To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Board of Supervisors
Staff Name and Phone Number: Supervisor David Rabbitt, 707-565-2241
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Second
Title:
Title
Approve the establishment of the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council.
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution to establish the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council and its boundary; and approve the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council Bylaws. (Second District)
end
Executive Summary:
Unincorporated segments of the County have become increasingly municipal in nature, and now require an effective mechanism to communicate their needs to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors (Board). Members of the Board currently work with multiple Councils in their districts, including the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission, the Springs Municipal Advisory Council and North Valley Municipal Advisory Council in the First District, and the Dry Creek Valley Citizens Advisory Council and Mark West Area Citizens Advisory Council in the Fourth District, and the Lower Russian River and Sonoma County Coast Municipal Advisory Councils in the Fifth District.
If approved, this item will establish the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council in the Second District, to provide recommendations on matters of local concern, such as transportation, health and human safety, emergency preparedness, regional groundwater and floodwater and community projects. After the Council is established and the Second District Supervisor selects final nominations to the Council, the Second District will bring a Board item to appoint members to the Council.
Municipal Advisory Councils are authorized by statute (Government Code section 31010) and can be created by a resolution of County Board of Supervisors.
Discussion:
The Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council will represent the best interests of the entire community while acting as a bridge for communication between the County and local residents and businesses on the following topics for the Penngrove Area, when they are referred to the Municipal Advisory Council through the proper channels described in the Bylaws. In order to facilitate community engagement, the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council will make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on the following Advisory Topics:
a. Prioritization of transportation, transit, traffic calming, bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
b. Health and human safety-net services, including homelessness and housing.
c. Community projects such as art, clean ups and vegetation planting.
d. Fire services and community preparedness.
e. Address regional groundwater and floodwater concerns.
f. Provide input to the Sonoma County General Plan Update and Penngrove Area Specific Plan.
g. Additional topics as requested by the District Supervisor.
Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council: History and Timing
In December of 2021, the Second District Supervisor convened a group of stakeholders to provide input on the creation of a Municipal Advisory Council in the Penngrove area. Over the following months, the Second District coordinated with the County Administrator’s Office, the office of County Counsel and local stakeholders to develop bylaws for the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council.
If the Board of Supervisors establishes the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council, these vacant positions will be advertised on the County’s Maddy Act website in compliance with Government Code section 54970. The District Supervisor will review all qualified applicants and submit selected applicants to the Board of Supervisors for appointment. The Board could appoint Municipal Advisory Council members in 2022, and the Municipal Advisory Council could begin meeting in the latter part of 2022.
Municipal Advisory Councils: Changes to Template Bylaws
In 2017 the Board adopted the Sonoma County Municipal Advisory Council Policies & Procedures, providing guidance for the establishment of future Municipal Advisory Councils in unincorporated Sonoma County. The guidelines were carefully considered in the development of the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council. In order to ensure consistency across Sonoma County’s Municipal Advisory Councils, the intent and scope of the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council are consistent with the guidelines.
The proposed Bylaws for the Penngrove Area Municipal Advisory Council include adjustments to the templates approved by the Board in 2017. The District Supervisor selected these changes to increase the effectivity of Municipal Advisory Councils in the unique regions of the Second District. Substantive change to the bylaws includes guidance on the procedure to make requests of County staff.
Sonoma County Municipal and Citizens Advisory Councils: Funding Discussion
Municipal Advisory Councils typically incur costs such as website development and maintenance, Errors and Omissions Liability Insurance, facility rentals and staffing costs. The costs may be divided into two categories: one-time startup costs, and ongoing costs.
One-time Startup Costs
• Initial website development for Municipal Advisory Councils
• Initial outreach costs, such as a single mailing to residents of the Municipal Advisory Council
Ongoing Costs
• Costs for facility rental and staffing
• Website maintenance
• The County’s General Liability Coverage includes Errors & Omissions Coverage and is distributed among departments. Boards, Committees, Commissions, Councils, etc. that are formed and appointed by the Board are included in the coverage.
One-time startup costs may be funded by the County Administrator’s Office. Ongoing costs may be covered with discretionary funds available to the Board, such as each Supervisor’s Tourism Impact Funds under the Community Investment Fund, or independent non-County sources.
Sonoma County Municipal and Citizens Advisory Councils: Update
The now-dissolved Windsor Municipal Advisory Council was the first Council in Sonoma County, established in 1987. In 1993 the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and the Sonoma City Council established the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission. In 2016 The Board established the Mark West Area Citizens Advisory Council, and the Dry Creek Valley Citizens Advisory Council in 2012. In 2018 the Board established the Lower Russian River, Sonoma County Coast Municipal Advisory Councils and the Springs Municipal Advisory Council. In 2019 the Board established the North Valley Municipal Advisory Council.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
• Pre-incorporation, the Board established the now-dissolved Windsor Municipal Advisory Council in 1987 (Resolution No. 87-0139).
• The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and the Sonoma City Council established the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission in 1993 (Resolution 93-1552 on 10/12/93; Joint Powers Agreement 98-1281 on 10/6/98; 04-0026 on 1/6/04; 06-0776 on 9/12/06; 14-0086 on 3/11/14).
• The Board created the Mark West Area Citizens Advisory Council in 2016 (Resolution No. 16- 0231) and Dry Creek Valley Citizens Advisory Council in 2012 (Resolution No. 12-0410).
• The Board adopted the Sonoma County Municipal Advisory Council Policies & Procedures on July 18, 2017.
• The Board created the Lower Russian River Advisory Council (Resolution No. 18-0405) and the Sonoma County Coast Municipal Advisory Council on 9/25/2018 (Resolution No. 18-0406).
• The Board created the Springs Municipal Advisory Council on 12/11/2018 (Resolution No. 18-0508)
• The Board created the North Valley Municipal Advisory Council on 9/17/2019 (Resolution No. 19-1346)
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Ongoing costs related to the Municipal Advisory Councils may be covered with discretionary funds available to the Board, such as each Supervisor’s Tourism Impact Funds under the Community Investment Fund.
Based on experiences from County staff as well as staff from other Counties, it is projected that each Council would need 16 hours of support time/month as well training of each Council. This support may be provided by existing staff to the Board of Supervisors. In the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 the Board approved one additional staff member in each district, to assist with “Board District Services.”
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Ongoing administrative support for Municipal Advisory Councils shall be provided by staff identified by the District Supervisor, a voluntary agreement, contract, or other means.
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Municipal Advisory Council Bylaws
Attachment 2: Municipal Advisory Council Resolution
Attachment 3: Municipal Advisory Council Boundaries
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Sonoma County Municipal Advisory Council Policies and Procedures