City Council

City Council — January 8, 2024

This was a regular joint meeting of the Petaluma City Council and the Petaluma Community Development Successor Agency (PCDSA). The session began with a closed session at 5:30 p.m. focused on fairgrounds property negotiations, followed by the regular session at 6:30 p.m. The meeting ran until nearly 11 p.m., largely due to an extensive workshop on flooding and sea level rise.

Closed Session: Fairgrounds Property Negotiations

The Council met in closed session to discuss price and terms of use of City-owned fairgrounds property (175 Fairgrounds Drive and 866 E. Washington) with the Fourth District Agricultural Association, which operates the Sonoma-Marin Fair. Councilmember Nau recused herself from this item and was absent from the closed session.

Upon returning to open session, City Attorney Eric Danly reported that the Association had requested a 15-day extension — until January 12, 2024 — to sign a license agreement the Council had previously approved to allow the fair to continue operating at the fairgrounds. The lease with the Association had expired at the end of December 2023. The Council approved an interim agreement granting the extension. Danly stated that if a signed agreement was not received by January 12, the Council had directed staff to take necessary steps to make alternative arrangements to ensure the fair is offered at the fairgrounds, consistent with the Council's and community's commitment to the event.

General Public Comment

Thirteen members of the public addressed the Council on items not on the agenda. The minutes do not summarize the substance of those comments, only listing speakers by name.

Consent Calendar

The Council approved all eight consent calendar items. Councilmember Nau recused herself from Item 6 (the Fairgrounds Overlay Zone ordinance). Mayor McDonnell also requested a minor wording update to the footnote in Item 4's Exhibit A to clarify the purpose of a fairgrounds community engagement committee. One member of the public, Nickola Frye, spoke during public comment on the consent calendar.

Items passed included:

Vote on Item 6 (Fairgrounds Overlay Zone): Carried 6-0; Councilmember Nau recused.

Vote on Items 1–5 and 7–8: Carried 7-0.

Downtown Petaluma Business Improvement District — 2024 Annual Assessment

Senior Management Analyst Nancy Sands presented the annual assessment for the Downtown Petaluma Business Improvement District (BID), a routine levy that funds promotions and activities for downtown businesses. No members of the public commented. Councilmember Healy recused himself and left the chamber for this item.

Vote: Carried 6-0; Councilmember Healy recused.

Wildfire Safety — Hazardous Vegetation and Rubbish Abatement Ordinance (First Reading)

Fire Marshal Jessica Power and Assistant City Attorney Dylan Brady presented a proposed ordinance establishing a formal process for inspecting and abating hazardous vegetation and rubbish on properties as a wildfire safety measure. The ordinance would give the City a structured, legally defensible process to identify high fire risk conditions and require property owners to address them. No public comment was received.

This was a first reading; a second reading and final adoption will be required before the ordinance takes effect.

Vote: Carried 7-0.

Flood and Sea Level Rise Mapping Update Workshop

Assistant Director of Public Works and Utilities Gine Benedetti-Petnic led an informational workshop updating the Council on flood and sea level rise mapping for Petaluma. Councilmembers asked questions of staff, and three members of the public — Duane Bellinger, David Keller, and Rick Savez — addressed the Council. The minutes do not detail the substance of the presentation, staff responses, or public comments beyond identifying speakers. As a workshop, no binding vote was taken. The session ran until 10:52 p.m.

Key Takeaways