City manager outlines 2025 council goals, highlighting housing, parks recruitment and budget timeline

City Manager David Guin told the Culture & Fine Arts Commission that the City Council's 2025 goals will drive staff work and the coming budget process, with particular emphasis on housing, parks and recreation and fiscal stability. "I do wanna touch on three things," Guin said, introducing the update: council goals, the parks and recreation director recruitment and the 2025-26 budget process.

Guin said housing is the council's top priority and framed the work as a combination of preserving existing affordable units, acquiring or converting existing units and building new ones. "When housing developments do come in, that we're all working together to make sure that they're successful, and not pushing people out," he said. He also described coordination with Sonoma County on homeless services, including emergency shelter and the goal of moving people into permanent supportive housing.

The city is recruiting a parks and recreation director, Guin said, with applications open and a closing date about three weeks after the meeting. He described the position's portfolio as broad, covering parks, open space, the plaza, recreation programs delivered with nonprofit partners, contracts and cemetery oversight. "That director will be an important part of our team," Guin said.

Guin highlighted fiscal-policy developments that affect the commission: the community passed Measure T, a half-cent sales tax, which he said "is gonna give us a little breathing room as we create our budget this year." He cautioned there is federal-level uncertainty that could affect local revenues and said staff is working with federal lobbyists. On capital projects, Guin directed questions about specific road repairs to the city's Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which he said will list planned street work and a five-year outlook when the budget comes forward.

On climate and sustainability, Guin said the city remains enrolled in renewable-energy programs and is testing electric vehicles and equipment. "We have 2 new electric public works trucks," he said, and the city is testing an electric street sweeper and working to keep electric transit buses in the valley to reduce deadhead trips to Santa Rosa.

Community members raised questions during the presentation. A resident asked how people apply for affordable rentals administered by the city and said they knew of vacant units that were not being made available; Guin directed the commenter to Jennifer Gates, the Community Development Director, and asked to be copied on correspondence.

Why this matters: the council goals set priorities that guide staff work and the coming budget; the parks and recreation director hire and the housing actions will shape local services and capital plans.

Guin closed by encouraging commissioners to engage in the parks and recreation director recruitment and the budget process. He said staff will align resources with the council goals and asked commissioners to contact him or staff with questions.

Contact: Guin directed residents to reach Jennifer Gates in Community Development for housing contract or vacancy issues.