Name: Petaluma City Council meeting, Jun 26, 2025
Start: 2025-06-26
Location: City of Petaluma

City Council

Thu, June 26, 2025

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Meeting summaryAI-generated

City Council Special Meeting — June 26, 2025

This was a special closed-session meeting of the Petaluma City Council and Petaluma Community Development Successor Agency (PCDSA), called specifically to consider whether the City should join ongoing federal litigation challenging Trump administration conditions on federal funding. Mayor McDonnell and Councilmember Barnacle were absent; Vice Mayor Nau presided.

Closed Session: Anticipated Litigation — Whether to Join Federal Lawsuit

The Council met in closed session to decide whether Petaluma should join as a plaintiff in *Martin Luther King, Jr. County, et al. v. Scott Turner, et al.*, a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (Case No. 2:25-cv-00814-BJR). The case was brought by multiple cities and counties across Washington, California, and other states against federal officials, including Scott Turner, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

At the heart of the lawsuit are conditions the Trump administration has attached to congressionally approved federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). Those conditions would require local governments to comply with administration policies that oppose local gender recognition programs, reproductive choice policies, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs, and that require local cooperation with civil immigration enforcement. The plaintiffs argue these funding conditions violate the 10th Amendment, the Separation of Powers doctrine, the Spending Clause, the Due Process Clause, and multiple provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act.

Before adjourning to closed session, Vice Mayor Nau opened public comment, and five residents spoke: Jodi Johnson, Tim Porteous, Marie Cuneo, Chantel Rogers, and Janis Barker. The specific content of their remarks is not recorded in the minutes, but the volume of speakers reflects notable community interest in the decision.

Following approximately 55 minutes in closed session, City Attorney Eric Danly reported the outcome: the Council voted unanimously to authorize the City of Petaluma to join the lawsuit as a plaintiff.

Vote: Unanimous (5–0; Mayor McDonnell and Councilmember Barnacle absent)

Key Takeaways

Petaluma is joining a multi-city federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's use of HUD and DOT funding conditions to compel local compliance with policies on immigration enforcement, gender recognition, reproductive choice, and DEI programs.

The legal theory is that attaching these conditions to already-congressionally-approved funds violates the Constitution — specifically the 10th Amendment, the Spending Clause, the Due Process Clause, and the Separation of Powers doctrine.

The vote was unanimous among the five councilmembers present, with Mayor McDonnell and Councilmember Barnacle absent.

Practical stakes are significant: if the federal government's funding conditions stand, Petaluma could face pressure to alter local policies or risk losing federal transportation and housing dollars.

Community interest was evident, with five residents signing up to speak on the closed-session item before deliberations began.

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

Additional votes recorded in minutes

Direct City to join litigation as plaintiff in Martin Luther King, Jr. County, et al. v. Scott Turner, et al.

aye 5 · absent 2

Alex Decarliaye

Brian Barnacleabsent

Frank Quintaye

Janice Cader Thompsonaye

John Shribbsaye

Karen Nauaye

Kevin McDonnellabsent

Verbatim transcript available

2 transcript segments indexed

CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL & PETALUMA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUCCESSOR AGENCY (PCDSA) City Hall Council Chamber 11 English Street Petaluma, CA 94952 MINUTES Thursday, June 26, 2025 CLOSED SESSION 5:45 P.M. CALL TO ORDER – CLOSED SESSION – 5:45 P.M. Vice Mayor Nau called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m. • ROLL CALL PRESENT: Councilmember Cader Thompon, Councilmember DeCarli, Vice Mayor Nau, Councilmember Quint, Councilmember Shribbs ABSENT: Mayor McDonnell, Councilmember Barnacle CLOSED SESSION • CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL — ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Consideration of Initiation of Litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9 Number of Cases: 1 Existing facts and circumstances: Multiple U.S. cities and counties in Washington state, California and other states are plaintiffs in federal litigation captioned Martin Luther King, Jr. County, et al, v. Sott Turner, et al, brought in the Western District Court of Washington, at Seattle, Case Number 2:25-cv- 00814-BJR. The case challenges conditions imposed on federal funding of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation purporting to order local jurisdictions to comply with Trump administration policies opposing local gender recognition, reproductive choice, and DEI programs, and requiring local cooperation with civil enforcement of Federal immigration policies. The case alleges the Trump administration policies being applied to congressionally-approved federal funding for local agencies violate the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Separation of Powers doctrine, the Spending and the Due Process clauses of the Constitution, and multiple provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act. Direction will be sought from the City Council on whether the City should join the pending litigation as a plaintiff city. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION ITEMS Vice Mayor Nau opened the public comment. Jodi Johnson Tim Porteous Marie Cuneo

Chantel Rogers Janis Barker Vice Mayor Nau closed the public comment. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION Council adjourned to closed session at 5:58 p.m. REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION City Attorney Eric Danly reported that by unanimous vote the City Council directed that the City join as a plaintiff in the pending litigation Martin Luther King, Jr. County, et al, v. Sott Turner, et al, brought in the Western District Court of Washington, at Seattle, Case Number 2:25-cv-00814-BJR. ADJOURNMENT Vice Mayor Nau adjourned the meeting at 6:53 p.m.