said, describing broad resident interest in “walkable downtown spaces” and stronger caution from downtown merchants about logistics such as deliveries, loading, garbage collection and parking.

The economic-development presentation summarized two dominant themes: supporters who see closures as a way to reactivate downtown for dining, performance and cultural activity, and downtown merchants who worry closures could impede customers and supply access. Staff recommended a deliberate approach — including possible pilots and paired investments in infrastructure and programming — rather than a “plug-and-play” rollout.

Council members emphasized the need for more precise study boundaries, operational details and data. Director Osborne said staff would treat the corridor between E Street and B Street (the area that included COVID-era temporary closures near the square) as the initial study area unless council directed otherwise. He outlined next steps including traffic and parking studies, infrastructure reviews for fire and utilities, cost/revenue analysis, and scheduling analysis for deliveries and garbage collection.

Public comments reflected the same split staff reported. Cadence Henkel Allinson, representing the Downtown Action Organization, urged that any pedestrianization be paired with infrastructure, programming and careful traffic circulation planning. “The DAO believes there are 4 key points that need to be addressed for a successful pedestrianization effort,” she said, listing business buy-in, infrastructure improvements, city investment in programming and clear traffic impact analysis.

Local merchants cautioned caution. A longtime downtown merchant, speaking as Bernie of California Luggage, said he has seen event closures succeed when well marketed but fail when not, and told council “most of the people that come downtown, over 80% come by car.” Adrian Covert of Santa Rosa YIMBY urged the city to “be bold” and said outreach showed strong resident support, while acknowledging the importance of design and programming.

Council response leaned toward study and careful piloting. Several council members said they would support targeted pilots (Ross Street and Montgomery Village were explicitly discussed) or a summer/seasonal closure, but wanted more precise evidence on impacts, staffing needs and funding sources. Mayor Mark Stapp and other members asked staff to return with the technical analyses and potential funding approaches so the council could consider a formal recommendation later.

Osborne summarized the council’s direction at the meeting’s end: staff will advance analyses for the E-to-B Street corridor, work with adjacent businesses on pilot proposals for Ross Street and Montgomery Village if requested, continue outreach, and prepare traffic, parking, infrastructure and cost studies before returning with a formal recommendation.

City staff and council did not adopt any closure at the meeting; the item remained a study-session discussion and next steps were limited to developing the analyses described above.","A months-long community outreach process returned mixed feedback on pedestrianizing Fourth Street. City staff and council agreed to study a defined Fourth Street corridor, explore targeted pilots (including Ross Street and Montgomery Village) and further evaluate infrastructure, traffic and operational impacts before any closure is proposed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: actions and outcomes from Santa Rosa City Council study session, Sept. 9, 2025

City attorney to return with standardized rules after council debates appointment and mayor-selection procedures

New Hope for Youth begins street outreach in Santa Rosa; city reports first six months of enrollments and activity

Santa Rosa staff propose parking rate changes, new permit options and validation program to address downtown demand

Santa Rosa council studies temporary Fourth Street closures, asks staff for targeted pilots and analyses