Name: Petaluma Senior Advisory Committee meeting, Jan 8, 2026
Start: 2026-01-08
Location: City of Petaluma

Senior Advisory Committee

Thu, January 8, 2026

Agenda PDF Minutes PDF

Agenda items

Vote records

Discussion summary

Transcript

Meeting summaryAI-generated

Climate Action Commission — January 8, 2026

This was a regular meeting of the Climate Action Commission, with five of seven members present (Thors and Ellecamp absent). The session ran from 6:00 to 7:10 p.m. and focused primarily on the Commission's future meeting schedule and the status of its ad hoc subcommittees.

*(Note: The agenda provided was for the Senior Advisory Committee; the actual minutes are from the Climate Action Commission. This summary reflects the minutes as submitted.)*

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the December 11, 2025 meeting were approved as presented without discussion.

Meeting Frequency and Focus

Staff member Carter presented this item as a follow-up to a prior meeting at which commissioners had expressed support for meeting less frequently. The Commission confirmed it will now meet every other month — six times per year — rather than monthly. Chair Atchley moved and Commissioner Garti seconded; the motion passed by consensus.

The Commission also discussed a broader commitment for members to attend other City Commissions, Committees, and Boards (CCBs) in order to support implementation of the Climate Action Blueprint, offer public comment at those bodies, and conduct education and outreach. No formal vote was taken on this; it was framed as a shared expectation for commissioners.

Vote: Passed by consensus (6 meetings/year schedule).

Ad Hoc Subcommittee Recommendations to Council

Carter indicated that staff intends to prepare a written report summarizing ad hoc subcommittee work for presentation to the City Council. The Commission discussed whether its existing ad hoc subcommittees — specifically the EV and Carbon Gardening subcommittees — should continue operating. Commissioners noted that much of the substantive work has shifted to working groups, which are separate from formal Commission ad hocs.

The Commission formally confirmed that the Carbon Gardening ad hoc subcommittee no longer exists. The discussion of the EV ad hoc's status was not resolved with a separate vote, but the general direction was toward consolidating or winding down subcommittees whose work has migrated to other structures.

Vote: No formal vote recorded beyond consensus confirmation that Carbon Gardening ad hoc is dissolved.

Staff Comments

Carter provided two updates outside of formal agenda items:

SB 1221 Grant: The City has applied for a grant associated with SB 1221 (a state measure related to climate or transportation — the minutes do not specify further detail).

Single-Use Items Outreach: Staff conducted outreach to approximately 40 local restaurants regarding single-use item reduction. Many businesses said they were too busy to engage. Of those who did respond, nine completed a survey and eight expressed interest in participating in a transition program. Several restaurants indicated they would welcome assistance moving to reusable alternatives. Staff acknowledged there is no ideal time for businesses to take on this kind of regulatory change, suggesting a patient, supportive approach going forward.

Key Takeaways

The Climate Action Commission will now meet every other month (six times per year), a reduction from its prior cadence, effective beginning in January 2026.

The Carbon Gardening ad hoc subcommittee has been formally dissolved; the Commission is reassessing whether remaining ad hocs still serve a distinct purpose given that much of the work has moved to independent working groups.

A written report on ad hoc work is being prepared for eventual recommendation to the City Council.

Restaurant outreach on single-use items is underway but slow, with only about a quarter of contacted businesses engaging so far; staff is taking a collaborative, assistance-oriented approach.

The City has applied for an SB 1221 grant, though the minutes provide no detail on the grant's scope or amount.

AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents linked above.

What happened at this meeting

Approval of Minutes for the meeting of December 11, 2025

Minutes from the December 11, 2025 meeting were approved as presented with no discussion noted.

1.Chair Report – Update –

Carter introduced discussion on Climate Action Commission meeting frequency, continuing from the prior meeting where the Commission expressed support for reducing meetings to approximately six per year. A motion by Atchley, seconded by Garti, to hold meetings every other month (six per year) beginning in January passed by consensus. The Commission also discussed member commitment to attend other City Commissions, Committees, and Boards to support Climate Action Blueprint implementation and engage in outreach.

Robert shared: article “Seniors embrace the future of transportation with Waymo” https://sfstandard.com/sponsored/seniorsembracethefutureoftransportationwith waymo/

Carter described the intention to prepare a written report of ad hoc subcommittee recommendations for the Council. The Commission discussed whether existing ad hoc subcommittees, including the EV and Carbon Gardening ad hocs, should continue, noting that much work has transitioned to working groups. The Commission confirmed that the Carbon Gardening ad hoc subcommittee no longer exists.

Agenda items (3)

Procedural (1)

1ProceduralApproval of Minutes for the meeting of December 11, 2025

The council will approve the official written record of what happened at the December 11, 2025 meeting.

What happened

Minutes from the December 11, 2025 meeting were approved as presented with no discussion noted.

Public Hearing

2Public Hearing1.Chair Report – Update –

The Chair will give an update on current activities and issues affecting the organization.

What happened

3Public HearingRobert shared: article “Seniors embrace the future of transportation with Waymo” https://sfstandard.com/sponsored/seniorsembracethefutureoftransportationwith waymo/

A member will share an article about how seniors are using Waymo (an autonomous vehicle service) as a new transportation option.

What happened

Verbatim transcript available

3 transcript segments indexed

CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA REGULAR MEETING OF THE CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION City Hall Council Chamber 11 English Street Petaluma, CA 94952 FINAL MINUTES Thursday, January 08, 2026 CALL TO ORDER Chair Atchley called the meeting to session at 6:00pm. ROLL CALL Present: Atchley, Shribbs, Garti, Peters, Krishna Absent: Thors, Ellecamp GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT During General Public Comment, the public is invited to make comments on items of public interest that are within the City Council’s subject matter jurisdiction and that are not listed on the current agenda. Public comments are limited up to three minutes per person. Depending on the number of persons wishing to address the Council, time will be allocated in equal shares totaling no more than twenty minutes, subject to the Council’s discretion (Cal. Gov’t. Code §54954.3(a), Petaluma City Council Rules, Policies and Procedures, III). PRESENTATIONS No presentations. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1 Approval of Minutes for the meeting of 12/11/25 Minutes approved as presented. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION 2. Discussion of the Frequency and Focus of Future Climate Action Commission Meetings Carter introduced the agenda item as a continuation of the prior meeting’s

discussion regarding the Climate Action Commission’s meeting cadence. At the previous meeting, the Commission expressed support for reducing the number of meetings to around six per year; however, a specific pattern had not yet been finalized. The purpose of this discussion was to confirm the meeting schedule. Public Comment Public comment opened Public comment was closed A motion to hold Climate Action Commission meetings every other month (six meetings per year), beginning in January, was proposed by Atchley and seconded by Garti. The motion passed by consensus. The Commission discussed a commitment for members to attend other City Commissions, Committees, and Boards (CCBs) to support and help implement the Climate Action Blueprint, provide public comment, and engage in education and outreach. 3. Discussion of Ad Hoc Subcommittee Recommendations to Council Carter briefly described intention to have a written report of ad hocs for recommendation to council The Commission discussed whether the existing ad hoc subcommittees should continue. Topics included the EV and Carbon Gardening ad hocs, with the observation that much of the work has transitioned to working groups, which are not ad hoc subcommittees of the Climate Action Commission. The Commission discussed whether there was continued interest in maintaining these subcommittees. The Commission confirmed that there is no longer a Carbon Gardening ad hoc subcommittee. Public Comment Public comment opened. Public comment closed. COMMISSION COMMENT Commissioner Peters Council Member Shribbs Commissioner Garti

STAFF COMMENT Carter provided an update on SB 1221 and reported that the City has applied for the associated grant. Carter also provided a brief update on staff outreach related to single-use items. Staff contacted approximately 40 restaurants; many indicated they were too busy to engage at this time. Of those contacted, nine participated in the outreach survey, and eight expressed interests in participating. Several restaurants expressed interest in receiving assistance to transition to reusable alternatives. Staff noted that there is never an ideal time to regulate single-use items for businesses. ADJOURNMENT Chair Atchley adjourned the meeting at 7:10pm.