Council signals support to waive Kugler shelter fee for Pride event; chair directs staff to draft community-events policy

At its April 13, 2026 meeting, the Sonoma City Council signaled support for waiving the rental fee for the Pride group’s requested use of the Kugler shelter and directed staff to draft a formal community events policy, the council’s chair said.

The chair said the city has historically allowed a small set of events to use the shelter without charge while charging others, and that it has been about 10 years since the prior waiver practice. To avoid repeated ad hoc decisions, the chair said staff will prepare a draft policy "for the next finance item in the committee meeting." The chair added, "I'll get a policy written for the next finance item in the committee meeting."

Council members raised practical concerns about fee waivers, including situations where events charge admission and the cost of post-event maintenance for restrooms and facilities. Those practical concerns informed the council’s decision to direct staff to produce a policy that could set criteria for fee waivers and address maintenance/cleanup responsibilities.

The chair said staff will report back to the council through the finance committee with a proposed community events policy. There was no formal roll-call vote recorded in the transcript on the waiver; the record shows council members reached a working consensus and the chair will carry the assignment to staff. The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 11.