City Council

City Council — March 17, 2025

This was a regular meeting of the Petaluma City Council and Petaluma Community Development Successor Agency (PCDSA). All seven councilmembers were present. The meeting ran late, requiring a vote to continue past 11:00 p.m., and centered on two notable public hearings — including a contentious downtown zoning overlay that drew more than two dozen public speakers.

Proclamations and Presentations

The Council recognized Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (accepted by Petaluma residents Elaine and Robert Ramirez) and American Red Cross Month (accepted by Leland Montell, Community Disaster Program Manager for Sonoma/Napa Counties). Sonoma Water staff Jake Spaulding and Lynne Rosselli, introduced by Water Resources & Utilities Director Chelsea Thompson, presented the agency's proposed FY 2025–26 budget.

General Public Comment

Thirteen residents addressed the Council on items not on the agenda, including Ron Chestnut, Angie Cruz, Jodi Johnson, Janis Barker, Chris Parker, Tim Porteous, Nickola Frye, Robert Hansen, Maureen Gottschall, Darren Racusen, Deb Vitelli, Phoebe Ellis, and Chantal Rogers. The minutes do not record the substance of these comments.

Consent Calendar (Items 1–7)

The Council approved all seven consent items without discussion. These included:

Vote: 7–0 (moved by Councilmember Cader Thompson, seconded by Vice Mayor Nau)

Item 8: 2025–2030 CDBG Consolidated Plan Public Hearing

Assistant Director of Community Development Karen Shimizu and Management Analyst Sarah Wolf presented the staff report on the City's proposed five-year Consolidated Plan for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This plan guides how federal CDBG funds are allocated for housing and community development activities through 2030. Two members of the public — Nickola Frye and Ben Peters — commented. The minutes do not detail the substance of their remarks. This was a hearing to receive public comments; no formal vote was taken on the plan at this meeting.

Item 9: Downtown Housing and Economic Opportunity Overlay Zone (Ordinance No. 2900 N.C.S.) — Second Reading / Amended Reintroduction

This was the evening's most significant and contentious item. Councilmember DeCarli recused himself because his residence is within 500 feet of the project area and left the chamber, reducing the voting body to six.

Community Development Director Brian Oh, Principal Planner Greg Powell, and Planning Manager Andrew Trippel presented the staff report. The item concerned the second reading of Ordinance No. 2900, which would establish a Downtown Housing and Economic Opportunity Overlay Zone — a mechanism to allow higher-density, mixed-use development in Petaluma's downtown by increasing the allowable Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in Mixed Use (MU) designated areas from 2.5 to 6.0. The overlay was designed to encourage housing production and economic activity in the downtown core.

Given that the Council ultimately elected to amend the overlay rather than simply adopt it as previously introduced, the motion involved both repealing the earlier General Plan Amendment resolution (Resolution 2025-022 N.C.S.) and reintroducing an amended version of the ordinance — meaning the ordinance will need to return for another reading before it becomes final.

More than 25 members of the public spoke, with several ceding their time to others for longer comments: Maureen Gottschall (who received ceded time from Pepper Fernandez and Pamela Dayton), Lydia Asselin (who received ceded time from Isabelle Beardsworth), David Boyd (who received ceded time from Christie Achor), and Shelina Moreda (who received ceded time from Deborah Moreda). Other speakers included Rick Brown, Kris Rebillot, Tom Lewis, Cinda Gilliland, Teddy Herzog, Nathan Spindel, Tom Gaffey, Dave Alden, Daniel Lyke, Connor Kearney, Christina White, Chantal Rogers, Ben Peters, Patricia Tuttle Brown, Esaia González, Wayne Eckstrom, Bryant Moynihan, John Hanania, and Morgan Bellinger. The minutes do not summarize the content of public testimony, but the volume and organization of speakers — including time-ceding — suggests significant community interest and likely a mix of support and opposition.

The Council voted to adopt Resolution No. 2025-029 N.C.S. and to amend and reintroduce Ordinance No. 2900 N.C.S. The meeting had to be formally extended past 11:00 p.m. to complete deliberations.

Vote to extend meeting past 11:00 p.m.: 6–0 (moved by Councilmember Cader Thompson, seconded by Vice Mayor Nau; DeCarli recused)

Vote to adopt Resolution 2025-029 and amend/reintroduce Ordinance No. 2900: 5–1 (moved by Councilmember Shribbs, seconded by Councilmember Cader Thompson)

Because the ordinance was amended and reintroduced rather than adopted on second reading, it will return to the Council for at least one additional reading before taking effect.

Key Takeaways