Name: Petaluma Climate Action Commission meeting, Jan 8, 2026
Start: 2026-01-08
Location: City of Petaluma

Climate Action Commission

Thu, January 8, 2026

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Meeting summaryAI-generated

Climate Action Commission — January 8, 2026

A regular meeting of the Petaluma Climate Action Commission was held at City Hall, with five of seven members present (Thors and Ellecamp absent). The meeting covered housekeeping matters around the commission's schedule and the status of its ad hoc subcommittees.

Approval of Minutes

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

Meeting Frequency and Focus Going Forward

Staff member Carter introduced this item as a continuation of a conversation started at the previous meeting, where commissioners had expressed a preference for meeting less frequently — roughly six times per year — but had not yet locked in a specific pattern. The commission confirmed it will now meet every other month (bimonthly), beginning in January, giving the body a predictable six-meeting annual calendar.

Commissioners also discussed a broader commitment to staying engaged with climate-related work between their own meetings by attending other City Commissions, Committees, and Boards (CCBs). The idea is for commissioners to show up at those bodies to support implementation of the Climate Action Blueprint, offer public comment, and carry out education and outreach — essentially extending the commission's reach without adding formal meetings.

No public comment was received.

Vote: Motion by Chair Atchley, seconded by Commissioner Garti; passed by consensus.

Ad Hoc Subcommittee Recommendations to Council

Carter noted the intention to prepare a written report summarizing ad hoc subcommittee work for eventual recommendation to the City Council. The commission then took stock of its existing ad hoc subcommittees — specifically those focused on electric vehicles (EV) and Carbon Gardening.

The discussion reflected a broader shift in how this work is being done: much of the substantive activity has migrated into working groups, which operate separately and are not formal subcommittees of the Climate Action Commission. Commissioners considered whether there was enough remaining work to justify keeping the ad hocs alive. The commission concluded that the Carbon Gardening ad hoc subcommittee no longer exists. The minutes do not explicitly state a final decision on the EV ad hoc, though the discussion suggests its work has similarly transitioned to a working group context.

No public comment was received.

Staff Updates

Carter provided two notable updates during Staff Comment:

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

Single-Use Items Outreach: Staff reached out to approximately 40 local restaurants as part of outreach related to regulating single-use items. Response was limited — nine completed a survey, and eight expressed interest in participating in a transition to reusable alternatives. Several restaurants asked for assistance making that shift. Staff acknowledged that there is never a truly convenient time for businesses to engage with this kind of regulatory change, signaling that moving forward on single-use item policy will require patience and ongoing engagement.

Key Takeaways

The commission will now meet every other month — six times per year — streamlining its calendar while commissioners commit to staying active at other city bodies in between.

The Carbon Gardening ad hoc subcommittee has been formally dissolved, reflecting a shift of that work to less formal working groups.

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

Restaurant outreach on single-use items is progressing slowly; only 9 of 40 contacted restaurants responded, though most who did expressed interest in transitioning to reusables.

The City has applied for an SB 1221 grant, though the meeting minutes provide no further detail on the bill's scope or the grant 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 12/11/25

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

Discussion of the Frequency and Focus of Future Climate Action Commission Meetings

Carter introduced the item as a continuation of prior discussion regarding meeting cadence, with the Commission having previously expressed support for reducing meetings to around six per year. No public comment was received. A motion by Atchley, seconded by Garti, to hold meetings every other month (six per year) beginning in January passed by consensus, and members discussed committing to attend other City commissions and boards to support implementation of the Climate Action Blueprint.

Discussion of Ad Hoc Subcommittee Recommendations to Council

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, particularly the EV and Carbon Gardening ad hocs, should continue, noting that much work has transitioned to working groups, and confirmed that the Carbon Gardening ad hoc subcommittee no longer exists. No public comment was received.

Agenda items (3)

Procedural (1)

1ProceduralApproval of Minutes for the meeting of 12/11/25

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 HearingDiscussion of the Frequency and Focus of Future Climate Action Commission Meetings

Residents can comment on how often the Climate Action Commission should meet and what topics it should focus on, with the council making decisions based on public input.

What happened

3Public HearingDiscussion of Ad Hoc Subcommittee Recommendations to Council

An ad hoc subcommittee will present its recommendations to the council, and residents will have an opportunity to comment before the council decides whether to accept them.

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.