Council approves Climate Action Commission's 2025 work plan amid calls to explicitly advance 'green links' implementation

The Sonoma City Council voted 4-1 on April 20 to approve the Climate Action Commission's 2025 work plan, which prioritizes grant searches, educational outreach, a tree-inventory completion, updates to the city's cash-for-turf program, evaluation of local reach codes after the state building-code update, and targeted transportation and energy measures.

The work plan, presented by Community Development Director Jennifer Gates and supported by commission staff, lists specific implementation topics including expanding publicly accessible electric-vehicle charging, considering a downtown shuttle, banning new drive-through restaurants and new gas stations, updating the city's cash-for-turf incentive program and exploring cool corridors and increased downtown bike parking. The commission asked for ad hoc working groups to focus on the general-plan elements, education and outreach, and a water/cash-for-turf group to support implementation.

Chair Morel of the Climate Action Commission told the council he supported the work plan but urged the council to explicitly include phased implementation language for "green links"—a proposed citywide green-infrastructure network of connected greenways and low-impact development features. "The absence of clear implementation commitments is troubling," Morel said, asking that the planning, parks and climate commissions be given specific responsibility and resources to advance green links beyond planning into phased on-the-ground projects.

Supporters on the council praised the work plan's breadth but several members agreed the green-links concept should be pursued through the general-plan update and accompanying technical studies. "The general plan will identify the policies and implementation tools," Gates told the council, adding that the tree inventory and new lidar data will inform where green-links elements such as canopy and cool corridors could be sited. Vice Mayor Wellander, who ultimately voted no, said she supported much of the plan but wanted firmer implementation commitments and clearer sequencing before endorsing it.

Following discussion, Council member Robert Dean moved to approve the Climate Action Commission work plan; the motion passed 4-1 with Vice Mayor Wellander the lone dissent.

Ending: The council's approval authorizes the commission and staff to proceed with the listed priorities and ad hoc groups; council members and the commission will continue coordinated discussions about funding and the sequencing of green-links implementation as the general-plan update proceeds.